Month: March 2020

A big Destiny 2 patch is coming with the launch of the Season of the Worthy on March 10, and it’ll extend beyond adding new content to the game. Bungie shared early details about what’s coming with Update 2.8.0, which includes a bunch of changes to various Exotics and how they work in both PvE and PvP activities.

You can check out the full list of changes in the update in Bungie’s latest weekly blog post. If you’ve spent time in the Crucible in the last two seasons, either as a Warlock or playing against them, you’ll be interested in the change to Contraverse Hold. The Warlock Exotic gives you a powered-up Handheld Supernova grenade, while also reducing incoming damage. The result in the Crucible has made Handheld Supernova a very powerful move that almost always guarantees a kill, while making Warlocks very tough to take down. Bungie is shifting the Exotic to reduce its damage reduction from 40% to 20%, which will make Warlocks easier to kill when using it–bad news for fans of the Exotic, but good news for everybody else.

Another Exotic that gets heavy use in the Crucible is Titans’ One-Eyed Mask, which allows you to track opponents who damage you and encourages you to chase them down and kill them. Bungie is changing that tracking so you won’t be able to see enemies through walls anymore, and you won’t get a damage boost when fighting your marked targets anymore. One-Eyed Mask also provides an overshield if you kill a marked enemy, but the update reduces its duration from eight seconds to six seconds.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

For more than 30 years, Sandman has loomed large in the annals of comic book history as one of the most famous Vertigo series of all time. Created by Neil Gaiman alongside artists Sam Kieth and Mark Dringenberg, Sandman introduced the Dreaming, a metaphysical realm populated by the Endless, the personifications of things like Death, Desire, and perhaps most importantly Dream–also known as Morpheus, who functioned as one of the series’ central protagonists. Now, Audible will be bringing Dream and his adventures to an entirely new medium with an audio series produced and narrated by Gaiman himself. Take a listen to the trailer below.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

If you’re planning to buy video game loot boxes in Australia, you might have to provide an ID soon. In a report prepared by the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs the body recommends that the government investigate options for age-gating loot boxes and other elements of gaming that could be considered virtual gambling.

“The committee recommends that the Office of the eSafety Commissioner or other relevant government department report to the Australian government on options for restricting access to loot boxes and other simulated gambling elements in computer and video games to adults aged 18 years or over, including through the use of mandatory age verification,” a portion of the report reads.

The majority of the report explores the logic and effects of age-gating internet pornography on a massive scale, which recalls the UK’s ill-fated attempt to pass a similar national barrier, which finally failed once and for all in October 2019. This isn’t the first time that paid loot boxes have proven controversial to lawmakers. In the past, countries like Belgium and the Netherlands have passed regulations preventing the practice, which forced game developers to remove them from their games.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

A television adaptation of Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic action game, The Last of Us, is now in the works at HBO. The adaptation, which is intended to be a series, will be led by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, with game director Neil Druckmann helping to pen the script and executive produce the series.

Alongside Druckmann, Naughty Dog president Evan Wells will also serve as executive producer. The HBO TV series will be co-produced by Sony Pictures Television, with PlayStation Productions also attached. Sony already has an Uncharted film adaptation in the works, but The Last of Us will be PlayStation Productions’ first TV series.

Not much is known about HBO’s The Last of Us yet, but The Hollywood Reporter states that the TV series will follow the events of the first game. THR also notes that, with The Last of Us Part II coming to PlayStation 4 on May 29, there’s a “possibility of additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel.”

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Square Enix has released a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming remake of Trials of Mana, taking a deep dive into what features to expect when the game launches for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on April 24.

The video (which you can watch below) reveals that there are six playable characters to choose from when assembling your three-person party, much like the original game. Depending on who you pick, the story can play out in many different ways, too.

The trailer also shows off the customizable combat system, chain abilities that can be shared with your team, how to switch classes to gain strength and improve your stats, and how you can learn over 300 different abilities–with some of them being dependent on a day/night cycle.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Yet another big company has dropped out of E3 2020, marking just the latest shake-up for the annual gaming show in Los Angeles.

iam8bit, a creative services company that makes video game collectibles and was set to be the creative director of E3 2020’s new format, has resigned from that post. The company said in a tweet that it pulled out of the show “with mixed emotions.”

“It was a dream to be involved with E3. We wish the organizers the best of luck.”

