Monthly Archives: June 2022
Fort Solis Revealed as a Sci-Fi Horror With Major Voice Acting Chops Behind It
Today at Summer Game Fest, a joint project with voice acting talent Roger Clark and Troy Baker was revealed from European independent studio Fallen Leaf. It's called Fort Solis, and it's a sci-fi thriller set on a Mars mining outpost.
Baker (The Last of Us, Uncharted, BioShock Infinite) plays Wyatt Taylor, a medical officer at Fort Solis who, per Baker, is "at times in opposition with Roger's character." Clark (Red Dead Redemption 2), then, plays Jack Leary, a maintenance engineer on the remote Martian mining post whose job it is to make sure no equipment breaks down.
As Baker explains, Fort Solis is intended to be a "tight thriller," something like a blend between Dead Space and a Duncan Jones film. Gameplay includes exploration elements through multiple locations, including multiple ways to traverse. And the narrative is apparently a "huge element."
Fort Solis' Steam page describes it as a single-player, third-person thriller set over a single night on the far side of Mars. It opens with Jack Leary responding to a routine alarm, but things quickly escalate out of control.
Fort Solis is currently only announced for PC via Steam, and no release date has been given yet. It's being made in Unreal Engine 5. For more news and announcements from the entirety of Summer of Gaming, check out our watch guide.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
New Witchfire Footage Revealed, Early Access Coming Soon
A new look at Witchfire gameplay -- the first in quite some time -- was revealed at the Summer Game Fest today, with early access via the Epic Games Store coming soon.
The upcoming fantasy first-person shooter is being developed by Polish independent studio The Astronauts, the same studio behind Painkiller, Bullerstorm, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. It was initially announced in 2017, when its first trailer was unveiled at The Game Awards.
A description of the game reads: "Desperate for a chance to triumph in the deadly war against witches, the Church calls on forbidden pagan magic to turn willing sinners into immortal witch hunters called preyers. Armed with powerful spells and fearsome firearms conjured by the best Vatican sorcerers, your mission is to find the infamous witch of the Black Sea, destroy the phantom army that protects her, and retrieve a mysterious artifact that can finally turn the tide of war."
The studio clarified in a blog post published after the reveal that they're aiming to release it in early access in Q4 2022. They also said they'll be releasing it on other platforms later down the line. This reveal doesn't mean Witchfire is back to regular updates, though.
"There’s so much to talk about — e.g. the trailer just showed one side of the game, keeping other elements of it secret — but we’re not ready to post weekly yet," Astronauts wrote. "The Summer Games Fest was an incredible opportunity, one not to miss, but we’re not in full marketing mode yet. Not until we are 100% sure about our release months."
Check out all the Summer Game Fest announcements and reveals right here.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Extended Campaign Gameplay Revealed
Summer Game Fest has offered up a look at a full level from the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign.
The mission, called Dark Water, features your squad of soldiers infiltrating a stormy oil rig in the middle of the ocean in classic FPS fashion. Only a very minimal UI is visible as the team works its way up the rig toward a missle launcher at the top – before realizing the controls to it are on a shipping boat just off the rig.
After making their way to the ship, an extended combat scene sees the team fighting across the deck of the boat as shipping containers and water slide across it, providing both cover and hazards. The level concludes with the bridge of the ship being breached, but ends there before we actually get to see inside.
After the gameplay, Jeff Negus from Infinity Ward gave names to some of the new and returning characters in the campaign, including Captain John Price, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Soap" MacTavish, Commander Phillip Graves, and Colonel Alejandro Rojas. While Call of Duty GM Johanna Faries confirmed that it will be an extension of the Modern Warfare universe, she also said further details would have to wait until later on.
After many, many rumours, we finally had it confirmed that Infinity Ward would be working on a sequel to 2019's reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series. Arriving on October 28, we got our first look at the game yesterday.
