Monthly Archives: March 2021

Inferno Girl Red Combines Tokusatsu and Teen Superhero Drama

Between licensed comics like BOOM! Studios' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Marvel's The Rise of Ultraman and creator-owned books like Radiant Black, the tokusatsu genre is thriving in the comic book world right now. Now, one of the minds behind The Rise of Ultraman is delivering a new take on this popular formula with an original graphic novel called Inferno Girl Red. Inferno Girl Red is an unusual blend of tokusatsu action and teen superhero drama, with a healthy dose of British boarding school intrigue thrown in for good measure. The book follows Cássia Costa, a troubled teen genius who finds her native Apex City stolen away by a demonic cult. Cássia is given the chance to win back her home when a magical dragon bracelet suddenly affixes itself to her arm. However, there's one important catch. The bracelet is powered by the wearer's belief, and the pragmatic Cássia is hardly the type to put her faith in the supernatural. See an exclusive preview of Inferno Girl Red in the slideshow gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=inferno-girl-red-graphic-novel-preview&captions=true"] Inferno Girl Red is a collaboration between The Rise of Ultraman co-writer Mat Groom and Captain Marvel artist Erica D'Urso, with tokusatsu expert Kyle Higgins (The Rise of Ultraman, Radiant Black) editing the book. The creative team also includes colorist Igor Monti, letterer Becca Carey and design group For the People. “I’ve been working on this story for about three years now,” said Groom in a press release. “I’ve always thought it was worthwhile, but I was never certain it would work… until I met Erica D’Urso. Erica is just wickedly talented. You can see that in her work on JAMES BOND, CAPTAIN MARVEL and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS. But it was her energy, her tremendous passion, that made me believe. Erica loves Cássia, and Cássia’s world… and that love infuses every part of this project. There’s nobody I would rather be co-creating this world with.” Groom also reveals another reason for Higgins' involvement, as it seems Inferno Girl Red and Radiant Black are set within the same shared universe. “Kyle and I share a passion for the Japanese tokusatsu genre, which is a big influence on INFERNO GIRL RED, along with British boarding school dramas and American superhero comics," Groom said. "There’s little coincidence that Cássia was first introduced to the world in the back of the first issue of Kyle’s series, RADIANT BLACK. In fact, the connections between RADIANT BLACK and INFERNO GIRL RED may run deeper than you think…” Inferno Girl Red is initially being offered as a Kickstarter-exclusive hardcover, with some tiers including an art print bundle featuring new works by Marcelo Costa, Darko Lafuente, Doaly, Francesco Manna, Eduardo Ferigato, Dash O'Brien–Georgeson, Federico Sabbatini (with Martina Fari), Wil Sur, Kath Lobo, Serg Acūna, Eleonora Carlini, Tiffany Turrill, Nicola Scott, Nicole Goux and Valeria Favoccia. Should the graphic novel be fully funded, Image Comics will also publish a trade paperback collection. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/28/power-rangers-battle-for-the-grid-review"] Elsewhere in the world of tokusatsu, BOOM! Studios recently relaunched the flagship Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic as two monthly, interconnected titles - Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers. The franchise is also gearing up for a return to the big screen, with Jonathan Entwistle (I'm Not Okay With This) overseeing an interconnected series of movies and TV shows. Meanwhile, PlutoTV has added an entire channel devoted to classic tokusatsu shows called TokuSHOUTsu. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Inferno Girl Red Combines Tokusatsu and Teen Superhero Drama

Between licensed comics like BOOM! Studios' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Marvel's The Rise of Ultraman and creator-owned books like Radiant Black, the tokusatsu genre is thriving in the comic book world right now. Now, one of the minds behind The Rise of Ultraman is delivering a new take on this popular formula with an original graphic novel called Inferno Girl Red. Inferno Girl Red is an unusual blend of tokusatsu action and teen superhero drama, with a healthy dose of British boarding school intrigue thrown in for good measure. The book follows Cássia Costa, a troubled teen genius who finds her native Apex City stolen away by a demonic cult. Cássia is given the chance to win back her home when a magical dragon bracelet suddenly affixes itself to her arm. However, there's one important catch. The bracelet is powered by the wearer's belief, and the pragmatic Cássia is hardly the type to put her faith in the supernatural. See an exclusive preview of Inferno Girl Red in the slideshow gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=inferno-girl-red-graphic-novel-preview&captions=true"] Inferno Girl Red is a collaboration between The Rise of Ultraman co-writer Mat Groom and Captain Marvel artist Erica D'Urso, with tokusatsu expert Kyle Higgins (The Rise of Ultraman, Radiant Black) editing the book. The creative team also includes colorist Igor Monti, letterer Becca Carey and design group For the People. “I’ve been working on this story for about three years now,” said Groom in a press release. “I’ve always thought it was worthwhile, but I was never certain it would work… until I met Erica D’Urso. Erica is just wickedly talented. You can see that in her work on JAMES BOND, CAPTAIN MARVEL and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS. But it was her energy, her tremendous passion, that made me believe. Erica loves Cássia, and Cássia’s world… and that love infuses every part of this project. There’s nobody I would rather be co-creating this world with.” Groom also reveals another reason for Higgins' involvement, as it seems Inferno Girl Red and Radiant Black are set within the same shared universe. “Kyle and I share a passion for the Japanese tokusatsu genre, which is a big influence on INFERNO GIRL RED, along with British boarding school dramas and American superhero comics," Groom said. "There’s little coincidence that Cássia was first introduced to the world in the back of the first issue of Kyle’s series, RADIANT BLACK. In fact, the connections between RADIANT BLACK and INFERNO GIRL RED may run deeper than you think…” Inferno Girl Red is initially being offered as a Kickstarter-exclusive hardcover, with some tiers including an art print bundle featuring new works by Marcelo Costa, Darko Lafuente, Doaly, Francesco Manna, Eduardo Ferigato, Dash O'Brien–Georgeson, Federico Sabbatini (with Martina Fari), Wil Sur, Kath Lobo, Serg Acūna, Eleonora Carlini, Tiffany Turrill, Nicola Scott, Nicole Goux and Valeria Favoccia. Should the graphic novel be fully funded, Image Comics will also publish a trade paperback collection. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/28/power-rangers-battle-for-the-grid-review"] Elsewhere in the world of tokusatsu, BOOM! Studios recently relaunched the flagship Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic as two monthly, interconnected titles - Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers. The franchise is also gearing up for a return to the big screen, with Jonathan Entwistle (I'm Not Okay With This) overseeing an interconnected series of movies and TV shows. Meanwhile, PlutoTV has added an entire channel devoted to classic tokusatsu shows called TokuSHOUTsu. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Final Fantasy 11 Mobile Reboot Cancelled 6 Years After Announcement

Six years after it was announced, Final Fantasy XI Reboot, a mobile version of Square's early 2000s MMORPG, has officially been cancelled. The cancellation came as co-developers Square Enix and Nexon decided the mobile version didn't meet the creative standards Final Fantasy fans have come to expect from the series, according to Gamebiz.jp (via Gematsu). The development team has reportedly been moved to other projects. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-final-fantasy-game-review&captions=true"] Final Fantasy XI Reboot was announced in 2015 with a targeted 2016 release window. It was intended to optimize the MMORPG experience for smartphones by "improving party organizing systems, enriching solo-play functionality, improving battle functionality and enhancing in-game events and features," according to the initial press release. However, that 2016 release window came and went, and it wasn't until 2018 that FFXI Reboot resurfaced through a series of screenshots posted to ResetEra. The screenshots, pulled from Nexon's website at the time, showed a promising look at the mobile version's progress, though no further development updates were given leading up to its cancellation three years later. In other Final Fantasy news, Square recently released a Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade trailer showing off its PS5 improvements. The PS5 version of FF7R is out June 10, while the PS4 version is currently free for PS Plus subscribers. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/22/final-fantasy-7-remake-intergrade-ps5-extended-and-enhanced-features-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Final Fantasy 11 Mobile Reboot Cancelled 6 Years After Announcement

Six years after it was announced, Final Fantasy XI Reboot, a mobile version of Square's early 2000s MMORPG, has officially been cancelled. The cancellation came as co-developers Square Enix and Nexon decided the mobile version didn't meet the creative standards Final Fantasy fans have come to expect from the series, according to Gamebiz.jp (via Gematsu). The development team has reportedly been moved to other projects. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-final-fantasy-game-review&captions=true"] Final Fantasy XI Reboot was announced in 2015 with a targeted 2016 release window. It was intended to optimize the MMORPG experience for smartphones by "improving party organizing systems, enriching solo-play functionality, improving battle functionality and enhancing in-game events and features," according to the initial press release. However, that 2016 release window came and went, and it wasn't until 2018 that FFXI Reboot resurfaced through a series of screenshots posted to ResetEra. The screenshots, pulled from Nexon's website at the time, showed a promising look at the mobile version's progress, though no further development updates were given leading up to its cancellation three years later. In other Final Fantasy news, Square recently released a Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade trailer showing off its PS5 improvements. The PS5 version of FF7R is out June 10, while the PS4 version is currently free for PS Plus subscribers. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/22/final-fantasy-7-remake-intergrade-ps5-extended-and-enhanced-features-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

