The Dynasty Warriors franchise recently celebrated its 27year anniversary, and I have to say, Dynasty Warriors: Origins showcases the series like never before, delivering the most intense combat of any game in DW history. Don’t believe me? Time to put my words to the test as I’m here to announce that the Dynasty Warriors: Origins Demo will be released on November 22!
In the demo, you will be able to play the Battle of Sishui Gate, the same battle as the Tokyo Game Show demo. However, we have enhanced the experience with additional elements that were not included at the Tokyo Game Show, providing a more substantial and challenging battle. Additionally, there is no time limit this time, so feel free to enjoy it to your heart’s content!
Throughout the demo, players will be able to choose from four types of weapons: Sword, Guandao, Pudao, and Wheels; as well as having options to customize arts, gems, and accessories. But don’t take the fight lightly as the franchise’s strongest officer, Lu Bu, definitely makes his presence known on the battlefield Unlike the demo at the Tokyo Game Show, however, you will be able to choose the difficulty level, so whether you’re skilled at action games or not, we encourage you to give it a try.
We are so excited to finally be able to provide everyone with the opportunity to experience the unique tactical action of Dynasty Warriors and we hope you enjoy the exhilarating battles against the massive armies we created!
Furthermore, we are happy to announce that Dynasty Warriors: Origins and the demo will be PS5 Pro enhanced. Along with the demo release, pre-orders will also begin on November 22. Pre-order the game to receive the bonus collaboration costume ‘Nameless Warrior Garb’ from the dark Three Kingdoms action RPG, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Don’t miss the opportunity!
For those unfamiliar with Dynasty Warriors: Origins, or for anyone who wants to see the latest and greatest, we’ve created a video titled ‘Gameplay Features’ where the producer introduces the game and shows off some of the game’s fevered fights. The video covers not only the action you can experience in the demo but also the story, exploration, and growth elements that will be available in the full game. Be sure to check it out!!
Dynasty Warriors: Origins releases January 17. We are eagerly looking forward to the day you will be able to play the full game, but until then, it’s demo time!
Ubisoft has issued a surprise update for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate on Xbox Series X and S, PS5, and PS5 Pro that lets you play at 60 frames per second.
The free patch offers doubled framerate on each console, Ubisoft said in a post on its website. There’s also 4K resolution on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PS5 Pro. Xbox Series S, and you’d expect, misses out on 4K.
Syndicate launched in 2015 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC as the ninth major game in Ubisoft’s long-running action adventure series. It’s set in London 1868, at the height of the Industrial Revolution. You lead an underworld organization and grow your influence to fight those who exploit the less privileged in the name of progress, with Assassin Jacob Frye and his twin sister Evie as playable characters.
PS5 and PS5 Pro: 1080p resolution at 60fps, 4K resolution at 60fps
The next mainline Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, lets you play as either a Shinobi or Samurai and explore the open world of Feudal Japan. It’s due out on February 14, 2025.
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.
I’m still bumbling, tumbling and blundering through the cavernous labyrinths of first-person spelunking sim Lorn’s Lure, in which you are an android exploring a series of enormous machines and sunken artificial habitats. I hope one day to level up from “bumbling, tumbling and blundering” to “running and jumping”. Perhaps I’ll even get as far as “speedrunning”. But in the likely event that I plateau at “blundering”, it’s a relief to know that developer Rubeki Games has updated the game with an Explore Mode that makes certain sections dramatically easier.
I’ve been trying to work out if I’m keen on Soulframe only because I feel guilty about missing the boat with Warframe. I reviewed Digital Extremes’ hit free-to-play shooter in 2013, back when people were still calling it a spiritual successor to the developer’s boomerang-throwing action game Dark Sector. I didn’t like Warframe much at the time. Think I gave it a 6/10. Warp forward a decade, and that 6/10 game has become a thriving live service phenomenon – fifteenth on the Steam Most Played charts at the time of writing, and profitable enough to spawn its own annual TennoCon expo. It’s also become an intoxicating, confusing morass of dynastic sci-fantasy politicking and genre-shifting expansions, ranging from capital ship mechanics to questions of time travel, wrapped in layers of cosmetics that make Destiny look about as colourful as Gears Of War.
