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Marvel Reveals Open World Mobile Game, Marvel: Future Revolution

4 years 2 months ago
Marvel and Netmarble have announced Marvel: Future Revolution, an open-world RPG for mobile. Announced at PAX East, the game comes from the developers of Marvel: Future Fight, and will see players play as part of the ‘Omega Flight’ Super Hero team. According to a press release, the players will, "work together to battle an onslaught of Super Villains, confront their suspicious behaviors and defend the universe." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/02/marvel-future-revolution-teaser-trailer"] Confirmed playable heroes include Captain America, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange, and the open world will merge various Marvel locations, including Xanderth and Sakaar. The game will include new and existing costumes for heroes, with customisation promised. The story is being handled by Marvel Comics writer Marc Sumerak, who also worked on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-future-revolution-screenshots&captions=true"] UPDATE: a representative for Netmarble reached out to clarify Marvel: Future Revolution gameplay won't be like Future Fight. An earlier version of this article hypothesized the two might share action-RPG similarities, but we now know this isn't the case, with Future Fight being open-world and not action-RPG. [poilib element="accentDivider"]
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Death Stranding PC Release Coming in June

4 years 2 months ago
Death Stranding is officially headed to PC on June 2 via both Steam and the Epic Games Store - and it'll have Half-Life crossover content. Kojima Productions and 505 Games announced the news, revealing new features such as a photo mode, higher frame rate caps, and ultra-wide screen support. As for the Half-Life crossover, we can see it teased in the trailer below - Sam Porter Bridges gets a Valve logo-like ponytail, is wearing the tech-covered gloves we've seen from Half-Life: Alyx, and is seen styling a headcrab hat. Those might even be some Gordon Freeman glasses he's rocking, too. It's not clear just yet how you'll get it in game, however. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/02/death-stranding-pc-release-date-trailer"] Anyone who pre-orders Death Stranding on PC will get a Chiral Gold and Omnireflector cap, sunglasses, gold and silver speed skeleton, and gold and silver armor plate.
Author
Jeffrey Lerman

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Final Fantasy VII Remake Preorder Guide

4 years 2 months ago
Final Fantasy VII Remake is set to release on April 10, 2020 as a PS4 exclusive. While it only encompasses the Midgar portion of the story, it's still a massive enough game that it will be split over two Blu-ray discs. Along with the graphics, the combat has gotten a major overhaul, letting you play in a mixture of turn-based and real-time combat. You can check out our Final Fantasy VII Remake preview for loads of details, or go hands-on yourself with the free demo. And if you're ready to reserve a copy for yourself right now, you can. Certain retailers even have exclusive preorder bonuses.
Author
Chris Reed

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FIFA 20 Pros Decide Match With Rock, Paper, Scissors Due to Server Issues

4 years 2 months ago

Two professional FIFA 20 players had to decide who would be the winner of a qualifying match for a tournament with a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors over the weekend.

Red Bull's Shaun Galea and free agent Hasan Eker were competing against each other to qualify in the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) Champions Cup Stage V on February 29, 2020. Unfortunately, EA's online services experienced many problems over the weekend (now apparently resolved), which meant that both players failed to connect to the servers and each other twice.

As EA's statement on the matter says, "a double-failure to connect and compete in a qualifying tournament match results in a loss for both participants. This is to prevent connection issues from being exploited as a competitive advantage." However, rather than both automatically lose, the two pros took matters into their own hands and played Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide the winner.

Author
Chris Priestman

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Dead or Alive 6 Now Charges Money Each Time You Change a Character's Hair Colour

4 years 2 months ago

Dead or Alive 6 recently added the option to change a character's hair colour on PS4, but it costs money each time to do so. Players must purchase a Premium Ticket in order to pick a new hair colour for their fighter. However, purchasing a new hair colour doesn't unlock it forever, as it also costs a Premium Ticket to revert hair back to a previous colour.

The Premium Tickets can only be purchased at a minimum of two, which costs $1.99. They can also be bought as a bundle of 10 at $9.99, or you can get a discount if you purchase them in larger quantities - specifically 20 at $19.99, or 50 at $44.99. That means to change a character's hair even once it costs at least $1.99.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/01/dead-or-alive-6-launch-trailer"]

The new hair colours were added to the PS4 version of Dead or Alive 6 on February 25 with the v1.20 update. Part of this update removed the limit on the maximum number of Premium Tickets that can be purchased - previously it was set at the number of Tickets needed to purchase all the game's costumes.

The FAQ also reveals that "hair color change data is stored in the save data and any hair color changes you have purchased will be reset if you clear your save data." So if you lose your Dead or Alive 6 save then your characters' hair colours will return to their defaults and you'll have to buy each hair colour again.

The price of changing a Dead or Alive 6 character's hair colour has not gone down well with some of the game's fans.

