Resident Evil 4 Remake may have new boss fights, reworked maps, and a shiny new look, but one thing that remains the same as all previous versions is the terrifyingly scarce ammo. There are many ways to save ammo in RE4 remake, we document those right here, but for new players and returning veterans alike there’s a new method of ammo conservation you need to know about: The Bolt Thrower. This entirely new weapon is available from the merchant in Chapter 2 (and on sale at said merchant in Chapter 3, which you should take advantage of if you are short on money – as well as ammo). There’s a video about how the Bolt Thrower works and exactly where to get it at the top of the page, so check that out.
The Bolt Thrower has “infinite” ammo that you can recover after firing in its main mode: You start out with the ability to load 4 bolts which fire a bit slower than your handgun, but can be used the same way. The key is to use the bolt thrower on heads or, perhaps even more effective, legs, which can stagger an enemy (two shots to legs, depending on power) and leave them open to a melee attack, again, saving you ammo. The bolts appear as ammo pickups on the dead enemy if they find their mark, or appear in the environment if you miss. Here are some Bolt Thrower tips to get you started:
The bolt thrower also has a mode which throws a mine, basically a timed grenade if you stick it right into an enemy, or a proximity mine if you stick it to the floor. Using a mine shot destroys a bolt.
-Bolts appear on the map when you fire them and don’t pick them up.
You can’t recover bolts from areas you cannot access, but if they are located high up on a wall, you might be able to recover them by pressing up against the wall and collecting them.
Upgrade your power first, then add capacity and firing speed; this will make your Bolt Thrower relatively similar in effectiveness to your handgun. Its bolts fire a bit slower though, so beware of long distance shots.
Don’t use the Bolt Thrower against flying enemies or enemies with a big void behind them or you might lose bolts.
Aim for the legs instead of the head to lose fewer bolts: they will just hit the ground if you miss instead of flying into the horizon!
You can craft new bolts from knives you pick up and even mines but you’ll need recipes from the merchant and other materials.
Use Bolt Throwers to target crows milling around on the ground (but not up high) to make them drop random items without startling nearby crows
Attachable mines can be used to cover windows and doors from ambushing enemies, or plant one on a route you know enemies will take to try and grab Ashley while you’re busy fighting others.
When it comes to debating the Greatest of All Time, no one’s more spirited than sports fans. And when it comes to naming the G.O.A.T. of sports video games you won’t find a more passionate, opinionated audience than sports gamers.
That’s why IGN partnered with the U.S. Army for the Best Sports Video Games Showdown that kicks off with an epic bracket featuring 32 sports video games divided into four ultra-competitive brackets.
Between March 24th and March 28th, we’ll invite IGN fans to vote on each seeded match up and crown the best sports video game of all time.
The best part? You can walk away the grand prize winner if you manage to correctly predict how the fan-voted bracket unfolds. Be All You Can Be and put your prediction skills to the test.
To make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to win big – keep reading for details on how to enter. And if you want to know why we chose the games featured in this bracket, tune into ign.com and youtube.com/ign to watch our bracket livestream on 3/27 at 10:00amPT.
Sign Up for the Contest and Win Big
Be All You Can Be and visit the bestsportsgame.ign.com between Friday, March 24th and Tuesday, March 28th, and submit your 30 predictions for the bracket. Then starting March 29th, we’ll kick off 5 rounds of fan voted polls across IGN platforms. Each poll will put the bracket matchups head-to-head, determining whether or not your submitted predictions are correct. You’ll score points for each game you correctly guess will win the majority of IGN fans votes during these 5 rounds of voting.Check your scores on the leaderboard at bestsportsgame.ign.com
One (1) contest winner will receive an Xbox Series X, a PS5, 32 sports game titles and a one-of-a-kind IGN champion’s jersey to strut around in while bragging about your victory. And if you miss out on the top prize, don’t fret! The top ten runners-up will receive a $100 gift card to the digital video game store of their choice.
FILL OUT YOUR BRACKET: Head to bestsportsgame.ign.com between March 24th (at 12am PT) and March 28th (11:59pm PT) and follow these four easy steps:
Click the “Submit Your Predictions” button.
Make your predictions (you must make predictions across all 60 match-ups to qualify).
Enter a username(which will be shared on bestsportsgame.ign.com’s public leaderboard), your full legal name, and a valid email address.
Click “Submit Your Predictions” (note: predictions can’t be changed once submitted).
SCORING:
Round 1: 16 possible correct answers worth 30 points each (480 points max)
Round 2: 8 possible correct answers worth 60 points each (480 points max)
Round 3: 4 possible correct answers worth 120 points each (480 points max)
Round 4: 2 possible correct answers worth 240 points each (480 points max)
Tie Breaker: In the event of a tie, the user who most closely predicts the ratio of fan votes between the two final game titles will be declared the winner. In the event users make a guess that is equidistant from the actual percentage split, the user whose guess is under will qualify as the winner.
