While everyone has Elden Ring on the mind today with the official unveiling of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, there’s another FromSoftware title that has fans still hungry for love: Bloodborne. And today, the game’s director finally acknowledged the overwhelming fan demand for a remake…though he stopped short of confirming or denying that one might ever materialize.
In IGN’s own interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki about the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, we asked Miyazaki about the possibility of a Bloodborne remake. But he deflected: “Unfortunately, and I’ve said this in other interviews, it’s not in my place to talk about Bloodborne specifically,” he said. “We simply don’t own the IP at FromSoftware. For me personally, it was a great project, and I have a lot of great memories for that game, but we’re not at liberty to speak to it.”
But Miyazaki shared a few more thoughts with Eurogamer, acknowledging it made him “very happy” to see so many fans passionate about Bloodborne, and suggesting the game would benefit for a release on more modern hardware.
“I think having new hardware is definitely a part of what gives these remakes value,” Miyazaki said. “Things you weren’t able to achieve on previous generations of hardware, ways you weren’t able to render specific expressions – [new hardware] sometimes makes it possible.
“However, I wouldn’t say that’s the be all and end all. I think purely from a user perspective, modern hardware also allows more players to appreciate all the games. And so, it ends up being a simple reason, but as a fellow player, I think that accessibility is important. I think that can be the driving force between bringing an old game to a new platform.”
So that’s it. No promises, no hints of anything in the works, and to hear Miyazaki tell it, the decision isn’t even really up to FromSoftware – it’s entirely on Sony, who owns Bloodborne. In stark contrast, we recently learned that publisher Bandai Namco switched the ownership of its trademark on Elden Ring fully to FromSoftware, meaning the developer now has full control over what to do with that license. It seems highly unlikely Sony would ever do the same for Bloodborne, however.
Bloodborne fans have been desperate for a remake for years now. We gave the game a 9.1/10 when it first launched, but despite critical acclaim and incredible sales success, Bloodborne has remained relegated to PlayStation 4 exclusivity. There’s no dedicated PS5 version, nor is it available on PS5 or other consoles. With other FromSoftware games such as Demon’s Souls and the original Dark Souls getting a remake and numerous ports, respectively, hope has been kept alive. For now, FromSoftware fans will have to be content with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, about which we also spoke with Miyazaki at length.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Find room to squeeze one more nail into the coffin scrawled with “Hopes for Bloodborne on PC”, as the head of developers FromSoftware has suggested that a Bloodborne remake might need to wait on another generation of console hardware.
I’ve been looking back over my news pieces about artificial intelligence tools, generative image software and/or large language models and reflecting that what I really distrust about “AI” is the fact that AI is “the future”. Saying that X thing is the future is de rigueur for technology marketing. It’s something you hear repeatedly from videogames companies in particular, with their sequels and console generations and other chronological fixtures that form an endless staircase towards The New.
Round Up: Everything announced in the Partner Showcase.
The first Nintendo Direct of 2024 has been broadcast. The February 2024 presentation was a Partner Showcase highlighting Switch games coming from third-party publishers (so, not Nintendo) in the first half of 2024.
Below you’ll find the video of the full Nintendo Direct February 2024 presentation, every individual game announcement with trailers, plus some official info, or a link to our more detailed coverage. There’s also a poll at the bottom, so let us know your personal highlights from this Nintendo Direct.
At Xbox, we strive to create games that inspire, entertain, and connect players from around the world. As a publisher and platform we are committed to meeting players where they are, by bringing more games, to more people, and on more devices. And at the heart of all we do are our players, and the vibrant communities that they build around the games they love.
Today we are announcing that four fan-favorite Xbox games will be coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony platforms this spring. The studios that built these celebrated games have drawn on their multi-platform experience to open the worlds they created to even more players and communities.
Pentimentfrom Obsidian Entertainment, a truly unique, critically acclaimed, and award-winning narrative adventure game with a striking visual style inspired by history itself will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on February 22.
Hi-Fi RUSH, the award-winning and beloved rhythm-based action game where the world syncs to the music from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks will be coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19 at midnight UTC, with pre-purchase available on PlayStation 5 digital storefronts on February 21.
Grounded– also from Obsidian Entertainment – a co-op survival adventure phenomenon that has welcomed 20 million players into the backyard, will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Sea of Thieves, the shared world adventure game from Rare, will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 30 – and will be available to wishlist by PlayStation 5 players starting tomorrow, February 22. Having built a passionate community of more than 35 million players from around the world, the support of cross play for Xbox, PlayStation and PC will allow players to experience epic pirate adventures with friends on more platforms.
