With the film's March 2021 release date looming, Disney has brought in a new lead voice actor as well as an additional writer and directors for their upcoming animated fantasy adventure Raya and the Last Dragon, Disney Animation's first original production since Moana. Star Wars veteran Kelly Marie Tran has replaced original actor Cassie Steele as the voice of Raya. Awkwafina remains the voice of Sisu, a dragon trapped in human form. Disney has described the film as the story of "Raya, a lone warrior from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra who teams up with a crew of misfits in her quest to find the Last Dragon and bring light and unity back to their world." Don Hall (Moana, Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) have now been announced as directors. Raya's original directors, Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, are now listed as co-directors. Playwright-screenwriter Qui Nguyen (She Kills Monsters, Vietgone) has also been added as a screenwriter; Crazy Rich Asians' Adele Lim penned the original screenplay. Disney also released a new first look photo of Raya and her trusty steed Tuk Tuk (seen below). [caption id="attachment_2399756" align="alignnone" width="720"] A scene from Raya and the Last Dragon.[/caption] In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee addressed the hiring of Tran, Hall, and López Estrada:

"As filmmakers, Don and Carlos bring a combination of animation know-how and emotional storytelling to Raya and the Last Dragon, bringing our fantasy adventure to surprising, original, and dynamic heights. ... They both saw the potential for this film and had a strong vision for the story, especially for our lead character, played by the wonderfully talented Kelly Marie Tran. And no small feat, directors Don and Carlos, writers Qui and Adele, and the entire crew of 400 Disney Animation artists are making this film together, while separated and working from home."

Raya and the Last Dragon is the first Disney animated film to showcase Southeast Asia. Nguyen told EW how important it was to have "the artists who represent those cultures in there to be able to give the subtleties of what our families are actually like, what our relationships are actually like, has given a lot of nuances to this great adventure." Tran said that while Raya is a princess, the movie aims"to flip the narrative on what it means to be a princess.” The actress, who played Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, described Raya as "totally a warrior. When she was a kid, she was excited to get her sword. And she grows up to be a really badass, gritty warrior and can really take care of herself.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disney-characters-and-the-actors-who-voiced-them&captions=true"] Disney touted Raya and the Last Dragon at last year's D23 Expo, bringing out original voice actor Cassie Steele, co-star Awkwafina, and original writer Adele Lim to present three minutes of footage from the movie. Raya and the Last Dragon isn't the first animated Disney release to get an overhaul. Ratatouille, Brave, and Cars 2 all replaced their directors, while The Good Dinosaur was "completely reimagined" and saw its voice actors recast.

Developer Counterplay Games showcased Godfall, the PC and PS5-console exclusive looter-slasher, is set for a holiday release, during Gamescom 2020, with an in-depth look at the third-person action gameplay and some of the customization players can expect with its launch. Speaking to IGN during Gamescom (in an interview you can watch below), Director Keith Lee spoke at length about some of the player choice inherent in the studio's Valorplate system. Inspired by medieval armor sets, Godfall's Valorplates serve essentially as character classes, and in the interview above you can take a look at Silvermane, the base Valorplate everyone starts with, as well as Mesa, Typhon, and Vertigo in action. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/new-godfall-gameplay-shows-how-equippable-medieval-inspired-valor-plates-can-fit-your-play-style"] Lee described each Valorplate's set of skills essentially as "star constellations" — players will be able to slot in augments into these constellations. But the order and proximity to one another of these augments can lead to drastically different versions of the same Valorplate. There are 12 Valorplates in total, including Silvermane, and players are able to construct others by collecting Valorplate cores, as well as various other resources collected from different enemies, chests, and even different game modes. The Valorplates fit into three different models — balanced, specialized, and exotic, with some geared toward High DPS, other toward cooldown abilities, and others on debuffs, but still Counterplay is aiming to let players customize their experience. Additionally, Archon Mode is a major factor in choosing the Valorplate for you, and Counterplay has designed them with four core components in mind. Activated by pressing L3 and R3 together, Archon abilities can be used after collecting enough Ethirium to fill up your meter, and each is tied uniquely to a Valorplate. The four elements Counterplay kept in mind included a passive ability that's inherent to your armor; an instant like Silvermane's ability to summon three ancient glaive allies; a set of buffs that are enabled; and the opportunity to trigger certain conditions based on your Valorplate, which can in turn escalate the effects of your Archon skills. Lastly, Lee spoke to some of the benefits of playing in co-op, which is supported for up to three players total. Namely, players are able to drop banners on the ground to impact their teammates with beneficial buffs like AOE healing or other benefits depending on the mission types. Players can also work together to try different Valorplate combinations and see what works best, or even play all as the same Valorplate if they so choose. Previously we've learned Godfall won't feature microtransactions, as well as how Godfall will take advantage of PS5's DualSense controller. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Aragami 2 has been announced for PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and is due to arrive in 2021. Announced as part of IGN's coverage of Gamescom 2020, Aragami 2 builds on the 2016 original's stylised ninja action, and throws in full 3-player co-op that can be used thorughout the entire campaign. Check out a reveal trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/aragami-2-reveal-trailer-shows-stealth-action-in-numbers"] Where the first game concentrated on stealth, Aragami 2 will allow players to approach it as a combat game too, allowing you to craft melee and ranged weapons, choose your armour, and pick from sets of abilities that can alter your playstyle. The entire game can be played either in single or multiplayer, and focus has been put on allowing players to use the environment to their advantage, whether that's to ghost past enemies, or surround them unexpectedly for an easy kill. Set 100 years after the first game, Aragami 2 centres on a battle against the expansionist young nation of Akatsuchi, which has come to Rashomon Valley to control its people and resources - its you and your clan's job to stop that from happening. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [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.

