Category: Games

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Season 2 was shown off recently, and now we know when to expect it to begin. The studio has announced that Fall Guys Season 2 starts on Thursday, October 8. In the meantime, you can score some extra points.

Developer Mediatonic announced the news in a tweet, which tied the upcoming season to Halloween with mention of a curse. The theme of the season isn’t explicitly around the spooky holiday, though. As previously announced, it is themed around “epic quests.” That means a giant castle setting and costumes like a dragon, knight, Viking, wizard, and witch costumes.

The tweet also announced that as Season 1 draws to a close, you can claim double fame points. Rack up those extra points while you can before the season starts next week.

Meanwhile, YouTube Gaming has announced that it will host a Fall Guys Season 2 charity event with a $100,000 prize going to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). That will begin at 11 AM PT on Friday, October 9. The company said it will debut the new content like new costumes, emotes, and levels. It will be livestreamed on the official Fall Guys channel and feature streamers like AyChristine, CouRage, ItsFunneh, JeromeASF, Jazzyguns, KreekCraft, and Logdotzip.

During his appearance at Gamescom, Fall Guys lead designer Joe Walsh thanked fans for the game’s success and promised much more content in the works following season 2. A mobile version of Fall Guys is in the works in China, but other than that we haven’t heard word of it coming to other platforms.

Microsoft Flight Simulator was released just a little over a month ago and its developer, Asobo Studio, is already working on another project with Microsoft.

Asobo Studio said in an interview with La Tribune (as translated by MadInfinite) that in addition to supporting Microsoft Flight Simulator for 10 years, it is working on two new projects: one is a partnership with Focus Home Interactive, the publisher behind 2019’s A Plague Tale: Innocence – another Asobo game. The other project is another collaboration with Microsoft.

As far as what this continued partnership could mean, it’s anybody’s guess. Considering Microsoft Flight Simulator has a supposed 10-year tail to it, the two obviously aren’t working on a sequel to the game anytime soon. A sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence might seem like a good guess but Asobo Studio made that game with Focus Home Interactive so a sequel would likely come from that umbrella.

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The last game Microsoft and Asobo Studio worked on together before Microsoft Flight Simulator was 2012’s Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure and something tells us it’s not that. Only time will tell for now.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is just that — an airplane flight simulator — and it’s received an overwhelming amount of praise for its realism, due to its use of Bing map data, and its attention to detail. It’s been an especially great game for those staying home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic who still yearn for a way to travel.  It seems Microsoft is keen to continue this success with Asobo Studios as the two companies are already working on a new project together.

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While we wait to see what’s next for the two, check out why we think Asobo Studio’s latest is a 10 out of 10 in our Microsoft Flight Simulator review. If you’re excited about what’s next for the game, check out the Japan World update trailer released last week and then watch this video of the craziest stunts you can pull off in actual planes in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

UPDATE: Warner Bros. has released the first official trailer for Robert Zemeckis’ adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, together with nine first-look images.

The trailer recounts the heartwarming tale of a brave young child, who stumbles upon a secret coven of witches and, with the help of his loving grandma, tries to stop their evil plan to turn all the world’s children into mice. The footage starts out being told from the perspective of the young orphaned boy, Bruno, being played by Jahzir Bruno, with adult narration from Chris Rock.

In late 1967, Bruno goes to live with his grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. Together, they encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, so she wisely whisks her grandson away to an opulent seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time as the world’s Grand High Witch and her fellow cronies from around the globe.

Watch the wickedly funny first trailer for the reimagined version of The Witches below:

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As a further treat, the studio released a batch of first-look images for the family event film of the season, which is premiering exclusively in the U.S. on HBO Max on October 22. The photos offer us a closer look at the fun cast of characters, particularly Anne Hathaway’s sly, menacing Grand High Witch, Stanley Tucci’s Hotel Manager, and Octavia Spencer’s Grandmother.

Get acquainted with the secret society of witches in our slideshow of first-look images below:

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ORIGINAL STORY: The release date for the reimagined version of Roald Dahl’s The Witches has been revealed alongside a colourful new poster, an it will arrive on HBO Max on October 22.

Warner Bros. has announced that Robert Zemeckis’ remake will be flying into homes just in time for Halloween, as the movie is set to premiere exclusively in the U.S. on HBO Max on October 22. Feast your eyes on the first official poster for the remake below:

As the Grand High Witch, Anne Hathaway is commanding attention on the red carpet at the centre of the one-sheet, with the secret society of witches (disguised as humans) looking on. Stanley Tucci also appears on the poster, as the hotel manager who unwittingly hosts the witches’ convention, alongside Octavia Spencer, the tough but loving grandmother who will try to put a stop to the witches’ evil plans.

Kristin Chenoweth is also lending her familiar voice to the new adaptation, together with Chris Rock, who is providing the adult narration for the young boy at the heart of the story, played by Jahzir Bruno. He will become the brave but unlikely hero of the film, which is coming from a screenplay by Robert Zemeckis, Kenya Barris, and Guillermo del Toro.

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Zemeckis is also producing, alongside Jack Rapke, del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón and Luke Kelly, with Jacqueline Levine, Marianne Jenkins, Michael Siegel, Gideon Simeloff and Cate Adams serving as executive producers. The team also includes director of photography Don Burgess, editors Jeremiah O’Driscoll and Ryan Chan, production designer Gary Freeman, and costume designer Joanna Johnston.

HBO Max launched in May, with a vast library of movies and TV shows on the platform. Check out IGN’s review of HBO Max and then take a look at our review roundup of the best and worst HBO Max originals.

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

RockLove Jewelry has revealed their newest collection in an exclusive announcement with IGN, and the collaboration is with none other than Marvel. The collection features pieces from the beloved superheroes of Captain America, Spider-Man, and Thor, consisting of seven separate jewelry pieces.

CEO and Designer of RockLove, Allison Cimino, spoke with IGN about the new additions to their other Marvel lines (consisting of Black Panther and Captain Marvel) including where the inspiration came from, the empowerment she hopes fans will feel from the pieces, and even sharing a tease for more upcoming Marvel collabs she’s working on.

The Marvel X RockLove collection includes:

• Thor Winged Ring: $60 USD
• Thor Winged Ear Climbers: $135 USD
• Captain America Shield Necklace: $85 USD
• Captain America Shield Earrings: $95 USD
• Spider-Man Web Necklace: $65 USD
• Spider-Man Web Earrings: $60 USD
• Spider-Man Web Ring: $55 USD

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All the new pieces with full descriptions can be viewed in the gallery above.

In terms of the inspiration behind the release, Cimino explained that she specifically wanted to build off the previous Marvel lines with Black Panther and Captain Marvel, expanding into further classic comic book characters.

“Each character is fearless in the face of adversity and it is their moral desire to do good that each piece is built upon,” Cimino said. “It’s not their physical strength that makes them Earth’s Mightiest, it’s their inner strength that pushes them forward. By wearing their signature tools, I hope the collection acts as a manifestation of personal strength for fans around the world.”

Cimino continued about the intention of the collection, saying, “With this release I wanted to portray the power of these iconic characters through the tools that lend themselves to their cause – Captain America’s shield, Spider-Man’s webs, and Thor’s helmet. Handcrafted in sterling silver, the pieces feature each hero’s individual iconography in a new and elegant way. I chose to launch all three at once as a treat to fans and, after all, who can pick just one.”

When it comes to the specific designs, Cimino said her challenge was designing pieces that were unique from all of the other merchandise out there, while still being creative, yet refined for RockLove. “The goal with these three sets was to design sophisticated jewelry representative of each character, without being on-the-nose.”

Cimino is already designing more Marvel X RockLove pieces, and she gave a hint to one we can expect this year yet – if you can solve the riddle.

“Right now I am putting pencil to paper to design future iterations of Marvel X RockLove, both for new movies and classic characters, but can’t divulge too much more on those releases quite yet. What I can say is that Marvel fans who are tricksters at heart will see a special collection that speaks to them before the year is over.”

