Category: IGN

Though wild speculation around metaverses has calmed somewhat in the last year, the idea is far from dead, with a number of companies still hard at work trying to find ways to integrate all their properties into one massive, interconnected space. The latest to discuss these ideas is Electronic Arts, with CEO Andrew Wilson responding to a question during today’s earnings call about a potential EA Sports metaverse with what sounds a heck of a lot like a concrete plan to make one in the near future.

During the Q&A portion, Wilson was asked if he had ever thought about “taking all of your siloed sport communities and thinking about a way to bring them all together” to “just sort of create, for lack of a better word, a metaverse?”

To this, Wilson gave a lengthy response outlining a whole lot of reasons why a publisher like EA might consider doing exactly that. He began by reiterating the enormity of the EA player community: over 700 million players, about half of which interact with the sports catalog in some way. EA Sports itself is, per Wilson, “one of the most recognizable and recognized sports brands.” And the upcoming generations Z and Alpha, he continued, often use EA Sports as an entry point to a love of sports in general.

“What we know to be true right now is our players spend on average about 90 minutes a session inside one of our games. They then leave that game experience where they’ve been deeply connected with their core friend unit, then they go and talk about that experience on another platform, then they go and create content about that experience on yet another platform, then finally they go and watch that content on another platform. We do believe we have a meaningful opportunity over the coming years to harness the power of that community both inside and outside of our games, which is really the third pillar of our core strategy, and will be led by our EA Sports brand.”

Wilson then reiterated that while he had nothing to announce today, EA sees “an incredible opportunity” in all these interconnected relationships between EA Sports’ popularity, how players behave within it and outside of it, and how it can interact with other experiences. “So best I can say is: watch this space,” he concluded.

While speculation on the metaverse has cooled in the last year, Wilson’s strategy seems far more tactical and focused than some of the more grandiose metaverse propostions floated by companies like Epic and Meta in the past. And his remarks are unshocking in light of the company’s continued EA Sports success. In today’s earnings report, EA reported net bookings of $2.37 billion and net revenue of $1.945 billion for the quarter ending on December 31, 2023, largely driven by EA Sports FC outperforming expectations with 7% year-over-year growth. Madden also remains a moneymaker, bringing in 5% year-over-year net bookings growth. And that doesn’t even get into its other properties: NHL, UFC, F1, PGA Tour, WRC, and the long-awaited EA Sports College Football. With its live services now consisting of 73% of EA’s business, it’s no surprise that EA would want to find ways to capitalize on that power, especially now that it’s proven it doesn’t need the FIFA name attached to succeed.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Yesterday, IGN reported that Spec Ops: The Line had been delisted from Steam. Today, we updated that story with reporting that the game had also disappeared from other digital storefronts, including Fanatical, Gamesplanet, and Nuuvem. And now, we have confirmation from 2K themselves: one of the most important video games of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation is disappearing from online storefronts for good.

2K Games sent IGN the following statement confirming The Line’s delisting:

Spec Ops: The Line will no longer be available on online storefronts, as several partnership licenses related to the game are expiring.
Players who have purchased the game can still download and play the game uninterrupted. 2K would like to thank our community of players who have supported the game, and we look forward to bringing you more offerings from our label throughout this year and beyond.

While 2K hasn’t provided specifics as to what partnerships are expiring, Spec Ops: The Line contains several pieces of licensed music, including Jimmy Hendrix’s iconic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Expiring music licenses have been the reason for many delistings in the past, and that would seem to be a probable reason here.

After a brief time in Steam Beta, a significant update for Starfield in 2024 is now live, and one of the most significant changes coming to the update focuses on improving the lighting for in-game locations.

Spotted by various members on ResetEra and Reddit, Starfield’s Update 1.9.51.0 makes some tweaks to lighting. Specifically, the patch notes mention that Bethesda Game Studios has improved lighting at 73 locations. While it does not go into specifics, Starfield players online have begun posting before and after the update was installed in several locations.

Fulll spoilers for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League to follow!

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is now available for those with Early Access and there is one scene in particular with Batman that is making a lot of fans very upset.

This is your last spoiler warning!

The scene in question takes place after the first two Justice League members are taken down and our favorite band of villains have captured Batman. The Dark Knight, who is being mind controlled by Brainiac, starts attempting to break down each character before Harley steps in and tells him to, “get some new material, jerk off.”

After a back and forth between the two, Batman asks Harley if she is done with her “bad stand up routine.” In response, Harley says that you always “got to end on your best joke” before she shoots Batman in the head. I mean, this game is called Kill the Justice League, right?