Continue Reading at GameSpot

There’s a lot to be excited about when different entertainment mediums collide in just the right way. It was announced today that Sony Pictures has halted development on their The Last of Us movie adaptation…because a The Last of Us HBO series is currently in the works.

Vice President of Naughty Dog, Neil Druckmann, and Craig Mazin, the creator/writer of HBO’s award-winning Chernobyl miniseries (which IGN readers voted for as the Best TV Series of 2019) — who’s also the writer of the upcoming Borderlands movie being directed by Eli Roth — are collaborating on an adaptation of The Last of Us for HBO. As project news goes, it feels like the perfect storm.

While Naughty Dog is finishing up The Last of Us Part 2 for the PlayStation 4, which is set to be released later this year, the crucial first story of haggard Joel (Troy Baker in the game) and young Ellie (Ashley Johnson in the game) is being reworked for TV, presumably as a limited series (though nothing’s been confirmed either way). Here’s why this writer and this network mark the ideal jumping off point for this new story to unfold.

Joel and Ellie’s Relationship

Is The Last of Us the first reluctant surrogate father-style story to grace our screens, be it in a movie, TV show, or game? No, of course not. Movies like True Grit, Paper Moon, and (most often compared to The Last of Us) Logan have explored this — as have TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In games, Telltale’s The Walking Dead, back in 2012, gave us something very similar with its characters Lee and Clementine. But still, The Last of Us’ Joel and Ellie resonate strongly, and loudly, amongst this crowded “dystopian daddy/daughter dance” genre.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/07/the-last-of-us-2-ellie-and-joels-journey”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Sure, you could tell Joel and Ellie’s story over the course of a two-hour movie, but you’d lose a ton of important intangibles in the process. With a TV series, given the game’s story, they wouldn’t even have to meet until the end of the first episode. Or it could even be held off until the second episode. When you’re adapting a game, you have to take into account the amount of time players spend with these folks.

Obviously, The Last of Us could be developed as an ongoing show. Ideally, especially since it was being turned into a single movie, a miniseries would be the best format. HBO, while known for their iconic game-changing shows, has also nicely corned the market in limited series too – like Sharp Objects, The Outsider, Watchmen (which is now being labeled as such, in retrospect) and — naturally — Chernobyl.

Joel, whose personal tragedy we witness during the outset of the 2013 Cordyceps fungus outbreak, is a shattered soul. It’s 20 years into this ravaged dystopian world and his personal care space is microscopic. Enter Ellie, a teen girl who Joel, after a series of violent happenings, must escort across the entire country. It’s a relationship that takes time. Joel must find his heart again. Both of them must take turns caring for the other, doing seemingly impossible deeds in order to survive the wilderness, outlaws, and the Infected. And all of it culminating in a supremely twisted and emotional ending (if it keeps in line with the game).

Not Another Walking Dead

Yes, there are definitely similarities to The Walking Dead. Any scorched Earth zombie story is going to overlap. And we’re not just talking about Walking Dead’s Telltale games, but the long-running hit (even if it’s not as big a hat as it used to be) TV series on AMC. So yes, it’s a little unfortunate that there not only already exists a TV show that’s very similar to The Last of Us in many ways, but that it’s also been on for a solid decade. Nothing can be done about that though. The Last of Us must utilize what it’s got and play to its strengths – namely Joel and Ellie. And the idea of a cure.

That’s right, a cure. A theme that The Walking Dead saga has never dealt with in any of its many iterations. The one thing that could help drive the AMC show to a close (though the comics didn’t need it).

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=the-15-best-horror-tv-shows-of-the-last-10-years&captions=true”]

The Last of Us feels more vital in certain ways, with higher stakes to explore, because it’s not just about the survival of the main characters but of humanity as a whole. Ellie is precious cargo. She gets bit by an Infected human and, after weeks, doesn’t turn. Realizing that her blood might contain an anti-serum, a rebel group called the Fireflies need her transported to a lab in Salt Lake City. This creates a much different driving narrative than just a ragtag group of survivors constantly looking for shelter. Also, in order to skip over all of that shelter business, The Last of Us’ story jumps 20 years ahead right out of the gate. The wasteland world is mostly settled now.

