Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Oh dear. After weeks of hype, it appears that Danny ‘I’m f***ing Danny Dyer’ Dyer won’t in fact be making the pilgrimage to Love Island to visit his daughter after all. Evidently, he’s too busy dealing with baldie baddie Stuart Highway in EastEnders, having got in yet another punch-up just the other week.
Speaking of Love Island, This Morning for some reason decided to send Hayley Hughes and Nigel Farage on a lunch date to talk about Brexit, in what is quite possibly the most incongruous coupling in modern pop culture.
But does she understand what Brexit is after their lengthy chingwag? ‘Not fully,’ apparently. Come to think of it, he’s a glorified radio host anyway, so to be fair she was in pretty good company with ‘ol Nige.
Resident Evil 2 Collector’s Edition announced, but there’s no VR support
Capcom didn’t release a Collector’s Edition of Resi 2 back in the day, so I’m chuffed to see they’re making the effort with the upcoming remake of the seminal survival horror title. This time around we’re getting a classic figurine of Leon, plus a bunch of other useless tat that I’m obviously going to buy because I love useless tat. I mean, who doesn’t want a map of the RPD’s renovation plans?
One thing that Resi 2 won’t have however is a VR mode, although Capcom’s reasoning is fair enough; it’s not first-person, so it wouldn’t really marry well with the game’s over-the-shoulder shenanigans.
Xbox Scarlett will reportedly feature hardware and Cloud-based variations
Microsoft’s already made the first move in regards to next-gen, what with Big Phil confirming that a new console is in the pipeline at E3. Now, rumours have suggested that Scarlett will actually come in two variations: a regular hardware model, and a cloud-based service with a projected release of 2020. While we’re definitely heading towards a stream-only future, it’s doubtful that in just two years everyone will boast the necessary internet horsepower to support cloud gaming. Hell, my connection can just about stay alive  for a game of Tekken 7 Ranked Match.
Still, if the murmurs are true, props to Microsoft for giving us the option as we head into another hardware ruck.
Devil May Cry 5’s facial animations is Capcom’s best yet
Devil May Cry was never really about photorealism in all honesty. Rather, it placed more emphasis on anime-inspired aesthetics coupled with crazy combos and hammy one-liners. It’s got some competition though, as the Resident Evil 2 remake also happens to look the dog’s bollocks. Still, that doesn’t matter when the limb-slicing sequel looks as good as it does, whether that be Nero’s boyish smirk or Dante’s rugged mug as he speeds around a demon-infested city on a motorbike.
OnRush developer reportedly hit by major layoffs
The last couple of years have been particularly brutal for closures and layoffs; we’re still stinging from the loss of Visceral Games, for example. Eurogamer reports that Evolution Studios is the latest casualty, with OnRush’s relative flop at retail resulting in a number of major players getting the chop, including studio veteran Paul Rustchynsky. It’s always gutting to hear of people losing their jobs, but perhaps more so in this case as OnRush is the studio’s first game with Codemasters after being snapped up by the UK powerhouse after Sony dropped them in 2016.
Halo Infinite gains SkyBox Labs as co-developer
There’s usually a small amount of scepticism when a massive game like Halo brings in another studio to help out, but in this case SkyBox Labs is a safe bet. Fans of Master Chief’s alien-blasting antics can rest easy though, as the company previously helped out on Halo 5: Guardians, which turned out alright. This announcement also pretty much reaffirms the general consensus that Halo Infinite is still a long ways off, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised if it ends up being a cross-generation affair.
Fortnite’s failed rescue mission has its own Easter egg
This whole thing was bloody fantastic. I mean, sure, the actual rescue mission was pretty fun to watch, but it’s even more memorable by the fact it caught Epic Games’ attention, who saw its utter brilliance and decided to honour the fallen players by chucking up an Easter egg in the shape of a headstone. I mean, how cool is that? If you haven’t watched the video yet, be sure to do so — it’s mental.
Nintendo Labo is getting a Vehicle Kit in September
Ninty’s creative cardboard kits are wicked. Sure, you seem like a bit of a tit playing with what ostensibly looks like something your five-year-old cooked up at nursery school, but the end result is great. I love the keyboard one in particular, and am determined to try and play one of Rick Wakeman’s solos on it. Roundabout by Yes maybe? Or perhaps a bit of The Six Wives of Henry VIII? Anyway, pleasingly, Nintendo appears to be keeping up support for Labo, with the Vehicle Kit adding cars, planes, and even a submarine in September. Take my money, guys, please.
New GameCube controllers are coming to the Switch
The GameCube pad was legendary. In fact, I’d go as far to say it was the best gaming pad out there. You couldn’t really fault it; the buttons were ideally placed, comfortable, and felt meaty to boot. The best part about it was how diverse and adaptable it was, which is key for any pad (I’m looking at you, rubbish Xbox 360 d-pad –  the death of all fighting game champions). You could switch between shooters, action games, and fighters without much trouble, with Super Smash Bros. Melee being a particular standout. Whether you were just having a bit of a laugh with some drunken mates, or were serious about tapping into its deceptively simple fighting mechanics, Melee an absolute dream to play.
With Smash Bros. Ultimate on the horizon, Hori’s planned GameCube-inspired pads are an absolute must-have. I’m totally down like a clown.
Have a spiffing weekend, all.
