Category: Video Games

Shinji Mikami Wanted to Leave Tango Gameworks Years Before He Did

Famed game developer Shinji Mikami, known for directing the original Resident Evil and The Evil Within, has revealed why he left his former studio Tango Gameworks despite founding it himself.

In an interview with Byking, translated by Automaton, Mikami said he actually wanted to leave Tango eight years before he did, meaning just five years after the Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush developer was founded. Mikami didn’t leave until 2023 due to the responsibility he felt towards ongoing projects at Tango, he said.

His reasons for wanting to leave weren’t animus, as Mikami said he wanted to create an environment where young talent could prosper through development which included shorter project cycles, for example. Mikami also had a desire to make unique, smaller scale games himself, so wanted to connect these two ideas.

His connection to the survival horror genre, through the likes of Resident Evil and its spiritual successor The Evil Within, were another factor in his leaving, however, as Mikami said he wanted to step away from this association.

As for why he couldn’t do this at Tango, Mikami said he became closer to “a rank-and-file employee” than someone with influence after ZeniMax Media acquired Tango just seven months after it was founded.

“I had only been CEO for six months,” Mikami said. “I think a lot of people were under the impression that I was the representative, but I was very close to a rank-and-file employee. I had ‘producer’ attached to my name, but I wasn’t an executive or anything of the sort.”

Mikami started a new studio seemingly around March 2024, though has yet to reveal much about the team there or what projects they are working on.

Image Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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

I respect Lethal Company’s dedication to being a slapstick-fest that makes zero sense whatsoever

James made the observation that Lethal Company, a co-op game about being haunted space binmen, and this month’s pick for the RPS Game Club, gets less fun the better you are at it. This is true! It’s also janky, and the RNG on the weird, warren-like buildings prompted me to ask “Who designed this? What is this for? What kind of office is this??” out loud, as I faced yet another dead end full of pipes. And yet! There’s something about it that endears me to it far more than other similar games like Phasmophobia. Games like this all largely rely on you making your own fun with the tools they provide, but I think we should give the Lethal Company devs props for their tools, because they are weird and make no sense, and allow for some fantastic slapstick.

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Square Enix Apologises for Foamstars Matchmaking Errors But Doesn’t Mention Fix in Incoming Patch

Foamstars developer Square Enix has apologised for the game’s ongoing matchmaking issues but didn’t mention a fix in its incoming v3.20 patch notes.

A blog post from Foamstars producer Kosuke Okatani outlined the incoming patch but began with an apology to fans for matchmaking issues which have persisted since its launch on February 6, 2024.

First, let me thank you for playing the game,” Okatani began. “On behalf of the Foamstars team, I’d like to apologize for the matchmaking errors many of you may have experienced during your gameplay. We are working to address this and other high priority issues.”

Okatani didn’t say what the other high priority issues are, nor did he say when Square Enix would address them or the matchmaking problems.

In the meantime, v3.20 will be available May 2 and is headlined by the addition of a penalty system for those who intentionally disconnect during a battle or via the Character Select screen, or for being idle for a long time. Players who are penalised for doing the mentioned actions will be unable to join a match for a set amount of time, judged on a case by case basis.

Square Enix will also introduce a fix for spawn camping on Radiant Rhythms Gardens, issues around Chloe Noir, and a PlayStation 4 crash issue.

In our 6/10 review, IGN said: “Foamstars’ combat mechanics are unexpectedly engaging, but confounding time-gated modes and aggressive monetization make them harder to enjoy.”

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

Stay awhile and play this free Diablo-inspired indie as the mayor of Tristram

Mayors in RPG games are rarely given the spotlight. They’re mostly just there to give you an early quest involving goat banditry or windmill rats or some such other domestic drudgery. Or, in the case of Tristram’s mayor in Diablo, to fret behind the scenes about how to properly fit considerable cathedral repairs into this month’s budget. Well, no more must this valuable civil servant hide behind balance sheets, occasionally popping out to cut a big ribbon in celebration of a nearby mausoleum being turned into a Wetherspoons. Tristam is a 72 hour Ludum Dare project where you play as said town’s mayor. And this time: It’s ceremonial!

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Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update Riddled With Issues

Bethesda’s highly anticipated next gen update for Fallout 4 is riddled with issues across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

The next gen version was finally released on April 25, 2024 (around 18 months after it was announced) but the several gigabyte update hasn’t been met with much fanfare.

The Steam version of Fallout 4 appears most wrought with technical issues, though PlayStation 5 players have struggled to obtain the update at all due to an availability error and confusing messaging from Bethesda. Xbox players, on the other hand, don’t have access to the game’s Quality Mode, meaning they can’t experience one of the main appeals of the next gen update: 4K resolution on ultra settings.

This specific issue was confirmed on X/Twitter by tech expert Digital Foundry’s Thomas Morgan. “I can confirm that only the 60 frames per second Performance Mode works right now. The update has a bug.”

