Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they’ve been chewing over. Today, it’s time to celebrate Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door’s Vivian, and Alana does it with Pride.
Nintendo’s track record with LGBTQIA+ characters has been… mixed, to say the least. The Big N hasn’t exactly been the most forward company in making statements, even going as far as to say “we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary” by not giving the option for same-sex relationships in the 3DS life-simulation game Tomodachi Life back in 2014.
13 Things Every Elden Ring Fan Should Know About Shadow of the Erdtree
Even before getting to play the game a couple of weeks ago, I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been as excited for a piece of DLC as I am for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. With nearly 500 hours in Elden Ring across six full playthroughs, the game may not be my most-played game ever (tips cap toward Destiny 2), but it’s definitely one of my all-time favorites. Now, after playing Shadow of the Erdtree for several hours, I can already tell that it’ll continue to have its Godskin Peelers in me for the foreseeable future.
With that in mind, there are a number of elements of Shadow of the Erdtree that really stood out to me during my all-too-brief time with the game. Let’s take a closer look so my fellow Elden Ring sickos know what to expect when they dive into the DLC on June 21.
Touch the Withered Arm
If you played Elden Ring, there’s a good chance that you saw the withered arm hanging limply out of what appeared to be an egg in Mohgwyn Palace. That’s precisely where the DLC kicks off and it means that players will need to defeat Mohg (Lord of Blood if you’re nasty) before they can dive in. Once the area is clear, you’ll meet a new character named Leda. After briefly introducing yourself, she urges you to “touch the withered arm,” which teleports you to a brand-new area called the Realm of Shadow.
This is One Expansive Expansion
As anyone who played the excellent Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City expansions for Dark Souls III can attest, developer FromSoftware excels at creating fresh and memorable environments outside of the core game area. Shadow of the Erdtree looks to carry on (and even improve upon) that tradition by offering a massive new area for Elden Ring fans to explore. Although I spent several hours exploring the wide-open plains and labyrinthine corridors of the Realm of Shadow, much of the map was still shrouded in fog, indicating that I was only scratching the surface of what it has to offer.
It’s Certainly a Vibe
My entry to the Realm of Shadow was through the Gravesite Plain, which stretched out before me and was chockful of spectral gravestones and shambling, easily-dispatched low-level enemies. After riding my steed around the area and hitting the nearest map stele to unlock a better view on my map, I decided to do some exploration before forging ahead on the suggested path. Sure enough, I found spooky mausoleum to explore, as well as a dragon peacefully napping in the middle of a small lake. I decided to take a close look at both. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
I’ve Made a Huge Mistake
As I noted above, I’ve played a lot of Elden Ring. So much so that I apparently forgot how unmercifully (and wonderfully!) challenging the game can be. Strolling up to the dragon awakened him and he looked at me for a moment… before launching himself into the air and scorching everything around me with black flame. Yes, Black Flame Dragons are now a thing, and I learned quickly that they are not to be trifled with. After several failed attempts to take the winged beast down, I decided to make my way back to the mausoleum, only to be met by Blackgaol Knight (reminiscent of the Crucible Knights) that summarily beat me down a half dozen times. Ahhhhh, yes, now that’s the Elden Ring I know and love!
You’re Only as Good as Your Gear
There are a number of new elements in Shadow of the Erdtree that will help you along your journey. I got a chance to try out the Milady, a light greatsword with several balanced attacks that I am already looking forward to using more. I also utilized some new armor from the Oathseeker Knight armor set that looks pretty slick (and offers a good deal of protection for its weight). The most important items I found, however, were the new Scadutree Fragments, which bolster the players Scadutree Blessing. This Blessing, effective only in the Realm of Shadow, allows the player to deal more damage and negate more damage from enemies. Finding as many of these as you can will likely go a long way in determining your long-term success.
Remember Fingercreepers? They’re Back… in Spirit Ash Form!
Fingercreepers (also known as Hand Spiders or Spider Hands or The Worst Enemy Ever) made an immediate impact on even the most diehard Souls-like fans, popping out of the ground to swarm and grab players. Well, they’re back in Shadow of the Erdtree, this time as a Spirit Ash that can be summoned to help the player in battle. I also had the chance to play around with two more additions to the Spirit Ash menagerie: the airborne Gravebird and the powerful Black Knight Commander Andreas. I’m not sure if any of them will ever take the place of my precious Mimic Tear, but it’s nice to have some flexibility.
