Gaming News

The Talos Principle 2 Arrives in November

Publisher Devolver Digital and developer Croteam have announced today that The Talos Principle 2 is launching at last on Nov. 2, nearly nine years after the initial release of its predecessor. The original The Talos Principle was a much-loved 3D puzzle adventure that stood out for its examination of philosophical questions including the nature of humans, AI, God, science, and progress. Mobile and VR versions were released over the years, as well as a Road to Gehenna DLC in 2015 that fleshes out the post-apocalyptic universe of the original game further. The Talos Principle 2 seems poised to pick up where the original left off and explore what lay in wait for the androids who passed the test of the first game, but apropos for the...

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Shrek's Swamp Is Now Listed on Airbnb

If you're a fan of the hit 2001 film Shrek and have a strong desire (like me) to stay the night at the character's swamp, you're about to have your chance soon enough. Airbnb has successfully recreated Shrek's Swamp, with bookings opening next month - but you'll have to be quick and lucky. Beginning on Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. ET, Shrek fans will have a chance to request to stay the night at this beautiful, moss-covered, murky-watered paradise. Located in the Scottish Highlands, some lucky renters can spend two nights at Shrek's home. The booking dates, however, are currently only from Oct. 27-29 for one, two-night stay for up to three guests. The cost for booking Shrek's Swamp is $0, with Airbnb noting in a press release that the company...

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CD Projekt Disables Cyberpunk 2077 Mods for Phantom Liberty's Launch

CD Projekt has disabled Cyberpunk 2077 mods today, September 26, to ensure they don't clash with content added in Phantom Liberty and disrupt the playing experience for PC players. A message on CD Projekt Red's support account on X informed Steam and Epic Games players that their versions of the game would automatically disable mods. The developer confirmed those who absolutely want to use mods can still reactivate them, but they do so at their own risk. "We wanted to let you know that mods will be automatically disabled for the launch of Phantom Liberty," CD Projekt said. "This is to prevent issues with the game that are caused by mods before they receive their update from the modding community. We want to make sure you have the...

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Alan Wake 2: Building The Remedy Connected Universe - IGN First

13 years after the launch of its predecessor, Alan Wake 2 finally continues the story of gaming’s favourite haunted novelist. But the sequel is expanding more than just Alan’s tale. This game is the third entry in the Remedy Connected Universe, an idea that will see the Finnish studio’s works overlap, connect, and influence each other. For IGN First we spoke to Sam Lake, creative director of Alan Wake 2 and Remedy’s beloved storyteller, to learn more about the Remedy Connected Universe and how the studio’s games have always been linked in weird and interesting ways. Remedy Entertainment has been in business since 1995 and has created five different worlds over the years. But while this new connected universe will unite Remedy’s...

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Where, When, and How to Start Phantom Liberty

So you’re ready to start Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, but you’re not sure when’s the best time to begin the expansion? Well, having played the full DLC and completed its various endings, I can tell you exactly where to begin to get the best experience from Phantom Liberty in a way that makes sense within the full story. CD Projekt Red is taking a page from how it handled its Witcher 3 DLC and integrates the new Phantom Liberty expansion directly into the base game of Cyberpunk 2077, meaning you won’t find Phantom Liberty in a separate menu selection (but you can skip to it if you select New Game, more on that below). Note that you will need to install the free 2.0 update to play the Phantom Liberty DLC, which costs $29.99. While...

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Todd Howard Says Planet Exploration in Starfield Was Brutal Before Being 'Nerfed'

If you are bummed that planet exploration in Starfield is not as challenging as expected, Bethesda originally planned to make the system much more punitive, according to the game's director. In a recent interview on the Game Maker's Notebook Podcast, Howard and Insomniac Games Founder Ted Price dissected the development of Starfield. When discussing cut content for Starfield, Howard explained how punishing planet exploration was before fine-tuning it to make it streamlined. "So the way the environmental damage works in the game, on planets, and your suit, you have resistances to certain types of atmosphere effects, whether that's radiation or thermal, etc., and that was a pretty complex system - actually, it was very punitive,"...

