Monthly Archives: July 2020
Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Voice Actors Say They’ve Finished Their Work
Spanish voice actors for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 have said their work on the game is done, perhaps indicating that the game is a significant way through its development cycle.
Reported by Gamereactor, Marc Navarro (Revali) and Nerea Alfonso (Zelda) told the hosts of the Un Café Con Nintendo podcast that they had finished their work on the still-undated sequel, before questioning whether they should have revealed that information.
As pointed out by VGC, localized voice acting is often one of the final tasks for game audio design departments. This doesn't necessarily mean that the game as a whole is close to complete, but it may indicate that Breath of the Wild 2 is a significant way through production.
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That idea's supported by the fact that Nintendo began hiring for a new Zelda project back in 2018 - if those job listings referred to Breath of the Wild 2, it implies the game has been in production for some time.
Nintendo's been very quiet about the sequel since its announcement at E3 2019, but we know the team has been drawing inspiration from Red Dead Redemption 2, and that producer Eiji Aonuma won't deny that it could have a co-op mechanic, or that you could play as Zelda herself.
There's far more we don't know about the game - but here's everything we've learned about Breath of the Wild 2 so far.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2: Development Affected By COVID-19, But Shouldn’t Have ‘Big Impact’
Development on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 will "temporarily drop below 100% efficiency" due to remote working, but the game's creators are confident that it won't have a major long-term impact.
In an interview with The Guardian, co-director Naoki Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase were asked about the effects of COVID-19 on the first part's release. Kitase explained that the "release of the game happening during this unprecedented situation has blindsided us."
He went on to discuss how Part 2's development has been touched by the pandemic: "At this current time, the team are still making the next game via remote working. Our performance will temporarily drop below 100% efficiency because of this, but I do not think there should be a big impact in the long term."
Previously, we've heard that the game's co-director Tetsuya Nomura would prefer to adapt smaller chunks of the orignal FF7 at a faster pace. Some will be hoping that means we hear more about a follow-up soon, with Square Enix set to announce new games in July and August.
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As for what that Part 2 will include, the developers are being understandably cagey. With some fairly major changes to Part 1's story, the developers were asked if the sequel will continue to veer away from the original game's storyline.
"I am not able to tell you the answer to that now," explained Kitase. "I understand that there is a lot of speculation among the fans; that is what we wanted and we’ve really enjoyed seeing these theories and guesses of what the ending means. We wanted the fans to keep the discussion going on social media and keep their excitement high as we head towards the next game."
What they will confirm is that, as expected, classic villain Sephiroth will be a major part of the next installment, after he made unexpected appearances in the first part: "In the original game, Sephiroth did not make an appearance in the section of the story told [in FInal Fantasy 7 Remake], but we changed it to have him appear from the start, in order to position him playing an important role over the whole of the Remake project. Sephiroth plays a major part in the ongoing story of the next game, so I am unable to reveal any more information about him here."
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FF7R's creators have previously implied that the next game will not drastically change the story fans already know, despite the notable differences in the first part. We awarded that first part an 8/10 review, saying that its "dull filler and convoluted additions can cause it to stumble, but it still breathes exciting new life into a classic while standing as a great RPG all its own."
For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
The Batman, Mission Impossible and More Cleared to Resume Production
The Batman and Mission: Impossible 7 are amongst several film and television productions that are to be given the green light to resume filming this summer.
The UK government announced on Sunday that a limited number of essential individuals working on major productions will be allowed to be part of an exclusive group who are exempt from quarantine rules, so long as those travelling to the country live and work in controlled "bubbled" environments, which only includes their production and accommodation locations, per The Hollywood Reporter.
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The Batman had been filming for almost seven weeks when production was halted for an initial two-week period due to safety concerns amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, while the cast and crew of Mission: Impossible 7 were forced to postpone a shoot in Italy as the country went into lockdown to help reduce rising infection rates.
