In a special livestream presented today at Tokyo Game Show 2020, Koei Tecmo revealed live gameplay of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity on the Nintendo Switch, giving the world a glimpse of what kind of action to expect from Link, young Impa, and the four Champions of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the 2017 Nintendo game that this title serves as a prequel for. Play began with "The Battle of Hyrule Field" as Link, clad in armor instead of his blue Champion's Garb from the previous game, stood surrounded by the royal Hyrulian army. In Dynasty Warriors style, different character portraits popped into the corner of the screen delivering lore and directives. Link charged forward at full speed with no sign of a stamina meter in sight, offering no indication that he needs to walk at all when he can run everywhere – or surf, as a tap of a button sent him rocketing forward sliding atop his shield, knocking back enemies by the dozens. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamity-13-minutes-of-gameplay-japanese-vo-tgs-2020"] Instead of a single attack button, Hyrule Warriors offers a choice of "regular" and "strong" attacks with the Y and X buttons, respectively. This being a Dynasty Warriors game, every attack Link used has huge range; his first combo in the video scattered eight Bokoblins. A running counter in the corner kept track of how many monsters were slain during the demo. It surpassed 600 in just a few minutes of fighting. Nearly all of Link's combat abilities from Breath of the Wild were shown to be in Hyrule Warriors. A timely dodge will trigger a slow-motion opportunity to rush an opponent for multiple hits. Pulling out his bow while in mid-air likewise slows the game down for an arrow rush. Using the Sheikah Slate, he can throw bombs, freeze enemies with Stasis, and create columns of Ice with Cryonis. Hyrule Warriors also gives Link new ways to fight. The spin attack from Breath of the Wild is now a "special attack" which nearly clears the screen. When fighting certain stronger enemies like a Moblin, a "weak point" can appear on screen as a hexagon. Attacking during this time lowers their health and shaves down the hexagon; once it is gone, Link can execute a special "Smash" attack which should end the fight. New "counter" abilities also allow him to toss multiple bombs in succession or summon an ice pillar to stun charging foes. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamity-impa-images&captions=true"] The biggest surprise of the stream was when Link happened upon a young Impa, seen as an old woman in Breath of the Wild, running from monsters. He rescued her, and in doing so triggered the activation of a small, egg-like Guardian Robot which seemingly triggered a tower to burst out of the ground. The development staff declined to explain this sequence. However, a few minutes later an on-screen message announced Impa was now playable. With a push of a button, the action switched to her. Impa in Hyrule Warriors moves like a ninja, with the ability to create shadowy doubles of herself and slice enemies on screen so fast that she disappears. In a separate trailer shown after the live gameplay, footage of the four Champions in battle was shown featuring some of their special combat abilities. Mipha summoned a wave of water to wash foes away. Revali was adept with a bow. Urbosa wielded bolts of lightning. Daruk, besides using Stasis as Link does, could curl into a ball with his Protection shield to bowl over monsters. While today's live stream was focused on the action, it was impossible not to notice how different the world looks in this game set 100 years before Breath of the Wild. Hyrule Castle is still Hyrule Castle, untouched by Ganon. As Link ran around there were more castles and shops and signs of an active society everywhere, even as monsters appeared. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamity-official-trailer-tgs-2020"] Along with the gameplay, we also learned that players with Zelda: Breath of the Wild save data will get a bonus item in the new game, and saw a set of special edition products revealed. Hyrule Warriors launches for Switch on November 20 this year. While the members of the development team were generally tight-lipped about answering questions during gameplay, producer Yosuke Hayashi said that "more new info" would be revealed on Sunday, September 27 during a separate livestream. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Old-school G.I. Joe fans are getting treated to a new wave of G.I. Joe Retro Collection figures and vehicles, including Destro, Roadblock, Scarlett, and Cobra F.A.N.G. helicopter. The line is based on the 3 3/4" G.I. Joe action figure line of the 1980s, and includes period-perfect packaging and accessories. They compliment, but are quite different from, the premium 6" G.I. Joe Classified line of figures, which are more akin to the Star Wars Black Series and Hasbro's other premium figure lines. Anyone who grew up in the 1980s should instantly recognize everything about these figures. Check them out in the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gi-joe-pulsecon-retro-collection-reveals&captions=true"] The G.I. Joe Retro Collection uses the same playbook as the Vintage G1 Transformers line, which routinely releases classic 1980s Transformers designs in accurate packaging, with that line being made using the same dies and molds as the originals. Revealed during Hasbro PulseCon, happening now on YouTube, Roadblock, Scarlett and Destro should be available to preorder starting now, with the Walmart-exclusive F.A.N.G. vehicle going up soon. The figures cost $12.99 each and have a December 1, 2020 release date. The Cobra F.A.N.G. is $24.99, with a "January 2021" availability. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Instagram at sethgmacy.

