At the start of the Nintendo Switch’s life, we were treated to what is widely considered to be one of the best, if not the best, game ever created: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. After years of waiting, as we approach the end of the Switch’s life, we’re getting a follow-up: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It’s set in the same Hyrule, kind of. It stars the same main characters… probably. There’s still a lot we don’t know!
Basically, all we know for sure is you can fuse items together to build things. Is your spear not long enough? Fuse it to a stick. Boom. Stickspear. I’m sold. Well, to be fair, I actually preordered it years ago without knowing much more than “it exists, it’s a Breath of the Wild follow-up, therefore I need it.”
If you’re interested in preordering Tears of the Kingdom, there’s no shortage of places to do so. Some retailers are tossing in cute little extras to entice you to plop down your money with them. For example, Best Buy will toss in a free art print (a $9.99 value!) while GameStop is offering a wooden plaque. I guess they’re hoping freebies will take a little away from the sting of a $70 Nintendo Switch game, the first-ever at that price point.
Preorder The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
If you can’t wait until May to get a little bit of Tears of the Kingdom in your life, you can get yourself a Nintendo Switch OLED Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Special Edition console. The Joy-con and dock are adorned with designs evocative of the game’s aesthetic, and honestly it’s one of the best special-edition Switch consoles of all time, at least in my opinion.
It’s very easy to get your hands on one of these consoles, as all major retailers have them in stock and available for preorder ahead of their April 28 release. If you’re still using your day-1 Nintendo Switch, it might be worth an upgrade. The OLED screen makes a huge difference in hand-held mode, with bright, vibrant colors that just pop so hard. If you’re a collector, I don’t know why you’re reading this, because you already preordered one.
There’s also the Tear of the Kingdom special edition Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, which is impossible to get. It sold out very quickly, and hasn’t come back into stock yet. Will it? Maybe. It’s kind of hard to say. Nintendo is nothing if not unpredictable when it comes to how they handle their special edition hardware. You can still get a special edition Animal Crossing Switch, for example, but good luck finding a much-less attractive Let’s Go Pokemon Switch.
Nintendo is nothing if not unpredictable when it comes to how they handle their special edition hardware.
You also probably won’t be finding the Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition in stock any time soon, or at all. But again, Nintendo! They might have tens of thousands of them ready to deploy, or they might not. It’s like gambling, basically. If you do manage to score one, you get the game, a steelbook cover, a set of pins, an art book and a Tears of the Kingdom poster. It’s pretty sweet. Not sure if it’s $129.99 sweet, but I managed to secure one anyway. For research purposes, obviously.
Also, you can now preorder the Tears of the Kingdom Link amiibo for your collection. Hopefully the new game will have improved amiibo integration over its predecessor. The original was great, don’t get me wrong, but I crave more. The downside for me is any improvements could end up making me regret selling my Wolf Link amiibo.
Preorder the Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch
If you’re looking to show off your Legend of Zelda fandom, we have a ton of Zelda apparel and collectibles at the IGN Store, and it covers the entire series, from the OG on the NES all the way up to Breath of the Wild. So whether or not you’re a Toon Link or crave a more ultra-realistic version, there’s something for you to enjoy.
For bucking up on your Zelda knowledge, Dark Horse has an excellent series of books: Hyrule Historia, Art & Artifacts, and The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia. Hyrule Historia introduces a timeline for the series, and while I personally think it’s kind of silly, a lot of people get really mad at me when I question its validity. The three-book set is definitely worth getting, but any one of them is a great standalone Zelda experience. I’m particularly fond of Art & Artifacts, because I just like looking at super-detailed illustrations of the Master Sword. But I’m also not normal.
Viz Media handles publishing of the many Legend of Zelda manga adaptations, and you can buy them one at a time or in various boxed sets. They’re quite lovely. You should check them out.
There’s also a spectacular Link to the Past manga collection, also by Viz Media, written and illustrated by Shotaro Ishinomori. It collects the comics that originally ran in the early 1990s in Nintendo Power, and as someone who was both alive and a loyal Nintendo Power reader, I read and reread those particular issues until they were tattered. Having them all in one book is both convenient and delightful. Highly recommended.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives May 12, which isn’t very far away, but also seems like an insurmountable amount of time to wait for what will probably be the best game ever created. I’m very optimistic, if it weren’t obvious already. Hopefully you can snag some of the cooler items in the meantime, and if not, you can find something to fill the Legend of Zelda-shaped hole in your heart.
Phil Harrison, vice president of Google and former head of Stadia, has confirmed he has left the company.
According to a report from Business Insider, two employees familiar with the matter said Harrison quietly left Google around the time the company shut down the short-lived game streaming service after it failed to gain traction in a competitive gaming market. His LinkedIn profile has been updated to say he ended his time with the search engine giant this month.
A veteran of the gaming industry, Harrison joined Google in 2018 after working at Sony for over a decade and three years at Microsoft. From Stadia’s announcement at GDC 2019, he championed the platform as the “future of gaming” as it gave players access to their favorite games, including Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Cyberpunk 2077, through Google’s cloud service without the need to purchase expensive consoles. He even hosted two Connect streams, where he would announce the games being added to the service in a format similar to Nintendo Direct.
In 2021, as Stadia struggled to attract gamers, Harrison wrote a blog post on The Keyword announcing the closure of Stadia Games and Entertainment (SG&E) and disappeared from the public eye. On September 29, 2022, he announced that Stadia would be shutting down for good this January, and Google began issuing refunds to those who purchased the Stadia controller and games through the Google Play Store.
Where Harrison will head next is currently unknown. Google recently admitted that it didn’t do well creating a cloud gaming service on its own via Stadia, but it is now doing better partnering with game companies to support their live-service games on Google Cloud.
Photo credit: Bloomberg / Getty Images
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
Fans of a galaxy far, far away are gearing up for one of the most exciting weekends of the year as Star Wars Celebration 2023 is almost upon us.
Taking place in London’s ExCeL from April 7 to 10, Lucasfilm will be making its biggest announcements of the year for all manner of Star Wars films, TV shows, games, books, comics, and more.
Thanks to the galaxy growing constantly, and now more than ever, there are already a ton of Star Wars projects we’re expecting to see over the weekend. Though nothing is confirmed yet, here’s everything we’re expecting to see at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
The 2025 Film
Let’s cut to the chase: it’s surely time for Disney and Lucasfilm to unveil the next Star Wars film. It’s already been more than three years since The Rise of Skywalker, and though the franchise is now spread across just about every media form possible, Star Wars is a film franchise at its core. We already know the next movie is premiering on December 19, 2025, but we don’t know which of the several unnamed projects it will be.
Other changes have been happening behind the scenes too, as Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and co-writer Justin Britt-Gibson have reportedly left an untitled project directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will reportedly write the script instead, with sources saying a full reveal will happen at Celebration.
Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, especially since these changes are happening so last minute, but we’re hoping to see Disney and Lucasfilm make one concrete announcement about the 2025 Star Wars film, even if it’s just a title.
Ahsoka Disney+ Series Trailer and Premiere Date
As a star of The Clone Wars, and having since appeared in several other series including Rebels and The Mandalorian, Ahsoka is finally getting a Star Wars show all about her.
