Monthly Archives: May 2020

Harvest Moon: One World Announced for Nintendo Switch

Japanese developer Natsume announced its newest farming sim game today titled Harvest Moon: One World for the Nintendo Switch. The new Harvest Moon game will be released later this year. Harvest Moon: One World will feature a new world with both new and returning characters, unique villages, and new challenges as you grow your farm. The story of game will revolve around a world where fruits and vegetables no longer exist, with players forced to venture beyond their towns and into the wider world, to investigate a mystery and bring back produce into the world. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/14/harvest-moon-light-of-hope-pc-launch-trailer"] Although Natsume didn’t provide screenshots, the developer promised that Harvest Moon: One World is being developed with a new engine and graphics. In a press release, Natsume president and CEO Hiro Maekawa say, “Harvest Moon: One World features a brand-new way of exploring Harvest Moon that seasoned players and new generations will both enjoy.” The last Harvest Moon game, not counting a 2019 runner spinoff, was Harvest Moon: Light of Hope released in 2018 for PS4 and Switch. Considering how popular Animal Crossing: New Horizons proved to be, there might be a market for players hungry for more farm and life sims. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Hamilton Movie to Be Released on Disney+ in July

Lin-Manuel Miranda has announced that the Hamilton movie will be released on July 3, 2020. It's a huge shift forward in release date for the movie, which was originally scheduled for release in theaters on October 15, 2021. The movie is not a film recreation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's famous stage musical, but a recording of the theatrical performance itself, allowing those who have been unable to attend the show in person to view it from home. Earlier this year it was reported that Disney paid a huge sum of money for the rights for Hamilton, and that the company planned to release the film version in 2021. However, this latest announcement reveals that plans have changed and that we can expect to see the film within a matter of months. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=new-movies-coming-to-vod-early&captions=true"] Quarantine restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic have meant many people have been unable to attend theatrical Hamilton performances. This led to John Krasinski bringing together the Hamilton cast for a video call to recreate a number from the show online. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Update: Sony Denies October PS5 Release Date

Update: Sony has told Famitsu that the October release date mentioned in a job listing is a mistake made by the recruitment company involved. The official release window remains Holiday 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] A job listing from Sony Interactive Entertainment says that the PlayStation 5 will be released in October 2020. As pointed out by Nibel on Twitter, a listing on the NEXT jobs website for a role in the SIE Materials Department says that the successful applicant will work "with the design department and the quality assurance department to create the PlayStation 5 scheduled to be released in October 2020." Previously, Sony has only specified Holiday 2020 as a release window for the new console. October would be slightly earlier than expected for that window, so it may be that this is a mistake, but the listing itself does appear to be offical (although there's no date listed on the page for when the listing was posted). [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] IGN has contacted Sony for comment, but received no reply at time of writing. Previous reports has said that the outbreak of COVID-19 is unlikely to delay the console's planned release, but could lead to scarcity of materials needed to build the console. Those same reports said Sony could limit production due to a higher launch price point than PS4. After a long period of silence, we're beginning to learn more about PS5 – we've seen its full specs, how they compare to Xbox Series X, gotten a look at its new controller, the DualSense, and we know a few games coming to the system. For a full round-up, here's everything we know about PS5 so far. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Will Run ‘at a Minimum of 30 FPS’ on Xbox Series X

