Mass Effect: Andromeda could have had up to ten new alien species, but they were cut due to budget, scope, and... cosplay considerations. One of the biggest criticisms of Mass Effect: Andromeda was the lack of new alien species, especially when the Mass Effect Trilogy introduced us to the Krogan, Asari, Drell, Batarians, Salarians, Turians, Quarian, Prothean, Hanar, Elcor, Keepers, Volus, Collectors, Geth, Reapers, Vorcha, and more. In our Mass Effect: Andromeda review, we said "What’s bizarre is that BioWare went to the trouble of shipping us 2.5 million light years away to introduce only two new alien races (plus some robots) over more than 50 hours of campaign and major side missions, and only one local joins your crew." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/03/20/mass-effect-andromeda-review"] Apparently this wasn't the original plan, and many of the developers on Andromeda recently spoke to TheGamer to discuss why these new alien species never made it to the final game. “I think it was a project that couldn't have possibly lived up to expectations,” Neil Pollner, who was a senior writer on Mass Effect 3 and wrote parts of Andromeda, said. “Not just the high bar of the original trilogy, but the logical expectations anyone would have of Mass Effect going to a whole new galaxy. Because the scope of [the first] Mass Effect was so incredibly massive, there was an inherent promise that you'd be getting a massive new experience with a ton of new things in [what was supposed to be the first] Mass Effect Andromeda - new species, new lore, an entire new galaxy at your fingertips, etc. “But we were only given the budget for two new species, plus the Remnant. Not to mention that we couldn't even include all the Milky Way species. And we weren't going to be able to let you travel throughout the galaxy. This meant that we had to develop the story around some pretty glaring inorganic limitations. So, not only did you get something that felt (and was) much smaller than what you got before, almost everyone playing the game probably had something that they really liked about Mass Effect that just wasn't there.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/mass-effect-legendary-edition-our-first-impressions"] Pollner continued to discuss how they had grand plans in pre-production, including expanding the "first contact" experience with new aliens, but most of that work wasn't even used. Chris Hepler, another long-time Mass Effect writer, discussed how he proposed five or six new alien species, and ex-Bioware writer Jo Berry had also come up with a few that "were awesome." Dorian Kieken, who was the franchise design director at the beginning of Andromeda's development, explained that some of the early alien concepts were "pretty out there" and that they were cut because one of Mass Effect Andromeda's goals was to make it easy for fans to cosplay the game's characters. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mass-effect-legendary-edition-comparison-screenshots&captions=true"] “One of the strengths of the original Mass Effect trilogy is that you can actually cosplay most of the alien characters - except the Hanar, although I wouldn't underestimate the creativity of some cosplayers," Kieken said. "The intention in Mass Effect Andromeda was to introduce new races that would still be in the realm of cosplay, which is probably why more crazy concepts were abandoned.” Kieken even said that the two alien races that did make it into Andromeda gradually shifted to "cosplay-safe territory," with the team trying to avoid "jellyfish" types of aliens. While one can hope some of these designs will make their way into the next Mass Effect project, fans of the series can look forward to interacting with the original set of aliens in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition this May. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/mass-effect-legendary-edition-official-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story, a five-part documentary series, will premiere on Crackle on March 1, 2021. As reported by Deadline, this new docuseries is written and directed by Video Games: The Movie's Jeremy Snead and executive produced and narrated by The Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/09/the-lie-that-helped-build-nintendo"] Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story will feature interviews from Wil Wheaton, Alison Haislip, Nintendo of America co-founder Ron Judy, Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, former Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske, former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, and the head of Xbox Phil Spencer. “Producing and directing Playing with Power has been a lifelong ambition of mine as an artist, gamer and filmmaker,” Snead said. “To see my show not only come to life with such loving care through my team and I’s efforts but to also have the opportunity to partner with such a talented and experienced team like Screen Media and Crackle to release the series to the public has just been a dream come true.” Astin discussed how chronicling the century-plus history of Nintendo was an "ambitious goal", but "little by little, over four years, the series really came together. I think we’ve created a five-episode journey that will open up the world of video games and this legendary company in a way that most people have never seen.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-switch-games-fall-2020-update&captions=true"] 2021 appears to be continuing the trend of video game documentaries, and follows 2020's example that had such hits as Netflix's High Score and CBS All Access' Console Wars. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story, a five-part documentary series, will premiere on Crackle on March 1, 2021. As reported by Deadline, this new docuseries is written and directed by Video Games: The Movie's Jeremy Snead and executive produced and narrated by The Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/09/the-lie-that-helped-build-nintendo"] Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story will feature interviews from Wil Wheaton, Alison Haislip, Nintendo of America co-founder Ron Judy, Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, former Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske, former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, and the head of Xbox Phil Spencer. “Producing and directing Playing with Power has been a lifelong ambition of mine as an artist, gamer and filmmaker,” Snead said. “To see my show not only come to life with such loving care through my team and I’s efforts but to also have the opportunity to partner with such a talented and experienced team like Screen Media and Crackle to release the series to the public has just been a dream come true.” Astin discussed how chronicling the century-plus history of Nintendo was an "ambitious goal", but "little by little, over four years, the series really came together. I think we’ve created a five-episode journey that will open up the world of video games and this legendary company in a way that most people have never seen.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-switch-games-fall-2020-update&captions=true"] 2021 appears to be continuing the trend of video game documentaries, and follows 2020's example that had such hits as Netflix's High Score and CBS All Access' Console Wars. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

In celebration of the epic Godzilla vs. Kong trailer, we asked you to help us decide who the best giant movie monster of all time is. After thousands and thousands of 1v1 battles with matchups like Godzilla vs. Kong and King Ghidorah vs. Rodan, the ultimate winner has been chosen. So, who claimed the top spot in the battle for the ultimate giant movie monster? Drumroll please... With a 94.4% win percentage, the MonsterVerse's Godzilla claimed victory in 14,557 of his 15,421 battles. While some may have thought that King Kong would take second place, the King of the Apes was only able to climb to fifth place with a respectable 81.1% win percentage. King Ghidorah from Godzilla: King of the Monsters actually claimed the number two spot with an 88.5% win percentage, followed by the Heisei Era's Godzilla and the Millennium Era's Godzilla. Rounding out the top 10 were the Reiwa Era's Godzilla, the original King Ghidorah, the Showa Era's Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Rodan, and SpaceGodzilla. Taking last place with only a 15.1% win percentage was the Giant Bird from The Giant Claw. Rounding out the bottom were the Ants from Them, the Monsters from 2010's Monsters, Son of Godzilla's Minilla, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman's Nancy, and The Host. Are you wondering where your favorite giant movie monster landed, like maybe the Rancor from Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi? (It took 52nd place, sadly.) For all the rankings, you can check out the full list of where all 75 giant movie monsters who competed in this Face-Off ended up. For more on Godzilla vs. Kong, which will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on March 31, 2021, take a look at who we think could be the real villain in this movie. Or catch up on every major monster in the Godzilla vs. Kong MonsterVerse. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/27/is-this-the-real-villain-in-godzilla-vs-kong] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

In celebration of the epic Godzilla vs. Kong trailer, we asked you to help us decide who the best giant movie monster of all time is. After thousands and thousands of 1v1 battles with matchups like Godzilla vs. Kong and King Ghidorah vs. Rodan, the ultimate winner has been chosen. So, who claimed the top spot in the battle for the ultimate giant movie monster? Drumroll please... With a 94.4% win percentage, the MonsterVerse's Godzilla claimed victory in 14,557 of his 15,421 battles. While some may have thought that King Kong would take second place, the King of the Apes was only able to climb to fifth place with a respectable 81.1% win percentage. King Ghidorah from Godzilla: King of the Monsters actually claimed the number two spot with an 88.5% win percentage, followed by the Heisei Era's Godzilla and the Millennium Era's Godzilla. Rounding out the top 10 were the Reiwa Era's Godzilla, the original King Ghidorah, the Showa Era's Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Rodan, and SpaceGodzilla. Taking last place with only a 15.1% win percentage was the Giant Bird from The Giant Claw. Rounding out the bottom were the Ants from Them, the Monsters from 2010's Monsters, Son of Godzilla's Minilla, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman's Nancy, and The Host. Are you wondering where your favorite giant movie monster landed, like maybe the Rancor from Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi? (It took 52nd place, sadly.) For all the rankings, you can check out the full list of where all 75 giant movie monsters who competed in this Face-Off ended up. For more on Godzilla vs. Kong, which will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on March 31, 2021, take a look at who we think could be the real villain in this movie. Or catch up on every major monster in the Godzilla vs. Kong MonsterVerse. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/27/is-this-the-real-villain-in-godzilla-vs-kong] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy 14's PS5 version will go into Open Beta on April 13, 2021, and will feature 4K resolution support, faster loading times, and "significantly improved frame rate." There will be two modes - one for resolution and one for framerate - and it will be released on the same day as Patch 5.5.

