Today, Wholesome Games held its 2023 Wholesome Direct, which featured a whopping 76 games all focused on delivering cozy atmospheres and compassionate messages. Plenty of new games were announced and even more received release dates, new trailers, or other updates throughout the fast-paced showcase. Here are 15 of our favorite games featured in the Wholesome Direct.
Frogsong
Frogsong, the adorable action RPG that takes place in a frog and bug-filled world, is officially out now. The game follows Chorus, a small tree frog who hopes to protect the world despite society’s expectations for other frogs of their size. In the words of Frogsong’s Steam page, it’s a “heartfelt adventure where it’s okay to be small.” During the Wholesome Direct...
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Aerith dies. If you know one thing about Final Fantasy 7, it’s probably that Aerith dies. The praying girl gets cut down by the guy with the massive sword. There’s a reason why this pivotal story beat is one of the most well-known spoilers in gaming: it’s a moment that’s continually stunned players since 1997.
Video games had killed off significant characters before Final Fantasy 7, but this was different. The resonance Aerith had with fans is incomparable, and the emotional impact of her death left many players desperate for a resurrection. Over 25 years, rumour became myth, myth became hoax, and eventually hope became a way to genuinely save the flower girl from Midgar. This is the inside story of the players who re-wrote fate and...
Hosted by the creator-led organization Glitch (and its android VTuber host Melios), Future of Play Direct highlights upcoming indie games every year. This year’s showcase featured updates and galaxy premieres of nearly 40 titles, with games ranging from 3D sci-fi base builders to side-scrolling pixel horror games and nearly everything in between. Here are 10 of our favorite games featured in this year’s Future of Play Direct.
Hermit and Pig
Featuring an adorable pixel art style, Hermit and Pig follows two unlikely heroes — a reclusive hermit and his truffle-hunting pig — on a mission to fight an evil corporate plot while dealing with social anxiety. Its action-packed first trailer shows off traditional turn-based combat, foraging, and...
Like a low-budget, fan-made sequel to a classic movie, Greyhill Incident eagerly incorporates all the worst parts of the genuine article, neglects all of the best parts, and has nothing original to say of its own. This lifeless horror game is so barebones that it manages to make something as exciting as an alien invasion feel more like a visit from the in-laws, with all of the same wasted time and low-stakes hiding under beds. With a story and voice performances that are laughably bad, stealth gameplay that’s determined to disrespect your time as much as possible, bland environments, and all manner of weird bugs gunking up an already unenjoyable sequence of chores, Greyhill Incident offers very few reasons to recommend it. Even when...
The first annual Access-Ability Summer Showcase just aired, unveiling varying accessibility options and design practices across 15 upcoming and current titles. Created by accessibility consultant Laura Kate Dale, the showcase is the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to the disabled experience.
Games like Bossgame: The Final Boss Is My Heart, Sniper Elite 5, Upheaval, and BLINNK and the Vacuum of Space are just some of the exciting and accessible examples that we’ll explore here.
Boss Rushes and Romance
Bossgame: The Final Boss Is My Heart (watch the segment here), developed by Lily Valeen explores the relationship between “two broke girlfriends who hunt devils to pay their rent.” Beyond rhythm-based gameplay, the story...
Cocoon opens with a beam of light. It descends from the sky, then impacts a mountain, illuminating a series of runes carved into the rock, then trails it down to a cocoon, which undulates and then opens. A tiny winged creature pops out. I didn't know who my new friend was or what he wanted, but I'd be spending the next hour with him. During that hour, Cocoon constantly surprised and delighted me.
Cocoon defies easy description. It has no narrative to speak of, no dialogue, spoken or written, no text to read, and few cutscenes. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any story. As I navigated through the craggy rocks and white sand of the starting area, I was interacting with ancient technology: moving platforms, disappearing stairs, even...
The anthropomorphic coupon, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.
Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.
We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.
Where Is Xûr Today?
Xûr's location today can be...
Following a brand new trailer shown at yesterday's Summer Game Fest, it was revealed that Lies of P now has a set release date of September 19 (alongside a demo that can be downloaded and played now). Not only that, but for those interested in preordering the game, you can now do so at various retailers.
Below, you can see details on where the game can be preordered along with information on what preorder bonuses you can expect.