These titles join franchises like Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo – which already reach players and fans on multiple platforms – and we’re excited for more players to experience these worlds and stories on more platforms.
Whether it’s Nintendo Switch and PlayStation players surviving in the backyard together in Grounded, or PlayStation players getting to live a pirate’s life in Sea of Thieves, with cross-play, these multiplayer titles available will bring more people together and continue to grow their communities of players.
Our first party games will come to Game Pass day one.
A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap.
Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.
Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.
And as we shared at Developer_Direct, earlier this year, players can look forward to Senua’s Saga:Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and more on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass this year.
There’s never been a better time to play, and we can’t wait for more players to experience these great games.
We cannot explain to you how grateful we have been for everyone who has picked up Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 over the holiday season. Everyone here at Insomniac Games is proud of the game, and we’re very excited to share details with you about the major title update that will hit your PS5 console on March 7
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 version 1.002 will bring New Game+ to the game. We know many of you have been eager to replay the game on a harder difficulty, with all your suits and abilities carrying over. Or perhaps you want to just replay a favorite mission or two – you can do that, too! And there’s more to unlock – with Ultimate Levels, Golden Gadget styles, and more!
Speaking of styles: we’ve added suit styles for several of Peter’s symbiote story suits in the game, allowing you to further customize your look if you play and unlock them via New Game+ Ultimate Levels. And yes, you’ll be able to set which color your symbiote abilities are as well. But we couldn’t just stop at new styles – we know how much you all love when we add suits with no additional cost to the game. You’re in luck – we’ve brought Marvel’s Hellfire Gala suits to the game for both Peter and Miles. Peter sports the design created by Russell Dauterman, and Miles gets his iconic look from Bernard Chang’s gorgeous Hellfire Gala variant cover for Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8.
And you’ll want to show those looks off as much as possible with our updates to Photo Mode – including action figure mode and stickers. You’ll also be able to change the time of day once you complete the story, allowing you to get all those cool Photo Mode shots with just the right lighting. Make sure you share them with us on social by using the #InsomGamesCommunity hashtag!
This update also contains some major updates for Accessibility. We’ve added Audio Descriptions** and Screen Reader** to the game. We know that these features were highly anticipated, and we’re thankful to the community for giving us a little extra time to ensure they were polished and ready to be released. We also have additional features like Cinematic Captions and High Contrast Outlines, among several new features added to this update.
We’re also excited to announce two new suits for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that Insomniac Games, Marvel Games, and Gameheads have partnered to create. Early access to the Fly N’ Fresh suits will be available for $4.99. Starting March 7,2024 and continuing through April 5, 2024, PlayStation will donate $4.99 (100% of the purchase price) of each Fly N’ Fresh Suit Pack in the United States to Gameheads, up to $1 million*. We appreciate your help in supporting Gameheads’ mission of empowering low-income youth and youth of color to thrive in the video games industry. Don’t worry, we don’t plan to start charging for suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2; the Fly N’ Fresh Suit Pack will be available for at no additional cost to all players at a later date.
Fly N’ Fresh Suit Pack includes;
Fly Suit for Peter
Fresh Suit for Miles
10 photo mode stickers
2 photo mode frames
Working with Gameheads as part of our efforts to increase representation in the videogame industry is an important cause to us. Insomniac Games President Ted Price shares more in this video:
To talk more about our collaboration with Gameheads, I sat down with Malia Atta, Insomniac’s Manager of Culture and Belonging, Damon Packwood, Director of Gameheads, and Eric Monacelli, Senior Director, Product and Franchise Development at Marvel Games for more insight.
What is Gameheads?
Damon Packwood: “We develop diverse talent and bold new voices in gaming, train students for the tech ecosystem and prepare them for college, career and civic life. We serve low-income students, and underrepresented students (ages 15-25) in 15 different states with expansions to Honolulu and Atlanta.
What is the origin of the Gameheads and Insomniac partnership?
Malia Atta: “Gameheads has been a partner of SIE for many years; however, the partnership with Insomniac Games began when we brought on three apprentices in our Core Technology, People Experience, and Design departments. Each apprentice made meaningful contributions to the game, and we saw an awesome opportunity to support and elevate the Gameheads Mission by asking their artists to design suits for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.”
That sounds really great – what’s the goal?
Malia Atta: “The partnership benefits both Insomniac and Gameheads by providing our teams with opportunity to mentor, coach, and develop emerging talent who then infuse fresh ideas and energy into our games and culture. This partnership also makes way for more people from different backgrounds to gain access to the industry.
