IGN Video Games

IGN Video Games

Check Out This Massive New Pathfinder Dragon Figure

Posted: 08 Jan 2021 08:30 AM PST

Even though 2020 saw a lot of tabletop RPG groups move online, the team over at WizKids has been busy. In addition to their annual block of D&D minis, an update to its modular terrain system, and releasing one of the coolest tabletop accessories we've ever seen, the team was also working on a new run of Pathfinder Battles minis. Set to launch early next month, the Darklands Rising series features a host of creatures and monsters often found in the sprawling subterranean caverns below its core setting, along with a few famous faces from the Pathfinder universe. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pathfinder-battles-darklands-rising-tabletop-minis&captions=true"] We've got an early look at the set, which you can check out in the gallery above. It contains roughly half of the 52 minis that can be collected, which are sold in "booster boxes" of four minis each. The Darklands Rising run features some of the most detailed 25mm-scale minis to date, and also reintroduces the "Huge" size category back into the Pathfinder Battles series. The final piece of the set is an impressive "premium" figure of the gold dragon Mengkare, also known in Pathfinder lore as The Great Wyrm. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pathfinder-battles-darklands-rising-mengkare-the-great-wyrm&captions=true"] This "gargantuan"-sized (based on the rules for Pathfinder creature sizes) figure stands more than 10 inches high, with a wingspan just as wide. Considering most player miniatures stand roughly 1.5" tall, The Great Wyrm would truly make an impressive centerpiece for any tabletop encounter. The Darklands Rising set releases on February 3, 2021; booster boxes (or bricks of eight boxes each) and Mengkare can be pre-ordered from WizKids, Amazon, or at your friendly neighborhood game store (safety permitting). [poilib element="accentDivider"] JR is a Senior Editor at IGN and a huge tabletop RPG nerd. Tell him about your TRPG campaign on Twitter.

Prolific Video Game and Anime Voice Actor Brad Venable Dies, Aged 43

Posted: 08 Jan 2021 06:49 AM PST

Brad Venable – who provided his voice acting talents to Devil May Cry 5, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, multiple anime series and more – has died aged 43. Multiple members of the voice acting community have today posted tributes to Venable, having been given permission to share the news by Venable's wife. No cause of death has been announced at time of publish. Among many other parts, Venable played V's familiar Griffon in Devil May Cry 5, as well as playing roles in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Wars, the recent Demon's Souls remake, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. He also played Daz in the English dub of Attack on Titan, and played roles in My Hero Academia, Hunter x Hunter, and Dragon Ball Super. IGN sends its condolences to Venable's family and friends. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News.

Hitman 3 - The Final Preview

Posted: 08 Jan 2021 06:00 AM PST

It's been quite a ride for Agent 47. Over the last 20 years, Hitman has gone from a stealth sandbox masterpiece to a misguided (but still very good) action-adventure to an episodic reboot. And now it's come full-circle, with Hitman 3 serving as a full-scope capper to the reboot trilogy that set the series back on its best course before developer IO Interactive moves on to its James Bond 007 project, which could signal the end for Agent 47 for the foreseeable future. If Hitman 3's first mission is anything to go by, our favorite bald and barcoded assassin is going out in style. Agent 47's passport has stamps from all around the world in it by now, and Hitman 3's first mission takes him to Dubai. Hitman, at its best, has always been about its player-driven creativity, and Dubai sets this game off on the right foot as far as that goes. You're tasked with taking out bad guys Carl Ingram and Marcus Stuyvesant as you stride towards the end of this trilogy's Providence story arc. I played the mission three different times, which Hitman 3 encourages by once again unlocking new starting locations and gear based on your choices and performance on each successive playthrough. For instance, the first time I went after Ingram, I disguised myself as a contact he was due to meet in his heavily fortified penthouse, went up with his assistant -- walking all the way up from the ground floor, right past all of those heavily armed guards in the process -- and listened to him salivate over the idea of 47 taking someone on his enemy list out. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hitman-3-mission-1-and-mission-2-screenshots&captions=true"] It's a tense spot. Here I was, face-to-face with my target. I could've easily stabbed him, snapped his neck, or shot him, but killing him in full view of several guards and his housekeeping staff would've set off a hornet's nest of trouble. And so I waited. But then our meeting ended and I was asked to leave! Should I cause chaos now or wait to see what happens? AAAH! I opted for the latter and ended up needing to come back later with a new plan: acquire an elite guard uniform to get access to the penthouse, and then in classic Hitman fashion, poison his whisky and wait. Eventually he came back around to that adult beverage while I watched from a few feet away and bolted for the bathroom, where I could follow him in before his guards got wise. I drowned him in the vomit-filled toilet water. Check one kill off the to-do list! [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=I%20drowned%20him%20in%20the%20vomit-filled%20toilet%20water."] Along the way, though, I spotted several other ways I could've taken him out. I could've poisoned his food, just gone in guns blazing and shot my way out of there (not that Hitman really encourages this…), or do what I actually did manage to do on my third playthrough: trap both Carl and Marcus in the same sealed room together after gathering enough intel to know where they were both going to be at the same time. Two birds, one stone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/07/hitman-3-sandbox-vr-trailer"] For one of my other assassinations of Marcus, a douchebag rich guy who is hated enough to keep security around him full-time, I overheard some guards talking about the new bodyguard due to report for duty with his papers soon. I sought out this new guy in the changing room downstairs, found him arguing with a housekeeper about his uniform not being cleaned, and I swiped his papers from his locker while he stood there in his skivvies. That let me walk right up to take his place, after which I had to prove my bodyguarding worth to Marcus by showing off my knife-throwing prowess on the roof. Once I did and my new boss was suitably impressed, he gave the other guard standing with us the rest of the night off, leaving us alone. From there I just couldn't help myself – I had to kick him off the roof of the skyscraper. No fuss, no muss. Mission accomplished. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=I%20just%20couldn%E2%80%99t%20help%20myself%20%E2%80%93%20I%20had%20to%20kick%20him%20off%20the%20roof%20of%20the%20skyscraper."] Even after three playthroughs of the Dubai mission, there are still many ways I didn't unlock. Hitman 3's sandbox is vast and filled with many toys. Sure, it still has some cheesy dialogue and voice acting, as well as some goofy animations, but overall I'm extremely impressed by what I've played so far. Hitman 3 will be out on January 20. Stay tuned for IGN's full review. [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.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Mid-Season Update Coming Next Week

