If you’ve started compiling a collection of digital games, you probably already know just how limited the Switch’s base storage capacity. The Switch and Switch OLED have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage respectively. Some of that is reserved for the OS. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is out on May 12, takes up over 18GB of storage all by itself. Other must-have titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pokemon Sword or Shield tap out at 13.5GB each. There’s only one expansion slot in the Switch console so you want to make sure you get the biggest card you can afford.
Nintendo Switch Micro SDXC Memory Cards from $40
These cards are all 100% compatible with any Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite console. Some, like the Samsung EVO Select and Samsung EVO Plus are actually rated for higher speeds than the official Nintendo Switch branded memory card. That doesn’t really matter though; the Nintendo Switch can only support U1 speeds, so a U3 speed will just be throttled back down to U1 speeds.
Steam Deck Owners Can Use These Cards Too!
The Switch isn’t the only gaming system that accepts these cards. If you’re a Steam Deck owner, you can also use this card, especially if you picked up the 64GB storage option.
For more deals, take a look at our daily deals for today.
More details have come to light about the decision to halt Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard from from the recent UK Competition and Market Authority (CMA) report. Along with the extensive examination of Microsoft’s current business practices and plans, including its advantage in cloud computing, the CMA also raised concerns about how an increased library of video game content could potentially open the door for Microsoft to make things more costly for consumers.
Detailed in the 400-page report, which gave an extensive and highly detailed overview of Microsoft’s current business plans and how it would affect competitors, the CMA committee highlighted its belief that the Xbox Game Pass service would see its value heightened following potential additions from the Activision Blizzard library — which would give Microsoft an incentive to raise the price.
In the report, the CMA detailed that adding new games into the Microsoft library wasn’t the issue, but rather how having Activision’s games specifically – such as Call of Duty – would influence the catalog.
Having Activision’s content on Game Pass would represent a new option to pay for content that is already available on a buy-to-play basis on Xbox, and it would only represent better value than the status quo for some consumers (which, in any event, would only start to accrue some time after the Merger completes). Moreover, we expect Microsoft to have the incentive to increase the price of Game Pass commensurate with the value enhancement of adding Activision’s valuable content to it, and we found that even a modest price increase would significantly reduce or eliminate any potential RCB (relevant customer benefits).
In its investigation, the CMA committee explained that the gains of relevant customer benefits (RCBs) for this merger, such as the benefits of being able to access Call of Duty via Game Pass, would not outweigh the losses. Not only would the expanded Game Pass post-merger potentially make for a pricier service for consumers, this would also give Xbox more significant edge against the likes of Sony and Nintendo, both of which do not have services as extensive as Microsoft’s Game Pass and its other products.
We recognise that having Activision’s content available on Game Pass is an attractive prospect to some customers and something that, based on the comments we received from the public during this investigation, seems to explain much of the support for this Merger by those in favour of it. On balance, we found that having this new option to pay for content that is already available on a buy-to-play basis on Xbox would not outweigh the overall harm to competition (and, ultimately, consumers) arising from this Merger in the sizeable and rapidly expanding market for cloud gaming services.
As of now, Microsoft is seeking an appeal for the CMA decision to halt the merger, which has steadily been gaining traction ever since its announcement in February 2022. In addition to the details about the potential of Game Pass, the CMA report also included mentions of Nintendo’s current hardware, and how it would likely not be able to play current-gen Call of Duty games, which representatives from Activision Blizzard claimed that it could do.
For a more detailed breakdown of the current about the recent halt to the Microsoft / Activision Blizzard merger, do check out IGN’s explanation detailing everything you need to know.
Throughout its 16-year history, the Assassin’s Creed has explored numerous regions, historical periods, protagonists, mythologies, and even genres. It’s this expansiveness, built on a foundation of highly detailed worlds, engaging stories, and evolving gameplay, that’s led Assassin’s Creed to become Ubisoft’s most successful franchise, and what makes for such a wide variety of AC fans.
