Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has called on the game’s community to cease what it called “threats and toxicity” over mod support, insisting conversations around new features “take time”.
Ever since Baldur’s Gate 3 came out in August 2023, players who use mods have been frustrated with having to uninstall, reinstall, update, and re-juggle their mods every time a new patch is released. So last week’s announcement that official mod support is on its way was seen as a positive. However, it seems a vocal minority within the community has taken things too far.
In a series of tweets, Larian director of publishing Michael Douse said, in order for the developer to continue its healthy relationship with its community, the threats need to stop.
“We’ll be talking in depth about what our mod support will look like soon,” Douse said. “Been working on it since launch. As always, we’ll discuss it in our way with our community. Threats and toxicity against our devs and community teams will only harm the conversation. Please stop that.
“This is a game that went from around two million players to way over 10 in a very short space of time, so it’s natural the conversation becomes muddier and complex. But in order to maintain the same level of dialogue, we need people to understand that these conversations take time.
“We can’t do it at all without the dedicated community teams that work to untangle a giant web of noise into something we can work with for the benefit of everyone. If you truly want to know things about the game, please don’t chip away at the people who connect us all.
“99.9% of our community are the absolute best and it’s because of them, thankfully, that my community team persevere. But I suppose it was inevitable that when you have a city, a few bad eggs will start a fire.
“Until then, BG3 does not yet have mod support. Don’t get angry at mod authors, support teams, community, or developers. Our focus is to patch the game while working on future mod support. I understand why it’s frustrating, so what we all need to do is focus on that future.
“Next week I’ll have a discussion about community moderation with our comms teams and restate our desire for continued closeness with our communities and updates based on when and what we can say. But we are working too hard for this to proliferate.
“To finish, again, we can only be close if we can work close. If we cannot do that, and we have to draw distance, it’ll really suck for everyone, especially us and definitely you. Please help us to work for the greater good of the millions of people who are involved and chill.”
Toxicity is unfortunately of serious concern to the development community. In January, the developer of Palworld said it had received death threats amid the game’s Pokémon rip-off claims. Last year, a new survey from the Game Developers Conference revealed a majority of game developers see harassment from players as a major problem for the industry. Of the 2,300 developers surveyed, 91% said player harassment and toxicity towards developers was an issue. 42% said it was a “very serious” issue.
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 Nier community is currently aflutter after what some are taking to be a tease for Nier 3.
The apparent tease comes from the recent Nier: Orchestra Concert in London, where the word R3PENT was apparently displayed at the end of the show.
“Anecdote from the Nier London concert but Yoko Taro took the stage at the end, told the audience that the Square Enix president was in the crowd and that if we wanted an Automata sequel to give the loudest applause of the night,” said ResetEra user SanTheSly.
“The room immediately erupted into claps, cheers and yells. How much of what Taro said is true is up for debate but the case was made abundantly clear in person to Taro himself, at the very least. Mild concert content spoilers follow.
“Also at one point during the story of the show; the word REPENT was shown repeatedly as part of some dialogue. The final instance was spelled as R3PENT. Both me and the person I’d gone with picked up on it and wondered if this was a tease.”
That ResetEra post was picked up on elsewhere, and now Nier fans are wondering if it’s all leading towards the reveal of the much-wanted third game in the series. But as many fans have pointed out, R3PENT may be nothing more than a part of the concert. After all, Yoko Taro is known for having fun with Nier fans.
Nier: Automata is seven years old with no new mainline game announced so far. Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito said in November 2023 that while Nier chief Yoko Taro is alive, another entry in the Nier series will be released at some point.
Action role-playing game Nier: Automata launched in 2017 and wowed critics and fans with its vast locations and zany combat. It was a surprise breakout hit for Square Enix and went on to sell an impressive eight million copies. There have been many crossover events since, plus Nier-related promotions, a remaster of the first game, and even a Nier anime.
Nier 3, then, would make a lot of sense. It seems a matter of when, not if.
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.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been getting some tremendous reviews, even getting a 9/10 from us at IGN, and plenty of critical acclaim elsewhere as well. The game is finally out on February 29, so there’s only a limited window remaining in which to secure the best deal on your preorder for the game, and so you can play at launch with everyone else. Thankfully, we’ve managed to find a brand new deal on the highly anticipated PS5 game.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preorders are currently down to just £51.96 in the UK right now (see here), all you need to do is use code LEAP20 at checkout to secure the offer. This is a tremendous deal, and guaranteed to arrive on launch day February 29. But, as it’s also over £18 off the RRP, we imagine this will sell fast so we’d recommend securing your order ASAP to avoid disappointment.
There’s plenty more on offer in the LEAP20 sale at eBay as well, with hundreds of trusted sellers discounting tech, video games, homeware, and more; until February 29 at 11:59 PM when the code will expire.
