What Happened Announced
What Happened, a new first-person psychological horror game set in a high school and starring a high school student named Stiles, has been announced. It is due for release on PC via Steam in July, with console versions due out later.
Players "will guide high school student Stiles through the dark corridors of his own mind as he struggles with his demons, real and imagined," according to Poland-based developer Genius Slackers (Katnappe will be publishing). "The mental realm that Stiles inhabits is unforgiving, with twisted memories lining the hallways of his mind. As players help Stiles solve puzzles and escape the clutches of his demons, the game will subtly respond to the empathy they show him."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=what-happened-screenshots&captions=true"]
You can view the announcement trailer for What Happened at the top of this page, and check out screenshots just above. Horror games continue to be in fashion, with recent examples including the reveal of the PT-inspired Dread X Collection and the launch of Daymare 1998.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.
What Happened Announced
What Happened, a new first-person psychological horror game set in a high school and starring a high school student named Stiles, has been announced. It is due for release on PC via Steam in July, with console versions due out later.
Players "will guide high school student Stiles through the dark corridors of his own mind as he struggles with his demons, real and imagined," according to Poland-based developer Genius Slackers (Katnappe will be publishing). "The mental realm that Stiles inhabits is unforgiving, with twisted memories lining the hallways of his mind. As players help Stiles solve puzzles and escape the clutches of his demons, the game will subtly respond to the empathy they show him."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=what-happened-screenshots&captions=true"]
You can view the announcement trailer for What Happened at the top of this page, and check out screenshots just above. Horror games continue to be in fashion, with recent examples including the reveal of the PT-inspired Dread X Collection and the launch of Daymare 1998.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.
Cyberpunk 2077: Australian Classification Board Details Adult Content
A decision report from the Australian Classification Board has revealed numerous details regarding Cyberpunk 2077’s handling of adult content and themes. The document, which provides the game an adults-only R 18+ classification, reveals that CD Projekt Red’s latest RPG is going to be a gnarly trip to Night City.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/27/cyberpunk-2077-gameplay-demo-taking-out-the-scavengers"]
Much of the classification report focuses on sex, and explains that Cyberpunk 2077 features first-person perspective sex scenes. These are non-interactive, but feature nudity ranging from “breast and buttock” to “full frontal female nudity”. No mention is made of frontal male nudity. Sex can be initiated with male or female NPC prostitutes, or with other consensual characters.
The report is censored to prevent spoilers, but it seems to suggest that sex workers can be solicited in the world akin to how they can be approached in Grand Theft Auto, while other characters can be engaged without a service transaction, perhaps via romance-based dialogue or dating quests.
The report also details a quest in which the player visits a sex shop. “Mannequins are posed inside glass cabinets in various sexual positions, including a simulation of rear-entry sex,” it describes. “Other, smaller cabinets contain a variety of sex toys or devices, including a number of oversized phallic-shaped dildos.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=100-new-cyberpunk-2077-screenshots-gangs-characters-and-playstyles-revealed&captions=true"]
In regards to darker themes, the report also details a scene in which the player examines someone who is implied to be the survivor of a sexual assault. While it is clearly stated that sexual violence is never shown, the report does explain that themes of sex, violence, and sexual violence are “at times, inextricably linked within the narrative”.
As for violence, it appears that Cyberpunk 2077 will deliver near Soldier of Fortune-levels of blood, gore, and evisceration. Gunfire wounds cause “generous blood mists and sprays, and may also result in the severing of limbs and, in some cases, decapitations.”
The most damage can be inflicted on NPC corpses, with the report using an example of a shotgun being used to dismember a dead character. “Corpses may also be eviscerated if the player uses an automatic weapon,” states the report, “with large mists of blood rising and, in some cases, stylised injury detail including bone and entrails being visible.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/24/7-cyberpunk-games-to-play-before-cyberpunk-2077"]
The report makes no mention of drug use, but the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account recently confirmed that “2077 does have drugs.” It’s going all-out cyberpunk, basically, which you’d expect considering the name.
Recently Cyberpunk 2077’s lead quest designer responded to a fan on Twitter regarding the first details on the game’s adult content, saying “You surprised? We don’t f**k around.”
