Gaming News

Certain Affinity Is Working on an Original FPS After Years of Assisting with Halo and Other Games

After years of serving as a support studio for major projects such as Halo Infinite, Doom, and Perfect Dark, Certain Affinity is once again striking out on its own with an original project, codenamed Project Loro. This news was revealed by company founder and CEO Max Hoberman on X (formerly Twitter) today, where he posted an image of a Project Loro banner at Gamescom, referring to it as an "original FPS." "Today was a second full day of behind closed doors pitches at Gamescom, and our playable demo put a lot of smiles on people's faces," Hoberman wrote. "We tell everyone the project codename, and it's bound to get out, so let me be the first. Say hello to Loro, a working title for our original FPS." While Hoberman didn't share...

View full article »

The Biggest Announcements From gamescom Day 1: The Fallout TV Series Makes a Surprise Appearance

With gamescom ONL kicking things off yesterday, the first full day of the trade show started off strong with new information on Starfield, Alan Wake 2, and RoboCop: Rogue City. Of course, we also saw some great surprises, including a brand-new teaser for the Fallout TV series. IGN is on the ground in Cologne and you can expect lots more coverage as the week continue. This article highlights everything that came out from the first day of gamescom, which you can read more about below. gamescom Day 1: The biggest announcements Bethesda showed off the first teaser for the Fallout TV series During a presentation for Bethesda’s upcoming open-world RPG Starfield, Todd Howard surprised those who attended with a sneak peek at the...

View full article »

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Preorder Bonuses, Where to Buy, and More

The original game may have had a bumpy rollout, but most open-world shooter fans agree that Cyberpunk 2077 is in great shape now. Which means lots of people are looking forward to the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion DLC, called Phantom Liberty, which arrives September 26. Phantom Liberty is up for preorder right now, and you can even pick up a nice assortment of Phantom Liberty gear. Below, you’ll find everything you need to preorder Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and other items related to the expansion. Let’s dive in. Preorder Phantom Liberty DLC Get it for PS5 - $29.99 Get it for Xbox - $29.99 Get it for PC: Steam | GoG | Epic - $29.99 Before you smash that buy button, note that you’ll need a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 in order to play...

View full article »

Phil Spencer Insists Games Launch Across Xbox Series X and S Despite Baldur's Gate 3 No-Show

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has admitted the fact Steam megahit Baldur’s Gate 3 launches on PlayStation 5 ahead of Xbox Series X and S isn’t a great situation for Microsoft, but remains committed to having games release on both the X and S. Larian’s sprawling role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 launched on PC in August, and launches on PS5 early September, but the Xbox Series X and S version is without a release date. There is no exclusivity deal between Larian and Sony. Rather, Larian is struggling to get Baldur’s Gate 3’s two-player split-screen co-op running well enough on the less powerful but cheaper Xbox Series S, and a Microsoft policy that enforces gameplay feature parity across Xbox Series X and S means Larian cannot release...

View full article »

Phil Spencer on Potentially Bringing Call of Duty and Other Activision Blizzard Games to Game Pass

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has shed some light to IGN on Microsoft's deal to acquire Activision Blizzard and if that would mean Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games would arrive on Xbox Game Pass on day one. When talking about the decision to sell cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft to appease the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), we asked him if that had any impact on us playing Call of Duty via Xbox Game Pass once the deal closes. While he didn't address the Call of Duty part of it directly, he did touch upon the work it takes behind the scenes when an acquisition happens. "I want to make sure people know that there's work to actually move games to Game Pass," Spencer said. "So, for the people who think the deal...

View full article »

The Big Phil Spencer gamescom Interview: Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, Mid-Gen Upgrades, and More

Over the last year, Xbox has been under one massive spotlight: a giant acquisition and court case, speculation about its upcoming AAA portfolio, Starfield on the horizon, questions around third-party game parity across both its consoles, Game Pass, and so much more. Naturally, we have tons of questions about all of this, and at gamescom 2023, we were finally able to get some answers from Xbox head Phil Spencer about almost everything. Elsewhere we've zoomed in on Spencer's comments about more Final Fantasy games coming to Xbox and his opinions on Baldur's Gate 3. But here's absolutely everything we chatted about in our big gamescom interview with Phil Spencer, in full: IGN: Starfield is a huge moment for Xbox, obviously. When is the...

