Category: Gaming

It’s been a long 15 years since the last Banjo Kazooie game was released, and since then, fans have been eager for a revival. Now, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has finally acknowledged fans hopes for the franchise’s return.

In an interview with Windows Central published Friday, Spencer briefly shouted out Banjo-Kazooie’s community and its repeated pleas for a new game when asked about types of games that might see revivals.

“You’ve seen from our history that we haven’t touched every franchise that people would love us to touch — Banjo fans, I hear you,” Spencer said. “But it is true that, when we find the right team, and the right opportunity, I love going back to revisit stories and characters that we’ve seen previously.”

Spencer also discussed the process of reviving an old franchise, explaining why he tries to involve games’ original developers before commiting to a project.

“There has to be passion in the team behind the projects. That doesn’t mean that the team has to be the original team, every time. I’m not one — and maybe this is just my approach — I’m not one to come in and take a franchise from a team and remove them from the discussion or development process on how something new gets built. I think the original creators, the culture — frankly, some of the lessons we’ve learned from past experiences here are very important.”

Rumors of a new Banjo-Kazooie game have consistently popped up every few years since Nuts and Bolts was released in 2008, although a former developer called the franchise’s return unlikely earlier this year. Still, we ranked Banjo-Kazooie among the top Xbox franchises that deserve to return.

Unless Spencer’s remark is a hint at an actual Banjo-Kazooie revival, the closest thing to a recently released game fans of the franchise have is Yooka-Laylee, the spiritual successor made by several developers of the original Banjo-Kazooie. We gave it a 7 in 2017, saying “this genre, once thought to be dead, still has some life left in it.”

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

We were apparently robbed of a Peach rival – or, more specifically, “Walpeach” – in Mario Power Tennis, but at least Waluigi creator Fumihide Aoki has given us a delightful glimpse at the character that might’ve been.

Aoki, who goes by yuzumpo on Instagram, shared some character design sketches, followed by a few 3D renderings, on Friday. Clad in purple like Wario and Waluigi, her outfit certainly has a little more edge than Princess Peach’s usual fashion, complete with some buckled boots and spiked bracelet.

Aoki revealed a few more interesting tidbits about her development in the replies of the Instagram posts, too, saying that Walpeach was initially pitched for Mario Tennis 64, but was rejected before they could even nail down a design. To that end, an old Nintendo Power interview from 2000 surfaced a few years ago in which Camelot’s Hiroyuki Takahashi revealed that Shigeru Miyamoto “didn’t even want to see their (Wario and Waluigi’s) girlfriends.”

Aoki would go on to pitch Walpeach’s design for 2004’s Mario Power Tennis on the GameCube, where it was unfortunately rejected again.

Her personality, Aoki said, would largely follow the same “pattern” as Wario and Waluigi, seeing Peach as her rival. “Her personality is scary when she gets angry. etc,” he added.

As far as other “Warui” character ideas, Aoki also said he once had “an idea for Yoshi to be a dragon with horns and wings as a combination of Walpeach,” but that obviously never came to fruition. Still, I would like to see it.

Walpeach may never be able to go toe-to-toe with her counterpart in a game, but at least Aoki’s given us a glimpse – and no doubt inspiration for some fanart.

Thumbnail credit: yuzumpo on Instagram

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

The next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, will emphasise freedom while upping the intensity of gameplay, CD Projekt Red has said.

Speaking to Lega Nerd, game director Sebastian Kalemba said CD Projekt Red is looking to build upon the elements Witcher fans know and love while pushing the boundaries of what a role-playing game can be.

“We have some elements of the lore that need to be kept, as the universe is always the same and we cannot go beyond certain limits. We must therefore follow a very specific direction while innovating,” Kalemba said.

“Our priority is to try to do something that always goes beyond the limits; we want to go further. We want to try to do something new compared to what we already see in RPGs,” he added. “The idea is indeed to build something that goes beyond the previous The Witcher and that manages to tell something more intense, with also more intense gameplay.”

CD Projekt Red is also incorporating lessons learned from Cyberpunk 2077, as Kalemba said the combination of strong story-telling and player freedom is something it wants to bring forward into Polaris.

Alongside hard-wired story moments, “the player must also be able to have freedom, feel like they are free,” he said. “Starting from the construction of the character, our pressure point is immersion. It is about the possibility of choosing your own path. Also the build, obviously, because being an RPG the player must be able to build their character as he sees fit. The Witcher will follow this structure: lots of freedom, but there is a specific path to follow from a narrative point of view.”

