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Nintendo has announced that, as of December 31, 2020, the Nintendo Switch has officially passed the 3DS with 79.87 million console units sold. Furthermore, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has reached 31.18 million copies sold. As revealed in Nintendo's latest financial earnings release for the nine month period ending December 31, 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting ever closer to passing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's 33.41 million units sold as the best-selling Nintendo Switch game. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the third-best selling Switch game with 22.85 million units sold, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's 21.45 million units, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield's 20.35 million units, and Super Mario Odyssey's 20.23 million units. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/the-best-nintendo-switch-games-fall-2020-update"] Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield have also become the first Pokemon games to sell over 20 million units since Pokemon Gold and Silver. During the nine months ending December 31, 2020, titles released in the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2020, saw a ton of success. Super Mario 3D All-Stars sold 8.32 million units, Paper Mario: The Origami King sold 3.05 million units, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity sold 2.84 million units, Pikmin 3 Deluxe sold 1.94 million units, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit sold 1.08 million units. Games released in previous fiscal years also continued to sell well in these nine months, led by Animal Crossing: New Horizons' 19.41 million units. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 8.64 million units, Ring Fit Adventure sold 5.95 million units, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold 4.04 million units, and Super Smash Bros.

From navigating the mirrors in the dollhouse, finding the different butterflies, and obtaining the four doll masks, IGN has you covered in our complete Red House puzzle guide for The Medium.

A new extensive report from Bloomberg has detailed some of the dysfunction and struggles at Amazon Game Studios, which included cancelled projects, a troublesome game engine, mismanagement, and a "bro culture" that allegedly does not give women the same opportunities as men. The report begins by discussing how Mike Frazzini was brought in to start Amazon Game Studios eight years ago without ever making a game.

Update 02/01/2021: MLB The Show 21 has been officially announced and, yes, it's coming to Xbox consoles as well as its usual home on PlayStation. [poilib element="accentDivider"] The cover has allegedly leaked for MLB The Show 21, but this time for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox One, seemingly confirming that the Sony-exclusive baseball game will make its way to other platforms in 2021. Known leaker ANerdyDad on Instagram shared the covers, which both feature San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., and the Xbox version even comes complete with the PlayStation Studios logo, as well. Another potential leak has made its way to Reddit, showing that there may also be a Jackie Robinson special edition version of MLB The Show 21, which is said to be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Unfortunately, there is no mention of PC or Nintendo Switch. The Jackie Robinson Edition leak also reveals that the game is planned to be released on April 20, 2021, with an Early Access Weekend beginning on April 16. Following these leaks, it has been announced that the official MLB The Show 2021 cover reveal will take place tomorrow, February 1, on Hot Ones.

Today is the last chance you have to download the Monster Hunter Rise demo on the Nintendo Switch.

Last chance to get some of these for a few months!

Fortnite's latest collaboration not only allows players to purchase an in-game outfit based on G.I. Joe's Snake Eyes, but there will also be a real-life action figure from Hasbro that is based on the character's Fortnite design. Snake Eyes is available now in Fortnite's Item Shop, and the full set includes the Katana Pickaxe and Katana Back Bling. As for the Fortnite G.I. Joe Collab Snake Eyes: Zero Point Edition action figure, it costs $39.99 and includes Snake Eye's Katana - Morning Light - and a sheath accessory inspired by the G.I.

While Hitman 3 has officially launched with the aim to end the World of Assassination Trilogy, IO Interactive is planning on developing DLC that reimagines existing locations. Speaking to TheGamer, Hitman 3 executive producer Forest Swartout Large explained that, even though the studio is developing a new James Bond game, it is "continuously working on Hitman so we are already looking to the future." IO Interactive has multiple teams, and at least one will continue to support Hitman 3 with post-launch patches and DLC. However, Large warns that it most likely won't include new levels like Hitman 2's New York bank level or Haven Island. Instead, the team is looking to use "existing locations and reimagining them, twisting them." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/19/hitman-3-review"] "We are definitely going to be doing some DLC, but we haven’t defined what that is," Large said. "I think for now we are not looking at new maps like the bank and the island. We’re more looking at using existing locations and reimagining them, twisting them. And this time around, we can use the whole trilogy. We can look back at Hitman 2016 maps, Hitman 2 maps - we have all the locations." In our Hitman 3 review, we said "Rich, rewarding, and highly replayable, Hitman 3 is a superb installment of IO’s idiosyncratic but much-loved stealth series.