View full article »

Exclusive: Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story Trailer Features Gameplay, Graum, and More

IGN can exclusively reveal a brand new trailer for Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, and it features, gameplay, a look at the "beautiful but treacherous" region of Freljord, and even an appearance from fellow champion Graum. The trailer starts with Nunu and Willump being surrounded by wolves before Graum comes and gives them a helping hand. The pair reveal they are looking for the Heart of the Blue at some winged mountain, and Graum offers to guide them. What follows is a look at Song of Nunu in action, and it looks to be a fun adventure through the frozen land of Freljord that's filled with platforming, climbing, sledding atop Willump, puzzles, dancing, and more. Developer Tequila Works and publisher Riot Forge have also...

View full article »

Will Final Fantasy 7 Remake and FF16 Ever Hit Xbox? Phil Spencer Responds | Gamescom 2023

At Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest 2023, game director Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P) welcomed Xbox boss Phil Spencer onto the stage alongside Square Enix boss Takashi Kiryu to celebrate the announcement that Final Fantasy 14 is finally on its way to Xbox consoles after years of PlayStation console exclusivity. And it sounded like Microsoft had ensured even more Square Enix games will end up on Xbox in the coming years. But does that mean that PlayStation exclusives Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the recently released Final Fantasy 16 will end up on Xbox? That’s exactly what IGN asked Xbox boss Phil Spencer in an interview at gamescom 2023. His answer teased deals are currently being worked on, although Spencer stopped short of announcing Final...

View full article »

Brand New Broken Sword Game Announced Alongside Remaster of First Game | gamescom 2023

Big news in the world of Broken Sword: developer Revolution Software has announced a brand new game in the series alongside a remaster of the much-loved first game. Broken Sword - Parzival’s Stone, the sixth chapter in the Broken Sword series, is currently in development for console, PC, and mobile. This game uses a new “super 2D” approach that applies hand drawn backgrounds to 3D geometry, and reunites series stars George and Nico for a new conspiracy that involves Nazi treasure hunters, medieval histories, and quantum physics. Here’s the official blurb: “Take on the roles of George and Nico as they investigate an ancient manuscript and find themselves drawn into a terrifying conspiracy and into a world of Nazi treasure hunters...

View full article »

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 - The First Preview | gamescom 2023

The chainsword is one of my favourite weapons in all of science fiction. It has the form factor of a medieval longsword, but the blade is made up of dozens of chainsaw teeth that rip and tear through flesh. In a single strike it captures both the gothic aesthetic and violent excess of Warhammer 40,000. And this weapon is the brutal, snarling heart of the long-awaited Space Marine 2. I recently played an hour of the sequel to what many consider the best Warhammer 40k action game ever made. And from what I’ve seen it appears new developer Saber Interactive definitely understands what made the 2011 original, created by Relic Entertainment, work so well. Space Marine 2 is a shooter/melee hybrid that falls somewhere between Gears of War...

View full article »

How Alan Wake 2 Hopes to Solve One of the Original’s Biggest Criticisms | Gamescom 2023

Alan Wake 2 creative director Sam Lake stopped by IGN's gamescom studio to discuss the upcoming survival horror sequel and how it hopes to solve one of the original's biggest criticisms. Alan Wake 2 was featured in gamescom Opening Night Live 2023 and we got a look at "The Dark Place" - a dream reality that spawns forth from Alan's mind. What makes this place even more unsettling and confusing is that it will feature a mix between gameplay and live-action. This is just one part of Alan Wake's new identity as a survival horror game, and that switch will hopefully address the issues fans had with combat from the first game. According to Lake, some complained that it became too "samey," and the team took that to heart. "There were...

View full article »

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Review

It’s been a hot minute since the last time we were able to pile bunker an enemy mech in the face, but the team at From Software has finally returned to their roots with Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. It certainly looks and feels the part of a modern mecha action game, with gorgeous graphics, a rock-solid 60fps frame rate that never falters, and an intuitive control scheme that dramatically reduces the learning curve we had to deal with in prior Armored Core games. At the same time, its bland mission briefings and a few elements of its design feel a bit stuck in their old ways. But Armored Core 6 scores direct hits in the spots it matters the most: specifically the highly customizable, intense, and frantic mecha battles. If there’s...

