AI: The Somnium Files Is A Murder Mystery All About Love

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At Anime Expo 2019, AI: The Somnium Files director and writer Kotaro Uchikoshi sat down with GameSpot to talk about the upcoming mystery-driven adventure game. The title of the game, Uchikoshi explains, is actually a bit of clever wordplay and hints towards the overall theme of the story.

AI: The Somnium Files sees you play as detective Kaname Date who has an artificial eye that houses his AI companion, Aiba. Date’s eye gives him several abilities, such as X-ray vision, and Aiba provides assistance for more technical challenges. During difficult investigations, Date can use a machine called the Psync Device through Aiba, allowing them to enter the memories or dreams of suspects or witnesses. The visual representation of people’s minds is called their somnium, and solving the mental locks in the space allow Date and Aiba to travel deeper into a person’s subconscious and extract vital information. AI: The Somnium Files’ story begins with Date and Aiba trying to figure out the identity of someone who’s been gouging out people’s eyes.

The “AI” in AI: The Somnium Files is actually Japanese, making it pronounced like “eye.” In Japanese, Uchikoshi explains, “ai” means “love.” Thus AI: The Somnium Files is simultaneously in reference to the game’s themes of finding life in artificial intelligence, the importance of the human eye, figuring out one’s self (like “I”), and defining what love is. Though the game touches on all of these, it’s that last one that Uchikoshi is focusing on in this game.

“There are many different aspects of love,” Uchikoshi said. “There’s family love, two strangers loving each other, there’s love between partners, there’s love between friends, and amongst all these different types of love there are twists as well.” In AI: The Somnium Files, there are several different types of relationships that will evolve and change. Date and Aiba are partners, for example, but Date is also a sort of adoptive father to the daughter of one of his best friends. Iris, a YouTube star who’s one of the victims that loses an eye, is idolized by one of her fans, Ota, and cared for by her lonely, single mother Hitomi.

“Love is a big theme for me,” Uchikoshi joked, “because when I go home my wife treats me like dirt and makes me lick her toes, and wash the bathroom, and she makes me do everything, treats me like trash. I feel like I’m a little kid at an orphanage that just wants to be in a family that shows me love, and that’s why that ai, love, is one of the important themes for this game.”

Uchikoshi hopes players come to their own conclusions when it comes to defining the truth behind love. As such, AI: The Somnium Files has several different endings. “There is no wrong answer, the choices that you make will become the story’s reality, its truth,” he said. “What happens is, you make a choice, and it will steer you towards a certain ending, but if you make a different choice it can suddenly steer you in a completely different direction. But each of those endings is right and true, and none of it is technically wrong.” When it comes to good and bad endings, Uchikoshi clarified that it will be up to the player to define what they believe to be morally right and wrong. What someone may think is a good ending could be perceived as a bad one by someone else. Uchikoshi did not want to divulge how many endings there are in AI: The Somnium Files, but he did confirm that each one does “go in different directions.”

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The choices in the story will all occur when you’re invading a character’s somnium and trying to piece together exactly what happened. When in someone’s somnium, you have exactly six minutes to solve as many mental blocks as you can, discover new evidence, and come to your own conclusion. Each action you take will cost you, so you’ll need to deduce how to overcome mental blocks as quickly as you can. You won’t fail the game if you can’t find enough evidence to make any conclusions within the six-minute time limit though, as failing to discover something will simply reset you back to the start of the somnium.

AI: The Somnium Files is scheduled to come to PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch on September 17. If you’re looking for more info on the game, we interviewed both Uchikoshi and A-set (the virtual YouTube idol featured in AI: The Somnium Files) at GDC 2019.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ai-the-somnium-files-is-a-murder-mystery-all-about/1100-6468271/

Like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy Versus Is Built To Be Accessible

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After having many years of success in Japan, the Granblue Fantasy game series is finally making its way to the west with the release of Granblue Fantasy Versus, a fighting game based within the world of the RPG franchise. Granblue Fantasy takes place in a kingdom of magic, following the adventures of The Captain whose encounter with the mysterious Lyria leads to their two souls being merged. The two set out for the island of Estalucia in order to escape the Erste Empire that wants to imprison Lyria and abuse her powerful abilities. On their quest, they are joined by The Captain’s friend Vyrn, a lizard-like creature who’s adamant he’s a dragon, and Katalina Alize, a former Erste Empire lieutenant who betrayed her country after learning what it wanted with Lyria.

