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PlayStation Plus Game Catalog Additions for August 2024 Revealed

Sony has revealed the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for August 2024, which includes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cult of the Lamb, Watch Dogs 2, and more.

Announced on the PlayStation Blog, a total of 15 games are joining the library, 10 on the PlayStation Plus Extra tier and five on the PlayStation Plus Premium Tier through the Classic Games Catalog. They’re available August 20, 2024.

Outside of the headlining titles, the PlayStation Plus Games Catalog games are dominated by anime hit Sword Art Online and TimeSplitters this month, with several of the additions belonging to each franchise.

PlayStation Plus Games Catalog Additions for August 2024

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the beloved open world role-playing game set in a dark fantasy world. Protagonist Geralt of Rivia seeks his adopted daughter amid the chaos of an ongoing war while serving his role as a witcher, a monster slayer for hire. In IGN’s 9/10 review, we said: “Massive in size, and meticulously detailed, The Witcher 3 ends Geralt’s story on a high note.”

Wild Hearts is a monster hunting game set in Azuma – effectively a fantasy feudal Japan – in which teams of up to three players take on giant nature-infused beasts called Kemono. It earned an 8/10 in IGN’s review. “Wild Hearts’ building mechanics add a very fun twist to its familiar but well-executed co-op monster hunting formula.”

Cult of the Lamb casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger, and must repay their debt by building a loyal following in his name. It become a fan favorite, also earning an 8/10 in our review. “Cult of the Lamb is a wolf of a satisfying base-management game in the sheepish clothing of an approachable action-roguelite,” we said.

Ride 5 is a motorbike racing game which promises an adrenaline-filled gaming experience that is so authentic it will make you feel like you’re truly racing at break-neck speed. It features over 35 tracks and more than 200 bikes to collect and race.

Watch Dogs 2 is the beloved San Francisco set sequel to the original open world hacking game Watch Dogs. Players take on a colorful story and can drive around in and battle their way through the city as Marcus Holloway, an Oakland native. “Flexible hacking in open missions give Watch Dogs 2 a distinctive flavor, though its story clashes with its violence,” we said in our 8/10 review.

Sword Art Online: Last Recollection is the first of many games based on the hit anime series available this month. It arrived in 2023 and is promised the culmination of the series and features the largest number of characters and episodes of any Sword Art Online game.

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker was the 2018 iteration of the long running anime fighting game series. It features a roster of characters from both the original Naruto series and its sequel Boruto, and is headlined by the ability to battle as a team of four against online opponents.

Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris isn’t the most beloved entry in the franchise. It earned just 5/10 in IGN’s review, where we said: “Fun combat and decent characters aren’t enough to save a convoluted story, terrible pacing, and tons of performance problems.”

One more Sword Art Online game and one more point on the IGN scale next, in Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization. “A lack of tangible stakes, and some muddled RPG systems dull the blades of Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization,” we said in our 6/10 review.

Vacation Simulator is the wacky sequel to Job Simulator. Set in the far future when humans are extinct, it sees robots set out to uncover what humans did besides their jobs. Their research led to the creation of a rough approximation of ‘not jobbing’: the Vacation Simulator.

A PlayStation 2 classic returns in TimeSplitters, a game where the actions of various heroes throughout time have caught the attention of the, well, TimeSplitters, an evil race that lives outside the bonds of time and space. It earned an 8/10 review from IGN in 2000.

Its 2002 sequel was even more popular, however. TimeSplitters 2 arrived with improved graphics and faster and smoother gameplay, featuring nine time traveling episodes, huge detailed environments, over 90 characters and enemies, and more. It earned a 9/10 from IGN.

The last TimeSplitters game arriving this month also earned a 9/10 from IGN. TimeSplitters: Future Project lets players jump through time again, stepping back into the shoes of tough as nails hero Cortez as he fights to change the past and alter the future.

If you hadn’t had enough Sword Art Online already, the final entry of August 2024 is for you. Sword Art Online: Lost Song is available through the PlayStation 3 streaming service. It matched the series’ best at a 6/10 from IGN. “Repetitive combat, recycled enemies, and a boring story prevent this action RPG from taking off,” we said.

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

Witchfire: The Final Preview

You ever watch a black metal music video and think, “This is cool and all, but what if those guys screaming around a candlelit pentagram had mid-20th century guns?” Me neither, but I can’t help but think the team at The Astronauts did to get inspired for Witchfire, their single-player roguelike extraction shooter that feels like a gaslamp fantasy movie with Mercyful Fate as the soundtrack. Its mix of hot-handed running and gunning and more slow-paced exploration and investigation meld into something that is more of a dream to play than a nightmare. Though some balancing of what can feel like downright unfair difficulty is certainly in order, and some of the more obscure features could be made to feel less esoteric, I am firmly caught in the spell of this black magic banger.

