Category: Video Games

Everything you need to know about Octopath Traveler II, out Feb 24

Hello everyone, this is Masashi Takahashi, producer of Octopath Traveler. If you’re reading this article, it means that you have at least a bit of interest in Octopath Traveler II… and if that’s the case, I’m delighted!

This game marks the first time the series has been playable on PlayStation, so I thought I should introduce the series for those of you who haven’t encountered it before. So read on, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Octopath Traveler II.

It’s a completely standalone game

Firstly, don’t worry if you haven’t played the original Octopath Traveler – there’s no continuous narrative between that game and Octopath Traveler II!

This is an entirely standalone game set in an entirely new world with entirely new characters. Even if this is your first time with the series, you’ll be able to enjoy all of its elements. 

It uses a beautiful HD-2D art style

Do you enjoy pixel art games? Many of you may find yourselves drawn to this game due to its graphics. Octopath Traveler II uses ‘HD-2D’ visuals – a unique graphic style that combines pixels with 3D CG. It looks good in screenshots and video, but it’s something you really have to experience first-hand by actually moving around the game with your own hands.

It creates a captivating effect that feels both modern and nostalgic at the same time! It’s particularly appealing on PlayStation, thanks to silky smooth 60FPS gameplay that makes it feel as good to play as it looks.

You can play as eight heroes

You don’t get to choose just one hero in Octopath Traveler II – you get to choose between eight!

Each of the Travelers is unique, and once you pick your first character, you’ll be able to encounter the others, add them to your party and experience their adventures too.

So, who are these brave adventurers?

Hikari the Warrior – a young prince with a kind heart. After a coup leads his kingdom down a warpath, he sets off to find a path to peace.

Agnea the Dancer – a talented dancer who delights the locals in her small village with her performances. But she dreams of bringing smiles to more people and inspired by her mama, sets out to become a star.

Partitio the Merchant – a young merchant with an uncanny nose for commerce. After experiencing the decline of his hometown, he’s determined to find a way to save people from the pain of poverty.

Osvald the Scholar – framed for the death of his wife and child, this brilliant magical mind is muzzled and sent to prison. He vows to escape and find the man responsible for his suffering.

Throné the Thief – a talented member of a thieves’ guild trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of crime and death. She sets out on a journey to find the leaders of the guild and break free from this life of misery.

Temenos the Cleric – a laid-back Inquisitor for the Order of the Sacred Flame. An investigation into tragedy in his church leads to an exploration that will change his life.

Ochette the Hunter – a talented young hunter living a peaceful life on a remote island. In order to prevent an incoming catastrophe, she sets out on a quest to find the three Creatures of Legend.

Castti the Apothecary – a mysterious healer found drifting at sea. With no memory of who she is, she embarks on a quest to recover her memory.

Each of these heroes has their own distinct personalities, motivations, talents, and abilities that help them in and out of battle. Speaking of which…

Break and Boost combat system

Octopath Traveler II’s world of Solistia is full of dangers as you’ll regularly have to face off against monstrous foes. Combat is fast-paced and deeply strategic thanks to the ‘Break and Boost’ system.

The key to success is ‘breaking’ enemies. By exploiting their weaknesses, you can reduce your foes’ Shield Points to zero and stun them for a turn. What’s more, all your attacks do critical damage!

Boosting adds another tactical edge to combat. Each turn you earn boost points, which can be spent to take multiple actions on a turn, strengthen attacks and more. Knowing when to use your points and when to save them is just one strategic decision you’ll have to think about as you fight.

Using these features, along with a massive range of attacks, magic spells, special abilities and more, makes combat feel consistently engaging and satisfying.

Path Actions let you interact with the world and its people

The eight travelers don’t just have awesome attacks to unleash in battle, they also have abilities that let them engage with people in towns and cities. These are called ‘Path Actions’ and they let you do some really fun things.

