Monthly Archives: March 2020
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Review – Better Than You Remember
When the original pair of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games were released in 2006, they were received as the ugly Duckletts of Pokemon spin-offs. Now, almost 15 years later, it is clear how wrong we were to write off Spike Chunsoft's ambitious take on the titanic series: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX for Switch is wondrous to play and, in a way, boasts a substantially more resonant fable than most other recent Pokemon games.
You wake up one morning and everything seems pretty ordinary, at least until you realize that you're not a human anymore. Instead, you've magically and mysteriously metamorphosed into a Pokemon--which exact species is determined by a fun little personality quiz you take at the beginning of the game. Before long you make a new best friend, who is also a Pokemon, and you decide to form a rescue team together. Why? To save foolish Pokemon who have ventured into dangerous dungeons stricken by environmental disasters, even though they're totally aware of said environmental disasters. Over the course of the game, you embark on arduous odysseys to the many dungeons scattered sporadically across the world of Pokemon, each of which contains several 'mons in desperate need of help and lots of others who are a bit aggravated by the daily earthquakes.
What's important about Mystery Dungeon carving itself out a new home on Switch is that DX isn't just some sort of lazy rehash. Perhaps the most striking thing about this reworked spin-off, at least at first, is its revised color palette. It's pretty different to the old Mystery Dungeon games, sporting a warm painterly style to replace the originals' GBA-era pixel art. The revamped rescue base you get about halfway through the game is especially gorgeous, while the relentlessly upbeat soundtrack is capable of both intensifying the charming tone of the art and flipping even the tensest moments on their head. This is an essential part of the game's overall appeal, as it goes hand in hand with the fact that Mystery Dungeon is ultimately about overcoming adversity with a smile on your face. One second it seems as if you're on the verge of the inevitable apocalypse, the next you're bobbing along, beaming for no reason, ready to hurtle headlong into a procedurally generated dungeon to save some 'mons and make some money.
Continue Reading at GameSpotTwitter Account Answers ‘Is Something Behind the Waterfall?’
Video games can be so many things: fantastical adventures, alien sci-fi shooters, plumber astronaut simulators. Even so, there's one common thread that runs though countless video games, regardless of genre: waterfalls make the absolute best hiding places. Now, there's a Twitter account diligently cataloging these wonderful cataracts.
Is Something Behind the Waterfall? is the latest creation from the person who brought the adorable Can You Pet the Dog? Twitter account into this world, and it serves as a catalog of video game waterfalls that hide caves, treasures, and countless other secrets. In just over 10 hours, the account managed to accrue over 10 thousand followers, showing that gamers everywhere just want to know what's behind those beautiful waterfalls.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/01/12/exploring-waterfall-in-undertale"]
Waterfalls in Zelda, The Witcher 3, Halo, and More
The account kicked off with an appropriate video from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where Link finds a shrine behind one of its many, MANY waterfalls.[poilib element="accentDivider"]The account quickly turned its gaze to Halo: Combat Evolved, where a mythic skull was quickly discovered nearby a deluge of water.I have started a new account based on one of my most popular requests: @VGWaterfalls tracks video games that have waterfalls with secrets behind them. https://t.co/wCraf7DGR1
— Can You Pet the Dog? (@CanYouPetTheDog) March 5, 2020
[poilib element="accentDivider"]Not long after, a highly peculiar and extremely patient waterfall in Earthbound was explored.There is a skull behind the waterfall in Halo: Combat Evolved pic.twitter.com/hqPZbf9Y3D
— Is Something Behind the Waterfall? (@VGWaterfalls) March 5, 2020
[poilib element="accentDivider"]Most recently, the account shared footage from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, where Geralt finds a very special and extremely damp treasure chest.There is a secret passage behind the waterfall in Earthbound -- but to access it, you must wait three real-world minutes while standing completely still pic.twitter.com/AUnTEkZD5a
— Is Something Behind the Waterfall? (@VGWaterfalls) March 5, 2020
There is a treasure chest under the waterfall in The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt pic.twitter.com/1qrWMlqAeD
— Is Something Behind the Waterfall? (@VGWaterfalls) March 5, 2020
Fans Make Gaming Great
Leading up to Animal Crossing: New Horizon's March 20 release date, fans are creating some amazing (and adorable) creations that they're sharing with the community. Last month, Animal Crossing and DOOM Eternal fans bonded over their shared March 20 release date, creating some hilarious and heartwarming fan art meshing the two disparate franchises together. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pax-east-nintendo-animal-crossing-booth&captions=true"] The video game world even got hyped over the PS5's logo, even if it surprised absolutely no one. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Colin Stevens is IGN's video game social coordinator, and his favorite waterfall is probably the one you can drive through in Uncharted 4. Follow him on Twitter.MGM Will Reportedly Take $30 Million-Plus Hit After No Time to Die Delay
No Time to Die's seven-month delay could lead to a $30 million-plus hit for MGM Studios.
