Monthly Archives: March 2021
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Next-Gen Upgrade Is Out This Summer
Update 04/29/2021: After it leaked last month, Disney has officially confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will receive a free next-gen upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, which will arrive this summer.
On StarWars.com, a small update explains that the upgrade will bring "a number of technical improvements" to the game on next-gen consoles. More details are coming soon, apparently.
As part of the announcement, the game received a 70% discount on its standard and deluxe editons for PS4, Xbox One, Origin and Steam – so you can buy it cheap now and get your free upgrade this summer, if you need to.
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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order could be getting a native next-gen console release, after the German ratings board listed new PS5 and Xbox versions.
As reported by Gematsu, USK, the German video game classification system, has rated Fallen Order on PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Xbox. These are new listings alongside the existing last-gen ratings, and suggest that a full, native next-gen upgrade of the game could be on the way. As you'd expect, those age ratings haven't changed.
The Xbox classification doesn't mention a specific console, but given that there's already a classification for the Xbox One version of the game, it's thought that this relates to the Series S and X family of consoles. The game was updated for next-gen consoles back in early January which upped the game's framerate alongside some small optimizations, but didn't go as far as a new native version of the game.
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Fallen Order recently came to Xbox Game Pass for PC after the EA Play library was added to the service earlier this week. We're also expecting a Star Wars Jedi sequel at some point, after EA said it wouldn't be slowing down its production of Star Wars games, and confirmed the game was the start of a franchise.
We reviewed Fallen Order upon its launch in November 2019, scoring it a 9 and calling it a "fantastic single-player action-adventure." It recently made our list of the best Soulslike games for fans of From Software's influential Dark Souls series.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Universe Being Planned, With Multiple Series and Movies
Nickelodeon has started to lay the groundwork for an "Avatar Airbender universe" that will feature multiple series and movies.
In an interview with Deadline, Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins revealed that the network is in the very early stages of planning an expansion of the Avatar: The Last Airbender that will consist of multiple projects across a variety of mediums. He kept the rest of the details under wraps for now, though he did say that they could potentially be ready to unveil their plans "very soon."
"We are in the early stages of developing and exploring what we are calling an entire Avatar Airbender universe," Robbins said. "Mike [DiMartino] and Bryan [Konietzko] are hard at work, and I think that universe will encompass definitely a theatrical film, animation, certainly multiple TV series and probably multiple films. I think we will be ready very soon to tell the world what is coming first but we are not there yet because we're in early stages of creative development."
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Last month, Nickelodeon announced the launch of an all-new division dedicated to creating new series and movies based in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Avatar: The Last Airbender creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko were named as the leaders of the new division, which they officially called Avatar Studios.
Avatar Studios' is expected to debut on Paramount+, Nickelodeon platforms, and unspecified third-party platforms, as well as in cinemas. "We are excited about filling our own platforms today," Robbins explained further. "We will strategically license context to other places for different reasons but mostly our focus is on filling our own platforms starting with linear TV."
The first project from the studio is set to be an animated theatrical film that is scheduled to start production later this year. No further details were given about the first project out of the gate, though DiMartino and Konietzko commented on the franchise's expansion, saying, "there are still many stories and time periods in Aang's world that we are eager to bring to life."
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The original animated adventure series concluded with a widely lauded two-hour television movie in 2008, which we regard to be one of the best series finales of all time. Netflix added all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender to its library in May of last year, while The Legend of Korra arrived on the platform for US subscribers in August.
Netflix also has a live-action adaptation of ATLA in the works, however, original series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko departed the project last June, citing creative differences as the reason for their exit. Executive producer Dan Lin and his production company Rideback remain attached to the series, along with Nickelodeon.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Fortnite Fans Think The Rock Played a Character in the Zero Crisis Finale
Fans think that a character called The Foundation from Fortnite's Zero Crisis Finale event was played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Earlier this week, Epic Games kicked off Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 6 with a single-player mission where the player has to save reality with the help of Agent Jones and a new character called The Foundation.
If you watch the video below, you'll see The Foundation in action, whose voice acting does sound similar to the superstar actor. But that's not all fans have got to go off (as Eurogamer reported).
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The Rock recently posted a video to Instagram titled "the foundation," where he talks in a cryptic fashion, referencing a "big day" in a "certain world" – which many have taken to mean the new season of Fortnite, and its climactic story events. Johnson ends the video by mentioning The Foundation by name (with a trademark raised eyebrow), as some sort of force that grows and evolves.
Twitter users like CodeBendie have also pointed out similarities between The Rock's tattoos and The Foundation's in-game armour.
