Gaming News

The Best Action Game of 2022: Nominees

Whether you're a fan of pizza-gobbling mutant turtles or the pistol-wielding witch on the Switch, 2022 was a breakout year for action games. TMNT: Shredder's Revenge and Bayonetta 3 showed these much loved icons are still at the top of their game, while Sifu's brutal learning curve made it all the more satisfying when everything clicked. Cult of the Lamb is as adorable as it is unsettling and don't be fooled by Vampire Survivor's simplistic looks, because underneath the pixel art is a roguelike that'll keep you hooked. These are the Best Action Games of 2022. Make sure you come back next week to find out the winner! Bayonetta 3 The 8-year wait for Bayonetta 3 and the return of our favorite Umbra Witch was a tough one, but the new...

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The Best Video Game Art of 2022: Nominees

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but regardless of your individual taste, 2022 saw some of the most visually stunning games ever released. In this year's shortlist of Best Video Game Art, fairy tale worlds are up against beautifully haunting vistas, robot dinosaurs roam sumptuous landscapes, cute rules supreme when the hero is a fox, and colourful manuscripts make for a welcome change in style. These are the nominees for Best Video Game Art in 2022. Come back next week when the winner is announced. Elden Ring From the moment you step out into The Lands Between, Elden Ring’s haunting vistas immediately capture the eye as colossal golden trees tower over crumbling ruins of a land lost to decay. Much more than a dreary...

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The Best Shooter Game of 2022: Nominees

Shooters, thanks to games like Call of Duty, are consistently the best-selling games that often draw in the most non-gamers alongside sports games. However, the shooter genre has so much more to offer too. From the colorful chaos of Splatoon 3 to the fantasy world of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands to the hero shooter Overwatch 2, there are so many different ways to get on the battlefield in the world of games, and 2022 was a prime example of that. These are our nominees for the Best Shooter Game of 2022... Be sure to check back next week for our winner! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a joy to play and hits all the right notes in its homages to its 2009 namesake. While we had issues with the campaign, Call...

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The Best Game Story of 2022: Nominees

Stories in games continue to evolve thanks to improvements in performance capture technology, the fidelity of the worlds that surround them, and the ever-growing talent pool of incredible writers. While games were once all about gameplay, story has increasingly become more important as the years have gone on. In 2022, the games that moved this medium forward in our mind are also the ones that have been telling the best stories. That includes everything from the AAA-title God of War Ragnarok to the smaller but no less special Pentiment. These are our nominees for the Best Game Story of 2022... Be sure to check back next week for our winner! A Plague Tale Requiem A Plague Tale: Requiem is a sombre adventure that finds beauty in the...

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The Best Action-Adventure Game of 2022: Nominees

2022 was the year for action-adventure games. If you like deep, sprawling stories peppered with breath-taking fight scenes then the last 12 months has served up some of the very best. God of War Ragnarok built on the foundations of its 2018 predecessor in almost every way, delivering a twist-filled story and fine-tuning the combat to make it better than ever. Likewise, Aloy's journey through uncharted lands in Horizon: Forbidden West took everything that was great about Zero Dawn and cranked it up a notch. It's no surprise Elden Ring also makes the cut – it's FromSoftware's most ambitious game yet, and its masterful world building and challenging-yet-rewarding combat combine to make it a masterpiece. But definitely don't overlook two...

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The Best Strategy Game of 2022: Nominees

Strategy games challenge us in the best ways possible and capture why we love games like chess and those that require deep planning and wise reactions. There is something so beautiful about a plan coming together, and strategy games give us some of those greatest moments in gaming. From the colorful and fun world Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope to the card-battling Marvel Snap to two entries in the beloved Warhammer series, 2022 had no lack of stellar strategy games. These are our nominees for the Best Strategy Game of 2022... Be sure to check back next week for our winner! Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is one of those games that keeps you smiling with its charm, humor, and gameplay. Some may have not...

