In a new video, Bethesda has shown a behind-the-scenes glimpse at three of the locations that players will be able to visit in Starfield. Narrated by design director Emil Pagliarulo, the videos show off the United Colonies capital city of New Atlantis, the pleasure city of Neon, and the capital of the Freestar Collective, Akila.
New Atlantis is described as a metropolitan melting pot of cultures set in a spaceport, where players can interact with a diverse cast of characters.
On the other side of the galaxy, there’s Akila, a city on the frontier inhabited by people who believe in the sanctity of personal freedom and individuality. Akila is a walled city and for good reason, as beyond its borders lie predators that have been described as being a cross between wolves and velociraptors.
Finally, Neon is a city that was originally meant to be a fishing planet, but after the discovery of a fish with psychotropic properties, plans changed. A drug was synthesized from the fish, and once legalized, Neon became a tourist attraction for people looking to experience a new type of high.
Starfield is currently scheduled for a November 11 release in 2022 on PC and Xbox Series X|S. Like other first-party games from Xbox Game Studios, the sci-fi RPG will be available on launch day through Xbox Game Pass.
More details on Starfield since its last release date trailer from E3 have been revealed by Bethesda Game Studios executive director Todd Howard. As he explained in an interview, that the game is going to be “a bit more hardcore of a role-playing game than we’ve done.”
What isn’t too hardcore about Starfield though is its classic cheese and salami sandwich, which someone has figured out how to perfectly replicate in the real world.
Pending approval from the court, Apple will payout $100 million and also clarify several of its app store policies. Most notably, it will allow developers to reach out to customers (with permission from the user) to collect information inside their apps, allowing them to email about alternative payment options available outside the App Store.
Developers on the App Store could previously communicate with customers outside of their apps and even collect payments outside of their apps (e.g. renewing a Netflix subscription on the official Netflix website). But prior to this proposed settlement, developers were not allowed to communicate with iOS customers about other payment options available outside of the App Store.
However, the potential changes to the app store would still not allow developers to inform iOS users about alternative payment options from within the app itself so that developers could bypass the “app store tax,” a 30 percent cut Apple receives from the in-app payment system. Apple’s in-app payment cut has been the subject of a different lawsuit filed by Epic Games last year, which a federal judge is currently reviewing after the case was argued in May.
Another concession Apple will make should the proposed agreement get approved for the case Cameron et al. v. Apple Inc, is that the iPhone maker will create a Small Developer Assistance Fund. It will payout $100 million, divided among small developers who make $1 million or less, with payouts varying depending on how many people submit and are approved for their claim. The remaining funds will be donated to the nonprofit Girls Who Code. The website is up, but it is not fully operational, likely due to the settlement pending approval from a judge.
Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Despite how little we’ve seen of Elden Ring, those familiar with From Software’s catalogue will have a good idea of what to expect. Surprising absolutely no one, Elden Ring is a dark fantasy action RPG set in an intricately constructed world. It delivers its narrative in fragmented pieces, leaving the player to make connections, fill in the gaps, and draw conclusions. Its gameplay marries the tension of venturing into the unknown with the joy of discovery and, most importantly, it emphasizes a sense of accomplishment that comes from conquering seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Elden Ring is the exact kind of game that From Software is known for creating, but it’s also an exciting evolution that takes the best of what came before and extrapolates it out onto a much grander scale, potentially realizing that open-world Soulsborne fantasy that many fans have been eager for.
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Elden Ring – Everything We Know So Far
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According to From Software’s Yasuhiro Kitao, however, the team didn’t set out to make an open-world title. In fact, From Software isn’t even sure if it has the correct definition of what encompasses an open-world experience, and so isn’t quick to call Elden Ring one. When watching the gameplay, the reticence to categorize Elden Ring as what it seems to be begins to make sense. To be clear, it is unmistakably an open-world game, but one that is cut from the same cloth as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, rather than any of the recent Assassin’s Creed titles. The distinguishing factor between them, for me, is how deliberate the construction of the world feels and what the moment-to-moment experience of adventuring is like.
The Lands Between, where Elden Ring is set, is an interconnected world that, while vast, didn’t look like it was big just for the sake of being big. That much comes through when looking at how dense the world is visually. Whether standing atop craggy cliffs, peering out over a land blanketed in an ominous fog, venturing into snow-capped mountains, or trudging through flooded cities, From Software wants you to always be drawn towards something of interest on the horizon and hopes that, along the way, you may accidentally stumble upon the unexpected. A lot like Breath of the Wild, the developer is counting on curiosity to be your guide instead of dozens of icons on a map.
Similarly, the things that you stumble upon–or have thrust in front of you–feel more emergent than in most open-world games. In a hands-off gameplay demo I saw, one such moment was a dragon suddenly swooping down and engaging the player. In any other Soulsborne game, the telltale signs of a scripted boss fight would appear–a terrifying but epic orchestral score accompanied by a health bar, and a fog gate that signifies that you are definitely trapped–but these elements didn’t appear. It was just an incredibly pissed-off dragon looking to pick off a wandering warrior.
