Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and IO Interactive have announced the Hitman HD Enhanced Collection. 

The name might be a little confusing given the recent soft reboot of the Hitman franchise, but this Enhanced Collection actually isn't related to the 2016 Hitman title or 2018's Hitman 2. Instead, it features HD remasters of Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Absolution. Both of these titles will feature enhanced 60 FPS gameplay as well as optional 4K resolution. 

“We’re very happy with this collection and how we were able to update and remaster two of our classic Hitman titles for modern consoles,” said Hakan Abrak, CEO, IO Interactive. “Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Absolution have helped us on our journey to where we are today, and we’re looking forward to players enjoying them in 4K and 60 fps.”

Despite the promised enhanced visuals, it's important to remember this is a remaster and not a remake. That means that you shouldn't expect this game to be on the level of the recent Hitman games in terms of raw visuals. Instead, each of these titles will likely feature some smoothed rough edges and other such touch-ups. 

What really matters, though, is that this collection will give new fans and old fans the chance to experience two of the more interesting games in the Hitman franchise. Hitman: Blood Money is regularly cited as the best in the series by fans who fondly remember the game's spectacular (and weirder) mission/level design which has since become a staple of the franchise. Hitman: Absolution, meanwhile, is a much more controversial title that clearly paved the way for the excellent modern Hitman games, but was plagued by technical issues and questionable design decisions. 

The Hitman HD Enhanced Collection will launch digitally on January 11 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. There's no word regarding a PC release or versions for any other consoles at this time. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Bowsette is dead, long live Peachette! Nintendo has confirmed that Bowsette will not appear as an official character in New Super Marios Bros. U Deluxe. According to the game's official website, only Toadette can use the Super Crown to transform into a Princess Peach-like character. This is certainly terrible news for those Nintendo fans who have dreamed for months of playing as the horned Peach-Bowser mutation that's become the subject of countless internet memes and even an adult film.

If you're not caught up on the Bowsette phenomenon...well, brace yourself because this one is about to get weird. There's this item in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe called the Super Crown which was initially thought to be an item that could transform any character in the game into some kind of version of Princess Peach (we know now that this is not the case). What initially caught the internet's attention is the fact that when Toadette puts the crown on, she becomes Peachette. This raised many questions regarding what other characters would look like upon putting on the Super Crown. 

The conversation became that much more interesting when people started asking, "What happens when Bowser puts on the Super Crown?"

The people of the internet decided that such an interaction should result in a character named Bowsette. Who is Bowsette? She's the Princess Peach version of Bowser that developed quite a following despite the fact that she technically didn't exist within the Mario universe. Artist aykk92 is credited for popularizing the idea via a comic strip in which Mario leaves Peach for Bowsette. 

That's far from the only piece of fan art that portrays Bowsette, though. Plenty of artists on the internet had their own interpretation of what this character would look like. Most seemed to agree that she would sport a pair of horns and a black dress. There were people cosplaying as Bowsette and others who argued that her technical name should be "Peacher" (based on the Toadette to Peachette transformation). 

Before you start diving deep into this particular fan art well, you should know that the obsession with Bowsette (as we choose to call her) even spiraled into fan art porn. Actually, it got there pretty quickly. 

Soon enough, Bowsette became more than a meme. Modders began adding her as a playable character in popular Nintendo games. Bowsette fans hoping to one day challenge Calamity Ganon for the fate of Hyrule with their favorite meme princess can play as the character in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, thanks to a mod by Lynard Killer (via Kotaku). 

While some might say that this mod is an excuse to show Bowsette in her underwear (NSFW, we guess...), Lynard Killer has gone beyond a simple skin swap. You can check out the mod below:

Bowsette was also made playable in Super Mario 64 by modder Kaze Emanuar. Declaring that someone paid him to "do this shit," Emanuar said at the time that this wasn't really something he wanted to do. However, he did put quite a bit of effort into this commissioned mod. Not only does Bowsette have her own voice lines, but she can also shoot a fireball that pretty much instantly destroys anything in her path. Emanuar left a download for the character here for any of the "fucking perverts" (Emanuar's words, not ours) who wish to play Super Mario 64 as Bowsette. 

Elsewhere on YouTube, GandaKris - a creator known for her amazing custom creations - turned Bowsette into an Amiibo. In a video, GandaKris shows you how to turn the standard Princess Peach Amiibo into a version of Bowsette. The process involves a fair amount of work (and some skills), but the final result really does look pretty good. 

Alas, she came to us in a dream, but now we've awoken to a sad reality: there is no Bowsette. There never was. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9. 

Count Dooku is the next prequel-era Star Wars icon coming to BattlefrontII, according to EA's official website. The curved-lightsaber-wielding villain will be voiced in the game by Corey Burton, who previously played the part in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series.

The Count Dooku character was first played in the movies by the late, great Christopher Lee, with the actor's iconic turn as Dracula inspiring Dooku's black-caped look and dastardly dialogue. Burton said in a press release that he watched Lee in the role to become the voice of evil Darth Tyranus.

"I've played so many of these sorts of wizardly, Machiavellian, vainglorious characters since I was a teenager. I've always sort of had an affinity for that," Burton said. "I've watched some of Mr. Lee's performance and just sort of climbed into his particular skin. It's a character type and a vocal placement that’s very natural to me, even though it's not in the same placement as my normal speaking voice."

