Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Xbox Series S, Fable, and Perfect Dark Rumors Heat Up
Lots to discuss in the world of Xbox this week, from the rumored timing of the Xbox Series S/Lockhart announcement (plus what else we think will happen when that does), Halo Infinite returns a familiar but long-dormant foe, Fable and Perfect Dark Twitter accounts registered to Microsoft email addresses raise suspicions, and much more! Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, or grab an MP3 download of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered, featuring an interview with Diablo 2 (and Torchlight 3) creators Max Schaefer and Matt Uelmen: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/23/diablo-2-torchlight-developers-share-stories-from-blizzards-past-ign-unfiltered-51"] It's already an incredibly fun year of Xbox coverage, and the best is yet to come. Join us! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.
IGN's Summer of Gaming Award Winners
IGN's first-ever Summer of Gaming is over and it's time to choose the winners. Who had the best announcements? The best trailers? What moment stuck out the most? IGN editors have voted and chosen the best of the best from the monthlong celebration for all things gaming. Although this is normally the month for an E3, the real-life COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique situation for us and our fellow gamers. But that didn't stop the video game industry to get together and put together a month of surprise announcements, highly-anticipated reveals, and a bunch of trailers. With that in mind, this year's awards will be a little different from past years where IGN awarded the best in show from events like E3. Check below for a full list of nominee and winners from IGN's Summer of Gaming.
Best New Game Announcement
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/spider-man-miles-morales-announcement-trailer-ps5-event"] Winner: Spider-Man: Miles Morales Nominees: Metal: Hellsinger Spider-Man: Miles Morales Horizon Forbidden West Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart Skate Pragmata Returnal Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 [poilib element="accentDivider"]Best Trailer
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/deathloop-gameplay-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] Winner: Deathloop Nominees: Deathloop Horizon Forbidden West Bugsnax Stray Demon's Souls Pragmata Mortal Shell Cyberpunk 2077 Star Wars: Squadrons Little Devil Inside [poilib element="accentDivider"]Biggest Comeback
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/17/new-pokemon-snap-official-switch-trailer"] Winner: New Pokemon Snap Nominees: Pokemon Snap Demon's Souls Skate Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart XIII Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning [poilib element="accentDivider"]Best Gameplay Demo
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/cyberpunk-2077-braindance-gameplay-trailer"] Winner: Cyberpunk 2077 Nominees: Star Wars: Squadrons Mortal Shell Baldur's Gate 3 Rustler Hardspace Shipbreaker System Shock Marvel's Avengers Cyberpunk 2077 BioMutant Deathloop [poilib element="accentDivider"]Best Overall Moment
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/playstation-5-official-console-reveal-ps5-reveal-event"] Winner: PlayStation 5 Console Reveal Nominees: Pokemon Snap Reveal PlayStation 5 Console Reveal Skate Announcement Demon's Souls Reveal The Bugsnax SongKena: Bridge of Spirits Developers Share New Gameplay Details
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an upcoming, next-gen action-adventure game that premiered at the PlayStation 5 reveal event. Developer Ember Labs appeared on IGN’s Summer of Gaming to offer a more in-depth, developer’s commentary for the debut trailer with additional gameplay and lore details. Kena (pronounced kay-na) is a spirit guide who lives in a dense world filled with mystical creatures. Her primary tools in her journey to guide spirits are her staff, which she uses for combat, spells, and shields, and the Rot. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/30/kena-bridge-of-spirits-developer-commentary"] The Rot are little spirits who can help Kena by moving heavy objects or help her purify certain sections of the land. Kena begins her adventure with zero but can collect more Rot along the way. Sort of like Pikmin. Ember Lab says they designed the world of Kena to be dense and explorable so that players can discover more of the world’s story, as well as any Rot that might be hiding. Once an area has been cleared of its corruption, players can go back and experience the area with new elements of it unlocked. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=kena-bridge-of-spirits-playstation-5-screenshots&captions=true"] Kena: Bridge of Spirits will be released sometime later on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, as well as PC via the Epic Games Store. Check out IGN for more from Summer of Gaming. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Dreams Will be Playable in VR Next Month
Dreams is getting a free update to make it compatible with PlayStation VR. The update will arrive on July 22 and will include tutorials on how to start making new creations in PS VR. Media Molecule’s latest project, Dreams, is less of a game and more of a creation tool where players can make their own games, movies, images, music, and much more. In July, the range of tools available to players in Dreams will be expanded with a new VR update that lets players create and enjoy VR content. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/30/dreams-ps-vr-update"] Dreams VR will let players use the PlayStation Move Controllers and begin sculpting VR creations. The update will come with a variety of how-to’s so players can learn new skills and some of the more next-level techniques in VR. Media Molecule has also created its own set of VR experiences for Dreams players as a showcase of what the update can do. One of those experiences is Box Blaster which is a VR shooting experience inside Dreams. Players won’t need VR to create PS VR experiences. Non-PS VR users can access the same update as VR owners. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/spyro-in-dreams"] Alongside VR updates, there will also be a new slate of accessibility features like comfort mode, vignette strength, static sky, and more. Dreams VR will arrive on July 22. Check out IGN’s Dreams review for more coverage. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
The Best Xbox Deals Happening Right Now
With the upcoming Xbox Series X and rumored "Xbox Series S" looming on the horizon, there's no time like the present to score some great deals on Xbox One and its many different versions. The Xbox One X is a powerful 4K gaming machine, and Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative means you'll be able to play Halo: Infinite on it at release if you can't get your hands on an Xbox Series X on its release date, whenever that may be. Here are the latest chances to save on Xbox.
Best Xbox One Deals
Deals on Xbox One consoles are hard to come by at the moment. In fact, Xbox One consoles are hard to come by. These are some of the opportunities to get your hands on an Xbox One X at the moment. [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=gamestop-xbox-console-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=best-buy-xbox-console-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=amazon-xbox-console-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=walmart-xbox-console-deals"]Best Xbox Game Deals
Game deals are also pretty slim right now, but there are chances to save. Best Buy oddly offers free HBO Max for 30 days on a lot of its gaming products in addition to sale prices. [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=best-buy-xbox-game-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=gamestop-xbox-one-game-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=amazon-xbox-game-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=walmart-xbox-game-deals"]Best Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold Deals
Even when it's not on sale, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is an incredible value, combining Xbox Live and Game Pass into one subscription. [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=microsoft-xbox-subscription-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=walmart-xbox-subscription-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=amazon-xbox-subscription-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=best-buy-xbox-subscription-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=gamestop-xbox-subscription-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=amazon-xbox-accessories-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=walmart-xbox-accessories-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=gamestop-xbox-accessories-deals"]Xbox External Storage Deals
[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=amazon-external-hard-drive-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=best-buy-external-hard-drive-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=walmart-external-drive-deals"] [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=newegg-external-drive-deals"]When Will Xbox Be Back in Stock?
This is a hard question to answer. It's possible to get one right now if you buy from GameStop or Amazon and don't mind paying MSRP, but with the Xbox Series X release date announcement coming any day now, there's not a lot of reason for retailers to keep Xbox One in stock. But beyond that, the supply chain disruptions of the last few months have made getting pretty much any console a tricky endeavor. If you absolutely want to start taking advantage of the benefits of Xbox Game Pass right now, by all means, pick up an Xbox One X, but if you'd rather wait and not pay full price, it's likely we'll see some Black Friday savings on remaining stock.Paper Mario: The Origami King Is Up for Preorder
Paper Mario: The Origami King will arrive exclusively for Nintendo Switch on July 17. A new entry in the Mushroom Kingdom-set RPG series, it features the traditional flat paper versions of Mario and friends, as well as new origami characters and powers. Nintendo games don't generally get fancy special editions or preorder bonuses, and Paper Mario: The Origami King is no different. Even so, you can preorder the standard edition now.
Preorder Paper Mario: The Origami King
[poilib element="commerceCta" json="%7B%22image%22%3A%7B%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F05%2F14%2Fpaper-mario1589465875110.png%22%2C%22styleUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F05%2F14%2Fpaper-mario1589465875110_%7Bsize%7D.png%22%2C%22id%22%3A%225ebd5319e4b0113dce779239%22%7D%2C%22url%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fr.zdbb.net%2Fu%2Fbv0b%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Paper%20Mario%3A%20The%20Origami%20King%22%2C%22store%22%3A%22Amazon%22%2C%22additionalInfo%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ourPick%22%3Afalse%7D"]- Get it at Amazon - $59.99
- Get it at Best Buy - $59.99
- Get it at GameStop - $59.99
- Get it at Nintendo eShop (digital) - $59.99
Other Preorder Guides
[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=other-preorder-guides&type=list"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Chris Reed is IGN's shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed. [widget path="ign/modules/recirc" parameters="title=&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=us-shopping&count=3&columnCount=3&theme=article"]Crash Bandicoot 4 Has No Microtransactions, Devs Say
After a notice on the Microsoft Store indicated Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time would feature "in-app purchases," discussion began about whether that meant Crash 4 would include microtransactions at launch. According to developer Toys for Bob, there won't be, and it seems the culprit behind the "in-app purchase" moniker may be the free cosmetic skins that will be available as a preorder bonus. Toys for Bob has confirmed Crash 4 will have "no microtransactions" in a new statement, saying:
"We're seeing confusion about #MTX in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and want to be [gem emoji] clear. There are NO MICROTRANSACTIONS in the game. As a bonus, the Totally Tubular skins are included in all digital versions of the game."[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/29/crash-bandicoot-4-new-gameplay-shows-new-tricks-returning-moves"] The "in-app purchases" moniker led many to assume there would be DLC, either cosmetic or gameplay-wise, that Activision could charge players for from day 1. According to the developers, however, there are no microtransactions at this time. While, of course, DLC could be added down the line or more cosmetics made available via in-game purchases — Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled did add microtransactions with the ability to buy Wumpa Coins with real-world money after its launch — the developers appear to want to assuage fans' concerns that Crash 4's launch will be held back by additional content that has to be purchased on top of the base game. For more on Crash Bandicoot 4, check out our latest deep dive on exclusive Crash 4 gameplay, all of the first Crash 4 gameplay and story details, and a look at every Crash Bandicoot IGN review below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-crash-bandicoot-game-review&captions=true"] Crash Bandicoot 4 hits PS4 and Xbox One on October 2.