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The Best Game of 2022: Nominees

Considering 2022 was a 'quiet' year for new games, the quality on show was unquestionable. From blockbuster releases to smaller yet equally as impressive Indies, the last 12 months has been a stellar year whether you play on console or PC. Two long-awaited giants lead the pack, with Santa Monica Studios' God of War Ragnarok closing off the latest chapter in Kratos' epic journey in style, while Elden Ring once again proves that FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki raise the bar with everything they make. Immortality boasted powerful performances and a gripping story, Tunic's unapologetically challenging gameplay was charming and rewarding in equal measure, and Marvel Snap upended the collectible card game genre with truly fresh ideas...

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Noteworthy Advancement in Game Accessibility in 2022

Accessibility in games continued to be a focus of the industry in 2022 as developers included accessibility features in a variety of titles. The increased awareness and concern around making sure that games are as accessible as possible is a very important aspect of game development, and so we brought together a group of experts on the subject to decide what 2022 games are worthy of recognition in this area. Here are our nominees for Noteworthy Advancement in Game Accessibility in 2022... Be sure to check back next week for our winner! As Dusk Falls Since the rise and fall of Telltale Games (and hopefully soon to be rise again) the narrative-driven, choose-your-own-adventure style games are few and far between. Also, they don’t...

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The Best Performance in a Game in 2022: Nominees

Video games are no longer just a few pixels on the screen with 100% of the focus set on gameplay, as they evolved into a medium that is telling some of the most important stories in entertainment. A big part of why is the level of performances by world-class talent bringing the characters on screen to life. 2022 featured some remarkable performances, including Ashly Burch's return as Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West, both Christopher Judge and Richard Schiff in God of War Ragnarok, Dominic Armato as Guybrush Threepwood in Return to Monkey Island, and Charlotta Mohlin in Immortality. These are our nominees for the Best Performance in a Game in 2022... Be sure to check out next week for our winner! Ashly Burch as Aloy in Horizon...

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The Best Puzzle Game of 2022: Nominees

Puzzles are universal. Even from our youngest days, we love solving problems and even the most simplest of puzzles. This love grows as we do, and game developers have harnessed that into some truly special games. 2022 had a great range of puzzle games, and a lot of them came packaged with a great story like Immortality, Return to Monkey Island, and The Case of the Golden Idol. There were also some wonderful puzzle games that have you solving levels in the most efficient and fun way possible like Teardown and Escape Academy. These are our nominees for the Best Movies of 2022... Be sure to check back next week for our winner! Escape Academy Escape Academy blends the excitement and intrigue of escape rooms with the wacky and wonderful...

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Elden Ring DLC Comes With a Ton of Balance Updates, Bug Fixes, and New Hairstyles

Elden Ring's free Colosseum Update has arrived alongside a ton of balance changes, bug fixes, and even new hairstyles for the game's character creation. Outlined in a Bandai Namco blog post, Elden Ring Version 1.08 is headlined by the PvP centric DLC announced yesterday but also serves as a fairly large patch for the game. Five new hairstyles have been added (which can be viewed below thanks to Reddit user Katherine P), which are available when creating a character initially or later by using the Round Table Hold Clouded Mirror Stand. Balance updates have been broken down into two categories: general adjustments and PvP exclusive changes. The general changes include fairly significant changes to the speed, distance, and recovery...

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Microsoft Has Made a '10-Year Commitment' to Bring Call of Duty to Nintendo Consoles

Microsoft has officially entered into a "10-year commitment" to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo consoles following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Xbox boss Phil Spencer shared the news on Twitter alongside confirming Microsoft will continue to offer Call of Duty titles on Steam after the deal has closed as well. The last time a mainline Call of Duty title was on a Nintendo Console was 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts, which made its way to the Wii U. Since then, Nintendo owners have been left behind when it comes to one of the best-selling game franchises of all time. In October 2022, Spencer said he'd "love" to see Call of Duty on Switch and that the Xbox's intention is to "treat Call of Duty like Minecraft." It looks as...

