Rockstar Games co-founder and writer of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, Dan Houser, is leaving the company in March. He leaves the company following an extended break that began in Spring 2019, and his departure was announced unceremoniously to say the least. Take-Two confirmed his departure in a four-sentence statement that was filed with a US regulatory body.Take-Two has now shared a little more insight around Houser's departure and what it means for Rockstar going forward. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick commented on the matter on an earnings call, but he only very briefly mentioned Dan Houser, and instead focused his comments on his brother Sam and the successes of Rockstar Games as a company."Dan Houser had been on an extended leave since early spring 2019," Zelnick said, adding that he is grateful to Dan for his contributions and that he wishes him well going forward.Houser, who is known to be a private person, has not made any public comment on his forthcoming departure from Rockstar.Zelnick also pointed out that Rockstar has been led since the very beginning by Sam Houser, who remains president of the company. "It's an extraordinary team effort and Sam is a great player-coach," Zelnick said.Zelnick went on to say that Rockstar Games has "never been stronger" following the huge successes of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, which have combined to sell 150 million copies. Their online modes are still going strong as well, with microtransaction spending in GTA Online recently posted huge revenue gains.Later in the call, Zelnick spoke more about his working relationship with Sam Houser and how Rockstar's culture has been improving of late. This follows reports of extended crunch at the company in the lead-up to the release of Red Dead Redemption 2."I don't typically speak for other people but I confidently can speak and say that Sam is highly committed to the organization. Sam and I work very closely together; it's an enormous pleasure to be able to be in business with Sam and the entire team at Rockstar," he said. "Culturally, I've only seen ongoing improvement at Rockstar, frankly. I've only seen growth and engagement and innovation.""Rockstar Games sets a standard for always trying to improve its operations and how it works and the culture," he added. "I frankly couldn't be more proud of how that label is operating."Zelnick went on to say that he does not anticipate more staff departures following Dan Houser's exit. People stay at Rockstar--and Take-Two's other labels--because they are taken care of and rewarded for their work, he said. Take-Two pays its employees bonuses as part of what it labels "internal royalties." For the three-month period ended December 31, Take-Two paid out $166.4 million in such bonuses."Things couldn't be better [at Rockstar]," Zelnick said. "And to be very specific, no, we certainly don't expect other departures. As an organization as a whole, we have an extraordinarily low rate of attrition, vastly lower than the industry average. I think that's because we offer a great place to work at all of our labels and at Take-Two corporate as well. To the extent that we fall short, we always aim to do better."The share price of Take-Two dropped after the company announced Dan Houser's departure, so it's expected that Zelnick would try to assuage fears that the company may be rudderless without their former head writer and creative executive.For more on Take-Two's earnings report today, check out the stories below:GTA 5 Reaches Impressive New Sales Milestone, As Microtransaction Spending GrowsOuter Worlds On Switch Delayed Due To Coronavirus OutbreakHere's How Much Microtransactions Make For Activision And Take-TwoInfo from Gamespot.com

Disney theme parks and Star Wars have a newer relationship, but it continues to grow. Last year, Galaxy's Edge opened, immersing park-goers into a very familiar world. More recently, the Rise of the Resistance attraction opened there, taking riders on a journey as a battle between the First Order and Resistance rages all around them. In 2021, you will be able to spend a few nights staying on a spaceship with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.This Star Wars adventure will be a park of Disney World in Florida, where you can spend two days and two nights living on a Starcruiser. There will be on-board activities like lightsaber training. tours of the bridge, and there's even a land excursion to Black Spire Outpost on Batuu. The video below showcases the look and feel of this upcoming resort.The Galactic Starcruiser site is live, showing off concept art and detailing everything that's in the video above. "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is a completely new type of experience," says Ann Morrow Johnson, executive producer for Walt Disney Imagineering. "You're going to live onboard a star cruiser…and you can get wrapped up in the larger Star Wars story."Galactic Starcruiser will be exclusive to Disney World in Florida, building on Galaxy's Edge, which features the ride Smuggler's Run and the previously mentioned Rise of the Resistance. The new Galactic Starcruiser resort will arrive in 2021.Info from Gamespot.com

