Monthly Archives: June 2020
The Outer Worlds Nintendo Switch Review – Cosmic Haze
In my original review of The Outer Worlds, one of my takeaways was that it had strong worldbuilding which was enhanced by its audiovisual direction. That was based on dozens of hours with the PC version of the game. The game now has a port on Nintendo Switch, and being able to play a title as expansive as The Outer Worlds on the system is impressive. But naturally, the big compromise that it makes in order to run on the relatively less powerful console is in the visual splendour of its world.
As I've come to expect in Switch ports of graphically-intensive games, the concessions most noticeably come in the form of a very low level of detail, significantly reduced environmental objects, and the absence of many ambient and post-processing visual effects, among other things. The result is a fuzzy, watercolour-like image of a barren world, and you certainly lose a lot of the awe that comes with seeing the game's large, lush open areas and intricately detailed cities. But more importantly, the low visual fidelity makes it more difficult to spot enemy characters--especially at mid-to-long-range, and especially using the Switch's handheld mode; they tend to blend together, often sharing the same muted colour palettes.
Continue Reading at GameSpot
The Outer Worlds for Nintendo Switch Review – Cosmic Haze
In my original review of The Outer Worlds, one of my takeaways was that it had strong worldbuilding which was enhanced by its audiovisual direction. That was based on dozens of hours with the PC version of the game. The game now has a port on Nintendo Switch, and being able to play a title as expansive as The Outer Worlds on the system is impressive. But naturally, the big compromise that it makes in order to run on the relatively less powerful console is in the visual splendour of its world.
As I've come to expect in Switch ports of graphically-intensive games, the concessions most noticeably come in the form of a very low level of detail, significantly reduced environmental objects, and the absence of many ambient and post-processing visual effects, among other things. The result is a fuzzy, watercolour-like image of a barren world, and you certainly lose a lot of the awe that comes with seeing the game's large, lush open areas and intricately detailed cities. But more importantly, the low visual fidelity makes it more difficult to spot enemy characters--especially at mid-to-long-range, and especially using the Switch's handheld mode; they tend to blend together, often sharing the same muted colour palettes.
Continue Reading at GameSpot
Pokemon Gets a Looney Tunes Style Animation
The Pokemon Company has released its first "Poketoon" animation, a new short in the style of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons.
The Pokemon Kids TV YouTube channel recently posted the four-minute animated short that follows the slapstick escapades of Scraggy and Mimikyu in a humourous episode titled "Chase the Beans."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=poketoon-the-pokemon-cartoon-animation&captions=true"]
The cartoon opens with its title set against a backdrop of coloured circles, similar to those used in the introduction of the Warner Bros. animated cartoon series, though the rings resemble a Pokeball in this special mash-up episode.
The short story sees Scraggy on the hunt for food as he follows a trail of beans onto a train where he encounters the playful Mimikyu, who immediately interrupts his search for snacks and causes chaos in every single frame.
The colourful title cards reveal that Taku Inoue directed the animation alongside Yoshiyuki Koie who served as the producer. It features animations by Miyako Makio, Ryousuke Senbo, Shinichi Suzuki, and Shuya Yoshisato. Tsutomu Ikeda animated the backgrounds and Kei Tsuda created the music for the lively animation that features no dialogue throughout.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/17/ash-ketchum-becomes-a-pokemon-league-champion-ign-now"]
The short animation might help to fill the Pokeball-sized hole left behind by the Pokémon Anime TV series, which has been temporarily put on hold due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The latest season premiered in Japan with a one-hour special in November of last year. The new episodes follow Ash, Pikachu and new companion, Gou, on their globetrotting adventures from the Kanto to the Galar region, the setting of the Pokémon Sword and Shield games.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Pokemon Gets a Looney Tunes Style Animation
The Pokemon Company has released its first "Poketoon" animation, a new short in the style of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons.
The Pokemon Kids TV YouTube channel recently posted the four-minute animated short that follows the slapstick escapades of Scraggy and Mimikyu in a humourous episode titled "Chase the Beans."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=poketoon-the-pokemon-cartoon-animation&captions=true"]
The cartoon opens with its title set against a backdrop of coloured circles, similar to those used in the introduction of the Warner Bros. animated cartoon series, though the rings resemble a Pokeball in this special mash-up episode.
The short story sees Scraggy on the hunt for food as he follows a trail of beans onto a train where he encounters the playful Mimikyu, who immediately interrupts his search for snacks and causes chaos in every single frame.
