IGN Video Games |
- Changes Already Coming to Halo Infinite's Battle Pass
- Battlefield 2042 Review
- What Are PlayStation's Next Big 25 Exclusives? - Beyond 726
- Phil Spencer Supports Legal Video Game Emulation
- The 25 Best Original Xbox Games of All Time
- Hunt: Showdown Is Being Turned Into a Live-Action Series
- Controversial Shooter Six Days in Fallujah Delayed to 2022
- Elden Ring Demo Players Break Out of its Boundaries, Find a Very Angry Bear
- Sega Is Somehow Bringing Alien: Isolation to Mobile 'Without Compromise'
- Sonic Collaboration Coming to Monster Hunter Rise Has Been Revealed
- Halo Infinite: 343 Says It's Assessing Controversial Multiplayer Progression
- Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition Review
- Saints Row Delayed Until August 2022
- Jurassic World Evolution 2 Review
- Riot Forge Announce Three New Games From Rime, Speed Brawl Developers
- Halo Infinite Multiplayer Arrives Early! – Unlocked 521
- New Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Details Feature Pirates, Only a Little Chaos
- Xbox's Phil Spencer Weighs In On NFTs in Gaming
- IGN’s Shoppable Gift Guide Livestream is Now Live
- Ed Sheeran Is Somehow Going To Be In Pokémon Go
Changes Already Coming to Halo Infinite's Battle Pass Posted: 17 Nov 2021 04:54 PM PST Just days after launch, 343 is already addressing issues players have with Halo Infinite's Battle Pass. On Twitter, Halo Community Manager John Junyszek said changes are already coming later this week. For starters, 343 is adding "Play 1 Game" challenges which will reward player simply by playing games. They are also adjusting or removing some weekly challenges based on player feedback, designed to help speed up progress through the Battle Pass.
The developers are also doubling the duration of double XP boosts from 30 minutes to an hour, after complaints that the boosts weren't very valuable, especially when playing Infinite's big team battle matches that can last upwards of 20 minutes. Junyszek adds that this is just the first set of changes, and the game will continue to evolve based on player feedback. Halo Infinite's Battle Pass rewards players with cosmetic items, a system popularized in games like Fortnite and Call of Duty. However, in Halo, the main issues players have is that XP is only rewarded by completing very specific daily and weekly challenges in the game, rather than accumulating simply by playing matches. Just hours after Halo Infinite's multiplayer went live, fans were already complaining about the progression system. Fans took to Reddit and Twitter to call the Battle Pass a "slog" and an "unenjoyable grind." Yesterday, Halo Community Director Brian Jarrard said the team was already evaluating Battle Pass progression, taking user data and player feedback into account.
While these changes are already coming this week, Junyszek says it does mean the developers need to reset player's Challenges, including progress towards Weekly Challenges. So, they're granting all players that log in between November 23 and 30 this week's Ultimate Reward, the Sigil Mark VII Visor. Spartans will have plenty of time to make it through Halo Infinite's first season, as the Battle Pass will run until May 2, 2022, which is much longer than the three month period 343 originally announced. Besides qualms with the game's progression mechanics, Halo Infinite is already seeing a lot of success, with over a quarter of a million concurrent players during its opening 24 hours. If you want to get in on the action, check out how to access Halo Infinite's multiplayer beta. Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant. |
Posted: 17 Nov 2021 04:42 PM PST Watching 128 players simultaneously running into Battlefield 2042's crowded warzones is a great illustration of why bigger isn't always better. While chaotic gunfights are undoubtedly part of Battlefield's charm, massive lobbies with that many players eventually turned the series' signature modes frustrating instead of fun. Thankfully, its tense new Hazard Zone mode provides an interesting strategic alternative, and its crazy-customizable Portal tools are an exciting glimpse at how its future could thrive with a little help from the creativity of the community.After playing Battlefield 2042 on live servers with the other players who have the Gold Edition, Ultimate Edition, or a subscription to EA Play Pro, I'm not entirely impressed. As the name implies, this latest Battlefield shifts the series into a near future setting full of high-tech gadgets and freedom to play Battlefield the way you want. The goal was to bring back the feeling of Battlefield being a playground again. It also does away with even the meager campaign stories Battlefield V had, featuring no single-player options whatsoever. What it does have is the infantry and vehicle-based shootouts across those huge, beautiful maps Battlefield is generally known for, as well as a few fresh ideas of its own – but not all of the innovations it introduces are for the better. For instance, at first glance it appears that Battlefield 2042's roster of 10 playable Specialists are based off of the original four Battlefield classes: Assault, Support, Recon, and Engineer. However, unlike the previous Battlefield games where classes had very specific jobs and skills to define them, 2042's Specialists' skills don't really change a team's dynamic much. For example, I first decided to go with Support Specialist Maria Falck to act as the team medic. Her Specialty skill arms her with a Syrette Pistol that fires syringes which heal allies and herself, but damage enemies. I initially thought Falck would basically be the only option for someone who likes to play as a medic, but it turns out that anyone can go in as a healer if they equip the medical crate gadget, which lets them throw out the typical Battlefield area-of-effect healing box. And while Falck's Specialist trait allows her to revive downed teammates to full health, anyone can revive their teammates or provide healing. Similarly, anyone can now hold a repair tool, so that's no longer specific to Engineers, and any Specialist can even equip any gun. There are Specialists who have more unique abilities, like Casper getting an OV-P Recon Drone to scout with or Sundance getting a wingsuit instead of a parachute to cover more distance while dropping into the map – but overall the Specialists' loadouts don't feel as distinct as the roles we played in previous Battlefield games. I eventually found myself primarily picking Webster Mackay, whose Specialty is a grappling hook, and equipping the medical crate to get maximum mobility while still being able to play support.
Not having the usual class items exclusive to specific Specialists makes selecting a class feel less restrictive, but it struck me as odd that there also isn't really any reason for a team to diversify their classes anymore when anyone can repair, heal, use anti-aircraft and anti-artillery equipment, and deploy ammo crates. Specialists are basically just an extra skill that you can pick to augment your playstyle further – that's a fun addition, but it's also a big shift that diminishes the importance of individual classes as a result. Everyone is a Jack of all trades, which disappointingly lessens the need for coordinated squad building and teamwork. There are three game types in 2042, and your leveling is shared across the board. The main event, All-Out Warfare, has within it the Breakthrough and Conquest modes, which both live up to that label with a whopping 64 players on each team. With that many people gunning for each other on one battlefield everything feels chaotic, even spread out across the impressively huge and detailed maps that have been made to better accommodate that player count.
Conquest is the traditional Battlefield mode where you compete to capture and hold multiple points at once spread around a massive map, only this time the map size and player count is turned up to 11. As much as I've enjoyed Conquest in past Battlefields and wanted to do the same here, this actually my least favorite mode in 2042 – it felt like every point I went to take had the entire enemy team defending it because there are just so many players, and only a few points that are easily reachable. It's the kind of problem that takes a huge amount of teamwork to solve, and with the teams as big as they are that's very difficult to pull off. At the same time, the maps are big enough that you don't always run into anybody else in the vast spaces between points, and that leads to a problem where you're stuck running for excessive periods if you don't have a vehicle drop-in available or if your team spawns are far from another point. It's a bigger inconvenience than it was in Battlefield 5, where I didn't feel as if I was running forever just to get to another point and the matches felt pretty evenly paced without so much dead air. In some matches, if you're not fast enough to select a vehicle at spawn (which can easily happen if your load times are a bit too slow), you just have to leg it to the fight. It's a bit amusing to see an entire army of around 20 people pitter-pattering to the nearest point that feels an eternity away, but probably not in the way it's intended.