It appears Activision intends to release even more remasters and reimaginings of classic games from its catalog. As part of the company's earnings report today, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed we could expect more to be announced later this year.Which games the company is looking to give the remaster treatment remains unclear. However, Activision has expressed interest around remasters for a while now, which should come as no surprise given the critical and financial success around previous releases, like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and the most recently released Crash Team Racing: Nitro-fueled. While we may get a remaster of another well-known Activision property, the company has made it clear that it's also not shy about investing in new games within its most recently remastered franchises."When you look at our IP library, we think there's a lot of IP in there the fans are going to want to experience again," said Kotick during an August 2019 investor call. "I'd say stay tuned for some future announcements, but just beyond pure remasters, there are also a lot of opportunities now to innovate and think about totally new content within these IPs."New remasters only encapsulated a sliver of the discussion during Activision's most recent investor call. Among the more notable details was the confirmation of this year's new Call of Duty, and how Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is selling more than Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Info from Gamespot.com

Activision Blizzard is known for console and PC games like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Diablo, but the company now makes more money from its mobile game business.As part of Activision Blizzard's latest earnings report, the company revealed that net revenue from mobile has exceeded console, PC, and all other elements of its business.For the quarter ended December 31, Activision Blizzard made $633 million from mobile and ancillary revenue, which works out to 32 percent of the company's total net revenue. By comparison, mobile revenue was $596 million, or 25 percent of total revenue during the final three months of 2018.This is a big change from the final three months of 2018, when console (34 percent) was Activision Blizzard's biggest sales category, followed by PC (31 percent) and then mobile (25 percent).You can check out the sales charts below to see how much money Activision Blizzard makes from console, PC, mobile, and other. Note that the ancillary revenue includes things like physical merchandise and accessories.Part of what's boosting Activision Blizzard's mobile revenue are the offerings from mobile game giant King, which Activision Blizzard bought in 2016 for $5.9 billion. With the acquisition, Activision Blizzard said it became the "largest game network in the world."Outside of Candy Crush and other games from King, Activision has Call of Duty Mobile, which recently surpassed a whopping 150 million installs worldwide. The success of Call of Duty Mobile "highlights the opportunity for our other large franchises to reach hundreds of millions of new players as they expand onto mobile," Activision said.In fact, the company said previously that every single one of its franchises is under consideration for a mobile adaptation.One of Activision Blizzard's next big franchises to go mobile is Diablo. The first alpha test for Diablo Immortal will begin during 2020, Activision Blizzard has confirmed.It also bears mentioning that just because mobile game revenue is booming for Activision Blizzard, that doesn't mean the company will stop making console and PC games. As the charts show, console and PC remain massive categories for the company.Just today, Activision Blizzard confirmed the next Call of Duty game, and it will no doubt launch across console and PC.Activision Blizzard Category Revenue Breakdown Info from Gamespot.com

Post-credits scenes are a tradition for superhero movies at this point, and while it may be because of the MCU's example, the modern DCEU has reliably followed suit. Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam all teased upcoming movies with their after-credits scenes, so it's only natural to assume that Birds of Prey would include one as well. But, in typical Harley Quinn fashion, sometimes its better to expect the unexpected. Let's take a look at the ending of Birds of Prey and break down exactly what happened after the credits finished rolling.Obviously, massive spoilers from here on out. Please proceed with caution!The final act of Birds of Prey see the members of the titular team coming together for the first time, mostly on accident. Harley, in a bid to save her own life, has arranged a meetup with Black Mask at the Booby Trap, an abandoned funhouse, to hand over Cassandra Cain, who swallowed the encoded Bertinelli diamond he's so desperate to own. If Harley hands her over, Black Mask will let her go--or, that's what he says, at least. The odds of her surviving the exchange, she soon realizes, are a lot lower than she'd like. Things get more complicated, however, when both Renee Montoya and Dinah Lance catch wind of the meeting and show up at the Booby Trap to arrest Black Mask and save Cass respectively. Dinah arrives with Roman's right-hand man, Victor Zsasz, in tow, which in turn leads the final piece of the puzzle to the funhouse--Huntress, who doesn't actually care about Harley, Cass, or