The colourful title cards reveal that Taku Inoue directed the animation alongside Yoshiyuki Koie who served as the producer. It features animations by Miyako Makio, Ryousuke Senbo, Shinichi Suzuki, and Shuya Yoshisato. Tsutomu Ikeda animated the backgrounds and Kei Tsuda created the music for the lively animation that features no dialogue throughout.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/17/ash-ketchum-becomes-a-pokemon-league-champion-ign-now"]
The short animation might help to fill the Pokeball-shaped hole left behind by the Pokémon Anime TV series, which has been temporarily put on hold due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The latest season premiered in Japan with a one-hour special in November of last year. The new episodes follow Ash, Pikachu and new companion, Gou, on their globetrotting adventures from the Kanto to the Galar region, the setting of the Pokémon Sword and Shield games.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Sony Fined $3.5 Million for Misleading Australian Consumers
Sony Europe (which controls Sony's operations in Australia) has been fined $3.5 Million AUD for misleading Australian consumers over its refund policy.
The company has been ordered to pay this amount in penalties for "making false and misleading representations" regarding Australian Consumer Law rights. You can read the full release from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission here.
The court case that led to this settlement involved a series of consumers who contacted Sony over a game they deemed faulty. They were refused refunds for two reasons: the game was purchased digitally and it had been 14 days since they made the purchase. These responses from Sony do not align with Australian consumer law, so the case went to court.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/09/ps5-features-we-really-want"]
Another breach of ACL came as Sony told a consumer that it could not provide a refund "unless the game developer authorized it" and told another that the refund would have to be issued using digital currency only usable on the PlayStation Store.
"Consumer guarantee rights do not expire after ad digital product has been downloaded and certainly do not disappear after 14 days or any other arbitrary date claimed by a game store or developer,” reads a statement from Rod Sims, chair of the ACCC. "What Sony told these consumers was false and does not reflect the consumer guarantee rights afforded to Australian consumers."
According to the release from the ACCC, Sony Europe's terms of service implied that users "did not have consumer guarantee rights regarding the quality, functionality, completeness, accuracy or performance of their purchased digital games" between October 2017 and May 2019.
You may remember back in 2014 when the ACCC sued Valve for similar reasons over its refunds policy. In 2018, the High Court of Australia dismissed Valve's attempt to appeal a $3 million fine.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Sony Fined $3.5 Million for Misleading Australian Consumers
Sony Europe (which controls Sony's operations in Australia) has been fined $3.5 Million AUD for misleading Australian consumers over its refund policy.
The company has been ordered to pay this amount in penalties for "making false and misleading representations" regarding Australian Consumer Law rights. You can read the full release from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission here.
The court case that led to this settlement involved a series of consumers who contacted Sony over a game they deemed faulty. They were refused refunds for two reasons: the game was purchased digitally and it had been 14 days since they made the purchase. These responses from Sony do not align with Australian consumer law, so the case went to court.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/09/ps5-features-we-really-want"]
Another breach of ACL came as Sony told a consumer that it could not provide a refund "unless the game developer authorized it" and told another that the refund would have to be issued using digital currency only usable on the PlayStation Store.
"Consumer guarantee rights do not expire after ad digital product has been downloaded and certainly do not disappear after 14 days or any other arbitrary date claimed by a game store or developer,” reads a statement from Rod Sims, chair of the ACCC. "What Sony told these consumers was false and does not reflect the consumer guarantee rights afforded to Australian consumers."
According to the release from the ACCC, Sony Europe's terms of service implied that users "did not have consumer guarantee rights regarding the quality, functionality, completeness, accuracy or performance of their purchased digital games" between October 2017 and May 2019.
You may remember back in 2014 when the ACCC sued Valve for similar reasons over its refunds policy. In 2018, the High Court of Australia dismissed Valve's attempt to appeal a $3 million fine.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X Special Edition Comes With Free DLC Expansion
The limited edition Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X console bundle doesn't just entitle buyers to a digital copy of the game when it's released, but the game's first DLC expansion pack, which will be "delivered directly to the console upon release".
Announced in April and available to purchase now, listings for the console point out the new detail. We previously knew that the console comes with a custom look, a matching limited edition controller, and entitles you to a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 when it's released on September 17. However, we didn't know the console would give owners the first expansion as well - a very nice bonus.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cyberpunk-2077-xbox-hardware-images&captions=true"]
Developer CD Projekt Red has previously confirmed that those expansions will be at least as big as the ones released for The Witcher 3, and will be announced before the core game's launch. We don't know how long after release those expansions will arrive, however.
Only 45,000 of these consoles will be manufactured, and they'll mark the last ever special edition variant of the Xbox One X, ahead of the release of the Xbox Series X. It's worth pointing out that getting an Xbox One copy of the game automatically entitles you to a free upgrade to the Xbox Series X version when that's released, thanks to Microsoft's Smart Delivery service. Presumably, that will include the expansion content too.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/28/cyberpunk-2077-53-gameplay-details"]
We're waiting to learn more about the much-anticipated action-RPG, with CD Projekt Red's Night City Wire news broadcast recently delayed to June 25. You'll be able to watch that, and much more, as part of IGN's Summer of Gaming event.