If The Hollywood Reporter's sources are correct, the studio behind the latest James Bond movie, MGM Studios, will likely take a hit in the $30 million to $50 million range as a result of the seventh-month delay for the next James Bond movie that was announced earlier this week. The delay came after "careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace."
While not confirmed, the decision is likely the result of the ongoing COVID-19, otherwise known as the novel coronavirus, threat people around the globe are facing. Theaters around the globe have been closed temporarily which could lead to smaller box office numbers. Earlier this week, as reported by the BBC, two of the leading James Bond fan sites, MI6 Confidential and The James Bond Dossier, penned open letters asking the studio behind No Time to Die to "put public health above marketing release schedules."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/20/no-time-to-die-james-bond-25-cast-reveal"]
If MGM Studios does take the hit that's expected, No Time to Die won't be the last film affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Movie marketplace analysts believe the outbreak could result in a $5 billion loss for global box offices, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Other blockbusters coming this year like Black Widow and Furious 9 reportedly won't be delayed, however.
The video game industry is being affected much in the same way the movie industry is by COVID-19. Several game companies pulled out of recent events with other shows like GDC 2020 postponing their show altogether.
No Time to Die is expected to release on November 12, 2020, in the U.K. and on November 25, 2020, in the U.S. The film was originally slated for an April 2 release in the U.K. and an April 10 release in the U.S.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-next-james-bonds-who-never-played-007&captions=true"]
Now that you've got some extra time to catch up on all things James Bond, check out the No Time to Die Big Game Spot trailer and then check out the official trailer. After watching the trailer, you might be thinking Rami Malek is playing Dr. No in the movie and if so, you're not alone.
If you haven't yet listened to the official theme of No Time to Die from Billie Eilish, aptly titled No Time to Die as well, you can listen to the song now. Accompanying Eilish's voice in the movie will be a score from The Dark Knight and Interstellar composer Hanz Zimmer.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
The Outer Worlds Dev Adds More Accessibility Options For Font Sizes
The Outer Worlds developer is going a step further for accessibility by adding a font size slider. It will be arriving in the Outer Worlds 1.3 patch.
Obsidian Entertainment developer, Nate McDorman, showed the new slider in action on Twitter. McDorman mentioned in his Twitter thread that he chose to "ditch the old font size toggle" and create something new altogether.
McDorman says it took three months of work, but you can finally see it in action below.
