Last year’s defining indie smash hit, Balatro? Not nominated for the IGF grand prize. Animal Well, which turned damn near every games journalist into a tiresome obsessive? Not nominated for anything. UFO 50, an impressive, important, big boy achievement snubbed by our own 2024 list? It did get a Grand Prize nomination.
I don’t disagree with any of the nominees or absences in this year’s Independent Games Festival Awards, so I don’t mention any of the above to stir up trouble. Instead I look at this list and think: wow, video games are more varied than ever, so much so that there’s no longer a dominant cultural narrative even within the specific niche of indie gaming.
Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders was one of the best demos I played last year, because it felt so good to gracefully slide down its white-powdered mountains (and clumsily crash into a tree). It might have been one of the best games I played last year, who knows, but it was delayed into 2025. Now it’s got a fixed release date again: January 21st.
The Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP developer Dragami Games has not only continued to address various issues with multiple patches but it’s also adding additional content to the game.
With this in mind, Dragami Games company CEO Yoshima Yasuda has now announced the team will be adding a photo mode “soon”. Nothing else was detailed, but typically these modes allow you to take shots of the main character and sometimes even change the outfits and camera settings.
A mod dedicated to recreating Liberty City within Grand Theft Auto 5, as a mod, has shut down.
Insider-Gaming reports that the Liberty City Preservation Project, a mod meant to recreate the setting of GTA 4 as a mod for GTA 5, has been taken down at the request of Rockstar Games. In a statement on Discord, user nkjellman said “Due to the unexpected attention that our project received and after speaking with Rockstar Games, we have decided to take down the Liberty City Preservation Project.”
There’s a new mod on the block for GTAV “Liberty City Preservation Project”, I tried out the mod. It’s AMAZING, it has a working subway network, the police and ambient traffic are faithful and it’s so polished.
One interesting development is that while Rockstar is judicious when it comes to taking down mods, they also sometimes hire those very modders to work at Rockstar Games. And some mods, like the Vice City mod, were taken down only for Rockstar themselves to announce remasters of those very games.
This isn’t to say Rockstar is working on a GTA 4 remaster, by any means, but there’s certainly precedent. Still it may be years away before we get an answer as we know Rockstar is currently hard at work trying to ready the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 for a 2025 launch.
If you’ve wanted to give VR gaming a try but the cost of entry has kept you at bay, then you might be interested in the first good Meta Quest deal for 2025. For a limited time, Amazon drops $50 off the Quest 3S 256GB VR headset, now only $349. That’s only $50 more than the base 128GB model and a worthy upgrade for storing more games at a time for untethered play. This straight up instant discount is arguably better than the deals that happened during Black Friday, which all involved digital credit or gift cards tied to specific stores.
To sweeten the pot even more, the package also includes a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. In IGN’s 8/10 review, Dan Stapleton wrote that “Batman: Arkham Shadow makes most of the Arkham series’ defining gameplay work respectably well in VR, and its mystery story pays off.”
Meta Quest 3S VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow
The Quest 3S is an improvement over the original Quest 2 in every way and, amazingly, without a price increase. It also adopts many of the same features of the more expensive Quest 3, like the new and improved Touch controllers, the upgraded SnapDragon APU, and support for full color AR passthrough. In IGN’s 9/10 Quest 3S review, Gabriel Moss wrote that “raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time.
What really sets this deal above all other VR deals is that the Meta Quest 3S can be played completely untethered. That means you can play games like Beat Saber or Pistol Whip without having to own a powerful gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. Try to find another standalone VR headset at this price and you’ll come up empty.
How Is the Quest 3S Different from the Quest 3?
