New screenshots of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, the next game in the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series, confirms more characters coming to the hotly-anticipated 3D fighting game. Among its ranks of super-powered heroes is Dragon Ball Z’s oft-forgotten Saiyan warrior, Future Gohan.
NEW SPARKING ZERO CHARACTERS! Beerus, Whis, Gohan, Videl, Future Gohan, and Trunks (Sword) pic.twitter.com/nq0u2ns8un
Although Future Gohan is among the likes of other popular Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super characters like Trunks and Beerus, his presence supersedes that of Sparking Zero’s admittedly expected playable characters as far as DBZ fans are concerned. Part of why Future Gohan in Sparking Zero is blowing fans’ collective minds is thanks to the limited-yet-impactful amount of screen time he got in the series canon.
Future Gohan first appeared in the Dragon Ball Z special, The History of Trunks. In it, he and Trunks serve as humanity’s last line of defense after Android 17 and Android 18 massacred the rest of DBZ’s cast of heroes. Design-wise, Future Gohan distinguishes himself from other iterations of the character because he fights with only his right arm. Famously, Future Gohan lost his left arm protecting Trunks during their desperate battle against the cyborg duo.
Although Future Gohan has made appearances in other Dragon Ball games like Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, his character model had both of his giant arms still attached to his body. This in turn led to the creation of a humble PC mod whose sole purpose was to “chop off Future Gohan’s useless broken arm.” Going off V-Jump’s screenshots, Future Gohan’s character model will do battle with one arm, much to the adulation of diehard fans.
Limited screentime aside, Future Gohan’s death is most remembered among fans as the emotional push that led to Future Trunks turning Super Saiyan for the first time.
It won’t be long before players can get their hands on Hades II, the sequel to 2020’s critically-acclaimed roguelite by Supergiant Games. In a new post on X/Twitter, Supergiant Games announced an upcoming Hades II Technical Test along with instructions on how to join.
The goal of the technical test is to ensure that the upcoming Early Access release has a “smooth play experience from the start.” It will have much less content than the Early Access version — including the first major area of the game and early-game characters — and it will only be available to a “relatively small subset” of players who sign up to play.
“If you played the original game, imagine a version where you couldn’t get past Tartarus even if you vanquished its guardian,” Supergiant explains on its website. Players who complete the area a number of times will see a “gentle suggestion” to discontinue play.
How to join the Hades II Technical Test
To sign up for the Hades II Technical Test, you need only go to the Hades II Steam Page and click the button marked “Request Access.” If you’re invited to participate, you will receive an email from Steam with download instructions.
“We expect to start with a small player population, then grow it over time,” Supergiant explains. “So, even if you aren’t invited to the Technical Test right away, you may still be invited later. Our process boils down to: invite some players, fix any problems they run into, invite more players, and so on. Once we’re sufficiently confident that things are stable, we’ll wind down the Technical Test, then launch in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store relatively soon after.”
The Hades II Technical Test will be one of the first playable glimpses fans get of the anticipated sequel, which will feature Melinoë, daughter of Hades and sister of Zagreus, as its main character. The original game was acclaimed for its sharp writing, beautiful visuals, and clever take on roguelite storytelling, and Hades II looks to be more of the same.
Supergiant says that it will try to “conduct the Technical Test as expeditiously as possible,” then launch into Early Access. The studio is uncertain how long it will last, but expects that it will be “longer than a week, shorter than a month.” The Early Access launch will be dependent on the length of the Technical Test. It is currently set for Q2 2024.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
The London Developer Conference (LDC) made its almighty return last week, allowing some of the biggest names in the gaming world the chance to talk about the industry, where it currently sits, and where it is likely to go.
A collection of the season’s hottest games, from roguelikes to RPGs
Key titles include Final Fantasy XIV Online, Harold Halibut, and Another Crab’s Treasure
Great New Games runs from April 16 through May 13 – jump in today!
Dare to explore new stories and worlds with Great New Games, a collection of brand new titles new to Xbox this season. Grab your controller. Gather your friends. Great memories await.
