JDM: Rise Of The Scorpion is a free prologue for JDM: Japanese Drift Master, a racing game about – who could guess – drift racing in Japan. It’s got an open world set in rural towns to burn rubber around as well as several story missions to play. You can download it from Steam now.
I’ve got a real soft spot for Trombone Champ, a rhythm game about tooting along to music that works perfectly with the mouse. I’m also a huge fan of Beat Saber, a rhythm game in which you slice at blocks that whizz towards you in VR.
You can see where this is going. Trombone Champ: Unflattened transports that 2022 tooting into 2024 virtual reality.
Minecraft‘s Realms servers have been down for most of the past four days. Mojang’s official account for reporting service status updates noted that “intermittent failures or slowdowns” began on August 13th, and despite similarly intermittent reports of uptime in the days since, the servers remain inaccessible to most players today.
Lucky, lucky star.
Wheeeeey, the weekend’s here again, which means it’s time to pop on our most comfortable slippers and get some gaming done.
Looking back on this week, the most interesting piece of news (well, “interesting” in an oh-god-when-will-it-end kind of way) was that the ‘Switch 2’ likely won’t be launching until after the current fiscal year, which ends March 31st, 2025. This seems pretty obvious when you think about it, but it’s still nevertheless noteworthy if you’re someone who’s literally counting down the days.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Gumshoe: “We’ve gotta buy it right now”.
Capcom’s Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is out next month on 6th September 2024 and if you’re looking for a reason to pre-order it, the prosecutor Miles Edgeworth has put forth a strong case.
Players who pre-order the game now will get the bonus of “5 arranged tracks from the second game, “Prosecutor’s Gambit”, that you can use in-game”. Detective Gumshoe has no objections and suggests “we’ve gotta buy it right now”.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
“I’ll see you all again at the closing ceremonies”.
The 2024 Pokémon World Championships is currently taking place and it’s been confirmed there will be some Pokémon game news shared at the end of the weekend.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The Dragon Age is an era in the history of Thedas, specifically one where nobody on the continent could seem to catch a break. Each mainline game in Bioware’s fantasy RPG series introduces a new character facing (mostly) new threats, while DLCs, novels, and comics expand on this sprawling world and, of course, its beloved characters. From the Chantry’s tales of Andraste to the darkness of the Deep Roads, Dragon Age is a franchise you can’t help but lose yourself in.
I’m not going to lie to you: each mainline Dragon Age game takes place pretty much immediately after the last one. Still, maybe you’re trying to figure out what order to play the DLCs in. Most likely, you’re planning a refresher before The Veilguard drops. Or, maybe, you’re as insane as I am and want to find every possible sprawling lore tidbit about this series.
So, for those in the latter group, here’s every Dragon Age game (and DLC, book, comic, movie, and series), in timeline order, where applicable, using Thedas’s own calendar system. You can also jump to specific lists in release order below.
There are 3 mainline Dragon Age games, with a fourth game releasing this Halloween. Origins has 8 DLCs, DA: II has 4 DLCs, and Inquisition has 4 DLCs. The discontinued mobile game Heroes of Dragon Age and the flash games Dragon Age Legends and Dragon Age Journeys are not included on this list.
In addition to the games, there’s 9 comic series, 7 novels, 17 short stories, an animated movie, an animated series, and two mini-series in the Dragon Age universe. I will not be including the notedly non-canon comics from IDW Publishing.
Also, because they exist as “compendiums” outside of specific narratives, The World of Thedas Vol. 1 (released before Dragon Age II) and Vol. 2 (released before Dragon Age: Inquisition) aren’t on this list, but in my personal opinion they’re probably some of the best sources of deep-dive Thedas lore outside of this timeline.
If you’re just looking to pick up a new RPG, or only have time to get through one game before Veilguard, you can stick with the most recent release. Dragon Age: Inquisition has the most accessible gameplay and it actually runs on PC and new-gen consoles. It’s also the only open world game in the series.
For the full “Dragon Age experience,” you’re going to have to play Origins at some point. The impact of the player’s choices in previous games is a selling point of Dragon Age, and there’s something especially satisfying about playing through the consequences of your own actions, meeting characters and shaping conflicts that carry significance throughout the series. So yeah, it runs terribly on PC, but with the right settings (and maybe some mods), it’s worth looking past some less than stimulating mechanics to experience a narrative-driven fantasy RPG at its best.
