Square Enix has rolled out an update for its 2019 Switch release Final Fantasy VII and it makes a surprising change. Version 1.03/1.04 removes the restrictions on the “sharing features” across Switch and multiple other platforms. Here are the full patch notes:
FINAL FANTASY VII Update Nov. 6, 2024
All previous restrictions for sharing features have been removed from FINAL FANTASY VII on the following platforms: – PlayStation 4: patch ver. 1.04 – Nintendo Switch: patch ver. 1.03 – Xbox One: patch ver. 1.04 – Microsoft Store (Windows): patch ver. 1.04
FromSoftware has done it again, blending the chaos of battle with the strategy of customization in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. This Black Friday, you can snag the game on PS5 or Xbox at Amazon and Best Buy for just $19.99, down from its usual $59.99 price. That’s a $40 discount on a game that puts you in the pilot seat of a customizable mech for some of the most intense action of the year.
Drawing from the expertise behind Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Armored Core VI offers a dynamic gameplay experience that combines 3D maneuverability with a mix of ranged and melee combat. It’s like they took FromSoftware’s signature challenge and sprinkled in some explosive mech mayhem, because why not?
The game’s story sends you to Rubicon 3, a contaminated wasteland where corporations and resistance groups are locked in a brutal battle to control a mysterious, catastrophic energy source. As a mercenary caught in the middle, it’s up to you to outfit your mech with the perfect loadout and dive into missions that require brains, brawn, and a little button-mashing finesse.
With Armored Core VI, it’s not just about blowing things up (though there’s plenty of that). The customization options let you create a mech that reflects your playstyle, whether precision strikes from afar or close-quarters carnage. Add a visually stunning world and epic boss battles, and you’ve got a recipe for hours of adrenaline-fueled fun. Let’s not forget Armoured Core being pretty much a Soulsborne franchise but with mechs, so get good!
If you’ve been itching to join the mech party, now’s your chance. At $19.99 you’re not just saving $40, you’re scoring a ticket to one of the most exciting games in the genre. Don’t wait too long, though. Black Friday deals tend to disappear faster than a mech dodging enemy fire.
We’re in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. We already know what PlayStation and Xbox have in store, and most general deals will be available well in advance, such as this excellent discount on DualSense controllers.
Christian Wait is a UK-based freelancer for IGN, you can follow him @ChrisReggieWait on Twitter/X.
Ready to sneak back into one of gaming’s most legendary franchises? Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for PS5, Switch, and Xbox is just $18.99 at Amazon for Black Friday. That’s a stealthy 53% off its $39.99 retail price, saving you over $20 while delivering a masterclass in espionage action. At under $20, this is a Black Friday deal worth crawling through an air vent for.
This iconic bundle includes a lineup of classics that define a generation, such as Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. But the nostalgia doesn’t stop there. You’ll also get early entries like Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, plus rarities like Snake’s Revenge and the NES version of Metal Gear. It’s like a time machine for your gaming console with better graphics.
And then there’s the bonus content: screenplay books featuring in-game text, master books detailing the series’ storylines and characters, and two digital graphic novels that bring Solid Snake’s adventures to life with dynamic art and voice acting. Kojima fans, this one’s for you.
Want to dodging guards or binge-reading digital screenplays? This collection guarantees hours of stealthy fun. And let’s be honest: there’s something deliciously ironic about picking up a game about sneaky infiltration at a price this loud. At 39% off, it’s practically begging you to shout, “Mission accomplished!”
With so much content packed into one disc (or download), this deal might be the best Black Friday gift you can give yourself—or your favorite gamer. But remember, in the world of Black Friday, deals disappear faster than Snake in a cardboard box. Get yours now before this one vanishes into the shadows.
We’re in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. We already know what PlayStation and Xbox have in store, and most general deals will be available well in advance, such as this excellent discount on DualSense controllers.
Christian Wait is a UK-based freelancer for IGN, you can follow him @ChrisReggieWait on Twitter/X.
Before we dive into this week’s battle, let’s see how things panned out last time. We looked at Double Dragon for the NES, and it was yet another close call. After over 1,600 votes from our dear readers, it was the Western design that took home the win with 53% of the vote. Well done!
PS5 gamers rejoice, because a popular exclusive game is on sale for Black Friday. Sony recently announced its Black Friday PlayStation deals, and one of the more popular titles to be mentioned was Stellar Blade. Right now, Amazon, Best Buy, and Target are all offering the game for only $49.99 shipped after a 30% price drop. I’ve seen this price once before in late October, but it sold out very quickly. This time around, the deal should last until Black Friday, November 29.
