NEO: The World Ends With You is set to release July 27 for Nintendo Switch and PS4. It will also arrive on PC via the Epic Games Store at some point this summer. You can preorder the game now--and it's even on sale for $49.94 atGameStop.
A sequel to the Nintendo DS original from 2007, this new installment stars a new cast of high schoolers who run amok in Shibuya and are forced to compete in the "Reapers' Game." Sounds spooky. Read on for more preorder info.
Preorder NEO: The World Ends With You at the PlayStation Store, and you'll receive a free avatar set. You'll also get the Legendary Threads Set, which is described like this: "This gear set contains five equippable items once used by the legendary Neku. These items are normally unavailable until you proceed considerably far in the story, so they will give you a leg up in the early days of the Game, and provide you with powerful unlockable abilities that will serve you well until the very end!"
NEO: The World Ends With You is a full-on sequel to the 2007 original, a well-received JRPG that debuted on the Nintendo DS and has since been released on mobile and as an enhanced port for Nintendo Switch.
This new game follows Rindo, a high schooler who gets caught up in the mysterious "Reapers' Game," a life-and-death battle you're forced to play. Rindo is joined by new characters Fret and Nagi, as well as Minamimoto, who appeared in the original game. This group of heroes is known collectively as the Wicked Twisters. They'll have to face off against numerous rival teams in "a week-long battle for your lives!"
As you play, you collect "threads" which are not only fashionable, but also impart stat boosts to your characters. You also collect pins that let you unleash "psych" abilities in battle. You control multiple party members at once, but each one can only equip one pin. Your job is to press buttons to deploy psychs in order to defeat your enemies. Over 300 pins are available to find, so you can mix and match to create effective combos.
This installment represents the first time the series has come to PlayStation.
Loki Season 1 did what its predecessors WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier avoided, serving up the big reveal that comics fans had basically been expecting -- and that the show had been hinting at throughout its six episodes: Jonathan Majors made his MCU debut as classic Marvel time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror, or at least a Variant of the character known as He Who Remains.
The series also ended this first season by shattering the "Sacred Timeline," which sets up the upcoming events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and probably a bunch of other Marvel projects as well.
[caption]Kang from the comics, and a very Kang-ish version of He Who Remains from Loki.[/caption]
If you're not familiar with Kang or why he has the potential to be the next Thanos-level threat to the MCU, we're here to shed light on this powerful villain and also explain the finale of Loki. These are the topics we'll be covering here:
Loki Season Finale Explained
Who Is He Who Remains/Kang the Conqueror?
Kang's Origin
Kang's Powers and Abilities
Kang's Many Identities
Kang and the Young Avengers
Kang the Conqueror Actor Jonathan Majors and Marvel Universe Connections
In the Season 1 finale of Loki, Loki and Sylvie finally make it to the end of time (should that be capitalized?) to confront the mysterious figure behind the TVA. No, not the Time Keepers, who we learned a couple of episodes back were fakes, but the actual figure who has been overseeing the pruning of the Sacred Timeline: He Who Remains.
Majors plays the character as a fun figure, one who perhaps has gone a little bonkers living forever at the end of all time, knowing everything that is going to happen.
Well, to a point. As the episode proceeds, He Who Remains explains his backstory, but also that they are now reaching a moment in the timeline where he will no longer know how things are going to play out -- a juncture that will finally free him of the self-imposed prison he has been living in as master of the timeline. And it's up to Sylvie and Loki to decide what comes next.
But first, about that backstory: He Who Remains explains that it all began with a Variant of himself, a scientist from the 31st century, who discovered that other timelines/realities exist. At first things were friendly as other versions, or Variants of this scientist, began to meet up across different timelines. But then some Variants turned to conquering, and the Multiverse War we learned about in Episode 1 began. In the end, He Who Remains... well, remained. As the winner of the war, he created the TVA to keep other timelines from coming into existence in order to avoid another multiversal conflict.
[caption]The last words of He Who Remains: "I'll see you soon."[/caption]
And so now He Who Remains wants out, and Loki and Sylvie have a choice: Become the new masters of the Sacred Timeline, or kill He Who Remains, which will bring about the multiverse once again and, inevitably, the return of an untold number of He Who Remains/Kangs who will wind up re-starting the war. Loki wants to take over, if only to avoid the inevitable conflict that will result from killing He Who Remains. But Sylvie wants to kill He Who Remains, choosing the chaos of a multiverse -- and free will -- over all else. After fighting Loki, she kisses him -- and then pushes him back through time to the TVA before stabbing He Who Remains, who doesn't even fight back. We last see Sylvie at the end of time, contemplating her decision as the timeline splinters into an infinite amount of variations -- a multiverse.
