A couple of years ago, it was notable when the Switch remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were developed not in-house by Game Freak, but by a smaller Japanese support studio called ILCA. That remake project was actually ILCA’s first crack at being the lead developer on a game, and it soon followed this up early last year with One Piece Odyssey, an original JRPG based on the long-running franchise about wacky pirates. Now this release has finally made its way over to the Switch, and we’re happy to report that it’s made the jump almost entirely intact. Though it’s taken a bit of a visual hit, One Piece Odyssey still proves to be an enjoyable and accessible release that’s a welcome addition to the Switch’s considerable RPG library.
The narrative in One Piece Odyssey is a sort of ‘bottle episode’ that follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates crew after they shipwreck upon a mysterious island called Waford. Shortly after arriving, a mysterious figure takes away their power (cutely represented by everyone dropping from level 40 down to 1) and locks it away in various magical cubes scattered across the island. Even when they recover some of the cubes, the only way they can unlock the power contained within is through diving into illusory worlds crafted from their memories and reconquering trials they once faced, although events play out a little differently this time around because of how ‘fuzzy’ memory can be. The crew thus sets out through worlds based on the memories of some of their greatest struggles to reclaim their power and get to the bottom of what’s going on with this strange island.
There have been many firsts for Dead by Daylight’s Killer Design team in recent years. The introduction of a third-person camera for a smaller Killer. A Killer with AI-controlled guards. A Power that consists of multiple different spells. Finding new ways to inflict pain and suffering remains an exciting challenge, and the arrival of Castlevania’s Dracula introduces yet another innovation: shapeshifting.
The vile denizens of the woods serve The Dark Lord, and he can take their forms as he chooses. Players can cycle between his Vampire form, his Bat form, and his Wolf form, with each one excelling at a different role.
Vampire form is Dracula’s base form, with the Flaming Pillar being his primary means of damaging Survivors. The attack can even traverse through obstacles, including Pallets and Windows. Wolf Form offers a third-person perspective and reduced mobility, but increases your efficacy at hunting and tracking. Bat Form is Dracula’s most stealthy form, with no Terror Radius and a snappy teleport ability.
Game Designer Jason Guzzo was tasked with bringing the legendary character into The Fog, and designing a Power that honored Dracula’s otherworldly abilities. The Castlevania team at Konami Japan were equally thrilled to see their iconic character come to life in-game, providing their knowledge and expertise at every step.
“Shapeshifting is a vital and unique part of the Dracula experience,” explains Guzzo. “It’s part of who he is, and it’s not necessarily something people focus on.”
Once the team decided on the Power’s direction, it was time to make it functional in-game. Of course, the unprecedented nature of Dracula’s abilities presented a few design challenges, particularly with the animal forms. Not to mention the fact that it would mark the first time this version of Dracula transformed into a wolf. Luckily, the Castlevania team was quick to give their seal of approval.
“There are limitations while designing animal characters,” explains Guzzo. “A bat can fly, but due to the balance of Dead by Daylight, it can’t fly over low obstacles. Unfortunately, that’s a concession we had to make. It takes some getting used to, but we must abide by our internal rules. Having a character that can fly over any obstacle would be entirely game-breaking.”
Building on the foundation laid by previous Chapters, which featured the arrival of a quadruped character (Alien) and a third-person Killer camera (Chucky), the design Team worked fleshing out each of Dracula’s three forms.
“Each form is basically a micro-killer, and we wanted players to use them however they liked, without needing to change if they don’t want to,” continues Guzzo. “On the Survivor side, we wanted facing Dracula to feel like a boss fight, where he can be anywhere at any moment with a tool to use against you.”
The Dark Lord’s forms
Dracula’s forms break down as follows: Vampire, Wolf, and Bat. “Vampire is basically your core form,” explains Guzzo. “He moves at 4.6 meters per second, making him effective at loops and chases. He’s also got the Flame Pillar, which is one of my favorite Killer abilities to use in the game.”
