Monthly Archives: January 2022

If You Needed to Check, Yes, a Pokémon Hunting FPS Is Weirdly Disturbing

In case you needed to check - though you almost certainly didn't - an FPS where you hunt Pokémon is just as disturbing in reality as it is a concept.

At the best of times, scrolling through Twitter can be a rollercoaster experience, and the platform certainly has its fair share of 'things I wish I hadn't had the displeasure of seeing'. While game developer and Twitter user Dragon has certainly accomplished something unique by making a Pokémon First Person Shooter, it does run the risk of being entered into the aforementioned category.

You can see development footage below, if you're morbidly curious:

During the trailer for Dragon's Pokémon-based FPS, a controllable player character can be seen roaming far and wide to claim numerous pocket monster trophies. The game appears to include a wide array of different Pokémon – seemingly all from the original 151 – that you can track down and fill with lead, as well as multiple different weapons to carry out the deed.

To give credit where it's due, each of the Pokémon in the trailer seems to come with their own signature style of attacks, and boss fights against legendary monsters seem to further vary the action. Across the clip, the hunter fights off a Zapdos, whose electric tornadoes and lightning-style bombing runs definitely provide more of a challenge, while Mewtwo's psychic blasts are also a sight to see.

However, as is often the case in the wild there are few beasts that stand much of a chance against someone armed to the teeth with projectile weaponry. There's just something haunting about watching a Pikachu take a shotgun shell square between the eyes before rolling limply to its death.

If you're made of stronger stuff than us, you can check out a full devlog explaining how Dragon made the project in Unreal Engine on YouTube. Dragon makes clear that the game won't be sold, but that doesn't necessarily mean Nintendo won't take notice of the project – we'll wait and aee on that one.

While we commend Dragon on the effort they've put into the indie project, for many fans, the next fix of Pokémon content will be Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Due for release on January 28, the game will take players to the Hisui Region, where they'll be able to catch, ride and train their chosen Pokémon, safe in the knowledge that there won't be an assault rifle round or shotgun cartridge anywhere in sight.

For more on Pokémon Legends Arceus, make sure to check out this article showing off thirteen minutes of gameplay from the upcoming release.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

If You Needed to Check, Yes, a Pokémon Hunting FPS Is Weirdly Disturbing

In case you needed to check - though you almost certainly didn't - an FPS where you hunt Pokémon is just as disturbing in reality as it is a concept.

At the best of times, scrolling through Twitter can be a rollercoaster experience, and the platform certainly has its fair share of 'things I wish I hadn't had the displeasure of seeing'. While game developer and Twitter user Dragon has certainly accomplished something unique by making a Pokémon First Person Shooter, it does run the risk of being entered into the aforementioned category.

You can see development footage below, if you're morbidly curious:

During the trailer for Dragon's Pokémon-based FPS, a controllable player character can be seen roaming far and wide to claim numerous pocket monster trophies. The game appears to include a wide array of different Pokémon – seemingly all from the original 151 – that you can track down and fill with lead, as well as multiple different weapons to carry out the deed.

To give credit where it's due, each of the Pokémon in the trailer seems to come with their own signature style of attacks, and boss fights against legendary monsters seem to further vary the action. Across the clip, the hunter fights off a Zapdos, whose electric tornadoes and lightning-style bombing runs definitely provide more of a challenge, while Mewtwo's psychic blasts are also a sight to see.

However, as is often the case in the wild there are few beasts that stand much of a chance against someone armed to the teeth with projectile weaponry. There's just something haunting about watching a Pikachu take a shotgun shell square between the eyes before rolling limply to its death.

If you're made of stronger stuff than us, you can check out a full devlog explaining how Dragon made the project in Unreal Engine on YouTube. Dragon makes clear that the game won't be sold, but that doesn't necessarily mean Nintendo won't take notice of the project – we'll wait and aee on that one.

While we commend Dragon on the effort they've put into the indie project, for many fans, the next fix of Pokémon content will be Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Due for release on January 28, the game will take players to the Hisui Region, where they'll be able to catch, ride and train their chosen Pokémon, safe in the knowledge that there won't be an assault rifle round or shotgun cartridge anywhere in sight.

For more on Pokémon Legends Arceus, make sure to check out this article showing off thirteen minutes of gameplay from the upcoming release.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Marvel Zombies Board Game Surpasses $2.5M on Kickstarter in Just Two Hours

A Marvel Zombies board game surpassed $2.5 million dollars on Kickstarter just two hours after it launched on the crowdfunding platform.

Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game, which is being produced by CMON and Spin Master Games, launched on the platform yesterday and has already garnered a huge amount of backing from fans. After just two hours on the website, the game had eclipsed the $2.5 million mark and has continued to gain further support in the hours since.

