Category: Video Games

New Destiny 2: The Final Shape gameplay plunges deeper into The Traveler, out June 4

We’re just one week away from the launch of Destiny 2: The Final Shape on June 4. Bungie’s ambitious expansion marks a momentous crescendo in the 10-year journey players have been on. Guardians can finally enter the Traveler and face new threats conjured and cajoled by The Witness. Luckily, players wield powerful new Transcendence abilities and the ultra-customizable Prismatic subclass.

To help prepare for The Final Shape we have Bungie’s Combat Area Lead, Ben Wommack, to discuss new enemies, abilities, what awaits inside The Traveler, and more.

PlayStation Blog: The Final Shape marks a pivotal moment for Destiny players. What is the player’s primary goal in the campaign?

Ben Wommack: To enter the Traveler, journey through its Pale Heart, and confront the ultimate antagonist of the last 10 years of Destiny, The Witness, who is enacting its eons-old plan to create The Final Shape of the universe.

How are we seeing The Witness augment aligned enemies, and how does that translate into combat?

By tearing a hole in the Traveler and entering its Pale Heart, The Witness can manipulate the Traveler’s Light and its own Darkness to further its plans to enact The Final Shape. By mixing these paracausal energies, The Witness can bestow its forces with a crude Prismatic shield that can’t be broken by normal attacks. These are known as “Bound” enemies, as they are now invulnerable but also shackled to the powers the Witness is wielding.

Fortunately, players can shatter these shields with their new Transcendence ability, accessible either from Wellsprings found in the world or via equipping the new Prismatic subclass and charging your Light and Darkness bars. Encountering Bound enemies will force players to change up their battlefield plans and weave Transcendence into their flow, creating new opportunities for exciting combat moments.

New Dread enemies enter the fray. What makes them unique to other factions in Destiny 2?

The Dread combatants are built off years of lessons and experiences from the Destiny 2 team. They are the Witness’s personal army it has gathered (even created) to stop anyone from interfering with its plans to enact The Final Shape. We knew they had to feel different from other factions, so we tried a lot of new visual ideas and tried to break expectations with their mechanics.

One example is how the Weaver and Harbinger have Strand powers, which is a first for Destiny combatants. Another is the Husk, who will launch the Geist creature from its body if its weak spot isn’t targeted. My personal favorite is the Grim, our “bat with a gun” or “gun bat!”. Its wings and battlefield mobility are awesome to both see and fight!

Lethal lava rises during a Strike in Destiny 2: The Final Shape, forcing players to avoid touching the floor.

How will the new Transcendence abilities and Prismatic subclass impact competitive play?

We spent careful attention and lots of balancing time on how Prismatic and the Transcendence ability will play in PvP against Guardians of all kinds of builds. Our intention is not to usurp the other subclasses and ways players engage with PvP, but add new elements to the PvP meta space, shift the paradigm a bit, and break expectations in fun ways. Players running Prismatic will feel a bit like a wild card of an opponent sometimes, which brings its own brand of excitement to a match.

One important detail is how your Light and Darkness meters for activating Transcendence will keep their progress after you die in a match and between rounds. It’s totally possible to orient your build around building Transcendence in PvP, which is a fun way to approach using the subclass!

What are your personal favorite examples of Prismatic subclass builds?

I love what we’re calling the “Buddy Build” for Prismatic Warlocks. You equip Phoenix Dive, Hellion, Weaver’s Call, Song of Flame, Storm Grenade, and the Getaway Artist exotic armor. You Phoenix Dive into combat to create Threadlings and a Hellion buddy, then consume your Arc grenade to create an Arc Soul. Afterwards, you cast Song of Flame to bring out all your Solar bird friends!

Enter the Traveler and bring the fight to The Witness when Destiny 2: The Final Shape launches on June 4.

Until Then Wants to Become a Portal to Filipino Culture For Everyone

AAPI Month coverage continues with an interview with Polychroma Games about their Phillipines-set story game, Until Then, coming out on June 25.

Even in its demo, Until Then rang plenty of bells for me as a Filipino-American. It reminded me of summer breaks when I would visit Manila, but with a fondness that outdid any discomfort I would have from walking under the sweltering heat and dodging cockroaches on the sidewalk. From colored chicks to bits of Tagalog, Filipino culture deepened the immersiveness of the story between the playful characterization and mini games.

This is the setting that Mickole Klein Nulud, founder of Polychroma Games and game director of Until Then, and his team sought to capture. Mark Borja is seemingly just another Filipino high schooler going through shenanigans like cramming for class and keeping up with the local rumor mill. However, magical realism starts to seep into the slice of life setting, hinting at the emotionally compelling story to come.

A Setting By Any Other Name

The Philippines isn’t a glamorous city with robot toilets and vending machines at every corner. Until Then doesn’t tout fantasy gimmicks or child soldiers, yet Polychroma still decided to base its setting on Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Nulud tells IGN that the Philippines was integral to the story they wanted to tell, and it was a non-negotiable from the start. They initially had concerns on whether or not a global audience would find the Philippines relatable. However, the developers quickly abandoned their doubts.

