Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora is an ambitious, but potentially alienating open world jaw-dropper

Back in June, when our Ed got a 30-minute hands-off glimpse of Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora, he had suspicions that Ubisoft’s next big open world-athon was hiding some dark, terrible secret beneath the surface. It was almost too good, and too lovely-looking to be completely true, he proposed, and the brief tour of this rather enormous-looking game wasn’t quite long enough to really dig beneath the surface to see if Ubisoft’s lofty promises would hold up to closer scrutiny.

Now, just over a month from release, I’ve finally been able to put it under a proper microscope, playing two hours of the thing from around the 25% mark of its campaign. And it really is as visually impressive as Ed suggested all those months ago. At long last, this is a game that looks and feels like an actual “next-gen” blockbuster (or as much as a game can, at least, when we’re already several years into the current generation cycle). But Ed was also right to feel a wee bit suspicious of Frontiers Of Pandora. Perhaps not in the way he expected, but enough that I heard the same thing being muttered over and over again by almost everyone at the end of my preview session at Ubisoft’s UK offices: “I can’t work out where the heck I’m meant to be going, or what I’m supposed to do.”

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Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link Mobile Game Gets Teaser Trailer and Release Window

The Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link mobile game has received a teaser trailer from Square Enix alongside an iOS and Android release window of 2024.

The trailer gives fans a sneak preview of the story, which centers on the player character traveling to Scala ad Caelum in the astral plane sometime after the events of Kingdom Hearts Union χ, and a new gameplay mechanic that involves traveling throughout the world without setting foot outside your home and collecting character pieces that grant you specific powers.

Square Enix is also recruiting testers from Australia and the UK for the closed beta test of Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link, which will begin next month. There are only 3,000 spots open, however, with an even split between Android and iOS owners.

Those who want to participate in the closed beta have until November 19 to apply on the game’s website. The testing period for the iOS version runs from November 29 through December 8, while testing for the Android version is scheduled for January 2024.

Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link was announced alongside Kingdom Hearts 4 at the series’ 20th Anniversary event in 2022, with Square Enix describing the game’s story as taking place in “an unwritten era”. The characters roaming around Scala ad Caelum and the societies they were a part of have long been forgotten, and the game’s era serves as a missing link between the Union χ era and the current one.

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.

Join us for our Starfield RPS Game Club liveblog this Friday, November 3rd

As the end of October approaches, it’s time to gather in the RPS Game Club space port to talk about this month’s game pick: Starfield! We’ll be assembling in our traditional liveblog format on Friday November 3rd at 4pm GMT (9am PT/12pm ET) to chat about our intergalactic adventures, catalogue all the grey rocks we’ve landed on, and generally have an earnest (and hopefully fun!) chinwag about Bethesda’s latest. So come along with your favourite biscuits and beverages as we discuss all things Starfield.

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Games for Gaza bundle raises $200,000 for Medical Aid For Palestinians

An Itch.io game bundle launched to fund medical services and support for Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and Lebanon has raised $200,000 in five days. Organised by Esther Wallace of Oak Grove Games, and due to run till 9th November 2023, the Games for Gaza bundle includes 256 videogames, physical games, assets, soundtracks and books from 140 designers for $10, with all proceeds going to the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians.

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Review: Song Of Nunu: A League Of Legends Story – A Tightly-Paced Tune With Echoes Of Old-School Zelda

Walking in a winter wonderland.

It’s been a busy year for Riot’s new Forge publishing arm, aimed at expanding its League of Legends Runeterra universe in games beyond the popular MOBA. In April, we got The Mageseeker, a hi-bit brawler set in the austere kingdom of Demacia, and in June, we got Convergence, a traditional Metroidvania set in the seedy depths of the city of Zaun. To finish out the year, the company has now published Song of Nunu, a narrative action game developed by Tequila Works, which previously developed RiME back in the early days of the Switch library. We’re pleased to report that Song of Nunu is yet another strong addition to the Runeterra universe, expertly combining a gripping narrative with enjoyable gameplay.

