After being unceremoniously thrown into the spotlight yesterday with a pre-reveal leak, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been given a proper unveiling via a flashy cinematic trailer, confirming both its leaked November release date and revealing that we’ll be playing as two protagonists for the first time in the series since Syndicate almost a decade ago. One of those heroes will also be the series’ first playable real-life figure: the African samurai Yasuke.
Peek à Khu.
Renowned Pokémon leaker Khu has suggested that we will have to wait a while to see the first Generation 10 games which, they hint, may align with the series’ 30th anniversary.
In a recent tweet, the Pokémon leaker asked if we are “prepared for G10?” and accompanied the question with “30thA”. The series’ 30th anniversary will fall in 2026, one year after the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
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The post Minecraft Is Turning 15 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Witness the end of the Wild West era, become the world’s greatest secret agent, take on the role of a rising underworld star, brave an alien world, and much more with May’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup! Red Dead Redemption 2, Deceive Inc., Crime Boss: Rockay City, Stranded: Alien Dawn, and many more titles are available from May 21. We’re also announcing new classic titles coming to PlayStation Plus Premium.
Let’s take a closer look at each game.
Red Dead Redemption 2* | PS4
From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a sprawling tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age. The end of the Wild West era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.
After a robbery goes badly wrong in the Western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
Red Dead Redemption 2 also includes Red Dead Online — the multiplayer experience set in the living world of Red Dead Redemption 2 — ride solo or form a posse; run moonshine; battle lawmen, outlaw gangs, ferocious wild animals, and much more as you forge your own path on the American frontier.
*PlayStation Plus re-release.
Deceive Inc. | PS5
Go undercover as the world’s greatest secret agents in this multiplayer game of social stealth and subterfuge. Disguise yourself as anyone to blend into the crowd, deploy high-tech gadgets to gain the upper hand, and extract the package before the competition takes it for themselves! No trick is too dirty when you work for Deceive Inc.
Pick your play style with a roster of diverse agents, each with their own customizable weapon and skillset. From world-renowned burglars to up-and-coming espionage sensations, Deceive Inc. prides itself on being an equal-opportunity employer.
The Sims 4 City Living** | PS4
Take your Sims to the city and explore everything it has to offer, from bustling action outside your door, to unique situations that come only with apartment living in The Sims 4 City Living. Explore a densely populated, urban city with a variety of neighborhoods each with its own unique personality. Enrich and grow your Sims by taking them to different festivals all over the city where they can watch street performers, enter competitions, and meet different walks of life.
Experience the challenges that come with your Sims’ first apartment, then work your way up the penthouse of their dreams.
**Requires The Sims 4 to play. The Sims 4 is sold separately.
Crime Boss: Rockay City | PS5
Take on the role of rising underworld star, Travis Baker (Michael Madsen), as you set your sights on becoming the new king of Rockay City. In the solo roguelike campaign, you’ll employ strategy and firepower to carry out cunning heists and claim turf from rival gang leaders, all while trying to evade capture by the tenacious Sheriff Norris (Chuck Norris). Work with your team of planners and handlers, and discover how they each ended up in Rockay City in thrilling flashback missions. Alternatively, form your own gang in online PvE multiplayer and work together to stage audacious robberies.
The Settlers: New Allies | PS4
The Settlers: New Allies is a strategy game with an in-depth build-up experience and real-time strategic battles. Choose among three factions: the Elari, the Maru, and the Jorn. Each has a unique look, playstyle, and background story. Experience a story-driven campaign set in the world of The Settlers, or go for the special Hardcore mode and its additional challenges. Play online with up to eight players in thrilling skirmish battles against other players or AI for long-lasting fun.
Stranded: Alien Dawn | PS4, PS5
Brave a new world in Stranded: Alien Dawn, a planet survival sim placing the fate of a small marooned group in your hands. Forge your story through compelling and immersive strategic gameplay as you make vital decisions to protect your survivors from starvation, disease, extreme weather and more. From basic camps to fortified bases, create a stronghold to defend the survivors from attacks by alien creatures that roam an expansive and deadly alien world. Experience an epic and unpredictable journey.