Burton teased what we'll get to see from his performance as Dooku in the game, hinting at moments of strength for the Sith villain as well as sections where he might against the wall in battle.

Further Reading: The Insane Star Wars Battlefront Sequel You'll Never Play

"There are scenes [in Star Wars Battlefront II] where the character is in command and strong. But, there are certainly times when the character is under threat. And of course, Dooku's persona is to completely downplay any sense of weakness or fear. Well, to make it invisible, really, because he is all powerful."

EA also announced that Matt Lanter will reprise the role of Anakin Skywalker (which he played in The Clone Wars animations) in Battlefront II, although this pre-Vader Anakin won't be added to the game until the following month.  

Battlefront developer DICE has previously pleased fans of George Lucas' questionable-but-arguably-loveable prequel trilogy by adding characters like General Grievous and young Obi-Wan Kenobi to Star Wars Battlefront II, which caused the internet's premier meme-makers to dust off their trusty "Hello there!" gifs. 

Dooku will arrive on Star Wars Battlefront II on Jan. 23, 2019. We'll be sure to bring you trailers and images as they're released. For more on Star Wars, here's everything you need to know about Episode IX!

It would be wise to start preparing yourself, once again, for the harsh realities of hiding in a locker and fearing for your life. 20th Century Fox is bringing back Amanda Ripley, the protagonist of 2014's scary Alien: Isolation video game, for a new survival horror mobile game entitled Alien: Blackout. 

Gamers with good memories will recall that Alien: Isolation featured Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, venturing into space in search of answers, only to find herself in the midst of Facehuggers and Xenomorphs aplenty. Ultimately, Amanda just about managed to survive the events of the game, and she even found a final message from her mother along the way.

Flash forward to the modern day, and Fox has announced a brand new Amanda Ripley adventure. Variety got the scoop, reporting that Amanda will move from consoles to mobile devices for Alien: Blackout. FoxNext Games has worked with D3 Go! and Rival Games to bring this intriguing new title to life.

Further Reading: The Alien 3 Story Ideas That Didn't Make It to the Screen

D3 Go!'s website has been updated accordingly, with a dedicated Alien: Blackout page that confirms the game is "coming soon" with an age rating of T (for Teen) to the Apple App Store, the Google Play store, and the Amazon App Store.

The game will consist of "seven fear-inducing levels," with the player tasked with saving Amanda's crew "using only the station’s emergency systems." This image from D3 Go! appears to show what the game's tech interface will look like:

And there are also images like this, which have us hoping for some decent-graphics-for-mobile segments in between the more puzzle-like bits:

If you're hungry for extra info, D3 Go!'s site also shared this official synopsis:

"The terror of Alien is brought to life in Alien: Blackout. Try to stay alive while trapped aboard a crippled Weyland-Yutani space station carrying a deadly Xenomorph as it tirelessly hunts you and the crew. Outsmart the perfect hunter by making perilous choices. Players must rely on the damaged controls of the space station or risk sacrificing crew members to avoid deadly contact, permanently altering the outcome of the game."

There's no word on a release date or a price point just yet, but we'll be sure to keep you updated as more news comes to light.

Further Reading: Konami's Aliens Arcade Game Is Still Amazing

We're expecting big, multimedia things from the Alien franchise this year: in a brace of cryptic tweets prior to this announcement, Fox used the hashtag #ReadPlayWatch to imply that a multifaceted expansion of the Alien franchise is plotted for 2019. Here's one of the tweets:

We'll just have to wait and see to find out what the "Read" and "Watch" elements of Fox's 2019 Alien plans are, but in the meantime, Alien: Blackout sounds like an exciting proposition that could push the boundaries of mobile gaming. 

We'll bring you more as we hear it.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa suggests the future of Nintendo may not revolve around a console. 

"We aren't really fixated on our consoles," said Furukawa in an interview with Nikkei. "At the moment we're offering the uniquely developed Nintendo Switch and its software - and that's what we're basing how we deliver the 'Nintendo experience' on. That being said, technology changes. We'll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on."

More importantly, Furukawa noted that Nintendo has spent most of its history thinking about "what to make next." He says that "in the long-term" Nintendo's "focus as a business could shift away from home consoles" as they instead look to remain flexible in the future. 

Here's the part of the interview you're already probably anticipating but certainly won't like. Furukawa said that he anticipates that Nintendo's ability to adjust to industry fluctuations will include increasing the company's focus on the smartphone game market in order to generate "a continuous stream of revenue." He also mentioned exploring more opportunities involving movies, theme parks, and other ways to "have our characters be a part of everyday life."

There are a few things to keep in mind when digesting this information. First off, from the moment he became Nintendo president last year, Furukawa has stated that he wants Nintendo to be more flexible and adjust to changes in the industry. He's also previously said that he wants to do more with mobile games. The new piece of information here is the implication that Nintendo might move away from home consoles. Whether or not that means they would stop making them entirely or devote fewer resources to them remains to be seen. 

Furukawa also admits that he's not a developer and that he leaves it up to the developers to make great games on whichever platform they happen to appear on. That's nice, but as we previously explored in our breakdown of the Nintendo GameCube and how it changed the philosophy and fortunes of the company, Nintendo has succeeded more over the last 20 years or so by bucking industry trends rather than following them. We'll see whether or not they really are able to successfully adapt to trends in the modern era. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Anthem is the new game from BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The new IP is a departure from the developer's past work in the RPG genre. In fact, Anthem isn't an RPG at all. It's described as an action-adventure game running on a "live service," similar to Destiny. 

