Video Games | Page 1216 of 1422

The Electronic Wireless Show podcast S2 Ep10: endure and survive The Last Of Us’s PC port

A week late but never a dollar short, The Electronic Wireless Show podcast talking about the past present and… well mostly just the present, to be honest, of The Last Of Us Part 1. It’s had, and continues to have, a few problems with its PC launch last week, so we discuss that, we talk about the TV show, and we talk about some of the impact the game has had in general. Nate tells us all about Ceramus the Brick Knight, James polls us on Steam Deck alternatives coming out of the woodwork, and there are a lot of cowboy metaphors. Plus: what we’ve been playing this week, and our recommendations! It’s a rootin’, tootin’ good time alright! Apolgies in advance for the recording going on the wonk right at the end, though.

Get Up To 80% Off Select Titles In The Switch eShop Partner Spotlight Sale (North America)

Persona! TMNT Cowabunga Collection! LEGO Star Wars! More!

Nintendo of America has revealed its latest Partner Spotlight Sale, offering up to 80% off select titles on the North American Switch eShop.

There are a fair few big hitters that are seeing discounts thanks to this one, with both Persona 5 Royal and the Persona 3 Portable and 4 Golden Bundle getting a price cut. There are also savings to be made on LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Deluxe, Sonic Mania and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (which recently received a swanky new update).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

RPS@PAX 2023: Meet Bioshop Infinite, the barbershop quartet that’s been a PAX fixture for nearly a decade

There’s a moment in BioShock Infinite‘s opening act that’s always stuck with me. As you emerge onto the floating city of Columbia, the game takes you on a guided tour of the sights and sounds of this airbone civilization. As you saunter through the streets, you learn about its citizens and its creator, just sort of taking it all in. The sun is shining. You’re surrounded by smiles. Before you know it, an airship rises above the clouds and perches next to a hugging couple, gently swaying in the summer breeze. Aboard the ship is a barbershop quartet, cheerfully harmonising the iconic Beach Boys tune God Only Knows. It’s a memorable scene, and has become an integral part of the game’s lasting iconography.

But for Tyler, Nick, Derek and Greg, this section was more than just a fun tease for the secret behind Columbia’s unusual success. Self-confessed music school kids, the quartet inspired them to create their own musical group styled after Infinite’s singing hairdressers. In 2023, BioShop Infinite celebrated their ninth year at PAX East, where they performed a wonderful collection of harmonised tunes to an absolutely packed community room – and we were there to film it.

Get to know the Quen of Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores takes Aloy to the ruins of Los Angeles. The past millennia has seen the metropolis wracked by tectonic and volcanic activity. The result: a dangerous archipelago populated by deadly machines. Among these islands, a large settlement of Quen fight to survive.

Spoiler Alert: Please note this article may contain some spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West and its storyline.

A look at The Quen

Aloy first encountered the tribe in Horizon Forbidden West, during her search for one of GAIA’s subordinate functions. “The Quen are a seafaring tribe from across the Pacific ocean,” Annie Kitain, Lead Writer at Guerrilla explains. “Unlike other tribes Aloy’s met, the Quen have built their society around their ability to use the Focus, which enables them to access and read ancient data. This technological advantage has given them an edge against other tribes in their homeland, the Great Delta, but it has also shaped their culture in interesting ways.”

“Knowledge from the ancient past has allowed the Quen to build an impressive empire. But unlike, say, the Oseram tribe, whose technological prowess is due to their creative inventions, the Quen rely solely on the knowledge they’ve unearthed to drive their advancements. As a result, an important part of their culture revolves around protecting the few Focuses the tribe possesses, as well as strictly controlling who can access the valuable information these devices reveal.”

“To that end, Diviners play a special role in the tribe. As a highly esteemed class of Quen, only Diviners are allowed to use a Focus to read data. Their job is to find and record ancient knowledge that may benefit the empire, ensuring that it doesn’t fall into the hands of outsiders.”

But the Quen’s view of the Old World is skewed. Unlike Aloy’s Focus, we find out when playing Horizon Forbidden West that the devices that the Quen use can only view information up to a certain point in history – anything after that is unreadable. This limitation has led them to misinterpret much of the data they’ve found. Over time, they’ve come to revere a pantheon of Old World paragons, consisting of 21st century CEOs and business tycoons.