“The Wolf Form moves a little slower, but you have enhanced senses and a pounce attack,” he continues. “When Survivors are sprinting, every so often they’ll drop a Scent Orb. Those Orbs give you information on the direction they’re going, and collecting them grants you a small speed boost. The idea is to simulate a hunt, where a wolf picks up a trail and quickens its pace.”
“We wanted the Bat to be the most effective traversal form, so it moves very fast – 6 meters a second, with extra stealth on top of that,” details Guzzo. “To compensate, the Bat can’t attack or see Survivors, Scratch Marks, and Pools of Blood. The main reason we did this was to balance the endgame, where Bat form was extremely potent at covering both Exit Gates.”
“Bat Form has another cool ability, which allows it to teleport a short distance, including through Vault points and Pallets,” explains Guzzo. “It also invites players to consider their choices. As a Survivor, downing a Pallet may come back and haunt you when Dracula gains a new teleport spot. Dracula players will have to grapple with the same decision, as losing a potential teleport option can hurt you in the long term.”
The end result is a dynamic Power that incentivizes exploration while providing an immersive experience befitting The Dark Lord. It’s also worth noting that the Castlevania icon was designed with new players and Dead by Daylight veterans in mind.
“When we’re working with a beloved licensed character like Castlevania’s Dracula, we want the skill floor to be relatively accessible,” reveals Guzzo. “That way, fans of the franchise can use the Chapter as an entry point to Dead by Daylight and have a fun experience off the bat. We do aim to keep the skill ceiling high, so players who connect with the character can build their skill and find exciting ways to develop it even further.”
Dead by Daylight: Castlevania launches August 27. The Chapter includes a new Killer, Dracula – The Dark Lord, and new Survivor Trevor Belmont.
Lollipop Chainsaw RePop hasn’t suffered another delay but is instead being bumped up nearly two weeks to September 12, 2024.
As reported by Gematsu, developer Dragami Games confirmed the change would affect all versions of the game — PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC — in North America, Central and South America, and Europe.
The previous release date of September 25 came after another delay out of summer 2024 and before that 2023, but as its latest September 12 date is just a month away, it’s likely Dragami Games will stick to this one.
Lollipop Chainsaw RePop is a remake of the original Lollipop Chainsaw which follows high school cheerleader and zombie hunter descendant Juliet Starling as she fights through the apocalypse with her boyfriend’s severed head at her side.
“RePop is a definitive version of the game which leaves the story unchanged, with the focus on quality-of-life improvements and additional gameplay content,” Dragami Games CEO Yoshimi Yasuda said in June.
The game picked up a cult following but in our 5/10 review, IGN said: “Lollipop Chainsaw doesn’t even attempt to differentiate itself from the genre, and most of what it does try new in the realm of its characters and writing ultimately ends up taking away from an incredible-on-paper action game.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
As the wait lengthens for Hollow Knight: Silksong, other Soulsy creature features are scurrying to fill the breach. We had Deviator last week – now, it’s time for a bumper helping of the heebie-jeebies in the shape of Perennial Order. The title makes it sound like an eBay delivery of potted geraniums. The game festering beneath is actually a “plant horror” boss rusher with twin stick melee controls, unlockable “Instinct” abilities and one-hit deaths.
In a gift to headline writers everywhere, the developers, four-person Gardenfiend Games, are calling it “Hollow Knight meets Titan Souls”, and who am I to deny them? It’s got one of those “painterly” art styles, too, though other words come to mind, such as “rotted” and “unhallowed” and “manky”. It’s out on 6th September. Find a trailer nested below this paragraph like a venus flytrap poised to clamp around your fingers.
