IGN Video Games

IGN Video Games

Shadow Warrior 3: Meet Lo Wang and the Cast

Posted: 13 May 2021 09:00 AM PDT

Shadow Warrior 3 is a fast-action first-person shooter that's bound to catch the attention of anyone who enjoyed Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. Like Doom, the rebooted Shadow Warrior has breathed new life into the series gameplay-wise, with 2013's Shadow Warrior getting a great review on IGN and 2016's Shadow Warrior 2 earning an equally great score. The new games have also seen the once-thin backstory and universe get fleshed out. To wit: the cast of Shadow Warrior 3. Meet them in the slideshow gallery below, complete with their backstories. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=shadow-warrior-3-meet-the-cast&captions=true"] For more of our exclusive IGN First coverage of Shadow Warrior 3, don't miss each of our three exclusive gameplay videos we've posted thus far. We'll have more as the month rolls on! [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.

Monster Hunter World Passes 17 Million Sales

Posted: 13 May 2021 08:56 AM PDT

Monster Hunter World continues its reign as Capcom's biggest ever game, having passed 17 million sales worldwide. As part of its highlights from the latest financial year, Capcom has revealed that Monster Hunter has passed 17 million sales across all formats, while sequel Monster Hunter Rise approaches 5 million itself, on Nintendo Switch alone. Since launching in January 2018, Monster Hunter World has continued to be a success for Capcom, no doubt in part to regular sales on both digital and physical storefronts, and the release of large expansion Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Iceborne brought a new area for players to explore, alongside more massive monsters for them to hunt. And the strategy seems to have worked, with the game reaching 17.1 million units sold by the end of the latest fiscal year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/25/monster-hunter-world-review"] Monster Hunter World was a breath of fresh air for the franchise. It was the first title to bring Monster Hunter into the mainstream in the West, was available on multiple consoles, and rejuvenated the franchise with a (slightly) more accessible control scheme for newcomers, alongside quality of life improvements that made it more appealing to those unfamiliar with the franchise. It was also noted in the report that Monster Hunter Rise has sold over 4.8 million units since launching in March, suggesting that the franchise continues to do well, even when launching exclusively on one platform like the Nintendo Switch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/05/monster-hunter-world-official-accolades-trailer"] It's incredible to see the Monster Hunter franchise thriving, especially considering that it was a relatively niche franchise in the West until World launched. However, it is unlikely that the Monster Hunter movie had anything to do with these sales successes, with it being critically panned – IGN scored it a 3/10 in our review. Capcom seems to be on a roll at the moment, with the company posting its fourth successive record-breaking year, and Resident Evil Village shipping over 3 million units globally. There's also more Monster Hunter goodness to come, with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin launching in July. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Liam Wiseman is a Freelance News Writer at IGN. You can follow him @liamthewiseman

Walmart and Target Suspend Sales of Pokemon Cards for Safety Reasons

Posted: 13 May 2021 07:52 AM PDT

US retailers Walmart and Target have suspended in-store sales of Pokemon cards and other trading cards, due to safety concerns caused by a huge upsurge in demand. As reported by Bleeding Cool, a sign spotted by a customer in New York notes that Target will no longer sell MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon Trading Cards as of May 14th "to ensure the safety of our guests and team members." It's clear that renewed interest in the scene is having a negative effect on in-store conduct, amid an uptick in scalping. That demand has led not just to bad behaviour, but real crime. Vice reports that a fight related to trading cards in a Wisconsin Target parking lot recently led to a gun being drawn, but thankfully not used. Last month in Brunswick, Maine, News Center reports that $20,000 of sports trading cards were stolen. Those increasingly serious events have clearly led to the suspension of sales. Bleeding Cool received a statement from Target saying: "The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we've decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14. Guests can continue to shop these cards online at Target.com." Similar notices have reportedly been issued in Walmart, with a sign shared in a Facebook Magic the Gathering group noting that "the trading card categories have been removed from the sales floor and sales of these items have been suspended due to inappropriate customer behaviour and increased demand." The note suggests that stores have been asked to no longer stock trading cards like Pokemon ahead of "further direction from management." [ignvideo url="[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/25/top-10-scariest-pokemon"]"] Trading cards have seen a massive boom over the past year. There's been a surge of renewed interest as rare pack openings and trading card content has flooded onto YouTube and Twitch. In January of this year, a Pokemon TCG Booster Box sold at auction for $408,000, and McDonald's also had to "strongly encourage" its stores not to sell multiple packs of Pokemon 25th Anniversary cards to customers in February to prevent scalping. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Black and Red PS5 DualSense Controller Editions Revealed

Posted: 13 May 2021 06:06 AM PDT

Sony has revealed new Midnight Black and Cosmic Red editions of the PS5 DualSense Controller, and they'll be released in June. Announced on the PlayStation blog, the new controllers continue the two-tone approach of the original white DualSense, with Cosmic red adopting a red and black look, and Midnight Black offering a subtler black and grey approach. Both controllers will go on sale next month, but release dates will vary by region. In the US, you can pre-order with PS Direct in time for a June 11 release, with Midnight Black coming in at the standard $69.99/ £59.99, but Cosmic Red costing a little more at $74.99/ £64.99. It's not clear what causes that difference in price. In the UK, they will arrive on June 18, and can be preordered at GAME. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/13/playstation-5-dualsense-cosmic-red-and-midnight-black-reveal-trailer"] While Sony has yet to announce a new-look PlayStation 5 console, designer Leo Cardoso says the new controllers have been designed to complement the existing white-and-black machine. "We designed the colors around the theme of 'galaxy' as it felt like a natural progression from the original PS5 and accessories designs," he explained. Fellow designer Satoshi Aoyagi adds that both new controller editions,"feature a subtle blue hue, that produces unique shades of red and black. A blue hue is also present in the original DualSense wireless controller colors, so all three colors complement each other nicely." Despite the colour differences (including different button symbol colouring), both new controllers are functionally identical to the existing white DualSense. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-dualsense-midnight-black-and-cosmic-red-editions&captions=true"] We awarded the PS5 DualSense controller a 9/10 review saying that, "Except for battery life, which remains a weak point, the DualSense controller is everything you want to see in a next-gen upgrade." Its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are major point of that success, particulalry in games like Astro's Playroom and Returnal – and you're now able to use the controller with iOS devices for remote play. [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 Physically Can't Make Enough Switch Consoles Right Now