View full article »

Alan Wake 2: The First Preview | gamescom 2023

What’s it like to be trapped in a hell of your own making? For writer Alan Wake, that’s the story he’s trying to tell. And after watching a full 40-minute demo, played from the perspective of Wake himself, it certainly looks set to be a tale worth telling. Taking place in an area called The Dark Place, this lengthy slice of the story follows Alan as he makes his way through an oppressive and haunting replica of New York City riddled with danger, gunfights, and puzzles. It’s classic survival horror but with the distinct edge of developer Remedy - smart, engrossing, and consistently odd. First things first, it's difficult to overstate just how visually striking The Dark Place is. Roads are populated by levitating, oil spill-like pools...

View full article »

Dark Forces Remaster Announced for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch

Nightdive Studios, who recently remastered classic first-person games System Shock and Quake 2, is doing the same to another first-person legend: Star Wars: Dark Forces. It is in development for all major platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Watch the announcement trailer above. The single-player-only Star Wars FPS first released in 1995 for PC and was the first adventure for players as Kyle Katarn, who would go on to become a Jedi in Jedi Knight and its sequels. You don't ever get your hands on a lightsaber in Dark Forces, but it's remembered fondly for its memorable missions and difficult boss fights. "I think the audience will appreciate the degree of challenge," Nightdive's Larry Kuperman told IGN. The remaster...

View full article »

Exclusive: The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Gets Release Date for PS5 and PC

Indie developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games will be releasing their co-op survival crafting title, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, on Oct. 24 on PlayStation 5 digitally and Windows PC via Epic Games Store, IGN can exclusively reveal today. For those disappointed by its digital-only release in October, don't worry: a physical release for the PS5 will come on Dec. 5. As for when it's coming to Xbox Series X/S, we don't yet have a date for that other than early 2024. As the title alludes, Return to Moria will put a focus on the Dwarves of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy world, following them as the embark on a quest to reclaim and restore the glory of their homeland during the Fourth Age of Middle-earth...

View full article »

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name - The First Preview

Kazuma Kiryu may have faked his death and quietly walked away from a life of street brawls, tense hostage situations, and mini-games galore at the end of Yakuza 6. But an iconic character like that will never be shelved for too long. With the Yakuza series retitled to more closely match the Japanese translation, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name has roped in Kiryu for one last simple job. And we all know how well “one last simple jobs” tend to go. Even though it was a bit disappointing that my playthrough strayed away from details of the main story arc, what I did see strongly justified bringing our boy out of retirement for another go-around. Now working under the codename Joryu, our badass protagonist is tasked with...

View full article »

Starfield: Here’s What Happens In Its Opening Mission | gamescom 2023

If there’s one thing Bethesda is known for, it’s those “step-out” moments. That first foray out in the unknown - whether it’s the opening of a long-sealed Fallout vault or a soaring Skyrim dragon welcoming you to a whole new world of danger and wonder. Starfield is no different, wasting no time in introducing you to the vast beauty of its world to great effect. But we’ll get to exactly how it does that just a little later. Here’s a rundown of exactly what happens in the opening minutes of Starfield’s first mission, fittingly titled One Small Step, after seeing it at gamescom 2023. The Sol date is May 7, 2330. You find yourself on the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost on the Moon of Vectera. The first voice heard is that of Supervisor...

View full article »

How to Avoid The Xbox Game Pass Price Hike

The cost of Game Pass Ultimate, the all-inclusive package, has seen a $2 hike, landing at $16.99 per month for new members. Meanwhile, the standard Xbox Game Pass sees a $1 increase, making it $10.99 monthly. It's also worth noting that the price for PC Game Pass will remain unchanged, holding steady at $9.99 a month. The new pricing officially took effect on July 6 for newcomers and has since been applicable from August 13 for those already part of the Game Pass family. Update, August 23: At the time of writing you can still secure the below deal on Xbox Game Pass, but there's no telling when Amazon will adjust the price or remove the deal to maintain parity with Xbox's new pricing, so it's best to take advantage of it while you...