I definitely didn’t see all that coming. I doubt Digital Extremes saw it coming either. Warframe today feels like a lab experiment run amok. I love its appetite for novelty, but there’s a lot for a returning player to catch up on and, frankly, it feels like homework. As such, I had a couple of broad motivations for playing Soulframe’s pre-alpha “prelude”: I’m keen to see what Digital Extremes can do when they aren’t encumbered by 10 years of world-building, and I want to get in on the ground floor before they absolutely swamp this thing in updates.
You may not have heard of Little Big Adventure, but if you have, it’s likely you remember it fondly. It popped up on PC in the last months of 1994, then found its way to PlayStation and other platforms. It didn’t shift millions, but it gained cult status for its unique atmosphere, inventive controls, and memorable story of a despot, a rebellion, and a chosen one. Understanding Twinsen’s Quest really means understanding its origins, so it’s worth a recap.
Little Big Adventure was the first game from French studio Adeline Software, followed a few years later by a sequel. Developer has brought back some of the original team for this remake — including composer Philippe Vachey, revisiting a memorable theme tune — as well as new creatives drawn from the LBA fan community. Designer Didier Chanfray has said that the Little Big Adventure series was always intended to be a trilogy: now the goal is to remake both of the original games in a modern style, before finally completing the set. Exciting stuff for long-time fans.
Designed for Xbox Flight Peripherals, Cleared for Take-Off on November 19
John-Ray IngallaSr. Hardware Program Manager, Xbox Partner Hardware
Attention, virtual pilots! As you prepare to embark within the enhanced world of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 tomorrow, consider performing some pre-flight checks on your flight systems. Whether you’re exploring Aviation Careers, competing in Challenge Mode, navigating aircraft systems, flying through turbulent weather, enjoying a sunset at 35,000 feet, or photographing the 27 new biomes at ground level, having the right equipment is crucial for completing your mission.
Our Designed for Xbox partners at Thrustmaster and Turtle Beach have crafted a range of flight simulator peripherals perfect for your aerial journeys. Developed in collaboration with real-world pilots, these expertly designed peripherals bring unparalleled precision and realism to your flight sim adventures, making every takeoff, landing, and in-flight maneuver feel as genuine as the real thing. Ensure those tray tables are stowed, and your seats are in their full upright position because the Designed for Xbox flight peripherals are ready to take your Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 adventures to new heights.
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition
What better way to take your first flights than with the T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition? It’s the immersive, complete, and precise plug-and-play equipment you need to fly all types of aircraft, which connects seamlessly to your Xbox Series X|S or PC to play Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition is designed to support you as you enhance your virtual piloting skills. As you jump into a new aircraft or learn about your preferred flight setup, you can customize the joystick’s resistance, throttle position, and control lever to suit your preferences. Featured with a 10-bit precision joystick, throttle, a total of 14 buttons, 1 rapid trigger, 1 multi-directional hat switch with 10-bit precision, and 5 axes (including the Z axis), you’ll be transported directly into the cockpit for an immersive flying experience.
Thanks to plug-and-play compatibility, T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition is ready to fly into thrilling new adventures in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Xbox Series X|S or PC. The T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition is available starting November 19, 2024, for $99.99 USD ERP.
To navigate the skies with immersive accuracy, let the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightstick be your perfect co-pilot. This high-precision control stick is packed with features designed to make your virtual flights as realistic as possible. This isn’t just a joystick; it’s your gateway to the skies, whether you’re piloting a commercial airliner or a fighter jet.
With its pro-aim focus mode, you can adjust the main stick sensitivity to nail those tricky landings with ease. For added customization, connect it to your smartphone or tablet using the Bluetooth Companion App to tweak everything from dead zone adjustments to lighting colors. Imagine setting the color, brightness, and response of multiple RGB LED zones to match the mood of your flight! And with 27 programmable buttons, an 8-way digital POV hat, and dual throttle lever detents, you’ll have all the controls you need for every flight right at your fingertips.
The VelocityOne Flightstick is also designed for comfort and versatility with an ambidextrous design and reversible wrist rest. Whether you’re right or left-handed, you can set it up to suit you perfectly. Plus, with Turtle Beach’s audio features, you can plug in any 3.5mm headset to enjoy functions like Superhuman Hearing and game/chat balance.
You can visit xbox.com to see our full selection of Designed for Xbox licensed flight peripherals! We will continue to add more products to make your flights as smooth as possible. Gear up, happy flying, and may your skies always be clear!
My name is Celine Tricart, creator of Masters of Light—an XR Game of the Year nominee—and co-founder of the game studio Coven. I’m incredibly excited to bring our thrilling new action-adventure game to PlayStation VR2. As a longtime PlayStation fan—since the original Silent Hill!—I want to bring PS VR2 players an experience that feels unique and spectacular: a game where every move, every battle, and every victory is something you truly feel. With the immersive power and unique features of PS VR2, Masters of Light delivers an experience as intense and breathtaking as the story behind it.
What is Masters of Light?
Masters of Light thrusts players into a galaxy on the brink of destruction. A black hole at the center of the galaxy has unleashed an army of Shadows, spreading chaos and darkness. You are The Wanderer, a powerful being of light and the galaxy’s last defense. Armed with magical powers, your mission is to crush the darkness, rescue the Sisters of Light, and restore hope. Each battle will test your strength, courage, and skill as you journey deeper toward the black hole’s core, where the ultimate challenge awaits.
Masters of Light features high-energy 1st person combat where focus, timing, and strategy are keys to victory. For example, some enemies (shown above) are protected by unbreakable armor. The player must wait for it to attack, then block and parry right after for a chance to defeat it.
Combat like never before
Masters of Light takes first-person spell-casting combat to a new level of intensity. Wield raw energy to unleash explosive attacks, conjure powerful shields, and send waves of Shadows scattering with devastating blasts. Each battle demands sharp focus, strategic timing, and unrelenting force. With every strike, you’ll feel the power of your spells reverberate, leaving you exhilarated as you push back the darkness and fight to bring balance to the galaxy.
For those intrigued by the game’s lore, hidden ruins across the galaxy hold echoes of a forgotten past. Reactivate these ancient sites to uncover secrets about your origins and the cosmic forces that shaped the universe. Whether you’re drawn to high-stakes combat or delving into mysteries, Masters of Light offers a deeply immersive experience that rewards both skill and curiosity.
Hidden in the 36 levels are ancient ruins that the player can reactivate to unlock pieces of the lore.
Inspired by empowerment
Masters of Light draws inspiration from my earlier VR project, Fight Back, which focused on self-defense empowerment using real-world techniques. That project sparked something in me—a drive to take the feeling of empowerment even further. With Masters of Light, we embraced our core pillars of beauty, physicality, and confidence to guide every part of the game’s development.
At Coven, we set out to create something beautiful, engaging, and challenging, while ensuring it’s accessible to a wide range of players. On PS VR2, every player becomes a superhero, discovering new abilities, conquering foes, and experiencing a powerful sense of strength and exhilaration.
New enemies and superpowers are unlocked as players progress in the game, climaxing in insane battles that will leave you breathless.
Pushing the PS VR2 features to the max
The PS VR2’s advanced graphics bring Masters of Light’s mystical world to life with vibrant detail, enhanced by HDR and higher-resolution textures. Every scene pops, from the supernatural glow of your powers to the neon constellations you’re liberating, making each environment feel immersive and alive.
The PS VR2’s eye-tracked dynamic foveated rendering and 90Hz refresh rate keep the visuals crisp and the action smooth, allowing players to target enemies instinctively with just a glance. This precise aiming system keeps you focused on the action, rewarding quick reflexes and heightening every battle.
The PS VR2 Sense controllers further enhance realism with adaptive triggers and advanced haptics. Each spell cast, shield raised, and strike delivered resonates in your hands with weighty feedback. Paired with subtle headset vibrations, every moment of combat feels tangible and consequential, pulling you deeper into the experience.
Already celebrated for its gorgeous art, Masters of Light reaches new heights thanks to upscaled skyboxes and graphics on PS VR2.
A soundtrack that draws you in
The sensory experience of Masters of Light goes beyond visuals and haptics—it’s also deeply shaped by its soundtrack. During development, we found that synthwave perfectly matched the game’s retro-futuristic style. Partnering with G4F Records—known for Furi and Road 96—we crafted a dynamic soundscape with Waveshaper’s high-energy beats for combat and Paul Zimmermann’s cinematic pieces for emotional depth.