If you're in the US, you can save $100 on the Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X right now.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.
Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X Special Edition Comes With Free DLC Expansion
The limited edition Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X console bundle doesn't just entitle buyers to a digital copy of the game when it's released, but the game's first DLC expansion pack, which will be "delivered directly to the console upon release".
Announced in April and available to purchase now, listings for the console point out the new detail. We previously knew that the console comes with a custom look, a matching limited edition controller, and entitles you to a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 when it's released on September 17. However, we didn't know the console would give owners the first expansion as well - a very nice bonus.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cyberpunk-2077-xbox-hardware-images&captions=true"]
Developer CD Projekt Red has previously confirmed that those expansions will be at least as big as the ones released for The Witcher 3, and will be announced before the core game's launch. We don't know how long after release those expansions will arrive, however.
Only 45,000 of these consoles will be manufactured, and they'll mark the last ever special edition variant of the Xbox One X, ahead of the release of the Xbox Series X. It's worth pointing out that getting an Xbox One copy of the game automatically entitles you to a free upgrade to the Xbox Series X version when that's released, thanks to Microsoft's Smart Delivery service. Presumably, that will include the expansion content too.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/28/cyberpunk-2077-53-gameplay-details"]
We're waiting to learn more about the much-anticipated action-RPG, with CD Projekt Red's Night City Wire news broadcast recently delayed to June 25. You'll be able to watch that, and much more, as part of IGN's Summer of Gaming event.
If you're in the US, you can save $100 on the Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X right now.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.
Hereditary Director Says His Next Film Will Be a 4-Hour Long ‘Nightmare Comedy’
Horror director Ari Aster has confirmed that he is currently working on a "nightmare comedy" that will clock in at four hours.
In a recent interview with UC Santa Barbara's Associated Students Program Board, Aster shared a few teasers about his upcoming projects, as he revealed that he is working on a "nightmare comedy," having just finished a new draft, and said, "All I know is that it's gonna be four hours long, over 17 [years of age]."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/06/07/hereditary-review"]
While it's not entirely clear from the interview transcription whether Aster was being deadly serious about the length of his next film, his recent filmography indicates that he has somewhat of an affinity for longer films.
Aster made his feature film directorial debut in 2018 with the blood-curdling, horror-drama Hereditary, which made audiences' toes curl throughout its runtime of 2 hours, 7 minutes. He then followed up his critical hit with the lyrical and surreal folk horror tale Midsommar, which slow-burned in movie theatres for 2 hours, 28 minutes in 2019. Midsommar's extended cut was released later, with a runtime of 2 hours, 51 minutes.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-most-controversial-horror-movies&captions=true"]
Aster referred to Midsommar as an "apocalyptic breakup movie" before its release, so some of his terminology might be open to interpretation. In our review of Midsommar, we described the film as "an emotionally harrowing and slowly insidious journey, languidly forcing dread on the viewer, wrapping them in a weird nightmare summer camp of sunlight and cheer."
Midsommar also earned a spot on IGN's Best Reviewed Movies of 2019 following directly on from Hereditary, which was one of IGN's Best Reviewed Movies of 2018.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Hereditary Director Says His Next Film Will Be a 4-Hour Long ‘Nightmare Comedy’
Horror director Ari Aster has confirmed that he is currently working on a "nightmare comedy" that will clock in at four hours.
In a recent interview with UC Santa Barbara's Associated Students Program Board, Aster shared a few teasers about his upcoming projects, as he revealed that he is working on a "nightmare comedy," having just finished a new draft, and said, "All I know is that it's gonna be four hours long, over 17 [years of age]."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/06/07/hereditary-review"]
While it's not entirely clear from the interview transcription whether Aster was being deadly serious about the length of his next film, his recent filmography indicates that he has somewhat of an affinity for longer films.
Aster made his feature film directorial debut in 2018 with the blood-curdling, horror-drama Hereditary, which made audiences' toes curl throughout its runtime of 2 hours, 7 minutes. He then followed up his critical hit with the lyrical and surreal folk horror tale Midsommar, which slow-burned in movie theatres for 2 hours, 28 minutes in 2019. Midsommar's extended cut was released later, with a runtime of 2 hours, 51 minutes.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-most-controversial-horror-movies&captions=true"]
Aster referred to Midsommar as an "apocalyptic breakup movie" before its release, so some of his terminology might be open to interpretation. In our review of Midsommar, we described the film was "an emotionally harrowing and slowly insidious journey, languidly forcing dread on the viewer, wrapping them in a weird nightmare summer camp of sunlight and cheer."
Midsommar also earned a spot on IGN's Best Reviewed Movies of 2019 following directly on from Hereditary, which was one of IGN's Best Reviewed Movies of 2018.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.