Author: Game Infliction

Dragon’s Dogma was always envisioned as a single player game that gave off the impression of a multiplayer one, or a “Single-Player Online Party Action Game” in Director Hideaki Itsuno’s own words. And one of the key elements of driving that feeling home are the AI-controlled Pawns that make up 3/4s of your party. Pawns were a fascinating inclusion in the original game – at times endearing with their amusing (and frequent) comments on whatever was happening, other times bewildering with some of their behaviors in battle, and very often a great source of humor and levity.

That system is largely the same in Dragon’s Dogma 2 – you still create your own Pawn with their own Vocation that you can gear up however you like, and that Pawn will get shared online with the rest of the world so that another player can hire your Pawn that’s equipped with both the gear and knowledge that you provide to it. You’ll then fill out the remaining two slots of your party with two other Pawns that you can hire from The Rift – essentially a Pawn Network – who will provide you with quest knowledge and information that they themselves gained from their own creator’s adventure.

One of the key things that I noticed in my own playthrough, and something that Itsuno also highlighted when speaking with IGN, is that both Pawns and NPCs in general are much better this time around at guiding the player to a quest, or pointing out areas of interest, basically themselves acting as replacements for UI elements like markers or arrows.

“We wanted it to feel like a friend who’s played the game before is sitting there next to you and giving you advice. Like, ‘Hey, go this way,’ or ‘In this case, you should go with this here,’ or ‘This is what you do.’ In other words, having a friend there with you who provides guidance in an enjoyable way,” said Itsuno. “We wanted to avoid putting too many markers and such on the screen, if possible. We didn’t want too much that kills a player’s mood, so we put a lot of effort into having Pawns and NPCs be your only guides in the world.”

Like the first game, Pawns will also have Inclinations as well, with you being able to outright select whether you want your Pawn to be kindhearted, calm, simple, or straightforward, without having to go through a questionnaire first. Your Pawn’s Inclination has a substantial role in dictating how that Pawn will behave in battle, with kindhearted Pawns favoring a balanced approach with an emphasis on support; calm Pawns being more proficient with defense and evasion; simple Pawns being extra diligent about looting items; and straightforward Pawns being more daring when it comes to attacking foes head-on. Each Inclination also has its own set of voice actors, with different options for pitch modulations, and their own unique actions that they can take as well.

According to Kento Kinoshita, lead game designer for Dragon’s Dogma 2, “If you want to think of it in terms of individuality, I think we’ve very consciously tried to expand the number of ways in which Pawns are individuals. There’s personality, as we just mentioned; while in terms of knowledge, they might have knowledge of certain enemies. This game also isn’t really about a specific main quest that they freely play through, but instead contains lots of different quests. It isn’t very forceful. The game is made in such a way where only the Pawns on a quest with a player learn from that quest, so I think there will be clearly individual experiences based on how different people play the game, what quests they go on, and what kind of knowledge they have. Part of the fun in finding Pawns will be the reaction of ‘Oh, this Pawn knows about this particular subject, awesome.’ where all the different parts of the game work together.”

Finally, one new aspect of Pawns are Specializations, which are special abilities given to Pawns, similar to what we would call licenses or qualifications. The idea is basically that Pawns can learn the ropes from their master – they can develop the Woodland Wordsmith specialization, which allows you to understand Elvish, by getting close with an NPC that speaks Elvish. Another example is the Chirurgeon Specialization, which allows Pawns to use healing items on others, as opposed to only being able to use them on themselves, allowing you to basically make a Pawn a healer, even if they aren’t a Mage.

“In this game, we have also made it possible for players to leave some things to their Pawns that they might find tedious or uninteresting, including not only combat, but also some other elements. We believe that by combining Inclinations and Specializations, players can create a Pawn that best suits their preferences,” said Itsuno.

Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit

Rockstar is looking to the horizon as it begins to “approach the limits of what’s possible” on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and it’s starting by removing the Rockstar Editor from those versions of Grand Theft Auto Online.

The Grand Theft Auto maker announced plans to make a shift toward the future in a news post on its website. It says that, while the Rockstar Editor will survive on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S, players on last-gen consoles will lose access come February 20, 2024. The editor’s removal is said to be part of the “necessary steps” that Rockstar is taking to ensure GTA Online additions continue to roll out on PS4 and Xbox One.