Upon launch, Marvel Zombies will be a cooperative board game for 1 to 6 players based on the core mechanics of the Zombicide series, in which players have to fight (or eat) their way through New York City. Players will need to work together against a simple AI system that levels up as you do in order to complete objectives and various missions on maps using a modular tile system. According to the Kickstarter campaign, gameplay is suitable for players aged 14+, and a standard session should take roughly an hour.

Having initially set out a crowdfunding goal of $500,000 dollars, at the time of writing the project has amassed almost seven times that value as it closes in on the $3.5 million mark with fifteen days of the campaign still left on the clock.

Throughout the Kickstarter, those funding the campaign have three main pledge options that they can buy into. The base option or Undead Pledge starts at $130, which is followed by the Resistance Pledge at $240, and finally a Galactus Pledge for those who want to purchase the game in its most complete form at $410.

Those buying into the game's Undead Pledge will gain access to zombie mode, where you'll play as a number of undead Marvel heroes (including the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Hulk, and Deadpool) and co-operate with other players to complete objectives, feed off innocent bystanders and fight off living superheroes.

The game's Resistance Pledge includes its original Zombies Mode as well as an X-Men Hero mode. Throughout this take on the game, you'll play as a number of living X-Men mutants (Storm, Mystique, Magneto, Colossus, Wolverine, and Rogue) as you look to save bystanders from harm and fight off waves of undead mutants and zombie heroes.

The two different versions of the game each bring with them a number of unique bystanders including but not limited to Aunt May, Pepper Potts, J. Jonah Jameson, and many more. Fans looking to get the absolute most out of their experience can also opt to fund the game's Galactus Pledge tier, which as well as including the two previously mentioned versions of the game also comes with a huge Galactus game piece and additional ways to play.

As Marvel Zombies continues to gather funding from fans on Kickstarter, the team has also released a number of additional heroes as stretch goals including Luke Cage, Beast, and The Winter Soldier. With plenty of time still remaining before the campaign concludes, it's almost certain that a range of additional heroes (and their undead counterparts) are still set to join the fight.

In other similar news, why not check out this article detailing how an Avatar Legends RPG tabletop game became the biggest ever tabletop RPG to launch on Kickstarter last August.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Marvel Zombies Board Game Surpasses $2.5M on Kickstarter in Just Two Hours

A Marvel Zombies board game surpassed $2.5 million dollars on Kickstarter just two hours after it launched on the crowdfunding platform.

Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game, which is being produced by CMON and Spin Master Games, launched on the platform yesterday and has already garnered a huge amount of backing from fans. After just two hours on the website, the game had eclipsed the $2.5 million mark and has continued to gain further support in the hours since.

Upon launch, Marvel Zombies will be a cooperative board game for 1 to 6 players based on the core mechanics of the Zombicide series, in which players have to fight (or eat) their way through New York City. Players will need to work together against a simple AI system that levels up as you do in order to complete objectives and various missions on maps using a modular tile system. According to the Kickstarter campaign, gameplay is suitable for players aged 14+, and a standard session should take roughly an hour.

Having initially set out a crowdfunding goal of $500,000 dollars, at the time of writing the project has amassed almost seven times that value as it closes in on the $3.5 million mark with fifteen days of the campaign still left on the clock.

Throughout the Kickstarter, those funding the campaign have three main pledge options that they can buy into. The base option or Undead Pledge starts at $130, which is followed by the Resistance Pledge at $240, and finally a Galactus Pledge for those who want to purchase the game in its most complete form at $410.

Those buying into the game's Undead Pledge will gain access to zombie mode, where you'll play as a number of undead Marvel heroes (including the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Hulk, and Deadpool) and co-operate with other players to complete objectives, feed off innocent bystanders and fight off living superheroes.

The game's Resistance Pledge includes its original Zombies Mode as well as an X-Men Hero mode. Throughout this take on the game, you'll play as a number of living X-Men mutants (Storm, Mystique, Magneto, Colossus, Wolverine, and Rogue) as you look to save bystanders from harm and fight off waves of undead mutants and zombie heroes.

The two different versions of the game each bring with them a number of unique bystanders including but not limited to Aunt May, Pepper Potts, J. Jonah Jameson, and many more. Fans looking to get the absolute most out of their experience can also opt to fund the game's Galactus Pledge tier, which as well as including the two previously mentioned versions of the game also comes with a huge Galactus game piece and additional ways to play.

As Marvel Zombies continues to gather funding from fans on Kickstarter, the team has also released a number of additional heroes as stretch goals including Luke Cage, Beast, and The Winter Soldier. With plenty of time still remaining before the campaign concludes, it's almost certain that a range of additional heroes (and their undead counterparts) are still set to join the fight.