Because a major feature of the games is impactful decision-making, a “Bioware canon” exists for media outside of the games. A lot of this stuff is great for understanding more about important characters and scratching the Thedas lore itch, but that’s my word of caution for anyone particularly attached to their own in-game outcomes. In general, I’d recommend reading whatever is “connected” to the DA games and characters you like most. That said, if you’re going to read anything to set you up for Veilguard, I’d recommend the most recent comic, The Missing.
If you’re trying to “start at the beginning” of Dragon Age, you should start with Origins and then loop back to these. But, for the sake of timeline accuracy, these technically take place before any mainline Dragon Age game.
*Warning: While I tried my best to keep this list free of major spoilers, there are mentions of some characters and conflicts that re-appear across the series
[8:96-9:00] & [9:10–9:11]
Two novels take place before Origins, both penned by Origins’ lead writer, David Gaider. The Stolen Throne begins when the Queen of Fereldan, Moira Theirin, is murdered in 8:96. Her son, Maric, works with Loghain Mac Tir to find those responsible while also grappling with an invasion from the neighboring nation of Orlais. The Calling picks up about a decade after the events of Stolen Throne, but continues to focus on Maric with appearances from a certain young Grey Warden.
[9:22]
After the release of Dragon Age II, Bioware tried out animated movie-making. In collaboration with FUNimation, Dawn of the Seeker is an origin story for Cassandra Pentaghast, a character in Dragon Age II and companion in Inquisition. The movie follows Cassandra in the land of Ferelden’s neighbor, Orlais, and explores her path to becoming Seeker.
[9:28]
As the name suggests, this Origins DLC explores the backstory of Leliana, a main companion in Origins who returns as an advisor in Inquisition.
[9:30]
The game that started it all. After a prologue sequence defined by the selection of one of six character backgrounds, the player is recruited into a noble guild of warriors tasked with battling haunted humanoid creatures called Darkspawn. As one of the last Grey Wardens, the player must travel across Ferelden, navigating complex political machinations to build an army that can take on the greatest Darkspawn threat.
All of DA:O takes place within one year. While certain questlines can feel like a royal pain 15 years after release, the writing of our first exposure to Thedas (and how much control the player has over it) makes this dark and tactical action RPG my favorite game of all time.
*Stone Prisoner, Warden’s Keep, The Darkspawn Chronicles, and Return to Ostagar are all DLC’s that add questlines and additional content to the main campaign.
This Machinima-made mini-series links Origins to Awakening. Each part is only about 5 minutes, so you can watch the full thing in about 30.
[~9:31]
Awakening is pretty much a full expansion to Dragon Age: Origins, picking up about 6 months after the first game with almost 20 hours of additional content. Due to some Dragon Age II decisions, the “canon-ness” of this expansion’s place on the timeline is a little dubious, but I personally think it has one of the most compelling stories in the series that’s still worth playing through.
This DLC chronologically takes place after Awakening. I don’t have too much to say about it other than, compared to the base game, it’s a lot more challenging.
[9:32]
The last Origins DLC to be released, Witch Hunt checks up on what Origins companion Morrigan is up to a couple years after the first game’s conclusion (technically after the start of Dragon Age II, but I’d still play this after Origins first). Without too many spoilers, I’d argue this is the most important Origins DLC for the rest of the Dragon Age series.
Before DA:2
Dragon Age II inaugurated the “short story” tradition for DA games, starting with “prequel” short stories for each of the seven main companions. I’m sticking the collection here for simplicity, but each story takes place at various points before the start of DA2. You can read them all online here.
[Prologue: 9:30 Acts 1-3: 9:31-37]
During the Fifth Blight, the Hawke family is caught up in the wave of refugees forced to abandon their homes in Ferelden. After battling Darkspawn (and encountering a certain witch/dragon/icon), the player winds up at the gates of Kirkwall, seeking refuge for their family. Over the course of 10 years, Hawke gets roped into all sorts of chaos above and below ground while trying to survive and, dare I say, thrive, in the “sh**hole” that is Kirkwall.
