When, in town building simulation Manor Lords, you erect your first manor, it feels natural to place it in the center of your humble 14th century European settlement. It presents as a locus of power, where your character avatar resides. Also, it’s right there in the title. I built mine down a side road, between oxen posts and granaries, for no real reason but free space. The more I play, the more it feels a fitting place. Not sidelined, exactly, just not especially loud. I need the taxes it brings to pay mercenaries to see off bandits, but lords – their whims and ambitions – don’t set the tone here. Parchment and seals aren’t as important as tilled earth; as winter snow, spring thaws and autumn harvests. So, despite the title, this sedate, curious, and intricate sim isn’t really about lords, nor manors. Not half as much, anyway, as it is about manure.
Publisher Wired Productions and developer KeokeN Interactive have announced that the sci-fi thriller Deliver Us the Moon will be making one giant leap onto Switch later this year.
If the name rings a bell, that might be because Deliver Us the Moon was initially announced for the Nintendo hybrid back in 2020. This port was unfortunately cancelled shortly after the game’s release on Xbox One and PS4 with the publisher citing the “industry-wide stresses that have been felt by the Covid-19 pandemic” as one of the key reasons.
The 3D platformer Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is set to release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2024. The game follows Mickey Mouse through the world of old Disney characters called Wasteland. You’ll meet creatures such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who is Walt Disney’s first creation, and experience different levels—all with the help of your magic brush. Paint creates the setting, while thinner changes the world. It’s up for preorder now at all the usual retailers, so read on for the details.
The standard version retails at $59.99 and is scheduled to be released by the end of this year.
What is Epic Mickey: Rebrushed?
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a dedication to Walt Disney and his legacy. It takes you through the magical world of Wasteland, filled with forgotten Disney characters. You’ll see advanced movements from Mickey, such as sprinting, dashing, and ground pounding. Every choice you make will result in Wasteland’s destiny towards restored peace and beauty.
Armadillos, the grumpy pistachio nuts of the animal kingdom, have been added to Minecraft in a recent mob update. You can brush them to harvest “scutes”, the boney armour plating of the animal’s back, which you can then use to craft armour for pet wolves. Speaking of wolves, this update also sees an explosion in canine diversity, with eight varieties of the wolf now appearing across different biomes. Awoooooo!
Helldivers 2’s current Major Order to successfully defend 10 planets across Terminid and Automaton space has put Hellmire in the firing line once again, and it looks like players would really rather not have to deal with it.
For the uninitiated, Arrowhead’s explosive third-person co-op shooter tasks the Helldivers 2 community with completing various challenges as part of the ongoing Galactic War, a meta narrative driven by Game Master Joel.
Amid this latest Major Order, which looks increasingly likely to fail, players are faced with dropping onto perhaps the most-hated planet in the game right now: the appropriately named Hellmire.
Hellmire suffers from a near-constant cycle of fires, which cause players a number of problems, not least because fire damage is currently doing an extreme amount of damage to friend and foe alike. Arrowhead has admitted fire damage is “ridiculous” and confirmed a complete overhaul is in the works, but for now, Hellmire is lethal just to be on, let alone deal with the Terminids, too.
The hate for Hellmire has become so extreme that some players are even suggesting it makes no in-universe sense for either the Terminds or the forces of Super Earth to want to claim the planet, given the rampant fire tornados. Redditor Elgescher adds that players may have Hellmire fatigue, given this is the latest in a string of liberations on the planet. “I’m done with this planet,” they said, “can’t we just blow it up already?”
Helldivers 2 displays active player numbers on a per planet basis, and it’s true that Hellmire has one of the lower player counts, but it’s not alone in that. It seems the more easy-going Estanu is currently attracting more players than any other planet.
The issue around Hellmire taps into an emerging push and pull between Helldivers 2’s Galactic War-focused hardcore community, and casual players who like to play on planets and against enemies they enjoy and little else. Arrowhead itself has said it can only do so much to help the core community complete Major Orders that require a coordinated effort. Sometimes, the community will fail.
And it looks like that’s going to happen again with this latest Major Order, although, ultimately, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, those medals will be lost, but lost planets will become playable again as part of a future Major Order. And let’s remember, the Major Order that proceeded this defense mission was an absolute blast.
If you’re looking for more on Helldivers 2, check out IGN’s feature on the Let Me Solo Her of Helldivers 2, a player who has answered over 100 SOS Beacons as part of a mission to help others.
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.
Elite Dangerous developer Frontier has announced a significant change to the near decade-old space sim: the sale of ships for real money.
In a post on the Elite Dangerous website, Frontier said it will sell three months of early access to the Python Mk II ship from May 7 for 16,250 ARX, the game’s premium virtual currency. 16,800 ARX costs $12.99 from the store. Owners of the Odyssey expansion can buy the ship from August 7 for credits, Elite’s non-premium virtual currency. Those who do not own Odyssey can only access ship variants from the store for ARX.
Frontier is also selling Pre-Built Ship packages, which include ships that have been upgraded from their base models. “We envision these Pre-built Ships to be a quicker way for newer players to get involved in the areas they have the most interest in, or for our existing players who are considering a new career path in game, but do not have time to devote to a new build from scratch,” Frontier said. A Pre-Built Ship package includes instant-access to a pre-fitted ship, a ship kit, and a paintjob — essentially skipping the grind associated with upgrading ships.