It will be a while before get to taste this freedom and narrative for themselves, as Polaris is still two years away at the absolute earliest according to an October 2022 comment from CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kiciński. The game was only announced in March 2022, however, so a 2025 estimate could be on the earlier side of this assessment.

Chief commercial officer Michał Nowakowski also said at the time that creating a new game alongside new technology like CD Projekt Red is doing with Polaris and Unreal Engine 5 usually takes four or five years, though this won’t necessarily be the case this time.

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

Alan Wake 2 developer Remedy Entertainment has seemingly revealed that a New Game Plus mode will be added to the game in December 2023.

A cryptic but admittedly on brand X/Twitter post from Remedy didn’t explicitly say New Game Plus would be arriving in December but it heavily implied as such. Alongside an image that showed Alan Wake pointing his flashlight at a wall that said New Game Plus, Remedy posted: “New month, new game… plus?”

No details on what the New Game Plus mode will entail were shared — whether certain abilities will carry forward, if new content will unlock, and so on — nor did Remedy say exactly when the update would arrive.

Alan Wake 2 launched October 27 as a sequel to the original game more than a decade in the making. Time didn’t wear down its quality though, as IGN awarded the sequel a 9/10 in our review.

“Alan Wake 2 is a superb survival horror sequel that makes the cult-classic original seem like little more than a rough first draft by comparison,” we said.

It also led nominations at The Game Awards alongside Baldur’s Gate 3. Alan Wake 2 was nominated for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Sound Design, Best Performance (from Melanie Liburd), and Best Action/Adventure Game, with the full award show taking place December 7.

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

Here’s a deal I didn’t expect to wake up to this morning. You can get a brand-new Xbox Series X bundled with a digital copy of Diablo IV (a very good game) for $349 at Walmart. This beats any deal that was available during Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale events. This is by far the best Xbox Series X deal we’ve ever seen. If purchased separately at MSRP, these items would normally cost $569.98. But right now you can pick up the bundle for $220 less than that. As with all astonishingly good deals, there’s no telling how long it will last, so if you want it, grab it before it’s gone.

Xbox Series X Diablo 4 Bundle Deal

If, for some reason, you don’t want a copy of Diablo, you can get the console itself for the same price at both Walmart and Amazon. But you might as well get the Diablo version if it’s in stock. Diablo IV is a very good game that will give you many hours of demon-slashing enjoyment.

From our 9/10 Diablo IV review:

“Diablo 4 is a stunning sequel with near perfect endgame and progression design that makes it absolutely excruciating to put down. The story is a pretty big disappointment despite still being a noticeable improvement over Diablo 3 and there are some annoying bugs that need squashing, but the combat, the loot game, and both the sights and sounds of this world are impressive enough to smooth over those rough edges. Diablo 4 takes the strategy of refining things the series already did so well rather than giving it a more substantial overhaul, and that careful and reverent path has shaped this massive sequel into one of the most polished ARPGs ever created, which makes slicing through the legions of the damned a hell of a good time.”

But even if the Diablo IV bundle sells out at Walmart, the Xbox Series X is well worth picking up, especially for $349. I prefer it over my PS5. I like the interface better, and the Quick Resume feature works like magic. It’s really great. You can also find more Xbox deals, if you’re in the market.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads and Twitter.

After the success of the Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes, Capcom has confirmed plans to continue the trend, although stopped short of announcing which Resident Evil game is next in line for the remake treatment.

At a PlayStation partner awards event in Japan, attended and translated by IGN Japan, Resident Evil 4 remake director Yasuhiro Anpo said the company will announce its next Resident Evil remake in due course.

“Yes,” Anpo replied when asked if Capcom wants to keep making Resident Evil remakes. “We’ve released three remakes so far and they have all been received very well. Since it allows a modern audience to play these games, it is something I am happy to do as someone that loves these older games, and we want to continue doing more.

“What game we will remake in the future is something that we would like to announce in the future, so please look forward to it.”

With Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes already out, thoughts turn to which game Capcom will tackle next. Fans have long called for a remake of Sega Dreamcast classic Resident Evil Code: Veronica, which first launched in 2000. While the game was remastered for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and is available to play via backwards compatibility, a current-gen remake would bring a new wave of players to the title on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.

