April 2023

Road 96: Mile 0 is, like every game, a puzzle

1 year 1 month ago

Not an original thought, but one that bears repeating. In the same way that every novel is really a mystery novel, every game is really a puzzle, the central puzzle being, how is the game played? What are the rules? Yes. Sure. But also outwards, what is the pace of play, the rhythms and rituals? How do the thoughts and actions of the game spiral outwards in loops and bows and what is their intervals?

I'm thinking about this stuff today because I know - and slightly dread - that this afternoon I have a piece to write about Zelda, Breath of the Wild, obv, and to me it's a game that makes me feel that I have yet to find the true way of playing it. I muddle around in that world and endlessly come up against the world itself. No approach lasts for very long, and I find the threads of the game hard to follow and even harder to link together. All of which, I guess, is another way of saying that I love it.

But I'm also thinking about it because of our Game of the Week, which, for once, is a game that we actually reviewed this week, and which came out this week. That much is straightforward about Road 96: Mile 0. That much makes sense. Everything else? Trickier.

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Author
Christian Donlan

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What we've been playing

1 year 1 month ago

Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've found ourselves playing over the last few days. This time: ecology, birdsong, and gemstones.

If you fancy catching up on some of the older editions of What We've Been Playing, here's our archive.

I feel so seen by this game. Not only because I care, like I'm sure you all do, about the state the planet is in, but also on a more game-playing level in how I can't stand making a mess in city-builders. I almost can't bring myself to build on the pristine piece of land you inevitably begin with - which, in some regards, is as perfect as it will ever be - and then stamp horrible buildings all over it. However much I try, I can't quite clean up my human mess.

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Author
Eurogamer staff

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IGN UK Podcast 691: The Mario Movie vs Tetris: Which is Better?

1 year 1 month ago

In a week full of Nintendo-related films, Cardy, Dale, and Mat are here to help you decide which is more worthy of your time between The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Tetris. Before that, though, excitement is in the air following our latest look at the Barbie movie, plus there's Resident Evil 4 chat again, but for a special reason this time. Dale had the pleasure of chatting to Leon Kennedy himself Nick Apostolides about what it was like to play the protagonist in a remake of his favourite game.

You can check Nick out here: Instagram: @nick_apos / https://www.instagram.com/nick_apos/
Twitter: @Nik_apostolides / https://twitter.com/Nik_apostolides

Twitch: @Nickapostolides / https://www.twitch.tv/nickapostolides

Got a game for us to play, or just want to tell us the weirdest thing you've eaten for breakfast? Drop us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.

IGN UK Podcast 691: The Mario Movie vs Tetris: Which is Better?

Author
Simon Cardy

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Gundam Evolution Season 4 Will Have Dynames, New Mode

1 year 1 month ago

gundam evolution dynames

Gundam Dynames will be sniping all targets in Gundam Evolution. This sniper-oriented mobile suit will appear from Season 4 “Ballista” of the game, which will go live from April 13, 2023. Along with Dynames will be the new game mode “Headquarters,” as well as a new map called “Buried City.” [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Dynames will be the second sniper mobile suit in the game, following the aptly named GM Sniper. Its main weapon is the GN Sniper Rifle, which is capable of hitting all distances. When it uses Trans-am, all of its parameters increase. Like on Gundam 00, Dynames is able to switch its main weapon to fight at any distance.

Last season, Gundam Evolution introduced Gundams from some of the older series. For example, it debuted the Heavyarms Custom [EW] from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. It also gave players the Hyperion from Gundam Seed.

The new mode that will appear in Gundam Evolution Ballista is “Headquarters.” You will not be able to play a custom match with these rules. In “Headquarters,” teams fight over a central point and then after a team captures it, it can go to the other team’s base to destroy the core. You can earn points by capturing the point and depleting the core’s HP. The defending team can earn points through protecting the core.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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2 New Battle Angel Alita Figures Arrive in 2024

1 year 1 month ago

Battle Angel Alita figures

Prime 1 Studios announced two new figures for its Premium Masterline series based on the Battle Angel Alita manga series. The figures are based on Alita, or Gally in the original Japanese version of the manga. Gally Rusty Angel is the first of the two figures announced. It costs $1,099 USD. Meanwhile Gally Repair Angel costs $399 USD. Both figures are estimated to ship between July-October 2024. They are available now for pre-order from the Prime 1 Studios online store. [Thanks, Dengeki Hobby!]

