A western version of Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown developer Vanillaware’s adventure/real-time-strategy epic, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is coming to PS4 on September 8. Fans of director George Kamitani had been eagerly anticipating a Western release, which was finally announced by publisher Atlus today as part of today's IGN Expo event. When the game released in Japan in November 2019, it was met with critical acclaim, including a 9.5 review from IGN Japan. You can check out a new trailer later in the story. For those who haven't kept up with 13 Sentinels, we spoke with Atlus ahead of the announcement: “The game’s main setting is Japan, 1985. Giant, mysterious colossi called kaiju suddenly appear, wreaking havoc across the country,” Vanillaware producer Akiyasu Yamamoto explains. “Thirteen high-school students, the main protagonists of our story, must defend their city from these destroyers by piloting giant mechs called Sentinels. The game is a sci-fi adventure (with elements of tower defense games and other strategy subgenres) where players investigate, talk, and fight to solve the deeper mysteries lurking beneath the individual stories." Vanillaware is a developer best known for its stunning 2D art, which is as gorgeous as ever in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. However, a more story-focused adventure game set in Japan is a refreshing concept for the studio, and Yamamoto calls it a new challenge in the long-running collaboration between Atlus and Vanillaware. It wasn’t a challenge taken lightly either, since it took the studio no less than six years to complete development. Yamamoto recalls the project dates back to a New Year card Vanillaware sent out to industry friends in January 2013, which revealed the first concept art well before the game was officially announced two years later. More than seven years after that original tease, Western fans will finally get their hands on Kamitani’s latest creation. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/13-sentinels-aegis-rim-summer-of-gaming-trailer"] While having a uniquely Japanese setting, Yamamoto mentions that Vanillaware was heavily inspired by Western drama series, splitting its storytelling among its 13 lead characters. “Each episode of the characters’ story mode can be played in about 10-15 minute segments. Countless new mysteries emerge within each episode, and new information is constantly discovered and updated in the battle and glossary modes, so you continue to live your everyday life with a sustained feeling of always getting that little bit closer to the truth.” While high-school life is definitely the game’s main focus, the style that story's told in radically changes depending on the episode. This is where the 13 main characters come in – while they all go to the same school, their different backgrounds and characteristics allow for different types of storytelling. “For instance, Yuki Takamiya’s story plays out like a Sherlock-Holmes style detective mystery, where you and your assistant are following the trail of a student gone missing,” says Yamamoto. “However, when you switch to Ei Sekigahara, the story takes on the feel of a sci-fi thriller, with life-threatening stakes and intense suspense. Meanwhile, Iori Fuyusaka’s story feels like playing as the heroine of a classic 1980s shoujo manga, with a focus on romance and self-discovery. This variation in storytelling styles is an aspect of the game I really hope our Western players can enjoy.” The Western version of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim will be fully voiced in English, with the option to switch back to the original Japanese audio. Subtitles include English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. While games with a Japanese setting are sometimes adjusted to appeal to a Western audience, the localized version of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim remains unapologetically Japanese. If you enjoyed Japanese high-school life in the Persona series as much as we did, that can only be a good thing. [ignvideo url="13-sentinels-aegis-rim-6-screenshots"] The biggest difference in setting between the Persona series is the era, as 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim mostly takes place in the 1980s. While nostalgia towards the ’80s is very much present in the West as well, and video games like Crossing Souls have depicted the unique retro atmosphere of those times, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim takes you back to Japan’s slightly different version of that time period. For players in the West, this should result in a setting that is partly recognizable, partly refreshing. “While we did aim to evoke a certain nostalgia that would hopefully resonate with people who actually lived during that time, we’ve also seen that even Japanese players who never experienced this period could still get a sense of what it was like to live in that era, and immerse themselves in that world as a form of empathic fantasy,” says Yamamoto. “For Western players, the perspective will probably be even more foreign, so I’d love for them to experience the game both as an exploration of a different culture, and as a trip into a wholly new and fantastical world altogether.” That being said, there are plenty of references towards Western movies and culture as well, and recognizing all sorts of different homages is part of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim’s appeal. Uncommonly for a Japanese game, battles play out as real-time strategy. Kamitani is a huge Starcraft fan, and wanted to create a simplified tower-defense game that could be enjoyed casually along with story-focused adventure parts. The concept for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim’s battle system was to refine and improve on GrimGrimoire, the 2007 real-time-strategy game Vanillaware co-developed with Nippon Ichi Software. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Shin Imai is Deputy Chief Editor at IGN Japan, and Esra Krabbe is an editor there. Follow them on Twitter if your language skills are up to it!