Ubisoft has revealed that Assassin's Creed Valhalla will "run at a minimum of 30 FPS" when it launches on Xbox Series X. Ubisoft issued a statement to IGN, revealing that the forthcoming release will target 30 FPS as a minimum frame rate: "Assassin's Creed Valhalla will run at a minimum of 30 FPS. On Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, we are committed to offer the best experience to our players by immersing them in the most beautiful worlds and environments we could create, and leveraging not only the graphics enhancements offered by the next generation of consoles, but also faster loading times and the new architectures." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/30/assassins-creed-valhalla-official-trailer"] Of course, this may change as the game is finalized ahead of its launch later this year, but for now, you can expect 30 FPS when you boot up the game in 4K on launch day. Microsoft has previously made clear that its performance target for the console is "4K at 60 FPS - up to 120 FPS". Valhalla has seen something of a backlash after its promised gameplay teaser during the May episode of Xbox 20/20 seemingly only featured a few seconds of gameplay footage. The reaction appears to stem from a wider dissatisfaction with the leap in technology many may be expecting from this holiday's consoles, given that graphical improvements are less revolutionary than those seen in the jump between previous generations. Check out our article on why you may need to lower your expectations when it comes to next-gen graphics. Yesterday, we learned that Valhalla's season pass will include a mission themed after the legend of Beowulf. We learned last week that Valhalla will be "shorter and smaller" than Assassin's Creed Odyssey to address the common criticism that the Grecian game was bloated. Valhalla was one of 13 games shown off at last week's Inside Xbox. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-first-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

More Tiger King Coming, But It Won’t Be About Joe Exotic

The creators of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness are reportedly working on a new episode that will focus on the master illusionists, Siegfried and Roy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, the filmmaking duo behind the hit Netflix docuseries, have taken on a new project, under the Tiger King name, that will apparently explore the 2003 mauling attack that ended the Siegfried & Roy show. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/31/netflixs-tiger-king-murder-mayhem-and-madness-season-1-review"] Wildlife veterinarian and Tiger King production member Dr. James Liu told the outlet that the follow-up episode would "act as a higher-minded corrective to both the original seven-episode series as well as comedian Joel McHale's aftershow special." However, a spokesperson for Goode Films disagreed with this characterization of the sequel, claiming it was "untrue that the direction is going in a more conservational route." Regardless of the tone of the new episode, it is believed that it will centre around Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn, a duo of magicians who were best known for their Las Vegas show that ran from 1990 until 2003, ending when a white tiger mauled Horn on stage during a performance. He survived the attack but was left permanently injured. Horn died this month due to complications from coronavirus (COVID-19) at the age of 75. Details of the new episode are said to have emerged when Liu reached out to THR to request contact information for Chris Lawrence, a former tiger handler for Siegfried & Roy's show, who spoke to the outlet in 2019 about his 15-year battle with PTSD following the infamous incident, which he ascribes to several operational failures and onstage handling errors made by Horn on the night. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-true-crime-shows-and-movies-to-watch-online&captions=true"] In our review of the original Tiger King series, we called it "a fascinating and depressing look inside a community of big cat fanatics," which can be "downright uncomfortable to watch" at times, but would likely be a valuable addition to the watchlists of "true crime fans hungry for something different." If you can't wait for the new episodes, check out our follow-up piece to find out what happened to Tiger King's cast of colourful characters after the docuseries ended and take a look at our rundown of recommendations for other true crime shows and movies available to stream right now. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

You’ll Have to Wait Until 2021 for New Episodes of The Flash and Riverdale

Filming in the entertainment industry has largely ground to a halt due to COVID-19, but the broadcast TV networks are starting to announce their fall lineups for later this year. Fox was the first network to lay out its fall schedule, leaning on animated shows, reality programming, sports, already-completed dramas, and acquired series from other cable and streaming partners to beef up its roster while the ability to film scripted series is still uncertain. Now The CW has revealed its fall 2020 and midseason schedule, announcing that it will "officially launch its new season in January 2021 with its regularly scheduled series line-up, while loading up Fall 2020 with fresh original and acquired scripted series and alternative programming," in an attempt to safeguard against further coronavirus-related filming delays. Like Fox, The CW will be relying on acquired series, reality, and unscripted shows to carry it through to 2021, with the back half of Supernatural's final season the only returning series slated for a fall premiere date. We'll update this post with ABC, NBC, and CBS's fall schedules as they're announced. The networks aren't expected to announce exact premiere dates until later this summer, but these early announcements help give us a sense of how each network plans to program every weeknight, and which shows will be held until midseason. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fall-tv-schedule-2020&captions=true"]

