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Madden NFL 25 Review in Progress

If football is a game of inches, then Madden typically manages to perfectly recapture that feeling in the minutiae of its year-to-year iterations. Every August, fans sit around and obsessively try to figure out what has changed, if the under-the-hood adjustments actually matter, if the new systems do what EA says they do, and if things truly feel any better. Usually, that is. Not this year. I haven’t played enough of Madden NFL 25 to render a final verdict just yet, but I can already tell that things feel very different than they do in Madden NFL 24 – and I don’t need to bring out the chains to see that good progress has been made.

EA has been hyping up Madden 25’s updated looks, and honestly, that’s where its improvements are most immediately clear. The menus are much cleaner – your options are big, clearly delineated, and easy to understand, and, miraculously, largely lag-free. This may not seem like a big deal, but if you played Madden 24 at launch, it feels like mana from heaven. It truly is the little things. My wife, who specializes in UX design and has watched me play entirely too much Madden 24 over the last year, walked by while I was playing this year’s iteration and casually remarked that “this looks like an actual menu designed by an actual person.” Hallelujah, brothers and sisters. They heard us.

All right, Will. Yeah, new menus. Big whoop. Tell us about something more substantial than that. Well, dear reader, the major modes benefit from this new focus on presentation, too, and I feel like a lot of what’s good here can be traced directly back to the improvements we saw in College Football 25. In Franchise mode, you can finally create female coaches, and there are more customization options than ever before in terms of heads and apparel. There are still only ten head options for women compared to forty for men, but it’s cool that they’ve been added at all.

Superstar also benefits from this new coat of paint, despite ditching the pretense of an opening storyline (and based on what I’ve seen, voice acting) entirely, which is a shame. The upside is that once you complete the Combine, things get better. The draft actually looks and feels like the NFL draft. When the almighty Joe Throw got drafted by the Falcons 8th overall, Roger Goodell, the most hated man in football, came out and hugged him before presenting him with a Falcons jersey and posing for a picture — just like in real life. Did Joe look like some hideous golem animated by black magic compared to the mute, wax figure of Madden 25’s Roger Goodell? Yes. Does that matter? Not really. It still looks a hell of a lot better than what we had, and I appreciated all of the additional customization options I was given when recreating Joe Throw in Madden 25 — another thing this year’s Madden feels like it owes in part to College Football 25.

The draft actually looks and feels like the NFL draft this year.

Once I was in the Falcons facility, I walked around with head coach Raheem Morris and we discussed my goals for the preseason. Again, it’s a little weird to see everyone’s mouths move and have no sound come out, but graphically? Way better than last year, and I appreciated the moment-to-moment visual updates, whether I was chatting with my teammates in the locker room or out on the field. No longer are we trapped in hotel rooms.

Speaking of the field, there’s some neat stuff to see here, too. Things just look better all around, whether it’s character models, animations before, during, and after plays, or the new and improved touchdown graphics that pull up the scoring player’s photo. Again, it’s the little things.

Not everything’s a home run here, however; I hate the new play arts, at least the ones we see in the playbook. They’re harder to parse than the ones in Madden 24 and, conveniently, look just like the ones in College Football 25. They can’t all be zingers, I guess, but man, these can’t be replaced fast enough.

There are also a lot of big changes, like the new kickoff rules, which feel… really weird. I don’t think I like them, but that’s an NFL problem, not necessarily a Madden problem. Either way, it will take a while to get used to. Other things are more positive. I love being able to choose coverage shells rather than just appearing in base align, and I’m a big fan of being able to shift both sides of my O-line independently of one another… yet another feature we first saw in College Football 25. It might just be me, but Madden 25 even feels closer to College Football 25 in terms of speed – maybe I’m crazy, but if that actually proves to be a thing as I play more, I like the direction things are headed.

I also like that there are more mini-games to play, and that there are finally mini-games for O-linemen you can use to Focus Train them in Franchise mode. I don’t particularly enjoy these mini-games, admittedly, but at least they’re there and I can use them – and overall the mini-games here are hands down an improvement over Madden 24. Getting messages from my GM when I’m playing as a coach in my Franchise is also a nice touch, and I’m a big fan of the new commentary teams, particularly Kate Scott and Brock Huard. (Say it with me: it’s the little things.)

I have a lot of Madden NFL 25 left to play before I’m ready to give it a score. I have a Franchise to run, more Superstars to guide to Lombardi glory, my yearly slog in the EA Money Machine that is Ultimate Team, and so on. But I find myself… optimistic? Is that even a thing you’re allowed to be about Madden? Maybe I’m totally off base, and I’ll notice more issues the more I play. Football’s a game of inches, after all, and the smallest mistakes can lead to disaster. But right now, man, those little things? They’re feelin’ pretty good.