“We wanted to write a story where we could apply the experiences of growing up here,” Nulud says. “Right from the start, the idea behind this game was to represent the Philippines and share the experiences we went through living here growing up here. It’s fundamental to the game, so there were no other settings on the table.”

The plan was to create a universally relatable story with the Philippines as a backdrop. That way, it could appeal to global audiences as well as fellow Filipinos. “If we wanted to write a story in a game where you could reach into people’s hearts, of course it has to be universal,” Nulud says. “But the setting, the context, the mannerisms that the story integrates–some of them are uniquely Filipino. So, we sprinkle in some references here and there, but not too much that will make the story confusing for other audiences.”

“We learned how to strike a balance between sprinkling in some references that players here would appreciate, but still [making it so] everyone would appreciate the main story itself.”

Most of the Philippine references appear in the settings, like the trash-littered streets and roaming stray dogs. However, Nulud and fellow developers found a way to gamify their experiences through mini-games and interactive parts of the game, even if it isn’t exactly how you would experience it in real life.

For example, in the demo, Mark and Sofia take turns stabbing fish balls with skewers. However, they don’t just take the fish balls from the vendor and leave. You have to skewer the fish balls yourself by timing exactly where the stick stops above the frying balls, and then again for when exactly to stab it so that it actually sticks. That’s not actually how you buy or even eat fish balls in the Philippines, but it was a fun way for Nulud and his fellow developers to gamify a cultural experience.

Until Then also serves as one of the most recent and significant examples of Filipino representation. My Filipino friends and I have a hard time recalling Filipino representation in recent games. Josie Rizal from Tekken 7 is one of the most popular examples that still pops up, but that game came out nearly a decade ago. Nulud also recalled Rizal, but noted her inclusion in Tekken is only a small part of the game. In that sense, Until Then is a more fully fleshed out example.

“It’s not just an element. It’s not just like 10% Filipino representation. It’s 100% Filipino representation,” says Nulud. “And I don’t think there are–if there ever is–a game that has 100% representation. Maybe there’s just one or two.”

“I think [in] that way, it is a strength. This is a game where you could really say that. That’s really representative, first of its kind.”

Filipino Time Capsule

Cultural time capsules also exist, like the train station Mark uses early in the game to get to school where you need to buy the ticket from the machine. Nulud admits that it’s not that exciting because you’re just buying a train ticket. However, for him and others who used to commute using the Manila subway, it’s a fun reminder of their local transportation.

“It was really fun because I copied the interface almost 100% in the train station that we have here,” Nulud said. “That was just really fun for me because it’s going to be a time capsule.”

“There have been changes to the train station that we have in the game from real life. Like, some of the design, some of the architecture of the train station…When you visit it now, it’s slightly different from what it is in the game.”

Besides the train station that Nulud mentioned, it’s also a time capsule for technology and social media. Until Then takes place in 2014, even though the team started development in 2020. Facebook, which is still popular in the Philippines, is the main social media used in the story. You scroll through your timeline, liking and commenting on your friends’ posts, or even learn more about the world through the news stories and ads that pop up on your timeline.

“Back in something like 2010, we were only able to access it from a computer shop or internet cafe,” says Nulud. “But, starting in 2014, that’s when Filipinos became more active or online. So that makes a lot of sense for the smartphone mechanics that we have where there’s basically a Facebook clone in the game where you can like, share, and stuff.”

Even now, Facebook is the Philippines’ most popular social media platform. According to DataReportal, the Philippines ranks in Facebook’s top 10 most active countries with 91.9 million active Facebook users. For context, the last Philippine census counted 115.56 million people. The United States, second in the rankings, has 186.4 million active Facebook users, but about 333.29 million people. The ratios are skewed.

“Facebook is not dead here at all. It’s the main platform. I know it’s not big in the US right now, but here, it’s synonymous to social media,” says Nulud.

Inspirations for Until Then

Besides Filipino culture, Polychroma Games prioritized innovative storytelling to strengthen Until Then’s narrative. Nulud described it as closer to a “cinematic experience,” but one where it was more like a visual novel with interactive elements. Instead of just clicking through options of dialogue, I mashed buttons to wake up our main character, bought a train ticket, plugged in a USB, scrolled through Facebook messages, and more. In that sense, it felt a lot more interactive than a traditional relationship-based visual novel where you might select options that cater towards specific love interests and eventually form a relationship with them.

Nulud’s main inspirations includes Night in the Woods, Infinite Fall’s narrative adventure game based on western Pennsylvania. I used to live in Pittsburgh, a setting that heavily inspired Night in the Woods. In that story, the mining town history, hilly suburban setting, and other environmentally unique pieces about it really made it feel like Pittsburgh and, as an extension, other western Pennsylvania towns. Until Then works similarly, painting a picture of Manila through its setting, even without exposition.

