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Krafton, a company known for games like PUBGand The Callisto Protocol, announced that it picked up both the Tango Gameworks staff and the IP Hi-Fi Rush. This follows Microsoft’s decision to shutter it and Arkane Austin in May 2024.

Krafton didn’t announce any specifics about the acquisition. So we don’t know how many of the Tango Gameworks staff will return or any specific individuals. We also don’t know what will happen with the Hi-Fi Rush IP going forward. Krafton only confirmed that it owns it. 

The company did confirm that title and other games from the developer, such as The Evil Within, its sequel, and Ghostwire Tokyo, will not be delisted. While it specifically mentioned it owns the Hi-Fi Rush IP now, it did not mention if this purchase also means it owns the other two IPs and could in turn build on those series going forward. The Evil Within can be found on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC, while The Evil Within 2 is on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Ghostwire Tokyo is out on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Following Microsoft’s decision to shutter Tango Gameworks, laying off its staff, the only confirmation of final Hi-Fi Rush progress included a last patch and physical release through Limited Run Games. 

Hi-Fi Rush appeared on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Krafton Picks Up Tango Gameworks Staff and Hi-Fi Rush appeared first on Siliconera.

The official social media for Hi-Fi Rush announced that the physical release of the Tango Gameworks game will still release, as will one last patch. Limited Run Games also suggested it would still happen last week online on May 9, 2024.

The Hi-Fi Rush patch will arrive first. The announcement noted that will debut sometime on May 15, 2024. It will only focus on “minor issues.” This means it might just be bug fixes to ensure it will continue to run properly.

As for the Limited Run Games Hi-Fi Rush physical release, it noted the team is still working to make that happen. It was announced in February 2024, alongside the PS5 reveal. Both PS5 and Xbox Series X retail copies were confirmed at that time. 

Here is the tweet. Note that it is the first one to appear on the social media since an April 29, 2024 one that appeared in honor of Golden Week.

This reassurance comes after we learned Microsoft decided to shutter Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. 

Hi-Fi Rush is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and a physical Limited Run Games release is in development. The final patch for the game will appear on May 15, 2024.

The post Final Hi-Fi Rush Patch and Physical Release Confirmed appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft announced it closed several studios under its Bethesda and Zenimax branches, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. Some of the affected developers will be let go, while others will be folded into other teams in order to "[prioritize] high impact titles" (Thanks, IGN and @Jasonschreier!)

Arkane Austin's most recent title was the vampire-themed multiplayer shooter Redfall that released to widespread disappointment, but the studio was perhaps better known for 2017's sci-fi immersive sim Prey. Redfall itself will no longer be updated, but will remain online. Players who purchased battle es or editions will be eligible to receive remuneration.

On Twitter, Arkane Lyon Co-Creative Director Dinga Bakaba lamented to closure of his studio's sister team and criticized the excutive decision-makers behind it.

Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you.

Dinga Bakaba, Arkane Lyon Studio/Co-Creative Director

Tango, meanwhile, produced games like The Evil Within series and Ghostwire: Tokyo before "shadow dropping" Hi-Fi Rush in 2023. Other studios to close include the mobile-focused Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Games, the latter of which will have its staff folded into the Elder Scrolls: Online development team.

You can find Tango Gameworks' official announcement embedded below:

Microsoft also recently announced an patch for Starfield, set to release on May 15, 2024. Meanwhile back in March, Blizzard's Diablo 4 became the first of the studio's games to the Xbox Game library.

Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin have been closed down by Microsoft. Both Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall will continue to be available but will not receive any further updates.

The post Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin Closed appeared first on Siliconera.

The Xbox Series X and S has increasingly been less of a platform for buying games and more of one for Game subscriptions. It’s no surprise, then, that all three of our Xbox Game of the Year 2023 selections appear on the service. Check out our picks below, and keep checking back this week for more awards!

