Stellar Blade demo arrives March 29

Greetings. This is Hyung Tae Kim, director of Stellar Blade. We are pleased to officially announce the upcoming free playable demo for Stellar Blade, coming March 29 to PlayStation 5.

The demo takes place from the very beginning of the game when Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad is sent to Earth on a mission to reclaim the planet from the Naytiba, up to the first boss fight. This first stage will include the tutorial phase to help you familiarize yourself with basic combat features as you explore post-war Eidos 7, a human city now infested by the Naytiba, giving you an early grasp of gameplay mechanics that will serve you throughout the game’s story.


Stellar Blade demo arrives March 29

We also have a little surprise included for players who complete the first stage.

From the smooth 60fps combat to the haptics, you’ll feel through the DualSense wireless controller, there are various charms of the game that you can only confidently appreciate through hands-on experience.

For those who complete the demo stage, you can carry over your save data when the full game releases on April 26, starting from the last checkpoint. Please note that save data must be stored on your PS5 system.

The Stellar Blade demo will be available starting Friday, March 29 from 7am PDT / 2pm GMT.

Alongside the demo, the full game will feature the following language options:

Voice Over: Korean, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Latin Spanish.

Text: Korean, English (US), French, Italian, German, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Arabic, Turkish, Thai, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese.

We greatly appreciate your anticipation! Mark your calendar for April 26, and make sure not to miss the preorder bonuses. The time for humankind to reclaim Earth has nearly arrived.

Stellar Blade Preorders Get a Big Discount in the Spring Sales for the UK

Earlier in the month, Stellar Blade Korean developer Shift Up published – and then unpublished – a demo for its upcoming sleek action game, Stellar Blade, ahead of its launch on PlayStation 5 next month. It has now been confirmed that a demo for the game will officially go live on March 29. If this confirmation has you excited, and you’ve yet to get your preorder in for the game, we’ve got some exciting news.

Stellar Blade preorders for PS5 are currently discounted using code CHICK15 (see here), with over £10 off the RRP and bringing the game down to just £59.46 for a limited time in the Spring sales. We’ll leave a handy link to the Stellar Blade preorder discount just below, but it’s also worth checking out all the other deals available right now as well.

This is part of a sitewide sale for retailers via eBay, including brands or retailers like Adidas, The Game Collection, Nike, ShopTo, Dell, Lenovo, and more. CHICK15 promo code will last until the end of the day on March 29, with 15% off almost everything from trusted sellers. This includes over 2100 stores, with a low minimum spend of £9.99, alongside a max discount of £75, and a total of three redemptions of the promo code.

Other big deals in the sale include a discount on critically acclaimed PS5 exclusive Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, alongside brand new offers on DualSense Controllers, and even a nice little bonus deal on Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League just before the launch of Season One.

If you want the games but find yourself lacking in a PlayStation 5, then now is the time to cash in on another great deal. The new(ish) PS5 Slim has dropped down to just £390 for Amazon Prime members in the Spring sale which ends after today. Stocks of PS Portals have also finally started to show up at various online retailers. We always keep a keen eye out for PS Portal drops so make sure to follow us on X/Twitter @IGNUKDeals to get up-to-date stock updates.

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

Come and greet our new staff writer Nic Reuben, someone you already know

It’s Monday and I’m tired, so do I really have to write out hundreds of words telling you who Nic Reuben is? You already know Nic! He’s been writing here as a freelancer loads. He threw a rock through the treehouse window and were preparing to sacrifice him to appease Horace’s great coils, but the endless bear spake and instead commanded us to hire him, after a rigorous interview process. Say hello to Nic in his new and official capacity here on the site! My enthusiasm has woken me up again!

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Dragon’s Dogma 2’s World Has The Spirit of Skyrim

If I were to write a list of all the things that made Skyrim special, it’d be as long as The Elder Scrolls themselves. Considering that’s a massive waste of parchment, I can boil Skyrim’s magic down to one word: dragons. Few games have recaptured the thrill of Tamriel’s wyrms crashing down from the sky to interrupt an otherwise run-of-the-mill fetch quest. But I’ve got good news: that very same sense of awe, terror, and excitement fuels Dragon’s Dogma 2, a game where a towering cyclops can unexpectedly emerge from the forest’s edge, or a terrifying drake swoop down from on high, all in unscripted, emergent moments.