That space issue also impacts the visually stunning weather system somewhat, which was supposed to be even bigger and better this time around but didn't seem to come into play very often in practice. More than anything I just encountered rainstorms that didn't have any real impact on how I played. I'd occasionally see a tornado in the distance, but driving near one made it awkwardly clear how small they actually are up close. Also, they don't really seem to do much to the map other than blow through it, which was a little disappointing compared to the amazing trailers that made this updated weather seem like it would be far more significant in a typical match. The returning Breakthrough mode focuses the action a little bit better by putting each team on either attack or defense, but with the catch that each zone the attacking team captures can't be recaptured. That means the defending team is pushed back to the next point, becoming increasingly desperate to hold onto the last one until the attackers' respawn tickets run out. Again, it's hard to execute any kind of real strategy this time around since your team is so big and there's no clear leader – but when all of the action is focused on a single target, it can still be a lot of fun to run through the middle of this war with the utter chaos of explosions and rampaging vehicles all around you. Hazard Zone is a brand-new game type that currently ranks as my second favorite of Battlefield 2042's options. It's basically Dice's version of Escape from Tarkov: 32 players (unless you're on last-gen consoles, in which case it's 24) group up in teams of four to scour the map for data points, taking out both small swarms of AI soldiers and each other as they go, before extracting from the map. It's not quite a battle royale, but it's similar in that if you do get killed you won't be able to respawn unless a teammate is able to secure a respawn uplink to get you back. And while the first opportunity to extract is toward the beginning of the match, the second has every team fighting over a single escape vehicle toward the end. Throughout each match you'll gather "data" that will increase the amount of credits you'll receive afterwards, but you can also loot Uplinks that allow you to call in Rangers (the robot dogs that are totally not inspired by Boston Dynamics), a LATV4 Recon Vehicle, and Team Redeploys that allow you to bring back any dead teammates all at once. (I greatly prefer that to games where I have to revive them one at a time!) If you didn't bring these in your loadout, finding Uplinks can instead be lifesavers that create heroic moments – if you're the last one standing on your team, a nearby Team Redeploy will be pinged on the map for you to run to and loot for a dramatic save. The clever part about this is that the stakes keep rising higher as you go thanks to Extraction Streaks, where if you manage to extract two or more times in a row you'll unlock an extra Tactical Equipment slot for the next match. If you lose that streak, however, you revert back to only one slot, and having something to lose ratchets up the tension a couple of notches when you're wondering if you can take on that group of soldiers up ahead. Each streak is attached to the Specialist you used for the previous match as well, so if you switch from one Specialist to another you'll lose that extra Tactical Equipment slot and essentially start over. This didn't seem like a huge problem since the need to switch Specialists doesn't really come up too often in Hazard Zone, but establishing the Specialist you want to use throughout the mode early is probably best. I found that Casper and his OV-P Recon drone was pretty handy to have on your team, especially since he could scope out areas with Data points and see how many hostiles are around. Teamwork is crucial in order to survive long enough to go from one data point to another, and since there are "only" 32 players in a match it felt slightly better paced and deliberate than All-Out Warfare's chaos. I found myself eager to queue in for another match of Hazard Zone even if I had been absolutely demolished at the beginning of a previous game because I wanted to rack up points to get my best loadout in the next round. The feeling of accomplishment when you steal the extraction helicopter or plane from enemy teams in the last extraction point is exhilarating, and it naturally pushed me to queue in for more matches to ride that high. In All-Out Warfare, the long TTK didn't bother me too much since you respawn pretty quickly and can get back in the action, but in Hazard Zone it felt especially punishing since it's a squad-based game and you stay down until you can be revived. I want the TTK to feel justified and even in an FPS, but in 2042 I found myself switching from my assault rifle to a marksman rifle or even a sniper rifle just to get those faster kills since other weapons can be so unintuitively weak. Unlike Apex Legends or Call of Duty: Warzone where you can take on three enemies at once and potentially pull off an exciting outplay, it feels nearly impossible in Battlefield 2042 – being surrounded by even two enemies always felt like a death sentence. Another problem was an ongoing bug where I'd occasionally run over to revive a downed teammate only to find that they'd already chosen to die and spawn back in, yet their bodies remained on the ground like bait in a medic trap. Being downed seems to be buggy in general, because other times I'd be waiting for a revive but my teammate wouldn't be able to get a revive icon on me, so I'd just have to accept death and respawn. Also, finding out that the Hovercraft can scale entire buildings was a not so pleasant surprise since that vehicle can inch its way up places it shouldn't and cause a lot of trouble. There were a handful of other bugs too: sometimes being unable to bring up the Uplink screen, getting stuck loading until you restart, and some server issues. I'd occasionally get hit with lag and desync away from where I was, and I'd also get some ping issues where my latency would drop and I wouldn't be able to move very well due to connection stutters. In general, things went awry a bit more often than I'd expected, even from a newly launched game. The real treasure of Battlefield 2042 is its Portal mode. More of a massive playground than a set mode, it lets anybody create their own experiences, game modes, or even just new game rules in general. It lets you tailor what kind of Battlefield you want to play, packing loads of the series' long history into one great big developer toolset. But the real fun comes from tweaking things yourself. In Portal, you can change anything from if Friendly Fire is on for a team, to how much headshot damage multipliers are valued at, to if you take fall damage, and more. Basically anything you can think to change in a game, you can. Not only does it let you create entirely unique Battlefield experiences and game modes, but it also provides a more hands-on understanding of what goes into game balancing.
Portal can also be used to make incredibly silly stuff, like one dev-created mode I played where you have a single rocket in a launcher as your primary and a knife as your secondary; in order to reload you have to jump five times. Why? Because it's goofy madness and there are no rules in Portal, that's why. The tools that Portal gives you can be overwhelming to look at because it goes all the way down into the skeleton of game development – that's an incredible level of freedom, but it also means it isn't necessarily the most accessible custom mode maker an FPS has ever seen. |
What Are PlayStation's Next Big 25 Exclusives? - Beyond 726 Posted: 17 Nov 2021 04:26 PM PST On this week's episode of Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Matt Kim and Mark Medina to take a look at the future of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 exclusive games that could be in the works. With Sony recently re-confirming it has more than 25+ PlayStation 5 exclusives in the works alongside the PS5's one-year anniversary, we decided to take a few guesses at what those 25 games are. And, well, the results were results, but your PlayStation fandom mileage may vary, as the trio offers their real and exaggerated guesses, and includes some community choices in the mix. We run down the list of games that are confirmed so far (and for the sake of this discussion, we're including cross-gen exclusives being made by PlayStation Studios), like God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, Marvel's Wolverine, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Then, we start to drill down into our PlayStation exclusive hopes, from the possibilities of a Bloodborne remake or remaster, or even a sequel, to what Astro Bot devs Team Asobi could be working on, whether we'll ever see the return of PlayStation's Infamous and Sly Cooper franchises, if Uncharted has a future, and so much more. From guesses of new PS5 IPs from PlayStation Studios teams, to existing series that need a revival or reboot, to Jonathon's unwavering hope for a PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 2, we come up with a list that, if unrealistic, we'd at least be looking forward to. We also discuss the PS5 shortages expected through the holidays, why it's so frustrating more people can't get their hands on the system, and more, plus a roundup of what we're playing, including the GTA Trilogy remasters and both the many glitches and bugs we've seen going around and Mark's surprisingly bug-free time with GTA III. Oh, and Jonathon experiences an earthquake during the show. Timecodes: Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior Features Editor, PlayStation Lead, and host of Podcast Beyond! He's the proud dog father of a BOY named Loki. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush. |
