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Free Radical Developers Mourn as TimeSplitters Studio Appears to Shut Down

TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design seems to have shut down, as team members have begun mourning its closure on social media.

Those who head to the developer’s website are being met with an error that simply says, “404 Company Not Found” with an especially saddening frowny face. No other pages on the site are accessible at the time of this story’s publication. It’s a foreboding message that signals the worst, but the real nails in the coffin are the many members from the team who have taken to social media to bid farewell to the studio.

“So long Free Radical Design, my first experience in the Games Industry and my first experience being made redundant. It definitely had its ups and downs but I can say for sure that the team I worked with were fantastic, and I wish them all the best! I’ll miss you all,” Senior Gameplay Programmer Adam Sims said in a LinkedIn post.

“Free Radical Design was a hub of creativity, but sadly, we join an ever-growing list of casualties in a broken industry where entire studios are treated as replaceable cogs in a soulless machine fixated on nothing but share prices,” Quality Assurance Manager Kevin Ellis added.

Ellis continued: “To all who lent their skills, dedication and creativity, you are the heartbeat of Free Radical Design. As we part ways, I’m confident your talents will persist in shaping gaming’s trajectory.”

“Sadly, we join an ever-growing list of casualties in a broken industry.

Free Radical’s demise is, unfortunately, anything but a surprise. In a year plagued with waves of layoffs, the studio’s parent company, Embracer Group, contributed 904 staff layoffs as of mid-November 2023. Its decision to let go team members follows the collapse of a $2 billion deal with the Saudi government-funded Savvy Games Group earlier this year. Embracer announced it entered an agreement to purchase the rights to The Lord of the Rings universe in August 2022.

A VGC report that the TimeSplitters studio was facing shutdown in December emerged only a few weeks ago.

“As our time at Free Radical Design comes to an end I want to say that it has been an honour to work with this design team,” Lead Game Designer George Beard said. “They are young, intelligent and hungry designers (and Tech Designers) that I would encourage anyone hiring to take an interest in them.”

Others, such as Audio Designer Samuel Hollywood-Summers shared their thoughts on LinkedIn. Senior Artist Mark Normington was among those impacted, with his post on the matter saying that Embracer’s layoffs impacted more than 80 Free Radical developers.

Free Radical has a history that dates back to the ‘90s, with some of its breakout titles being the original TimeSplitters and its sequel, TimeSplitters 2. It was closed in 2014 and eventually revived in 2021, just more than two years ago. A new TimeSplitters was in the works, but following today’s news, its status is unknown.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Skyrim Together Modders Aren’t Making a Multiplayer Mode for Starfield

The modding team behind Skyrim Together has announced it is canceling work on a Starfield multiplayer mode.

As reported by VG247, a modder revealed on the Skyrim Together Discord server that the modding team planned to create a similar mod for Starfield but the project has since been shelved. Skyrim Together was released in 2022 as a mod that brought multiplayer to the beloved Bethesda game and soon surpassed 80,000 downloads.

The reason given for giving up on Starfield Together was due to the team’s lack of interest in Starfield. They complained about the quality of the game and said they had no reason to continue creating the mod as a result.

“The game is boring, bland, and the main draw of Bethesda games, exploration in a lively and handcrafted world, was completely gone,” the modder wrote. “I’m not gonna put my heart and soul into a mod for a game as mediocre as this.”

While the Skyrim Together modding team has given up on the project, the modder said they plan to make the code for the mod open source in case someone wants to finish the mod themselves.

Starfield was released a few months back and quickly became a big hit for Bethesda. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Starfield has become the biggest launch in Bethesda history, surpassing 10 million players just three weeks after its release.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer later said there are over 12 million players as of early December 2023, and that “it still sits in our top 10 most-played games from Xbox Studios.”

In our 7/10 review of Starfield, IGN said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma Doesn’t Really Care About the Series’ Chronology

The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has said he doesn’t really care about the series’ chronology while reflecting on Tears of the Kingdom.

IGN asked the famed developer how the latest entry fits in with the different Zelda timelines, saying these games feel more like myths or legends surrounding the likes of Link and Ganondorf instead of being specific stories with a hard-wired canon.

Aonuma agreed, saying overthinking the Zelda chronology — which begins with Skyward Sword and splits into three alternative timelines following Ocarina of Time — could limit the development team’s creativity and vision.

I don’t like to put too much stock in the chronology of the series, because from the design perspective, that can kind of box us in.

“I think just as you say, this is a series that really lends itself well to each person playing, then thinking back and interpreting the story elements in their own way,” Aonuma told IGN. “We have these major players in each game, with Zelda, and Ganon, and Link, and they each surface and play their roles in potentially slightly different ways in each title.

“But personally, I don’t like to put too much stock in the chronology of the series, because from the design perspective, that can kind of box us in and limit where we’re able to take the story as we continue making games in the series. And so I do think it’s something that is best for people to interpret on their own. And yeah, I was kind of agreeing with many of the things you said.”

Aonuma also opened up about Tears of the Kingdom’s success, how Nintendo created its biggest twists, and more in our full interview.

Tears of the Kingdom got off to a very hot start when it launched on May 10, as Nintendo announced the sequel sold 10 million copies within three days.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an unfathomable follow-up, expanding a world that already felt full beyond expectation and raising the bar ever higher into the clouds.”

And for help with everything Tears of the Kingdom, take a look at our Tears of the Kingdom Walkthrough and Guide about making your way through Hyrule. In fact, you can start here:

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

The Day Before Player Count Drops Almost 90% in 4 Days, Enters Steam’s 10 Worst Reviewed Games List

Controversial Early Access game The Day Before has seen its player count fall almost 90% after just four days and entered Steam’s 10 worst reviewed games of all time list.

Data from player tracking website SteamDB shows The Day Before peaked at 38,104 concurrent users at launch on December 7 but, four days later at the time of writing, that number has dropped to 4,125. That’s an 89% decrease.

The number saw a harsh drop-off on December 8 but, unusually, even saw slight decreases into the weekend as well. Games typically launch during the week and player counts peak over the following weekend when more people have time to play.

The Finals launched on Steam on Friday, December 8 and peaked at 200,677 concurrent players, for example, but rose further to 221,396 on Saturday and 242,619 on Sunday. They Day Before saw the opposite effect, dropping to a peak of 9,319 concurrent players on Saturday and 7,690 on Sunday.

Amid a sea of complaints, users on Reddit have also claimed to have asked for a refund following alleged unkept promises by developer Fntastic. One poll with 968 votes at the time of writing asked players if they had kept The Day Before or had it refunded. 150 said they were keeping it while 818 asked for a refund.

Player feedback is otherwise clear on The Day Before’s Steam page, where the game has an “overwhelmingly negative” rating with only 20% of users recommending it. This saw it enter Steam’s worst 10 user reviewed games of all time list, where it sits in ninth place. War of the Three Kingdoms tops the list, followed by Overwatch 2, NBA 2K24, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Flatout 3: Chaos and Destruction, Identity, Uriel’s Charm, Spacebase DF-9, The Day Before, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2 in 10th.

Controversy has surrounded The Day Before for a long time, but post-launch backlash is perhaps the worst Fntastic has seen. Players slammed the game for not being the open world, survival MMO that was promised, but instead a simple extraction shooter.

Its launch as an Early Access title was only revealed a month prior in November 2023 too, with players otherwise expecting a full release on PC and console. This came after several other delays, accusations of copying other games more than once, and a beta that was only accessible to those who participated in unpaid work for Fntastic.

You can read about the full strange saga of The Day Before here.

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

Daily Deals: Meta Quest 2, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1, Xbox Series X

Another December weekend is coming to a close, meaning we are inching closer and closer to the holiday season. If you’ve yet to purchase a gift or look through the latest deals, this weekend is the perfect time to do so. These deals are already going out of stock quickly, so it’s best to act fast if possible. We’ve compiled the best gaming and tech deals available this holiday season to make shopping as easy as possible! Here are the deals you don’t want to miss out on.

Save $50 on Meta Quest 2 and Get $50 Credit

While the Meta Quest 3 has released, the Quest 2 is still an exceptional VR headset available at a very reasonable price. That especially applies to this deal, which is $50 off either the 128GB or 256GB model. Additionally, purchasing either model will give you $50 of digital credit for Amazon, so you’re really saving $100 in total on a new Quest 2.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $39.99

Great news for stealth action fans: Walmart has listed Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 at $39.99, which matches the previous low we saw during Black Friday. This is a great package with the first three Metal Gear Solid games, in addition to Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If you’ve yet to play through the Metal Gear series, the Master Collection is how to do so on modern platforms.

Xbox Series X for $349

It’s back! Walmart has the Xbox Series X Diablo 4 console bundle is only $349. We saw this on sale briefly last week but it sold out quickly. This is far better than the $439 price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We expect it to go out of stock very quickly.

Note: The Diablo 4 bundle is only available in select locations. If it’s not available for you, there’s also an Xbox Series X console (non-bundle) that’s also available for $349. It’s not as good as the Diablo 4 bundle, but it’s still better than any Xbox deal we saw during Black Friday.

Link (Tears of the Kingdom) amiibo for $10.99

One of the newest amiibo figures is on sale for a limited time at Best Buy! You can save $5 and pick up the Link (Tears of the Kingdom) amiibo for only $10.99. If you use this amiibo inside The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you will receive a ton of mushrooms, a chest with weapons, and potentially a new paraglider pattern.

Arcade1Up Video Game Cabinets Starting at $299.99

For those of you who want to recreate retro arcade gaming at home but don’t have the time, expertise, or money to set up your own MAME cabinet, Arcade1Up cabinets offer an easy-to-assemble, slick-looking package at a reasonable price. These cabinets are 3:4 scale replicas of the original product, complete with officially licensed artwork and preloaded with multiple games. Some games even support Live WiFi, which means you can play co-op online with other Arcade1Up gamers.

PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for $499

For those of you who have been holding out on the newer, more compact PlayStation 5 gaming console, well your wait is over. Amazon currently has your choice of either the PS5 Slim Disc Edition Spider-Man 2 console bundle or the PS5 Slim Disc Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 console bundle for only $499.99 each. Not only are you getting a brand new console that’s 30% smaller in volume and 18% lighter than the original, you’re also getting a free and recently released AAA title while you’re at it.

Nintendo Switch OLED Super Smash Bros Ultimate Bundle for $349.99

The best Switch deal of Black Friday is still available. Amazon is offering a Nintendo Switch OLED console packaged with a digital download of the incredible Super Smash Bros Ultimate game for $349.99. That basically means you get the game (which normally retails for $60) for free. This is the first time the Switch OLED has officially gone on sale for Black Friday or the holiday season, and in my opinion worth getting over the rather stale Switch (non-OLED) holiday console bundle.

Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT Wireless Gaming Mouse for $109.99

Save over 30% off this amazing wireless gaming mouse. The Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT weighs less than 63 grams, making for a significant weight reduction from the standard G PRO. Although it is not Bluetooth enabled, the wireless connection runs off of a standard USB A receiver. Battery life is also very strong, with up to 70 hours of battery before a charge is needed.

30% Off the LEGO UCS Star Wars The Razor Crest 75331

This Cyber Monday deal is back! Amazon has the LEGO UCS Star Wars The Razor Crest 75331 for only $419.99. That’s 30% off the original $600 MSRP and the best price we’ve ever seen for this set by a considerable margin. This deal only lasted a few hours on Cyber Monday before it went kaput..The Razor Crest 75331 is a UCS, or Ultimate Collector Series, kit. It consists of 6,187 pieces, which makes it the third largest Star Wars set in brick count. The resulting build is impressively large at 20″ long, 29″ wide, and 10″ high. According to LEGO, “the LEGO Ultimate Collector Series represents the very best in collectible LEGO sets. Featuring hard to find, exclusive, and impressively-large LEGO sets, made especially with adult collectors in mind.”

Crash Bandicoot 4 for $19.99

Crash Bandicoot 4 is a great time, and so is this deal! For $19.99, you can pick up the Switch version of the game to bring Crash wherever you go. We gave the game a 8/10 in our review, stating: “Its fresh new ideas, from big gameplay additions like new playable characters to supplementary but no less enjoyable aspects like the N. Verted mode to quality-of-life improvements like the shadow circle under Crash’s jumps, all now feel as natural to Crash as though they’d been there all along.”

Apple Watch Series 9 45mm for $339

This is better than any Apple Watch Series 9 deal we saw during Black Friday. Unlike most of the other Apple Watch updates before it, the Series 9 is actually a rather decent upgrade over the Series 8. The biggest change is the new Apple S9 SiP processor, which is significantly more powerful than previous models. Other improvements include a display that can get both brighter and dimmer than previous models, a longer 18 hour battery life, and a new “double tap” feature that lets you perform functions with simple hand gestures.

Grab Sonic Superstars for Half Off

If you haven’t checked out the latest Sonic title yet, this is a excellent time to pick it up. For $29.99, take on the newest 2D Sonic title and play as characters like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and more. Superstars also has co-op features to play with friends locally or online.

Get a 1 Year Sams’ Club Membership for Only $20

From now until January 31, Sam’s Club is offering 60% off its 1-year general membership. The membership normally costs you $50, so right now you’d only be paying $20. The promotion is reserved for new memberships only. Sam’s Club is owned and operated by Walmart. Like Costco, this is a warehouse-style retail and online storefront that offers low prices on bulk products and boutique consumer goods.

Refurb Sonos Arc Soundbar for $509

Sonos is offering a factory refurbished Sony Arc SL soundbar for only $509.00. That’s a $170 price drop from the normal refurb MSRP of $679.99 (a new Sonos Arc sells for $900). The Arc is Sonos’ flagship product. This is a premium 45″ soundbar with awesome sound quality thanks to the eleven precisely engineered internal speakers, including two dedicated height channels. The Sonos Arc can be wirelessly paired up with other Sonos speakers and subs to add even more sound distribution. This modularity is one of the main reasons why Sonos is so popular. The “SL” in the Sonos Arc SL means “silence”, and that’s because it’s not Google Assistant or Alex voice compatible.

Sonos refurb products go through pretty rigorous testing (probably more so than new). They come with all accessories, manuals, and documentation and are reshipped in “pristine” packaging. Most importantly of all, Sonos stands by their refurbs enough to grant them the same 1 year warranty as buying new.

Get $17 Off Pre-Ordering The Art of Final Fantasy XVI

After checking out the new Echoes of the Fallen DLC, why not pre-order a hardcover copy of The Art of Final Fantasy XVI? While this art book hasn’t released in the United States yet, Amazon currently has the pre-order discounted $17 off. For $22.99, you’re getting a 320 page art book with plenty of landscape, character portraits, and enemy art from the latest Final Fantasy title. It’s currently scheduled to release on March 19, so you will not be charged until then.

Super Bomberman R 2 for $19.99

Super Bomberman R 2 released under the radar this September, acting as a sequel to the original Bomberman R that launched alongside Nintendo Switch. There’s a story mode to complete in addition to the online modes where you can take on challenging battles. This is the lowest we’ve seen Super Bomberman R 2 so far, so act fast if this is a game you missed this year!

Google Pixel Buds Pro for $119.99

Best earbuds for Android

Google’s fourth generation wireless true wireless earbuds are a huge improvement over previous models. For Android phone users, this might actually be a best earbuds to get! They’re on par with the AirPods Pro in terms of sound quality, noise cancellation, and features at a price that is, as of now, $100 cheaper. Features include 11mm drivers (the same size as AirPods Pro), built-in Google Assistant, a whopping 11 hours of battery life, a USB Type-C charging case that’s also Qi wireless compatible, multi-point Bluetooth technology with fast pairing between Android devices, and a “Transparency Mode”.

Pick Up the JBL Clip 3 for $39

The JBL Clip 3 is currently on sale for $39.99, which is a discount of $30. JBL bluetooth speakers are known for their excellent sound quality, and this is no exception. With the portability of the Clip 3, you can attach it to a backpack, cooler, or bag with ease. Bring this with you on your next vacation or day trip for up to ten hours of listening without a charge.

