Activision has confirmed the release date for the return of original Verdansk map to Call of Duty: Warzone.
Verdansk returns to the battle royale on April 3 alongside Season 3, Activision said alongside the following tease: “Get ready for the drop zones and familiar terrain that players loved, alongside new updates to explore.”
There’s even a teaser trailer, below, to whet players’ appetites.
Verdansk returns to Warzone as part of its fifth anniversary celebration. Since launching in March 2020, the free-to-download Warzone has seen more than 125 million players. Fueled by stay-at-home gaming during the pandemic, Warzone changed Call of Duty forever, and in the years since has become tied to the release of each annual premium game in the shooter series.
However, Warzone has suffered a troubling 12 months, with an ongoing backlash over cheating that Activision is struggling to get a handle on, and a perceived lack of content fueling what many in the community believe is a shrinking playerbase. The pressure is on Verdansk to breathe new life into Warzone, and Activision will be hoping a spot of nostalgia for the way the battle royale was at launch will help it along.
The April 3 release date for Season 3 of Warzone and Black Ops 6 is a little later than expected, as the countdown on the current battle pass had suggested a reset on March 20. Last week, Activision said “we’re taking the time to deliver a great experience.”
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.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be the latest game in the long-running series, but its feudal Japan setting places it at the midpoint of the series’ historical timeline. That’s because Assassin’s Creed doesn’t progress chronologically; this long-running franchise hops forwards and backwards in time between each entry, exploring significant events from as far back as the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, and right up to the dawn of the First World War.
With 14 games in the mainline series and counting, the timeline of these events is increasingly complex. That’s why IGN has pored over every scrap of lore to make sense of the series’ centuries-spanning timeline, the overarching story, and how the games all fit together. The result is this timeline, which covers all the key events in the Assassin’s Creed timeline in chronological order.
The Isu Era 75,000 BCE
Before we can jump into the timeline, we need to cover a little bit of lore. Waaaay back when, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings ruled the earth. Known as the Isu, they created the human race to act as their slaves. Humanity was kept under Isu control through the use of the Apples of Eden, a collection of incredibly powerful artefacts. People generally dislike being enslaved, though, and so two humans – Eve and Adam – stole an Apple of Eden and escaped the Isu, triggering something of a revolutionary war.
The war between the Isu and humanity continued for a decade, but was cut short when a solar flare hit the earth. The Isu were obliterated. The remains of humanity, meanwhile, were able to rise from the ashes and inherit the earth.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey 431 to 422 BCE – Peloponnesian War
As the Peloponnesian War rages in Greece, a mercenary named Kassandra discovers The Cult of Kosmos; a shadowy organisation that has secretly been orchestrating the war. Among their number is her long-lost brother, Alexios, who was kidnapped by the Cult as a child and turned into a demigod-like human weapon. Kassandra learns that the Cult targeted Alexios because he possesses the genes of their grandfather, legendary Spartan King Leonidas, who was a direct descendant of the Isu.
Kassandra embarks on a mission to halt the Cult’s plan to dominate Greece, during which she learns that the organisation is using an Isu device that calculates possible futures to help control the war. Kassandra kills the key members of the Cult and destroys the Isu device, bringing the conflict in Greece to an end.
During her quest Kassandra is reunited with her biological father, Pythagoras, who is also a descendant of the Isu. Pythogoras gives Kassandra the Staff of Hermes, an Isu artifact that grants immortality, and asks her to become the eternal guardian of Atlantis.
Assassin’s Creed Origins 49 to 43 BCE – Ptolemaic Egypt
During the era of Cleopatra’s rule over Egypt, The Order of the Ancients – another shadowy organisation that worked in collaboration with the Cult of Kosmos – kidnaps a peacekeeper called Bayek and his son. The Order believes Bayek’s bloodline is the key to unlocking an Isu vault, but he is unable to do so. In the fight to escape his kidnappers Bayek accidentally kills his son. Devastated, he vows to take revenge on those responsible.
Bayek and his wife Aya work to dismantle The Order, which establishes control over Egypt using its puppet Pharoah, Ptolemy, and by bringing both Cleopatra and Julius Caesar into their ranks. While the couple are able to track down and kill the men who wronged them, they learn that The Order is not a local villain but in fact a globe-spanning conspiracy intent on controlling politics and religion by finding and using the Isu’s Apples of Eden. In an effort to fight against The Order’s oppression Bayek and Aya establish The Hidden Ones; a secret collective of spies and assassins that operate out of Egypt and Rome.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage 861 – Islamic Golden Age
Almost a century later The Hidden Ones have established a number of strongholds across the world, including the mountain fortress of Alamut in Iran. There Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin and tasked with investigating The Order of the Ancients’ activities in his home city. Basim discovers that The Order seeks an Isu temple buried beneath Alamut and helps the assassins fend off The Order’s invading forces. Inside the temple Basim finds a technologically advanced prison which once held Loki – an Isu now considered a god by the Norse people. Basim learns that he is a reincarnation of Loki and vows to take revenge on those who imprisoned him in his former life.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 872 to 878 – Viking Invasion of England
During the following decade Basim travels with a Viking clan to England in hunt of more members of The Order of the Ancients. There, the clan’s leader Sigurd and his sibling Eivor travel the country in search of allies to help them establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe. As the pair aid neighbouring communities they learn of the tyranny of King Alfred, a leader within The Order who wishes to overthrow the current regime and replace it with a Christian system.
After discovering an Isu artifact Sigurd begins to experience visions that convince him he is a god. Returning to Norway to investigate the hallucinations, Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr – the Isu who imprisoned Loki – and that he has been hunting them down to enact his revenge. Eivor survives the attack and traps Basim in a simulated world generated by an Isu computer shaped like the Yggdrasil tree. Traumatised by the events, Sigurd passes leadership of the clan to Eivor, who heads back to England to defeat King Afred at the Battle of Chippenham and return to Ravensthorpe as a hero.
Assassin’s Creed 1191 – Third Crusade
The next three hundred years see The Hidden Ones adapt and change, eventually becoming known as the Assassin Brotherhood by the end of the 11th century. Its foe also evolves; King Afred’s quest for a God-fearing system morphs The Order of the Ancients into the The Knights Templar. But while the cult’s structure is new, its goals are not: the Templars are still hell-bent on establishing a new world order.
During the era of the Third Crusade, the assassin Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad works with the Brotherhood in the Holy Land to steal an Apple of Eden from the Templars. While the theft is successful, Altaïr’s arrogant tactics result in the death of fellow assassin Kadar. The Brotherhood’s leader, Al Mualim, tasks Altaïr in hunting down and assassinating nine Templar leaders in order to make up for his mistake.
