Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass March 2025 wave two lineup, confirming the titles subscribers can expect for the rest of the month.
Out today, March 18, as a day one title is 33 Immortals (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) on Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass. Here’s the official blurb, courtesy of Xbox Wire:
33 Immortals is a co-op action-roguelike for 33 players. Play as a damned soul, and rebel against God’s final judgment. Dive straight into epic, 33-player co-op battles with instant “pick-up and raid” matchmaking. Cooperate with your allies to survive against hordes of monsters and massive, challenging bosses. Expand your arsenal and equip powerful new relics to permanently upgrade your soul.
On March 19, Square Enix’s role-playing game Octopath Traveler II (Series X|S) hits Game Pass Standard.
In this critically acclaimed second title in the Octopath Traveler series, eight new travelers venture forth into an exciting new era in the land of Solistia. Step into their shoes and explore the land as you see fit, using their unique talents to aid you along your journey in this role-playing adventure.
Also on March 19, Train Sim World 5 (Console) pulls in at Game Pass Standard.
The rails are yours in Train Sim World 5! Take on new challenges and new roles as you master the tracks and trains of iconic cities across 3 new routes. Immerse yourself in the ultimate rail hobby and embark on your next journey.
A day later, on March 20, Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island (Cloud, Console, and PC) docks at Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard.
You’re shipwrecked on a lost mythical island. As backpacker Alex, you must befriend the forgotten gods of Greek mythology and restore their memories. Explore the dynamic island and its story sandbox to build new friendships, solve the mystery and save the gods.
Moving on to March 25, Blizzard Arcade Collection (Console and PC) hits Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard.
Experience a blast from Blizzard’s past! The Blizzard Arcade Collection brings five classic console games to modern platforms and new audiences, including Blackthorne, The Lost Vikings, The Lost Vikings 2, Rock N Roll Racing, and RPM Racing. Plus, visit the Blizzard Arcade Collection Museum to explore a trove of treasures from each game’s past, including concept art, music, behind-the-scenes interviews, and more.
Here’s a big one: Rebellion’s Atomfall (Cloud, Console, and PC) is a day-one Game Pass launch on March 27 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass. It’s well worth checking out IGN’s recent Atomfall hands-on preview to find out more about the game.
Available on day one! A survival-action game inspired by real-life events, Atomfall is set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster in Northern England. Explore the fictional quarantine zone, scavenge, craft, barter, fight and talk your way through a British countryside setting filled with bizarre characters, mysticism, cults, and rogue government agencies.
Xbox Game Pass March 2025 Wave 2 lineup:
33 Immortals (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – March 18 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
As usual, a number of games leave Game Pass this month. Game Pass members can also save up to 20% on their purchase to keep these games in their library.
Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on March 31:
MLB The Show 24 (Cloud and Console)
Lil Gator Game (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Open Roads (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza 0 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza Kiwami (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza Like a Dragon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Lamplighter’s League (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Monster Hunter Rise (Cloud, Console, and PC)
And finally, Microsoft is adding more games over time to the ‘Stream your own game’ collection for Game Pass Ultimate members.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
In an era where open-world games are a dime a dozen, Xenoblade Chronicles X soars above the pack. There’s an unparalleled feeling of freedom and exploration as you fly your mech suit across the massive planet of Mira, the size of which dwarfs other RPGs like it. While its story about humanity finding another home can be forgettable at times, an already engaging battle system is bolstered by the dramatic quality-of-life improvements this Definitive Edition makes, resulting in an RPG unlike any other.
Xenoblade Chronicles X starts off with the human race boarding spaceships in an attempt to escape Earth after it gets caught in the crossfire of an alien war. Your ship, the White Whale, eventually crash-lands on Mira, and it falls on you to find its scattered remnants from the freshly settled city of New Los Angeles. It’s a passable story in a vacuum, but it’s also the weakest of the Xenoblade games overall. That’s partially due to its customizable silent protagonist, who is completely devoid of any personality. That blank slate means the story lacks the same emotional impact as the other games in the series.
Thankfully, the side quests really help pick up the slack, with fascinating worldbuilding and compelling character development for the rest of your party and even many NPCs. For example, as all of humanity was forced to band together in order to survive, one basic quest explores the topic of discrimination against other alien races – it offers important insight into how humans interact with those races on Mira and how friendships can be forged across racial boundaries outside of Earth.
Completing any mission increases the Affinity levels of whoever is in your party at the time, which can then unlock Heart-to-Heart events for them. These are special scenes that provide essential bits of extra backstory, similar to how Persona and The Legend of Heroes handle their bonding events. For instance, Colonel Elma’s cold personality starts to melt away as you learn more about her interest in cars and pizza, fleshing out her character and showing us a different side that the main story doesn’t.
Once a character has a high enough Affinity level, you’ll also unlock their personalized Affinity Missions, and the rewards for completing these are some of the most substantial available. The main draw is that your protagonist will learn exclusive combat skills, called Arts, that otherwise can’t be obtained by leveling up. It’s an excellent incentive to learn more about the supporting cast while also getting stronger.
Your main character may be bland, but the world is certainly not.