One of the pieces that stands out the most, the Thor Winged Ear Climbers, are reminiscent of RockLoves prior collection with Disney, where Cimino created Maleficent Dragon Wing Earrings (that have since sold out), except the Thor earrings face upward and literally climb up the entire ear – specifically to look like battle armor.

“Inspired by the Wings on classic comic Thor’s helmet, they add dramatic flair to any look and lend themselves to both cosplay and everyday wear,” Cimino said. “Fans will be excited to see more ear climbers coming soon in an upcoming DC Comics Collection, so keep an eye out on Instagram at @RockLoveJewelry for more.”

The Marvel X RockLove pieces will be available for purchase on October 8 at 9am PT at RockLove.com during the kick off of New York Comic Con. A preview of the pieces seen here will be published on RockLove’s website beginning October 2 at 9am PT.

For more Marvel bits, check out our side-by-side comparison of Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 version and the upcoming PS5 remaster, read about who was cast as Kamala Khan in the upcoming Ms. Marvel Disney+ series, and a huge theory we have about X-Men in the MCU from the WandaVision trailer.

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Jessie Wade is Homepage Editor at IGN and loves everything Marvel. Follow her on Twitter @jessieannwade.

Turtle Beach’s basic wireless gaming headset, the Stealth 600, is getting an upgrade. The Stealth 600 Gen 2 introduces a few small, but impactful revisions that make the popular Xbox gaming headset more comfortable to wear. For a basic wireless headset whose best selling point has always been its convenience – it is one of only a handful of Xbox-specific headsets you can pair like a Xbox controller – it’s a solid quality-of-life improvement.

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Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 – Design & Features

The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 features lots of small changes and upgrades to make it more comfortable than its predecessor and enhance its sound profile. While they almost universally improve the headset, the Stealth 600 Gen 2 has more in common with the original than not.

The thick, hard plastic top band has larger swiveling hinges, and the sides have painted notches to help you adjust the headset properly and keep the measurement. Like the original, the front of the band lines up flush with the front of the earcups, which makes it feel like the cups are on backward. (If you’re new to the Stealth series, you will almost certainly put them on backwards at least once).

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That awkwardness is only momentary, though. The earcups in the Gen 2 are larger than the original Stealth 600, which makes them much more comfortable – the originals boxed in my ears a bit. According to Turtle Beach, the cups are “G”-shaped, so they contour to your ear: If you pay close attention, you can feel the sides of the earcups sort of hug your ears around the edges. I wouldn’t necessarily say that makes them more comfortable or uncomfortable, though it does help the headset stay in place on your head at all times.

Both the top band and ear cups feature a comfortable, albeit slightly stiff foam padding. The padding is covered with a “breathable” mesh, which is less scratchy than the material used in most mesh headsets. That said, breathable or not, the cups tend to get hot quickly, as most mesh headsets do. (That tight ear fit might also have something to do with it.)

Arguably the biggest selling point for the Stealth 600 Gen 2 on Xbox, and Turtle Beach’s Xbox headsets in general, is the ability to integrate Microsoft’s Xbox wireless pairing protocol. Unlike most wireless headsets, you don’t need a cable or dongle to connect the headset – You simply press the pairing button on the headset, then the pairing button on your Xbox, and they sync. Once synced, the headset will pair automatically whenever you turn it on.

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At this point, pairing a wireless headset on consoles is always simple, but there is a simple convenience to having a headset that integrates seamlessly with your Xbox the same way as a controller and doesn’t require sacrificing a USB port.

It’s less convenient if you also plan to use the headset with a PC. Technically the Stealth 600 Gen 2 can pair with a Windows PC, but only if you plug in an Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows 10. Pairing with the adapter is also easy, but it would be nice if there were some way to use the Stealth 600 Gen 2 with a gaming PC out of the box.

