Yearly Archives: 2020
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What’s Your Favorite Horror Game of All Time?
What’s Your Favorite Horror Game of All Time?
Update: Ubisoft Reveals Full PS5, Xbox Series X Upgrade Plan
Update: Since the publication of this article, Ubisoft reached out to IGN to confirm that it has removed the Ubisoft Connect article specifically due to possible errors regarding PS5 backward-compatible games.
A Ubisoft spokesperson provided the following statement to IGN:
“We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post re backwards compatibility for the time being as there may be inaccuracies involving the Ubisoft titles that will be playable on PS5.”
It is unclear at this time what the inaccuracies were, nor whether this means all or some of the titles previously listed as not working on PS5 will in fact be playable. IGN will update this story with any further announcements.
Original story follows:
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Ubisoft has announced a slew of details regarding which of its games will receive cross-progression, next-gen upgrades, and backwards compatibility on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Like most of these types of announcements, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds on what game gets what feature (especially since messaging regarding cross-gen compatibility has been a confusing mess thus far), but we lay it all out for you below.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/28/8-big-changes-in-assassins-creed-valhalla"]Most notably, some Assassin’s Creed games aren't backwards compatible on PS5. These include Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Trilogy Pack, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles India, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles China, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Russia, as well as other properties like Risk, Star Trek Bridge Crew, Werewolves Within, Space Junkies. (Update: This sentence may no longer be accurate, please refer to the update at the top of this story.)
These games will be backward compatible on Xbox Series X/S.
As for next-gen upgrades of PS4/Xbox One to PS5/Xbox Series X/S, a number of Ubisoft games will receive them at no additional cost to players. But there are some restrictions for players who transition from disc drive to digital-only consoles.
You can only upgrade your game if you’re sticking with either a physical or digital version, meaning you can’t upgrade from a physical version of Watch Dogs to a digital version on a next-gen console or vice versa. You can also only upgrade within the same console family, so Xbox One to Series X or PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/28/watch-dogs-legion-review"]Games receiving free next-gen upgrades include: Watch Dogs: Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Riders Republic, and Rainbow Six Siege (with a next-gen version of Siege to be announced at a later date, and Japanese Siege players will need to pay 100 yen). All these games also have cross-progression.
Games receiving cross-progression across console generations and console families (meaning you can go from Xbox to PlayStation or vice versa) include: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Riders Republic, and Hyperscape. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/23/a-look-back-at-sonys-long-complicated-history-with-backward-compatibility"]Games receiving cross-progression across console generations, but requiring you to stay within the same console family include: Watch Dogs Legion and Rainbow Six Siege.
Ubisoft says “most” of its games will receive backward compatibility (excluding the ones we mention in the second paragraph of this article), and some backward compatible games will additionally receive cross-progression between generations within the same console family, including For Honor (with free graphical upgrades), The Division 2, The Crew 2, as well as Just Dance 2021 and the upcoming Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake.
Cross-generation cross-play will be available for Rainbow Six Siege and For Honor, allowing users to play with friends as long as they’re within the same console family.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ubisoft-connect-screenshots&captions=true"]Ubisoft closed their post by stating that more “cross-platforms benefits” are coming in the future and that cross-progression is part of their commitment to players.
"Designed for a new gaming era, one where you expect to be able to play, progress and stay in touch with friends anywhere, Ubisoft Connect lays the foundation that will enable Ubisoft’s games and services to live across platforms and make cross-platform features a standard moving forward," Ubisoft's post reads.
Clarity on cross-gen compatibility messaging has eluded the likes of PlayStation and Xbox for some time now. Here’s what you need to know about PS4 to PS5 compatibility and here’s our massive chart laying out every difference between the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he's backwards compatible with your heart. Cross-progress with him on Twitter.A Few Assassin’s Creed Games Aren’t Backwards Compatible on PS5
Ubisoft has announced a slew of details regarding which of its games will receive cross-progression, next-gen upgrades, and backwards compatibility on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Like most of these types of announcements, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds on what game gets what feature (especially since messaging regarding cross-gen compatibility has been a confusing mess thus far), but we lay it all out for you below.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/28/8-big-changes-in-assassins-creed-valhalla"]Most notably, some Assassin’s Creed games aren't backwards compatible on PS5. These include Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Trilogy Pack, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles India, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles China, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Russia, as well as other properties like Risk, Star Trek Bridge Crew, Werewolves Within, Space Junkies.