Though it’s drenched in dark gothic drip, Witchfire is actually about the fight against the evil influence of powerful witches taking an alternative version of our world into its doomed clutches bit by bit. This world’s Vatican calls on you, an immortal warrior for the Pope called a preyer, to hunt and kill one of these witches – a task much easier said than done. The story sort of fizzles out after that. Everything you walk past or interact with is teeming with place and sometimes even lore, but it’s all piecemeal world building stuff that isn’t always intelligible. But it does a great job at setting the overall Roman Catholic x Van Helsing vibe.

I really fell in love with Witchfire’s combat once I found the right guns for me out of the dozen available. It hits just the right stride between DOOM and Destiny, with fast-paced shooting that rewards chain kills and evasiveness and spells that are both powerful odds-eveners and clever utility pieces that helped me get out some gnarly binds all the time. Clearing monster camps manifests arcana, which is a random boon that helps flavor your particular run in the same way the many popular roguelikes do these days. I found that some of these boons were clearly more impactful than others, like ones that lowered my reload times or gave me bonus damage to enemies being afflicted by status elements. They are divided into specializations, and you can have a small effect on which specializations you can choose arcana from in a particular order, but it’s limited – not nearly on the level of the kind of God-boon manipulation in Hades, for example.

It hits just the right stride between DOOM and Destiny.

Besides having some truly satisfying sound design and clever artistic nods to real-world weapons, all of the guns feel pretty standard until you start unlocking special abilities by completing weapon-specific tasks like getting a certain amount of kills with it. Hunger, my go-to mid- to close-range heavy revolver, gained the ability to get empowered shots when I reloaded based on how many critical hits (i.e. weak point hits) I landed with the previous cylinder of rounds. Of the six or so I tried, each felt distinct and viable in their own right, but once I found this revolver and a shotgun that reloads when I hit a charged melee attack, I haven’t looked back.

Much of the meat of Witchfire is jumping into varied locations and finishing each map’s main objective, like solving the mystery of the Wailing Tower or killing a gnarly boss in the Scarlet Coast. The map highlights other goodies like enemy camps that denote the difficulty of the monsters inside with increasingly more metal-looking skulls, or treasure chests and what they could hold should you want to trek towards them. These are usually your first guide for plotting any given trip out of the sanctum and into the fire, but these locales have plenty of things to find that won’t be on the map – like walls that can be magically dissolved to reveal secret loot or passageways, or this nefarious spector that always seems to lead me into the waiting arms of something horrible.

I found that the time between dealing with sub-objectives is filled with navigating around and shooting up dozens of demonic denizens. As far as the regular footsoldiers of the witch go, you’ll be spending a lot of time clapping similar-looking baddies like various humanoid archers and cultists in rags, gunmen with long range and sharp aim, and knights who can turn into fireballs and leap long distances. This never really feels repetitive though, because these enemies get shuffled in with one another in dynamic groups that often require you to deal with lots of different types of threats at once. And these locations are filled with obstacles and verticality and very few corners that feel safe hunkering down in that you always have to be on the move or risk getting caught.

More difficult monster camps will increase the quantity and variety of enemies, and is where you’ll see the scariest stuff. I stumbled across a camp of the highest, most horned-skull difficulty a few times during my travels and saw not only upgraded elite versions of monsters that I knew, but some brand-new horrors that I didn’t, like fully armored grenadiers and some floating menagere that resembled a balloon that’s also a picnic basket. These were a true test of my gear, stats, and skills that I still have a hard time passing. Being able to actively choose to engage with these high-risk challenges makes Witchfire feel more fair than frightening, but there’s also a few features that feel like insult to injury, like a roving band of monsters spawned by the exit portal that will follow you around the map and hunt you, getting stronger as time passes. Yes, they do make sure you stay on track and active during any given expedition, but they barge onto the scene largely unannounced, often being a nuisance when I was trying to engage an enemy camp or one of the weird puzzles on the map. Though killing these special hellions guarantees an ammo drop, a resource that becomes more precious the longer you stay in a map, they never stop coming, and never produce arcana – meaning you could kill them forever and never get any stronger even though they are – and always feel like just one too many levers of discomfort.

All of the treasure hunting and monster shooting I did on any given map was being watched by the Witch. With every mistake I made, the calamity meter rose.

The Gnosis level, my preyer’s general knowledge and insight as it comes to all things demonic, is the most obvious form of progression in Witchfire. It requires more relatively difficult tasks to be completed, like holding a large amount of currency at once, but when completed, higher Gnosis levels allowed me to unlock new access to rooms in my hideout, and also some previously locked or veiled doors in the available expeditions. The downside is that it raises the bar for all of the dangers you’ll find on expeditions. Suddenly, those floating demons I only saw in the most difficult of locations now show up more often in other locations as well. Traps change, more of the chests and items you find are cursed, the roving band of hunters includes more types of monsters, etc. It’s something I wish Witchfire made more obvious, because I certainly wish I knew this before I invested in my actual stats and gear.

All of the treasure hunting and monster shooting I did on any given map was being watched by the Witch. With every mistake I made, the calamity meter rose in the top left corner, and when it’s filled completely, some terrible fate befell me. This was usually in the form of several assassins coming to slay me as my sanity slowly drained, but my understanding is that that is one of a few fates. The reverse GTA star meter that punishes you for being bad adds some pressure to already dangerous circumstances, but in a way that can feel like the game is snowballing against you regressively. And what “mistakes” are feels hit and miss. Sometimes it’s pretty clear: being caught in a trap, failing a puzzle, or being seen by specific enemies. Other times it’s simply getting hit, assumptively also by specific sorts of enemies but when things get really hectic, it’s unclear who I need to dodge in order to not make a bad situation worse

Whether I successfully extracted from the map via one of the many possible portals on it, or was brutally murdered while trying, I ended back at my cliffside HQ to restock and regroup. Here I can spend my volatile witchfire – this game’s “souls” – to improve my stats or buy items from the strange merchant who I guess is my roommate? I can spend the gold that I found in chests or by turning in random (probably cursed) baubles I found at a demonic mirror that I can direct to research weapons, spells, or other gear that it will produce at random while I’m out witch hunting. It’s still early in development and all of these things are expanding gradually, but the grind outside of fighting all of the available bosses and maxing your Gnosis, is pretty limited at this point.

But Witchfire has all the right ingredients in its cauldron for a genre-blending brew that is both unique and fun. Gunplay is an enchanting mix of kinetic cowboy guns and eldritch wizardry that really sings against the dangerous and plentiful soldiers of the ever-present Witch. Some of what it asks you to do is opaque and obtuse, both in a “fun to figure out” and a “frustrating lack of info that would have made a few hours of my game easier” kind of way. There’s hours of possessed chests to cleanse, secret passages to find, and bosses to conquer, and though the endgame grind looks rather unappealing off on the horizon, I have plenty still left on my list to see and do, and would be first in line for the next update Witchfire summons as the game continues on it Early Access journey.

The Doom Anthology is Up for Preorder, Comes with a BFG

If you’re looking to own all of the Doom games in one fancy collection, we have exciting news: the Doom Anthology (see here at Amazon) is officially up for preorder. It’s set to release on October 22 and will set you back $79.99, but it’s well worth the price tag for what it comes with. It comes with a BFG, after all.

The Doom Anthology comes with download codes for Doom (1993), Doom II, Doom 64, Doom 3, Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal Deluxe Edition all stored inside an exclusive SteelBook case. On top of that, you’ll also get a 5-inch replica of the BFG, complete with LED lights and a stand to show it off. What better way to journey back into hell? You can purchase the Doom Anthology for PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam below.

Doom Anthology is Up For Preorder, Out October 22

There’s no better time to play these games either, with Doom: The Dark Ages on the horizon. While we don’t know of an official release date for the game yet, we do know it’s expected sometime next year, which is exciting enough. We even think this game could be the series’ boldest reinvention yet, so it’s well worth keeping on your radar!

If you’re looking for even more exciting game preorders and deals, it’s worth checking out our roundups for the best Xbox deals, the best PlayStation deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals. Each of these pieces highlights the latest offers and preorders available for each platform, from games to headsets to storage. We also have a roundup of the best video game deals, which focuses on the best deals overall for each platform alongside what’s caught our eye in the world of PC gaming.

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

MTG and Pokémon TCG Prices Slashed in Huge Clearance Sale at Best Buy

Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon TCG are arguably the biggest card games on the planet, but don’t tell Amazon and Best Buy, as they’re slashing prices on some great sets and boxes! From pulling a full-art Greninja ex from Twilight Masquerade to snagging a Mana Drain from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, players can catch some epic playable or chase cards from these deals. See all the discounts on Pokemon TCG, or every big offer on Magic The Gathering at Best Buy here. Otherwise, check out our favorite picks from the sales just below.

Best Magic: The Gathering Deals

Outlaws of Thunder Junction Collector Booster Box includes 12 packs of 180 premium cards, perfect for collectors and players looking to add rare and unique cards to their decks and binders. Collector Boosters are always a treat for those who love the thrill of rare pulls and with the current sale, this box is a great way to get more bang for your buck.

Desert Bloom Commander Deck is ready to play out of the box, featuring a unique strategy centered around life gain and desert-themed synergies. It’s perfect for both new and experienced Commander players. Fallout: The Science! Commander Deck mixes up the post-apocalyptic IP with experimental and technological cards for a unique MTG twist. The sale price makes it a no-brainer for anyone looking to expand their Commander collection with a touch of the Wasteland.

Best Pokémon TCG Deals

Elite Trainer Box is a fantastic way to start with the Twilight Masquerade. Packed with 9 booster packs, exclusive card sleeves, and plenty of game accessories, this Elite Trainer Box is a steal at the current sale price. Whether you want to expand your deck or open packs, this box has it all, including a promo Ogerpon card.

Pokémon TCG Classic set is a premium collection that brings back iconic cards in a sleek and stylish package. This set is a gen-one dream, offering classic cards in a cool design. The discounted price makes it an excellent opportunity to own a piece of Pokémon history.

The Grafaiai ex Box provides a new strategy to your deck with an exclusive Grafaiai ex card and four booster packs to expand your collection. Looking for more pokémon deals? We’re keeping track of all kinds of PokéMerch on the daily, so make sure to check out our Best Pokémon deals page.