The finale ends with Loki landing back at the TVA, but he soon realizes that it's a TVA from a different timeline, because Mobius and Hunter B-15 have no idea who he is. And then he sees it -- a statue of He Who Remains, who now looks a lot like Kang from the comics. Is Kang the Conqueror now the master of time (and the TVA)? We'll surely find out in Season 2, which was revealed in post-credits tease that simply shows TVA paperwork being stamped with the words "Loki will return for Season 2."
Who Is He Who Remains/Kang the Conqueror?
It's not easy recapping the convoluted history of Kang the Conqueror. He's a villain who's gone by many names and many different motivations in his countless clashes with the Avengers and Fantastic Four. But through it all the basics have stayed the same. Kang is a man who sees himself as the rightful master of the world. Using the power of time travel and the most sophisticated weaponry his future world has to offer, Kang has repeatedly sought to rewrite history to his own whims and ensure his own rise to power.
Kang's love of time travel is exactly what makes him such a dangerous and seemingly never-ending thorn in humanity's side. No matter how often he's defeated, banished or even destroyed utterly, some version of him is always out there, waiting and plotting. In the Loki Season 1 finale, He Who Remains is clearly a Kang Variant, but apparently a more benevolent one than the Kang (or Kangs) we'll likely get moving forward in the MCU.
While the first appearance of Kang the Conqueror is featured in 1964's The Avengers #8, the character technically debuted a year earlier in Fantastic Four #19. We'll try to summarize Kang's confusing origin story as simply as possible.
Kang's real name is Nathaniel Richards. Originally a historical scholar from the 31st century (and possibly a distant descendant of either Reed Richards or Victor von Doom), Nathaniel discovers Doctor Doom's ancient time travel tech and uses it to travel back to the era of ancient Egypt. Crowning himself "Rama-Tut," he lords over his new subjects and uses his futuristic tech to make himself seem like a god. That is, until the Fantastic Four show up to end his reign.
After escaping to the 20th century, Rama-Tut meets Doctor Doom and uses Doom's distinctive armor as inspiration for his next supervillain identity, the Scarlet Centurion. However, he's again defeated by Earth's heroes and attempts to return to his own timeline.
This is where Kang the Conqueror is born. Richards accidentally travels forward too far in time, arriving in an era when human civilization has collapsed. As the only person left who understands the advanced but forgotten technology of the 40th century, the newly minted Kang is able to quickly conquer his new timeline and even extend his new empire beyond Earth's borders. Not content to be ruler of a futuristic empire, Kang begins a recurring game of toying with time and attempting to rewrite history to suit his own whims.
Kang's Powers and Abilities
As an ordinary human from the 31st century, Kang has no innate superhuman powers. However, he's a gifted physicist and historian, using his knowledge of science and history to manipulate the timeline and accumulate power. His distinctive green and purple suit of armor (inspired by Doom's own armor) both enhances Kang's strength and allows him to survive in whatever inhospitable environments he may find. Kang has a time-ship that allows him to freely travel through the time-stream, and he's also assembled a vast army comprised of the best warriors from throughout history.
Kang also sometimes wields a ray gun that can sap a person's strength and willpower, along with various doomsday weapons only a 40th century tyrant could dream of.
Kang also seems to be functionally immortal. Because he's so fond of abusing the timeline for his own selfish ends, there are countless variations of Nathaniel Richards in existence. No matter how many times Kang is defeated, there's always another incarnation of the Conqueror ready to continue his crusade.
Kang is every bit as convoluted a character as one would expect from a man whose favorite hobby is manipulating time. But part of what makes Kang such a confusing character is that he's had so many different names and identities over the years. It doesn't help that these various characters weren't all originally conceived as being the same person, so a lot of these connections have been forged after the fact. If you're familiar with the comic book storytelling term "retcon," Kang is basically its living embodiment.
As we've already covered, Nathaniel Richards uses names like Rama-Tut and the Scarlet Centurion early on in his career as a time-travelling tyrant. But taking up the mantle of Kang isn't his last identity shake-up.
At some point in his long life, Kang gives up his name and his empire to instead forge an alliance with an advanced alien race known as the Time-Keepers. In exchange for true immortality, Kang agrees to preserve the timeline and ensure the Time-Keepers' rise to power. At that point he becomes Immortus. Ironically, his younger selves are responsible for much of the damage Immortus is tasked with undoing.
Kang has held other cover identities while masquerading as a 21st century human, including a small-town mayor named Victor Timely and a business tycoon named Mr. Gryphon.
