After 11 years, Sonic Colors finds a new home on updated hardware with Sonic Colors: Ultimate. In this video, we compare the 2010 Wii release side by side to the updated PS4 version (Played on PS5) to see what’s changed. Sonic Colors: Ultimate comes to PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch on September 7th or September 3rd with the purchase of the digital deluxe edition.
Originally released in 2010, Sonic Colors for the Nintendo Wii quickly grew to be a highlight of the modern series. Despite being a Wii exclusive without high definition support, Sonic Colors became a fan favorite for it’s bright and colorful environments and creative theme park worlds.
Unfortunately, without owning an original copy for the Wii, there has since been no other way to play the critically acclaimed title. That all changed in 2021 with the announcement of Sonic Colors: Ultimate— a remastered port to celebrating the series’ 30th anniversary.
This side-by-side comparison puts the original Wii release up against the updated PS4 version. The remaster includes a higher resolution, framerate and a re-recorded soundtrack based on the original. Other updates include the addition of the Jade Ghost wisp (previously only seen in Sonic Team Racing) and unlockable cosmetic items. Sonic Colors: Ultimate comes to PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch on September 7th or September 3rd with the purchase of the digital deluxe edition.
Horizon: Forbidden West won’t offer a free upgrade from PS4 to PS5 on its standard or special editions, and you can’t pay to upgrade a standard edition to one that does include the PS5 version.
As previously announced, Forbidden West will be receiving distinct PS4 and PS5 versions of the same game – you can play the PS4 version on PS5, but it won’t receive the same visual and performance upgrades. Revealed on the game’s FAQ page under the headline “Can I upgrade my PS4 version to the PS5 version?”, it’s revealed that Standard and Special editions of the game will come with no dual entitlement (i.e. include PS4 and PS5 versions).
Dual Entitlement is included in the (naturally more expensive) Digital Deluxe, Collector’s, or Regalla Editions, but they are entirely separate, full-game purchases. Unlike other PS5 games like Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, there won’t be a less expensive paid upgrade, either: “There are no plans for an update offer from standard to digital deluxe edition at this time,” reads the FAQ.
Amid the already confusing landscape of upgrades on PS5, it’s perhaps the least appealing. Sony hasn’t formally explained its decisions in Horizon: Forbidden West’s case but, aside from the fact that it will make it more money per game, it may stem from the fact that the company wants to use one of its biggest releases as a means of getting loyal fans to switch console now, rather than further down the line.
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].
Horizon Forbidden West preorders are finally live for PS4 and PS5, and PlayStation is going all out with numerous editions and bonuses to secure. The highly anticipated sequel was originally slated to release this holiday season but will now arrive on February 18, 2022. Keep in mind that the various collector’s editions will likely sell out quickly, so you’ll want to get your order in early.
Horizon Forbidden West is releasing on both PS4 and PS5, with the PS5 version boasting better visuals, load times, and overall performance. But if you haven’t upgraded to the PS5 yet, you should know that not all editions will come with both versions of the game. The Regalia, Collector’s, and Digital Deluxe editions will feature dual entitlement, but the standard and Special editions are platform-specific. You can always play the PS4 version on PS5 via backwards compatibility, but you’ll need one of the dual entitlement versions to take advantage of next-gen performance.
PS5 versions of Horizon Forbidden West start at $70, while the PS4 standard edition is available for $60. We’ve outlined all of Horizon Forbidden West’s preorder bonuses and edition details below.
Horizon Forbidden West preorder bonuses
Preordering any edition of Horizon Forbidden West will net you the Nora Legacy Outfit and Nora Legacy Spear, which will unlock as you advance through the story.
If you’re just interested in the base game, you can preorder Horizon Forbidden West’s standard edition for $70 on PS5 and $60 on PS4. Preorders are live now on the PlayStation Store and PS Direct (physical).
Horizon Forbidden West’s Special edition is available to preorder for $70 on PS4 or $80 on PS5. This edition comes with a physical copy of the game, steelbook case, mini art book, and digital soundtrack.
The $200 Horizon Forbidden West Collector’s edition is available to preorder now at PS Direct. It comes with digital copies of the game for both PS5 and PS4 as well as a slew of extra bonuses, including Tremortusk and Aloy statues.
Horizon Forbidden West’s Regalia edition is the priciest of the bunch at a whopping $260. It comes with everything listed above in the Collector’s edition as well as a Replica Focus, Focus stand, two art cards, Clawstrider Machine Strike piece, and Sunwing Machine Strike piece.
Metal Gear and Death Stranding designer Hideo Kojima and actor Mads Mikkelsen are friends and professional colleagues, having worked together for Mikkelsen’s appearance in Death Stranding. As it turns out, Kojima has even more ideas for projects with Mikkelsen as the main character, and one of these ideas “broke his face” when Kojima told the actor about it.
Posting on Twitter, Kojima said the idea for his project was tentatively titled “Mads Max,” and we can only imagine what it would have been.
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“I have a number of ideas that I want to create with Mads as the main character. I once explained one of them to Mads,” Kojima said. “He listened intently, but when I told him the title, he broke his face. He seemed to think I was joking. I was serious, though. The tentative title was ‘MADS MAX.'”
I have a number of ideas that I want to create with Mads as the main character. I once explained one of them to Mads. He listened intently, but when I told him the title, he broke his face. He seemed to think I was joking. I was serious, though. The tentative title was “MADS MAX”
It did not take very long for someone to reply to Kojima’s tweet with the popular image of Mikkelsen eating a sandwich alone with a thousand-yard stare.
Mikkelsen plays one of Death Stranding’s most central characters, Cliff. He is just one of the many celebrities who appeared in the game, along with Conan O’Brien, Guillermo del Toro, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Edgar Wright, just to name a few.
Kojima’s latest project is the Death Stranding director’s cut, which launches on September 24 for PlayStation 5. A new trailer, which Kojima personally edited and put his soul into, is slated to premiere as soon as next week.
Kojima’s next game after Death Stranding might be an exclusive for Xbox with cloud integration. According to a report, Kojima and Xbox have signed a letter of intent, but it might not be a done deal, and it’s early days in any event.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, video game publisher THQ Nordic will be hosting a digital showcase event on September 17 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET on its YouTube, Twitch, and Steam page. The showcase will be hosted by The Game Awards executive producer Geoff Keighley and will feature six new game announcements.
THQ Nordic didn’t reveal exactly all of the games that will be featured during the event, but it did tease the return of a “legendary franchise. This one is apparently one that “some for which fans have been waiting decades to get their hands on,” and there’ll also fresh information on open-world RPG ELEX II and new footage on for Expeditions: Rome.
One such franchise that could meet the bill at the showcase is TimeSplitters, as work had begun on the series after THQ Nordic purchased publishing labels Koch and Deep Silver in 2018. TimeSsplitters co-director Steve Ellis was hired by the company in 2019, to help “plot the future course” for the franchise, THQ Nordic announced during its most recent financial results.
Another possible franchise that could get the sequel treatment is Metro, as Metro Exodus was released back in February 2019. Developer 4A Games has kept adding graphical enhancements to its Russian post-apocalyptic first-person shooter since release, and the series has been a consistent best-seller that warrants another sequel.
THQ Nordic has had an interesting journey since it was first formed in 2011. Originally called Nordic Games, in 2013 it acquired a huge number of leftover properties from the bankruptcy auctions of the original THQ, grabbing over 150 individual games such as Red Faction, Darksiders, and MX vs. ATV in a $4.9 million deal. By 2016, Nordic Games had rebranded itself to THQ Nordic to build on the legacy and the goodwill of the company that had come before it.
September is turning out to be a busy month for video game companies and publishers, as next week will see Sony host its own event to provide more details on its upcoming slate of games.
In celebration of the Pokemon franchise’s 25th anniversary, The Pokemon Company has announced a new animated series called Pokemon Evolutions.
The “limited” series was produced specifically to celebrate the quarter-century anniversary of the series, and there will be eight episodes in total. The show will bring fans along on a “journey through all the known regions of the Pokemon world explored in the core video game franchise.”
The series will debut through the Pokemon YouTube channel and on Pokemon TV globally beginning September 9. You can see a rundown of the eight episodes below. The show kicks off with an episode focusing on the Galar region from Pokemon Sword and Shield and it wraps up in December with an episode featuring the Kanta region from Pokemon Red and Green.
“Each episode will focus on a story from a different region in reverse chronological order from which they were first explored in the games: Galar, Alola, Kalos, Unova, Sinnoh, Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto. Familiar tales from Pokémon lore will be told from a fresh perspective in every episode,” The Pokemon Company said.
Pokemon Evolutions Release Schedule:
Thursday, Sept. 9: “The Champion” featuring the Galar region
Thursday, Sept. 23: “The Eclipse” featuring the Alola region
Thursday, Oct. 7: “The Visionary” featuring the Kalos region
Thursday, Oct. 21: “The Plan” featuring the Unova region
Thursday, Dec. 2: “The Rival” featuring the Sinnoh region
Thursday, Dec. 9: “The Wish” featuring the Hoenn region
Thursday, Dec. 16: “The Show” featuring the Johto region
Thursday, Dec. 23: “The Discovery” featuring the Kanto region
“Pokemon Evolutions’ is both an exciting new collection of animation for the brand and a thank-you to the millions of fans around the world who have joined us on this journey over the past 25 years,” The Pokemon Company’s Colin Palmer said. “Each region has been a touchstone for new generations of Pokemon Trainers as the brand has grown, and we wanted Pokemon Evolutions to pay homage to that legacy while also being innovative and contemporary. It’s a new adventure and familiar all at once.”
What We Do in the Shadows Season 3 premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
The vampire housemates in FX’s horror comedy What We Do in the Shadows, based on the film of the same name by Taika Waititi and series creator Jemaine Clement, have been chided for their lack of ambition since the series’ first episode. Tasked with taking over the Western Hemisphere, they could barely get their acts together to take over Staten Island. In Season 3, they’ve finally achieved some real power (through no fault of their own), and the new dynamic provides an excellent opportunity to further develop the characters and their absurdly mundane world of magic and monsters.
The catalyst for the change and most improved character is Guillermo De la Cruz (Harvey Guillén), who started the series as a servant — or familiar in vampire lingo — to the elder vampire Nando the Relentless (Kayvan Novak). Guillermo was a pathetic character, obviously being strung along with promises of eternal life that Nandor never intended to make good on. But rather than maintain the sad status quo or having Guillermo abandon his master, the writers gave nuance to his character with the revelation that he’s a descendent of Abraham Van Helsing and has inherited his ancestor’s vampire hunting skills.
Giving powers to the mundane character in a supernatural show is a genre cliche usually required to keep up with power creep. But What We Do in the Shadows subverts that trope since the vampires spent Season 2 oblivious to the escalating danger they were in as Guillermo secretly protected them, right up until the finale where he had to reveal his true nature in an epic spectacle of violence. Season 3 picks up soon after, with the bumbling vampires trying to decide his fate while also fearing retribution. “I just want to protect you from yourselves,” Guillermo pleads as office drone energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) and the sex-obsessed Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry) hurt themselves more than Guillermo in their ill-thought out attempts to intimidate and punish their prisoner, even as the always confident Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) looks on with exasperation and urges a quick execution.
One of the series’ greatest strengths has always been the ability to propel action forward at a breakneck pace to get plenty done within a 25-minute episode. “The Prisoner,” the first part of the Season 3 premiere, is no exception. In a surprising message from the Supreme Worldwide Vampiric Council, the vampires are told that “Vampire must never kill vampire. But when a vampire kills like 37, 38 vampires, well, these are vampires who know how to get things done.” Rewarded with control of the East Coast, the vampire housemates have an entirely new source of conflict with the rest of the area’s undead and each other.
Both the film and the show have always felt like watching a game of Vampire: The Masquerade, with the vampires playing at being powerful and intimidating but winding up getting hilariously sidetracked by petty squabbles. That’s never been more true as the group tries to figure out how to share responsibility when faced with the declaration that they have to choose a leader to sit upon the Council throne. The episode makes great use of slapstick physical humor by having Colin, Nandor, and Nadja fight over the chair like unruly children. The real winner of the conflict is clearly Lazlo, who coolly opts out of the game, saying “I didn’t become a vampire to become a pen-pushing bureaucrat. I became a vampire to suck blood and to f*ck forever.”
