Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Gaming

  • Current State of ‘Persona 6’

    Current State of ‘Persona 6’

    Persona is a series that has finally entered the mainstream due to its success with the official fifth entry. After its titular character Joker joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as its first DLC character, it was clear that Atlus had pushed their slice-of-life RPG to a new level. Yet, we haven’t heard much on the next numbered entry in the series, Persona 6. Yet even as 2021 was the franchise’s 25th anniversary, we still are lacking any concrete information on the next entry. As such, let’s take a closer look at the current state of what we know about the project so far.

    The official confirmation came in a rather surprising way. We never got a definite highlight that work has already started on the project, but through a statement by Atlus director Naoto Hiroaka in a job listing back in July. It explicitly highlights that they are hiring for a sixth project that manages to succeed previous entry.

    Thanks to the large amount of support we received for Persona 5, we have gotten a sense of accomplishment. But we can’t stop there. When we created Persona 4, there was pressure that it had to exceed Persona 3. Now, we will have to create a 6 which exceeds 5. However, exceeding 5 will be difficult with the current staff. I would like to surpass this tall hurdle with everyone who joins us in this recruitment

    Naoto Hiroaka

    This job listing came around a similar time when the 25th anniversary was announced with a promise for a year of news surrounding the Persona franchise. As mentioned previously, we still haven’t gotten quite a lot of insight into what the anniversary includes. While we did get the announcement in July and the confirmation of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax has been the only major reveal so far. The game wasn’t confirmed until the Video Game Awards in December with rumors hinting at remasters of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden. The official site still hints at more announcements coming but the well has been dry for some time. Still, supposedly we’ll get seven announcements up until the fall of this year. If they include the merchandise and wallpapers, there are still four slots open.

    There have been some curious visual teasers in the form of the anniversary-themed goods, which include all the main protagonists o the various entries across the series. What stands out is that they purposefully included one that only has “Secret” in its place. So, once an official announcement drops, they may unveil the character card, which would include the sixth entries protagonist, the game’s main color, and the school logo.

    Artwork of seven Persona character trading photo cards, with a secret eigth

    It seems very likely that this is a tease for an eventual announcement, especially with the placeholder also being used for the covers. Thoug, curiously,t the game covers includes two slots while each entry since P3 is mainly the vanilla game and its expansion, such as Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. So, the new game either has two unique covers, or we might have a Pokémon situation with two versions of the same game.

    Artwork of Persona poster-style cards with stands

    Of course, an announcement this year doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll get the game any time soon. Though, there is a comment that hints at Atlus having some major plans for this year. Shinjiro Takada, who is the mastermind behind Etryan Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei. He made the following reveal that the hope to offer a major release this year that will “become a pillar for Atlus” moving forward. Sadly, there’s no definite clue what exactly may end up being or even if it is Persona related.

    I chose ‘Challenge’ as my keyword for 2022 in hopes to release a title to the world that will become a pillar for Atlus. The staff are working hard on development to make something that’ll be interesting and satisfying for everyone, so I’d be happy if you could look forward to it.

    The interesting aspect about Persona 6 is that there aren’t many rumors about the upcoming release. As the last three entries covered the primary colors of blue, yellow, and red, many theorized that green is the most likely choice for the next entry in the franchise. Others have pointed to orange also being a possibility, but Persona 2‘s entries seemed to rely on a similar color. There are some rumblings of the game either embracing a female-centric storyline or copying Persona 3 Portable‘s option to choose your gender at the start of the game.

    For now, the well is pretty dry but it seems likely that the 25th anniversary might end with an announcement for the franchise in the fall of this year. It’s not definite but signs are there given the inclusion of those “Secret” placeholders. There are hints that we’ll get a lot more announcements as time goes on, which hopefully means that it’s going to be a big year for the franchise. For now, we can only keep an eye out for more information as

    Source: GamesRadar, Twitter, Atlus, Polygon, IGN, Kotaku

  • RUMOR: ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Release Window May Have Leaked Early

    RUMOR: ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Release Window May Have Leaked Early

    While the Wizarding World franchise has slowly been moving away from Hogwarts, as we explore the world surrounding it through the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Yet, many still have the fantasy to be students at Hogwarts and, luckily, a new game heading to PlayStation may offer exactly that titled Hogwarts Legacy. We’re still anxiously awaiting a release date, but it seems it may have leaked early.

