Monthly Archives: May 2020
Minecraft Dungeons Review – A Cuter Looter
Minecraft represented a massive paradigm shift in games, having served as a popular proto-example of both early access releases and unstructured, creation-based gameplay. More than a decade later, Minecraft Dungeons doesn't strive toward revolutionary, but it may just use the now-familiar trappings of its namesake to introduce a new generation of players to old-school tropes. The dungeon-crawler is a light, breezy introduction to the genre for newcomers and a friendly, low-impact callback for veterans.
Those experienced with games like Diablo or Torchlight already know the basic gist. You venture from a hub area into various environments, battle enemy hordes, occasionally fell some larger-than-life boss monster, and then spend time laying out and sorting through your new loot like a kid who just opened a pack of baseball cards. Rinse, repeat.
Within that framework there is some simplification in Minecraft Dungeons, which helps to make it more inviting. You only have six gear slots--melee, bow, armor, and three artifact-based abilities. You won't find specialized classes or complex skill trees here. Everything is tied to your gear, and the level-ups mostly matter in that they determine the quality of your loot drops.
Continue Reading at GameSpotMinecraft Dungeons Review – A Cuter Looter
Minecraft represented a massive paradigm shift in games, having served as a popular proto-example of both early access releases and unstructured, creation-based gameplay. More than a decade later, Minecraft Dungeons doesn't strive toward revolutionary, but it may just use the now-familiar trappings of its namesake to introduce a new generation of players to old-school tropes. The dungeon-crawler is a light, breezy introduction to the genre for newcomers and a friendly, low-impact callback for veterans.
Those experienced with games like Diablo or Torchlight already know the basic gist. You venture from a hub area into various environments, battle enemy hordes, occasionally fell some larger-than-life boss monster, and then spend time laying out and sorting through your new loot like a kid who just opened a pack of baseball cards. Rinse, repeat.
Within that framework there is some simplification in Minecraft Dungeons, which helps to make it more inviting. You only have six gear slots--melee, bow, armor, and three artifact-based abilities. You won't find specialized classes or complex skill trees here. Everything is tied to your gear, and the level-ups mostly matter in that they determine the quality of your loot drops.
Continue Reading at GameSpotTom Cruise in Space Movie to Be Directed by Edge of Tomorrow Helmer
Update: Filmmaker Doug Liman, who directed Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow and American Made, will direct Cruise and Elon Musk's action film to be filmed in outer space.
"This is not some loose attachment. Liman and Cruise hatched this whole thing together, with Liman writing the first draft of the screenplay and producing along with Cruise," Deadline reports. "Liman and Cruise are collaborators and pals who are both pilots and bonded over an adventurous spirit."
Our original report follows.
Update: NASA has confirmed that it's working on a movie with Tom Cruise, to be filmed aboard the real International Space Station.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine explained that the decision has been taken in part "to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists".
[poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Cruise has hung off the sides of planes, piloted helicopters and planes, scaled skyscrapers, and pretty much spent his entire action film career performing many of his own death-defying stunts. And now he's reportedly setting his sights on the biggest stunt of all: filming a movie in outer space. Cruise is reportedly teaming with Elon Musk's SpaceX and working with NASA to make the first narrative film ever shot in space -- and an action movie, at that! "It’s not a Mission: Impossible film and no studio is in the mix at this stage," Deadline reports. "But this is real, albeit in the early stages of liftoff." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/top-gun-maverick-big-game-spot"] Cruise's latest project, the back-to-back production of Mission: Impossible 7 and 8, is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. M:I 7 was about to film in Italy when the countrywide quarantine forced the production to shut down. The delays have now prompted Paramount to set new release dates for both films. Cruise's next release is Top Gun: Maverick, which flies into theaters this December. [poilib element="accentDivider"]NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality. pic.twitter.com/CaPwfXtfUv
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 5, 2020
Footage of Canceled Half-Life: Ravenholm Shown in New Documentary
For the first time, people got a chance to look at footage for Arkane Studio’s unfinished Half-Life game codenamed ‘Ravenhlm.’
Thanks to the newest Noclip documentary episode on the French game studio, footage for the unfinished Half-Life spinoff game were finally made available to the public. You might know the developers Arkane best for their immersive-sims like Dishonored and Prey.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-valve-game-review&captions=true"]
At some point, Warren Spector and his team at Junction Point handed over a prototype for a Half-Life game they were working on to Arkane Studios, who was just hired by Valve to start a Half-Life project.
Since it was never completed, there’s no official title for Arkane’s Half-Life game. Internally it was called Ravenholm based on its setting. It starred Lieutenant Shepard from Opposing Force and is centered around an abandoned experimentation center. Father Grigori is also in the game as an early guide.
Another mechanic in the game was a Magnet Gun which Junction Point created. The gun can attract items, but also magnetize objects to combine them. One can easily imagine the environmental puzzles that would be capable of the Magnet Gun.
The documentary explores Arkane’s history with Half-Life starting at the 33-minute mark and the footage for Ravenholm appears at the 37-minute mark.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/18/dishonored-33-minute-speedrun"]
Ravenholm was considered within Arkane as a spinoff instead of a proper episode. A leak of the development build briefly created speculation that the project was a new Half-Life episode, or even Half-Life 3, but to Arkane it was always considered a spinoff. It’s unknown what Valve considered the project to be as it was never released.
While the project was never finished, Valve would revisit Half-Life in 2020 with the release of Half-Life: Alyx in VR. You can read IGN’s perfect score Half-Life: Alyx review here. And be sure to check out the full documentary to learn about the interesting history of Arkane.
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Header image source: Arkane Studios, Valve, NoClip
Footage of Canceled Half-Life: Ravenholm Shown in New Documentary
For the first time, people got a chance to look at footage for Arkane Studio’s unfinished Half-Life game codenamed ‘Ravenhlm.’
Thanks to the newest Noclip documentary episode on the French game studio, footage for the unfinished Half-Life spinoff game were finally made available to the public. You might know the developers Arkane best for their immersive-sims like Dishonored and Prey.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-valve-game-review&captions=true"]
At some point, Warren Spector and his team at Junction Point handed over a prototype for a Half-Life game they were working on to Arkane Studios, who was just hired by Valve to start a Half-Life project.
Since it was never completed, there’s no official title for Arkane’s Half-Life game. Internally it was called Ravenholm based on its setting. It starred Lieutenant Shepard from Opposing Force and is centered around an abandoned experimentation center. Father Grigori is also in the game as an early guide.
Another mechanic in the game was a Magnet Gun which Junction Point created. The gun can attract items, but also magnetize objects to combine them. One can easily imagine the environmental puzzles that would be capable of the Magnet Gun.
The documentary explores Arkane’s history with Half-Life starting at the 33-minute mark and the footage for Ravenholm appears at the 37-minute mark.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/18/dishonored-33-minute-speedrun"]
Ravenholm was considered within Arkane as a spinoff instead of a proper episode. A leak of the development build briefly created speculation that the project was a new Half-Life episode, or even Half-Life 3, but to Arkane it was always considered a spinoff. It’s unknown what Valve considered the project to be as it was never released.
While the project was never finished, Valve would revisit Half-Life in 2020 with the release of Half-Life: Alyx in VR. You can read IGN’s perfect score Half-Life: Alyx review here. And be sure to check out the full documentary to learn about the interesting history of Arkane.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Header image source: Arkane Studios, Valve, NoClip
Star Wars: Check Out These Adorable KOTOR Funko Pops
While Funko is certainly no stranger to the Star Wars franchise at this point, the collectibles giant's latest wave of Funko Pop! figurines should be of particular interest to Star Wars gamers. Funko has revealed a new wave based on iconic games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
As revealed on Funko's official Twitter account, the new "Star Wars Games" series will feature four new figure designs - the Shadow Trooper from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a hooded Yoda from Star Wars: Battlefront and Darth Revan and Darth Malak from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
All four figures are exclusive to Gamestop. They're currently scheduled for a July 20, 2020 release and are priced at $11.99 each.
These video game-inspired character choices are interesting given how rarely Lucasfilm tends to greenlight toys based on the pre-Disney Legends universe. The hope is that this may be the first of several waves of Star Wars Games figures, with other KOTOR stars like Bastila Shan and HK-47 or other video game faves like Dark Forces' Kyle Katarn and Shadows of the Empire's Dash Rendar eventually getting the Pop treatment.
All four figures are exclusive to Gamestop. They're currently scheduled for a July 20, 2020 release and are priced at $11.99 each.
These video game-inspired character choices are interesting given how rarely Lucasfilm tends to greenlight toys based on the pre-Disney Legends universe. The hope is that this may be the first of several waves of Star Wars Games figures, with other KOTOR stars like Bastila Shan and HK-47 or other video game faves like Dark Forces' Kyle Katarn and Shadows of the Empire's Dash Rendar eventually getting the Pop treatment.
On the other hand, there's increasing evidence that the events of Knights of the Old Republic may still hold sway in Disney's revamped Star Wars timeline. Revan himself was quietly canonized in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and rumors suggest EA is developing a KOTOR remake designed to better fit the new timeline.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-star-wars-funko-pop-figures&captions=true"]
In other cool collectibles news, check out a very expensive and very detailed statue depicting Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.Star Wars: Check Out These Adorable KOTOR Funko Pops
While Funko is certainly no stranger to the Star Wars franchise at this point, the collectibles giant's latest wave of Funko Pop! figurines should be of particular interest to Star Wars gamers. Funko has revealed a new wave based on iconic games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
As revealed on Funko's official Twitter account, the new "Star Wars Games" series will feature four new figure designs - the Shadow Trooper from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a hooded Yoda from Star Wars: Battlefront and Darth Revan and Darth Malak from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
All four figures are exclusive to Gamestop. They're currently scheduled for a July 20, 2020 release and are priced at $11.99 each.
