A bird that kills at will As a comedic tool, juxtaposition can cut both ways. WasAttack of the Killer Tomatoesa cheap “opposite day joke” one-note-tune of a film, or an adorable commitment to pushing a ridiculous concept past the point of reason? Like with every comedy, the answer probably depends on who you ask. The same will probably be said ofChickensword, though from what I’ve played so far, it’s well designed enough to push through any mixed feelings players may have towards the game’s approach to comedy....

As you hang out inCyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, you might pick up some gigs. Maybe you’re passing the time, or maybe you’re looking to check off some journal entries. Either way, they often contain some choices, like the one V faces at the conclusion of the gig Dogtown Saints inCyberpunk 2077, choosing to side with either Nika or Anderson. This gig is given to you by Mr. Hands, V’s handler while taking on odd jobs in Dogtown during the story ofCyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty....

Phantom menace Region-freeDark Soulsmultiplayer, just the way we like it. From Software hasissued an updateon Steam that allows players to summon and invade one another regardless of where they live. While these cross-country connections aren’t always ideal because of high pings, I’d rather have someone to share in the misery than no one at all. The update also fixes a potential crash when opening the Book of the Guilty, so sinners beware....

An incredibly underrated fighting game,DNF Duel, is currently free-to-own on the Epic Games Store right now. It may not have many players now, but I still think it is worth playing. It is being offered alongsideCYGNI: All Guns Blazing, a visually intriguing shoot ’em up, and the Conduit Free Unlock Bundle forApex Legends,which grants you the Legend Conduit for free, plus a skin. They are all free-to-own forever, as long as you claim them before August 15 at 4 pm BST / 11 am ET/ 8 am PT....

There were plenty of hype-worthy trailers to come out ofthe Xbox Games Showcaseon June 9, such as the reveals forDoom: The Dark AgesandGears of War: E-Day. One trailer that seems to have elicited almost nothing but complaints, however, was thereveal for BioWare’s nextDragon Agegame, now titledDragon Age: The Veilguard, which has accrued approximately 198,000 dislikes on YouTube compared to 35,000 likes. As for why fans have reacted so negatively to the reveal, it appears to stem from the trailer’s tone....

For a game that’s coming to PlayStation 3 and 3DS later this year Capcom has been pretty tight lipped aboutE.X. Troopers.Well, that is until today when the publisher brought the cel-shadedLost Planetspin-off center stage at their Summer Jam event in Tokyo. There Capcom revealed co-operative multiplayer for the upcoming third-person shooter, which players in attendance were given the opportunity to go hands-on with at the event. Also announced was the involvement of Dai Sato ofHalo LegendsandGhost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complexfame, who is working onthe game’s story....

I recognize a single person on that list so far! Epic Games will be making a big splash this year at E3 and for charity by hosting their ownFortnitetournament featuring 100 various pros and celebrities known as the “Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am.” Basically, 50Fortnitepros and personalities will be teaming up with 50 celebrities to earn the “ultimate Victory Royale” which includes $1 million towards a charity of their choosing, with the remaining charity prize pool of $2 million being divided by the runners-up and sent to the charities of their choosing....

New Zealand free on all platforms IO Interactive has introduced theHitman 2 – Starter Packas a new option for experiencing its stealth assassin series. Free on all platforms (PC, PS4, and Xbox One), you can now step into the world of Agent 47 and try out the well-received sequel without dropping a dime. This new option will include the “New Zealand” level with access to the “Nightcall” campaign mission from the main game....

So good Shadow of the Colossusis one of those games that we’ll be telling our kids about. Or if you already have kids, a game that you’ll show them as “required reading” one day. It’s so universally loved that it’s cliche to even talk about it, but as usual, Did You Know Gaming manages to find some neat little informational nuggets for it. Some of it spans the development process, some of it spoils and explores the lore a bit, and we also get to see some early footage of it....

There aren’t any competitors Electronic Arts saw its competitor pull in for a pitstop, and decided to kick everything into high gear. WithDriveClub, Sony’s first party racing game, gettingdelayed until 2014, EA and Ghost Games are rushingNeed for Speed Rivalsto market in time for the launch of the new consoles. On November 15,Rivalswill release alongside the PlayStation 4, both at retail and via direct download on PlayStation Network. This effectively pushes the street date up by a full week to accommodate the PS4’s launch....

With yesterday’s immense festivities regarding Destructoid’s birthday, I chose to hold off our Games of the Week until today. Let’s face it, who cares about videogames on a day where Mr. Destructoid turns two years old? The above video isBleep’s epic credits rollfrom ourcelebratory tribute vid to Niero. The credits make me feel very proud to be part of such a diverse and crazy cast of people. I think it visually communicates the wealth of personality that the Destructoid staff exudes and shows us off as the cohesive unit of nutjobs that you don’t often get to understand when we’re just represented as a column of blog posts....

At a press conference at gamescom today, a new Contracts mode was announced forHitman: Absolution. Inspired by fans and how they would make anyone a target, this online Contracts mode lets you do this exactly. Fulfilling Contracts earns you money that can be spent on upgrades, weapons or disguises. Five user-created Contracts will be chosen each week for the leader boards, but all will be available for play online for everyone....

A solid showing of indie games Microsoft held their ID@Xbox Showcase today showing off the lineup of upcoming indie games heading to PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. We got a good look at some promising-looking indie games that are coming out over the next year. Alongside world premieres we also got a few surprise today releases. We’ve put together a recap of all the new game reveals and announcements from the showcase....