— Bendie (@CodeBendie) March 18, 2021It's worth noting that The Rock is promoting his energy drink Zoa at present, and collaborating with Xbox to do so. He's also set to play DC supervillain Black Adam in a forthcoming movie, and DC characters like Raven are part of the Season 6 Battle Pass. Back in November of 2020, responding to a thread about how a float of The Rock looked like a Fortnite skin, Dwayne Johnson replied "way ahead of you," with a winky face. Was he alluding to a collaboration in the works? It seems we may well find out more soon. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis Will Be Free-To-Play, Supported by Loot Boxes
Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, the upcoming mobile remake of the 1997 original as well as its Compilation sequels, will be free-to-play. This will be supported by a loot box system.
Talking to Famitsu, Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s creative director, Tetsuya Nomura, said that players will be able to play Ever Crisis for free. “The monetized element is basically loot boxes containing random weapons,” he explained. “Some of the special weapons also come as a set that includes new costumes that were not in the original games, adding in a new way to enjoy the story that you won’t have seen before.”
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Ever Crisis is presented in an episodic format, and each new episode will be free to play. Nomura says the current plan is to fit the story of Final Fantasy 7 into 10 chapters, with the first three covering the Midgar portion of the story. However, Ever Crisis will also re-tell the other stories in the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7, so expect further chapters beyond that to cover Advent Children, Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus.
Furthermore, there will be new storylines for this interpretation of the story. The first original episode will reveal the story behind Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier, the battle royale mobile game currently in development. “The events of First Soldier take place around 30 years before the FFVII main story, and go into the founding of SOLDIER, so it goes without saying that you will see some of the legendary heroes in their younger days, as well as younger versions of the future Shinra executives and other characters who will appear in the Remake sequels,” said Nomura.
Nomura sees Ever Crisis as a chance to bring all of the Final Fantasy 7 stories into a unified package. “The compilation titles outside of the original FFVII were not structured with [the consistent overworld and battle visual design of the original game] and have completely different battle systems, but I wanted to unify them all in one format for FFVII EC, while not losing the individual character of the different games,” he explained.
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Additionally, Nomura revealed that Ever Crisis will have special dungeons and battles outside the main story mode, which can be tackled with whatever collection of characters you wish. “These will allow players to enjoy taking on the mightiest enemies from the series using their dream party, in ways that the story battles do not allow,” he explained.
For more from the world of Midgar and beyond, take a look at where Square are at with Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the plans for the sequel, and what the studio hopes to achieve with The First Soldier battle royale.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Undiscovered Country Reimagines Dystopian Mississippi
Image Comics is gearing up for the release of the second trade paperback collection of Undiscovered Country, the dystopian sci-fi series created by writers Scott Snyder and Chares Soule and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli. To celebrate, Image has been releasing a series of in-universe postcards depicting various American states in this twisted future universe. IGN can exclusively debut the fifth and final teaser in the set, featuring an eerily idyllic version of Mississippi.
Check out the new image from Camuncoli below:
For those who haven't been following Undiscovered Country, the series follows a group of scientists who become the first outsiders in 100 years to travel inside the borders of the United States. They aren't on any sightseeing vacation, however, but are searching for the key to ending a pandemic that could possibly wipe out humanity. What they find within the borders of the US is equal parts frightening and fascinating - a country that has not only walled itself off from the outside world, but also divided itself into 13 distinct zones.
This image gives us our first glimpse of the zone known as Bounty, which is located in the American southeast. Clearly, the post-apocalyptic climate has been good to some farmers, but there's still a decidedly sinister tone to this image of a proud farmer showing off her enormous mutant crops.
“One of the strange Zones from the new America we've teased in the series so far is a place called BOUNTY, which you might call the breadbasket of the Undiscovered Country. We haven't visited there yet, and probably won't for a while, but I imagine it has things like this," Soule told IGN. "While most of the postcards and teasers we've been creating for the book have an ominous tone to them, we wanted this one to feel a bit more wholesome... but there's something unsettling to it, as well. It sets the perfect tone."
Soule added, "As we continue through the series, we'll visit many more of these Zones - we've seen two so far (DESTINY and UNITY), and we're about to move into POSSIBILITY. There are thirteen Zones in total, and by the end of the book, you'll have seen them all.”
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"I had so much fun drawing this scene, I wanted to give it a little sinister vibe à la 'American Gothic,' although the subject is very different," said Camuncoli. "This farmer is smiling before her giant vegetables, and in the world of Undiscovered Country this seems to be the New Abnormal, to quote The Strokes. As I was drawing this, I was wondering, 'How the hell did those vegetables end up there, and how are people gonna buy these and bring them home..?'—but that's another story."
