It’s a good month to be subscribed to Humble Choice, and not just because you get eight Steam keys for the price of one lukewarm Deliveroo. August’s headliner is Persona 5 Royal, and honestly, that’s enough on its own.
League of Legends: Wild Rift executive producer David Xu has said Riot “can and will do better,” after sharing an anniversary video to the game’s account on Chinese social media site Weibo that very much looks to be AI slop.
However, Xu hasn’t confirmed that the video did use AI in this sort-of-apology, instead claiming this was a “creator-made” video that’d found its way onto the League of Legends‘ spin-off’s official channels.
Pull on your gloves and ready your hose: PowerWash Simulator 2 approaches, and so far it’s looking ultra-polished (in a gloriously unhygienic kind of way.) I had an absolute ball of a time revisiting Muckingham to correct the townsfolk’s filthy ways.
In the niche of “oddly satisfying” games, its predecessor PowerWash Simulator (and its oodles of DLC) already blasts away competitors. So what does the sequel offer, besides just “more dirty stuff”? To find out, I went hands-on with a single-player PC build of PowerWash Simulator 2, checking out five levels showcasing hot new technology like abseiling and floor washers.
PowerWash Simulator 2 starts off with the expansion of your business to a fully fledged office building. Your first job is to clean up the mud-caked removals van that transported your furniture and gear over. Couldn’t you have found a neater moving company to work with? It seems that the residents of Caldera County are still unable to clean up after themselves, which is great – more work for you!
And it’s entertaining work, too. None of your jobs are quite ordinary. For instance, you’re not going to clean any old generic car – yours will have a dog tail and headlights that weirdly seem to flit around like eyes. Don’t forget to wash inside the ears!
You’ll be travelling farther afield this time, to hilariously named neighboring towns like Lubri City and Pumpton. And this time, the true hero of PowerWash 1, Ulysses the cat, tags along to supervise you. You’ll be glad to know that yes, you can pet the cat.
PowerWash 2 stays very true to its predecessor, with gameplay actually remaining mostly untouched. That’s not a bad thing – you can’t fix what isn’t broken, y’know? It means that, if you’re a PowerWash veteran, you’ll jump right in and feel like you’re simply picking up where you left off. And don’t fret if you’re new: PowerWash 2 is first-timer friendly as well, with simple controls and “no talk, skip to the action” gameplay that barely warrants a tutorial.
Progression mechanics have stayed pretty much identical to PowerWash 1 – you’ve got a checklist of specific details to clean, a key to highlight stubborn remaining dirt, and equipment upgrades to buy in the shop with your earnings. And, of course, the “ding!” that lets you know you’re doing a bang-up job.
One major addition is a brand-new, delightful, and very satisfying washing tool: the “SwirlForce,” a washer which has a wide, circular head. I think it’s supposed to be used for cleaning floors, but I used it on basically every flat surface I came across, from ornamental windows to trucks. It was too fun not to!
The other notable addition to your loadout? Suds. The soap mechanic has been retooled a bit – it’s now specific to certain types of washer tools. It coats a surface with a thick layer of foam that can then be hosed off in one gratifying burst. I’m curious to learn just how much this precious commodity will cost, because I hope to use it as much as possible.
Some levels now have multiple stages, which adds a bit of fun. For instance, I was tasked with cleaning a vaguely described “public facility,” which at first appeared to be a sort of knee-high pedestal in the middle of Detergento’s eerily quiet town square. Once I had it sparkling, it began to rise out of the ground – it was actually a pop-up bathroom! Yes, it was absolutely filthy. And yes, I was pleasantly surprised to have even more scum to clean.
My favorite job was the billboard level – a great opportunity for my SwirlForce washer, but also a great example of the new abseiling equipment. Just slap that equipment on a tall, wide surface, and you’re ready to get in the swing and bounce all over the billboard to make sure every corner is gleaming. Looking down at the highway from my billboard actually felt dizzying, in an unexpectedly thrilling sort of way. If PowerWash Simulator 2 also makes it to VR, I think that’s where abseiling will really shine.
The other new piece of heavy equipment is the scissor lift. Its purpose is similar to the scaffolding you’ve already got in your lineup – the difference is that it’s adjustable. Press the button to go up. And down. Up. And down. It doesn’t meaningfully add much to the whole cleaning experience, but it’s a fun toy.
With all sequels come visual upgrades, and PowerWash Simulator 2 is no different in that department. Mud looks slimier, and grime looks even more convincingly like it’s harboring bacteria.
Additionally, your jobs simply feel bigger now thanks to more detailed level backgrounds. The art deco house I scrubbed felt like a real part of the suburban neighborhood around it, complete with lush trees and even distant, snow-capped mountains.
One of my most anticipated graphical upgrades was water behavior, so I’m sad to say that PowerWash 2 does not introduce any new water physics. I was hoping to see rivers of mucky brown water streaming down walls and puddling at my feet, resulting in another mess I’d have to deal with. Dirt still pretty much disappears once you hit it with your washer, though, making it look more like you’ve taken a giant eraser to the town rather than hosed it down with an ocean’s worth of water.
