Month: January 2021

Remothered developers Stormind Games have announced Batora: Lost Haven, a new action-RPG in development for current-gen consoles (including Nintendo Switch) and next-gen consoles as well as PC.

Batora puts you in control of Avril, a regular teenage girl who finds herself traveling to many planets to try and save a dying Earth from being destroyed. As the Stormind team describes it, “Batora is based on the duality between mind and body, introducing a new game mechanic that challenges players to find the perfect balance between the two – losing sight of one could mean that their journey is over. Batora doesn’t present the hero’s journey in black or white, good or evil: there are decisions and there are their consequences. Every single decision Avril makes will turn out to be important, often even life-changing, for the characters she meets or the places she visits.” In gameplay terms, this means mastering when to alternate between physical-based and mental-based attacks within the same battles, which you can get a hint of in the announcement trailer above.

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The art direction is described as a 1950’s sci-fi aesthetic inspired by the work of Paul Lehr. “Bridging the gap between the physical and mental calls for a particular visual representation and we’ve really tried to distinguish between the two with a hand-painted approach inspired by Sci-Fi art of the 1950s versus the photo-realistic approach of many of today’s AAA titles,” said art director Gaetano Caltabiano. “We’ve really drawn a lot of inspiration from the likes of Alphonse Mucha and the intense sci-fi environments of Paul Lehr.” Batora will also have help from talent that’s helped create games like the Batman: Arkham series and Assassin’s Creed, as well as award-winning writer Anne Toole (The Witcher, Horizon: Zero Dawn).

We’ll have more on Batora: Lost Haven as development progresses. In the meantime check out IGN’s review of Remothered: Broken Porcelain.

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Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

There are always two sides to every story, but rarely does the audience get to experience them both at the same time. Such is the novel gameplay hook central to The Medium, an enthralling psychological horror adventure that splits your focus between a gloomy real-world setting and a haunting parallel spirit world, with actions performed in one having a measurable impact on the other. It’s a stylish and clever technique that’s used to consistently engaging effect, allowing for some stimulating puzzle design and exhilarating moments of reality-hopping cat and mouse with a truly memorable monster.

I quickly warmed to the self-deprecating charm of The Medium’s split-screen scream queen, Marianne. She’s a spirit guide who is lured to an abandoned resort in the Polish hinterland hoping to uncover the origin of her clairvoyant abilities, and her consistently wry observations – delivered by actress Kelly Burke – kept the mood from becoming too dire in what is an otherwise intensely disturbing detective tale. Determining the extent of the evil atrocities that went down within the hotel’s walls and identifying the perpetrators soon becomes the main focus, one that I took great morbid delight in as I pieced together each and every sinister scrap of evidence along its bloodsoaked breadcrumb trail.

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Much of the clue gathering is admittedly fairly straightforward in a mechanical sense, using Marianne’s insight ability on discarded objects found in the world to reveal information about the fate of their owners, for example, or to highlight the ghostly footsteps that point the way forward. But elsewhere there are some satisfyingly hands-on methods you need to employ, and I particularly enjoyed the simple pleasure of arranging trays of photography chemicals and dunking the paper in the right sequence of solutions in order to develop a photo correctly in a dark room. (Remember developing photos? … No? Okay.)

Dual Shocks

Of course, almost every room in The Medium is a dark room, and they only get darker. At predetermined points along the main story path the screen will split to reveal the spirit world side by side with the material world, and you’ll suddenly be controlling two versions of Marianne at the same time. It’s an incredibly striking contrast; on one side of the screen the flesh and bone Marianne will be moving along a dimly lit hotel corridor, on the other, her silver-haired spiritual form will be stalking through a hollowed-out hallway to Hell. On both sides of the divide the environments are exceptionally well realised, but it’s the spirit world that is particularly eerie to explore, with unearthly tendrils sprouting from the floors, outstretched hands clawing at you like stalactites from the ceiling, and your general surroundings resembling a nightmarish landscape the likes of which isn’t normally seen anywhere outside of a heavy metal album cover. On that note, in this otherworld you frequently reveal new areas by slashing through sheets of human skin with a blade made of bones, which also sounds like the opening lyric to the most metal song ever made.

