With 2016's Monster Hunter Stories for the 3DS, Capcom transformed its real-time monster hunting series into something dramatically different: a colorful turn-based monster-collecting RPG. Despite the stark change in tone and gameplay, Stories offered a new perspective on the Monster Hunter universe, making it an enjoyable alternative to the mainline series. Its follow-up, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, very much follows the template that the original 3DS game set, and despite some repetitive elements, it's another solid spin-off for the franchise.

Like its predecessor, Monster Hunter Stories 2 trades monster slaying for monster collecting. Rather than casting you in the role of a hunter, the game puts you in the boots of a fledgling rider--someone who is able to form bonds with monsters and fight alongside them. While you'll still need to hunt down plenty of monsters during your journey, you'll spend most of your time exploring dens and collecting new "monstie" companions that you can raise and take into battle. This makes Monster Hunter Stories 2 fundamentally closer to Pokemon than to a traditional Monster Hunter title, but the game plays out much differently than Nintendo's monster-catching series.

Foremost is the way you collect monsters. Rather than taming wild ones, you obtain new monsties by entering monster dens and gathering their eggs. These crop up randomly each time you set out into the overworld and primarily come in two varieties: standard dens, and golden "rare" dens that typically contain better eggs. Regardless of their type, the dens themselves are all fairly rudimentary in terms of their layouts; beyond some occasional branching pathways (which usually just lead to optional treasures), there are no real environmental puzzles to solve, so they're not particularly compelling to explore on their own. Despite this, the allure of discovering new kinds of eggs never grows old and makes trekking through dens ultimately worthwhile, especially as you progress through the story and begin encountering cooler monsters.

With 2016's Monster Hunter Stories for the 3DS, Capcom transformed its real-time monster hunting series into something dramatically different: a colorful turn-based monster-collecting RPG. Despite the stark change in tone and gameplay, Stories offered a new perspective on the Monster Hunter universe, making it an enjoyable alternative to the mainline series. Its follow-up, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, very much follows the template that the original 3DS game set, and despite some repetitive elements, it's another solid spin-off for the franchise.

Like its predecessor, Monster Hunter Stories 2 trades monster slaying for monster collecting. Rather than casting you in the role of a hunter, the game puts you in the boots of a fledgling rider--someone who is able to form bonds with monsters and fight alongside them. While you'll still need to hunt down plenty of monsters during your journey, you'll spend most of your time exploring dens and collecting new "monstie" companions that you can raise and take into battle. This makes Monster Hunter Stories 2 fundamentally closer to Pokemon than to a traditional Monster Hunter title, but the game plays out much differently than Nintendo's monster-catching series.

Foremost is the way you collect monsters. Rather than taming wild ones, you obtain new monsties by entering monster dens and gathering their eggs. These crop up randomly each time you set out into the overworld and primarily come in two varieties: standard dens, and golden "rare" dens that typically contain better eggs. Regardless of their type, the dens themselves are all fairly rudimentary in terms of their layouts; beyond some occasional branching pathways (which usually just lead to optional treasures), there are no real environmental puzzles to solve, so they're not particularly compelling to explore on their own. Despite this, the allure of discovering new kinds of eggs never grows old and makes trekking through dens ultimately worthwhile, especially as you progress through the story and begin encountering cooler monsters.

There's a moment late into Chicory where the hero of its tale questions their role in its story. Was it pure chance that they inherited a powerful paintbrush capable of restoring color to a monochromatic world, or did they deserve the responsibility and legacy associated with it? It's not a surprise that this question comes up at all, but rather when it does. Near its climax, Chicory's hero isn't satisfied that all of their actions up to that point have assuaged their underlying insecurity. It's this moment, along with numerous others surrounding it, that makes Chicory: A Colorful Tale an exceptional story to watch unfold. And it's a tale made all the more compelling by captivating puzzles and a distinct visual style.

The world of Picnic is one that has become accustomed to expecting a lot from a singular Wielder. These skilled artists are chosen from many to maintain the color in the world using a magical brush, letting their own unique styles literally define the look of a society. It's a tradition that has continued for generations, but one that ends abruptly when the latest Wielder, Chicory, tosses aside the tool after a cataclysmic event strips the entire land and its inhabitants of their color. My hero, who I unwittingly named Pizza (every other character is fittingly named after food, too), jumps at the chance to take over the mantle and accept the responsibility because of a sheer admiration for those that came before, but soon begins understanding the burden that accompanies the title of Wielder.

With the magical paintbrush in hand, A Colorful Tale invites you to get creative with its world. It's essentially one big coloring book, letting you decorate it according to how you imagine it might have looked under Chicory's reign. It's a literal mechanic built around the Wielder's duty to the land of Picnic, while also letting you better understand how each Wielder before you might have struggled with the requests of its citizens. Characters will frequently ask you to return their household or favorite coffee shop to its original state, sometimes not coming away satisfied with the results. Other times they'll drown you in praise for creating the simplest possible logo for a t-shirt, or for a slap-dash recreation of a much better-looking piece of classic art. Both instances instill a sense of imposter syndrome--either you're not good enough to be the Wielder, or the citizens of Picnic are simply settling because they have no other alternative.

