GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

Let’s start with the most obvious choice, because obviously, there was no way Ghost of Tsushima was not going be to in the list. Living the samurai power fantasy in a vast, richly created, beautiful open world that is brimming with striking vistas- Ghost of Tsushima accomplishes is defined by all of this, and so much more. Just as deserving of praise is the combat, which serves up the perfect samurai experience- and as you play more and Jin keeps moving further and further away from the code of honour he’s been bound by his entire life, those gameplay mechanics begin changing as well, allowing for much more brutal, deadly, efficient, and silent ways of dispatching enemies.

Heisenberg (Village of Shadows) – Resident Evil Village

For most players, Village of Shadows difficulty can be somewhat comfortable. Unless you own the Trauma Pack DLC, you’ll likely be going through this on your second playthrough and thus have some nice upgraded weapons to take along. But none of your upgrades, weapons and so on will matter when tackling Heisenberg in the tank section due to the obscene damage he deals. It also doesn’t help that your movement is so limited inside of the tank, making it that much more difficult to survive his attacks and targeting his weak points.

The month is almost out but Xbox Game Pass still has some big name games coming up. Key among them is Control, which arrives for PC subscribers on January 21st. It’s joined by Desperados 3 and Donut County, both playable on Android, consoles and PC. Outer Wilds will also be playable on Android on the same day.

Next week sees the release of Cyber Shadow, a retro action platformer published by Yacht Club Games, on January 26th. It will be available for Android, consoles and PC. January 28th is going to be a big day though with The Medium being available on Xbox Series X/S and PC. The Yakuza Remastered Collection (which compiles Yakuza 3 to 5 Remastered) is out on the same day as well for consoles, PC, and Android.

Long story short, there’s a lot to look forward to, especially for Yakuza fans. Several titles will also be leaving the service on January 29th – you can check out more information on those here. Stay tuned for more details on Xbox Game Pass especially with February on the horizon.

Developer Mechanical Head Studios and publisher Yacht Club Games announced the old-school Ninja Gaiden-inspired action platformer Cyber Shadow in early 2019. Thanks to its promise of a fast-paced, action-packed platforming adventure, the game has been on many people’s radar since then, though a release date has been elusive.

Originally scheduled to launch in Fall 2020, the game has suffered a slight delay- though not a very significant one. At the recent Nintendo Indie World presentation, it was announced that Cyber Shadow will be releasing on January 26, just a little over a month from now.

Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch version of the game will also have some exclusive content, with exclusive amiibo support that will bring Yacht Club’s own Shovel Knight into the game. You can check him out in action in the trailer below.

When Cyber Shadow launches, it will be available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. You can get more details on the game in our interview with its developer through here.

Dash, slice, and leap through masterfully designed levels with hand-crafted sprites, a pulse-pounding soundtrack, and all the ninja platforming action you can handle when #CyberShadow from @MekaSkull and @YachtClubGames releases Jan. 26, 2021 on #NintendoSwitch. #IndieWorld pic.twitter.com/PJH9XVhBRp

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 15, 2020

Microsoft had a fairly decent presence at The Game Awards this year with The Initiative revealing its reboot of Perfect Dark at last. It also showcased a new trailer for Xbox Game Pass with current and upcoming titles. Sure, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – Special Edition coming to the service is great but more importantly, The Yakuza Remastered Collection and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life have also been confirmed.

This means that remasters of Yakuza 3, 4 and 5 along with Yakuza 6 will be playable on Xbox platforms and PC for the first time. But that’s not all – they’ll also be available on Steam as per an official tweet. The Yakuza Remastered Collection arrives on January 28th 2021 for the platform (with each game also being sold separately) while Yakuza 6: The Song of Life arrives on March 25th 2021.

Other upcoming titles for Game Pass include Neoverse, Killer Queen Black (for console), Cyber Shadow and Among Us (for PC). The Medium is also out on January 28th 2021 for Xbox Series X/S and PC players. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

https://twitter.com/RGGStudio/status/1337222817205653504

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj5JBytPij4

Yacht Club Games have announced that the Mechanical Head Studios-developed retro action platformer Cyber Shadow will be releasing this Fall. Releasing on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, those getting the game on Nintendo’s hybrid platform will get an interesting extra perk- amiibo support with Yacht Club’s own Shovel Knight series.

A new trailer for Cyber Shadow has also been released. The trailer focuses on the narrative premise of the title, laying down the foundations for what will serve as the game’s story. Beyond that, there’s plenty of gameplay footage as well, showing the platforming, combat, and some really cool looking boss fights. Oh, and some pretty rad retro music is constantly blaring in the background. Give it a look below.

You can check out some more gameplay footage from Cyber Shadow through here, or get more info on the game via our interview with its creative director. It’s also been confirmed that Cyber Shadow will take anywhere between 4-10 hours to finish- read more on that through here.

Indie developer and publisher Yacht Club Games has announced that it’ll be be dropping its second official video presentation, called Yacht Club Games Presents, next week. The video will arrive on Wednesday, February 26th, at 9 AM Pacific Time / 12 PM Eastern Time.

According to Yacht Club, you should prepare for “a boatload of new updates and announcements.” We can probably take a guess at what those updates are going to be. Mechanical Head Studios-developed and Yacht Club-published retro action-platformer Cyber Shadow was announced last year and is due out later this year, so we will probably hear more about that. Meanwhile, Yacht Club and Nitrome are currently working together on Shovel Knight Dig, which might receive more new info as well.