GTA San Andreas VR Delayed ‘Indefinitely’ As Meta Focuses on Other Projects

About three years ago, Meta caused some profound head tilts when it revealed that it was going to try to do a VR remake of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Unfortunately, the project is not coming anytime soon, as Meta has officially confirmed that it has been put “on hold indefinitely.”

A Meta spokesperson confirmed to IGN via email that the game has been put “on hold indefinitely.” Additionally, the official Meta Quest VR YouTube account responded after users commented on a trailer for an upcoming Meta Quest game, Behemoth, developed by Skydance Games. “GTA: San Andreas is on hold indefinitely while we both focus on other projects,” Meta Quest VR’s official YouTube account confirmed in the comments. “We look forward to working with our friends at Rockstar in the future.”

GTA San Andreas VR was announced during Facebook Connect in October 2021. No gameplay footage or a release window was shown during the event. In a blog post highlighting games presented at the event, Meta described GTA San Andreas VR as “a project many years in the making.”

GTA San Andreas VR would not be the first time that Meta has provided a VR remake to a game, as the company previously worked with Armature Studio and Capcom to bring the original Resident Evil 4 to Meta Quest headsets. Additionally, GTA San Andreas VR would have been the second VR project Rockstar Games has worked on following L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, which was initially released in 2017 for the HTC Vive, before making its way onto Oculurs Rift headsets and PSVR in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was originally released in 2004 for the PS2. Set in the early 1990s in the fictional southern California city of San Andreas, players control Carl “CJ” Johnson, who returns to his old neighborhood to investigate the murder of his mother.

GTA San Andreas’ indefinite delay comes as Meta is losing billions of dollars in the VR gaming market. In a new report published by Yahoo Finance earlier this month, the outlet said that the Reality Labs division was burning through money, with $16 billion in losses accrued from the VR-centric division in 2023 alone.

IGN has reached out to Take-Two Interactive for comment.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Too Many Bones: Board Game Buying Guide and Expansions

Considered a quintessential dice-rolling RPG by many long-term tabletop gamers, Chip Theory Games’ Too Many Bones is a deeply strategic and difficult fantasy game that can be enjoyed solo or with up to four players. Brimming with flavor and lore, it has players choose a unique Gearloc from the land of Daelore and optimize their builds as they fight through endless daily encounters with baddies, gain progress points, store bones, and ultimately defeat the Tyrant of the current story mission. This game is very dice heavy, with over 100 unique skill dice to attack, defend, and complete encounters with. You even make narrative decisions with them.

A fairly challenging game, Too Many Bones offers a ton of replay value through its unique classes and abilities, mechanical changes, additional Gearlocs, and sheer number of encounters, making checking out the expansions well worth your while.

The Base Game

Too Many Bones: A Dice Builder RPG

  • Price: $159.95
  • Players: 1-4 players
  • Age Range: 14+
  • Play Time: 60-90 minutes

First released in 2017, the base game includes everything one (or four) players will need to enjoy their first dice-builder RPG. The awesome neoprene character mats that are included help keep track of your Gearloc’s stats and store your dice, and the chips and cards help you through encounters. Setup is relatively simple, as each player will start by choosing their own unique Gearloc to play as and build out. Then daily encounters begin, where you’ll earn progress points for each successful encounter. Earn enough progress points, and the party will face off against the Tyrant associated with that scenario. Defeat the Tyrant to win.

Expansions

Too Many Bones Undertow Standalone Expansion

  • Price: $109.95

Too Many Bones’ first expandalone*, released in 2018, sees the Gearloc heroes chasing after the dastardly Duster after defeating the original seven Tyrants. This enormous expansion includes new baddies and baddie types, an equally exorbitant amount of dice as the original, new encounters, and two new characters.

*Expandalone here refers to the fact that Undertow is playable straight out of the box without the base game, although adding to it will make for a better experience overall.

Too Many Bones: Unbreakable Standalone Expansion

  • Price: $107

The second expandalone came out in 2023 and serves as the conclusion to the Too Many Bones storyline, which features a new cast of Gearlocs as they battle for The Break, an underground cavern that could change the fate of Daelore. Unbreakable also includes two new playable Gearlocs, new baddies and encounters, and a gorgeous double-sided Lava Battle Mat to immerse yourself in.