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Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds DLC Review

While Far Cry 6’s previous DLCs may have put past villains from the series into the spotlight, the latest expansion returns to familiar territory in a different way: by totally jumping the shark. Dropping you back in the shoes of Dani Rojas, Lost Between Worlds is all about an alien entity called Fai that crash-lands in Yara, creating a multitude of time rifts and portals to alternate dimensions. What ensues is a web of interconnected semi-roguelite levels that you’re free to playthrough in any order you want. It’s a genuinely fun way to bring an end to Dani’s story that I found myself happily plowing through all six hours of in a single day, even if it did essentially feel like a watered down version of the main game. Similar to how...

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Aussie Deals: 8 Buck PS Hits, Half Off FIFA 23 and GT7, Switch AAAs for $59!

Welcome to a Hump Day of insane deals and interesting developments. First off, Assassin's Creed Valhalla has finally invaded Steam, so be sure to plunder it (for 65% off) if that's your client of choice. It should also be noted that Elden Ring is getting a free colosseum arena tomorrow, so it's a fine time to invest in a 26% off dicount of it here. This Day in Gaming TLoZ: Twilight Princess (Wii) released, 2006. Modern descendant Red Steel (Wii) released, 2006. DiRT: Rally (PC) released, 2015. Sequel Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS) released, 2018. Get it Table of Contents Nintendo Switch PC Xbox PlayStation Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Great Deals From Yesterday Back to top Purchase Cheaply for PC Great Deals From...

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Dead Island 2 Gameplay Showcase Features Zombie Kills, Weapons Galore, and Alexa Integration

Dead Island 2's gameplay showcase has arrived and it gave fans a gory, brutal, and fun look at the upcoming zombie apocalypse game that is set to be released on April 28, 2023. The showcase featured gameplay and details delivered via a live-action "pulp adventure" that starred three characters also living in a zombie apocalypse. They happen upon a mansion in Los Angeles that happens to have Dead Island 2, and that's how we learn more about the game. The bloody star of the show was the 'Welcome to HELL-A' gameplay trailer that gave us our best look yet at Dead Island 2 in action. On display were the game's brutal combat system that see zombie limbs flying every which way, the wide array of weapons and ways to customize them to a...

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Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell Is the Indie Hit's First Major Expansion

Poncle has announced a new piece of DLC for Vampire Survivors called Legacy of the Moonspell. It includes a brand-new stage, characters, and weapons for players to utilize. While the Steam page doesn’t list the DLC’s release date, it will reportedly be released on December 15 and cost $1.99. The brand new stage is called Mt. Moonspell, which is the game’s biggest stage to date and features different environments including snow-covered mountains and an infested yokai village. There will be eight new characters in total, with four of them already revealed. Miang Moonspell is the last disciple of the Moonspell Clan, Menya Moonspell is one of the few surviving Moonspell elders, and Syuuto Moonspell is a banished practitioner of new moon...

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The Game Awards Fan Vote Has Genshin Impact and Sonic Frontiers Crushing Elden Ring for Game of the Year

Genshin Impact and Sonic Frontiers are storming ahead in the fan poll to decide the winner of the Player’s Voice category at The Game Awards 2022, dominating both Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok. The Player’s Voice award is a 100% fan voted category unlike the other awards that are set to be doled out during Geoff Keighley’s yearly show, largely decided by a hand picked jury made up from influencers and members of the media. In the weeks leading up to the live show, gamers get to vote for their favourite title of 2022, whittling the pool down to just five games for the third and final round of voting. This year's finalists include Elden Ring, God of War: Ragnarok, Genshin Impact, Sonic Frontiers, and Stray. At the time of...

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Elden Ring's Colosseum DLC Is Real, Free, and Releasing Tomorrow

FromSoftware has confirmed that Elden Ring's long-rumoured colosseum DLC is real, and it's available tomorrow, December 7, for free. Revealed in a new trailer (below), the Colosseum Update unsurprisingly adds new PvP modes that lets players can face off in the grand arenas scattered around The Lands Between. The trailer doesn't go into specifics on what all of these new modes will be but does clearly show both one on one battles alongside what appears to doubles and even three on three fights. The trailer's description also mentions free-for-alls. "Come forth, warriors, and bask in the glory of the Colosseum," it reads. "The Colosseums of Limgrave, Leyndell, and Caelid will open their gates, allowing players to engage in battles...

