The Trails / Kiseki series might be one of the biggest RPG franchises around right now — at least, in terms of size and scope.
This storied JRPG saga takes place on the continent of Zemuria and follows different interlinking arcs, characters, and stories. Everything is carefully interconnected, with events affecting other storylines and characters frequently reappearing in future games. And with a staggering 12 mainline games to follow — with a 13th coming out in Japan later this year — its reputation is nothing short of prolific.
Well, well, well. Of all the detectives in all the world, she came to me. She was a dame with hair red as communion wine spilled by a bishop looking at a nun’s cleava- oh what, wait, she’s how old? Christ, Philip, get your head out of the gutter for once, this is a family website. I was previously a snob about the Nancy Drew point and click puzzle games, and then came to regret it when a fan of them (very nicely) emailed me explaining they’re actually really good. We’re going to find out for ourselves by playing them. There are north of 30 in total, and I will update the rankings at the end of each article.
The first is 1998’s Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill, in which Nancy solves the murder of a Floridian highschooler named Jake Roberts, and there’s a lot to love about it right away. There’s a restrained cast, three locations in total, and the school sports team is called the Fighting Manatees. Thus the icon for the game is a lil’ cartoon manatee – and to be absolutely accurate, this is the remastered version of the game from 2010, not the original 90s version. I’m as disappointed as you.
Originally revealed in the Future Games Show Spring Showcase back in 2022, publisher Untold Tales and developer Demagog Studio have today announced that the apocalypse-set 2D platformer The Cub is set to pounce onto Switch on 19th January.
Framed by the publishers as a “Jungle Book meets the armageddon fusion,” this one will see you returning to the dystopian world that the developer previously set out in Golf Club: Wasteland, parkouring your way through the landscape to escape the ghosts of your past.
I realise we’re all struggling through the dank depths of January but it’s never too early in the year to talk about sex, baby. Twitch have updated their attire policies to stop an outbreak of “implied nudity” among thirstier streamers, who have taken to filming themselves nude with black censor bars, or positioning the camera to suggest that they’re fully or partially naked outside the frame.
The new two-slice toaster also features a bagel function, digital countdown timer, and six different shade settings. Moreover, it will also expertly toast the Xbox logo onto your toast — what a marvel of engineering.
We have also left a handy link just below if you’re interested in checking out the live Xbox Series S Toaster listing at Walmart (or even want to consider buying it).
Due to some unconventional design choices, both the Xbox Series X and Series S have already been the subject of various memes since launch.
As mentioned, the Xbox has already leaned into this discussion with the release of the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge and now seems to be testing the waters with more Xbox-themed applicances.
A new flash cart marketed as “the only back-up and development device” for all Switch consoles was recently teased and in a surprise plot twist, it’s now led to the infamous Nintendo hacker Gary Bowser denying his involvement with the project.
If you’re wondering what’s next for the developer of series like Bayonetta, he’s now provided an update – mentioning how he hopes to return to the games industry in 2024. Here’s what he had to say to Japanese outlet Famitsu:
Nintendo recently shared a list via the Switch news channel featuring the system’s ‘most played’ games in Europe last year.
As you might have already guessed, a lot of major first-party releases are included along with some of the biggest third-party and free-to-play titles. This includes games like Zelda, Super Mario, Fortnite, Pokémon and Minecraft.
Bryan Ansell, one of the chief architects of the Warhammer franchise alongside Richard Halliwell and Rick Priestley, has died. He was 68.
Ansell’s death was announced on Instagram on December 30 with the message, “With great sadness, we announce that Bryan passed away peacefully at home this morning surrounded by his family, 30th December 2023.”
It included a classic photo of Ansell sitting in front of a Warhammer army with the description, “Mighty, Dark-Winged, Avenging Lord of Chaos, Bryan Ansell, and his Mighty Avenging Chaos Army.”
Warhammer founded Cidatel Miniatures in partnership with Steven Jackson’s Games Workshop in 1978. His initially sold 25mm historical and fantasy miniatures and games, but it was 1983’s Warhammer Fantasy Battle that would become the company’s breakout hit. Ansell bought out Games Workshop alongside Tom Kirby, and the company was eventually refocused around Warhammer and Warhammer 40K. Ansell ultimately left Games Workshop to focus on Wargames Foundry.
Warhammer, of course, remains immensely popular to this day, as evidenced by the huge range of licensed video games and other media that have come out of the property. The tabletop game likewise remains very popular, fostering a passionate community dedicated to painting miniatures among other activities.
Games Workshop alumni paid tribute to Ansell, with Games Workshop co-founder Ian Livingstone writing, “Very sad news Bryan Ansell passed away. Bryan, Steve Jackson and I set up Citadel Miniatures in 1978 as part of Games Workshop. He was a craftsman and dynamic entrepreneur who drove the growth of GW to the next level. Without Bryan, Warhammer would not have launched.”
Remedy designer Tuomas Pirinen, who previously worked at Games Workshop, wrote, “Bryan Ansell, the man behind the growth of Games Worshop and the patron of Warhammer and #40K as we know it today has died. Not many #Warhammer fans know it today, but without him, there would almost certainly be no Warhammer hobby at all today. Hard, man, but I’ll drink to you.”
Games Workshop did not provide a statement on any of its official channels.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
We’re kicking off 2024 with a whole month long of coverage for the hotly anticipated Dragon’s Dogma 2 from Capcom. All throughout January, we’ll have interviews, reveals, deep dives, and much more covering our experiences and impressions after getting play about 10 hours of the game at Capcom’s offices in Japan.
For now, have a look above at 18 minutes of gameplay covering both basic Fighter and Thief vocations, along with some never before seen looks at the Warrior and Sorcerer vocations as well.
Keep an eye out right here on IGN for more Dragon’s Dogma 2 all throughout the month of January as IGN First rolls on.
Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit
