One thing this review can’t tell you is how exactly the MSI Claw 8 AI+ improves on the original Claw, for the simple reason that MSI themselves binned off the latter before I had a chance to try it. Three months, it lasted, before this do-over got announced. Three months! And people say the Steam Deck OLED came too soon.
The good news is that the Claw 8 AI+’s mostly-internal revamping – new CPU, new GPU, fatter battery etc. – has produced a handheld that not only thrashes Valve’s upgraded Steam Deck on games performance, but is up there with the best of its Windows-based brethren-portables on longevity. You know what, it probably is better than the Claw. Yeah.
Back in April 2024 you may remember a flurry of excitement when Landfall’s Content Warning released for PC. A first-person co-op horror game which involves capturing footage of scary events and uploading it to ‘SpöökTube’ for likes and clout, it was made free to download for 24 hours at launch and its blend of quirky comedy and genuine scares proved to be a hit.
Switch has seen its fair share of shocking clones recently, the latest of which appears to rip off Landfall’s game. Out tomorrow (13th March), Content Warning: Scary Filming is… well, let’s just compare the key art, shall we?
For quite some time, From Software was primarily known for their mech-based action games. The crown jewel of these games is Armored Core, which debuted on the original PlayStation and established a series that garners a devoted fanbase over two decades later.
With the announcement of Armored Core (1997), Armored Core: Project Phantasma, and Armored Core: Master of Arena coming to PlayStation Plus Classics, now’s the perfect time to take a trip into this series’ history.
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Armored Core | PlayStation | 1997
Armored Core found its origins through a collaboration between From Software and Shoji Kawamori, one of anime’s premier mechanical designers. In the earliest days of the original PlayStation’s life, From Software and Kawamori thought of an idea for a game about player-customizable mechs. Eventually, the concept evolved into being able to attach modular parts to a central unit, known as an Armored Core. From there came a story about Earth ruined by the Great Destruction, a corporate-ruled dystopia, and the Ravens, mercenary mech pilots with no allegiances beyond the power of money.
Armored Core released in Japan and North America in 1997, with a European release hitting in 1998. The game stood out not only for its in-depth customization, resource management, and mission-driven progression, but a complex yet interesting control scheme that made players feel like they were in the cockpit of a custom-built mecha. The story also went in different directions depending on the missions you chose, creating a game that rewarded multiple playthroughs.
Armored Core will be available with PlayStation Plus Premium starting March 18.
Armored Core: Project Phantasma | PlayStation | 1998
In response to player enthusiasm and feedback, Armored Core received two immediate expansion follow-ups. Project Phantasma is a more story-driven prequel to the original AC that introduced the wildly popular Arena mode, where players duel with other mechs to climb ranks and earn fabulous prizes.
Armored Core: Project Phantasma will be available with PlayStation Plus Premium starting March 18.
Armored Core: Master of Arena | PlayStation | 1999
Master of Arena, as the title suggests, builds upon the Arena mode by making it the core focus. Being a direct sequel to Project Phantasma, both of these games allowed you to import save data from previous titles, keeping all of the hard-earned weapons and customizations you’d earned. The original PlayStation Armored Cores set the stage for what came later, developing key features that define the series to this day. Kawamori’s involvement also continued throughout the series, giving the mechs of AC a distinct look and feel that set them apart.
Armored Core: Master of Arena will be available with PlayStation Plus Premium starting March 18.
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Armored Core 2 | PlayStation 2 | 2000
From Software was one of the earliest developers to embrace the power of the PlayStation 2, and among their early crop of PS2 titles was a sequel to Armored Core. (In fact, it was a launch title alongside the PlayStation 2 in North America in 2000.) The story of AC2 occurs several decades after the original PlayStation AC titles, taking the Raven to a terraformed Mars where civil war rages. Besides a hefty graphical upgrade, Armored Core introduces the Overboost mechanic, allowing mechs to move quickly when engaged though it guzzles energy rapidly. New Radiator, Extension, and Inside parts also allow for greater mech customization.
A follow-up, Armored Core 2: Another Age, soon followed, taking the story back to Earth and its political struggles while featuring over 100 new missions for players to partake in. The Japanese release of AC2AA in 2001 is noteworthy since it was one of the first PS2 games to allow online play with the PS2’s Network Adaptor.
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Armored Core 3 | PlayStation 2 | 2002
Armored Core continued on the PS2 in 2002 with the release of the third-numbered title. While Armored Core 3 didn’t follow the story from the previous games, its setting remained very familiar: a ruined planet Earth where humans live in underground enclaves called Layered and are overseen by a mysterious, possibly malevolent AI named The Controller. New gameplay additions include Consorts–allied units that aid you during missions–and the ability to remove weapons mid-mission to reduce weight and improve performance. AC3 also saw the return of the fan-favorite Arena mode, which AC2AA lacked.
AC3 got a follow-up using the same engine in Armored Core 3: Silent Line. The titular Silent Line is the new threat on the Earth’s surface that emerged in the wake of AC3’s events. This storyline continued through 2004’s Armored Core: Nexus, though the changes to the gameplay–including adding, removing, and adjusting several types of weaponry–meant that players couldn’t import their data from the earlier AC3 titles. Two follow-ups to Nexus, Nine Breaker and Last Raven, completed the AC3 storyline. Several titles in this cycle would also see ports to the PSP.
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Armored Core 4 | PlayStation 3 | 2006
Armored Core 4’s debut brought high-definition mech combat to the PlayStation 3 with style. Once again, the story was rebooted with the familiar premise of corporations dominating the lives of Earth’s populace and hiring mercenaries to do their dirty work. The new-generation Armored Cores, called NEXTs, feature upgraded new technology like Primal Armor, varied Boost options, and a new pilot interface called the Allegorical Manipulation System–so advanced that only a select few psychic individuals, known as Lynx, can use it.
AC4 revamped the control scheme from previous games, aiming to make the experience more intuitive for both new players and grizzled series veterans. The heat management system was removed and a new Quick Boost movement option was implemented, greatly affecting mech control and mobility. Visually, the HD fidelity of the PS3’s graphics allowed for incredible detail in the environments, where your mech’s combat actions directly affect your surroundings. A direct follow-up, Armored Core for Answer was released in 2008 and picks up a decade after AC4’s story left off. Armored Core for Answer tells the story of conflict between humans and corporations that fled for safety in floating cities called Cradles and the rebel force, ORCA, fighting the corps’ overbearing influence from the surface.
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Armored Core V | PlayStation 3 | 2012
Armored Core V launched on PS3 in early 2012. The Earth is once again a complete mess, with the remaining population gathering in a single habitable city ruled over by the megalomaniacal Father. The player joins the Resistance forces as a mercenary to challenge Father’s dictatorship.
The shift to using Roman numerals in the title hinted at some changes under the hood, and AC5’s gameplay was a marked shift away from the speedier, action-driven combat of the more recent entries to a more careful, tactical style of play that harkened back to the early PlayStation installments. The Armored Core units were physically smaller, allowing them to take advantage of environmental features like taking cover and launching surprise attacks. Missions could now involve a whole squad of AC units, with an Operator who gives guidance throughout. New Overed Weapons provided incredible power with some massive drawbacks, while a new Scan mode let players shift into a non-combat mode to analyze enemies and conserve resources.
2013’s Armored Core: Verdict Day resumes the plot 100 years after AC5’s events, throwing players into a war between three powerful entities vying for control of newly uncovered Towers filled with mysterious technology. The team-focused gameplay of AC5 was enhanced further by introducing customizable AI-controlled Armored Cores called UNACs into the mix.