“We’re going to learn a lot more about Val and Ace in this story arc and readers will get a better understanding of why Aurora’s singled them out in particular," said Snyder, teasing what's to come in the series' third story arc. "But then again, we’re not going to just leave you hanging when it comes to Charlotte and Daniel. There was still a lot left unsaid about what their parents’ involvement was in all this.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/what-to-expect-from-marvel-in-2021"]
If you want to see the other four images in this postcard series, click the links below:
For those who haven't been following Undiscovered Country, the series follows a group of scientists who become the first outsiders in 100 years to travel inside the borders of the United States. They aren't on any sightseeing vacation, however, but are searching for the key to ending a pandemic that could possibly wipe out humanity. What they find within the borders of the US is equal parts frightening and fascinating - a country that has not only walled itself off from the outside world, but also divided itself into 13 distinct zones.
This image gives us our first glimpse of the zone known as Bounty, which is located in the American southeast. Clearly, the post-apocalyptic climate has been good to some farmers, but there's still a decidedly sinister tone to this image of a proud farmer showing off her enormous mutant crops.
“One of the strange Zones from the new America we've teased in the series so far is a place called BOUNTY, which you might call the breadbasket of the Undiscovered Country. We haven't visited there yet, and probably won't for a while, but I imagine it has things like this," Soule told IGN. "While most of the postcards and teasers we've been creating for the book have an ominous tone to them, we wanted this one to feel a bit more wholesome... but there's something unsettling to it, as well. It sets the perfect tone."
Soule added, "As we continue through the series, we'll visit many more of these Zones - we've seen two so far (DESTINY and UNITY), and we're about to move into POSSIBILITY. There are thirteen Zones in total, and by the end of the book, you'll have seen them all.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-21-most-anticipated-comics-of-2021&captions=true"]
"I had so much fun drawing this scene, I wanted to give it a little sinister vibe à la 'American Gothic,' although the subject is very different," said Camuncoli. "This farmer is smiling before her giant vegetables, and in the world of Undiscovered Country this seems to be the New Abnormal, to quote The Strokes. As I was drawing this, I was wondering, 'How the hell did those vegetables end up there, and how are people gonna buy these and bring them home..?'—but that's another story."
“We’re going to learn a lot more about Val and Ace in this story arc and readers will get a better understanding of why Aurora’s singled them out in particular," said Snyder, teasing what's to come in the series' third story arc. "But then again, we’re not going to just leave you hanging when it comes to Charlotte and Daniel. There was still a lot left unsaid about what their parents’ involvement was in all this.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/what-to-expect-from-marvel-in-2021"]
If you want to see the other four images in this postcard series, click the links below:
- Postcard #1 - Alaska (Newsarama)
- Postcard #2 - Arizona (Multiversity Comics)
- Postcard #3 - Pennsylvania (CBR)
- Postcard #4 - Wisconsin (Adventures in Poor Taste)
Disco Elysium’s Australian Ban Has Been Overturned
Update 05/14/2021: The Australian Classification Review Board has reversed the ban on Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, after developer ZA/UM formally challenged the decision.
It seems the tipping point for the game's ban stemmed from Dico Elysium's depiction of drug use, and the temporary benefits it offers you character. However, as reported by Kotaku Australia, the Review Board (which is separate to the Classification Board that originally refused to classify the game) has specifically made clear that Disco Elysium's depiction of drug use is shown in an ultimately negative light, such that it can now receive an R 18+ classification.
"In the Review Board’s opinion," reads the Review Board's report, "while drug use linked to incentives and rewards cannot be accommodated at R 18+, this game does provide disincentives related to drug-taking behaviour, to the point where regular drug use leads to negative consequences for the player’s progression in the game. It was, specifically, the disincentives for drug use that influenced the Review Board in making their decision. Drug use is not explicitly depicted within the game."
The classification means that Disco Elysium: The Final Cut can now be sold in Australia without impediment, although the R 18+ rating means that only adults can puchase the game. Despite the refused classification, The Final Cut (and the original, unclassified version of Disco Elysium) was still available to buy on Steam in Australia while the game was technically banned.
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Disco Elysium: The Final Cut has been refused classification in Australia.
You can see the 'Refused Classification' page on the Australian Government's Classification Board website. According to the rating explanation page, a product will be refused classification if it "contains content that is very high in impact and falls outside generally-accepted community standards." The refused classification will mean that, without alterations, the game cannot be sold in Australia.
More specifically, The Final Cut was refused classification as a game that has been seen to "depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified."