The original font size toggle option was added on November 18, 2019, as part of Patch 1.1.1.0. Obsidian addressed the text size issue after receiving consistent feedback asking to improve it. On top of this, patch 1.3 will replace the previous toggle with a more customizable option instead. This patch also includes other UI and gameplay changes such as ultrawide support, multi-quest map tracking, a sprint toggle, and more. The full patch notes are available on the Obsidian forum. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/22/the-outer-worlds-review"] Patch 1.3 will be available across all platforms later this week, according to the patch notes. The Nintendo Switch version will launch later this month with the slider already implemented. If you're waiting for information on more content, the developer confirmed the story DLC in the works back in December 2019. Nothing is known about the planned DLC aside from a release sometime in 2020. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-xbox-one-games&captions=true"] Whether you're jumping into The Outer Worlds for the first time or not, take a look at our 13 Tips and Tricks For Surviving The Outer Worlds. And if you're a more experienced player, you should check out our 5 character builds for getting ahead. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jeffrey Lerman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @Snakester95.I can finally say that I've spent the last 3 months getting FONT SCALING into @OuterWorlds! You can get your hands on it very soon! I'm about to drop some GIFs of my work in game! pic.twitter.com/oVweRmg6Bt
— Nate (@NateElCabro) March 4, 2020
Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Sidequests Will Maintain Quality of Story Missions
Final Fantasy 7 Remake's sidequests will match the quality of the game's main story missions, according to director Tetsuya Nomura in an interview with Famitsu.
Set to release next month, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is just the first part of an unknown number of Final Fantasy 7 Remake games. Rather than guiding players through the entire story of the original 1997 game, this remake will only include the Midgar section of the original game. That's only a handful or two of hours in the original, but we know Square Enix and Nomura are working to beef up this section of the game with new explorable areas, additional bosses and side quests.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/04/final-fantasy-7-remake-comparison-2015-vs-2020"]
Speaking with Famitsu and translated by IGN Japan, Nomura said these side quests will be equal in quality to the main quests of the game.
"The sub-quests have been made in exactly the same way as the main story quests," Nomura said. "Initially, the development team also wanted to create a large volume of content, but it was not possible to do all of it, so we are doing as much as we can while maintaining the quality."
"So it's as much as you can manage while maintaining quality?" Famitsu asked Nomura.
"Yes," Nomura said. "There was even more, but I thought that volume of content would never be finished."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-7-remake-over-100-screenshots&captions=true"]
Based on Nomura's comments, it would seem that the team had plans for a larger number of side quests but opted to reduce the number of side quests to ensure the ones included matched the quality of the main story missions.
Translations online seem to indicate that Nomura is saying the sidequests are as large as the main quests, but our translation from IGN Japan does not indicate that was the intention of what he originally said. The size of the sidequests, in scope or length, does not seem to be what Nomura was discussing with Famitsu but rather, he was speaking to the idea that the development team favored qualitative side quests over a larger quantity of side quests.
We'll all find out what these side quests look like, both in quantity and quality, when the game is released next month on April 10. The game will be released exclusively on PS4. If you're waiting to play it elsewhere, you'll have to wait until at least 2021. In the meantime, check out our latest thoughts on the game after a recent hands-on preview and now that a demo is out for the game, check out our guide on how to get the demo's secret ending.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/10/final-fantasy-vii-in-7-minutes"]
You can control both Cloud and Barrett in the demo and the game but one character you won't be able to control in the game is Red XIII. That's not the only big change from the original. Sephiroth will show his face far sooner in the remake and you can read about how the team behind the game decided to include the One-Winged Angel so soon in the game's story this time around.
While you're waiting for the game to be released next month, start making some space on your PS4 now because the game will seemingly be 100 GB. Check out the Final Fantasy 7 Remake opening movie after doing that to put you in your feels.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Black Widow, Furious 9 Reportedly Won’t Be Delayed Due to Coronavirus
In light of UA and MGM's decision to delay the release of the James Bond film No Time to Die from April to November, the question is whether other studios will follow suit and postpone their upcoming movies due to the spreading coronavirus. According to a new report, the short-term answer appears to be no.
"Currently, Disney is adamant that they’re not moving the May 1 release date of Black Widow, and Universal is officially not changing their May 22 release for F9," Deadline reports.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/marvels-black-widow-big-game-spot]
IGN reached out to all the major studios to inquire about whether they were planning on shifting their release dates but none of them had responded as of time of publish.
