Category: Video Games

Most of Those Creepy Flying Things in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Aren’t Lobotomized Babies — the Truth Is Much Weirder

Space Marine 2 has broken free from the shackles of its Warhammer 40,000 setting and made inroads into the gaming mainstream, and that means there are plenty of players new to its grim dark far future.

For them Space Marine 2 is a somewhat bewildering experience, as it leans on much of the lore that Warhammer 40,000 owner Games Workshop has built over decades, with hundreds of novels, rule books, and magazine articles fleshing out the background fans know intimately.

Warhammer 40,000 fans have enjoyed seeing newcomers react in shock at just how grim and dark Space Marine 2 is. And it’s not just the extreme gore, mass death, and terrifying alien enemies that appear in the game either. Perhaps the most disturbing element of Space Marine 2 that newcomers are seeing for the first time are lobotomized babies.

A tweet from Forbes writer Paul Tassi, below, sums up the reaction to Space Marine 2’s winged babies, who seemingly fly about the Battle Barge, the spaceship on which the Space Marines live and plan their missions, performing monotonous busywork.

On the face of it, the apparent “good guys” of Space Marine 2’s story have lobotomized babies cleaning up their mess. Sound messed up? Welcome to Warhammer 40,000’s Imperium of Man, a fascist regime always on the brink of extinction and an extreme vision of the far future in which pretty much anything goes.

Warhammer 40,000 is intended to be grim and dark, and so stuff like this is par for the course (lobotomized babies aren’t close to being the most disturbing thing in the setting, if you fancy some light reading, check out what the Drukhari get up to in their spare time). Space Marine 2’s far future is a truly miserable place to be, a place in which countless humans die every day from all manner of horrors, be those alien, demon, or humans themselves. Humanity, bogged down by excruciating bureaucracy and religious fanaticism, has collapsed. There is no respite, no joy, only inevitable death.

With that in mind, Warhammer 40,000 fans are used to things like a “lobotomized church menial cyborg flying baby,” as X/Twitter user ChronoTheHarlequin pointed out. The thing is, with this one in particular, it gets even weirder.

As the unofficial Warhammer podcast Adeptus Ridiculous clarified, most of these things aren’t actually lobotomized babies. Most are built from the ground(?) up as flesh automatons with computers for brains (A.I is banned in the 40th millennium because of… reasons). Why do they look like babies? Apart from Warhammer 40,000 being all heavy metal and gothic, according to the lore, it’s for “ceremonial purposes.”

I’m loving Space Marine 2 and its attention to detail. The developers at Saber clearly love Warhammer 40,000 and made the effort to capture its oppressive, soul destroying atmosphere. I’ve particularly enjoyed the flavor dialogue you hear from the humans who are charged with keeping the Battle Barge afloat. Some bemoan a lack of sleep because of how hard they’re forced to work. Others express concern at the prospect of making even a single mistake. Given the truly miserable galaxy in which they live, these chaps are the lucky ones. And don’t get me started on the servitors.

We’ve got plenty more Space Marine 2 coverage, including details of its first patch, its post-launch roadmap, and the upcoming addition of class matching for co-op, after players found themselves locked in a class standoff ahead of Operations mode missions.

Image credit: Games Workshop.

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.

Here are some PC bits you could buy for less than the PS5 Pro

Today’s big news from the other side is that a tuned-up PS5 Pro is on the way, and a base spec, Blu-ray-driveless model will set you back £700. Or $700, in Ameridollars.

That’s a lot of cheddar for a living room games box, and while us Windows lot can’t quite claim pointing and laughing privileges – speccing a 4K-capable, DIY build desktop for seven hundred quid is certainly beyond me – the fact is that if you can get some pretty nifty PC kit for less. While still, let’s not forget, being able to play most of the PS5’s best games. It would not surprise me if someone from Sony’s PC division is already trying to entice Astro Bot underneath a cardboard box held up by a stick.

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New Elden Shadow Of The Erdtree patch aims to fix the final boss’s eyeball searing strobe light migraine festival

Sometimes, FromSoft craft the most masterfully tense boss duels you’ve ever seen, and sometimes, they aim laser pointers at both your eyes, cut off your feet, and expect you to dodge invisible leopards spitting lighting from the cockpit of a fighter jet made of other, more invisible leopards – as was the case with Shadow Of The Erdtree’s final boss’s final phase. If you had absolutely no trouble with this boss, I’m happy for you, as long as you go sit in the corner and keep it to yourself. For everyone else, you’ll be happy to learn the RPG‘s latest patch has “Improved the visibility of some attack effects” for the boss, alongside some other tweaks.

Patch 1.14, the full notes of which you can find hereabouts, comes bearing the following tweaks for Erdtree’s final boss:

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Random: Even The Manhole Covers Look Cool At The Nintendo Museum

Pokéman(hole cover).