    Industry Insider Tom Henderson has revealed that there are plans for a new PlayStation State of Play that would feature the Harry Potter spinoff game. It would give us the release window. Yes, not the actual release date but a hint at when we can expect it. It seems that the game is eyeing a release in the third quarter, which would mean a summer release between July to August. WB Games might be trying to give themselves some flexibility in case Omicron leads to more delays.

    The concept of an open-world game that lets you explore the many corners of Hogwarts is quite an exciting one for long-time fans. It seems that player customization will let you individualize your experience while also trying to grab the house you always wanted to be part of. We’ll see if WB Games can bring their ambitious project to life and get a closer look in February if this rumor turns out true.

    Source: ComicBook

  • RUMOR: ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’ Sequel Reveal Expected Ahead of E3

    RUMOR: ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’ Sequel Reveal Expected Ahead of E3

    Here’s an interesting bit of news that has found its way online. Star Wars is finally entering its renaissance with new game announcements and the release of The Book of Boba Fett. 2022 is looking like a stacked year for the galactic franchise and it seems that a popular game is finally getting the sequel to reveal that many have been anticipating. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order explored the story of Cal Kestis after the rise of the Empire. The first game – while buggy – offered a perfect blend of Jedi action and Dark Souls-lite combat. There hasn’t been much information out there on the next entry, but luckily that seems like it’ll end soon.

    In a new report by Grubb from Giant Bomb, he has shared that the Fallen Order sequel is likely to get a “significant” reveal ahead of this year’s E3, which is likely going to be around May or June. There are hints that it may potentially even be released at the end of the year, or in 2023 at the latest. It’s the first real information we are getting on the sequel, but it comes just as the game took over Amazon Prime games. As it’s still a rumor, for now, we can only hope that it turns out true once we near the E3 event.

    Source: Giant Bomb via Twitter, EuroGamer

  • RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ May Add Riri Williams as an NPC

    RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ May Add Riri Williams as an NPC

    Marvel’s Avengers is about to enter 2022, as we still await the next roadmap for the game. The first year may have started off bumpy, but we saw the additions of four heroes, Kate Bishop, Clint Barton, Black Panther, and the PS-exclusive Spider-Man. We don’t know quite yet what we can expect from this year’s content outside of rumblings surrounding She-Hulk, but there might be another familiar face joining the game as a non-playable-character.

    @EddyZ115, who has been data mining the game for some time now, has shared that a file in the game includes the name, Riri Williams. Comic fans will instantly recognize Ironheart’s civilian name, who is also set to get her own Disney+ show in the near future. There have been rumblings about a mystery character to join the already rumored characters next year, as pointed out by @mmmmmmmmiller. As such, it was believed she might be the character in question, but was later highlighted that this file includes references to a character model that is possibly for an NPC.

    We still have to take this information with a grain of salt, as the existence of the character in the game doesn’t mean they finalized anything. In August of 2020, there was a listing of 15 possible DLC characters heading to the game due to what was available in the game’s source code. Yet, the development on each character that has released so far varied and plans can always change as they continue working on the game.

    Her inclusion as an NPC character wouldn’t be too surprising, as most of their latest offerings included some familiar faces that are mainly supporting roles in the respective stories. Black Panther’s expansion included Shuri as an NPC in the new hub world, and it’s likely that Riri might have a similar role for another character. Of course, we still have to take this information with a grain of salt until we get the actual roadmap for 2022.

    Source: Twitter

  • The Ten Best Games I Played in 2021

    The Ten Best Games I Played in 2021

    At the start of 2021, I took it upon myself to try something I’ve never done: finish as many video games as I could in a span of the year. Finish in this context meant completing a game’s campaign/story. I completed 53 games in 52 weeks, ranging from clockwork puzzlers to post-apocalyptic immersive sims (you can see the full list here).

    I would generally play one game at a time; sometimes two if they’re different enough (for example, playing a light puzzle game on the PC is a nice breather from grinding bosses in Final Fantasy 7 Remake). Mind you, no speedrunning was involved in any of these playthroughs. In some games, I tried to maximize how many achievements/trophies I could get in a single playthrough.