This could also be the last annual Call of Duty game as it was reported that 2023's Call of Duty game will be released in 2024 and that the series may no longer be an annual franchise following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. However, reports also suggest that Activision Blizzard is committed to keeping the next three Call of Duty games multiplatform.
The Callisto Protocol: First Extended Gameplay Revealed
The first extended gameplay from The Callisto Protocol – the new game from Dead Space creator Glen Schofield – has been revealed at Summer Game Fest.
The two-minute long gameplay footage clip shows something very similar to Dead Space; we've got a gross third-person shooter in a sci-fi universe, with plenty of heavy architecture and slimy gore. Opening on a segment in a medical bay, we see holograms of previous patients gone mad beating up medical staff. Those holograms soon make way for real monsters, which we see picked up and slammed into walls using an anti-gravity weapon called the Grip. In a second segment we the Grip being used to throw monsters into fans, as well as our hero being pulled into a piece of machinery himself. Just like in Dead Space, the deaths are... grisy. Very grisly.
The Callisto Protocol is due for release on December 2, bringing third-person survival horror to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The Callisto Protocol was originally was originally supposed to be set in the same universe as PUBG, but it was recently announced that was no longer the case
Schofield clearly had unfinished business with Dead Space, and his new game is self-consciously building on that series' sci-fi-horror ideas.
For more from today's big event, check out everything announced at Summer Game Fest Showcase 2022.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.
Aliens: Dark Descent Officially Announced
Aliens: Dark Descent has been announced, and it looks like a squad-based, top-down shooter.
Revealed at Summer Game Fest, Aliens: Dark Descent was revealed in a cinematic trailer very reminiscent of James Cameron's take on the Aliens universe, with hordes of Xenomorphs hunting down a team of space marines.
The trailer ends with a brief look at the gameplay where squads of Marines are shown fighting off waves of Aliens in a top-down perspective.
It's unclear how these marines will be controlled and whether it is co-op, but this appears to be taking a squad-based approach to combat rather than a solo adventure like in games like Alien: Isolation.
In 1986, James Cameron released a bigger and badder sequel with more Xenomorphs hunting down a larger team of armed space marines. It was a very different tone than the horror-vibe of Ridley Scott's original Alien, but some prefer the different flavor of Cameron's sequel,
Check out IGN for a full rundown of all the new announcements from Summer Game Fest.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
Summer Game Fest Showcase 2022: Everything Announced Including The Last of Us Remake for PS5
Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest showcase for 2022 has finally arrived and it gave us a glimpse of the future of video games. From The Last of Us: Part 1 on PS5 to Aliens: Dark Descent to Marvel's Midnight Suns, there were a ton of games on display at this year's show.
This roundup has all the biggest announcements, trailers and gameplay footage in one place so you can be sure you don't miss a thing during the Summer of Gaming.
The Last of Us Remake Officially Revealed: Arriving in September for PS5, PC Version on the Way
After leaking before the show, Naughty Dog has officially announced that a remake of The Last of Us will be released on PS5 on September 2, 2022, with new enemy AI based on The Last of Us Part 2, 60FPS performance, new combat options, and more.
The Last of Us Multiplayer Game Has a Story, and Is 'As Big' as Other Naughty Dog Games
We have finally learned more about the long-awaited standalone multiplayer game set in The Last of Us universe and have been given a piece of concept art that teases what fans can expect from the game. The game will feature a "brand new cast of characters" and looks to take place, at least partially, in San Francisco.
While it is great to learn more about this game, it was confirmed we won't learn more about this multiplayer title until 2023.
Street Fighter 6 to See the Return of Guile
A new gameplay trailer for Street Fighter 6 has revealed that Guile will be returning for the latest entry of the legendary fighting franchise. In the new footage, we see Guile fighting Luke and Ryu in an updated version of his Air Force Base stage.