View full article »

First Look at the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Campaign's Open Combat Missions

Fresh from revealing gameplay of the first level of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign, developer Sledgehammer Games has revealed a first look at its Open Combat Missions. In a series of tweets, the developer released clips showing the different styles of gameplay possible in these campaign missions. The clip that shows off stealth gameplay confirms a ledge hang mechanic in the campaign. Sledgehammer had said these Open Combat Missions, or OCMs, add an “incredible” level of choice to the player. OCMs offer the player a raft of choices for mission completion. You can, for example, go for a stealthy approach and use night-vision goggles and suppressed weapons to complete the mission without alerting enemies to your...

View full article »

Exclusive: See 16 Minutes of RoboCop: Rogue City Featuring Tons of ED-209s

RoboCop: Rogue City is quietly one of the most anticipated shooters of 2023. Its premise is simple: take the beloved 1980s satire of capitalism and law enforcement and turn it into a first-person shooter. And if this gameplay is any indication, it kind of whips. In the video below you can find 16 minutes of RoboCop: Rogue City featuring all of the elements you'd expect from the classic Paul Verhoeven flick, including a gaggle of ED-209s and lots more. Check it out! RoboCop: Rogue City was announced back in 2022 and held a closed beta test earlier this year. It's being developed by Teyon, the Polish studio responsible for Terminator: Resistance, and is part of the first big wave of Unreal Engine 5 games. We admittedly weren't the...

View full article »

Netherrealm Studios' Narrative Director Answers All of Our Mortal Kombat 1 Lore Questions

At Gamescom 2023, we were able to sit down with Netherrealm Studios' story and voiceover director Dominic Cianciolo. During our interview, we asked Cianciolo a ton of questions about Mortal Kombat 1, specifically the lore side of things. As previously confirmed by the developer, the upcoming installment in this popular fighting game franchise serves as a soft reboot for the series. Read on for our full Gamescom interview with NetherRealm Studios' Dominic Cianciolo below, then check out our final preview and our separate conversation with director Ed Boon. IGN: So I guess the first thing that I wanted to talk about was, was it always in the cards and the plan to do this grand reset of the timeline as far back as Mortal Kombat 11 and...

View full article »

Mortal Kombat 1: The Final Preview

You could chalk up Mortal Kombat’s massive success as a fighting game franchise to a number of factors: It’s 30-year legacy, its attention-grabbing and unparalleled violence, its beloved roster of characters, its deep fighting mechanics, the list goes on. But I’d argue that one of the most important elements of Mortal Kombat’s success, especially since Mortal Kombat 9, has been its single player offerings, which is one thing that we haven’t really seen out of the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1. Until now, that is. At a recent event, I got to go hands-on with the first chapter of Mortal Kombat 1’s cinematic story mode, as well as its brand-new Invasion mode, and my early impressions are that NetherRealm doesn’t seem to be loosening its grip on...

View full article »

Mortal Kombat 1's Ed Boon 'Absolutely' Wants to Make Something Different

Ed Boon is inarguably an industry legend, with a career that spans more than 30 years that includes the creation of one of the most influential fighting games of all time, Mortal Kombat. His team's latest, Mortal Kombat 1, is essentially a reboot of the series, refreshing its beloved characters with new origin stories, new looks, and sometimes even completely new identities. But despite how much Mortal Kombat may change, certain things always remain the same: conversations about the game's penchant for violence, critique of its animations, and the difficulty with which streamers and content creators have monetizing their content. At a recent event in Chicago, I managed to ask Boon a handful of questions surrounding these topics, along...

View full article »

Is That Max Payne in the Alan Wake 2 Trailer? Not Quite

You might have wondered why the latest Alan Wake 2 trailer, fresh from Opening Night Live 2023, includes a glimpse at a character who looks like Max Payne. The character in question is Alex Casey, the FBI partner of one of Alan Wake 2’s playable characters, Saga Anderson. Both Alex and Saga arrive in Bright Falls to investigate mysterious murders. Developer Remedy has shown off Casey in previous videos, but in the gamescom 2023 video we see a different side - and look - to the character. This alternative version of Alex Casey we see in the trailer looks like Max Payne from Remedy’s famous action series, complete with trademark hard-boiled detective outfit. So what’s going on here? Has Remedy crossed the streams sufficiently to have...