Author
Chris Priestman

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Red XIII Is Not a Playable Character in Final Fantasy 7 Remake

4 years 2 months ago
Final Fantasy 7 Remake features Red XIII, but the beloved character will not be playable in the first game in the remake series. Talking to VG247, Final Fantasy 7 Remake co-director Naoki Hamaguchi said "We felt the point at which Red XIII joins the party in the story is very late on so we thought okay, if we’re gonna have him as a full character and try and get the player to enjoy his character development arc and growth as a character through that, it’s not really enough time to do that." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/02/final-fantasy-7-remake-full-chapter-1-gameplay"] Instead of being a playable character, Red XIII will instead be an AI-controlled 'guest' party member, fighting alongside your playable team. "We thought that the best way to have him involved was as a guest character," Hamaguchi explained. "Normally throughout the game you’ll be playing as a three-man party, but you will have him as a guest character that fights alongside you during the the last part of the story.” Hamaguchi reassures that the talking wolf/dog/flame-tailed canine will still be equipped with all his "nostalgic" moves, so it seems sensible to expect a bit of Sled Fang action in the Shinra building towards the end of the game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-7-remake-over-100-screenshots&captions=true"] Not explained in the interview is if Red XIII is confirmed to be playable in the second game in the remake series.
Author
Matt Purslow

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Why Sephiroth Is Showing Up in Midgar

4 years 2 months ago
Final Fantasy 7 Remake producer, Yoshinori Kitase, has explained why Sephiroth features in the game, despite the character not being present in the section of the original game that the new project recreates. Remake only covers the Midgar section of the original story. The opening hours of the 1997 original holds back the reveal of the game’s big bad, Sephiroth, instead opting to just hint at his existence with snippets of dialogue. But for Remake, Square Enix did not feel the need to be so cryptic. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-7-remake-over-100-screenshots&captions=true"] Talking to IGN at a Final Fantasy 7 Remake hands-on event, Kitase - who also directed the original game - said: “In the original players had no prior knowledge of that world or many of its characters, so I really wanted to build Sephiroth up as this really major threat. You don't see him, you see the after effects of what he's done. You hear rumors about him to build up the fear of this massive evil presence without actually seeing it. “Obviously nowadays, of course, everyone knows who Sephiroth is, so I thought we didn't really need to go quite as far to hold him back and to hide so much,” he explained. “Looking at the the remake overall, it's clear that Sephiroth is going to be this massive presence overarching throughout the whole of the story, and this rival of Cloud’s throughout the whole story,” he added. “So I really felt I want to include that in this first game in the project, to really have that feeling of him as a really clear presence right from the start.” Sephiroth can be seen in many of the Remake’s trailers, sometimes even clashing blades with Cloud.
Author
Matt Purslow

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Biggest Change So Far

4 years 2 months ago
Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a faithful retelling of the original story, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t big changes. In a new hands-on preview, it has been revealed that the Sector 5 Reactor - the second target of the Avalanche freedom fighters group - has been substantially reworked in a couple of key ways. As you’d expect of the remake, the area is notably larger and more detailed, with wider spaces to allow for the action-focused combat to unfold. The core journey through the reactor remains the same as in the 1997 original game; Cloud, Tifa, and Barret must place the bomb, use a simultaneous button switch to unlock the gates, and then fight the Airbuster boss battle. But the route through the reactor to this techno soldier fight involves a new mechanic unseen in the original game. Spoiler warning: the following paragraphs reveal in detail how the contents of Sector 5 Reactor have changed. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-7-remake-over-100-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] As the party enters the reactor, they discover that this is not just an electric power plant. It is also an assembly line for anti-armour robots known as Airbusters. Pretty much the first thing you see is a powered-down shell of one held in a docking clamp. After placing the bomb and setting a remote trigger, the party is confronted by huge holographic representations of both President Shinra and Heidegger, Shinra’s head of Public Safety. They threaten the team with the Airbuster, but cannot immediately deploy it due to the robot not yet having been assembled. Subsequent rooms contain the production line being used to manufacture the Airbuster, which introduces a new mechanic for the reactor.
Author
Matt Purslow

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake Hands-On: Summons, Airbuster, And Big Changes

4 years 2 months ago
An explosion detonates within the heart of Midgar’s North Mako Reactor, causing its cooling tower to burst apart in a plume of orange and green. It’s a familiar sight to anyone who’s played Final Fantasy 7, but in the Remake it is the starting point for a demonstration of what this ambitious, multi-game retelling of the story can be. The Scorpion Sentinel boss preceding this moment speaks to a bigger and flashier version of 1997’s most captivating JRPG, but it’s when you’re beyond the perimeter of the North Reactor that the game’s new scope is made clear. This is a project exploring how better technology and modern ideas can change and redefine old perspectives. During a recent hands-on with Final Fantasy 7 Remake, I discovered that the escape through the streets of Sector 1 after the bombing of the reactor is a far cry from the somber sequence in the original. The slow, melancholic music is swapped out for the brasher Shinra Inc. signature tune. The streets are packed with people, colossal chunks of debris, and spreading fire, creating a scene that feels distinctly the product of a post-9/11 world. Rather than emerging from the mission a hero, Remake asks you to consider Cloud’s role as a terrorist as he picks his way through a mess of emergency service vehicles and devastated families. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/31/final-fantasy-7-remake-theme-song-trailer"] This change is initially jarring. The quiet track played during this scene in the original game is called Anxious Heart, and that title alone tells you exactly how the deathly silent streets of Midgar seem at that moment. It’s easy to feel as if its bombastic replacement is missing the point; the streets are not just filled with civilians, but also soldiers and riot guards ready to strike you down in extended combat encounters.
Author
Matt Purslow