If you’re familiar with the original Dragon’s Dogma, then you’ll likely know that the game’s director, Hideaki Itsuno, was partly inspired by The Elder Scrolls series. That inspiration makes the first game, and in turn Dragon’s Dogma 2, stand out against not only the traditions of Japanese-developed RPGs, but also much of the Western RPG scene, too. Dragon’s Dogma 2 rejects many of the genre’s narrative-heavy staples in favour of a more organic, exploration-focused structure. It’s a philosophy that powers Bethesda Game Studios’ trademark approach, and so within Dragon’s Dogma 2 there are recognisable echoes of Skyrim.

Our memories of Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim are more often than not related to our lived experiences within the world, rather than specific characters or narrative beats. This makes The Elder Scrolls something unusual among RPGs, a genre typically reliant on novel-like stories. It’s likely a result of the series having roots in Ultima Underworld, the key progenitor of games like System Shock and Deus Ex. These games are built on interlocking systems and mechanics that combine to create worlds that feel organic and authentic – everything has its purpose and interacts with the things around it. While story is a foundational pillar in these games, it’s delivered without the cinematic lens used in more traditional RPGs – they’re not Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect, or Dragon Quest. These are games about doing and experiencing, rather than being part of a beautifully written tale.

That brings us back to Skyrim’s dragons, and in turn Dragon’s Dogma 2’s array of colossal beasts. They turn up without warning, injecting unexpected challenges into… well, anything. You could be having a mundane stroll back to the city to hand in a quest, or be in the middle of an already heated battle. Just yesterday I was on an errand to collect gold ore, only for my mining expedition to be interrupted by a ferocious griffin. A great battle ensued, with my party calling down bolts of lightning and shooting flaming arrows in an attempt to bring it down. The creature eventually realised it was bested and so took to the skies, but not before I grabbed its tail and clambered onto its hind leg. Hurtling through the skies and hanging on for dear life, I began a new adventure. An adventure with no quest log entry or objective – I’d just let this massive half-eagle, half-lion decide my fate.

Every journey is an anecdote delivery machine – you can’t go from A to B without some kind of wild and wonderful event leaping out at you. 

Many RPGs carry the sense of being crafted for you; every quest is bespoke for your protagonist. Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels much more organic. The world lives and breathes of its own accord, and every time you step outside your front door you’re at the mercy of the overlapping systems that give its creatures life and make its rivers flow (I should mention here that Dragon’s Dogma 2’s rivers can literally eat you). It means that every journey is an anecdote delivery machine – you can’t go from A to B without some kind of wild and wonderful event leaping out at you.

I recall my time in Skyrim in exactly the same way – permanent images of being chased by frost trolls and stumbling across giants herding mammoths, none of which were part of any actual quest. Many of us remember Bethesda’s schtick of “See that mountain? You can go there”, but it wasn’t actually the mountain that was important – it was the journey there. The many unscripted, organic moments that happened on your particular journey are what make Skyrim special, as they made it your experience, not everybody else’s. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an entire game cut from this same cloth.

This kind of approach comes with its own drawbacks though. Creating a land this big, where the fun is often ‘whatever happens to you’ rather than pre-scripted quests, means there has to be a dozen systems constantly ticking behind the scenes to keep the world alive. More moving parts means more jank, and if there’s anything a Skyrim fan knows well it’s jank. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is exactly the same. Its NPCs repeat ever-looping dialogue. Your companions are over-eager and constantly get in trouble. Characters stare dead-eyed into the wrong direction for entire conversations. Combat feels messy and imprecise. It’s a list of things that would traditionally see a game written off. But rather than diminishing its quality, these rough edges feel oddly comforting because they lend the game personality… a personality reminiscent of Skyrim. There’s something endearing about all this distinctly video game-y artifice, and how it finds a way to sit in harmony alongside a world that so often feels truly alive.

Perhaps that feeling is rooted in nostalgia. We’re in a golden age of RPGs, but few games try to capture the very specific magic of Skyrim. We’ve been waiting 13 years for something that comes close, and it could be that we’re waiting forever if we pin our hopes on Bethesda. In the years since Skyrim’s launch, the studio’s games have increasingly been inspired by the survival genre rather than advancements in the RPG space. Fallout 4’s crafting and building focus was a clear response to Minecraft’s colossal success, while Fallout 76 attempted to ride the wave of Steam’s survival game boom. More recently, Starfield’s procedurally generated galaxy is inescapably in No Man’s Sky’s orbit. It stands to reason, then, that The Elder Scrolls 6 could push further in this direction, potentially at the expense of what made us fall in love with Oblivion and Skyrim.

