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A year after his death, Elden Ring is a moving tribute to the work of Kentaro Miura
Why start something that you know you'll never finish? An hour into Elden Ring, I already knew I'd be chipping away at this game for years. The temptation to move on from anything too tricky, the endless number of things to move on to, an ocean of a map, my own limited free time... I could tell this would be another Bloodborne, another Skyrim, another Minecraft, another thing I love where I'd never see the credits roll. In this way Elden Ring is a lot like Berserk, the legendary fantasy manga so closely threaded into the DNA of the FromSoft games that it can sometimes feel impossible to pull the two apart. I'll never finish Berserk either, though not for lack of trying. The author Kentaro Miura died last May at the age of 54. His manga, which ran for over thirty years, was never completed.
I'll be frank: Miura's death hit me like a truck. Unfair doesn't even begin to cover it. I will never know Miura and I envy those who did, but through his work I felt I understood him, at least a little bit. There's something very teenager-ish about early Berserk. It's a whole lot of angst and blood and frustration splattered willy-nilly on the page. As the series went on, though, it grew into something that cautiously examined or even regretted the tone of the early chapters. Protagonist Guts - and Miura, through him - seemed to lose interest in avenging what he'd lost and instead chose to focus on protecting what he had left. Unfathomable horrors both man-made and Lovecraftian, institutional religion, war, political intrigue, sexual assault, grief, trauma, love, betrayal; Berserk took everything on, all while looking the best that any comic has ever looked, ever. And you can quote me on that.
Activision Blizzard removes staff vaccine mandate
Activision Blizzard will no longer require staff to be vaccinated against Covid, as the embattled Call of Duty and World of Warcraft company tries to encourage more people back into its offices from June.
The company said its move reflected similar changes made by other businesses across the US, in a company-wide email from exec Brian Bulatao, shared by ABK Worker Alliance's Jessica Gonzalez (thanks, Kotaku).
Razer's DeathAdder V2 Pro gaming mouse is nearly half price at Amazon
With so many key features that make a great gaming mouse, it's not often to find one that seems to check every box, particularly one on sale. But Razer have been making excellent mice for years now, and their DeathAdder V2 Pro is one of the best of the bunch at this price range.
Amazon currently have it reduced by nearly half price, down to just £66.99. And our US readers don't miss out on this deal either, as it's reduced by a similar margin to just $69.99.
Everybody's Golf PS4 losing all online features, shutting down servers in September
Everybody's Golf will soon be downgraded to Everybody's Golf As Long As They're All In the Same Room, following Sony announcement it'll be ending the PlayStation 4 game's multiplayer support and taking its servers offline from September this year.
More specifically, the Everybody's Golf servers will go permanently offline from 30th September 2022, meaning all online multiplayer modes and other online features - including the likes of leaderboards and certain trophies - will cease to be available from that point on.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teaser theories analysed
Earlier this week it was announced that the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed into next year. This was not exactly a surprise, but a shame, nonetheless. But, to soften this blow slightly, Nintendo also shared a new, very small, snippet from the game.
By snippet, I really do mean snippet. It was a "blink and you will miss it" situation. However, after playing it coy throughout Breath of the Wild 2's most recent trailer, this delay announcement did finally reveal the front of Link, and more of his corrupted arm (with said corruption looking like it is also starting to make its way across Link's chest).
US politicians condemn plans for possible Bobby Kotick payout
A group of US senators has expressed concern at the possibility of a windfall payout for controversial Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick, as part of Microsoft's proposed acquisition of his company.
Four politicians, including former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, signed a letter to the Federal Trade Commission alerting it to the issue, The Wall St Journal has reported.
Players have translated Tunic's runic language
Players have already translated the runic language in Tunic.
Throughout the game, instructions from characters, signposts, and the in-game manual are written in a made-up runic language. Players aren't required to translate it; instead it adds an air of mystery to the foxy adventure and forces players to analyse visual clues instead.
Cities: Skylines' VR adaptation arrives on Meta Quest 2 later this month
Cities: VR, the virtual reality adaptation of developer Colossal Order's acclaimed city builder Cities: Skylines, is coming to Meta Quest 2 on 28th April.
Cities: VR is the work of Fast Travel Games, and the developer stresses its new edition isn't a direct port of Skylines - "VR does not allow for the size and scale of the PC version", it notes - instead choosing to emphasise "more intimate experiences set in smaller areas".
State of Decay 3 report details troubled development
A new report has shed light behind the scenes of State of Decay 3, the upcoming open world zombie game from the Undead Labs.