The headset has a surprising amount of controls stacked along the left earcup. You have two volume rollers – one for speaker volume and a second for microphone volume. There’s a “mode” button, which lets you cycle through a small number of EQ presets. By quickly tapping the power button, you can also access a competitive-forward “Superhuman Hearing” mode, which changes the EQ to highlight footsteps and other game-specific audio cues. At the very bottom of the headset, there’s a power button, a USB-C port for charging and connecting to a PC for firmware updates, and the small circular pairing button. Lastly, there’s an indicator light at the very bottom of the headset to show when the headset is pairing or charging.

Unlike most microphones these days, the Stealth 600 Gen 2 sticks with a small hard plastic built into the left earcup. As with the pairing setup, it’s remarkably convenient. The mic fits almost completely flush with the frame of the headphone when flipped up, and easy to flip on and off at a moment’s notice. The mic position isn’t as customizable as other headsets, but I didn’t have any problems getting the mic to pick up my voice.

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 – Software

If you connect the Stealth 600 Gen 2 for Xbox to a PC using the USB-C charging cable, you can use Turtle Beach Audio Hub, the company’s headset configuration software. With the Stealth Gen 2, the software is primarily for downloading firmware updates, but there are a couple of options you can customize, including the volume of the tones the headset makes to let you know it’s paired or low on battery. It’s a little annoying that you need to connect to a PC to change these settings, as the headset is made specifically to work with the Xbox One, but it’s better than nothing. (Those indicator tones are very loud by default).

If you only use the Stealth 600 Gen 2 with your Xbox One (Or Series S/X), you’ll only need Audio Hub to update the headset’s firmware.

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 – Gaming

The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 delivers good, but not outstanding sound. In testing with games like Marvel’s Avengers, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remake, Streets of Rage 4, Mortal Kombat 11, and more, the audio was accurate and clean, but didn’t always convey the little details of a game’s sound design. Low tones, like explosions or a booming “Finish Him,” come in hard, but the “thud” of the bass doesn’t sound as crisp as it could.

High tones like the crackle of Thor’s lightning lack the texture you’d get from a high-end gaming headset. You won’t miss those little sound design details when chatting with friends, but they make a remarkable difference when you’re paying close attention, especially in story-focused experiences.

The Stealth 600 Gen 2 supports Windows Sonic, which delivers a crude, but effective virtual 7.1 surround sound. In 3D games, noises coming from the sides or behind often sound disproportionately loud. In a way, that’s good, because it’s very easy to register that they came from a specific direction, but its poorly balanced audio feels jarring and takes you out of the experience.

“Superhuman Hearing,” the headset’s competitive sound setting, isn’t as helpful as versions of the concept. It primarily boosts the volume, so everything is louder, but especially certain gameplay-relevant sounds. In Apex Legends, it didn’t help me track footsteps, but it was easier to track gunshots heard far off in the distance. Also, my pings and my teammates’ character dialogue came through more clearly. It isn’t much of an advantage and, worse, takes a big toll on audio quality. I noticed more scratchy audio compression and muddled sound in Superhuman mode across multiple games.

It performed better in games like Tony Hawk, where you’re primarily listening for the music. Again, the headset is not going to replicate “Superman” and “Guerilla Radio” as well as a pair of nice wireless headphones, but you aren’t going to miss out on anything.

As a wireless headset, it performs admirably. The wireless connection was stable and didn’t impose any noticeable lag through long play sessions, even in a room with many wireless connections to potentially interfere. Turtle Beach claims the headset should last up to 15 hours on a single charge. Anecdotally, I found I needed to charge every 3-4 days, which falls roughly in line with that estimate.

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Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 – Purchasing Guide

The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 wireless headset will be available from Amazon, Newegg, Walmart, and other online retailers for $99.99.

Devil May Cry 5‘s next-gen special edition is getting a physical edition release that includes new and very busy box art. The cover art features not only all three of Devil May Cry 5’s original playable characters, Dante, Nero, and V, but is also crammed with a quote from Game Informer’s positive review, a reminder of its Best Action Game win at the 2019 Game Awards and a reminder of Vergil’s new playable status. On the Xbox Series X cover art, there are also two quick reminders of its primary visual upgrades.

