It’s very important to have regular, healthy bowel movements in real life. Normally, it’s a little less important for characters in video games, Travis Touchdown exempted. But in Metaphor: ReFantazio, it turns out that using the bathroom regularly will make you more powerful, if you pay attention to when you’re doing it.
Initially shared by @UltimaShadowX on X/Twitter, using the toilet in Metaphor can give you a permanent +1 boost to your character’s luck if you do it on a certain day. That certain day is “Idlesday” on the in-game calendar, which comes around every fifth day. Every Idlesday, you can go to the bathroom on your Gauntlet Runner (effectively your home base throughout the game) and check the Toilet inside to use it. Doing so nets you the stat boost.
In Metaphor, if you take a shit in the Gauntlet Runner on a day divisible by 5, you get a free luck stat increase. Absolute fucking masterpiece game. pic.twitter.com/AH1RKRkGSD
Unfortunately, you don’t get anything for using the bathroom any other day of the week (though you’re welcome to if you feel moved to do so). You can also get experience from using the shower, and apparently acquiring bath salts a bit later in the game will let you raise stats by taking a bath. Atlus really, really wants its players to embrace cleanliness!
There are a number of other things one can do on the Gauntlet Runner on a regular basis to improve themselves, some of which we’ve highlighted in our guide to unlocking the base.
It’s no surprise that players are finding fun details like this in Metaphor: ReFantazio. It’s an amazing game. We gave it a 9/10, saying that it “doesn’t just send a powerful message across its political drama, it becomes a beautiful expression of the real impact storytelling can have on all of us.”
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.
Five Reasons to Play Unknown 9: Awakening Right Now
Summary
Unknown 9: Awakening launches today on Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One!
The team weighs in on working with Anya Chalotra and Haroona’s powers.
Explore the larger universe of Unknown 9 with new adventures premiering next week.
Unknown 9: Awakening is out on Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One today! Are you ready to step into the unknown and embark on the quest of a lifetime?
Your mission: help heroine Haroona avenge the death of her mentor, Reika, and uncover long-lost knowledge that could safeguard humanity’s future.
Check out the Cinematic Launch Trailer and find out why you won’t want to miss out on the epic journey that awaits you.
Take the Lead Alongside Anya Chalotra who Plays Haroona
Unknown 9: Awakening’s tough-as-nails heroine is fierce, quick-witted, and wields incredible abilities. She’s also portrayed by Anya Chalotra, best known for playing The Witcher’s Yennefer of Vengerberg.
As Awakening Creative Director Christophe Rossignol explains, it was a privilege to work with the actress, whose passion for the game’s narrative and dedication to the role were invaluable in shaping Haroona’s character and pushing the story forward.
But don’t just take it from him! Only by walking Haroona’s path will you get to experience the magic Chalotra infuses into the character.
Command Every Battle by Stepping Into your Enemies
In the world of Unknown 9, “Stepping” involves projecting your consciousness into another person’s body to control them. It’s a skill that allows you to puppeteer your enemies, leveraging their strengths while pitting them against each other.
In its simplest form, Stepping can be used to take over an Ascendant soldier and have them shoot a comrade. Earn enough Stepping tokens through combat and hop from one foe to the next, adjusting each one’s position to set up catastrophic chained attacks.
Whether you rely on this skill as a form of crowd control or use it to reshape the battlefield and set the pace of a fight, it’s an ability you can get incredibly creative with.
Customize your Playstyle Using Haroona’s Umbric Abilities
While Stepping can be performed in an almost endless number of ways, there’s a lot to be said about making use of Haroona’s full Umbric arsenal.
As Reflector Entertainment Senior Game Designer Yoan Le Souder explains, Haroona uses the Fold’s Umbric energy (Am) to fuel a wide range of powers, block attacks, and weaponize whatever lies in her path. It’s up to you to choose the best approach, then select what abilities to use, and when.