It’s already confirmed for 2023, and with a glaring gap in the adult Star Wars TV schedule after The Mandalorian Season 3 wraps later in April, Ahsoka is a perfect candidate to take on the mantle.
Skeleton Crew Tease
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is also scheduled for a 2023 premiere despite only being announced at last year’s Celebration. We know that it stars Jude Law and was created by Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, and revolves around a group of children trying to find their way home during roughly the same time period as The Mandalorian.
We’re definitely expecting Skeleton Crew to make an appearance at Star Wars Celebration, though it might just be an explanation of the show and maybe a teaser trailer rather than a full blown premiere date like Ahsoka.
TV Show Maybes
While the Skeleton Crew seems to have been fast-tracked by Disney, the same can’t be said for some other floating Star Wars shows. Both the Lando Calrissian series and first live action High Republic show The Acolyte have been quiet for a while.
Lando was first announced over two years ago in 2020 but we haven’t heard anything since. Given that Disney has announced some Star Wars cancellations and this wasn’t on the list, however, we have hope that we’ll find out more soon.
Production began in November, so we’re again hoping for an update, or at least a release window for The Acolyte, and Celebration would of course be the perfect time to re-introduce all of these shows to the world.
As 2023 is expected to include Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew, a release window of 2024 will perhaps be announced for these ones.
This one may not be as exciting as a drop of completely fresh information, but with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor launching in just a few weeks, it’s likely we’ll see a final look at the game during Celebration.
Developer Zynga said it was delayed to “meet the high expectations we are setting for fans globally and ourselves as developers,” but promised it was “working tirelessly to achieve our vision”. It was originally due to launch in 2021 though, and is even available to some players through a soft launch, so an official release date shouldn’t be too far away.
Though fans may not be eyeing this one as much as some other Star Wars projects in development, a release window or date being announced at Celebration, and maybe even a beta, would be sure to get some players excited.
Eclipse or Knights of the Old Republic Remake Updates
Now onto the games that Star Wars fans are super excited for. We don’t want to get our hopes too high (and know that Disney will likely want to save some big gaming announcements for E3 season), but still think at least one major video game update will come out of Celebration.
An update on either of these games would therefore be very welcome to fans. This likely wouldn’t be a release window announcement, perhaps not even a year, but a development update or short teaser would likely go a long way.
Hopefully a Few More Surprises
Despite having so many films, TV shows, books, games, and more already at our fingertips, Star Wars fans will always want more. Celebration is the place to give us that, and some surprise reveals are guaranteed to get the crowd in London going.
IGN will have you covered on every one of these announcements, with tons of breaking news, analysis, commentary, and more throughout the entirety of Star Wars Celebration 2023 weekend.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Now in its tenth year on the market, PS4 — the second-best-selling home console of all time — has amassed an all-time great catalog of games. With a PS5 price bump outside of the U.S. and many publishers still releasing games on its last-gen console, it’s still a great time to play on PS4, and so we’ve created this list to highlight the best games the console has to offer.
The games below weren’t chosen lightly; this list was compiled by the entire IGN content team and — after plenty of internal debate — represents what we believe to be the best that the PS4 has to offer. Without further ado, these are our picks for the 25 best PS4 games.
Nier: Automata delivers a ridiculously entertaining journey full of awesome ideas that is equal parts strange and beautiful. There are few games like Automata, which bounces between game genres and styles with aplomb. Taking place in a futuristic dystopia, this “action-RPG” offers a roller coaster of different gameplay opportunities, wrapped up in a fascinating story that has many multiple endings that encourage poking into every corner of this engrossing world. There are few games that attempt what Nier: Automata does, and it’s absolutely worth checking out this Yoko Taro-directed adventure.
Nier: Automata has been adapted into an anime titled Nier: Automata Ver1.1a, which came out in Japan on January 8, 2023. Three episodes of the series have been aired so far, but it went into hiatus with the fourth episode due to COVID-19.
24. Monster Hunter World
The long-running Monster Hunter series broke through with the 2018 hit Monster Hunter World, which not only impressed us with its rewarding gameplay but also with how accessible the game proved to be. For a series that can take some learning to get the hang of, Monster Hunter World produced a fully realized, expansive world.
Amid the rise of the battle royale genre, Apex Legends manages to stand out, even as a later addition to the fray. Set in the universe of Respawn’s Titanfall series, Apex utilizes similar gameplay mechanics which give it a unique edge over other battle royale games. In addition to its faster pace, Apex incorporates the use of specific “Legends” who all have different skills and abilities that create the need for teams to work together and synergize between the different characters. Similar to how Overwatch operates, the roster of different heroes allows players to constantly change their playstyles in order to secure the win. With constant updates and new limited-time game modes being switched in and out, Apex Legends is a high-octane game that constantly leaves you wanting to go for “just one more match.”
The Sun Squad Collection Event, which brings a new battle royale mode called Heatwave, is running in Apex Legends until April 11.
22. Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 is the high bar for SEGA’s long-running open-world series, packed with an extraordinary amount of things to do and centered around a genuinely compelling crime story.
Since it’s a prequel, it’s also unburdened by the series’ increasingly intricate backstory and thus supremely approachable for newcomers. While its melee combat may lag slightly behind modern genre standards, Yakuza 0 still hits far more than it misses and is a big, bold and bruising tour through the Japanese underworld.
How do you make Tetris, one of the best-selling and arguably perfect games, even better? You add in dazzling light shows, music that reacts to your moves, and one of the most blissfully zen gaming experiences of the generation. Tetris Effect, even without its PSVR component, is a transcendent experience, making a stalwart of the video gaming medium fresh.
Its Journey mode includes a couple dozen stages of memorable music, which melds to the blocks you move and place, with backgrounds that, quite literally, take you on a journey from the ocean depths to jungle and desert terrain to the reaches of space. There’s something almost spiritual to the experience, which doesn’t do anything to majorly twist the Tetris formula, but enhances it in a memorably powerful way.
Tetris Effect: Connected, the multiplayer-enhanced version of Tetris Effect, received four new modes as part of its Winter update, including the single-player version of Classic Score Attack, Zone Marathon, Purify Mode, and Master Mode.
20. Dreams
Dreams is unlike anything else: an ambitious project that has been expertly brought to life by Media Molecule, and an audacious experiment in game design that gives you endless ways to enjoy your time with it. An incredible creative suite made up of tools that allow for and encourage ultimate expression, all inside of your PS4. The vast range of experiences on offer via Dream Surfing means that no two sessions playing it are ever the same, offering fresh ways to have fun every time you start it up and see what community creations have popped up while you’ve been away. Whether you just want to create, purely play, or get involved in a bit of everything, Dreams offers it all to you.
19. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
After a long wait, the 2020 remake of Final Fantasy 7 revitalizes one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time in a (mostly) successful and engaging way. This new version of Midgard probably isn’t just how your brain remembers it looking – it’s much better, with a stunning, detailed, and immersive exploration of the steampunk city.