There’s a lot to enjoy in Assassin’s Creed games, and many of their best attributes can be found in the games we’ve compiled below. As we await the release of Assassin’s Creed Mirage later this year, these are 9 games we recommend for Assassin’s Creed fans, whether you come to the series for its rich open worlds, historical fiction, mythological exploration, or old-school stealth-action gameplay.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s combat, RPG mechanics, and open-world design.
In evolving Assassin’s Creed’s core mechanics from stealth-action to action-RPG, Ubisoft cited Skyrim, Fallout, and The Witcher 3 among its inspirations, though none is more apparent than CD Projekt’s 2015 RPG epic.
In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Valhalla specifically, the list of design similarities includes a massive open world filled with over 100 hours of content, an emphasis on player agency through narrative decisions and branching dialogue (including a strikinglysimilar dialogue-selection design), and comparable gear systems. Gameplay-wise, The Witcher 3 features fast-paced, third-person action combat akin to that found in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, though it adds another wrinkle with signs (i.e., magical abilities).
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s combat, traversal, RPG mechanics, and open-world design.
Similar to our recommendation for The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West are third-person, open-world action-RPGs that should appeal to fans of the latest Assassin’s Creed games. Both games offer fluid third-person combat with viable options for close-quarters melee and long-range bow-and-arrow attacks, as well as satisfying stealth mechanics and free-climbing systems. On the RPG front, each offers dialogue choices and a gear-based loot system with stat-affecting weapons and armor.
Like the recent Assassin’s Creed games, Horizon features a massive map teeming with ultimately unimportant points of interest, making it a great recommendation for those who like to explore AC’s worlds while splitting their attention between a game and a podcast/audio book.
Ghost of Tsushima
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s combat, historical fiction, and open-world design.
Assassin’s Creed will finally explore the long-requested feudal Japan setting in Codename Red, but in the meantime, Ghost of Tsushima presents an excellent opportunity to explore that history through stealth-action gameplay. (Our Ghost of Tsushima review likened its combat to “a witches’ brew made with bits of the Batman Arkham series, the pre-Origins Assassin’s Creeds, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.”)
In addition to its third-person, stealth-melee combat, Assassin’s Creed fans will find a familiar level of open-world exploration couched in historical fiction: Ghost of Tsushima features dozens of side quests and a main narrative set during the real-world, 13th-century invasion of Japan by the Mongol Empire.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor & War
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s combat, traversal, and Mercenaries system.
WB’s Middle-earth games are another easy recommendation for Assassin’s Creed fans. AC players will feel at home with the games’ shared mechanics: third-person action combat and climbing/parkour systems (including air assassinations). Shadow of Mordor’s combat and air assassinations were so reminiscent of AC that a former Ubisoft developer suggested Monolith used code from Assassin’s Creed 2. (This suggestion highlights the games’ similarities, though WB was never formally accused of stealing code.)
Shadow of Mordor also introduced the ingenious Nemesis system, a villain generator that turns historically nameless NPCs into recurring rivals. It’s here that Ubisoft took a bite out of Monolith’s design, integrating a similar system in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey with Mercenaries.
God of War 2018 & Ragnarok
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s combat and exploration of Norse mythology.
Fans of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Norse setting and mythology are sure to love what God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarok offer in those (nine) realms. While AC Valhalla moves between Norse history and mythology, God of War takes place firmly within the region’s mythos with visceral third-person combat and a visually striking world to inhabit and explore.
Opinions may differ, but God of War’s Norse-set duology features a tighter narrative, better character development, and more rewarding side content — all to say if you enjoyed Valhalla’s exploration of Norse mythology, God of War and Ragnarok are must-play games. You can check out our guide to God of War games in order for more details about the series.
Far Cry
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s open-world design.
Ubisoft’s own Far Cry series will appeal to Assassin’s Creed fans who enjoy traversing open-world maps, bopping from marker to marker completing miscellaneous objectives. Above any other games, Far Cry 3–6 share the types of open-world objectives found in Assassin’s Creed, including towers to climb, outposts to clear, and collectibles to discover. Unlike Assassin’s Creed, however, Far Cry is played from a first-person perspective, and its combat relies largely on firearms.
