dokasi.com

Little Nightmares introduced us to a disturbing world inhabited by monstrous enemies – like the misshapen janitor with his elongated hands, or the corpulent twin chefs preparing a grotesque feast for their disgusting guests. Following a hands-on encounter with Little Nightmares 2’s first new adversary, I’m happy to say that the sequel is proving to be just as unnerving.

This particular tale puts you in control of Mono, a diminutive figure who adorns his head with a paper bag in an oddly cute fashion statement. Where the first installment had you navigating the tight confines of a ship, this sequel introduced me to foreboding and equally oppressive woods, filled with cages, traps, and viscera. It wasn’t long before I hesitantly explored the basement of an old shack to find an imprisoned child who turned out to be Six, the protagonist from the first story (minus her signature yellow raincoat, which immediately had me thinking about when exactly this story takes place).

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/little-nightmares-2-gameplay-trailer”]

True to its predecessor, Little Nightmares 2 will have you navigating the side-scrolling world and interacting with the often oversized environment to overcome obstacles, uncover paths and dodge traps – or worse. The locations are as suitably haunting as they are engrossing, with every discarded item and object telling a story you aren’t quite sure you want to hear the ending to. Why are there so many abandoned shoes near these animal cages? Are those stuffed bags buzzing with flies full of dead animals – or something even more disturbing? I was also pleased to find Little Nightmares 2 made the subtle effort to warn you of danger, like a soft breeze rattling the bear traps hidden beneath the leaves, or a scavenging crow ready to squawk and draw attention to your location upon drawing close.

[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=The%20Hunter%E2%80%99s%20appearance%20is%20marked%20by%20some%20excellent%20use%20of%20background%20lighting%2C%20encasing%20his%20figure%20in%20ominous%20shadows%20as%20he%20stripped%20the%20fur%20from%20a%20beast%20with%20a%20sound%20that%20made%20my%20skin%20crawl.”]

The true danger in my hour-long demo took the distorted form of The Hunter, a truly disturbing bag-headed foe armed with a trusty hunting shotgun. The Hunter’s appearance is marked by some excellent use of background lighting, encasing his figure in ominous shadows as he stripped the fur from a beast with a sound that made my skin crawl. Unlike some of the enemies in the first Little Nightmares, surviving this encounter wasn’t about staying out of reach – it was about avoiding gunfire as his bullets tore through everything I tried to hide behind. Escaping the demented Elmer Fudd may not have been overly difficult, but it did provide several tense moments of cat-and-mouse.

Having an AI companion in Six proved to be an interesting change, even if it didn’t alter the flow of the game that much. I was able to beckon her over with the press of a button to help raise objects or prepare to grab me if I jumped across a gap, but most of the time it felt like she already knew what to do next. I also noticed that by following my lead, she never really presented herself as a target worthy of the Hunter’s attention – and honestly I’m glad for that. Escaping the clutches of creepy monsters is already enough to worry about, and so far I’m thankful I didn’t have to constantly turn my attention to make sure Six wasn’t getting herself killed. Nothing turns horror into frustration like an AI partner that’s more trouble than they’re worth, but I do hope Six gets more chances to prove herself.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=little-nightmares-2-screenshots&captions=true”]

My time in Little Nightmares 2 ended with an escape from the forest, and the entire section felt well-paced with the right amount of tension that never dragged on for too long. This led me to encounter the towering structures of a city that looked as though it sprang out of a Tim Burton animated movie. I can only excitedly guess what fresh horrors I’ll find waiting within when Little Nightmares 2 releases on PC and consoles on February 11th, 2021, with next gen versions to follow sometime after.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Brendan Graeber is a Guides Editor at IGN, and has a hard time finding collectibles when he’s too busy being scared. Follow him on Twitter @Ragga_Fragga.

Scarlet Nexus is a stylish, flashy, and edgy action-RPG; and features some beautifully grotesque enemy designs in the form of “The Others.”  Though I didn’t get to play it myself, I did get to see a 16-minute gameplay demo and presentation from the producer, director, and art director, and I came away thoroughly interested and a little hopeful.

So, first things first: Why the heck is it called Scarlet Nexus? Tales series veteran and Scarlet Nexus Director Kenji Anabuki, along with Producer Keita Iizuka, said Scarlet Nexus can be interpreted as “red connection,”  or “red bonds.” Iizuka elaborated by saying “Objects or persons connected with red lines represent a big part in the visuals and key art of Scarlet Nexus.”

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=scarlet-nexus-preview-screenshots-and-art&captions=true”]

We see this obviously by the red tubes stuck into main character Yuito Sumeragi’s back, which are applied in an early cutscene and appear whenever Yuito borrows power from his teammates. These red cables are actually “brain link cables” that connect the members of the Other Suppression Force, or O.S.F,  together.

