Nowadays, I’m more than happy to sacrifice high frames and a big screen for the comforts of the Steam Deck. I like lounging on the couch, the light forearm workout, and heating my room in only a few minutes. So it’s good news that Moon Studios’ upcoming ARPG No Rest For The Wicked will be playable on launch for Deck, the ROG Ally and other handhelds. Minimum PC specs also don’t look too taxing, but those after the shiniest-looking game on recommended hardware may be in for a shock.
Diablo 4 is now available on Xbox Game Pass, but there’s some good news for those who have yet to play the game but want to own a physical copy. Diablo 4 is down to just $20 at Walmart right now (see here), which is a huge saving for a critically acclaimed game that only came out last year and a discount we’re unlikely to see again for a while. Also, it’s worth noting that this price could be based on your location, so fair warning as YMMV!
Diablo 4 launched with a $69.99 MSRP, so a $50 reduction is pretty substantial, and well worth considering if you want to own the game to play whenever you want. Even when the Prime Day sales eventually roll back around this summer, we’d be increasingly surprised if the deal comes anywhere close to this. Your only barrier to entry now — stock levels. This is such a good deal, that it’s highly likely to sell out fast.
The only other issue we can identify is Walmart only offers free delivery for baskets of $35 or more. But, we can assist there as well. If you sign up for a Walmart+ account with a 30-day free trial, you can get free fast delivery (alongside a slew of other benefits right now like three months of YouTube Premium for free). Otherwise, you can also check to see if your local store has stock, and pick it up from there instead.
In our review of the game, we said: “Diablo 4 is a stunning sequel with near-perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down. The story is a pretty big disappointment despite still being a noticeable improvement over Diablo 3 and there are some annoying bugs that need squashing, but the combat, the loot game, and both the sights and sounds of this world are impressive enough to smooth over those rough edges.”
“Diablo 4 takes the strategy of refining things the series already did so well rather than giving it a more substantial overhaul, and that careful and reverent path has shaped this massive sequel into one of the most polished ARPGs ever created, which makes slicing through the legions of the damned a hell of a good time.”
This is one of the best PS5 deals available right now, but there are a couple of decent Nintendo deals going on at the moment that are worth checking out, too. Mainly, you can pick up a select few Nintendo games for just $39.99 right now, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. To see even more Nintendo deals, check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch deals right now. And if you’re curious about what’s on sale on other platforms, have a look at our roundups of the best Xbox deals and the best PC video game deals this week.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
“A free 7-day trial for NSO is included with purchase”.
In between some Mario games, a new Endless Ocean game is arriving for Switch next month on 2nd May 2024.
While we’ve already got a decent idea of what to expect from Endless Ocean Luminous, Nintendo has now uploaded an overview trailer – providing an extended look at this upcoming release. The video details the mysterious region known as the Veiled Sea, which changes with every dive.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Scheduled to arrive in cinemas next year.
In January, there were reports the Minecraft movie had cast actor and musician Jack Black as the famous character “Steve”.
Now, in an update, this has seemingly been confirmed by Jack Black, who has also recently starred in Kung Fu Panda 4, reprising his role as Po, and voiced Bowser in last year’s hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Nine new trailers and announcements.
Today’s Indie World Showcase gave us a rather delightful little basket of release dates, shadow drops, and ports for games we’ve been wanting to see on Switch.
As is often the case with these presentations, however, Japan’s Indie World was a fair bit different from our own. There was some overlap, of course, but we’ve rounded up a list of everything that was exclusive to the Japanese showcase. Lots of these are also coming out in the West, too, and we’ve even got a date for one or two of them. Enjoy!
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Bethesda and Tango Gameworks have quietly removed Denuvo DRM technology from Ghostwire: Tokyo on PC as part of a recent update.
The controversial anti-piracy measure was removed (via SteamDB) as part of an unscheduled update that arrived earlier today. This comes more than two years after Ghostwire: Tokyo originally launched, and with no comment or patch notes from the developers, it’s unclear why the move was made.
Although Bethesda hasn’t officially commented on Denuvo’s removal, there are many who will no doubt be pleased to hear it’s gone. The software’s primary use allows it to keep associated games from being tampered with, with plenty of developers using it as a roadblock against those looking to pirate their games. Many players, meanwhile, have reported that Denuvo negatively impacts in-game performance and the overall user experience regardless of whether a game was pirated or purchased legitimately.
Bethesda and Tango launched Ghostwire: Tokyo in 2022, but the creative action-adventure game didn’t originally come with Denuvo. As reported by PC Gamer, the DRM technology was added more than a year after the base game was released. That update brought along a plethora of other features as part of a content drop called Spider’s Thread. It’s unclear how else today’s update affected the overall experience past Denuvo’s removal.
IGN has reached out to Bethesda for comment.
Bethesda moved to take Denuvo away from Doom Eternal, a game that launched in 2020, last September. Last month, Denuvo announced new technology that would allow game developers to track down potential leakers.
For more on Ghostwire: Tokyo be sure to read out 7/10 review. We loved the game’s detailed, neon-lit world but came away a bit unsatisfied, saying, “With superb visual design and an incredibly well-realised rendition of Tokyo, Ghostwire gets a lot right, but just doesn’t quite have the gameplay chops to push it over the top.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
EA’s upcoming Black Panther game will be an “open world experience,” according to a new job listing from the company.
