Category: Video Games

Citizen Sleeper 2 Makes You The Protagonist Of Your Own Space Odyssey 

Citizen Sleeper 2 Makes You The Protagonist Of Your Own Space Odyssey 

Typically, if I’m holding my breath while playing a game, it’s because I’m focused on the rhythm of say, an intense combat sequence or platforming section. The tension stems from the precise, real-time input needed to triumph in those situations, a perfectly-aligned leap or parry. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, an RPG in which the main mechanic is placing dice into a slot at your leisure, does not require the lightning fast touch of a button, and that in itself is a testament to how exhilarating the game can be.

Citizen Sleeper 2 is the sequel to 2022’s Citizen Sleeper, and a compelling evolution to the first instalment that introduces new characters, stories and mechanics. You don’t necessarily need to have played the first game, but it does help in understanding the nuance and complexities of the unforgiving, dystopian world that Citizen Sleeper is set in. While the first game often felt like an isolated journey where helping yourself was often a zero-sum game, Citizen Sleeper 2 introduces a crew system, alongside some other clever new features, allowing your Sleeper to become the quirky, unappointed protagonist of your very own episodic sci-fi adventure.

Mechanically, the sequel feels fresh but familiar. Like the first game, Citizen Sleeper 2 is driven by ‘Cycles’, and at the start of each, you’ll roll a set of six-sided dice that will determine your output during any given Cycle. These dice will then slot into numerous activities, and the higher the roll, the higher the chance of success. Where Citizen Sleeper 2 builds on this is in a brand-new ‘Glitch’ system, a quirk that can debuff one or multiple of your dice rolls substantially, and the ‘Push’ system, which allows you to decrease the risk of using a specific dice to accrue Stress, another new feature. 

Stress is an exchange, letting you exchange short term success for further complications later on like ‘breaking’ a die, rendering it useless for a Cycle. This system forces you to gamble, to analyse whether success in the moment is worth whatever damage you’ll do to yourself in the long run. This is where those tense, exhilarating moments come into play, Citizen Sleeper 2 is at its best when a critical success or punishing failure hinges on an unpredictable dice roll.

It’s a much more engaging system, turning the act of simply rolling dice into a wider risk/reward system that enables you to essentially push through a difficult situation and pay for it later. Citizen Sleeper 2 is effectively a game about being alive in a body that doesn’t quite work as you’d like it to, and its mechanics are masterfully built to force you to wrestle with that at all times, yet it never feels a burden to play.

Another new addition that impacts how you play is the class system, which introduces three distinct Sleeper archetypes with their own strengths and weaknesses. Each class starts with strength in one skill, with the ability to unlock points and build out other skills as you play. However, each of these has one skill completely blocked off, you’ll not be able to build on it and will always be at a disadvantage on activities that require it. For example, I went with the Machinist role, a pragmatic archetype that excels with the ‘Engineer’ skill and falls short with the ‘Engage’ skill. In short, great at fixing things, not so great at socialising. It’s a balanced system, but one that drives a natural instinct to play a role, which will also impact how you build your party, another excellent addition to Citizen Sleeper 2.

As you progress, you’ll meet new characters that can be recruited as part of your crew, and each of these new additions comes with their own skills. This changes the dynamic of Citizen Sleeper 2 dramatically – you’re no longer only dependent on your own dice rolls, your crew members can contribute additional die in certain moments. 

However, these characters are more than just tactical additions to your tabletop arsenal. Citizen Sleeper 2‘s colorful cast is compelling to follow, because they’re not merely compelled to follow you. They’re individual personalities, each with their own drives and dreams. Sometimes, crew members will be indisposed on errands of their own making, and sometimes their actions will put you in interesting positions, and sometimes those situations may conflict with how you have chosen to roleplay your Sleeper. These characters are not written to be necessarily “good” or “bad” personalities, but everyone you meet has been molded by the dystopian landscape they all share in some way. There’s moral ambiguity in characters that have been shaped by loneliness, conflict and desperation, and there’s a muted cordiality in everyone just trying to survive.

One thing to really heed is that there is no right or wrong way to play Citizen Sleeper 2. Progression is not confined by the binaries of success and failure here, there is no “game over” if you find yourself stumbling through a run of bad luck and poor dice rolls. The decisions that you or your crew decide or deign are the ones that truly matter, and your priorities may change as you uncover new threads to pull on. 