In other similar news, why not check out this article detailing how an Avatar Legends RPG tabletop game became the biggest ever tabletop RPG to launch on Kickstarter last August.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

XCOM, Civilization Veterans Form New Tactics Studio, Bit Reactor

A group of Firaxis Games veterans has announced a brand new Maryland-based studio called Bit Reactor which will be focused on turn-based strategy games.

Bit Reactor will be headed up by former Firaxis art director Greg Foertsch, who worked with Firaxis for over 20 years on games including XCOM: Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2, Civilization 3, and Civilization 4. Other members of the studio include former lead developers and creatives who also worked on the XCOM franchise.

The studio will focus on turn-based strategy games, with Foertsch saying that the genre has been "greatly overlooked" amid the current new generation of technology and that tactics games have "an enormous amount of room for innovation." Multiple unannounced games are currently in the works.

Whatever Bit Reactor is working on, we can only hope it's as solid as XCOM 2, which we found to be a brilliant new spin on great tactical combat in our 2016 review. We were also pretty big fans of Civilization 6, with its impressively robust features right at launch as well as its new ideas establishing a separate identity from previous Civilization games.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

XCOM, Civilization Veterans Form New Tactics Studio, Bit Reactor

A group of Firaxis Games veterans has announced a brand new Maryland-based studio called Bit Reactor which will be focused on turn-based strategy games.

Bit Reactor will be headed up by former Firaxis art director Greg Foertsch, who worked with Firaxis for over 20 years on games including XCOM: Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2, Civilization 3, and Civilization 4. Other members of the studio include former lead developers and creatives who also worked on the XCOM franchise.

The studio will focus on turn-based strategy games, with Foertsch saying that the genre has been "greatly overlooked" amid the current new generation of technology and that tactics games have "an enormous amount of room for innovation." Multiple unannounced games are currently in the works.

Whatever Bit Reactor is working on, we can only hope it's as solid as XCOM 2, which we found to be a brilliant new spin on great tactical combat in our 2016 review. We were also pretty big fans of Civilization 6, with its impressively robust features right at launch as well as its new ideas establishing a separate identity from previous Civilization games.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Legendary Cartoon King of the Hill Is Being Revived

King of the Hill is set to make a comeback, 25 years after Fox launched the original animated sitcom and introduced us to Hank and the gang.

You may want to meet us in the alley because the word on the street is that King of the Hill is being revived. According to The Hollywood Reporter, original series creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge have reunited to form their own animation company called Bandera Entertainment that has more than a dozen animated series in various stages of development.

Daniels and Judge haven't shared any official details about the return of King of the Hill, other than to say that something is in the works. Other projects at Bandera include Netflix's newly ordered Bad Crimes, starring Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus, and Freeform's previously announced Praise Petey, headlined by Schitt's Creek vet Annie Murphy.

"We were very excited to go into different tones and different styles and try to expand the animation art form," Daniels said of Bandera's animation slate. "We're in a golden age for content, right? That's animation, too. That was one of the things we were talking about in founding the company: 'Let's push animation into all these different genres.'"

King of the Hill aired for 13 seasons on Fox between 1997 and 2009, making it one of the most successful animated sitcoms to debut in the wake of The Simpsons. The series follows the mundane day-to-day struggles of Hank Hill, his family, and the many other eccentric personalities in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, the heartland of America.

Writer Brent Forrester previously teased the possibility of a King of the Hill revival in March last year when he revealed that both Daniels and Judge were locked in "hot negotiations" to revive the popular Fox series, which would see Hank Hill and his family drawn back to life at a time when the "characters have all aged 15 years" following the events of the series finale.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Legendary Cartoon King of the Hill Is Being Revived

King of the Hill is set to make a comeback, 25 years after Fox launched the original animated sitcom and introduced us to Hank and the gang.

You may want to meet us in the alley because the word on the street is that King of the Hill is being revived. According to The Hollywood Reporter, original series creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge have reunited to form their own animation company called Bandera Entertainment that has more than a dozen animated series in various stages of development.

Daniels and Judge haven't shared any official details about the return of King of the Hill, other than to say that something is in the works. Other projects at Bandera include Netflix's newly ordered Bad Crimes, starring Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus, and Freeform's previously announced Praise Petey, headlined by Schitt's Creek vet Annie Murphy.

"We were very excited to go into different tones and different styles and try to expand the animation art form," Daniels said of Bandera's animation slate. "We're in a golden age for content, right? That's animation, too. That was one of the things we were talking about in founding the company: 'Let's push animation into all these different genres.'"

King of the Hill aired for 13 seasons on Fox between 1997 and 2009, making it one of the most successful animated sitcoms to debut in the wake of The Simpsons. The series follows the mundane day-to-day struggles of Hank Hill, his family, and the many other eccentric personalities in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, the heartland of America.

Writer Brent Forrester previously teased the possibility of a King of the Hill revival in March last year when he revealed that both Daniels and Judge were locked in "hot negotiations" to revive the popular Fox series, which would see Hank Hill and his family drawn back to life at a time when the "characters have all aged 15 years" following the events of the series finale.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Marvel’s Moon Knight: The Entire Cast of the Disney+ MCU Show (So Far)

Marvel's Moon Knight has unmasked several members of its cast, starring alongside Oscar Isaac's titular MCU character.

Moon Knight tells the story of Marc Spector, a former soldier of fortune, whose encounter with an Egyptian god of vengeance and moon deity, Khonshu, leads to his transformation into a costumed vigilante. He will find himself facing off against a gauntlet of threats, including Ethan Hawke's flowy-haired cult leader who is said to be inspired by David Koresh.

Keep reading for a rundown of who else is appearing in Moon Knight — and don't forget to bookmark the page, as we'll be updating this article with all-new casting announcements.

Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac will lead the cast of Marvel's Moon Knight, playing the show's eponymous vigilante, suffering from a dissociative identity disorder. The first full trailer shows Isaac at war with his various personalities, including that of Steven Grant, who puts in an appearance as "a mild-mannered gift-shop employee," rather than the millionaire playboy of the comics.

Curiously, the Moon Knight trailer and synopsis features zero references to Jake Lockley, who happens to be one of Marc Spector's other aliases in the comics. Fans are now wondering whether the titular mercenary's moustached alter-ego will be making an appearance in the series or whether he has been erased from the storyline altogether.

Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow

Ethan Hawke decided to make the jump to the MCU last year when he signed on to play the main villain of the Moon Knight series. Hawke has notoriously stayed away from comic book movies and mainstream Hollywood franchises, however, Isaac managed to get him on board for the MCU miniseries by simply asking him if he wanted to join in on the action.

For a long time, it was unknown which villain Hawke would portray, but the closed captions on Moon Knight's YouTube trailer via the Marvel Entertainment page revealed him to be Arthur Harrow, a character who only appeared in one comic - Moon Knight Vol. 2 #2 - and was a mad scientist working on stopping pain in the human body by using human subjects.

May Calamawy

According to The Hollywood Reporter, May Calamawy joined the cast of Marvel's Moon Knight in an undisclosed role. Calamawy is best known for playing Dena Hassan in Hulu's Ramy, and she has now reportedly nabbed another key role on the small screen. It's possible that she'll star as Isaac's love interest Marlene Alraune in Moon Knight but we'll have to wait and see.

Gaspard Ulliel as Anton Mogart/Midnight Man

ScreenRant previously reported that a listing on Gaspard Ulliel's talent agency page showed the actor as taking on the role of Anton Mogart aka Midnight Man in Moon Knight, but Marvel has yet to confirm Ulliel's involvement. Moon Knight appears to have been wiped from Ulliel's portfolio since the initial report, though he is listed on the show's IMDB cast page.

Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter

Emily VanCamp is heavily rumored to be reprising her role as Sharon Carter in Marvel's Moon Knight series following her stint in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The speculation, fuelled by a report from The Ronin, suggests VanCamp will be making a return to the MCU's Phase 4 in Moon Knight, though it's unknown if she would be taking on a brief cameo or a larger role.

Keep checking back here for all the latest casting updates for Marvel's Moon Knight.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Banjo-Kazooie Arrives on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Later This Week

Nintendo has revealed that the N64 classic Banjo-Kazooie will be available to all Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members on January 20, 2022.

Nintendo shared the news in a tweet that features gameplay from the beloved platformer that was released in 1998 and stars a bear and a bird that are trying to stop an evil witch named Gruntilda.

While Rare worked closely with Nintendo for years, Microsoft acquired the company in 2002 and still owns the rights to Banjo-Kazooie to this day. Rare Studio head Craig Duncan expressed his excitement over the collaboration between the two companies, saying in a Tweet that it's "always a pleasure to work with our good friends at Nintendo, I’m a big fan of #NintendoSwitchOnline and it’s really important to preserve classic games for future generations to play."

This isn't the first time Banjo-Kazooie have appeared on Switch as the pair joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2019. In our review of the duo character, we said, "Banjo and Kazooie feel right at home in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, though their moveset isn't quite up to the level of their look and sound."

Banjo-Kazooie made it all the way to the fourth spot on our list of the best N64 games of all time with the help of Mumbjo Jumbo, the iconic golden puzzle pieces called Jiggies, hidden Jinjos, and so much more.

In our original review of Banjo-Kazooie, IGN's Peer Schneider said "This is the best 3D platformer I have ever played, and a more than worthy successor to Super Mario 64. From the beginning to the surprise
ending, everything about this game screams quality."

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.