Category: Video Games

IGN has confirmed that Ubisoft has quietly prepared a day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows that makes a number of important changes, including to temples and shrines.

Ubisoft provided IGN with the patch notes for this update, which the company confirmed were not included in any public announcement.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows day-one patch notes:

This update brings various improvements and fixes, including:

• Players no longer getting stuck inside movable objects after dodging forward and interacting with them in kofuns
• Fix for procedural weapons being removed incorrectly when selling items
• Adjustments to prevent players from going out of bounds when proning against objects
• Improved horse navigation, reducing issues with turning and blocked paths
• Lighting adjustments for cave, kofun, and architectural entrances/exits
• Fixes for cloth clipping on Yasuke’s outfits (while riding) and Naoe’s outfits (while crouching)
• Citizens without weapons no longer bleed when attacked, reducing unintended blood spill in temples/shrines
• Tables and racks in temples/shrines are now indestructible (Some objects like drums or bowls can still be broken as they are generic ones present everywhere in the world) (Tables are still dynamic objects, so players can still move/push them).

The headline here is a change to tables and racks in temples and shrines, which are now indestructible in the Feudal Japan-set game. Ubisoft told IGN the day-one patch is for all players and not Japan-specific, but it’s hard to see this change in particular being anything but a response to the controversy surrounding the game in the country.

Yesterday, March 19, Shigeru Ishiba, the Prime Minister of Japan, responded to a question about Assassin’s Creed Shadows during an official government conference meeting.

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows question was asked by Japanese politician and member of the House of Councillors of Japan, Hiroyuki Kada. Kada, who will campaign for re-election this summer, said:

“I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life. Shrine officials and local residents are also worried about this. Of course, freedom of expression must be respected, but acts that demean local cultures should be avoided.”

Prime Minister Ishiba responded:

“How to address this legally is something we need to discuss with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Defacing a shrine is out of the question – it is an insult to the nation itself. When the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to Samawah, Iraq, we ensured they studied Islamic customs beforehand. Respecting the culture and religion of a country is fundamental, and we must make it clear that we will not simply accept acts that disregard them.”

The shrine being “defaced” in pre-release Assassin’s Creed Shadows gameplay videos is Itatehyozu Shrine in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, which is within Kada’s constituency. He said that he had consulted with representatives of the shrine, who confirmed that Ubisoft did not seek their permission to show the shrine and use its name in the game.

While Masaki Ogushi (Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry) responded that government agencies will work together to handle matters “if the shrine seeks consultation,” in a work of artistic expression Ubisoft would probably be clear legally to use the shrine under the Constitution of Japan.

Responses from both ministers were vague at best and seem unlikely to result in any particular action, especially as Ubisoft appears to have addressed these concerns proactively with this day-one patch.

The patch does not appear to be live in-game yet, based on IGN’s tests.

Irrespective of the game’s success or otherwise in Japan, there is enormous pressure on Assassin’s Creed Shadows to do well for Ubisoft globally after a number of delays and the sales failure of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. Indeed, Ubisoft has suffered a number of high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations in the run up to Assassin’s Creed shadows’ release.

IGN’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows review returned an 8/10. We said: “By sharpening the edges of its existing systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade.”

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.

A new Ark: Survival Evolved expansion trailer from publisher Snail Games has been resoundingly condemned by the Ark community for being filled with evidence of appalling generative AI imagery.

The trailer was released in the wake of Snail Games’ GDC announcement of its “in-house developed new expansion map, Ark: Aquatica”. The studio describes the expansion as a non-canonical side story to Ark in “an ambitious underwater setting featuring 95% of gameplay taking place beneath the surface.”

“This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves,” wrote Irish YouTuber Syntac in response to the trailer. This statement from the popular Ark-oriented video creator, who has over 1.9 million subscribers, is currently the top comment on the Ark: Aquatica trailer.

Comments from other viewers are unanimously and similarly negative, decrying the trailer as “pathetic” and “embarrassing.” The trailer is rife with traces of AI slop, including schooling fish blurring in and out of existence, a hideously deformed hand clutching a spear gun, a levitating octopus floating in front of a shipwreck that doesn’t know whether it’s a rock or not, human feet that morph into floppy flippers, and more.

There are a lot of fine details that go into making a life simulator fun but also reflective of the real world. You have to balance customizability and creative freedom with just enough rules to make choices feel realistic and challenging, and then invisibly weave those decisions together in a satisfying way. (It turns out recreating life is hard – sorry for all the flak, Dr. Frankenstein.) Yet, despite the difficulties, it’s a task developer Krafton has taken a respectable stab at with inZOI based on what I’ve played of its Early Access launch version so far. Its beautiful, realistic aesthetic makes a striking first impression, and the ambitious simulator systems underneath initially result in some impressive harmony. However, as I continue to spend more time within this simulation, the seams of inZOI’s universe are starting to show, leaving the world more empty than you might expect.