Altaïr completes his task, but with each Templar killed he gradually pieces together their conspiracy to use the Apple of Eden’s powers. But there’s a twist: Al Mualim had worked with and then double-crossed the Templars to secure the Apple for himself, and plans to use its powers to forcefully impose “peace” upon the world. Altaïr has no choice but to kill his former master and take control of the Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed 2 1476 to 1499 – Italian Renaissance
Fast forward to the Italian Renaissance and Ezio Auditore Da Firenze finds himself inducted into the Assassin Brotherhood as he seeks revenge for the death of his father and brothers (an execution arranged by, you guessed it, the Templars). Using his father’s assassin equipment and new tools developed by Leonardo Da Vinci himself, Ezio wages war against the Templar-aligned Borgia family. It’s a quest that sees Ezio take possession of an Apple of Eden, which reveals the location of a secret Isu vault beneath the Vatican. The Templars already know this secret, though, and Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia is made Pope so that he can access the Vatican’s hidden chamber. And so there’s no other option: Ezio has to challenge the literal ruler of the Catholic church to a boxing match.
Emerging victorious, Ezio uses the Apple to unseal the vault. Inside he’s confronted by a vision of the Isu Minerva, who informs the assassin of an impending doom due to befall the earth in 2012. She reveals that a network of Isu vaults hidden across the world could be the key to surviving this future disaster.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood 1499 to 1507 – Italian Renaissance
Ezio may have defeated the Pope in a fistfight but he didn’t kill him, a decision that backfires when Borgia’s Papal Army besieges Ezio’s Monteriggioni villa and steals the Apple of Eden. In retaliation Ezio helps the weakened Assassin Brotherhood build up its strength and numbers, a quest that sees him become the leader of the Italian Bureau. The Assassins dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome and reclaim the Apple of Eden, which Ezio hides in an Isu vault beneath the Roman Colosseum, safe from the Templars.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations 1511 to 1512 – Ottoman Civil War
In search of more information about the mysterious Isu, Ezio travels to the former Assassin Brotherhood headquarters, Masyaf, to investigate a library built by Altaïr. Annoyingly, the Templars have already discovered the library and begun to collect the five keys required to unlock it. To halt their progress, Ezio travels to Constantinople where he allies with the Ottoman Assassins against the local Byzantine Templars. His efforts disrupt the Templars’ goal to re-establish the Byzantine Empire and secure the library keys it had claimed.
Inside the Masyaf library Ezio discovers Altaïr’s remains. The former Assassin leader had locked himself inside with his own Apple of Eden in an effort to keep it out of the hands of the Templars. The Apple projects a message from Jupiter, another Isu, who reveals that important data that could aid humanity survive the apocalypse has been collected in the Grand Temple. Understanding that this knowledge is not meant for him but instead a mysterious observer, Ezio leaves the library and keeps the Apple locked inside as Altaïr had intended. He retires from his duty but shortly thereafter dies due to the injuries accumulated over his three decades working with the Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows 1579 – Sengoku Period
We currently know very little about the storyline of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but what we do know is that in the 16th century an African mercenary travels with a Catholic Jesuit missionary to Japan. There he meets Oda Nobunaga, a powerful lord in the process of politically unifying the country’s warring clans. Nobunaga makes the African man one of his samurai. Taking the name Yasuke, the African man helps invade the Iga province in 1581 as part of Nobunaga’s campaign. Iga is home to Naoe, the daughter of shinobi master Fujibayashi Nagato. Despite coming from opposing sides of the conflict, Yasuke and Naoe eventually unite in pursuit of a shared goal.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag 1715 to 1722 – Golden Age of Piracy
During the Golden Age of Piracy, scoundrel Edward Kenway finds himself caught up in a new Templar conspiracy after killing an Assassin and taking their place. He attends a secret meeting where he learns that the Templars have arrived in the Caribbean in search of The Observatory, an Isu machine capable of spying on any human. With it they hope to blackmail world leaders. However, only the ‘Sage’ can unlock the Observatory; a human reincarnation of the Isu Aita. The Templars seek the current reincarnation of Aita, a pirate named Bartholomew Roberts.
Seeing an opportunity to use The Observatory for profit, Edward embarks on a quest to find Roberts and disrupt the Templars. He allies with a group of pirates and helps establish an independent pirate republic before finally uniting with Roberts. The pair unlock The Observatory but disagree on what to do with it. Edward is soon betrayed by Roberts, who takes the skull-shaped artifact powering the device and locks Edward inside. Proving savvy enough to escape, Edward soon tracks down Roberts to retrieve the stolen skull and take his bloody revenge. He then returns to The Observatory, where he assassinates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala and seals the skull away, deciding the safety of the world is more important than his personal quest for riches. His war against the Templars concluded, Edward returns to his home in England where he lives out his days with his daughter, Jennifer, and son, Haytham.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue 1752 to 1776 – French and Indian War
Shay Patrick Cormac is sent by the Assassin Brotherhood to retrieve an Isu artifact from a temple in Lisbon. Shay’s disturbing of the temple causes an earthquake that almost completely destroys the city. Struck down with guilt, Shay decides to leave the Brotherhood and steal their map of Isu temples. The Assassins attempt to kill Shay for his betrayal, but he is rescued by Templars who take him to New York.
Over a number of years Shay gradually climbs the ranks of the Templar Order, killing a number of prominent Assassins as he does. His work puts him on the trail of his former master, Achilles, whom he tracks to the Arctic in hope of halting the Brotherhood’s search for more Isu temples. There, he and fellow Templar Haytham Kenway – yes, son of Edward Kenway! – injure Achilles but stop short of killing him, leaving him alive to ensure he prevents the Assassins from unearthing any more Isu temples.
In 1776, on a trip to Versailles to eliminate an Assassin, Shay suggests that the Templars start a revolution in France in response to a recent uprising sparked by the Assassins in America.
Assassin’s Creed 3 1754 to 1783 – American Revolution
The Templars set their sights on unlocking the Isu’s Grand Temple. Haytham Kenway murders a man in London to obtain the key, and then travels to the Mohawk-guarded site of the Temple in the American Colonies. Haytham fails to work out how to unlock the Temple, but finds himself falling in love with a Mohawk woman named Kaniehti:io. Together they have a child, Ratonhnhaké:ton, but Haytham eventually abandons his new family.
Years later, the Mohawk settlement is burned to the ground and Kaniehti:io is killed. Seeking revenge, Ratonhnhaké:ton renames himself Connor Kenway and trains with a reluctant Achilles to become an Assassin. Against the backdrop of the American Revolution, Connor eliminates the Templars hidden within the British forces. His quest eventually reunites him with Haytham, with whom he hopes to work with to establish some kind of peace. However, Haytham believes it’s vital that the Templars control the nation, and the pair’s conflicting ideals end in a son killing his father. Connor takes the Isu Grand Temple key and buries it, denying the Templars their end goal.
Assassin’s Creed Liberation 1765 to 1777 – Spanish Occupation of Louisiana
Occuring in parallel to Connor’s journey, New Orleans-based assassin Aveline de Grandpré learns of a Templar plot to control Louisiana. Following the trail, Aveline learns that the plot is part of a much larger conspiracy organised by the ‘Company Man’, who is using slaves to unearth an Isu temple. On her crusade to disrupt the Templars and free the slaves, Aveline collects three components that link together to form a Isu device called a ‘Prophecy Disk’.
Aveline eventually discovers that the Company Man is her own stepmother, who has been grooming her with the intent of inducting her into the Templars. Aveline kills her stepmother and then activates the Prophecy Disk, which tells the story of Eve; the leader of the human rebellion against the Isu.
Assassin’s Creed Unity 1789 to 1794 – French Revolution
Arno Dorian is orphaned as a child when Shay Cormac murders his father in Versailles. He’s taken in by François de la Serre, the Grand Master of the French Templars, and grows up alongside his new sister, Élise. As an adult, Arno is framed for the murder of de la Serre and imprisoned in the Bastille. There he meets a member of the Assassin Brotherhood who offers to help Arno track down his adoptive father’s killer.
The Brotherhood’s investigation uncovers a rift within the Templars led by the extremist François-Thomas Germain – the man behind de la Serre’s murder. Germain plots to revolt against France’s monarchy and ignite revolution. As Paris falls into chaos, Arno and Élise work together to track down Germain. They pursue him to an underground Templar crypt where he attempts to use a Sword of Eden, a powerful Isu weapon, to kill Arno. However, the sword unexpectedly explodes, killing Élise and wounding Germain. In his final moments the Templar reveals that he is the current Sage. Arno later seals Germain’s remains in the Paris Catacombs, ensuring they stay out of reach of the Templars.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate 1868 – Victorian England
In 1868, twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye arrive in London in search of The Shroud, another Isu device. They soon discover that the Templars have seized complete control over the city through use of industry figures, political leaders, and organised crime. The twins split up to complete parallel goals: Jacob focuses on assassinating the Templars’ leadership, while Evie attempts to beat the Templars in the race to find The Shroud.
While all of his lieutenants are killed during Jacob’s bloody spree, Templar leader Crawford Starrick still manages to learn that The Shroud is being held in a vault beneath Buckingham Palace. He steals the device, but his plans to kill Britain’s leaders are halted when Jacob and Evie assassinate him. The twins return The Shroud to the vault, netting another victory for the Assassin Brotherhood.
In the following years, Jacob is made head of the London Assassins and Evie manages to track down and assassinate grisly serial killer Jack the Ripper. The pair later move to the countryside, where Evie raises her daughter, Lydia, as an Assassin. During the First World War, Lydia is tasked by Winston Churchill to investigate a German spy facility in London, which just so happens to be staffed by Templars. Lydia’s mission concludes when she kills the espionage network’s leader, who is revealed to be the latest Isu Sage.
Transition Period 1914 to 2012
While the majority of each Assassin’s Creed game is set during a historical time period, the series as a whole uses a framing story set during the modern era. During the transition period between Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Victorian era and the start of the modern storyline, the Templars create Abstergo Industries. A pharmaceutical company established in 1937, Abstergo is part of the Templars efforts to control the world through capitalism. In the late 1970s, Abstergo begins development of the Animus: a virtual reality machine capable of exploring the memories of a person’s ancestors. By exploring the past, Abstergo hopes to control the future.
Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3 2012
In 2012, bartender Desmond Miles is abducted by Abstergo Industries and forced to use the Animus. Abstergo intends to use Desmond, who is descended from Altaïr, to locate the Apples of Eden and other Isu artefacts. Thankfully for Desmond there’s an Assassin Brotherhood mole working at Abstergo, Lucy Stillman, and she helps him escape from the facility.
Desmond is brought to a Brotherhood safehouse where he works with Lucy and her teammates, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, to explore the memories of another one of his ancestors: Ezio. Desmond learns of the impending apocalypse via Ezio’s encounter with Minerva beneath the Vatican, kickstarting the Assassins’ quest to prevent the end of the world.
By exploring more of Ezio’s memories, Desmond is able to find the Apple of Eden that was hidden beneath the Roman Colosseum. Unfortunately, the Apple projects a vision of Juno, a villainous Isu who possesses Desmond and forces him to kill Lucy. The traumatic ordeal puts Desmond into a coma, but he’s still able to explore Ezio’s final memories despite such a medical emergency. Through them he observes Ezio’s discovery of Altaïr’s library and Jupiter’s message revealing the existence of the Grand Temple.
Awakening from his coma, Desmond travels with Shaun and Rebecca to the Isu Grand Temple in New York where they meet with William Miles, Desmond’s father and the leader of the modern Assassin Brotherhood. By reliving the memories of Connor Kenway, Desmond is able to locate the key to the Temple. Inside, the group discover that the Isu technology can prevent the apocalypse but at the cost of killing Desmond and unleashing the imprisoned Juno, who plans to control humanity. Desmond decides to sacrifice himself, believing humanity will be able to defeat Juno.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag 2013
Abstergo uses samples taken from Desmond’s body to continue their hunt for Isu technology via his ancestor’s memories. In hopes of discovering the location of The Observatory, Abstergo assigns “The Noob”, an unnamed researcher, to explore the memories of Edward Kenway.
During their assignment The Noob is tasked by the company’s head of IT, John Standish, to hack Abstergo’s computers in hunt of information on the Assassins. Standish is eventually revealed to be the modern-day Sage, and he intends to use The Noob as a host for Juno. However, it turns out that Juno is not yet ready to emerge into the world, and so Standish attempts to murder The Noob to keep her existence secret. Unfortunately for him, he’s killed by Abstergo security, who believe him responsible for the hacks.
Assassin’s Creed Unity 2014
In a bold attempt to track down the remains of former Sages, Abstergo releases “Helix” to the public; a video game-like software that allows players to experience genetic memories. Guided by an Assassin called Bishop, an unnamed initiate relives the life of Arno Dorian in search of the remains of François-Thomas Germain, a Sage from the 1700s. Learning that Arno sealed Germain’s bones away in the Paris Catacombs, Bishop believes the Sage’s remains are safe from Abstergo’s grasp.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate 2015
The following year, the initiate is tasked with finding The Shroud, an Isu device hidden in London. By exploring the memories of Jacob and Evie Frye the initiate learns that The Shroud is hidden beneath Buckingham Palace. Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane are sent to retrieve it but Abstergo beats them to it. By hacking a senior Templar’s computer, the Assassins learn that Abstergo intends to use The Shroud to create a living Isu. It is revealed that Juno also has her eyes on The Shroud, and has been manipulating Abstergo employees in an attempt to sabotage the Templar’s plans.
