After cracking open its virtual Pandora’s Box using the magical key of “shooting it with a lot of bullets”, Fortnite’s mythical next season is due to roll out later today. Chapter 5 Season 2 – or Myths & Mortals, if you prefer – will bring a pantheon of god powers, locations from Greek mythology and, uh, Korra from the Avatar: The Last Airbender sequel, who has a gun now I guess.
A developer at Avalanche Software has taken to X/Twitter to “set expectation” for the incoming Hogwarts Legacy update.
Community manager Chandler Wood told fans of the game that Avalanche’s original wording was “very intentional” when it promised “additional updates and features” back in January 2024.
“We are thrilled that you are all excited for the free update to Hogwarts Legacy this summer,” Wood said. “We love seeing all the guesses and hopes for what will be part of this update, and while we are not ready to talk about it yet, I do want to set some expectations for what we are working on.
Hi everyone! We are thrilled that you are all excited for the free update to Hogwarts Legacy this summer. We love seeing all the guesses and hopes for what will be part of this update, and while we are not ready to talk about it yet, I do want to set some expectations for…(1/2)
— Chandler Wood (@FinchStrife) March 7, 2024
“Our original wording of ‘additional updates and features for the game’ was very intentional. This update is a small way of showing appreciation to our players for the amazing reception to the game.”
It’s still very hard to determine what the new content might be, as implementing “additional updates and features” could essentially mean anything, but Wood is seemingly trying to let Hogwarts Legacy fans know that a major expansion or anything too complex or vast is on the way.
Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC players will at least be getting a new mission, however, as content previously exclusive to PlayStation is arriving alongside the extra content coming to all platforms. This includes the Haunted Hogsmeade quest which, upon completion, grants access to the Hogsmeade Shop as well as the Shopkeeper cosmetic set.
Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling game in the U.S. in 2023 and sold 22 million copies worldwide. Its success has been mixed with controversy due to its connection to Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling though, who has been outspoken in her anti-transgender views.
In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “In almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter role-playing game [we’ve] always wanted to play.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Akira Toriyama, the mangaka whose work in video games included designing the characters for two of the most influential RPGs ever made, Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest, on top of creating one of the most influential series across all of pop-culture in Dragon Ball, has passed away.
All locked behind a paywall.
For a short while, LEGO Fortnite seemed to be pretty popular. Blending Lego with survival mechanics worked wonders and brought in a whole new player base to the free-to-play online battle royal. But today, Epic has announced LEGO Kits, new buildings that you’ll be able to create and add to your villages.
Fan reception to the announcement hasn’t exactly been rapturous, however, as these new Kits — which are being introduced to the Item Shop this weekend — will cost V-Bucks.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The post Women Behind Minecraft Are Building a Better World Through the Power of Play, Block by Block appeared first on Xbox Wire.
It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, PS VR, and free-to-play games topped the download charts last month. February’s PS5 list saw players doing their part to save democracy and humankind from extinction with new releases Helldivers 2 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth storming the top three in both US and EU regions. The bone-crushing new release Legendary Tales surged the PS VR2 list breaking the top three of most downloads in both US and EU regions.
Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month?
