Ray tracing is coming back to the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes on PC, according to Capcom. That’s after the graphical option was quietly removed from both games this past week, following a recent update. Fans had been wondering if the move was deliberate or not, but Capcom’s announcement seems to confirm that it was just a mishap. So, zombie slayers should be able to go back to running around in realistically lit corridors full of shadowy corners very soon.
Will be around 20 minutes in length.
Nintendo has announced that an Indie World showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BST / Thursday 2am AET.
The showcase will last for around 20 minutes and will focus on reveals, announcements, and updates on indie games for the Nintendo Switch.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
We have a fresh batch of games, including many coming your way on day one with Game Pass! Sharpen your stakes, get your coffee, and prep your favorite lo-fi beats while you pre-install your next favorite game.
Minecraft Legends (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Available on day one with Game Pass: The piglins are threatening to consume the Overworld. Are you the hero this gentle land needs? Explore lush biomes to make alliances with new friends and familiar mobs, then face the piglins in epic battles. But be warned – they always fight back.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 20
Available on day one with Game Pass: It’s time to return as everyone’s favorite late-night coffee shop barista, ready to lend a sympathetic ear and create the perfect beverage for a host of fantastic customers. Turn on the chilled lo-fi beats, listen to their tales and influence their hearts with a warm drink or two.
Medieval Dynasty (Xbox One) – April 20
Available now on PC and Xbox Series X|S and coming soon to Xbox One! Take on the role of a young man who has fled from war and wants to take his fate into his own hands. From being alone, inexperienced, and poor, you will develop into a master of many skills, a leader of your community, and the founder of a prosperous dynasty which is meant to last and prosper for generations to come.
Homestead Arcana (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 21
Available on day one with Game Pass: Become a farming Witch and pioneer the range that has been mysteriously corrupted with Miasma. Discover the secret behind its appearance, grow plants to power up your spells, and use nature’s magic to heal the land.
Cassette Beasts (PC) – April 26
Available on day one with PC Game Pass: Bring your cassette player and get ready to press play! Collect awesome monsters to use during turn-based battles as you adventure into the open-world RPG, Cassette Beasts. Get ready to experience an incredible retro vibe with unique innovations to the genre.
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Special Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 27
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle lets you create your own cross-over dream team with the beloved characters from a total of 8 titles! Fight with your favorite characters from the popular titles BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, RWBY, and more. Get ready for a dream tag battle crossing series lines!
The Last Case of Benedict Fox (Console and PC) – April 27
Available on day one with Game Pass: Take on the last case of Benedict Fox and dive into a twisted world of secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and cold-blooded murders. Explore the memories of deceased victims as you search for clues and fight demons in this fantastical Lovecraftian Metroidvania.
Redfall (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 2
Available on day one with Game Pass: The town of Redfall is under siege by a legion of vampires who have cut the island off from the outside world. Trapped with a handful of survivors, slay alone or squad up in open-world FPS action.
Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari DLC – Available now
Tides of the Foscari is the second DLC expansion for Vampire Survivors, introducing another huge stage as well as a slate of new characters, monsters and weapons to play with. And of course, secrets may be lurking in the shadowed canopies of the deep forest…
Microsoft Flight Simulator – World Update XIII: Oceania and Antarctica – April 25
Experience the vast islands of Oceania and the magnificence of Antarctica in Microsoft Flight Simulator’s upcoming free World Update. This update brings simmers 15 new countries and 24 non-sovereign territories, all with improved resolution that will allow pilots to experience stunning new vistas throughout these regions. The sky is calling!
The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragon Slayer Bundle – Available now
Customize your character with the Ancient Dragon Hunter Arms Pack and receive an excellent pet in the Ancient Dragon Hunter Wolf Pet. This Perk content requires ESO base game to use.
MLB The Show 23: 10 The Show Packs – Available now
Kickstart your MLB The Show 23 Diamond Dynasty with 10 The Show Packs. Once acquired, items should be redeemed upon booting the game. Information on items redeemed should be listed in your Profile mail inbox.
Far Cry 5: Heart of Darkness DLC – Available now
Navigate a deadly jungle and wreak havoc behind enemy lines in war-torn Vietnam. This Perk content requires Far Cry 5 to use. All available now at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X|S for Far Cry 5’s 5th anniversary.
It might be a good time to reprioritize your playlist to jump back into the following games before they leave. As always, you’ll be able to save up to 20% off your purchase to keep these in your library.
As always, stay tuned here or @XboxGamePassPC and @XboxGamePass on Twitter for updates of games coming soon and when you can play your favorites! Cheers!