Secondary Tie Breaker: If multiple users are tied after the initial Tie Breaker, the winner will be determined by who was the first to submit their bracket selection on the IGN site.
Track Your Score: Contest entrants can track their score on the public leaderboard at bestsportsgame.ign.com. The bracket and public leaderboard will be updated approximately 24 hours after fan voting closes on each round of voting.
Relevant Contest Dates:
Entry Period: March 24th 12am PT to March 28th 11:59pm PT
Round 1 “Round of 32” Fan Voting: March 29th 10am PT to March 30th 10am PT
Round 2 “Sweet 16” Fan Voting: March 31st 10am PT to April 1st 10am PT
Round 3 “Elite 8” Fan Voting: April 5th 10am PT to April 6th 10am PT
Round 4 “Final 4” Fan Voting: April 10th 10am PT to April 11th 10am PT
Round 5 “Championship” Fan Voting: April 12th 10am PT to April 13th 10am PT
Winner Revealed: April 15th at 11:59pm PT
In the event a winner can not be verified by April 15th, the winner reveal will be delayed.
Remember, you can’t win if you don’t play! So head tobestsportsgame.ign.com between March 24th (at 12am PT) and March 28th (11:59pm PT) to submit your 32 sports video game predictions!
How the Brackets Were Created
When it comes to picking the top 32 sports games of all time, there’s a treasure trove of titles to choose from, and the debate can get heated real fast. So we turned to an assortment of IGN staffers including our publisher, our Head of Features, and our Head of Social Media (to name a few), to select and seed the games competing for G.O.A.T. status.
We took into account critical consensus, IGN staff favorites, and a game or franchise’s overall popularity, dividing them into four talent-rich brackets: Traditional Sports, Arcade Sports, Racing/Fighting, and Wildcard.
To keep it balanced and varied, franchises can only have one representative — so each selection serves as the face of that series. So, if MVP Baseball 2005 makes the cut, it will represent the entire Triple Play/MVP series. Lastly, no mobile sports games are included in the bracket.
How to Watch IGN’s Best Sports Video Games Showdown Bracket Announcement Live Stream
If you’re fired up to watch the 32 game deliberations in our Best Sports Game of All Time livestream, join our hosts Alan Wheeler and Ben Watts on Monday, March 27th at 10:00 AM PST on IGN’s YouTube, Twitch, IGN.com, Twitter or Facebook. They’ll be joined by members of the U.S. Army esports Team who will discuss the brackets and which noteworthy sports games didn’t make the cut.
Remember, you can’t win if you don’t play! So Be All You Can Be and head tobestsportsgame.ign.com between Friday, March 24th and Tuesday, March 28th to submit your 32 picks/predictions.
Realtime Nordic, a studio that makes, specifically, video game trailers. “…and we haven’t actually shot anything, so you’ll need to do that yourself. Some of the actors won’t come out of their trailers. One of them will but if you shoot him from the front you realise he’s got no eyes, but don’t show the audience that. It’s not intentional, he’s getting them fixed. Also can you film it twice, for different streaming platforms? Make a really good version for Netflix and a slightly worse looking one for Quibi.”
Every so often a game trailer comes along that makes me think, hang on, that was bloody brilliant! I bet some people made that! Most recently it was Creative Assembly’s Immortal Empires trailer. Well, I’ve been digging around and I’m happy to report that yes, although I’m the first one to just see a trailer as an algorithm trying to snatch my coin purse away like a manure-encrusted Victorian ne’er-do-well, game trailers are made by humans. They’re often humans who do it as as specific job, either in-house at a developer or as an outside agency like Realtime Nordic. Enlightened and enthralled, I asked some of them about what went into the strange space that is making the trailers for your favourite games.
The Pokémon series is about to hit another big milestone this April in Japan. The Pokémon Center is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary and has opened a brand new website to prepare us (thanks, NintendoSoup!)
The 25th-anniversary website is a hub for all things Pokémon Center birthday-related and will have details on events, merchandise, and more taking place in Pokémon Center stores across the country. There’s a sweet little “thank you” message on the front page of the website, which you can read here (via Google Translate):
Your voyage begins at first light. The sun ascends as you sail out, its sparkling reflection dancing on the gentle waves of the bay. Plentiful shoals of fish can be seen through the glassy surface as you peer into the water below. It’s a fine day for fishing. And the townsfolk are hungry.
Dredge opens with the above sequence, putting you behind the wheel of your boat within the first minute of gameplay. The scene is picturesque. Our glossy, stylized water ripples against islands with their trees swaying in the wind. Soon, sparse piano keys will join the cries of the seagulls overhead.
You’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in a happy place.
The sun sets sharply at six o’clock, and the fog descends soon after. Any anglers still left out on the water better have good lights, or they’ll never make it back to safe harbor.
Cosmic Horror Fishing
Dredge initially presents itself as a fishing game, and the premise is deliberately simple: catch fish, sell fish, upgrade your equipment. You’ll want to invest in your boat, as it’ll allow you to equip faster engines, better rods, and store more fish – all in a grid-based inventory that grows with your vessel. Money might seem important, but arguably your most vital resource is time. As you sail around, a day-night cycle is in motion, and it’s something to behold.
While you’re more likely to catch valuable, corrupted specimens in the dark, eldritch encounters are also more frequent – particularly in deeper water. You’ll also come across larger, hostile creatures which can be outsmarted (via abilities) or outmaneuvered (via a sufficiently upgraded vessel) rather than outgunned. Dilapidated towns you come across are home to peculiar residents with even stranger requests.
We try to twist every feature that might feel familiar into something unexpected, so that right from the start, you’ll sense that something sinister lurks under the surface. It’s no accident that the name ‘Dredge’ is adjacent to “dread” – we’ve infused every aspect of the game with an unsettling atmosphere. In this article, I’ll delve into the ways we’ve achieved this, and touch on how each element contributes to the overall experience.
A Harsh Aesthetic
The visuals of the game will immediately feel familiar to fans of typically joyous adventure and exploration games – and that’s where our subterfuge begins. What may appear to be very low-poly models are deceptively detailed, with jagged edges and shapes carved to accentuate false shadows. A dark and dreary color tone underpins the world, offsetting any warmth from the sun’s bright colors. It’s crucial to visually remind players that something unexpected could happen at any moment, even if everything seems calm right now.
We added angular edges to the portraits of characters – reminiscent of paint applied by palette knife – leaving harsh patterns on their faces and sleeves to match their already prickly dialogue. This same geometry is reflected in the clouds; normally light and fluffy things, here we made them sharp, and they shift between broken shapes.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you’ll explore it all the same.
The weather can be as unpredictable as the people you meet. Overcast days can turn into thunderous storms, causing high waves to slow your return to port. On that note, civilization itself is scarce and often dilapidated. It only makes sense that the others in this world are suffering as much as you, and have been for many years. This bleak and unforgiving landscape only adds to the feeling of isolation and despair that permeates the game.
When you drop your line to catch some fish, we pull the camera up above your boat, showing you the dark depths below. As we do this, we conveniently eliminate your peripheral vision. You’re focused on fishing, after all. At night, we bring the oppressive fog down around you, leaving you with nothing but a small circle of vision to navigate rocks and other hazards. The shapes you see through that fog might be imagined or real – I’m not sure which is worse.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you’ll explore it all the same.
No Wasted Words
In the world of Dredge, people are efficient and practical. As a result, we made sure their spoken dialogue reflects this utilitarian mindset. Each line tries to achieve at least two of the following goals:
Give you an instruction.
Add to the story of the world.
Carry a sinister, suspicious or strange tone.
Despite the importance of dialogue in Dredge, we understand the value of brevity, and don’t want to keep you from the gameplay for too long. To avoid overwhelming you, most conversations are optional and can be skipped if you want. The world itself should do most of the talking, and the people in it aren’t so keen on gossip anyway. These characters don’t have names, either – they have roles, like “The Fishmonger”, and “The Mayor”. You wouldn’t want to get too familiar with them. They’re not your friends.
The atmosphere bleeds into item descriptions too, particularly in the fish. Strange, corrupt specimens you haul aboard might give you an insight to where they came from, and why.
Our storytelling doesn’t stop at the borders of the game itself, of course. The achievement descriptions and OST music track titles add a different perspective or give names to things which were unknowable or unspeakable inside the game itself.
Blending Genres
Juxtaposition is one of my favorite words to use when describing Dredge. The juxtaposition of ‘cosmic horror’ and ‘fishing’ genres is one of the things players love about it. We combined a lot of features, mechanics and concepts that wouldn’t normally exist together in the same game. We set out to create something fresh, unexpected, and unpredictable – and what better way to evoke the sense of cosmic horror than by diving into the unknown?
The ultimate pack for your impending voyage. The DREDGE Deluxe Edition includes everything you’ll need to weather the seas and trawl the deep for sinister secrets.
Includes:
DREDGE
Blackstone Key in-game item
Custom Rod (Pre-Purchase only)
Give yourself an advantage with this improved starting rod. You’ll start the game with this stylish piece of equipment, decorated with the company colors of its creator. But it’s not all just looks. Unlike other equipment you might find in DREDGE, this rod is in reasonable condition and should allow you to get the edge on other anglers – for a while at least.
This grants access to the following item:
Custom Rod
This rod replaces the normal starting rod when beginning a new save. It can catch fish more effectively than some other rods of its size.
Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark…
Game Features
● Unravel a Mystery: Captain your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with its own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover, and stories to unearth
● Dredge the Depths: Scour the sea for hidden treasures and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities
● Study Your Craft: Research special equipment and upgrade your boat’s capabilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios
● Fish to Survive: Sell your discoveries to the locals to learn more about each area, and upgrade your boat to reach even more secluded locations
● Fight the Unfathomable: Strengthen your mind and use your abilities to survive trips out on the water after dark
Last week, we asked you to use your green thumbs to share green-themed moments from your favorite games using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
scottoka1 shares Cloud in green lighting from Final Fantasy VII Remake.
kani3_sun shares a green-tube experiment in Observer: System Redux
RM7_GoWR_VP shares Atreus shooting green Runic arrows in God of War Ragnarök
HazzaniVP shares Aloy staring into out-of-focus green fireflies in Horizon Forbidden West
DexM_ds shares the cat in Stray napping in green grass
MrioMoreno5 shares Slimer being his green self in Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Tchia
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 29, 2023
Next week, set sail and explore the world of Tchia, available now as part of the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Share moments soul-jumping, playing music, and exploring the archipelago in Tchia using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Everywhere (not to be confused with Everything) was a big fat question mark at last year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live. It comes from Build A Rocket Boy, the studio founded by ex-GTA boss Leslie Benzies, and despite its cryptic reveal trailer, AliceB theorised it was some kind of Robloxlike. Turns out her hunch was correct – Everywhere is a platform that allows players to create their own custom content. To show off what the tools can do, Benzies and the team unveiled MindsEye, an episodic “blockbuster” adventure available inside Everywhere. A game set inside a game, if you will.
Players hoping to join the Diablo 4 open beta this weekend must prepare themselves for “unprecedented” queue times as the developers test online infrastructure.
The official Diablo Twitter account reiterated Blizzard’s comments last week that a beta is about testing functionality instead of just letting people play early. “As we prepare to open the gates to Sanctuary, we’d like to remind our players that the Diablo 4 open beta is a test to ensure a smooth launch,” it said (below).
“We expect unprecedented traffic and queue times as a result. We appreciate your patience and understanding.”
As we prepare to open the gates to Sanctuary, we’d like to remind our players that the #DiabloIV Open Beta is a test to ensure a smooth launch.
We expect unprecedented traffic and queue times as a result. We appreciate your patience & understanding.
Other Blizzard employees also took to the internet to warn players of the lengthy times. “Best to set some expectations early but any issues this weekend are better found now than at launch,” tweeted Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson. “Please be patient with us as we expect a lot of players joining to help test our game and infrastructure.”
In an accompanying forum post, community manager PezRadar explained that, “while we know it can be frustrating, we need queues to properly stress test our services, and we are designing to ensure we have them [the queues] some of the time.”
He also forewarned players that there will be short periods wherein the game is taken offline entirely while the team deploys infrastructure fixes and performs maintenance. Queue times are likely to be at their worst soon after the open beta begins on Friday, and “during peak regional windows”.
Diablo 4 is set to release on June 6 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series, and PC. For more on the game be sure to check out IGN’s review in progress, and for tips on how to get the most out of this weekend’s open beta head on over to our Diablo 4 Wiki page.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
If you couldn’t get enough of the Mario Day sales earlier this month, don’t worry, Nintendo has plenty more to offer before we move into April. Wave 2 of Mario Day is kicking off now (which has basically made March into Mario Month instead), and you can pick up select digital Mario games for just $39.99 each.
Below, you can find a selection of discounted digital Mario games available to pick up on Amazon. However, you can also find these sales going on at Best Buy, the Nintendo eShop, and on Humble Bundle.
Digital Mario Games on Sale at Amazon
Mario Day Switch Bundle
The Mario Day sales don’t just end with these digital games, either. You can also still pick up the Nintendo Switch Mario Day bundle, which contains a Switch console with red Joy-Cons and a game of your choosing (between Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe or Super Mario Odyssey) for just $299.00.
This second wave of Mario Day sales is set to end on April 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT, so it’s a perfect time to pick up some of these digital games at a lower price before the clock runs out. And, if you’re looking to get your hands on some tickets for the Super Mario Bros. Movie that’s set to hit theaters on April 5, you can click on the link below to pre-order your tickets for the upcoming film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Ticket Pre-Sale
Mario isn’t the only Nintendo character with quite a year coming up, either. For those looking forward to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you can pre-order the game now ahead of its May 12 release and you can even pre-order extra Link amiibos to go with it.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Players have been reporting that Free Plays on the freemium 3DS app Nintendo Badge Arcade are over.
Over on the 3DS subreddit, users were booting up the game in order to cash in on their free plays only to find that there were none. Multiple users started reporting this yesterday, with European players also running into the issue today.