February 2024

IGN Fan Fest returns this February with a lineup filled with the biggest names in games and entertainment.

Everything kicks off on Feb. 19 and continues throughout the week with exclusive interviews, trailers, gameplay, sneak peeks, and more. The event continues with two days of Fan Fest livestreams on Feb. 23 and 24, featuring even more reveals and surprises.

Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire are just some of the big movies coming to this year’s show that also includes the hotly-anticipated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tracker, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Plus, we dig deep into new seasons of fan-favorites such as Abbott Elementary, Invincible, and others.

Fan Fest 2024 also features new and exciting looks at WWE 2K24, Street Fighter 6, G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Brawlhalla, and more of your favorite (and soon to be favorite) games.

New for Fan Fest this year is a huge celebration of popular anime, including Gear Five From One Piece, Oshi no Ko, and Solo Leveling. From the world of comics, fans can expect exclusive reveals from Marvel Comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution, and Spawn: Rat City.

Capcom has announced a Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition will launch February 9 as a package including the base game and all of its downloadable content.

Announced with a trailer (below), the Gold Edition therefore includes the Separate Ways expansion plus bonus items previously only available in Resident Evil 4's Deluxe Edition.

These include various costumes for Leon and Ashley (such as Casual and Romantic), the Sentinel Nine and Skull Shaker weapons, a soundtrack, exclusive charms, and more.

No price for the Gold Edition was shared by Capcom but will likely emerge in the coming days as it becomes available to preorder.

Resident Evil 4 launched in March 2023 as a remake of the beloved 2005 game. It proved a smash hit for Capcom, selling more than three million units in just two days, and topping six million in the months since.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "The Resident Evil 4 remake is the series' most relentlessly exciting adventure rebuilt, refined, and realised to the full extent of its enormous potential."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Are you searching for a new console? We’re here to help. Whether you're looking to play great single-player story-driven games on the PS5 or want some family-friendly action that the Nintendo Switch delivers, there's truly something available for everyone. Check out our full breakdown of the most popular video game consoles available now, and skip to the end to see if you should consider PC gaming at home or on the go instead.

For more information about prices, games, and accessories for each console, use the links below to jump to each section:

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Upcoming Obsidian RPG Avowed takes place in Eora, which in the fictional universe of Pillars of Eternity, is pretty diverse. But after Pillars let players choose from a number of different character races, fans have been wondering for some time now why Avowed is only letting them pick human or elf when customizing a player character.

We've learned that Avowed player character creation is limited to making either a human or an elf in previous game reveals - no dwarves, no aumauas, and definitely no godlikes. While this has been a disappointment to some fans, Avowed game director Carrie Patel has made it clear that the reasons for this limitation are twofold: it's both a story choice and a development decision.

On the story side, Patel explains in an interview with IGN, it's because the player in Avowed is a representative from the Aedyr Empire, which is predominantly made up of humans and elves. Those familiar with Pillars of Eternity lore will recognize that this is indeed established canon, and has shaped a lot of the region's particular culture.

Still, that might be cold comfort to those hoping to recreate their aumaua OC from Pillars in Avowed. For those folks, Patel offers some additional context that helps things make a bit more sense from the development side:

During the PlayStation State of Play January 2024 showcase, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima did what he does best and surprised the gaming world, this time with the announcement he’s returning to the “action espionage” genre with a video game and movie hybrid that’ll have "near life-like graphics”.

Of course, the initial reaction revolved around the shock revelation that Kojima is making what sounds like a Metal Gear spiritual successor having left Konami years ago. But since then, fans have turned to another tantalising prospect: that project Physint, as it’s codenamed, could be one of the first PlayStation 6 games.

We don’t know much about Physint, but what we do know suggests a PS6 launch is a distinct possibility. During the State of Play, Kojima said production is expected to begin "in earnest" at Kojima Productions after Death Stranding 2 and in partnership with Sony. So, we know Physint is coming to PlayStation consoles. That’s a given. But when could it come out?

There’s no release window for Physint, understandably at this stage. But we now know Death Stranding 2 has a 2025 release window. We don’t know when in 2025 it will come out. It may end up delayed somewhat. But let’s say, at the earliest, it comes out during the first quarter of 2025. Then, if what Kojima said during the State of Play holds true, development on Physint will begin “in earnest”.

Sony is giving PlayStation Plus Premium members on PS5 a free trial of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 from Insomniac Games.

Revealed on the PlayStation Blog, those subscribed to the $159.99 / £119.99 a year PlayStation Plus tier can download Spider-Man 2 at no additional cost on February 6 and play two hours before making the decision to purchase it fully or not.

As is the case for all PlayStation Plus Premium game trials — which also include heavy hitters Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and more — all saved data and trophies will carry over if players do decide to purchase the game later.

Spider-Man 2 continues the story of Peter Parker and Miles Morales as they take on a rogues' gallery of Marvel villains headlined by the big bad Venom. It earned an 8/10 in IGN's review, as we said: "Marvel's Spider-Man 2 delivers Insomniac's best tale yet, and despite its open world falling short, is a reliably fun superhero power trip."

Palworld developer Pocketpair has released a significant new patch for the Steam version of the game that makes a number of fixes.

Steam patch v0.1.4.0 fixes crash issues, gameplay issues, and glitches, among other things. Elsewhere, there are fixes for base issues, including one that means Pals who are manually assigned to a breeding farm will not become hungry and their manual assignments will not be removed.

Some of the bugs fixed by this patch are worth highlighting because they’re quite funny. For example, there’s a fix for an issue where Pals at the base would continue to cut down trees that were already cut (talk about a thankless task), and a fix for an issue where Pals at the base were on the verge of death due to unexplained falling damage (we've all been there). Here’s another one: a fix for an issue where Pals at the base would float under some conditions. What are those Pals smoking?

On a more serious note, the patch makes an initial fix for an issue where the game would always crash and save data would be corrupted when the guild's total number of Pals captured reached around 7000. However, save data that has already been in this state (in the case of a server, the server's world data) prior to this update will still be unable to load, Pocketpair said.

[Editor's Note: This article contains references to themes such as teenage suicide, self-harm and bullying. Reader discretion is advised.]

Silent Hill: The Short Message is a brand new game in the storied psychological horror series Silent Hill, announced and released today as a free download for PlayStation 5. I (Daniel) played the full game from start to finish ahead of its surprise release, along with my IGN Japan colleague Koji Fukuyama, and both of us found a lot to enjoy – and even more to ponder. This article is a mix of both of our impressions.

This compact two-hour first-person game centres on teenage protagonist Anita as she searches for her missing friend Maya in a spooky abandoned building. The game makes effective use of its themes of suicide, self-harm, bullying and isolation to create a feeling of genuine dread, bringing the central themes of early games in the series entries into a modern perspective, while offering a sensitive portrayal of its subject matter that never feels exploitative or crude.

That said, the game does include some fairly graphic scenes that may be too much for those who are sensitive to such themes, so I would advise caution. The game is rated 15 and up, and I’d say it’s a hard 15, and definitely not suitable for younger players.

If you dig old-school turn-based fantasy games, I've got some great news for you. Hellcard is going to scratch that itch, and it adds quite a few strategic gameplay elements to the mix as well, keeping the game engaging for a long time. What could be better? Well, I'm glad you asked. Right now, we're giving away keys for the Steam version to members of IGN Plus!

IGN Plus Monthly Game: Hellcard

Hellcard is the latest game from Thing Trunk, the studio behind Book Of Demons. It's a turn-based fantasy game where you choose one of three classic fantasy classes (Fighter, Wizard, and Rogue) and start to delve beneath an old cathedral to defeat the forces of evil. Sound familiar (that's part of the point)? Along the way you'll pick up extra party members to form a team of up to three heroes to tackle skeletons, giant spiders, and monsters from beyond (you can also play with human companions via the game's multiplayer system).

Capcom has confirmed that the Gold Edition of Resident Evil 4 Remake will get a physical edition, but only in Europe.

In an email sent to IGN, a Capcom spokesperson confirmed that Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition will remain a digital-only release in the US when it releases on February 9. Capcom Europe also announced on X/Twitter that it will release a physical copy of the game, but physical media lovers in Europe must wait until March.

Capcom is the latest publisher to hop on the digital-only trend. Ninja Theory and Microsoft announced last month that the upcoming game Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will be a digital-only release. Remedy Entertainment revealed last May that Alan Wake 2 would not see a physical release to keep the game below $70.

Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition includes the base game and the DLC expansion Separate Ways. The Gold Edition will also include digital content available in the Deluxe Edition and a separate DLC add-on, such as additional costumes for Leon and Ashley, the Sentinel Nine and Skull Shaker weapons, a soundtrack, exclusive charms, and more.

Hideo Kojima has announced he is returning to the world of spycraft.

During the latest PlayStation State of Play, Kojima joined PlayStation Studios boss Herman Hulst to announce Physint, a new “Action Espionage” game from the creator of Metal Gear. Kojima alluded that it will also be a movie, but clarified on X that the “look, story, theme, cast, acting, fashion, sound, etc… are all at the next level of ‘Digital Entertainment’ that could be called a ‘movie.’”

“PHYSINT (working title)” will be the third, new original IP since the establishment of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. It is a completely new “Action Espionage” for the next-generation. It will be created using cutting-edge technology and the best talents from around the world, both from… pic.twitter.com/0vnMXJbGNz

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) January 31, 2024

A bit redundant, I’d say, since Kojima’s already leveraging movie-calibur production on his current project, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. But nevertheless, Kojima’s return to the genre he revolutionized and popularized nearly four decades ago is worth celebrating.

