Those waiting for more details on Ubisoft's long-delayed Skull and Bones may have been hoping for more from the Ubisoft Summer Forward presentation today, but hey, we did get a good sea shanty.
Oh, and there was also the news of a closed beta from Aug. 25-28, along with a short look at the game that showed off some pirate vibes. You can watch it below.
The catchy sea shanty, performed by Home Free, did set a good tone, harkening back to the ones in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, which is fitting because Skull and Bones was originally developed as an expansion for that game. But you'd be forgiven if you've forgotten that detail, because it really has been awhile since Skull and Bones was announced.
It was first revealed alllll the...
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We got a closer look at Assassin’s Creed: Mirage today during Ubisoft Forward, and long-time fans of the franchise will recognize the numerous ways in which it recalls the original Assassin’s Creed’s setting, formula, and tone. But in some respects, Mirage is also an opportunity for Ubisoft to make improvements to old ways of doing things – and one of the most important elements it aims to improve upon is representation.
Over the years, the original Assassin’s Creed has faced some criticism over certain aspects of its representation of Middle Eastern culture and people. For example, the game includes no significant female characters, and voice actor Philip Shahbaz plays main character Altair with an American accent (which he dropped...
The Ubisoft Forward 2023 is a wrap, and Ubisoft showed off a lot of its plans for the rest of 2023 and beyond. From a huge gameplay chunk of Star Wars Outlaws, to a release date for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, to updates on a trio of Assassin's Creed titles, Ubisoft packed a lot into this presentation. Read on to learn everything announced at the Ubisoft Forward 2023.
Star Wars Outlaws Gets 10-minute Gameplay Showcase
Star Wars Outlaws was announced as part of yesterday's Xbox Games Showcase, but Ubisoft waited for its own presentation to share the first look at gameplay. Outlaws is in development at Massive Entertainment, and Ubisoft is calling it the first open world Star Wars game.
The gameplay showcase showed off combat...
Ubisoft’s new 2D Prince of Persia, The Lost Crown, is not a prequel, sequel, or any kind of spin-off of the beloved Sands of Time trilogy. We’ll still be seeing some ideas from those games, though, including the iconic time powers that rewound the clock. However, it won’t be you who can use those abilities; they’re reserved for the story’s villain.
“We are toying with the time theme, and this is not a prequel,” said Mounir Radi, Game Director on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, in an interview with IGN. “Of course, we use ideas and signatures because as a developer, when we begin to think about this new chapter - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - it was very important to try to twist with all these things. So something like simple...
It’s been 13 years since we last had a brand new Prince of Persia game, and during that long, long wait you may have wished that you could turn back the sands of time and return to an era when the series was in full swing. That’s sort of what Ubisoft has done with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, but rather than revisiting the early 2000s 3D action-platforming it has rewound the clock over three decades, back to the series’ 2D roots.
Much like the original Prince of Persia from 1989, The Lost Crown is a side-scrolling adventure in which you must avoid deadly platforming traps as you journey through ninth-century Persia in the hunt for missing royalty. Spikes line corridor floors, murderous pendulums swing across your path, platforms...
Ubisoft just showed off an extended look at gameplay from its upcoming Assassin's Creed entry, Assassin's Creed: Mirage, highlighting the ways in which its stealth-focused gameplay is a return to the franchise's assassination roots.
The presentation focused on the classic elements of Assassin's Creed present in Mirage that are highly reminicent of the early games, noting that players should always feel there is a discreet or sneaky way to eliminate their targets. Main character Basim's arsenal includes the hidden blade, a sword, a dagger, smoke bombs, blow darts, and throwing knives, which can be upgraded in various ways.
Direct combat, Ubisoft says, should be a "back-up solution" when stealth has failed and there are no other...
At today's Ubisoft Forward event, we got a look at Assassin's Creed's first venture into VR, Assassin's Creed: Nexus. Along with a glimpse of first-person assassination gameplay, we also learned details about the game's three-pronged story featuring familiar Assassin's Creed characters Ezio, Kassandra, and Connor.
Assassin's Creed: Nexus is a new Assassin's Creed adventure being developed for the Meta Quest 2, and incorporates familiar assassination gameplay from previous games, but in first-person VR. Players will be able to use weapons such as the hidden blade, sword, smoke bombs, bow, and others by physically going through the motions of using them.
Aside from combat, Nexus will also allow players to perform stealth gameplay and...
xDefiant officially has a release date. Ubisoft announced during today's Ubisoft Forward event that it will be releasing later this summer. It also confirmed another open beta to, which will be available June 21 to June 23 across PS5, Xbox, and PC
In addition to the open beta, Ubisoft talked about the Year 1 roadmap, confirming there will be 14 maps, 5 factions, and 24 maps. The Year 1 content schedule will include 4 new factions, 12 new weapons, and new maps.