"The world's biggest blockbusters and high-end TV shows are made in Britain," said Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. "Our creativity, expertise and highly successful tax reliefs for our screen industries means that we are an in demand location that in turn delivers a great return for our economy. We want the industry to bounce back and exempting small numbers of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our continued commitment to getting cameras rolling safely again. This is welcome news not just for film lovers but the thousands employed across the screen industries and the sectors it supports."
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Apart from The Batman and the Mission: Impossible sequels, other major film productions that were originally halted in the UK include the third Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them installment, Disney's live-action retelling of The Little Mermaid, and Universal's Jurassic World: Dominion, which is set to resume filming at Pinewood Studios this week after an almost four-month hiatus.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Left 4 Dead Creators Reveal Concept Art for New Zombie Game, Back 4 Blood
Turtle Rock Studios, the creator of Left 4 Dead, has shown off concept art for its upcoming co-op zombie game, Back 4 Blood.
Revealed on Twitter, the image shows off a ramshackle human settlement, surrounded by fortifications and traps. Check it out below:
When Back 4 Blood was revealed, Turtle Rock explained that the game will be a "next-gen cooperative FPS" where "you’ll be able to shoot up a lot of zombies like in Left 4 Dead," but with "a whole lot of new stuff in Back 4 Blood which makes it unique."
The image could suggest a game in which defense is as important as escape, and where players will be attampting to force zombie hordes into traps as well as into firefights. However, Turtle Rock has offered no new details about the game, so this is all speculation for now.
Back 4 Blood is scheduled for release on PC, Xbox One and PS4 (although in 2019, a release on other platforms was said to not be out of the question). No release date has been set.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Ennio Morricone, Oscar-Winning Hateful Eight Composer, Dies Aged 91
Ennio Morricone, the Italian film composer whose symphonic scores spanned across all genres, including spaghetti westerns, romance and thrillers, has died aged 91.
Morricone died early Monday in a Rome hospital after suffering complications from a fall that caused a hip fracture, his lawyer Giorgio Assumma told Italian news agency ANSA, per Variety.
The musical maestro composed more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as over 100 classical works. He first rose to prominence in the 1960s while collaborating with director Sergio Leone on his spaghetti westerns. Together, they created timeless masterpieces, with Morricone's score to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly still considered to be one of the most influential soundtracks in history.
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Over his long-spanning career, Morricone was nominated six times for Oscars in the Best Original Score category for his work on Days of Heaven, The Mission, The Untouchables, Bugsy, Malena, and The Hateful Eight. In 2007, he was presented with the Academy Honorary Award in recognition of "his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music."
In 2016, he received his first competitive Academy Award for his score to Quentin Tarantino's film The Hateful Eight, for which he composed 50 minutes of original music. His additional achievements include three Grammy Awards, three Golden Globes, and six BAFTA Awards, amongst many other accolades that he collected for his glittering filmography, which includes over 70 award-winning films.
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Shortly after the sad news of Morricone's death broke, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte tweeted: "We will always remember, with infinite gratitude, the artistic genius of the Maestro Ennio Morricone. It made us dream, feel excited, reflect, writing memorable notes that will remain indelible in the history of music and cinema."
In a further tribute to the prolific composer, director Edgar Wright wrote on Twitter: "Where to even begin with iconic composer Ennio Morricone? He could make an average movie into a must-see, a good movie into art, and a great movie into legend. He hasn't been off my stereo my entire life. What a legacy of work he leaves behind. RIP."
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
La Noire VR Developer Is Working With Rockstar on an Open World VR Game
The developer behind LA: Noire The VR Case Files is once again working with Rockstar on a new open-world VR game.
In a Linkedin announcement, Australian developer Video Games Deluxe said “Having finished the critically well received L.A.Noire: The V.R. Case Files we are now gearing up for a new project, a AAA open world title in VR for Rockstar,”
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“2020 marks our 7th year of working exclusively for Rockstar in Sydney and we are excited to taking on this ground breaking project,” it added.
The announcement promotes the opening of several different job vacancies, including senior programmers, engine programmer, designer, and animator, all at the company’s Sydney studio. Each one refers to an “open world AAA VR project”, although the details in the listings does not give away any further details.
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With only these limited details, it’s unclear if Video Games Deluxe is working on a VR version of an existing Rockstar game, as it did with L.A. Noire, or if this will be an original IP. With GTA 5 recently announced for PS5 there’s demonstration that Rockstar is interested in further expanding the reach of their current Grand Theft Auto. Perhaps VR could be that avenue.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
The Last of Us 2’s Laura Bailey and Neil Druckmann Respond to Online Threats
Naughty Dog, the studio behind The Last of Us Part 2, as well as Abby's voice actor Laura Bailey and director Neil Druckmann, have responded to the online harassment and death threats they have received following the game's release.
Laura Bailey took to Twitter on July 3 to share some of the horrible messages she has received since The Last of Us Part 2 was released on June 19, 2020.
Alongside images of some of the responses, Bailey said "Man. I try to only post positive stuff on here... but sometimes this just gets a little overwhelming. I blacked out some of the words cuz, ya know, spoilers. Side note. Thank you to all the people sending me positive messages to balance it out. It means more than I can say."
The response was overwhelmingly positive, and rightfully so, with many around the industry and beyond showing support for Bailey. So much so, she responded by thanking all those who did.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/the-last-of-us-part-2-review"]
"Damn," Bailey said. "The amount of encouraging responses to this... I've always believed that good people far outweigh the bad. Thanks for reminding me of that today."
Earlier today, July 5, Naughty Dog took to Twitter to condemn "any form of harassment or threats directed towards our team and cast."
"Although we welcome critical discussion, we condemn any form of harassment or threats directed towards our team and cast. Their safety is our top priority, but we must all work together to root out this type of behavior and maintain a constructive and compassionate discourse."
An hour later, The Last of Us Part 2's director Neil Druckmann shared some of the hate he has been getting.
"You can love or hate the game and share your thoughts about it," Druckmann said. "Unfortunately too many of the messages I've been getting are vile, hateful, & violent. Here are just a handful of them (feel it's important to expose.) Trigger Warning: transphobic, homophobic, anti-Semitic, etc."
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The shining light in all this darkness is the support from those around the internet that has drowned out all this hatred. There is simply no place for it.
Unfortunately for all the haters, The Last of Us Part 2, besides setting a new gold standard for accessibility in games, has become the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive ever.
In our review of The Last of Us Part 2, in which we gave it a 10/10, we said it "is a masterpiece that evolves the gameplay, cinematic storytelling, and rich world design of the original in nearly every way."
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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 wishes people would be better. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
The Last of Us 2’s Laura Bailey and Neil Druckmann Respond to Online Threats
Naughty Dog, the studio behind The Last of Us Part 2, as well as Abby's voice actor Laura Bailey and director Neil Druckmann, have responded to the online harassment and death threats they have received following the game's release.
Laura Bailey took to Twitter on July 3 to share some of the horrible messages she has received since The Last of Us Part 2 was released on June 19, 2020.
Alongside images of some of the responses, Bailey said "Man. I try to only post positive stuff on here... but sometimes this just gets a little overwhelming. I blacked out some of the words cuz, ya know, spoilers. Side note. Thank you to all the people sending me positive messages to balance it out. It means more than I can say."
The response was overwhelmingly positive, and rightfully so, with many around the industry and beyond showing support for Bailey. So much so, she responded by thanking all those who did.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/the-last-of-us-part-2-review"]
"Damn," Bailey said. "The amount of encouraging responses to this... I've always believed that good people far outweigh the bad. Thanks for reminding me of that today."
Earlier today, July 5, Naughty Dog took to Twitter to condemn "any form of harassment or threats directed towards our team and cast."
