PlayStation Plus Games Announced for August 2020
Sony has announced that both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout are the PlayStation Plus games for August 2020.
Announced on PlayStation.Blog, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered will be available to PlayStation Plus subscribers on Tuesday, July 28, while Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will be available on its release date of August 4, 2020.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered was released earlier this year and is an updated version of 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
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In our review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered, we said "Thank goodness for all of its memorable, Michael Bay-style blockbuster moments, because in 2020, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is competing for our attention with its own very impressive reboot."
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is a very stylish 60-player minigame battler that sounds like a battle royale, but is actually a playable game show.
In our preview for Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, we said "where most other 100-player games rely on tension and gigantic maps, with opponents rarely meeting more than once, Fall Guys stuffs everyone onto a single screen, gives them a set goal, and waits to see who comes out on top, over and again. It might be ridiculous, it might even be unfair, but it will definitely be funny."
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Both of these games will be available on PlayStation Plus until Monday, August 31. Also, be sure to claim July 2020's PlayStation Plus games - NBA 2K20, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, and Erica, before they leave the service on August 3.
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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.
Analogue Pocket Features Finalised Ahead of 2021 Launch
The Analogue Pocket - a modern reimagining of classic handheld consoles that can play cartridges from the Game Boy family as well as other cart-based handhelds - has finalised its design and features in preparation for release in 2021.
The design, which still looks like a classic Game Boy as designed by Sony’s PS4 concept artists, has had its start/select/home button cluster moved from the right-hand edge to the bottom centre of the console for ease of reach. The power button on the side of the unit can be used to sleep and wake the console, providing the ability to pause and resume games.
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While the 1600x1440 resolution screen offers 10x the resolution of the original Game Boy and has display rotation and a variable refresh rate, the Pocket also has an Original Display mode that replicates an original Game Boy, Game Boy Colour, or Game Boy Advance screen as it was, “quirks and all”.
The Pocket’s dock - which works akin to a Switch dock for HDMI-out to TV functionality - has had its USB C connector recessed to provide extra stability when the console is attached. It also supports up to 4 controllers via Bluetooth, 2.4g, and USB.
Much like classic Game Boy consoles, multiplayer between Analogue Pockets can be done with the use of link cables, which will be sold separately.
Talking of cables, Analogue has also developed new MIDI and Analog sync cables for use with Nanoloop, the Pocket’s music creation software. Nanoloop is built into the Pocket, and cables can be used to bring your chiptune creations into a Mac, PC, or other music hardware.
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The Pocket isn’t just a music creation tool, though. Analogue has partnered with GB Studio to allow users to create retro-style games for the system. The ‘drag and drop’ interface allows game development with no coding experience, and created games can be played on the Pocket from an SD card. Analogue is launching a FPGA developer program to support this.
Alongside the Pocket, Analogue will launch a series of accessories, including screen protectors, a hard case, and the all-important cartridge adaptors to allow Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Colour, and Atari Lynx games to be played on the console.
If you find the idea of a Game Boy for the year 2020 (well, 2021) appealing, the Analogue Pocket will be available to pre-order from August 3 at 8am PT on the company's website here. The console will ship in May 2021.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Destroy All Humans Review – A Close Encounter Of The Fun Kind
I love two types of sci-fi stories: the ones that are very dark and heavy with themes about humanity's failures, and the ones that are corny and feel like the product of someone who thinks space is a playground for fun. Destroy All Humans is firmly in the second category, embracing its cheesy story and dialogue, creating an entertaining sandbox for destruction that's still satisfying 15 years after its first release, even if it's bogged down by poor audio quality and shallow stealth mechanics.
The story plays out as a B-grade sci-fi movie set in the late '50s/early '60s. Over the six hours of campaign missions you'll laugh (or groan) at the majority of jokes and bad one-liners, making for an overall enjoyable experience. The premise of two aliens completely taking over America because humans are wildly incompetent is too ridiculous to take seriously, and the game embraces the absurdity well.
The voice work from the original release helps up the camp level, but the reused dialogue raises a few issues. The audio quality is flat-out bad by modern standards; its low-fidelity really sticks out when paired with the updated graphics. The characters don't have very many lines, either, resulting in annoying repetition very early on. Be prepared to hear about communists hundreds of times before you're done.
Continue Reading at GameSpotDestroy All Humans Review – A Close Encounter Of The Fun Kind
I love two types of sci-fi stories: the ones that are very dark and heavy with themes about humanity's failures, and the ones that are corny and feel like the product of someone who thinks space is a playground for fun. Destroy All Humans is firmly in the second category, embracing its cheesy story and dialogue, creating an entertaining sandbox for destruction that's still satisfying 15 years after its first release, even if it's bogged down by poor audio quality and shallow stealth mechanics.