During Anime Expo 2019, Granblue Fantasy creative director Tetsuya Fukuhara sat down with GameSpot to discuss the reasoning for Cygames introducing Granblue Fantasy games to English-speaking countries via a fighting game as opposed to the popular mobile RPG. “We have this assumption that in the western countries, there’s a very solid fanbase for fighting games,” Fukuhara said. He went on to explain that Granblue Fantasy has been around for over five years already, and throwing western players straight into that ongoing RPG narrative might have been too tricky to attract new players.

Versus is designed with a simple, fairly standalone story that introduces the main cast of characters and establishes their relationships with one another. The original Granblue Fantasy game–which is coming to the west after Versus as Granblue Fantasy Mobile–also didn’t seem like the right pick for a debut title given the smaller mobile market in western countries, Fukuhara explained. He said Versus, as a console game, made more sense.

As such, Granblue Fantasy Versus is designed with accessibility in mind. The game is developed by Arc System Works, the same studio behind 2018’s Dragon Ball FighterZ and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, and features a simplified version of those two games’ mechanics. “Dragon Ball FighterZ, BlazeBlue: Cross Tag Battle, and Granblue Fantasy Versus have a shared DNA with how combos activate,” Fukuhara said. “Those mechanics have a good reception within the fighting game community. That said, compared to FighterZ and Cross Tag Battle, we are designing Versus to be even more beginner-friendly and making a lot of the mechanics implemented in those two titles more simple to grasp. Versus has shorter combos, for example, and you’re able to activate special skills with one button,” Fukuhara continued.

“We don’t want Versus to be labeled as just a beginner’s fighting game, though. There is some depth for those seeking a higher level of competition. One feature that contributes to that is a cooldown timer for each skill, so you can’t spam the same special attack continuously. That’s a strategy that isn’t implemented in [FighterZ and Cross Tag Battle]: knowing that if one skill is in cooldown, you’ve limited your opponent’s next action.”

In designing Versus’ characters, the team picked the main fighting game archetypes from other popular franchises first and then tried to fit Granblue Fantasy’s most important characters into these types of fighters. “There are very typical fighting styles that you want to put into the initial roster,” Fukuhara said. “Like characters that grab and throw their opponent. Fast characters. Slashing characters. Characters that are good in mid-distance,” Fukuhara continued.

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“We’re not too worried about implementing characters that wield the same weapon because we do have a clear concept for each character. For example, of the characters already announced to be in the game, there are four sword-wielding characters. However, Charlotta has a small figure and wields a huge sword. Lancelot has dual blades and each of them more closely resembles a dagger. Katalina has a rapier. Both in visuals and in the way they fight, there’s a clear distinction.”

With the game’s release approaching, the team is already looking ahead to post-launch content. After working on a mobile game for years, Fukuhara knows the importance of maintaining a player base after a title launch. “The original mobile game is already five years old and we haven’t lost any hype towards future updates,” he said. “We know what our fans love. We are confident that we can continuously give them this same hype for Versus through downloadable content. Not just adding characters, there’s a lot of things we can do. Versus is going to be an esport title as well.”

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Despite feeling some pressure in ensuring Versus succeeds, Fukuhara is adamant that the game’s goal is to introduce western audiences to Granblue Fantasy. In that regard, everything special about the RPG has been implemented in some capacity. “The first thing we definitely needed to have in Versus was quality graphics, including detailed backgrounds,” Fukuhara said. “Also the music and the sound system. Those two aspects needed to be of the highest quality.” The aforementioned music is especially good. Some of it, Fukuhara explains, is from the mobile RPG, but new songs have been composed for Versus’ story, including character themes.

“There are also beloved characters from the original franchise,” Fukuhara continued. “There’s pre-battle banter for each character. Aside from that, being able to activate skills is something similar to what is done in the mobile RPG. Having that same feeling of activating skills but within a fighting game format is something that we wanted to do.”

As a final remark, Fukuhara teased, “Also, there’s something very, very important that gives that Granblue Fantasy feel to Versus, but the details will be announced in the future.” Those details, along with the release date for Versus, are expected to be revealed on August 3 during Granblue Fest.

Granblue Fantasy Versus is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 4 in 2019.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/like-dragon-ball-fighterz-granblue-fantasy-versus-/1100-6468270/

Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Is Hiding A Wind Waker Easter Egg

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As if a sequel to 2017’s critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild wasn’t enough of a surprise, there’s a little Easter egg in the game that’s only recently been discovered. This Easter egg takes us back a few years, to an adventure of Link’s called The Wind Waker.

