Xbox Series X Date, Sam Fisher R6 Appearance

Xbox Series X launches in November

Microsoft may have had to delay Halo Infinite, but they have also confirmed that Xbox Series X will launch in November!

“There will be thousands of games to play, spanning four generations, when Xbox Series X launches globally this November and over 100 optimized for Xbox Series X titles,” reads the announcement.

Over 50 Xbox games released this year will be optimized for Xbox Series X, and some will feature Smart Delivery.

Four generations: “Playing your favorite games and franchises across four generations of Xbox was a key tenet for us in the next generation of console gaming. This commitment means that you will have access to thousands of titles across four generations of content – from Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.” A dedicated team is working to enhance backwards compatible games.

New, old and optimised: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Dirt 5, Gears Tactics, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Watch Dogs: Legion will be among cross-generation titles playable on Xbox Series X, as well as many of the games on Xbox Game Pass. There’s also a growing list of optimized titles ready.

Which actor from Twin Peaks had a cameo appearance in Bioshock 2?

• Sheryl Lee
• Kyle Maclachlan
• David Patrick Kelly
• Lara Flynn Boyle

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today’s issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Portal started as a student project

Valve’s scientific classic Portal was based on a student project about a princess escaping from a dungeon using portals. It was called Narbacular Drop, and was clever enough for Valve to hire the whole team to develop the idea into Portal.

Nurturing yet malevolent arch-villain GLaDOS went through several iterations, including a brief stint as a brain in a jar, a spindly spider robot and a robotic Venus complete with clamshell and robo-cherubs. In the end, GLaDOS became a delicate figure attached to a huge mechanical arm, a contrast that communicated her power and femininity.

Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today’s fact.

Darkestville Castle

Version played: Switch

Developer: Epic Llama

The golden age of point-and-click adventure games is definitely over, but Epic Llama is doing all they can to keep the candle burning and Darkestville Castle keeps the spirit of the genre alive while modernizing the experience.

Darkestville Castle follows the exploits of a witty demon named Cid who lives to stir up trouble in his town. Everything is working out splendidly until two demon hunters show up to exorcise him. They ransack Cid’s castle, and make off with his fish Domingo. You need to hunt down the hunters and get your pet back!

There are plenty of puzzles and no hint system, although you can highlight all interactive objects in a location to save yourself some pixel hunting. It might be a good idea to consult a walkthrough if you get stuck, to avoid marring an otherwise decent experience with unnecessary frustration.

If you’re a big fan of 90s adventure games and don’t mind a slightly awkward script delivered with a little too much gusto, you’ll probably enjoy Darkestville Castle. If you’re new to the genre, this is not the best place to start since it’s pretty difficult – you’re probably better off picking up some of the classics that inspired Epic Llama in the first place.

The Switch version supports touchscreen input, and it’s definitely the most enjoyable way to play. Playing with a controller works just fine too, thanks to the shortcut buttons. Unfortunately, that means the best versions are actually on iOS or Android, which also cost way less than the console versions.

Score: 5/10

Thumbs up

• Authentic 90s adventure game experience

Thumbs down

• Some really frustrating puzzles
• Slightly cringeworthy voice acting

Pokémon Virtual Fest live in Japan

Grookey is the latest new customer in Pokémon Café Mix, and Japanese players can enjoy the Pokémon Virtual Fest until August 31st.

Pokémon Café Mix

• Dragonite Event ends on August 12th
• New event adds Grookey, and lasts until August 26th

Pokémon Virtual Fest

• Japanese fans can participate through the Cluster app
  • Pokémon Theme Park
  • Activities and minigames
  • Lasts until August 31st

Pokémon Masters

• Rock-type Egg Event from August 11th until August 25th
  • Adds multiple Rock-type Pokémon to Eggs
  • New Kabuto & Aerodactyl Sync Pair
  • Adds Shiny Kabuto and Shiny Aerodactyl

3D Realms announces Realms Deep

3D Realms has teamed up with 1C Entertainment to bring you Realms Deep 2020, an online event taking place on September 5th and 6th.

The event will showcase more than 40 games from developers New Blood Interactive, NightDive Studios, Running with Scissors and many more. There will also be “candid conversations with gaming icons” including John Romero, Tim Willits, Cliff Bleszinski, American McGee, Chuck Jones, Jon St. John and Stephan Weyte.

“Realms Deep 2020 gives us the chance to highlight what we’re working on while showcasing all the badass projects our friends are cooking up,” said 3D Realms’ Frederik Schreiber. “It’s been a strange year, but we want to treat this as an awesome casual hangout with our fans and friends.”

Core Decay, Hell Hunt, Hellbound, Hedon, Nightmare Reaper, Prodeus, The Adventures of Square, SCP: Blackout, Limitless Hunger, Warfork, Dread X Collection, Retchid, HROT, Fallen Angels, Hellscreen, Paradox Vector, Brutal Fate and many other games will be on show.

You can watch Realms Deep 2020 on 3D Realms’ Twitch channel.

Today’s Gaming Deal Highlights

There are so many great deals now that it felt wrong not to share some of them ahead of the weekend’s bargain extravaganza.

Shovel Knight Treasure Trove 3-Pack Amiibo (Switch) $27.98 @ Amazon US

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Switch) $14.99 @ Amazon US

A Hat In Time (Switch) $29.83 @ Amazon US

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4) $19.52 @ Amazon US

Minecraft Dungeons Hero Edition (Pre-order) (PS4) $29.99 @ Amazon US

Grim Dawn (PC) £3.99 @ Humble Store

Doom Eternal (PC) £24.99 @ Humble Store

Humble Bohemia Interactive Bundle 2020 (PC) $1 @ Humble Store

Just Cause Franchise Sale (PC) 89% off @ Humble Store

Herocraft Publisher Sale (PC) 90% off @ Humble Store

If you buy any of these games by following our links, DailyBits will earn a small commission, so thanks in advance! Saturday will bring even more amazing video game deals, so stay tuned.

Abe’s Oddysee coming to Switch

New ‘n’ Tasty! Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee is coming to Switch! The classic platformer follows Abe, a lowly janitor who discovers that his employer is planning to turn his entire species into deliciously tasty treats. Help him fight his corporate overlords, free his people and shut down a grim meat plant.

New ‘n’ Tasty! Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee launches in two flavours: A standard edition, and a limited edition with a special box, a set of stickers and a keychain. Pre-orders will open soon and Abe’s Oddesee will ship in October.

• BioShock 4 set in “new and fantastical world” according to job listing suggesting that the game is “not all combat” and will reward ingenuity
• Gameplay footage of Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm for Switch in latest trailer from Finnish studio Cornfox & Bros.
• The Last of Us Part II updated with Grounded difficulty featuring permadeath and other options for tailoring your experience
• Creeping Winter DLC adds new content and features to Minecraft Dungeons alongside a free update on September 8th
• Sam Fisher appears in Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Shadow Legacy showing that Ubisoft has still not forgotten their old hero

Which actor from Twin Peaks had a cameo appearance in Bioshock 2?

Answer: Sheryl Lee!

Bioshock 2 is not quite as fondly remembered as the first game, but it does have something the original did not: a cameo from Laura Palmer!

But it wasn’t so much an inspired piece of casting as a scheduling mishap: She got mixed up with the actor Sheryl Lee Ralph, who played Grace Holloway. Since they had her in the studio, she ended up voicing a splicer in Atlantic Express, where she’s talking to two other splicers about what happened to the first game’s protagonist. A weird but wonderful series of events.

Today’s issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Christian Vaz, Matthew Ralphson, Ken Simon Priest and Jamie Davey.