One of the real achievements of tabletop crowdfunding has been the freedom to experiment with ambitious ideas. Instead of needing to target a mainstream audience with wider appeal, video-game-to-board game adaptations have been able to aim at more niche audiences whose hobby identity overlaps between both mediums. This has allowed a game like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game to thrive, offering a full-blown analog experience that is enormously rich and full of life, just as the original franchise fully deserves.
This is a complex and expensive game chock-full of content. In it, up to four players take on the role of STALKERs, cooperating to achieve mission objectives such as rescuing a prisoner, retrieving an artifact, or hunting a massive beast in the irradiated environs of Chernobyl. Setting up the tiles, tokens, overlays, and cards can take a solid 20 minutes. Sneaking or fighting your way through the zone while handling all of the necessary aspects of play is another two or three hours. These estimates are for players who are familiar with the game and its rules as your first session is likely to stretch even longer. This experience is the inverse of the recent Mass Effect board game, instead seeking to offer an entire world to immerse yourself in at the cost of accessibility. Fortunately, all of this effort is absolutely worth it, for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a marvelous experience on the tabletop.
The default mode of play is a story-focused campaign that lasts three scenarios. This is a more modest and reasonable commitment than popular campaign board games such as Gloomhaven or Divinity: Original Sin the Board Game. Crucially, it means players are far more likely to actually finish the game.
It plays like a mashup of a traditional dungeon crawler with adventure game aspects. Each player controls a different STALKER outfitted with a variety of firearms, armor, and supplemental items. You then take turns performing one of several actions, including the expected moving and shooting, but also more unusual options like tossing bolts to distract enemies or interacting with terrain elements on the map.
Fortunately, the effort is absolutely worth it, for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a marvelous experience on the tabletop.
The environment is dynamic and unpredictable. This is a key quality of the game, as it seeks to capture the danger and mystique of the Zone. You accumulate radiation moving through certain areas, hopefully possessing some kind of suit to offer protection. You also manipulate objects depending on the scenario and your goals. This may mean you have to locate a hidden trapdoor and pry it open, or choose between climbing a shaky ladder and descending into a drainpipe to enter a ruined building cut off from your approach. Often these environmental challenges are displayed on cards that are laid atop the map tiles. After spending an action to trigger or interact with their features, you flip the card over and reveal the outcome. There’s a strong sense of the unknown, particularly on your first playthrough of each scenario.
This core element of mystery is most strongly conveyed through anomalies. These swirling elemental entities are a significant detail of the video game’s setting, and they’re fundamental in establishing the character and personality of the post-apocalyptic surroundings. The board game adaptation of these oddities is spectacular. They’re represented by a standee and sit atop a translucent template on the board. The template contains various symbols spread across multiple map spaces, establishing a tense threat for any who would approach.
Any figure that enters such a space must roll a die. If the symbol rolled matches one in the current space, it triggers the anomaly’s reaction. The effects depend on the specific type of anomaly, but often this means substantial damage with occasional detrimental status afflictions. To successfully navigate the area of threat, STALKERs must toss bolts to cover the face-up symbols and find a safe path through the chaos. This system is fantastic, as it captures the tone and atmosphere of the source material in a way that’s not overly cumbersome. It also uses a unique set of components that is unusual in the board game space, which adds an esoteric quality and emphasizes its alien nature.
The enemy AI is also well implemented. After all of the STALKERs have activated, a card is flipped and a menu of actions is performed. Different enemy types, such as mutants and humans, behave somewhat differently, and they also take into consideration whether the protagonists were overly loud or acted with stealth. Players running and gunning like lunatics draw more attention and receive a higher degree of aggressive response. This system provides strong incentives to conduct stealthy operations, and the tools afforded as well as the construction of the scenarios themselves make this a satisfying strategic approach. Much like the anomalies and environment facets, the intersection of enemy behavior and player conduct is a well considered system that is surprisingly satisfying.
The story-focused campaign is interesting, with its own quirks worth exploring, but its lifespan is limited. The narrative offers two branches of missions you can embark on, which means you can replay the game to pursue the pathway you neglected. Each playthrough consists of only a few missions, but you may even find some joy in replaying scenarios you’ve already bested. Some terrain elements are randomized, and most scenarios offer multiple viable solutions to accomplishing the objective.
The campaign also offers some neat between-mission diversions. You can visit scavenger camps, interact with armorers, and unearth forgotten stashes. This is handled through an overland map of the nearby area, with newly discovered location nodes applied to the map via sticker. Two blank maps are included in the game as a fresh sheet is needed for each campaign you embark upon. These small location visits are executed fairly well, as they bring in a more macro view of the setting and help add context to the more zoomed-in missions.
The single best feature in this box is the Zone Survival module.
If that’s all S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game was, it would still be a solid entry into the tabletop gaming space. Fortunately, there’s more: the single best feature in this box is the Zone Survival module. This is a full-fledged scenario generator that combines several randomized components to create a unique procedurally crafted mission. The event deck is constructed from a random allotment of cards, and your objective is either randomized or chosen from a list. You select the map from one of 10 layouts, and various environmental details are created through card draw.
