Windblown is an action roguelite much like Dead Cells, the previous game from developer Motion Twin, but it trades sidescrolling ‘vania vibes for a 3D and more colourful world, and adds co-op for up to three pals. That sounds plenty appealing, and it now has a release date: October 24th.
Better still, on October 14th, it’s getting a singleplayer demo as part of the Steam Next Fest.
The new trailer for Ghost of Yotei is here and in three minutes, Sucker Punch has managed to tease a ton of cool details from Japanese history. Placed 300 years after the story of Jin and Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei takes us to a time of turmoil in the Hokkaido region, which was known as Ezo in 1603 and not really considered part of Japan. It was the perfect destination for fleeing Ronin and Wokou (aka pirates), who were escaping the newly appointed Tokugawa shogunate. Since the trailer released I’ve been poring over the details it contains, translating the text, brushing up on Japanese history, finding out about the Matsumae clan, and learning all about the indigenous people called Ainu, because I’m incredibly hyped for Ghost of Yotei. Here’s why.
Let’s talk about that opening quote because knowing a bit of history helps set the stage as to why it’s important. In 1600 the well-known Battle of Sekigahara took place, which was fought and won by famed warrior Tokugawa Ieyasu. Following his victory he hunted down and executed those who stood against him and folded many into his shogunate if they accepted. By 1603 clans like the Takeda clan – who may have their crest or one like it represented in the trailer – would have either joined Tokugawa or been left to their own fate.
In March of 1603, Ieyasu was made Shogun and guess which region was deemed important around that same time? That’s right, Ezo, which would explain the scene of Ronin and Pirates trying to burn down what we think might be a Tokugawa building or one teased to be like it.
In addition to that turmoil, the Matsumae clan was defending the southern region of Ezo from the Ainu. Since Ezo wasn’t really considered part of Japan and the Ainu were local to the area there was friction between the two factions, which came to a head when the Ainu and Matsumae faced off in 1669 during the revolt of Shakushain over control of the land. The Ainu are a very spiritual people believing that everything from flora and fauna to animals had a spirit. In fact they believe they were born from a union of a wolflike creature and a goddess. They also have a ritual involving bears who they consider to be gods, but more on that later.
In 1603 the conflict between the Ainu and Japanese was coming to a bit of a head. The Matsumae clan established a base on Ezo near the southern edge of the island, and would eventually build the Matsumae Castle in 1606. Ezo was seen as an important point of defense from Russia, but it wasn’t until the Castle was built that trade was more well-established with the Ainu in 1606.
Also a fun fact about Mount Yotei. It’s referred to as the female mountain by the Ainu people but let’s not forget about the nearby Mt. Shiribetsu, known as the male mountain is nearby and I believe it’s teased as a location a bit earlier.
So how does our new protagonist Atsu fit into all of this? There’s a lot of Wolf iconography in the trailer, which is interesting because the now-extinct Ezo Wolf, also known as the Ezo Okami, are known as a god who had the power to dispel evil. They also symbolize mountain worship, which ties in nicely with Yotei’s setting. Atsu also has Wolf iconography on her hilt, which makes me wonder if she has ties to the Ainu, given their belief that many animals were gods roaming the earth, and the Wolf god’s importance I noted earlier is particularly important in Ainu culture.
The Ainu loved animals, but despite this had ceremonies that by modern standards could be seen as somewhat violent. For example, the Ainu believed Bears were gods waiting to be set free, so they would take bear cubs, raise them like they were their own children until they were about two years old, and then sacrifice them and drink their blood in a ritual they believed sent the god back to where they came from. It’s also interesting that Atsu has what appears to be a bearskin cloak for warmth. While this may not have been from the ritual itself, it could have been traded or acquired from the Ainu in some other manner related to the ritual. Sucker Punch has teased an upcoming video about the other animals we can expect in Ghost of Yotei so I’m intrigued to know more about the blood sacrifice… or maybe the Ural Owls of Ezo which would be a bit more my speed.
But beyond the bear cloak, Atsu also has several interesting traits that could paint her as having a Japanese background. Besides her stances, weapons, and attire which we’ll discuss in just a moment, her instrument, the Tsugaru Shamisen, is an interesting choice. The Shamisen was popular in the pleasure districts, highbrow theater, and even with folk music of Japan which have led some fans to wonder if Atsu may use subterfuge as a Geisha in Yotei. Her well-kept nails also lend to this theory as they looked pretty nice for a roaming Ronin who’s just committed a brutal murder. Regardless, the Shamisen is an interesting choice because while it has been depicted as a weapon in some Japanese cinema, chances are it’ll instead be a replacement for Jin’s Shakuhachi (flute).
Japanese attire included a ghost mask that had been repaired with a technique known as Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the practice of fixing a break using a lacquer mixed with gold, and it was a very popular repair method of the time. The gold repair hints at the history of the item and was seen as beautiful by collectors. All this makes me wonder what story the mask seen in the trailer is hiding.
That question leaves us wondering how Atsu became a wandering Onna-musha warrior, which were basically the female version of a Ronin. Of course, there have been many well-documented Onna-musha throughout history, as it was common to train women to defend their homes and children during time of unrest. Tomoe Gozen one of the most feared Onna-musha warriors of all time has been well documented, and while she is more of a legend who’s authenticity is debated, there are still plenty of documents about women going to battle in Feudal Japan. I imagine Atsu would be inspired by one of those stories.
For this time period, Yodo-dono stands out to me as she has often been portrayed as fighting against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yodo-dono was a concubine for Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and gave him two children. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, she was very powerful as the mother of Hideyoshi only heir. She declined meetings with the Tokugawa clan. Rebuilt Osaka Castle with a bell that read “Toyotomi’s force will rise again” and let’s just say that was not received well by Ieyasu. It’s said that she resisted Tokugawa until she met her end in Osaka castle by committing suicide with her son. She’s an interesting character of the time period, who could make good inspiration for Atsu and has been portrayed many times in Japanese films, but I digress.
The bigger question for Atsu is why is she wanted? The sign we see in the trailer reads: “Wanted List. We have 100 Ryo rewards for this woman’s head. There are rumors that she was witnessed on Mount Yoteizan. 28 or 29 years old.” Ryo isn’t the modern currency for Japan, but, let’s just say that’s a large bounty by today’s standards.
Why does she have a list of names on her waist? The list reads Demon, Fox, Dragon, Spider, Snake, and Saito. Snake is crossed off with blood near the end of the trailer. Does that mean she has eliminated whomever Snake is? And who sent her and why is she on this quest?
“Still think your the hunter?” is the final quote we hear before Atsu defeats her enemy, and it leaves me wondering… where did she get those toys? Atsu uses the niten’ichi, or two sword style, Miyamoto Musashi popularized and which roughly translates as two heavens as one. It appears that she has a Katana in one hand and a Wakizashi in the other. She also wields an Arquebus Tanegashima rifle with a Serpentine matchlock and is shown with a Kusarigama twirling around the chain. Other weapons spotted in the trailer include the Odachi teaser, indicating there will be even more to master in Ghost of Yotei.
Of course, we have other questions about the game, like if hot springs will make a return, or if the crest that we see slashed will wind up being an homage to the Toyotomi clan that was wiped out. Time will tell. For now, the history, turmoil, and drama surrounding Ezo, the Ainu and the Tokugawa Shogunate has me hyped for Ghost of Yotei. Let’s see what you’ve got, Sucker Punch!
A special thanks to… IGN Japan & my friend Hanako for helping translate, YouTube reactions from Shohei Kondo | Gaijin Goombah | The Shogunate | Tales of Dawn and Dusk for historical context and details that helped guide my research!
I’m on a one-man mission to destroy your productivity. Yesterday I offered you Scrambled Maps, which is good for fifteen minutes of not working.
Today I offer Alphaguess, a once-a-day browser puzzle game in which you must guess a word. With every incorrect guess you make, the game tells you whether the correct answer comes before or after it alphabetically.
We can guess that there are plenty of Hollywood stars who want to appear in the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie, and Haley Joel Osment is one of them.