Observer: System Redux, the next-gen version of Observer, is also set to be released on PC, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X, and a demo is out on Steam now. Bloober Team announced during Gamescom 2020 that System Redux will be available for PC during holiday 2020 for $29.99 and feature all the same upgraded visuals and additional content as the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions. From August 27th to September 15th, existing Observer owners on Steam can also upgrade to the System Redux version for 80% off, while those who preorder will get the OST and an artbook for free. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/observer-system-redux-trailer-teases-new-trippy-cases-and-secrets"] “When we announced Observer: System Redux for next-gen consoles, we had a huge response from our PC fans asking if the remaster would be coming to their platform of choice," said Piotr Babieno, Bloober Team CEO. "We originally only planned to bring the game to consoles, but seeing the feedback we've heard from the community, we're bringing the game to PC as well. As a way to thank our community, we're putting this upgrade plan in place and looking into options to do the same on console if possible." An Observer: System Redux demo is also available on Steam starting today for those interested in the upgraded version. Here's everything players can expect from the System Redux version of the game, according to Bloober Team:

• Three new major missions: Errant Signal, Her Fearful Symmetry, and It Runs in the Family
• Updated characters models and new locations
• Brand-new neuronal interrogation sequences
• New stealth and mechanics
• Undiscovered secrets
• 4K resolution, upgraded textures, new animations, models and effects, and transformed with jaw-dropping Ray-Tracing and HDR lighting

Confirmed earlier this year for a 2020 next-gen launch, Bloober Team recently showed off Observer: System Redux gameplay to tease what new and returning players can expect from the improved version. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Dotemu has announced Pharaoh: A New Era, a full remake of the 1999 ancient Egypt city-builder coming to PC in 2021. Pharaoh was revealed in a beautiful, 2D animated trailer showing the rise of one of the most powerful, ancient civilizations in history, which you can check out below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/build-your-empire-in-pharoah-a-new-era-announcement-trailer"] Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4, Wonder Boy) has made a name for itself with its retro remakes and revivals in recent years, and Pharaoh should continue the pattern. The game will reproduce the original's Egyptian kingdom management, but is being developed with all-new code, a new 2D graphics style, brand new UI, and improved mechanics. The base game will include the 2000 expansion, Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, bringing the game's campaign (set across various ages of Egyptian history) to 53 missions. That campaign comes alongside a Free Build mode, as well as a map and mission editor. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Sam and Max are returning in the newly revealed Sam & Max - This Time It's Virtual, a new VR adventure that is also the official 20th video game for the pair. Set to be released in 2021, the VR adventure sees Sam and Max, the Freelance Police, on a VR adventure that needs the player's help in an effort to stop the evil plaguing the world. And that evil may include some giant monsters. Check out the full reveal trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/sam-max-this-time-its-virtual-trailer-revealed"] The first new Sam & Max game in over a decade, this game will see players recruited by the titular heroes and trained to become part of the Freelance Police. Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell is onboard to consult on game design, art and story, and David Nowlin and Dave Boat return to voice the heroes. Past Sam and Max adventures include Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse and other episodic adventures developed by Telltale Games. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Insomniac Games unveiled more of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, the first PS5 adventure for the long-running PlayStation franchise during Gamescom 2020, and is confirmed to be a "launch window" game. Following up from the PS5 reveal showcase in which we saw a tease of Rift Apart's rift-jumping gameplay, Gamescom's Opening Night Live featured an extended, uncut look at the gameplay from the anticipated new entry. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-ps5-gameplay-trailer"] The demo featured a look at classic Ratchet and Clank third-person combat, but quickly revealed the introduction of its titular rift shifting gameplay after a brief showdown with Dr. Nefarious. In the demo, Ratchet could pull at tears in the fabric of reality and manipulate the environment around him, jumping through space without loads throughout the level. The demo, which was billed as uncut gameplay running on PS5, also featured a larger rift jump on the same planet, as shown in the previous Rahcte and Clank PS5 reveal, before Ratchet and Clank were then thrown through several different rifts into varied locations. The footage was previously shown in the game's reveal, though this demo reveals the fluidity with which these rifts can occur within gameplay. The demo ended with the same tease as before — Clank being thrown through a dimensional rift on his own, only to awaken and met a female Lombax. Opening Night Live's Geoff Keighley spoke to Insomniac following the game. Marcus Smith from Insomniac spoke to the PS5's both raw horsepower and SSD allowing the developers to fling the characters from one level to the next with speeds previously not possible. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=166500&captions=true"] Game Director Mike Daly spoke to the rifts players will be able to find. Players can use Ratchet's rift tether to hook onto these rifts and use them for both traversal and combat needs. Insomniac confirms there will be no loads throughout the game, and also spoke more to Rift Apart's use of the DualSense. Specifically, the team intends to use the haptics in the controller for Ratchet's arsenal. Players can feel the energy on the pulse bomb weapon fade away as Ratchet throws it. Canonically, Rift Apart is an extension of Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, but Marcus Smith said newcomers can jump in for a "standalone adventure" and not feel lost. Sony first unveiled Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart during June's PS5 showcase, revealing how the upcoming adventure takes advantage of the PS5's unique SSD. It's one of two PS5 exclusives on the way from recently acquired first-party studio Insomniac Games, the other being the PS5 launch exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. We don't know much else about the upcoming next entry in the series just yet, but following its reveal, Insomniac did confirm that the mysterious new Lombax character will be playable.