Still, it’s a bit of an unceremonious end for the Arkham Batman, especially given that it’s the last one that features the voice of the late Kevin Conroy.

“I won’t share the footage or spoilers or anything, but having seen the final scene of Batman in Suicide Squad, that being the final performance that Kevin Conroy will ever give as Batman just makes me sad. Not angry or outraged or anything. Just sad,” ManyATrueNerd wrote.

“It blows my mind thinking how we could have got a Batman Beyond game for Kevin Conroy’s final performance from Rocksteady instead of Suicide Squad,” @BitCloudGaming wrote. “I’m not gonna jump on here and add to the fire but make no mistake this game is an unsatisfying ending to the iconic Arkham Series.”

It Blows my mind thinking how we could have got a Batman Beyond game for Kevin Conroy’s final performance from Rocksteady instead of Suicide Squad I’m not gonna jump on here and add to the fire but make no mistake this game is an unsatisfying ending to the iconic Arkham Series pic.twitter.com/qtsDRo0U5h

— Bit Cloud Gaming (@BitCloudGaming) January 30, 2024

On the other side, @RGXSuperSonic notes that “Kevin Conroy’s passing was unexpected and happened mid-development” and that “we don’t know what may transpire in post-game content as the story will continue beyond base-game.” So, this very well may not be the end. As we’ve seen many times, an apparent death in comics is hardly the end of a character.

@Sensorite_kin also points out that this is, after all, the Suicide Squad. What did we expect would happen?

“I think ppl need to remember that the suicide squad are villains,” @Sensorite_kin wrote. “‘Batman’s death was mean spirited.’ yeah cuz Harley and deadshot have wanted Batman dead for f***** years. They’re villains. Wtf like come the f*** on.”

@SynthPotato didn’t so much mind that they killed Batman, but more how they did it. Oh, and they claim Gotham Knights did it much better.

“Gotham Knights did Batman’s death a hundred times better than Suicide Squad, Batman is not a character you just have his weakest villain shoot in the face and expect fans to be okay with it,” @SynthPotato wrote. “The issue isn’t ‘It’s called ‘Kill the Justice league’ ofc they kill him!’ It’s how they did it, This is ARKHAM Batman, the fact this random universe Batman that we had never seen before from Gotham Knights got this legendary scene and Arkham Batman didn’t is a travesty, Rocksteady despises their legacy.”

Gotham Knights did Batman’s death a hundred times better than Suicide Squad, Batman is not a character you just have his weakest villain shoot in the face and expect fans to be okay with it.

The issue isn’t “It’s called “Kill the Justice league” ofc they kill him!” It’s how they… pic.twitter.com/HdFigoKTl2

— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) January 30, 2024

While fans may be mad at Batman’s fate, @Romo5K does note that “he was treated with more respect than The Flash. He got pissed on.”

I know Batman fans are mad at how he died in Suicide Squad :KTJL but at he was treated with more respect than The Flash he got pissed on 😭 pic.twitter.com/zoTZBZycLL

— RM (@Romo5k) January 30, 2024

IGN’s Destin Legarie also had thoughts on this choice, and he wonders why we have to kill Batman instead of play as him.

“Why the hell are we killing Batman in all these superhero games?” Legarie wrote. “Like seriously… what the f***? We want to play as Batman. I don’t care if it’s Gotham Knights or Suicide Squad, it’s dumb. Why are there these hero games where we play as the B team and piss on the heroes?”

With all this being said, @VaughnFry has some sage advice for those who can’t handle the death of The Dark Knight.

“It’s simple,” @VaughnFry wrote. “If you don’t play Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Arkham Batman lives.”

It’s simple. If you don’t play Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Arkham Batman lives. pic.twitter.com/kNdcVoAtbj

— Vaughn Fry (@VaughnFry) January 29, 2024

For more, check out where our Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League review is and how the Batman Arkham series sets up this new game.

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

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

Earlier on Tuesday, Bungie announced a collaboration with EA for a Destiny 2 Mass Effect crossover event on February 13. The event will let players “join the crew of the Normandy” and deck out their guardians in Mass Effect armor and in-game items.

“The Normandy Crew Bundle will be available at the Eververse store in-game and will include a Commander Shepard-inspired N7 armor set for Titans, a Garrus-inspired Vakarian set for Hunters, and a Liara-inspired Shadow Broker set for Warlocks,” Bungie wrote in a press release. “In celebration of the partnership, all players will be able to claim the Alliance Requisitions Bundle, including the Enhanced Defense Ghost Shell, Alliance Scout Frigate ship, and Alliance Drop Ship Sparrow, which will be available at no cost. Players can also get the Omni Strike finisher and Flux Dance emote for Silver.”