A western version of Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown developer Vanillaware’s adventure/real-time-strategy epic, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is coming to PS4 on September 8. Fans of director George Kamitani had been eagerly anticipating a Western release, which was finally announced by publisher Atlus today as part of today's IGN Expo event. When the game released in Japan in November 2019, it was met with critical acclaim, including a 9.5 review from IGN Japan. You can check out a new trailer later in the story. For those who haven't kept up with 13 Sentinels, we spoke with Atlus ahead of the announcement: “The game’s main setting is Japan, 1985. Giant, mysterious colossi called kaiju suddenly appear, wreaking havoc across the country,” Vanillaware producer Akiyasu Yamamoto explains. “Thirteen high-school students, the main protagonists of our story, must defend their city from these destroyers by piloting giant mechs called Sentinels. The game is a sci-fi adventure (with elements of tower defense games and other strategy subgenres) where players investigate, talk, and fight to solve the deeper mysteries lurking beneath the individual stories." Vanillaware is a developer best known for its stunning 2D art, which is as gorgeous as ever in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. However, a more story-focused adventure game set in Japan is a refreshing concept for the studio, and Yamamoto calls it a new challenge in the long-running collaboration between Atlus and Vanillaware. It wasn’t a challenge taken lightly either, since it took the studio no less than six years to complete development. Yamamoto recalls the project dates back to a New Year card Vanillaware sent out to industry friends in January 2013, which revealed the first concept art well before the game was officially announced two years later. More than seven years after that original tease, Western fans will finally get their hands on Kamitani’s latest creation. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/13-sentinels-aegis-rim-summer-of-gaming-trailer"] While having a uniquely Japanese setting, Yamamoto mentions that Vanillaware was heavily inspired by Western drama series, splitting its storytelling among its 13 lead characters. “Each episode of the characters’ story mode can be played in about 10-15 minute segments. Countless new mysteries emerge within each episode, and new information is constantly discovered and updated in the battle and glossary modes, so you continue to live your everyday life with a sustained feeling of always getting that little bit closer to the truth.” While high-school life is definitely the game’s main focus, the style that story's told in radically changes depending on the episode. This is where the 13 main characters come in – while they all go to the same school, their different backgrounds and characteristics allow for different types of storytelling. “For instance, Yuki Takamiya’s story plays out like a Sherlock-Holmes style detective mystery, where you and your assistant are following the trail of a student gone missing,” says Yamamoto. “However, when you switch to Ei Sekigahara, the story takes on the feel of a sci-fi thriller, with life-threatening stakes and intense suspense. Meanwhile, Iori Fuyusaka’s story feels like playing as the heroine of a classic 1980s shoujo manga, with a focus on romance and self-discovery. This variation in storytelling styles is an aspect of the game I really hope our Western players can enjoy.” The Western version of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim will be fully voiced in English, with the option to switch back to the original Japanese audio. Subtitles include English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. While games with a Japanese setting are sometimes adjusted to appeal to a Western audience, the localized version of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim remains unapologetically Japanese. If you enjoyed Japanese high-school life in the Persona series as much as we did, that can only be a good thing. [ignvideo url="13-sentinels-aegis-rim-6-screenshots"] The biggest difference in setting between the Persona series is the era, as 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim mostly takes place in the 1980s. While nostalgia towards the ’80s is very much present in the West as well, and video games like Crossing Souls have depicted the unique retro atmosphere of those times, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim takes you back to Japan’s slightly different version of that time period. For players in the West, this should result in a setting that is partly recognizable, partly refreshing. “While we did aim to evoke a certain nostalgia that would hopefully resonate with people who actually lived during that time, we’ve also seen that even Japanese players who never experienced this period could still get a sense of what it was like to live in that era, and immerse themselves in that world as a form of empathic fantasy,” says Yamamoto. “For Western players, the perspective will probably be even more foreign, so I’d love for them to experience the game both as an exploration of a different culture, and as a trip into a wholly new and fantastical world altogether.” That being said, there are plenty of references towards Western movies and culture as well, and recognizing all sorts of different homages is part of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim’s appeal. Uncommonly for a Japanese game, battles play out as real-time strategy. Kamitani is a huge Starcraft fan, and wanted to create a simplified tower-defense game that could be enjoyed casually along with story-focused adventure parts. The concept for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim’s battle system was to refine and improve on GrimGrimoire, the 2007 real-time-strategy game Vanillaware co-developed with Nippon Ichi Software. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Shin Imai is Deputy Chief Editor at IGN Japan, and Esra Krabbe is an editor there. Follow them on Twitter if your language skills are up to it!