Posted: 13 May 2021 05:07 AM PDT

Nintendo is currently unable to make enough Switch consoles to meet demand, and is becoming 'more uncertain' about its production plans for the coming year amid a global semiconductor shortage. In a Q&A with investors, company president Shuntaro Furukawa explained, "Demand for hardware continues to exceed our expectations even after the beginning of this calendar year, and production has currently not caught up to this high demand due to the tight supply and demand situation for semiconductor materials worldwide." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/how-nintendo-is-winning-next-gen-with-a-last-gen-console"] Semiconductors are used in almost all computing devices, and have seen shortages since last year. Among other things, they're used in the chips that power all of the major consoles. Furukawa was asked about the company's goal to ship 25.5 million Switches in the new financial year amid that situation, and it sounds like a somewhat hopeful number. "Although we are currently striving to produce as many units as possible, the fact is that our production plans are more uncertain than they were at the beginning of previous fiscal years. Our full-year sales plan is based on the premise that we can secure the materials necessary for production, but if we are able to produce more units, we will work hard to meet the strong demand, and to be able to ship and sell those units." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/will-switch-pros-new-chip-keep-up-with-ps5-xbox-series-x-next-gen-console-watch"] Nintendo is far from the only console maker running into semiconductor-related production issues. Microsoft has previously said it expects Xbox Series X/S production to be hit this year, and Sony has even said shortages of PS5 could continue until 2022. President Joe Biden has even signed an executive order pledging to review the supply chains involved in the problem. Those shortages have combined with Nintendo's most profitable year ever, having sold 28.8 million consoles in that time (alongside 230.9 million games). The coming year could, according to reports, see the release of a new 4K model of Switch – which would of course be similarly affected by chip shortages. Nintendo's reportedly expecting another record year, but it remains to be seen if that will be possible. [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.

Sega Considering Reboots for Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, and More

Posted: 13 May 2021 03:49 AM PDT

A financial results presentation has revealed that Sega is considering reboots of Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio and other dormant IP, while it begins work on a 'super game'. A results presentation to mark the end of the fiscal year was published to the SegaSammy investor relations website today. The slideshow includes a number of interesting details about the company's future plans. One slide concerns the "utilization of IP [intellectual property] assets," noting which IPs are active and dormant, and how Sega plans to remaster, remake or reboot its older series to capitalize on the "globally recognized" IPs it has in its vault. A number of old, fan favourite franchises are mentioned in the past IP groups section, including Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, NiGHTS, Space Channel 5, Panzer Dragoon and Rez. At the very least, this suggests that the company is interested in bringing some of these games back to market while strengthening its active IPs such as Yakuza, Persona and Sonic. [caption id="attachment_2513120" align="alignnone" width="1266"]Sega's slide on its remasters, remakes, and reboots. (Source: SegaSammy) Sega's slide on its remasters, remakes, and reboots. (Source: SegaSammy)[/caption] The presentation also mentions Sega's five-year plan to release what it calls a "Super Game". While unclear exactly what that term implies, Sega says it's making "focused investment" in the project, and aims to have it released by its 2026 financial year. As well as turning its existing, active IPs into global brands, the company wants to create new IP "which can be expanded globally" – but which it doesn't expect to be immediately highly profitable. No details were given on which of Sega's studios would make the game, nor what kind of a game it would be. [caption id="attachment_2513122" align="alignnone" width="1266"]Sega's slide on creating a 'Super Game'. (Source: SegaSammy) Sega's slide on creating a 'Super Game'. (Source: SegaSammy)[/caption] As Sega works towards its Super Game, it also mentions the development of a "new FPS title at European studio," which could well be the "ambitious multiplayer" sci-fi shooter Creative Assembly is working on. Sega expanded Creative Assembly back in 2017, acquiring Crytek Black Sea and adding it to its ranks as Creative Assembly Sofia. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

'Nothing Stopping' Insomniac Making Sunset Overdrive 2 for PlayStation

Posted: 13 May 2021 03:23 AM PDT

Insomniac creative director Marcus Smith says there's "nothing really stopping" the studio from making a sequel to the Xbox-exclusive Sunset Overdrive for PlayStation – and that he'd love to return to the series. Speaking to GQ, Smith was asked if it was possible to make a new Sunset Overdrive now that the studio was owned by Sony. "I mean, never say never is my approach," he replied. "Obviously, we're part of Sony now, but we own the IP and so there's nothing really stopping us other than we have a lot of really exciting things in our future." That idea is backed up by the fact that Sony itself recently registered a trademark for Sunset Overdrive. While by no means a confirmation that the company will make a sequel, it does mean that it could. Smith – who directed Sunset Overdrive, and is directing Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – also made clear that he'd like to try his hand at a sequel: "I think there are a lot of stories that can be told in that universe and I would love to return to it. I had a lot of fun making that game." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/12/sunset-overdrive-was-originally-a-lot-like-fortnite-ign-unfiltered"] It's perhaps no surprise that some of the Insomniac team wants to return to Sunset Overdrive, as it's still an influence on the studio's newer games. "What we found with developing Sunset Overdrive, and one of the things I think worked really well in Spider-Man, is giving the player a bigger move set to tackle their challenges than is strictly necessary," Rift Apart director Mike Daly said to IGN. "Since you have so many more permutations of ways to handle threats or navigate spaces than you did before, it feels a lot more personal and customizable, like you had really solved that problem, which makes all the gameplay that much more satisfying." Sunset Overdrive was an anarchic, comedic open-world game released in 2014. Despite a positive reception – including a 9/10 review from IGN – a sequel never materialised, a decision that Insomniac put firmly at Microsoft's door. Members of the studio haven't been shy about wanting to return to the idea in the years since. Insomniac's recent success with other games could be the only thing in the way of a Sunset Overdrive 2. Its Spider-Man series has been a huge success, with a sequel very much set up, and Ratchet and Clank continues to charm. But maybe, just maybe, it could squeeze in a trip back to Sunset City one day soon. [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.

