Amazon’s recently revealed Prime Video animated anthology series reportedly includes a Warhammer 40,000 episode.
Last week, Deadline reported that Amazon was working with the team behind Netflix’s much-loved series, Love, Death & Robots, for an adult-focused animated anthology of its own called Secret Level.
Secret Level is made up of original short stories set in the worlds of video games. Deadline reported that Amazon Games’ New World, Spelunky, and PlayStation titles were “rumored to be among the games and IP featured on the series,” with a reveal potentially set for gamescom’s Opening Night Live this Tuesday, August 20.
Now, Redanian Intelligence has followed up with a report that claims that Clive Standen (Vikings) will reprise his role as Lieutenant Titus from the upcoming Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 in Secret Level on an episode called Chaos. Chaos is the blanket term for factions associated with Warhammer 40,000’s ruinous powers, and revolves around demons and traitor Space Marines.
Redanian Intelligence adds that Max Rinehart (Unforgotten, Noah Hawley’s Alien) is set to play a character called Julius, speculated to be another Ultramarine alongside Titus.
Other Secret Level episodes reportedly in the works include one called The Outer Worlds, which is perhaps based on Obsidian’s sci-fi RPG of the same name. Brenock O’Connor, who played Olly in Game of Thrones, is set to play a character called Amos in that episode. An episode based on id Software’s Doom is also reportedly on the list. Sequels to both The Outer Worlds and Doom are in the works.
Meanwhile, Games Workshop publishes Warhammer animations of its own via its Warhammer+ subscription service. However, Warhammer+ has had a tough 2024 on the animation front, with fans expressing disappointment at the number of series released so far. A hotly anticipated sequel to the fan-favorite Astartes series is currently AWOL, with Games Workshop yet to comment on a release window.
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.
An email sent from the Black Myth: Wukong marketing team tells content creators they must not include “feminist propaganda” or use what are called “trigger words” such as COVID-19.
The email, which hit social media after it was sent to a number of content creators by a representative of Chinese games company Hero Games, was verified by IGN over the weekend via a source who asked not to be named. It includes a Steam key to pre-download the game on PC ahead of the Black Myth: Wukong release date of August 20, and a link to a Google document that outlines the “Do’s and Don’ts” for content creators who intend to cover Black Myth: Wukong during its August launch period.
There is just one entry in the “Do’s” category: “enjoy the game!” However, there are five entries in the “Don’ts category,” reproduced below:
Do NOT insult other influencers or players.
Do NOT use any offensive language/humor.
Do NOT include politics, violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, and other content that instigates negative discourse.
Do NOT use trigger words such as ‘quarantine’ or ‘isolation’ or ‘COVID-19’.
Do NOT discuss content related to China’s game industry policies, opinions, news, etc.
While some of these entries, such as the request not to insult other creators or players, or use offensive language, are standard across many content creator agreements, some are not. Asking content creators not to include “feminist propaganda,” mention Covid, or discuss China’s game industry policies, for example, are unusual requests and have already been criticized by some on social media in the context of previous reporting on Shenzhen, China-based developer Game Science. IGN has asked Hero Games for comment.
IGN understands this email is intended for content creators who plan to cover Black Myth: Wukong at launch, as opposed to pre-launch reviewers. There is no non-disclosure agreement (NDA) tied to the provision of the Steam key.
Beijing-based Hero Games claims to be the largest external investor in Game Science, which has yet to respond to IGN’s previous report compiling numerous sexist comments made by the studio’s founders and other developers spanning the last decade.
IGN has asked Hero Games if the Black Myth: Wukong guidelines are standard for all games it promotes, or if they are a directive from Game Science. Game Science itself has yet to respond.
IGN’s Black Myth: Wukong review returned an 8/10. We said: “Despite some frustrating technical issues, Black Myth: Wukong is a great action game with fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalizing secrets, and a beautiful world.”
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.
Ever since the release of the Resident Evil 2 remake, developers have returned to the well en masse to give their classic games a new lease of life, more often than not with mixed results. From what I’ve seen so far, the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake doesn’t come close to hitting the heights of Resident Evil 2 – a blueprint for how a great remake is made – but it certainly feels like developer Bloober Team has made a lot of the right decisions when building on the survival horror classic’s undeniable legacy, even if at times it feels a little too safe.
I played the opening three hours of Silent Hill 2 and it was immediately apparent from the off that the remake gracefully captures all the important elements; an oppressive tone and straightforward game mechanics, even when the task itself is being obtuse. As with any Silent Hill game, atmosphere is king, and Silent Hill 2 immediately and consistently puts you into a state of unease. A thick fog surrounds the town like the original, now benefiting from modern lighting and volume thanks to today’s technical improvements. The streets are now filled with a new level of detail, shops are explorable, and strange sounds, cries, and groans are dynamically lurking around every corner.
The diegetic sounds of Silent Hill are where the game really sings, or rather, drones.
I can imagine it would have been incredibly tempting to layer music into the Silent Hill 2 remake, bringing the scares more in line with contemporary horror hits. But its slavish resistance is commendable, as the diegetic sounds of Silent Hill are where the game really sings, or rather, drones. Every room in the Wood Side Apartments creates its own version of uneasy tension, subtly assaulting you with an oppressive, unearthly soundscape of pulses and organic audio. From the moment protagonist James enters Silent Hill, the onslaught of bad vibes is present and never lets up for a second. Often fear is driven by anticipation, but Silent Hill 2 is all anticipation, with the sounds of the Lying Figures and co being ever-present. In some ways, it’s a difficult state of mind to be locked into.