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PS Plus Essential October 2023 Headliners Leaked

The ever-reliable billbil-kun of Dealabs has leaked upcoming PlayStation Plus games, this time with a couple of “headliners” for the Essential October 2023 lineup. According to billbil-kun, two of the three headliners set to launch in PS Plus Essential next month are The Callisto Protocol and Farming Simulator 22. The third game remains a mystery. The Callisto Protocol is the spiritual successor to sci-fi horror classic Dead Space. IGN’s review gave it a 7/10, saying: “The Callisto Protocol is a satisfyingly gory spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, but it’s ultimately more of a striking modern mimic than a scary new mutation.” The Callisto Protocol hit the headlines recently after developer Striking Distance Studios laid...

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Star Wars Fans Think Ahsoka May Share a Connection With Jedi: Fallen Order

Warning: The below contains full spoilers for Ahsoka, now streaming on Disney+. Star Wars fans think Ahsoka may share a connection with the 2019 video game Jedi: Fallen Order after spotting a curious detail in the background of a scene in the latest episode of the Disney+ series. The sixth episode of Ahsoka, titled "Far, Far Away", journeyed to an entirely new distant galaxy on the pathway to planet Peridea, aka the ancient homeworld of the Dathomiri Nightsisters occupied by vast, barren wastelands and a colossal stone temple that features some interesting inscriptions on its exterior walls. Some eagle-eyed viewers noticed the symbols in the background of a scene with Grand Admiral Thrawn, Morgan Elsbeth, Shin Hati, and Baylan...

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CD Projekt Apologises for Anti-Russian Elements in Ukrainian Version of Cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt has apologised for anti-Russian elements in the Ukrainian version of Cyberpunk 2077, which was released alongside the game-changing Update 2.0 ahead of Phantom Liberty's launch on September 26. As reported by PC Gamer, the Ukrainian localisation includes a handful of references to the Russo-Ukrainian War including the derogatory term "Rusnia" replacing the word "assholes" in one instance. CD Projekt said these "offensive" elements were not written by its staff and do not reflect its views. "The release version of Ukrainian localization of Cyberpunk 2077 features elements of dialogues that can be considered offensive by Russian gamers," CD Projekt Red said in Russian social media messages before providing IGN with an...

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Red Dead Redemption 2 for Nintendo Switch Spotted on Ratings Board

Red Dead Redemption 2 may launch on Nintendo Switch if a ratings board is to be believed. X user Necro Felipe pointed to the Red Dead Redemption 2 listing on the Brazilian government’s website. The listing, currently still online, mentions Nintendo Switch under platforms alongside PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s impossible to say when this listing was updated to include Nintendo Switch, and Rockstar has yet to comment. If accurate, it means Rockstar’s open-world masterpiece is set for Nintendo’s console. It’s hard to imagine Red Dead Redemption 2 running natively on Switch, but given The Witcher 3 is available on the console, perhaps it’s not such an outlandish thought. Alternatively, Rockstar may have a cloud version of its...

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Payday 3 Dev Looking Into Adding Offline Mode, Blames Third-Party for Matchmaking Woes

As Payday 3’s matchmaking issues continue, its developer is looking into adding an offline mode. Developer Starbreeze has seen Payday 3 suffer a disastrous launch, with severe online problems sparking a backlash from players. On Steam, the co-op heist shooter currently has a “mostly negative” user review rating. As of writing on September 26, more people are playing the decade old Payday 2 than Payday 3 on Valve’s platform. As player complaints grew more vociferous on Sunday, Starbreeze boss Tobias Sjögren tweeted to address concern about Payday 3’s always-online requirement, saying “the team is looking at possibility to add some sort of offline mode”. So, what went wrong? In a note to press trumpeting launch-weekend stats of...

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Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Easter Egg Sees CD Projekt Founders Give a Studio History Lesson

Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion includes a wild Easter egg that sees CD Projekt Red co-founders Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński deliver a subtle history lesson on the studio. The pair are found in Dogtown, the area at the centre of Phantom Liberty, selling Braindances that represent significant milestones in CD Projekt Red's history. Players can find out how to see it themselves in our Cyberpunk Easter eggs and references guide. The Braindances available to buy from Iwiński and Kiciński each parody a particular moment in CD Projekt Red's history, and are priced at a certain amount of Eurodollars to represent the year. The Snitcher is available for 2007 eddies, for example, mimicking The Witcher's launch in 2007. The...