Old-school G.I. Joe fans are getting treated to a new wave of G.I. Joe Retro Collection figures and vehicles, including Destro, Roadblock, Scarlett, and Cobra F.A.N.G. helicopter. The line is based on the 3 3/4" G.I. Joe action figure line of the 1980s, and includes period-perfect packaging and accessories. They compliment, but are quite different from, the premium 6" G.I. Joe Classified line of figures, which are more akin to the Star Wars Black Series and Hasbro's other premium figure lines. Anyone who grew up in the 1980s should instantly recognize everything about these figures. Check them out in the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gi-joe-pulsecon-retro-collection-reveals&captions=true"] The G.I. Joe Retro Collection uses the same playbook as the Vintage G1 Transformers line, which routinely releases classic 1980s Transformers designs in accurate packaging, with that line being made using the same dies and molds as the originals. Revealed during Hasbro PulseCon, happening now on YouTube, Roadblock, Scarlett and Destro should be available to preorder starting now, with the Walmart-exclusive F.A.N.G. vehicle going up soon. The figures cost $12.99 each and have a December 1, 2020 release date. The Cobra F.A.N.G. is $24.99, with a "January 2021" availability. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Instagram at sethgmacy.

Capcom showed off an extended gameplay demo for Monster Hunter Rise at Tokyo Game Show, expanding on the Switch game's new abilities, combat, dog companions and more. Gameplay showed a Dual Blade-using player taking on a two-star quest to slay a Tetranadon, the platypus-like new beast introduced in the game's announcement. After fighting it for some time, we also saw an Arzuros enter the fray, showing how the game's open areas allow for unexpected extra monsters to interrupt your quest, and perhaps even cause fights between monsters. We also saw a non-boss creature based on Japanese tanuki, described as something like a mascot character. Like Monster Hunter World, the open areas also include endemic insect life, which can offer health boosts and buffs along the way to your prey. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/21-minutes-of-monster-hunter-rise-dual-blades-gameplay-tgs-2020"] We got a good look at the game's new free-form movement, using a combination of jumps and the new Wirebug ability to climb buildings and even mountains. The Wirebug can be used twice in succession before needing a cooldown, although wild Wirebugs can be collected to extend the number of uses you have in the current quest. The new potential for exploration means Capcom has hidden gathering points and other areas of interest among the maps. In combat, the Wirebug can be used as a means of adding mobility, but it can also be used specifically as a counter-attack ability. It's designed as a way to simultaneously offer new attacks and evasion opportunities. We also saw the player riding the new Palamute companion - you can either jump onto its back, or hold the A button to climb on. They can also be asked to sit or shake hands. Like the player character, Palamutes can jump and climb, increasing your potential for exploration. They come with a health bar, but can never die in combat, similarly to the previous games' Palicoes. While riding a Palamute, players can use items without stopping or having to use stamina. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/20-minutes-of-monster-hunter-rise-longsword-gameplay-tgs-2020"] Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto explained that these new features are additions to the existing Monster Hunter formula, rather than a new structure for the game - and made clear that experienced players will be able to approach combat exactly as they'd expect to in previous games and still be able to succeed. The additions are designed to accentuate classic Monster Hunter play, not replace it. Monster Hunter Rise will be released for Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=%5Bwidget%20path%3D%22global%2Farticle%2Fimagegallery%22%20parameters%3D%22albumSlug%3Dmonster-hunter-rise-screenshots%26captions%3Dtrue%22%5D&captions=true"] [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.