Scarlet Nexus’ world is set in the “near future… but in an alternative reality where people discovered substances in the brain and developed their society greatly on that,” Iizuka explained.  These psionic brain hormones also grant humans extrasensory powers, which Yuito and the O.S.F. wield as a weapon.

The world is technologically advanced compared to ours, but this technology is all centered on the brain’s development, and the characters also have special powers by using their brains. All of this is why the developers have dubbed Scarlet Nexus’ genre “brainpunk,” deriving the new term from “steampunk” and “dieselpunk.”

Though this world is quite developed, monsters called “Others” fall from the sky and search for human brains to devour, requiring the assembly of the aforementioned O.S.F.  The O.S.F. saved Yuito from the Others as a child, inspiring him to join despite coming from a prestigious family. Scarlet Nexus picks up when Yuito begins his enrollment test for the O.S.F. How anime does all of that sound? I could go on, but I consider some other details revealed a bit within spoiler territory (though they might sound predictable if you’re familiar with other “cyberpunk” style anime).

The otherworldly, disturbing designs of the Others are the brainchild of artist Masakazu Yamashiro, who has never worked in games prior, but Scarlet Nexus art director Kouta Ochiai knew he wanted to onboard him for Scarlet Nexus.

[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=The%20thought%20of%20something%20feeling%20off%20and%20alien%20is%20where%20we%20want%20our%20players%20to%20start%20having%20interest%20in%20the%20game.”]

The design rule with the Others is to combine the inorganic and organic to create something foreign, which really works. These designs are so interesting they’re, morbidly, like a train wreck–there are so many unique elements to each of them that it’s hard to look away despite their disturbing nature. Ochiai said, “The thought of something feeling off and alien is where we want our players to start having interest in the game.”

Scarlet Nexus Gameplay and Customizable Options

Other than the enemy design, Scarlet Nexus’ creators obviously want players to “pay attention” to the gameplay. Specifically, they focused on creating a superpower experience based around the protagonist’s psychokinetic power, though Yuito also uses a sword and weapons for melee attacks.

Because I didn’t get to play Scarlet Nexus with my own two hands, I can’t tell you how it felt to pull off the stylish combos that melded sword and psychokinesis. I can’t tell you if it felt smooth or segmented;  easy or difficult;  or most importantly, fun.  But I can tell you about what I saw and what stood out to me the most.

Watch new gameplay for yourself in the video below

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/scarlet-nexus-gameplay-trailer”]

Scarlet Nexus certainly appears to be more of a character action game than a straight JRPG, because it relies on fast-paced, stylish combos in its combat and takes place in what appears to be linear levels. It oddly reminded me of Devil May Cry the most–of course if we’re not considering the anime graphics, and I couldn’t begin to tell if it’s as technical.  But, the protag appears to explore abandoned city streets among a generally linear path–or at least, that’s what I saw. Items could be found here and there, but because that portion of the demo was in Japanese, I couldn’t tell you what the digitized red cube the player picked up actually was. When the player encountered the Others, artificial barriers walled them in, preventing them from progressing until they defeated the enemies.

During the demo, I saw Hanabi Ichijo in the player’s party, of which there were three total slots. Hanabi used a staff and wielded pyrokinesis instead of Yuito’s psychokinesis. She fought alongside Yuito and even burned one of the enemies, and her tactics could be changed via the menu as well. Only Yuito will be playable in Scarlett Nexus, but the skills of your party can be used by Yuito due to the brain link shared between O.S.F. members.

As for the controls, combos with weapons are enacted by face buttons as expected, while psionic powers–at least with psychokinesis–activated with the right trigger, as long as there were objects like chairs or cars to manipulate nearby. It seemed that the larger the object, the longer the trigger needed to be held in order to heave it at an enemy. But, the larger the object, the better the reward–in both damage and knock-back potential, even though pulling at a large object would leave you open to attack. Occasionally, this would leave the enemy entirely prone, or open another option to point both control sticks inward to trigger a powerful psychokinetic-caused environmental effect.

[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=Only%20Yuito%20will%20be%20playable%20in%20Scarlett%20Nexus%2C%20but%20the%20skills%20of%20your%20party%20can%20be%20used”]

Combos could be started either with psychokinesis or with a close-range sword attack, and follow-up attacks could be strung together with either. I did get a glimpse of a very RPG-like skill tree called a “Brain Map,” which includes three unique branches. The “Expand” path unlocked new abilities or combos like “Psychokineses Shockwave” and “Mid-Air PK Combo 2.” The “Enhance” path predictably enhances abilities, like “Weapon Power Up 1.” Lastly, the “Support” path unlocked abilities that, for example, pulls items toward you or allows you to recover after being launched by an enemy attack.

