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Dig into the Opening Cinematic from Minecraft Dungeons right here
Minecraft fans got a small window into the future of the franchise during today’s MineCon Live livestream, and the development team at Mojang dug deep to deliver the first look at the Opening Cinematic from next year’s Minecraft Dungeons. Featuring an evil overlord and a mysterious object of immense power, this new video certainly sets the mood for what fans can expect from the fantasy-themed epic:
When a lonely, outcast Illager stumbles upon a mysterious object with terrifying powers, his entire existence is turned upside down. Before long, he finds himself on a path of evil, causing mayhem across the Overworld. Who can stop him?
Minecraft Dungeons will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in Spring 2020, and a Closed Beta for the dungeon-crawling spinoff will be available sometime between now and then. You can sign up now for a chance to receive an invitation at the game’s official website.
Bumblebee’s Travis Knight is the latest director to sign on for the Uncharted movie
Sony Pictures has spun the Wheel of Fortune one more time and come up with another new director for their film adaptation of the Uncharted franchise.
Dan Trachtenberg, who is best known for directing 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane, previously occupied the director’s chair for Uncharted: The Movie, but according to a report on Deadline, he has decided to step down. Thankfully for Tom Holland, who will play a younger version of Nathan Drake in the film, Sony Pictures has already recruited a replacement… Travis Knight, the director of 2018’s Bumbleebee and 2016’s Kubo and The Two Strings.
As long as nothing else goes wrong with the Uncharted adaptation, filming is still expected to begin early next year. But the movie’s previously-announced December 18, 2020 release date will most likely have to change.
God of War, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Gran Turismo Sport, more will join expanded PlayStation Hits lineup on PS4 this Fall
Sony’s PlayStation Hits line will expand this Fall on the PS4 thanks to an influx of some of the console’s latest and greatest titles.
Sony Santa Monica’s God of War leads the new additions, and it’ll be joined by two other Sony-published games, Gran Turismo Sport and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Several popular Ubisoft titles will round out this Fall’s expansion of the PlayStation Hits, including The Crew, Far Cry 4, Rayman Legends, and the original Watch Dogs.
The newest additions to the PlayStation Hits lineup will be priced at $19.99, and they’ll be available in stores beginning on October 4.
Dauntless’s 1.0 Update and Aether Unbound expansion are now available
Dauntless, a free-to-play brawler about hunting giant monsters from Phoenix Labs, has shed its Early Access designation on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One thanks to the launch of the game’s new 1.0 Update:
Dauntless 1.0 is a new beginning for the Behemoth-hunting game, delivering an expansive live gameplay experience that takes into account years of feedback from the game’s passionate community. Dauntless will continue to grow and expand with new content and features, keeping Slayers sharp and entertained with new weapons, Behemoths, in-game events, stories and much more for years to come.
In addition to launching the full version of Dauntless, the developer has unveiled a brand new seasonal expansion for the game, Aether Unbound. The expansion gives players the option to engage in fast-paced hand-to-claw combat with the game’s towering Behemoths, as well as participate in a new Bounty System:
The next seasonal expansion, Aether Unbound, adds a powerful new way for Slayers to hunt: the Aether Strikers. The combo-heavy strikers transform Slayers into living weapons with the ability to unleash fast-moving attacks and powerful techniques. This update also adds the savage new Dire Behemoth, Tempestborne Stormclaw, a new Bounty system, and a Hunt Pass packed with special challenges and in-game rewards. The new Bounty system replaces weekly quests and Hunt Pass part breaks, empowering Slayers to pick and choose which bounties they are most interested in pursuing. Phoenix Labs also squashed more than 500 bugs on the road to its 1.0 launch, making this patch one of Dauntless’ most polished to date.
These updates arrive just as Dauntless’s playerbase has reached more than 15 million players, and just before its launch on the Nintendo Switch later this year.
“Today is the celebration and culmination of the past five years of the development of Dauntless, and the amazing community of Slayers that have supported the game, provided feedback and ultimately helped us craft the experience of the Shattered Isles.” said Jesse Houston, the CEO and Co-Founder of Phoenix Labs. “As we cross the 1.0 milestone and 15 million players, we as a studio could not be more excited to set our sights on the future of Dauntless.”