The Eastern Expedition

Much like the lands of the Forbidden West, the Quen homeland has suffered from environmental collapse over the last twenty years. Desperate to find a solution, the Quen came to believe that data from the ancient tech hub of San Francisco might be the key to saving their lands.

“Unfortunately, the Expedition faced many hardships,” Annie points out. “Early on, they lost half of their fleet in a violent storm. Then, after the remaining ships managed to make landfall in San Francisco, their search for the data they were after stalled, preventing them from making a triumphant return home. Things weren’t looking so good for them… until Aloy came along.”

On her mission to recover DEMETER from the ruins of an ancient Faro research facility, Aloy meets one of the Expedition’s Diviners. “Brilliant and curious, Alva is the first Quen that Aloy could call a friend,” says Annie. “The two bonded over their exploration of Old World ruins and the discoveries they made of the ancient past. During their adventures, Aloy helped Alva uncover a trove of data that could help her people. In return, Alva helped Aloy in her mission and even joined her growing crew of companions in the Base.”

“At the end of Forbidden West, Alva chose to stay behind with a handful of soldiers while the rest of the Expedition set sail for home. Thanks to Aloy, she has a new understanding of the world. And with a new threat to life on Earth on its way, she’s determined to do whatever she can to help.”

Heading to the Burning Shores

When asked what else players should know about this tribe before diving into Burning Shores, Annie answers: “I think it’s important to remember that we know much less about the Quen than any other tribe. We only got to scratch the surface in Forbidden West, so get ready to discover much more about them and how the tribe’s rigid hierarchy affects the new characters you’ll meet!”

The Quen that ended up in the Burning Shores have been here for some time, and while survival has been a constant challenge, they’ve managed to establish an impressive settlement that’s a lot of fun to explore. Here you’ll meet new characters such as Admiral Gerrit. “We meet him early on in the story,” Annie explains. “He’s a highly decorated commander in the Quen Navy and the leader of this group of Quen. He’s responsible for keeping things together even in their dire circumstances.”

The key art for Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores shows Aloy accompanied by a new companion, recognizable by her Quen attire – Seyka. “We’re excited to introduce Seyka! She’s an ambitious marine who has stepped up to help her people survive. As a new companion for the DLC, Aloy will spend a lot of time with her throughout the story and rely on her help in many situations – a position she doesn’t often find herself in.”

“Confident, compassionate, and fierce, Seyka’s quite unlike anyone Aloy has ever encountered, and she plays an important role in the next chapter of Aloy’s journey.”

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is available to pre-order on PlayStation 5 and will be available on April 19. Make sure to follow the team at Guerrilla on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to learn more about the next chapter in Aloy’s journey!

Road 96: Mile 0 review: an unexpected but enjoyable mashup prequel

It’s weird that Road 96 has gotten a prequel, because it only came out about six months ag- what’s that? A year and a half? Good lord. Still, it seems a slightly odd move, because Road 96 – a first person hitchhiking choose ’em up about the collective action of wayward teens bringing down a totalitarian government – doesn’t really need a prequel. On top of that, Road 96: Mile 0 is a sequel to developer DigixArt’s first game Lost In Harmony, a musical runner about skateboarder Kaito whose fiend Aya is dying of a terminal illness.

In Mile 0, Kaito and his family have moved to a small gated town called White Sands, in the 90s USA-adjacent dictatorship Petria, and made best friends with Zoe, who 96ers will remember as a recurring NPC from that game. Zoe is the daughter of an important minister and lives in the nice part of town; Kaito’s parents are workers who are forced to live on the wrong side of the tracks. Through a combination of Road 96-style character-driven vignettes and Lost In Harmony-style rhythm action tracks, the two come to the conclusion they must leave White Sands. If you played Road 96 you kind of already know how Mile 0 has to end.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Has a Colossal File Size on PC

EA has revealed the PC system requirements for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor alongside its colossal file size.

Those looking to join Cal Kestis and the Mantis crew on their next adventure will need to clear some hard drive space to accommodate the whopping 155 GB file size.

This puts Jedi: Survivor on par with the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 which demands 150 GB of available space for its vast open world and incredible level of detail.

Jedi: Survivor’s predecessor, Jedi: Fallen Order, also requires significantly less at just 55 GB, a whole 100 GB less than the sequel.

EA shared the PC minimum system requirements as 8 GB of RAM with a CPU equivalent of a Ryzen 5 1400 and a GPU equivalent of a Radeon RX 580. The recommended specs look for 16 GB of RAM, a Ryzen 5 5600X equivalent CPU, and a RX 6700 XT equivalent GPU.