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Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon | PlayStation 5 | 2023
We finally come to the Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. Ten years after the release of Armored Core Verdict Day, fans finally had the all-new Armored Core title they had been clamoring for. Not only was AC6 a long-awaited return to form for the storied series, it succeeded in bringing many new fans into the series–many of whom were totally new to mech-based combat games. With the massive success and acclaim AC6 has seen, it feels like a new era for the series–we’ll just have to wait and see where From Software takes Armored Core from here.
Avowed‘s game director Carrie Patel has been on the blower to Eurogamer about why Avowed doesn’t have any romance in it, which is to say it does, actually, if you’re paying attention, and also, affairs of the heart aren’t supposed to feel like min-maxing your Wizard, Kevin. To put that another way, she has gently suggested that relationships are more relatable when they aren’t some kind of mechanic or system.
Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now are also going.
It’s official — Niantic, the developer of Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, has sold its gaming division for a staggering $3.5 billion to Scopely, “a world leader in mobile games”.
This acquisition comes just a few weeks after reports emerged that Niantic was in talks to sell. The deal also includes the community-building apps Campfire and Wayfarer.
Two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors discovered they had been replaced when the game’s patch notes went live, they have claimed, in the latest casualty of the battle for generative AI protections.
The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ (SAG-AFTRA) ongoing dispute with the video game industry revolves around the use of generative AI to replicate voice actor performances.
ZZZ, developed by Genshin Impact company HoYoverse, is not subject to the strike because it was in development before July 25, 2024, when the strike began. However, voice actors may choose not to sign new contracts in solidarity with striking union members, or in the absence of a SAG Interim Agreement.
Emeri Chase — who portrays Soldier 11 — said they were “replaced as Soldier 11 because I am unwilling to perform work not covered by a SAG Interim Agreement during a strike for AI protection, the outcome of which will determine the future of our industry.” Nicholas Thurkettle, who played Lycaon, has been similarly replaced, although Thurkettle is not a union member.
“I’d like to clarify that there’s a difference between being ‘struck’ and not being on an Interim Agreement,” Chase explained in a thread on Bluesky (thanks, Eurogamer). “Union projects that began work prior to the strike and non-union projects are not ‘struck.’ But they also do not offer the Union-enforced AI rights we are fighting for.
“Many actors are choosing to voluntarily withhold work on these categories of projects because we feel it is the best way to support the union’s fight for the protections that are critical to our continued ability to create the art we love.”
Chase added that they knew “that by withholding work it was possible” they’d be replaced, but had “hoped [developer YoHoVerse] would choose to leave her silent until I was able to return.”
“I found out the role was recast today alongside all of you,” Chase said, while Thurkettle stated: “I’m learning about this as you are, and I share your shock. Neither HoYoverse nor Sound Cadence has communicated with me since October. I’ve been fully available and recorded multiple voice jobs in that time.
“I’m not SAG but what game companies want to do with AI is an existential threat. I took a personal stand to ask for protection, and had to be willing to give up the best thing that’s ever happened in my professional life. I stand by my choice.”
The company issued a statement to Game Developer admitting characters in Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode were recast amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
Zombies characters William Peck (Zeke Alton) and Samantha Maxis (Julie Nathanson) are currently voiced by new, unknown actors. Alton told Game Developer that he took no issue with Activision’s actions with Peck, but expressed concern “for my brand as a performer.”
“Fans of the game have reached out to me because the lack of crediting [of the replacement actor] implies that it may still be me which unfairly represents my abilities as a performer,” Alton said at the time.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Niantic Inc. has confirmed the sale of Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, and their development teams to the Saudi-owned maker of Monopoly Go! for $3.5 billion.
An additional $350 million of cash from Niantic is being distributed as part of the deal, yielding a total value of approximately $3.85 billion for Niantic equity holders.
In a note to press, Scopely, which is owned by Saudi investment company Savvy Games, said the Niantic games business has over 30 million monthly active players (MAUs), over 20 million weekly active players, and saw more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go is the jewel in the crown, ranking as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch nearly a decade ago, with over 100 million unique players in 2024.
