Publisher Microids and developer Playmagic released their remake of cult-hit shooter XIII last week, and the response has been largely negative. In the wake of this backlash, the two companies have released a statement pledging to improve the game–and admit that it isn’t where they wanted it to be, either.
In a post on the Microids website, the team said it heard criticism “loud and clear” and apologized for the game’s technical issues.
“In its present state, XIII does not meet our quality standards and we fully understand players’ frustrations. The pandemic has impacted the game’s production on many levels,” the post said. “Pivoting to home working for the teams has added unexpected delays in the development schedule and the QA process. We hoped we would be able to provide a day one patch fixing all the issues but the development of this update is taking more time than expected.”
Several patches are expected to arrive in the near future, and the first one is fixing issues such as frame rate problems, collisions, rendering, and sound, while there will be additional free content updates to add things like new weapons and levels later down the line.
Aside from the technical issues, however, one of the main criticisms of XIII so far is its art style. Rather than the cel-shaded comic book style of the original game–which was itself based on a comic–the remake looks more detailed and realistic. It didn’t completely drop the original’s art, but it’s arguably less memorable. Steam reviews of the game are almost universally negative thus far.
XIII is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch version arriving in 2021.
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Demon’s Souls features plenty of secrets and hidden passageways that can give you shortcuts or access to extra treasure, but it appears Bluepoint Games may have added a new Easter egg for the PS5 remake. Players have discovered what appears to be a new door fairly early in the game. The only problem is that no one can figure out how to open it.
The new door, which is behind an illusory wall you must attack to reveal, is located in the Tower Knight Archstone area. It’s commonly called “1-3” in Demon’s Souls fan circles because of how the game progresses between the five main Archstones. The wall itself is even obscured by some breakable rubble, but you’ll be greeted with an “it appears to be locked” message if you try to open the door.
Users on the game’s Reddit page haven’t been able to figure out what is behind the door or how to open it, but it looks like this will be the next great Souls mystery until someone does.
To see the door for yourself, you can progress through the first Archstone’s content, but it’s recommended that you go in a circular pattern around the Nexus and complete one area before moving onto the next Archstone. Going through an entire Archstone’s content first will likely leave you with some extremely difficult fights.
Demon’s Souls is arguably the highlight of the PS5’s launch lineup, with Tamoor Hussain giving it a 9/10 in our Demon’s Souls review. He praised its reverence for the original 2009 game’s design as well as how it shows off the power of the new console.
The Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. handheld officially released on November 13, and it gives you yet another way to enjoy the legendary platformer. However, there are also a number of little Easter eggs and secrets that you can use, and Nintendo gave us some tips on how to access them.
Once you beat Super Mario Bros. for the first time on the device, you’ll gain access to a new hard mode. This mode was lost when turning off the original NES, but thanks to the advances in technology, now you never have to lose access to it!
Finish Super Mario Bros. and you’ll unlock hard mode, with different enemies appearing.
In the original game, hard mode was only available until you turned off the Nintendo Entertainment System! pic.twitter.com/d31WRDZIyN
If you hold down the A button when on the title screen, you’ll unlock “Infinite Mario” mode, which removes the life limit and lets you keep playing indefinitely. This is a great option if you’re getting the system for a younger player, or if you’ve gotten a little rusty over the years.
Unlock Infinite Mario mode in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels by holding the A button at the title screen.
An update to the classic Game & Watch Ball game also lets you play as Luigi if you hold down the A button for more than five seconds, and you’ll even see some Easter eggs on the included clock based on the time of day. There are 35 of them in total–one for each year since Super Mario Bros. came out.
The Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. system is selling out quickly whenever it’s restocked, and critic Steve Watts was fairly warm on it. Despite its somewhat limited functionality, it’s a charming little device and a celebration of Nintendo’s most important years.
Even as The Witcher Season 2 moves forward for an expected 2021 release, the ongoing global pandemic has led to multiple filming disruptions for the show. But still, both Netflix and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich have been releasing a mix of photos, video, and commentary that provide hints as to what the continued adventures of Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia will bring.
Taken alongside the plots of the Andrzej Sapkowski books, these teases provide plenty of room for speculation. So let’s look at what we might be able to expect from The Witcher Season 2…
The Witcher Season 2: Geralt and Ciri Are Finally Together
The Witcher Season 1 took place over three timelines which moved at different speeds before finally intersecting in the finale, with the Witcher Geralt of Rivia being united with Ciri (Freya Allan), the orphaned princess he is destined to protect through the Law of Surprise. Hissrich said in a Reddit AMA session that the second season’s plot will be more linear now that she’s already told the origin stories of Geralt and the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) and can have all three protagonists interacting in the same timeline.
However, that doesn’t mean they’ll be spending much time together at the start of the season. The official synopsis for Season 2 reads as follows:
Convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans, and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.
Yennifer disappeared at the end of the battle in the Season 1 finale after unleashing a huge fireball on the enemy forces. Given that fire magic reduces most sorcerers to ash, it’s reasonable for Geralt and everyone else to assume that she’s dead, but that’s clearly not the case.
Photos shared from The Witcher Twitter account promise Yennifer will return but show her in shackles. The question is who has captured her. Redanian Intelligence has acquired some leaked photos that seem to show that she and her rival, the Nilfgaardian sorceress Fringilla, have been captured by elves. This doesn’t happen in the books so we’re pretty much in uncharted territory on this front.
Ciri’s Training at Kaer Morhen
Other images shared by Netflix show Ciri training at Kaer Morhen, the fortress where Geralt became a Witcher. While much of Season 1 was based on Sapkowski’s collections of interconnected short stories, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, Ciri training at Kaer Morhen is a significant part of the first true Witcher novel — Blood of Elves.
In the book, Ciri learns swordplay and impressive feats of athleticism from Geralt and his fellow Witchers, who Hissrich has said are her favorite new characters. A massacre at Kaer Morhen thinned their numbers significantly, but the survivors who remain dedicated to the work of ridding the world of dangerous monsters include Geralt’s mentor Vesemir, who will be played by Kim Bodnia of Killing Eve (despite some wild speculation that Mark Hamill might take the role).
Vesemir will be played by Kim Bodnia (Killing Eve).
Hissrich calls Vesemir Geralt’s surrogate father and the other Witchers of Kaer Morhen, Lambert, Coën, and Eskel, his brothers. Their unconventional family relationship fits in with the one that will develop between Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, which Hissrich says is “the most important part of the series.”
In Blood of Elves, Ciri is also tutored by the sorceress Triss Merigold (played by Anna Shaffer on the show). By this time in the books, Triss and Geralt have had a romantic tryst. It’s possible that the show will throw in some flashbacks to explain that past or just push forward with the two hooking up while they both believe Yennefer died at Sodden.
Eventually Triss reaches the limits of her ability to understand Ciri’s innate magical power and recommends that Geralt take her to be trained by Yennefer. Geralt reluctantly agrees and Yennefer is able to begin teaching Ciri magic, which combined with the Witcher combat training she received makes her incredibly formidable. While their relationship gets off to a rocky start, Yennefer eventually comes to treat Ciri as a daughter, which helps her come to terms with losing her fertility as part of the transformation she underwent at the end of her sorcerer training.
Yennefer and Blood of Elves
The rumors of elves holding Yennefer captive also make some sense if we’re moving into Blood of Elves in Season 2, as one of the plots there centers on a rogue group of elves and dwarves called the Scoia’tael that fight to take back their land and rights from the humans. This plot was first hinted at in the second episode of Season 1 and is part of the basis for the song from the show called “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher.”
Adding to the evidence is the casting of Mecia Simson as the elven sorceress Francesca Findabair. She’s introduced in Blood of Elves and wants to find Ciri so she can use her power to establish a kingdom ruled by magic.
We can also expect to see plenty more of Jaskier (Joey Batey) in Season 2. By Blood of Elves, the bard called Dandelion in the books has earned an impressive reputation singing songs about Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer. But that fame gets him into trouble as those who are after the Witcher and his young ward try to use him to get information about their whereabouts.
Kristofer Hivju’s Character From The Last Wish
One of the most exciting bits of casting news for Season 2 shows that Hissrich is still taking inspiration from The Last Wish. Kristofer Hivju, who played Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones, will take on the role of Nivellen. Geralt meets the character in The Last Wish story “A Grain of Truth,” which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones) will take on the role of Nivellen.
In the story, Nivellen has been turned into a monster and keeps inviting young women to live in his manor in the hopes that they might break the curse. He’s not to be confused with Ciri’s father Duny, who was also cursed to look like a monster until he married her mother. Apparently, there’s just a lot of that sort of thing going around in the world of The Witcher.