FINAL FANTASY XIV is coming to PlayStation 5, with an open beta planned to launch on Tuesday, April 13, 2021!

Watch the trailer in high resolution on YouTube! https://t.co/cN6FFzAXN7 pic.twitter.com/Ozls8lTuff — FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) February 6, 2021

Players who have a Final Fantasy 14 service account that has a registered license for the PlayStation 4 version will be able to download and play the PS5 Upgrade Edition at no extra cost. Final Fantasy 14 is available on PS5 via backward compatibility, but this version will be fully optimized for Sony's latest console. The PS5 version of Final Fantasy 14 was announced alongside the reveal of the latest expansion, Endwalker, that will be released in Fall 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/06/final-fantasy-14-endwalker-teaser-trailer"] Not only will Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker take players to the moon, it will also bring to a close the story that began with A Realm Reborn. There will also be two new jobs, including a healer job called Sage, a level cap raise from 80 to 90, and "massive new areas" waiting to be explored like the imperial capital of Garlemald, Thavnair, and the city of Radz-at-Han. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-xiv-endwalker-screenshots-and-artwork&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy 14's PS5 version will go into Open Beta on April 13, 2021, and will feature 4K resolution support, faster loading times, and "significantly improved frame rate." There will be two modes - one for resolution and one for framerate - and it will be released on the same day as Patch 5.5.

FINAL FANTASY XIV is coming to PlayStation 5, with an open beta planned to launch on Tuesday, April 13, 2021!

Watch the trailer in high resolution on YouTube! https://t.co/cN6FFzAXN7 pic.twitter.com/Ozls8lTuff — FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) February 6, 2021

Players who have a Final Fantasy 14 service account that has a registered license for the PlayStation 4 version will be able to download and play the PS5 Upgrade Edition at no extra cost. Final Fantasy 14 is available on PS5 via backward compatibility, but this version will be fully optimized for Sony's latest console. The PS5 version of Final Fantasy 14 was announced alongside the reveal of the latest expansion, Endwalker, that will be released in Fall 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/06/final-fantasy-14-endwalker-teaser-trailer"] Not only will Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker take players to the moon, it will also bring to a close the story that began with A Realm Reborn. There will also be two new jobs, including a healer job called Sage, a level cap raise from 80 to 90, and "massive new areas" waiting to be explored like the imperial capital of Garlemald, Thavnair, and the city of Radz-at-Han. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-xiv-endwalker-screenshots-and-artwork&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The missions for the second set of pins celebrating Mario's 35th anniversary have been available for some time, but your chance to obtain the pins based on such games as Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Odyssey may be over unless you have completed expired missions and purchase Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Nintendo recently updated the list of missions for Mario's celebration, adding a handful of new tasks to complete to be eligible for the second pin set. However, many of the previous missions have since expired and can no longer be completed. You'll need to complete 14 missions plus purchase the upcoming Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury for a total of 15 out of the 22 missions before receiving a code for the Wave 2 pins. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mario-3d-world-bowsers-fury-screenshots&captions=true"] This likely means that most people looking to obtain the newest set of pins won't be able to, as the most you'll be able to complete is 12 of the required 15 missions. As of 2/05/21, completing 14 missions is impossible unless you have already completed at least two missions that are no longer available. These include: Splatoon 2 Splatfest Online Challenge, NintendoVS Challenge Cup, BoxLunch's Super Mario must-haves on Boxlunch, Tetris 18th MAXIMUS CUP, Super Mario Maker 2 Ninji Speedrun Online Challenge, and Super Mario Kart Tour event. Bear in mind, two of the missions require having purchased Super Mario 3D All-Stars and playing Super Mario Bros. 35, the latter which requires a Nintendo Switch Online paid membership. So, if you are interested in the pins, you're potentially on the hook for two $60 games plus a $20 membership. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/31/the-biggest-game-releases-of-february-2021] If you are one of the lucky few who are still in the hunt, be sure to check out our Wiki page explaining how to get the Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary pins. We've got a step-by-step breakdown of each mission to help you complete as many as you can! For more Mario, check out our final preview for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury where we dive deeper into the new Bowser's Fury mode ahead of its February 12th release date. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, Reviews, and Wikis writer for IGN who is very sad that he can't get this new set of Mario pins. You can cry with him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream cry on Twitch.