The Gally Rusty Angel figure recreates Alita as she was drawn for one of the most iconic illustrations of the manga, with iron wings and parts of her mechanical body exposed. The scale of the figure is 1/4, and it comes with the Japanese logo for the series as a bonus part.

You can take a better look at the Gally Rusty Angel figure here:
[gallery columns="5" ids="958651,958650,958649,958648,958647" link="file"]

The Gally Repair Angel figure is a bust of Alita in the broken state she was when she was rescued by Daisuke Ido at the beginning of the manga series, and before she was repaired. The scale of the figure is 1/4 as well.

You can check out the Gally Repair Angel figure here:
[gallery columns="5" ids="958656,958655,958654,958653,958652" link="file"]

Author
Daniel Bueno

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Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Players are Farming Ditto Tera Raids With a Nifty Trick

1 year 1 month ago

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s latest Terra Raid event has gone live, allowing players to encounter and capture Terra Raid Dittos. This Raid event will be available until April 9, 2023, finishing at 23:59 UTC. Ditto has always been a popular choice for trainers in favor of breeding Pokemon for competitive play or hatching shinies with solid IVs and Natures.

6IV Dittos are the most valuable asset to gain competitive-worthy Pokemon through egg-hatching methods, as they can pass these high IVs onto the egg specimens they produce. Thankfully, the current Terra Raids allow everyone to stumble across a 6IV Ditto of their own, and players have even found a way to do so in a very time-efficient format by exploiting a clever trick to make these raids extremely quick to sweep.

The trick to sweeping these Terra Raids is for the host trainer to select a level 1 Pokemon for the Raid battle. Upon initiating the Raid, Ditto will use Transform to become a clone of the host’s Pokemon. This means that by cloning a weak, level 1 Pokemon, Ditto will turn itself into an easy opponent that can be one shot on the first turn.

This makes individual Ditto Raids very quick to occur, allowing hosts and their fellow trainers to grind them in repetition to stack up on rewards and manipulate a better chance of catching a high IV Ditto for themselves. Magikarp, in particular, is an excellent choice for this method, as it will only be capable of using the Splash attack at a low level. Considering Splash does no damage, Ditto will not only be victim to an easy KO but will also be able to inflict damage on your party.

Author
Grace Black

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Marvel Snap Is Getting Much-Needed Weekly Balance Updates to Keep the Meta Game Fresh

1 year 1 month ago

If there’s one major complaint to be had about Marvel Snap (that isn’t about the glacial pace at which you accrue Collector’s Tokens and get new Series 4 and 5 cards), it’s that Second Dinner can be really slow in rolling out balance changes, causing the meta to feel incredibly stale. This was most noticeable last season, when the ladder was dominated by Thanos-Lockjaw and Shuri decks.

Having to wait a month between balance changes can make the game feel stale, but all that’s about to change, as Second Dinner has committed to rolling out small updates each week. These are changes that don’t require a downloadable patch, but they will be very small adjustments, such as number tweaks on various cards.

To start with, here are the changes players can expect this week:

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Brigitte Is Finally Getting the Rework She Deserves in Overwatch 2 Season 4

1 year 1 month ago

Ever since the relese of Overwatch 2, Brigitte has been struggling. With the removal of stuns from most heroes in the game, Brig lost a core part of her Shield Bash ability, which made her a great Support pick for helping protect your team against dive heroes such as Genji, Doomfist, and Tracer. While she was once a monster who dominated the Ranks of Competitive Play through the iconic GOATS team composition, her journey in Overwatch 2 has been an uphill battle, with Brig mains around the world begging Blizzard to rework her into a better functioning Support hero to balance out the nerfs to her kit.

Thankfully, shortly after celebrating her five-year anniversary in the game, Brigitte is finally set to receive a rework to her hero kit with the upcoming hero balance patch arriving in Overwatch 2’s Season 4 on April 11, 2023.

