Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for a key plot point in The Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3 took some bold risks with Andrzej Sapkowski’s canon when it was released in 2015, even going so far as to kill off Vesemir, Geralt's mentor and a prominent character from the books. It was a surprising move for the time, and it was even somewhat controversial within CD Projekt Red’s design team.
Looking back on the decision during a GDC 2023 panel titled “10 Key Quest Design Lessons From The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077,” CD Projekt Red quest director Pawel Sasko recalled the moment he concluded that he needed to kill off Geralt’s venerable mentor.
“I needed the moment for Ciri to actually make a decision that she’s not going to be...
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Leslie Benzies, the former president of Rockstar North and producer of eight Grand Theft Auto games, is hard at work on a brand new AAA action game. Along with hundreds of developers at his new studio, Build A Rocket Boy, he’s developing MindsEye; a cinematic conspiracy thriller with glossy photo-realistic visuals, car chases, and shootouts. But MindsEye is not like any AAA video game you’ve ever played for one important reason: it's exclusively available to play inside another video game, also in development at Build A Rocket Boy. That game is Everywhere, a free-to-play title coming initially to PC later this year, and it’s about as far away from GTA as it could possibly be.
As part of a recent trip to Build A Rocket Boy’s HQ in...
Elden Ring now has a ray tracing graphics option for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC versions of the game, courtesy of patch v1.09.
The update was pushed out earlier today, March 23, to all versions of the game, though the new ray tracing feature won't be available on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
Ray tracing can be toggled on and off via the game options menu on console and via the graphics menu on PC. Bandai Namco also cautioned in a post on its website that both frame rate and resolution “may be impacted while playing with ray tracing on”.
Along with the new ray tracing option, the v1.09 patch brought a slew of bug fixes and balance adjustments to the game that affect everything from attribute scaling and buffs, to...
The Lords of the Fallen, the long-awaited sequel to 2014 Souls-like Lords of the Fallen, has now been renamed... Lords of the Fallen.
As reported by PC Gamer, the name change was subtly baked into a technical showcase released on March 22 (below). This means the sequel now shares the exact same name with the original game despite only being released around a decade apart.
A similar naming debacle happened in February with Layers of Fear, as a remastered collection of the series was originally called Layers of Fears before the second S was also dropped.
The Lords of the Fallen sequel was re-revealed at Gamescom 2022 after years of troubled development spread across several different studios.
It's back on track, however, and a...
Atari has entered an agreement to acquire Night Dive Studios. This agreement would support Atari’s retro-focused growth strategy and provide access to Night Dive’s IP, which includes System Shock, as well as utilize the studio’s proprietary KEX engine and publishing capabilities.
Chairman and CEO of Atari Wade Rosen said in a statement: “Night Dive’s proven expertise and successful track record in commercializing retro IP are well-aligned with Atari’s strategy and I am confident that their combined talent, technology, and IP portfolio will contribute to Atari’s future success.
“Night Dive and Atari have a long history together and we know that Atari shares our passion for retro games and our focus on producing high-quality new and...
Resident Evil 4 has a lengthy story compared to its predecessors and a ton of strange side quests to take on, but just how long is it? Here we’ll let you know exactly how many hours it took different members of the IGN team to finish the game, and what they prioritised doing with that time.
How Long is Resident Evil 4?
Our fastest player finished Resident Evil 4 in 12 hours on standard.
Our “slowest” player spent 22 hours before credits rolled.
Everyone plays games differently, so read on for more details about how everyone played, how long it took to reach the credits, and how much extra time it took to fully explore all the maps. Once you've finished the game yourself, be sure to submit your times on How Long To Beat and see...
Elden Ring has won Game of the Year at the 23rd annual Game Developer Choice Awards. The awards ceremony took place this evening as part of the 2023 Game Developers Conference (GDC), running throughout this week at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center. As a peer-based event, the Game Developer Choice Awards are voted for by developers themselves.
FromSoftware’s hugely-successful fantasy blockbuster also picked up the awards for Best Visual Art and Best Design.
Sony Santa Monica Studio’s God of War Ragnarok also enjoyed a successful evening with its own trifecta of trophies. God of War Ragnarok was awarded Best Audio, Best Technology, and the Audience Award.
This year’s Game Developer Choice Awards also recognised industry...
We all played a ton of the Diablo 4 beta this past weekend, and we were all also lucky enough to play Redfall recently as well. We've got a LOT of thoughts about both. Join us!
Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out our interview with Todd Howard, who answered all of our Starfield questions after the big reveal at the Xbox Showcase:
For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered...
