While The Witcher 3 saw you play as the fixed character of Geralt of Rivia, CD Projekt Red's upcoming action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077 will feature a substantial character creator where there are few limits on who you are and what you can become.CD Projekt Red wrapped up its Cyberpunk 2077 livestream, where we saw new gameplay showcasing separate playstyles. In the deep dive livestream, we also got a glimpse at the game's character creator, which first has you selecting from different backgrounds or "life paths"--Corporate, Nomad, and Street Kid. Each path impacts Cyberpunk 2077's beginning, with you starting in different areas of Night City depending on your background.CD Projekt Red's lead quest designer Pawel Sasko said this choice is taken into consideration throughout the entire game. "You, as the player, can actually associate yourself with Nomads [or] Corporate people, or you can be part of the streets," Sasko explained. "It's really up to you what path you want to pick through the main story." You aren't bound to your life path, but your origin will be "[taken] from the very beginning till the very end [of the game]." As such, Sasko said you can use these origins to your advantage, allowing you to exploit and, perhaps, unlock branching dialogues and quests depending on your interactions with your chosen group.We also saw a brief look at the character creator screen in the Cyberpunk 2077 deep dive livestream. You start by selecting a body type, then you can define your appearance, fine-tuning things like skin color and facial features. Following this, you're taken to the attributes menu, where you slot points into traits like "Cool" and "Intelligence." On top of attributes, you have skills that further define your character's intricacies. One skill is called "Cold Blood," unlocked via the "Cool" attribute, and it grants you extra damage and survivability when your health is nearly depleted. Using skills repeatedly results in you getting better with that skill and unlocking perks in that skill's tree. For example, with special perks added to your "Athletics" skill, you can run while carrying a dead body, potentially bolstering your stealth playthrough.Cyberpunk 2077's "Cool" attribute pertains to your ability to handle pressure, not how stylish you are in-game. The cooler you are, the better things like accuracy will be. And the cooler you are, the better you'll be able to handle tense dialogue situations.There are a few other details to note out of the Cyberpunk 2077 deep dive livestream. CD Projekt Red announced that it has hired real city planners to construct and flesh out the fictional Night City. The studio established a brand-new team dedicated to sidequests after how successful they were in The Witcher 3. Finally, you won't have to worry about cool-factor and functionality in Cyberpunk 2077, as CD Projekt Red is aiming to address the common RPG discrepancy between how something looks and how well it functions.CD Projekt Red confirmed Cyberpunk 2077 will feature non-binary gender options in the character creator. "You know, we really want to make a video game that's really inclusive," senior concept artist Marthe Jonkers said. "Of course, if you tackle certain subjects then you will expect people to have an opinion about it and we respect that. And it's good that people give us feedback."Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release for Google Stadia some time in 2020.PAX West is officially underway, and there's a lot more news to come out of the event. Be sure to check out our hub for more news on Cyberpunk 2077 and more.Info from Gamespot.com

During its Cyberpunk 2007 deep dive gameplay stream, CD Projekt Red talked at length about various aspects of the upcoming PS4, Xbox One, and PC RPG. One of the interesting tidbits that was discussed was the conflict that can often arise between how items impact the way a character looks and their capabilities. This, according to the developer, is something that the team is very aware of and intends to tackle.In many RPGs, players often have to make sacrifices between equipping items that bestow valuable stat changes and items that are in line with the way they want their character to look. We've all had that situation where a piece of equipment looks good but has rubbish stats--or vice verse--and agonized about what to do and, according to senior level designer Miles Tost, CD Projekt Red knows this is a concern."It's really important to us for you to be able to realize your character. Of course that comes in the character creation but also how you dress your character, right? We're aware that, in most RPGs, there's this disconnect between the stats on an item and the looks ... Let's just say we're aware of this conflict of interest, I guess."So, we're looking into how you would be able to make your character still look cool despite having the best stats of an item. It just goes to show that is really important to us. Of course, the whole role-playing aspect goes even further because we'll have customization options not only for the way you look but also for your guns."The stream was replete with information about the game. Among the cooler revelations was that CD Projekt Red has real city planners working on Cyberpunk 2077 so that it can build its setting, Night City, to be realistic and believable. We also got a pretty in-depth breakdown of how sidequests will work in Cyberpunk 2077.Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release for Google Stadia some time in 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red gave fans another extended look at Cyberpunk 2077 with its latest deep-dive gameplay video. Following the demonstration, a few of the developers sat down to further discuss the anticipated title, and one topic they touched on was how sidequests, a longtime RPG staple, will work in the upcoming game.Those who've played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will remember that sidequests and other jobs could be accepted from various notice boards in each town, but in Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red says the quests will be more organically tied into the world. One way is through "fixers" like Dexter DeShawn, who played a major role in last year's gameplay demo.Most districts in Night City will have its own fixer, and these characters may contact you with jobs they need to get done. These jobs can come in the form of "street stories," which will show up on your map as an icon denoting what kind of street story it is.CD Projekt Red has previously said Night City will have a denser map than The Witcher 3 did, and the studio revealed during the interview that it created a dedicated team to fill the world with engaging sidequests and other activities for players to do."After [The Witcher 3:] Wild Hunt, we actually founded a completely new team, the open world team, which is creating some amazing content to fill this world with things that are meaningful," quest designer Philipp Weber said. "We want to make this [so that] you can do many, smaller things around the city, but they're all cool and unique in their own way."The latest Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay demo gave us a glimpse at Pacifica, one of the districts in Night City. Pacifica was originally intended to be a tourist hot spot, but it fell into disarray after funding was pulled and has since been overrun by two gangs: the Voodoo Boys and the Animals, the latter of which have taken over the Grand Imperial mall. Another interesting tidbit CD Projekt Red revealed is that it is working with real city planners to design Night City.Cyberpunk 2077 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 16, 2020. The game is also coming to Google Stadia. You can read more about the game and its collector's edition in our Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com

As Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-RPG, you are expected to approach the game and its many challenges in a variety of ways. During the Cyberpunk 2077 deep-dive livestream, developer CD Projekt Red detailed the game's various playstyles and how they function in Night City.In the 15-minute deep-dive gameplay video, CD Projekt Red showed off two distinct ways to play Cyberpunk 2077: a Netrunner build, intent on stealth, hacking, and battlefield control; and a Solo build, focused on blunt force and immediate action. Though not showcased in the gameplay video, CD Projekt Red talked about one more playstyle called Techie, which hones in on Night City's various hardware.Netrunners can use their exceptional knowledge of cyberware and hacking to get around enemies and obstacles without a peep. You may hack the environment so it does your dirty work, or you can hack enemy implants from a distance to disrupt their functions. Almost everything is connected to a network, which means you, as a Netrunner, have free rein to hack and take advantage of it all.Quest design coordinator Philipp Weber said Netrunning skills give you "opportunities to be creative in how you play the game." After breaking through access points, you are given the ability to use quick hacks on them. In one instance, you can use cameras to scope out vantage points or turn them off completely. In another, you can take control of turrets to make them fight for you. There are other "fun things" you can do as a Netrunner, like hacking a robot training dummy or vending machine to cause distractions. While stealthy by nature, Weber said the Netrunner is not "just a stealth character," as there are "cool, aggressive Netrunner abilities" you can add to your build. For example, you can use main character V's nanowire to hack an enemy's hand to do things like shutting it down or blowing it up.Solos prefer a direct approach, using their superior strength and weapon efficiency to plow through enemies and accomplish tasks. As such, you can rip the gun off turrets and force open doors to live out your Terminator power fantasy. As a Solo, you will gain access to melee cyberware and specialized skills, like using enemies as human shields, as the story progresses.Lead quest designer Pawel Sasko said the Solo build comes in a plethora of flavors. A Strong Solo can "shove people into trash bins and pick up heavy guns," while a Fast Solo will be able to "double jump to access places and slide around using your katana or nanowire." Solos offer a more straightforward, brute-force approach to Cyberpunk 2077, giving you the opportunity to theoretically melee everything to death.As the name suggests, the Techie specializes in the physical technology in Night City. As a Techie, you'll be able to "dabble with cables and whatever [else that] drives machinery," said senior level design Miles Tost. Techies get access to a companion called Flathead, a spider-bot that's really just "very sophisticated military hardware." It's an autonomous robot that listens to your commands, which allows you to send it out to manipulate devices or cause malfunctioning objects to fall on enemies. Flathead is added on top of the various skills afforded to the Techie, which CD Projekt Red didn't divulge too much of.The Cyberpunk 2077 deep-dive livestream featured a few other notable details. Weapons come in three distinct varieties: smart, tech, and power. Though there are different weapon types and varieties, you will have to option to play through Cyberpunk 2077 non-lethally. The game will include more organic sidequests, with CD Projekt Red establishing a brand-new team dedicated to them following The Witcher 3's success. And Cyberpunk 2077's character creator sounds surprisingly deep and varied.Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release on Google Stadia some time in 2020.PAX West is here, and there is surely more news to come out of the event, so check out our hub for more Cyberpunk 2077 news and more.Info from Gamespot.com

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red hosted a deep-dive stream and delivered a whole lot of information on the game. Among the deluge of details was a breakdown of what the Netrunner character class will be capable of. The team has made it clear that all of its classes and the gameplay opportunities are flexible and malleable to some degree, but from what we saw the Netrunner definitely looks like one that players who like to cause mischief will enjoy.On the stream, quest designer Phillip Weber explained what opportunities Netrunners will have open to them, saying that it's a class that lets players be "very creative in how you play the game."He continued: "We have access points and in the world of Cyberpunk they can control all the different devices in the area, which of course as a Netrunner is pretty useful because you can hack that access point."If you successfully do that you can now use quick hacks. You can, from a distance, take over different devices like a camera for example. You can do many different things; look through the camera and have a completely different view, or just turn it off if it's in your way. You can take over a turret and make it fight for you."We also tried to come up with nice custom things, depending on where you are--let's say if you're in a gym where there are some nice boxing robots. Of course, maybe you can do some fun things with that."The gameplay shown during this explanation featured a robot boxer taking on a mostly human opponent in a sparring match but, after the Netrunner had done its thing, the robot delivered a punch so hard that its opponent's head erupted into a shower of blood."If I would use lots of Netrunning skills, it's also useful to use cool skills that make me really good at stealth and [be] really under control. Netrunner can also be really good at using distractions like, if there's a vending machine make it spit out some drinks and people may look at that."As previously mentioned, flexibility is a key part of Cyberpunk 2077, so netrunners don't have to be sneaky and use subterfuge if they'd rather bulldoze their way through problems."A Netrunner isn't just a stealth character," he continued. "There's also cool aggressive netrunning abilities, because we always want to give you a choice in how you want to play. We have the Nanowire cyberware, which is really good at hacking enemies from a distance and then taking over their cyberware. Most people in the world have cyberware and they're just like access points so, a good time for Netrunners. As an example, [you can] hack someone's cyberware in their hand and make them do some things that they might not want to have happen to them. The Nanowire, of course, is very sharp so you can use it as a weapon, a whip. So a Netrunner can be very effective at using skills in combat as well."Like the classes, Cyberpunk 2077's life paths are also quite flexible. Though, at the start of the game, the game will ask you to pick your allegiances--for lack of a better phrase--the decisions you make and actions you undertake will ultimately shape who you are.The stream also provided us insight into how Cyberpunk 2077's sidequests will work and revealed that the development team plans to address an annoying problem found in many RPGs.Info from Gamespot.com

Cyberpunk 2077 looks to be a massive game, and part of that will be the wealth of sidequests. These "Street Stories" are essentially how you live out your life as a mercenary, and CD Projekt Red says that its experience with The Witcher 3 taught the studio just how meaningful sidequests can be. So much, in fact, that it set up a dedicated team for them."After [The Witcher 3:] Wild Hunt, we actually founded a completely new team, the open-world team, which is creating some amazing content to fill this world with things that are meaningful," said quest designer Phillip Weber. "We want to make this [so that] you can do many, smaller things around the city, but they're all cool and unique in their own way."Senior level designer Miles Tost added that the lesson from The Witcher 3 was that "even simple tasks can be fun and exciting if you pack them up in a cool story."This came as part of a larger discussion on how sidequests will work in the upcoming open-world RPG. The deep-dive presentation covered everything from character creation to why the studio hired actual city planners to help create a vision for Night City.Info from Gamespot.com