As for the new announcements, that’s anyone’s best guess right now. Though Yacht Club recently wrapped up the excellent Shovel Knight with Showdown and King of Cards, series director Sean Velasco recently said that the developer wants to continue making more Shovel Knight games– perhaps we might be hearing something about that (beyond Dig, that is)?

Either way, we’ll keep you updated, so stay tuned.

You've been patient and we've been hard at work! The 2nd official Yacht Club Games Presents is dropping Wednesday, Feb. 26th at 9AM PT! https://t.co/iof83If747

Tell your friends and rev up your excitement, we've got a boatload of NEW updates and announcements coming your way! pic.twitter.com/o1TP1BTjJl

— Yacht Club Games (@YachtClubGames) February 19, 2020

Remember Cyber Shadow, the retro-style side scrollers that Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games is publishing? Though it’s still without a release date, developer Aarne “MekaSkull” Hunziker did reveal how long it would take to finish. Spoiler: Playtime looks to vary wildly depending on the person.

Speaking to Nintendo Enthusiast, Hunziker said that, “Personally, I can complete the game in a few hours. But playtesters are taking anywhere from 4 to 10 hours to reach the ending. This is not counting feats/achievements.” Overall, that’s not bad and if you’re chasing achievements, then there should be plenty of reason to replay the title (especially if the difficulty is up to par).

Currently in development for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch, Cyber Shadow takes place in the future with machines running the show. As the ninja Shadow, players must rescue their clan-mates before the machines can take their powers. Though it looks fairly similar to the NES Ninja Gaiden titles, Cyber Shadow also takes inspiration from the likes of Mega Man and Castlevania. Stay tuned for more details on a release date and check out our interview with the developer here.

"The game starts out with just jump and slash. Each skill you unlock takes you towards a more modern gameplay style. In the end you’ll be slashing through enemies and clearing rooms in a matter of seconds without touching the ground."

Comparisons with old-school Ninja Gaiden have been aplenty- how much of an influence has that been during development? Are there any other games, recent or otherwise, that have served as inspirations for Cyber Shadow?

The biggest influence has probably been Shadow of the Ninja/Blue Shadow/Kage, though that’s not the only one. For other NES influences there’s Ninja Gaiden, Batman, and Shatterhand.

Overall the game is a collection of the things I liked growing up such as Transformers, TMNT, Swat Kats, Captain Planet, and countless manga series.

Platforming and combat are often equally important pillars in games like Cyber Shadow– would you say there’s one of the two that your game leans a bit more toward?

Definitely leaning more towards combat, with level layout used as a way to complicate combat and create new scenarios.

Can you speak to us a bit about what sort of abilities we’ll be unlocking and using in Cyber Shadow?

The game starts out with just jump and slash. Each skill you unlock takes you towards a more modern gameplay style. In the end you’ll be slashing through enemies and clearing rooms in a matter of seconds without touching the ground.

"Since The Messenger seems similar, I’m avoiding playing it until Cyber Shadow is complete. I’m saving it as a treat for myself to have a new pixel art ninja game I can experience for the first time. Something I can never do in a game of my own creation."

How much of an emphasis does Cyber Shadow put on its narrative?

Majority of narrative elements are optional, yet everything that happens is thought out and a part of a larger story written well beyond the scope of one game. I like the idea of writing too much and telling too little.

2018’s The Messenger attempted quite a lot of things that Cyber Shadow seems to be doing as well- did you look at anything in particular that game did that might have informed what you wanted to do and not do with Cyber Shadow?

Since The Messenger seems similar, I’m avoiding playing it until Cyber Shadow is complete. I’m saving it as a treat for myself to have a new pixel art ninja game I can experience for the first time. Something I can never do in a game of my own creation.

As far as level design is concerned, “metroidvania” seems to be the sort of design philosophy that the indie space has taken to with great affinity- does Cyber Shadow veer in that direction, or are we looking at a more directed and linear experience?

Cyber Shadow has a linear path from start to finish in an interconnected map. After each chapter there’s a portal that can be used to return to previous locations for hidden items.

"Playing small games on a small console makes sense, but the magic trick is that the Switch can be big too. I feel the Switch is building bridges in many ways, not just with approachable technology, but also with their openness towards indies and super helpful staff."

About how long can we expect Cyber Shadow to be, in terms of an average playthrough’s length?

In test the playtime ranges from under 2 hours for a speedrun to 6 hours for a first timer.

As an indie developer, what is your take on the Nintendo Switch, which seems to have become a haven for ambitious indie titles?

Playing small games on a small console makes sense, but the magic trick is that the Switch can be big too. I feel the Switch is building bridges in many ways, not just with approachable technology, but also with their openness towards indies and super helpful staff.

What led to the decision for partnering with Yacht Club Games for publishing?

Early on I decided not to have a publisher, yet our similar interests with YCG brought us together. It was too perfect to pass on.

Before Gearbox Software got around to revealing Borderlands 3, Yacht Club Games announced the new game it was publishing: Cyber Shadow. It’s a 2D action platformer from Mechanical Head Studios that features a shinobi named Shadow fighting against a world overrun by machines. Thanks to Handsome Phantom on YouTube, some new direct feed gameplay has emerged from PAX East 2019.

If you’ve played Shovel Knight from Yacht Club, then the essentials of Cyber Shadow will be familiar. Featuring a retro 8-bit presentation with a pulsing soundtrack, players will battle across Mekacity to save Shadow’s clan-mates. There are new skills to unlock and more than a dozen bosses to battle, along with secrets to discover.

Cyber Shadow will retail for $14.99 when it releases for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months. In the meantime, you can look forward to Yacht Club’s Shovel Knight Showdown, a fighting game featuring Shovel Knight’s colourful cast that’s out on April 9th.