In our review of the game, we said: “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth impressively builds off of what Remake set in motion, both as a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenges and an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long.”
It was also recently announced at the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth State of Play that a demo is now available to download via the PlayStation Store. It will let fans play as Cloud and Sephiroth in a sequence from the early part of the game among other content. This is a great opportunity to try the game out before you commit to purchasing via the deal we mentioned above.
There’s also a new relationship system, called Bonds of Friendship, that has been added to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. As explained in the system’s tutorial, “the strength of these bonds can alter portions of the story.” One of those story moments is the Gold Saucer date, and you’ll be able to see how your potential partner feels about you via a variety of emoji-like faces.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
It’s officially Sunday, which means the weekend is once again coming to a close. We’ve rounded up the best deals available this weekend across games, technology, and more! New titles are seeing discounts, and plenty of hardware is on sale, too. The best deals for Sunday, February 25, include Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Persona 3 Reload, PlayStation 5 Slim, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, and more.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $39.99
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the latest title in the long-running RPG series. Kiryu Kazama returns following the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, uniting with Ichiban Kasuga in a wild adventure you won’t forget anytime soon. This $30 discount just a month after launch is a great deal you shouldn’t pass up on, though newcomers should aim to play the previous titles in the series before jumping in.
Xbox Series S Starter Bundle for $219.99
If you’ve yet to pick up a console this generation, look no further than this Xbox Series S Starter Bundle. This package includes an Xbox Series S console with 512GB of storage, one Xbox Wireless Controller, and 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. At $219.99, you can save $80 off this already great deal.
19% Off Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload is already one of the biggest 2024 releases so far. The remake brings in new gameplay features, new voice actors, and an impressive slew of technology, including ray tracing. It’s already on sale right now at Amazon for $56.99, which saves you $13 off the game. If you’ve never experienced the story of Persona 3, this is the definitive way to do so.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection for $39.99
This Mega Man collection is a great pickup if you like RPGs, shooters, and platforming! All ten Battle Network games are included, making this a complete collection. Also included are a music player, hundreds of concept art pieces, and optional high resolution filters. The Switch version of this collection is regularly going in and out of stock, which can make this deal hard to pass up if you’re a collector.
PlayStation 5 Slim Bundle for $449.99
Sam’s Club is running a great deal on the Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 Slim bundle. For $449.99, you will get the PlayStation 5 Slim with the disc drive and a digital copy of Spider-Man 2. That’s over $120 of savings altogether. If you or someone you know has yet to purchase a PlayStation 5, this is a great deal to take advantage of.
Anker 2-in-1 Portable Battery with Wall Charger for $59.99
This 2-in-1 charger has everything you could ever need. Its first function is as a wall charger, where you can charge up to three devices at once with two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. Travel is where this device gets very convenient, as it also functions as a portable charger. With a 10,000 mAh capacity, you can charge your phone, laptop, or accessories multiple times with no issues.
Save 50% Off Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a gorgeous remake of the second Star Ocean title. Made in HD 2.5D, the pixelated sprites traverse across a gorgeous 3D environment. The physical edition of this game has been quite hard to find, with most retailers sold out of it. If you’re interested in the Star Ocean series, pick this one up at a discount while you still can.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $34.99
Great news for stealth action fans: Woot has Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $34.99, which is the lowest price we’ve seen yet. This is a great package with the first three Metal Gear Solid games, in addition to Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If you’ve yet to play through the Metal Gear series, the Master Collection is how to do so on modern platforms.
Return to Monkey Island for $13.99
Return to Monkey Island marks the return of series creator Ron Gilbert in an all-new adventure that continues the beloved story. You can grab the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X right now at GameStop for $13.99. We gave the game a 9/10 in our review, stating, “Return to Monkey Island expectedly comes packed full of smartly crafted puzzles, funny dialogue, and memorable characters.”
Fire Emblem Engage for $39.99
Fire Emblem Engage is the latest entry in the long-running series. Acting as a celebration of previous titles, dozens of familiar faces returned and lent their strength in Engage. Each Fire Emblem title is standalone and can be played regardless of prior knowledge of the series, so jump in with Engage and experience the fantastic gameplay and memorable characters.
48% Off PowerWash Simulator
PowerWash Simulator took over the internet for a few months in 2023, with all sorts of fun to be had cleaning surfaces. Free crossovers have been released for Final Fantasy VII, SpongeBob, Back to the Future, and even more series. If you’re searching for a game that you can play to relax, PowerWash Simulator might be a good option for you.
Lego 2K Drive for $24.99
Amazon has a sweet discount on Lego 2K Drive this weekend! If you’re a racing game fan and haven’t checked out this game yet, now is a great time to see what it’s about. This release went a little under the radar at launch, but it’s a fun time overall. We gave the game a 8/10 in our review, stating, “LEGO 2K Drive is a wild and whimsical all-ages kart racer with an incredible custom vehicle creation tool that’s just about worth the price of admission alone.”
