Category: Video Games

Anniversary: Resident Evil 4, One Of The Greatest Games Ever Made, Turns 20

“2005… I’ll never forget it”.

It seems funny to think back on it now, but during the early days of Resident Evil – when decomposing zombies were the top dog and Raccoon City was everybody’s favourite apocalyptic holiday destination – the idea that the franchise would find itself in the rural outskirts of Europe in which you fight a child-like evil castellan seemed utterly absurd.

That’s exactly what Resident Evil 4 was, however – absurd. Although the series has always enjoyed its own endearing sense of lunacy amongst the gritty, survival horror tropes, RE4 went above and beyond with its utterly ridiculous storyline and gameplay.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Has Been Nominated For Another Award

Fingers crossed.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has been nominated for another award. This time it’s up for ‘Adventure game of the year’ at the 28th annual DICE Awards.

The other nominees include 1000xRESIST, Animal Well, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. That’s some tough competition, but there’s always a chance it could take out the top spot.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Random: Metroid Prime 4 ‘OG’ Amazon Pre-Orders Are Being Cancelled

Some fans placed an order in 2017.

If you pre-ordered Metroid Prime 4 on Amazon multiple years ago, you might want to check the status of your order.

Amazon customers have been receiving emails recently, confirming the cancellation of this item “due to a lack of availability” and providing refunds. A user on the Metroid subreddit, who ordered the title in 2017 (alongside the original announcement), shared the message they received:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Black Myth: Wukong for PS5 Is on Sale Today

The popular and well-reviewed Black Myth: Wukong game is on sale at Amazon. Right now you can get it a physical PlayStation 5 copy for $56.99, a 13% off discount from its original $65 price. Black Myth: Wukong was one of the few recently released games that didn’t see any discount during Black Friday. At this price, it’s also less expensive than getting the digital only edition at the PlayStation Store.

Black Myth: Wukong (PS5) for $56.99

Black Myth: Wukong was released on August 17 of 2024 and was an immediate success. This game from Game Science is built on Unreal Engine 5 and is easily one of the best looking PlayStation 5 games. The grand, sweeping story is inspired by the Monkey King lore with a main campaign that takes about 35 hours to complete according to howlongtobeat. It boasts punishingly difficult Souls-like gameplay (I personally found it harder than Elden Ring) and epic boss battles. It didn’t make it into our list of best PS5 games of 2024, but only because it was too new (had to be out for 6 months or longer).

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.

Round Up: ‘Switch 2’ Renders Suggest A Sleek, Classy Successor

Does it come in black..?

Leaks and rumours regarding the upcoming ‘Switch 2’ have seemingly exploded since the beginning of 2025, with accessory maker Genki in particular causing a stir with its recent exhibit at CES 2025. Not only that, but photos shared via Reddit seem to showcase a genuine Joy-Con from the Switch successor, hinting at a new feature in the form of an optical sensor.

Naturally, fans are going wild with speculation, and many have taken it upon themselves to produce renders of the Switch 2 that they claim may be accurate representations of the final machine based on the miriad of leaks.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Share of the Year 2024

As 2024 came to a close, we asked you to take a look back and share your favorite screenshots you took while playing in 2024 using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are the Share of the Year highlights:

cuterboy296 shares Astro Bot in the God of War themed level tossing the Leviathan Axe.

riainwonderland shares a back to back portrait of Aloy and Rost from Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.

themarkplumb shares a close up portrait of Abby in newly released skin in The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

calisarah1998 shares Kay Vess walking out of a structure in Star Wars Outlaws.

domo_vp shares a Na’vi aiming a bow and arrow with a planet center framed in the background in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

TakaSanGames shares Eve striking a pose with her weapon in Stellar Blade

Gib84G shares a group of Space Marines standing in their armor in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

DexM_ds shares the Destined One carrying a bird on his arm in Black Myth: Wukong

__Auron__ shares the protagonist nun framed by dramatic lighting in Indika.

MBaw96 shares the protagonist and wolf from Neva underneath a larger spirit wolf falling in the sky.

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: New Game
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on January 15, 2024 

Did you unwrap a new game over the holidays? Next week, share moments diving into a game you’ve never played before using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

DICE Awards 2025 Nominations Revealed With Astro Bot, Helldivers 2, and Indiana Jones in the Lead

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced the nominees for the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards and the list reveals Astro Bot, Helldivers 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are leading the charge with six nominations each.

