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Costume Quest 2 drags Sackboy to PS4, PS3 next week
Double Fine's dress-up RPG Costume Quest 2 will launch on PS3 and PS4 next Tuesday, October 28, publisher Midnight City announced. The PlayStation versions of the game will also receive an exclusive Sackboy costume modeled after the hero of Media Molecule's popular platforming brand, LittleBigPlanet. The Sackboy costume will be available for free to PS4 and PS3 players as part of an update to the game. To unlock it, quest-goers must find four pieces of the costume tucked away in the game. While there's no set release date for the Sackboy update, it is expected to go live "in the coming weeks." Costume Quest 2 is already available to PC, Mac and Linux players via Steam for $14.99. No launch date has been announced for the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U versions as of yet. [Image: Midnight City]
Pixel horror finds a Home on PS4 in October
Home, the pixelated horror game from Benjamin Rivers, is due out on PS4 on October 28, "just in time for Halloween," Rivers writes on the PlayStation Blog. The Vita version will come out soon after, and it is a Cross-Buy game, meaning those who buy it on PS4 automatically get it on Vita, too. Home will be on sale for $3 for the first two weeks after the PS4 launch. "Home has been a weird little trailblazer, and it now has the honor of being the first title developed entirely within YoYo Games' Game Maker Studio environment to natively hit PlayStation consoles," Rivers says. "It's pretty amazing as an independent developer to be able to make console games, and I couldn't think of a better home for it (pun totally intended)." In Home, players wake up as a man with no memory of how he ended up alone in a stranger's house. As he makes his way to more familiar territory, he finds things that jog his memory, and the story changes as players decide what objects to pick up and what information to digest. We heard Home would hit Sony consoles this year back in March. [Image: Sony]
Retro RPG Pier Solar HD out for Wii U on November 6
The Wii U version of WaterMelon's classic-styled JRPG Pier Solar HD will hit the eShop on November 6, suffering a brief delay after its recent cross-platform launch. Tracing its origins back to a Sega Genesis homebrew release in 2010, Pier Solar later transitioned to modern platforms thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. Pier Solar premiered for the PlayStation 4 and PS3 in September, arriving alongside releases for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Ouya. Pier Solar HD boasts stylish art and turn-based combat that recalls the 16-bit RPG era. A release for the Xbox One is also in the works. [Image: WaterMelon]
The Unfinished Swan painting PS4, Vita next week
Giant Sparrow's surreal exploration game The Unfinished Swan will arrive next week on PS4 and Vita, just over two years after it first launched on PS3. The game will launch on Tuesday, October 28 in North America and the following day in Europe for $14.99 (€12.99/£9.99). The Unfinished Swan will also be Cross-Buy enabled, so those that own any version of the game will be able to download it on the other two systems. Our review of the PS3 game noted that The Unfinished Swan's power "lies in its engagement with our imagination, in its ability to remind us of that capacity for whimsy and fantasy." It's the first game from the Santa Monica-based developer, which is currently working on an as-yet-unannounced game that is not a sequel to The Unfinished Swan, but is "not a million miles away either." [Image: Giant Sparrow]
Shin Megami Tensei 4 searches for Samurai in Europe, other regions on October 30
Good news, non-American JRPG fans – your extended wait for Shin Megami Tensei 4 is (probably) almost over! A recent press release from publisher Atlus lists a digital-only release on October 30 for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Since SMT4's classes started last year in the United States, the 3DS' venture will be priced at 18 or 20 euros, with DLC reaching the new regions within the month following launch. The game's most recent European delay was due to "last-minute issues" back in September, but Managing Editor Susan Arendt's review remarks that SMT4 has "more than enough going on to hook you early and keep you playing for a long, long time," so it might all be worth the wait. [Image: Atlus]
Halo: Master Chief Collection worldwide launch pushed up
Microsoft and 343 Industries have moved the worldwide launch date of Halo: The Master Chief Collection up to November 11, the same day as the North American release. The game was originally due out on November 11 in North America and November 14 internationally. Most countries will now get the game on the same day, with a few exceptions: Belgium's date is now November 12, Japan is November 13, and France is November 14. "Some fans expressed disappointment in our original planned release date of November 11 in North America and November 14 in several other territories around the world. We heard you loud and clear," 343 Executive Producer Dan Ayoub said in a letter. He continued, "Given the social aspects of the experience, we were really happy to get it as close to a simultaneous worldwide release as possible so that we can all celebrate on November 11 and start playing together." Spartan Ops, the co-op campaign from Halo 4, will not be included in The Master Chief Collection at launch – instead, it will hit the game in December. The Master Chief Collection is 45GB, and there will be a day-one update estimated at 20GB, Ayoub said. "Yes, the update is large, but we weren't about to cut corners to save disc space," he said. "This ensures that you are getting every bit of Halo goodness we can fit in. Our work is not done, however, as we continue to tune, tweak and optimize the online experience to ensure a smooth multiplayer launch." As a reminder: here's everything in the MC Collection.