Saturday is here, which means it’s time to round up the best deals available this weekend across games, technology, and more! New titles are seeing discounts, and plenty of hardware is on sale, too. The best deals for Saturday, February 24, include Persona 3 Reload, PlayStation 5 Slim, Super Mario Odyssey, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, and more.
19% Off Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload is already one of the biggest 2024 releases so far. The remake brings in new gameplay features, new voice actors, and an impressive slew of technology, including ray tracing. It’s already on sale right now at Amazon for $56.99, which saves you $13 off the game. If you’ve never experienced the story of Persona 3, this is the definitive way to do so.
PlayStation 5 Slim Bundle for $449.99
Sam’s Club is running a great deal on the Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 Slim bundle. For $449.99, you will get the PlayStation 5 Slim with the disc drive and a digital copy of Spider-Man 2. That’s over $120 of savings altogether. If you or someone you know has yet to purchase a PlayStation 5, this is a great deal to take advantage of.
LG Eclair 3.0 Channel Soundbar for $249.99
This LG Eclair 3.0 Channel Soundbar is an excellent addition to any home theater setup. Featuring Dolby Atmos support, the soundbar offers sound with 4 passive radiators, which creates powerful bass without the need for a subwoofer. This unit is also WOWCAST ready, meaning you can connect and use Dolby Atmos sound wirelessly without any lag at all.
Super Mario Odyssey for $39.99
Super Mario Odyssey is still one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch. From the stunning Kingdoms to the numerous new gameplay elements, this is a title any Switch owner should have in their collection. Odyssey is best known for its Capture mechanic, which allows Mario to use Cappy and take over different enemies and objects in the environment. This title doesn’t go on sale too often, so pick up a physical copy at a discount this weekend!
LG 65″ Class B3 Series OLED 4K TV for $1,199.99
If you’re in the market for a new OLED TV, this is a great deal from Best Buy. The 65″ LG Class B3 Series TV features an OLED panel with perfect blacks and so much more. The TV also supports both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to provide you with the best experience possible with any content you choose to play, watch, or listen to. This deals end at midnight, so be sure to take a look while you can.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $34.99
Great news for stealth action fans: Woot has Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $34.99, which is the lowest price we’ve seen yet. This is a great package with the first three Metal Gear Solid games, in addition to Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If you’ve yet to play through the Metal Gear series, the Master Collection is how to do so on modern platforms.
Fire Emblem Engage for $39.99
Fire Emblem Engage is the latest entry in the long-running series. Acting as a celebration of previous titles, dozens of familiar faces returned and lended their strength in Engage. Each Fire Emblem title is standalone and can be played regardless of prior knowledge of the series, so jump in with Engage and experience the fantastic gameplay and memorable characters.
Ever since the Nintendo 64, Nintendo has released a steady stream of limited edition consoles for each generation. The Nintendo Switch is no exception to that, with over a dozen limited edition variants released over the course of its lifetime. These consoles are an excellent way to share your love of a specific franchise or series. Additionally, they tend to be rare, which can be a big draw for collectors.
To make your console search easier, we’ve compiled every special edition Nintendo Switch you can buy in 2024. This list only includes consoles still available for purchase at retailers, so you won’t find limited edition consoles that are sold out or only available through resale.
Nintendo Switch OLED Model – Mario Red Edition
This limited edition Nintendo Switch OLED Model features an entire system inspired by everyone’s favorite plumber. The Switch unit, Joy-Con, and Dock are all in a Mario Red finish, which stands out from the standard Nintendo Switch. Additionally, you can find a fun easter egg inside the back cover of the Dock, with a silhouette of Mario and a few secret coins printed by the Ethernet port.
Nintendo Switch OLED Model – Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition
If you’re looking for a limited edition Nintendo Switch that will stand out, look no further than the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Nintendo Switch OLED. The dock features artwork of the Legendary Pokémon Koraidon and Miraidon on the Dock. This Switch OLED special edition also includes two unique Joy-Con controllers with emblems from Naranja Academy and Uva Academy. Additionally, the back of the Switch unit has graffiti artwork featuring some of the most popular Generation 9 Pokémon, like Quaxly and Fuecoco.
Nintendo Switch OLED Model – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best games available on the Nintendo Switch. Naturally, Nintendo released a limited edition console to go alongside it, and this Switch OLED is gorgeous. The front of the Dock features the iconic Hylian Crest, depicted with a reflective gold color. You’ll also see the themed Joy-Con, which feature symbols from Tears of the Kingdom. Specifically, the controllers are themed after Link’s new abilities.