These video game-inspired character choices are interesting given how rarely Lucasfilm tends to greenlight toys based on the pre-Disney Legends universe. The hope is that this may be the first of several waves of Star Wars Games figures, with other KOTOR stars like Bastila Shan and HK-47 or other video game faves like Dark Forces' Kyle Katarn and Shadows of the Empire's Dash Rendar eventually getting the Pop treatment.
All four figures are exclusive to Gamestop. They're currently scheduled for a July 20, 2020 release and are priced at $11.99 each.
These video game-inspired character choices are interesting given how rarely Lucasfilm tends to greenlight toys based on the pre-Disney Legends universe. The hope is that this may be the first of several waves of Star Wars Games figures, with other KOTOR stars like Bastila Shan and HK-47 or other video game faves like Dark Forces' Kyle Katarn and Shadows of the Empire's Dash Rendar eventually getting the Pop treatment.
On the other hand, there's increasing evidence that the events of Knights of the Old Republic may still hold sway in Disney's revamped Star Wars timeline. Revan himself was quietly canonized in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and rumors suggest EA is developing a KOTOR remake designed to better fit the new timeline.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-star-wars-funko-pop-figures&captions=true"]
In other cool collectibles news, check out a very expensive and very detailed statue depicting Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.BlizzCon Canceled, Online Event Planned for 2021
Blizzard has officially announced that there will be no BlizzCon this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BlizzCon is the company's annual live fan event where Blizzard typically holds its biggest announcements and esports tournaments.
In a new blog post, Blizzard officially announced that it's "come to the very difficult decision to not have BlizzCon this year." However, the company says that it wants to "channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect" with fans online.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ign-summer-of-gaming-schedule&captions=true"]
Because of the logistics and "different factors involved," any BlizzCon online alternative "will most likely be sometime early next year" in 2021.
BlizzCon is the latest live gaming event to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Other events, such as E3 and GDC have also been canceled or delayed. Many events, including BlizzCon have announced digital alternatives to take place instead of a physical event.
For more, check out IGN's full list of events impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Blizzard will make an appearance during IGN's Summer of Gaming.
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
BlizzCon Canceled, Online Event Planned for 2021
Blizzard has officially announced that there will be no BlizzCon this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BlizzCon is the company's annual live fan event where Blizzard typically holds its biggest announcements and esports tournaments.
In a new blog post, Blizzard officially announced that it's "come to the very difficult decision to not have BlizzCon this year." However, the company says that it wants to "channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect" with fans online.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ign-summer-of-gaming-schedule&captions=true"]
Because of the logistics and "different factors involved," any BlizzCon online alternative "will most likely be sometime early next year" in 2021.
BlizzCon is the latest live gaming event to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Other events, such as E3 and GDC have also been canceled or delayed. Many events, including BlizzCon have announced digital alternatives to take place instead of a physical event.
For more, check out IGN's full list of events impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Blizzard will make an appearance during IGN's Summer of Gaming.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Xbox Head on How Games in Early Development Could See Delays Due to Coronavirus
Xbox's Phil Spencer has commented on some of the unfortunate realities and challenges game developers are likely facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could lead to some development delays.
Speaking on Talking Games With Reggie & Harold, hosted by former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime and journalist Harold Goldberg, Spencer followed up on some recent comments and said that projects earlier on in development may see the worst of the production setbacks.
"Any of the functions that actually require physical collaboration, things like motion capture, things like symphonic capture… some of that is put on hold," Spencer said. "I think on the games side, things that are pre-content-complete might be impacted more than things that are post-content-complete."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/ps5-vs-xbox-series-xs-games-next-gen-console-watch"]
Spencer added that Microsoft has had to find new ways to distribute quality assurance kits for the new Xbox Series X. Despite these challenges, Spencer said Microsoft still feels good about the Xbox Series X launching later this year.
"We've had to work through some challenges, but feel good about timelines, feel really good about this holiday," Spencer said.
These comments echo from Spencer's thoughts earlier this month, when he said that the Xbox Series X launch is "in line with where we thought we would be," but that game production is the "bigger unknown" moving forward.
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Finally, Spencer reiterated that Microsoft is still aiming for a worldwide launch for the Xbox Series X.
Earlier this month, Xbox showed off 13 third-party games coming to Xbox Series X, and Microsoft has said we can expect news on first-party Xbox Series X games in July.
For more, take a look at every game confirmed for Xbox Series X so far, and which Xbox games you won't need to buy twice thanks to Smart Delivery.
Here's how you can help and stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/07/xbox-series-x-gameplay-showcase-analysis"]
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Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.