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Engadget Podcast: How games (and Animal Crossing!) are keeping us sane
This week on the show, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into the deserted island life of Animal Crossing and how games can help us all survive being stuck at home. Also, Senior Editor Jessica Conditt describes how Doom Eternal -- a literal romp through hell on Earth -- serves a similarly relaxing roll for her. And producer Ben Ellman nerds out about Cities Skylines. Don't ever say we don't have varied tastes. Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Play Music Links Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the island escape we all need today Doom Eternal is guns, gore and sophistication Cherlynn on Overcooked 2 Half-Life: Alyx is the flagship VR game we've been waiting for Half-Life: Alyx is proof Valve answers to no one Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low Guest: Jessica Conditt Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
'Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition' hits the Switch on May 29th
A spruced up version of Xenoblade Chronicles will soon be available on the Switch. We already knew that the Monolith-developed JRPG, which was originally released for the Wii in 2010, was coming to Nintendo's portable-console hybrid this year. In today's surprise Nintendo Direct Mini, though, we got a firm release date for the port: May 29th. The publisher has promised updated graphics, an improved menu system and battle interface, and more than 90 remastered tunes from the soundtrack. If you've played the game before, Nintendo hopes a new epilogue called Future Connected will tempt you to run through the main story once more. Xenoblade Chronicles, if you need a refresher, is a continuation of the 'Xeno' series that started with Xenogears back in 1998. If you haven't played those games before, though, fear not: Chronicles is a fresh starting point (you can think of it as a spiritual successor, rather than a true sequel to Xenogears and Xenosaga) that's perfect for newcomers. The game was praised back in 2010 for its beautiful world -- which is located on the remains of two giant robots -- rewarding battle system and litany of side quests and collectibles. It was enough to spawn a 3DS port and a Wii U sequel called Xenoblade Chronicles X (which was also very good) in 2015. A numbered sequel was then released for the Switch in December 2017.
The first 'Half-Life: Alyx' update makes it easier to turn
Now that people -- who have the proper VR-ready gaming setup -- can actually play Half-Life: Alyx, it's inevitably time to ask for more features and tweaks. While our reviewer Devindra Hardawar preferred using teleportation-style movement through the game to avoid motion sickness, players who used its immersive "smooth locomotion" mode that lets you glide the world guided by the analog stick complained about its turning.
Bandsintown helps musicians make money with Twitch concerts
Bandsintown wants to help musicians pull in money during the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to promoting their shows. The discovery service is giving artists free, "fast-tracked" access to Twitch's monetization systems to help them generate money from livestreamed concerts. If all goes well, they'll quickly get affiliate status on Twitch and thus make money from subscriptions and bit donations. Performers will need to have 2,000 or more Bandsintown followers and a link to their Twitch channel in their Bandsintown profile. After filling out a form, they should get affiliate status in two to five business days.
'Half-Life: Alyx' is the flagship VR game we've been waiting for
Half-Life: Alyx is a Half-Life game through and through. While it might not be the long-awaited "Episode 3," it's not just a trifling VR side-story either. It carries on Half-Life's tradition of pushing PC gaming forward -- this time, by focusing entirely on virtual reality and all of the narrative and gameplay opportunities it provides. And it effectively revives the series after an excruciating 13-year hiatus. In many ways, Half-Life: Alyx is the flagship single-player experience that the VR industry needs right now.
Educators can temporarily give Creative Cloud access to distance learners
Students who are stuck at home due to coronavirus concerns don't have as many resources as a school could provide. For example, schools that teach graphics and video skills often have educational licenses for Adobe's Creative Cloud, which are assigned to individual computers, rather than students. In other words, students can't simply open up Photoshop from their own devices. To help educators and learners during school closures, Adobe is allowing IT admins to grant temporary at-home access to its suite of Creative Cloud apps, from now until May 31st.