Project Cars delayed to March 2015
The launch of Project Cars has been delayed to March 2015, Bandai Namco announced today. It will now arrive on March 17 in North America and March 20 in Europe and Australasian regions. The delay affects the game's Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC versions, which were previously scheduled for November 18 and November 21 in North America and Europe, respectively. The decision "positions the title away from the competitive holiday scene dominated by household names while affording the team at Slightly Mad Studios additional time to extend and polish" the game, according to the publisher. Slightly Mad Studios also has a Wii U version of Project Cars on the way, though it was already planned for 2015. It's currently unknown if the Wii U edition will align with the others in March 2015; we've asked Bandai Namco as much and will update as we learn more. The Wii U version was announced in January 2012 prior to Xbox 360 and PS3 versions being cut from the developer's plans in November 2013. Update: Bandai Namco says "the announced date is still 2015" for Project Cars on Wii U. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Race the Sun, Escape Goat 2 on PSN next week, says PS Blogcast [update]
The PlayStation Blogcast often quietly slips out a surprise or two in its weekly rundown of new releases, and this week is no exception. According to the podcast, Race the Sun and Escape Goat 2 hit PSN in North America next week, which would pin them for October 21 release dates. There's been no other official word on that and Blogcast details have been off the mark before, so we've reached out to devs Flippfly and MagicalTimeBean to confirm. [Update: Sony confirmed Race the Sun indeed hits PSN in North America on October 21, priced $10. Flippfly's Aaron San Filippo told Joystiq the team's working on confirming the date for Europe, and the game will be available there at a roughly equivalent price.] [Update 2: MagicalTimeBean's Ian Stocker confirmed to Joystiq that Escape Goat 2 will also reach North America on October 21, and while its European launch is yet to be set in stone, Stocker notes it "won't be far behind."] Race the Sun is already confirmed as a cross-buy game for PS4, PS3 and Vita, meaning if you buy the game on one PS platform you get it for free on the others. Cross-save is also supported to carry scores across systems.
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- clashes with PS4, PS3 in December
Arc System Works' eminently stylish 2D fighter Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- debuts for the PlayStation 4 and PS3 in December, North American publisher Aksys Games revealed today. Abandoning sprites in favor for a stylized polygonal approach, Xrd features a roster of 16 playable fighters, and expands on series-standard mechanics like the Roman Cancel for deeper and more complex brawls than ever before. If you're wondering how to pronounce that nonsensical title, by the way, here's a quick primer. Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- premieres on December 16 at retail and digitally via the PlayStation Network. A limited edition release that includes a soundtrack CD, an art book, and a keychain modeled after Sol Badguy's belt buckle will also be available at launch. [Video: Aksys]
Halo: Spartan Strike goes top-down on PC, mobile in December
Microsoft announced a new top-down Halo spinoff today for PC and mobile: Halo: Spartan Strike. Developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games, Spartan Strike will arrive on Windows 8 devices and Steam on December 12 for $6. Spartan Strike bears strong resemblance to the developers' other third-person shooter that launched in July 2013, Halo: Spartan Assault, though it is not a direct sequel. Rather, the upcoming shooter is set during the events of Halo 2 and has players guiding a Spartan through cities, jungles and other environments while using an "all-new arsenal of weapons, abilities and vehicles" such as the series' popular Warthog vehicle. Spartan Strike will include 30 missions filled with Covenant and Promethean enemies. Head past the break for Halo: Spartan Strike's launch trailer. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Bloodborne alpha returns this weekend for one postponed hurrah
Players of Bloodborne's alpha have one more chance to check out the build this Sunday, October 19, after developer From Software postponed the final day's session during the initial test run. The Souls studio canceled the October 5 session "due to some issues," but an email sent to Joystiq by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe detailed the encore with co-op play for up to two extra players included. According to a PlayStation Japan support page, the delayed alpha session is due to run between 5PM and 8PM PT in North America (8PM-11PM ET), while in Europe it's scheduled for 6PM-9PM BST (7-10PM CET). Meanwhile, Sony Europe notes voucher codes for the alpha have been extended beyond the stated expiry date, and advises users who've deleted the Alpha Test client they can re-download it.