This system is bonkers. Nearly half the cards and tokens in the game are dedicated to this fully developed and robust system. The story-driven campaign could have been removed wholesale, and this mode alone would have established S.T.A.L.K.E.R. as one of the year’s best board games. Yes, the setup here is even more finicky and detailed, but the ensuing one-off scenario is full of surprises and drama. The degree of variability here is wild, and the game looks to support near endless play.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game is a complete and hefty package, but it’s also one with an enormous amount of future potential. The core game comes with miniatures for the STALKERs, and cardboard standees for all foes and anomalies. Optional miniatures sets can be purchased, alongside several content expansions that add more detailed personal narratives to the characters, factions to interact with, and new narrative campaigns to embark upon. The commitment by the publisher is staggering, and this game looks to have long legs.
Sony has laid off an unknown number of individuals from its San Diego-based Visual Arts studio as well as PS Studios Malaysia, according to a Kotaku report and testimonies from former employees on LinkedIn.
Per Kotaku, staff were informed earlier this week that March 7 would be their last day, and included developers who had contributed to a number of different projects, such as a recent canceled live-service game at Bend Studio. Visual Arts is an art and technical support studio that has worked over the years with PlayStation’s other first-party studios, most notably the recent The Last of Us Part 1 and 2 remasters.
IGN has identified a number of developers on LinkedIn saying they had been laid off from Visual Arts, as well as at least one from PS Studios Malaysia. One former Visual Arts employee noted that the layoffs were “due to multiple project cancellations.”
This is the second round of layoffs at Visual Arts in the last two years, after another wave impacting an unknown number of individuals in 2023. It is unclear how many people remain at Visual Arts or what the studio is working on now. IGN has reached out to PlayStation for comment.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
The Modern Age in Civilization 7 is the most important age in the game. It’s where winners are decided, and where the game comes to an end. That means it’s imperative you press your advantages and make the right choices moving on from the Exploration Age.
The Civilization you choose is key to securing your victory. The Modern Age offers ten civilizations for you to choose from (eleven, if you have the Crossroads of the World DLC). When mixed with the right Civ 7 Leaders, you can produce some extremely powerful synergies. To make your selection easier, here’s our tier list for the best Modern age civilizations in Civ 7.
Civ 7 Modern Civs Tier List
S-tier: America, Meiji Japan
A-tier: French Empire, Mexico, Qing
B-tier: Buganda, Prussia, Russia, Siam
C-tier: Mughal
S-Tier Modern Civs
This is the best of the best Civilization 7 has to offer. From access to good military units, to very powerful resource access, you can largely dominate maps with these choices.
S-tier: America
Frontier Expansion – Gain 100 Gold every time you improve a Resource. +30% Production towards constructing the Statue of Liberty.
Marine – American Unique Infantry Unit. Has the Amphibious ability. Cheaper to train.
Prospector – American Unique Civilian Units. Claims a Land Resource outside of your regular Settlement radius.
Industrial Park – American Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Railyard and Steel Mill in the same district. +2 Food in this City for every Resource assigned to this City.
Railyard – +5 Production. +1 Production Adjacency for Quarters and Wonders. American Unique Production Building. Ageless.
Steel Mill – +6 Production. Gold adjacency for Resources and Wonders. American Unique Production Building. Ageless.
America has a lot going for it, as it can utilise a lot of resources, making it one of the best civilizations in the modern era. The Frontier Expansion trait can provide some big spikes in gold by improving resources. Elsewhere, the Railyard and Steel Mill coming together to make the Industrial Park means a lot of Food, Production, and Gold. This makes the USA a really varied and rounded civilization that can expand fast and has the production to meet it.
On top of that, the Prospecter can grab important resources, further fueling your yields. The Marine is also a solid unit thanks to the Amphibious ability, making them surprisingly nimble. There’s just a lot to like about this civilization.
S-tier: Meiji Japan
Goisshin – When you Overbuild a Building, gain Science equal to 50% of the Building’s Production cost. +30% Production towards constructing Dogo Onsen.
Mikasa – Meiji Japanese Unique Heavy Naval Unit. The first time this Unit is destroyed, it respawns in the closest Settlement you own at 50% HP.
Zero – Meiji Japanese Unique Fighter Air Unit. Increased range. +4 Combat Strength against other Fighter Air Units. Can intercept enemy Air Units.
Zaibatsu – Meiji Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Ginko and Jukogyo in the same District. +1 Gold and Production on Buildings in adjacent Districts.
Ginko – +5 Gold. +1 Gold Adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Meiji Japan Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
Jukogyo – +5 Production. +1 Production Adjacency for Coastal Terrain and Wonders. Meiji Japan Unique Production Buiding. Ageless.
Meiji Japan is very resourceful and has access to some seriously powerful aspects. Goisshin means you can reshape your districts and buildings for your modern needs while getting a decent chunk of Science back for your trouble. Meanwhile, the Zaibatsu Quarter can rack up massive amounts of Gold and Production if you have quarters with a lot of Buildings. It’s a really nice collection of yields that can propel you into the endgame.
On top of that, the civilization has some fearsomely strong Units. The Mikasa can be incredibly strong, and is able to respawn once after death at the closest Settlement. This means you can either protect your investment into the Naval Unit, or potentially reengage a low unit that just killed it to finish the fight. On top of that, the Zero is a nice late-game aircraft that should make you a force to be reckoned with in the skies.
A-Tier Modern Civs
You can’t go wrong with an A-Tier civilization. They often have varied access to important resources, and bring some military power to the table too with their special units.
A-Tier: French Empire
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite – You can select the Celebration effects of any standard Government in the Modern Age. +30% Production towards constructing the Eiffel Tower.
Garde Imperiale – French Imperial Unique Infantry Unit. Can make a Ranged attack. +2 Combat Strength when within a friendly Army Commander Radius. More expensive to train.
Jacobin – A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with an Avenue, and the specific Jacobin received once. Cost increases per Jacobin trained.
Avenue – French Imperial Quarter. Created by constructing the Jardin a la Francaise and Salon in the same District. +2 Happiness on Quarters in this City.
Jardin a la Francaise – +5 Culture. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. French Empire Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Salon – +5 Happiness. +1 Culture Adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. French Empire Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.
The French Empire is a really nice synergistic Civilization that is really worth considering if you have plans to take a Cultural victory. Thanks to the Avenue, which is made from the Jardin a la Francaise and Salon, the civilization has a great feedback loop of Culture and Happiness that can propel it through the Modern Age if managed properly. Because of this, you’ll have a lot of Celebrations, feeding into the Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite trait.
Although it’s not a world beater, the Garde Imperiale is a decent Unit to have access to just in case anyone tries to bully you as you build the happiest, most cultured civilization.
A-Tier: Mexico
Revolucion – Starts with a unique Government, Revolucion. This Government has one Celebration effect, +30% Culture for 10 Turns. Cannot enter any other Government type. +30% Production towards constructing Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Soldaderas – Mexican Unique Infantry Unit. Adjacent Units heal +10 HP. Does not stack.
Revolucionario – A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with a Zocalo, and the specific Revolucionario received is random. Each Revolucionario can only be received once. Cost increases per Revolucionario trained.
Zocalo – Mexican Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Catedral and Portal de Mercanderes in the same District. +2 Culture for every Tradition slotted into the Government.
Catedral – +5 Culture. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. Mexican Unique Culture Buiding. Ageless.
Portal de Mercaderes – +5 Culture. +1 Gold Adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Mexican Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Not dissimilar to the French Empire, the Mexican civilization is a Culture powerhouse. While it is slightly less capable of Happiness, that comes with the added bonus of access to more Gold, and a huge helping of Culture. As long as you can stack Happiness with your buildings and initiate Celebrations, your civilization will have access to 30% Culture bonuses. The Zocalo Quarter, made by building the Catedral and Portal de Mercaderes in the same District, provides even more Culture.
The Soldaderas Unit can also be relatively tanky if in the correct formations, with units healing each other. If you are going for Culture and can get an abundance of access to Happiness, Mexico is a prime candidate for a cultural victory.
A-Tier: Qing
Kang Qian Shengshi – +4 Gold, +3 Culture, +2 Influence, but -1 Science from imported Resources. +30% Production towards constructing Chengde Mountain Resort.
Gusa – Qiang Unique Infantry Unit. +4 Combat Strength if adjacent to another Gusa.
Hangshang – Qing Unique Merchant. Civilian who can establish a Trade Route to import Resources from a foreign Settlement. Gain 50 Gold for every Resource acquired when creating a naval Trade Route.
Huiguan – Qing Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Qianzhuang and Shiguan in the same District. +35% Influence in this Settlement.
Shiguan – +6 Science. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. Qing Unique Science Building. Ageless.
Qianzhuang – +5 Gold. +1 Gold Adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Qing Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
The Qing Civilization has plenty going for it, though with a drawback you will have to manage. The Kang Qian Shengshi trait gives you a nice boost in Gold, Culture, and Influence, but it can also make you drag in Science. In the Modern Age, Technology moves fast, so mismanaging this trait can have you lagging behind in discoveries.
That said, with some specific resource, Wonder and Building management, this shouldn’t be an enormous problem, especially as the Shinguan can offset that a little. There’s a lot of useful access to yields here, so there’s plenty to recommend this Civ.
On top of that, the Gusa Unit is also potentially pretty powerful in the right formations and as big squadrons, meaning you have good access to some military might.
B-Tier Modern Civs
This is where good civilizations with a decent amount of benefits belong. They may be a little more specialized and viable in fewer scenarios, but generally bring some overall value to most legacy paths.
B-Tier: Buganda
River Raids – Gain Culture when pillaging Buildings or Improvements equal to the yield or healing gained. Land Military Units gain the Amphibious ability. +30% Production towards constructing Muzibu Azaala Mpanga.
Abambowa – Bugandan Unique Infantry Unit. Heals +10 HP from Pillaging any tile.
Mwami – Bugandan Unique Army Commander. 50% yields from pillaging within its Command Radius.
Kabaka’s Lake – +3 Happiness. Receives Lake yield bonuses, including yields for all Buganda’s abilities and the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga Wonder. Bugandan Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on Flat Terrain. One per Settlement.
Bugunda is an interesting choice for those who like to burn places to the ground. You’ll need a strong military to get into enemy territory and start tearing apart your their Settlements. If you do though, you can gain quite a lot of resources. You need to be active and at war often, but if managed correctly, this can go well for you. The River Raids trait, as well as the Abambowa and Mwami units, bring immense value from Pillaging, so you need to do it and do it often.
That’s also because while the Kabaka’s Lake is nice for Happiness and Lake resources, the civilization doesn’t have direct access to important yields in the Modern Age like Science, Culture, Gold, and Influence. So, you’ll have to go pillaging to make up for it. It’s a rather unique style of play, and if you’re strong enough and resourceful enough to target the yields you need access to, it can go well. However, it can also fall apart quickly if you’re unable to be active enough.