The main story of Citizen Sleeper 2 is propelled forward by Major Drives, main missions that’ll advance the plot, but you’ll also pick up Minor Drives, side quests that are optional but will uncover integral additions such as new crew members and valuable items, some of which will pertain to the personal goals of your crew members. However, the new Contract system is where Citizen Sleeper 2 really shines in its homage to the episodic television format the game draws influence from. Contracts are little missions that your crew can embark on with their own engaging narratives and rewards, and they’re also where camaraderie with your crew is key to survival. Opportunities are often shrouded behind inconspicuous interactions that require good use of every skill, and not just your own.

Contracts are accessed via a new map layout, which allows your crew to travel freely between several locations. Citizen Sleeper 2 is far less linear, some Minor Drives will take you to new locations, or you can just choose to spend a few Cycles exploring a place with no specific goal. While its predecessor kept you isolated and tied to one place, Citizen Sleeper 2 extends an open invitation to explore a sprawling galaxy, as long as you have the supplies to get where you’re going.

There is, however, a constant clock running in the background as you partake in all of this wild-eyed wandering. The next narrative beat will often be forced upon you after a certain number of Cycles, and the way to keep failure at bay is to always be moving around. Again, this isn’t a pending failure, but a persistent reminder that there are consequences to your actions in this unrelenting universe.

Citizen Sleeper 2 constantly dances on the line between a calm, controlled stroll and a high-octane sprint. While you may be engaging in some non-important churn, taking your time with its many engaging dialogue sequences, the everpresent thrum of danger is always creeping up to you, making sure you can never truly relax wherever you are. It’s a masterful feat of thoughtful worldbuilding, where your success is often either clutched through chaos or entirely incalculable, which is also a salient question that Citizen Sleeper‘s world poses about existence: What if everything just went wrong anyway, and that was okay?

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is out January 31 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and is available day one with Xbox Game Pass.

The post Citizen Sleeper 2 Makes You The Protagonist Of Your Own Space Odyssey  appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Update to Add Balance Adjustments and New Features in February

Team Ninja will release a Ninja Gaiden 2 Black update in mid February to make “balance adjustments” and add “additional features.”

The update was announced on X/Twitter but little was said about what it includes specifically. Players have already replied to the post with features they’d like to see, including options to tweak camera movement as well as a more traditional new game plus option, but Team Ninja has only said it will address “feedback” received so far. No release date was announced.

“Based on the feedback received, we are preparing a patch aimed for release in mid February with some balance adjustments and additional features,” the studio said.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, which shadow dropped for players on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S last week, also received a smaller update in the form of patch version 1.0.6.0 today. As detailed on its website, it comes with two specific changes: a fix for an issue that removed DLSS and XeSS resolution options for copies bought through the Microsoft Store, and a fix for a “rare” problem that halted progress for players after defeating certain bosses.

The game was revealed alongside word that Team Ninja and PlatinumGames are both hard at work on Ninja Gaiden 4, which is set to launch in fall 2025. The remake of the second Ninja Gaiden game, meanwhile, is here now, and it’s already made quite an impression in the gaming space. We’ve enjoyed it, too, giving it an 8/10 in our review, where we called it a “definite and gorgeous improvement” over the Sigma 2 re-release and “an excellent action game all around.”

For more on Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, you can read up on why we think the franchise’s revival is the perfect antidote to the Soulslike phenomenon. You can also learn more about why the PS5 version of the game is the only one getting a physical release.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP.

Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Hello Kitty Island Adventure Review

I found a lot of joy in Hello Kitty Island Adventure when I first started playing its closed beta for IGN’s guide, way back before it hit Apple Arcade in 2023. Getting to create my own little Sanrio character and run around a tropical island collecting bits and bobs to gift to my new animal friends was pretty relaxing and fun. But day by day, that motivation to complete all my quests, find missing friends, and unlock new regions started to wear off. At a certain point it felt like a chore to log in, spam friends with gifts until I hit obnoxious daily limits, and hope I’d be allowed to progress my friendship levels a little further. Sadly, it’s the same situation on Switch and PC a year and change later: this island is still just as large, colorful, and geographically diverse as it was on my iPad, but it’s as frustratingly gated, repetitive, and stale too.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to like about Hello Kitty. The crafting, for instance, feels simple and intuitive. There are many different things you can make, from a variety of food items to cute plush pals. But at the end of the day, the main purpose of crafting is to get better gifts for your island friends. The better your gifts, the quicker you’ll advance friendship. That means there is very little incentive to craft things outside of gift giving or unlocking the next step of the very light “story.”