Timeline-wise, the opening sequence of Dragon Age II takes place during the Blight of DA:O, but Acts 1 through 3 take you from 9:31 to 9:37. Yeah, this one’s got a lot going on. And while Dragon Age II was a notoriously rushed production, this odyssey of a game dives deeper into the political intrigue of Thedas, expanding on the Qunari as well as the dynamic between mages and Templars that continues to be at the forefront of the Dragon Age series.
*Exiled Prince, Mark of the Assassin, The Black Emporium, and Legacy are all DLC’s that add questlines and additional content to the main campaign, though Legacy does explore Hawke’s past.
[~9:31]
While released as a tie-in to the Mark of the Assassin DLC for Dragon Age II, this short series from Felicia Day introduces her character, Tallis, and takes place at some point before the end of Dragon Age II: Act 1.
[~9:38-9:40]
There aren’t any Dragon Age II DLCs that take place after the base game, but DA: II did lead to the start of the canon “Dragon Age” comics. First up in release and timeline order was The Silent Grove, a six-issue comic series that follows Alistair, accompanied by Isabela and Varric, as he heads to Antiva to investigate what happened to a certain Fereldan King. Those Who Speak picks up where The Silent Grove leaves off, expanding on the backstory of Alistair, in particular. Until We Sleep concludes this particular comic series with three final issues, which, on top of showing more of the Tevinter Imperium, also provide particular insight into Dragon Age’s pseudo-narrator, Varric Tethras.
[9:40]
The third Dragon Age novel and the final one to be penned by David Gaider, Asunder explains the origins of the Mage-Templar War that, despite climaxing in Inquisition, aren’t really explained in-game. The novel specifically addresses what happens to the Seekers, the Circle of Magi, and the Templars after Dragon Age II but before Inquisition.
[9:40]
The Masked Empire is another direct tie-in novel for setting up Inquisition, bringing the reader to Orlais and setting up the political dynamics between the Empress and her rivals that ultimately lead to my personal favorite questline in Inquisition.
[9:41 & ~5:12-5:20]
This one is tough because it technically follows two timelines: one in 9:41, and the other way back in the Exalted Age during the Fourth Blight. Because I wouldn’t recommend anyone start their Dragon Age experience with this novel, I’m placing it here, but yes, to be clear, this Grey Warden-based novel also extends back the farthest of any Dragon Age media listed.
Before DA: I
Instead of short stories based on companions, Bioware released three stories about other side characters that are significant in Inquisition. Paper & Steel, Paying the Ferryman, and the Riddle of Truth were all released alongside the World of Thedas Vol. 2 and take place between DA2 and Inquisition. You can read all three of them here.
[9:41-9:42]
The most recent mainline DA game begins at the height of tensions between mages and Templars, when an explosion during peace talks at the Chantry has disastrous consequences for the institutions keeping Thedas together. This explosion turns out to be a tear in the Fade, and the player assumes the role of an Inquisitor who is the only one equipped to stop the demons and spirits emerging from the breach from taking over.
In a return to the form of Origins, DA: I has the player battling an immediate, civilization-ending threat, so the narrative is significantly less sprawling than Dragon Age II. DA: I also brought back the choice of different character backgrounds that influence how the player is treated in and by the world of Thedas (which, notably, now features both Ferelden and Orlais). While a little less tactical than previous DA games, Inquisition’s killer story and expansive world still made it our Game of the Year for 2014.
*Jaws of Hakkon and The Descent are DLCs that can be played after finishing Inquisition, but I consider it a player decision how these fit into the timeline.
[9:41-42]
This five-issue comic follows Marius and Tessa, blood mage hunters, during the Inquisition. While the comic technically starts before Inquisition, most of the storyline intertwines with the events of the game, so it makes more sense to read this after playing.
[9:44]
Similar to Awakening, this Inquisition DLC adds a decent amount of content, and is also probably the most important thing on this list outside of mainline games in terms of setting up Veilguard. Several years after Inquisition ends, this expansion has the Inquisitor investigate who really kicked off the events that tore open the Fade. If you play through Inquisition, you better make it through Trespasser.