Dragon’s Dogma 2, though, with its map absent of icon clutter and reliance on curiosity, discovery, and emergent gameplay, feels akin to a Bethesda game that took inspiration from Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring. These are touchstones that are hard not to get excited about – I appreciate Bethesda is what it is precisely because it doesn’t make RPGs like anyone else, but I’d like to see it push focus on its open worlds rather than its survival elements. Thankfully, that’s what I’m getting from Dragon’s Dogma 2.

Capcom’s latest is different from Skyrim in many ways – its lore is a pamphlet in comparison, its quest design is only half as good, and you definitely can’t play as a stealth archer. It’s much more challenging than an Elder Scrolls game, too, with long and often arduous journeys that must be sufficiently planned for. Messing up can mean reverting to an hours-old save. And so Dragon’s Dogma 2 is not a ‘spiritual sequel’ to Skyrim in the way that Obsidian’s Avowed is positioned to be.

But Skyrim’s true magic was never what it was, but how it made you feel. And, for the first time in 13 years, I finally had that same feeling again. The world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 has the spirit of Skyrim flowing through it. It feels like a home away from home (although only if you think homes should be full of 20-feet-tall monsters that surprise attack you in the middle of the night.)

Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 updates will give you new save option and make player dwellings available earlier

Fantasy action-RPG Dragon’s Dogma 2 has had a tumultuous launch week: praised by reviewers, slated for its performance issues, and berated for its (pretty inconsequential) microtransactions. Now begins the labour of patching the game. Capcom have released a few hints about forthcoming Dragon’s Dogma 2 updates. Their plans for the PC version include letting players acquire dwellings earlier on in the story, improving quality when DLSS super resolution is enabled, and adding the option to start a new game when save data already exists.

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Microsoft Reportedly Reaches Agreement With Crash Bandicoot Dev Toys for Bob for New Game

Microsoft has reportedly reached an agreement with former Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob for the studio’s next game.

In February, Toys for Bob announced plans to spin off from Microsoft-owned Activision to become an indie developer. Toys for Bob is the developer behind Skylanders, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and Crash Bandicoot games, but in more recent years had become a Call of Duty support studio.

At the time, Toys for Bob said it was exploring “a possible partnership between our new studio and Microsoft”, adding both Microsoft and Activision were “extremely supportive” of its new direction. While Toys for Bob’s first project as an indie studio is apparently “in the early days”, fans wondered speculated it could be a revival of Crash, Spyro, or another IP Toys for Bob has become known and beloved for.

Now, according to Windows Central, that partnership is a done deal, with Microsoft agreeing to fund development of the unannounced game. This new game will be “similar” to games Toys for Bob has made in the past, Windows Central said. Microsoft and Toys for Bob are yet to comment.

When Toys for Bob announced its independence, it told fans to “keep your horns on and your eyes out for more news.” Some are taking this as a nod to Spyro the Dragon. Now Microsoft owns Activision Blizzard, it owns all associated intellectual property, including Crash and Spyro.

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.

Team Keyboard Rocks The Competition In Splatoon 3’s Latest Splatfest

Mr. Cool.

Update : After a killer set, we finally have a winner for Splatoon 3’s instrument-themed Splatfest.

It was Team Keyboard that came out on top in the battle of “Which instrument would you play?”. The headline act took home a whopping 500p, while Team Guitar and Team Drums followed on 190p and 180p respectively.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Maw – 25th-30th March 2024

It’s a brand new week in Computer Game Land, and right now, I am playing a nasty little survival sim called “Beating Jetlag”. I landed back in the UK from GDC on Saturday afternoon, and my brain and eyeballs still feel as though they’re being gently sautéed in a medicinal blend of oil and vinegar. The sun and sky bear down with a terrible, holy light and I can’t seem to conjure any warmth into my elbows. In the street outside, a small dog is barking. Soon, very soon, I will catch that dog, place it in a box and FedEx it to China.

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Wizards of the Coast ‘Not to Blame’ for Larian Leaving Baldur’s Gate 3 and D&D Behind, Swen Vincke Insists

Following Larian’s shock decision to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons, some fans have pointed the finger at Wizards of the Coast — but, according to Swen Vincke, the Hasbro-owned company is not to blame.

