It has been a huge week in gaming, with the Pokémon Direct giving us a first look at the 10th generation of games, and Resident Evil 9 releasing. Make no mistake, they are incredibly interesting, but I am a lot more excited about a few smaller developments that occurred. So, let’s dive in.
Hitman takes on the queen of zombies in the latest Elusive Target
Fans of the legendary Resident Evil series will know that the films left a lot to be desired. Now is the time to take revenge on the lead actress Milla Jovovich, as she is the latest Elusive Contract target in Hitman: World of Assassination.
The Harbinger, as she is known, is part of the Patient Zero storyline, which is a lovely touch given the star. Not to mention one of the best Hitman subplots; I really enjoyed the Owen Cage mission in Hokkaido. This mission, however, takes place in Dartmoor. A beautiful mansion that is the best map for maniacs involved with spreading a virus to meet. Where have I seen that before…
Adventure Time comes to PowerWash Simulator 2 in April
Since being announced a few months ago, I have been impatiently waiting to visit the Land of Ooo in PowerWash Simulator 2. Adventure Time is one of the greatest cartoons, or possibly just one of the greatest shows, in history. Plus, PowerWash Simulator is one of the best games to just zone out and relax with.
Finally, the wait is almost over. FuturLab has dropped a release date trailer, confirming we can get mathematical starting April 9th. The Ice King took umbrage at being excluded from a party and trashed Ooo as revenge. Now, it is cleaning time. You can visit iconic areas such as the Treehouse and Ice King’s Castle, interact with the likes of Gunter and BMO, and use Jake as a scissor lift. I need this in my life.
Bandai may have revealed what Dragon Ball Project Age 1000 is
About a month or so ago, Bandai Namco revealed they were working on a new Dragon Ball game, given the codename Age 1000. If you know anything about the Dragon Ball games, then you know that the most likely candidate was the next Xenoverse game. Xenoverse 2 came out in 2016, and whilst still amazing, I play it regularly; it might be time for the next installment.
Well, BlueSky user Wario64, great name, might have spotted a bit of a fumble by Bandai Namco Southeast Asia. It seems they added the Age 1000 trailer to a playlist titled Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3. Bandai is yet to officially comment, but that seems to be pretty clear-cut. The game is scheduled to release in 2027, and I can’t wait.
Marvel’s Wolverine gets an official release date
When it was announced that Insomniac Games was developing Marvel’s Wolverine, I was a little skeptical. Obviously, the Spider-Man series is perfection, but with a portfolio full of Spyro and Ratchet and Clank, could they pull off the violence of the berserker? Given that the first 50 seconds of this gameplay trailer have bisection, dismemberment, and a claw through someone’s head, I think that question is settled.
As is the question of a release date. Marvel Entertainment popped a quick reveal trailer out, confirming it will release on September 15th. Exclusively to PS5, of course. Continuing the trend of this article, I am very excited for this one, also. Wolverine is quite an interesting character, and having the dab hands at Insomniac explore his story will be fascinating.
Radical Entertainment and Hothead Games merge to create New Radical Games
If you ask people to name the best Simpsons game, 10/10 times the answer is The Simpsons: Hit and Run. This is a gem created by Radical Entertainment. The same studio that brought out the fantastic Prototype duology. After a difficult decade following layoffs and being relegated to supporting other studios, the team has rebranded, with the help of Hothead Games.
Together, they have created New Radical Games, along with a fresh new website. They are advertising a few services on here, such as full game development, ports, remasters, or co-development. I am sure everyone will at least be clamoring for a Hit and Run remaster, but it will be interesting to see what projects they take on in the coming months.
Some non-gaming news of interest
Two other pieces of news caught my eye, and even though they aren’t strictly gaming, they are close enough. To begin with, Final Fantasy XIV’s heavy metal band, The Primals, will be playing at the Download Festival on June 12th. FFXIV has some amazing music, and The Primals have made incredible covers of it. Or “covers”, since the genius who created them, Masayoshi Soken, is part of the band. Semantics aside, it is amazing seeing a gaming music band get invited to a popular festival.
Next, we address the question of what happens when you smash two forces of unparalleled weirdness together. Yoko Taro, creator of NiER and a man mostly seen wearing a giant papier-mâché mask, will be involved in a new anime series of the Evangelion franchise. Evangelion, of course, is known for being rather confusing. It is still rather early, but I think we can be sure this will be a fun one to watch.
