Developer RGG Studios has released a new narrative trailer for their upcoming samurai adventure game Like a Dragon: Ishin! The trailer highlights protagonist Sakamoto Ryoma, who is framed for the death of his teacher. You will meet valuable allies along your journey to fight for justice that will change the course of Japan's history. Like a Dragon: Ishin! is set in 1860s Kyo and released exclusively in Japan back in 2014 but is finally coming to the west as a full remake.

Those who pre-order the Digital Deluxe edition can get early access to the game on February 17, 2023 and receive the following in-game items:

• Shinsengumi Captain’s Set
• Ryoma Growth Support Kit
• Sword Upgrade Materials Kit
• Gun Upgrade Materials Kit
• Third Division Armament Expansion Kit
• The Dragon of Dojima Skin
• An additional three weapons to help you trailblaze the road to revolution:
  • Kijinmaru Kunishige, a dark sword with a white hilt
  • Bloody Sheen, a sword soaked in blood
  • Black Ship Cannon, a cannon taken from Western ships

Like a Dragon: Ishin! is coming to PC via Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 on February 21, 2023. Pre-orders are available now for $59.99.

Check out the new Blade of Vengeance trailer below:

Today, games publisher Perp Games held a virtual reality showcase stream to share new looks at some previously announced VR titles, but also revealed a few new ones that will be heading to PlayStation VR2. You can view the showcase in its entirety below - it includes some new looks at gameplay - but I've also done the honor of comprising the full list of announcements for you:

• Horror game MADiSON is heading to VR, but no release date was announced.
• Cel-shaded bullet hell action game Desperate: Vladivostock was announced for PlayStation VR2 with no launch date.
• Survival horror game Afterlife VR is also heading to PlayStation VR2, but also without a date.
• Multiplayer survival military shooter Ghosts of Tabor is releasing on PlayStation VR2 in the third quarter of this year. It is a cool looking looter shooter akin to Escape from Tarkov and Day Z. I really want to play this one!
• Murder mystery title Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate will be getting a PS VR2 physical edition on March 10th. It's coming digitally on February 22nd.
• Rhythm game Synth Riders: Remastered will likewise get a PS VR2 physical release on March 17th. It's launching digitally on February 22nd.
• Survival game Song in the Smoke: Rekindled is getting a physical version on March 17th for PS VR2. It's launching digitally on February 22nd.
• Cave diving exploration co-op game Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder was announced as a PS VR2 launch game, and it will also get a physical release on March 3rd.
• A physical edition of Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge - Enhanced Edition (a PS VR2 launch title) is dropping on April 7th.
• And finally, VR Skater was announced to be coming to PS VR2, but no release date was given.

Perp Games has been publishing games since 2017 but they are really bursting onto the scene with this lineup of titles. They also have a few other non-VR titles in development that are very interesting. If you have not heard of their game Greyhill Incident, please go look that one up.

I decided to no longer be shocked when I found out about the next Fortnite collaboration. Superheroes, anime characters, and multiple versions of Zendaya, all pale in comparison to this one. “Frank’s RedHot has released their very own game in Fortnite: ‘The Floor is Flava’, a flavor-packed spin on the classic Floor is Lava! Gamers will be challenged to be the last player standing or otherwise dive into delicious doom, because when Frank’s is flowing, no one loses. As players navigate the chicken wing-shaped island, they’ll use chickens as jetpacks, Chili Chugs for speed boosts, and play defense with RedHot sauce launchers and chiller grenades.”

If that wasn’t enough Fortnite is adding a handful of unique features that will be specific to The Floor is Flava. The ability for players to emote while dying for the first time ever, weapons that are solely devoted to the fire/explosion theme, and multiple escape points within the map, allowing for every gameplay to be different.

To play the Floor is Flava in Fortnite Creative Mode, players can use island code: 3840-4599-3966.

At the WWE Royal Rumble event this past weekend, Thea Trinidad, also known by her profession wrestling name Zelina Vega made her entrance to the ring during the Royal Rumble match cosplaying as Juri Han from the Street Fighter series and the cosplay was spot on. 

This isn't the first time she has cosplayed as fighting game characters. In two recent Royal Rumble matches she came out cosplaying Vega from Street Fighter and Sindel from Mortal Kombat. She was also at the Mortal Kombat 11 reveal event cosplaying as Jade. So it's very exciting to hear that she will be part of Street Fighter 6 as Capcom has announced she will be one of the real time commentators available to choose from when the game launches. 

She has a real passion for fighting games and it's awesome to see her get this opportunity to be part of the game itself. 

Street Fighter 6 launches on June 2nd 2023 for PS4, PS5, Series X and PC. 

If you're thinking of picking up a Meta Quest 2, a new bundle will be available starting February 5th you'll be able to nab two games for free that are really fun to play with.

GOLF+ and Space Pirate Trainer DX will both be available from February 5th to June 3rd when you pick up the 128GB or 256GB versions of the headset. That's $50 in free games and two pretty well reviewed game as well.

Space Pirate Trainer DX has a pretty awesome looking multiplayer game where you can take a huge playing space and turn it into a virtual laser tag experience complete with obstacles to hide behind and it looks pretty freaking fantastic. It's one I'm looking to pick up once a few more of my friends grab a Meta Quest 2.

GOLF+ looks like a very fun VR golf game that'll let you experience a good deal of courses. And if you want to take it to another level, you can grab a golf club accessory to attach a controller to the end of it and take the immersion level a little further.

Both games will be great first adds to your VR gaming library and to be able to get them for free on a purchase of a Meta Quest 2 is a superb bonus for grabbing one of the best stand alone VR headsets out there.

You can read our review of the Quest 2 and why I use it a lot along with my wired headsets.

I've now beaten Marvel's Midnight Suns twice from scratch, and I still haven't had enough of the game. I have, however, kind of exhausted the content from the base game. I've been just hanging out in the endgame (where the game restarts you after beating it - right before the final battle), building up my decks and killing the same irritating enemies over and over again. 

So I was pretty excited to hop into the new Deadpool DLC - The Good, The Bad, and The Undead - which players can buy outright or as part of the deluxe edition of Midnight Suns. The Deadpool stuff comes with the Merc with a Mouth himself, and a few other game upgrades and abilities. As can be expected, hanging out with Deadpool is a ton of fun, as he is a constant fountain of one-liners, though his sense of humor clearly hides the melancholy lurking at the heart of the character. Unfortunately, though, playing as Deadpool is a freakin' hassle, as he is wildly underpowered compared to similar characters, and his "El Fuego" abilities are nigh useless.

Deadpool enters the game with three fun new story missions, the best of which has him teaming with Blade to take out a group of vampyres - the game's new baddies. Deadpool spends the entire mission alternating between antagonizing Blade and hitting on him, both of which are fantastic to watch. All three missions are as good as any story missions you find in the base game, but they of course benefit from the additional chaos of being centered around Deadpool.

Back at the Abbey, Deadpool struggles to fit in with the rest of the gang, and often seems to be conflicted about whether he wants to even try. Conversations between Deadpool and the Hunter are some of the best moments in the DLC, as they cut through his schtick a little bit to reveal the tortured soul that lives inside that burnt, constantly-healing-but-not-all-the-way husk of a mutant. So yeah, Deadpool as a character is a very welcome breath of fresh air in the Abbey, which after 80-90 hours, has grown a bit stale.

Unfortunately, playing as Deadpool in combat just kinda sucks. I've played about ten missions with him now, grinding friendship levels and building up his deck into something I find halfway reasonable, but even now I find him dreadfully underpowered compared to the rest of the gang. His heroic point-building abilities are so weak-sauce that he might as well be slapping enemies with a fish, and he is absolutely useless at crowd control. Deadpool's few abilities that allow him to attack multiple enemies are so laughably weak that I find myself only using them when I am absolutely out of cards and redraws and have no other choice.

Deadpool has a side ability called "El Fuego", which allows him to build his powers up into something more powerful. Each kill gives him an El Fuego point, which increases the base attack of his cards. But if he takes even one hit, the meter resets, knocking his cards back down to the near-useless category. It gets to the point where, if I draw a handful of Deadpool cards at the beginning of a battle, I am filled with some mix of despair and malaise - certainly not the feeling a wildcard character like Deadpool should envoke.

Still, I had a good time diving back into Midnight Suns for some new material, and I'm greatly looking forward to the other three characters that are still to come (Venom, Morbius, and Storm). But I'm afraid that after I finish building Deadpool up to Friendship level five and unlock the rest of his abilities, he's going to be strictly second string. I can't imagine taking him into a battle on purpose when there are so many other, better options.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is now available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

I am so excited for this one, but seeing as I still have God of War Ragnarok and the next-gen Witcher III update sitting in my upcoming gaming queue, I might not be jumping straight in. So many games, so little time...

But the Dead Space remake is available now on next-gen consoles and PC. Developed specifically for these higher powered systems, one of the seminal works of horror gaming is ready to bring all its gore and excitement into a new level of fidelity. Remade from the ground up in the Frostbite engine and featuring the Intensity Director - which "dynamically adjusts what shows up in Isaac’s path... from Necromorph spawns to environmental effects such as light, smoke, particles and sound, no player’s experience in a room will be the same — nor will their own, if they opt to retrace their steps and revisit previous locations."

While our review won't be out for a bit longer, early buzz is that the game is looking fantastic. You can find Dead Space on the various digital marketplaces for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S for $69.99. Save ten bucks on PC at $59.99. Dead Space will also be available to purchase in a Deluxe Edition for ten dollars more than includes some in game cosmetics, and the limited run Collector’s Edition includes a full-sized wearable Isaac helmet, CD soundtrack, and SteelBook but is going to set you back $275.