One standout is the engineer, Lin. Her Affinity Mission details how integral her engineering skills and passion were to the White Whale. While she would much rather sit on the sidelines, she understands that she must also fight when needed, which is why she wields a giant shield and gatling gun in battle. Personal moments with your crew like this really help balance out the fact that your bland silent hero doesn’t have any of their own.
The Definitive Edition even includes brand new recruitable characters, as well as new story content that is well worth seeing. Without going into spoilers, this content is dolled out at an even pace throughout the 50-60 hour campaign, making its inclusion feel natural while adding even more longevity to an already massive game.
While your main character may be bland, one thing that’s certainly not is the open world of Xenoblade Chronicles X. It’s divided into five regions, each with its own type of terrain. For example, the beginning area of Primordia is a lush grassland, while a later area called Cauldros feels overpowering with its lava fields. There are so many gorgeous landmarks scattered throughout Mira that keep exploration exciting, from the giant natural overpass called Arendt Bridge in Primordia to the mysterious and mechanical Leaning Ring sticking halfway out of the sand in the desert region of Oblivia.
While the only hub area for human activity is New LA, everywhere else is still absolutely filled to the brim with life. Both small and giant monsters are crawling in every direction, but what makes them stand out is that some are docile while others are hostile. The low level bee monster might attack you on sight, but that level 40 gigantic dinosaur-like creature could just walk right past you, minding its own business. Each species has its own habits and behaviors, which means you have to stay alert as you explore instead of just mindlessly meandering around like in many other open-world games. Some monsters will only show up at certain times of day, too, which you can now conveniently adjust from the menu rather than having to find and use special pods scattered throughout Mira.
What also helps is the speed at which you run. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth may be great overall, but I was constantly frustrated by how slow Cloud ran, realistic or not. In Xenoblade Chronicles X, your character runs incredibly fast in contrast. Mira’s gravity also feels like the moon’s, letting you cover long distances and even reach higher elevations with a single jump. Decisions like these make exploring Mira much smoother and less intimidating.
It’s impressive how well the world scales up with its mechs.
It’s also impressive how well the world scales up with its mechs, called Skells, which unlock once you get far enough into the story. When in your Skell, you can move even faster than running on foot, but those giant monsters that were peaceful before may now be hostile to you. That means sometimes it’s better to run to a destination instead of driving your Skell there depending on what is standing in your path. This constantly changes the dynamic between you and Mira’s environment, keeping exploration fresh.
Towards the end of the story, your Skell even gets the ability to fly, letting you reach higher altitudes and providing access to mountains you couldn’t explore at the beginning. This brings exploration to new heights, making Mira really feel like humanity’s new home as you gain the ability to go pretty much anywhere unrestricted.
Everybody was MMO fighting
Combat in the Xenoblade Chronicles series is in real-time, but it is distinct from other battle systems as it feels much more like an MMO. Both enemies and allies fight with basic auto-attacks, and you have a row of more powerful Arts to choose from at the bottom of the screen. The order you use them in is similarly important – for example, some offensive Arts can inflict Topple onto enemies, which is a status condition that causes them to fall to the ground temporarily, while others then do more damage to Toppled enemies. There’s a lot of synergy to play around with that adds quite a bit of strategy to the action.
Another unique feature is the Soul Voice. RPG characters love to call out the names of their attacks and spout quippy one-liners as they fight, and Xenoblade Chronicles actually turns that trope into a game mechanic! You and your allies will occasionally shout out specific phrases that suggest certain actions, like using an Art that inflicts a status effect (which is color coded purple) – following that suggestion will then activate a purple Soul Voice, giving you extra bonuses like making the enemy more susceptible to status effects. It’s immersive while simultaneously leaning into the genre’s more absurd elements.
While that’s all just as fun as it was in the 2015 original on Wii U, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition also adds a bevy of quality-of-life improvements. One substantial addition is the Quick Cooldown bar, which fills up over the course of battle as you use auto-attacks. By spending a portion of the bar, you can completely bypass the cooldown period of any Art and use it right away. Need extra healing and can’t wait? Use your healing Art then Quick Cooldown to save your allies from getting knocked out. The Quick Cooldown bar builds fairly slowly, so it’s important to pick the right time to use it, but it can instantly turn the tide of battle when you do.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment is that you can now conveniently change out your party members at any time, anywhere, from a separate menu. While this is a basic feature of many RPGs, the original version instead asked you to memorize where every single character was within New LA and go talk to them in order to swap them in. Sure, maybe that process was more tied to the world around you, but it was also painstaking and incredibly annoying – especially if you were out exploring, since you’d have to return to New LA to change your lineup. This single change is monumental, and quite frankly, is enough to make the Wii U version feel completely obsolete on its own.
The Definitive Edition cuts down on unnecessary grinding.
On top of that, characters not in your active party will still gain EXP now, reducing the tedium of swapping people around even further. In the Wii U version, benched members had to be brought in and leveled separately, making for some very uneven party compositions. The Definitive Edition enormously cuts down on unnecessary grinding, which is certainly appreciated.