The official Mass Effect Twitter account responded in kind to today’s gaming collaboration event with a GIF of Commander Shepard doing his terrible-yet-iconic dance.

pic.twitter.com/EYTtLNNDsT

— Mass Effect (@masseffect) January 30, 2024

Mass Effect isn’t the only thing coming to the MMO-inspired sci-fi shooter. New weekly quests called Raven’s Wishes will run from January 30 through March 12. Completing these pursuit quests will reward players with tokens they can use to Wish for Strength, Protection, or Beauty to respectively earn Last Wish raid Deepsight weapons, Exotic gear from the Lightfall year, or Ascendant crafting materials. Players will also have the opportunity to purchase a Moments of Triumph t-shirt from the Bungie Store by completing past raids and dungeons in this year’s Lighfall celebration event which runs from January 30 to June 3.

Thieves who stole 35,000 Pokémon cards from a San Jose collectibles store were caught on camera and mocked by staff as a result.

As reported by ABC7 News, Tofu’s Trading was broken into at 2am on January 24, 2024, by a group who were caught on camera crawling across the floor before taking the cash register and tens of thousands of cards.

While the store staff were obviously upset by the theft, they also looked to find the fun in it by sharing an edited video of the break-in that pokes fun at the culprits. “We do have a sense of humor, so it was really silly to see them crawling,” said stream and operations manager Ann Ma. “We also like to take a bad time and find a little humor in it. There’s not much we can do right now, so there’s no point in moping over it so might as well make people laugh.”

STOLEN POKEMON: A collectable trading card store in San Jose is sharing surveillance video of their break-in from Wednesday. More than 35,000 Pokémon cards were taken. @tofustrading edited the video to take this bad time & find a little humor in it. 1/2@abc7newsbayarea pic.twitter.com/OUZyTFuXXp

— LaurenABC7 (@LaurenABC7) January 26, 2024

Tofu’s Trading staff also found the thieves’ lack of Pokémon card knowledge laughable, resulting in them taking thousands of cards worth next to nothing. Though they did take plenty of cards worth a few hundred dollars each, they also missed out a new set full of expensive pieces releasing just a couple of days later.

“A lot of stuff releasing this week and we thought it was funny, we were like, ‘Oh, these people don’t realise that it releases on Friday, not like on Wednesday at 2 a.m.,’ ” store manager Amy Simpson said. “I don’t think they were in for hobby necessarily because they didn’t know what to take.”

Pokémon cards are as popular as ever, evidenced, among other things, by the number of people trying to steal them.

Tokyo police reported an unprecedented number of trading card thefts in the latter half of 2022, while an independent gaming store in Minnesota reportedly had around $250,000 worth of Pokémon merchandise stolen in February 2022. One month later, again in Tokyo, a man was arrested for allegedly launching a literal heist in order to steal the treasured cards.

Also in March, a Georgia man didn’t steal Pokémon cards directly but instead misused money from the government to buy one, using a COVID-19 relief payment to buy a rare, shiny Charizard.

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

The long-rumored Switch 2, as we’ll call it for now, is widely expected to launch in late 2024 – but Nintendo fans waiting for an upgrade to their existing console may find the Switch 2 something of a poisoned chalice.

On January 26, Bloomberg reported that the Switch 2 would seemingly ship with an 8-inch LCD screen, citing Omdia analyst and small display expert Hiroshi Hayase. That prediction matches up with previous reports, but this is our best sign yet that the Switch successor will indeed ditch the 2021 model’s OLED panel to help bring down production costs.

That 8-inch LCD panel still marks a noticeable size upgrade over previous iterations of the console – the 5.5-inch Switch Lite, the 6.2-inch original Switch, and the 7-inch Switch OLED. It’s also an upgrade over the biggest Switch competitors out there, like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally, which both feature a 7-inch display. And it’s likely the larger screen will host a higher resolution than any Switch consoles to date. 1080p in handheld, here we come!

But the news will no doubt dampen the hopes of gamers who bought the Switch OLED back in 2021, and are now faced with an impossible choice – jump to a new console to play next-gen Nintendo games, or stick with old hardware for the sake of the visuals.

I was thrilled to trade in my original Switch for an OLED upgrade, and could immediately appreciate my favorite games like never before – the heightened contrast, improved brightness, and rich hues made every visual asset truly pop in ways that weren’t possible on the LCD screen version. I was midway through Dead Cells, my top choice of a punishing roguelite at the time, and the difference was very, very noticeable: whether the colorful pulses of attacks and enemies, or minute visual details like falling leaves or cracked brickwork all grabbing my attention in whole new ways. After all that, the idea of going back to LCD tech for my Switch game library is… not particularly tempting.

The Overwhelming Pros of OLED

OLED is an exceptional panel technology, thanks to its self-emissive pixels, which emit their own light instead of having a backlight wash through the pixel layer. These pixels can even be turned off individually, allowing for sharper contrast between light and dark sections of the screen, and only funneling light to the areas, objects or colors that need it.

Blacks on LCD screens can also have a slightly grayer tint, due to the backlight, and the difference is even more noticeable when you’re playing in a dark room – OLED is certainly a better shout if you’re partial to snuggling up in bed with a handheld console (not a euphemism).

Games particularly benefit from OLED displays because they’re a high contrast medium – often using pure blacks in character design or HUD elements; as well as needing colors and objects to pop against the background to help you distinguish between them. It also helps you better appreciate the design and animation work that goes into the game.

The Switch 2 returning to LCD makes business sense, of course – ditching the premium OLED display to reduce costs amid a host of other, next-gen technical improvements. The main complaint against the Switch OLED is that it enhances visual quality without boosting internal performance, and it looks like the Switch 2 will do the reverse.

One caveat is that while the OLED model was 2023’s most popular Nintendo console, at 4.69 million units sold – on top of 9.22 million units sold the year before – that number is still a fraction of the 132 million Switch consoles sold since 2017. Which means almost every Switch gamer out there has the original LCD console, and for them the move to an LCD Switch 2 shouldn’t register as anything but an improvement.

So, what should a discerning Nintendo gamer – the kind who opts for a mid-cycle OLED upgrade – do? A larger screen is nothing to sniff at, of course, and we should be getting improved resolution in handheld mode, alongside other unknown improvements to the console. 4K in docked mode? An AR camera? Some foldable cardboard? You can never tell with Nintendo.

A bigger, higher resolution screen will be tempting, especially with the other hardware improvements that are also likely to come with the Switch 2 – we heard all sorts of things about resolution and processor upgrades before the Switch OLED, and it’s likely that those rumors were just a little early, waiting in Nintendo’s back pocket until a true successor was unveiled.

But one of the most important things to remember with panel technologies is that more pixels aren’t necessarily better. The quality of the pixels matters too. High-resolution screens can look terrible if the display isn’t competent when it comes to contrast and color, and there’s much more to an image than just the pixel count or screen size.

Prepare for the Mid-Cycle Refresh

This won’t be the final Switch, of course. Just like we saw the 2017 Switch joined by the handheld-only Switch Lite and handheld-first Switch OLED, the Switch 2 will see its own iterations. It’s very possible we’ll get an OLED model down the line – one that marries the premium panel technology with the Switch 2’s technical upgrade.

IGN’s own senior features editor Matt Kim took to X to ponder the potential of a dual-console launch, similar to an iPhone launch. One base model with an LCD display, the other with OLED and increased storage for a raised retail price. Given Nintendo’s hardware history, though, the company will likely want to save an OLED model for when Switch 2 sales start to slow. If Nintendo was content to release an ‘upgraded’ Switch four years after its initial launch, with the same internal specs and processor, there’s no reason it would rush into releasing all its Switch 2 goodies in 2024.

I wonder if it might not be worth it to go an iPhone-style route and offer a Switch 2 and Switch 2 Pro at launch, with the latter having an OLED screen and some better storage? https://t.co/XhV9jLwPpL

— Matt Kim (@LawofTD) January 26, 2024

The main issue here is next-gen games. While all signs point to a Switch 2 featuring backwards compatibility that will allow you to port over your existing game library and enjoy them on the new hardware. But a powered-up Switch will also enable new gameplay experiences and new technical standards. And that means there’ll be new Switch games — very likely first-party Switch games in the Mario, Zelda, and Metroid franchises (Metroid Prime 4, anyone?) that can only run on the Switch 2.

Nintendo has good form for cross-generation releases, helping to bridge the game library between consoles. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild co-launched on Wii U while also becoming the definitive Switch game in the console’s first year. So Switch (2017) and Switch OLED owners shouldn’t be left out in the cold right away, at least as far as software goes.