Similar to our recommendation for the Horizon games, Far Cry’s bounty of mindless side activities are great for AC fans who enjoy ‘checklist’ or ‘podcast’ games.
It’s here we’ll give a nod to Watch Dogs: Legion as well, another Ubisoft game built on similar open-world design philosophy.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s old-school platforming, puzzles, and combat.
The most logical entry on this list is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, given it’s Ubisoft’s precursor to the Assassin’s Creed franchise: AC came to be while Ubisoft was exploring a sequel to Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, as detailed in IGN’s History of Assassin’s Creed. This connection is evident in Sands of Time’s combination of platforming, puzzles, and acrobatic combat — key features of the first several Assassin’s Creed games.
The best way to play 2003’s Sands of Time is on PC or through backward compatibility on Xbox. However, those understandably sensitive to dated gameplay are better off waiting for the Sands of Time remake currently in development at Ubisoft Montreal.
Immortals Fenyx Rising
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s open-world design and exploration of Greek mythology.
The world and narrative of Immortals: Fenyx Rising is fully immersed in the Greek mythology Assassin’s Creed Odyssey occassionally dips into. Immortals developer Ubisoft Quebec also led work on Odyssey, and its open-world influences can be found here as well.
Immortals was actually inspired by a bug from Odyssey’s development: “You’d be sailing on your ship,” creative director Scott Phillips told IGN, “but instead of your human crew, you ended up having cyclopes as your crew. It was just sort of one of those moments like, ‘Oh wow. Yeah, that’d be really cool actually to do a full game focused on this mythology.’”
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
For fans of Assassin’s Creed’s historical fiction.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance does not play like Assassin’s Creed; this recommendation is purely for those who come to Assassin’s Creed for its well-crafted historical fiction. Warhorse Studios’ medieval RPG is set in the 15th-century Roman Empire, specifically in the Kingdom of Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic), decades before the story of Ezio Auditore da Firenze begins in another kingdom of the Roman Empire.
Kingdom Come’s impressive attention to detail elevates it above other works of interactive historical fiction: From its survival mechanics and the way NPCs judge your character’s appearance to the scale of its towns and structures, Kingdom Come “does the medieval era right, with a level of detail and research rarely seen previously,” according to IGN’s review.
Looking for more from the wide world of Assassin’s Creed? Check out our breakdown of the series’ chronology to discover the best way to play the Assassin’s Creed games in order.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
In a surprise decision yesterday, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority made the decision to block Microsoft’s planned $69 billion acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, citing concerns over Microsoft’s ability to dominate the emerging cloud gaming market with exclusives like Call of Duty.
While the deal has seen challenges in numerous other regions including the US and the EU, many expected the CMA to approve it, especially after its March statement that Call of Duty console exclusivity was no longer a concern. Thus with further legal challenges looming globally and Microsoft set to appeal the CMA’s decision, many are now wondering what’s next for Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard both in the UK and abroad.
The answer is of course complicated, dependent on multiple regulatory bodies, time consuming, and above all, expensive. We spoke to lawyers and analysts to help unpack the rocky road Microsoft has ahead of it if it wants to pursue Activision-Blizzard, what possible outcomes remain, and why we’re likely going to be hearing about this deal for months and potentially years to come.
What Happened and Why?
After a lengthy review, the CMA has moved to prevent Microsoft from acquiring Activision-Blizzard, but not for the reason many expected. While much of the public debate has centered around the possibility of Call of Duty console exclusivity to Xbox, the CMA determined back in February that this was not actually a serious concern. In the end, what convinced the CMA to fire back was not Call of Duty, but cloud gaming.
