A very recent addition to the RPS best gaming monitor list has shed some cash in the Black Friday – and happily, it was already pretty good value to begin with. MSI’s MAG 274UPF doesn’t skimp on picture quality, despite having one of the lower RRPs for a 4K monitor, and now that it’s dropped to £449 / $380, it’s an even better proposal to PC owners who are as sensitive to expenditure as they are hungry for pixels.
Tyrannosaurus Rekt?
Whilst there’s absolutely no doubt as to the continued popularity of the Jurassic Park/World franchise in 2023, the Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection from Limited Run Games, which features a total of seven titles from the 8- and 16-bit eras exclusively, is a bit of a lacklustre offering for eager dino fans, one that focuses on a selection of titles that don’t particularly stand up very well to any sort of scrutiny 30 years down the line.
Yes, that’s right. 30 years. 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Steven Spielberg’s blockbusting dino-spectacular, a film that had the 15-year-old version of this particular writer busy cutting out hundreds of pictures of half-naked Jeff Goldblum from movie magazines, collecting any and all related dino tat, and developing an unhealthy obsession with how plausible it would be to fight and defeat a raptor barehanded (we were also very good at mimicking the mating call of a Gallimimus, but perhaps that’s a story for another time).
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
We’re already deep into Black Friday, and the Black Friday PS5 deals this year have been the best we’ve ever seen. The most popular Black Friday games deals of this year have been, without a doubt, the new PS5 Slim bundles. It costs $499.99, and as previously anticipated, this new PS5 slim bundle will feature Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or Spider-Man 2 at no additional charge; offering potential buyers savings of $70 compared to purchasing the items separately. For those interested, you can see the new Call of Duty bundle listed at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and other notable retailers.
Or, for those of you who would prefer to play as Spidey instead, Amazon also currently has the new slim PS5 Spider-Man 2 bundle for only $499.99. You can also consider the 2020 model PS5 Spider-Man 2 bundle instead if that’s your preference. Heads up, as well, the slim model’s new optional PS5 disc drive needs to connect to the internet to pair it to a console. It also comes with 1TB storage — up from 825GB in the original versions of the console.
Buyers should consider all of these a Black Friday deal since it includes a console and a new game at a discount price of $499.99. Remember, if you don’t want either game included in the bundles, you can also just sell on the digital code for additional savings. However, if you’re looking for more deals on Call of Duty products, head over to the IGN Store to see our Call of Duty collection.
In other Black Friday news, DualSense Controllers have once again dropped to its sale price of $49.99 (see here), a reasonable $20-$25 discount depending on which color variant you choose. Amazon is also putting on some early deals, with its latest Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale that includes a whole bunch of PlayStation games like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6, and a slew of others. But, these new PS5 bundles will still likely be the biggest offering this week for PlayStation fans.
If you’re looking to save big on games this year, the full Walmart Black Friday sale kicks off today, but you can find tons of video game deals live right this second.
If you’ve been following the PlayStation 5 since it was first announced, you know there have always been two versions available: a more expensive console with a 4K Blu-ray drive included, and a more affordable model that eschews the disk drive for a purely-digital experience. The new Slim version of the digital PS5 console offers the best of both worlds, being less expensive while offering you the opportunity to upgrade with an add-on disk drive later on (if you want).
The thing is, we haven’t seen the PS5 Slim Digital online for sale yet. When the original PS5 launched, it was the same story. Everyone wanted the cheaper, digital edition, but it was nowhere to be found, making up less than 1% of the total number of PS5s ordered through our articles. If you’re looking for the PS5 Slim Digital, obvioulsy you should be following IGNDeals on Twitter, but the best advice is to just buy one of the PS5 Slim disk editions, as the price is now $50 more and you’re more likely to actually, you know, find one.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Mimimi Games have announced two chunky Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew DLC expansions – the German strategy game studio’s final releases, before they close their doors for good. Both are down to launch on 6th December, and will add “several hours” of stuff to the sneaky sea-dog simulator.
It’s no secret that Microsoft has lost the console war, but the scale of Xbox’s collapse in Europe in particular is stark.
According to fresh data reported by GI.biz, Sony’s PlayStation 5 is “comfortably” number one in Europe, with sales up an incredible 143% over October last year. The near seven-year-old Nintendo Switch is second despite a 20% drop in sales year-on-year. But the Xbox Series X and S have seen a whopping 52% drop in sales.
Even month-on-month comparisons are tough for Xbox. PS5 sales are up 11% in October compared to September, Switch sales are up 10%, and Xbox sales are down just under 20%. GI.biz noted that Xbox’s big exclusive Starfield launched in September, whereas PlayStation had Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Nintendo had Super Mario Bros. Wonder in October. Both games broke sales records.
So, why does Xbox Series X and S continue to struggle in Europe? What’s caused such a dramatic console sales collapse? There are a number of theories. Speaking to IGN for a follow-up, GI.biz head of games B2B Chris Dring painted a grim picture of Xbox’s fortunes across Europe.
“The sheer absence of available console stock last year does skew these figures quite a bit,” he said. “And it’s worth noting that Eurozone countries have never been Xbox’s strongest territories. They revealed back in February they only hold 20% of the market versus PlayStation’s 80%.
“However, even in the UK, which is a market where Xbox is a lot more competitive it’s been a tough year, with Xbox Series S and X sales down 23% year-to-date. The reality is the console has very little momentum, which is such a crucial element when it comes to how successful a generation is or isn’t for a platform holder.”
One issue often cited by gamers is Xbox’s lack of big-hitting exclusives. While Starfield launched in September and hit 10 million players in less than three weeks, it does not appear to have moved the needle in terms of console sales.
By Microsoft’s own admission it hasn’t done a good enough job pumping out first-party hits. 343’s Halo Infinite, which launched a year late in November 2021, was a big disappointment. Arkane’s Redfall was a disaster it’s still struggling to recover from. Smaller scale games, such as Tango Gameworks’ superb Hi-Fi Rush and Obsidian’s excellent Pentiment, were critically acclaimed but not system sellers.
“The lack of big exclusives are often cited for why this has happened, and some of the big games like Halo: Infinite didn’t provide the boost you might expect,” Dring continued. “A lot of unreasonable pressure was put on Starfield, and it did cause some sales improvement, but it hasn’t been sustained.”
While Game Pass is considered a good deal for gamers, it’s having a clear impact on Xbox game sales and potentially even sales of the console. Bethesda released Starfield on Xbox Series X and S and on PC on the same day and straight into Game Pass, for example. It seems likely this strategy, which is in direct opposition to Sony’s insistence on launching PC versions of its PlayStation exclusives years after they come out on console, is limiting Microsoft’s ability to shift hardware.
Xbox Series X and S appear to have hit a wall just three years into their life, which is obviously a big problem for Phil Spencer and his Xbox leadership team. But what can be done? After Microsoft’s incredibly $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, it seems likely Game Pass in particular will become an even more compelling subscription service. But it will take some time for the behemoth publisher to integrate itself into the Microsoft machine, and executives have indicated games such as Blizzard’s Diablo 4 and Activision’s Modern Warfare 3 won’t hit Game Pass until some point in 2024 at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is working to get more first-party games out the door, which it has said will occur more regularly from 2024. Xbox has an army of owned studios beavering away and exclusives. Forza Horizon studio Playground is making a new Fable. Fellow UK studio Ninja Theory is making Hellblade 2. Obsidian is making Avowed. A Perfect Dark reboot is in the works, although it’s still years away. Then there’s all the new games coming from Bethesda, including an Indiana Jones game from Wolfenstien developer MachineGames.
While the launch of these games may help boost Xbox console sales, Dring believes Microsoft will continue its shift away from being too focused on the console, with more energy being spent on PC and mobile. Its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is as much about taking control of King, which publishes $20 billion mobile money-spinner Candy Crush Saga, as it is Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.
“PC and mobile are dominant platforms across Europe, and will be a more effective avenue for Xbox to reach players in these markets,” Dring said. “With its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it is now one of Europe’s most powerful games companies, just in a different way.”
According to leaked documents, Microsoft plans to launch mid-gen refreshes of both the Xbox Series X and S at some point in 2024. The upgraded Series X console is codenamed Brooklin and is digital-only, similar to the current Xbox Series S. The Xbox Series S mid-gen refresh is codenamed Ellewood.