These awards represent the consensus of the Siliconera staff. For more of the year’s award selections, check out our Game of the Year 2023 archive.

Hi-Fi Rush 5p6v5r

We say games “came out of nowhere” a lot, but rarely do games go from unannounced to out in one fell swoop, and even more rarely are they this polished and stylish. Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush brings rhythm into its action, with frantic musical gameplay and bright environments that echo a bit of that old Jet Set Radio feel. But it’s very much its own thing! And we didn’t forget about it, even after many packed months. If you missed it, maybe give it a look.

Starfield 567156

While Hi-Fi Rush was a shadowdrop, Starfield is definitely the opposite: rumbling to life slowly at Bethesda over decades and officially announced nearly a decade ago. It’s enormous, full of systems and conversations and worlds to explore. And after a few decades of Fallout and Elder Scrolls games? Yeah, we’re psyched to see a different sort of environment for Bethesda’s signature brand of storytelling.

Siliconera Xbox Game of the Year Winner: Sea of Stars r5p58

There have been many games in recent years that play off the nostalgia of the Chrono Trigger era, but few have managed to recapture that magic. Sea of Stars goes past the wink-wink-nudge-nudge referential approach, and delivers a world of characters that is worthy of its own generation of future nostalgia plays. The semi-active combat and interesting puzzles keep players engaged, and the execution of its pixel art style is exactly what you’d want. That makes it our Xbox Game of the Year 2023.

The post Siliconera’s Xbox Game of the Year 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.

The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) announced the winners of the CEDEC Awards 2023. Nintendo-d entities won four of the five awards available. Masahiro Sakurai, the Kirby and the Forgotten Land development team, and Eiji Aonuma's Zelda team received awards in this presentation.

Masahiro Sakurai received the most honors, winning two awards thanks to his YouTube channel "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games." The association gave him the Game Design and Visual Arts awards for thoroughly sharing his knowledge of game designs and visuals that can be easily understood by not only aspiring game creators but also artists and other people. Sakurai was already aware when his channel made the nomination lists for both categories in late June 2023. The judges ultimately decided that Sakurai's channel deserved to win both awards.

The development team for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, from Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, won the Engineering Award. The judges noted that the team had published its technology for procedurally generating terrains at a low cost and a tool that changes together with the project. They appreciated the team for sharing their secret techniques to help other developers improve as well.
[caption id="attachment_980196" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

While CESA usually awarded the Special Award to individuals, it gave the 2023 award to not only Eiji Aonuma but also the whole development team for The Legend of Zelda series. The association noted how the series continued to have strong impacts on many s worldwide with its ingenuity. The judges added that the latest entry, Tears of the Kingdom, brought a new stimulant of creativity with a new feature to craft rideable vehicles and other things from in-game objects.
[caption id="attachment_980195" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Tango Gameworks[/caption]

Bethesda's Tango Gameworks was the only non-Nintendo team that won an award in CEDEC Awards 2023. The Hi-Fi Rush sound team received the Sound Award for creating a new rhythm game genre by fusing music with action. The judges noted that every sound in the game, from map objects to character steps, synced well with the music beats. Hi-Fi Rush is the only game available on PC and Xbox Series X|S in this award list. It was also the last title Shinji Mikami worked on at Tango Gameworks before Bethesda announced his eventual departure from the studio in February 2023.

In the 2022 edition, FromSoftware and Cygames shared the spoils for their achievements in Elden Ring and Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, respectively. Cygames won the Sound and Engineering awards, while From Software had the Game Design and Visual Arts awards, with Hidetaka Miyazaki personally receiving the Special Award.

The post Nintendo d Entities Dominated CEDEC Awards 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is coming to another platform. Tango Gameworks announced an Xbox Series X version of the game. Ghostwire: Tokyo will come to the Xbox on April 12, 2023, the same day a free Spider’s Thread update arrives on the PS5 and PC. It will also be a day one Xbox Game release for both the console and PC version.

