Five years after competitive multiplayer mech shooter Hawken shut down, a new game will invite us back to stomp around in its scrappy mechs. Announced last night by developers and publishers 505 Games, the free-to-play Hawken Reborn will launch into early access tomorrow. This time, it’s a PvE game, with story missions plus open patrol zones to explore and complete jobs. I was enamoured with the jetdashing scrappy mechs and greeble-covered apartment blocks of the first game but always wished it had a singleplayer or co-op campaign, so I’m certainly curious about this.
In case you missed (or just didn’t play the first game), back in 2021 it was discovered Nintendo used an “advanced version” of the Mii face creation tool to create the human NPCs in the 2017 Switch and Wii U release.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a masterpiece, but like the original title Breath of the Wild, it does suffer from some serious performance dips during more heated gameplay moments – with the frame rate dropping from around 30 to the low 20s.
If you’re wondering what a more consistent frame rate would look like in busier parts of Tears of the Kingdom, there are already a number of videos online showcasing the game running at 30fps locked and even going as high as 60fps.
With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom finally out, everyone is finally coming to terms with just how absolutely massive this game really is. We’ve been hard at working preparing a thorough IGN Tears of the Kingdom Walkthrough and Strategy Guide based on hundreds of hours of gameplay, which includes the important shrines puzzle guides.
Tears of the Kingdom has a whopping 152 shrines hidden across its massive map, and we’ve not only catalogued all of them, but we’ve got a handy rundown right here of the most sought-after shrines with their locations and a brief overview of the shrine solutions.
Mayachin Shrine
Mayachin Shrine (A Fixed Device) is in Central Hyrule, and is easy to spot just north of the Hyrule Field Skyview Tower in the Exchange Ruins. You can walk right up to it.
Once there, you’ll need to create a mechanism to hit a ball with a baseball bat and into a target, using ground spikes, the rotating switch on the ground, Ultrahand, and careful timing. This can take several tries, and an even more complex setup is needed to get the treasure chest.
Mayaumekis Shrine (Downward Force) is in the Hebra region, up in the sky. You’ll find it naturally as you progress through the Tulin of Rito Village questline.
Once inside, hit a switch with an arrow through the bars. Bounce off the ships’ sails to cross the gap until you reach a door blocked with bars. Take out your bow midair to slow time and shoot the switch through the bars, opening the final door.
Susuyai Shrine (A Spinning Device) is in Central Hyrule, southwest of Lookout Landing and the lookout landing Skyview Tower. You can walk right up to it.
Once inside, dodge the cars, then grab one on your way out with Ultrahand and use it to drive up the rotating floor. Then use the car to run into the device on the other side and keep the door open for you while you head through. In the final room, you can use Ultrahand to build a platform that will allow you to cross the gap using the hanging platform and a wheel attached to the front of the device, touching the track. Activate it to move forward and complete the Shrine.
Orochium Shrine (Courage to Fall) is hiding out in the icy Hebra Mountains north of the Snowfield Stable.
Inside is a bit of a maze, but your goal is to get a ball from the center of the maze into the hole at the start. Circle around to the left and use Ascend to get inside, work your way around the maze, then open the double doors with Ultrahand and let yourself get hit by a lazer to fall through the trapdoor. Avoid this final set of lazers and Ascend through the ceiling to collect a key, and Ascend again to get the ball. You’ll then take the ball up the elevators at the back of the maze, attach it to a glider with Ultrahand, and sail down to slot it into the target.
Ishodag Shrine (A Windy Device) is located in Central Hyrule, atop a rocky hill west of Hyrule Castle Town Ruins. Ascend to the Shrine through a stone overhang on the north side of the hill. Inside, you’ll be using carefully-placed fans first to float upward, then to cross a body of water, and finally to propel an elevator that lets you ascend to the final platform.
Ren-iz Shrine (Jump the Gaps) is also based in Central Hyrule, in a sub-zone called Crenel Hills. It’s hidden inside a massive carved out tree.
Once you’re inside, use Ultrahand to adjust the metal plate to drop the ball into the basket – you may need to give it a few attempts. The second puzzle involves both a long metal plate and a short square one – you can prop the long plate up on the switch and use the short one at an angle to make a ramp, and let the ball fly.
Soryotanog Shrine (Buried Light) is located in the Gerudo Desert. You can get there by flying in from the Gerudo Canyon Skyview Tower or from a nearby Sky Island. Or you can do things the hard way and climb the walls of Gerudo Town, fending off enemies as you go.
Once inside, use the fans to dig up the necessary items for completion – first a small key, then a reflector and a hidden passage, then a gear, and finally a beam of light and a reflector.
Morok Shrine (A Bouncy Device) is waiting on a low-flying Sky Island in the Lanaryu Region, which makes it a bit tough to access. You can climb to it via its dangling root system, or use Recall on a fallen chunk of Sky Island to rise high enough to access it.
