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God of War 2018 shook up the franchise dramatically - as both 2018's director Cory Barlog and God of War Ragnarok's Director Eric Williams put it, that game tore the house down to its studs, only so they could build it back up again. That radical reimaging of what Kratos' journey could be is one Barlog directed and shepherded through to its acclaimed launch, and though he had grand plans for the series, as he told us in our God of War spoilercast , he isn't directing Ragnarok. Williams, a veteran of the franchise who has been involved with it in some form or another since 2004 across many of its entries, is now sitting in the director's chair. In speaking with both Barlog and Williams following Ragnarok's first gameplay reveal, though, it's clear not only how integral Williams has been to the entirety of this new era of God of War, and how much he understands the responsibility of leading the charge. "I've been with the studio a long time, this...

Rockstar Games was one of the developers that presented a game during PlayStation’s much-anticipated showcase this week. But instead of a new game, Rockstar’s announcement was for Grand Theft Auto 5 and Grand Theft Auto Online coming to PlayStation 5 in 2022 . After nearly a decade of continued success and popularity, GTA’s fans are ready to move on and are letting Rockstar know it. There’s no way rockstar released another trailer of GTA 5 😭😭 let the game rest pic.twitter.com/MlUqeNyndB — shbz (@shbzz) September 9, 2021 With a shelf life that will eventually extend across three console generations and millions of sales under its belt, folks already know about GTA 5 and still play GTA Online in droves. But since being first released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles back in 2013, fans just don’t want to hear about GTA 5 anymore. As of this writing, the latest GTA 5 and GTA Online Remastered trailer from the PlayStation Showcase has 32,000 dislikes compared to just 15,0...

I’ve got a long history with the Tales series. I was absolutely obsessed with Tales of Symphonia back on the GameCube, beating it at least four times, and I’ve been chasing that special kind of JRPG love for years – mostly without success. I’ve played Abyss , Graces, Hearts, and the acclaimed Vesperia , but they all felt like too much of a retread. Even Berseria , which felt like a good refresh for the series, didn’t do much for me. But Tales of Arise has finally rekindled that flame, feeling both like a brand-new game with an outstanding story and excellent combat while also making good use of the best ideas that have kept the series going for this long. The Tales series is known for how well its stories are told, and Arise is no exception. In fact, Arise is now my favorite in the series, exceeding Symphonia. It centers around Alphen, a slave with a mysterious past who cannot feel pain. He is charming and helpful, going out of his way to assist anyone in need and acting as a prote...

Though Kratos' story in the overarching God of War mythos is built upon tragic losses in his family, God of War 2018 gave the Spartan warrior a brand new familial challenge - taking care of his son, Atreus, after the death of Faye, Atreus' mother. What followed was a deeply personal story of Kratos learning how to be a parent, what that responsibility entails, and some shocking truths about his current family. Ragnarok doesn't pick up immediately after 2018, as the gameplay trailer showed, but that intervening time is nonetheless important and integral to the developments of Kratos and Atreus' ongoing personal story, which saw some dramatic shifts at the end of the last game thanks to new revelations. "Since these characters are going on a journey, we want them to progress, change and have setbacks. Even the simple thing of, what if we extrapolate what's been happening during Fimbulwinter," Ragnarok Director Eric Williams told IGN in an interview after...

Even though a US Court today ruled that Apple was not a monopoly and did not violate antitrust laws in the Epic v. Apple suit, it didn't have kind things to say about Apple's 30% take rate on in-app purchases. In its final order, the court goes over the numerous arguments from the case, at one point addressing the fact that Apple takes a 30% cut of all purchases occurring in apps published on its store. Though the 30% rate has been common in the game and app industries for years, in recent times platforms such as Steam, Microsoft, and Epic itself have opted to take less, while Apple has dug in its heels. This was brought as evidence against Apple, with Epic suggesting that its hold on the market and insistence on 30% ultimately drove prices up for consumers. Apple argued that not only was 30% was an industry standard, but that developers get a commensurate value from the App Store to make up for the cut. But the judge disagreed, calling the take "unjustified." ...