Phil Spencer Supports Legal Video Game Emulation Posted: 17 Nov 2021 04:13 PM PST Xbox lead Phil Spencer wants to see a larger focus on game preservation in the video game industry. Speaking to Axios, Spencer said he hopes the industry turns to emulation as a preservation solution. "My hope (and I think I have to present it that way as of now) is as an industry we'd work on legal emulation that allowed modern hardware to run any (within reason) older executable allowing someone to play any game," Spencer wrote. Right now, the three major platforms have very different approaches to making old games accessible. PlayStation 5 has backwards compatibility with PS4 games, as well as some games from older systems accessible through the PS Now streaming service. Nintendo Switch players can access NES, SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis games through the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, but there is currently no way to purchase them permanently on Switch. Xbox, on the other hand, has made a huge push for backwards compatibility over the last few years. Just this week, Xbox added over 70 games to its backwards compatibility program on modern Xbox consoles. Between Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, Xbox is currently the only ecosystem to support multiple generations of physical backwards compatibility. Spencer says consistent access to games should be the goal for the entire industry. "I think in the end, if we said, 'Hey, anybody should be able to buy any game, or own any game and continue to play,' that seems like a great North Star for us as an industry," Spencer wrote. Spencer has spoken out about a number of topics this week, including NFTs in gaming and the sustainability of Xbox Game Pass. It's been a huge week for Xbox. After celebrating the 20th anniversary of the original Xbox, Microsoft released Halo Infinite's multiplayer over three weeks early. This comes hot off the success of Forza Horizon 5, which is Xbox Game Studios' biggest launch ever. Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant. |
The 25 Best Original Xbox Games of All Time Posted: 17 Nov 2021 02:57 PM PST The Xbox is now 20 years old, and so what better time to take a fresh look back at Microsoft's first console and remember its best games. There were many incredible ones despite the machine enjoying just a four-year lifecycle, and IGN staff has ranked our top 25 here. As always, if we missed one of your favorites, tell us about it in the comments below! 25. Phantasy Star Online Episode I & IIA Dreamcast favorite, Phantasy Star Online was a riveting action-RPG. It also proved to be a harbinger of things to come with its $10 per month always-online price tag, but in return you got an absolutely incredible connected world that allowed you to make friends and slay monsters together, with your MAGs looking over your shoulders. If PSO got its hooks into you, they went in deep, and the result was one of the most memorable original Xbox games ever made.24. MVP Baseball 2005 ![]() 24. MVP Baseball 2005MLB The Show 21 finally gave Xbox fans what they'd been waiting years for: a great simulation baseball game. To put that in perspective, those fans had been waiting since...2005, when MVP Baseball's last MLB-licensed edition proved to be one of the greatest sports games ever. In fact, long after EA abandoned it, the mod community kept MVP 2005's rosters updated on PC, and dedicated fans continued to play it for many years. But back on Xbox, it got everything right: hitting, pitching, fielding, and baserunning. And it did all that with gorgeous (at the time) graphics and stunning, lifelike animations. MVP Baseball 2005 will never be forgotten. ![]() 23. Burnout 3: TakedownBurnout 3 had no unique connection to Xbox in any way, but that's OK because it was simply sublime and belongs on this list. It is a near-timeless racing game that's more about smashing the other cars than it is about avoiding and zooming past them. That subversion made it unlike any other driving game that's been made before or since. The star of the show, of course, was Burnout's Crash mode, and Burnout 3: Takedown is where developer Criterion realized it was more than just an afterthought. Instead, it was a pillar of the entire game. But it wasn't a one-note racer. Road Rage mode – in which the goal was to cause as many of your opponents to crash as possible – was a sadistic sport, while Hot Laps challenged you to complete perfect runs at 200mph with almost no margin for error. Burnout 3 is just as much fun today as it was in 2004, despite its now-aged graphics. Most racing games cannot claim that. ![]() 22. PsychonautsPsychonauts went on quite a journey before it was released in 2005, near the end of the original Xbox era. It was the first game from Double Fine, the studio that LucasArts legend Tim Schafer started after going out on his own. It was originally scheduled to be an Xbox exclusive published by Microsoft in the early years of the console before the business of video games got in the way. It did end up releasing as an Xbox exclusive under Majesco, and it was worth the wait. There were strange and beautiful brains to explore in this telekenetic platformer, and lead character Raz quickly stole every player's heart. It's poetic that Microsoft ended up purchasing Double Fine and publishing Psychonauts 2 over a decade-and-a-half later. ![]() 21. Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimeLike Ninja Gaiden, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time took an early gaming classic and reinvented it in a near-perfect way for Xbox. Platforming and puzzles are the backbone of Sands of Time, with combat serving only as a last resort. Still, that combat was really wonderfully handled, as the Prince was no bulletproof superhero. He wouldn't take much damage before succumbing to his wounds, and so you needed to rely on your wits instead. The ability to rewind time was revolutionary in that moment of gaming history, and Prince of Persia expertly recaptured the spirit of the original game while beautifully reimagining it for the modern era. ![]() 20. Otogi: Myth of DemonsLong before From Software made it big as the developers of Dark Souls, the talented team made the Xbox-exclusive ninja action game Otogi: Myth of Demons (and later a sequel called Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors). It was beautiful, polished, precise, smart, and action-packed, and it did so half a year before Ninja Gaiden came out. Is it as good as Itagaki's classic? No, but it remains one of the best games – exclusive or otherwise – to ever grace the Xbox. ![]() 19. Steel BattalionThe Xbox-exclusive Steel Battalion would never be made today. It was a first-person mech sim – the mechs were called vertical tanks, or "VTs" here – and the hook was that it was such a simulation that it came with its own proprietary 40-button controller and three-pedal foot box. If that wasn't enough for you, it was also such a sim that if you failed to hit the eject button on the giant controller prior to having your VT destroyed in the campaign, you'd lose your save game and be forced to start all over again. Steel Battalion cost $200 at the time it came out, while the Xbox itself was $300. It is truly a unicorn in gaming history. ![]() 18. BreakdownIf at least one cult classic belongs on this list, it's the Xbox-exclusive Breakdown, a one-and-done science-fiction adventure best known for that part where you eat and then vomit up a hamburger without leaving the first-person view. Stubborn adhesion to the first-person perspective was one of Breakdown's core tenets, but given the game's melee-combat focus, it totally worked. You play Derrick Cole, a man who awakens in a science facility with no memory of what happened to him. The ensuing campaign is one of the most engrossing sci-fi mysteries in Xbox history, and as you get more powerful you feel more and more like a superhero – which was more than you could say of actual superhero-based games of the time. ![]() 17. Top SpinA tennis game on the top 25 Xbox Games of All-Time list? You'd better believe it! Top Spin wasn't just a phenomenal tennis sim that featured a ton of real-life superstars of the sport. It was also one of the pioneers of Microsoft's online sports initiative, XSN, which integrated Xbox Live online play with webpage-based stats and tournament information, allowing you to participate in online events and then track your progress on the web afterwards. ![]() 16. Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasWhen Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came out for Xbox, it wasn't just a big deal because the game was absolutely incredible. It was a big deal because it was the first time that a Grand Theft Auto game released day and date on Xbox along with PS2. The biggest series in the world finally gave equal time to Xbox, and San Andreas was Rockstar's most ambitious effort yet. It was primarily centered in Los Santos, GTA's fictional Los Angeles, but its vast real estate spanned an entire state, including San Fierro (San Francisco), Las Venturas (Las Vegas), and the rural areas in between. It lives on in memories (and memes) today. ![]() 15. Full Spectrum WarriorFull Spectrum Warrior wasn't a game at all, in the beginning. It was a training tool built for the US Army that was converted into a game. And it made a heck of a unique one. In Full Spectrum Warrior, you guide your troops through a combat zone with one goal: keep them alive. Formations, carefully considered movements, and suppressing fire are the keys to survival. Funny enough, for an actual military shooter, you didn't really do any shooting yourself. And yet, the strategic Full Spectrum Warrior was every bit as tense as any other traditional shooter. ![]() 14. The Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindAs history has since shown, Xbox needed Bethesda as much as Bethesda needed Xbox back in 2002. The Xbox needed RPGs – and great ones, at that – to compete with PS2's avalanche of great JRPGs, and Bethesda needed to expand its market from PC to consoles. The Xbox was the perfect fit for both parties, and Morrowind brought an RPG experience to consoles the likes of which had never been seen before. Its high-fantasy open world was teeming with player possibilities, and its first-person perspective pulled you straight into Tamriel and Morrowind in a way that the third-person view of the traditional JRPG could not. This was the beginning of a long and bountiful partnership between Microsoft and Bethesda. ![]() 13. MechAssaultMechWarrior was a beloved PC game franchise. It was one of the best pen-and-paper-to-video-game RPG translations that had ever been made to that point, and MechAssault took that universe and made a faster-paced, more arcade-y version of it that felt great to play with a gamepad for the original Xbox. It managed to retain the soul of the more simulation-focused parent series. Even better, it was a day-one launch title