These Upcoming Timex Pac-Man Watches are Double the Retro
In the age of smartphones and Apple Watch, a classic digital watch is retro without even trying. Timex has combined two great retro flavors together in a limited-edition run of its classic T80 line by combining it with the 1980s gaming goodness that is Pac-Man. The Timex T80 x PACMAN line comes in three different styles, each with stainless steel watchbands and water resistance up to 50m. Originally introduced at ComplexCon in Long Beach, CA last November, the watches go back on sale July 7 in the US, with global distribution coming sometime in August. Check out the gallery below to see this doubly-retro watch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=timex-t80-x-pacman-limited-edition-watch&captions=true"] The watch comes in three different colors: black, silver, and gold, and the face is decorated to celebrate 40 years of Pac-Man. There's a pixelated Pac-Man chasing a ghost monster embossed in the clasp of the stainless steel band. In addition to all the normal features you find in the Timex T80 watch, like stopwatch, Indiglo lighting, and an alarm, this special-edition watch plays the "iconic PAC-MAN melody" too. You'll be able to order your own from Timex on July 7 for $79 in the US. If you're curious: yes, I am setting a reminder on my phone so I can order one for myself. I just can't decide which color. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.
Avengers Character Breakdown: 6 Heroes, Plenty of Possibilities
Marvel’s Avengers, at launch, will offer players six different Marvel heroes to play as — Black Widow, Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and Thor. Endeavoring to essentially create six different protagonists, who will all have their own authored single-player experiences and then be playable in multiplayer Warzone missions, is no small task. But lead combat designer Vince Napoli – formerly of Sony’s God of War team – walked IGN through how the Crystal Dynamics team is aiming to make each hero unique and fun to play. As part of our IGN First coverage of Marvel’s Avengers, read on for how the team is crafting each hero’s playstyle, and be sure to check out our exclusive hands-on with Thor and Ms. Marvel for our thoughts on how two of the heroes play. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-character-combat-breakdown&captions=true"] --------
Napoli explained that Natasha Romanoff actually was the team’s starting hero because of her unique difficulties. “We actually started with Black Widow. She made the most sense [to start with] because she provides so many challenges, especially going up against some of the crazier, god-powered, god-tier heroes,” Napoli said. And so the team honed in on a few aspects of Black Widow to make her feel truly unique and fun to play — namely, making her more agile in combat than any of the other heroes. “She's incredibly fast. She's incredibly agile. She has the fastest melee attacks and melee combos in the game. She is also able to alternate between her electric batons as her heavy attacks, and you use those differently than her melee attacks on the light button [and] switch between multiple ranged weapons as well,” Napoli said, noting she can choose from automatic pistols, dual-wielding rapid pistols, and a heavy-caliber Magnum pistol. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-war-zone-co-op-explained"] But a defining aspect of this version of Black Widow is her stealth, and the ability to enter and exit an invisibility mode while in the midst of combat. Napoli explained how playing as Nat well, and really making use of her intrinsic stealth ability, is the key to success in battle with her. “Some of the most interesting and fun play we see with her is the ability to enter stealth. You stealth very quickly, get out of it and then enter it again,” Napoli said. “If you're playing her well, you do feel like you're constantly escaping the battlefield, entering the battlefield, tricking the enemies constantly.” The focus on stealth allowed the team to crack the code of Black Widow’s arsenal and the many abilities that could be layered onto her customization options. From her weapon arsenal to abilities to do multi-takedowns, instakills, affect teammates from stealth, and even possibly have them enter stealth mode — Black Widow became this unseen force among the Avengers roster. “Then you add in her grapple ability to quickly move between targets, and you combine stealth, you make her this ninja on the battlefield where she's rapidly moving between enemies. You can't see here, she's disappearing, she's reappearing. Once we had all of those elements in place, she definitely started to play as something really, really special,” Napoli said.
Steve Rogers is the elephant in the room, the team member whose presence we don’t quite know in the scope of the full game because, well, as the A-Day demo shows...Captain America seemingly dies at the onset of Marvel’s Avengers. Still, Crystal Dynamics created what is clearly a deep combat system that, presumably, we’ll eventually get to play in full. And while however Steve may re-enter the picture is being kept under wraps, Napoli did offer some details on how he plays, and how the team is making good use of Cap’s iconic shield. “Throwing the shield is obviously so iconic and needed to feel so special,” Napoli said. “His shield throw actually has its own built-in ranged combo. It's a unique characteristic the other characters don't have, which is that his ranged attack actually works like a combo. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/20/marvels-avengers-prologue-ps4-gameplay-trailer-in-4k"] “So perfect timing as you catch it and throw it will increment his throws and create different throws and reactions on the enemies. He also has a special counter kickback, which is when you use his charge throw, after it hits the last enemy, if you can time the kickback ahead of time, he'll jump up and kick the shield back and meet it as it's returning and he'll kick it back out and hit once again all the targets that you were able to target with his charge throw.” That depth and nuance came from, according to Napoli, a desire by the team to add skill and a sense of mastery to Cap’s abilities for players. “How can you really feel like you've mastered the shield throw, what layers can we do where there is some amount of practiced and learned ability to the point where you actually do feel like an expert Captain America player?” Napoli said the team asked one another.
When I began speaking to Napoli about Hulk, I mentioned how perhaps the strongest and best gaming memory for myself and many others of Bruce Banner is the PS2-era Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. And Napoli noted that he has fond memories of that superhero outing and even went back to get a feel for what that game did for the character. But in devising their own Hulk, the team at Crystal Dynamics wanted to think about a larger question — how could they imbue this force of strength with strategy? “Other than being able to utilize his rage and smash through stuff and feel that overwhelming sense of power, what would my gameplay strategy be as Hulk, what would a realistic gameplay strategy be as him if you were a Hulk player?” Napoli said he and the team considered. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-game-overview-screenshots-hero-customization-outfits-and-more&captions=true"] “What if we took the idea of weaponization. Hulk is basically all about weaponizing the environment and weaponizing the enemies, or weaponizing the combat scenario around him. And what I mean by that is that that's actually why he's able to pick up and wield enemies as weapons,” he continued. Napoli pointed to a specific example of using the environment as a giant boulder before going into a fight. “I'm going to prepare at the beginning of this fight because I'm going to rip up part of the ground and turn it into a giant boulder,” he said. “And then I'm going to start the fight by leaping off the highest thing I can and dive bomb into the fight with my giant boulder. And for example, using the status effects, you can make that a cosmic-infused boulder. You can radiate the boulder with gamma,” he continued. “[Playing as Hulk] rewards a little bit of preparation work there, which is a little bit of an antithesis to Hulk, but it does reward a little bit of slight preparation with even more over-the-top destruction. Hulk can of course also grab enemies, and Napoli explained that picking different enemies will change Hulk’s swing with them, allowing players to further plan their combat by choosing which enemies to go after first.
A lot rests on Iron Man’s shoulders. After kickstarting the MCU into one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, the character and his moves have become a lot more iconic to a lot more people. Napoli said that leaning into that iconography, rather than limiting the scope of his moveset, allowed the team to figure out their take on Tony Stark. “What if he could use his weapon selection, not just in his range attacks, but integrate that into his melee combat, really make that a part of who he is?” Napoli said. He explained how they took Iron Man’s repulsor gloves and, instead of limiting them to a couple of moves, integrated his iconic weapons into his entire combo system. “That way you can actually see him do a lot more of the iconic posing that you see in the movies and the comic panels,” Napoli said. “And once we had that down, I was like, ‘Well, let's do the same thing with lasers. Let's give him two dozen laser attacks that he could use in melee combat.’ [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-combat-explainer"] “So for example, his heavy combo finisher you can unlock is a pinning missile, which pins the enemy and takes them off and propels them into the air and then does different like loops into the air and runs different patterns and sends them flying,” he continued. Napoli estimates that there are about 36 different attacks incorporating his ranged moves, which can be brought into combos that focus on his standard hand-to-hand combat abilities.
Kamala Khan, who serves as a major entry point for the story, offered a unique challenge for Crystal Dynamics. “Her abilities for a melee game are a dream and a curse at the same time, because you can do anything with them. You can make any weapon attacks and motions with them, but at the same time... you can do anything with them,” Napoli said, noting how that freedom offered a unique set of challenges. But in aiming to stay true to the characters within combat, Napoli and the team found that honing in on Kamala’s fandom for the other Avengers offered a special opportunity for her moveset. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-preview-playing-as-thor-and-ms-marvel"] “One of the approaches we took was to look for any influences we could from the rest of the Avengers with her actual moves. Almost all of her moves are based off of attacks that the other Avengers can do,” he said. “So you'll notice, she's got a version of Black Widow's light trip kick, where she sweeps the enemies. She's got a version of Hulk's shoulder ram attack. She's got a version of almost every character's attack [with] the Kamala spin on it; just to give it that feel of, ‘She is learning, and where would she be learning from? Where would she actually draw inspiration from? Of course, it'd be from the other Avengers.’”