Not only did a PlayStation showcase happen this week packed with God of War, Marvel and Star Wars games, but the long-awaited trailer for The Matrix Resurrections dropped as well. Cardy, Matt and Joe are here to talk all about them as well as all of the films and games they've been enjoying over the past week. There's a lot, so buckle in for a long one. Want to submit your own Endless Search, food opinion, or a bit of other nonsense? Feel free to get in touch with the podcast at: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast #609: Too Much Happened This Week IGN UK Podcast #608: A Far Cry from The Forgotten City IGN UK Podcast #607: DokeV's Llama Would Batter a Xenomorph IGN UK Podcast #606: Lucy's Unfortunate Train Ride and Other Stories IGN UK Podcast #605: Darth Maul + Rio Ferdinand = Darth Merkin' IGN UK Podcast #604: Welcome to British Sitcom Smash source https://www.ign.com/articles/ign-uk-podcast-609-too-much-happened-this-week

PlatinumGames has updated fans on Bayonetta 3 , saying that development is continuing as expected, but that the release of further details surrounding the game is essentially out of the studio's control. In an interview with VGC , Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya said that the studio is "proud" of the work that it has put into Bayonetta 3. However, despite previously saying that fans might see more from the game this year , Kamiya remained cautious about announcing when fans might expect a reveal for the game, stressing that the decision to show it off was ultimately up to Nintendo. “If you remember last time, I said that even though everyone was asking about Bayonetta 3, maybe you should tell everyone to forget about it for a while," said Kamiya when asked whether fans would likely see anything from the game in time for Christmas. "I kind of need to keep to that stance for now because ultimately, it’s not our decision what to say and when to say it.” Bayon...

Cory Barlog has revealed that he won't be returning to direct Santa Monica Studio's upcoming Norse heavyweight God of War: Ragnarök. Instead, the latest installment to God of War will feature series veteran Eric Williams in the director's seat, while Barlog is moving on to work on other unannounced projects. In an interview aired as part of the recent PlayStation Showcase , Santa Monica Studios pair Cory Barlog and Eric Willaims confirmed the reshuffle in leadership on the new title, explaining that changing directors has always been a feature of how things are done at the studio. “It’s always been a tradition here at Santa Monica, to change the directors across the games," said Williams, who has been at the studio since 2004. "We’ve had really good success with that. Cory is the only repeat director and, you know, rightfully so: he’s pretty damn good at what he does.” Barlog further expanded on the studio's decision to change directors between iteratio...

Gameplay from a since-lost movie tie-in for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 has seemingly resurfaced more than a decade after it was created. Between the trailer release for the MCU's Spider-Man No Way Home and Insomniac Games announcing Spider-Man 2 at this month's PlayStation Showcase , everyone's favorite wall-crawler has taken center stage in recent weeks. However, in addition to newer editions of Spider-Man circulating the web, Obscure Gamers has leaked footage from what seems to be the game tie-in for Sam Raimi's scrapped Spider-Man 4 movie. The footage, which was posted on Obscure Gamers YouTube channel , allegedly shows an early build copy of what could have been for Radical Entertainment's Spider-Man 4. Over eighteen minutes long, most of the clip features Spider-Man swinging casually around a relatively well-modeled build of New York City. The city itself looks pretty complete compared to other features in the footage. According to Obscure Gamers, t...

Much like the iconic Rocky Balboa himself, the glory days of the arcade boxing genre are well behind it. Hell, when Midway’s respectable Ready 2 Rumble Boxing first laced up its gloves the President of Russia was Boris Yeltsin, Justin Timberlake was merely the tallest guy in NSYNC, and putting on a Marvel movie just meant watching Wesley Snipes kill a bunch of vampires. Modern iterations just don’t have the same magic, and while Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions is an earnest enough, budget-priced trip back to 1999, developer Survios’ attempt to breathe a little life into unpretentious arcade pugilism that’s two decades past its prime is honestly pretty disappointing. This is actually developer Survios’ second licensed boxing game based on the Rocky and Creed film saga; its first was 2018’s well-regarded VR game Creed: Rise to Glory. Unlike Creed: Rise to Glory, however, Creed Champions is an entirely non-VR experience and the two games have little in common beyond the same modes...

September has officially become IGN’s Best Video Game of All Time Bracket Month, and that means we need YOU to help us decide which of the 64 games selected by IGN staff really are the very best. Throughout the month, we’re tallying our followers’ votes across IGN.com (On the bottom of this page!), and IGN’s YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram accounts to determine which game is the actual best and is capable of beating all others in a March Madness-style bracket tournament. We’ve sorted these 64 games into four randomly selected groups, and we’ve then ranked those games in the groups by what we believe are the best of the best. We’ve included games from all systems and generations, and we really wanted to try to pick many of the most beloved games from all different types of genres. While voting officially begins tomorrow, September 10, you can get a headstart by voting in all of the first round's 32 matchups on the bottom of this page. The polls will close at the end of the...

Welcoooome to Nintendo Voice Chat! A brand new WarioWare hits store shelves this week, and Casey DeFreitas is joined by Tom Marks, Taylor Lyles, and Rebekah Valentine to talk all about Wario's latest wacky game. Plus, hear about IGN's reviews for Life Is Strange: True Colors and Baldo: The Guardian Owls . And, a new interview is shedding light on Nintendo's involvement with Retro Studios during the development of Metroid Prime. All that and more, this week on NVC! Check out the full interview from Kiwi Talkz for even more tidbits about Metroid Prime and Retro Studios. NVC is available on your preferred platforms! Spotify Apple iTunes Stitcher Podbay PlayerFM Podbean You can also Download NVC 577 Directly Here You can listen to NVC on your preferred platform every Thursday at 3pm PT/6pm ET. Have a question for Question Block? Write to us at nvc@ign.com and we may pick your question! Also, make sure to join the Nintendo Voice Chat Podcast Forums on Facebook...

We finally got our first look at the upcoming sequel to 2018's God of War, officially titled God of War: Ragnarok, during Sony's PlayStation Showcase. Those with a keen eye may have spotted a familiar character teased in the trailer wielding a mighty hammer. It was confirmed shortly after the showcase that it was, in fact, Thor who could be seen for a brief moment in the trailer. Now, we've gotten a full-body reveal of the Norse God himself and he looks very different than many of us are used to. Warning: Spoilers ahead for God of War (2018). Those who completed 2018's God of War may remember the Thor teaser for achieving the true ending as it's the same shot used in the trailer, implying that Kratos may be going head-to-head against the God of Thunder in the upcoming sequel. Revealed by Sony Santa Monica Art Director Raf Grassetti on Twitter , this version of Thor more closely resembles that of Norse mythology and folklore as he's depicted with long re...

As a part of the news that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is getting a much-desired remake, we also learned that voice actor Jennifer Hale will be reprising her role as Bastila Shan. “I can confirm that that is Jennifer Hale," said Ryan Treadwell, lead producer at developer Aspyr, in a blog post today. "We all think the world of Jennifer. She is an amazing talent and immediately slipped back into the role of Bastila when she came to help us with the teaser trailer,” In Knights of the Old Republic, Bastila is a member of the Jedi Order with a Force power known as "battle meditation," which lets her boost the morale of her friends while dismaying her foes. She plays a critical role in the game, with her rescue from Taris being a key plot point early in the game and her connection to the Jedi Council opening doors for the protagonist later on. She's also a potential (and, in Star Wars lore, canon) romance option for the protagonist. Hale, meanwhile...

343 Industries has announced today that the next multiplayer preview for Halo Infinite will arrive on September 24. In a tweet shared on the official Halo account, 343 Industries detailed that players interested in participating in the next preview must have a fully registered Halo Insider profile completed no later than September 13 to be eligible. 343 Industries did not specify when the upcoming multiplayer preview will conclude as of yet. The next #HaloInfinite multiplayer preview is targeted to arrive on Sept. 24! All fully registered Halo Insider profiles as of Sept. 13 are eligible to participate. Don’t miss out! Head to https://t.co/3a5Xr1hUIc , get your profile fully filled out, then prepare for takeoff. pic.twitter.com/9GgAQP4f6p — Halo (@Halo) September 9, 2021 This is the second preview 343 Industries has done for its highly anticipated first-person shooter, following a technical preview held from July 29 through August 1 . While the developer did not specify h...

Gran Turismo 7 will launch on both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on March 4, 2022. Announced on the PlayStation Blog , the developers say the goal is to, "convey everything from the last 150 years of car and racing culture, whether you are a lifelong fan or discovering cars for the first time." The devs also say legendary tracks from the series, including Trial Mountain and High-Speed Ring, will return in higher detail to match the PS5's power. There was also a new trailer at today's PlayStation Showcase event , showing off dozens of gorgeous cars that will be featured in the game. We also got a brief look at the Livery Editor, customization, tracks, and more. The game was previously pushed into 2022 due to pandemic-related production issues. It was originally announced with a trailer , but this is our first look at gameplay as you'll see it while playing. A beta will seemingly arrive in the lead-up to launch. Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN....