Too Many Bones: 40 Days in Daelore Expansion

  • Price: $33.95

Not a full expansion like the Undertow and Unbreakable, 40 Days in Daelore adds – you guessed it – 40 new encounters and 15 new baddies to the base Too Many Bones game.

Too Many Bones: Rage of Tyranny Expansion

  • Price: $33.95

Another smaller expansion that changes mechanics for the Tyrants from the base game as well as Undertow. Includes over 50 new Tyrant and encounter cards.

Too Many Bones: 40 Waves in Daelore Expansion

  • Price: $33.95

This one is made to alter the mechanics of Undertow, and includes 40 new encounter cards and 16 baddie chips.

Too Many Bones: 40 Caves in Daelore Expansion

  • Price: $33.95

Noticing a pattern? This small expansion is the same concept as 40 Waves in Daelore, but for the Unbreakable expandalone. Neat!

Too Many Bones: Age of Tyranny Expansion

  • Price: $33.95

This add-on to the base game brings with it a challenging new twist. Using the Campaign Snapshot Mat, players can now keep track of their campaign progress as they defeat the seven original Tyrants, earning new Boons (or Scars, if they’re defeated!), adding even more replay value.

Too Many Bones: Splice and Dice Expansion

  • Price: $64.95

If you’ve ever wanted to create your own Tyrant, here’s your chance. As they play through a regular game of Too Many Bones, players can now use the Build-a-Tyrant mode to craft their own creature to defeat at the end of the scenario. Additionally, the Nobulous Apprenticeship Program is a brand new game type using components from both the base game and Splice & Dice.

Additional Gearlocs

In addition to the traditional expansions, Too Many Bones also offers numerous other playable Gearlocs to add to your collection!

Ghillie

  • Price: $33.95

Specializing in ranged attacks and trapping, Ghillie is great for dealing damage from afar and hindering baddies. Compatible with the Ally Pack, which adds six chips for both Ghillie’s pets and Tink’s spiderbots.

Static

  • Price: $33.95

The first hand-to-hand rumbler in the game, Static can store his power for a turn and unleash devastating power the next.

Polaris

  • Price: $33.95

Like her namesake implies, Polaris uses the power of magnetism to take down baddies. Using her Trajectory Board, Polaris is extremely versatile.

Carcass

  • Price: $33.95

A unique and mechanically-complex Gearloc, Carcass scavenges the remains of defeated baddies and can turn them into buffs for the party.

Nugget

  • Price: $29.95

Nugget the treasure hunter is a fun Gearloc for players who like risk. Sporting both ranged and melee combat potential, Nugget’s arsenal is great for tactically-minded players.

Tink

  • Price: $33.95

High risk and high reward, Tink enters the fray with his signature spiderbots, which can help defend the party. Compatible with the Ally Pack, giving his spiderbots their own chips.

Gasket

  • Price: $33.95

Gasket the Hydro-Mech is Too Many Bone’s answer to traditional tank roles, and with his water-based abilities he can even change the layout of the battlefield.

Dart

  • Price: $29.95

Too Many Bone’s first double-sided Gearloc, Dart starts out calm and collected, but her angered side is a force to be reckoned with. Heavy on the crowd control, Dart is essential to any party.

Lab Rats

  • Price: $29.95

The game’s first multi-Gearloc character (characters?). Swap between Slank, Gerbil, Flan, and Helix and use their unique stats and abilities to experience a mind-melting challenge unlike the rest.

Premium Game Pieces

The base game and its expandalones come with everything you need to play straight out of the box, but sometimes you want to spice up your play space or go full-on immersion.

  • Control ‘Ur Roll Dice Tray: TMB Unbreakable – $14.95 – In any dice-builder RPG, odds are you’ve rolled off the table and had to search far and wide for your dice. With this 9in. x 10in. Foldable dice tray, you’ll never lose ‘em again!
  • Adventure Map 2.0 – $17.95- This beautiful neoprene playmat is used for campaign tracking in both the base game and the Undertow expandalone.
  • Unbreakable Adventure Map – $19.95 – This double-sided mat helps keep track of your progress throughout Unbreakable, and features a map of Daelore on one side and South Daelore on the other.
  • Premium Health – $33.95 – These beautifully polished, weighted health pieces act as your chips and are easier to move about the map with, and harder to knock over! Includes 65 pieces.
  • BrassMag Figures – $99.95 – Replace your dinky little Gearloc chips and show off your build in style with these weighted figures featuring every available Gearloc! The miniatures attach magnetically to their corresponding Gearloc’s chip, making it easier to keep track of them.