"That's one new map every month," Ubisoft said.
We had an opportunity to try out xDefiant during a recent closed beta and we found that it is much more fun than before. Originally released back in 2021, xDefiant is a team-based shooter with a variety of classes and factions...
Ubisoft has shared the first real look at Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, a first-person adventure game where players take on the role of a Na’vi trained by the RDA. Ubisoft’s Avatar game will be released on December 7, 2023.
Along with a new trailer that finally shares details about Avatar’s story, Ubisoft shared a gameplay breakdown that gives insight into Frontier of Pandora’s world. The first-person shooter will star a Na’vi who was taken and raised by the RDA and trained to fight against her own people.
After the RDA leaves Pandora, the unnamed Na’vi rediscovers her homeworld and reconnects with her Na’vi heritage, learning Na’vi weapons and survival skills, and honing them for when the RDA inevitably returns to Pandora.
Far Cry...
CD Projekt is finally adding vehicular combat to Cyberpunk 2077 in the Phantom Liberty expansion.
Fans on Reddit first noticed that a screenshot showed protagonist V riding a motorbike while firing a pistol at a car that was firing back aplenty, and CD Projekt has now confirmed to IGN that full vehicular combat is on the way.
While the screenshot is advertising Phantom Liberty, the vehicular combat is likely coming in its accompanying patch, version 1.7, that will be available to everyone who owns the game. Phantom Liberty is confirmed to launch on September 26 but CD Projekt Red hasn't given a specific release date for version 1.7, though confirmed it will come no earlier than September 9.
"Together with Phantom Liberty we’re...
If you watched the Xbox Games Showcase event yesterday, you might have noticed the t-shirt Phil Spencer was wearing was a print of the box art for Hexen: Beyond Heretic, a 90s fantasy FPS shooter. While many wondered if Spencer was teasing an impending announcement, sadly, those suspicions are not true.
Well, so he says.
In an interview with Polygon, Spencer insisted he was not teasing a revival for the game. "That wasn't me trying to pre-announce it," Spencer said. "But it was me recognizing the importance of some of the games in our portfolio."
Spencer went on to explain a bit more about how Hexen was a game he "loved", noting how the shirt was more for nostalgia with no hidden underlying meaning beyond that.
"So for me, wearing...
Horses, announced as part of IGN Summer of Gaming, has one of the weirdest (and potentially NSFW) trailers you’ll see.
In the horror game you play a summer farm worker responsible for taking care of the animals. But, it turns out, not is all that it seems.
Expect “unsettling” mysteries to solve as you follow the “cryptic” rules of the farmer. It’s up to you to explore the depths of the farm, although it sounds like terrors await.
Fused with the gameplay are live action intermissions between each of the 14 days over which Horses takes place. The idea is to survive the fortnight on the farm: “Withstand 14 days of spiraling dread as the twisted reality of the farm unfolds.”
Horses, directed by Andrea Lucco Borlera and developed by...
Arkane Austin has released Redfall’s first big patch, but the promised 60fps performance mode is not part of it.
“Building a play space this large has been humbling to say the least,” the studio said. “We recognize that we still have work to do, and we plan to address as much as we can, as quickly as we can.”
Microsoft was heavily criticised for showing its PC and Xbox exclusive running at 60fps ahead of launch then, less than a month before the game came out, announcing the co-op vampire shooter would arrive locked at 30fps on Xbox Series X and S, with a 60fps performance mode to be patched in later.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer then personally apologised for the failure of Redfall, which was widely panned upon launch. Spencer said in a...
One of the silliest upcoming games out there, Squirrel With a Gun, has a new trailer and it's... surprisingly dramatic, actually?
The new look at the game - which is about, well, a squirrel with a gun - opens with a short cinematic of an agent tripping and dropping his firearm right in front of the titular rodent, which clearly ignites some kind of bloodlust in him. The rest of the trailer shows more gameplay, soundtracked with an original song that seems to take inspiration from James Bond themes (yes, really).
As the song puts it, "now you've been warned about the squirrel with a gun." You can watch the latest look at the indie game below.
It's quite the step up from Squirrel With a Gun's first trailer, which showed some much...
Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Star Wars, Cyberpunk 2077, and other major subreddits are going dark in protest against Reddit's API price changes affecting third-party apps.
While visiting these subreddits previously would allow users to peruse all the usual conversations surrounding new reveals, highly contested topics, and so on, the Xbox, Nintendo, and PS5 pages are now blank.
Some of these subreddits are going private, meaning only invited members can access them (but no new members will be accepted), while others are closed off altogether. Some, like the Star Wars and Cyberpunk subreddits, are currently still available but won't be soon, either temporarily or indefinitely.
The wave of subreddits going dark comes as a result of a...
Capcom has launched the Capcom Town website to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
It features playable retro games, development documents, and countless callbacks to the company’s rich history.
Since its founding on June 11 1983, Capcom has gone on to create some of the most beloved, iconic, and formative franchises in video game history, including the Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Street Fighter series.
The newly-created website lets you click around a delightfully-animated metropolis made up of a colourful range of districts highlighting famous locations and scenes from Capcom’s history. Jill Valentine can be seen chased through the streets by Nemesis, while characters from Capcom’s SonSon series can be seen drifting above the...
Madden NFL 24 is set to release on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on August 18. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the cover athlete this year, and nearly every mode is getting some kind of update. The game will be available in a couple of editions, and is already up for preorder at the usual smattering of retailers. The best (and only) deal is at Best Buy, where preordering gets you a free $15 gift card. Read on to see what comes in each edition, how much it costs, and more.
Madden NFL 24 (Standard Edition)
PS5
Get it at Amazon - $69.99
Get it at Best Buy - $69.99 (free $15 gift card)
Get it at GameStop - $69.99
Get it at Walmart - $69.99
Get it at PS Store (digital) - $69.99
PS4
Get it at Amazon - $69.99
Get...
CD Projekt has updated Cyberpunk 2077's PC system requirements ahead of the release of the hefty Phantom Liberty expansion.
Revealing the changes on Steam, CD Projekt Red said the changes are designed to be more up to date (given the expansion is launching nearly three years after the base game) and target a resolution output of either 1080p or 4k.
While the Phantom Liberty expansion is a paid DLC players don't need to buy, it will come alongside a significant patch to version 1.7 that overhauls a lot of the base game's mechanics and therefore means the PC version will become more demanding.
This is made clear in CD Projekt Red's decision to only support SSDs going forward. "One of the changes is the choice to stop supporting HDDs...
Capcom has released Street Fighter 6’s first battle pass, dubbed Early Summer Vibes.
The pass is available from June 12 to July 2, and, as is standard with Battle Passes, has both a free and premium track. The premium track costs 250 Fighter Coins, which amounts to $4.99 / £3.99.
Rewards include avatar gear, an emote, new music, and various menu cosmetics. There’s even access to retro Capcom game Legendary Wings to play from the virtual arcade cabinets in the Battle Hub.
The free track grants Fighter Rentals for use when the Street Fighter 6 DLC characters eventually come out, new profile titles and an emote for use in the Battle Hub.
The premium track lets you earn 250 Fighter Coins back by reaching level 30, which will hopefully...
CD Projekt Red has added a key part of the Edgerunners anime to Cyberpunk 2077 with the Phantom Liberty update.
As reported by VGC, an overhaul to the capacity system forces players to consider the risk of cyberpsychosis when installing new cyberware.
Featured as a key plot point in Netflix's Cyberpunk: Edgeunners, cyberpsychosis affects people who install too much tech onto their feeble human bodies, potentially turning them into mindless killing machines.
Signs of this can perhaps be seen early on in the Phantom Liberty trailer released during the Xbox Games Showcase, where protagonist V seemingly loses control of her actions.
It's unclear exactly how the feature will work in Cyberpunk 2077, however, though a mod released last...
The director of the scrapped Star Wars 1313 has joined the team working on Amy Hennig's upcoming Star Wars game at Skydance New Media.
As reported by SWNN, Dominic Robilliard announced on LinkedIn that he's "incredibly excited" to work with Skydance on its upcoming Star Wars and Marvel games.
"I am incredibly excited to share that I will be joining Amy Hennig, Julian Break, and the incredible team at Skydance New Media as their game director," he said in the post.
"To collaborate with such an amazing group of developers, and to play in the iconic worlds of Marvel and Star Wars (again) is a dream come true. I cannot wait to get started."
Robilliard was director of Star Wars 1313 ahead of its cancellation in 2013. The game was...
The ship’s cook slowly approached the Inquisition checkpoint. He whistled from around the corner, drawing one guard away from his post while my navigator teleported through the wall to kill the other one. As the remaining Inquisitor neared the bush where the rest of my crew was hiding, my ghostly spy possessed him. The spy, now a supernatural Agent 47 wearing the guard’s body as a disguise, returned to the checkpoint and waited, sabotaging a suspended crate to crush the approaching Inquisition leader, leaving the rest of my squad free to rescue the final Cursed crewmate and make our escape. Imagine many more moments like that and you’ll have a good idea of what it was like to preview Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew.
Shadow Gambit is an...
Mortal Kombat 1's Ed Boon has confirmed the door is not closed on Injustice 3.
IGN had the chance to speak with Boon and ask him about NetherRealm's decision to go with another Mortal Kombat game after Mortal Kombat 11, given the studio has alternated between Mortal Kombat and Injustice since the 2013 release of Injustice: Gods Among Us.
"There were a number of factors, some of which I can talk about, some of which I probably shouldn't," Boon said.
