2023-12

Hogwarts Legacy hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC back in February – you can read Game Informer's Hogwarts Legacy review here. Now, as 2023 comes to a close, Google has released the top 10 trending searches in games on Google over the year and in the top slot is Hogwarts Legacy.   While many were likely searching for new trailers, gameplay, and information about the game, there's no doubt some of the Google searching for this game stems from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's inflammatory statements about the trans community. Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive says Rowling was not involved with the creation of Hogwarts Legacy, which was developed by Avalanche, but given it's based on the Harry Potter franchise she created, she undoubtedly made money off of it. Nonetheless, it was the subject of many top trending searches on...

Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, is shutting down. It announced the closure today with a statement that arrives just four days after the The Day Before launched into Early Access on December 7.  The studio says servers for The Day Before will remain operational, but it also says at this moment, the future of the game (and its 2021 release, Propnight) are unknown. Fntastic opened in 2015 – its first game was The Wild Eight, released in 2017.  Here is Fntastic's statement on its closing, in full:  "Today, we announce the closure of Fntastic studio. Unfortunately, The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue. All income received is being used to pay off debts to our partners. We invested all our efforts, resources, and man-hours into the development of The Day Before,...

Developer Dlala Studios and publisher Walt Disney Games released Disney Illusion Island, a 2D Metroidvania-esque platformer, exclusively on Switch earlier this year. It was nominated for Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2023 – check out all the winners here – and now, Dlala has revealed it is launching new content this week.  More specifically, the Keeper Up update will go live in Disney Illusion Island for free on Wednesday, December 13. It includes new time trial challenges, quality of life updates like an improved map, and more.    "In this fast-paced new experience, players must try and beat the clock and show off their parkour prowess, thanks to a set of new challenges arranged by the 'Mavens of Monoth,' a group of 'old Monoth' enthusiasts who want to see if anyone knows how to navigate these lands...

Update, 12/11/23: Last month, VideoGamesChronicle reported that Free Radical Design, the team behind the TimeSplitters franchise, might be facing a complete shutdown. It seems that shutdown has happened, as the Free Radical Design website now leads to a 404 page. Plus, various employees have been posting about the studio, saying goodbye to it and more online.  It's been a great 2 and a quarter years at Free Radical Design, sad to see us go. Onwards and upwards! pic.twitter.com/VEfJ29g42D — Mark🥋🎨 (@KeighleyKicker) December 11, 2023 Gonna miss the folks at FRD 😔 Thank you and all the best for the future x pic.twitter.com/fsjFjM7I00 — Deanna / Jr Env Artist (@Sparrargh) December 11, 2023 The last day at FRD was very different from what I imagined. I don't think it sunk in properly just yet, but handed my keys in and left the building the last time....

At the top of the month, developer Epic Games launched Chapter 5 of Fortnite's popular Battle Royale mode. But with the start of this new chapter, the team also launched three new experiences within the Fortnite launcher. The first was Lego Fortnite, a survival Minecraft-like game, and soon after, the second, Rocket Racing, a new racing mode created by Rocket League developers Psyonix, went live. The third and final new experience of Chapter 5 (so far, at least) went live over the weekend – it's called Fortnite Festival and is basically Rock Band-lite but in the universe of Fortnite.  It launched Saturday, December 9, and allows players to use their various Fortnite skins and cosmetics on the Main Stage and Jam Stage to perform songs like The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" alongside Epic Games originals....

...

From bustling New York streets to rolling Hyrule fields, 2023 gave us our fair share of fantastic open worlds to get lost in. But which of the shortlisted games proved the most fun to spend time in? These are the best open-world games of 2023....

...

The Game Awards 2023 was full of announcements big and small, so if you're having trouble keeping track of them all, we've gathered up all our stories here in one place. You can also check out the full list of award winners here. Let us know which announcement excited you most in the comments! Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Unreal Engine 5 Remake Revealed Pony Island 2 Is The Next Game From The Creator Of Inscryption Dead Cells Developer Motion Twin's Next Game, Windblown, Revealed Metaphor: ReFantazio Gets Fall 2024 Release Window In New Trailer Harmonium The Musical Is A Sign Language Music Adventure Usual June Is The Latest From Finji Big Walk Exodus Is A New Game Starring Matthew McConaughey God of War Ragnarök Gets A Free Expansion Called Valhalla Next Week Get A Look At Senua's...

...