Capcom showed off an extended gameplay demo for Monster Hunter Rise at Tokyo Game Show, expanding on the Switch game's new abilities, combat, dog companions and more. Gameplay showed a Dual Blade-using player taking on a two-star quest to slay a Tetranadon, the platypus-like new beast introduced in the game's announcement. After fighting it for some time, we also saw an Arzuros enter the fray, showing how the game's open areas allow for unexpected extra monsters to interrupt your quest, and perhaps even cause fights between monsters. We also saw a non-boss creature based on Japanese tanuki, described as something like a mascot character. Like Monster Hunter World, the open areas also include endemic insect life, which can offer health boosts and buffs along the way to your prey. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/21-minutes-of-monster-hunter-rise-dual-blades-gameplay-tgs-2020"] We got a good look at the game's new free-form movement, using a combination of jumps and the new Wirebug ability to climb buildings and even mountains. The Wirebug can be used twice in succession before needing a cooldown, although wild Wirebugs can be collected to extend the number of uses you have in the current quest. The new potential for exploration means Capcom has hidden gathering points and other areas of interest among the maps. In combat, the Wirebug can be used as a means of adding mobility, but it can also be used specifically as a counter-attack ability. It's designed as a way to simultaneously offer new attacks and evasion opportunities. We also saw the player riding the new Palamute companion - you can either jump onto its back, or hold the A button to climb on. They can also be asked to sit or shake hands. Like the player character, Palamutes can jump and climb, increasing your potential for exploration. They come with a health bar, but can never die in combat, similarly to the previous games' Palicoes. While riding a Palamute, players can use items without stopping or having to use stamina. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/20-minutes-of-monster-hunter-rise-longsword-gameplay-tgs-2020"] Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto explained that these new features are additions to the existing Monster Hunter formula, rather than a new structure for the game - and made clear that experienced players will be able to approach combat exactly as they'd expect to in previous games and still be able to succeed. The additions are designed to accentuate classic Monster Hunter play, not replace it. Monster Hunter Rise will be released for Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=%5Bwidget%20path%3D%22global%2Farticle%2Fimagegallery%22%20parameters%3D%22albumSlug%3Dmonster-hunter-rise-screenshots%26captions%3Dtrue%22%5D&captions=true"] [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.

At a special online presentation during Tokyo Game Show 2020 today, publisher Level-5 and developer Netmarble showed a few minutes of gameplay of their upcoming mobile RPG Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. The entire presentation was later uploaded to YouTube with English subtitles ("for a limited time" according to the official Twitter account).

Cross Worlds is a departure from the previous Ni no Kuni games, which used a traditional fantasy setting. Instead, Cross Worlds has a science-fiction twist: the player is a regular person in the "real" world of Ichi no Kuni (literally "one country") who is beta-testing a new virtual reality game called Soul Diver, which takes them into the world of Ni no Kuni. Five player classes have been revealed for Ni no Kuni Cross Worlds: Swordsman, Witch, Rogue, Destroyer and Engineer. In today's online presentation, popular Japanese YouTuber Masuo was able to begin a game as the Swordsman, although his in-game character looked different than the default version, suggesting there will be character customization options (but none were shown). In the game inside the game, his character was greeted by an AI character called Rania. A sudden glitch in the system replaces Rania with a "real" version of the same woman, but before they can explain the situation everything goes dark. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/ni-no-kuni-cross-worlds-15-minutes-of-gameplay-japanese-vo-tgs-2020"] The Swordsman awakes in a burning city greeted by a small imp-like creature called Cluu, but the action starts immediately as the player must swipe the screen to avoid a falling tower. After a brief encounter with a dragon wearing a giant amulet, Cluu directs the player to head towards the castle to aid the Queen. This gives us a glimpse at the control interface for Cross Worlds: A virtual slide pad on the left of the screen moves the player, while the camera can be adjusted by swiping the screen. The Swordsman enters combat, which is controlled with a circle of buttons on the right side of the screen; a big "attack" button is in the center, and Masuo was hammering it to slash the monsters. Smaller buttons around the attack button were not explained but appear to be special abilities which have a cooldown timer before becoming active again. Debris blocks the way to the Queen and the only way through is to pick up a bomb and throw it through contextual button presses and swipes. Once he reaches the Queen and interrupts her death at the hands of a towering villain, the player discovers she is the woman he met when he first entered Ni no Kuni. At this point the demo cut off, but other trailers have shown the player travelling to Evermore on a quest to save the kingdom. It should be said that unlike previous Ni no Kuni mobile titles, Cross Worlds looks on par with the console releases of the past: Despite being entirely 3D creations, the characters resemble 2D drawings from famed Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, which was a collaborator on the first Ni no Kuni; indeed, during the presentation, Netmarble Japan CEO Yuji Endo said that the new game recreates Ghibli's world from the original. In footage during today's presentation, a variety of lush environments were shown, from forests to deserts and fields to cities. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ni-no-kuni-cross-worlds-screenshots&captions=true"] Two other gameplay modes were featured in today's presentation, Kingdom and Team Arena. Kingdom Mode is a cooperative multiplayer mode where players can explore the city and countryside together. Players also have a familiar who trails behind them and can "help them on their journey" though no skills were shown; one touch of a button beneath them can swap the familiar for another. During today's video, the on-air hosts were shown chasing wild animals and capturing them, though earlier footage showed competitive games like soccer or dice. In Team Arena, six players were able to compete in a 3-on-3 combat mini-game. Rather than a test of strength, the actual goal is to collect creatures called "higgledies" inside the arena. Players can attack each other and throw items to make their opponents lose their higgledies, but even if they are knocked out they will come back in a few seconds. The only way to win is to collect the most higgledies and evade the other players for 10 seconds. Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds has no formal release date, but previous announcements suggest it will be out in Japan before the year ends. No foreign releases or localization have yet been confirmed either, but the presence of fully subtitled English and Chinese videos on the official Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds channel suggests international versions may be released later. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