Christian Wait is a UK-based freelancer for IGN, you can follow him @ChrisReggieWait on Twitter/X.

The Best PS5 2TB SSD Deals (August 2024)

With PS5 games getting bigger each year, and SSD prices on the rise in 2024, we want to make sure you can find the best amount of storage for the lowest price possible. Here, we’ll point you in the direction of some of the greatest 2TB SSD deals we can find, like this fantastic TEAMGROUP MP44Q 2TB SSD for just $109.99. It’s worth noting, though, that you can’t use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You’ll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive, which we’ve gathered up in the list below to make your search easier.

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2024, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

TEAMGROUP MP44Q 2TB SSD for $110

This is one of the best deals on a 2TB SSD at the moment: Amazon is offering the TEAMGROUP MP44Q 2TB SSD for just $109.99. It, unfortunately, does not have a heatsink so you’ll have to invest in one, but you can easily do that here for under $10. It also offers transfer speeds of up to 7,400MB/s read and 6,500MB/s write.

Silicon Power 2TB XS70 SSD for $136.79

Featuring read speeds up to 7,300MB/s and write speeds up to 6,800MB/s, this 2TB Silicon Power XS70 SSD is currently enjoying a limited time deal of 24% off. This has dropped its price down to $136.79, which is absolutely worth taking advantage of. It also has a heatsink built in, so it’s ready to go in your PS5 right away.

acer Predator GM7000 2TB M.2 SSD for $136.99

With sequential read/write speeds up to 7400 MB/s and 6700 MB/s, this is an excellent SSD for your PS5. It currently has a nice little discount at Amazon, down to $136.99 from its MSRP of $169.99, but it does not come with a heatsink so you’ll have to invest in one.

WD_Black 2TB SN850X SSD for $149.99

Right now, Amazon has the WD_Black 2TB SN850X SSD available for just $149.99. Normally priced at $189.99, this 2TB SSD features speeds up to 7,300MB/s to ensure your games load as fast as possible. This model will work with PS5, but you will need to purchase a heatsink to go with it (which you can do here for just $9).

Crucial T500 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $152.99

Amazon is offering a nice deal at the moment on the Crucial T500 2TB SSD, which is discounted down to $152.99. This SSD has a heatsink all ready to go, so you can install it right away in your PS5, and even offers excellent read/write speeds of 7,400/7,000MB/s.

SAMSUNG 980 PRO 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $159.99

You can never go wrong with a Samsung SSD. The 2TB 980 PRO is currently marked down 30% to $159.99, which is an excellent deal! Featuring read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s, it’s a great fit for your PS5 and even comes with an integrated heatsink, so you don’t need to worry about shelling out extra cash for a separate one.

2024 Crucial T705 2TB SSD for $294.99

This is the newest model from Crucial and it already has an excellent discount on Amazon. For a limited time, you can get 26% off this SSD, bringing it down to $294.99 from $399.99. It’s well worth the investment as well, as it offers crazy good sequential read/write speeds up to 14,500/12,700MB/s. If you feel the need for speed, this SSD will certainly get you there.

What if the SSD Doesn’t Include a Heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn’t include one, it’s simple enough to buy one for $9 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

Budget to Best: PS5 SSDs

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we’ve tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, in case you don’t need additional storage for your PS5 console.

How To Install a New PS5 SSD

It’s extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. You don’t even put it back when you’re done. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

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

Original article by Eric Song.

Everdell Board Game Buying Guide and Expansions

Live out your 100-Acre Wood fantasy with Everdell, a whimsical and immersive resource management, tableau-building, and worker placement board game where you and up to four players gather and spend countless resources, build cities, deploy Meeples, and meet other forest critters. The Everdell board game takes place over a whole year (winter to winter), and whoever has the most points at the end of the season wins. The beautiful pastel art style by Andrew Bosley will draw you in immediately, but Everdell’s accessibility for board game beginners and easy-to-learn ruleset will keep you coming back for numerous sessions. Just make sure you have plenty of room on your board game table.

The base game is available in a few different editions, and a hefty number of expansions are available that feature new cards, mechanics, critters, and rules, as well as accessory packs to better store your game pieces and immerse yourself further into the Everdell experience. This buying guide is the perfect place to start as you embark on your Everdell journey.

Getting Started

Everdell

  • Price: $60 (-20%, MSRP $75)
  • Players: 1-4 players
  • Age Range: 10+
  • Play Time: 40-80 minutes

Just as the title says, this is the base, entry level version of the Everdell board game. This includes everything you’ll need to get started: the (admittedly large) game board and 3D buildable tree, over 100 playable cards, about as many resources, 30 points tokens, and an expansive rulebook. The game can be enjoyed as a solo board game, or with up to four players, so be sure to consult the rulebook – some tiles and mechanics can only be used with a certain number of players.