Cat Quest | PS4
Cat Quest is an open world RPG set in the pawsome world of cats! In search of your catnapped sister you pounce into the massive continent of Felingard – a world crafted in the style of overworld maps of yore and purring with cat-tastic characters, stories, and puns.
Cat Quest II | PS4
Cat Quest II is a 2D open-world action-RPG set in a fantasy realm of cats and dogs. Under threat from a continuing war between the cats of Felingard and the advancing dogs of the Lupus Empire, CAT QUEST II tells the tail of two kings, brought together against their will, on a journey of paw-some discovery to reclaim their thrones.
Play as both a cat and dog as you explore their kingdoms solo or with a friend in local co-op! Quest in a world filled with magic, curious monsters, and go on a catventure like never before!
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame | PS4
The alien monster invaders have left Bricksburg in ruins and taken Emmet’s friends! It is now up to Emmet and a host of heroic characters to go beyond their world and save their friends from the strange inhabitants of the Systar System. Journey into outer space, discover new worlds, and test your Master Building skills.
Watch Dogs* | PS4
Play as brilliant hacker Aiden Pearce, who is on the hunt for those who hurt his family in this open world, Chicago-set adventure. You’ll be able to monitor and hack all who surround you by manipulating everything connected to the city’s network. Using your smartphone, you have real-time control over the city’s infrastructure. Trap your enemy in a 30-car pileup by manipulating the traffic lights. Stop a train, and then board it to evade the authorities. Narrowly escape capture by quickly raising a drawbridge. Anything connected to the city’s CTOS can become your weapon.
*PS Plus re-release.
2Xtreme | PS4, PS5
Snowboard in Japan, in-line skate in Last Vegas, mountain bike in Africa, skateboard in Los Angeles and more in this multi-discipline racing game. Compete in a season on 12 intensely insane courses. Two-player split-screen racing, 4 levels of difficulty and Create your own Player make 2 Xtreme a rush! Experience 2Xtreme (first released on the original PlayStation). enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
G-Police | PS4, PS5
Prowl the skylines in your weapons-loaded DASA-Kamov gunship as a member of the G-Police. Tear between, around and under obstacles like skyscrapers and bridges with 360° flight as you battle menacing rebel ships in the air and heavily armed vehicles on the ground across 35 strategic combat and flight missions. You’ll wreak havoc as you take on the hardcore criminal element terrorizing the gritty cities of 21st century Callisto. Experience G-Police (first released on the original PlayStation), enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
Worms Pinball | PS4, PS5
Prepare for an action-packed pinball simulation of pure wormage! Worms Pinball offers a table sporting 3D LED displayed sub-games and parallel objectives, transparent ramps, user-controllable moving gadgets, bounce and flip passes, bang backs, death saves… and much more! The depth of gameplay, variety of action, and sophisticated table rules ensure that Worms Pinball will have all gamers, not just hard-core pinheads, hooked.
A note for our PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members: as part of our normal content refresh, a selection of titles, such as Horizon Zero Dawn, will leave Game Catalog later this month. Members with Game Catalog benefits can still play these games until May 21. You can always check the ‘Last chance to play section’ on the PlayStation Plus -> Collections page on the PS5 console, or PlayStation Plus -> Games -> Games Catalog on the PS4 console for titles you might want to play before they leave the service.
Remember when Control came out and your mate Terry appeared out of nowhere to rant endlessly about how they’ve always loved brutalist architecture? Come on, Terry. No you haven’t. You spend weekends eating custard creams and watching Bake Off. You haven’t thought about brutalism since undergrad, be honest. Anyway, my version of that is Starship Troopers. As in, I’ve been waiting for a videogamey excuse to bang on about it in public for ages. Helldivers 2 is obviously as good an excuse as any, but really, I needn’t have waited so long. Official offerings like strategy game Starship Troopers: Terran Command and FPS Robocop: Rogue City aside, I reckon you can find Paul Verhoeven’s fingerprints all over games.
Graham said he wanted someone to write about Little Kitty, Big City, asked if I liked cats, at which point my soul was possessed by some kind of deep animus. “I really like cats, I just hate the internet UWU nonsense about cats,” I said. “God it’s awful, I can’t stand it, Jesus Christ it’s just an empty and terrible way to talk about cats, cats don’t deserve to be the internet animal-” at which point Graham managed to interrupt and said I was exactly the person who should write about Little Kitty, Big City.
I promise, I approached Little Kitty, Big City with an open heart, because I do really like cats. But given my aversion to their babification by the internet, it may be surprising that my chief complaint about Little Kitty, Big City is that the hats in it are largely not cute enough. This is a bold claim, because there are more than 40 to collect.
Enotria: The Last Song, a sun-kissed soulslike that we previewed last Fall, has been pushed back a month, from August 21 to September 19. That’s the bad news. The good news is that an eight-hour-long playable demo will be released for PS5 and PC very soon, on May 22. The full version of Enotria will be released for Xbox Series X|S as well as PS5 and PC.
We’ve got a new, exclusive 15-minute developer-narrated gameplay showcase you can watch above, along with the latest batch of screenshots in the gallery below.
According to developer Jyamma Games, “the demo will have 4 distinct weapon classes, each with a variety of unique weapons and 6 unique masks to discover that bring with them devastating new playstyles and distinctive passive abilities. Augment different playstyles by choosing from over 20 spells and 30 perks to make your Mask of Change build your own.” The gameplay showcase video at the top of this page also gives an overview on required and recommended PC specs as well.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
All the GB and GBC games, ranked by you.
Updated with Baseball, Alleyway, and Super Mario Land. Enjoy!
Remember, this list evolves as users rate the games within, so head to the game profiles and rate them out of 10 if you’d like to see the rankings below alter. Enjoy!
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2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was an exceedingly special game. A bold, brash direction for Ninja Theory, the decision to craft a short, narrative experience revolving around mental health was a brave leap, but one that ultimately paid off. Now, seven years later, the studio is gearing up to reveal a sequel to Senua’s story, built with the same love and care, but expanding on the debut in every conceivable way.
In the run up to launch, we’ll be bringing you the story of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from inside the studio itself, as well as stories and lessons from Hellblade’s creative leads. This is Ninja Theory’s ultimate form, filled with industry-leading talent, groundbreaking technology, and one of the most unique approaches to game development you’ve ever seen to fulfil the ultimate goal – the pursuit of true immersion.
During one particularly tense cutscene in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, I’m rooted in place as I watch Senua make a critical decision. After triumphing in a bloody battle against Viking slavers, she’s presented with the choice to save a new character from a terrible fate. Ninja Theory’s incredible performance capture and Unreal Engine 5 visuals allow me to scan every emotion soaring across Senua’s face – concern, worry, distrust – as she considers the consequences of rescuing someone in need.
In the first game, she might not have experienced the same internal conflict, but in the sequel, she’s making choices and processing emotions in new ways. Senua has not arrived here overnight. She’s gone through and will continue to go through an incredible narrative evolution in Hellblade II. In gaming, “growth” is so often mechanical, statistical – but the Hellblade series makes it a truly characterful experience, and it’s one of many things that makes Ninja Theory’s work stand out.
At the end of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, we see Senua come to terms with the loss of her love, Dillion, and soak in the physical and emotional journey she’s undertaken. Her sequel begins with the sum of that evolution; she’s hardened by her experiences, familiar and accepting of her condition, and tasked with a wider, more selfless goal. This emergence of Senua’s personality and extraversion of herself as she meets new people is an extraordinary step in making her feel real.