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GTFO Everything you need to know – Updated

GTFO is a hardcore 4 player co-op FPS game where players descend into a brutal underground facility in a desperate fight for survival. Released on the 10th of December, 2021, GTFO has received a ton of updates making it bigger, better, and more deadly. Are you brave enough to enter the Rundown? Here’s everything you […] The post GTFO Everything you need to know – Updated appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog. Continue reading...

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FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Sells 10 Million Copies

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has crossed the 10 million sales barrier, developer FromSoftware has announced. Confirmation comes over four years after the ninja action game came out in March 2019 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, courtesy of publisher Activision. A Google Stadia version came out a year later, in October 2020. IGN’s Sekiro review returned a 9.5. “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a stylish, focused stealth-action take on the FromSoftware formula that evolves in a different and refreshing direction,” we said. “It may be a bit easier than a Souls game, but it’s something amazing all its own.” Sekiro sold over two million copies within 10 days of launch, with five million sold by July 2020. That figure has now doubled in the...

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Elon Musk Was Never in Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Dev Says, Despite Him Demanding a Cameo

Elon Musk was never in Cyberpunk 2077 according to one CD Projekt Red developer, despite the Tesla and X boss demanding a cameo. Cyberpunk 2077 senior quest designer Patrick K. Mills said the widely believed fan theory that Musk features in the corpo opening of the game is "nonsense". This came in response to a post from Virus_Kid on X (below), who commented on a new character model which appeared in the game-changing Update 2.0. "Oh my god they removed the Elon Musk cameo from the corpo opening in Cyberpunk 2077," they said, posting screenshots of the cutscene before and after the patch. "That wasn't Elon Musk. It looks nothing like him," Mills responded. "Who came up with this nonsense?" The developer didn't provide any further...

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Starfield Paid DLSS Mod Creator Hits Back at Pirates, Threatens to Add 'Hidden Mines' in Future Mods

Starfield is out now on Xbox Series consoles and PC, but the latest Bethesda RPG is missing a key graphics option that PC users are clamoring for. Nvidia DLSS, which stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling, is upscaling technology that's been a highly-requested feature for Starfield, and it was missing at launch. While Bethesda has already revealed that DLSS support on PC is coming to Starfield sometime down the line, players who want to benefit from the better visuals now are turning to fan-made Starfield DLSS mods — and that's where some controversy lies. Modder PureDark specializes in creating DLSS3 and DLSS2 mods, and he restricted access to his more advanced Starfield DLSS3 mod behind a $5-per-month Patreon subscription. The mod...

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EA Sports Confirms FC 24 Nintendo Switch Framerate and Resolution

With EA Sports FC 24 launching this week, we finally have confirmed performance information from EA itself on how the football game runs on the Nintendo Switch. The Switch version is particularly interesting this year because for the first time it runs on EA’s Frostbite Engine, which is used to power the other versions. It means EA isn’t simply releasing a rebranded “legacy” version of FIFA 19 again. Instead, the Switch version is more akin to the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One version. Switch players also get an expanded Ultimate Team mode on par with the Ultimate Team seen in other versions of the game. Ultimate Team in the Nintendo Switch version of FIFA was severely limited, so this improvement is sure to go down well with fans...

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Cyberpunk 2077's Update 2.0 Includes a Tribute to Late Driving Legend Ken Block

CD Prokekt Red added a reference to the late rally driving and racing game legend Ken Block in Cyberpunk 2077's Update 2.0 after he passed away in January 2023. The reference comes in the form of a new car players can find in Night City, which is also the only weaponised vehicle available for free. The Type-66 Hoon is available through the I'm in Love With My Car quest. Paying homage to Block, the car is a very fast, solid off-road vehicle and its name is a reference to his auto media and apparel company Hoonigan Industries. Perhaps leaning more into his video game history — as Block featured in several premier franchises including Need for Speed, Dirt, and Forza — it also comes fitted with two machine guns. A full breakdown of how...