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That said, it’s not just the haunted souls of the hotel you’ll have to contend with, but also the ghosts of horror games past. There are plenty of odd-shaped keys to find, valves to turn, and broken lever handles to repair, which on paper may sound like dated throwbacks to the likes of Alone in the Dark. However, it’s the use of Marianne’s reality-phasing abilities to uncover and obtain these items that makes The Medium feel distinct, and that kept me engaged in clearing a path through its increasingly ominous obstacles.

Always Leave Them Wanting Maw

The other force propelling me forward was The Medium’s principal villain, The Maw. While I certainly enjoyed the strong performances from Marianne and the small supporting cast (both human and spiritual) it’s Troy Baker’s uncharacteristic and entirely unsettling turn as The Medium’s chief antagonist that really steals the show.

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I say that metaphorically, since you can’t actually look over your shoulder in The Medium. Well, not on purpose at least. While each of developer Bloober Team’s horror games to date have been in first-person, from Layers of Fear 2 to Observer to Blair Witch, The Medium is a strictly third-person affair, appropriating the multiple fixed camera angles of the early Resident Evil and Silent Hill games that change up from room to room. Apparently this decision was partially born out of necessity, since giving free control over the camera was reportedly causing nausea during the dual-reality sections.

Yet while the many claustrophobic close-ups and cinematic angles certainly contribute to an ongoing sense of trepidation, The Medium doesn’t have the power to manipulate or disorient you as deviously as Bloober’s previous first-person games. It isn’t able to unsettle you by diverting your attention one way in order to rearrange the environment behind you, for example. It’s a hair-raising ride regardless, but the most disoriented I ever felt during the eight hours it took to complete the story was anytime the camera suddenly switched angles and I had to course-correct with an awkward stutter step like someone who’d just narrowly avoided walking into the wrong bathroom by accident.

First thing’s first: you might need to reconfigure what you think this upcoming package of Mario gaming on Switch is. When it was first announced, it felt like the archetypal re-release – a shiny port of an underplayed Wii U game to entice those who missed it first time round, with an extra expansion to tempt back those who did play 3D World. It isn’t that, really.

Yes, Super Mario 3D World is a mostly unchanged game, but Bowser’s Fury isn’t an expansion – it’s a fundamentally separate game, picked from a title screen and booted into without ever having to touch 3D World. It’s built from the same foundations, yes, but into a very different shape. With that in mind, this isn’t so much a ‘preview’ as ‘previews’, plural – so let’s start with the more familiar of the two halves.

Super Mario 3D World

Like a lot of Wii U re-releases for Switch, Super Mario 3D World feels less like a triumphant encore than a necessary reintroduction. After its last console’s failure, Nintendo knows how comparatively few people will have played this installment of its most famous franchise. As such, we seem to be getting a version built more to offer a smoother on-ramp for new players than to offer new ideas amid the original formula.

For those who know nothing about it, 3D World is a classic, course-based Mario game, extruded from 2D into 3D, and offering the flexibility to play with up to 4 people at once. It’s a riot of colour, mechanical ideas and, especially with others, gentle chaos, as characters, enemies, obstacles, and physics objects collide. We loved it back in 2013, and time hasn’t dimmed its charms – Nintendo’s mastery of art design means even its visuals haven’t suffered too much in the intervening years.

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For the Switch port, Nintendo explains that movement is slightly faster, and that each of its four playable characters’ abilities have been ever-so-slightly tweaked, but the effects are barely noticeable without direct comparison. Online multiplayer is a nice addition, and smoothly integrated, with players simply choosing to create or join a room from the World Map (although, it needs to be pointed out that unfortunately only the host will make game progress in a multiplayer session). And Captain Toad levels – which were invented for this game before becoming their own excellent spin-off – now accommodate multiplayer parties, rather than forcing three people to watch the host have fun for a bit.

But, in my time with the first four worlds of the game, those have been the only key changes – and with little new to focus on, it’s more interesting to realise what 3D World did that other Mario games haven’t.