The majority of Brig’s kit is set to stay the same, with the rework taking over her Ultimate ability, Rally, and transforming it into something new. Here’s a complete breakdown of the new Rally, posted on the official Overwatch 2 Twitter account:

Author
Grace Black

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This Fan-Made Valorant Stop Motion Video Captures the Frustration of Ranked Solo Queue Players Perfectly

1 year 1 month ago

Valorant’s player base loves creating things, whether it’s fan-created trailers, crosshairs, and even stop-motion animation. Recently, the Valorant subreddit saw a short video featuring Reyna and Skye that hit a little too close to home for many players. 

The stop-motion animation from user u/TheRealBirblady shows Skye and Reyna going to defuse a Spike on Ascent. Reyna goes to defuse while Skye’s voice lines start playing. However, something makes Reyna stop defusing and begin trolling.

Reyna ends up starting and stopping the Spike repeatedly. In the end, the two end up losing their team the game, and “defeat” comes across the screen.

Author
Brittany Alva

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Valorant Shakes Up Competitive Map Pool With the Return of Bind

1 year 1 month ago

Riot Games has announced that Icebox will make way for Bind’s return as Valorant prepares for a significant shift in its competitive map pool. In exchange for its addition, Icebox will be removed from the game’s map rotation.

To help players adapt to the upcoming changes in Bind, Riot Games will release the updated map for other game modes, like Deathmatch and Swiftplay, in patch 6.07. This decision will allow players to familiarize themselves with the new map changes before the full release of patch 6.08.

Riot Games’ recent Episode 6 Act III announcement has caused a stir in the Valorant community, and as always, there is a section of players who lament the removal of one of their favorite maps.

Author
Gray Giron

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Every Confirmed Summer Games Event That’ll Fill the E3 2023 Void

1 year 1 month ago

While the cancellation of E3 2023 has reduced the number of gaming events happening this summer, other events will hopefully make up for its absence. Keeping track of streaming and event schedules over several months can be somewhat difficult, so we have gathered the calendar of summer gaming galas for you.

Here is every confirmed upcoming gaming event in the summer of 2023 to keep you hyped for future releases.

Author
Cameron Waldrop

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Overwatch 2 Season 4 Blooms Fresh Life With New Hero & Maps (Hands-on Impressions)

1 year 1 month ago

Recently I was given the opportunity to dive into an early access build of Overwatch 2’s upcoming Season 4 and try out some of the new features and content expected to arrive on launch, including playtesting of Lifeweaver, the brand new Support hero who has single-handedly stolen the hearts of players around the globe.

Before going into this early access build, I already had a few things to keep in mind. Blizzard has already stated that with the release of Season 4, they plan to implement a few minor changes to the system to allow for a better player experience. These changes include excluding seasonal map pools for more variety in Quick Play and Competitive matches and removing SR Decay, which aims to result in a more enjoyable Competitive play experience in climbing Ranks.

While these changes are nice little tweaks, there’s still the giant mystery regarding season 4 that every Overwatch fan wants to know the answer to: what will Season 4 bring to the table to make it memorable?

Well, a new Hero is a great start. Lifeweaver is the latest addition to Overwatch 2’s Support Hero roster, entering the Hero Gallery as the first Hero from Thailand. While the last three Overwatch 2 hero additions of Sojourn, Kiriko, and Ramattra have all benefited from quite an aggressive play style, Lifeweaver does not fit into this category, instead carrying incredible potential in the technicality and utility of his kit.

Author
Grace Black

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Fortnite Reveals Eren Isn’t the Only AoT Character Joining the Battle Royale

1 year 1 month ago

At this point, Fortnite is well-known for its anime collaborations. The arguably biggest reveal for Chapter 4 Season 2 was for Eren Yeager joining the battle royale. Eren is set to release on April 16, but something else Attack on Titan-related will come first. A new tweet from the official Fortnite account has revealed Mikasa and Levi will join the game before him on April 11.

The tweeted video doesn’t quite make any other big reveals outside of the additional characters, but it is safe to assume they will arrive with other cosmetics. Eren’s cosmetics in the bonus rewards are pretty expansive but still missing something. While we get a Titan Strike harvesting tool, the iconic swords are still missing. The video shows Mikasa and Levi wielding said swords, so it seems like a hint.

