News

Huge balance buffs incoming

Nexon's great fighter DNF Duel might not have exactly taken the world by storm, but it's still alive and kicking thanks to its slick action, wild combat, and fun roster of characters — and that roster is about to get a little bigger, with the reveal of the game's first post-release DLC fighter, Spectre.

Very little has been revealed about this sultry swordswoman, save...

The walls are going up

This past weekend was a huge one for Epic Games juggernaut release, Fortnite — Not only did Season 2 Chapter 3 come to its conclusion via Saturday's earth-shaking "Fracture" event, but it was followed by the reveal of a litany of new contentheaded to the defining battle royale release. Hidden among all this excitement, however, was some important news for those who build...

(Well, a little belatedly, at least)

Yesterday, December 4 might have seemed like any other day, but lo, it was, in fact, Dragon Age Day, and to celebrate the beloved fantasy RPG franchise, Electronic Arts released a new teaser trailer for its long-in-development, long-time-coming sequel Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

The cinematic preview, unfortunately, offers not a dot of gameplay footage, and in fact...

That's right, I'm doing listicles on weekends now

Easily one of the most-anticipated games of 2023 is Marvel's Spider-Man 2. As the follow-up to the highly successful Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the PlayStation 5 exclusive Spider-Man 2will introduce Venom to the series and there is still some speculation the game will include some form of co-op, even though Insomniac Games has...

Another chapter, another season of skins to collect

Following yesterday's somewhat longwinded finale to the third chapter of Fortnite, the game is finally back online with Chapter 4 Season 1. At the end of the last chapter, spectators watched as the game's island was destroyed and then slowly reassembled. For Fortnite Chapter 4, that means getting to know this island from scratch once more. What...

It's not tv, it's not video games, it's HBO

Arguably one of the most anticipated new shows of 2023 is the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us, the hit PlayStation game that spawned a million bad takes about storytelling. We've been talking about this show for quite some time and now we're just weeks away from its debut. After a couple of short video teases and character posters, the producers of the...

Now, we wait

Even if you don't play Fortnite, odds are you've heard of the Chapter 3 ending event: Fracture. It took place earlier today, and in a classic dramatic end-of-chapter fashion, a new island was forged.

Here's what happened!

[gallery link="file" columns="4" ids="352618,352619,352617,352616"]

The Chapter 3 Fracture event kicked off at 4:10PM ET

Although the predetermined start time was...

Let's get this party started.

The Final Fantasyseries might be the single most popular party-based JRPG series ever made. Since the release of the very first game all the way back in 1987, every single numbered entry in the series has had a crew of one kind or another. 35 years later, nearly everyone who's ever played one of these things has a favorite party member, a companion who's stuck by...

A surprising new retro project

Well-regarded composer and engineer Yuzo Koshiro is working on a new game for an old system. He's putting together a game for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis.

Koshiro shared some pictures of the project, running on an old TV to boot, over on his Twitter. It may look old, but it's a new game "harkening back" to famous franchises from the '80s, according to Koshiro.

His...

Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best community-created works from the previous week.

It's hard to imagine, but we are in the homestretch of 2022! Where did the time go? If you are wondering about the site's 2022 GOTY plans, give the most recent Bombcast a listen, or hop on over to the News section for a quick summary. That said, if you plan on posting any 2022 GOTY blogs or lists on the site, please remember to drop a link to them in the comments of the latest edition of the Spotlight. I promise to get them on the next episode! With that note aside, let's jump into the news!

News

As stated during the 766th episode of the Bombcast, episode 66 of Albummer will be the last episode of the show here for the foreseeable future. If you enjoyed Albummer and the fun crew at Two Minutes To Late Night, use the comments section of their last episode to thank them for their time and hard work over the last year. You can also follow the group on Twitter @2M2LN.

As stated last week, the status of Friday Night Forking is that the fourth episode is the "Season 1 Finale." The feature was contracted to be a four episode first season. If you enjoyed The_Windbag, follow The_Windbag on Twitch. From the sounds of it, some "hints" have been dropped there regarding what the future might hold.

Episode 766 of the Bombcast also reaffirmed the site's 2022 GOTY plans. Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues, while Giant Bomb will have plenty of streams and video coverage during 2022 GOTY season, it will not be done in-person. That said, you can still expect a deluge of guest lists and livestreams as always.