Aliens: Dark Descent to Bring Players Face-to-Face with Xenomorphs Once More in 2023
A brand new game set in the universe of the Alien franchise will be arriving in 2023. We didn't learn much about what the game was, but a cinematic trailer revealed the tone of what players can expect. The trailer ends with marines fighting Xenomorphs from a top-down perspective, potentially hinting at what the gameplay will look like.
First Look at The Last of Us HBO Series' Two Leads
Summer Game Fest shared our first real look at Pedro Pascal's Joel and Bella Ramsey's Ellie from HBO's The Last of Us series. It was also revealed that Joel's voice actor Troy Baker and Ellie's voice actor Ashley Johnson will have a role in the upcoming series that is more than a cameo.
The Callisto Protocol First Extended Gameplay Reveals More of the Horrifying Journey Player Will Go On Later This Year
The Callisto Protocol is promising to be one of the scariest games ever, and the first extended gameplay footage confirms it is well on the way to making that nightmare a reality. In the gameplay demo, we see brutal deaths for not only the enemies, but also our main character. It also looks to feature shootable limbs that will fall off a la Dead Space.
The Callisto Protocol will be released on December 2, 2022.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Gameplay Demo Teases the New Game's Campaign
Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley and Sergeant John “Soap” McTavish return in the latest gameplay demo from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign. The "Dark Water" demo takes place aboard a boat sailing through a storm, and we get glimpses of outdoor, more open gameplay and tighter, indoor combat situations.
While they weren't shown, Captain John Price and Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick will also be part of the story once more when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 arrives on October 27, 2022.
Layers of Fears Is a 'Psychedelic Horror Chronicle' Made in Unreal Engine 5
Bloober Team has confirmed it is working on Layers of Fears, a new "psychedelic horror chronicle" made in Unreal Engine 5 that is pitched as somewhat of a remaster and a sequel that will "build on the foundations" of the original Layers of Fear, Layers of Fear: Inheritance, and Layers of Fear 2. It will also include "an expanded plotline and gameplay direction."
Marvel's Midnight Suns Trailer Reveals Spider-Man and Release Date
A new trailer for Marvel's Midnight Sons has not only revealed Spider-Man will be joining its roster, but it also confirmed the XCOM-style game will be released on October 7, 2022. The trailer also featured the main villain, Lilith, and corrupted versions of Venom, Sabertooth, Scarlet Witch, and the Hulk.
IGN also had the chance to check out Marvel's Midnight Suns, and you can read about our thoughts in our first preview.
Gotham Knights: Nightwing Gameplay Trailer
WB Games Montreal stopped by Summer Game Fest to share a new gameplay video of Gotham Knights that stars Nightwing.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Gets a Release Date, Casey Jones as a Playable Character, and a New Six-Player Mode
TMNT: Shredder's Revenge will officially be released on June 16, 2022. The news was revealed in a new trailer that also confirmed Casey Jones as a playable character and a new six-player mode.
Saints Row: Boss Factory Lets You Create a Custom Character Before the Game Arrives
Saints Row: Boss Factory is a new app that will let players create and save up to six character designs that can then be used for the full Saints Row game when it is released on August 23, 2022.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course Gameplay Shows Of Chalice in Action
The long-awaited Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is almost here as it will be released on June 30. During the Summer Game Fest showcase, we were treated to a look at gameplay from Delicious Last Course starring new character Ms. Chalice.
The Stylish Card-Based Shooter Neon White Gets a June 16 Release Date
Neon White, the stylish card-based shooter/platformer, will be released on June 16, 2022. Developed by Donut County creator Ben Esposito, Neon White will be available on both PC and Nintendo Switch.
Humankind Coming to Consoles, New DLC Announced
Alongside confirming that Amplitude Studios' turn-based strategy game Humankind will be coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One on November 4, we also received word of its new DLC, Cultures of Latin America.