It’s fair to say that Silent Hill 2 has stepped up its visual and audio game, but that’s to be expected for a 2024 release. The bigger and perhaps more impactful change is perspective, with Silent Hill 2 adopting the trusty over-the-shoulder playstyle that’s become a staple of the genre. What could have once been considered sacrilege for the series now serves the gameplay well, helping the unearthly combat encounters feel surprisingly familiar. Like the original, James’ arsenal is limited, with the only weapons available in the section I played being a handgun and his trusty wooden plank. Combat is certainly light and rudimentary, but Silent Hill 2 was never about that. It’s serviceable in a way that compliments the character’s ability – although I imagine it would have been extremely tempting for Bloober Team to strap James up Rambo-style, it would have been a disservice to the character and story it’s telling.
That’s not to say James doesn’t have a new move in his locker though. Silent Hill 2 implements a new dodge mechanic, allowing James to quickly dart out of the way of an enemy’s projectile vomit or Pyramid Head’s swinging blade. It’s a simple quick shuffle, not a Dark Souls-like forward roll, but it’s a tool that helped me to quickly establish a swing-swing-dodge rhythm before the Lying Figures threw up all their guts on me. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give is that it’s a move that feels like it always should have been in Silent Hill 2.
From what I’ve seen so far the story is largely faithful, and I visited all the locations I expected to in the first few hours. The opening jaunt through the streets of Silent Hill is expanded, though, tasking you to solve a puzzle involving a jukebox in Neely’s Bar and forcing you to visit several of the town’s locations. Along the way, there’s plenty to examine further and marvel at the detail layered into this once sparse location. While purists might scoff at this addition, I feel it’s a smart move that encourages you to spend a little more time roaming the iconic, foggy streets. It’s a welcome addition before you spend a large portion of the game funnelled down dark hallways in a largely linear path.
My usual urge to brute force the puzzles was quickly replaced by a wish to legitimately solve them.
Fans of the original will be happy to hear that the remake doesn’t hold back with its returning puzzles. Like the original, the remake scales clues based on your difficulty level ( you can individually choose how challenging both combat and puzzles are in the main menu, although I didn’t get to test out how this is implemented in-game), but even on the normal difficulty setting I found some puzzles momentary head-scratchers that encouraged me to truly absorb my surroundings, especially after hard switching from my ‘kill everything that moves’ head space. Fans of the 2001 classic and the Resident Evil series know exactly what kind of thing to expect – using environmental clues to solve riddles and combinations – but it felt like there was a little less signposting in Silent Hill 2 than its peers. It’s hard for me to quantify this, but all I can say is my usual urge to brute force the puzzles was quickly replaced by a wish to legitimately solve them. Hopefully that speaks to the puzzle’s design and not the pressures of the play session’s environment.
Bloober Team’s decision-making when rebuilding this classic has been clever, but it’s not perfect. The dialogue and performances still feel too campy and silly for my taste, often taking me out of the super serious tone. Unlike Resident Evil, where the campy nature is a big part of the vibe, Silent Hill in 2024 requires a subtle touch to complement the same masterful approach in atmosphere and sound design. Purists might celebrate its faithful remaking of the original’s lines, but I felt there was an opportunity here for some subtle rewrites and tweaks. I only got a small taste of the dialogue though, and Silent Hill 2 isn’t exactly known for its long conversations, so perhaps it’s not any kind of deal breaker.
Another irksome inclusion is the logical, but slightly tedious activity of opening countless kitchen cupboards and drawers to collect handgun ammo and healing items, similar to modern games like The Last of Us. It makes sense on paper, organically placing your collectible items in realistic locations, but I can’t help but feel the process took me out of the atmosphere, altering my thought process from fear to loot every time I entered a new room. Maybe it says more about me than the game, but several times after entering a room I was jumped by a hidden mannequin because I had prioritised scouring for pick-ups instead of enemies.
Disappointingly, from what I’ve seen so far Silent Hill 2 doesn’t appear to incorporate my favourite feature the best remakes tend to have: Taking your expectations based on what you know about the original and subverting them. 2002’s Resident Evil Remake, which played around with the ‘dogs jumping through the window’ jump scare that all fans expected, is the perfect example of how this can be expertly crafted. The approach allows for the tension of a fake out, and the creative space to drop new scares where you least expect it. This Silent Hill 2 remake doesn’t appear to have any real moments like that and, ultimately, no real big swings that change the landscape for hardcore fans. At least not in the opening three hours.
As a remake, Silent Hill 2 falls more in line with BluePoint’s faithful Shadow of the Colossus rather than Capcom’s rejuvenated Resident Evil 2. It substitutes bold new swings for a slavish dedication to the original, which is by no means a bad thing, just not the radical step some might expect. Silent Hill 2 certainly needed a fresh coat of paint and a tune of the engine, and Bloober Team has provided that in spades, but everything else is an extremely faithful reimagining that mostly resists the urge to alter the successful formula of a stone-cold classic.
Dale Driver is IGN’s Executive Producer of Video Programming. Follow him on Twitter.
The Pokémon Company announced today that Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will be released on October 30, 2024 worldwide.
This new Pokémon TCG card collecting app got a new trailer along with the release date announcement at the closing ceremonies of the Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii. The new trailer showcased opening packs with the touch screen in different locations and gameplay features, like trading with other collectors.
The end of the trailer teased an “Immersive Card” that featured Mewtwo. These cards allow you to explore the digital art in a 3D space, giving you a much more in-depth look at the card art than we’ve ever seen before. Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket was announced earlier this year in February on Pokémon Day, and this is the first new trailer we’ve seen since.
