The Switch release of the Hotline Miami Collection is the first time that Hotline Miami 2 has been made available in Australia, and fans are wary about whether or not it will remain available indefinitely.

The Collection is available now on Switch with an MA15+ rating, the second-highest in the Australian system. Hotline Miami 2 was previously refused classification upon release, banning it from sale, seemingly on the basis of a scene that implied sexual assault. At the time, it was banned under the reasoning that Australia does not allow games that “depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.”

The local Australian PR representative for Devolver’s releases sent us through a short statement, letting us know that the game had been classified under the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and that “of course the ratings board can still complain and challenge it, and it could be overturned and banned.” He also noted that “nothing has been removed from the Switch version that was in the original game.” In a follow-up phone call, he clarified that he wasn’t sure if the game would be made available on PC, PS4, or any other systems in Australia yet. It’s likely that Devolver Digital will take a ‘wait and see’ approach here, depending on what happens with the Switch version.

The IARC classification system allows developers and publishers to submit their games for an automated classification process, filling out a questionnaire that determines the game’s age rating. As Kotaku Australia points out, Hotline Miami Collection was recently refused classification after one such submission – but it seems that they resubmitted it again and got through.

Ultimately, it’s not entirely clear how or why Hotline Miami 2 is available in Australia now, after being unavailable for four and a half years, and there’s the possibility that the game’s rating will be challenged or overturned, removing it from sale again. For now, though, Australians are able to buy the Hotline Miami Collection, featuring Hotline Miami 2, through the Australian eShop on their Switch.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hotline-miami-2-is-no-longer-banned-in-australia-o/1100-6469238/

Final Fantasy VIII Remaster has a new trailer out of Gamescom, and it’s finally given us a release date for the upgraded version of Square Enix’s beloved PlayStation RPG. You can watch it above.

The remaster, which was announced during E3 this year, is due out on September 3 – just two weeks away. It’s coming to PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC. It’s a substantial polish on the old game, removing a lot of the blur that led to some classic memes.

This is the final PlayStation-originating Final Fantasy game that was yet to be remastered and released in HD, with Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX having already been updated for modern consoles. There’s been speculation that the source code for Final Fantasy VIII was lost, which would also explain why the game’s glow-up is so dramatic.

If you’re a 90s PlayStation fan, prepare yourself for a burst of nostalgia soon.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-new-final-fantasy-viii-remastered-trailer-rev/1100-6469236/

Gamescom 2019 is officially in full swing, and plenty of excellent new trailers have already premiered. With so many new cinematic and gameplay trailers making their debut, we’ve decided to compile our favorites. Be sure to check back here throughout Gamescom as more trailers are released.

We’ve put our favorites that actually feature gameplay first, but that doesn’t make the cinematic trailers any less cool. Other than that distinction, the trailers aren’t listed in any particular order. Although there were many trailers for triple-A titles scheduled to launch in the Fall 2019 season, most of the best trailers at Gamescom have been for indie games. Notable titles include Everspace 2—sequel to one of the best roguelike games of 2016–and pinbrawler Creature in the Well. However, there are quite a few standouts for the major releases too, such as Destiny 2 and Death Stranding–the latter of which got three new trailers.

Best Gameplay Gamescom Trailers

Creature In The Well

Creature in the Well sees you play as a cute robot engineer who must stop a monstrous entity that has destroyed the weather machine that keeps the town of Mirage safe from vicious sandstorms. In the Creature in the Well 101 trailer, creative director Adam Volker walks through how the game works–a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler imbued with pinball mechanics.

Darksiders Genesis

Darksiders Genesis reworks the franchise’s Zelda-like combat and exploration into a top-down hack-and-slash RPG. Fully playable in co-op–which can be seen in the new trailer–you and a friend can team up as two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Strife and War. This will be the first game in the Darksiders franchise to focus on Strife.

Death Stranding

Death Stranding finally has a gameplay trailer. Unfortunately, the story for the game is still about as clear as mud. We’re still excited to see what Hideo Kojima has in store with this upcoming PS4 exclusive, largely because its gameplay seems rife for hilarious misadventures and odd moments.

Everspace 2

Announced at Gamescom, Everspace 2 won’t release until 2021, but its gameplay trailer already makes the game look really cool. Though Everspace seems to be adding new locations and ship designs, plenty of weapons and gadgets look familiar.

Little Nightmares 2

Speaking of surprising sequels, the story of Little Nightmares will continue in Little Nightmares II. This sequel puts you in control of a brand-new character and takes place in a much more open area than the first game.

Best Cinematic Gamescom Trailers

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep – Season Of The Undying

The first seasonal content drop for the Shadowkeep expansion for Destiny 2, titled Season of the Undying, starts October 5. In the latest trailer, a brief cinematic sees Ikora Rey narrate as an army of Vex emerges from a portal connected to the Black Garden.

Disintegration

Publisher Private Division–the same studio attached to upcoming games like The Outer Worlds and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey–announced Disintegration at Gamescom, and also released a new trailer for the sci-fi first-person shooter. Though mostly a cinematic trailer, there is some gameplay thrown in there too.

Death Stranding

Death Stranding got two new cinematic trailers during Gamescom, both of which further fleshed out two of the game’s characters. The first focuses on Mama, while the second sees main character Sam meet Deadman.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamescom-round-up-our-favorite-gameplay-and-cinema/1100-6469234/