But at some point, whether it’s 2024 or 2025, we’ll start seeing games that only the Switch 2 is powerful enough to run – and I’m already mourning the OLED console I’ll have to trade in to afford it.

Henry St. Leger is a freelance writer for IGN.

2004 was a great year for gaming on the go. The cargo shorts I wore were yet to become the much-maligned fashion no-no that they are today, and the Game Boy Advance SP was small enough to slip into one of my many baggy pants pockets while still leaving plenty of short-legged storage spare to hold my wallet, keys, and chunky flip-phone. As a result a significant amount of my gaming in those days was done on Nintendo handhelds, and one cartridge that traveled with me more than most was Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

Fast forward to 2024 and, while I can’t quite squeeze a Nintendo Switch into one of the front pockets of my pants without walking with a noticeable limp, I can play a modern reimagining of Nintendo’s addictive puzzle-platformer complete with razor-sharp visuals, a bouncy orchestral score, and a number of welcome new quality of life improvements. I’ve only had my hands on the first four worlds of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong remake so far, but it’s already doing a great job of transporting me back to a time when The Da Vinci Code was on top of the best-seller’s list and everyone still spoke using quotes from Napoleon Dynamite.

If you missed it the first time around, the plot of Mario vs. Donkey Kong sees the tie-wearing gorilla bust into Mario’s toy factory, snatch every last Mini-Mario toy off the assembly line, and then ape-escape from under the noses of the factory worker Toads – leaving Mario in hot pursuit. The brand new and beautifully animated cutscenes in this modern Mario vs. Donkey Kong make the mostly static screens from the original seem like storyboard sequences by comparison, and are only a few Seth Rogen chuckles away from seeming like deleted scenes from The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

In order to see the safe return of his stolen moustachioed mini-mes, Mario must complete eight worlds’ worth of puzzle-heavy platforming levels, which has been increased from the six worlds featured in the original. In each level there are coloured switches to control platforms and other mechanisms used to reach a key and transport it to each level’s locked exit. Each world culminates in a special level that has Mario lead his little party of plumbers to safety like a group of lookalike lemmings, before a boss fight with Donkey Kong who seems as jealous of Mario’s toys as the Joker is of Batman.

While there are no Super Stars or Fire Flowers to assist him, Mario is occasionally able to get his hands on the noggin-knocking hammer from the original Donkey Kong arcade game, and he can also pick up and throw wind-up Shy Guys and other enemies at each other like in Super Mario Bros. 2. In addition, he can perform special handstand flips to reach higher platforms, and even walk on his hands in order to use his feet to protect himself from falling projectiles.

The general level layouts in Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s first few worlds seem fairly similar to those of the original, but I appreciate the new bonus levels that can be harvested for extra lives. The simple ‘pick a box’ bonus mini-games of the original are gone. Instead you must now chase a flying key around a special level in each world that puts your platforming prowess to the test in order to snare the elusive key before the time runs out. It’s a lot more fun than simply trying to stop the cycle of a Wheel of Fortune-style arrow.

This modern version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong also features an additional difficulty mode and, while I spent the bulk of my hands-on time on the Classic setting which more or less matches the challenge of the original, I did briefly switch over to the new Casual setting to see how it compares. From what I could tell, this more relaxed mode does away with the level timer so you don’t have the pressure of puzzling against the clock, and it also gives you five invincibility bubbles per life to shield you from enemies and environmental hazards – making it perhaps better suited to younger players who might find the instant deaths of the Classic setting to be a bit unfair.

In either difficulty mode, this remake simplifies the original’s old-fashioned high score system; instead of a points tally you’re awarded a gold star on each level by grabbing the three optional presents and reaching the Mini-Mario capsule before the time runs out. However, there is apparently a new Time Attack mode that can be unlocked, so if you’re a speedrunner or you want to set some best times to challenge your friends with then there could be a substantial amount of extra fun to be found here. There’s also co-op support for two players through the entire campaign, which I’m looking forward to experiencing with whichever one of my kids I can convince to be Toad.

All that said, the brand new Merry Mini-Land, which is the fourth world in this remake, seems substantially more fun than the first three worlds from the original which precede it, packed with clever uses of environment-destroying Bob-ombs, petal-powered fans and portal blocks that presented some stimulating new challenges. It could be purely because those first few worlds feel too familiar to me as a fan of the original, but it does make me wonder if Nintendo would have been better off making a full ground-up sequel rather than this enhanced remake. I’ll know one way or the other when Mario vs. Donkey Kong is released on February 16. I might even slip on a pair of cargo shorts to celebrate.