So far, we know you can open two new booster packs for free each day in Pokémon TCG Pocket. Cards will include existing Pokémon TCG illustrations and new cards exclusive to the app. You’ll be able to view your Pokémon card collection, trade, explore art in detail, and potentially even more that hasn’t quite been explained yet.
You can preregister for Pokémon TCG Pocket now on the App Store and Google Play. If you’re in New Zealand, you can play early in the soft lauch–no word on when that is just yet!
Casey DeFreitas is a deputy editor of guides at IGN. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD
The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, August 18, below:
Lies of P for $39.99
Lies of P was one of the most overlooked titles of 2023. Based on the classic story of Pinocchio, this title acts as a souls-like, offering a wide variety of bosses and enemies to face off against. If you’re a fan of RPGs or action games that you can get lost for hours in, this is a great choice.
ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Gaming Handheld for $499.99
or Open Box (Excellent) for $420.99
Best Buy is taking $200 off the ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Extreme gaming handheld, now only $499.99.That’s the best price we’ve ever seen for a brand new unit. If you’re willing to get a used model, Best Buy is also offering Open Box (Excellent Condition) units for only $420.99. This is the best Windows-based gaming handheld for those of you who want to play games outside of Steam’s ecosystem.
Monster Hunter Stories Collection for $39.99
The recently released Monster Hunter Stories Collection includes both Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. This marks the first time that players can experience the first game with the Japan-exclusive Title Updates, in addition to full voice acting. Jump into the world of Monster Hunter in a new light with this collection!
Sony WH-1000MX4 Headphones for $198
These are some of the best over-ear headphones on the market, especially in the noise-canceling area. Eight microphones are utilized to ensure you have the best listening experience possible. You can instantly silence all of your surroundings with the press of a button or choose to listen to close sounds like voices, horns honking, etc. Overall, this is one deal you do not want to miss out on.
Nintendo Switch Lite with Animal Crossing: New Horizons for $159
Walmart has the Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition Nintendo Switch Lite available for $159. This bundle includes a turquoise Nintendo Switch Lite and a free digital copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Together, that has a $260 value, which means you can save $100 by purchasing this bundle. If you have not purchased a Nintendo Switch yet, this is an excellent option.
Super Mario Odyssey for $39.99
Super Mario Odyssey is still one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch. From the stunning Kingdoms to the numerous new gameplay elements, this is a title any Switch owner should have in their collection. Odyssey is best known for its Capture mechanic, which allows Mario to use Cappy and take over different enemies and objects in the environment. This title doesn’t go on sale too often, so pick up a physical copy at a discount this week! Use code GAMES to get $5 off the $44.99 price.
Kingdom Hearts All-in-One Package for $36.49
If you’re itching to start a new series, Kingdom Hearts is one of the best out there to jump into. From Tetsuya Nomura, Kingdom Hearts mashes together the worlds of Disney and Square Enix to tell the tale of light and darkness. This All-in-One package contains a total of ten games, with everything up to Kingdom Hearts III included. Now is the perfect time to get caught up before Kingdom Hearts IV, so pick up the All-in-One bundle today and jump into Sora’s journey.
The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for $28.49
If you like to collect art books of your favorite video games, this is the perfect deal for you! Amazon currently has The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 listed for $28.49. This book features over 256 pages of key concept art from the game, focused on heroes, villains, locations, and more.
2021 9th Gen Apple iPad 10.2″ 64GB for $224
Amazon is offering the 9th gen (2021) Apple iPad 10.2″ Wi-Fi 64GB tablet for only $224. This is the best price we’ve ever seen for this particular model, and right now it’s $70 cheaper than the newest 10th gen model. This is the most affordable iPad model you can get brand new with warranty.
The Dragon Age is an era in the history of Thedas, specifically one where nobody on the continent could seem to catch a break. Each mainline game in Bioware’s fantasy RPG series introduces a new character facing (mostly) new threats, while DLCs, novels, and comics expand on this sprawling world and, of course, its beloved characters. From the Chantry’s tales of Andraste to the darkness of the Deep Roads, Dragon Age is a franchise you can’t help but lose yourself in.
I’m not going to lie to you: each mainline Dragon Age game takes place pretty much immediately after the last one. Still, maybe you’re trying to figure out what order to play the DLCs in. Most likely, you’re planning a refresher before The Veilguard drops. Or, maybe, you’re as insane as I am and want to find every possible sprawling lore tidbit about this series.
So, for those in the latter group, here’s every Dragon Age game (and DLC, book, comic, movie, and series), in timeline order, where applicable, using Thedas’s own calendar system. You can also jump to specific lists in release order below.
How Many Dragon Age Games Are There?
There are 3 mainline Dragon Age games, with a fourth game releasing this Halloween. Origins has 8 DLCs, DA: II has 4 DLCs, and Inquisition has 4 DLCs. The discontinued mobile game Heroes of Dragon Age and the flash games Dragon Age Legends and Dragon Age Journeys are not included on this list.
In addition to the games, there’s 9 comic series, 7 novels, 17 short stories, an animated movie, an animated series, and two mini-series in the Dragon Age universe. I will not be including the notedly non-canon comics from IDW Publishing.
Also, because they exist as “compendiums” outside of specific narratives, The World of Thedas Vol. 1 (released before Dragon Age II) and Vol. 2 (released before Dragon Age: Inquisition) aren’t on this list, but in my personal opinion they’re probably some of the best sources of deep-dive Thedas lore outside of this timeline.
Which Dragon Age Game Should You Play First?