We’ve covered what exactly the CMA’s objections are to the acquisition regarding cloud gaming in detail elsewhere, but to summarize, the CMA is concerned that if Xbox purchased Activision Blizzard, it would be able to dominate the cloud gaming market by making games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft not console-exclusive, but exclusive to its own cloud gaming platforms. With these content powerhouses in its pocket, the CMA says, Microsoft could effectively control elements of the market such as subscription pricing and structure without significant opposition from other services that were missing these enormous games. It doesn’t help that the CMA already sees Microsoft as holding a dominant position in the emerging cloud gaming to begin with, thanks to its ownership of Windows OS, significant cloud infrastructure, and its already-robust content library.
If all this sounds like a pretty big deal, that’s because it is: for Microsoft to successfully follow through on its plans to pay $69 billion for Activision Blizzard, it needs approval from regulators in various regions including the UK, the US, and the EU. While some countries have already signed off, both the US and EU’s decisions are still pending, meaning the UK’s rejection could be just one of more to come. And while Microsoft claims it will appeal, the longer this goes on, the more expensive and obnoxious it gets for the company to follow through.
What Comes Next?
As Alex Haffner, competition partner at London law firm Fladgate, explained to me, Microsoft effectively has four weeks to submit an appeal document with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which will then go onto judge whether or not the CMA “has acted within the boundaries of its proper discretion in reaching its final decision.”
“Generally this is a high bar for appellants to overcome and successful appeals of decisions by the CMA to block mergers have been rare, albeit not unprecedented,” Haffner explained. “Overall one can expect the appeal process to last three to four months in total. If the CAT does uphold any appeal, the most likely outcome would be a remittal of the case back to the CMA to re-make its decision based on any criticisms upheld by the CAT.”
There are certainly criticisms to be made of the CMA’s final ruling. Gamma Law’s David B. Hoppe pointed out that the CMA’s definition of “cloud gaming” as its own market segment is a difficult argument to make, adding that the CMA “sort of cherry-picked some things to support the position that Microsoft is already a dominant player in cloud gaming.”
As Haffner mentioned, it’s not common for CMA decisions to be overturned. From 2010 to 2020, the CMA won 67% of merger appeals, and even if Microsoft does manage to get the CAT on its side, that doesn’t mean the merger is a done deal. For one, the CAT isn’t examining whether or not the CMA’s arguments were sound or not: it’s there to make sure the CMA didn’t do anything irrational or illegal, and that it followed procedure. So the CAT could find the CMA acted inappropriately, but not in a severe enough way to merit another crack at the examination, and the merger would still be prohibited. Or, it could kick the decision back to the CMA to reexamine it correctly, likely with the same group of investigators, in a process that could take several more months.
While some analysts have suggested Microsoft could offer further concessions to appease the CMA, Haffner pointed out to me that this is not a likely route at this stage, hence the appeal. As part of the CMA process, Microsoft already offered remedies (such as its pledge to offer its games on Nvidia GeForce Now for the next ten years), but the CMA has already ruled that these were insufficient – largely because they would ultimately require proactive CMA enforcement down the line to ensure Microsoft did not become dominant. So while Nvidia and other cloud gaming companies that have benefited from these promises are rallying in Microsoft’s favor, it may not mean anything in the end.
What About the FTC?
Unlikely as it’s looking for Microsoft, let’s say it manages to win over both the CAT and the CMA. Even then, it’s still facing challenges in the EU and the US, which we should expect to hear more about in May and August, respectively. Haffner noted that the CMA’s decision has “set an important precedent” for both the EU Commission and the US Federal Trade Commission as their deliberations continue.
Sam Castree of Sam Castree Law explained that while the UK ruling doesn’t practically impact the US’s own, separate decision, it might nudge the US in a slightly different direction. Up to this stage, the FTC’s arguments have focused on two areas: concerns about Microsoft withholding games from other platforms, and concerns that Microsoft will create a monopoly in a narrow definition of a “relevant market” – such as “high performance consoles” or, yes, “cloud gaming.” After seeing the CMA drop its concerns about Call of Duty exclusivity and focus on cloud gaming, the FTC might be motivated to change its tactics to line up with the CMA.
It would put the FTC in an awkward place to argue that the CMA was correct about harm to cloud gaming, and wrong about harm to consoles.