Double (and Triple and Quadruple and…) Cross
After getting back on track, I came to a crossroads (quite literally). At the end of the main road through the Gravesite Plain, I reached a tree where the road split. Nearby was a glowing yellow cross and some NPCs named Freya (a former ally of our old friend Radahn) who explained that the crosses dot the land and are Miquella the Kind’s (???) footprints. Another character, Hornsent, gave me a map and explained that I could find more of the crosses if I explored. Further up the road, on the way to a large fortress, was another cross and another one of Miquella’s NPC followers. Ansbach, as he was called, asked me to figure out what Kind Miquella (again, ???) was doing in the Realm of Shadow.
What’s the Story, Mourning Glory?
As you might have ascertained from my liberal use of question marks above and as you probably might guess if you’ve played any of From’s other games, Shadow of the Erdtree’s plot is intentionally and deliciously murky. It’s up to the player to put the story’s puzzle together and you can be sure that there will still be a few pieces missing once you finish. The beauty of these games is letting your imagination (or, in many cases, the rabid and lore-obsessed community) fill in the blanks. Personally, I can’t wait to learn more about why Miquella was there in the first place, what the crosses represent, and what he wants with the titular Erdtree.
Burn it with Fire!
At last, I made it to the first of the two fortresses in the section of the game I got to play. Upon opening the large doors, I was immediately greeted by a large, hairy scorpion/spider hybrid and nearly a dozen smaller ones that slowly dropped down from the ceiling to swarm me. That garnered a big old nope from me and I quickly moved to dispatch them with extreme prejudice before moving further into the sprawling castle and facing tougher and tougher enemies (though none were as icky as those arachnids).
Choose Your Own Adventure
Like every great FromSoftware game, Shadow of the Erdtree offers players a plethora of choices when it comes to exploration. Do you jump off the path to make your way across the rooftops? Could that dark and spooky hallway actually lead to a shortcut back to the nearest site of grace? Is there an enemy lurking right around the corner next to that shiny item? Playing Shadow of the Erdtree reminded me just how great FromSoftware is at creating environments that provoke emotional responses from players. Whether it’s triumph, revulsion, or relief, you’re guaranteed to feel something as you explore the detailed environs.
Who’s the Boss?
During my time with Shadow of the Erdtree, I managed to make it through both of the castles (full disclosure: I basically sprinted through one of them in an effort to see the second boss) and battle the punishing bosses within. Bosses are always my favorite part of From’s games and these two did not disappoint. The first was named “Rellana, Twin Moon Knight” and was a massive knight that wielded two swords and dealt fast, whirling attacks. Upon getting Rellana to half health, he let out a roar and imbued one of his swords with red fire and the other with blue magic. That fundamentally changes his attacks to deal those types of damage, and he made quick work of me over a dozen times before I finally put him down.
Dance, Lion, Dance!
The second boss I faced, on the other hand, put me down over and over and over. The Divine Beast Dancing Lion moves a lot like the dancing Chinese dragons that you’ll see in parades, but facing off against this monstrosity was no celebration. In addition to its herky-jerky and unpredictable movements, the Dancing Lion occasionally spewed out fog that made it difficult to see more than a few feet. Once it was taken down to half health, it began summoning lightning strike attacks that required precise timing to dodge. I gleefully banged my head against that particular wall over a dozen times before my time with Shadow of the Erdtree was, sadly, at an end.
Yes, this IS Dog
Yeah, that’s right, everyone’s favorite beshelled reptiles have returned! No word yet if any of them are of the papal variety, but now you’ve got an even better reason to explore the Realm of Shadow when Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launches on June 21.
Pre-order now and get the following bonus content for the expansion:
– ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree Bonus Gesture
This is a Gesture that can be used in-game for Shadow of the Erdtree content.
*Bonus content will be available in-game when the expansion releases.
*The player can also unlock this later in the expansion.
Winner of hundreds of accolades including The Game Awards Game of the Year and Golden Joystick Awards Ultimate Game of the Year, ELDEN RING is the acclaimed action RPG epic set in a vast, dark fantasy world. Players embark on an epic quest with the freedom to explore and adventure at their own pace.
The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion features an all-new story set in the Land of Shadow imbued with mystery, perilous dungeons, and new enemies, weapons and equipment.
Discover uncharted territories, face formidable adversaries, and revel in the satisfying triumph of victory. Dive into the riveting interplay of characters, where drama and intrigue intertwine, that create an immersive experience to savor and enjoy.
*Shadow of the Erdtree content requires the base game product.
*Other editions are also available. Be careful of duplicate purchases.
XDefiant developer Ubisoft San Francisco has issued an update for the free-to-download shooter, targeting a range of issues across all platforms.
The XDefiant Y1S0.2 patch (Ubisoft uses a patch naming convention based on the year and season from now on) fixes issues across social play and other parts of the game. As has become XDefiant’s style, Ubisoft has had a bit of fun with the patch notes, below, picking out a change on PlayStation 5:
Fixed a thing on PS5 where people could sneak into places they shouldn’t via PS5 Activities.
XDefiant launched its pre-season last month and Ubisoft’s Call of Duty competitor appears to be off to a decent start, earning praise from competitive shooter fans hankering for an old-school experience. IGN’s XDefiant review returned a 7/10. We said: “The fundamentals of XDefiant are good, but conflicting ideas and mechanics stop it from standing above a crowded shooter field.”
Ubisoft San Francisco has said it plans to fix a number of issues with the game as development continues, including the busted hit registration.
XDefiant is not available on Steam, so we do not have an idea of concurrent player numbers, but according to a report from Insider Gaming, XDefiant hit 1.5 million players within just a few hours of launch. Of course, Ubisoft’s hope is XDefiant proves popular enough long-term to make its free-to-play live service a money-spinner throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond, with Activision reportedly preparing Call of Duty Black Ops 6 for release in late October.
XDefiant Y1S0.2 patch notes in full:
Social
While in a party, we now display the most restrictive Crossplay setting among the party members, as it applies to the whole party. Also fixed an issue where party members with differing Crossplay settings couldn’t matchmake.
Fixed an issue with displaying incorrect player names on some Social screens.
Fixed a crash caused by spamming open/close View Party Invites, but who would even do that, calm down.
On consoles, Ubisoft Connect party invites could display as if they were coming from Xbox or PlayStation Network friends. Fixed that, along with some other weird invite-related things.
Miscellaneous
Fixed some missing terrain textures when players joined matches in progress on some maps.
Input-Based Matchmaking setting status now updates correctly after changing it on Xbox.
Fixed a thing on PS5 where people could sneak into places they shouldn’t via PS5 Activities.
Security improvements, various.
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.
Furniture store IKEA will pay people £13.15 / €14.80 per hour to work in a virtual store it’s opening inside Roblox.
The Co-Worker Game, as it’s called, will let players “experience working in IKEA’s virtual universe”, the company said. “Fans will be able to live their home furnishing dreams and get paid for it, with a limited number of paid roles available,” IKEA continued. Applications run to June 16, with the game itself launching June 24.
“The immersive experience gives players the opportunity to experience IKEA’s unique approach to careers where non-linear career journeys are the norm and lateral moves across departments are commonplace,” IKEA said. It is IKEA’s first foray into mainstream gaming.
There are paid shifts on offer for 10 successful applicants. They’ll help customers and get promoted to move departments, working in different sections of the store like the Showroom and Bistro, helping people choose their furniture, and even serving meatballs.
“We’re excited to be the first brand to launch paid work on Roblox to showcase how we do careers differently, bringing our unique careers philosophy to life,” commented IKEA’s Country People and Culture Manager, Darren Taylor. “At IKEA, there is no set route to career progression. Our co-workers are able to change roles, switch departments, and grow in any direction they choose, both in the game or in the real world. There are many ways to learn and grow at IKEA, and that’s what IKEA on Roblox is all about.”
Digging into the detail, virtual interviews for shortlisted applicants take place for the fully remote virtual role between Thursday, June 14 and Tuesday, June 18. Each successful applicant will be paid an hourly IKEA Co-Worker rate for their time on the game. You have to be 18+ and in the UK or Republic of Ireland to apply. Successful applicants will be paid £13.15 (approx $16.78) per hour, the IKEA hourly rate of pay for a London member of staff. The wage matches the London Living Wage set in the UK, rather than the lower National Living Wage.
Roblox, which has an incredible 77.7 million daily active users, is used by a number of companies to promote their brands with virtual experiences. But the platform and the company behind it has been accused of “exploiting” children who develop many of the experiences available to play. Roblox has denied this.
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.
If you heard loud swearing last night in the Watford area it may have been one of two things: 1) me cussing out my (borrowed) Steam Deck while stealthily accessing the wifi from outside a closed public library, as I don’t currently have broadband at home, or 2) me subsequently trying to make head or tail of Mech Engineer, in which you take charge of a mobile undersea metropolis and send squads of painstakingly assembled robosoldiers to semi-auto-battle squidgy alien fauna.
Engineering a mech is a Herculean labour whose completion eludes today’s puny scientists, and Mech Engineer doesn’t aim to make life easier, whatever its putative status as a “means of fun”. Mech Engineer is a game with an attitude problem, frankly. I realised this on in-game day two, when the interface coughed up a bunch of damage reports presented as pieces of paper, which I then had to crumple up and toss away individually.
A MultiVersus players had to react fast after the developer pulled their main character out of the game in the middle of a tournament.
A post on the MultiVersus X/Twitter account signaled the removal of Iron Giant from the recently released brawler due to various issues with the character, which players believe include overpowered combos and an infinite chain grab. Garnet was added to the Preview Rotation in response.
Thank you MVPs for alerting us about the current issues surrounding Iron Giant. We have decided to bring him back into the shop for maintenance. During this time, you will not be able to play with him, but we are working diligently and will update you next week on his status. In…
Fair enough, you’d think. But for one MultiVersus player the removal of Iron Giant couldn’t have come at a worse time. As revealed in an X/Twitter post by @NickSF_SSB, co-owner of No Style eSports, a player going by the name of ‘FlaSHFReeeze’ was in the middle of a bracket when their main, Iron Giant, was pulled from the game. Cue bemused conversation between the two players. Brilliantly, FlaSHFReeeze switched character and won the set anyway, proving that fighting game players always need a backup in case of emergency.
“Some of the missing settings and features from the open beta are incoming,” wrote game director Tony Huynh on X/Twitter. “Team colors, end of game stats, swapping side and neutral attack, adjustable input buffer settings, etc.”
Huynh then said the team didn’t have time to add these features during Multiversus’s offline period. “Many of these features are currently implemented and are in testing and we had planned, but were left out due to time as we had to rebuild every screen and feature again to support our new netcode and Unreal Engine 5 switch,” he explained.
No timeframe for the features was given, though as Huynh said more information is coming soon, the actual release may not be imminent.
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.
Dwarven co-op caper Deep Rock Galactic has spent years raising the stakes. Where its offworld mining concern once dealt merely with steep drops and irate bugs, it’s since had to face down the robotic army of a rival mineral corp and an omnicidal alien plague. If the subsequent question is “It used to be about the rocks, y’know?” then DRG’s imminent Season 5 update, Drilling Deeper, is the answer.
If you’ve been longing for an official remake of the original Legend of Zelda on the NES, then chances are you’ll have a pretty hefty wait on your hands. Thankfully, then, you can at least assuage your pain by checking out the latest gameplay video of an unofficial remake from fan Lloyd Empty (thanks, Wccftech). It’s been up for a little while at this point, but hey, it’s never too late to highlight excellent projects like this.
Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, the video showcases the game from the beginning, albeit with some interesting alterations to the structure and dialogue. Link will no longer receive a sword from the Old Man; instead, you need to venture into the basement and solve some simple puzzles before you can get yourself equipped.
When PlayStation VR2 launched last year, we were thrilled to introduce PS5 players to a new generation of VR games with innovative gameplay and immersive sensory features. Inspired by our passion to bring gamers even more content options, we’ve been working to enable access to additional games on PC, complementing the diverse PS VR2 games lineup available on PS5. Today, we’re happy to share that we’ll be rolling out this support on August 7.
Players will have access to buy and play Steam’s expansive library of thousands of VR games, including fan favorites like Half-Life: Alyx, Fallout 4 VR, and War Thunder.
To start, players will need to purchase a PlayStation VR2 PC adapter, which will be available at Suggested Retail Price of of SGD 89.90 / MYR 279 / IDR 999,000 / THB 2,090 / PHP 3,290 / VND 1,599,000 at local retailers. Players will also need a commercially available DisplayPort cable (sold separately) that is compatible with DisplayPort 1.4, as well as a Steam account and a PC that meets the minimum requirements below.*
Minimum PC requirements
Here are the minimum requirements for PS VR2 gameplay on PC:
Operating system
Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 64-bit
Processor
Intel Core i5-7600 / AMD Ryzen 3 3100 (Zen 2 or later architecture is required)
RAM / memory
8 GB or more
GPU / graphics card
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or later (Turing or later architecture is required) -NVIDIA RTX series -AMD Radeon RX 5500XT or later / AMD Radeon RX 6500XT or later (For the best performance, we recommend that you use an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or later or AMD Radeon RX 6600XT or latergraphics card)
DisplayPort
DisplayPort 1.4 (must have a standard DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort output port)
USB
Direct connection only
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 4.0 or later**
Setup is easy: simply connect PlayStation VR2 to your PC using the PS VR2 PC adapter and the DisplayPort 1.4 cable. Then, download the PlayStation VR2 App and the SteamVR App from Steam. This will allow you to set up PS VR2 on your PC, customize your settings and play area, and start purchasing and playing games in SteamVR.
As with all PC gaming technology, performance may vary depending on your PC setup, including system compatibility and the quality of your DisplayPort 1.4 cable. Please ensure your setup meets the minimum requirements. SteamVR titles also have individual system requirements, so please refer to the game information on Steam.
Download the image
Feature differences with PS VR2 on PS5
PS VR2 was designed from the ground up specifically for PS5 – so you’ll notice that some key features, like HDR, headset feedback, eye tracking, adaptive triggers, and haptic feedback (other than rumble), are not available when playing on PC. However, other high-fidelity and sensory immersion features of PS VR2 are supported, including 4K visuals (2000 x 2040 per eye), 110-degree field of view, finger touch detection, and see-through view, as well as foveated rendering (without eye tracking) and 3D Audio in supported games.***
While the most immersive way to experience PS VR2 gaming remains on PS5, we hope players will enjoy the ability to play an expanded lineup of VR games on PC using the same headset. You can check out Steam’s huge library of multiplayer open worlds, survival horror and stealth action games, sports sims, puzzlers, and free-to-play fan favorites on the Steam Store.
Additionally, as part of our Days of Play celebration, gamers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam can get PS VR2 at discounted price until June 12. Please check this blog for details of the offers.
Let us know which games you’re excited to try!
*While DisplayPort 1.4 is a common standard, be sure to check that your PC supports it before purchasing a cable.
**Some Bluetooth adapters may not work due to Bluetooth adapter compatibility. We will share more details closer to launch.
***The 3D Audio experience uses SteamVR’s audio technology instead of Tempest 3D AudioTech, which is only supported on PS5.
Content Warning has been out for two months and we’ve reached 2.2 million copies sold – which means over 8.8 million players own the game on Steam! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/xbxyHTkySp
Publisher Landfall released Content Warning for free for the first 24 hours, signaling that it planned to charge for the game after the launch period. The Lethal Company-style co-op survival horror saw an impressive peak concurrent player number of 204,439 on Valve’s platform off the back of the promotion, but some questioned whether it would prove successful in the long run.
Landfall said this week that over 8.8 million players own Content Warning on Steam two months after launch. 6.6 million players got the game for free on launch day, Landfall explained. There was also a tease for a console version in response to a user question on X/Twitter, although an announcement has yet to be made.
It’s a remarkable success for Content Warning, which was developed by just a handful of people and released on April 1 as part of Landfall’s tradition of releasing a game on April Fools’ Day. Take a look at IGN’s Guides for all the info we’ve gathered so far on the monsters, useful items available to purchase, and our tips and tricks for maximum views.
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.