Take on the challenge
Masters of Light offers an epic journey across 36 challenging levels. Each level is replayable, allowing players to perfect their performance and strive for a three-star rating and the coveted Perfectionist trophy. For those seeking the ultimate challenge, we’ve included “Grand Master” difficulty mode—where enemies are stronger, and the HUD is disabled, putting your skills to the test.
The game also features leaderboards for each level, with global and weekly rankings that reset every Sunday. Only the most skilled players will rise to the top.
The Snipe power allows players to target a distant enemy with one hand, and damage it with the other hand.
Ready to rise?
Masters of Light on PS VR2 is for those ready to embrace intense gameplay and full immersion. When the game launches on December 18, it’s your chance to shine and become the ultimate Master of Light. Are you ready to step into the light?
Roblox has announced significant changes designed to protect children who play on the platform amid increased scrutiny and concern from parents.
As part of the changes due in the coming months, users under the age of 13 will no longer be able to directly message others on Roblox outside of games or experiences (also known as platform chat).
Roblox will also introduce a built-in setting that limits users under the age of 13 to public broadcast messages only within a game or experience. By default, users younger than 13 will not be able to directly message others. Parents can change this setting in Parental Controls.
From today, users under the age of nine will only be able to access games or experiences with content labeled Minimal or Mild, with parental consent required to access Moderate content.
Roblox’s changes come on the heels both of a damning Bloomberg report this summer about the prevalence of child predators on the platform and, more recently, a report from investment firm Hindenburg Research that accused the company of, among other things, being a haven for groomers and pedophiles due to a lack of up-front screening of new accounts.
It claimed to have found open trading of child pornography on the site as well as violent and hateful speech and sexually explicit content in numerous games marketed to kids on the platform. Roblox responded, saying that “safety and civility” have been “foundational” to Roblox since its inception. However, Hindenburg followed up by pointing out that it had not addressed allegations of Roblox being a “pedophile hellscape.”
“We’ve spent nearly two decades building strong safety systems, but we know there’s always more to be done,” Matt Kaufman, Chief Safety Officer at Roblox, said in a note to the press issued today.
“Last quarter saw a record average for daily active users on Roblox – over 88 million – and as our platform has grown in scale, we have always recognised that our approach to safety must evolve with it. Today’s launch represents the next stage in that evolution. It is the culmination of many months of product development and consultation with online safety experts, and follows the rollout of more than 30 new safety feature enhancements this year alone, as we continue on our mission to build a safe and civil space for play, learning and creativity for millions around the world.”
Also from today, accounts with parent privileges will be able to view their child’s screen time over the past week, set daily screen time limits, and view their child’s friends list. In addition, accounts with parent privileges will be able to access existing Roblox tools that allow parents to set spend restrictions, limit or enable certain chat functionality, and determine the type of content their child has access to.
In the coming months, Roblox will also introduce new restrictions to prevent users under the age of 13 from searching, discovering or playing experiences that have yet to be assigned a Content Label. Restricted content will remain blocked until a user is at least 17 years old and has verified their age by uploading a selfie and a photo of a valid government-issued ID.
Last week, Roblox announced that it will age-gate certain experiences for users under the age of 13, based on the type of user behaviors sometimes found in those experiences. These new restrictions apply to experiences that are primarily designed for socializing with users outside of their friends list and experiences that allow free-form writing or drawing, such as on a chalkboard or a whiteboard.
In 2022, a San Francisco lawsuit accused Roblox of enabling the financial and sexual exploitation of a 10-year-old girl. In 2023, it was sued both for allegedly facilitating “an illegal gambling ecosystem” and more generally for having lax child safety protocols that allegedly led to financial loss and children’s exposure to adult content.
Earlier this year, the platform announced it reported over 13,000 incidents of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2023, resulting in the arrest of 24 predators who allegedly groomed and abused children on Roblox. This number is up 3,000 from 2022.
A Bloomberg report suggested that there remained a number of other abusers on the platform who had managed to evade capture. At the time, Roblox referred to itself as “one of the safest online environments for our users, particularly the youngest users.”
Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
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.