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo Now Live

4 years 2 months ago
The playable demo for Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Remake is now available to download from the PlayStation Store. The demo allows you to play the first chapter of the game that includes the iconic Mako Reactor 1 bombing mission and the Guard Scorpion battle (now known as the Scorpion Sentinel). Downloading the demo not only allows you to dive into the game and experience the FF7 remake over a month before release, but will also bag you a PlayStation theme that will unlock when the game launches. If you want to check out what's in the demo before you play, check out the full Mako Reactor 1 in the gameplay video below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/02/final-fantasy-7-remake-full-chapter-1-gameplay"] It should be noted that any progress that you make in the demo won't be carried over to the full version upon release however. A demo for Final Fantasy 7 had previously been leaked back in February, which resulted in spoilers making their way across the internet. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-7-remake-over-100-screenshots&captions=true"] Final Fantasy 7 Remake launches April 10 this year on PS4, and could come to additional platforms in 2021. It will feature new boss fights alongside remakes of the classic ones, as well as new characters.
Author
Simon Cardy

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New Riot Shooter, Valorant Announced: Screenshots, Release Window, PC Specs

4 years 2 months ago
Riot Games has officially revealed the title of its tactical shooter formerly known as Project A. Valorant is a 5v5, free-to-play shooter from the developers of League of Legends that is set launch in summer 2020. Valorant features a cast of characters known as agents who are from real-world cultures and locations, meaning it’s not tied to the lore of its League of Legends series. Set in a near-future Earth, characters will come from a wide range of locations and cultures. Each agent has a set of unique abilities, though the core gameplay is focused on tactical, team-based shooting. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=riot-games-fps-valorant&captions=true"] Riot Games executive producer Anna Donlon says that the shooter will “uphold the fundamental values of a competitive tactical shooter: precise shooting, lethal gunplay, and strategic execution.” Some examples Riot gives is how "a player with steady aim and a pistol will always beat an unsteady sniper." Time-to-kill is also low, meaning headshots are usually instant kills and rifle kills take 3-4 bullets. Recoil is said to be punishing. Two teams will work together and lock in as an agent for the entire duration of a round-based, attackers vs. defenders match.
Author
Matt Kim

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The Long Dark Developer Pulls Game Off Nvidia GeForce

4 years 2 months ago

Raphael van Lierop, the director of the popular survival game The Long Dark has a bone to pick with Nvidia’s GeForce Now game streaming service. In a post shared on Sunday, Lierop said that the studio had asked Nvidia to take The Long Dark off of their service, saying the graphics card and technology company did not ask for permission to host the game. The matter calls into question what rights a game company may have when a service like Nvidia’s GeForce Now aims to sell access to their product.

“Sorry to those who are disappointed you can no longer play #thelongdark on GeForce Now,” Lierop tweeted. “Nvidia didn't ask for our permission to put the game on the platform so we asked them to remove it. Please take your complaints to them, not us. Devs should control where their games exist.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/21/the-long-dark-episode-3-the-first-9-minutes"]

Lierop followed up his statement by saying that “[Nvidia] offered us a free graphics card as an apology, so maybe they'll offer you the same thing,” though it’s not entirely clear if he meant the comment in jest or was serious.

Author
Joseph Knoop

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Red Dead Online Leap Day Challenges All Involve Jumping, or Getting Jumped

4 years 2 months ago

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that today, February 29, is Leap Day. You know, the day that comes about every four years because calendars and planetary rotations are weird. In any case, Red Dead Redemption 2 developer Rockstar Games definitely did not forget, and threw in a little treat for observant cowboys and cowgirls in the game’s online mode.

First spotted by Reddit user Moonshiner, a list of daily challenges popped up in Red Dead Online tasking players with, well, leaping a whole bunch on Leap Day.

red dead online jump challenges

Challenges include jumping from a horse onto a moving train, jumping from a horse onto a moving wagon, jumping from a horse onto...another horse, and jumping onto a horse from a height of at least three meters.

Nice one, Rockstar.

Reddit user jason21521 also pointed out that a daily challenge to "successfully fend off an ambush" could also count as "getting jumped." Bit of a leap itself, but we'll go with it. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/red-dead-redemption-2-online-recreated-in-dreams"]

If you want some assistance completing these challenges and others in Red Dead Online, check out our Red Dead Online wiki, where you’ll also find our huge interactive world map and more.