In terms of an update on the spam situation in the forums, we have an engineer dedicated to the problem and right now the site is collecting and identifying spam behavior before deleting it to reconfigure the anti-spam algorithm on the site. This may result in some spam threads and comments existing on the site longer than normal, but will eventually help the situation considerably. We thank you for your patience.

And finally, Giant Bomb is now on the following platforms beyond Twitter:

• Cohost (https://cohost.org/giantbomb)
• Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/@therealgiantbomb…)
• Hive (@giantbomb)
• Tiktok (https://tiktok.com/@therealgiantbomb…)
• Instagram (https://instagram.com/giantbombdotcom)

Tweets

Activities

GB Community Game Night (By: @looterjennings)

Is there anyone out there that are interested in starting a monthly "Community Game Night" program going? If you are, what sorts of online or multiplayer games would you like to play or check out? Drop a comment in the thread.

Norco Is The 23rd Selection Of The UUGPGC! Completion Date Is 12/12/2022 (By: @bigsocrates)

Norco is the latest pick for the Community Game Pass Game Club! If you have any NON-SPOILER impressions of this retro-styled point-and-click adventure game, feel free to share them in the thread linked above.

The GB Album Club 017 - effloresce by Covet (By: @unclejam23)

We have a new edition of the weekly Album of the Week Club and this one is for effloresce by Covet! If you are interested in talking about math rock, this is the thread for you!

Galleria

Super Mario World - Ryckert's Island (By: @SmashNcrab)

This might require a little bit of an explanation, but it's worth it. On Twitter, SmashNcrab revealed that they have been working on a ROM Hack for Super Mario World that pays tribute to the man, the myth, and the legend, Dan Ryckert. This week, they provided two videos of their progress on that ROM Hack and even the "boxart" for the project. If you want to see a Waluigi-clad Dan as a Mario boss, check out the Tweets section!

Jeff Grubb Bubsy Sweater & Christmas Ornament (By: @kone)

Jeff Grubb Bubsy Sweater & Grubb Bubsy TV Interview (By: @tobeagiraffe)

Memes, how can you hate them when they involve cyberbullying one of the hardest working Bubsy streamers on the internet? Many thanks to Kone and tobeagiraffe for reminding Jeff Grubb of his status as the official authority figure of all Bubsy knowledge.

Gallery

You Just Got Minnotti'd & Kayak Coffee (By: @kone)

Many thanks to Kone for providing MORE Mike Minotti meme images! Before you ask, I'm NOT reposting their photoshop of Mike planting his foot on the Tifa Jack O pose figurine, but I will link to it. For the Luigi image, all I can say is "Gooigi Me Daddy Ass."

Gallery

Blogs

Scorn and the Second-Born: A Surreal Experience (Spoilers) (By: @allthedinos)

ALLTheDinos talks about Scorn and its visceral adventure as someone who recently lived through a childbirth that required neonatal intensive care. Did the game and its images enact a strong reaction?

Stranger Days-------Parquet, The Visual Novel “Review” (By: @infantpipoc)

With trash arriving to the marketplace all the time, it is hard to find quality visual novels on Steam these days. Is PARQUET a buried treasure worth checking out? Click the link to read infantpipoc's blog and deep look at the game to find out!

HuCARTography: The Higher Energy Project (By: @jeffrud)

borgmaster is covering the Saturn and Mento is reviewing the Genesis/MegaDrive. So, in comes jeffrud to review every single game released on NEC’s TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine in chronological release date order!

I Like Myst And Riven And Have Thoughts About Scorn. (i.e., Stop Comparing Every Atmospheric Puzzle Game To Myst) (By: @zombiepie)

Moderator ZombiePie is a self-identified fan of Myst and Riven: The Sequel to Myst and finally got around to playing Scorn. Read why they are totally tired of every atmospheric adventure or puzzle game being compared to Myst and Riven.

Indie Game of the Week 298: Unpacking +

64 in 64: Episode 25 (By: @mento)

For their latest "Indie Game of the Week" post, Mento took to Giant Bomb to pen a blog about Unpacking. Read why they loved how it conveys a relatable story without words. Likewise, it is time to talk about a platform heavy-hitter with Mento's latest "64 in 64" blog on the site with Super Smash Bros.! Does the series' first outing still have legs? Click the link to see what they think!

Oh, and they played Dark Rift!