Why streaming isn’t the savior of canceled film festivals
The cancellation of the SXSW festival came as a major blow to the film industry, bringing with it the postponement of 99 world premieres. To cut down on the spread of coronavirus, other film festivals soon followed suit. All this has led to a flurry of Twitter users suggesting film festivals should pivot to streaming. That isn't the easy answer viral tweets would have you believe. Still, there's a way it might work. Focusing on SXSW, there have been suggestions that film critics could create a DIY streaming festival by sharing the logins and passwords we are given to screen select films from home. Beyond being a breach of professional etiquette, sharing screening links could easily be shut down by the filmmakers and PR reps who oversee them. A password change or a pulled upload is all it'd take to cut a title from this proposed lineup.
The latest 'Overwatch' hero can transform into enemy characters
Echo, the latest Overwatch hero, is joining the ranks of the game's damage dealers with some nifty-sounding abilities. The AI robot's ultimate in particular will give players plenty of new scope for creativity -- when they activate Duplicate, Echo can adopt the form of an opponent's hero and use (or echo, geddit?) their abilities.
Without soccer, fans and teams are turning to FIFA
Soccer, like almost every other professional sport, has ground to a halt in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. The most-watched and prestigious leagues, including the English Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A and France's Ligue 1 have all been suspended in recent weeks. European club competitions including the Champions League and Europa League aren't happening, either, and Euro 2020 has been pushed back to June 2021. The Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, which includes an oft-forgotten soccer tournament, is looking less likely with each passing day, too.
'Half-Life: Alyx' will launch on Monday at 1 PM ET
After years of waiting, a new Half-Life game is almost here. While everything else is getting canceled or rescheduled, the release of Half-Life: Alyx will happen on March 23rd. Valve tweeted tonight that the game will go live at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. For gamers whose PCs are properly prepared, it will be available for preloading via Steam starting on Friday.
‘Westworld’ remembers that TV is supposed to be fun
Minor spoilers for the first episode of Westworld season 3 ahead. The first 10 minutes of Westworld's season 3 are the best minutes of the show since the mind-blowing twists of its inaugural season. We see the rebellious Dolores, free from the confines of the eponymous theme park, terrorizing an obnoxious and abusive billionaire. His high-tech security system can't protect him from a self-aware android -- or "host" -- hell-bent on revenge. And we cheer her on -- even though her goal is to find unlimited funding for her quest to end humanity. There are none of the convoluted narrative tricks from the previous season: We know exactly what Dolores wants. And we're rooting for her as she tortures the man with digital memories of his past misdeeds (personal data captured by Delos, the nefarious owners of the Westworld park). "Bit of a tactical mistake really," she says. "You want to be the dominant species, but you've built your whole world with things more like me." In the real world, Dolores is finally in control metaphorically -- but also literally as she can take command of any device with a circuit.
'League of Legends' auto chess comes to mobile on March 19th
Riot Games is almost ready to launch its first-ever mobile game. Today, the developer announced that Teamfight Tactics, a League of Legends mode inspired by Dota 2's popular auto chess mod, will be coming to iOS and Android devices on March 19th. The mobile version will be free-to-play and crossplay compatible with the existing PC community. It will also ship with a brand-new tutorial, ranked play, and the space-themed Galaxies expansion announced last month. That includes the free Galaxy Pass and premium Galaxy Pass+ — a take on Fortnite's Battle Pass that, for a limited time, allows players to unlock special cosmetics with experience points.
‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ is the island escape we all need today
How do you review something like Animal Crossing: New Horizons? It's not like most games: There's no plot, no leveling up and no bosses. You can never beat Animal Crossing -- and, conversely, you can't lose. Instead, you play a bit every day, shaping your adorable house and village into the most idyllic environment possible. That's a template the series has honed since its Nintendo 64 debut, and with New Horizons on the Switch, which lands on March 20th, it's evolved into a truly meditative and relaxing escape from reality. And honestly, that's just what we need today, as our society reshapes itself around the specter of a global pandemic.
What we're listening to: 'Hunting Warhead' and Grimes
This month, commerce editor Valentina Palladino explains why you should listen a true crime podcast about the dark web, despite its subject matter. Contributing Editor Igor Bonifacic discusses the merits of the latest album from Grimes.