From April 16 to May 13, with new titles every week, Great New Games will continue to serve up a massive array of brand-new adventures. There’s a new game to suit every mood and style on Xbox, from new ID@Xbox titles, to new games hitting Xbox Game Pass on day one. Here are some examples of just a few exciting new releases to get stuck into, whether you’re looking for an underwater adventure, thrilling roguelike or a quirky platformer.
Final Fantasy XIV Online
Join over 30 million adventurers worldwide and take part in the epic and ever-changing Final Fantasy XIV Online. Experience all the hallmarks of the best-selling franchise — an unforgettable story, exhilarating battles, and a myriad of diverse and captivating environments to explore. Party up with friends or play solo! Experience all the main story dungeons on your own by calling upon NPC allies to fight by your side.
House Flipper 2
Build the home of your dreams in this awaited house-flipping sequel! House Flipper 2 introduces brand new mechanics, and revamps ones from the original game, making for an even richer renovation experience. The good old hammer, the trusty paint roller, and the sturdy mop, all await your return! Complete jobs in the new story mode, or jump into sandbox mode and build a new house from the ground up, with more options than ever before.
Harold Halibut
Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative game about friendship and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean. Join Harold as he explores a vibrant retro-future world in his quest to find the true meaning of ‘home’. Find out more about Harold Halibut in a recent Xbox Wire preview.
Another Crab’s Treasure
A souls-like adventure set in a crumbling and unique underwater world, Kril the hermit crab must wear trash as shells to survive a dangerous submerged landscape on the verge of collapse. Hone your skills, defeat lethal predators, and embark on a treasure hunt to decide the fate of the ocean. Another Crab’s Treasure is the second game from Aggro Crab, creators of the indie darling Going Under.
WWE 2K24
Step into WWE 2K24 and enjoy an all-new Showcase, MyRISE updates, Match Types & a roster of 200+ Superstars & Legends! Relive 40-years of WrestleMania and experience a gripping retelling of WrestleMania’s greatest moments in 2K Showcase of the Immortals, where you can relive a collection of some of the most unforgettable, career-defining matches.
Penny’s Big Breakaway
Ready. Set. YO! – Join Penny & Yo-Yo in a kinetic 3D-platformer bursting with expressive gameplay! Showcase your catalog of tricks and chain impressive combos to deliver Penny & Yo-Yo’s perfect breakout performance. Burst onto the scene in the fluorescent world of Macaroon, home to this over-and-under escape! Discover your true star power in this easy-to-play, difficult-to-master challenge.
Great New Games is your chance to immersive yourself in epic new adventures on Xbox. Grab your controller, summon your friends and create some great memories. Be sure to check out the full collection of titles here.
While it can occasionally be difficult to get teenagers engaged or even torn away from their screens, board games often offer opportunities to connect or, at the very least, serve as a break from all the devices and social media apps. Whether its family game night or simply an evening in with friends, it’s important to have games that teens actually want to play.
The best board games don’t just pass the time, they transport players with fantastic themes and engaging mechanics. Teens who are into Marvel, Star Wars, zombies, or dragons can find something in the space to try out. Not to mention, various addictive party games also offer an alternative to simply watching a movie.
For the superhero-obsessed teen, there are plenty of great tabletop options out there, but the good folks behind Dice Throne have created one of the best Marvel board games with this accessible but addictive title. With currently eight different comic book heroes to choose from (and far more characters in the non-Marvel iterations), Marvel Dice Throne pits players against each other in competitive battles. Players start by picking their hero from either Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Loki, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, or Thor. Each character comes with their own set of abilities, card decks, and themed dice.
Marvel Dice Throne is a simple enough dice chucker but with enough twists and turns contained in the cards to keep gameplay unpredictable. As each character handles quite differently, there is ample opportunity for replayability as well. For those who find the Battle Chest complete with all eight heroes to be a bit pricey, there are also separate packs with just two or four characters included that can be built upon over time.
Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes It All
Disney holds a special place in countless childhood memories and continues to offer content many enjoy into their teenage years. While we all know the princesses and beloved sidekicks, Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes It All asks players to control one of six iconic villains such as Ursula, Jafar, the Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook, Maleficent, and Prince John from the animated Robin Hood feature film. Disney Villainous plays out asymmetrically as each villain is accompanied by their own card deck, player board, and 3D character piece. Of course, it wouldn’t be quite as much fun to only worry about completing your own objectives; it’s also about tripping up your opponents before they realize their villainous goals using heroes from their universe via Fate Deck cards. This is a double-edged sword, however, as your opponents can employ the same tactics against you.
Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes It All is a great place to start, but various expansions have introduced even more fan-favorite Disney baddies to the game. Not to mention, villains like Darth Vader, Thanos, and plenty more have also joined in the fun through Star Wars and Marvel iterations of the series.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
For teens who prefer their board games from a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a clever take on the popular Pandemic board game series. Rather than taking control of scientists, doctors, and medics to fight deadly diseases from spreading, Star Wars: The Clone Wars has players taking control of fan-favorite Jedi to ensure the reach of Count Dooku’s Separatist droid army doesn’t overtake the galaxy. For fans of Pandemic, The Clone Wars should be a breeze to pick up, but it’s a fairly intuitive cooperative title even for those with no familiarity with the original board game.
While The Clone Wars’ unique spin on a popular series makes it one of the best Star Wars board games, there are plenty of other great and unique titles to check out for fans of the space opera.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a bluffing game in which players try to identify the werewolf hiding in their village. Each player receives a secret role card at the beginning of the game, many of which coincide with a special ability that plays out in the nighttime phase when players put their heads down. In the morning, players try to deduce which one among them is the werewolf. If they can guess correctly and sentence the werewolf to death, they win the game, but if not, the monster gets to run amok for another night.
In many ways, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is the perfect party game for teens with friends who aren’t normally into board games: it’s easy to pick up thanks to the audio app that guides players through each phase, it plays incredibly quickly, and it works well for up to ten people. When groups start to pile up past four people, it’s not always easy to find a game that everyone can learn, play, and have a great time with, but One Night Ultimate Werewolf addresses every one of those issues, excelling with larger groups.
Decrypto
Like One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Decrypto is another one of the best party games. Decrpyto plays somewhat similarly to the incredibly popular Codenames, but the former differentiates itself by keeping players engaged even when it’s not their turn. Decrypto splits players into two teams. In front of each team is a series of numbers with words written just below. One player on each team is tasked with providing clues in an effort to get their team to guess the right sequence. While each team can see only their own board, opposing players can attempt to intercept using the codewords which are read aloud. The trick here is that encrypters need to try and give clues that only their team can guess. Of course, this is much easier said than done.
Sushi Go Party
Sushi Go Party builds upon the success of Sushi Go, a drafting game in which players pick a card to keep and pass the rest of the deck to the next player. Each card contains an adorable illustration of sushi as well as a point value. However, various cards can combine to multiply scores. Crafting the right sushi platter gets tricky as other players also look to grab valuable pieces or even block you from completing a set that might just secure your victory.
Sushi Go Party adds several cards to its predecessor but like Sushi Go, it manages to remain easy to play. At around 20 minutes a game, it’s perfect for teens who would rather jump in and learn a game rather than spend ages reading through a rule book.
King of Tokyo
Ask a handful of tabletop enthusiasts for a list of the best family board games and King of Tokyo is bound to come up, and likely more than once. It’s colorful and easy enough for kids to pick up, but it’s fun enough to keep teens coming back. Players pick from one of six pop culture-inspired mutant monsters with the goal of occupying Tokyo. Through dice-rolling and various special cards, players attempt to earn victory points and take down the other monsters. The winner is either the player who collected 20 victory points or the last surviving monster – whichever comes first.
Splendor: Marvel
Splendor is a favorite among the tabletop gaming community as it is a great entry point for teens who are new to the hobby thanks to its easy-to-grasp ruleset. That said, Splendor contains some strategy that may take a while to master, making it great for experienced gamers too. It’s easily one of the most popular games out there, but for teens with little interest in the Renaissance period, however, publisher Space Cowboys offers a Marvel variant.
Rather than collecting rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, to purchase cards, Splendor: Marvel tasks players with gathering the powerful Infinity Stones. Still, the rules largely remain the same, so those familiar with Splendor will be able to hop right into the Marvel iteration. As in the Marvel universe, collecting the stones ends the game, but individual turns consist of using stones to purchase cards with iconic comic book heroes and villains on them. Each hero contains a point value, and the player with the highest score at the end of the game wins. It’s not quite as thematic as something like Marvel Dice Throne, but the comic book artwork makes this a fun entry point for superhero fanatics.
Zombicide: Black Plague
Between its sizable board, various miniatures, lengthier playtime, and slightly more in-depth ruleset, Zombicide: Black Plague isn’t the most accessible game on this list. It’s still relatively easy to pick up when compared to other dungeon crawler board games, but it will require a teen who wants to dive a little deeper into a tabletop adventure. That shouldn’t be too difficult a sell as the gripping survival horror theme makes it easy to get fully immersed in the experience.
There are several entries in the Zombicide franchise, but Black Plague takes the combat to the Middle Ages with fantasy elements. Players can choose from dwarves, knights, magicians, and paladins to take the fight to the hordes of zombies. As with other iterations of the game, Black Plague has received several expansions, so fans of this title can keep the fun going for quite a while.
Flamecraft
The medium can so often be filled with gargantuan monsters and darker settings that the colorful, storybook artwork of Flamecraft feels like a breath of fresh air – as does its lower learning curve. Despite its aesthetic, Flamecraft is still a little difficult for younger children, but it’s perfectly suited for anyone in their teens.
Flamecraft is sort of an entry-level worker placement game, not quite as difficult as titles like Dune: Imperium or A Feast for Odin. In Flamecraft, players take on the role of Flamekeepers, those skilled at communicating with dragons. As a Flamekeeper, players visit the various shops, playing specialized dragon cards, enchanting the establishments, and gaining a reputation to attract even fancier dragons. The player with the most reputation at the end of the game wins and gains the esteemed title, the Master of Flamecraft.
If you’re still looking for more quality board game recommendations, make sure to check out our list of the best board games for four players. Also, take a look at our collection of the best board game deals to save some money on your next tabletop purchase.
Bobby Anhalt is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering board games and LEGO. He has more than 8 years of experience writing about the gaming industry with bylines at Game Rant, Screen Rant, TheXboxHub, and Ranker. You can follow him on Twitter @BobbyAnhalt.
With the arrival of Amazon’s Fallout TV series last week came the dropping of another bombshell: the possible truth behind a mystery that’s gone unanswered in the video games for over 25 years. Before you read on, please bear in mind that spoilers for the Fallout TV show’s season one finale follow!
With Larian having now officially handed the reins of the Baldur’s Gate series back to Dungeons & Dragons owners Wizards of the Coast (and their Monopoly-making parents at Hasbro) – with the developers saying they have no plans to make any DLC or a sequel – the ball for a Baldur’s Gate 4 now sits in Wizards’ court. The good news is that, yes, they also want to make a follow-up to one of the most acclaimed and successful video games of the last few years. Just don’t expect that to necessarily be anytime soon.
Star Wars Outlaws is not out for a few more months, but as the release date slowly approaches, the game’s ESRB rating summary revealed that a popular and nearly-forgotten card game is set to return as a playable mini-game.
Spotted by GamesRadar, the ESRB summary description for Star Wars Outlaws reveals that “players can wager in-game currency on Sabacc, a blackjack-like card game with detailed rules.” The card game, which first debuted in the L. Neil Smith novel Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu, has rules and concepts similar to those of blackjack and poker.
The rules of Sabacc were first published in 1989 with the release of the Crisis on Cloud City supplement for the Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, which Games International described in an issue published in 1990 as “a sort of Blackjack variant.”
Despite its known existence over the last several decades, its appearance in Star Wars media has been slim. Sabacc is never directly shown but rather mentioned in Star Wars media, such as in the Star Wars: Squadrons short story, The Light You Bring, or when it appeared in a scene in Solo: A Star Wars Story. And Disney began selling an official Sabacc deck at its Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction in 2019. Yet, no Star Wars game has ever made Sabacc playable in any capacity, thus making its inclusion in Star Wars Outlaws all the more noteworthy.
This news is positive for Ubisoft’s upcoming open-world game, as the publisher is under scrutiny for locking a mission behind the Star Wars Outlaws season pass. While Ubisoft clarified that the mission is “optional,” the publisher has yet to elaborate on its scope, leaving players confused about whether or not purchasing the season pass to access it is worth it.