Deadline claims there had been rumors among distributors that Disney would shift the release of Black Widow to the November 6 slot currently occupied by another Marvel title, The Eternals, and then push the latter film to 2021. But, according to Deadline, "Disney is telling its exhibition partners that they’re staying the course with their current release slate."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=20-worst-opening-weekends-at-the-us-domestic-box-office&captions=true"]
Likewise, Warner Bros. is reportedly not moving the release dates for Scoob! (May 15) or Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5) nor is Paramount postponing the May 22 opening of SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run.
Of course, no one knows how widespread or threatening COVID-19 will be by November, but until then the film industry will continue to observe the situation and hope audiences still head to theaters.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fans Get Creative Before Launch
Ahead of Animal Crossing: New Horizons March 20 launch, fans are making some incredibly cute art and creation tools and sharing them with the equally excited community.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/animal-crossing-new-horizons-direct-2202020"]
One of the most common fan-creations made in anticipation of New Horizons are countdown clocks. As of today, there are still 15 days until it's released, but some fans are accounting for every SECOND until they can get their hands on the next Animal Crossing.
One of the most entertaining countdown clocks is ACNH Countdown, which is simple, effective, and has music you will want to dance to for the next two weeks.
Animal Crossing Villager Creator
One of the most popular fan-made creation tools was an Animal Crossing villager maker from Kyoosh. Several fans used this tool to make themselves in the cute and simple style Animal Crossing is known for, sharing their creations on social media. Unfortunately, this character maker was quickly taken down, though Kyoosh is looking for another site to host it again.
Animal Crossing Dodo Airlines, Countdown Clocks
Animal Crossing fans have found several creative outlets while biding their time for New Horizons, one of the most jolly of which is dodoairlines.com. This site, created and designed by CelesMeh, Zoulianne, u/ItalianLurker, and u/TORtur3, allows fans to create a boarding pass, passport, and greeting card in preparation of their impending trip to a deserted island.
One of the most common fan-creations made in anticipation of New Horizons are countdown clocks. As of today, there are still 15 days until it's released, but some fans are accounting for every SECOND until they can get their hands on the next Animal Crossing.
One of the most entertaining countdown clocks is ACNH Countdown, which is simple, effective, and has music you will want to dance to for the next two weeks.
Everything Animal Crossing: New Horizons
These are hardly the first instances of creative output from the Animal Crossing community leading up to New Horizons' release. Last month, Animal Crossing and DOOM Eternal fans bonded over their shared March 20 release date, creating some hilarious and heartwarming fan art meshing the two disparate franchises together. Several fans also had a blast at Nintendo's hyper-popular New Horizons PAX East booth. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pax-east-nintendo-animal-crossing-booth&captions=true"] For more on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, check out its character customization details, its Amiibo compatibility and functionality, and you don't want to miss every villager we've seen so far. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Colin Stevens is IGN's video game social coordinator, and he can not WAIT to be relaxed as heck on his deserted island. Follow him on Twitter.Here’s What It’s Like to Get Married on Pandora
Anyone can get married at a beach, church, or winery, but how many of your friends have tied the knot on an alien planet? (Okay, fine, at a recreation of an alien planet, but a very lifelike one.)
Disney has offered custom weddings and honeymoons at its various theme parks and resorts for years, and thanks to its unscripted docuseries, Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings (currently streaming on Disney+), viewers can now peek behind the curtain to find out what it takes to have a wedding in the Valley of Mo’ara on Pandora, the alien planet introduced in James Cameron's Avatar, which has been brought to life at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida.
For an exclusive look at Patrice and Dontrell's wedding in Pandora from this week's episode of Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, premiering on Disney+ on March 6, watch the video below or at the top of the page:
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/05/disneys-fairy-tale-weddings-exclusive-avatar-episode-clip"]
While the gorgeous venue at Pandora does look like a nice spot to get hitched, we really wanted to know if Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is up for grabs. In order to learn about all things related to Disney weddings, IGN spoke to Korri McFann, Marketing Director of Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, to see what dreams can come true.
