Alongside announcing that the Japanese voice cast will see Yo Oizumi returning as Hershel Layton alongside Mio Amada as Luke’s new voice, the developers announced that puzzle design duties would be taken on by QuizKnock. Perhaps best known for their YouTube channel in Japan, QuizKnock is a group that specialises in puzzle and riddle content and will be designing a fresh batch of original head scratchers for the latest game in the series.
Galacticare has slapped this management game right onto the old radar. An intergalactic radar, in fact, because this is a hospital management game – in spaaaaace! – coming later this year. It’s from a Brighton-based indie studio called Brightrock Games, and it sort of looks like Theme Hospital with a space skin, or Startopia with a hospital sim. Neither option is a bad thing, in my opinion.
WD Black SN770 is one of our top gaming SSD recommendations, so I thought I’d let you know that this high-speed PCIe 4.0 SSD has reached a new low price at Ebuyer in the UK. The 2TB model is now £124.99, a solid £35 below its normal price and a great deal for a drive that can reach up to 5150MB/s sequential reads and 4850MB/s sequential writes.
Clash: Artifacts Of Chaos is nails, mate. And that’s coming from someone who recently reviewed Team Ninja’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a game that’s mighty good at grinding people into paste. I’m not trying brag; I’m being vulnerable with you. I have a case of the Ben Affleck blues, where most sessions of Clash’s third-person action-adventuring have me veering from elation to being slumped against a wall with Affleck’s signature grimace on my face.
Aside from being really difficult, I’m a bit undecided on how I feel about Clash in the portions I’ve played so far. It looks fantastic and puts some brilliant spins on combat, but levelling is a bore and exploration has a confusing edge. It’s at once both a grand time and an annoying one. The surreal lands of Zenozoik, it turns out, aren’t all sunshine and turkey men. There are a lot of turkey men, though.
What instantly springs to mind when you consider skateboarding video games? If it’s effortlessly pulling off super cool tricks, grinding rails at high speed, doing flashy spins off the top of huge vert ramps and putting together sick combos for rad scores, then you may need to pump the brakes on that board of yours a little before deciding whether or not to nollie your way into Crea-ture Studios’ Session: Skate Sim.
Where the likes of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series and OlliOlli World have you blasting along bespoke courses and pulling off big-time tricks from the get-go, this is an experience that focuses resolutely on the simulation aspect of the sport, making for a game that nails the frustration, repetition and constant failure that’s required to pull off even the simplest of tricks on a real-life skateboard. It revels in its difficulty and requires you to dig deep and assume a proper skater mindset if you’re to overcome its technical demands, get good, and make the most of its various urban playgrounds.
Including titles like Warzone & Modern Warfare II.
Believe it or not but Activision’s Call of Duty series is actually coming back to Nintendo platforms after a 10-year commitment was finalised in February.
Since then, Microsoft has mentioned how it aims to bring the “best version” of the Call of Duty to Nintendo devices, and now adding to this, a new document published by the UK CMA has revealed even more claims made by the tech giant.
Nintendo’s Booster Course Wave 4 DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has just launched, and now that many have had the chance to try it out, we’re curious to know what your favourite track is in the new update.
While you might have been excited about a particular track in the lead-up to this wave’s release, maybe it’s changed now that you’ve actually played the new cups. Have you perhaps enjoyed revisiting one of the older tracks, did Yoshi’s Island surprise you? Vote in our poll and leave a comment below.
After launching in 2004, Nexon’s KartRider series became an immediate hit in Asia. It gained a huge following, with an official league starting a year later in 2005. Its popularity grew, amassing over 380 million players on PC alone. Its characters, gadgets, game modes, and approachable gameplay have made the multiplayer kart racing a hit over the last 19 years.
KartRider: Drift, the newest game in the KarRider franchise, has taken inspiration from past titles and leveled up with new game modes, more customization, and upgraded visuals courtesy of Unreal Engine 4. Season 1 is finally here, and players can dive in for free on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, mobile (iOS and Android), Steam, and the Nexon Launcher. This means racers from all over the world can experience the cross-platform, cross-play kart racing thrills against players on PC, mobile platforms and consoles. Here’s a list of six things you need to know before getting in the driver’s seat.