When Spider’s Thread arrives, it will both add to existing areas and bring in entirely new experiences. The main story’s cutscenes will, in some cases, be longer. People will also see Retribution and Silent Gaze Visitors wandering Tokyo. Akito will learn new skills, with Charge Rush and Counter Attack being the two named in the announcement. People can also explore a Tokyo Middle school to encounter its otherworldly visitors.

As for the name “Spider’s Web,” it applies to the new Ghostwire: Tokyo update mode. Tango Gameworks created 120 levels. When someone enters Spider’s Web, 30 of them will be randomly chosen. They’ll need to survive until the end. As they complete each area, they’ll gradually be able to make Akito stronger.

Ghostwire: Tokyo originally debuted on the PS5 and PC in 2022. It was revealed to be a timed exclusive, with that now apparently set to expire in April. People follow Akito as a fog descends on Tokyo. As Akito is paired up with the spirit KK, the two must stop the person responsible for the sudden supernatural events in Tokyo and deal with Visitors by performing spells and special attacks with Kuji-kiri gestures.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is available on the PS5 and PC now, and the Xbox Series X version and free Spider’s Thread update will arrive on April 12, 2023.

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Shinji Mikami stepped down from Tango Gameworks. Rumors circulated for a few hours before Bethesda confirmed that Mikami would be leaving in the coming months. While no reason was provided for his departure, Bethesda thanked him for his work as a creative lead and a mentor.

Mikami is one of the more recognizable names in gaming. He was the director of both the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4, both hugely influential survival horror games that shaped the genre into what it is today. Some of the other more notable titles he directed include Dino Crisis, God Hand and Vanquish.

https://twitter.com/bethesda/status/1628751694258479104

After these titles, Mikami founded Tango Gameworks in 2010. The developer produced four games to date. However, only one of these was directed by Mikami himself, The Evil Within. Since the release of that game, Mikami spent his time mentoring young developers, ing directorial duties on The Evil Within 2 to John Johanas and guiding former Clover artist Ikumi Nakamura to pitch her own project, Ghostwire Tokyo. Johanas was also the director of Tango’s recent title, Hi-Fi Rush, which got a surprise release during last month’s Xbox Developer Direct.

There is currently no news about what Shinji Mikami plans to do following his departure from Tango Gameworks.

The post Shinji Mikami Stepping Down From Tango Gameworks appeared first on Siliconera.

August 1st is a special day in Japan. The Bon festival (also called "Obon") is when Japanese families celebrate their ancestors. Those ancestors are said to return in spirit form to the world temporarily. Bethesda and Tango Gameworks commemorated the occasion with the Ghostwire: Tokyo Obon update. A free update to the game dated August 1, 2022, the Obon update adds a new cosmetic costume for players to wear in-game, as well as a new emote.

In its blog post on the topic, Tango Gameworks drew parallels between Ghostwire: Tokyo and Obon. Just as the game deals heavily with spirits and their impact on the living world, Obon is a time to and celebrate the impact of one's ancestors on the world. The game includes areas and scenes inspired by the Obon festival, including iconic traditions such as the Bon Odori dance. The practice of Toro-nagashi, where lit lanterns are floated down a river to mourn departed souls, is also seen. The Bon Odori itself is available within Ghostwire: Tokyo already as the "Tokyo Bon dance" emote.

The Ghostwire: Tokyo Obon update adds the Jinbei costume, which is a casual kimono-style jacket and shorts outfit. Jinbei are often worn by Japanese men in the summer. The update also adds the "Japanese Sparklers" emote, which causes Akito to crouch down and ire a sparkler's glow. The update also throws in some bug fixes, adjusting things like gliding behavior, meot volume, and some progression issues.

The Ghostwire: Tokyo Obon update goes live on August 3, 2022. The game is available on PC and PS5. Check out Siliconera's review.

The post Ghostwire: Tokyo Obon Update Brings a Costume and Emote appeared first on Siliconera.

