Get your bubbling cauldrons ready for winter as Koei Tecmo will release Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream in North America on February 25, 2022 for PlayStation 4, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.

This new entry in the Atelier series (which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year) is a sequel to Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book, first released in Japan in 2015 but more recently ported to the Nintendo Switch.

You can check out an exclusive look at the introduction to the game below:

In her first adventure, young alchemist Sophie Neuenmuller ran her own business in the town of Kirchen Bell but struggled with her craft. She discovered a floating, talking book of alchemic recipes named Plactha. This book shared her extensive knowledge with Sophie in exchange for help in regaining her memories and original form. Sophie also partnered with non-book friends as she gathered materials for her alchemy and they collectively fought monsters in the wild using Sophie's handiwork. As players learned how to master the in-game alchemy systems, Sophie gained experience as an alchemist, gaining access to more complex creations.

For the upcoming sequel, Sophie and Plachta will continue their friendship and journey outside of Kirchen Bell to a new realm called Erde Weige. There she discovers a young alchemist also named Plachta, but this one doesn't seem to know Sophie at all. In Atelier Sophie 2's new world, up to six party members form two teams and battle monsters in "multi-linked turn-based battles". Switching from exploration to combat is now instant, with no more loading or transition screens between the two gameplay modes.

It's not all fighting though, as Sophie still needs to use her alchemy talents to combine materials into new substances. The panel synthesis system from the previous game will return, offering players a choice on how they wish to create their concoctions. Regular panels allow for easier creations, but "restricted" panels can produce stronger stuff — if players know how to use them.

The very first Atelier game debuted in May of 1997 exclusively in Japan, originally for the Sony PlayStation but later ported to many other consoles. Sequels and spinoffs followed soon after, but it took years before an Atelier game was officially localized. Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, would be the first title to see an international release, but recently Koei Tecmo has taken a more global, multi-platform approach with the series (including releasing on Steam).

To celebrate the franchise's upcoming 25th anniversary, a website is already up to highlight the latest news surrounding the event. Koei Tecmo America is also offering a Limited Edition version of Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream exclusively through the NIS America online store, with an art book, deluxe fabric poster, keychain, bonus soundtrack CD, and an exclusive DLC costume.

Diamond Feit is a writer/podcaster in Osaka, Japan who uses Twitter & Twitch as feitclub.

Get your bubbling cauldrons ready for winter as Koei Tecmo will release Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream in North America on February 25, 2022 for PlayStation 4, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.

This new entry in the Atelier series (which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year) is a sequel to Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book, first released in Japan in 2015 but more recently ported to the Nintendo Switch.

You can check out an exclusive look at the introduction to the game below:

In her first adventure, young alchemist Sophie Neuenmuller ran her own business in the town of Kirchen Bell but struggled with her craft. She discovered a floating, talking book of alchemic recipes named Plactha. This book shared her extensive knowledge with Sophie in exchange for help in regaining her memories and original form. Sophie also partnered with non-book friends as she gathered materials for her alchemy and they collectively fought monsters in the wild using Sophie's handiwork. As players learned how to master the in-game alchemy systems, Sophie gained experience as an alchemist, gaining access to more complex creations.

For the upcoming sequel, Sophie and Plachta will continue their friendship and journey outside of Kirchen Bell to a new realm called Erde Weige. There she discovers a young alchemist also named Plachta, but this one doesn't seem to know Sophie at all. In Atelier Sophie 2's new world, up to six party members form two teams and battle monsters in "multi-linked turn-based battles". Switching from exploration to combat is now instant, with no more loading or transition screens between the two gameplay modes.

It's not all fighting though, as Sophie still needs to use her alchemy talents to combine materials into new substances. The panel synthesis system from the previous game will return, offering players a choice on how they wish to create their concoctions. Regular panels allow for easier creations, but "restricted" panels can produce stronger stuff — if players know how to use them.

The very first Atelier game debuted in May of 1997 exclusively in Japan, originally for the Sony PlayStation but later ported to many other consoles. Sequels and spinoffs followed soon after, but it took years before an Atelier game was officially localized. Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, would be the first title to see an international release, but recently Koei Tecmo has taken a more global, multi-platform approach with the series (including releasing on Steam).

To celebrate the franchise's upcoming 25th anniversary, a website is already up to highlight the latest news surrounding the event. Koei Tecmo America is also offering a Limited Edition version of Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream exclusively through the NIS America online store, with an art book, deluxe fabric poster, keychain, bonus soundtrack CD, and an exclusive DLC costume.