“The FTC might drop some of the contentions in the initial complaint and focus on a narrower set of concerns, like the cloud gaming market,” Castree said. “They could easily adopt some or all of the CMA’s findings to bolster their own arguments, and tailor the fight to areas that they feel are the strongest. The other possibility is that they adopt the CMA’s findings on cloud gaming but still maintain the entirety of the initial complaint anyway.”
However, Castree noted that this second possibility seems unlikely, given that the only major competitor claiming harm to the console market at this stage is Sony. “Plus, it would put the FTC in an awkward place to argue that the CMA was correct and wise and good about harm to cloud gaming, and wrong and foolish and bad about harm to consoles,” he added.
All of this leaves Microsoft with a rather expensive decision on its hands. Legal fees for all of these battles will quickly add up, but even if Microsoft were to back out now, there would be serious financial consequences. As a part of the merger agreement, Microsoft agreed to pay out a whopping $3 billion to Activision Blizzard if the deal fell apart after April 18, 2023. At some point, the tech giant will have to decide if it’s worth pumping infinite money into lawyers in multiple countries over months or even years of this, or if it should swallow its pride and $3 billion to escape a prolonged legal battle.
With all this combined, it’s starting to look like Microsoft’s chances of closing the most expensive deal in gaming are growing slimmer. For all Microsoft’s confidence in the lead-up and all Sony’s bluster around Call of Duty, it’s a bit surprising to see cloud gaming of all things take the wind out of this deal’s sails. Still, the fight’s not over just yet – perhaps Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, or cloud gaming will surprise us again.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Sony has revealed that the PlayStation VR2 will soon be heading to a retailer near you. The company made the announcement on Twitter today, but it hasn’t given an exact date as to when major brick-and-mortar stores will have the headsets in stock.
Currently, you can still order the PS VR2 from PlayStation Direct, where it was exclusively sold in the two months since it was released. If you’re desperate to know when you’ll see it in stores, ShopTo says that it will show up in UK stores on May 12. Whether the headset will be stocked up in retailers on the same day in the US is unknown, but you may want to check the stores in your area for availability.
PlayStation VR2 will soon be in stock at local retailers, in addition to https://t.co/y9oEB5aBse. Check your local retailer for availability.
The PS VR2 on its own costs $549.99, but when you get the Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle it’s $599.99. Either way, it’s pricier than the PS5, which is $50 cheaper if you buy the original disc player version. With wider availability in physical and online retailers, however, the headset may see some discounts at some point in the future.
Sales of the PS VR2 were off to a rocky start last month, as Sony sold only 270,000 headsets towards the end of March, despite making two million units ahead of its launch in February. Analysts chalked up the low sales to consumers dealing with harsh economic conditions worldwide, from the rising cost of living to layoffs.
If you want to see if the PS VR2 may worth every dollar for you, check out our review.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will ship with an arachnophobia mode that completely removes spider-like enemies from the game.
Many arachnophobic gamers lamented the presence of giant spider-like enemies known as Wyyyschokk in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which haunted the lush forested Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk and enjoyed ambushing protagonist Cal Kestis at the least convenient moment.
Unfortunately for some, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is also set to feature at least one enemy of an arachnid disposition. However, this time around Respawn Entertainment has taken mercy on us by including a handy option that will allow players to eradicate the arachnid threat from the game altogether with the press of a menu toggle.
As highlighted by the Twitter account Daily Jedi Survivor, and independently verified by IGN, Respawn Entertainment has included an arachnophobia option, which will allow you to remove spider-like enemies from the game entirely.
The thoughtful feature echoes the efforts of other developers including Obsidian Entertainment, which added a setting to its survival game Grounded last year that allowed players to select the level of detail present with arachnid enemies. The highest setting of the safe mode essentially reduced the eight legged denizens to a collection of floating blobs, rendering them more comical than threatening.
Meanwhile, other game creators have opted to sprint in the complete opposite direction, with indie developer Asymmetric including an arachnophilia option in its adventure RPG Shadows Over Loathing, which ensured that there would always be spiders on screen.