[~9:44]
The Knight Errant follows an elven squire who heads to Kirkwall for the appointment of a new Viscount, and like anyone who goes to that forsaken city, gets caught up in a much larger mess. It’s not super clear when this five-issue comic is set, but with characters from the Inquisition assuming new roles in Thedas, my guess is during or right after Trespasser.
[~9:44]
Bioware collaborated with Korean animation company Red Dog Culture House for this six-episode Netflix series. With some entirely new characters (Matt Mercer may be involved), alongside some Dragon Age staples, we noted in our review this show might be a little hard to access without some previous DA experience, but it’s still a pretty fun ride. Based on some references to both Inquisition and Trespasser, I’m placing this Tevinter-based series toward the end of our list.
[9:40-9:45]
Combined into an anthology called The Wraiths of Tevinter, these three comic series all (for the most part) take place after Trespasser and, as the title would suggest, in the Tevinter Imperium. Funny enough, that’s also where the next game is set, so it’s more than likely these post-Inquisition comics are setting up some characters and conflicts we’ll see more of.
Deception starts this collection off with a new character’s schemes in the city of Ventus, which is being threatened by a Qunari invasion. Over three issues, the comic has appearances from the Tevinter-based companions of previous games and expands on the role of the Venatori.
For those of you who crave more of a certain angsty, white-haired elf from Dragon Age II, these next ones are for you. Blue Wraith starts around 9:40, but quickly timeskips to pick up in 9:44-45 as the conflict continues to broil between Tevinter and the Qunari. Dark Fortress is a pretty direct follow-up to Blue Wraith, with all three issues playing out over 9:45.
[9:44-9:45]
As an anthology of short stories, it’s a bit challenging to pinpoint an exact place on this timeline for Tevinter Nights. Many of the stories overlap with the Tevinter-based comics above, making it a matter of personal preference (in my opinion) which you start with. Of note, some of the characters that first appeared in these stories have been revealed as main companions for Veilguard.
[9:45]
The most recent piece of released canon Dragon Age media, The Missing is a four issue comic series where Varric and everyone’s favorite scout attempt to track down an old friend from Inquisition. This one is, by all indications, a pretty direct tie-in for The Veilguard, so if you’re going to pick up any physical Dragon Age reading before the new game, it should probably be this (but make sure you play Inquisition and Trespasser first).
Before DA:TV
Like the rest of the short stories on this list, these snippets jump around timeline-wise. But let’s cut to the chase: these are already categorized as “Veilguard” short stories on EA’s website, and a couple of them feature known Veilguard companions. Seven of these stories have been published over 2020-2023, and you can find them all here.
Dragon Age II and Inquisition companion Varric Tethras is an author, made famous in particular for his novel, Hard in Hightown. While you can collect parts of the novel in Codex-form across Inquisition, you can also read the full novella (with illustrations) as an eBook. It’s fiction within fiction, so no real timeline relevance, but hey, it’s fun.
15 years since Origins and 10 years since Inquisition, I wasn’t sure if we’d see another Dragon Age game. But then, all of a sudden, in early 2024, The Veilguard (previously known as Dreadwolf) was announced as a release coming later this year. Not often you see that in gaming anymore. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to release on October 31, with pre-orders available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S | X.
Bioware has already been unleashing pretty extensive previews of this next Dragon Age. For one thing, we already know where Veilguard fits in the timeline. I’ll avoid spoilers for those trying to go in as blind as possible, but we learned a lot about the direction of this game from IGN’s hands-on preview. Bioware’s also revealed details about the character creator, romance options, and how decisions from Inquisition will carry over. For those who want a real sneak peek, you can even watch the first 20 minutes of Veilguard gameplay.
Video game movie fever continues unabated, with obscure Sega fighting game series Eternal Champions the latest to get its own live-action film.
Originally released in 1993, Eternal Champions was Sega’s answer to the popularity of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. It was heavily hyped for its graphics and enjoyed strong sales, even receiving a sequel on the Sega CD, but it was ultimately axed because Sega reportedly wanted to focus on promoting Virtual Fighter in the U.S.
Since then, Eternal Champions has fallen into obscurity as the publisher (and the world) has largely moved on. Now though, it’s getting its own movie.