for Xbox Live, and its multiplayer proved to be unique and brilliantly suited to the Xbox Live environment. This is another game that has remained disappointingly dormant in the years since its release (MechAssault 2 hit a couple years later but wasn't as good), leading fans to wonder if MechAssault will ever return. ![]() 12. Project Gotham Racing 2Kudos! That is what we'll always think of first when we think of this beloved Xbox racing franchise from the renowned developers at Bizarre Creations. PGR began life on the Dreamcast as Metropolis Street Racer, but it really forged its identity on Xbox, and that's where Kudos come in. When you did awesome stuff on the track, like drifting, passing, powersliding, etc. you'd be rewarded with Kudos points that would level you up. The power of the Xbox hardware relative to the PS2 really shined here, as PGR2 was gorgeous (as future entries in the series would be as well). PGR2 deftly walked the line between arcade and simulation racing, making itself incredibly approachable for more casual players, while still offering enough for hardcore sim fans to grab onto as well. Its soul seems to live on today in Forza Horizon. ![]() 11. Jade EmpireBioWare made not one but two incredible (and exclusive) RPGs for the original Xbox. KOTOR was the first and it has historically gotten all of the glory, but the second was Jade Empire, an excellent Eastern-influenced epic that took home one of the highest review scores IGN had ever given at the time. It borrowed the morality system from KOTOR but ditched the turn-based combat in favor of a real-time combat engine, resulting in much faster, more fluid fights. It was a classic (and unfortunate) case of critical success and commercial failure, but it's never too late. If you get the chance, play it. ![]() 10. Crimson Skies: High Road to RevengeLong before anyone not named Rockstar had made a good open-world game, FASA Studio came pretty darn close with Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. It wasn't a true open-world game, but there were plenty of spots you could get out of your fighter plane and interact on the ground while on foot. Crimson Skies boasted fantastic graphics and great multiplayer that wasn't like anything else on the Xbox, and it eventually became something of a cult classic on the console, with fans clamoring for years afterward for a sequel that never came. ![]() 9. Jet Set Radio FutureMany Dreamcast fans would agree that the original Xbox was, spiritually speaking, the Dreamcast 2. Sega threw its full support behind Microsoft's fledgling console after its own had failed, and of the many great Sega games to land on Xbox, Jet Set Radio Future was arguably the most memorable. The stylistic in-line-skating action game was unlike anything else on this or any console, and at one point it was even a pack-in game with the Xbox (along with the also-excellent but less-remembered Sega GT 2002 Racing). Jet Set Radio Future was so unique it was never really imitated, though it does seem to have been a clear influence on Insomniac's 2014 Xbox One classic Sunset Overdrive. ![]() 8. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3Rainbow Six 3 continued Tom Clancy's dominant run on the first Xbox by bringing close-quarters, team-based tactical military shooter gameplay to Xbox Live. While Xbox's new online service had stars early on – MechAssault is also on this list – it wasn't until Rainbow Six 3 released one year into Xbox Live's life that the network finally had its first breakout hit. But it wasn't all about multiplayer; the single-player campaign was great, too, and its really nifty party trick was the ability to don the Xbox Live chat headset while you were running the campaign and issuing simple voice commands (like, "Stack up" and "Go go go!") to your AI teammates. ![]() 7. FableFable had a lot to live up to thanks to Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux's lofty pre-release promises, but in the end Fable turned out to be a heck of a game. Albion is a wonderfully realized British fantasy world, with appropriately British humor and charm. A true good and evil system allowed you to play how you wanted to, with good deeds eventually creating a literal halo over your character's head, while breaking bad would cause horns to grow out of your hero's skull. Fable didn't reach the peak of its potential until its first sequel on the Xbox 360, but the first Fable was nevertheless one of the original Xbox's best and most memorable games. ![]() 6. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher BayMovie-licensed video games suck. Or at least, they did until Starbreeze Studios and Vin Diesel's own Tigon Studios came along and threw that stereotype into a Dumpster. Riddick would've been a classic even with no association to Diesel's film series, because Escape From Butcher Bay was an impeccably designed first-person stealth game that mixed a stunning bespoke game engine (heck, even the normal-mapped rotating metal cube of a menu screen looked amazing) with great characters, a fantastic story, and a mix of gameplay styles. Riddick was light years better than it had any right to be, and it was an Xbox exclusive to boot. ![]() 5. Ninja GaidenWhen Team Ninja and rockstar designer Tomonobu Itagaki, both known for the Dead or Alive fighting game series, trotted out a then-modern reboot of the classic arcade/NES action game Ninja Gaiden, we could not have predicted what it would become: no less than a nearly perfect high-speed action game. The weapons, the moves, the enemies, the set pieces, the bosses, the 60fps action – all of it was as close to flawless as an action game can possibly be. Sure, you might throw your controller through a wall before it's all said and done, but the sheer satisfaction of defeating bosses like Alma arguably paved the way for the Soulsborne-style challenge that many gamers thrive on today. If you could guide Ryu Hyabusa through the entire lengthy campaign on Master Ninja difficulty, then you truly were a gaming god. Ninja Gaiden was a marvel. ![]() 4. Star Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicThe original Xbox wasn't just trying to compete with the PlayStation 2 on a hardware level. It also had to stand up to Sony's highly successful machine on the software side too, of course. And the PS2 was heavily entrenched as an RPG powerhouse. Enter Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, an exclusive Xbox RPG from the PC RPG masters at BioWare. It was not only the greatest role-playing game on Xbox, but one of the greatest RPGs of all-time. It's so legendary that it's being remade 20 years later. BioWare's masterpiece spun an irresistible Star Wars tale set 4,000 years before the original film trilogy, and brought with it memorable characters like HK-47 as well as, crucially, a morality system that allowed you to be the most noble Jedi you could be or...the most monstrous, double-crossing Dark Side menace you'd never seen in a video game before. And the twists and turns the story took...it's still jaw-dropping. ![]() 3. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos TheoryThe third Splinter Cell from the ultra-talented team at Ubisoft Montreal had everything. Killer graphics? Check (those dynamic shadows!). Incredible Dolby 5.1 sound? Check. A brilliantly designed single-player campaign that let you go full-stealth, gadget-crazy, or guns-blazing? Check. A four-mission (later expanded to six through free DLC) co-op campaign that was unlike anything we'd ever experienced before? Check. And the best take we'd ever see on the innovative asymmetrical Spies vs. Mercenaries multiplayer mode, in which a trio of nonlethal, gadget-laden spies playing in third-person try to outmaneuver a trio of slower, heavily armed mercenaries hunting them from the more restrictive first-person view? BIG CHECK. It was also iconic Sam Fisher actor Michael Ironside's best performance as the sardonic spy. Splinter Cell peaked here, but it peaked at a nearly unreachable high point. ![]() 2. Halo 2While we can't honestly say that Xbox Live probably wouldn't exist without Halo 2 (it was already doing just fine before Bungie's long-awaited sequel came out, thankyouverymuch), it is fair to say with a straight face that Halo 2 completely revolutionized online multiplayer gaming for consoles. In fact, taken as a whole, Halo 2 somehow lived up to its galactic levels of hype (it had already been delayed from Spring 2004 to November 9, 2004) and then EXCEEDED IT. The campaign added compelling new layers to the Halo universe, including the stunning playable introduction of The Arbiter, the visuals were among the best on the entire console, and multiplayer...just wow. The "virtual couch" hopper system on Xbox Live let you easily connect – and stay – with your friends all night long, the ranking system rocked, the maps might've been the greatest collection of multiplayer battlegrounds ever collected under a single game's roof, and th ![]() e customizability that was offered could only be rivaled in the PC space. Halo 2 was a dinosaur-killing meteor. It raised the bar in so many ways, and it remains beloved through The Master Chief Collection. 1. Halo: Combat EvolvedIt's almost a 1a and 1b situation with Halo 1 and Halo 2, but it's not out of the question to suggest that the Xbox as a platform might not have survived 20 years if not for Halo: Combat Evolved being a genuinely revolutionary console game that doubled as the killer app for Microsoft's first console. And thus, the original Halo gets the nod in the top spot. Combat Evolved birthed a universe that millions of gamers remain emotionally invested in to this day, with characters we still adore, multiplayer the likes of which home consoles had never seen, and it brought LAN parties into the console space too. Its influence is still felt today, and deservedly so. ![]() For more on Xbox, don't miss our exclusive IGN First coverage of Halo Infinite all November long, and for everything in the world of Xbox, stick with IGN. |