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Disco Elysium features alcohol and drug misuse, not to mention a plot that often centres on crime, cruelty, and violence along the way, which could explain why the game has been refused. This seemingly only affects the new version of the game, as the original PC version of Disco Elysium is still available on Steam in Australia, as it has been since its launch in 2019. Developer ZA/UM may have to edit the game's content if they want to get past the rating board in Australia.
The news arrives as the PC, PS5, PS4 and Google Stadia launch of The Final Cut version of the game looms on March 30th. Disco Elysium was originally exclusive to PC, but developer ZA/UM announced a console version of the game during The Game Awards last year. The Final Cut adds voice acting and some bonus content and will be a free upgrade to users who own the game already on PC. A TV adaptation of the game is currently in the works at dj2 Entertainment.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Falcon and Winter Soldier: The MCU’s US Agent Has Been Humanised Compared to the Comics
This story contains small spoilers for the first episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
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We knew that Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would feature Wyatt Russell as John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, but head writer Malcolm Spellman has explained that the MCU's take on the character is somewhat different from his comic book counterpart in order to make him a more natural possible successor to Captain America.
The series will see Falcon attempting to live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers, having been handed the Captain America shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but it seems he'll have a rival in the form of Walker – and to make that feel believable, Spellman altered the more brash, troubled U.S. Agent of Marvel history.
Speaking to IGN, Spellman explained, "We wanted John Walker to be worthy of being Captain America if we were going to give him the shield. You read the books, and he's an awesome character in the books, but you can't hand that guy the shield in the MCU. It wouldn't work – to make him Cap would be violating some kind of logic that is indescribable, but you know it's there."
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In the series, Spellman explains that John Walker will be a perhaps more relateable character: "So we started with the books, and as we saw that he was going to become Cap, we- I'm not going to say softened him, but we humanised him, and made him much more worthy. But he does have an intense journey, and he does have to earn it." Spellman ended with what seemed to be a tease as to the character's potential future: "And if he doesn't [earn it]... you know how Marvel is, you know what I'm saying?"
We've only seen a glimpse of Walker's role in the series so far, and it will be interesting to see how the character ties into the show's six-episode arc. What's clear is that the show will be less of a mystery box than WandaVision, with Spellman saying that it will spark fewer fan theories than its MCU streaming predecessor.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 1 is out on Disney+ today - here's when every episode comes out.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Professor Discovers New Species of Beetles and Names Them After Bird Pokemon
A professor has named three new species of beetles in Australia after the Pokemon franchise's legendary birds Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos.
According to the Eastern New Mexico University, Dr. Darren Pollock and Yun Hsiao collaborated on a paper to document the beetle discovery and describe the new species for an upcoming third edition of "Australian Beetles." The duo examined the specimens and decided to officially name them Binburrum articuno, Binburrum zapdos, and Binburrum moltres after the Pokemon Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.
Pokemon fan and Ph.D. student Yun proposed the idea of naming the beetles after the legendary birds because he wanted the monikers to refer to the rareness of the species that only have a few specimens. Admittedly, the beetles aren't quite as brightly colored as their animated namesakes but they are described as being "distinct" as they do have a very slight color variation between them.
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Image credit: Dr. Darren Pollock/Yun Hsiao.[/caption]
Much like Pokemon's legendary birds, the trio of beetles can be easily identified from one another. Binburrum articuno (far left) has a silvery brown coloring across its body and wings, while Binburrum moltres (middle) has a very distinct two-tone coloring with a golden top-half and a black bottom-half, and the Binburrum zapdos (right) has black wings with a golden prothorax between its body and head.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/05/10-best-legendary-pokemon"]
"Yun says that he was an aspiring Pokémon trainer when he was young, and so, because of the rarity of the specimens of the three new species, he suggested that we name them after the three Legendary bird Pokémon," Pollock explained. "I thought that this was a great idea, and so, the new species which were unveiled to the world in 2020 are Binburrum articuno, Binburrum moltres, and Binburrum zapdos."