These games will be backward compatible on Xbox Series X/S.
As for next-gen upgrades of PS4/Xbox One to PS5/Xbox Series X/S, a number of Ubisoft games will receive them at no additional cost to players. But there are some restrictions for players who transition from disc drive to digital-only consoles.
You can only upgrade your game if you’re sticking with either a physical or digital version, meaning you can’t upgrade from a physical version of Watch Dogs to a digital version on a next-gen console or vice versa. You can also only upgrade within the same console family, so Xbox One to Series X or PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/28/watch-dogs-legion-review"]Games receiving free next-gen upgrades include: Watch Dogs: Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Riders Republic, and Rainbow Six Siege (with a next-gen version of Siege to be announced at a later date, and Japanese Siege players will need to pay 100 yen). All these games also have cross-progression.
Games receiving cross-progression across console generations and console families (meaning you can go from Xbox to PlayStation or vice versa) include: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Riders Republic, and Hyperscape. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/23/a-look-back-at-sonys-long-complicated-history-with-backward-compatibility"]Games receiving cross-progression across console generations, but requiring you to stay within the same console family include: Watch Dogs Legion and Rainbow Six Siege.
Ubisoft says “most” of its games will receive backward compatibility (excluding the ones we mention in the second paragraph of this article), and some backward compatible games will additionally receive cross-progression between generations within the same console family, including For Honor (with free graphical upgrades), The Division 2, The Crew 2, as well as Just Dance 2021 and the upcoming Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake.
Cross-generation cross-play will be available for Rainbow Six Siege and For Honor, allowing users to play with friends as long as they’re within the same console family.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ubisoft-connect-screenshots&captions=true"]Ubisoft closed their post by stating that more “cross-platforms benefits” are coming in the future and that cross-progression is part of their commitment to players.
"Designed for a new gaming era, one where you expect to be able to play, progress and stay in touch with friends anywhere, Ubisoft Connect lays the foundation that will enable Ubisoft’s games and services to live across platforms and make cross-platform features a standard moving forward," Ubisoft's post reads.
Clarity on cross-gen compatibility messaging has eluded the likes of PlayStation and Xbox for some time now. Here’s what you need to know about PS4 to PS5 compatibility and here’s our massive chart laying out every difference between the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he's backwards compatible with your heart. Cross-progress with him on Twitter.Metallic Asteroid Between Mars and Jupiter Has an Estimated Worth of $10,000 Quadrillion
A giant metallic asteroid worth approximately $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 -- more than the entire Earth’s economy -- is orbiting around Mars and Jupiter, according to a new report from the Planetary Science Journal, as reported by CBS News.
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The massive asteroid 16 Psyche is the subject of a new study by SwRI scientist Tracy Becker, who observed the object at ultraviolet wavelengths.[/caption]
Asteroid 16 Psyche, as it’s known, is thought to possibly be the remnant of a planet core that never properly formed into an actual planet. While most asteroids are made of rock or ice, the incredibly dense Psyche is made mostly of metal, and measures about 140 miles in diameter, making it the size of Massachusetts.
The Planetary Science Journal’s new study has found that Psyche may be composed of iron and nickel, which are typically found in the cores of planets.
“We’ve seen meteorites that are mostly metal, but Psyche could be unique in that it might be an asteroid that is totally made of iron and nickel,” lead study author Dr. Tracy Becker said in a statement. “Earth has a metal core, a mantle and crust. It’s possible that as a Psyche protoplanet was forming, it was struck by another object in our solar system and lost its mantle and crust.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cosmos-possible-worlds-gallery&captions=true"]NASA plans to launch an unmanned spacecraft in 2022, also named Psyche, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to reach the asteroid and study its composition and history. This will make it the first time NASA has ever reached a body composed entirely of metal. The spacecraft will reach Psyche in January 2026.
Back in 2017, researchers also told CBS News they would not be utilizing the asteroid’s $10,000 quadrillion metallic mass for any business gain.
“What makes Psyche and the other asteroids so interesting is that they're considered to be the building blocks of the solar system," Becker said. "To understand what really makes up a planet and to potentially see the inside of a planet is fascinating. Once we get to Psyche, we're really going to understand if that's the case, even if it doesn't turn out as we expect. Any time there's a surprise, it's always exciting."
