Insomniac Games unveiled more of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, the first PS5 adventure for the long-running PlayStation franchise during Gamescom 2020, and is confirmed to be a "launch window" game. Following up from the PS5 reveal showcase in which we saw a tease of Rift Apart's rift-jumping gameplay, Gamescom's Opening Night Live featured an extended, uncut look at the gameplay from the anticipated new entry. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-ps5-gameplay-trailer"] The demo featured a look at classic Ratchet and Clank third-person combat, but quickly revealed the introduction of its titular rift shifting gameplay after a brief showdown with Dr. Nefarious. In the demo, Ratchet could pull at tears in the fabric of reality and manipulate the environment around him, jumping through space without loads throughout the level. The demo, which was billed as uncut gameplay running on PS5, also featured a larger rift jump on the same planet, as shown in the previous Rahcte and Clank PS5 reveal, before Ratchet and Clank were then thrown through several different rifts into varied locations. The footage was previously shown in the game's reveal, though this demo reveals the fluidity with which these rifts can occur within gameplay. The demo ended with the same tease as before — Clank being thrown through a dimensional rift on his own, only to awaken and met a female Lombax. Opening Night Live's Geoff Keighley spoke to Insomniac following the game. Marcus Smith from Insomniac spoke to the PS5's both raw horsepower and SSD allowing the developers to fling the characters from one level to the next with speeds previously not possible. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=166500&captions=true"] Game Director Mike Daly spoke to the rifts players will be able to find. Players can use Ratchet's rift tether to hook onto these rifts and use them for both traversal and combat needs. Insomniac confirms there will be no loads throughout the game, and also spoke more to Rift Apart's use of the DualSense. Specifically, the team intends to use the haptics in the controller for Ratchet's arsenal. Players can feel the energy on the pulse bomb weapon fade away as Ratchet throws it. Canonically, Rift Apart is an extension of Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, but Marcus Smith said newcomers can jump in for a "standalone adventure" and not feel lost. Sony first unveiled Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart during June's PS5 showcase, revealing how the upcoming adventure takes advantage of the PS5's unique SSD. It's one of two PS5 exclusives on the way from recently acquired first-party studio Insomniac Games, the other being the PS5 launch exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. We don't know much else about the upcoming next entry in the series just yet, but following its reveal, Insomniac did confirm that the mysterious new Lombax character will be playable.

During Opening Night Live at gamescom 2020, we got a closer look at a new element coming to Destiny 2 called Stasis. Announced alongside the Beyond Light expansion coming in Fall 2020, Stasis will bring Guardians a new type of weapon burn and abilities based around time manipulation. Each Guardian subclass wields Stasis in a different way, using abilities that range from slowing enemies down to shattering them with destructive force. The trailer showed each class' new Stasis abilties, which involve freezing enemies, creating obstacles, and more. The Warlock Shadebinder will "fracture with frost", the Hunter Revenant will "bring the storm", and the Titan Behemoth will "crash like an avalanche". [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/destiny-2-beyond-light-gameplay-trailer-gamescom"] As far as the story goes, the Beyond Light expansion will take Guardians to Europa alongside the Exo Stranger, The Drifter, and Eris Morn in a fight against the Darkness. Players will encounter a new Fallen enemy called Eramis, also known as "The Fallen Kell of Darkness". Players will be fighting against a Fallen faction under Eramis' rule and it will involve "wielding the Darkness itself" as well as a new raid in the Deep Stone Crypt. The Destiny 2: Beyond Light expansion has a release date of November 10 and will launch on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia. If you're planning on diving in, make sure to take a look at everything leaving Destiny 2 in November when Beyond Light arrives and check out our gamescom 2020 schedule to see what else we have planned for the show.

Spellbreak, an upcoming battle royale with RPG elements, will be released on Switch as a free-to-play experience next week on September 3, 2020. In Spellbreak, players can choose a Battlemage class and a unique loadout of spells to become the last magician standing. Players can queue up in either solo or squad modes to become the champion of the Hollow Lands. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/spellbreak-launch-trailer"] Spellbreak previously held a beta on PS4 and Epic Games Store but will launch wide on September 3, complete with cross-play. IGN has an exclusive interview with the developers from the Summer of Gaming. Make sure to check out our Gamescom 2020 schedule and everything else announced at Opening Night Live. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.  

During Opening Night Live at gamescom 2020, Respawn Entertainment's Vince Zampella and Peter Hirschmann joined Geoff Keighley to reveal a Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond story trailer. The VR game has been made with the help of real WW2 veterans, and the trailer showed the French Resistance, secret passages, a Gestapo HQ incursion, and lots of shooting, stabbing and exploding of Nazis. For a game about the realities of war, it looks... pretty fun. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/medal-of-honor-above-and-beyond-vr-story-trailer"] In an interview after the trailer, it was confirmed that the game's three acts will take the form of being recruited into the OSS, before working with the French Resistance, then taking part in D-Day, and finally dealing with the Nazi secret weapon programme. Developed by Respawn and Oculus Studios, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a VR game set during World War 2 with a single-player campaign that will put players into the shoes of an agent of the OSS as they survive through historic events. Check out our hands-on impressions for more details. Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will have a release date in Holiday 2020 and will launch for the Oculus Rift. Make sure to check out our gamescom 2020 schedule to see what other gameplay reveals are planned for the show.