Posted: 08 Jan 2021 04:16 AM PST

Treyarch has confirmed that a mid-season update for Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War will arrive on Thursday, January 14, adding new maps and modes to the game's Multiplayer and Zombies modes. The January 7 Patch Notes update on the Treyarch blog confirms a few details about the mid-season Cold War content drop. One of the major introductions is a new Fireteam map called Sanatorium. This map will complement a new Fireteam mode called Dropkick, a 6 v 6 battle where players must "fight for control of the nuclear codes". [caption id="attachment_245944" align="aligncenter" width="720"]sanatorium The new Sanatorium map coming to Cold War on January 14.[/caption] Elsewhere, Zombies players can enjoy tweaks to the Cranked mode, where "every zombie killed resets the timer counting down to your demise". In the PlayStation exclusive Onslaught mode, the Black Ops 2 map Raid has been added to the pool, as well as new Dark Aether intel for players to collect as they fight the horde. In other Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War news, check out our article covering how the game was made from home during a pandemic. If you're still trying to tackle the easter egg in Die Maschine, check out our handy guide for a walkthrough of all the steps. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

King of Fighters XV: First Gameplay, 6 Characters Revealed

Posted: 08 Jan 2021 03:48 AM PST

SNK Corporation has formally revealed The King of Fighters XV by debuting gameplay and showing off six characters. The game will launch later this year. The announcement was initially postponed on Wednesday and suffered a brief delay. Characters shown off in a new trailer (below) include K', Kyo Kusanagi, Leona, Benimaru, Shun'ei and Mai Shiranui. Not much in the way of detail is added, but we get a good look at the game's visual style, which looks to be a little more stylised than KOF 14. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/the-king-of-fighters-xv-official-gameplay-reveal"] Following the reveal trailer, KOF XV Creative Director Eisuke Ogura and Producer Yasuyuki Oda revealed a little more about how the game will play when it launches in 2021. "We're focusing on keeping the series' staple of being fast-paced while also adding elements to make it more exciting," Ogura notes. The developers are currently "brushing up features and optimizing the game," but plan to ship in 2021. Another trailer for The King of Fighters XV will land next week to supplement the reveal. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=king-of-fighters-xv-6-screenshots&captions=true"] Today's trailer also included news on King of Fighters 14 Ultimate Edition - out now digitally - a new release for King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match on PS4, and then revealed Cham Cham and The Last Blade 2's Hibiki Tanake as DLC characters for the Samurai Shodown Season 3 Pass. Samurai Shodown will also receive a game reblance in March. KOF XV was announced during EVO 2019, and we got our first glimpse of the game back in December 2020, which revealed that in addition to the characters mentioned above, Benimaru would be playable. It's not clear what platforms the game will be available on just yet. Here's our review of King of Fighters 14, which debuted in 2016. We scored it an 8, noting its "dated graphics and dodgy netcode". [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

There Is No Microsoft/Duracell Deal Meaning Xbox Has to Use AA Batteries in Controllers