At a special online presentation during Tokyo Game Show 2020 today, publisher Level-5 and developer Netmarble showed a few minutes of gameplay of their upcoming mobile RPG Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. The entire presentation was later uploaded to YouTube with English subtitles ("for a limited time" according to the official Twitter account).

Cross Worlds is a departure from the previous Ni no Kuni games, which used a traditional fantasy setting. Instead, Cross Worlds has a science-fiction twist: the player is a regular person in the "real" world of Ichi no Kuni (literally "one country") who is beta-testing a new virtual reality game called Soul Diver, which takes them into the world of Ni no Kuni. Five player classes have been revealed for Ni no Kuni Cross Worlds: Swordsman, Witch, Rogue, Destroyer and Engineer. In today's online presentation, popular Japanese YouTuber Masuo was able to begin a game as the Swordsman, although his in-game character looked different than the default version, suggesting there will be character customization options (but none were shown). In the game inside the game, his character was greeted by an AI character called Rania. A sudden glitch in the system replaces Rania with a "real" version of the same woman, but before they can explain the situation everything goes dark. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/ni-no-kuni-cross-worlds-15-minutes-of-gameplay-japanese-vo-tgs-2020"] The Swordsman awakes in a burning city greeted by a small imp-like creature called Cluu, but the action starts immediately as the player must swipe the screen to avoid a falling tower. After a brief encounter with a dragon wearing a giant amulet, Cluu directs the player to head towards the castle to aid the Queen. This gives us a glimpse at the control interface for Cross Worlds: A virtual slide pad on the left of the screen moves the player, while the camera can be adjusted by swiping the screen. The Swordsman enters combat, which is controlled with a circle of buttons on the right side of the screen; a big "attack" button is in the center, and Masuo was hammering it to slash the monsters. Smaller buttons around the attack button were not explained but appear to be special abilities which have a cooldown timer before becoming active again. Debris blocks the way to the Queen and the only way through is to pick up a bomb and throw it through contextual button presses and swipes. Once he reaches the Queen and interrupts her death at the hands of a towering villain, the player discovers she is the woman he met when he first entered Ni no Kuni. At this point the demo cut off, but other trailers have shown the player travelling to Evermore on a quest to save the kingdom. It should be said that unlike previous Ni no Kuni mobile titles, Cross Worlds looks on par with the console releases of the past: Despite being entirely 3D creations, the characters resemble 2D drawings from famed Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, which was a collaborator on the first Ni no Kuni; indeed, during the presentation, Netmarble Japan CEO Yuji Endo said that the new game recreates Ghibli's world from the original. In footage during today's presentation, a variety of lush environments were shown, from forests to deserts and fields to cities. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ni-no-kuni-cross-worlds-screenshots&captions=true"] Two other gameplay modes were featured in today's presentation, Kingdom and Team Arena. Kingdom Mode is a cooperative multiplayer mode where players can explore the city and countryside together. Players also have a familiar who trails behind them and can "help them on their journey" though no skills were shown; one touch of a button beneath them can swap the familiar for another. During today's video, the on-air hosts were shown chasing wild animals and capturing them, though earlier footage showed competitive games like soccer or dice. In Team Arena, six players were able to compete in a 3-on-3 combat mini-game. Rather than a test of strength, the actual goal is to collect creatures called "higgledies" inside the arena. Players can attack each other and throw items to make their opponents lose their higgledies, but even if they are knocked out they will come back in a few seconds. The only way to win is to collect the most higgledies and evade the other players for 10 seconds. Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds has no formal release date, but previous announcements suggest it will be out in Japan before the year ends. No foreign releases or localization have yet been confirmed either, but the presence of fully subtitled English and Chinese videos on the official Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds channel suggests international versions may be released later. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