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition will be released on PC through Steam and the Microsoft Store on October 15. Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is the return to the classic real-time strategy complete with new 4K Ultra HD graphics and a fully remastered soundtrack. There will also be two new modes: Historical Battles and The Art of War Challenge Missions. The Definitive Edition will also include all previously released expansions, all 14 civilizations, and two new civilizations with the Inca and Swedes. Make sure to check out our Gamescom 2020 schedule and everything else announced at Opening Night Live. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.  

Fall Guys' inaugural season is still ongoing, but that doesn't mean it's too early to look to the future. Developer Mediatonic unveiled a first look at what's to come in Fall Guys: Season 2 during Gamescom 2020's Opening Night Live. Season 2 will feature new rounds, including new medieval games based on the Middle Ages. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/fall-guys-season-2-sneak-peak-trailer"] New costumes will also be introduced continuing the medieval theme for what your Fall Guy can wear amongst the madness. But don't worry about strict historical accuracy - costumes incl [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fall-guys-season-2-first-look&captions=true"] For more, be sure to check out our Fall Guys review and hear what the Fall Guys developers had to say about our level pitches. Make sure to check out our Gamescom 2020 schedule for everything else we have planned for the show.

Chorus, the dark spacefighter, got its first gameplay footage at Gamescom 2020. The next-gen dogfighting game looks appropriately snazzy, and touts 4K, 60fps, ray traced presentation for its narrative take on space combat. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/chorus-gameplay-reveal-trailer"] The story will see heroine Nara and her living ship heading to fight the dark organization that created them. Chorus comes to PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Stadia in 2021 and was first announced at May's inside Xbox event. Make sure to check out our Gamescom 2020 schedule and everything else announced at Opening Night Live. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

After months of silence, TT Games has unveiled more about its ambitious new LEGO adventure to a galaxy far, far away. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Shown off at Gamescom 2020's Opening Night Live, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's new trailer showcased some of the famous recreated scenes, gameplay, and humor to come. However, WB Games also confirmed the next LEGO Star Wars game has been delayed to spring 2021, while also confirming plans for PS5 and Xbox Series X versions. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-gameplay-trailer"] Earlier this year, TT Games released new key art for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, teasing its franchise-spanning story, and we later learned that several real-world LEGO sets will include codes to unlock content in-game. A LEGO Star Wars release date was seemingly announced on the weekly Star Wars Show, but the episode was later re-edited to remove the release date announcement. Unveiled at E3 last year, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga isn't a remake of past LEGO Star Wars games but rather a new entry that looks to shake up the LEGO game formula in some major ways. Make sure to check out our Gamescom 2020 schedule for all the other reveals we have lined up.

At Opening Night Live at gamescom 2020, 2K Games and developer Hangar 13 revealed a new trailer for Mafia: Definitive Edition which showed off some of the remake's narrative and cutscenes. The trailer showed us a new cutscene featuring the Salieri family, clips of various characters, as well as a few brief moments of what looked like gameplay, including vehicles and combat. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/mafia-definitive-edition-story-trailer"] Mafia: Definitive Edition is a remake but it's not a "shot for shot remake." President and Chief Creative Officer of Hangar 13 Haden Blackman told us about some of the changes made in Mafia: Definitive Edition which include tweaks to the story, an updated driving model, changes to the layout of Lost Heaven, and even cover shooting mechanics from Mafia 3. IGN's Ryan McCaffrey recently did a Mafia: Definitive Edition hands-on preview and said "the remake is very technically impressive, and the story has aged well." Mafia: Definitive Edition has a release date of September 25 and will launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It can be purchased solo or as part of the Mafia: Trilogy which also features remade versions of Mafia 2 and 3. Make sure to check out our gamescom 2020 schedule to see what other reveals we have planned for the show.

The Sims 4 is getting a big Star Wars expansion next month with The Sims 4: Journey to Batuu. Inspired by the Galaxy's Edge part of Disneyland and Disney World, Journey to Batuu will be available for The Sims 4 on September 8 for PC, Mac, PS4, and Xbox One. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/the-sims-4-star-wars-journey-to-batuu-gameplay-trailer"] The first-look trailer showcased some of the locales and characters from Galaxy's Edge, like Vi Moradi and Oga's Cantina, plus many more familiar faces and droids. EA's official description reads: "Hone your lightsaber skills, befriend a droid, and get ready to unlock missions for the Resistance, First Order, or scoundrels. The more you accomplish, the closer you are to meeting iconic Star Wars characters like Rey and Kylo Ren. "In The Sims 4 Star Wars: Journey to Batuu, players will leave their homes to travel to the planet of Batuu where they’ll have to make a choice on which faction to work with, as the actions their Sims take will lead to control of the Black Spire Outpost. Sims can choose to support Rey and Vi Moradi as part of the Resistance, pledge loyalty to the First Order under Kylo Ren or shift their focus to gaining credits with Hondo Ohnaka and the scoundrels. As Sims embark on exciting missions, they’ll increase their reputation, unlock new artifacts and one-of-kind clothing, customize their own droids and create a coveted lightsaber. After players leave Batuu and return home, they can even bring back some of these items, like their lightsaber, to enjoy with other Sims they’ve already created. Opening Night Live also had a look at another upcoming adventure to a galaxy far, far away, with a new story trailer for Star Wars Squadrons. For more, stay tuned to Gamescom 2020's schedule.