Category: Video Games

Sons Of The Forest review: beautiful survival horror with a few missteps

There are moments where Sons Of The Forest matches the sublime paranoia of Subnautica. There’s that same lurching, exquisite tension as you delve deeper and deeper into darkness where you are not welcome, supplies dwindling, footfall echoing, monstrosities skittering about in the black. On my most intense plunge into one cave, I groaned aloud as the path I was praying must be the exit twisted back on itself, sending me first down a rope, and then into a long slide down, down into the earth, back into the spindly clutches of pale, bifurcated mutants. When I finally saw the sun again, I could have cried.

It’s still a bit wonky, but the full 1.0 release makes the Forest a fuller, livelier and more inviting (or else alluringly off-putting) prospect for a wander – even, as in my case, a wholly solo one. Consider this your cue to peel open some skin pouches.

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Random: The Simpsons Meets Mario Kart In Bizarre TV Mash-Up

It’s-a me…. Lisa..?

The Simpsons is, somehow, still a thing in 2024. Regardless of what we might think of its overall quality, however, there’s no denying that the cartoon is able to pull off some truly weird and wacky crossovers.

While presumably not an official crossover by any means, the show has recently strayed into the realm of Mario Kart with a bizarre dream sequence in which Lisa, Homer, Milhouse, and more partake in a race on what appears to be a take on the racing franchise’s Rainbow Road (thanks, Eurogamer).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Crash Bandicoot 4 studio Toys For Bob split from Activision and Microsoft to go independent

As the video games industry violently contracts to ensure shareholder satisfaction at the cost of making thousands upon thousands of people unemployed, Skylanders studio Toys For Bob have announced they’re splitting from Activision Blizzard and Microsoft to go independent. Good for them, but maybe too late for some. Earlier this month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that it seemed Activision Blizzard were closing Toys For Bob’s California headquarters and laying off 86 people. Still, the new independent Toys For Bob say they’re working on something new and “exploring a possible partnership” with Microsoft.

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Valve Pulls Fake Steam Helldivers 2 Games, but Devs Express Concern They Appeared in the First Place

Valve has pulled a handful of fake Steam listings for Helldivers 2 that were different games, potentially even cracked games, disguised as the hugely popular co-op shooter to fool people into spending money.

Helldivers 2 community manager Twinbeard posted a warning on the game’s Discord that shone a light on the scam.

“There are unfortunately two (three now?!) fake games being marketed as Helldivers 2 on Steam at the moment,” Twinbeard said. “THESE ARE FAKE. They are not made by Arrowhead but they claim to be. We do not know what they contain, but they are not affiliated with us in any way.

“Our legal department is on it and we hope Valve will remove the products as soon as possible.

“The only two genuine copies are Helldivers 2 and Helldivers 2: Super Citizen Edition. BOTH OF OUR GENUINE GAMES WERE RELEASED FEBRUARY 8TH. All remaining Helldivers 2 games are fake.

“People posting as us trying to scam people is obviously very sad and frustrating, and for that as well as for security reasons we urge you to stay clear of them. Again, the only two Helldivers 2 products we market are Helldivers 2 and Helldivers 2 Super Citizen Edition. (I haven’t had time to check the details on the fake store pages yet since I just got up.)

“Additional information will follow if or when there is any new information.”

Thankfully, Valve did pull the fake Helldivers 2 listing, per an update this morning from Twinbeard: “All fake store pages now seem to have been taken down by Valve, who acted very swiftly after we reached out. We´ll assess everything in due time. Also, a big THANK YOU to everyone who DM:ed or pinged me/us about the fake pages and games. Together we stand.”

While Valve moved quickly to stamp out the scam Helldivers 2 pages, it appears the problem is not isolated to Arrowhead’s shooter. Palworld community chief Bucky tweeted to say there had been a “wave” of fake games that suddenly appeared on Steam today, a development they called “quite concerning.” According to Bucky, Steam took down a fake Palworld listing almost immediately after developer Pocketpair got in touch. “Hope no one was tricked into buying it!” Bucky said.

Valve is now facing questions over how these listings were able to make it onto Steam in the first place. The hope is of course that the high-profile nature of the fake Helldivers 2 Steam listings will cause Valve to close whatever loophole was exploited here.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty to be getting on with in the world of Helldivers 2, including the ongoing galactic war against the bugs and bots. As revealed this week, Arrowhead employs a “game master” who runs the Helldivers 2 campaign like a D&D dungeon master. Gameplay leaks have offered fans a closer look at the upcoming mechs, too.

