Monthly Archives: May 2020

No Man’s Sky Landing on Xbox Game Pass in June 2020

Hello Games and Microsoft have revealed that No Man's Sky will be released on Xbox Game Pass in June 2020. Announced on Xbox Wire, Xbox Game Pass members will soon be able to play in No Man's Sky "infinite, procedurally-generated" universe with "over 10 million Xbox Game Pass members." No Man's Sky was originally released on PlayStation 4 and PC in August 2016 before arriving on Xbox One in July 2018. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/07/no-mans-sky-exo-mech-update-official-reveal-trailer"] In our original review, we said "No Man's Sky reaches for the stars but falls short by light years. It's amazingly big, but too often poorly designed." However, since then, Hello Games has provided regular free updates that have improved the gameplay experience, including the massive Beyond and Next updates and additions such as VR, multiplayer, new alien races, Exo-Mechs, and so much more. Hello Games, even though they have announced another game in The Last Campfire, are still committed to supporting this game for the foreseeable future, so Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have plenty to look forward to. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-that-came-back-from-the-brink-of-disaster&captions=true"] Hello Games will also be bringing the Windows 10 PC version of No Man's Sky to the Microsoft Store in June as well. No Man's Sky made it on the list of the 9 Games That Made a Major Comeback, a list that includes other games like Star Wars: Battlefront II and Final Fantasy XIV. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who can't recommend getting lost in the universe of No Man's Sky enough.. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Last of Us Part 2 Seemingly Blocked In Middle Eastern Countries

Upcoming PS4 exclusive The Last of Us Part 2 has seemingly been banned in some Middle Eastern countries. Users on Reddit have reported that the game is currently unavailable to pre-order on the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia PS Store pages. In contrast, accessing the PS Store from places like the USA or UK at the moment allows you to view and pre-order The Last of Us Part 2. Many users have come to the conclusion that the game may have been banned and blocked for sale in these countries. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/the-last-of-us-part-ii-inside-the-story-video"] Interestingly, searching for The Last of Us Part 2 on both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia PS Stores provides avatar and theme results, but not the game itself. IGN has reached out to Sony for comment on the situation. The Middle East is known for having less tolerance to LGBT themes than Western territories, and some work has been banned, such as this year’s Pixar movie Onward, due to a line of dialogue referencing a gay relationship. The Last of Us Part 2’s protagonist, Ellie, is gay, which may potentially have caused the apparent sale block. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-part-2-new-screenshots&captions=true"] The Last of Us Part 2 has already been rated by the ESRB. with the advisory rating warning of nudity and sexual content. However, considering Cyberpunk 2077 is still available to pre-order in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the suggestion is that those specific elements - which are definitely in Cyberpunk 2077 - are not the issue. For more, be sure to check out the upcoming The Last of Us Part 2 State of Play livestream, how you won’t see everything in a single playthrough, and how leaks like the recent The Last of Us one affects game developers. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter

The Last of Us Part 2 Seemingly Blocked In Middle Eastern Countries

Upcoming PS4 exclusive The Last of Us Part 2 has seemingly been banned in some Middle Eastern countries. Users on Reddit have reported that the game is currently unavailable to pre-order on the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia PS Store pages. In contrast, accessing the PS Store from places like the USA or UK at the moment allows you to view and pre-order The Last of Us Part 2. Many users have come to the conclusion that the game may have been banned and blocked for sale in these countries. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/the-last-of-us-part-ii-inside-the-story-video"] Interestingly, searching for The Last of Us Part 2 on both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia PS Stores provides avatar and theme results, but not the game itself. IGN has reached out to Sony for comment on the situation. The Middle East is known for having less tolerance to LGBT themes than Western territories, and some work has been banned, such as this year’s Pixar movie Onward, due to a line of dialogue referencing a gay relationship. The Last of Us Part 2’s protagonist, Ellie, is gay, which may potentially have caused the apparent sale block. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-part-2-new-screenshots&captions=true"] The Last of Us Part 2 has already been rated by the ESRB. with the advisory rating warning of nudity and sexual content. However, considering Cyberpunk 2077 is still available to pre-order in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the suggestion is that those specific elements - which are definitely in Cyberpunk 2077 - are not the issue. For more, be sure to check out the upcoming The Last of Us Part 2 State of Play livestream, how you won’t see everything in a single playthrough, and how leaks like the recent The Last of Us one affects game developers. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter

Indiana Jones 5: Logan’s James Mangold Confirmed to Direct

Frank Marshall has confirmed that James Mangold will be directing Indiana Jones 5, with Steven Spielberg on board as a producer. Speaking to Collider, Marshall, who has served as a creative voice on all four Indiana Jones films, reiterated that Spielberg won't be back to direct Indy 5 despite being attached to the project for several years. Instead, Mangold will be saddling up and taking the reigns as the director of Indy's next adventure. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/15/harrison-ford-indiana-jones-5-will-see-part-of-his-history-resolved"] Confirming the news, Marshall praised the Logan filmmaker as the ideal candidate to helm the project because of "his love of the franchise." "I think [James Mangold] also has a relationship with Harrison [Ford]. It was all of the right pieces coming together, at the right time," the famed producer explained, adding that, "Steven [Spielberg] is staying on as a producer, so we've got the best of everything." Marshall also revealed that scripting had only "just started" on the fifth instalment of the iconic film series, so very little is currently known about the plot. However, Ford previously hinted that the story would focus on "new developments" in Indy's life, as well as seeing part of the character's "history resolved." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Indiana Jones is currently scheduled for release on July 29, 2022. Unfortunately, that release date has already been pushed back multiple times, and the possibility of another delay is still present, as Marshall noted how the COVID-19 crisis is likely to impact production. "We're looking at the guidelines that are coming slowly, from the health experts and the studios and the different parts of the business, and we're just trying to incorporate everything, so we can move forward and be safe," he said. "It's going to obviously slow things down, so we're trying to adjust. You won't see a lot of big crowd scenes, for example, for a while." For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Indiana Jones 5: Logan’s James Mangold Confirmed to Direct

Frank Marshall has confirmed that James Mangold will be directing Indiana Jones 5, with Steven Spielberg on board as a producer. Speaking to Collider, Marshall, who has served as a creative voice on all four Indiana Jones films, reiterated that Spielberg won't be back to direct Indy 5 despite being attached to the project for several years. Instead, Mangold will be saddling up and taking the reigns as the director of Indy's next adventure. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/15/harrison-ford-indiana-jones-5-will-see-part-of-his-history-resolved"] Confirming the news, Marshall praised the Logan filmmaker as the ideal candidate to helm the project because of "his love of the franchise." "I think [James Mangold] also has a relationship with Harrison [Ford]. It was all of the right pieces coming together, at the right time," the famed producer explained, adding that, "Steven [Spielberg] is staying on as a producer, so we've got the best of everything." Marshall also revealed that scripting had only "just started" on the fifth instalment of the iconic film series, so very little is currently known about the plot. However, Ford previously hinted that the story would focus on "new developments" in Indy's life, as well as seeing part of the character's "history resolved." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Indiana Jones is currently scheduled for release on July 29, 2022. Unfortunately, that release date has already been pushed back multiple times, and the possibility of another delay is still present, as Marshall noted how the COVID-19 crisis is likely to impact production. "We're looking at the guidelines that are coming slowly, from the health experts and the studios and the different parts of the business, and we're just trying to incorporate everything, so we can move forward and be safe," he said. "It's going to obviously slow things down, so we're trying to adjust. You won't see a lot of big crowd scenes, for example, for a while." For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

CoD: Black Ops 4 Canceled Campaign Gameplay Allegedly Leaks

Footage of the reportedly cancelled campaign for 2018's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has seemingly surfaced online. The footage was posted to Reddit by user /u/ForeverDexus on Sunday. The clip features an alleged early campaign mission where the player is given the task "Find the Aquilus CEO," and fights through a monastery and a seafood restaurant. A lot of the models are unfinished, but the core structure of the mission remains, and appears to be modelled on the Black Ops 4 multiplayer map Seaside. In a Kotaku report from 2018, it was said that Black Ops 4 supposedly had a campaign mode at one point, which was scrapped two years into development. It's not clear what iteration of the game's alleged campaign mode this footage pertains to, but Kotaku's report states that it took multiple forms over the course of the game's development. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/20/reports-call-of-duty-2020-is-called-black-ops-cold-war-ign-news"] At one point the campaign mode is said to have incorporated an "ambitious two-versus-two multiplayer mechanic," before it was scrapped. The team allegedly then pivoted to a more "traditional single-player story" (which may well be what the footage shows), but this was also cut and replaced with the series' first Battle Royale mode, Blackout. We didn't think Black Ops 4 suffered too much for dropping a traditional single-player element, saying it would be "disappointing to some" but that it "gets along just fine without it" in our 8.5/10 review. In other Black Ops news, check out this recent report which suggests that 2020's Call of Duty will be titled Black Ops Cold War. IGN has reached out to Activision for comment. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Jason Bourne Franchise Producer Wants to ‘Restart’ Film Series With New Filmmaker

Jason Bourne franchise producer Frank Marshall has revealed that he is on the lookout for a new filmmaker and story for a potential sixth film in the spy-thriller film series. Collider reports that Marshall, who worked on all five previous movies in the blockbuster franchise, is keen to "restart" the film series with a new creative team helming the project. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/09/jason-bourne-bourne-is-back-featurette"] "I do like the Bourne series, and I do think that's an opportunity for different filmmakers to come in now," Marshall explained. "So, I'm hoping that we can find a new story for Bourne and a new filmmaker. We are looking." Doug Liman directed The Bourne Identity before the acclaimed action filmmaker Paul Greengrass took over for The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. He then returned for the series' fifth entry, Jason Bourne, while the Jeremy Renner-led spin-off, The Bourne Legacy, was directed by Tony Gilroy. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-quickest-movie-franchise-reboots&captions=true"] The fourth instalment, The Bourne Legacy, was set in the same universe as its predecessors but the 2012 action-thriller did not star Matt Damon in the lead role. Instead, the story centred around black-ops agent Aaron Cross, an original character played by Renner. It is not yet known whether Damon or Renner would be returning for the prospective sixth film in the franchise, though Damon previously expressed a lack of interest in returning to the series without Greengrass in the director's chair. To read the decrypted Bourne franchise files, take a look at IGN's History of Jason Bourne. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Mafia 3 Seems to Contain Unfinished Map for a Whole Other Canceled Game

Leftover game files found in Mafia III Definitive Edition have provided what seems to be a glimpse into a cancelled Hangar 13 project, codenamed Rhapsody. A YouTube video posted on Monday by user Sliderv2 provides a look at an unfinished map of Berlin, the supposed setting for a now-cancelled Hangar 13 project that was first uncovered by a 2018 Kotaku report. The game, which was known internally as Rhapsody, was set in 1980s Berlin. As for the premise, the Kotaku report claims that "you'd play as a Russian Jew whose parents had been murdered in a Soviet labor camp. He'd be rescued by Americans, then recruited to join a spy organization called Rhapsody." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/11/mafia-3-review"] Rhapsody was compared to the movie Kingsman, but suffered a massive overhaul and the spy elements were reportedly scrapped early in the development. The project later became an "action game fueled by music." The current status of that project is unknown - it's not clear whether it's still in development in some shape at Hangar 13. Regardless, the video gives us an interesting look at the cancelled game's setting, if you can get past the floating Mafia 3 protagonist which the camera is orbiting around. A lot of work had been done on the map, including an impressive model of the Berlin TV Tower. Rhapsody may never see the light of day, but tidbits about what became of the scrapped project may arrive in the future as data miners delve into what Hangar 13 has left behind. Until then, check out a series of screenshots from the Mafia: Trilogy collection, which includes a look at the remade version of the original Mafia that Hangar 13 is set to release later this year on August 28. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Detroit: Become Human, Beyond, Heavy Rain Steam Release Dates Announced

Quantic Dream has officially confirmed the Steam release date for Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls, and Heavy Rain.

Quantic Dream’s three latest games will arrive on Steam simultaneously on June 18, the company announced on Twitter. Quantic Dream had previously released the game’s on the Epic Game Store in 2019. Before that, all three games had been PlayStation exclusives.

 

Earlier this year, Quantic Dream founder David Cage said that the studio had “lots of surprises” in store for fans in 2020. It seems this might have been at least part of what he was talking about.

PC gamers who held off on buying Quantic Dreams’ library will also be able to play a free demo of each game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-quantic-dream-review&captions=true"]

Steam doesn’t currently have prices listed for any of the three games, but we can get a potential idea based on what they’re going for on Epic. On Epic, Detroit is currently being sold for $39.99, Beyond for $19.99, and Heavy Rain for $19.99.

We quite liked Detroit: Become Human, calling it “a wonderfully silly interactive drama that meaningfully bends to your will” in our review. You can also check out our Beyond: Two Souls review and our Heavy Rain review to see how these Quantic Dreams games hold up today.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he's on every platform.

Detroit: Become Human, Beyond, Heavy Rain Steam Release Dates Announced

Quantic Dream has officially confirmed the Steam release date for Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls, and Heavy Rain.

Quantic Dream’s three latest games will arrive on Steam simultaneously on June 18, the company announced on Twitter. Quantic Dream had previously released the game’s on the Epic Game Store in 2019. Before that, all three games had been PlayStation exclusives.

 

Earlier this year, Quantic Dream founder David Cage said that the studio had “lots of surprises” in store for fans in 2020. It seems this might have been at least part of what he was talking about.

PC gamers who held off on buying Quantic Dreams’ library will also be able to play a free demo of each game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-quantic-dream-review&captions=true"]

Steam doesn’t currently have prices listed for any of the three games, but we can get a potential idea based on what they’re going for on Epic. On Epic, Detroit is currently being sold for $39.99, Beyond for $19.99, and Heavy Rain for $19.99.

We quite liked Detroit: Become Human, calling it “a wonderfully silly interactive drama that meaningfully bends to your will” in our review. You can also check out our Beyond: Two Souls review and our Heavy Rain review to see how these Quantic Dreams games hold up today.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he's on every platform.