The CW Fall 2020 TV Schedule

Renewed and New TV Shows on The CW

The CW is benching all of its biggest returning series - including The Flash, Riverdale, and Batwoman - until 2021, along with its four new shows, Superman & Lois, The Republic of Sarah, and reboots of Kung Fu and Walker, Texas Ranger. The only returning drama on The CW's fall 2020 schedule is the back half of Supernatural's final season, which has seven remaining episodes still to air, two of which have yet to be filmed. Supergirl will also be delayed until after star Melissa Benoist returns from maternity leave, with a return date yet to be determined. CW boss Mark Pedowitz told reporters that he hopes filming will start in September for the majority of the network's scripted shows to get them ready for a midseason launch, while Supernatural will need to resume production on its final two episodes in late summer or early fall - although if that doesn't prove possible, the final seven episodes will be rescheduled. "Everybody ... wants to end 15 years the right way," he said. "We'll wait it out. We are very much attached to this." Instead, The CW will be filling its fall lineup with series acquired from (and cancelled by) other networks, including DC Universe's Swamp Thing, and CBS All Access' Tell Me a Story, as well as unscripted series like Whose Line Is It Anyway and Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Here are all the CW shows that will premiere in January 2021:
  • All American
  • Black Lightning
  • The Flash
  • Superman & Lois
  • Riverdale
  • Nancy Drew
  • Walker
  • Legacies
  • Batwoman
  • Charmed
And here's the list of shows that will premiere in "midseason 2021," whenever that ends up being (technically fall 2021, maybe?):
  • Kung Fu
  • The Republic of Sarah
  • DC's Legends of Tomorrow
  • Dynasty
  • In the Dark
  • Roswell, New Mexico
  • Supergirl
The fate of Katy Keene has yet to be determined. Here's how The CW describes its four new shows, which will premiere in 2021:

SUPERMAN & LOIS

Superman Lois blog After years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, the world’s most famous superhero, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and comic books’ most famous journalist, Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever - dealing with all the stress, pressures, and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society. Complicating the already daunting job of raising two boys, Clark and Lois must also concern themselves with whether or not their sons Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan (Alexander Garfin) could inherit their father’s Kryptonian superpowers as they grow older.  Returning to Smallville to handle some Kent family business, Clark and Lois are reacquainted with Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a local loan officer who also happens to be Clark’s first love, and her Fire Chief husband Kyle Cushing (Erik Valdez).  The adults aren’t the only ones rediscovering old friendships in Smallville as the Kent sons are reacquainted with Lana and Kyle’s rebellious daughter, Sarah (Inde Navarrette). Of course, there’s never a dull moment in the life of a superhero, especially with Lois’ father, General Samuel Lane (Dylan Walsh) looking for Superman to vanquish a villain or save the day at a moment’s notice.  Meanwhile, Superman and Lois’ return to idyllic Smallville is set to be upended when a mysterious stranger (Wolé Parks) enters their lives.

Walker

walker jared padalecki A reimagining of the long-running series Walker, Texas Ranger, Walker stars Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two with his own moral code, who returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. He’ll attempt to reconnect with his creative and thoughtful son (Kale Culley) and his headstrong, somewhat rebellious teenaged daughter (Violet Brinson) and navigate clashes with his family - an ADA brother (Keegan Allen) who stepped in during Walker’s absence, his perceptive mother (Molly Hagen) and his traditional rancher father (Mitch Pileggi). Walker’s former colleague is now his Ranger Captain, (Coby Bell). Walker finds unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history) played by Lindsey Morgan, while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.

Kung Fu

kung fu blog   A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents (Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad.  Nicky will rely on her tech-savvy sister (Shannon Dang), pre-med brother (Jon Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend (Gavin Stenhouse), and new love interest (Eddie Liu) as well as her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice ... all while searching for the ruthless assassin (Gwendoline Yeo) who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her.