“This update will help to ensure the stability of these platforms and keep them updated with GTA Online additions for as long as possible,” Rockstar says.

Clips and projects created on these platforms will be deleted when the Rockstar Editor is removed next month. Those who are interested in saving or exporting their projects can view instructions on the Rockstar support page.

Today’s update isn’t all bad news. The post also includes promises to deliver more GTA Online love to players this week, including doubled rewards and vehicle discounts through January 24.

GTA Online has thrived for around a decade, so it makes sense to see Rockstar making new moves toward what’s next while still supporting its existing fans. These plans obviously include the hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, which was officially unveiled late last year. Potential online plans for the new open-world entry in the studio’s trend-setting series are a mystery for now, though we might have some guesses thanks to T-Pain.

For more on the world of Grand Theft Auto, you can check out our colleciton of every GTA trailer ever released. You can also read up on some possible evidence that suggests Grand Theft Auto 5 DLC and Bully 2 almost happened.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Bethesda has released Starfield’s first major update in 2024 into beta, with “over a hundred fixes and adjustments” introduced, most of which address fixing quests and adding quality-of-life improvements to the company’s space RPG.

In a blog post, Bethesda detailed every change coming to Starfield as part of update 1.9.47.0. Some of the tweaks that immediately stand out include improved widescreen support, allowing for the game to now support 32:9, 21:9, and 16:10 aspect ratios, and fixes to the Eye of the Storm Quest. The latter has been one of the quests some have been unable to complete, most notably when the player reaches the data transfer section.

Bethesda further reiterated that it will “continue to have a steady stream of updates about every six weeks,” telling those that might not have seen an issue addressed in this latest to not “lose faith” and encouraging users to continue sharing issues and feedback with the team.

In our review of Starfield, which we awarded a 7 out of 10, we said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually, the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”

You can check out the full Update 1.9.47.0 notes below.

Starfield Update 1.9.47.0 Notes

• Animation
  • Fixed player character’s eyes remaining closed instead of blinking in third person view.
  • Addressed rare cases where small animation pops could be seen in third person.
• Creatures and Enemies
  • Fixed incorrectly invisible creatures on some planets.
  • Fixed an issue that could occur on some enemies causing them to stand instead of falling to the ground.
• Crew and Companions
  • Fixed crew members and companions positioning near the cockpit after fast traveling to the ship.
  • Companions: Fixed a possible control-lock when talking to a companion without entering a dialogue while simultaneously trying to exit the ship.
• General
  • Fixed an issue that prevented Windows users saving if their username featured certain characters (PC).
  • Fixed rare save game corruptions on PC (MSS and Steam).
  • Fixed an issue that could lead to a control lock or a crash after loading a quicksave while in the targeting mode.
  • Fixed player marker following the camera on the surface map.
  • Fixed a rare issue that could prevent access to the main menu on when prompted to “Press any button to Start” (Xbox).
  • Body type should no longer reset to default when loading a Starborn save from the main menu.
  • Fixed flickering on Neon’s Trade Tower elevator panel.
  • Improved the appearance of the Ryujin Kiosk material during nighttime.
  • Fixed rare issue with how Cydonia’s panel could display the hours without incident.
  • Added Optimizations to cloud syncing of save games (MSS/Xbox).
  • Improved how crowds behave when desired target is reserved.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause airlock doors to sometimes appear floating in sky when arriving at locations.
  • Fixed unintended text appearing on the shipbuilder’s UI.
  • Fixed game session not properly resuming from shutdown in Energy Save mode (Xbox).
  • Various stability improvements.
• Graphics
  • Improved widescreen support (32:9, 21:9 and 16:10).
  • Added support for stars displaying sun disk geometry.
  • Shadows can now be seen on planet rings from planet surface.
  • Improved eyes and skin on crowd characters.
  • Improved reflection on water.
  • Improved contact shadows on character skin (Xbox and PC Medium/High/Ultra).
  • Improved contact shadows on character cloth (PC High/Ultra).
  • Improved contact shadows on first person (PC Ultra).
  • Improved lighting in character generation menu.
  • Reduced the appearance of some minor artifacts during cutscene camera transitions.
  • Fixed flickering on a number of VFX (Sandstorm, corrosive liquid pools, waterfall).
  • Fixed a rare issue where the camera would lock while in handscanner mode whenever watching flying fauna (Xbox).
  • Fixed potential control lock when opening a game menu a moment before triggering a dialogue with another character.
  • Addressed various shadow popping, flickering and artifact issues.
  • Improved the visibility of the sun’s lens flare during sunrise and sunset.
  • Fixed a rare issue where foam or grime would not show up.
  • Fixed rare flickering VFX that could occur in space (Xbox Series S).
  • Fixed rare hair flickering (Xbox Series X/S).
  • Fixed occasional flicker on digiframes and TV screens.
  • Adjusted the appearance of bloom when activating the handscanner.
  • Improved the appearance of clouds during weather transitions.
  • Fixed rare cases where alignment of grass and wind could appear disconnected.
  • Reduced bloom intensity effect while motion blur is active (PC).
  • Addressed issues with concealment effect not always applying when using the handscanner.
  • Fixed visible edge of the ocean in the distance when seen from a very high point of view.
  • Fixed rare white flickering dots around characters’ hair during cut scenes.
  • Fixed a readability issue in the Starmap when using large menu font mode.
  • Fixed inventory menu occasionally failing to generate previews when using a mouse (PC).
  • Fixed a brief Depth of Field issue that sometimes occurred when aiming, alt-tabbing or leaving a dialogue screen.
  • Fixed occasional lighting transition issues after loading or exiting a location.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause intermittent bands to appear in distance fog.
  • Fixed a rare issue that could cause fog color to appear inconsistent.
  • Fixed a rare issue that could cause rocks to disappear near the player on the surface of a planet.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when switching to DLSS with dynamic resolution active (PC).
  • Fixed flickering and delayed shadows sometimes occurring after unpausing the game.
  • Fixed various FSR2 and DLSS artifacts (noise, black dots, ghosting).
  • Fixed flickering when using the handscanner with DLSS enabled.
  • Fixed initial lighting conditions when landing on a planet.
  • Improved lighting at 73 locations.
  • Fixed various geometry, texture, and ghosting issues.
  • OUTPOSTS
  • Fixed a rare missing terrain issue that could occur after fast traveling to an outpost near New Atlantis.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause bulldozed objects to reappear when returning to an outpost.
  • Fixed and issue that caused hazard damage to remain even when the hazard was removed by bulldozing in outposts.
  • Fixed an issue where outpost’s cargo links would be removed from the terminal list if connected, disconnected, then reconnected to another cargo link during the cargo ship landing sequence.
  • Fixed an issue where weapon cases built by the player in an Outpost would populate with weapons and ammo after reloading the game.
• Powers
  • Fixed a rare issue that could cause the Phased Time power to remain enabled.
  • Fixed the extreme speed that could occur in zero G when using the Phased Time power.
  • Solar Flare Power now accounts for critical hits.
• Quests and Random Encounters
  • Absolute Power: Fixed missing slate in the safe preventing from completing the optional objective “Locate Evidence to Extort Ayumi Komiko”.
  • Background Checks: Fixed possible control-lock that could occur if caught by security.
  • Derelict Ship: Fixed an issue preventing the player from reaching the pilot seat if they did not have access to advanced locks.
  • Drinks on the House: Fixed rare occurrence where the door to Sub 12 could remain locked.
  • Echoes of the Past: Fixed Delgado getting stuck at bottom of stairs during “Continue Exploring the Lock” that could occur if The Lock was left during Delgado’s history dialogue.
  • Echoes of the Past: Resolved an issue that could cause Mathis’ and Delgado’s guns to be invisible.
  • Eye of the Storm: Fixed an issue that could cause data transfer to not start after placing the Data Core.
  • Eye of the Storm: Fixed an issue where the docking prompt would be missing on the Legacy ship if the player undocked with the Legacy and then reloaded a save before having started the mission.
  • Executive Level: Fixed an issue where players could get stuck on a chair in the Ryujin Industries HQ conference room.
  • Failure to Communicate: Fixed an issue that prevented the player from finishing the quest if they downed all the members of the defense pact (Alban Lopez, Jacquelyn Lemaire, and Chanda Banda).
  • Further Into the Unknown: Fixed a rare crash that could occur when trying to dock with The Eye.
  • Groundpounder: Fixed an issue where the door to Lezama could sometimes be locked if the player left the location during the quest and came back later.
  • Hostile Intelligence: Fixed blocked doors in the Steam Tunnels room where the Terrormorph transformation occurs.
  • Into the Unknown: Fixed a rare issue that could prevent the quest from starting after completing The Old Neighborhood.
  • Into the Unknown: Fixed a rare issue where a Temple location might not populate when receiving the “Go to” objective.
  • Legacy’s End: Fixed an issue that could prevent interacting with Delgado when he was behind the glass inside in the command center of The Key.
  • Legacy’s End: Fixed a debris pile where to player could become stuck while trying to reach the Mess Hall.
  • Missed Beyond Measure: Fixed a dialogue between Sarah and Walter not playing at The Lodge.
  • No Sudden Moves: Fixed companions not following player during personal quests.
  • On The Run: Fixed various issues related to Mei Devine becoming inaccessible the objective updated to “Listen to Mei Devine’s Introduction”.
  • On The Run: Fixed a possible control lock when sitting at the table to talk to Jade MacMillan.
  • One Small Step: Fixed a rare issue that could prevent Lin / Heller from exiting the airlock.
  • Operation Starseed: Fixed a bad view that could occur if the Beagle was boarded after a long idle.
  • Power From Beyond: Fixed an issue that caused missing Starborn temples and scanner disturbances that could prevent obtaining all Starborn powers from that universe.
  • Rough Landings: Resolved an issue that could occur during the “Meet up with Milena Axelrod” objective that could prevent ships from appearing at the desired location.
  • Shadows in Neon: Fixed an issue that could occur when repeatedly using the door to Jaylen Pryce’s office before he progressed to Neon Core.
  • Supra et Ultra: Fixed a control lock that could occur when entering the Flight Simulator while a guard is attempting arrest.
  • Tapping the Grid: Fixed inaccessible junction boxes that could occur after the Hunter attacks the Lodge.
  • The Best There Is: Fixed an issue that could prevent objective from advancing when talking to Naeva and Jasmine in the engineering room.
  • The Empty Nest: Fixed and issue that could cause Sam Coe’s gun to be invisible when inside Jacob’s house.
  • The Heart of Mars: Fixed another location that could potentially prevent recovering The Heart of Mars.
  • The Pale Lady: Fixed rare case of inaccessible ship crew log data slate making it impossible to complete the encounter.
  • Top of the L.I.S.T.: Phil Hill should now accept survey data for Sumati.
  • War Relics: Resolved an issue that could prevent Kaiser from moving to the mission site.
  • Where Hope is Built: Fixed a crash that could occur with a specific set of player behaviors.
• Ships and Ship Customization
  • Fixed another case that could cause an asteroid to follow a ship in space.
  • Fixed ship hatch being marked inaccessible after swapping to a new home ship.
  • Fixed an issue where the ship could end up in an unintended state by simultaneously attempting fast travel during a grav jump.
  • Fixed a view issue that could occur when fast traveling during ship targeting mode.
  • Fixed an issue that could occur when entering Ship Targeting mode immediately after selecting a Grav Jump.
  • Fixed an issue that caused non-functional ladders to appear when the player modified their ship with a Taiyo All-In-One Berth Top A and a Deimos 1×1.
  • Fixed an issue where the Legendary ship could take too long to resume firing after the weapons were repaired.
  • Space combat should now match ground combat difficulty increase with successive trips through the Unity.
  • Fixed an issue where loading an exit save made while docked to a space station could cause names of ships to change.
  • Fixed marker not pointing to the current home ship after performing a save/load between different ships.
  • Fixed in issue that could cause the Frontier to incorrectly appear if a non-home ship was removed from a landing pad.
• Skills
  • REJUVENATION: Rejuvenation skill VFX no longer replay whenever the handscanner is opened in third person.
  • SURVEYING: Fixed surveying challenge progress issue with mineral resource.
  • TARGETING CONTROL SYSTEMS: Fixed inconsistencies with level 3 and 4.
• Weapons and Items
  • Fixed incorrect reload amounts that could occur when consuming a Trauma Pack.
  • Fixed FOV and zoom issues with weapon scopes.
  • Fixed weapon sound effects occasionally continuing to play after killing an enemy.
  • Fixed turret state not being restored properly after and save and load.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the helmet light to not reappear in third person after a save and load.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.