Scattered throughout the overworld are dungeons that can be stumbled upon while exploring. These, in classic From Software fashion, are sometimes deadly detours that invite players to overcome traps, enemies hiding in dark corners, and the occasional boss in order to find treasures. Interestingly, the one I saw felt reminiscent of a Bloodborne Chalice Dungeon. Depending on your opinion of the divisive Chalice Dungeons, that may not sound particularly enticing, but I didn’t see enough of these dungeons to say whether each of them is bespoke in design or procedurally generated like many of Bloodborne’s. Everything you know and love from a Soulsborne dungeon is otherwise present: intimidatingly large blades swinging around environments, ready to cleave you in two at the slightest misstep; monsters that pounce on you as you emerge from a doorway; and a wooden chest with a chain curved upwards. Hmmm.
Also scattered around the world are what From Software calls “Legacy Dungeons.” The name is intended to signify that these areas present something akin to the traditional Soulsborne gameplay in a contained environment. The Legacy Dungeon we ventured into was Stormvale Castle which, in classic Soulsborne fashion, is an expansive medieval structure that dares players to breach its gates. However, a weathered, beastly-looking figure wearing an ornate book as a necklace, who can be found skulking in a dark corner nearby, advises you to do otherwise. Stormvale’s gates are closed, but he can request they be opened for you, a foul Tarnished in search of the Elden Ring.
Here’s where things change in a more obvious fashion: the player is presented with a choice. They can either request that the strange figure give the signal to open the gate or heed the warning and take a back route that is much safer. Bold adventurers will want to go through the front gate, but given the immediate barrage of arrows that followed the moment the Tarnished crossed the threshold, I suspect they’ll realize the back route is the smarter option. Picking one doesn’t lock you out of the other path, however. Instead, this choice is presented as a kind of on-the-fly difficulty decision. Does the idea of overcoming a Sisyphean task sound like a good time to you? Or do you want to take an easier, but still challenging, approach?
Difficult challenges are the cornerstone of From Software’s games, but in Elden Ring the developer seems to acknowledge that there’s more room to explore the idea of overcoming hardship in ways that preserve the sense of satisfaction. According to Kitao, From Software’s intention is never to create a difficult game just for the sake of it. Instead, the team wants players to enjoy the experience, clear hurdles, and see the game through. It creates games with a sense of value derived from overcoming hardships, and Elden Ring implements new ways to do this. One of these is by taking mechanics from its last game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Like Sekiro’s protagonist, Wolf, the Tarnished is agile, capable of leaping into the air at a moment’s notice. In terms of gameplay, this means that platforming is now more integral to the gameplay experience and, as such, Stormvale Castle is designed with verticality in mind. The Tarnished is shown jumping from rooftop to rooftop, slinking through an open window, and down into the castle. Out in the fields of the Lands Between, the Tarnished can engage in stealth, opting to circumvent combat entirely, or adopt an assassination-oriented playstyle. In outright battle, meanwhile, a leaping heavy attack will break through an enemy’s stance, leaving them vulnerable.
In addition to creating exciting new gameplay prospects within the Soulsborne framework, this new injection of agility means people who may not be as confident in standing their ground and fighting towering beasts, imposing knights, or deadly magicians have a way to take some semblance of control in battle by dictating the pace a bit more. Another way they can turn the tides in their favor is by summoning what are essentially minions that will fight for you. These function similarly to a co-op partner, but with decidedly less staying power. The summons I saw didn’t seem like they could stand-up to a boss, but against a mob of enemies they were effective at taking the pressure off and even thinning out the crowd.
Venturing into Stormvale Castle, in many ways, felt like a slice of stepping into the world of Dark Souls and having that kind of gameplay experience, so to that end the Legacy Dungeons seem like they’ll live up to the name. However, what’s most exciting is that From Software has said the world is made up of a variety of distinct areas, each with their own aesthetic, vibe, and feel. While we’re yet to see what that means, the prospect of venturing into a part of the world that feels like something out of Bloodborne, or Demon’s Souls, or something entirely new is incredibly exciting.
Again, Kitao said that Elden Ring aims to make the most of its sprawling world, so there will be plenty of interesting places to discover. Perhaps more importantly, there will be plenty of interesting people to discover too. From Software describes the story of Elden Ring as a “multi-protagonist drama.” While facing old heroes and demigods in search of the Elden Ring, the Tarnished will encounter a variety of characters, and the game is more focused on them than any of From Software’s previous titles.
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Characters have always been crucial to the narrative of the Soulsborne titles–you only have to look at the fandom around Solaire, Siegmeyer, Micolash, or Genichiro, among many others, to know how important they are to From Software’s games and the people that play them. Elden Ring aims to double down on characters to address the fact that, for many, From Software’s games have stories that are difficult to parse. By focusing on characters and the drama surrounding them, the narrative is painted in a much clearer way, establishing a strong baseline that anyone can enjoy.
That’s not to say it’ll be as straightforward a tale as Sekiro. George R.R. Martin’s involvement all but guarantees that. The Song of Ice and Fire author laid the foundation for Elden Ring’s mythos, creating characters, rivalries, political intrigue, corrupted lineages, and more. And From Software has built upon this foundation with its own brand of storytelling. According to Kitao, not all of Martin’s work is represented in the final game, in some cases, characters he created aren’t in the game, but their place within the history of the world is represented. This is the kind of thing that will no doubt serve as fodder for the obsessive Soulsborne community to dig into.
My biggest takeaway from the short gameplay demo I saw is that, yes, Elden Ring is an open-world game, but not the kind that I’ve become thoroughly exhausted by in recent years. It doesn’t seem like we’ll be going through the motions of repeating three kinds of side-mission in between moving from one designated main story point to the other, and occasionally being distracted by some sort of meaningless trinket to collect. Based on the little I saw, there’s a deliberate nature to its design; a focus on a rewarding sense of exploration and discovery, and content that’s curated to ensure that the experience as a whole is faithful to the design philosophy and general vibe of From Software games.
I guess… Elden Ring could be the Dark Souls of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Sorry.
Elden Ring will have a gameplay mechanic that sounds unlike anything FromSoftware has done before, allowing you to collect the souls of your enemies and summon them in battle. Kind of like Pokemon. But during a hands-off preview and Q&A, FromSoftware assured us that this new mechanic has been carefully balanced to not make Elden Ring easier.
“What we’ve tried to do is design the spirit summons where they’re placed throughout the game and how you will level them up throughout the game in a way that doesn’t make the game just drastically easier whenever you bring them out,” FromSoftware said during a media Q&A event.
In an interview with IGN earlier this year, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki explained a new mechanic in Elden Ring where you can summon defeated enemies to help you in battle. These aren’t player NPCs you can summon like in other FromSoft RPGs, but offline AI with their own progression elements.
Summoning AI or online player help during boss fights can make a big difference, but FromSoft says that because of the way summons in Elden Ring are designed, there is a trade-off to using them in the first place.
“It’s up to the player what summons they choose and when, but it’s also up to the player to invest their stat points into the summons if they so choose or into their own character, so it’s a bit of a trade-off there.”
Furthermore, the summons you collect are determined by how you explore and progress through Elden Ring’s massive world, “So it’s not intended to lower the difficulty drastically.”
If past FromSoftware RPGs are any indication, the effect of summoning spirits in your game will likely be down mainly to how you choose to use the system. Summoning AI and online players do help considerably when facing challenging bosses in Dark Souls but it’s also a completely optional system. And while it sounds like you can level your summons at the expense of your experience points, any additional tool in your arsenal can only help you in the end.
FromSoftware says that its approach to storytelling hasn’t changed with Elden Ring, but it may have expanded. Instead, during a recent preview event, the developers revealed that players will still interpret the lore on their own, but that this time clues can come from talking with the game’s many important NPCs rather than just from things like item text.
As FromSoftware explained during a Q&A, whereas in “Dark Souls, and maybe to a lesser extent Sekiro, you’d be picking up these pieces that talk about the world and allow the player to formulate an idea of the world itself and their place in it, they didn’t often talk to the characters and the people living in that world.”
This isn’t the case in Elden Ring. “With Elden Ring, we have a large number of NPCs and a lot of major players in the story,” FromSoft says.
And just as players picked up pieces of the lore through item text, “things like that are going [to come from] talking to those important NPCs and those important characters, and that way we feel the player is going to learn more about the drama, more about the history of the world,” through interacting and learning more about the many characters in Elden Ring.
The developers hope that this dialogue will help “formulate a more personal and dramatic image of the world.” In fact, FromSoft’s Yasuhiro Kitao goes so far as to say Elden Ring is a “multi-protagonist drama.” Kitao also said that director Hidetaka Miyazaki will be leading the in-game text and dialogue you’ll see in Elden Ring, based on the mythology laid down by collaborator George R.R. Martin.
Either way, it seems that lore hunters obsessed over every detail in FromSoftware games will have to pay extra attention when speaking with the game’s NPCs if they want to uncover the secret of The Lands Between and Elden Ring.
When Elden Ring was first announced, one of the biggest surprises is how it’s a collaboration between FromSoftware and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin. Since then, more information about the collaboration has come to light and while Martin was responsible for creating the overall world and mythos of Elden Ring, the in-game text is being director Hidetaka Miyazaki.
“In From fashion, the story is told in fragments, and we haven’t changed our principle of providing a world and narrative that the player can interpret for themselves,” FromSoft’s Yasuhiro Kitao says.
And while this means lore can still be discovered by item text and cutscenes, NPC dialogue will also contribute significantly to world-building, and Miyazaki is “at the forefront of the text, writing the text in the game.”
In an interview with IGN from earlier this year, Miyazaki explained that Martin helped build the world, including the Lands Between, and central narrative. However, Martin himself said that he finished his contributions to Elden Ring “years ago” and development continued to build on the foundations established by Martin.
Miyazaki praised Martin and said the author’s contributions led Elden Ring to be more character-focused than previous FromSoft games. “He brought things to the table that we couldn’t have done by ourselves, in terms of that rich storytelling and that sense of character and drama.”
Given that Martin’s most famous work involves complicated character dynamics and the way people interact with each other while vying for power, this makes sense. With the open-ended, in-game text handled by Miyazaki, it sounds like fans will get the best of both Miyazaki and Martin’s worlds in Elden Ring.
When I interviewed Hidetaka Miyazaki back in June about Elden Ring, one of the things that really stuck with me was how so many of his answers came back around to this core theme of Elden Ring being all about freedom and choice. Having now watched about 15 minutes of gameplay from a variety of sections of the game, I now fully get what Miyazaki was saying, and how Elden Ring offers more options and flexibility than anything From Software has worked on in the past.
The gameplay demo opened up with a look at Elden Ring’s first open field, which spread out in every direction with a number of easily visible points of interest. To the left was a small watch tower, far off in the distance straight ahead was the gigantic glowing Erd Tree, and just in front was a site of lost grace, which will serve as the game’s bonfire checkpoints. But what’s interesting about them is that some will cause a light to lead the way towards a recommended path, but of course, it’s up to you whether you actually follow that path or not.
One of my takeaways from watching the open field gameplay was this feeling that you could encounter almost anything while exploring. In one section, the player approached a group of enemies gathered around a campfire, when all of a sudden, a gigantic Dragon swooped down in typical Souls fashion and took them all out in a single blow, which then prompted a massive boss fight. In another section there was a group of passive enemies walking along a trail escorting a giant carriage that could presumably be attacked and robbed of its contents, should you be skilled enough to survive the fight. In a different area, there was another carriage that was guarded, but this time by a large encampment of enemies that the player carefully snuck through without alerting the whole camp, even going as far as using a sleep arrow to silently pacify a guard.
One of my takeaways from watching the open field gameplay was this feeling that you could encounter almost anything while exploring.
Of course, in order to navigate across such a giant open field, you are able to summon a Spirit Steed, which can utilize special jump platforms to leap over cliffs, allowing for a ton of verticality in the open-world design. One big departure from previous Souls games (though one that makes sense with a world as massive as The Lands Between), is that you’ll now have access to a map. The map gets updated by finding map fragments throughout the world, and has the look of an actual illustrated parchment made by an actual cartographer who lives within The Lands Between. You can drop markers to note locations of tough enemies, NPCs, treasures, or dungeon entrances. As you’d expect, marked locations also place a beacon that’s easily visible in-game, allowing you to set your own waypoints when you’re looking for places to go next.
Dungeons can be found throughout the open field and of course, they’re full of enemies, traps, treasure, and even illusory walls. The one dungeon that I got to see seemed very basic in its design, with a room that featured a bunch of guillotine traps, and then a treasure room that was guarded by a handful of enemies ready to pounce when you went for the treasure, but since the gameplay I watched was cut up and segmented, I never really got a feel for how big or substantial it really was.
The Legacy Dungeon however I did get a feel for, and it felt massive. Legacy Dungeons are the main attraction of each of the six main areas of The Lands Between, and I got to see the first of them, Stormveil Castle. This particular Legacy Dungeon begins with a choice, you can either head through the main gate and suffer through an intensely challenging route full of enemies aware of your presence, or you could sneak around the side through a secret entrance that takes you along a lesser guarded, but still very dangerous, path with narrow walkways that will punish one errant dodge roll with a fall to your death.
Stormveil Castle definitely brought to mind comparisons to the Boletarian Palace from Demon’s Souls, right down to a section lined with explosive barrels and an enemy looking to ignite them all with an explosion of their own. Moments like these felt more like homage than anything else, and what really stuck out to me more than anything else was how enticing exploration felt with all of the various paths that were left unexplored in my hands-off demonstration. Way off in the distance was a house all by its lonesome on a narrow cliff that had me wondering how I could get to it; when the player looked back towards the cliffside I saw all sorts of unexplored platforms and shinies; and with the ability to freely jump, I constantly wondered if I could jump across certain gaps and find something on the other side. I was told that Legacy Dungeons were built with this kind of freedom in mind, and that they were designed to be complex and multi-layered, which is exactly what I had hoped to hear.
Legacy Dungeons were designed to be complex and multi-layered.
The Legacy Dungeon capped off with the player reaching a rooftop that oversaw the main path the player could have taken if they went through the main gate and fought through the army that awaited them. Since the enemies were unaware of their presence, the player was able to use a sleep arrow to incapacitate the giant beast guarding the boss door, and make it through undetected.
Finally, I got a little tease of the boss fight against the giant multi-armed lord from the trailer, and it was about the Soulsiest boss they could have possibly shown, with gigantic sweeping attacks, earth shattering slams, counter attacks that come out while it reels from being hit, and eventually, a second form with a transformed Dragon arm that spewed fire and had an unblockable grab that just roasted the poor player. It looked absolutely brutal and I can’t wait to try it myself.
Going back to the theme of player choice, all throughout the presentation I was reminded at just how much freedom and choice was offered to the player. The freedom to go in any direction right from the start in the open field; the freedom to engage or not engage the passive roaming enemies; the choice of whether to run or fight when the dragon swooped down; the choice of stealth or reckless violence when attacking the enemy camp; and the choice of whether to go through the main or side entrance in the Legacy Dungeon. None of this is all that new in the world of open-world RPGs, but in a From Software action RPG, it’s certainly an unprecedented level of choice, on top of the already existing customization of builds, weapons, and magic.
With every new bit of Elden Ring I see, the wait becomes increasingly more difficult to bear. But bear it I will, as Elden Ring is planned for release on January 21, 2022.
Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit
Call of Duty: Vanguard‘s alpha test kicks off today, August 17, on PlayStation consoles. To get you primed and ready for the 48-hour test, we’re rounding up the key details like how to download and what to expect as you try out the new Champion Hill mode.
How To Download Call Of Duty: Vanguard Alpha
The Vanguard Champion Hill alpha is available only on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, per the ongoing timed-exclusivity deal between Sony and Activision. Pre-loading has been available for some time already, but if you haven’t done that yet, you can find the Champion Hill alpha client in the PlayStation Store on PS5 and PS4 and get started that way. The test begins today, August 27, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and runs for a period of 48 hours, ending at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on August 29.
Anyone who already has Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Warzone, or Black Ops Cold War will find the Vanguard Champion Hill alpha in the main menu of those games once it’s downloaded. You can then navigate to the Alpha blade on the far left to get started.
What To Expect
The Champion Hill alpha lets you try out … wait for it … the new Champion Hill mode. Developer Sledgehammer Games said internal playtests of the 3v3 mode have gone over swimmingly, and the studio is now geared up to let fans try it out. The developer reminded fans that what’s available in the early test is only a “small slice” of what will be available in the forthcoming beta in September and then the full launch in November. Still, this is the first time the public gets to go hands-on with Vanguard and test out its core multiplayer features.
Champion Hill is a round-robin deathmatch tournament where you compete against other squads. Everyone starts with the same loadout, and then you collect cash by killing enemies or acquiring it on the map. Cash can be spent on upgrading weapons and buying more equipment, perks, and killstreaks.
The test includes four maps: Courtyard, Trainyard, Market, and Airstrip. There are Duos and Trios playlists available, letting you play on teams of two or three. As announced previously, Champion Hill includes a pre-set variety of weapons, and each has 10 upgrades available. There are two weapon sets available in the alpha, and they include ARs, LMGs, shotguns, and pistols. In terms of equipment, players can expect multiple types of grenades, a throwing knife, and a proximity-triggered explosive mine.
Multiple types of perks and streaks are available for players to better equip themselves on the battlefield, while there are four main Operators that will be randomly assigned when matches begin. These include Lucas Riggs, Polina Petrova, Wade Jackson, and Arthur Kingsley.
You can see a full rundown of the content available in the Vanguard Champion Hill Alpha below, as written by Sledgehammer.
CHAMPION HILL MAPS
Courtyard
Trainyard
Market
Airstrip
PLAYLISTS
Champion Hill (Duos and Trios)
WEAPONS
Weapons are persistent through matches. There are ten upgrades per weapon and each weapon upgrade adds one attachment.
Weapon sets will rotate. Both Weapon Set 1 and Set 2 include: ARs, LMGs, Shotguns, and Pistols.
EQUIPMENT
MK2 Frag Grenade: Cookable Fragmentation Grenade.
No. 69 Stun Grenade: Slows victim’s movement and aiming.
Throwing Knife: Retrievable knife that is lethal when thrown at the body or head.
Gammon Bomb: Impact Grenade.
MK V Gas Grenade: Explodes on impact with the ground, releasing a lingering cloud of gear gas that causes slowed movement, blurred vision, and coughing.
S-Mine 44: Proximity-triggered explosive.
PERKS (PERSISTENT THROUGH MATCHES AND YOU CAN BUY UP TO SIX PERKS):
Ghost: Undetectable while moving by Spy Planes, enemy intel, and Field Mics.
Survival Training: Maximized resistance to stun effects. Immune to gas.
High Alert: Your vision pulses when enemies outside of your view see you.
Tracker: Enemies leave behind a footprint trail. See markers at enemy death locations and hide the death markers of enemies you kill.
Demolition: Extra lethal on spawn. Thrown lethals display an indicator showing the path of the lethal.
Double Time: Double the duration of Tactical Sprint. Increase crouch movement speed by 30%.
STREAKS (ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY IN THE NEXT MATCH AFTER PURCHASE):
Spy Plane: Calls in a spy plane which reveals all enemy positions on the minimap to allies. Can’t be shot down. (This automatically activates in the next match.)
Flamenaut: Receive a flamethrower with unlimited fuel and a protective suit. Both lost on death. (This automatically activates in the next match.)
Deathmachine: Equips a machine gun with explosive rounds and a fixed number of bullets. Persists through death until ammo is depleted. (This automatically activates in the next match.)
V2 Rocket: Activates instantly, and drops a V2 Rocket, killing all players and ending the match.
Extra Life: Gain 1 additional life for your team.
Armor Plate: A single piece of Armor.
Full Armor: Full set of armor plates.
OPERATORS
Note: Operators will be randomly assigned.
Lucas Riggs
Polina Petrova
Wade Jackson
Arthur Kingsley
Rewards
Everyone who takes part in the Vanguard Champion Hill alpha will get a calling card and an emblem to use in Vanguard when it releases. This content will also be available in Warzone.
Betas
While the Vanguard Champion Hill alpha is exclusive to PS5 and PS4, there will be an open beta coming to all platforms in September. PlayStation members who preorder Vanguard get in first, from September 10-13, while preorder members on all platforms can play September 16-17. Then from September 18-20, everyone can play, regardless of preorder status. This will all happen after Vanguard’s multiplayer is formally unveiled on September 7.
Vanguard launches on November 5. Just recently at Gamescom, Activision released an extended campaign demo for the game featuring Laura Bailey’s character, Polina.
Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl, the Smash Bros-like crossover fighting game developed by Ludosity and Fair Play Labs, has announced two new characters in the form of CatDog and April O’Neil.
Following her Gamescom 2021 Opening Night reveal as a playable character in TMNT: Shredders Revenge, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle jumpsuit-wearing news reporter April O’Neil was announced to be joining the roster of characters set to battle it out in Nickelodeon’s All-Stars Brawl. O’Neil’s reveal trailer saw her back in her iconic yellow look as she showed off an impressive move that features acrobatic flips and split kicks alongside a weaponized microphone.