The story plays out as a B-grade sci-fi movie set in the late '50s/early '60s. Over the six hours of campaign missions you'll laugh (or groan) at the majority of jokes and bad one-liners, making for an overall enjoyable experience. The premise of two aliens completely taking over America because humans are wildly incompetent is too ridiculous to take seriously, and the game embraces the absurdity well.
The voice work from the original release helps up the camp level, but the reused dialogue raises a few issues. The audio quality is flat-out bad by modern standards; its low-fidelity really sticks out when paired with the updated graphics. The characters don't have very many lines, either, resulting in annoying repetition very early on. Be prepared to hear about communists hundreds of times before you're done.
Continue Reading at GameSpotWorld of Warcraft Rated for Xbox Series X in Brazil
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has been rated for Xbox Series X in Brazil.
As spotted by Gematsu, the Brazilian ratings board has classified the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Shadowlands for both PC and Xbox Series X. This would suggest that the game could come to Microsoft's next-gen console in the future.
If that rating is accurate, this would be the first time World of Warcraft would be playable on a console. Since its launch in 2004, the game has only ever been available on PC and Mac. IGN has reached out to Blizzard for comment about the listing. In other Shadowlands news, we learned earlier this month that the upcoming expansion will drop the fee necessary to change your gender in-game, which used to cost players $15. World of Warcraft director Ion Hazzikostas also told IGN recently that Shadowlands is the perfect expansion for returning players. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.Not sure if this is an error, but World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was rated in Brazil today for Xbox Series X + PC. https://t.co/PVcoSIn1ii@Blizzard_Ent @Warcraft Can you provide some insight? pic.twitter.com/h1n1lLUXIY
— Gematsu (@gematsucom) July 27, 2020
Fable on Xbox Series X Will ‘Balance’ Old and New Ideas
Playground Games' Fable will balance the original series' ideas with brand new ones, according to an Xbox executive.
Speaking to The Guardian, head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty explained that Playground is very much looking to Fable's past, while thinking about what fresh mechanics it could add:
“With any kind of franchise like that, where you’ve had existing versions, there’s always that balance between what you’re going to bring forward, what still stands up, and what you want to add that’s new,” he said. “It’s like the challenge of making a new Star Wars movie – there’s stuff that everyone wants you to bring along, but then you’ve got a responsibility to that, to new places and I trust Playground has a good vision for that.”
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As for why Playground was chosen to take on the project, Booty pointed to the studio's past work on Forza Horizon's open worlds, and its passion for Fable as a whole:
“I just look at what Playground has done with the Horizon series – that attention to detail, the ability to represent these naturalistic landscapes. They also have a real passion for the IP and a unique point of view on what’s core to Fable. Everything I’ve seen as the game progresses tells me this is going to be a very high-quality release.”
It may go some way toward assuaging fears that the new Fable will be an MMO rather than a single-player RPG, which became a widespread rumour after the announcement of the game (and a conspicuous lack of gameplay footage). While other anonymous sources have refuted those rumours, this is as close as we've heard to Microsoft explaining what the new Fable could be, other than a "new beginning" for the series.
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Booty's comments, at least to me, point more towards a version of Fable that takes in modern approaches to open world games, rather than one that wildly changes the series' format. On a personal level, I'd be very interested to see the game draw on Playground's own history in the genre - a single-player Fable where you can stumble across AI versions of your friends' heroes fighting in the wider world, like some weird mix of Forza's Drivatars and Dragon's Dogma's Pawns, would be pretty cool in my eyes.
After years of rumours, Fable was finally announced for Xbox Series X last week - but there's no word on when we'll actually see more of the game.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Persona 5 Scramble Officially Confirmed for Western Release
A Western release for Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers has been confirmed, but no release date's been set.
The news arrives thanks to Persona Central, who translated the information in Koei Tecmo’s first-quarter financial statement, revealing that the game has a planned release region of Europe and America.
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This is the first time a Western release for the game has been acknowledged, following its Japanese launch on February 20th, 2020. The Phantom Strikers was revealed back in April of 2019, and it is a hack and slash Musou crossover, bringing Dynasty Warriors-style gameplay to the Persona franchise for the first time.
According to the financial report, the planned platforms for the game are PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. What all of this means is that we can expect a full official announcement of ATLUS's plans for Persona 5 Scramble's western release in the near future. While there is no approximate release date to speak of, those of you hoping for a Western release can rest assured knowing it's on the way.
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In other Persona news, ATLUS recently revealed that it doesn't want fans to "give up on hope" for a Persona 5 Switch port. Earlier in the month, we also learned that the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo of Persona 5's protagonist, Joker, will launch in October of this year.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
The Witcher: Blood Origin Netflix Spin-off Series Announced
Netlfix has announced The Witcher: Blood Origin, a new spin-off prequel series set in the same world as The Witcher.