We already know that developer Respawn Entertainment has expanded upon the galaxy far, far away greatly for its sequel, including much bigger environments that can be explored on rideable mounts (or via fast travel).

Jedi: Survivor also has a ton more optional areas, all of which fans can explore when the game launches on April 28.

In our preview of the game, IGN said: “Jedi: Survivor feels grander without ever letting the burgeoning scope compromise the exploration and sense of discovery that serves as its heart.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Minecraft Legends is a curious and charming blend of adventure and RTS

There’s always been something quite comforting about loading into a brand new Minecraft world. Dropping into that first forest, punching that first tree… It’s a promise of all the myriad adventures to come. And despite some fundamental changes in genre and perspective, it’s something that the team behind the upcoming Minecraft Legends has tried hard to preserve.

I recently was treated to the most in-depth look so far at Minecraft Legends, in an hour-long livestream which gave us all some much needed answers on what manner of beast Legends actually is. It’s a curious blend of action adventure and RTS, one that shares Minecraft’s focus on exploration, but guides the player down a stricter, simpler path of summoning friendly mobs and constructing defences to repel a Piglin invasion. This will likely be a solid introduction to the RTS genre for a lot of players, but I came away unsure about whether the game will have enough depth to keep its prospective playerbase’s attention.

Last night ID@Xbox held their latest showcase to spotlight all sorts of indies. One of the highlights was the cute deduction game Lil’ Guardsman, a riff on Papers, Please where you work on a guard post, choosing to accept or refuse entry for fantasy folk wanting to get into the city. Or you can just jail them. It looks like lighthearted fun, and it’ll be hitting PC and consoles later this year.

Bandai Namco Wants Your Feedback On Tales Of Symphonia Remastered

In need of regeneration?

Bandai Namco has opened up a survey for Tales of Symphonia Remastered, asking fans and those who’ve played the game to provide them feedback on the release.

The beloved action RPG — which initially launched on GameCube in 2003 — made it to Switch back in February in a remaster based on the Japan-only PS2 port. Yet many reported multiple bugs, glitches, and issues with the remaster, with some calling it “worse than the original”, comparing it unfavourably to the PS3 remaster.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

UK Daily Deals: Best Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Preorder Deals Right Now

Right now, the best Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (or Breath of the Wild 2 as many of us called it for years) preorder deal is at ShopTo for £49.85. With this preorder, you’ll get the game and the limited edition free Tears of the Kingdom poster as well. This is a £10 saving compared to the Amazon listing, and well worth considering if you don’t have any leftover extra credit at Amazon, or you won’t be trying for the Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition (that’s out of stock right now as well).

Other deals to check out right now include the 3-months for 99p deal returning at Audible (usually £7.99/month). This is for new or returning subscribers, and is well worth getting if you love audiobooks. There’s also the PlayStation Spring Sale, PSN Gift Card discounts, preorders for limited edition 4K Blu-rays, a superb deal on cans of Pepsi, and plenty more to consider as well. See all these deals and plenty more just below, and make sure you’re following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter for more updates.

TL;DR – Best UK Deals Right Now

Best Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Preorder Deals with Poster (Save £10)

Bonus: Where to Preorder Tears of the Kingdom – Switch OLED Model

If you’re looking to add the special Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch OLED model to your collection, then look no further. Preorders for this special edition console are still available and will launch on April 28, just a few weeks before the new game.

3-Months of Audible for 99p (was £23.97)

This is a great deal on Audible. For 99p you’re essentially getting three audiobooks of your choosing (one per month), alongside the whole Audible podcast catalogue. Some of my favourites I’ve listened to on Audible this year include Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino, Strong Female Character by Fern Brady, and I Am Not Nicholas by Jane MacSorley.

But there’s plenty else to choose from as well, such as The Sandman, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Dune, Lord of the Rings, and more. For 99p, you’re getting plenty of value out of Audible, so I defintiely recommened giving it a go. (This is for new and returning subscribers only)

Latest 4K UHD Preorders: John Wick 4, Mario Movie, The Last of Us

There’s some pretty awesome 4K UHD and Blu-ray preorders that the IGN UK audience have been loving recently. At the top of these is The Last of Us Season 1 steelbook, but we’ve had a couple of new popular preorders announced recently as well. Both John Wick 4 and the Mario movie are getting the special edition or steelbook treatment, and you can check out the preorders for both just below as well.