Other Goodies

These goodies aren’t needed to play the game, but who wouldn’t want Too Many Bones’ fantastic art on display?

  • Too Many Bones Chip Coasters: Original Gearlocs and Baddies – $16.95 – If you’re like me, you probably enjoy the occasional drink or two while tabletop gaming. Do so in style with these oversized chip coasters, featuring the art of the original Gearlocs and baddies!
  • Bones Coffee: Liquid Life and Obendark Roast – $14.99 – That’s right, Too Many Bones themed coffee. In collaboration with Bones Coffee, these special brews are a delicious add-on to your gaming experience, and each bag comes with a unique coffee-themed Loot card and a random promo Gearlock skeleton chip.

The Bottom Line

I’ll be the first to admit that, as board games go, the barrier to entry to get the full Too Many Bones experience is uncompromisingly high, with even the base game being over $100. But over time, you just might get addicted to its strategic RPG gameplay and be craving the new mechanics from the expandalones, or want to try out a different Gearloc’s unique skills with one of the many add-ons available. You’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth.

Myles Obenza is a freelance commerce writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @Myles Obenza.

Activision Working on Custom Call of Duty Download Options Ahead of Black Ops 6 to Tackle Colossal File Sizes

Activision will soon let players install different parts of Call of Duty games separately to combat colossal file sizes ahead of the release of Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty, with its various evolving modes like Multiplayer and Zombies alongside yearly releases on top of separate games like Warzone, has gotten a bit messy and, dare we say, chunky in recent years. Black Ops 6 gained attention when players thought it required around 300GB of download space to install, and while this turned out not to be true, it created such a reaction because it was somewhat believable.

File sizes for the various games can reach well above 100GB, a significant portion of some consoles’ hard drives, but Activision is now determined to quell this issue.

Changes will be rolled out in a number of updates in the coming months, in anticipation of Black Ops 6’s launch on October 25, 2024. They aim to offer a streamlined interface, direct access to games, more control of downloads, and expanded streaming technology to reduce file sizes.

“These changes will be rolled out in phases as a series of downloads,” Activision said. “After these larger initial updates, future Call of Duty downloads will decrease in size and existing files will take up less space on your device. As a thanks for your patience, we’re gifting all players with in-game consumables, which will be delivered when you first log into Call of Duty after the Season 5 Reloaded update.”

Activision confirmed the immediate effect of these changes: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be a smaller download than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III at launch.

The first big update arrives August 21 and will pave the way for these larger changes, headlined by the separation of Call of Duty: Warzone and the mainline games. “To give players more control over what they’re downloading, we are decoupling the download of Call of Duty: Warzone from other titles,” Activision said.

“When you purchase an annual title, you will only download the files for that game by default. On the free to play side, players can opt-in to get Call of Duty: Warzone when they’re downloading a new annual title or simply download it separately at any point in time.”

Subsequent updates will arrive August 30, in mid October, on October 25 when Black Ops 6 launches, and alongside that game’s Season 1 update, whenever it may be.

Not trying to hide that this will be an awkward, somewhat confusing, and perhaps tedious time for players, Activision is giving away a pack of Battle Token Tier Skips and 2XP tokens from the beginning of Season 5 Reloaded.

Full details can be found on the Call of Duty blog.

Black Ops 6 launches on October 25, 2024. Other multiplayer mode will be available to try a bit earlier though, thanks to an early access period beginning in late August. An invite only trial takes place on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and PC from August 30 to September 4, while an open beta takes place September 6 to September 9.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to release for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 31. The fourth mainline game in the series — after a decade-long hiatus — Veilguard brings us back to the fantasy world of Thedas, where the evil forces once again rear their ugly heads. You can preorder the game now in a variety of editions. Let’s dive in and see what comes in each one.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Standard Edition)

PS5

Xbox Series X|S

PC

If all you want is the game itself, the standard edition is the one to get. Note that the PC version is $10 cheaper than the console version, and that it’s Steam Deck verified. Very exciting.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Deluxe Edition

PS5

Xbox Series X|S

PC

The Deluxe edition comes with the game itself, plus the following in-game items:

  • 3 Rook Armor Sets (cosmetic, unique)
  • 7 Rook weapons (cosmetic)
  • 7 Companion armor sets (cosmetic, unique)
  • 7 Companion weapons (cosmetic, unique)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Rooks Coffer Edition (GameStop Exclusive)

The Rooks Coffer edition comes with the deluxe edition of the game, plus the following items:

  • Rook’s Card Deck
  • Glass Potion Flask
  • Companion Litho Print
  • Light-Up Lyrium Dagger
  • Enchanted Die
  • Cloth Map and Quiver Tube
  • Thank-You Letter

Note: If you want to buy the game elsewhere, but you still want the physical goodies that come in this edition, you can buy a “game-less” version from the BioWare Gear Store.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Preorder Bonus

Preorder the game, and you’ll receive the following in-game items:

  • Blood Dragon Cosmetic Armor

What Is Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the fourth game in the series, following Dragon Age Origins, Dragon Age II, and Dragon Age Inquisition. It’s been 10 years since the previous game, so fans have been waiting awhile for this installment. Like the previous games, it’s set in the fantasy world of Thedas, where you’ll create a character and lead a team of heroes against evil forces.

The Veilguard is noticeably more colorful than previous entries, which leaned toward the brown and gray end of the spectrum. Characters have a stylized, almost cartoonish, look to them — a change that’s been somewhat controversial among the fan base. However, combat has gotten an overhaul, to the extent that the developers say it’s “actually fun” now. You control a party of three (instead of four, like in previous games), and the combat is much more action-oriented.

In case you’re worried about a lack of story, you can allay your fears: the script for Dragon Age: The Veilguard has roughly 140,000 lines of dialogue. That’s quite a bit more than Dragon Age Inquisition’s already-considerable 88,000 lines — though not as many as Baldur’s Gate 3 or Starfield.

There will be plenty of customization options, including various difficulty settings, as well as the ability to turn off death entirely. Veilguard will also let you romance any of the party members, and it features full nudity, if that’s of interest. Of note for Steam players, you won’t need the EA app as a launcher to play the game, which is always nice. Check out our first Dragon Age: The Veilguard preview for more details.

Other Preorder Guides

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads.

Play Alien: Isolation & its DLC On PC For Under $10 Ahead of Alien: Romulus

With Alien: Romulus releasing this weekend (you can check out our 8/10 review of Alien: Romulus here), there’s no better time to jump into the spectacularly spooky atmosphere of Alien: Isolation. If you’ve been wanting to play it for your first time, or even go through it again on another platform, you can score Alien: Isolation: The Collection on PC for just $8.99 right now at Fanatical. That’s a whopping 82% off its MSRP of $49.99, which is totally worth taking advantage of!

Alongside the main game, Alien: Isolation: The Collection also comes with all seven DLCs. That’s a remarkable amount of content for under $10, and truly worth every penny if you love a good survival horror, in my opinion. Check it out at the link below.

Alien: Isolation: The Collection is 82% Off at Fanatical

If you’re looking for even more game deals to jump on right now, you’re in luck, as there are quite a few different sales going on. Another one of our favorite game deals at the moment is on the The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1, which is currently 50% off for all platforms. You can also save on a variety of Nintendo Switch games at Woot right now, including newer hits like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

These deals just scratch the surface of what’s available, though. To see even more offers for each platform, have a look at our roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals. Alongside game deals, you can see even more discounts on hardware and accessories. Or, if you’d rather have an overall look at the best deals available in general right now, check out our roundup of the best video game deals. This also includes some of the best PC deals at the moment, so it’s worth a look!

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Delayed to February 2025

Warhorse Studios has delayed medieval open world role-playing game Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 from 2024 to February 11, 2025, though will release 25 minutes of gameplay later in August.

No explicit reason for the delay was given, with Warhorse public relations manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling merely saying on X/Twitter that “we slipped to 2025.” A three minute video was shared to announce the delay, release date, and Warhorese’s plans for the coming months.

“We aimed for the end of the year and almost made it,” Stolz-Zwilling said. “Almost is not good enough though, so unfortunately we slipped to 2025.”

He then said a Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailer will be released during Gamescom 2024‘s Opening Night Live showcase on August 20, the 25 minute gameplay video will be released on August 21, and that a Collector’s Edition will also be revealed during the event. Those attending Gamescom in Cologne, Germany can play a demo too.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is promised to be a “behemoth” of a game featuring a map twice the size of the 2018 original, new weapons, a “much more epic” story,” reputation system, and more.

“What we are making now is what it was supposed to be in the beginning, but we weren’t able to do it because we didn’t have enough resources and experiences and all that stuff,” Warhorse creative director Daniel Vavra said in April. “We’ve proven the concept works, so now we can take it to another level, which is what we always wanted.”

In IGN’s 8/10 review of the original, we said: “Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an RPG that does the medieval era right with a refreshingly small-scale story and strong realistic combat.”