It’s safe to say this announcement has infuriated veteran players of Elite Dangerous, some of whom have accused Frontier of going down the Star Citizen route in its bid to generate revenue from the long-running space game. While players will continue to be able to earn ARX in-game by playing Elite Dangerous daily, or by contributing to events in-game, the fact you can buy the currency with real-world money and spend it on early access to new ships has sparked pay-to-win accusations.
“And with a single article about literal p2w ships you have now officially lost all trust,” said redditor Xay_DE. “It’s ridiculous enough that you have to pay IRL money to do any sort of ship customization in a game you have to pay money for, but adding paid-for ships, once again in a game you have to pay for, is unacceptable,” said Endulos.
“And with a single article about literal p2w ships you have now officially lost all trust.
Some players are now pointing to a 2019 statement in which Frontier said “ARX can only be used to buy cosmetic Game Extras and will not be used to introduce and acquire pay-to-win purchases.” It seems likely that Frontier would dispute the pay-to-win accusations, pointing to the fact ARX can be obtained through gameplay, as so many developers of games with similar systems often do. Countering this, some players are insisting any advantage, including time saved, should be considered pay-to-win.
Countering the doom and gloom, Frontier said sales of its games since January have been “in-line with expectations”, with Jurassic World Evolution 2 and Planet Zoo leading the charge. The recent console release of Planet Zoo saw “strong player engagement”, with total sales up to and including the day of release greater than the sales achieved by Planet Coaster when that game came out on consoles in November 2020.
In a previous update, Frontier said it was refocusing on creative management simulation games (CMS). With this in mind, Frontier has confirmed three future CMS games, with one releasing in each of the next three financial years. Alongside this it will continue to develop and support its existing portfolio of games, including Elite Dangerous, F1 Manager, and Realms of Ruin.
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.
If you are a big Pokémon fan then there’s every chance that you might have heard of monpoké, TPC’s brand expansion for kids and babies that was previously available only in Asian markets. Yes, we said “previously” there, because The Pokémon Company has today announced that the range of goodies is now going global.
monpoké focuses on bringing the Pokémon brand to babies and toddlers through a range of entertainment series, merchandise and books — it’s never too early to introduce the basics of the Pokédex, eh? The full range can be found on the Pokémon Center website, and you can find out more about what’s included in the global market expansion below.
The ongoing success of the Fallout TV show has fuelled renewed interest in the Fallout games ever since it hit Prime Video, and now Bethesda has confirmed just how big an impact it’s made.
In a series of social media posts, Bethesda said almost five million jumped in across all Fallout games in just a single day. That includes the likes of the original, Interplay-published Fallout games, Bethesda’s Fallout 3, 4, and 76, Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas, and mobile game Fallout Shelter. Bethesda also singled out Fallout 76, its most recent mainline Fallout game, which saw over one million people play in a single day.
…and almost five million across all Fallout games in a single day!⚡
While Microsoft, Sony, and mobile platforms fail to disclose player numbers, we had a good idea of how well the Fallout games were doing post-show via Steam, which makes concurrent player numbers publicly available. All Fallout games on Valve’s platform enjoyed a boost, with Fallout 4 seeing the most number of players followed by the multiplayer-focused Fallout 76, then New Vegas. Data trackers have said Fallout Shelter has seen a revenue boost, too. Fallout games are so popular right now that even Nexus Mods is struggling to cope.
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.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is riddled with issues on Nintendo Switch but developer Rabbit & Bear has said it’s aware of the problems and addressing them as a “maximum priority.”
Following the game’s launch on April 23, 2024, players complained of myrid bugs and performance issues in the Switch version of Hundred Heroes including a major progression glitch that stopped a key character being recruited.
Rabbit & Bear has said its day-one patch for the single-player role-playing game has addressed several problems, but the recruitment bug is still present. This, alongside another progression bug that blocks entry into War Mode, will be fixed in the upcoming Version 1.0.4 patch. Rabbit & Bear said this update is “nearing completion”, but failed to announce a release date.
“We are aware of issues surrounding the current version of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on the Nintendo Switch and we’re addressing them as a maximum priority,” the developer said. “We are diligently researching technical improvements for Switch performance issues, aiming to release this patch at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The day one patch, Version 1.0.3, addresses progression issues, graphic display glitches, game balance adjustments, refinement of localised text, backer content, game system bugs, optimisation issues, and poor stability according to Rabbit & Bear.
Eiyuden Chronicle is the spiritual successor to Suikoden, one of the most beloved role-playing game series of all time, originally releasing in 1995 for the PlayStation. A smaller entry called Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was released in 2022 as the first in the franchise and a pseudo prequel to Hundred Heroes.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Players that put more than two hours into pre-purchased or advanced access games will now be exempt from Steam’s refund policy, says Steam, the maker of said policy and thus the final word on how it is implemented. As spotted by the Verge, this change is intended to combat a loophole where filthy time criminals could fill their stolen boots with ill-gotten fun pre-release, then get their money back.