During a special livestream event at Tokyo Game Show 2020, D3 Publisher producer Nobuyuki Okajima outlined what to expect from the upcoming Earth Defense Force spin-off title, World Brothers, and we got a brief look at the fully fledged Earth Defense Force 6. World Brothers will be released in Japan on December 24 for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, while an "early 2021" release is planned for other territories. In a departure from past EDF games, which had semi-realistic giant insects attacking the planet, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers is entirely made of voxels. Even the Earth itself is now a cube, or at least it was until the Dark Legion arrived from space and blew it to bits. That was not the end of the battle though; the voxel Earth still exists as pieces floating in space, each segment a tiny environment unto itself. Okajima played through the game's tutorial level live on the stream (which you can watch below), where a gruff military commander on-screen explained the above backstory and charged the player with becoming an EDF commander and building their own squad to fight the invaders and rescue what's left of the Earth. His default soldier was a Ranger but after shooting some ants in Manhattan he found a Wing Diver unconscious on the ground. Rescuing fallen allies adds to your squad: Players can have up to four soldiers in their party and switch between them instantly with the D-pad. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/earth-defense-force-world-brothers-12-minutes-of-gameplay-japanese-vo-tgs-2020"] Earth Defense Force: World Brothers will include "over 100" different characters, including a variety of fighters from past EDF games such as Jet Lifters, Air Raiders and Fencers. Given the theme of this new game, there will also be a variety of new "brothers and sisters" based on cultures from around the globe (sorry, cube) who can become allies. Okajima showed still images that included a Cowboy Brother with a six-shooter, a Pharaoh Sister carrying an ankh, and a masked El Dorado Brother from South America. Every character in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers has their own ability (mapped to the L2 button on PS4). For the Ranger, it is a dodge roll with a brief cooldown timer. For the Wing Diver, it is a jetpack that allows limited flight. Given that the Earth is in pieces, it is possible to fall off the edge of the stages in World Brothers, so Okajima recommended always including at least one flyer in your party to avoid plummeting into space. Okajima also showed how multiplayer works in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers. Online play supports up to four people at once, each controlling their own squad. On PlayStation 4, offline splitscreen play for two players is available, but Switch players must each have their own console and copy of the game to team up with friends. A special "double enlistment pack" for Switch will be sold in Japan bundling two copies of the game together at a slight discount for this reason. With the boxy visuals that are clearly reminiscent of Minecraft, Earth Defense Force World Brothers is a kid-friendly version of the 17 year old bug-shooting franchise. With that history in mind, Okajima hopes that World Brothers can be a game that is both welcoming to beginners and "nostalgic" for established fans. He pointed out that people who grew up with EDF might be parents by now and suggested that playing World Brothers together could be a family activity - though he stressed that the game is not explicitly "a kids' game" (in Japan it is rated B, making it ideal for "12-year-olds and above"). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/earth-defense-force-6-8-minutes-of-gameplay-japanese-vo-tgs-2020"]

The stream ended with a brief discussion of Earth Defense Force 6, the next proper sequel in the series which is slated for 2021. Early screenshots were shown, which you can see above, and Okajima explained that Earth Defense Force 6 will take place three years after the events of Earth Defense Force 5, which came out for Steam and PlayStation 4 in 2017. Civilization has almost entirely collapsed and the human race is near extinction. There are so few people left that anyone can be a member of the EDF, not just soldiers.

After the official TGS presentation ended, Okaijima appeared on a segment of D3 Publisher's own livestream (guest starring famed video game pitchman Takahashi Meijin) to show actual gameplay footage of Earth Defense Force 6. While no platforms for EDF6 have been announced yet, he appeared to be playing the game with a DualShock 4 controller.

On screen, the Earth was indeed in total ruin. Okajima played as a character in full military gear, but some of his squadmates were civilians wearing normal clothes and talking about their past professions. With the invasion of Earth supposedly completed, he and his team were on patrol looking for aliens who were left behind on Earth by their fleet. They eventually found some giant frogs walking amongst the rubble and a battle began.

Coming after the bright and colorful aesthetics of Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, watching EDF6 in action is jarringly different. It's not "realistic" because the aliens look like giant frogs, but when hit they bleed, and hits to their limbs can sever their arms or legs. These enemies are much smarter than the drones seen in World Brothers: They have weapons of their own and, rather than charging at the player, they tend to run for cover behind fallen buildings. However, Okajima showed that using a rocket launcher can demolish what's left of the scenery, so the aliens couldn't hide for long.

When asked about the release date of Earth Defense Force 6, Okajima said that the game is still in development and expressed his hope that it would be finished in 2021. However, he warned that it would not be early in the year and might be "closer to New Year's".

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=earth-defense-force-6-screenshots&captions=true"]

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During a special livestream event at Tokyo Game Show 2020, D3 Publisher producer Nobuyuki Okajima outlined what to expect from the upcoming Earth Defense Force spin-off title, World Brothers, and we got a brief look at the fully fledged Earth Defense Force 6. World Brothers will be released in Japan on December 24 for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, while an "early 2021" release is planned for other territories. In a departure from past EDF games, which had semi-realistic giant insects attacking the planet, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers is entirely made of voxels. Even the Earth itself is now a cube, or at least it was until the Dark Legion arrived from space and blew it to bits. That was not the end of the battle though; the voxel Earth still exists as pieces floating in space, each segment a tiny environment unto itself. Okajima played through the game's tutorial level live on the stream (which you can watch below), where a gruff military commander on-screen explained the above backstory and charged the player with becoming an EDF commander and building their own squad to fight the invaders and rescue what's left of the Earth. His default soldier was a Ranger but after shooting some ants in Manhattan he found a Wing Diver unconscious on the ground. Rescuing fallen allies adds to your squad: Players can have up to four soldiers in their party and switch between them instantly with the D-pad. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/earth-defense-force-world-brothers-12-minutes-of-gameplay-japanese-vo-tgs-2020"] Earth Defense Force: World Brothers will include "over 100" different characters, including a variety of fighters from past EDF games such as Jet Lifters, Air Raiders and Fencers. Given the theme of this new game, there will also be a variety of new "brothers and sisters" based on cultures from around the globe (sorry, cube) who can become allies. Okajima showed still images that included a Cowboy Brother with a six-shooter, a Pharaoh Sister carrying an ankh, and a masked El Dorado Brother from South America. Every character in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers has their own ability (mapped to the L2 button on PS4). For the Ranger, it is a dodge roll with a brief cooldown timer. For the Wing Diver, it is a jetpack that allows limited flight. Given that the Earth is in pieces, it is possible to fall off the edge of the stages in World Brothers, so Okajima recommended always including at least one flyer in your party to avoid plummeting into space. Okajima also showed how multiplayer works in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers. Online play supports up to four people at once, each controlling their own squad. On PlayStation 4, offline splitscreen play for two players is available, but Switch players must each have their own console and copy of the game to team up with friends. A special "double enlistment pack" for Switch will be sold in Japan bundling two copies of the game together at a slight discount for this reason. With the boxy visuals that are clearly reminiscent of Minecraft, Earth Defense Force World Brothers is a kid-friendly version of the 17 year old bug-shooting franchise. With that history in mind, Okajima hopes that World Brothers can be a game that is both welcoming to beginners and "nostalgic" for established fans. He pointed out that people who grew up with EDF might be parents by now and suggested that playing World Brothers together could be a family activity - though he stressed that the game is not explicitly "a kids' game" (in Japan it is rated B, making it ideal for "12-year-olds and above"). [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=earth-defense-force-6-screenshots&captions=true"]

