Category: Video Games

Review: Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (Switch) – Even Better Than The Stellar Original

Another HEE-HOme Run.

It’s been nearly three years now since the launch of the original Shin Megami Tensei V and as is tradition at Atlus, the obligatory enhanced re-release (complete with a new storyline centered around a new girl) has now come to all modern platforms in the form of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Boasting a full-length, alternate storyline and a host of gameplay and balance adjustments, SMTV: V is easily the definitive version of an already excellent entry in the long-running series. If you’re at all a fan of SMT, Persona, or JRPGs in general, you owe it to yourself to pick this up at the earliest opportunity.

For this review, we’ll be focusing more on the additions and adjustments being made to the core SMT V experience with this release—if you’d like to get a more detailed evaluation of the underlying gameplay mechanics and such, we’d encourage you to read through our review of the 2021 version, which still largely applies here, as well.

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The Art of Lies of P Revealed by Dark Horse Comics

Lies of P is one of the more memorable Soulslike games in recent years, as well as a fascinating take on the classic novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. In other words, it’s a perfect choice as the latest entry in Dark Horse’s ever-growing lineup of video game-themed art books.

IGN can exclusively reveal the cover art and first details for The Art of Lies of P. Check out the cover below:

The Art of Lies of P is a hardcover book that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the game, featuring 224 pages of concept art and creator commentary from the employees at ROUND8 Studios.

“When we decided to make an art book for Lies of P, we knew we wanted to create something that served as a thank you to our fans while giving a behind-the-scenes peek at the development process for the game,” said Jiwon Choi, Director of Lies of P, in a statement. “The team at Dark Horse Books took our vision for ‘The Art of Lies of P’ and is crafting something that is truly vibrant and speaks to the love and effort from the team at ROUND8 Studios. We hope it brings joy to our Lies of P community!”

The Art of Lies of P is priced at $49.99 and will be released in bookstores on November 12 and comic shops on November 13.

Dark Horse also recently unveiled The Making of Halo The Series: Hope, Heroism, Humanity, which explores the making of the first season of the Showtime/Paramount+ series.

In IGN’s Lies of P review, Travis Northup scored the game an 8 out of 10, writing, “Lies of P might not branch out particularly far from its soulslike inspiration, but like a marionette controlled by a skilled puppet master, it plays the part extremely well in a wonderfully dark fantasy world. It must be said that its uneven difficulty didn’t always make me feel like an underdog, especially when playing as a brawny, overpowered version of Pinocchio with a massive weapon, and combat pigeonholed me into a specific playstyle while the levels are less open and twisting than most. But with an awesome weapon crafting system, some really memorable boss fights, and one of the better stories we’ve seen in this genre, I can enthusiastically recommend you spend your time hanging out with Gepetto and friends. If you’ve been waiting for a Bloodborne remaster or sequel that may never come, Lies of P is the next best thing.”

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Can you guess which Australian TV sci-fi of the early 2000s inspired Citizen Sleeper 2?

No, it’s not Silversun. Sit down, Brian. Let somebody else have a go at answering. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a sci-fi RPG with plenty of dice and a heavy nod towards tabletop role-playing. The first Citizen Sleeper saw your bio-robotic protagonist landing on a donut-shaped space station where they learned to make a new life for themselves among interstellar farmers and ramen-serving rapscallions. In the sequel, a demo of which I’ve played [smug face], the hook is a little different. This time you’re being pursued across a bunch of backwater truck stops, colonies, depots, and derelicts. All the while your misfit crew will clash and commingle. You still haven’t got it, have you? Ugh. I suppose I’ll let the game’s designer tell you then.

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Doom: The Dark Ages’ Saw Shield Has Already Been Modded Into the Original Doom

Within hours of Xbox revealing Doom: The Dark Ages, a modder had added the upcoming game’s seriously metal saw-toothed shield to the original Doom.

Posting to X/Twitter, modder Craneo showcased a retro version of The Dark Ages’ saw shield being used in the opening level of Doom 2 on PC. The mod replaces the original game’s chainsaw with the new shieldsaw, but this isn’t just a re-skin. In an effort to truly replicate what we saw in The Dark Ages’ trailer, Craneo’s modded saw not only cuts through enemies, but can also be thrown into distant foes and used to defend against damage.

This work arrived in quicker than quick time: Craneo posted the video of the mod to X/Twitter barely 12 hours after the trailer for Doom: The Dark Ages had debuted as part of the Xbox Games Showcase. Minutes later the .wad file for the mod was also posted.

While developed quickly, the mod seems built on smart logic. The defend ability likely triggers a temporary use of Doom’s godmode cheat to negate incoming damage – a skill the game’s original chainsaw certainly doesn’t have. As for the throw, it requires a little tinkering in the sourceport options, but it’s an effective weapon in the OG Doom’s confined corridors, especially because it can ricochet. This version of the shield sadly can’t boomerang back to you, though, so you’ll need to stay alive long enough to pick it back up.

As for id Software’s actual saw shield, we’ll need to wait until 2025. However, despite being a Bethesda game, Microsoft has decided to bring Doom: The Dark Ages to PlayStation 5 as well as the expected Xbox and PC platforms. That’s a good thing, too, as it looks like Doom: The Dark Ages could be the series’ boldest bet yet.

Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.

