A little later in the day than usual, but this week’s roundup is here! Today’s post features yet another Pokémon Scarlet and Violet announcement, a Spider-Man: Miles Morales PC update, a Sonic Frontiers gameplay preview, and new game releases with Scorn and LEGO Bricktales. If any of these pique your interest, then read ahead to learn more.
Pokémon fans have more to be excited about this week with two new trailers introducing us to another Scarlet and Violet gym leader and her signature Pokémon. In a video released Wednesday, we got our first look at Iono the electric-type gym leader. She’s based on real-world YouTubers and influencers and calls herself the Supercharged Streamer. She’s bubbly and colorful, bringing the energy we might expect from her signature type. Her intro video calls back to the classic “Who’s that Pokémon?” game from the 90s anime, asking her viewers to guess who her signature Pokémon is.
The first trailer falls short of announcing the partner mon, though, teasing us with a few hints. The second video follows by revealing Bellibolt. It’s an electric frog, joining the ranks of Croagunk, Poliwag, and other frog mons. As we see in the video, Bellibolt uses its large bubble belly to store electricity which it then releases through eye-like bulbs on either side of its head. It’s not been revealed yet if Bellibolt will evolve into or from another Pokémon, so we’ll have to stay tuned for more. Iono’s hair clips also greatly resemble two Magnemite, possibly teasing a regional variant for this first-gen icon as well. If the past few weeks prove precedent, we won’t have to wait long for the next Pokémon news as we await the November 18 release of Scarlet and Violet.
Last month we learned that Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the next in a recent line of previously PlayStation exclusive games making their way to PC. This week Sony released a trailer highlighting some of the PC release’s tweaks suited for the new platform. The game will have enhanced ray-tracing and framerate capabilities and support for ultra-wide monitor setups. Fans of the PS5’s DualSense controller can continue to play the game with that controller or opt for mouse and keyboard controls as well. The video description also mentions pre-purchase extra content including two new suits, the Gravity Well gadget, and three skill points. PC gamers can swing through the streets of New York soon when the game releases on November 18 on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
LEGO games have had much success over the last decade, adapting several movie franchises including Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the MCU. With their newest game, LEGO is trying something new. LEGO Bricktales sheds the licensed worlds of previous games and adventures into a new world all its own with five themed biomes including deserts, jungles, and an amusement park. The game leans heavily into the building and puzzle aspects of previous LEGO games as the trailer shows off building bridges, cars, towers, and more. Levels look beautiful and detailed, resembling individual diorama LEGO sets. Your mini-figure character is also completely customizable, presumably with parts that you unlock throughout the game. LEGO Brictales oozes charm, and interested players can get the game now on all platforms.
Xbox fans have long awaited the release of Scorn since it was announced in 2020 as an Xbox exclusive. The wait is now over as the game released this Friday alongside a new launch trailer which gives us a look at some basic gameplay and the creepy atmospheric visuals. It’s a first-person horror shooter set in a gory, biomechanical nightmare world. The game’s aesthetics are heavily influenced by the work of H. R. Giger and his iconic xenomorph and other designs from the Alien franchise. The trailer does not give much of the story away, but the game’s official website reveals a few subtle hints. One scene that stood out to me is when the player character is “born,” detaching an umbilical cord from its stomach. That said, we’ll have to play the game to learn more with what’s going on in this creepy world. For those who can handle the horror, Scorn is out now on Xbox Series X and S and PC and even included in Game Pass.
Sonic Frontiers, the Blue Blur’s next 3D adventure, is fast approaching with a release next month. This week developers released a trailer that gives an extended look at the game’s combat mechanics. Sonic’s repertoire includes series mainstay moves including his homing attack, ground stomp, and drop dash. Frontiers will also include a skill tree enabling Sonic to unlock several new moves after collecting seeds of power and defense. Some of those shown in this trailer are phantom rush, sonic boom, and wild rush. The first is an overdrive type power boost, the second a long-range shockwave attack, and the last an extra powerful zig-zagging homing attack. The cyloop is another highlighted ability which can be used to break enemy shields and pull rings from underground to heal Sonic. These moves and more will help you defeat Guardians and save the Starfall Islands when Sonic Frontiers launches on all platforms on November 8.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup. As usual, if you want to shoutout another upcoming game go ahead and drop a line in the comments. Enjoy the week ahead, and I’ll see you next time!