Addressing the elephant in the room first, it’s impossible not to immediately compare inZOI to The Sims, a series it’s very clearly both taking inspiration from and attempting to compete with. You play as an omnipotent figure who can create and control little citizens as they live their best, or more often worse, lives. You can build up a house from scratch, manipulate the features of each person (who are called Zoi), and embroil them in all the local drama you can find. They can have jobs, go to school, and explore the local area with as much or as little free will as you allow. These surface-level similarities quickly run thin, though, once you start digging into Krafton’s unique take on this genre.

When you start a new game in inZOI, you must first build a household using the detailed Character Creator Studio. Alongside choosing their name, gender, and age, you can select a Trait that defines your avatar’s personality. There are 18 to choose from, ranging from Authoritarian to Individualist, with each option providing a handy Characteristics sidebar describing how this choice will affect how they operate in-game. As a hardworking freelancer, I opted for the Go-Getter trait, which values professional activities and, in an endearing twist, also holds onto nervousness for longer than other Zois. As you press on into the ebb and flow of virtual life, your Zoi will develop their ego further as they encounter likes and dislikes, such as fast food and fitness, that meddle with their mood. inZOI neatly wraps up personality archetypes into simple grab-and-go options, which, while convenient, can feel a bit limiting.

Where looks are concerned, you can pick from a sizeable list of presets or take a more fine-tooth comb approach, tugging at the specific anchor points on your Zoi’s body and face – I opted for a combination of both, finding my closest match and generously moulding them in my image. There’s a selection of preset colours alongside a granular colour picker for many options too, allowing more nuance in your choices. Courtesy of inZOI’s realistic visual style, my Zoi quickly resembled a real person, and I enjoyed the process of coordinating their make-up and hair with my own.

The system for adjusting facial features is a thoroughly engrossing time-sink, but it’s inZOI’s fashion sensibilities that really make it stand out. During the creation process, you need to curate nine different outfits, including formalwear, sleepwear, and weather-appropriate attire for summer and winter. There’s a decent mix of modern trends, like cargo-style parachute pants, alongside tailored classics like military and leather jackets. Basics like t-shirts also come in multiple lengths, and you can mix and match and layer to your heart’s content. Safe to say, I spent even longer here, curating a Y2K-inspired outfit complete with leg warmers, Doc Marten dupes, and an adorable oversized baseball jersey. It’s not a totally flawless system, with the baggier silhouetted clothing options clipping against the Zois in strange ways. Still, this felt like one of the more polished aspects of inZOI, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing dress-up with my creations.

Once your family is organised, the next step is finding them a home. Currently, inZOI boasts two locations: the Korean-inspired city of Dowon, and the Californian Bliss Bay. You can build your own house or move into a predesigned lot, with each township featuring a small selection of public plots like shops, cafes, and open spaces like parks or shrines. Unfortunately, it’s here that I first noticed the seams of Krafton’s ambitious project starting to show. Illuminated neon signs coat the streets of Dowon with a dreamy multicolour glow, while in Bliss Bay, the setting sun imbues the beach with a soothing coastal atmosphere. Sit too long, though, and it all starts to feel a bit hollow. Those neon signs sit atop empty buildings, and the gentle sunlight reflects off static bits of set dressing. It’s clear a lot of care has been taken to give the impression of a bustling environment, and I admired those details – particularly the faux McDonalds, which garnered a giggle from me – but I couldn’t shake the feeling that much of the world is mostly a facade.

That nagging sensation continued into my Zoi’s daily life, where I could manage their needs like hunger and hygiene but not really make headway on how they fit into the digital culture. Despite choosing the Go-Getter trait, I didn’t get the impression it was making too much of a tangible difference in my day-to-day activities, especially when my other Zoi was acting essentially the same despite the fact I’d given them an oppositional personality style. I ran into the same blockades when I started a family in a separate household, with many conversations repeating on a loop no matter who I was controlling. Topics like Cryptocurrency and the power of humility kept showing up in my dialogue tree. It was admittedly funny the first few times, but gradually, that repetition made progressing relationships a tad monotonous.