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus will include new missions, bosses and characters when it's released for consoles on July 17. Revealed as part of today's IGN Expo event, Kasedo Games and Bulwark Studios revealed that the console editions will feature: "brand new, never-before-seen bosses and characters, some of which are available at the end of seven special hidden missions found in the new console edition." You can watch an exclusive developer presentation about the console version below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/warhammer-40k-mechanicus-exclusive-console-gameplay-and-developer-walkthrough"] The console release of the game will also include the Heretek DLC and the content available in the previously released Omnissiah edition, which bundles a DLC weapon, the digital soundtrack, an art book and a specially written short story. Released for PC in 2018, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a tactical RPG centred on the Imperium's most technologically advanced force, The Adeptus Mechanicus, as it attempts to wipe out threats from undiscovered Necrons, and heretics in its own ranks. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus will include new missions, bosses and characters when it's released for consoles on July 17. Revealed as part of today's IGN Expo event, Kasedo Games and Bulwark Studios revealed that the console editions will feature: "brand new, never-before-seen bosses and characters, some of which are available at the end of seven special hidden missions found in the new console edition." You can watch an exclusive developer presentation about the console version below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/warhammer-40k-mechanicus-exclusive-console-gameplay-and-developer-walkthrough"] The console release of the game will also include the Heretek DLC and the content available in the previously released Omnissiah edition, which bundles a DLC weapon, the digital soundtrack, an art book and a specially written short story. Released for PC in 2018, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a tactical RPG centred on the Imperium's most technologically advanced force, The Adeptus Mechanicus, as it attempts to wipe out threats from undiscovered Necrons, and heretics in its own ranks. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

When WarnerMedia's new streaming service launched in the US back in May, our HBO Max review praised the "impressive library of beloved shows and movies." But there were also some glaring missteps in HBO Max's launch, including a lack of 4K HDR support, confusion over how to sign up for HBO Max and the difference between HBO Max, HBO Go, and HBO Now. If you're still confused about the last point, the streamer is attempting to make life a bit easier in the coming months. According to a WarnerMedia spokesperson, the HBO Go app will be removed on July 31, 2020, while the HBO Now app will be simply renamed "HBO." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/30/hbo-max-streaming-service-review"] In an official statement from WarnerMedia, the company outlines why it's decided to make these changes:

"Now that HBO Max has launched and is widely distributed, we can implement some significant changes to our app offering in the U.S. As part of that plan, we will be sunsetting our HBO Go service in the U.S. We intend to remove the HBO Go app from primary platforms as of July 31, 2020. Most customers who have traditionally used HBO Go to stream HBO programming are now able to do so via HBO Max, which offers access to all of HBO together with so much more. Additionally, the HBO Now app and desktop experience will be rebranded to HBO. Existing HBO Now subscribers will have access to HBO through the rebranded HBO app on platforms where it remains available and through play.hbo.com. HBO Max provides not only the robust offering of HBO but also a vast WarnerMedia library and acquired content and originals through a modern product."

WarnerMedia did not give any update on the future availability of HBO Max on Roku or Amazon's Fire devices, since the company has still not made deals with those companies to allow them to integrate HBO Max into their existing offerings. For more on the streamer, here's why you can't watch HBO Max on a Roku or Amazon Fire Stick streaming device, our reviews of the best and worst HBO Max original shows, and a list of the major DC movies and TV shows missing from the HBO Max library. Watch the trailer for HBO Max's upcoming Doom Patrol Season 2 debut below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/doom-patrol-season-2-trailer"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-dark-knight-trilogy-and-more-dc-movies-and-series-missing-on-hbo-max&captions=true"] [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.