Since part one of ‘Remake’ (subsequent releases will cover the rest of the original story) takes place entirely within Midgard, Square Enix is able to really spend time with the city’s ensemble cast, giving them more nuance and screentime to round out the adventure. And that’s on top of its stellar combat system, a marriage of real-time and more tactical, turn-based systems to create something that’s wholly unique and a joy to master. Part 2 can’t come soon enough.
FF7R Part 2, officially titled Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, is due out “next winter.” Before that, Square Enix will release Final Fantasy 16 on June 22 as a PS5 exclusive.
18. Overwatch
Overwatch is a brilliant multiplayer shooter brimming with Blizzard’s charm and detail, and it’s one that Blizzard has impressively continued to support with new heroes and updates since its launch in 2016. Overwatch earned Game of the Year from IGN in its launch year, sweeping the IGN offices with multiplayer matches after work and at lunches (and sometimes during the workday) that have continued in the months and years since.
Blizzard’s rock-solid gameplay allows players in whatever role they play on a team to matter. And Blizzard’s impressive attention to detail has created a rich world of lore that permeates the experience, allowing those who just want a fun multiplayer experience to enjoy the action but offering those who want something more a wealth of character and location information to delve into.
Overwatch has now been replaced by Overwatch 2. Our review said the sequel “breathes new life into what was once the sharpest shooter around.” Overwatch 2 collaborated with One-Punch Man to bring Legendary skins inspired by Saitama, Genos, Mumen Rider, and Terrible Tornado — available until April 6.
17. Ratchet & Clank
The iconic PlayStation franchise Ratchet and Clank only got better on PS4 with a beautiful, funny update of the duo’s first adventure. More a remix of the original PS2 game than a straight remaster, there is a gorgeous level of detail to the lombax and robot’s adventure, which also makes some noted story improvements.
The titular duo’s initial meeting and budding friendship feels more fully formed and smartly written, while the series’ signature humor is in full force throughout. Veldin, Rilgar, and other worlds are beautiful, Pixar-like environments with plenty to explore, and modernizations made to the gameplay make the adventure as fresh as ever. And of course, Insomniac’s signature knack for wacky weapons is on full display in HD, from Mr. Zurkon to the Groovitron. Insomniac has obviously put its recent focus on VR and Spider-Man, but this latest iteration proves Ratchet and Clank has plenty of life left in it.
16. What Remains of Edith Finch
One of the most heart-wrenching and visually dynamic adventure games of the generation, What Remains of Edith Finch is a must-play. While a game about recounting the death of each of Edith’s family members by exploring their bedrooms (turned memorial shrines) may sound like a bummer, the creative ways each memory gets explored keeps you entertained while the mystery of how this person died creates eerie suspense that will entice you to keep going. Each remembrance transports you to their stories and subsequent deaths, with moments ranging from playing on swingsets to, quite literally, bouncing between comic book panels. Striking, stylish, and hauntingly beautiful, What Remains of Edith Finch is one of the best experiences to be had on PS4.
Giant Sparrow’s next game will “focus on interactions between humans and urban wildlife.” It’s currently in early development.
15. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4 is Uncharted all grown up; an examination of what happens when Nathan Drake’s Indiana-Jones-style antics come face to face with his adult responsibilities. It manages to reckon with this and then some, juggling delicate relationship dynamics with ridiculously fun action sequences and breathtaking vistas ripe for exploring and pillaging. Though it gets a little bogged down by an overly long final act, Uncharted 4 is still one of the best action-adventure games of all time, and one of the best PlayStation 4 games ever.
On February 1, Sony announced it will be removing the PlayStation Plus Collection, a perk for PS5 owners since the console’s launch, from the subscription service on May 9. Uncharted 4 is among the PS4 games that will be removed as a result.
14. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is without question the most ambitious entry in the Metal Gear series. So ambitious, in fact, that it’s something of an unfinished masterpiece. While a lot of hardcore fans of the series were disappointed by the game’s scattered story, it’s hard to deny that the moment-to-moment gameplay is absolutely phenomenal. On top of rock-solid movement and a huge, sometimes literal, sandbox to explore, The Phantom Pain gives players a huge arsenal of weapons, vehicles, gadgets, and AI companions to approach missions creatively. As always, stealthy tactical gameplay is rewarded heavily, but if a mission goes sideways (or if you’re feeling squirrelly) the game doesn’t punish you too hard for getting get loud and messy. Even if you’ve never played another Metal Gear game, this is a hell of an experience. If the plot leaves you with a big question mark over your head, don’t feel left out. That’s part of the fun.
Resident Evil fans were begging for a remake of the much-beloved Resident Evil 2 for over two decades. After the original RE1 received its stellar GameCube REmake all the way back in 2002, fans waited, and waited… and waited. When it eventually came, it was everything they dreamed of and more. The Resident Evil 7‘s RE Engine was reworked into a third-person tour de force, showcasing intensely realistic gore with blood dripping from mangled zombies. Mr. X returned as a force to be reckoned with, its shooting mechanics were pitch-perfect, and terror was palpable throughout.
Sucker Punch’s latest adventure is dense with moving stories and striking visuals that make exploring its expansive take on 13th-century japan a joy. Its cast – across the English and Japanese languages – does an excellent job bringing Ghost’s complex tale of honor and loss to life, both in its 30+ hour main campaign and all the side quests that eloquently mirror thematic aspects of your main journey.
While the stealth may be simple (and enemy AI less than stellar), combat is spectacular – a simple but nuanced exploration of Japanese swordplay that is still fun right up to your very last duel. Add all of this on top of one of the best (and most addictive) photo modes we’ve seen, and Ghost of Tsushima more than makes up for its late addition to the PS4’s library by being one of its best games.
Sucker Punch’s next project is another open-world game with stealth and action elements — perhaps Ghost of Tsushima 2? What has been confirmed is a Ghost of Tsushima movie. Directed by Chad Stahleski (John Wick), the movie will be a retelling of the game’s story.
11. Red Dead Redemption 2
Both a stunning technical achievement and a gold standard for video game storytelling in an open-world setting, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the greatest games Rockstar Games has ever made, and one of the greatest games ever, period. Red Dead Redemption 2’s world is a sprawling and stunning recreation of the wild west, packed so full of detail and activity it’s almost daunting; getting from A to B is virtually impossible without going off the beaten path to some other distraction. Said distractions are incredibly accomplished, too – side quests, mini-games, hunting, and gathering are all deeply considered parts of Red Dead 2 in their own right.
But of course, it’s Red Dead 2’s characters that stick in the memory most: Arthur Morgan, John Marsten, Sadie, Dutch, et. al. are vibrant, multi-faceted characters, their complex dynamics always shifting and changing, even if their trajectories are set in stone. Red Dead Redemption 2 is nothing short of a masterpiece.
While Nathan Drake established himself as a compelling lead over the course of the four core Uncharted games, 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy proved that the same was true for Drake’s supporting cast.
Lost Legacy moved the spotlight to the unexpected duo of treasure hunter Chloe Frazer and mercenary Nadine Ross, and discovered there is a verve and chemistry in the cast even without Nate. Not only does Lost Legacy open the door for any number of spinoffs that focus on other characters in the Uncharted universe, it features some of the best gameplay sequences the series has to offer.
9. Control
An exceptional third-person shooter with a trippy supernatural twist, Control is not only our Game of the Year for 2019 but stands out as one of the most unique adventures of the generation. The seasoned team at Remedy Entertainment brought their years of experience to bear on one of the coolest ability/weapon sets in recent memory, which made for some of the most satisfying and frenetic telekinetic combat ever put to pixels. On top of its excellent super-powered gunplay, Control features some truly inspired environmental design, its Oldest House a shape-shifting labyrinth-like something from a fever dream shared by Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch. Throughout its monster-filled halls, you’ll undertake memorable side quests, hunt for upgrades to your abilities and gear, and hunt down a litany of collectibles that all help flesh out the eerie bureaucracy that’s at the center of Control’s impossibly unique experience.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is a masterclass in comic book joy, an expertly built world that perfectly encapsulates the child-like wonder of looking up at the looming, inspiring skylines of New York City and the superhero-like triumph of effortlessly scaling the tallest buildings in the Big Apple. It’s a game about Spider-Man made by people who deeply, truly, genuinely adore Spider-Man, from his costumes to his friends, foes, and family.
The simple act of soaring and flipping through the city is so satisfying and addictive that you’ll likely want to explore every corner of it and nab every collectible before even finishing the story. Once you do decide to settle down and move the narrative forward, you’ll find a heartwarming story of love and loss, awkward adolescence, and tons and tons of ass kicking. Along the way, you’ll unlock iconic Spider-Man suits, take down nefarious villains in gigantic, explosive setpieces, and bask in the realization that the modern comic book movie renaissance that we’re all so gleefully enjoying has finally, finally made its way back to video games.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is one of the most beautiful open-world games ever crafted. Grass sways in the wind beneath blooming sunrises while towering cities formed from the ashes of a once prosperous society loom in the distance. And, most importantly, giant, awe-inspiring mechanical dinosaurs outfitted with a terrifying array of pseudo-natural weaponry roam the land, roaring, gnashing, and trampling their prey. When iconic PlayStation developer Guerrilla Games revealed they were pivoting away from the Killzone franchise to make an open world robot dinosaur hunting game starring a warrior redhead outfitted like a space cake dealer at Burning Man, the world was cautiously optimistic.
The end result, thankfully, was a vast, wondrous, and unique open-world action game with just the right amount of RPG elements that come together to create a brilliant first entry into what we hope will become a pillar franchise for PlayStation Studios. Taking down a gigantic boss with an active strategy of well-placed melee strikes and projectiles is one of the most thrilling experiences on PlayStation 4, and looting the shrapnel of a downed robot for much-needed upgrade parts afterwards is equally satisfying. Horizon takes some of the best elements of existing open world games and weaves them together to make something wholly original, wonderfully refreshing and wildly fun.
Sony is reportedly working on a Zero Dawn PS5 remaster, as well as a Horizon multiplayer game. If you liked Zero Dawn, be sure to check out the excellent sequel, Horizon Forbidden West.
6. Grand Theft Auto 5 / GTA Online
Rockstar’s latest and greatest open-world felony simulator made its debut at the tail end of the last console generation, handily breaking records as the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, so it’s no surprise that it got ported to current-gen. What is surprising, perhaps, is just how much of an upgrade it got in the process. Uprezzed textures, totally overhauled lighting effects and a fully-functional first-person option were just some of the litany of updates and tweaks to the series’ biggest and best game yet.
Whether you’re after a sprawling single-player campaign that provides a ruthless skewering of 21st century American life, or a multiplayer component with years of big free updates and an extremely active community, or just a sandbox where you can do crimes either alone or with friends, Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online really does offer something for everyone. Seriously, is there any other game where you can play the stock market, jump in a Mad Max death card and then trip on peyote so hard you turn into a bird?
Rockstar has officially confirmed GTA 6 is in development. It will reportedly feature a return to Vice City and star the series’ first female playable character in a Bonnie & Clyde-inspired adventure — details that were seemingly corroborated by a massive GTA 6 leak.
5. Persona 5 Royal
A massive, gorgeous JRPG, Persona 5 set a high bar for the genre, and 2020’s Persona 5 Royal re-release pushes that bar even higher. An engrossing adventure brimming with style and flair, Persona 5 sees you navigating school life by day and descending into the corrupted minds of Tokyo’s more villainous citizens by night in order to coerce them away from their corrupt endeavors.
The students who make up Persona 5’s ensemble cast leave an indelible mark as they are introduced and further become embroiled in the exploits of the Phantom Thieves. Persona 5 does a great job of balancing the two facets of its gameplay, letting players really dive into the social connections in the real world and allowing those to influence the dungeon exploration and turn-based action of its massive and varied mind palaces. Coupled with a continually engaging combat system, a soundtrack full of earworms, its twisty, wild story, and plenty of additional content on top of the base game, Persona 5 Royal delivers one of the deepest JRPGs of the generation, if not of all time.
On February 9, Sega reported that Persona 5 Royal Remastered (PS5) sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide as of the end of December 2022. Black Wings is developing a new Persona 5 spin-off mobile game, The Phantom X, which will follow a new group of Phantom Thieves. Playtests are already underway in China.
4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt Red’s sprawling fantasy epic has become one of the most noteworthy games of all time, one that set a new standard for open-world RPGs. With a grim-yet-gorgeous world that stretches across the better part of an entire continent, every corner, cave, swamp or city street of The Witcher 3 has something to discover.
It’s 60+ hour main story is a great adventure, full of mystery and intrigue that draws from the deep lore of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, but its Geralt’s expertly-crafted side stories, monster hunts and off-beat adventures that really make The Witcher 3 and its two huge expansions truly exceptional. It’s a game where you can easily get lost for hundreds of hours and still not see everything it has to offer – but every one of those hours will be absolutely worth it.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt recently got the 4.02 patch, improving Performance Mode and adding refraction to ray-traced water reflections, among other quality-of-life changes especially for the PS5 version.
3. Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a brutally difficult, immensely terrifying action horror game that will immediately kick your ass. You’ll spawn, die, and repeat until you throw your controller, swear at your television, and vow to walk away forever. Once outside the dim confines of Bloodborne’s dense, evil, snarling network of contorted beasts, wretched howls, and stark-raving murderous lunatics, you’ll enjoy a quiet, cheerful walk amidst the sunshine in the real world, free from Bloodborne’s punishing ways.
But a voice in your head will begin to ring and linger, calling you back, urging you to return, push forward, and conquer. And when you do, you’ll find yourself improved and fueled, patient and energized, ready to tackle it’s gristled, hairy bosses, rotting cathedrals, and wet, corrupt catacombs. Then you’ll die again, but this time you’ll be stronger, wiser, and older and prepared for the foulest of beasts to leap from the shadows and tear you apart all over again. Bloodborne is a horrible, vile world where every reward brings risks and fear is palpable. And while its challenges feel insurmountable and out of reach, your skill and determination will eventually prevail and you’ll press forward through the night. Death is frequent. Frustration is certain. But ultimately, victory is possible, and when achieved, becomes one of the greatest feelings in the world.
