Since IGN is a global organization, we will be reviewing and covering films that may be available theatrically in some countries but not others due to local COVID-19 restrictions. For films released theatrically, we will prioritize the health and safety of our critics and only review films that are being screened online, in a drive-in theater, or in territories where theaters are open and consistently adhering to government-approved safety precautions. IGN strongly encourages anyone considering going to a movie theater during the COVID-19 pandemic to check their local public health and safety guidelines before buying a ticket. For more information, check out the World Health Organization guidelines on COVID-19. If you're in the US, check out the CDC website for up-to-date guidance on COVID-19. For international guidance, check out the public safety guidelines for Canada, the UK, and Australia. The CDC guidelines on how to protect yourselves and others can be found here. These include what you’ve probably heard already:

• Stay home as much as possible. You may spread the virus to others with no symptoms.
• Avoid person-to-person contact, and if you must venture out (e.g. shopping for essentials), wear a mask and stay six feet/two meters away from others.
• The CDC recommends you should wear a cloth face covering to prevent others from getting sick, even if you don't have symptoms. This is not necessarily a mask, and supplies of masks should be reserved for emergency workers. Here's a step-by-step guide from the CDC on how to make a cloth face covering. Don’t forget to cover both your nose and your mouth with your face covering of choice.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 (real) seconds.
• Clean and disinfect regularly handled surfaces, especially your phones! Apple recommends using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Wired has additional tips for disinfecting your tech and home and even for making your own sanitizer. The National Institute of Health says "The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces."
• The USDA has received no reports of food and food packaging transmitting the virus. The USDA recommends these good food hygiene practices that will generally help you stay healthy and out of the hospital.
• Here's a map of COVID-19 cases worldwide.

The rest of CDC’s guidelines page is helpful, with good tips even if you don’t live in the US, so please check it out. For more, IGN has a full list of suggestions for how to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Nacon and Cyanide have announced Blood Bowl 3, the latest video game adaptation of the violent sports board game, set for a release in early 2021 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Steam, and Nintendo Switch. Revealed during Gamescom 2020, Blood Bowl is a turn-based strategy game inspired by football in the Warhammer world where elves, humans, orcs, and more play ball together. Players take on the role of coach, giving instructions to players to put them in the best positions as possible on the field. With the board game set to have a new edition this year, Blood Bowl 3 will feature the new edition rules, teams - like the new Black Orcs and Imperial Nobility - units and their associated skills. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/bloodbowl-3-cinematic-trailer-video-game-fantasy-football"] At launch, Blood Bowl 3 will include 12 races, each with their own arena and cheerleaders, as well as both campaign and multiplayer modes, with post-launch content updates also planned. For more on the series, check out IGN's Blood Bowl 2 review, where we called the last game "a smashy, satisfying, goofy tactical melee". There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Nameless XIII, a new studio from co-founder of Dontnod (Life Is Strange, Vampyr) Hervé Bonin, has revealed Cendres, a 'non-linear narrative survival sim' due for release on Steam in 2021. Revealed at Gamescom 2020 and published by Dear Villagers, Cendres aims to cross over the decision-making and narrative focus of Choose Your Own Adventure books with the more direct control of a classic adventure game. The result is a game that sees you leading a party of four characters through a ravaged world, on the search for safe haven. Along the way you'll need to scavenge and manage supplies, choose between moral dilemmas, and work your way to one of 16 different endings. Check out a reveal trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/cendres-a-survival-journey-reveal-trailer-features-a-world-without-color"] Cendres is set 200 years after a volcanic apocalypse destroyed the game's planet, and sees a captain, Petra, a warrior, Sinh, a scholar, Kali, and a scout, Nadir attempting to find a safe home. Nameless XIII promises to let you get know each party member, and their relationships and conflicts with the rest - as well as protecting them from madness, despair and starvation. The bleakness of the trailer, and the fact that we see a varying number of party members throughout, suggests the game won't shy from killing off your party members, and a press release explains that the game will provide different paths to its many endings based on your choices along the way. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister will arrive on Steam Early Access this fall. The CRPG from Tactical Adventures - which uses Dungeons and Dragons' SRD 5.1 Ruleset - will allow players to create their own party of adventurers (including rolling for stats) for a more tabletop RPG-like experience, and take them through the shattered world of Solasta. Check out an announcement trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/solasta-crown-of-the-magister-trailer-pits-you-against-deadly-dd-enemies"] Alongside the Early Access announcement, Solasta will also get a demo starting today – you can check that out, and wishlist the game, on its Steam page, or take a tour of its Indie Arena Booth right now. Solasta: Crown of the Magister draws on tabletop RPGs, but throws in its own ideas. The game's battle areas are dynamic, taking into account destructible environments, light and dark, and verticality, letting you ambush (or be ambushed) from above or below. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