The Republic of Sarah

republic of sarah The bucolic tranquility of Greylock, New Hampshire is upended when a massive vein of coltan – an incredibly valuable mineral used in tech – is discovered under the town. State-backed mining company Lydon Industries swoops in with plans to extract the mineral … plans that include wiping Greylock off the map. With her friends and family in danger of losing their homes, rebellious high school teacher Sarah Cooper (Stella Baker) vows to stop Lydon’s bulldozers. It won’t be easy. Leading Lydon’s efforts is Sarah’s estranged brother, Danny Cooper (Luke Mitchell). After enduring a difficult childhood at the hands of his mother, former state senator Ellen Cooper (Megan Follows), Danny is eager to exact his revenge on a community he feels abandoned him.  Sarah enlists her friends – fellow teacher Corinne Dearborn (Hope Lauren), police officer Amy “AJ” Johnson (Nia Holloway), and diner manager Grover Simms (Ian Duff) – in the fight against Danny, but there seems to be no way to stop the town’s impending demise … Until Sarah proposes an oddly intriguing solution: Greylock could declare independence. Citing various historical maps, she explains that the land on which Greylock sits was never properly claimed by the United States. If Sarah and her friends can convince the town to vote for independence, Greylock would gain international sovereignty and could protect its land for good.  With the help of a group of supporters that includes three of her teenage students – LA transplant Maya Jimenez (Izabella Alvarez), introspective outsider Tyler Easterbrook (Forrest Goodluck), and preppy “popular girl” Bella Whitmore (Landry Bender) – Sarah and her friends win the vote. And after a federal judge agrees that Greylock isn’t – and never was – part of the United States, the town becomes a new nation.  Now, Sarah and her allies must confront an even more daunting task: building a country from scratch.

Fox Fall 2020 TV Schedule

Renewed and New TV Shows on Fox

Fox has renewed reality shows The Masked Singer and Masterchef Junior, along with animated comedies The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and Bless the Harts. With animated shows able to continue production and reality shows more easily able to be filmed without audiences and with social distancing precautions on set, this makes the lineup a little more secure from coronavirus-related delays. New series premiering on Fox this fall include Next, "a propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines pulse-pounding action with a layered examination of how technology is invading our lives," starring John Slattery, and Filthy Rich, "a southern Gothic family soap in which wealth, power and religion collide – with outrageously soapy results. When the patriarch (Gerald McRaney) of a mega-rich Southern family, famed for creating a wildly successful Christian television network, dies in a plane crash, his wife (Kim Cattrall) and family are stunned to learn that he fathered three illegitimate children, all of whom are written into his will, threatening their family name and fortune." Both shows have already been filmed and were initially planned to debut as part of the 2019-2020 season. Fox will also be the broadcast home of Bad Boys spinoff LA's Finest, which follows Syd Burnett (Gabrielle Union), "last seen in Miami taking down a drug cartel, who has seemingly left her complicated past behind to become an LAPD detective. Paired with a new partner, Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba), a working mom with an equally complex history, Syd is forced to confront how her unapologetic lifestyle may be masking a greater personal secret." The series previously aired on Spectrum last year. And Fox will offer the broadcast debut of Cosmos: Possible Worlds, the third installment of the science docuseries produced by Seth MacFarlane and hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, which aired on National Geographic earlier this year. At midseason, Fox will air drama series 911 and spinoff 911: Lonestar, animated series Duncanville, and reality series Hell's Kitchen, along with new comedy series Call Me Kat, starring and executive produced by Mayim Bialik, and animated shows The Great North and Housebroken. Fox shows that have yet to be renewed or cancelled include Prodigal Son, The Resident, Last Man Standing, Outmatched, Almost Family, and Deputy, while Empire already aired its final season. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/20/10-times-the-simpsons-predicted-the-future"] Here are all the Fox and CW shows coming out in Fall 2020. (All times ET/PT unless otherwise noted.)