The second episode of Season 3, “The Cloak of Duplication,” provides a glimpse at just how much material the writers can get from this plot twist. The Guide, played by Kristen Schaal of Bob’s Burgers and 30 Rock with her signature vaguely ominous perkiness, serves as something of a quest giver, instructing the new leaders of their responsibilities like ensuring upstart young vampires pay their dues. Of course, they’re still just as easily sidetracked. An artifact in the Council headquarters that lets the wearer take on someone else’s appearance provides fodder for a goofy farce as the other vampires try to help Nandor with his love life.
The episode makes great use of slapstick physical humor.
Nadja has always not-so-secretly been the most competent vampire in the core group, and she really shines in her new role where she’s free to turn her frustrations with others into sudden violence while lashing out at her disappointing colleagues for not being prepared to do what it takes to rule. Guillermo’s no closer to his dream of being a vampire, but he’s confident in his role of stake-wielding bodyguard. Guillén gets to show off more of his comedic chops, since instead of always being something of a put-upon straight man, he’s now free to poke fun at his ignorant “masters” rather than just being servile.
Laszlo also demonstrates the same cocky, carefree attitude that served him well as his alter ego Jackie Daytona, enjoying the privileges of power — namely the Council’s legendary pornography collection. Bizarre, archaic looking artwork is a regular feature of the show — originating in the movie — and the penis images from the ancient Knobnomicon continue that absurdly weird tradition.
Colin, who feeds off boring and annoying others, continues to provide some of the show’s weirdest non sequiturs, like obsessing over the contents of the imprisoned Guillermo’s poop bucket. He also gets some time to shine when dealing with a young energy vampire who primarily feeds by making people’s eyes glaze over when he goes into far too much detail talking to them about weed. Having lost control of his familiar, Nandor seems to be in a bit of a slump, but that feels more like fodder for a season-long conflict than a failing of the writing or Novak’s performance.
The first trailer for Moonfall is here. The latest disaster movie from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich hits theaters on February 4, 2022.
The trailer opens with John F. Kennedy’s famous 1962 “We choose to go to the Moon” speech, in which the President spoke about the ambition and challenges of the US’s plans to put a man on the moon. This is followed by footage of something going very wrong in space, as the moon starts to move towards the Earth, causing worldwide chaos and destruction. Emmerich’s previous disaster movies also include 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow, and it looks like this latest film will similarly deliver epic destruction on a global scale. Check the trailer out below:
Moonfall stars Halle Berry (John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum), Patrick Wilson (Aquaman), John Bradley (Game of Thrones), Michael Peña (the Ant-Man films), Charlie Plummer (All the Money in the World), and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games). The movie has a reported production budget of $140 million, making it one of the most expensive independent movies ever. In the US, it will be released by Lionsgate.
In related news, it was recently reported that last year’s disaster movie Greenland is getting a sequel. The movie will be titled Greenland: Migration and will once more star Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin, with Ric Roman Waugh directing. The first movie was a surprise international success last year.
Konami has revealed the release date for its upcoming free-to-play title, eFootball 2022. The company has announced that its replacement for the Pro Evolution Soccer series will launch on September 30 – though it should be noted that the game will be limited in both features and game modes until a post-launch update this fall.
Konami announced that eFootball 2022 will provide its users with a “taste of what to expect from the new free-to-play football simulation platform” when it launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC on September 30. The game will then receive its first major update later this Fall, which will coincide with the launch of eFootball 2022 on iOS and Android devices.
Some fans may feel disappointed with the title’s launch, although Konami has previously said that it’s ‘basically a demo”. eFootball’s offline mode, for example, will only contain nine teams and six stadiums when it releases. Whilst those teams include the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, and Arsenal, many may feel disappointed that after a busy transfer window, teams such as PSG, Manchester City, and Real Madrid won’t be playable in the mode when the game comes out. We’d previously heard that the launch version of the game will also be missing some in-match mechanics.