Resident Evil Village: How to Uncover House Beneviento's Treasure

Posted: 13 May 2021 12:30 AM PDT

inXile Entertainment Hints at 'FPS RPG' for Xbox

Posted: 12 May 2021 03:52 PM PDT

It appears that inXile Entertainment is indeed working on an FPS RPG. The studio behind Wasteland 3 and Torment: Tides of Numenera dropped a hint to that effect in a response to an Xbox tweet asking, "What kind of game should I play next?" It then flashed a large number of genres, including "All of Them" and "Goose." "Pulled NEW + FPS + RPG," inXile Entertainment wrote in response, seemingly confirming reports from earlier this year it was making an FPS RPG. Assuming this is the case, it means that inXile Entertainment will be following in the footsteps of Obsidian, which put out The Outer Worlds in 2019 and is currently working on Avowed. inXile Entertainment's most recent stab at making a first-person RPG was in 2018, when it put out The Bard's Tale 4. IGN reviewer Leana Hafer called The Bard's Tale IV a "rousing adventure" in her review, but also said that it "shows its retro roots in some not so positive ways. " [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/26/the-bards-tale-4-barrows-deep-review"] The Bard's Tale's 4 release came two short months before the studio's acquisition by Microsoft alongside Obsidian. It is one of several first-party studios developing RPGs for Microsoft, the most prominent of them being Bethesda. inXile Entertainment previously revealed that its next game will be a next-gen RPG developed using Unreal Engine 5. If it turns out to be a AAA RPG, it will be a major test for inXile Entertainment, which is mostly known for smaller-scale releases. For now, inXile Entertainment remains focused on Wasteland 3. Its first expansion, the Rangers of Steeltown, launches June 3. Wasteland 3 is currently available on Xbox One and PC, and can be played through Xbox Game Pass.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends Review

Posted: 12 May 2021 03:36 PM PDT

As game premises go, it's really hard to beat Hood: Outlaws & Legends. A Robin Hood fantasy heist game where you and a crew of outlaws steal from the heavily guarded fortresses of the rich and give it to the poor? Sign me and all my friends the heck up! But where this breathtaking world of assassins and knights delivers some awesome moments, sadly, it seems designed to reward bullheaded brute-force attacks over cunning stealth and doesn't have nearly enough content to sustain the interest of the greedy swindlers it aims to please.

The main idea is that you and three fellow burglars work to steal loot from the grossly incompetent powers-that-be in a three-stage process: first you steal a key to a vault, then break into said vault, and finally make off with the goods. Given that the AI-controlled defenders are a bunch of dunces, it should be easy… except that a rival gang of four occupies the same map and will do everything in their power to throw wrenches in your plans so that they can nab the loot first. So Hood is all about stealth and cooperation... and when that inevitably fails, frantically murdering NPCs and rival players alike until one team makes off with the treasure. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/hood-outlaws-and-legends-the-final-preview"]

Each of the four characters on a team has a distinct role and set of abilities that can prove invaluable under the right circumstances (though you can use any team composition you like). Robin the Ranger, for example, is an archer class who can silently kill enemies from afar and open up new paths on the map via rope arrows that others can climb. On the opposite end of the spectrum is John the Brawler, a melee tank who can use his beefy lumberjack arms to open gates for his allies and is able to carry the treasure chest faster than any other class.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Balance%20feels%20a%20little%20iffy%20depending%20on%20what%20phase%20of%20a%20match%20you%E2%80%99re%20in."]Each character also has their own consumables, like blinding flashbangs or deadly gas grenades, as well as special abilities that can be used once every few minutes. Stealth-focused Marianne the Hunter has the ability to go invisible for a few seconds, while support-focused Tooke the Mystic can heal his allies and mark nearby enemies. Each class feels distinct and unique, although the balance feels a little iffy depending on what phase of a match you're in. Marianne, for example, while undoubtedly the best stealth class, isn't very competitive, especially in the dominant final act of each heist where open combat becomes unavoidable. And therein lies one of the main issues with Hood: stealth isn't rewarding enough and embracing open battle isn't punished enough. Inevitably, this means that as soon as the enemy teams meet one another, subterfuge gives way to an all-out street brawl. No matter how long you hold out, though, almost every match I've played has ended in a drawn-out extraction sequence where opposing teams fight for control of a winch they must crank to make off with the loot. This phase can drag on for more than 10 minutes of stalemated combat where the teams are recklessly killing each other while slow and stupid NPCs meander around, slashing at anyone who gets close. Compare that to stealing the key and breaking into the vault, which can take only a few minutes and can be feasibly accomplished while in stealth – it's a bit lopsided. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=649f9aeb-836f-494f-ad2b-2d0944b3ca4a"] Don't get me wrong: wild, reckless combat can be a lot of fun, but it also shatters part of the Robin Hood fantasy by trivializing stealth. In one instance, my friends and I decided to throw caution to the wind and run with a full group of John the Brawler heavy tanks. We didn't even aspire to stealth and openly attacked every enemy in sight, and yet we were able to steal the key, break into the vault, and make off with the treasure before the opposing team even knew what hit them. When it came to the combat-heavy escape phase, our John Squad™ (John Connery, Kim John-Un, John Claude Van Damme, and John of the Dead) easily overwhelmed our naively balanced opponents for the fatal sin of playing as intended. That just felt wrong! [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=If%20the%20other%20team%20decides%20to%20go%20full%20Leeroy%20Jenkins%20they%E2%80%99ll%20almost%20always%20drag%20your%20team%20into%20battle."]Even worse than stealth not being rewarding if you choose not to do it, is that you often don't have a choice in the matter. If the team you're playing against decides to go full Leeroy Jenkins they'll almost always drag your team into battle as well: the area goes into lockdown and closes all gates in the area, and guards multiply and begin running all over the map attacking anything they happen to run into. In fact, my team even deployed the incredibly trollish strategy of intentionally getting caught and leading our pursuers right to the enemy team, entangling them in a prolonged battle that was likely to keep them busy for some time. Choosing to forsake stealth is one thing, but when the enemy team makes that decision for you (either by accident or intentionally) it feels really, really awful. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hood-outlaws-legends-review-screenshots&captions=true"] Another frustrating aspect of the way Hood rewards its players (or rather, how it doesn't), is that the winning team is declared when one side successfully extracts the chest, which oftentimes feels arbitrary. For example, one team can steal the key, crack open the vault, bring the chest to the extraction point and winch is 90% of the way up, only for the opposing team to kill them and finish the final 10% and be declared the winner. It's actually a completely valid strategy to let the opposing team do all the work and simply snake out the treasure from under their noses – and the potential for that kind of upset certainly adds to the tension – but not when combat is balanced the way it is right now. This is especially painful when your team goes out of their way to be ultimate students of the shadow and executes the heist with skill and precision, only to lose to a bunch of big dumb Johns. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=It's%20especially%20painful%20to%20execute%20a%20heist%20with%20skill%20and%20precision%2C%20only%20to%20lose%20to%20a%20bunch%20of%20big%20dumb%20Johns."]Beyond the obvious sandbox imbalances, entering open combat also highlights the fact that most of the time enemy NPCs are wholly unintimidating. Run-of-the-mill guards are easily dispatched and merely serve to slow you down a bit, and the more threatening enemies like Sheriffs and Wardens that kill in one hit and cannot be killed themselves are so slow and dumb that you can quite literally dance circles around them. Perhaps if enemies were more deadly, became more formidable once alarms were set off, or if player respawns were longer (or even finite) then stealth and caution would be virtues worth pursuing. Instead Hood rewards recklessness and punishes those who try to play correctly, and it's extremely disappointing for those of us who appreciate stealth and the fantasy of a well-executed heist. What makes the combat-dominant meta all the more frustrating is that stealth in Hood is actually really well done and very satisfying. Sneaking around and working together to take out a trio of guards all at the same time makes me feel like a complete badass, and stealing the key right out from under the guards' noses with a well-placed smoke bomb is enormously fulfilling. The assassination animations and accompanying sound effects are a stealth-lover's ASMR, which made me want to avoid the more rewarding direct assault style that Hood encourages even to my own detriment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/hood-outlaws-and-legends-john-the-brawler-exclusive-trailer"] Of course, my team and I had a good amount of fun in the process of discovering these balance issues, so they're not something that would turn me away from a game on their own. Each of the five maps are unique and beautifully designed, from a vast and, murky swamp to a bleak, claustrophobic graveyard. Learning the areas and tracking down the randomly generated key and vault locations at the beginning of each match is a thrill, especially as your eyes dart back and forth in search of the rival gang you know can't be far off. Marking enemies, coordinating a plan of attack over game chat, and working together as a unit is an absolute blast. And when all Hell breaks loose when your team is caught by guards or ambushed by rival players, the slow methodical pace gives way to utter carnage as you scramble to smash a hammer over someone's head before they can put an arrow through you. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Marking%20enemies%2C%20coordinating%20a%20plan%20of%20attack%20over%20game%20chat%2C%20and%20working%20together%20as%20a%20unit%20is%20an%20absolute%20blast."]The biggest issue with Hood, though, is that after a couple hours you'll have familiarized yourself with the small pool of maps and playable characters. Once you've done that, there just isn't much else to do aside from repeating the same heists over and over again. There's no campaign or story mode whatsoever – in fact, the only taste of story you get comes in the form of collectibles you're awarded by winning matches and silently killing NPCs that let you read about the world's backstory. The only thing you can do besides the standard 4v4 Heist mode is play Training mode, which simply removes the team of enemy players so your team can hone your skills. Training is not only even more repetitive given the lack of PvP variable, but also unrewarding as you're not given much XP or gold for playing it. A year-one content roadmap has already been revealed, which includes a new game mode and a new character, but without an infusion of new maps I'm not convinced that will solve the problem. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/hood-outlaws-legends-launch-trailer"]

One thing I really appreciate is that Hood turns game chat on by default, even for those who are already in party chat, meaning matchmade teams can hear and communicate with their randomly assigned teammates very easily. This wild west kind of game chat hasn't been seen much since the early days of Halo and is something that's always bothered me about multiplayer games that seemingly expect you to come with your own crew or suffer defeat at the hands of those with more friends than you. Even better, you can hear the enemy team talk when in proximity to them or before the match begins, which can lead to some entertaining interactions and trash talk. Of course, if you're shy or bothered by overly chatty people you can turn this off, but I'd encourage you to be social!

When you're not staging heists or fighting off guards, you'll spend time in the hideout, a social space where you can unlock cosmetic items like weapon skins and new costumes, read lore entries, and unlock and change perks on your characters that alter the way they play. Perks are unlocked by leveling up each character and are minor adjustments like changing Tooke the Mystic's gas grenade into a healing grenade or giving Robin the Ranger more deadly arrows. They aren't massive gamechangers for the most part, but add a little variety to a sandbox that badly needs it. Upgrading the hideout, on the other hand, is done by collecting gold and merely gives you access to new costume and weapon skins. Bizarrely, the hideout does not evolve over time when upgraded like you might think, which is pretty disappointing.

Destiny 2 Cross-Play Accidentally Enabled Months Ahead of Schedule

Posted: 12 May 2021 03:20 PM PDT

Destiny 2 fans have been eagerly awaiting for cross-play support, and it's arrived months ahead of schedule... sort of.

Video Games Chronicle reports the arrival of cross-play support is actually a technical fluke. Bungie's lead community manager Cozmo tweeted Wednesday telling players to partake until they disable the feature later this week.

"We are seeing reports that some players are able to get a sneak peek at Cross-play," Cozmo said. "This isn't meant to be live yet and is not representative of the full experience. We will be implementing a fix to remove public access later this week, but in the meantime feel free to partake."

Destiny 2's Season of the Splicer kicked off this week as well, and data miners quickly discovered evidence of a potential cross-play beta in Destiny 2's future, pointing at a new emblem awarded for competing cross-play Vanguard strikes, reports Eurogamer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/12/destiny-2-season-of-the-splicer-season-pass-trailer"]

Destiny 2 assistant game director Joe Blackburn said back in February that Bungie is aiming to roll out cross-play sometime this fall.

You can check out the Destiny 2 Season of the Splicer battle pass trailer to see all the new weapons and cosmetics available now. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/08/destiny-2-season-of-the-splicer-reactions-fireteam-chat-ep-298"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/hunter for IGN.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Is Up for Preorder on Switch

Posted: 12 May 2021 01:23 PM PDT

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is set to release on July 27 for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC via Steam. The game bundles together two previously Japan-exclusive 3DS games: The Great Ace Attorney from 2015 and its 2017 sequel. Preorders are now live (see it at Amazon), though it's worth noting that the game will be digital-only for PS4 and PC.

Preorder The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

great-ace-attorney-chroniclesSwitch

PS4 (digital only)

PC (digital only)

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Preorder Bonus

It's more of an "early order bonus" than a preorder bonus. But! If you buy The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles before the end of August, you'll get access to additional art and music "from the vaults." These include the following:
  • 25 additional pieces of art for the Gallery
  • 29 additional pieces of music for the Auditorium

What is The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles?

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/21/the-great-ace-attorney-chronicles-western-announcement-trailer"] As mentioned above, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a collection of two previously Japan-exclusive Nintendo 3DS games. The first is 2015's The Great Ace Attorney Adventures. The second is 2017's The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. Together, they contain 10 cases to solve, plus eight "slice-of-life episodes" called escapades. The Great Ace Attorney games follow the adventures of Ryunosuke Naruhodo, an ancestor to Phoenix Wright, and take place in Victorian London and Meiji-era Japan. The gameplay is similar to previous games in the series, with investigations and trials, but players also have to convince individual members of the jury as they make their case in court. Capcom says there's an overarching mystery that's spread across the two games, which ought to make them fun to play in succession. The collection also includes a Gallery feature, where you can find artwork for the games and an Auditorium where you can listen to the game's soundtrack. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-great-ace-attorney-chronicles-screenshots&captions=true"] If you get stuck, you can turn on Story mode, which makes the game progress automatically, letting you off the hook about solving the puzzles and performing well in court. Dual audio tracks are also included, so you can choose between the English and Japanese audio. Finally, the game will also be available in a digital Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection, which includes both The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, as well as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy.

Other Preorder Guides

[poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=other-preorder-guides&type=list"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. 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"]

Ubisoft Says It Will Focus Less on AAA Games: What Does That Mean?

Posted: 12 May 2021 01:06 PM PDT

Ubisoft just had its full year earnings call for the last fiscal year. Part of the goal of these calls is to tell the people who have invested large amounts of money in the company what said company plans to do in the coming year to make them even more money. In Ubisoft's case, that means explaining what kinds of big, money-making games they might want to release in the future.

But this year, news of Ubisoft's vague plans appears to have attracted a surprising amount of attention, making a few investors on the call a bit nervous and fans even more concerned:

"In line with the evolution of our high-quality line-up that is increasingly diverse, we are moving on from our prior comment regarding releasing three to four premium AAAs per year," said Frederick Duguet, Ubisoft's CFO, on the earnings call yesterday. "...Additionally, we are building our high-end free-to-play games to be trending toward AAA ambitions over the long-term."

This comment has many people upset, worried that Ubisoft is abandoning its tradition of massive console and PC releases like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs in favor of the free-to-play, mobile model that makes piles of money but leaves a sour taste in the mouths of the more mainstream gaming populace.

But the actual meaning behind Duguet's statements yesterday is more complex, mostly less scary, and frankly a little bit boring. It's less a sea change in Ubisoft's portfolio strategy, and more the continuation of what Ubisoft's already been doing for years — a strategy that most major gaming companies are embracing too, whether we like it or not.

What did Ubisoft actually say, and what's a AAA?

Let's start by taking a look at what Duguet actually said on the call, in full. Here's that first quote again, but with more context surrounding it.

"In line with the evolution of our high-quality line-up that is increasingly diverse, we are moving on from our prior comment regarding releasing three to four premium AAAs per year," he said. "It is no longer a proper indication of our value creation dynamics. For example, our expectation for Just Dance and Rider's Republic are consistent with some of the industry's AAA's performance."

"Additionally, we are building our high-end free-to-play games to be trending toward AAA ambitions over the long-term. This is purely a financial communication evolution and does not change the fact we continue to expect a high cadence of content delivery, including powerful premium and free-to-play new releases, as well as continued expansion of our post-launch plans with an increased focus on delivering our biggest franchises."

The "three to four" premium AAA games per year guidance is something Ubisoft has stood on for the last few years to keep investors optimistic, but it's actually fuzzier than it sounds because of how Ubisoft seems to define these games. Trying to parse out what's considered AAA in Ubisoft's portfolio is a bit silly, given that Ubisoft is a AAA games studio and by that definition alone everything they release is AAA —  and they certainly come out with more than three to four games a year!

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/12/far-cry-6-reveal-trailer"]

The definition of "AAA" can be a messy one in any context, but Ubisoft makes it even more confusing. So first, for Ubisoft, what isn't a AAA game? Per its own earnings statements, Ubisoft never considers its mobile games to be in this category. Nor its free-to-play games like Hyper Scape, nor upcoming Roller Champions. Just Dance, an annual franchise so successful it merited regular Wii releases up until the most recent entry, is not AAA either. VR games like Star Trek: Bridge Crew? Not AAA. And then there are games that don't fit any of these models but still never get counted as AAA in Ubisoft's forecasts, like Starlink: Battle for Atlus and Trials Rising. Why aren't they classified as such? It's unclear. But they aren't, per Ubisoft.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20definition%20of%20%22AAA%22%20can%20be%20a%20messy%20one%20in%20any%20context%2C%20but%20Ubisoft%20makes%20it%20even%20more%20confusing."]