    Overall, it’s an experience worth trying but it’s one I might not try again. At least not at the pace I did it. While I didn’t rush through any of them, a lot of my time was spent just curating which game to play for the month to avoid feeling burnt out. The process of doing that ironically burnt me out.

    With all that out of the way, here are the ten best games that truly struck me out of the 53 I played. It should go without saying that none of these are games from the year.

    Disco Elysium

    Like any good hardboiled detective story, Disco Elysium opens with a detective walking up from a drunken stupor, spoken to and chastised by the black abyss of his mind. Disco Elysium seemingly plays like any other old-school CRPG yet breaks the mold with its distinct skill tree and Thought Cabinet system, representing the lead detective Harry DuBuois’ deepest thoughts and personality traits. These mechanics, partnered with the game’s elaborate vision of a dystopian continent, its lavish art style, and startlingly profound whodunnit story, makes it one of the best noir games ever made. It’s a game that sucks you in with its moral and political complexities.

    Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

    The concept of an open world with sandbox gameplay has never seen better days than when Hideo Kojima released his magnum opus Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. In true Kojima fashion, none of the game’s minutiae – narrative and mechanics – have any business working but it all ends up coming together like a perfect storm. The game is rife with truly memorable moments such as the explosive prologue and its many infiltration missions, proudly wearing its many excesses on its sleeve. Even its lackluster second half is made worthwhile just by the scope of the gameplay mechanics. I spent more than 50 hours playing this, still don’t understand a damn thing about the story and that’s okay.

    The Last of Us 2

    The Last of Us 2 is an oxymoron: it’s fun as hell to shoot zombies and cult members yet it’s also so heavy to play through its narrative. Ellie’s spiraling story of vengeance and isolation held against Abby’s brutal search for her own humanity makes for a gaming experience that’s harrowing as it is engaging. The Last of Us 2 pulls no punches its moment-to-moment gameplay, making every second near-unforgettable, for better or worse. It was a blessing to be able to experience this game untethered from all the vitriol and hate surrounding it as I got to appreciate it for all that it was.

    Spiritfarer

    2021 was the year my adult self was ever faced with the prospect of death. Earlier this year, my mom had a near-death experience with COVID-19, to the point where she had said her last goodbyes to me. My mom thankfully survived the ordeal and but I wasn’t in the clear with death yet. Not too long ago, my adopted cat passed from a terminal condition.

    It’s only fitting that the last game I played this year was Spiritfarer, a management simulation that is in many ways a study on death and the afterlife. Spiritfarer has all the bells and whistles of a management sim but its soulful premise is what makes it stand out. You play as Stella, a deceased girl tasked with bringing departed souls to the afterlife. The souls you meet throughout the game are people you’ve previously known in the physical world and it’s your job to make sure their trip to the afterlife is as comfortable as it can be.

    Spiritfarer is almost a transformative experience for someone going through some form of grief. It’s a study in saying goodbye while also learning to tether one’s self to the things that matter. The game frequently moved me to tears that as soon as the credits rolled, I wept my eyes out. Spiritfarer is one powerful piece of art.

    Risk of Rain 2

    I’m never been big on roguelikes. I dislike randomness. I don’t like RNG-based mechanics. I like structure in my games. I don’t like to start fresh every playthrough. I like the hours I spend playing to be worthwhile that I can’t afford any of my progress to be temporary. Yet Risk of Rain 2 is my most played game of the year.

    It’s hard to argue against a game that offers so much replayability, from the diverse characters with unique load-outs, the builds from the items you amass to the many secrets of the planet Petrichor V. The game also has a soundtrack straight out of the 70s progressive scene. Over a hundred hours in, I still find countless reasons to play the game.

    Ori and The Will of the Wisps

    Ori and The Will of the Wisps began my love affair with Metroidvanias. I coasted the past 10 years without playing a single one, not knowing what riches the genre offered. Having been aware of the first game, for the most part, it wasn’t until the trailer for Will of the Wisps came out that I got interested.