Pollock noted the importance of naming a species and choosing a name that has not been used before to differentiate between the specimens. He also indicated that more new species of the same genus have been discovered since the paper was published and that they may have referred back to their Pokedex of pocket monsters to assign even more Pokemon names to the insects.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/25-years-of-pokemon-celebration"]
Significantly, this study has emerged in Pokemon's 25th Anniversary year, with celebrations expected to continue throughout the rest of 2021. The Pokemon Company has already shared some incredible news, including all-new game reveals and details for New Pokemon Snap. There's also been announcements for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and the open-world Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Image credit: Dr. Darren Pollock/Yun Hsiao.[/caption]
Much like Pokemon's legendary birds, the trio of beetles can be easily identified from one another. Binburrum articuno (far left) has a silvery brown coloring across its body and wings, while Binburrum moltres (middle) has a very distinct two-tone coloring with a golden top-half and a black bottom-half, and the Binburrum zapdos (right) has black wings with a golden prothorax between its body and head.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/05/10-best-legendary-pokemon"]
"Yun says that he was an aspiring Pokémon trainer when he was young, and so, because of the rarity of the specimens of the three new species, he suggested that we name them after the three Legendary bird Pokémon," Pollock explained. "I thought that this was a great idea, and so, the new species which were unveiled to the world in 2020 are Binburrum articuno, Binburrum moltres, and Binburrum zapdos."
Pollock noted the importance of naming a species and choosing a name that has not been used before to differentiate between the specimens. He also indicated that more new species of the same genus have been discovered since the paper was published and that they may have referred back to their Pokedex of pocket monsters to assign even more Pokemon names to the insects.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/26/25-years-of-pokemon-celebration"]
Significantly, this study has emerged in Pokemon's 25th Anniversary year, with celebrations expected to continue throughout the rest of 2021. The Pokemon Company has already shared some incredible news, including all-new game reveals and details for New Pokemon Snap. There's also been announcements for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and the open-world Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.Fights In Tight Spaces Early Access Review
If the fights in John Wick were choreographed by the plays you made with a deck of cards, you'd get Fights in Tight Spaces. The roguelite deck-builder puts you in increasingly cramped and intricate spaces, challenging you with figuring out an efficient and safe way to punch, kick, and outsmart every enemy stuffed in there with you. It's a fascinating mix of recognizable genres that produces something distinct and satisfyingly complex, even in its Early Access state.
Fights in Tight Spaces currently features the core loop of the game spread out across five stages, each their own unique enemies, rewards, and final boss fights. You have four styles of play to choose from, with decks of moves focused on counter-attacking, all-out assault, or combinations of the two. Each run is unique, too, shaped by the small decisions you make regarding what routes to take in each stage. These influence what rewards you might get out of each fight, what vendors you'll have access to, and what random events you can happen upon. Die, however, and everything resets, without any persistence between runs to make the next one any easier.
Each themed stage is littered with levels you need to complete, with the namesake of the game coming to fruition in their design. Each level plays out across a tile-based grid, with enemies randomly placed throughout. You use cards to initiate actions--moving to adjacent tiles, attacking enemies, or more complex combinations of the two--with action points restricting how many cards you can play per turn. These are densely-packed grids, sometimes as small as 4x6 battle arenas that make just avoiding attacks a delicate dance. Like other tactical games like Into the Breach, you have to use every tile to your advantage. Enemies prepare attacks should you come within range at any point during your turn, and will execute them regardless of whether you leave that space by the end. This means turns aren't solely about using your limited action points to dole out damage, but also trying to position other foes in the line of fire of their comrades.
Continue Reading at GameSpotFights In Tight Spaces Early Access Review
If the fights in John Wick were choreographed by the plays you made with a deck of cards, you'd get Fights in Tight Spaces. The roguelite deck-builder puts you in increasingly cramped and intricate spaces, challenging you with figuring out an efficient and safe way to punch, kick, and outsmart every enemy stuffed in there with you. It's a fascinating mix of recognizable genres that produces something distinct and satisfyingly complex, even in its Early Access state.
Fights in Tight Spaces currently features the core loop of the game spread out across five stages, each their own unique enemies, rewards, and final boss fights. You have four styles of play to choose from, with decks of moves focused on counter-attacking, all-out assault, or combinations of the two. Each run is unique, too, shaped by the small decisions you make regarding what routes to take in each stage. These influence what rewards you might get out of each fight, what vendors you'll have access to, and what random events you can happen upon. Die, however, and everything resets, without any persistence between runs to make the next one any easier.
Each themed stage is littered with levels you need to complete, with the namesake of the game coming to fruition in their design. Each level plays out across a tile-based grid, with enemies randomly placed throughout. You use cards to initiate actions--moving to adjacent tiles, attacking enemies, or more complex combinations of the two--with action points restricting how many cards you can play per turn. These are densely-packed grids, sometimes as small as 4x6 battle arenas that make just avoiding attacks a delicate dance. Like other tactical games like Into the Breach, you have to use every tile to your advantage. Enemies prepare attacks should you come within range at any point during your turn, and will execute them regardless of whether you leave that space by the end. This means turns aren't solely about using your limited action points to dole out damage, but also trying to position other foes in the line of fire of their comrades.
Continue Reading at GameSpot