“Her purpose in the first game was very interior, the guilt that she felt over Dillion was a very personal mission to her,” says Lara Derham, Stage Director and Writer on Hellblade II. “While that drive is still present in this game, she’s pushing her goal a little more out of herself and into the world. It’s not about her personal love or her circumstances, it’s about preventing harm from coming to other people now.”
This evolution in Senua’s character is also outlined by a deeper understanding of herself, and how her experiences are no fault of her own. Professor Paul Fletcher, who has served as the mental health consultant on the Hellblade series, outlines the tonal shift between the two games: “The hallmark of [Senua’s Sacrifice] was it was totally enveloped by a darkness, and I think she’s emerging from that and finding a different meaning.”
“It’s not about [Senua’s] personal love or her circumstances, it’s about preventing harm from coming to other people now.”
Lara Derham
She’s still faced with the ever-present mental load of the Furies – the name given to the competing voices in her head – but they’ve evolved with her, and have more external factors to react to as Senua meets new characters. They don’t really have a consistent tone of voice, they’re reactive to Senua’s state of mind; if she’s anxious or frightened, they tend to be a little more chaotic and overbearing, when things are calm, they’re quieter. This dynamic ruleset allows for brief moments of respite for the player, but it also showcases growth in how Senua manages her condition.
According to Fletcher, this is in keeping with the clinical experiences of those living with psychosis – the voices do shift in what they mean to an individual.
“What I find interesting is that the voices now comment on what other people are doing, which was never really a part of the first game,” Fletcher says. “So they may encourage her to distrust what another person is saying, which really captures the dual reality that people might face in the midst of psychosis.”
Derham notes that most people have some sort of internal monologue active when we’re being spoken to, but it’s mostly not at the foreground, and it’s also not audible: “Imagine if every time someone was talking to you, you had that constant commentary on what they’re saying, maybe even arguing about the meaning. Every time Senua meets a new character, the voices are going to react to that.”
Fletcher accentuates this by describing a big step in the understanding of psychosis from a research perspective, which revolves around the meaningfulness of experiences for those living with psychosis. They’re not just neural noise – the experiences are constructed in the same way we all construct our reality.
“What’s exciting to me about Hellblade II is the growing interest that people can entertain two levels of reality,” Fletcher says. “Senua may have the darkness and the voices, but at the same time, she can recognise and be part of other people’s constructions too.”
“Senua may have the darkness and the voices, but at the same time, she can recognise and be part of other people’s constructions too.”
Professor Paul Fletcher
Senua’s willingness to be part of other people’s stories – as we briefly mentioned earlier regarding her choice to save someone who is a stranger to her – also showcases another aspect of how she’s moving past certain experiences that made her so insular.
“Her psychosis had influenced her relationships with other people to a point where she was weary and withdrawn from the world, Derham says. “What we’re showing now is her starting to overcome that, depending on who she meets, and we’re showing that her perspective is just as valuable as anyone else’s.”
“Some people will react to her with harshness or horror, but some will see her differently, and she’ll find common ground and share positive experiences with them. It’s really exciting to watch Senua explore these interpersonal dynamics and relationships with other characters, and how she can help them.”
Senua’s Sacrifice is considered one of, if not the most authentic representation of psychosis in modern media, but Derham and Fletcher both agree that there may never be a truly complete depiction of the condition, as it “doesn’t remain static, and people’s relationship to it changes over time,” according to Derham.
One line in particular struck me during my time with Senua Saga: Hellblade II, which sees Senua calmly and assertively say “it’s not a prison, it’s a promise.” In this moment, we see Senua make peace with her past, and prepare to pursue her new goal confidently, not just for herself, but for the people around her. It’s in this line where I really feel her growth as a character, as a survivor, and more widely, as a woman living in a harsh world with a chronic, invisible condition.
