Mindseize Review – Familiar Territory

If you had asked me to write out a checklist of features I would expect to find in a Metroidvania, my final list would be pretty close to what I found in Mindseize. It's a decent one, too. Solid, even. And, for all that, just a little bit dull. There’s nothing wrong, per se, with an unimaginative adherence to the basic Metroidvania formula, but Mindseize also fails to inspire with its approach to theme-setting and story development. The final result is a competent but unspectacular action-platformer with precious few ideas of its own.

You play a father bent on exacting revenge on an evil sci-fi organisation that, uh... seized the mind of his daughter. An early unsuccessful encounter with the Big Bad leaves Angry Dad disabled but, with the help of a good sci-fi organisation, able to continue his crusade by transplanting his own mind into a robot. It's nonsense, of course--though it's inoffensive nonsense, sparing in its narrative dumps and blessedly easy to ignore.

More urgent matters involve exploring the various planets, each of which is presented as a vast network of 2D platforms appropriated from conventional stock--the jungle area, the industrial factory, the rainy dystopian nightscape, the caves littered with glowing crystals, and the caves that are a bit darker because there are no glowing crystals. They're all there, present and correct, and no more imaginative than similar scenes in countless other games.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Mindseize Review – Metroidvania Fusion

If you had asked me to write out a checklist of features I would expect to find in a Metroidvania, my final list would be pretty close to what I found in Mindseize. It's a decent one, too. Solid, even. And, for all that, just a little bit dull. There’s nothing wrong, per se, with an unimaginative adherence to the basic Metroidvania formula, but Mindseize also fails to inspire with its approach to theme-setting and story development. The final result is a competent but unspectacular action-platformer with precious few ideas of its own.

You play a father bent on exacting revenge on an evil sci-fi organisation that, uh... seized the mind of his daughter. An early unsuccessful encounter with the Big Bad leaves Angry Dad disabled but, with the help of a good sci-fi organisation, able to continue his crusade by transplanting his own mind into a robot. It's nonsense, of course--though it's inoffensive nonsense, sparing in its narrative dumps and blessedly easy to ignore.

More urgent matters involve exploring the various planets, each of which is presented as a vast network of 2D platforms appropriated from conventional stock--the jungle area, the industrial factory, the rainy dystopian nightscape, the caves littered with glowing crystals, and the caves that are a bit darker because there are no glowing crystals. They're all there, present and correct, and no more imaginative than similar scenes in countless other games.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Disneyland, Disney World to Remain Indefinitely Closed

UPDATE: The Walt Disney Co. announced Friday that Disneyland and Walt Disney World will not reopen at the end of March and will remain closed indefinitely. Here is a Disney spokesperson's statement on the postponement of the reopening:

"While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our guests and employees remain The Walt Disney Company’s top priority.

As a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed until further notice.

The Walt Disney Company has been paying its cast members since the closure of the parks, and in light of this ongoing and increasingly complex crisis, we have made the decision to extend paying hourly parks and resorts cast members through April 18."