You’ll be able to see more from Cyberpunk 2077 during IGN’s Summer of Gaming, which will feature new reveals from the RPG in June. This year will also see Cyberpunk 2077 grace the very last special edition Xbox One X.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
Cyberpunk 2077: Australian Classification Board Details Adult Content
A decision report from the Australian Classification Board has revealed numerous details regarding Cyberpunk 2077’s handling of adult content and themes. The document, which provides the game an adults-only R 18+ classification, reveals that CD Projekt Red’s latest RPG is going to be a gnarly trip to Night City.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/27/cyberpunk-2077-gameplay-demo-taking-out-the-scavengers"]
Much of the classification report focuses on sex, and explains that Cyberpunk 2077 features first-person perspective sex scenes. These are non-interactive, but feature nudity ranging from “breast and buttock” to “full frontal female nudity”. No mention is made of frontal male nudity. Sex can be initiated with male or female NPC prostitutes, or with other consensual characters.
The report is censored to prevent spoilers, but it seems to suggest that sex workers can be solicited in the world akin to how they can be approached in Grand Theft Auto, while other characters can be engaged without a service transaction, perhaps via romance-based dialogue or dating quests.
The report also details a quest in which the player visits a sex shop. “Mannequins are posed inside glass cabinets in various sexual positions, including a simulation of rear-entry sex,” it describes. “Other, smaller cabinets contain a variety of sex toys or devices, including a number of oversized phallic-shaped dildos.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=100-new-cyberpunk-2077-screenshots-gangs-characters-and-playstyles-revealed&captions=true"]
In regards to darker themes, the report also details a scene in which the player examines someone who is implied to be the survivor of a sexual assault. While it is clearly stated that sexual violence is never shown, the report does explain that themes of sex, violence, and sexual violence are “at times, inextricably linked within the narrative”.
As for violence, it appears that Cyberpunk 2077 will deliver near Soldier of Fortune-levels of blood, gore, and evisceration. Gunfire wounds cause “generous blood mists and sprays, and may also result in the severing of limbs and, in some cases, decapitations.”
The most damage can be inflicted on NPC corpses, with the report using an example of a shotgun being used to dismember a dead character. “Corpses may also be eviscerated if the player uses an automatic weapon,” states the report, “with large mists of blood rising and, in some cases, stylised injury detail including bone and entrails being visible.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/24/7-cyberpunk-games-to-play-before-cyberpunk-2077"]
The report makes no mention of drug use, but the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account recently confirmed that “2077 does have drugs.” It’s going all-out cyberpunk, basically, which you’d expect considering the name.
Recently Cyberpunk 2077’s lead quest designer responded to a fan on Twitter regarding the first details on the game’s adult content, saying “You surprised? We don’t f**k around.”
You’ll be able to see more from Cyberpunk 2077 during IGN’s Summer of Gaming, which will feature new reveals from the RPG in June. This year will also see Cyberpunk 2077 grace the very last special edition Xbox One X.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
EA Reportedly Doesn’t Want to Make Skate 4, Does Want a Mobile Version of Skate 3
Skateboarding legend Jason Dill was reportedly called by EA to discuss a mobile version of Skate 3, and was subsequently told that the company doesn't want to make a Skate 4. He also says that a new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game is coming this year.
In an episode of The Nine Club, a podcast run by professional skateboarder Chris Roberts, Dill hopped on for a chat, revealing that he'd been called by EA about his participation in a potential mobile version of Skate 3.
"I got a call from the EA people about 10 months ago, and they said, 'Hey, we want to talk about the Skate games.'" Dill starts. "This woman emailed me, and she said, basically, 'Hey Jason, we want to do a mobile version of Skate 3,' and I wrote back and I said, 'What else?'
"She wrote back, 'No that's it.' So I wrote back, 'Look, no big deal, no one wants your stupid mobile version of Skate 3... make Skate f***ing 4 already!"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/05/10/skate-3-video-review-skate-3-video-review"]
Fans have been clamouring for a bonafide Skate sequel for the best part of a decade now, and Dill clearly wasn't happy with the idea of a purely mobile version of Skate 3. "Just do it, just make the game, and just participate again. You can't level it to the same numbers you get on other games. You do [Skate 4] for a cultural thing that pays you back later - and that's how corporations can work if they play their cards right."
EA wrote back to Dill, saying that it wasn't looking to pursue Skate 4, to which Dill replied, "Well have a lot of luck on Need for Speed 29. I won't be in your stupid mobile game."
Dill ended his anecdote by making reference to Atiba Jefferson, who appeared in Skate 3 "If Atiba agrees, tell him I'm gonna call him. Don't do it." Closing out the conversation, Dill added "I think the Skate team at EA has done themselves a big disservice by not actually trying. I don't want to be on some mobile f**king gaming system."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/16/crazy-tony-hawks-pro-skater-2-speedrun-finished-in-12-minutes"]
In the same video, Dill mentions that "Tony Hawk is putting out another game," which is practically an open secret by now given previous leaks that suggest Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is making a comeback in 2020. Dill explains his connection to that game by saying he's licensed one of his boards for the game.
