Why XCOM 2 Had to be PC Exclusive
This November, XCOM 2 will appear exclusively on PC (Windows, Mac OS, and Linux), delivered through Steam.
“Yeah, we figured that would surprise some people,” said Lead Producer Garth DeAngelis.
It certainly surprised us. Considering XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within initially came out on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, and have since even been ported to iOS and Android, narrowing focus to a single platform for the sequel seems to defy conventional game-development wisdom. But if there’s a developer out there that knows how to be successful making PC games, it’s Firaxis. The Maryland-based studio is best known for the Sid Meier’s Civilization series, which (other than the Civilization: Revolution console and mobile spinoffs) has resolutely stuck to its PC roots for 20 years.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist Releasing Q3 2015
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of The Duelist will be coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q3 2015.
This upcoming download-only title will feature key stories and decks, 90 characters from the show, and offer "a nostalgic journey to the memorable world of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series", along with a brand-new story campaign.
There'll also be a new Battle Pack Sealed Deck and Draft for online or AI duels. Battle Pack formats supported include Battle Pack: Epic Dawn, Battle Pack 2: War of the Giants, and War of the Giants: Round 2.
"Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist sees players from around the world invited to take part in an elite Dueling program that simulates the best Duels from every era of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe," says publisher Konami. "Gamers can replay actual events from the Yu-Gi-Oh! canon, from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series up to Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL."
All the Mutants in X-Men: Apocalypse
With X-Men: Apocalypse now shooting in Montreal for a May 27, 2016, release, director Bryan Singer has gotten back into the habit of dropping casting news, photos, concept art and more on social media. And while it’s great to see all these little teases about the movie, it’s also getting tough to keep track of the many different mutants (and humans here or there) who will be showing up this time out!
East Coast’s Largest Esports Tournament Comes to Madison Square Garden
Esports company ESL has once again partnered with Twitch and ReedPOP for the East Coast’s largest eSports event, this time taking place in Madison Square Garden Theater.
ESL One will see the eight of the best Dota 2 teams battling over a $250,000 prize pool spanning the course of two days, October 3 – 4.
This year’s event aims to give fans “unparalleled” access to the pro-players, offering exclusive strategy sessions, autograph signings, and the chance to play against the best of the best.
Can’t make it to the event? Never fear as you’ll be able to watch the matches on Twitch or live in select cinemas. Tickets for the event range from $59 for a single day pass, all the way up to $269 if you’re after something more.
AMD to Unveil New GPU in June
AMD has announced a presentation that will air on June 16 at 9am PST (5pm BST), where the company will unveil its new graphics processing unit.
Entitled "AMD Presents: The New Era of PC Gaming", the company will be showing off its new GPU, code-named Fiji, during E3 week.
The presentation will be streamed live, and if you're in the Los Angeles area on the date you can request a seat at the Belasco Theater.
At the end of May, AMD released a teaser image of what is thought to be the Radeon 390X graphics card. To keep up with everything else that's happening during E3 week, keep it right here on IGN.
How to Get Ready for Fallout 4
Fallout 4 was announced this week and managed to almost break the internet, but what now? With no firm release date in place, Chris, Rory & Gav offer suggestions for what films you can watch to chase away the post-apocalyptic blues.
Jurassic World director, Colin Trevorrow, also stops by to chat with Krupa briefly about what it was like filling Steven Spielberg's shoes on his new dino action adventure. You can check out the trailer below.
The feedback section in this week's podcast will blow your cotton socks off!
IGN UK Podcast #283: What Movies You Need to Watch to Prepare for Fallout 4
Meet the Man Who Redeemed Final Fantasy
From the instant it was launched back in 2010, it was clear Final Fantasy XIV had many serious problems. Whether it was the unstable servers, dire user interface or awful quest design that served as the final nail in the coffin is unclear, but what’s a matter of record is the reaction: scathing reviews, an exodus of players and, ultimately, closure. Fans of the series were incredibly disillusioned with what had been put out under the banner of the once-great series. No one questioned Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada when he said in 2011, "The Final Fantasy brand has been greatly damaged."
The 19 Most Ridiculous Moments in FIFA Movie United Passions
FIFA has been rocked by accusations of corruption, fraud, racketeering, bribery and money laundering over the last week, with multiple members of football's governing body being arrested, and explosive revelations hitting the news on a daily basis.
Mercifully, new film United Passions has arrived to redress the balance, depicting football’s governing body as a noble, honourable and chaste organization, whose (now former) boss Sepp Blatter is a tireless crusader for truth, justice and the honourable ideals of the sport. The fact that FIFA contributed around £17m of the film’s £20m budget is of course purely coincidental to such a narrative approach.
United Passions hasn’t been released in the UK – perhaps unsurprisingly when you read this feature – so IGN had to import a DVD from France. We watched aghast, amazed at the talent the film managed to attract – with Gerard Depardieu as Jules Rimet, Sam Neill as Joao Havelange, and Tim Roth as Blatter himself, and incredulous that such propaganda is actually getting a release in the U.S. today.
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend Gets an NA Release Date
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend will release in North America on June 30.
The latest version of Arc System Works’ 2D brawler will be available for purchase on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, as well as PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.
New features coming to Extend include a revamped Guard Gauge system, new additions in Stylish Mode, and the introduction of Remix Heart, a comedic addition to the story mode.
But wait, there’s more. Also coming are two new characters – Celica and Lambda – and a selection of new stages and scenarios.
The first iteration of Chrono Phantasma arrived in North America last year. In our review, we praised Extend’s ability to revitalise a classic, saying “Chrono Phantasma's new characters, changes to existing favorites, and added mechanics breathe new life into BlazBlue.”
The Critically Acclaimed Series Microsoft Published and Forgot
First a confession; I was always far more invested in the Colin McRae Rally series than DICE’s RalliSport Challenge games. The more nuanced handling and deeper gameplay of the Colin McRae games appealed far more to my sim sensibilities.
As a result, the original RalliSport Challenge was a game I dabbled with rather than invested in completely. I still admired a lot about it, though. It was hugely pretty at the time, very easy to pick up and play, and has a really great mix of cars (many of which were rarely seen anywhere else).
Check out the video above for our discussion of the original RalliSport Challenge, and read on below for a quick summary and a little additional insight.