My interest in Japanese yokai and urban legends began long ago when I first discovered GeGeGe no Kitaro. Anytime I come across a piece of media focusing on the subject, I have to consume it. Which is why Ghostwire: Tokyo was so intriguing for me and struck all the right chords. After 50-something hours exploring every nook and cranny, tracking down every collectible and supernatural entity, there were still things I needed to know. Thankfully, Director Kenji Kimura took the time to answer a few of my burning questions about Ghostwire: Tokyo's otherworldly yokai inhabitants, accessibility, and making use of the DualSense controller.

Annette Polis: Due to the nature of Akito and K.K.'s partnership, players only get enough of each character's backstory to drive this unusual team through the plot. Were there ever plans to expand on their pasts in more detail?

Kenji Kimura: Urban legends in Japan allow for the listener to have their own understandings, their own interpretation of the characters involved, and we wanted to make Ghostwire similar in that way. We intentionally made the game so that it could be enjoyed as it is, without giving a ton of background information for Akito and KK. That said, we are seeing and receiving a lot of from fans who want to know more about Akito and KK, and it would be great if we could find a way to address that in the future.

With so many unique creatures in Japanese folklore and urban legends, was there a particular reason why most of the Visitors encountered during exploration were humanoid characters, while yokai were reserved for other types of interaction?

Kimura: In general, the Visitors are inspired by Japanese urban legends and folklore. Urban legends in Japan tend to not be about monsters that jump out to attack you. They are more about something moving subtly in the darkness, and you approach it to find out that there is something there, something familiar, but with a kind of unnaturalness, a spookiness, about them because they are unordinary but lurking within an ordinary setting or scenery. We wanted the game to give players a similar feeling and so we opted to make the visitors generally more humanoid in form. On the other hand, yokais are something we grew up with in Japan, seeing and learning about them in manga, anime and books, or hearing about them in stories to explain natural phenomena. So we wanted to respect their image but at the same time, update their image a bit to fit the world of Ghostwire.

Which yokai did you prioritize including in Ghostwire: Tokyo as characters? How did you work and write around them to ensure they’d be a good fit?

Kimura: We started off by picking up the more famous ones. The first one we started with was the Kappa, because we felt it was the most famous. There’s even a novel by Ryunosuke Akutagawa titled “Kappa,” and the content of that novel was close to what we had in mind for Akito’s experience. In the book, a man chases after a Kappa and ends up wandering into another world where values are quite different from the human world. Players will also be able to find that novel in the game’s archive menu.

The way Ghostwire: Tokyo takes advantage of the DualSense controller is just amazing. From the variations in rumble and the ways in which the audio coming from the speaker immerses you, making it really feel as though KK is an entity surrounding you. Was utilizing everything with the DualSense controller part of the original design process or something added into the game later in development?

Kimura: It was added during the development of the game, towards the middle of development. We had already been working on creating KK, the combat with ethereal weaving shots and core grabbing mechanics before the game became a PS5 exclusive. After we started experimenting with the dev kits and the early version of the DualSense controller, we were amazed by how great of a fit the DualSense controller functionality was for the game experience we were trying to make. From there, we really focused on making it a great, immersive experience with the DualSense controller.

I noticed that Ghostwire: Tokyo offers accessibility options to change fonts, color balance for color blindness, and adjust motion blur. How important was it to the team to incorporate these accessibility functions?

Kimura: We wanted to make the game enjoyable by a wide audience, as wide of an audience as we could, so that more and more gamers could have fun in the paranormal Tokyo that we created. But it was just as important and high of a priority to make other parts of the game accessible. We also had of the team who were slightly color blind and others who were prone to feel camera dizziness/sickness. With the help and from the team and the folks at Microsoft, we were able to find a way to implement those key functions.