After playing so much of Super Mario Odyssey, it’s fascinating to re-experience quite how different a game 3D World is by comparison. 3D World is a more machine-tooled experience, with its mostly one-way courses forcing players down gauntlets of increasing challenge, rather than Odyssey’s more freeform improvisation. Its fixed camera means it can more regularly play with perspective, point of view, and good old secrets hidden just off of screen, with only an unusually placed block to point the way.

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Where Odyssey was a riff on Mario 64’s freedom, 3D World is a modern take on the original Mario Bros. games’ thoughtful design, gently elevating you from nervous Goomba-stomper into a careening blur of jumps, ground pounds, and sprints over the course of its ever-changing levels.

If you haven’t played 3D World before, this new version is a marginally better version of an already fantastic game – but even if you have, my short time with it suggests that a fresh playthrough could feel just as impactful as it did the first time around, simply because we’ve had nothing like it since. And even if that’s not of interest, there’s always the brand new part of the package to try.

Bowser’s Fury

Nintendo only offered up a sliver of Bowser’s Fury to play for preview – which, if I’m being cynical, might point to how small a game it could represent (even Nintendo has publicly called it ‘short’, after all). But even with the worry that it might be over all too soon, Bowser’s Fury already feels like a fascinating new experiment from the restlessly inventive Mario team.

It’s seemingly built in the same engine as 3D World, and uses its version of Mario (including his abilities and power-ups), but the structure is very different, drawing on multiple games for reference. Rather than individual courses, the standalone adventure’s location, Lake Lapkat, is built like one of Super Mario Odyssey’s kingdoms. It’s a picturesque place, although it has to be said that Bowser’s Fury’s more ‘open world’ approach does show the limitations of the older engine – at a distance, areas become smudged and jaggy (it turns out 3D World’s extreme depth of field effects were hiding some flaws). Lapkat is split into distinct sections, which can be explored from multiple angles, each offering 5 collectible Cat Shines – earned by completing platforming challenges, beating enemies, or discovering secrets.

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If ‘Cat Shines’ sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a reference to the collectibles in the GameCube’s Super Mario Sunshine – and that’s not the only Sunshine touchpoint. Quite apart from its twinkling seaside aesthetic, you’ll also meet and work alongside Bowser Jr., who clutches his magical paintbrush from Sunshine. Bowser Jr. can be controlled by a second player, or work as an AI companion that unlocks secrets painted onto walls, picks up items and battles enemies (and comes with an options menu that lets you choose how much he helps). Together you’re tasked with cleaning an infestation of Sunshine-esque black ooze from Lapkat’s shores and waters – although this time solely with the power of lighthouses – no FLUDD, I’m afraid. And why you’re doing all that reveals Bowser’s Fury’s strangest reference point of all.

Periodically, Lapkat’s weather will change for the worse, signalling the appearance of Fury Bowser, a new version of Mario’s old foe stretched to kaiju proportions by the effect of the ooze. He either needs to be avoided until he goes away, or turned away by force. He is, essentially, a take on Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Blood Moon – and marks Bowser’s Fury’s freshest idea.

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When Fury Bowser appears, certain friendly NPCs turn evil, new platforms drop from the sky, and your giant enemy will send attacks at you from multiple angles. Those attacks can be beneficial, however; a new type of block can only be destroyed by Fury Bowser’s attacks, turning his appearance into a moment of risk and reward. Collecting a Cat Shine during an attack will turn him back – and collecting enough Shines will unlock the Giga Bell, a giant Cat Mario power-up that lets you battle Fury Bowser.

My preview didn’t extend as far as the battle itself, so time will tell how many more new ideas Lapkat holds beneath its waters, but my limited impressions have been very positive. This is a far more singular game than anticipated – I simply wasn’t expecting to be this surprised by what promised to be a simple add-on to a much bigger existing game.

