Monthly Archives: June 2015
See Sony’s Project Morpheus Up Close and Personal
One of the biggest upcoming wars in the gaming space is over virtual reality, yet Sony has been relatively quiet on its Project Morpheus device this E3, only announcing a multiplayer FPS called RIGS at its press conference. That doesn't mean it isn't at the show, of course, as these high resolution images from the floor attest:
It's also worth noting that Sony discussed the headset at this year's GDC, announcing it will be available to consumers in the first half of 2016 and giving details on the latest prototype.
Chris Evans to be New Top Gear Host
UK TV and radio personality Chris Evans will replace Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear, the BBC has announced.
Evans will be the lead presenter of an “all-new” line up and has signed a three-year deal with the show, reports the BBC. The mention of an “all-new” line up is a reminder that Clarkson’s former Top Gear co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond will not be involved with the show going forward.
Evans, described as a friend of Clarkson, had been tipped as a replacement for Clarkson early but previously denied he was looking to take over hosting duties on Top Gear via Twitter back in March.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s Wonderful New Toys
As my demo presentation for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided began, I heard just the magic words I wanted to hear: Action RPG. Leading up to the release of Human Revolution, I was nervous that one of my favorite franchises would be turned into just another sci-fi shooter, but my fear were unfounded. I came into my Mankind Divided demo with the same fears, but I left without them. Though the folks at Eidos Montreal have said that they want combat to feel more satisfying than before, it doesn't appear to be at the expense of the depth Deus Ex has always provided. Whether you play silently and non-violently, or ruthlessly aggressive, the many new augmentations and improvements mean more meaningful choices to make.
Oculus Rift’s Touch Controllers Will Wreck Your Sense of Reality
These days, I’m always prepared for two things whenever I slip on a virtual-reality headset: intermittent waves of nausea, and the lingering urge to grab at whatever I see. The first consumer version of Oculus Rift doesn’t entirely solve that first problem still, though it’s improved on it quite a bit—but when paired with the Oculus Touch controllers, it takes a huge, satisfying step toward giving me what I want on the second count.
According to Nate Mitchell, VP of Product at Oculus, the Rift I put on during my E3 demo isn’t even the actual final version—its weight and ergonomics will still get slight tweaks between now and the visor’s Q1 2016 launch. But even if it’s not absolutely final, the Rift now feels dramatically better to wear. This version is much lighter than the dev kits and the Crescent Bay prototype, and has adequate room for glasses. I used to have to take off my glasses or let the nosepads jam painfully into my face during appointments; in both scenarios, I’d get headaches that led to queasiness after extended time in the visor. And that was on top of whatever motion sickness that cropped up.
Batman Forever: The Case for and Against It
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Batman Forever's release. Yes, it was two decades ago when director Joel Schumacher first dropped his new take on the Caped Crusader - and Robin too! - on us, and the course of the Batman films would never be the same again.
The film, of course, is widely regarded as a wrong turn for the Dynamic Duo, and one that ultimately did the franchise in with the DOA follow-up that came two years later, the abysmal Batman & Robin. But still, there are some who argue that Val Kilmer’s turn as the Bat in Batman Forever has not gotten a fair shake over the years.
So we’ve asked two members of the IGN team with opposing views on the matter to offer up their arguments for and against Batman Forever: Matt Fowler takes the con approach while Scott Collura takes the pro. Better gas up the batmobile, Alfred, ‘cause things are about to get crazy up in here…
Blizzard Announces Free Legacy of the Void Prologue
Blizzard has announced a free prologue to StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.
Introducing the free prologue to #LotV, featuring the first Zeratul missions since Wings of Liberty. #pcgamingshow pic.twitter.com/3w7KXoX0FW
— StarCraft (@StarCraft) June 17, 2015
Titled Whispers of Oblivion, the prologue features the first Zeratul missions since Wings of Liberty.
No Man’s Sky Confirmed for PC
At E3 2015, Hello Games' Sean Murray confirmed that No Man's Sky will be coming to PC as well as PlayStation 4.
The insanely ambitious space sim was announced back in December 2013 as a PlayStation 4 game. Murray also mentioned that they had originally planned to reveal the game's release date at this E3, but that the team decided to delay that announcement a bit. When they finally do announce the date, it'll be for both PS4 as well as PC.
For all things E3, bookmark our E3 Hub.
Marty Sliva is a Senior Editor at IGN. He once ate a whole blueberry. Follow him on Twitter @McBiggitty.
Heroes of the Storm Expansion ‘Eternal Conflict’ Detailed
Heroes of the Storm is getting new Diablo content in its first expansion, Eternal Conflict, which will add heroes and Battlegrounds across the next few months. Diablo 3's Butcher, Monk (Diablo's first Support hero), and King Leoric the Skeleton King join the fold, Blizzard announced at E3.
Eternal Conflict is "all about Diablo for the next several months" said Blizzard's Chris Sigaty. It releases on June 30.
Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. He hosts IGN Arena, a podcast about MOBAs. Talk to Mitch about Dota 2, movies, books, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch.
DayZ Could Enter Beta Later This Year
The DayZ standalone is still alive and kicking on Early Access after about a year and a half.
According to Brian Hicks, lead producer of DayZ, the zombie-infested survival MMO may reach feature complete/beta status later this year.
That's the hope, at least.
Some new features players can expect include a single player mode, three new vehicles with all the required parts and operational fluids, and modding support through the Steam Workshop.
The team will also publicly release the tool that allows players to host their own DayZ server.
Are you still playing DayZ? What do you hope to see in the final version?
Chloi Rad is a Staff Writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @_chloi.
What Metroid Prime 4’s Story Could Be
Metroid Prime Producer Kensuke Tanabe told IGN about an idea for another Samus adventure in the Metroid Prime universe.
We asked Tanabe if Metroid Prime Federation Force is the only Metroid Prime game he's working on. "I said this at the beginning, but I’m not involved in the 2D Metroid games that
Sakamoto works on," Tanabe said. "I still feel like there's a little more work left for me to do in the Metroid Prime series. I can’t say when, but I want to make another one.
Tanabe reminded us about the ending of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. After Samus’s ship flies off into the distance, another ship suddenly appears. He said that players Metroid Prime Hunters should recognize that the ship belongs to a bounty hunter called Sylux. "He’s actually chasing after Samus, and that’s where that game ends," Tanabe said. "There’s still more I want to build around the story of Sylux and Samus. There’s something going on between them. I want to make a game that touches upon