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

Persona 3 Reload Will ‘Likely Never’ Get the Female Protagonist, Producer Says

The Persona 3 Reload remake released in February 2024 will “likely never” get female protagonist Kotone Shiomi, who was introduced in a previous iteration of the game, its producer has said.

As reported by PC Gamer, Persona series producer Kazuhisa Wada told Game Informer Magazine that he was “really sorry” but fan pleas for Shiomi’s inclusion will probably never be answered.

“The more we discussed it, the more unlikely it became,” Wada said. “The development time and costs would not have been manageable.

I’m really sorry to all of the fans who were holding out hope.

“Persona 3 Reload has just released, and there is currently a lot of player interest, so if we are to do an additional release, it has to be now. But since it is not possible for us to release Persona 3 Reload with the female protagonist in this window, we just can’t do it. I’m really sorry to all of the fans who were holding out hope, but it is likely never going to happen.”

Persona 3 Reload is the fourth iteration of Persona 3 (or the fifth if the port to modern consoles is included). The base game launched in 2006, followed by an enhanced edition called Persona 3 FES in 2007, and a PlayStation Portable version aptly called Persona 3 Portable in 2009.

It was in this latter version the female protagonist was released, so when Atlus announced a full remake promised to be a “complete experience,” many fans were disappointed to learn it wasn’t planning to include FES or Portable content.

The release model of Atlus, particularly of the Shin Megami Tensei (of which Persona originated) and Persona franchises, is starting to frustrate some fans. It’s common practice for the developer to release the base game and then, a year or two later, released essentially a better version with extra content at full cost. Persona 4 received Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 received Persona 5 Royal.

Fans therefore took issue with Persona 3 Reload releasing without this content, not just because it was missing, but because they expected Atlus to release an enhanced edition soon after that would include it.

Looking to quell those concerns, Wada promised fans in March 2024 that Persona 3 Reload was a “complete experience,” but just one month later Atlus announced an expansion pass. This would add a handful of cosmetics alongside Episode Aegis — a 30 hour epilogue added to Persona 3 FES — but no female protagonist.

Further frustration came as Atlus confirmed Episode Aegis wouldn’t be available as a standalone but only as part of the $34.99 expansion pass. The “complete experience” promise therefore fell through, with fans actually having to pay a total of $104.98 to play every part of Persona 3 Reload. This still won’t include all the Persona 3 content ever released, of course, and seemingly never will, as the female protagonist and other additional content remains locked in Persona 3 Portable.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

The Best Places to Buy Nintendo Switch Games in 2024

Out of all the modern consoles available on the market, Nintendo Switch easily has the most diverse lineup of games available on the system. Nintendo itself has published over 130 games on the platform since it first launched, with thousands from third-party developers also available. Depending on whether or not you buy games physically or digitally, it can be challenging to search for where to overall best place to buy Nintendo Switch games is at any given time.

If you’re new to the console and don’t know where to find games, we’ve put together the ultimate guide on everything you need to know regarding where to buy Switch games online or in stores. Take a look below and add some new games to your Nintendo Switch collection!

Where to Buy Switch Games Online

There are multiple ways to purchase Nintendo Switch games for your console. Purchasing then online tends to be the easiest way to buy any of the most popular Nintendo Switch games, as you can purchase digital or physical versions. Since you don’t need to drive to pick up a game, you can either ship a physical copy to your home or purchase a digital key to start playing immediately. Take a look below to discover the best way to score deals on Nintendo Switch games.

Best Places to Buy Digital Switch Games Online

By far, the best place to purchase digital Switch games is the Nintendo eShop. This is directly accessible from any Nintendo Switch console. The entire library of Nintendo Switch can be bought from the eShop, with many games exclusive to the platform. Since some games are digital-only, you won’t be able to buy physical or digital copies from retailers.

Speaking of, you can also buy certain digital games from online storefronts such as Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more. These retailers will offer digital codes that you can purchase, which are sent directly to your email inbox upon payment.

Overall, it’s important to pay attention to prices on both the Nintendo eShop and across retailers. The eShop tends to have many more sales throughout the year, but outlets like Amazon and Best Buy will offer discounted digital games for certain sales events that may be better than the eShop discounts.

Best Places to Buy Physical Switch Games Online

As the best place to buy physical Switch games, we recommend Amazon. With a Prime membership, it’s incredibly easy to purchase a physical Switch game and receive lighting fast shipping. Most of the time, you can get in stock Switch games within 24 hours. Plus, Amazon doesn’t charge your card for pre-orders of upcoming Switch games, as the company waits until the item is in stock.