Many RPGs often have complex systems and menus you need to manage as you build up your character, and CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is no different. There is a sophisticated inventory menu in the game where you can manage both your character's equipment, how they look, and their cybernetic prosthetic loadout.So do you want to deck your character out in that sick olive bomber jacket with that crazy light-up collar, or would you prefer the simplicity of a basic hoodie? You have the freedom to make your style dreams come true. Each piece of clothing has its own unique statistics; though, this probably has you wondering about the late game when you're min-maxing while still wanting to maintain a desirable appearance. According to Cyberpunk 2077 senior level designer Miles Tost, the team does have a solution to this often annoying issue. Though, he was unwilling to share exactly what it was during the recent deep dive gameplay stream.While you're likely to spend hours customizing your character's outfits, you'll probably be spending similar time tailoring their cyberware. These cybernetic prosthetic tools are your character's lifeblood and what you frequently install to upgrade their capabilities. For example, you might customize your legs to double jump or install a mod that silences your jumps to make you more stealthy. You'll typically go to Ripper docs to purchase and enhance cyberware, but there are some you can get on your own as you complete quests.There are also ways to enhance your cyberware on the fly via items called Shards. If you slot these onto your character, you can gain the power of other cyberware and see how it would be if you'd installed it into your body. Shards seem to offer you the ability to experiment without committing to installing full-on pieces of cyberware onto your body to see if it suits your playstyle.Cyberpunk 2077 is releasing on April 16 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more Cyberpunk 2077 news, be sure to click from the links in the list below.Cyberpunk 2077 Created A New Team To Make Sidequests, After The Witcher 3Cyberpunk 2077 Netrunner Class Seems Perfect For Causing MischiefHow Cyberpunk 2077's Sidequests Will WorkCyberpunk 2077's Life Paths And Character Creation Sound Very DeepInfo from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red revealed a ton of new details about Cyberpunk 2077 during its latest deep-dive video. Among the topics the developer discussed were the different ways in which players could go about playing the game, and it turns out, that includes non-lethal playthroughs.During an interview that followed the gameplay demo, CD Projekt Red revealed that players can play through the entirety of Cyberpunk 2077 without killing another character if they so choose. "You can finish the whole game, you can finish the quests without killing a single person," quest designer Philipp Weber confirmed.That said, you won't be able to avoid confrontations entirely if you do attempt a non-lethal playthrough, but these encounters don't need to turn fatal. "The thing is, Night City isn't a very peaceful place, so you can never play like a full pacifist who is never engaging in any kind of combat because people will attack you sometimes," Weber said. " But you can choose to not kill them. Like in real life, sometimes if there's attacks, you don't immediately kill everyone; you can solve situations in different ways."Of Cyberpunk 2077's several character classes, the Netrunner seems the most suited for non-lethal playthroughs because it emphasizes stealthiness and hacking, but it isn't the only class capable of non-lethal runs; it turns out any type of character can play through the game without killing another character, but it may require a bit of ingenuity depending on how you've developed your avatar."Not only the Netrunner is able to do non-lethal playthroughs. Every player, however you want to skill your character, you're able to do it somehow," Weber said. However, your approach to each situation will depend much on your surroundings. "Let's say you're in some rundown ruin that doesn't have lots of netrunning abilities, of course a Netrunner still has ways to do [a non-lethal run], but he might not be able to use all of his netrunning skills."We learned a lot of other interesting tidbits about Cyberpunk 2077 during the deep-dive, including how sidequests will work in the game and how cyberware will change gameplay. CD Projekt Red also revealed it wants to solve an annoying RPG problem with the game, and that it's working with real city planners to design Night City.Cyberpunk 2077 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 16, 2020. The game is also coming to Google Stadia. You can read more about the title's collector's edition and pre-order bonuses in our Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com

Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in a far-off future where man and machine are coming together as one and technology permeates every facet of our existence. Of course, what that means in a video game is that players will have a wide array of weird tools at their disposal. For those who find themselves in conflict, CD Projekt Red presents the option to use weapons to fight for survival. As discussed in the Cyberpunk 2077 deep-dive stream, the weapons on offer come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and capabilities."Our guns are divided into three main categories," explained quest designer Pawel Sasako. "There are smart guns, [which] basically shoot homing bullets that follow targets. There is also tech weapons, and the tech weapons are those that have additional capabilities to the--for instance, they could pierce cover."Then there are power weapons ... mainly focused on being street-grade weapons. They have additional skills and capabilities connected to the fact that have been [modified] in some way. For instance, there is a bursting shotgun or something like that. We have put plenty of work into making sure that the weapons feel [good] and they have weight."Naturally, weapons have various quirks to them that players will be able to use to their advantage. "There's lots of really cool examples that I can give. For instance, there's a handgun that, as you use it, it actually speeds up the bullets and the longer you use it the faster the bullets become, so they can do more damage," Sasako explained."There's a class of handguns that have been created by a Russian company to fight cyborgs and that weapon is able to heat up the bullet to the point where it almost becomes like melted plastic. It's done so you can shoot off a cyborg's arms, for example. There's always a small piece of story wrapped up around the weapon and what it does."What's interesting is you can use a second firing mode for a weapon. Not all weapons have them, but some of them if you use it in a specific way, like for example the tech rifle, it changes the way it collapses together and allows it to pierce through cover and enemies. Or you can bounce bullets off the walls using ricochet. We tried to put enough depth into the gun."Even as development continues, more outrageous weapons are being created. Sasako recounted seeing "an awesome shotgun that has eight barrels and it shoots out of them at the same time."Senior level designer Miles Tost added that a lot of the companies that make the guns and tech in Cyberpunk 2077's world have lore and history. That includes the brands and ads in the game, which are crafted by an entire team at the studio.Phillip Weber, another quest designer, also noted that there are a variety of melee weapons, ranging from broken bottles strewn around the city to knives. You can specialize in melee weapons--perhaps because you want to be a cyber ninja--and often there are weapons that cater to this style, such as katanas. Cyberware for melee also exists, as seen in previous demos where a character punched his way through different environments.The deep-dive had plenty more to offer in terms of details. We got lots of information on how sidequests will work in Cyberpunk 2077, as well as how cyberware will change gameplay. CD Projekt Red also teased that it wants to solve an annoying RPG problem with the game.Cyberpunk 2077 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 16, 2020. You can read more about the title's collector's edition and pre-order bonuses in our Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order guide. Info from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red revealed more new details about its upcoming RPG Cyberpunk 2077 during a recent gameplay stream. In this presentation, the developer detailed a few of the significant playstyles in the game. One of the more exciting playstyles is Netrunner, which focuses more on hacking anything that's connected to a network. But as a Netrunner, one of the most practical and useful tools at your disposal is the Nanowire. With this handy wire you can hack an enemy's implants from a distance.According to senior level designer Miles Tost, the Nanowire goes hand-in-hand with the Netrunner playstyle, which makes sense since you're probably going to breach a lot of networks. With the Nanowire, you'll gain access to unique attacks and solutions, such as remotely detonating an enemy's hand grenade or hacking a benchpress weight to slam down onto an unsuspecting foe mid-lift.While the Nanowire is mostly a functional tool, it can also be used as a deadly weapon. If you're so inclined, you can whip it around at enemies and slice them into bite-sized pieces. It all sounds relatively brutal.Cyberpunk 2077 is releasing on April 16 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more Cyberpunk 2077 news, be sure to click from the links in the list below.Cyberpunk 2077 Created A New Team To Make Sidequests, After The Witcher 3Cyberpunk 2077 Netrunner Class Seems Perfect For Causing MischiefHow Cyberpunk 2077's Sidequests Will WorkCyberpunk 2077's Life Paths And Character Creation Sound Very DeepCyberpunk 2077 Will Allow For Non-Lethal Playthroughs, Here's How It'll WorkCyberpunk 2077's Weapons Come In Three Flavors, Here's What You Need To KnowInfo from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red shared a ton of new details about Cyberpunk 2077 during its latest deep-dive stream. The gameplay demonstration gave us a look at Pacifica, a rundown district of Night City that has been overrun by two rival gangs, and we learned a bit more about these warring factions from series creator himself, Mike Pondsmith.As previously mentioned, two major gangs have staked out territory in Pacifica. First are the Voodoo Boys, a group mainly made up of Haitians who arrived in Night City after the environmental changes caused Haiti to be completely flooded."When I created [the Voodoo Boys] many, many years ago, I was looking at kind of a really interesting idea, which is what we would now call cultural appropriation: what happens when somebody comes in and tries to adopt a culture that they know little or nothing about and does it really badly," Pondsmith explained.He continued: "The Voodoo Boys in [Cyberpunk] 2077 are really Voodoo Boys. They inherited the name, but it was sort of a natural fit; they were coming from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and they were the real thing, and they managed to take a lot of the elements of their original culture and meld it into the world of 2077, bring that cyberpunk vibe into a very old and respected culture. So they're a gang, but they're not really; they're more of a cultural phenomenon, they're more a way of cultural exploration."On the other side of the spectrum are the Animals, who are driven by their desire for strength. "They're in it to basically build themselves up and become the tigers of their particular urban jungle," Pondsmith explained. "They want to be big, they want to be bad, and they want you to fear them just because they exist."But the Animals are very simple. They have an ethos: get big, lift, get strong, lift. So unlike the Voodoo Boys, who have a culture, the Animals have a thing, and contrasting that is interesting because in 2077, you get a chance to see that not every gang is the same as every other gang, and what motivates them depends on the people you meet on the street."We learned a lot of other interesting details about Cyberpunk 2077 during the deep-dive video, including how sidequests will work in the game and how cyberware will change gameplay. CD Projekt Red also confirmed the game will allow for non-lethal playthroughs, and the studio is working with real city planners to design Night City.Cyberpunk 2077 releases for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 16, 2020. The game is also coming to Google Stadia. For more about the title's collector's edition and pre-order bonuses, be sure to check out our Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com

Like CD Projekt Red's previous games, there are tons of ways to customize your character in Cyberpunk 2077 to suit your liking. This level of personalization even stretches into the game's various gun types, which come in three unique flavors.When it comes to customizing guns, there are two significant ways to do so. First, you can change your gun's appearance by applying different skins or paint jobs. In contrast, the most meaningful way to customize your gun is by applying attachments and modifications, such as silencers and scopes. You can also specifically boost a gun's specific individual statistics.Aside from customization, it's worth noting as your proficiency with specific guns increases, your reloading and shooting animations change. For example, your crosshair might become smaller, indicating that your accuracy is improving, or your reloading animation becomes faster. According to senior level designer Miles Tost, this was implemented to better feed into your character's growth. "You really get this sense of progression and your character evolving as you play the game," said Tost. "I think that's a special experience when you combine it with the way you customize your gun where you get this feeling that this is your signature gun and that you're really good at using it." We learned a ton of new details about Cyberpunk 2077 during its recent deep-dive stream, including more information about how non-lethal playthroughs will work, the three different playstyles, and more. If you're keen to grab the game, be sure to check out our Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order guide.Cyberpunk 2077 is launching on April 16, 2020, for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

August might have kept you busy with Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Control and Astral Chain--all great games that can suck your life away. But as the year ticks along, plenty of great, smaller games with stellar ideas and executions come out, especially on PC, and they won't eat up dozens of hours if you're looking for something fresh. But they're easy to miss.There are a lot of games out there, and we sure do play a lot of them. We've picked three standout games from August that which really sparked our interest and really captured our attention. They're games that might usually fly under most people's radar, but still great experiences in their own right, so if any of them sound up your alley, know that they have our hearty recommendation. A Short Hike (PC)If A Short Hike has a central theme, it’s that kindness is rewarded. In other words, be nice to those you meet and nice things will also come your way. It’s a lovely little game that will either make you feel better about the world or provide you with a brief escape from these dark, chaotic times.You play as Claire, a teen bird who is camping at a national park managed by her aunt while she awaits a very important phone call. Trouble is, reception is non-existent so Claire must hike to higher ground, all the way to the summit of the tallest mountain peak in the park. Though she may be a bird, Claire can’t ascend during flight; she can only glide in a gentle descent, making said hike somewhat more circuitous than you might expect. She can climb though, and so much of her time is spent exploring the woods, lakes, and beaches of the park in search of the golden feather collectibles that boost her stamina and allow her to scramble up ever higher surfaces.On her trek, Claire meets a cast of adorable animals who are likewise visiting the park, many of whom ask her for a favor--to find something valuable to them or maybe to just hang out for a little bit. These cheerful encounters work hand in hand with Claire’s exploration, sometimes