Hunt: Showdown Is Being Turned Into a Live-Action Series Posted: 17 Nov 2021 01:24 PM PST Crytek's monster-infused multiplayer shooter Hunt: Showdown is getting a live-action TV adaptation thanks to Binge, a new streaming platform launching in 2022. Crytek announced the new series in a blog Wednesday. Crytek co-founder and CEO Avni Yerli, co-founder Faruk Yerli, and CryEngine director Pascal Tonecker will serve as executive producers alongside producers from Binge. Binge is advertised as a new streaming platform focused on original shows based on popular video games and content creators. Binge plans to launch as a subscription-free service on PC, TV, mobile, and consoles. Users can earn "Bytz" for watching content, but it's unclear how you'll spend them. For the unfamiliar, Hunt: Showdown was released in 2018 and pits you against other monster hunters (the dark, gory kind and not the kind that hangs out with cats dressed like Sonic) in the late 1800's Louisiana bayou. You'll race to collect clues for where to find boss monsters, like the Eldritch-looking Spider, the gruesome Butcher, or the insect-filled assassin. Players not only contend with other hunters looking to steal their prize but also various undead enemies, like zombies and hellhounds. Binge is also developing a live-action series based on System Shock and the Driver series. For more video game adaptations currently in the works check out the slideshow above or our interview with Adi Shankar who is developing several animated adaptations including a Devil May Cry series. Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/eldritch monstrosity for IGN. |
Controversial Shooter Six Days in Fallujah Delayed to 2022 Posted: 17 Nov 2021 12:36 PM PST Six Days in Fallujah, the controversial first-person military shooter game, has been delayed to Q4 2022. Publisher Victura and developer Highwire Games announced the delay on Wednesday in a blog, saying the development team planned to double in size. Six Days in Fallujah was first announced in 2009, originally planned to publish under Konami. Ensuing controversy resulted in the game being shelved in 2016 until February 2021 after Highwire Games took over development. The game follows U.S. soldiers through the Second Battle of Fallujah, a controversial battle during the Iraq War, in which at least 800 Iraqi civilians died at the hands of U.S. and British troops. As outlined in IGN's special report on Six Days in Fallujah, the game became the subject of controversy again immediately after its reboot was announced in February 2021. This was in part due to the inherently sensitive nature of adapting a highly controversial real-life battle for a video game, as well as concerns about a lack of representation of Iraqi or Arab citizens in the game beyond being faceless enemies to shoot. Six Days in Fallujah's official website says that the game was developed with help from more than 100 Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi citizens and that the game aims to "give players a deeper understanding of urban warfare through the stories and struggles of both service-members and civilians," though preview footage scarcely seems to depict the Iraqi civilian perspective. Back in February, Victura CEO Peter Tamte said Six Days in Fallujah is not attempting to "make a political commentary about whether or not the war itself was a good or a bad idea," and "will not grapple with the political machinations that led to the titular conflict." Tamte later walked back his comments in March, saying "anybody making a game about the Iraq War obviously understands these events are intertwined with politics. What we've said is that we're not trying to make a statement about how the war in Iraq began. Instead, we are focused on this battle, the events that led up to this battle, and we want the people who were in Fallujah during this battle to speak for themselves through the game." Six Days in Fallujah was originally planned to release in December. The new delay means that it will release sometime between October and December 2022. It is currently scheduled for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN. |
Elden Ring Demo Players Break Out of its Boundaries, Find a Very Angry Bear Posted: 17 Nov 2021 10:00 AM PST Some of the players partaking in the Elden Ring closed network test last weekend managed to find a way to break out of the game's demo area — only to be met by a very angry bear. A limited number of players were recently invited to hop into From Software's upcoming open-world Elden Ring as part of network tests that the studio is carrying out. While players were able to check out the game first hand, they weren't granted access to its entire open world, but rather a demo area instead. Not content with this little slice of paradise, some of those involved attempted to test the game's boundaries in hopes of being able to explore a greater array of what Elden Ring has to offer. As reported by Kotaku, several players eventually found an exploit in the game that allowed them to successfully access areas of the game not yet intended for exploration. Players' experiences outside of the network test barrier appeared to vary from account to account. While the out-of-bounds region lacked items and reportedly included some areas where players would fall into an endless void, there were also some pretty nifty finds too. Content creator AllisonByProxy posted a video to YouTube showing their character taking a pretty severe mauling from a ferocious oversized bear that didn't seem too happy to be found in the region. A separate video posted to the same channel also appeared to reveal an undiscovered boss known as Crucible Knight Floh. While From Software will likely want to keep a number of details about Elden Ring's bosses and enemies close to its chest until closer to the game's release, IGN recently got to take on one of the game's bosses, Margit the Fell, during our time with the game. The character's backstory and lore are still under wraps at the moment, though our preview does include details about the character's move set and devastating lightning hammer. For more on From Software's upcoming release, make sure to check out our dedicated IGN page for Elden Ring where you can find a range of the latest news, clips, and previews for the game. Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. |
Sega Is Somehow Bringing Alien: Isolation to Mobile 'Without Compromise' Posted: 17 Nov 2021 08:32 AM PST Sega has announced that it is bringing Alien: Isolation to mobile devices "without compromise" as part of a package that will include the base game and each of its seven additional DLC packs. As revealed in a press release, the publisher has confirmed that the survival horror game will be launching on iOS and Android devices. Fans of the franchise will be able to pick up the game, which is said to have been fully adapted for touchscreen devices, at a price of $14.99/£12.99 from December 16. "The stunning AAA visuals, arresting narrative and terrifying atmosphere of Creative Assembly's award-winning sci-fi masterpiece have been faithfully replicated for phones and tablets," says Sega in its announcement. "This is the complete survival horror experience brought to mobile without compromise." According to the publisher, the game will have its own "bespoke, fully customizable interface" tailored toward touchscreen play. That being said, Sega was also keen to point out that players would also be able to "fine tune the game to their own playing style" which essentially translates to the notion that gamepads will also be supported. Despite Alien: Isolation originally having released for PC back in 2014, bringing the game to mobile "without compromise" still seems relatively impressive. That being said, if the Switch version of the game is anything to go by, then there's solid hope for a port on mobile, with the Switch version's visuals in particular lauded upon release. For more from the Alien franchise, make sure to check out this piece detailing how Ridley Scott believes that the Alien TV show he's working on won't be as good as the original movie. Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. |
Sonic Collaboration Coming to Monster Hunter Rise Has Been Revealed Posted: 17 Nov 2021 06:55 AM PST The Sonic the Hedgehog collaboration coming to Monster Hunter Rise has been revealed by Capcom in a brand new trailer. Monster Hunter Rise has seen a number of free DLC updates over the past few months that have looked to combine the world of Monster Hunter with other gaming franchises. In its most recently revealed collaboration, which can be seen teased in the trailer (below), the game is set to feature nods to both Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails in a new pack launching later this month. Similar to the game's previous DLC collaborations, neither Sonic nor Tails will actually appear in the game. Instead, Monster Hunter Rise will make use of special armor sets which give the feel that both characters have entered the world. Releasing on November 26, Capcom's latest DLC will include "Sonic Wear" layered armor for your hunter, as well as a Sonic Costume for your trusty Palico and a "Canyne Tails" costume for your Palamute. The trailer itself shows off costumes that players will be able to equip to their characters when the DLC launches later this month. Across the clip, the characters can also be seen collecting a number of Sonic-style rings as they venture through various environments in Monster Hunter Rise - though it isn't clear as to whether these will actually feature in the DLC content in any way. The clip ends with a screen advertising Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. The major expansion for the game is set to launch in Summer 2022 and will include new monsters, locations, and a new hub for players to explore in the game. To find out more about Monster Hunter Rise's previous collaborations, make sure to check out the trailer for the game's recently featured Mega Man DLC which launched back in September. Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. |
Halo Infinite: 343 Says It's Assessing Controversial Multiplayer Progression Posted: 17 Nov 2021 06:32 AM PST Following the launch of Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode, 343 Industries has confirmed that it's currently assessing the game's controversial multiplayer progression system. The announcement was made in a tweet by studio community director Brian Jarrard. "Thank you to everyone who has jumped into the Halo Infinite beta so far," said Jarrard in the tweet. "FYI the team is looking at Battle Pass progression and gathering data from yesterday's sessions and we'll share updates as we have them," he continued before asking fans to share further feedback as and when they felt necessary.