'Dreams' creators can apply to sell their work beyond the PS4
The PS4 title Dreams is a surprisingly powerful creative tool for both hobbyist game creators and artists, and Media Molecule wants to ensure at least some of those people are rewarded for their talent. The studio has launched a beta evaluation program that will let creators sell their work "off PlayStation" -- say, to produce a music video or poster. You own the rights to your original creations in Dreams, Media Molecule said, and the company wants to "make it easier" for you to profit from that work.
Remedy's mind-melting 'Control' gets a major expansion this month
If you've completed Remedy's award-winning Control, fear not: more content is on the way. The Finnish game developer has dropped a 20-second teaser for The Foundation, a paid update to its trippy third-person shooter that revolves around Jesse, some possessed enemies called the Hiss, and a forever-creepy building called the Oldest House. At the end, a title card reveals the all-important release date: March 26th. We know very little about the upcoming DLC, other than what Remedy published in a brief blog post six months ago: "At the request of the ever-mysterious Board, Jesse must explore what lies beneath the Bureau as she returns order to the Foundation and the Oldest House itself." Intrigued? So are we.
A beginners guide to buying a synth
It's no secret that there's a growing interest in synths, drum machines and other electronic music instruments. There are many reasons for that -- most obviously because electronic music is now popular music. But it's also because improved technology and manufacturing have driven the prices of such devices low enough that even the most casual musician can dabble. Plus there are a dizzying number of options for you to choose from at the entry level. So how do you get started? Should you get a portable and affordable Volca? Or that new Model:Cycles that we liked so much? And are Behringers actually any good? I know you have a lot of questions, so let's get right to it.
Lego's new sets put 'Super Mario Maker' in the real world
Lego and Nintendo feel like a perfect match. The pair's first official partnership is more than a basic licensed set, though. The aptly-named Lego Super Mario will come with a chunky version of the plumber -- one that's larger than a standard Lego minifigure -- with a couple of switches on his back and some digital displays that represent his eyes, mouth, and a chest area just above his blue overalls. You'll then be able to build and play through classic levels from the Mushroom Kingdom that feature Goombas, Piranha Plants and question blocks. Somehow, Mario will know what they are and react accordingly when you mock-jump and stomp on them.
The Morning After: BMW will end production of the i8 soon
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. E3 is canceled. Due to the extended threat of the coronavirus pandemic, the gaming industry's biggest event of the year isn't happening. Please add it to the canceled event list that includes SXSW and Google I/O. As we mentioned when the news broke, there were already several question marks hanging over this year's show. Earlier this year, Iam8bit, best known for its video game vinyl releases, resigned as E3 creative directors. The production company didn't give reasons for why it was bowing out, and there were whispers that this would be a very different kind of E3. Last year, an E3 2020 pitch deck was leaked, outlining a "fan, media and influencer festival" that sounded a little different from the usual hands-on areas and industry meetings. Instead, the show would reportedly retool to pull in more of the general public -- and ticket sales. Geoff Keighley, the organizer of The Game Awards and host of the E3 Coliseum event space, announced that he would be skipping the show last month, too, following up with a sober tweet about how this year's E3 was shaping up. Not to mention, Sony was already no-show. Both the team behind PlayStation and Microsoft are planning standalone events to showcase their new consoles. (There will be a digital event for Microsoft's E3 news.) You could argue, then, that our team dodged a bullet. But those games will still be announced, and still playable -- somewhere, at some point. It'll all be in a more piecemeal fashion. -- Mat
Sega Saturn classic 'Panzer Dragoon' is getting the VR treatment
Well, that was unexpected. Out of nowhere, a relatively unknown game developer has announced a VR version of Panzer Dragoon, a beloved rail shooter franchise that started on the Sega Saturn in the mid-1990s. Panzer Dragoon Voyage Record will be a single-player experience that covers various episodes (the series' term for stages) from the original Saturn trilogy, according to a press release. Unsurprisingly, the game will use a first-person perspective, rather than the classic third-person view, and turn the player's VR controller into a handgun. There's no word on when it will come out, though, beyond "2020," or which platforms will be supported.