As for customization, each party member has a specific class that can’t be changed, like Lin as a Shield Trooper, but your custom character can switch their class at will. By going down different class trees, you can level up their ranks to learn new Arts and passive abilities. That makes the protagonist feel like they belong in Fire Emblem, where characters can mix and match different skills, and it’s fun to play around and find the perfect setup that fits your playstyle.
You can also fight in your Skell, and Xenoblade Chronicles X scales its battles to them just as well as its exploration. Their overinflated stats and power make mincemeat out of smaller enemies, but they are perfect for facing off against Mira’s giants and other bosses that would otherwise crush you. Battles in your Skell play out similarly to ones on foot, except the Skell weapons you equip determine what kind of Arts you have. It’s another added layer of depth and tinkering that pleased the min-maxing part of my brain.
Aside from the quality-of-life changes listed above, the Definitive Edition boasts some nice visual improvements, too. The UI is much cleaner and the character models are sharper (as you’d hope they would be a decade later), which makes for a smoother look finally worthy of one of the best sci-fi gaming series around. With the Wii U gamepad gone, fast travel and map info have also been smartly reworked into a separate menu on a single screen, transitioning that information perfectly over to Switch. Now I no longer have to experience the neck pain issues caused by having to constantly switch between looking down at my gamepad and back up at the TV screen.
There’s also some returning multiplayer functionality in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, though I wasn’t able to test these features as the servers were not on during this review period. In the Wii U version, you could recruit the avatars of other players to tackle Squad Missions such as defeating a specific group of enemies, and online Nemesis Missions offered a satisfying way to test your endgame skills. While minor parts of an otherwise single-player heavy game, these multiplayer elements contributed to the more MMO-centric identity that makes Xenoblade Chronicles X unique, so here’s hoping they’ll have been done justice in the final version of the Definitive Edition.
Amazon US: Pokémon TCG: Paradox Rift (Iron Valiant)
Paradox Rift has been a bit of a rollercoaster for players and collectors. It doesn’t have the usual Pikachu/Charizard hype machine, but what it does have are some of the most meta-relevant cards in recent sets and artwork that absolutely slaps. The pull rates? Not great. The chase cards? Expensive. The FOMO when Roaring Moon ex keeps dodging your packs? Very real.
Amazon US: Pokémon TCG: Paradox Rift (Roaring Moon)
The Iron Valiant ETB comes with a full-art Iron Bundle promo and futuristic-themed sleeves, because nothing says “Pokémon” like a robot Delibird. If you’re a fan of the sci-fi aesthetic, this box is a great pickup. Just don’t expect Iron Bundle to replace anything in your deck unless you enjoy disappointment.
Amazon UK: Pokémon TCG: Paradox Rift (Iron Valiant)
Roaring Moon ETB is the headliner here. You get a Scream Tail promo, Roaring Moon-themed sleeves, and the best shot at pulling a Roaring Moon ex, assuming the universe doesn’t hate you. The Roaring Moon ETB has been the hardest to find at retail price, which is why I’m hyped to find this ETB in stock. If you want it, grab it before the resellers do.
Amazon UK: Pokémon TCG: Paradox Rift (Roaring Moon)
Roaring Moon ex (Special Illustration Rare) is the card of the set, currently sitting at around $60 on the resale market. It’s one of the strongest attackers in the game right now, and the artwork is top-tier. If you pull this, congratulations!
Groudon (Illustration Rare) is another savage looking card, hovering around $100. This is one of those cards that just looks valuable. The lava and ominous sky everything a Groudon fan could ask for.
Iron Valiant ex (Special Illustration Rare) is one of the more expensive Future Pokémon cards, going for $35. The neon, synthwave-style artwork is so cool, and its ability makes it a powerhouse in competitive play.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
Helldivers 2 has a new patch that makes key balance changes and bug fixes to Sony’s third-person co-op shooter.
Patch 01.002.200 tweaks the balance on a number of weapons and stratagems. Developer Arrowhead also increased the number of AI calculations the game can perform, which primarily impacts scenarios with a high number of spawned enemies, improving their response times in those situations. However, this comes with a slight trade-off in game performance, Arrowhead said.
And here’s a useful improvement: the stratagem loadout menu has undergone an updated categorization of the different stratagem groupings.
Meanwhile, publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment announced Helldivers 2’s next Warbond, called Borderline Justice. The theme this time is ‘space cowboy,’ and in keeping with that theme there are new weapons including the R-6 Deadeye lever-action hunting rifle, the LAS-58 Talon “revolver” secondary, and the TED-63 Dynamite.
The GS-17 Frontier Marshal is a medium Helldiver set in keeping with the space cowboy theme, as is the GS-66 Lawmaker heavy armor, complete with cowboy holster and bandolier. The Gunslinger armor passive gives your secondary increased reload speed, increased draw/holster speed, and reduced recoil. The warbond launches March 20.
Helldivers 2’s ongoing Galactic War is currently focusing on the Illuminate alien faction, which is slowly pushing a black hole towards Super Earth. Where this is going is anyone’s guess, but speculation points to potentially taking the fight to the Illuminate’s home world, or maybe finally fighting back on Super Earth itself.