Preorder Lies of P
PS5
Get it at Amazon - $59.99
Get it at Best Buy - $59.99
Get it at Walmart - $59.99
Get it at GameStop - $59.99
Get it on the PS Store (digital) - $59.99
PS4
Get it at Amazon - $59.99
Get it at Best Buy - $59.99
Get it at Walmart - $59.99
Get it at GameStop - $59.99
Get it on the PS...
A big number for the podcast and a big week for gaming. Mat and Matt welcome a newcomer to the show, IGN UK’s News Editor Wesley to chat about why The X Files is the best TV show ever made, all the big reveals from Summer Game Fest and how much we’re loving Street Fighter 6.
Let us know what you think by dropping us an email: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.
IGN UK Podcast 700: Geoff's Big Night
IGN UK Podcast 699: Diablo 4: Chilli Heatwave
IGN UK Podcast 698: Snake N' Wake
IGN UK Podcast 697: The Tears of the Kingdom Chat Begins
IGN UK Podcast 696: Let's Make a Zelda Game
IGN UK Podcast 695: Redfall From Grace
Continue reading...
Bandai Namco has announced a closed network test for Tekken 8 takes place in July, with registration open now.
Announced in a trailer (above), the PlayStation 5-only test takes place from July 21 to 24, while users on all platforms (PS5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam), can sign up for a test due to run July 28 to 31.
Players can sign up on Bandai Namco's website but registration will close after a few weeks on June 27, meaning those looking to play Tekken 8 (and test its servers) early should sign up sooner rather than later.
The tests appear to give players a fairly comprehensive taste of the game, featuring a robust 16 character roster and five stages.
Also hitting all the right notes for fighting game fans, Tekken 8 director...
The Xbox Showcase takes place on June 11 at 10 am PT/1pm ET and for a little fun we thought we’d take a stab at what we believe could make an appearance. Some of these are likely pie in the sky dreams, but that’s half the fun. Let us know what we got right and what we got wrong following the event.
Ryan’s Predictions
Fable
I’ll take the layup to kick us off: I think we’ll get our first look at Fable gameplay! Fable was teased by the Xbox social media team on Twitter last week, so it seems likely that I’m going to see the thing I’m most excited about in the portfolio in just a few days! I can’t wait to see Playground’s take on this. And if it turns out that this is just a PC port or remaster of Fable 2 I’m going to riot.
Quake Reboot...
It’s early days for Street Fighter 6 but fans are already working out character popularity with interesting results.
Redditor geco_420 created a handy character popularity chart based on Capcom ID registration from the official Street Fighter 6 website, and it provides a snapshot of Street Fighter 6 online play as of June 8.
So, who comes out on top? Ken has the biggest piece of the pie, beating out close friend and fellow projectile specialist Ryu.
In third is Cammy, an already popular Street Fighter character boosted in Street Fighter 6 by a new, superb design.
The heavy-hitting Marisa and Manon are fourth and fifth respectively, which is a strong showing for brand new characters. Typically, new characters aren’t the most popular...
Diablo 4 has been out for just over a week and developer Blizzard has revealed its most-played class.
According to Diablo development chief Rod Fergusson, Diablo 4’s most-played class is the Sorcerer/Sorceress.
“Pssst!,” Fergusson wrote in a tweet. “I didn't ask for permission to share this but I thought you might be interested to know that right now, the number one most played class in Diablo 4 is the Sorcerer/Sorceress!
“But you didn't hear it from me. In case someone from PR or Marketing asks…”
That’s as of June 9, but with a surge of players expected this weekend, the data may soon change.
Diablo 4 launched with five classes: the aforementioned Sorcerer/Sorceress, the Barbarian, the Necromancer, the Rogue, and the Druid...
Blizzard and Diablo 4 players are bracing themselves for an “expected surge” this weekend, with some fearful of big queues and potential downtime.
Blizzard apologised to disgruntled Diablo 4 players yesterday, June 8, after servers went down and login attempts resulted in error code 300202.
“I apologize again for the downtime but we should be good to go again,” Diablo development chief Rod Fergusson tweeted yesterday after Blizzard got Diablo 4 back up and running.
“Really appreciate your patience as we continue to hit record highs for concurrency and prepare for the expected surge this weekend. Thank you!”
Diablo 4 is Blizzard’s fastest-selling game and a hit with critics, but as an always-online action role-playing game server...
Activision has pulled the Nickmercs Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone skin after the Faze Clan streamer posted an anti-LGBTQ+ tweet.
The official Call of Duty Twitter account replied to a post from Call of Duty-focused website CharlieIntel that speculated the Nickmercs skin was removed due to the anti-LGBTQ+ comment.