Details published by Kotaku include allegations of sexism and mismanagement at the Microsoft-owned studio, and paint a picture of a game project which is still struggling to get off the ground years after its official reveal.
Below the Ocean is a floaty platformer in an extremely good way
On the surface, Below the Ocean may look to be another pixel platformer paying homage to the 90s, but beneath that lies a curious twist worth exploring: floatiness.
When thinking of indie platformers, the likes of Super Meat Boy and Celeste comes to mind, and although they look joyful and cute, playing them is an entirely different experience. There is a harsh edge to the pixel precision these games often require, where a single misstep leads to a game over screen. Below the Ocean has a different approach. It sands down the harsh edges and embraces a floaty movement system that, in a palpable way, feels like swimming. If you feel intimidated by pixel platformers this might be the one to get you started.
Inti Creates' Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 heading to Switch in July
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 - the, would you believe it, third game in developer Inti Creates' acclaimed side-scrolling action-platforming series - will be heading to Switch on 28th July.
The original Azure Striker Gunvolt, which launched to a solid reception on 3DS back in 2014, took its retro-infused cue from Capcom's beloved Mega Man series, with Inti Creates having previously worked on Mega Man Zero, ZX, 9, and 10 (Gunvolt was also executive produced by Mega Man's Keiji Inafune). A sequel arrived two years later, and both games can now be played on Switch via the Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack, if you're curious to learn more.
The best full fibre (FTTP) broadband deals in April 2022
Full fibre broadband is here. The availability of this much-faster fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband technology has grown significantly across the UK. There's still a long way to go before it's more universally available, but there's growing competition between BT, EE, Sky, Vodafone and more to offer incredible download speeds. These providers are seeking to entice customers to switch to the new service with better offers. If you're lucky enough to be within the coverage area and want to try it for yourself, here are some of the best full fibre broadband deals out there this month.
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Twitch suspends boost train feature after porn added to front page
Twitch has suspended its paid boost train feature after porn was boosted to the front page.
The feature was introduced in March this year, but bears a resemblance to the paid boosts programme that ended in late 2021, as clarified by a Twitch representative to PC Gamer.
Abandoned devs respond to cancellation rumours
Following rumours that the PS5 exclusive Abandoned has been, well, abandoned, developer Blue Box Game Studio has released a statement addressing concerns.
The statement, which was shared on Twitter yesterday evening, reads:
The best Sky Broadband deals in April 2022
Sky Broadband deals including its full fibre (FTTP) Superfast, Ultrafast and Ultrafast Plus services are some of the most popular and well-trusted internet options in the UK right now - and there's plenty of good reasons why.
While it might not be the cheapest, Sky is still pretty reasonably priced for a premium tier broadband provider, and has a solid reputation for delivering fast, reliable internet speeds and strong WiFi connections. Not only does Sky Broadband offer a wide range of internet products, subscriptions can be easily tailored to fit your needs. This includes Sky's broadband add-ons such as WiFi Boost and WiFi Guarantee, as well as customisable options to include Sky TV.
PlayStation cuts 90 jobs as part of "global transformation"
At least 90 jobs have been lost within PlayStation's North American business, a new report has revealed.
The roles were primarily based in the company's sales and marketing divisions, Axios reported, largely in positions that dealt with physical retail stores.
Save up to 50 per cent on Razer's Ornata V2 mechanical-membrane keyboard
Although there are dozens and dozens of excellent gaming keyboards to choose from, very few have soft, quiet keys that also provide great tactile feel.
Thankfully, Razer have a keyboard for the rest of us. The Ornata V2 is currently on sale at nearly half price from Amazon, and available for just £54.99. And US gamers don't miss out either, as Amazon US have it on sale too for $54.99.
Rogue Legacy coming to the Epic Games Store
Rogue Legacy will be available for free next week from the Epic Games Store.
Also joining it will be The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is biggest Kirby launch in Japanese history
Kirby and the Forgotten Land has earned the biggest launch for the series in Japanese history.
As Famitsu reports, the game sold 380,000 copies in Japan in its first week, floating its way to the top of the charts.
Don't Starve Together brings multiplayer survival to Switch later this month
Don't Starve Together, developer Klei Entertainment's co-operative multiplayer twist on its acclaimed survival adventure, will be making its way to Switch on 12th April.
If you've already played Don't Starve, you'll be right at home with Together; it takes the original's deliciously dark survival conceit - in which you awake in an expansive, wonderfully twisted world and must forage, maim, eat, and build in order to survive long enough to orchestrate an escape - but enables you to do it all with friends in tow.