Niantic said its game team has “exciting long-term roadmaps that they will continue to build upon as part of Scopely.”
“This partnership ensures that our games have the long term support needed to be ‘forever games’ that will endure for future generations,” Niantic said in a blog post.
“Players can expect that the games, apps, services, and events they know and love will continue to receive Scopely’s ongoing investment, driven by the same teams that have always created these experiences.”
“As it’s always important to me, and our entire game team, that our community understands and is excited by the long-term vision for this game, I want to share why I believe a partnership with Scopely will be a positive step for all of you and the game’s future,” Wu, who was the original engineer on the Pokémon GO codebase and was there for its massive 2016 launch, said.
“Scopely expressed a deep admiration for this community and our team. I have every belief Pokémon GO will further flourish as part of Scopely, not only into its second decade, but for many more years to come, under the mission of discovering Pokémon in the real world and inspiring people to explore together,” Wu continued.
“Our new partnership, along with our decade long partnership with The Pokémon Company, means we can maintain this long-term focus. Scopely fully believes in our mission and ongoing goal to create the best Pokémon Go experience possible. Their focus will be to support our team, providing resources to continue delivering the gameplay you all know and love.
“The entire Pokémon Go team is staying together through this partnership. The same people who have been guiding and building the game for years will continue doing what we love. We’re always continually adding to the game – Raid Battles, friends, Go Battle League, Routes, Dynamax/Gigantamax, and, of course, Pokémon Go Fest and our live events – which I look forward to continuing to do for many years to come. Scopely empowers their game teams as autonomous groups to go after the roadmaps that they’re inspired to pursue, and what each team believes is best for the player experience. This approach is extremely appealing to us at Niantic games. I have spoken to a number of game leaders at Scopely who have given me great confidence in how the company enables each game to independently develop and creatively thrive.
“We will be joining a broader organization dedicated to games. I believe that Pokémon Go can continue to thrive with Scopely’s exclusive and long-term focus on game-making. Scopely’s status as a private company also means we can prioritize what’s best for you, our Trainers, for the long term. We believe that prioritizing short-term gains at the expense of our long-term mission would be counterproductive and self-defeating. Every interaction I’ve had with Scopely leaders has reinforced that we are in total agreement that the scale, longevity and most of all, real world community, of Pokémon Go make it truly special. We are united in protecting that.
“With Scopely’s full commitment, experience and resources, we’re going to make Pokémon Go the very best it can be – with incredible battles for thousands of Trainers at a time at our live events and new ways to connect to your friends and community, all while remaining focused on the excitement and experience of discovering Pokémon in the real world. We have invested to empower thousands of Community Leaders and Ambassadors who lead millions of Trainers to play together in the real world, and Scopely is in full agreement that this highly-admired program will be a priority to invest in together. The real-world community that loves Pokémon Go will remain our guiding light in all we do.
“Our partners at The Pokémon Company have always been central to how we build this game together, starting with the physics of the first Poké Ball throw that we hand-tuned together. I am incredibly grateful for their daily wisdom, guidance, and careful stewardship of our shared vision for discovering Pokémon in the real world, and I’m very excited that our partnership with The Pokémon Company will continue as it has for the last decade.
“I won’t say that Pokémon Go will remain the same, because it has always been a work in progress. But how we create and evolve it will remain unchanged, and I hope that we can make the experience even better for all of you.
“I have so much gratitude for the incredible joy of serving hundreds of millions of Trainers in our real-world community for the past nine years, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.”
Elsewhere, Niantic said it’s spinning off its controversial geospatial AI business into a new company, Niantic Spatial Inc., “enabling it to accelerate and scale even more rapidly.” Scopely is a $50 million investor in this new venture, which also has $200 million from Niantic itself.
Niantic Spatial will continue to own and operate its other real-world AR games, Ingress Prime and Peridot.
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.
