The best Switch games for your little ones.
We’ve given this list a big spruce up ahead of the Festive season so you can prepare for some holiday gaming with the family!
Nintendo Switch is a console with brilliant software for gamers young and old. Nintendo’s wholesome, family-friendly image is well-earned, and with characters like Mario, Luigi, and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom gang, Switch games cater to the young and the young-at-heart alike.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
For the first time ever, step into the wonderful world of Moomins on Xbox and Windows in Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley! The game is a story-rich musical adventure game for all ages about Snufkin restoring the valley and helping the quirky and memorable characters and critters who call it home. A series of hideous parks have cropped up in Moominvalley, disrupting the landscape and its harmonious nature. As Snufkin, you will distract police officers, pull out signs, and knock over misplaced statues as you vigorously try to restore nature and the inhabitants’ home while putting an end to the industrious Park Keeper’s plans.
The Moomins, a series of charming and quirky characters, were created by the cherished illustrator and author Tove Jansson in 1945. Tove Jansson is recognised as possibly one of the most successful Finnish artists of all time and the Moomins started off in a series of books and a novel in Finland and then became known globally through a series of cartoon strips – some might recognise the books “Finn Family Moomintroll” or “Comet in Moominland”.
Tove Jansson’s niece Sophia Jansson has explained that “the Moomin stories are essentially about the things that are the most important to anyone living anywhere – things like love, tolerance, respect, being part of a family, and belonging. Those things are the same no matter where you’re from, what your gender, race, religion, or sexuality.”
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a nostalgic yet innovative indie game that’s quintessentially Nordic, with an originally written story based on the original works, including the emotions and a melancholic atmosphere that Tove Jansson is famous for creating.
Our world draws heavily on Tove’s excellent watercolor illustrations and adapts it to a video game setting to create a rich and beautiful environment for our players to discover. The game style takes a cue from traditional watercolor and painting techniques, and rather than adhering to them strictly, we’re creating something attuned to the medium to account for the large volume of content.
We hope you will have a fantastic time in our story-book-come-to-life experience, and meet both new and old friends – You can pick up Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley on Xbox and Windows PC today.
Raw Fury
Main features
* Set out on a cozy, story-rich adventure game in a gorgeous storybook art style
* Get the strict Park Keeper and his horrible parks out of Moominvalley with the help of your trusty harmonica, a bit of stealth, and the friends you’ll meet along the way
* Meet over 50 charming characters and creatures calling Moominvalley their home
* Experience narrative gameplay and a myriad of charming stories and quests involving the beloved characters inspired by Tove Jansson’s work
* Explore Moominvalley’s open world and solve musical and environmental puzzles along the way to uncover the happenings in the valley
* Immerse yourself in the beautiful soundscape of music and melodies composed in collaboration with Sigur Rós
In addition to the languages listed in the Supported languages section, this game also supports: Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish
The post Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley – the Moomins Arrive on Xbox appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Today, Best Buy and Target are matching the lowest prices I saw for Xbox Series X|S wireless controllers on Black Friday. Right now you can get one in either Carbon Black or Robot White for only $34.99. Best of all, your order will arrive by December 25. These controllers are compatible with Xbox Series X and S and PC.
Aesthetics aside, these Xbox wireless controllers are identical to the one that’s bundled with the Xbox Series X and S console. Standard features include textured grips, hybrid D-pad, button mapping with the Xbox app, a 3.5mm audio jack that works with any wired headset, and a Share button to upload screenshots and video.
The controller supports both Xbox wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. That means you can use it for your PC or mobile device. In fact, we think this is the the best PC controller you can get. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can still use it in wired mode with a USB Type-C cable or go out and buy a Bluetooth or Xbox wireless adapter.
If you want a color scheme that’s sure to grab yours and other people’s attentions, check out the Ghost Cipher Limited Edition Xbox Series X|S wireless controller. It’s down to $45 at Target and arrives by December 25. The Ghost Cipher Edition is an absolutely gorgeous controller, with a translucent clear top case, rubberized ash gray grips, metallic bronze triggers and D-pad, and a solid white back. The interior components are colored silver to match the overall theme.
Includes component pack
Want something even more premium? Right now, you can pick up the professional-grade Xbox Series X Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller for only $124.00 after a 30% off instant discount. That’s a great deal for the original Elite Series 2 controller that includes the component pack. The newer Elite Series 2 Core controllers in White, Blue, and Red do not include the component pack and they normally retail for $140. The component pack itself retails for $59.99.
The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller features better build quality and lots more customizability than the stock controller that comes with the Xbox Series X console. Some of the more significant pro gaming features include adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. The component pack, which is bundled with this controller, includes an extra sets of paddles, thumbsticks, D-pad, and case.
