God of War New Game+ Announced
God of War will be getting a New Game+ mode. This news came during Sony's E3 2018 Conference.
The update will be available via a patch at a later date.
A Sony blogpost went into further detail, saying, "Have you ever imagined that first test of strength defying battle with Baldur while adorning the Valkyrie Armor on Kratos? You can with New Game+. How about a fully upgraded Leviathan Axe at the start of the game? That will also be possible, and quite frankly, you may need it, New Game+ won’t just be a sunny stroll through Midgard. In New Game+, you’ll start a new game with many upgrades you had from the completion of your last main quest, such as armors, pommels, talismans, and more…except your strength to open or kick down doors remains the same."
You Play as Ellie in The Last of Us Part 2
Ellie has been confirmed as a playable character with brand new gameplay via the new The Last of Us Part 2 demo showcased during PlayStation's E3 press conference. Armed with a bow, a backpack, and a knife, Ellie snuck around a forest environment in the demo.
The demo featured an intense combat scenario bookended by scenes of Ellie dancing with a previously unknown character named Dina. According to an update by game director Neil Druckmann on the PlayStation Blog, "Ellie is now 19 and has found a semblance of peace and normality living in Jackson" at the time of the demo. Ellie has found some peace but it is "disrupted by a violent act."
Assassin’s Creed Special Editions Announced
Ubisoft announced five special edition versions of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Monday after debuting the first official trailer and gameplay at E3 2018.
The Deluxe Edition, priced at $79.99, includes a download code for the game, the “Kronos” and “Herald of Dusk” gear packs, an XP and drachma (the in-game currency) boost, and the “Capricornus Naval Pack” that nets you some nautical gear and a new ship.
The Gold Edition, priced at $109.99, gets players early access to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on October 2, three days before the public release date. It also includes the season pass (which gets owners access to all future DLC), a steelbook, and the “Secrets of Greece” bonus mission.
Tunic Is An Adorable Adventure Hiding Dark Secrets
One of the biggest little games shown during Microsoft’s E3 2018 conference caught me by total surprise. It’s called Tunic, a beautiful isometric action-adventure starring a cute fox as it ventures through a blocky, fantasy open-world full of mystery and secrets.
I was able to get my hands on a brief portion of Tunic -- previously known as Secret Legend -- and I can confirm it’s cute as heck, with an excellent atmosphere of exploration and discovery. But it’s also not just a really, really pretty adventure. There’s a current of difficulty and danger that runs below the surface.
When I spoke to Andrew Shouldice, the mostly one-man developer -- who outsourced some of the game's excellent sound design -- of Tunic, he was very clear that Tunic is more than just a cute-fox simulator.
Maneater Is Like a Jaws RPG Where You Play as the Shark
Today at E3, Killing Floor Developer Tripwire Interactive revealed a new Shark RPG, titled Maneater, coming to PC via Steam.
During the PC Gaming Show, the publisher released a new trailer showcasing the carnage you can cause while in control of a deadly Bull Shark who's terrorizing local waterways in the Gulf Coast.
While there wasn't an in-depth look at how the game's mechanics will function, the studio did say that there will be a "shark skill tree," where the player can unlock new perks that will make your shark the ultimate killing machine. Here's a brief synopsis for Maneater:
Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Valkyria Chronicles 4 Coming to PC
Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami and Valkyria Chronicles 4 are coming to PC. Sega revealed the news during the PC Gaming Show.
Yakuza 0 and Kiwami will both run in 4k with uncapped framerates on PC.
That's right! Yakuza 0 is coming to PC on August 1st, Yakuza Kiwami and Valkyria Chronicles 4 are also coming to PC at a later date! pic.twitter.com/qepojQR9s0
— SEGA Europe (@SEGA_Europe) June 11, 2018
Yakuza 0 is set to release on an unspecified date in August. Fans can pre-order the game on Steam now to receive the Digital Deluxe Edition which contains Yakuza manga, avatars and exclusive wallpapers.
DayZ Developer Announces New Survival Game Vigor
DayZ developer Bohemia Interactive has announced a new online survival game called Vigor, and it's coming exclusively to Xbox One.
As detailed on the game's official website, Vigor takes place in a post-war Norway after a nuclear bomb has devastated most of Europe. With 8-16 player combat at the center of the action, players will have to collect loot and precious resources, and maintain and upgrade their own shelters and equipment.
The game is coming to Xbox Game Preview later this summer, and you can sign up for the closed beta here.
Overkill’s The Walking Dead Release Date Announced
At The PC Gaming Show During E3 2018, it was revealed that Overkill's The Walking Dead would be released on November 6 in North and South America and November 8 in the rest of the world. Preorders will begin June 12.
Overkill's The Walking Dead is a co-op shooter similar to the Left 4 Dead series, and was originally set to come out about a year and a half ago before being delayed twice.
A series of character trailers were released last week, the latest of which you can watch here.
Tom Marks is IGN's PC Editor and pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter.
Gears 5 Director Compares Game to Mad Max: Fury Road
One of the big surprises from Microsoft’s E3 2018 conference was the reveal of not one, not two, but three new Gears of War games, in Gears Funko, Gears Tactics, and Gears 5. A day after the reveals, The Coalition’s studio head Rod Fergusson took the stage at Microsoft’s E3 edition of Inside Xbox and elaborated a bit on Gears 5, including how it compares to George Miller's 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road.
The Gears 5 reveal showed us that this game will shift player focus from JD Fenix to Kait Diaz. Fergusson confirmed that Kait is the main protagonist of the game, and elaborated on that. "It was a natural choice. When you play through Gears 4, think of it as Mad Max: Fury Road. It was really Furiosa's story, and Max was the side kick. That's how it felt in Gears 4, the whole game is about saving Kait's mom, and really JD is there to help her."
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is Doing Crowdsourced Creativity Right
Today Ubisoft announced a partnership with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s HitRecord that will bring community-created art, music, and potentially more into Beyond Good & Evil 2. Not only will fan-made pieces show up in the game, the people making those things will get paid for it.
That’s thanks in no small part to the HitRecord platform itself. The HitRecord site describes it by saying “we're a new kind of online community working together as a production company.” It’s been around for a few years, and is a wonderful initiative connecting creative people who may not have the means to make songs or films all on their own with others who can help.