From a bigger picture, Insomniac Games is focused on creating a supportive, vibrant, and diverse environment that reflects our players and communities. We are currently focused on uplifting and amplifying the voices of our devs and allowing them to bring their unique voices and gifts to how we make games.”
Eric Monacelli: “Our creative collaboration with Insomniac values fostering a world of belonging via our characters in our video games. The Gameheads initiative is a real-world manifestation of this. Marvel has always been about reflecting the world outside one’s world authentically, especially in ways that make creative endeavors and Marvel storytelling more accessible, diverse, and inclusive.”
What was the process like collaborating and iterating on the suit designs?
Damon Packwood: “We had a great time working with (Insomniac artists) Bobby Hernandez, Johnson Truong and Davison Carvalho. We had six of our students creating iterations for the suit and stickers over the summer. The process was pretty professional. Our students went through 1-2 week sprints, showcased their artwork to the Insomniac team, got feedback and after a few weeks we settled on a concept. Once the concept was approved, each of the students picked a different aspect of the suit (shoes, texture, mask, web shooters) and we finalized the suit and the stickers in August.”
Tell us more about the final Fly N’ Fresh designs:
Damon Packwood: “The inspiration for Miles Morales’ Fresh Suit design was a 90’s b-boy. Peter Parker’s Fly Suit design was inspired by 90s television’. Marisa Diaz, who designed the suits, was just having fun. We never expected Insomniac to like it but it was definitely fun to design. Our designers had fun being silly and the older folks, me and the Insomniac crew, had fun reminiscing on our 90’s fashion choices.”
That’s all for now! Thanks to everyone for all of your support, and we can’t wait to see you swinging back through Marvel’s New York in your Hellfire Gala and Fly N’ Fresh suits while checking out New Game+!
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is available now, only on the PS5 console.
*PlayStation will donate $4.99 per pack sold in the United States from March 7, 2024 through April 5, 2024 to Gameheads up to $1 million via its fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives. This purchase is not tax deductible. Community Initiatives is tax exempt.https://communityinitiatives.org/. Gameheads is not tax exempt. https://gameheadsoakland.org/
**Only available in English, Spanish (LATAM), Spanish (Spain), Italian, German, French and Japanese
Not only is Akira Toriyama the creator of Dragon Ball, but he is a prolific manga writer, creating over 40 manga series. One such series was Sand Land, a manga about a desert world inhabited by survivors looking for water. Think Mad Max by way of Dragon Ball. For reasons that still aren’t super clear to me (though you’ll hear no objections) Sand Land is back in a big way. Not only is an anime adaptation premiering later this year, but Bandai Namco is getting ready to release a full Sand Land video game, and IGN got a chance to play an exclusive preview for Fan Fest and found a delightful throwback to a bygone era of anime gaming, with extra enjoyment for longtime Toriyama fans.
One aspect of Toriyama’s game that often goes unheralded is his brilliance as a designer. One look at his steampunk-y, circular car and airplane designs and you know instantly who drew them. Vehicle design is clearly a passion for Toriyama, having drawn everything from hovercrafts, airplanes, spaceships, to Toriyama-fied cars. His trademark machines have appeared in every one of his series, from Dragon Ball to Dr. Slump. Sand Land finally put me in the cockpit of these wonderful vehicles, and it was a dream come true.
My hands-on preview began with our hero Beelzebub in need of the right vehicle (a recurring element in my preview) to get across some quicksand. To do so, he enlists the healp of a new character, a brilliant mechanic named Ann, who says she can get Beelzebub and the crew across quicksand on her bike. Unfortunately, she lost her bike during a chase and now the gang has to go and retrieve it in an area called Talbo.
Sand Land, is at its heart, an open- world adventure game about Beelzebub and all of the cool vehicles he can pilot. The main mode of transportation is a customizable tank that can traverse the sands and blast away enemies. And yes, it utilizes classic tank controls for that extra hit of nostalgia.
But as we learn while trying to retrieve Ann’s bike, Beelzebub can swap between several different vehicles in an instant. Once we discover that some flying creatures have stolen Ann’s bike and taken it to their lair up in the mountains, we switch to the Jump Bot, a walker with the ability to, well, jump.
Whereas the tank is meant to be a sort of slow but all-purpose vehicle designed for combat, the Jump Bot is specifically designed for the kind of platforming areas I saw in Talbo. The Jump Bot can leap vertically to scale the tall mountain, as well as hop over some tricky ledges.
