Key Note Gaming

A handful of retro games likely coming in PlayStation Plus's upcoming Premium tier have seemingly leaked online. Tekken 2, Worms Armageddon, Worms World Party, and Mr. Driller for the original PlayStation have all appeared on the PSN backend, alongside Ridge Racers 2 for PSP. Reddit user the_andshrew spotted the hidden games, as reported by Eurogamer , which will likely be part of the most expensive PS Plus tier when the service is refreshed in June . The Premium tier, which will cost users $119.99 a year, will include 340 retro games from the PS1, PS2, and PSP, plus the ability to stream PS3 games and access to around 400 PS4 and PS5 games that are included in the previous Extra tier. PlayStation itself has yet to confirm which games are coming to the service, meaning these leaks aren't official and need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but the games definitely have been added to the PSN backend complete with artwork. With the refresh due for release as early as May...

"Actually, we didn't really do any research in particular. I just wanted to depict what I imagined America would look like if it had been invaded by Japanese culture in the early nineties," says X.Y. Luo, creative director of Showa American Story. His words will surely come as a surprise to anyone who's seen the trailer released this January. This game developed by the Chinese studio NEKCOM Games is set in a fictional America decorated with carp streamers and Jizo statues, having become culturally colonized by Japan in the year Showa 66, a parallel 1991 where Japan's Showa era didn't end in 1989. The Statue of Liberty is wearing a kimono, while a massive paper lantern with the Japanese character for "gold" written on it hangs from the Golden Gate Bridge. I doubt I was the only one who saw the game's billboards and flyers oozing with Showa aesthetics and assumed it was made by creators well-versed in Japanese and Showa culture. I've lived in ...

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, special guest Joe Juba joins the podcast crew to compete in a video game fantasy draft comprised of the incredible games released in 2017. Heavy hitters like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Persona 5, and Nier Automata are quickly scooped up, but surprises await as your hosts attempt to craft the best possible roster of game releases. Expect many shenanigans and some twists in this pre-recorded special episode!  Follow us on Twitter:  Alex Stadnik  (@Studnik76),  Alex Van Aken  (@itsVanAken), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), John Carson (@John_Carson), Joe Juba (@JoeJuba) The Game Informer Show  is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join hosts  Alex Stadnik  and  Alex Van Aken  every Thursday to chat about your favorite games – past and present – with  Game Informer  staff, developers, and s...

You're probably thinking "not another battle royale" and you'd be justified. However, Rocket League's new Knockout game mode seems to be for people who hate battle royale games. Knockout is part of Rocket League's spring in-game event called Knockout Bash, which goes from April 27 to May 10. This new game mode involves using the driving/soccer skills you'd use in the normal game in an eight player destruction derby-type battle royale. In addition to the existing movesets, there are three new skills to master: Attack, Block, and Grab. Attack is basically dodging into an opponent to send them flying if placed right. Block is essentially a parry which reflects Attacks back onto the opposing player with proper timing. Grab allows you to, well, grab other players and throw them. Knockout also adds secondary mechanics which are basically enhanced versions of existing moves such as boosting, jumping, and lock on. For example, you're able to do a triple...

If, at any point, while playing through the Mass Effect series, you’ve thought to yourself, “I really wouldn’t mind a replica of the Reaper Sovereign ship,” then today’s your day.  That’s because BioWare and Dark Horse Direct have unveiled a new 14-inch Reaper Sovereign ship replica, and it’s beautiful. What’s more, it’s available for pre-order now for $299.99, and if it’s something you just have to have, you should act fast because there are only 1000 of them in total. Pre-orders are expected to ship sometime between November of this year and January 2023. So if you buy one, you don’t have to wait too long to have it in your hands.    “Reaper Sovereign has landed on Eden Prime after 50,000 years and is reigning down planet-shattering destruction,” Dark Horse’s description reads. “This spectacular replica is made of polyresin and crafted by the masters at Gentle Giant Studios. At 14 inches tall on an 11-inch diameter base, this statue will have you...

The oddly lighthearted and heartfelt adventure Bugsnax launched November 2020, making it one of the first games many played on PlayStation 5, which was released the same day. Nearly a year later, Young Horses, the game’s developer, announced during a Sony State of Play the game would be getting a new DLC. Called The Isle of Bigsnax , the expansion will be free for players who already own the base game. On top of a fresh story, which should take three to five hours to complete according to the creators, fans can expect a slew of new content. And while it’s aiming to release in the first half of 2022, we got an early hands-on look at the game at GDC. Adding hours of playtime to the original game, Young Horses announced players would receive their own in-game dwelling to renovate. Now you can feel like part of the Grumpus community. The hut begins as a glorified pile of sticks. But, by completing requests from fellow villagers, players gain access to options for furniture, paint, d...

It's no leap to say that the quality of a graphics card comes down to the quality of its driver. You could have a card that can play Cyberpunk 2077 at 8K 144Hz with full ray tracing, but it wouldn't mean anything if you get constant stutters, crashes or corrupted images. With that in mind, Nvidia released a video that provides a glimpse into what goes into driver development. The video was posted on Nvidia's Youtube channel (via Sweclockers ). Its release marks seven years since it began its Game Ready Driver program. One of the illuminating sections of the video talks about how much work goes into testing and verification. Nvidia spent up to 1.8 million hours of testing in 2021 and conducts up to 1000 tests per day on a wide variety of different hardware configurations. Nvidia talked about how it doesn't release beta drivers, (which hasn't always been the case), while giving its rival AMD a jab at the same time. "Because the Game Ready Driver Program an...