1. The Basics
KartRider: Drift is a free-to-play, multiplayer kart racing game complete with traditional racing via Speed Mode, kart battling in Item Mode, and a few other surprises. The online game has cross-platform progression and play giving you the ability to challenge your friends regardless of your chosen platform. Controls are beginner-friendly but have a variety of options to adapt to different players. When you launch, you’ll be greeted by a small android named Joy to help you through the basics. Learning the controls, when to drift, how to use items, and everything you need to know to start your race towards becoming a track legend.
2. Make the Game Your Own
KartRider: Drift’s customization is comprehensive, offering over 20 characters initially, each with multiple looks and outfits. Karts include modern-looking racing karts, fire engines, mining karts, futuristic hover cars, and more! You can edit colors and decals (more on that later) and make your character your own. With the anime art style, colorful visuals, and attention to small details on each character’s outfit, Nexon has given players options to express themselves.
3. Shifting Gears
There are five game modes to choose from in KartRider: Drift. Launch missiles or barricades at opponents as you fight to win in Item Mode or take part in a more traditional booster-fueled race to the finish line in Speed Mode. Other game modes include: License Mode, Time Attack, and Custom Race, where you can create or join a custom race event. Several modes also allow you to play solo, with a friend in a duo, or as part of a squad; where the goal isn’t necessarily to cross the finish line first, but rather helping anyone on your team to be the first across the line to help the entire team win. Lobbies allow up to 8 racers to go free-for-all or battle 4v4. Each requires slightly different skills to be successful, but the variety of races keep things fresh. For players looking for even more content, the Premium Racing Pass gives you access to even more daily and weekly challenges and additional customization items and rewards.
4. License? What License?
License mode is full of racing challenges and minigames that teach you boost timings and help you refine your technique by playing side missions. There are currently various licenses, each with progressively tougher challenges and even larger rewards. Rewards include exclusive decals and customization items to let other racers know who’s the king of kart racing. For example, cross the finish line first 10,000 times, and you’ll gain the coveted Throne decal. License Mode also allows you to unlock other tracks based on each license and exclusive skins for several characters.
5. Easy to Learn, Hard to Master
While KartRider: Drift is designed for players to pick up quickly, better technique will help set you apart from other racers. Each mode requires slightly different strategies to be successful. In Item Mode, defensive items are critical if you want to cross the finish line first. If you’re in first place, you’re an ambitious target for everyone looking to take that spot. In Speed Mode, where drifting can fill your boost gauge, poor drifting technique can lower your speed and be the difference between winning gold or not winning at all. The proper drifting technique is also key when taking the top spot in Time Trials and climbing the leaderboard.
6. Green Light: GO!
Right out of the gate, Season 1 launches with the first of two in-game collaborations: KartRider: Drift x Porsche, which offers players exclusive, limited time items from the high performance sports car brand. The iconic Porsche 718 Boxster convertible, 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, and Macan GTS karts will be available during Season 1. Racers logging in during Season 1 will have immediate access to the 718 Boxster, whereas the Macan GTS kart can be claimed by reaching level 30 on the racing pass. For the KartRider: Drift x MapleStory collaboration, players will get to meet two characters from the venerable Nexon franchise shortly after Season 1 launches. March 8th also brings with it eight new race tracks, two new Grand Prix modes, new cosmetic items, kart items, a new upgrade system, and a new racing pass offering free and paid tiers. Needless to say, Season 1 is loaded with more of what KartRider fans love.
Also on tap for Season 1: Exclusive Twitch drops will be available offering a unique decal, license plate, plus a new character “Undercover Sophia,” based on the amount of time watched.
For those interested in an easy-to-jump-in but difficult-to-master multi-platform racer, be sure to choose your character as Season 1 of KartRider: Drift is just revving up. As of today, KartRider: Drift is available to download and play for free on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, alongside PC (Steam, Nexon Launcher) and mobile (iOS, Android). Choose your character, customize your ride, and we’ll see you on the track!