Some of the highlights on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 include an increased frame-rate, 4K graphics, and several other gameplay modes.

Originally shown off during the last PlayStation 5 showcase, the reveal of Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition focused on how the game was being improved on Sony’s new console specifically.

According to the Amazon listing for the Xbox Series X version, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition will also feature the same PS5 enhancements such as the optional 120 FPS mode across the main campaign, ray tracing effects, Turbo mode, Legendary Dark Knight Mode, and Dante’s rogue brother Vergil as a playable devil-slayer.

There is a catch to all of these upgrades, as enabling ray tracing will prioritize resolution and cap the 4K output at 30 FPS, or 60 FPS at 1080p. The special edition will also be a next-gen console exclusive, as PC players are being left out. Xbox One and PS4 players will still be able to purchase Vergil for $5 as a separate DLC addition to the current-gen game if they don’t plan to upgrade their consoles.

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition launches digitally first on Xbox Series X and Series S on November 10 and PS5 on November 12.

Releasing this November on Steam, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a “Japanese-style action RPG” primarily developed by just two people. Two months ahead of the game’s release, IGN Japan got an exclusive hands-on with Sakuna’s fast-paced action and detailed rice farming techniques – check out our video for 13 minutes of gameplay:

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IGN Japan asked Naru and Koichi of indie developer Edelweiss for more details on the team’s latest project, which has been more than five years in the making.

“Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin began as a sequel to Fairy Bloom Freesia,” Naru said, referring to an indie action title originally released in 2011, “It was abandoned due to technological and developmental problems at the time. I’ve always wanted to make it since then.” Development of the game has “exceeded five years” but he has been “grateful” that publisher Marvelous “never meddled with the game’s content”.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a Japanese game by nature of its creators, but it is also a distinctly “Japanese” Japanese game based on its setting, presentation and character design, featuring divine beings and monsters. “At the time, there weren’t many Japanese-style high-end consumer games, so I thought maybe if we made such a game in 3D, it would be seen as distinct,” Naru said, noting that in the time it took to make his game, big titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Ghosts of Tsushima have found mainstream success. “When those games came out I was all, ‘Whoa, these are super incredible!’, but since Sakuna is a Japanese-style anime fantasy, it’s not really competing with those games.”

Even the action has a Japanese flavor thanks to the heroine’s fashion sense: Sakuna wears a special kind of kimono called a hagoromono. “The hagoromono has been around since the beginning of the project,” Naru said. “It pulls enemies closer, or lets her approach them in a flash. It’s also fun for changing directions while in mid-air.” As seen in our exclusive gameplay footage embedded above, the hagoromono is also useful outside of combat as a kind of grappling hook.

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Speaking of Japanese flavor, a major element in this game (and in the title) is rice. From plowing the field to planting the rice, then harvesting and washing it, nearly every aspect of growing and preparing rice is included in Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. “Originally, the game was supposed to incorporate building a village instead of rice cultivation,” Koichi said, “and that’s what was written into the plot.” He noted that a lot of video games at the time already featured that sort of mechanic, including “smartphone and browser games” which they wanted to differentiate their game from, hence the later change.

Rice cultivation isn’t just in the game for show, it’s integral to developing Sakuna as a character. Growing and eating rice helps her level up, a feature that Naru said “aids players who aren’t good at action games”. However, he warned that players cannot spend all their time farming to overlevel as “it gets harder and harder” with each crop. Conversely, players cannot choose to shun the farmwork and build all their strength on the battlefield. “As time goes by, you will definitely grow rice.”

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is the largest game Edelweiss has created; Naru estimated that it takes “about 25 to 35 hours” to clear based on playtesting, even though when the project began “it was supposed to be a game that would end in about 10 hours”. The game will launch on November 10 fully voiced in both Japanese and English. With his parting words, Naru said, “It’s a game that deals with the unfamiliar theme of rice farming, but I hope overseas fans enjoy it.”

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