Roman, but wants Zsasz dead for his involvement in her family's murder, shows up. Finally, all five protagonists are in the same place at the same time.After dealing with Zsasz by shooting him in the neck with a crossbow and stabbing him over and over with a tranquilizer dart (which may or may not have actually killed him--although Huntress clearly thinks it did), the team realizes that their only real option is to work together to take Roman down. But Roman, who surrounded the Booby Trap with heavily armed henchmen, doesn't plan on making it easy. What ensues is a massive fight through the Booby Trap, ending in a car chase with Huntress driving a motorcycle, towing a roller skate-wearing Harley behind her. It's Cass who ultimately saves the day by planting a grenade on Roman and pulling the pin, causing him to explode into a million tiny chunks over Gotham harbor. Zsasz may have a chance at surviving, but Roman definitely does not.With the dust settling, the women find themselves taking stock of their situation at a Mexican restaurant, day drinking and actually getting to know one another. But before anyone can become too buddy-buddy, both Harley and Cass make a break for it, sneaking out to drive off into the sunset and leaving Renee, Helena, and Dinah to figure out their next steps. The three of them, as Harley narrates, go on to become a vigilante team of their own--calling themselves the Birds of Prey--after Renee quits the force, Dinah gives up trying to stay on the sidelines, and Helena is satisfied with her quest for vengeance. Harley and Cass's ending is a bit more open, but it's heavily implied that Harley intends to take Cass under her wing as a sort of protege, at least for the time being. Of course, this may mean Cass will have some role in the upcoming James Gunn Suicide Squad reboot, but we can't be sure, especially given how fast-and-loose the DCEU tends to be with shared universe continuity.As for a proper post-credits stinger? Birds of Prey offers only an audio gag and no real scene. If you sit through the credits, Harley breaks the fourth wall to speak over the final seconds, promising that she's going to share a super-secret detail about Batman. But she only gets as far as saying "Batman f--" before the screen and her audio are cut off completely. What does Batman "f---"? The world may never know.Harley's next big-screen outing will be The Suicide Squad, due out August 6, 2021. Info from Gamespot.com

Harley has made it abundantly obvious that she and the Joker are done in every trailer for Birds of Prey. The two members of Gotham's most infamous clown royal family of crime have officially called it quits. But, considering just how strange the DCEU's continuity and shared universe actually are (at least, compared to the MCU), we can't fault anyone for wondering if Mr. J is going to show up in some capacity for Harley's new movie. And, perhaps even more importantly, which version of Joker would be around, given the fact that Joaquin Phoenix is the most recent person to take on the role?Thankfully, Birds of Prey has a relatively simple solution for such a weird, tangled web of interconnected stories. Is The Joker in Birds of Prey? Yes--but probably not in the way you'd expect.In truth, Joker's cameo in the movie comes care of some re-used Suicide Squad footage. The scene in which Harley is thrown into the vat at Ace Chemicals has been recut for this movie, meaning that we do get to see part of the back of Joker's head--Jared Leto Joker, that is--just before Harley makes her swan dive. We never actually see his face or any other part of him for that matter--so, as far as cameos are concerned, it's really not much. Still, it does confirm some things that may or may not have been gnawing at the back of your brain.For one, Joaquin Phoenix is definitely not the Joker in the "main" DCEU. Not that anyone involved with that movie ever tried to insist that he was--but still, given how jumbled the landscape is with Batman movies in particular, it wasn't necessarily outside the realm of possibility. But now it's looking more like Joker, the movie, is entirely separate from movies like Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Birds of Prey, and Shazam and nothing that happened in it will have any bearing on the DCEU moving forward.Second, Jared Leto's Joker is still, functionally, canon for the larger DCEU, even if the actor won't be reprising the role any time soon (at least, that we know of). James Gunn's The Suicide Squad reboot has already released a cast list, and, despite it being huge, Leto was not included. Similarly, Matt Reeves' Batman film has confirmed a cast that does not involve Joker at all. We still don't know where Reeves' film will fall in the DCEU at large, or if it'll take a similar approach to Joker and remain completely isolated, but those are the two movies in which we'd likely see a Joker appearance if one was in the works.So, if you're trying to keep track of who's who in the DCEU, your best bet when trying to understand what's going on with Mr. J is to just keep picturing the face-tattoos and diamond grills of Leto's Joker for, well, the foreseeable future. Trust us, we're not stoked on it either, but them's the breaks.Birds of Prey is in theaters now. Info from Gamespot.com