The follow-up to 2013’s The Last of Us is the pinnacle of Naughty Dog’s storytelling ambitions during the life of the PS3 and PS4. Part 2’s ambitious, uncompromising story delivers at nearly every unexpected turn, with character arcs that are poignant, risky, and devastating. Naughty Dog asks you, the player, to do your best to reckon with morally ambiguity in ways that have evoked some of the strongest across the board reactions that we’ve seen from any game, ever.
It’s also perhaps Naughty Dog’s most mechanically complex game to date, and its stealth and action systems delivers moment after moment that feel like they should be scripted but are instead entirely dynamic. It may be one of the more divisive games of the generation, but it’s also one of the best; an absolute haymaker of a game we still can’t stop thinking about.
The Last of Us Part 1, a PS5 remake of the series’ first game, is now available. Our review called it “the best way to play – or replay – Naughty Dog’s esteemed survival classic.” Elsewhere in Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic universe is HBO’s Last of Us TV series Our review of The Last of Us: Season 1 called it “a stunning adaptation that should thrill newcomers and enrich those already familiar with Joel and Ellie’s journey alike.”
1. God of War
2018’s God of War shows an obvious level of care that went into crafting its world, characters, and gameplay, evolving a longstanding PlayStation franchise into a testament to the power of storytelling in games and making it our choice for the best PlayStation 4 game, period. Every aspect of God of War feels intentional, interconnecting with every other major aspect of the game, making exploring every inch of its world a rewarding opportunity. Everything from the main story to side missions and seemingly innocuous collectibles factor into your understanding of this new Aesir-inspired world and its major players.
It somehow never makes any of that feel like a dry history lesson, though, and God of War is constantly making smart, economical use of storytelling. It’s also just such a fun experience, with the new Leviathan axe being one of the most satisfying game weapons we’ve used since we originally picked up the Blades of Chaos back in 2005. Bundled with smart progression, fascinating environments, and an impactful story that offers an insightful exploration of one of gaming’s most notorious antiheroes, God of War is undoubtedly one of the best experiences of the generation as a whole, and a shining example of what the PlayStation 4 has to offer.
Although it can be difficult to accurately measure popularity, it stands to reason that the most popular PS4 game is going to be a PlayStation exclusive game. The top titles in this category are The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn — which have all recently made their way to PC.
What are the Best PS4 Exclusives?
Although many of the best PS4 exclusives are now available on PC, titles like God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Marvel’s Spider-Man rank as some of the top exclusives on the last-gen console.
What are the Best Games on PS Plus?
If you happen to have PlayStation Plus Extra or PlayStation Premium then you have access to some of the best games on the console. A few of the best PS Plus games include Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Bloodborne, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Those are our picks for the top PlayStation 4 games of all time. Let us know in the comments what’s on your list that didn’t make ours!
Hello Games is releasing the Interceptor update for No Man’s Sky today, which adds a new universal threat in the form of corrupted worlds.
That’s not all, of course, as the update also adds a new Starship, improvements to the PlayStation VR2 mode, new enemy types, new technology, and a range of other performance and visual improvements.
“Many worlds have succumbed to corruption, with strange crystals sprouting from the earth, and sentinel guardians twisted into bizarre new forms,” reads the update synopsis. “Explore these purple-hazed worlds to find new buildings, crashed interceptors, secret equipment and more.”
These corrupted worlds can be explored using a new ship class, which is promised to be the “most varied Starship to date”.
Players will also have to deal with new enemy types include huge spider-like enemies and their crab-like children, plus corrupted drones to match the new planets. These are some of the most dangerous enemy types in No Man’s Sky and come armed with stealth tech, flamethrowers, and explosive weaponry.
There will also be new technology for players to discover and create and sentinel capital ships that grant new rewards. Custom wonders have also been added to the Wonders Catalogue from the previous update, letting players curate their own collection of discoveries.
The changes to the PSVR 2 version include improved visuals, wrist interface controls, and more, while Hello Games has promised “a renewed focus on Xbox consoles” to improve performance and visuals across the board.
Explosive, colorful, and punchy, Everspace 2 combines the looter-shooter RPG treadmill with arcade space dogfights to build an interesting combo that has surprising diversity in how you can play it. While it looks like a space sim on the outside, and it has nods to the stuff you do in that genre like fight pirates, mine asteroids, and build reputation, Everspace 2 shouldn’t be mistaken for one. To its benefit and its detriment, this is a through-and-through lootin’ and shootin’ beast that’s much more interested in entertaining you with flashy fights and reconfiguring your fighter in a mind-boggling number of ways rather than simulating – or stimulating you with – anything else.
That right there should probably tell a lot of you whether you want to play it at all. The other bit is that this is technically a sequel, but… not really. The first Everspace is a roguelite where every mission is procedurally generated, while this one is a more traditional action RPG about taking on a main story quest and side missions, solving open-world puzzles, and blowing through randomly generated contracts for the 50 or so hours it takes to finish the main story. Or 100 hours to play all of it. Then a few dozen more optimizing your builds to bash away at the randomly generated endgame bits, if you like those.
That’s all to say Everspace 2 is pretty different from the original, though it is a direct sequel in terms of story: You’re one of those clone pilots you played as in the first one’s roguelite framework, but there’s no more coming back from the dead. You might be happy about that if you loved the story in the first one, and you might be a bit confused at times if you skipped it, but there’s a cache of really thorough – if largely forgettable – log entries to bring you up to speed on the story and world you’re dumped into. The writing and characters are something between stiff and disposable – though there are a few winners and good gags, my favorite among them being a broken garbage-disposal robot.
It’s kind of a shame, really, because you do spend a lot of time in this world. Characters have conversations as you jump at high speed from encounter to encounter within systems, and you pick up missions from the same people over and over. There’s even a great “story so far” log for those who take big breaks between game sessions—so it feels like a waste that characters spend so much time on empty dialogue or redundant explanations. But honestly, you’re not playing Everspace 2 for the dialogue, you’re playing it for the spaceships blowing up – which it does pretty dang well.
It’s good combat doesn’t get old, because it’s all Everspace 2 has going for it.
Flying around is smooth, with nary a technical hitch or slowdown in sight delivering a classic adaptation of generally short-range dogfights where you rock-paper-scissors your equipped damage types to optimize against enemy shields and armor. Enemies are numerous, and on most difficulties can overwhelm you if you’re not careful – it’s all about positioning and approach. Picking out priority targets early is important, knocking down enemies like snipers or ensnaring web drones before they can strike and leave you vulnerable, all while choosing to take the fight somewhere you can dodge behind asteroids to get cover between your lone fighter and heavier enemy ships. It’s combat that didn’t get old for me, and even when I had outleveled a mission I found it pretty relaxing to jump on and take down squads of baddies.
It’s good that it didn’t get old, because combat – and preparing for more combat – is really all that Everspace 2 has going for it. The vast majority of missions are either “go somewhere and have a fight” or “retrieve something from people after you fight them.” The rest of the time is spent hopping between ports, docking, fetching, and listening to all of that rambling dialogue. The other thing to do is figuring out environmental puzzles. Most locations have some hidden hatches to discover and blow open, a timed challenge to carry something from one spot to another, or one of many, many hunts through random debris for whatever generator core or battery you need to open a door to some loot. Those are nice in the early hours when you’re still encountering bits of debris you haven’t seen before, but by the end they’re just repetitive hunts among familiar bits of broken space station and asteroid.