From powering up the control room, finding the valves, and managing the water levels in the storage tanks, IGN has you covered in our detailed guide for completing the Water Plant puzzle in The Medium.

Here's a basic guide to get you started on using the Wirebug in Monster Hunter Rise.

A new lawsuit filed by five gamers in California federal court accuses Valve of abusing its power to keep PC game prices high. As reported by THR, this lawsuit claims that Valve does not maintain its dominance over the PC market by offering better prices on Steam than other platforms, but does so by abusing its power to require developers to enter what is known as a 'Most Favored Nations' clause. "Valve Corporation’s Steam platform is the dominant platform for game developers to distribute and sell PC games in the United States," states the complaint being handled by attorneys at Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease. "But the Steam platform does not maintain its dominance through better pricing than by rival platforms. Instead, Valve abuses the Steam platform’s market power by requiring game developers to enter into a 'Most Favored Nations' provision contained in the Steam Distribution Agreement whereby the game developers agree that the price of a PC game on the Steam platform will be the same price the game developers sell their PC games on other platforms." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-modern-pc-games-summer-2020-update&captions=true"] The lawsuit also alleges that, because Valve requires developers to enter this 'Most Favored Nations' clause, it "hinders innovation by creating an artificial barrier to entry for platforms" and keeps prices high on other digital storefronts like the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store. "The Steam MFN also hinders innovation by creating an artificial barrier to entry for platforms," adds the complaint. "When a market, such as this one, is highly concentrated, a new entrant can benefit consumers by undercutting the incumbent’s prices.

A full playthrough and thirty minutes of multiplayer have surfaced for the cancelled Xbox Live Arcade remaster of the N64 classic GoldenEye 007. YouTuber Graslu00 shared the GoldenEye 007 XBLA (2007) - Longplay, which is running at 4K/60 FPS on the Xenia emulator, and it gives fans a glimpse of what Rare's remaster would have looked like had rights issues not gotten in the way. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2012/03/29/35-golden-gun-goldeneye-007-igns-top-100-video-game-weapons"] This isn't the first time we've seen footage of this cancelled project that appeared to be mostly finished, as a smaller look of gameplay surfaced in 2016 that showed upgraded visuals, the ability to switch back and forth between older and remastered graphics, and more. A modern re-imagining/remake of GoldenEye 007 was released for the Wii in 2010 by Activision and, in our review, we said "What could have ended up a game that cruised on autopilot and simply relied on a name to sell it has turned out to be one of the best first-person shooters on Wii.

Solve a murder before you commit a murder in Hitman 3 with a full walkthrough for the Dartmoor level's mystery.

The Monster Hunter Rise demo is available only for a limited time - make sure to play it to get free items in the full game!

IGN Prime has partnered with developer HumaNature Studios to offer all IGN Prime members a free steam key for ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove!

PlatinumGames may break its silence on Bayonetta 3 in 2021, as game director Hideki Kamiya says "it's safe to expect" news on the long-awaited Switch exclusive sometime this year. In an interview with VGC, Kamiya was asked about providing an update on Bayonetta 3 in 2021, to which he replied: "It’s not really our position to say, but… it’s January. We’ve got to have something come out, right? I guess it’s safe to expect that something will come out. There’s still a lot of the year left is what I’m saying." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/12/08/bayonetta-3-official-teaser-trailer"] Platinum has kept Bayonetta 3 tightly under wraps since it was revealed in 2017. No further details or gameplay footage has been shared in the three-plus years since, with Platinum only breaking its silence to confirm development was ongoing. When asked by VGC if this year's potential update will be "more substantial than another CGI logo," Kamiya laughed and said, "I understand it’s driving the fans crazy! In light of that, my suggestion would be that maybe we should all reset and forget about Bayonetta 3.

