Last time, you decided by 72% against 28% that setting unit waypoints is better than receiving waypoints yourself. Given how loudly people decry receiving waypoints, I’m a little surprised it was that close. And that’s how we know we’re doing science. This week, I ask you to choose between mastery of place and mastery of time. What’s better: improvised environmental weapons, or skipping across a timeline flowchart?
Prepare for the next course.
You wait all that time for hotly-anticipated titles like Tears of the Kingdom to drop onto the console of choosing, only to see it land in a year as stuffed with top-notch gaming releases as 2023 that you are forced to play it while juggling 30 other “must-plays” at the same time.
Gosh, we game fans sure do have it tough, don’t we?
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Starting today we’re updating the way the Xbox network retains game captures. Game captures stored on the Xbox network will be deleted after 90 days. To back up any clips or screenshots you wish to keep indefinitely, follow the steps listed in our Back up your clips article. To double check the status of your game captures, go to the Captures app to view your game captures stored on the Xbox network to see if any are marked for an upcoming deletion.
Alongside this new retention approach, we’re making it easier than ever to back up all your game captures to either OneDrive or an external storage device of your choice.
You can move, manage, and bulk upload where you store your captures on your Xbox console. To do so, press the Xbox button, and then go to My games & apps > See all > Apps > Captures. You’ll see a “Tell me more” button where you can get started. You’ll also be able to set up future captures to automatically back up to OneDrive so you never have to wonder if everything is backed up.
Thanks to the built-in Microsoft Clipchamp video editor on your PC, you can also create videos of your epic gaming moments for the game captures you save to OneDrive. Trim, crop, add text, transitions, and other effects. Afterward, you can easily share these videos with your friends, family, and followers.
Now it’s easier than ever to discover in-game events and new content that’s being launched for the games you love. From the top of Home, scroll down, and you’ll see the new Events channel that will show live and upcoming events. Plus, you can quickly click on each event you want to get all the details.
We’re making it easier for players to find and download popular apps when setting up a new console. Now when you set up a new console either from the Xbox mobile app or directly on the console, you’ll get the option to download popular apps like Apple Music, AppleTV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu, Movies & TV, Peacock, Spotify, and Tubi. Downloading apps during setup saves you time later—your favorite apps will be ready to go when you are. Separate subscriptions may be required.
What’s your favorite sport? Football, soccer, hockey, basketball? All of them? This September and October, Xbox consoles in the United States will be able to try a one-stop-shop for sports fans to find your favorite sports games to play and to watch your teams on Xbox streaming apps. Navigate from your Xbox to the Store > Apps Home, and then scroll down to go check it out!
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and all the latest and greatest Xbox-related news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
We love hearing from the community, whether you have a suggestion for a new feature that you’d like to see added, or you want to give feedback on existing features that could use some improvement. From game capture and share improvements, to helping games load faster, new ways to connect with your gaming community, and so much more, we’re always listening and looking for ways to improve Xbox experiences for gamers around the world. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, download the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Windows PC today. Let us know what you think!
The post Bonus Xbox Update for September: A Simplified Experience to Back Up Your Game Captures to OneDrive and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.
A new month means a new PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup. October’s titles of The Callisto Protocol, Farming Simulator 22 and Weird West will be available to PlayStation Plus members on Tuesday, October 3 until Monday November 6. Let’s take a closer look at each game.
In this narrative-driven, third-person survival horror set 300 years in the future, take on the role of Jacob Lee – a victim of fate thrown into Black Iron Prison, a maximum-security penitentiary located on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto. When inmates begin to transform into monstrous creatures, the prison is thrown into chaos. To survive, Jacob must battle his way to safety to escape Black Iron Prison, while uncovering the dark and disturbing secrets buried beneath the surface of Callisto. Using a unique blend of shooting and close-quarters combat, Jacob will need to adapt his tactics to combat the rapidly evolving creatures while scavenging to unlock new weapons, gear, and abilities to outrun the growing threat and escape the horrors of Jupiter’s Dead Moon.
Take on the role of a modern farmer and creatively build your farm in three diverse American and European environments. Farming Simulator 22 offers a huge variety of farming operations focusing on agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry – now with the exciting addition of seasonal cycles!
More than 400 machines and tools from over 100 real agricultural brands like John Deere, CLAAS, Case IH, New Holland, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra and many more are included to sow and harvest crops like wheat, corn, potatoes and cotton. New machine categories and crops add new gameplay mechanics to the experience. Run your farm cooperatively in multiplayer and extend the game by a multitude of free community-created modifications. Farming Simulator 22 offers more player freedom than ever before and challenges you to become a successful farmer – so start farming and let the good times grow!
Discover a dark fantasy reimagining of the Wild West where lawmen and gunslingers share the frontier with fantastical creatures, each playing with their own rules and their own peculiar motives in this isometric action RPG. The game supports different styles of play in a simulated sandbox world where characters, factions, and even places react to a player’s decisions, and players are faced with brutal choices and consequences that can’t be undone – including death. Discover the world through origin stories of different characters, moving from one character’s journey to the next until all converge in a final chapter.
PlayStation Plus members have until October 2 to add Saints Row, Black Desert – Traveler Edition and Generation Zero to their game library.
Also, check out our PlayStation Plus monthly games-inspired playlist on Spotify, which will be refreshed with new songs every month.
Elden Ring fans have quite the treat available to preorder right now in the IGN Store: a Nendoroid of Iron Fist Alexander. This adorable figure stands about 3.9 inches high and can be posed in several different ways, making him an excellent addition to your collectible collection. With an estimated release date of July 2024, you can preorder this figure at the link below for $50.99.
This figure is the latest Elden Ring collectible available on the IGN Store, joining figures of Melina, Vargram the Raging Wolf in his Raging Wolf armor, and a Festering Fingerprint Vyke figure from S.H.Figuarts. These figures are available to purchase right now as well and are still in stock, so you can add them right away to your collectible collection.
Displate has a phenomenal selection of Elden Ring metal posters you can buy for starting at $49. They really look terrific, so check them out if you’re interested in wall art based on the game.
If you’ve been looking to pick up both volumes of Elden Ring’s beautiful art books, you can actually get them at a slight discount right now on Amazon! I recently got both volumes and can confirm that they’re incredible investments. Beautiful covers with even more gorgeous artwork on the inside. It’ll make you want to jump back into the game for a replay immediately.
From the incredible folks over at Future Press (who also did the recently announced Armored Core VI game guide, which is also up for preorder), the Elden Ring Strategy Guides are worth picking up as well. Similar to the art books, they’re also discounted right now on Amazon so there’s no better time to get them. These include a full breakdown and walkthrough of dungeons, introductions to NPCs, and so much more, so you can explore every inch of The Lands Between.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 update arrived last week alongside new (and truly excellent) expansion Phantom Liberty, bringing a host of tweaks and improvements in an impressive climax to the originally technically-troubled and artistically-questionable game’s quite staggering redemption arc.
Recently I was lucky enough to go hands-on with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Although my play time was largely dominated by combat encounters, this small slice left a lasting impression on me in regards to how events in the final game will play out. It, alongside the latest trailer, has all but confirmed suspicions that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is not going to go how we all might expect.
A fascinating change in events during my demo, coupled with clues and patterns from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, leads me to believe we could be in for a shocking twist of fate for everyone’s favourite flower girl. Here’s seven reasons why we think you’ll be able to save Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Before we dive into Rebirth, let’s first set the scene for what happened in Remake. The first chapter in this trilogy initially presented itself as a retelling, but by the end had veered onto its own extremely meta path.
Throughout Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cloud and his friends frequently encounter the ‘Whispers’; hooded spectres that Red XIII describes as “Arbiters of Fate”. Their sole purpose is to ensure that destiny plays out according to plan, effectively keeping the events of the original Final Fantasy 7 timeline on track. That would see villain Sephiroth defeated, but not before he takes out Aerith in the process.
But the Whispers are now gone, slain by Cloud at the end of Remake. The future (and past) is now uncertain, something perfectly illustrated in Remake with the arrival of a very much still alive Zack Fair. It seems now that anything can happen. The very end of Remake even dubs what’s to come as “the unknown journey”.
So how does this all affect Rebirth? Despite the removal of destiny’s manipulators, at this point it appears things are still on track. Trailers suggest that Rebirth is sticking to the broad events of the original game. We’ve seen the same locations being visited, the same characters being met, and the familiar path being trodden. But no one is naive enough to believe Square Enix won’t have a surprise or two lined up. And our big prediction is that, this time round, Aerith will avoid her doomed fate.
The events of Rebirth begin as the party exits Midgar, and will end in The Forgotten Capital. Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura recently confirmed this to the PlayStation Blog, noting that The Forgotten Capital is “where the greatest fate of Final Fantasy VII awaits you.” He is, of course, talking about the moment when Aerith is killed by Sephiroth.
Producer Yoshinori Kitase also noted in a statement that “We know fans are dying to see one scene in particular…” all but confirming that Aerith’s death scene will be part of Rebirth.
Or will it? In that same statement, Kitase noted that there will be “a rapid pace of major twists and turns.” And so, much like the shocking finale of Remake, could Rebirth end with a huge twist? Could Aerith survive Sephiroth’s attack?
It’s logical to assume Square Enix will follow the path it laid down with Remake. But what evidence do we have beyond the baseless assumption that Nomura and his team are looking to disrupt our expectations? Well, there is another disrupter who perhaps presents a more convincing argument…
In Remake it’s more than heavily suggested that Sephiroth knows the events of the original Final Fantasy 7. Basically, he knows he’s doomed to be stopped by Cloud. To arrange his own victory, he needs to change the timeline. We saw him attempt this when he tried to kill Barret, but the Whispers stepped in to keep destiny in order. And so that’s why Sephiroth coaxed Cloud and the party to challenge fate. With the Whispers defeated, Sephiroth is now free to walk a new path and avoid his own defeat.
So how could this lead to Aerith surviving? Well, Sephiroth knows that Aerith’s death is a huge catalyst for Cloud and the group to begin their planet-saving journey. And so by not killing Aerith, Sephiroth can avoid Cloud going on a path of vengeance. That may sound counter-intuitive, but there’s an even more compelling reason for him to keep Aerith alive. In her final moments Aerith calls on Holy, the white magic that prevents Sephiroth’s meteor from destroying the planet. Perhaps, if Aerith lives, Sephiroth could manipulate her into using Holy for his own nefarious purposes?
In Remake it’s not just Sephiroth who is hinted to know the events of the original story, though. It’s suggested that Aerith does, too. She’s presumably not going to be very happy with that version of events and want to do everything she can to survive.
It may be that Rebirth is a battle between heroes and villains who already know the path of destiny, with each trying to do everything they can to twist a new fate into something that benefits them. Aerith knows her sacrifice eventually leads to Sephiroth’s defeat, and so it seems likely she’ll need to formulate a new plan in which she can both survive and ensure his demise. Perhaps we’ll be in for a story in which Aerith calls Sephiroth’s bluff; coaxing him into a sense of false security by staying alive, and then thwarting his plans in a way that adds brand new story layers to this reimagined version of Final Fantasy 7.
It may be that Square doesn’t subvert expectations and instead sticks to the classic events. But even if Aerith does die in Rebirth, she could simultaneously survive. Thanks to the destruction of the Whispers, a second, altered timeline was created in which Aerith’s old boyfriend Zack Fair survived. It seems like we’ve seen moments from this new reality in Rebirth’s trailers, such as the scene in the Summer Game Fest 2023 Rebirth trailer where Avalanche are captured by Shinra in Midgar – something we know didn’t happen during Remake.
Kitase confirmed to IGN that “there will be a new episode with Zack, that will contain even more of him than the Remake.” It stands to reason, then, that this altered timeline will play a major part in the events of Rebirth.
With Zack alive, Cloud won’t be able to assume his false identity and fall down the SOLDIER rabbit hole. And so perhaps it’s Zack, not Cloud, who joins Avalanche in this reality. And from there, perhaps this version of the party’s journey completely avoids Aerith’s tragic fate? Maybe all it took was for Zack to survive to secure a more hopeful future for Midgar’s flower girl.
We know that we’re going to see two timelines play out in Rebirth. It makes sense that one will feature more radical changes than the other. Perhaps we’ll see two fates for Aerith, and a story that makes it clear which path of destiny is the most important for Midgar’s flower girl to tread.
Perhaps Zack’s timeline will be the one with the most changes, but my hands-on showed that the regular Remake timeline will continue to undergo several key alterations. When I arrived at Junon, the classic Bottomswell boss that attacks Priscilla on the beach had been reimagined. In Rebirth the boss – now renamed Terror of the Deep – is actually attacking Yuffie. This location is now where Cloud and the party will meet the materia thief for the first time, which is entirely different to how Yuffie is recruited in the original game. If the events at Junon are now different, then there’s every chance the events at the Forgotten Capital will be, too.
When discussing the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project, it’s important to remember that the name ‘Remake’ has a double meaning. It doesn’t just refer to Square Enix remaking an old game for a modern console, it also symbolises the characters choosing to remake their own destinies. The Final Fantasy 7 timeline has literally been remade, and so it should be assumed that the name Rebirth will also represent multiple concepts.
In an interview with IGN, Kitase explained that the name “Rebirth was thought of as the next iteration that also kind of encapsulates this sentiment of reimagining or recreating.” That explains the development side of the title, then. But what about its in-game meaning? A resurrection could be considered a rebirth. Perhaps then, like Barret, Aerith can be resurrected.
During his final confrontation with Cloud in Remake, Sephiroph delivers a cryptic message: “Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it? Let’s see.”
It’s a confusing monologue, but it could well be another piece of evidence that points to Sephiroth knowing his own future. During the Forgotten Capital events of the original game, it takes exactly seven seconds for Sephiroth to fall from the sky and impale Aerith with his sword. And so it seems like Sephiroth is taunting Cloud; he’ll have just seven seconds to intervene and save Aerith.
Will Cloud ever learn what Sephiroth meant? Will he have the time to formulate a plan to prevent Aerith’s death? Do those seven seconds definitely refer to this climactic moment? I guess we’ll find out in Rebirth.
And those are the seven reasons why we believe Aerith will survive in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Do you have any theories of your own? Have you spotted even more evidence in the trailer that we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments.
For more on this huge mystery, check out Resurrecting Aerith, our documentary about the urban myths surrounding Aerith’s death, and the fans who have spent 25 years attempting to rewrite her fate.
Dale Driver is IGN’s Executive Producer of Video Programming. Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.
Horizon Forbidden West will follow its predecessor Horizon Zero Dawn away from former PlayStation exclusivity with a PC release early next year.
Warfare has never been this cozy.
2023 has been a good year for tactics games on the Switch. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot marked the return of two classic GBA games while Fire Emblem Engage brought the series’s focus to its strategic roots. Chucklefish and Robotality’s Wargroove 2 is the next SRPG joining the fray, and while its adorable pixel-art graphics might trick you into thinking it is a watered-down, kid-friendly version of the genre, it provides loads of depth to keep even the most battle-worn combatants engaged. It just manages to look cute as heck while doing it.
If you played 2019’s Wargroove — which was inspired by the original Advance Wars — then you’ll know exactly what to expect from the sequel. The world is the same, but new factions are battling it out for control of the strange relics leftover from a long-destroyed civilisation. There isn’t a recap of the events of the first game for new players, but Wargroove 2 does a good job of getting you up to speed without dragging things out too long. The campaign provides exactly the information you need from the first game, but if you want to get fully up to speed, there is a robust codex that you can read as a primer to help fill the gaps.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
In the realm of iconic cultural phenomenon, few have left a mark as indelible as Happy Tree Friends. These lovable yet crooked forest critters have been a source of macabre humor and fascination for fans worldwide. After a six-year hiatus, their return is not just a comeback; it’s a revival eagerly anticipated by legions of fans who have yearned for more mayhem and cuteness. This wacky woodland gang returns in the form of a brand new animated episode, and in a roguelite shoot’em up, The Crackpet Show.