If all this isn't complicated enough, thanks to time travel these various incarnations of Kang basically coexist alongside each other and sometimes collude or wage war against one another. There's even an entire team of Kangs known as the Council of Cross-Time Kangs. Picture the Citadel of Ricks in Rick and Morty, but with less alcohol and self-loathing.
[caption] The many versions of Kang the Conqueror.[/caption]
Kang and the Young Avengers
There's another notable incarnation of Kang who may well factor into the MCU at some point. The 2005 series Young Avengers introduces a team of teen heroes modeled after classic Avengers but with very different backgrounds and origin stories. The team's founder, Iron Lad, isn't a descendant of Tony Stark, but is actually a teen version of Nathaniel Richards from a splinter timeline. Kang attempted to travel back in time and rescue his younger self from a group of bullies who had left him hospitalized for months. Kang saves himself and gives the young Nathaniel an advanced suit of armor in the hope of hurrying along his transformation from ordinary man to Kang. But instead, young Nathaniel is horrified by his older self and travels back in time to form a new team of Avengers.
Ultimately, this version of Kang is killed and Iron Lad is forced to wipe his own memories and return to the future, restoring the proper timeline. But he leaves behind a copy of his consciousness inside his armor, which fuses with the broken remnants of Vision to form a new version of that iconic Avenger.
Kang the Conqueror Actor Jonathan Majors and Marvel Universe Connections
We know Jonathan Majors will be back as Kang in Ant-Man 3, but Kang's love of time travel and perpetual habit of returning to threaten the Avengers all over again make him perfectly suited to become a recurring antagonist across the MCU. It doesn't hurt that he has deep connections to so many different Marvel characters and teams. Will he also play some kind of a role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness or the reportedly multiverse-focused Spider-Man: No Way Home? Nothing is confirmed yet, but it would seem likely.
As mentioned before, Kang may well be a descendant of Mister Fantastic or Doctor Doom. Both characters have certainly played a key role in his development as a villain. He also has connections to major characters on the cosmic side of the MCU. In the comics, Kang once competed with the Grandmaster for a chance at godlike power, and he attempted to claim the so-called "Celestial Madonna" (better known as Mantis) as his bride.
Decades after it was originally published, Marvel added more layers to the events of Fantastic Four #19 by revealing Nathaniel's true motivations for travelling back in time and becoming Rama-Tut. He was actually seeking out a young En Sabah Nur, the mutant destined to become Apocalypse, to crown him as his heir. He never succeeded, though Apocalypse turned out to be a chip off the old block in terms of harnessing futuristic technology and seeking to dominate the world.
With Kang now firmly linked to the Fantastic Four, Avengers and X-Men, Marvel forged yet another connection in the 2015 series Uncanny Inhumans. There, Black Bolt gives his son Ahura to be fostered by Kang, seeing the time travelling tyrant as the only safe haven in a world growing steadily more hostile toward the Inhumans.
TV: Given his status as one of the greatest Avengers and Fantastic Four villains, it should come as no surprise Kang has enjoyed a healthy career outside of Marvel's comics. His first animated TV appearance came way back in 1967's Fantastic Four animated series, with the episode "Rama-Tut" adapting the events of Fantastic Four #19. Whether as Kang or Rama-Tut, the villain has appeared in numerous other Marvel cartoons like X-Men Evolution and Avengers: United They Stand. He even had a brief cameo as Immortus in an episode of X-Men: The Animated Series. But Kang's most significant animated appearances have come more recently. He played a recurring role in both Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (voiced by Jonathan Adams) and Avengers Assemble (voiced by Steve Blum). He made his live-action debut in Loki.
Games: Kang has appeared in F2P games like Marvel: Avengers Alliance and Marvel: Contest of Champions, but his most notable video game appearance so far has been in 2017's LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2. Kang (voiced by MCU veteran Peter Serafinowicz) serves as the main villain of the game and is also available as a playable character.
Marvel Studios' Black Widow movie is finally here. And with it comes the Taskmaster, a classic Marvel villain who is finally joining the MCU to face off against Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanov in the film.
But just who is Taskmaster, and what makes him capable of going toe-to-toe with one of the greatest super-spies in the Marvel Universe? Read on to learn more about this dangerous yet tragic mercenary villain.
Who Is Taskmaster?
Taskmaster is widely feared as one of the most dangerous mercenaries in the Marvel Universe. That's because his photographic reflexes allow him to mimic the fighting style of anyone he studies. Taskmaster briefly turned to a life of crime, but he quickly realized that his skills are better used training other villains how to fight. Taskmaster will lend his knowledge and experience to any organization that can meet his price, be it Hydra, SHIELD, AIM or the Thunderbolts. Deep down he's not such a bad guy, but Taskmaster will never let his morals get in the way of a paycheck.