Osment stopped by our IGN Arcade series to look back at movies like The Sixth Sense as well as talk about his most recent film, Blink Twice. But, as part of the show, he also played a little bit of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, which is when he asked, “Are they ever gonna make a movie out of [The Legend of Zelda]?”
When we told him that yes, there is a live-action film on the way and asked him if he’d want to throw his hat in the ring, Osment didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, my hat’s in the ring, they know my hat’s been in the ring,” he said. “Link was like 37 when he did all this, right!? Seventeen, 37? As a kid, I was like, ‘obviously they’re gonna make [Ocarina of Time] a movie soon, the story’s all written out for you!’ And you’re like, ‘that’d be very challenging to make into a compelling two-hour movie.’ “
As far as what Zelda lore he’d like to see in the film, Osment said, “Ocarina and Majora’s Mask, those are my original Star Wars [trilogy].”
Nintendo and Sony Pictures first made the massive announcement about a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie last November, with Wes Ball (The Maze Runner, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) set to direct and Avi Arad and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto producing. Unfortunately for Osment and other Zelda fans hungry for information, Ball refused to reveal his favorite Zelda game in a previous IGN interview, so we’ll likely have to wait and see if he’s an Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask fan like Osment.
We’ve gotten a few other pieces of information since then, including the fact that Ball plans to take a “grounded” approach to adapting The Legend of Zelda. We still don’t have other key pieces of information however, including castings and a release date.
For more from our IGN Arcade interview with Osment, check out his comments on potentially saying goodbye to Sora after Kingdom Hearts 4 or watch the full episode below:
Thumbnail credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Avatar: The Last Airbender hasn’t had much luck when it comes to adaptations, whether to film or to video games. Now Paramount Game Studios and Saber Interactive are going to take a new swing at it. The pair have announced an action RPG set in the “Avatar Legends universe”, the broader world and timeline that The Last Airbender and Legend Of Korra take place within.
It lost half of its market value this year alone.
Tencent and the Guillemot family are reportedly considering taking Ubisoft private as part of efforts to stabilise the company amid a tumultuous 2024.
Acording to Bloomberg, both parties have reportedly been speaking with advisors on how best to bolster Ubisoft’s value after multiple gaffs over the last 12 months lead to a tumbling share price. Ubisoft has lost half of its market value this year, but news of this potential buyout has resulted in a sharp increase of around 33%.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Last week, we asked you to showcase the best Astro Bot levels using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
NightmarexDoll shares a spooky level with a mansion and a smiling moon in the background.
pavesoint shares a level in the clouds featuring a mechanical sun.
SoundwaveXP shares a level featuring a Japanese-style bathhouse and mountains.
kanon06 shares a level in space with a giant meteor and space debris.
Jeff_Bytes shares an aquatic level featuring a row of birds sitting on a wire.
Boargs shares a snow theme level with a snow slide and frosty vistas.
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Spooky Settings
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 9, 2024
Next week, showcase where things go bump in the night with Spooky Settings. Highlight spooky settings for Share of the Week using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
The developer of a number of upcoming virtual reality titles including Sony’s Starship Troopers VR game has suffered a significant round of layoffs amid what it called a “challenging VR gaming market.”
XR Games, developer of the poorly received Hitman 3: VR Reloaded as well as the upcoming Zombie Army VR for Rebellion and Starship Troopers: Continuum for Sony, suffered layoffs one former member of staff described as “beyond restructuring.”
72 staff were reportedly let go, retaining only 12 out of around 84. The downsizing cast doubt on the launch and support of both Zombie Army VR and Starship Troopers: Continuum, but in a statement issued to IGN, XR Games insisted both would still release later in 2024.
Here’s the statement, from Bobby Thandi, Founder and CEO of XR Games:
“I’m heartbroken that we’re going to be losing some of our incredibly dedicated, talented and valued colleagues. We’ve spent many months carefully exploring alternative solutions in the face of a challenging VR gaming market and a tough broader gaming landscape, and this is one of the hardest business decisions we’ve faced.
“Our priority during and after this consultation process is to treat all team members with the utmost respect and care. We are committed to helping those affected by this through outplacement support, such as CV clinics, portfolio advice, interview preparation and practice, and signposting available jobs in the industry. We also have mental health support available for our staff.
“I’m so very proud of our teams for their hard work on Hitman 3: VR Reloaded, which will continue to receive patch support, as well as Zombie Army VR and Starship Troopers: Continuum, both of which are due for launch this year. We want to be able to develop innovative titles for many years to come, and we’ll work to navigate this transition and shape the future of XR Games.”
Hitman 3: VR Reloaded, developed by XR Games in partnership with Hitman owner IO Interactive, is a standalone port of Hitman VR for the Meta Quest 3 that was supposed to address some of the biggest criticisms of the PC game, like the lack of dual wielding. But it launched to negative reviews from players as well as press, with Eurogamer calling it “about as grim as VR games can get.”
The VR market has struggled. The PSVR2, for example, lost momentum soon after launch despite its technical prowess, though Sony hasn’t shared figures since revealing it sold 600,000 within six weeks of its February 2023 launch.
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s head of global business Eric Lempel told the Financial Times in December 2023 that VR was “a bit of a challenging category right now.” In March, Bloomberg reported that Sony had allegedly paused the production of the PSVR2 to clear the backlog of unsold units it had.
Starship Troopers: Continuum, meanwhile, is due out on Meta Quest 2 and 3 on October 17, 2024, and PSVR2 on October 31, 2024. Zombie Army VR is set for launch on PSVR2, Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro, Oculus Rift, and PC headsets via Steam later in 2024.
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.
This story contains minor spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
After almost 40 years, Zelda finally has her own mainline The Legend of Zelda game in Echoes of Wisdom. So, naturally, someone has already figured out how to show her the door and play the game as Link instead.
Okay, jokes aside, the glitch itself is pretty cool. First found by Japanese speedrunner Ikaboze, it makes use of a combination of speedrunning glitches and the fact that you play as Link in the game’s prologue to make Link available in the rest of the game. Ikaboze’s original video is here, but for English speakers, a few other Zelda fanatics have put together instructions. Here’s an explanation in video form from ZeldaMaster that we’ve summarized below:
The glitch is tricky, so we recommend watching a video or two before attempting and practicing to get the timings right, but it does seem to consistently work on the current version of the game at the time of this piece: 1.0.1.
There are some limitations to be aware of. Though you’ll be on the overworld and able to explore, your game state will revert to what it was at the very beginning as Link, so you won’t have the map or most of your menu options unlocked. However, Link will come with two full lines of heart containers, bombs, arrows, his sword, and the bigger jump. You can unlock warp points and the map, and if you manually save the game at this point, you can reload it and still be running around as Link.
Critically, though, you won’t be able to use Echoes at all, which is currently where notions of beating the entire game as Link fall apart. When the glitch was discovered, the Echoes of Wisdom speedrunning Discord members began floating the idea of a “Link%” run, but lacking Echoes, they can’t meaningfully progress the game to a finished point…yet. Several intrepid individuals are goofing around with Link, trying to find ways to either get the Tri Rod or otherwise bypass points where Echoes are needed so that a Link% can be achievable. It’s possible that it won’t be long before beating the game as Link is discovered…though it’s also just as possible that Nintendo patches the game to get rid of the glitch before people figure it out.
We gave Echoes of Wisdom a 9/10 in our review, calling it “far more than some second-tier spinoff, combining the expertly crafted dungeons and item progression you’d expect from a 2D Zelda with the wild creativity provided by Tears of the Kingdom.” And for everyone still just trying to beat the game as Zelda, check out our wiki guides and our interactive map for help finding everything from heart pieces to every Echo in the game.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
I’m usually a little suspicious of anything that winkingly describes itself as “very normal”. It’s got Mental Baz energy to me. You’ve met mental Baz, right? He’s mental, he is! Has half a lemonade shandy with lunch sometimes, and wears one of those t-shirts that look like a tuxedo. Absolute mentalist! Anyway, after reviewing Grunn last week it’s thankfully far more interesting and creative than poor old Baz, who’s honestly just a bit shy and actually really nice when you get past the facade. Grunn just released today, and my high level tempter is that it’s a little bit like Outer Wilds, just with all the touching wonder replaced by spooky whimsy. Here’s a trailer:
