Category: IGN

If you’re a fan of college football, chances are you’re excited for Friday. For the first time in over a decade, a new college football video game is coming out. EA Sports College Football 25 will feature all 134 FBS teams with player names featured for the first time ever. If you’ve yet to pre-order the big game, Best Buy has one of the onl deals available right now.

You can score a free $5 Best Buy gift card when you pre-order either the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X version of College Football 25. This is perfect to use on your next game, a new controller, or even digital currency that you can use in College Football 25. Be sure to take advantage of this offer while it’s available, as Best Buy only has this promo available for pre-orders. This offer will expire on Friday with the game’s release.

Pre-Order College Football 25 at Best Buy to Score a Free $5 Gift Card

EA Sports College Football 25 is the first college football game from EA since NCAA 14 in 2013. EA was ordered to stop creating college football games after a lawsuit between the company and former college football players arose over name, image, and likeness (NIL). This prevented any new games until 2021, when the NCAA created rules to compensate players based on NIL. Three years later, College Football 25 is here, with player names available in game for the very first time.

Many of the older modes have returned to College Football 25, including Dynasty, Team Builder, and Road to Glory. Of course, dozens of new features have been added, including Stadium Pulse, which creates challenging road environments in college football’s biggest stadiums. Over 10,000 athletes have opted into the NIL program for the game, with roster updates periodically planned as more players transfer or opt into the game.

While this Best Buy deal is great for console owners, Amazon has an ongoing promotion where you can save $30 off a new PlayStation 5 by purchasing the College Football 25 game. Simply add both to your cart from this link and you can save on a new console!

Looking for more deals? Be sure to take a look at our picks from Prime Day and the best deals from Best Buy’s Black Friday in July sale.

During Prime Day 2024, the best Switch Lite deal isn’t on Amazon. Walmart is offering the Nintendo Switch Lite (Timmy’s and Tommy’s Aloha Edition) console for only $159. It normally retails for $199, which was already a great deal because it included the full Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. This special edition Switch Lite was originally part of Walmart’s larger sale that competed with Amazon Prime Day. That sale has now ended, but this deal is one of few that are still available, and we’re pretty certain Amazon won’t match it.

Nintendo Switch Lite with Animal Crossing for $159

The Switch Lite retails for $100 less than the original Switch and $150 less than the Switch OLED. It is compatible with most Nintendo Switch games and it runs off the same hardware, so performance is identical. The three main tradeoffs of the Switch Lite is that (1) the controllers are not detachable, (2) the console can’t be docked and played on a TV and (3) the display is smaller (5.5″ vs 6.2″ on Switch and 7″ on Switch OLED).

If you were intending to use the Switch solely as a handheld console, you might be better off just getting the Switch Lite. Even though the controls aren’t detachable, the Switch Lite does support wireless Bluetooth, so you can always purchase another pair of Joy-Cons, a Switch Pro controller, or a compatible third party wireless Switch controller, and you can still play untethered.

If you enjoy cozy games like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, or Minecraft, you’ll probably love Animal Crossing. It’s obvious that Nintendo put in a lot of love into this first party title and it’s certainly one of the best – and most relaxing – games for the Nintendo Switch. This is an excellent pick for gamers of all ages, even children. Check out our glowing IGN review for more details.

Other Nintendo Switch related sales and news that might interest you:

• Best Nintendo Switch Prime Day Deals
• All Pokemon Games on Nintendo Switch
• All Mario Games on Nintendo Switch
• Best Time to Buy a Nintendo Switch
• Best Free Nintendo Switch Games

EA Sports has apologized to Stanford University football fans after learning that it made an erroneous error in the program’s logo in College Football 25.

As reported by SFGate, Stanford University has a few errors spotted by hawk-eyed football team fans. Most notably, those who selected Stanford as their home team were greeted with an erroneous error in the logo—a red tree in the middle behind a white Capital S for its background.

As Sportslogo.net pointed out, the current logo, which went into effect in 2015, is a white tree behind a red Capital S.

The Stanford football Home Screen on EA Sports College Football 25 pic.twitter.com/N9Sy5X91on

— Inside The Stanford Cardinal (@InsideStanford) July 15, 2024

Additionally, several gameplay presentations show conflicting imagery between the current and old Stanford football logo. The correct logo is present on the helmets and the Stanford Stadium, which is printed on the center of the field. However, the scoreboard for Stanford shows the old logo where the tree was green, as shown in the image below.