    From the game’s main menu alone, I knew I was in for something special. Gareth Coker‘s score instantly cradles you into this lush yet dangerous world. Much like the creatures in the game, the music is just as much a character in it, evoking a sense of added wonder to this Laika-esque tale of family and friendship. In addition to that, the controls are so precise and kinetic. The level design, dynamic and always exciting.

    Hollow Knight

    If Ori and the Will of the Wisps was my gateway drug into the Metroidvania genre, Hollow Knight was my “git gud” rite of passage. I’ve never been more infuriated and enamored with a game simultaneously than Hollow Knight. It’s punishing yet so rewarding. The feeling of painstakingly getting through the White Palace, the hardest video game level I have ever encountered, dying every step of the way and eventually finishing it is a feeling of relief I’ll never get to feel again.

    Persona 5

    If you ever wondered what it was like to live life as a student by day and as an interdimensional creature collector by night, the Persona franchise is the franchise for you. The fifth installment of the series, puzzlingly titled Persona 5, singlehandedly scratched my annual JRPG itch in a way that Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake could not. Social simulators can’t get any better when you marry them with turn-based dungeon crawling and an anime narrative that’s one for the books. Persona 5’s scope is sprawling, as it offers players so many things to do. It also happens to feature one of the toughest last bosses I’ve ever fought in a JRPG.

    Yakuza 0

    If you told me that Yakuza 0, a franchise known for its silly excesses that have generated thousands of memes, would feature one of the most compelling crime stories put to a video game, I would have scoffed. But for all the insanity within Yakuza 0, writer Masayoshi Yokoyama pulls it off in a way that would make any other writer rife with envy. This is a game whose story I definitely enjoyed more than the gameplay.

    Eastward

    This game is memorable for being the first game I got to access early as a member of the press but that’s not the sole reason why this makes the list. Eastward is a charming pixel top-down adventure by way of the classic Zelda gems, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The game is mechanically simplistic and is mostly driven by its sprawling, big-brained, sci-fi, JRPG narrative but it all comes together in a really satisfying way. The art style is so mesmerizing as well as the music.

  • ‘Arcane’s Krizia Bajos May Be Playing ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ She-Hulk

    ‘Arcane’s Krizia Bajos May Be Playing ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ She-Hulk

    There have been many theories about what we can expect from Marvel’s Avengers in 2022. Throughout its first year, we got four additional characters, the game’s first Raid, and various events. There have been quite a few rumors about what the future has in store, especially with the leaks that hinted at the initial plans for the game. Well, leaker @mmmmmmmmiller has recently shared a new tidbit of info, as he claimed that Krizia Bajos of Arcane: League of Legends and The Loud House fame will be playing or voicing the game’s take on She-Hulk.

    Of course, normally take this kind of information with a grain of salt, as there’s no clear confirmation by the developer’s Crystal Dynamics. Yet, what adds fuel to the fire is that Bajos herself to the tweet with a green heart, which may add some validity to the claim.

    https://twitter.com/KriziaBajos/status/1476428505856593920

    It still doesn’t confirm it officially, as we don’t know if or when the character might release. There has not been a new roadmap released yet, which is scheduled to arrive at some point in the new year. It might give us an indicator if She-Hulk is planned as the next character to release. There’s a chance they have other plans as things tend to shift around, but the actress reacting to the tweet does add something to the speculation.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Leak Hints at a Late September Release

    RUMOR: ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Leak Hints at a Late September Release

    We’ve all been wondering what the future holds for God of War Ragnarok, as we continue to await its release. The story of Kratos and his son Atreus continues, as Fimbulwinter has arrived to change their lives potentially forever. We were quite excited when we got a glimpse of the sequel’s gameplay and a confirmation it would end the franchise’s Norse storyline. Sadly, the game’s release did get pushed back into 2022 after originally eyeing a release this year, but it seems a new leak may have given us a hint at when to expect it.

    In a post by PlayStation Game Size on Twitter, it seems that the PlayStation Database has accidentally leaked the release date slot for the game for September 30th of 2022. As they point out, there’s a chance it is just a placeholder, but it falls on a Friday which is in line with previous releases. If a placeholder is already set, it could be a hint that the next trailer would offer us a clear indicator of when it might release.