So what does that leave? Assassin's Creed (main series games of course, not spin-offs or mobile games). Most Tom Clancy games, like Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division. Watch Dogs and Far Cry of course. Skull & Bones seems to have been in the AAA projections for years now even as it's been delayed into oblivion, as has Beyond Good & Evil 2. And Ubisoft appears to have counted Immortals Fenyx Rising as well.

This is all based on Ubisoft's own projections. Last year, the company announced it would release five "AAA" titles in fiscal 2020: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion, Immortal Fenyx Rising, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and one more then-unannounced franchise: Far Cry 6, which then got delayed out of the year.

So what Ubisoft is saying here, effectively, is that previously it had been trying to release between three and four games on the massive scope of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six, and so forth a year. Now, per Duguet, it's not that they're never going to release that many in a year, or that it's giving up on these giant, blockbuster franchises. It's just that this specific number is no longer a target for them because Ubisoft has better ways of making money now.

Ubisoft's Less-Loved Progeny

This is where the free-to-play and mobile games come in, and if you've been watching Ubisoft's release slate at all over the last few years this should not be shocking whatsoever. In 2020 alone Ubisoft released five new mobile games, and was churning them out pretty consistently for years prior.

Most of these mobile games are free-to-play, but Ubisoft is also looking at that business model on console and PC as well following the success of giants like Fortnite. It already tested the waters rather disastrously with Hyper Scape last year, and The Division: Heartland seems to be gearing up for a hopefully more successful attempt.

And, to be clear, even if Ubisoft doesn't classify any of these as "AAA," these are all absolutely AAA games. If Fortnite is a AAA game, which it is, then so is Hyper Scape and Heartland and whatever other free-to-play things Ubisoft is cooking. So more than anything, this is all some weird hair-splitting boiling down to whether or not an Ubisoft game has an open world and giant towers you can climb to unveil the map or something.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/24/hyper-scape-review"]

But more to the point, so much of Ubisoft's plan here follows an ongoing trend we've seen industry-wide of companies releasing "fewer, bigger, and better" games. Game development is getting increasingly more challenging and expensive and massive games like Assassin's Creed take more money, more time, and more people to make. It's becoming less and less feasible for everyone — not just Ubisoft — to churn out several of them a year. How many other AAA studios manage to release that many a year, outside of annualized sports franchises with minimal changes per iteration?

Ubisoft has known for a while that its "back catalog"— effectively all the games that have been out for a while but are still making money one way or another — is a massive, critical source of revenue for the company. If Ubisoft has a strong portfolio of games that continue to generate revenue over the long-term, like for example a free-to-play title, it can keep making investors happy in between those massive new releases.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Game%20development%20is%20getting%20increasingly%20more%20challenging%20and%20expensive%20and%20massive%20games%20like%20Assassin's%20Creed%20take%20more%20money%2C%20more%20time%2C%20and%20more%20people%20to%20make."]

Ubisoft has been doing this for years already in not so many words, relying on games like Rainbow Six as a cash cow for years, or by adding repeatable content to Assassin's Creed Odyssey to keep players coming back. It can focus on making the next Assassin's Creed mainline game as good as possible, rather than setting the expectation that it will release one every single year and end up launching buggy messes unintentionally.

Aside from the free-to-play and mobile games, Duguet's quote also called out its expectations for games like Rider's Republic and Just Dance, saying they are "consistent with some of the industry's AAA's performance." It's once again drawing a bit of a weird line between AAA and...some other categorization, but ultimately it's a good reminder that this isn't Ubisoft going nuclear and releasing a Far Cry plus 20 mobile games a year from now on. We're still going to see these games that aren't explicitly members of Ubisoft's characteristic open-world-objective-marker formula but are still sufficiently large and exciting for many.

Fewer Games and Fewer Delays

Critically, this new plan of Ubisoft's isn't really new at all. Ubisoft leadership said the same thing last quarter. They said almost the exact same thing back in 2018, when Yves Guillemot said Ubisoft would be releasing fewer AAA games per year, down to three to four from the previous target of a whopping five to six. And even before that, in 2017, Ubisoft said it was done releasing an Assassin's Creed game every single year.

At the time, that move was made in response to the first (of many) delays to Skull & Bones, which was to be followed up with more delays on top of more delays of other games. Ubisoft has been roasted by its investors on more than one earnings call now for failing to hit its release targets, and it's worth pointing out that thanks to such regular delays, Ubisoft has only barely hit its own targets for the last few years.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Ubisoft%20has%20been%20roasted%20by%20its%20investors%20on%20more%20than%20one%20earnings%20call%20now%20for%20failing%20to%20hit%20its%20release%20targets."]

In fiscal 2016, Ubisoft's AAA releases included Watch Dogs 2, For Honor, and Ghost Recon Wildlands. The next year, Ubisoft had Far Cry 5, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Mario + Rabbids (which presumably counts as AAA). Keep in mind, these were the years in which Ubisoft was still supposedly releasing five to six AAA games a year. Even counting generously, during these years it was at best hitting four a year.

In 2018, Ubisoft managed to hit its "three to four" target with The Division 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and The Crew 2. But in fiscal 2019, Ubisoft released exactly one whole AAA title: Ghost Recon Breakpoint, to mediocre reviews and disappointing sales.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/12/assassins-creed-valhalla-wrath-of-the-druids-dlc-review"]

2020 ended up considerably better as a series of AAA games that had been repeatedly delayed mostly landed. But Ubisoft seems keen to avoid future investor disappointments and keep the money coming between major releases while giving itself a solid flow of player interest into those eventual big-budget launches. Duguet pointed out on the call that while other publishers are trying to secure stability and steady pipelines through mergers and acquisitions, Ubisoft was investing "in an organic manner" to bolster what it already has.

