How Mass Effect Became a Board Game

Mass Effect is one of the most acclaimed and beloved video game franchises of all time, with global sales of over 20 million copies across the series. Now, fans of Commander Shepherd and the Normandy Crew have the chance to see their favorite characters sculpted on the tabletop, thanks to the upcoming Mass Effect: The Board Game – Priority: Hagalaz.

You might justifiably be concerned that this is a cheap cash-in, like many board game adaptations of video games, but the good news is that one of tabletop’s hottest designers, Eric Lang, creator of Blood Rage and XCOM: The Board Game, is attached to the project. The better news is that he’s a fan of the Mass Effect franchise himself. “I’ve been humbled by the game’s profound and groundbreaking influence on all video game design for over a decade,” he admits. “I wanted to do justice to this brand.”

However, the magic ingredient for the project was Eric’ trusted co-pilot, new designer Calvin Wong Tze Loon 黃子倫, whom Eric describes as a “superfan” of the sci-fi series. Calvin was understandably thrilled to have the opportunity. “When I got the invite to co-design and do narrative work, I screamed out loud,” he admits. “In some ways, I haven’t stopped screaming since!”

Priority: Hagalaz is set aboard the titular planet of Hagalaz, on which a rogue cruiser from the terrorist cell Cerberus has crashed. The game tells the story of Commander Shepherd and crew infiltrating the ship to discover its secrets in the hope of gaining an edge in the ongoing war effort against the terrifying Reapers. While the planet of Hagalaz was featured in both Mass Effect 2 and 3, it’s not central to the plot and seemed an odd choice to set the action of the board game.

Turns out this choice was Calvin’s. “It’s the Shadow Broker planet from Mass Effect 2, and a planetwide storm provided a very dramatic time limit with which we could pressure the players,” he explains. “From a personal perspective, I always liked filling in the corners of stories I liked. We saw the storm, briefly, in the video game. What if we came back?”

Although the designers steered the game, they did so in coordination with the Mass Effect team at Bioware to ensure that the game stayed true to their original vision for the setting and characters. “We wanted to make sure that the objectives and narrative text both fit canon and the heroic tone of the series,” says Calvin. “For example, Bioware asked us to include extra text saying that various prisoners and civilians rescued by the squad would be picked up by Kodiak shuttles so that it was clear they were being rescued.” Eric adds that it was also Bioware’s idea to have two different hazard decks to differentiate areas of the cruiser.

Mechanically, the game is a cooperative affair in which players pick characters from the franchise and work together in tactical combat missions, defeating enemies and securing on-board objectives. The introduction, events and outcome of each mission are woven together with snippets of narrative text. This is a crowded genre, potentially including critical behemoths like Gloomhaven, but Priority: Hagalaz has two innovative features, aside from its popular license, that make it stand out from the crowd.

Firstly, it’s a campaign game that you can play in a single evening, with your team undertaking 3-5 hour-long missions – it’s your choice how many, and it’s easy to “save” your game state between sessions – across a branching structure of 10 different scenarios which can lead to different endings.

When I got the invite to co-design and do narrative work, I screamed out loud.

“We wanted the most epic experience that was also approachable by the vast majority of players crossing over from the video game series,” says Eric. Calvin picks up the theme, saying “As board gamers, we know the pain of completing one mission of a campaign, packing it away and knowing it could be months before you saw the same friends again to do the next mission. So we wanted to give players that feeling of getting a ton of bang for their buck. See everything! Play it over and over!”

Second, the game has a clever action dice system in which the first player each turn rolls a large pool of dice, picks the results they want to use, then passes the remainder to the next player who can lock in a single result and re-rolls the rest. Action dice, where the rolled faces indicate what actions you can undertake, are an underused concept in design, although they made a recent appearance in Dune: War for Arrakis. They allow a designer to achieve a fantastic balance between strategy and excitement, while ensuring a game doesn’t grow stale once you’ve mastered the strategy. Passing the dice pool between players is a novel way of using them, making player order and timing absolutely critical to your tactics.

This is one of Eric’s contributions to the design. “I borrowed that mechanic from an unfinished cooperative skirmish game I was working on, and was waiting for the right fit,” he tells IGN. “I love how it models the chaos of squad combat without requiring the stress of real time.” Interestingly, dice are not used to determine combat results: if you roll a combat action face and decide to use it, you hit automatically and do damage depending on your character. “You’re a squad of competent pros, so this allowed us to avoid the frustration of ‘roll to hit – miss!’,” explains Calvin. “The option to save a die increases co-operation between players, as I’m looking at my friend’s situation and asking them if they’d like me to leave them a specific die so they can bail themselves out of it, which enhances the feeling of being an elite squad.”

