Tag: Bandai Namco
News Freedom Wars Remastered Reintroduces You to a Stone Cold PS Vita Classic
A life sentence
Bandai Namco has released the remastered intro video for stone-cold PS Vita classic Freedom Wars, which is coming to PS5 and PS4 on 10th January. This is comfortably one of our favourites from the underrated Sony handheld, so we’re thrilled to see it get a new lease of life. The game was originally developed by Dimps in...
News No Duos Allowed in Elden Ring: Nightreign's Take on Battle Royale
Two shalt thou not count, excepting that thou then proceed to three
Elden Ring: Nightreign is the surpise co-op spinoff we never knew we wanted, and it is quickly becoming one of our most anticipated 2025 releases. In a moderately interesting update, IGN has learned that players c
Hands On Final Fantasy 16's Clive Is Ridiculously Well Realised in Tekken 8
The only fantasy here is yours
Clive Rosfield, of Final Fantasy 16 fame, is the first guest character in Tekken 8 — and the final part of the game's first season pass. Armed with his trusty blade and a slew of Eikon-based superpowers, Clive would feel far more at home in SoulCalibur than Tekken. But much like Noctis in Tekken 7 — also a DLC...
News Elden Ring: Nightreign Will Boast Bosses Pulled from Dark Souls Series
"I may be but small, but I will die a colossus"
FromSoftware and Bandai Namco's attempt to make Elden Ring battle royale a thing, Nightreign, will feature fearsome enemies and bosses from across the Dark Souls series, arriving in the multiverse-like realm of Limveld. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to note the inclusion of some familiar foes in the...
News More Tales Remasters Are Coming, Bandai Namco Confirms
No tall Tales here
Bandai Namco has confirmed its plans to remaster more Tales games, following the release of Tales of Graces f Remastered in January. The plan is to launch these remasters "fairly consistently", says series producer Yusuke Tomizawa. With that goal in mind, the publisher has established a "dedicated development line" for its...
News Ex-Witcher Dev's Dark Fantasy RPG Dawnwalker Will Be Fully Revealed in January
The break of Dawnwalker
Announced at the start of this year, the project commonly known as 'Dawnwalker' will be revealed via livestream on the 13th January. This is the dark fantasy RPG from Rebel Wolves — the Polish studio that was set up by former The Witcher developers. It's being published by Bandai Namco, and it runs on Unreal Engine 5. The...
News Elden Ring: Nightreign Network Test to Take Place in February on PS5
Registrations opens in January
We can't help but be excited to try out Nightreign, Elden Ring's fast-paced cooperative offering, arriving in 2025. Developer FromSoftware (a development studio that rarely misses) has revealed that PS5 players can sign up to take part in a network test for the standalone adventure. Registrations open on 10th January,...
News Elden Ring Alone Eclipses Combined Dark Souls Series' Sales
Thus shall you be blessed with Nightreign
Prior to the release of Elden Ring, the Dark Souls series, comprised of Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, Dark Souls III, and all of its associated DLC and subsequent re-releases and remasters, amounted to an astonishing 27 million units, as well as perhaps being the most influential of the last decade. Elden Ring...
News Elden Ring: Nightreign Will Not Have Crossplay
Walled garden
Elden Ring: Nightreign has a huge focus on co-op, although you can technically play it offline and in single player if you like. Despite this, FromSoftware is not offering crossplay in the game. “Similar to the original Elden Ring, there will be cross-generational play but not cross-platform play,” director Junya Ishizaki told
News Elden Ring: Nightreign Explained, Can Be Played in Single Player and Offline
Everything you need to know
The announcement of Elden Ring: Nightreign will have caught many FromSoftware fans, especially as the studio wasn't really expected to have any news to share having put out Shadow of the Erdtree earlier this year. It did, however: a co-op game for up to three players that uses the frameworks of Elden Ring for a different...
News Shadow Labyrinth Makes Pac-Man a 2D Action Platformer on PS5
You need to see this to believe it
Of all the shocks and surprises at The Game Awards, Shadow Labyrinth may just be the most unusual of them all. It’s a side-scrolling action platformer in a similar style to something like, say, Dead Cells – except it’s inexplicably also a Pac-Man game. Here’s the press release overview: “As Swordsman No...
News Sorry Tifa Fans, Final Fantasy 16's Clive Joins Tekken 8 on 17th December
We knew it
You wanted Tifa in Tekken 8? Well tough flippin' luck, you're getting Clive Rosfield from Final Fantasy 16! Hey, we're not really complaining. The gruff Dominant of Ifrit should be a blast to play as in Bandai Namco's fantastic fighter, and he's out on the 17th December for those who own the game's first Season Pass. Those who don't get...