| US/Canada | EU |
|---|---|
| HELLDIVERS 2 | HELLDIVERS 2 |
| FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH | FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH |
| Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | EA SPORTS FC 24 |
| Madden NFL 24 | Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft |
| NBA 2K24 | Grand Theft Auto V |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III |
| Grand Theft Auto V | SKULL AND BONES |
| SKULL AND BONES | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League |
| Persona 3 Reload | NBA 2K24 |
| EA SPORTS FC 24 | It Takes Two |
| TEKKEN 8 | Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 |
| Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 | ARK: Survival Ascended |
| Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft | Madden NFL 24 |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | TEKKEN 8 |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Hogwarts Legacy |
| Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash | STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor |
| Pacific Drive | Need for Speed Unbound |
| God of War Ragnarök | Persona 3 Reload |
| It Takes Two | Cyberpunk 2077 |
| ARK: Survival Ascended | The Crew Motorfest |
*Naming of products may differ between regions
*Upgrades not included
| US/Canada | EU |
|---|---|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Red Dead Redemption 2 |
| Minecraft | Minecraft |
| Madden NFL 24 | EA SPORTS FC 24 |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III | Need for Speed Heat |
| NBA 2K24 | A Way Out |
| Need for Speed Heat | Grand Theft Auto V |
| Batman: Arkham Knight | Batman: Arkham Knight |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 |
| Injustice 2 | Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft |
| Batman: Return to Arkham | Need for Speed Payback |
| Overcooked! 2 | Gang Beasts |
| theHunter: Call of the Wild | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops III | Unravel Two |
| Gang Beasts | Batman: Return to Arkham |
| Mortal Kombat 11 | The Last Of Us Remastered |
| EA SPORTS FC 24 | NBA 2K24 |
| The Last Of Us Remastered | theHunter: Call of the Wild |
| God of War | STAR WARS Battlefront II |
| A Way Out | Overcooked! 2 |
| Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 | Wobbly Life |
*Naming of products may differ between regions
| US/Canada | EU |
|---|---|
| Legendary Tales | ForeVR Bowl |
| Beat Saber | Beat Saber |
| Among Us VR | Legendary Tales |
| Pavlov | Arizona Sunshine 2 |
| Arizona Sunshine 2 | Pavlov |
| Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition | Ultrawings 2 |
| Ultrawings 2 | Among Us VR |
| Job Simulator | Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition |
| Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 | Moss: Book II |
| The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR | Job Simulator |
*PS Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included
| US/Canada | EU |
|---|---|
| The Walking Dead Onslaught | Batman: Arkham VR |
| Creed Rise to Glory | Sniper Elite VR |
| Beat Saber | The Walking Dead Onslaught |
| Batman: Arkham VR | Job Simulator |
| Sniper Elite VR | Beat Saber |
| Job Simulator | Creed: Rise to Glory |
| ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission | Moss: Book II |
| Borderlands 2 VR | Lethal VR |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR | Goalkeeper VR Challenge |
| SUPERHOT VR | DOOM 3: VR Edition |
| US/Canada | EU |
|---|---|
| Fortnite | Fortnite |
| Roblox | Roblox |
| Call of Duty: Warzone | Call of Duty: Warzone |
| Apex Legends | Fall Guys |
| Fall Guys | HAWKED |
| THE FINALS | Rocket League |
| Rocket League | Apex Legends |
| HAWKED | eFootball 2024 |
| Fortnite Battle Royale | THE FINALS |
| Overwatch 2 | The Sims 4 |
I’m beginning to think we should bury Vampire: The Masquerade back in the forsaken graveyard where it was originally dug up, or at least banish the toothy reprobate back to its pen & paper castle. I don’t know how White Wolf’s RPG is viewed in the land of table tops these days, but here in computerville it has delivered exactly one good video game in the last 25 years (and don’t come gibbering to me about 2022’s Swansong, it wasn’t fit to polish Bloodlines’ fangs). Sure, Bloodlines 2 might prove a winner, but given years of delays and a developer change, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Which brings us to Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice, the beleaguered series’ first prowl through the rain-slick streets of VR. In theory, this should be exactly my cup of haemoglobin; a gothic, linear stealth game where you use your vampire powers to sneak across the rooftops of Venice. In its mechanics and design, Justice aspires to be a cut down version of Dishonored. Unfortunately, it’s in the cutting down where most of its problems arise. It’s too cramped, too basic, and too fuzzy around the edges, and the whole experience ends up being a bit mid.
Capcom released the incredibly intricate character creator for Dragon’s Dogma 2 early and, naturally, players are already creating some wonderful and horrific things.
Players can download the character creator now before jumping straight into the action on March 22 when Dragon’s Dogma 2 launches proper. It allows the creation of the player character and the first of many pawns, which are the devoted followers of the player and the main mechanic of Dragon’s Dogma 2.