Get into the Festivale rhythm!

Dark Horse Books and Squanch Games are teaming up to release The Art of Trover Saves the Universe, giving fans a closer look at the development of the quirky puzzle game. IGN can exclusively reveal the cover to Trover Saves the Universe. Check it out below: [caption id="attachment_2467222" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Image Credit: Dark Horse[/caption] Like all of Dark Horse's video game art books, The Art of Trover Saves the Universe will feature plenty of concept designs, art and creator commentary. Even if you have played the game, the book may be worth reading just to peek inside the mind of creator Justin Roiland, who's also responsible for a little show called Rick and Morty. The Art of Trover Saves the Universe is 192 pages and is priced at $39.99. The book is scheduled for release on July 28, 2021. Trover Saves the Universe earned an 8.7 from IGN when it hit PC, consoles and Oculus Rift in 2019. Reviewer Tom Marks writes, "Trover Saves the Universe is a short and sweet VR platformer wrapped in one of the most ridiculous video game stories you’ll ever see.

Bungie has left members of the Destiny 2 community concerned after publicly targeting changes to the game ahead of the addition of full crossplay later this year - possibly signalling that it will merge mouse-and-keyboard and controller players in matchmaking. In the latest Bungie blogpost, senior community manager dmg04 writes, "This Season, we’re making some targeted changes to weapon archetypes that need some love as well as beginning some preparations for crossplay." The major change involves increasing recoil on certain weapon types solely for mouse-and-keyboard players, bringing the level of recoil closer to that of the same weapons when used on controller. While this might seem a relatively small change, the mention that the move is being made with crossplay in mind has led community members to wonder if it means that Destiny 2 PvP will matchmake a mixed pool of PC and console players by default, or even as the only option. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/destiny-2-beyond-light-review"] It plays into longstanding problems for players across platforms, with mouse-and-keyboard play seen as offering an innate advantage, particularly in shooters (although Destiny 2's heavy aim-assist for controller players complicates that theory a little in this case). Cheating is also generally more prevalent on PC versions of games. Many current crossplay games offer controller-using players the choice to play only with other controller players, but Bungie hasn't specified Destiny 2's approach as yet. With crossplay due later this year but details still somewhat hazy, players are speculating what approach Bungie will take - and even trying to alter the developer's course.

After an extended period of being almost silent, developer Experiment 101 recently announced a May release date for Biomutant, its long-awaited open-world action game. That silence was for good reason - studio head Stefan Ljungqvist tells us that parts of the game have become bigger and more complex, but with only 20 people to make all that extra work happen. Rather than ship a buggy game, Ljungqvist says Experiment 101 has been taking its time to quietly build a truly finished product. “It's a big game, a big bite for 20 people to chew off,” says Ljungqvist. While Biomutant’s map may be just eight square kilometers, it’s packed with warring tribes, conquerable outposts, strange creatures to fight, and a protagonist who can mutate into new forms to overcome obstacles. As we’ve said before, Biomutant looks bananas, and its many moving parts are a challenge for the studio behind them. That 20-person team, established by ex-Avalanche Studios employees, is determined to stay small. But while that helps keep the studio nimble, it also imposes some restrictions. “At the end of the project, there's only a certain amount of bugs that you can physically fix during the course of the day,” says Ljungqvist. And that’s what much of Biomutant’s last year of development has been: bug squashing. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/biomutant-10-minutes-of-new-gameplay-footage"] “It’s been a huge amount of work for QA, because it's not easy in an open-world game to find them,” explains Ljungqvist.