Assassin’s Creed Origins 2017
Layla Hassan, a researcher for Abstergo, has ambitions of joining the company’s Animus Project. In an attempt to prove her talent she develops a new version of the Animus capable of exploring memories via a DNA sample, completely skipping the need to find a biological descendant. On a trip to Egypt she discovers the mummified remains of Bayek and Aya and uses their DNA to relive the origins of The Hidden Ones. Layla is then contacted by William Miles, who offers her a position in the Assassin Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey 2018
Using DNA samples recovered from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla is able to relive the memories of Kassandra and discover the location of Atlantis. In the mythical city she comes face to face with the Greek mercenary, kept alive for centuries thanks to the Staff of Hermes. Kassandra explains that the world needs balance between the Templars and Assassins to prevent disaster, and reveals that Layla is prophesied to bring that balance. As her final act, Kassandra gifts Laya the Staff of Hermes. Relieved of her duty to guard Atlantis, she dies in Layla’s arms.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 2020
After observing fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, Layla and the Assassins recover Viking remains in New England and use them to explore the memories of Eivor. Through them Layla discovers the existence of the Yggdrasil computer which is located in an Isu temple in Norway. Simultaneously, the Assassins learn that the magnetic field disturbances are a result of the apocalypse-preventing Isu technology that Desmond Miles activated in 2012.
Laya travels to the Norway temple and uses Yggdrasil to enter its simulation, hoping to find a way to stabilise the magnetic field. Inside she meets Basim, trapped there by Eivor, and a figure called “The Reader”, a manifestation of Desmond’s mind. Abandoning her mortal form, Layla works with The Reader to prevent future apocalypses. Basim, meanwhile, escapes the simulation and claims the Staff of Hermes, which is revealed to contain the consciousness of Loki’s lover, Aletheia. He then joins the Assassin Brotherhood and uses their Animus to begin his quest to track down Loki’s children.
Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 requires a Microsoft account, the company has confirmed.
Confirmation comes from a FAQ posted to the Forza support website: “Yes, in addition to a PSN account you’ll need to link to a Microsoft account in order to play Forza Horizon 5 on PS5. This process begins the first time you start up the game on your console.”
This policy is in keeping with other Xbox games released on Sony’s console, including Minecraft, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.
However, it has caused a degree of controversy among some. Does it play?, which works to “ensure games and hardware remain accessible now and always,” tweeted to say the news “basically kills preservation for the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5.”
That statement taps into a concern that Forza Horizon 5 may become unplayable even to those who bought it if at some point in the future Microsoft discontinues its account linking process without updating the game to be playable without a Microsoft account. There’s also concern that Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 will become unplayable if a player loses access to their linked Microsoft account for whatever reason. Adding to this concern is the fact Microsoft will release Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 digitally, and has no plans for a physical disc version.
The reaction to the Forza Horizon 5 Microsoft account news among the PS5 community has been mixed, with most players left wondering if the game has cross-progression given the forced Microsoft account link.
Unfortunately, according to the FAQ, Forza Horizon 5 for PS5 does not carry over save files from Xbox or PC. Microsoft pointed out that this is also the same behavior between the Xbox and Steam versions of the game, where game files are separate and not synchronized.
You can publish UGC on one platform and download it to play on another, however you won’t be able to edit it unless you’re playing on the save profile it was originally created on. Some online statistics, such as your leaderboard scores, are synchronized if you log into the game using the same Microsoft account, the company added.
Forza Horizon 5 is the latest Xbox game to launch on a rival console as part of Microsoft’s big multiplatform push. Expect plenty more where that came from in the months ahead.
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.
Capcom has released Monster Hunter Wilds hotfix 1.000.05.00 across all platforms, making important improvements and fixes for the game.
The patch removes various progression blockers and fixes various bugs, but players won’t find any performance improvements in the patch notes, below.
Monster Hunter Wilds is still sitting on a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam despite its record-breaking launch, and most of the complaints revolve around performance problems on PC.
Despite these issues, Monster Hunter Wilds’ success cannot be denied. It sold a huge 8 million copies in just three days, becoming the fastest-selling Capcom game of all time. Monster Hunter Wilds has the fifth highest ever concurrent player count on Steam, with a whopping 1,384,608 peak. That’s more than Dota 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Elden Ring managed on Valve’s platform. By comparison, Monster Hunter: World had a peak of 334,684.
IGN’s Monster Hunter Wilds review returned an 8/10. We said: “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge.”
Issues that have been addressed as of March 10, 2025:
The “Grill a Meal” and “Ingredient Center” features cannot be unlocked even after meeting the progress criteria.
When heading to Azuz during Main Mission: Chapter 2-1 “Toward Fervent Fields,” players keep falling through the map.
The Monster Field Guide cannot be accessed.
During Main Mission: Chapter 5-2 “A World Turned Upside Down,” an NPC may not appear, preventing further progression.
At the Smithy, an issue may occur where tutorials are repeatedly shown, disabling certain options in the menu.
When guarding a monster’s attack with a lance using Power Guard under certain conditions, the weapon flashes in red but the effect is not activated
When using a mantle, a Weapon Equipment Skill may mistakenly be activated.
Some effects may be displayed continuously when using certain skills, such as Peak Performance and Self-Improvement.
When successfully preforming an Offset Attack with the Insect Glaive’s Descending Slash under certain conditions, the hunter freezes and becomes unresponsive to any controls.
Addressed issues that occurred under certain conditions with screen rendering and causing force quits.
The Meal Invitation feature at Azuz and Sild does not unlock on some occasions.
A notification or an Environment Overview Update may show that you have received a Meal Invitation when it is not available. (Some mitigation measures have been implemented.)
An issue occurring when using Equipment Loadout, causing decorations to be removed from equipment, Bowgun Customization being reverted to default, and Kinsects reverting to the initial rarity.
When cutting off monster parts, the parts change into a monster part from a different monster.
Gravios does not gain resistance to flinches after breaking its parts. (Gravios’s resistance has also been slightly adjusted in Ver. 1.000.05.00.)
An issue which may cause crashes or some monsters to act strangely under certain situations.
Some skills are unintentionally activated under certain conditions.
Some items/rewards can be obtained repeatedly under certain conditions.
When trying to catch a fish with a capture net, the fishes nearby do not swim away from the fishing spot.
Some environmental features such as floating rubbles can be activated multiple times.
During Main Mission: Chapter 5-2 “The Root Cause,” the hunter becomes unresponsive to some controls when talking to a certain NPC.
Palico’s support move “Attract Vigorwasps” may cause the hunter to become unresponsive to some controls.
When scrolling through the quest list, only the first 20 quests are displayed correctly.
An issue which may cause the game to forcefully shut down when starting a game with saved data that encountered a force quit.
*You must close the game to apply the fix. Please ensure you restart the game after updating your game to Ver. 1.000.05.00. (This can be confirmed at the title screen.)
Meanwhile, Capcom outlined various issues it’s still working to address.
Some currently known Monster Hunter Wilds issues as of March 10, 2025:
A network error occurs when firing an SOS flare right after a quest begins.
Link Members are not prioritized over other players and may not appear in some places including Base Camps.
Palico’s attacks with blunt weapons do not inflict stun and exhaust damages.
Hunter Profile cannot be edited properly on some occasions.
Some side missions cannot be completed under certain situations.
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.
Hideo Kojima took to the stage at SXSW 2025 in Austin, TX this evening to reveal an epic new trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, as well as confirm a release date.
Death Stranding 2 launches on June 26, 2025 exclusively on PlayStation 5. However, those who buy the Digital Deluxe Edition or the Collector’s Edition get two days of early access from June 24.
The 10-minute long video, below, includes various cinematics, gameplay clips, and, perhaps most notably, a close look at a character who many are already saying looks a lot like Snake from Kojima’s world famous Metal Gear franchise.
The character, played by Italian actor Luca Marinelli, is seen putting on a bandana, as Snake does, and lead a team of creepy looking soldiers. This character, called Neil, looks like a soldier of some kind, and weilds an assault rifle.
The trailer continues the Metal Gear vibes with the Magellan Man, a huge tar-like creature fused with the DHV Magellan that looks a bit like Metal Gear Rex (a 15″ statue of the Magellan Man is included in the Collector’s Edition). The Magellan Man appears to be operated like a Pacific Rim-style mech, and faces off against enormous and very creepy tar monsters.
The standard edition of Death Stranding 2 costs $69.99, as expected. The Collector’s Edition, meanwhile, costs $229.99. The Digital Deluxe Edition costs $79.99. Pre-orders begin on March 17.
Developing…
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.
The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, March 9, below:
Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99
Amazon has the Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99 today. These earbuds feature Spatial Audio, up to five hours of listening time per charge, and so much more. Apple AirPods 5 likely won’t be out for a good bit, so now is the perfect time to pick up a pair of new AirPods if your old ones are giving out.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for $39.99
Super Mario 3D World is one of the Wii U’s most fun games, with the enhanced Nintendo Switch release also packing in Bowser’s Fury, an action-packed new take on 3D Mario. There are 82 different courses to master, which you can do with up to three friends together. At $39.99, this is a great deal on one of the best Mario games on Nintendo Switch.
Apple AirPods Pro for $169.99
Apple’s best earbuds are on sale today. Amazon is offering the second generation Apple AirPods Pro wireless noise-canceling earbuds for only $169.99 shipped, a savings of 32% and the best AirPods deal so far this year. That’s the same price currently as the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, which is usually $70 cheaper. Between the two, the AirPods Pro is still the superior earbuds because it offers better sound quality and noise cancelation.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $41.88
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first original Mario game from Nintendo since Odyssey. This is a side-scrolling platformer that takes place in a brand new world (Flower Kingdom). You have acess to new power ups, new enemies, and new gameplay mechanics all wrapped up in a visually gorgeous game with tons of personality. Check out our IGN Super Mario Wonder review and you’ll see why it’s so great.
Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Starter Kit
Magic: The Gathering is one of the biggest card games in the world, and it’s set to collaborate with the beloved Final Fantasy series this June. This collaboration has been incredibly popular online, which has led to almost every booster pack being sold out at the moment. Luckily, you can still pre-order the Starter Kit today. This is the perfect entry point for new players, as this set includes two ready-to-play 60-card decks and much more.
NieR Replicant – 10+1 Years 4xLP Vinyl for $74.40
This NieR Replicant box set includes 4 LPs with music from the game. Included are the Nier, Kainé, Emil, and Devola & Popola LPs, which were all released separately. The cover of the box set was illustrated by Shirow Miwa, who has contributed designs to titles like Fate/Grand Order. Additionally, an original paper stand is included in the box set.
Super Mario Odyssey for $39.99
Super Mario Odyssey is still one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch. From the stunning Kingdoms to the numerous new gameplay elements, this is a game any Switch owner should have in their collection. Odyssey is best known for its Capture mechanic, which allows Mario to use Cappy and take over different enemies and objects in the environment. This game doesn’t go on sale too often, so pick up a physical copy at a discount this week!
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $37.99
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is $37.99 at Woot right now. The massive adventure across the planet to track Sephiroth was one of the biggest games of 2024, and it’s absolutely a must-play game. A 40+ hour main story awaits, with over 35 side quests available after you clear the story.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor for $19.97
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is on sale this weekend for $19.97 at Walmart. As the second chapter of Cal’s story, Survivor opens up with massive new planets to explore, in addition to dozens of additions and tweaks to the combat system. If you’ve yet to play this second game from Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi series, there has never been a better time.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for $24.99
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is back at its all-time low price this weekend! Vengeance is an enhanced version of the former Nintendo Switch exclusive SMT V, launched in 2019. The biggest feature available in this upgraded re-release is the all new Canon of Vengeance route, which is essentially 40 hours of new story content. At $24.99, this is a steal for what many considered one of the best RPGs of 2024.
Apple Watch Series 10 for $299
Amazon is offering an Apple Watch Series 10 42mm model for only $299 and the bigger 46mm model for $329. This is even lower than the best deal during Black Friday. If you own an iPhone, the Apple Watch is indisputably the best smartwatch for you. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the newest generation mainstream model. Improvements over the Apple Watch Series 9 include a bigger OLED Retina display, a new S10 processor (that isn’t faster but it’s thinner, which allows the watch itself to have a slimmer profile), and a slightly larger base model size (42mm vs. 41mm).
Mario vs. Donkey Kong for $29.99
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of the Game Boy Advance game bringing the classic up to date with new visuals for Nintendo Switch. This is the lowest we’ve seen this one yet, so don’t miss your chance to score and pick this game up at a discount.
SXSW’s The Future of World-building at Disney Panel was filled with exciting details and teases of the future of Disney Parks, including how The Mandalorian and Grogu will be joining a new mission aboard Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, that Imagineers will need to create a new type of ride vehicle with emotion for Magic Kingdom’s Cars ride, and a tease of what the load area and lift off will look like for the new Monsters, Inc. attraction.
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman led the festivities and discussed what their teams are working on and how beneficial it is when they collaborate for exciting new experiences at Disney Parks.
There was a ton discussed, and we’ve gathered all the biggest announcements and reveals below!
The Mandalorian and Grogu Will Join Smuggler’s Run in a New Mission at the Launch of The Mandalorian & Grogu Film
The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau and Imagineers Leslie Evans and Asa Kalama shared a bit more about the upcoming new story and revealed some concept art of locations that should excite fans of that galaxy far, far away. The images, which you can see below, include a Jawa’s Sandcrawler on Tatooine, the Millennium Falcon and Mando’s Razor Crest flying toward Cloud City on Bespin, and even a tease of visit to the wreckage of the second Death Star above Endor.
“This isn’t going to retell what happens in the movie – it’s more like participating in something that’s happening just off-camera from what you see in the film,” Favreau explained.
Imagineers captured scenes for this new story from the set of The Mandalorian & Grogu, meaning it should feel very authentic when it goes live.
