A family that dies together stays together ThisDark Souls IIdeathcountermakes me feel a little bit better about myself. Between the 360 and PS3 versions of the game (there’s a drop down to switch between), over 4 million have already died. Billions of souls have been lost. I lost a few thousand today myself. And surely contributed to that death ticker. But I also beat a boss. Progress. Actually, I’ve been dead — or, rather, in hollow form — for the last 10+ hours....

On NHK General TV Dragon Questis an institution in Japan. A 30 year institution actually. Although the west doesn’t get every game right away, in Japan, aDQrelease is a holiday to be celebrated. It’s personal for me too —Dragon Warriorwas my first RPG, before I even set foot in the world ofFinal Fantasy. There are tons of little stories like that, which is probably why Square Enix is holding a 30 year bash on NHK General TV in Japan on December 29....

As if those trademarks weren’t announcement enough Capcom has been suspiciously filing trademarks forDragon’s Dogma Onlineleft and right. They were pretty sneaky. But now we know the truth —Dragon’s Dogma Onlineexists, and it’s been officially unveiledby way of Famitsu. The game will be released in 2015 on the PS4, PS3, and PC. It will be free-to-play, supported by microtransactions. You’ll play around in a new world, with four-player multiplayer support, and 100-person towns....

Might & Magic fans will be glad to hear that the development of the next in the franchise has been announced. Black Hole Entertainment’sMight & Magic Heroes VIwill come to Windows PC in 2011. The Might & Magic Heroes VIadventure starts 400 years before the events inHeroes of Might & Magic V: A legendary Archangel general killed during the war of the Elder races returns to life with a vengeance. Under the cover of preparations for an upcoming Demon invasion, he unites the peoples of Ashan to eradicate his ancient enemies....

Quick Links FromSoftwareis known for its creative and unique enemy designs, andElden Ringtakes advantage of this by making those enemiesavailable as Spirit Ashes, which players can summon to fight alongside them. Throughout the multiple patches and balance alterations, a lot of the Spirit Ashes have seen changes, butMimic Tear AshesandBlack Knife Tiche Asheshave stayed reliable since launch. With the addition of new areas inElden Ring’sShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion, there have also been new Spirit Ashes added, some of which can make certain boss fights a walk in the park....

One of the highlights of PAX — and one I feel like no one is going to really talk about — was the presence of independent developers. Is that “newsworthy” or “hard-hitting”? Maybe, maybe not. It is, however, something I want to share with everyone who missed the convention. I’m happy to report that by, oh, the halfway point of day one, the indie booths were pretty full. By day two of PAX, the area — which was scrunched in a corner and included stuff likeSpyParty,Monaco,Dishwasher 2,Comic Jumper, and the PAX 10 — was effing packed....

After over a decade of being in the fighting game space,Soulcalibur 5is going to be delisted, making the base game and its DLC contents unavailable digitally on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.Soulcalibur 5will be delisted on June 19.Soulcalibur 5is one of the most divisive entries in theSoulcaliburfighting game series. The game has become infamous in the fighting game community thanks to its unbalanced mechanics and questionable roster decisions, such as the Omega and Alpha variants of combatants like Patroklos....

Capcom issues a statement that warns players that those who are still currently accessingStreet Fighter 6’s Closed Beta Test in unauthorized ways will be punished accordingly. There is a little over a month beforeStreet Fighter 6comes out later this June, with Capcom having done a lot to promote the game. This includes an extensive 40-minute showcase of the game, along with releasing a brand-new demo ofStreet Fighter 6last week. While the demo itself contains the brand-new single-player World Tour mode, there’s also local multiplayer, though the roster has been stripped down with Ryu and Luke being the only playable characters....

Stay in the shadows I had heard the name “Tangiers” before but wasn’t aware of what kind of game it’d be. I’m still not entirely sure, even after watching this new trailer.It’s labeled as stealth, though the genre connections aren’t super clear in this latest unsettling, dream-like footage. Here’s more to go on from developer Andalusian: “While following the roots of the stealth genre, the game sits firmly in the leftfield....

The EU Playstation Plus instant game collection is adding a few games this week —Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, andSaints Row 2. For those who are unaware,the program is running in different regionsacross the world, all of which feature different games. I highly recommend picking up bothGuardian of LightandSaints Row 2if you haven’t played them already. As I’ve said before,Guardian of Lightwas a pretty nice surprise(and a solid dungeon crawler with some nice puzzles), andSaints Row 2is easily the best in the series....

Red Dead Redemptionis continuing its massive success, still fighting off stiff competition fromMario Galaxy 2, the latestFIFA, and Ubisoft’s infernalJust Dance. Rockstar can do no wrong in the eyes of the great British public, but I must say the game’s staying power is quite impressive indeed. Speaking of impressive, I’m legit shocked thatRooms: The Main Buildinghas climbed to number five. I mean, seriously? The only noteworthy addition to the chart this week isMetal Gear Solid: Peacewalker, which debuts at a rather soggy position of eighteen....

Quick Links Shapeshifting is a core mechanic inV Rising, enabling players to engage with the world in unique ways. The player character can acquire amaximum of seven distinctshapeshiftingforms, each helping them to overcome specific hurdles as the game progresses. Among the seven available forms, thebat form lets the player transform into a small chiropter. The bat form allows players to reach elevated places, which is a hindrance while in the humanoid form....

RELATED:Day One Xbox Game Pass Game Gets Perfect 10/10 Review Score Train Sim World 3will be pulling into the Xbox Game Pass station on September 6.Train Sim World 3,as the name implies, is a train simulator game that will be available onXbox Game Pass the same day it is releasedon every other platform. The game will feature three new routes to simulate train transportation, a new dynamic weather system, and more detailed features, like passengers changing clothes based on the current weather and season....