Monthly Archives: July 2020

Crysis Remastered Delayed After Mixed Reactions to Leaked Footage

Crysis Remastered's release date and trailer premiere have been delayed "a few weeks" so Crytek can "get Crysis Remastered up to the PC- and console-breaking standard you've come to expect from Crysis games." In a letter posted on Twitter, Crytek explained that it's seen both "the good and the bad" reactions to the leaked footage of Crysis Remastered and wants to take the time to "make a few more improvements" before release. The trailer was supposed to be officially shown today, July 1, but the Microsoft Store leaked it early and revealed that it had a launch date of July 23, 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/16/crysis-remastered-official-teaser-trailer"] The full statement from Crytek is as follows;
"Dear Crysis Fans, as you know, Crysis Remastered will be coming into the world this year - and at the same time the Crysis IP will debut on the Nintendo Switch!" "Your passion for the Crysis franchise deserves an undeniably high-quality game, and we are committed to delivering just that. To ensure that we meet that committment, we will need to delay the launch date (all platforms) and trailer premiere by a few weeks. Because they already started, pre-orders for Switch will stay open, but pre-orders for all other platforms will be delayed as well." "The features you're looking forward to are already set, but we want to take the time on polishing the game. You might be aware of the leak yesterday, and we want you to know: we've seen all the reactions - the good and the bad - and we're listening! We're still working on a number of things in game, as well as the storefront. Please keep the love coming, and rest assure, you'll have the game you love shortly!" "This extra time until release will allow us to get Crysis Remastered up to the PC- and console-breaking standard you've come to expect from Crysis games. We hop you understand what we're up to - and that you stay with us while we take the time to make a few more improvements. Stay tuned, and we'll have that game, in your hands as soon as we possibly can. We'll keep you updated on our progress, so please hang in there, and check back here for updates!"
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=what-games-got-right-and-mostly-wrong-about-life-in-2020&captions=true"] Crysis Remastered is an updated version of the 2007 original that will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. [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. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Jurassic World 3: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern Appear Throughout

Sam Neill has revealed that Alan Grant, Ian Malcolm and Ellie Satler play an integral part in the plot of Jurassic World: Dominion. In an interview with Yahoo Movies UK, Neill, who is set to reprise his iconic role as palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the third film, said that he cannot wait to reunite with his "dear friends" Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern on set. In fact, he said he's "raring to go" as he has been gearing up to restart production after an almost four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19). [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/20/jurassic-world-may-feature-dinosaurs-in-the-snow-for-the-first-time] When asked whether he would be featuring in a "couple of scenes" or a "more substantial role," Neill revealed that his character plays a sizeable part in the next installment, together with Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm and Dern's Dr. Ellie Sattler. "We're all the way through the film, Jeff [Goldblum], and me, and Laura [Dern]," he stated, though he also admitted that he "probably won't be running quite as fast" as he did 27 years ago, referring back to his first appearance in the blockbuster franchise. Jurassic World 3 director Colin Trevorrow previously said that he had wanted the original franchise stars to appear in the Jurassic World trilogy for a long time, but he needed to figure out the best way to continue their legacy in "an organic way" before bringing them back. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] The original trio will be joining returning franchise stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, who are reprising their respective roles as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, alongside Jurassic World stars Jake Johnson and Omar Sy, both of whom did not make it into the sequel. Fallen Kingdom stars Justice Smith and Daniella Pineda will also return for the upcoming movie (referred to by Trevorrow as Jurassic Park IV), with newcomers Mamoudou Athie and DeWanda Wise. Jurassic World: Dominion is currently scheduled for a release on June 11, 2021, though that date could change in light of the production shutdown. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

PlayStation Indies Initiative Revealed, 9 Games Announced

Sony's Shuhei Yoshida has announced the PlayStation Indies initiative, which will spotlight new games from smaller developers. During the course of today, 9 new indie games for PS4 and PS5 will be revealed (you can see an evolving, full list at the end of this story). In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Yoshida writes, "With PlayStation Indies, we hope to spotlight and support the best of the best indie games being published on PlayStation and the entire indie community as a whole. Our goal is to make PlayStation the best place to develop, find, and play great indie games." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/bugsnax-announcement-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] How exactly that will manifest itself is yet to be confirmed, but Yoshida confirms that a new indie game will be added to the PlayStation Now service every month, beginning with Hello Neighbor this month. Perhaps most importantly, Yoshida also confirms that he, like all of us, has not been able to stop singing the Bugsnax song (which you can listen to above, if you too want to succumb to the curse). We will update this story with the games announced today, with Yoshida writing that they will be "nine imaginative and exciting titles coming to both PS4 and PS5." Some of these games will be coming to other platforms besides PlayStation.