YouTube channel GameXplain was in the middle of filming a separate Breath of the Wild video while toiling around Lurelin Village, a little seaside village just south of the game’s map. Deja vu sets in when looking at Lurelin Village because it looks like Outset Island, The Wind Waker’s starting location. So much looks the same: the trees and their location, the houses and their location, the ladder and its height, even the formation of the mountainous backdrop. The coincidence is uncanny, especially when the camera pans around to reveal just how much of Lurelin resembles Outset.

Prepare to be shook by the video below.

This isn’t the only Easter egg in Breath of the Wild. In the video compilation above, we rattle off some of the best Easter eggs we’ve found, such as references to the original Legend of Zelda, speeding up music to discover hidden tracks, finding Lon Lon Ranch, and much more. There’s even an Easter egg that may pay tribute to late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.

With Nintendo returning to Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule for the sequel, there may be even more Easter eggs to uncover.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-is-hiding-a-wind-waker-ea/1100-6468269/

Not-Prime Day 2019: All The Best Sales That Aren’t On Amazon

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Amazon Prime Day 2019 is bigger than ever this year, running a full 48 hours on July 15 and 16. The deals don’t stop with the Seattle-based e-commerce giant, however: an increasing number of retailers are throwing their own, competing sales in order to take advantage of the shopping mania into which Amazon has whipped American consumers. One benefit to these other sales is that they don’t require a subscription in order to take advantage, like Amazon Prime. The net result is that Prime Day has grown into a sort of general shopping holiday, like Black Friday/Cyber Monday in the US. So far, we have confirmed competing sales from Ebay, GameStop, Newegg, Target, and Walmart.

Before Prime Day comes around on Monday, you can brush up on our general tips for getting the best deals. Gamers will also want to take note of Twitch Prime’s freebies on offer this year. We’ll be posting all the best gaming-focused deals from Prime Day as they go live, but be sure to check out all of the competing sales below to ensure that you secure the most bang for your buck.

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Ebay

Ebay is making the cheekiest and most direct jab at Amazon with the Ebay Crash Sale on July 15. The name alludes to Amazon’s technical issues last year when the site briefly collapsed under the increased Prime Day traffic. Ebay has stated that if Amazon goes down again this year, additional deals will unlock in the Crash Sale, which is a funny hedge bet on Amazon being overwhelmed again. The announcement promises deals up to 50% off on products from Apple, LG, Samsung, KitchenAid, and Garmin.

In addition to the Crash Sale itself on July 15, Ebay also announced Hot Deals for Hot Days running from July 8 through 22, which includes a variety of deals worth checking every day, such as $22 for Sea of Thieves.

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GameStop

GameStop’s Game Days Summer Sale runs for two weeks on either side of Prime Day, from July 7 to 20. This is GameStop’s biggest sale of the season, with great deals on games, consoles, accessories, and toys. Highlights include Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, The Division 2, and NBA 2K19 for just $20, a $50 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox One console, or three Funko Pop vinyl figures for $25. See some of the best deals below:

Games

Platforms: PS4 and Xbox One, unless otherwise stated

Consoles and accessories

Toys, collectibles, and apparel

Special trade-in offers

  • Get $275 trade credit for any PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, or iPhone 8
  • Get $225 trade credit for Nintendo Switch, 1TB PS4, or iPhone 7 Plus
  • Get $175 trade credit for 500GB PS4, Xbox One S, or iPhone 7
  • Get $125 trade credit for original Xbox One or iPhone 6s

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Newegg

Hardware specialist Newegg has announced its fifth annual FantasTech Sale, which runs from July 8 to 18. Technically, FantasTech itself only spans July 15-16, but this year it’s expanded to include a pre-sale from July 8 to 14, and then an extended sale on July 17 and 18. We’ve broken down what will be included in each phase of the sale below:

FantasTech Pre-Sale (July 8-14)

  • July 8 – 5,000 EggPoints (equal to a $50 credit) for new sign-ups of Newegg’s store credit card
  • July 9 – Over 50 early access deals
  • July 10 – “Special Surprise”
  • July 11-12 – Early access on ABS gaming and streaming PC deals
  • July 13-14 – Early access on Rosewill deals
  • July 15 – Deals unlocking between 12:01 AM and 12:00 PM when sale officially launches

FantasTech Sale (July 15-16)

  • Thousands of deals on products from Acer, ASUS, Corsair, Lenovo, Philips, Seagate, Western Digital and other top brands

FantasTech Extended Sale (July 17-18)

  • TBD

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Target

Target has announced that its Deal Days will also run from July 15-16, with savings across the whole store. The deals will only be available on purchases made through the website, but same-day, in-store pick up will be an option for customers with a local Target retail store. As is always the case with Target sales, customers who pay with the REDcard (Target’s store credit card) will save an additional 5% and get free shipping, in addition to free shipping on all orders over $35.

Deal Days doesn’t begin until July 15, but for the week prior Target is offering 50% off a selection of appliances, dinnerware, and other home goods through the website. None of the announced deals have thus far pertained to games or gaming hardware (it’s mostly home goods, appliances, and the like), but you can be sure that we’ll update with any and all that we find as soon as they are announced.

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Walmart

Walmart’s Summer Savings Event will surround Prime Day by a day or two on either side, running from July 14 to 17. Several early deals will also go up on July 12. There will be big savings in categories across the store, including video games, consoles, and accessories, though we won’t know the particulars until the deals go live on Sunday. For an example of the types of bargains that will be available, Walmart just recently offered an Xbox One S console with a bonus game, headset, and controller for just $300 (down from $450). That deal sold out, but will likely go back in stock soon, so check back. Orders over $35 are potentially eligible for free two-day or next-day shipping, depending on location.

See more Amazon Prime Day 2019 coverage:

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/not-prime-day-2019-all-the-best-sales-that-arent-o/1100-6468263/

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout gets a short gameplay trailer

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Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout gets a short gameplay trailer

A quick look at combat and crafting.

source /news/8710-atelier-ryza-ever-darkness-the-secret-hideout-gets-a-short-gameplay-trailer

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield introduces Gigantamaxing and more new Pokemon in the Galar region

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Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield introduces Gigantamaxing and more new Pokemon in the Galar region

Meet a few new characters too.

source /news/8709-pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-introduces-gigantamaxing-and-more-new-pokemon-in-the-galar-region

Pokemon Sword & Shield Have Version-Exclusive Gyms

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The latest trailer for Pokemon Sword and Shield has arrived, and it gives us a look at some more new features and Pokemon from the upcoming Switch games. Just as previous titles, Sword and Shield will each feature a handful of exclusive Pokemon that can only be found in that version, but that isn’t the only difference between the two games; each will also have some version-exclusive Gyms.

As we learned in the new trailer (which you can watch above), some cities in Pokemon Sword and Shield will feature different Gyms depending on which version you’re playing. It’s unclear how many version-exclusive Gyms there will be in total, but the latest trailer showcases at least one of them. In Pokemon Sword, players will challenge Bea, who specializes in Fighting Pokemon. The same town in Pokemon Shield, however, is home to a Ghost-type Gym led by the creepy Allister. You can take a look at the two Gym Leaders below.

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This isn’t the first time Pokemon games have featured version-exclusive Gym Leaders; the Leader of the final Gym in Pokemon Black and White would differ depending on which version you were playing, although in both cases, the trainer would still specialize in Dragon Pokemon. Some cities in Black and White also featured aesthetic differences depending on the version, although it’s as-yet unknown if Sword and Shield will implement other version differences.

Of course, along with version-exclusive Gyms, there will be a handful of Pokemon you’ll only be able to catch in either Sword or Shield, and now we’ve gotten our first glimpse at a couple that will be exclusive to each version. The Dragon Pokemon Deino and Jangmo-o will only appear in the wild in Pokemon Sword, while Larvitar and Goomy can only be found in Pokemon Shield.

That isn’t all the latest trailer revealed; we also got a look at another four new Gen 8 Pokemon, as well as a new mechanic called Gigantamaxing. Unlike standard Dynamaxing, only certain Pokemon can Gigantamax, and their size as well as their appearance will be transformed. The trailer also introduced the chairman of the Galar Pokemon League, Rose, and his secretary Oleana.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. The games will be compatible with the upcoming Pokemon Home service, allowing you to bring over some of your old monsters. However, you won’t be able to transfer every old Pokemon to the games. That decision has been so controversial that series producer, Junichi Masuda, issued a statement addressing the drama. For more on the titles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield release date and pre-order guide.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-have-version-exclusive-gy/1100-6468264/

Destiny 2 Won’t Work With Ryzen 3000 CPUs, PC Players Report

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AMD’s new line of Ryzen 3000 processors hit store shelves on Sunday, July 7–and within hours, Destiny 2 players were reporting problems. Apparently, some players are seeing Destiny 2 rendered unplayable when they install the new Ryzen chips in their PCs, and speculation has it that a patch from Bungie will be required to fix the issue.

Players took to the Bungie forums and to Reddit to share and discuss the issue. According to reports, trying to start Destiny 2 from Activision Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher causes the game to hang forever. The computer thinks the game has started, but it never actually loads up. Posts on Bungie.net and Reddit suggest the CPU is to blame, with at least one poster claiming to have fixed the issue by removing the new Ryzen chip and going back to their previous system.

