Yearly Archives: 2020
Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Physical Edition Contains 10 Discs
Kok later clarified that the 10 discs contain roughly 90 GB of the game's "world and aircraft," which constitute the bulk of the game's assets, with the actual simulator code being "pretty small in size."
This means that fans with a slower internet connection can install Microsoft Flight Simulator without downloading the files from Microsoft's servers. According to Kok, there is "no difference between boxed retail and the version MS sells directly." This is great news for the Microsoft Flight Simulator fans who don't have access to solid internet, but it's still quite the novelty to see a game arrive on so many discs in 2020, when digital downloads are only growing in popularity.
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Microsoft Flight Simulator's release date was recently revealed, with the game launching on August 18th for Xbox One and PC. The physical edition will begin shipping shortly after the game's release, from around August 21. You can check out all the details on the three different editions of the game here.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, who doesn't have a disc drive any more. Follow him on Twitter.Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Physical Edition Contains 10 Discs
Kok later clarified that the 10 discs contain roughly 90 GB of the game's "world and aircraft," which constitute the bulk of the game's assets, with the actual simulator code being "pretty small in size."
This means that fans with a slower internet connection can install Microsoft Flight Simulator without downloading the files from Microsoft's servers. According to Kok, there is "no difference between boxed retail and the version MS sells directly." This is great news for the Microsoft Flight Simulator fans who don't have access to solid internet, but it's still quite the novelty to see a game arrive on so many discs in 2020, when digital downloads are only growing in popularity.
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Microsoft Flight Simulator's release date was recently revealed, with the game launching on August 18th for Xbox One and PC. The physical edition will begin shipping shortly after the game's release, from around August 21. You can check out all the details on the three different editions of the game here.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, who doesn't have a disc drive any more. Follow him on Twitter.Superliminal Review – We Live Inside A Dream
In 2020, it's been harder than ever to have a truly good night's sleep. With the world in disarray as a pandemic threatens our safety and wellbeing, I know that I am not alone in seeing a heavy uptick in nightmares, including dreams about death, disease, and general distress. Superliminal is about dreams and dream-logic, and represents a sort of nightmare itself, but it's a different kind from the ones I've experienced. For all its confusing geometry, strange logic, and growing unease, it's ultimately an optimistic and satisfying experience. Superliminal offers a short, enjoyable run through a subconscious in crisis, and it's a consistently clever and pleasantly challenging game with a lot on its virtual mind.
You play as a patient of Dr. Glenn Pierce, one who is undergoing the Somnasculpta sleep therapy program. The whole game is set within your medically induced dream as the program probes your subconscious, asking you to complete a series of challenges to find peace of mind and overcome feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Things go wrong fast, though; you take a wrong turn and stumble deeper into a dream state than was intended, and the deeper you go, the further your surroundings shift from a recognizable reality. It's like Portal's puzzle chambers crossed with the dream spaces of Inception (and a hint of Alice in Wonderland too), but despite those clear influences Superliminal feels like its own thing.
To get through the game, you're told to view things from a different perspective--although it might be more accurate to say that the game is about taking your existing perspectives and reconceptualizing them. The puzzles in Superliminal all revolve around your first-person viewpoint, and you have to figure out what elements of each environment you can manipulate. A lot of this involves resizing objects through an extremely satisfying mechanic--if you hold up a small square block in a hallway and position the reticule so that the block looks like it's far in the distance, you can drop it… and it'll now be much larger and located down at the other end of the hall. Similarly, if you grab something large in the distance and then look straight down, you can drop what is now a tiny object on the ground in front of you.
Continue Reading at GameSpotSuperliminal Review – We Live Inside A Dream
In 2020, it's been harder than ever to have a truly good night's sleep. With the world in disarray as a pandemic threatens our safety and wellbeing, I know that I am not alone in seeing a heavy uptick in nightmares, including dreams about death, disease, and general distress. Superliminal is about dreams and dream-logic, and represents a sort of nightmare itself, but it's a different kind from the ones I've experienced. For all its confusing geometry, strange logic, and growing unease, it's ultimately an optimistic and satisfying experience. Superliminal offers a short, enjoyable run through a subconscious in crisis, and it's a consistently clever and pleasantly challenging game with a lot on its virtual mind.