Full List of PlayStation Indies Revealed

F.I.S.T: Forged In Shadow Torch (PS4) - This 2D action-platformer sees an anthropomorphic bunny with a giant metal fist fight his way across a dieselpunk-inspired Metroidvania map. It launches for PS4 "soon". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/fist-forged-in-shadow-torch-story-trailer"] Maquette (PS5, PS4) - A first-person puzzle game from Graceful Decay (and published by Annapurna Interactive) bound to garner comparisons to The Witness, Maquette has you manipulating objects in simultaneously simulated, recursive worlds to create solutions to progress. It's hard to explain without seeing it in action, so here's a walkthrough trailer: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/maquette-gameplay-walkthrough-trailer"] Where the Heart Is (PS4): A narrative adventure game coming this winter, the new game from Armature follows a family throughout their lives. Choices made by the main character, Whit, will affect family members across their lifetimes, seemingly radically changing the locations you visit along the way, which include realistic and surreal landcaspes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/where-the-heart-is-official-trailer"] Creaks (PS4): Coming in "a few weeks", Creaks is a hand-drawn adventure-puzzle game by Amanita Design (Chuchel, Machinarium). The game tasks you with discovering the secrets of a mansion, avoiding the eponymous Creaks, and collecting a series of crudely animated, bizarre paintings. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/creaks-gameplay-trailer"] Heavenly Bodies (PS5, PS4): This 2D, physics-based action puzzler casts you as a cosmonaut trying to fix your space station in zero gravity, and can be played in co-op. Arriving in 2021, the game will uses the PS5's DualSense controller's features, using adaptive triggers to simulate the density of objects you're gripping, and haptic feedback to communicate the feel of the ship around you. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/heavenly-bodies-reveal-trailer"] Recompile (PS5): Explore, fight and hack your way through a virtual landscape that'll react to your actions as you try to escape deletion in Recompile, the upcoming exploration-based hacking platformer. Recompile is headed to PlayStation 5. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/recompile-gameplay-trailer"] Carto (PS4): Carto is an upcoming adventure game that utilizes a world-shifting puzzle mechanic. Use this power to explore mysterious lands, help a quirky cast of new friends, and guide Carto on her journey home. Carto is headed to PlayStation 4 in fall 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/carto-announcement-trailer"] Haven (PS4):  Share the journey of two lovers, escaped to a lost planet in a desperate attempt to stay together. Play as Yu and Kay, gliding over the grassland of a shattered planet, unraveling its mysteries to find a way to settle for good. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/haven-glide-free-trailer"] Worms Rumble (PS4, PS5):  The upcoming game introduces a real-time, arena-based, 32 player, cross-platform extravaganza that puts a new spin on your favourite warmongering invertebrates. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/worms-rumble-announcement-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

Fallout 76 and Soulcalibur VI Lead July 2020’s New Xbox Game Pass Games

Fallout 76, Soulcalibur VI, CrossCode, and Out of the Park Baseball 21 are all being added to Xbox Game Pass in July 2020. As revealed by Xbox Wire, Out of the Park Baseball 21 (PC) and Soulcalibur VI (Console) are both now available, and CrossCode (Console) and Fallout 76 (Console & PC) will both be available on July 9. Fallout 76 was originally released in 2018 and is an open-world online game set in West Virginia 25 years after a nuclear war. The Wastelanders DLC, which was released in April 2020, brought with it human NPCs with full dialogue trees, a new main quest, and choice and consequence, some of which were missing from the original game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/25/fallout-76-wastelanders-review"] In our review of the Wastelanders DLC, we said it "at least solidifies Fallout 76 as something that’s worth recommending to series fans who are interested in multiplayer. The new storyline is great, but not as easy to play with friends as it should be." Soulcalibur VI was also released in 2018 and is the newest entry in a franchise that began in 1995 as an arcade game. This new game features such guest characters as Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher and 2B from NieR: Automata. In our review of Soulcalibur VI, we said "despite some minor issues, the soul of Soulcalibur 6 is so strong that they don’t do much to bring down what is one of the best entries in the series." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/17/soulcalibur-vi-review"] CrossCode was originally released on PC in 2018 and is headed to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on July 9. It is a retro action RPG that's set in the distant future in "the veins of Secret of Mana and Zelda." Out of the Park Baseball 21 is the newest release from the award-winning baseball strategy franchise that features authenticity licensed by MLB and the MLBPA, and "a bounty of offline and online experiences found nowhere else" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=23-best-xbox-game-pass-games&captions=true"] While we will be getting these new games in July 2020, there will be a few games leaving Xbox Game Pass on July 15, including Blazing Chrome, Dead Rising 4, Metal Gear Solid V, Timespinner, Unavowed, and Undertale. If you wish to keep these games, you can purchase them for up to a 20% discount before July 15. [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. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Nintendo Stops European Retailers From Selling First-Party Digital Game Codes

