Japanese developer Frenchbread’s phenomenal anime fighter, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late, impressed the heck out of us when it dropped in its final revised form on Switch back in 2020. Nabbing a 9/10 score in our review, it quickly became one of those very special games that we just straight-up refuse to ever delete off our SD cards. Still easily one of the console’s best fighters, it’s a slick and addictive work of indie art that only missed out on a perfect score due to some very disappointing online issues. And hey, now it’s got a sequel!
Yep, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes (herein referred to as ‘UNI2’ because we’re down with the kids) sees you return to a world where humans ravaged by the ‘Hollow Night’ (scary void monsters) become In-Births. In-Births gain the ability to control a power known as EXS, and that’s how…well, that’s how they fight so good. We don’t understand much more of the story in all honesty, beyond this and the fact there’s a 500-year-old girl named Linne knocking about, we’re just happy that we understand what the franchise’s crazy name is all about now.
Koji Kondo, Nintendo’s in-house composer one of the most renowned names in the video game composers industry, is to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame, the Academy has announced.
Kondo will be honoured during the 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony, which takes place on 15th February. The composer of many games in the Mario and Zelda series, Kondo joins the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Hideo Kojima, Todd Howard, and Sid Meier, among many other industry titans, in the Hall of Fame.
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha ring today.
It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.
Details can be found below!
System Update Details:
OS Version: XB_FLT_2402ZN25398.3443.240122-2000
Available: 2 p.m. PT – January 24, 2024
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – January 25, 2024
New Features and Experiences
We have exciting news! Alpha users can expect something new coming to their Xbox Update Preview.
Settings – Access Restrictions
We have updated the Access restrictions page in Settings by moving the existing options under a new menu for Access restrictions options. Additionally, we have added new options to allow use of the Edge web browser, setting Home console, and to delete profiles on sign out. To view these new options, navigate to Settings > System > Access restrictions.
Fixes Included
Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:
Installation
Various fixes to further improve unexpected issues when installing or updating games and apps.
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.
Audio
We have received reports of users experiencing intermittent issues with audio across the dashboard, games, and apps. If you have experienced issues, be sure you have the latest firmware updates for your TV and other equipment. If you’re unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance.
Note: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware updates, please submit feedback via Report a Problem immediately with the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”. Be sure to include as much information as possible:
When did the issue start?
Did you lose audio just in the game/app or system audio as well?
Does changing the audio format resolve the issue? If yes, what was the format before and after?
Does rebooting resolve the issue?
What does your setup include? Equipment, layout, etc.
And any additional information you can provide to reproduce the problem.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to their network as expected on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.
Workaround: Wait a minute for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide. Learn more here: How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console.
As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
Palworld may have just come out recently, but its popularity is growing daily as the open-world survival game’s US daily players briefly surpassed Fortnite on Xbox.
Spotted by NPD’s Mat Piscatella, according to the Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, on Monday, January 22, US Xbox players playing Palworld surpassed Fortnite on the same platform. Piscatella also notes that US-based Palworld players played the game for “more than 200 minutes on average,” reiterating that this record only happened for one day, “and it was close.”
According to Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, on January 22nd Palworld surpassed Fortnite in US XBS DAU. On that day alone, Palworld players on XBS in the US played Palworld for more than 200 minutes, on average. Bonkers numbers.
If you’re unfamiliar with Palworld, the premise has players in an open world that is populated with creatures known as “Pals. Players can battle and capture Pals that can be used in various ways, including combat.
“Palworld may crib quite a bit from Pokémon’s homework, but deep survival mechanics and a hilarious attitude make it hard to put down – even in Early Access,” we wrote in our early access review in the Steam version of Palworld.
It has been comedically described as being “Pokemon with guns,” with the game being the subject of controversy from the developer Pocketpair disclosing that it had received death threats over its game being a “rip-off” of Nintendo’s popular franchise Pokemon to Nintendo removing a mod that added Pokemon characters such as Ash Ketchum into Palworld.
Frontier Developments, the British developer-publishers behind Elite Dangerous, Planet Zoo and Warhammer games including Warhammer 40,000 XCOM-a-like Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters and last year’s Age of Sigmar RTS Realms of Ruin, will host a new monthly developer showcase starting next week.
Here’s an early Valentine’s Day present for you: The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon concerts will be streaming on YouTube next month.
Nintendo of America made the announcement on Twitter/X on Wednesday, both on its own page and that of Splatoon’s North American branch. The Zelda Orchestra Concert will start streaming on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel on February 9, while the Splatoon 3 Deep Cut concert will be uploaded on February 10.