B-Tier: Prussia
Blood and Iron – Units receive +1 Combat Strength for every Unfriendly or worse Civ Relationship.
Hussar – Prussian Unique Cavalry Unit. Has +1 Movement. +1 Combat Strength for every Movement it has remaining.
Stuka – Prussian Ground Attack Air Unit. +3 Combat Strength against Land Units.
Staatseisenbahn – Prussian Unique Railroad. +2 Gold and Production on Rural tiles with a Staatseisenbahn.
Prussia is the choice of Civilization for those who are not afraid to make everyone mad. If you are looking to bully the entire map, Prussia is for you, as you will gain Combat Strength for everyone who dislikes you. This is a civ for those who are not just militarily minded, but pugnacious too. The Hussar and in particular, Stuka, are strong Units too that will have you winning most fair fights.
The problem with Prussia is that it’s a little one-note. This is about throwing yourself at other civilizations and trying to overpower them. You will need to be taking Settlements to keep up with the Science and Cultural needs a strong Military requires. Both are important in the Modern Age, and if you can’t keep pace with quickly evolving Technology, you may end up falling behind even in a Military sense. The Staatseisenbahn will only go so far when it comes to Gold and Production. On top of that, you could end up biting off more than you can chew here. Keeping everyone mad at you is funny, that is, until every civilization on the map simultaneously declares war on you.
B-Tier: Russia
Prosveshchenie – +1 Culture on Districts in Cities. +1 Science on Districts in Cities in Tundra. +30% Production towards constructing the Hermitage.
Cossack – Russian Unique Cavalry Unit. +4 Combat Strength in friendly territory.
Katyusha Rocket Launcher – Russian Unique Siege Unit. Has +1 Movement. Lower base Combat Strength but has the Splash ability. Dealing damage to enemy Units adjacent to the target Unit.
Obschchina – +2 Food from adjacent Farms. +2 Culture in Tundra. Russian Empire Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Cannot be placed adjacent to another Obshchina.
Russia has access to some nice yield bonuses on Districts, and the Science and Culture mix is a strong suit for the civilization. That said, these bonuses aren’t enormous, and you’ll only really supercharge your Culture output on Tundra, which could be restrictive for your borders. All things considered, you may trail behind other more specialised civilizations in terms of yields.
The Cossack and Katysha Rocket Launcher are interesting units that will mean you can protect the Science and Cultural forward civilization you are building, but usually only defensively and against big armies where splash damage is relevant.
B-Tier: Siam
Itsapharahab – Gains a unique Diplomatic Action to immediately become Suzerain of a City-State at a higher Influence cost than Befriend Independent. +30% Production towards constructing Doi Suthep.
Chang Beun – Siamese Unique Ranged Unit. Has increased Ranged Strength and +1 Movement. Can move after attacking.
Uparat – A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities when an Independent Power has been befriended, and the specific Uparat received is random. Each Uparat can only be received once. Cost increases per Uparat trained.
Bang – +3 Culture and Happiness. Siamese Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on a Navigable River.
Siam has a fairly unique trait, in that it allows you to become the Suzerain of a City-State immediately. This can be strong, especially if you rack up many city-states to support you in other yields. However, the Civilization has no special access to generating the Influence it needs to do so, so it will be reliant on your ageless buildings and your Leader. If you can facilitate that Influence need, though, this trait could serve you well.
The Chang Beun is also a great ranged Unit that can maneuver around enemies and stay out of their reach when played correctly. Otherwise, there’s not a ton here that stands out. The City-States should help you make up lost yields with various benefits, but that is also dependent on the right City-States turning up.
C-Tier Modern Civs
While not bad civilizations, these are often more situational civilizations or civilizations that require a unique playstyle that might be best for more experienced players.
C-Tier: Mughal
Paradise of Nations – +75% Gold from all sources. -25% to all other yields. +30% Production towards constructing the Red Fort.
Sepoy – Mughal Unique Infantry Unit. Can make a Bombard Ranged attack.
Zamindar – Mughal Unique Settler. Civilian Unit capable of founding new Towns. +1 Population on new Settlements.
Stepwell – +2 Food from adjacent Farms. Mughal Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on Flat Terrain. Cannot be placed adjacent to another Stepwell.
Mughal are in no way a bad civilization. With proper setup and circumstances, this civilization can be very strong. That said, it comes with risk. +75% Gold from all sources can be really powerful and will have you easily becoming the richest in the game. However, if you don’t manage to mitigate the -25% on all other yields, you can easily fumble. Since Science and Culture vitally important in this Era, to keep up, you need to make sure the money you’re investing is compensating for that penalty.
Elsewhere, the Mughal’s other traits are fine but don’t jump out as essential to a victory. In the right hands, the Mughal can be really good, but for those less certain, there are many more straightforward options out there.
Patrick is a a freelance journalist with over 13 years of experience who loves going deep on games and getting into their systems. His four-figure hours into both Overwatch 2 and Destiny 2 are a testament to that.
Sigh… We really don’t like reporting on this kind of stuff, but alas, it’s our duty to you, our dear readers, to know what you’re getting yourself into.