Clicker Bait

So, as those who’ve played the game know, The Last of Us doesn’t deal in zombies in the traditional sense. Its world is still overrun with altered humans but they’re victims of a fungal brain infection who now exist as predatory monsters. We know… not a huge difference. But also, the longer one of these “Infected” remains “alive” out there in the ruins of civilization, the more it mutates into a grotesque fungus beast. Eventually, in “Clicker” form, the victim’s head is now just a giant open toadstool, making it so the creature has to track things using echolocation.

At HBO, these bogeymen have the potential to become the new White Walkers of pop-culture. Some operate on a zombie level while the more advanced cases hunt you down like the monsters in A Quiet Place. All while making creepy, unsettling clicking noises like nightmare cicadas. Some you run from, others you creep past. They’re truly a fiendish lot.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/31/hbos-chernobyl-series-is-the-summers-scariest-monster-movie”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

HBO’s Chernobyl

Craig Mazin was only known for writing high-concept comedies for decades before HBO’s Chernobyl hit. He penned the sequels to The Hangover along with Identity Thief and more. If not for Chernobyl, everyone would be wondering what the hell this guy was doing landing a gig adapting The Last of Us (aside from the fact that he’s a huge fan of the game).

But even though it stands as his only produced drama, Chernobyl made such an impact in 2019 that no one doubts Mazin now when it comes to being able to deliver scares and unleash terror. Since the danger in Chernobyl was, for the most part, invisible, the story utilized all of our senses to portray the burning poison that resided within the broken reactor. Banging pipes scared us. Shrieking radiation meters scared us. The darkness chilled us to the bone. It was, in a way, last summer’s best monster movie.

If we were just looking at Mazin’s resume prior to 2019, you’d see a writer who was totally in tune with a game like Borderlands, given that franchise’s trademark snark and ultra-violence. But with Chernobyl you can see a talent who can bring alive a terrifying trek into the dangerous unknown.

Chernobyl operated on both macro and micro levels. On one hand, viewers saw a lot of Soviet government officials trying to contain a huge disaster. Then, in Episode 4, “The Happiness of All Mankind” (which IGN readers voted as the Best TV Episode of 2019), we took a break from that and delved into a fiercely harrowing story about soldiers tasked with killing all the stray animals in the abandoned neighborhoods. It was arguably the most mortifying part of Chernobyl, and a sign that The Last of Us TV series will be able to find the deeper pockets of nuanced trauma that fans will want to see.

What do you think of the announcement that HBO will be adapting The Last of Us? Let’s discuss in the comments…

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Ahead of Animal Crossing: New Horizons March 20 launch, fans are making some incredibly cute art and creation tools and sharing them with the equally excited community.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/animal-crossing-new-horizons-direct-2202020″]

Animal Crossing Villager Creator

One of the most popular fan-made creation tools was an Animal Crossing villager maker from Kyoosh. Several fans used this tool to make themselves in the cute and simple style Animal Crossing is known for, sharing their creations on social media. Unfortunately, this character maker was quickly taken down, though Kyoosh is looking for another site to host it again.

Animal Crossing Dodo Airlines, Countdown Clocks

Animal Crossing fans have found several creative outlets while biding their time for New Horizons, one of the most jolly of which is dodoairlines.com. This site, created and designed by CelesMeh, Zoulianne, u/ItalianLurker, and u/TORtur3, allows fans to create a boarding pass, passport, and greeting card in preparation of their impending trip to a deserted island.

One of the most common fan-creations made in anticipation of New Horizons are countdown clocks. As of today, there are still 15 days until it’s released, but some fans are accounting for every SECOND until they can get their hands on the next Animal Crossing.

One of the most entertaining countdown clocks is ACNH Countdown, which is simple, effective, and has music you will want to dance to for the next two weeks.

Everything Animal Crossing: New Horizons

These are hardly the first instances of creative output from the Animal Crossing community leading up to New Horizons’ release. Last month, Animal Crossing and DOOM Eternal fans bonded over their shared March 20 release date, creating some hilarious and heartwarming fan art meshing the two disparate franchises together. Several fans also had a blast at Nintendo’s hyper-popular New Horizons PAX East booth.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=pax-east-nintendo-animal-crossing-booth&captions=true”]

For more on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, check out its character customization details, its Amiibo compatibility and functionality, and you don’t want to miss every villager we’ve seen so far.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Colin Stevens is IGN’s video game social coordinator, and he can not WAIT to be relaxed as heck on his deserted island. Follow him on Twitter.