Google ended its Stadia services months ago, but it’s not out of the games industry entirely. Instead of building its own platform, Google is pursuing live-service games to support using its Cloud infrastructure and admitting past endeavors didn’t work well alone.
Speaking to Axios, Google Cloud’s director of games industry solutions, Jack Buser, offered insight into the company’s new gaming strategy. Instead of pursuing its old consumer-facing platform, Google is bundling Cloud services for live-service game publishers. Buser said they’re still “absolutely committed to games,” but the future looks different after Stadia.
“It was at that moment when we basically had to make decisions about Stadia that we realized that at Google Cloud, we are at our best when we’re helping other people build this stuff, not necessarily building it ourselves,” Buser told Axios.
It’s a pivot positioning Google as competition for other Cloud infrastructure providers, like Amazon and Microsoft, and abandoning its pursuit as a gaming platform. Google Cloud has already partnered with publishers and developers like Niantic, Embracer Group, and 2K. The service is one that’s distinctly different from its original Stadia offerings, it’s not there to provide the old Stadia streaming tech.
“We are not offering that streaming option, because it was tied to Stadia itself,” Buser told Axios’ Stephen Totilo. “So, unfortunately, when we decided to not move forward with Stadia, that sort of offering could no longer be offered as well.”
The options Buser mentioned was an AT&T deal from 2021, where Google’s Stadia tech powered the wireless provider’s game-streaming via mobile browser.
Google’s tumultuous saga with Stadia came to a close on January 18 of this year, refunding hardware and other Google Play-related purchases in 2022. However, don’t throw out any old Stadia controllers lying around, as those may still come in handy. You can’t use them for Google’s platform anymore, but a Bluetooth update should get it working elsewhere.
Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She’s worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today’s FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.
Following Microsoft and Nintendo’s agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms for at least a decade, Microsoft has further detailed its plans for Call of Duty on Nintendo Switch.
In a filing submitted to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (via The Verge), Microsoft revealed that it believes the free-to-play Warzone and Call of Duty’s full premium releases can both have a home on Nintendo’s hybrid console.
“The game engine that powers Warzone is mature and has been optimized to run on a wide range of hardware devices (ranging from the Xbox One console released in 2015 up to the Xbox Series X),” part of the filing reads. “Warzone supports PC hardware with GPU cards that were released as far back as 2015 (i.e., prior to the release of Nintendo Switch in 2017).”
Just because the Switch is newer than the Xbox One doesn’t mean that Nintendo’s console is more powerful. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, as we’ve seen multiple games that originally released on Xbox One get native Switch ports with lowered performance and resolution to get it running on the system.
It seems Microsoft is ready for Activision Blizzard to pursue the downgraded port option as well when it comes to releasing Call of Duty on Nintendo platforms.
“The Activision development team have a long history of optimizing game performance for available hardware capabilities,” the statement reads. “The Parties are confident that in addition to Warzone, CoD buy-to-play titles (e.g., CoD: Modern Warfare 2) can be optimised to run on the Nintendo Switch in a timely manner using standard techniques which have been used to bring games such as Apex Legends, DOOM Eternal, Fortnite and Crysis 3 to the Switch.”
In addition to the games listed in Microsoft’s report, Nintendo Switch has also seen ports of games like Skyrim, Wolfenstein 2, Dark Souls Remastered, and more. It seems Microsoft won’t take the cloud version approach on Nintendo platforms, as the company said the agreement means “Microsoft will develop and publish future native console versions of CoD titles for Nintendo platforms for at least 10 years.”
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
Galacticare has slapped this management game right onto the old radar. An intergalactic radar, in fact, because this is a hospital management game – in spaaaaace! – coming later this year. It’s from a Brighton-based indie studio called Brightrock Games, and it sort of looks like Theme Hospital with a space skin, or Startopia with a hospital sim. Neither option is a bad thing, in my opinion.
WD Black SN770 is one of our 
Clash: Artifacts Of Chaos is nails, mate. And that’s coming from someone who recently reviewed Team Ninja’s 