Gifting is what makes the world go ‘round in Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Everything revolves around giving your island residents presents and receiving resources (which you’ll use to make better gifts) in exchange. Progression in the story is largely locked behind different Friendship levels, which can be a slog to get through unless you’re gifting your residents two- or three-heart items – but the catch is that you won’t even be able to craft those higher level items until you’ve hit certain Friendship levels. It feels like a carefully curated maze of roadblocks to keep you from progressing too far too fast.

Although discovering the best order to level your residents while trying to figure out each of their favorite three-star gifts can be a fun challenge, gifting eventually starts to feel more like a tedious chore. You can’t even deliver multiple of the same gift at once to hurry up the process. And since gifting whatever earns you the most Friendship points is the only correct option, there’s nothing creative or rewarding about it – it’s a thinly veiled spreadsheet color-coded in bright, bubblegum pink. Even the dialogue triggered by gifting remains largely the same from friend to friend, only varying depending on the “tier” of the item you give.

The characters are super cute, but talking to them each day feels fruitless.

The characters themselves are super cute, and are sure to spark some nostalgia for longtime Sanrio fans. They have a bit of spunk to them, with the odd moment of humor which livens up otherwise-dull dialogue interactions. Other than that, though, talking to the island residents each day feels fruitless. You don’t really get any new interactions with them as time goes on. You just have to keep plugging along giving gift after gift to unlock their quests if you hope to see anything new or different.

So if Friendship and gifting are simply the keys, surely the questing door they open is where more interesting or engaging experiences must be hidden… right? Unfortunately, all that awaits you is even more flavors of busy work. From quests unlocked by reaching new levels of Friendship, to the story quests which reveal the “mystery” of the island, these objectives are another never-ending list of to-dos, with very little variety in the simple puzzles, object fetching, crafting, and more they ask of you.

That means quest tasks get repetitive fast, and I had very little motivation to complete them outside of unlocking more of the story (which itself is full of dialogue that often falls flat) because rewards felt either minimal or inconsequential. We’re talking about a crafting material here, a “spooky” furniture item there – nothing that changed anything about the way the next task would unfold.

That’s because furniture and decorating are just as underwhelming as the crafting and collecting that precede them. You can decorate your own island home, plus the other homes you unlock to attract new Visitors, using the friendship and quest rewards. If you’re lucky, you might find something in a random chest hidden around the island. It’s a while, though, before you’re able to craft your own furniture.

Once you’ve unlocked some variety, the options are… okay. While you could mix and match, the decor isn’t very versatile, leaving little room to get creative and design your own style outside of the “themes” each furniture set comes in because they just don’t play well together. What am I supposed to do with a Hello Kitty bookcase, a Spooky Candelabra, and a Pirate chair? I can’t make my house look like a bookstore, or a cafe, or even redecorate for an upcoming holiday with such limited options. Heck, you can’t even rotate furniture at quarter turns or place objects on tables! Overall, unless you like decorating your houses in full-on Kawaii styles, you’re out of luck.

One of the areas where Hello Kitty Island Adventure’s customization is more successful is its character creator. I love that you get to build your own little Sanrio character, rather than the Animal Crossing approach of you being the only human on an island full of sentient, talking creatures. There’s a nice variety of different animals to choose from, including birds, bunnies, and even sheep (though I am bewildered that it doesn’t have frogs as an option). As you play more and level up your Friendship, you unlock even more “avatar” color options to choose from.

A lack of interesting hooks is why my motivation started to wane.

Tuxedosam has some cute clothes available to purchase at his island shop, and you’ll get the odd outfit from a chest or quest. However, much like the decor, there isn’t enough variety to inspire my creativity or make me want to dress up every day (or even very often) like I usually enjoy doing in games like this. I found one outfit I kind of liked and it became my “uniform.”

This lack of interesting hooks is a big reason why my motivation to continue playing started to wane once I reached a certain point. Sure, there are lots of things to collect in Hello Kitty Island Adventure, including furniture, clothes, critters, fish, and more, but there is very little incentive to do so other than simply for the sake of keeping you busy.

There is at least the Nature Preserve to fill up with critters, as well as the Fwishing Well to give fish to, both of which would normally satisfy someone like me who enjoys “catching ‘em all” and hitting collection goals. But, once again, the rewards for adding these places are so minimal they might as well be nonexistent. You’re telling me that for donating all the critters that can be found in the bog area of the island I get… 10 mushrooms? I could gather those myself in a single day!