Everdell Collectors Edition

  • Price: $95

As well as containing the base game, the Collector’s Edition of Everdell comes with the 10-card Legends expansion, fifteen Extra! Extra! cards, metal coins, wooden occupy tokens, and an upgraded deluxe die for solo play. Shelling out the extra dough is worth it, as the expansion cards add a ton of variety to the game.

My Lil’ Everdell

  • Price: $45
  • Players: 1-4 players
  • Age Range: 6+
  • Play Time: 30 minutes

This kid-friendly version of Everdell simplifies the mechanics of the original, while still maintaining that whimsical spirit. Great for first-time board gamers and younger children to help hone their decision making skills and focus!

Everdell Expansions

It’s important to note that most of these expansions require a base copy of Everdell to play.

Everdell Pearlbrook Expansion

  • Price: $60

The first of many expansions, Pearlbrook lets players take a dive into a new underwater society to collect a new resource – pearls! This watery expansion integrates with the base game and comes with over 50 new cards, new constructions, and four new 3D Wonders.

Everdell Spirecrest Expansion

  • Price: $57.99

The Spirecrest expansion sees players climbing an impressive new Mountain board and adds some challenge to the mix. The added mechanical complexity shows in this expansion’s change to the Prepare for Season step, as players will now reveal Discovery and Weather cards that affect their game.

Everdell Bellfaire Expansion

  • Price: $45

Everdell’s third expansion is interesting, as its modular Market board can increase the player cap to six players. However, this means you don’t get an extra worker in Spring and your hand count is reduced to seven. Player Powers for every type of critter also change how you approach the game, and endgame rewards really make it anyone’s game once you finish out the year.

Everdell Newleaf Expansion

  • Price: $60

The train station board is an exciting new addition that includes four new critter types – cats, bats, snails, and bees, as well as over 100 new cards and game pieces. It wouldn’t be an Everdell expansion without a game-altering twist: using the Tickets module, you can redeploy your Meeple instead of taking a regular game action.

Everdell Mistwood Expansion

  • Price: $59.49

Introducing the villainous Nightweave, the Mistwood expansion is a great addition for players who enjoy solo sessions or playing Everdell with only two players. Three and four player modulations are still here to add to the base game. This set also includes new Legends cards, such as the powerful Corrin Evertail.

Everdell Farshore

  • Price: $100

Released in 2023, Farshore is Everdell’s first (and so far only) standalone expansion. This game is played using mostly the same mechanics as the base game, with some new parameters. Everdell Farshore replaces occupy tokens with golden anchors, comes with new critter types, and has you riding around on a ship as you collect nautical-themed resources.

Everdell Complete Collection

  • Price: $275

Looking for a one-stop shop? The Everdell Complete Collection has you covered. This oversized treasure trove of endless Everdell entertainment contains all content from the Collector’s Edition, all of the expansions listed above, and special trays, dividers, and storage options for the hundreds of different cards, boards, and game pieces, as well as a gorgeously illustrated card reference guide and rulebook. A bit overwhelming due to its size, this edition is best for Everdell veterans looking to consolidate instead of newcomers.

Everdell Accessories

Upgrade Packs

Do you only have the Standard Edition of Everdell but want all the content from the Collector’s and Complete Editions? The Glimmergold Upgrade Pack expands your base set to the Collector’s Edition, while the Click Clacks Upgrade Pack gives you all of the exclusive Complete Collection content.

Deluxe Resource Vessels

  • Price: $40

With a game like Everdell, actually finding space for resources on the board can be a major pain in the tail. Enter this super handy set of resource vessels, or “bowls” for each of the game’s available resources, occupy tokens, and card holders each for their own convenient, clutter-free locations on the game board.

Big Ol Box of Storage

  • Price: $99

This storage container lives up to its name by allowing you to store the base game, its expansions, and the Deluxe Resource Vessels into one single location, which is helpful if you haven’t purchased the Complete Collection, which has its own storage box.

Everdell Card Sleeve Set

  • Price: $60

Protect your cards in style with the Everdell-themed card sleeves accessory. This pack comes with 600 sleeves, enough for every card in the base game and all the expansions. Featuring more art from the game’s artist Andrew Bosley.

Extra Resources Pack

  • Price: $20

The resources in Everdell were not designed to be finite, but when playing with the maximum number of players, sometimes you run out and need to improvise. This extra resource pack has 30 berries, 30 twigs, 25 resin, and 20 pebbles to add to your collection.

Deluxe Point Tokens

  • Price: $32

This box upgrades your cardboard point tokens into awesome, shiny gold ones instead. Includes 20 1-point coins and 1-3-point coins.

Other Everdell Goodies

Looking for a gift for your Everdell-enthused loved one, or looking to spruce up your game room? Check out these fun supplemental products, separate from the board game.

Everdell Playing Cards

  • Price: $15

A regular 52-card playing card deck featuring new art from the Everdell artist Andrew Bosley. Comes in a sturdy carrying case.

Everdell Puzzles

  • Price: $20 each

1,000 piece puzzles featuring art from the game’s major expansions: the Pearlbrook Depths, the Bellfaire Festival, and Spirecrest Pass.