According to THR, Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly is set to pen a live-action version of Eternal Champions for Skydance. Toru Nakahara, who oversees the Sonic movies, will act as one of the film’s producers. Not much is known for the plot, but it will presumably follow that of the game, which sees a god-like Eternal Champion try to restore balance to the world with a martial arts tournament featuring characters drawn from throughout history.
Some of its numerous heroes include Dawson, a sherriff from the American Wild West, a pirate named Riptide, and a chicken from Vietnam named Crispy. It will presumably try to capture some of the appeal of the Mortal Kombat films, which draw from a similar time period in gaming history and remain nostalgic favorites.
Aside from Eternal Champions, other games getting their own movies include The Legend of Zelda, Death Stranding, and Until Dawn, among others. Releases like Sega’s own Sonic movies have been a financial boon for Hollywood, but the trend is not without its risks. Borderlands, which released last week, was critically panned and a major bust at the box office.
We’ll see how Eternal Champions does when it eventually makes its way to theatres. It does not yet have a release date.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
Summer may be starting to cool down but that doesn’t mean we’re done celebrating all the amazing games launched this season on console and PC.
There have been more than 200 games launched this summer like Pizza Bar Tycoon, Sam & Max: The Devils Playhouse, Just Crow Things, and the releases just keep on coming – with many having launched day one with Game Pass!
We’re highlighted a few of the more recently released titles for you below, and a few that are on the way, so be sure to check back every Tuesday on your Xbox console, Store on Windows, and the Xbox app on PC to see the latest summer releases as we head into fall.
Here are a few titles in pre-order that are coming soon:
Perks for Ultimate Game Pass Members.
Newer Games That Launched Day One with Game Pass
This is just a small taste of the over 200 new games on Xbox this summer. Make sure you check your Xbox console, Store on Windows, and the Xbox app on PC every Tuesday to discover the new titles to play. Perks offers vary by region and game, so make sure you check the Perks gallery on your Xbox console or the Xbox app for more details.
The post Summer Spotlight: Celebrating the More Than 200 New Games Released on Xbox This Season appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Ubisoft is the latest video game company to be hit with another wave of layoffs.
As first reported by Bloomberg and later independently confirmed by IGN, 45 staff across the Assassin’s Creed publisher’s San Francisco and Cary, North Carolina locations were impacted by layoffs yesterday. Those affected will receive severance and career assistance, though further details about what those offerings include have not been revealed.
“Yesterday Ubisoft San Francisco and Red Storm Entertainment informed their teams of a restructuring that resulted in 45 employees leaving Ubisoft,” a Ubisoft spokesperson said in a statement. “This difficult yet necessary decision was made to align these studios’ organizations with their future business and development objectives. We are committed to providing comprehensive support to those affected, including severance and career assistance, and we thank them for their many contributions to Ubisoft.”
This is the second shift for the Red Storm team this summer, with the first arriving in May when Ubisoft announced that further development on its free-to-play spinoff, Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland, was canceled. At the time, the publisher called the move a “tough call” but would transition those members of the development team to other projects like XDefiant and Rainbow Six. It’s unclear how many members of the Red Storm team were affected by yesterday’s layoffs.
Red Storm’s portfolio includes a number of noteworthy Ubisoft titles from the last few decades, including a number of entries in the Tom Clancy and Far Cry franchises. The studio also recently developed a VR-only title, Assassin’s Creed Nexus, which released last year. Ubisoft’s San Francisco branch developed titles in the Rocksmith series as well as South Park: The Fractured but Whole. It’s currently working on XDefiant and Rocksmith+.
Ubisoft laid off a number of employees across a few separate instances last year, too, with 60 affected in May and another 124 in November. It’s part of a trend of industry-wide cuts that have affected thousands of game developers in the last year, with recent examples including layoffs at NetherRealm Studios, Take-Two Interactive, Humble Games, Behaviour Interactive, and Bungie.
For more, you can read about what Dark Souls developer Formsoftware is doing to combat layoffs as the industry continues to be rocked by cut jobs. You can also learn about why some developers think gaming is being hit with an unprecedented string of layoffs here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