Every character has two Path Actions – one they use during the day, another at night, and there are often different ways to achieve the same objective. For example, if an NPC has an object you want, you could either use Partitio to splash the cash and buy it from them, or use Osvald at night to mug them and just take it.

And that highlights another key feature of Octopath Traveler 2 – it’s your adventure. It’s all about letting you explore the story and gameplay systems at your own pace and allowing players to discover their own unique experiences.

I hope this rundown makes you consider playing Octopath Traveler II. The game releases for PS5 and PS4 on February 24.

Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure Expansion Announced, Arrives in March

Playground Games has announced that the Rally Adventure expansion will be the second piece of major DLC for Forza Horizon 5.

Announced on Forza’s YouTube channel, the expansion arrives on March 29 and includes a whole new rally career mode. A brief trailer for the expansion (below) also showed off new gameplay and teased some features that players can enjoy in the Rally Adventure DLC.

Playground also revealed some new customisation options coming to Forza Horizon 5, promising that players can “build a rally monster”.

The first expansion was announced last June and reintroduced Hotwheels to the Forza Horizon world. The over the top toys were added to the game’s open world Mexico map and let players race through all sorts of ridiculous settings, like a loop-the-loop in a volcano.

In our 10/10 review of the base game, IGN said: “Forza Horizon 5 is the result of a racing studio at the peak of its craft and the best open-world racing game available.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

The Pale Beyond review: a gripping survival sim full of drama and despair

The Pale Beyond when only five of your crew are freezing, two have frostbite, and one has scurvy. After all the struggles and dangers I’ve been through trying to keep my ship’s crew alive in the bone-biting cold of the arctic tundra, that’s definitely a success in my book.

It’s easy to describe Bellular Studio’s survival sim as just ‘Frostpunk on a ship’, but in some ways that’s pretty accurate: you’re the leader of a group trying to survive in a harsh frozen wasteland. But it’s also a comparison that falls short in plenty of other ways. Sure, the engine of this survival sim might run the same as Forstpunk’s, but it’s buried deep in a handcrafted hull. With an overarching story that deals with the drama and despair of survival, together with a cast of underdog characters whose personalities and flaws fuel your determination to keep them alive, The Pale Beyond is much more human than its steampunk counterpart.

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Get a Little Help From Your (AI) Friends | IGN First

While Cal Kestis was part of a crew in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – exploring the galaxy in the Stinger Mantis ship with his mentor, Cere Junda; its captain, Greez, and (eventually) his former bitter enemy turned bestie, Nightsister Merrin – once he was boots on the ground planetside, it was largely a fairly lonely adventure. Outside, of course, of the companionship of the ever adorable BD-1.

That changes in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor thanks to the addition of Bode Akuna, a new character in Jedi Survivor, played by Noshir Dalal, who can be seen in the reveal trailer lending a hand to Cal both in a cutscene and in gameplay where he executes a cool tandem finisher on a Scout Trooper. But Bode’s presence as a companion character goes far beyond just cool finishing moves. It’s actually part of a system that Respawn has dubbed “Character-in-Gameplay.”

Characters-in-Gameplay is a term used internally at Respawn to differentiate between NPCs that accompany Cal in actual gameplay segments from characters that stayed behind at specific narrative hubs. As Senior Game Designer Jason Zhu explains it: “There was a desire for NPCs to be used as guides in the levels, and while talking it through, one thing led to another until people started wondering, ‘Why don’t we have NPC’s travel and fight alongside Cal?’”

There was a desire for NPCs to be used as guides in the levels.

The team then evaluated whether implementing such a system was feasible with the tech they had, and ultimately decided that it was worth the time and effort to create a system that allowed for companions to join Cal in battle. There was even a precedent already set back in Fallen Order – the boss battle against Malicos where Merrin supports you throughout the battle. That served as the jumping off point, and the character-in-gameplay system is largely an expansion of what players saw during that boss battle.

When he’s accompanying Cal, Bode will actively participate in the fight. He can attack and kill enemies on his own, draw the attention of some enemies to take pressure off the player, and you can command him to help you out by doing some sort of special move on a single target to disrupt them.

To give a specific example, Narrative Technical Designer Joanna Robb said, “When you see a good opportunity, you can give Bode the signal to perform the attack, and he’ll use his jetpack to ram the enemy with a brutal dropkick, and then he quickly follows it up by slamming down a shock grenade to stun other nearby enemies. It’s a great way to send a tough enemy flying, taking them out of the fight briefly, or you could run them down with a sprint attack to get a quick hit in.”

When he’s accompanying Cal, Bode will actively participate in the fight

Robb goes on to say that there are also a lot of custom behaviors for Bode that help make him a dependable ally. Bode will respond to your own abilities and attacks with a technique of his own. If you force push an enemy, Bode will fire a charged shot that deals a ton of damage. You can even force grab a Probe Droid, toss it at a group of Stormtroopers, and Bode’s shot will essentially detonate the droid causing a big explosion that takes out the group of enemies all at once.

“We don’t necessarily tutorialize all of these behaviors, they are just designed to give you these emergent moments that are totally your own, but feel almost choreographed like you’re in one of the movies,” said Robb.

Outside of combat, Bode will follow you through the world, using his jetpack to reach places that Cal’s force powers typically allow him to reach via double jumps, wall runs, and so on. Robb said that one of the coolest parts about making an AI companion that can travel such complex spaces is how it pushed the team to develop a new Motion Matching animation system for Bode.

Don’t expect Cal to always have someone covering his six.

“He needs to be able to think very quickly about where he should go and how to get there, and the Motion Matching system allows the animations to drive his movement, which makes him much more responsive and dynamic than our other AI characters. It really makes him feel like he’s on the same level as Cal as a character with agency in the world, not just a combatant who happens to be on your side,” explained Robb.

Don’t expect Cal to always have someone covering his six, though. According to both Robb and Zhu, the prevalence of companion characters is really driven by the story. If you’re spending time exploring all of a planet’s side content, Bode will stick around on the Mantis. Robb added that, “There’s a nice rhythm to it. When the plot is reaching a peak, the companion will give extra momentum to both the narrative and gameplay.”

As far as whether or not there will be more companion characters than just Bode, Robb did say that Bode will be the first character that Cal would team up with, but rather than talk about characters that would be joining Cal as a combat companion, she preferred to rule one out.

“I’m sure many fans of the first game are dying to know if everyone’s favorite member of the Mantis crew, the stowaway bogling that Cal adopts, will also be a Character-In-Gameplay, and I regret to say that they will not,” said Robb.

Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit

The Electronic Wireless Show podcast S2 Ep 4: biblically accurate dating simulator

podcast our interest was piqued by new trailers for a Jesus simulator and a politics in hell strategy game. We ask ourselves: why are there so many hell-themed games and so few heavenly ones? Is it blasphemy? What would our pitch for a game set in heaven be? (Spoilers for that last one: there’s a lot of admin involved). We also chat about what we’ve been playing this week, and Nate orchestrates a mini-game pitchathon that goes at least somewhat off the rails.

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Xbox Game Pass Is Having its Best Stretch Ever

The detractors of Xbox Game Pass are running out of goalposts to move. One of the last remaining legitimate gripes against Microsoft’s game-subscription service is that it’s been more like basic cable rather than HBO. In other words, plenty of good stuff, but very little content that’s truly top-shelf. But just two months into 2023, that argument seems toast too. Take a look at the roll that Xbox Game Pass has gotten started, and how long it’s set to keep going:

  • Hi-Fi Rush (January 25) – Many pixels’ worth of well-deserved digital ink have been spilled writing about Tango Gameworks’s viral, shadow-dropped hit. Microsoft didn’t just release a first-party game out of nowhere, it released a much-needed amazing first-party game out of nowhere. IGN gave it a 9 out of 10, and fellow critics agreed, with a Metacritic rating of 88 on Xbox and 89 on PC.