Author
Cameron Waldrop

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All Resident Evil 4 Remake Bosses, Ranked From Easiest to Hardest

1 year 1 month ago

The Resident Evil 4 remake seems to be exactly what the fans have been waiting for since Capcom started to release their classic games reimagined with the RE Engine. The Resident Evil 2 remake was amazing, but not completely faithful to the original, while the third one divided fans by bringing a thrilling action game but it still lacked content. It seems that Capcom finally listened to the community and made a remake perfectly, keeping almost everything that turned the 2005 game into an instant classic with very few cuts that don’t change players’ experience in any way.

One of the many things that the Resident Evil 4 remake kept from the blueprint is its bosses. Although one of them didn’t make the cut (I won’t miss you, U-3), all of the other ones are back, and even more terrifying than they were in the original. With that said, here are all of the main bosses that will cross your path in the Resident Evil 4 remake, ranked by how much they made me want to rage quit.

Author
Starleen Rivera

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Minecraft Legends Looks Set to Offer Satisfying, Surface-Level Strategy (Hands-Off Preview)

1 year 1 month ago

Mojang Studios is doing some exciting stuff with its Minecraft franchise. Rather than simply work on improving and adding to its blocky sandbox title, the studio is constantly looking to experiment with the franchise in new genres. First it was dungeon crawlers with Minecraft Dungeons, and now it’s taking on the real-time strategy series with Minecraft Legends. While Dungeons had a surprising level of depth, though, my initial impressions of Minecraft Legends left me feeling like it was a little lacking in this regard, instead seeking to offer an accessible, surface-level approach to the real-time strategy experience.

In a hands-off presentation, I was given a look at the single-player campaign, as well as the multiplayer PvP mode, and that lack of depth spanned across both of these aspects.

First off was the campaign, which Mojang defines as a procedurally-driven, action strategy experience. It’s narratively-driven, with voice-acted ‘Hosts’ that have invited you into their realm currently under siege from the Piglin mob. It’s down to you to fight back against them and you’ll do that by scouring the world for resources, using these to recruit the help of Mobs to reclaim villages across the world, and upgrade your various units and structures as you take on increasingly well-defended Piglin outposts.

Upgrades are purchased with Prismarine, which you’ll acquire by saving villages and defeating Piglin outposts, with more rewarded for more challenging encounters. The more resources you have and the more Prismarine you have, the more upgrades you can unlock and the more complex structures you can build. As this was a look at the early hours of the game, we didn’t get a full idea of what these upgrades may entail, but we did see a Redstone Launcher in the PvP side of things that acts as an enormous trebuchet to really launch a siege on your opponents’ base.

Author
Chris Jecks

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Here’s What Diablo IV’s Endgame Is Going to Look Like

1 year 1 month ago

We all know the campaign is really just the tutorial to Diablo IV, and the true game only begins once you’ve beaten the story for the first time and start to really power up your character. Blizzard has just dropped a new video showcasing all of the endgame content you can expect to see once you’ve cleared the story.

You can check out the video for yourself down below:

For starters, after beating the story, players will be able to take on what’s called the Capstone Dungeon, which allows you to increase your World Tier. As your World Tier increases, enemies become more deadly, but you’ll also start getting even more loot, and this will serve as the main way for you to keep getting even more powerful even once you’ve reached the level cap.

In addition to that, you can reset the dungeons in Diablo IV to take on more powerful variations of them. There’s also the Paragon Board, which can be rotated to allow you to chart different pathways through it to unlock various different abilities to customize your character with.

There’s also PvP content to look forward to in the form of the Fields of Hatred, where players can battle each other to collect Shards. These Shards can then be exchanged for various rewards, but be prepared to lose some of your own gear if you’re planning on engaging in PvP.

Diablo IV is set to be released for consoles and PC on June 6.

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Long-Awaited Minecraft Movie is Definitely, Certainly Coming in April 2025… For Sure This Time

1 year 1 month ago

It is said that good things come to those who wait. Apparently, Minecraft movies come too, as it has been announced that Warner Bros’ long-awaited film adaptation is slated to hit the big screen in 2025.

According to a report from Deadline, the Jared Hess-helmed flick has been assigned a tentative release date of April 4, 2025. The beleaguered live action interpretation has seen several changes in direction throughout the years, and should it eventuate, it currently has Jason Momoa attached in a leading role.