Will these mid-gen refresh consoles prove to be a much-needed shot in the arm for Xbox? Xbox desperately needs momentum in order to stop the rot. With Activision Blizzard in tow, Microsoft’s gaming ambitions are significantly stronger. But it may not be until 2028, when Microsoft is reportedly set to launch its next-generation console, before Xbox makes its console comeback.
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.
The Xmas season approaches, but for some of us, Halloween never ends. I’ve just finished (well, reached a grisly end within) the demo for Chiyo, a first-person horror game from Nimbus Games, set in Edo era Japan, in which you are a plucky young mystic sent by the Tokugawa Shogunate’s Magical Arcane Division to investigate and cleanse a spooky abandoned mansion on the coast.
Much like the protagonist of fellow Japan-set exor-simulator Ghostwire: Tokyo, you have a brace of occult, gesture-based powers with which to explore and, hopefully, vanquish any lurking spirits, but so far, the only ones I’ve gotten access to are a funky finger torch, the ability to unseal cursed doors, and the ability to see glowing puzzle props through surfaces. I very much do not feel like an Edo era John Constantine. I don’t even feel like an Edo era Scooby Doo. I mean, at least he was good at running away: the titular Chiyo waddles about like she’s worried her trousers are about to fall down.
Blizzard Entertainment has made its action role-playing game Diablo 4 free-to-play on Steam for a week.
Steam users can download and trial the game until November 28 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK. Diablo 4 launched first in June on PC via Blizzard’s own Battle.net, where it remains a premium game. It’s also on PlayStation and Xbox.
The free-to play period lets users play Diablo 4 up to level 20, which equates to around eight hours of gameplay. Blizzard will likely be hoping those who get there will be tempted by the game’s 40% off price-tag in the Steam Autumn Sale, which also ends November 28.
Those sales would only add to the already record-breaking popularity of Diablo 4, which is Blizzard’s fastest-selling game of all time with more than 10 million players. However, Diablo 4 has suffered some ups and downs due to controversial updates and aggressive monetisation. Blizzard has pushed on and continues to regularly update Diablo 4 with patches and new content via seasons. Diablo 4’s first expansion, called Vessel of Hatred, is due out late 2024.
In our 9/10 review of the game, IGN said: “Diablo 4 is a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Who you gonna call?
It has only been a few weeks since the 4v1 co-op title Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed slimed its way onto Switch and now developer Illfonic has brought a brand-new update our way, one that makes it even easier to team up with your pals.
Yes, ver. 1.7.1 introduces crossplay to the Switch version of the game, so your ghost-busting gang can now be recruited regardless of their console.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Worldless is a game driven by its unique approach to combat and exploration – and part of that unique nature is that it makes it impossible to die at any point – but without losing a sense of challenge throughout. Let me explain how we achieved that.
The combat of Worldless is a complex merge of the classic turn-based format with a high emphasis on action systems, pattern recognition and attack variety. A system with this much diversity and complexity requires constant engagement between the player and the game mechanics, and it can be hard to get to grips with it all – but once that penny drops, and all the systems click together it can lead to some extremely satisfying results. To encourage the player to continue trying, gel with the systems, and to not give up due to consistent “deaths” or “game overs” we opted to provide the player with what we feel is a better, less expected solution.
Things start simple, allowing the player to get familiar with the basics – but later, the game demands these basics are properly executed in unison to take down the more advanced enemies. We wanted to properly reward players, and we have done this by allowing every enemy to be “absorbed”. Achieving an absorption provides players with skill points to further develop their abilities in Worldless, but we didn’t want things to be frustrating when it comes to unlocking new abilities. Therefore, even if you defeat an enemy without absorbing them by mistake, they can be instantly refought to absorb their powers in a fresh encounter. Nothing is missable in the game.
At the same time, most of the encounters offer some level of complexity on how to correctly execute them to gain a new skill, and optional and later bosses can be very challenging. Taking that into account, we wanted to avoid frustration, and so if you lose an encounter, you are simply pushed back and can re-enter the fight seamlessly. This system allowed us to go all-out designing optional content with high levels of complexity, knowing that the player will keep learning the more they try, and eventually evolve in a way where a seemingly hard enemy encounter becomes a walk in the park.