This is a fantastic story with plenty of humor and action and seems like a perfect role for Hivju. Hissrich has already done plenty of sliding characters from the short stories into the series’ bigger story, like how Triss was added to Geralt’s confrontation with King Foltest’s striga daughter. It’s very possible that Cavill’s character could encounter Nivellen alongside Ciri and Triss.
Violet: A New Character?
It’s also been announced that Carmel Laniado will play Violet, a character who seemingly doesn’t appear in the books… unless this is just a name change for an existing character. One possibility is that she’s one of the young acolytes of the fertility goddess Melitele in Ellander where Ciri is educated and trained by Yennefer. But the description of Violet as “a young girl whose playful and whimsical demeanor is a front for a smarter and more sadistic character” hints at another possibility.
Carmel Laniado will play Violet, a character who seemingly doesn’t appear in the books.
In “A Grain of Truth,” Nivellen is sharing his manor with a young woman he believes to be a rusalka, a sort of nymph, but who turns out to actually be a vampire looking to turn him into a true monster. That character’s name is Vereena in the book, but the description of Violet above could certainly indicate that she’s actually Vereena.
Agreeing with a fan’s suggestion that Gugino would be “perfect” as Selina Kyle opposite Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne, Snyder noted that Gugino was a solid fit for the role and then started ruminating on the part. “There’s a flashback to ten years ago,” he said, “where [Batman and Catwoman] were a thing. And then he had to arrest her, I don’t know what happened, or he had to let her go, and it tweaked him. And now, who knows what she’s doing now, she’s running some sort of international antiquities or something, and he needs to retire, and they find each other. Yeah, I do think Carla is…yeah, she is good.”
Gugino is a frequent collaborator with Snyder, having been in both Watchmen and Sucker Punch while also providing the voice for the Kryptonian ship’s computer in Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
With The Mandalorian Season 2: Episode 3 on Disney Plus featuring the live-action debut of Bo-Katan Kryze, you may want to explore her best episodes from the animated Star Wars show The Clone Wars from which she originally debuted and the Rebels series she also appeared in. Actress Katee Sackhoff voiced the character in those animated shows and now she has reprised the role in the flesh on The Mandalorian.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episodes Featuring Bo-Katan
Image Credit: Disney
Bo-Katan is a key player in the recurring Mandalore storyline in the Clone Wars series. She’s a young woman who was born on the planet Mandalore and was a part of the influential House Kryze. She is the younger sister to Satine, Duchess of Mandalore, though whereas her sister is a kind and peace-seeking pacifist, Bo-Katan is a more hardened fighter. Bo-Katan starts out as the leader of the Nite Owls, an elite group of blue-armored Mandlorians.
Bo-Katan’s story is one of action, drama, and loss, and she’s crossed paths with numerous Star Wars icons like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, and Ahsoka Tano. She even has ties to the Darksaber, the coveted Mandalorian weapon that eventually winds up in the hands of Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon as seen in The Mandalorian Season 1 finale.
Season 2: Episodes 12, 13, 14
These three Clone Wars episodes kick off the Mandalore storyline that goes on to become a long and brutal conflict in the Star Wars universe. It is ironic that the plot revolves around Mandalore being used as neutral ground so the Republic and Separatists can meet to negotiate peace, only for it to become a heated battleground that scars the planet and its citizens forever.
This arc features the first appearance of Bo-Katan, although she doesn’t show up until the third episode nor does she remove her helmet. Even so, you’ll not only witness her introduction to Ahsoka (the Jedi she name-dropped at the end of Episode 3!) but learn more about the Mandalorians as a people, what happened to their planet, and see the start of Bo-Katan’s storyline that years later will intersect with Dinn Djarin and Baby Yoda.
Season 5: Episodes 14, 15, 16
The conflict on Mandalore erupts once more in another three-parter, which means more Bo-Katan. This time, she plays a more pivotal role as a member of Death Watch, a radical Mandalorian splinter group that aims to overthrow Bo-Katan’s sister Duchess Satine and claim the planet.