Helldivers 2 update 01.002.200 patch notes:
Balancing
Primary weapons SMG-32 Reprimand
Spread decreased from 50 to 40
SG-8S Slugger
Spread decreased from 20 to 6
Damage increased from 250 to 280
AR-23C Liberator Concussive
Fire rate increased from 320 to 400
R-63 Diligence
Magazine capacity increased from 20 to 25
MP-98 Knight
Damage increased from 65 to 70
STA-11 SMG
Damage increased from 65 to 70
SMG-37 Defender
Damage increased from 75 to 80
SMG-72 Pummeler
Damage increased from 65 to 70
Now requires less shots to apply stun on applicable targets, stun value increased from 1.0 to 1.25 per bullet
AR-23 Liberator
Damage increased from 70 to 80
STA-52 Assault Rifle
Damage increased from 70 to 80
BR-14 Adjudicator
Damage increased from 90 to 95
AR-61 Tenderizer
Damage increased from 95 to 105
R-36 Eruptor
Projectile armor penetration increased from Medium (3) to Heavy (4)
Projectile lifetime increased from 0.7 to 1 sec
StratagemsEagle 110MM Rocket Pods
Uses increased from 2 to 3
EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit
Uses increased from 2 to 3
EXO-49 Emancipator Exosuit
Uses increased from 2 to 3
TX-41 Sterilizer
Ergonomics increased from 5 to 20
M-105 Stalwart
Damage increased from 70 to 80
MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun
Improved armor penetration across a wider range of angles before transitioning to glancing shots
Enemies:
A recent software autopsy has revealed an update to the Automatons’ situational awareness protocol. They are now less distracted by each other, increasing their reaction speed in large groups.
We’ve increased the number of AI calculations the game can perform. This primarily impacts scenarios with a high number of spawned enemies, improving their response times in those situations. However, this comes with a slight trade-off in game performance.
According to recent intel, the enemies of Freedom are attempting to counter the Helldivers’ anti-air capabilities. Newly-produced Automaton dropships show clear signs of hull reinforcement, allowing the main body to absorb significantly more damage.
Illuminate Warp Ships have been observed deploying their shields mid-flight.
Automaton Dropships: Main body health increased from 2500 to 3500
Illuminate Dropships: Utilizes the same shield as the ones that have landed
Barrager Tank Turret
Resolved an issue introduced recently where the armor value was incorrectly set to 0. Now has the correct armor value of 5
Additionally, the turret now features weak spots at the front and back, each with 750 HP and an armor value of 3
Gameplay
Settings:
Added new separate settings for inverting the gyro input instead of using the Invert Look settings
The Stratagem loadout menu has undergone an updated categorization of the different stratagem groupings
Fixes
Resolved Top Priority issues:
Fixed an issue with the extraction beacon sometimes being unreachable when landing on top of enemies
General optimization improvements in the colonies environments
Crash Fixes, Hangs and Soft-locks:
Fixed a crash when playing against Terminids in poor network scenarios
Fixed a rare crash that happened during game shut down on PC
Fixed a crash that could occur when there was a high amount of particles on the screen at once
Fixed an issue where players could be blocked from completing objectives requiring called-down equipment due to the required stratagem being unavailable
Weapons and Stratagems
Fixed the G-123 Thermite Grenade sometimes not arming
Fixed a rare crash when using the LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle
Fixed a bug where switching weapons while reloading the CB-9 Exploding Crossbow would sometimes discard an entire magazine without actually reloading
Social & Multiplayer Fixes
Fixed an issue causing players in low-activity regions to see fewer lobbies on the planet hologram than expected
Fixed an issue in low-activity regions where lobbies were not seeing players join as frequently or quickly as before
Fixed an issue on low-activity planets where Quickplay would always join your friends game, even if they were not playing on the same difficulty
Fixed a disconnection issue that could happen when playing Gloom missions with poor connection to the host
Fixed some interactions not working properly after canceling the Raise Weapon emote
Fixed an issue where adding, removing, blocking, or unblocking friends caused player cards in the friend list to display with white text and missing information until you close and open the panel again
Fixed an issue that made it impossible to mute or kick players who were in the loadout when joining a squad
Fixed an issue that caused some new Steam players’ latest profile names to not display correctly in-game
Miscellaneous Fixes
Fixed some memory leaks to improve performance
Fixed old text chat messages from re-appearing
Fixed an issue with the Democracy Space Station progress bars being unintentionally curved in appearance
Fixed a bug that prevented progression through the menus when the initial language selection was set to English (US)
Fixed the raise weapon emote to properly fire projectiles in the direction of the weapon
Fixed Helldivers sliding around on the ground after exiting the ragdoll state (despite it being the year of the snake and despite us trying to fix this previously)
Known Issues
Top Priority:
Black box mission terminal may be unusable if it spawns clipped into the ground
Stratagem balls bounce unpredictably off cliffs and some spots
Balancing and functionality adjustments for DSS
Pathfinding issues in Evacuate Colonists Illuminate missions
Dolby Atmos does not work on PS5
Medium Priority:
Players can get stuck on Pelican-1’s ramp during extraction
Currently equipped capes don’t display properly and show a blank grey cape in Armory tab
Players who use the “This is Democracy” emote on their ship might unintentionally send their fellow Helldivers on unauthorized unscheduled spacewalks
AX/TX-13 “Guard Dog” Dog Breath does not show when it is out of ammo
Higher zoom functions do not zoom the camera in through the scope on the LAS-5 Scythe
Weapons with a Charge-up mechanic can exhibit unintended behavior when firing faster than the RPM (Rounds Per Minute) limit
Dinosaur survival game Ark 2, which some had suspected might have run into trouble or even been abandoned, is back on after developer Studio Wildcard revealed a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that leads into the sequel.