Go Stealth
Fly under the radar by using your Shroud ability to turn invisible and dismantle powerful Ascendant technology, like the Anti-Stepping Device which, as the name suggests, prevents you from performing this specific skill.
You can also toss a Ripple of Umbric energy to draw an Ascendant to an isolated location, then sneak up behind them and perform a Takedown.
Fight It Out
Prefer to use brute force? Haroona’s Crush, Push, and Pull allow her to turn almost anything into a weapon. You can also use these skills to clear a path, reel enemies in, or send them flying off ledges and cliffs!
If you want to pull out all the stops, go for an Umbric or Burst attack, the former proving effective at Fazing your enemies and the latter, the ideal way to finish them off.
A Combined Approach
There’s no right or wrong way to tackle any situation in the game. You can fight from the shadows, throw down in hand-to-hand combat, or stick to Stepping. But the true magic lies in using a combination of the three styles.
Game Designer Anna Karina Bermudez likes to start out in stealth to catch enemies off guard. From there, it’s easy to get a few punches in, maybe Push a foe into a wall, Pull others in closer to land a few kicks, then finish them off with a Stepping attack before Shrouding out of sight.
Explore Exotic Locations
Calling all globetrotting adventure fans!
Unknown 9: Awakening takes you from the Mauritanian desert into the bustling streets of an Indian town called Chamiri, through the dense jungles and ruin-filled mountains of northern India, to a gothic mansion in Portugal, and beyond.
You get to discover places rarely featured in today’s games. And though Awakening follows a mostly linear structure, you can still get some exploration in to uncover secrets and collect skill points.
Your Gateway to the Larger Universe of Unknown 9
By playing the game, you’re making your first foray into a universe packed with mystery and adventure. Though Awakening’s narrative is self-contained, it’s one of many interconnected tales that play out across comics, novels, podcasts, and web series.
Starting next week, you can continue the story of the game through Unknown 9: Passage, a web series that takes you aboard the SS Talaria, where a mysterious entity appears to be infecting the minds of the ship’s dwindling crew.
Other stories slated for release next week include Issue #2 of the Unknown 9: Torment comic book series and the third and final instalment of Layton Green’s Genesis Trilogy.
To spot the crossovers, call-backs, and easter eggs, make sure to check out the Unknown 9: Nexus interactive experience, which highlights intersecting plot points, backstories, and more!
Are you ready to brave the Unknown and discover what our narrative universe has in store for you? There’s only one way to find out. Play Unknown 9: Awakening on Xbox today to see where your journey takes you.
Delve into the mysterious world of the Unknown 9, and uncover mysteries hidden in plain sight.
You are Haroona, a Quaestor born with the ability to venture into a mysterious dimension that overlaps our own, known only as the Fold. On her quest for powerful hidden knowledge, Haroona will learn to master her unique connection to the Fold, which allows her to channel its powers into our world… But such power does not go unnoticed and Haroona quickly becomes the target of a splinter faction calling themselves the Ascendants, who want to use the Fold to alter the course of human history.
Become Haroona – Play as a young and courageous woman who has the ability to dive into and channel powers from a parallel dimension known as the Fold.
Master the Fold – Leverage your mastery of the Fold and choose your own playstyle. Step into your enemies to control them, dodge bullets, vanish in plain sight, hurl Umbric energy at your opponents, and more.
Journey across the world – From the sands of Mauritania and perilous Indian jungles to the gothic landscapes of 19th century Portugal, discover some of the most mysterious locations the world has to offer.
Discover the Unknown 9 universe – Unknown 9: Awakening lies at the heart of intertwining stories, unfolding through a multitude of Unknown 9 products whose events and characters make up a much larger Storyworld.
Howdy, y’all! This week we got to sit down with Treyarch Associate Creative Director Miles Leslie to discuss Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Plus, the team continues the spooky game spiel by diving into Until Dawn, Silent Hill 2, and more.