With the film's March 2021 release date looming, Disney has brought in a new lead voice actor as well as an additional writer and directors for their upcoming animated fantasy adventure Raya and the Last Dragon, Disney Animation's first original production since Moana. Star Wars veteran Kelly Marie Tran has replaced original actor Cassie Steele as the voice of Raya. Awkwafina remains the voice of Sisu, a dragon trapped in human form. Disney has described the film as the story of "Raya, a lone warrior from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra who teams up with a crew of misfits in her quest to find the Last Dragon and bring light and unity back to their world." Don Hall (Moana, Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) have now been announced as directors. Raya's original directors, Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, are now listed as co-directors. Playwright-screenwriter Qui Nguyen (She Kills Monsters, Vietgone) has also been added as a screenwriter; Crazy Rich Asians' Adele Lim penned the original screenplay. Disney also released a new first look photo of Raya and her trusty steed Tuk Tuk (seen below). [caption id="attachment_2399756" align="alignnone" width="720"] A scene from Raya and the Last Dragon.[/caption] In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee addressed the hiring of Tran, Hall, and López Estrada:

"As filmmakers, Don and Carlos bring a combination of animation know-how and emotional storytelling to Raya and the Last Dragon, bringing our fantasy adventure to surprising, original, and dynamic heights. ... They both saw the potential for this film and had a strong vision for the story, especially for our lead character, played by the wonderfully talented Kelly Marie Tran. And no small feat, directors Don and Carlos, writers Qui and Adele, and the entire crew of 400 Disney Animation artists are making this film together, while separated and working from home."

Raya and the Last Dragon is the first Disney animated film to showcase Southeast Asia. Nguyen told EW how important it was to have "the artists who represent those cultures in there to be able to give the subtleties of what our families are actually like, what our relationships are actually like, has given a lot of nuances to this great adventure." Tran said that while Raya is a princess, the movie aims"to flip the narrative on what it means to be a princess.” The actress, who played Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, described Raya as "totally a warrior. When she was a kid, she was excited to get her sword. And she grows up to be a really badass, gritty warrior and can really take care of herself.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disney-characters-and-the-actors-who-voiced-them&captions=true"] Disney touted Raya and the Last Dragon at last year's D23 Expo, bringing out original voice actor Cassie Steele, co-star Awkwafina, and original writer Adele Lim to present three minutes of footage from the movie. Raya and the Last Dragon isn't the first animated Disney release to get an overhaul. Ratatouille, Brave, and Cars 2 all replaced their directors, while The Good Dinosaur was "completely reimagined" and saw its voice actors recast.