10% of the Snyder Cut Is In Slow Motion

Apart from "It's actually pretty good!", one of the most common refrains about Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League since release has been to point out that it includes a lot of slow motion. The natural next question – or at least the natural next question to us – was to wonder exactly how much. Well, by our calculations, at least 10% of the movie is presented in slo-mo. IGN's intrepid Simon Cardy (assisted by one-man slow-motion assurance department, Matt Purslow) trawled through every second of the movie, collating any shot that was presented in what was clearly slower-than-real-life speeds (pro tip: fluttering capes, fire, and waves are really useful for working out if it's slow motion, or just a really slow camera move). Discounting any shot where slow motion couldn't easily be discerned, we came back with a total of 24 minutes, 7 seconds (1,447 seconds) of slow motion footage. With credits, the movie comes in at 4 hours, 1 minute, and 53 seconds (14,513 seconds), meaning at least 9.97% of the movie is in slow motion. Incidentally, taken without credits, the film comes in at 3 hours 53 minutes and 7 seconds, making it 10.35% of all shot material included in the film. Is this important? Not hugely. Does it satisfy our curiosity? Absolutely. Is it a lot of slow motion? Scientifically, we'd say yes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/zack-snyders-justice-league-exclusive-making-of-the-snyder-cut-clip"] The next natural step from here, of course, is to work out exactly how long the Snyder Cut would be if all the slow motion was tuned up to realtime speeds. Sadly, factors like 'levels of slow motion vary throughout', and 'it's quite difficult to assign accurate speeds to the actions of superpowered, even godlike beings,' have made this difficult to ascertain at time of writing. Maybe that's one for the future. After a lengthy, tragic, and controversial journey, Zack Snyder's Justice League arrived on HBO Max last week, effectively replacing Joss Whedon's version of the movie with a new 4-hour epic, presented as Zack Snyder originally intended. We awarded it an 8/10 review, calling it "a surprise vindication for the director and the fans that believed in his vision." With it finally out there, you can check out every difference between Whedon and Snyder's versions. Perhaps most interesting now is whether we'll see Snyder return to his planned trilogy of Justice League films. Despite saying there are no plans, Snyder has been open about why the film sets up a sequel, how the trilogy could have ended with a shock new superhero, and much, much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/20/justice-league-snyder-cut-all-differences-from-the-theatrical-version"] [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.

10% of the Snyder Cut Is In Slow Motion

Apart from "It's actually pretty good!", one of the most common refrains about Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League since release has been to point out that it includes a lot of slow motion. The natural next question – or at least the natural next question to us – was to wonder exactly how much. Well, by our calculations, at least 10% of the movie is presented in slo-mo. IGN's intrepid Simon Cardy (assisted by one-man slow-motion assurance department, Matt Purslow) trawled through every second of the movie, collating any shot that was presented in what was clearly slower-than-real-life speeds (pro tip: fluttering capes, fire, and waves are really useful for working out if it's slow motion, or just a really slow camera move). Discounting any shot where slow motion couldn't easily be discerned, we came back with a total of 24 minutes, 7 seconds (1,447 seconds) of slow motion footage. With credits, the movie comes in at 4 hours, 1 minute, and 53 seconds (14,513 seconds), meaning at least 9.97% of the movie is in slow motion. Incidentally, taken without credits, the film comes in at 3 hours 53 minutes and 7 seconds, making it 10.35% of all shot material included in the film. Is this important? Not hugely. Does it satisfy our curiosity? Absolutely. Is it a lot of slow motion? Scientifically, we'd say yes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/zack-snyders-justice-league-exclusive-making-of-the-snyder-cut-clip"] The next natural step from here, of course, is to work out exactly how long the Snyder Cut would be if all the slow motion was tuned up to realtime speeds. Sadly, factors like 'levels of slow motion vary throughout', and 'it's quite difficult to assign accurate speeds to the actions of superpowered, even godlike beings,' have made this difficult to ascertain at time of writing. Maybe that's one for the future. After a lengthy, tragic, and controversial journey, Zack Snyder's Justice League arrived on HBO Max last week, effectively replacing Joss Whedon's version of the movie with a new 4-hour epic, presented as Zack Snyder originally intended. We awarded it an 8/10 review, calling it "a surprise vindication for the director and the fans that believed in his vision." With it finally out there, you can check out every difference between Whedon and Snyder's versions. Perhaps most interesting now is whether we'll see Snyder return to his planned trilogy of Justice League films. Despite saying there are no plans, Snyder has been open about why the film sets up a sequel, how the trilogy could have ended with a shock new superhero, and much, much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/20/justice-league-snyder-cut-all-differences-from-the-theatrical-version"] [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.