Over three years after its initial release, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners remains one of my favorite VR games, holding its ground next to the likes of Half-Life: Alyx and Gran Turismo 7 VR. That's why it was such a major disappointment when its long-awaited sequel, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution, was released as a Meta Quest 2 exclusive back in December. It came with a slurry of bugs and performance issues that left such a middling taste in my mouth that I genuinely wondered whether it was even intended as a sequel to begin with, especially given the lack of a proper PC VR version at the time. Fast forward three months and we now have a PC re-release, plus a PlayStation VR2 version that visually blows...
After the calamitous debut of Diablo 3 way back in 2012, it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous about the upcoming launch of Diablo 4 this June. But after more than a decade of gradual improvement that has transformed Diablo 3 into the fantastic game it is today, the first beta weekend of Diablo 4 has reassured me that Blizzard has been making good use of those hard-learned lessons for its sequel. Even though this beta weekend only included a level-capped Act 1 and three of the classes, so far it has exceeded my expectations in almost every way. There’s still a huge amount to see before we get anywhere close to a final review, but I’m already impressed by stellar dark storytelling, the best combat in a Diablo game to date, and a...
Minecraft is a phenomenon that continues to take the world by storm even 12 years after its full release. Selling over 238,000,000 copies worldwide, the game is just as captivating an experience now as it was upon its debut..
If you are among those that have yet to jump into the blocky digital world of one of the best-selling video games of all time, you may be surprised to hear there are multiple ways for you to play Minecraft (and its various spinoffs) for free!
Minecraft Free Trial
For those wanting to get a taste of the endless hours of entertainment that Minecraft can provide, but are yet unwilling to pay the entry fee, there is in fact a free trial of both Bedrock and Java versions of the game. Via Minecraft’s official...
Got a lotta rare things on sale, Stranger. But today I'm going to highlight some gaming heritage instead. On this day in 2006, excited gamer grommets could go buy an Xbox 360 for the first time. Exactly one year to the day later, the same was true of the debuting PlayStation 3...for $999 (!!!). It's hard to believe the dawn of the 7th generation of gaming was 17 years ago. Such huge pricepoints. So many massive crabs with massive damage. What an age. This Day in Gaming
- Pokémon Snap (N64) launch, 2000. Sequel
- Pokémon Stadium (N64) launch, 2000.
- TES IV: Oblivion (PC, X360) launch, 2006. Sequel
- Xbox 360 console launch, 2006. ($649.95)
- PlayStation 3 console launch, 2007. ($999)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PS3) launch...
Ubisoft has introduced a new AI scriptwriting tool called Ghostwriter, saying it will help game writers develop better dialogue for NPCs.
According to a blog post published by Ubisoft on Tuesday, Ghostwriter, created by Ubisoft's R&D department, La Forge, "isn't replacing the video game writer." Quite the opposite, Ubisoft claims. It is actually saving game writers time coming up with the best lines, or barks, to give NPCs.
Ghostwriter generates first drafts of barks and gives writers room to flesh them out to better fit the game's narrative. Ben Swanson, an R&D scientist at La Forge Montreal, said he created Ghostwriter to solve the issue of writing barks that would be triggered by certain situations, especially when there's a crowd...
As we inch closer to the release date of Arkane Studios' first-person shooter Redfall, it has been confirmed that it will not be using Unreal Engine 5.
Harvey Smith said in a WccfTech interview that the game will be running on Unreal Engine 4. He noted that while they were developing the game, "Halfway through the project, Epic came up with Unreal Engine 5, but the game is based on Unreal Engine 4.26. If we had more time, we would have probably gone with UE5, but it was a lot of work just upgrading to 4.26."
It is worth mentioning that Arkane has said in the past that they wouldn't be using Unreal Engine 5. Over on the Redfall FAQ page, you'll find a question asking, "What game engine is Redfall utilizing?" with the answer being...
The domestic violence charges filed against Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland have been dropped, IGN has confirmed.
A representative with the Orange Country District Attorney, which originally filed the charges, told IGN that they were dropped today as "we did not have sufficient evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt," in addition to "additional information that came to light during the investigation."
“I commend the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for conducting a thorough review of the facts and deciding to dismiss the case against Justin," Roiland's attorney, T. Edward Welbourn, told IGN in a statement. "I’m thankful justice has prevailed.”
Roiland also broke his silence today, speaking publicly on...
Redfall was also in development for PlayStation 5 before Microsoft acquired Bethesda, according to the game's director. This version was ultimately canceled and the game became exclusive to Microsoft platforms.