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But then maybe that’s my own short-sightedness. After all, Super Mario 3D World is a game based so much on that classic Mario ideal of germinating a new idea, letting it bloom, then moving on to a new one in short order – it’s a game built on the pleasure of constant new things to do. Bowser’s Fury feels like it could be an extension of that philosophy, a game-sized offshoot from 3D World, pointing its older ideas in an entirely new direction. It’s early days, but this oddly feels somehow even more natural a move for the Mario team than an expansion to the game it’s attached to – it’s a new idea.

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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 [email protected].

Whether you’ve been lucky enough to snag an Xbox Series X|S or not, you may want to check out this deal. The Microsoft Store has the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller on sale for $20 off. The controller works great on on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Series S.

Granted, a $20 discount doesn’t soften the financial blow of such a pricy piece of hardware all that much, but it’s better than nothing. And by nearly all accounts, the Elite Series 2 controller is worth the price even without a discount.

Save $20 on Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller

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What makes it so good? For starters, it has a wrap-around rubberized grip that makes it easier and more comfortable to hold than pretty much any other controller on the market. The battery lasts for up to 40 hours of gameplay on a single charge, and it comes with a carrying case, a charging dock, and a USB-C cable.

It’s also highly customizable, much more so than a standard Xbox One or Series X controller. You can adjust the tension of the analog sticks to your preference, which can help improve your aiming in shooters. Also helpful for shooters are the controller’s hair-trigger locks. When enabled, these can give you an edge in a firefight, because your shot will register faster.

You can also actually swap out a number of the controller’s components. It comes with a set of six thumbsticks that let you choose between classic, tall, and wide-dome designs, each of which offers unique benefits for certain types of players. You can choose between a standard D-pad or the faceted one Microsoft is using on Series X|S controllers. Finally, you get four paddles that go on the back of the controller and can be mapped to any button for easy access.

The Xbox Elite Series 2 controller isn’t for everyone. But if you’re trying to maximize your competitive edge, it gives you lots of customizable ways to do so.

Other Xbox Series X and Series S Accessories

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Psyonix is adding new visual options for the Rocket League arena Neon Fields following reports from players of potential seizures.

In early January, The Loadout reported on the neon-soaked new arena, noting that it was potentially causing seizures in some players. User psyonixistrynakillme made a post on the official Rocket League subreddit, which started “I am epileptic and the new map is giving me seizures. I’ve tried complaining on psyonix support and tweeting at them. Got no real answers than pretty much “Oops! Sorry!” So I made a reddit and hopefully my voice is heard here.”

Other members of the subreddit rallied around the post, bringing it to the attention of Psyonix, who replied to the thread in an attempt to speak to the poster.

Players’ voices haver clearly have been heard as the latest update announcement on the Rocket League blog talks about the new effects settings that will be added to the game on February 1. “Based on recent player feedback, we’ve become aware that the effects and lighting in Neon Fields can negatively impact the game experience for some players,” the blog post reads. “Following the update, players will be able to change this setting to ‘Default or ‘Low.'”

If players switch to the Low setting, pulsing effects, flashing lights, background light intensity and moving FX will be reduced or removed entirely when playing on Neon Fields. This will hopefully allow players who have been reporting the seizure-inducing effects to play the game once more.

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In other Rocket League news, the game recently made our list of the best games of the PS4/Xbox One generation.

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The release of Wonder Woman 1984 helped HBO Max to double the number of activated subscriptions on its platform in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the third quarter.

AT&T highlighted WarnerMedia in its report of fourth-quarter and full-year results, noting that HBO Max subscribers had doubled – to 17.2 million – in the fourth quarter of last year. In addition, the company acquired 41.5 million HBO and HBO Max subscribers in the US by the end of 2020, up from 34.6 million the previous year. Plus, HBO and HBO Max subscribers topped nearly 61 million worldwide in 2020.

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AT&T said that the 41 million-strong US subscriber count for HBO and HBO Max came two years faster than the company’s initial forecasts. AT&T CEO John Stankey attributed these figures, in part, to the release of Wonder Woman 1984, the Patty Jenkins-directed superhero sequel starring Gal Gadot, which he said ultimately helped to “drive” the subscriber numbers up.