Tales from the Green Acorn

  • Price: $45

With art from Andrew Bosley and new lore from Everdell designer James A. Wilson, the Tales from the Green Acorn companion book is perfect for those looking to immerse themselves deeper into the world of Everdell, and makes a great coffee table decoration.

How to Play Everdell Online

  • Price: $19.99 on Steam and Nintendo eShop, $9.99 on Google Play and App Store

Finding the time, space, and people to get a board game night going is tough (doubly so with the big boards Everdell uses), but fear not; Dire Wolf Digital has you covered with an online version of Everdell. You play the game as normal, but without the clutter, and wherever you want! Available on Steam, Nintendo eShop, Google Play, and the App Store.

Bottom Line

Everdell is clearly one of the most popular contemporary board games around, with a handful of iterations of the base game and its expansions selling millions of units. If that isn’t enough, it’s also sitting pretty at number 35 on boardgamegeek.com’s best board games. Set up is a breeze, until you start adding expansions that take a ridiculous amount of space. But adding these expansions truly helps with the game’s longevity, and will keep you coming back for more.

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

Pixel Cyberpunk Sidescroller Replaced Delayed Again, This Time to 2025

Replaced, an Xbox console-exclusive cyberpunk sidescroller, has been delayed a second time. It’s now expected to come out in 2025, after previously being delayed to this year from 2022.

In a post on Twitter/X, developer Sad Cat Studios kept it short and sweet: “Our initial release date was optimistic, and we apologize for that. Developing Replaced is quite a unique challenge, and we’re proud to be creating something that special.

“We need more time to ensure we meet the high standards we’ve set for ourselves and to meet the expectations of our fans.”

In the meantime, Sad Cat has announced the game will be playable at Gamescom, and that “something special” will be coming later this week.

Replaced was first announced way back at E3 2021 as a 2.5D cyberpunk pixelated side-scroller published by Coatsink. Players control an AI trapped in a human body exploring a dark cyberpunk world, with fast-paced action combat and gorgeous pixel art.

Originally, Replaced was set to come out in 2022 on Xbox Game Pass and PC. It was later pushed out of 2022 and then into 2024 due to the “incredible high bar of community’s expectations” and the team feeling that “we can’t afofrd to release a sub-par game.” We did get a look at Replaced at IGN Live earlier this year, and felt optimistic about its direction.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster’s ‘Classic Controls’ Let’s You Play the Game on the Original Control Scheme

If you are looking forward to playing Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster but wish to use the original control mechanics, you’re in luck. The upcoming remaster includes a feature that lets players choose whether to use the control layout from the original game.

In the settings for Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, players will have two options: “Standard” and “Classic,” as shown in the image below. The former is the new control scheme, which includes quality-of-life improvements to Dead Rising’s gameplay, such as the ability to move while aiming. The latter is a control scheme similar to the one used in Dead Rising’s original Xbox 360 version and the 2016 HD re-release.

Of course, switching to the Classic Controls comes with its drawbacks. Most notably, you cannot move while aiming (just as it was in the original game). Additionally, the classic control scheme will not allow players to tweak the button assignments as the Standard control type offers.

This is not the first time Capcom has decided to keep a smidge of the original Dead Rising in the game beyond keeping the story intact. Last month, Capcom confirmed that players who pre-order either the Standard or Deluxe version of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will obtain a costume that lets players use the classic Frank West skin from the original game.

I recently had the opportunity to play an early build of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster hands-on. While I enjoyed the game, including the new control scheme, I did find myself at times pressing the button from the old controls when doing specific actions such as picking up an item or switching up which item I have in my inventory to equip.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will be released on September 19 for digital storefronts, while the physical copy will be released on November 8.

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

Stormgate Early Access Review

There’s a moment right before the start of a ranked RTS match that’s like nothing else I’ve felt in games, and even in Early Access, Stormgate delivers it. I see my name. I see my opponent’s name. I can feel my own heartbeat, and I take a deep breath. Then I’m looking at a colorful command center and a gaggle of workers, and it’s just me and some random stranger fighting it out for glory or ruin. Though it’s visibly lower budget than its Blizzard-made predecessors, Stormgate is moving the basecraft formula forward on a design level in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

Unsurprisingly, since it’s made by a bunch of former Blizzard RTS devs, Stormgate has the feel and overall rhythm of a classic Blizzard RTS. At its best, it’s like home cooking for someone who was raised on Brood War and Warcraft 3. I order around my scrappy human Vanguard recruits while zipping back to my base to click an upgrade just at the optimal moment, and I imagine myself like the food critic in Ratatouille being transported back to his childhood. There is something that just works about the mental coordination and almost musical hotkey strokes in this type of game – even all these years later – and developer Frost Giant gets that.

They’ve also clearly put a lot of thought into what could be improved about that experience. And it’s here that I feel like the conversations I’ve had with people glibly calling it “StarCraft 1.5” are not seeing the big picture. On an underlying design level, it’s a thoughtful progression even from the flash and polish of StarCraft 2. And that’s the most important part.

