Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series got some great news Monday as Amazon has granted the forthcoming show an early renewal.
Deadline broke the news, stating that the show’s writers were instructed to start working on storylines for Season 2. This news confirms Amazon’s original plans to produce five seasons of the show.
The PlayStation 5 is coming, with the next-generation Sony console currently being planned for a Holiday 2020 release. This means that the system is still at least a year away, but we’re starting to get some idea of what the console will be like. Now a new patent for the PlayStation 5 controller has appeared on the website for the Japanese patent office, and it’s giving us a glimpse of the rough shape of the PlayStation 5 controller. At first glance it looks very much like the Dual Shock 4, but there are some big changes that have been made.
AS VGC notes, the images in the patent point towards a few changes, such as smaller sticks, larger triggers, a USB-C charging port, and no light bar. While this is by no means the definitive final version of the PlayStation 5 controller (the infamous PlayStation 3 “boomerang” controller was abandoned before the system’s launch), odds are that many of these changes will appear on the final design. The touchpad remains in place, and the general shape appears very similar to the Dual Shock 4.
Sony has previously discussed their new controller, revealing that haptics will replace the standard rumble, allowing for a “broader range of feedback” that will allow for a more nuanced approach to how the controller vibrates (much like the Switch’s “HD Rumble”). The L2/R2 triggers on the PS4 controller will be replaced with adaptive triggers, so developers can program for added resistance–the R2 button might be harder to press if a character is pushing something heavy, for instance, or you might feel resistance when pulling back the string on a bow. The controller is reportedly being developed to give players a stronger sense of place within their environments, and to give developers new options in the experiences they can replicate.
We also know that the PlayStation 5 will still require games to be installed from discs, and that Sony is hoping that the system will be adopted by players quickly. We’re also starting to see games announced for it, including numerous Ubisoft titles and Path of Exile 2.
Though nothing has been officially announced, something seems to be going on with In the Valley of Gods, the sophomore effort of Campo Santo. Several prominent members of the Campo Santo team have changed their Twitter bios to imply they are no longer working on the game, and In the Valley of Gods has been removed from the studio’s official website.
Twitter user Tyler McVicker noticed that In the Valley of Gods environmental artist Jane Ng, art director Claire Hummel, and designer Jake Rodkin all changed their Twitter bios on November 17, 2019. The changes can be seen in the tweet below.
The homepage of the official Campo Santo website has also been altered. Previously, the website listed In the Valley of Gods as Campo Santo’s current project. That has since been removed–Campo Sampo’s debut, Firewatch, is currently the only game listed on the website’s homepage. All that said, the official website for In the Valley of Gods still exists.
Campo Santo first announced In the Valley of Gods during The Game Awards 2017. Like Firewatch, In the Valley of Gods is a single-player, first-person adventure game. Campo Santo’s new game, however, is set in 1920s Egypt, stars an explorer turned filmmaker, and sees you accompanied by an AI-controlled partner. In April 2018, Campo Santo announced it had been acquired by Valve, transitioning In the Valley of Gods from an independent game to a Valve one. Since then, there hasn’t been news about In the Valley of Gods–though that hasn’t stopped us from pining for it.
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Pretty much every Star Wars game with RPG elements has allowed you to customize the color of your lightsaber’s blade–from Knights of the Old Republic to The Force Unleashed. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is no different, though you’ll have to play through a majority of the game’s campaign in order to unlock additional kyber crystals to customize your blade.
In Fallen Order, there are eight different lightsaber blade colors: blue, green, orange, purple, yellow, cyan, magenta, and indigo. That’s pretty much every color used by a Jedi. If you were hoping to make Cal’s lightsaber the same crimson red as the Imperial Inquisitors and Sith or the neutral colors of white or black, you’re out of luck. Those colors aren’t available in Fallen Order.
Spoiler warning: most of these colors are unlocked simply by completing Fallen Order’s story. If you want to know exactly how to unlock each color and you don’t mind being spoiled, however, then keep reading.
The two easiest colors to unlock are the ones you start out with: blue and green. You don’t have to do anything but boot up the game to unlock these colors. The default color of Cal’s lightsaber is blue–if you prefer green, just walk up to a workbench and adjust the color. These workbenches are scattered throughout the planets that you’ll discover and explore in Fallen Order. Many have BD-1 and lightsaber upgrades on them–three of them allow you to upgrade your single-bladed lightsaber into a double-bladed one. For easy access, there’s a workbench in The Mantis, which you’ll unlock as a hub area as soon as you complete Fallen Order’s tutorial level on Bracca.
The orange kyber crystal is also a color you can start out with, but only if you pre-ordered Fallen Order. If you pre-ordered a physical copy of the game, then you should have a code to unlock the orange blade. Digital versions of Fallen Order should just include the orange kyber crystal from the start. If you didn’t pre-order Fallen Order, then, unfortunately, you’re out of luck. Maybe Respawn or EA will add the orange saber as post-launch DLC but, if not, then this saber color is no longer available for you to unlock.
You unlock all the remaining colors at the same time. Here’s where the article goes into story spoilers. This is your last chance to turn back if you don’t want to be spoiled.
After unlocking the Jedi Flip ability on your second trip to Kashyyyk–the one where you’ll face off against Ninth Sister–you’ll be able to make it past the far jump on Dathomir; it’s the one just past the robed figure who warns you that you shouldn’t keep exploring the planet. Making it past the jump pushes Dathomir’s story forward, allowing you to learn more about the last surviving Nightsister, Mirren, the mysterious robed figure, Taron Malicos, and the bat-like guardian of the planet, Gorgara. Kill Gorgara and reach the temple on Dathomir–Cal will experience a vision that ultimately causes him, in a PTSD panic, to destroy his lightsaber. Upon your return to The Mantis, Cere will impart some wisdom and then send you to Ilos to find a new kyber crystal and rebuild your lightsaber–one that utilizes the parts of Cal’s existing saber and Cere’s old lightsaber.