In addition, it was also revealed that the wonderful BDX droids that have been seen at Disneyland will soon be making their way to Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. There will even be a new variant as an Anzellan (like Babu Frik!) named Otto will sometimes appear on a BDX that needs a little tune up.
Oh, and if that wasn’t enough BDX goodness for you, the team shared these droids will be making an appearance in The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Here’s a Sneak Peak at the Load Area and Lift Off of the New Monsters, Inc. Attraction at Disney World
This new attraction aims to give guests the dream-come-true moment of soaring through Monsters, Inc.’s door vault and Disney shared a first look at the load area and how it should set the tone very well of what’s to come.
We still have much to learn about this new attraction and the land it will live in, but this is an exciting tease nonetheless.
Pixar and Imagineering Reveal a New Type of Ride Vehicle Had to Be Made for Magic Kingdom’s Upcoming Cars Attraction
“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” Hundgen said. “For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.”
The team needed some real-world data to help in their research so they went to the Arizona desert to ride in an off-road vehicle and take off over rocky terrain. This new ride doesn’t take place in Radiator Springs, but instead it will be a thrilling rally race through the mountains, so they want it to feel just right.
From there, they worked with a motocross company to build a dirt track of their own to race around and used that to develop what will eventually be the ride vehicle.
“We’re using a customized production vehicle,” Hundgen continued. “It has sensors all over it, and we’re taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering.”
These vehicles will also get some Disney and Pixar magic thrown in as each car will have its own personality, name, and number.
Robert Downey Jr. Stops by Disney’s SXSW Panel to Help Share More About the New Avengers Campus Attractions
Downey Jr. said these new experiences are “the living embodiment of the Stark Enterprises mission statement.”
“The curiosity, the passion, the inventiveness, the occasional flair for the dramatic, most of all a drive to put something good out into the world to make life better, at the minimum more fun by a mile, ” Downey continued. “It’s the privilege of a lifetime to be invited to participate.”
As for the ride itself, guests will sit in “gyro-kinetic pods” and will eventually be grabbed by a giant robot arm who will help them make “several high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and some other Avengers.”
“Transferring from a track to a robot arm and then back again – nothing like this has ever been done before in a theme park, and we’re so excited about it,” Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Imagineering Bruce Vaughn explained. “Usually, we hide all the tech behind the scenes so you can focus on the story. Here, the tech IS the story, so we’re putting it front and center.”
One of they ways Imagineering is making the tech the star of this attraction is the focus on that robotic arm, which actually takes heavy inspiration from Tony Stark’s little robotic friend, DUM-E. The team enlisted the help of dancers and motion capture to help make these robots feel as real as possible.
Few sports are more primed for the whole “being a video game” thing than professional wrestling, but it’s kinda weird when you think about it: the WWE itself is more akin to an elaborately choreographed fight or dance sequence in a movie than it is an actual competition, whereas the goal of the games based on it is to fight to win. But inherent contradictions aside, I’m enjoying my time with WWE 2K25 so far – just a couple of days in – thanks to its much-improved Showcase mode and generally great game feel.
When I step into a new version of an annualized game like this, the first thing I try to do is get the lay of the land. Even though I’ve been playing wrestling games since the N64 days, my first stop is the tutorial because, unless things have gone very wrong, something is always a little different (this year, for instance, sees the long-requested return of Chain Wrestling) or I’ve forgotten how to do some very important, very specific button sequence you need to be able to do. WWE games have had a good introduction for a while now, especially compared to other sports game franchises (Hi, Madden!), and WWE 2K25 is no exception. This is an incredibly detailed tutorial that will walk you through everything you need to be a champ in the ring, with in-depth explanations of what moves do and how to do them. The Performance Center is a great teaching tool whether you need a quick refresher or you’re learning to do an Irish Whip for the first time. This may seem like an odd thing to spill ink over, but every version of a game is someone’s first – or maybe their first in a while – and I’m glad Visual Concepts seems to remember those people.
Once I’d refreshed my memory, I spent a while just looking around. WWE 2K25’s got an absolutely stacked roster, whether you’re here for classics like Bret “Hit Man” Hart, wrestlers-turned-movie-stars like Dave Bautista/Batista and Dwayne Johnson/The Rock, megastars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, or weirdos like Doink the Clown. I also appreciate that there are several versions of the same dudes from across their history in the WWE. Why yes WWE 2K25, I do need a handful of Triple Hs, each with their own different stats, thank you! Did you know that, compared to the modern version of The Rock, the 1997 version is considered a bum? Me neither, but that’s what the stats say! Remember what Rhea Ripley’s visual style was in 2020? Or 2017? When was the last time you thought about “Ravishing” Rick Rude? This stuff is great, and what’s better is you can edit just about every aspect of these wrestlers, from how the crowd reacts to them to tweaking individual stats and changing out moves if you don’t like Visual Concepts’ take on them. The ability to tweak individual wrestlers is not new, but as this roster gets bigger, it’s good to be reminded of how impressive all of it is.
What’s captured most of my attention so far is this year’s Showcase mode.
Among other new things in WWE 2K25, so far I’ve briefly toyed with intergender matches, The Island (I mean, who among us hasn’t wanted to impress Roman Reigns?), and new MyRise storylines. But what’s captured most of my attention so far is this year’s Showcase mode, which follows the Bloodline and the Anoa’i, Fatu, and Maivia families. Paul “The Wiseman” Heyman hosts the thing this year, and he’s clearly having a very good time providing the backstory that explains who the players are and why these matches are significant. There’s a lot of archival footage here, as in years past, though the problem of blurring out some folks’ faces (maybe due to rights issues?) persists.
Regardless, Showcase feels better than last year’s version (partially because this time we’ve got full ring entrances and the mid-match commentary is really excellent, and here for every match) and a fun twist this time around is that you’re sometimes asked to change the outcomes of matches members of these families lost in the real WWE storyline. If what I’ve played is any indication of the whole, there are also no longer any cuts to match footage that interrupt your gameplay. Big moments are instead recreated in-game, which means they play out more organically, even if you’re not following the checklist. So far, I’m having a blast doing things like beating the ever-loving snot out of Hulk Hogan with Yokozuna.
Bruises, blood, and sweat are more realistic.
The other thing that’s stood out is just how good it all looks. The WWE series has always been a looker, but this year Visual Concepts has managed to make things noticeably prettier than ever. Bruises, blood, and sweat are more realistic, and you can tell how long a match has been going, who is winning, and where the guys in the ring are taking the most punishment at a glance. It’s really impressive.
And that’s kind of where I am with WWE2K25 as a whole as we head into the first weekend. There’s a lot left to do before I can slap a number on this bad boy, but it looks fantastic, feels pretty great (just like WWE 2K24), and there’s a lot of it. An upscale wrestling buffet, if you will. What I’ve had so far is scrumptious, but there’s still a wide selection of dishes on the table, and your boy’s gotta taste test ‘em all. Better get back to it – that circle’s not gonna square itself.