Once we reach the monster’s lair, it’s back to the tank to blast away at the flying creature. Maneuvering around while firing the tank’s cannon takes a bit of a learning curve, though my preview started part way through the game; you might be spared said learning curve through a tutorial and/or the practice gained in the early part of the game. Nevertheless, the controls are intuitive enough for anyone who grew up playing old PlayStation games, so taking down the flying monster was no problem.
The second part of my hands-on was where the vehicle customization truly shined. As you get further into Sand Land, Ann’s workshop will open up, allowing you to fully customize not only your tank but a variety of other vehicles Beelzebub has access to in Sand Land.
Focusing primarily on my tank, I was able to pick-and-choose different weapons, sub-weapons, threads, and other kinds of accessories to build my personal Sand Land destruction machine. I mostly went with aesthetics this time, but I did opt for a rocket launcher weapon that I got to try out later in my demo to great effect.
But customization doesn’t stop there, because once you have your loadout picked out, you can go next door to give your ride a custom paint job with a variety of colors and decals to choose from. Like I said, if you’re a fan of Toriyama’s unique vehicle designs, Sand Land will let you fully geek out.
Side Hustle
The second half of the demo was dedicated to some of the side activities Beelzebub can take on. There are side missions where Beelzebub can accept bounties on some high-profile targets (more on that in a bit), as well as races where you can take your newly customized ride for a true test. With three different race difficulties to choose from, each changing the course in some way, you can test your ride against enemy riders and time itself.
There are other side activities Beelzebub can take on in Sand Land. One of which is accepting bounties for tough enemies roaming the desert. I took my newly customized tank out to try and nab some of these bad guys and found that my new missile launcher equipped tank was more than enough to take out some of these bad guys in a blink of an eye.
One final note is that even with my limited hands-on time, Sand Land is shaping up to be massive. If it weren’t for some time constraints I wouldn’t have used the fast travel feature to get from place to place, and instead I would’ve loved to have taken my sweet time to take in the sights. Alas, that will have to wait until I get my hands on the full game.
Sand Land’s transmedia return is a true surprise so far, honestly. I haven’t thought about it since reading it in a copy of Shonen Jump over 20 years ago, and here it is with a brand-new game and even a new anime. For fans of classic, PS2-era anime games there’s a lot to be excited about in Sand Land, even without knowing anything about the series.
However, Sand Land really feels like a love letter to Akira Toriyama fans. I’m talking about the Dr. Slump and early Dragon Ball fans. There are dozens of amazing Dragon Ball games you can play right now, but if you’re a classic manga fan and someone who’s loved the Toriyama art style and world-building, be sure to check out Sand Land when it hits consoles and PC on April 26.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
Rise, Tarnished! Actually stay sitting down, because it’s time to watch and think about the first trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, which confirms that the Elden Ring DLC expansion will focus on Miquella, a rather tragic demigod character from the main game. Find the full video again below, together with my thoughts on just what the heck it all means.
Will FromSoftware release Elden Ring 2 or more DLC for Elden Ring? In an exclusive interview with IGN, chief developer Hidetaka Miyazaki said both are possible, although he stopped short of making an announcement.
IGN asked Miyazaki: Do you envision [Shadow of the Erdtree] as the end of Elden Ring’s story or is there room for either more DLC or in Elden Ring 2 down the line?
And here’s Miyazaki’s response: “We don’t want to say this is the end of the Elden Ring saga for now. I think we said a similar thing at the end of Dark Souls 3. We didn’t want to flatten those possibilities or put a pin in them just at that time. And it’s a similar story with Elden Ring. We don’t want to discourage the possibilities for that. There might be more ideas in the future.
“We don’t have any current plans to make a second DLC or a sequel, but we definitely don’t want to snuff out that possibility. We think that there could well be something in the future.”
It seems likely that Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t the last we’ve heard of Elden Ring, given its astonishing critical acclaim and commercial success. Elden Ring is easily FromSoftware’s most successful video game ever, with over 20 million sold during its first year on sale. Indeed, earlier this month, a Genshin Impact-inspired Elden Ring mobile game was reported to be in development, but progress was described as “slow”.
The base version of Elden Ring returned a 10/10 in IGN’s review. “Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path,” we said.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
If there’s one thing we all expected to see at today’s Partner Showcase, it was the reveal of a couple of Xbox titles coming to Switch. And we didn’t just get one — we got two, with release dates!
Two of Obsidian’s Xbox exclusives are jumping ship in 2024 and coming to Switch — the excellent narrative RPG Pentiment and the multiplayer survival game Grounded.