"Due to recent events, we have removed the 'NICKMERCS Operator' bundle from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone store," it said. "We are focused on celebrating Pride with our employees and community."
Nickmercs, a Faze Clan member who has 6.7 million followers on Twitch and two million on Twitter, replied to a tweet from eSports broadcaster Chris Puckett that showed a clash between anti and pro LGBTQ+...
Thank your own personal deity—possibly Bahamut—it's Friday. We're going to round this week out in style by saying "halo" to a Microsoft Studios sale on Steam. I've also spotted a bunch of AAA gold on Switch and PS5 that are worth hoarding. Possibly in a big pile, with precious gems (read: the older games also in my lists).
This Day in Gaming
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Pokémon Emerald (GBA) 2005. Sequels
- White Knight Chronicles II (PS3) 2011.
- Infamous 2 (PS3) 2011.
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Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch
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The best kind of games to play in a group are the ones where you are laughing the entire time without needlessly walking away upset on whether or not you won the last round. That is exactly how I felt after playing two straight hours of Party Animals, the latest big party game on the horizon. Playing as one of many cute bipedal animals trying to punch, headbutt, and straight up kill one another, there was an endless amount of yelling and cheering regardless of whether we were working as a team or if it was every player for themselves. Even though it is still a work in progress, this is shaping up to be a chaotic playground – like all good party games should be.
It’s hard not to mention that Party Animals seems to be directly inspired...
The Devolver Direct has returned for another hilarious showcase, and this year it featured a presentation from Volv-E, a company that is totally real and not fake at all and promises to build games with "generative algorithms and deep-learning techniques" that doesn't need any real-life developers at all! What could go wrong with that!?
In all seriousness though, 2023's Devolver Direct featured new looks at four exciting games -Baby Steps, Human Fall Flat 2, The Talos Principle 2, and Wizard With a Gun. This roundup will share all you need to know about these new titles alongside the trailers of the gameplay so you can see how the look for yourself.
Ape Out Creators Announce Baby Steps, a Literal Walking Simulator
Baby Steps is a...
Diablo 4 has suffered significant server issues, with error code 300202 confronting players upon login across all platforms.
The always-online action role-playing game was unplayable during much of today, June 8, and players took to the internet to report their troubles.
Across social media, Blizzard accounts have apologised and said staff are working to fix the game.
“We apologize once again for the inconvenience caused by today's outages,” Blizzard tweeted. “We're working to resolve this as quickly as possible!”
“We're aware of the issues and are working as fast as we can to rectify it,” Diablo development chief Rod Fergusson tweeted. “Thank you for your patience.”
As Blizzard battles to restore Diablo 4, players have once...
Paradox has announced a new grand strategy game set in the Star Trek universe.
Star Trek: Infinite is developed by Quantum League maker Nimble Giant Entertainment, and was revealed during Summer Game Fest. The teaser trailer shows a Federation fleet approach the Borg. Art shows famous Star Trek characters such as Captain Picard, Dukat and Gowron.
A full reveal is set for June 16, aka Picard Day.
Nimble Giant is best-known for its work on 2016's Master of Orion, which according to our review was "built on a moderately successful but bland execution of the inside-the-box formula". Other releases include the aforementioned Quantum League and Champions of Regnum. Paradox, for its part, has built a name for itself in the strategy space...
Cocoon, the upcoming game from Geometric Interactive and the lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside, received a brand-new gameplay trailer at Day of the Devs 2023 that showcased its unique world jumping mechanic.
Cocoon looks to set itself apart by giving you the ability to explore multiple worlds and then jump out of them at will. While that doesn't sound too revolutionary, it's what happens after that very well could be. As the trailer shows, when you jump out of a world, it becomes an orb that you can carry with you.
Furthermore, each orb/world also has a unique ability that can be unlocked and they will be able to use it in any of the worlds you may enter. In addition, players can use those orbs to solve puzzles, including...
While Summer Game Fest may be the big ticket show, Day of the Devs deserves just as much attention as it is filled with incredible indie games from developers around the world that are creating some of the most creative and unique experiences around.
This year's show was no different and featured 15 games, including another look at Cocoon, which is the upcoming puzzle-adventure game from one of the designers of Inside and Limbo. We were also treated to a game called Hauntii, which stars a ghost who can haunt objects and use their abilities, and Été, which promises to deliver a black-and-white world that begs for you to add color to it.