There also appear to be plenty more customization options. The equipped weapons had three “Plug-In” slots. The “SAS” screen showed the currently equipped extrasensory power – Pyrokinesis in Hanabi’s case – which had three additional empty slots, suggesting that perhaps each character could equip additional psionic powers. Her Pyrokinesis could also be leveled up to Level 6, and each level unlocked new skills – like Cooldown Reduction or a  Skill Change called Flamethrower.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/scarlet-nexus-devs-discuss-developing-for-next-gen”]

Overall, Scarlet Nexus heavily reminds me of some of my favorite anime, and I see many comparing it to Astral Chain. With a pedigree of designers who have worked on the Tales series, I can at least be cautiously optimistic. At the very least, wielding objects with psychokinetic powers against the morbid intriguing Others  in Scarlet Nexus looks hella fun to me.

For more on Scarlet Nexus, check out our interview with the developer and producer above, and stay tuned to IGN.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Casey DeFreitas is an Editor at IGN who loves monster hunting, slaying, and catching. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD.

Ahead of the release of Scarlet Nexus, I got to check out a preview build of Bandai Namco’s upcoming action RPG. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get actual hands-on experience with the game, but Bandai Namco did provide an extended behind-the-scenes look at some gameplay, specifically combat. What I was most surprised by was how much it reminded me of The Force Unleashed.

Scarlet Nexus sees you play as Yuito Sumeragi, a psychokinetic who’s a part of the special task force that defends humanity from demonic-looking mutants called Others. Though he’s armed with a sword, Yuito’s primary means of attack is his powers–he can use his mind to pick up objects in the environment and fling them at enemies. Small boxes and bicycles can be tossed around with ease while flinging cars and ripping down the ceiling seems to take considerably more effort.

When paired with Yuito’s melee combat mechanics, it creates a sense of flow that reminds me of how Starkiller fought in The Force Unleashed. Yuito can dive past the Others’ long-range attacks to get in close and slice away. He can also pummel enemies from afar with whatever is lying around, and given that Scarlett Nexus takes place in a city, there’s plenty to throw. But Yuito seems to be at his strongest when he dances back and forth between the two styles, stunning targets with a thrown car and quickly finishing them off with a few snappy melee attacks.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

“This isn’t so bad,” I thought to myself as I scampered through the admittedly spooky forest, the opening level of Little Nightmares II, which I got to play in a preview build of the game. Mono, the paper bag-wearing protagonist of Little Nightmares II, handles just as nimbly as the original game’s Six, which makes it easy to navigate the dangerous obstacles in my path. Whether it’s leaping over the poorly hidden rope to avoid getting caught in a snare or chucking abandoned shoes and sticks into piles of leaves that are clearly hiding active bear traps, Mono is up to the task–he’s an intelligent kid. Which then begs the question: Why in the hell is he choosing to continue down an increasingly dangerous path that is obviously leading up to something even worse?

That something turns out to be a dilapidated shack of a house. “We could just go around,” I say out loud, but Mono isn’t having any of it. The only path forward, apparently, is through, so into the obvious murder house I go. Inside, Little Nightmares’ more traditional puzzles come into play–just like the first game, you’re controlling a very tiny child who has wandered into a space that’s home to people who are significantly larger than you. So Mono has to clamber up and down staircases, crawl under furniture, and move boxes in order to leap up and grab the handle of doors in order to open them. It’s all fairly simple stuff, though there is an urgency to my actions, as the unsettling sound design and occasional environmental context clues are really selling that I’m not alone in the house.

Plus, ya know, there’s that whole cannibalistic aspect of the first game in the back of my mind reminding me that there’s a good chance that I’m going to run into someone who wants to eat me. The original Little Nightmares reinforced the notion that you shouldn’t trust anyone or anything in this terrifying world–given what Six is willing to do in order to satiate her hunger, you’re not even sure you can trust yourself. Little Nightmares II builds on this unsettling feeling of mistrust by introducing a partner character you can’t directly control. She may be a familiar face, but your partnership is born out of necessity, not a mutual bond.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Windbound is an excellent island. It’s just a shame that it’s a poor archipelago.

For my first few hours with the new roguelike survival game from Five Lives Studios, I walked a knife’s edge–blissful relaxation on one side, speedily encroaching anxiety on the other. You would be forgiven for being lulled into a false sense of security. The sunny skies and gorgeous ocean are inviting. The art style charmingly stakes out a familiar middle ground: cartoonish gloss, realistic proportions. The monsters are memorably designed, and even the most imposing are at least a little cute. But as welcoming as it can look, the red and yellow gauges at the top of the screen are a constant reminder that this world isn’t friendly.