Disco Samurai is a brutally difficult and brilliant Sekiro-like rhythm slasher

Disco Samurai is a game that’s so difficult I’d have given up playing sooner if it didn’t contain so many of my absolute favourite action game things. Tense, decisive duels. Violence that’s both brutal and a little silly. Scalpel-sharp parry n’ strike back-and-forths. Short stages that dole out chunky progression hits of dopamine, as quickly as they wrest those hits away from you with another humbling beatdown. Perhaps most importantly, it aims to do one thing – rhythm combat – and does it brilliantly. It’s got teeth, but it’s also got groove.

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The Best PS5 2TB SSD Deals (June 2024)

2023 and 2024 have shown that 2TB PS5 SSD upgrades are actually worth the price. In 2022, prices for 1TB PS5 SSDs averaged around $150, whereas 2TB SSDs hovered closer to $300. Now, we’re seeing 1TB SSDs trickle below the $70 price point and 2TB SSDs can drop to around $100 or sometimes even lower if there’s a good sale. It’s worth noting, though, that you can’t use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive.

TL;DR – The Best 2TB PS5 SSD Deals Right Now

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2024, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

Adata Legend 960 Max 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $129.99

This deal is exclusive to Amazon Prime members, but is well worth taking advantage of before it’s gone. The 2TB Adata Legend 960 Max is marked down to just $129.99, and alongside fast read/write speeds, it also comes with a preinstalled heatsink so it’ll be ready to use in your PS5 right away.

Silicon Power 2TB XS70 SSD with Built-in PS5 Heatsink for $143.99

This SSD offers 2TB of storage, excellent read and write speeds (read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s and write speeds up to 6,800MB/s), and a built-in heatsink all at a fantastic price. It’s currently available for $143.99 on Amazon, 20% off its MSRP of $179.99, so well worth picking up for your PS5.

WD_Black 2TB SN850X SSD for $148.75

Right now, Amazon has the WD_Black 2TB SN850X SSD available for just $148.75. Normally priced at $189.99, this 2TB SSD features speeds up to 7,300MB/s to ensure your games load as fast as possible. This model will work with PS5, but you will need to purchase a heatsink to go with it (which you can do here for just $9).

XPG 2TB GAMMIX S70 Blade PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD for $149.99

This is another 2TB SSD deal that’s well worth taking advantage of. This option from XPG has dropped 29% in price, from $209.99 to $149.99, but you’ll have to grab a heatsink to go with it as well (which you can do here for $9). This SSD has read and write speeds of 7400/6800MB/s as well.

WD_BLACK PS5 4TB SSD for $309.99 at Amazon

This is a great deal for those looking to maximize their PS5’s storage. For a limited time only, this PS5 4TB SSD is available at Amazon for just $309.99 (see here). Normally, it has an MSRP of $699.99, but nowadays, this and many other 4TB SSDs have been sitting around $280-$300 recently. You’ll also have to grab a heatsink to go with it (which you can do here for $9).

2024 Crucial T705 2TB SSD for $294.99

This is the newest model from Crucial and it already has an excellent discount on Amazon. For a limited time, you can get 26% off this SSD, bringing it down to $294.99 from $399.99. It’s well worth the investment as well, as it offers crazy good sequential read/write speeds up to 14,500/12,700MB/s. If you feel the need for speed, this SSD will certainly get you there.

Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD for $169.99

The Samsung 990 Pro is an excellent SSD for your PS5. From a purely performance perspective, it’s overkill; the stock SSD in your PS5 will be the limiting factor. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive with a rated 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive and the 990 Pro is much faster. This one does not come with a heatsink, though, so you’ll need to invest in one.

Crucial T500 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $169.99

Amazon is offering a nice deal at the moment on the Crucial T500 2TB SSD, which is discounted down to $169.99. This SSD has a heatsink all ready to go, so you can install it right away in your PS5, and even offers excellent read/write speeds of 7,400/7,000MB/s.

What if the SSD Doesn’t Include a Heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn’t include one, it’s simple enough to buy one for $9 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

Budget to Best: PS5 SSDs

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we’ve tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, in case you don’t need additional storage for your PS5 console.

How To Install a New PS5 SSD

It’s extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. You don’t even put it back when you’re done. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Alice B is leaving RPS, come say goodbye

On a Monday in early 2018, Adam Smith, Rock Paper Shotgun’s deputy editor at the time, handed in his notice. On Thursday that same week, I emailed Alice Bell, a person I’d never spoken to before, to ask if she would consider applying for the role.

Alice thought it over for a week, and then emailed her response: no.

Thank god I was able to change her mind, so I could spend the next six years giving her shit about it. But now Alice is leaving RPS, and you should join me in saying goodbye.

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Nintendo Is Seeking More Talent To Help Run Its Switch Online Service

It wants to create a “lasting relationship” with consumers.

The Switch Online service will seemingly be carried over in some way or form to the next hardware generation, and as we get closer to the reveal of a “successor” system at some point this fiscal year, Nintendo is now seeking recruits in Japan to help sustain its subscription-based offering.

On the back of the video game company showing positive signs of growth with a boost in employees over the previous fiscal year, Nintendo is now looking to fill Switch Online roles tied to ‘game software development’, front-end and back-end engineer services, and a director/planner job.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com