Author
Joseph Knoop

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PlatinumGames Expanded So It Doesn't Have to Turn Down 'Fun Projects'

4 years 2 months ago
Platinum Games, the Osaka-based studio behind Bayonetta and Vanquish, has talked to IGN Japan about the creation of a new office in Tokyo that Platinum director Hideki Kamiya says will be staffed with “Crazy people who want to make games.” Currently, Platinum Games is sized at about 240 employees according to COO Atsushi Inaba. The aim of the Tokyo studio is to bring aboard 100 more employees. At the time of the studio’s announcement, Platinum said the Tokyo location would attempt working on different projects like live-service games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=project-gg-new-platinum-game-first-images&captions=true"] Inaba says another reason for expansion is just to work on more games in general, whether they’re original projects or partner projects. “First of all, we do not have enough staff at the moment. It’s a nice problem to have, but we get a lot of work offers from other publishers, for example something like Nier Automata where we can collaborate on the publisher’s IP, or to make original titles for a publisher, and we are limited to how many projects we can take on. So there are a lot of projects that we have to turn down, and I think it would be better to increase our capacity so we can work on more fun projects.” Platinum, aside from working on original games, frequently partners with publishers to work on their IP. Whether it’s with Square Enix on Nier: Automata, or Nintendo with Bayonetta 3 and Star Fox Zero.
Author
Matt Kim

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Project G.G. Will Have 'Much More to It' Than Just Action

4 years 2 months ago
Platinum Games has officially announced Project G.G. According to studio director, Hideki Kamiya, Project G.G. is the first wholly-owned Platinum Games project, and while the studio says this new project will stay in keeping with with the studio’s love of the action genre, the game will also be broader in scope. “We have labelled it as being part of the Hideki Kamiya hero trilogy,” said Kamiya in an interview with IGN Japan. “The first two titles being Viewtiful Joe, which is a solo hero story, and The Wonderful 101, which is a story of a group of heroes. In Japan, the next type of hero would be the giant hero, and I’ve always wanted to make a game based on that idea.” "But while Viewtiful Joe and The Wonderful 101 were pure action games, this will not be like that. Any game I make will of course include carefully crafted action elements, but this won’t be simply an action game. There will be much more to it than that.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/26/project-gg-teaser-trailer"] The giant hero and kaiju genre, or tokusatsu, is best known in the west from shows like Power Rangers. But while Kamiya says he’s inspired by the genre, Project G.G. isn’t a straight adaptation of it. “[I]t won’t be a very niche kind of game; giant hero stories are popular in Japan, with things like Ultraman, and the game will have that kind of flavor to it, but I don’t want to restrict myself to the Japanese hero genre,” Kamiya says. “So the setting will probably not be Japan, as that might be restrictive. But I haven’t decided yet.” Not much else is known about Project G.G. other than how Platinum is aiming to launch on every current console. “Basically we’d like to hit PS4, Xbox One, Switch and Steam, and then of course PS5 and Series X are coming soon.
Author
Matt Kim

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Dangerous Driving 2 Is Playable at PAX East, and It's Even on Nintendo Switch

4 years 2 months ago
In case you were unaware, PAX East is in its second day in Boston, MA right now, and the spiritual successor to Burnout, Dangerous Driving 2, is playable on the show floor. The game is scheduled to release "holiday 2020," and developer Three Fields Entertainment has a split-screen head-to-head version running on PC, as well as a single-player version running on Nintendo Switch. Driving2 Split-screen Dangerous Driving 2 play was fast and fun, and gave off some really incredible Burnout vibes, which is no surprise given the fact Three Fields Entertainment was founded Burnout developer Criterion Studios's founders. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Driving%20the%20outermost%20edge%20in%20the%20fastest%20class%20of%20car%20in%20the%20game%20takes%20around%2090%20minutes."] While the demo for PAX East is limited to one single race, the game itself is open-world, closer to Burnout Paradise than the previous Dangerous Driving. The Dangerous Driving 2 map is 400 square kilometers, according to Three Fields Entertainment, and driving the outermost edge in the fastest class of car in the game takes around 90 minutes to complete a single circuit. Some of the shortcuts and jumps, while turned off for the PAX East demo, are visible in the background if you look carefully. Driving2_2 What I found most impressive was the demo looked and played amazingly, and the team only started on the sequel in November.
Author
Seth G. Macy

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Fans Find Hidden Teaser for Amnesia Developer's Next Game