Even at retail price, the Quest 3S comes in at $200, or 40% cheaper than the $500 Quest 3. Obviously, some compromises were made to get the 3S to its competitive price point. The spec comparisons are listed below:
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Similarities
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
Touch Plus controllers
120Hz refresh rate
Mixed reality passthrough (same cameras, different layout)
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Differences
Lower per-eye resolution (1832×1920 vs 2064×2208)
Fresnel lens vs. pancake lens
Lower FOV (96°/90° vs 104°/96°)
Smaller storage capacity (128GB vs 512GB)
Longer battery life (2.5hrs vs 2.2hrs)
In essence, the Quest 3S is nearly the same headset but with downgraded optics. On the plus side, since both headsets use the same processor, running at a lower resolution reduces the load on the APU, which could theoretically improve performance in games and also account for the increased battery life.
For the price, the Quest 3S is unquestionably a better value than the Quest 3, and a better choice for most gamers, especially if the Quest 3 was completely out of your budget in the first place. Compared to the previous generation Quest 2, the decision is even easier.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
It’s not every controller review that we have to start with a rundown of the current state of Fortnite, but bear with us, we promise it’s relevant.
The classic looting and shooting that we all know and love is now just a small part of the “Fortnite ecosystem” *squirms*, a hub-world for games that bundle the battle royale in with the survival sim LEGO Fortnite, the racer Rocket Racing, and the Rock Band-esque rhythm game, Fortnite Festival.
Sniper Elite: Resistance is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on January 28 for the deluxe edition, and January 30 for the standard edition. This latest installment of the long-running franchise brings you back to World War II and has you blast Nazis from afar (or close up, depending on how you choose to complete the missions). It’s coming out in two editions and both are now available to preorder. Read on for the details.
The deluxe edition comes with the game itself, plus the following extras:
2 days early access (January 28)
Season pass
Sniper Elite: Resistance Will Be on Xbox Game Pass
If you want a cheaper way to play the game, you’ll also be able to play Sniper Elite: Resistance on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass on January 30.
Sniper Elite: Resistance Preorder Bonus
Preorder any version of Sniper Elite: Resistance, and you’ll receive the following preorder bonuses:
Sniper Elite: Resistance is a first-person shooter set in the European theater during WWII. You play as Harry Hawker, an agent of the Special Operations Executive, who’s sent into occupied France to fight alongside the French Resistance to stop the Nazis from using a super-weapon that would help them win the war.
Like previous installments, stealth and sniping from afar are key to your success. When you score a kill, you’ll still be treated to a slow-mo X-ray shot of the bullet wreaking havoc on the internal organs of your enemies.
New to the series this time around are Propaganda Missions, which give you a limited amount of time to sneak in and complete tasks. And returning from previous installments is Axis Invasion mode, which lets you invade another player’s campaign as an enemy to take them down. Fun stuff.
Other Preorder Guides
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
Marvel Rivals players are being treated to an unlikely crossover that brings the Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 into the game as a new skin.
PlayStation announced the news itself in a post on X/Twitter, revealing a first look at how NetEase Games is reimagining the classic video game outfit for its new hero shooter.
This sleek Spider-Man suit made its debut as an original design for Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man, going on to make appearances in all three entries in that series. The main element setting this suit apart from the rest is its now-iconic white spider symbol, with its appearance in Marvel Rivals cementing it as a surprise collaboration with Sony and its console-exclusive superhero game. Expect Spider-Man’s Advanced Suit 2.0 to swing into the in-game store on January 30, the same day Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 comes to PC.
Marvel Rivals launched in December and already offers a smorgasbord of unlockable suits, but this new Spidey suit arrives as an especially unique addition. Along with its ties to the massively popular PlayStation series, the Advanced Suit 2.0 will once again be worn by a Spider-Man who is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal. The actor has played Peter Parker in all three of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games and also happens to have provided his talents for Marvel Rivals’ take on the character. In other words, those who pick up the costume come January 30 should feel right at home as they thwip their way to victory.
NetEase’s decision to bring Spider-Man’s Advanced Suit 2.0 into the fold gives players another piece of content to look forward to among everything that dropped with Season 1: Eternal Night Falls last week. This first season of content added Fantastic Four representatives Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman as new playable characters, with The Thing and Human Torch set to join in just a few weeks. Much more is on the way, too, as creative director Guangyun Chen recently promised to launch at least one new hero every month and a half.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
Sony has revealed the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for January 2025, which includes God of War Ragnarok, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, and more.