Stuff We Talked About
Next week’s releases:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | PS5, PS4
Sonic x Shadow Generations | PS5, PS4
Fear the Spotlight | PS5, PS4
Astro Bot new speedrun level and Special Bots
PlayStation The Concert – World Tour 2025-2026 announcement
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered enhancements
Until Dawn behind-the-scenes of new soundtrack
Interview with Miles Leslie (begins at 15:19)
Until Dawn
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Neva
Silent Hill 2
The Cast
Download the image
Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE
Download the image
Brett Elston – Content Communications Manager, SIE
Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
Woot! (owned by Amazon) is offering The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Nintendo Switch for only $39.99 after you apply a $10 off promo code “ZELDAWELCOME” during checkout. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, otherwise there is a $6 flat fee. This is the best price we’ve seen for this amazing game, and we doubt it will go lower on Black Friday.
You’ll be getting a physical copy, which also includes a 90-day Woot! warranty. Woot! mentions that copies may or may not be imported, but all Nintendo Switch games are region-free so you’ll be able to play the game regardless. You won’t have to worry about language either since that setting is determined by your Switch console. I picked up a copy of Echoes of Wisdom from Woot’s previous deal, and it was indeed a PEGI copy, but it was brand new and sealed and worked perfectly fine on my US Switch console.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for $39.99
Tears of the Kingdom initially retailed for $59.99 several months before its March 2023 release date. However, Nintendo arbitrarily decided to raise the price to $69.99 at launch, making it the most expensive Switch game at the time (not counting bundled games like Ring Fit or Mario Kart Home Circuit). Nowadays, this game tends to sell for around $60, but very rarely have I seen the game drop down to the golden $39.99 price point.
For more discounts on games, check out the best Nintendo Switch deals today. If you’re looking for a Switch console to buy, you’re in luck. This year’s Holiday Bundles are already available: The Switch OLED console with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Nintendo Switch Online is down to $349.99, and the non-OLED Switch bundle is down to $299.99.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
“We expect future chapters to roll out in a timelier fashion. Hopefully.”.
Back in 2018, Dutch indie studio HomeBear — a two-person team made up of partners Joshua van Kuilenburg and You Miichi — released NAIRI: Tower Of Shirin, a lovingly-made point-and-click adventure game which we awarded an 8/10 in our review.
It’s been a fair old while, but the duo is now gearing up for release of the sequel, Nairi: Rising Tide. Having last spoken to the team way back in the mists of time (March 2018), we recently caught up with Joshua van Kuilenburg once more via email to find out why it’s taken so long to return to Nairi’s world, and what’s changed since those distant days when Switch was but a year old…
Shocktober: Enjoy Savory Savings, Evocative Events, and Gruesome Games This Spooky Season
Meredith Ingersoll, Xbox Games Marketing
Summary
Many spooktacular games have had their prices slashed across console and PC for a limited time!
Sink your teeth into ghostly in-game events.
Game Pass members can dive into spooky titles throughout October.
Brace yourself for monster sales on major titles because Shocktober has arrived! Xbox’s annual celebration of all things spooky is back and better than ever — and this year we’re cranking up the terror by throwing in some of your favorite Game Pass games too!
That’s not all! Get into the Halloween spirit with limited-time events and freaky in-game content that’ll have you screaming for more.
Check back in all through October via your Xbox console, Windows Store, or the Xbox app on PC for the latest terrifying titles and ghoulish events. You don’t want to miss out!
For Console – Shocktober Games on Sale
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without. Sink deep into the next chapter of Senua’s story, a crafted experience told through cinematic immersion, beautifully realized visuals and encapsulating sound.
Resident Evil 4
Survival is just the beginning. Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors, tracks the president’s kidnapped daughter to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.
Hogwarts Legacy
An immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world.