Anyone eagerly circling their calendars (which begs the question why you already have a calendar for 2025 to begin with) would perhaps be best off tempering their expectations, as this project has been gestating in one form or another for roughly a decade now.

At one point, Steve Carell was in talks to star, while directorial duties have been hot potatoed between names such as Peter Sollette and Rob McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame.

Author
Tony Cocking

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Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp Brings Charming Strategy to the Switch (Hands-On Preview)

1 year 1 month ago

Advance Wars is finally back after a 15-year series hiatus, and I’ve had the opportunity to jump into the remake of the first two games: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp. I will admit that I’m a beginner when it comes to strategy games, and I never played the original releases. Despite that, Advance Wars has been easy for me to pick up and learn, and I’m enjoying my experience with it so far.

In the game, you take control of an army called Orange Star and must use strategy and tactical maneuvers to defeat your opponents. You must manage resources, build units, and plan your attacks carefully to gain the upper hand. The game is played on a grid-based map, and each side takes turns moving their units and attacking their opponents.

In each turn, you can move your units and attack your opponent’s units or structures. Units include infantry, tanks, planes, and ships, and each unit has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, infantry units are cheap and can capture buildings, but they are weak against most other unit types. Tanks are strong against infantry and other ground units but are vulnerable to air attacks.

Author
Rebecca Stone

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Overwatch 2 Devs are Preparing Something for Pride Month 2023

1 year 1 month ago

Overwatch 2 has made some exciting reveals ahead of the upcoming Season 4 content update, including the reveal of a brand new Support Hero hailing from Thailand. This character in question is Niran Pruksamanee, a Thai scientist, artist, and activist who operates under the alias of Lifeweaver.

While Lifeweaver has some unique points in terms of ability kit and utility that set him aside within a special place of the Hero Roster, he’s also been introduced to the game as the first openly pansexual character within the Overwatch universe. This has been confirmed in an interview between the Overwatch 2 devs and news outlet Kotaku, where it was commented that they’ve been looking for more ways to implement and express representation regarding the Overwatch game, world, and lore.

When creating Lifeweaver, the team knew that they wanted to establish an openly-pansexual hero, with this identity being at the core of his character, referenced during in-game voice lines and conversations with other heroes. Lifeweaver will be bringing some serious rizz to the field, and it’s been teased that one or two characters may actually play along and bite at his flirting and infectious charm.

Author
Grace Black

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Reddit User Recreates Working Minecraft Clocks & Jukebox With 3D-Prints

1 year 1 month ago

Although the Minecraft store features many exclusive merchandise and clothing lineups, Reddit user Perplexr has taken things up a notch with their working 3D printed builds. The most recent creation is a fully-functional clock of the Overworld, showcasing the day and night cycles from the series.

Those unfamiliar with the clock’s mechanisms should note that it gradually rotates throughout the day to either display the sun or moon. Perplexr’s build works in a similar fashion, as it spins with the standard 24-hour system.

The procedure for this 3D-printed design first began with an older texture pack until it fully blossomed into a new creation with the latest release.

Author
Kristina Ebanez

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Overwatch 2’s Lifeweaver Brings Life & Growth to a World Overrun By Omnic-Fueled Doom (Hands-On Impressions)

1 year 1 month ago

Overwatch 2 has successfully run three differently-themed Seasons of content since the game’s launch, with Season 4 fast approaching early April 2023. While there are yet to be any official details revealed from Blizzard regarding the seasonal themes, changes, and cosmetics that will be included in the upcoming Season 4, one very significant factor has already caught the eyes of players all around the globe.

Of course, I’m talking about none other than the latest addition to the Support roster, Lifeweaver. The Overwatch team dropped a sneak peek reveal for this new Hero on April 3, 2023, and fans immediately showed their love and admiration towards the floral-inspired individual.

I was recently given the opportunity to explore an Early Access build for Overwatch 2‘s Season 4 and playtest Lifeweaver’s hero kit and abilities for myself. And boy, oh, boy, when I say there’s so much to discuss, well, there’s no better way than to dive into the details.

Let’s start with the obvious — his appearance. If it wasn’t apparent by the overly-enthusiastic reaction from fans of the game, Lifeweaver has a brilliant character design, and to put it bluntly, well, he’s absolutely beautiful. Truthfully, he puts some of the most notoriously ‘good-looking’ Heroes to shame, even within the limited material released thus far.