Star Wars Outlaws is out on August 27 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-orders are now available at the starting price of $69.99 for the Standard Edition, while the Gold and Ultimate Edition costs $109.99 and $129.99, respectively. The latter two not only include the controversial season pass, but players will also get access to the base game three days early.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Palworld, the viral survival game that stirred up controversy (and found plenty of success) on the back of being a Pokémon-a-like – with added guns and factory labour, mind – is now due to become the inspiration for its own generation of clones, according to the head of its developers.
On the way to the cafeteria at the NetherRealm Studios offices, we have a large poster of Ermac hanging on the wall. Seeing it often reminds me how far he has evolved over the years. Back in the early days before the Internet, rumors often ran rampant about him and drove all kinds of speculation, particularly in the arcades. In the first Mortal Kombat arcade game, there was a diagnostic called ERMACS short for “Error Macro” that appeared underneath the number of “Reptile Appearances” and “Reptile Battles,” and it was therefore assumed by sleuthing fans that there must be a hidden character in the game. Over time, these rumors had taken on a life of their own and wound up being the catalyst to Ermac’s eventual creation and inclusion as a playable fighter in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
Since the character’s arrival, Ermac has always been a vessel for souls and would use these souls to manipulate their energy for his own devious purposes. For Mortal Kombat 1, we wanted to further evolve the visual presentation of Ermac by leaning heavily into certain horror inspirations, and then explore the idea that Ermac has been haunted by unique souls he has captured throughout his existence. The collective of tortured souls include: the Witch, the Old Woman, the Monster, and the Soldier, each one playing a key role throughout Ermac’s move set. For Ermac’s classic Lift special move, the Witch’s soul bursts outward from Ermac to lift the opponent and slam them to the ground. The idea that these unique souls manifest themselves throughout his attacks is a common theme we wanted to showcase.
To me, one of the most compelling aspects to the design and implementation of Ermac was the challenge he presented to us. The last time we saw Ermac in a Mortal Kombat game as a playable fighter was in Mortal Kombat X, and we are lightyears ahead in terms of our capabilities from a visual perspective since then. For us, this meant an opportunity to evolve the look of his soul energy to create intricate visual effects-based attacks that help sell the unique telekinesis power he possesses. The inherent challenge is to ensure the visual elements are impactful, blend well with the gameplay elements, and are readable to the player. This is something the design and visual effects teams are constantly iterating on.
Gameplay wise, Ermac stands out as a character with interesting combo potential and routes, especially from the air. In terms of special moves, he employs a variety of his mainstay special attacks as well as new additions for Mortal Kombat 1. One of the main design goals was to evolve and showcase his classic attacks in a distinctive way while at the same time creating new special moves that both serve his gameplay plan while giving players a fresh experience. For instance, Ermac can still perform his Teleport attack but can now initiate it from either the air or ground then cancel it into an air or ground version just before he teleports acting as a mind game with options for different setups.
One of his new special moves is a Mana Shield where one of his souls creates a shield around him whereby incoming damage depletes his super meter instead of his health. Additionally, he has another new attack where he violently ejects souls upward, capable of launching the opponent and allowing Ermac to dash cancel out of. Lastly, one of my personal favorites and something players will want to check out is a brutality we created off Ermac’s Lift special move, which is a clear nod to his telekinesis Fatality from Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
Working on klassic characters for a new Mortal Kombat game is almost a sacred responsibility, let alone one of the ninjas. I joined the team many years ago for the first Injustice game and I will always remember the surreal moment working on Scorpion attacks for the first time. This responsibility is a sentiment shared by everyone on the team. We are all very pleased to bring Ermac back in Mortal Kombat 1and hope players enjoy playing him as much as the team did working on him.
Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by the Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and fatalities!
The Kombat Pack includes the Johnny Cage character skin featuring voice and likeness of actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme (available now), along with 6 new post-launch DLC playable characters and 5 new post-launch Kameo Fighters. Kombat Pack also includes 1-week early access to all DLC playable characters.
DLC Playable Characters (All Coming Post-Launch)
Omni-Man (Invincible)
Quan Chi
Peacemaker (DC’s Peacemaker)
Ermac
Homelander (The Boys)
Takahashi Takeda
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