4 years 2 months ago
The developer behind horror games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA has a new teaser for its next game Frictional Games has led people on a scavenger hunt with their last few hidden videos, but the latest one shows something. It phases in and out of the darkness from the eyes of a character saying, "Don't lose it. No, no, come on. Need to find him. He must understand. I am Tasi. I am still Tasi." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/28/new-frictional-game-i-am-tasi-teaser"] The desert scene that appears for a matter of three seconds shows a few details worth analyzing. First, there's a sandstorm and what appears to be a cavern with a bright light coming out of it. It's not uncommon for Frictional Games to force players underground during brutal weather like in the Penumbra franchise. Also, the desert doesn't have much going on aside from a rock, a tree, and a few crystalline looking rocks. The odd cavern and crystals allude to it being another sci-fi game from the developer. The other main focus of the video is the short dialogue from what may be a protagonist named Tasi. Unfortunately, there isn't much to analyze. However, the character says they need to find "him" and that he needs to understand something. This leaves a lot of room for theories and guessing for sleuths in the community. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=25-scariest-games-of-this-generation&captions=true"] Frictional Games first teased this new project using an Alternate Reality Game (ARG).
Author
Jeffrey Lerman

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EVE Fanfest Called Off Due to Coronavirus Fears

4 years 2 months ago
"We feel absolutely compelled to follow the most responsible course of action and prioritize the safety and well-being of our attendees, our staff and of course the general Icelandic public."
Author
Joe Skrebels

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9 Awesome Black Video Game Characters

4 years 2 months ago
Change is good, and slowly but surely over the past few years, it feels like the gaming industry has finally started to realize the value of trying to inject projects with new perspectives based around diverse characters, casts, and crews. Seeing blackness in-game is finally becoming normal, which is a stark contrast from when I was a kid and only able to make my Animal Crossing villager look like me by having him tan every day. It was a Jersey Shore nightmare cycle. Now kids get to bop their friends in Smash Ultimate as dark-skinned villagers who sport fly haircuts and don’t over-tan. We’re getting somewhere. To celebrate Black History Month, we want to highlight a few of our favorite Black characters in games, and how they all bring something special to their respective series’. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/28/9-awesome-black-characters-in-video-games"] You can check out the video above, click through the gallery below, or scroll down the page for the full list! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-awesome-black-characters-in-video-games&captions=true"]

Bangalore - Apex Legends

Bangalore, aka Anita Williams, is the certified badass of the Apex Legends crew. She’s a soldier, not a show-off, and while her kit isn’t that flashy, it proves that the basics still hit hard. From playing mind games with the smokescreen to running laps around your enemies before bombarding them from space, Bangalore is a formidable opponent and a great choice for the Apex games.

Author
Funké Joseph

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Kojima Productions May Have Teased a Silent Hill Game in the Strangest Way

4 years 2 months ago
Kojima Productions may have just teased that it's working on a Silent Hill game in a very strange way. Or it might be trolling the internet. Or it might be a coincidence. Whatever it is, it's fun. On the Death Stranding studio's English language Twitter account, head of communications Aki Saito posted a picture of himself to jokingly prove he still worked at the company. He wrote: "Sorry to be silent everyone! I've been really busy lately.....I think i can say more soon about what we are going to....."
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Half-Life: Alyx: How Coronavirus Is Affecting Compatible VR Headsets

4 years 2 months ago
When it's released on March 23, Half-Life: Alyx will be a notable moment in the timeline of VR gaming – perhaps the medium's first true blockbuster. It's led to a rush of first-time VR buyers, eager to play the first full Half-Life game in 16 years. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus) has led to production shortages of several of the compatible headsets you'll need to actually play it. With under a month until release, we looked into each of the major VR headset manufacturers – Oculus, HTC, and developer Valve itself – and what the status of their production is ahead of HL: Alyx's release date, to get a sense of which units may be available to buy if you don't already have one. Before we get going, of course there are more important things than games, and factory shutdowns have been a major means of protecting lives in the wake of a virus that has already killed thousands – these are necessary means, not inconveniences. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/how-coronavirus-is-impacting-the-games-industry"]

Valve Index

Valve's Index headset was already sold out practically worldwide following the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, with Valve proactively working to supply more for those who hadn't secured a pre-order. In a statement, however, the developer confirmed that coronavirus-related factory shutdowns meant there would be "far fewer units" available on release than planned: "With Half-Life: Alyx coming March 23rd, we are working hard to meet demand for the Valve Index and want to reassure everyone that Index systems will be available for purchase prior to the game's launch. However, the global Coronavirus health crisis has impacted our production schedules so we will have far fewer units for sale during the coming months compared to the volumes we originally planned.
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Fortnite: Epic and Analyst Argue Over 'Dropping' Earnings

4 years 2 months ago
Epic Games and industry analyst SuperData are squaring off after a report claimed Fortnite's earnings had dropped to their lowest level since 2017. It began when SuperData put out a monthly games industry earnings report for January 2020. The report placed Fortnite as the 7th highest earner on console, but outside of the top 10 on PC and mobile, and summed up the game's performance by saying the game's "earnings continued their gradual decline and hit their lowest level since November 2017." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/fortnite-chapter-2-season-2-top-secret-launch-trailer"] Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, an Epic spokesperson subsequently called SuperData's reports "wildly inaccurate", although didn't go so far as to point specifically at this latest one: "SuperData does not and has not ever had access to Epic's Fortnite revenue data, and SuperData's reports do not accurately reflect Fortnite's performance. We are disappointed that SuperData has repeatedly published wildly inaccurate reports about Fortnite based on what we believe is questionable methodology. While we do not and have not publicly shared revenue numbers for Fortnite, we will say that SuperData's reports do not align with reality." This is particularly notable as it's become increasingly rare to see Epic reach out to press about Fortnite, particularly around the hugely successful battle royale's financial success. SuperData, however, has hit back. The analyst told GI.biz that it stands by the results, and saying it has "a proven methodology and validation process".
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Riot's Unrevealed FPS Seems to Be Called Valorant