PlayStation has filed a patent for technology that lets audience members participate in virtual reality content, making decisions for the active player. Or, you know, just messing with them. The patent was filed in October of 2020 but was recently published. You can find the front page with a useful illustration of the technology in action on the US Patent and Trademark Office website. [caption id="attachment_246714" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Audience Participation Trademark Imagery[/caption] The patent's copy talks about how audience members will be able to participate in games while another user is immersed within virtual reality. They will be able to make decisions for the player via "spectator devices," probably mobile phones, in a manner similar to PlayStation's PlayLink technology, used in games like Hidden Agenda and That's You. It looks like you'll be able to help or screw over the main player in virtual reality, depending on the available choices.

Joe's been playing Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury on Switch and reminds us all why it's a game a lot of us missed on Wii U but shouldn't this time around. Jesse has been playing new horror game The Medium and lets us know if it lives up to expectations. Plus, Cardy has played Nuts, a squirrel surveillance game that is rather pleasant. Also, we discuss the weirdest things we've ever buttered. Why not tell us yours? Remember, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, please do: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.

IGN UK Podcast #577: Kaiju Cat Mario Can Step On Us

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• IGN UK Podcast #576: Hitman 3 Has Us Excited for Bond
• IGN UK Podcast #575: WandaVision is Wonderful Television
• IGN UK Podcast #574: The Big 2021 Games Preview
• IGN UK Podcast #573: Forgotten Gems of the Generation
• IGN UK Podcast #572: The Sandwich Special

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Update 01/29/2021: The European Commission has confirmed that it will consider complaints into Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Drift, potentially launching further investigation and "coordinated action". Speaking to IGN, a European Commission (EC) spokesperson explained: "The European Commission will carefully consider all the elements brought forward by BEUC together with the national consumer authorities in the coming weeks to assess the need for further investigation into the matter and a possible coordinated action as foreseen under the Consumer protection cooperation (CPC) regulation." Asked what that coordinated action could involve, the EC spokesperson pointed to previous cases, in which companies were compelled to change their practices after being deemed to have broken EU consumer law. The original complaint called for Nintendo to offer free repairs to existing Joy-Cons, and to change the design in future models to prevent drift – the EC has made no mention of what it could enforce. Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice provided a statement on the investigation centring on the idea of early obsolescence, in which companies are seen to create products that begin failing early, necessitating replacement or repair: “Early obsolescence is a growing concern for all consumers. The Commission is determined to act against such trends and to empower consumers in the green transition. We are preparing a new legislative initiative aiming to provide consumers with better information on products’ sustainability, including durability, and better protection against certain practices, such as early obsolescence.” It's not the first time Nintendo's fallen under EC scrutiny. In 2002, the Commission imposed a €149 million fine against the company for price-fixing, which was later reduced to €119 million on appeal.

An engineer working on Halo Infinite has explained how the game will be optimized to run well on all platforms, and not just Xbox One. In the latest 'Inside Infinite' development blog for January 2021, Game Foundation Architect Danielle Giannetti discussed how the studio rebuilt the "engine multi-threading solution" to ensure the game runs optimally across every device that it is launching on - Xbox One, Xbox Series X & S, and PC. "For Halo Infinite, we rebuilt the engine multi-threading solution to ensure high execution efficiency across all platforms and PCs, instead of running optimally just on Xbox One," Giannetti explained. "We used this new system to transition the renderer to a massively parallel multi-threaded framework to support the increased cost of all our new rendering features and achieve high graphics efficiency on PC CPUs of various size as well as Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One X/S hardware." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/11/halo-infinite-delayed-to-2021"] What this suggests is that even though the game will be launching on last-gen consoles, players shouldn't expect too many compromises on more powerful devices because of that. On the flip side, back in 2019, the Halo's Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor said that the Xbox One "is not going to be a second-class citizen" when it comes to how the last-gen console will run Halo Infinite. Gianetti's explanation doubles down on 343's promise and gives us an idea of how that works from a technical perspective.

Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi will step down as Sega's Chief Creative Officer, and take on the role of creative director – a move being seen by some as taking Nagoshi closer to active game development, as opposed to a supervisory role. Announced in a press release, the move comes among several changes in executive staff at Sega, and a wider restructure – although parent company Sega Sammy makes clear that there have been "no changes in the names, locations, business content, capital or fiscal year end" of Sega's companies as a result of the changes. No specific reasoning has been given for Nagoshi's change in role, but many have taken it to mean that the creator will be moving back into more active development. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/04/yakuza-like-a-dragon-review"] Nagoshi is most famous for creating the Yakuza series, and subsequently founding the Ryu Ga Gotoku development studio, which develops the series for Sega. He also created Daytona USA, Virtua Striker, Super Monkey Ball, and Binary Domain, among many other credits. In recent years, his role has been less hands-on, serving as executive director on every Yakuza game since 2015's Yakuza 0. We awarded the latest Ryu Ga Gotoku game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon with a 7/10 review, saying it "takes some bold steps in a new direction for the series but neglects to maintain its balance." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he desperately wants you to play Binary Domain. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story?

[Editor’s Note: We missed The Last Campfire when it first came out in August, but we’ve since had time to circle back and highlight this lovely game.] Finding light in the darkness is something we can all relate to -- whether it be as simple as discovering the solution to a small puzzle or as grand a notion as searching for one’s purpose in life. The Last Campfire addresses both ends of this spectrum and does so throughout with charm, smarts, and grace. Hello Games’ short-ish adventure hits the mark with cleverly designed puzzles, eye-catching style, and a touching story that left me feeling anything but forlorn. Forlorns, in this world, are lost souls scattered around the colourful land of The Last Campfire; they’ve seemingly abandoned all hope and feel bereft of a purpose. This is in stark contrast to our character, Ember, whose purpose appears more predestined; Ember makes their way through forests, swamps, and caves trying to help as many lost souls as possible, while also questioning what their purpose in the world is. By lighting campfires along the way you’re helping guide the Forlorns on their journey and allowing them to follow in your footsteps. Granted, you never quite know where those footsteps will take them, but by showing the Forlorns that they exist, you allow them to see that there is always light worth finding in the darkness. It was a clear and ultimately highly rewarding journey as I became more and more invested in the world and the creatures calling it home. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-last-campfire-official-launch-trailer"] Progress is made through solving consistently enjoyable puzzles that almost always hit that sweet spot of not being so simple that they’re boring but being challenging enough to satisfy upon solving, without becoming so complicated that it induces groans.

From manipulating the two different realities to finding the hidden switch, here's a step-by-step guide for solving the Clock Puzzle when investigating Thomas' Office.

In a new blog post, 343 Industries has announced that Halo Infinite will feature a fully customizable control scheme on all platforms and shown off some classic Halo weapons in Infinite’s new engine.

Quinn DelHoyo, lead Sandbox designer on Halo Infinite (and weapons designer during early production), detailed in the blog how developer 343 Industries is focusing on accessibility and customization for players with their new control scheme.

“Everything should feel intuitive and we don’t want the player to have to “fight” the game in order to have fun,” DelHoyo said. “It’s because of this principle, and the fact that Halo Infinite will be on PC, that led us to rebuild the control scheme system to allow players to fully rebind and remap their controls, regardless of platform. How players control Chief or their Spartan is crucial and we recognize that players feel the most connected to the game when control customization is fully featured.”

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343 Industries continued later in the blog, stating that the company has a team dedicated to improving PC controls, in addition to feedback from an internal pro team and PC Master Chief Collection players.

“PC as a first-class endeavor is another aspect to Halo Infinite that we are actively taking into account,” DelHoyo said. “PC as a platform is not going to be a port after we launch the game. We are playing on PC every day. So now, not only does our game need to feel great and like Halo on a controller like it has natively for the past 20-some-years, the game and all of its systems need to take into account native mouse and keyboard functionality.”