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.
The battle for democracy in Helldivers 2 made it one of the biggest games of 2024. Many fans found the gameplay and multiplayer nature of the game fun, enthralled by the fast action and triumphant soundtrack. For the first time ever, you can take home the sound of freedom with the Helldivers 2 Original Soundtrack Vinyl, which is available to pre-order now at IGN Store.
This vinyl is the ultimate collector’s item for any Helldivers fan. Composed by Wilbert Roget, II with additional music by Ross Tregenza, the Helldivers 2 soundtrack is the perfect soundtrack to listen to in the fight for freedom. A total of 11 tracks are included on this 1LP release, which we’ve outlined below.
Side A
1. Ode to Liberty
2. Welcome to the Fight
3. The Super Destroyer
4. Hellpods Primed
5. A Cup of Liber-tea (Helldivers 2 Main Theme)
6. The Terminid Horde
Side B
7. Track 11
8. The Automaton Legion
9. No Diver Left Behind
10. March of the Helldivers
11. Super Earth National Anthem
The yellow translucent vinyl is unmistakeably Helldivers, and the front of the package features the key art from the game. The vinyl is packed in a single-pocket jacket with a credit insert, which includes a note from the composer Wilbert Roget, II. The Helldivers 2 Original Soundtrack Vinyl will ship out starting February 2025. Pre-orders are now open on IGN Store, so don’t miss your chance to grab this unique collector’s item!
IGN Store sells high-quality merch, collectibles, and shirts for everything you’re into. It’s a shop built with fans in mind: for all the geek culture and fandom you love most. Whether you’re into comics, movies, anime, games, retro gaming or just want some cute plushies (who doesn’t?), this store is for you!
Masayuki Kato, the founder and former president of Ys and Legend of Heroes developer Nihon Falcom, died on Sunday, December 15 at the age of 78, according to an announcement from the company today.
Kato got his start as a computer technician working in the auto industry, but fell in love with personal computers and their capacity for games and entertainment. He founded Nihon Falcom in 1981 originally to publish games for Japanese personal computers in partnership with Apple, making Nihon one of the oldest video game companies still in existance today. He named his company after the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars, but with a “com” at the end for computers.
The founder of Nihon Falcom, Masayuki Kato, passed away on December 15, 2024 at the age of 78.
Thank you for everything. May you rest in peace… https://t.co/j1XR6vQJB0 pic.twitter.com/OTH0rlY8s9
— 🍞 Brad 🍞 (@Baust528) December 17, 2024
Over time, Nihon Falcom under Kato’s leadership became known as one of the pioneers of the action-RPG genre, beginning with Panorama Toh in 1983, Dragon Slayer in 1984, and Xanadu in 1985. Nihon Falcom gradually became a full-fledged developer in its own right, creating long-running series such as Ys and The Legend of Heroes.
The studio continued to stay in the lane of Japanese PC games for the first two decades of its history. But that changed in the early 2000s, when Nihon Falcom began working with PlayStation to bring games such as Ys I & II Complete and The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky to PlayStation devices such as the PS2 and PSP. Ever since then, the company has continued to release action RPGs cross-platform and globally with some third-party support, even more recently expanding to Nintendo platform releases.
Kato stepped down from his role as president of Nihon Falcom in 2001 as part of a larger restructure, and was succeeded by Shinji Yamazaki and, later on, the current president Toshihiro Kondo. Kato remained involved with the company as chairman of the board of directors until his death. He is credited as a producer on a number of more recent Ys and The Legend of Heroes games, including the company’s most recent global release, Ys X: Nordics.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Ho ho holy moly.
Christmas is upon us once again, which means that No Gravity Games is back with another generous offer of free Switch games; eleven of them, to be precise.
Yes, the company’s ‘Switchmas Giveaway’ is back, opening on 9th December 2024 at 12am PT and giving away one free game on each of the following eleven days (until 19th December). New releases are included in the line-up alongside one game that will be provided for free from day one of its launch.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
We recently announced our debut game, Empyreal, coming to Xbox Series X|S in 2025, and we would like to tell you a little more about the game’s setting and inspirations.
Empyreal is an action RPG in a richly detailed sci-fi fantasy universe. While the setting is sci-fi, featuring futuristic technology and intergalactic civilizations, the feel and mood is more fantasy. And though technology replaces the “magic” from a traditional fantasy setting, the supernatural and the divine play a significant role in the lore and story of this universe.
The game begins with your character arriving on a hitherto unexplored planet, only to discover the remnants of a lost civilisation. What’s more, it soon becomes clear that, though ancient, this civilisation made breakthroughs and discoveries that are far, far removed from humanity’s understanding of the modern world.