For PC – Shocktober Games on Sale
Back 4 Blood Ultimate
Back 4 Blood is a thrilling cooperative first-person shooter from the creators of the critically acclaimed Left 4 Dead franchise. You are at the center of a war against the Ridden. With humanity’s extinction on the line, it’s up to you and your friends to take the fight to the enemy, eradicate the Ridden and reclaim the world.
Evil West
Evil never sleeps… but it bleeds. A dark menace consumes the American frontier. As one of the last agents in a top-secret vampire-hunting institute, you are the final line between humanity and a deep-rooted terror that now emerges from the shadows. Rise up to become a Wild West Superhero, eradicate the vampire threat and save the United State
Gotham Knights Deluxe Edition
Batman is dead. A new expansive, criminal underworld has swept the streets of Gotham City. It is now up to the Batman Family – Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin – to protect Gotham, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops, and fear to its criminals. Gotham Knights is an open-world, action RPG set in the most dynamic and interactive Gotham City yet. Patrol Gotham’s five distinct boroughs in solo or in co-op and drop in on criminal activity wherever you find it. Your legacy begins now. Step into the Knight.
Chilling Titles on Game Pass
Dead Space
The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
A new tale of the Kami awaits… Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a unique Japanese-inspired, single player Kagura Action Strategy game. The game takes place on a mountain covered by defilement. During the day, purify the villages and prepare yourself for sundown. During the night, protect the Maiden against the hordes of the Seethe. Repeat the day and night cycle until you cleanse the mountain of defilement and return peace to the land.
Dead Island 2
The much-loved zombie saga is back with a unique formula of horror, dark humor and over the top zombie-slaying, spanning an epic pulp adventure. Dead Island 2 is a thrilling first-person action RPG, stylish, vibrant and flooded with zombie infection. Explore an iconic, gore-drenched Los Angeles. Meet larger-than-life characters. Slay countless foes in exquisitely bloody detail. And evolve to become the ultimate Zombie Slayer!
Haunting In-Game Halloween Events
Fortnite
Want to play a game? How about some Battle Royale… during Fortnitemares 2024? This year’s frightening festivities bring the explosive Boom Billy, a rideable chainsaw, the return of Horde Rush, and plenty of Quest rewards like the Jack-o’-Drifter Contrail and Great Scarecrow Glider. Fortnitemares 2024 runs now until the end of Chapter 5 Season 4!
GTA Online
Things have taken a terrifying turn in the snowy hills of North Yankton. Halloween’s chilling influence has transformed Ludendorff Cemetery into a battleground against the undead. For the first time in GTA Online, return to North Yankton and confront a nightmarish array of foes — including ambling corpses, colossal juggernauts, and possessed animals — and banish these living dead back to the darkness in the new Ludendorff Cemetery Survival mode.
Apex Legends
Now ’til November 5, 2024, in Apex Legends, haunt through the Techno Terror Collection Event and Trick N’ Treat Trios with Revivals. Plus, collect 24 event items before the event ends to get Pathfinder’s Prestige Skin!
That is just a glimpse of this year’s massive Shocktober collection! Don’t forget to creep over to your Xbox console, Windows Store, or the Xbox app on PC starting every Tuesday to uncover new titles and surprises. Oh, and don’t forget to explore the Perks gallery; there’s some exclusive treats waiting for you! Discounts will end October 31, 2024.
Last week, we asked you to show your favorite gaming characters cowering in fear using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s scared highlights:
Javik_12 shares Astro shaking with fear in a spooky themed level of Astro Bot.
SithMorrison shares Joel’s daughter Sarah looking shaken in The Last of Us Part I.
JLunarTraveler shares Talion leaning back and yelping in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.
silentgear1 shares Ashley hiding her face as she moves through a dark space in Resident Evil 4.
Defalt368 shares a orange and black cat reacting in horror in Gori: Cuddly Carnage.
lunar9pshares Amicia and Hugo fending off rats with fire in A Plague Tale: Innocence
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Costumes SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 23, 2024
Halloween’s around the corner and we’re looking for inspiration. Next week, share characters that would make a perfect costume from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau development studio Surgent Studios shared an update today stating it had put its team on notice for redundancy amid efforts to secure funding for its next project.
— Surgent Studios | ZAU OUT NOW (@surgentstudios) October 18, 2024
“We’ve decided to put the work of the Surgent games division on hiatus while we secure funding for our next project,” the update reads. “In the meantime, we’ve unfortunately had to put our team on notice for redundancy.
“Our team has created a prototype for a bold new project,” the update later continues. “It’s darker, edgier, and more visceral than our first game, but it retains all ZAU’s high-octane combat and cultural depth. And we’re looking for a partner.”
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is the first release from Surgent Studios, which was founded by actor Abubakar Salim in 2020. The game received generally positive critical reviews, including our own 7/10 review that said while its action wasn’t groundbreaking, “it’s elevated by a truly moving tale about how to go on in this world when your loved ones have passed on to the next.”
Our work on #ZauTheGame is coming to a close (although there’s a little more on the way).
Now we’re looking to the future with our next project…and we need a partner.
We have a few irons in the fire, but YOU can help move the needle by telling us what you thought of ZAU and… https://t.co/AAMyp4YGAL
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.
Silent Hill 2 Remake developer Bloober Team is open to making more remakes in the franchise or even a new Silent Hill game altogether.
Wojciech Piejko, Bloober Team director and designer, alongside Wojciech Piejko, director and producer on the just announced sci-fi survival horror game Cronos: The New Dawn, told IGN the team is open to all opportunities it finds interesting.
“I think we are always open,” Piejko said. “If we like the opportunity, we’ll take it.” Bloober Team released the Silent Hill 2 remake on October 8 to glowing critical reception and strong sales too, leaving many fans of the previously dormant horror franchise eager for more.
I do believe that everything’s possible.
“There are opportunities that you have to seize,” Piejko added. “Like Silent Hill 2, you can remake the legend. So yeah, I do believe that everything’s possible.”
The decision will also be in the hands of Silent Hill publisher Konami, though it is presumably happy with how the Silent Hill 2 remake turned out. Nothing has been announced regarding another remake or full sequel yet, however.
Bloober Team has already announced one of its new projects in the aforementioned Cronos: The New Dawn. Coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam, the game is set in a post apocalyptic 1980s Poland and promises a “twisted time travel story” in Bloober Team’s first foray into an original survival horror franchise.
In our 8/10 review of the Silent Hill 2 remake, IGN said: “Silent Hill 2 is a great way to visit – or revisit – one of the most dread-inducing destinations in the history of survival horror.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
IGN has reported on the details of this update and why it’s caused so much upset, but in short, it makes a number of significant nerfs to the Space Marines’ ability to fight back against the Tyranid horde and Thousand Sons Chaos Marines. The popular PvE co-op mode Operations was made harder, deliberately so, Focus said in the patch notes, after it deemed the missions too easy. The new Lethal difficulty, via a new mechanic that forces players to stick close together in an almost impossible fashion, was slammed by frustrated players who are now saying that Space Marine 2 is doing a Helldivers 2 and going so far with nerfs that it’s killing the fun.
These nerfs have gone down so badly with Space Marine 2 players that the game has suffered a now familiar review bomb campaign on Steam, with over 1,200 negative reviews in just two days. Space Marine 2’s official Discord and subreddit are packed with complaints, too.
Now, two days after the patch came out, publisher Focus Entertainment has signaled its intent to release a follow-up patch next week with “balancing fixes.”
“We closely read your feedback regarding the latest patch for Space Marine 2 and we’re actively working on another one including balancing fixes,” Focus said. “It should release next week.”
The hope, of course, is this patch rights the ship. Perhaps it will revert some of this week’s changes completely, tweak them slightly, or maybe even include a few buffs. We’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, this weekend’s going to be a tough one for Space Marine 2 players.
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.