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Cyberpunk 2077's Multiplayer Mode Was Cancelled Following Its Turbulent Launch

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has revealed that the game's multiplayer mode was scrapped due to the game's turbulent launch. During an interview with Eurogamer, Philipp Weber (who was a senior quest designer and coordinator on Cyberpunk 2077) revealed how development shifted to focus on fixing what was there instead of adding new features. “We really needed to look at what were the priorities for Cyberpunk [after it launched],” he said. “The priority was that the main experience will run for the people in a really good state, and essentially, the switch of priorities meant that other R&D projects had to go away. With Cyberpunk, we wanted to do many things at the same time, and we just needed to really focus and say, ‘Okay...

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Aussie Deals: Ultimate Aussie Gift Guide for 2022

Can you believe it? The 2022 holiday season is already upon us, and that means it's time to start your annual gift shopping for your friends and family members. If you're looking for the best gift ideas for any breed of gamer in your life, look no further. We've scoured the web for the most popular gifts this season. Better yet, we’ve not just focussed on the veterans. Collected below are some entry point purchases for anybody looking to get into this amazing hobby for the first time. Or, alternatively, anybody looking to make a platform switch to broaden their gaming horizons. Perhaps literally…with a Switch. Or a PS5 + Horizon Forbidden West bundle! Enough talk, though. Let’s just get you sorted with awesome gifts and even a great...

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Aussie Deals: Serious Savings on Game Award Nominees & Winners, Reduced Star Wars Jedi and More!

As you may or may not have heard, there's been more info released on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. TL;DR: we know it's coming in March. That said, this is a great time to get up to (heavily discounted) speed with the antics of Cal Kestis, returning ranga from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Below are a bunch of bargains for it worth using Force Purchase on. Speaking of sci-fi, we've debuted the first 18 minutes of Dead Space today. Why not use your Kinesis Module to snatch up a 32% off preorder available here. This Day in Gaming Final Fantasy V (SNES, JP) released, 1992. Remaster here Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA) released, 2005. Modern descendant Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GC) released, 2005. Modern descendant Uncharted: Drake's...

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The Callisto Protocol Performance Issues Were a 'Damn Clerical Error" Per Studio CEO

The Callisto Protocol’s stuttering issues are due to a “damn clerical error,” according to Striking Distance Studios CEO Glen Schofield. In a string of separate replies on Twitter, Schofield explained that at launch, the wrong file was patched in for The Callisto Protocol and that the error occurred because someone was in a rush. “I’ll figure out how this happened but right now my focus is fixing. All our energy is on that. In the end, I’m responsible and accountable,” Schofield said. On Steam, players have been review-bombing the game due to its poor performance. However, a patch went live late on launch day which helped improve the stuttering issues. Another patch was issued for the console versions that were experiencing...

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Toe Jam and Earl Movie Adaptation is Hollywood's Deepest Video Game Pull Yet

There's yet another video-game-to-film adaptation on the way, and this time it's the funky spacefaring duo ToeJam & Earl getting the star treatment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, '90s retro action series ToeJam & Earl will make its film debut in a project from Amazon Studios, Story Kitchen, and NBA star Stephen Curry's Unanimous Media. As for its script, Hotel Transylvania 4 writers Amos Vernon and Nunzio are on board for the screenplay. Unanimous Media's Curry and Erick Peyton will produce the ToeJam & Earl film alongside Sonic the Hedgehog's Dan Jevons and Dmitri M. Johnson. In addition to the movie's early talent, The Hollywood Reporter also shared ToeJam & Earl's film synopsis: "Earth, their legends tell them, is the...

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Project L: Riot's League of Legends Fighting Game Resurfaces With New Gameplay

Riot Games promised another update for its League of Legends fighter, Project L, this year — and it's shaping up just in time to make that deadline with a new look at its gameplay systems. Uploaded to Riot's official YouTube channel, this latest look at Project L is guided by executive producer Tom Cannon and game director Shaun Rivera. The developer diary dives into the state of some previously revealed champions, like Illaoi, and explains the design philosophies behind turning the League fighter into an assist-based showdown. Cannon kicked off the video with an Illaoi update, explaining previous iterations shared of the champion were early design concepts. Now, it seems those pieces for her model and fleshed-out kit are coming...