Diamond Feit is a writer/podcaster in Osaka, Japan who uses Twitter & Twitch as feitclub.

Paradox Interactive has stopped development on multiple unannounced games in an effort to put more resources into safer bets for the company's profits.

The publisher announced the cancellations in a press release on Thursday. Paradox says they are still working on 15 new games including Victoria 3, Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Crusader Kings 3 on consoles, and the Shadowrun Trilogy on consoles. Paradox is also working on many new DLCs.

Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester says the company is focusing more on the company's reputation for strategy games and making games last long after launch.

"Paradox Interactive was born and raised in strategy and management games," Wester said in a press release. "It is where we have our heart and our mind and we are passionate about making games that our players can enjoy over a long period of time. Therefore we have sharpened our pipeline further to ensure that the projects with the highest potential have the resources necessary for the best possible development. We now have a promising game pipeline and I look forward to sharing these games with our players over the next few years."

Paradox released two games in 2020: Empire of Sin and Crusader Kings III. Crusader Kings III received critical acclaim and is the 11th best-reviewed game of 2020 on Metacritic. Paradox specifically mentions in the press release that the Royal Court DLC is still in development for Crusader Kings III.

The publisher also released the strategy game Surviving the Aftermath in October 2020, but the game remains in early access at the time of writing.

This change in direction for Paradox may have been the creative differences that led to Ebba Ljungerud resigning as CEO of Paradox in September due to the company's new direction.

IGN's 10 out of 10 Crusader Kings III review said the game, "takes the throne as the new king of historical strategy." Crusader Kings III has been announced for Xbox Series X/S and PS5 but does not have a release date at this time. Until then, read up on details of the upcoming Royal Court DLC.

Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Woody Harrelson says likability can lead to a more interesting villain as he compares his villainous turn as Cletus Kasady in Venom 2 to Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers.

In an interview with IGN, Harrelson says humanizing villains with a companion can attract audiences to his psychopathic characters. It worked with Julliette Lewis' character in Natural Born Killers and again with Naomie Harris' character in Venom 2.

"[Companionship] is one of those aspects of the story that endears you to Cletus Kasady in spite of being a serial killer, which is good because you want to have some likable things," Harrelson said. "That's what makes for a more interesting villain."

Harrelson also discussed how to humanize serial killer characters like Cletus Kasady and Mickey Knox when an actor is in the role. He says using a character's childhood trauma can help storytellers civilize even the most truly villainous characters.

"I do feel like there's all of these incidents from one's childhood that create that level of derangement," Harrelson said. "So, I guess I try to put my imagination into that."

Find out where to watch Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The Marvel Comics movie sequel racked up $11.6 million in Thursday previews in the United States and Canada, which is the second-best of all movies domestically since April 2020 following Black Widow's $13.2 million, according to Variety.

In our Venom: Let There Be Carnage review, we said the sequel, "improves on everything from the first movie, leaning into its own absurdity. While it plays it a little safe, it still points the series in an exciting direction."

IGN also has full breakdowns of the movie's new characters Carnage and Shriek.

Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

The final James Bond film starring Daniel Craig as 007 is now showing in some regions, and Craig is reflecting on his time in the role.

No Time To Die represents the end of 15 years of Craig playing Bond, a journey that started with Casino Royale back in 2006. Speaking to GQ, Craig said he hopes Bond has "changed a lot" while he's played the character, specifically noting his treatment of women.

“What I’ve always tried to do is never judge him. He’s flawed, and his attitude towards the world and towards women is questionable, and I think that’s interesting. The way we’ve tried to deal with it is to cast as many strong female characters as possible, and for him to go up against those people," Craig said.

Craig commended Judi Dench's performance as M, also saying that Bond's relationship with her, "informed who he is, but also exposes him for what he is."

The actor has also recently spoken out about the idea of casting a woman as the next Bond, saying, "Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?” However, No Time to Die will star Lashana Lynch as a female 00 agent and we know the search for Craig's replacement will begin next year.

In the full interview, Craig also talks about his favorite stunts as Bond and the worst injuries he sustained while filming the Bond films over the last decade and a half. Craig recently reminisced on the time he broke Dave Bautista's nose on the set of Spectre.

In our No Time to Die review, we called Craig's swansong 'good', saying, "while Skyfall would have been a better send-off for him, No Time to Die is nonetheless a showcase for a complex and first-in-class performance from the best James Bond we’ve ever had."