It’s delightful that the things like your Zoi’s treadmill display seems functional, or that the detail of their food is so convincing that my stomach often rumbled in unison with my avatar’s as they tucked into their lunch. However, these pockets of well-designed actions can make the simplistic or repetitive alternatives feel cold by comparison. Over time, it was as if my Zoi was less of an individual and more of a semi-controllable drone, performing tasks without rhyme or reason. Perhaps the options will diversify once they fill out their likes and dislikes and make more friends, though I certainly didn’t notice any differences across the roughly 15 hours I’ve played so far.

Thankfully, a salve to this weirdness is inZOI’s Karma system, which punishes or rewards citizens based on their actions. When interacting with other Zois or objects, you’re occasionally presented with a choice accompanied by a yin and yang symbol, letting you know that performing that action will affect their Karmic score. Stealing coins from a parking meter is considered bad, whereas giving directions to a random person is considered good. While I was initially sceptical, I soon came to feel the system’s wrath. I sent my Zoi on an unwarranted tirade, hulking out at the local park and kicking a vending machine before attempting to win a stuffed turkey toy at a claw machine. After a shocking number of attempts, the toy remained trapped in its plexiglass prison. From here, I directed my Zoi to become a model citizen, complimenting strangers and telling gregarious jokes before returning to the same machine. Wouldn’t you believe it, they won a prize on their first attempt this time. Karma is a simple concept that works well in practice and offers a pleasant invisible boundary to rub against – I only wish more actions would impact the score.

There is still much more to do and see before I reach a final verdict, like diving into its careers, cars, and the nitty-gritty of the build mode, and that’s just to start. inZOI is an Early Access game, and as of right now, it certainly feels like one. The lifelike visuals and smattering of highly detailed interactions feel at odds with its rougher, less immersive edges, giving the world a sometimes strange and sterile atmosphere. Even so, there’s a surprising amount of depth hidden amongst these blind spots, and I’m keen to see if inZOI can deliver on its monumental promises – both in the long-term, and as I work toward my final review of what’s here at launch in the coming weeks.

Split Fiction players have stumbled upon a secret level that fans have dubbed “Laser Hell,” and it’s so difficult that Hazelight is rewarding the first pair who managed to beat it.

Co-op fans found yet another reason to celebrate the studio’s latest cooperative story after content creators E1uM4y and Sharkov shared their successful run on Chinese social media platform Bilibili. Their three-minute video showcases not only what a successful run looks like but also the hellish tasks that await inside it. Split Ficition’s Laser Hell level is a gauntlet of demanding platforming challenges that see players dodging up and around a series of laser rooms, but it is doable — and there’s a special video for those who see it through to the end.

As demonstrated in E1uM4y and Sharkov’s video, reaching the end of Split Fiction’s hardest level rewards Mio and Zoe with a clip recorded by Hazelight’s own Josef Fares. After opening the video with applause, he says he’s “super amazed” by anyone who was able to beat the level while joking that his praise isn’t for “you guys who are looking (at) this on YouTube.”

“Wow. Amazing. You have to understand, this challenge, there are barely people on our team that can make it,” Fares says in the video. “It took us a lot of time to finish it. I’m telling you; this is a crazy, crazy achievement you have done.”

It’s a feat worth celebrating indeed, but wait, there’s more! Fares promises that the first pair of players who manage to beat Split Fiction’s Laser Hell level and confirm their success will be flown out to Hazelight in Sweden for an early look at the studio’s next game along with a few “other surprises.” It’s a promise that the director personally followed up on and confirmed in a post on X/Twitter.

Congrats to ”sharkOvO” and ”E1uM4y” for finishing the secret challenge ”Laser Hell” in #splitficton. VERY impressive! I will keep my promise and invite you both to Sweden for an early look of our next game😎

We´ll be in touch!

— Josef Fares (@josef_fares) March 19, 2025

If you and a friend (for some reason) feel like taking a shot at Laser Hell yourselves, YouTuber ItzBytez uploaded a solid look at the whole level from front to back, including the puzzle that needs to be solved to even access it. All you need to do is input a binary code listed under a Skotos label at the location shown, have your partner stand beside you, and you’ll be taken down to a room where you’ll surely spend countless attempts trying to see Fares’ video in person.

As for what exactly Hazelight will be showing E1uM4y and Sharkov, those details remain a mystery. Fares recently shared that the studio has been working on its next project for around a month but declined to spill much in terms of its story, name, or release plans. We do know, at least, that the Hazelight team is “very excited” about it.

Split Fiction launched earlier this month for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S and quickly became yet another co-op success for the studio. After securing 1 million sales in just 48 hours, Mio and Zoe’s story pulled a total of 2 million in just one week. We’ve yet to hear any more information about sales stats, but it sounds like Hazelight is very happy with how Split Fiction has performed so far.

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).