"We do offer ways to celebrate Star Wars theming throughout your wedding however, at this time, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is not an available venue, McFann told IGN. "But who knows what the future may hold."
Some iconic locations that are currently available include the Tower of Terror courtyard at Disney World's Hollywood Studios, the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, locations in many of the countries around Epcot, the iconic railroad train station at Magic Kingdom, and the courtyards in front of the castles at Disneyland and Magic Kindgom.
McFann told us that the Disney weddings team has you covered every step of the way "from your engagement ring, to the first phone call with your wedding planner, picking out your wedding dress, to your wedding day, your honeymoon, and your return visits to Disney destinations."
IGN can also exclusively reveal some first-look photos of the Pandoran wedding in the gallery below:
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disneys-fairy-tale-weddings-a-pandoran-wedding-gallery&captions=true"]
"This wedding was truly a special way to celebrate in a beautiful land inspired by the power and the majesty of nature," McFann said. "For this wedding, we incorporated exotic floral down the aisle and simple wooden benches to complement the beautiful surroundings at Disney's Animal Kingdom."
One of the important things to consider if a Disney wedding sounds like your cup of tea (in addition to the price tag, of course - event minimum costs can range from $5,000 up to $50,000) is that your ceremony will either take place early in the morning before the parks officially open or late at night after the parks close, which are the only times the venues are free of tourists who might stumble in and ruin your photo op. "But, as you can see from the Pandora setting, having your guests rise a little earlier for a sunrise wedding is worth the effort," McFann noted, saying couples can follow @DisneyWeddings on social media to keep up with the latest news and announcements.
"A Pandoran Wedding" featuring Patrice and Dontrell premieres on Disney+ on Friday, March 6, 2020.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Disney’s Mulan Tracking for 2020’s Biggest Domestic Opening Yet
Disney's Mulan is projected to have a domestic debut of $85 million, according to early tracking.
If The Hollywood Reporter's tracking is correct, Mulan will beat every other opening in 2020 so far with Bad Boys for Life, the biggest 2020 opening as of now, poised to drop to second place at $68.4 million. To put into perspective what an $85 million opening for Mulan looks like, Disney's last remake of one of their animated classics, 2019's The Lion King, brought in $185 million during its opening weekend.
The Lion King soared above last year's live-action Aladdin, which opened to $91 million, and tracking shows Mulan to be just under Aladdin. $85 million is nothing to scoff at though. Aladdin eventually surpassed $1 billion at the box office. $85 million would still place Mulan into the upper echelons of domestic openings for Disney's live-action remakes.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disneys-mulan-official-photos-from-the-live-action-remake&captions=true"]
It's important to note, though, that Mulan is doing a lot more than simply recreating the original 1998 animated film, which is why audiences won't see Mulan's dragon sidekick Mushu or her famous haircut in the new movie. Moviegoers also shouldn't expect this Mulan to randomly break into song, although the score will callback to those classic tunes from the original film.
It's also a PG-13 film, unlike its G-rated animated counterpart. It's easy to see why with the stunts and action exhibited in recent trailers and featurettes.
Mulan is set to open March 27 and is directed by Niko Caro (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife). The titular hero is played by Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu. Last year, the actress found herself at the center of a controversy after making a statement of support for Hong Kong's police amidst protests.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/08/disneys-mulan-trailer-side-by-side-comparison-2020-vs-1998"]
You can catch up on all things Mulan by checking out a sneak peek trailer from this year's Super Bowl and by looking at some recent character posters. We've also got some official photos from the movie to tide you over until you see it in theaters later this month.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
GTA Online: Claim Double Rewards on Gunrunning Sell Missions This Week
This week in Grand Theft Auto Online, you can get double rewards on Gunrunning Sell Missions and the Bunker Series.