Posted: 08 Jan 2021 03:22 AM PST

Amid new speculation caused by comments from a Duracell spokesperson, IGN understands that there is no deal forcing Xbox to use AA batteries in its controllers. Speaking to Stealth Optional, Duracell UK marketing manager Luke Anderson sparked speculation by saying, "There's always been this partnership with Duracell and Xbox… It's a constant agreement that Duracell and Microsoft have in place [...] [The deal is] for OEM to supply the battery product for the Xbox consoles and also the controllers' battery. So that [deal is] going to go on for a while… it's been going on for a while and I think it needs to go for a while [more]." Many took this to mean that the deal mentioned was the sole reason that Xbox uses AA batteries in its controllers, and some speculated that it could change that fact once the deal finishes. However, sources tell IGN that this is inaccurate. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-controller-review"] Duracell batteries are included with Xbox controllers, and Xbox has indeed been a part of Duracell OEM, a partnership program run by the battery manufacturer, but that appears to be a byproduct of Microsoft's decision to use AA batteries, rather than the cause of it. Contacted for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "We intentionally offer consumers choice in their battery solutions for our standard Xbox Wireless Controllers. This includes the use of AA batteries from any brand, the Xbox Rechargeable Battery, charging solutions from our partners, or a USB-C cable, which can power the controller when plugged in to the console or PC." That message echoes the words of, Xbox Series X designer Jason Ronald last year, when he explained why Xbox controllers still use AA batteries, saying that it was ultimately about flexibility for players. Neither Anderson nor Duracell OEM replied to a request for comment from IGN by time of publish. [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.

Nintendo eShop Down, Seemingly Due to Monster Hunter Rise Demo Demand [Updated]

Posted: 08 Jan 2021 02:34 AM PST

Update: Nintendo has confirmed the outage is now over, and IGN has been able to access the Nintendo eShop (and download the Monster Hunter demo). [poilib element="accentDivider"] The Nintendo eShop is currently down for unscheduled "emergency maintenance", which may be due to demand for the recently released Monster Hunter Rise demo. The eShop has been down for at least 4 hours at time of writing, with Nintendo's Japanese customer support Twitter account repeatedly apologising for the issues, but offering no timescale for a fix. While neither Nintendo or Capcom has specifically commented on the connection, the outage coincides with the release of the demo for Monster Hunter Rise, which includes two quests and two tutorials for the upcoming Switch exclusive. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/07/monster-hunter-rise-hunting-a-mizutsune-gameplay"] Yesterday's Monster Hunter live broadcast revealed a number of new monsters and details about the game, including the fact that a new ability will let you ride monsters (an ability you can test in the demo). The demo weighs in at 1.6GB, and quests can be played a maximum of 30 times before its February 1 closure date. If you can't download, we've got videos of the Great Izuchi quest, and the Mizutsune quest for you to check out. If you're interested in buying the game before it arrives on March 26, here's what comes in each edition of Monster Hunter Rise. [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.

Our 2021 Nintendo Prediction Spectacular! - NVC 542

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 03:00 PM PST

Welcome to Nintendo Voice Chat! This week, your permanent temporary host Seth Macy is joined by Brian Altano, Tom Marks, and Logan Plant to share their best predictions for what Nintendo will do this year. Hear predictions involving Breath of the Wild 2, the Virtual Boy, and… a potential heist at Super Nintendo World? Plus, hear all about today's Monster Hunter Rise presentation, as well as early impressions of the new demo. Finally, we wrap up with another round of Question Block. Timecodes:
  • 00:00:00 Welcome! Nintendo buys Next Level Games
  • 00:05:00 Monster Hunter Rise & other news
  • 00:27:30 2021 Nintendo Predictions!
  • 00:48:10 Question Block!

NVC is available on your preferred platform!

You can also Download NVC 542 Directly Here

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

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Logan Plant is the Production Assistant for NVC. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

PS5: How Sony Can Maintain Excitement in 2021

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 12:08 PM PST

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Max Scoville, and guest Ray Apollo to discuss some of the news we missed over break and the state of the PS5 going into the new year. The cast offers updated thoughts on the Cyberpunk 2077 delisting news, the PlayStation Plus games for January (and moray eels!), before jumping into how Sony can continue the momentum of the PS5 in 2021. From supply constraint issues, more transparency with fans, and more, the cast offers hopes, excitement, and concerns about PlayStation going into 2021. Watch the episode above! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday. For more on PS5, check out our PS5 console review and our PS5 wiki guide for tips on how to best use your system. And for more Beyond, be sure to watch the first episode of our Bloodborne let's play! [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=f72748d4-3754-4213-a27e-66173a199a56"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

This Premium D&D Set Might Include the Largest Battle Map Ever

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:30 AM PST
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