Halo Infinite has adopted a Battle Pass system to reward players with cosmetic content, similar to modern multiplayer shooters such as Fortnite and Call of Duty – but the way in which you progress along that Pass is slightly different. The crux of the issue that players have with Infinite's Battle Pass comes down to how XP is rewarded. In its current state, players are only able to progress through the battle pass by completing daily and weekly challenges in the game, meaning that XP isn't necessarily granted just by completing matches and playing games. Following the launch of the game's multiplayer mode, a number of players on the game's subreddit have commented that progress through the pass feels too slow with at least one fan calling it a "slog" and another an "unenjoyable grind." Despite the game's multiplayer mode launching to fans this week, the issue of Halo Infinite's multiplayer progression was raised by players during the game's previous technical playtests. At the time, a statement from 343 addressed the issue, saying: "While we understand the community's feedback around wanting a steady drip of match XP and more ways to earn XP for the Battle Pass, we are optimistic that the system available at launch will give players adequate means of continually having something to accomplish and a means to progress. Looking further ahead beyond launch, we expect these systems to evolve in direct partnership with player feedback." Multiplayer progression aside, the launch of Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode has been largely positive. While some versions of the game did experience some teething issues to begin with, the game has amassed a large audience of players in its opening few days. On Steam alone, data from SteamDB suggests that the game saw over a quarter of a million concurrent players during its opening 24 hours. While it will be interesting to see whether that number increases over the weekend period, the figure already places it as the 22nd highest concurrent peak in the platform's all-time history. Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. |
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition Review Posted: 17 Nov 2021 12:40 AM PST Has there been a game released in the last 20 years that's been more influential than Grand Theft Auto III? From its establishment of the open-world sandbox fundamentals to its critical role in reshaping videogames into a more attractive medium for mature audiences, GTA III's shadow still looms large over almost every facet of the artform. If any game deserved a definitive edition that allowed fans to relive that revolution without squinting to ignore ancient graphics, it's this. And yet, series creator Rockstar Games has decided to pay tribute to this modern gaming monolith and its two equally acclaimed PS2-era sequels, Vice City and San Andreas, by producing a collection of re-releases that cuts more corners than a Yakuza Stinger in a Liberty City street race. At best this trilogy is ill-conceived and half-finished; at worst it's straight-up broken. If this half-baked Definitive Edition is anything to go by, I have to wonder if Rockstar reveres its own games as much as the rest of us do. There are some positives, mind you, but almost every welcome addition is implemented at the cost of some sort of buzz-killing compromise. It seems so antiquated that my original playthroughs with each of these three games were done with a paper map unfurled across my lap, so it's very convenient that you're now able to just hit pause to scan the full map of each game world and drop waypoint markers to your destination, like modern gamers would expect. However, you can't override waypoints that are automatically created during a mission, like if you wanted to take a detour across town to an Ammunation or a Pay 'n' Spray perhaps, and the pathfinding can often get confused as it continually recalculates over the course of a journey, at times resembling something closer to a hastily scribbled signature than the shortest possible route. Similarly, the "GTAV-inspired modern controls" promised in this collection's marketing have been applied somewhat unevenly over the three individual games. Weapon switching is improved across the board with the ability to use a shoulder button to bring up a weapon wheel, but auto-targeting feels far snappier in San Andreas than in GTA III and Vice City, and while you can circle-strafe while locked on to an enemy with a lighter weapon equipped, heavier machine guns and the like still root you to the spot and force you into a manually aimed first-person perspective regardless. The auto-targeting in GTA III and Vice City proved to be particularly sluggish whenever I found myself up close and personal with a group of enemies, which was fairly frequent given that enemy AI wasn't designed to use cover and just rushes you more often than not. Thus, in both games I found myself increasingly reliant on the use of sniper rifles to thin the herds from a distance rather than run headlong into yet another spasmodic shootout. A mid-mission checkpointing system has been implemented to good effect in San Andreas, allowing you to restart with all your health and weapons and skip the early setup phase of certain missions. That resolves one of the great complaints of the early games in the 3D series. Yet in GTA III and Vice City, choosing the option to restart at a checkpoint just boots you back to the very start of the mission no matter how deep into it you were when you died. So if, like I did, you die a number of times trying to outrun the cops at the end of the 'S.A.M.' mission in the lead up to GTA III's climax, you still have to drive from the construction site to the boat jetty, take the boat to the end of the airport runway, wait for the plane to arrive, shoot down the plane with the rocket launcher, collect all the packages, return to the mainland, and then try and escape the police, over and over again. It's odd that one game allows you to literally cut to the chase while the other two force you to repeatedly bring the car around and warm up the engine first. Grand Theft AutocorrectThe new cartoonish character designs have certainly been met with some controversy and mockery among fans, but while I wouldn't say they look good I don't have any real issue with them personally. Sure, they all look like a bunch of down and out Disney Infinity dolls, and yes, the Candy Suxxx character model well, kinda sucks, but the only time I ever felt really distracted by them was in the occasional cutscene where characters would be holding objects like pistols or cigarettes in the empty space where their blocky, fingerless fists used to be. That's largely the problem with the overhauled graphics in the Definitive Edition; they're like a shiny new sheet of high-resolution stickers that have been slapped haphazardly on top of an aging LEGO set. They look cleaner on the surface, but there's no real consistency in how they've been applied and everything is still pretty chunky underneath. I don't pretend to fully understand the technical process involved with taking three games created on the Renderware engine a couple of decades ago and porting them to Unreal Engine 4 in 2021. However, I can only assume due to the comparatively small size of studio Grove Street Games (whose end game credits number at around 30 members of staff), that a lot of the work has been automated, and it shows in a suite of game worlds that are simultaneously sharper than you remember but also noticeably sloppier in terms of their artistic direction and lacking atmosphere. Given how effectively AI upscaling techniques were used to sharpen Mass Effect Legendary Edition's textures earlier this year, it's a bit of a shock to see how poorly it's done here. Even the new lighting system brings mixed results. The neon facades of Vice City's Ocean Beach district really pop and reflections on cars and puddles are appealing, but elsewhere the overly intense shadows would cast characters into darkness no matter how much I fiddled with the brightness and contrast settings. Although squinting to make out detail in dark areas was still less of a strain on my eyes than the truly torturous rain effect, which made me feel I was being waterboarded with a can of silly string. Meanwhile, an improved draw distance – which was likely intended to make each environment seem bigger – has actually had the opposite effect. This is particularly glaring in San Andreas where, coupled with the removal of the Los Angeles-inspired orange smog haze that once concealed the PS2's technical limitations, you can stand out front of a cabin in Flint County and see the San Fierro skyline looming in the very immediate distance. It completely shatters the convincing illusion of scale that the map was previously able to conjure, and it now feels like wandering around Disney's Frontierland while having an unobstructed view of Space Mountain. This improved draw distance may also contribute to this collection's constantly wavering framerate on PS5, which is prone to frequent stuttering whether you opt for fidelity or performance modes. Why you're even forced to make that choice on a modern console in a collection of games that are each old enough to vote and still don't look all that good is beyond me. And if you're playing on Switch (which I have not but others at IGN have) there's no avoiding the terrible performance. Then there are the bugs, which were waiting to ambush me around every corner like a bunch of game-breaking gangbangers. (For the sake of transparency, I completed every main mission in GTA III and Vice City, and all the main missions in San Andreas up until San Fierro for the purposes of this review.) Hard crashes, frozen cutscenes, NPCs getting caught running in circles, bridges and building exteriors disappearing, and a particularly bizarre morphing texture glitch that has permanently left my CJ in San Andreas resembling Watchmen's Rorschach are just a few examples of the many rough edges I've been exposed to in all three games. All this, I might add, was on PS5 – by the sounds of it, audiences on PC and Nintendo Switch have had it even worse. I'm assuming that the developer is frantically preparing bug-fixing patches as we speak, but it's a bit like barring the stable door after the horse has glitched through the wall and exploded. Bless This MessHowever, it's a testament to just how brilliant these games remain, that I still found myself smiling during my replays of the three stories in spite of the many issues. There's no doubt that the mission design has aged, particularly in GTA III, and creaky limitations like the lack of swimming in both it and Vice City can be tough to reconcile with. But elsewhere, these are video game playgrounds packed with personality and invention and accompanied by incredible soundtracks, even despite a few notable licensed omissions from Vice City and San Andreas that Rockstar has long since lost the rights to include. And they're just so dense with exceedingly quotable humour, much of which has stayed with me in the years since I first played them. I can't come home from a night out without telling my wife "Yep, I've been drinking again." Oftentimes I can't get the wah-wahing Giggle Cream jingle out of my head. And I still don't know why men have nipples. Not only did I enjoy reabsorbing all the hilarious writing, but it was also quite fascinating to sit and play through the three games back to back and relive the rapid evolution of a series (and genre) that would soon become all-conquering. GTA III establishes the blueprint, Vice City refines it and adds weaponised '80s nostalgia to its arsenal, and San Andreas expands it in every direction and arguably perfects it, at least given the technology available at the time. There's no denying the seemingly never-ending commercial success of GTAV, but as far as purely single-player GTA games go, I personally feel that San Andreas might still be the pinnacle. That's what makes these re-releases such a bitter adrenaline pill to swallow. While these games may have aged too much to be attractive to new players, they are still fun to revisit for existing fans... but this is just far from being the ideal way to experience them. It's akin to Martin Scorcese announcing a new director's cut of Goodfellas, but palming off the actual editing work to McG. You're still getting three iconic GTA games and they're certainly still playable, but they're not delivered with anywhere near the level of exacting craftsmanship we've grown to expect from Rockstar. I can't help but wonder how different this re-released collection could have been had the publisher issued talented members of the GTA modding community employment contracts rather than cease and desist letters. |