In Anthem, you play as a freelancer in a city protected by a wall from the dangers of the wild. Freelancers use special exo-suits called Javelins. There are two types of suits: Ranger, a balanced suit, and Colossus, which is basically your tank version. 

Here's everything we know so far: 

Anthem Release Date

Anthem will be released on February 22, 2019, for XBO, PS4, and PC.

Anthem Trailer

BioWare is partnering once again with Nvidia and unleashed a beautiful new Anthem trailer at CES to showcase just how spectacular the game looks at the highest specs:

Another trailer debuted at The Game Awards. Check it out:

At Paris Games Week, the first mission of the game was revealed. Watch the footage below:

Further Reading: Dragon Age 4 - Everything We Know

Here's the E3 2018 cinematic trailer for Anthem: 

And here's a bit of gameplay:

Here's the first gameplay trailer for Anthem:

Enemies showcased in the trailer include a mixture of wildlife and robots. The game will take place in an open-world environment and will feature cinematic dialogue sections, which isn't a surprise from BioWare.

Also be sure to check out the first teaser trailer for the studio's next game:

Further Reading: Mass Effect - The First Trilogy's Ending and the Futility of a Hero

Anthem Details

When EA executive vice president Patrick Söderlund hinted during an investor’s call that BioWare was working on a new IP, many fans assumed that they were working on a new PRG. However, that's not the case.

During a recent investor meeting, EA CEO Andrew Wilson referenced BioWare’s next IP by confirming that: “At the end of the fiscal year, our BioWare studio will be delivering an all-new IP.” Interestingly, he had this to say regarding the game itself:

"A clean-sheet design with new concepts, new gameplay mechanics, and new stories set in a unique new universe. This game has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the way people think about an action title, bringing friends together to play in exhilarating new ways. We’re very excited about the future of this new franchise and its ability to attract a large global audience."

The one term that Wilson did not use when describing the game was “RPG.” Given that BioWare and RPG go together like Nintendo and sequels to 30-year-old properties, this comes as quite the shock. BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn later took to the studio’s blog to expand on Wilson’s comments by stating that the project is designed to “bring players together in exciting new ways” and that their ambition is to "draw upon 20+ years of development knowledge and lessons to create something fun and new for you to enjoy with your friends.”

Further Reading: Why Quarians Are the Toughest Species in Mass Effect

A non-RPG is certainly a departure from BioWare’s usual development territory, but given that they’ve been evolving their combat systems over the years to be more action-oriented, perhaps this is a natural evolution of the company’s design style.

Wilson also stated that he is able to describe the game as more of an action-adventure title with RPG elements that will operate off of some kind of live service. This seems to indicate some kind of online multiplayer experience. Indeed, it seems that this delay is at least partially due to EA's desire to develop that service a little while longer.

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

There's yet another PT remake out there, but this one brings a few interesting twists. 

Right now on itch.io, you can download Unreal PT from user Radius Gordello. Just as the title says, this is a remake of PT (the PS4 horror game that has since infamously been removed from the console) made with the assistance of the Unreal Engine. As noted in the game's description, this remake's "gameplay is nearly identical to the original" and most other things about the title were designed with the intent of remaining faithful to the PS4 classic. 

However, it's the ways in which this remake separates itself from the original which has us most intrigued. First off, this version of PT features VR support. This is a particularly interesting addition considering that PT's style of design has since been featured in an army of VR horror titles of very mixed quality. The game's first-person perspective and tight corridors make it an ideal title for the VR format, and it's not like PT has become less scary over the years. 

There's also a note on the game's description regarding changes to the game's ending that were implemented to make it "more consistent." It seems that means that this version of the game doesn't feature the game's original ending in which PT was revealed to be a teaser for the now-canceled Silent Hills. However, the game does feature a Norman Reedus Easter Egg in which the model of the actor that appeared in the original game's ending shows up to lend a surprisingly effective scare. 

If you want to experience this version of PT, it's best to do so now. After all, Konami has shown in the past that they won't hesitate to take down fan remakes of PT just as they took down the official version of the game. 

Of course, it's their decision to remove that game that has led to so many remakes. While PC fans probably would have tried to bring the PS4 exclusive demo to their platform of choice at some point, that process was expedited and amplified by Konami's decision to essentially attempt to remove the game from existence following the fallout with the legendary Hideo Kojima. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

You may soon be able to use an NES-style light gun on modern TVs. 

As you may know, the infamous NES Zapper peripheral is pretty much useless on modern televisions. The original version of the accessory (and many subsequent third-party light guns from that era) would register "shots" by making the screen go dark for a frame and detecting certain hitboxes that still register light. It was a neat trick for the time, but modern television technology doesn't really play nice with that method. 

That's why hardware manufacturer Hyperkin (a company responsible for the Ultra Game Boy, the revived Xbox "Duke" controller, and many of our other favorite retro accessories) is working on a more sophisticated light gun peripheral for the modern age. Dubbed the Hyper Blaster HD, this accessory will let you play classic NES light gun games on modern televisions. 

However, that's not the most impressive quality of this peripheral. See, what separates the Hyper Blaster HD from similar accessories is that it actually uses the exact same "single frame of darkness" trick that the original NES Zapper utilized. This incredible effect is achieved via a system that recognizes the draw rate of the specific model of TV you're using, while the original NES Zapper just assumes your television utilizes the once-standard draw rate of classic televisions. This allows the Hyper Blaster HD to faithfully recreate the experience of playing old NES games with the NES Zapper. 

In fact, the experience is so authentic that you can't use the Hyper Blaster HD with anything but an original NES. Not even the retro NES consoles that Hyperkin manufacturers will work with this peripheral. This means that you will also need the proper cables needed to hook up a classic NES to modern televisions. You'll also have to accept that those games won't be modified in any way to accommodate the benefits of modern televisions (as some third-party retro consoles and systems like the NES Classic typically do). 

That's a shame, but if you ever wanted to re-live the only proper way to play Duck Hunt (with a screen that flashes awkwardly) on a modern TV, the Hyper Blaster HD seems to be the way to go. Unfortunately, there's currently no word on its price or release date. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

There's a new Overwatch lore story that suggests Soldier 76 once had a boyfriend named Vincent. 

The story, titled “Bastet,” includes a scene in which Ana and Soldier 76 (one of the best characters for new players, btw) take a moment to reminisce. Ana spots a photo of a much-younger Soldier 76 with his arm around a man she identifies as Vincent. While her interaction with Solider 76 (real name John Francis "Jack" Morrison) doesn't spell out what the relationship between John and Vincent was, it is strongly implied that they were lovers at one point. 

For instance, the subject of Vincent is described as a "touchy subject" for Jack who says that Vincent later got married and that he is very happy for him. Jack also says that Vincent "deserved a happier life than the one I could give him," and that Vincent knew that Jack "could never put anything above my duty." The most telling moment seemingly occurs when Ana notes that "Relationships don’t work out so well for us, do they?" before touching her wedding ring. This would seem to suggest that the relationship between Jack and Vincent was more than platonic. 

The rest of the story is somewhat uneventful as it mostly deals with Ana and Soldier 76 reuniting after quite some time and catching up. However, it does seem that this story serves as our first preview of a pretty awesome looking new (though not yet released) Ana skin. 

Soldier 76 isn't the first Overwatch character to be revealed as LGBTQ. In a previous Overwatch comic titled "Reflections," we learned that Tracer has a girlfriend named Emily. Interestingly, some fans have spotted that the picture of Jack and Vincent shown in this latest story was actually shown in "Reflections" (although the context of their relationship wasn't provided at that time.)

Blizzard continues to elect to expand Overwatch's lore largely outside of the game itself (via stories, comics, and shorts) despite some fan pleas for more in-game PvE content and other more narrative-based modes. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Team Ninja returns with another entry into one of the most beloved fighting game franchises ever. As you can see in the trailer below, some things about the series remain pleasantly intact. Fighters still bust-out outlandish moves, the game's roster features some wonderfully familiar faces (including Ryu Hayabusa, Kasume, and Helena), and you can still use the edges of environments to inflict additional pain onto your opponents. 

However, there's quite a bit that the sixth major entry into the Dead or Alive franchise changes up. For instance, Dead or Alive 6 places a far greater emphasis on the injuries a fighter sustains during a match. You might notice in early footage of the game that fighters will sport a few cuts and bruises by the time that the battle is done. Furthermore, Dead or Alive 6 features the introduction of two new mechanics known as Break Gauge and Fatal Rush.

The Break Gauge is essentially a super meter that allows players to utilize a powerful counter move or special attack when the time is right. Fatal Rush, meanwhile, is a potentially devastating special attack that can be executed by spamming the special button. The mechanics are designed to help players new to the Dead or Alive series do more than just throw out some basic punches, but they are not "easy buttons." They can still be countered and countering either move can lead to a significant advantage. 

Otherwise, as IGN's hands-on preview shows, Dead or Alive 6 still feels like a Dead or Alive game at its heart. That means that it's still a fast-paced and largely outlandish fighting title, even if the Dead or Alive team has stated that they want to add a degree of maturity and "realism" to the franchise. 

Dead or Alive 6 Release Date

Dead or Alive 6 will arrive on March 1. It was originally set to release on Feb. 15, but was delayed. The game is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Dead or Alive 6 Trailer

The release date announcement trailer offers up some new footage of the game, as well as some details on the different editions of the game. Check it out below: 

Here's the first trailer:

Dead or Alive 6 Characters

Here's the full list of fighters coming to Dead or Alive 6:

Ayane
Bass Armstrong
Bayman
Brad Wong
Christie
Diego (new fighter)
Eliot
Hayate
Helena Douglas
Hitomi
Honoka
Jann Lee
Kasumi
Kokoro
Leifang
Lisa Hamilton/La Mariposa
Marie Rose
Mila
NiCO (new fighter)
Nyotengu 
Phase 4 
Rig
Ryu Hayabusa
Tina Armstrong
Zack

We'll keep you updated as we learn more about the game.

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.

John Saavedra is Games Editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9. 

Headcannon Games, the team behind the brilliant Sonic Mania, really want to develop a Darkwing Duck revival. 

A recent video tells the story of the studio's somewhat strange desire to revisit a property that hasn't exactly been hot since the early '90s. After all, the Darkwing Duck TV show only ran for about one year (1991-1992). 

As some of you may have already guessed, though, the team's interest in the Darkwing Duck name seemingly has little to do with the TV show and is based more on their love of the Darkwing DuckNES game. That title was released as part of Capcom's series of NES titles based on Disney shows. Darkwing Duck wasn't always seen as the highlight of that legendary run of licensed games, but it's typically remembered as an underrated gem that featured some fantastic 8-bit action and bits of clever design. 