At the end of the mission on Ilos, Cal will discover a kyber crystal that can be molded to be blue, green, purple, yellow, cyan, magenta, or indigo. Don’t worry, once you’ve made your pick, you’ll still unlock all the remaining colors in the customization menu whenever you go to a workbench. This pick is purely for the cinematic spectacle of the next cutscene. Upon selecting your desired color, Cal will create a new and improved lightsaber–a double-bladed variant with a hilt that can be split, giving him the option of wielding two lightsabers at once. You’ll need it for the fight ahead.
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Chun-Li, a mainstay of the Street Fighter series, has joined the Power Rangers. She’s not part of the TV series, or included in the upcoming movie sequel that has been rumored, though–instead she’s joined the mobile game Power Rangers: Legacy Wars to battle against the villain M. Bison. You can see her in her Power Rangers garb, and see how her moves translate to the game, in the video below.
The video description sums up the plot for this new Chun-Li episode within the game: “As Chun-Li’s allies fended off M. Bison’s army of Evil Rangers, she faced him one on one. With her courage, determination, and teamwork, she was able to retrieve the Phoenix Power Coin and save her newfound friends.”
The mobile fighting game developed by nWay pits characters from the TV show against each other, and this is not the first time it has crossed over with Street Fighter. The Street Fighter Showdown event introduced Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, Akuma, M. Bison and Cammy to the game in 2018, but they didn’t get the full Power Rangers suit treatment as Chun-Li has now. Her moveset has been faithfully carried across from the Street Fighter series (which continues to grow with the recent announcement of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.)
Power Rangers: Legacy Wars is an online tag-team fighting game based on the massively popular franchise. It features series antagonist Rita Repulsa as a major villain, and is free-to-play. As of March 2019, it had been downloaded over 50 million times.
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Half-Life: Alyx was officially announced on November 18 as Valve’s “flagship VR game,” with the promise of more information on Thursday, November 21 at 10 AM PT.
The news comes just a few days after Half-Life 2‘s 15th birthday and 12 whole years after the last real Half-Life game in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. The series has since been long dormant, its iconic cliffhanger ending fueling over a decade’s worth of Half-Life 3 rumors, jokes, mods, and more. In 2017, retired Valve designer and former lead writer of the Half-Life series Marc Laidlaw published details on what would have allegedly been the plot of Half-Life 2: Episode Three. Countless user-created mods and even a fan-made remaster called Black Mesa have filled the void for Half-Life fans over the years, but no Half-Life 3.
But now, new rumors and the subsequent announcement from Valve has finally brought Half-Life back into the spotlight. Details are still scarce, but here’s everything we know about Half-Life: Alyx so far.
Yes, Half-Life: Alyx was officially announced by Valve.
There have been a lot of rumors, jokes, and memes around the idea of a new Half-Life game over the last decade, but this one’s coming from Valve itself. It isn’t Half-Life 3, but it’s still new Half-Life.
The full reveal of Half-Life: Alyx will happen later this week: Thursday, November 21 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Check back here for updates once we know more.
The most recent rumors, which eventually culminated in Valve’s official announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, started because of an alleged interview transcript between Geoff Keighley (supposedly) and Valve representatives. The now-deleted transcript suggested a December reveal at The Game Awards and a March 2020 release window. While Half-Life: Alyx is real, the rest of the information has not been confirmed by Valve.
Half-Life: Alyx isn’t the first time rumors or even official information from Valve on a Half-Life VR game have circulated. In March 2015, Valve programmer Jeep Barnett told Kotaku that Valve was not saying “no” to the possibility of Half-Life in VR.
“…we don’t know what the right thing is [yet],” Barnett told Kotaku. “Our most precious resource is time, and we don’t have enough time for people to do everything. Would we like to make all of our franchises in VR? Absolutely. But we don’t have enough time or people. So we have to figure out what’s the best fit, what plays to the strengths of VR.”
This was the same year Valve unveiled its Portal VR demo, which shipped with its first Vive dev kits that same year. In 2016, Valve released the HTC Vive to the public.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is coming to PC on December 10, bringing the popular Dragon Quest spin-off to PC for the first time. The game, which mixes Minecraft-style building and crafting with a JRPG structure, is available now to pre-purchase on Steam, and carries a price tag of $59.99 / £49.99 / AUD$89.95.
Preordering the game will nab you several bonuses, which will be available in-game once it releases:
All content made available to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch owners who purchased the Season Pass will also be available for PC users at no additional charge. This includes:
The PC version will also likely feature the epilogue that was added to console iterations of the game post-launch. If you want to test the game out and have one of the consoles it’s available on, there’s a jumbo demo available that lets you play through the first few hours on both PS4 and Switch. We gave Dragon Quest Builders 2 an 8/10 in our review, and critic Heidi Kemps stated that “Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a great game, combining exploration, sandbox-building, questing, and town-management into a delightful package that will gladly suck up your time and put a big smile on your face.”
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With an abundance of streaming providers, including the newly released Disney+ and Apple TV+ platforms, all competing for your hard-earned cash, knowing which streaming service is the best can be a pretty daunting task. If you still have questions about the future of streaming, then you’ve come to the right place. All week long, IGN’s State of Streaming initiative will be debuting reviews and in-depth analysis about current streaming providers like Netflix and Amazon, as well as upcoming services like NBCUniversal’s Peacock and WarnerMedia’s HBO Max. So keep it locked on IGN this week for all of your streaming needs. Today, we’re reviewing Netflix to find out if it’s still the king of streaming.