Two reasons Boon was willing to discuss were the unfortunate onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the team's choice to switch to a newer version of the Unreal game engine (Mortal Kombat 11 runs on Unreal Engine 3, whereas Mortal Kombat 1 runs on Unreal Engine 4).
"But we did go to a new...
Microsoft has insisted any similarities between inXile’s Clockwork Revolution and BioShock Infinite are “unintentional”.
Microsoft unveiled Clockwork Revolution during the Xbox Games Showcase with a reveal trailer some said looked remarkably similar to Irrational Games’ 2013 shooter adventure BioShock Infinite.
As a reminder, here’s the Clockwork Revolution reveal trailer:
And here’s a BioShock Infinite trailer:
While both games share a similar steampunk aesthetic, Twitter user Butmac, who claims to have worked on BioShock Infinite trailers (IGN has asked for comment) hammered home the point in a series of posts that included side-by-side images lifted from both games. The shots show similar perspectives of statues, sky rails...
Starfield Constellation Edition preorders are now live for those in the UK. It can be preordered only from GAME as an exclusive to the retailer, so you'll also have to pay a £5 delivery fee on top of the £249.99 for the new collector's edition. For preorders in the US, see our full preorder guide here.
Starfield is set for release on September 6, but with the special edition granting you access up to 5 days early, you're likely to receive this on September 1 instead. Plus, the Starfield Xbox Controller is also now available to buy if you're interested.
Starfield Constellation Edition (Xbox) - £249.99
Starfield Constellation Edition (PC) - £249.99
Starfield Constellation Edition - What's Included?
The collector’s edition of...
Starfield is set to launch on September 6, 2023, and we've just gotten one of the most in-depth looks at the game ever during Xbox's Starfield Direct showcase. Preorders are now live, but if you're interested in playing on Game Pass; I've got a whole new deal to highlight for you. Plus, the Starfield Xbox Controller is also now available to buy if you're interested!
TL;DR - Our Handpicked Best Deals
Bethesda is granting early access to the game for those who buy the Premium Edition (£100) or Constellation Edition (£250), but that's not the only way to access it. For £34.99 you can buy the Premium Upgrade and still play the game on September 1.
This is available in digital or physical form, but those preordering the physical edition...
Think of Avowed like The Outer Worlds rather than Skyrim in terms of size and scope, developer Obsidian has said.
Obsidian boss Feargus Urquhart told PC Gamer the studio’s initial pitch was for Avowed to be a bigger, sprawling open-world fantasy role-playing game like Bethesda’s Skyrim, but it ended up being smaller scale, similar to its previous sci-fi role-playing game The Outer Worlds.
After announcing Avowed three years ago during a livestream, Microsoft finally revealed gameplay during its Xbox Games Showcase event alongside a 2024 release window. It’s a first-person fantasy RPG set in Eora, the world of Pillars of Eternity, with fantastical monsters and lots of magical combat.
So, expect typical Obsidian first-person melee...
The Xbox Games Showcase was full of announcements and surprises. From a full reveal of Fable to release windows for Avowed and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, there's plenty to be excited about if you're an Xbox gamer.
But there are several Xbox Game Studios games announced previously over the last several years that have been MIA ever since. Here's a list of Xbox Game Studios we know exist but were a no-show today.
MachineGames' Indiana Jones
In early 2021, we learned Wolfeinstein: The New Order and The New Colossus developer MachineGames and Bethesda were working on an Indiana Jones game. Outside of the announcement, we have not heard much about the project.
We do know Bethesda Game Studios' Todd Howard will serve as Executive...
Today's Xbox Game Showcase was a real celebration for fans of several franchises by Japanese studios, with multiple Persona games making an appearance as well as Metaphor Re Fantazio from former Persona creators, and reveals of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Capcom's new IP, Path of the Goddess. It's a marked turn from a few years ago, when Xbox seemed desperate for connetions with Japanese developers.
Xbox head Phil Spencer addressed this on Giant Bomb's Twitch stream, noting that bringing Japanese developers to a US-based platform was "work." Spencer admitted that Xbox is "not the strongest brand in Japan" and compared it not just to PlayStation and Switch, but also to mobile, which is a massive market in the country.
"Five...
The Elder Scrolls 6 may be the last game in the fantasy series Todd Howard makes, the Bethesda boss has said. Speaking to IGN ahead of Starfield Direct, 52-year-old Howard discussed the length of time it takes for Bethesda Game Studios to make its games.
Starfield is Bethesda Game Studios’ first new intellectual property in over 25 years, and its first major release since Fallout 4 came out eight years ago in 2015.
While Bethesda Game Studios has grown bigger since those days, with four studios (Rockville, Montreal, Austin, and Dallas) set up and contracts with multiple partners in place, this expansion does not necessarily speed up development, Howard insisted.
The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced in 2018 with a teaser video, below...