We’re less than two months away from the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Nintendo’s first Zelda game that stars the titular princess herself and Nintendo just dropped a new six-minute Echoes of Wisdom trailer detailing settlements around Hyrule and Zelda’s wild new Bind ability that looks like her version of Link’s Ultrahand power from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Much like the world of Hyrule, the footage was stuffed with secrets and question-raising mysteries, so we’ve compiled 10 things you need to know from the new Echoes of Wisdom trailer.
Bind Is Zelda’s Version of Ultrahand, and it Looks Crazy
Nintendo revealed a major expansion of Zelda’s abilities in Echoes of Wisdom with the new Bind power. With Bind, Zelda can latch onto any object in the world and make it follow her movements. We see Zelda use this on a giant boulder, a treasure chest, and even her own Echoes. She even uses Bind on enemies to toss them off giant cliffs.
Using the Bind and Echo powers together will surely open some crazy possibilities, much like the wild combos players unleashed with Ultrahand, Recall, Fuse, and Ascend in Tears of the Kingdom. Just one example from the trailer shows Zelda summoning a mole Echo to create a hole in the ground. She then uses Bind on a moblin and drag-and-drops it into the hole the mole left behind. I can’t even imagine the dozens of possibilities that players will uncover by combining these abilities.
Similarly, Zelda can use Reverse Bond (which appears to be part of the Bind ability, I couldn’t tell you why it’s not called Reverse Bind) to follow an object’s movement herself. We saw Zelda fly by using Reverse Bond on a bird Echo, scale a wall with a spider Echo, and travel across a pit by using it on a moving platform above her.
Does Echoes of Wisdom Have Dungeons?
Nintendo hasn’t explicitly told us that Echoes of Wisdom’s Hyrule has dungeons for us to explore and conquer, but the new trailer offers a few hints that the franchise’s classic labyrinths are present, at least in some capacity. When Zelda is speaking to a Sea Zora, you can spot an underwater entrance to what could be a dungeon, complete with an insignia that resembles the goddess Nayru’s symbol. Nayru is the Goddess of Wisdom, and given that wisdom is this game’s core theme, maybe the dungeons or shrines are called Trials of Wisdom, or something to that effect.
Later in the trailer when Nintendo is detailing the Bind ability, Zelda is in a room that really gives off strong dungeon vibes, as she needs to move a giant boulder to step on a switch that will open a closed door. This definitely indicates that some sort of dungeon-like structure exists in Echoes of Wisdom, but if that’s full-fledged dungeons seen in top-down games like A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds or the more bite-sized Shrine approach from BotW and TotK remains to be seen.
Zelda Can Equip Different Outfits and Accessories
The new trailer confirmed that outfits and accessories are part of Echoes of Wisdom, and Zelda can change clothes for both practical and stylish reasons. It’s unclear how many accessories you can equip at a time, but these are the accessories Zelda had in her inventory during the trailer:
Zora’s Flippers: Swim Speed Up
Zora Scale: Dive Time Up
Frog Ring: Jump Height Up
Heart Pin: Heart Appearance Up
There was also a flower pin in her inventory, but we didn’t get to see the description for that one. As for outfits, we see Zelda wearing Link’s hood from the reveal trailer, her classic dress without the hood with her hair in a ponytail, and a Gerudo Guard outfit.
The Smoothie Craze Hits Hyrule
Zelda can use materials she gathers around Hyrule to craft smoothies, each with their own healing properties and status effects. The one smoothie we see is the Mixed Milky Smoothie, which costs an Electro Apple, Fresh Milk, and 10 Rupees to craft. In return, it restores 13 hearts when consumed. This is Echoes of Wisdom’s take on BotW/TotK’s cooking mechanic, but I’m hopeful that it will fix one of my main complaints with how it’s worked to this point.
In the open world Zelda games, you can hold dozens of cooked meals at time, meaning if you prepare well enough, you can basically heal your way through any encounter. In Echoes of Wisdom, it looks like the Business Scrub who Zelda is speaking to puts the smoothie in one of Zelda’s empty bottles, which could mean there is a strict limit on how many smoothies you can hold at once depending on how many bottles you have. It’s possible Echoes of Wisdom has ditched the empty bottle mechanic and we’ll be able to carry unlimited smoothies, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
A Horse Is a Horse, Of Course, Of Course
Dashing around like a maniac with the Pegasus Boots is no longer the fastest way to get around Hyrule, as Echoes of Wisdom is adding horses into the mix. Once Zelda learns the carrot Echo, she can summon her horse from anywhere in the overworld. We see Zelda riding a brown horse and a white horse, so it seems there are multiple types of horses to choose from. Horses also serve a combat purpose, as we see Zelda mowing through weaker enemies while on horseback. Echoes of Wisdom’s combat is excitingly unconventional, so it’s nice to see multiple options like this for taking out baddies.
It Takes a Village… And Another Village
There are so many villages in Echoes of Wisdom! In this trailer alone, we caught glimpses of two separate Zora villages (for each the Sea and River Zora), the staple Kakariko Village at the base of Death Mountain, Goron City, Gerudo Town, Castle Town within the walls of Hyrule Castle, and the brand new Suthorn Village. If that wasn’t enough for one trailer, Echoes of Wisdom’s Japanese website has a new screenshot for a coastal village filled with houseboats. This is a significant number of settlements compared to what top down Zelda games usually contain, and several shots of the world appear to show off a much larger map than games like A Link to the Past – or at least a more densely populated one.
Breath of the Wild / Tears of the Kingdom’s UI Returns
Not only does Echoes of Wisdom take inspiration from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s open air approach, it also shares UI elements with the pair of open world masterpieces. The Main Quest / Side Quest menu, choices when speaking to a shopkeeper, smoothie crafting, and world map waypoints all look virtually identical to the last two mainline Zeldas, further showcasing how Echoes of Wisdom truly integrates the series’ modern ideology into a classic, top down package.
Preparing for Extreme Heat
During the spotlight on Gerudo Desert, a close-up shot of Zelda reveals that she is feeling the effects of the region’s brutally hot temperatures. Her face is red and she’s fanning herself to keep cool, which is reminiscent of how Link responds to scorching temperatures in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. We’ve already covered that Zelda can equip different accessories and outfits and drink smoothies with different status effects, which begs the question: Will we have to manage Zelda’s temperature in Echoes of Wisdom like in the two recent open world Zeldas, or is this just visual flair? Echoes of Wisdom already borrows so much from the franchise’s convention-breaking direction, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising if this mechanic was included.
Teasing the Dark World
The Echoes of Wisdom reveal trailer showed Zelda running through what was most likely this game’s version of the Dark World, and Zelda hopping into a portal at the very end of the trailer confirms it. We also see shadow enemies entering Hyrule through these rifts, which will likely prove to be some of the game’s tougher combat scenarios. The Zelda series has a history of Dark Worlds, and it will be fun to see what unique spin Echoes of Wisdom puts on the concept. Our glimpse of the Dark World in the announcement trailer showed Zelda quickly maneuvering through obstacles as the rift chased her, so maybe these sections will require quick thinking like Skyward Sword’s Silent Realms.
Characters React to Zelda’s Echoes
Have you ever aimed your bow and arrow at a Hylian in Tears of the Kingdom? Well, they don’t really like it, as they cower in fear at Link’s unpredictable behavior. Those NPC reactions appear to be intact in Echoes of Wisdom too, as a Gerudo guard reacts in shock when Zelda summons a bed out of thin air right next to her. To be fair, I’d be pretty surprised if that happened right next to me, too.
Cat Quest has been a beloved series for close to a decade now. From offering a unique world in the first game to adding co-op in the second, it has always tried to shake things up for the action-RPG genre. Cat Quest III feels like another switch-up for the series, taking what felt great about previous games and seeking to tell a charming pirate adventure that keeps you surprised. After sinking 15 hours into The Gentlebros’ latest adventure, it is safe to say everything about Cat Quest III is fantastic.