All this is to say: Duguet's quote during the earnings call sounds alarming, but it's not really anything new. Ubisoft has been moving away from releasing a pile of blockbuster open-world "AAA" games every single year for some time now, and its position is in line with just about every other major publisher out there as such games get increasingly expensive to make and other business models become increasingly lucrative.

Like its fellow publishers, Ubisoft has been increasing its release slate of mobile and free-to-play games for several years now. After all, they make tons of money, and the reason they make all that money is because lots of people play them and put money into them not just one time, but for months or years. And all this with less financial investment on the part of the game maker, compared to a single open-world premium release that costs $60 and takes seven years to make. As long as people keep spending piles of money on certain kinds of games and content, games companies will keep making those kinds of games and content.

This doesn't mean games like Assassin's Creed are going anywhere — Ubisoft needs those big tentpole releases to satisfy its hardcore base, tie its spin-offs together, and ensure it makes money off the audience that doesn't touch free-to-play and mobile. But it does give Ubisoft —  a company that has time and time again overpromised when it could release what —  more time to get them out the door without its investors breathing down its neck. And conveniently, all those spin-offs, free-to-play games, and mobile games give the rest of us something fun to do in the meantime.

Update: Following the publication of this article, Ubisoft reached out to offer an additional clarifying statement on yesterday's call: "Our intention is to deliver a diverse line-up of games that players will love - across all platforms," the statement reads. "We are excited to be investing more in free-to-play experiences, however we want to clarify that this does not mean reducing our AAA offering.

"Our aim is to continue to deliver premium experiences to players such as Far Cry 6, Rainbow Six Quarantine, Riders Republic and Skull & Bones to name a few while also expanding our free-to-play portfolio and strengthening our brands to reach even more players."

 [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Experimental AI Tool Makes GTA 5 Look Stunningly Photorealistic - Here's How

Posted: 12 May 2021 11:12 AM PDT

An AI research group has released a new video showcasing a new photorealism enhancement tool being applied to GTA 5 – and the results are stunning. As part of the Intel ISL research group's Photorealism Enhancement project, the new machine learning tool helps make computer-generated images more realistic by analyzing each frame of the game animation and comparing that to real-life images before applying enhancements based on them. In a video demonstration, Intel ISL shows some regular gameplay of Grand Theft Auto 5 before switching over to its tool's output, which analyzes the gameplay footage and uses machine learning to make it look more photorealistic. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/gta-5-stunning-photorealism-with-an-experimental-ai-tool"] Immediately when watching the video, the tool makes asphalt on the road a lot smoother, and cars a lot shinier and more reflective when compared to the original gameplay – not to mention causing major changes to colour grading. Of course, there's still work to be done; as with most AI-generated imagery right now, there is visual smearing to be seen. By leveraging convolutional neural networks, Intel ISL's photorealism tool allows it to produce images at "interactive rates" while playing the game – essentially, the tool could theoretically work in real-time as you play. It does remain theoretical, however – this is footage from an experiment using the tool, and It's unclear when (or if) Intel ISL will release this tool for public use. As for exactly how it all works, the Photorealism Enhancement tool selects from a database of photographic images, automatically picking those that bear similarity to the frame currently processed in-game, and using that comparison to render a more photorealistic style. Intel ISL was able to produce more life-like GTA V imagery by using a machine-learning database called Cityscapes, which features a slew of car video recordings from drivers cruising around cities in Germany. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gta-5-with-a-ai-photorealism-tool&captions=true"] Incidentally, that choice of database likely explains why there is a stark contrast in color compared to GTA 5's usual look in much of the footage. Where GTA 5 features a vibrant, Los Angeles-inspired look, the Intel ISL render using Cityscapes is far more muted, presumably because the European-based images were taken in a colder, cloudier region. However, the research team does show how a different set of comparison images can generate a very different look later in the video. This is by no means the only AI-related tool being built with gaming in mind, and some are coming sooner rather than later. During GDC last month, Intel announced Bleep, a new AI-powered tool that aims to filter out sexist, racial, and other hateful slurs you hear in voice chats while you game. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Resident Evil Village: How to Escape House Beneviento

Posted: 12 May 2021 10:53 AM PDT

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids Review

Posted: 12 May 2021 10:23 AM PDT

Returning to Assassin's Creed Valhalla's vast world can feel daunting after months away. Even with dozens of hours of completing the story and side exploration and pillaging under my belt, there was still so much to be done. But fear not: you should feel no need to complete it all before jumping into Wrath of the Druids, the new expansion that brings Eivor to the rolling hills of Ireland, because its content available early in the campaign and is worth putting ahead of most of the other sidequests that fill out the world. The adventuring and combat is more of the same for the most part, but its new twisting tale of politics and mysticism really stands out among the best storytelling in the series and the Druids themselves are stand-out enemies.

You know you're headed for a new DLC area when a new guest suspiciously arrives at the docks of Ravensthorpe with summons from a cousin who – though he's never been mentioned before this moment – has managed to become king of one of the various warring territories of Ireland and is in desperate need of help. Eivor doesn't need much convincing after possible trade routes and riches for her clan are mentioned, but I wish more time was spent making this feel smoothly integrated as a necessary next step, rather than an obvious way to access a new area added after the fact. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/assassins-creed-valhalla-wrath-of-the-druids-expansion-trailer"]