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Troy Baker, Anjali Bhimani to Appear at SXSW Sydney

SXSW Sydney 2023 has confirmed that voice actors Troy Baker and Anjali Bhimani will be joining proceedings at the SXSW Sydney 2023 Games Festival, which begins on Wednesday, October 18. Baker (best known for his roles as Joel in The Last of Us and Booker in BioShock Infinite) and Bhimani (the voice of Symmetra in Overwatch and Rampart in Apex Legends) will also be performing music from Melbourne-based Summerfall Studios’ Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical at the festival’s opening night event on Tuesday, October 17. IGN’s review of Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical noted that while its murder mystery is predictable, it’s well worth playing through more than once for its strong voice cast and customisable songs. Access to these...

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Black Friday 2023: What Deals and Sales to Expect This Year

We still have a few months until Black Friday deals start arriving, but if you're hoping to have as much money on holiday gifts as possible this year, now is the time to start preparing. Black Friday is the absolute best time to buy just about everything, including big-ticket items like TVs, gaming consoles, and PCs. To help you save as much money as possible during the holiday season, we've gathered all of the info you need to know about Black Friday 2023 below. The deals may start earlier and earlier each year, but there are always some staple truths you can count on from the biggest sales event of the season. Jump to: When Is Black Friday? Black Friday Deals to Expect Black Friday Retailers Black Friday Shopping Tips When Does...

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Escape From Tarkov Arena Hands-On Preview: The Hardcore FPS Remixed as a Fast-Paced FPS – TGS 2023

Escape from Tarkov is a game that makes you feel amazing if you win, and awful if you lose. You're likely to feel terrible again and again if you play it, but the thrill when everything goes right makes up for all of that. And while it's hard to beat that feeling of pleasure, I imagine I'm not the only person who played Tarkov and felt the pain of its hardcore difficulty. Escape from Tarkov: Arena seems like a game that even these kinds of players can jump in and enjoy. Arena retains the original Tarkov's hardcore shootouts while being a fast-paced and much more easily-digested team shooter. What makes Arena special is that despite the different rules, the game as a whole still feels like Tarkov, including the gunplay. Between its...

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Cyberpunk 2077: Best Tips for Rusty and Returning Players

It’s been nearly three years since we first entered Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City, and a lot has changed -- you can check out the full list of Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 changes here. While it may have started with a pained launch, CD Projekt Red has continued to make huge updates and improvements to shape Night City into what it is today. And now it’s received its biggest overhaul yet with the free Cyberpunk 2.0 update and the $30 Phantom Liberty expansion. If its been years since you cruised the neon-dripped streets of Night City, here’s a handy refresher. We’ll go over some of the basic mechanics of Cyberpunk 2077, and clue you in on some of the best features that have been released since you’ve been away. Fast Travel Night City and its...

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Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden Getting Physical Editions for Consoles

Limited Run Games is releasing physical copies of Persona 3 Portable for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. The preorder period goes from Sept. 29 to Nov. 12. Each platform will have standard, Grimoire, and SEES Editions available for Persona 3 Portable. The standard version just includes a physical copy of the game and costs $35. The Grimoire Edition costs twice as much at $70 and contains a few extra items in addition to the physical copy of the game, such as a steelbook, a Grimoire Book Box, and a slipcover. The SEES Edition is the most expensive and costs a whopping $200. It includes everything from the Grimoire Edition and even more goodies. It comes with a 1:1 Evoker Replica shadow box that lights up and another 3D...

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Super Bomberman R 2 Review

When it comes to arcade classics like Bomberman, the secret to longevity is keeping it simple. Though there have been dozens of iterations of Hudson Soft's absorbing competitive puzzler, they've all largely adhered to the same principle: blowing things (and people) up in a candy-colored paradise. Just about every one of them has a new gimmick waiting around the corner, whether it’s the spacious areas of action-flavored Bomberman Generation or Bomberman Tournament's Zelda-like Quest Mode. That's how Super Bomberman R 2 manages to keep the hits coming: with some clever modes that put a new spin on things. Of course, Bomberman has always been at its best when played with others, so it's no surprise that's where this feature-rich sequel...