A new tweet from the Netflix NX account states that the series will look at a period 1,200 years before The Witcher's protagonist Geralt of Rivia walked the lands of the Northern Kingdoms. This prequel series will focus on how the first Witcher was created. The six-part live-action show will be developed by the original series' showrunner, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and Declan de Barra, who wrote the season 1 episode 'Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials'. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-monster-in-season-1-of-netflixs-the-witcher&captions=true"] No release date has been offered, but with the second series having had to delay filming until August because of COVID-19, it may potentially be some distance away. As for season 2 of The Witcher, we know that it will use a single timeline, which should hopefully rectify the main problem our review pointed out. It will also feature more Witcher characters beyond Geralt himself. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.1200 years before Geralt of Rivia, the worlds of monsters, men and elves merged into one, and the first Witcher came to be.
Announcing The Witcher: Blood Origin, a 6 part live-action The Witcher spin-off series from Declan de Barra and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. — NX (@NXOnNetflix) July 27, 2020
The Art of Halo Infinite: Exclusive Cover Reveal
Halo Infinite is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious and graphically impressive games in the series. And if you want an insider look at the characters, worlds and technology of the game, Dark Horse Comics has you covered with The Art of Halo Infinite.
IGN can exclusively debut the cover to The Art of Halo Infinite, created by the game's art director Sparth. Check it out below:
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Art by Sparth. (Image Credit: Dark Horse Comics)[/caption]
Here's Dark Horse's official description for The Art of Halo Infinite:
Art by Sparth. (Image Credit: Dark Horse Comics)[/caption]
Here's Dark Horse's official description for The Art of Halo Infinite:
The legendary super soldier returns in Halo Infinite. 343 Industries and Microsoft are building the biggest and most visually spectacular Halo yet. Halo Infinite debuts on the Xbox family of consoles, including Xbox Series X, Microsoft's latest and most powerful game console. To take full advantage of its prodigious graphical prowess, 343 Industries built an all-new, next-generation game engine, giving their world-class artists the tools and technology to realize the worlds, war, and wonder of the Halo universe in unprecedented style and fidelity. 343 Industries have given Dark Horse access to the art and artists who've brought Halo Infinite to vibrant, vivid life. It's all here in unparalleled detail, the heroes you've grown to love--the Master Chief, the brave soldiers of the UNSC, as well as the weapons, vehicles, villains and vistas--and of course, the eponymous and magnificent environments of Halo itself.The Art of Halo Infinite is priced at $39.99 and is currently scheduled for release on December 29, 2020. You can pre-order the book on Amazon. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=halo-infinite-xbox-games-showcase-gameplay-reveal-screenshots&captions=true"] We recently got a closer look at Halo Infinite at the Xbox Games Showcase. Find out more about the new story and villain details revealed, as why 343 Industries says there won't be a Halo Infinite 2. IGN's Brian Altano and Max Scoville recently unboxed another art book from Dark Horse during Comic-Con@Home. Check out the video below to see what you get with the deluxe edition of The World of Cyberpunk 2077: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-world-of-cyberpunk-2077-artbook-is-packed-with-lore"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Netflix Just Bought the Rights to an r/Nosleep Horror Story
Netflix has made a "low seven-figure" deal to acquire the screen rights to Matt Query's short horror story 'My Wife and I Bought a Ranch,' which was posted across six installments on Reddit.
Deadline reports that Query's brother, Harrison, has been tapped to write the screenplay, while Scott Glassgold of Ground Control Entertainment will take on the role of producer. 21 Laps' Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen are said to be in talks to produce also, together with Atomic Monster's James Wan and Michael Clear.
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Query posted his tale of terror on the r/Nosleep subreddit, a popular space for users to share their original horror stories. It tells the story of a couple, named Harry and Sasha, who buy their dream ranch in rural Idaho but soon discover that they're not alone in the mountains.
According to the outlet, the couple "meet their neighbors, who inform them that there is a malevolent spirit in the valley, one that manifests itself by coming to the house in the same manner at the start of each season. There are certain steps that must be followed to keep the spirit out of their house, and the tension and violence grows with each gory ritual as the duel between the spirits and [Harry] the ex-Marine soldier becomes personal."
The first part of the story has received more than 3000 upvotes over the past five months, with Part II: The Lights, Part III: The Bear Chase, Part IV: The Scarecrows, and Part V: The Ghosts Arrive also proving popular amongst readers.
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Over the years, Netflix has garnered a reputation for spending enormous amounts of money to secure original streaming content for its platform in a bid to stay ahead of its competitors in the increasingly crowded streaming landscape. In fact, it was projected earlier this year that Netflix would be spending $17.3 billion on new content for 2020, up from $15.3 billion last year.
To get a better sense of what Netflix is getting in exchange for its expenditure, check out everything that is new to Netflix this month, learn about the best horror TV shows that are on the service right now, and read about Netflix's extensive partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company, which now includes two animated adaptations from Taika Waititi.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.