Set in the future where a strange event caused AI to turn against humans, players utilize mechs called Arsenals as part of The Outers to fight them. Along with customizing their avatar, players can also modify their Arsenal in numerous ways. Battles are fairly straightforward and taking down an enemy allows for scavenging its various parts and weapons for future skirmishes.

Though it’s also available on the Nintendo Switch, the PC version supports 4K resolution and up to 200 frames per second. Cross-save is also supported between both platforms, allowing Switch players to jump into the PC release without losing progress. A follow-up for Daemon X Machina is apparently in the works but Marvelous First Studio is also working on a “completely new large-scale RPG.”

Celeste: Farewell – Sub-Chapter 9

Anyone who’s played the B-Side and C-Side levels of Celeste knows the amount of precision platforming required. Farewell, the post-launch ninth chapter, is no exception, providing numerous new objects and challenges over the span of its numerous sub-chapters. It all culminates in the ninth sub-chapter – a single continuous screen of parachutes, spikes, feathers, springs and much more, with one mistake requiring a do-over.

Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee series might not be the platforming classic that many had once hoped it would be, but it’s not without its strengths, and as such, its legion of fans. The first game is a solid (if uneven experience), while its successor is a legitimately good sidescrolling platformer. As such, there’s no shortage of people who’ve got their eye on the studio and what it will do next.

Apparently, what they will do next is rebrand themselves. The indie developer has apparently been sending out emails to its Kickstarter backers (via @Logmey92 on Twitter), in which it states that it is undergoing a rebrand. Interestingly enough, Playtonic says “there is a good reason” for said rebranding, and while that’s all they’ve said on the topic so far, they have promised that “all will be revealed soon.”

Honestly, that could mean any number of things, though I’m sure the most optimistic people out there will be hoping that this rebranding is a sign for that ever-elusive Banjo-Kazooie revival that people have so often pegged Playtonic as the perfect developer for. For what it’s worth, the studio explicitly stated earlier last year (and not for the first time), that it was not working on a Banjo game.

Either way, whatever this rebranding is for, we’ll probably know soon enough (one would hope, anyway). Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated.

Playtonic is teasing a rebrand among other exciting things. They have always been a logical acquisition target for Xbox, maybe they finally join now (after all the rumors and denial last year). Who better to make a new Banjo than them?! Hat tip to @HermanWrestling for the find. pic.twitter.com/hsYJ1jvyu9

— Logan Meyer (@Logmey92) January 27, 2021

After some not-so-subtle teasing, Microsoft has confirmed that Remedy Entertainment’s Control will be coming to Xbox Game Pass on December 3rd. It will be available for console players and also playable on Android. The Game Bakers’ RPG Haven will be out on the same day for console and PC subscribers. PC subscribers will also finally get their hands on DOOM Eternal.

Other titles slated for the same day include RAGE 2 for Android, Slime Rancher for consoles and Android, Va-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action for PC, and Yes, Your Grace for all three platforms. Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition arrives on December 4th for console and PC subscribers. Next week sees the release of Call of the Sea for console, PC and Android.

Monster Sanctuary will be exiting Steam Early Access on the same day and available to console and Android players on Game Pass. The recently announced Unto The End will be available on December 9th for console and PC subscribers. On December 10th, Assetto Corsa, Gang Beasts, Superhot: Mind Control Delete, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, and GreedFall will be added to the service. Overall, it’s a very packed month for subscribers – stay tuned for updates on other titles as they’re added.

Playtonic will deploy an update on April 14th for Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, its surprisingly good 2.5D platformer. The update will add “State Change” and allow for choosing between the original Lair and the “Not So Impossible Lair.” As explained here, the Not So Impossible Lair will have a checkpoint after each section.

These checkpoints will remember the best “Bee Shield score” and allow you to return to them later for practice. You can also attempt the Impossible Lair without a Bee Shield or checkpoints to earn the “Golden Try” Tonic. The good news is you don’t even have to make a new save file to try it.

