After first launching in Early Access in October 2021, Darkest Dungeon 2 will officially get its version 1.0 release on Steam and the Epic Games Store on May 8, 2023. Furthermore, a demo will be available today, February 6, thanks to Steam Next Fest.
Darkest Dungeon 2, the “grim turn-based roadtrip RPG,” is the sequel to the 2015 original by Red Hook Games and is a roguelike with a Lovecraftian horror setting that follows a group of heroes who are doing their best to “avert the apocalypse.”
In our Darkest Dungeon 2 Early Access review, we said that it “has enough new and interesting ideas that it feels like more than a retread of the original, but they’re there’s a lot of work to be done to refine it into something that holds a torch to the original.”
Unlike the original, which had a campaign that could take a hundred hours and featured dozens of heroes, the sequel focuses the experience a bit more with a campaign starring a smaller group of heroes you’ll really get to know that takes around five or six hours to complete.
Alongside replayability, a big part of Darkest Dungeon 2 is managing the relationships of your heroes, and positive or negative emotions can trigger some great buffs or awful debuffs. Stress also returns in the sequel, but it impacts the group much more than the individual this time around.
As for the demo, it will be available starting today on Steam and the Epic Games Store and will let players take the four starting heroes through one region – either Sprawl (city) or the Foetor (farms). Progression will not be saved, but it will give a good look at what fans can expect in the full release, which will include “a dozen playable heroes, five full regions, five end bosses, and a metagame hub with extensive persistent upgrades.”
EA has once again made its official prediction for the winner of Super Bowl 57 after simulating the game in Madden NFL 23.
Revealed in a new trailer starring the Cincinnati Bengals’ Chad Johnson, EA has predicted that the Philadelphia Eagles will overcome the Kansas City Chiefs in this year’s Super Bowl.
Anticipating a final score of 31 to 17 in favour of the Eagles, Madden NFL 23 also predicted specific stats for the teams’ stars. In the simulation, Pat Mahomes had 29/39 completions and one touchdown, A.J. Brown had eight catches and one touchdown, Chris Jones had four tackles and two sacks, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson had five tackles and one interception.
Fans should take the prediction with a pinch of salt, however, as Madden NFL hasn’t always been accurate in its simulations. The last ten years have seen it proved wrong 60% of the time, though it did perfectly anticipate the New England Patriots’ 28 to 24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.
It was wrong last year (though admittedly not by much), predicting a 24 to 21 Cincinnati Bengals victory over the Los Angeles Rams in a game where the Rams beat the Bengals 23 to 20.
In our 7/10 review of EA’s latest, IGN said: “After playing Madden NFL 23 I finally have a little optimism that the series is on the right path — maybe not an emphatic ‘Boom!’, but clear forward progress for a series that so desperately needs it.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
report from The New York Times, Microsoft is expecting the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to oppose the deal, after EU regulators issued their own antitrust warnings last week. Microsoft reportedly believes it can convince EU and UK regulators to accept their concessions and eventually approve the acquisition.
The big question Harry Potter fans are probably asking themselves this week is whether or not to pick up Hogwarts Legacy. So, should you? Signs are pointing to yes, absolutely. Based on our Hogwarts Legacy review, this is the the game many Harry Potter fans have been waiting their entire lives to play. It’s an open-world game set at the storied school of Witchcraft and Wizardry that gives you a lot of freedom to roam the grounds, engage in spell combat, and much more.
The standard edition of the game is out February 10, while the deluxe edition, which costs $10 more, is out February 7. If you preorder Hogwarts Legacy today for PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, you can get some extras. Let’s take a look.
Console owners can get a preorder bonus for placing an order prior to launch. If you preorder at Best Buy, you’ll receive a free digital $10 Best Buy gift card when the game ships. It works on both the standard edition and the deluxe edition, though the deluxe edition for PS5 is currently sold out.
Those are the best early deals we’ve found on Hogwarts Legacy. Both offers are well worth doing, since they effectively save you about $10, which is a rare thing these days for upcoming games.
If you don’t have a PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, you’ll have to wait a while before you’ll be able to play Hogwarts Legacy. For details about when it’s coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, check out our full Hogwarts Legacy preorder guide.
Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed or on Mastodon @chrislreed.
best game of 2022. As I’ve said before, a lot of them can’t quite match the OG for all manner of reasons, but Spellbook Demonslayers is different. Despite only being in early access, it’s already got a solid foundation to work from. No, there isn’t an Old Testament that whirls around your person like a holy sawblade, but there is a revolving shield with a pistol glued onto it. Yeah, I thought that would convince you.
Last year, Marvel’s Midnight Suns launched on Playstation and Xbox consoles to high levels of praise. It is still coming to Switch at some point (we assume) though word on the Nintendo release has dried up ever since the “at a later date” announcement appeared last August.
Seeing a console in need of some superhero turn-based tactics, Daedalic Entertainment has today announced that Capes will be flying to the Switch to aid that very struggle later on this year.
PC Game Pass is empowering ID@Xbox developers to create their dream projects.
We spoke to Head of Global Independent Creator Partnerships, Guy Richards to explain why.
We also take a look at four games coming to the service: Lightyear Frontier, Planet of Lana, Everspace 2, and The Last Case of Benedict Fox.
As the ID@Xbox brand turns 10 years old this year, our indie publishing service is stronger than ever. With PC Game Pass able to put unique games in front of more players than ever, we wanted to take a look at how ID@Xbox is empowering developers to make their dream projects, and get them onto the screens of players across the world that are keen to find their next hidden gem.
As part of a recent ID@Xbox event, we were able to get an in-depth look at four upcoming games. The event gave us a first glimpse of gameplay and other details for Lightyear Frontier, Planet of Lana, Everspace 2, and The Last Case of Benedict Fox, some very different but equally exciting titles headed to PC Game Pass in 2023.
Xbox Wire also got to sit down with Guy Richards, Head of Global Independent Creator Partnerships at ID@Xbox, to learn more about how the publisher finds great developers and titles to bring to PC Game Pass.
Richards tells us that there are two main things that ID looks for when it comes to seeking out promising new games. The first is simple – they need to be awesome-looking, high-quality, fun projects. With PC Game Pass, it’s all about quality over quantity to ensure members are getting the best possible experiences. From his perspective, that’s one of the most fun parts of the job, getting to explore as many amazing games as possible.
“We are completely aligned on viewing the games as an art form and wanting to push the industry forward from a creative perspective,” he says.
The second is focused on diversity — the team is constantly on the lookout for something different in genre, art style, theme, from developers and studios across the globe that can tell unique stories.
“We know that Game Pass members play more genres, they play more games, and 90% of them play games they wouldn’t have played otherwise,” Richards says. “So I think it’s really important for the catalogue that we’re providing members with this huge array of awesome experiences.”
Lightyear Frontier
Lightyear Frontier
Planet of Lana
Planet of Lana
The Last Case of Benedict Fox
The Last Case of Benedict Fox
Everspace 2
Everspace 2
Partnering with ID@Xbox is just the first step for a game; once the journey begins, a whole world of opportunity is unveiled. Richards details how ID@Xbox is able to utilize its reach to ensure that a game finds its audience. “One of the most rewarding journeys that we can go on is seeing the reaction from fans when those games are finally announced and shown,” he says.
Another asset is the millions of Game Pass subscribers that a game is delivered to on day one. Richards tells us that discoverability is a constant topic with developers.
“Trying to find a way to stand out is harder than it’s ever been, and Game Pass is a really powerful tool for enabling that,” he says.
Your friends can help with discovering new games, too: “I’ve has this personal experience with online multiplayer titles that launch into Game Pass day one, knowing that me and my friends have all got the same game library, and we can jump online to play,” Richards explains.
There’s also the more pragmatic monetary element with which ID@Xbox and Game Pass can support developers. Richards says that Game Pass members spend 50% more on the Xbox store than non-members, on games both inside and out the catalogue.
“This support is empowering developers to take more creative risks to build the games they want to build,” he adds. “That’s what we were built to do.”
Speaking of those games, let us talk through four titles coming to PC Game Pass through ID@Xbox in 2023 – and we asked each game’s developer what being a part of PC Game Pass has offered their project.
Lightyear Frontier
Lose yourself in a beautiful new planet in Lightyear Frontier, a fresh spin on the farming genre. Equipped with your trusty, colourful mech, you’ll set out to build a new life in a mysterious new setting filled with secrets to discover.
Using your mech as a tool you can explore lots of exciting subzones, from lush fields of crops to hidden caverns brimming with rocks and stones. Forage for new plants with special properties or collect resources for upgrades, and bring them back to base to build up your homestead.
