More than 300,000 cases have now been reported, as Covid-19 spreads to almost every country.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Adds A Free New Map This Week
Infinity Ward is dropping a bunch of new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare content across PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. One of these free pieces of DLC is a brand-new map for Modern Warfare’s multiplayer mode.
Modern Warfare’s newest map is Khandor Hideout, a medium-sized Syrkistan location that supports 6v6 squad play. It features long sightlines and compact interior spaces perfect for snipers, shotguns, and SMGs. Khandor Hideout goes live tomorrow, March 24 at 11 PM PT. You can check it out below.
Also new to Modern Warfare this week across all platforms is a brand-new Operator. Talon is the first-person shooter’s newest DLC character and he comes with a dog companion to spice up your finishing move.
The VR Games That Influenced Half-Life: Alyx’s Developers
Half-Life: Alyx isn’t the first full-length virtual reality game and it didn’t invent many of the key VR-based mechanics at its core, but if our review of the game is anything to go off of, it’s certainly one of the most refined examples. Valve has, after all, been at the forefront of VR, with its development of the HTC Vive and The Lab back in 2016. GameSpot had the chance to chat with Valve level designer Dario Casali and programmer Kerry Davis about Half-Life: Alyx and all things VR–including some of the games that helped them shape how they approach VR.
“I had a level of excitement before I started [Half-Life: Alyx], just about VR in general,” Casali told GameSpot. “I was a really big fan of Budget Cuts and I flew around the Earth several times in Google Earth.”
Budget Cuts is a stealth-action game from Neat Corporation. Casali cited the “full-featured interaction” players could have with the game’s menacing robot antagonists and the sense of “presence” VR brings, and how both work together to raise the stakes for players, as inspirations.
No Quarter For The Republican Corporate Bailout
Welfare for the rich will do nothing to assuage the coronavirus crash.
Dandy Dungeon 2 Adds Music From Final Fantasy Composer Nobuo Uematsu
Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada, a comedy-RPG that’s been critically acclaimed for being both funny and a deep RPG, has announced a new sequel update that will double the size of the game and add music from Final Fantasy’s Nobuo Uematsu.
Dandy Dungeon is a roguelike RPG starring a burnt-out video game programmer who imagines himself as the hero of his own fantasy RPG. On April 2, 2020, Onion Games will release a new update on the Steam and Switch version called Dandy Dungeon 2: The Phantom Bride.
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The update adds more than 90 dungeon types, over 560 weapons, and more than 260 monsters. Onion Games also lined up some big-name music collaborations with 130 new original tracks, some from composers like Nobuo Uematsu and Touhou Project’s Zun.
The update will go live on April 2 Japan-time, and there’s an official timer on the Dandy Dungeon website counting down to the launch.
IGN’s Peer Schneider is a big fan of Dandy Dungeon, but the developer is also working on other projects you might be interested including a re-release of the cult-classic “anti-RPG” Moon. Moon was originally released for the PlayStation 1 in 1997, but will finally get a North American release sometime in the future.
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Holmgang: Memories Of The Forgotten – Teaser Trailer
Forge your own legend. Live the dark days of the Shadow War. Fight to regain your honor as the Ronin Tatsu. Fight to avenge the death of your family as the Barbarian Kandar. Fight to take your place as the Amazon Valentia. Join the fight against the empire of Hazulem and his Shadow Demons and change the course of history forever.
Amazon Prime Makes Select Kids’ Shows Available for Free
Amazon Prime has made a wide selection of children’s TV shows free to watch on its video streaming service.
Prime Video usually costs $12.99 per month and by signing up, subscribers get access to all of Amazon’s original TV shows and movies, as well as a number of other TV shows and movies on the service. That includes TV shows made specifically for children. The company has lifted the subscription requirement needed to view a number of these shows for children.
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Amazon Original shows that are family-friendly like Costume Quest, The Stinky Dirty Show, and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie are now free to watch as are a number of PBS KIDS shows like Arthur, Cyberchase, and Reading Rainbow. While a paid subscription is no longer necessary, users will still need to create a free Amazon account to take advantage of Amazon’s free offerings.
This comes at a time when children around the world are at home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With MLB, NBA, NHL and other sports seasons postponed, movie theaters and theme parks closed, and numerous gaming conferences canceled, many are adjusting to new at-home routines as quarantines continue to take place.
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Other companies like Comcast are offering free services too. Elsewhere, movie studios are bringing their movies to on-demand services much sooner than anticipated as a result of the virus. Read about how COVID-19 is affecting the film industry and then read about how medical experts believe delaying movies will help prevent the spread of the virus.
You can also read up on the first video game console delayed as a result of the virus. Here are some ways you can help others and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons — How To Get The Ladder
When you first start a new island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there will be some areas you won’t be able to get to right away. Once you get the vaulting pole from Blathers and can make your way across rivers, the last frontier is the land atop your cliffs. To scale both levels of these cliffs, you’ll need a ladder; here’s when and how to get it.
You’ll have to complete a few other tasks on your island before you can get the ladder, and the earliest you can get it is the third day you’ve been playing. First, you have to have completed Nook’s Cranny; see our full Nook’s Cranny unlock guide for the details. We also recommend starting the museum unlock process so you have access to the vaulting pole, as parts of your cliffs may be blocked off by rivers.
On the day Nook’s Cranny opens, go to the Resident Services tent. Tom Nook will ask you to select locations for three house plots, and as part of this, he’ll give you the ladder DIY recipe. You need four wood, four hardwood, and four softwood to craft a ladder. In three weeks of playing, our ladders haven’t broken yet, so they’re either unbreakable or extremely durable.
Pokemon Go Bringing Lugia Back Tomorrow
Cobalion has once again left Pokemon Go, but another Legendary Pokemon is set to return to the game very soon. Lugia, the cover monster from Pokemon Silver, will reappear in Raid Battles for a limited time starting tomorrow, March 24, and this time around, it’ll know a special move.
You’ll be able to encounter Lugia in five-star Raids until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on March 31–the same time that Landorus is set to make its debut in Pokemon Go. Like Cobalion before it, Lugia knows a special event-exclusive move this time around: Aeroblast. Not only that, but you have a chance of encountering a Shiny Lugia as well.
If you can’t make it out to Raids, Niantic is offering another way to catch Lugia. The Legendary Pokemon will also be available as a Go Battle League reward encounter until March 31. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.
Best VR Headset For Half-Life: Alyx And More (March 2020)
Half-Life: Alyx is out now on Steam, making it a particularly exciting time to shop for the best VR headset. The fact that this is Valve’s first big VR game is only eclipsed by the fact that Alyx is the first entry in the Half-Life series since 2007. Because of that, interest in VR gaming has spiked considerably. Valve’s own Index headset was restocked a little while ago, but if you place a new order now, you’ll need to wait about eight weeks before your headset ships. Unfortunately, that’s the case for most VR headsets these days, most of them being sold out at all retailers.
Yes, the Valve Index is a popular VR headset, but it’s not the only one out there. Each VR headset out there right now has unique qualities like high resolutions, AMOLED displays, or built-in speakers. Most also come with touch and motion controllers, VR headphones, and more. We know it can be an intimidating purchase if you’re not already plugged into the VR gaming community. That’s why we’re on the case to help you figure out which of the best VR headsets is right for you, depending on your needs.
Whether you’re looking for a VR headset you can play anywhere, a high-end headset for the most immersive experience on your gaming PC, or something in between, there are plenty of options to choose from. While the early days of VR headsets had us choosing between the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, more companies have entered the space. Valve stepped out on its own with the Index, Samsung created a Windows Mixed Reality headset with the Samsung HMD Odyssey+, and Sony released its PS4-only PlayStation VR.