The story sees Bo-Katan and her fellow Mandalorians rescue a stranded Darth Maul and Savage Opress, only to supremely regret that decision as the Dark Side bros scheme to use Death Watch to gain power and take revenge on a common enemy, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. We learn the significance of the Darksaber and, before the end of this arc, watch it trade hands. And while Bo-Kantan is a member of the antagonistic Death Watch, we see glimpses of her good heart underneath all that armor. Lastly and most significantly, this is the arc where we learn why Bo-Katan developed that steely, cut-throat attitude we see on display in The Mandalorian.
Season 7: Episodes 9, 10
The recurring Mandalore arc comes to a hugely impactful conclusion in this epic two-parter, the Siege of Mandalore. Bo-Katan has a vital role where she allies with Ahsoka once more, this time to take on Darth Maul and try to save her home planet now engulfed in all-out war. These episodes show off what Bo-Katan and her squad can really do in some truly wild action scenes, and they usher in a significant status quo change for the character.
After The Clone Wars series finale, Bo-Katan returns in Star Wars Rebels, which is set in between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The episodes featuring Bo-Katan are significant because they establish where we last saw her (and the Darksaber) before the events of The Mandalorian.
Season 3: Episodes 15, 16
Bo-Katan makes her return in a much different, much worse spot than we last saw her in The Clone Wars. It’s by teaming up with fellow Mandalorian Sabine Wren from the Rebels crew that she takes a step back in the right direction. This pair of episodes is an excellent lesson in All Things Mandalorian and offers some fascinating details that help explain things you may be wondering about from The Mandalorian. And yes, there’s plenty to do with the Darksaber.
Season 4: Episodes 1, 2
This is it. The last time we see Bo-Katan before her appearance in The Mandalorian Season 2.
This two-part storyline brings the ongoing Mandalore arc that started back in The Clone Wars to a grand finale as Sabine leads the charge to attack the Empire head-on in an effort to finally liberate her home planet. But it doesn’t come without great consequence — much of which has been talked about in The Mandalorian. Bo-Katan returns for the second episode, and we see where the Darksaber’s last known whereabouts before The Mandalorian.
Joshua is a Senior Editor and Producer of Features at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Star Wars are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
Welcome to our Saturday deals page! It’s a great time to be into PC gaming, because Dell and HP have a ton of sales going on currently, many of which include the powerful new RTX 3000 series graphics cards. If that’s not your thing, then take a look at the Beats Solo3 headphones that are deeply discounted today, or the many Nintendo Switch games over at Amazon!
Select RTX 3070 video card upgrade (+$340) on the product page!
This is undoubtedly the best deal we’ve seen on an RTX 3070 gaming PC. The RTX 3070 is just as powerful as the RTX 2080 Ti and comes with extra features like DLSS 2.0. All that power at under $1400 is pretty mind-boggling. Admittedly the RAM and storage capacity could be improved upon. You can customize this config or swap out the components on your own (it’s easy to get into this case).
#2: Alienware Aurora AMD Ryzen 7 RTX 3080 Gaming PC for $1835.99
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
This is the best Alienware RTX 3080 PC deal out there at the moment. Don’t fear AMD; this Ryzen 7 3700X overpowers the Intel Core i7-9700 in several benchmarks. The RTX 3080 is 30% faster than the RTX 2080 Ti and a clear step above the RTX 3070. If you plan to run games in 4K, I would strongly recommend this card to achieve 60fps+ in most games.
Players have seemingly discovered a mysterious locked door in World Level 1-3 of the Demon’s Souls remake on PS5 that wasn’t in the original PS3 version.
As spotted by Twitter user @VaatiVidya, Reddit user OrganizedBonfire found this illusory wall in the Tower Knight Archstone of Demon’s Souls on PS5 while exploring its tight corridors. After stumbling upon the door and trying to open it, a message appears that says “It appears to be locked.”
As of this writing, what lies beyond the door, and even if it can be opened, remains a mystery. Reddit user Cosmic-Vagabond discovered that, by using photo mode, you are able to see that the door appears to lead to a terrace with an item sitting on a dead knight.
Via Reddit (u/Cosmic-Vagabond)
They also note that, since the door says “it appears to be locked,” it is “not a key door and instead has a mechanism.”
If you want to try to figure out the mystery, Cosmic-Vagabond notes that “at the start of 1-3 there’s the alleyway that branches off between a dead end and the path to the tower where Yuria is being held. The locked door is hidden behind an illusory wall at the end of the dead end.”