There’s also other solid options like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Though, for the latter, you’ll want to be careful when purchasing, as sometimes Walmart has listings for European Switch games. These will work on your system fine, but some players do prefer to own North Amercian, ESRB-rated copies.

Beyond these picks, you can also find rare or limited Nintendo Switch physical copies at retailers like Limited Run Games and Video Games Plus. Since these games are either reprints or limited print runs, you won’t be able to find these at retailers like Amazon or Best Buy.

Beyond traditional retailers, you can even buy physical Switch games directly from Nintendo! Nintendo’s store has almost every Switch game published by the company available, and often, you’ll find discounted titles throughout random periods of the year.

Where Can You Still Find Switch Games in Stores

With the physical market slowly shrinking over the last few years, sometimes it can be difficult to find Switch games in store. Luckily, there are still dozens of stores that carry all sorts of Nintendo Switch games on their shelves. Although the company removed its collection of Blu-rays, Best Buy still offers plenty of Nintendo Switch games. It’s easy to walk into any store and browse the collection of 50+ physical games available, with most of Nintendo’s first-party offerings available.

Additionally, GameStop is a solid option. While we don’t necessarily recommend purchasing online from the retailer, it’s still easy to walk into any GameStop storefront and find a wide variety of Switch games available. In addition, other major retailers like Target and Walmart still offer physical games, but the offerings can vary depending on the store.

When Is the Best Time to Find Discounts on Switch Games

Collecting and purchasing Nintendo Switch games is not a cheap hobby, but you can offset some of that by buying when games are the cheapest during the year. There are many great times to buy video games, but we recommend holding off for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. By far, this is usually the best time to score discounts on Nintendo Switch games, both physically and digitally. Nintendo will discount many of its own titles, and you can score on hundreds of third party releases from major publishers.

The only main downside with this sales event is that Black Friday is at the end of the year, so it can almost become a waiting game in earlier parts of the year. Overall, this Holiday will be an exceptional time to buy Switch games, especially as Nintendo Switch 2 is coming soon.

While the best options for physical games are limited, it’s another story with digital games. The Nintendo eShop hosts countless sales events throughout the year, and it’s easy to find great deals. Our advice is to pay close attention to the news posts on the Nintendo Switch home page, as those will mention any new eShop sales on the horizon.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

The Knightling Is a Platformer That Lets You Use Your Shield as a Surfboard

If you’ve followed Doom:The Dark Ages at all, you’re likely aware the FPS prequel will find players carving through Hell’s hordes from behind a hulking shield equipped with an enemy-eviscerating spinning blade. And while all the, er, buzz surrounding this death-dealer seems justified, the hyped weapon may have some of its thunder stolen by The Knightlings’ Magnustego buckler, a defensive device with some cool tricks of its own.

But we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves.

The Knightling is an upcoming fantasy action-adventure focused on fast-paced combat and creative platforming. And it’s nothing at all like Doom:The Dark Ages. Well, except for that shield we mentioned a moment ago. You see, the story-driven, semi-open world game puts players in the boots of the titular squire, a young, eager apprentice thirsting for the sort of adventures typically undertaken by his master, the strong, stately Sir Lionstone.

The comparatively puny protagonist doesn’t have much in common with his long-maned mentor, but he does have access to his powerful shield. And that brings us back to the Magnustego. Also affectionately referred to as Magnus or Maggie, we got to take this potential-packed device for a test drive during our recent hands-on demo with The Knightling.

As our preview kicks off, our masked hero hoists the oversized, ornate shield before gazing upon the stretching lands surrounding him. Dubbed the Outskirts, the medieval-inspired, fantasy setting features a colorful, cozy look more akin to Breath of the Wild’s welcoming, outdoor environments than, say, the moody, foreboding lands dotting a Dark Souls’ game map.

Marked by lush, rolling hills, vibrant, flora-filled valleys, stunning cliff faces, and majestic waterfalls spilling into crystal-clear lakes and streams, the charming universe packs plenty of eye-pleasing appeal. A closer examination of moving objects – such as spinning windmill blades casting shadows on the ground below – also reveals some immersive lighting effects.

The world’s most impressive visual feat, however, is that it organically blends its natural beauty with a platforming paradise just begging to be played in. At first glance, The Knightling’s sprawling landscapes look similar to the high fantasy-inspired settings you’d navigate in any number of open-world action-RPGs. But its focus on fast-paced platforming and peppy traversal begets a seat-of-the-pants secret — your defensive device doubles as makeshift transportation, allowing you to quickly surf atop it throughout the Outskirts and beyond.

