New Ghost in the Shell Announced, Beta Incoming
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Online has been announced, and beta registration is now open.
The first phase of the closed beta begins on October 1, 2015, and is due to run until October 4. The second phase, we’re told, will arrive “shortly after,” the first. Anyone who partakes in the beta will receive an exclusive weapon skin known as “First Assault.”
You can sign up for the beta over on the official website.
Developed by Nexon, First Assault is a multiplayer first-person shooter. Each character comes with their own attribute system which mirrors the works of Shirow Masamune’s much-loved manga. So expect cloaking, enhanced vision, and other post-cyberpunk abilities.
Penarium Release Date Revealed
Team17 and Self Made Miracle have announced that Penarium will be coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC on September 22.
Penarium is a fast paced 2D arena arcade game where you guide protagonist Willy through a wicked circus show designed to kill its participants. It comes from Dutch developer Self Made Miracle in a partnership with indie developer and label Team17, most known for its Worms franchise.
It features 30 single player challenges, a single player arcade mode, as well as local co-op versus and co-operative multiplayer modes.
Penarium will cost £7 / $10 / €9, and there will also be a free trial version available for download. IGN played a bit of an early version last year, which you can check out right here.
Why We Already Love Metal Gear Online
Metal Gear Online is the only competitive multiplayer game I can think of that actively rewards players for not killing each other.
I played my first round of the Bounty Hunter mode like I would any other team death match mode. I focused more on depleting enemy respawn tickets as quickly as possible, running around and firing a machine-gun like a madman. This did not work, because Metal Gear Online is smarter, better, and deeper than that, and I'm already in love with what I've played.
Each kill I earned increased my bounty, making me a more meaningful target for my opponents. Likewise, my teammates in their Gear Walkers racking up the kill count became a huge priority for the enemy team, who focused on using Fulton devices to extract our KO’d bodies out of the battlefield.
The Evolution of PES
As Konami celebrates 20 years of its enduring football series, we look back at the key games and moments during its two decades in the spotlight.
Here’s where the PES story really began. ISS wasn’t Konami’s first attempt at a football game, nor was it the first to be viewed from an isometric perspective: EA Sports had got there on the latter count with the original FIFA in 1993, while this shared as much in common with its 8-bit side-scrolling predecessor, Konami Hyper Soccer. It lacked some of the presentational pizzazz of FIFA, not to mention the official licences (these would become familiar points of distinction as the two series became fierce rivals), but while Konami made up names for all the players, they more closely resembled their real world counterparts. This showed a commitment to authenticity for which Konami’s games would soon become renowned.
How Forza Motorsport 6 Makes Your Favourite Cars Matter
One of the more interesting pieces of racing game trivia I’ve picked up over the last few years is just how hefty the cost of bringing a vehicle into a modern driving sim can be.
During an interview with Turn 10 studio head Alan Hartman last year he mentioned to me how they're spending “well over the sticker price” of some of these cars to actually model them in-game.
One of the Forza Motorsport series’ greatest strengths is the way it tackles its car roster, and Turn 10 has been improving on this forte for several instalments. Forza Motorsport, its most recent edition included, has an admirable knack for assembling garages that embrace car culture from all over the globe without a disproportionally large focus on vehicles from just a single region or country. You won't find 135 Nissans and only 12 Ferraris here.
Karin Confirmed for Street Fighter 5
Karin is coming back in Street Fighter V. In a stage presentation at this year's Tokyo Game Show, Capcom unveiled the much-anticipated character's return. Karin placed first in a Japanese poll for the next character fans wanted in Street Fighter V, a Capcom representative told IGN.
Here's Karin's official description:
Behind Karin’s golden locks and razer-sharp wit lies a true martial artist trained in the unique “Kanzuki style” of fighting. Utilizing her new dash move allows her to close distances quickly with her opponents and go in for quick high-low attacks or throws. Her well-rounded skills allow her to possess a full set of tools and deploy a wide array of strikes and maneuvers that will have opponents feeling the pressure. For fans who’ve longed for her return, or for those just looking for a quick fighter with lots of versatility, Karin is a welcome addition to Street Fighter V!
Dark Souls 3 Reinvents How Magic Works
The inclusion of a more traditional magic system in Dark Souls 3 should have a potent effect on how even the best Dark Souls players will fight for their lives. It also makes Dark Souls 3's combat much more complex and demanding.
Previously in Dark Souls, magic could only be cast a fixed number of times and the only way to replenish this reserve was to rest at a bonfire. Dark Souls 3 returns to a more traditional system, based around a magic meter. Known as Gauge, it functions as a combat modifier for the especially aggressive player. More than anything, Gauge is the currency of the cocksure. True to Dark Souls tradition, caution is the defining factor between the downfall of the arrogant and the success of the skilled.
Project X Zone 2 Release Date Revealed
Project X Zone 2 -- Bandai Namco's crossover strategy sequel with SEGA and Capcom -- is coming to Nintendo 3DS in February, 2016. Bandai Namco has revealed Project X Zone will arrive in North America on February 16, 2016, and in Europe a few days later on February 19.
The gorgeous turn-based tactics game features characters from Ace Attorney, Mega Man, Yakuza, Street Fighter, Tekken, Shinobi, Resident Evil 6, Space Channel 5, and more.
For all our news, previews, interviews, and more coverage from Tokyo Game Show, check out IGN's TGS 2015 Hub.
Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. Talk to him about Dota 2, movies, books, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch.
Dark Souls 3 Launches in the West After Japan
Bandai Namco has announced that Dark Souls 3 will release in the West in April, 2016. The precise date has yet to be specified.
This comes on the heels of Bandai's Japanese release date announcement from Sony's PlayStation keynote ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2015, which IGN is covering from September 17-20. Dark Souls 3 will launch first in Japan.
For all our news, previews, interviews, and more coverage from Tokyo Game Show, check out IGN's TGS 2015 Hub.
First Look at the Gorgeous New PlayStation 4 and Vita Hardware
New PlayStation 4 and PS Vita hardware is on display at Sony's Tokyo Game Show booth, and you can get your first glimpse right here.
In the gallery below, you'll see the colorful new HDD covers, vibrant Vita faces, and new DualShock 4s -- including the see-through controller.
Mobile users, please swipe to see the next image.
Be sure to check out everything Sony announced at its TGS PlayStation keynote, and for all things TGS, check out IGN's Tokyo Game Show 2015 Hub.
Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. Talk to him about Dota 2, movies, books, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch.