Ikenfell Review
Ikenfell is a magical school in its seemingly natural state: peril. Students have gone missing, strange trees are cropping up, and other magical anomalies plague the land. As Mariette, the non-magical yet still worried sister of one of Ikenfell’s students, you embark on a journey through this pixelated 2D RPG adventure to save her, the school, and maybe the whole world. A number of interesting ideas in both story and combat make Ikenfell an appealing prospect, but since some prove stronger than others in execution, ultimately it's a journey with more than a few bumps in the road.
As the game begins, Mariette almost immediately gains supernatural pyromantic abilities thanks to strange magical occurrences. It actually feels a bit at odds with the message of not needing to be magical to be heroic, which throws the vibe off kilter right from the beginning. The conceit does make sense within the context of the story, though, and sets out one of the first mysteries in the game. New forms of magic are cropping up, and even some who previously had no magical powers suddenly find themselves wielding elemental magic. Mariette can use her new fire power to take on the various magical enemies of Ikenfell in turn-based isometric grid battles, with a bit of a twist.
Gallery
Combat is a fairly large part of the game and is mostly turn-based. Turns are split between a movement phase, where you position your team on the battlefield, and then an attack phase where you select from combat options that have their unique ranges and damage, and sometimes added effects. Starting out you’ll have basic attacks which do moderate damage to a single enemy in front of you on the grid. As levels are gained, party members added, and moves are unlocked, more strategies and styles open up.
Continue Reading at GameSpotXbox Game Pass Gets Three Classic Adventure Games
Xbox Game Pass is adding a trio of classic LucasArts adventure games: Grim Fandango Remastered, Day of the Tentacle Remastered, and Full Throttle Remastered.
The titles will join Game Pass for Console, PC, and streaming on Android devices for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on October 29th.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=25-games-that-still-deserve-a-sequel&captions=true"]
Xbox’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb recently interviewed visionary developer Tim Shaffer who previously worked on all three games during his stint at LucasArts in the 1990s.
Shaffer‘s Double Fine Productions was acquired by Microsoft in 2019. Although these titles were previously remastered, this is the first time they will be available on the Xbox family of consoles.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/09/29/legendary-designer-tim-schafer-on-the-challenge-of-remastering-his-classics"]
Grim Fandango Remastered is often called one of the best games of all-time, winning several awards following its original 1998 launch (including Best Adventure Game from IGN PC). It stars Manny Calavera, a skeleton travel agent for the dead who must guide recently deceased souls through the afterlife.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered is a sequel to 1987’s Maniac Mansion about three friends who must work together to stop a giant purple tentacle from taking over the world.
Lastly, Full Throttle Remastered is a dystopian tale about Ben Throttle, the leader of a biker gang who is framed for murder and must clear he and his biker gang’s names.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/03/21/first-15-minutes-of-day-of-the-tentacle-remastered]
Shaffer and his team at Double Fine are currently working on Psychonauts 2, which was delayed earlier this year to 2021.
For more on these classic titles, check out our retrospective of Grim Fandango and a look back at Day of the Tentacle.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
Xbox Game Pass Gets Three Classic Adventure Games
Xbox Game Pass is adding a trio of classic LucasArts adventure games: Grim Fandango Remastered, Day of the Tentacle Remastered, and Full Throttle Remastered.
The titles will join Game Pass for Console, PC, and streaming on Android devices for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on October 29th.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=25-games-that-still-deserve-a-sequel&captions=true"]
Xbox’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb recently interviewed visionary developer Tim Shaffer who previously worked on all three games during his stint at LucasArts in the 1990s.
Shaffer‘s Double Fine Productions was acquired by Microsoft in 2019. Although these titles were previously remastered, this is the first time they will be available on the Xbox family of consoles.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/09/29/legendary-designer-tim-schafer-on-the-challenge-of-remastering-his-classics"]
Grim Fandango Remastered is often called one of the best games of all-time, winning several awards following its original 1998 launch (including Best Adventure Game from IGN PC). It stars Manny Calavera, a skeleton travel agent for the dead who must guide recently deceased souls through the afterlife.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered is a sequel to 1987’s Maniac Mansion about three friends who must work together to stop a giant purple tentacle from taking over the world.
Lastly, Full Throttle Remastered is a dystopian tale about Ben Throttle, the leader of a biker gang who is framed for murder and must clear he and his biker gang’s names.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/03/21/first-15-minutes-of-day-of-the-tentacle-remastered]
Shaffer and his team at Double Fine are currently working on Psychonauts 2, which was delayed earlier this year to 2021.
For more on these classic titles, check out our retrospective of Grim Fandango and a look back at Day of the Tentacle.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
PS5 Accessories May Ship Ahead of Console Launch Date
We’re less than a month away from the next generation with PS5 but you may be able to get your hands on some accessories ahead of the consoles November 12th release date.
Sony quietly updated the release dates for many of its PS5 accessories on the official PlayStation direct store with a new October 30th release, two weeks prior to when PS5 consoles will hit store shelves.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"]
The new release dates apply to the DualSense controller, Pulse 3D wireless headset, DualSense charging station, the updated HD camera, and media remote.
Following the new date, some retailers such as Target have updated their listings and have begun informing customers who pre-ordered any PS5 accessories that the release dates have changed.
IGN received an email from Target early this morning saying, “Thanks for your preorder. We’re just dropping a line to let you know the release date has changed to Fri, Oct 30.”
While the release date has been officially updated by Sony, some retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop, and Walmart are still showing the original November 12th release date. It’s unclear if these retailers will be shipping items out early at this time.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/pros-cons-of-buying-at-launch-next-gen-console-watch]
For more, check out where to secure your PS5 preorder and the five biggest features of the recent PS5 UI reveal.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
IGN received an email from Target early this morning saying, “Thanks for your preorder. We’re just dropping a line to let you know the release date has changed to Fri, Oct 30.”
While the release date has been officially updated by Sony, some retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop, and Walmart are still showing the original November 12th release date. It’s unclear if these retailers will be shipping items out early at this time.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/pros-cons-of-buying-at-launch-next-gen-console-watch]
For more, check out where to secure your PS5 preorder and the five biggest features of the recent PS5 UI reveal.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
PS5 Accessories May Ship Ahead of Console Launch Date
We’re less than a month away from the next generation with PS5 but you may be able to get your hands on some accessories ahead of the consoles November 12th release date.
Sony quietly updated the release dates for many of its PS5 accessories on the official PlayStation direct store with a new October 30th release, two weeks prior to when PS5 consoles will hit store shelves.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"]
The new release dates apply to the DualSense controller, Pulse 3D wireless headset, DualSense charging station, the updated HD camera, and media remote.
Following the new date, some retailers such as Target have updated their listings and have begun informing customers who pre-ordered any PS5 accessories that the release dates have changed.
IGN received an email from Target early this morning saying, “Thanks for your preorder. We’re just dropping a line to let you know the release date has changed to Fri, Oct 30.”
While the release date has been officially updated by Sony, some retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop, and Walmart are still showing the original November 12th release date. It’s unclear if these retailers will be shipping items out early at this time.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/pros-cons-of-buying-at-launch-next-gen-console-watch]
For more, check out where to secure your PS5 preorder and the five biggest features of the recent PS5 UI reveal.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
IGN received an email from Target early this morning saying, “Thanks for your preorder. We’re just dropping a line to let you know the release date has changed to Fri, Oct 30.”
While the release date has been officially updated by Sony, some retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop, and Walmart are still showing the original November 12th release date. It’s unclear if these retailers will be shipping items out early at this time.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/16/pros-cons-of-buying-at-launch-next-gen-console-watch]
For more, check out where to secure your PS5 preorder and the five biggest features of the recent PS5 UI reveal.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
Walking Dead Star Coming to Facebook Watch in New Horror Series
Just in time for Halloween, Crypt TV has announced its newest horror series coming to the Facebook Watch streaming platform, titled Kinderfanger, which will make its debut on Friday, October 30, 2020.
This ten-episode series will release weekly every Friday on Crypt's Facebook Watch page. Here's how the streamer describes the series: "A supernatural mystery drama following a deaf teacher who discovers she may hold the key to finding an ancient evil force that is assembling an army of troubled souls."
IGN can exclusive reveal the creepy poster for Kinderfanger in the gallery below:
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=kinderfanger-season-1-gallery&captions=true"]
Kinderfanger stars Walking Dead alumna Angel Theory, who will portray Olivia, a deaf character who communicates through spoken dialogue and ASL. The series is written by Aaron Burgess and Matt Golad, with Jack Davis, Kate Krantz, and Darren Brandl serving as executive producers for Crypt TV.
In recent news, Crypt TV announced that it's in pre-production for its first animated series, called Woman in the Book, starring Doom Patrol and Orange Is the New Black's Diane Guerrero. Per Crypt TV, "Woman in the Book is a multilingual (Spanish and English) dramatic horror animated series that follows the lives of three estranged siblings who reunite at an aging Mexican hacienda to wrestle for their inheritance, but inadvertently unleash a book-bound horror upon them that has plagued their family for generations."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/28/the-10-best-horror-movies"]
What do you think of the Kinderfanger poster? Let us know in the comments section.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Walking Dead Star Coming to Facebook Watch in New Horror Series
Just in time for Halloween, Crypt TV has announced its newest horror series coming to the Facebook Watch streaming platform, titled Kinderfanger, which will make its debut on Friday, October 30, 2020.
This ten-episode series will release weekly every Friday on Crypt's Facebook Watch page. Here's how the streamer describes the series: "A supernatural mystery drama following a deaf teacher who discovers she may hold the key to finding an ancient evil force that is assembling an army of troubled souls."
IGN can exclusive reveal the creepy poster for Kinderfanger in the gallery below:
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=kinderfanger-season-1-gallery&captions=true"]
Kinderfanger stars Walking Dead alumna Angel Theory, who will portray Olivia, a deaf character who communicates through spoken dialogue and ASL. The series is written by Aaron Burgess and Matt Golad, with Jack Davis, Kate Krantz, and Darren Brandl serving as executive producers for Crypt TV.
In recent news, Crypt TV announced that it's in pre-production for its first animated series, called Woman in the Book, starring Doom Patrol and Orange Is the New Black's, Diane Guerrero. Per Crypt TV, "Woman in the Book is a multilingual (Spanish and English) dramatic horror animated series that follows the lives of three estranged siblings who reunite at an aging Mexican hacienda to wrestle for their inheritance, but inadvertently unleash a book-bound horror upon them that has plagued their family for generations."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/28/the-10-best-horror-movies"]
What do you think of the Kinderfanger poster? Let us know in the comments section.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Marvel’s Avengers Was September 2020’s Best-Selling Game
Marvel’s Avengers was the best-selling game of September, a bright spot for Crystal Dynamics as it works to refine the post-launch experience. Other best-sellers for the month include Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/01/marvels-avengers-kate-bishop-reveal-trailer"]
Just today, Crystal Dynamics announced it will delay the Kate Bishop DLC and next-gen upgrades for Marvel’s Avengers as it works on additional fixes. However, Marvel’s Avengers seems to have had a successful launch, becoming the second best-selling superhero game in U.S. history after Insomniac’s Spider-Man.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars was the second best-selling game in September and the 10th best-selling game of 2020. It generated the second-highest launch month for physical dollar sales of any 2020 release, behind only Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This was likely driven partially by the limited nature of the release, meant to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-hero-challenge-cards-vendors-and-marketplace&captions=true"]
Also on the top 10 sellers list is the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2, which has the best launch month dollar sales of any Tony Hawk game in the franchise; and Crusader Kings 3 which is the best-selling release in the franchise history. Crusader Kings 3 also has the highest launch month dollar sales of any game published by Paradox Interactive.
The best-selling games of September 2020
- Marvel’s Avengers
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
- Madden NFL 21
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
- NBA 2K21*
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Crusader Kings 3
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- Star Wars: Squadrons
- Mario Kart 8: Deluxe*
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Ring Fit Adventure
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- UFC 4
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- Super Mario Odyssey*
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Super Mario Party*
Marvel’s Avengers Was September 2020’s Best-Selling Game
Marvel’s Avengers was the best-selling game of September, a bright spot for Crystal Dynamics as it works to refine the post-launch experience. Other best-sellers for the month include Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/01/marvels-avengers-kate-bishop-reveal-trailer"]
Just today, Crystal Dynamics announced it will delay the Kate Bishop DLC and next-gen upgrades for Marvel’s Avengers as it works on additional fixes. However, Marvel’s Avengers seems to have had a successful launch, becoming the second best-selling superhero game in U.S. history after Insomniac’s Spider-Man.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars was the second best-selling game in September and the 10th best-selling game of 2020. It generated the second-highest launch month for physical dollar sales of any 2020 release, behind only Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This was likely driven partially by the limited nature of the release, meant to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-hero-challenge-cards-vendors-and-marketplace&captions=true"]
Also on the top 10 sellers list is the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2, which has the best launch month dollar sales of any Tony Hawk game in the franchise; and Crusader Kings 3 which is the best-selling release in the franchise history. Crusader Kings 2 also has the highest launch month dollar sales of any game published by Paradox Interactive.
The best-selling games of September 2020
- Marvel’s Avengers
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
- Madden NFL 21
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
- NBA 2K21*
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Crusader Kings 3
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- Star Wars: Squadrons
- Mario Kart 8: Deluxe*
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Ring Fit Adventure
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- UFC 4
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- Super Mario Odyssey*
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Super Mario Party*
Game of the Year Watch 2020 Continues!
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game talk show. This week your Omega Cops -- Daemon Hatfield, Tina Amini, Sam Claiborn, and Justin Davis -- continue the Game of the Year Watch 2020 discussion with Hades, The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Animal Crossing, and more. There's also the PlayStation 5 UI to discuss, the Xbox Series launch lineup, D-pads, and more. This episode features music from Werewolf and Blaster Master on NES, and closes with a track from The Terminator on Sega Genesis. Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service.
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
Spotify
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Find previous episodes here!