“When you look at Night in the Woods and this game, there’s a lot of similarity in how we present dialogue where you can see the world,” Nulud says. “When I played [NITW], I was really amazed that you can present a story like this. Like, you can present it in a way that you’re just exploring the world because, in very conventional visual novels, you only have backgrounds for settings and then characters just fade in and fade out. And, since so far in my career, I have always been interested in narrative in games. I take a lot of inspiration from how Night in the Woods presents its story. It’s just so immersive, having it presented this way.”

“I’m interested to push the boundaries and explore different ways we can tell stories in games. And one way of doing that, I thought, was presenting it in a cinematic experience.”

Nulud also highlighted a few other inspirations including The Last Night and, for Mark’s interest in piano, the anime Your Lie in April. When asked about The Last Night, Nulud said, “It’s pixel art, but it’s not fully two-dimensional. It’s 2D sprites, but set in a 3D space. And they take it even further by using modern graphics, the type that you would see in AAA games like reflection shaders and stuff like that. I got really inspired by that as well.”

Something That Can’t Be Said

Until Then taps into high school nostalgia with its high school setting. However, Nulud highlights that Until Then isn’t just about that. His favorite theme was “understanding communication,” something that’s emphasized throughout the game and something he enjoyed examining the nuances of. Other words for it include human understanding or human condition in general.

“The theme here is human condition,” says Nulud, “but that’s very general. We don’t talk about that. That is obvious, but if there’s anything specific about the human condition that we highlight here, it’s understanding [that] and its complexity. We really wanted to opt for a story that’s really emotional, something, as I said earlier, something that will reach into people’s hearts and strike a chord with them.”

“Maybe, yeah, sure, high school days can strike a chord with the audience. But I think we were really aiming for something bigger than that. Something that’s outside of school. Something that is truly universal in the human condition or experience. We were really just aiming for something bigger. But definitely, yeah, there are elements of high school days that would make you wanna relive it.”

Nulud recalls how he read a comment from one player about how the demo made them feel “nostalgic,” even though they didn’t come from the same background as he and his colleagues. Even though Until then is based in the Philippines, it seemed to succeed in relating to players overseas with its message.

“Even though they didn’t really live through any of this, they’re not from the Philippines, their schools do not look like that in the game…By aiming for something bigger than school life, something more general than that, we were able to achieve that. Like, just being universal, and even people getting nostalgia for things that they didn’t personally go through.”

Ultimately, Nulud hopes that players connect with the emotional story that his team worked to convey in Until Then. If you learn about the Philippines, cool, but the most important part is the story.

“We just really hope that, whoever plays this, for all the players that will go through the entire game–like, especially for me–I really hope that this game strikes a chord the same way all my inspirations did to me,” he says. “That’s what we’re really hoping for once this comes out.”

To Filipino players, he says, “As I said before, this is universal, but we sprinkled in some references here and there. So we really hope that you point these out when you talk about the game, and we’d really appreciate mentions of it because we put our heart into those references and just overall had fun, you know, putting references here that our fellow countrymen will get.”

Until Then is coming to PC and PlayStation 5. You can play the demo now on Steam.

Jess Reyes is a freelance writer for IGN.

In the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Live-Action Reveal Trailer, Bill Clinton Says ‘Your Whole Life Is a Lie’

Microsoft has released the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 live-action reveal trailer, and in it we hear from a few familiar faces.

Activision’s marketing so far has revolved around teasing fans with cryptic nods to the Gulf War of the early ‘90s, and this trailer continues the conspiracy theories with a few words of wisdom from world leaders central to the military action that took place in Iraq during the decade.

Former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush, as well as ex-UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Iraq leader Saddam Hussein, combine to utter words from the shadows that allude to some grand conspiracy the player will presumably unravel over the course of Black Ops 6’s campaign.

“The truth is, your whole life is a lie,” Clinton said, with a smirk. “Nothing is what it seems,” Saddam Hussein concluded. “But if it’s truth you seek… look in the dark.”

Activision’s messaging on Black Ops 6 calls it “the dark new chapter” of the Call of Duty franchise. But just how dark? Will players fight within Saddam Hussein’s palace, touching directly on the real-world events of the Gulf War? Will Black Ops 6 actually feature the likes of Bill Clinton and Saddam Hussein in-game, as Ronald Reagan featured in Black Ops Cold War?

One character we do know set to appear in Black Ops 6 is Russell Adler from Black Ops Cold War, as spotted by Call of Duty fan account CharlieIntel on X/Twitter.

Microsoft pointed fans to its Xbox Games Showcase event as well as its Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Direct set to take place on June 9, 2024, from 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK. Then it will share a first in-depth look at Black Ops 6 gameplay.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has confirmed Black Ops 6 is set to launch day-one on Xbox Game Pass. It is the first Call of Duty game to do so, and follows Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

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.