There is one minor upgrade, at least: a new, momentary rippling water texture on windows and other glassy surfaces. It’s a small step towards the dream of water physics. Maybe for PowerWash Simulator 3?
The minimal change to water is understandable (adding new, from-the-ground-up physics is hard for developers!). But remember, there’s still a lot of satisfaction to be had in a classic, eraser-style deep-clean. Plus: we’ll always have gnome physics.
One of the best things about PowerWash 1, in my opinion, was the absolutely bonkers single-player campaign. It’s one thing to spray stuff with water, but another entirely to slowly uncover deep lore beneath the dirt. Given that the first game featured everything from the mayor’s cat to egg-flinging monks and even time travellers, I needed to know if the madness would continue.
It’s hard to say for sure; with two hours of hands-on time, there was only so much story that I could experience beyond “power-washing business opens a new branch, cleans a couple of things.” But the clues were there.
I scrutinized what lay beneath the grime I scoured away. What are those weird rainbow lasers in the sky? Why does the art deco house have a giant trilobite on it? In the oddball universe of PowerWash Simulator, such details usually have a deeper, quirkier meaning, and I can’t wait to find out what it is.
I’m not the first journalist to accuse Battlefield 6 of failing to read the room. The new Battlefield’s single player story explores a near-future in which NATO has collapsed, a dastardly private military corporation has filled the power vacuum, and the USA’s somehow-outgunned military must fight to reunite old allies under the Stars and Stripes. The campaign includes an invasion of New York, with street battles waged against the balaclava-huffing scoundrels of “Pax Armata” in the shadow of Brooklyn Bridge. Many valiant helicopters lay down their lives in the process, and the soul of Bob Dylan is flown from every flagpole.
Slow and steady.
Japanese automotive manufacturer Honda has unveiled the Pokémon Koraidon motorbike during the Suzuka 8 Hours motorcycle endurance race on Sunday, and uh… Well, it looks about as elegant as you could reasonably expect.
The vehicle is aided by the Honda Riding Assist system, which means it’s able to operate and move independently. You can check this out in the video below, but don’t expect blistering speeds out of this one. The bike is equipped with stabilisers, presumably to simply keep it upright, but it’s moving at an almost laughably slow speed.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Fresh light has been shone on an interview that claims Nintendo once suggested Pokémon’s beloved mascot Pikachu should have breasts.
The interview, with The Pokémon Company’s veteran CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, dates back around 25 years, and is in Japanese — something that has prompted debate over the exact translation of what Ishihara originally said.
Now, however, Japanese site Game*Spark (via Automaton) has examined the original interview in detail to uncover as firm an interpretation as possible — and yes, it really does seem to be what it sounds like.
Firstly, let’s examine what Ishihara says, before further discussing the specific issue over the word “breasts.” For context, Ishihara is discussing an early conversation he had with Nintendo of America employees regarding the localisation of the Pokémon franchise — before it launched in the West and became the global phenomenon it is today.
“When I first showed Pokémon to them, they told me it was too cute,” Ishihara recalled. “The staff at Nintendo of America then suggested their own designs for the characters – I won’t show those illustrations to anyone as long as I live, but they kind of looked like the characters from the Cats musical.
“So, for example, Pikachu was changed into a character shaped like a kind of a tabby cat with huge breasts.”
As Automaton notes, there is some debate here about the exact Japanese word used to describe “breasts,” which could also mean pronounced masculine pecs. However, there’s added context in what is said next.
When Ishihara is asked whether he means breasts “like those girls who do Pikachu cosplays at anime conventions,” the CEO replies in the affirmative.
“Yes, exactly,” Ishihara states, “they presented that kind of design to us for real. I thought it was interesting, in a sense of appreciating such cultural differences. However, I didn’t want to compete in the [overseas] market with that kind of thing.”
One final wrinkle in the matter is a subsequent anecdote from the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who in 2008 recalled early localisation conversations that featured a westernised Pikachu concept with big muscles, in an attempt to make the mascot “stronger and scarier.”
But, as Game*Spark notes, this could simply refer to an additional concept also being discussed in the same meetings, as Nintendo suggested a range of alterations. And, if anything, it’s yet more proof that Nintendo once had some eye-opening ideas to change the design of some Pokémon for the franchise’s rollout outside of Japan.
Judging by the popularity of Pokémon today, and the failure of Cats’ movie adaptation, that’s probably for the best.
Image credit: Universal.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Baldur’s Gate 3 actor and performance director Aliona Baranova has questioned why TV and movie adaptations often overlook in-game talent when casting for the big screen.
At a panel at the Tampa Bay Comic Convention moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt, Baranova said: “I feel like it’s a shame that the video game audience is being overlooked when it comes to screen projects. We see from you guys how dedicated you are… and I feel like that’s been neglected at the moment by filmmakers [and] studios.”