But why do we, as humans, have this curious affinity for cruelty, even in the cutest of packages? It’s a question that has perplexed scholars and thinkers for ages. Perhaps it’s the stark contrast between the adorable appearance of Happy Tree Friends and the gruesome fates that befall them that keep us hooked. It’s a contrast of sweetness and cruelty that, against all odds, found affection in the hearts of people worldwide.
Enter The Crackpet Show, a post-apocalyptic world where the worst tendencies of humanity have run rampant, giving rise to a bizarre dystopia unlike any other. In this bleak and chaotic setting, Happy Tree Friends find themselves, and it’s a perfect match. The very essence of this show aligns with the darkest aspects of humanity, making it the ideal stage for our beloved characters to wreak havoc once more.
The Crackpet Show is not for the faint-hearted; it’s a world where violence and chaos reign supreme. Participants must embrace the mayhem, shooting, smashing, and ripping through hordes of enemies to emerge victorious. Within this nightmarish landscape, colossal bosses lurk, capable of turning your world inside out. It’s a challenging world, but for Happy Tree Friends, it’s a homecoming like no other.
As fans eagerly await their return, it’s not only the game that has them excited. A brand-new episode is also on the horizon, promising to capture the essence of the classic series while embracing the twisted reality of The Crackpet Show. Happy Tree Friends’ antics and gore-filled escapades will return to the beloved, crazy dimension, leaving fans both delighted and horrified.
The anticipation for this momentous return has been palpable. Happy Tree Friends fans have longed for more of the dark humor and iconic characters that have become a cultural touchstone.
In a world where the line between gore and humor blurs, Happy Tree Friends’ comeback is a testament to the enduring appeal of this iconic cultural phenomenon. The Crackpet Show provides the perfect backdrop for their return, and fans couldn’t be more thrilled.
The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition and the new episode premiere today on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Chaos and laughter will collide in a way that only Happy Tree Friends can orchestrate, and fans can hardly wait for the mayhem to begin anew.
Ravenage Games
Are you ready to get famous? If so, grab your gun and join the most violent TV show in the history of violent TV shows! Participants will have to shoot, smash and rip through hundreds of enemies on their way to victory!
Don’t be discouraged by THE GIANT BOSSES that are more than capable of turning your innards outwards – just grab the best perks and weapons along the way. Make your gun spew molten lava all over the floor, turn yourself into a berserker, and let your bullets bounce between enemies! All these things stack, so you have every opportunity to turn your furry warrior into a raging death machine.
You’ll still die, though. That’s just how life is, even for those who wield a rail gun. But who cares about death when your audience loves YOU? Unlike real life, here you can make good use of the likes you receive.
Use your new-found fame to help upgrade every item and every perk to deal even more damage when you head out again. Oh, don’t worry about getting bored: every episode of the show is randomized so you’ll never have the same run twice in-a-row.
And, when you are completely done with show business, invite your friends and party-up with co-op mode with up to four players! Play smart and synergize with the team or bash their teeth in when they will try to steal your power-ups: every dirty trick in the book is valid, and every strategy works as long as you are having fun.
So, are you ready to sign the contract?
Rogue-lite Shoot’em-up
There are tons of enemies, dozens of weapons, lots of perks and items, randomized drop and map layouts, as well as carnivorous bosses for you to test your ability to beat the game with in-game items
The most bizarre TV Show
It’s cute. It’s colorful. It’s everything you love about old-school gore cartoons. This is your only opportunity to make a pink rabbit into a harbinger of death. Do not miss it!
Play solo or co-op
Play the game solo or get your friends to play with you, create elaborate tactics or mess around and try to steal your friend’s items and power-ups. The goal is to have fun and get famous, not to sit down crunching numbers. Though it’s also a thing if you are into it.
The post Happy Tree Friends Is Back With A New Episode, And A Roguelite Shooter appeared first on Xbox Wire.