Sony’s $700 PlayStation 5 Pro gives games such as God of War: Ragnarok and Baldur’s Gate 3 a big performance boost but it’s also enduring teething problems, with players reporting issues in the likes of Silent Hill 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
The recently released remake of beloved survival horror game Silent Hill 2 perhaps has the most complaints, with Eurogamer having spotted a number of fans flagging that both developer Bloober Team and publisher Konami have yet to comment on graphical issues headlined by a shimmering or flickering effect.
“I immediately knew something was off without even seeing gameplay previously or even playing the game before this,” said Unlocky-Soil-2456 on Reddit. “That’s how bad this is. I can’t even bring myself to play it in this state because it’s so distracting.”
Several other games are affected by this similar shimmering issue too. “I love my PS5 Pro for the most part, most games look wonderful, but there seems to be an issue with some games,” said Chaystic on ResetEra. “There’s this weird shimmering, aliasing, whatever you wanna call it. One big example is Black Ops 6, I thought my Pro was faulty or something, but it turns out I’m not the only one who noticed it. I’ve seen several social media posts who reported the same.”
Fellow PS5 Pro owners in the comments pointed it out in Spider-Man 2, Stellar Blade, and Alan Wake 2 as well, while Digital Foundry discovered what it called “severe image quality problems” in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. “There are severe image quality concerns when elements like foliage interact with ray tracing,” it said. “The end result is a strobing image quality downgrade that makes this Pro patch difficult to recommend.”
The PS5 Pro arrived November 7 as Sony’s now standard mid-generation upgrade. More than 50 games received PS5 Pro specific patches upon its launch but, as this list includes Alan Wake 2 and Black Ops 6 among others receiving complaints, it’s worth proceeding with caution.
In our 7/10 review of the PS5 Pro, IGN said: “The PlayStation 5 Pro is an impressive console with noticeable boosts in performance and graphics for games that take advantage of its powerful hardware. But for $700, you’ll need to think twice about whether or not the upgrade is worth the price tag.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Ubisoft has clarified that Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t getting a battle pass amid rumors that the Animus Hub, the rebranded Assassin’s Creed Infinity set to house all future games in the franchise, will feature paid content.
The Animus Hub team posted on the Assassin’s Creed Reddit to correct leaks claiming the hub would contain paid rewards for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, leading many to believe a battle pass style system was being implemented.
“It has come to our attention that inaccurate rumors have been circulating online regarding the upcoming Animus Hub (ex-codename Infinity),” Ubisoft said. “We wanted to take this occasion to clarify that all the rewards available in the Animus Hub will be entirely free.”
The post went on to clarify “there are no paid subscriptions or paid battle passes featured in the Animus Hub” and “players will have access to regular content and missions at no extra cost.” More details will be revealed closer to the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which was recently delayed from November to February 14.
Ubisoft is also ditching its main paid content model of releasing a Season Pass with two main, paid expansion drops in the year after launch. The faux “early access” period that sees publishers charge players more to play on the actual release date instead of three days later has also been scrapped.
Releasing myriad pieces of downloadable content for free will perhaps bring some Assassin’s Creed fans back on-side in what’s otherwise been a particularly rough pre-launch campaign for Ubisoft.
Concern was also raised when the developer used a flag from a Japanese historical re-enactment group in artwork for Assassin’s Creed Shadows without permission. Ubisoft apologized for doing so but refused to remove the artwork from the aforementioned and presumably already printed artbook available in the Collector’s Edition. The historical re-enactment group said this was not good enough, but Ubisoft hasn’t publicly acknowledged it since.
All this comes as fans are already frustrated by the delay to the game, which puts Assassin’s Creed Shadows in more direct competition with PlayStation’s Ghost of Tsushima sequel, Ghost of Yotei. This is also expected in 2025 and is another open-world action adventure game set in Feudal Japan.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot maintained confidence, however. “There’s a lot of space for very high-quality games, and those two games can sell very well,” he said in the company’s latest earnings call. “The focus is to really make sure that we deliver a fantastic experience with this dual protagonist approach and two different and complimentary gameplays.”
Assassins Creed Shadows indeed features two protagonists, stealthy assassin Naoe and savage samurai Yasuke. The game’s story will weave between the two but players can otherwise switch between them at will as they explore Ubisoft’s open-world take on Japan.