The update will also include an 8-bit soundtrack for every level in the game, providing a Chiptune feel courtesy of Tater-Tot Tunes. The soundtrack for the same, titled “Retro Remix” will be available on April 14th via Spotify and Apple Music. If you’re keen on trying on Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair before buying, there’s a free demo that’s currently available for all platforms.

Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, a retro-tastic 2.5D platformer set after the first game, now has a free demo. PC players received it last week but now Xbox One and PS4 players can try it out as well. There’s no time limit for the demo and progress made will carry over into the full game if it’s purchased.

There are five levels to try out along with a Pageie Challenge. Players will also have access to The Impossible Lair which is extremely difficult from the outset. It’s still beatable so players who manage that in the demo can effectively beat the story before it really gets underway.

Otherwise, you can pick up Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Switch. It was given out for free on the Epic Games Store during the 2019 holiday season but that was for a limited time. Stay tuned for more details on what Playtonic is up to in the coming days especially when it comes to Yooka-Laylee.

Missed out on picking up Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair for free on the Epic Games Store during the holidays? Don’t worry – a free demo will be coming to Steam on January 23rd. Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 players will get it on January 30th.

According to an official Tweet the demo will feature different Tonics, an “assortment” of 2D levels, a State Change and the Pagie Challenge. The Impossible Lair will also be in the demo, which means you can theoretically complete it – and the game – if you’re good enough. That’s a big “if” though, especially since the Impossible Lair is meant to be the final level.

The demo will also allow for saved progress to carry over into the full game. If that weren’t enough, the demo has no time limit – enjoy it for as long as you’d like without rushing through. What’s next from Playtonic in the future? Unfortunately, it’s not a new Banjo-Kazooie title.

Demo will include:

An assortment of vibrant and exciting 2D levels.
A terrain-transforming "Pagie Challenge".
A State Change!
Tonics to sample. Give Yooka a massive head.
The Impossible Lair itself!
Saved State! Progress from the demo carries over when the game is purchased.

— Playtonic (@PlaytonicGames) January 20, 2020

Also: No time limit.

— Playtonic (@PlaytonicGames) January 20, 2020

UPDATE:

The Xbox One demo will also release on the 30th January.

— Playtonic (@PlaytonicGames) January 21, 2020

Epic Games is wrapping up its 12 Days of Free Games initiative in the best way possible. It’s offering Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair for free on the Epic Games Store till 9 AM PST today. Log in with your account and claim the game now to add it to your library at no cost.

This release is significant due to being fairly recent. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair released in October 2019 and offered a 2.5D platforming take on the retro formula. The ability to enter different worlds and modify them in different ways along with some solid platforming action found favour with its audience.

Suffice to say that it’s well worth adding to one’s library, especially free. Epic Games’ usual schedule of free weekly games will resume later today. Darksiders 2 seems to be the next free game on offer so keep an eye out for that if you don’t own it already.

Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is out now for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The duo’s latest adventure takes place in a 2.5D perspective as they battle with Queen Phoebee and the Royal Beetallion to stop Capital B’s latest scheme. Check out the launch trailer below.

There are numerous levels to explore, along with a 3D overworld as you work to find the Royal Beetallion. The biggest twist to the gameplay are the alternate level states. If you activate certain switches, then levels will change, becoming submerged or windy and creating new challenges.

The other intriguing twist is the ability to fight through the Impossible Lair and face Capital B whenever you see fit. If you don’t have any Royal Beetallion members to help avoid the various traps, the lair could be tough, but it’s open to players regardless. To see more gameplay, check out this 15-minute video.

Earlier we finally got a release date for the upcoming Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. The game will be hitting shelves at the beginning of October. Instead of building on the first game’s ode to 3D platformers, this one is going even more old school with a 2.5D style, and today we got an extended look at some aspects of the game.

Via GameXplain, we got 15 minutes of unfiltered gameplay. In it we see some new levels and bosses highlighted that we haven’t seen before. We also see some neat visual filters that give the game an interesting new coat of paint. It’s definitely a big departure from the first game, but looks to be a solid attempt at something different.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair will release on October 8th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch and PC. For a look at more levels and their alternative states, you can go through here.

https://youtu.be/Yx2aIsb2_Us