Those maneuvering challenges might’ve been more interesting if Everspace 2 had more sim chops than it does, where piloting your ship is a challenge and first-person perspective is encouraged. As it is, the controls are good for arcade spaceflight, and they feel reactive and crisp on both mouse and keyboard and controller, and are fine for a flightstick. However, those who prefer a more “traditional” Newtonian spaceflight experience will be disappointed in Everspace 2’s version: The ship controls just aren’t fine enough to let you execute tight maneuvers without frustration when the ship doesn’t automatically correct its motion for you.
Which is a missed opportunity, because experiencing the different ships and how they fly is a strength of Everspace 2. Sure, the 30-some enemy types might get stale by the end, but that’s where the looter part of this looter-shooter comes in. There are three ship classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy – all fighters. Each has three further classes, all of which play quite differently. Ships can equip any of an array of modules like boosters, armor, and shields, of which there are variants that meaningfully change your combat style. Do you want a shield that’s tougher, or one that’ll recharge faster after it breaks? Do you want a big boost of speed for a short time, or a small boost that can be sustained for longer than you’ll ever use? Then there are 10 primary weapons, from beam lasers to autocannons, and a bevy of missiles, mines, and rockets to use as secondary armaments.
This is exactly the kind of customization I want from a loot-driven game.
And did I mention devices? That’s stuff like a localized EMP generator, viral attack programs, an invincible frontal shield, a teleporter, and more, all of which you can level up.
And you tweak all of that stuff with boosts to range or damage or energy capacitors or speed, and you can put it on every one of those nine ship types. There are more ways to build a cool space fighter in this game than I could even begin to try out in one 50-hour playthrough. It’s exactly the kind of customization I want from a loot-driven, class-based game like this one.
Take the Interceptor, for example: it’s a Medium fighter class that focuses on absolutely never having to stop shooting. It laughs full-auto at energy-hungry guns other fighters can only fire in bursts, and once equipped with a fast-charging capacitor it’ll never disappoint. Alternatively you could try out the light ships, like the Vanguard, which boosts its shields when the afterburner is on and does extra damage when striking enemies from behind. Kitted out with high-damage, low-range weapons, it’s a nightmare for enemies who can’t keep you off their tail.
That’s not all: one of the Heavy class ships is basically a necromancer that makes drones out of enemy wrecks, and another is a bomber that has unlimited missile ammunition. My favorite Heavy, though, is the Gunship. True to its name, it just has literally twice as many guns as any other ship available. Does that mean it drains its batteries twice as fast? Yes. Did I care? Not one whit.
That array of options does come at a cost, of course: you’re constantly shuffling new loot and consumables through your inventory. It’s a lot of busywork that comes with the genre, but the barrage of new gear in Everspace 2 is constant because you level up a lot, which means gear gets outdated fast. That’s especially true if you’re plowing into new storylines rather than taking your time on random jobs or side missions. You need to break down loot for crafting materials, which you use to upgrade the loot you actually want to keep or to make new loot, but you also set some materials aside to pay for perks from people you meet. You need a high tolerance for picking through new numbers or you’ll go cross-eyed fast.
The upshot, however, is that I always felt like I could try new things. That was a blessing when there were so many new guns and ships to play with. I didn’t feel penalized for never picking a “main” ship and sticking with it, or for repeatedly changing weapon selection and devices to experiment with.
Mario is, without a doubt, one of the most well known and iconic characters in any medium. He’s appeared in hundreds of games across about a dozen platforms, and has had at least twice as many jobs. Now with the arrival of the new Super Mario Bros. Movie, it’s clear that the era of Mario is only just getting started.
At the end of the day, though, it’s been the core Mario platformer games that have kept players coming back for forty years. So, without further ado, these are our picks for the the 10 best Super Mario games of all time.
Note: This list was originally published in 2017, but has been updated to factor in newer games. We’ve excluded non-platformer titles like Super Mario Maker from our rankings.
10. Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario 3D Land was the clear front-runner for best handheld Mario game until the Nintendo Switch came along. The 3DS entry is chockfull of some of the most fun, bite-sized Mario levels and absolutely filled to the brim with content. Perfect for on-the-go play, Super Mario 3D Land dug through every trick in the Mario design handbook whether it was immaculate 3D platforming, or throwback retro 2.5D retro levels. It also took advantage of the system’s glasses-free 3D in a way that no other game has come close to, making the game feel truly alive. – Matt Kim
Super Mario Sunshine may have tried to sell itself on a strange premise (Mario cleaning up gunk around a tropical island?), however the addition of the F.L.U.D.D. as both a cleaning tool and platforming device let the series soar to new heights in some very clever ways. Featuring some of the most vibrant levels worth coming back to multiple times, it also finally gave us access to Yoshi in a 3D playground teeming with excellent platforming possibilities, alongside some truly challenging segments. – Brendan Graeber
You could write a book on how Super Mario Bros. not only helped save the video game industry, but also paved the way for the 30 years of our medium that followed. It solidified our fearless plumber as an icon synonymous with video games. It offered a perfectly-tuned challenge while also encouraging exploration and experimentation. And it gave players a sense of ownership via Mario’s pinpoint inertia that had rarely been seen in games before that. But apart from the NES masterpiece’s undeniable mark on history, it’s the little details that stick with us after all this time. Like the way that the clouds are just palette-swapped bushes. Or how the increased tempo of Koji Kondo’s incredible score is matched with the dwindling timer. There’s a reason Super Mario Bros. has been re-released about a hundred times in the past three decades — simply put, it’s one of the foundations of our medium. – Marty Sliva
Not only is Super Mario 3D World one of the very best games on the Wii U, but it stands tall as one of Mario’s absolute best adventures. It builds upon the diorama-feel of 3D Land by making the stages larger, filling them with interesting puzzles, and constantly switching up the aesthetic. You can also play through all of 3D World alongside three friends, which makes for some of the absolute best multiplayer the series has ever offered. Finally, it pulls in a ton of classic Mario power-ups, while also introducing a few that pretty much need to be in every Mario adventure for the rest of time. Seriously, once you see Mario and pals wearing cat costumes then cloning themselves using Double Cherries, your life will never be the same again. – Marty Sliva
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is to 3D Mario games as Super Mario Bros. 3 is to the 2D iterations: pure platforming goodness. Coming so quickly on the heels of Galaxy 1, SMG 2 is not nearly as surprising as its predecessor, but it is so much more refined. Focusing on pushing players from one level to the next rather than having them explore for challenges, SMG 2 hones in on what made the first game such a breath of fresh air while making smart tweaks and additions to the formula. The inclusion of Yoshi and new powers like the Drill and Cloud suits only further push the possibilities of the gravity-based challenges. But more so than just throwing new ideas at an already solid foundation, Galaxy 2 feels like a culmination of so many ideas from past Mario experiences pieced together in a brilliant platformer that, even at its most difficult, is still a joy to play. – Jonathon Dornbush
If there was one Mario game that exemplified the sheer creativity and sense of wonder that’s at the heart of the series, it’s the first Super Mario Galaxy. Galaxy 2 may have improved upon many of its ideas, but it was also built on the foundation that Galaxy laid down, and that’s one of the strongest foundations you’ll find in the world of video games. Levels went from being just worlds to being galaxies, with tons of planets and open space in between, with each new area offering up their own unique gameplay challenges that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on the Wii hardware. Couple that outstanding design with the unforgettable, whimsical, orchestral soundtrack, and impressive visuals that still look great even today, and it’s not hard to see why Galaxy still stand tall as one of the best Mario games of all time. – Mitchell Saltzman
Much has been made of Super Mario 64’s influence on game design and how it nails “feel” and control in a 3D environment. How it’s hard to resist wasting minutes in the opening castle garden just running, jumping, and flipping about. Or how thoughtful it is about introducing players to 3D platforming – the game actually has you meet your Lakitu cameraman! But what is most notable about the game is how fresh, fun, and playable it still feels today, a full 27 years later, despite being part of an era of games whose graphics haven’t aged gracefully.