We took the same approach with the exploration of Worldless. Rather than fall into a hazard and be faced with a game over screen, we simply reset the player to their last “safe” position. At first, the platforming is as simple as a horizontal jump but slowly, as the game ramps up, we added in various hazards, dash resets, and swinging points. We felt it’d be really infuriating for the player to “fail” on a platforming segment and be greeted with a loading screen or a “game over” so, much like our combat system, we reset the player and allow them to try again almost instantly. The whole idea of having no “game over” truly allowed us to be flexible in our choices and I think that’s evident in how crazy we can get with the combat encounters.
With Worldless being built upon pattern recognition, a good variety in enemy design was necessary to keep each encounter feeling fresh and challenging and with that came needs for various combat actions and mechanics. All the actions in Worldless have a purpose or a use-case and are heavily balanced to make their correct use very significant.
Some actions deal more damage and can open enemies to a vulnerable state, and others deal high amounts of absorption damage to obtain new skill points. The latter are most useful once the enemy is put in this vulnerable state. This is accomplished by breaking a series of “blocks” represented with icons of specific types of damage. The main combat loop is to identify these “blocks”, break them by using the proper high damage actions, and then go all out using the attacks with highest absorption damage.
But then again, this is turn-based, so when your offensive window ends, it is the enemies’ chance to obstruct your progress in the fight. Taking damage will deplete the absorption bar, and enemies can attack in multiple ways, making the moment very intense and highly rewarding good reactions and pattern recognition.
To make the defensive turn as exciting as possible, there are ways to even gain buffs for your next offense – by timing your inputs perfectly, you can perform “perfect guards” that can interrupt enemy actions with counterattacks and much more. This makes the defensive turn an active one,, not just a case of trying not to get defeated.
Worldless’ combat system is a unique one. It takes some adaptation, but the game will not penalise you for failure and in fact does the contrary – it treats failure as a growing process. By allowing you to instantly retry, you’ll see the benefits of getting familiar not only with the basic mechanics, but the endless possible combinations of later game skills. The skill ceiling is very high, and when reached, it feels amazing.
Worldless is out now, playable on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Coatsink
In this 2D active, turn-based, platformer, players will explore intricate and interconnected areas full of secrets and mysteries to uncover with a plethora of abilities like dashing and wall-jumps.
Along the way you will encounter different beings that aim to stop you as you seek to find your place in this universe. Using turn-based rules, fights combine traditional combat with active time actions for a thrilling and strategic combat where your knowledge of game mechanics and skills will be put to the test.
Establish Yourself
– Uncover unimaginable possibilities – Jump and dash your way through abstract areas in pursuit of transcendence.
Grow to Survive
– Upgrade your abilities through an intricate and rewarding talent tree
– Ready yourself – Engage in active time, turn-based battles, and time your attacks and defences perfectly to shatter your enemies.
Immerse yourself
– Indulgent Melodies – Connect to the areas of Worldless on a deeper level with a haunting yet beautiful score.
– Cherish the moment – Define the world and challenge its secrets in a mysterious and enchanting narrative.
The post Worldless: Making a Game That Won’t Allow You To Die appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Underwater survival series Subnautica is set to see a new game come out during the first half of 2025. That’s according to Krafton, the company behind battle royale PUBG and owner of Subnautica after buying developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment in 2021.
Subnautica is a hugely successful indie game that first emerged in 2018, then saw a follow-up, dubbed Below Zero, in 2021. IGN’s Subnautica review returned a 9/10. We said: “Subnautica’s a survival game with focus and an excellent sci-fi story, but its greatest achievement is its underwater horror.” We were equally impressed with Below Zero: “Subnautica: Below Zero is a leaner, meaner standalone expansion to Subnautica that improves on the story and mechanics, but doesn’t give us as much room to explore,” we said.
Mention of the next game comes as part of a Krafton financial report, spotted by RPS, that lists “the next Subnautica” targeting a “1H25” launch, meaning the first half of 2025. That’s all we know, but it’s good to see Subnautica is still alive deep within the bowels of Unknown Worlds.
Krafton, meanwhile, is making waves in its bid to expand beyond the cash cow that is PUBG. While it works on a PUBG extraction shooter called Project Black Budget, it’s got an “action adventure sandbox” codenamed Project Gold Rush from Vector North, Dark and Darker Mobile due out next year, hyper-realistic Sims-alike inZoi, and a 2026 game codenamed Project Windless.
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.
