Author: Game Infliction

Now Starfield’s May update is out in the wild in beta form on Steam, players are getting to grips with all the new features, including the detailed maps, ship interior customization, and more. But there’s one change that flew under the radar when it was announced but is now picking up plaudits: the ability to toggle the default dialogue camera off.

Bethesda games are known for the way the camera crash zoom’s onto an NPC’s face when the player triggers dialog. Anyone who’s played the likes of Skyrim or Fallout will know how this often results in hilarious and sometimes quite unnerving sequences in which NPCs will stare at you unendingly. While Fallout 4 did away with this by keeping the camera pulled back for chats with NPCs, Starfield returned to the Bethesda NPC zoom of old.

Looking to take the strangest collaboration of 2024 crown from McDonald’s, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Hello Kitty’s team up, Tetris and the 7-Eleven convenience store chain have teamed up to create a handheld video game console.

As reported by VGC, 7-Eleven is releasing a line of officially branded Tetris merchandise which, alongside shirts, jumpers, caps, and more, includes the Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device, available “soon” on 7-Eleven’s website for $30.

As the name suggests, the handheld is based on 7-Eleven’s slushy drink and is even designed to look the same with a cup-shaped body and glowing rainbow dollop on top. Able to play Tetris only, the device boasts a 1.8 inch screen “that brings the iconic shapes and colors to life” and a built-in speaker that “delivers clear, immersive sound.” Once you’ve installed three AAA batteries, of course.

“Featuring an officially licensed Tetris title, this portable Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device lets you play the classic game on the go, with a full color 1.8 inch screen that brings the iconic shapes and colors to life,” reads the description.

“But that’s not all. This portable Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device also comes equipped with an on/off switch to illuminate the Slurpee dollop in a rainbow of colors. And thanks to the intuitive user interface, you’ll be able to jump right in and start playing like a pro.

“Plus, the built-in speaker with volume control delivers clear, immersive sound. Powered by 3 AAA batteries or USB-C cable (not included), this portable Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device is the ideal travel companion for gamers of all ages.”

Also in the running for the most unusual team up of the year is the aforementioned McDonald’s promotion, which saw Happy Meal buyers in Belgium receive Hello Kitty toys dressed up in Yu-Gi-Oh outfits.

Image Credit: 7-Eleven

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

FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed that Shadow of the Erdtree will be the only expansion released for beloved role-playing game Elden Ring.

As reported by GamesRadar, Miyazaki told Chinese publication Zhihu that, unlike previous FromSoftware titles such as Dark Souls 3, the developer plans to release just one chunk of downloadable content for Elden Ring due to the nature of its open world.

“[Shadow of the Erdtree] is the first and last DLC, and we have no plans to add more content to Elden Ring,” Miyazaki said, via machine translation.

“Elden Ring emphasizes exploration and adventure in a big world. In order to provide such an experience, a vast and huge setting is inevitably needed. Therefore, instead of splitting it into several parts, it was better to simply make one big [expansion]. If they were sold separately, the freedom of exploration and sense of adventure would be reduced.”

Shadow of the Erdtree, which launches June 21, 2024, may not be fans’ final taste of The Lands Between, however, as Miyazaki didn’t shut down the possibility of a full sequel. When asked about the future of the franchise, he commented that FromSoftware deliberately leaves the end of its games open to potential sequels, and it seems Elden Ring will be no exception.

Miyazaki suggested in March 2024 that FromSoftware hadn’t made a decision on a sequel yet, but similarly spoke to the desire to keep its options open. “We don’t want to say this is the end of the Elden Ring saga for now,” he told IGN.

Bethesda development chief Todd Howard has commented on the mixed reception to its expansive space game Starfield, suggesting some of the criticism stemmed from the game being different from the likes of Fallout and Skyrim.

Starfield came out in September 2023 and, boosted by its inclusion in Microsoft’s subscription service Game Pass, enjoyed more players at launch than any previous Bethesda game. It also held up better than most other Bethesda games in terms of performance.

But Starfield had a mixed reception from critics and players. IGN’s Starfield review returned a 7/10, with what we called “disjointed space travel, nonexistent maps, aggravating inventory management, and a slow rollout of essential abilities” holding it back from getting a higher score. Starfield currently has a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, with negative reviews pointing out the extensive loading involved with space travel, empty spaces on planets, and a lack of people or enemies to encounter.

In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Howard addressed the mixed reception to Starfield, or as interviewer Greg Miller put it, the “polarizing” Starfield. Howard began by pointing to Starfield’s stability at launch, which he said the studio was delighted with, as well as the reviews on the higher end of the scale. But throughout his response is the suggestion that Starfield suffered in part because it was unlike Bethesda’s previous games, Fallout and Skyrim, and he insisted: “Each of the franchises should be its own thing.”

“What’s new is it’s a new IP, so you know that we’re going to be doing some things differently than we’ve done before, and obviously we had people who love the game both on the review side and people who liked it less,” Howard said.

“I think the majority of our reviews were in the 90s, which, look, that’s great. I don’t want to ever be in a world where that is not a great place to be in terms of critical reception, particularly in a year where there were so many amazing games out.

“But obviously, look, we see the feedback, we see a lot of players saying, this is what I want out of a Bethesda game, which is to explore a world in a certain way and Starfield didn’t give me that, I prefer the way it’s done in Fallout or Elder Scrolls. And perfectly understandable right, in terms of, hey this is a different experience.”

Howard continued by discussing the “trade-offs” Bethesda was willing to make in order to realize the fantasy of landing on a huge number of planets and exploring each one in-game. Ahead of release, Bethesda touted Starfield’s 1,000 explorable planets, although many players found them to be lacking in content.

“I do think, for us, particularly me going into a science fiction game, I want to be able to land on all the planets, I want the game to say yes to us knowing that that content is going to be different than you’ve seen from us in the past when you’re exploring a landscape,” Howard said. “And that’s some of the trade-offs we’ll make to do what we think makes a science fiction game like this, that’s based in this kind of fiction and reality, to make it what it should be. Each of the franchises should be its own thing.

“Obviously, look, there are areas that… the maps or some other things, gameplay options, that we’re adding, other display modes on console that people have asked for, and we want to do all that stuff, it takes some time but we’re excited to get stuff out there.”

Howard’s comments, already much-discussed online, come as Bethesda is in the process of releasing a significant update for Starfield that makes the Xbox Series X version playable in 60fps, among many other things. It will be interesting to see if the update sparks renewed interest in the game, with the Shattered Space expansion due out in the fall.

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.