News Elden Ring: Nightreign Announced, a Co-Op Game for PS5, PS4
Releasing in 2025
FromSoftware has announced a new, standalone Elden Ring with the subtitle Nightreign, releasing in 2025 for PS5 and PS4. Elden Ring: Nightreign is a co-op game that appears to pull in bosses from other FromSoftware experiences, with The Nameless King from Dark Souls 3 appearing in the footage. Rise Together – Join forces with...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Update Out Now, Adds All Stages to Versus Mode, Overhauls Combat
Rock the dragon
This week, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will get its biggest update yet, and it features some highly requested improvements. It drops on the 12th December. Kicking things off on a very positive note, local versus mode is getting a welcome upgrade: all stages are going to be made available when playing offline with a friend...
News Pac-Man Has a Secret, to Be Revealed at The Game Awards
*Ominous wakka wakka sound*
We've been attempting to keep our hype levels within acceptable margins, but you know Keighley's cooking when he's got the official Pac-Man account gassing up The Game Awards. Apparently, "they" (the Pac family, presumably) have a secret, and it's coming to the TGAs at precisely 4:30 PM PT tomorrow, Thursday 12th...
News Elden Ring DLC Not Eligible for BAFTA's Best Game Award
"Full games" only
At this point, it's possible the whole Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion probably taking home Game of the Year at Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards thing may have gotten under our skin. We're all FromSoftware fans here, but at the end of the day, DLC does not a full game make. Maintaining
News Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring DLC in The Game Awards' Fan Vote Final
Along with three gacha heavyweights
Geoff Keighley has announced the finalists of The Game Awards' community vote, and the final five nominees that have made it through two rounds of voting are completely unsurprising. Votes are being collected now until Wednesday, with the nominees being: Black Myth: Wukong Elden Ring: Shadow of the...
News Tekken 8 Season 2 Confirmed, Final Season 1 DLC to Be Announced at The Game Awards
And is that Anna?
Bandai Namco announced some fairly big plans for Tekken 8 overnight, during the Tekken World Tour Finals. For starters, a 'Winter Update' is incoming, which will feature some impressive photo mode improvements and additional customisation slots for each character. A new Fight Pass is also being introduced to celebrate Tekken's...
News Bleach: Rebirth of Souls Avoids February Madness with March Release Date on PS5, PS4
Awakening
Bandai Namco has scheduled a mysterious 'Announcement Trailer' for Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, which is airing on the 4th December. It seems likely that we're getting a release date; the anticipated anime fighter has been locked in for 'early 2025' since September, so the timing certainly adds up. The game's been getting a bunch of...
News Tekken 8 Fans Eye The Game Awards as Big Character Reveal Ruled Out at World Tour Finals
But who could it be?
The Tekken World Tour Finals take place this weekend in Tokyo, Japan, with the globe's best Tekken 8 players vying for victory. Historically, Bandai Namco has saved big DLC character reveals for the finals, as that's when it's practically guaranteed a hardcore audience of Tekken fans. However, the publisher has preemptively...
News Official Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Tournament Is an Unsurprising and Unmitigated Disaster
What did you expect?
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is not a competitive fighting game by design. Its colossal character roster is purposefully unbalanced, its mechanics are abusable at almost any level, and many of its underlying systems are built for spectacle instead of technical depth. So when Bandai Namco announced 'The Dramatic Showdown' — an...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Is the Most Successful Dragon Ball Game Ever in the US
Even further beyond
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero always felt like an inevitable smash hit, but we didn't see it being a total and utter record-breaker for Bandai Namco. As per the latest Circana report from Mat Piscatella, the brawler — which released last month, on the 11th October — is basically the most successful Dragon Ball title ever in...
News Cruddy Arena Brawler Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash Grabs a Big PS5, PS4 Content Drop
Shibuya spirit
We really weren’t impressed with Bandai Namco’s arena brawler adaptation of Jujutsu Kaisen on PS5 and PS4, but credit where credit’s due, the publisher continues to update the game with new content. For those of you who don’t want to spend more money on the title, a free update available now will add four new stages to the...
News Unknown 9: Awakening Dev Reflector Entertainment Confirms Round of Layoffs
18% of staff impacted
The Bandai Namco-published Unknown 9: Awakening was released last month on PS5 and PS4, and as is sadly commonplace these days, developer Reflector Entertainment has since confirmed a round of layoffs. The decisions will affect 18% of employees "who aren’t assigned to roles that our active projects require". The news broke...
News Bandai Namco Basically Shutters Online Arm Following Live Service Failures
Blue Protocol company "absorbed"
Bandai Namco Online, as its name suggests, is essentially Bandai Namco's online games arm; in recent years it's been responsible for the publisher's live service push in the form of Gundam Evolution and Blue Protocol. And now, the plan is for Bandai Namco Online to be absorbed into Bandai Namco Entertainment in...
Rumour FromSoftware Classic Getting the Remaster Treatment
Give the people what they want
While Bloodborne fans continue to writhe in agony, it appears that the Bandai Namco-published, FromSoftware-developed modern classic, Dark Souls III, could be getting the remaster treatment. That's if the rumour mill is to be believed. This one comes to us by way of insider Nick "Shpeshal_Nick" Baker, so take it with...
News This Is How You Play PS Plus' New Anime Game
Killer within
Make yourself a cup of coffee and strap yourself in, because this is complicated. Bandai Namco has released a five minute trailer attempting to explain how the gameplay loop for its new Death Note adaptation – free with PS Plus Essential this week – works. It’s complicated, so you’ll need to pay attention, and maybe even watch...
News Little Nightmares 3 Ratchets Up Tension with Spooky 'You're Being Watched' Trailer
Stick together
Little Nightmares III is currently in development at Supermassive Games and targets a 2025 launch on PS5 and PS4. Following the adventures of spooky friends Low and Alone, this sequel focuses on cooperative play, and we have an eerie gameplay trailer showing it in action. Whether with an AI or a friend, Little Nightmares requires...
News Manga Masterpiece Death Note Becomes Among Us in Online PS5, PS4 Outing
Day one on PS Plus Essential
You may recall a new Death Note game was rated recently, with many pondering exactly how the manga masterpiece would be adapted. There were a handful of visual novels for the Nintendo DS, and many anticipated publisher Bandai Namco could be creating a new one. Instead, it’s opted for a 10-player social deduction...
News Tales of Graces f Reveals Remastered PS5, PS4 Updates in New Trailer
Up for pre-order at £35 / $40
Bandai Namco has uploaded a new Tales of Graces f Remastered trailer this morning that works to highlight lots of the quality-of-life enhancements the updated PS5, PS4 versions include on top of the visual upgrade. The JRPG is now also available for pre-order on the PS Store ahead of its 17th January 2025 release date,...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero's Upcoming Patch Will Nerf the Game's Secret God Character
Spilling the senzu beans
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will be getting its first post-launch update later this month. As revealed by the official Dragon Ball Games Twitter account, the patch is planned for a late October release, and it'll feature a handful of adjustments. One of these promised changes is getting much more attention than the others,...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero?
Is it... Perfect?
To say the latest Dragon Ball game is popular would be a severe understatement. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero absolutely exploded onto the scene last week, and it's been racking up massive player counts ever since. Fuelled by nostalgia for the old Budokai Tenkaichi games, Dragon Ball fans seem to be loving every minute of this arena...
Review Unknown 9: Awakening (PS5) - Brand New IP Shows Plenty of Promise
Step into the Unknown
Unknown 9: Awakening is the debut game from studio Reflector Entertainment but not the first entry into the Unknown universe; so far there are novels, comics, and even a dramatised podcast. Thankfully, Awakening is a standalone experience and so you don’t need to delve into any of the other cross-media releases to understand...
News As Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Explodes, Bandai Namco Is Reportedly Cutting Staff and Projects
Apparently pressuring employees to resign
Video games publisher Bandai Namco has been culling both projects and staff due to "lackluster demand". That's according to a new report from Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources "familiar with the matter". According to the report, Bandai Namco's approach to reducing staff is not to make them redundant, but...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Goes Nuclear, Sells Over 3 Million Copies in First 24 Hours
Over 9,000 etc
It's official: Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a massive hit. Publisher Bandai Namco has announced an early sales figure for the anime brawler, and to say it's off to a good start would be a gross understatement. In its first 24 hours on the market, the game surpassed a staggering 3 million copies sold. To put that number into some...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Players Intentionally Training as Lamest, Weakest Z-Fighter
Yamcha is the ultimate flex
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a strange beast to watch from the outside. First, the difficulty of the Great Ape Vegeta fight has caused many to question their sanity, and now the bumbling Yamcha has emerged as something of an inspirational underdog. Like the personification of Piccolo's weighted clothing, players are...
News Manga Masterpiece Death Note Is Getting a PS5, PS4 Adaptation
Ratings board Lights the way
The gaming industry’s greatest leaker, the Taiwan ratings board, has outed another unannounced title. This time it’s an adaptation of the wildly popular Death Note manga, which had a hugely successful run in Shonen Jump between 2003 and 2006. It was later adapted into an anime. The game, published by Bandai Namco,...
Poll Are You Playing Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero?