Once inside, you’ll be getting the hang of using spring contraptions first to move yourself around the shrine, and then to move a ball into a target by launching it off the springs.
Brendan O’Brien, the actor credited with coming up with the original voice of Crash Bandicoot, has died. He was 60.
O’Brien’s death was reported in an obituary on Legacy.com, where he was remembered for his talents as both a musician and an actor. It included a brief passage about his time on Crash Bandicoot.
One of his proudest moments was coming up with the original voices for the “Crash Bandicoot” video games during the Naughty Dog years of 1996 to 2004. He encouraged nostalgic Crash fans in their own pursuits and loved signing their memorabilia. Like music, designing character voices for animation, radio and video games came naturally to him.
In the wake of the news of O’Brien’s passing, other tributes appeared on social media, including one from the official Crash Bandicoot account.
“Sharing our sincere condolences to Brendan O’Brien’s loved ones for his passing. He was an incredible talent who brought Crash Bandicoot and other Crash characters to life. He will forever live on in the hearts of Crash fans,” the account wrote.
Sharing our sincere condolences to Brendan O’Brien’s loved ones for his passing. He was an incredible talent who brought Crash Bandicoot and other Crash characters to life. He will forever live on in the hearts of Crash fans. https://t.co/Cp9nBeTMgU
O’Brien’s length career included appearances in Grindhouse and Riverdale, but he was best-known for his work on Crash Bandicoot, where he played numerous roles including the titular bandicoot, Doctor Neo Cortex, and Tiny Tiger. The current Crash Bandicoot voice actor is Scott Whyte, who took over the role with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
After restarting development on the upcoming Witcher multiplayer spinoff game, developer The Molasses Flood has been hit with layoffs.
“Because [Project Sirius] changed, so has the composition of the team that’s working on it–mainly on The Molasses Flood’s side,” a CD Projekt Red spokesperson said in a statement provided to Kotaku. “The concrete number of employees we parted ways with is 21 team members in the US and eight in Poland (working on the project outside of the US).”
Last week, CD Projekt Red announced that Project Sirius had a “new framework” after restarting development. Before that, there were concerns that CD Projekt Red had canceled the project outright after the company filed something to write off assets, but the company made it clear that the game would continue.
CD Projekt Red president and joint CEO of CD Projekt Adam Kiciński explained that the reason for the restructure was to ensure that the studio did not “carry on with projects that [CDPR] is not aligned with.”
While Project Sirius has had a troubled development, it is not the only Witcher game currently in development. Last October, Project Sirius, along with two other Witcher games, were announced, including Project Polaris, which is said to be the “next installment in The Witcher series of games.” There are also plans to release two more games to make a new trilogy.
Soccer Fans: put your cleats on and get ready to hit the pitch – FIFA 23is coming to The Play List tomorrow – May 16!
The most expansive EA Sports FIFA title to date, FIFA 23 hosts the next evolution of HyperMotion2 technology on current-gen platforms, setting the standard in realistic and immersive gameplay. In addition, and for the first time in EA Sports FIFA history, players now have the chance to play as their favorite women’s club team – so get ready to nutmeg opponents and get on the scoreboard with teams from the Barclays Women’s Super League, Division 1 Arkema, National Women’s Soccer League, and UEFA Women’s Championship League.
Take the pitch now in FIFA 23 to earn great monthly rewards, including the FIFA 23 Ultimate Team Supercharge Pack which features FUT content to help take your club to the next level. This month, members can also show their personality on the field with the Overdrive Lightning Head Tattoo, the FUT Hero Iván Córdoba Tifo Set, and more rewards.
Alongside FIFA 23, here are even more member-only content and rewards available now in EA Play:
Battlefield 2042 Dismemberer Weapon Skin – Now to June 1
Apex Legends Luxurious Wheels Weapon Charm – May 16 to June 12
Need for Speed UnboundNissan Fairlady ZG 1971 Epic Custom – Now to June 6
PGA TOUR EA Driver & Utility Club Headcovers – Now to June 7
NHL 23 WOC May Bag – Now to May 31
FIFA 23 Pro Clubs Overdrive Lightning Head Tattoo – Now to June 7
FIFA 23 VOLTA Overdrive Blue Glasses – Now to June 7
FIFA 23 FUT Hero Hero Iván Córdoba Tifo Set – Now to June 7
FIFA 23FUT Season 6 XP Boost – Now to June 7
FIFA 23 FIFA 23 Supercharge Pack – May 16 to June 16
Madden NFL 23 MUT May Pack – Now to June 5
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass PC members receive EA Play at no additional cost with their Game Pass subscription. Members enjoy great player benefits, including in-game challenges and rewards, special member-only content, trials of select brand-new titles, access to a collection of EA’s best-loved series and top titles, and 10% off purchases of Electronic Arts digital content.
EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23 on Xbox Series X|S brings even more of the action and realism of football to the pitch in The World’s Game, with advances in HyperMotion2 Technology driven by twice as much real-world motion capture helping to create more true football animation than ever before in every match.