Resident Evil Village will officially be released in May, but it appears that extensive leaks are starting to make their way onto the internet early. So be warned going forward as there are now spoilers abound the net. As reported by Eurogamer, Capcom is taking down videos online with Resident Evil Village leaks. These aren’t just clips from The Maiden Resident Evil Village demo, but entirely new scenes showcasing encounters with Resident Evil Village’s popular Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. These leaks, which we won’t detail here, are reportedly from a developer build of Resident Evil Village, likely related to the massive Capcom data hack. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-8-village-showcase-screenshots&captions=true"] Last November, Capcom was the victim of a massive ransomware attack from a group called the Ragnar Locker hacker group. The hackers claimed to have stolen a trove of information, including files and internal documents and demanded an $11 million bitcoin ransom. The company’s upcoming release calendar and potentially 390,000 items of personal information were reportedly compromised.

Welcome to Nintendo Voice Chat! Casey DeFreitas returns to the host seat this week, and she's joined by Peer Schneider, Brian Altano, and Tom Marks to talk about Bowser's Fury, the new Monster Hunter Rise Switch, and more. Plus, stick around for discussion on the Nintendo 64's long-lost feature, and games the panel is playing this week.

NVC is available on your preferred platform!

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You can listen to NVC on your preferred platform every Thursday at 3pm PT/6pm ET. Have a question for Question Block? Write to us at nvc@ign.com and we may pick your question! Also, make sure to join the Nintendo Voice Chat Podcast Forums on Facebook. We're all pretty active there and often pull Question Block questions and comments straight from the community.

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Animal Crossing: New Horizon's Update 1.7.0 Patch Notes are now live! Here's a breakdown of everything that was added during the January update.

This week in GTA Online, score triple Mobile Operations Missions rewards, double Diamond Adversary Series rewards, and much more.

Marvel's Avengers next War Table will take place on February 16, 2021, and it will showcase both Hawkeye and the delayed PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions. Announced by Marvel's Avengers on Twitter, Hawkeye and his Operation, Hawkeye - Future Imperfect, will be the next free big DLC content to be released following the arrival of Kate Bishop and her new Operation, Taking A.I.M. Hawkeye was the first post-launch hero revealed for Marvel's Avengers, and Bishop's Operation saw her embark on a rescue mission for Clint "Hawkeye" Barton by using a bridge through time to save him. Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics had planned on having the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S version ready earlier, but they were delayed "to ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be." Although a report came out last year that said Marvel's Avengers hadn't yet recouped its development costs, these updates, as well as the upcoming PlayStation exclusive Spider-Man DLC, will hopefully help make 2021 a successful one for the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/19/marvels-avengers-kate-bishop-tra

Ninja Theory has announced that, with the studio now focusing on Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Project Mara, and The Insight Project, Bleeding Edge will receive no further content updates. Bleeding Edge's Twitter announced the news while also reassuring its fans that even though the game won't get any new content, it will continue to be playable on Xbox and PC. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/27/bleeding-edge-review"] "With the studio now focusing on our new projects (Senua’s Saga, Project Mara & The Insight Project) we have decided that there will be no further content updates for Bleeding Edge," Ninja Theory wrote. "The game is still playable on Xbox and PC. Thank you to the fans & keep teaming up & causing chaos!" Bleeding Edge, a 4v4 third-person melee combat game, was announced at E3 2019 and was released on March 24, 2020. In our Bleeding Edge review, we said "While tinkering with character builds and clashing swords amidst exciting team fights is fun, Bleeding Edge left me wanting more as the hours piled up.