In an interview with IGN France, Arkane's Harvey Smith explained, “We got bought by Microsoft and that was a huge sea change. They said, ‘no PlayStation 5. Now we’re gonna do Game Pass, Xbox, and PC.’”
Originally, Redfall was meant to release on all platforms. Smith said that the studio didn’t mind that decision, however. He continued, “Support from Game Pass and have to worry about one less platform, one less complexity. And Game Pass has a ton of people that can play. It could be our biggest game ever because of the 30...
At GDC 2023, Epic Games held a State of Unreal event, where the company unveiled the latest updates for Unreal Engine. We got a fresh look at some new tools coming soon to creators, as well as how some of these tools are being used in upcoming games like Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2.
If you missed the livestream, here's a quick roundup of everything announced during the 2023 State of Unreal event.
Unreal Editor For Fortnite allows players to develop their own games inside the popular Battle Royale
Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) is a new add-on available for the PC version of Fortnite. As Epic Games notes, the application works side-by-side with Fortnite's existing creative toolset and is to be used for "designing, developing, and...
Valve has suddenly confirmed Counter-Strike 2 - and it's arriving sooner than you might think.
An exact release date has yet to be announced, but it's been given a Summer 2023 release window, and will run on Source Engine 2.
It will be a free upgrade to CS:GO. It's also available in limited testing to some CS:GO players starting today, with Valve revealing more details on how to become part of the limited test.
Per a CS2 website that popped up today, it's "the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history, ensuring new features and updates for years to come." In several videos released today, Valve gave a closer glimpse at what Counter-Strike players can expect.
Specifically, Valve spotlighted its "upgraded and...
When Miles Tost moved from The Witcher 3 to Cyberpunk 2077 in 2016, he soon realized that he was dealing with a unique challenge. Despite both being RPGs, the two “couldn’t be more different,” with CD Projekt aiming to make a “gigantic leap forward” in terms of the freedom that Cyberpunk 2077 offered with gameplay. As a level designer, Tost was asked to create levels that supported every style of play, from brute force to stealth to everything else in between, all in a huge open world.
“As insane as it sounded, it also sounded f*cking awesome, and boy were we up to the challenge,” Tost said.
Of course, we know what happened next. Cyberpunk 2077 struggled when it was released in 2020, especially on older consoles like the PlayStation...
Arkane Austin has said that it is working on a fix that will reverse Redfall’s always-online requirement, an aspect that was met with backlash when first announced.
In an interview with Eurogamer, game director Harvey Smith said, “We listen. And we have already started work to address this in the future. We have to do some things like encrypt your save games and do a bunch of UI work to support it. And so we are looking into - I'm not supposed to promise anything - but we're looking into and working actively toward fixing that in the future.”
Smith also went into more detail about why Redfall was designed as an always-online experience from the start. It wasn’t to sell microtransactions from an in-game store, as the game doesn’t...
In a game all about vampire slaying it’s pretty important that killing your blood-feasting foes feels like an event in and of itself. That’s exactly what Arkane Austin has done with Redfall; much like how assassination-sim Dishonored had gloriously bloody backstab animations, Redfall revels in the act of plunging a wooden stake through a vampire’s heart. There’s weight in the blow as you knock your foe backwards and slam them into the floor, pushing a boot into a jaw that quickly evaporates into fiery dust. Yeah, killing vampires in Redfall feels good.
At a recent hands-on event I played around 90 minutes of Redfall, which gave me the first taste of something akin to a Far Cry game made by Stephen King. It’s an open-world shooter set...
It's always fascinating to see who else will step up their game during a Steam Sale. This year, it seems to be almost everybody — Microsoft and the always impressive Amazon AU being the most notable. I've ripped and torn my way through every bargain list on your behalf. Nothing but the cream of the cheapy crop awaits you below. Happy hunting. This Day in Gaming
- The Revenge of Shinobi (MD) launch, 1989. Get
- SaGa Frontier 2 (PS) launch, 2000.
- Ico (PS2) launch, 2002. Sequel
- Devil May Cry 3 (PS2) launch, 2003. Remaster
- Advance Wars: Dual Strike (DS) launch, 2006. Related
- Need for Speed: Carbon (PS3) launch, 2007. Descendant
- Fight Night Round 3 (PS3) launch, 2007. Sequel
- Ninja Gaiden 3 (PS3, X360) launch, 2012...
Playing as a scion of the hereafter fighting his way through the realms beneath in a roguelike graveyard shift might sound familiar. I also played Hades. But Have a Nice Death let me take control of your boy, Death himself, who runs a very different kind of quirky, new underworld order. Full of dark and dry workplace humor, this clerical reimagining of life after death as a soulless corporation forms the backdrop for some wicked hard, frantic, side-scrolling combat. And at its best, it's a killer time, even if the progression systems don't do the best job of providing ongoing motivation.