Continuity and the logistics of the shared universe in DC's movies can be a tricky thing to figure out, especially now after movies like Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam have done their best to pivot away from the old and start something new--or, well, sort of new. DC certainly isn't building their films out based on the MCU's blueprint, but they're also not completely scrapping their early attempts in favor of complete reboots, either.Birds of Prey exists in that not-a-reboot middle ground. It is a sequel to Suicide Squad, in that one takes place after the other and they both feature the same version of Harley Quinn. But Birds of Prey is a Suicide Squad sequel the same way Aquaman is a direct sequel to Justice League--meaning it only really needs you to remember the tiniest handful of details from Suicide Squad to understand the plot. Can't remember who Suicide Squad's bad guy was? No problem. Don't exactly recall why or how Harley even wound up on that team? Don't worry about it. It's fine.Harley kicks this movie off by announcing that she and the Joker have broken up while providing some rapid-fire exposition regarding her personal origin story. Most of this is done with brand new animated scenes covering her time as a child, going to college, working at Arkham, and so on. However, when it comes time to actually explain her relationship with the Joker, Birds of Prey actually pulls footage directly from Suicide Squad to cover it. The scene where she takes a swan dive into a vat at Ace Chemicals is reused, but cut slightly differently to keep Jared Leto's Joker mostly out of frame. In fact, the back of his head is all we see of Mr. J for Birds of Prey's entirety.The actual details of what Harley and Joker have been doing between then and now are left completely up to the imagination. Tiny details like Joker's reasons for ending their relationship, how Harley managed to get out from under Amanda Waller's thumb and stay out of prison, and where Joker is now are never actually explained. As far as Birds of Prey is concerned, Harley has been galavanting around Gotham causing chaos with Joker until very recently and now they aren't anymore. We can assume that Joker is still in the picture somewhere--other characters certainly seem to be afraid of him as if he's still at large--but he otherwise never factors into the story.Birds of Prey's only other Suicide Squad connection comes in the form of an Easter Egg during Harley's big police station blow out. As she leaves, she spots a wanted poster for none other than Captain Boomerang (played by Jai Courtney in Suicide Squad) and pauses long enough to say "hey, I know that guy." This doesn't tell us much about what Boomerang has been up to since his Suicide Squad days, obviously, just that he's still at large--but we can assume we'll get more info when Courtney reprises his role in the upcoming James Gunn Suicide Squad. Maybe he and Harley will get to have a nice catch-up chat before they're both thrust into whatever mortal peril they'll be facing this time around.Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is in theaters now. The Suicide Squad will hit theaters on August 6, 2021. Info from Gamespot.com

Kunai's premise is a familiar one. Humankind has reached the pinnacle of technological advancement and brought about their own downfall, inviting an army of AI-controlled robots to nearly wipe out all life on earth. A small resistance of remaining humans and conflict-averse droids begin fighting back, but without a miracle, that battle is all but lost lost. Tabby, a cheerfully emoting tablet in ninja robes, is that miracle.Kunai is both outlandish and endearing, starting squarely with its odd protagonist. Tabby--a dexterous tablet in a world dominated by robots with CRT-like heads and barely any traces of humankind--is on a quest to extinguish an AI uprising and prevent humanity's extinction. Kunai's world is fragmented into varied areas, giving you multiple paths to explore in its opening hours, with your growing toolset opening up new avenues to explore as you progress. Kunai features the familiar DNA of action-platformers and Metroidvanias, combining satisfying platforming and engrossing combat to great effect.You start out with just a sword, and you can use it to quickly carve through the metal exteriors of robot foes and stylishly protect yourself from projectiles with a flurry of swings. You have a generous jump, too, that allows you to attack from above and continuously bounce between enemies after each swipe. Getting into a rhythm of bouncing off one enemy and directly onto the next while not missing an attack in between is both easy to grasp and satisfying to pull off. Kunai's combat scenarios generally feature only a handful of enemies at a time, too, giving you ample space to feel like a kickass ninja consistently.Adding to your airborne maneuverability early on are the kunai, a pair of grappling hooks equipped in each hand that let you swing around environments with ease. Augmenting standard movement with the aerial freedom of your kunai injects combat with a captivating sense of flow. It's effortless to chain together swings to maintain airtime while bouncing between enemies to attack.A variety of layouts from screen to screen challenge you to use your tools creatively. More open expanses let you freely hop around, but don't offer many points for you