A trailer for Dauntless’s 1.0 Update and the Aether Unbound expansion has been embedded above.
New trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduces us to “Cal’s Mission”
Respawn Entertainment will get their next chance to wow gamers with a sprawling space saga this Fall with the launch of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Today, the developer unveiled a new trailer for the game that hints at what else protagonist Cal Kestis will be up to besides evading the Empire:
In the Galactic Empire, the Inquisitorius has only one mission: seek out and destroy all remnants of the Jedi Order. Learn more about what Cal Kestis is searching the galaxy for and why the Empire will stop at nothing to bring him down.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 15.
The Last of Us Part II will be released on February 21, 2020
After nearly three years worth of teases and trailers, Sony and Naughty Dog have finally confirmed a launch date for The Last of Us Part II. The post-apocalyptic sequel will be released exclusively for the PS4 on February 21, 2020.
As part of today’s State of Play presentation, the publisher and developer also unveiled a brand new trailer for The Last of Us Part II, which reveals more about the game’s story, and a very-alive-looking Joel (so much for the “He’s a Voice in Ellie’s Head!” theory).
Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann also shared a bit about what this announcement means for everyone at Naughty Dog on the PlayStation Blog:
We began working on this game over five years ago. It’s hard to describe the immense pressure of following up the first game. We know how much you love this world and its characters — especially Ellie and Joel. Believe me, we’re fans as well. We love them. Which is why we spent years crafting a game that we feel will do them justice, telling a nuanced story that deals with the core question: how far would you go to exact justice against the people that hurt the ones you love?
It’s a highly emotional story with complex themes that befit the world of The Last of Us. What we realized pretty early on is that we were putting together Naughty Dog’s most ambitious and longest game in our 35 year history. To tell this kind of story the game needed to be massive. Without spoiling too much, at the top of this post you can watch the brand-new trailer that we debuted earlier today on State of Play, which just scratches the surface of what the game has in store.
More information about The Last of Us Part II will be revealed later this week on September 26, which is “the day the cordyceps fungus reached critical mass” (better known as “Outbreak Day”) in the game.
Square Enix evokes classic PSone design for Final Fantasy VII Remake’s box and unveils a new gameplay trailer
Square Enix gave fans a glimpse at the box art for Final Fantasy VII Remake earlier today, and it should bring back fond memories for those of us who were around when the original game was released back in 1997:
The package art, reminiscent of the North American cover of the original Final Fantasy VII, features protagonist Cloud Strife with his iconic buster sword, staring down the headquarters of the shadowy enemy he has agreed to help take down.
In addition to the artwork announcement, Square Enix also unveiled a brand new gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy VII Remake that pits Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith against Abzu. You can find the video after the break:
Furthermore, a new gameplay video is now available, in which Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith go head to head with a ferocious beast, Abzu. The exhilarating fight [highlights] each characters’ unique battle style.
Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released for the PS4 on March 3, 2020. (more…)
New Retail Releases: FIFA 20, Code Vein, Contra Rogue Corps, More
The month of September is rolling to a close with a bevy of new retail releases, including FIFA 20, the latest launch for EA Sports’s soccer simulation series. FIFA 20 will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One, and a Legacy Edition of the game will be released for the Switch.
Monsters and mayhem are also on the docket for this week, as Bandai Namco will bring their vampire-centric action RPG, Code Vein, to the PS4 and Xbox One. It’ll be joined by Konami’s latest bizarro take on the Contra franchise, the twin-stick shooter Contra: Rogue Corps, for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Speaking of the Switch, several big titles will finally make their way to Nintendo’s console. Square Enix’s epic RPG Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition will be released for the Switch, as will Behavior Interactive’s multiplayer survival game Dead by Daylight and THQ Nordic’s apocalyptic action game Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition.
Elsewhere on store shelves this week, Focus Home Interactive will publish their futuristic action RPG, The Surge 2, for the PS4 and Xbox One. And Spike Chunsoft will also go the sci-fi route for their latest adventure game, AI: The Somnium Files, on the PS4 and Switch.
And finally, Natsume wants to get players invested in the fast farming of Harvest Moon: Mad Dash on the PS4 and Switch.
A complete list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)