With California currently under a stay-at-home order, all non-essential businesses, which includes theme parks like Disneyland, must stay closed until the order is lifted. And as THR points out, "the earliest Disney World would be allowed to reopen is 11 p.m. on April 9 under the Orange County stay-at-home order." Our original report from March 12 follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Disney announced Thursday that Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are closing as of March 14 through the end of the month due to concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19). As of time of publish, it was uncertain whether Disney World in Orlando, Florida, would also be closing in response to the outbreak. This would only be the fourth time in Disneyland's history that the park has been closed. The three other times were the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the 9/11 attacks of 2001. Disney's announcement comes on the heels of California Governor Gavin Newsom's press conference Thursday during which time he said gatherings of more than 250 people should be postponed. However, Newsom later said that both Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood won't need to comply with this policy, "because of the complexity of their unique circumstances," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The exemption for theme parks was met with widespread criticism on social media. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/how-coronavirus-is-impacting-the-games-industry"] Chief medical officer for Disney Parks, Dr. Pamela Hymel, said in a previous statement that they're committed to keeping Disney staff and guests healthy: "As part of our commitment to the health and well-being of our cast, guests and the larger community, we are carefully monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation and are in regular contact with health agencies for information and guidance. Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, are welcoming guests as usual and we continue to implement preventive measures in line with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health agencies." The Verge had reported about Disney cast members discussing how easily the COVID-19 disease can spread: "If one gets it, we all get it." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=avengers-campus-all-the-heroes-and-characters-youll-meet&captions=true"] Disney had previously taken measures in response to COVID-19 for their other parks. USA Today reported that Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland have since closed. There are currently no plans for when Hong Kong Disneyland may reopen. However, Tokyo Disneyland is closed until at least early April with expansion plans being "postponed to mid-may 2020 or beyond". The Shanghai Disney Resort park closed over a month ago and partially reopened this Monday with a new policy in place. According to the park website, guests are required to wear a mask and show their health via a QR code system when entering dining areas. "Every guest entering Shanghai Disney Resort will be required to undergo temperature screening procedures upon their arrival," the park's official site explains. "Guests will also be reminded to maintain respectful social distances at all times while in stores, queues and restaurants." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/06/konamis-mini-console-is-first-to-be-delayed-due-to-coronavirus"] Disney originally required cast members at their Tokyo park to wear masks in February, before deciding to close. Disneyland Paris also issued a statement on their website that they're adjusting queue line capacities in response. IGN spoke with a number of medical experts to learn how movie delays may help stop the spread of COVID-19. Events like E3 2020 and SXSW that bring large amounts of people together have closed as well. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jeffrey Lerman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @Snakester95.

MLB Delays Opening Day Over Coronavirus Concerns

Major League Baseball (MLB) has delayed its opening day "by at least two weeks" due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The MLB posted its official statement on Twitter. Following a call with the 30 Clubs, MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced the league decided to take these precautions "in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, Clubs and our millions of loyal fans." In addition to the opening day delay, this pre-season's remaining Spring Training games have been canceled, and the 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifier games in Tucson, Arizona have been postponed indefinitely. While Spring Training games had already been in progress, the MLB's proper season was scheduled to begin on March 26. The MLB isn't the first major sports league in the United States to be impacted by coronavirus, as the NHL suspended its 2019-2020 season earlier today, and the NBA suspended the remainder of its season on Wednesday after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/11/e3-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus-concerns-ign-daily-fix"] Several other non-sporting events have also been impacted by COVID-19, as E3, GDC, CinemaCon, WonderCon, and SXSW have all been canceled or postponed due to the ongoing spread of the virus, and the BAFTA Game Awards has transitioned to an online-only event. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Colin Stevens is IGN's video game social coordinator. Follow him on Twitter.

For Honor Gets a Prince of Persia Crossover Event

For Honor is receiving a Prince of Persia in-game event called Blade of Persia. The crossover event will be playable starting today through April 2 and feature a limited-game mode as well as Prince of Persia-themed cosmetics. Watch the new trailer below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/12/for-honor-prince-of-persia-event-trailer"] The new mode is called Ruler of Time and it will require players to fight the Prince and his army of sand creatures who’ve arrived in Heathmoor following a sandstorm. Players will fight the Prince in a changed Harbor Dominion map where the Prince will periodically emerge and attack heroes using the Dagger of Time. Along with the new mode are Prince of Persia-themed changes, including a new menu, and a variety of customization items. If players have the free event pass they will have access to 30 tiers of Prince of Persia-themed loot, including a new Battle Outfit, Sand Mood Effect, Emblem OUtline, and 26 Ornaments. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=for-honor-prince-of-persia-crossover-screenshots&captions=true"] The Prince of Persia theme will also evolve with time as the Prince will eventually embrace his evil side and turn into the Dark Prince. A new game mode will be available on March 19 when that happens. For more about Ubisoft’s medieval fantasy game, check out IGN’s review of For Honor here or our For Honor wiki for tips and walkthroughs. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

