Month: December 2020

Horizon Forbidden West: Everything We Know

Horizon Zero Dawn was a big success for Sony and developer Guerrilla Games, building a new franchise on the backs of hulking robotic dinosaurs. It was only a matter of time before a sequel materialized, and we got our first look at the game–titled Horizon Forbidden West–during the promotional build-up for the PlayStation 5. While it isn’t a PS5 exclusive, it’s being treated as a technical showpiece for the new console.

In the sequel, humankind is facing a new extinction event. Aloy travels to the Forbidden West to uncover secrets of the past while facing new threats and forging new alliances with the factions in this new, untamed region.

Here’s everything we know about Horizon Forbidden West. For more on upcoming games, check out our most anticipated games of 2021.

Release Date

Sony has not confirmed an exact release date for Horizon Forbidden West, but it has given us a relatively narrow release window. In a PS5 trailer titled “New Worlds to Explore,” a small disclaimer at the bottom noted that it is “anticipated second half of 2021.” That window spans from July 1-December 31, so it could appear in the late summer or during the fall/holiday release windows. This is only listed as an anticipated release window, however, so it’s subject to change.

Platforms

Horizon Forbidden West is a PlayStation exclusive, which means it’s coming to both PS4 and PS5. So far, the footage shown has universally been from the PS5 version of the game, which means the PS4 version may not reach the same level of visual flourish. At the same time, Horizon Zero Dawn was among the more stunning games for PS4, so Guerrilla may be able to push the hardware to the limit and make it an impressive showpiece there too.

Is Horizon Forbidden West Coming To PC?

Horizon Forbidden West is not announced for PC. It is possible that the game will eventually come to PC, though, as Horizon Zero Dawn was recently released on Steam. Sony has signaled that it is open to selectively releasing its exclusive games on PC as well.

Trailers

The first trailer, which debuted during Sony’s PS5 reveal event, had Aloy narrating about a mysterious new threat that appears to be killing wildlife and vegetation alike. What followed was glimpses of new environments and creatures, as well as the return of Sylens.

Though not a new trailer for Horizon Forbidden West, Guerrilla Games also produced a short behind-the-scenes video that shared more details on the scope, setting, creatures, and tribes we’ll see in this sequel.

DLC Details

So far, no DLC or microtransactions have been announced for Horizon Forbidden West. Its predecessor did get a large DLC expansion, called Horizon The Frozen Wilds, which opened up a new snowy region to explore and introduced new factions. Forbidden West is similar in that it appears to be named after a new area for Aloy to uncover. Guerrilla could plan to release a similar expansion for Forbidden West, but if so, we may not know for some time after release.

Preorder

Horizon Forbidden West is not available to preorder. When it does go up for preorder, the PS5 version may be a $70 title like the PS5 exclusive Demon’s Souls.

Super Nintendo World’s Area Map, Merchandise, and Cafe Items Revealed

Universal Studios Japan has released an area map for its forthcoming Super Nintendo World area, themed around characters from the Mario games and their universe of spinoffs. Starting today, the park has been inviting selected Club Universal members and annual pass holders to experience the new area firsthand ahead of its February 4 2021 opening.

SuperNintendoWorldMap

Super Nintendo World is the most complex area at USJ to date. We had already seen glimpses of the Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge and Yoshi’s Adventure rides (and IGN Japan previously published a video showing the inside of Bowser’s Castle); now USJ has shared some details of the menu at the Kinopio Cafe (Kinopio is the Japanese name for Toad), which includes a Bacon & Cheese Mario Burger, Piranha Plant Caprese and Question Block Tiramisu. Merchandise to be sold at the 1Up Factory Shop includes Mario themed hoodies, moustachioed glasses and gloves, as well as the cute Tokotoko Mario toy shown off by Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto during his video tour of the park released last weekend. Check out images of some of the food dishes and merchandise below.

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* Images provided by Universal Studios Japan, ©Nintendo

In addition to the large-scale facilities and attractions, there will be activities where guests can collect virtual coins and play against enemy characters using a Power Up Band (3,200 yen including tax, or about $31/£23) that can be linked to a smartphone app. These will include activities and challenges whose Japanese names translate to “Aim! Koopa Troopa POW Block Punch” and “Stop! Piranha Plant Alarm Panic”.

There will also be a Meet & Greet photo spot, where visitors can meet Mario and Luigi, take photos together with them and even engage them in conversation.