If you’re just looking to pick up a new RPG, or only have time to get through one game before Veilguard, you can stick with the most recent release. Dragon Age: Inquisition has the most accessible gameplay and it actually runs on PC and new-gen consoles. It’s also the only open world game in the series.
For the full “Dragon Age experience,” you’re going to have to play Origins at some point. The impact of the player’s choices in previous games is a selling point of Dragon Age, and there’s something especially satisfying about playing through the consequences of your own actions, meeting characters and shaping conflicts that carry significance throughout the series. So yeah, it runs terribly on PC, but with the right settings (and maybe some mods), it’s worth looking past some less than stimulating mechanics to experience a narrative-driven fantasy RPG at its best.
What About All That Other Stuff?
Because a major feature of the games is impactful decision-making, a “Bioware canon” exists for media outside of the games. A lot of this stuff is great for understanding more about important characters and scratching the Thedas lore itch, but that’s my word of caution for anyone particularly attached to their own in-game outcomes. In general, I’d recommend reading whatever is “connected” to the DA games and characters you like most. That said, if you’re going to read anything to set you up for Veilguard, I’d recommend the most recent comic, The Missing.
The Complete Dragon Age Timeline, Explained
If you’re trying to “start at the beginning” of Dragon Age, you should start with Origins and then loop back to these. But, for the sake of timeline accuracy, these technically take place before any mainline Dragon Age game.
*Warning: While I tried my best to keep this list free of major spoilers, there are mentions of some characters and conflicts that re-appear across the series
The Stolen Throne & The Calling (Novels)
[8:96-9:00] & [9:10–9:11]
Two novels take place before Origins, both penned by Origins’ lead writer, David Gaider. The Stolen Throne begins when the Queen of Fereldan, Moira Theirin, is murdered in 8:96. Her son, Maric, works with Loghain Mac Tir to find those responsible while also grappling with an invasion from the neighboring nation of Orlais. The Calling picks up about a decade after the events of Stolen Throne, but continues to focus on Maric with appearances from a certain young Grey Warden.
Dawn of the Seeker (Animated Movie)
[9:22]
After the release of Dragon Age II, Bioware tried out animated movie-making. In collaboration with FUNimation, Dawn of the Seeker is an origin story for Cassandra Pentaghast, a character in Dragon Age II and companion in Inquisition. The movie follows Cassandra in the land of Ferelden’s neighbor, Orlais, and explores her path to becoming Seeker.
Leliana’s Song (Origins DLC)
[9:28]
As the name suggests, this Origins DLC explores the backstory of Leliana, a main companion in Origins who returns as an advisor in Inquisition.
Dragon Age: Origins (Game)
[9:30]
The game that started it all. After a prologue sequence defined by the selection of one of six character backgrounds, the player is recruited into a noble guild of warriors tasked with battling haunted humanoid creatures called Darkspawn. As one of the last Grey Wardens, the player must travel across Ferelden, navigating complex political machinations to build an army that can take on the greatest Darkspawn threat.
All of DA:O takes place within one year. While certain questlines can feel like a royal pain 15 years after release, the writing of our first exposure to Thedas (and how much control the player has over it) makes this dark and tactical action RPG my favorite game of all time.
*Stone Prisoner, Warden’s Keep, The Darkspawn Chronicles, and Return to Ostagar are all DLC’s that add questlines and additional content to the main campaign.
Warden’s Fall (Mini-Series)
This Machinima-made mini-series links Origins to Awakening. Each part is only about 5 minutes, so you can watch the full thing in about 30.
Awakening (Origins DLC)
[~9:31]
Awakening is pretty much a full expansion to Dragon Age: Origins, picking up about 6 months after the first game with almost 20 hours of additional content. Due to some Dragon Age II decisions, the “canon-ness” of this expansion’s place on the timeline is a little dubious, but I personally think it has one of the most compelling stories in the series that’s still worth playing through.
Golems of Amgarrak (Origins DLC)
This DLC chronologically takes place after Awakening. I don’t have too much to say about it other than, compared to the base game, it’s a lot more challenging.
Witch Hunt (Origins DLC)
[9:32]
The last Origins DLC to be released, Witch Hunt checks up on what Origins companion Morrigan is up to a couple years after the first game’s conclusion (technically after the start of Dragon Age II, but I’d still play this after Origins first). Without too many spoilers, I’d argue this is the most important Origins DLC for the rest of the Dragon Age series.
Dragon Age II Short Stories
Before DA:2
Dragon Age II inaugurated the “short story” tradition for DA games, starting with “prequel” short stories for each of the seven main companions. I’m sticking the collection here for simplicity, but each story takes place at various points before the start of DA2. You can read them all online here.
Dragon Age II (Game)
[Prologue: 9:30 Acts 1-3: 9:31-37]
During the Fifth Blight, the Hawke family is caught up in the wave of refugees forced to abandon their homes in Ferelden. After battling Darkspawn (and encountering a certain witch/dragon/icon), the player winds up at the gates of Kirkwall, seeking refuge for their family. Over the course of 10 years, Hawke gets roped into all sorts of chaos above and below ground while trying to survive and, dare I say, thrive, in the “sh**hole” that is Kirkwall.
Timeline-wise, the opening sequence of Dragon Age II takes place during the Blight of DA:O, but Acts 1 through 3 take you from 9:31 to 9:37. Yeah, this one’s got a lot going on. And while Dragon Age II was a notoriously rushed production, this odyssey of a game dives deeper into the political intrigue of Thedas, expanding on the Qunari as well as the dynamic between mages and Templars that continues to be at the forefront of the Dragon Age series.