Having gotten to go hands-on with him a couple of times, Thor undoubtedly shares some DNA with Kratos in the recent God of War, with his Mjlonir hammer standing in for the Leviathan Axe. That’s assumedly no mistake, given Napoli previously worked on that PS4 exclusive, and it’s a great lineage to see continue in the god of thunder. But, of course, in playing within the Marvel sandbox, there is plenty of comics and film inspiration to pull from. (I noted in my preview how Thor’s Odinforce powers wonderfully channel the Thor: Ragnarok action scene set to Led Zeppelin's “Immigrant Song.”) And in designing Thor, Napoli noted that Ragnarok played a large influence not just in his playstyle but in the studio’s pitch to Marvel for the character. “There's a scene in Thor: Ragnarok where Odin tells Thor that he's not the god of hammers,” Napoli said, explaining that the team pitched, for Marvel’s Avengers, that he would be both the god of hammers and the god of thunder and lightning. “The coolest thing about his combat is that you can trigger his Odinforce and [Thor can] electrify himself, protect himself, counter enemies,” Napoli said. “But it also has a unique property that it adds to every single one of his attacks. And it isn't just as simple as, ‘Oh, it just adds lightning damage.’ It completely changes the impact or the effect that it will have on the enemy. So you can see what it does and modify each of his attacks.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-playstation-5&captions=true"] Napoli explained that the Odinforce “starts to create a storm of lightning everywhere,” that offered both defensive and offensive opportunities for Crystal Dynamics to build into Thor. And as for his hammer attacks, Napoli said they took a similar approach when it came to creating various uses for Mjlonir, rather than just hueing to one possible mode of combat for it. “You can change [Mjlonir] into this lobbed grenade-style toss, where it creates a lightning explosion and creates cluster bombs. Or you can change it into the ability to seek out targets in the battlefield, which is not the way its base throw works,” he said. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Marvel’s Avengers is set to hit PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 4, and all throughout July IGN will have an in-depth look at what Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel adventure will deliver. In the meantime, be sure to check out the full Avengers War Table presentation for more details, and stay tuned to IGN for more.
Black Widow
Napoli explained that Natasha Romanoff actually was the team’s starting hero because of her unique difficulties. “We actually started with Black Widow. She made the most sense [to start with] because she provides so many challenges, especially going up against some of the crazier, god-powered, god-tier heroes,” Napoli said. And so the team honed in on a few aspects of Black Widow to make her feel truly unique and fun to play — namely, making her more agile in combat than any of the other heroes. “She's incredibly fast. She's incredibly agile. She has the fastest melee attacks and melee combos in the game. She is also able to alternate between her electric batons as her heavy attacks, and you use those differently than her melee attacks on the light button [and] switch between multiple ranged weapons as well,” Napoli said, noting she can choose from automatic pistols, dual-wielding rapid pistols, and a heavy-caliber Magnum pistol. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-war-zone-co-op-explained"] But a defining aspect of this version of Black Widow is her stealth, and the ability to enter and exit an invisibility mode while in the midst of combat. Napoli explained how playing as Nat well, and really making use of her intrinsic stealth ability, is the key to success in battle with her. “Some of the most interesting and fun play we see with her is the ability to enter stealth. You stealth very quickly, get out of it and then enter it again,” Napoli said. “If you're playing her well, you do feel like you're constantly escaping the battlefield, entering the battlefield, tricking the enemies constantly.” The focus on stealth allowed the team to crack the code of Black Widow’s arsenal and the many abilities that could be layered onto her customization options. From her weapon arsenal to abilities to do multi-takedowns, instakills, affect teammates from stealth, and even possibly have them enter stealth mode — Black Widow became this unseen force among the Avengers roster. “Then you add in her grapple ability to quickly move between targets, and you combine stealth, you make her this ninja on the battlefield where she's rapidly moving between enemies. You can't see here, she's disappearing, she's reappearing. Once we had all of those elements in place, she definitely started to play as something really, really special,” Napoli said.
Captain America
Steve Rogers is the elephant in the room, the team member whose presence we don’t quite know in the scope of the full game because, well, as the A-Day demo shows...Captain America seemingly dies at the onset of Marvel’s Avengers. Still, Crystal Dynamics created what is clearly a deep combat system that, presumably, we’ll eventually get to play in full. And while however Steve may re-enter the picture is being kept under wraps, Napoli did offer some details on how he plays, and how the team is making good use of Cap’s iconic shield. “Throwing the shield is obviously so iconic and needed to feel so special,” Napoli said. “His shield throw actually has its own built-in ranged combo. It's a unique characteristic the other characters don't have, which is that his ranged attack actually works like a combo. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/20/marvels-avengers-prologue-ps4-gameplay-trailer-in-4k"] “So perfect timing as you catch it and throw it will increment his throws and create different throws and reactions on the enemies. He also has a special counter kickback, which is when you use his charge throw, after it hits the last enemy, if you can time the kickback ahead of time, he'll jump up and kick the shield back and meet it as it's returning and he'll kick it back out and hit once again all the targets that you were able to target with his charge throw.” That depth and nuance came from, according to Napoli, a desire by the team to add skill and a sense of mastery to Cap’s abilities for players. “How can you really feel like you've mastered the shield throw, what layers can we do where there is some amount of practiced and learned ability to the point where you actually do feel like an expert Captain America player?” Napoli said the team asked one another.
Hulk
When I began speaking to Napoli about Hulk, I mentioned how perhaps the strongest and best gaming memory for myself and many others of Bruce Banner is the PS2-era Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. And Napoli noted that he has fond memories of that superhero outing and even went back to get a feel for what that game did for the character. But in devising their own Hulk, the team at Crystal Dynamics wanted to think about a larger question — how could they imbue this force of strength with strategy? “Other than being able to utilize his rage and smash through stuff and feel that overwhelming sense of power, what would my gameplay strategy be as Hulk, what would a realistic gameplay strategy be as him if you were a Hulk player?” Napoli said he and the team considered. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-game-overview-screenshots-hero-customization-outfits-and-more&captions=true"] “What if we took the idea of weaponization. Hulk is basically all about weaponizing the environment and weaponizing the enemies, or weaponizing the combat scenario around him. And what I mean by that is that that's actually why he's able to pick up and wield enemies as weapons,” he continued. Napoli pointed to a specific example of using the environment as a giant boulder before going into a fight. “I'm going to prepare at the beginning of this fight because I'm going to rip up part of the ground and turn it into a giant boulder,” he said. “And then I'm going to start the fight by leaping off the highest thing I can and dive bomb into the fight with my giant boulder. And for example, using the status effects, you can make that a cosmic-infused boulder. You can radiate the boulder with gamma,” he continued. “[Playing as Hulk] rewards a little bit of preparation work there, which is a little bit of an antithesis to Hulk, but it does reward a little bit of slight preparation with even more over-the-top destruction. Hulk can of course also grab enemies, and Napoli explained that picking different enemies will change Hulk’s swing with them, allowing players to further plan their combat by choosing which enemies to go after first.
Iron Man
A lot rests on Iron Man’s shoulders. After kickstarting the MCU into one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, the character and his moves have become a lot more iconic to a lot more people. Napoli said that leaning into that iconography, rather than limiting the scope of his moveset, allowed the team to figure out their take on Tony Stark. “What if he could use his weapon selection, not just in his range attacks, but integrate that into his melee combat, really make that a part of who he is?” Napoli said. He explained how they took Iron Man’s repulsor gloves and, instead of limiting them to a couple of moves, integrated his iconic weapons into his entire combo system. “That way you can actually see him do a lot more of the iconic posing that you see in the movies and the comic panels,” Napoli said. “And once we had that down, I was like, ‘Well, let's do the same thing with lasers. Let's give him two dozen laser attacks that he could use in melee combat.’ [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-combat-explainer"] “So for example, his heavy combo finisher you can unlock is a pinning missile, which pins the enemy and takes them off and propels them into the air and then does different like loops into the air and runs different patterns and sends them flying,” he continued. Napoli estimates that there are about 36 different attacks incorporating his ranged moves, which can be brought into combos that focus on his standard hand-to-hand combat abilities.
Ms. Marvel
Kamala Khan, who serves as a major entry point for the story, offered a unique challenge for Crystal Dynamics. “Her abilities for a melee game are a dream and a curse at the same time, because you can do anything with them. You can make any weapon attacks and motions with them, but at the same time... you can do anything with them,” Napoli said, noting how that freedom offered a unique set of challenges. But in aiming to stay true to the characters within combat, Napoli and the team found that honing in on Kamala’s fandom for the other Avengers offered a special opportunity for her moveset. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-preview-playing-as-thor-and-ms-marvel"] “One of the approaches we took was to look for any influences we could from the rest of the Avengers with her actual moves. Almost all of her moves are based off of attacks that the other Avengers can do,” he said. “So you'll notice, she's got a version of Black Widow's light trip kick, where she sweeps the enemies. She's got a version of Hulk's shoulder ram attack. She's got a version of almost every character's attack [with] the Kamala spin on it; just to give it that feel of, ‘She is learning, and where would she be learning from? Where would she actually draw inspiration from? Of course, it'd be from the other Avengers.’”