Towards the end of the year, WarnerMedia also likely benefited from its long-awaited distribution deal with Roku, which resulted in HBO Max finally being rolled out to Roku-enabled devices after being unavailable for several months. The new agreement gave Roku owners the opportunity to download the HBO Max app and gain full access to its library, including Wonder Woman 1984.

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As previously reported, HBO Max saw an estimated 554,000 users sign up from December 25 – Wonder Woman 1984’s release date – to December 27. This figure included a record 244,000 downloads on December 27 alone. WarnerMedia also said that “nearly half” of its HBO Max subscribers watched Wonder Woman 1984 on the day of release.

In our review of Wonder Woman 1984, we shared our belief that the Cold War-set sequel landed “exactly at a time that can benefit from it the most.” We praised the movie for presenting “a nostalgic look back to a beloved time,” which we felt ultimately provided “escapism from an exceptionally difficult year” and offered the “kind of bright and hopeful movie the character’s legacy deserves.”

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Among a recent slew of exciting developer-acquires-major-franchise announcements, the one that really stands out as a truly natural fit is IO Interactive’s acquisition of the James Bond licence. It’s easy to see why this team is a perfect fit for the license – the developer’s recent Hitman games have oozed 007 energy, from their sharp suits and jet-setting missions to kill animations that are practically Moore-era one-liners in physical form.

With Hitman 3, IO Interactive has effectively crossed the finish line on a three-part proof-of-concept for the iconic spy. In this final entry, we see all the tools necessary to not just make a great Bond game, but to continue the evolution of IOI’s design philosophy into more cinematic territory. The secret to that lies in Hitman 3’s unparalleled blend of sandbox level design, meticulously-crafted simulation, and emergent, player-driven storytelling.

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One of the hallmarks of all Bond stories – and, by extension, Bond games – is that they take place across a variety of exciting locations. This is perhaps what makes IOI so immediately recognisable as a great fit for 007: Hitman is a globe-hopping series. It takes Agent 47 to a wide variety of international locales, from the streets of Mumbai, to italian villas, to the extravagant parties of clandestine societies.

But it’s how Hitman allows you to deploy your predatory skills in each of these unique arenas that really demonstrates IOI’s talent for the secret operative genre. The trilogy offers unparalleled freedom of approach, allowing you to infiltrate zones and eliminate targets in almost any method you can imagine. Intertwining groups of NPCs permit the ascension from backstreets to penthouse, such as disguising yourself as hotel staff to infiltrate a room and steal a socialite’s identity, which in turn allows you to blend in at a wealthy party. Exactly like Bond, Agent 47 uses a tuxedo as a keycard to grant access to his objective.

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However, complete freedom of approach can come at expense of narrative clarity. There’s a reason why many licensed games often play more like Uncharted or Gears than Minecraft or Breath of the Wild: linear mission design allows the experience to deliver a stronger curated story. Bond’s roots in books and films means that IOI will need to provide a compelling narrative for 007 – and that’s where Hitman’s Mission Stories come in; narrative threads that gently guide you through a chain of crafted moments and provide cinematic kill opportunities at the end. It’s a system that adds some narrative depth, but still provides players the freedom to improvise as events unfold. All three of the recent Hitman games have featured these, but it’s in Hitman 3 that IO has refined the Mission Stories to the point of them being recognisable enough to be slotted into something more narrative-dependent. While the previous two games used the system to gradually nudge players to areas where cool moments could play out, Hitman 3 presents more cohesive, satisfying stories.

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Take, for instance, the Death In The Family mission from Hitman 3. It’s a level that sets players on a mission to assassinate a matriarch at her mansion, but upon arrival you discover that every member of her extended family are suspects in the recent death of her brother. While the aim of the level remains the extermination of this particularly wretched old lady, one Mission Story allows you to disguise yourself as a private investigator and solve the murder. The quest plays out as a perfect slice of Agatha Christie, complete with a hateful ensemble cast of suspects that seem like more than a knowing wink towards Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. When setting up the blueprints of a Bond game, it’s moments like this that provide an investigation angle that’s vital for fulfilling the spy fantasy. Replace interviewing shifty family members with digging for information across a poker table, and the quieter, more detail-focused moment’s of 007’s career are covered.