There were so many more, and we encourage you to read all about them below and watch all the...
Under the Waves, an ocean exploration game from Quantic Dream and developer Parallel Studio, will debut on Aug. 29, 2023, it was announced during today's Summer Game Fest.
It will be released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. The narrative-driven adventure game showed off a new look during the livestream as well, giving a glimpse of some soothing underwater footage. Watch the trailer below.
Under the Waves was first revealed during Gamescom 2022's Opening Night Show and follows a man named Stan, an oil company diver in a techno-futuristic 1970s who's exploring the depths of the North Sea while dealing with a life-changing loss. While he's under the sea, a strange series of events forces him to face...
During Summer Game Fest, we got our latest look at The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, as well as a release window: Fall 2023.
The game is billed as a "survival crafting" adventure set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth. In practice, that means a game that looks a bit like Deep Rock Galactic, but with LotR Dwarves instead of space Dwarves. Moria, of course, is the labyrinthine mine known for producing mithril, the mythical metal prized for its strength and resiliency in dwarven armscrafting.
Return to Moria will tell an original story, as the Dwarves of Middle-earth set out to reclaim their ancestral homeland. For more information, check out our rundown of the game from when it was announced last year.
You can catch up on...
Palworld, a game seemingly about collecting monster friends and then equipping them with firearms, has set an early access release window for January of next year.
Announced in a new trailer during today's Summer Game Fest showcase, it showed a variety of adorable 3D creatures to befriend, as well as a wide range of weapons to use and some survival-crafting components like cooking.
Palworld was originally revealed in a trailer last May, and immediately caught people's attention with its familiar but very different take on a monster collecting game.
This story is developing...
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Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, the new action RPG by the studio behind Vampyr and the first two Life is Strange games, showed off its first gameplay during Summer Game Fest.
The trailer showcases Banishers' haunting atmosphere as well as its combat, featuring ghosts, wolves, and other apparitions who are being... well... banished. First announced at last year's Game Awards, he full game will feature main characters Red and Antea as they "defeat and banish the souls that torment the living."
"Heavy decisions will lie on your path as you decide the fate of New Eden's inhabitants—be they living people or wandering souls—dramatically impacting your story and the challenges you’ll face," the official release promises.
This puts it in...
A brand new Prince of Persia game has been revealed as part of this year’s Summer Game Fest showcase.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a new 2D action platformer, developed by Rayman Legends studio Ubisoft Montpellier. Playing as a Persian warrior named Sargon, you will explore the cursed region of Mount Qaf in search of the missing Prince Ghassan.
Built using a Metroidvania structure, the large map spans a variety of Persian mythology-inspired environments including the “majestic” Citadel of Knowledge and outdoor regions such as the Hyrcanian Forest. Each area contains platforming dangers, puzzles, and combat encounters, as well as new time powers to unlock and side quests to complete.
The trailer at Summer Game Fest showed off...
A sequel to Yes, Your Grace, a popular indie game known for its high-quality pixel art, was revealed at Summer Game Fest. Titled Yes, Your Grace Snowfall, it will be a “cinematic kingdom management RPG.”
You can read our full list of Summer Game Fest announcements right here.
Developing...
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At this year's Summer Game Fest, Remedy Entertainment shared new gameplay footage of Alan Wake 2.
Remedy Entertainment Creative Director Sam Lake appeared on stage to talk a bit more about the game before showing off a gameplay demo focusing on Saga Anderson. At last month's PlayStation Showcase, we learned that Saga Anderson is a new character who will also be one of two playable characters in the sequel. Anderson is an FBI agent who has been sent to Bright Falls to investigate some "ritual murders," according to Lake.
Alan Wake 2 will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 17, 2023. Though if you are looking to buy a physical copy, you might be out of luck. Shortly after the release date was revealed, Remedy...
Today at Summer Game Fest, Larian Studios revealed that actor Jason Isaacs will be playing a major antagonist in Baldur's Gate 3: a character named Lord Enver Gortash.
In the game, Gortash has stepped up as the protector of Baldur's Gate after the disappearance of Duke Ravengard. He's the designer of a group of magic, clockwork warriors known as the Steel Watchers, and wields quite a bit of power as a result.
Isaacs is no stranger to villain roles, notably honing the character of Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011, as well as Captain Hook in 2003's Peter Pan. Other recent roles include Vasili in Hotel Mumbai and Field Marshal Zhukov in The Death of Stalin. In games, he's recently voiced roles in Marvel's...