Thor
Having gotten to go hands-on with him a couple of times, Thor undoubtedly shares some DNA with Kratos in the recent God of War, with his Mjlonir hammer standing in for the Leviathan Axe. That’s assumedly no mistake, given Napoli previously worked on that PS4 exclusive, and it’s a great lineage to see continue in the god of thunder. But, of course, in playing within the Marvel sandbox, there is plenty of comics and film inspiration to pull from. (I noted in my preview how Thor’s Odinforce powers wonderfully channel the Thor: Ragnarok action scene set to Led Zeppelin's “Immigrant Song.”) And in designing Thor, Napoli noted that Ragnarok played a large influence not just in his playstyle but in the studio’s pitch to Marvel for the character. “There's a scene in Thor: Ragnarok where Odin tells Thor that he's not the god of hammers,” Napoli said, explaining that the team pitched, for Marvel’s Avengers, that he would be both the god of hammers and the god of thunder and lightning. “The coolest thing about his combat is that you can trigger his Odinforce and [Thor can] electrify himself, protect himself, counter enemies,” Napoli said. “But it also has a unique property that it adds to every single one of his attacks. And it isn't just as simple as, ‘Oh, it just adds lightning damage.’ It completely changes the impact or the effect that it will have on the enemy. So you can see what it does and modify each of his attacks.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-playstation-5&captions=true"] Napoli explained that the Odinforce “starts to create a storm of lightning everywhere,” that offered both defensive and offensive opportunities for Crystal Dynamics to build into Thor. And as for his hammer attacks, Napoli said they took a similar approach when it came to creating various uses for Mjlonir, rather than just hueing to one possible mode of combat for it. “You can change [Mjlonir] into this lobbed grenade-style toss, where it creates a lightning explosion and creates cluster bombs. Or you can change it into the ability to seek out targets in the battlefield, which is not the way its base throw works,” he said. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Marvel’s Avengers is set to hit PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 4, and all throughout July IGN will have an in-depth look at what Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel adventure will deliver. In the meantime, be sure to check out the full Avengers War Table presentation for more details, and stay tuned to IGN for more.
Destroy All Humans! Remake - The Final Preview
The very first thing you see when you start a new game in the 2020 remake of 2005’s Destroy All Humans is a message that reads While the experience has been upgraded, the content and historical record of the original invasion of the Furons remains a near-identical clone! In short, it’s a reminder that this is a game from “another time”.
And while that’s certainly true in some respects, after spending more than a few hours with the 2020 version, it’s clear that the updates to its visuals and gameplay are trying hard to modernize the end of the world as we (used to) know it in some fun and intuitive ways.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/30/destroy-all-humans-remake-the-final-preview"]If you never played the original, here’s the short version: you’re Crypto 137, a clone of Crypto 136 who crash-landed on earth in the 1950s - where you now need to wreak havoc to help secure the future of the Furon empire. You do so with a host of classic sci-fi weaponry, ranging from disintegrator rays to anal probes (we never said this was Shakespeare) and flying sauces with death rays, plus some more unique abilities like mind control and telekinesis.
All of those elements are back, and have all been tweaked and updated to feel and function like a game that didn’t launch alongside the first Guitar Hero. The development team’s go-to line since they revealed the game last year is that they’re "not making a remake of the original game, we're making remake of the memories players have of that game." And that targeted nostalgia works – for the most part.
As I said, the “of a different time” disclaimer definitely rings true, and while that mostly comes through in the form of jokes that were clearly targeted at players a generation above my own (I’d be surprised if most modern gamers knew who Milton Berle was, let alone why he’s famous), it’s a bit surprising to see some of the jokes that were questionable – even for 2005 – have still made the cut. There’s nothing as overtly offensive as the notes about “outdated cultural depictions” on Disney+ cover, but it was still jarring to hear so many “don’t ask, don’t tell” jokes whenever I was around the military.
That said, most of this send-up of the ‘50s Cold War craze remains accessible, in part thanks to the more cartoonish designs of the updated art style, but also because of the enduring talent of the original voice cast. J. Grant Albrecht’s Crypto sports an off-brand Nicholson impression that helps reinforce the satiric undertones with every line, and while I’ll never not think of the Angry Beavers or Invader Zim when I hear Richard Horvitz, his bombastic delivery as Orthopox makes even the most exposition-ey exposition enjoyable.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/30/destroy-all-humans-remake-foreign-correspondent-mission-gameplay"]The biggest features the remake focuses on are modernization and replayability. Most notable in terms of the overall structure is that now, after completing each area’s story missions, you can revisit each sandbox to zap, probe and disintegrate earthlings to your heart's content - or tackle a series of challenges, most of which revolve around some form of zapping, disintegrating, and probing. Causing chaos in each area was fun (though not endlessly so), and while the challenges seemed like a good way to earn some much-needed upgrade points, some of the later ones in my demo felt a little unbalanced against my modestly-upgraded arsenal… though I suppose that’s why they call them “challenges.”
In terms of the moment-to-moment gameplay, all of the mechanical updates I saw appear to serve that purpose of “remaking the memories” well - though I'd forgotten just how much one could choose to focus on stealth through a lot of the missions. Being able to use multiple abilities simultaneously – not having to swap between weapons and telekinesis, for instance – is a welcome addition, and I honestly can’t imagine not being able to control the height on my spacecraft during the flying sections, even if they did still feel a little stilted. It’s also worth noting that a lot of the original gameplay ideas - like being able to assume the form of humans and read their minds or hypnotize them - all hold up, and even seem to benefit from the more intricate environmental redesigns. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20100393&captions=true"]I’m mostly curious to know whether or not these modernizations will hold up throughout the entirety of the new Destroy All Humans. I played through roughly half of the main story, if memory serves, and despite some occasionally repetitive mission structure - it was 2005, after all - for the most part, it had yet to wear out its welcome. Whether or not this remake will serve as just a one-time novelty or a reboot for the entire series remains to be seen, but at the very least it’s been fun to jump back into the little green gray boots of Crypto 137 again.
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JR is a Senior Editor at IGN who still can't believe that the Pentagon basically said "yeah, aliens are real" and we all let that slide in less than a day. 2020 is crazy; to that end, please consider donating o the ACLU or NAACPLDF if you're able.
RDO: Claim Triple RDO$ in Showdown Modes, Free Resupplies, and More
This week in Red Dead Online, claim free resupplies for Moonshiners and Traders, triple payouts in Showdown Modes (including Gun Rush), and more.
Nintendo Formally Apologizes For Joy-Con Drift
Nintendo has made a formal apology for Joy-Con dirft issues frequently experienced with the Nintendo Switch’s controllers, although is unable to provide further comment due to the problem being the subject of a current class-action lawsuit. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/11/joy-con-drift-is-still-a-huge-problem-3-years-later"] The apology was made during Nintendo’s latest financial Q&A. “Regarding the Joy-Con, we apologize for any trouble caused to our customers,” said Shuntaro Furukawa, the company’s president, as reported by Kotaku. “We are continuing to aim to improve our products, but as the Joy-Con is the subject of a class-action lawsuit in the United States and this is still a pending issue, we would like to refrain from responding about any specific actions.” Joy-Con drift has been an issue hounding Nintendo Switch users for three years and counting. Since the console launched many players have found that their analogue sticks ‘drift’, meaning movement can be seen on-screen even when you are not touching the sticks at all. Last year Nintendo began to offer Joy-Con repairs for free and refunded those who had paid in previous years, but regardless it is still a huge issue in 2020. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=a-history-of-nintendo-hardware-1977-to-now&captions=true"] Last year US law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, stating that the Joy-Cons violate "various consumer protection statutes as well as various warranty and common law claims." It’s angled against not just the standard Joy-Cons, but the analogue sticks on the Switch Lite, too. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Trackmania Review
Some games not only stand the test of time, they actively defy it. That’s undoubtedly the case for Trackmania’s over-the-top time trials and deep track editor – a simple but addictive combination that’s earned the series a dedicated community for nearly two decades. The latest entry, a remake of 2006’s TrackMania Nations simply called Trackmania, feels like a return to form in many ways. But an off-putting subscription system and poor tools to actually teach you its intricacies make it a bittersweet reunion.
While there’s plenty of racing in Trackmania, the main event has always been variations on time trials. Whether you’re playing alone or against others online, you’re always really competing against your own skills. This can make a lot of Trackmania’s modes feel repetitive, whether its Time Attack, the team multiplayer of Chase or the traditional circuit-based Lap. But that drive to master a track is more than enough reason to keep coming back.
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Unfortunately, Trackmania has never explained itself particularly well, and 2020’s rendition is no different. An all too brief tutorial covers the basics, but you’re on your own when it comes to learning the mechanical subtlety behind getting truly fast times – tricks like nudging the jetpack-like reactor boost in midair to hover through midair checkpoints you didn’t see coming. That gives Trackmania a steeper learning curve than it ought to have.
But once you zoom past those initial speed bumps, Trackmania can be hard to put down. Finishing any of its decent launch selection of 45+ official tracks can take less than 90 seconds a piece, but you’ll want to play them over and over to shave off seconds and find all the clever shortcuts hidden in plain sight. The potent sounds of your engine roaring backed by high energy music can even eventually become quite soothing, drawing you in as you boost, jump, and drift around each corner in perfect rhythm.
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That doesn’t mean that you’ll be calmly cruising to the finish line though. Trackmania’s cars always feel floaty around turns, and you often pick up speed faster than you think you should. That may sound like a bad thing, but it actually contributes to the feeling that you’re perpetually just on the edge of losing control, which makes it all the more exhilarating when you dial things in just right and hit the goal for a gold medal.
Drifting Off The Main Circuit
The other side of the Trackmania coin is its custom tracks, which remain as impressive as ever – partially thanks to an intuitive block-based editor. Even before release, there are already user-made tracks ranging from recreations of Mario Kart classics to car golf to a rudimentary version of bumper cars. One dark course full of lamp posts felt like a throwback to Night Driver on the Atari 2600. Another downward slope felt like a slide from a water park that could send your vehicle flipping and flying at any moment. You never really know what you’ll get as you rummage through Trackmania’s course selections, and that’s half the fun. Time will tell if custom servers can achieve the level of plugin-based madness seen in the days of Trackmania 2, but creators already seem to have the means to go nuts in all sorts of ways.