View full article »

Madden NFL 24 Review

Madden NFL 24 reminds me of the Marvin Lewis-coached Bengals. Lewis led Cincinnati’s football team to the most wins of any coach in the history of the franchise, and they made the playoffs seven times during his tenure, including a stretch where they made the playoffs for five straight years. They never won any of those playoff games, though. Not one. Some of the losses were close. Some were heartbreakers that the Bengals gave away. Lewis’ teams were almost always good, or at least decent, but they were never good enough – and after a while it became clear that they never would be. Three years after his departure the Bengals would play in the Super Bowl, led by a new head coach in Zac Taylor and the recently drafted Joe Burrow. It’s...

View full article »

Deep Slice Discounts on Jedi Survivor, Save Over $130 on a PS VR2 Bundle, and More!

If Ahsoka Season 1 has given you the Star Wars itch, I have the bacta (read: bargains) to soothe it. The critically acclaimed sequel to Fallen Order, Jedi Survivor, has fallen in price. Considerably. It's also a really good time to secure a cheaper PlayStation VR2 and strap it on your melon. Personally, I'm still in love with my launch edition. More of you need to experience its VR-y amazing delights. This Day in Gaming Aussie birthdays for notable games and hardware - TOCA: Race Driver (PS2) 2002. - The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (GC,PS2,XO) 2005. - Dark Souls (PC) 2012. - Nintendo 3DS XL console launch 2012. - The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (PC,PS3,X360) 2013. - Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) 2017. Table of...

View full article »

Bungie Reveals Destiny 2: The Final Shape Details and Announces It's Replacing Seasonal Format

Bungie officially revealed the details for its upcoming Destiny 2 DLC The Final Shape today, the conclusion of its “Light and Darkness” saga that started all the way back in 2014. The Final Shape will debut on Feb. 27. During today’s The Final Shape showcase event, Bungie unveiled more about the storyline of The Final Shape, which will focus heavily on The Traveler. The massive, mysterious, spherical entity has always been present in Destiny. The Final Shape, however, will take that a step further, with The Traveler asking for help as The Witness uses its light to do terrible things. Players will explore a new destination called The Pale Heart, located inside The Traveler. Per Bungie, The Pale Heart “will feature nostalgic callbacks...

View full article »

Starfield Gets Live-Action Trailer That Looks Like a Big-Budget Sci-Fi Film

While we all wait in anticipation for Starfield, Bethesda released an actually pretty epic live-action trailer for its first new IP in 25 years during today’s gamescom Opening Night Live – and if you didn’t know any better, you’d maybe just think it was the first look at a big-budget sci-fi feature film. The trailer, appropriately soundtracked by an orchestral cover of Elton John’s Rocket Man, shows the latest look at Starfield’s intergalactic setting, complete with starships, gorgeous planetary landscapes, and more. It’s a clear spotlight on the world-building that Bethesda is doing with Starfield, following in the footsteps of the vast worlds built by series like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. You can watch the trailer below...

View full article »

Tekken 8 Director Promises to Improve Wi-Fi Online Play After Closed Network Test

Tekken 8's director promised to improve online play following feedback from the closed network test last month. In an interview with IGN, Katsuhiro Harada told us what the development team learned from Tekken 8's closed network test: "We were foreseeing some problems that we wanted to actually test out in this environment, and we did encounter those problems," Harada explained. He also pointed out that the development team was "surprised that the feedback was better than we expected" in regards to the participating player's online connection. "But on the flip side," he continued, "we were surprised that the feedback was better than we expected regarding the players' experience on the online connection, that they actually felt that...

View full article »

Thank Goodness You're Here Is a New Game by Studio Behind Untitled Goose Game

If you enjoyed the waterfowl shenanigans of Untitled Goose Game, we've got some good news for you: the studio behind the indie hit, Panic Inc., has announced a new title, Thank Goodness You're Here. Revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live, the trailer is as quirky as you'd expect, showcasing a hand-drawn artstyle with... All sorts of nonsense happening. A rapid-fire montage of scenes from the game shows a guy's pants falling down while looking at a sign that says "normal milk", someone crowdsurfing, a guy bouncing off of someone's rear end, and just way too much else. You'll have to check out the trailer below for yourself to get an idea of what's going on. It will release next year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC. Panic...

View full article »