Sony WH1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones for $228

Amazon is offering the popular Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones to only $228. This is easily one of the best noise cancelling headphones you can get. Sony’s WH-1000XM series of headphones have shaken Bose’s longstanding reputation for having the best noise cancelling headphones on the market. The WH-1000XM4 offers the coveted combination of outstanding sound quality and effective noise cancellation. They’re also very comfortable to wear with ample amounts of padding in the earcups and the headband. The WH-1000XM4 also boasts up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge. If you run out, charging for just 10 minutes will give you another 5 hours of playback. It charges via the newer universeal USB Type-C input, which is a welcome upgrade over the legacy Micro USB from previous models.

Huge Savings on the Latest Samba de Amigo Title

Released earlier this year, you can pick up the latest Samba de Amigo rhythm title for just $14.99 on Nintendo Switch. It’s been quite a while since the last entry, and this one packs a punch with dozens of new songs. Multiple DLC packs based on SEGA properties have already released for the game, including Like a Dragon, Persona 5 Royal, and Sonic.

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Collectors’ Edition 76405 for $349.99

Looking for an amazing gift idea for a LEGO fanatic. Amazon currently has the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express train set for $349.99. That’s $150, or 30%, off the original $500 MSRP. The LEGO Hogwarts Express is one of the most impressive Harry Potter sets out there. This 1:32 scale model of the Hogwarts Express train from the movie series measures 47″ long, 8″ wide, and 11′ tall. The set includes the train’s engine and two cars, plus platform 9 3/4. The three train compartments each depict a scene from the movie: Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s very first encounter, Professor Lupin saving Harry from the Dementor in the third movie. and Luna saving Harry from Draco’s spell in the sixth movie. The set also includes 20 minifigures including multiple versions of the main characters, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Ginny, Draco, and a Dementor.

9th Generation iPad for Only $249

Looking for an iPad to gift someone this holiday season? This is a great deal, running in with $80 of savings. For $249, you’ll get a 9th generation 10.2-inch model with 64GB of storage and Wi-Fi capabilities. Utilizing the A13 Bionic, this is the perfect device for kids or as a business tool.

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug² 14oz of $99.99

The Ember Tempearture Control Smart Mug² is a one of kind Christmas gift. The mug keeps your drink at your preferred temperature (120°F – 145°F) for up to 80 minutes with the built-in battery. There’s also a coaster that charges the mug wirelessly. It’s a pretty awesome mug and perfect for the cold winter season.

Remnant 2 for $29.99

Remannt 2 is on sale for only $29.99 on Amazon, which is a solid 40% discount. This is a great time to pick up an often overlooked gem of 2023. We gave the game a 9/10 in our review, stating it “is a triumphant sequel that doesn’t just reimagine the soulslike genre as a co-op looter-shooter, but absolutely nails that concept in nearly every way.”

Doom Is 30, but Hasn’t Aged the Way Games Are Supposed To

Take your own birthdate, add a decade, and you’ll most likely find the release year of the games you first loved – the ones which set your expectations for fidelity, framerate, and back-of-the-box features. Anything before that? Those are games that require an active, cognitive effort to appreciate. Enjoying the relics that pre-date your own interactive awakening takes an act of forgiveness – a deliberate forgetting of all the iteration that’s taken place in a medium driven by breakneck technological advancement.

Unless, of course, you’re talking about Doom. id Software’s seminal FPS, which today turns 30 years old, is uniquely exempted from the accelerated degeneration that afflicts all other games. Though it is the musket rifle to Modern Warfare’s thermal-scoped submachine gun, it needs no historical contextualisation or explanation. Successive generations have sat down with Doom and not only understood why it was fun in 1993 – they’ve felt it. This geriatric shooter still stands up among the many games it has spawned and influenced, as engrossing on the Nintendo Switch as it was on DOS.

That’s partly down to what Doom didn’t do. Unlike its contemporaries, id Software eschewed storytelling, which would have exposed the tight limitations of its 3D worlds. Half-Life and the birth of interactive first-person cinema was still half a decade away, while cutscenes were in their infancy with Wing Commander. Instead, the studio merely wound up its space marine protagonist like a mechanical toy, and set him loose in a series of stages set across the moons of Mars and Hell itself.

id Software took a similarly minimalist approach to its engine and feature set. That’s in stark contrast to, say, System Shock – another influential and important first-person action game that released the following year, but often slowed to a crawl and overwhelmed the player with menus upon menus.

Successive generations have sat down with Doom and not only understood why it was fun in 1993 – they’ve felt it.

Where System Shock was stuffed to the gills with cutting-edge physics, highly-detailed graphics, complex character manipulation and audiologs – ideas that gestured messily towards the future of gaming – Doom did nothing it couldn’t deliver on. It offered singular focus: a slick method of sliding around corridors while simultaneously unloading ammo into demons, all at over 30 frames-per-second. id’s in-house tech genius, John Carmack, was a born minmaxer. This was a man who had thrown out ceilings and floors to ensure Wolfenstein 3D ran like a racecar, and he brought the same efficient attitude to Doom – alongside plenty more power.

That clean, punchy approach to Doom’s tech is also reflected in its design, which was headed up by John Romero. While there may not be any explicit narrative driving the conflict, combat encounters arrive in distinct beats. All meaningful progress towards a level’s exit – opening doors, pushing buttons, stepping into dark rooms – is met with explosive resistance. And these spikes in activity are spliced with moments of tense downtime – in which you suck up ammo and health packs, or listen for the gargle of zombified soldiers behind false walls.