Konami has also said that the game will launch with online cross-generation matchmaking. However, until a subsequent update, it seems that online play will be delivered through weekly online events that fans can enter using pre-set teams to earn rewards such as GP – an in-game currency earned through gameplay.
The game’s first major post-launch update sounds like it should add a far greater range of content to the title. Most notably, it will introduce a Creative Teams mode to the game. From Konami’s description, fans should see a number of team customization features added through the new mode.
In Creative Teams, Konami says that you will be able to “sign footballers and coaches that match your favourite formations and tactics, then train and strengthen them to play against players from around the world.” Fans will also be able to “target the signings that they covet the most, making team building more accessible,” and can, “choose a base team from one of over 600 licensed clubs in the game”. Creative Teams will premiere alongside eFootball’s Creative League where players can compete against one another, bid for promotion, and look to become the best in the world.
Creative Teams isn’t the only additional content launching with the update. Additional ways to play, including a 1v1 Match Lobby, Online Quick Matches, and Tour and Challenge Event modes will be arriving post-launch. Performance-related player types will also make their appearance at this point, from the addition of trending players who’ve recently put in impressive performances on the pitch to legendary figures who’ve had remarkable seasons. Each new player can be signed through in-game contracts earned via GP or through eFootball Coins – the game’s premium currency.
On that note, it’s probably important to point out that eFootball’s Autumn update will also introduce the platform’s new monetization model. Whilst the term ‘monetization model’ is always likely to prick up the ears of any fan base, Konami promises that its new model is “re-balanced to ensure that all players can reach the same potential, regardless of how they acquire in-game items”. As part of the model, eFootball will feature a Match Pass that looks to reward players with items after they’ve played a number of certain match types. In addition to the standard Match Pass, an ‘Advantage Match Pass’ will also feature in the game that fans can purchase for better rewards.
eFootball Series Producer Seitaro Kimura spoke about the current installment of eFootball. “With ‘eFootball’ being the name of our overall platform, eFootball 2022 is the official title for our first season of content,” Kimura said. “Platform updates bringing new functionality, such as cross-platform matchmaking and mobile controller support, will happen frequently over the coming months and will always be free. Future content updates and game modes will be offered to players as either free or premium options. We look forward to getting players on the pitch and receiving their feedback.”
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Anya Taylor-Joy’s role in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho played a big part in her being cast as Furiosa in George Miller’s upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road prequel.
In an interview with Empire for a special “Celebration of Edgar Wright” issue, George Miller revealed fellow filmmaker Edgar Wright screened him an early cut of Last Night in Soho, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Sandy, a dazzling wannabe singer. Impressed by her acting talents, Miller quickly realized she could play a younger version of Charlize Theron’s Furiosa.
“I’d known about Anya but I’d never seen her in a film until I saw her in Soho,” Miller recalled. “And I remember thinking, ‘Gee, she’s interesting.’ I started to say to [Wright], ‘I’m looking for someone to cast as Furiosa,’ and I barely got the sentence out before [Wright] said, ‘Don’t go any further, she’s great, she’s gonna be huge. She’s fantastic to work with.'”
Wright had been so emphatic in his response to the casting suggestion that Miller moved things forward and lined up a virtual audition, where he tasked Taylor-Joy with performing the iconic “I’m Mad As Hell” speech from Sidney Lumet’s 1976 film Network. Miller was impressed with what she delivered and sent it on to Warner Bros. for further approval.
“Anya did one version, which was really good,” he said. “I gave her just a couple of simple notes about intention and she just absolutely nailed [it]. I think it was done on an iPhone. I sent it to the studio. I explained why I thought she was right for the role. I said I was really happy to talk about it but it was so persuasive that we didn’t need to talk.”
IGN’s review of Mad Max: Fury Road noted the importance of the film’s “over-the-top stunts and eccentric characters and designs” as well as “troubled figures like Max himself and Furiosa,” but said, “it’s the overriding sense of the film’s uniqueness, its striving to be something more than just another action movie, that is most impressive.”