It does help that the designs for the critters themselves are unbearably adorable, branching off beyond bugs to also include frogs, chickens, and even turtles. But that’s not enough to change the fact that bug catching itself is overly simplistic, and doesn’t offer much to make certain bugs more of a challenge than others besides having them vanish quicker. Of course, you can enlist Kerropi’s help to get a buff that makes the bugs stick around longer – but, as you might have guessed, this too is locked behind their Friendship level.

In comparison, I really like the fishing minigame, which puts a small spin on the typical “keep the fish in the colored bar” mechanic by turning the bar on its side and testing your reaction time to keep an arrow balanced in the center. However, there isn’t much more to fishing beyond this. There are no upgrades to get and no fishing collection challenges that I could find, other than hitting certain milestones by giving gifts… sorry, I mean making donations to the Fwishing Well. That’s a shame, because the designs of the fish are really cute, colorful, and match the unique vibe of the regions they are found in perfectly.

At this point, you’ll probably be making comparisons to another cozy tropical island game. Allow me to be the bearer of bad news: No, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is not really comparable to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While these two games might seem very similar on the surface (you are stuck on an island with some cute animal companions, tasked with sprucing the place up), they couldn’t be more different once you actually jump in.

Animal Crossing is all about collecting and crafting as you shape your own personal dream island, essentially a sandbox decorating game full of fun little guys who live alongside you. Hello Kitty, on the other hand, is all about transforming an abandoned island amusement park into the best (read, predetermined) version of itself along a linear path. The lack of customization for not only the island itself, but also your own house and visitor’s houses, means it feels less like your dream island, and more like a dream of Hello Kitty’s that you’re just visiting.

That makes it feel like Hello Kitty Island Adventure is asking nothing of me except for my time. While a game coming to more platforms is never a bad thing on its own, I fear this one was better off played on a phone – something to open up and fill the dull moments on long commutes or in waiting rooms. Despite the disdain mobile games often unjustly draw, there is no shame in wanting something that serves as a casual distraction for short spurts at a time. (That isn’t even to touch on the fact that many mobile games are so much more than that.) But even in that context, this isn’t one I want to spend my spare time on, and it makes me sad to think it could be what some people now think all cozy mobile games are: colorful, cutesy, and totally mindless.

Please, call a job cut a job cut

Bioware released a statement yesterday. It talked of “turning towards the future”. It dreamed of “a more agile, focused studio”. Nowhere in the post did the word “layoffs” appear. But this is what the post was actually about. The closest it got to addressing the facts of what happened to an unspecified number of workers is the phrase: “we don’t require support from the full studio.”

It’s one of the most disingenuous announcements of job cuts in a recent and plentiful history of job cuts. A weirdly impressive feat from BioWare, considering the last two or three years have seen some spectacular verbal gymnastics from games companies when it comes to shitcanning people. Let’s take a look at some of our “favourite” mealy-mouthed press releases in which people have their jobs poetically “sunsetted” rather than, say, dropkicked out the window.

Read more

Sony Has Good News and Bad News on PlayStation 5 Themes

Sony has issued an update on the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PS4 limited-time console themes for PS5, as well as the prospect of more themes coming to the console.

In a tweet, Sony confirmed that the much-loved classic themes leave tomorrow, January 31, 2025. However, it also confirmed that they will return at some point, which is certainly good news for PS5 users who’ve enjoyed those nostalgia-fueled boot-up sounds whenever they turn their consoles on.

“Thank you for the fantastic response to the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PS4 limited-time console themes, which will be leaving tomorrow,” Sony said. “Due to the positive response on these 4 themes, we’re doing some work behind the scenes to bring these special designs back in the months ahead.”

That’s the good news. Now for the bad news. In a follow-up tweet, Sony said it has no plans to release more themes in the future. Here’s the statement:

“While there aren’t plans to create additional themes in the future, we’re excited to keep celebrating legacy PlayStation hardware with you all.”

Fans were quick to express their disappointment at the news. Sony has yet to add themes to the PS5 despite it being a feature of previous consoles, and based on this statement, it’s not happening at lease with this console generation.