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Best of 2022: Games, Movies, TV Shows, Comics and Anime

It's hard to believe, but 2022 is about to come to a close. As we look forward to the incredible stories and moments waiting for us in 2023, we think it's the perfect time to celebrate what made this year so special in the world of entertainment and games. To accomplish this goal, we will be revealing our nominees for the best video games, movies, TV shows, comics and anime of 2022 over the course of this week, and next week the winners will be revealed. We wish the best of luck to all nominees and, win or not, they should all be proud of what they accomplished this past year. Best Movies of 2022 We're kicking off the week by revealing our picks for the best films of 2022. From Everything Everywhere All at Once to RRR to Top Gun...

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Jedi Survivor Confirmed for The Game Awards, New Key Art Revealed

Just hours after Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's release date seemingly leaked on Steam, EA has revealed that gameplay for the highly-anticipated title will appear at The Game Awards 2022 later this week. We also got a brand-new piece of art for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, showing Cal Kestis and his droid BD-1: Today's leak listed March 15 as the release date for the Fallen Order sequel. This lines up with EA's plans to release a major game before April 2023, as we learned last month. It's possible that the rumored date could be confirmed alongside the gameplay showcase at The Game Awards. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was first announced this past January. EA released a trailer in May that confirmed the title as well as a 2023 release...

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Microsoft Raising Prices on New, First-Party Games Built for Xbox Series X|S to $70 in 2023

Xbox is preparing to join other major games publishers in raising the prices of its major new first-party titles from $60 to $70. Beginning in 2023, games built for Xbox Series X|S including Forza Motorsport, Redfall, and Starfield will cost $69.99 USD at launch. While Xbox has noted that regional pricing may differ, it has not yet given specifics for other countries. "This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles," a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN. "As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch.” The price increase is unsurprising, given that earlier this year Xbox head Phil Spencer said that the company wouldn't be able to...

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The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update Hands-On Preview

The Witcher 3 is releasing a long-awaited next-gen (new-gen?) update that includes features that will bring a 7-year-old game up to par for the beefier console generation. While it won’t convince anyone that The Witcher 3 is suddenly a brand-new, 2022 release, the updates we’ve seen will undoubtedly become the new default version of the game for new and returning players. IGN played three hours of The Witcher 3's next-gen update, which will be released for players who already own the game on a console or PC. You can expect a similar suite of upgrades that typically come with next-gen updates which includes a graphics mode that prioritizes 4K visuals and ray-tracing at 30 fps, or a Performance Mode that prioritizes 60 fps. CD Projekt...

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Dragon Age: Inquisition's Cassandra and Solas Get Epic New Statues From Dark Horse Direct

Dark Horse is celebrating Dragon Age Day by revealing a new pair of figurines inspired by Dragon Age: Inquisition. Solas and Cassandra are the latest two characters to join the growing lineup of Dragon Age: Inquisition Statuettes. Check out the slideshow below for an exclusive first look at both figures, as well as the three previously revealed pieces: Both statuettes were sculpted by Big Shot Toys, with painting and prototyping courtesy of JW Productions. They're designed in the same scale as previous Dragon Age statuettes (like the massive Iron Bull), and both measure 7.5 inches in height. As with the other Dragon Age: Inquisition Statuettes, Cassandra and Solas are limited to 1000 pieces worldwide. They're each priced at $149.99...

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CD Projekt Red Is Sunsetting Support for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

CD Projekt Red is sunsetting support for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game though has reassured the game will remain online for years to come. Gwent will be supported with new cards and eSports tournaments throughout 2023 but this will end as of 2024 as the game switches to a community-focused approach, in what is internally known as Project Gwentfinity. CD Projekt Red told IGN that a small number of developers will keep Gwent running from this point onwards, with all remaining team members being transferred to other projects at the studio. Project Gwentfinity will see a seasonal progression system added to the game that rewards creative deckbuilding alongside a new balancing feature that allows the community to vote for changes to...

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