Hello hello, readers! Welcome back to the Pow Pow blog! I know it’s been a while since my last post. Sorry about that. I’ve had to put the blog on the back burner, but I’m getting back into it and am excited to get things going again! So read ahead for some of this week’s gaming news headlines. As always, there’s too much to cover in one blog post, so feel free to add to the discussion in the comments below!
An update that will excite at least one reader of this blog is the release of an official launch trailer for Overwatch 2. The long-awaited sequel has been in beta testing for the past several months, and the early access launch is finally here. Upon release, the free-to-play Overwatch 2 will replace the original game, effectively “merging” them into one game. No worries, though, in-game currency and other unlockables will transfer for returning players.
The new trailer shows off several playable heroes, both old favorites and new faces. One new hero is Kiriko, a young girl who this trailer seems to set up as a flagship character for the new installment. She is a ninja-like hero who wields the power of the Kitsune, a traditional Japanese fox spirit. The trailer also advertises the Watchpoint Pack which includes the Season 1 Battle Pass and other rewards, including access to Kiriko from the jump. Fans don’t have long to wait as Overwatch 2 launches on PC and consoles next week on October 4.
With each passing week new information about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet comes to light, and this week is no exception. As part of their advertising campaign for the upcoming games, the Pokémon Company launched a website for the World Pokémon Ecological Society. The site is a pre-recorded webinar experience (sadly all in Japanese for now), and through this site they introduced a new Pokémon to the world: Wiglett. This species is similar to series mainstay Diglett, but is not a regional variant. Instead, it is a result of convergent evolution. Like Diglett, Wiglett sports a large, round, pink nose and burrows up from underground. However, Wiglett is white, much longer, and lives on beaches and even in the sea. Will it be Water/Ground type to boot? Can we expect a Wugtrio evolved form? We’ll have to wait and see when Scarlet and Violet launch on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.
In some unfortunate news, Google announced in a blog post yesterday that they are shutting down their Google Stadia service. Stadia launched in 2019 and was Google’s attempt to break into cloud gaming. At the time, cloud gaming had yet to reach widespread popularity, but since then all of the major consoles have rolled out various cloud gaming services. Phil Harrison, Google’s VP and General Manager for Stadia, wrote that Stadia “hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected,” prompting the decision to shutter the service. Users can continue to play Stadia games until January 18, 2023 when all servers will shut down. Google is also refunding all Stadia hardware and software purchases, which they plan to have mostly complete by mid-January as well.
On Monday PlayStation released a new story trailer for The Last of Us Part I. The remake of the award-winning 2013 game features updated graphics, controls, accessibility options, and other improvements. The game launched earlier this month to overwhelmingly positive reviews. Players can play it now on PS5, with an unspecified PC release on the way. Also on Monday, HBO released a new teaser trailer for their 2023 adaptation of the game. The series stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie (both of Game of Thrones fame). Between the Part I remake and HBO’s adaptation, fans of The Last of Us have much to look forward to in the near future!
This week also saw the release of Tunic on PS4, PS5, and Switch. The indie critical darling launched on Xbox consoles, PC, and Mac in March to high praise, so it’s good to see the game now reach even more players. The game combines classic Zelda elements with Souls-like touches, and features a darn cute fox player character to boot. Older gamers–myself included–will love the in-game manual, harkening back to the physical instruction booklets of days gone by. If you haven’t played this one yet, you owe it to yourself to try it out. Check it out now on all major consoles.
Fans of kart racers will be interested in the final two updates for this week. The first is an announcement trailer for Bandai Namco’s new racer Gigantosaurus Dino Kart. Players can race across fifteen different themed tracks split into four cups in the Cretacia Grand Prix. Four playable characters have been announced so far, each with a unique vehicle to drive, with more sure to come. Genre mainstays such as obstacles, power-ups, and split screen co-op will surely make for hours of racing fun. Look for Gigantosaurus Dino Kart to hit PC and all consoles some time next year.
If that’s not enough kart racer action for you, then buckle up for more because Nintendo also released a gameplay trailer for Smurfs Kart. The game features twelve different playable Smurfs, twelve themed courses, items, split screen local co-op, oh my! Look for Smurfs Kart to hit Switch on November 15. With Chocobo Grand Prix’s release last March, the Mario Kart Expansion Pass releasing throughout this year, and now these two new games, kart racer fans are having a year for the record books for sure!
Thanks for reading this week! Again, if there’s something I missed that you think deserves a spotlight, drop a line in the comments below. I’ll be sure to keep your favorite games and series on the top of my list moving forward. I know I missed both a PlayStation State of Play and Nintendo Direct a couple weeks ago, but I plan to circle back and talk about some of the more exciting announcements from those shows. So stay tuned for more, and in the meantime, happy playing! (Still working on that catchphrase, ha!)