As previously mentioned, O’Neil isn’t the only character that was revealed during the show. NickToons fan favourite CatDog will also be making their appearance when the game debuts this fall. Unlike April O’Neil, CatDog’s reveal trailer appears to show a unique combat style that complements both the character’s canine and feline capabilities. From a swole Caninius Dog right hook to Felinius Cat battering opponents with a fire hydrant, CatDog looks like a force to be reckoned with.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was initially revealed back in July where it was announced that the game will also feature characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, Ren & Stimpy, Hey Arnold and more when it launches on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch later this year. If you’re looking forward to jumping into the cartoon-based brawler then make sure to check out the game’s official announcement trailer.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
The PS4 (and even the PS5 so far) has been defined by its exclusives. While Sony’s PlayStation consoles have had notable exclusive games over the years, a significant number of the very best games on modern PlayStation consoles are exclusives. From sterling action games like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man to brilliant RPGs such as Final Fantasy VII Remake and Persona 5 Royal, recent PlayStation exclusives have been mightily impressive. We’ve rounded up the best PlayStation exclusives for PS4 and PS5. While most of these games are playable on both PS4 and PS5, we’ve included a few PS5 exclusives as well.
If you own a PlayStation console, we’d consider all of these to be must-play experiences. A few of these titles were later ported to PC, but for the purpose of this list, all PlayStation console exclusives are eligible. The 20 best PlayStation exclusives are listed in alphabetical order, and some of them are free to play on PS5 if you’re a PS Plus subscriber.
For more PlayStation game recommendations, check out our roundups of the best PS5 games so far and best PS4 games. First-person shooter fans will notice that this list doesn’t feature any in the genre, but we do have a roundup of the best PlayStation shooters, too.
While the Dark Souls series remains From Software’s most popular IP, an argument could be made that Bloodborne is the studio’s strongest game. Bloodborne features an absolutely haunting and mesmerizing world filled with memorable set pieces, characters, and vicious enemies. The captivating atmosphere is bolstered by top-notch combat, which is faster-paced than Dark Souls and focuses on dodges while encouraging an aggressive play style. Make no mistake, though: Bloodborne is definitely cut from the same cloth in terms of difficulty. Naturally, the lavishly designed bosses–some of the best in the studio’s catalog–present a formidable challenge, but regular enemies roaming Yharnam are often just as deadly. Bloodborne is also loaded with secrets and sets itself up well for multiple runs. Though it released back in 2015, Bloodborne still looks and plays as great as ever. It also happens to be in the PS Plus Collection on PS5.
Wildly ambitious and unique in its approach to open-world game design, Death Stranding is an experience that everyone should at least try. Death Stranding revolves around making connections in a fractured depiction of America on the verge of collapsing. You play as Sam (portrayed by Norman Reedus), a delivery man who hoofs it across a world in ruin to deliver packages. In fact, the majority of your time in Death Stranding is spent walking and climbing across uneven terrain while balancing your delivery boxes. On a surface level, Death Stranding seems like a rather boring game, but the act of exploring the world and uncovering the mysteries that run through it winds up being both illuminating and strangely relaxing. Death Stranding is also a rather prescient social commentary and is as delightfully weird as you’d expect from a Hideo Kojima-led game. Death Stranding Director’s Cut releases September 24 for PS5 and comes with updated visuals and new content.
The game that started it all. Demon’s Souls put From Software on the map as a studio who would become known for brutally challenging action-RPGs. That said, it was more of a cult hit than later games in the Souls series, so it certainly made sense to bring it back more than a decade after its original release. As a launch game for PS5, Demon’s Souls showed off the immense power of the new console. It’s a simply gorgeous remake, from the character models and world to textures, lighting, and other fine details. Critically, the remake retains the feel of the original game. Remake studio Bluepoint Games didn’t try to change From Software’s masterpiece; instead, the developer smoothed out the edges and presented the modern classic in a new and improved light. Demon’s Souls is a must-play for PS5 owners looking for a challenge.
While there have been other “game creation” tools released for consoles, none of them have reached the heights of Dreams, created by Media Molecule of LittleBigPlanet fame.. Though Dreams does have a short campaign–created with the in-game tools by Media Molecule–the star of the show is the massive creation suite that allows you to build your own experiences from the ground up. The title is fitting, because you really can follow your dreams and create whatever you want. Dreams has a staggering level of depth when it comes to the tools at your disposal. It’s possible to create a full game that looks and plays like a fairly high-end product in Dreams. It must be noted that Dreams does have a learning curve if you’re trying to make a “professional looking” game, but you can also spend time playing other users’ creations. It’s a never-ending experience, really.
Considering that Final Fantasy VII Remake suffered numerous delays and scrutiny over its revamped design, it’s astounding that it wound up recreating the magic of the beloved original. Though it only covers a relatively small slice of the whole story, Square Enix managed to stretch that out to a 30-plus hour experience without it feeling padded at all. The move to real-time action combat was a source of controversy, but it paid off exceedingly well thanks to an intricately designed system that emphasizes strategy over mindless hacking and slashing. The remake also shines because of the characters and world. With wonderful writing, pitch-perfect characterization, and a lovingly reimagined version of Midgar, Final Fantasy VII Remake artfully captures the appeal of the original. Whether you’ve played the original or not, Final Fantasy VII Remake is a journey worth taking. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade adds performance enhancements for PS5 as well as a new episode starring Yuffie. The DLC is also available separately on PS4.
Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful open-world action game from Sucker Punch Productions. Set during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, you play as Jin Sakai, a samurai trying to stop the invasion of Tsushima Island. Ghost of Tsushima features a stunning open world with lush environments and a great mix of compelling action and stealth gameplay. The game was recently re-released as Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, which features a fantastic new story set on Iki Island. The Director’s Cut is available for both PS5 and PS4, and the PS5 version takes advantage of the hardware by offering 4K resolution and 60fps.
It’s not often that a reboot of a beloved franchise becomes the best game in series history, but Sony Santa Monica’s God of War did just that. God of War does far more than just trade Greek Mythology for Norse; it gives its leading man some much-needed depth and delivers a story-focused experience. God of War kicks off following the death of Kratos’ wife Faye, and follows the demigod’s journey to scatter her ashes alongside his son Atreus. We get to see a brand-new side of Kratos, a more contemplative man that isn’t always in a rush to resort to violence, though that still does happen pretty frequently. The incredible world is viewed from a one-shot perspective, which winds up making you feel closer to the action. Whereas earlier entries in the series felt like hack-and-slash games, God of War’s combat has layers to it, making it both more strategic and satisfying overall. God of War has a free PS5 upgrade that features up to 4K resolution and 60fps. PS5 users can play the game for free via the PS Plus Collection. A sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, releases for PS5 and PS4 next year.
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best first-party open-world games for PlayStation. Developer Guerilla Games crafted a unique post-apocalyptic world that feels both primitive and futuristic thanks to the machines (robot dinosaurs) that inhabit the expansive lands. Horizon Zero Dawn stars Aloy, a young warrior who investigates humanity’s downfall. Horizon Zero Dawn’s story is riveting and the writing is top-notch. The engaging tale is paired with an excellent combat system that requires you to stealthily observe machines and figure out the right approach to each encounter. With a bevy of cool gadgets at your disposal and immense freedom for experimentation, Horizon Zero Dawn’s combat feels fresh even after dozens of hours of play. The Complete Edition comes with the Frozen Wilds expansion, which takes Aloy to a frigid new setting that uses the daunting elements to provide a new wrinkle to the impressive combat system. The sequel Horizon Forbidden West is set to release in February 2022 for PS5 and PS4.
Infamous: Second Son was the first must-play exclusive on PS4. Second Son focuses on a new protagonist, Delsin Rowe, and takes place seven years after the events of Infamous 2. You don’t have to have knowledge of its predecessors to enjoy Second Son, but it does help inform you on the lore. Delsin is a Conduit, which essentially makes him a superhero with cool powers he can gather from his environment. As a Conduit, he has to fight the US government’s agency in charge of hunting down those with powers. While Second Son’s story isn’t as good as other entries, the combat represents the series at its best thanks to a suite of new powers and an emphasis on making moral choices that impact Delsin’s character development. The mainline campaign has a nice variety of missions, fun boss fights, and interesting side quests. If you’re looking for an action game that gives you over-the-top powers and lets you run wild, Infamous: Second Son is a great choice. It’s included in the PS Plus Collection for PS5.
The Last of Us was considered by many to be the best PS3 game. It also didn’t necessarily need a sequel. Remarkably, Sony closed out the PS4’s brilliant run on a similar note, with another Naughty Dog game pushing the boundaries of what was possible on then-current hardware. The Last of Us Part II picks up five years after the events of the original and focuses on Ellie and a new character named Abby. The story is a meditation on revenge. At times, it’s difficult to stomach, and the grisly violence that runs through it can be uncomfortable. All of this, however, helps The Last of Us Part II hit its themes and leave a lasting impression. The Last of Us Part II has a balanced mix of intense violence and stealth gameplay that feeds into the narrative. The dilapidated and dangerous world is beautifully rendered, the score is moving, and the performances are top-notch. Naughty Dog managed to deliver a game that is at least close to the level of the original. It’s an unforgettable and unflinching experience that pushes the medium in bold directions.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is easily one of the best superhero games ever made. From both a gameplay and story perspective, Marvel’s Spider-Man is more than worthy of the Spidey name. Insomniac Games managed to create an experience that makes you feel like you’re Spider-Man, whether you’re swinging across the New York City skyline in search of collectibles or fighting baddies. With a great upgrade system, tons of cool gadgets, and a fluid combat system that both looks and feels great, playing as Spider-Man has never felt this good. The story, which focuses on a college-age Peter Parker, is extremely well-written and emphasizes both the life of the superhero and the regular guy Peter Parker. The follow-up, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, is a shorter adventure, but it also impresses thanks to the characterization of Miles and foundation in place from the original.
PS5 users can grab the Ultimate Edition, which comes with a remastered version of Marvel’s Spider-Man, all three expansions, and Miles Morales’ campaign. If you’re playing on PS4, you’ll have to grab the two games separately (Marvel’s Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales).
For fans of twin-stick shooters, it doesn’t get any better on PS4 than Nex Machina. Developed by Housemarque, Nex Machina is played from a top-down perspective and resembles old-school arcade games. Players are tasked with moving through rooms littered with enemies to kill while working toward saving humans. The gameplay setup presents a formidable challenge that requires fast reflexes and split-second decisions. Though Nex Machina can be played solo, it’s better as a local co-op experience for two players.
Persona 5 Royal is an expanded version of one of the best JRPGs on PS4, but it’s more than a simple re-release with added content. Yes, Persona 5 Royal adds a bunch of new content, including a superb new palace; however, where it impresses most is with its reworked content. Atlus made sweeping changes to the original story that helps tie it all together in a much more impactful and meaningful way. Persona 5 Royal is a game that can utterly absorb you for 100-plus hours thanks to its wide variety of content, including excellent social simulation features, a wonderful turn-based combat system, and a world filled with interesting activities. Simply put, Persona 5 Royal is the best JRPG on PS4. The original Persona 5 is included in the PS Plus collection, but we’d recommend opting for Persona 5 Royal.
A reimagining of the duo’s maiden voyage, Ratchet & Clank is an inspired and wholly engrossing take on the PS2 classic. Though it retains the plot structure and overall progression, Ratchet & Clank adds features from subsequent entries as well as completely reworked visuals. Essentially, Ratchet & Clank looks like a native PS4 game. It’s well worth revisiting the lovable duo’s first journey together. PS5 owners can play it for free via the PS Plus Collection. Even if you play the next entry on this list first, Ratchet & Clank is still worth your time.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a dazzling showcase of the PS5’s power. As the latest entry in Insomniac Games’ legendary action-platformer series, Rift Apart introduces new wrinkles to the over-the-top action. A new female Lombax named Rivet joins the fray as a playable character, and the story cleverly separates Ratchet and Rivet to provide two distinct gameplay experiences that eventually align during the game’s excellent conclusion. Rift Apart makes phenomenal use of the PS5’s features. Hinted at in the title, Ratchet and Rivet travel through rifts that instantaneously transport them to wholly new environments. It’s a visual spectacle that leads to some really cool gameplay moments. Rift Apart also uses the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to provide a more immersive combat experience. Speaking of the combat, Rift Apart plays very similarly to earlier entries in the series, which definitely isn’t a bad thing. Whether you’re a longtime fan or newcomer, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a must-play game for PS5 owners, and it’s only on PS5.
Returnal is quite the change of pace for Housemarque, a studio known for smaller, retro-style shooters (like the aforementioned Nex Machina). Returnal is more in the mold of AAA games, with beautiful visuals, a huge world, and a lengthy story. That said, Returnal does retain the difficulty of Housemarque’s earlier games, and it’s arguably the most challenging game on this list. Returnal is a roguelike third-person shooter starring an astronaut named Selene who is trying to escape a mysterious planet. It uses the roguelike formula to tell an engaging and thought-provoking story. It also uses the formula to deliver a punishing experience that requires trial and error to make progress. With an emphasis on dodging and nimble gunplay, Returnal harks back to Housemarque’s other games. It’s a rather novel experience in the AAA space as a roguelike. Each of the six biomes offer new challenges, but be aware that making it through all of them can take quite a bit of time, especially if you aren’t great at shooters. Returnal is one of the best PS5 exclusives, but if you’re not a roguelike fan, it may be hard to get into.
Rez Infinite is a wonderfully made expanded version of the classic musical rail shooter. You play as a hacker inside an AI that has been riddled with viruses, zipping your way through a trippy world on rails while shooting enemies. Rez Infinite has an incredible techno-infused soundtrack that is key to making the experience tick. Along with a great mainline campaign, Rez Infinite has additional modes such as score attack and boss rush. While Rez Infinite is playable on PS4 and PS5 without a headset, it is at its best when using a PSVR headset. Although originally released in 2002, Rez feels like a game that was designed with VR in mind. It’s one of the best PSVR experiences, but it’s still worth checking out even if you don’t have the headset.
Shadow of the Colossus was one of the best PS2 games, and Bluepoint Games (hello again) brought it back in style with the 2018 remake. Shadow of the Colossus is a mysterious game, as you’d expect from Fumito Ueda and Team Ico. The game doesn’t tell you much besides that the protagonist Wander is trying to resurrect a girl named Mono. He travels across a lush landscape on horseback searching for colossi. Shadow of the Colossus is essentially a boss rush game, with each of the 16 colossi presenting a unique challenge. Determining how to topple the colossi is part of the mystery and requires a bit of ingenuity and platforming. Each fight is an impressive spectacle that still feels unique more than 15 years after the game’s original release. Shadow of the Colossus is an adventure that will stick with you, and Bluepoint’s remake is endearingly respectful to the original. It features modernized controls and stunning visuals that make the fantasy world and its inhabitants come to life in a new light.
Nathan Drake’s swansong brought Naughty Dog’s charming action-adventure to a fitting conclusion–at least when it comes to Drake’s arc. Drake comes out of retirement for one last job, uncovering the treasure of famed pirate Henry Avery. Taking advantage of the PS4’s hardware, A Thief’s End has more spacious set pieces than earlier entries, allowing for a more freeform approach to exploration and combat. It feels less scripted than Drake’s other adventures, which provides a greater sense of adventure. A Thief’s End also shines for its story. Drake’s and Elena’s relationship is tested, and he has to reckon with the fact that his long-lost brother actually isn’t dead. A Thief’s End has a large scope, and it balances its moving parts exceedingly well to give a proper goodbye to one of Sony’s most iconic characters.
As the only racing game on this list, Wipeout Omega Collection stands out for numerous reasons. First, it’s a brilliant and gorgeous compilation featuring a trio of stellar anti-gravity racers: Wipeout HD, Wipeout HD Fury, and Wipeout 2048. What’s especially cool about compiling all three of them in one package is that, even though they have the same foundation, they are markedly different experiences. Wipeout HD gives players the pure, fast-paced anti-gravity racing experience, with high-tech tracks and cool vehicles. Meanwhile, Wipeout HD Fury tosses combat into the mix, creating a more action-packed racing game. Wipeout 2048 rewinds time to before the futuristic tracks were built, dropping racers on more natural tracks that alter the overall feel and gameplay. All three games withstand the test of time, though hopefully one day we’ll still get a brand-new Wipeout game.