Tristan Ogilvie is a Senior Video Editor at IGN’s Sydney office. He’s always been more functional than fashionable.

There’s a timelessness to Persona 3 – its story of confronting death with imperfect courage and carrying on in the face of tragedy left an everlasting impact on me when I first played it on PS2, even as RPGs evolved and the Persona series continued to grow. As I’ve gotten older and experienced the very things it’s about, I’ve grown to cherish the earnestness of its message, the way it’s framed, and the characters who embody these struggles even more. That makes it easy for me to get caught up in the hype of Persona 3 Reload, but it also sets the bar as high as Tartarus as this remake tries to recapture the magic of its original versions. But after spending 70 hours playing through it, I can no longer imagine Persona 3 without Reload. It’s a shining example of seemingly small changes adding up to make a significant impact, uplifting its greatest qualities while staying true to the source material. And it more than proves why the darkest and boldest Persona yet deserved this new lease on life.

Although I’d argue there’s a particular vibe and style to PS2-era RPGs that just can’t be replicated, Reload’s visual overhaul is a meaningful way to reframe a world I’ve spent countless hours in, as if this was how I always wanted these places to look. At first it was a bit surreal to see Tatsumi Port Island recreated and these beloved characters remodeled for a new generation – something as simple as giving them sweet jackets, superpowered armbands, and black gloves are neat touches to complement the fancy new combat animations. And yet it’s all so familiar at the same time; the normal attack animations are true to form, the battle portraits are identical, and how your crew blast themselves in the head with an Evoker remains the sickest and best in-lore way to summon a persona. The fresh aesthetics and stylings more akin to Persona 5 also make these characters cooler than I could’ve ever imagined them to be.

This was the first entry in the Persona series to use the school calendar system and social sim elements as a foundation to move through its story, planning activities during the day and going dungeon crawling at night. Persona 3 Reload shows there’s still a novelty to balancing normal life and relationships with the duties of defeating shadows in the Dark Hour – a mysterious 25th hour where time stops as monstrous forces come out, humans turn into coffins, and your school transforms into a deranged 250-floor tower.

This is a structure I still enjoy, even if it falls into a predictable routine of visiting specific spots to upgrade my social stats or finding the next character to hang out with to rank up their Social Link. You can tell that this was the formula’s first iteration at times, especially when Social Link character arcs remain largely the same as they were in the original, a few of which are quite primitive or crude. But as shallow or awkward as some of them may be, there are valuable little stories to be found in Social Links that either feed into the broader message about finding purpose or are just entertaining enough to see to their conclusion.

Reload also includes fully voiced Social Link scenes for the first time, and that works wonders in terms of giving them more weight and value. All romances are optional as well, which wasn’t the case in previous versions of Persona 3 (except when playing as the Persona 3 Portable-exclusive female protagonist), and it’s pretty wild to think back and realize you used to be forced to have a relationship with every female classmate you got to max rank. Quality of life improvements like text messages help keep track of what’s available daily during the day and night, and the online activity tracker gives you an idea of what other players have prioritized. Both are clutch for quickly deducing what’s important and discovering much of the new content that bolsters Persona 3’s existing world.

Above all, Persona 3 Reload has new social events and activities that truly elevate its central characters. These create a stronger sense of togetherness within the party, showing them really forming natural bonds with each other and having lives outside the confines of their duties with SEES (the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, which is an afterschool club for persona users, mind you). Something as simple as study sessions at the dorm help you upgrade your academic stat quickly, but more importantly, come with endearing scenes of the crew interacting with each other in believable ways, helping out with math formulas or just venting about the mundane.

You can take your party members on individual activities, too, like gardening or cooking together to get new health items, which also lets them open up to you in ways they hadn’t before. Watching a scary movie with my cheerful bestie Yukari or reviewing boxing matches with my gym bro Akihiko don’t just offer social stat points, they give a bit of insight into their personalities. Reading books with Mitsuru, Aigis, or Fuuka also serves to reward you with both stats and charming little interactions, and even the precious dog Koromaru gets his own adorable side-arc to round him out as a more complete character.

Reload even makes a concerted effort to address the fact that none of the male party members previously had Social Link routes. While they’re not traditionally structured, distinct opportunities to spend time with them now pop up throughout the story and eventually lead to revelatory moments for those characters. Since these are freshly written for Reload, there’s a noticeable contrast in quality compared to the original social sim conversations, making me wish the old dialogue had been punched up to match the heights of these new interactions. They are well-written and honestly touching at times, finally allowing your bros to be fully realized characters. And some scenes get other party members involved to showcase a better group dynamic that feels like a natural extension of Persona 3’s ethos.