*Exiled Prince, Mark of the Assassin, The Black Emporium, and Legacy are all DLC’s that add questlines and additional content to the main campaign, though Legacy does explore Hawke’s past.
Dragon Age: Redemption (Short Series)
[~9:31]
While released as a tie-in to the Mark of the Assassin DLC for Dragon Age II, this short series from Felicia Day introduces her character, Tallis, and takes place at some point before the end of Dragon Age II: Act 1.
The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak, and Until We Sleep (Comics)
[~9:38-9:40]
There aren’t any Dragon Age II DLCs that take place after the base game, but DA: II did lead to the start of the canon “Dragon Age” comics. First up in release and timeline order was The Silent Grove, a six-issue comic series that follows Alistair, accompanied by Isabela and Varric, as he heads to Antiva to investigate what happened to a certain Fereldan King. Those Who Speak picks up where The Silent Grove leaves off, expanding on the backstory of Alistair, in particular. Until We Sleep concludes this particular comic series with three final issues, which, on top of showing more of the Tevinter Imperium, also provide particular insight into Dragon Age’s pseudo-narrator, Varric Tethras.
Asunder (Novel)
[9:40]
The third Dragon Age novel and the final one to be penned by David Gaider, Asunder explains the origins of the Mage-Templar War that, despite climaxing in Inquisition, aren’t really explained in-game. The novel specifically addresses what happens to the Seekers, the Circle of Magi, and the Templars after Dragon Age II but before Inquisition.
The Masked Empire (Novel)
[9:40]
The Masked Empire is another direct tie-in novel for setting up Inquisition, bringing the reader to Orlais and setting up the political dynamics between the Empress and her rivals that ultimately lead to my personal favorite questline in Inquisition.
The Last Flight (Novel)
[9:41 & ~5:12-5:20]
This one is tough because it technically follows two timelines: one in 9:41, and the other way back in the Exalted Age during the Fourth Blight. Because I wouldn’t recommend anyone start their Dragon Age experience with this novel, I’m placing it here, but yes, to be clear, this Grey Warden-based novel also extends back the farthest of any Dragon Age media listed.
Dragon Age: Inquisition Short Stories
Before DA: I
Instead of short stories based on companions, Bioware released three stories about other side characters that are significant in Inquisition. Paper & Steel, Paying the Ferryman, and the Riddle of Truth were all released alongside the World of Thedas Vol. 2 and take place between DA2 and Inquisition. You can read all three of them here.
Dragon Age: Inquisition (Game)
[9:41-9:42]
The most recent mainline DA game begins at the height of tensions between mages and Templars, when an explosion during peace talks at the Chantry has disastrous consequences for the institutions keeping Thedas together. This explosion turns out to be a tear in the Fade, and the player assumes the role of an Inquisitor who is the only one equipped to stop the demons and spirits emerging from the breach from taking over.
In a return to the form of Origins, DA: I has the player battling an immediate, civilization-ending threat, so the narrative is significantly less sprawling than Dragon Age II. DA: I also brought back the choice of different character backgrounds that influence how the player is treated in and by the world of Thedas (which, notably, now features both Ferelden and Orlais). While a little less tactical than previous DA games, Inquisition’s killer story and expansive world still made it our Game of the Year for 2014.
*Jaws of Hakkon and The Descent are DLCs that can be played after finishing Inquisition, but I consider it a player decision how these fit into the timeline.
Magekiller (Comic)
[9:41-42]
This five-issue comic follows Marius and Tessa, blood mage hunters, during the Inquisition. While the comic technically starts before Inquisition, most of the storyline intertwines with the events of the game, so it makes more sense to read this after playing.
Dragon Age: Trespasser (Inquisition DLC)
[9:44]
Similar to Awakening, this Inquisition DLC adds a decent amount of content, and is also probably the most important thing on this list outside of mainline games in terms of setting up Veilguard. Several years after Inquisition ends, this expansion has the Inquisitor investigate who really kicked off the events that tore open the Fade. If you play through Inquisition, you better make it through Trespasser.
The Knight Errant (Comic)
[~9:44]
The Knight Errant follows an elven squire who heads to Kirkwall for the appointment of a new Viscount, and like anyone who goes to that forsaken city, gets caught up in a much larger mess. It’s not super clear when this five-issue comic is set, but with characters from the Inquisition assuming new roles in Thedas, my guess is during or right after Trespasser.
Dragon Age: Absolution (TV Series)
[~9:44]
Bioware collaborated with Korean animation company Red Dog Culture House for this six-episode Netflix series. With some entirely new characters (Matt Mercer may be involved), alongside some Dragon Age staples, we noted in our review this show might be a little hard to access without some previous DA experience, but it’s still a pretty fun ride. Based on some references to both Inquisition and Trespasser, I’m placing this Tevinter-based series toward the end of our list.
Deception, Blue Wraith, and Dark Fortress (Comics)
[9:40-9:45]
Combined into an anthology called The Wraiths of Tevinter, these three comic series all (for the most part) take place after Trespasser and, as the title would suggest, in the Tevinter Imperium. Funny enough, that’s also where the next game is set, so it’s more than likely these post-Inquisition comics are setting up some characters and conflicts we’ll see more of.
Deception starts this collection off with a new character’s schemes in the city of Ventus, which is being threatened by a Qunari invasion. Over three issues, the comic has appearances from the Tevinter-based companions of previous games and expands on the role of the Venatori.
For those of you who crave more of a certain angsty, white-haired elf from Dragon Age II, these next ones are for you. Blue Wraith starts around 9:40, but quickly timeskips to pick up in 9:44-45 as the conflict continues to broil between Tevinter and the Qunari. Dark Fortress is a pretty direct follow-up to Blue Wraith, with all three issues playing out over 9:45.
Tevinter Nights (Novel/Anthology)
[9:44-9:45]
As an anthology of short stories, it’s a bit challenging to pinpoint an exact place on this timeline for Tevinter Nights. Many of the stories overlap with the Tevinter-based comics above, making it a matter of personal preference (in my opinion) which you start with. Of note, some of the characters that first appeared in these stories have been revealed as main companions for Veilguard.
The Missing (Comic)
[9:45]
The most recent piece of released canon Dragon Age media, The Missing is a four issue comic series where Varric and everyone’s favorite scout attempt to track down an old friend from Inquisition. This one is, by all indications, a pretty direct tie-in for The Veilguard, so if you’re going to pick up any physical Dragon Age reading before the new game, it should probably be this (but make sure you play Inquisition and Trespasser first).
Dragon Age Day Short Stories
Before DA:TV
Like the rest of the short stories on this list, these snippets jump around timeline-wise. But let’s cut to the chase: these are already categorized as “Veilguard” short stories on EA’s website, and a couple of them feature known Veilguard companions. Seven of these stories have been published over 2020-2023, and you can find them all here.
BONUS: Hard in Hightown (Novella)
Dragon Age II and Inquisition companion Varric Tethras is an author, made famous in particular for his novel, Hard in Hightown. While you can collect parts of the novel in Codex-form across Inquisition, you can also read the full novella (with illustrations) as an eBook. It’s fiction within fiction, so no real timeline relevance, but hey, it’s fun.
Dragon Age Media in Release Order
Dragon Age Games + DLCs in Release Order:
Dragon Age: Origins: Nov 2009
Awakening: March 2010
Leliana’s Song: July 2010
Golems of Amgarrak: August 2010
Witch Hunt: Sept 2010
Dragon Age II: March 2011
Exiled Prince: March 2011
The Black Emporium: March 2011
Legacy: July 2011
Mark of the Assassin: October 2011
Dragon Age: Inquisition: November 2014
Jaws of Hakkon: March 2015
The Black Emporium: May 2015
The Descent: August 2015
Trespasser: September 2015
Dragon Age Novels in Release Order:
The Stolen Throne: March 2009
The Calling: October 2009
Asunder: Dec 2011
The Masked Empire: April 2014
Last Flight: September 2014
Tevinter Nights: March 2020
Dragon Age Comics in Digital Release Order:
The Silent Grove: Feb-May 2012
Those Who Speak: Aug-Nov 2012
Until We Sleep: March-May 2013
Magekiller: Dec 2015-April 2016
Knight Errant: May-Sept 2017
Deception: Oct-Dec 2018
Blue Wraith: Jan-March 2020
Dark Fortress: March-May 2021
The Missing: Jan-May 2023
What’s Next for Dragon Age?
15 years since Origins and 10 years since Inquisition, I wasn’t sure if we’d see another Dragon Age game. But then, all of a sudden, in early 2024, The Veilguard (previously known as Dreadwolf) was announced as a release coming later this year. Not often you see that in gaming anymore. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to release on October 31, with pre-orders available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S | X.
Video game movie fever continues unabated, with obscure Sega fighting game series Eternal Champions the latest to get its own live-action film.
Originally released in 1993, Eternal Champions was Sega’s answer to the popularity of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. It was heavily hyped for its graphics and enjoyed strong sales, even receiving a sequel on the Sega CD, but it was ultimately axed because Sega reportedly wanted to focus on promoting Virtual Fighter in the U.S.
Since then, Eternal Champions has fallen into obscurity as the publisher (and the world) has largely moved on. Now though, it’s getting its own movie.
According to THR, Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly is set to pen a live-action version of Eternal Champions for Skydance. Toru Nakahara, who oversees the Sonic movies, will act as one of the film’s producers. Not much is known for the plot, but it will presumably follow that of the game, which sees a god-like Eternal Champion try to restore balance to the world with a martial arts tournament featuring characters drawn from throughout history.
Some of its numerous heroes include Dawson, a sherriff from the American Wild West, a pirate named Riptide, and a chicken from Vietnam named Crispy. It will presumably try to capture some of the appeal of the Mortal Kombat films, which draw from a similar time period in gaming history and remain nostalgic favorites.
Aside from Eternal Champions, other games getting their own movies include The Legend of Zelda, Death Stranding, and Until Dawn, among others. Releases like Sega’s own Sonic movies have been a financial boon for Hollywood, but the trend is not without its risks. Borderlands, which released last week, was critically panned and a major bust at the box office.
We’ll see how Eternal Champions does when it eventually makes its way to theatres. It does not yet have a release date.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
Ubisoft is the latest video game company to be hit with another wave of layoffs.
As first reported by Bloomberg and later independently confirmed by IGN, 45 staff across the Assassin’s Creed publisher’s San Francisco and Cary, North Carolina locations were impacted by layoffs yesterday. Those affected will receive severance and career assistance, though further details about what those offerings include have not been revealed.
“Yesterday Ubisoft San Francisco and Red Storm Entertainment informed their teams of a restructuring that resulted in 45 employees leaving Ubisoft,” a Ubisoft spokesperson said in a statement. “This difficult yet necessary decision was made to align these studios’ organizations with their future business and development objectives. We are committed to providing comprehensive support to those affected, including severance and career assistance, and we thank them for their many contributions to Ubisoft.”