Both concerts will be pre-recorded instead of live-streamed, so no one will be jealous of anyone who went to the concerts in person — if there will be a live audience at all. Here’s what Nintendo tweeted for each concert.
Mark your calendars for this special The Legend of #Zelda Orchestra Concert! 🎶
SRL Stage Management here! The show must go on! The Splatoon 3 Deep Cut concert previously scheduled for Nintendo Live 2024 TOKYO will be held on February 10.
It’ll be posted on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel so you can watch at home! pic.twitter.com/JrvfZLYAM5
The Zelda and Splatoon concerts were originally going to be part of Nintendo Live 2024 in Tokyo this month alongside Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 esports tournaments. However, Nintendo was forced to cancel the event after it received persistent threats against its staff, attendees, and spectators because it couldn’t ensure their safety if the event went on.
Nintendo also postponed the Splatoon Koshien 2023 National Finals and Splatoon 3 World Championship 2024 to indeterminable dates along with the Mario Kart 8 esports competitions.
The Zelda orchestra concert was previously held at the Nintendo Live 2023 event in Seattle, Washington back in September along with the Super Mario Super Big Band concert.
The Zelda and Splatoon concerts are in good company with other symphony performances being officially taped for YouTube. For example, the Sonic Symphony Orchestra was live-streamed from Prague, Germany was recorded during Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary in 2021. It gained critical acclaim from fans for playing both classic and modern Sonic music in two parts, especially with Crush 40 performing in the latter part. Today, the Sonic Symphony is on a world tour.
If only those video game concerts would get the same theatrical treatment as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s concert tours.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
For those of us who don’t have a garden to grow plants in, an allotment is one way to get your green-fingered fix of tending to nature in return for its peaceful healing properties. When an allotment is a bit too cold, or muddy, or expensive, or outside, upcoming gardening sim Peaceful Oasis looks to be a fine digital alternative.
Alone in the Dark, the highly-anticipated reimagining of the classic ’90s horror game, is officially up for preorder with a release date of March 20. You can choose between a Standard Edition of the game, which will set you back $59.99, or a Collector’s Edition, which comes to $199 but is strictly limited to 5,000 units, so is selling out fast. Below, you can find additional details on each of these editions along with information on the game itself.
Preorder Alone in the Dark (Standard Edition) – Releases March 20
There are only 5,000 Collector’s Editions available for Alone in the Dark, and they’ve been disappearing fast. We’ve managed to find a few still available, so if you’re interested make sure to grab it fast! It’ll set you back $199.99. Alongside the game, it comes with a wide variety of items as well:
Alone in the Dark is a horror game and reimagining of the 1992 game of the same name. It follows Emily Hartwood (played by Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer) and a private investigator named Edward Carnby (played by Stranger Things’s David Harbour) as they investigate the creepy Derceto Manor, where Emily believes her uncle has disappeared. Per THQ’s website, you can also “Play as Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood to explore your environments, fight monsters, solve puzzles and uncover the true secret of Derceto Manor….” The director of this game, Mikael Hedberg, is one horror fans will know and love, too, as the writer behind SOMA and Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
In our Alone in the Dark preview, we explained that the game isn’t “an attempt to recreate or reboot the first game. Instead, it’s something different. It’s a new and fascinating story,” drawing on elements of “cosmic horror, detective fiction, psychological horror, and the good old Southern Gothic.” We also explained that Alone in the Dark is “a treasure trove of good game writing. The direction of veteran game horror writer Mikael Hedberg is keenly felt here.”
More Preorder Guides
If you’re curious to see even more games that are available to preorder right now, we’ve got a wide selection of preorder guides to look through below, from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to Persona 3 Reload.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Nintendo has announced that online play for Steel Diver: Sub Wars has been permanently discontinued on the 3DS ahead of the full online shutdown on April 8th, 2024 (thanks, Nintendo Everything).
Now, the service has technically been offline for a little while now after Nintendo commenced emergency maintenance on September 4th, 2023. According to an official post, however, the firm has been unable to resolve the issues and has thrown in the towel. As such, the game’s online service has effectively been discontinued.
Want to build a high-end gaming PC in the US? We’ve got you covered – or rather, Newegg has. They’re bundling an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, one of the fastest gaming CPUs of all time, with an Asus ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi motherboard and G.Skill Flare X5 32GB DDR5-6000 RAM for just $595, saving $132 over buying separately.
In fact, if you buy the same parts on Amazon, you’d still pay $119 more, making this a genuinely good deal.
