After the massive hit that was Stardew Valley, the game's creator, Eric "ConcerdApe" Barone, is hard at work on Haunted Chocolatier. A game about creating sweet treats, running a confectionery store, and pursuing romance, Barone says that the game won't just be larger in scope than Stardew Valley; it'll also be darker and more unsettling than his breakout hit.

"It's way bigger than Stardew Valley, at least in terms of the amount of maps, the amount of monsters, the depth to the whole item system, and all the equipment slots and all the stuff like this. Everything is cranked up," Barone said to Game Informer, while also detailing how the game allows him to craft an experience with a "darker" theme and atmosphere. He's not aiming to develop a full-blown horror game, but Haunted Chocolatier does have an unsettling vibe.

"The ghosts, the haunted nature, the castle, allow for a lot of interesting, creative things that I can do that are kind of creepy, like not totally horrifying, but maybe slightly, you know, creepy stuff," Barone said.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Sony has revealed the latest games coming to the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers in May. All of these games will be available starting May 19:

• Star Wars Outlaws (PS5)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
• Bramble: The Mountain King (PS5, PS4)
• The Thaumaturge (PS5)
• Flintlock: the Siege of Dawn (PS5)
• Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templar - Reforged (PS5, PS4)
• Enotria: The Last Song (PS5, PS4)
• Time Crisis (PS5) | PS Plus Premium required

The big draw this month is Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws. An open-world adventure in which players play as the quick-thinking--and quick-shooting--Kay Vess, Outlaws benefited from several free post-launch updates that transformed it into an exciting Star Wars adventure.

Red Dead Redemption 2 makes its way back to the Game Catalog this month, and in case you missed it the first time, it's still an immersive open-world experience set in the dying days of the Old West. Red Dead Redemption 2 also includes Red Dead Online, so once you're done playing the lengthy campaign, you can try out some multiplayer fun.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Microsoft and developer Playground have announced the launch times for Forza Horizon 6, confirming precisely when players will be able to start their engines. Microsoft also announced pre-loading details and confirmed the file sizes.

As announced previously, Forza Horizon 6 will launch first for people who pay more on May 15 before everyone can get in on May 19. The game releases at 12:01 AM local time, and that's for both the PC version on Steam and the console edition for Xbox Series X|S. The game, which takes place in Japan, is coming to PS5, but not until later in the year.

More specifically, countries with multiple timezones will provide access to Forza Horizon 6 when the country's Eastern-most time zone hits 12:01 AM. That means in the US, people in California, for example, can start playing at 9:01 PM their time. Those in Chicago, meanwhile, can start playing at 11:01 PM their time.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pokemon Winds and Waves launches next year, and to ease the wait, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have released a new behind-the-scenes video highlighting a crucial part of the game's identity: its soundtrack.

As Pokemon games have grown in scope, so too have the production standards for them, and for Pokemon Winds and Waves, a full orchestra was brought in to record the main theme. This session with the Tokyo-based NHK Symphony Orchestra was recorded, with the video below showing off just how many musicians were involved with this single piece of the new Pokemon soundtrack. Incorporating strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, the end result was a classical--but stirring--take on the traditional Pokemon theme that was used to reveal the new mainline game earlier this year.

While it starts off with a new selection of music that sets the tone for the trailer, it isn't long before the iconic Pokemon theme takes over. First composed for the original Pokemon games in 1996 by Junichi Masuda, the theme has been remixed and reinterpreted over the years, but its core sound has remained intact--much like the Star Wars or Legend of Zelda themes.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Last of Us writer and showrunner Craig Mazin has further discussed the upcoming third season of HBO's The Last of Us, saying in an interview that the series aims to force viewers to reconcile the fact that the characters they care about and cheer for are not completely good people.

"It is a question of perspective and narrative. It's a very powerful thing to be given a story that gives you a hero and that makes your side good," Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter. "That is fundamental to most religions--and it is fundamental to most politics now. It creates a tribalism. It's 'us versus them,' and it happens very, very quickly. What I loved about the story of the game, which is in line with what I am pursuing on the show, is that it is not that simple."