If you think Mario 64 finds its way into Top 10s merely on pedigree and influence alone, give it another go. It takes the concept of multiple stage exits from its 2D predecessors and presents us with perfect little playgrounds filled with tasks and scavenger hunts of carefully escalating difficulty levels. At the core of this timeless game system is a physics engine that lets you have fun with mass, weight, inertia, size, and even time. It’s obvious the designers carefully placed each block, seesaw, slide, trap, and enemy to challenge and delight. It may not be the single greatest Mario game on our list, but there’s no denying that Super Mario 64 is a rare timeless 3D classic of the highest quality. – Peer Schneider
Super Mario World expanded on the potential of a Mario game to be more than just a level-completing platformer challenge, but that challenge has rarely been as pixel perfect as it is in Super Mario Bros. 3. While establishing the series’ penchant for secrets (the Warp Whistle in World 1-3 is still one of the 8-bit generation’s best surprises), SMB 3 also delivered on some truly difficult challenges throughout its eight kingdoms. From the hilarious perspective shifts of Giant Land to the brutal challenge of Dark Land, SMB 3 never lacked for inventive world design, all while setting a precedent for Mario worlds and power-ups in future installments. After all, there are few wardrobe changes better than the Tanooki Suit. – Jonathon Dornbush
Super Mario Odyssey brought the plumber truly into the new generation. As part of the Nintendo Switch launch, Nintendo busted out everyone’s favorite plumber for a new, globe-trotting adventure. It truly felt like a back-to-basics approach, save for the unique hat mechanic that allowed Mario to transfer his consciousness into objects and enemies. But while the new mechanic is fun, Super Mario Odyssey’s strength lies in its pure game-feel. Not since Mario 64 has there been a 3D platformer that just plays so great, and looks this amazing. – Matt Kim
Super Mario World took everything that was great about Mario on the original Nintendo, and multiplied it by at least 100. As a testament to its pitch perfect gameplay and outright , Super Mario World appears in the number one spot of countless “Greatest of All Time” lists, and for good reason. Built on the framework of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World expanded the overworld map, introduced more challenges and powers, and packed more secrets into a 16-bit cart then anyone could have anticipated back in 1990. Super Mario World’s biggest contribution the future of the franchise is, without a doubt, it’s emphasis on exploration. Some levels contain multiple paths and exits, which in turn reveal switch palaces, secret levels and even entire secret worlds filled with some of the most challenging platforming levels ever created.
Mechanically, it’s a dream to play. Every jump, every fireball, and every cape spin perform exactly the same as the one before it, and this reliability allows masterful players to navigate Dinosaur Lands whopping 96 levels with the fluidity of someone composing a symphony. On top of this, the game is full of little details and charm in some of the best sprite animation to this day. When Mario jumps, his hat pops off his head just a bit, when he flies, he holds the corners of his cape to catch the wind. Animations that would seem commonplace now showed an attention to detail and added an enormous amount of character to every action and solidified Mario, and his goofy supporting cast of friends and enemies, as Nintendo mainstays, not just on the NES, but forever. – Zach Ryan
EA is currently the most popular games publisher across PlayStation and Xbox by monthly active users (MAUs), according to new data from Ampere Analysis. But Xbox stands to surpass it if the Activision Blizzard acquisition goes through.
According to Ampere Analysis, EA has consistently been the top publisher across PlayStation and Xbox based on share of MAUs since September, which is when Ampere Analysis started tracking. Speaking to IGN, analyst Piers Harding-Rolls says he suspects EA’s dominance has gone on “for some time” prior.
Since September, EA has consistently held above 16% of the market share of MAUs. Epic and Activision Blizzard have battled over second place, hovering between 9% and almost 15% of MAU market share, with Activision Blizzard overtaking Epic in October and November thanks to the launch of Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Epic, of course, continues to rely primarily on Fortnite.
Xbox retains a surprising lead on PlayStation
As for the first-party platform holders, Microsoft has held between 6% and 8% of the MAU market share during that time, trailing Take-Two. Sony has been on Microsoft’s heels, though it did overtake Microsoft briefly at the end of last year around the release of God of War: Ragnarok.
Why is Microsoft largely beating out Sony for MAUs when it has fewer console sales and thus fewer users to play its first-party games overall? According to Ampere Analysis, it’s because of Minecraft, which is available on PlayStation and many other platforms.
“In pure volume terms, around 35% of Xbox and PlayStation users playing Microsoft games are on PlayStation,” says Harding-Rolls.
So if acquisition goes ahead, that means Activision Blizzard will vanish from the graph, and Microsoft may stand to challenge EA’s lead, “potentially having a share over two times that of Sony.”
EA wins out
For now though, EA’s succeeding thanks to a diverse portfolio that includes games like Apex Legends, Madden NFL 23, UFC 4, Need for Speed Heat, The Sims 4, and Battlefield 2042. And it doesn’t hurt that its subscription service, EA Play, is bundled in with Xbox Game Pass.
EA’s crown jewel, of course, is FIFA, and not just the most recent one either. While FIFA 23 was the highest ranked game by daily engagement for February, Harding-Rolls points out that three older generations of FIFA were in the top ten games by MAU. Apparently, more people played FIFA 20 in February across both PlayStation and Xbox than played the new Dead Space remake, which came out at the tail end of January.
But the deal still has to win approval in other countries, including the US, where legal experts IGN spoke to were divided as to whether or not the Federal Trade Commission would grind the acquisition to a halt when hearings begin this August.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
There are around a million games about the Second World War for every one about the First, and The Great War: Western Front serves as a pretty good illustration of some of the reasons for that. The brutal, grinding, attritional conflict spanning from 1914 to 1918, as interesting as it is from a military history standpoint, is difficult to turn into a fun video game with any sort of authenticity. This RTS adaptation tries to find a satisfying balance point between historical reality and enjoyable gameplay. And while I think it did about as well as anyone could have hoped, it can’t fully smooth out the challenges of gamifying these shell-pocked battlefields.