For a quick breakdown of all characters in the Black Widow movie, watch the video below!
Taskmaster was injected with an offshoot of the super-soldier serum that unlocked the full potential of his mind's memory processes. Because of this, he has photographic reflexes. He can recreate the movements and fighting styles of anyone he observes, and he can also predict their movements in battle with near-perfect accuracy. That effectively makes him as talented a martial artist as heroes like Shang-Chi and Daredevil and as expert a marksman as Hawkeye and Bullseye. Taskmaster carries a wide arsenal of weapons that further help him replicate the moves of other heroes and villains. He wields a shield similar to Captain America's, a sword similar to that of Swordsman and Black Knight and various other projectile weapons.
In addition to making him one of the deadliest fighters in the Marvel Universe, this unique talent has made Taskmaster a very in-demand martial arts instructor. He often makes his living training soldiers in the arts of self-defense and battlefield combat.
Taskmaster's abilities do come with certain drawbacks. For one thing, he can be caught off-guard when battling unfamiliar opponents or someone like Deadpool, whose fighting style is chaotic and unpredictable. And his photographic reflexes come at a heavy cost. The more he relies on his abilities, the more Taskmaster's brain literally overwrites old memories. Because of this, he remembers very little about his past and family.
Taskmaster: Origin and Background
Taskmaster first debuted in cameo form in 1980's The Avengers #195, before making his first full appearance in the following issue. These early stories established a basic origin story and modus operandi for the villain. They also showed him capable of battling powerful Avengers like Captain America and Iron Man to a standstill, though ultimately his unfamiliarity with the relatively recent recruit Jocasta proved to be his undoing.
Taskmaster was once rumored to appear in Marvel's Most Wanted, a planned Marvel's Agents of SHIELD spinoff, but that project was eventually canceled. Instead, he now makes his debut in the MCU in the Black Widow movie, where he'll be ripping off Captain America's most iconic move. As for who is playing him, or what his (or her?) true identity is in the film, only time will tell. Some fans have speculated that it's actually going to be a female behind the mask -- possibly one of Nat's allies, like Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostokoff or Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova. Or perhaps it will just be a faceless henchman in the role... but, nah, who are we kidding? Taskmaster's identity must be an important part of the film!
From the iterations on the Wii to the various versions of the DS, Nintendo is no stranger to redesigning both its home and handheld consoles. In the wake of the announcement of the Switch (OLED model), which will feature a larger 7-inch OLED screen (but the size of the console is unchanged from the base Switch model), a wider, adjustable base stand, enhanced audio, 64GB of internal storage, and a wired LAN port in the dock, it's a good time to revisit just how radical - or not! - some of Nintendo's design jumps have been over the years.
Here's the history of Nintendo's console and handheld redesigns, from NES to Nintendo Switch.
What would you want a subsequent Switch redesign to look like? Which of these older models are your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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Logan Plant is a writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.
Now that Netflix’s The Witcher has arrived, this wild world of wonder and weirdness is being introduced to a whole new audience. However, executive producer and showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich’s adaptation of this beloved fantasy world isn’t tied to the massively successful Witcher game franchise developed by CD Projekt Red and which established its significance in the zeitgeist. Instead, the Netflix show is based on the books by author Andrzej Sapkowski. And maybe, just maybe, fans of the show are interested in giving the books a try as well now. Well, let us help you with that!
Sapkowski has published eight Witcher books since he started writing the series back in the mid-’80s when the illustrious Polish author first submitted Wiedzmín — “The Witcher” — to fantasy magazine Fantastyka.
The Witcher Books In Order
The books covered in this Witcher Books Order article are (a.k.a. the TL;DR version):
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=netflixs-the-witcher-cast-vs-video-game-characters&captions=true"]However, Geralt of Rivia didn’t make an appearance in the world of the Witcher until the publication of Sapkowski’s 1990 short story collection, also called Wiedzmín. This text is out of print now, so it’s not one of the eight books you’ll need to read to bring you up to speed on the literary counterpart of the games so many fans have grown to love. In fact, every story in this collection bar one — “The Road to No Return,” about Geralt’s mother — was included in 1993’s The Last Wish collection.
The Last Wish is your starting point in The Witcher, which is important to note because it was published a year after 1992’s Sword of Destiny. The Last Wish takes almost every single story from Wiedzmín and adds more, all of which feature events that occur before the previously published Sword of Destiny. It’s basically a prequel collection written to prep you for Sword of Destiny.