"Although we welcome critical discussion, we condemn any form of harassment or threats directed towards our team and cast. Their safety is our top priority, but we must all work together to root out this type of behavior and maintain a constructive and compassionate discourse."
An hour later, The Last of Us Part 2's director Neil Druckmann shared some of the hate he has been getting.
"You can love or hate the game and share your thoughts about it," Druckmann said. "Unfortunately too many of the messages I've been getting are vile, hateful, & violent. Here are just a handful of them (feel it's important to expose.) Trigger Warning: transphobic, homophobic, anti-Semitic, etc."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-reviewed-games-of-2020&captions=true"]
The shining light in all this darkness is the support from those around the internet that has drowned out all this hatred. There is simply no place for it.
Unfortunately for all the haters, The Last of Us Part 2, besides setting a new gold standard for accessibility in games, has become the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive ever.
In our review of The Last of Us Part 2, in which we gave it a 10/10, we said it "is a masterpiece that evolves the gameplay, cinematic storytelling, and rich world design of the original in nearly every way."
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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 wishes people would be better. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
LEGO ART Sets Let You Build Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Darth Maul Posters
LEGO has announced new LEGO ART sets that allows builders to craft LEGO posters of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Darth Maul, Iron Man, the Beatles, and Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe.
Each set will cost $119.99 USD and has multiple building options, with each set allowing up to three different posters to build.
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For example, the Star Wars The Sith set allows builders to build either Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, or Darth Maul. Additionally, if three sets are purchased, an "ultimate Darth Vader wall piece" can be crafted that combines all three picture options.
The Marvel Studios Iron Man set allows for the MARK III, HULKBUSTER MARK I, or the MARK LXXXV to be built. Once again, if three sets are purchased, an "ultimate Iron Man piece" can be created.
The Marilyn Monroe set has four unique color options to build and The Beatles set allows for LEGO posters of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr to be built. Buying multiple of these sets won't create an "ultimate" piece.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/24/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-announcement-trailer"]
Each set has near or over 3,000 pieces and comes with an accompanying soundtrack with interviews and stories related to each set.
On the official LEGO website, each set has a release date of September 1, 2020, except for Iron Man which says coming soon.
If this isn't enough LEGO Star Wars for you, be sure to check out the 10 LEGO Star Wars sets based on the upcoming game LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and some even unlock exclusive content.
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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 wants an LEGO ART R2-D2 set. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
LEGO ART Sets Let You Build Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Darth Maul Posters
LEGO has announced new LEGO ART sets that allows builders to craft LEGO posters of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Darth Maul, Iron Man, the Beatles, and Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe.
Each set will cost $119.99 USD and has multiple building options, with each set allowing up to three different posters to build.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=lego-art-sets-star-wars-iron-man-the-beatles-andy-warhols-marilyn-monroe&captions=true"]
For example, the Star Wars The Sith set allows builders to build either Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, or Darth Maul. Additionally, if three sets are purchased, an "ultimate Darth Vader wall piece" can be crafted that combines all three picture options.
The Marvel Studios Iron Man set allows for the MARK III, HULKBUSTER MARK I, or the MARK LXXXV to be built. Once again, if three sets are purchased, an "ultimate Iron Man piece" can be created.
The Marilyn Monroe set has four unique color options to build and The Beatles set allows for LEGO posters of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr to be built. Buying multiple of these sets won't create an "ultimate" piece.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/24/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-announcement-trailer"]
Each set has near or over 3,000 pieces and comes with an accompanying soundtrack with interviews and stories related to each set.
On the official LEGO website, each set has a release date of September 1, 2020, except for Iron Man which says coming soon.
If this isn't enough LEGO Star Wars for you, be sure to check out the 10 LEGO Star Wars sets based on the upcoming game LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and some even unlock exclusive content.
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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 wants an LEGO ART R2-D2 set. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.