The nostalgia themes let PS5 users style their home screen and menus after the PSOne, PS2, PS3, and PS4 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of PlayStation on December 3, 2024. The PSOne theme adds the classic console to the home screen background, the PS2 theme adds its menu shapes, the PS3 theme adds its wave background, and the PS4 theme similarly adds the wave patterns seen in the background of the previous generation of PlayStation. All themes also add each console’s sound effects.

Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment.

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.

Dragonsweeper is a free, neat and nifty RPG take on a venerable PC puzzler

The last Minesweeperalike I wrote up was a sparkling slurry of mind-altering pop-ups and resinous AI cleavage. It was David Cronenberg’s Minesweeper: The Substance Edition, and I was sincerely worried that I’d put you all off Minesweeper for life. But before you mop your last munition and turn in your index finger for good, give Dragonsweeper a try. It’s Minesweeper with an altogether less atrocious twist which you can hopefully deduce from the name.

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TMNT: Splintered Fate’s Upcoming DLC Sees Casey Jones Join The Hades-Like Action

Puck up your ideas.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is getting DLC! We knew this already, of course, but today Super Evil Megacorp has revealed our first proper look at it, introducing the roguelike’s newest playable character: Casey Jones.

The ‘Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam’ DLC is set to land on Switch on 5th February, bringing with it the Turtles’ hockey-mask-wearing pal, a new stage and a fresh wave of enemies to take out along the way.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Xbox Free-To-Play Frenzy: More Games, More Wins, More Adventures!

Xbox Free-To-Play Frenzy: More Games, More Wins, More Adventures!

  • Meredith IngersollXbox Partner Marketing

Free to Play Frenzy Hero Image

Xbox is your ultimate destination for free-to-play excitement! From January 28 through February 10,  join the Free-To-Play Frenzy and immerse yourself in thrilling worlds, epic quests, and intense battles with millions of players worldwide. Take advantage of fantastic discounts and special Perks offers to elevate your gaming experience (perks and offers may vary by region and title. Check the Xbox console or app for the latest details).

Whether you’re into international pop stars, exploring expansive mountain ranges, or flushing out enemies, Xbox has the perfect free-to-play game for you. But don’t wait—the collection is only available until February 10!  Enjoy new experiences in popular titles like Genshin Impact, Fortnite Festival and Valorant. Here’s what’s new in each game:

  • Genshin Impact: Version 5.3, “Incandescent Ode of Resurrection”, is now available! Fight for Natlan’s future alongside Mavuika and Citlali, and welcome Teyvat’s new year with the joy and tradition of Lantern Rite!
  • Fortnite Festival: Mikufans, it’s time to grab your glowsticks (or should we say leeks?!). Hatsune Miku (初音ミク), one of the biggest virtual pop stars in the world, is bringing her futuristic sounds to Fortnite as the Icon for Festival Season 7!  
  • Valorant: Say hello to our newest Agent, Tejo, who’s joining the roster from Colombia. As part of the Initiator class, Tejo specializes in flushing out enemies. Tejo, like all Valorant Agents, is unlocked with a Game Pass membership. Learn more about his abilities on Xbox Wire.

Exclusive Perks for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Members

Level up your gaming with exclusive Perks for games like Throne & Liberty, War Thunder and Crossout. From bonus loot to unique skins, these rewards will enhance your gameplay experience. Visit the Perks gallery on your Xbox console or app to claim these exciting offers.

  • Throne & Liberty – Lottie and Percy Bundle (Xbox Exclusive): Join the Resistance in this Xbox exclusive colored Lottie Outfit and get a Fuzzy Percy Amitoi to tag along on your adventures.  
  • Crossout – Midgar 2.0 Bundle: Get a unique armored car, “Fenrir 2.0”, a character portrait, “Wotan”, a paint can: “Red grid”, 1500 in-game coins, and a premium account for 21 days.
  • War Thunder – Year of the Snake Bundle: Celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Snake with a mighty tank, the Sherman Jumbo “Cobra King”, and a versatile fighter plane, the P-63C-5 “King Cobra”.

Get Ready for Non-Stop Fun

Xbox Free-To-Play Frenzy is your gateway to endless adventures. Whether you’re trying new games, revisiting old favorites, or creating your own stories, there’s something for everyone. Grab your controller, hit play, and let the fun begin!

Check out our Free-to-Play Frenzy collection here.

The post Xbox Free-To-Play Frenzy: More Games, More Wins, More Adventures! appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.55 details revealed, live today

Gran Turismo players! This month’s Gran Turismo 7 update delivers a wide range of cars, from the original Gran Turismo F3500-A formula car to the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N ’24. Be sure to experience the next-generation racing AI agent, Gran Turismo Sophy is now available on Autodromo de Interlagos and Mount Panorama Circuit. 

