Calling it now: this is the least intriguing article you will read about 11 bit’s The Alters, a blend of Danny Boyle’s Sunshine and Duncan Jones’s Moon in which (deep breath) you are a marooned space engineer who must spawn different versions of himself by means of backstory-branching gadgetry in order to operate an enormous, rolling base and escape the apocalyptic rays of the local sun.
We’re not going to talk about any of that hoity-toity quantum wheeling-and-dealing in this piece, however. We’re going to talk about the fact that the opening stretch reminded me of Gears Of War and the many over-the-shoulder adventures it has influenced. I’m sorry. It’s been a complicated week involving minimal sleep, and I no longer have the grey cells for branching timelines, though they are certainly the more fascinating aspect of this game.
If you cast your mind back to earlier in the year, you might remember the horrors of the GameStop-exclusiveBanjo-Kazooie Funko Pop. With its big head and soulless, staring eyes, the figure was… well, a Funko Pop, but it was also an acknowledgement that the Rare pair still exist, so we’ll take what we can get.
Now, Funko has revealed another Banjo-Kazooie Pop figure. Sure, all of the horrifying details are still present and correct — seriously, what horrors have those eyes seen? — but, again, it’s new Banjo merch!
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! This weekly feature highlights all the games arriving soon on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass. Discover more about these forthcoming titles below and explore their profiles for additional information (note that release dates may be subject to change). Let’s dive in!
Capes – May 29 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Capes is a turn-based superhero strategy game where you build a team of heroes and fight to take back the city. Played across a series of campaign and patrol missions, choose to push forward with the story or take the time to explore the side missions and unlock more heroes, earn skill points, and complete challenges, and learn more about your heroes’ lives.
Help Frank travel through history in this unique approach to the tower defense genre. Enter a bizarre daydream world in co-op or solo mode. Gather resources, build defense towers, and manage your minions. Take up the challenge and defeat the incoming enemies!
Terminal 81 is an indie job simulation, mystery, and psychological horror game with retro visual aesthetics. The game takes place in 2008, in a fictitious neighborhood in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Explore Terminal 81, meet the characters, follow your moral compass, make decisions, and come to a conclusion.
Explore the vibrant planet of Gliese, once inhabited by an ancient race, and now home to their sentient creations – the Diokek. As the young Diokek warrior, Astor, journey across Gliese to solve the mysterious disappearance of his creators thousands of years ago, believing that they may have left behind the key to their salvation.
You are a Shiba Inu charged with commanding massive, marching crowds to jump, turn, push, float, shoot, and climb their way to salvation. Guide the masses through 90-plus stages filled with obstacles, enemies, puzzles, unlockable skills, and wild boss fights in the narrative campaign, or browse a wide array of user-made levels (or build your own!) crafted via the super easy-to-use in-game Stage Creator.
Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison is back in this highly interactive mix of first-person action and road movie adventure. Embark on an adrenaline-fueled journey around the USA. Use an enormous arsenal of weapons and skills to battle treacherous soldiers and vile mutants, all while trying to save humanity.
Umbraclaw tells the story of Kuon, a house cat who has died in the mortal world, after she awakens in the Soulplane, a realm of the dead. She must challenge the perilous underworld to return home to her owner in this 2D action adventure.
F1 24 – May 31 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Be One of the 20 with EA Sports F1 24, the official video game of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship. Unleash your champion in pursuit of a legacy defining F1 Career, the mode’s first major update since 2016. Drive like the greatest and feel at one with the car through the all-new Dynamic Handling System and Ignite your Passion by connecting to your favorite teams and drivers while proving that you have what it takes across new modes and experiences. F1 24 Deluxe and Game Pass Ultimate members can start playing early on May 29.
Hypercharge is a first and third-person shooter action figure game you’ve always dreamed of! Grab your friends, complete objectives, defend the Hypercore against waves of weaponized toys, and defeat Major Evil together in the story campaign!
Restore your new lands and become a successful landowner in this time management game! Take on the role of a novice landowner, growing wheat and building mills and mines to restore your very own mansion. The deeper you delve into your new land, the more exciting your jobs will be.
Jump into the spinning circle of O-Void, a one-button arcade game. In this super minimal action runner, you’ll be jumping over obstacles with one button. But this is not a regular platformer! The entire level can change direction or flip upside down to throw you off. Are you skilled enough to survive every challenge?
Gather your friends and battle it out in chaotic physics-based party games in Pool Party! Play solo or with up to four players in tons of sports & brawl games and fight to become king of the party. Customize your pool ball, choose your favorite color and design, and go head-to-head with your friends. Get ready to have a splashing good time!
Embark on a surreal journey where reality blurs, and your decisions shape your destiny. Are you ready to unravel the mysteries of Project 13 and defy the odds stacked against you? The corridors await – enter if you dare.
Enter a dark and suspenseful world and embark on a journey of psychological horror. You’ll encounter hundreds of conversations, manipulate objects, solve puzzles, discover clues, and find many surprises.
An exciting action and adventure video game that catapults you into a breathtaking fantasy world. Your main objective is to reach the sky by overcoming obstacles, climbing imposing walls, and running through incredible scenarios.
XDefiant launched its pre-season this week and Ubisoft’s free-to-play first-person Call of Duty competitor appears to be going down well with competitive shooter fans hankering for an old-school experience. But there’s one issue with the game that sticks out more than any other: hit registration.
Hit registration is a video game’s ability to detect the impact of projectiles accuracy. Soon after XDefiant launched this week across PC via Ubisoft Connect, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, players took to social media, subreddits and Discord to say the game was doing a poor job of hit registration, letting characters avoid fire more than they’re used to in other similar games.
Redditor ChuckedBankForFbow called XDefiant’s hit registration “the worst I’ve seen in a long time.” “I’m surviving way longer running and jumping around bullets than I would in any other games cuz their shots just won’t connect lol,” they explained. “M16a4 feels like im shooting hopes and dreams at the enemies,” BlOoDy_PsYcHo666 added.
When XDefiant launched, Ubisoft asked the playerbase to keep in mind that the game is currently in preseason, and that Season 1 will likely provide a more robust playing experience. Now, in a tweet responding to more complaints about hit registration, XDefiant development chief Mark Rubin said “it’s something we are working on.”
You don’t need a petition. 🤣 It’s something we are working on.
XDefiant also launched with matchmaking issues, although those seem to be ironed out for the most part as the game heads into its first weekend. 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.
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.
The developer behind Wuthering Waves has apologized for its rocky launch and offered players compensation.
Wuthering Waves is an open-world Genshin Impact-style Gacha game from Chinese developer Kuro that launched globally in free-to-play form across PC and mobile this week.
But the launch has seen a number of issues since, including a raft of bugs and lag problems. In a tweet, Kuro said it was actively working on solutions to these problems. “We are committed to constant self-reflection and improvement, with your satisfaction as our top priority,” the developer said. “We are incredibly grateful for your understanding and patience during our recent technical issues.”
The scale of the technical issues is laid out in a post on the Wuthering Waves website. There was a login timeout issue, now said to be fixed, a problem with age authentication, which is under investigation, forced logins every time the game client is relaunched on PC, crash issues, glitches on certain Android devices, poor quality localization, and performance issues including lag, freezes, frame-rate drops, devices overheating, blurry graphics, and force quits.
An emergency patch was issued to address the most urgent issues, but Kuro advised those still experiencing serious overheating or frequent crashes lower the graphics settings “in the case of an overload for a smoother gaming experience.”
“Please rest assured that we are dedicated to providing the best possible experience for our players, and we take performance concerns seriously,” Kuro said. “In future updates, we will continue to optimize the game’s performance to improve your gaming experience. Please stay tuned to our upcoming notices and announcements. “
Compensation now offered includes Lustrous Tide*10 for Rovers (player characters) who reach Union Level 2 or above by July 3.
Similar to Genshin Impact, Wuthering Waves features a gacha mechanic for obtaining new characters and weapons — see our guide for more details on how to unlock pulling, plus our in-progress walkthrough to help you get started. To celebrate Wuthering Waves’ launch, Kuro Games is also issuing in-game rewards via promo codes.
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.
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up Corp. has released patch 1.003, adding a new Boss Challenge, new outfits for main character Eve, and more.
Stellar Blade is an action game released exclusively on PlayStation 5 in April. IGN’s Stellar Blade review returned a 7/10. We said: “Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre.”
Now, a month after release, the new update adds the Boss Challenge mode, which pits players against the 19 bosses from the base game. Progression in the Boss Challenge requires battle data from bosses you’ve previously defeated, director Kim Hyung Tae explained in a post on the PlayStation Blog. You can also fight bosses on the hard difficulty setting after you’ve seen the ending of the game.
To start the challenge, you can either load up and use your own gear you’ve been using or choose one of several presets. “Choose the minimum preset for a true challenge, which is extremely understated, or the maximum preset, which has all of your skills and stats buffed up, if you want to taunt the boss with some spectacular combat,” Kim Hyung Tae suggested.
After the challenge is over, your battle data is automatically analyzed. You’ll see metrics like battle time, number of perfect parries and dodges, consumable usage, and more. You can compare your results with those of your friends. If you defeat all bosses in the Boss Challenge on Normal difficulty setting or higher, you’ll get to earn the Neurolink Suit for Eve, below.
Speaking of new outfits, the update adds two new Nano Suits: White Kunoichi and Black Kunoichi (check them out in the images below). Kim Hyung Tae encouraged players check in-game for more Nano Suits.
And finally, quality-of-life improvements mean if you switch to ranged attack mode and switch back while locked on to an enemy, you will automatically lock on to the enemy again. The update also adds an option to always show the compass in the HUD.
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 cannot compare my experience of writing a review for The Splintered Sea, the first paid expansion for dastardly clever physics puzzle builder Besiege, to that of a journaling sailor facing lethal storms on the horizon. Still, if we take for granted the idea that a review is only really valuable as an insight into the experience of the player: I haven’t been feeling especially great this week. That in mind: Splintered Sea is more Besiege, thoughtfully applied to its already expansive toolkit. More importantly, it’s currently bringing me deep and deeply needed moments of untainted, childlike, vaguely-Orkish joy.
It’s been a fair while since we received some concrete news regarding WayForward’s enhanced port of Clock Tower for the Switch, but we’ve just received confirmation that the game will receive two gorgeous physical editions via Limited Run Games.
With pre-orders opening on 31st May 2024 and closing on 30th June 2024, fans will have roughly one month to secure either a Standard Edition of the game or a Collector’s Edition. The estimated shipping date is between 11th October – 11th November 2024, but for those who might be opting for a digital copy, it might be best to wait for confirmation from WayForward itself on its release date.
Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann has said AI will “revolutionize” video game development process, but cautioned that the controversial technology has “ethical issues.”
Druckmann, Studio Head and Head of Creative at The Last of Us and Uncharted developer Naughty Dog, issued the comment as part of a Sony-published interview on the company’s ‘Creative Entertainment Vision.’ Druckmann was asked how he envisions the “fusion of storytelling and technology evolving over the next 10 years” as part of a Sony series that also revealed an idea for a futuristic PlayStation controller.
Here’s Druckmann’s response in full:
We’re seeing this exciting marriage of cutting-edge technology with traditional storytelling that’s pushing us into a future where enhanced fidelity isn’t just about achieving realism, but about broadening the spectrum from highly stylized visuals to ultra-realistic ones. This broadening of possibilities is fueled by increasingly accessible tools that allow even non-technical people to use their imagination and create worlds and narratives to their heart’s content.
Moreover, AI is really going to revolutionize how content is being created, although it does bring up some ethical issues we need to address. With technologies like AI and the ability to do motion capture right from home, we’re reducing both costs and technical hurdles, opening the door for us to take on more adventurous projects and push the boundaries of storytelling in games. This evolution is truly empowering creators to bring their visions to life without the traditional obstacles.
Druckmann’s comments have caused a stir online, particularly within the video game community where the impact of AI is perhaps the hottest topic. Developers and gamers have expressed concern about the use of AI to replace everything from voice acting to narrative design, but executives have continued to push it hard, telling the investment community it will fundamentally change how video games are made and, as Druckmann alludes to, cut costs.
“AI is really going to revolutionize how content is being created, although it does bring up some ethical issues we need to address.
As part of the same Sony series, head of PlayStation Productions and head of Product at PlayStation Studios Asad Qizilbash weighed in on AI to say its use in video games is important to Gen Z and Gen Alpha gamers who seek “personalization across everything.”
“For instance, non-player characters in games could interact with players based on their actions, making it feel more personal,” Qizilbash said. “This is important for the younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, who are the first generations that grew up digitally and are looking for personalization across everything, as well as looking for experiences to have more meaning.”
Earlier this month, EA boss Andrew Wilson told the investment community that “more than 50% of our development processes will be positively impacted by the advances in generative AI.” Wilson, who oversees EA Sports FC, The Sims, and BioWare games, added that AI will make game development “more efficient”, revealing that the EA Sports FC developers can now make stadiums in six weeks rather than six months.
The Witcher voice actor Doug Cockle also expressed caution and frustration at the growing presence of AI within the video game industry, calling it “inevitable” but “dangerous.” Ironically, however, the biggest developer to use AI for voice acting so far is The Witcher studio CD Projekt Red, though this was only done to replace a deceased voice actor after gaining permission from the family.
“One of the key learnings was that whilst Gen AI may simplify or accelerate certain processes, the best results and quality needed can only be achieved by experts in their field utilising Gen AI as a new, powerful tool in their creative process,” Keywords said.
Elsewhere in the Druckmann interview, the Last of Us director teased Naughty Dog’s new game, saying it “could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.”
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.
Skulls! You’ve got one. I’ve got one. Everybody has a lovely skull keeping their lovely face right where it should be. Warhammer is big, so it needs must have multiple of them, hence their yearly event Skulls, which collates a bunch of Games Workshop related announcements into a sort of bizzaro world Nintendo Direct if Yoshi was actually a parasitic corpse emperor. There’s usually at least a few game announcements in there, and this year was a bumper. The headline announcement being an upcoming sequel to well-loved space-pope turn-based strategy Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus. Yes, yes. I’m getting to the dog.