While the dice pool does enhance cooperation between the players, games where everyone is working together can suffer if one player tries, intentionally or otherwise, to take over decision-making. Eric has designed a number of other cooperative titles, and doesn’t feel it’s an issue in Priority: Hagalaz. “In my opinion, this is an overstated problem,” he says. “There are various ways to mitigate it, one of which is dynamic complexity, allowing tension between players’ advancement goals, introducing light competitive elements. Our game has this in spades.” He’s talking about the way characters develop between missions, rewarding each player’s achievements with their choice of new powers to use in the next game.

Whatever innovations the game brings to the tactical combat genre, it is perhaps more important that it plays and feels like a Mass Effect game, something the designers were keenly aware of. “We designed the squad members from the ground up to replicate the fantasy of those characters from the video game,” Calvin tells IGN. But for many players, the designers included, what makes the series stand out from its peers is the sense that your in-game choices have a profound effect on the unfolding story, ensuring your own journey has a sense of uniqueness that reflects your decisions. Designing that into a board game, with its relatively limited set of narrative and components, is a huge challenge, but Eric and Calvin felt it was important to meet it head-on.

I love how it models the chaos of squad combat without requiring the stress of real time.

Their tool of choice was the way missions can end in three states, a difficult “Paragon” victory, an easier “Renegade” win, or a loss, each of which feeds into the next mission. If you aim for the highest grade, you might end up failing completely. “Do you risk the more difficult idealistic path for wilder upgrades, or take the safer, more pragmatic path for more steady upgrades,” queries Eric. “Another way is that the missions you choose impact future missions directly. It’s the most elegant implementation of a branching narrative that we liked.”

Eric notes that this is something players can, and do, decide on the fly. “We noticed play testers sometimes abandoning the Paragon objective when things got too hot, therefore making a narrative choice via a tactical decision,” he recalls. “That’s such a cool moment, because even though you don’t actually fail the campaign if you lose the mission, players just organically decided the risk was too high and took the safe win instead of sticking it out for an idealistic, but perhaps doomed outcome. And maybe they can try again in a future play through!”

With only 10 missions total, even with a branching structure and a variety of characters to choose from, it feels like the game might have limited replay value. But the designers think that not only is that not the case, it’s actually part of the way it conjures the Mass Effect sense of meaningful decisions. “Being able to replay a short campaign also lets players see the various outcomes of their choices as they try it again and again,” Calvin points out. “Each playthrough encourages players to try different builds for their favorite squadmates and see how those skills play off each other. Players could choose to funnel all the squad’s power into one character, or spread it out amongst others. Agonizing over who gets which level up and how to assign the skills so that synergies are created amongst the squad is a really cool set of choices.”

This kind of design is meat and potatoes to Eric. “I specialize in modular replayability, which is fancy designer-speak for games that present fun scenarios that change significantly depending on which components you choose to bring to the table,” he explains. “Two campaigns played side-by-side where you choose only one different mission and one different squadmate should have a very different feeling with the same rules set. I’m not a fan of disposable content; we wanted to design scenarios with a number of fun ways to approach and solve, while forcing players to adapt. Picture something like 10 intertwined games of Pandemic with different endings to work towards.”

It’s clear that Priority: Hagalaz is something of a labor of love, where both designers have worked hard together to try and identify what made the series special for them, and bring that across to the very different realm of tabletop play. The result doesn’t just pop on the tabletop thanks to the video game assets and plastic figures, but fills a small gap in the narrative of the original trilogy’s final game, Mass Effect 3. How the board game fares as part of the wider franchise is yet to be seen – Eric would only say there are “plenty of ideas in the works” – but in true Mass Effect style, your decision on whether to play it might impact its future in an as-yet unforeseen way.

You can pre-order the game here. It’ll be available at retail on N7 Day: November the 7th.

Matt Thrower is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in tabletop games. You can reach him on BlueSky at @mattthr.bsky.social.