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In a blindingly fast world, with so much to keep up with, is there a space to escape where everything slows down and we can sip our favorite beverage in peace? That’s what we, Toge Productions, want to serve in our Coffee Talk series, which soon will have its second game in Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly.
Before I continue, let me introduce myself! My name is Arya, Toge Productions’ PR & Communications Manager, and I’m here to tell you a story about how Coffee Talk came about. How it connects to you – the players, the importance of its diverse fantastical cast of characters, a little scoop on the ever-mysterious barista, and everything in between.
Coffee Talk’s origins came from an internal game jam of Toge Productions crew, and it was first called Project Green Tea Latte. Andrew Jeremy, our Music Producer, said that the premise was to recreate the calm vibe of a coffee shop into a game, where we could listen to lo-fi music, hear people talking, and just enjoy the atmosphere. Following the positive player reception to the early demo we were convinced of the game’s potential and decided to give it a go.
What most people don’t know is that we almost chose other games to develop! A detective game and a shop simulation game… We postponed the detective one because we wanted to take some of Coffee Talk’s mechanics for it, so we decided to go with Coffee Talk first.
And the rest, at least for the original Coffee Talk, is history…
Now let’s talk about the sequel, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly, shall we?
In Hibiscus & Butterfly, we try to create more of the same vibe from its predecessor and progress the story of our beloved characters, but now with a richer narrative and new characters. Our fans wanted a deeper narrative, so we obliged with more branching and impactful storylines. Some branches even have bigger consequences!
To accomplish this, we added two great writers to our menu, Junkipatchi and Anna Winterstein. Junki, as the lead writer, focused on the main arc, while Anna expanded the stories of old characters like Hyde, Gala, Bayleys, and others. We really want to create a deeper and more expansive story in this sequel, while not forgetting the chill vibes of Coffee Talk, we have all adored!
We have two new characters here, Riona and Lucas, who have contrasting personalities. Riona is a banshee who, opposite to her kind’s stereotype (terrifying wails and bad luck), wants to be an opera singer. People on social media bullied her for her aspirations, so she really resents those online platforms. On the other hand, Lucas is a loud, slightly brash, and vivacious satyr-influencer, who may have his own layers that you’ll gradually discover as you play the game. With those personalities, you can imagine the dynamics between them would be interesting!
Talking about characters, Hibiscus & Butterfly still has the same diverse cast, with the return of established favorites plus these new faces. Dio Mahesa, our Lead Artist and Art Director, said that the designs were inspired by his love for D&D creatures like orcs and elves. We chose to create fantasy-inspired characters so we can explore – and ultimately break – the stereotypes that come with them. Then, we pour some real-life problems into the mix to create relatable stories for many of our players.
The strength of these diverse fantastical characters, for me personally, is they can relate to a broader audience, as players can see the characters as they are, their personality, without the shell of their race… or species even.
And of course, we’ll meet the enigmatic barista again. Who that person is is for you to decide. What we do know, and design, is that the barista is the bond that pulls the characters together, like a neutron in an atom, where the stories and characters circle around. And like a neutron, we designed the barista to be as neutral as possible. The barista is like that because, in Coffee Talk, you are here to listen. So, with that being said, are you ready to enjoy some more Coffee Talk warmth?
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly will land on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on 20 April 2023.
Pentiment director and long-time Obsidian developer Josh Sawyer has shed some light on the Aliens RPG that was in production at the studio and sadly cancelled by publisher Sega. Looking back at cancelled games is always a fun “what if” exercise, especially in this case. Obsidian’s role-playing chops in an Aliens game? Were our charisma stats going to protect us from the ever-murderous Xenomorphs?
This might be the absolute best Star Wars Jedi Survivor deal we see before release day on April 28, but you’ve only got the rest of the day to secure it (April 18). You can currently get 15% off select purchases from trusted retailers at eBay, and this includes the Star Wars Jedi Survivor listing at The Game Collection.
Down to just £53.51 after using the promo code APRIL15 at checkout, you’re saving a total of £16.49 on your preorder. This is an awesome deal on one of the most anticipated games of 2023, and well worth checking out before the promo code expires today.
It’s a big few weeks for games as well, as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is also out on May 12; preorders are also down to £44.99 at Currys with code ZELDA25 at checkout. We’ve left some handy links to the preorder deal just below, and make sure you’re following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter for more updates.
Just a quick reminder, that this is you’re absolutely last chance on this deal, as the APRIL15 promo code will expire after midnight on April 18. You’ve got until the end of the day to secure this preorder, so don’t hang around if you’re looking to play on release day.