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Unfortunately, not everyone who plays Trackmania can utilize these tools thanks to its unappealing new subscription service. You can play on official tracks and use a simplified map editor entirely for free, but most other things require either the “Standard” or “Club” access subscriptions, which are $10 and $30 per year respectively. Without open access to custom tracks and other community features like chat, it’s less of a free-to-play experience and more of a glorified demo.
Gating off access like this runs the risk of putting a damper on the community support that makes Trackmania shine long term. 2016’s Trackmania Turbo proved the community won’t automatically rally around the latest entry in the series just because it’s new, especially when you can load up new tracks in TrackMania 2 for the rest of your life at no extra cost. This new Trackmania is definitely a fun return with an impressive new coat of paint, but there’s not really enough that’s brand new to justify a recurring entry fee. Nadeo has committed to adding a new set of official tracks every season for all players, but that can only differentiate things so much compared to what the community cooks up.
Whether you’re playing free or paid, Trackmania’s fancy new graphics at least makes everything look and feel fresh – it’s not going to stand up to the latest Forza or Gran Turismo, but this more lighthearted take on racing isn’t exactly trying to. Cars have a great sheen to them that persists even as you pick up speed and focus on the road ahead.
Outside of the races, Trackmania doesn’t look as impressive. Its menus are poorly cobbled together – but as a longtime fan, that off-kilter feeling oddly seems like a core part of the Trackmania experience at this point, and Nadeo probably knows it. Maniaplanet may be gone, but the charm of strange font choices and obtuse settings reminded me exactly what game I was playing, even if those rough edges will probably keep newcomers at arms length.
Pokemon Go Creator Niantic and Immersive Theater Company Punchdrunk Form Partnership
Pokemon Go creator Niantic and immersive theater company Punchdrunk have announced "a multifaceted partnership" that may be using mobile augmented reality capabilities to place immersive theater performances in the real world. An announcement press release doesn't mention specifics about what that partnership is working on, but it makes clear that the result will combine augmented reality and theatrical performance "on a scale not seen before". The release continues: "This revolutionary collaboration will lead to new advances in tech-empowered audience experience that will redefine gaming, inspiring audiences for generations to come." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/26/pokemon-go-buddy-adventure-feature-trailer"] In a statement, Punchdrunk artistic director Felix Barrett specicially mentions mobile gaming, and mentions taking the sense of adventure from his company's work "into the real world", implying that this will take the form of an AR app of some kind: "At Punchdrunk we create richly cinematic 3D worlds where audiences can explore, touch and smell the environment; where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are indistinguishable. Those that have seen [Punchdrunk show] Sleep No More often liken the experience to how it might feel to walk into a video game. What happens if you take that sense of adventure into the real world? Tear down the walls and the world becomes your stage. "I believe that Punchdrunk and Niantic can create something that has never been done before. They do it in AR, we do it in real life. Collide the two and I think we will blow people's minds; bend the rules of genre and redefine the norms of mobile gaming.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/pokemon-go-remote-raid-passes-trailer"] Punchdrunk is an influential theater company that has eschewed traditional stages and audiences, instead creating explorable spaces filled with actors, where the audience become part of the story, discovering it at their own pace. Perhaps the company's most famous work is Sleep No More, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in a film noir world. Niantic CEO John Hanke says the teams have been working together for "many months" on projects that meld the virtual and real worlds. He says he believes the potential for their work to be "global and massive". We'll update you as we learn more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Fuser Is the ‘Next Big Step Forward in Music Games’
For a lot of folks, independent developer Harmonix isn’t just a music game studio; it’s the music game studio. With the utmost respect to Sony’s highly-successful weaponisation of karaoke with the SingStar series – or indeed the admirable legacy of one much-loved, two-dimensional rapping dog – Harmonix’s work laying the foundation for Guitar Hero and the subsequent creation of Rock Band really make it the big wheel down at the cracker factory. Guitar Hero and Rock Band – each billion-dollar brands that left a permanent stamp on the decade between 2000 and 2009 with high sales and even higher revenue thanks to the added expense of their bespoke instrument controllers – really defined music games for an entire generation of players. Now the Boston-based studio is looking to do it again. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://ift.tt/3gdk0KW] “I’m super excited about Fuser,” says Harmonix veteran Daniel Sussman. “It really does feel like the next big step forward in music games.” “And if you’re a fan of the company you will be able to trace what you see back through all of our work. There are rhythm action elements; certainly this is a performance simulation on par with Rock Band or the early Guitar Hero games. There’s a lot that you will pull forward from Dance Central and the pop sensibility of those games, and then the music mixing mechanic which was first pioneered in Fantasia: Music Evolved and really developed as part of DropMix.” [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Certainly%20this%20is%20a%20performance%20simulation%20on%20par%20with%20Rock%20Band%20or%20the%20early%20Guitar%20Hero%20games"]An understanding of 2017’s DropMix will take you a long way to understanding what’s going on in Fuser. At their core, both DropMix and Fuser are about blending music together in fun, satisfying, and imaginative ways, and there’s arguably not a world of difference between placing physical NFC-enabled cards down on a physical mixing peripheral to dropping in-game samples onto a series of on-screen platters. The two games even use similar design language and colours to illustrate the individual parts of tracks available to use. But there’s a new level of complexity to Fuser that seems to make it a lot more than just DropMix 2.0. Personally, the enjoyment I gleaned from DropMix was more about tossing down cards with little regard for timing and letting the software make it sound as good as possible. The results weren’t always especially elegant but you may be surprised at how many scenarios the iconic ‘ooh wah ah ah ah!’ from Down with the Sickness sounds great in (the answer is every scenario). [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://ift.tt/3eNsloy] Fuser is a bit different. While the music mixing tech ticking away under its hood seems largely similar from an outsider’s perspective, Fuser definitely seeks more care and craftsmanship from its players. “I love DropMix in so many ways, and yet it always bothered me that the gameplay was so decoupled from the musical creative part of it,” says Sussman. “And that was intentional but, in hindsight, to me that feels like a miss.” [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=I%20love%20DropMix%20in%20so%20many%20ways%2C%20and%20yet%20it%20always%20bothered%20me%20that%20the%20gameplay%20was%20so%20decoupled%20from%20the%20musical%20creative%20part%20of%20it"]“It’s a thing that we’ve put a lot of effort into in Fuser. You are a DJ, you are performing on a massive stage at this larger than life music festival and, as part of your performance, you have to read the crowd, you have to follow the instructions of the promoter characters who are talking to you through your earpiece, and you also have to really showcase your skill as a mixer, play in time, and show your mastery of the interface and your knowledge of the content.” Fuser, previously previewed in detail on IGN a few months ago, is not in any real way analogous to Activision’s DJ Hero. While the latter saw players navigating through pre-made mash-ups via button-matching gameplay inspired by the classic Guitar Hero note highway, Fuser is very different. Sussman describes a “heavy touch” on the individual samples Harmonix inserts into the game (and various other types of authoring below the surface) but any mash-ups in Fuser will be of your own making, and they can be dynamically changed at any moment to satisfy level goals or ad hoc requests that come in from the crowd during performances. You can even record fresh custom loops via a selection of virtual instruments to also insert into your tracks. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://ift.tt/2BpCyZF] How does it all work? Well, Fuser’s tech means the samples Harmonix has curated and assembled can change key and tempo on the fly, making it possible for even complete amateurs to begin to assemble mixes that don’t sound like competing car stereos at a red light. “A lot of it starts with the song selection,” explains Sussman. “There are some things that we look for in terms of songs that will play well in our engine.” “And some of it is kind of nerdy music stuff, like your flat seven is a note that doesn’t transpose between minor and major all that elegantly. And so chord progressions or songs that feature a really strong flat seven in the melody, we think about that. Now, that’s not to say it won’t work. It just might sound a little funky as you flip it around between different keys.” “We have a very strong audio team and they do all of the authoring. We get stems from the labels and then we take those and we work them through our process. All of the transitions, those are actually authored; those are composed by our team. All of the mark-up to lay out where the pickups are and where the phrasing is, those are all authored by our team. So it’s a pretty heavy touch in terms of the process to take a song and convert it up to Fuser level.” Harmonix has historically proven a willingness to commit to its most-supported games long term; Rock Band 4 is approaching its five-year anniversary and has been supplemented since 2015 with a steady supply of new songs every single week (and that’s after Harmonix ported all existing PS3 and Xbox 360 DLC to PS4 and Xbox One for no additional cost). So what does the perfect future for Fuser look like? “Well, a few things,” begins Sussman. “One is that I feel like we are absolutely unencumbered by sort of the distribution headaches that made Rock Band such a pain in the butt for you and everyone in the South Pacific. You know, it was just a big box and it was expensive in Europe. It was really difficult.” [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=%5BI%5Dt%E2%80%99s%20been%20very%20satisfying%20to%20develop%20a%20game%20that%20is%20peripheral-free"]“I spent a good chunk of my career at Harmonix designing and manufacturing the guitars and drums, and I think they added a lot to that experience and that fantasy, [but] it’s been very satisfying to develop a game that is peripheral-free. We’re talking to retail and there will be physical product, but this is a game that there’s no reason for us not to be able to distribute this everywhere in the world where there’s an audience, and that is super exciting. And then you extend that out to the relationship we have with music licensing in general for disc and DLC, I think for as long as there’s a group of people that are interested, I would be absolutely thrilled to continue to churn out music. And not just songs, but also instruments and other elements like that. And cosmetics; I feel like this is a game where there's more of an opportunity than any other game that we've made to continue to kind of add options to the character creator and to the stage kit.” “Personally I’m committed to working on Fuser for the next five years; maybe more, I don’t know!” Sussman chuckles. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fuser-june-update&captions=true"] Harmonix’s Zoe Schneider has her own thoughts about the possible future impact of Fuser. “I think that, and maybe this is a longer term trajectory, but I do think there’s a huge potential for learned skills, or a catalyst for those learned skills from Fuser,” she says. “For example, I played the original Rock Band – one of my favourite games; still one of my favourite games – and it’s the reason that I play some live instruments the way I do, because I was playing enough Rock Band drums that one day I was, like, ‘Well, if I just bought a real drum set and played half as long on that as I do on [Rock Band], I could be halfway decent.’” “And I went ahead and did that, and I think Fuser even has a stronger potential to start to help people bridge those gaps and start to make those connections. I think that it’s just such an accessible way to feel a part of that festival, DJ music culture. But I think it will leave people craving more.” “So I would not be shocked if Fuser, for a lot of people, was almost a wake-up call to something that they didn’t think they could thrive or succeed in, but ended up really thoroughly enjoying. And I think that’s something really special about a lot of video games, because it has you think about greater possibilities than your current circumstance.” “The other component is that, socially, we’ve never had a stronger emphasis on learning and individuality and being unique and stylish, and I think that Fuser is just an amazing opportunity to really put that all on display. I think now more than ever, especially in youth culture, there’s more tolerance and acceptance for diversity than ever before. I think Sussman has previously made a really strong point about this when he talks about how Rock Band was by people who loved rock for people who loved rock, and then it just happened to be an incredible game, so people who weren’t in love with rock suddenly fell in love with rock. I think that Fuser could be something similar. I think that people are just going to feel really excited about bringing a piece of themselves into this entirely new world.” Schneider is also extremely enthusiastic about Fuser’s ability to trigger people to think differently about how they consume music, exposing songs as tapestries and a new granularity about “the grand process that is music making.” “The best part about music games is watching people engage with music culture in a way that people don’t always do if you’re just streaming or listening to Spotify,” says Schneider. “This forces you to form a more intimate relationship to the music, which for me is probably the thing I’m most excited about.” [caption id="attachment_2373984" align="aligncenter" width="3840"]
Fuser will arrive with over 100 tracks to disassemble and reassemble.[/caption] Sussman firmly believes Fuser has the potential to be Harmonix’s next-big-thing in the music game genre. “I feel like Harmonix has had the opportunity over the years to sort of define and redefine what a music game is,” he says. “And at the same time, when you’re talking about Rock Band, I kind of feel like you’re dating yourself as a music gamer. And I say that with a lot of love; this is a franchise that is near and dear to me. I still work with it; I’m part of the DLC team for Rock Band 4 and I love it.” [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=What%20I%20look%20forward%20to%20well%20down%20the%20road%20is%20a%20generation%20of%20music%20gamers%20whose%20music%20gaming%20experience%20was%20not%20defined%20by%20Guitar%20Hero%20or%20Rock%20Band%2C%20but%20was%20defined%20by%20Fuser"]“And I think that the world is ready for something new. So what I look forward to well down the road is a generation of music gamers whose music gaming experience was not defined by Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but was defined by Fuser. And that this becomes sort of the new normal for what you can do in the music gaming space. Both in terms of the creative element, right? ‘Look what I made!’ And also the social element: ‘Look at all the friends that I made while I was making this cool thing.’ That’s the benchmark that we’re applying to success here.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly. You can find him on Rock Band every long weekend and Christmas party.
Fuser will arrive with over 100 tracks to disassemble and reassemble.[/caption] Sussman firmly believes Fuser has the potential to be Harmonix’s next-big-thing in the music game genre. “I feel like Harmonix has had the opportunity over the years to sort of define and redefine what a music game is,” he says. “And at the same time, when you’re talking about Rock Band, I kind of feel like you’re dating yourself as a music gamer. And I say that with a lot of love; this is a franchise that is near and dear to me. I still work with it; I’m part of the DLC team for Rock Band 4 and I love it.” [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=What%20I%20look%20forward%20to%20well%20down%20the%20road%20is%20a%20generation%20of%20music%20gamers%20whose%20music%20gaming%20experience%20was%20not%20defined%20by%20Guitar%20Hero%20or%20Rock%20Band%2C%20but%20was%20defined%20by%20Fuser"]“And I think that the world is ready for something new. So what I look forward to well down the road is a generation of music gamers whose music gaming experience was not defined by Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but was defined by Fuser. And that this becomes sort of the new normal for what you can do in the music gaming space. Both in terms of the creative element, right? ‘Look what I made!’ And also the social element: ‘Look at all the friends that I made while I was making this cool thing.’ That’s the benchmark that we’re applying to success here.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly. You can find him on Rock Band every long weekend and Christmas party.
Fortnite Ditches Early Access Label, Slows Development Of PvE Mode
Fortnite is finally shedding its early access status, and as a result, development of its original Save the World PvE mode will slow down. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/24/full-fortnite-x-travis-scott-astronomical-concert"] The news arrives after three years of development, during which the game has become quite the phenomenon after it pivoted from its initial horde mode to battle royale. Recent months have even seen it boasting virtual concerts and Star Wars collaborations, something only one of the world's most popular video games could carry off. In a post on the Epic Games blog, the development team revealed that Save the World's main story "is complete," but that it will endure as a "premium experience" instead of being free to play. Fortnite players considered to be "Founders" - those who purchased the game at full price - will have their Founder's Packs upgraded as a result. Save the World mode won't be able to support all upcoming Battle Royale cosmetics, but existing player libraries will remain in-tact. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-that-came-back-from-the-brink-of-disaster&captions=true"] As Save the World winds down, its content will rotate for replayability purposes. A new Ventures mode is coming to the game too, which will feature new season-long excursions in zones with "new and unique modifiers to tackle." Players can take part in these ventures to progress through the levels, pick up venture-specific rewards and upgrade the items in their personal collection. In other Fortnite news, the game recently hosted a series of Christopher Nolan movie screenings as part of the Movie Nite at Party Royale's Big Screen event. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
PSVR Patent Filed For Advertisements Displayed Within The Headset
A new PlayStation VR patent filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment suggests that the company is working on technology that will allow advertisements to be displayed within the headset. The patent listing from Sony, published on June 25, shows drawings that offering an example of how a virtual reality advertising model may look in practice. It appears that the advertisements will show up in the periphery parts of your vision, in the top corners of the display or as a banner in the top middle of the screen. [caption id="attachment_2374000" align="alignnone" width="1280"]
A technical drawing from the Sony patent.[/caption] According to the text of the patent, the way advertisements will be displayed depends on the position of the user's head within the head-mounted display and their line of sight. The patent describes the advertisements as "additional content" for "promoting recognition of a given thing or service." One example used in the text is of the user watching a concert with a set of performers appearing at the same time. The technology claims to be able to "detect on which performer the user is focusing his or her attention and then change the advertisement in accordance with the performer of interest." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/23/the-10-best-psvr-games"] It should be noted that patents are no guarantee of end results, just that the company in question is researching and developing such technologies. As such, we can't say if Sony is definitely bringing advertising 'pop-ups' to PSVR. It is certainly working on the concept, though. In other weird patent news, here's another bit of Sony technology discovered in April which suggests that in the future we might get fuzzy robotic gaming companions that react to our emotions. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, excited to be sold Lightspeed Briefs when he's playing Bloodborne Kart in VR. Follow him on Twitter.
A technical drawing from the Sony patent.[/caption] According to the text of the patent, the way advertisements will be displayed depends on the position of the user's head within the head-mounted display and their line of sight. The patent describes the advertisements as "additional content" for "promoting recognition of a given thing or service." One example used in the text is of the user watching a concert with a set of performers appearing at the same time. The technology claims to be able to "detect on which performer the user is focusing his or her attention and then change the advertisement in accordance with the performer of interest." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/23/the-10-best-psvr-games"] It should be noted that patents are no guarantee of end results, just that the company in question is researching and developing such technologies. As such, we can't say if Sony is definitely bringing advertising 'pop-ups' to PSVR. It is certainly working on the concept, though. In other weird patent news, here's another bit of Sony technology discovered in April which suggests that in the future we might get fuzzy robotic gaming companions that react to our emotions. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, excited to be sold Lightspeed Briefs when he's playing Bloodborne Kart in VR. Follow him on Twitter.
Crysis Remastered Launch Details And Trailer Leaked
The launch trailer and details about Crysis Remastered have been leaked ahead of the game's official reveal on July 1. The leaks appear to stem from a Microsoft Store listing for the game, which was picked up by Twitter user Wario64. According to the Microsoft Store page, the game will launch in just a few weeks on July 23. The trailer for the remaster has also found its way onto Reddit. All of the remastered footage on display has been captured on a PC. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2011/10/10/crysis-video-review"] According to the listing, which is still live as of writing, Crysis Remastered will land on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, and will offer remastered graphics, bringing the 2007 original into the current-generation. This will be the first time a Crysis game will launch on a Nintendo console. The official Crysis Remastered reveal is still set for July 1, so look out for more details tomorrow. The game is being co-developed by Saber Interactive, and the initial reveal also suffered an unfortunate leak thanks to a set of sleuths who checked the Crysis website's cookie policy to find a blurb about the now-official remaster. We recently uploaded the first 21 minutes of the 2007 original in 1440p, if you're looking to sate your excitement. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Monday, June 29, 2020
The Romeros Reflect on RPGs and FPS Games Over 20 Years
This article is part of a new initiative on IGN where we spend a whole month exploring topics we find interesting in the world of video games. June is Icons Month, where we’re profiling iconic video game industry figures, characters, series, and themes.