New and Returning Shows on Monday Night

8:00 PM                              LA's Finest (Fox), Whose Line Is It Anyway? (The CW) 9:00 PM                              Next (Fox), Penn & Teller: Fool Us (The CW)

New and Returning Shows on Tuesday Night

8:00 PM                              Cosmos: Possible Worlds (Fox), Swamp Thing (The CW) 9:00 PM                              Filthy Rich (Fox), Tell Me a Story (The CW)

New and Returning Shows on Wednesday Night

8:00 PM                              The Masked Singer (Fox), Two Sentence Horror Stories (The CW) 8:30 PM                              Dead Pixels (The CW) 9:00 PM                              Masterchef Junior (Fox), Coroner (The CW)

New and Returning Shows on Thursday Night

7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT     Fox NFL Thursday (Fox) 8 PM ET/5 PM PT               GMC Kickoff Show (Fox), Supernatural (The CW) 8:20 PM ET/5:20 PM PT     Thursday Night Football (Fox) 9 PM                                   The Outpost (The CW)

New and Returning Shows on Friday Night

8:00 PM                              WWE’s Friday Night Smackdown (Fox), World's Funniest Animals (The CW) 9:00 PM                              Penn & Teller: Fool Us (The CW)

New and Returning Shows on Saturday Night

7:00 PM                              Fox Sports Saturday (Fox)

New and Returning Shows on Sunday Night

7:00 PM                              NFL on Fox (Fox) 7:30 PM                              The OT / Fox Encores (Fox) 8:00 PM                              The Simpsons (Fox) 8:30 PM                              Bless the Harts (Fox) 9:00 PM                              Bob's Burgers (Fox) 9:30 PM                              Family Guy (Fox)

Midseason 2020-2021 TV Schedule (January)

Monday

8:00 PM                              All American (The CW) 9:00 PM                              Black Lightning (The CW)

Tuesday

8:00 PM                             The Flash (The CW) 9:00 PM                             Superman & Lois (The CW)

Wednesday

8:00 PM                             Riverdale (The CW) 9:00 PM                             Nancy Drew (The CW)

Thursday

8:00 PM                             Walker (The CW) 9:00  PM                            Legacies (The CW)

Friday

8:00 PM                             Penn & Teller: Fool Us (The CW) 9:00 PM                             Whose Line Is It Anyway? (The CW)

Sunday

8:00 PM                            Batwoman (The CW) 9:00 PM                            Charmed (The CW) We'll update this post with more network schedules as they're announced.

Dune: House Atreides Prequel Comic Coming From BOOM! Studios

With a new Dune movie hitting theaters in late 2020, the seminal science-fiction franchise will also be making its return to the comic book arena this year. BOOM! Studios has announced a new adaptation of the Dune prequel novel House Atreides. Dune: House Atreides is a 12-issue limited series adapting the 1999 novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Herbert and Anderson are also scripting this adaptation, though no artist has been revealed yet. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dune-movie-images&captions=true"] The first entry in the "Prelude to Dune" trilogy of books, House Atreides is set decades before the events of the original Dune novel. The story focuses on a young Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac's character in the movie) and his future bodyguard Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa's "Han Solo-esque" character) as they discover their shared destiny in a galaxy torn apart by revolution and political strife. Dune: House Atreides was followed by 2000's Dune: House Harkonnen and 2001's Dune: House Corrino. Dune: House Atreides is published in an arrangement with Herbert Properties LLC and Abrams ComicArts. Abrams is also publishing a trilogy of graphic novel adaptations of the original Dune novel, with scripts by Herbert and Anderson, art by Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín and covers by Bill Sienkiewicz. Both Dune: Volume 1 and Dune: House Atreides #1 are slated to hit stores in Fall 2020, ahead of the film's December 18 release. “Dune: House Atreides holds a special place in my heart,” said Herbert in Boom's press release. “It was the first novel Kevin and I wrote in my father's fantastic Dune universe, and it is our first collaborative novel to be adapted for comics. In 1999, our novel was a surprise New York Times bestseller, and we have equally high expectations for this special BOOM! Studios adaptation.” “It’s been more than twenty years since Brian and I published House Atreides, the first of our new novels set in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe,” said Anderson. “We loved exploring all the possibilities Frank created for us, and those books introduced a whole new audience to Dune. Now, in adapting House Atreides into a vibrant graphic format, it’s like rediscovering the story and the world all over again. So much of the novel is visually driven, the union of comics and House Atreides is a natural.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/tease-for-dune-2020-shows-timothe-chalamets-hero-ign-now"] This isn't the only adaptation of Herbert and Anderson's prequel novels in the works. A TV series called Sisterhood of Dune is being developed for the HBO Max streaming platform. A direct spinoff of director Denis Villeneuve's movies, Sisterhood of Dune will delve deeper into the Bene Gesserit religious order and their efforts to produce the cosmic messiah known as the Kwisatz Haderach. For more on the world of Dune, check out IGN's helpful Dune Explained feature, learn more about the disgusting yet practical stillsuits and check out some early on-set photos of stars Zendaya, Josh Brolin and Oscar Isaac. [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.