We got our first proper look at the Silent Hill 2 Remake during yesterday's State of Play and, as someone who adored the original game, I immediately noticed a handful of familiar scenes. From James' first steps into the Woodside apartments to his encounter with Pyramid Head, it's possible to see that while many things have remained faithful in the Remake, others things have changed.

Take a look at the video or slideshow above to see the similarities and differences we spotted in the first trailer for Silent Hill 2 Remake. And if you haven't already, check out the trailer itself below.

NFL star Jason Kelce is on a mission to find out who owns the rights to the Backyard Sports franchise, as the Philadelphia Eagles center is interested in reviving Backyard Baseball and Backyard Football games.

In the latest episode of podcast New Heights, which Jason co-hosts with his younger brother Travis, the two briefly reminisce about playing Backyard Football on the computer before Jason reveals that he has been "secretly" trying to figure out who owns the rights because he wants to bring back Backyard Baseball and Backyard Football for modern platforms.

"I don't even know if I want to mention this cause I have secretly been looking into seeing if anybody holds the rights to Backyard Football and Backyard Baseball, cause I wanna buy it and get this thing going again," Jason said. "It's the best game ever. It was so electric. Can you imagine playing Backyard Football right now on your phone? Cause you can do that whole thing on your phone, it wasn't that complicated."

The official New Heights X/Twitter also posted a call to action, with a snippet of the clip along with a caption asking who currently holds the rights to the Backyard Sports series to get in touch with the Kelce brothers.

If anyone knows who has the rights to the backyard sports franchise please hit us up 👀pic.twitter.com/hwZ3WxNt74

Devolver Digital are auteurs of style. It's a reputation the publisher has cultivated over the course of 15 years—from the gloriously bloodsoaked Hotline Miami to the ridiculously macabre Carrion—and if you, too, feel like life is better with a rhapsodically gory indie project on hand, then you'll be pleased to know that Children of the Sun is the ideal harbinger of Devolver's legacy. Limbs will fly, brain matter will splatter, the squeamish will be appalled, but like so many of the company's hits, a rock-solid design foundation ties everything together.

Consider Children of the Sun to be something like Rebellion’s Sniper Elite. You take control of a woman who has escaped the clutches of a sinister cult. To get her revenge, she has brandished a long-range rifle, with the intention of murdering the principal members of the order, one by one. Each level begins with you positioning our protagonist at the preferred vantage to prey upon a mingling sect of goons. Pull the trigger, and the camera jumps to the crown of the bullet zooming through the environment, until it meets its fleshy destination.

But here's the catch. Children of the Sun gives you exactly one bullet to fire. After discharging it, you'll then take control of the same shell, which must be redirected into the other targets. The bullet pinballs around a cult encampment, powered by fate or telekinesis. In practice, that makes Children of the Sun much more of a puzzle game than a shooter. To succeed, you must map out the geometry to ensure that everyone you want dead is in clear line of sight.

Annual sports games always face the same issue: What do you add to an already refined (and successful) formula for an individual effort to stand out from the pack? Countless series’ have had to tackle this problem, such as NBA 2K, EA Sports FC and now, following its recent revival, WWE 2K. Last year’s hugely popular WWE 2K23 is without question still an extremely good wrestling game package, so cynical players may just conclude that this year’s upcoming entry, WWE 2K24, isn’t an essential upgrade. But from what I’ve played so far, WWE 2K24 has added enough exciting gameplay-focused innovations that it's definitely worth your attention. Let me talk to ya…

Although the next game in this long line of releases will naturally update and modernise the roster and cosmetics of WWE, 2K24 still requires headline additions to hang its hat on. This year they come in the form of four brand new match types: Special Guest Referee, Casket Match, Gauntlet Match, and an Ambulance Match. Only the latter was available for me to sample during a hands-on demo, but if its quality standard is anything to go by then I’m very excited to play the others.

Developer 4A Games has made clear Metro Awakening, the PSVR2 game announced during the January 2024 PlayStation State of Play, is not the next mainline Metro game but instead a spin-off.

Following its announcement at the State of Play, Metro fans without Sony's $550 / £530 PlayStation 5 accessory grew a little concerned they'd waited five years for another game only to see it announced for a platform they didn't own or want.

4A Games took to X/Twitter to alleviate these concerns, however, reassuring fans it's still working on the next multiplatform mainline Metro game, while Awakening is developed by Vertigo Games.

"This is not the next mainline Metro game by 4A Games," the developer said. "That is still in development and, as we have stated previously, will come to generation nine consoles and PC. This is a different project developed by Vertigo Games."

Generation nine refers to the current generation of consoles, meaning the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. Nintendo continues to allude typical console cycles, though its imminent Switch successor could also be a possibility for whatever this next mainline Metro game is.