PC-focused outlets published reviews of the new Ryzen chips to go with their launch, many of which detailed games reviewers tried with the CPUs, so it doesn’t appear that the issue with Destiny 2 is necessarily affecting other games. That suggests Bungie will need to issue a patch to make Destiny 2 compatible with AMD’s new processors. We’ve reached out to Bungie for a comment on the situation and any details on when a fix might be made available.

In the meantime, it seems PC players will need to hang onto their old processors and motherboards to keep playing Destiny 2, what with the new Lumina Exotic hand cannon to chase. The weekly reset on Tuesday, July 9, also marks the start of a new slate of Moments of Triumph to earn, making this a particularly rough time for Destiny PC players to lose their access to the game.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/destiny-2-wont-work-with-ryzen-3000-cpus-pc-player/1100-6468265/

Mortal Kombat 11 Teases Sindel DLC Character

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NetherRealm has teased another DLC character for Mortal Kombat 11. The queen of Outworld Sindel is up next, per a teaser tweeted out from producer Ed Boon that shows off her new look.

The image shows Sindel draped in shadow accompanied by the tagline “7 deadly Sindels”–a reference to the religious concept of the seven deadly sins. The teaser didn’t give any indication of when to expect more details or a release date for the character. This follows another tweet in late June, when Boon teased Nightwolf.

So far NetherRealm has released Shang Tsung, and teased Spawn, Nightwolf, and Sindel. Shao Kahn was a pre-order bonus who is also available as a separate purchase for $6. The first MK11 Kombat Pack will include six DLC fighters in all, and NetherRealm has yet to officially announce the remaining two. Ed Boon had offered a fighter reveal in exchange for helping to locate a stolen car, and shortly after teased Nightwolf, but he had already been announced.

“MK11 isn’t just a sequel for series fans and NetherRealm devotees, it’s a gateway into the realm of fighting games for anyone who has a passing interest in watching ruthless warriors beat each other silly,” Edmond Tran wrote in GameSpot’s review. “Streamlined mechanics keep the act of fighting furiously exciting no matter what your skill level, and comprehensive tutorials encourage you to dig into the nitty-gritty. There’s a diverse roster of interesting characters and playstyles, and the story mode is an entertaining romp.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-11-teases-sindel-dlc-character/1100-6468262/

Pokemon Sword / Shield Trailer Reveals New Gen 8 Pokemon And Gigantamaxing Mechanic

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The Pokemon Company has shared a new trailer for the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield. The video gives us a glimpse at another handful of new Gen 8 Pokemon you’ll discover in the Galar region, as well as a couple of new characters you’ll encounter and a special type of Dynamaxing known as Gigantamaxing.

Whereas standard Dynamaxing increases a Pokemon’s size, Gigantamaxing also alters their physical appearance. A Gigantamaxed Drednaw, for instance, will stand upright on its hind legs, and the armor of a Gigantamaxed Corviknight will separate and fly around like bladed birds. While nearly every Pokemon is capable of Dynamaxing, it appears only certain species are able to Gigantax, and according to The Pokemon Company, “even among such species, only rare specimens will be able to Gigantamax.” You can capture Gigantamax Pokemon in Max Raid Battles.

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The trailer also introduced four new species of Pokemon. First is Alcremie, a Fairy-type that resembles whipped cream. It’s one of the few Pokemon capable of Gigantamaxing, and when it undergoes the transformation, it resembles a towering cake. Next is Yamper, an Electric-type puppy Pokemon with a new Ability called Ball Fetch; if you throw a Poke Ball at a wild Pokemon but fail to capture it, Yamper will fetch the first one you threw (provided it isn’t already holding an item). We also got a look at the Rock-type coal Pokemon, Rolycoly, as well as the Steel/Dragon-type Duraludon. You can see artwork of all four new Pokemon below.

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Finally, the trailer introduced a handful of new characters, including two new Gym Leaders. First is Bea, a Fighting-type expert exclusive to Pokemon Sword. Pokemon Shield players, on the other hand, will battle the creepy Allister, a Ghost-type Gym Leader. The trailer also gave us a quick look at the chairman of the Galar Pokemon League, Rose, and his secretary Oleana. You can watch the full trailer above.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. It’s unclear as of yet how many Pokemon will appear in the game, but we know you won’t be able to transfer every old monster to them–a decision that has proven so controversial that the games’ producer, Junichi Masuda, had to issue a statement addressing the drama. For more on the titles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-shield-trailer-reveals-new-gen-8-pok/1100-6468258/