Soon, you are confronted with a looming and inscrutable monolith. Why is it here? Who built it? What is it for? And what power does it contain?
Naturally, we won’t be answering those questions for you here and now – these discoveries (and more) are for you to make when you play for yourself. However, what we would like to share are some of the esoteric references that influenced some of the themes in the story, and the relevance they hold even to the modern world.
While the universe of Empyreal is not directly based on or related to a specific culture or mythology from history, there is one figure that represents an important idea that permeates a core theme of the narrative in the game – the ancient Greek god, Dionysus.
Dionysus is typically portrayed as a drunken party animal in much of modern pop-culture media, but in his seminal work “Dionysus: Myth and Cult”, classical philologist Walter Otto paints a much more complete and complex picture.
While there is truth in Dionysus being the god of wine and the festival, he was also the god of madness and death. Although at first this may seem a perplexing juxtaposition, is there some truth we can learn from it? Otto claims that in “The visage of every true God is a visage of the World”. In other words, even in myth, we invariably find an accurate insight into the nature of the world.
In the case of Dionysus, he represents the paradox of duality. The understanding that life and death, madness and beauty and conflict and creativity are opposites, and yet also pre-requisites for each other. Embracing this paradox is a core philosophy behind Empyreal – to see the universe as both a “Mystic Temple and a Hall of Doom” (an idea introduced by Thomas Carlyle in his text, Characteristics) and to accept this dual nature in its totality. This life-affirming perspective is known as the “Tragic View”.
Empyreal does not feature an encroaching but ill-defined “darkness”, or a “corruption of the land”. Nor does it feature a pantomime villain of inexplicable evil for no other reason than to have an “evil antagonist”. Instead, the story and characters are designed to prompt careful reflection on the nature of humanity, our place in the universe and what it truly takes to guarantee the future of mankind.
Now, just because Empyreal does not feature a “big bad” intent on destroying the world for whatever reason, that doesn’t mean the game is without conflict. As before though, the intent is for this conflict to reflect the struggle that life itself invariably presents.
Unsurprisingly, you are not the only one invested in the exploration of this lost civilisation and its achievements. When you arrive on the planet, it is ostensibly to provide a relief effort to a beleaguered expedition that has already been there for two long years, with little progress and innumerable setbacks to show for it.
Each other member of the expedition is an important character with their own personal questlines that you can choose to follow for unique rewards. There are nine of these quests in total, with each questline exploring a different facet of the human condition, based on the ideals of the individual themselves, the challenges they have faced and what they hope to ultimately achieve.
For example, there is an accomplished scientist who, despite their achievements, lives in the shadow of their Great Grandfather, who made technological breakthroughs that transformed modern living. This character has dreamt all their life of making an innovative breakthrough to rival that legacy, and in reverse-engineering the technology of the lost civilisation, that opportunity has seemingly presented itself.
You can choose to assist them in their goals, but it is also possible to set them on a different path by sharing even greater insight into the true divine nature of the cosmos, which then puts the character’s relentless material pursuits into sharp perspective.
There is also a veteran of several wars who is now the Quartermaster of the expedition. Having seen the excesses of humanity in his time, he is pragmatic and optimistic, but acutely appreciates the need to have a firm understanding of one’s own beliefs; a solid foundation on which one is able to face the world. As a result, he will frequently challenge you on your beliefs and play devil’s advocate no matter your response.
These are just a couple of small previews of the characters you will come across in Empyreal. Not only do all nine characters have questlines you can follow, but each one has at least two distinct endings. Quests can play out differently depending on your choices and accomplishments and each ending offers a unique reward. But don’t fret too much about which way to go in a given quest – the game will feature a fully fleshed out New Game+ at launch, so you’ll be able to go back and experiment with different outcomes in subsequent playthroughs.
That’s about all we’ve got time for in this blog. While we have touched on a few of the inspirations and references that influence Empyreal’s themes and narrative, this is far from a comprehensive list, and there’s much more to be uncovered. The game draws heavily on classical and existentialist philosophy, theology and history, with many inspirations not mentioned here that we look forward to players discovering and discussing as they play the game.
Secret Mode
In a far-flung corner of the galaxy an Expedition arrives on a hitherto unexplored planet to find a colossal Monolith built by a lost civilisation. These are no mere ruins: the Monolith is filled with danger, and the Expedition is ill-equipped to unearth the secrets within.
All eyes turn towards an elite mercenary who may succeed where all others have failed.
Venture inside the Monolith and face the automatons that yet remain, remnants of the impossibly ancient civilisation that built this unknowable structure. Survive and uncover revelations that transform our understanding of humanity itself.