Once you’ve read The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, you’re ready to move on to the saga. This is comprised of five novels, all of which tell the stories of Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, Triss, Dandelion, and others. They also introduce a range of characters that don’t appear in CD Projekt Red’s adaptations, most of whom are great.
If you’re solely interested in covering what’s likely to be featured early on in the TV series, the Last Wish and Sword of Destiny short story collections should be fine. However, if you want to know the ins and outs of the world and ensure that you’re a true Witcher connoisseur, you’ll want to dive deeper into the saga, which is set roughly 10 years before the games and focuses largely on the relationship between Geralt and Ciri. This is where the bulk of Geralt’s stories unfold, and makes up the main constituent of The Witcher universe at large — at least in terms of Sapkowski’s conception of it. Here are the five novels in order:
The first book in the saga, Blood of Elves, takes place after the short story collections The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. It introduces Nilfgaardian Emperor Emhyr var Emreis’ pursuit of Ciri, Geralt’s adopted daughter, in order to marry her and attain power over Cintra, the land that is hers by birthright. In an effort to thwart Emhyr’s plans, the Northern monarchs meet and decide to assassinate Ciri, but Geralt of Rivia watches over her in Kaer Morhen, the remote keep inhabited by Wolf School witchers. Meanwhile, a mysterious sorcerer is also trying to locate Ciri.
The Time of Contempt picks up where the previous novel finishes. The Northern Kings are still conspiring with one another in an effort to lure Nilfgaard into war, while Ciri is due to be enrolled at Aretuza in order to study magic. Ciri comes into contact with some of the most powerful sorceresses on The Continent. As war becomes inevitable, she finds herself on the run with a bandit group known simply as The Rats.
Geralt spends time in Brokilon forest recovering from events in the previous book, which is where he and Dandelion encounter an elven archer named Milva, who decides to join their group. People who have played the games will be glad to know that the dwarf Zoltan Chivay temporarily joins Geralt’s ragtag group too, as well as the vampire Regis. A Nilfgaardian knight named Cahir also tags along because he feels indebted to Ciri. Geralt officially receives his “of Rivia” title after an epic battle while Ciri begins to feel at home with The Rats.
Ciri is gravely injured after an encounter with Nilfgaardian bounty hunter Leo Bonhart, who was hired by the coroner Stefan Skellen to kill her. A kind old man nurses her back to health while Geralt’s party continues their search for Ciri and Geralt renounces his status as a witcher. The Lodge of Sorceresses attempt to gain control of a country called Kovir while Triss Merigold seeks information on Yennefer of Vengerberg. (Known as The Tower of Swallows in the U.S.)
Ciri encounters Arthurian knight Sir Galahad who believes she is the eponymous lady of the lake. The story cuts to a dream in which Geralt overhears Skellen and sets out to rescue Yennefer from a faraway castle. Ciri, meanwhile, tells Galahad about her time in the elven world of Aen Elle, home of the Wild Hunt. She begins to jump between worlds in order to escape them, but Eredin Breacc Glas persistently chases her, as she heads towards a final meeting with her surrogate parents Geralt and Yennefer.
Now we’re up to seven out of eight books. The last text is also a novel, but it’s a bit difficult to place and depends on personal preference...
If you’re somebody who likes to know everything that happens as it happens, then you might want to read Season of Storms immediately after The Last Wish. Originally published in 2013 — 14 years after Sapkowski wrapped the saga — Season of Storms contains stories that take place between the stories in The Last Wish, which aren’t necessarily in strict proximity to one another. However, it’s also written after the saga was completed by Sapkowski and contains slight hints about what’s to come, if not outright spoilers. If you’re dying to read the series in strictly chronological terms, it could be worth reading it right after The Last Wish. If you’re the type of person who worries about spoilers though, save it for the end and enjoy it as a retrospective piece.
Those are the eight books in The Witcher series — in English, at least. There are two anthologies consisting of Witcher stories penned by guest authors in Sapkowski’s world that were published in 2013 and 2017, but they’re in Polish. If you can read them, go ahead, but they aren’t considered canon and likely won’t have anything to do with Netflix’s show or the games.
Interestingly, “The Road to No Return” short (about Geralt’s mother), which is the only Wiedzmín story missing from the Last Wish short story collection, appears in the 2000 collection Something Ends, Something Begins, which is a name some gamers might recognize from the similarly titled quest at the end of The Witcher 3. A story called “Something Ends, Something Begins” also appears in this collection too, which was written as a wedding gift for two of Sapkowski’s friends and describes Geralt and Yennefer’s wedding.[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://ift.tt/3hiB5p1]
However, this collection is also in Polish. You can check out a fan translation of the “Something Ends, Something Begins” story that’s apparently pretty accurate here, but “The Road to No Return” is a little harder to find. Also, it’s important to recognize that “Something Ends, Something Begins,” like the anthologies by the guest authors, isn’t considered canon, so it’s not indicative of any plot direction in the series at large. The rest of the stories in Something Ends, Something Begins have nothing to do with The Witcher series.