Latest UK Random Deals: My Top Picks Right Now

It’s a roll of the dice. These are my absolute favourite deals that are available right now, but don’t necessarily fit anywhere else, making them a little bit more random compared to everything else in Daily Deals.

Best PS5 and Xbox Series X Console Deals in the UK

This is the first big PS5 bundle deal we’re getting in the UK, with £40 off the original list price of £540. With PS5 consoles costing £479.99 right now, this essentially means you’re getting God of War Ragnarok for £20. It’s a great deal, but there are a few others to check out below as well.

Perfect PS5 2TB SSD for £125 Deal is Still Live (Limited Time)

The Netac NV7000 is compatible with PS5 consoles for an ultra-fast M.2 SSD storage expansion, with read speeds of up to 7000/6700MB/s (PS5 requires 5500MB/s or faster). Not only that, but it includes the required heatsink built in so you can have a no mess, no fuss install process.

For just £124.49, and a 5-year warranty included, this is a steal and well worth your attention. To get the deal, make sure to scroll to and click the ‘Apply 25% Voucher’ before adding to the basket and checking out. If you need any help installing your new drive, see our how-to guide here, and the how-to install video here.

Check Out These PS5 and PlayStation Spring Sale Deals

PlayStation’s Spring Sale has brought with it a number of excellent deals on PS5 consoles and bundles, alongside some wonderful physical and digital PS5 video game deals. This includes the likes of The Last of Us Part 1 for £37.99, Dead Space for £44.99, Hogwarts Legacy for £44.99, Ratchet and Clank for £29.99, and plenty alongside. You can also save even more on digital purchases if you invest in some discounted PlayStation gift cards from ShopTo.

Topping it off, the latest PS5 console bundle deal is now available in the UK, with multiple retailers discounting the PlayStation 5 + God of War Ragnarok bundle. There’s a £40 saving up for grabs, with the bundle dropping to just £499.99 for a limited time only.

PS5 and PS4 Physical Video Game Sale

PS5 and PS4 Digital Spring Sale Deals

Save Big on Digital Purchases with These Discounted Gift Cards

If you’re buying anything in the PlayStation Digital sale, then here’s how you can save a little extra money along the way. UK online retailer ShopTo has currently got a brilliant selection of PlayStation Gift Cards at discounted prices; for example a £50 card for £42.85 instead. Not only do these make great gifts, but they’re also perfect for topping up your own PSN account as well.

The only catch with these is that the best value comes from spending £50 or above, so only do this if you’re planning on make lots of digital purchases, or a couple of big ones. For example, if you buy two £50 cards, gaining £100 in total, you’re only paying £85.70, which is a £14.30 saving right out the gate. There’s more gift cards available, so I’ve left some handy links just below. And don’t worry, ShopTo is a trusted seller, and we feature deals from them all the time so you’re absolutely in safe hands when purchasing.

Best Steam Deck and Switch SD Card Deal is Still Live (Limited Time)

Obviously, these SD cards can be used with any compatible device, but we’re focusing on a select few that are perfect for your Steam Deck (A2 SD Cards like the Samsung Evo Select), or your Nintendo Switch. My favourite deal is definitely on the Samsung Evo Select 512GB SD for just £32.99. This SD card was down to £38 during Black Friday, so this is an even better deal.

Super Mario Digital Sale at Nintendo eShop

Nintendo is running a new sale on select Nintendo Switch games to celebrate the launch of the Super Mario Bros movie this month. Some games have dropped to just £33.49, including Super Mario Maker 2 and Super Mario 3D World. Wave 1 of the sale lasts until April 19, with a new range of games discounted in Wave 2, starting April 20.

Bonus: Pokemon Go Plus+ Preorders Are Live at Amazon £49.99

Pokémon Go Plus+ (it’s a silly name, but honestly it’s fun to say) works with Pokémon Go, and with the upcoming game/app Pokémon Sleep. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology to sync with your phone without nuking the battery life. Preorders are live at Amazon and ShopTo.

Star Wars Jedi Survivor Preorder Deals (PS5 and Xbox)

If you’re a Star Wars fan eagerly anticipating the release of Jedi Survivor, especially after all the positive previews we’ve now seen, now is the perfect time to preorder the game from Currys. With the use of the discount code JEDI15, you can get your hands on the game for just £59.49.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Category: Video Games