Scalpers Are Trying to Upsell Concord After Sony Pulled It From Sale

Scalpers are currently trying to sell physical copies of Concord for much more than its recommended retail price after Sony pulled the hero shooter from sale just 11 days after launch.

Physical copies of Concord have been pulled from store shelves ahead of a server shut down on September 6, 2024. The PlayStation 5 and PC hero shooter launched to abysmal player numbers with analysts estimating as few as 25,000 copies were sold physically and digitally.

Scalpers who still have a sealed copy of the game are therefore seeing it as an opportunity to make some money, listing Concord on eBay for double or even triple its price. Some sellers still have it available for its standard price of $39.99 so it’s unlikely many of these will sell just yet, however.

“Ships overnight on September 4, get on September 5 so you can play for a day before the servers shut down,” reads one listing for an opened copy priced at $119.88. “On September 6 the game will be a rare unplayable collector’s item.”

A sealed copy is currently listed for $179.99, though at least warns players of the September 6 takedown and says “buy at your own discretion.” Its next comment is a tad more questionable: “Get ready for an epic gaming experience with Concord for the Sony PlayStation 5,” it says. “This rare and highly sought after game is being recalled and is available now in a USA sealed package.”

There is no denying this edition of Concord will be rare, but whether or not it becomes valuable remains to be seen. It’s likely only a few thousand are out in the wild though, given how poorly Concord sold and how low physical sales are compared to digital.

Concord has an unclear future in more ways than one, and while developer Firewalk has said it’s going back to the drawing board and suggested a free-to-play re-launch may be on the cards, Sony has made no such guarantee.

It was under development for eight years according to one developer and likely cost the company tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, to make. After all that, it was on sale for a total of 11 days.

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

Sektor’s Mortal Kombat 1 Fatality Channels Marvel’s Iron Man, Heads Out of This World

Mortal Kombat 1 developer NetherRealm has released a gameplay trailer for upcoming DLC character Sektor, showing off her Fatality and Animality.

Sektor arrives as part of the Khaos Reigns expansion for Mortal Kombat 1, the latest game in the gory fighting game franchise that’s sold over four million copies. The expansion adds new story mode chapters available from September 24, along with Kombat Pack 2, which itself includes six new DLC characters: Cyrax, Sektor, and Noob Saibot (available on September 24), and guest fighters Ghostface (Scream franchise), T-1000 (Terminator 2: Judgement Day), and Conan the Barbarian (post-launch release timing to be announced at a later date).

It’s Sektor who is the focus for this new gameplay video, though. It shows off the character’s abilities and moveset (flamethrower, missile strikes, and rocket thrusters for enhanced movement and hovering ability), and clips of cutscenes that shine a light on the story fans can expect.

Here’s the set-up, courtesy of publisher Warner Bros. Games:

In Fire God Liu Kang’s New Era, Sektor grew up immersed in Lin Kuei culture – her father was its master armorer, and her mother was a leading warrior. This vast knowledge of weaponry and formidable martial skills passed down from her parents make Sektor a kombatant like no other. Sensing a kindred spirit, Sub-Zero shared with her his grand vision for the Lin Kuei’s future and chose her to become his most trusted lieutenant. Now Sektor will force the Lin Kuei to evolve and those who cannot change will be eliminated.

The highlight of the video, though, is a look at one of Sektor’s Fatalities. Here, Sektor channels Marvel’s Iron Man, complete with cool sci-fi in-suit headshot, as she drags her hapless opponent into orbit before heading back, their body burning up on re-entry.

NetherRealm, of course, is no stranger to the superhero genre via its Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe crossover fighting game franchise. We haven’t seen a new game in that series for some time — perhaps it’s time for a return, with James Gunn’s new DCU set to kick off soon.

Meanwhile, the video also teases Sektor’s Animality, the finishing move that lets her to morph into a rhinoceros. Animalities are part of a free update for all Mortal Kombat 1 owners set to go live alongside Khaos Reigns on September 24.

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.

No Man’s Sky Fan Art Inspired Latest Update That Finally Adds Fishing to the Game

No Man’s Sky’s next big update finally adds fishing to the game after a piece of fan art stopped developer Hello Games in its tracks.

Following the release of No Man’s Sky’s Worlds Part 1 update and its new water technology, Hello Games has today, September 4, released the Aquarius update, which finally adds fishing to the long-running space sim.