Judging from images of the box art online, it looks like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will require a mandatory download on the Nintendo Switch. Now, it’s not known at this stage exactly what kind of download will be needed, but given that it’s seemingly a requirement and not an option, we’re guessing that the base game simply doesn’t fit on a standard Switch cartridge.
There was a moment, after years of development on Split Fiction began to come to a close, where director Josef Fares found himself playing through his latest co-op narrative adventure, and had something of a revelation.
“It’s kind of crazy. [During development] you play the game a lot – like over and over and over again. The last time I played it, with one of the lead designers, I was sitting there, like, ‘What the f**k have we done here?’ It’s almost like when you wake up from a dream: ‘Did we actually do that?’ It’s crazy how much stuff is in there.”
With Split Fiction coming to Xbox Series X|S tomorrow, March 6, Fares is in a reflective mood. The team at his studio, Hazelight, has already started work on their next game, but this feels like a brief moment where Fares can look back rather than forward. And the overall feeling I get from him is one of pride in how he’s seen his team progress.
Hazelight effectively created the genre it now makes games within – after experimenting with how a single-player, narrative-led adventure can be delivered with multiple characters in the modern classic Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Fares created his current studio with a goal of pushing that idea further. A Way Out saw the team create a truly original co-op only tale, and then pushed that into truly mind-blowing territory with the award-winning It Takes Two.
Split Fiction takes the idea forward again, using the more familiar video game worlds of fantasy and sci-fi, but blending them and blowing them apart with new ideas that arrive at breakneck pace – one moment, you’re escaping from trolls through a beleaguered medieval village, the next you’re a cyber-ninja slashing or laser-whipping scores of enemies, and then you’re suddenly a couple of magical pigs who… well, I’ll let you find out about that bit on your own.
It might initially seem like a familiar format for Hazelight – this is still a game that requires two players (either local or online), and uses a mixture of single- and split-screen sections to throw new mechanics at you constantly. But Fares sees this as a true step forward in how competently his team can make new mechanics, and tell experimental stories.
“It’s a natural evolution,” he tells me. “A more mature team, better technical tools, better understanding of design of the mechanics, we’re better at writing a story for co-op, and obviously we’ve become better knowing what and what not to cut early.”
He doesn’t think that an earlier version of Hazelight could have created Split Fiction, in effect – and makes clear that, no matter how familiar you are with their older games, Hazelight has hidden some truly magical new ideas in here:
“Play it through. You will understand what I mean. Trust me – get to the ending. You’ll see stuff that you haven’t seen in a video game.”
I ask, then, if the core drive for Hazelight is to make things no one else has tried to – but Fares sees his work in a more nuanced way.
“The number one key thing at Hazelight is that there is a passion to what we do. There’s no specific rule, like, ‘Oh there has to be a new thing all the time’. We just to have to feel that passion, because if it’s not there, the game won’t be good. Period. But we also love to push ourselves forward, like, ‘What can we do that we haven’t tried before? Can we do this thing that we haven’t tested before?’ It’s always nice to challenge ourselves.”
It was the idea of combining sci-fi and fantasy that was the initial passion for Split Fiction – the story sees two writers invited to a tech company in hopes of getting a publishing deal, before one realises that they’ll in fact have their ideas drained and repurposed by a newly invented technology. After an altercation, both writers are pulled into the same simulation based on their creations, and their very different ideas begin to blend into one another. You (and your co-op partner) will play through the wild results in what Fares describes as a playable buddy movie.
And it’s in that blend of ideas that Fares and his team found their way to go further than their previous work.
“It’s about taking this to the next level, then the next level – what can we do to keep the players on their toes, keeping this, ‘What the f**k is going on?’ feeling and making sure that the pacing feels right. There’s always something around the corner that’s going to surprise you and delight you.”
Of course, this is a huge amount of work. Split Fiction feels as though it’s introducing new mechanics every 15 minutes, and jettisoning the old ones – but it can’t allow each new idea to feel half-baked.
“In Split Fiction, [there’s a section where you ride] dragons – just one of those dragons took, I think, eight months to create. And in the beginning of my career, a lot of the team members were like, ‘Why are we doing all this and you’re only playing it for like 10 minutes?’
“But here’s the thing. [In a] movie, if you have a great scene that cost a lot of money, you don’t reuse that scene because it cost a lot of money. I do feel sometimes that cool moments like that wouldn’t have been as cool if we just reused them all the time. There is [an idea] in video games that, just because something was very expensive, it needs to be reused. But why? Why do you have to reuse it? Because that takes away the actual feeling of when you first experienced it.”
Split Fiction takes that philosophy to its natural endpoint by including huge sections of totally optional content. It Takes Two included some mini-games along the way, but these sections (accessed through portals you’ll find along the way) go so much further.
“Here, it’s actually full-blown worlds with new mechanics, sometimes bosses, new visual worlds. It’s literally almost like a new game inside the game.”
It’s a truly brave approach to design, but Fares has been emboldened simply by the success this approach has brought. Millions of people bought his last two games, showing a desire for exactly what he’s doing.
Not that he’d change course, anyway:
“Well, here’s the thing – I’ve never adapted to anyone, even on Brothers. I really don’t care, to be honest. At Hazelight, we always do our vision. We’ve done it since the start. On Brothers, there was a lot of questioning. A Way Out, a lot of questioning. It Takes Two as well.