Extra Life And The Questionable Video Games I've Played For Charity (By: @arbitrarywater)

ArbitraryWater is done streaming for Giant Bomb's 2022 Extra Life team, but they decided to look back and review the last three years they have streamed for Extra Life and what has worked and not worked in their experience.

Discussion Threads

Marvel's Midnight Suns Discussion Thread (By: @constantk)

What does everyone make of the early reviews and buzz for Marvel's Midnight Suns? Do you think the game is looking like a late-arriver to the GOTY debate? How many of you in the community are thinking about giving it a try?

Second Mario Movie Trailer Discussion Thread (By: @chamurai)

What are YOUR thoughts about the newest trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Mario references people are pulling from it? What do you think of the voice performances thus far? JUSTICE FOR LANKY KONG!

Will There Be A Gap Between Film Critics And General Audiences With The Super Mario Bros. Movie? (By: @topcyclist)

Speaking of the Mario movie, here's an interesting debate topic on the forums: do you think there will be a disconnect between fans and movie reviewers with The Super Mario Bros. Movie? Video game humor rarely does well, but will things be different?

Will Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp Release By 2024? (By: @mindbullet)

Best Buy thinks the date is 2026, but do you think Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will come out before the end of 2024? Some of us think 2023 is a very realistic timeframe for the game, but you should vote for and discuss your perspective in the thread!

If You Get Banned In Warzone 2 You're Blocked From Playing The Singleplayer Campaign (By: @sweep)

There's a controversy regarding Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. If you get banned in Warzone 2.0, you're blocked from playing the single player campaign. Is this appropriate to curb cheating/trolling or a step too far?

Polyphony Digital Is Consider Bringing This Franchise To The PC Gaming Platform (By: @gtxforza)

Polyphony Digital has stated they are "open" to bringing Gran Turismo to PC. Are there any Giant Bomb community members out there that would pounce on the ability to play GT on Steam or Epic? Share why or why not with the rest of the community!

Lists

Characters Named After the Weapon They Wield (By: @franzlska)

FRANZlSKA is working on a new list on Giant Bomb and they want YOUR HELP! The concept involves "Characters Named After the Weapon They Wield" and here's a screencap of some examples they have come up with so far! Share more examples!

User Reviews

• @infantpipoc's Signalis review relays in their review on why they consider it a delightful window into 1990s era survival horror games, but with appropriate modernized sensibilities to keep things enjoyable.
• @vookatos gave Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise over two years to address its technical issues and after giving it a go this year, they pen why glitches are the least of its issues.

Wiki of the Week

TurboGrafx-16

Jeffrud's upcoming retrospective of the platform reminded me that we have an AMAZING platform page for theTurboGrafx-16, or PC Engine! If you want to read about what went into this underrated console and what gems are on it, give it a read!

Wiki Page Of The Week Recommendations

Hey, everyone! I'm starting to have a hard time finding new or recently updated wiki pages on the site that deserve some love and attention. As such, I'd like to do two things. First, I'd like to remind everyone that I take suggestions in the thread above. Second, I want to start using this portion of the spotlight to direct people to pages that desperately need more love and attention. Otherwise, Marino is going to put random EverQuest pages here and there's nothing I can do to stop him.

Marino's EverQuest Wiki of the Week

EverQuest

Well, you've all forced my hand. So, we might as well start with the big one. Humble brag warning, but the wiki page for the original EverQuest is the largest, most comprehensive wiki page on the entire site. It's so large, in fact, that it was functionally broken for several years and became uneditable!

On this page, you will find information related to how the pioneering MMORPG existed 23 years ago, which is prior to any expansions. That means full breakdowns on fourteen classes, twelve playable races, sixteen deities, fifteen cities, over fifty dungeons and outdoor adventuring zones, and links to each of the game's twenty-nine expansions. Yes, 29!

This game page is also linked to 593 character pages, 139 location pages, 614 concept pages, and 412 object pages. It also features nearly 1000 screenshots and images plus a comprehensive credits page including over 400 people.

No heavy hitters, but still some gems to be found

Given how quickly Google gave up on Stadia, a part of me that is genuinely surprised Apple Arcade is still alive and kicking. The subscription service for Apple devices made big waves when it debuted in 2019, but the chatter around it has been fading. It had a strong year last year with the debut of Fantasianand several other high-profile titles,...