Hand of Fate deals destiny on XB1, PS4 in Jan.
The Kickstarter-funded action-RPG Hand of Fate is risking its fortune on Xbox One alongside versions already announced for PC and PlayStation 4; the game is set to arrive January 2015. Currently available on Steam Early Access, Hand of Fate combines elements of an action brawler with a tabletop deck-building game. Players explore dungeons, its structure built via a series of cards, and battle swarms of enemies that appear throughout the caverns in search of loot and an exit. Defiant Development's freshman console effort is also slated to arrive on the Vita, but no release window has been revealed for that version.
Next-gen Saints Row 4, Gat Out of Hell launching one week early
Deep Silver issued a new trailer and screens for Saints Row: Gat out of Hell today, the stand-alone expansion for the publisher's popular open-world shooter, Saints Row 4. The game will feature "seven deadly weapons" for hero Johnny Gat to use against demonic enemies, each seen in action in the trailer after the break. The expansion will now launch one week ahead of schedule on January 20, 2015 alongside the Xbox One and PS4 ports of Saints Row 4, dubbed "Re-Elected." Deep Silver announced both projects at PAX Prime in late August with January 27 release dates attached to them. Those pre-ordering the $50 Xbox One or PS4 bundles, which include both Saints Row 4 and Gat Out of Hell, will also receive the Devil's Workshop and Plague of Frogs DLC packs for the games. Otherwise, players can purchase Gat Out of Hell on its own for $20 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. [Image: Deep Silver]
Shovel Knight hits Europe and Australia's eShops in November
European and Australian Wii U and 3DS owners can finally go on the trowel in November, when Shovel Knight reaches their eShops following a lengthy wait. While the retro-inspired platformer came to Nintendo systems in North America back in June, it was only available internationally on PC. Developer Yacht Club Games put the eShop delay down to localization processes such as translation and certification. "Thank you European and Australian region players for hanging in there with us for so long," reads the studio's latest Kickstarter update. "We learned some new things and have a wealth of ideas for how we can improve on in the future. We're truly sorry for the delay."
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare set for an October bloodfest
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare should be out on Xbox 360 ready for some Halloween knight-time fun, at least according to a new trailer and Xbox Marketplace listing. Going by the listing, Torn Banner's multiplayer close-combat chaos is available to download on October 28, while a new Xbox-published trailer pins the date as October 29. Who to believe, hmm? In any case, the trailer's narrator proclaims the game's out "this October." Also, chances are October 28 is accurate given it's a Tuesday, the traditional day of the week for new releases on Xbox. Nonetheless, we've reached out to publisher Activision to clarify which date is correct, and to see if the date - whichever one it may be - also applies to the upcoming PS3 version. [Update: A PS3 trailer also pins the date for October 28] By the by, you can check out the trailer's curious take on chivalry below the break.