Part of the design process means things are inevitably cut either because they just don't seem to fit or there isn't enough time to implement them. Was there anything the team really wanted to see in the game that didn't make the final cut? And is there any chance we could see future DLC bring that into Ghostwire: Tokyo?

Kimura: During development, one must take into consideration the quality of experience that is desired along with the amount of time available to create that experience. There’s times where pivoting or changing direction are necessary, but for release of this game, as a developer, I am very pleased with what we were able to create. I feel like we did the best we could, and there isn’t anything I can think of right now that I would consider as something I regret not making in the final cut. I do hear voices from the community though saying that we want to know more about the characters. I think it would be great if we could do something that would give a deeper view into the characters’ backgrounds in the future.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is available now for the PlayStation 5 and PC.

The post Interview: Ghostwire: Tokyo Director Talks Yokai, Urban Legends appeared first on Siliconera.

Odds are Ikumi Nakamura's infectious introduction of Ghostwire: Tokyo is what got you first interested in the title. From there, it was the promise of an action-filled adventure through the streets of Tokyo. Toss in a healthy dose of Japanese folklore, letting players pet every animal in the game, and climbing to the tippy top of 109. All of this sure sounds like a winner for Tango Gameworks. And if my addiction to hunting down every darn hidden item in this game means anything, get the trophies ready.

Please note that this review contains minor Ghostwire Tokyo story spoilers. 6v5g4h

When we meet Akito and K.K., it's on the heels of an immense fog rolling through Tokyo. Shibuya Crossing, normally bustling with activity, is devoid of life. Everyone touched by the fog vanished. In the wreckage of a car crash, an entity looks for a body it can inhabit. There aren't many, and time is of the essence. Which is how the spirit of a former detective comes to possess a young man named Akito. K.K. explains that he is the only thing keeping Akito here. If they work together, they can find the culprit and put an end to his nefarious scheme to merge the worlds of the living and the dead.

They aren't completely alone. Some of K.K.'s old companions still linger. Ed's telephone network collects the souls Akito saves in the hopes of reuniting them with their corporeal forms. Rinko aids them by analyzing data and tracking potential activity. Ed is only ever a voice on the wire, but knowing that he's watching over all of the souls you send his way is reassuring somehow. Rinko's carrying some baggage which keeps her tethered to this world. Helping Akito and K.K. bring down the man in the Hannya mask drives her now.

As the world of the dead seeps in, so do a variety of spirits and otherworldly creatures. Most prevalent of these are the Visitors roaming the streets. These are malicious souls hellbent on staying here. Mixed in with the angry high schoolers and office workers are more dangerous enemies. Kuchisake (the split faced woman) moves and strikes quickly with her giant scissors. If you spot an Amefurikozo, tread lightly. He may look like an innocent child splashing about in his raincoat. When he senses you, be ready to fight. Danger lurks around every corner. Tread lightly and use every trick in Akito's pocket to make it to safety.

I absolutely love the battle mechanics in Ghostwire: Tokyo. It's a combination of three types of elemental damage, alongside melee strikes and archery. Gust attacks are Akito's primary source of magic. Eventually, he finds water and flame attacks, but wind will always be his most plentiful magic type. You must Attack your opponent until its core is fully exposed. At this point, K.K. will prompt you to grab hold of it and yank it out. Removing the core is the only way to make sure the enemy can't respawn the next time you are in the neighborhood. You can deal damage until the enemy poofs away too, leaving only ether behind. You just run the risk of them showing up in the future.

Some battles take place in a sort of pocket dimension. These are not quite in one world or the other. The space is warped, with items shifting to block your path. This is typically the case for larger story or side quest missions. Breakable items to refill ether respawn here, so Akito is never without access to spell weaving. There was only ever one or two of these battles where it took me more than a couple of attempts to figure out the pattern and defeat the enemy.