It’s a pertinent challenge, not least because rather than simply reading a script into a mic, game performers often provide so much more than just their voices when it comes to bringing games to life, with some even providing the mo-cap and faces of our favorite characters, too.
“We see all the time how willing everyone is to support us in the screen projects we do,” Baranova — who’s also performed for Cyberpunk 2077, Lies of P, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, added. “Why are filmmakers not seeing that yet?”
The director and performer pointed specifically at HBO’s recent adaptation of The Last of Us, which cast both in-game Ellie (Ashley Johnson) and Joel (Troy Baker) in the show, too, albeit in different roles. The impact? “Ashley Johnson was the number one most looked-up person on IMDb when the TV project came out.”
“Why is more of that not happening?” Baranova asked. “Why was Doug Cockle not in the TV series, The Witcher? Why are we not being considered when there’s video game adaptations? Even animated adaptations like Arcane, we would love to be part of those.”
The role of Geralt went to Superman star Henry Cavill, who has since exited the series. Cockle did not appear in the show, even in cameo form. But he did voice Geralt in Netflix’s recently released animated The Witcher movie.
While most video game performers are fully and professionally trained, Baranova suggested that the screen industry still views video game actors as niche performers. “We are also theatre-trained,” she added. “A lot of us are formally trained in the UK… and I think that’s something that maybe execs are a bit short-sighted about. They think, ‘They just know how to do a video game.’ Studios are neglecting the video game audience who are so willing to support and so dedicated and passionate about… their favorite video game actors. And I think it’s a shame that that’s being overlooked. It’s being slept on.”
It feels as though we’re in the best of times when it comes video game adaptations, not least due to stellar projects like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog, and TV series based on The Last of Us and Fallout. There are plenty more still to come, however — keep on top of things with our handy list of all the upcoming new video game movies and TV shows coming in 2025 and beyond.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Horror game Vile: Exhumed, which sees you delving into a 90s computer to uncover a man’s obsession with an adult film actress, has launched as a free download after being “wrongly banned” from Steam over sexual content, according to developer Cara Cadaver of Final Girl Games.
Initially released via Itch.io (where that version remains live), the game was set to to debut on Steam on July 22, but had its page on Valve’s platform pulled down. Cadaver and publisher DreadXP say “sexual content with depictions of real people” was the reasoning given for this by Valve, despit the game featuring “no uncensored nudity, no depictions of sex acts, and no pornography”.
Mafia: The Old Country will be PS5 Pro Enhanced at launch.
We already knew that Mafia: The Old Country would boast both quality and performance modes on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and now developer Hangar 13 has confirmed the game will also be ready for PS5 Pro when it releases later this week, on August 8, 2025.
This includes support for variable refresh rate, 120Hz displays, and higher dynamic resolution in both quality and performance modes.
The announcement follows last week’s reveal of the PC and console specifications, with Hangar 13’s statement simply saying: “We’re excited to confirm that Mafia: The Old Country will be PlayStation 5 Pro Enhanced at launch.”
On PS5 and Xbox Series X, Mafia: The Old Country will have both Quality and Performance modes, with the game running at an average 60fps in Performance Mode. “Players who want to prioritize higher resolution and visual fidelity should select Quality Mode, while players who prefer to prioritize framerate should select Performance Mode,” Hangar 13 suggested.
As for those aforementioned PC specs and features, here’s what you need to know.
We’ve been covering Mafia: The Old Country in an exclusive way through our IGN First cover story, with gameplay and our hands-on preview. Last month, IGN had the pleasure of talking to Hangar 13 studio president Nick Baynes and game director Alex Cox about returning the Mafia series to its not-open-world roots, which games The Old Country takes design inspiration from, the plentiful amount of fruit found throughout the upcoming prequel, and more.
Mafia: The Old Country is a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily wherein you’ll fight to survive as Enzo Favara in this immersive third-person action-adventure that sees you uncover the origins of organized crime. If you’re hungry for more, check out the newly released The Family Code: Vehicles & Villas Gameplay trailer. It shows how players will be able to traverse through a variety of different ways, from horseback to foot travel and occasionally in vehicles.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Mari no cart.
Japan’s largest speedrunning event, RTA, is set to kick off later this week on 9th August, and will see some of the speediest gamers in the biz ploughing through the likes of Cuphead, Nier: Automata and Skyrim, all in aid of Doctors Without Borders. We learnt a few months ago that Nintendo games would not be included in the lineup, and now the RTA group has explained why (thanks for the heads up, Eurogamer).
In a new post shared on the RTA website (and translated by Automaton), the event organisers explain that they were contacted by Nintendo back in June, informing them that “as a legal entity, they would have to ask for permission in advance” if they wanted to feature any Nintendo game in the event. What’s more, the Big N apparently stated that all previous instances of Nintendo games being streamed from the event are now considered “unauthorised use”.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