Play the men’s FIFA World Cup™ now in FIFA 23, with the women’s FIFA World Cup™ coming later as a post-launch update. Plus play as women’s club teams – powered by dedicated HyperMotion2 animation – for the first time ever, and enjoy cross-play features that make it easier to play against friends*.
Enjoy a new way to play and build your dream squad with FUT Moments and a revamped Chemistry system in FIFA Ultimate Team™, or live out your football dreams in Career Mode as you define your personality as a player, or manage as some of football’s most famous names.
In VOLTA FOOTBALL and Pro Clubs, bring more personality to the pitch with new levels of customisation and enhanced street and stadium gameplay. However you play, experience The World’s Game with over 19,000 players, 700+ teams, 100+ stadiums, and over 30 leagues – including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, new Barclays FA WSL and France D1 Arkema with unrivalled authenticity in FIFA 23.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/fifa/fifa-23/game-offer-and-disclaimers for details.
*Cross-play enabled in certain modes on same-generation platforms. More info on cross-play at https://www.ea.com/games/fifa/fifa-23/news/pitch-notes-fifa-23-cross-play-deep-dive.
EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23 brings The World’s Game to the pitch, with both men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup™ tournaments, the addition of women’s club teams, and new ways to play your favourite modes.
Play the men’s FIFA World Cup™ now in FIFA 23, with the women’s FIFA World Cup™ coming later as a post-launch update. Plus play as women’s club teams for the first time ever, and enjoy cross-play features that make it easier to play against friends*.
Enjoy a new way to play and build your dream squad with FUT Moments and a revamped Chemistry system in FIFA Ultimate Team™, or live out your football dreams in Career Mode as you define your personality as a player, or manage as some of football’s most famous names.
In VOLTA FOOTBALL and Pro Clubs, bring more personality to the pitch with new levels of customisation and enhanced street and stadium gameplay. However you play, experience The World’s Game with over 19,000 players, 700+ teams, 100+ stadiums, and over 30 leagues – including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, new Barclays FA WSL and France D1 Arkema with unrivalled authenticity in FIFA 23.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/fifa/fifa-23/game-offer-and-disclaimers for details.
*Cross-play enabled in certain modes on same-generation platforms. More info on cross-play at https://www.ea.com/games/fifa/fifa-23/news/pitch-notes-fifa-23-cross-play-deep-dive.
Bloober Team and Anshar Studio have announced that Layers of Fear will launch on June 15 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Additionally, there is a demo on Steam that will be available until May 22.
“We are thrilled to announce the release date for Layers of Fear and to bring this definitive horror experience to players on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, on June 15,” Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno said in a press release.
He continued: “With the power of Unreal Engine 5, we’ve been able to create a game that visually surpasses our previous works, delivering an unforgettable journey into the minds of tormented artists. We are excited for both new and returning players to jump in.”
Dear players! The demo is now available on #Steam. Take a dive into the eerie world of #LayersofFear. Testing will run all week until Monday, May 22 at 3:00 PM PT
Layers of Fear was first teased in September 2021, emphasizing the use of Unreal Engine 5. It was officially announced during Summer Games Fest in 2022 as “Layers of Fears”, but Bloober Team eventually dropped the extra “S” at the end of the title to just “Layers of Fear.”
The first Layers of Fear was released in 2016, and its sequel, Layers of Fear 2, launched in 2019. In IGN’s Layers of Fear 2 review, we said: “Carried by hauntingly beautiful writing and an unsettling atmosphere, Layers of Fear 2 is one of the most stunning horror games of this generation.”
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries Of Honjo isn’t your average visual novel. There are some buck wild concepts in Square Enix’s game, including fourth wall breaks to manipulate characters’ actions and literally muting someone by turning voices off in the options menu, to name just two of the wackier features (and a big plot twist is discussed in this article, so beware if you’re planning on playing Paranormasight soon).
At the outset, though, Paranormasight loks like it is your average visual novel, with the player working away to prevent curses from claiming the lives of Tokyo citizens. Writer and director Takaya Ishiyama explains this was actually the starting point for Paranormasight’s inception. “I first decided what the final goal of the game would be, and from there I began to plot out the broad elements I needed to include, such as the Seven Mysteries,” he explains.
We’re pretty sure that most of you reading this will have spent a good chunk of the weekend tucking this delightful little indie effort that launched last Friday. It’s a follow-up to a little-known open-world adventure that, as we understand, was much loved by the few who bothered to play it back in 2017…
Ah, we can’t keep that up. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally with us! We’re only a few days after launch and despite the plentiful coverage you’ve no doubt caught here and elsewhere — TOTK really has taken over the internet, it seems — we’re still tip-toeing around spoilers and unsure how much to discuss with each other right now. Have you got to the bit with the… thing that grants you the ability to… erm, get to the top of… things? That’s how a lot of our conversations are starting at the moment.