Shield-sliding isn’t necessarily a novel gameplay mechanic, but The Knightling manages to evolve and elevate it by not only making it the primary means of transportation, but also tailoring the world to encourage its use. So all that pretty scenery spied at the demo’s start also serves as a playground of sorts. Sloping rooftops are actually steep ramps, winding wall surfaces work as pathways, and shallow, snaking streams are essentially rails waiting to be grinded at top speed. Of course, you’re also welcome to traverse more obvious hills, trails, and other natural formations while piloting your new friend Magnus.

Using this unique method of transportation for quick trips is fun, but leveraging it to travel greater distances – by chaining the various interactions together – is an absolute blast. And that’s before you factor in additional agility-fueled tricks, such as double-jumps or the ability to catch even more air by bouncing off giant mushroom caps.

Shield-sliding isn’t necessarily a novel gameplay mechanic, but The Knightling manages to evolve and elevate it by not only making it the primary means of transportation, but also tailoring the world to encourage its use.

While we love treating the Outskirts like our own personal skate park, we soon discover there’s much more to do than spike our adrenaline. Stressed-out villagers need help and, unsurprisingly, their concerns soon morph into quests for the knight-in-training to accept. Before we know it, we’re settling land disputes and corralling farm animals.

These mission types might sound a bit like boring chores, but Maggie – or Magnus – manages to make even the most mundane tasks more fun. The real estate argument, for example, is resolved by measuring the distance between two points via a quick race-like challenge, while the animal-wrangling introduces a bit of shield-based puzzling and combat.

The conundrums mostly involve throwing the tool – Captain America style – at targets to trigger specific actions. It’s a lot like lever-pulling and button-pushing in other games, but with the shield working as a sort of middle-man. There’s also a dynamic day/night cycle, which can be sped up to aid in finding solutions.The puzzling is a bit simple, but these examples also represent the game’s very first head-scratchers, so hopefully they’ll grow more creative and complex deeper into the adventure.

The Knightling features an extensive combat-focused skill tree packed with upgrades for the protagonist.

Combat behind the shield feels more sophisticated, as the protagonist can unleash basic bash attacks, as well as block, parry, and bring pain from above with aerial blows. Hurling the weapon mid-jump also slows the action, allowing for some extra strategy and cinematic style. As with the platforming, fighting is far more rewarding when combining and chaining the various options in your arsenal.

And it seems there’ll be plenty of potential in that regard, as The Knightling features an extensive combat-focused skill tree packed with upgrades for the protagonist. Our demo doesn’t dig too deep into the progression paths, but we are able to invest some shiny, collected currency into a powerful move dubbed the “Velocity Attack.” Leveraging the momentum of a shield-slide, we execute the maneuver to forcefully knock back targets with a series of lightning-quick spin attacks.

Despite some finicky targeting, we’re able to couple our default abilities with this newly acquired skill to make light work of low-level minions. That said, we’re quickly sent packing upon encountering more aggressive threats toward the end of our hands-on time. While being reduced to pulp is never fun, our unceremonious defeats confirm the button-mashing that’d served us so well earlier didn’t represent the extent of the combat’s depth. Upon respawning for the third time, we begin adopting additional strategies and tactics to take down larger, sword-wielding enemies.

Our time came up just as the story was getting good and the gameplay was evolving.

Sadly, even our more thoughtful approach to combat can’t save us from the first armored attacker we meet. Swinging a respectable blade and sporting a beefy helmet, the baddie needs to have its armor knocked off before we can bring it down. Unfortunately, our prior investment in the “Velocity Attack” doesn’t leave us enough coin to acquire the upgrade necessary to strip the foe of its defenses.

This disheartening realization soon brings our preview to a close, but it also hypes us up for our inevitable return to the Outskirts. In addition to revisiting the skill tree with hindsight on our side – and demanding a rematch – we look forward to tackling some other unfinished business.

For starters, our time came up just as the story was getting good and the gameplay was evolving. It seems Sir Lionstone has set off on a very dangerous quest, and his brave apprentice is determined to join him. Doing so, however, requires the gift of flight, a Magnus mod that appears to be next on our to-do list. Even better, a second, shield-focused skill tree suggests the device won’t just see us soaring, but will ultimately earn enough upgrades to shame a Swiss Army knife.

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Of course, The Knightling’s proposed 15-hour campaign also promises collectibles, side quests, and other activities that’ll no doubt be made more absorbing when tackled with the Magnustego multi-tool. We can’t wait to find out, and discover all The Knightling has to offer when it lands – probably before Doom: The Dark Ages – sometime next year.