During Opening Night Live at gamescom 2020, we got a closer look at a new element coming to Destiny 2 called Stasis. Announced alongside the Beyond Light expansion coming in Fall 2020, Stasis will bring Guardians a new type of weapon burn and abilities based around time manipulation. Each Guardian subclass wields Stasis in a different way, using abilities that range from slowing enemies down to shattering them with destructive force. The trailer showed each class' new Stasis abilties, which involve freezing enemies, creating obstacles, and more. The Warlock Shadebinder will "fracture with frost", the Hunter Revenant will "bring the storm", and the Titan Behemoth will "crash like an avalanche". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/destiny-2-beyond-light-gameplay-trailer-gamescom"] As far as the story goes, the Beyond Light expansion will take Guardians to Europa alongside the Exo Stranger, The Drifter, and Eris Morn in a fight against the Darkness. Players will encounter a new Fallen enemy called Eramis, also known as "The Fallen Kell of Darkness". Players will be fighting against a Fallen faction under Eramis' rule and it will involve "wielding the Darkness itself" as well as a new raid in the Deep Stone Crypt. The Destiny 2: Beyond Light expansion has a release date of November 10 and will launch on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia. If you're planning on diving in, make sure to take a look at everything leaving Destiny 2 in November when Beyond Light arrives and check out our gamescom 2020 schedule to see what else we have planned for the show.

Spellbreak, an upcoming battle royale with RPG elements, will be released on Switch as a free-to-play experience next week on September 3, 2020. In Spellbreak, players can choose a Battlemage class and a unique loadout of spells to become the last magician standing. Players can queue up in either solo or squad modes to become the champion of the Hollow Lands. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/spellbreak-launch-trailer"] Spellbreak previously held a beta on PS4 and Epic Games Store but will launch wide on September 3, complete with cross-play. IGN has an exclusive interview with the developers from the Summer of Gaming. Make sure to check out our Gamescom 2020 schedule and everything else announced at Opening Night Live. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.  

During Opening Night Live at gamescom 2020, Respawn Entertainment's Vince Zampella and Peter Hirschmann joined Geoff Keighley to reveal a Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond story trailer. The VR game has been made with the help of real WW2 veterans, and the trailer showed the French Resistance, secret passages, a Gestapo HQ incursion, and lots of shooting, stabbing and exploding of Nazis. For a game about the realities of war, it looks... pretty fun. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/medal-of-honor-above-and-beyond-vr-story-trailer"] In an interview after the trailer, it was confirmed that the game's three acts will take the form of being recruited into the OSS, before working with the French Resistance, then taking part in D-Day, and finally dealing with the Nazi secret weapon programme. Developed by Respawn and Oculus Studios, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a VR game set during World War 2 with a single-player campaign that will put players into the shoes of an agent of the OSS as they survive through historic events. Check out our hands-on impressions for more details. Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will have a release date in Holiday 2020 and will launch for the Oculus Rift. Make sure to check out our gamescom 2020 schedule to see what other gameplay reveals are planned for the show.