This fishing feature was inspired by a piece of fan art, below, that shows the player’s avatar fishing while sitting on their spaceship. It was published by redditor catador_de_potos with the thread title: “I’m a simple man with a simple dream.”

“Something folks really loved in the Worlds update was the new water technology, tons of players were posting videos of themselves just chilling at the water’s edge,” Hello Games boss Sean Murray said.

“One piece of fan art in particular stopped us in our tracks, of a player lazily fishing from their wing of their boat. That inspired our next update Aquarius – where we finally add fishing to No Man’s Sky!”

The Aquarius update adds “a huge array of fish, from common minnows to wild alien catches, each with their own habitat and catching conditions” to No Man’s Sky, Murray said.

You can bait your line to lure in the rarest of fish or trawl the deep for hidden messages in a bottle. There are trophies to earn, fishing logs to complete, and new fishing equipment rewards. There’s even a unique fishing expedition, Murray teased, which sends players on a quest for “the biggest catch of the day.”

New equipment lets you fish in deep water from your personal fishing platform. New Fishing Pots can be used to bait and trap rare catches. You can cook up the catch of the day with new recipe combinations to be discovered.

“My favorite thing is to build a little base on the perfect shoreline, so I can cast my rod whenever the mood takes me,” Murray added.

No Man’s Sky launched in 2016 initially for PC and PlayStation 4 before coming out on Xbox One in 2018, and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S in 2020. A Nintendo Switch version followed in 2022. Over the years, Hello Games has issued a long list of major updates, most recently the aforementioned Worlds Part 1. Murray said Worlds resulted in No Man’s Sky’s biggest player numbers in over five years.

Indeed, it’s a busy time for Hello Games, which alongside updates for No Man’s Sky is working on its next game, Light No Fire. It’s about adventure, building, survival and exploration together, set on a fantasy planet the size of Earth.

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.

Dragon Ball MOBA Arrives in 2025

Bandai Namco has confirmed the Dragon Ball MOBA, codenamed Dragon Ball Project: Multi, fully launches in 2025.

A beta for the game wrapped yesterday, September 3, 2024, and Bandai Namco thanked fans for playing on its X/Twitter account while quietly announcing the full release window.

“We sincerely thank everyone for taking part in the regional beta test,” the post said. “All the valuable input we have received from our players will help our development team strive to make the game even more entertaining.

“New information about the game will continue to be available on this account, so please follow us until release. The game is planned for official release in 2025.”

Dragon Ball Project: Multi was announced as a top-down action real-time strategy game where players engage in four versus four battles playing as Dragon Ball characters such as Goku, Vegeta, Future Trunks, Piccolo, Krillin, Android 18, and Majin Buu.

Set to release on PC via Steam alongside mobile platforms the App Store and Google Play, Dragon Ball Project: Multi also promises vast customization options including different skins, entrances, finisher animations, and more.

“Experience the world of Dragon Ball through wrecking the battlefield with your own strength, or by conquesting the enemy objective with your friends and allies,” the synopsis reads. “The hero characters you take in control will grow in strength as the round progresses to give you a chance to obliterate enemy players and bosses alike.”

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

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Brings Back Double Assassinations

Assassin’s Creed players who’ve lamented the removal of double assassinations in recent entries will be pleased to hear the Japan-set Assassin’s Creed Shadows is bringing the nasty technique back.

A Ubisoft blog post confirmed stealthy assassin Naoe, who is one of two playable protagonists in Assassin’s Creed Shadows joined by the savage samurai Yasuke, can use the much-loved double assassination to take down two enemies at once.

“Depending on her weapons, she can assassinate enemies in unique ways, and perform double assassinations with her Hidden Blade and tanto,” the post said.

Double assassinations were once a mainstay of Assassin’s Creed but haven’t appeared in the franchise since 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, meaning it’s skipped four mainline entries. This lines up with the series’ switch to larger role-playing games in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, but not even smaller, more traditional entry Assassin’s Creed Mirage had it.

Some fans have long tried to justify why this is the case, and as spotted by GamesRadar, one said it’s because the technique was created by original assassin Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad and therefore only exists in the games set after his.

This lines up, as the last four games have all been set before the original Assassin’s Creed, but other fans have pointed out the assassins are master killers able to land on a target from 100 foot above or do a front flip while stabbing someone in the neck, so the concept of killing two people at once shouldn’t be beyond them.