It’s easy to dazzle us Nintendo fans with a giant Wiimote, a Toad barbershop quartet and a wall of pristine NES games, but to make a manhole cover exciting? That feels like a bit of a stretc- oh my GOD is that Pikachu?!

Nintendo has revealed a special manhole cover which will be housed in Kyoto’s Nintendo Museum and it’s quite the looker (thanks, GoNintendo). Nope, we never thought we’d be saying that about a manhole cover either, but here we are.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Brings Back Max Caulfield By Taking on a Whole New Gaming Genre

Life Is Strange Double Exposure Hero Image

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Brings Back Max Caulfield By Taking on a Whole New Gaming Genre

Max Caulfield became something of an unexpected video game icon in the course of the first Life Is Strange. In a medium often associated with over-muscled, under-dressed lead characters, stepping into the shoes of an ordinary person, with relatable hopes and fears (and, yes, just a dash of superpowers) felt quietly revolutionary.

Discovering the mysteries of Arcadia Bay was the headline of that game, but helping Max discover who she was through the course of our adventure became the thing I remember most about the first installment in what’s become a major gaming series.

So, as I picked up the controller to play a slice of her unlikely return, I expected all of this to feel familiar – a character, her powers, and a vibe that still live in my mind, years later. I’m thrilled to say I was wrong.

We knew that the Max Caulfield of Life Is Strange: Double Exposure would be older, with a life history for us to catch up on, but that translates into a game that feels equally evolved. Double Exposure is set years after the original, and places Max (and us) in the midst of a supernatural murder mystery. Her best friend, Safi, is killed, awakening a whole new power in Max – the ability to shift between two timelines, allowing her to see a world in which Safi never died alongside her own.

In my demo of the game, set a few hours into the game, I see quite how much those new powers change the fabric of Life Is Strange as a whole. Where Max’s original power to rewind time effectively played with the idea of a Choose Your Own Adventure – the virtual equivalent of putting your finger in the page before you turn to a new one  – timeline shifting goes some way towards changing the genre entirely. Double Explosure is more of a puzzle game than this series has ever allowed for before.

My demo sees me aiming to help Moses, a (seemingly innocent) friend suspected of Safi’s murder – inadvertently incriminating evidence is locked in a Caledon University science lab, and Max needs to find and remove it before a suspicious detective can stumble across it himself. Max can only shift timelines through what amount to rips in space-time, offering me a way into the lab that’s otherwise inaccessible.

Initially, it’s pure Life Is Strange – I enter the lab and ask other-Moses where he might safely keep a secret, building a picture of the situation entirely through dialogue. But soon, this becomes another kind of game entirely. I’m tasked with figuring out not only how to make my way around, but piecing together the mystery across both timelines – clues from one affecting how I proceed through another. There are elements of stealth, as I avoid the detective in the “dark” timeline, and even an entirely new power, allowing me to switch objects between timelines and change the rooms around me. This is not the Life Is Strange you remember, and it’s all the more enticing for that.

It’s a whole new take on puzzle solving for Life Is Strange – there are still the pivotal dialogue choices, deeply personal histories to uncover, and carefully chosen diegetic indie music, but with a new focus on classic game design weaving it all together. Like Max, Life Is Strange is learning how to become something new.

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure launches for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC on October 29 this year – and those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition can play both Chapters 1 and 2 from October 15.


Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Xbox Play Anywhere

Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Square Enix

☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★

$49.99
Pre-order

Max Caulfield, photographer-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University, discovers her closest new friend, Safi, dead in the snow.

Murdered.

To save her, Max tries to Rewind time – a power she’s not used in years… instead, Max opens the way to a parallel timeline where Safi is still alive, and still in danger!

Max realizes the killer will soon strike again – in both versions of reality.

With her new power to Shift between two timelines – can Max solve and prevent the same murder?

ORDINARY GIRL, EXTRAORDINARY POWER
Max is thrust into a thrilling supernatural murder mystery – more dangerous than ever before!

TRAVERSE TWO TIMELINES
Forge allies and pursue suspects across two versions of reality, shaping both timelines through unforgettable choices.

RACE AGAINST TIME
A relentless detective has Max in his sights, and Safi’s killer grows closer with every clue uncovered. Can Max survive long enough – to do the impossible?

DECIDE THE FATE OF CALEDON
Explore two versions of a vivid winter campus, each packed with clues, secrets, and tough decisions.

EXCLUSIVE SOUNDTRACK
A rich original score, new songs, and thrilling licensed tracks!

The post Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Brings Back Max Caulfield By Taking on a Whole New Gaming Genre appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Best PS5 and PlayStation Deals Today (September 2024)

The summer sale events may be winding down, but there are still quite a few discounts lingering around for PlayStation fans. And with the brand new PS5 Pro just announced with a hefty price tag, there’s really no better time to take advantage of PS5 deals. We’ve gathered up some of our favorite offers below, including some excellent discounts on games such as Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $24.99, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 for $19.99, and God of War Ragnarök for $39.99. These deals only scratch the surface of what’s available now, though. Below, you can also find other deals on everything from consoles to SSDs and even information on where to buy a PS5 now.