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John and Brenda Romero are talking to me from separate rooms in their home, but both are surrounded by nerdy detritus, lovingly collected: a couple of pinball machines, a jumble of computer parts. “If you're looking at the screen to John's right,” says Brenda, “that’s an Apple II that hopefully is going to start running again. And behind John to his left are three boxes of old Apple II five-and-a-quarter disks, one of which includes the source code from Autoduel from Origin.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/29/legendary-game-designers-john-and-brenda-romero-assess-shooters-rpgs-in-2020"]
The Apple II and The Icon of Sin
The weekend prior they’d gone through the disks together. This is the kind of family activity the Romeros enjoy, and one that bonded them together in the first place. The pair first met in 1987, fleetingly, while Brenda, then working at Sir-tech Sofware, visited Origin Systems where John was employed (Sir-Tech was showing off the latest Wizardry game, Origin was showing off the latest Ultima.) He fixed a computer she was to be stationed at, which was reportedly broken. “It just needed to be turned on,” Brenda recalls.But because they were, as Brenda quotes, both “hardcore nerds,” their paths continued to cross in the (then) burgeoning video game industry. Minus John’s rockstar period after his string of hits between 1990 and 1993 in Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, and Doom, respectively (“I wasn't going to surf through the people to talk to the Icon of Sin”, says Brenda), they were close friends for years.
“We are both overly fascinated about game history, if for instance, we were talking about Nasir Gebelli or Bill Budge or some obscure Apple II thing, we would be far more interested in that than having any kind of sort of dating conversation,” Brenda says.
In 2010, they finally had that dating conversation. “And then,” she continues, “it kind of escalated from there.”
John Romero on the Current State of the FPS
Their careers, both apart and together, are iconic. It’s rare for two people who have affected the course of gaming history as much as John and Brenda did to become romantically involved; they are as close to a ‘power couple’ as the video game industry gets.Brenda, who cut her teeth in a variety of roles at Sir-tech, developer of the Wizardry series of RPGs, would go on to become one of the most important voices in advocacy and education around the medium. Her work has seen her receive a number of awards, a Fullbright fellowship, and widespread recognition as an early pioneer in a male-dominated industry.
John - the Icon of Sin, named after his appearance in the Doom 2 level of the same name - was the co-founder of id Software alongside Tom Hall, John Carmack, and Adrian Camack (no relation). His work on the aforementioned franchises there established a shooter rulebook that is still as vital to games today as it was back in the ‘90s.
These days, the pair are hard at work on The Empire of Sin, a moody strategy game set in prohibition-era Chicago, developed by their self-formed studio, Romero Studios, in Galway, Ireland. Their downtime is spent shuffling through Apple 2 disks, yes, but also playing video games (at one point they have to tell one of their four kids to stop making so much noise playing an FPS during our interview; apparently the apple does not fall far from the tree).
The pair play everything. During our conversation talk of indies - That Dragon, Cancer, What Remains of Edith Finch, Braid - flows easily into The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, Fortnite. And though the latter game has ubiquitously dominated the conversation the last couple of years, John still thinks the core of the FPS genre has remained largely unchanged since he and his friends helped usher it into the mainstream in the ‘90s.
“The basic elements of FPSs have been around for a long time,” he says. “They just started looking a lot better.”
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If that sounds like something one of the godfathers of the FPS would say, it’s not uncorroborated in the broader industry. When IGN spoke to Doom Eternal’s project director Hugo Martin earlier on in the year, he spoke to how the bones of the older games continue to influence the newer. “[It’s] not just the mechanics, but the tone and the attitude and the personality.” Martin added, “Those levels [in the old games] feel like they’re fucking with you. They’re constantly keeping you on your toes. It feels like you’re in a developer’s funhouse made for a person walking around with a chainsaw and a shotgun. It’s critical that the [new game’s] levels have that intangible quality to them because when they don’t they feel very stale.”
John argues that there haven't been any truly major changes in the genre “except for maybe Call of Duty where you have an objective-based progression model, or Half-Life 2, which introduced a lot of storytelling.” He says the battle royale genre is a feature, not the future. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20battle%20royale%20genre%20is%20a%20feature%2C%20not%20the%20future."]
“It's another mode of deathmatch. It's not, like, a whole new type of shooter. It's a shooter. It's just in a bigger map and it has a lot more people and it ends within a specific time. So it's a cool rule set for deathmatch.”
As far as building on his own heritage, John recalls the struggle to reboot Doom in 2016 and is impressed by how the team eventually managed to isolate exactly what made a great Doom experience while also freshening it up for modern audiences. “They asked themselves ‘What is the core second-to-second experience that identifies this franchise?’ And [the answer is] it's shooting monsters. It's fast, skilful movement, shooting demons, and moving through rooms to the exit. Doom 2016 felt like the original because they timed it correctly. They balanced everything to match. And then, with Doom Eternal, they decided to push what Doom could be even further with the balancing of resources.”
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Brenda Romero on the Current State of the RPG
While John riffs on shooters, Brenda contemplates how the RPG has evolved from a relatively niche genre to a set of mechanics even the most mainstream, linear single-player games cherry-pick from (think about The Last of Us Part 2’s character upgrades, for example). “We're starting to see players wanting to create their own sense of identity and have their own agency within a game and to see what they've done reflected in the game,” she says. “And that's all about role-playing. And so games that you might not ever have thought of having this role-playing element, where you're building your character up, suddenly do.”
Brenda notes it wasn’t always this way. Both she and John recall their pasts with a warm kind of exasperation. Brenda was a hardcore tabletop nerd with a fondness for metal bands – not a recipe for popularity back in the ‘80s. “If you were a hardcore RPG player, you were the nerdiest of the embarrassing nerd,” she says with a laugh. “If you know what ‘THAC0’ means, first you are great and you are my kind of people. But back when I was going to school, if you were playing D&D – which I was – you were an outcast. And then, if you layered on Black Sabbath, you were doubly outcast. But nowadays D&D is something cool that people do.” [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=%E2%80%9CIf%20you%20were%20a%20hardcore%20RPG%20player%2C%20you%20were%20the%20nerdiest%20of%20the%20embarrassing%20nerd.%E2%80%9D"]
Our conversation moves from niche nerddom to blockbuster single-player games. John thinks experiences like Red Dead Redemption and The Last of Us are “amazing,” but it’s clear that story and cut-scenes aren’t where his heart lies. Brenda describes him as a particularly literal brain when it comes to making games, wired in code and concept rather than story and world-building. “If John were forced to pick an island between programming and design,” she teases, “he would absolutely pick the programming island.”
Looking at their individual and combined body of work, including the upcoming Empire of Sin, the pair seem more interested in systems-heavy experiences that facilitate more emergent storytelling. “I'm the type of person who wants to start in this sort of sandbox,” says Brenda. “‘How can I make all these things do as many different things as possible’ and see what direction the player takes it?”
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On Crunch Culture
Of course, talk of blockbuster video games leads to talk of one of the more pressing issues for those on the development side of games: crunch. Crunch is an issue both Romeros acknowledge as enormous, but one that demands complex solutions. “I think the best-case scenario for any developer is when you are in charge of your own destiny, so to speak,” says Brenda. She explains that “video games are an imperfect art”, and if something takes 40 days instead of the 30 days that were planned, having the extra runway to say “it’s done when it’s done” is vital.
But a lot of developers aren't in that position, she adds. “It even becomes more complicated when you think about if you've taken pre-orders... If you're in a situation where you've taken pre-orders and now you've gone past that specific window, then you have to refund everybody. There are some pretty big financial repercussions.”
Brenda ponders the number of people she’s seen depart the industry due to crunch. “I've been in situations where I've worked every day, 12 hours a day, for nine months,” she says. “And that's just gross. Nobody can sustain that kind of stuff. Ultimately, I think that's what makes some game developers say, ‘It's not worth it. There are other ways to do this. There are other ways to make cash. There's a better way of life.’ And that's a pity because we lose some really good people from the industry when that happens.” [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=And%20that's%20a%20pity%20because%20we%20lose%20some%20really%20good%20people%20from%20the%20industry%20when%20that%20happens.%E2%80%9D"]
On...Chrono Trigger?
The Romeros have carved their way to a unique position in a difficult industry: they’re exactly where they want to be, with the freedom to do what they want to do at their own pace. With that foot off the gas, there comes an easy warmth and humility to their rapport – it clearly helps that their early friendship meant a couple of decade’s worth of mutual support. I ask if there’s ever been a sticking point in their shared love of game design.
“I don't like Chrono Trigger,” Brenda answers. “And I don't know why I don't like it. This is so ridiculous. John adores Chrono Trigger. John has seven copies of Chrono Trigger.”
“I think,” she says, as John laughs, “our marriage will survive it”.
[poilib element="accentDivider"] Lucy O'Brien is Executive Editor of Features at IGN. Follow her on Twitter.Quantum League Is the Most Unique Shooter I've Played in Years
This time looping shooter is extremely exciting, but there's a problem - how do you even explain it?
XIII Remastered: Here's What Comes in Each Edition
The XIII remake is set to release for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on November 10. A souped-up version of the 2003 original, this new XIII will maintain the comic book-inspired art style, but present it in HD. The soundtrack and audio work, including voice acting by the likes of David Duchovny, will also be remastered. Something of a cult classic, XIII tells the tale of an amnesiac military operative who wakes up to discover he's being hunted by a pair of villainous organizations. Thankfully, he's a weapons expert, so let the shooting begin. This 2020 version is being released in two editions and comes with a preorder bonus. Read on for details about all that good stuff, as well as where you can lock in your preorder now.