“Sure, there are fewer questions from the outside [now] – it doesn’t really matter. The game will always be the game that we want to do. The one thing I guarantee is that Hazelight will always be about passion, about making games that we love to make. We’ll never change.”
Fares won’t let on what Hazelight’s next game might be – and even if will continue the co-op form of its previous work – but Split Fiction proves that his team won’t be sitting still. I’m almost certain that, in a few years, Fares will be sitting down again and asking himself, “Did we actually do that?”
Embrace mind-blowing moments as you’re pulled deep into the many worlds of Split Fiction, a boundary-pushing co-op action adventure from the studio behind 2021 Game of the Year Winner, It Takes Two. Mio and Zoe are contrasting writers – one writes sci-fi and the other writes fantasy – who become trapped in their own stories after being hooked up to a machine designed to steal their creative ideas. They’ll have to rely on each other to break free with their memories in-tact, working together to master a variety of abilities and overcome diverse challenges while jumping between sci-fi and fantasy worlds in this unexpected tale of friendship.
Split Fiction is a unique action-adventure experience that keeps you on the edge of your couch with unexpected moments. One minute you’re taming adorable dragons and the next you’re fighting as cyber ninjas, escaping terrifying trolls, or dodging hover cars thrown by a robotic parking attendant. It’s weird, it’s wild, and it’s designed to be shared.
Grab your co-op partner and get ready to overcome any obstacle thrown your way.
• TRUE CO-OP ADVENTURE – This split-screen adventure is tailored for two. Experience co-op gameplay where you’ll have to coordinate your actions and timing as well as work together to overcome challenges. Invite a partner to join you for free, for cross-platform play, with the Friend’s Pass*. This wild ride comes to you from Hazelight, the co-op thrill-makers that brought you It Takes Two and A Way Out.
• UNPARALLELED VARIETY – Discover new mechanics and abilities in every level of your adventure, which will alternate between sci-fi and fantasy settings. Escape a sun that’s going supernova, challenge a monkey to a dance battle, try out some cool hoverboard tricks, fight an evil kitty, and ride everything from gravity bikes to a sandshark. Experience worlds that are entirely different from each other, unexpected new abilities, and a range of gameplay that includes platforming, stealth, puzzles, and more. There are surprises waiting for you and your partner in every new level.
• THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP – Mio and Zoe don’t get along at first, but soon enough they become each other’s only hopes. This journey will throw unexpected twists at them and if they want to make it through, they’ll need to have each other’s backs. They’ll encounter both bizarre situations as they traverse stories born from their own wild imaginations. Most importantly – they’ll face it all together.
*Friend’s Pass requires installation of the Friend’s Pass, persistent internet connection and applicable platform account. One user must own the full game in order for the co-op player to play the full game.
CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE www.ea.com/legal FOR DETAILS
It’s been a lifetime since I read George Orwell’s 1984 – a tale of mass surveillance, indoctrination and repression nowadays invoked to describe everything from Trump’s Twitter ban to Pizza Express telling you that jelly-beans aren’t a topping – but I will always remember how it combined role-playing with adventure gaming and brought the “detail of Riven into the real-time world of Quake“. Oh, forgive me, I’m actually remembering Big Brother, a video game sequel to Orwell’s book, which I have never played, because it never made it to shelves.
Online sleuths have just dug up and published an ancient E3 demo for this mysterious game. Here it be, and here be some footage for any unpersons concerned that downloading the files might get them shipped off to a joycamp by thinkpol.
With so many great games coming down the pipeline, now’s a great time to hop on the Xbox Game Pass bandwagon. If some titles joining the catalog this year have caught your eye and you’re itching to join in on the fun, we have good news: You can score some savings on a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership right now at Amazon, which is worth taking advantage of.
You can learn more about that deal, what’s coming soon to Game Pass, and the big releases still to come below.
Amazon’s offering three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $49.99. Considering the new price of Game Pass Ultimate is $19.99/month, you’re saving $9.98 with this three-month deal. That’s a nice little discount that allows you to enjoy the massive Game Pass library for less.
What’s Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass?
Game Pass has a nice rotation of new titles to play every month. If you’re curious about what’s in store for the start of March, we’ve got you covered. The Xbox Game Pass March wave 1 lineup is:
Balatro (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Out Now: Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Monster Train (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Out Now: Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Galacticare (Xbox Series X|S) – Out Now: Now with Game Pass Standard
One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, Console, PC) – March 6: Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Enter the Gungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 11: Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Mullet Madjack (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – March 13: Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
33 Immortals (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – March 18: Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Unfortunately, for those subscribing to the new Standard tier (available for $14.99/month), this does not give Game Pass users access to day one releases. This means that some big new releases on the platform, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, will not be available on that tier.
What Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass?
Unfortunately with new games joining the catalog it means a few must take their leave. Below, we’ve listed the games that’ll be leaving Xbox Game Pass on March 15.
Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza 5 Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Solar Ash (Cloud, Console, and PC)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The latest big release on the platform is Avowed. In our review, writer Travis Northup said, “Even if it doesn’t swing for the fences or leave a memorable mark on the genre, though, it’s still perfectly competent with all the tried-and-true stuff I expect, including chaotic combat, leveling systems and a loot progression that lets you build the kind of character you want to play, and meaningful decisions that can have a massive impact on the world.”