Saints Row Delayed Until August 2022 Posted: 16 Nov 2021 10:37 PM PST Deep Silver and Volition have today confirmed that Saints Row has officially been delayed. Volition's Saints Row reboot is now due to arrive on August 23, 2022, seven months later than its initially-planned arrival date of February 25, 2022. Volition chief creative officer Jim Boone announced the delay via the Saints Row Twitter account. In an extended post on the Saints Row website Boone conceded the team misjudged the impact the COVID-19 pandemic would ultimately have on Saints Row's development. "Our priority is to create the best Saints Row game yet and, if we released on the original date, it wouldn't be up to the standards we've set ourselves, and that you're expecting and deserve," wrote Boone. "The team just need more time to do our vision justice; we're doing some fine tuning and there won't be much change in the game outside of overall quality and polish. "In all honesty, we underestimated the impact COVID would have on our schedule, although everyone adapted very quickly to the working from home arrangement and continued to be incredibly productive. "Rest assured, there will not be any changes to the story or the characters or anything that we've lovingly imagined over the last few years and already shared with you. "Over the past two years, all corners of the entertainment industry have been affected/impacted in one way or another. As gamers ourselves, we know what it feels like to have something delayed which you've been looking forward to; it's frustrating and you feel disappointed. But we also know that when we finally get Saints Row in your hands, it will have been worth the wait. It's our absolute priority to get this right." Volition's Saints Row reboot was first revealed during the Opening Night Live showcase at Gamescom 2021. Set in a new city inspired by the American southwest, Saints Row will be the first new game in the series since 2013's Saints Row 4. Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter every few days @MrLukeReilly. He loves Red Faction. Don't ask him stuff about Saints Row. |
Jurassic World Evolution 2 Review Posted: 16 Nov 2021 06:29 PM PST You could've tracked me down in any given year of my life and gotten me excited about the idea of running my own dinosaur park, and Jurassic World Evolution 2 makes good on a lot of the important parts of that promise. While it lacks the customization and management depth of Frontier's other recent, excellent park-builders, Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo, getting to see these prehistoric beasts at eye-level from one of those stylish '90s tour Jeeps has never looked more enticing. At least until you lightly bump into a goat and the physics engine sends several tons of steel hurtling into the air like a Looney Tunes gag. Yeah, there are still some rough bits. The stars of the show are, of course, the over 70 species of unlockable dinosaurs, aquatic reptiles, and flying pterosaurs you can put on display. And they are fantastic replicas of the models used in the movies, with lifelike animations and spot-on sound for everything from the iconic T. rex to more obscure, but equally cool, species like the Baryonyx. The armchair paleontologist in me is a bit disappointed that they don't reflect newer research on dinosaurs that has come along since 1994 – there's nary a feathered velociraptor in sight – but on the other hand it's a Jurassic Park game, so I can understand why they wouldn't want to diverge from the look of the films. Caring for them involves creating enclosures with food, water, and appropriate terrain, much like in Planet Zoo, but here their needs are quite a bit simplified and sometimes counter-intuitive. Raptors don't need trees or tall grass? What? Climate doesn't seem to play a role at all either, as any species can live perfectly comfortably in the Canadian wilderness just as easily as the baking Arizona desert with no heating or cooling facilities. It's cool that there are so many different terrain types this time around, but the fact that they don't present any unique challenges is a let-down. It's a trade-off, I guess, because the loose set of rules also gives you a bit more freedom with the overall look of your habitats. I wasn't that impressed with the other park management aspects, either. You can't even set basic costs like ticket and snack prices, and while I didn't miss that micromanagement too much, the park feels less alive when you don't have to hire or take care of souvenir shop cashiers or janitors. Rangers, who are responsible for repairs, feeding, and capturing escapees, are nameless, faceless grunts whom you apparently have an unlimited supply of. Likewise, you can't click on individual guests to learn about them, so the simulation of their wants and needs is as deep as a puddle. So is all the water in the park, by the way, outside of special enclosures specifically for aquatic species. Your scientists, who bring back fossils, hatch dinosaurs, heal sick or injured specimens, and research new buildings, are the only hires you'll care about, and they can now sabotage your park if you don't allow them regular vacation time, which adds at least a little bit of tension to staff management. Spare No ExpenseMaximizing income is a simple minigame of adding modules to your amenities to appeal to specific guest types, which boils down to mousing over the list, seeing which ones will add the most profit, and then building those. Streamlining the busywork so you can focus on the dinosaurs makes sense to a certain degree, but I feel like Evolution 2 takes it a dino-sized step too far. Even if it is a much richer experience than the first game, the gap between this and most other park sims is significant. The ability to speed up time is a really welcome addition, though, especially when you're just waiting to have enough money to hatch a new species or repair a critical facility. The absence of this feature created huge chunks of boring downtime in the original, especially when a storm knocked out power and your dinos ran up a huge bill by eating guests and you had to pay it off by just waiting it out; this lets you mostly skip over all of that. Visual customization is also fairly lacking. While some buildings, like food and beverage stands, let you choose the style and color of every single piece individually, others have only one or two pre-made appearances. There's a terrain sculpting tool that works decently, but it's nowhere near as powerful as the one in Planet Zoo, and paths built along slopes don't even level themselves off, so you can end up with something like a sidewalk canted at a 30 degree angle with guests merrily strolling along when they should be tumbling to their doom. Breeding your own dinosaurs is at least a bit more strategic and meaningful this time around. Most species will come with genetic problems, like short lifespans or aggressive tendencies, and those have to be compensated for by your scientists by adding DNA from other species. It also provides an incentive to complete the genome of species you already have the ability to clone, since that allows you more room to add genetic modifications. The personality of each dinosaur really matters, and when my star raptor, Victoria, kept getting into fights, I was left with a tough choice. Putting her with other raptors resulted in frequent, expensive vet bills for both her and whichever other member of the pack she had decided to bully. But raptors can't live comfortably in isolation, so I couldn't just place her in her own, separate enclosure, either. Ultimately, I just had to let nature run its course: she kept getting in fights, and I withheld treatment until she died of her injuries. As Ian Malcolm might say, "F- around, find out." In the next batch of eggs, I made sure to throw out the ones with that trait. You Didn't Say The Magic WordThis sim is also packed with unlockables, which can be nice if you want help setting goals, but frustrating if you merely want to jump into sandbox mode and build the park of your dreams. There is, astoundingly, only one map available in sandbox at first, and all of the rest must be unlocked either in frustrating timed challenges or story-based "Chaos Theory" scenarios, which mostly follow the plots of the various Jurassic films. This is probably the place you'll want to start, since they give you a reasonable amount of freedom to play how you want and feature cameos from major series characters, including some of the original actors like Jeff Goldblum. You'll also have to unlock the vast majority of the available dinosaur species, but I didn't mind this as much. Most of the important ones from the original film are available very early on, and it was nice to still be discovering new species to mix things up even more than 30 hours in. Pterosaurs and aquatic species especially got a lot more love this time around (they weren't included at all when the first game launched), with more customizable enclosures that let you focus your entire park on them more easily, if that's your thing. There is also a campaign mode which changes up the formula in some interesting ways: after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service – and the CIA for some reason? – have recruited Claire Dearing and Owen Grady to help them capture wild dinosaurs and place them into non-profit sanctuaries. The former is voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard reprising her role, but Chris Pratt must've been too busy voicing literally every animated character and is nowhere to be found. It's only a few hours long and feels more like a tutorial than anything, because disabling the already meager economic aspects of Evolution 2 leaves you with even less to do. But the scenarios themselves are fairly novel, giving us our first look into a world where humans and dinosaurs have to coexist. |
Riot Forge Announce Three New Games From Rime, Speed Brawl Developers Posted: 16 Nov 2021 05:52 PM PST Riot Forge, Riot Game's third-party publishing label, announced three new games set in the League of Legends universe Tuesday, two of which are available now. Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a single-player turn-based RPG developed by Airship Syndicate, the same team behind Battle Chasers: Nightwar and Darksiders: Genesis. Ruined King takes place in Runeterra's regions of Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles, letting you form a party of League of Legends characters like Ahri, Miss Fortune, or Braum to investigate a blight known as the Black Mist and defeat a common enemy — presumably the titular Ruined King.