“It was important for us to show that Senua is still on a journey,” Derham adds. “The courage and persistence that she showed in the first game is still evident, but it’s more self-directed now. She will still hear voices that’ll try to influence her, but she can choose whether to respond to that or not. She has agency in a way she didn’t have in the first game, and that evolution really is key.”
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on May 21, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and Cloud – and will be available with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass day one.
The post How Ninja Theory Strives to Make Senua the Most Human Character in Gaming appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Get ready to set sail, me hearties! I’m Desmond, Designer and Artist at The Gentlebros and today we’re revealing some of the new crewmates and nefarious villains that await you in the newest entry into the Cat Quest series – Cat Quest III coming to PS5 and PS4 on August 8.
In Cat Quest III, players will explore a treasure trove of picturesque islands and meet a bevy of meow-sterious characters as they set sail in pursuit of the legendary North Star. Some of these characters will assist your adventures and prove to be valuable crewmates for the journey ahead… while other devious Pi-rats and nefarious villains will try to ruin your day! Let’s meet some of the new characters you’ll meet on this seafaring adventure.
Your trusty spirit companion, Captain Cappey is with you every step of the way on your adventures. His main goal is to be the greatest pirate that ever lived, although he’s long past the ‘living’ stage. Whether sharing their wisdom or explaining the ins and outs of being a pirate, Captain Cappey is the purr-fect guide for you.
This furrmidable feline is Mama Milka, proud owner of The Milky Barrel tavern, serving cats across the land milk instead of rum. She’ll offer some guidance to kick off your adventure in search of the mythical North Star, giving the first clues to take on Captain Meowtallika. Additionally, turn in Mama Milka’s pirate (or pi-rat!) bounties to get stat-boosting jugs o’ milk – an essential beverage for any would-be privateers! These equippable trinkets boost a specific ability or stat, like the Pawer Milk which makes the player attack faster the more they attack! Players can equip as many of these trinkets as they want as long as they have spare customization slots in their gear.
Brother of series favourite Kit Cat, Kidd Cat is a mischievous kitten and the local blacksmith. Throughout your adventures you’ll find a boatload of gear to customize your feline friend, from hats and eye-patches to boots and swords! Upgrading your gear with coins found in the world around you makes you both stronger and more durable in a fight, so you can take on tougher challenges. Be sure to visit frequently and enhance your gear to make a pawesome loadout!
Avast! Two nefarious pirates who are out to spoil your day: Captain Meowtallika and Captain Takomeowki! Captain Meowtallika is the leader of the metalhead pirates, known for their heavy metal concerts. Captain Meowtallika was inspired by heavy metal musicians, so we wanted the boss fight to reflect this and staged it on a literal concert stage! During the fight, Meowtallika will play various riffs on his guitar which correspond to different attack patterns that the player has to dodge in time – it’s sure to be absolutely electrifying.
Captain Takomeowki is the captain of the Spicy Squids – the tentacoolest crew who refuse to bow down to the Pi-rat King. Takomeowki was inspired by some of our favorite Japanese foods! Also, a lot of the development team loves bullet-hell shooters, and since Takomeowki is a magic user, we wanted to really lean into this and have players dodge a constant barrage of his hot and spicy magic! These ferocious villains will try to curtail your search for the North Star – so watch out.
The most furrmidable pirate in all the land – none have challenged him and survived to tell the tale! The Pi-rat King has been cursed so he can never die, but also never heal, hence his design, being an amalgamation of stitches and spare parts – he seeks the answers to end his curse and will stop at nothing to find them.
But that’s not all in Cat Quest III: there are many, many other villainous foes that we haven’t shown yet. Players can also face off with a 10-storey tall Cthulhu monster, a Necromouser, a giant raging Boar and so many more.
Do you have what it takes to defeat these unstoppable fiends? There’s only one way to find out – Wishlist Cat Quest III for PS4 and PS5 now, ready for its release August 8.