Of course, EA Sports disclosed in a blog post published yesterday that “certain schools,” like Stanford, would display outdated logos. However, the Stanford Football Home Screen logo has never been an official logo for the program. Western Michigan and Jacksonville State also feature outdated logos.

Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to buy video games. That is especially true for Nintendo Switch games, with titles from Nintendo and plenty of third party developers on sale for a limited time. Whether you’re a fan of RPGs, cozy games, or platformers, there are great Prime Day Switch deals available for everyone.

It’s important to remember that these deals will only be live throughout Prime Day, which lasts through the end of the day today. You must be a Prime member to access the discounts, and these deals will end once inventory has been sold through. Be sure to pick up a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial and purchase any Nintendo Switch games before the deals end.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for $39.99

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is now on sale for the first time since it was first launched just last month. SMT V: Vengeance is an enhanced version of the former Nintendo Switch exclusive SMT V, launched in 2019. The biggest feature available in this upgraded re-release is the all new Canon of Vengeance route, which is essentially 40 hours of new story content. At $39.99, this is a steal for what will likely end up being one of the most popular RPGs on Switch in 2024.

Sonic Superstars for $22.99

Sonic Superstars for Nintendo Switch is on sale for $24.99 this Prime Day. This game is the latest 2D Sonic title, with loads of new environments and enemies to discover. New abilities like multiplying and slowing time are available with the power of the Chaos Emeralds, which can aid in your quest to take down Eggman. Plus, Sonic Superstars lets you play the entire campaign in multiplayer, so you can grab this great Sonic game deal and play with friends as Knuckles, Amy, and Tails!

Unicorn Overlord for $34.99

Unicorn Overlord is available at a new all time low of $34.99 for Prime Day. This tactical RPG has a plethora of features to discover, with over 60 unique characters to unlock and use in combat. The game was developed by Vanillaware, who is best known for titles like Dragon’s Crown and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. If you’re a fan of Fire Emblem, you owe it to yourself to check out this RPG for Switch, especially at this price.

Super Mario RPG for $39.95

Super Mario RPG was initially released in 1996 for the SNES, and over two decades later, a remake has been released for Nintendo Switch. Super Mario RPG for Switch is an excellent game, even being a great entry point into the world of RPGs. As one of the wackiest Mario games on Switch, there are dozens of unique characters to discover who have never appeared outside of this title. It’s also one of the rare occasions where Mario and Bowser work together – the King of the Koopas even joins your party! On top of all that, the legendary Yoko Shimomura returned to compose the soundtrack, making for an unforgettable Mario experience that is definitely worth it at this price.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp for $51.70

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a complete remake of the first two Advance War titles from Wayforward and Nintendo. This game marks the first entry in the Advance Wars series since Advance Wars: Days of Ruin on the Nintendo DS, bringing back Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising. Some of the biggest changes available in these remakes are a re-recorded original soundtrack, online versus play, and the massive shift in art style from 2D to 3D. Overall, this collection is an excellent way to revisit one of Nintendo’s most beloved strategy titles.

Cuphead for $24.99

Cuphead is one of the best platformers of the last decade, featuring an extremely unique art style that is based on rubber hose animation. Don’t be fooled by its charming looks, though – Cuphead can be absolutely brutal with dozens of challenging bosses. The Nintendo Switch version of the game is excellent with 60FPS support, fitting right at home as a platformer on the console.

Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles for $29.99

Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles is still the best Demon Slayer game out there. The flashy title features over 30 characters, with the story covered through the Entertainment District Arc. You can dive head first into Adventure Mode and relive the major story moments of the hit manga, or you can choose to battle it out against others in Versus Mode. Explore unique matchups that were never before possible, like Rui vs. Tengen. Let your creativity run wild!

Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $49.95

Per IGN’s 9/10 review, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one of the best games available on the Nintendo Switch, period. As the console’s first new 2D Mario title, over 150 different levels are available in this co-op game, with plenty of secrets and challenges to uncover as you play through the story. One of the new features of Wonder is the Badge system, which allows you to grant characters unique abilities to use throughout levels. At $50, this is a Mario game deal you shouldn’t pass up this Prime Day.

Best Buy Has First-Party Switch Games on Sale for $39.99

This month’s IGN First is Star Wars Outlaws. We’ll be diving deep into Massive Entertainment’s open-world adventure into a galaxy far, far away throughout July, with new behind-the-scenes looks and features.