All those additions become part of the daily routine and add a genuine texture to characters I thought I knew so well already. But the tangible reward comes in the form of combat perks like permanent stat buffs and status effects, and more substantially, extra Theurgy attacks – basically new Limit Break-style moves that each party member can unleash. It’s one convincing way for the power of friendship to be made manifest.

As is tradition for Shin Megami Tensei games, the turn-based RPG combat revolves around accounting for elemental affinities, knocking down enemies to earn extra turns, and setting up those iconic All-Out Attacks. Persona 3 Reload uses the same foundation as the original but builds upon it in ways that mitigate the monotony of churning through battle after battle. The aforementioned Theurgy attacks are relegated to a meter that fills during fights, each serving a strategic purpose given their limited use and character-specific effects, be that massive damage or major stat buffs – and they all come with some fantastic animations, too. Through the fusion system, which allows your main character to wield different personas Pokemon style, you can unlock a bunch of unique Theurgy attacks, and some of them are as destructive as they are hilarious. Those who’ve played Persona 5 will recognize the Shift mechanic, too, which works just like the Baton Pass; when you hit an enemy weakness, you can pass the extra turn to a different party member who can keep the pain train rolling or hit remaining foes even harder.

Fights come with a swift momentum that’s effortlessly stylized to match the kinetic look and pace of combat. And that’s key for a turn-based RPG, keeping things moving and never letting you get bogged down as you go through the motions of what could otherwise feel like pretty similar battles. And just like watching each of them take an Evoker shot straight to the dome to cast spells, I never got tired of seeing my party’s personas shatter their portrait cutouts when hitting a weakness.

Familiar RPG mechanics are made all the more enjoyable by some challenging new enemies that test your mastery and ask you to engage with Reloads combat systems creatively. As you ascend the randomly generated floors of Tartarus, where all of Persona 3’s dungeon crawling takes place, minibosses will meet you at a steady pace. Sometimes these foes don’t even have weaknesses, so you need to create your own openings with buffs, debuffs, and status effects that can turn the tide in your favor. That often has to be balanced with managing a slew of devastating status ailments and hard-hitting attacks, so things can spiral out of control if you don’t play it smart. The best examples of this come from Monad doors, which are all-new rooms within the Tartarus floors – specifically, the boss gauntlets found at progress checkpoints. These fights throw somewhat unconventional combat scenarios at you that bring out the best of these satisfying turn-based battles whether you line up a sequence of attacks perfectly or barely make it by the skin of your teeth.

Tartarus itself has been revamped to give it a sinister new vibe and a more distinct look for each block of floors. From Giger-like biomechanical labyrinths to shapeshifting industrial halls, Tartarus is at least more visually interesting than before, and the floors themselves are generally laid out less like tedious, sprawling mazes. It’s not a drastic overhaul that will completely stave off the repetitive nature of ascending Tartarus, but it’s just enough to prevent it from feeling like the weak link it could have been. Beyond Tartarus, bespoke story-centric boss fights await you on each full moon throughout the story. Although they’re relatively quick in how they unfold, all the new mechanics and visual flourishes of Reload give these battles a bit more gravity and spectacle, especially as you inch closer to Persona 3’s bold, daring, and moving conclusion.

All these exciting combat encounters, Tartarus floors to blitz through, and heartfelt moments tucked away in the social aspects of Persona 3 Reload provide a rich context for what this game is really about: finding purpose. For as goofy and irreverent as Persona 3 may be, its greatest strength is its emotional sincerity. Its storytelling largely manages to avoid tired tropes and lets its characters be real people who endure tragedy and contemplate the emptiness they feel in the loss of loved ones. But they find their own way to come to terms with that loss and let it be their strength as they fight to the end, even when the temptation of nihilism stares back at them.

Revisiting this story in 2024 through the lens of Persona 3 Reload put a lot of things into perspective. In too brief a period of time, I experienced what it’s like to lose the people you hold dearest and see those loved ones pass with dreams unfulfilled. I’ve also faced my own mortality with health conditions brought on by simply drawing the short straw when I was born. Persona 3 has taken on an entirely new meaning for me, even as the story remains the same. When I see these characters express their pain after loss, I don’t necessarily feel an intense sadness, but rather a certain empathy and understanding I just didn’t have before. When they question their purpose in life and search for meaning in the face of impending doom, I’m no longer shocked, but instead confident they can work through it and make the most of the hand they’re dealt.