If you're playing on PlayStation 5 like I am, you are in for a real treat with its DualSense functionality. The first thing you will notice is that K.K.'s voice comes through both your TV and controller. This really pushes the whole "attached spirit" vibe. Other audio cues from the speaker will let you know if you're in range of special items or if Visitors are close. Haptic is so diverse too. Whether it's the heavier vibration during a battle or the softer, smaller, almost imperceptible tapping when raindrops fall on your shoulders, Ghostwire: Tokyo may just make the best use of the controller yet. Oh! And you can use the touchpad to make sealing symbols instead of the right stick. (Which works so much better, in my opinion.)

As you cleanse torii gates and push back the fog, Akito will come across lingering souls to collect. He can absorb them into katashiro, a simple paper doll, and then transmit them via public telephones to Ed, who will watch over them. Transmitting souls is one of the best ways to earn experience and cash. They always show up at a newly cleansed gate, upon completing side quests, after cleansing corruption spots, or just tucked away in alleys or on rooftops. Spectral vision is a great way to spot them. Akito can hold up to fifty katashiro, which is a lot of souls to have in your back pocket. You can also save souls from containment cubes and by letting yourself get consumed by the Hyakki Yako when it marches down the street.

Leveling up and discovering K.K.'s investigation notes grant skill points. You can upgrade your elemental weaving techniques and melee skills, as well as carrying capacity for arrows and consumables. Sometimes, progression is locked behind magatama. You can collect magatama by finding special yokai on your map. Some, like the kappa, require a bit of trickery. Kodama and oni appear once any Visitors threatening them have been removed. Yokai have their own special map markers and usually show up as soon as you cleanse a gate. You can tag them with a marker, and K.K. will shift your attention to them as soon as they are within sight.

Another way to improve Akito's abilities requires hunting down Jizo statues and prayer beads. Jizo statues are some of the toughest things for me to find. Sure, you can make offerings at a few shrines that will highlight ones in the area you haven't prayed to. But not all shrines have offering boxes. After using the PlayStation help cards and scouring the streets and alleys by spamming my spectral vision, I just have a few more to locate. As for prayer beads, there are a few ways to find them. Some of the smaller shrines you can cleanse contain beads. You can also earn beads as rewards for turning in relics at the special Nekomata stalls. You'll find all kinds of beads as you explore and turn in requests. Just don't forget to equip them.

Scaling buildings in search of items or following story trails is a huge part of Ghostwire: Tokyo. When you hear the heavy flapping of wings, check for a tengu. These yokai are friendly and don't get upset when Akito grabs them to reach new heights. You can even unlock a skill to summon a tengu (space allowing), which comes in very handy.

One of the cool things in Ghostwire: Tokyo was that not only did consumables heal Akito, every single time I ate one, it also increased his health bar a tiny bit. Pair that with health increases from leveling up, I felt invincible. Sure, a decent mob could pose a problem. But when K.K. and Akito's sync gauge is maxed, I am grabbing multiple cores at once and smashing them to smithereens. Then I chow down on some onigiri or kakigori, lick my fingers, and get right back in there.

After watching the credits roll on Akito and K.K.'s journey, I still find myself itching to finish up every single thing in Ghostwire: Tokyo. Pray at those last few Jizo statues. Find the remaining tanuki. Figure out how to get inside of the 24th floor of the shopping complex so I can take out its pesky corruption spot. I'm forty hours in and counting and one hundred percent willing to do it all over again. It's been a while since I've had this much fun playing a video game, and I don't want it to end.

Ghostwire: Tokyo will be available on March 25, 2022 for the PC and PlayStation 5.

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Ahead of the March 25, 2022 release date of Ghostwire: Tokyo, Tango Gameworks and Bethesda released a free visual novel prologue to the game. Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude: The Corrupted Casefile will come to the PS4, PS5 and PC. However, it won’t be available on Windows PCs until March 8, 2022.

https://twitter.com/playghostwire/status/1498727806787854342

As a visual novel, you will choose dialogue options in order to better know the characters on your team and alter the story. The actual Ghostwire: Tokyo game follows Akito in an empty Tokyo after its citizens mysteriously vanish. In its place, spirits called Visitors appeared and Akito needs to defeat them with his psychic abilities. Prelude will show the events that happen prior to the start of the main game. It is unclear how much insight playing Prelude will offer into the full story.

While Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude does not seem to feature any dogs, according to its short trailer on Twitter, the final product will allow you to pet and follow dogs. As well, Ghostwire: Tokyo will be a first-person action game, rather than a visual novel.

Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude is readily available on the PS4 and PS5 and will appear on Windows PCs on March 8, 2022. Ghostwire: Tokyo will come out on the PS5 and Windows PC on March 25, 2022. Those who have the Deluxe Edition can start playing on March 22, 2022.

The post Free Ghostwire Tokyo Prelude Visual Novel Available appeared first on Siliconera.

There’s an update on what the dogs in Ghostwire Tokyo are capable of in-game. A new video shows Akito interacting with a Shiba Inu. After taking care of the dog, they end up digging up some in-game currency for him.

Here’s the video. It shows how Akito will actually be able to understand what the dogs are saying in Ghostwire Tokyo. Upon conversing with this dog and feeding them dog food from a convenience store, it leads them to Meika.

Take care of dogs around the city by feeding them, and they'll reward you with Meika—or even lead you to hidden collectibles. pic.twitter.com/RqRRa8mMMj

— Ghostwire: Tokyo (@playGhostwire) February 16, 2022

This isn’t the only sort of interaction available. During a hands-off preview, a dog appeared. As Akito was walking through the city, it was agitated and barking when facing an alley. This served as an alert that a Visitor was there, so the player could be on guard and ready to attack.

We also know that it is possible to pet the dogs in the game. There is even a video of Akito petting one.

Ghostwire: Tokyo will come to the PS5 and PC on March 25, 2022. People who get the Deluxe Edition will be granted early access on March 22, 2022.

The post Feeding the Ghostwire Tokyo Dogs Leads to Rewards appeared first on Siliconera.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is going to be a game that dips into two worlds. It is grounded in reality, set in Shibuya. However, yokai and ominous characters from Japanese folklore lurk around every corner. An ominous person named Hannya lets chaos loose on the city. Fog turns people into spirits. Gates open. An exorcist that could have helped deal with it all is killed, but bound to a young man. More importantly, a recent hands-off preview event offered enlightening details about how Ghostwire: Tokyo’s gameplay works.

Things began quite early in the game. It hasn’t been long since Hannya attacked the city. Akito fused with KK, an exorcist who described himself as “one of the country’s guard dogs who ran with a pack of strays.” This is represented visually as a sort of black fog over Akito’s right eye. (It also means that, in certain situations, you can leave certain actions to KK instead of handling it yourself.) Things began with the “duo” heading to Yugenzaka to start handling the city’s issues.

It’s here that a sort of gameplay loop begins to form for Ghostwire: Tokyo. As Akito explores Shibuya, he will come across shrines and Torii Gates. These gates will need to be cleansed. After he does, he’ll gain access to shrines. These can contain things like katashiro that can be used to save spirits or new abilities. For example, during the preview session Akito started with a wind-based attack, then gained a fire-based one from one shrine. Gaining access to the shrine will also open up areas on the map. Which means he’s growing in strength and helping to take back the city.

But what happens with a katashiro? These are paper dolls that can be used as talismans. In Ghostwire Tokyo, people might come across spirits of folks who encountered the fog. By using a katashiro, their spirits can be collected and preserved. (You can get them from shrines or your friendly neighborhood nekomata in a convenience store.) Once you have one, heading to a pay phone can provide an opportunity to send them “outside” the barrier around the city. KK’s associate Ed set up the system. The game even keeps track of how many folks you saved. For example, during the preview session about 200 had been collected of the 240,000.