to hook your kunai into. Cramped pathways limit your aerial maneuverability, encouraging you to deflect more projectiles and choose your attacks wisely. Each area throws in unique elements that supplement this--the dense forest features vines that you can use to climb on while mines feature fragile walls that crumble if you swing from them--keeping platforming and combat entertaining throughout.You're free to explore the multiple areas of Kunai's large map as far as your equipment will take you. Each new item you find doubles as both a weapon and a tool to navigate the world in new ways. Your dual machine guns, for example, act as both a powerful medium range attack and a creative means to float over large gaps, since you can use downward fire to sustain your jump for as long as you have bullets to fire. Each new item's use is also easy to understand from the get-go, calling to mind locked doors or obstructed pathways that can now be cleared with your new abilities, making it easy to decide where to push onto next.Each new item expands your limited moveset in exciting ways, but navigating to each specific part of the map where they might be useful becomes taxing quickly. Individual segments in Kunai's areas offer up enough variety in their construction to encourage different combat strategies, but they don't coalesce in a way that makes navigating the same spaces as interesting on return visits. In some cases coming to the end of a critical path and reaching its respective goal is deflated by the realisation that you need to navigate all the way back to where you started, sometimes without anything new in your arsenal to shake up the return journey. It's disappointing to brush through an area with a fine comb only to be contacted over radio and redirected without any real narrative progression, especially when there are no fast-travel systems to alleviate the backtracking.This is exacerbated in some later stages in which it can be unclear where your next objective lies, with all possible paths requiring a tool you don't yet have. The aimless wandering is especially tiresome because poking around Kunai's world isn't incredibly rewarding either, even with optional chests hidden throughout each area for you to uncover. Some contain cosmetic hats for some visual variety while others hold valuable in-game currency for upgrades, but it's the few featuring parts of a health upgrade that are worth seeking out. The issue is that the majority of the chests lie at the end of passageways hidden entirely from view, only revealing themselves when you accidentally brush close to their entrance and cause the textures obfuscating them to fade away. It's a disappointingly basic way to hide them, making your discoveries feel more lucky than well deduced.Although navigating each area multiple times isn't as fun as it should be, the gorgeous visual shifts between them are a delight. Kunai's limited color palette is used to accentuate its varied areas with subtlety. Each of the areas features different muted colours for their backdrop, such as the flat greys and dim blues of its opening factory and the bright greens of its AI-infested forests. The variation makes shifting between each area not only clear but visually delightful too. While most colors are muted, bright reds are especially prominent. Not only does it help make enemies and points of importance stand out from the background, it imbues each slash of your sword and subsequent connecting strike with a powerful punch that bathes the screen in sharp, contrasting red hues. It works in tandem with a well-measured screenshake effect that gives Kunai's combat a stylish look in motion.This sense of style doesn't transition, however, to Kunai's limited story. It sets up an initial premise and gives you an understanding of what you're fighting for, but doesn't leave much for you to uncover about its world beyond that. The only avenue for learning more about Kunai's world is through limited but surprisingly entertaining interactions with other resistance robots. Usually denoted by their chunky CRT monitor heads and calming blue shading, these side characters add some levity to the setting by making light of disastrous events with silly puns and small, humorous anecdotes. Although there are other important named characters that are meant to add more to the narrative, they don't stand out as much as each brief interaction you have when arriving at a new camp.It's disappointing that there isn't more to dig into when it comes down to Kunai's set dressing, especially when it's paired with such a striking visual style and engrossing combat. Kunai's level design pushes you to keep adapting while affording you the space to finish off a group of enemies with a series of pinpoint grappling hook swings, precise double jumps, and intelligently integrated swings of your sword. Kunai loses some of its momentum far too frequently, but when it hits a balance between its engrossing combat and satisfying platforming, it's difficult to put down.Info from Gamespot.com