Are you playing? Let us know what you think so far!
Let’s start by saying this: there is no best weapon type in Monster Hunter Wilds. If you’re looking for a definitive answer on which weapon type will get you the fastest hunt times every time because it’s just that good and overpowered, there isn’t one. The truth of it is that you should choose what feels good to play with for you. If you’re not carting, are consistently hitting the monster, and having fun while doing it, that’s what matters the most.
There’s a lot that goes into making a build for any given weapon successful, like armor,decorations, and a particular Artian weapon for the particular monster you’re up against, and those are the most important aspect, but if you’re looking for weapon types that just might help you get those hunt times down, these are great ones to try. This tier list of best weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds was created by Frankensteining IGN’s community tier list, online sentiment, my own opinion based on difficulty to master, and some current speedrun time averages.
Monster Hunter Wilds Best Weapons Tier List
The “best” weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds are Sword and Shield, Great Sword, Long Sword, Gunlance, and Bow, in no particular order, but the rest of the weapons are absolutely viable. These just stand out above the rest for a variety of reasons, which we’ll describe below.
S-tier: These are the best of the best for both damage output and relative ease of use to get there. The Gunlance is the most technical weapon here, but its benefits are worth it according to the community.
A-tier weapons have the potential to be as good as S-tier weapons in the right hands as they tend to be a bit more technical and less forgiving, or they fall just a tiny bit short. The Hunting Horn, though potentially not the best solo weapon, is exceptional in co-op.
These may fall a bit short compared to S- and A-rank weapons even when in the most experienced hands, but that doesn’t at all mean they’re “bad.” They just might take a little more effort and fine-tuned builds for the results of some of the others.
The Sword and Shield is amazing in Monster Hunter Wilds. It’s long been grossly underrated as solely the “beginner” weapon, and while it’s easy to pick up and get to it, it’s also one of the most versatile, consistent weapons in the game that can deal a ton of damage once you get your combos and movements down. Not only is it incredibly mobile even in the middle of attacks, allowing you to stick on monsters like mud on a Jyuratodos, but it can also guard and deal punishing damage. It can even perfect guard incredibly easily, letting you perform quick, powerful counter slashes and proc an Offensive Guard buff if you have that Equipment Skill. For support hunters, it can even use items without putting it away, letting you administer life-saving Lifepowders and buffing items for your whole party in a flash. Whether you prefer to evade or block, deal slashing or blunt damage, or even attack from above, the Sword and Shield has got it all–even a Power Clash. The only thing it’s missing is an Offset attack.
Great Sword
The Monster Hunter developers have said the first weapon they tool in new games is the Great Sword, and it shows. It can take advantage of Wilds’ new Power Clashes and incredibly satisfying Offset attacks, and its kit in general is quintessential Monster Hunter satisfaction in a nutshell. It will take more getting used to than the Sword and Shield, as it’s quite slow, and mishits can be punishing, but the introduction of Focus Mode makes it easier than ever to aim. If you’re looking for the highest damage output in a single strike, the Great Sword is a great pick, and those True Charged Slash hits look so satisfying.
Long Sword
The Long Sword is consistently Monster Hunter’s most popular weapon for good reason. It’s fast and fairly easy to pick up, with a fun, flashy, and satisfying playstyle that relies on its powerful perfect-evading counterattack, the Foresight Slash, to quickly build up the Spirit Gauge to deal max damage. It’s also got amazing reach, considering its size, so slicing off tails is a breeze with the Long Sword. It takes some management to maintain a maxed Spirit Gauge, but doing it is well worth the incredible damage output the Long Sword can accomplish when you’re in a flow with it.
Gunlance
To be honest, I know little about the Gunlance, but IGN’s community tier list contributors, speedrunners, and people around the internet seem to love it in Monster Hunter Wilds. I have found it much more difficult to pick up than the other S-tier weapons, but if you master it, it’s got amazing defense with its huge shield capable of Perfect Guards and explosive power in exchange for some mobility. In Wilds, the Gunlance can now fire two Wyvern’s Fire shots, which also have longer range. Its new attack, Wyrmstake Full Blast, is also incredibly powerful!
Bow
Though the bow isn’t doing too hot in Tempered Arkveld speedruns, many agree it’s an amazing pick in Monster Hunter Wilds, and I’ve seen it often voted as the strongest weapon in community polls. It certainly feels powerful, even despite its minor Focus Strike nerf since the Open Beta Test. So, what makes it S-tier? The Bow has a new move in Wilds that guarantees your shots will hit its intended target and crit: Tracer Ammo. Wilds also makes it so the Bow never runs out of its damage-boosting or ailment-inflicting coatings, further increasing its damage potential. Finally, if you perfect your dodge timing, the Bow’s Discerning Dodge replenishes your stamina so you almost never need to stop attacking! The Bow is mobile, strong, and its Focus Strike looks rad, what more could you ask for?
Remember, this is all just for reference, and we recommend sticking with your preferred weapon. For example, if you’re skilled with the Light Bow Gun, knowing exactly where to aim with what ammo and dodging every monster attack, you’re going to get better times than with the Great Sword if you keep whiffing your True Charged Slashes and can’t time your Offset attacks consistently. Any weapon takes time to get good at!
What weapon do you think is the best in Monster Hunter Wilds? Contribute to our Community Tier List at the top of this article. Maybe we’ll update this article with new ratings! And for more, don’t miss the growing, extremely comprehensive Monster Hunter Wilds guide.
Casey DeFreitas is a deputy editor for the IGN guides team and has been hunting monsters since the PS2 era. Catch her on every social @ShinyCaseyD.
Revisiting a game series from your youth is like exploring the basement in your childhood home. As you sift through the boxes and shelves, old memories come flooding back — which is exactly what happened as I started playing Carmen Sandiego, the latest game in a multimedia series that spans four decades. When the master thief appeared onscreen in her iconic trenchcoat and fedora, I was eight years old again, my face inches from a computer screen as I used my nascent knowledge of math, geography, and history to solve Carmen’s latest caper. 40 years later, Carmen Sandiego gives me that same thrill of solving puzzles by collecting clues, even if some of the modern additions to the visual novel-esque interface miss their mark.
As a former child gumshoe whose grasp of geography was gleaned from tracking down the world’s worst criminals as they scurried around the globe, I was more than ready to revisit the Carmen Sandiego-verse with the release of this eponymous new adventure from Gameloft. Though it takes some story cues from the animated Netflix series that wrapped up in 2021 — and emulates its cartoony visual style — it’s not necessary to know anything about Carmen’s backstory with the evil organization VILE to enjoy her latest quest. Significantly, this is the first time in the long-running series that players get to step into Carmen’s shoes and don her famous fedora, but it doesn’t make a real difference to the crook-hunting formula.
While the series got its start as an edutainment game, modern Carmen Sandiego is a mix of puzzle-solving, quick-time events, a dash of third-person top-down exploration, and (of course!) the occasional trivia question. In some ways, the newer elements make the world feel bigger and more exciting than its early DOS iterations; there’s more to do than simply click on icons representing key locations, parse through dialogue, and answer questions that wouldn’t be out of place on a fifth-grade final exam. That said, I wouldn’t have missed new activities like hang-gliding and grappling from rooftop to rooftop if they weren’t included.
In some ways, the newer elements make the world feel bigger and more exciting than its early DOS iterations.
As you follow VILE thieves from one country to the next, you’ll need to collect two types of clues: those that help them figure out where to go next, and those that help narrow down the list of suspects in the ACME detective agency’s database. In the ’80s and ’90s, Carmen Sandiego games relied on physical almanacs full of geographical and historical facts to help answer the in-game trivia questions and figure out what their clues meant. This time around, all of that information is kept within the game itself.
Throughout the campaign, you’ll find pieces of data like airport codes, exports, national languages, government structures, and more. This self-built almanac comes in handy when you’re on a VILE villain’s tail and need to decide what to do next. Typically, you’ll have a handful of clues to go by — a color or pattern on the flag, the spoken language, or whether residents drive on the left or right side of the road. You’ll use those clues to determine your next city from three provided choices.
Similarly, you’ll use personal information to narrow down the criminal behind each caper. The reimagined ACME Database makes this process smooth and streamlined; you can easily filter out suspects based on details about their hair and eye colors, hobbies, favorite foods, and fears. It’s quite satisfying to whittle down a list of 30-something suspects until there’s only one remaining and issue a warrant for their arrest. Just make sure you have the right person, otherwise it’s game over for Carmen (and time to start over for you).
It’s quite satisfying to whittle down a list of 30-something suspects until there’s only one remaining.
Clues are found by exploring key spots throughout a variety of exotic locations around the globe, from New Orleans to Barcelona to Singapore to Brisbane, with a few stops in between. This is similar to how the early games worked, but there’s a bit more room for exploration and making choices this time around. In some places, Carmen gets to wander around, question multiple witnesses, and seek out local trivia that could come in handy later. You don’t get to choose which activities happen in which location, but there’s more action involved than there used to be.
Every case has several chapters with individual heists connected by an overarching villain. The cases start out at the scene of the crime, whether that crime is the theft of a Japanese bullet train, or the replacement of a city’s free Wi-Fi hotspots with paid “Vi-Fi” versions. In each city, you can visit three locations to collect clues that bring you one step closer to solving the case.
Here’s how it works in practice: As you visit each of the in-city landmarks and districts, such as Singapore’s Merlion statue, or a viking-themed museum in Reykjavik, you’ll need to complete pre-determined activities to uncover that location’s clues. Sometimes, that means walking around and questioning suspects and witnesses, often picking up some geographical fun facts along the way. Other times, you may have to complete a hacking or lock-picking puzzle or use Carmen’s hang glider or grappling hook.
Some of these gameplay elements are more fun than others. Completing puzzles to hack safes or boost wireless signals was satisfying, but the more physical activities are mostly on rails and not particularly thrilling. I have a particular beef with the grappling hook mini-game, which requires a simple button press as icons align on your screen. The problem is, those icons sometimes move erratically, so grappling is either way too simple or frustratingly obtuse. There’s also a hang-gliding activity that’s perfectly… fine, but I’d rather have fewer gameplay elements that are more fleshed out than some forced action that feels like filler. I would have been perfectly happy with more brain-teasers instead.
I would have been perfectly happy with more brain-teasers.
Though not as unforgiving as the 1985 iteration, it is possible to fail cases in Carmen Sandiego. The clock is always ticking. You typically have five or seven days to solve each case, and all of your activities take time — as does flying from one city to the next. If you missed a critical clue and ended up flying to Singapore when you’re supposed to be in Buenos Aires, you just wasted 11 hours. If you run out of time, the thief gets away and you have to start the case over. However, I never really felt the time crunch in the main campaign; I typically had at least a day left over, if not several.
There are other ways to fail cases in Carmen Sandiego, and these represented more of a threat in my playthrough. If you’re pickpocketing a VILE lackey and get noticed, you’ve just missed out on a key piece of evidence. Missing one clue won’t blow your case, but do that a few times and you won’t have enough information to make an arrest. Most of the time, I could pinpoint the exact moment when I blew it — I was too slow when following a mark, I didn’t pay close enough attention to actions that required precise button presses. Other times, I found myself at the end with several suspects still in my database and no idea where I missed a clue.
Though I did make some mistakes, the main campaign isn’t exactly what I’d call challenging. But considering the series’ history as a children’s educational resource, I may not be the target audience. I could see parents and kids playing through Carmen Sandiego together and having a great time as children build critical thinking skills and parents brush up on elementary-school geography. And though it’s on the simpler side, Carmen Sandiego never feels dumbed down.
For my fellow olds looking for more of a challenge, you’re in luck. Aside from the main campaign, you can explore the ACME Files for what we’re told are cold cases dating back to the ’80s. These cases have adopted the modern systems for filtering out suspects and jetting around the world, but they’re presented in a retro, pixel art style — and injected with questions that might make you feel like you’re back in school and your teacher just slapped a pop quiz on your desk. Quick, what’s the biggest island in the Caribbean? Which country was the biggest producer of wheat and rice back in 1985? What’s 4x13x80? (Thankfully, despite what my teachers told me, I do have a calculator in my pocket everywhere I go.)
The ACME Files use a simplified interface that made me feel like I was back in front of my family computer in the early ’90s frantically paging through a physical book to find the answers. This time around, Google was my almanac. That might make the retro cases seem easier than those of the campaign, but they’re actually more difficult, particularly the time crunch. I actually did run out of time in the ACME Files, and watching those last few hours tick away filled me with a determination to do it better next time. Overall, these cases are a smart addition that add variety to the experience and provide some comforting fan service.
The historical cases pull from the same list of cities as the main campaign, and it’s only a few hours before you’ve seen everywhere in the world that Carmen Sandiego can visit. I’m not sure why they couldn’t have expanded her global reach in the main campaign, but it results in every environment feeling a bit repetitive after a while. Still, there are often new facts to find upon revisiting, so every city is always worth another look.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia goggles, but none of these shortcomings bothered me enough to make me want to stop playing. Each chapter is paced really well, so it always feels like you’re making progress. I love games that make you think your way out of problems, and for the most part, that’s exactly what Carmen Sandiego demands of the player.
It’s a shame, however, that the campaign ends rather abruptly. There’s another caper coming in a free DLC release later this year, but it was jarring to gear up for the final mystery and see “Coming Soon” in the menu of a completed, publicly released game. The story doesn’t feel like it’s reached a natural conclusion yet, but there’s still a good 15 hours of content between the campaign and the ACME Files — even more if you complete all of the cold cases from way back when. After my initial confusion, I took this as an opportunity to explore more old cases and await the day when I can complete Carmen’s adventure.
