Rockstar Games announced last week that Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders will go live tomorrow, June 25. Today, the studio revealed the game’s much-speculated price as well as a second, more expensive edition.
The standard version of Grand Theft Auto VI will cost $79.99. A more expensive Ultimate Edition will cost $99.99 and includes what Rockstar describes as “an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story.”
Pre-orders begin at midnight local time. Those who pre-order the digital version of GTA VI can begin pre-loading the game on November 12, a week ahead of its November 19 launch. Rockstar also revealed that the physical version of GTA VI only contains a download code inside the box – not a disc – that supports pre-loading as well. This version will also be available starting on November 12.
Additionally, players who pre-order or purchase GTA VI before November 20 will receive the Vintage Vice City pack, described as “a collection of items that flash back to when the neon burned brightest. ” Digital pre-order customers will also receive a free month of GTA+, a membership program granting access to Rockstar’s game catalog, GTA Online benefits, and other perks.
Nearly 30 years and now two whole remakes later, Star Fox 64 is still the “animals in airplanes” franchise’s crowning achievement. Not even Shigeru Miyamoto’s efforts with 2016’s Star Fox Zero (which to date marks the last time the word “director” appeared in Miyamoto’s title on a video game) could fully pull the series away from that inescapable N64 memory. This Switch 2 remake is a joyful, updated reminder of why that 1997 game is, in fact, very good and fun, but it also casts a spotlight on the fact that we are long overdue for something – frankly, anything – new from Star Fox and team.
The great news is that the simply titled Star Fox for Switch 2 looks great. Any qualms I had about the characters’ appearances became distant memories as I spent more time with them. The environmental visuals make exploring the ocean floor of Aquas feel claustrophobic and scary, and watching the lava flow and burst on Solar is even more intimidating than it was when I was young. Watching the sun of the Lylat system creep through the ship graveyard of Sector X is mesmerizing, and these moments happen often.
Controlling the Arwing feels great, too. Executing those barrel rolls Peppy has been demanding for more than three decades feels smooth, and firing off that last-second homing shot while careening into that final gold ring is as rewarding as it has ever been. Falco is still annoying, though. He demands your help and complains when you take too long, but is also certain he is better than you in every conceivable way. It can be grating, but hey – that’s our Falco, so mission accomplished, I guess, to use the lingo of the game.
It also sounds exceptional. Nintendo still struggles with voice actor performances, which makes it hard not to give in to nostalgia and pine for the original voice lines. Those bizarre quips have sadly become rock-solid artifacts in my brain, but the new music is incredible. Choral additions to boss themes make them feel grand, and I even got emotional during the final moments of the game thanks to the stirring score.
It all feels appropriately familiar, and the base game holds up well as a fun, arcade-inspired experience with a rapid pace. But I like the gameplay additions, as well, though they are generally minor. Unlocking lore details in the Holoviewer for every ally, enemy, planet, and more is a worthwhile pursuit. For example, I have been wondering what Bill’s whole deal is for nearly 30 years, and finally, in this new/old Star Fox, I unlocked a few paragraphs about his history; I couldn’t navigate the menus fast enough to read them. The cutscenes between levels, which inject overdue personality into the Star Fox team between missions, are also attractive and fun to watch. Seeing how they shift (though don’t expect radical changes) depending on the different routes you take makes replays worthwhile. I also appreciate that the requirements for the different routes are now much more transparent.
The addition of challenges for each level (beyond the medals system from the original) is also fun. The comparison is perhaps odd, but jumping straight to Macbeth to try and complete a list of specific tasks feels like classic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. The levels in Star Fox are short, so you only have so much time to hit the checklist items, which is a smart way to make replaying the intricately choreographed stages fun to revisit repeatedly.
The added multiplayer modes are also more substantial than I expected, with contemporary online matchmaking across a suite of different options inspired by familiar online shooter modes (like king of the hill or capture the flag). The augmented reality elements where your face can be tracked on an animated avatar of Leon the chameleon (among many others) to move his mouth when you yell at friends to stop shooting you is equal parts dumb and charming. It’s almost enough to make you want to press the ‘C’ button on your Switch 2 controller. Almost. The single-player experience is the primary attraction.
Another remake of Star Fox 64 is not what I want from this franchise. There has always been an implied depth of character and story to Star Fox, even in the 1993 SNES game, that has never been truly tapped. This remake expands as much as it can within the bounds of the original game in ways I appreciate, but it all still feels held back. But I also cannot deny Star Fox 64’s power over me. When the re-orchestrated music kicks in while firing lasers that cast beautiful modern shadows against the giant spaceships that just can’t hit me, and the bad guys complain about how cool and good I am at flying a spaceship right before they blow up, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t having a great, nostalgic time.
As part of today’s Sonic the Hedgehog 35th Anniversary livestream, Sega has revealed that Sonic Frontiers is coming to Switch 2…today! The Definitive Edition of the 2022 adventure is now available and boasts every piece of post-launch content along with improvements.
Although Sonic Frontiers is already available on the original Switch, Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition on Switch 2 features improved graphics and performance. This version also includes The Final Horizon update that introduces a new story campaign, new challenges, a photo mode, and playable characters in Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. The Definitive Edition also includes the Sonic’s Birthday Bash content update, the Sights, Sounds, and Speeds update, a digital art book and mini soundtrack, among other previously released items.
Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition is available on Switch 2 for $49.99. Looking at the game’s eShop page, there does not appear to be an upgrade path for owners of the original version on Switch. For more on Sonic, check out our preview of the recently revealed Sonic Pico Park.
Rare’s multiplayer pirate adventure Sea of Thieves is getting a live-action film adaptation, and it’s part of a larger push by Xbox to bring its franchises to both the big and small screens, Entertainment Weekly reports.
The film has no director as of yet, but it is being produced by Destin Daniel Cretton, director of the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day and 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, through his production company, Hisako. Cretton is also the co-creator of the Disney+ series Wonder Man.
There’s no word on the film’s plot, but Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty told EW, “The main character of a Sea of Thieves game is actually the player and the community. So if you sit down to think about Sea of Thieves, it’s not, Who are the main characters? What’s the plot? It’s a super social game, but there’s a tone to Sea of Thieves. It’s built on a very cooperative community, so you can start to sense what that’s going to be like.”
Sea of Thieves launched for Xbox One and PC in 2018 and is a multiplayer pirate adventure with players working together to sail the oceans of an open world to find treasure and battle rival ships and other threats. Although it initially received a tepid reception, years of updates and improvements have increased its popularity. Sea of Thieves jumped to Xbox Series X/S in 2020 and came to PlayStation 5 in 2024. Check out the game’s Season 20 trailer from the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month.
For more on Sea of Thieves, check out our 2024 retrospective documenting the game’s development and evolution. Xbox has been in the news recently, largely due to reports of an incoming wave of mass layoffs and potential studio closures for Compulsion Games, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory. You can listen to us discuss this story in our latest episode of The Game Informer Show podcast.
Likely the game that surprised me most at Summer Game Fest, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is so much more than I first thought. While it has all the modes you’d expect: arcade, time trials, and online multiplayer, it’s single-player story mode takes a sharp unexpected turn into roguelike sensibilities. Select a vehicle and pilot archetype before embarking on a cross-planetary competitive tour as Shade, a mysterious lone racer with a chip on his shoulder, collecting new parts and hull upgrades along the way. However, once you’re knocked out of the tour, you’ll have to start over.
In this episode of New Gameplay Today, editors Alex Van Aken and Charles Harte dive into Star Wars: Galactic Racer. We hope you enjoy!
A 30-minute Capcom Spotlight has been announced and airs this Thursday, June 25. The presentation will provide new updates on Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.
The presentation begins at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET. It appears these three titles will be the only ones featured. Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen was recently revealed during the June 9 Nintendo Direct and will be an expansion that also serves as an improved version of the 2024 base game. It is set to launch on October 9.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword has been heavily featured over the last few months. There have been multiple trailers and hands-on previews from the press (including our most recent impressions from Summer Game Fest), a public demo, and a September 25 release date. One has to wonder what else Capcom could say about the game it hasn’t already, but we’ll find out soon.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is the only game of the bunch that has already launched, releasing on March 13 (check out our review). Perhaps Capcom will announce some sort of DLC.
Valve writes on its announcement page, “In an effort to improve the purchase experience and limit resellers, we’re implementing a reservation system.” You have until Thursday June 25 to sign up for which model you want to purchase. The text for signing up for the list reads, “Join the list any time before June 25th at 10 a.m. PT. On that date, the list will be closed and randomized, and you will receive an email with your results shortly after.”
After the deadline, Valve is doing a “one-time randomization to determine the reservation and waitlist order.” Valve offered some additional details on this will work below.
Based on the reservation order, you will receive an email on June 25th indicating one of two things:
You’ve been added to the reservation queue and a Steam Machine has been reserved in your name. As units become available for shipment, people in the reservation queue will receive an email with the option to purchase.
We’ll send the first batch of those starting Monday June 29th, and will continue to go through the reservation queue as units become available.
You’ve been added to the waitlist and we’ll let you know when more units become available.
The primary difference between the different models appears to just be the hard drive size and the included extras. For more on the Steam Machine, head here.
Claude Guillemot, one of Ubisoft’s founders, passed away on Saturday in a plane crash in France, according to the Associated Press. He was reportedly in a twin-motor Cessna 421 aircraft alongside a flight instructor, who also died in the accident. In a statement to the Associated Press, Mayor Franck Louvrier said the aircraft went down in a field just before landing at La Baule-Escoublac Airport, along the Atlantic coast.
“Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident,” a spokesperson for Ubisoft said in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz and other outlets on Saturday. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
On Friday afternoon, Halo Studios published an extensive FAQ answering a number of questions about its upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved remake, Halo: Campaign Evolved. In a section covering how local, split-screen co-op will work on PlayStation 5, Halo Studios wrote, “If you’re playing split-screen on PlayStation 5, both accounts will need to have PlayStation Plus and be linked to a Microsoft account. Having these active PlayStation Plus subscriptions will also provide access to online co-op play.”
Following online frustration over this requirement, Halo Studios shared an update on X, writing, “We incorrectly stated that PlayStation Plus is required for local co-op splitscreen play. Local splitscreen co-op requires a PlayStation account for each player but does not require a PlayStation Plus account.” It then updated the FAQ with the bolded addition, “A PlayStation Plus account is NOT required for local splitscreen co-op.”
We incorrectly stated that PlayStation Plus is required for local co-op splitscreen play. Local splitscreen co-op requires a PlayStation account for each player but does not require a PlayStation Plus account. https://t.co/dzemK02U1h
Paid PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live subscriptions are still required for online co-op play, but local play will not require any subscriptions. Both players will, however, still need accounts connected to the platform of choice, and PlayStation and Steam players will need to connect their accounts to a Microsoft account.
This means that playing Halo: Campaign Evolved split-screen won’t be as simple as it was in 2001 with Halo: Combat Evolved, when the requirements of playing couch co-op were just plugging in a second controller and pressing start. This modern, over-complicated process of playing couch co-op games is not an invention of Halo: Campaign Evolved, but the mistaken and quickly retracted requirement of needing PlayStation Plus to play local, co-op certainly shines a spotlight on this frustrating facet of modern gaming.
In much cooler Halo: Campaign Evolved news, Halo Studios also published a six-hour video of the game’s start screen, which you can check out below.
Summer Game Fest was last week, and it was a hell of a week, but that was no reason for us to rest or catch our breath this week. Along with continuing to share details about our time at the show in Los Angeles, we also launched a new issue! Halo: Campaign Evolved is the cover game and we dove deep into the game and its newly added prequel levels, but we also have a big retrospective on the making of the first game. It’s a good issue.
But it’s the weekend so you want to relax and play some video games, right? And you need some help learning what kind of games are good and available to play, right? Well, we have all that, but first, take a look at some of the biggest stories of the week below.
Rather than one specific game, as we usually offer on this weekly list, allow us to point you to Steam Next Fest. The annual event elevates tons of free demos for upcoming games on Steam and there are lots of of good ones worth checking out. There are also plenty of demos for games we played and covered at Summer Game Fest, so you can get your hands on some of the games that we were the most excited about, like Blood Dungeon (seen above).
We’ve been exploring demos ourselves and have some suggestions at the link below.
Charles Harte reviewed The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales this week giving it a 7.75 and writing, “While it’s not particularly exceptional or exciting, it is both adequate and effective. I doubt The Adventures of Elliot will replace Zelda in anyone’s list of favorites, but across my roughly 25 hours, I was always glad to pick my Switch 2 back up and play some more.”
The game was released yesterday, and I generally agree with Charles’ sentiment that it is a solid if unspectacular game. I have been enjoying my time with it and was surprised by how much Zelda influence exists in the game. It lacks the clever and rewarding puzzles of Zelda, but the combat is simple and solid, and exploring the various dungeons and figuring out how to navigate them is enjoyable.
I sang And Roger’s praises in my review last year, but with the game out on Switch 2 and mobile devices this week, a broader audience can (and should) experience this emotional narrative adventure. At the low cost of $4.99 (currently discounted to $3.49), you’re treated to an hour-long narrative adventure boasting clever mechanics about a frightened girl who finds a mysterious man in her home. I won’t say anything more about the plot, as the crux of the adventure is about figuring out what’s happening, but trust me when I say it’s a memorable and affecting journey you shouldn’t miss a second time around.
Tabletop pick – Dead Cells: The Rogue-Lite Board Game
Matt Miller
It’s still relatively rare that tabletop game makers manage to successfully transition strong video game properties into great board games. One of the happy exceptions is Dead Cells, which manages to translate the fast action of the video game experience into an excellent 1- to 4-player cooperative board game that is incredibly fun to play and return to again and again.
The card-focused battles are great fun, offering intriguing tactical decisions about how to confront the many foes that lie in your path. And it’s exciting to dive into different biomes as you navigate forward. But the real hook is the way many of the potential mutations/upgrade cards for your characters are locked and unavailable the first time you open the game. You only acquire access to those after repeated run-throughs of a play, offering ample reason for replay – just like in the video game. If you love Dead Cells or roguelites more generally, but you’d be interested in a larger cooperative experience to play with friends on game night, this one is a sure bet.