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Starfield's Latest Update Addresses Star Lens Flares Issues on AMD GPUs

Bethesda Game Studios has released a new patch for Starfield. While minor, it does improve performance and addresses an issue for some AMD GPUs not properly displaying star lens flares. Announced on the Bethesda website, Patch 1.7.33 addresses performance and stability problems while tweaking some gameplay issues. The biggest one comes for the PC version, specifically for those with AMD graphics cards in their rigs. As pointed out by TechSpot, earlier this month, some AMD GPU users reported an issue where it was daylight, but star lens flares (aka when light is scattered or flared due to bright light) were not visible, with several people on Reddit posting reporting and/or posting screenshots of the issue. Another standout in Patch...

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Cyberpunk 2077's Biggest Mystery Unravels Further in Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0

Cyberpunk 2077's biggest mystery has unravelled even further in Update 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion, with some fans who got too close to the truth being (politely) silenced by developer CD Projekt Red. A series of strange letters and symbols has been at the centre of the bizarre mystery, which even seeped beyond Cyberpunk 2077 and into CD Projekt Red's other franchise with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The release of the game-changing Update 2.0 includes even more clues, however, and the incoming Phantom Liberty expansion likely has even more. The mystery, known as FF:06:B5, began when players discovered the code on a statue worshipped by monks in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City (below). A series of other numbers hidden throughout...

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Mineko's Night Market Review

Disclosure: Humble Bundle is owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of IGN. Humble Bundle and IGN operate completely independently, and no special consideration is given to Humble Bundle products for coverage. When you install a cozy life sim with crafting, farming, fishing, or other tasks, you can expect that you’ll have to do some work. A lot of these games are based around the idea of you playing a character who has to contribute to a system or community, which often involves labor. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the grind of a fake job can be a great way to explain why you have to gather resources, make money, form relationships, or construct buildings, but it’s up to game designers to ensure you don’t feel like you’re...

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The Top 100 Best TV Shows of All Time

How do you break down what makes the ideal television show? It’s not easy, given the fact that each person has their own individual taste, but IGN did our best when it came to outlining our criteria for our 2023 revamp of our top TV shows of all time. The show must have finished its run or been on the air for at least 10 years and had a significant impact on television as a whole — because how many shows make it to 10 seasons these days? While this does exclude some of our currently running faves like The Last of Us, The Boys, Squid Game and more, those shows haven’t completed their stories yet. Don’t worry — we’ll likely see them eligible by the next time we refresh this list! Voters were asked to consider the following: How...

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Unity ‘Debace’ Forces Dev to Cancel Nintendo Switch Port of WipEout-Style Racer

Controversy and upheaval around game engine Unity has forced the developer of a WipEout-style racer to cancel its planned Nintendo Switch port. BallisticNG, which launched on Steam via PC in 2018 and currently enjoys an “overwhelmingly positive” user review rating, was set to recent a port on Nintendo’s console, but this is no more. Explaining the decision in a post on Steam, developer Neognosis said it was moving forward after what it called the “Unity debacle”. Last week, Unity announced key changes to its widely panned Runtime Fee policy, which spawned both derision and confusion from developers and the gaming community at large when it was unveiled earlier this month. As originally announced, starting on January 1, 2024 Unity...

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Resident Evil Village for iPhone 15 Pro is Out on October 30

Update: Capcom has officially confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPad port of Resident Evil Village will be released on October 30. In a press release, the company confirmed that this port will retail for $39.99 for the base game, while The Winters' Expansion will be available separately for $19.99. The original story continues below. If you picked up an iPhone 15 Pro this past weekend and are eagerly awaiting the chance to play Resident Evil Village on your smartphone, you might not have to wait much longer, as Capcom has quietly revealed that the iPhone and iPad port of Resident Evil Village is out on October 30. Spotted first by Gematsu, which reported the Resident Evil Village for iPhone and iPad release date in Japan...

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