The 2025 D.I.C.E. Awards will take place on Thursday, February 13 at 11pm ET/8pm PT at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas and there will be 60 games from 2024 competing for awards in 23 categories. Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Helldivers 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will all be up for the top honor of Game of the Year.

While we already revealed which games earned the most nominations, we’d also like to share Balatro and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II came in second with five nominations each, and 1000xResist, Animal Well, and Batman: Arkham Shadow came in third with four nominations each.

You can check out the full list of D.I.C.E. Awards 2025 nominees below, and you can also see how they compare to our IGN Awards from 2024 and how these nominees and winners are picked.

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

  • Astro Bot
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
  • Neva
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • LEGO Horizon Adventures
  • The Plucky Squire
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Outstanding Achievement in Character

  • 1000xRESIST – Watcher
  • FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH – Yuffie Kisaragi
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones
  • INDIKA – Indika
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Senua

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

  • Astro Bot
  • Helldivers 2
  • Monument Valley 3
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  • Star Wars Outlaws

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

  • Frostpunk 2
  • Helldivers 2
  • Monument Valley 3
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  • Still Wakes the Deep

Outstanding Achievement in Story

  • 1000xRESIST
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio
  • Still Wakes the Deep
  • Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Outstanding Technical Achievement

  • Astro Bot
  • Batman: Arkham Shadow
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Action Game of the Year

  • Batman: Arkham Shadow
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • Helldivers 2
  • Stellar Blade

Adventure Game of the Year

  • 1000xRESIST
  • ANIMAL WELL
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
  • Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Family Game of the Year

  • Astro Bot
  • Cat Quest III
  • Little Kitty, Big City
  • The Plucky Squire
  • Super Mario Party Jamboree

Fighting Game of the Year

  • Blazing Strike
  • DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO
  • Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns
  • TEKKEN 8
  • UNDERDOGS

Racing Game of the Year

  • F1® 24
  • MotoGP™24
  • NIGHT-RUNNERS™ PROLOGUE

Role-Playing Game of the Year

  • FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard
  • ELDEN RING: Shadow of the Erdtree
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio

Sports Game of the Year

  • EA SPORTS College Football 25
  • EA SPORTS FC 25
  • MLB The Show 24
  • NBA 2K25

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

  • Balatro
  • Caves of Qud
  • Frostpunk 2
  • Tactical Breach Wizards
  • Satisfactory

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

  • Alien: Rogue Incursion
  • Batman: Arkham Shadow
  • Skydance’s BEHEMOTH
  • Starship Home
  • UNDERDOGS

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

  • Alien: Rogue Incursion
  • Batman: Arkham Shadow
  • Escaping Wonderland
  • Skydance’s BEHEMOTH
  • UNDERDOGS

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

  • ANIMAL WELL
  • Balatro
  • Grunn
  • INDIKA
  • Mouthwashing

Mobile Game of the Year

  • Balatro
  • Halls of Torment
  • Monument Valley 3
  • Paper Trail
  • Wuthering Waves

Online Game of the Year

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
  • Helldivers 2
  • Marvel Rivals
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

  • ANIMAL WELL
  • Astro Bot
  • Balatro
  • Helldivers 2
  • UFO 50

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

  • 1000xRESIST
  • ANIMAL WELL
  • Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
  • Riven
  • Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Game of the Year

  • Astro Bot
  • Balatro
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Helldivers 2
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

IGN is proud to be the official media partner of the D.I.C.E. Awards and we will be exclusively streaming the ceremony, which will be co-hosted by Greg Miller and Stella Chung.

If you want to know more about how these nominees were picked and how the winners are chosen, the AIAS has shared the following;

“The Academy’s 30K+ members, comprised of the interactive publishing and development communities, recognize excellence in 23 different interactive game categories in one of the highest forms of recognition in the industry, the AIAS wore, “Titles were played and evaluated by members of the Academy’s peer panels to determine final nominees. These panels, one for each award category, are comprised of the game industry’s most experienced and talented experts in their chosen fields. Winners are determined as part of a confidential voting process and will be revealed on the evening of the show. A list of all the peer panelists can be found here.”

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

Half-Life Fans Are Doing a GTA 6 and Losing Their Minds Over Hidden Half-Life 3 Clues They Desperately Want to Be Real

Half-Life fans have waited years for Valve to do… something Half-Life 3 related. That’s nothing new. But recent weeks have seen a step up in the hunt for clues, with some believing Valve has already started an elaborate alternate reality game (ARG) that will lead to the dramatic confirmation that Half-Life 3 is finally on the way.