4 years 2 months ago
League of Legends developer Riot Games is working on an FPS codenamed Project A - but recent details suggest it will be titled Valorant. Now, a new screenshot of the game, and several of its characters, appears to have leaked. Earlier this week, RespawnFirst pointed to a trademark for Valorant filed by Riot, as well as a Twitter account created at around the same time as the trademark, @PlayValorant. The account is followed by multiple pro gamers and FPS streamers despite being a next-to empty page. Yesterday, a Project A fan account also posted what appears to be a leaked screenshot of the game featuring a character select screen for a character called Sage:
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Nintendo's PAX East Animal Crossing Booth Is Amazing, Adorable

4 years 2 months ago
It's PAX East time again, and while some big names pulled out over coronavirus concerns, there's still an overwhelming number of games and sites to take in. Probably the most popular, based on early observations, is Nintendo's incredible Animal Crossing booth. Take a look at the PAX East Animal Crossing booth in the gallery below, although photos don't really do it justice: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pax-east-nintendo-animal-crossing-booth&captions=true"] Not only is the booth a faithful recreation of the world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there are chances to get your photo take with Isabelle or Tom Nook, as well as other parts of the Animal Crossing experience, like fishing and bug catching. Yesterday, PAX East's first day, had both the line for game demos and the line for photos closed due to overwhelming demand from those in attendance. It's easily the most popular booth at PAX East so far, but today is only the second day. Gearbox had its main theater panel yesterday, showing off the new DLC Love, Guns and Tentacles, as well as a surprise appearance by Borderlands movie director Eli Roth, who said he dreams of casting real-life Borderlands cosplayers as psychos in the movie, and then killing them gruesomely (for the movie).  
Author
Seth G. Macy

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Black Desert Online Is Free on Steam if You Grab It This Weekend

4 years 2 months ago
Black Desert Online, the hugely popular MMO known for its incredibly detailed character creator, is free to download and keep on Steam this weekend. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/18/black-desert-online-guardian-trailer"] Black Desert Online is currently reduced by 100% on its Steam store page, with the deal ending on March 2 at 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm UK. Rather than being a temporary free trial weekend like many games hold on Steam, if you claim Black Desert Online over the weekend then it is yours to keep forever, free of charge. The free weekend also coincides with developer Pear Abyss launching the beta of its new battle royale game, Shadow Arena, which is set in the Black Desert Online universe. The Shadow Arena beta runs from February 27 to March 8, although you’ll need to register to take part. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-most-addictive-online-games&captions=true"] If you’re going to grab it this weekend (it is free, after all) then you may want to check out our Black Desert Online tips to help get you started in this action MMORPG. And if you want to know more about its sandboxy activities, then check our our Black Desert Online review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter
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Matt Purslow

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Cyberpunk 2077's Action Figures Didn't Get Delayed!

4 years 2 months ago
Cyberpunk 2077 might have gotten delayed, but its official action figure line from McFarlane Toys is arriving right on schedule. The folks over there were nice enough to send over some samples for us to unbox, and here they are: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mcfarlane-toys-cyberpunk-2077-johnny-silverhand-action-figures&captions=true"] The first wave includes 7-inch figures of player character "V" (male version) and Johnny Silverhand, each with a whopping 22 points of articulation and a bunch of accessories. V comes with a pistol, submachine gun, and katana, while Johnny includes his guitar, strap, an alternate hand for rockin' out, and a bottle of what's presumably some sort of delicious futuristic party liquor. Meanwhile, the 12-inch Johnny Silverhand is much lighter on gadgets and articulation, but is definitely a nice display piece for fans of Cyberpunk 2077, Keanu Reeves, or a gritty reimagining of one half of Wyld Stallyns. The 7-inch figures have a suggested price of $24.99, while the big fella will set you back $39.99. They're up for pre-order on Amazon, Walmart, and GameStop. Expect them to start shipping soon, and popping up on retail store shelves shortly thereafter. [poilib element="accentDivider"]Max Scoville is a host, producer, and toy nerd for IGN. You can see some of his action figures in weird positions on Instagram @MaxScoville
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Max Scoville

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Greninja Voted Most Popular Pokemon by Players