Song of Nunu is set in the Freljord, a harsh, frigid, mountainous region in the north of Runeterra, and follows the adventures of an energetic young boy named Nunu and his affable yeti friend, Willump. Nunu’s mother has gone missing since his camp was attacked by raiders and he keeps having dreams where she tells him to find “The Heart of the Blue” at the Winged Mountain. Aided by Willump’s strength, Nunu sets out on a quest to reach the mountain, where he expects to find some answers about what happened to his mother and hopes to be reunited with her. All the while, however, the two are unknowingly pursued by a dangerous ice witch named Lissandra, who wishes to use Willump’s unique powers to help her fight back against a shadowy force that threatens the whole Freljord.

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The Best PS5 SSD Deals (October 2023): 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $100

2023 is finally the year where 2TB PS5 SSD upgrades are actually worth the price. Last year, prices for 1TB PS5 SSDs averaged around $150, whereas 2TB SSDs hovered closer to $300. This year, we’re seeing 1TB SSDs trickle below the $70 price point and 2TB SSDs can drop to $100 or lower (like this Crucial P5 Plus 2TB SSD for $99.74). Note that you can’t use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive.

TL;DR – The Best PS5 SSD Deals Right Now

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2023, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

Crucial P5 Plus 2TB SSD for $99.74

Clip the $5.25 off coupon on the product page to get this price. The Crucial P5 Plus meets all the requirements for your PS5 SSD upgrade. It supports transfer speeds of up to 6,660MB/s which is well above the 5,500MB/s minimum threshold. Yes there are faster SSDs out there, but if your intention is to put this in your PS5, then that extra speed is worthless because you’re bottlenecked by the original PS5 SSD. If you’re worried about opening up your PS5 case, don’t worry it’s very easy. Crucial has an official YouTube PS5 SSD install guide.

Silicon Power 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $104.97

The Silicon Power XS70 SSD with a preinstalled robust aluminum heatsink costs about $100. The aluminum heatsink is still slim enough to fit in the PS5 without obstruction. It boasts transfer speeds of up to 7300MB/s read and 6800MB/s write, comfortably faster than the 5500MB/s minimum recommended requirement. It actually performs a little better than the Crucial P5 Plus, the original WD Black SN850, and the Samsung 980 Pro, although that won’t make a difference in your PS5.

Adata Legend Max 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $119.99

The “Legend” is Adata’s newest lineup of high-speed PS5-compatible SSDs, replacing the XPG Gammix S70 Blade and the Adata Premium. The “Max” in the name means that this model has a preinstalled heatsink that’s slim enough to fit in the PS5 drive bay. This is one of the faster SSDs on the market with read speeds of up to 7400MBps and write speeds of up to 6800MBps.

Samsung 980 Pro 2TB M.2 SSD with Heatsink $129.99

Samsung SSDs need no introduction. They’ve made some of the most popular and reliable PS5 SSDs on the market. The 980 Pro has been out for a long time, way back in January of 2020. A testament to its reliability is the fact that Samsung didn’t feel any need to release any newer flagship model until only this year. In terms of performance, it’s no longer the fastest SSD on the market (the 990 Pro is), but it’s still a very fast drive. It certainly more than meets the minimum 5600MB/s speed requirement to be used as a PS5 storage upgrade, with speeds of up to 7,100MB/s.

Nextorage 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $129.99

There’s an interesting story behind this drive. Nextorage was actually originally created by Sony as an SSD division catered to the PS5 console. For whatever reason, Sony decided to ditch that idea and sold this business to another stakeholder in the company, Phison (they make memory controllers found in SSDs from Seagate, Corsair, and Sabrent, and more). Phison eventually accomplished the goal of releasing an SSD catered specifically for the PS5 console in the form of this product right here.

WD Black SN850p 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $149.99

WD is the only brand that sells an officially licensed PS5 SSD. The SN850P is physically the same SSD as the SN850X, which is the latest generation of WD’s flagship Black series M.2 SSDs. The SN850P’s upgrades over the SN850 include newer flash chips (BiCS5 vs BiCS4) and an updated firmware, both of which offer improved sequential and random read/write speeds. It’s easily one of the fastest SSDs on the market.