Ruined King is out now on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC (Steam, GOG, Epic) with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions "available soon." Existing PS4 and Xbox One users will be able to upgrade their versions to next-gen for free. The standard edition of Ruined King will cost you $29.99. Next up is Hextech: Mayhem, which might sound familiar to anyone watching the shockingly good Arcane Netflix series.
Hextech: Mayhem is a "rhythm runner" developed by Choice Provisions, the studio behind the BIT.TRIP series. In a 2.5D world, players will control explosives enthusiast Ziggs as he runs through a platformer-style world with special jumps and attacks powered by an arsenal of bombs, all set to the beat of music. That's out now on Switch and PC (Epic, GOG, Steam) for 9.99. Riot Forge's third game, due out in 2022, is Song of Nunu, developed by Tequila Works, the studio behind Rime, The Sexy Brutale, and VR games like The Invisible Hours and Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son. Song of Nunu is a single-player third-person adventure game following Nunu, a young boy who befriends a yeti named Willump in the cold land of Frejlord. You'll solve puzzles with music magic, fight off wolves, and explore the frigid landscape. Riot Forge plans to release that on Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store.
Riot Forge also teased a new game called "CONV/RGENCE," a single-player 2D action-platformer with time control mechanics. You'll play as Ekko, a character fans of Arcane should be familiar with, and explore the cities of Piltover and Zaun. That's being developed by Double Stallion, the studio behind other action games like Speed Brawl, OK KO Turbo, and Loud House: Outta Control. It's due out next year.
Finally, Riot Forge briefly teased an untitled game set in League of Legends' Demacia region, a great white stone city founded as a safe haven from sorcery after the Rune Wars. It's all a big push from Riot Games and Riot Forge to introduce new players to League's world of Runeterra. While we wait for the newer games, why not check out the story behind K/DA, the K-pop/League of Legends sensation that took the world by storm three years ago. Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/champion of breakfast for IGN. |
Halo Infinite Multiplayer Arrives Early! – Unlocked 521 Posted: 16 Nov 2021 04:23 PM PST Xbox creator Seamus Blackley joins us for a special episode commemorating the 20th anniversary of Xbox. He shares stories from the early days of building the Xbox at Microsoft, discusses what he thinks of Xbox and the gaming industry now, and much more! Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our new YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 download of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out our special Xbox 20th anniversary episode, featuring a candid interview with Xbox creator Seamus Blackley: Oh, and you can be featured on Unlocked by tweeting us a video Loot Box question! Tweet your question and tag Ryan at @DMC_Ryan! For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review. Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan. |
New Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Details Feature Pirates, Only a Little Chaos Posted: 16 Nov 2021 03:41 PM PST Square Enix has shared new details and screenshots for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, the new, souls-like Final Fantasy game from Nioh studio Team Ninja. Stranger of Paradise is a new interpretation of the original Final Fantasy and focuses on the hero Jack and his quest to destroy Chaos and return light to the crystals of Cornelia. Today, Square Enix introduced Captain Bikke, a pirate who Jack and his companions will encounter. They'll run into Bikke at a pirate ship moored in the Pravoka Seagrot, a new location in the game. The pirate captain swings a two-handed axe in battle. Other characters introduced include Cornelia's royal family comprised of the King, Queen Jayne, and their daughters Sarah and Mia. Square Enix also went over the break gauge system in combat where combos and abilities will reduce the enemy's gauge. Once depleted, you can defeat the enemy with a single blow. There's also a new ability called the Soul Shield, which absorbs an enemy's attack and allows you to fire it right back at them. And, much like Dark Souls, Jedi Fallen Order, and other games in the genre, healing Jack at a checkpoint cube will also resurrect all monsters in the area. If you fall in combat, you respawn at the last cube you healed at. First announced at E3 2021, Stranger of Paradise is not a direct continuation or prequel to Final Fantasy 1. Instead, it sounds like a remix of the first game, using the same setting and some elements of the original's story. After a rough demo period where the game was unplayable, we were able to try out Stranger of Paradise, where we said the game is, "actually shaping up to be a very promising looking action/soulslike spin on the Final Fantasy franchise." And, it could get even better, as the developers are implementing changes made based on player feedback. You can check out what comes in each edition of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin here. Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant. |
Xbox's Phil Spencer Weighs In On NFTs in Gaming Posted: 16 Nov 2021 03:31 PM PST Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have surged in prominence online. There's a whole community of NFT enthusiasts out on the internet, but some are cautious about the new technology. Xbox's Phil Spencer feels that they are currently more exploitative than creative. In an interview with Axios, Spencer says that he is cautious about how NFTs are currently being considered in gaming. "What I'd say today on NFT, all up, is I think there's a lot of speculation and experimentation that's happening, and that some of the creative that I see today feels more exploitive than about entertainment," explained Spencer. Spencer went on to clarify that he doesn't think every single NFT game is exploitative, but that the space is still new and people are on a journey trying to figure it out. He also understands the early controversy surrounding NFTs in gaming isn't necessarily an aspect you want to have in the Xbox Store. "I think anything that we looked at in our storefront that we said is exploitive would be something that we would, you know, take action on," Spencer added. "We don't want that kind of content." NFTs have taken the world by storm, and have already crept their way into the gaming ecosystem. Last month, Steam put forth a policy that banned any games utilizing blockchain technology that allows for NFTs and cryptocurrencies, while Epic Games embraced them, given that they follow relevant laws. Big publishers such as EA and Ubisoft have decided to welcome NFTs as well. EA believes that NFT technology will play an important part in the future of gaming, while Ubisoft plans to create blockchain games. George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey |
IGN’s Shoppable Gift Guide Livestream is Now Live Posted: 16 Nov 2021 02:30 PM PST We're now live with IGN's Shoppable Holiday Gift Guide stream ahead of Black Friday. In partnership with Walmart, our greatest deal experts are going through the retailers complete inventory to help you find the hottest game, movie, TV, toy, and tech gifts of 2021. The best part? You will be able to shop along with us and seamlessly add your favorite items to your own Walmart cart and check-out while watching. Not only will this let you get a jump start on your Black Friday shopping, but all items will go live on Walmart.com as we discuss them, so everyone will have a fair shot at securing that which they desire most. Check out the stream now: Items Shown in the StreamWhat to Expect at the Upcoming IGN's Shoppable Gift Guide LivestreamIGN's Shoppable Gift Guide Livestream is hosted by our very own IGN Deals guru Seth Macy and host extraordinaire Brian Altano. They're looking through Walmart's expansive list of gift options to present clever and fun ideas that are sure to please even the most Grinchiest of recipients. As previously mentioned, you won't even have to leave IGN's stream to shop the live gift guide, as you can add new items to your Walmart cart and checkout via a shopping platform called Talk Shop. This shopping event is cozy and just generally a "Good Vibes" time, covering the best and most sought-after game, movie, TV, toy, and tech gifts of 2021. If you can't wait to get your holiday shopping done, be sure to check out all of IGN's Holiday Gift Guides, including:
IGN's Shoppable Gift Guide Livestream Start TimeIGN's Shoppable Gift Guide Livestream is live on Tuesday, November 16 at 3pm PT/6pm ET/11pm GMT, lasting for around 1.5 hours. If you are watching from Australia, that translates to November 17 at 9am AEST. Where to Watch IGN's Shoppable Gift Guide LivestreamYou can watch IGN's Shoppable Gift Guide Livestream right here on IGN, and across our many channels on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Here's the full list of places you can watch the deal extravaganza show with us right now: |
Ed Sheeran Is Somehow Going To Be In Pokémon Go Posted: 16 Nov 2021 02:10 PM PST One of the most famous pop musicians of the 2000s will be joining Pokémon Go somehow. That person is English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. The Ed Sheeran HQ Twitter account has revealed that some sort of crossover between the singer and the Pokémon Go mobile game will be coming soon. The game's official account subsequently retweeted it with an eyes emoji, confirming the collaboration. — Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 16, 2021 No other details about this have been revealed, so it's unclear how Ed Sheeran will be in Pokémon Go. The simplest guess would be that he wrote and perform some music for the game. Who knows? In any case, Ed is coming. He's collaborated on other projects such as Game of Thrones and Rise of Skywalker, but those were acting roles, unlike Pokémon Go. The last update involving Pokémon Go was back in September when Niantic announced new Safari Live Event in-person dates. They were originally supposed to be held back in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were postponed. Pokémon Go was also in the news because Niantic had planned to reduce the interaction radius of PokeStops and Gyms that were related to the pandemic. However, following an outcry from fans, Niantic decided to walk that back and keep the interaction radius at 80 meters instead of 40. George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey |
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