4 years 2 months ago
After tallying "millions" of votes from around the world, Greninja has been named 2020's Pokemon of the Year. The final evolution of Pokemon X and Y water-type starter Froakie, Greninja earned over 140,000 votes, topping second-place finisher Lucario by 38,000, according to The Pokemon Company. Mimikyu, Charizard, and Umbreon rounded out the top five. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-zarude-the-rogue-monkey-trailer"] Aside from its recognition as a Stage 2 starter Pokemon, Greninja is a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and is featured prominently in the Pokemon XY anime as Ash's main companion in the Kalos region. The top vote-getters from each region are as follows:
  • Kanto – Charizard
  • Johto – Umbreon
  • Hoenn – Rayquaza
  • Sinnoh – Lucario
  • Unova – Chandelure
  • Kalos – Greninja
  • Alola – Mimikyu
  • Galar – Dragapult
Other notable Pokemon in the overall top 30 include Bulbasaur (13), Pikachu (19), Eevee (20), and Blaziken (29). The announcement comes on National Pokemon Day, which also featured the reveal of Zarude, a new mythical Pokemon for Sword and Shield. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=3ab83d7e-1eda-46e6-a32f-1cd32e0c9ecc"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN. 
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Jordan Sirani

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Pokemon Masters’ Newest Mode Offers an Interesting Challenge

4 years 2 months ago

The newest feature coming to Pokemon Masters is the Battle Villa, a tower of challenging battles that can knock out sync pairs for an entire day — but only in the Battle Villa. This new event likely won’t be the thing that brings you back if you’re a lapsed player (though maybe the new chapters and sync pairs added since launch can), but it is an interesting way to mix up daily in-game tasks.

If you are one of those lapsed players, here’s a short rundown of all the other things added to Pokemon Masters since its launch last summer:

  • Chapter 19 to 24

  • Sync Grid

  • Weekly bingo missions

  • Sync pair level cap increased to 120

  • New sync pairs, including Legendary Pokemon

  • Interactable characters in the Dex

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pokemon-masters-battle-villa&captions=true"]

The Battle Villa was definitely designed with longtime players in mind given how quickly it gets difficult. The challenge in this event space is to defeat as many of 25 “halls” of enemies as you can to earn tons of rewards before the two-week event is over. Each hall can have one to three rounds of opponents waiting, and you can scope out their Pokemon weaknesses through the Area Details menu like you can in any other battle.

But unlike the rest of Pokemon Masters, any damage your sync pair takes stays with them for the whole day and you can only select nine sync pairs to play within the Battle Villa for that day. You can heal during a battle and once out of battle if you have the right items. However, you can’t heal any sync pair that have fainted within the Battle Villa, so you’ll need to wait until the next day to get them back.

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Miranda Sanchez

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Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles DLC Revealed

4 years 2 months ago
Borderlands 3's second DLC expansion will be called Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock, and it'll arrive on March 26. Shortly before that, the game will be released for Steam on March 13. March 26 will see Guns, Love, and Tentacles arrive, which Gearbox describes as the story of "a surprisingly dangerous engagement party" for Sir Alistair Hammerlock and Wainwright Jakobs on the ice planet of Xylourgos. The expansion will take you to an eerie town, Cursehaven, situated under the carcass of Vault Monster, have you fighting occultists, and see the return of Borderlands 2's Gaige (and her robot, Deathtrap) as an NPC. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/borderlands-3-dlc-guns-love-and-tentacles-official-reveal-trailer"] The expansion will also add new legendary items, Class Mods and cosmetic items. Apparently, it's going to "put the love back in Lovecraft", which will either be delightful, or disgusting, or an eldritch, unknowable combination of both. Gearbox also shared a sneak peek of the third DLC expansion, coming this summer, with just two words serving as hints: "outlaws" and "dinosaurs" - you can see a piece of concept art in the slideshow at the bottom of this story. It seems there's some connection to Borderlands 3's Saurians, but there's not much more we know than that right now. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=borderlands-3-guns-love-and-tentacles-dlc-screenshots&captions=true"] We also saw a content roadmap of free updates and events coming soon. in April, we'll get Mayhem 2.0, described as an overhaul to Borderlands 3's endgame by changing how Mayhem modifiers work.
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Joe Skrebels

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2 Hours Into Baldur's Gate 3 and We're Sold

4 years 2 months ago

After watching two hours of Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay, it’s hard not to compare it to Larian’s most recent RPG-darling, Divinity: Original Sin 2. But BG3 is not simply Baldur’s Gate: Original Sin. It builds upon and morphs DOS2’s isometric turn-based RPG system into a gorgeous world, touched – well, more like bathed – in Dungeons & Dragons’ current rules, systems, and lore.

As someone who loves Original Sin 2 and D&D, I’m absolutely on board for all of it.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/2-hours-into-baldurs-gate-3-and-were-sold"]

My heart is telling me to start with the D&D nerdery, but, damn, Baldur’s Gate 3 is beautiful. Definitely watch the full video preview above to get a sense of what it looks like, and the full cinematic below.

Sure, we saw a few hiccups here and there, like admittedly misbehaving hair, but since our preview build was running on what’s basically a whole new engine we were reminded Baldur’s Gate 3 is “still very much in development."