Developer Counterplay Games showcased Godfall, the PC and PS5-console exclusive looter-slasher, is set for a holiday release, during Gamescom 2020, with an in-depth look at the third-person action gameplay and some of the customization players can expect with its launch. Speaking to IGN during Gamescom (in an interview you can watch below), Director Keith Lee spoke at length about some of the player choice inherent in the studio's Valorplate system. Inspired by medieval armor sets, Godfall's Valorplates serve essentially as character classes, and in the interview above you can take a look at Silvermane, the base Valorplate everyone starts with, as well as Mesa, Typhon, and Vertigo in action. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/new-godfall-gameplay-shows-how-equippable-medieval-inspired-valor-plates-can-fit-your-play-style"] Lee described each Valorplate's set of skills essentially as "star constellations" — players will be able to slot in augments into these constellations. But the order and proximity to one another of these augments can lead to drastically different versions of the same Valorplate. There are 12 Valorplates in total, including Silvermane, and players are able to construct others by collecting Valorplate cores, as well as various other resources collected from different enemies, chests, and even different game modes. The Valorplates fit into three different models — balanced, specialized, and exotic, with some geared toward High DPS, other toward cooldown abilities, and others on debuffs, but still Counterplay is aiming to let players customize their experience. Additionally, Archon Mode is a major factor in choosing the Valorplate for you, and Counterplay has designed them with four core components in mind. Activated by pressing L3 and R3 together, Archon abilities can be used after collecting enough Ethirium to fill up your meter, and each is tied uniquely to a Valorplate. The four elements Counterplay kept in mind included a passive ability that's inherent to your armor; an instant like Silvermane's ability to summon three ancient glaive allies; a set of buffs that are enabled; and the opportunity to trigger certain conditions based on your Valorplate, which can in turn escalate the effects of your Archon skills. Lastly, Lee spoke to some of the benefits of playing in co-op, which is supported for up to three players total. Namely, players are able to drop banners on the ground to impact their teammates with beneficial buffs like AOE healing or other benefits depending on the mission types. Players can also work together to try different Valorplate combinations and see what works best, or even play all as the same Valorplate if they so choose. Previously we've learned Godfall won't feature microtransactions, as well as how Godfall will take advantage of PS5's DualSense controller. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Aragami 2 has been announced for PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and is due to arrive in 2021. Announced as part of IGN's coverage of Gamescom 2020, Aragami 2 builds on the 2016 original's stylised ninja action, and throws in full 3-player co-op that can be used thorughout the entire campaign. Check out a reveal trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/aragami-2-reveal-trailer-shows-stealth-action-in-numbers"] Where the first game concentrated on stealth, Aragami 2 will allow players to approach it as a combat game too, allowing you to craft melee and ranged weapons, choose your armour, and pick from sets of abilities that can alter your playstyle. The entire game can be played either in single or multiplayer, and focus has been put on allowing players to use the environment to their advantage, whether that's to ghost past enemies, or surround them unexpectedly for an easy kill. Set 100 years after the first game, Aragami 2 centres on a battle against the expansionist young nation of Akatsuchi, which has come to Rashomon Valley to control its people and resources - its you and your clan's job to stop that from happening. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Observer: System Redux, the next-gen version of Observer, is also set to be released on PC, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X, and a demo is out on Steam now. Bloober Team announced during Gamescom 2020 that System Redux will be available for PC during holiday 2020 for $29.99 and feature all the same upgraded visuals and additional content as the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions. From August 27th to September 15th, existing Observer owners on Steam can also upgrade to the System Redux version for 80% off, while those who preorder will get the OST and an artbook for free. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/observer-system-redux-trailer-teases-new-trippy-cases-and-secrets"] “When we announced Observer: System Redux for next-gen consoles, we had a huge response from our PC fans asking if the remaster would be coming to their platform of choice," said Piotr Babieno, Bloober Team CEO. "We originally only planned to bring the game to consoles, but seeing the feedback we've heard from the community, we're bringing the game to PC as well. As a way to thank our community, we're putting this upgrade plan in place and looking into options to do the same on console if possible." An Observer: System Redux demo is also available on Steam starting today for those interested in the upgraded version. Here's everything players can expect from the System Redux version of the game, according to Bloober Team:

• Three new major missions: Errant Signal, Her Fearful Symmetry, and It Runs in the Family
• Updated characters models and new locations
• Brand-new neuronal interrogation sequences
• New stealth and mechanics
• Undiscovered secrets
• 4K resolution, upgraded textures, new animations, models and effects, and transformed with jaw-dropping Ray-Tracing and HDR lighting

Confirmed earlier this year for a 2020 next-gen launch, Bloober Team recently showed off Observer: System Redux gameplay to tease what new and returning players can expect from the improved version. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Dotemu has announced Pharaoh: A New Era, a full remake of the 1999 ancient Egypt city-builder coming to PC in 2021. Pharaoh was revealed in a beautiful, 2D animated trailer showing the rise of one of the most powerful, ancient civilizations in history, which you can check out below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/build-your-empire-in-pharoah-a-new-era-announcement-trailer"] Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4, Wonder Boy) has made a name for itself with its retro remakes and revivals in recent years, and Pharaoh should continue the pattern. The game will reproduce the original's Egyptian kingdom management, but is being developed with all-new code, a new 2D graphics style, brand new UI, and improved mechanics. The base game will include the 2000 expansion, Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, bringing the game's campaign (set across various ages of Egyptian history) to 53 missions. That campaign comes alongside a Free Build mode, as well as a map and mission editor. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Sam and Max are returning in the newly revealed Sam & Max - This Time It's Virtual, a new VR adventure that is also the official 20th video game for the pair. Set to be released in 2021, the VR adventure sees Sam and Max, the Freelance Police, on a VR adventure that needs the player's help in an effort to stop the evil plaguing the world. And that evil may include some giant monsters. Check out the full reveal trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/sam-max-this-time-its-virtual-trailer-revealed"] The first new Sam & Max game in over a decade, this game will see players recruited by the titular heroes and trained to become part of the Freelance Police. Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell is onboard to consult on game design, art and story, and David Nowlin and Dave Boat return to voice the heroes. Past Sam and Max adventures include Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse and other episodic adventures developed by Telltale Games. There's much, much more to come from Gamescom 2020 on IGN - check out our full Gamescom schedule to find out what else is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"]