The adventure began with us choosing our feline Purrivateer and arriving in the Purribean, an archipelago filled with Pi-rats to defeat who are on the hunt for the North Star Treasure. With our spirit companion, who is also searching for the North Star Treasure, we piloted our ship and ventured across land and sea to find the mythical treasure, defeating Pirate Lords in a variety of dungeons and uncovering a myriad of secrets along the way.
Coming to Game Pass: Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Creatures of Ava, and Mafia: Definitive Edition
Megan Spurr, Senior Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass
I’m back with more games to populate your download queue! Day one titles, fan favorites, and some reminders on some announcements you might have missed (I see you there Valorant!). Let’s get to the games!
Coming Soon
Creatures of Ava (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – August 7 Available on day one with Game Pass! Let your empathy guide you as you play an exciting action-adventure, creature-saver game. Understand and tame the creatures of Ava and let them lead you through a variety of ecosystems – all in the hopes of saving the planet from a life-consuming infection.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 8
Your favorite marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, is coming to Game Pass! He’s enhanced, entranced and ready-to-dance with the N. Sane Trilogy collection. Spin, jump, wump and repeat as you take on the epic challenges and adventures through the three games that started it all, Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. Relive all your favorite Crash moments in their fully remastered graphical glory and get ready to put some umph in your wump!
Mafia: Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 13
Mafia: Definitive Edition is a cinematic third-person shooter that tells the story of Tommy Angelo, a hardworking cab driver who becomes embedded in the brutal world of organized crime in 1930s America.
In Case You Missed It
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Console and PC) – Available now In the direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against the ultimate threat. Game Pass members can also experience an all-out brawl in Season 5 with new core 6v6 maps, new weapons, cosmetic rewards and more! Learn more about Season 5 over at the Call of Duty blog.
Unlock Valorant Benefits for Xbox Series X|S and PC with Game Pass Valorant is a 5v5 round-based tactical shooter where you outwit, outplay, and outshine your competition using dynamic abilities and ultra-stylish Agents. Game Pass members can link their Riot Account to unlock all current agents, day-one access to new agents as they’re released, and a 20% match XP boost to Battle Pass and Event content. Learn more on Xbox Wire.
Xbox Cloud Gaming on Amazon Fire TV Devices Game Pass Ultimate members in over 25 countries are now able to play games directly from the Xbox app on select Amazon Fire TV devices through Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta), bringing more ways to play Xbox on more devices and enjoy your favorite games.
DLC / Game Updates
No Man’s Sky: Worlds Part I – Available now The latest free update to No Man’s Sky, Worlds Part I (version 5.0), ushers in an entire universe refresh, bringing huge leaps in water and cloud quality, as well as increased planetary variety, new gameplay features, and more! Learn more about this refresh on Xbox Wire.
Dead by Daylight: 2v8 Game Mode – Available until August 8 Double the trouble, for the first time ever eight survivors face two killers in this new extreme game mode. Survivors can choose from four new classes, each with their own predefined loadouts. Maps have three exits, and three hatches will appear when only two Survivors are left standing in the trial. But beware, hooks have been replaced with a frightening new sacrificial device: the Cage of Corruption.
Sea of Thieves: Season 13 – Available now Seize Flameheart’s flagship, the Burning Blade, in the latest boss fight to sail the Sea of Thieves! Rain fire on your foes with a skeleton crew at your command, gathering tribute in Flameheart’s name – or raid his new Skeleton Camps and take the treasures for yourself…
Sea of Thieves: Mayhem Ship Bundle – Available now The Mayhem Ship Bundle returns to the Sea of Thieves via the Pirate Emporium! Crew up and cause chaos with this sunny symbol of anarchy – or simply sail about and share whatever claptrap is on your mind knowing you’re looking good while doing it.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Every month new content is available for Game Pass Ultimate members. Find new Perks in the Game Pass section of your Xbox console, Xbox Game Pass mobile app, or Xbox app for Windows PC.