You play as a patient of Dr. Glenn Pierce, one who is undergoing the Somnasculpta sleep therapy program. The whole game is set within your medically induced dream as the program probes your subconscious, asking you to complete a series of challenges to find peace of mind and overcome feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Things go wrong fast, though; you take a wrong turn and stumble deeper into a dream state than was intended, and the deeper you go, the further your surroundings shift from a recognizable reality. It's like Portal's puzzle chambers crossed with the dream spaces of Inception (and a hint of Alice in Wonderland too), but despite those clear influences Superliminal feels like its own thing.
To get through the game, you're told to view things from a different perspective--although it might be more accurate to say that the game is about taking your existing perspectives and reconceptualizing them. The puzzles in Superliminal all revolve around your first-person viewpoint, and you have to figure out what elements of each environment you can manipulate. A lot of this involves resizing objects through an extremely satisfying mechanic--if you hold up a small square block in a hallway and position the reticule so that the block looks like it's far in the distance, you can drop it… and it'll now be much larger and located down at the other end of the hall. Similarly, if you grab something large in the distance and then look straight down, you can drop what is now a tiny object on the ground in front of you.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAssassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs Hands-On Impressions
Elon Musk, Apple, Jeff Bezos, Other Official Twitter Accounts Seemingly Hacked
A screenshot of Musk's tweet with the BTC address removed.[/caption]
Since the apparent hack, Apple has completely wiped its Twitter account, which now shows zero tweets. In the case of Musk, his account appears to have been targeted multiple times as his account posted the same message after the original tweet was deleted.
Twitter's official Support account tweeted that it is "aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter" and that it is investigating the situation.
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Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.EA Details Star Wars: Squadrons Starfighter Differences, Special Abilities
Power Management for Engines, Lasers, and Shields
Power management is supremely important for pilots, as different situations call for prioritizing of certain subsystems. For example, pilots can divert all power to lasers, which will allow them to recharge faster and gain the ability to overcharge lasers for increased damage. However, with all the power focused on the lasers, the engines and/or shields will suffer and pilots may move slower or have weaker defenses, which could ruin a rushed plan. As for the other max power abilities, a maxed out engine will allow a starfighter to charge up and use a very powerful speed boost, "not unlike what Poe Dameron used in Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Max shield power will allow for overshields, which will provide up to 200% shielding for the front and back of your starfighter for a defensive play. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-squadrons-pilot-briefing-screenshots&captions=true"] Not all starfighters have shields, however, and those starfighters can use a power converter to quickly divert all power from lasers to engines or vice-versa. Star Wars: Squadrons also has options for how to handle power management, and players can switch between a "basic, simplified power management system and a more advanced one that allows them to more precisely control how much power goes to each subsystem." Aside from power management, hull integrity (ship health) must also be monitored. Unfortunately, the hull will not automatically recharge like shields, but Astromechs and repair systems can be used to restore a ship. Returning to the hangar in a flagship will also allow for a full repair. Oh, and support starfighters can heal their allies. Speaking of support starfighters, they can also resupply others in the battlefield. If there is not support ship nearby, flying under an allied crusier or into the capital ship's hangar will restock your munitions as well. Standard weapons/lasers don't require ammo and will recharge, but countermeasures, torpedoes, mines, and other components will have limited ammo. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/18/star-wars-squadrons-gameplay-reveal-and-overview-trailer-ea-play-2020"]Starfighter Classes - Fighter, Interceptor, Bomber, Support