Whether you’re looking to build your collection or buying a gift for someone else, Amazon has plenty of LEGO deals that are worth checking out. From new sets like the Star Wars BD-1 Posable Droid to even more obsecure sets like the Harry Potter Hungarian Horntail Dragon, there’s something for everyone.
If you’re looking to add the special Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch OLED model to your collection, then look no further. Preorders for this special edition console are still available and will launch on April 28, just a few weeks before the new game.
Amazon are running a bumper sale on a range of PC and gaming accessories this week. Steel series items are still discounted, which we’ve covered this week already, but there is also a range of Logitech PC accessories at slashed prices now too. Check it out.
This is a great deal on Audible. For 99p you’re essentially getting three audiobooks of your choosing (one per month), alongside the whole Audible podcast catalogue. Some of my favourites I’ve listened to on Audible this year include Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino, Strong Female Character by Fern Brady, and I Am Not Nicholas by Jane MacSorley.
But there’s plenty else to choose from as well, such as The Sandman, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Dune, Lord of the Rings, and more. For 99p, you’re getting plenty of value out of Audible, so I defintiely recommened giving it a go. (This is for new and returning subscribers only)
There’s some pretty awesome 4K UHD and Blu-ray preorders that the IGN UK audience have been loving recently. At the top of these is The Last of Us Season 1 steelbook, but we’ve had a couple of new popular preorders announced recently as well. Both John Wick 4 and the Mario movie are getting the special edition or steelbook treatment, and you can check out the preorders for both just below as well.
It’s a roll of the dice. These are my absolute favourite deals that are available right now, but don’t necessarily fit anywhere else, making them a little bit more random compared to everything else in Daily Deals.
PlayStation’s Spring Sale has brought with it a number of excellent deals on PS5 consoles and bundles, alongside some wonderful physical and digital PS5 video game deals. This includes the likes of The Last of Us Part 2 for £8.74, Dead Space for £44.99, Hogwarts Legacy for £44.99, Ratchet and Clank for £29.99, and plenty alongside. You can also save even more on digital purchases if you invest in some discounted PlayStation gift cards from ShopTo.
If you’re buying anything in the PlayStation Digital sale, then here’s how you can save a little extra money along the way. UK online retailer ShopTo has currently got a brilliant selection of PlayStation Gift Cards at discounted prices; for example a £50 card for £42.85 instead. Not only do these make great gifts, but they’re also perfect for topping up your own PSN account as well.
The only catch with these is that the best value comes from spending £50 or above, so only do this if you’re planning on make lots of digital purchases, or a couple of big ones. For example, if you buy two £50 cards, gaining £100 in total, you’re only paying £85.70, which is a £14.30 saving right out the gate. There’s more gift cards available, so I’ve left some handy links just below. And don’t worry, ShopTo is a trusted seller, and we feature deals from them all the time so you’re absolutely in safe hands when purchasing.
This is the first big PS5 bundle deal we’re getting in the UK, with £40 off the original list price of £540. With PS5 consoles costing £479.99 right now, this essentially means you’re getting God of War Ragnarok for £20. It’s a great deal, but there are a few others to check out below as well.
You love these, we love these. And to be fair, a blanket that you can wear, what’s not to love about that? These usually end up confined to the random deals section but we want to give you a nice selection today. Spring time in the UK means endless rain, get comfy and chill out in front of the telly.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Hello folks. I come bearing a reasonably sensitive question for you today, and that’s how the current cost of living crisis has affected your day to day gaming habits. We know times are tough for a lot of people right now, but if you can spare five minutes to tell us about it in a new reader survey put together for us by our corporate uncle Reedpop, we’d be very grateful.
As one of the very best survival games on PC (according to us and RPS readers), Valheim is getting even more ways to play around in its Norse sandbox. Developer Jonathan Smårs took to Twitter yesterday to tease a bunch of difficulty presets and customisable sliders, letting you modify the Viking experience to your liking. The options include both a creative mode (a là Minecraft) and a more ‘immersive’ option.
A big screen event.
The newest Pokémon anime series, Pokémon Horizons, has finally kicked off in Japan and The Pokémon Company is ensuring that everyone knows about it.
Following the Japanese hour-long series premiere, a special promo was played across multiple digital billboards in Shibuya, showcasing a boatload of clips for the episodes to come (thanks, Comicbook).
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The first-person puzzler Firmament is releasing on May 18th, developers Cyan have announced. The studio behind the influential Myst first teased the game back in 2018, before turning to Kickstarter a year later to fund their steampunk mystery, and now it’s ready for release, playable in both VR and “2D” – or flatscreen displays.
