House of the Dragon: Rewatch GRRM and Ryan Condal’s Deep-Dive on Fantasy
Back in February 2016, I had the opportunity of a lifetime where I got to travel to George R.R. Martin's theater in Santa Fe, N.M. and host a conversation between him and his friend, Colony co-creator Ryan Condal, as part of a special screening and Q&A for Condal's then-new USA series.
Who would have known then that, three-and-a-half years later, Condal and Martin would officially team up for a new Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragon, which Condal will co-showrun with GoT director Miguel Sapochnik?
Nioh 2 Release Date, Beta Details Revealed
Nioh 2 is set for release on March 13, 2020 for PlayStation 4 and details on the sequel's upcoming beta have been revealed.
The news was announced in a PlayStation Blog post on Wednesday. The game's producer shared information about the beta's stage and the in-game reward players will achieve for completing it. A trailer for the game has also been released showcasing new gameplay.
Completing the beta will earn players "The Mark of the Demon Slayer" which will unlock the Kamaitachi Helmet in the full game when it's released. The post also says preorders are live on PlayStation Store and preordering will come with additional rewards. Those rewards weren't revealed in the blog.
Star Wars: Why Did Benioff and Weiss Really Exit?
In a week of major entertainment news, few stories have stood out more than the announcement that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have stepped away from their planned series of Star Wars films. In a statement released to Deadline, the duo chalked up their departure to a very busy schedule and their overall deal with Netflix. “There are only so many hours in the day, and we felt we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects,” they said. “So we are regretfully stepping away.”
Hollywood Executives Share Disagreements on Value of Marvel Films
While the streaming and box office wars continue, some of Hollywood’s biggest executives came together for a rare roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and with Disney’s Marvel movies’ continued domination, feelings run a little hot.
When THR reporter Matthew Belloni asked if, like American Idol, there would come a point where it wasn’t “cool” to watch Marvel movies, Disney Studios CCO Alan Horn pushed back.
“The answer is no,” Horn told THR. “If the film has a compelling storyline, if it has heart and humor, two things that I insist on, and it's terrifically well executed, I think there is an audience. But who knows?
Big Steam Library Redesign Now Live for Everyone
Valve’s big Steam library redesign is finally live for everyone. Following a beta, the redesigned Steam library is available to download right now.
Steam’s new library is long overdue, and Valve broke down the various new features in a blog post. But going forward it’s clear that Valve is hoping the Steam library becomes more of a hub where players can track their favorite games and communities all from one place.
The first big change is the look. The Steam library now acts as a landing page that gives immediate updates on recently played games, friend activity, and game updates.
Will Death Stranding’s PC Port Hurt Its PS4 Launch?
On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show Podcast Beyond, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Max Scoville to discuss Death Stranding's PC port confirmation and its lack of PS4 exclusivity, Sony's trademarks of the PS6, PS7, PS8, PS9, and PS10 and whether that means we'll be seeing a lot more PlayStation exclusives.
The duo talks about some more news, like the Fallout 76 Fallout 1st blunders, while Max offers his thoughts on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and The Outer Worlds and Jonathon discusses his Afterparty review.
Have questions, comments, or Memory Card stories? Send them to beyond@ign.com.
Everything to Expect From Blizzcon 2019: Overwatch 2, Diablo 4, and Hong Kong Protests
Blizzcon 2019 is only a few days away and already Blizzard’s entire news cycles seem to have leaked. There are reports of a new World of Warcraft expansion, Diablo 4, and Overwatch 2 (or Chapter 2). With those in mind, here’s everything IGN expects to see at this year’s big Blizzard showcase. Not to mention the shadow of the Hong Kong protests looming over everything.
Overwatch 2
ESPN reported from sources familiar with Blizzard’s plans that the company will announce a sequel of sorts to Overwatch. Fans should expect something closer to the recent Fortnite Chapter 2 which is essentially a big new content update to the existing game.
Norman Reedus Talks Kojima’s Directorial Style on Death Stranding
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Death Stranding star Norman Reedus described Hideo Kojima as a “genius’ genius” while discussing the enigmatic game developer’s directorial style.
While discussing how Kojima directed Death Stranding’s cutscenes – with or without all the necessary actors in the same room at times – Reedus described how oftentimes it was just down to he and Kojima, leading to peculiar interactions.
“A lot of times it was just me and Hideo. He would have a plastic baby doll on the ground and want me to cradle it and act like it’s dead. Then act like it’s alive,” Reedus said, seemingly referencing Death Stranding’s first major teaser trailer. "Then freak out because there’s handprints everywhere. You stand up and he goes, imagine there’s a thousand dead whales in front of you, and you’re like, 'What?!' His mind is on another level. He’s a genius’ genius. He and I got into a shorthand where he would look at me and he would point and frown and make a face and I would just go, yep, I got it. We sort of transcended the language barrier after a while.”
Nioh and Outlast 2 are Free on PlayStation Plus in November
Nioh and Outlast 2 have been announced as the free PlayStation Plus games for November.
The PlayStation Blog revealed the games will be available from November 5 to December 3. They will replace The Last of Us Remastered and MLB: The Show 19.
Nioh was developed by Team Ninja, the team behind the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden franchises. IGN's Nioh review awarded the game a 9.6 out of 10 upon the game's release in February 2017. We said "Nioh is an epic, unforgettable adventure carried by a fierce combat system." A sequel was announced at Sony's E3 2018 conference with an open beta coming November 1 to November 10 on PlayStation 4.