The character creator in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is already being praised as one of the best ever. “This character creator truly feels next gen,” wrote TheShiniestHobo on Reddit. “The best I’ve seen in any game,” added EMT-Fields.
For as many wonderful and dramatic characters being prepared for the role-playing fantasy epic, there is, of course, just as many absolute monsters. You can see a slideshow of beasties from both camps above.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s character creator is pretty insane. Pretty much every inch of the body can be customized. All the way down to your elbow angle lol.
Decent selection of options for natural hair as well. No more Killmonger cut. pic.twitter.com/rPtkWpU8FV
— Kami (@Okami13_) March 8, 2024
Beyond just random nightmare fuel, players have used the character creator to recreate favourite characters from other franchises, like they did with Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3. Speaking of, Wakiratoshi made Shadowheart from Larian’s Dungeones & Dragons smash hit.
Other video game-inspired characters include Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher by SirSeaborn and Malenia, Blade of Miquella from Elden Ring by jamesterfire. Elsewhere in entertainment comes The Lord of the Rings’ Gandalf by TheGuyEveryoneIgnore, Vinland Saga’s Thors by Cutie_Flirty_n_Nerdy, and a House of the Dragon Targaryen knight by Robert-starkert.
#DragonsDogma2 character creator goes hard pic.twitter.com/enxk8WvbgA
— veryDave (@veryDaveTTV) March 8, 2024
Coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam, Dragon’s Dogma 2 takes place in a parallel universe which “mirrors the world setting of the original game”. Players can explore the human kingdom of Vermund and the beastren kingdom of Battahl and ultimately take on a big evil dragon.
The myriard non-player characters of Dragon’s Dogma 2 also appear endlessly complex, as beyond some pawns being completely customisable as mentioned above, NPCs can form different bonds with the player character and may even fight each other for the player’s love.
Image Credit: datboi_fromthefuture, filipslovacek, TheShiniestHobo, Jpman96, Usernametekken69, PaxxWolf, SirSeaborn, Capital_Concept_1224, DimakSerpg, Cutie_Flirty_n_Nerdy, Robert-starkert, northturtle11, Wakiratoshi, SirSeaborn, jamesterfire, Agile-Fruit128, TheGuyEveryoneIgnore, TitaniteHydra
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
The second part of Dune is out at the moment, and it has resulted in that most filthy of perversions, discourse – a pastime in which only the most unsavoury characters indulge. Is Dune appropriative? Is the appropriation the point? Whatever the case, Funcom want you to know that their upcoming survival game Dune: Awakening has nothing to do with any of that, posting a short Xeet from the official Awakening account that’s the written equivalent of sticking your arms straight out, waving your hands, and going “Woahwoahwoah, hang on a minute.”
“We agree that religion is an integral part of the Dune universe. This is why in Dune: Awakening you will meet and interact with people of different religions along your journey. However, as opposed to the story presented in the books, the player is not a messiah and will not play a major role in any of them. Leading people on a holy war is not why you arrive on Arrakis,” reads the post in full. Personally, I approve of this effort to keep games apolitical. Politics? In my Dune. No thank you. I am of course being facetious. There is still religion and politics in Dune: Awakening, as confirmed by the statement, but you yourself aren’t doing much of it.
Developer Mighty Koi Studio announces The Night Wanderer, a new sci-fi/fantasy soulslike with RPG elements based on the Polish book series “Lord of the Ice Garden” by Jarosław Grzędowicz.
Mighty Koi, established in 2022 and also at work on the just-announced Thorgal, describes The Night Wanderer as such: “Players will take on the role of Vuko Drakkainen – a mercenary sent to the mysterious planet Midgaard to find a lost scientific expedition. The storyline combines science fiction with traditional fantasy. The gameplay will feature a compelling protagonist, an engaging story, and a vivid, extraordinary world shaped by mysterious forces.”
Drakkainen is also the main character of the novel, which is a four-volume saga that was first released in 2005 and completed with the fourth novel in 2012.
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.