Developer IGGYMOB has issued a new patch to their gungslinging game Gungrave G.O.R.E that brings series favorite character Bunji The Wolf as a playable character across all stages. Bunji comes with his own sets of abilities, skills, and achievements, so get ready to play through the game again in this latest update!

The update also includes stability updates and bug fixes across all platforms to improve the overall experience of the game. In addition, the official soundtrack for Gungrave G.O.R.E, composed by Tetsuya Shibata (Devil May Cry) and Yoshino Aoki (FFXV) is now available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6vDUeL4GsPLqBr7ZdGUNhT

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/gungrave-g-o-r-e-original-soundtrack/1666167886

In Gungrave G.O.R.E, you play as a gun-wielding anti-hero as you mow down enemies in a story above vengeance, love, and loyalty. The game is a third person action shooter that combines influences from both Eastern and Western game designs. In case you missed it, check out our preview of the game on PC!

Gungrave G.O.R.E is out now on PC via Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 for $49.99.

Check out the Bunji update trailer below:

Developer XR Games and publisher Sony Pictures VR are bringing their arcade zombie shooter Zombieland: Headshot Fever to PlayStation VR2 at the headset’s launch on February 22^nd. This “Reloaded” version is designed specifically to take advantage of PS VR2 features such as adaptive triggers, controller haptics, headset rumble, and eye-tracking.

The updates don’t stop there however, as anyone who has already popped zombie heads can also look forward to a new story level, three new remix levels, new gun range challenges, new weapons, new perks, and more with Reloaded.

XR Games founder and CEO Bobby Thandi said in a release that PS VR2 gave the developer an opportunity to create the best version of Zombieland: Headshot Fever:

“As soon as we saw the power and hardware features of PlayStation®VR2, we knew there was a huge opportunity to increase the immersion and build the best version of ‘Zombieland: Headshot Fever’ imaginable.” said Bobby Thandi, Founder and CEO of XR Games. “The team kept experimenting, and came back with a gorgeous new artstyle, new animations, lighting, physics, character models, progression system, as well as new levels, guns, challenges and trophies. This is essentially a remaster built to take advantage of PlayStation®VR2’s exciting new hardware features, delivering a more exciting, faster, more immersive experience. I couldn’t be prouder of what the team has accomplished.”

Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded can be wishlisted now on the PlayStation Store, or you can check out its PC launch trailer below to get a pulse on the game.

Even working at a gaming site, sometimes games come flying out of left field to bonk you in the head like a dodgeball. That was the case yesterday with Ubisoft's release of Game Swing Studio's Oddballers, a 4-6 player party game for Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. I had no idea that Oddballers was in development, and then *poof*, there it was in the wild.

I sat down last night to take a quick look at Oddballers (which Gaming Nexus will be fully reviewing in the coming weeks), but was quickly forced to surrender my controller to my six-year-old, who now looks at Oddballers with a reverence usually reserved for those squashy little Among Us guys. It turns out that the game - which I thought was kinda fun - is the greatest thing on the planet for a six-year-old. Only a matter of time before he starts showing up home from school with a bunch of wild-ass pictures he drew of Oddballer dudes in weird situations.

Oddballers is a local and online party game, played with 4-6 players (you can use bots if you are by yourself). The game allows you to throw a quick costume on your character of choice and hop into a series of quick minigames, most of which revolve around picking stuff up and whipping it at your opponents. More than anything, Oddballers reminded me immediately of Poy Poy, a forgotten but much-loved-at-my-place PS1 Multitap game that saw players, um, picking stuff up and whipping it at their opponents. The sessions are brief, lasting between ten and twenty minutes, and at the end everyone is rewarded with a bunch of XP and cosmetic unlockables, regardless of who won the overall match.

The game is a bit buggy upon release, with a few visual problems, not the least of which was the words "Now Leaving Queue" splayed across the screen for the entirety of the time we played. But that hardly mattered, as the core fun of the game came shining through to pull in my son with it's cartoony gravitational pull. 

I was playing on the default difficulty against three bots, and once I got the feel for the controls, was able to wreck them in every minigame that was presented. But to my son, the default difficulty presents the perfect level of challenge, with him winning maybe one out of every three matches, which makes him howl in triumph. Oddballers is definitely his new favorite thing, and this morning he headed to school asking over and over again if he could play it tonight when he gets home.

So yeah, Oddballers a big hit with the kid. I'm going to have to keep his older sister away from it for a while, or she'll surely take over and start bashing him in multiplayer with her superior skills. Gotta give the kid enough time to get good enough to stand up to her.

Oddballers is now available on Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game features cross-play between consoles, so there is a pretty good pool of people playing online right now on all platforms.