Ark: Lost Colony is the first original expansion pack for Ark 1 remake Ark: Survival Ascended, and its reveal trailer, below, was produced by anime studio Mappa (Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man) and stars voiceover by the Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series.
Studio Wildcard said the expansion will feature numerous cinema-grade anime story sequences created by Mappa. Here’s the official blurb:
In this new frozen world, players follow in the footsteps of legendary Ark survivor Mei Yin, on a soul-searching quest deep into the chilling heart of darkness to find answers to long-buried secrets of Ark’s past.
Ark: Lost Colony will present survivors with thrilling new challenges as they become the hunted in a vast occupied city, and gain access to powerful new kinds of character abilities, unique gear, building systems, and phenomenally exotic tames.
Will Survivors be able to face down the demons lurking in Arat Prime, and connect Ark’s past and future?
In its note to press, Studio Wildcard said Ark: Lost Colony “directly connects” the storylines of Ark’s Extinction and Genesis expansions and leads into the events of Ark 2.
Ark 2 is the Unreal Engine 5-powered sequel to the hugely successful Ark Survival Evolved. It was first announced with a surprise Vin Diesel cameo at The Game Awards 2020, at the time with a 2022 release date, but it was later delayed into 2023. Then, earlier in 2023, Ark 2 was delayed again, this time to late 2024 as an Xbox Series X and S console exclusive, day-one on Game Pass, and on PC via Steam and Windows.
As recently as December 2023, Studio Wildcard was still insisting Ark 2 was on track for a late 2024 release window. Obviously that didn’t happen, sparking concern from fans. So this announcement, coming three months into 2025, will help reassure fans that Ark 2 is still in the works, although Studio Wildcard failed to provide an updated release window.
We do have firmer details for Ark: Lost Colony, however. Pre-orders kick off in June 2025, and all purchases immediately unlock exclusive Ark: Lost Colony preview gameplay content. A full release is set for November 2025, with Ark: Lost Colony priced at $29.99 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
It’s beginning to feel like the late ’90s all over again, what with how Mortal Kombat is all the rage. 2024 saw the release of Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry in the uber-popular fighting game series. And now MK is returning to the big screen, as Warner Bros. gears up for the release of Mortal Kombat 2, a sequel to 2021’s surprisingly solid reboot.
In light of all these big developments in the MK world, we thought now would be the perfect time to look back at the franchise’s long, colorful and occasionally baffling history in film and TV. Check out our slideshow below or scroll down for a closer look at all the Mortal Kombat adaptations and how closely (or not) they followed the source material.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
The original Mortal Kombat movie is widely regarded as one of the best video game adaptations to date. Which, granted, is a very dubious honor. Even so, the movie still stands as a solid example of how to bring the series to life in live-action. It presents a reasonably faithful retelling of the original game’s extremely barebones storyline, while drawing in elements of Mortal Kombat II and some of the backstory from the tie-in comics. Like many adaptations, it positions Liu Kang (Robin Chou) as the central hero destined to defeat the soul-stealing Shang Tsung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa). For purists, the movie’s biggest sin is simply that it doesn’t replicate the violence of the games, opting instead for a more pedestrian PG-13 approach.
What the movie does capture, however, is that essential undercurrent of camp and zaniness that goes hand-in-hand with the gratuitous violence. Mortal Kombat the movie definitely isn’t guilty of taking itself too seriously. It’s also the movie that introduced the world to The Immortals’ “Techno Syndrome,” the most iconic video game music this side of the Super Mario Bros. theme.
Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins (1995)
There’s some pretty stiff competition when it comes to deciding the worst Mortal Kombat adaptation ever made, but this direct-to-video release may just take the top honor. Released ahead of the live-action film and ostensibly a prequel to said film, The Journey Begins sets about fleshing out the origin stories of various MK icons. But the connective tissue is dubious at best. And as dated as the CGI in the live-action movie may be, it’s state-of-the-art compared to the archaic, sub-Playstation quality 3D fight scenes in The Journey Begins. Hardcore fans may want to watch this one out of sheer, morbid curiosity (especially since it’s included as a bonus feature on the Mortal Kombat Blu-ray), but don’t expect it to actually enhance your enjoyment of the games or the movies.
Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1996)
The ’80s and ’90s TV landscape was littered with attempts to translate adults-only pop culture properties into kid-friendly cartoons. Case in point – RoboCop: The Animated Series, Rambo: The Force of Freedom and Toxic Crusaders. We honestly have to respect Kenner’s moxie for deciding to cut out the middleman and directly market Terminator 2 and Aliens toys to kids without even waiting for cartoons.
With Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, USA Network threw its razor-edged hat into the ring. This short-lived series aired on the network’s Action Extreme Team block in 1996. Somewhat bafflingly, it attempts to serve as a continuation of both the 1995 movie and the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 video game, though the all-ages approach basically renders that moot. Defenders of the Realm simplifies the complex series of alliances and rivalries that define the MK mythos, instead featuring a team of heroes led by Raiden and Nighthawk tasked with defending Earthrealm from Shao Kahn’s interdimensional invaders.
Defenders of the Realm does make one notable addition to the franchise, however. The series was actually the first to introduce Quan Chi before his roles in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat 4.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
If the first Mortal Kombat movie is among the best attempts at adapting a video game to film, its sequel is easily among the worst. It’s not necessarily that Annihilation plays fast and loose with the source material. It introduces a number of popular characters like Shao Kahn (Brian Thompson), Jax (Lynn Williams) and Sindel (Musetta Vandel), along with familiar MK elements like Animalities, the death of Johnny Cage and Kuai Liang taking up his brother’s mantle as Sub-Zero. The problem is that the movie fails to string any of that together into a coherent and interesting story. There’s not much internal logic to what happens or which characters appear.
But even if the plot lived up to the first movie, Annihilation is plagued with lousy effects, underwhelming fight scenes, and actors who would seemingly rather be anywhere else. It’s telling that, apart from Chou’s Liu Kang, nearly all the returning characters were recast for the sequel. But if nothing else, at least the soundtrack is pretty good.
Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998)
While Annihilation basically destroyed Mortal Kombat’s big-screen prospects for the next two decades, that didn’t stop TNT from airing a live-action TV series in 1998. Mortal Kombat: Conquest serves as a prequel to the movies, taking place 500 years before the era of Liu Kang. Instead, Conquest revolves around Liu’s ancestor Kung Lao (Paolo Montalbán), a warrior monk tasked with training a new generation of fighters to defend Earthrealm. While many of the series’ supporting characters are new creations, many MK fan-favorites show up over the course of Conquest’s one and only season.
The best that can be said for Conquest is that it was ahead of its time. The prequel premise is strong, and it’s certainly a better offshoot of the 1995 film than Annihilation. But even at the time, it was difficult to ignore the lousy wire-fu fight scenes and generally bad special effects. It’s hard not to wonder what might have been if Conquest had come along a decade or two later.
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010)
Outside of the games themselves, the MK franchise largely went dormant in the ’00s. It wasn’t until filmmaker Kevin Tancharoen took the initiative and put together a short, unauthorized Mortal Kombat movie that the ball started rolling again.
Though produced on a very low budget and not sanctioned by Warner Bros. or Mortal Kombat’s creators, Tancharoen’s short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is a surprisingly professional adaptation. Rebirth is unique in that it downplays the franchise’s supernatural trappings, instead casting Scorpion (Ian Anthony Dale) as an assassin working with Captain Jackson Briggs (Michael Jai White) and Sonya Blade (Jeri Ryan) to bring down Shang Tsung’s criminal empire and get revenge on his nemesis, Sub-Zero.
Tancharoen intended for Rebirth to serve as a proof-of-concept for a possible movie reboot. He sort of got his wish as he was given the reins of the live-action web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011)
Tancharoen returned to the MK franchise the following year, this time with the actual approval of Warner Bros. and a greenlight for a full season of live-action webisodes exclusive to Machinima. Legacy doesn’t follow the new continuity established in Rebirth, though Dale, White and Ryan all returned to reprise their roles for Season 1. Instead, Legacy acts as a prequel to the original game, with each Season 1 episode fleshing out the backstory for a different Kombatant.
Season 2 proved to be a fairly steep departure, with Legacy shifting to a more narrative-driven approach while bringing in a number of new characters and recasting many existing roles. One bonus of that revamp is that Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was able to reprise the role of Shang Tsung (paving the way for him to make the jump over to the games in the form of Mortal Kombat 11 DLC).
As inconsistent as it is in terms of tone and plot, Legacy shows the potential in a more earnest take on the MK mythology. It also looks surprisingly robust for a free-to-watch web series.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020)
Mortal Kombat returned to the animated realm in 2020, in what proved to be a vastly better adaptation than either The Journey Begins or Defenders of the Realm. It helps that Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is aimed squarely at adults. In fact, this direct-to-video release is actually the first R-rated Mortal Kombat movie.
Scorpion’s Revenge is an adaptation of the original game’s storyline, but with a twist. Rather than framing the movie around the heroic Liu Kang, we’ll see the fateful tournament from Scorpion’s point of view. The movie explores the character’s tragic origin story and the beginnings of his feud with Sub-Zero. You can learn more in IGN’s Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge review.
After years of rumors about another live-action Mortal Kombat movie, the franchise finally returned to the big screen in 2021. The new movie isn’t connected to previous projects, but instead serves as a complete reboot. Star Mehcad Brooks (who plays Jax) describes it as having “grounded realism” despite retaining the Fatalities and other violent trappings of the games. Here’s a full breakdown of the Mortal Kombat reboot’s cast.