That's why members of the Headcannon Games team were excited when Capcom representatives indicated interest in a new Darkwing Duckgame. From there, the team began working on a prototype demo that they hoped to send to the right people (namely Disney) in order to get the official go-ahead to continue developing the title for a full release. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Members of Headcannon noted that they had some trouble getting anyone from Disney to really communicate with them on the possibility of working together on this project. Eventually, a "credible source" informed the studio that it was highly unlikely Disney would greenlight their idea. The shame of it is that it appears Headcannon were interested in making a retro 2D action title/platformer that, much like Sonic Mania, paid tribute to the original Darkwing Duck while incorporating modern ideas and visual touch-ups. You can check out the demo they created for the game via the video below. 

While it sounds like Headcannon won't get to make the Darkwing Duck game of their dreams, you can play the original Darkwing Duck via the very welcome Disney Afternoon Collectionthat was released last year. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Something about superheroes and video games just clicks together perfectly: whether you're swooping through Gotham as DC's Dark Knight or swinging through New York as Marvel's friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler, the ability to step into the shoes of our favourite comic book characters - and beat up goons from within their iconic outfits - is just pure, unadulterated fun.   

We are, however, in a little bit of a no man's land at the moment. We waited for ages for Spider-Man PS4, but now that game and all of its DLC is firmly in the rearview mirror. DC's latest single-player, triple-A, console-based adventure title was Arkham Knight, which is even further behind us in the distance. Neither of those games has a sequel officially announced, making the future seem - at first glance - to be a little bit bleak for superhero gaming.

If you know where to look, though, there are some big confirmed-to-be-coming superhero video games that it's worth get excited about. And there are also some huge rumours that could turn out to be true. Read on for absolutely everything you need to know... 

Confirmed new titles

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch at some point in 2019 (exact date TBC), Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order arrives 10 years after the previous instalment in this hero-stuffed series. Seeming to take inspiration from events that are currently occurring in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the game will see heroes and villains working together to stop Thanos and his lackeys from collecting the Infinity Stones. Expect familiar faces from the Avengers, X-Men and Guardians Of The Galaxy teams, with the Nintendo Switch making the most of its multiplayer capabilities. 

The Lego Movie 2 Videogame

Traveller's Tales, the brick-headed games company that makes all the LEGO titles, is yet to announce their next full-on superhero games (their last ones were 2017's LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 and 2018's LEGO DC Super-Villains). But we do know that TT is cooking up a tie-in game for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. 
This game will feature LEGO Batman, who is putting aside his usual lobster thermidor to help Emett and his chums fight off an alien invasion. As we wait for the next fully-superhero-focused title from TT, this one (which is released for Xbox One, PS4 and Switch on the 26th February 2019) should tide us over nicely.

Pre-order from Amazon

The Avengers Project

Square Enix is having a fairly massive 2019, with Kingdom Hearts III, Left Alive and the Final Fantasy VII remake among the heavy-hitters on its slate. Interestingly, though, the company is also quietly working away on a Marvel game known as The Avengers Project, in conjunction with Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal. Imagery pertaining to Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor showed up in the first teaser trailer, along with a very bleak-seeming tone, but we've heard very little else about this project. Shaun Escayg, the creative director behind Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, is leading the charge behind the scenes. We look forward to finding out what this one actually is.

Two DC games from WB Games Montreal

Osama Dorias is a Senior Game Designer at WB Games Montreal, and he confirmed towards the end of 2018 that two DC Comics games are in development at the studio. Given that WB Games Montreal previously brought us Batman: Arkham Origins and the Batgirl: A Matter Of Family (a story add-on for Arkham Knight), it seems logical to predict that the Bat-family could play a part in one or both of the projects. We have no official info to go on, though, so we'll just have to keep our peepers peeled. Could this be another prequel to Arkham Asylum?

Marvel's mysterious mobile title

As was announced very early in 2019, Marvel has teamed up with some former Blizzard staff to bring a new mobile title to life. Ben Brode, who previously served as director on the card-collecting Hearthstone game, is among them. His new indie studio, Second Dinner, has received $30 million of funding from the Chinese company NetEase as well picking up this mysterious Marvel gig and is subsequently going on a hiring spree. Since Marvel already has a card-collecting mobile game (Marvel: Battle Lines, it's called), we'll be very interested to see what Second Dinner eventually serves up.

The rumours that have our attention

Guardians Of The Galaxy?

The Guardians Of The Galaxy team already received the Telltale Games treatment, and they've been LEGO-fied plenty of times, but they may well be getting their biggest game yet. Rumours surfaced in 2017 suggesting that Eidos Montreal, as well as working on The Avengers Project, is developing a Guardians game. The Deus Ex and Tomb Raider franchises dominate this studio's CV, making it seem like a logical choice for a swashbuckling single-player adventure game based on Marvel's infamous bunch of A-holes. We've never seen an official confirmation from Eidos, though, so this one remains a rumour.

Something from Rocksteady?

Rocksteady Studios must have been working on something since 2016's Arkham VR, but they've kept a very big lid on it. Rumours have suggested everything from another mainline Arkham entry to a co-operative multiplayer Justice League title, but we have nothing in the way of official info to go on. All we know, in fact, is that Rocksteady's next release will not a Superman game. We know that because Arkham franchise regular Sefton Hill tweeted these words last year: "When it’s ready to show, you’ll be the first to know. Spoiler: it’s not Superman".