We’ve already explored how Massive brought the cinematic spectacle of Star Wars into an “open galaxy” setting, as well as introducing its crime syndicates, and now we’re thrilled to bring you a full mission of exclusive gameplay. Taking place on the classic desert planet of Tatooine, this expert mission takes Kay on a journey involving a Jawa and a Sarlacc pit as she journeys from the sand to the stars.

Stay tuned through the rest of the month to learn more about how Outlaws was made, and what you’ll be doing in the story set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi when it launches August 30th, 2024.

Simon Cardy knows better than to stand around the edge of Sarlacc pits. Follow him on Twitter at @CardySimon.

Last week, Nintendo puzzled fans by uploading an unsettling and cryptic teaser trailer for an unannounced game. We no longer have to wonder what this game is, as the company revealed today that it is the latest entry in the Famicom Detective Club series, due out on August 29 for Nintendo Switch.

In a new video published on YouTube, Famicom Detective Club lead scenario writer and series creator Yoshio Sakamoto revealed he is the producer for the latest entry in the franchise in 30 years: Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. Sakamoto revealed that while the team was remaking the first two games, The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, he felt Nintendo needed to continue the series beyond just those two entries.

“This is the first new Famicom Detective Club game in 30 years, and I was involved in everything,” Sakamoto explained. “[F]rom the foundations of the plot to small details of the script and cutscenes.”

In Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, players control an assistant private investigator who is looking into the murder of a student who fell victim to Emio, the Smiling Man, according to the product listing on Nintendo’s official website. In addition to a brand-new story, Ayumi Tachibana, the protagonist from The Missing Heir, returns as a playable character in certain sections of the game.

Emio – The Smiling Man is the first new Famicom Detective Club game in over three decades, and follows the Switch remakes of the Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, both of which were announced and released in 2021 on Nintendo’s hybrid gaming console.

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

Hello Games has revealed the next update for No Man’s Sky: Worlds Part 1.

This huge update for the now eight year old space game is its biggest since 2020’s Origins update and focuses on much-requested variety and major visual enhancements to the universe. These include fancy new water effects and even what looks like gameplay inspired by Helldivers 2’s community driven Galactic War.

In a new developer video, below, Hello Games’ development chief Sean Murray made a rare appearance to discuss the Worlds Part 1 update. Murray said the tech Hello Games has developed for its upcoming new game, Light No Fire, is now being incorporated into No Man’s Sky.

“Six months ago we announced Light No Fire,” Murray said. “It’s this crazy ambitious game and we’ve been working on it for years, and we’ve learnt so many things and it feels like we’re almost bringing this technology back from the future.”

On Worlds Part 1, Murray said Hello Games has completely refreshed the universe with new technology, new flora, new fauna, and new gameplay. “In No Man’s Sky what you see on screen is generated by the computer and we’re achieving a level of variety that just wasn’t possible before,” he said.

The English studio has developed new water technology that can create waves and reflections to make No Man’s Sky’s ocean planets “feel completely new.” Ships can now land on water, planets have wind patterns, and the waves are dynamic and react to the weather.

“Sometimes a storm hits and, you know, the waves rise, the clouds gather, you’ve got the atmospherics, the wind, all this technology comes together all at once and there’s nothing like it,” Murray said.

New surface volumetrics include rolling fog, rain, blizzards, and even sparks coming up from lava. There are new creatures across the new biomes, too.

Worlds Part 1 brings with it a new Expedition. Expeditions are timed events in which you embark on galactic trips from one specific point in the galaxy to another. They encompass several challenges and achievements exclusive to each named Expedition.

Murray said the new Expedition is inspired by Paul Verhoeven’s cult classic science fiction war movie Starship Troopers and is “something really different.” It takes players on a tour of new planets, with everyone battling together. Progress, Murray said, is community driven, with new “super cool” rewards. It sounds a bit like the Galactic War in Arrowhead’s smash hit co-op third-person shooter Helldivers 2, itself heavily inspired by Starship Troopers.

And finally, Murray teased there’s more to come from No Man’s Sky. “The update is called Worlds Part I because, I guess… there’s much more to come.”

No Man’s Sky launched in 2016 initially for PC and PlayStation 4 before coming out on Xbox One in 2018, and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S in 2020. A Nintendo Switch version followed in 2022. Over the years, Hello Games has issued a long list of major updates, most recently Adrift.

Indeed, it’s a busy time for Hello Games, which alongside updates for No Man’s Sky is working on its next game, Light No Fire. It’s about adventure, building, survival and exploration together, set on a fantasy planet the size of Earth.