Everyone who preorders any version of XIII will get the Golden Classic Weapon skin pack for free, which includes a golden knife and pistol. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/xiii-remake-summer-of-gaming-gameplay-trailer"]
Preorder XIII Standard Edition
PS4
- Get it at Amazon - $49.99
- Get it at GameStop - $49.99
Xbox One
- Get it at Amazon - $49.99
- Get it at GameStop - $49.99
Nintendo Switch
- Get it at Amazon - $49.99
- Get it at GameStop - $49.99
PC
- Get it on Steam - $39.99
Preorder XIII Limited Edition
- Get it for PS4 - $59.99
- Get it for Xbox One - $59.99
- Get it for Nintendo Switch - $59.99
- Metal case
- Three art cards
- Golden XIII Weapons Skin Pack (13 weapons)
XIII Preorder Bonus
Everyone who preorders any version of XIII will get the Golden Classic Weapon skin pack for free, which includes a golden knife and pistol. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/xiii-remake-summer-of-gaming-gameplay-trailer"]
Other Preorder Guides
[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=other-preorder-guides&type=list"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Chris Reed is IGN's shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed. [widget path="ign/modules/recirc" parameters="title=&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=us-shopping&count=3&columnCount=3&theme=article"]Free Steam Keys: Quantum League Early Access
IGN Prime has partnered with Nimble Giant Entertainment to bring you early access to Quantum League. Quantum League is a revolutionary time-paradox shooter, a competitive online FPS. In Quantum League, you battle within a time loop and tactically team up with your past and future selves in mind-blowing 1v1 and 2v2 matches. [youtube clip_id="PtC1LOE6fl0"] It's an alternate universe where time travel has changed the face of professional sports as we know it. Quantum League, a heavily weaponized, team-based shooting sport, dominates the globe. As a Quantum athlete, compete in specially designed arenas where agility, speed, and skill are not enough to rise to the top; the ability to tactically play with your past and future selves is also a must. Click here to redeem your early access key to Quantum League on PC. Keys are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Every month, IGN provides members an opportunity to grab great games and goodies picked by the Prime team.
The Last of Us Part 2 Was Once More Open World in Development
The Last of Us Part 2 takes a lot of design cues and lessons from developer Naughty Dog’s recent games, including its direct predecessor and the Uncharted series. The final result is a linearly focused adventure, but one that often opens up into the studio’s biggest environments and levels. And at one point, it could have been an even greater departure from past games. Speaking to IGN ahead of The Last of Us Part 2’s release, director Neil Druckmann discussed how early ideas of the game had taken on an open-world design. Warning: Major spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 follow. Turn back if you haven’t finished! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-last-of-us-part-2-ps4-pro-limited-edition-unboxing"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] “The game initially was this open world thing. And you spent all this time in Jackson,” Druckmann, who also spoke to us about The Last of Us Part 2's ambitious story, explained. Jackson, Wyoming is the first major location for the sequel, which spends most of its time in the Pacific Northwest. In Jackson, though, we see where Ellie and Joel have been living in the ensuing years since the end of The Last of Us. There’s a full community here, and in the final release of the sequel, we meet other citizens like Dina, Jesse, Maria, and Seth, while hearing stories about others like Eugene. The more time players would have spent in Jackson also altered the way Abby, the main second playable protagonist, was introduced. “Abby joined the community and you were playing as this new character until she betrayed Joel later on,” Druckmann explained. “And it just didn't work because Joel dying is the inciting incident, and you want to get to the inciting incident as quickly as you can.” And so Abby’s introduction and quick playable levels comes early on, before Joel’s death sends Ellie on her revenge quest to Seattle. Druckmann explained how Abby’s role actually shrank from earlier iterations of the sequel’s story, but that ultimately the team settled on a playable portion that felt long enough to convey what was necessary. “Abby was the concept that made us want to make this game about empathy, interactivity; knowing we could use Joel and Ellie to create that feeling right at the beginning,” he said. “Her role actually kept shrinking and shrinking until we thought this is the right amount for what we need you to feel about Abby.” Stay tuned to IGN for more from Druckmann on the sequel, and if you haven't already be sure to check out IGN's The Last of Us Part 2 review. For more on the Naughty Dog sequel, read our dive into The Last of Us Part 2's accessibility features, how much The Last of Us Part 2 sold in its debut weekend, and why the sequel probably won't get DLC. And if you're playing, be sure to check out IGN's comprehensive The Last of Us Part 2 guide for help with collectibles, Trophies, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, Host of Podcast Beyond!, and can't stop hearing Pearl Jam in his head now. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.
Every Alolan Diglett Location in the Pokemon Isle of Armor DLC
There are 151 Alolan Diglett to find across the Isle of Armor.
Call of Duty: Warzone Update to Add Limited Time 200-Player Matches
Call of Duty: Warzone will soon be getting a new limited-time 200 Player Battle Royale mode that will allow 50 Quads of Operators to fight for victory. This new mode will arrive alongside a brand new Season Four Reloaded update on June 29 at 11pm PT and on June 30 at 2am ET/7am BST that will also add a new weapon, map, operator, and much more. Warzone currently supports up to 150 players, and this new limited time Quads mode will allow for 50 more players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-warzone-official-season-four-trailer"] The update will have a download size of 22-36 GB for owners of the full version of Modern Warfare, with console owners needing a secondary 3.5 GB download. Free-to-Play Warzone players can expect a download of 22-30 GB. According to Activision, once these updates are finished, there will be "a reduction to the overall footprint on their machines." There will also be new Supply Run Contracts in Warzone. Once activated, your team will be directed to a nearby Buy Station. If it is reached in time, a discount on Buy Station purchases will be applied. Juggernaut Royale mode will also become available. In this mode, there will be airdropped care packages that will allow players to become the Juggernaut with a mini-gun and high armor. Once a Juggernaut is defeated, a new care package will drop, giving someone else a chance to become the fearsome soldier. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=call-of-duty-modern-warfare-and-warzone-season-4-screenshots&captions=true"] A Spotter Scope will also be put around Verdansk. While sniper scopes can be spotted by other players by the glint of sunshine when they are used, this new scope has none of that. If found, players can can the environment and find enemies without as much fear as using a regular scope. Speaking of Snipers, the Rytec AMR will also make its way to Modern Warfare's multiplayer modes and is a ".50 caliber-chambered beast." It is "one of the deadliest semi-automatic anti-material rifles an Operator can get their hands on." On the multiplayer front, the Cheshire Park map will become available and allow players to travel to urban London, England to visit a "picturesque garden and conservatory." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-warzone-season-four-battle-pass-trailer"] Lastly, Team Defender returns to multiplayer after being introduced almost 10 years ago and brings back the variant of Capture the Flag where there is only one flag between both teams. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Crash Bandicoot 4: New Gameplay Shows New Tricks, Returning Moves
After years and years of entries that tried but often didn’t quite capture the magic of the original trilogy, we’re actually getting a proper Crash Bandicoot 4. Crash 4: It’s About Time comes from developers Toys for Bob, who have a long history with platformers, most recently tackling the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. With our first look at Crash Bandicoot 4 gameplay and details, we saw some of the various time-hopping locales Crash and Coco will venture off to. Thanks to a bit of new, exclusive footage, which you can watch in the video breakdown above, we can also see how a level will flow, and many of the new moves, ideas, and returning gameplay tricks Crash 4 will bring later this year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=crash-bandicoot-4-its-about-time-first-screenshots&captions=true"] This pirate-themed level takes Crash from the seaside shore through a seeming pirate cove to a cavernous end-of-level treasure area. And, thankfully, a lot of the staples of the Crash experience appear intact, which Toys for Bob has said is a key component of why they called this Crash 4. Wumpa, Aku Aku, Nitro, and TNT crates all return as collectibles and hazards around the world. There’s also a few new crates thrown into the mix, including one that spits fire in several directions, as well as a golden Wumpa fruit crate at the end of the level. Speaking of the end of the level, in true Crash original trilogy form, we’ve got a crate counter tallying your success in aiming to 100% the level by smashing every crate in sight. It’s a familiar touchstone, but an important one. And another seemingly returning aspect is time trials, as a stopwatch appears at the start of the level. Toys for Bob’s Lou Studdert in an interview with IGN told us the team is focused on really enriching Crash 4 with replayability in the same way that players could find reasons to keep going back to levels in the original Crash games. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/22/crash-bandicoot-4-first-gameplay-details"] Of course, this time, they’re working with modern console technology, and the impressive detail and design work proves it. There’s a great bit of character enemy behavior early on, as Crash spin-slaps a foe into one of these new enemies sporting whirlwinds around them, which causes that foe to arc on the wind and take out another enemy. Combo kills in Crash have always been a joy to discover, and this one hopefully hints at some intriguing combinations to come. The scope of the levels is also showcased in the middle, rope-sliding section, which offers a look at one of Crash’s main new techniques. But as he’s sliding and flipping around these ropes, you can see much more of the level unfurl below him. There’s a whole series of platforming challenges for Crash to face on the lower deck of this level, and it speaks to Toys for Bob’s efforts to offer expansive, larger levels than the original trilogy could. And last but not least, I just really wanted to point out this crate with a shark on it. Is there a shark in the crate, is it a crate that will eventually house a shark, or is it a crate filled with food, toys, or costumes for sharks? [caption id="attachment_2373606" align="alignnone" width="720"]
What's in the shark box!?[/caption] Crash 4 will take the series to new worlds on October 2, when It’s About Time comes to PS4 and Xbox One. For more on Crash 4, check out the initial reveal trailer, and learn about other major gameplay details set for the sequel. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, Host of Podcast Beyond!, and lifelong Crash Bandicoot player. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.
What's in the shark box!?[/caption] Crash 4 will take the series to new worlds on October 2, when It’s About Time comes to PS4 and Xbox One. For more on Crash 4, check out the initial reveal trailer, and learn about other major gameplay details set for the sequel. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, Host of Podcast Beyond!, and lifelong Crash Bandicoot player. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.
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