Your wish is granted
A successor to Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 in all but name... Did you ever truly believe that this day would come? It's a great time to be a Dragon Ball fan, because Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a roaring return to that classic arena fighter formula, where an absolutely massive character roster is the main selling...
Zero hour
Close to two decades after its release, beloved PS2 arena fighter Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 has been handed a sequel in all but name. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a throwback of epic proportions — the kind of all-out, franchise-encompassing brawler that's been sorely missed beyond the Naruto Ninja Storm series. Zero's biggest...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero's Great Ape Vegeta Fight Is Driving Players Insane
Monkey tragic
A specific fight in the new Dragon Ball game is driving players up the wall — and having struggled through it ourselves, we can absolutely see why. Early on in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero's story-based Episode Mode, you go up against Vegeta's Great Ape form — a giant enemy that offers up a much different challenge to your...
Round Up Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero PS5 Reviews Go Super Saiyan
Is the Metacritic over 9,000?
We’re deep into our Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero playthrough and fully intend to bring you our verdict very soon. However, in order to properly put the title through its paces – including its all-important online mode – we’re delaying our write-up for a few more days to bring you a thorough review. That hasn’t...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero PS5 Pre-Orders Tracking Above Call of Duty on PS Store
Krillin it
Only a few things in life are guaranteed: death, taxes, and Call of Duty's endless popularity. However, you should never bet against anime, either — and it seems the weebs are coming out in force to support Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero on PS5. The next entry in the Budokai Tenkaichi series in all but name, Sparking! Zero is a hotly...
News Bleach: Rebirth of Souls Will Go Hard in Early 2025 on PS5, PS4
Brain bleach
Bandai Namco has slapped a date on Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, its adaptation of Tite Kubo’s iconic manga and anime series. Due out in “early 2025”, as confirmed during this new Tokyo Game Show trailer, the title promises to let you “use each character’s unique skills to get the advantage in stylish swordfights”. This trailer...
News Bandai Namco's Big Cross-Media Bet Synduality Kickstarts PS5's 2025
So noir, so far
Synduality: Echo of Ada, the game portion of Bandai Namco’s big cross-media push – which is already an anime on Disney Plus, of course – will launch on 23rd January, kickstarting a potentially crazy year for PS5. Available for $39.99, the online extraction shooter will offer seven days of Early Access for anyone who pre-orders...
News Tekken 8 Heihachi Looks Like an Absolute Beast in First Gameplay Reveal
Twigs will be snapped
What's a Tekken game without Heihachi? Tekken 8's obviously bringing the big man back as a DLC character, dropping next month on the 4th October, and now Bandai Namco's decided to grace us with a gameplay demonstration. Simply put, the still-not-dead grandad looks like an absolute monster. He retains many of his signature...
Preview PS5's Sparking! Zero Feels Like Dragon Ball Z, But You May Need Super Saiyan Reflexes
We speak to producer Jun Furutani and play for over three hours
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero producer Jun Furutani’s smile is as wide as Goku’s chest when we tell him the game feels like an interactive anime; it’s clear this has been Bandai Namco’s goal from the beginning. Having played the latest entry in the acclaimed Budokai Tenkaichi...
News Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Reveals Full 182 Character Roster Ahead of Next Month's PS5 Release
Dragon Ball Z movies confirmed
After a wave of leaked footage hit the web last week — most of it highlighting a bunch of unannounced characters — Bandai Namco has gone ahead and finished off its character reveals for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, via a new trailer. <related ids="172073"> The final launch roster consists of a whopping 182...
News In an Unprecedented Twist, Sony Is Licensing Freedom Wars to Bandai Namco
Run it back
Many of you will have seen the unexpected news that iconic PS Vita classic Freedom Wars is making a comeback on PS5 and PS4 early next year. The title will be published by Bandai Namco, and it’ll also launch on Nintendo Switch and PC. So, what’s going on, considering this is an intellectual property wholly owned by Sony? Well, if...
News Stone-Cold PS Vita Classic Returns in Freedom Wars Remastered PS5, PS4
Good morning, Sinner
Like a bolt out of the blue, apparently in celebration of the game's 10th anniversary (has it really been that long?), an HD remaster of the PS Vita action RPG, Freedom Wars, has been revealed. The best part is you won't even have to suffer through another interminable prison sentence before it arrives, breaking out on PS5 and...
Preview Unknown 9 Awakening Plays Like a Long Lost PS3 Remaster on PS5, PS4
Invasion of the body hopper
Unknown 9 Awakening feels like a remastered PS3 game, and we mean that in the nicest possible way. This cross-media debut from Montreal-based studio Reflector is part of a wider push into comics, books, and more. But its largely linear level design and small-scale combat skirmishes feel like they were designed over a...
