News by Lindsay M., News Editor
Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
Giraffe and Annika will also be coming to Xbox
The game is already available for PC (via Steam), but there seems to be quite a bit of interest in playing it on a console instead. It was previously announced to be released physically and digitally for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, on August 25 in North America and August 28 in Europe. Now it’s time to add one more console to the list, as the game will be released digitally for the Xbox One in between those two dates, on August 27. It won’t launch via Game Pass, so please just buy it? Here’s the Xbox trailer:
Giraffe and Annika follows a young girl named Annika, who wakes up in a strange dream, stranded on an island with no recollection of how she got there. She meets a boy named Giraffe (no, he’s not a giraffe). Giraffe seems to know Annika and tasks her with finding three star fragments to retrieve her lost memories. Lily, the Witch of the Mysterious Forest, gets in the way, challenging Annika to battle.
Developed by Atelier Mimina, the bulk of the narrative is told through comic book-styled cutscenes. Combat is rhythm based, complimented by a whimsical soundtrack. There will be unique dungeons and charming collectibles, too. Only a few weeks left until console players cam finally experience Giraffe and Annika!
Pikmin fans, rejoice!
I’ve never played a Pikmin game – I always meant to, but never got around to it. Regardless, it’s one of Nintendo’s most beloved series, and there’s a port on the way. Pikmin 3 originally launched for Wii U in 2013, and now Pikmin 3 Deluxe is set to grace Nintendo Switch systems worldwide on October 30. The news was announced by Nintendo outside of a Nintendo Direct, making some fans mad for some reason… who made up the rule that Nintendo games had to be announced during live-streaming news events? If it exists, it exists, and that’s all that matters. Here’s the announcement trailer:
Grow Pikmin, traverse the world, and save the planet! Players will manage their crop of five different Pikmin to overcome obstacles, defeat creatures, and find food where there is little to be found. If you don’t return to your ship once time runs out, there may be trouble ahead. New difficulty settings mean you can play more intensely or more casually, based on your preference.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe will include everything from the Wii U version, all DLC stages from that launch, new side missions featuring Olimar and Louie, and the ability to play Story Mode with a friend. There are also improvements including a better lock-on targeting system, enemy balancing, and optional hints. It’s a most welcomed addition to the Nintendo Switch lineup of games, bringing a beloved Wii U title to a new console and a (partially) new audience.
Fairy Tail season pass info now available
It’s only been available for a week, but developer Gust and publisher Koei Tecmo have already announced the release dates for the first season of DLC. Some of the content will be available for individual purchase, but some won’t, so go for the pass if you want it all! DDnet’s editor-in-chief Matt S. really enjoyed Fairy Tail, giving it five stars in his review which you can read here. The game is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
There are six content items, with launch spread over five dates. First up, on August 6, players will get five Limited Edition Growth Lacrima; this is only available for season pass owners. On August 20, two additional friends sets will drop, Levy and Lyon. On September 3, another two pieces of content will be available: an additional friends set (Lisanna & Elfman), and Very Difficult Requests set. September 17 is the last date involved with this season of DLC, with the launch of a new dungeon titles Rift in Time and Space.
Fairy Tail is based on the popular manga and anime of the same name. The developers worked with author Hiro Mashima to make sure the game fit with the universe he created; as such, it ties to several arcs from the originally story, including Avatar, Grand Magic Games, Tartaros, and Tenrou Island. The game is set about halfway through the anime/manga’s entire storyline. There are 16 playable characters, an original episode, familiar moves from the source material, Unison Raids, and a full depiction of Magnolia and the guild’s interior. The goal? To become number one, of course.
Spider-Man will be in Marvel’s Avengers, but there’s a catch
I quite enjoyed Monday morning. First, outlets were reporting on rumours that Spider-Man will be a playable character in Marvel’s Avengers, but only for PlayStation consoles. Then all those outlets published retractions… and an hour later, PlayStation announced that Spider-Man will be playable in the game on PlayStation consoles. Seriously, it was hilarious to watch the entire thing unfold in real time, and considering the game has basically completely fallen off my radar (I’m not really interested in paying full price for a game full of micro-purchases), it was certainly a good publicity stunt.
Spider-Man is a bit of a Marvel grey zone, as some of the rights are Marvel’s and some belong to Sony, which kind of explains why he’s limited to Sony consoles in Marvel’s Avengers – although as far as I know, there is no specific console exclusivity to the character, as he’s appeared in games across consoles, such as Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. This Spider-Man is being developed along with the rest of the team at Crystal Dynamics, and will have no link to the PlayStation-exclusive titles based on him. Adding Spider-Man doesn’t seem like an easy feat; his web-swinging alone must takes months upon months of work, and we still don’t know if it will even be any good.
Spider-Man’s appearance will be limited to Marvel’s Avengers on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and will be available sometime post-launch. The game slated for a PC/current-gen console launch (PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia) on September 4. The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions will launch this holiday season, presumably when the consoles actually launch or very soon after.