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Along with losing director Chris Columbus for the Five Nights at Freddy's movie, producer Jason Blum says series creator Scott Cawthon still hasn't agreed on a story after ten scripts.

Blum revealed the news in an interview with Collider. He said Cawthon hasn't agreed on a story and his production company can't move on without Cawthon's approval.

"We've written multiple scripts, and we've got where we're threading a needle, which is doing justice to Five Nights at Freddy's and making Scott [Cawthon] happy," Blum said. "The only way that we would go about it is giving Scott...I don't want to do something that Scott doesn't like. Let me say that a different way. I don't have the right to do anything Scott doesn't like. Basically, Scott has kind of like the equivalent of ‘final cut’ and it's taken longer than I hoped to get the right story."

A script was reportedly approved by Blum and Columbus in 2018, but Cawthon said he passed on it. In November 2020, Cawthon detailed ten drafts of Five Nights at Freddy's movie scripts in a post on Reddit. He said the tenth and final script he mentioned was the one they were going to film. Cawthon said filming would begin in spring 2021. But it seems the two parties are still working on a final script.

Blum also didn't give a reason for Columbus' departure and, when asked if there is a replacement, Blum said, "That is classified information." Columbus has been publicly attached as the director since February 2018.

Cawthon developed the original Five Nights at Freddy's game for PC and released it in 2014. The game has spawned numerous sequels with the tenth main installment, Security Breach, expected to come out by the end of 2021 after being delayed.

A Five Nights at Freddy's free-to-play beat-em-up was released earlier this year as an apology for Security Breach's delay.

IGN has rounded up a list of every video game movie and TV show in development including a Cyberpunk 2077 anime series and a Call of Duty movie.

Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Welcome back to IGN Game Scoop!, the ONLY video game podcast! This week your Omega Cops -- Daemon Hatfield, Tina Amini, Sam Claiborn, and Justin Davis -- are discussing Game of the Year contenders like Deathloop, Resident Evil Village, Hot Wheels Unleashed, and more. And, of course, they play Video Game 20 Questions.

Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service.

Listen on:

Apple Podcasts

YouTube

Spotify

Stitcher

Find previous episodes here!

Rosario Dawson, the actress known for her portrayal of Ahsoka Tano in The Mandolorian, has been revealed to be joining the cast of Dying Light 2. She will play a major character within the survival-horror sequel.

As reported by Gamespot, fans were updated with news of the actress's involvement in the game as part of the development team's recent Dying Light 2 Dying 2 Know stream.

Just a heads up, this article contains some minor spoilers linked to the characters in Dying Light 2.

Don't miss the fourth episode of Dying 2 Know! We'll tell you more about the vast open world of Dying Light 2 Stay Human, and reveal some characters which you will meet in the game.https://t.co/wk7KDX5hET pic.twitter.com/ZGyTgA5V5G

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) September 30, 2021

Dawson will be playing a character known as Lawan in Dying Light 2. Described as a "warrior of sorts," the actress says that her character is a "very tough woman who is fighting her past and looking to seek revenge on the people who wronged her."

Techland has previously highlighted Dying Light 2's choice consequence system and said that players will probably only see 50% of the game's content during their first playthrough. Dawson's comments about Lawan seemed to echo this sentiment, revealing that different players may see different sides to the character.

"What I really love about this game and this character is that how she is, is really dependent on you, the player," says the actress. "Is she going to be this rage-filled killer who is obsessed with her goals? Or will she be a night runner who risks her life to save others? It's up to you."

Welcome to The City @rosariodawson!
February 4th couldn't come sooner! pic.twitter.com/vL4dNUZ7kt

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) September 30, 2021

Senior Writer Piotr Mostowski delved further into what players can expect to see from Lawan as she teams up with the game's protagonist Aiden Caldwell in Dying Light 2. "She is an important character with a lot of impact on the plot," says Mostowski. "But we also wanted her to be way more than that. To be a real person. With her own goals, her own motivations, and her own opinions as well. So, if she doesn't like something you do or you say, she will tell you that, and she will act on it, sometimes even against you."

As well as revealing details surrounding Dawson's character in the game, fans also got the chance to hear from Olivier Deriviere, the man behind Dying Light 2's upcoming soundtrack. The composer, whose previous work includes 2017's Get Even and Focus Home Interactive's Vampyr, gave fans a glimpse at what they can expect from the game's 'broken' soundtrack. Deriviere says that a range of the music in the game is tied to its various factions. The result of this, explains Deriviere, is that fans will gain a somewhat personal experience of the city's soundscape as player's choices throughout their time with Dying Light 2 will affect which factions are prominent within the game and the music that they hear as a result.

