Spoiler Warning: This article contains some spoilers for the ending of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt alongside a handful of minor spoilers from The Witcher book series.
A Witcher 3 modder has discovered and restored a huge chunk of gameplay cut from the beloved role-playing game’s ending by developer CD Projekt.
This extended ending, outlined by YouTuber xLetalis and modded by glassfish777, begins after protagonist Geralt’s fight with Witcher 3’s main antagonist, Eredin of The Wild Hunt. Geralt is pulled away from this fight after his victory by potential partner and powerful sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg in the actual game, but in the cut content instead wakes up in a tent, being seen to by two doctors.
A restored cutscene here shows the pair making a bet over whether or not Geralt lives, and the witcher wakes up with his own snappy response: “I’ll take that bet.” He eventually leaves the tent and encounters Yennefer in a scene with varying dialogue depending on if players entered a relationship with her or fellow sorceress Triss Merigold.
Geralt can ask who won the war here, and Yennefer responds by explaining the Skelligans fled the war after the death of Crach an Craite, whose death during the battle wasn’t mentioned again in the full game.
Subsequent scenes show just how much CD Projekt scrapped here, as entire groups of miscellaneous background characters are fitted with their own dialogue. Some are veterans of Cintra, for example, a story from the book series and Nilfgaard’s first venture north, while others have unique dialogue about murdering someone.
Geralt then attends Crach’s funeral, meeting Triss on the way. This too has varying paths depending on who became the new king or queen of Skellige. Further interactions show a conversation between Yennefer and Triss and Geralt meeting The Lodge of Sorceresses.
It’s this final point which has the most dramatic story change to the main game and general Witcher lore, however. The Lodge is essentially a secret society of powerful sorceresses who seek to control the myriad countries of The Continent from behind the scenes, only featured briefly in Witcher 3 as Geralt reunites them to help fight The Wild Hunt. After the battle, however, it’s not mentioned again. But Yennefer betrays The Lodge in this version.
She does have a complex relationship with its members, told throughout myriad books and games, but Yennefer’s decision comes as part of a deal to save Ciri, as she essentially sells them off to Nilfgaardian emperor Emhyr var Emreis, who seemingly plans to kill them.
Geralt can respond in three different ways, which again unfold to grander repercussions, but he doesn’t appear to be particularly happy with Yennefer regardless of the option chosen. Witcher fans will likely long debate whether or not this should have happened in the game, and why it was removed in the first place.
This sequence took place immediately after what’s essentially the final boss fight though, and preceding another intense scene where Geralt and Yennefer rush across an island as monsters emerge from portals all around them, so it was perhaps just cut for the sake of pacing.
This deleted content is the first major discovery following the release of REDkit: an official modding tool for Witcher 3 released by CD Projekt in May 2024. The developer announced REDkit in November 2023, saying “it will allow you to create your own experiences in the game by making something completely new or editing existing quests and content.”
It didn’t say anything about fans digging up its own scrapped content, however, and more does exist. CD Projekt has previously commented on cut missions related to Iorveth from The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, for example, so perhaps fans will revive that and other sequences too.
Call of Duty dataminers are doing their thing yet again, this time unearthing what looks like evidence of an unannounced Deadpool & Wolverine crossover coming to Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone.
Dataminers have a long history of discovering files that reveal unannounced content for Activision’s first-person shooter behemoth. The recent Fallout, Gundam, and Warhammer 40,000 crossovers were all datamined ahead of release. There’s even evidence to suggest a The Crow crossover is coming to Call of Duty to coincide with the upcoming The Crow movie reboot starring Bill Skarsgard.
Now, dataminer ‘crashfty‘ has shared brief video clips showing what looks like finishing moves inspired by Ryan Reynolds’ depiction of Deadpool. We see a soldier rest on the ground before executing their enemy, then in another clip they wave sarcastically after the kill — all very Deadpool things.
There’s no word yet on any files that look like they hint at Wolverine executions, however, nor is there word of new skins. But with Deadpool & Wolverine the movie set to come out on July 26, assuming this crossover is real we’ll no-doubt hear more soon.
Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone are currently in the middle of Season 4, with Season 5 expected to launch on July 24, 2024 just ahead of the release of the Deadpool & Wolverine movie. Activision has yet to detail what to expect. It’s also preparing to launch Black Ops 6 in October. It’s worth noting that Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 content will not carry forward to Black Ops 6.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Sega has big ambitions for the Crazy Taxi reboot — it’s described it as an open-world, massively multiplayer AAA game.
Crazy Taxi is a driving game series that first appeared in arcades in 1999 before ports on consoles such as the Dreamcast saw it enjoy popularity in the home. You play a taxi driver who speeds through the city to deliver passengers to their destinations, performing stunts to earn points along the way.
Now, in a developer-focused video interview reported on and translated by Automaton, Sega offered more information, confirming Crazy Taxi is a “large-scale, open-world, massively multiplayer driving game” powered by Unreal Engine.
Producer Kenji Kanno said that the new Crazy Taxi can be played by many players at once, with the goal of maintaining the classic Crazy Taxi style amid these new mechanics. There’s mention of a theme park-like map and motifs inspired by the U.S. West Coast. As Automaton noted, one image reveals the player driving a police car, suggestion new types of modes.
There is no release date yet for the Crazy Taxi reboot or the other new games announced at last year’s Game Awards. Last month, it was reported that Sega is developing a remake of the original Jet Set Radio as a separate project to the officially announced franchise reboot, with screenshots and footage popping up online.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 open beta is canceled so the development team can focus on getting the game ready for launch.
Developer Saber Interactive and publisher Focus Entertainment announced the change of plan in a post on the Space Marine 2 Steam page, and offered a limited Bolt Pistol skin to those who’d registered as an apology gift.
“We know this is disappointing news for some of you.
“Over the past few weeks, we have seen incredible excitement around the game, both online and at the shows during the North American tour,” Saber said. “Our teams at Focus and Saber have been truly blown away by your passion, and we’ve loved seeing the fan art, reactions and memes that you have shared so far.
“Space Marine 2 is almost ready. We are now entirely focused on optimization, polish and fixing remaining issues ahead of launch on September 9. This means we will not run a public online beta, as it would take the development teams away from preparing for the full launch, and our priority is to ensure the best possible experience at release.
“We know this is disappointing news for some of you. As a thank you to those interested in participating, players who registered via the online signup before June 28, 2024, midnight Paris Time, will receive the limited Bolt Pistol skin below.
“We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we work towards delivering the exceptional game you deserve.”
Space Marine 2 is a third-person action game based on Games Workshop’s grimdark tabletop wargame that sees the Ultramarines chapter of Space Marines go up against the Tyranids and the Chaos Marines.
You play Lieutenant Titus of the Ultramarines and battle to fend off a Tyranid invasion, with Thousand Sons Chaos Marines thrown in for good measure. There’s a story-focused campaign, a brand-new three-player co-op mode called Operations that lets you join forces with up to two friends, and a competitive multiplayer mode that pits Space Marines against Chaos Marines in 6v6 PvP.
For more on Space Marine 2, be sure to check out our Gamescom 2023 preview, where we got a closer look at how its Chainsword combat will blend with the over-the-shoulder shooter action.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on September 9, 2024.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Hot on the heels of the release of DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, George R. R. Martin has teased an Elden Ring movie or TV show.
In a post on his blog, the Game of Thrones author wrote about winning awards, and in doing so strongly suggested an adaptation of FromSoftware’s masterpiece is indeed in the works.
“Oh, and about those rumors you may have heard about a feature film or television series based on Elden Ring… I have nothing to say,” he said. “Not a word, nope, not a thing, I know nothing, you never heard a peep from me, mum mum mum. What rumor?”
I know nothing, you never heard a peep from me, mum mum mum.
As George R. R. Martin stated in the blog post, the famed fantasy author “did the worldbuilding” for Elden Ring, whereas FromSoftware chief Hidetaka Miyazaka and his team “did all the rest.” Now it does indeed seem like an Elden Ring movie or TV series is actually happening, George R. R. Martin will likely be involved in some capacity.
An Elden Ring movie has often come up as a possibility, with fans pondering how it might be adapted. Miyazaki himself revealed recently that he would be open to an adaptation of the studio’s 25 million-selling 2022 action role-playing game, but only if a “very strong partner” were to come into play.
“I don’t see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation of Elden Ring, a movie for example,” explained Miyazaki in an interview with The Guardian. “But I don’t think myself, or FromSoftware, have the knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium.”
“So that’s where a very strong partner would come into play,” continued Miyazaki. “We’d have to build a lot of trust and agreement on whatever it is we’re trying to achieve, but there’s interest, for sure.”
Meanwhile, Shadow of the Erdtree has sold wonderfully well, shifting five million copies in just three days. IGN’s Shadow of the Erdtree review returned a 10/10. We said: “Like the base game did before it, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree raises the bar for single-player DLC expansions. It takes everything that made the base game such a landmark RPG, condenses it into a relatively compact 20-25 hour campaign, and provides fantastic new challenges for heavily invested fans to chew on.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Sunday is here, and we’ve rounded up some of the best deals you can find this weekend. Whether you’re searching for a new gaming headset or a new game to pick up on sale, there are plenty of options this weekend. The best deals for Sunday, June 30, include the Toshiba C350 75″ TV, HyperX CloudX Headset, Street Fighter 6, Suzume, Danganronpa Decadence, and more.
Toshiba C350 75″ TV for $469.99
It’s not too often that you can score a 75″ TV for under $500, but Amazon has the Toshiba C350 available for only $469.99 this weekend. While this isn’t an OLED TV, the C350 is a 4K TV that makes for an excellent outdoor TV. Plus, with the newly announced Xbox app coming to Fire TVs, you can play Xbox games straight from this TV if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.
HyperX CloudX Headset for $29.99
The CloudX is officially licensed for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, so you can play worry-free knowing you’re getting a reliable headset. HyperX prioritized sound with this headset, with enhanced bass reproduction and clear highs, lows, and mids for all-around immersion. It’s worth noting that the CloudX can be used on PC, but you’ll need a splitter to get both microphone input and audio output due to the design of this headset.
Street Fighter 6 for $29.99
Street Fighter 6 is one of the most popular fighting games out there, with the second year of DLC just starting. M. Bison is officially out now, with an exciting new look and plenty of surprises with his moveset. Now is a great time to pick up SF6 and grab the Year 2 DLC as we look toward Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Elena.
Danganronpa Decadence for $29.99
Danganronpa Decadence packs in the main three titles in the Danganronpa franchise: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition. Additionally, Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, a fourth game, is included in the package and features board game-style gameplay. If you’ve never played any of the Danganronpa titles, this is a great chance to pick the entire series up for just $30.
Suzume Blu-ray for $22.17
Suzume is the latest film from Makoto Shinkai, Director of Your Name, Weathering with You, and The Garden of Words. The film follows Suzume as she encounters Souta, a man who travels throughout the world to close doors. With gorgeous visuals and an intriguing story, Suzume is an easy recommendation for any anime fan – especially at this price.
Samba de Amigo for $14.99
Released just last year, you can pick up the latest Samba de Amigo rhythm title for just $14.99 on Nintendo Switch. This matches the previous low of the title. It’s been quite a while since the last entry, and this one packs a punch with dozens of new songs. Multiple DLC packs based on SEGA properties have already released for the game, including Like a Dragon, Persona 5 Royal, and Sonic.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD for $9.99
If you picked up Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble earlier this week, you might be close to finished with the main levels if you’ve played quite a bit. For more Monkey Ball fun, this sweet discount on Banana Blitz HD is a great option! Over 100 levels are available to play through, with ten different multiplayer games you can start up with your friends. Join AiAi and the others and score at the top of the leaderboards!
Save 30% Off The Art of Spider-Man 2
This 256 page hardcover art book is perfect for any fan of Insomniac’s Spider-Man series. As a collaboration between Marvel Games and Dark Horse Books, The Art of Spider-Man 2 features never-before-seen concept art of the game, including looks at Miles and Peter, the villains, and some of the setpieces used in the game. If you’re interested in how the new suits were desgined, this is a great reference book with loads of commentary from designers and developers alike.