Spider-Man PS4 sequel/universe expansion? 

Insomniac Games is yet to announce a sequel to Spider-Man PS4, but the game was an absolute smash hit and it leaves a few plot threads dangling for further web-slinging adventures. Now that the game's three pieces of DLC have dropped, we're hoping that Insomniac is building up to an announcement of what will happen next in the Marvel video game universe. After all, Spider-Man PS4 was heralded as a gaming equivalent to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Iron Man movie, suggesting that loads of games will follow in its footsteps. As soon as we hear anything, be sure to pass it on.

Injustice 3?

Likewise, Injustice 2 was a big hit for NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. It would seem logical to make a sequel. At the moment, though, those companies are prioritising the Mortal Kombat franchise, which releases its 11th instalment on April 23rd 2019. DLC and extra characters will surely follow for Mortal Kombat 11, meaning it could take a while for those involved to move back over to the Injustice series. The existence of Injustice 3 remains strictly a rumour, then, but we'll keep you posted if that changes.

Something 4-related from Marvel

And finally, the weirdest rumour of the lot. The Marvel Games Twitter account has changed the copy in its logo to read 'Marvel G4mes'. The rumour mill has gone into overdrive, suggesting everything from a Fantastic Four game to Marvel Vs. Capcom 4. Heck, maybe they're going to announce four separate things? Again, as this rumour develops into proper news, we'll update you and this article.

Which superhero game are you most excited to play? Is there a title you're hoping to see announced? And what do you think that 4 means? Let us know in the comments below...

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Marvel's Spider-Man is the gift that keeps on giving. Fans of Insomniac's wall-crawling adventure title have already received the three DLC chapters that the developers initially promised, but the treats didn't stop there: an unexpected Christmas gift saw the much-requested "Raimi Suit" added to the game towards the end of last year, and now Insomniac is teasing something else.

Marvel Games is in the midst of a #FantasticFourWeek on Twitter, with official tweets already confirming that new content pertaining to Marvel's first family will soon be added to Marvel: Future Fight, Marvel Puzzle Quest, and Marvel Contest of Champions. But for fan's of Insomniac's Spider-Man game, it's this intriguing tweet that will undoubtedly cause the most excitement...

Something "fantastic" is coming to the game in a future update. Marvel Games didn't confirm what exactly is coming to the game, leaving the DLC open to tons of speculation. So let's start the guessing game, shall we?

Further Reading: How Steve Ditko Influenced Spider-Man PS4

Could the Fantastic Four's famous HQ, the Baxter Building, be added to the game's detailed rendering of New York, perhaps? It was notable by its absence when Marvel's Spider-Man first launched, and this iconic Marvel landmark would surely grab a few real-life headlines if it did pop up in the game.

Or maybe this Fantastic Four content could be, like the Raimi Suit addition in late 2018, the arrival a surprise new suit? Peter Parker has donned Fantastic Four threads numerous times in the comics, and one particular suit has a history with Spidey's video game adventures...

This, if you're not familiar, is a costume that's known among fans as the Amazing Bag-Man suit. Pete first wore it in the comics in 1984, donning this makeshift ensemble as a last-minute option after ditching the symbiote-based black suit in the Baxter Building.

Further Reading: Spider-Man PS4's New Spidey Suit Explained

The costume became something of a favorite with video game developers, going on to appear as an unlockable outfit in the PS1 titles Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, as well as the PS3-era games, Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time. If Insomniac were to add this suit to Marvel's Spider-Man, they'd be sure to please fans and grab some column inches, both of which will keep the game in people's memories and prompt them to load it up again.

As it stands, though, the "Fantastic" addition to Spider-Man is yet to be properly revealed. As we find out what it is, we'll be sure to update this article. What are you hoping for?

March looks set to be the month of hand-crafted adventures for cutesy Nintendo characters, with the games giant confirming that Yoshi's Crafted World and Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn are both set for release in the third month of 2019.

Yoshi's Crafted World will arrive on March 29 for the Switch, Nintendo announced on its official site, promising to let you "play as an adorable Yoshi exploring a big world crafted from household items like boxes and paper cups, journeying through each themed stage to solve puzzles and find hidden treasures."

As well as a sweet visual style and plenty of platforming gameplay, Yoshi's Crafted World also has some pretty cool features: for instance, stages can be played backwards, increasing the game's replay value and allowing gamers to experience different obstacles and challenges along the way.

Check out the new story trailer:

In the same blog post, Nintendo confirmed that Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn will release for its family of 3DS devices on March 8. This game is an enhanced edition of the Wii title Kirby's Epic Yarn, in which Kirby will be "transported into a world made of cloth and yarn to unravel enemies, unzip secret passageways, and transform into powerful vehicles."

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn will include all the stages from the Wii version, as well as some fun new features. These include new Ravel Abilities to power up Kirby and some new minigames to bulk out the experience. It will also be compatible with Kirby amiibo figures.

We'll be sure to let you know our thoughts on the games as we play them. Until then, you should check out everything we know about the upcoming Metroid Prime 4, Pikmin 4, and the rumored next Zelda game. Oh, and if you still haven't purchased a Nintendo Switch, there may be a newer version of the console on the way...