PC players, meanwhile, have taken to Steam to flag myriad issues with the update. “Many of the bugs that existed and were promised to be fixed are actually still in the game after the patch,” said Piglet in one review. “Finally updated the game and didn’t fix a single issue,” wrote birthdayjesus. “But now the mods I used to fix it don’t work.“

The initial reaction to the patch notes wasn’t positive either. “Damn, the bugfix list is short,” wrote DreamweaverWR on Reddit, a comment which has 921 upvotes. “I had very low expectations but this is much less than I expected. They didn’t fix almost any of the bugs that annoyed me the most (VATS crash and perception bug in Survival, for example).”

FluffyBunBunKittens chimed in too. “It is kind of amazing,” they said. “Now I’m just waiting with interest what new bugs we get with this update.”

One of these new bugs seemingly makes the game unplayable for some on Steam Deck. A Reddit post from prunebackwards said Fallout 4 can no longer be launched on the handheld PC, a sentiment corroborated by many in the comments and elsewhere. Some players who can launch the game are finding myriad issues upon doing so too, like having no graphics settings, no launcher, defaulting to low settings, having a poor frame rate, and more.

PlayStation users haven’t been free from the issues either, though perhaps the biggest came in even trying to access the game. Fallout 4 was available for free through PlayStation Plus to all PS5 owners from November 2020 to May 2023, but this version of the game, nor the PlayStation Plus Essentials Catalogue version, wouldn’t allow players to upgrade to the next gen update for free.

A full $19.99 purchase was required instead, though Bethesda soon confirmed this was an unintentional bug. “We’ve seen some confusion regarding the free Fallout 4 next gen update for PlayStation Plus Extra members,” wrote a Bethesda community manager on the company’s official Discord, who clarified it should be free as expected.

Bethesda wasn’t able to offer any clarification regarding the free PS5 version nor the PS Plus Essentials version, however, saying on X/Twitter that “we do not have any information” regarding either. PS5 users were naturally left frustrated with the initial bug and unclear communication.

Those who have been able to get into the game haven’t had the best experience either, and have taken to social media to share their impressions. “The Fallout 4 PS5 upgrade looks amazing,” wrote CSSJAZZ on Reddit, sarcastically, as they posted the comment alongside a video of one area with missing textures.

Reddit user pasta_classic posted an image of the character creator screen, where the default man was missing a face completely. “Loving the update,” wrote SnoopyTheDog_, who posted a video of their character locked in place while being killed by roaches.

“Gotta love that Bethesda polish,” said UnwillingArsonist, whose post showed that makeshift weapons in the update are also missing textures, appearing as floating red exclamation marks in the world.

The issues come as somewhat of a sour note in what’s otherwise been a Fallout resurgence, spurred on by the critically acclaimed Amazon TV series. A huge upswing in the popularity of Fallout 4, multiplayer entry Fallout 76, and other games in the franchise even caused popular modding website NexusMods to struggle, and Fallout 76, once universally panned, saw one million players log in a single day following the show’s release.

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

Counter-Strike 2 finally gets left-handed view models, seven months after launch

Left-handed Counter-Strike 2 players, time to raise that left hand in what could be interpreted as a celebration. In the game’s latest update, Valve have added the ability to swap from the default right-handed viewmodel to a left-handed one. There’s also an update to the buy menu, making it easier to track your bank account and grab weapons your mates have dropped. Alongside further UI improvements for grenade line-ups, and a tweak to the Active Duty map pool.

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Guide: Best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Games, Ranked – Every TMNT Game On Switch And Nintendo Systems

Every TMNT game on Nintendo consoles, ranked by you.

Updated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants.

Remember, this is a reader-ranked list based on each game’s User Rating in our database, which means it’s subject to real-time change, even now. if you’ve played Wrath of the Mutants, or any other Turtles game below, you can rate it from 1-10 and influence the order. This recently released Switch game doesn’t have many ratings at the time of writing, so it’s all to play for. Enjoy!

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Stellar Blade Gets a Huge Discount on Launch Day in the UK

Stellar Blade is now available on PS5, and there’s a limited time left for you to secure what will likely be the best discount we see during its launch window. The PS5 exclusive is currently discounted using code PAYAY20 (see here), with over £14 off the RRP bringing the game down to just £55.96 for a limited time only. We’ll leave a handy link to the Stellar Blade preorder discount just below, but as we mentioned, this deal will expire soon at 11:59 PM on April 30 — so don’t hang around on this one.

This is part of a new payday sale at eBay using code PAYAY20, which includes some pretty impressive discounts, and 20% off some of the best games going right now — including Stellar Blade which will likely be on a lot of PlayStation gamers radar for the end of this month.

Plus, there are also games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PS5 is down to just £47.16, alongside Steam Deck 512GB for £374.95. These payday discounts are well worth taking advantage of if you’re making any purchases in the spring sales and beyond, so keep them in mind. For more amazing UK discounts, ensure you’re following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X.

In our review of the Stellar Blade, we said: “Stellar Blade stands out as a gorgeous and well-crafted action game with very impressive strengths and very clear weaknesses. Both its story and characters lack substance, and some of its RPG elements are poorly implemented, like dull sidequests that very often require you to retrace your steps through previous levels with very little done to make the return trip feel unique or rewarding.