Flashback 2 Is the Long-Awaited Sequel to the 1992 Sci-Fi Platformer
The original Flashback was released in 1992 and it looks to make a return in Winter 2022 with Flashback 2. The original had gameplay similar to Prince of Persia and Another World, and we shouldn't have to wait too much longer for more details on how it will play this year.
Witchfire Makes a Return After Being Announced at 2017's The Game Awards
Witchfire was first announced at The Game Awards in 2017, but it has gone mostly quiet since then. Now, we've received a brand-new look at the first-person shooter game and a promise that it will enter Early Access in the near future.
Fort Solis Stars The Last of Us' Troy Baker and Red Dead Redemption 2's Roger Clark
Fort Solis is a sci-fi thriller that stars The Last of Us' Troy Baker (Joel Miller) and Red Dead Redemption 2's Roger Clark (Arthur Morgan).
Routine Is a Horror Game With a Terrifying Cast of Robots
Routine was announced nearly a decade ago, but that amount of time may not have prepared us for the horrifying look at its gameplay that looks like a mix between Alien: Isolation and The Terminator.
Ex-Blizzard Devs Announce Stormgate, a New Post-Apocalypse RTS
Frost Giant, a studio consisting of ex-Blizzard staff, has unveiled their new post-apocalypse RTS, Stormgate. While we only saw a cinematic trailer, it did show an archeologist crafting an ancient shield from artifacts before she was rudely interrupted by a giant demon. Luckily, a mech-clad ally swoops in to save the day.
Stormgate will have a beta in 2023, and it will be free-to-play when it is released.
Goat Simulator 3 Was Announced with a Dead Island 2 Parody Trailer
Before you go check, there is no Goat Simulator 2. However, that didn't stop Goat Simulator 3 from being announced with a Dead Island 2 parody trailer. We didn't see any gameplay, but it looks to feature all the wild antics from gaming's favorite goats once again.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide - Extended Gameplay Trailer
Warhammer 40K: Darktide received an extended gameplay trailer at Summer Game Fest that showed off more of the sci-fi follow-up to Warhammer Vermintide.
Highwater Reveal Trailer Shows a World Ravaged by the EffectsClimate Change
Highwater is an upcoming action-adventure game that aims to let players explore a world ravaged by the effects of climate change.
One Piece Odyssey Trailer Reveals More of Monkey D. Luffy and Crew's New Adventure
Despite not featuring much gameplay, we did get a good look at the upcoming One Piece Odyssey game starring Monkey D. Luffy and many of the favorites from the anime.
Genshin Impact Developer HoYoverse Showcases Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero
Those who can't get enough of Genshin Impact will be happy to know HoYoverse has just shared more of Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero.
Nightingale Gets a Longer Gameplay Look at Summer Game Fest
Nightingale is an upcoming survival game from Aaryn Flynn and Inflexion, and Summer Game Fest gave fans an extended look at the game in action.
Metal: Hellsinger Is a Music-Based Rhythm Shooter With Music From Heavy Metal Legends
Metal: Hellsinger received a new gameplay trailer and showed off more of the music-based rhythm shooter that has music from such heavy metal legends as System of a Down.
Warframe's New Open-World Expansion The Duviri Paradox Gets a New Trailer
Warframe's universe is about to get much bigger as its Duviri Paradox open-world expansion is on its way. We received a new trailer at Summer Game Fest and a promise that more info will arrive next month.
Get Your First Look at the 2.5D Indie Side-Scrolling Adventure Game American Arcadia
See a new take on a dystopian future in American Arcadia.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: How to Access the Open Beta
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is hitting PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on October 28, 2022 with a brand new campaign and multiplayer mode. But, you don't have to wait until launch to play the game, as it will be getting a shiny new Open Beta before then.
The Open Beta will come in a few phases, will early access coming to those who preorder, and even earlier access for those on PS5 and PS4. We've got all the details you need about the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 beta, including how to access it, right here.