Microsoft Confirms Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Day-One With Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft has confirmed the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 day-one on Xbox Game Pass.

In a post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft pointed fans to its Xbox Games Showcase event as well as its Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Direct on June 9, 2024, from 10am PT. There it will share more details on the game, with a first in-depth look at gameplay “in this dark new chapter” of the Black Ops series.

Microsoft made the announcement alongside the release of a live-action reveal trailer called ‘The Truth Lies’. In it we see world leaders including Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, and Saddam Hussein, delivering cryptic speeches. Black Ops 6 is reported to be set during the events of the Gulf War during the early ’90s.

News of Black Ops 6’s release into Game Pass doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Xbox president Sarah Bond recently indicated all Microsoft games, including those developed by the recently acquired Activision, would launch straight into Game Pass.

Microsoft has faced tough questions around the potential cannibalization effect of Game Pass, particularly on games that launch on the service day-one. While Xbox executives have insisted sales can be boosted by a game’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers remain unconvinced. Former Activision boss Bobby Kotick, for example, was always against putting Call of Duty into subscription services. Unlike Microsoft, console rival Sony does not release its new exclusives straight into its subscription service.

In an interview with IGN last year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked how he’d handle his and Kotick’s different ideologies after the deal to buy Activision Blizzard closed. “Well, there’s a different person making the decisions,” Spencer laughed.

New Call of Duty games sell for $70 and usually shift around 25 million copies, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. By releasing this year’s Call of Duty straight into Game Pass, Microsoft potentially risks cannibalizing those sales. Of course, Activision will also launch Call of Duty across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC as a game that can be bought outright. But with Game Pass subscriber numbers failing to grow meaningfully Microsoft is under pressure to attract new customers. Adding a mainline Call of Duty game at launch will no doubt help with that. The Verge has reported Microsoft is considering raising the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate again.

Microsoft is in the process of cutting 1,900 staff from its gaming business. Earlier this month, the company shocked the video game world by announcing the closure of Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. There are fears more cuts are to come.

Microsoft is yet to announce a release date, pricing, or platforms for Black Ops 6, but it will reportedly launch across PC, last-gen and current-gen consoles.

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.

Deathbulge: Battle Of The Bands is roughly 1000% more fun than being in an actual band

The first scene in RPS Game Club pick Deathbulge: Battle Of The Bands – a genuinely funny and innovative riff on turn-based RPGs – sees candyfloss n’ superglue-haired guitarist Faye frantically search for her missing guitar as the crowd for the titular battle grow impatient. You’ll quickly realise this a school-with-no-trousers-esque dream sequence, but the matted mess of thick black cables that carpet this dingy side-stage is painfully accurate. Pissing around with gear is roughly 70% of the band experience, in my limited experience of being in bands. This probably changes when you’ve got roadies or dedicated tech people, but we did not, because we were skint. And also terrible. Several hours of Deathbulge has brought me more joy than several years of being in actual bands. I had some isolated good times in some of those bands, but I’m having a very good time with Deathbulge.

Read more

LEGO Unveils ‘Great Deku Tree 2-In-1’ Zelda Set, Pre-Orders Now Available

“Build the legend”.

The rumours were true! LEGO has today unveiled its first The Legend of Zelda set, ‘Great Deku Tree 2-in-1,’ and pre-orders are now open.

Listed at £259.99 / $299.99, the Deku Tree set contains 2,500 pieces for you to build the iconic Hylian landmark in two different ways – one modelled on its Ocarina of Time appearance and one on Breath of the Wild.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Day One with Xbox Game Pass

We’re excited to confirm that Game Pass members will be able to jump into Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 on day one with Game Pass.

As revealed last week, we will have a special Xbox Games Showcase followed by Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 Direct on June 9, 2024, at 10am PT, where we’ll share even more details on what’s coming in this all-new Call of Duty®. Get eyes on the first in-depth look at gameplay in this dark new chapter of the Black Ops series.

And, if you’re new to Game Pass – we’ve got a (figurative) mountain of games for you to check out and play while waiting for that pre-install button to light up for Black Ops 6. Check out the hundreds of games here: Xbox.com/Gamepass

Keep the comms open, we’ll have more at @XboxGamePassPC and @XboxGamePass with more details soon.

See terms and conditions here.

The post Play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Day One with Xbox Game Pass appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Days of Play 2024 comes to PlayStation Store

PlayStation Store is joining the Days of Play celebrations with a dedicated promotion! Starting this Wednesday, May 29 for a limited time* players can enjoy discounts on a massive range of titles**.

There’s so many games included, we can’t fit them all here. You can get a preview of just some of the titles that will be included in the promo below. Then, when the dedicated promotion page goes live on PlayStation Store on May 29, head there to see the full list and find out your regional discount pricing. 

And there’s plenty more Days of Play related-celebrations to enjoy! Check out the full range of activities, offers and more in the Days of Play announcement post. 

  • A Plague Tale Bundle
  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • AC Mirage + Valhalla Bundle
  • Aces of the Luftwaffe
  • Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron – Extended Edition
  • Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion
  • AER: Memories of Old
  • After the Fall Deluxe Edition
  • After Us
  • Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers – PlayStation 4 Edition
  • Alan Wake 2
  • Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition
  • Alone in the Dark
  • Alone in the Dark – Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Amnesia: The Bunker
  • Another Fisherman’s Tale
  • Arizona Sunshine
  • Arizona Sunshine® 2
  • ARK: Survival Ascended
  • Assassin’s Creed Mirage – Deluxe Edition
  • Assetto Corsa – Ultimate Edition
  • Assetto Corsa Competizione
  • astragon Bestseller Simulation Bundle
  • Atomicrops: Reap What You Bundle
  • Autobahn Police Simulator 3
  • Avatar – Frontiers of Pandora
  • Avatar The Last Airbender: Quest for Balance
  • Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Ultimate Edition
  • Back 4 Blood: Standard Edition
  • Back 4 Blood: Ultimate Edition
  • Bad North
  • Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
  • Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II
  • Bassmaster Fishing 2022: Classic Edition
  • Bassmaster® Fishing
  • Bassmaster® Fishing 2022
  • Battlefield 2042
  • Ben 10: Power Trip
  • Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions
  • BioShock: The Collection
  • BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
  • BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle – Special Edition
  • Bloodborne: Game of the Year Edition
  • Bluey: The Videogame
  • Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition
  • Bramble: The Mountain King
  • Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion
  • Bus Simulator 21
  • Call of the Wild: The Angler™ – Silver Fishing Bundle
  • Call of the Wild: theAngler
  • Castlevania Anniversary Collection
  • CATAN® – Deluxe Edition (Helpers Inc)
  • Chaos on Deponia
  • Chef Life – A Restaurant Simulator
  • Children of Silentown
  • Chivalry 2 King’s Edition
  • Chivalry 2 Special Edition
  • Cities: Skylines – PlayStation 4 Edition
  • Cities: Skylines – Premium Edition 2
  • CityDriver
  • Code Shifter
  • Commandos 2 & Commandos 3 – Bundle Digital
  • Conan Chop Chop
  • Conan Exiles
  • Conan Exiles – Complete Edition October 2021
  • Conan Exiles – Isle of Siptah Edition
  • Construction Simulator
  • Control: Ultimate Edition
  • Creed: Rise to Glory
  • Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition
  • Cricket 24
  • CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION
  • Crossfire: Sierra Squad
  • Crusader Kings III
  • Crusader Kings III: Royal Edition
  • CRYMACHINA
  • Crysis 2 Remastered
  • Crysis 3 Remastered
  • Crysis Remastered
  • Curious Expedition
  • Curious Expedition 2
  • Curious Expedition 2 Bundle
  • Cursed to Golf
  • CUSTOM MECH WARS
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Dakar Desert Rally – Deluxe Edition
  • Darkest Dungeon
  • Darkest Dungeon: Ancestral Edition
  • Darkest Dungeon®
  • DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos
  • DE – Standard Edition Takeover
  • Dead by Daylight – Gold Edition
  • Dead by Daylight: Special Edition
  • Dead Cells: Medley of Pain Bundle
  • Dead Island 2 Main Game
  • Dead Island: Definitive Collection
  • Dead Space
  • DEATHLOOP (GAME)
  • Deceive Inc
  • Deluxe Edition v2
  • Deponia
  • Destroy All Humans! 2 – Single Player
  • Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
  • Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition
  • Diablo® IV Deluxe Bundle
  • Diablo® IV Standard Bundle
  • Diablo® IV Ultimate Bundle
  • Disgaea 7 Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Dishonored & Prey: The Arkane Collection
  • Dishonored 2
  • Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality
  • DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One (Standalone)
  • DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two (Standalone)
  • DOOM Slayers Collection
  • Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle
  • Double Dragon IV
  • Dragon Star Varnir
  • DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing
  • DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing – Rally Edition
  • DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of The Nine Realms
  • DreamWorks Spirit Lucky’s Big Adventure
  • Dying Light 2 Stay Human
  • Dying Light 2 Stay Human
  • Earth Defense Force 4.1: Wing Diver The Shooter
  • Earth Defense Force 5
  • Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain
  • EARTH DEFENSE FORCE:WORLD BROTHERS
  • Ed-0: Zombie Uprising
  • Edna & Harvey: The Breakout – Anniversary Edition
  • Elite Dangerous
  • Emergency Call – The Attack Squad
  • Euro Fishing + The Catch: Carp & Coarse Fishing
  • Evil Dead: The Game – GOTY Edition
  • Evil West
  • Expeditions – Supreme Edition
  • Expeditions: A MudRunner Game
  • Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force
  • Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition
  • Fallout 76: Atlantic City Deluxe Edition
  • Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R
  • FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
  • FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Final Fantasy VII Remake
  • FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Complete Collector’s Edition
  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Complete Edition
  • Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX
  • First Responder Police Firefighting Bundle
  • Fishing Sim World: Bass Pro Shops Edition
  • Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour – Lough Kerr + Talon Fishery
  • Flipping Death
  • Focus On You
  • FOCUS on YOU Complete Edition
  • Garden Life – Garden Party Edition
  • Generation Zero®
  • Ghost Giant
  • Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord
  • Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord – Full Containment Edition
  • Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered
  • Ghostrunner 2 Brutal Edition
  • Ghostrunner: Complete Edition
  • Ghostwire / DEATHLOOP bundle
  • Ghostwire: Tokyo
  • Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart
  • Gigantosaurus: The Game
  • Gleamlight
  • Gloomhaven Gold Edition
  • Gloomhaven Mercenaries Edition
  • God of War Ragnarök
  • God of War Ragnarök Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Godlike Burger
  • Golf With Your Friends – Ultimate Edition
  • GONNER2 Lose Your Head Deluxe Bundle
  • Gotham Knights
  • Gran Turismo 7 Standard Edition ()
  • Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition
  • Gravel
  • Gravel – Special Edition
  • GTA Online + Single Player Unlock
  • GTA Trilogy Digital Bundle
  • Guilty Gear -Strive-
  • Guilty Gear -Strive- Daredevil Edition
  • Gun Club VR
  • Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
  • Have a Nice Death
  • Hell Let Loose
  • Hellfront: Honeymoon
  • Hellsweeper VR
  • Hi-Fi RUSH Game
  • High On Life Bundle
  • Hitman HD Enhanced Collection
  • Hob
  • Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition
  • HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ 2 – Turbocharged
  • HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ 2 – Turbocharged – Legendary Edition
  • Hotel: A Resort Simulator
  • Human: Fall Flat
  • HUMANITY
  • Hunting Simulator 2 Elite Edition
  • I Hate Running Backwards
  • Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure
  • Immortals of Aveum
  • Injustice 2
  • Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition
  • Inkulinati
  • It Takes Two ™ & ™
  • Jagged Alliance 3
  • Jumanji: Wild Adventures
  • Kingdom Two Crowns
  • Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning – Fate Edition
  • Kunio-kun: The World Classics Collection – River City Ransom
  • L.A. Noire
  • L.O.L Surprise! B.B.s BORN TO TRAVEL™
  • Labyrinth Life
  • LA-MULANA 1 & 2 Bundle
  • LEGO 2K Drive
  • LEGO Bricktales
  • LEGO Harry Potter Collection
  • LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
  • LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Galactic Edition
  • LEGO® 2K Drive Awesome Rivals Edition
  • LEGO® 2K Drive Standard Cross-Gen Edition
  • Lies of P
  • Life is Strange Remastered Collection
  • Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name bundle pack
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Deluxe Edition
  • Little Nightmares I & II Bundle
  • Little Nightmares II
  • Livelock
  • Lonely Mountains: Downhill
  • Lumines Remastered
  • MADDEN NFL 24 – DELUXE EDITION
  • Mafia Trilogy Bundle
  • Mafia: Definitive Edition
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Marvel’s Midnight Suns
  • Marvel’s Midnight Suns Enhanced Edition
  • Marvel’s Midnight Suns Legendary Edition
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition
  • Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition
  • Mega Dimension Neptune VIIR
  • Megadimension Neptunia VII
  • METAL GEAR SOLID 3
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience
  • Metal Slug 3
  • Metal Slug XX
  • Metal Wolf Chaos XD
  • Metal: Hellsinger
  • Metal: Hellsinger – Complete Edition
  • Metro Exodus
  • Metro Redux
  • Metro Saga Bundle
  • Mixture
  • MLB® The Show™ 24
  • MONARK
  • Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten
  • Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 6
  • MONSTER HUNTER RISE
  • Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak
  • Monster Hunter: World
  • Monster Hunter: World – Iceborne Master Edition
  • Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook
  • Moons of Madness
  • Mortal Kombat 1
  • Mother Russia Bleeds
  • MotoGP™24
  • Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord – Digital Deluxe
  • Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
  • Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden – Deluxe Edition
  • NBA 2K24
  • NBA 2K24 Black Mamba Edition
  • Need for Speed Unbound
  • Neptunia Virtual Stars
  • Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
  • New – TPH & TPC Double Pack
  • New Tales from the Borderlands
  • Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 – Deluxe Edition
  • Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 – Standard Edition
  • Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 – Ultimate Edition
  • Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway (BASE GAME)
  • No Man’s Sky
  • No Man’s Sky
  • Olija
  • OlliOlli World
  • Omega Quintet
  • ON THE ROAD – The Truck Simulator
  • Onee Chanbara Origin
  • Outlast: Bundle of Terror
  • Overcooked! All You Can Eat
  • Paper Cut Mansion
  • PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay
  • PAW Patrol World
  • Paw Patrol: Grand Prix
  • Paw Patrol: On a Roll!
  • Payday 2: Crimewave Edition
  • Payday 3 Main Game
  • PD3 Gold Edition
  • Peppa Pig: World Adventures
  • Persona 3 Reload Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Persona 5 Tactica Digital Deluxe
  • PGA 2K23 Cross-Gen Edition
  • PGA 2K23 Tiger Woods Edition
  • PGA TOUR 2K23
  • Pistol Whip
  • PJ Masks Power Heroes: Mighty Alliance
  • Planescape: Torment and Icewind Dale: Enhanced Editions
  • Planet Coaster: Console Edition
  • Planet of Lana
  • Portkey Games Hogwarts Legacy
  • Praetorians – HD Remaster
  • Prey
  • Process of Elimination
  • Puzzling Places
  • Puzzling Places PSVR2
  • Quake 1 & 2 Bundle
  • RAGE 2
  • Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX (NA/EU)
  • RAINBOW HIGH™: RUNWAY RUSH
  • Red Dead Online
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Red Dead Redemption 2: Story Mode