  • Just four weeks later, Atomic Heart (February 21) hit Game Pass as it earned an 8 out of 10 from IGN. This highly anticipated first-person shooter has captivated gamers for a few years now, and its release did not disappoint. It’s a third-party game available on PlayStation, sure, but it’ll cost you $70 over there.

  • Those two have started the year strong for the service, but fast-forward a mere 10 days (March 3) and Game Pass keeps another potential $70 in your pocket when Team Ninja’s promising new Soulslike, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, marks another big third-party game doing the day-one thing for subscribers.
  • Still in March (on the 28th), Sony’s own first-party baseball sim, MLB The Show 23, won’t cost Game Pass subscribers another dime for the third consecutive year. This is extra cool for an annual sports game, where many players don’t purchase it every year. Game Pass subscribers don’t have to worry about that.
  • We move to April (specifically April 18), when Minecraft Legends will see the light of day on all major platforms – but only Xbox gamers can just download it from Game Pass without swiping their credit card for an additional charge. Another dub.
  • Meanwhile, May will be only a day old when Redfall, the next major game from the decorated developers at Arkane Austin (makers of Dishonored 1 and 2 along with Prey) hits Xbox Game Pass on May 2.

These are merely the top-shelf highlights. I’m leaving out Game Preview stuff like Valheim (March 14), leftovers like Ghostwire: Tokyo (which should hit Xbox Game Pass on or shortly after March 25, when its year-long exclusivity deal with PlayStation should expire), and enjoyable single-A fare like Cities Skylines Remastered and Shadow Warrior 3 Definitive Edition (both of which hit Game Pass last week).

Finally, if Starfield does make it out by the end of June – which I know many gamers doubt at this point, given the relative radio silence from Bethesda, but I still believe it’s in play – then Xbox Game Pass will have delivered quality and quantity, big games and small, across a wide variety of genres in the first half of 2023. It’ll do that even without Starfield, really, but obviously The Next Game From the Makers of Fallout and Elder Scrolls would put quite a bow on the first six months of the year. Xbox Game Pass is unquestionably riding the hottest streak yet since its birth in 2017, and the big winner is us.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Nintendo Download: 23rd February (North America)

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land! Octopath Traveler II! Grim Guardians!

The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch eShop – Highlights

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Nintendo 24th Feb, $59.99)– The tough puff Kirby is back for a deluxe platforming adventure with up to four players on the same system! Play solo as Kirby, or join forces with friends* as Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight and Bandana Waddle Dee in a grand journey through Dream Land. Help Magolor rebuild his ship and save the day with powerful Team Attacks, returning Copy Abilities including the new Mecha and Sand Copy Abilities, as well as Super Abilities! Plus, play a colorful collection of subgames in the Merry Magoland amusement park, and complete the main story to uncover additional modes, including a challenging adventure starring Magolor! The Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe game will be available on Feb. 24, and a free demo is available now in Nintendo eShop. – Read our Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe review

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

UK Daily Deals: Best PlayStation 5 Console Deals

PS5 consoles are now regularly available in the UK, so here’s where you can pick one up. Our personal pick is definitely from Amazon as you can get free next-day delivery if you’re a Prime member. There’s plenty of other new deals to check out today as well, including a wonderful discount on the PS5 DualSense Charging Station. It’s down to just £19.99 at Amazon, which is £5 off the original RRP of £25. There’s also an awesome limited-time 50% discount on Keeper Password Managers, £60 off eufy RoboVac vacuums, and a whole lot more as well. See all the other great discounts just below, and make sure you’re following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter for even more UK deal updates.