God of War: Ragnarok, the sequel to 2018's God of War, finally got a gameplay trailer today, showing Kratos and Atreus bickering as ever, and of course slashing their way through enemy hordes. Revealed at today's PlayStation Showcase event , it looks like a much more beautiful continuation of where the last game left off. It also gave us a look at both Thor and Freya, the game's main antagonists. Mjölnir made an appearance, as well as enemies teleporting in via the Bifröst. As discussed in the PlayStation after show, this version of Thor is much different from the one most people have grown used to from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is a much more burly, hedonistic version of the hero, closer to the original Norse legend in mythology than Chris Hemsworth's hunky Australian. Ragnarok is set a few years after the first game and will deal with following the mystery of Atreus' heritage, along with the challenges of Fimbulwinter – the "great winter...

In a surprise reveal, Insomniac has announced Spider-Man 2, continuing the story of Peter Parker and Miles Morales in its video game Spider-verse, coming exclusively to PlayStation 5 in 2023. Revealed at today's PlayStation Showcase event , Venom was teased as at least one of the big bads you'll face in a trailer also showing Peter and Miles taking down criminals together. "While pushing the capabilities of the [PS5] will be very exciting, we’re equally pumped to craft all-new stories for Peter and Miles in this sequel," Insomniac's Ryan Schneider said in a post on the PlayStation blog . "Just as in our previous Spider-Man games, we not only want to tell a great Super Hero story, but also deliver a compelling human story, one full of heart and humor that dives deep into the people behind the mask." Schneider goes on to say that much of the original development team is returning for the sequel, including Creative Director Bryan Intihar and Game Dire...

Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: Lost Legacy are being remastered, with a PS5 version in the works from Naughty Dog and a PC version coming "shortly after" from Iron Galaxy. Revealed at today's PlayStation Showcase event , Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will feature enhanced versions of both of the Naughty Dog adventures release for PS4. You can see some of the screenshots from the next-gen remaster just below. Uncharted 4 was first released back in 2016, which we awarded a 9/10 in our review . Uncharted: Lost Legacy, a side-story of sorts , was released the following year. Sony has been investing more heavily in porting its exclusives to PC in the last year, and even bought Dutch studio Nixxes to assist with that move. Apparently, Epic previously offered $200 million to make that happen, but Sony seems to have gone in a different direction. The Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will release in early 2022. source https://www.ign.com/articles/uncha...

In a surprise reveal at today's PlayStation Showcase, Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games revealed that it has a Wolverine game in development for PS5, seemingly titled simple Marvel's Wolverine. The reveal was done via a very brief teaser trailer, in which we see Wolverine in a cowboy hat sitting at a bar as a large man advances on him from behind. As the man gets closer, Wolverine extends his claws, revealing his identity. Aside from that, the PlayStation blog stated that Marvel's Wolverine is a "standalone game" and is being directed by Brian Horton and Cameron Christian, the latter of whom was a creative lead on Miles Morales. It's still "very early" in development, but one hint to its story offered by the blog compared it to Spider-Man, in that "Both heroes feel deeply compelled to defend people who are less able to do so." That's it for now. Insomniac's been a busy place lately though, with the r...

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is coming to PlayStation 5 later this year. Announced at today's PlayStation Showcase event , the free-to-play battle royale is coming before the end of 2021, but we don't have an exact date yet. More details were announced on the PlayStation Blog , including that the game will aim to hit 60 fps, and it will, "make full use of the DualSense controller." Bloodhunt is set in the World of Darkness universe. In Bloodhunt, players control vampires fighting off hunters by using supernatural powers. The game is out now in early access on Steam. Bloodhunt is the debut game from UK and Sweden-based developer Sharkmob. It was originally revealed in late 2020. Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @ LoganJPlant . source https://www.ign.com/articles/bloodhunt-coming-to-ps5

If you somehow haven't gotten enough of a taste of what Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will have to offer when it launches next month, today's PlayStation Showcase delivered with yet another look at some of the humorous, snappy story moments coming up in the Guardians' adventure. The new trailer opens with the Grand Unifier, who we've seen in previous trailers, giving a dark, ominous speech before Star-Lord feigns a heart attack to, one can only presume, distract or throw him off balance, while Gamora shakes her head in exasperation. And it all goes silly from there. We also get a look at Cosmo, a dog with superpowers, intelligence, and the ability to telepathically communicate, who has a prior relationship with the Guardians. There are more looks at combat (both on foot and in space!) and hints at some big dramatic moments. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is still geared up for release on October 26 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Ninte...