Nintendo Switch Lite – Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition
Nintendo has only ever released a few limited edition Nintendo Switch Lite models, and this is one of them. Featuring leaves from Animal Crossing on the backplate, this turqoise Nintendo Switch Lite is perfect for any fan of the mega hit Switch title. Unlike the other limited edition Switches on this list, the Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition includes a free digital copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons! You can purchase this exclusive limited edition Switch Lite from Walmart.
Nintendo Switch Lite – Isabelle’s Aloha Edition
Similar to the Timmy & Tommy’s Aloha Edition Switch Lite, Nintendo also released a Isabelle’s Aloha Edition. This Switch Lite uses the Coral color with the series trademark leaves plastered on the backplate. It’s important to note that this console is exclusive to Target, so you cannot purchase it elsewhere. You’ll also get a free copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, making this a limited edition Switch worth your attention.
Nintendo Switch Special Edition FAQs
Where can you buy used Switch consoles?
The best and most consistent place you can find used Switch consoles is on eBay. Many gamers tend to sell their used Switch consoles here as it is hassle-free and reliable. You can find a wide variety of price ranges depending on the specific console you’re looking for. Due to how rare some of these limited edition Switch models have become, some are very pricey.
If you’d rather not purchase from eBay, GameStop also sells used consoles that are reliable and proven to function properly. You might end up spending more than you would elsewhere, but it can be a safer option at times.
Are there any upcoming Limited Edition Nintendo Switches?
As of now, there are no upcoming limited edition Nintendo Switch models. This is largely due to the upcoming next-generation system from Nintendo, which is rumored to launch in the first quarter of next year. Once the Nintendo Switch 2 is released, you can expect Nintendo to release a wide variety of limited edition consoles, controllers, and accessories for major game releases.
Nightingale is a game of fascinating contradictions. While I’m still early on in the Early Access version of this co-op survival crafting game, it’s already jumping wildly between intriguing and confusing, aesthetically pleasing and outright ugly, intuitive and obtuse. It does a lot right, and I can see the potential of building a life from the ground up in this mysterious land – but it also does a lot wrong, particularly with how much time and effort it takes to make meaningful progress. I have a lot more to play before I put a score on this review, but so far I can’t quite tell if Nightingale’s rough spots will eventually become part of its charm or hold its otherwise interesting ideas back.
Nightingale takes place in a gaslamp fantasy world, a Victorian almost-steampunk-but-with-magic setting that feels fresh and unique in this genre – sure, games like Dishonored or The Order 1886 have tried out similar styles, but it’s still a seldom used enough framework that really stood out to me here. Earth as we know it is being swallowed up by a strange fog, and people are scattered across realms of the Fae, mythical beings pulled from European Folklore. As a “Realmwalker,” you have the ability to travel from one realm to another, which puts you on the search to find the magical city of Nightingale, the last refuge of humanity.
The mysterious Fae Puck acts as your guide on that quest, first helping you to activate a portal and escape to a far off forest realm. Puck stands out as a fascinating character, and his flowery olde tyme language is an early highlight, particularly thanks to how well it is performed.
After a whirlwind tour of short, tutorial-driven visits to a desert and swamp realm, I was dropped in the woods at the base of a large stone structure where some NPCs had set up their own camp. Curious, I made my way there and struck up a conversation with the three of them: a shopkeep, laborer, and an exposition dumping traveler. It was disappointing when I discovered that, unlike Puck, they were voiceless. That left me reading paragraphs of text any time I took on a quest or just wanted a conversation from that point on.
Quality is inconsistent across the parts I’ve seen so far.
That disparity is a good example of the inconsistent quality prevalent across the parts of Nightingale I’ve seen so far. The character creator, for example, has surprising depth, allowing for impressive customization of minute details like tooth decay, or extensive family trees whose genetic lineage can be applied to your appearance… but the end results of those interesting options always seem to look like they are models formed from clay, rather than believable faces.
Crafting is similarly promising, but with a big caveat. Gathering materials to begin the typical climb from a destitute castaway to a thriving survivor is compelling, and if you’ve played pretty much any games like this before, it is very intuitive. For example, an early objective was to raise my Gear Score, an aggregate of the quality spread across your clothes and tools. As attached as I was to my shoddy bottom-tier clothes, upgrading to the “simple” garments above them would require leather, which naturally meant hunting animals and tanning their hides.
Unfortunately, this proved tiresome. I found the starting area strangely sparse when it comes to wildlife, so it took what seemed like forever to gather the materials needed. And once I did, converting them all one at a time on the tanner meant waiting real-world minutes for every single piece. It was a tedious process right out of the gate, when all I wanted to do was explore and see what this realm was all about.
Once I finished upgrading my equipment enough, my objective thankfully switched to exploring a nearby Site of Power, which in this case really just meant a dungeon. Inside were The Bound, hostile goblin-like creatures that wanted me very dead. I switched back and forth between a dagger and ax I had crafted to fight them off, swinging both wildly while sidestepping their counter attacks. I haven’t encountered a ton of fights yet, but they have at least provided some simple hack-and-slash fun. That said, there’s also an unsatisfying lack of weight to melee attacks, as you just sort of flail while you have the stamina to do so and watch the damage numbers fly. I’m hopeful that changes as the quality of my weapons improve.
Despite being so rough around the edges, and despite being uneven to look at at times, I am still enjoying Nightingale so far. I like spending time in the Fae realms, and I’m enjoying the rags to… well, nicer rags adventure I’ve seen up to this point. I don’t know yet if what’s here at its Early Access launch is enough to keep me coming back, but it has left a positive first impression on me overall. I’m keen to dig into the actual survival aspects like building a more robust camp or small house for myself more, and eager to see what else my mysterious friend Puck has in store for me, before finalizing my review in the next week or two.
As the years go by, Nintendo Switch’s claim to having the greatest library of any system in Nintendo history solidifies. It’s been nothing short of a dream maker and a miracle worker, home to some of the best entries in long-running franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Smash Bros. But beyond genre-defining experiences and Game of the Year winners, I’ve been equally impressed by Nintendo’s commitment to reviving long-lost series and exposing them to contemporary audiences.
When Switch launched in 2017, I would have never guessed we’d see a 99-player F-Zero battle royale, a faithful remake of the beloved Super Mario RPG, the first Advance Wars in over a decade, a surprising return for the Another Code franchise, or that Metroid Dread would be real. It truly feels like anything can and will surface during a Nintendo Direct, and it happened again this week with Nintendo’s reveal of Endless Ocean: Luminous during the latest Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase. Along with the expected cadence of Mario games, Nintendo has added a scuba diving sequel to its publishing slate for 2024, and it just doesn’t get much more niche than that.
And it’s not just the fact that these unlikely games exist – some franchises are seeing better sales than ever before on Switch. The Nintendo Switch sales chart is littered with million-plus sellers, and more often than not when Nintendo puts out a game, it rapidly becomes the best-selling game in that franchise.
But as video game fans, of course, we always want more. Nintendo has brought back a ton of its smaller franchises, but there are still several obscure series I’d love to see make a comeback on Nintendo Switch, or its successor.
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus was poised for a comeback when series protagonist Pit was an out-of-left-field addition to the Super Smash Bros. Brawl roster in 2008, followed up by a new game in Kid Icarus Uprising on Nintendo 3DS in 2012. But after a brief return to relevance, Nintendo quickly clipped Kid Icarus’ wings once more, and it’s been 12 years since the last entry. There are only three Kid Icarus games in total, even though the series dates all the way back to 1986 on NES. Time hasn’t been kind to the NES original and its Game Boy sequel, as the pair of brutally challenging 2D platformers aren’t much fun to return to in 2024.
Instead of taking inspiration from the series’ origins, I want the future direction of Kid Icarus to follow up on the groundwork laid in Uprising. Directed by legendary Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai, I firmly believe that Kid Icarus Uprising is one of the most underrated Nintendo games of all time, and it deserves to find a whole new audience with an HD remake on Nintendo Switch. Uprising is a complete departure from the series’ challenging 2D platforming roots. Instead, it’s a full-blown 3D action game, equal parts on-rails levels reminiscent of Star Fox (but better, in my opinion), ground missions where you take complete control of Pit in combat and light puzzle-solving scenarios, and some of the most creative, bombastic boss fights in Nintendo history.
If you canget over the infamous controls that became uncomfortable after a while (to the point Nintendo shipped Kid Icarus Uprising with its own custom peripheral), you’ll find what’s easily one of the most ambitious games Nintendo has ever shipped, with deep, satisfying gameplay, an impressive amount of customization and content, stunning visuals that still hold up to this day, and a genuinely fun story with charming dialogue and a fully voice-acted script. Not to mention, Uprising even touts a fleshed out online multiplayer mode with over a dozen maps to battle on. Over a decade later, I’m still blown away by what Sakurai and his team at Project Sora were able to squeeze out of the 3DS. Kid Icarus: Uprising is a beautiful example of what can happen when you let one of the industry’s greatest minds make exactly what they want to make.
I hope Nintendo takes a chance on Kid Icarus: Uprising and remakes it for Switch with a fresh coat of HD paint and a revamped twin stick control scheme with optional motion controls for aiming. If Nintendo fixes the controls – which is really the only big criticism most people lob at Uprising – it will give a huge opportunity for new players to experience one of my favorite Nintendo games ever.