Fullbright, the acclaimed studio behind Gone Home and Tacoma, unveiled its newest narrative adventure, Open Roads, at the 2020 Game Awards. But beyond a trailer that showcased a distinctive mix of art styles, teases of a story that would dive into a family's history, and some impressive star power with Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever leading the cast, it's remained a mystery. Thankfully, Fullbright co-founder and Open Roads director Steve Gaynor recently spoke with IGN about how Open Roads represents another evolution of the studio's penchant for telling emotional, layered stories in unexpected ways. From our discussion, it sounds like Open Roads builds upon the first-person exploration of the studio's past games, hallmarks of the "walking sim" genre, but with new story and design choices that continue to build off what they and other developers have done. And one of the biggest ways Open Roads represents a departure from the studio's past games is by simply having another character with you throughout this new story. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/open-roads-announcement-trailer"] "A big part of Open Roads is discovering this character relationship from the inside, by being part of it, which is not something that we've done before," Gaynor said. "The central relationship, it arose out of the starting question, which is always, 'What is the player doing?

From replacing the door handle to using the dumpster to reach the broken window, here's everything you need to know about unlocking the door to the Niwa Hotel in The Medium.

Update: Following Roger Craig Smith's posts, the official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account confirmed Smith's departure as the voice of the iconic character after 10 years. The full statement from Twitter reads:

For over 10 years, Roger Craig Smith has been an integral part of the SEGA family. He brought the voice of Sonic to life, and we are forever grateful for his never-ending enthusiasm in helping the community and spreading joy. Thank you, Roger, for all you've done for Sonic.

Original story follows: [poilib element="accentDivider"] A Twitter post from Roger Craig Smith, the long-term voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, suggests that he is leaving the role. On the social media platform, Smith said “Welp, 10 years was an amazing run. Onwards to new zones! Much love to the fans who’ve been so kind. It’s been an honor.” This was followed by an image of a blue-coloured heart split down the middle.

Welp, 10 years was an amazing run. Onward to new zones!

Season One of Sea of Thieves has officially begun, and with it comes a new 120Hz Performance mode on Xbox Series X that supports 120 FPS at 1080p. As detailed in the release notes for this big Season One update, it also notes that some TVs do not support 120Hz and HDR simultaneously, so HDR may need to be disabled from the console settings if players wish to sail the seas with 120 FPS. Seasons mark a new initiative for Sea of Thieves that will see new content added to the game every three months. In addition, a battle pass system has been implemented that will reward players throughout each Season. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/sea-of-thieves-seasons-explained-trailer"] Each season will have players progress through 100 levels of Pirate Renown, and rewards for both the player's pirate character and ship can be unlocked. Additionally, those who have reached the title of Pirate Legend will get specialized rewards as part of this new progression system. An optional, premium tier of the battle pass - titled 'Plunder Pass' - will be available and will offer even more unique rewards and exclusive items from the Pirate Emporium. This 120Hz update is just another improvement to Sea of Thieves following the arrival of the Xbox Series X/S optimizations that arrived in November 2020 and added faster load times and 60 FPS for Xbox Series X/S, and 4K for Xbox Series X. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/19/sea-of-thieves-review-2020"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story?

Crystal Dynamics has shared a bit of information on its next, currently unannounced Tomb Raider, saying it's "working to unify" the timelines of Core Design's original games and its own reboot trilogy that began in 2013. While the reboot trilogy told the origin story of Lara Croft becoming the Tomb Raider, the original games "featured a seasoned and confident adventurer," said game director Will Kerslake in a video posted to Twitter. The development team envisions "a future of Tomb Raider unfolding after these established adventures, telling stories that build upon the breadth of both Core Design and Crystal Dynamics' games, working to unify these timelines." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-tomb-raider-review-ever&captions=true"] Kerslake noted the difficulty of such a task given the franchise's 25-year history and asked fans to be patient as the studio works through development. "We don't have plans for a major game announcement in the near future," he said. Lara's latest adventure, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, was released in 2018. IGN's Shadow of the Tomb Raider review awarded it a 9/10 and called it a "powerful finale to Lara Croft's origin trilogy." In other franchise news, a Tomb Raider anime series, set after the events of Crystal's origin trilogy, is in development at Netflix.