The job post calls to fill a Senior Sandbox Designer II role for the recently-established Cliffhanger Games. Most details about its mysterious Black Panther project have been kept secret since its announcement last year. However, the listing teases that applicants should expect to be “instrumental in designing and populating encounters, systems, and gameplay within a dynamic and evolving open world” should they land the position.
It’s a role that will help Cliffhanger, which includes talent from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, expand on the Marvel hero by creating an open-world experience. The listing says that successful applicants will help create sandbox elements that mix with the narrative and gameplay objectives without compromising immersion. Additional details promise potential features like “urban crowds” and “wildlife” in what is described as “a living, breathing game world.”
One bullet point teases how Cliffhanger will implement linear missions within the open world: “Partner with the design team to integrate sandbox dynamics into the mission design, facilitating seamless transitions between structured missions and open-world exploration.”
EA declined to comment.
Cliffhanger revealed its superhero game just last year but has still been busy behind the scenes. While job listings seek to help the game grow, the studio will be overseen by former PlayStation executive Connie Booth. She’s joining EA as its Group General Manager, meaning her portfolio includes Black Panther as well as EA Motive’s Iron Man game. Both titles are part of a deal between EA and Marvel that will see the former developing three action-adventure projects. The third game remains a mystery.
EA’s Black Panther promises a new perspective on Wakanda’s protector, but it’s not the only game based on the hero in the works. Amy Hennig’s Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, which we got a close look at last month, features both the Black Panther as well as comic books’ star-spangled hero, Captain America. That project is set to arrive sometime in 2025, but it’s unclear when we can expect to see EA’s game hit store shelves.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
Counting syllables. How many in ‘Kyoto’? Dang, I’ve run out of–.
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you’d find all the weird goofs that we couldn’t fit in anywhere else. Some may call it “filler”; we prefer “a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag”.
We don’t have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes — so welcome to our semi-regular feature, Back Page. Today, we take a seat outside the cafe, place our cigarette case on the gingham tablecloth, light up a dainty smoke, and compose an ode or two while sipping a minuscule coffee…
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Bethesda’s very own Mr Handy (director and executive producer) Todd Howard has addressed the controversy surrounding the Fallout TV show’s treatment of Fallout backstory, reaffirming the canonicity of Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas and promising that Bethesda and Amazon are being “careful” to maintain consistency between the games and the TV series. Are you new to this latest lore scandal? Watch out for Fallout Season 1 spoilers ahead, then.
The Frostpunk 2 development team is excited to offer players a chance to return to the unforgiving Frostlands and experience a glimpse of our ambitious sequel, where in addition to the need to survive, you face the new, deadly threat of human nature and its insatiable thirst for power. The Beta features a part of the sandbox mode called the Utopia Builder Preview.
While the original Frostpunk launched without a sandbox mode, it quickly became one of the community’s top requests. Hence, we introduced the Endless mode, allowing players to expand endlessly. Witnessing players spend over 500 hours or more in the game has been truly inspiring for us.
From the outset, we knew a variation of the sandbox mode was essential for Frostpunk 2. As we believe Frostpunk 2 represents a significant step forward for the franchise, each aspect of the game needed expansion. For the sandbox experience, we aimed to infuse it with a richer narrative and other unique aspects specific to Frostpunk 2.
Thirty years after the Great Storm, which concluded the first game’s storyline, humanity has partially tamed the weather. So making a blizzard in a sequel even bigger than the one in the first Frostpunk wouldn’t feel satisfying, creative, or exciting for you as a player. It is impossible to tell the story of social change of ambitions without changing the scale. Thus, the time flow in the game transitions from hours and days to weeks, months, and years, and players oversee the creation of entire districts, emphasizing societal survival and shaping. Frostpunk 2 continues an approach to be a society survival type of strategy game but also places greater emphasis on how this society is shaped.
With the absence of immediate survival pressure, citizens began to contemplate a different future, leading to varied visions among factions. As the new Steward, you are tasked with building a council representative of these factions. The ideological conflict is also present in the Utopia Builder Preview mode, demanding players reconcile conflicting interests and navigate societal complexities.
Mismanagement could lead to catastrophe while allowing ambitions to grow unchecked can foster social conflicts. Ultimately, human nature can lead to the city’s downfall, where one’s utopia may become another’s dystopia.
Preorder Frostpunk 2: Deluxe Edition today, and unlock the Utopia Builder mode with sandbox Beta for PC. Explore, create, and survive through April 22!
11 bit studios
The beta access and the early access version of the game will be available exclusively for players who pre-ordered the deluxe pack. Beta access will include a limited, 7-day access to a fragment of the game’s sandbox mode (Utopia Builder) in April 2024. Frostpunk 2: Deluxe Edition gives you early access to story mode 72 hours before the game’s full release. Owners of this edition of Frostpunk 2 will receive 3 DLCs for the game directly after their releases.
The deluxe pack also includes a digital version of the novella Warm Flesh from the upcoming Frostpunk anthology, as well as access to a digital artbook, the game’s epic soundtrack, and an exclusive in-game item.
Features:
BASE GAME
ACCESS TO UTOPIA BUILDER PREVIEW
(part of the sandbox mode, available 15-22.04)
3 DLCs (PAID POST-RELEASE CONTENT)
PLAY STORY MODE 72H BEFORE RELEASE
EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME ITEM
“WARM FLESH” NOVELLA (DIGITAL VERSION / PART OF THE UPCOMING FROSTPUNK ANTHOLOGY)
DIGITAL ARTBOOK & SOUNDTRACK
The post Sample Frostpunk 2’s New Sandbox Mode with the New Beta, Available Now Through April 22 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