Slaying my way through randomized levels and laying the smackdown on the various, rank-and-file deadbeats was the highlight of this Stygian...
Microsoft says Sony has no reason to worry about an inferior version of Call of Duty launching on PlayStation consoles, should the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard acquisition go through.
In its latest submission to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, Microsoft responded to Sony's concerns that Microsoft and Activision Blizzard would sabotage the PlayStation version of future Call of Duty titles. In its filing, Microsoft referenced a new remedy proposal that addresses Sony's concerns of a "worse version of CoD titles on PlayStation consoles".
Microsoft claimed that its current proposal would would actually encourage the Call of Duty developers and publishers to create a PlayStation version that's optimized for the platform...
EA has announced that it'll stop selling Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company 1 and 2, and Mirror's Edge from all digital storefronts on April 28.
The move comes before the company shuts down online services for all those games on Dec. 8. Once their online features are removed, they'll no longer be playable online, but you'll still be able to play both Bad Companies and Mirror's Edge's offline features.
EA announced the news on its website, where it wrote, "While these titles hold a special place in our heart, we're now looking forward to creating new memories alongside you as we shift our focus towards our current and future Battlefield experiences." As the blog post goes on, EA details what these games meant to them and how...
CD Projekt Red is re-evaluating The Molasses Flood's upcoming Witcher game, codenamed Sirius, and has filed an impairment charge as a result.
Twitter user Game Over Thirty (below) shared an announcement to investors from CD Projekt Red, indicating that all may not be well with one of the many upcoming Witcher games. An impairment charge is filed by a business to write off assets that have dropped in value or been lost completely.
What this means for the game is currently unclear, though it is possible that CD Projekt Red has essentially reset development.
It has denied the project is scrapped altogether, however, as senior communication manager Paweł Burza told IGN that "our current focus is ensuring that Project Sirius is aligned...
If you play video games on PC, you’re probably aware that the Steam Spring Sale is currently in full swing. And if you weren’t, now you are. The thing is, it ends March 23, at 10 a.m. Pacific. So if you’ve been putting off picking something up, you’re running out of time. Read on for some of our picks, or just hop over to the sale now.
Steam Gift Cards
If you want to load up on Steam gift cards before hitting the sale, you can do so here.
Steam Deck Is 10% Off
The Steam Deck is my favorite piece of gaming hardware I own. I use it every day. It’s a revolutionary device that lets me play games like Red Dead Redemption 2, the Dead Space remake, Resident Evil Village, and 99.9% of the other games I would want to play, anywhere. I don’t...
Former Firaxis director Jake Solomon said that he wants to start his studio, but it most likely won’t be another turn-based strategy game. He worked as the director for Marvel’s Midnight Suns and the XCOM franchise.
On an episode of the podcast My Perfect Console, Solomon explained, “After I made Midnight Suns I looked at, ‘ok, I’m going to make another turn-based strategy game, and am I excited about that?’”
He continued: “I found that I wasn’t that excited about doing another turn-based strategy game, not because the genre isn’t amazing. It’s where I’ve spent my life, but I felt like I didn’t have anything more to say in that area.”
When asked what kind of game he’d make, Solomon said that he’d most likely create a simulation game...
Blizzard has said the technical issues that plagued Diablo 4’s “rocky” open beta have helped pave the way for its full launch on June 6.
Last weekend saw Blizzard hold the first mostly open beta for Diablo 4, which was accessible for gamers who had either preordered a copy of the game or obtained a promotional code by ordering chicken from KFC. Unfortunately, the three-day event was marred by numerous technical issues that forced players to endure prolonged queue times while encountering frustrating error messages.
“The word beta nowadays has kind of been misconstrued, where people start calling things beta that’s [actually] a marketing beta, and it’s just another term for a demo,” said Diablo 4’s general manager Rod Fergusson in an...
It's a shame we don't see more open-world games set in the sweeping dunes of a great desert, and yet Atlas Fallen embraces this setting stylishly – bringing plenty of new ideas to the table, including a sand slide move that replaces the traditional sprint and quickly makes me feel like I’m back playing Journey again as I pave my way through Atlas Fallen’s golden oasis of destruction. That’s saying nothing of the unique combat system which has me darting around mid-air between explosive attacks that often leave my foes shattered into a thousand bits of sand and crystal dust, and I do mean that literally! Granted, the demo build I spent several hours testing didn’t always feel as smooth as I’d have hoped, and I couldn’t figure out whether...