Dill reserved some praise for the upcoming Skater XL, saying, "That's cool, it's like a new thing that they're doing. It's adaptation of another thing." We too are hoping that game can fill the Skate-shaped hole in our hearts.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
EA Reportedly Doesn’t Want to Make Skate 4, Does Want a Mobile Version of Skate 3
Skateboarding legend Jason Dill was reportedly called by EA to discuss a mobile version of Skate 3, and was subsequently told that the company doesn't want to make a Skate 4. He also says that a new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game is coming this year.
In an episode of The Nine Club, a podcast run by professional skateboarder Chris Roberts, Dill hopped on for a chat, revealing that he'd been called by EA about his participation in a potential mobile version of Skate 3.
"I got a call from the EA people about 10 months ago, and they said, 'Hey, we want to talk about the Skate games.'" Dill starts. "This woman emailed me, and she said, basically, 'Hey Jason, we want to do a mobile version of Skate 3,' and I wrote back and I said, 'What else?'
"She wrote back, 'No that's it.' So I wrote back, 'Look, no big deal, no one wants your stupid mobile version of Skate 3... make Skate f***ing 4 already!"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/05/10/skate-3-video-review-skate-3-video-review"]
Fans have been clamouring for a bonafide Skate sequel for the best part of a decade now, and Dill clearly wasn't happy with the idea of a purely mobile version of Skate 3. "Just do it, just make the game, and just participate again. You can't level it to the same numbers you get on other games. You do [Skate 4] for a cultural thing that pays you back later - and that's how corporations can work if they play their cards right."
EA wrote back to Dill, saying that it wasn't looking to pursue Skate 4, to which Dill replied, "Well have a lot of luck on Need for Speed 29. I won't be in your stupid mobile game."
Dill ended his anecdote by making reference to Atiba Jefferson, who appeared in Skate 3 "If Atiba agrees, tell him I'm gonna call him. Don't do it." Closing out the conversation, Dill added "I think the Skate team at EA has done themselves a big disservice by not actually trying. I don't want to be on some mobile f**king gaming system."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/16/crazy-tony-hawks-pro-skater-2-speedrun-finished-in-12-minutes"]
In the same video, Dill mentions that "Tony Hawk is putting out another game," which is practically an open secret by now given previous leaks that suggest Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is making a comeback in 2020. Dill explains his connection to that game by saying he's licensed one of his boards for the game.
Dill reserved some praise for the upcoming Skater XL, saying, "That's cool, it's like a new thing that they're doing. It's adaptation of another thing." We too are hoping that game can fill the Skate-shaped hole in our hearts.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon Seemingly Getting Western Release on PC
A Western release for Yakuza: Like a Dragon - known as Ryu Ga Gotoku 7 in Japan - has been teased by a Steam database listing.
You can check out the page over on SteamDB, where the "unknown app" was registered and found. This is especially interesting given that we haven't heard much from Sega recently about the Western release of Like a Dragon, which launched in Japan on January 16, 2020.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/12/yakuza-like-a-dragon-announcement-trailer"]
We knew that the game was set to be released later in 2020, but nothing about a potential PC release, as it was assumed the game was exclusive to PS4, as it is in Japan.
Of course, we don't have any word on a firm launch window for the game, but historically speaking, titles that get listed on SteamDB usually end up on the Steam store sooner rather than later.
Fans have been waiting for a PC release for the remaining Yakuza games (3 through 6) after Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2 launched last year. It looks like we may be getting Like a Dragon first if this listing is anything to go by.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/12/yakuza-7-like-a-dragon-gameplay-trailer-tgs-2019"]
If you're interested in getting into the Yakuza series but you don't know where to start, check out our handy guide to help you figure out which game in the franchise you should play first. For more on Yakuza: Like a Dragon, check out our gameplay preview from late 2019.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
The Mandalorian Season 2: Robert Rodriguez, Peyton Reed Confirm They’re Directing Episodes
One-man movie-making machine Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Machete) and regular Marvel collaborator Peyton Reed (Bring It On, Ant-Man and its sequels) have both confirmed they will be directing episodes of season two of The Mandalorian.
The directors each revealed the news via Twitter, with Rodriguez quipping he’d had the “rare privilege of directing the biggest star in the universe” while posing with a puppet of “The Child” (colloquially known as Baby Yoda) and Reed simply sharing a shot of his director’s chair with Din Djarin’s helmet perched on it.I am truly humbled to say I have now had the very rare privilege of directing the biggest star in the universe. @StarWars #TheMandalorian #MayThe4th #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/pcmzOHfgaW
— Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) May 5, 2020
It was announced in February that a second season of the popular Star Wars streaming series will debut on Disney+ in October 2020. Joining the series in front of the camera will be veteran actor Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens), who has been cast in season two in an unspecified role as an unknown bounty hunter. Rosario Dawson has also been reportedly cast as Ahsoka Tano, the breakout character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sideshow-collectibles-the-child-life-sized-statue&captions=true"] While The Mandalorian only wrapped production on season two in March, pre-production on season three has apparently already begun. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/03/the-mandalorian-season-1-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.#MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/XUk5Xfs0JE
— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) May 4, 2020
Streets Of Rage 4 Review – The Beat-‘Em-Up Boys Are Back In Town
Everybody has a favorite old game series that they'd like to see make a comeback, but modernizing a long-dormant franchise requires a deft touch. Not only do you have to please the old fans--who see their longtime favorites through rose-tinted nostalgia goggles--but you also have to find a way to make the game appealing to a newer audience. Fortunately for longtime Sega and beat-'em-up fans, Streets of Rage 4 adeptly walks the tightrope of classic and modern appeal while busting some heads in the process.
Taking place a decade after the third game (which released 26 years ago), Streets of Rage 4 reunites Axel and Blaze to unmask an evil plot devised by the children of series uber-antagonist Mr. X. Joining them are two new fighters: Cherry, a hard-rockin' young woman with deft moves and (literal) killer guitar riffs, and Floyd, a cybernetically-enhanced hulk who might not have speed or high jumps, but definitely has a myriad of ways to get his giant metal fists up in somebody's business. As the story unfolds, you meet characters old and new, sometimes in surprising places... but don't expect much from the plot, as it exists simply to take you to new and exciting locales where you pound a rogue's gallery of enemies into the pavement.
And there is a good amount of pavement-pounding to be had. The 12 stages in Streets of Rage 4 offer a lot of variety in scenery, obstacles, and enemies. While the clean, sharp lines of the new art are very different from the low-res, gritty pixel look fans have come to love, the HD hand-drawn characters and backgrounds look spectacular, and are packed with fun details and little Easter eggs that'll take you by surprise. The stages are fairly typical beat-'em-up settings--a dive bar, some sewers, back alleys, Chinatown--but the animations of crowds, steam, critters, and machines make these archetypal stages feel fresh and exciting. Equally excellent is the soundtrack, a techno/dance-inspired collection of hot beats from Eastern and Western game music composers, including veteran Streets of Rage alumni Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima.
Continue Reading at GameSpotStreets Of Rage 4 Review – The Beat-‘Em-Up Boys Are Back In Town
Everybody has a favorite old game series that they'd like to see make a comeback, but modernizing a long-dormant franchise requires a deft touch. Not only do you have to please the old fans--who see their longtime favorites through rose-tinted nostalgia goggles--but you also have to find a way to make the game appealing to a newer audience. Fortunately for longtime Sega and beat-'em-up fans, Streets of Rage 4 adeptly walks the tightrope of classic and modern appeal while busting some heads in the process.
Taking place a decade after the third game (which released 26 years ago), Streets of Rage 4 reunites Axel and Blaze to unmask an evil plot devised by the children of series uber-antagonist Mr. X. Joining them are two new fighters: Cherry, a hard-rockin' young woman with deft moves and (literal) killer guitar riffs, and Floyd, a cybernetically-enhanced hulk who might not have speed or high jumps, but definitely has a myriad of ways to get his giant metal fists up in somebody's business. As the story unfolds, you meet characters old and new, sometimes in surprising places... but don't expect much from the plot, as it exists simply to take you to new and exciting locales where you pound a rogue's gallery of enemies into the pavement.
And there is a good amount of pavement-pounding to be had. The 12 stages in Streets of Rage 4 offer a lot of variety in scenery, obstacles, and enemies. While the clean, sharp lines of the new art are very different from the low-res, gritty pixel look fans have come to love, the HD hand-drawn characters and backgrounds look spectacular, and are packed with fun details and little Easter eggs that'll take you by surprise. The stages are fairly typical beat-'em-up settings--a dive bar, some sewers, back alleys, Chinatown--but the animations of crowds, steam, critters, and machines make these archetypal stages feel fresh and exciting. Equally excellent is the soundtrack, a techno/dance-inspired collection of hot beats from Eastern and Western game music composers, including veteran Streets of Rage alumni Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima.
Continue Reading at GameSpot