Of course, what you then do with that information is a vital part of Hitman’s freeform mantra. At the Dartmoor estate, you can uncover the clues and solve the murder, all while adhering to honorable PI rules – or you can also be a ruthless scumbag, maiming the mansion’s staff in pursuit of some twisted idea of “justice”. Upon discovery of the murderer, you could take punishment into your own hands, or twist the case to meet your own ends. This freedom to react to the presented plot as you please would work well in a Bond situation, allowing players to craft 007 in their favoured image. Perhaps a suave Sean Connery, flirting his way to an efficient kill? Or a more brutal Daniel Craig, pulling a target aside half-way through the mission to drown them in a bathroom sink? Or, as Hitman has famously demonstrated its aptitude for, a Roger Moore-style approach using bombs disguised as rubber ducks and escaping the scene dressed as a clown.

[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=Great%20shootouts%20and%20fun%20punch-ups%20will%20be%20mandatory%20for%20providing%20players%20the%20full%20Bond%20experience.”]IOI has already confirmed that Project 007 will be an origin story and won’t be based on a specific Bond actor, which is a perfect opportunity to present the super spy as a blank slate for players to build into whatever their preferred version of the character is. The stronger Mission Stories presented in Hitman 3 successfully apply cinematic techniques to sandbox mission design, and further refinements to that system would allow for the polish we expect of a James Bond game – all while retaining the player-directed action that IOI has perfected. And with a new challenge system reformatted to reflect the greatest exploits of Britain’s most famous spy (one for killing a bad guy with their own laser torture device, please) the pieces are practically all there already.

Not every Bond trope has been covered perfectly by Hitman, though, meaning IOI will need to improve in some areas and tread new ground in others. While the trilogy has never shied away from letting you go full guns blazing, action is not Hitman’s forté, though the latest game has shown improvement in this department. The Berlin-set Apex Predator mission, which finds Agent 47 in an underground nightclub, effectively parallels the Red Circle Club scene from John Wick, despite being unable to replicate the film’s kinetic energy. It makes up for sub-par gunplay by generating a predatory atmosphere as you stalk foes through neon-soaked crowds, your approach scored by a menacing, bass-heavy DJ set. These aesthetics emphasise the grimy violence of double-tapping a goon on a sweaty dance floor or smashing their face into a toilet bowl. That atmosphere could take Project 007 a long way, but great shootouts and fun punch-ups will be mandatory for providing players the full Bond experience.

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Completely out of IOI’s established comfort zone, however, would be car chases. While not every movie has a big chase sequence, they’re enough of a Bond hallmark that it’s almost impossible to think of a 007 game without one. With minimal history in vehicles or racing, it’s hard to imagine how such a setpiece could fit in with the studio’s MO. A driving segment would have to offer multiple angles of approach, which seems impossible for cars without building an open world map – but if Hitman has proved anything, it’s that IOI is a resourceful studio with the capability to find inventive solutions. Its solution will no doubt be interesting, if not successful.

It’s rare that we get trilogies of such consistently high standards in video games, and when we do it’s often sad to see developers move on. But with the World of Assassination trilogy complete, and all its achievements on show, it’s difficult to be upset about where IO Interactive is going next. The Hitman games are clearly as much a love letter to James Bond as they are a refinement of Agent 47’s own series, and so it’s fantastic to see the developers at IOI move on to something they so obviously cherish. Hitman 3 has proven the franchise is in more than capable hands, and hopefully the end result will mean IOI’s Bond is mentioned alongside Insomniac’s Spider-Man and Rocksteady’s Batman as an example of licensed games gone right.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

CD Projekt Red has begun releasing official modding support tools for Cyberpunk 2077, paving the way for more complex mods of the PC version.

The official Cyberpunk 2077 mod support page explains that it will offer “official tools and resources that will help you modify and create your own experiences in the world of Cyberpunk 2077.”