In our 9/10 review, IGN’s Dan Stapleton says Star Wars Jedi: Survivor “takes what Fallen Order achieved and wall-runs with it, then double-jumps and air-dashes straight into an epic lightsaber battle.”
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
Microsoft has announced that the Xbox Games with Gold line-up for May 2023 includes Star Wars Episode I: Racer and Hoa.
As detailed on Xbox Wire, the two Games with Gold offerings for May will be available to anyone with Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with Star Wars Episode I: Racer coming up first from May 1 to May 31 and Hoa up for grabs between May 16 to June 15.
Based on the iconic podracing scene from The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode I: Racer sees players climb aboard their favorite podracers and take charge of the controls as young Anakin Skywalker, Sebulba, and a whole host of other characters from the galaxy far, far away.
After taking an adrenaline-fuelled ride through Tatooine, you might want to soothe your mind with a trip through the beautiful world of Hoa. This puzzle platformer is one to get lost in, as it features breathtaking hand-painted art, lovely music, and a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.
Issue 2 of IGN’s Hidden Treasures column explored Hoa and how the Ghibli-inspired platformer was born from its creators’ kindness toward nature and one another while trying to evoke the feeling of being a child again, experiencing the world with curiosity and fresh eyes.
Gord, the upcoming dark fantasy strategy game inspired by Slavic folklore, will now also be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as well as PC (via Steam). It is planned for release on all three of those platforms this summer. Check out the console announcement trailer above, which shows the first footage of the console version in action.
Gord was revealed exclusively on IGN in 2021. Its creators have worked on both The Witcher 3 and Frostpunk. The development team at Covenant.dev describes Gord’s gameplay as such: “[Players] will need to oversee their citizens’ hunger, disease, and trauma, nurture their faith and train them for battle, while also expanding their settlements – the titular ‘gords’ – and embarking on a variety of life-threatening quests.”
Gord’s survival/strategy gameplay promises to include building, a sanity system in which your townsfolk can totally lose it if you don’t take care of them, handcrafted quests alongside procedurally generated levels that aim to keep your experience fresh, and more.
Check out our 2022 interview with Gord’s director if you’re curious to learn more.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
In most 4X games, the achievements of your past civilizations only live on in animated discussions with friends over drinks later. Your Gandhi from a previous Civilization 6 campaign isn’t going to come through a portal to save the day in a later one, with the scars of a nuclear war against Alexander the Great still marking his slender frame. That would be rad though. And it’s a big part of why I’ve been coming back to Age of Wonders 4, as the rulers I led to victory actually do ascend to a mighty pantheon and become a recurring cast for future adventures. That’s only the icing on top of a well-crafted fantasy strategy game with varied tactical battles and a near-perfect pace.
Rather than telling the story of many alternate earths or distant galaxies, starting over on a fresh map is baked into the story of Age of Wonders 4, where powerful Sorcerer Kings teleport between many different realms in their quest for power and glory. And the way this encouraged me to think about a given run as a more digestible, if not exactly bite-sized, six- to twelve-hour sprint helps to build the sense of lasting investment in the progress of my pantheon. It’s a great way to do account-level progression that doesn’t feel forced, artificial, or over-monetized. At least in the review build, I didn’t spot any sneaky microtransactions. The tendency lately to add them right after launch has put just about everyone on notice for me, but so far so good.
Along the way, you can unlock neat new stuff from ruler cosmetics to functional combat items, to challenge maps like a frozen wonderland ruled over by a Chronicles of Narnia-esque ice queen that I really liked. And in addition to being very respectful of your time, these themed, story-based realms feel significantly different from just dropping into a standard 4X map with conquest, development, and research-based victory conditions – which you can also do, with tons of interesting customization options. Often, the victory condition in a story realm is to complete a series of quests culminating in a showdown with a memorable antagonist. I had such a good time with these, I almost found it hard to go back to the more traditional style of play.