Author
Grace Black

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The Last of Us Part 1’s Latest Patch May Cure Its Infectious PC Port

1 year 1 month ago

The initial launch of The Last of Us Part 1 was met with overwhelming criticism, as players noted its many bugs and glitches. While some encountered an oddly bushy-eyebrowed Joel, others became frustrated with its meager FPS rate, despite being an “enhanced” remake of the original.

Fortunately, players may finally get the performance they deserve, thanks to the recent surge in hotfixes from Naughty Dog. The latest patch for PC users addresses issues with the UI/UX and the odd character behavior that several fans have come across throughout the story.

Author
Kristina Ebanez

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Your New Favorite Support Hero is Coming to Overwatch 2

1 year 1 month ago

Blizzard Entertainment has announced its latest Support hero Lifeweaver. He is an intelligent and curious adventurer who plans to use his biolight technology to make the world a better place.

Video Source: PlayOverwatch

The new gameplay trailer shows Lifeweaver’s control abilities that will open up fresh strategies since the hero appears to be designed for players who care more about positioning and game sense than aim skill. Lifeweaver’s ability to quickly reposition aggressive flankers like Genji or Reaper, coupled with burst healers like Ana or Baptiste, should make for a good team composition. The teaser video also shows an ability that can pull allies out of danger.

Author
Gray Giron

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5 Classic Modern Warfare Weapons That Should Join Season 3’s Intervention in MW2 & Warzone 2

1 year 1 month ago

Recent Call of Duty instalments have toed a line between new and classic content pretty adeptly; with Modern Warfare 2 continuing that trend as well. With players looking ahead to Season 3 of post-launch content, the developers have confirmed that the Intervention sniper rifle will return, albeit under the new moniker of the FJX Imperium. To that effect, we’re picking five more classic CoD: Modern Warfare weapons that could join the Intervention in future seasons of MW2 and Warzone 2.

Author
Joe Craven

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Xbox Game Pass Is Losing Some Unmissable Games in April

1 year 1 month ago

Xbox Game Pass is saying hello to some new titles and saying sayonara to some old ones, as happens each and every month. While some of the upcoming titles are exciting, like Loop Hero and Ghostwire: Tokyo, there are some big games leaving the service on April 15 according to the most recent Xbox blog post.

Life is Strange: True Colors is an emotional adventure following to story of Alex Chen that won’t be available on Game Pass after April 15. Alex has the incredibly well-designed power of empathy, and the journey this takes her on is one everyone should explore. 

Indie hit Moonglow Bay is also leaving Game Pass. The premise of the game is fishing and selling your catches to Moonglow Bay like your deceased partner wanted you to do. It’s the perfect comfort title that can be enjoyed easily and quickly, and has an adorable visual style that just screams cozy.

One of the more interesting titles departing from the Xbox Game Pass is Rainbox Six Extraction. The PvE title from Ubisoft seems like the perfect fit for the subscription service, but Xbox is making way for new experiences like the upcoming Minecraft Legends, which arrives on April 18.

The other games leaving Xbox Game Pass are Panzer Corps 2, The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, The Long Dark, and The Riftbreaker. Remember that any game on the Xbox Game Pass can be purchased for 20% off, so take advantage of that and grab any soon-to-be-gone game before April 15!

Author
Brittany Alva

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Mr. Sun's Hatbox is a slapstick roguelike with a heavy dose of Metal Gear Solid 5

1 year 1 month ago

Have you ever been waiting for a delivery, only to have it never arrive? Ever wondered where it went? How does the courier even begin to track a lost item? Mr. Sun’s Hatbox answers all of those questions (very seriously) in a genre-blending comedy. When I say genre-blending, I mean this is a platforming roguelike with extensive base-building, shooting, whacking, stealthing, and a heavy dose of Metal Gear Solid 5. Seriously. It launches on April 20th.

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Author
Kaan Serin

You can grab Battlestar Galactica Deadlock for free this weekend

1 year 1 month ago

The long-running sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica received a turn-based strategy spin-off a couple years ago. Focusing on the epic space battles alone, Battlestar Galactica Deadlock was generally well-reviewed at its launch in 2017, and it’s become increasingly popular in the years since, thanks to hefty post-launch support and a lack of other BSG-related things going on. Luckily, Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is now free to keep on Steam until 6pm BST/ 10am PT/ 1pm ET on April 9th.