Features:
• Stand against formidable foes; your only hope of victory lies in mastering a unique and complex combat system
• A memorable cast of characters, with personal questlines and multiple endings for each one
• A beautiful but shattered ancient world. Explore breathtaking environments filled with hidden details
• Customise your character with a vast array of equipment and collect armour sets that confer powerful bonuses
• Upgrade and modify the loot you find
• Unlock new abilities to personalise your playstyle
The post Philosophy and Duality: Examining the Inspirations Behind the Upcoming Action RPG, Empyreal appeared first on Xbox Wire.
While Baldur’s Gate 3 arrived in 2023 as seemingly the perfect Dungeons & Dragons adaptation from tabletop to video game, its predecessor Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is being shut down and removed from storefronts just three years after it launched.
The game’s Steam page was updated to announce servers will be taken offline and the game removed from sale on February 24, 2025.
“We will be shutting down the Dark Alliance servers on February 24, 2025 and it will no longer be available to purchase starting that day,” reads the note from developer Invoke Studios. “The base game and all DLC are still available to play in offline single-player by anyone who currently owns it.”
Dark Alliance launched on June 22, 2021 as a promised “exciting, action-driven, hack-and-slash adventure filled with iconic monsters, legendary characters, and epic loot,” but was received poorly by players and critics.
“Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a tedious co-op adventure with lots of goblins and even more bugs,” IGN said in our 4/10 review, and the game sits at a “mixed” rating on Steam with only 50% of reviews being positive.
Invoke Studios, which was known as Tuque Games at the time but later rebranded, is now working on another entry in the D&D franchise. Details are still slim, but publisher Wizards of the Coast confirmed it as an Unreal Engine 5 title and said it will be “a triple-A game derived from the Dungeons & Dragons universe.”
Wizards of the Coast is all in on D&D video games at the moment, likely due to the astounding success of Baldur’s Gate 3, as five games are currently in development.
Alongside Invoke Studios’ new game comes a D&D survival role-playing game life simulator from the Disney Dreamlight Valley developer, a virtual reality game from the creators of Demeo, a co-op game from Payday 3 developer Starbreeze, and a mysterious entry from Hasbro.
Baldur’s Gate 3 arrived in July 2023 and became the surprise hit of the year, with players obsessing over its seemingly infinite number of playstyles and story outcomes. It was incredibly successful commercially, pulling in $90 million for Hasbro and even more for developer Larian. Somehow, it’s more popular this year than last.
In our 10/10 review, IGN said: “With crunchy, tactical RPG combat, a memorable story with complex characters, highly polished cinematic presentation, and a world that always rewards exploration and creativity, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the new high-water mark for CRPGs.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Toy Box sounds like a very Xmassy game, but then you watch a trailer, and realise that it is not very Xmassy at all. It’s a free visual novel with a macabre puzzling element. The setup is that you’re a toy inspector working for a jovial Grand Toy Maker, his face hidden above the top of the screen. Your job is to disassemble toys – five in all – according to his eldritch written instructions, and either “salvage” them or “sentence” them to the incinerator.
CD Projekt has announced a concert tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The concert tour features “an innovative blend of cutting-edge visuals and gameplay” that plays alongside the original soundtrack performed by a live orchestra. It kicks off with anniversary concerts in Poland and Boston, Massachusetts in May 2025, before a tour of Europe in the fourth quarter of 2025 and then the U.S. in the first quarter of 2026. CD Projekt’s new U.S. hub is in Boston, which explains why the initial anniversary concert takes place there.
Tickets go on sale soon, CD Projekt said. The full scale of the concert series — as well as ticket information — will be unveiled over time, with more information to be revealed through the official website and newsletter.
Here’s the official blurb:
The experience features select tracks from the game and its expansions, arranged for the occasion by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt composer Marcin Przybyłowicz, who will also join select stops as a special guest. The live celebration is further bolstered by Polish folk metal band Percival, co-composers of the game’s soundtrack, known for their iconic contributions to the game’s sound. Alongside a skilled orchestra, they will bring to life beloved tracks from Geralt’s journey through the continent.
It’s a busy time for CD Projekt. It currently has 400 developers working on The Witcher 4, the majority of its 650-person total development staff. 64 are working on Orion, the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, 42 on Sirius, The Witcher game developed by The Molasses Flood, and 18 on Hadar, CD Projekt’s brand new IP. It’s also found time to update Cyberpunk 2077 to 2.2.
The announcement of The Witcher 3 concert comes hot on the heels of CD Projekt’s release of the debut trailer for The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards 2024. IGN has loads of exclusive features on The Witcher 4, including Inside The Witcher 4: CD Projekt Red’s Plans For Its Next Big RPG, The Witcher 4: 12 Vital Trailer Details Revealed by CD Projekt Red, and Why CD Projekt Went With Ciri Over Continuing With Geralt as Protagonist.
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.