Corsair MP600 PRO 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink $124.99

Corsair is a very well known brand for DIY PC builders. Corsair makes some of the best gaming products on the market, and that includes solid-state memory like RAM and SSDs. The MP600 Pro is Corsair’s fastest M.2 SSD and the “LPX” model is “optimized for PS5” because it includes a rugged preinstalled heatsink that is slim enough to fit in the PS5 bay without any issues. We like this RAM so much, we rated it the best PS5 SSD for 2023.

Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $144.99

The Samsung 990 Pro is an excellent SSD for your PS5. From a purely performance perspective, it’s overkill; the stock SSD in your PS5 will be the limiting factor. You’ll want to pick up an PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive with a rated 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive and the 990 Pro is much faster. However, at the current price point, this SSD is cheaper than many slower options, so you might as well get it anyways.

What if the SSD Doesn’t Include a Heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn’t include one, it’s simple enough to buy one for $9 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

Budget to Best: PS5 SSDs

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we’ve tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, in case you don’t need additional storage for your PS5 console.

How To Install a New PS5 SSD

It’s extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. You don’t even put it back when you’re done. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

Starfield’s zero-G gunfights are a rare treat, but I do enjoy them

Apologies to the chief, but there’s a not-entirely-accurate bit in Katharine’s post announcing Starfield as October’s RPS Game Club game. I, of the RPS Treehouse, do truly love Starfield, and have only been quiet about it because admitting you enjoy The Grey Bethesda Game but couldn’t get into Baldur’s Gate 3 or Elden Ring feels a bit like going to the Savoy Grill and only ordering chips. No one will ask you to leave, but they’ll probably start questioning your judgement.

But dammit, I like chips, and I like Starfield! I like its roving space captain fantasy, I like its utilitarian aesthetic, and I like how its click-clacking guns sound like extremely violent mechanical keyboards. Especially if I get to fire them at floating pirates, while I’m also floating, and said firing punts me upwards into a ceiling.

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FromSoftware Recruitment Drive Suggests Major Expansion of Elden Ring and Dark Souls Developer

A recruiting drive at FromSoftware suggests a major expansion of the Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne developer is underway.

As reported by IGN Japan, FromSoftware is currently recruiting employees across several departments as it works on “several new projects”. The developer currently has no announced games in development beyond the Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree, however, and FromSoftware didn’t share anything more in the job advertisements either.

Roles are available in game planning, research and development, programming, character design, background design, cinematic art, motion design, production, sound design, and more than a dozen other departments, certainly suggesting FromSoftware is looking to expand its development capabilities.

Fans have been calling for new entries in its most famous franchise for years now, of course, with sequels to Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne perhaps the most sought after new games. FromSoftware last released a Dark Souls game, the franchise that properly put it on the map, in 2016, while Bloodborne is fast approaching its ten year anniversary after launching in March 2014.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice also set up a sequel, but these games releasing as solo entries proves FromSoftware isn’t afraid to create brand new franchises. Those who enjoy the tough as nails action role-playing games will therefore just have to wait and see what the developer announces next.

Shadow of the Erdtree currently lacks a release date, with FromSoftware only sharing a handful of concept art images for the expansion when it announced it in February. It more recently released Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon in August, which earned an 8/10 in IGN’s review.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

The Great Below is an Inscryption-style horror game that could be a metaphor for nuclear waste disposal

Some people sing the praises of “visceral” games. Others extol the virtues of “immersive” games. Me, I’m increasingly drawn to “perverse” games. No, not like that. Well, not entirely like that. I mean “perverse” more straightforwardly as in deliberately awkward and unreceptive in their core design, almost self-defeating in a way that has you saying “WTF?” and hankering to know more.

Take The Great Below, a new horror… thingmabob from Porto, Portugal-based Dobra Studios. It’s about exploring a strange house full of dreadful paintings in the dark. It’s a 3D game with keyboard move-look controls, but the twist is that you can only move around while looking at a 2D map, with your position marked as a pair of footprints.

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UK Charts: Mario Wonder Jumps Ahead Of Spider-Man 2 And Takes The Top Spot

The race continues.

This week’s UK boxed charts are in and it has once again been a tight competition at the top of the pack.

Despite picking up the silver medal in its debut chart appearance, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has managed to jump ahead of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 this time around and lands in first place. As word continues to spread, we can see the Flower Kingdom’s latest sticking around in the charts for a while.

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