Video Games | Page 1066 of 1221

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut comes to PC in May

Fans of curly wind FX and striking from a sheathed stance rejoice – open world samurai action game Ghost of Tsushima is coming to PC on May 16th via Steam and Epic Games Store. This is the Director’s Cut edition of the game, which includes the Iki Island story expansion and the co-op multiplayer Legends mode. It’s being developed by PC port specialists Nixxes, the studio behind the PC version of Horizon Forbidden West – Complete Edition, and features customisable mouse and keyboard controls plus unlocked frame rates and assorted graphical whizbangs. I’ve got a trailer for you below.

Remedy Lowers Minimum System Requirements for Alan Wake 2 on PC

Alan Wake 2‘s hefty system requirements shocked many PC gamers when they were announced last year. The requirements noted that you needed at least an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or an AMD Radeon RX 6600 GPU to run the game at 1080p / 30 frames per second (FPS), with no support for older GPUs such as Nvidia’s GTX 10-series. Roughly four months after its release, Remedy has released a new patch that lowers the minimum PC system requirements and allows older PC gaming rigs to run the game.

Remedy posted the new system requirements, which you can check out below, to X/Twitter alongside the release of update 1.0.16.1.

The minimum requirements now call for at least a GTX 1070 or an RX 5600 XT graphics card. As previously noted by Remedy, if you have either GPU, in addition to the other minimum specs that remain unchanged, you can run the game at 1080p / 30FPS.

As Remedy mentioned in the patch notes for Alan Wake 2 update 1.0.16.1, the developer has “optimized rendering for GPUs that don’t support mesh shaders.” The GTX-10 series lacks mesh shader support, which is a type of code that allows game developers to process polygons with more power and control, enabling things such as greater detail. This results in a detail-rich in-game environment but leaves older PC gaming rigs in the dust.

Yet, even if you don’t have an RTX 1070 and are rocking an RTX 1060, which is still one of the top five most-popular GPUs PC users are using as of a Steam February 2024 hardware survey, you will get a slightly better performance than you did at release, as Digital Foundry’s Alex Battaglia pointed out in his recent retesting of Alan Wake 2 running GTX-10 series cards. While the GTX 1060 still failed to run 30FPS, Battaglia discovered that the GTX 1060 got a performance improvement, with some demanding areas now putting out 26FPS instead of 18FPS.

In IGN’s Alan Wake 2 review, we said: “Alan Wake II is a superb survival horror sequel that makes the cult-classic original seem like little more than a rough first draft by comparison.”

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Nightingale early access review: a numbers grind disguised as a gaslamp survival game

Not long ago, a few of us from the RPS Treehouse wandered through first-person survival ’em up Nightingale with its boss Aaryn Flynn, and then had it out about the game’s crafting menus. I was one of the folks who wasn’t so hot on what we’d played, and I’d hoped that the early access version would prove me wrong.

Alas, I am sad to report that I still do not like Nightingale. From what I’ve played so far, the game is an awkward marriage of survival game and live service loot grind, which makes you feel divorced from the very world you inhabit.

Project Tower: Copy Your Enemies’ Skills in New Unreal Engine 5 Shooter

Developer Yummy Games has officially announced Project Tower, a new third-person bullet hell shooter powered by Unreal Engine 5. It’s in development for PC and PS5. Take a look at at the story-focused gameplay announcement trailer above as well as the first screenshots in the gallery below.

Yummy describes Tower as such: “In this third-person shooter that combines bullet hell and transformation abilities, use your powers to copy your enemies’ skills and solve puzzles to escape the alien tower that’s holding you prisoner.”

As you can see from the trailer, in addition to the bullet hell gameplay, there’s also a heavy focus on Project Tower’s “last of humankind” narrative here, which will hopefully make for a compelling time between the copious amounts of shooting that you’ll be doing. Wishlist it on Steam if you’d like to follow its development progress.

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.

Review: New Star GP (Switch) – A Stylish, Moreish Homage To The Likes Of Virtua Racing

We’ve certainly Senna lot worse.

Every now and then you get an indie developer who you can rely on to deliver a banger pretty much every time. New Star Games is one such developer, having already scored healthy scores on Nintendo Life in the past for New Star Manager (which scored 8), Retro Bowl (9), and Retro Goal (8).

Alongside its Switch releases, it’s also been responsible for a bunch of fantastic mobile games, including the likes of the New Star Soccer series, New Star Cricket, and New Star Baseball. Essentially, everything New Star touches turns to gold, but it’s also fair to say it has a style of game it’s best known for: retro-style sports games.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Turbo Golf Racing tees off April 4 on PS5

Are you ready for the ultimate fusion of racing and golf? Well warm up your engines and polish your golf balls because Hugecalf Studios is proud to announce that Turbo Golf Racing hits PS5 on April 4!

Turbo Golf Racing revolutionizes the traditional sport of golf by introducing turbo-charged cars as the means to putt the ball. Compete in golf or race game modes across over 80 fantastical levels, unlocking a selection of more than 500 cosmetics as you progress.

Race mode brings adrenaline-inducing speed to the fairways. Compete against seven opponents in a race to putt your ball first. Equip unique Power Cores, which grant special abilities or passive effects, such as a Magnet that can pull your ball closer or Hyper Glider which increases your cars gliding speed. Collect pick-ups such as Air Strike or Frost Beam to hinder the progress of your rivals in your bid to become the ultimate Turbo Golf Racer.

For those who favor a traditional golfing experience, take a moment to unwind in Golf mode, where accuracy outweighs speed. Victory is awarded to the player who putts in the fewest shots, so make every shot count, there’s little room for error.

Feel like practicing? Take on Time Trials, a way to learn the maps, refine your skills, and compete in the online leaderboards.

Hang out with your friends and play at your own pace in Custom Games. You can line up your favorite maps and customize the cores and pick-ups available.

Launch party

We’ll celebrate Turbo Golf Racing’s launch with a season full of party rewards! For a limited time after launch players can earn our 2 new car bodies: Jester, our clown car, and Bassline, a car equipped with DJ decks and speakers. Other goodies include party shades, musical boosters, and pork pie wheels, totaling over 35 seasonal rewards.

New Golf mode

Alongside a season of content, Turbo Golf Racing will feature a new game mode, allowing players to compete in Golf mode with up to seven opponents. This new fast-paced take on golf is only for the most skillful of players. Out of bounds will trigger penalties, so if you want to score an eagle, albatross, or the infamous hole-in-one, you’ll need to be precise with every shot!

We’re excited to see you all on the starting line, so mark the 4th of April on your calendar, let the launch party commence!

Helldivers 2 patch nerfs the best guns as designer says the balancing process will be “never-ending”

Arrowhead have released a new Helldivers 2 update – patch 01.000.100 – which designer Alex K describes as “the first round in a never-ending series of balance changes”. The patch nerfs three of what were hitherto the best Helldivers 2 guns and gear pieces – the SG-225 Breaker shotgun, the RS-422 railgun, and the SH-32 shield generator backpack, all of which break Arrowhead’s pretty straightforward golden rule that “each gun has its purpose and none is strictly better than another”.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Revealed for Consoles Ahead of Xbox Showcase

Pre-orders for an unannounced S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy have gone live in Japan, suggesting an announcement during today’s Xbox Partner Preview Event.

Gematsu reported pre-orders for the collection on PlayStation 4 went live on Japanese retailers alongside a June 27 release date. It includes S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, and marks the series’ debut on consoles.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, developed by GSC Game World and published by the now defunct THQ, launched on PC only in March 2007.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was well-received for its post-apocalyptic, alternative reality Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, as well as its non-linear storyline. Prequel Clear Sky followed in 2008, with sequel Call of Pripyat launching in 2010.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is due out in September on Xbox Series X and S and PC, and may also appear during the Xbox Partner Preview Event, which kicks off today, March 6 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK.

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.

Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Magick Archer class makes me want to solo the game

Yesterday I banged out the first in a torrid trilogy of Dragon’s Dogma 2 features, centring on hands-on time with the game’s Mystic Spearhand “vocation” or class. Look out for parts 2 and 3 over the coming week. During the hands-on, I also spent 45 minutes in the shoes of another advanced Dragon’s Dogma 2 class, the Magic – sorry, Magick Archer. You might remember this vocation from the original Dragon’s Dogma; then as now, it combines relatively straightforward bow combat with various breeds of enchanted ammunition, for a surprisingly technical skillset that is enjoyable to faff around with.

Helldivers 2 Developer Insists Sony Acquisition Rumor Is ‘Fake’

The boss of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has denied a recent rumour that Sony is buying the studio.

While Helldivers 2 is published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Swedish studio Arrowhead remains an independent company. But following Helldivers 2’s explosive success across PlayStation 5 and PC, rumors have emerged that Sony has made a move to acquire Arrowhead.

Responding to a tweet from an account that reposted the rumour and even created a Sony ‘welcome to the family’ image to boost the post, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt said: “This is fake… Unless I’ve missed something. Also, a really sh***y old logo from 2008 or so when we just started the studio.”

This is the first I hear of this… And that’s a good indication that it’s fake.
Also, very old logo.
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) March 6, 2024

Pilestedt responded to another tweet that posted the same image alongside a message hoping for the acquisition. “This is the first I hear of this,” Pilestedt said. “And that’s a good indication that it’s fake. Also, very old logo.”

Pilestedt had previously replied to a tweet to clarify that Helldivers 2 was not developed by a Sony-owned studio, saying: “We are not owned. We are independently owned!” Then: “I mean… We are owned, but only by the founders (including me) of the studio.”

I mean… We are owned, but only by the founders (including me) of the studio.
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) March 4, 2024

Last month, Sony announced a significant round of layoffs affecting around 900 staff, or about 8% of its global PlayStation workforce. The layoffs affect a number of PlayStation studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, Firesprite, and, most significantly, PlayStation’s London studio, which is closing entirely. Alongside the layoffs, a number of in-development games were canceled, including a Twisted Metal live-service game.

Arrowhead was founded in 2008 by a group of students who went on to release Magicka, The Showdown Effect, and Gauntlet. The first Helldivers game launched in 2015, published by Sony for PlayStation platforms and PC. Helldivers 2, however, is Arrowhead’s biggest game to date, and Sony’s biggest ever PC game launch.

There’s a lot happening in the world of Helldivers 2, including a recent new strategy that involves hugging and the game’s first balance patch. The galactic war continues, of course, as players await the arrival of mechs. This week, IGN reported on how Helldivers 2 has become one of the surprise hits of 2024 since launching in February, topping the charts on Steam and reportedly selling around three million copies. According to at least one analyst, it’s still growing. Check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 review to find out why it’s going down so well, as well as the best loadouts.

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.