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Author
Kaan Serin

Reality Bytes: The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution is long on title, short on ideas

1 year 1 month ago

The Walking Dead: Saints And Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution

*inhales*

starts by suggesting that you play the original game's tutorial. This is included as part of the experience, which, as we'll get to, says a lot about how this sequel has been designed.

In any case, I disregarded this advice. "I don't need an instruction manual for post-apocalyptic survival," I thought. I've rummaged through this particular abandoned house countless times, after all: In DayZ, in Dead Island, in State Of Decay, in Days Gone. I even reviewed the first Saints And Sinners back in February 2020. I know my way around a zombie's cranium better than anyone.

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Author
Rick Lane

Review: Process of Elimination Has the Evidence, but Fumbles the Trial

1 year 1 month ago

Process of Elimination Detectives game

Process of Elimination is a game that wastes no time setting up its stakes. It opens with a broadcast from a serial killer, the player must pick one of his two victims to die, and they explode in a shower of blood. This serial killer is The Quartering Duke, a mysterious figure who streams their crimes, yet evades capture every time. They go on to kill over a hundred people in a year. Police need a drastic solution.

This is where the Detective Alliance comes in. It’s a secret group containing the finest detectives in the world. Each member of the Alliance has their own specialist skill, which they must combine to bring down the Duke. To maintain secrecy, each detective is known only by an alias that represents their skills. Techie Detective is brilliant at analysis. Downtown Detective is a social butterfly who can read people. Bookworm Detective draws from a deep encyclopedic knowledge, and so on.

You are a new recruit to the Alliance and don’t have a specialist skill, earning you the slightly harsh title of Incompetent Detective. You and the rest of the Detective Alliance head out to a private island with a manor house and a research lab to conduct your investigation. However, the fourteen detectives soon learn that things aren’t what they seem. Some of them start turning up dead, meaning there may be a traitor among them.

process of elimination game

Author
Leigh Price

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Star Wars Finally Looks to Old Republic as James Mangold Confirms Movie About 'Dawn of the Force'

1 year 1 month ago

Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most beloved eras in the extended universe, but it has been left largely untouched by Disney's movies and television shows. That may be about to change, though, if a timeline shown during Star Wars Celebration is anything to go by.

Shortly before announcing several new Star Wars movies, LucasFilm studio head Kathleen Kennedy took the stage to share her vision for what Star Wars will look like in theaters. That means "broadening the timeline," Kennedy says, as an image appeared highlighting seven major eras. They include:

The Old Republic: The era first depicted in BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic series. It remains a fan-favorite era, but it has been rarely acknowledged by Disney until now.

The High Republic: The golden age period that has been the focus of many of the books. The first show set in the High Republic will be Star Wars Acolyte, which was fully revealed during Celebration.

Fall of the Jedi: This would be the Prequel era.

Rise of the Empire: This is the era depicted in Star Wars Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi, covering the period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

The Age of Rebellion: This is the period covered by the original Star Wars trilogy.

Author
Kat Bailey

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Figure of Nikke Anniversary Character Poll Will be Life-Sized

1 year 1 month ago

nikke half anniversary poll character figure

Goddess of Victory: Nikke will celebrate its half-anniversary on April 27, 2023. In commemoration of that, Level Infinite announced several special events and campaigns. Though details are still vague, there will be exclusive presents for the half-anniversary that players will be able to claim. There will also be a character poll for players' favorite Nikke character from April 12-18, 2023, with the winner turned into a figure. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

To start with, the character poll will be available worldwide. Level Infinite will develop a life-sized figure of whichever Nikke character wins the poll, and the winner will also get a special costume in-game. It’s unclear if the costume ill be free or if it will require real-life money to purchase. Just putting in your votes will also get you prizes like Tickets and Credits in the Nikke app.