rewarding her with the items she needs to journey further afield, other times encouraging her to slow down and breathe in the clean mountain air.Running, climbing, gliding--and occasionally digging, watering and fishing--through the park’s sprawling, looping network of obvious and not-so-obvious pathways is a heart-warming experience. Revealing new corners of the pleasingly chunky, vividly colored, lo-fi parkland is a constant delight matched by the satisfaction of having performed good deeds for good creatures every step of the way.Finding phone reception is a MacGuffin that actually pays off in a sincere and touching conclusion, after which you’re free to continue wandering the park to your heart’s desire. A Short Hike is honestly a misnomer. It’s more like a day trip that you’ll want to never end.It’s Like: Breath of the Wild’s climbing and gliding mechanics dropped into a walking simulator with the cast of Animal Crossing.You can find A Short Hike on Steam and Itch.io Anodyne 2: Return To Dust (PC)In Anodyne 2, dust is a catch-all metaphor. For repressed grief, for ennui, for illness, for denial, for confusion. For whatever is dragging us down, holding us back, stopping us from moving on. Dust is depicted as a plague, its nano particles clogging up the internal thoroughfares--both mental and physical--of those it has infected. As Nova, a so-called nano cleaner, you are tasked with eradicating such dust and healing the afflicted, and perhaps yourself in the process.The first Anodyne (released in 2013) told its tales of personal trauma via a reimagining of an NES-era action-RPG. In this far more ambitious sequel the nostalgic palette is broader, expanding its sources of inspiration to encompass not just The Legend of Zelda but late ‘80s PC RPGs like the Ultima series, SNES era JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, and even the early forays into 3D platforming on the N64 and PlayStation. One moment you’re driving across the lo-fi dunes of a bleak desert, later you’re in a top-down pixel-art Ren Fair castle while in between you’ve starred in a wrestling show and run the gauntlet of a survival horror chase through the isometric maze of your apartment building. To call Anodyne 2 eclectic is perhaps an understatement.Genre mashups can often have a hard time holding it all together. They can suffer from too many incompatible parts pulling in different directions. But Anodyne 2 finds a throughline in Nova. It’s her slow journey of self-discovery, even more so than the myriad side stories she intersects in her dust-busting capacity, that brings every perspective shift or gameplay refresh into focus.Things can get ugly at times--in a graphical fidelity sense and in terms of the raw emotions at stake--but despite the stylistic detours and tonal swings, Anodyne 2 retains an unfaltering commitment to exploring the very real, very relatable struggles of day to day human life. By turns dark, funny, confronting, empathetic and inexplicable, it’s a defiantly weird game that will keep surprising you until the end.It’s Like: The Legend of Zelda and Banjo-Kazooie pay a visit to the Psychonauts.You can find Anodyne 2: Return To Dust on Steam and Itch.ioEliza (PC)Eliza, the new game from developer Zachtronics, best known for procedural puzzle games like Infinifactory and Opus Magnum, is a tight, thought-provoking visual novel that connects the dots of our disconnected world, tracing a path through the alienation of social media, big data, the gig economy, startup culture, privacy, gentrification and more.Developed in the 1960s, ELIZA was a real-world, early attempt at programming a computer to speak with a user in what felt like natural language. It wasn’t an AI--it was more like a bot; it couldn’t learn, but rather called upon canned responses based on keywords and patterns entered by the user. ELIZA’s designer even wrote a script that mocked the popular conception of a psychotherapist, specifically the technique of reflecting a patient’s answer back at them in the form of a question. “And why do you think that you’re ripe for parody?”Here, Eliza speculates a future version of the program that now operates as a therapist, harvesting data from its users in an effort to learn how to help them and make the world a better place, at least in theory, at least. Evelyn she isn’t so sure. She's the former chief engineer at Skandha, the company responsible for Eliza, who left her job three years ago and has spent the intervening years battling depression.Evelyn has returned to Skandha, almost incognito, to work as a “proxy,” people employed to read Eliza’s words to clients in order to give the appearance of the human touch. Proxies can’t deviate from the Eliza script, much like the gameplay. Evelyn’s story is a series of conversations in which dialogue options, where there are any, mostly exist to give you a moment to reflect on the issues being examined. In the final chapter, Evelyn is faced with a few choices that affect the outcome, but until that point many of the things you can have her say are deliberately non-committal.It works though, because the game’s writer, Matthew Seiji Burns, is genuinely interested in understanding not just where AI is taking us, but how and why it’s taking us there, and maybe whether we should pause to consider whether there are other destinations we--that’s “we” as in the human race, not the technocrat class--might prefer.It’s Like: If the movie Her was a visual novel that really made you think.You can find Eliza on Steam. Info from Gamespot.com