Stampede Racing Royale: Game Pass Starter Kit – Available now Join the herd in style! Kit out your kart with the Xbox KartCore 3000 Wrap, update your avatar with the Xbox Pic and get a head start with 25,000 coins!
Sea of Thieves: Ebon Rapier Pack – Available now Cut a dashing figure with this collection of highly prized items! The Ebon Rapier, Obsidian Pocket Watch and Obsidian Figurehead are sure to set you apart from the crowd.
Naraka Bladepoint:Aeon Bundle – Available now Grab free bonus cosmetics and boosts to help you in this fast-paced melee fighting game. Claim Xbox headgear, new season treasures, legendary skin trial bundle and more in the new Perks Bundle. Get a boost start in new season with the help of experience boost cards!
Leaving August 15
There’s still some time left to jump into the following games leaving soon! If you’re not ready to say goodbye quite yet, you can save up to 20% on your purchase and keep them in your library.
Airborne Kingdoms (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Offworld Trading Company (PC)
Shadow Warrior 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Cloud, Console, and PC)
We’re not done for August, so keep an eye here and on social @XboxGamePass, @XboxGamePassPC, and @Xbox for updates and when these games are ready for you to pick up in cloud gaming or start downloading. Talk soon!
There’s a big summer sale ongoing at PC gaming retailer Fanatical right now, and they’ve got one of the best deals going for Sonic fans going into the later parts of the year. Sonic X Shadow Generations is discounted for PC today, with both the Deluxe and Standard edition getting significant limited-time price drops. It’s huge news for Sonic fans who are looking to pick up the game on Steam.
Here’s the deal. Sonic X Shadow Generations Digital Deluxe Edition is now $52.19 / £47.84. This includes the Base Game, Digital Deluxe Season Pass, an additional character skin and level for Shadow (releasing Holiday 2024), Terios Skin, Extra BGM Pack, Digital Art Book + Soundtrack, and Skill Points (Sonic Generations).
But most notably the Deluxe Edition is how you play the upcoming game three days early. If you’ve been paying attention you would know that SEGA is pulling the whole early access card with the game. It’s tied to the Deluxe Edition, and we’ve run over all the details in our preorder guide as well.
But, if you’re not fussed and happy to play the game on October 24 instead, then the standard edition is also down to $43.39 from $49.99. It’s another great deal, and well worth considering going into release for PC users. Preordering Sonic X Shadow Generations will also grant you a bonus Sonic Adventure Legacy Skin, and Geral Robotnik’s Journal Detailing Shadow’s Creation.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom can be preordered for just £42.95 at Amazon before its release on September 26. Here’s why this is a good deal. Switch games are typically £49.99-£69.99 (depending on the game), and are rarely on sale even after release. So, getting a discount before the game comes out is huge.
With Amazon’s preorder price guarantee, you can be sure you’re paying the best price at Amazon from now until release, no matter the price changes that may occur (i.e. the listing goes back up to £50). You also don’t have to pay a penny on your preorders until the game dispatches closers to release day.
A recent gameplay trailer showed off some returning mechanics from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom return in Echoes of Wisdom, including mixing ingredients to create smoothies with various effects, and different outfits providing bonuses for Zelda.
Nintendo also unveiled a significant enhancement of Zelda’s abilities in Echoes of Wisdom with the introduction of the new Bind power. This ability allows Zelda to attach herself to any object in the game world and control its movements in sync with her own. Here on IGN, we’ve recently gone over 10 notable new additions from the trailer, which you can also watch just below.
Echoes of Wisdom was unveiled on June 18, 2024, with a release date set for September 26 of the same year. The game introduces fresh gameplay mechanics utilizing Zelda’s abilities and promises significant variations between playthroughs.