Standalone white PS4 available in UK later this week
Sony confirmed today that UK buyers can purchase a white PS4 standalone starting this Friday, October 17. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe told VideoGamer this morning that an Amazon UK listing for the game-less, snowy white system was accurate. The retailer currently has the white PS4 listed at the nice, round figure of £351.86. Earlier this year, Sony said the "Glacier White" PS4 would be available separately in Europe at a recommended retail price of 399 euros. [Update: Sony confirmed to Eurogamer the recommended retail price is £349]
Nidhogg gets off the fence and onto PS4 and Vita this week
We were wondering when the frenzied fencing of Nidhogg was coming to PS4 and Vita, and now we know thanks to the PlayStation Blog. Messhof's mano-a-mano madness is listed among this week's new releases, which going by traditional PSN schedules should mean it hits North America tomorrow, October 14, and Europe the day after. There's no word on a price as yet but for reference the Steam version is $15. Also it's cross-buy on PSN, meaning if you purchase it for PS4 you get the Vita version free and vice-versa. If you've yet to see Nidhogg in action - and you should - the game challenges two pixelated opponents to best each other with blades as they attempt to scroll from one side to the other. Sounds simple but it's a tense, terse affair of two-player swashbuckling, which for extra intensity can be opened up for up to eight players in take-it-in-turns tournaments.
Super Smash Bros. Wii U Amiibo figures up for pre-order
Nintendo's Amiibo figures are now available to pre-order at various retailers. There are 18 total figures that players can pre-purchase through Target, GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, each tied to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Most of the figures are listed for release on November 21 as previously announced, the same day that Super Smash Bros. will launch for Nintendo's home console. Certain figures are paired with a December 31 launch date however, which may be a placeholder. Those figures are Zelda, Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Little Mac, Luigi and Pit, though release date listings may vary. Walmart is also offering a Super Smash Bros. bundle, which includes a copy of the Wii U game in addition to Link, Pikachu and Mario Amiibo figures for $100. The collectible Amiibo figures were revealed at E3 2014 in June, and given a price of $12.99 each two months later. Head past the break to see the full list of figures that are up for pre-order. [Image: Nintendo]
Minecraft Vita also coming to North America next week
Lagging behind its European branch's announcement earlier in the week, Sony America has revealed an October 14 release date for Minecraft on Vita. The irony is, as ever, the $20 game will hit PSN stateside a day before it hits Europe. PSN traditions are odd traditions. Anyway, Sony did clarify one thing in today's announcement; anyone who owns a copy of Mojang's sand-blocks on PS3 can get a Vita copy free, and that includes disc owners as well as PSN buyers. The same applies in reverse, including retail copies of the Vita version which are due to hit shelves on November 11. Remember: the cross-buy offer only applies across PS3 and Vita - no PS4-sies, but you can upgrade to PS4 for $5. Also, saves do transfer between PS3 and Vita, and DLC purchases work across both versions too. [Image: Sony]
New Nintendo eShop releases: Bayonetta 2 demo (you want more?)
Bayonetta 2 doesn't hit Western shelves for another couple of weeks - check out the launch trailer below the break - but the demo is available right now on both the North American and European eShops. There's a brief tutorial introducing the basic hack-and-slash moves, but fans of the first game won't be surprised to see the demo drop you straight into the madness after that. In the 15 minutes or so it lasts you do battle with all manner of beasties, regular-sized and generally massive, all while riding on top of a jet plane, being chased down on a moving train, and winging your way around a huge dragon thing that's made its way up a tower, King Kong-style. Expect similar insanity when the Wii U game launches on October 24. While we know the Bayo demo is big news - by the by, it's just over two years since Nintendo wowed us by announcing Bayonetta 2 as a Wii U exclusive - there are other games, full games, out on the eShop this week. WiiWare favorite Art of Balance comes to Wii U in a new, bigger iteration, tasking players with 200 levels to stack up oddly shaped objects in while keeping things steady. For even more nostalgic types, Game Boy Advance entry Castlevania: Circle of the Moon whips up a Virtual Console debut this week too, again on Wii U. So, you know the drill: You'll find the list of new releases below the break, with prices, details and dates of availability (PS: as ever, if there's no date that means it's out today or is already out). As for sales, check Nintendo's press release for the complete list of offers - our pick this week is loco Latin-styled platformer Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, which is roughly a third off at $9.75 until October 16.