While heading to shrines, collecting spirits, and fighting visitors along the way are one part of Ghostwire: Tokyo gameplay, exploring locations seems to be too. For example, during the session Akito headed back to KK’s former apartment. There he collected a bow KK had found before things went awry. However, while there another being with ill intent set up a barrier around the building. It could crush everyone inside, as well as alter reality within it. Akito needed to head around to find barrier stones. This meant exploring both the inside and outside of apartments there. When indoors, things would shift. Even some mild platforming was shown as a place’s dimensions would shift and furnishings like couches would be suspended in midair. Once the barrier was dealt with, Akito could use Spectral Vision to follow the shadow of the offender and attempt to track them.

While the Visitor enemies and Akito were definitely around, they weren’t the only residents of Shibuya shown during the session. Early on in the footage, a Shiba Inu appeared. It was barking at something unseen. It served as a warning that a Visitor lurked in an alleyway. When wandering the streets, tengu flew above. Akito could grapple onto them to reach a building’s roof. One side quest on the way to the Shiroyama Shrine involved the spirit of an old woman concerned about her zashiki-warashi. Akito could take on the quest to save zashiki warashi, exorcise the corrupted person holder her hostage, and then gain her power as a reward.

So for now, we know of a handful of the tasks Akito (and KK) will tackle as part of Ghostwire: Tokyo’s gameplay. Eliminating Visitors will be a regular occurrence. So will cleansing shrines and saving citizens’ spirits. There will also be occasions where you’ll investigate areas to take down barriers, as well as cleanse and purify corrupted areas or people. However, this is only a portion of things to come. More will likely come up as its 2022 draws nearer.

Ghostwire: Tokyo will come to the PS5 and PC on March 25, 2022.

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A Ghostwire: Tokyo Showcase will air on February 3, 2022, and Sony's YouTube description for it revealed the game’s release date. As rumored, it will show up in March 2022. The exact launch date is March 25, 2022. There is also a chance to get early access on March 22, 2022 and extra items, should someone get the Deluxe Edition.

A Ghostwire: Tokyo Showcase will air on February 3, 2022, and the YouTube description for it revealed the game’s release date. As expected, it will show up in March 2022. The exact release date is March 25, 2022. There is also a chance to get early access on March 22, 2022 and extra items if someone gets the Ghostwire: Tokyo Deluxe Edition.

It seems the Ghostwire: Tokyo Deluxe Edition primarily consists of cosmetic items. People who get that version will be able to dress Akito differently with a Shinobi Outfit or Streetwear Fashion Pack. There will also be a Kunai in the pack for him to wield. The announcement confirmed that people will need to get a digital copy of that edition to play three days early.

Here’s the official link to the Ghostwire: Tokyo February 2022 showcase.

The Ghostwire: Tokyo release date is March 25, 2022. It will be available on the PS5 and PC. People who get the Deluxe Edition will be granted early access on March 22, 2022.

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Tango Gameworks isn't only developing Ghostwire Tokyo, as Studio Head Shinji Mikami confirmed the team is also working on a new game. This came up during Microsoft's Xbox TGS 2021 presentation. The only specific detail that came up about it involved one person who is working on it. John Johanas is involved in its development.

So far, Johanas worked on two games for Tango Gameworks in addition to this new title. First, he was a part of the development team for the original The Evil Within. Then, he served as the director for The Evil Within 2. Both games are survival horror titles.

The next Tango Gameworks title will be Ghostwire Tokyo. In it, players will deal with supernatural forces in Tokyo. It is a first-person game, where people will use kuji-kiri hand gestures to deal with the spirits they'll meet. The PS5 version will also make use of the DualSense controller, allowing people to experience a "sixth sense" as they play through the game.

Ghostwire Tokyo will show up on the PS5 and PC in 2022. This followed a COVID-19 pandemic-related delay, as Tango Gameworks committed to prioritizing the health of its employees. There are no further details about the new Tango Gameworks game yet.

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