  • Remnant 2 – Standard Edition
  • Remnant 2 – Ultimate Edition
  • Remnant: From the Ashes
  • Remnant: From the Ashes – Complete Edition
  • Reveil
  • Rez Infinite
  • Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles
  • RIDE 5
  • RIDE 5 – Special Edition
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
  • River City Saga: Three Kingdoms
  • RoboCop: Rogue City
  • Ronin Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Ronin Full Game
  • Rough Justice: ’84
  • S&B – Ultimate Edition
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Prypiat
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl
  • SAMURAI MAIDEN
  • SD GUNDAM BATTLE ALLIANCE Deluxe Edition
  • Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
  • Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
  • Shadow Tactics: Game+Theme
  • Shantae
  • Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
  • Shantae and the Seven Sirens
  • Shantae: Half-Genie Hero – Ultimate Edition
  • Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut
  • Sherlock Holmes The Awakened
  • Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
  • Sifu Deluxe Edition
  • Skull & Bones
  • Smalland: Survive the Wilds
  • Sniper Elite VR
  • Source of Madness
  • SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY! Digital Deluxe
  • Space Engineers
  • Spacebase Startopia – Extended Edition –
  • Spider-Man 2
  • Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova
  • Star Wars Battlefront – Ultimate Edition
  • Star Wars Battlefront II
  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
  • STAR WARS™: Dark Forces Remaster
  • STAR WARS™: Squadrons
  • SteamWorld Build
  • SteamWorld Build & Dig
  • SteamWorld Build Deluxe
  • SteamWorld Dig
  • SteamWorld Dig 2
  • SteamWorld Heist
  • Steelrising
  • Stellaris: Console Edition – Deluxe Edition
  • Stories Untold
  • Strafe
  • Stranded: Alien Dawn
  • Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
  • Super Neptunia RPG
  • Swordship
  • Synapse
  • Tennis On-Court
  • Tennis World Tour: Roland-Garros Edition
  • Terraria
  • TESO: NEW Base Edition
  • Tetris Effect: Connected
  • The 7th Guest VR
  • The Caligula Effect 2
  • The Caligula Effect 2 Digital Deluxe Edition
  • The Caligula Effect: Overdose
  • THE CASINO COLLECTION
  • The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
  • The Evil Within
  • The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Deluxe Edition
  • The Jackbox Party Bundle
  • The Jackbox Party Pack
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 2
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 3
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 4
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 5
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 6
  • The Jackbox Party Pack Trilogy
  • The Jackbox Party Quadpack
  • The Jackbox Party Quintpack
  • The Jackbox Party Trilogy 2.0
  • The Last Campfire
  • The Last of Us Part II
  • The Last of Us Part II Remastered
  • The Last of Us Part II: Digital Deluxe Edition
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie Deluxe Edition
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
  • The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
  • The Longest Road on Earth
  • The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
  • The Lucid Dreamer Bundle
  • The Outer Worlds
  • The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition
  • The Outlast Trials Deluxe Edition
  • The Park
  • The Quarry
  • The Quiet Man
  • The Suicide of Rachel Foster
  • THE Table Game
  • The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition
  • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
  • The Wizards – Dark Times: Brotherhood
  • The Wonderful 101: Remastered
  • The Wonderful One: After School Hero
  • theHunter: Call of the Wild
  • theHunter: Call of the Wild™ – Seasoned Hunter Bundle
  • Thief – Including ‘The Bank Heist’ DLC Mission
  • Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
  • Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Chaotic Great Edition
  • Togges
  • Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
  • TopSpin 2K25 – Cross-Gen Edition
  • TopSpin 2K25 – Full Game
  • TopSpin 2K25 – Grand Slam Edition
  • Torchlight II
  • Torchlight III
  • Toss
  • Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt
  • Townsmen VR
  • Train Sim World® 4: Special Edition
  • TramSim: Console Edition Deluxe
  • Transformers Beyond Reality
  • TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition
  • Transport Fever 2: Console Edition
  • Trepang2
  • Trilogy Bundle 3.0
  • Trine 5
  • TRIPP
  • Tropico 6 – Next Gen Edition
  • Truck & Logistics Simulator
  • UFC® 5
  • UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End & UNCHARTED: The Lost Legacy Digital Bundle
  • Unicorn Overlord Monarch Edition
  • Unplugged
  • UNRAILED!
  • Vertigo 2
  • Viewfinder
  • Warchest Bundle
  • Watch Dogs: Legion – Deluxe Edition
  • Watch Dogs: Legion – Gold Edition
  • Wavetale
  • WBSC eBASEBALL™パワフルプロ野球
  • We Were Here Friendship
  • White Shadows
  • Wild Card Football – Ultimate Edition
  • Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition
  • Wolfenstein: Alt History Collection
  • Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot
  • Wolfenstein: The New Order
  • Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
  • Wolfenstein: The Two-Pack
  • Wolfenstein® II: The New Colossus™
  • WRC 9 Deluxe Edition FIA World Rally Championship
  • Wreckfest PlayStation®5 Version
  • WWE 2K24
  • WWE 2K24 40 Years of WrestleMania Edition
  • WWE 2K24 Cross-Gen Edition
  • WWZ Aftermath
  • WWZ Deluxe edition
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon Hero Edition
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon Hero Edition
  • YEAH! YOU WANT “THOSE GAMES,” RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET’S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM!
  • Zombie Vikings