If you’re looking for even more savings on all things Xbox, have a look at our roundup of the best Xbox deals. There, we’ve highlighted all of the latest and greatest discounts on the platform, from incredible game deals to fantastic offers on high-quality headphones. Or, if you’d rather see what’s going on with other platforms, check out our roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Nintendo Switch deals, and our overall roundup of the best video game deals.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Earlier this week, Konami treated classic RPG fans to something special: a live stream dedicated entirely to Suikoden. The franchise has lacked a brand new entry since a Japanese and PSP-only side story over a decade ago, so expectations for what this would entail were all over the place. So it was with an unusual mix of feelings that fans met the announcements of a Suikoden anime (yay!), and a brand new Suikoden video game at last…for mobile (okay, sure!). With gacha mechanics (oh no!).
Let’s start with the anime, which is simply titled Suikoden: The Anime. It’s based on the events of Suikoden 2, and will be the first production of Konami animation. We didn’t really get to much of what it looks like just yet, nor did we learn any details about whether or not it will be easy to access outside of Japan. All we got was a brief scenery clip:
Still, that’s exciting news for Suikoden die-hards, and tentatively a cool entry point for Suikoden newcomers if the anime becomes widely available.
The second major announcement has fans feeling a little more conflicted. A brand new game, entitled Suikoden Star Leap, was announced, and it looks really beautiful, with that Octopath Traveler-style of 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds. It apparently takes place a few years before Suikoden 1 and a few years after Suikoden 5, and includes the traditional 108 characters just like the other Suikodens.
However, it’s getting released…on mobile. And for now, seemingly nothing else. That alone may not deter die-hard Suikoden fans, but we also learned that Star Leap will have gacha mechanics and some sort of ongoing monetization. It’s a rather disappointing inclusion for a game series that has historically existed only in premium games released on console and PC, but we’ll have to wait and see if the monetization decisions end up holding back players’ ability to enjoy the game or collect all 108 characters.
In the meantime, Suikoden fans can content themselves with the re-releases of Suikoden 1 and 2 via Suikoden I&II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. A new trailer for this collection was also shown during the live event, and it’s officially out tomorrow, March 6.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
SEGA has just released its latest financial report for Q3 of the current fiscal year, and the accompanying Q&A with company vice president Makoto Takahashi and director Nobuaki Yoshii gives a neat little insight about what the team has planned for the future (thanks, VGC).
With Season 2 kicking off and the start of the Tekken World Tour right around the corner, 2025 looks like it’s going to be another amazing year for fans of Bandai Namco’s legendary Tekken series. As one of the earliest fighting games on the original PlayStation, Tekken has a unique link to the consoles, with the series evolving its gameplay and narrative alongside the platforms. Let’s take a look back at the saga of the Mishima family and all the havoc they’ve caused throughout the years for PlayStation players.
Bloodline beginnings
The original Tekken was one of the first fighting games to debut on the original PlayStation, launching in early 1995 in Japan and in fall elsewhere. Besides introducing the diabolical Mishima family and establishing many of the series’ base mechanics, such as the four-attack-button control scheme, Tekken also set a new high watermark for future home ports. Up until this point, players were used to home ports of arcade games compromising for weaker hardware with downgraded visuals and sound and missing content. However, since Tekken’s arcade release was on advanced hardware very similar to the PlayStation, the port was arcade perfect. But Namco went the extra mile and added content not in the original: Ending movies, playable sub-boss characters, even a hidden unlockable character who would play a very big role in future games–that you’d need to master Galaga as the game loaded to discover.
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Tekken 2, which came to arcades in late 1995 surprised players by shifting the focus to the deposed patriarch and previous villain of the original Tekken, Heihachi Mishima, while also bringing in fresh faces Jun and Lei. It also introduced a wealth of additional characters that unlocked over time, encouraging players to come back and try out newly-debuted characters. In 1996, Namco brought the game to PlayStation with a port that was a marked improvement. Tekken 2’s PlayStation-exclusive CG intro movie and endings were stunning and established the series’ reputation for high-quality cutscenes. It also added new gameplay modes: Team Battle, Time Attack, Survival Mode, and a Practice Mode.
For many fans, Tekken 3 was their introduction to the series. It was both massively popular in arcades and a best-selling smash hit worldwide when it debuted on PlayStation in 1998. Moving the story ahead 20 years, the mantle of leading man switched to Jin Kazama, the son of Kazuya and Jun, and many returning characters were either older (though not always wiser) or replaced by a successor. New characters were introduced that would quickly become fan favorites going forwards, including Hwoarang, Bryan, Eddy, and Xiaoyu. To better take advantage of the 3D arenas, Tekken 3 added sidestep dodges for all characters to use. The PlayStation version added two gameplay modes: The sidescrolling beat-em-up style Tekken Force, and beloved party favorite Tekken Ball, as well as additional characters: Anna Williams, Dr. Bosconovich, and Tekken’s first-ever guest character, the tiny dinosaur Gon.
Vengeance, powered by Emotion Engines
When it came time to debut the PlayStation 2, it felt natural that a Tekken title would launch alongside it. Tekken Tag Tournament came to the console in 2000 with massively improved visuals over its arcade counterpart, showcasing the visual fidelity that players could come to expect from the PS2. TTT changed up combat the formula: rather than playing one character, you’d form a team of two fighters and be able to swap between them in battle. The roster was also significantly expanded to contain a host of characters from across the series, including pre-story-timeskip characters. Finally, we got another wild mini-game in the form of Tekken Bowl.
Tekken 4 would emerge a little over a year after TTT’s PS2 debut, reintroducing Kazuya to the story and changing gameplay up quite a bit. Previously, all stages in Tekken had been “infinite” stages with no set boundaries. Tekken 4 switched things up by introducing stages with uneven ground, walls, and other obstacles–which would bestow extra damage and combo opportunities when opponents were slammed against them. Movement was also adjusted, altering some popular movement strategies seen in T3 and TTT. Tekken 4 also emphasized the story to a greater degree than previous games: console additions were a full-fledged Story Mode as well as a greatly expanded Tekken Force sub-game.
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It would take a few more years before Tekken 5 would step into the ring. Picking up directly where Tekken 4 left off, with Heihachi Mishima seemingly dead and Jin’s devil side more prominent, Tekken 5 would become a fan favorite. Namco dialed back some of the movement and stage design changes of Tekken 4 in response to player feedback. Asuka, Feng, and Raven joined the roster, along with the ability to customize characters with cosmetic items earned and bought in-game. The original Tekken 5 would see a PS2 port, where the boss Jinpachi was made playable and Jin Kazama’s struggle took center stage in the action-based, story-driven Devil Within mode–along with playable ports of the arcade Tekken 1, 2, and 3. This wouldn’t be the last we’d see of Tekken 5, however.
Devils emerging from a CELL
A 2006 arcade revision of Tekken 5, Dark Resurrection, would introduce players to combatants Lili and Dragunov, change up some visuals, and further fine-tune the gameplay. The first port of Dark Resurrection would actually come to the PSP in mid-2006, bringing with it the new Tekken Dojo mode, which let players share AI-controlled “ghosts” of their gameplay online for others to download and battle against. While the game was well received on PSP, players still wanted a console version, so some months later T5DR was made a downloadable game on the PlayStation Network. An update would follow in mid-2007 allowing for online matches to be played. To this day, T5DR is one of the most beloved Tekken titles among fans.
Later that year, Tekken 6 would emerge in arcades, introducing new faces Bob, Zafina, Leo, and Miguel. Things were now getting wildly out of hand among the Mishimas, with Jin and Kazuya both in control of massive corporations waging all-out-war against each other and Heihachi unaccounted for. Bloodline Rebellion, a late 2008 update, would further complicate the family struggle by introducing Heihachi’s forgotten son Lars and weapon-wielding mecha-maiden Alisa to combat. Gameplay additions include the Rage mechanic–where players deal more damage when at low life–as well as the combo-extending Bound system and interactive background elements like breakable walls and floors.
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The PS3 version, based heavily on Bloodline Rebellion, released in 2009 and featured the biggest story mode yet in the form of Scenario Campaign. It followed the duo of Lars and Alisa as they lead a band of rebels against the Tekken Force and the Mishima Zaibatsu. Tekken 6 also released on the PSP, and while it lacked the Scenario Campaign, it did offer some of the best visuals on the platform and ad-hoc multiplayer.
It would be a few years before Tekken’s return, and in the meantime, Bandai-Namco released Tekken Hybrid in 2011. This set offered an HD remaster of Tekken Tag Tournament with an original CG film, Tekken: Blood Vengeance, and a demo of the then-new arcade title Tekken Tag Tournament 2. True to its title, TTT2 brought back the tag-match gameplay and expanded the selectable roster. The PS3 port, which launched in late 2012, added several legacy characters, a new stage and music track from famed musician Snoop Dogg, CG ending cinematics for the whole cast, and some additional cast members and character variants.
Another interesting spin-off emerged after TTT2: Tekken Revolution, a free-to-play version of Tekken focused on online matches. By playing, players could earn in-game currency to unlock further characters, as well as use earned Skill Points to enhance character attributes. Tekken Revolution received frequent updates to add characters and gameplay features throughout its life, eventually ending service in 2017.
The struggle continues
Tekken 7 took its time coming to the PlayStation 4, finally reaching players in 2017, two years after its arcade release. During that time, arcade Tekken 7 received updates–including Fated Retribution, which famously brought Street Fighter’s Akuma into the roster. He wasn’t alone, however–Lucky Chloe, Josie, Katarina, Claudio, and Shaheen all joined the fray as well, alongside several new stages and system changes. Taking into account some of the feedback from Tekken Revolution, T6’s bounds were adjusted and reduced, being supplanted by new screw combo starters. The Rage system was further developed as well, creating new Rage Drive and Rage Art skills that could be used at low health–but only once per round, and at the cost of Rage’s damage boost.
Upon reaching the PS4, Tekken 7 received a console-exclusive, lengthy story mode–but, perhaps more importantly, it was given a full slate of DLC updates for years afterwards, tweaking character skills and adding plenty of new stages, music, and characters over time. Besides re-introducing old favorites left out of the original roster, the Tekken 7 DLC also brought in new characters Leroy and Lidia–and, most memorably, several additional surprise guest characters: Geese Howard from Fatal Fury, Noctis from Final Fantasy XV, and Neegan from The Walking Dead.
As Tekken 8 marked its first anniversary on PS5 this past January, fans can look forward to plenty of further surprises. Season 2 of DLC promises that even more new, beloved, and unexpected characters will be joining the roster, and the most recent free story update leaves off on a cliffhanger that promises yet more high-stakes inter-family drama between the Mishimas in the future.