Stormgate sits fairly comfortably somewhere between StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3 in terms of the moment-to-moment gameplay, though it feels a bit more like the former in skirmish and PvP due to the fact that those modes don’t use heroes. However, like Warcraft 3, both modes feature creep camps – neutral creatures clustered at specific locations – that can be slain for a number of useful buffs from a temporary increase in movement speed to an ongoing trickle of resources. And this ends up creating a lot more interesting decisions in terms of positioning and map control.

Stormgate sits fairly comfortably between StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3.

StarCraft can, at times, feel like fighting with knives taped to a comically long pole, where the main goal is to cut your opponent’s jugular from severa l paces away before they get yours. Camps give you a reason to care about and fight over more places on the map than just yours and your opponent’s expansion bases, which meant I found myself fighting a lot more mid-map engagements of varying sizes. It also allows for more ways to stage an army for a big push, or hold a key junction. Drops and base harassment still happen, but I didn’t feel like they were so ubiquitous. And that’s nice.

That said, PvP balance is definitely still a work-in-progress. We got a patch just last week as I’m writing this addressing some problem match-ups, and it’s a lot of huge, haymaker nerfs and buffs. But I would expect that from a competitive RTS at the beginning of its Early Access journey. Be prepared to face some weird and aggravating nonsense in ranked games while they get that ironed out.

As a Terran and Human main in StarCraft and Warcraft respectively, it’s no surprise that the faction that spoke to me the most in Stormgate was the Human Vanguard. I know, I’m really fun at parties. They play very similarly to a standard RTS faction, making them a great point of entry. But like almost everything in Stormgate, there are little things here and there that raise the skill ceiling a lot.

Vanguard units gain veterancy from fighting, for instance, which increases their stats substantially. This means, to play them at a high level, you want to minimize casualties as much as possible in every engagement. And you especially don’t want to lose your fully-promoted units. This might, unexpectedly, make them one of the most micro-heavy factions if you want to truly master their advantages. And it presents an opportunity for their opponents to focus-fire down veteran units as well. This sort of, “Easy to learn, difficult to master” philosophy is all over Stormgate, and I love to see it.

The Vanguard’s exact opposites are the edgelord Infernal Host, a demonic army from space that can store up summoning charges at their production buildings and amasses energy for their top bar abilities when units die – including their own. They encourage a gleefully swarmy, high-pressure playstyle where you don’t necessarily want to simply throw the lives of your legions away, but you’re not going to sweat the losses as long as you win the battle.

The “Easy to learn, difficult to master” philosophy is all over Stormgate.

More killing leads to more demonic power, which can let you drop temporary shroud totems – think of this as their versi on of Zerg creep – and then give a temporary buff to everyone standing around it. If you know how to capitalize on momentum, you can turn one mildly successful push into a runaway victory before the opponent can catch their breath, which is always satisfying.

The Celestial Armada is the faction I’ve spent the least time with overall, and they also seem like the hardest to get into. While the Vanguard accumulates energy over time and the Infernals get it from units dying, the Celestials require a special base structure to generate Power, which is used for global abilities and required to run all of their buildings. I frankly never got the hang of this, but I wasn’t able to spend dozens of hours with every single faction for this Early Access review, so we can put a pin in it. Their units are very slick, and considering how many times I got my ass handed to me by a Celestial player, it seems like they do pretty well at the direction of a seasoned commander.

Up until now, I’ve been mostly talking about the competitive PvP mode, which is where Stormgate currently shines the brightest. So that would make the campaign – which is currently only six, 15- to 20-minute missions, with more to come in the future – sort of the grimy underside. Everything about it feels kind of low budget, though the mission design is reasonably varied and I did enjoy Warcraft loremaster Chris Metzen dealing AOE damage to the scenery as Maloc, a demonic lieutenant straight out of the Saturday morning cartoon realm.

The story is… well, I don’t want to just come right out and spoil it. But there have been many jokes made in the past about how Blizzard knows how to tell exactly one story. And this is that story again, just with different characters. Or at least, it seems to be. Maybe they’ll surprise us in future episodes. Wait, wait, hear me out… what if there were five Frostmournes?

My biggest let-down with the campaign, though, in addition to the fact that you can finish it in an afternoon, is that it only features the Vanguard as playable so far. I’m sure there are Infernal and Celestial chapters planned. But compared to even StarCraft 1, in which we spent multiple hours with each faction, I think this really hurts the onboarding. You get a decent idea of what the humans are about by playing as them, and a fair bit of info on the Infernals by fighting against them. But the Celestials haven’t even shown up yet.

The currently brief, Vanguard-only campaign really hurts onboarding.

That means one of the game’s three playable factions has barely any lore context at the moment, which makes it hard for me to get excited about them. What are they even doing here? What are their ideals? What is their society about? Almost everything we know comes from an announcement trailer and unit descriptions.

Similarly, I’ve always learned how to play each faction in most prior RTSes from their campaign missions first. Different missions can highlight different units or faction mechanics, and ease you into thinking about how to use them. It can be very intimidating to simply jump into PvP and sink or swim. Stormgate currently doesn’t feature much help for new players in terms of how to think about Infernal shroud, or the neat things you can do with Celestial Arcships. There’s a “Learn to Play” link on the main menu, but it just sends you to a web page with some short YouTube videos. I don’t know… does that even count?