Preorder Modern Warfare 2 for Early Access to the Open Beta
Preorders are now live for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, and there are a couple of different versions to choose from, so make sure you check out our full MW2 preorder guide before deciding. For now, here are some quick links if you just want to lock your preorder in ASAP.
Remember, you're getting early access to the Open Beta with your preorder, and you don't have to pay anything until the game ships in late October. So you could absolutely preorder, get a beta code, and then cancel your order after the beta finalises if you don't like the game at no cost.
When Is the Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta?
We haven't yet got a confirmed date for the Open Beta, but that doesn't mean we can't speculate on when you can expect it. For starters, the Open Beta for MW2's predecessor, Modern Warfare, kicked off on September 19, 2019.
By comparison, Black Ops Cold War's Open Beta didn't take place until October 8 (but it had a late release date of November 15), while Vanguard's started on September 10 last year (with the full game releasing on November 5).
So, with Modern Warfare 2 releasing on October 28, our best guess is Modern Warfare 2's Open Beta will take place during September. But, this is pure speculation, and Activision could drop the Open Beta even sooner than we expect, so stay tuned for more details.
How to Access the Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta
Those who preorder on PS5 and PS4 will receive first access to the Modern Warfare 2 beta, getting it "at least 5 days earlier than any other platform,” according to the latest trailers. This will be the PlayStation early access phase of the beta.
The next phase will be Xbox + Battle.net PC early access (for those who preordered), and the PlayStation Open Beta phase. After a couple of days, this will likely then transition into the free Open Beta phase for all consoles, removing the red tape and letting everyone try out the game no matter the console or preorder status.
So, in summary, if you want to access the Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta as soon as possible, preorder it on PS5 or PS4. Otherwise, you can still preorder it on PC or Xbox to gain some early access a few days before the Open Beta truly becomes, an 'Open Beta'.
Modern Warfare 2 is out on October 28, 2022, and you can currently read our first impressions of the Modern Warfare 2 campaign and our Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer preview for more info.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Xbox Allowing Devs to Add Their Demos to Game Pass – and Get Paid for It
Microsoft has announced Project Moorcroft, a new initiative that will allow developers to release demos straight into the Xbox Game Pass line-up, and earn money for doing so.
In a briefing for media, Corporate Vice President, Sarah Bond explained that Xbox has seen fewer and fewer opportunities for developers to put games on event showfloors and present them directly to potential fans – and pointed out that this could harm smaller developers struggling to be seen in an online space.
"So we said, you know what, what don't we take Game Pass and make it like the showfloor?," Bond continued. "Why don't we make it possible for developers to take a piece, a level of their game, release it into Game Pass, generate excitement for what's coming, and also get that really valuable feedback as they're tuning and preparing their game for launch?"
Asked by Head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty why a developer would spend valuable time making a demo instead of working directly on their game, Bond added the positive kicker for developers becoming a part of Moorcroft:
"It's important to us that everything we do has benefit for both our players and for creators," Bond replied. "So as part of this, we've set up the program and structured it so that the develoeprs get financial compensation for the game - it actually benefits them financially - and also get the benefit of the great feedback as well."
There remain a few unknowns here. While we know the program will start "within the next year", no specific dates have been given. It's also not clear if developers will be offered a flat fee for their demos, or if they'll be paid based on performance on Game Pass. We also don't know the application system for Moorcroft, how curated its set of demos will be, and if being a part of it guarantees developers a spot in the Game Pass line-up at launch (or even locks them into it).
Aside from offering more content for Game Pass subscribers, and an intriguing deal for developers, this also clearly benefits Microsoft in that it will be be able to spot high-performers earlier on in the development cycle, perhaps snapping the games up for Game Pass, or increasing promotion around them.
In related news, Microsoft also announced that its Cloud Streaming services will expand this year too, allowing Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to stream "select" games they own, even if they're not a part of the Game Pass line-up. Xbox Game Pass streaming will also come to TVs via a new Samsung app.
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.