The other thing that had me planning two or three campaigns every time I started a new one is the in-depth, freeform empire creation tools. It’s probably the most customization of this kind I’ve seen in a purely fantasy game, and I was especially excited by how it let me play against stereotypes. You can make noble orcs in shining armor who march dutifully to battle with holy words on their lips, or bloodthirsty cannibal elves who live for destruction.
Want to make a race of feline necromancers who ride around on giant spiders? Go for it.
The visual aspect is mostly just cosmetic – it comes with some suggested racial traits that fit the classic fantasy version of each race, but you can of course change those out. Lanky dwarves who live above ground and love magic? Sure. Feline necromancers who ride around on giant spiders? Go for it. Your culture pick – Barbarian, Feudal, Mystic, and so on – defines most of your starting roster and how your empire’s economy works. And there are only six of those. So if I were being harsh, I could say there are only really six playable civs with a lot of little bells and whistles to swap out. But the magical progression system that carries you through the ages does a lot to alleviate that feeling.
Rather than technological ages, Age of Wonders 4 has five tiers of mystical tomes unlocked through research, each providing increasingly powerful units, spells, and campaign mechanics. They’re divided into six alignments – Astral, Materium, Chaos, Order, Nature, and Shadow – with two tomes per alignment per tier that might be very thematically different. Within Chaos, for instance, you can focus on fire magic or revelrous, aggressive infantry like berserkers. Doubling down on one affinity or mixing and matching are both very viable, creating a practically absurd number of combinations for what your race might become by endgame. I especially love the racial transformations at certain tiers, which might turn your people into plant hybrids who can move much easier through forests, or frostlings who can build farms on snow. The cold never bothered them anyway.
This amount of customization doesn’t always come without some hitches, though. Remember that cool ice queen map I mentioned? I made a badass race of wolf-riding frost vikings to tackle it, but I found that its provinces were often affected by a modifier called Arctic Blizzards that isn’t visible in any way on the map, and it blocks your units from healing even if they’re parked in your capital city. You have to actually mouse over a unit to see if they have the modifier, meaning I was constantly marching my armies around in the snow to find a safe province where they wouldn’t freeze to death.
That’s a pretty big oversight for such a punishing mechanic. And even completing their final transformation into beings of pure ice didn’t remove the penalty! I found more strange edge cases like this the more tweaking I did with my campaign setups. Sure, you can play on a Dune-like desert world where everyone’s capital starts underground, then infest it with Cthulhu monsters, but you might find the mechanics haven’t really been fine-tuned for all the possible, weird combinations yet.
The tactical battles, which take place on their own maps, aren’t quite as exemplary as the strategic core of Age of Wonders 4, but they are just as fast-paced and can offer some seriously satisfying challenges. The bestiary is huge, with everything from ogres to astral monstrosities to demons spawning as neutral or hostile NPC factions, in addition to the forces of your rival civilizations. The one place it feels like kind of a letdown is when you’re assaulting a major enemy city. It doesn’t really feel like an epic struggle through the streets of a vast metropolis. At most, it’s a scuffle over the outer defenses protecting what looks more like a village. But I did love seeing some of the bigger engagements that are possible with multiple armies on each side.
I definitely have to applaud the graphics and UI as well. The balance Age of Wonders 4 strikes between realistic and stylized is just about perfect for me. Every unit, from a proud elven archer to a snarling wolf, is readable at a distance and projects a strong personality. The maps all look great, whether you’re starting in a serene meadow or on some alien-looking astral plane. There’s quite a bit of customization for your leader and units as well. And all the interface panes are well-organized, nice to look at, and easy to navigate. Nested tooltips make it easy to get just as much information as you want. And sometimes figure out what the hell the narrator is talking about when they bring up some lore concept from other games in the series you may not have played.
In a surprise plot twist, Microsoft’s Activision-Blizzard acquisition has been BLOCKED by the UK’s CMA regulatory authority. We spend most of the show discussing the ramifications of this as well as what Microsoft might do next. Plus: we kick off the show with some quick impressions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor!
Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week’s episode. For more awesome content, check out our interview with Todd Howard, who answered all of our Starfield questions after the big reveal at the Xbox Showcase:
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