Rainbow Six Siege Leads Working on Multiplayer Game at New Amazon Studio

A group of core members from the Rainbow Six Siege team – including its ex-creative director – will lead a new Amazon Games studio, working on a AAA "online multiplayer title based on new IP." The founding members of the unnamed studio include Luc Bouchard, Xavier Marquis, Alexandre Remy and Romain Rimokh, all of whom worked to make Rainbow Six Siege a reality. On Siege, Bouchard was production director, Marquis was creative director, Marquis was brand director, and Rimokh was narrative director, making this a swathe of major roles, both in creative and technical development. The new game is described only as "an online multiplayer title based on new IP", and no release date or other details have been given at time of writing. Amazon points out that the game is just one of "several unannounced projects currently in development" at its studios. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/12/04/rainbow-six-siege-review"] The new developer is based in Montreal and will complement Amazon's other development studios in Seattle, Orange County and San Diego. Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann pointed towards the Montreal team's talent for "building deep, community-focused multiplayer experiences" which will bolster Amazon's vision to create "best-in-class online games." "Building upon 8 years of experience with Siege, we are excited to start with a blank page and the creative freedom to create a completely unique experience in the multiplayer space,” said Xavier Marquis, Creative Director at Amazon's Montreal studio. “From our first discussion, we felt a true connection with the people at Amazon Games, their approach to gaming and the sheer amount of knowledge, expertise and technology available there. It is quite humbling and we couldn’t be more excited to start a studio with them.” Amazon's incumbent CEO Andy Jassy recently pledged his support to the company's gaming division. This renewed support arrives following reported internal struggles at Amazon Game Studios. In other Rainbow Six Siege news, here's how the game's new look embraces its five-year evolution. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Rainbow Six Siege Leads Working on Multiplayer Game at New Amazon Studio

A group of core members from the Rainbow Six Siege team – including its ex-creative director – will lead a new Amazon Games studio, working on a AAA "online multiplayer title based on new IP." The founding members of the unnamed studio include Luc Bouchard, Xavier Marquis, Alexandre Remy and Romain Rimokh, all of whom worked to make Rainbow Six Siege a reality. On Siege, Bouchard was production director, Marquis was creative director, Marquis was brand director, and Rimokh was narrative director, making this a swathe of major roles, both in creative and technical development. The new game is described only as "an online multiplayer title based on new IP", and no release date or other details have been given at time of writing. Amazon points out that the game is just one of "several unannounced projects currently in development" at its studios. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/12/04/rainbow-six-siege-review"] The new developer is based in Montreal and will complement Amazon's other development studios in Seattle, Orange County and San Diego. Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann pointed towards the Montreal team's talent for "building deep, community-focused multiplayer experiences" which will bolster Amazon's vision to create "best-in-class online games." "Building upon 8 years of experience with Siege, we are excited to start with a blank page and the creative freedom to create a completely unique experience in the multiplayer space,” said Xavier Marquis, Creative Director at Amazon's Montreal studio. “From our first discussion, we felt a true connection with the people at Amazon Games, their approach to gaming and the sheer amount of knowledge, expertise and technology available there. It is quite humbling and we couldn’t be more excited to start a studio with them.” Amazon's incumbent CEO Andy Jassy recently pledged his support to the company's gaming division. This renewed support arrives following reported internal struggles at Amazon Game Studios. In other Rainbow Six Siege news, here's how the game's new look embraces its five-year evolution. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Monster Hunter Rise Review – Standing Tall

The locations you explore in Monster Hunter Rise have already felt the delicate touch of humanity's hand. Traditional Japanese torii can be found weaving through mountainside paths, leading to sacred shrines, while decaying temples have been reclaimed by nature as local plant life envelops the aging architecture. Signs of human life can even be found at the base of a raging volcano and in the midst of a flooded forest, where a Mesoamerican-style pyramid dominates the landscape.

If 2018's Monster Hunter World was all about unearthing a new continent as an intrepid frontiersman, then Rise is a triumphant return to the Old World with valuable lessons learned. An enhanced port of the 3DS title Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate may have already graced the Nintendo Switch, but Rise is the first game in the series built from the ground up for Nintendo's latest console. As such, Rise closely follows in the footsteps of World while reneging on some of its changes and introducing plenty of new impactful ideas that excellently shift the focus towards the series' heart-pumping action.

The core Monster Hunter gameplay loop has remained relatively unchanged as you hunt down gargantuan monsters, harvest their materials to craft new weapons and armor, and tackle increasingly tougher foes. World coalesced both the single and multiplayer parts of the experience into one cohesive whole, but Rise reverts back to the old ways by splitting them into disparate Village and Hub quests. Village quests can only be played alone, while Hub quests can still be tackled solo but are designed with multiple players in mind. This isn't the most welcome setup for newcomers since it isn't immediately clear which quests progress the story, nor is there any indication of whether or not you should be alternating between both paths. The impact this structure has on the game isn't as substantial as it initially seems, though. Hunting the same monster multiple times has always been a part of Monster Hunter's DNA, so repeating the same mission as both a Village and Hub quest is something you would typically seek out anyway.

Continue Reading at GameSpot