There's a moment late into Chicory where the hero of its tale questions their role in its story. Was it pure chance that they inherited a powerful paintbrush capable of restoring color to a monochromatic world, or did they deserve the responsibility and legacy associated with it? It's not a surprise that this question comes up at all, but rather when it does. Near its climax, Chicory's hero isn't satisfied that all of their actions up to that point have assuaged their underlying insecurity. It's this moment, along with numerous others surrounding it, that makes Chicory: A Colorful Tale an exceptional story to watch unfold. And it's a tale made all the more compelling by captivating puzzles and a distinct visual style.

The world of Picnic is one that has become accustomed to expecting a lot from a singular Wielder. These skilled artists are chosen from many to maintain the color in the world using a magical brush, letting their own unique styles literally define the look of a society. It's a tradition that has continued for generations, but one that ends abruptly when the latest Wielder, Chicory, tosses aside the tool after a cataclysmic event strips the entire land and its inhabitants of their color. My hero, who I unwittingly named Pizza (every other character is fittingly named after food, too), jumps at the chance to take over the mantle and accept the responsibility because of a sheer admiration for those that came before, but soon begins understanding the burden that accompanies the title of Wielder.

With the magical paintbrush in hand, A Colorful Tale invites you to get creative with its world. It's essentially one big coloring book, letting you decorate it according to how you imagine it might have looked under Chicory's reign. It's a literal mechanic built around the Wielder's duty to the land of Picnic, while also letting you better understand how each Wielder before you might have struggled with the requests of its citizens. Characters will frequently ask you to return their household or favorite coffee shop to its original state, sometimes not coming away satisfied with the results. Other times they'll drown you in praise for creating the simplest possible logo for a t-shirt, or for a slap-dash recreation of a much better-looking piece of classic art. Both instances instill a sense of imposter syndrome--either you're not good enough to be the Wielder, or the citizens of Picnic are simply settling because they have no other alternative.

Sony will continue to sell PSP games via the PS3 and Vita stores despite the closure of the PSP store.

PlayStation has updated the messaging on its support page for "discontinued apps, features and services" to reflect the change amid the shutdown of the PSP store. "You'll still be able to purchase and play PSP content that is available on the PS3 and PS Vita stores," the site says. "However, you'll no longer be able to make purchases via the in-game store for PSP content."

The newly-released notice on the site also makes clear that users will still be able to download previously purchases PSP content, though, from July 6, users will no longer be able to perform searches or make in-game purchases. It was previously stated that "PSP commerce functionality" would end on July 2 but, up until now, it was unclear what Sony had planned.

Sony originally announced in March that it would be shutting down the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3 and PSP on July 2, 2021, and the PSN Store for the Vita on August 27, 2021. The company addressed the store closure in an email sent out to customers, confirming that they would still be able to re-download and play previously purchased games and videos.

The news was met with dismay from video game preservation advocates after knowing many legacy games from the PS1 and PSP era would no longer be available after a certain date. The public outcry seemingly prompted Sony to reverse that decision, as Sony released a fresh statement in April to reveal that the stores for PS3 and PS Vita would continue to live on.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]

While Sony was keeping the PlayStation Store operational for PS3 and PS Vita devices, it was never made entirely clear whether PSP content would be available for sale on those platforms. The clarity gained from the latest update will be great news for those who still use these systems and for the preservation of video game history as a whole.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Sony will continue to sell PSP games via the PS3 and Vita stores despite the closure of the PSP store.

PlayStation has updated the messaging on its support page for "discontinued apps, features and services" to reflect the change amid the shutdown of the PSP store. "You'll still be able to purchase and play PSP content that is available on the PS3 and PS Vita stores," the site says. "However, you'll no longer be able to make purchases via the in-game store for PSP content."

The newly-released notice on the site also makes clear that users will still be able to download previously purchases PSP content, though, from July 6, users will no longer be able to perform searches or make in-game purchases. It was previously stated that "PSP commerce functionality" would end on July 2 but, up until now, it was unclear what Sony had planned.

Sony originally announced in March that it would be shutting down the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3 and PSP on July 2, 2021, and the PSN Store for the Vita on August 27, 2021. The company addressed the store closure in an email sent out to customers, confirming that they would still be able to re-download and play previously purchased games and videos.

The news was met with dismay from video game preservation advocates after knowing many legacy games from the PS1 and PSP era would no longer be available after a certain date. The public outcry seemingly prompted Sony to reverse that decision, as Sony released a fresh statement in April to reveal that the stores for PS3 and PS Vita would continue to live on.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"]

While Sony was keeping the PlayStation Store operational for PS3 and PS Vita devices, it was never made entirely clear whether PSP content would be available for sale on those platforms. The clarity gained from the latest update will be great news for those who still use these systems and for the preservation of video game history as a whole.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Take-Two Interactive, the parent company for developers including Rockstar Games, has acquired Dynamixyz, a French-based studio that has provided facial animation services for Take-Two games NBA 2K21 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

The acquisition means that Dynamixyz will now provide exclusive facial animation and proprietary motion capture to all of Take-Two's publishing labels and developers.