Japanese superstar YouTuber Hikakin was appointed a partner of USJ, and he has published a sponsored video of his experience at Super Nintendo World on his channel that shows a little more detail.

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Universal Studios Japan is located in Osaka, Japan. Super Mario World was originally slated to open last summer, but was delayed to its current February 4 2021 opening date in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan is currently not granting entry to foreign tourists until further notice, so Nintendo fans outside of Japan will have to wait before they can visit – though a Super Nintendo World area will eventually be added to Universal Studios theme parks in Hollywood, Florida and Singapore.

For more on USJ’s collaboration with Nintendo, check out our report from the Mario Cafe & Store in the main area of the park, which is already open, selling specially designed exclusive snacks and goods themed on Mario and friends; and a look around Bowser’s Castle and a sneak peek at the Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge ride.

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Daniel Robson is Chief Editor at IGN Japan. Follow him on Twitter for all your Japan gaming theme park tokotoko needs.

Amazon’s Lord Of The Rings TV Show Reportedly Finishes Filming

Amazon’s big-budget Lord of the Rings TV series has apparently finished filming in New Zealand. According to a December 22 Instagram post by director JA Bayona, he has taken his “last photo in New Zealand… and I can’t wait to be back.” The director has consistently taken to the photo-sharing platform to provide updates on how the production has been faring with various milestones.

Despite New Zealand being pretty much the only place on this planet that was largely unaffected by COVID-19, it still caused a few delays for the production. The country had extremely strict rules on who can enter the country, and in July, the country’s government granted “border exemptions” for certain international film and TV productions. As of late 2019, the show had reportedly completed shooting the first two episodes. Given that even before airing, it was announced that the series will be getting two seasons, it is highly likely Bayona will be back in New Zealand sooner rather than later.

As for the show’s content itself, it will be set in the Second Age, which is a 3,441-year period that covered major events like the forging of the Rings of Power, including the One Ring; the War of Sauron, the beginning of the Ringwraiths, and when Numenor the island sank into the ocean. Also, it was during the Second Age that the Elven city of Rivendell was developed and the great battle where men, elves, and dwarves fought together for the first time against Sauron.

Speaking of ancient history, it’s hard to believe it’s been almost 20 years since director Peter Jackson and his team brought Tolkein’s fantasy epic to the big screen–a task previously thought of as being unfilmable. No firm release date has been set for Bayona’s version, but here’s hoping we won’t have to wait another 20 years. In the meantime, here’s everything we know about the fantasy series to help tide you over.

Nicolas Cage Delivers The Full Cage In Swear Words Trailer For Netflix

In all of civilization’s lexicons, there are words that are considered profane, crude, and utterly offensive, but how did they get that way? Netflix’s History of Swear Words will do a deep dive into the culture of language in a mini-series that explores the evolution of profanity throughout the centuries.

The aptly-titled series will be hosted by Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage, who undoubtedly has said a swear or two in his career. You can check out the trailer below, but.

Joining Cage will be comedians Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

On the linguistic side of things, there will be language experts and authors including Benjamin Bergen (PhD, Cognitive Scientist, Author of What The F), Mireille Miller-Young (PhD, Professor of Feminist Studies), Elvis Mitchell (Film Critic/Host of The Treatment on KCRW), Melissa Mohr (PhD, Author of Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing), and Kory Stamper (Lexicographer, Author Of Word By Word).

The History of Swear Words will be a six-episode mini-series that premieres on Netflix on January 5.

Super Meat Boy Forever Is Finally Here, And You Can Save 50% Right Now

Following years of teases and a significant delay, Super Meat Boy Forever has arrived just in time for the holidays. The sequel to the wildly popular 2010 indie platformer is available on PC via the Epic Games Store and Nintendo Switch, with PlayStation and Xbox ports planned for early 2021. Super Meat Boy Forever costs $20, but there’s a way to snag it for only 10 bucks right now.

As part of the Epic Games Store’s Holiday Sale, you can get unlimited $10 off coupons to use on games priced $15 or more. To get your first coupon, you simply need to sign into your Epic account (or create one for free). Each time you make an eligible purchase, a new coupon will be deposited into your account. With the coupon applied, you’ll save 50% on the brand-new release. You can take advantage of this deal until Epic’s Holiday Sale ends on January 11.