With all of that said, you should also check out The Witcher games if you haven’t yet. The series may not have anything to do with them, but some of the characters you meet also exist in the books, so the games could indirectly serve as a primer for encountering or hearing about some of those in the show. They’re also fantastic, with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, holding up remarkably well — even by 2019’s standards. Henry Cavill, who portrays Geralt in Netflix's series, told IGN even he has played through The Witcher 3 multiple times.
If you’re excited about The Witcher, the above is the best possible order to read the books in, with an optional placement of Season of Storms depending on personal preference. After that, dive into the games and acquaint yourself with the wider world of The Witcher too![ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://ift.tt/2UcXIDk]
Halo Infinite remains to be on the top of gamers' minds despite all the reworks and delays the game has gone through. While Xbox and developer 343 Industries have released trailers and gameplay footage of Master Chief's next adventure, there's still quite a bit of mystery around Halo Infinite. For one thing, the final look of the game is still up in the air and we still know little to nothing about the story. We're sure to hear more soon though as the game is the centerpiece of the upcoming Microsoft and Bethesda Showcase at E3 2021.
Halo Infinite was originally scheduled to release during holiday 2020 onto the Xbox Series X, PC, and Xbox One with Smart Delivery support. At one point, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said first-party games like Halo Infinite will available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
To date, we've only seen exactly nine minutes of gameplay that was released during the 2020 Xbox Games Showcase Livestream. From that footage, it was clear Halo Infinite was designed with more open-world gameplay in mind to give players more freedom.
Rather than linear levels, the Master Chief will be able to explore around an entire halo ring where players might come across a skull in the environment or happen across a Covenant outpost.
Playing as the Master Chief will also feel different this time since he now has upgrades and a tech tree. Overtime players will unlock new equipment such as a drop shield and a grappling hook. Halo games in the past have had upgrades like rocket packs and armor locks, but instead of limited pick ups it appears these upgrades will stay throughout your playthrough.
Halo's graphics have been a hot debate for years. After strong community feedback over Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians, and Halo Wars 2, 343 Industries went back to more legacy aesthetics pulled from the original trilogy.
Unfortunately, even with the new/old art style the community wasn't satisfied with the visual fidelity Halo Infinite presented. The gameplay demo was filled with object pop-in, plastic-like textures, and flat lighting. To that end, 343 Industries has promised to raise the overall level of fidelity and presentation of the final game.
We're hoping to get our first glimpse of Halo Infinite's reworked graphics at E3 2021 soon.
Halo Infinite and its story were first teased with a trailer at E3 2018, a cinematic trailer called Discover Hope at E3 2019 with a secret audio message from Cortana, and lastly a teaser video with a message from The Banished.
In July 2020, IGN got a chance to sit down with 343 Industries developers Chris Lee and Paul Crocker to reveal more about the game’s story and villain. First off Halo Infinite takes place well after the ending of Halo 5. The rampant Cortana is nowhere to be found and the effects of her AI uprising are still a mystery.
But what is clear is Halo Infinite’s main enemies are The Banished in Infinite – a rogue faction of Brutes from Halo Wars 2. The main villain is the banished’s leader War Chief Escharum who has taken control of the halo ring as his last stand against the Master Chief.
There could also be another mystery character that’ll play into the story that’s called “The Harbinger,” which may or may not be Cortana.
A job listing for an Online Experience Design Director at 343 Industries revealed Halo Infinite will have microtransactions. The job description includes the design and implementation of "progression in- and out-of-game; microtransactions and integration of our business plan throughout the game; and, finally, social and engagement features that encourage players to return again and again with their friends." It's worth noting microtransactions have existed in previous Halo entries.
Responding to a Halo YouTube creator's concern over microtransactions in Halo Infinite, Studio Head Chris Lee said, "We’re still working through final plans and will share more when we are ready, but I can definitely say that Halo Infinite will not include real-money loot boxes."
343's Jeff Easterling and James Bachici stated long ago in June 2019 that Halo Infinite won't have a battle royale mode and noted that "the only BR we're really interested in is Battle Rifle." No one at the company has stated a change in opinion since then.
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Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor at IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.
Game delays have become even more prevalent in 2021 — and it's not just because of COVID. With the pandemic (and other factors) still affecting how studios operate for the foreseeable future, that trend will likely continue throughout the year.
To track the pandemic’s continued impact on game development, we’ve compiled a list of every game and notable DLC delay announced this year (so far). This article will be updated as more release dates and windows are inevitably pushed, but for now, here are all 28 delays announced in 2021.
Developer People Can Fly announced the delay in early January, saying, “We have decided to move the release date of Outriders to April 1st 2021 (no joke!). We will spend this extra time fine tuning the game and focusing on delivering a fantastic play experience at launch.”
This is Outriders’ second delay; it was previously pushed from Holiday 2020 to February 2021.
Pragmata
Delayed from 2022 to 2023
Pragmata’s delay was quietly revealed at the end of a sizzle reel shown during Sony’s 2021 CES panel. Capcom’s mysterious new game was initially given a 2022 release window.
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey
Delayed from Early 2021 to Late Spring (PC) and Fall 2021 (Console)
Frontier Developments delayed its upcoming Elite Dangerous expansion due to the “ongoing impact of the pandemic.” The studio said the effects of the pandemic, “including the [U.K.’s] renewed lockdowns in 2021, continues to put added pressure on our teams and ultimately our development timeline.”
On January 13 Portkey Games announced it was delaying its open-world Harry Potter action-RPG by a year. “Creating the best possible experience for all of the Wizarding World and gaming fans is paramount to us so we are giving the game the time it needs,” read a statement from the developer.
Cyberpunk 2077 Free DLC
Delayed from Early 2021 to later in 2021
CD Projekt Red initially planned to begin releasing free Cyberpunk 2077 DLC in early 2021. However, that DLC may no longer hit its target window, as the developer has prioritized “working on the most important fixes and updates,” specifically for the poorly optimized PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk.
Riders Republic
Delayed from February 25 to later in 2021
On January 14 Ubisoft announced it was delaying Riders Republic from its former February release date to sometime “later” in 2021. “This additional time will allow our passionate team to deliver the best fun fueled experience to our players,” said the company.
Originally set to be released later this year, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will now arrive at some point in 2022. Publisher Nacon announced the new date for the stealth-focused Middle-earth adventure in late January, though it didn’t provide a reason for the delay.
Returnal
Delayed from March 19 to April 30, 2021
Returnal was pushed from mid-March to late April “to give the team extra time to continue to polish the game to the level of quality players expect from Housemarque.” The roguelike third-person shooter will be released exclusively on PS5.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake
Delayed from March 18 to 2022
The first game delay announced in February, and the ninth overall for the year, was Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. According to Ubisoft, the extra development time will allow the team "to deliver a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original." A new release window wasn't announced until June, when Ubisoft confirmed the remake is targeting 2022.
This is the remake's second delay; it was previously pushed from January to March.
New World
Delayed from Spring to August 31, 2021
In mid-February, Amazon announced it was delaying its upcoming MMO, New World, from spring to August 31. The development team will use the additional months to continue its work on "compelling end-game features," in addition to "polishing and fine tuning the whole game."
This is New World's second delay; it was previously pushed from August 25, 2020, to Spring 2021.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
Delayed from 2021 to an unannounced later date
Paradox Interactive delayed Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 out of its 2021 release window without announcing a new target date. Alongside the delay, the publisher announced Hardsuit Labs will no longer be leading development on the project. "A change" was needed, according to Paradox, "and, as a result, more development time is required."
Originally slated for Q1 2020, Bloodlines 2's troubled development has included multiple delays and departures of key talent, including the game's former creative director and senior narrative designer.
Gran Turismo 7
Delayed from 2021 to 2022
GT7 was delayed from 2021 to 2022 due to "Covid-related production challenges," according to Sony. "With the ongoing pandemic, it’s a dynamic and changing situation and some critical aspects of game production have been slowed over the past several months," the company added.
Delayed from EA's fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023*
EA delayed the next, currently untitled Need for Speed from FY2022 to FY2023 as developer Criterion Games temporarily moves off the upcoming racer to assist DICE on the next Battlefield — a decision made to combat the effects of pandemic-related working conditions and ensure EA's flagship shooter hits its target Holiday 2021 release window.
*EA's fiscal year runs from April through the following March, meaning the next Need for Speed is now expected between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.
Guilty Gear Strive
Delayed from April 9 to June 11, 2021
Guilty Gear Strive was delayed by two months after developer Arc System Works received "valuable feedback" from the recent open beta. The additional time will be used "to polish some aspects of the game, such as the online lobbies and the server's stability," according to the developer.
The fighting game was previously delayed out of 2020 due to COVID-19-related development challenges.
Borderlands 3 Director's Cut Add-on
Delayed from March 18 to April 8, 2021
The Borderlands 3 Director's Cut add-on was delayed by three weeks due to the "severe weather that impacted Texas last month," according to developer Gearbox. The Director's Cut content includes a new raid boss, story missions, and challenges.
Gotham Knights
Delayed from 2021 to 2022
WB Games delayed Gotham Knights into 2022 to give the development team "more time to deliver the best possible experience for players." Announced in 2020 at DC Fandome, the co-op Batman game was initially given a 2021 release window.
Humankind
Delayed from April 22 to August 17, 2021
SEGA and developer Amplitude have announced the delay of 4X strategy game Humankind to a little later in 2021 in order to give the developers time to finetune the pacing, balance, diplomacy, AI, and accessibility of the experience.
Back 4 Blood
Delayed from June 21 to October 12, 2021
The Left 4 Dead spiritual successor Back 4 Blood has been pushed into October to allow the devs at Turtle Rock Studios time to deliver "the best game it can possibly be at launch." There will be an open beta this summer, though.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Delayed from Spring 2021 to an unannounced later date
The upcoming LEGO Star Wars game will no longer hit its targeted Spring 2021 release window, as TT Games needs more time to complete what it's calling "the biggest and best-ever LEGO game." A new release window wasn't announced; TT Games will "provide updated launch timing as soon as possible."
Bethesda's stylish, time-looping assassination game was recently delayed by four months. "We're committed to quality and preserving our team's ambitions for Deathloop while ensuring the health and safety of everyone at Arkane," read a statement from developer Arkane Studios. "We'll be using this extra time to accomplish our goal: create a fun, stylish, and mind-bending player experience."
This is Deathloop's second delay; it was previously pushed from its initial Holiday 2020 release window.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids
Delayed from April 29 to May 13, 2021
Wrath of the Druids, the first major expansion for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, was delayed by two weeks. The additional time will allow the development team to "deliver a more refined experience," according to Ubisoft.
Resident Evil Re:Verse
Delayed from May 7 to Summer 2021
Resident Evil Re:Verse, the multiplayer game initially set to be released alongside Resident Evil Village on May 7, has been delayed to Summer 2021, Capcom announced in late April. Capcom didn't reveal a reason for the delay, though it's worth noting the game's beta was previously suspended due to matchmaking issues.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach
Delayed from Early 2021 to Late 2021
The next Five Nights at Freddy's was delayed from early 2021 to late 2021. The delay is due to developer Scott Cawthon's decision to "put more time and money into [Security Breach] to make sure it's finished properly." As a consolation, Cawthon released a free FNaF beat 'em up called Security Breach: Fury's Rage on Game Jolt.
This is the second delay for Security Breach; it was previously pushed from late 2020 to early 2021.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (Switch and Xbox versions)
Delayed from Summer 2021 to an unannounced later date
In April developer Mediatonic delayed the Switch and Xbox versions of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout out of their original Summer 2021 release window. The developer said the delay will allow for the implementation of additional features at launch, including crossplay. A new release window was not announced.
Fall Guys was first released on PS4 and PC in August 2020.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 (PS5 version)
Delayed from June 4 to an unannounced later date
The PS5 version of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 was delayed indefinitely after CI Games discovered "unforeseen technical issues" while developing for the console. Alongside the delay announcement, CI Games shared that it will now be releasing the first major DLC for free on all platforms.
The sequel will come to all other platforms — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, and PC — as scheduled on June 4.
Delayed from Ubisoft's fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023*
Ubisoft's long-in-development pirate ship sim Skull & Bones was delayed once again in May, with its release date being pushed back to 2022-2023. "Production led by [Ubisoft] Singapore has been advancing well over the past 12 months and the promise is better than ever," said Ubisoft CFO Frederick Duguet (via VGC). "The additional time will allow the team to fully deliver on its vision."
This is the latest in a series of delays for Skull & Bones, which was initially announced at E3 2017 with a 2018 release window.
*Ubisoft's fiscal year runs from April through the following March, meaning Skull & Bones is now expected between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.
Axiom Verge 2
Delayed from Early 2021 to Q3 2021
Axiom Verge 2 was recently delayed from its initial early 2021 release window to Q3. Developer Thomas Happ didn't give a specific reason for the delay, though he noted the game "will be better for the additional time." Alongside the announcement, Happ released a free making-of documentary about Axiom Verge.
God of War 2
Delayed from 2021 to 2022
Sony's highly anticipated God of War sequel was delayed from its initial 2021 release window to 2022. According to Herman Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, the decision was made "to ensure that Santa Monica Studio can deliver the amazing God of War game that we all want to play."
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Which of these are you most disappointed by? Which games of 2021 are you hoping don't get delayed next? Let us know in the comments.