Lightyear Frontier is far from a solitary experience, you can use the radio tower to make contact with a number of NPCs living on neighbouring planets, each with their own unique information, skills and missions that will reward you with new items and knowledge. Be sure to visit the Merchant whenever they visit your landing pad too, to trade old resources for new items, and learn about the latest goings on in the surrounding areas.
If your homestead still feels a little empty, you can invite up to three friends to come over and build it with you. Explore the planet together, collaborate to create a bigger, better base and uncover as many secrets as you can.
Xbox Wire:Why did you choose to join Game Pass, and what does it offer to you as a studio?
Joakim K. Hedström, CEO of Frame Break: “We think Game Pass is an excellent environment for a unique multiplayer game like Lightyear Frontier. With a lower barrier of entry, we hope more players will try the game out, both in single player and multiplayer.”
Lightyear Frontier lands on Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One – available with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass – in Spring 2023.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox
Metroidvania meets Lovecraft in this side-scrolling spooky platformer. You’ll assume the role of Benedict Fox as he works to uncover his dead father’s secrets, accompanied by a friendly demon companion.
Scout around for clues that pertain to your father’s memories, and gain valuable insights to his life work as an inventor, scouring objects in detail. as you try to uncover his magnum opus. As you solve this mystery, Benedict will be plagued by spine-chilling foes, demons with a mission to stop you piecing this puzzle together.
Benedict has a number of skills at his disposal, including various melee attacks and a dangerous pistol to keep the monsters at bay. Once you’ve slain a few demons and collected their ink, be sure to visit the tattooist, where ink can be traded for new skills that’ll help Benedict take down even deadlier foes.
Xbox Wire:Why did you choose to join Game Pass, and what does it offer to you as a studio?
Bartek Lesiakowski, Creative Director at Plot Twist: “Plot Twist isn’t the biggest studio in game devel opment, but we are ambitious. As any other developer out there, we wanted to share our stories and work with others. So going with Game Pass was a natural step for us. It’s incredible how supportive the Game Pass team always been, and the marketing support is just amazing.”
The Last Case of Benedict Fox launches for Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One – available with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass – on April 27, 2023.
Everspace 2
Strap in for a starry shootout in Everspace 2, the sequel to 2017’s Everspace swaps roguelike for Rogue One to become a semi-open-world space looter shooter filled with opportunity.
Hop into your ship and pick up jobs from every corner of the galaxy in order to earn credits and unlock better loot. Mission difficulty can be adjusted for a calmer or more intense experience, but the harder you go, the more rewarding the loot will be.
Everspace 2 features a robust campaign, and includes six different companions to befriend, each with their own skills, background and questlines. Outside of missions, there’s a wealth of planets to explore, from the flaming craters of lava planets to the gorgeous depths of mysterious ocean worlds. Each location is full of secret to explore and stories to uncover.
With nine different types of ship available, you’ll always have the right firepower at your disposal, whether it’s for flying long distances or manoeuvring through a dogfight. At the hangar, your ship can be customized even further to match your needs, tinker with everything from weapons to shields, and finetune your handling, speed and other perks to your liking. You’ll be able to change your ship’s look too, for the ultimate interstellar bounty hunter experience.
Xbox Wire:Why did you choose to join Game Pass, and what does it offer to you as a studio?
Michael Schade, ROCKFISH Games CEO and Co-Founder: “Everspace 2 is our studio’s dream game. We’ve spent the last five years focused on creating an experience that calls back to some of our favorite games while crafting something that feels new and we’re excited for the millions of Game Pass players to get hands-on with what we’re building.
“The financial boost and the extra time it allowed helped us to craft a more polished experience for players everywhere.”
Everspace 2 flies to Windows PC – available with PC Game Pass – early 2023.
Planet of Lana
A lush, hand-painted world awaits in Planet of Lana. When her quaint fishing village is invaded by mysterious war machines, our heroine Lana and trusty alien sidekick Mui must embark on a cinematic adventure to save Lana’s sister.
Lana can’t make it through the world of Novo alone, and so Mui must assist with increased manoeuvrability, long distance jumps, and other unique skills – such as a hypnosis ability – to help the pair progress. The two will uncover help along the way, like the magic stone that allows Lana to bring old structures to life. Here, Lana can learn more about the world and the machines that destroyed her village.