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.

Random: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Producer Had To Put His Playthrough Of Zelda “On Hold”

Work on the new PS5 game “got really busy”.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out this week and while many PlayStation 5 owners will be likely diving into the highly anticipated release, the game’s producer Yoshinori Kitase is actually planning to return to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Speaking to BAFTA, Kitase mentioned how he had been a lifelong fan of the series since the original game Legend of Zelda on NES and while he was enjoying Tears of the Kingdom, unfortunately, life got in the way (like it probably has for so many other Zelda fans).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Head To Outer Space In The New Free Update For Vampire Survivors

The ‘Space-54 update’ has arrived.

If you’re still enjoying the roguelite bullet shooter Vampire Survivors, you might want to check out its latest update which sends players to space (again).

It’s officially titled the ‘Space-54 Update’ and is completely free. It adds one new bonus stage, two new characters, four new weapons, a new relic, and seven achievements to unlock. There’s also a bit more to uncover as well!

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Today Only: This Color Shifting Xbox Wireless Controller Is 30% Off With This Best Buy Deal

For today only, Best Buy is offering the official Xbox Series X|S Core wireless controller in Stellar Shift for only $49.99. That’s almost 30% off the original $69.99 MSRP. Aside from the difference in color scheme, this is the same controller as the one that’s included with your Xbox Series X or S console.

Xbox Core Controller in Stellar Shift for $49.99

Stellar Shift is a color-shifting, blue-purple pearlescent shimmer that, in my opinion, looks better than most of the other Xbox color schemes out there. It also features a rubberized purple swirl grip that has different pattern varations among each individual controller.

This is the same official controller that you get bundled with the Xbox Series X and S consoles. It features textured grips, hybrid D-pad, button mapping with the Xbox app, a 3.5mm audio jack that works with any wired headset, and a Share button to send your screenshots and video out into the world.

The Xbox Core controller features both Xbox wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. That means you can also use it for your PC or mobile device as long as it supports Bluetooth. In fact, the Core controller is considered one of the best PC controllers you can get. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth, then you can connect your controller via a USB cable or with the Xbox wireless adapter.

For more discounts on the Xbox and accessories, check out the best Xbox deals today.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Rears Its Head to Celebrate Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Release

We may have just gotten our latest look at Kingdom Hearts 4 (kind of) in the form of a social media post celebrating the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Earlier today, the official Kingdom Hearts X/Twitter account shared an image of Sora on what looks like the streets of Shibuya, glancing up at various big-screen advertisements featuring Sephiroth. The reason we’re counting this as a look at Kingdom Hearts 4, however, is that it’s set in Quadratum, the bustling city in which the sequel will take place.

We can tell because the intersection in which Sora is standing, with the big 104 building in the background, is one of the few true glimpses we’ve seen of Quadratum. The setting is based on Tokyo, specifically the Shibuya district.

In a cute touch, the image references a real-life ad campaign that’s currently taking place in Shibuya, with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth taking over various billboards and screens, as captured by @Genki_JPN on X/Twitter below.

It’s not much, but it is the latest crumb we’ve gotten on Kingdom Hearts 4, with Square Enix officially announcing the sequel in 2022. We got a brief trailer back then, but little information since, including a release window (see everything we have managed to figure out right here).

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, meanwhile, officially released on PlayStation 5 today, so fans are just starting to dive in. For more, check out our 9/10 review, as well as our spoiler-filled breakdown on why that one script change from Remake actually makes perfect sense.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

WarioWare-Like Minigame Collection ‘Super 56’ Brings The Party To Switch This Year

One-button fun.

WarioWare: Move It! came to Switch in 2023 and threw us back into the wild world of wacky minigames. Those who enjoyed the experience might want to check out SUPER 56, which launches on Switch later this year and looks to be just as bonkers.

From indie development team Onion Soup Interactive and publisher WhisperGames, SUPER 56 offers a collection of one-button minigames (56 of them, would you believe) for you to drive, fish, date, catch and generally laugh your way through. It doesn’t seem to quite match the ‘Act like a chicken’ level of humiliation in the WarioWare series, but is that really such a bad thing?

Read the full article on nintendolife.com