30% Off Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade, the first stateside non-gacha IP from Shift Up, is a well-reviewed game that’s best known for its challenging souls-like gameplay, outstanding graphics, killer soundtrack… and of course its suggestive character design. In our Stellar Blade review, Mitchell Saltzman wrote that “Stellar Blade stands out as a gorgeous and well-crafted action game with very impressive strengths and very clear weaknesses. Both its story and characters lack substance, and some of its RPG elements are poorly implemented, like dull sidequests that very often require you to retrace your steps through previous levels with very little done to make the return trip feel unique or rewarding. But its action picks up most of that slack thanks to the rock solid fundamentals of its Sekiro-inspired combat system, a deep well of hideous monstrosities to sharpen your sword against, and plenty of hidden goodies that do a great job of incentivizing exploration throughout.” IGN officially rated Stellar Blade a 7/10, although I personally loved this game and would have given it a higher score.
Stellar Blade is a technically demanding game and I run it in “Performance” mode to maintain 60fps. If you’re planning to pick up a PlayStation 5 Pro, which is set to be released on November 7, you may be able to get the best of both worlds and play in “enhanced” 4K mode and still get great framerates. According to this official PlayStation blog post, “With PS5 Pro, players will be able to enjoy Stellar Blade in 4K resolution at 50fps or more, with smoother gameplay, and you’ll notice an improvement in grain and detail in the game in PSSR upscale mode. Plus, the HFR (high framerate) option is supported, allowing you to enjoy a fluid gaming experience at 80 fps (120hz display support required).”
When Is Black Friday 2024?
We’re in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. There are already some fantastic deals available on PS5 consoles and controllers, video games for all platforms, AirPods Pro, and tons more.
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.
A lot of big, excellent, high-scoring games have come out this year, so it’s perfectly understandable if you haven’t played them all. If you’ve been holding off on picking up Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, now is a good time to grab a copy: It’s on sale for a new all-time low price at Amazon.
You can snag it on PS5 or Xbox Series X for $49.99 at Amazon, a healthy $20 discount. And if you like shooters, you should absolutely pick it up, because it’s excellent.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has a phenomenal campaign that you can play either single-player or with up to three friends. The story is nice and twisty, pitting you and your fellow futuristic military men against the alien Tyranid forces.
Once you’re done with the campaign, there’s a whole lot of cosmetic gear and armor colors you can collect by playing co-op missions or online multiplayer matches. The whole game is just a great shooter that delivers on the fundamentals. Plus, it looks fantastic, having left behind the previous generation of consoles. You can read my Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 review for more details to see whether it’ll appeal to you. I loved it, though, giving it an 8 out of 10.
Here’s the summary: “Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a terrific third-person shooter with a compelling story, loads of weapons that are a blast to use, and a healthy variety of enemies to use them on. It once again borrows many of its ideas from the Gears of War series, but they’re good ideas, and Space Marine 2 does a fine job of making them its own. And while the Operations PvE mode that accompanies it doesn’t currently offer enough to keep me coming back, the deep customization options for your Space Marine do look promising if it’s supported in post-launch updates as planned. Besides, when you’re eviscerating aliens on planets as pretty as these, it’s hard not to leave satisfied. “
Nintendo Black Friday deals are now officially live, with a whole slew of unbeatable discounts now available on consoles, games, accessories, and more. Most importantly, the best-ever Switch deal is live, with an additional $75 off the Switch Black Friday bundles.
This screams, “Switch 2 is coming soon, please buy our console” but we’re not complaining. If you’ve been after a Switch, this is the deal for Black Friday, and it’s pretty incredible. Check out the rest of our top picks below and stay tuned for details on more upcoming offers.
Even with the anticipated Switch 2 expected next year, this deal is likely to be extremely popular. Together, the bundles represent a $155 saving compared to buying each item separately. The inclusion of a full year of NSO membership is also a notable upgrade from past bundles, which typically featured just three months of Nintendo Switch Online.
Switch Black Friday Game Deals
Phase two of Nintendo’s Black Friday sale is now live, offering plenty of great deals across popular Switch titles. Retailers like Best Buy and Target have already rolled out some standout discounts. Current highlights include Sonic X Generations for $29.99, Super Mario Odyssey for $29.99, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for $44.99, and Balatro for $19.99.