Inspired by the likes of Studio Ghibli and atmospheric side-scrollers like Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee and accompanied by a score from The Last Guardian composer Takeshi Furukawa, Planet of Lana is an awe-inspiring journey of growth and survival against a mechanical invasion.
Xbox Wire:Why did you choose to join Game Pass, and what does it offer to you as a studio?
AdamStjärnljus, Creative Director at Wishfully: “It was a really easy decision to bring Planet of Lana to Game Pass. For one it lowers the financial risk which means we can focus more on being creative and be able to design the game we want.”
“And since we’re an indie studio making our debut game it’s just an incredible opportunity that enables us to reach a huge audience that might not have discovered our game otherwise.“
Planet of Lana is heading to Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One – available with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass – in Spring 2023.
The Negro Leagues are an important part of baseball and American history, whose iconic figures are not nearly as well-known as other baseball players of the era. We plan to use MLB The Show as a gateway to expose new generations of baseball fans to these historic figures and their stories of triumph over adversity.
You might be asking yourself how we’ll accomplish such a daunting task? Enter Storylines * a new game mode in MLB The Show 23. Focused on a particular player, users will experience an entertaining narrative journey through short informational videos, followed by gameplay reflecting important moments in that player’s career.
Storylines in game menu
We could not be happier to finally introduce the Negro Leagues into MLB The Show! It’s a special project for San Diego Studio and we are so grateful and appreciative to be partnering with the families of the players, theNegro Leagues Baseball Museum and NLBM President Bob Kendrick to bring these stories to life in a video game.
MLB The Show 23 (Storylines Season 1 *) introduces eight Negro League Players and their stories, narrated by Bob Kendrick. With this multiyear partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum our goals align with the museums to educate, enlighten, and inspire by celebrating the rich history of the Negro Leagues. Every new launch of MLB The Show represents a new Season, with it we’ll introduce a new group of Negro League Legends and their stories to pay rightful tribute to these mostly unknown baseball superstars. MLB The Show 23 represents the inaugural season and next year’s game would be season 2.
The Season 1 roster for MLB The Show 23 includes: Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Jackie Robinson, Andrew “Rube” Foster, Hilton Smith, Hank Thompson, John Donaldson, Martin Dihigo, and John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil.
To celebrate the historic partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. MLB The Show and San Diego Studio are happy to announce we’ll donate $1 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for every MLB The Show 23 Collector’s Edition sold in the US. Including the Digital Deluxe and The Captain Edition from today through December 31, 2023.
The Negro League Baseball Museum is a national institution dedicated to preserving the rich history of black baseball and its impact on America. You can learn more about the museum here.
Be sure to join us this Thursday for a deep dive into the new mode Storylines with special guest Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick. You can watch the episode on Twitch and YouTube or watch on-demand at your own convenience as we get closer to launch.
After two years of early access, Rockfish Games is finally ready to bring Everspace 2 into full release, and it’s got a date and everything: April 6. However, that’s PC only, as Xbox Series X and S and PS5 will see an Everspace 2 release later this summer.
Currently, Everspace 2 is available in early access on PC only. That will remain true up to launch, but if you are interested in buying it, you may want to bite sooner rather than later. At the moment, Everspace 2 is $39.99 on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and GOG, but it’s getting a price increase to $49.99 beginning February 20 to reflect its full release.
Notably, the upcoming full releases don’t include Xbox One or PS4, and Rockfish has said it’s ditching the previous-generation platform releases.
“Our vision for Everspace 2 has taken us beyond the limitations of previous generation consoles,” said Rockfish CEO Michael Schade. “Our team has spent a significant amount of time trying to create an experience that would satisfy our fans on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but downscaling Everspace 2 to those platforms does not hit the level of quality that we want to deliver. We’ll be in touch with backers who pledged for copies on console during our Kickstarter to ensure interest is still there for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game and offer refunds in the event they do not have access to those platforms.”
Everspace 2 is a continuation of Everspace, a 2017 3D space shooter with roguelike elements. The sequel continues the story of protagonist clone pilot Adam Roslin and his AI sidekick, and when we checked it out at the start of early access, we found its space combat, puzzles, and looting promising if not quite fleshed out yet. It’s had plenty of time to cook since then though, so here’s hoping the full release is the space adventure we’ve been waiting for.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Read more
report from The New York Times, Microsoft is expecting the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to oppose the deal, after EU regulators issued their own antitrust warnings 
best game of 2022. As I’ve said 