“Dynamixyz's revolutionary facial analysis technology and services is a highly complementary and strategic addition to Take-Two's world-class publishing and development structure," Take-Two's Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy and Independent Publishing said in the announcement blog post. “Gaspard and the visionary team at Dynamixyz have a well-earned reputation for providing the widest and smartest range of facial motion capture solutions to the entertainment industry, and their work has captivated millions of people around the world from the box office to the living room. We're thrilled to have them join our team, incorporate their proprietary technologies and creative wonder into our future offerings, and to continue to evolve their capabilities and solutions.”

In our review for Red Dead Redemption 2, we noted that the facial animations in the game were "is a noticeable step up from GTA V." While in our review for NBA 2K21, although we felt the start-up on animations once the ball got to the post lacked urgency we felt, in general, that dribbling felt "more responsive and rarely leads to the awkward, uncontrollable animations that have plagued the franchise for years."

In addition to working on video games, Dynamixyz has previously provided its services to other forms of media in the entertainment industry, including the animated TV series Love, Death, and Robots, in addition to movies such as Marvel's Avengers: Endgame.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Take-Two Interactive, the parent company for developers including Rockstar Games, has acquired Dynamixyz, a French-based studio that has provided facial animation services for Take-Two games NBA 2K21 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

The acquisition means that Dynamixyz will now provide exclusive facial animation and proprietary motion capture to all of Take-Two's publishing labels and developers.

“Dynamixyz's revolutionary facial analysis technology and services is a highly complementary and strategic addition to Take-Two's world-class publishing and development structure," Take-Two's Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy and Independent Publishing said in the announcement blog post. “Gaspard and the visionary team at Dynamixyz have a well-earned reputation for providing the widest and smartest range of facial motion capture solutions to the entertainment industry, and their work has captivated millions of people around the world from the box office to the living room. We're thrilled to have them join our team, incorporate their proprietary technologies and creative wonder into our future offerings, and to continue to evolve their capabilities and solutions.”

In our review for Red Dead Redemption 2, we noted that the facial animations in the game were "is a noticeable step up from GTA V." While in our review for NBA 2K21, although we felt the start-up on animations once the ball got to the post lacked urgency we felt, in general, that dribbling felt "more responsive and rarely leads to the awkward, uncontrollable animations that have plagued the franchise for years."

In addition to working on video games, Dynamixyz has previously provided its services to other forms of media in the entertainment industry, including the animated TV series Love, Death, and Robots, in addition to movies such as Marvel's Avengers: Endgame.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Sea of Thieves is often at its best when it devolves into chaos. After raiding a skeleton ship and loading up your brig with loot, suddenly, a player galleon appears from behind an island, turning its broadside cannons in your direction for a sneak attack. Returning fire, repairing your ship, and desperately turning your sails to make an escape--or firing a crewmate over to the enemy to lay waste to them and steal their stuff--are the moments that make Rare's pirate adventure live game so memorable.

But don't discount Rare's ability to make deep, brainy story content, either. Since its launch, Sea of Thieves has come to encompass Tall Tales, lengthy voyages centered on solving riddles and learning about non-player characters that make up the game's lore. It's in this more directed, narrative-driven realm that the game's latest expansion, A Pirate's Life, lies as well. Tying in with Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, the expansion provides new stories to uncover that are both fairly delightful for fans of the films and the theme park attraction that spawned them, as well as big, involved new Sea of Thieves locations to explore.

A Pirate's Life adds a lot to Sea of Thieves, expanding on its sandbox with new enemies and a new weapon, while providing several hours of story content that's deep enough for experienced players to enjoy and approachable enough for newbies excited to sail the seas with Jack Sparrow. Though it's held back occasionally by bugs and relies on some of Sea of Thieves' weaker elements, like hitchy platforming, the expansion is a great excuse to man the helm of a pirate vessel.

Sea of Thieves is often at its best when it devolves into chaos. After raiding a skeleton ship and loading up your brig with loot, suddenly, a player galleon appears from behind an island, turning its broadside cannons in your direction for a sneak attack. Returning fire, repairing your ship, and desperately turning your sails to make an escape--or firing a crewmate over to the enemy to lay waste to them and steal their stuff--are the moments that make Rare's pirate adventure live game so memorable.

But don't discount Rare's ability to make deep, brainy story content, either. Since its launch, Sea of Thieves has come to encompass Tall Tales, lengthy voyages centered on solving riddles and learning about non-player characters that make up the game's lore. It's in this more directed, narrative-driven realm that the game's latest expansion, A Pirate's Life, lies as well. Tying in with Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, the expansion provides new stories to uncover that are both fairly delightful for fans of the films and the theme park attraction that spawned them, as well as big, involved new Sea of Thieves locations to explore.

A Pirate's Life adds a lot to Sea of Thieves, expanding on its sandbox with new enemies and a new weapon, while providing several hours of story content that's deep enough for experienced players to enjoy and approachable enough for newbies excited to sail the seas with Jack Sparrow. Though it's held back occasionally by bugs and relies on some of Sea of Thieves' weaker elements, like hitchy platforming, the expansion is a great excuse to man the helm of a pirate vessel.