Call Of Duty Mobile Review – Don’t Call Me Shirley
Translating the speed and precision of Call of Duty's multiplayer to a touch screen sounds like a no-brainer. You want the same high-octane action on the go, and now that most phones support Bluetooth controllers, the issue of virtual buttons and joysticks bogging down the experience is a moot point. It's both curious and surprising then that Call of Duty Mobile not only doesn't make use of more traditional controllers, but that it also doesn't feel like it needs to. Its smart control scheme is core to why this scaled-down version of one of the most popular shooters in the world doesn't make drastic compromises to get there.
Call of Duty Mobile is like a greatest hits tour of the best aspects of the series' console multiplayer. It features the most popular game modes and some of the best maps from Modern Warfare and the first two instalments of Black Ops, faithfully recreated to give you the same sight lines and choke points you're familiar with. It looks great, too. Playing on an iPhone 11, I was surprised at how much detail is packed into each map while the game sticks to a silky-smooth frame rate, only briefly dipping with large amounts of action on the screen or out in the more graphically challenging open environments of the included Battle Royale mode. Weapons feature their signature punchy animations and sound effects, killstreaks retain their destructive glamor, and a variety of cosmetic options keep things from drowning in boring military styles. There's no mistaking it: This is Call of Duty.
It does, however, leave out controller support, despite Android and iOS supporting it widely. Instead you have to use on-screen touch controls, with a handful of buttons and two virtual joysticks controlling the action. First-person games with this type of control scheme have been attempted numerous times, and they've hardly stuck. The inability to continue firing while both moving and adjusting your aim is the issue, typically requiring you to sacrifice one or the other to use a finger to hit the trigger. This is how both Fortnite and PUBG work on mobile, but Call of Duty Mobile gives you numerous options to tweak it for the better.
The default mode removes manual shooting altogether. Instead of tapping a button to fire, it's triggered automatically when you keep your reticle fixed on an enemy for a short amount of time, which is drastically reduced if you're also aiming down the sights. This lets you focus on keeping aim on an opponent at all times without having to temporarily stand still to hit fire, allowing the action in Call of Duty Mobile to remain fast and fluid. Additional options allow you to make minute changes to the controls, too. You can choose which type of weapons use automatic or manual firing (snipers, for example, benefit from more precise firing) and finely adjust how closely you need to be aiming at an enemy to trigger a shot. Its flexibility lets you experiment with what setup suits your playstyle best while keeping everyone using the same input method for balance, and it works really well.
A well-placed action bar at the bottom of the screen and contextual buttons for equipment, like grenades and killstreaks, keeps all your actions within reach, letting you tap them quickly enough to not seriously affect your ability to continue moving and shooting. Battle Royale also includes the same automatic pickup systems featured in Black Ops 4's Blackout, and feels far more suited for this constricted control scheme. Attachments and weapons that outrank those you currently have will automatically be picked up and equipped as you hover over them, while additional ammunition and healing items will be added in the same breath. There are instances where you'll have to dive into your item menu and make quick, small changes to suit your preferences, and navigating this on such a small screen is cumbersome. But for all the potential areas where Call of Duty Mobile might have had a problem with its interface, it approaches the majority of them with smart solutions that let you just focus on the action without worry.
Being free-to-play, Call of Duty Mobile does come with a recognizable suite of microtransactions and blind loot boxes for you to purchase, the majority of which only contain cosmetic items such as weapons and equipment skins. It's typical for the game to bombard you with messages when launched about new in-game currency offers, Battle Pass exclusives, seasonal events, and more, which is frustrating if you're just trying to log in for a quick game. Whenever you earn a loot box through natural progression, you'll be reminded of how much better its contained loot would be had you splurged on the Battle Pass, offering yet another pop-up to route you towards its purchase. Call of Duty Mobile is unrelenting in the way it tries to steer you towards options that require your credit card, but thankfully it has a miniscule impact on gameplay.
Traditional progression governs when you unlock new weapons and equipment, and there's no way to pay money to speed this process up. As you rank up, you'll unlock new custom class slots, tactical equipment, weapons across all classes, and special weapons that you can use in a similar fashion to the hero abilities in Black Ops 4. Where it deviates is with weapon attachments. Each weapon you use has an associated level. The more you use a weapon, the more attachments you unlock for it. Although you can't outright purchase new weapons, you can purchase weapon XP vouchers that can drastically speed up the process of unlocking attachments for them. With just a few you can take a brand-new weapon to its maximum level in a few seconds, circumventing the grinding you'd have to put in otherwise.
This can give you an advantage, as spending money could allow you to more quickly unlock a precise red dot sight to improve your aim or a foregrip to steady your shots. It is easy enough to earn these vouchers through regular play, which mitigates the gap between paying and non-paying players to an extent, but if you're not looking to spend anything you'll have to play a couple of games with a slight disadvantage once you've settled on a new weapon. But once you've reached the maximum level for your preferred weapon, the playing field is entirely even again.
Beyond its messy microtransaction menus and the slight time-saving purchases, there's not much else in Call of Duty Mobile that detracts from its faithful recreation of the exhilarating and fast-paced multiplayer action of the core series. It's flexible and easy-to-use control scheme mitigates the lack of controller support, and its celebration of the best modes and maps the Black Ops and Modern Warfare series have produced makes it a pleasure to line up game after game.