Mazin went on to say that he's trying to make viewers feel for the characters, despite some of their flaws. He said Kaitlyn Dever--who plays Abby--is an asset to The Last of Us thanks to her acting chops.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

It turns out that Fortnite's long-rumored collaboration with Overwatch is real after all, and four characters from Blizzard's hero shooter will pop up in the Fortnite item shop on the morning of Thursday, May 14. Fortnite will go offline on Wednesday night for an update, and the Overwatch gang should be in the shop when the game comes back online.

The main thrust of the collab will be new gameplay items and the Sandy Strip on the Battle Royale map will apparently be getting a new themed area. We don't have a lot of specific details about the gameplay part of the collab just yet, though you can try to glean some info from the cinematic teaser above if you like.

What we do know is that the collab will include four player skins based on Overwatch characters--specifically Tracer, D.Va, Genji, and Mercy--as well as a set of accessories, which includes several emotes and a glider. The whole set will be sold as individual items and in a single large bundle. We don't know any prices yet, but judging by how much stuff it'll come with, it's possible this will be the most expensive Fortnite bundle ever. The current record-holder is the Solo Leveling bundle, which cost 4,500 for three skins and their accessories.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In March, Nintendo reportedly received letters about bombs being planted at its headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, with one message stating: “I’m going to blow you all up.” The man charged with committing these crimes has now been arrested, per KTV News and translated by Automaton.

Koto police reportedly apprehended the 27-year-old man yesterday, May 12, for obstruction of business. Apparently, at one point, he claimed to have "planted multiple bombs," though none were found when authorities searched Nintendo's headquarters in March. It's been reported that the man has admitted to the charges brought against him.

This isn't the first time that Nintendo has had to deal with threats for its business or employees. In December 2023, the company canceled a two-day Nintendo Live 2024 event in Tokyo as well as a Splatoon championship because of "persistent threats," according to the Associated Press.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has stressed how vital it is for the company to keep driving sales of Switch 1 games, even though the Switch 2 has come to market.

During the company's latest earnings briefing, Furukawa said, "I believe it is important that we consider how to expand the entire software business, including titles for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2." He said Nintendo should take this approach as opposed to "focusing only on sales of Nintendo Switch 2 software."

Furukawa said this in response to a question about the slowed sales of Switch 2-exclusive Mario Kart World after the company discontinued the hardware bundle that included the game. The executive said Mario Kart World remains an "important title" for Nintendo and that he expects it to continue to sell throughout the lifecycle of the Switch 2.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Steam Controller has been on the mind of PC gamers recently, and for good reason: it's a very impressive device--though, like many viral tech products, it's currently very hard to get. Those who have been able to get a hold of the device have been quite pleased with the end product, however. They've been putting their new controllers through all the rigors of gaming--which, we assume, also means accidentally dropping them, because that would explain how a very goofy easter egg was discovered.

When you're using Steam in Big Picture mode, the Steam Controller will, when dropped from a height of roughly three feet, randomly play the famous Wilhelm Scream from its speakers. The Wilhelm Scream is one of the most recognizable sound effects in existence, and its inclusion (and randomized playback) on the device demonstrates that the Valve engineers aren't just clever designers: they are very, very silly.

But every good news story requires some research and verification, so GameSpot's own Erick Tay decided to confirm the rumor by giving the Steam Controller some good tosses (into soft pillows, of course). The result--the iconic SFX we know and love after a few tries. If you want to see this hidden feature for yourself, we recommend a similarly cushioned controlled environment, rather than spiking it off the floor in a fit of rage.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Earlier this month, Grand Theft Auto 6 hit another milestone: it’s now been a year since the last trailer. Fans are getting impatient and have started tagging Rockstar North on Google Maps to voice their frustration.

Several frustrated GTA fans have started leaving bad reviews for Rockstar North specifically over the lack of fresh details about its most anticipated title. Google Maps seemingly allows anyone to do this without having to travel all the way to Rockstar North in Scotland.

Those aren't the only fans who are a little antsy. On Reddit (via Kotaku), one player read the proverbial tea leaves by attempting to analyze the foot traffic of a cafe located near Rockstar to predict the date of the next trailer. This fan theory suggests that an uptick in the cafe's customers might coincide with a trailer drop. So far, it has not.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The protagonist, in search of a certain rare battery, arrives at a peculiar town... The town seems to be strange, with violent creatures and no sign of people. The protagonist uses his natural athletic ability to confront the anomaly alone. (all while continuing their search for the battery)