You’ll stumble around early on, unable to do much of anything. Okay, you have grass, but what can you do with grass? Okay, you crafted a grass rope, but what can you do with a grass rope? You may try to wade into the water in hopes of swimming to the closest island, but your stamina gauge will quickly dash those hopes. Deplete it and you’ll wake up on the beach, back where you started. Eventually you’ll find a shrine on the island where you’ll receive an oar, which is, in some way, legendarily significant. Locating this artifact will unlock some new crafting recipes. Turns out you can craft a grass boat with enough rope and some elbow grease.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Apple isn’t exactly known for dropping prices on its products. Thankfully, other retailers that sell Apple products have no such aversion to discounts. Right now, Amazon has nearly all models of the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro on sale for between $50 and $300 off. So if you could use a new laptop, now’s a good time to pick one up.

All of these laptops are the latest models, and they all sport the Magic Keyboard, which is a huge improvement over the keyboard in the models these replaced. Thanks to the scissor switches used in place of the previous (and infamously unreliable) butterfly switches, the keyboard on these computers offers a superior typing experience.

MacBook Air Deals

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=macbook-air-deals”]

These machines also all have Touch ID, which lets you enter passwords using your fingerprint, which honestly still feels pretty futuristic.

As for which MacBook to pick, the two questions you need to ask yourself are: how much power do you need, and what’s your preferred screen size? The MacBook Air has a 13-inch Retina display, as does the 13-inch MBP. As you climb up the price point ladder, you’ll get more power, which should come as no surprise. But if you just need a laptop for everyday tasks, a MacBook Air will suit you just fine for years to come.

13-Inch MacBook Pro Deals

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=13-inch-macbook-pro-deals”]

Those who do more demanding computing tasks like programming or audio/video editing should look at the MacBook Pros. In addition to packing more power, all of the Pros come with the Touch Bar above the keyboard. It’s a long touchscreen whose buttons change depending on which app you’re using. The idea is that it’s more versatile than the physical buttons on the MacBook Air.

16-Inch MacBook Pro Deals

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=16-inch-macbook-pro-deals”]

The 16-inch MacBook Pro offers the largest screen yet on a MacBook.

Any machine you choose, you’re getting a deal, so grab one if you want one. As usual with Amazon, there’s little rhyme or reason for when its prices go up or down. Usually the online retailer seems to price match the sale prices of competitors when it has the same item in stock. As such, there’s no telling when these deals will go away.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

[widget path=”ign/modules/recirc” parameters=”title=&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=us-shopping&count=3&columnCount=3&theme=article”]

Grand Theft Auto V‘s Los Santos Summer Special continues this week in GTA Online with the release of the San Andreas Prix Week. The latest update adds new Open Wheel race tracks, more rewards, extra discounts, and a free t-shirt.

Rockstar has unveiled nine new tracks for GTA Online’s Open Wheel race series. These high-speed courses take you past the Vinewood sign, across The Land Act Dam, and onto the Los Santos Freeway, with plenty of other eye-watering stops along the way. If you slide behind the wheel of any Rockstar Created Open Wheel Races this week, you’ll also earn triple GTA$ and RP.

Both VIP and MC Work & Challenges are dishing out double rewards this week, too. Whichever of the two activities is played more often this week will determine next week’s in-game bonuses. If players take on more VIP Work & Challenges, then double rewards will be applied to all Special Cargo Sell Missions the following week. If players partake in more MC Work & Challenges, then all Biker Business Sell Missions will be awarded with 2X GTA$ & RP from September 3 through September 9.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Madden NFL 21 is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The latest game in EA’s annual football series introduces a few new game mechanics, including an all-new Skill Stick that allows for enhanced precision on both sides of the ball. There’s also Face of the Franchise: Rise to Fame, a documentary-style career mode that takes you through high school, college, and the NFL, while The Yard introduces a new way to play. The question is, is Madden NFL 21 worth your time and money?

Reviews are rolling in and we’ve rounded up a selection for you to read below. Critical consensus is varied so far, with the game receiving mostly mixed reviews on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. The gist of Madden NFL 21’s reception is that the core gameplay is arguably the best in the series so far, but attempts to add variety are flawed and underwhelming, and the long-standing Franchise Mode continues to be neglected.

• Game: Madden NFL 21
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
• Developer: EA Tiburon
• Release date: August 28
• Price: $60 / £50 / $80 AUD

Attack of the Fanboy — 4/5

“Madden 21 as a whole may feel like a bit of a letdown compared to the past few years in some areas, but The Yard definitely helps to make it worth it for players that are interested in trying something a little different. With the free upgrade to the next generation version and the promise of treating Franchise like a live service as the season goes on, Madden 21 is likely still going to be well worth the purchase in the long run, even if you may be left a little dissatisfied at this point.” – Dean James [Full Review]

Continue Reading at GameSpot