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.

Larian Studios may finally be adding everyone’s favorite bard Alfira to the Baldur’s Gate 3 party upon the release of Patch 7 in September 2024.

Though not wholly confirmed, the patch notes released July 16 said Larian “may have also let a certain bard now join the party as a controllable character if there’s an empty slot, temporarily, of course.”

Fans have been calling upon the studio to make Alfira a recruitable companion since Baldur’s Gate 3’s launch in August 2023 but this tease has reignited the chatter. “OMG, Alfira!?,” asked TitanMK0 on Reddit.

A tiefling bard encountered during Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3, Alfira tasks the party with helping her compose a song. She may be briefly involved later in the story, including in one particularly dark quest, but doesn’t play a huge role in the overall plot.

Prime Day ends today, so act fast to secure everything PlayStation at discount prices. The sale runs from July 16-17, with different deals on day two that you won’t want to miss. There are huge offers on the best SSDs for PS5, the latest PS5 exclusives, controllers, headsets, monitors, and more. To take advantage of these deals, you need to be a Prime member—consider signing up for a 30-day free trial before the sale ends today.

TL;DR: Prime Day Best PS5 Deals

SSD for PS5 Prime Day Deals

PS5 games are getting bigger every year, with titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 rumored to require around 300GB of storage for all its content—multiplayer, zombies, campaign, and Warzone. This could take up half of your PS5’s base storage, depending on your model. To avoid constantly installing and uninstalling games, take advantage of SSD deals during Prime Day.

SSD prices have been rising in 2024, making now the perfect time to buy with significant discounts available. Today only, you can get a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD with a pre-installed heatsink for 45% off. If you need a heatsink, we recommend pairing your SSD with this one and following our install guide. You’ll never have to worry about storage space again. There are plenty more great options in the sale as well, so don’t miss out

PS5 Games On Sale for Prime Day

I’m personally looking for even more games to play on my PS5 going into the second half of the year, so I’ve tracked down the best deals on PlayStation games for Prime Day. There are some great offers up for grabs as well, with my personal favorites including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Elden Ring, Persona 3 Reload, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and God of War: Ragnarok all getting big price cuts for the shopping event.

The Xbox Series X is the premier Xbox console on the market right now. With 4K resolution, 120fps support, and instant loading thanks to a speedy SSD, every game is a joy to play on Xbox Series X. Alongside the numerous features for home entertainment, the Series X can easily be the perfect home console for any gamer. It’s a major upgrade over the Xbox Series S, which is only capable of 1440p output on select titles.

Now’s as good a chance as any to pick up a new Xbox with Amazon Prime Day running through Wednesday night and other retailers with their own competing sales. As part of Best Buy’s Black Friday in July sale, you can save $50 off a new Xbox Series X console. Not only that, but you will also get a free $50 Best Buy gift card with your purchase, which you can use to score a new game or controller.

Xbox Series X + $50 Best Buy Gift Card for $449

Immediately upon purchase, the gift card will be emailed to you alongside your receipt. Since Best Buy’s sale is open to everyone, you won’t need to be a My Best Buy member to score this gift card.

The Xbox Series X is a great console overall for any game you’d like to play. With Game Pass Ultimate – grab a three-month subscription for 43% off for Prime Day – you can even stream games over the cloud and pick up where you left off, even if you’re not home.

What We Said In Our Review

Xbox Series X is an excellent console that offers the most power available in the console space currently. In our review, we said the following about the Series X: “No matter what current games you throw at it, your loading times will be drastically cut, your framerates will be smoother, and your resolutions will be higher. This bold and minimalistically designed box is quiet, compact for both the power it packs and especially how it compares to the PS5, capable, and loaded with convenience features like instantly resuming and cycling between any of your recently played games.”

Is It Worth Buying At This Price?

If you are currently a Game Pass subscriber or plan to subscribe to the service, Xbox Series X is a great choice. You’ll get hundreds of games instantly to play through, with the best performance available in the Xbox ecosystem. Plus, with the 4K Disc drive, you can play any 4K Blu-rays with ease.

However, if you’re in no rush to purchase a new console, you’ll likely find far better deals later in the year for Black Friday, especially as Xbox plans to release three new console variants. It’s likely that the current Xbox Series X will be discounted alongside these releases to push more Xbox consoles into the market.

For more Xbox deals, be sure to check out our picks for the best Xbox deals of Prime Day 2024.