DC's latest comic book movie Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) received a lot of acclaim online after early screenings. The film is expected to make over $100 million at the box office between February 7-9--its opening weekend. Now, the reviews are out, days before the theatrical release, and they're fairly positive overall.Birds of Prey sees Margot Robbie return to the role of Harley Quinn, which she played in Suicide Squad. Additionally, she's joined by her squad Renee Montoya, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Black Canary. This unlikely group of heroes will take on the criminal underworld run by Black Mask alongside the vicious Victor Zsasz and Ewan McGregor.As to what the critics thought about the movie, here are a few samplings from GameSpot's sister site Metacritic for Birds of Prey. Currently, the movie sits at a score of 63 from 20 reviews. Additionally, you'll find links to full reviews as well if you want to read more.Birds of PreyDirected By: Cathy YanWritten By: Christina HodsonStarring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ella Jay Basco, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Chris Messina, and Ewan McGregorRelease Date: February 7 (United States)GameSpot - 9/10"It's the sort of kinetic, high energy romp that comes with built-in replay value, and proves exactly why Harley Quinn has become such an endearing, beloved character in the pop-culture pantheon. If this is the direction the DCEU is headed, the future's looking bright." -Meg Downey [Full review]Entertainment Weekly - B+"Does the movie’s pop-feminist message need to be as consistently, cartoonishly violent as it is? Almost definitely not. But in a world gone mad, the catharsis of Prey’s twisted sisterhood doesn’t just read as pandemonium for its own sake; it’s actually pretty damn sweet." -Leah Greenblatt [Full review]IGN - 80"In terms of sheer fun, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) delivers in spades. Its zany energy, visceral fight sequences, and focus on one of DC’s most fascinating characters ensure that it continues Warner Bros.' winning streak of big, bombastic comic book adaptations that are unafraid to embrace their inherent ridiculousness." -Laura Prudom [Full review]CNET - No score"Harley Quinn's first adventure as a headliner is among the DC Extended Universe's best movies so far, and didn't need to the shadow of the Bat looming over it any more than it needed Joker. By time Birds of Prey reaches its spectacular finale, Harley is well and truly emancipated." -Sean Keane [Full review]ComicBook - 3/5"The film starts off slowly and finds its stride in the second act, with McGregor’s villain being the entertaining standout while underutilizing some of its other more interesting characters. Birds of Prey is a good movie bogged down by a sluggish start. It is entertaining and a great starting point for some new characters on the big screen." -Brandon Davis [Full review]USA Today - 3/4"Looney Tunes-style violence pervades 'Birds,' which is DC’s R-rated answer to “Deadpool” in terms of rampant cursing, in-universe commentary (i.e., the occasional “Squad” nod) and clever pop-culture riffs. (Everyone knocks Montoya because she sounds like a 1980s cop show, and in a casting deep cut, '21 Jump Street' TV alum Steven Williams plays her boss.) Robbie's facial expressions, sheer unpredictability and "Noo Yawk" accent let Harley's persona pop, though she never outshines her co-stars. Smollett-Bell and Winstead in particular benefit from playing off Robbie's wackiness." -Brian Truitt [Full review]The Wrap - No score"When it comes to the film’s titular wonder women, however, we are firmly drawn in as they fight for their lives and for their own agency. And if we don’t get quite enough insight into Renee or Dinah or Cassandra, hey, that’s what sequels are for, and “Birds of Prey” left me wanting one, which is about the most anyone can hope for in a big-screen comics adaptation." -Alonso Duralde [Full review]Variety - No score"If there's a subversive element to 'Birds of Prey,' it's that Harley is a social deviant who was once a respectable professional woman. That she went over the edge, and lived to tell the tale, indicates how much more there is to the current moment of empowerment than the mere dream of triumphantly fitting in." -Owen Gleiberman [Full review]Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot's parent company.Info from Gamespot.com

Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers is launching very soon in Japan, and its impending release means you can try out a demo of the Musou-style spin-off on Nintendo Switch. That is, if you're willing and able to jump through a few extra hoops to rouse your Phantom army.The demo is only available on the Japanese Eshop, which means that to access it you'll need to have a Japanese account. The Nintendo Switch isn't region-locked, so it's simple enough to set up a Japanese account on your own Switch. You'll just need an email that's distinct from the one linked to your standard US account. With that account in tow, just navigate your way into the Eshop and look for the Persona 5 Scramble imagery.Keep in mind that this isn't a standard Persona game. Instead, it's an action game akin to the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Atlus partnered with Koei Tecmo and Omega Force for development, making it a unique mash-up. The trailers we've seen have shown sprawling battles like Dynasty Warriors, but in the visual style of the Persona series.No western release date has been announced for Persona 5 Scramble, but you can check out a new gameplay video in the embed above. If you're itching for more Persona, though, Persona 5 Royal is coming on March 31. Check out our P5R pre-order guide for more details.Info from Gamespot.com