Rhythm Heaven
Whether it’s desperately trying to fit in with a group of singing chorus kids, playing badminton against a cat while flying a single prop airplane, or taking control of a wrestling superstar during an interview and photoshoot, Rhythm Heaven is one of the weirdest (and best) Nintendo series around. We haven’t seen a new entry since 2016’s Rhythm Heaven Megamix, and although it’s fantastic, it launched as a digital-only release at a time when many players were ready to move on from the 3DS hardware. Rhythm Heaven deserves another chance in the spotlight, either through a simple port of Megamix or a brand new game.
I’m a fan of both WarioWare: Get It Together and WarioWare: Move It, but I was surprised and admittedly a little disappointed that WarioWare – which I consider to be Rhythm Heaven’s sister series – got two entries on Nintendo Switch while its foot-tapping, monkey-clapping, wing-flapping counterpart remains noticeably absent from the console’s library. Like WarioWare, Rhythm Heaven is a perfect showcase for some of the most bizarre ideas Nintendo can come up with that wouldn’t otherwise fit into any other game, and adding it to the Switch software lineup would provide an element of that trademark Nintendo zaniness that’s currently missing.
Punch-Out!!
There’s nothing else quite like Punch-Out – it’s a series that presents itself as a fighting game, but underneath the hood it’s actually a puzzle game. You could make a strange argument that it’s the closest comparison Nintendo has to boss fights in the soulslike genre: you’re a small, meek boxer who must read the patterns of your much more powerful, threatening foes and execute moves with the right timing and speed to eventually emerge victorious. There’s a lot of trial-and-error and sweaty palms involved in both Dark Souls and Punch-Out, and while Little Mac’s world lacks complex lore and intentionally obtuse exploration, you see what I’m getting at.
Punch-Out’s history is similar to Kid Icarus, where after its initial run in the 1980s and 1990s, the series went dormant until a revival a couple of decades later. Punch-Out on Wii was a welcome return for the series, and Little Mac has since joined the Super Smash Bros. roster, but there’s still no word on a proper Punch-Out comeback. For now, Punch-Out fans are latching onto Big Boy Boxing, an upcoming indie spiritual successor that has definitely captured the look and feel of Punch-Out. I played Big Boy Boxing at PAX West last year and loved it, but I’d still like to see Nintendo step back into the ring and schedule one more money match for Little Mac.
EarthBound
The EarthBound community was sent into a frenzy after Nintendo added Mother 3 to the Game Boy Advance Switch Online app in Japan, but I’m not even asking for Mother 3, because I’ve accepted that we’re probably never going to see that game get localized. Instead, I want something that is much more reasonable and likely: a full remake of EarthBound.
For years, EarthBound was on life support in the West. But in 2013, Nintendo finally dropped EarthBound on the Wii U virtual console, and the classic SNES RPG eventually made its way to New Nintendo 3DS and Switch as well. This opened up the world of Eagleland to more people than ever before, including me. I played EarthBound for the first time through the Wii U virtual console, instantly becoming absorbed by its heartfelt story and hilarious satirical depiction of the United States. I think EarthBound is required reading for any Nintendo or RPG fan, and it’d be much easier to recommend without its steep difficulty curve and archaic inventory management.
We just saw Nintendo remake Super Mario RPG – another beloved SNES RPG that most figured had been lost to time – so why not do the same with EarthBound? Turn-based RPGs are back in a big way right now – look no further than Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Persona 3 Reload for proof – and I think EarthBound could establish itself as another modern pillar of the genre. Would an EarthBound remake ever lead to a Mother 3 port or a brand new entry in the series? Maybe not, but it’d be a phenomenal place to start.
Hotel Dusk
In January, Nintendo published Another Code: Recollection, a dual remake of puzzle adventure games Another Code: Two Memories and Another Code R: Journey Into Lost Memories. It’s one of the most niche games Nintendo has put out in a long time, and it has me thinking about another pair of obscure puzzle adventure games: the Hotel Dusk series. Both Another Code and Hotel Dusk were originally developed by the now-defunct studio Cing, and now that one of their long-lost series has been modernized, I’d love to see Hotel Dusk get the same treatment.
Hotel Dusk got two entries on Nintendo DS: Hotel Dusk: Room 215 launched worldwide, while Last Window: The Secret of Cape West never made it to North America. The original stars Kyle Hyde, a former detective searching for his missing partner. Hotel Dusk has a really memorable cast of characters and a striking art style resembling sketchbook drawings, and it would be great for North American players to finally get the chance to see the sequel that didn’t come out here. I would have never thought of this as a remote possibility for Nintendo Switch, but now that Another Code is out in the wild, anything feels possible.
Those are just some options for Nintendo franchises that should make a comeback. There are plenty of other choices, like Star Fox, Ice Climbers, Duck Hunt, Wario Land, Golden Sun, Chibo-Robo… The list goes on. Let us know in the comments what obscure Nintendo franchises you want to see brought back.