Update 1.55* for Gran Turismo 7 is available as of Wednesday, January 29 at 10:00pm PT / January 30 at 6:00am GMT / 3:00pm JST. 


Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.55 details revealed, live today

*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update. 

4 new cars added this month

Gran Turismo F3500-A 
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)

An original formula car created in the image of classic F1 cars. 

The F3500-A is a Gran Turismo original formula machine born from a deep admiration for early 1990s F1 cars. 

Looking at its construction, the chassis is made from negative molded carbon fiber which was the style at the time. The suspension arrangement also uses a classic layout, featuring horizontally mounted shock absorbers actuated by pushrods and bell cranks. 

The power unit is a light and compact 3.5L naturally aspirated V12. Using pneumatic valves, it can reach 15,000 rpm, and variable length funnels on the intake system ensure ample torque across the rev range. 

The screaming sound of the exhaust at high RPMs is a unique quality of naturally aspirated systems that cannot be recreated with turbochargers. The transmission is a 6-speed semi-automatic box with paddle shifters, which has been mounted laterally to avoid any interference with the shape of the rear diffuser. 

Looking towards the aerodynamics, the monocoque uses a high nose design. Unlike modern front wings which tend to hang down from struts, this one uses an anhedral design where the wing spreads out diagonally from under the nose. There are several different wings, both front and rear, as well as engine cowl shapes available, allowing you to customize the car to your personal tastes.

Honda Civic Si Extra (EF) ’87
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)

A dominating force on the touring car circuit, this 4th generation Civic features the famous ZC engine.

In 1987, the Civic received a full model change, bringing the series into its fourth generation. Often known as the ‘Grand Civic’ or simply by its model code ‘EF’. 

The exterior retains the broad strokes of the previous model while adding modern touches to the slightly larger body. One of the largest changes was the overhauled platform which brought with it a new 4-wheel double wishbone suspension setup. The wheelbase was also lengthened significantly, allowing drivers to enjoy the car’s sporty handling with more stability. 

The lineup retained the same 4 body variations as before, a 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, and a 5-door shuttle along with the ‘Pro’ commercial model. Another carryover from the previous generation was the ‘Si’ sport models featuring 1.6L DOHC inline-4 engines. Additionally, this generation saw the introduction of the ‘Si Extra’ grade, which added a rich suite of equipment to the Si formula. 

The ZC engine received extensive tuning to increase the compression ratio, reduce airflow restriction on intake and exhaust, and reduce piston friction among other improvements. The result was a maximum power output of 128.2 BHP and 14.7 kgfm torque net. The previous ‘Wonder Civic’ era boasted 133.1 BHP and 15.5 kgfm however these were gross figures. Net figures are typically 15% less than gross, which means that the new ZC unit was more powerful. 

The Si and Si Extra models also saw extensive use in arenas like the Japan Touring Car Championship (JTC). Starting from the 1988 season, the car would receive its first race victory in Round 3 before going on to win the drivers title and manufacturers title. The car would prove its strength once again in the 1989 season where it would take the manufacturers title again.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 N ‘24
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)

A fearsome driving machine that challenges the preconceptions of BEVs. 

The IONIQ 5 debuted in 2021 as Hyundai’s first electric only model. The car already had a clean modern look and excellent usability, but the real star of the lineup would come in 2023 with the introduction of the N model.

For Hyundai, the N stands for the two facilities where this car was developed, Namyang in Korea and the Nürburgring in Germany, which speaks for the car’s performance. With the addition of this name, the IONIQ 5 was transformed into the embodiment of driving pleasure.

The drivetrain is a four-wheel drive system with motors on each of the front and rear axles. These provide a combined power output of 478 kW (641 BHP) / 770 Nm (78.5 kgfm) in overboost mode. Additionally, the system allows for adjustment of the front-to-rear power distribution, which makes it possible to drift the over 2 ton body when set to a rear power bias. A virtual dual-clutch transmission is also provided using regenerative braking power, with further driving euphoria provided by simulated exhaust sound.

The IONIQ 5 N also features a multitude of exclusive furnishings on both interior and exterior. This monster of a car pushes the boundaries of what is possible for BEVs.