TL;DR – Best UK Deals Right Now

Best PS5 Console Deals in the UK

PS5 availability has massively improved in the UK, with the likes of PlayStation Direct, Very, GAME, and Amazon now having the console in stock consistently. If you haven’t yet secured the console, 2023 is the year to finally upgrade to the latest consoles, ready to play the best games.

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Amazing Password Manager Deal from Keeper (AD)

With Keeper, you can store all of your passwords, credit card info, and other sensitive data in one secure, encrypted digital vault. Plus, they use top-notch encryption technology to keep your stuff safe and have added bonus features like password generation, password sharing, and two-factor authentication.

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DualSense Charging Station is £19.99 Right Now (Save £5)

This is the perfect deal for anyone who purchased an additional DualSense Controller over Black Friday and Christmas sales last year. Now you can charge both your shiny controllers at the same time – result!

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Best Random Deals I Love Right Now

These are the best random-ish deals that I want to highlight, but can’t necessarily fit anywhere else. A favourite of mine today is definitely the unisex hoodie blanket, down to just £12.99. This is a great price considering you’re looking at £20-30 anywhere else for a similar quality blanket. My top tip for when you buy one, wash it immediately on its own, once it’s dry it’ll be 10/10 comfort.

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AD: Avast One Individual Down to £23.99/Year (was £79.99/Year)

With Avast One Individual, you’ll get all the features you need to stay safe online, including advanced antivirus protection, a powerful firewall, and cutting-edge anti-phishing technology. Plus, you’ll get real-time alerts to keep you informed of potential threats and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your digital life is protected by one of the world’s most trusted names in cybersecurity.

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Perfect PS5 2TB SSD with Heatsink for £150

This is a very good deal on PS5 SSDs, especially as you don’t need to further invest in a separate heatsink for the Samsung 980 PRO. Plus, you can max out your PS5 storage with another 2TB of additional space to store all the very best PS5 games in 2023. Or, check out the superb Patriot Viper VP4300 2TB SSD with Heatsink deal for £149.99, which is back for limited time only.

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Where to Preorder Link Tears of the Kingdom amiibo

Preorders are now live for the Link Tears of the Kingdom amiibo in the UK. This listing isn’t from a third-party seller or anything, this is direct from Amazon who currently has it listed for just under £30. Sure, this is going to be a widely popular amiibo, but I’d be surprised if the price inflation isn’t corrected before May 12. Plus, Amazon has a preorder price guarantee, so you’ll pay the lowest price on the listing even if you order now at £29.54.

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Check Out This Awesome Sale on Nintendo Switch Games

There are some great deals here to check out, with some of my personal favourite Switch games included just below as well. Sonic Frontiers for £32 is a great deal and one of my top games from 2022, and LEGO Star Wars is absolutely one of the best portable games on the market at the moment. I’ve left all the relevant links, just below.

More Video Game Deals to Check Out

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Switch OLED Pokemon Limited Edition In Stock

The limited edition OLED Model features art inspired by Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet with the legendary Koraidon and Miraidon pictured on the system dock. Availability for the Pokemon-themed Switch has been quite sparse since release, so being able to snag one at RRP is fantastic and well worth considering if you missed it during the initial preorder phase last year.

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The Last of Us Part II Is On Sale Right Now

Here’s a great deal for those who are loving the latest HBO hit, The Last of Us. Yes, this is based on the game as many of us know, and many of us might also know that there’s a sequel to that game. The Last of Us Part 2 is a critically acclaimed darling (with a few controversies thrown in), and it can be picked up for just £8.39 if you’re a PS Plus member right now (down from £34.99).

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Where to Preorder The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the UK

The best Tears of the Kingdom (or Breath of the Wild 2 as many of us called it for years) preorder deal in the UK is still at Hit for £49.85, or ShopTo for the same price. In case you’re wondering, both ShopTo and Hit are 100% legit UK retailers. We’ve linked out to both of them before, and have had no complaints! I’ll leave all the relevant links down below for Tears of the Kingdom preorders.

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Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.