Video game news this week hits some high highs and some low lows. We've got new releases, shadow drops, preorder headaches, and oh so much more. This was an incredibly busy week.
Nintendo Switch 2 preorders
If you're like me, you had several tabs open Wednesday night at 11:58pm EST trying to snag a preorder for the Nintendo Switch 2. Walmart, Best Buy, and Target had their preorders start at midnight with GameStop scheduled for 11am (or in person whenever your local store opens).
Naturally chaos ensued. Target told me it was sold out immediately upon refreshing when the clock struck midnight. Walmart put me in a checkout queue (which worked out in my favor!). And Best Buy said "coming soon" on every Switch 2 and bundle until about 12:45am.
If you're lucky enough to have snagged a preorder like me, you're probably also half-anticipating a cancelation notice from the store, but for now we'll just hold out hope that all goes through!
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake
Yes, we've been reporting on this for a while now, and even had it in last week's coverage, but it's real! And Bethesda shadow-dropped it on Tuesday when they announced it! It looks fantastic. It still has the jank you know and love from Oblivion. It still feels a bit like a game that's nearly two decades old, but there's just something so wonderful about stepping back into that world.
There are some quality of life updates. Combat feels a little better (but is still pretty stilted and pretty dated). Graphics are better. The UI is much better. If you've never played it before or if you've only played Skyrim, it will feel familiar but still different enough that jumping into it is worth it.
Subnautica 2 Dev Vlog
Subnautica developers Unknown Worlds released their first vlog for Subnautica 2, giving us a brief roadmap of what's in store for this sequel. There's a look at in-game graphics, multiplayer co-op, and the new alien world looks absolutely wonderful. Anthony Gallegos, the design lead, says this is just the start to Early Access later this year. I really enjoyed the first Subnautica, so I can't wait to get my hands on this sequel.
Confirmed release dates!
Last week, we had two games give us their official release dates!
And Ghost of Yōtei is the first big-name game that's giving us a fourth quarter release date that may have to combat Grand Theft Auto VI. This sequel releases on PlayStation 5 on October 2nd. They also gave us a new trailer, called “The Onryō’s List," which gives us some more back story and history about our main character, Atsu.
Likewise, Remedy Entertainment has been pumping us with plenty of information about FBC: Firebreak, which is just so completely different from any of their prior games (but still set in the insane world of Control) that we can't help but be curious about this multiplayer PvE game.
FBC: Firebreak releases on June 17 for $49.99 on all systems (not Nintendo Switch... yet).
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 release
My husband's been salivating over this one since the first trailer released, and now Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is out in all its AA RPG glory. And it's getting glowing reviews across the board. Heck, it's already surpassed one million copies sold in just three days, which is fantastic for a AA game. The voice acting is wonderful. It's got great atmosphere. and solid graphics.
If you want a deeper dive (if you're not already fully sold on it like my husband has been since the reveal trailer), you can check out Gameranx's Before You Buy.