Logan Plant is IGN’s Database Manager, Playlist Editor, occasional news writer, and frequent Super Ninfriendo on Nintendo Voice Chat. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
Final Fantasy VII remains one of the most beloved chapters in the long-running Square Enix franchise. With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second entry in the trilogy that kicked off with 2020’s FF7 Remake, the game returns to a format much more similar to the PlayStation original, most notably with huge open zones to explore. Today we’ll be looking at the game’s performance on PS5 across its multiple modes of play, taking into account a performance and visual quality patch that dropped just barely ahead of the review embargo.
High Performance Gaming
As a PlayStation 5 exclusive, for now at least, the game mirrors much of the Intergrade upgrade released for the PS5 in 2021. Like Integrade, this is an Unreal Engine 4 game, offering the choice between a Graphics or Performance mode, along with HDR on or off.
The game performed well both before the patch and after, with less than a handful of dropped frames in the 30fps capped Graphics mode even prior to the patch, while the Performance mode makes sacrifices to visuals in order to double frame rates to 60fps. In that mode we see small areas of hiccups in long view distance battles and certainly high bandwidth sections with any heavy particle and alpha effects, or in scenes that use expensive post effects. These are very infrequent, and never worse than 33ms frame time spikes, remaining inside the Variable Refresh Rate range of the PlayStation 5 output if you have a screen that supports it. The absolute worst case found was during a scripted battle attack that filled the screen with effects, during which the game held a locked 30fps in the Graphics mode and a low of 50fps in the Performance mode.
With the 1.01 Patch applied we do see minor boosts in stability from the worst-performing sections. Taking a fixed real-time cutscene that originally dipped to a low of 52fps, things improved to a 54 fps low, meaning we maintain more frames within the required 16ms refresh. This offers a small 4% increase over the previous version, which is all but invisible to the player, but it may have bigger improvements elsewhere in such a wide open and dynamic game. This patch also attempts to improve the image quality issues we covered in our demo performance review and that were noted by the community online.
Visual Quality and Modes
Playing across a wide selection of the game, its visual and technical make-up across both modes is largely identical. As was the case with FF7 Remake, the Graphics mode is the best of the bunch, delivering a full 3840x2160p output that can scale to a counted low of approximately 2880x1620p. The game uses a heavy TAA implementation, which appears to be Unreal Engine 4’s own TAA. Prior to the patch, this also appeared to use the spatial TAAU upscale across the entire frame at the end of the raster output. What this means is that the image, including UI, post effects, alpha etc, will all shift to a lower or higher resolution depending on load, and then the engine uses a bicubic or nearest-neighbour spatial upscale sample to bring the game back to a target 4K output.
This is also true for the Performance mode, which tries to – spatially at least – upscale back to 4K from a much lower base. Performance targets a counted approximate high of the same 2880x1620p level when in non-dense areas of the world with little or no trees, alpha, or post effects present. However, in denser sections or heavy battles, such as when out in the Grasslands or other foliage-heavy areas, it can drop to a counted low of 1920×1080 and remain here for extended periods. Like the Graphics mode, that same heavy TAA looks to use spatial upscale to 4K, though with fewer pixels it is often far softer. Comparing the modes side-by-side, differences come down to resolution and a minor reduction in object Level of Detail, which is likely related to resolution.
The patch seems to focus on Performance mode specifically, as I didn’t see any improvements in image quality or performance on the Graphics mode. What the team appear to have done is attempt a sharpening of the image, to aid the lack of pixel samples, in order to improve clarity and high frequency elements. It does look remarkably similar to FSR1; however, any spatial up-sample technique can look similar depending on the taps made. It could also be an update to the TAAU spatial upscale UE4 Engine to use nearest-neighbour, which creates a slightly sharper but more pixelated image. Either way, the results are certainly not transformative, and this largely comes down to the same reasons I noted in our demo review.
The sharpening does help increase detail and clarity on high-frequency textures and help define edges better. Resolution remains the same as before, as does the low-definition textures. The Temporal AA pass is extremely aggressive and can create lots of ghosting in the image, which does not help the game’s minute details. However, it does provide a largely stable and clean image throughout, giving the game a softer, more post-processed, offline CGI look. This is certainly by design and an artistic intention. Cutscenes are the best showcase of the visual quality in the game, as are the pyrotechnic-packed battles, again harkening back to the magic and effects design of the PlayStation original. Not all is positive with this though, as the game’s large scale seems to have made an even bigger impact on the production assets and variety, which affects the gameplay and real-time segments, although cinematics fare much better due to the fixed camera and asset control the teams have here.