In its recent Half-Life documentary, Valve described its weapons as “orthogonal” – at right-angles from one another. That’s something Doom did much earlier, and to potent effect. Every murder tool fills a unique role, and is best applied in specific circumstances. The chaingun interrupts the cadence of a cacodemon’s fireballs, letting you get the upper hand, while the chainsaw keeps the maw of the pinky at arm’s length. The simple shotgun, meanwhile, grants you the perfect amount of stopping power to fell an imp, so long as you hit it square in the chest.

It’s a refreshing change from the stacked armories of today’s live-service and looter shooters. Modern Warfare 3 and Borderlands may feature just as many distinct weapon options as Doom across the entire spectrum of their loadouts – but those distinctions are fractured across hundreds of guns, each distinguished only by tiny stat tweaks and attachments.

Doom’s potent weapons are a refreshing change from the stacked armories of today’s live-service and looter shooters.

Likewise, as modern shooter levels have become more homogenous and characterless – a consequence of development teams growing into the hundreds and thousands – the personality of Doom’s stages has become ever more alluring. In each one you can feel the hand of a devious designer, as well as their leg, tripping you up.

Take the perspective trick that ends Doom’s fourth mission, Command Control. You enter the final room with what looks like a clear run up the stairs to the exit door – before you realise there’s a gap in the middle of the gangway, only visible once it’s practically beneath you. You can almost hear the cackles of designers Tom Hall, Sandy Petersen and Romero as you tumble back down to ground level.

Somehow, 3D still feels novel when you play Doom. Something about the soaring pace of oncoming fireballs induces the urge to physically dodge, as if you were in VR. And the fact that you can hit enemies at any height, despite your inability to look up or down, turns this flat FPS into a fundamentally vertical experience. Few shooters have as much fun with towers and windows today.

Even the quirks still hold up. While you never lose more than a level’s progress when you die, there’s a background roguelike structure at work in Doom. So long as you can progress without losing a life, you’ll get to keep your burgeoning arsenal between stages. It’s an incentive to tread with caution and fight hard for your life. And to uncover the secret areas – which allow you to bypass the campaign’s power curve and get early access to the shotgun or chainsaw.

Doom loses some of its focus in the final episode, Thy Flesh Consumed, which takes you to Earth as the demons invade. That’s because it was added later, and made up partly by levels designed by fans – among them Tim Willits, who eventually became id’s studio director. But this flawed goodbye marks an important transition. It’s been a long time since Doom belonged entirely to id Software. Rather, it’s become a tool for public invention, fuelling the creations of modders for decades. It’s that endlessness, combined with some extraordinary fundamentals, which ensures Doom not only never dies – but never gets old.

Jeremy Peel is a freelance journalist and friend to anyone who will look at photos of his dogs. You can follow him on Twitter @jeremy_peel.

Fortnite Festival: Songs Setlist, Festival Pass, and Gameplay Details

Fortnite Festival is a brand new triple-a rhythm game from Harmonix, creators of Rockband, and it’s available now. It features two special modes: Festival Main Stage and Festival Jam Stage. Main Stage is your classic Rockband mode where you can perform songs with your band while Jam Stage is where you can chill and, as the name suggests, jam.

Fortnite Festival is a new way for players to socialize and share their love of music either through trying to get the top high scores or creating the ultimate mash up in Jam Stage. Either way you play, music lovers are going to be having a blast playing Fortnite Festival. Here’s what you need to know to perform your best on each stage.

Festival Main Stage

Main Stage is where you go to play through a variety of music tracks for your adoring audience. You can choose between playing the Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keytar, and Microphone. You can also customize skins for each of those instruments and set your emotes so you can show off your weird or fun dance moves when you’re on stage.

You can queue into Main Stage with three people in your band and once you’re in a social space, you can select and queue songs that you want to play, choose your instruments, then start the stage. You’ll get graded as a band and on an individual basis, so make sure you’re not missing too many notes!

Festival Jam Stage

If you just want to hang out with your friends and mess around with some different music tracks, Jam Stage is the place to go. In your locker, you’ll set up the Jam Tracks in your inventory that you want to use in Jam Stage.

Once you’ve set that up, you can party up with three other friends and hang out in a social space with different stages that you can Jam in. You can choose from using Lead, Vocals, Drums, or Bass once you’re settled and you can choose any of the songs you’ve added to your Jam wheel.

You can choose to change the loop, key and tempo, convert the track to a minor or major mode, and adjust all the BPMs. The most fun aspect of Jam Stage was that you could get completely different songs to work together in an incredible mashup. Jam Stage features a pretty big area for you to run around in and find different locations to perform at too!

Additionally, you can Jam outside of the stages. When in Battle Royale, if you hit your emote wheel and click Jam, you can start a Jam session right then and there, and hopefully some players will be nice and play with you for a bit before you get back to the action.

Fortnite Festival will feature all sorts of songs from different artists in the future, cycling out songs and updating the playlist. For players worried about DMCA risks, there’s a specified amount of time for each licensed track so you should be safe during that time.

Epic Says Rock Band Controller Support a ‘Priority’ for Fortnite Festival

Fortnite Festival has officially arrived and brings with it a Rock Band-like experience to Fortnite. While it doesn’t support instrument controllers at launch, Epic has confirmed to IGN it is a priority for the team to add it in the future and that they are actively working on it.

IGN had the chance to speak to Epic EVP Saxs Persson and Harmonix studio director Alex Rigopulos about Fortnite Festival and they had some exciting news to share for those who wish to relive the days of Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

“Not at launch, but it’s very much a priority for us to support instrument peripherals in the game,” Rigopulos said. “It’s something that we’re actually already actively working on. We don’t have anything specific to say about it yet, other than it’s coming.”