The new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix doesn't open in theatres until October, but the film had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend. People there loved it. According to Variety, the crowd stood cheering for eight minutes at the end of Joker for a lengthy standing ovation with some calling for the film to get attention during awards season. GameSpot's review of Joker scored it a 10/10, with other critics also praising it highly. Some reviews were mixed to negative, however, with Time Magazine's Stephanie Zacharek writing, "Joker ... doesn't have a plot; it's more like a bunch of reaction GIFs strung together."Phoenix was at the Venice Film Festival for the screenings, and he spoke a little more about his character. He said previous performances of Joker by other actors did not influence him."I didn't refer to any past iteration of the character," Phoenix said. 'It just felt like something that was our creation in some ways."Also at the event, the Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera said Joker will go "straight to the Oscars." Among other elements of the film, people are praising Phoenix's portrayal of Joker. In addition to Phoenix in the title role, the movie stars Robert de Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy. Joker is something of a change for writer-director Todd Phillips, who previously made the Hangover and Old School comedies. He also wrote for Borat, which earned him his Oscar nomination. Info from Gamespot.com

We've reached September, which means the seasons are changing all around the world. New Releases is here to highlight some of the biggest games coming this month. You can take a snowy retreat with Monster Hunter World's Iceborne expansion or an island getaway with The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. You can also stay indoors and take to the basketball court with NBA 2K20. Finally, shooter fans can take on the Locust in Gears 5 or the Calypso Twins in Borderlands 3.Monster Hunter World: Iceborne -- September 6Available on: PS4, Xbox OneIceborne adds the new Hoarfrost Reach region to the New World, and it's full of snow, ice, and new monsters to take down. This expansion also adds a Master Rank difficulty for those of you who have already bested all the High Rank hunts. If you're not quite done exploring the game's main area, don't sweat it--you'll still see some fan-favorite monsters added to that part of the game too.More Coverage:Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Beta Test, Pre-Order Bonuses, And MoreWhat You Should Expect From Monster Hunter World: IceborneNBA 2K20 -- September 6Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchThis year's 2K basketball game offers the usual dose of modes like MyCareer, MyGM, MyLeague, and MyTeam, but the biggest addition is a series first: you can finally play as all 12 WNBA teams. If you need a break from the basketball court, there are plenty of ways to spend time (and money) on the game's loot boxes and gambling mechanics too.More Coverage:NBA 2K20 Pre-Order Bonuses, What's In The Legend Edition, And MoreYou Can Play A Lot Of Games That Aren't Basketball In The Basketball Game NBA 2K20Gears 5 -- September 10Available on: Xbox One, PCGears 5 focuses on Kait Diaz, who will learn more about her own family's history as she uncovers the Locust's origins. Gears 5 offers the standard campaign and multiplayer options, but there are some big changes to other modes this time around. For one, Horde mode gives every character unique abilities and ultimate attacks--there's even a pair of characters from Halo: Reach in the mix. Characters also get special perks in the new Escape mode, a three-player co-op experience where you have to destroy Locust hives.More Coverage:Gears 5: Pre-Load, Start Times, Launch Maps, And More RevealedGears 5's Horde Mode Is Getting The Hero Shooter TreatmentBorderlands 3 -- September 13Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PCThere are new characters to check out in Borderlands 3 as well. Amara the Siren, Moze the Gunner, Zane the Operative, and FL4K the Beastmaster are your Vault Hunters for his adventure. You won't just be seeking Vaults on Pandora, though; for the first time, you can travel to other planets aboard the Sanctuary III. As usual, expect to find a ridiculous amount of guns as you battle the evil Calypso Twins.More Coverage:Borderlands 3 Pre-Order Guide: Diamond Loot Chest, Super Deluxe Edition, BonusesBorderlands 3 PC System Requirements Are Pretty Reasonable, See Them HereThe Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening -- September 20Available on: SwitchThis is a remake of Link's Awakening on the Game Boy. While it offers the same story and dungeons across Koholint Island, there's also a completely fresh art style, reimagined soundtrack, and even a special dungeon editor. Tap an Amiibo, and you can unlock extra mini-games and chambers for that dungeon-builder.More Coverage:Zelda: Link's Awakening - Everything We Know About The Nintendo Switch RemakeGameStop Announces Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus For Link's AwakeningSeptember has just begun, and in addition to the games listed here, Catherine: Full Body and Final Fantasy VIII Remastered are also leading the charge, both launching on Tuesday, September 3. Next week, New Releases will take a look at some less-known games you won't wanna miss, like GreedFall and Blasphemous.Info from Gamespot.com