When WarnerMedia's new streaming service launched in the US back in May, our HBO Max review praised the "impressive library of beloved shows and movies." But there were also some glaring missteps in HBO Max's launch, including a lack of 4K HDR support, confusion over how to sign up for HBO Max and the difference between HBO Max, HBO Go, and HBO Now. If you're still confused about the last point, the streamer is attempting to make life a bit easier in the coming months. According to a WarnerMedia spokesperson, the HBO Go app will be removed on July 31, 2020, while the HBO Now app will be simply renamed "HBO." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/30/hbo-max-streaming-service-review"] In an official statement from WarnerMedia, the company outlines why it's decided to make these changes:

"Now that HBO Max has launched and is widely distributed, we can implement some significant changes to our app offering in the U.S. As part of that plan, we will be sunsetting our HBO Go service in the U.S. We intend to remove the HBO Go app from primary platforms as of July 31, 2020. Most customers who have traditionally used HBO Go to stream HBO programming are now able to do so via HBO Max, which offers access to all of HBO together with so much more. Additionally, the HBO Now app and desktop experience will be rebranded to HBO. Existing HBO Now subscribers will have access to HBO through the rebranded HBO app on platforms where it remains available and through play.hbo.com. HBO Max provides not only the robust offering of HBO but also a vast WarnerMedia library and acquired content and originals through a modern product."

WarnerMedia did not give any update on the future availability of HBO Max on Roku or Amazon's Fire devices, since the company has still not made deals with those companies to allow them to integrate HBO Max into their existing offerings. For more on the streamer, here's why you can't watch HBO Max on a Roku or Amazon Fire Stick streaming device, our reviews of the best and worst HBO Max original shows, and a list of the major DC movies and TV shows missing from the HBO Max library. Watch the trailer for HBO Max's upcoming Doom Patrol Season 2 debut below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/doom-patrol-season-2-trailer"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-dark-knight-trilogy-and-more-dc-movies-and-series-missing-on-hbo-max&captions=true"] [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.

CastleStorm 2 will be released on July 31 for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC via Epic Games Store. A free Epic Games Store demo is available today, until June 30. Announced exclusively at today's IGN Expo, the game follow the original's mixture of tower defense, castle destruction and hack 'n' slash elements, but adds a new real-time and turn-based strategy element, built around conquering a kingdom. Check out a Monty Python-flavoured trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/castlestorm-2-exclusive-launch-announcement-trailer"] Choosing from good and evil factions and taking over a procedurally generated map piece by piece, the game also features two story-driven campaigns set within its skewed, cartoony take on a medieval world at war. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=castlestorm-2-11-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

CastleStorm 2 will be released on July 31 for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC via Epic Games Store. A free Epic Games Store demo is available today, until June 30. Announced exclusively at today's IGN Expo, the game follow the original's mixture of tower defense, castle destruction and hack 'n' slash elements, but adds a new real-time and turn-based strategy element, built around conquering a kingdom. Check out a Monty Python-flavoured trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/castlestorm-2-exclusive-launch-announcement-trailer"] Choosing from good and evil factions and taking over a procedurally generated map piece by piece, the game also features two story-driven campaigns set within its skewed, cartoony take on a medieval world at war. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=castlestorm-2-11-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

The latest character in the Guilty Gear Strive line-up has been revealed, and it's the returning Ramlethal Valentine. Announced exclusively as part of today's IGN Expo, Ramlethal specializes in controlling the mid-range, and uses two large swords as her primary weapons (carried by her flying Luciferos partners). Strive marks Ramlethal's second appearance as a playable character in the series. Check out a reveal trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/guilty-gear-strive-ramlethal-reveal-trailer"] The trailer also announces that we'll see the next playable character reveal for the game in August 2020. Billed as a reboot for the fighting game series, Guilty Gear Strive currently includes a roster of Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, May, Faust, Potemkin, Chipp Zanuff, Zato-1, Millia Rage, Axl Low alongside Ramlethal. It's due out in 2021, following a delay due to production issues stemming from the current pandemc outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ramlethal-valentine-guilty-gear-strive-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

The latest character in the Guilty Gear Strive line-up has been revealed, and it's the returning Ramlethal Valentine. Announced exclusively as part of today's IGN Expo, Ramlethal specializes in controlling the mid-range, and uses two large swords as her primary weapons (carried by her flying Luciferos partners). Strive marks Ramlethal's second appearance as a playable character in the series. Check out a reveal trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/guilty-gear-strive-ramlethal-reveal-trailer"] The trailer also announces that we'll see the next playable character reveal for the game in August 2020. Billed as a reboot for the fighting game series, Guilty Gear Strive currently includes a roster of Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, May, Faust, Potemkin, Chipp Zanuff, Zato-1, Millia Rage, Axl Low alongside Ramlethal. It's due out in 2021, following a delay due to production issues stemming from the current pandemc outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. There's much, much more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ramlethal-valentine-guilty-gear-strive-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.