Yoshi's Crafted World, the beloved dinosaur's new adventure for the Nintendo Switch, is based on a fairly fascinating gimmick involving the depth of stages. Basically, Yoshi is able to move in-between and interact with background and foreground elements that would usually be considered static in many such platforming titles. There are numerous instances of this mechanic being utilized during the trailer, but some of the most fascinating examples of this dynamic mechanic involved Yoshi attacking enemies in the foreground and flipping a stage at will to reveal brand new paths that simply looked like background objects before. 

It certainly doesn't hurt that the game's vibrant art style contributes to the storybook nature of the level design and the use of this flip mechanic. The Switch may not be a technical powerhouse, but games like this showcase why a bright color palette and creative design will sometimes best pure processing power.

Further Reading: Luigi's Mansion 3 - Everything We Know

Indeed, Yoshi's Crafted World may very well be the game for Switch fans who still harbor a deep love for classic platformers. While Super Mario Odyssey promotes a more open-world take on the platformer genre, Yoshi's Crafted World looks like the kind of classic platforming experience that we might have dreamed of as kids if we could dream quite as big as game's clearly imaginative development team. 

Here's everything we know about Yoshi's Crafted World thus far: 

Yoshi's Crafted World Release Date

Yoshi's Crafted World arrives on March 29. The game is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch.

Yoshi's Crafted World Trailer

A new trailer has arrived for Yoshi's Crafted World! Here it is:

And here's the announcement trailer:

Further Reading: 20 Super Mario Platformers Ranked 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9. 

Sony and Santa Monica Studio's God of War was one of the biggest games of last year, garnering glowing reviews and massive sales as well as captivating fans along the way. Rejigging Kratos into a struggling father was a masterstroke from a storytelling standpoint, and the graphics and gameplay didn't disappoint in bringing that idea to life. But one thing the game didn't have was any big post-release DLC.

Although there has been a decent amount of surrounding materials for the game's legions of loyal fans - including a Deluxe Edition, extra skins, a novelization, an audiobook, some Dark Horse comics, a Photo Mode, and New Game Plus - the lack of major story DLC didn't go unnoticed.

Now, director Cory Barlog has explained why there wasn't any God of War DLC. Speaking to The GameOverGreggy Show on YouTube, Barlog admitted that he did have a "really fun" idea for some extra story content, but it was ultimately deemed to be "too ambitious" to actually produce. 

Further Reading: The Best Games of 2018

Barlog explained, "There was a time when I wrote a couple of DLCs that we were talking about, 'Ok, what if we did release some other stuff after?' You know, there are interesting ideas but I think the amount of time we’d have to put into it, it would start to end up kinda like a [The Last of Us] Left Behind or a [InFamous] First Light kinda thing where it’s just so big... like [Uncharted] Lost Legacy or something like that."

Barlog refers to some very hefty DLC releases from other games in that little quote, making it clear that his idea for expanding on God of War was fairly massive. Rather than just a couple of extra hours of gameplay, we can assume from Barlog's comments that he was plotting out something sprawling and epic. 

Further Reading: The Most Anticipated Games of 2019

"It would [have] ended up being its own thing," Barlog added. "Rightfully so, everybody said, 'Dude, this is crazy, this isn’t DLC, this is a little too big.'" It's something of a shame that these ambitious plans weren't progressed with, as there are loads of fans that would've loved to play a massive new chunk of God of War.

Cory Barlog and Santa Monica Studio are yet to confirm their future plans, but we'll be sure to update you when they do...

You'll soon be able to play a unique demo for the Resident Evil 2 remake. 

Described as a "1-shot," this demo features a 30-minute time limit. What that means is that the demo itself will not be limited to a demo-specific chunk of gameplay. However, you only get 30 minutes to play it. From the sound of things, you can continue playing if you die, but once those 30 minutes are up, the demo is no longer playable. 

It seems that the demo will see you play the Leon Kennedy portion of the game that sees him navigate the opening area of the Racoon City police station. What's particularly interesting is a statement from Capcom that implies there is an overall objective in this demo that can be completed. However, it sounds like few people will actually "beat" it. 

"Play quickly and carefully if you want to see the end of the demo, and be sure to pick up any useful items you see laying around while conserving your ammo," says Capcom in a statement regarding the one-shot demo. "It may be tempting to try and defeat every zombie that stands, or crawls, in your way, but sometimes it's better to use a few bullets to make an escape route than empty a clip on a monster that refuses to stay dead."

Their statement also reveals that there is no way to "turn back the clock," so you should be prepared to go into this demo committed to the 30-minute runtime if you want to get the most out of it. The fact that they mentioned conserving supplies also suggests that this title will focus more on the traditional Resident Evil survival aspects than some recent games in the series have. 

We have to say that this concept is particularly fascinating in the age of streaming and video. There will no doubt be some who are going to wait to start their playthrough until they've gathered information on what is ahead in an attempt to finish the demo. Others will certainly want to hop in right away to experience a slice of what is easily one of our most anticipated games of 2019. 

The Resident Evil 2 Remake demo will launch on January 11th for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

4A Games returns with Metro Exodus! Much like the previous Metro games, this one appears to contain a mix of subterranean and overworld exploration gameplay spiced up a bit by the inclusion of challenging combat. As for the timeline, this appears to be a sequel to the previous titles, but that is largely based on the degenerative nature of the universe rather than any specific plot points. 

Otherwise, this title appears to share many of the gameplay and environmental aspects that make the Metro franchise so unique. If anything, there may be a slightly stronger emphasis on creature combat over human encounters (if the footage shown is any indication, at least) but we'll wait until more of the game is revealed before making too many assumptions. 