Chasing the truth behind the Dark Hour, the existence of personas, and the rising cases of Apathy Syndrome that’s overtaken the world like a widespread pandemic creates an unmistakable existential dread that lingers over this world. And the original story stands the test of time because of how sharp it was in bringing those darker themes together. Several characters examine their will to live when there’s so much suffering to endure, but Persona 3 fires back with fulfilling, bittersweet answers that it doesn’t always have to outright say.

All that time you spend with these characters in Reload, learning about them and going through a typical day together, shows the value of a normal life. But they weren’t brought together by choice; at critical moments in the story, their complicated histories create a believable tension that boils over, sometimes harboring resentment for each other and doubting their trust. Weathering those storms together builds a realistic dynamic that evolves beyond simply tolerating one another. They are the epitome of this classic viral tweet – Persona 3 is Trauma Bonding: The Video Game.

One of the biggest reasons why everything comes together so powerfully in Reload, specifically, is the way the new voice cast brings its characters to life. I cannot overstate how the fantastic voice performances perfectly capture the original spirit of each party member, then elevate them to become even better versions of themselves. It’s impressive considering how distinct each voice was to begin with, but right from the jump, I knew this cast had nailed each role. Big heartfelt scenes, intense battle cries, and moments of levity have a newfound enthusiasm while sounding so familiar, as if these were their voices all along. I’d crack a smile at all their little quips and feel my stomach knot when they pour their hearts out. Although the main story hasn’t really changed, the portrayal of characters I’ve known for so long gave me a new love and appreciation for my favorite Persona crew.

And, of course, the glue that binds any Persona game together is its music. At this point, it feels routine to sing the praises of an Atlus soundtrack, but Persona 3 Reload is a case worth examining because of its fusion of the new and old, and the storytelling embedded in the songs themselves. In the mid 2000s, it stood out for having a wild mix of funky J-pop and the nu metal rap rock trend that was prevelant in the years leading up to its release. Yet that’s what has made it stand the test of time; there’s just nothing like it and the more time has gone on, the more it has been ingrained in Persona 3’s identity. Returning tracks have been rearranged with new singer Azumi Takahashi and I’ve grown to love her renditions. At the same time, there’s something comforting in hearing the deep vocals and distinct flow of rapper Lotus Juice again. For Reload, the brand-new songs not only fit wonderfully alongside the originals, they’ve quickly become some of the series’ best tunes, which I don’t say lightly given its track record.

The new, upbeat battle theme “It’s Going Down” you hear when surprise attacking enemies during exploration complements the soulful classic “Mass Destruction” nicely, and I didn’t mind failing to jump the enemy so I could sing along with an enthusiastic “Ooooh yeah! Dada-dada, dada-dada!” the same as I did years ago. However, it’s the beautifully chill night time theme “Color Your Night” that sets the mood with familiar instrumentation and lyrics that wistfully reflect on the events of Persona 3 – I can guarantee it’ll become a fan favorite. But the one song that brings it all together is the banger of an opener “Full Moon, Full Life,” which uses clever melodic and lyrical callbacks to Persona 3’s musical history while representing the message of its story to a tee. So even if the more granular details of Persona 3’s story start to fade, these songs can evoke the memory of an unforgettable journey.

Dragon Quest Builders is finally coming to PC via Steam, seven years after it launched on PlayStation and Xbox.

A Steam page for the long thought forgotten game appeared alongside an imminent release date of February 13, 2024, meaning PC players can explore its Minecraft meets Dragon Quest style role playing game mechanics very soon.

“The beloved block-building RPG, Dragon Quest Builders, is bringing its handy crafting features to Steam,” its description reads. “Weave your own tale as you build your own unique buildings and towns to restore Alefgard to it’s former glory.”

Developer Square Enix neglected to release a PC version of the game when it launched on January 28, 2016, but did release its sequel, the aptly titled Dragon Quest Builders 2 on the platform.

The franchise therefore hasn’t passed over PC completely, but the addition of the original game to Steam will satisfy players eager to see where it all began.

“Dragon Quest Builders is totally, thoroughly engaging,” IGN said in our 8/10 review. “Its gameplay is accessible to kids while its dialogue offers enough sly references to keep Dad or Mom amused. Collecting, crafting, and building all sounds familiar, but this package encapsulates so much of the best parts of this creative process and wraps it in light roleplaying progression and storytelling.”

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