The Western Front, with its teeming trenches and relentless artillery bombardments was an excruciating stalemate that took years to resolve, only breaking with the advent of new technologies and tactics much later. And The Great War: Western Front doesn’t do much to sugar-coat that, both for better and for worse.
The first big adjustment I had to make was to the sheer deadliness of even a modest defensive position. One regiment of standard infantry stationed in a trench can hold off three times as many attackers, and maybe double that number again if they have the support of a machine gun nest. This is certainly historically accurate, as so much of the early war was spent with commanders on both sides fooling around and finding out why you shouldn’t do things like this. And of the ways Western Front errs on the side of history, this one didn’t bother me so much.
If you want to play a bit more offensively, artillery can be used to suppress enemy trenches, rolling barrages can kick up smoke and earth to give your advancing troops concealment, and if you have enough supplies, you can casually shell the living daylights out of an enemy position from complete safety until there’s no one left to defend it. This latter strategy could sometimes feel a bit cheesy, since the AI will keep trickling men in to replace the ones blown sky high. But again, it’s not necessarily inaccurate to how this war played out.
Coordinating advances felt great when it worked and frustrating when it didn’t.
Put together, this encourages thinking about each battle as a very precise concert, which I came to mostly enjoy. Coordinating my advances to minimize casualties felt great when it worked. It can be very frustrating when it doesn’t, though, as even a small mistake in timing or routing can lead to entire regiments evaporating before your eyes. And it’s not helped by sometimes wonky unit behavior. Especially when entering and exiting trenches, it’s not uncommon for your doomed soldiers to stall or shuffle around a bit before going where they need to go, with deadly consequences.
Green Fields of France
The First World War certainly wasn’t a pretty affair, and Western Front isn’t always visually stunning, either. In particular, the infantry models are fairly low in detail, and you can’t really zoom in enough to get a sense of what they’re feeling down there in those muddy, bloody trenches. At times it’s more like you’re watching a bombastic ant farm rather than dealing with the lives of real young men, as the well-narrated cutscenes are quick to remind you.
That isn’t at all to say that these battlefields aren’t eye-catching and effective in other ways, though. They’re very readable, which is a huge plus in the heat of a complex engagement. Vibrant colors and high contrast between units and terrain make it easy to keep track of troop movements. The sound and visual effects for different shell types are distinct and easy to spot. And the devastation left across the battlefield, with smoldering craters and charred forests, effectively tells the story of a conflict that tore the world apart in more ways than one.
The interface also does a good job, both in battles and the campaign, showing me the information I really need without ever feeling too busy or cluttered. So it’s a shame that the controls don’t do you any favors. Even going through and rebinding all of the keyboard shortcuts, which I found to be absolutely terrible by default, I could only do so much. To give one representative example, you can’t bind Pause and Unpause to a single toggle key. I ended up having to assign each of them to one of my mouse thumb buttons.
March of War
The Great War: Western Front features an in-depth dynamic campaign that begins in December 1914, and here more than anywhere the realities of gamifying this particular part of this war become obvious. The basic idea is that each space on the map has a number of stars that must be depleted to capture it, and only an overwhelming tactical victory can remove a star. Practically, this means that the front lines don’t move very often. The object of many battles simply becomes to bleed your opponent more than they bleed you, as losses subtract from each side’s National Will. It’s a clever and historically resonant set-up: you can win without ever getting near the enemy capital simply by depleting their side’s fighting spirit. All the while you have to manage cash reserves and supplies, making difficult and meaningful decisions about where to reinforce the line and how many shells it’s worth using to break a dug-in position.
At least, in theory. In practice, since even modest victories can top up the other side’s National Will, it often feels like your gains in one area are undone by setbacks in another. This is a pretty accurate portrayal of what the war was like on the Western Front, and to a large degree, I can respect that. But as I mentioned before, it’s not especially rewarding from a gameplay standpoint. It’s hard to feel accomplished or triumphant when you’re fighting a war of inches. The more you make The Western Front feel like, well, the Western Front, the more it turns into a total drag.
There are mechanics that kick in later to alleviate this, like gas attacks and air support – the latter of which I feel is a bit too effective, by the way, with the ability to wipe out entire infantry regiments with one biplane making strafing runs. These aren’t Stukas, for crying out loud. And, of course, tanks change things dramatically later on as head-on assaults suddenly become much more viable. Still, I never so much as brushed up against the enemy capital. It was a slow grind to sap their National Will, and I ended up fighting a lot of similar or nearly identical battles to do so.
You do get to see some neat dynamic elements as trenches you build and terrain you destroy between two hexes will persist every time you fight there. But defending Ypres for the tenth time can get tiring. There is an auto-resolve option, but I was usually nervous about using it unless the forecast showed my side with an overwhelming advantage, as there’s a pretty wide range of random results.
The Central Powers just aren’t as fun as the huge variety of the Allies.
I also found the Allies faction to be significantly more fun to play than the Central Powers, as they need to balance morale penalties from the language barrier with the huge variety of interesting perks infantry of different nationalities can bring to the table. British troops are crack shots with a rifle, for instance, while the Americans are adept at advancing with armored support.
The Central Powers have two main advantages, the first being conscripts – weaker infantry with worse accuracy and morale who cost almost nothing. This allows for some very cost-effective strategies, but just isn’t as fun as the multinational menagerie the other side gets. They also have access to their iconic stormtroopers in the late game, but these guys don’t really fight like modern infantry, and I’m not sure the battle engine is really set up for them. At best, they’re specialists at trench fighting, lacking the ability to quickly take ground using cover and suppressing fire that historically made them so game-changing.
Activision Blizzard settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that the publisher imposed a limit on esports players’ salaries paid by the Overwatch and Call of Duty leagues.
The department filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, saying that Activision Blizzard, which owns the Overwatch League and the Call of Duty League, and the independently owned teams agreed to impose the Competitive Balance Tax. As its name suggests, the tax was designed to limit competition between the teams by suppressing the wages of esports players and fined teams for paying players above a certain threshold set by Activision Blizzard, which the department said violated the Sherman Act.
The DOJ added that Activision Blizzard dropped its salary limit rules in October 2021 following its investigation into the Competitive Balance Tax.
“The tax was never levied, and the leagues voluntarily dropped it from our rules in 2021,” Activision said in a statement (per Reuters). “We have always believed, and still believe, that the Competitive Balance Tax was lawful, and it did not have an adverse impact on players.”
The complaint said that the tax affected every esports player since the inception of each league — the Overwatch League started in 2018, while the Call of Duty League began in 2020 — especially players with larger salaries. This is because, unlike other professional esports players who agreed to salary restrictions through the collective bargaining process, players in the Overwatch and Call of Duty leagues were not part of a union nor did they negotiate wage rules.
Per the settlement, Activision Blizzard agreed not to impose any salary limits on the esports players in its leagues nor fine the teams for paying high salaries to certain players. However, the settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge for it to take effect.
The settlement is the latest in a series of legal issues facing Activision Blizzard. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint against the publisher last Friday over allegations of illegal surveillance of employees and other labor law violations, including threatening to shut down communication channels.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