A mobile follow-up to Super Meat Boy was originally announced in 2014. Throughout development, the sequel morphed into a traditional PC/console release and became quite ambitious in the process. Super Meat Boy Forever’s plot revolves around Meat Boy and Bandage Girl’s quest to save their daughter Nugget from Dr. Fetus.

While it’s still a challenging 2D side-scroller like the original, Super Meat Boy Forever is an auto-runner. The way you progress through the game is a huge departure from its predecessor, too. Team Meat created thousands of levels for Super Meat Boy Forever. Each time you play through the campaign, you’ll encounter new levels and secrets. The studio claims that you can complete the game “several times before ever seeing a duplicate level.”

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Green Arrow Comes To Fortnite In Time For The New Year

Fortnite has had no shortage of superhero guests in 2020, including everyone from Deadpool to Aquaman, and it’s adding one more hero before the year is up. The legendary archer Green Arrow will arrive in the game on December 31 exclusively for Fortnite Crew members.

Green Arrow’s look in the game is based on his appearance from The CW’s Arrow series, so he may appear a little bit different than the one featured in the comics or in games like Injustice 2. Along with the character skin, you can also get a Tactical Quiver back bling and the Style and Boxing Glove pickaxe.

The pack will be available on December 31 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET. You have until then to subscribe to Fortnite Crew and get December’s pack, Galaxia. There have been a number of franchises represented in this season, with its “worlds collide” concept giving us everyone from Kratos to Master Chief. Black Panther and Captain Marvel were also added this week.

Fortnite Crew memberships cost $12 per month and give you access to a monthly pack, 1000 V-Bucks, and access to the latest Battle Pass. The V-Bucks become available the day you subscribe, then exactly one month later every month for the duration of your membership.

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Original Silent Hill Creator Is Working On New Horror-Action Game

Last month, Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama announced he had founded a new company called Bokeh Game Studio with veteran developers from games like Gravity Rush and The Last Guardian. Now, we have learned more about Toyama’s first project, and it should appeal to Silent Hill fans.

In an interview with IGN Japan, Toyama said his new game would be an action-adventure game rather than a standard survival-horror experience. However, he said it would “appeal to fans of [his] previous work,” quite clearly referencing Silent Hill. That series has been on ice for several years now, with Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro’s collaborative Silent Hills project being canceled in 2015. The demo, PT, was deleted from the PlayStation Store, and PS4 consoles that have it installed have become valuable.

“If anything, this will be more of a horror-oriented game,” Toyama added. “But we will focus on making this a broader entertainment experience rather than a hardcore horror game.”

The game isn’t expected until around 2023, with it just recently entering the prototyping development stage. It will be a multi-platform game, so expect to play it at least on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

We’ve heard rumors about a Silent Hill revival at Konami, as well, but thus far there has been nothing concrete. The company shot down claims that a revival was in the works earlier this year, and we’ve heard little else since. With Kojima no longer at Konami, it’s very unlikely it would be any sort of Silent Hills or PT reboot, but we’re certainly ready to enter that terrifying town again.

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Yes, KFC’s Game Console Is Real, And It Has A Chicken Warmer

KFC has become something of a meme factory over the last few years, with different celebrities playing Colonel Sanders in commercials and Mario Lopez even starring as the long-dead founder in a short romance film for Lifetime. We saw teases on the KFC Gaming Twitter account of a KFC-branded game console for months, and we assumed it was all a joke. Well, it wasn’t. The KFConsole is real, and it keeps your chicken warm.

Intel’s Mark Walton clarified that the console is legitimate on Twitter, saying it’s powered by Intel.

The Cooler Master page provides more information on the system, saying it’s capable of 4K resolution and 240fps gameplay. We can’t imagine that’s for graphically demanding games, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Cooler Master primarily focuses on custom PC builds, but this is pretty different from anything else the company has done.

The KFConsole makes use of a Cooler Master NC100 chassis and a Core i9 Intel Nuc 9 Extreme Computer Element. It also includes a swappable GPU slot so you can upgrade it as you see fit, and even a PCIe NVMe SSD and two Seagate Barracuda 1TB SSDs.

The kicker with the system is its chicken-warming compartment, which makes use of the console’s own heat to keep KFC warm while you game. We truly live in the future.

You can even use VR headsets with the KFConsole so you can be even more immersed in a world of crispy fried chicken. We don’t have a price yet on the system, but it doesn’t sound like it will be cheap.