This is the second shift for the Red Storm team this summer, with the first arriving in May when Ubisoft announced that further development on its free-to-play spinoff, Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland, was canceled. At the time, the publisher called the move a “tough call” but would transition those members of the development team to other projects like XDefiant and Rainbow Six. It’s unclear how many members of the Red Storm team were affected by yesterday’s layoffs.
Red Storm’s portfolio includes a number of noteworthy Ubisoft titles from the last few decades, including a number of entries in the Tom Clancy and Far Cry franchises. The studio also recently developed a VR-only title, Assassin’s Creed Nexus, which released last year. Ubisoft’s San Francisco branch developed titles in the Rocksmith series as well as South Park: The Fractured but Whole. It’s currently working on XDefiant and Rocksmith+.
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.
Editor’s Note: Yes, we’ve reviewed a mod! It’s true that this isn’t something IGN normally does, but seeing as Fallout London is a project on a scale that rivals a full game, we’ve made an exception.
It’s easy to see how a long-running series could fall into a rut. As gameplay conventions become increasingly entrenched, lore bloats, and deviation from what fans expect becomes riskier, it creates a lot of inertia in one direction that can be hard to redirect. That’s where something like Fallout London can shine. FOLON, the mod group behind this enormous (and completely free) total conversion for Fallout 4, approached the project with fresh eyes and ideas and no fear of alienating the Fallout faithful. Setting it across the Atlantic, where the America-centric Fallout universe has never officially visited, frees the story from the burden of most of the series’ decades of lore. Sure, a fan-made Fallout lacks the polish and ease of use we expect from a major developer – but it’s not as if Bethesda RPG fans aren’t accustomed to toughing out some technical issues as part of the price of admission to these worlds, and Fallout London is effectively a whole new, fun game that takes the series to a cool new setting.
As big and grand as Fallout London is, it can sometimes be easy to forget that this is a mod and not an official sequel. London itself is massive, around the size of Boston from Fallout 4. It’s also extremely dense with buildings to explore, bandit dens to clear, and all manner of interesting sights to see. In addition to the city, there are separate zones for many of the individual boroughs, each with distinct styles and factions. It may be dirtier and more chaotic, but I can’t help but prefer the punk rock vibes of the Pistols in Camden over the clean but snooty Gentry that inhabit Westminster. That variety in locations does a great job projecting the fact that a city the size of London isn’t a cultural monolith, and visiting one of the areas for the first time and discovering what it’s like is exciting.
I’ve never been to the real London, but the realization of the city matches up to my expectations based on how I’ve seen it portrayed in movies and television. Tight streets with dense residences, interesting shops, and no shortage of pubs form the residential neighborhoods. Iconic landmarks like Big Ben and the Tower Bridge beckon in the distance, and provided me with a strong motivation to reach those areas to see what’s become of them in the post-apocalypse. And who among us hasn’t wanted to sneak around Buckingham Palace at least once or twice? Sure, there’s no Fenway Park, but it does have medieval history, with swords, maces, and armor to go with it – and that’s great. Whether it’s the Capital Wasteland or New Vegas, modern Fallout games are at their best when they let the setting be a starring character, and London has that in spades.
The atmosphere throughout is excellent. Whether it’s the classic Fallout radio stations bringing back the oldies (including some very, very British tunes) or the thick and gloomy rainfall, it’s easy to just stand on a street corner staring at a double-decker bus and feel pulled into Ol’ Blighty, as the current inhabitants call London. I was surprised by how much setting a Fallout game outside of North America made everything seem fresh, despite the now decade-old foundation of Fallout 4 (which, let’s face it, wasn’t exactly on the cutting edge of graphical fidelity in 2015). Small touches, like swapping out the wrist-mounted PipBoy for the handheld Atta-Boy, felt like cute nods and adaptations, while mixing in new fauna like irradiated foxes and badgers broke the routine that came with decades of fighting radscorpions.
Still, this game is clearly built on Fallout 4. If, like me, you enjoy gunplay, sneaking, and V.A.T.S. combat, then know that it does all that and it feels the same. Most of the perks seem lifted straight from Fallout 4, but a few options, like the Numbskull trait that boosts your strength, endurance, and luck at the expense of a very low ceiling on your intelligence, give options for fun new builds. Outside of the aforementioned melee blades and clubs, there isn’t much in the way of weapons that feel distinctly new. There are some neat gimmicky weapons like the Dirty Weldy, which launches enemies into the air, but I found pistols, rifles, and shotguns to be the most universally useful weapons, as usual. The apparel options, while dashingly British, don’t functionally change much. I do like that you can craft upgrades and build settlements just like before, too, if you’re into that sort of thing (which I am).
Again, though, there is a major barrier to entry here. It needs to be understood that you can’t just download Fallout London and jump in. This is a mod, and it requires that you jump through a series of hoops: You will first need Fallout 4 and all of the DLC, then go through a careful step-by-step process to downgrade Fallout 4 to an earlier version (the most recent update broke a lot of FOLON’s work and they haven’t been able to address everything yet), and finally install Fallout London itself. It’s not exactly rocket surgery, but it is much more complex than just pressing the install button, and some scary-looking windows pop up during the process.
Even with a proper install, technical issues are common, and a big enough problem that it can’t be just written off as, “Yup, that sounds like Fallout!” Crashes are all too frequent, and if you aren’t diligent about quicksaving, those can be major progress killers. This can be especially frustrating thanks to load times that are exceptionally long, even with an i9 processor and RTX 3090-powered rig. Every time I loaded a save or fast traveled I was stuck waiting for close to a minute. Given how often you’ll need to do those two things in a playthrough of Fallout London you can expect to stare at that loading screen for quite a while, which is a shame.
So as much as I enjoyed exploring post-apocalyptic London, the looming threat of bugs hung over my head the entire time. Sometimes companions would just disappear, and multiple times quests simply broke, with whatever was supposed to happen at key moments not triggering. Anytime this occurred I was able to find fixes online or in the Fallout London Discord, often involving inputting console commands, but that’s something that not everyone will have the patience or technical know-how for. To its credit, the team at FOLON has continued to work on fixes, and the first big patch has reduced – but not eliminated – the crashes. And if you want to mod your mod, I found that BUFFOUT and the Long Loading Times Fix helped a bit… or they could lead to more problems. That’s the risk of playing with mods.
The story benefits from the clean slate of being outside North America.
Fallout London’s story benefits from the clean slate afforded by being out of North America. The setup is simple: you awaken in a lab and are sent to track down Mr. Smythe, the mysterious person behind whatever led you there, for some answers and/or revenge. The fact that you don’t have to deal with the baggage of the Forced Evolutionary Virus, Super Mutants, Enclave, or Brotherhood of Steel means there are actual surprises and mysteries to uncover, which makes for a compelling and much less predictable story than we’ve seen out of this universe in a long time.
Impressively, there are multiple endings, each with branching paths of their own. The two versions of my ending that I saw after a nearly 40-hour playthrough were as surreal and cinematic as anything I’ve seen in the series, and left me intrigued to see what the other potential conclusions look like. I really enjoyed the story overall, and found uncovering who Mr. Smythe was, and what he was after, to be every bit as interesting as meeting President Eden in Fallout 3, though it lacked the emotional pull of Fallout 4. I particularly enjoyed my time as a Peaky Blinders-esque ruffian with the Vagabonds, and earning the respect of their dirtbag-with-a-heart leader Sebastian Gaunt.
There’s a lot to do, and I could easily invest another 50 hours working through every faction’s story and exploring all the points of interest. My biggest gripe, though, is that a lot of the hours I invested reaching the end, particularly in the middle act, was spent on busywork. As invested as I was in uncovering the truth of what was going on in Ol’ Blighty, the momentum would get stalled for hours at a time as I was sent to deal with problems and missions unrelated to the central plot to progress. At one point, just as I felt like the story was sucking me in, I had to spend the better part of a day literally collecting signatures. I’m all for giving us a lot to do in an open-world RPG, but making those things mandatory is an unnecessary pain and kills the story’s momentum.
The actual mission design is a bit of a roller coaster, with plenty of ups and downs. Much like the vast majority of RPGs, most quests simply send you to a spot to kill stuff, which is fun for a while but eventually gets old. Several really stand out, though: there’s an exciting ferry ride shootout, a battle against waves of ghouls as you wait for some laundry to wash, and more. The best missions include unexpected twists and turns, like one that inserted me into a battle for control over the Roundels, a faction vying for domination over the Hackney area. I backed the candidate I thought was the most pragmatic, with the best interest of the group at heart. What followed was an absolute bloodbath involving an accidental drug overdose, a miniature civil war, and a body count that would look at home in an ‘80s action movie. I didn’t see any of that coming, and it ruled.
The companions who can join you all have fun personality quirks, like Kiera, who has delusions of being a master thief. They have interesting stories of their own, and earning the trust they need to open up is very worthwhile. There’s a great Dogmeat stand-in in the lovable bulldog Churchill, or Archie, if you prefer a street urchin who isn’t much of a fighter, but is great at picking locks for you. There’s a half dozen or so to recruit, and each is fun and weird in their own Fallout way. I appreciate that the companions and NPCs throughout London are well acted and produced. It sounded professional, which helped immerse me in the experience.
The frustrating issue I kept running into, however, was that the layout of paths and objectives within missions was often unclear. For example, one very early section has you exploring an underground lab, and the only path forward is a pitch-black door hidden in shadow, while the lit hallway next to it is a dead end. Another otherwise fun exploration of the Bank of England is derailed by the need to find exceptionally easy-to-miss keys. Both of those were big enough problems that there are entire guides online now explaining what to do. It’s the sort of thing one would hope would be caught and corrected in playtesting, and it’s the one area where Fallout London comes off as amateurish – which is actually praise, since so much of the rest of it could easily pass for the work of a professional studio.
Woot! (which is owned by Amazon) is offering the best deal on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Right now you can get a 3 month code for only $36.49. Microsoft recently raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $19.99 per month, so now you’re saving 40% off a 3 month membership. Note that you can purchase multiple codes and apply them to your account, up to a maximum of 36 months. Woot! has extended the deadline to August 16. That means today is the final day.
Note: There is a coupon code “VIDEOGAMES” that takes $3 off one order. If you purchase multiple gift cards, this code will only work on a single gift card.
3 Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $33.49
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to a library of hundreds of Xbox games, including day one releases. You can play them for the entirety of your membership without any restrictions. You do lose access to them once your membership is over, but if you ever decide to renew, all your past achievements and progress will be saved. You’ll also have access to Xbox Game Pass for PC. Although there aren’t nearly as many games as there are on Xbox, there are still plenty of AAA titles to keep you sated. Other perks include exclusive membership discounts, the ability to play your games across multiple devices with cloud gaming, free access to EA Play membership, as well as bonus in-game content and rewards. It is an exceptionally good – almost essential – membership for Xbox gamers. New release games are not cheap, and being able to play them without buying them will save you a lot of money and easily recoup the cost of the membership.