*Days of Play promotion is available on PlayStation Store from 00.00am PDT/BST/JST on Wednesday May 29 until 11:59pm PDT/BST/JST on Wednesday, June 12. 
**Title list and discount may differ per region. For more details, please check your dedicated Days of Play promotion page on PlayStation Store when it goes live. 

Dragon Quest 12 Still in Development Despite Square Enix Cancellations

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is still in development despite myriad cancellations at Square Enix, series creator Yuji Horii has confirmed.

As reported by GamesRadar, Horii posted on X/Twitter about the game in what’s essentially the first update since its announcement in May 2021. He didn’t provide any new details on Dragon Quest 12 despite it being the series’ anniversary on May 27, but at least confirmed Square Enix was still working on it.

“Everyone, thank you for all the congratulations,” Horii said of the 38th anniversary celebrations. “I’m hoping it will be a fitting posthumous work for the two people who have passed away.”

It’s unclear who these two developers are (though one could be series character designer and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, who passed away in March 2024), but the post will at least alleviate fans’ concerns that the game was cancelled altogether.

Square Enix announced in April 2024 it was taking a ¥22.1 billion (approximately $140.9 million) “content abandonment loss” as it changed its development plans to be “more selective.” Given the lack of updates around Dragon Quest 12, many fans grew concerned it was affected by the reshuffle.

Dragon Quest 12 was announced as part of the series’ 35th anniversary celebration and will be the first mainline entry since 2017’s Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. No release window, platforms, or gameplay was shared, just the game’s logo.

Also this week, Square Enix said Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, which will recreate the classic role-playing game in the graphical style of Square Enix’s Octopath Traveller series, now “draws near” as it’s confirmed to be a multiplatform title.

A post on X/Twitter teasing the game, which was announced in May 2021 but has gone practically unheard of since, confirmed it will come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Windows Store.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Stellar Blade Developer Shift Up Considering a Sequel

Stellar Blade developer Shift Up is considering making a sequel to the PlayStation 5 exclusive.

Speaking to Famitsu, and translated by Genki on X/Twitter, studio founder and Stellar Blade director Kim Hyung Tae alongside technical director Lee Dong Gi discussed Shift Up’s current plans for the game and a potential sequel.

The pair said Shift Up plans to add a photo mode and additional outfits to Stellar Blade, and beyond that has a long-term plan for the game which includes more fun updates. As for the sequel, neither Kim nor Lee said much, but they’re reviewing what fans liked about the first game in their considerations for a second game.

While light, these comments follow word from Gematsu that a public filing on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index confirmed Shift Up was “considering a PC version of Stellar Blade and a sequel.” Fans who enjoyed the game can therefore look ahead with some hope, though an official announcement is likely still far away since Stellar Blade only launched on April 26, 2024.

It brought its sci-fi action and adventure exclusively to PS5, with its inspirations including Alita: Battle Angel, 80s and 90s science fiction, and a taxi driver strike according to Kim. Its already enjoyed a handful of post-launch updates too, including one which added a boss challenge, new outfits, and more.

In our 7/10 review, IGN 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 role playing game mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.