The month of love is here, and this episode of New Releases is taking a top-level look at some of the biggest games of February. The new month kicks off with The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics and closes out with One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows. In between, PS4 players can enjoy exclusives like Dreams and the Yakuza 5 remaster. Platinum Games fans can also revisit Bayonetta and Vanquish with their 10th Anniversary Bundle.The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance Tactics -- February 4Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchNetflix created a series based on the cult-classic film, and now that series is getting its own game. As the name states, this is a tactics game, and it features over 50 skirmishes to win, 14 characters to lead into battle, and plenty of custom jobs to assign along the way as the war between the Gelflings and Skeksis rages on.More Coverage:The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance Tactics--Release Date Announced In New TrailerDark Crystal: Age Of Resistance Tactics Reveal Trailer | Nintendo Direct E3 2019Yakuza 5 -- February 11Available on: PS4The Yakuza Remastered Collection is a one-time purchase, but that buy-in gets you remasters of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5. Those three games got staggered release dates, but the final entry arrives this month. Taking after the "5" in its name, this particular entry is set across five different parts of Japan and features five playable characters, including everyone's favorite ruffian Kazuma Kiryu.More Coverage:Yakuza 5 ReviewNew Yakuza 5 Screenshots Highlight the Five Main CharactersDreams -- February 14Available on: PS4Media Molecule, creators of LittleBigPlanet, have crafted another deep tool set with Dreams. This PS4 exclusive lets you sculpt objects, build worlds, and create pretty much any type of activity you can think of--someone even remade Final Fantasy VII within the game. What will you dream up?More Coverage:Media Molecule's PS4 Exclusive Dreams Has Gone GoldGame Making Made Easy In DreamsBayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle -- February 18Available on: PS4, Xbox OneThese Platinum Games cult classics launched 10 years ago, and they're being bundled together on PS4 and Xbox One to celebrate. Those of you with a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X can even experience them in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. Seems like a good way to refresh yourself before we finally get Bayonetta 3.More Coverage:Bayonetta And Vanquish Anniversary Bundle Confirmed For PS4, Xbox OneBayonetta And Vanquish 10th Anniversary Remaster Bundle Announcement TrailerOne Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows -- February 28Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PCBased on the smash-hit anime, this arena fighter stays true to One Punch Man in a clever way. Saitama does indeed win every fight with a single punch, but if you choose him for your team during any of the 3-on-3 fights, he'll take a while to actually show up, leaving you to fight at a disadvantage until he arrives. Of course, there are plenty of other fan-favorite characters to choose from too.More Coverage:One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows' Saitama KOs Everyone In One PunchOne Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows - Official Gamescom Character Reveal TrailerFebruary is just getting started, and there are plenty of games on the horizon. Next week, we'll dive into the souped-up release of Street Fighter V: Championship Edition and a new expansion for Dead Cells, called The Bad Seed.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Sword and Shield players will soon have their first chance to catch a brand-new Gigantamax Pokemon. The Pokemon Company has officially revealed Gigantamax Toxtricity, which is making its debut in the titles later this week.Starting February 6, you'll have a chance to encounter Gigantamax Toxtricity in Max Raid Battles in both Sword and Shield versions. Toxtricity will be in its Amped Form in Sword, while Shield players will encounter its Low Key Form. You'll be able to find Gigantamax Toxtricity in Max Raids until March 8.In the meantime, a few other Max Raid events are underway in Sword and Shield. Until February 6, Sword players have a greater chance of encountering Gigantamax Coalossal and Flapple in Max Raids, while Shield players are more likely to find Gigantamax Lapras and Appletun.Milcery with the Gigantamax factor is also appearing in Max Raids until February 16. When you defeat or capture one, you can earn two new kinds of Sweets, which can be used to evolve it into new flavors of Alcremie.🚨 New Gigantamax Pokémon Discovered! 🚨Toxtricity were already known to have two different forms—but now we’ve discovered that there are special Toxtricity that are capable of Gigantamaxing! ⚡ https://t.co/AXl1OpP86H pic.twitter.com/qadETIUyyo — Pokémon (@Pokemon) February 5, 2020On top of that, The Pokemon Company is also offering another pair of freebies for Sword and Shield. First, you can claim 10 Heal Balls via the Mystery Gift code G1GAGRANF1NALE. To commemorate the start of the games' third Ranked Battle season, the company is also giving away another 20 free Battle Points via the code SUPEREFF1CACE. You can see all the other free Pokemon Sword and Shield gifts available right now in our roundup.This month is shaping up to be a big one for Pokemon. The Pokemon Company will pull back the curtain on a new Mythical Pokemon for Sword and Shield on Pokemon Day, February 27. This month will also see the launch of Pokemon Home, a new cloud service that allows players to store and move their Pokemon between games. The service will be available in free and paid tiers. Pokemon Sword And Shield News & Guides Pokemon Home FAQ: Price, Release Date, Compatible Games, And More Pokemon Sword & Shield DLC: All The Confirmed Returning Pokemon So Far Three New Legendary Pokemon Revealed For Sword & Shield Pokemon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass Adds New Pokemon, Areas, And More Info from Gamespot.com

The animated hit Despicable Me is now 10 years old, but the franchise it spawned remains hugely popular. As well as the two direct sequels, the 2015 spin-off Minions was a massive success, grossing $1.15 billion at the worldwide box office. Inevitably, a Minions follow-up is on the way--it releases this summer and the first trailer has arrived.Minions: The Rise of Gru is both a sequel to Minions and a prequel to the main films. It's set in the 1970s and focuses on Steve Carell's Gru, who is a young boy dreaming of becoming a feared supervillain. In order to prove his villainy, he steals a valuable stone from the evil group Vicious 6, and finds himself on the run. Luckily, those iconic yellow Minions are on hand to help him out. Check out the trailer below.Minions: The Rise of Gru also stars Taraji P. Henson, Russell Brand, and Julie Andrews, plus a host of action stars, including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Michelle Yeoh, Danny Trejo, and Lucy Lawless. And while this is the first movie in the series not to be co-directed by Pierre Coffin, he's still on hand to provide the voice of the Minions. The movie releases on July 3.A shorter The Rise of Gru teaser screened during the Super Bowl last weekend--check out all of the other Super Bowl 2020 movie and TV trailers here.Info from Gamespot.com

Code Vein, Bandai Namco's very anime take on Dark Souls, has gone on to sell more than one million copies worldwide across PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, the game's official Twitter account announced.Dearest Revenants, we’d like to raise a glass of our finest blood to you. Thank you for making #CodeVein a success! pic.twitter.com/Un5JTl5dpx — Code Vein (@CodeVeinGame) February 4, 2020Code Vein borrows a lot of mechanics from the Soulslike genre, such as its methodical combat and loss of experience upon death. It also looks strikingly familiar to other Soulslike games, including Nioh and The Surge. The game received mixed reviews from critics with the general consensus being confliction around Code Vein's mashup of genre conventions.In GameSpot's Code Vein review, we awarded the game a 6/10 with reviewer Richard Wakeling saying, "You can see the fragments of a fantastic game hidden within these systems and its meaty combat feedback, but the mundanity of its enemies and the effect they have on nullifying the combat's enjoyment prevent Code Vein from ever realizing its potential."Bandai Namco rolled out a Halloween update for Code Vein that included way more than just spooky-themed costumes and accessories. The patch also featured combat changes, system adjustments, bug fixes, and more.Code Vein's first piece of DLC, Hellfire Knight, is available now as part of the Season Pass ($25 USD) or as a standalone purchase ($10 USD), and brings with it a monstrous boss and additional weapons like the Inferno Blade. Like Hellfire Knight, the other two pieces of DLC--coming out in "early 2020"--will introduce new bosses, weapons, blood codes, and more.Info from Gamespot.com

The award winning mobile game Florence is coming to PC and Nintendo Switch on February 13, publisher Annapurna Interactive has announced. It will be available on the Nintendo Eshop, Steam, GOG, and the Mac App Store for $6.Florence is a short but sweet story about the ups and downs of a young woman's first long-term relationship. It tells its tale through a series of story vignettes and puzzles that help illustrate the feelings a person experiences when going through romantic joys and pitfalls.Florence was recognized as one of GameSpot's Best Mobile Games of 2018, and was honored in an Australian game developer exhibit. The experience was tailored for mobile devices, but the trailer above looks like it will be at home on PC and Switch as well."One of [Florence's] simplest gameplay elements is its most powerful: speech bubbles are broken into puzzle pieces, and you have to fit them together to progress a wordless conversation," GameSpot stated. "At first, the bubbles are broken up into multiple pieces, but as the relationship develops, it becomes easier and easier to put the pieces together. While Florence's story is about one couple in particular, the intense emotion contained within is universal, and it hits you incredibly hard when the brief, beautiful tale is over."Info from Gamespot.com