The official Fortnite blog did add, however, that we will be hearing more about this functionality at some point in 2024.

For those unfamiliar, Fortnite Festival is a free-to-play game inside of Fortnite that was created by Rock Band developer Harmonix. You can choose from a list of songs and choose to play either guitar, bass, keytar, drums or vocals. You can also take the stage solo or with up to three friends.

While most songs will need to be purchased to play or unlocked via the Festival Season Pass, there will always be a rotation of featured Jam Tracks that will be free and will change over time. Once in the game, you will play through songs in a fashion much like Rock Band or Guitar Hero that will test you with hitting notes at the right time and building up a star meter.

Fortnite Festival will also be introducing new types of Locker items to Fortnite, including Instuments and Auras. The Instrument items will let you customize you guitar, keyar, drums, mics, and bass, and Auras will “surround you with an ambience as you perform.”

Season 1: Opening Night is the first season for Fortnite Festival and will run until February 22, 2024, and sees The Weeknd as the featured Icon. The Premium Reward Track of the Festival Season Pass will even include The Weeknd Outfit.

Fortnite Festival, alongside LEGO Fortnite and Rocket Racing are the three big new modes that were added in Fortnite Chapter 5: Underground and you can read more about them and find out some tips and tricks in the links earlier in this sentence.

For more, check out how LEGO Fortnite takes survival crafting to a whole new level and how Fortnite Rocket Racing takes the best from Rocket League and puts it on the track.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Daily Deals: Xbox Series X, God of War Ragnarok, Arcade1Up Cabinets

Another December weekend is here, meaning we are inching closer and closer to the holiday season. If you’ve yet to purchase a gift or look through the latest deals, this weekend is the perfect time to do so. These deals are already going out of stock quickly, so it’s best to act fast if possible. We’ve compiled the best gaming and tech deals available this holiday season to make shopping as easy as possible! Here are the deals you don’t want to miss out on.

Xbox Series X for $349

It’s back! Walmart has the Xbox Series X Diablo 4 console bundle is only $349. We saw this on sale briefly last week but it sold out quickly. This is far better than the $439 price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We expect it to go out of stock very quickly.

Note: The Diablo 4 bundle is only available in select locations. If it’s not available for you, there’s also an Xbox Series X console (non-bundle) that’s also available for $349. It’s not as good as the Diablo 4 bundle, but it’s still better than any Xbox deal we saw during Black Friday.

Huge Savings on God of War Ragnarok

One of the best PlayStation 5 games has a huge ongoing sale at Best Buy. This is the perfect time to pick this game up after the Valhalla DLC announcement. For today only, you can pick up the PlayStation 5 edition of God of War Ragnarok for only $29.99. PS4 players can also get in on the action, with a $19.99 PlayStation 4 copy available too.

Arcade1Up Video Game Cabinets Starting at $299.99

For those of you who want to recreate retro arcade gaming at home but don’t have the time, expertise, or money to set up your own MAME cabinet, Arcade1Up cabinets offer an easy-to-assemble, slick-looking package at a reasonable price. These cabinets are 3:4 scale replicas of the original product, complete with officially licensed artwork and preloaded with multiple games. Some games even support Live WiFi, which means you can play co-op online with other Arcade1Up gamers.

PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for $499

For those of you who have been holding out on the newer, more compact PlayStation 5 gaming console, well your wait is over. Amazon currently has your choice of either the PS5 Slim Disc Edition Spider-Man 2 console bundle or the PS5 Slim Disc Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 console bundle for only $499.99 each. Not only are you getting a brand new console that’s 30% smaller in volume and 18% lighter than the original, you’re also getting a free and recently released AAA title while you’re at it.

Nintendo Switch OLED Super Smash Bros Ultimate Bundle for $349.99

The best Switch deal of Black Friday is still available. Amazon is offering a Nintendo Switch OLED console packaged with a digital download of the incredible Super Smash Bros Ultimate game for $349.99. That basically means you get the game (which normally retails for $60) for free. This is the first time the Switch OLED has officially gone on sale for Black Friday or the holiday season, and in my opinion worth getting over the rather stale Switch (non-OLED) holiday console bundle.

Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT Wireless Gaming Mouse for $109.99

Save over 30% off this amazing wireless gaming mouse. The Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT weighs less than 63 grams, making for a significant weight reduction from the standard G PRO. Although it is not Bluetooth enabled, the wireless connection runs off of a standard USB A receiver. Battery life is also very strong, with up to 70 hours of battery before a charge is needed.

30% Off the LEGO UCS Star Wars The Razor Crest 75331

This Cyber Monday deal is back! Amazon has the LEGO UCS Star Wars The Razor Crest 75331 for only $419.99. That’s 30% off the original $600 MSRP and the best price we’ve ever seen for this set by a considerable margin. This deal only lasted a few hours on Cyber Monday before it went kaput..The Razor Crest 75331 is a UCS, or Ultimate Collector Series, kit. It consists of 6,187 pieces, which makes it the third largest Star Wars set in brick count. The resulting build is impressively large at 20″ long, 29″ wide, and 10″ high. According to LEGO, “the LEGO Ultimate Collector Series represents the very best in collectible LEGO sets. Featuring hard to find, exclusive, and impressively-large LEGO sets, made especially with adult collectors in mind.”