This next level obsession, which GTA 6 fans will find instantly familiar, was kickstarted by Mike Shapiro, the voice actor behind Half-Life’s mysterious G-Man. Late last year, in full G-Man mode, Shapiro published a cryptic tweet teasing some sort of news for 2025 alongside the tags #Valve, #Halflife, #GMan, and #2025. It was Shapiro’s first non-reply tweet since he congratulated Valve on the success of VR exclusive Half-Life: Alyx back in December 2020.

That was enough to send the rumor-mill into overdrive, but since then all sorts of wild theories have emerged within the Half-Life community. Some who have analyzed Shapiro’s tweet to within an inch of its life believe he has started an ARG for Half-Life 3, connecting the dots in such a way to lead them to the ultimate prize in video games.

Half-Life fans obsess about numbers. Valve, famously, can’t count to three. But can it count to 197? It turns out that Shapiro’s X/Twitter post contained images of the cover art of his new song, Best Long Dog. Buried within this image is the number 197. Bizarre!

Best Long Dog is three minutes and 17 seconds long, aka 197 seconds long, because of course it is. Oh, and it came out 197 days after his previous song, Magnetic North. Weird!

Here’s where the Half-Life community really steps up to the plate. Some fans theorize 197 is a reference to gold, or, more specifically, its stable isotope 197Au. This is Half-Life, after all! What’s gold got to do with anything? GoldSrc, pronounced “Gold Source,” is the original Half-Life engine. Eventually it was replaced by the Source engine, but the link is clear. Oh yeah, gold only has a single stable isotope, which means 197Au is the only gold isotope with no half-life.

The plot thickens. 197 appears three times in relation to Shapiro: in the cover art of his song, in the length of the song, and in the days after the release of his previous song. Three times! Could 197 hint at a date? Some think so. Perhaps it’s July 19?

Now we move on to fellow Valve game Counter-Strike 2, and what some believe to be hints at Half-Life 3 in the game. Remember we told you Shapiro’s song is called Best Long Dog? Valve renamed the Popdog hallway in map de_train to “Longdog.”

A few months ago, Valve updated a location in CS2 to be named “longdog”
byu/orthodonticjake inHalfLife

There’s a lot more to this apparent ARG, including even more numbers and people drawing lines in the snow. But the long and short of it is that Shapiro’s tweet, combied with changes to Counter-Strike 2, mysterious references to a dog and the number 197 are fuelling one of the most popcorn-worthy community obsessions since GTA 6 fans started analyzing phases of the moon.

Redditor emsollas summed up the sentiment. “I think we’re so starved with real information on our beloved HL3 (or even the notion of Episode 3) that we’re literally seeing signs where there are none,” they said.

“Yes Shapiro’s post is definitely leading, and there maybe something coming. But breaking down every bit of info and finding the 197 and trying to connect it is just… lunacy.”

Long dog in the clouds.
byu/BlueEnvelopeMedia inHalfLife

Officially, Half-Life 3 does not exist, despite the story ending on a cliffhanger with 2007’s Half-Life 2 Episode 2. In November, to mark Half-Life 2’s 20th anniversary, Valve opened up about its development in a documentary that revealed never-before-seen work-in-progress footage, a brand-new Ice Gun, and a raft of new concept art. You can see the gameplay segment from the documentary in the video below.

Among the details shown in the video, Episode 3 would have been set in the Arctic, and it would have focused on Alyx as a companion character. Aside from the Ice Gun, the footage shows a blob-like enemy that could split into multiple parts. According to the documentary, the team had completed a “collection of playable levels in no particular order” and expected to be able to release the game within a year or two.

Valve has plenty on its plate already, of course, including ongoing support of Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Steam itself, the Steam Deck, and new game Deadlock. Could it also be working on Half-Life 3 alongside all those other projects?

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.

Guide: 126 Games You Should Pick Up In The Nintendo Switch eShop Holiday Sale (Europe)

Every game we scored 9/10 or higher.

The eShop Holiday sale ends this Sunday in Europe, so here’s your last reminder to get spending! Until the next sale, anyway…

Nintendo has officially kicked off its Switch eShop Holiday Sale in Europe, bringing beefy discounts to thousands of games until 12th January 2024.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com