Nintendo has stopped European retailers from selling digital game codes of its first-party games. UK retailer ShopTo noted the change on Twitter, stating that "due to a Nintendo decision for all EMEA territories" the company is no longer able to sell full digital Nintendo games - but that they will still be able to sell online membership and DLC codes. In a statement issued to Nintendo Life, Nintendo confirmed and expanded upon the decision: "After careful examination of the evolving European marketplace in recent years, Nintendo has decided to end the availability of download codes for its own-published software via retailers, effective 1st July 2020," the statement reads. "Customers will still be able to purchase Nintendo eShop funds, Nintendo Switch Online memberships, and add-on content such as the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass, at retailers across Europe. Download codes for Nintendo Switch software from other publishers will also still be available." This means that only first-party Nintendo games will be affected by the change, and consumers will still be able to purchase third-party digital codes from retailers such as ShopTo in the future. Only Nintendo's first-party games such as Lugi's Mansion 3 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be removed from sale - you'll only be able to pick them up digitally at full or sale price from the Nintendo eShop. In other Nintendo news, the company has formally apologised for the Joy-Con Drift issue that has affected many Nintendo Switch users. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Cyberpunk 2077’s Wall-Running Mechanic Removed ‘Due To Design Reasons’

CD Projekt Red has cut the wall-running mechanic seen in previous Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay trailers "due to design reasons." In an interview with GameReactor, Cyberpunk 2077 level designer Max Pears explained the decision. "Ah, the wall runningthat is something that we removed due to design reasons, but there's still going to be a lot of flexibility in how you move, that's for sure." Previously, gameplay has shown the player-character using Mantis Blades (the game's sword-like appendages that can be hidden inside your own arms) in combination with wall running, in order to perch in hard to-reach spots. You can see the wall-running in action via this timestamped link to the 48-minute gameplay demo from 2018. In the clip, V uses her Mantis Blades to run along a wall, scan  some goons, before leaping down and assassinating them. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/27/cyberpunk-2077-gameplay-demo"] It's not clear from Pears' comments whether Mantis Blades could still be used to perch in some way - perhaps in designated spots rather than anywhere a wall-run could reach. Pears did make a point of noting that there will be other methods of traversal available to the player when the game launches on November 19. In other Cyberpunk 2077 news, you can check out the PC-exclusive ray-tracing effects that were revealed last week by Nvidia. If you still haven't got your fix, check out this article running through 10 essential anime series that you should watch if you plan to check out Cyberpunk: Edgerunners when it launches in 2022. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/cyberpunk-2077-night-city-wire-episode-1-full-broadcast"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Amazon’s Crucible Is Headed Back To Closed Beta a Month After Release

Amazon's free to play team shooter Crucible has been pulled back into closed beta just a month after its official release. Crucible's developer Relentless Studios revealed the news on the Crucible blog yesterday, announcing that as of today, the game will shift back into a closed beta state once more, in order to "focus on providing the best possible experience for our players." Despite the drastic change, Relentless is still following the roadmap it announced in early June when it decided to pull two of Crucible's three game modes from circulation after its player base dwindled just weeks after launch. The team are focusing on "map, combat, and system changes," and made it clear that the Crucible experience will remain much the same for those who have been playing since launch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/27/crucible-review"] "You'll keep all the progress and customization items you've already earned, and the battle pass, reward tracks, and in-game store will continue to be supported," the statement reads. Relentless is also setting up a "community council" of players who they'll be consulting for feedback, and the team will be scheduling dedicated time each week to play the game with the current community. Crucible's most popular game mode, Heart of the Hives, has remained and Relentless is working on a number of new features, trying to improve the game using feedback from fans. You can check out the public Trello board here, which shows what the developers are working on at the moment, and which issues have priority. We reviewed Crucible upon its official release in late May, giving it a 4/10 and calling the team-based shooter "a slog." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Mr. Driller Drill Land Review – Digging Up A Classic

In the late '90s and early aughts, a little fellow named Mr. Driller burrowed his way into the hearts of puzzle game fans worldwide. The years that followed saw several Mr. Driller releases across multiple platforms, but after a while, Namco seemed content to entomb the series and focus on other things. Now, a little over a decade later, Bandai-Namco has decided to unearth one of the most beloved Mr. Driller games, the formerly Japan-and-Europe-exclusive Mr. Driller Drill Land, to release on Switch and PC for a new generation of fans to enjoy.

Mr. Driller Drill Land focuses on the titular Mr. Driller, aka Susumu Hori, and his extended gang of excavator friends and family (including his dad Taizo, who you might remember from Dig Dug). They're off to visit a new underground amusement park called Drill Land, filled with attractions that very coincidentally are based around the colored-block-drilling gameplay that defines the Mr. Driller series--with some notable twists. Challenges, cards, and plenty of collectibles abound in Drill Land, and you'll have to see if you have the chops to conquer each of the park's different attractions for high scores and goodies. (And you might just save the world, too.)

No Caption Provided
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The core Mr. Driller gameplay is a neat twist on the "falling colored blocks" idea. You control Susumu (or one of his companions), using your drill to break up colored blocks and dig deeper and deeper into the earth. As you destroy blocks and work your way into the earth, you'll free up other blocks, which will fall and join up with (and also break) others of the same color. Your goal is to reach a certain depth, but that's easier said than done--you have a limited air supply that acts as a timer, and some poor drilling choices could lead to your driller getting smooshed under a landslide. This makes the game a tense, careful balancing act--while air pickups are frequently available, being too hasty with your drilling decisions when oxygen is limited could lead to disaster. It might sound intimidating, but it's much easier to understand once you play a few sessions and see for yourself how loose blocks fall, combine, and break. After you grasp the basics, you'll grow into a groove and skillfully obtain pickups, create chains to eliminate lots of blocks at once, and find safe spots among a cascade of falling earth.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Mr. Driller Drill Land Review – Digging Up A Classic

In the late '90s and early aughts, a little fellow named Mr. Driller burrowed his way into the hearts of puzzle game fans worldwide. The years that followed saw several Mr. Driller releases across multiple platforms, but after a while, Namco seemed content to entomb the series and focus on other things. Now, a little over a decade later, Bandai-Namco has decided to unearth one of the most beloved Mr. Driller games, the formerly Japan-and-Europe-exclusive Mr. Driller Drill Land, to release on Switch and PC for a new generation of fans to enjoy.

Mr. Driller Drill Land focuses on the titular Mr. Driller, aka Susumu Hori, and his extended gang of excavator friends and family (including his dad Taizo, who you might remember from Dig Dug). They're off to visit a new underground amusement park called Drill Land, filled with attractions that very coincidentally are based around the colored-block-drilling gameplay that defines the Mr. Driller series--with some notable twists. Challenges, cards, and plenty of collectibles abound in Drill Land, and you'll have to see if you have the chops to conquer each of the park's different attractions for high scores and goodies. (And you might just save the world, too.)

No Caption Provided
Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10

The core Mr. Driller gameplay is a neat twist on the "falling colored blocks" idea. You control Susumu (or one of his companions), using your drill to break up colored blocks and dig deeper and deeper into the earth. As you destroy blocks and work your way into the earth, you'll free up other blocks, which will fall and join up with (and also break) others of the same color. Your goal is to reach a certain depth, but that's easier said than done--you have a limited air supply that acts as a timer, and some poor drilling choices could lead to your driller getting smooshed under a landslide. This makes the game a tense, careful balancing act--while air pickups are frequently available, being too hasty with your drilling decisions when oxygen is limited could lead to disaster. It might sound intimidating, but it's much easier to understand once you play a few sessions and see for yourself how loose blocks fall, combine, and break. After you grasp the basics, you'll grow into a groove and skillfully obtain pickups, create chains to eliminate lots of blocks at once, and find safe spots among a cascade of falling earth.

Continue Reading at GameSpot