Dying Light 2 is set to be released on February 4, 2022. A cloud version of the game was recently revealed to be coming to Nintendo Switch. To see more about the zombie survival game's debut on the Nintendo handheld, make sure to check out its announcement trailer below.

Image Credit: NBC / Getty Images

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

After teasing the game for some time, Sega has revealed its new mobile RPG, Sin Chronicle – a game based on player decisions that can only ever be made once.

The centerpiece of Sega's Tokyo Game Show 2021 showcase – a game teased ahead of time as a "new RPG" emphasizing player choice and unique experiences – Sin Chronicle is a mobile RPG for iOS and Android devices. It's is scheduled to launch on December 15 in Japan as a free download with in-app purchases. Pre-registration and closed beta registration has already begun. We've not yet heard word about a western release.

General director Jun Matsunaga introduced the title as a "successor, not a sequel" to Chain Chronicle, a mobile RPG which launched in 2013 and later came to PlayStation Vita. He explained that this new game would be accessible even to players who did not experience that game, which was translated and launched overseas, but the global version shut down in 2016.

Matsunaga's main selling point for Sin Chronicle is that this game rests on decisions that the player must make. He stressed that all the choices were one-time only, as all selections are saved on the server so players cannot go back and undo actions already taken. He promised that every chapter, which could take 10 hours to complete, would end with an "ultimate choice."

As an example, Matsunaga introduced a few characters and pointed out that there are two heroines the main character will encounter early in the game. Both will join the party and both can potentially be major characters, but players will have to choose between them at some point. Of course, the members of your party will have an impact on the story, so this one decision will affect every subsequent event. By making a series of such choices throughout the game, Matsunaga believes that each playthrough will be unique.

In a live gameplay demonstration, voice actor Taito Ban (who plays the protagonist) showed how the adventure unfolds. The graphics are on par with other 3D mobile JRPGs, and dragging a finger on the screen moves the party around the overworld. Ban had to choose between two paths; he selected the one with visible treasure—and visible enemies.

Touching an enemy leads to combat, but if you can land an attack on the overworld before combat, all the enemies will take damage at the start. Battles are turn-based but feature dynamic movement, as getting too close to enemies leaves characters vulnerable to melee strikes. Each turn allows for a limited number moves based on available "BP". Chaining different characters' attacks together creates a combo and grants extra damage.

Based on the outcomes of the battle, an MVP is selected and this can strengthen your relationship with other party members. Campfire scenes are also an opportunity to befriend teammates, as the player can choose who to talk to while at rest.

For more from Tokyo Game Show, check out our regularly-updated article on the biggest announcements from the show.

Diamond Feit is a writer/podcaster in Osaka, Japan who uses Twitter and Twitch as feitclub.

Konami has released a statement in regard to feedback that it has received following the recent release of eFootball. The studio apologized to its fans before stating that it is committed to fixing the game.

In a tweet to the official eFootball Twitter account, Konami published an official statement surrounding the game during which it acknowledged reports from fans citing issues with a number of areas within the game.

"After the release of eFootball 2022, we have received lots of feedback and requests regarding game balance that includes pass speed and defence operation," reads the statement. "We would also like to acknowledge that there have been reports of problems users have experienced with cut-scenes, facial expressions, movements of players and the behaviour of the ball."

Important info for #eFootball fans pic.twitter.com/Tp9RFhmXp9

— eFootball (@play_eFootball) October 1, 2021

"We are very sorry for the problems, and want to assure everyone we will take all concerns seriously and strive to improve the current situation."

The statement goes on to explain that fans should expect to see consistent updates beginning next week and that the development team will be sending out questionnaires to its users in order to gather further feedback. "We will do our utmost to satisfy as many users as possible, and we look forward to your continued support of eFootball 2022," the statement concludes.

Following the game's rocky release, we took a trip through eFootball's Reddit page and social media hashtags to find out exactly what issues players were facing in the game. From our search, fans had highlighted problems with everything ranging from ghost free-kick takers to questionable refereeing decisions. With such a wide range of negative feedback being directed towards the game, Konami may find it has a difficult time winning some fans back around.

Prior to release, fans may have felt that some of the warning signs were there. Konami had previously told players that the game would essentially be launching as a demo and would lack a number of new mechanics, game modes, and player types. With all that additional content still to be brought into the game during eFootball's Autumn update, it could be a testing time for Konami as they begin to work through a lengthy list of community feedback.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.