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Those tools tools are currently fairly limited, offering downloads of the game’s metadata, and two utilities for listing game data and settings. There’s nothing just yet that allows modders to easily unpack and edit the game’s files, so this should be considered a first step on the road to official mods, rather than the beginning of a new influx.

CDPR adds that, “Tools will be continuously updated alongside with game patches to ensure compatibility.” It also encourages users to read the licence agreement before opting to use modding tools, presumably to ensure all users understand the guidelines around using third-party software in relation to CD Projekt’s own creation.

While official mod support is only just being added, the community has been producing mods for Cyberpunk 2077 since the game released in December last year. While generally simple, some successful mods so far include one that adds the smoggy atmosphere of Blade Runner to Night City, renders the game in a Borderlands-style cell shaded look, and a variety of others than improve the game. Arguably less successful is the Cyberpunk 2077 third person mod, which feels like it more so proves that the game should be played in first person than anything else.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Global Executive Editor of News. 

Netflix has released first-look images for Shadow and Bone, a new eight-episode fantasy series premiering on April 23.

The new photos offer fans an early glimpse at some of the characters in the series, including Kaz “Dirtyhands” Brekker, portrayed by Freddy Carter, who leads a gang known as the Dregs. Kaz is pictured alongside Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman), a dangerous spy operating on behalf of the ragtag crew, and Jesper Fahey (Kit Young), a sharpshooter who keeps one hand on his gun.

In another shot, Inej, also known as The Wraith, is shown delicately gripping onto one of her many knives, which are all named after saints, whilst a further picture captures a warm embrace between Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), the series’ central protagonist, and her childhood best friend, Malyen Oretsev (Archie Renaux), a gifted tracker and military man whose world is said to unravel after a brutal ambush.

Ben Barnes is pictured as General Kirigan, aka The Darkling, the power-hungry leader of the Second Army, the kingdom’s magical military regiment of Grisha soldiers. Elsewhere, lethal Heartrender Nina Zenik (Danielle Galligan) and witch hunter Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skogman) appear to have formed an alliance, though Grishaverse author Leigh Bardugo warned EW that they’re on “a collision course.”

Take a closer look at Netflix’s first-look photos for Shadow and Bone in our slideshow below:

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Based on Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone will explore a war-torn world where Alina unleashes an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. However, with the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina finds herself torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha.

Ultimately, Alina struggles to hone her power, as she discovers that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive in this world that has been cleaved in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness.

The Netflix series will combine the stories of the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, both of which exist in the same universe, but take place across different timelines, meaning that fans of the two fantasy book series’ will be able to witness the two stories come together to form a new cohesive narrative, with “certain characters meeting certain other characters” from the two timelines.

Check out Netflix’s character posters and descriptions for Shadow and Bone in our gallery below:

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“Shadow and Bone takes place in a very different kind of fantasy world,” Bardugo explained. “Think Imperial Russia, not Medieval England, repeating rifles instead of broadswords. It’s a story about the people who have been told how much they don’t matter proving how much they do. And it’s been incredible to see that story take shape on such an epic scale, the battles, the magic, but also the relationships between the characters.”

Speaking about the first-look images for the forthcoming Netflix adaptation, Bardugo added: “These photos give just a tiny hint at what’s in store—a mapmaker with an extraordinary gift, the people who want to use her, the tracker who will do anything to protect her, and the team of thugs and thieves who are about to cause some very big trouble for everyone involved.”

“These photos offer a glimpse into the expansive, textured world Leigh created in her books,” showrunner Eric Heisserer continued. “We worked tirelessly to craft a lived-in feel for fictional lands like Ketterdam and Ravka, with invented languages, uniforms, currency, and artistic choices from set design to costuming. You’re immersed in the Grishaverse when you read, and it’s our hope that both new and existing fans have that same feeling when they watch the show.”

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Shadow and Bone will debut on Netflix on April 23. The series follows in the footsteps of the streamer’s wildly popular adaptation of The Witcher books, with The Witcher Season 2 also expected to premiere later this year. If you can’t wait any longer, then you might want to read the first page of a script from the upcoming season or take a look at what we might be able to expect from the storylines this time.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.