Tears of the Kingdom is also discounted to $39.99, though it will drop to $29.99 at Walmart tomorrow for those willing to wait. These deals are expected to sell quickly, so now is a great time to take advantage of the savings.
Nintendo Switch Accessory Black Friday Deals
The Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED offer 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively, with some of that reserved for the operating system. To put this into perspective, Tears of the Kingdom takes up 16GB, while Breath of the Wild requires about 13.5GB. Downloading both games digitally would nearly fill the original Switch’s storage, making a high-capacity memory card less of a luxury and more of a necessity.
Thankfully, Black Friday sales make storage upgrades much more affordable. A 1TB microSD card is now available for $57.99, while a 512GB card can be picked up for just $32.99, offering ample space for games, DLC, and updates. Portable gaming needs are also covered, with one of the best power banks on the market dropping to its lowest price ever at $77.99. Additionally, Switch Pro controllers are now just $49.99, making this Black Friday an excellent time to grab essential accessories at significant discounts.
Should You Sign Up for Walmart+ Before Nov. 25?
One of the standout deals in Walmart’s first wave of Black Friday offers is a 50% discount on a 12-month Walmart+ membership. Usually priced at $98, it’s now available for $49. The membership includes several perks, starting with 5-hour early access to Walmart’s next round of Black Friday deals, which begins at noon ET on Monday, November 25, and notably includes that Tears of the Kingdom deal for $29.99.
It’s not worth signing up for Walmart+ just to snag that single deal—you’d likely be better off purchasing the game at its regular price. Instead, consider whether early access to Walmart’s upcoming deals or the other benefits of a 12-month membership make sense for you. Take some time to weigh the value of the subscription against your shopping habits to decide if it’s the right choice.
When is Black Friday This Year?
We hope you’ve prepared your wallets, because it’s Black Friday season. During the biggest sales event of the year, keep an eye out for price drops on the games you’ve been waiting to add to your library. The same can be said for TVs, gaming PCs, Apple products, and more.
Whatever you’re in the market for, right now is probably one of the best times to make your biggest purchases. The sale going live means we are one step closer to Black Friday proper, with deals for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo already confirmed. Let’s dig into all the best PlayStation Black Friday deals.
Free In-Store Switch Events
Nintendo is also organizing in-person demo events at Target, Best Buy, and GameStop, giving players a chance to try upcoming games and participate in giveaways.
Dec. 7: Best Buy Family Fun Day will offer hands-on demos for games like Mario & Luigi: Brothership, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Just Dance 2025.
Dec. 14: GameStop will host demos for the same lineup.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Have you tried Sonic X Shadow Generations yet? If not, now’s the perfect time. It’s down to $29.99 / £27.99 for Black Friday – $20 off the price it launched at just over a month ago. This isn’t a sign of trouble; Sega often discounts even its top-performing games during Black Friday sales. Instead, this is simply one of the season’s best gaming deals.
For $30, you’re getting Sonic Generations remastered, paired with the ultimate Shadow experience in Shadow Generations. It’s an incredible package and a contender for game of the year in my opinion. Whether you’re a Sonic fan or not, this is a must-play experience and a bargain at this price.
IGN’s Jada Griffen reviewed the game, awarding it a 9: “Sonic X Shadow Generations takes an already excellent game and spring jumps it to new heights at a blistering pace by doubling up the campaign length with creative level design, fantastic bosses, plenty of collectibles, and an appreciable graphical upgrade.”
“While the brand-new Shadow content isn’t necessarily long on its own, it adds a nice change of pace to the collection of all-time great Sonic stages Generations already contained, and there’s an exciting new story that’s filled in as you explore the overworld for collectibles, activities, and challenges.”
“This bulked-up remaster soars far and above previous enhanced versions we’ve gotten in the Sonic franchise, and hopefully will be the gold standard Sega holds itself to when it decides to bring back other Sonic games from the past.”
More Switch Black Friday Deals
When Is Black Friday 2024?
The actual date ofBlack Friday in 2024 falls on November 29, but the holiday deals season starts a lot earlier than that. Plenty of retailers have already been dropping deals online. More and more deals will roll out leading up to the event, which culminates in massive discounts on Black Friday. Retailers will not reveal their biggest Black Friday deals until the big day, but most general deals will be available well in advance, such as the impressive Sonic deal.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Super Mario Party Jamboree got off to a strong last month in the UK and Japan, and we’ve now got an update from Circana’s executive director and video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella about how it performed in the US.