Navigate to:

What to Buy Ahead of the PS5 Pro’s Release

The PS5 Pro has finally, officially been announced with a monumental price tag of $699.99. Preorders aren’t live yet, though you can keep your calendar marked for September 26 on PS Direct (October 10 for other retailers), and the console will officially release on November 7. It was also revealed during the 9-minute presentation that the new console does not come with a disc drive or the vertical stand. So, before preorders go live, we thought it best to point you in the direction of these items so you can purchase them now in the event they sell out. The PS5 Disc Drive will cost you $79.99 and the vertical stand will set you back $29.94.

Best PS5 Video Game Deals

There are plenty of excellent PS5 game deals to check out at the moment. Some of our favorites are on Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $24.99 at Woot, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 for $19.99 at Amazon, and God of War Ragnarök for $39.99 at Walmart. You can see even more of our favorite game deals below.

Perfect PS5 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $135

SSD prices have been rising in 2024 but, with significant discounts available, now is the perfect time to buy. This is one of the best deals on a 2TB SSD at the moment: You can score the WD Black SN850X 2TB SSD (with a heatsink!) for just $135 at the WD Store. Make sure you use the code ‘NVGDAY10‘ at checkout to take full advantage of this offer. You can see even more of our favorite SSD deals below.

PlayStation Portal Back In Stock

Best PS5 Headset Deals: 63% Off the Razer Kaira Pro Dual Wireless Gaming Headset & More Deals

There’s no shortage of PS5-compatible headsets. If you’re constantly having to turn down the volume when you play, you might want to pick up one of these, then you can listen to your games as loud as you darn well please. And if you’d like to see even more options that are worth buying, check out our collection of the best gaming headsets.

More PS5 Gaming Headset Deals:

How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles

If you’re looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you’ll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and we keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

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

An Ubisoft investor wants to dethrone Ubisoft’s founders so Ubisoft can lay more developers off

Commence Star Wars rolling prologue screen: A minority Ubisoft investor has written an open letter to Ubisoft’s board outlining their “deep dissatisfaction with the current performance and strategic direction of the company” and threatening a full-blown coup against the Guillemot brothers, Ubisoft’s founders, and their backers at Chinese juggernaut Tencent.

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Capcom Confirms Dragon’s Dogma 2 Update for All Platforms as Well as PS5 Pro Enhanced Patch

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is set for an update for all platforms in addition to the recently confirmed PS5 Pro Enhanced patch.

Last night, Sony announced the $700 PS5 Pro alongside a list of first and third-party games that will have what are called PS5 Pro Enhanced updates when the console comes out on November 7, 2024. Sony has indicated up to 50 PS5 Pro Enhanced games will be available for launch.

Capcom’s action RPG Dragon’s Dogma 2 is among them. Like Sony’s announcement of the PS5 Pro, Dragon’s Dogma 2’s PS5 Pro Enhanced patch is light on details. All Capcom has said so far is that it will offer “a gaming experience that takes advantage of PS5 Pro’s features.”

The hope is that Dragon’s Dogma 2 will run at 60 frames per second and 4K resolution on PS5 Pro flawlessly. Dragon’s Dogma 2 launched in March on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S with a number of performance problems that subsequent updates have sought to tackle. Frame-rate is a particular problem especially in areas with lots of NPC. Now, Capcom has indicated that more updates are to come.

“We will soon be releasing an update for all platforms that will further improve CPU load, reduce crashes and bring additional adjustments,” Capcom said. “Further details will be announced as soon as they are ready.”

Dragon’s Dogma 2 arrived more than a decade after its predecessor and proved a monster hit for publisher Capcom despite controversy, selling 2.5 million units in 11 days amid microtransaction and the performance complaints.

In our 8/10 review, IGN said: “More of a redo than a sequel, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a strange and wonderful action-RPG that bolsters the original’s strengths without addressing its weaknesses.”

Meanwhile, we’ve got plenty of PS5 Pro coverage, including a list of all the PS5 Pro Enhanced games confirmed so far.

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.

Co-op blunder sim Chained Together now lets you make your own hellish maps

Abandon all hope, ye who are shackled to your workmates in Chained Together. The “co-op” game about escaping hell now has a map editor that’ll let you make your own infuriating obstacle courses for condemned souls to throw themselves upon. Finally, you can make the endless mountain of perdition you have dreamed about since being emotionally scarred by Getting Over It.

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Konami Doesn’t Want To Rush Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2

“We just have to ask for everyone to give us time”.

Konami has reiterated its plans for a second volume of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection but admits it doesn’t want to rush development after “all the issues” it had with the first collection.

This update was shared during the ‘Q&A’ segment of the latest ‘Metal Gear Production Hotline’ broadcast, featuring the series’ production producer Noriaki Okamura.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com