    September seems like a fitting time to release the game, as it’ll be a big seller for Sony’s PlayStation. Of course, releasing closer to the holidays will make it on the top list for many. Plus, there’s something fun about playing a game that takes place during an endless Winter as of September. Of course, we still need to take this news with a grain of salt, and it’ll be interesting to see if we get an official release confirmation early in the new year.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Final Fantasy XVI’ Delayed by At Least Half a Year Due to COVID

    ‘Final Fantasy XVI’ Delayed by At Least Half a Year Due to COVID

    Sadly, it looks like the ongoing pandemic has caught another victim, as producer Naoki Yoshida has announced on Twitter that Final Fantasy XVI is facing delays by at least a half year due to COVID-19. The entire production is facing quite a challenge, which had allowed them to tweak quite a few important elements of the core game. Still, this means that we won’t get any updates on the game until Spring of 2021.

    https://twitter.com/finalfantasyxvi/status/1475335618905669635

    We only got the initial trailer some time ago with our first real details back in October of 2020. So, we haven’t had any details for almost a year, which is why this update may be a bit of a dark surprise for some given how long we’ve already waited. It also means that other productions might be affected in similar ways, as we’re still waiting for news on the sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake as well.

    To be fair, that game hasn’t been given a trailer or official announcement which means it isn’t technically getting a “delay” but the lack of any updates has been a bit disheartening. Still, the health of the teams behind these games is important and here’s hoping they aren’t further affected by the ongoing pandemic.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘No Way Home’ Fortnite Tie-In Includes Spider-Man and MJ

    ‘No Way Home’ Fortnite Tie-In Includes Spider-Man and MJ

    It looks like Fortnite’s Winterfest has just grown with one more iconic addition. Spider-Man was featured heavily in the latest season, and now they’ve announced that we’re also get Spider-Man: No Way Home-inspired skins in the game. Of course, they announced it in style with a new trailer celebrating the beginning of Winterfest, as well as confirming we’re not only getting Spider-Man but Zendaya‘s MJ as playable characters as well. The costume featured in the short sequence is the one he created in Far From Home, but will bring back in the upcoming sequel:

    It looks like he’ll also receive the Black-Gold suit that has been featured in trailers and heavily through merchandise. @BRMarvelNews shared a first look at the various costumes. It seems that MJ will only receive a single design.

    They join Insomniac, who have also included tie-in costumes for the latest Spider-Man entry, as they offered both the Integrated suit and the Black-gold version, as the Red-Black suit already was featured from Far From Home‘s release. Sony certainly has invested quite a bit of money to manage and reach every corner of the market, and Fortnite is one of the biggest gaming franchises out there. At this point, we’ve seen quite a few celebrities appear in the game, but it’s interesting that they added MJ. Perhaps we get some villain costumes to tie into the film as it finally rolls out across the world.

    Source: YouTube, Twitter

  • RUMOR: ‘Persona 3 Portable’ and ‘Persona 4 Golden’ Remasters In Development

    RUMOR: ‘Persona 3 Portable’ and ‘Persona 4 Golden’ Remasters In Development

    Persona is a series I hold near and dear to my heart, but I sadly never got a chance to play all the major entries. My introduction to the series was with Persona 4 its unique take on what it means to be a JRPG. The Golden edition, similar to Persona 5 Royal, added many new elements to make it stand out even from the original that already offered a lengthy experience. Sadly, it and Persona 3’s remake were made only available on PlayStation Portable and never found their way to consoles. Luckily, if a new rumor is to be believed, they might be rectifying that fact.

    Zippo, who is a well-known leaker for Nintendo products, was one of the few to announce early on that Persona 4 Arena Ultimax was getting a remaster back in July. Not many believed it until the announcement subtlety appeared during the Video Game Awards. Now, he has shared that there are more remasters in the works including console versions of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden.

    There have been theories about these two games getting remasters since Joker joined Super Smash Bros. It was the first hint that Atlus was expanding, which was then highlighted when Persona 5 Strikers was released on Nintendo Switch alongside the other consoles. It was a strange decision due to the original only being available on PlayStation, but it was a motivating direction. So, here’s hoping these remasters turn out to be true and get announced in the near future.

    Source: ZippoSpeaks, ZippoSpeaks (Ultimax), ZippoSpeaks (P3P)