Characters and World Details
The models of characters are easily the most impressive elements of the game. Depending on the sequence and areas in question, we have some strikingly beautiful effects in battle, with alpha flames mixed with extensive GPU-accelerated particles and physics-based destruction and interaction. Many sections have some well-placed spot, point, and area lights that cast high-quality shadows that stretch and dance. Outside, the shadow map cascade is noticeably short in both modes, but the game does mix shadow maps on characters to emulate a contact-hardening look for legs that occlude closer to the contact area of the ground and a more diffuse top half that is further away.
The cinematic sequences can be even more impressive, as the increased and improved lighting and shadows means that models can now be seen in the best light, literally. Material quality, self-shadowing, subsurface scattering, and bone rigging of faces and movement is dramatically better. Add in the cinematography of each, and the extensive use of expensive sprite sample bokeh depth of field, high quality per-pixel motion blur and no camera or radial blur offers, for the most part, the sharpest and most impressive visuals of the game. The Graphics mode is much better due to the significant pixel increase and thus sharper image, but both modes offer effects parity just at a lower precision.
That said, the high and lows are often enough to stand out. These come down to a few key aspects based on my analysis here. The TAA is strong, and although motion blur is off for camera motion, per-object blur on characters looks excellent but can add to the soft image. Texture filtering is still too low in both modes, although texture assets themselves as well as the MipMap bias in the performance mode do not compensate for the resolution shift. Screen space reflections can be good on some surfaces, but fall down with low sampling and little denoising from the TAA, causing artifacting – specifically on water bodies – even in cutscenes.
The biggest problem is that the game is chock full of low-fidelity walls, rocks, pictures, fabrics, signs, and even characters.
The biggest problem, though, is that the game is chock full of low-fidelity walls, rocks, pictures, fabrics, signs, and even characters. Compounding this is that some have very drab colours with blended browns, greys, and blues with little surface detail. As such we have a game that can both rise and fall on the visual rollercoaster. The lack of high-fidelity detail in the world as a whole makes it hard to pick out distinct objects or characters aside from when in battle or cinematics. It leaves many areas looking soupy in the Performance mode and soft in the Graphics mode. Using Cloud himself as an example, the lighting and material in some areas can leave his skin and details shiny and plastic looking, breaking physically based shading rules. In addition, his textures and detail can be soft, with hair cards causing fizzle. These issues extend across NPCs, teammates, and substantial portions of the game world.
Summary
Final Fantasy VII is a classic and Rebirth delivers on providing an incredible next chapter of the remake trilogy. This is a performance review though and on performance the team has delivered a near rock solid game that caters to both 30 and 60fps players. On a visual front though, it suffers from similar, and due to scale, more issues than Remake. This leaves a mixed impression, and though I hate to say it, it can look closer to a cross-generation game in some of the worst-case scenarios with regard to material details and quality.
The patch offers a small but noticeable increase to this, but more is required to aid the assets, and I feel this is beyond a simple patch. Asset quality and details can be muddy, even in the 4K mode, and even if other increases come in the form of improved Mip bias, adjusted TAA, or improved screen space shadow sampling, it would not resolve the lion’s share of the issues. That could only be improved with updated and higher quality assets and materials in the affected areas. Polygon count and textures would be the biggest focus for a later patch, which could transform the game’s look in those weaker areas. The team may be able to improve the game further, but at least you can play without any concerns on the performance side, and 30fps may have never looked so good.
Age of Mythology: Retold, the upcoming remaster of the 2012 Age of Empires spin-off of the same name, will release on Xbox and PC simultaneously later this year.
Age of Mythology: Retold is a real-time strategy game by World’s Edge and Xbox Game Studios. In it, players can command gods from Greek, Norse, and Egyptian gods in epic battles over warring territories in single-player or co-op campaigns. Although Age of Mythology doesn’t have a concrete release window, the game will launch as a day one Game Pass alongside its release on Steam and Xbox consoles.
“In Age of Mythology Retold, we’re not only upgrading the engine and bringing all of those quality of life improvements that you’ve come to expect from World’s Edge, but in addition to that we’re doing even more to update the art,” art director Melinda Rose said in an announcement video. “That means all new 3D models, all new animations, textures, UI, VFX, the whole shebang.”
To showcase Age of Mythology: Retold’s updated 3D character models, Rose brought out life-sized augmented reality models of Medusa, Pegasus, and Cerberus.
“Our goal is to not only pay homage to the past but to breathe new life into this game and maximize the mythology,” Rose said.
Today’s Age of Mythology: Retold news coincides with World’s Edge studio and TiMi Studio Group’s other big announcement that they are working together to bring Age of Empires to mobile devices later this year. In short, 2024 spells exciting times for stalwart real-time strategy gamers across all platforms.
In our review for Age of Mythology, we rated the game a 9.3, saying it “blows open the doors of the series by taking a step away from history and giving the designers a bit more latitude.”
Hopefully, Retold will continue the work its predecessor achieved by providing yet another all-timer RTS game for fans when it releases later this year.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