Crash Bandicoot 4 for $19.99

Crash Bandicoot 4 is a great time, and so is this deal! For $19.99, you can pick up the Switch version of the game to bring Crash wherever you go. We gave the game a 8/10 in our review, stating: “Its fresh new ideas, from big gameplay additions like new playable characters to supplementary but no less enjoyable aspects like the N. Verted mode to quality-of-life improvements like the shadow circle under Crash’s jumps, all now feel as natural to Crash as though they’d been there all along.”

Apple Watch Series 9 45mm for $339

This is better than any Apple Watch Series 9 deal we saw during Black Friday. Unlike most of the other Apple Watch updates before it, the Series 9 is actually a rather decent upgrade over the Series 8. The biggest change is the new Apple S9 SiP processor, which is significantly more powerful than previous models. Other improvements include a display that can get both brighter and dimmer than previous models, a longer 18 hour battery life, and a new “double tap” feature that lets you perform functions with simple hand gestures.

Get a 1 Year Sams’ Club Membership for Only $20

From now until January 31, Sam’s Club is offering 60% off its 1-year general membership. The membership normally costs you $50, so right now you’d only be paying $20. The promotion is reserved for new memberships only. Sam’s Club is owned and operated by Walmart. Like Costco, this is a warehouse-style retail and online storefront that offers low prices on bulk products and boutique consumer goods.

Refurb Sonos Arc Soundbar for $509

Sonos is offering a factory refurbished Sony Arc SL soundbar for only $509.00. That’s a $170 price drop from the normal refurb MSRP of $679.99 (a new Sonos Arc sells for $900). The Arc is Sonos’ flagship product. This is a premium 45″ soundbar with awesome sound quality thanks to the eleven precisely engineered internal speakers, including two dedicated height channels. The Sonos Arc can be wirelessly paired up with other Sonos speakers and subs to add even more sound distribution. This modularity is one of the main reasons why Sonos is so popular. The “SL” in the Sonos Arc SL means “silence”, and that’s because it’s not Google Assistant or Alex voice compatible.

Sonos refurb products go through pretty rigorous testing (probably more so than new). They come with all accessories, manuals, and documentation and are reshipped in “pristine” packaging. Most importantly of all, Sonos stands by their refurbs enough to grant them the same 1 year warranty as buying new.

Get $17 Off Pre-Ordering The Art of Final Fantasy XVI

After checking out the new Echoes of the Fallen DLC, why not pre-order a hardcover copy of The Art of Final Fantasy XVI? While this art book hasn’t released in the United States yet, Amazon currently has the pre-order discounted $17 off. For $22.99, you’re getting a 320 page art book with plenty of landscape, character portraits, and enemy art from the latest Final Fantasy title. It’s currently scheduled to release on March 19, so you will not be charged until then.

10% Off Nintendo eShop Gift Cards

Amazon is offering 10% off the $20 and $35 eShop gift cards. They work on games, of course, but they also work on Nintendo Switch Online memberships. In fact, these gift card amounds happen to be the exact price of the individual and family memberships. They’ll stack with any instant discounts or sales that are currently ongoing at the eShop. These are digital gift cards so they’ll arrive instantly to your inbox.

Google Pixel Buds Pro for $119.99

Best earbuds for Android

Google’s fourth generation wireless true wireless earbuds are a huge improvement over previous models. For Android phone users, this might actually be a best earbuds to get! They’re on par with the AirPods Pro in terms of sound quality, noise cancellation, and features at a price that is, as of now, $100 cheaper. Features include 11mm drivers (the same size as AirPods Pro), built-in Google Assistant, a whopping 11 hours of battery life, a USB Type-C charging case that’s also Qi wireless compatible, multi-point Bluetooth technology with fast pairing between Android devices, and a “Transparency Mode”.

Sony WH1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones for $228

Amazon is offering the popular Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones to only $228. This is easily one of the best noise cancelling headphones you can get. Sony’s WH-1000XM series of headphones have shaken Bose’s longstanding reputation for having the best noise cancelling headphones on the market. The WH-1000XM4 offers the coveted combination of outstanding sound quality and effective noise cancellation. They’re also very comfortable to wear with ample amounts of padding in the earcups and the headband. The WH-1000XM4 also boasts up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge. If you run out, charging for just 10 minutes will give you another 5 hours of playback. It charges via the newer universeal USB Type-C input, which is a welcome upgrade over the legacy Micro USB from previous models.

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Collectors’ Edition 76405 for $349.99

Looking for an amazing gift idea for a LEGO fanatic. Amazon currently has the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express train set for $349.99. That’s $150, or 30%, off the original $500 MSRP. The LEGO Hogwarts Express is one of the most impressive Harry Potter sets out there. This 1:32 scale model of the Hogwarts Express train from the movie series measures 47″ long, 8″ wide, and 11′ tall. The set includes the train’s engine and two cars, plus platform 9 3/4. The three train compartments each depict a scene from the movie: Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s very first encounter, Professor Lupin saving Harry from the Dementor in the third movie. and Luna saving Harry from Draco’s spell in the sixth movie. The set also includes 20 minifigures including multiple versions of the main characters, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Ginny, Draco, and a Dementor.

9th Generation iPad for Only $249

Looking for an iPad to gift someone this holiday season? This is a great deal, running in with $80 of savings. For $249, you’ll get a 9th generation 10.2-inch model with 64GB of storage and Wi-Fi capabilities. Utilizing the A13 Bionic, this is the perfect device for kids or as a business tool.

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug² 14oz of $99.99

The Ember Tempearture Control Smart Mug² is a one of kind Christmas gift. The mug keeps your drink at your preferred temperature (120°F – 145°F) for up to 80 minutes with the built-in battery. There’s also a coaster that charges the mug wirelessly. It’s a pretty awesome mug and perfect for the cold winter season.

Sonic Dream Team Review

Hot on the heels of a new full-sized Sonic game in Sonic Superstars, the Apple Arcade exclusive Sonic Dream Team might not look like it has much to offer at first. It only has a dozen levels, and all you get control-wise are a D-pad and two buttons. For some, the fact that it’s only available on Apple devices (at least for the time being) is a non-starter all its own. But despite all that, Sonic Dream Team more than manages to justify its existence – in fact, its superb level design and bite-sized missions make it one of the most fun, creative, and enjoyable 3D platformers I’ve played in a long time.

Sonic Dream Team’s story kicks off when Dr. Eggman finds a device that brings his dreams into reality. This is obviously bad news for reality, so it’s up to Sonic and friends to work their way through four dream worlds and defeat him. Unfortunately the story is forgettable, lifelessly told through voiceover on top of still images, like a radio play accompanied by comic book panels. But even with its brief runtime, taking me around five or six hours to reach 100% completion, the levels between those cutscenes pack in more delights than many much larger games.

Each world is visually striking, with its own distinct set of enemies and interactive elements. That ranges from the Scrambled Shores, a tropical area filled with giant inflatable structures, to the Dream Factory, which has conveyor belts and pistons set over lava pits. I especially liked the third world, Nightmare Maze, which is like a colorful take on an M.C. Escher drawing, with shifting gravity that lets you run up the walls and onto the ceiling, reaching new areas in mind-bending ways. It’s the only world that really takes advantage of the dream concept, making it something of a missed opportunity that the other three are fairly standard Sonic settings. And unlike many other Sonic games, the music is auditory wallpaper at best and a repetitive annoyance at worst.

Each world is made up of only three levels, for a grand total of 12 in the entire campaign. While that may sound like a skimpy offering, they are all big, open playgrounds to run around, with plenty of offshoots and distinct areas to discover that break up the usual platforming – be that a room that’s all rails and pits or a long spinning tube wrapped in thorns you have to sprint over. That makes every one of them a joy to zip through and explore.

Running through the world feels fantastic.

Movement is fast and smooth, so running through the world feels fantastic. Levels are filled with various routes you can take that have rails and springboards to fling you forward, keeping your momentum going as you leap between platforms and bounce off enemies. You could still misjudge a jump or bungle an obstacle’s timing, but unlike some Sonic games, you’ll rarely ram into a blockade or spike wall designed to stop you from blazing ahead. Even when you do run out of rings or fall into a pit, Sonic Dream Team’s checkpoints are forgiving, so you’ll never lose much progress.

You only start out with Sonic and Amy as playable characters, but you’ll unlock two other pairs as you progress, each of which gives you access to a new ability unique to them. Sonic and Amy’s ability lets you zip through strings of floating rings that take you wherever the path leads, high or low; Tails and Cream can both fly briefly, and most levels have floating yellow hoops that replenish that ability mid-air; finally, Knuckles and Rouge can climb certain walls. All of these powers are fun to use, opening up new paths and opportunities in the levels depending on who you’re playing as.

Unlocking new levels requires you to collect a certain number of orbs, but you’ll never have enough to progress after playing the previous level just once. This means you constantly have to replay levels you’ve already beaten – that can be a major source of frustration in some games, but thankfully it’s not a problem at all in Sonic Dream Team. In fact, I actually loved replaying levels because of the way missions work, which make them function more like a Super Mario Galaxy stage than a typical Sonic world.

You start every level by selecting a mission that will reward you with an orb upon completion. Each level has seven missions, the first of which generally asks you to simply go through the whole level to unlock the exit. You can explore and collect items at your own pace during this first mission, but others are timed, making you excitingly speedrun the level. Other missions drop you in a walled-off section of a level and have you collect “orb shards” that are scattered around, asking you to slow down and explore intricately designed areas you might otherwise miss as you speed through the environment.

Excellent level design and diverse missions make this a blast.

Getting access to new characters also unlocks additional missions in previous levels that make use of their specific abilities, giving you a good reason to revisit them later on. For instance, you might have to collect an orb that’s waiting at the top of a wall only Knuckles or Rouge can climb. The excellent level design and those diverse mission requirements work together to make Sonic Dream Team a blast to play even with its seemingly limited number of stages. I was never frustrated to have to dip back into a level to complete another mission, as they always felt fresh and fun each time I went back.

Capping off each world is a boss encounter, which are all cleverly conceived but feel undercooked in practice. For instance, the first boss is a huge inflatable crab, like a balloon animal, so you have to pop its various body parts to defeat it. That’s a delightful concept and a great idea for a silly boss battle — but the crab only takes four hits to beat, so the fight is over before you know it. It just feels anticlimactic, and the same goes for most of the other bosses.

This being an Apple Arcade game, you can play it on most Apple devices. The touchscreen controls work fine on iPhone – it’s not as precise as using a physical controller (which you can also do), but it’s perfectly serviceable. On iPad, however, I found the buttons spaced too far apart for comfort, and touch controls in general started to let me down as I got to some harder missions later on. My favorite configuration was using an Xbox controller connected to a MacBook Air, which bucks any mobile assumptions by making it look and play just like a console game. The larger display also helps, because sometimes the camera pulls back for a wide view, making your character nearly microscopic on a phone display. Your save also syncs via iCloud, so you can pick up and play on any Apple device you have lying around, which is super convenient.