IGN had a wealth of exclusive content on Assassin’s Creed Shadows upon its reveal in May 2024, and you can read about all the gameplay changes, story beats, and open-world assassinating coming with Shadows in our extensive interview with the development team.

If that’s not enough, check our analysis and explanation of where and when Shadows is set and 40 key details we’ve learned about the game. You can also watch our full breakdown of the cinematic trailer to discover all its hidden details, Easter eggs, and more.

Shadows launches November 12, 2024 for those buying the more expensive Gold, Ultimate, Deluxe Editions, or Collector’s Editions, while the $69.99 Standard Edition is available on November 15, 2024. There’s a lot riding on Assassin’s Creed Shadows for developer and publisher Ubisoft, after the recently released Star Wars Outlaws reportedly failed to meet sales expectations.

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

Until Dawn Remake Developer Ballistic Moon Acknowledges ‘Significant’ Layoffs

Update 9-4-24: Until Dawn remake developer Ballistic Moon has acknowledged “significant” layoffs at the studio after several staff members announced their departure earlier in September.

A LinkedIn post from the studio said it was “profoundly sorry” for the layoffs that appeared to affect at least 11 members of staff at the studio, though an exact number is unclear and Ballistic Moon did not respond to IGN’s request for comment.

“It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that we must make the tough decision to significantly sale down our team to secure the future of our studio,” Ballistic Moon said. “This comes after our development of Until Dawn for PS5 and PC.”

It continued: “Saying goodbye to such a talented and passionate group of people is incredibly difficult, and we are profoundly sorry for the impact this restructuring will have on our employees and our families.”

Original Story 9-2-2024: Ballistic Moon, the developer behind the PlayStation 5 and PC remake of Until Dawn, has laid off several staff members.

Eurogamer first reported that at least two staff members had announced their departure on LinkedIn but 11 Ballistic Moon developers have now either posted about being made redundant or marked themselves as “open to work” and looking to start somewhere new immediately.

It’s unclear exactly how many of these staff were laid off, or if the number is greater than 11, but IGN has asked Ballistic Moon for comment.

“Like many others in this wonderful but turbulent industry, I am sadly being made redundant from my role,” said junior game designer Cassy Cornish in a LinkedIn post. “Unfortunately my current role at Ballistic Moon is being made redundant so I’m looking for new opportunities,” said game programmer Stuart Campbell in another

The past two years have seen countless video game industry layoffs as big companies including Microsoft, Sony, and the embattled Embracer Group have not just cut jobs but shut down entire studios.

Microsoft shut down Redfall developer Arkane Austin alongside Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire Tokyo developer Tango Gameworks in May 2024 in a move met with shock and anger by industry peers and fans.

Embracer Group shut down Saints Row developer Volition in 2023, while Sony shut down its London Studio in March 2024 amid layoffs affecting 900 staff across the PlayStation business. Chinese video game company NetEase also reportedly laid off most staff at Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios with plans to shut it down altogether.

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

Concord Players Are Jumping Off Cliffs In-Game as They Desperately Grind for the Platinum Trophy Before Shutdown

Sony’s shock announcement of Concord’s shutdown just two weeks after it went on sale has sent its remaining players into overdrive as they desperately try to secure its Platinum trophy before it’s too late.

PlayStation Studios’ ill-fated first-person hero shooter, which suffered a drastically low player count upon launch, goes dark on September 6, with all players set to receive a refund. Ryan Ellis, director at Sony-owned developer Firewalk, said: “while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended.”

Soon after that announcement, reports indicated that Concord players were throwing Rivalry matches in a bid to earn experience points as fast as possible. Rivalry mode sees two teams of five players battle for dominance across best-of-seven single-life rounds. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Now, players are starting a match and immediately running off a platform to their doom, resulting in a win for the opposing team and the end of the round.

Rivalry matches are the perfect choice for this tactic. Win or lose, it rewards players with more experience points than other game modes. And because it’s the best-of-seven single-life rounds, as long as the whole team gets in on the act and each round takes about 30 seconds, you can finish a match in just a few minutes — again, as long as all players follow suit and you lose or win four matches in a row.

Thus, this is the quickest way to earn experience points in Concord, and thus the quickest way to earn that Platinum trophy (you need to get to reputation level 100, which takes hundreds of thousands of XP), with just two days left before the game shuts down. But be warned: your win percentage will take a hit if you keep deliberately losing. Still, that might not be much of a concern given Concord’s impending doom.