San Diego Comic-Con Still Going Ahead, WonderCon Postponed

ComicCon.org has postponed its WonderCon convention in Anaheim indefinitely, but is still moving forward with the San Diego Comic-Con convention this summer as planned. WonderCon was set to take place in California from April 10 through April 12, but California has placed a ban of all gatherings of 250 people or more due to the spread of coronavirus until further notice. A statement on the WonderCon website says ComicCon.org will issue refunds. "To protect public health and slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19, the California Department of Public Health announced a recommendation that gatherings and events of more than 250 people should either be postponed or cancelled. Comic-Con (organizer of WonderCon) will abide by this recommendation," the statement says. "Therefore WonderCon Anaheim, scheduled for April 10-12, 2020 in Anaheim, California, will be postponed until a later date. We will begin processing refunds in the coming days." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/11/e3-officially-canceled-over-coronavirus-concerns-ign-news"] SDCC will still go on as planned from July 23 to July 26. The event organizers say they have no decision at this time to change any plans. "We continue to work closely with officials in San Diego and at this time no decision has been made regarding the rescheduling of Comic-Con slated to take place this summer," the statement reads. Even though gatherings of 250 people or more are banned in California, the state is allowing Disneyland to remain in operation. Whether any other establishments will be exempt remains to be seen. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=59-movies-to-geek-out-over-in-2020&captions=true"] WonderCon is the latest entertainment convention to make drastic changes. CinemaCon was cancelled late Wednesday night and SXSW was cancelled on Friday. E3 wasn't set until June, but was still cancelled on Wednesday. Here's what that could mean for the rest of this year's announcements and the future of the conference itself. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

National Hockey League Suspends Season Over Coronavirus Concerns

The National Hockey League has paused the 2019-20 season over COVID-19 (Coronavirus) concerns. The news was announced by NHL League Commissioner Gary Bettman, and arrives a day after the NBA announced that it too would be suspending the current season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The full statement from the NHL is as follows: “In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, and after consulting with medical experts and convening a conference call of the Board of Governors, the National Hockey League is announcing today that it will pause the 2019‑20 season beginning with tonight’s games. “The NHL has been attempting to follow the mandates of health experts and local authorities, while preparing for any possible developments without taking premature or unnecessary measures. However, following last night’s news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus – and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point – it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time. “We will continue to monitor all the appropriate medical advice, and we will encourage our players and other members of the NHL community to take all reasonable precautions – including by self-quarantine, where appropriate. Our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup. Until then, we thank NHL fans for your patience and hope you stay healthy.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/11/e3-officially-canceled-over-coronavirus-concerns-ign-news"] The NCAA announced that, for the time being, the March Madness tournament would still take place, although it would be held without fans in attendance. Reports are also stating that the MLB is expected to announce the postponement of its upcoming season and spring training as well. These are just a few of the entertainment events impacted by COVID-19, as E3, GDC, SXSW have all cancelled or postponed their annual events. [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.

Every IGN Animal Crossing Review Ever

Animal Crossing has wormed its way into the hearts of millions around the world since it made its debut in Japan on the N64 as Doubutsu no Mori/Animal Forest in 2001. The franchise has earned some of IGN's highest scores with its main entries, but it also had a spin-off, Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, that didn't quite live up to the bar set by its predecessors. With Animal Crossing: New Horizons being released on Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020, we thought we'd take a look back at every Animal Crossing game that IGN has reviewed. Check out all the scores in the slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-animal-crossing-game-review&captions=true"] Let us know which game has been your favorite in the comment section below. [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 who can't wait to owe Tom Nook a lot of Bells. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

BAFTA Games Awards Will Now Be an Online-Only Event

The BAFTA Games Awards will ditch their red carpet ceremony and host an online-only event due to the spread of coronavirus. The show will go on as planned on its scheduled date, April 2. The announcement was made in a press release on Thursday. "Amid growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the number of nominees due to travel from overseas, we have made the decision to change the format of next month’s BAFTA Games Awards," the press release reads. "The health and wellbeing of our guests and our staff remain our top priority, so there will be no live audience and we are now in the process of informing all our nominees, guests, partners and suppliers of the change." IGN's Game of the Year is nominated for 11 BAFTAs. Check out our review: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/26/control-review"] Many countries are banning travel to select territories, which are mostly territories like China, Iran and Italy. As of right now, there is no restrictive access to the U.K. United States President Donald Trump banned American travel to and from 26 European countries, but the U.K. is still available to access. The British Academy Television Craft Awards and Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards are still scheduled to go ahead as planned on April 24 and May 17 respectively. Control and Death Stranding are nominated for a record 11 BAFTA Awards each at the ceremony. Hideo Kojima is set to receive the BAFTA Fellowship. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-kojima-game-review&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.