The reboot hit theaters and HBO Max simultaneously in April 2021. You can check out IGN’s Mortal Kombat review for more. Though the pandemic obviously affected the film’s box office haul, it proved critically and commercially successful enough that Warners greenlit a sequel.
Mortal Kombat 2 (2025)
The rebooted Mortal Kombat series will return to theaters in 2025 in the form of a sequel currently titled simply Mortal Kombat 2. In addition to returning favorites like Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, and Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, the film will also introduce Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, Martyn Ford’s Shao Kahn, Damoin Herriman’s Quan Chi, and Adeline Rudolph’s Kitana. We recently got a closer look at several of the cast members.
At this point, there seems little doubt that Mortal Kombat 2 will be a better sequel than Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was, but that’s not exactly a high bar to cross. The question is whether the sequel can continue the momentum generated by the original and pave the way for even more of the proposed sequels. There’s plenty of fight left in this franchise yet.
Note: this article was originally published on 04/09/2020 and updated on 03/17/2025 with the latest news about the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket byfollowing @jschedeen on BlueSky.
New details about what’s in store for the horrors waiting within Silent Hill f have emerged, and they make it clear that developer NeoBards Entertainment is keeping in step with the series’ tone.
Warning! The following descriptions contain some gruesome details about the content of Silent Hill f, which will entail possible spoilers and mature content.
Konami aired its latest Silent Hill Transmission broadcast just last week, sharing more details about the upcoming Silent Hill f. Developed by NeoBards, set in a mountain town in 1960s Japan, and written by Higurashi and Umineko author Ryukishi07, Silent Hill f looks to be an interesting new venture for the horror series.
The broadcast didn’t include much in the way of gameplay though. In lieu of that, fans have been poring over the content warnings and ESRB rating for Silent Hill f, both of which are live and provide some surprisingly detailed descriptions of what terrors wait in the town of Ebisugaoka.
Over on the ESRB site, Silent Hill f garnered a Mature 17+ rating for “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity.” None of that by itself is terribly surprising, but it’s the rating summary that offers some more detail:
“This is a survival-horror action game in which players assume the role of a student confronting supernatural entities in a 1960s Japanese mountain town. From a third-person perspective, players explore the town, solve puzzles, interact with characters, and battle enemy creatures (e.g., humanoid monsters, mutants, mythical creatures).
“Players use axes, crowbars, knives, and spears to defend against and kill enemy creatures in melee-style combat. Blood-splatter effects occur frequently as characters are attacked; several areas depict large bloodstains in the environment and near corpses. Some enemy attacks can result in players’ character getting impaled in the neck and/or getting their faces ripped apart.
“Cutscenes sometimes depict gore and more intense acts of violence: a character burned alive inside a cage; a woman branded by a hot iron; entrails and sinew displayed on serving platters in fantastical celebration/ceremony; a character sawing off her own arm; a character slicing off portions of a character’s face during a ritual. Concept art depicts a nude mannequin-like character, with exposed buttocks and partially exposed breasts; the character appears in a creature-like form throughout the game.”
Faces ripped apart, hot irons, and a character sawing off their arm certainly paint a gruesome picture. Silent Hill f could get pretty gnarly, even by Silent Hill’s standards. It is, after all, the first game in the series to earn a CERO:Z in Japan, an 18+ rating; the others have typically garnered CERO:C or CERO:D, which are 15+ and 17+, respectively.
Silent Hill f may also be dealing with some heavy topics and imagery too. For that, we can look at the game’s content warning, displayed on both the official site and the Steam store page:
“This game contains depictions of gender discrimination, child abuse, bullying, drug-induced hallucinations, torture, and graphic violence. This game is set in Japan in the 1960s and contains depictions based on the customs and culture of that time. These depictions do not reflect the opinions or values of the developers or any individuals involved. If you feel uncomfortable at any point while playing, please take a break from playing or speak to someone you trust.”
Between the actual physical horror and tackling these kinds of themes, Silent Hill f certainly seems like it’s engaging with the kind of material you’d expect in a Silent Hill. For horror fans, that’s hopefully a good sign.
Silent Hill f has no release date at the moment, though having an ESRB rating this detailed certainly suggests it’s not far off. It’s currently targeting PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC when it does launch.
Little details can add a lot of character when it comes to the many monsters of Capcom’s Monster Hunter series. When it comes to one of Monster Hunter Wilds‘ biggest battles, eagle-eyed players have noticed one tiny detail that lends credence to a running theory. It’s all in the eyes.
Warning! Spoilers for the final boss and story of Monster Hunter Wilds’ low rank campaign follow.
After fighting through the roster of Monster Hunter Wilds’ fearsome foes, including the souped-up Guardians, you’ll eventually come face-to-face with Zoh Shia. This enemy is the final bout for low-rank Hunters to clear in Wilds, and it’s a doozy. It also might feel a little familiar, if you’ve played some past Monster Hunter games, and that seems pretty intentional.
Over on Reddit, severalusers have pointed out that Zoh Shia’s eyes bear a striking resemblance to Fatalis’. Fatalis is an infamous and powerful species of dragon in Monster Hunter’s universe, able to raze kingdoms and cause mass devastation.
It’s a neat, tiny detail you might have missed in all the chaos of battling Zoh Shia, but it’s also not the only signifier pointing towards a link to Fatalis. As one replier pointed out, many aspects of the Zoh Shia fight share similarities with Fatalis bouts. The monster has moves from Black, White, and Crimson Fatalis, and has other small cosmetic similarities like its horns.
While Zoh Shia also draws on other classic, terrifying monsters — find some more here, in this reply — Fatalis definitely seems like a core touchstone. What does it ultimately mean, though?
Well, keep in mind Zoh Shia is a created monster. And if Zoh Shia was made to combat something or counter a threat, what kind of threat would be countered by a Fatalis-like monster? It opens up a lot of fun theorycrafting for where Monster Hunter Wilds’ assumed expansion could go. Most importantly, this connection teases that there are even bigger, badder monsters to contend with further down the line.
It might be a while until Monster Hunter Wilds theory-crafters see their guesses pan out or not, though. The next big update will be in April, which will bring some more hunts to the title alongside other additions, like an endgame hunter hub. So for now, best to just get your rank up high and be prepared for whatever kind of monster awaits.
IGN’s Monster Hunter Wilds review returned an 8/10. We said: “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge.”
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming exclusively for PS5 on June 24 — but only if you buy one of the more expensive editions. The standard edition releases June 26. Developed by Kojima Productions, it’s a sequel to the 2019 original. It will be available in three editions: a standard edition available in physical or digital format, a digital deluxe edition, and a collector’s edition that comes with a statue along with other goodies. Read on for pricing, availability, and details about what comes in each edition.
If you can live without any of the digital and/or physical extras that come in the pricier versions of the game, or you want a physical copy of it, the standard edition is the way to go. It comes with the game itself, plus the digital preorder bonuses (see below for details on those).
If you haven’t played the original, or you want to brush up on it before playing the sequel, here’s some good news: it’s on sale. You can get the director’s cut version on Steam on sale for $16 at Green Man Gaming. The PlayStation version isn’t on sale anywhere in physical format, but the PS4 (non-Director’s Cut) version is included with PS Plus Extra.
What is Death Stranding 2: On the Beach?
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a direct sequel to the 2019 original. It takes place 11 months after the birth of the UCA, when the world has been connected, deliveries have been automated, and a new faction is rising up. I hesitate to describe what the game may or may not be, because it’s full of Kojima-level weirdness. You can watch the extensive trailer above to find out more about Death Stranding 2, which includes a Solid Snake-like character. Here’s the official description on the PlayStation Store:
“Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA.
“Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction.
“Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected?
“Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again.”
Other Preorder Guides
Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.
Speculation that Starfield will soon be confirmed for release on PlayStation 5 ramped up over the weekend after fans spotted a PlayStation logo on Bethesda’s official Creations website.
The logo was attached to a work-in-progress ship decals Creation for Starfield, and although the Creation was removed, fans are speculating that Bethesda’s so-far PC and Xbox-only sci-fi game is soon set for PS5.
Thoughts inevitably turn to whether Bethesda plans a significant content update, possibly even a new expansion, to coincide with Starfield’s seemingly inevitable release on PS5. There’s been little to shout about when it comes to Starfield in recent months, following the launch of the poorly received Shattered Space expansion. Bethesda parent company Microsoft is expected to hold another summer showcase this year, as it has done in recent years, and that event may be the right time and place to learn more about all things Starfield.
Bethesda itself has said it has “exciting things” planned for Starfield this year, amid growing discontent from players about a lack of communication and updates. In June 2024, Bethesda insisted it remained committed to supporting Starfield, and confirmed at least one other story expansion would release following Shattered Space. In an interview with YouTube channel MrMattyPlays, Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard said the developer was aiming to release an annual story expansion for “hopefully a very long time.”
Starfield launched in September 2023 as Bethesda’s first brand new intellectual property in years, and its first mainline single-player game since Microsoft bought parent company ZeniMax Media in March 2021. IGN’s Starfield review returned a 7/10. We said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”
A number of Xbox games are currently available on PS5, including Rare’s Sea of Thieves, Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush, and Obsidian’s Grounded and Pentiment. Microsoft already publishes Minecraft games on PlayStation consoles, among many other platforms, and is set to publish Doom: The Dark Ages and Ninja Gaiden 4 on PS5 later this year. Playground’s Forza Horizon 5 is also confirmed as coming to PS5 soon. There are even reports that Microsoft is finally ready to release Halo on PlayStation after decades of Xbox exclusivity.
Spencer has said Xbox’s multiplatform push is in part about bringing in more money to Microsoft’s gaming business — with the pressure on to deliver following its eye-watering $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.
“We run a business,” Spencer said in August last year. “It’s definitely true inside of Microsoft the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery we have to give back to the company. Because we get a level of support from the company that’s just amazing and what we’re able to go do.
“So I look at this, how can we make our games as strong as possible? Our platform continues to grow, on console, on PC, and on cloud. It’s just going to be a strategy that works for us.”
It’s a busy time for the 450-person Bethesda Game Studios, which currently operates five teams: Starfield; Elder Scrolls 6; Fallout 76; mobile; and external development partnerships.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