More information on the half-anniversary will appear during the Nikke live-stream that’ll take place on April 21, 2023. Mafia Kajita will be the emcee, with Moe Iori as a guest. Mutsumi Tamura (Mihara), Rie Tanaka (Ingrid), and M.A.O. (Snow White) will also be at the show. You will be able to watch the live stream on YouTube.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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IRyS Comes to BanG Dream: Girls Band Party in Hololive Event

1 year 1 month ago

IRyS Comes to BanG Dream: Girls Band Party in Hololive Event

Hololive is coming back to BanG Dream: Girls Band Party, as the VTuber IRyS will appear in the rhythm game starting on April 15, 2023. There aren’t exact details about what sort of elements will appear just yet. However, the initial announcement did also confirm there will be an IRyS stream on April 29, 2023 involving the game.

Given IRyS’ song catalog, it is possible there could be some songs “performed” with in-game groups. The announcement image seems to show the Roselia singer Yukina Minato alongside her, so she could “sing” with them on a track.

It isn’t uncommon for Hololive events to show up in BanG Dream: Girls Band Party, as other VTubers appeared in past crossovers there. For example, in 2022 there was an event that added costumes, cookies, missions, and songs. That August 2022 event focused on performers like Tokino Sora, Minato Aqua, and Shirakami Fubuki.

Here’s the list of songs that appeared in that 2022 BanG Dream: Girls Band Party event.

  • Minato Aqua and Pastel Palettes - “Fansa”
  • Shirakami Fubuki and Hello, Happy World - “Bon Appetit♡S”
  • Tokino Sora and Poppin’ Party - “Tracing a Dream”

BanG Dream: Girls Band Party is available on Android and Apple iOS devices, and the Hololive event with IRyS will begin on April 15, 2023. Past collaborations included games like Persona as well.

Author
Jenni Lada

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Super Mario Bros Movie Made Over $66M on Opening Day

1 year 1 month ago

super mario bros movie

On its first day in theaters, The Super Mario Bros Movie made over $66 million. It broke several international box office records. $34.7 million of that revenue came from overseas. Domestically, it made $53.7 within the first two days. [Thanks, Deadline!]

This is one of the biggest launch days for several countries when it comes to animated movies. In Mexico, for example, it made $5.9 million, which made it Universal’s biggest debut. It wasn’t able to beat Toy Story 4. It was straight up the biggest opening day for an animation movie in Spain, making over $2.2 million. This is the strongest admission since COVID-19 started as well, though in terms of the box office, it fell behind Avengers: Endgame.

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Stephanie Liu

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Amatsuka Uto Will Retire at End of April 2023

1 year 1 month ago

amatsuka uto

VTuber Amatsuka Uto announced her retirement on Twitter. She is an independent VTuber who debuted in 2020. Her last date will be on April 30, 2023, and she will lock up her various social media accounts. She also requests that people do not clip or repost her streams after that date.

On Amatsuka Uto’s Twitter account, she said that her time as a VTuber was very happy because she was able to receive support from a lot of people, as well as meet a lot of people. She will continue to stream on YouTube and Twitch until her final date. However, after that, she will stop her YouTube membership, as well as lock up her Twitter account. She will only leave a few videos on her YouTube, but otherwise, she will make everything else private.

Amatsuka Uto did not state in her message as to why she has chosen to quit. She is not the only VTuber this year to leave the career though. Mirai Akari, who was with GOOM Studio, retired as of March 31, 2023. In her case, she stated that it was due to differences in values between her and her management team.

Amatsuka Uto will retire from her VTuber activities on April 30, 2023. She has asked that people not upload her past streams or make clips of them after that date.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Resident Evil 4 Remake Sales Top 4 Million Units, Second Fastest Selling Resident Evil

1 year 1 month ago

Resident Evil 4 remake has now sold over 4 million copies worldwide, Capcom announced today. This comes after Capcom previously revealed last month that the game sold over 3 million copies within its first two days of release.

“In addition to Resident Evil 4 garnering interest and attention from the release of the Chainsaw Demo prior to launch, sales of the title grew steadily following a highly positive reception from customers, driving worldwide sales over 4 million units,” Capcom said in a statement.

According Alex Aniel, writer of Itchy Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil, Resident Evil 4 Remake is the second fastest selling Resident Evil in history. He said he expects it to overtake Resident Evil 6, which didn't hit 5 million units sold until nearly 12 months after launch.

Capom's statement continued: “Capcom will continue to focus on growing sales of the title, including with the release of The Mercenaries free additional downloadable content on April 7.”

Author
George Yang

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