The missions for the second set of pins celebrating Mario's 35th anniversary have been available for some time, but your chance to obtain the pins based on such games as Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Odyssey may be over unless you have completed expired missions and purchase Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Nintendo recently updated the list of missions for Mario's celebration, adding a handful of new tasks to complete to be eligible for the second pin set. However, many of the previous missions have since expired and can no longer be completed. You'll need to complete 14 missions plus purchase the upcoming Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury for a total of 15 out of the 22 missions before receiving a code for the Wave 2 pins. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mario-3d-world-bowsers-fury-screenshots&captions=true"] This likely means that most people looking to obtain the newest set of pins won't be able to, as the most you'll be able to complete is 12 of the required 15 missions. As of 2/05/21, completing 14 missions is impossible unless you have already completed at least two missions that are no longer available. These include: Splatoon 2 Splatfest Online Challenge, NintendoVS Challenge Cup, BoxLunch's Super Mario must-haves on Boxlunch, Tetris 18th MAXIMUS CUP, Super Mario Maker 2 Ninji Speedrun Online Challenge, and Super Mario Kart Tour event. Bear in mind, two of the missions require having purchased Super Mario 3D All-Stars and playing Super Mario Bros. 35, the latter which requires a Nintendo Switch Online paid membership. So, if you are interested in the pins, you're potentially on the hook for two $60 games plus a $20 membership. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/31/the-biggest-game-releases-of-february-2021] If you are one of the lucky few who are still in the hunt, be sure to check out our Wiki page explaining how to get the Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary pins. We've got a step-by-step breakdown of each mission to help you complete as many as you can! For more Mario, check out our final preview for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury where we dive deeper into the new Bowser's Fury mode ahead of its February 12th release date. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, Reviews, and Wikis writer for IGN who is very sad that he can't get this new set of Mario pins. You can cry with him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream cry on Twitch.

If you’re a PC gamer, the Hitman 3 file transfer situation has been a bit of a nightmare. Thankfully, developer IO Interactive has given an update on the situation, laying out when players can expect to finally move all their Hitman 1 and 2 PC progress over to Hitman 3.

In a post on the official Hitman forums, IO Interactive said that a file transfer solution solution should be available before the end of February.

“Even with the longest estimates we’ve looked at, the solution will be fully rolled out before the end of February,” IO said. “We’ll keep you updated with the next steps.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/05/hitman-3-february-roadmap-video"]

IO added that its solution has been completed and is currently being “tested and verified from all angles” to avoid future issues.

Because Hitman 3’s PC version is an Epic Games Store exclusive until January 20, 2022, and because Hitman 1 and 2 were previously only released on Steam, PC players were left in the cold on transferring their progress in the previous game to Hitman 3. This meant that PC players couldn’t access levels, items, and weapons they’d worked to unlock (and paid for) in Hitman 1 or 2, a weird move considering one of the modern Hitman franchise’s biggest features has been the ability to play all previous content from the same game. For players who pre-purchased Hitman 3 or purchased it within the first 10 days of release, IO promised they’ll receive the Hitman 1 GOTY Access Pass as a make-good on the situation.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/02/hitman-3-reviews-is-this-the-best-hitman-ever-the-review-crew"]

If that all sounds a bit confusing, don’t worry. Here’s a full rundown of how to get Hitman 1 and 2 in Hitman 3 no matter what situation you’re in.

IO says that getting its solution out to players is “definitely a case of sooner rather than later.”

It’s been more than two weeks since Hitman 3 released on consoles and PC, so players are obviously eager to amend their games and flesh out their personal world of assassination. For players looking for something new, IO has suggested that future Hitman 3 DLC may use "existing locations and reimagining them, twisting them."

If you’re stuck on any of Hitman 3’s excellent assassinations, check out IGN’s Hitman 3 wiki for walkthroughs, tips for the perfect murder, how to solve the Dartmoor murder mystery, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/elusive target for IGN.