Further Reading: The Games You Need to Play in 2019

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Metro Exodus Trailer

This latest trailer for Metro Exodus zooms in on the game's massive world to focus on the characters that star in this epic adventure. In the process, it reminds us that Metro Exodus will be a "true" Metro game despite any changes. 

Check out the opening title sequence of Metro Exodus:

And here's the Gamescom 2018 trailer:

Further Reading: Most Disappointing Games Ever 

Here's that awesome trailer that was revealed during Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference. 

A previous trailer premiered at The Game Awards 2017. Check it out below:

And here's the reveal trailer for Metro Exodus: 

Further Reading: Silent Hill, BioShock, and the Art of Scary Games

Metro Exodus Release Date

Metro Exodus has been delayed to 2019. It is coming to XBO, PS4, and PC.

Metro Exodus Details

The latest issue of Game Informer reveals some new information about Metro Exodus. It seems that Exodus will start in the fabled Metro but will quickly allow players to explore a much larger outdoor setting. However, Exodus is not an open-world game. It's a series of large, objective-based levels that can be freely explored but are tied together by a narrative. The catch is that you can't return to an area after you've completed the main objectives in a given level. That means you'll want to take care of any sidequests first.

The series' combat and stealth mechanics will receive an overhaul as part of this new emphasis on exploration. There's no word on exactly how they will be changed, but it seems the studio is aiming for general improvements. Furthermore, the traditional hub area from previous Metro games will return in the form of a train called the Aurora that will follow you between most levels. Players will also be able to access several smaller vehicles. 

Further Reading: Most Brutal Bosses in Video Games

Finally, it seems that Exodus' story will take place across the course of an entire year. Previous Metro games occurred over just a few days.  

All and all, it sounds like Exodus will make some pretty bold changes to the series' formula. We just hope it maintains some of the distinctive design elements that make the Metro franchise a special - if overlooked - gaming experience. 

Square Enix is working on a digital Final Fantasy card game.

While such a project has been rumored for quite some time, Square Enix has recently released a statement via their Japanese site that they are developing a digital Final Fantasy CCG. The plan at the moment is to release this game on PC and mobile devices in Japan. In fact, it sounds like you're going to need a Yahoo! Japan ID just to sign up for one of the 10,000 available closed beta invites. Registration for the closed beta will end on January 15. The beta itself will run from January 18-25. 

As you've probably already guessed, this will be a free-to-play title with microtransactions. We don't yet know the extent of the game's microtransactions, but such games typically employ the blind pack buy system which requires you to purchase a pack of cards without knowing which cards are actually in them. 

The game itself doesn't appear to be a copy of any of the other Final Fantasycard games we've seen before (which includes the physical card game that finally made its way to the U.S. and the brilliant, but overlooked, Triple Triad game from Final Fantasy VIII). The exact mechanics aren't known, but it seems that playing cards in this game will spawn a sprite of a Final Fantasy character meant to represent that cards' ability. It seems most of the characters are based on Final Fantasy characters of the past, and there's a translated mention of being able to "develop characters," which hints at RPG mechanics. 

There's currently no word on whether or not this game will be released outside of Japan, but we'd be shocked if it doesn't find its way to the West. As we mentioned, they eventually exported the physical Final Fantasy trading card game, and such titles can be very lucrative. 

If the Final Fantasy digital card game does come to the West, it will face some stiff competition. Hearthstone is still arguably the king of the market in terms of overall popularity, but Valve's Artifact is still gaining steam (pun proudly intended) and there is that new Marvel game made by some of the principal former members of the Hearthstone team that we're waiting to hear more about. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

Ubisoft and Epic have revealed the first details of a new deal that will see The Division 2 and other future Ubisoft titles possibly skip Steam and launch exclusively on the Epic Games Store. 

“We have no plans currently on releasing Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 on Steam," said a Ubisoft representative in an e-mail to Polygon. "[We will] also partner on additional select titles [coming to the Epic Games Store] to be announced during the coming year.”

Since then, Ubisoft vice president of partnerships, Chris Early, has come forward to share some more details about the partnership. According to Early, Ubisoft will "entrust Epic to deliver a smooth journey for our fans, from preordering the game and enjoying our Beta to the launch of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 on March 15." On top of that, he said that "Epic continues to disrupt the videogame industry, and their third-party digital distribution model is the latest example, and something Ubisoft wants to support.”

While Early doesn't comment on whether or not future Ubisoft titles on PC will skip Steam when the game launches, the fact that they are willing to make such a move with a game as big as The Division 2 would tend to suggest that they are at least open to the possibility. In any case, Ubisoft has already stated that they are honoring non-Epic Store pre-orders for the game via that platform. 

If Ubisoft does indeed enter a long-term timed-exclusive arrangement with the Epic Game Store, it would honestly be fairly surprising. Yes, we know that Steam takes a much larger cut of the profits than Epic does, but you could still argue that the incredible popularity of Steam means that your game (even a game as big as The Division 2 and other Ubisoft titles) will be seen by more users. Of course, companies like Ubisoft "jumping ship" and choosing sides may go a long way towards users deciding to just go wherever the games are. 

It will certainly be interesting to see whether Epic is able to use the continued financial success of Fortniteas the basis for a new retail outlet that will indeed disrupt the current order of the video game industry. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.