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If you like weird and wild science stories, check out IGN's science news hub. A rogue planet floating through the Milky Way was also recently discovered. Additionally, scientists discovered that the amusingly named "Black Widow Star" is the source of gamma radiation that gives Hulk his superpowers. Oh, and the Moon is wet. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/reporter/floating mass for IGN. Orbit him on Twitter.Metallic Asteroid Between Mars and Jupiter Has an Estimated Worth of $10,000 Quadrillion
A giant metallic asteroid worth approximately $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 -- more than the entire Earth’s economy -- is orbiting around Mars and Jupiter, according to a new report from the Planetary Science Journal, as reported by CBS News.
[caption id="attachment_243254" align="alignnone" width="720"] The massive asteroid 16 Psyche is the subject of a new study by SwRI scientist Tracy Becker, who observed the object at ultraviolet wavelengths.[/caption]
Asteroid 16 Psyche, as it’s known, is thought to possibly be the remnant of a planet core that never properly formed into an actual planet. While most asteroids are made of rock or ice, the incredibly dense Psyche is made mostly of metal, and measures about 140 miles in diameter, making it the size of Massachusetts.
The Planetary Science Journal’s new study has found that Psyche may be composed of iron and nickel, which are typically found in the cores of planets.
“We’ve seen meteorites that are mostly metal, but Psyche could be unique in that it might be an asteroid that is totally made of iron and nickel,” lead study author Dr. Tracy Becker said in a statement. “Earth has a metal core, a mantle and crust. It’s possible that as a Psyche protoplanet was forming, it was struck by another object in our solar system and lost its mantle and crust.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cosmos-possible-worlds-gallery&captions=true"]NASA plans to launch an unmanned spacecraft in 2022, also named Psyche, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to reach the asteroid and study its composition and history. This will make it the first time NASA has ever reached a body composed entirely of metal. The spacecraft will reach Psyche in January 2026.
Back in 2017, researchers also told CBS News they would not be utilizing the asteroid’s $10,000 quadrillion metallic mass for any business gain.
“What makes Psyche and the other asteroids so interesting is that they're considered to be the building blocks of the solar system," Becker said. "To understand what really makes up a planet and to potentially see the inside of a planet is fascinating. Once we get to Psyche, we're really going to understand if that's the case, even if it doesn't turn out as we expect. Any time there's a surprise, it's always exciting."
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If you like weird and wild science stories, check out IGN's science news hub. A rogue planet floating through the Milky Way was also recently discovered. Additionally, scientists discovered that the amusingly named "Black Widow Star" is the source of gamma radiation that gives Hulk his superpowers. Oh, and the Moon is wet. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/reporter/floating mass for IGN. Orbit him on Twitter.Raven Co-Founder Talks Soldier of Fortune and its Then-Revolutionary Dismemberment System
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Brian Barnett writes wiki guides, deals posts, features, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).Raven Co-Founder Talks Soldier of Fortune and its Then-Revolutionary Dismemberment System
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Brian Barnett writes wiki guides, deals posts, features, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).The Mandalorian Season 2 May Be Using the Plot of an Unmade Star Wars Movie
The first episode of The Mandalorian Season 2 features a major plot point that is remarkably similar to the story outline previously rumoured for a Boba Fett standalone Star Wars movie.
Warning: spoilers follow for Season 2, episode 1 of The Mandalorian.
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Back in 2014, a report suggested that The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens co-writer Lawrence Kasdan had pitched a Boba Fett solo movie that would be about a “complete stranger killing Boba Fett and taking his armour, starting a Man-With-No-Name bounty hunter tale.”
The first episode of Season 2 of The Mandalorian, 'The Marshal', features a character who has taken Boba Fett’s armour for himself and now wears it while protecting the Tatooine settlement of Mos Pelgo. While not the exact same plot, there’s a notable similarity here, as a character largely a stranger to the audience (aside from those who may have read the Star Wars Aftermath novels) and is now walking around dressed as Boba Fett.
Provided the rumours about the Boba Fett film plot were actually true, this wouldn’t be the first time Star Wars has taken unmade old ideas and used them as the basis for something new. A 2015 art book collecting concept work for The Force Awakens features images of an underwater Death Star, which would have been included in a scene for Episode VII where Rey explores the sunken wreck. That scene was, of course, not part of The Force Awakens, but an underwater Death Star did appear in The Rise of Skywalker. It may be we’re seeing a similar case with The Marshal.
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For more on The Mandalorian, check out our Season 2, episode 1 review, and the prequel trilogy Easter egg we spotted.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.