IGN has verified that Rivalry matches are currently being played out in this fashion. The race, it seems, is very much on.

Some Concord players are saying there’s not enough time to grind to the Platinum trophy, so it might escape them. Others are holding out hope that Concord returns in free-to-play form, although there’s no guarantee it will return at all. As a result, the Concord Platinum trophy may go down as one of the rarest in PlayStation history.

What’s clear is that Concord itself is one of the biggest flops in PlayStation history, a game one of its developers said was in the works for an incredible eight years. There is now concern for the fate of its developer, Firewalk, and Sony faces tough questions about its upcoming live service games, including Bungie’s Marathon and Haven’s Fairgame$, neither of which have a release date.

Concord’s launch was nothing short of disastrous, with analysts telling IGN it has likely sold as few as 25,000 units. It debuted to a tragic 697 peak concurrent players on Steam, a number that made the 12,786 players of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which was dubbed a disappointment by Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav and caused a $200 million hit to revenue, look like a titan.

Last year, Sony president Hiroki Totoki committed to launching just six of 12 live service games in development, and one based on The Last of Us has already been canceled.

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 Casting of Frank Stone Review

Developer Supermassive Games once dared us to survive until dawn, now the interactive slasher movie specialist wants us to be dead by daylight in The Casting of Frank Stone. This story-based spin-off of the popular asymmetric multiplayer sneak-and-slash ‘em up attempts to flesh out a backstory for the malevolent source of all evil in the Dead by Daylight universe, known as The Entity. However, aging, quicktime event-heavy gameplay, dismally superficial combat, an underdeveloped cast of characters, and a complete absence of scares make for a six-hour slog that’s barely worth staying up past your bedtime for.

While Dead by Daylight’s character roster has swelled to include a who’s who of nightmare-haunting horror icons like Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and even walking internet memes like Nicholas Cage, The Casting of Frank Stone features an entirely original cast of villains and potential victims. This is very much to its detriment, since barely any of them leave much in the way of a lasting impression. Main monster Frank Stone (Miles Ley) certainly strikes an imposing figure in the story’s prologue, but he’s nowhere to be found for significant stretches after that. Instead, we’re saddled with a truly unremarkable cast in a tepid tale that pinballs back and forth between the filming of a low budget horror movie in an abandoned Cedar Rapids steel mill in 1980, and a clandestine meeting of strangers in an isolated English manor in the present day.

In both time periods, the plot takes a surprisingly long time to travel short distances, with only small amounts of horror and very little stress to be found amidst meandering conversations between the playable cast of eight characters. With the exception of the likeable Linda (Lucy Griffiths), whose dry sarcasm provides some welcome laughs on occasion and who is thankfully present in both eras, the rest of the leads are saddled with dialogue that’s often clunkier than a piano solo from Freddie Krueger, and forced into relationship contrivances that aren’t given enough time to evolve. In particular, the love triangle between teenagers Jaime (Andrew Wheildon-Dennis), Chris (Rebecca LaChance), and Robert (Idris Debrand) feels rushed and leaves little space for any believable tension to develop between them, which meant that I never really agonised over steering any particular character into the arms of another with my choices.

I barely batted an eyelid while each leading man was turned into a bleeding man.

In fact, so little did I invest in the fates of these partially-formed players that I barely batted an eyelid while each leading man was turned into a bleeding man as the bodycount built up in the story’s second half. It’s here that the Entity’s cosmic power is properly unleashed in both the present and the past, and although there were admittedly some interesting revelations to be uncovered about this malevolent creature and how its evil is pulling Frank Stone’s strings, it all gets pockmarked by a muddled mix of confusing multiversal wormholes and glaring plot holes. All told, this sloppy and scare-less horror story feels less like a mandatory bit of backstory for fans and more like one long, unnecessary and unskippable cutscene to lead into any given Dead by Daylight multiplayer match.

Bad Manors

While it may be messy and not the slightest bit memorable, The Casting of Frank Stone’s story certainly has a lot of branching paths, and so too does its environments. Unfortunately, while the dingy, subterranean tunnels beneath the Cedar Rapids steel mill and the gloomy, gilded hallways of Gerant Manor certainly ooze plenty of atmosphere, they just aren’t all that interesting or intimidating to explore. What’s worse, they’re reused far too much – over and over again I found myself plodding past the same bits of scenery like I was a member of Spinal Tap desperately searching for the stage entrance. I spent the vast majority of my time tapping through basic button prompts in cutscenes, so it felt especially limiting that when I was occasionally given full control of a character I was so rarely given anything interesting to see or do.

There are some simple survival horror puzzles to complete like pushing crates or finding keys and, in one of a number of nods to the core Dead by Daylight experience, you do get faced with the occasional generator in need of repair in order to power up a lift or door. However, whereas the process of fixing these straightforward mechanisms in Dead by Daylight is transformed into fits of heart-pounding panic since you’ve got a murderous Michael Myers from Halloween homing in on your position, here the absence of any stalking threat means they’re robbed of any real urgency and are instead just more basic quicktime events to be obediently ticked off. It’s neat that they’ve incorporated the Dead by Daylight skill check prompt here, but it does little to enhance the actual interactions in any meaningful way.

While I never struggled to repair its generators, I wish someone had taken the time to fix The Casting of Frank Stone’s inability to generate scares. Outside of life or death cutscene-based decisions, the rare enemy encounters are otherwise trivialised by a powerful weaponised camera that transforms from Super 8 to supernatural. There’s only ever one Entity-powered Frank Stone specter to face off against at a time, and all you need to do is train the camera’s viewfinder on them and hit record to sap them of all their life force. Their presence is always clearly signposted, and as a result they never got the drop on me nor did they ever get remotely close enough to pose any form of threat – I’m not sure if they’re even able to perform any attacks since they effectively stayed at a comfortable wide shot in my viewfinder; never a killer close-up. Dead by Daylight might be capable of some truly terrifying stalker escapes, but The Casting of Frank Stone is about as stressful as a spa bath in comparison.

Dead by Design

Of course, since this is a Supermassive Games adventure, some of the characters can and likely will die. But in my experience of The Casting of Frank Stone, this was either because I was perfectly happy to let them go, or because I was having a sip of coffee and was too slow to reach for my controller during an unexpected and evidently majorly consequential cutscene junction. Roughly half of the cast of playable characters perished before I rolled credits, and although I was pleased to see that some of those executions were ripped straight out of Dead by Daylight – such as the piercing of a certain victim onto the sharp end of a dangling hook – I can’t say that any of these unmemorable meatsacks met their sudden deaths in any particularly inspired or shocking ways.

Once the campaign is completed, you unlock a Cutting Room Floor feature that allows you to trace each branching story path backwards and hop back into specific scenes, allowing you to pick up a story thread and twist it in a new direction by making a different decision and seeing how things play out. It’s a nice feature if you want to experience all possible outcomes, however I wish it was a little more flexible – in order to prevent one character death I was forced to replay six scenes in the lead up to the moment that decided their fate, rather than just hopping directly to that critical decision and going from there, which seemed annoyingly cumbersome.

Still, this branching chapter select is certainly handy if you want to go back and find any Dead by Daylight-inspired collectibles, with signature killers like The Trapper and The Clown shrunken down into adorable, Chuckie-sized plushies and hidden throughout each setting. This is in addition to numerous other nods to the multiplayer murder sim, like The Huntress’ rabbit mask I found on a shelf in Cedar Rapids’ curiosity shop. Dead by Daylight diehards will likely get a kick out of discovering all of these, but whether they make it worth playing (let alone replaying) a pretty forgettable horror story depends on how fiercely loyal your fandom may be.

The Best Nintendo Switch Chargers to Power Your Console

The Nintendo Switch is the most popular console out there. Over 140 million units have been sold to date worldwide, and the system is still pushing forward despite its age. With such a big presence in the market, there are naturally thousands of options to choose from when it comes to Switch accessories. That is especially true for chargers, as you cannot use your Nintendo Switch without one!

Whether you’ve just recently bought a Nintendo Switch or recently lost the charger it came with, we’ve got you covered on which chargers are actually worth picking up. Whether you’re constantly on the road or searching for something to use at home, check out our top picks for the best Nintendo Switch chargers below.

1. Anker 67W USB-C Wall Charger

Best Overall Charger for Nintendo Switch

The Anker 67W USB-C Wall Charger is our pick for the best overall Nintendo Switch charger. At 67W, this charger is capable of charging your Switch in both handheld and docked mode. You can use this with either mode, which isn’t the case for other chargers on this list outside of the official Nintendo Switch AC Adapter.

A big benefit of the 67W is this charger’s use beyond the Switch console. You can use this to charge an iPhone, MacBook, laptop, and more. This can be a life saver when traveling, as you’ll only need one charger block. It’s worth mentioning that you will need a USB-C cable with this charger, as Anker does not provide one.

2. Nintendo Switch AC Adapter

Best Official Charger for Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch AC Adapter is by far the best official charger for Nintendo Switch. This is the same exact charger that’s bundled in with every Switch system, so it’s easy to order a replacement if needed. Outputting at 39W, the Nintendo Switch AC Adapter connects to any 120V outlet with no issues.

Since the charger is made specifically for Nintendo Switch, you will never have to wonder or worry about a potential compatibility mismatch. Sometimes, using a third-party charger can hurt your charging port, or even brick your system if you aren’t careful. Staying official when it comes to chargers is always recommended, with the exception of reputable and reliable third party brands like the ones we’ve listed here.

3. Emperor of Gadgets Portable Power Bank

Best Portable Charger for Nintendo Switch

As outlined in our picks for the best portable chargers, the Emperor of Gadgets Portable Power Bank is the best portable charger for Nintendo Switch. This device has the ability to directly clip on to the back of your system, so there’s never any worry of a dangling cable tied to a power bank. While it adds some noticeable weight, the power bank is nowhere heavy enough to make long playing sessions uncomfortable.

The Emperor of Gadgets Portable Power Bank features a 10,000mAh capacity with an output of 15W, which is perfect for charging your Nintendo Switch while in use or in rest mode. Based on the Nintendo Switch power draw, you should be able to get around 10 extra hours of playtime depending on the game, which is a significant increase from the built-in Switch battery.

4. Newdery External Battery Station

Best Battery Case for Nintendo Switch

The Newdery External Battery Station is our pick for the best battery case for Nintendo Switch. This case provides a 10,000mAh battery in addition to the Switch’s built-in battery, allowing for up to eight hours of additional playtime in handheld mode. If you’re someone who exclusively plays in handheld mode or likes to travel, this can be an absolute game changer, especially when you’re in the middle of an RPG like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Beyond battery life, the Newdery External Battery Station is simply comfortable to hold. The grip behind the Joy-Cons is extended, allowing for all players to be comfortable during long play sessions. Additionally, the case features a built-in kickstand, which reveals a compartment to store extra game cartridges on the go.

5. PowerA Nintendo Switch Car Charger

Best Car Charger for Nintendo Switch

The PowerA Nintendo Switch Car Charger is the ultimate charger if you’re ready to break out your system on the road. First, the cable itself is braided, which is essential for use in a car. Plastic cables are often easily broken through regular wear and tear, but braided cables will last twice as long usually. Additionally, this product is officially licensed by Nintendo, meaning that you can trust the charger without worry of overvolting or damaging your system.

This cable is 6 feet long, which should be plenty to reach in either the passenger seat or backseat even. The 5V connector will plug into any 5V adapter, which is present on almost every single car manufactured. Whether you need to charge the Nintendo Switch itself or a Pro Controller, the PowerA Nintendo Switch Car Charger is perfect for a speedy charge in the car.

Nintendo Switch Charger FAQs

What type of charger works best for Switch?

The regular and OLED Nintendo Switch model draw a max of 18W of power at a time, while the Nintendo Switch Lite draws 13.5W. While this is the limit of the system in handheld mode, the official Nintendo Switch charger included with the system allows for up to 39W of power draw. This is largely used when the system is docked or charging controllers through the USB ports.

As a result, the Nintendo Switch is unable to draw more than the wattage outlined above. This means that even if you use a 65W charger or above, your Switch will not draw more than the 18W it needs to charge.

Do Joy-Cons need a separate charger?

Fortunately, the Switch Joy-Cons do not need any charger to charge. They will receive power from the Nintendo Switch itself, which is charged through the USB-C port. So, you only need to purchase one charger for both the Joy-Con controllers and Nintendo Switch.

It is important to note, though, that the Joy-Con can only be charged when attached to the side of the Nintendo Switch. These controllers do not have a USB-C port, therefore you cannot use a Switch charger to charge them. If you’d like to charge the Joy-Con when not attached to the Switch, you will need to purchase a Joy-Con charging dock.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium. His favorite series include Xeno, Fate, and Final Fantasy.