Pick Up the Dead Space Remake for $29.99
Dead Space launched last January, and this is a great time to pick up the game if you haven’t already. This remake features an impressive use of technology and a completely modernized combat system. Special attention has been put on the audio, with 3D Audio technology utilized for an immersive experience. You can expect loads of thrills and horror as you look to escape the stranded ship. The USG Ishimura has never looked better or been scarier.
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Sweep the Board! for $39.99
Sweep the Board! is the latest game from Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba-, focusing on a fun, party-like title that is extremely similar to Mario Party. You play as Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the rest of the Demon Slayer cast as they traverse through multiple party boards and complete minigames against each other.
ASUS ROG 65W Charger Dock for $29.99
Best Buy currently has the ROG 65W Charger Dock available for $29.99. This device is the perfect accessory if you’re looking to play with your handheld PC on the big screen. With its minimal size, you can easily pack it in a bag with no issues. This device works with both the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck, as it just requires a USB-C port to pass through both power and display.
Persona 3 Reload Collector’s Edition for $99.99
Persona 3 Reload launched earlier this year as an expanded and enhanced version of Persona 3 for modern platforms. The game features remade character assets and sprites, unique combat animations, updates to gameplay, and more. The Collector’s Edition features an art book, soundtrack, and an exclusive Aigis figure.
At gamescom latam 2024, we had the chance to check out some brand-new gameplay firsthand of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, and it included a look at such newly announced characters in action like Mr. Satan and Future Trunks as well as a glimpse of the story mode.
This preview followed a new Sword vs. Fist trailer that showcased just some of the 160 characters that will be part of this latest entry in the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series, including Super Vegito, Jiren, Roasie, Ribrianne, Yajirobe, Spopovich, Dabura, Anilaza, Goku (Super) Ultra Instinct – Sign-, and Goku Black Super Saiyan Rose.
In our new look, which you can see below, we get to see more of the Battle Mode that lets you practice against CPU or jump online to take on others around the world. Gameplay also took center stage and we got to see some of the unique abilities each character has, including Majin Vegeta’s Final Explosion that deals a ton of damage but leaves the player with 1 HP for a chance to fight on.
While we didn’t get to learn a ton more about the story mode and its branching paths – you can alter parts of the canon Dragon Ball story with your decisions – we did get to see certain scenes like the battle against Raditz. For those unfamiliar, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will take players through both Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super and star eight characters, including Goku and Vegeta.
Bandai Namco revealed to us that Goku has the largest number of stages, beginning with his fight with Raditz and going all the way through the Tournament of Power Saga.
If that wasn’t enough, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will have a ton of support post-launch in the form of 3 DLC packs that will add more than 20 playable characters from the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie and Dragon Ball Daima series.
Are you tired of stressing about keeping up with the latest board games, the hottest new expansions, or being on the outside looking in when wanting to start a new hobby? We’ve all been there. The barrier to entry for many tabletop, card, and board games can sometimes be high, with some games’ starter kits starting well over $100. It can be intimidating to get into certain board games due to budget, and that’s a shame.
Whether you’re getting that special gamer in your life a birthday gift or hosting a casual game night with close friends, plenty of budget options exist that are sure to scratch that itch. And we’ve compiled some of our favorites right here!
Qwirkle is one of a tiny handful of games that have won the biggest trophy in the scene, the Spiel des Jahres, and gone on to become a mainstream hit in its own right. And what’s more, you can now pick up a copy for under $30. Its success is down to a combination of intuitive gameplay and addictive tactical smarts. The game pieces are tiles with differently coloured shapes on them, and on your turn you can play any number that share a colour or shape, into a line or column that shares the same colour or shape. You then score a point for each tile in the sequence, plus a bonus if you complete a set of six shapes or colours. The result combines the familiar spatial strategies of Scrabble with all sorts of head-spinning opportunities to set up future plays or block opponents.
Boss Monster
A personal favorite of mine, Boss Monster is a love-letter to a bygone era of early pixel art RPG video games, filled to the brim with heroes, dungeons, spells, and of course, boss monsters. In it, you are the boss monster, building your dungeon and setting various traps to kill the heroes before they slay you first. Each Boss card has unique abilities that will inform your dungeon-building strategy, and you can even disrupt your opponents’ dungeons by buffing heroes adventuring through them. Boss Monster is designed for 2-4 players, and the 10th Anniversary edition of this replayable classic also comes with 15 brand new cards.
The Chameleon
The Chameleon is an easy to pick up, quick-to-play social deduction game. At the beginning of the round, players are dealt face down cards, one of them being the Chameleon. Players not dealt this card are then issued a secret code word, unbeknownst to the Chameleon, and must use tricky wordplay and conversation to oust the Chameleon, all while that player tries their best to blend in. This is great for quick rounds, parties, or the local brewery.
Decrypto
Decrypto is another clever wordplay game — make sure you have plenty of extra paper and pencils ready to go just in case. Each round consists of two teams, with one player from either team working to decipher a secret code and pass it onto their team. The other team has the opportunity to steal if you fail to pass along the code. Set up is quick and easy, and the secret code pieces are plentiful enough that you won’t have much overlap for multiple games. Highly team-oriented and fast-paced rounds make Decrypto a must-play for larger gaming groups.
Board Games Under $20
Targi
Sometimes cheap games are fairly light affairs, great for family time, but less so for long-term investments that grow on you over time. Targi is a rare exception, a two-player only title that comes in at around 20 dollars, but which can last a lifetime of exploration. Play involves a grid of randomly placed cards around which you place pieces against a row or column, locking that position up from your opponent, and you’ll eventually gain the cards at the intersections where your placements meet. Some give you resources, while the point-scoring cards you’ll need to win cost them, but there are severe limits on how much of either you can collect. Combining tense tactical placement with head-scratching hand and resource management, this is a gem you can pick up for a bargain price.
Hand Games 21
Games don’t come much cheaper than those you can play with your hands alone, like Rock, Paper, Scissors. And for the modest entry fee of fifteen bucks, you can add 21 new hand games to your repertoire, all of which are much better and more creative than that hoary old chestnut. Your hands will be transformed into those of a wizard, hurling spells at your opponents, or those of a banker, grabbing and counting wads of cash at lightning speed. If you want something a little less action-oriented, there are puzzle games involving hidden fingers and social deduction games that eschew the traditional cards and dice. It’s an impressive feat of design chops, and it doesn’t involve your feet at all. And of course, once someone’s invested the price of the book, you can spread the games to your friends for free.
Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls
A Tarot card-inspired horror-themed board game, Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls is a cooperative strategy game in which players must work together to defeat the numerous monsters and horrors they’ll face. The catch: one player is secretly a traitor, trying to bring about the one true Curse. Highly stylized and macabre art makes this a great gift for horror fans. This standalone card game consists of over 90 Item, Curse, Character, and Omen cards, creating endless potential for a fresh and exciting experience each time you play. Also check out our Betrayal at House on the Hill buyer’s guide.
You’re Getting Old
Best enjoyed by skinny-jean-wearing, avocado-toast-eating, will-never-be-able-to-afford-a-house Millennials, You’re Getting Old is a classic “never have I ever” style card game that tells you that yes, you are in fact getting old. To start the round, each player draws a card with prompts that make them old and ones that redeem them. If you can answer what “deadass” means, you’re redeemed and move down a space using your avocado token. The player who gets to the highest space first by being old ends the game, and whoever has the lowest position wins. Quick and easy set up, and great for making fun of your friends.
Coup
Looking to test out your lying abilities? Coup is the game for you. In it, players fight over gaining or losing influence as they struggle to be the last one standing. Take actions to steal currency from another player, or counteractions to block foreign aid or stealing. Subterfuge is at the forefront here, as you’ll often have the opportunity to use character card abilities you may not actually control, but be warned: other players can challenge you, and if you’re caught, you lose influence. When you lose your two influence cards, you’re out of the game and the next round begins until one player is left.
Board Games Under $10
Say Anything
If you want to thrill a big group of players with a brilliant party game you can pick up on the cheap, you won’t do better than Say Anything. Players take turns drawing a question card and picking one to ask: everyone else then writes and reveals their answer. Once they’re all public, everyone secretly bets on which answer the question-asker will like the best before the big reveal, when you’ll find out who’s hit the jackpot and who’s going empty-handed into the next round. Like all the best party games, it’s a very simple formula that’s likely to inspire some big laughs and some spicy table chat, and at this price it’s entirely worth adding to your after dinner party repertoire.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
A quick, easy, and insanely addictive card game, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is perfect for families and will put your reflexes to the test. The goal is to get rid of all the cards in your hand, and doing so requires focus and concentration. Players take turns in a clockwise order, and you say aloud either taco, cat, goat, cheese, or pizza in that order while playing your card. If the word you say and the face-up card match, players must slap the card and the last player to do so adds the face-up pile to their deck. This makes for great laughs and all-around competitive silliness that is well worth its price.
Poop
Similar to Uno, Poop the Game is a numbers-based strategy card game where the goal is to dump (no pun intended) your hand to win. Each round has players take turns pooping but be wary not to clog the toilet: if you play the card that makes the poop pile exceed the number on the toilet card, you take all of those cards, and the round starts over. There are also special cards that reverse turn order and color-based strategies to “flush” the toilet. Thankfully, Poop the Game has no scratch and sniff components.
Couch Skeletons
Super quick and easy set up and short play time makes Couch Skeletons a great pick for a small gift or travel game. You and another player take turns placing numbered skeletons on one of five couches, with the card you play being either one number higher or lower than the skeletons in play. If you have no cards to play, you then discard your hand, and the next round starts by drawing three cards. The goal is to get rid of all your cards from both your hands and empty the draw decks, and you win when you’ve played all your cards and aren’t able to draw.
The weekend has officially kicked off, and we’ve rounded up some of the best deals you can find this weekend. Whether you’re searching for a new gaming headset or a new game to pick up on sale, there are plenty of options this weekend. The best deals for Saturday, June 29, include the HyperX CloudX Headset, Street Fighter 6, Danganronpa Decadence, and more.
HyperX CloudX Headset for $29.99
The CloudX is officially licensed for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, so you can play worry-free knowing you’re getting a reliable headset. HyperX prioritized sound with this headset, with enhanced bass reproduction and clear highs, lows, and mids for all-around immersion. It’s worth noting that the CloudX can be used on PC, but you’ll need a splitter to get both microphone input and audio output due to the design of this headset.
Street Fighter 6 for $29.99
Street Fighter 6 is one of the most popular fighting games out there, with the second year of DLC just starting. M. Bison is officially out now, with an exciting new look and plenty of surprises with his moveset. Now is a great time to pick up SF6 and grab the Year 2 DLC as we look toward Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Elena.
Danganronpa Decadence for $29.99
Danganronpa Decadence packs in the main three titles in the Danganronpa franchise: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition. Additionally, Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, a fourth game, is included in the package and features board game-style gameplay. If you’ve never played any of the Danganronpa titles, this is a great chance to pick the entire series up for just $30.
Samba de Amigo for $14.99
Released just last year, you can pick up the latest Samba de Amigo rhythm title for just $14.99 on Nintendo Switch. This matches the previous low of the title. It’s been quite a while since the last entry, and this one packs a punch with dozens of new songs. Multiple DLC packs based on SEGA properties have already released for the game, including Like a Dragon, Persona 5 Royal, and Sonic.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD for $9.99
If you picked up Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble earlier this week, you might be close to finished with the main levels if you’ve played quite a bit. For more Monkey Ball fun, this sweet discount on Banana Blitz HD is a great option! Over 100 levels are available to play through, with ten different multiplayer games you can start up with your friends. Join AiAi and the others and score at the top of the leaderboards!
Pick Up the Dead Space Remake for $29.99
Dead Space launched last January, and this is a great time to pick up the game if you haven’t already. This remake features an impressive use of technology and a completely modernized combat system. Special attention has been put on the audio, with 3D Audio technology utilized for an immersive experience. You can expect loads of thrills and horror as you look to escape the stranded ship. The USG Ishimura has never looked better or been scarier.
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Sweep the Board! for $39.99
Sweep the Board! is the latest game from Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba-, focusing on a fun, party-like title that is extremely similar to Mario Party. You play as Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the rest of the Demon Slayer cast as they traverse through multiple party boards and complete minigames against each other.
In April 1908, Newcastle upon Tyne man Gladstone Adams was driving his Darracq-Charron motorcar back from the FA Cup final between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Newcastle had lost and, to make matters worse, Adams’ journey home was being delayed by snow. That is, it kept covering his windscreen and he had to repeatedly stop and get out of the car to clear it.
Some kind of innovation was needed. There had to be something that would help people see where they were going.
As it turned out, there was; a few years later Adams invented his own windscreen wiper. He patented the design and became one of several people from around the beginning of the 1900s credited with conceiving of similar devices, although his version of the windscreen wiper never made it into production.
3D driving games had quickly become Reflections’ specialty, but the team knew you couldn’t tread water in a genre long famous for being on the cutting edge of video game technology.
Nearly a century down the track, Newcastle upon Tyne developer Reflections had found itself riding high on a purple patch of PlayStation success, propelled by the popular Destruction Derby series it had developed for legendary British publisher Psygnosis. 3D driving games had quickly become Reflections’ specialty, but the team knew you couldn’t tread water in a genre long famous for being on the cutting edge of video game technology. Some kind of innovation was needed. Something that would help people see where the future of driving games was going.
As it turned out, Reflections founder Martin Edmondson had just such an idea – and, unlike their fellow Novocastrian’s windscreen wipers, Edmondson’s idea did make it into production.
And it completely redefined what a driving game could be, forever.
Founded in 1984, Reflections spent the bulk of its first decade building action games for early home computers like the BBC Micro and Amiga, but by the mid ’90s it would become a house of horsepower. Reflections established its panel-punishing prowess on PlayStation very early; indeed, the original Destruction Derby was released in October 1995. At this stage, it had barely been a month since the original PlayStation had officially launched in the West.
A highly praised sequel arrived just over a year later, with a raft of technical improvements, and in 1997 Reflections released the competent but unremarkable Monster Trucks (otherwise known as Thunder Truck Rally in North America). However, while the Destruction Derby series would continue, the partnership between Reflections and publisher Psygnosis would not.
Unshackled from its publisher commitments, Reflections pivoted to something else. That something else was Driver, and it was going to be something special. GT Interactive certainly thought so. By December 1998, it was so impressed the publisher literally bought Reflections entirely.
Driver, which first launched in June 1999, was unlike anything that had come before it. These days it seems less common for a game to come along and establish the foundations of what’s essentially a brand new sub-genre, but wind the clock back a couple of decades and it was happening with steady regularity. In the scheme of driving games, Driver was truly one-of-a-kind.
Driver did more than just take the brash, car chase gameplay from the original top-down Grand Theft Auto games and bring it to life in 3D.
Driver did more than just take the brash, car chase gameplay from the original top-down Grand Theft Auto games and bring it to life in 3D – it distilled the mayhem of some of Hollywood’s greatest ever car chase classics and made them playable.
Smokey and the Bandit, The Blues Brothers, The Cannonball Run, Bullitt – the team took inspiration from countless car chase classics. Martin Edmondson was particularly passionate about them; Walter Hill’s 1978 film The Driver was one of the first movies he ever saw at a cinema.
The Driver, a minimalist neo-noir action thriller set in the underbelly of LA, was not particularly successful upon its release – but it has amassed an admirable legacy. It didn’t just inspire Driver, that is; Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film Drive respectfully shares several thematic similarities, it was a core inspiration for Edgar Wright’s 2017 film Baby Driver, and it’s been referenced on multiple occasions by Quentin Tarantino.
The Driver’s influence on Driver the game goes far beyond the name, too. The infamous garage test at the beginning of Driver’s story mode was directly inspired by a strikingly similar scene in The Driver, where Ryan O’Neal’s unnamed getaway driver meticulously mangles a Mercedes (all while still keeping it drivable) in a calculated display of his precision driving abilities. The twist in Driver is that players are punished for denting the car. Ironically, doing so will trigger the very same car crash sound effect specifically used in this very scene in The Driver (alongside a host of other car chase movies from the ’70s and ’80s, mostly from 20th Century Fox).
Driver’s garage test is regarded by some as harder than any mission in the game that followed, although I can’t imagine that’s a sentiment that any Driver fan who actually played the game’s finale would share (‘The President’s Run’ is monumentally more difficult than the garage test). Playing and completing the test for the first time in many, many years, I can’t help but wonder whether its reputation as an uncommonly gruelling challenge is a little overblown. Admittedly, Driver was essentially a religion for me during the last year-or-so of the original PlayStation so I’m not the best gauge – but I’ll note my 15-year-old son needed just four cracks to beat it, playing on original hardware. So I can’t say it stumped him, either.
That said, if you did in fact bounce off Driver because of its unfriendly first mission, you missed out on an absolutely amazing and unprecedented driving experience.
Sliding behind the wheel of a slate of ’70s muscle cars as former race driver-turned-undercover cop Tanner, it was your job to lay rubber across four US cities – Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York – all in the name of high-speed justice. Each of these cities are fascinatingly distinct. Sun-drenched Miami features lengthy causeways and addictive bridge leaps, while San Francisco is packed with drastic elevation changes, trams, and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. LA’s missions occur exclusively at night, amplifying the seediness (and again paying homage to The Driver, in which director Hill deliberately shot all the chase sequences for at night). New York is a dense maze of grids and tunnels, framed with high buildings.
The maps were incredible, but so too was the handling. Driver’s hulking American pony cars and land yachts weren’t exactly rapid or nimble by typical gaming standards for the time, but they were nonetheless outstandingly satisfying to throw into elbows-out powerslides and over huge jumps (where the era-accurate suspension would often see them bouncing a second time as the soggy springs absorbed their All-American bulk).
From its flying hubcaps to its fabulous funk soundtrack, Driver’s dedication to bringing the spirit of ’70s and ’80s car chases back to life on PlayStation was dazzling.
From its flying hubcaps to its fabulous funk soundtrack, Driver’s dedication to bringing the spirit of ’70s and ’80s car chases back to life on PlayStation was dazzling. Sentimentally speaking, it’s one of my favourite games of all time. Depending on what mood you catch me in, it may be my outright favourite, ever.
For clarity, Reflections didn’t quite break through alone. Angel Studios’ Midtown Madness did, after all, speed onto PCs in 1999 also (a few weeks before Driver hit PlayStation). An open world racer set in Chicago, Midtown Madness set the tone for taking traditional racing to the streets. Open worlds would become the studio’s area of expertise, and Angel Studios (now Rockstar San Diego) would later flex that strength in the likes of Midnight Club, Smuggler’s Run, and Red Dead Redemption.
Still, that Ubisoft has let the legacy of Driver languish since the release of 2011’s much-loved Driver: San Francisco is downright depressing. A groundbreaking achievement in every way, Driver deserves so much better.
That Ubisoft has let the legacy of Driver languish since the release of 2011’s much-loved Driver: San Francisco is downright depressing.
Today, Driver is a relic. In 1999, however, Driver was truly ahead of its time. A pioneer. Contemporaneous audiences agreed. Or, at least, the ones that could pass the first mission did. It’s one of the top 30 best-selling games on PlayStation, ever. Wedged roughly somewhere between the acclaimed super sequel Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 and monster hit Resident Evil 3, Driver was certainly no sales slouch.
In other words, it’s more than some curio in the history of open world driving games that some gamers may otherwise believe began with the likes of Grand Theft Auto III.
Perhaps you disagree. After all, all Reflections had to do was assemble four, enormous free-roaming city environments (the likes of which had never been built before), craft AI that could respond and effectively pursue players through them (which didn’t exist), compliment it with a class-leading vehicular damage system (that few racing developers of the era seemed capable of matching), and throw in a full replay editor for players to create custom car movies (on a console with 2MB of RAM).
Easy, right?
Well, in the words of Driver’s own tricky tutorial: show us what you can do.
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can chat to him on Twitter @MrLukeReilly.