Xbox Cloud Gaming to Let You Stream Games You Own, Even If They’re Not in Game Pass
Xbox's game streaming services have so far been limited to titles inside the Xbox Game Pass line-up – but that will change later this year.
No release date has been announced as yet, but Xbox says that Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will soon gain the ability to stream select games they own, even if they're not part of Game Pass. No specific titles have been announced as yet, nor has Xbox explained if the intent is to make all games playable through streaming as well as disc/download.
It appears no such option is coming for game owners that are not subscribers to Game Pass Ultimate.
Speaking in a briefing for media, CVP of Gaming Experiences & Platforms, Ashley McKissick said, "Gamers are not shy with their feedback, which is awesome. And so one of the things that they told us, it's like, 'Hey, we would love to be able to stream games that we own even if they're not in the Game Pass catalog.'
"And so later this year if you are an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member, you will be able to stream from the cloud games you purchase and also games you already own as long as they're cloud enabled in the catalog."
Xbox's streaming options have been growing for years at this point. Starting from a small test for the service, then referred to as xCloud, Xbox Cloud Gaming has since become more fully-fledged. Since then, Xbox has announced its intention to bring streaming options to TVs, confirmed it's working on a streaming stick, brought streaming to its consoles, and more.
This new move appears to be a step towards not just expanding where you can play cloud games, but which games you can play.
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.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is Coming to Samsung Smart TVs This Month
Microsoft has announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming will be coming natively to Samsung Smart TVs later this month, allowing users to play Xbox games directly from their TV – no console required.
Last week, I was invited to go hands-on with an early build of the tech, which will be rolling out to all 2022-model Samsung TVs on June 30 via the new Samsung Gaming Hub.
The service is practically identical to the way Xbox Cloud Gaming currently works on smartphones and browsers. Open the app and you’re greeted with a familiar home screen of recently-played games, along with categories for recently added, most popular, and other discovery feeds, all of which are navigable via a paired Bluetooth controller. From this screen simply click into a game to view its product page and start playing.
Once you hit launch, the service takes a few seconds to prepare the game stream, but once you’re loaded in, everything functions the same as if you’d launched from a console, including your cloud saves, settings, achievements, and any other info linked to your Xbox account. Just like on other devices, most games will require an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play via Cloud Streaming, though at least one – Fortnite – doesn’t require a subscription. Otherwise, all games that are currently available to stream via Xbox Cloud Gaming will be playable on the TV app, console free.
As we discussed in our original review of Xbox Cloud Gaming, the quality of your experience on the service is wildly dependent upon your internet quality. In this way, streaming to a stationary device such as a TV where you can optimize its internet connection (ideally via hardline Ethernet) is essentially the ideal scenario for gaming via cloud streaming. I have no doubt that the testing scenario I experienced was basically as good as it can get, internet-wise, but it’s also not a particularly difficult set of conditions to set up at home either, as opposed to relying on a shaky Wi-Fi (or even worse, mobile data) connection.
I tested the service playing Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, and Hollow Knight, all of which felt responsive with little-to-no input lag. Visually, the streams came through crisp and clear, though I’m sure there would be noticeable differences if compared side-by-side with a game being played off a Series X. Streaming quality comes in at 1080p resolution at 60fps, though I was told that the TV does a bit of upscaling to improve visual quality.
I also briefly saw the new Samsung Gaming Hub, a one-stop shop for gaming that will be coming to all 2022-model Samsung TVs. The TVs will pair with most Bluetooth controllers (not just Xbox controllers), as well as Bluetooth headsets for game audio and party chat. The hub itself serves as an aggregator and discovery platform for all your connected gaming devices and services, including
Currently, 2022 Samsung models are the only TVs that will support Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it’s expected that more TVs will gain support in the future.
For more Xbox news, be sure to check out our coverage of the Xbox Bethesda Showcase this weekend at 10am PT on Sunday, June 12.