Touring through Ireland itself is beautiful. It's not obvious immediately upon arrival, but after riding through the countryside over emerald hills and long sheer cliff faces, the mix of rocky hillside and colorful plains stand out starkly from England and Norway. It's also somber and creepy at times, with many of the boggy swamps looking right out of an otherworldly fairy tale. Postcard-worthy standing stones and castles overlooking oceans add that signature stalwart ruggedness that tourists have come to identify as part of the landscape's charm.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Ireland's%20boggy%20swamps%20look%20right%20out%20of%20an%20otherworldly%20fairy%20tale."]However, the great majority of Wrath of the Druids' quests follow a pattern that's rigidly similar to those in vanilla Valhalla (and most open-world action games): go find this place, take a thing from that place, and/or kill everyone in that place. I didn't expect Ubisoft to reinvent the huge game it created just for its DLC, but the main story quest of Wrath of the Druids leans too heavily on recycled conquest and exploration activities we saw too much of in the main game already, and the gameplay variety suffers as a result. Royal Demands, a new quest type, feels like an active step backwards from Valhalla. Simple tasks, like clearing outposts and stealing requested items, are assigned to Eivor anonymously via messages left at pigeon coops that dot the land. Completing these helps your allies gain influence in Ireland's four regions, which opens up quests and rewards you with building resources. So they're important… and yet, they never feel like more than simple busywork, so I never looked forward to actually doing them. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-assassins-creed-review&captions=true"]

The story, on the other hand, felt consistently engaging throughout the around 10 hours it took to see the end. The political tension of Ireland's High King Flann's attempt to unify the country is interlaced with the cultural boiling point that the several religious factions have come to. Cousin Baird's kingship under Flann is in constant danger, thanks to personal and professional missteps between the two. Flann's bard, Ciara, lives in service of the new Christian monarchy, but was raised a druid and struggles to balance the weight of both worlds. Strong and charming voice performances paired with solid character arcs full of twists and consequences all help make the story's heavy tone more approachable. In the background, Wrath of the Druids breaks down the nuances of Christianity's slow assimilation of the region, and depicts the desperate acts that the indigenous pagan people resort to when faced with the potential extinction of their ways. More so than any time in the original story, the existential dread of the conquered people felt relatable and palatable.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20Children%20of%20Danu%20represent%20this%20expansion%E2%80%99s%20most%20significant%20actual%20improvement%20over%20Valhalla."]As you get to the heart of this matter you learn that a radicalized group of druids, The Children of Danu, have committed themselves to preserving the old ways through violence, manipulation, and deceit – and they represent this expansion's most significant actual improvement over Valhalla. Mechanically, they're simply another Order of The Ancients: a list of names to investigate, hunt down, and kill. The revitalizing twist on the concept, though, is that Wrath of the Druids makes the investigation, tracking, and assassination of these targets a far greater focus than the main campaign, in that many of the later quests require you to actively engage with the system to progress to important story events. You actually have to pay attention to the notes you gather about targets and follow their trails to the locations you deduce from them. The whole experience is better for it. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=e59cd5e5-2475-413f-a4e7-043bd640c38a"] Druids that serve the The Children make combat a bit more interesting, to say the least. Thanks to their hallucinogenic gas, Evior believes they have magical powers, and so for all intents and purposes they do. In these cases, perception is reality – they dart around the screen at lightspeed, throwing all manner of fire and poison at you. These are a type of encounter we never saw elsewhere in Valhalla, and it's refreshing and exciting to face a new class of foe. Some optional enemies feel challenging as well, like the pair of drengr minibosses lurking in the countryside. But outside of that, most of the run-of-the-mill slaughter feels unsatisfyingly samey next to an already massive game full of those fights. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=A%20few%20pieces%20of%20armor%20do%20look%20particularly%20badass."]As you'd expect from any Assassin's Creed expansion, Wrath of the Druids contains a handful of new armor sets and weapons to find, creatures to hunt, and combat challenges to face as optional side missions. I didn't find any gear worth swapping my loadout for, but a few pieces of armor did look particularly badass. Some of the combat challenges, like the Trials of the Morrigan, serve as another opportunity to experience more of the cool and trippy (but all too rare) druid combat. The most elaborate and useful addition to the selection of side missions, though, involves establishing trade posts across Ireland. Each post passively generates a type of new resource like honey or clothing that can be used to trade for gear and renown at the overseas trading HQ. Like many of Valhalla's side activities (raids, treasure hunting, etc) the mileage you get from it is directly related to how valuable you find the completionist pursuit of making sure everything that can be yours, is yours. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-wrath-of-the-druids-official-screenshots&captions=true"]

PlayStation Working on 25 PS5 Games, Half are New Franchises

Posted: 12 May 2021 10:03 AM PDT

PlayStation Studios head, Hermen Hulst, says they have more than 25 PlayStation 5 games in development, half of which are new IP. As reported by Wired, Hulst says PlayStation Studios — which is comprised of development studios like Hulst's old stomping grounds, Guerilla Games, Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, and more — has more than 25 titles in development for the PS5. Half of these 25 games are said to be new franchises. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] This doesn't necessarily mean that there are 25 first-party games in the works at PlayStation Studios. Games like Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Returnal were both published under the PlayStation Studios banner, but they were developed by studios not owned by Sony — Sumo Digital and Housemarque in this instance, respectively. This is exciting news nonetheless for anyone wondering what Sony is up to beyond Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, which is set to release next month. Some other titles have been revealed, such as Guerilla's Horizon Forbidden West (supposedly coming out this year) or even Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarok, which hasn't been discussed at all really since its reveal last year. It's also known that Polyphony Digital is working on Gran Turismo 7, although that title was delayed to next year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/01/the-biggest-game-releases-of-may-2021"] Beyond those three titles, what the rest of PlayStation Studios is up to is anybody's guess. Insomniac is likely working on a full-priced sequel to Spider-Man and Naughty Dog is reportedly chipping away at a remake of The Last of Us and a multiplayer game set in the world of The Last of Us as well, but there are still many other studios working on projects unknown. In time, we'll learn what each studio is working on but for now, all we know now is that PlayStation Studios has more than 25 games in development and that half of them will be new IP, courtesy of Hulst. While waiting to see what those are, check out IGN's preview of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and then read about how the new character, Rivet, is core to the game's ambitions. Check out IGN's list of the best PS5 games after that and then read our list of the biggest upcoming video games coming in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.   
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