Announced on the PlayStation Blog, a total of 11 games are joining the library, nine on the PlayStation Plus Extra tier and two on the PlayStation Plus Premium Tier through the Classic Games Catalog. They’re available January 21.
While the beloved PlayStation 5 title God of War Ragnarok joins the library this month, it’s otherwise a tad short on the usual numbers. The additions usually include upwards of a dozen entries, and at least one on PlayStation VR2, but January’s offerings do not.
PlayStation Plus Games Catalog Additions for January 2025
God of War Ragnarok is the beloved sequel to the beloved God of War reboot that arrived in 2022. It continues the story of Kratos and Atreus as they navigate the wild worlds of Norse mythology. “God of War Ragnarok is an almighty achievement and creates a new high that makes many of its peers look mortal by comparison,” IGN said in our 10/10 review.
Perhaps the next biggest game in January 2025 is Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, a side story of the Yakuza series that sees longtime protagonist Kiryu become a secret agent. “Like a Dragon Gaiden’s combat hits with flash and fury and its story is sharp, but its setting and side activities feel a bit on the stale side,” we said in a 7/10 review.
Another large entry arrives this month in an open world role-playing game called Atlas Fallen, which unleashes its Reign of Sand expansion onto PS Plus. It also earned a 7/10 from IGN. “Atlas Fallen is a solid open-world action RPG with plenty of platforming and large monsters to fight with a co-op buddy, so long as neither of you cares about story or is a stickler for high-quality textures,” we said.
Something quite different arrives in action RPG SD Gundam Battle Alliance, a game where Gundam fans can explore the series’ history by battling through its most iconic scenes. Players can also collect myriad Mobile Suits and characters from throughout the mech battling series.
Described as a “euphoric music video dream about being awesome, riding motorcycles, skateboarding, dance battling, shooting lasers, wielding swords, and breaking hearts at 200 miles per hour,” Sayonara Wild Hearts is a unique amongst this lists and video games overall. “Sayonara Wild Hearts’ music and art combine for a stirring, unique experience,” IGN said in our 7/10 review.
Anno: Mutationem, meanwhile, is a side scrolling adventure game where players take on the roll of Ann as she fights through a neon metropolis. It earned an 8/10 from IGN. “Punchy, side scrolling combat and a richly realized, anime-inspired world make Anno: Mutationem a blast, but the script is a bit rusty,” we said.
Adding more variety to January 2025’s PlayStation Plus line-up is Orcs Must Die 3, a tower defence game about slaying lots of orcs. “Orcs Must Die 3 is very familiar to players of the second game but still a fun and goofy action/tower-defense challenge,” IGN said in our 7/10 review.
Citizen Sleeper arrives next. “Role-playing in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism, Citizen Sleeper puts you in the life of an escaped worker, washed up on a lawless station at the edge of an interstellar society. Explore the station, choose your friends, escape your past and change your future,” its synopsis reads.
This next game will teach you when to hold ’em, when to fold ’em, when to walk away, and when to run. Poker Club “offers players more ways to play than ever before with a full house of Texas hold’em online tournament modes and ring-games,” its synopsis reads.
Not ready to let Xbox get away with releasing an Indiana Jones game of its own, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings arrives on the PS Plus Games Catalog in January. This 2009 adventure game originally released on PlayStation 2 earned a “mediocre” rating in IGN’s review.
Finally, the classic platforming and puzzle solving fantasy game Medievil 2 comes to the Classic Games Catalog this month. “In this sequel to Medievil, you control Sir Daniel Fortesque, the undead knight, as he makes his way around the world’s foggiest city, London,” the synopsis reads. “Your arsenal ranges from swords to muskets, and if you defeat enough enemies on each level, you’ll unlock its Chalice of Souls and be rewarded with special items.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