Toyota C-HR S ’18
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)

The unconventional crossover SUV that took on the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Toyota has produced a number of world cars, such as the Corolla and the Yaris. In 2016, Toyota released a new global car developed for the 21st century, the C-HR.

The car’s most notable feature is its compact crossover SUV design. In order to meet the needs of people’s various lifestyles, Toyota developed an all-new model that combines the comfort and space of an SUV with the active character of a coupe.

The origins of this model lie in Toyota’s new generation TNGA platform which was first employed in 2015 on the 4th generation model Prius. The suspension features a newly developed strut system on the front end, with a double wishbone setup on the rear. On top of this, sits a coupe style body featuring a complicated series of faceted surfaces.

For the power unit, the car is available with the same 1.8L hybrid engine as the 4th generation Prius or a downsized 1.2L 4- cylinder turbo engine. The former is provided as a front-wheel drive powertrain and the latter as four-wheel drive. The S model featured here is hybrid entry grade model for the Japanese market which features 17-inch wheels.

Exactly as Toyota had planned, the C-HR found support in areas all over the globe, and soon became a bestseller. An unconventional crossover SUV, though popular for its economy and ease of use, it also found a place within motorsports, with a prototype car competing in the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Café / Extra Menus 

The following Menu has been added to the Extra Menus section:

  • Extra Menu No. 43: Group C (Collector Level 47 and above)

World Circuits (Event)

The following new events have been added to World Circuits:

  • Sunday Cup: Kyoto Driving Park – Miyabi
  • Japanese FF Challenge 450: Sardegna – Road Track – C
  • World Touring Car 600: Autódromo de Interlagos

Gran Turismo Sophy

The next-generation racing AI agent, Gran Turismo Sophy is now available on the following courses. Look for the GT Sophy icon in the Quick Race menu on each track to test your skills against Sophy. 

Autódromo de Interlagos

Mount Panorama Circuit

Scapes

Chromatic Drive has been added as a featured Curation in Scapes. 

We hope you enjoy all that’s in store with Gran Turismo 7’s update 1.55, available now.

Dragon Age Developers Reveal They’ve Been Laid Off After BioWare Puts ‘Full Focus’ on Mass Effect

Key Dragon Age developers have announced they are leaving BioWare after the developer restructured to focus on the next Mass Effect.

Yesterday, January 29, IGN reported that BioWare had moved a number of the studio’s developers onto other projects within EA as it focuses entirely on Mass Effect 5.

General manager Gary McKay said the studio is “taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work.”

“Given this stage of development, we don’t require support from the full studio,” McKay continued. “We have incredible talent here at BioWare, and so we have worked diligently over the past few months to match many of our colleagues with other teams at EA that had open roles that were a strong fit.”

IGN understands that EA has already placed an unknown number of developers from BioWare into other, equivalent roles within the company. But a smaller number of Dragon Age team members are also seeing their roles terminated, and are being offered time to apply to other roles within the company if they so choose.

Following the announcement, a number of BioWare developers took to social media to say they were now leaving the studio. Editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard Trick Weekes, and editor Ryan Cormier all said they were looking for work, with producer Jen Cheverie and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm also confirming their exit.

BioWare already suffered a round of layoffs in 2023, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche announced her departure from the studio last week.

IGN asked EA for specifics on how many individuals at BioWare were being impacted by this latest change, how many face potential layoffs, and how many remain at the studio, but EA’s response was vague:

“The studio’s priority was Dragon Age. During this time there were people continuing to build the vision for the next Mass Effect. Now that The Veilguard has shipped, the studio’s full focus is Mass Effect.

“While we’re not sharing numbers, the studio has the right number of people in the right roles to work on Mass Effect at this stage of development.”

BioWare’s work on Dragon Age: The Veilguard was brought to an end last week with what sounded like its last major update.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard was the first new game in the fantasy RPG series in 10 years, but it came and went not with a bang but a whimper. Amid the launch BioWare confirmed Dragon Age: The Veilguard wouldn’t get any post-launch DLC, shocking fans who had hoped for expansions as previous Dragon Age games had received.

Last week, EA admitted Dragon Age: The Veilguard had failed to meet sales expectations by a whopping 50%; it had expected three million players, but the game managed only 1.5 million. We’ve chronicled some of the game’s development challenges already, including layoffs and the departure of several project leads at different stages.

As for Mass Effect, EA said a “core team” at BioWare is developing the next Mass Effect game under the leadership of veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others.

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.