Last week, Larian confirmed it had no plans to release DLC or expansions for smash hit Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3, and indeed it had no plans to make another video game set in the D&D universe, ruling out a Baldur’s Gate 4 from the studio. Instead, it’s making a brand new game.

Following the news, some fans expressed concern that Wizards of the Coast, which owns and operates Dungeons & Dragons, had caused Larian to walk away from the fantasy universe. Wizards of the Coast is owned by toy maker Hasbro, which issued a statement to IGN addressing Larian’s decision:

“Larian has been an incredible partner, and together we are proud of the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. Watch this space for more on some awesome D&D games we are bringing to life through Hasbro’s studios and our network of licensing partners. We have an unbeatable library of toy and game brands and many fantastic partners around the world.”

Hasbro failed to respond to IGN’s question about the future of Baldur’s Gate now Larian is moving on, nor did it say whether Wizards of the Coast plans to hand the licence to a new developer. Baldur’s Gate 3 has made some $90 million for Hasbro, an impressive sum even as the company has struggled overall, experiencing a revenue decline of 15% and operating at a loss of $1.5 billion in 2023.

In December, Hasbro announced a huge wave of layoffs that affected over 1,000 staff just before the holidays. Following the news, Vincke offered his condolences to the massive group of Wizards of the Coast workers affected by the cuts, drawing specific attention to the fact that nearly everyone at the company who was part of early discussions about Baldur’s Gate 3 had left.

“I also want to thank [Wizards of the Coast] and specifically the Dungeons & Dragons team for giving us carte blanche,” Vincke said at the time. “I’m really sorry to hear so many of you were let go. It’s a sad thing to realize that of the people who were in the original meeting room, there’s almost nobody left. I hope you all end up well.”

“… they really did their best and have been a great licensor for us, letting us do our thing.

Now, clearly mindful of the growing resentment towards Wizards of the Coast following Larian’s announcement, Vincke has issued a follow-up statement, defending the company.

“Reading the reddit threads, I would like to clear up something,” Vincke said. “WOTC is not to blame for us taking a different direction. On the contrary, they really did their best and have been a great licensor for us, letting us do our thing. This is because it’s what’s best for Larian.”

In an interview with IGN at GDC 2024, Vincke revealed Larian began work on Baldur’s Gate 3 DLC and even gave some thought to a potential Baldur’s Gate 4 before pivoting away to other projects because the team was “going through the motions.” “You could see the team was doing it because everyone felt like we had to do it, but it wasn’t really coming from the heart, and we’re very much a studio from the heart,” Vincke added. “It’s what gotten us into misery and it’s also been the reasons for our success.”

As Larian moves on to new things, Hasbro is now left pondering what to do with the Baldur’s Gate series and the incredible characters Larian created for Baldur’s Gate 3. Does it draft in a new developer to take up the reins? Does it leave Baldur’s Gate 3 behind, as Larian has? In a tweet, Vincke passed the torch: “As for BG3 and its characters – they now belong to WOTC and I think they understand how important they are for the community. I trust that they’ll be treated with respect.”

What we do know is there are a number of Dungeons & Dragons video games in development that are not Baldur’s Gate 4. Gameloft Montreal, maker of Disney Dreamlight Valley, is working on a new Dungeons & Dragons game set in the Forgotten Realms. It’s described as “a unique and innovative experience blending survival, action RPG, and life simulation that will test players’ skills in an unforgiving campaign set in the D&D universe.” And Payday developer Starbreeze is working on a Dungeons & Dragons co-op multiplayer game codenamed Project Baxter, although it’s not due out until 2026.

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.

Guide: Best Pokémon Spin-Off Games Of All Time

Ranked by you.

If there’s any franchise that’s no stranger to a spin-off or two, it’s Pokémon. The inherent appeal of the little Pocket Monsters makes the series ripe for all kinds of genres and video games. Name a genre, and Pokémon has most likely done it.

But, dear readers, what’s the very best Pokémon spin-off? That’s where you come in. We asked you, folks, to rate all of the Pokémon spin-offs that you’ve played, and this list is the result of your scores. We’re doing this in celebration of a childhood favourite, Pokémon Snap on the N64, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on 21st March 2024 — and we just aged another five years by typing that in…

Read the full article on nintendolife.com