The stream ended with a brief discussion of Earth Defense Force 6, the next proper sequel in the series which is slated for 2021. Early screenshots were shown, which you can see above, and Okajima explained that Earth Defense Force 6 will take place three years after the events of Earth Defense Force 5, which came out for Steam and PlayStation 4 in 2017. Civilization has almost entirely collapsed and the human race is near extinction. There are so few people left that anyone can be a member of the EDF, not just soldiers.

After the official TGS presentation ended, Okaijima appeared on a segment of D3 Publisher's own livestream (guest starring famed video game pitchman Takahashi Meijin) to show actual gameplay footage of Earth Defense Force 6. While no platforms for EDF6 have been announced yet, he appeared to be playing the game with a DualShock 4 controller.

On screen, the Earth was indeed in total ruin. Okajima played as a character in full military gear, but some of his squadmates were civilians wearing normal clothes and talking about their past professions. With the invasion of Earth supposedly completed, he and his team were on patrol looking for aliens who were left behind on Earth by their fleet. They eventually found some giant frogs walking amongst the rubble and a battle began.

Coming after the bright and colorful aesthetics of Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, watching EDF6 in action is jarringly different. It's not "realistic" because the aliens look like giant frogs, but when hit they bleed, and hits to their limbs can sever their arms or legs. These enemies are much smarter than the drones seen in World Brothers: They have weapons of their own and, rather than charging at the player, they tend to run for cover behind fallen buildings. However, Okajima showed that using a rocket launcher can demolish what's left of the scenery, so the aliens couldn't hide for long.

When asked about the release date of Earth Defense Force 6, Okajima said that the game is still in development and expressed his hope that it would be finished in 2021. However, he warned that it would not be early in the year and might be "closer to New Year's".

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In Scarlet Nexus – Bandai Namco’s anticipated title that is being developed for current-gen and next-gen consoles as well as PC – players will slay over-the-top monsters by combining sword attacks with extra-sensory powers in an insane SF “brain-punk” world. In IGN’s Gamescom preview, we called it a “stylish, flashy, and edgy action-RPG”. However, during IGN Japan’s Tokyo Game Show 2020 interview with producer Keita Iizuka and director Kenji Anabuki, we learned that there might be more to the RPG side of Scarlet Nexus than meets the eye. With Anabuki having worked on the Tales series for many years, this might not come as a surprise, and Iizuka says that while the game’s setting and battle system are completely new, he believes that Scarlet Nexus will be highly enjoyable for fans of the RPG genre. “Until now, we have mainly shown the game’s action parts, but of course there is also a rich story and you will be fighting along with other party members in typical RPG fashion.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/28/scarlet-nexus-the-first-preview"] “Since my origins as a developer lie in the RPG genre, I wanted to make sure to implement elements that I am experienced and confident with. So you can expect to enjoy story, character customization, communication between characters and such as well,” Anabuki told IGN Japan. Furthermore, Anabuki explains that the game will also incorporate exploration elements in which protagonist Yuito Sumeragi has to put his psychokinesis into practice outside of battle as well. All of this doesn’t change the fact that Scarlet Nexus’ battle system is fast-paced real-time action, but Anabuki mentions that it is balanced so that even players not used to playing action games should be able to enjoy and beat the game. You won’t be able to completely customize your own party, but you will be able to decide which party members you want to learn more about. By communicating with these characters, you can learn their backstories while they will obtain new abilities, which Yuito Sumeragi can use himself as well through a system called “brain link”. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=scarlet-nexus-preview-screenshots-and-art&captions=true"] During IGN Japan’s TGS live show, Iizuka and Anabuki also explained how Yuito Sumeragi’s psychokinesis allows the player to smash objects as big as a bus into your enemy, how the creepy looking monsters called the Others came to be, why they wanted to create a game that incorporates supernatural powers in the first place, and much more. Scarlet Nexus is in development for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Esra Krabbe is an editor at IGN Japan. Follow him on Twitter here!