While some elements have been ripped straight from the last iteration of Larian’s engine – like the 2-player local, 4-player online co-op multiplayer – Baldur’s Gate’s new rule system, its entire cinematic pipeline, and – to quote Larian directly – a “shitload” of features added on top that aren’t finished yet, are all new updates. A lot of these changes are visual – like a new dialog-driven cinematic camera, and a zoomed-in “almost-third-person” camera-view option – but some of the bigger differences are mechanical.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/baldurs-gate-3-opening-cinematic-in-4k"]

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Casey DeFreitas

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Baldur’s Gate 3 Aims to Capture the D&D Spirit

4 years 2 months ago
If you’re reading this, it’s because A) You want to know about Baldur’s Gate 3 the video game – which you can read and watch more about in our Baldur’s Gate 3 preview, and maybe B) How Dungeons-&-Dragons-y is Baldur’s Gate 3, really? That second point is what I’m going to cover. If you’re a D&D nerd like me, you might be wondering about things like passive perception, initiative, how a video game could possibly handle the ‘Wish’ spell, and how Baldur’s Gate 3 connects with the tabletop – you know, that good nerd stuff. So let me answer the big question the best I can: Baldur’s Gate 3 is very Dungeons-and-Dragons-y. Lots of video games over the years have tried to capture the insane unpredictability – and I hesitate to say, soul – of Dungeons & Dragons by the sheer muscly breadth of their systems. Most have failed, regardless of whether they’re good or bad video games. It’s not really about that. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/2-hours-into-baldurs-gate-3-and-were-sold"] If you play D&D you know that it’s more than just a bunch of cool parts bound together in a player’s handbook or monster manual, and recreating those parts alone can’t necessarily make the whole. Like a sweet, shiny clockwork golem, the cogs can be in place, those gears can whir, the pistons can surge chaotic fire through the frame, but it still doesn’t have a soul. That’s because Dungeons & Dragons is more than just dirty twenties and nat ones and plus-two loot for your action-surging fighter. There’s this intangible, honest creativity that can’t easily be programmed or rendered – if at all. It’s a thing that only seems to materialize between collective imaginations if you’re lucky enough to tap a vein of it.
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Brandin Tyrrel

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Borderlands 3 Steam March Release Date Announced, Cross-Play With Epic Games Store

4 years 2 months ago
Gearbox kicked off its PAX East panel by announcing the Steam release date for Borderlands 3 and it’s only a few weeks away. Borderlands 3 will hit Steam on March 13, 2020, and what’s more, it will feature cross-play between Steam and Epic Games Store. Borderlands 3 was released last year exclusively on the Epic Games Store for PC. Although it was only a limited-time exclusivity, it was one of the first major titles to launch first on the Epic Games Store. But now Gearbox’s latest Borderlands game is coming to Steam. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/14/borderlands-3-the-borderlands-are-yours-trailer"] Thanks to cross-play, there’s no need to worry about online co-op if your friends ended up waiting for the six months to get Borderlands 3 on Steam. An updated SHiFT system will let you manage your friend list regardless of the platform. Not every cross-play feature will be available on March 13. According to Gearbox, weapon mailing won’t be available on day one and will instead be rolling out over the following weeks. With today’s release date announcement, Borderlands 3 will be available on both major PC digital platforms soon. Check out IGN’s Borderlands 3 review here, our Borderlands 3 wiki for walkthroughs and tips, and our livestream of the Gearbox Panel live from PAX East. Also, check back on IGN for all the latest news from PAX East. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
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Matt Kim

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25 Games That Should Have Sucked, But Didn't

4 years 2 months ago

Sometimes, a game is pitched that - on paper - looks positively ridiculous. And odds are, it is positively ridiculous – but that isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes, a game's development hits some bumps in the road, causing delays or restructuring - but that doesn't always spell doom for a project.

Here are 25 games that, whether because of their nontraditional concepts or troubled development, many found themselves skeptical of - or even expected to be downright terrible - but they still won the hearts of players everywhere.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=great-games-that-should-have-sucked&captions=true"]

Click through the gallery above, or scroll down for the full list!

Rocket League

It may just be football with cars - the fever dream of a seven-year-old boy - but Rocket League continues to drain countless hours from even the most discerning of players. Blending hyper-competitiveness with streamlined gameplay, it’s also become the perfect fodder for eSports and YouTube channels alike. The original game, Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, didn’t receive much acclaim when it launched on the PS3, but Rocket League learned from the shortcomings of its predecessor and included more elaborate mechanics and modes - such as the game-changing Mutators and Rumble mode - to become a staple multiplayer title in most gaming libraries.

Hypnospace Outlaw

Hypnospace Outlaw looked like a mix between a vaporwave music video and an archived Geocities page - and could have easily focused too much energy on it’s attractive a e s t h e t i c, and not enough on actual substance. In reality, it was a branching, compelling, endless romp through an alternate timeline - giving the player countless opportunities to abuse (or respect) their already unbalanced judicial power.

Author
Miri Teixeira

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