Legends Of Runeterra Review – Much Ado About Nautilus

Runeterra is the world of League of Legends, Riot’s MOBA that has arguably experienced a Golden Age of esports in the past few years. The MOBA has undergone various lore overhauls, but centralized all of its bits and pieces in 2016 to come up with a vision for Runeterra and its competing factions, as well as the backstories of the game’s champions. The latest step in fleshing out this world is Legends of Runeterra, Riot Games’ flagship contribution to the current online card game market--with DNA that’s a highly entertaining splice job between streamlined design sensibilities and touches that harken back to the original card game great, Magic: The Gathering.

The realm of Runeterra feels fully realized here, and part of that is how the game revolves around the various in-universe factions that are currently playable: Piltover & Zaun, Bilgewater, Demacia, Freljord, Ionia, Noxus, and the Shadow Isles. You’re not playing for rounds of ale at a tavern; this feels like a conflict of a uniquely larger scale because of the game’s insistence on you not embodying a hero but instead commanding them.

Each faction has these heroes, though they’re called champions. They’re souped-up cards representative of characters from League of Legends who are somewhere between Legendaries in Hearthstone and Planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering--game-changing because they’re stronger than your average unit, but not game-breaking. The factions have their own unique playstyles that span the whole spectrum from aggro to control, spell-heavy to flood-dependent, and more. The champions themselves all buy into each faction’s playstyle fantasy, with flashy animations that depict their unique personalities and strengths.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Legends Of Runeterra Review – Much Ado About Nautilus

Runeterra is the world of League of Legends, Riot’s MOBA that has arguably experienced a Golden Age of esports in the past few years. The MOBA has undergone various lore overhauls, but centralized all of its bits and pieces in 2016 to come up with a vision for Runeterra and its competing factions, as well as the backstories of the game’s champions. The latest step in fleshing out this world is Legends of Runeterra, Riot Games’ flagship contribution to the current online card game market--with DNA that’s a highly entertaining splice job between streamlined design sensibilities and touches that harken back to the original card game great, Magic: The Gathering.

The realm of Runeterra feels fully realized here, and part of that is how the game revolves around the various in-universe factions that are currently playable: Piltover & Zaun, Bilgewater, Demacia, Freljord, Ionia, Noxus, and the Shadow Isles. You’re not playing for rounds of ale at a tavern; this feels like a conflict of a uniquely larger scale because of the game’s insistence on you not embodying a hero but instead commanding them.

Each faction has these heroes, though they’re called champions. They’re souped-up cards representative of characters from League of Legends who are somewhere between Legendaries in Hearthstone and Planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering--game-changing because they’re stronger than your average unit, but not game-breaking. The factions have their own unique playstyles that span the whole spectrum from aggro to control, spell-heavy to flood-dependent, and more. The champions themselves all buy into each faction’s playstyle fantasy, with flashy animations that depict their unique personalities and strengths.

Continue Reading at GameSpot