“But its action picks up most of that slack thanks to the rock-solid fundamentals of its Sekiro-inspired combat system, a deep well of hideous monstrosities to sharpen your sword against, and plenty of hidden goodies that do a great job of incentivizing exploration throughout.”

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

River City Girls 2 Is Getting “Premium” Double Dragon DLC This Summer

“The legendary Billy and Jimmy Lee return”.

Following a joke earlier this month, WayForward has now announced Double Dragon DLC for its side-scrolling beat ’em up River City Girls 2. Yes, the “legendary” BIlly and Jimmy Lee will be making a return as playable characters in “premium DLC” this summer.

According to the PR, a free update will also be made available to all River City Girls 2 owners at the same time – adding a new Double Dragon-themed motion comic, two new shops, new accessories, and “more”. Here’s some extra information about these characters and what you can expect from them in River City Girls 2:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Best Sonic The Hedgehog Toys for Kids and Adults

Sonic the Hedgehog is having a great year with plenty to look forward to. The third Sonic movie is coming out in December, Knuckles is getting his own show on Paramount+, and Sonic is sharing the spotlight with Shadow in Sonic x Shadow Generations. In the last few years, the Blue Blur has become such a popular video game character in the multimedia landscape that Sega has produced toys to introduce the next generation of fans to the franchise. Older fans can add those toys and plushies to their collection for the sake of nostalgia or for sharing their love of Sonic with their children.

Either way, we prepared a list of the best Sonic toys to help prepare fans for the upcoming Sonic games and movies — not to mention introduce your kids to the franchise’s lore. Here are the best Sonic toys you can buy right now.

Sonic LEGO Sets

LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge

Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge LEGO set is a fun set for Sonic fans of all ages, especially for kids. It allows them to use their imagination and act out Sonic’s adventures in Green Hill, whether they’ve played the games or watched the movies and TV shows, provided that the parents reading this guide introduced them to Sonic Prime or Sonic X on Netflix.

This set comes with the speed sphere and launcher to send Sonic spinning and knocking every obstacle, plus the Motobug, and save the Flicky. It also has some accessories for roleplay, such as the DJ set so that kids can imagine Sonic is spinning records at Coachella, and a beach umbrella and chair set to allow Sonic to kick back and enjoy his chili dog and Chaos Cola. This set came in a Sonic Superstars VIP kit for content creators, but you can get it for just $35.

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Sonic Plushies

Shadow the Hedgehog 12-inch Great Eastern Entertainment Plush

The Shadow the Hedgehog plushie from Great Eastern Entertainment would make a perfect addition to any Sonic fan’s plushie collection. Since Shadow is going to be in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, you can actually take him to the movie with you no matter how old you are, societal judgment be damned. Just ask the girl who took the same Shadow plush to prom.

The plushie is designed with great accuracy to Shadow’s character model, from the detailed rocket holes in the soles of his air shoes to curves of this spiky hair. It comes with a yellow string that makes it look like a carnival game prize, but you can cut it off if you so choose. Either way, it’s worth the money — $27, to be exact. Fair warning: Some people who bought the GE Shadow plushie from Amazon reported that they received the bootleg version in their reviews, so please be careful.

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Sonic Action Figures

Sonic The Hedgehog 4″ Articulated Action Figure from Jakks Pacific

Jakks Pacific has been releasing a great deal of high-quality Sonic action figures in the last few years, and this Sonic articulated action figure is no exception. This one come with the Invincibility item box that you can place anywhere on your play set as you build out the world of Sonic according to your vision or that of your child’s.

There are other Sonic figures from Jakks Pacific that come with their own accessories, like Amy Rose, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, and even Big the Cat. But you can add this to your Sonic figure collection for only $19, giving your wallet a break from the other expensive figures.

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Sonic R/C Cars

Team Sonic Racing 2.4GHz Radio Control Toy Car with Turbo Boost

Wanna see Team Sonic Racing play out in real life? You and your kids can do just that with the Team Sonic Racing R/C car by NKOK. The R/C is faithfully designed after Sonic’s race car in the game Team Sonic Racing, and has a beautifully detailed Sonic seated behind the wheel. It’s equipped with a 2.4 GHz control frequency that allows you to drive it at a wide enough distance, the ability to race up to 16 other RCs at once, and Turbo Boost to give an extra boost of speed.

The most charming part of the R/C is that it has working headlights, allowing you to drive it in dim-light areas (as long as you don’t drive it in total darkness). That’s everything you need to ensure you have a good race for just $27.

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Knuckles Toy

Knuckles the Echidna Cable Guy Device Holder from Exquisite Gaming

In honor of the Knuckles show streaming on Paramount+, we’re presenting you the Knuckles the Echidna Cable Guy Device Holder, courtesy of Exquisite Gaming. You can set him on your desk and let him hold your phone while you’re working so he can bear the load of the constant text, email, and social media notifications that come your way.

Knuckles can also hold your gaming controller, TV remote, and even your Nintendo Switch — yes, even the OLED model — without falling over the side thanks to its sturdy base. You can take the load off your desk and TV stand and give it all to Knuckles for just $25.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.