Moon Studios, the developer behind the Ori series and the upcoming action RPG No Rest for the Wicked, has announced that it is now “fully independent” after purchasing the publishing rights to its next game from the recently sold Private Division.
In a new YouTube update on No Rest for the Wicked’s next patch, studio co-founders Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol confessed that Take-Two’s sale of Private Division was “unexpected news”, but the team saw it as an “opportunity”. Having negotiated with the former publisher, Moon Studios was able to buy NRFTW’s publishing rights, granting the studio full independence.
A minority shareholder in Ubisoft is attempting to organize a protest outside the company’s Paris headquarters, accusing it of failing to disclose alleged discussions with Microsoft, EA, and others publishers reportedly interested in acquiring its franchises.
In a statement seen by IGN, Juraj Krúpa, CEO of AJ Investments, claimed Ubisoft is “horribly mismanaged by current management,” and wants a “clear roadmap for recovery” from the senior team to address “declining shareholder value, lackluster operational execution, and failure to adapt effectively to market trends.”
Krúpa alleged that Ubisoft has not been transparent about its decision-making, accusing the firm of “hiding information,” including an Assassin Creed Mirage DLC partnership with the Saudi investment firm Savvy Group.
The shareholder also pointed to a restricted article published by business investment platform MergerMarket that alleged “discussions between Microsoft, EA, and others that are interested in acquiring IPs from Ubisoft.” “Management did not inform public about these steps either,” Krúpa claimed.
IGN has asked Ubisoft for comment.
Back in October, Bloomberg reported that Ubisoft’s founding Guillemot family and shareholder Tencent were in discussions to take the company private following a number of high-profile flops, game cancellations, and the collapse of the company’s share price. At the time, the talks were merely exploratory, and Ubisoft told IGN it would “inform the market if and when appropriate.”
Meanwhile, rumors continue to spin about what exact proposals the board is considering, with some media outlets floating the idea that Tencent is increasingly reluctant to embrace Ubisoft due to the Guillemot family’s insistance on retaining a significant amount of control. Sans Tencent, there are few other companies big enough and rich enough to spend the cash needed to save the albatross Ubisoft has grown into.
“Management postponed its current game (which should save the company and its financials) Assassin’s Creed first time on 18th of July 2024,” Krúpa’s statement said. “On that date, Ubisoft confirmed full-year guidance for the year and release of AC Shadows on November 15. 2024. Just [a] couple months later, in September 2024, Ubisoft delayed the game again and revised its guidance, which in our view, was [a] move that could have [been] predicted by Ubisoft management.
“After [the] third delay, the game will finally be published on March 20, 2025. These delays and revised guidances caused severe stock declines, which harmed mostly retail investors that have limited resources to manage their positions accordingly. This action benefited mainly corporate and institutional investors who were on the buy side for distressed prices such as Credit Agricole, Goldman Sachs clients, Morgan Stanley, and others.”
Believing management did not communicate with shareholders “appropriately,” AJ Investments is calling on all investors “who are frustrated with the prolonged stagnation in Ubisoft’s stock performance and the lack of decisive action from the management team” to join its protest in May.
“We are aware that Ubisoft’s management and CEO have initiated a financial review of potential strategic options, advised by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. We expect this review to yield results in the coming months,” said Juraj Krúpa, founder of AJ Investments.
“That is why we are organizing this demonstration in May — to ensure they have time to reach a conclusion that genuinely increases shareholder value. If their conclusion effectively enhances shareholder value, we will call off the demonstration.
“All shareholders/investors of Ubisoft deserve a company that maximizes value and operates with transparency and accountability,” Krúpa added. “Ubisoft has continued to underperform compared to its industry peers, and it is time for the company to listen to its shareholders. This demonstration will be a powerful statement from investors who believe in the company’s potential but demand urgent change.”
AJ Investors said that it is prepared to “sue the company for misleading investors.”
This isn’t the first time this investor has called for the company to go private amid a shares slump following the disappointing release of Star Wars Outlaws.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
