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Sony has announced that a PS5 conference will be broadcast on Thursday, June 4 at 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern / 9pm UK.

Join us Thursday, June 4 at 1:00pm Pacific time for a look at the future of gaming on PlayStation 5: https://t.co/Yr8fafcOVd #PS5 pic.twitter.com/F0yBbDmOtC

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 29, 2020

 Developing…

R.L. Stine’s popular children’s horror book series Goosebumps is coming to consoles in video game form. Cosmic Forces is partnering with Sony Pictures and Scholastic to create Goosebumps: Dead of Night, which will be released this Summer for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

As you can see in the official announcement trailer above, Goosebumps: Dead of Night is a first-person survival horror game, and its premise involves known Goosebumps villain Slappy the Dummy stealing classic pages from the book series, resulting in a horde of monsters setting out to look for you. Expect puzzle solving and the occasional jump-scare, and actor Jack Black, who is no stranger to video games (Brutal Legend), voices RL Stine.

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Cosmic Forces calls Dead of Night a “reimagining” of their mobile VR game, Goosebumps: Night of Scares. This console version adds improved graphics, additional gameplay chapters, new monsters, and expanded Stine House, improved AI, and more. Check out IGN’s reviews of Goosebumps’ “scary-good” 2015 film adaptation, along with the “slapdash” 2018 sequel, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.

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Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

Turns out a lot of you are VERY passionate about The Snyder Cut. Joe, Dale and Matt read out a bunch of your feedback and carry on the debate. Normal service then resumes with Matt sharing his thoughts on the new People Can Fly game, Outriders, and Joe and Dale explain their disappointment with Maneater.

We’re also back with the Endless Search, MORE of your near death stories and mad food combos.

Remember, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, please do: [email protected]

IGN UK Podcast #541: Your Snyder Cut Feedback

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• IGN UK Podcast #540: Drowning in Snyder Cuts
• IIGN UK Podcast #539: Tsushima? Unreal!
• IGN UK Podcast #538: Donkey Kong Schlong
• IGN UK Podcast #537: Swimming With Dennis Rodman
• IGN UK Podcast #536: Slamming Dunks and Singing Songs

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Arkane has revealed that the original story of the Dishonored series is “complete”, but the franchise has not been put on hold, as per previous reports.

In an interview with IGN Middle East, Arkane Studio’s Co-Creative Director Dinga Bakaba set the record straight about a previous quote from Arkane’s Ricardo Bare, who said in 2018 that Dishonored was “resting for now.” This led fans to believe that the future of the series was uncertain, with outlets reporting that the series had been put on hold.

”It’s weird because for us as a studio, we never did a sequel to a game we made before,” Bakaba told IGN Middle East. “It was interesting to make and everything, but the rumors of putting the IP on hold was highly exaggerated and was misquoted”

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Bakaba believes that Bare’s quote was ”over-interpreted.” “I don’t think there was a decision to put [the] Dishonored series on hold,“ he explained. While Arkane has wrapped up the storyline concerning Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attano and believes the narrative to be complete, this doesn’t mean that there can’t be any more games in the Dishonored universe in the future. “It’s something where we had a story to tell about the Kaldwins and the Outsider, and that story is over,” he said

“So, whatever happens, that Dishonored is complete. This is the best, and most honest answer we can give but, in any case, I don’t think we will be revisiting that [the Kaldwin storyline]. Bakaba goes on to explain that the decision not to revisit “that part” of the Dishonored world was a creative choice and speaks to Arkane’s intentions as a studio.

Bakaba goes on to explain that Arkane is “not a studio of one game, and I don’t think we ever will be.” In the years since Dishonored, we’ve seen Arkane turn to new projects like Prey, and supporting Machinegames in making Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

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It’s unclear what’s next for Arkane as far as Dishonored is concerned, but this leaves the door open should they wish to return to the game’s atmospheric world in some respect. We also have Deathloop to look forward to, an action-adventure game directed by Bakaba himself. The game is yet to receive a release date, but we’ll be sure to update you if we hear anything more about it.

In other Arkane news, footage of their cancelled Half-Life project ‘Ravenholm’ was recently revealed thanks to a Noclip documentary. 

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN absolutely desperate for another immersive sim from the masters at Arkane. Follow him on Twitter. 

Sony has reportedly told developers that PS4 games submitted for certification from July 13 onwards must be forwards compatible with PS5. PS4 versions of The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima will also apparently be compatible with PS5.

Per a report from Eurogamer, developer documentation on Sony’s internal Partner website now includes a step that must be checked, saying that the game has been tested for compatibility with PS5. That compatibility apparently means that the PS4 game’s code must run without issues on a PS5, and the game must include all the same features.

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Sony is also seemingly “strongly” recommending that any patch or remaster for a game submitted before July 13 would allow for PS5 compatibility. Any patch for a game submitted after that cut-off must ensure the game remains compatible with PS5.

There’s a difference between submission and release – games are submitted for certification well before release, so some games arriving after that cut-off date could still be non-compatible with PS5.

However, Eurogamer also reports that it has heard that The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima – Sony’s final major PS4 exclusives, and neither of which will have hit that cut-off point – will be supported on PS5.

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We may learn more about this very soon, with an unannounced PS5 conference reportedly schedule for as early as next week. As for PS5 games, Sony has said we’ll hear about a line-up “soon”.

It would appear Sony’s pushing hard for cross-generation compatibility with this generation, with the majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles apparently slated to run on PS5. Microsoft is making the same kinds of promises – only yesterday, it said Xbox Series X would launch with “thousands” of games due to compatibility support with previous Xbox generations.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

2K has released seven different games from three franchises on the Nintendo Switch today, all of them beloved titles. BioShock: The Collection, Borderlands Legendary Collection and XCOM 2 Collection are now available, and the individual titles within the first two collections can also be bought separately. Each game comes with all previously released DLC.

If you’re buying these games digitally, you’ll want to hope that you have plenty of space on your SD card–the smallest game in the bunch weighs in at 10.4GB. In total, the seven games weigh in at 103.1 GB.

BioShock 2, which originally launched with a multiplayer mode, features just the campaign, along with the Minerva’s Den and Protector Trials DLC packs.

Here’s the complete list, including Switch Eshop prices and file sizes.

• BioShock Remastered: $20 (12.5GB)
• BioShock 2 Remastered: $20 (10.4GB)
• BioShock Infinite: The Complete Collection: $20 (20.7GB)
• BioShock: The Collection: $50 (features the three games above)
• Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition: $30 (13.7GB)
• Borderlands: The Handsome Collection: $40 (21.5GB)
• Borderlands: Legendary Collection: $60 (features both games above)
• XCOM 2 Collection: $50 (24.3GB)

XCOM 2 and BioShock port studio Virtuos has said that they believe just about any PS4 and Xbox One game is possible on Switch, with the right studio on the case.

We quickly loaded up XCOM 2–theoretically the most complicated port, as the only game in this list not released on PS3 and Xbox 360–and first impressions suggest a strong port of the 2016 game, with the most notable cutbacks coming in the barracks menus. The screenshots below are taken from an undocked personal Switch unit.

A quick test of BioShock Infinite suggests that it has similarly received a good port, one that performs well and looks fantastic on the Switch’s portable screen. Some shots, again taken from a personal undocked Switch, are below.

There’s a new BioShock in the works right now, although platforms for it have not been announced. If you’re a PC user, you can also nab Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for free on the Epic Store right now.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has arrived on the Nintendo Switch, adding another sprawling adventure to the hybrid system’s library. It can also be an overwhelming one between its vast environments and numerous complex systems, particularly if you’ve never played the Wii original or the New 3DS port.

While this version of Xenoblade Chronicles greatly cleans up the UI and makes other tweaks to improve its accessibility, there are still some aspects of the game that aren’t fully explained by its tutorials. To help you out, we’ve rounded up some essential tips and other things to be aware of before you set out on your adventure across the Bionis.

We gave the remastered RPG a 9/10 in our Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition review. Critic Jake Dekker called it “just as vast and fantastical as it was in 2010” and said, “Although not every aspect of Xenoblade Chronicles has aged as well as others, Definitive Edition proves that Xenoblade Chronicles is still a fantastic JRPG with an immense amount of strategic depth that’s still impressive in 2020.”

Ahead of Xenoblade’s launch, Nintendo has released a small 1.1.1 update that patches up a few specific issues with Chain Attacks. If you’ve played the latest entry in the series, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, you’ll also find a nice gift waiting for you when you first boot up the game: 100,000 gold.

Take Time To Explore The World

As enticing as it may be to follow the main storyline, it’s a good idea to spend some time just exploring the world. Each landmark you discover around the Bionis and the Mechonis opens up a new quick travel point, allowing you to warp instantly to places you’ve previously visited. On top of that, you’ll earn experience points each time you discover a new landmark or location, which makes simply exploring the world rewarding in its own right.

Complete Sidequests To Level Up Quickly

Like other RPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles is rife with sidequests. While many of these send you off on typical RPG errands like defeating a certain number of monsters or collecting specific materials, there’s a good incentive to complete them: You’ll earn experience points along with some very helpful rewards, including new gear and money.

In fact, completing sidequests is a much more expedient way to level your party up than by just battling monsters, and you shouldn’t have much need to grind so long as you’ve been regularly clearing sidequests. Moreover, many of these missions don’t require you to return to their quest giver to collect your rewards, so you’ll reap their benefits right upon their completion.

Buy Manuals To Fully Level Up Your Arts

As you battle your way across the Bionis, each character in your party will gradually amass Art Points, which can be used to level up their Arts. Unlike experience points, Art Points are not automatically distributed, so you’ll need to go into the menu and manually divvy them up as you see fit. Remember to periodically level up your party’s Arts as you play; doing so will reduce the attacks’ cooldown timers and improve their efficacy, which will be necessary to deal with the escalating threats you’ll face as you progress through the story.

However, one thing the game doesn’t explicitly tell you is that you can initially only power up an Art to level 4. To improve an attack beyond that, you’ll need to purchase Art Manuals from vendors at the different settlements you visit on your journey. Once you’ve purchased a manual for a specific Art, you’ll be able to level it up past its initial ceiling. Intermediate Manuals allow you to power an Art up to level 7, while Advanced Manuals raise that Art’s level cap to 10.

Hunt Down Unique Monsters

Roaming the world amongst the normal assortment of fauna are a special breed of enemies called Unique Monsters. These foes are typically larger than standard monsters and all have a distinct name like Evil Rhangrot or Territorial Rotbart. They’re also much tougher, making them more akin to minibosses.

While you likely won’t be able to defeat every Unique Monster when you first encounter them, it’s a good idea to remember where they lurk and return to battle them when you’re sufficiently prepared. If you can slay the Unique Monster, it’ll drop some great items, including Affinity Coins (which can be used to set up Skill Links–more on that in a bit) and new gear. In fact, the gear you can obtain from Unique Monsters is typically better than what you’d find at vendors in the area, making it worth your while to hunt these enemies down.

Craft And Equip Gems

On the outskirts of the Commercial District in Colony 9 is the Gem Man’s stall, where you can forge new gems for free. These can be equipped on any piece of gear that has an open slot to bestow additional perks on your party members; some gems reduce the amount of aggro that’s drawn by auto attacks, for instance, while others increase your max HP.

Before you can craft these gems, however, you’ll need to have ether crystals. These can be mined from ether deposits scattered all around the Bionis, so it’s a good idea to make a note of where a deposit is and return to it periodically to mine more crystals and forge those into gems.

Register Items In The Collectopaedia

As you explore the Bionis and the Mechonis, you’ll frequently come across glowing blue orbs scattered around the environment. Pick up one of these and you’ll receive a bizarrely named item like a Dance Apple or Sweet Wasabi, and while their purpose isn’t immediately apparent, these collectables will come in handy at various points in the game. You can trade these items with named NPCs, for example, which will improve their town’s Affinity rating, opening up additional sidequests and other benefits. On top of that, you can also register the items to receive some extra rewards.

Nestled within the Collectables menu is an option called the Collectopaedia. Each page in this repository is devoted to one of the areas you visit on your adventure, and it contains slots for all of the different collectables you can find scattered about that area. Each time you register a collectable here, you’ll receive a helpful reward like a gem. If you can complete an entire page, you’ll get even more rewards, including new weapons and armor, making it a good idea to collect every blue orb you come across as you play.

Build Up Your Affinity And Set Skill Links

As your party members complete sidequests together and battle alongside each other, they’ll gradually improve their Affinity. This opens up numerous benefits; not only will you craft better gems if your party members have a higher Affinity, you’ll also be able to set up Skill Links.

Using Affinity Coins, you can set a Skill from one character’s Skill Tree to another character, letting both take advantage of its perks. For example, linking Sharla’s Adrenaline Skill to Reyn will cause his tension to increase as he takes damage, which ties in well to his role as tank. Remember to also periodically switch up a character’s Skill Tree, which will unlock additional Skills that you’ll then be able to link.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is finally out on Nintendo Switch. The remastered Wii RPG arrives almost three years after the series’ most recent installment, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and if you’ve played that game, you’ll find a nice free gift waiting for you.

If you have save data for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on your Switch, you’ll receive a special one-time bonus upon booting up Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition–100,000 gold. Note that you’ll only have one chance to claim this bonus, so make sure to select Collect before setting off on your adventure, as you won’t be able to receive the gold after you’ve started the game.

Xenoblade Chronicles has received a number of tweaks and touchups in its move to Switch. Not only have the character models been significantly updated (you can get a better look at the improved models in these screenshots), the game also features an entirely new epilogue story called Future Connected, which follows Shulk and Melia one year after the events of the main game. Xenoblade director Tetsuya Takahashi estimates that Future Connected takes about 10-12 hours to complete if you focus on the story and about 20 hours if you include all of the side content.

We gave the remastered RPG a 9/10 in our Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition review. “Although not every aspect of Xenoblade Chronicles has aged as well as others, Definitive Edition proves that Xenoblade Chronicles is still a fantastic JRPG with an immense amount of strategic depth that’s still impressive in 2020,” critic Jake Dekker wrote.

If you’re new to Xenoblade Chronicles, be sure to check out our roundup of some essential tips that will help you out on your adventure across the Bionis.