Star Wars: Squadrons features eight starfighters - T-65B X-wing, BTL-A4 Y-wing, RZ-1 A-wing, UT-60D U-wing, TIE fighter, TIE bomber, TIE interceptor, and TIE Reaper, and four classes - Fighter, Interceptor, Bomber, and Support. The Fighter-class (X-wing and TIE fighter) are the most balanced starfighters and are good in most situations, but don't excel at any one thing. The Interceptor-class (A-wing and TIE interceptor) are experts at dogfighting and have high speed and powerful lasers. On the flip side, their shields are relatively weak as compared to other classes. The Bomber-class (Y-wing and TIE bomber) are the slowest class, but they can take a ton of damage and can deal even more. They are ideal for bombing runs on capital chips and leading the frontline assault. Lastly, the Support-class (U-wing and TIE reaper) are dedicated to helping their allies by resupplying and repairing their starfighters. They can use tractor beams to stop or slow enemies, drop mines, and deploy turrets to help turn the tide of a battle. They are not as fast and don't pack quite a punch, but there value can not be understated. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-squadrons-7-images&captions=true"]Recreating the Authentic Star Wars Starfighters
Star Wars Squadrons' creative director Ian Frazier discussed how serious the team took on the mission of recreating these iconic ships as faithfully as possible, while also ensuring for a balanced gameplay experience for all. A big focus, according to Frazier, was the creation of the cockpits for each ship. There is a push and pull that needs perfected between matching "the aesthetic from the films and incorporating the necessary gameplay information as naturally as possible." "This means that when we want to communicate the charge level of your lasers in an X-wing," Frazier explained. "We design the cockpit instruments for that as if we were Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) building the prop in the '70s. We don't say "put a red light there," we say "if you needed to physically build this using the sorts of parts that ILM had, how would it be built? Is that light a bulb? An LED? How would it be integrated into the dashboard and how would its light interact with everything around it. We ensure the screens are CRTs with appropriately curved monitors, and so forth." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-star-wars-game-review&captions=true"] The TIE fighters proved to be a bit of a challenge because there was "no existing canonical guide [when we started development] as to how exactly those ships are piloted, which meant we needed to figure out the way things like the control yoke actually worked in a very practical sense." To solve this, and to ensure the best experience for each ship, the team at EA Motive worked with Lucasfilm, animators, and mocap actors in actual built out cockpits to find the right fit for each starfighter. This attention to detail goes to another level when the "Instruments Only" mode is turned on. This removes all in-world UI elements and forces pilots to rely solely on the cockpit instruments. It makes the game harder, but provides for ultimate immersion, especially when matched with a VR headset or using a HOTAS setup.
Star Wars: Squadrons Release Date and Gameplay Reveal
Star Wars Squadrons will be released on October 2, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Squadrons will also be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but no date has been announced as of yet.
At EA Play Live 2020, Star Wars: Squadrons got its first gameplay reveal and we learned more about its single-player campaign that is set after the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the Death Star II.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who can't wait and is so excited he just can't hide it. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Under, a P.T.-like Horror Game Set on a Sinking Ship: Gameplay and Trailer Revealed
Netflix Announces Usagi Yojimbo CG-Animated Sequel Series
"The series takes place in the far future, set in a world that mixes modern high-tech images with classic Japanese references. It follows the teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, descendent of the great warrior Miyamoto Usagi, on his epic quest to become a true samurai. But he isn’t alone! He leads a ragtag team of misfit heroes – including a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket and a faithful pet lizard – as he battles depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and monsters from another dimension, all in the pursuit to become the best samurai Usagi!"
In addition to Stan Sakai as Executive Producer, the team includes Gaumont (Executive Producers Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee), Dark Horse Entertainment (Executive Producers Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue), and Atomic Monster (Executive Producers James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett).
Ben Jones (Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teen Titans, The Iron Giant) is Supervising Producer while Khang Le (Big Hero 6, Little Big Awesome) will serve as Art Director on the series.
Candie and Doug Langdale (Maya and the Three, The Book of Life, Puss in Boots, Niko and the Sword of Life, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) are attached as exec producers and showrunners.
Usagi Yojimbo protagonist Miyamoto Usagi ranked #92 on IGN’s Top 100 comic-book characters of all time.
Miyamoto Usagi appeared as a supporting character in two different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
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