Novice players can enable a feature called BuddyBot in non-ranked matches that helps you out with some busywork like base management, but I honestly find this to be the worst kind of assistance. It doesn’t actually teach you how to play. It just does things for you. I’d much prefer a “buddy” that notices when I’m doing things like banking too many resources and pops up with some tips on what I could improve.

The saving grace here might be the 3vAI co-op mode, which lets you pick heroes from each of the three factions and fight for objectives like shutting down enemy spawn points or intercepting convoys. The lower difficulties are very forgiving, and probably the closest thing Stormgate has to a shallow end of the pool where you can start to familiarize yourself with its mechanics. The Warcraft 3-style heroes with hotbar abilities also bring a bit more variety and micro to the formula. And they have some pretty cool meta-progression, including new units that replace some of the base faction ones, like Blockade’s tanky Crusader.

There are only five heroes so far – and one of them is a $10 DLC purchase, which seems a bit steep to me. Also, who is this guy? He looks like a fallen Celestial? What’s the story here? We need more lore!

UK Deals: Space Marine 2 Preorder Prices Slashed At Fanatical

It is the 41st Millenium. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only savings. The Emperor of Mankind wages a constant battle to protect humanity from the horrors of overspending. But seriously, there are some epic preorder savings on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 on Steam! Standard is down to £48.39 (Was £54.99), Gold is down to £70.39 (Was £79.99) and Ultra is discounted to £79.19 (Was £89.99).

If you don’t fancy doning power armour and becoming “The Weapon of the Soul”, SEGA is currently enjoying a Fanatical sale with some sweet bargains. Highlights include Sonic Frontiers Deluxe Edition down to £17.59 (Was £54.99), with the standard edition available for £1.10 less at £16.49 (Was 49.99). We’ve found plenty more bargains online today too, so here’s the bull run down:

TL;DR Today’s Best UK Deals

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (Steam) Preorders

Space Marine 2 has been over a decade in the making, with the latest previews hinting at this Games Workshop title becoming the definitive Warhammer 40k experience as far as third-person hack ‘n slash RPGs go. Hold your ground as one of the Adeptus Astartes for less than RRP.

SEGA Publisher Sale: Sonic Frontiers

Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Superstars, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Shin Megami Tensei: Vengance, Company of Heroes 3, Like a Dragon: Inshin, P4G (Persona 4 Golden, PST (Persona 5 Tactica) and many more hits are available with massive discounts. Don’t sleep on this sale!

Google Pixel Watch 2

It’s hard to find Google Pixel Watch 2 with a decent discount right now, but 35% off and down to £149, this is the right time to dive in. Featuring Google OS and great compatability features with Google Pixel smart phones, this is a great addition for those already in the Google Assistant eco system (Such as Google Nest Doorbell Battery Model. Heads up, Google Pixel 8 Pro (Unlocked – 256GB) is down to £759 with an on-site voucher at Amazon too.

Dune Messiah (Kindle)

Dune Messiah is arguasbly one of the best sequels to an already world renowned sci-fri novel in Dune. With War now being waged as a result of the previous books events, will Paul Atreides be able to keep on top of his new Empire? This is a must read for 99p!

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

Following suit with Samsung Galaxy FE models, Galaxy Buds FE take some of the best features of the previous premium models and puts them into an affordable product “for the fans”. They might not feel as premium as the high-end inspiration, but Galaxy Buds FE have the specs and performance to pack up it’s RRP, so £49 is an absolute steal!

Mattel Games UNO

A family classic that can be played pretty much anywhere, with Uno Reverse cards coming in handy to insult your loved ones or to get out of any situation worry-free. For £3.99, this is both a fun game and arguably the most powerful deck of cards the world has ever seen. (Please note that Uno Reverse only reverses projected comments onto the accuser and is not a time travelling device).

MEGA BLOKS First Builders Toddler Building Blocks (60 pieces)

A hefty discount for building blocks that will likely outlive mankind, Mega Bloks can sometimes cost the earth, but toddlers can enjoy this classic set for 80% off. We’re all about cognitive development here (games are good for that), but getting kids of screens and using their imaginations for a while is never a bad thing!

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Switch) preorder

In what is a top-down Legend of Zelda: Tears fo the Kingdom, Princess Zelda takes the lead role by creating echoes of objects around her to traverse and wipe out enemies. On the fence about this one? Check out this world overview trailer.

Comfort Ultimate Care Fresh Sky 58 Washes

This deal is fairly straight forward. Make your clothes smell like fresh air for 58 washes for a bargain price of £2.50, that’s 4p per wash!

TCL 98P745K 98-inch 4K Television

Looking for an over-top-top sized TV that’s got all the specs a gamer would want? TCL are really upping their game byu offering premium features for a lot less than flagship brands. The TV market is changing thanks to budget brands like this, and this half price sale tag prooves it!