Alternative choices include the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0, or moving on to the more action oriented Resident Evil 5.

“When developing a new game, there is no way to know what will be received well by the players, which makes it difficult,” Anpo continued. “In the case of a remake, there are already players that have played the original, which I think can be seen as an advantage. We are very grateful to users that are vocal about their opinion. It allows us to develop with the player’s opinion in mind. For example, if this is how the players feel, then maybe we can make it like this. I think this is one of the reasons why our remakes are so well received.”

The 10 Best Resident Evil Games

During the same Q&A, Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, producer of the Resident Evil 4 remake, said remaking Resident Evil games with Capcom’s own RE Engine has its benefits, indicating Capcom plans to stick with the engine for future projects.

“We use RE Engine for many of our titles,” Hirabayashi said. “It is true that sharing information (between teams) has greatly benefited the speed of development.”

Resident Evil 4 remake launched in March and was a smash hit. IGN’s Resident Evil 4 remake review returned a 10/10, as we said: “The Resident Evil 4 remake is the series’ most relentlessly exciting adventure rebuilt, refined, and realised to the full extent of its enormous potential.”

Resident Evil 3 remake launched in April 2020, and Resident Evil 2 remake came out in January 2019. Perhaps fans won’t have long to wait before Capcom announces the next Resident Evil remake.

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.

Gearbox Publishing and developer Blackbird Interactive have announced a Homeworld 3 release date of March 8, 2024, for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The launch date for the long-awaited third entry in the Homeworld series was announced as part of today’s PC Gaming Show. It’s a bit later than the project’s previously promised February window, but it’s still a date that players can look forward to after waiting for more than two decades since Homeworld 2.

Preorders for the sci-fi story RTS are available now, giving players the option to choose from four versions: Standard, Deluxe, Fleet Command, and Collector’s Edition. Those who purchase the Fleet Command or Collector’s Edition will be granted early access starting on March 5, 2024. Both of these bundles also include the Year One Pass, which comes with new expansions crafted for the War Game roguelike mode.

You can see a full list of all of the offerings, as well as an image detailing each version, below:

· Homeworld 3 Standard Edition | $59.99

o Base Game

o Pre order bonus – Kushan Carrier War Games Skin

· Homeworld 3 Deluxe Edition | $79.99

o All contents of the Homeworld 3 Standard Edition

o Year One Pass

· Homeworld 3 Fleet Command Edition | $89.99

o Play the game 72 hours early on March 5, 2024

o All contents of the Homeworld 3 Deluxe Edition

o Homeworld 3 Soundtrack (Digital)

o Multiplayer Name Color (Digital)

o Ship Decals (Digital)

o Engine Trail Color (Digital)

o Banners (Digital)

· Homeworld 3 Collector’s Edition | $174.99

o Play the game 72 hours early on March 5, 2024

o All contents of the Homeworld 3 Fleet Command Edition

o WW2-Inspired Spotter Deck

o Homeworld 3 Logo Keychain

o Lithograph

o True-to-Scale Homeworld 3 Ship Figures including:

§ Mothership Khar-Kushan

§ Hiigaran Torpedo Frigate

§ Hiigaran Destroyer

§ Hiigaran Recon in Delta Formation

Homeworld 3 was announced in August 2019, meaning it’s been more than four years since the project was finally announced. To celebrate its highly anticipated March launch date, fans can expect a making-of documentary about the project to drop sometime in December 2024.

“The Homeworld community has waited actual decades for this launch. We’re thrilled that their wait will finally be rewarded this March as players will be able to command the Mothership and continue their adventures,” President of Gearbox Publishing Steve Gibson said in a press release. “We’re grateful to BBI for their incredible work, and to the players for communicating with us and ultimately trusting us with Homeworld’s legacy. Hopefully they feel that we’ve done it proper justice.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Rumors of a Final Fantasy Tactics remaster have circulated ever since the big Nvidia leak back in 2021, with series creator Yasumi Matsuno wondering aloud if the team should rebalance the infamously broken Thunder God Cid. Now Matsuno is going on record to say that there are “no plans” for the hotly-requested remaster.

“Currently, there are no plans for remastering,” Matsuno said in a post on X/Twitter posted on November 28. “Also, you have to convey your request to Square Enix, not me. Thank you for your understanding.”

Matsuno, who led the team that created the original Final Fantasy Tactics for PlayStation, was responding to a fan requesting a progression system for the Ultima spell. Matsuno left Square Enix in 2005, but he has remained involved with Final Fantasy over the years, among other things crafting content for Final Fantasy XIV and working on 2022’s Tactics Ogre remaster. He currently runs Algebra Factory, a company dedicated to “planning, screenplay, and production.”

We ranked Final Fantasy Tactics at #1 in our list of the 10 best tactics RPGs, writing, “Somber, triumphant, and still one-of-a-kind, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions wins its spot as our best tactics RPG of all time.”

Final Fantasy Tactics fans have been calling out for a remaster due its relative lack of availability on modern consoles. It was remastered for PlayStation Portable in 2007, with an iOS release arriving in 2011. Otherwise, it is very difficult to play what is considered one of gaming’s foundational tactics RPGs.

With The Game Awards set to kick off next week, we’ll see whether Square Enix has any tricks up its sleeve, but based on Matsuno’s comments, it seems that series fans shouldn’t hold their breath.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

There are quite a few Cyber Monday deals still going strong today, especially over at Amazon. Right now, you can still save on select PS5 console bundle deals. In particular, the PS5 Spider-Man 2 Slim Bundle and the PS5 Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Slim Bundle. These bundles have been a big hit over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so you’ll want to grab them quick before they’re gone!

PS5 Console Bundle Deals at Amazon

A Perfect Gift

PS5 Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Bundle (Slim Model)

Arrives before Christmas.

See on Amazon

You can still get 11% off the PS5 Spider-Man 2 Slim Bundle and the PS5 Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Slim Bundle. These would normally set you back $559.99, but they’re each available for $499.00, so well worth picking up if you’ve been hoping to get your hands on a new PS5 Slim console. They’ve been very popular this year for holiday shopping, so you’ll want to pick these up before they’re out of stock.

You can also get the digital edition of the PS5 Slim console right now, which we’ve listed below, though it’s not for sale as part of Amazon’s Cyber Monday deals, unfortunately.

PS5 Slim Digital Edition Is Available

There are plenty more Cyber Monday deals to check out today, too. Alongside the excellent selection of Amazon’s Cyber Monday deals – which includes discounts on Apple Devices, 4K TVs, and much more – we’ve rounded up the best of what’s still available in Best Buy’s Cyber Monday deals and Walmart’s Cyber Monday deals as well. The latter is still going strong with their deals, so worth having a look at what they have available at the moment.

If you want to see more from PlayStation, you can check out the deals that are still live for PS5 in our roundup of the best PS5 Cyber Monday deals. And to see what’s available for other consoles, we’ve got collections of the best Xbox Cyber Monday deals and the best Nintendo Switch Cyber Monday deals. If you’re curious about the best overall Cyber Monday deals, we’ve gathered the very best discounts in our breakdown of the best Cyber Monday deals.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

In a livestream today developer Grinding Gear Games made a slew of announcements, including a first look at a new playable class in its upcoming ARPG Path of Exile 2: the mercenary.

The long-awaited sequel, which announced way back in 2019, is still a ways away from its closed beta kicking off in June of next year, but in the meantime a steady stream of reasons to get excited have come our way, including IGN’s hands-on time with the druid class a few months ago.

The class revealed today though, dubbed the mercenary, is in a league all its own. Armed with a slew of crossbows, including those capable of sniping from across the map, peppering enemies with elemental effects at close-range, or even blasting away hoardes with fully-automatic payloads, the mercenary converts the ARPG experience into something resembling a twinstick shooter.

Compared to the rather expected hack-and-slash approach of the warrior and the druid, the mercenary’s shameless shooting is quite a departure from anything the free-to-play series has seen before.

“When thinking about each new class, we really try to think about what can make combat feel different from all the others,” explained game director Jonathan Rogers. “For the Mercenary, that difference is the crossbow. A crossbow is fundamentally different than a regular bow because it fires instantly instead of needing to be drawn back. Clicking the fire button should make the character shoot instantly, just like in a shooter. As soon as we experienced that, we realised that there are a lot of design lessons to learn from shooters, and so we fully embraced them.”

Because the mercenary’s running-and-gunning ways probably wouldn’t pair well with traditional point-and-click ARPG controls, Grinding Gear Games also announxed that WASD support is coming to Path of Exile 2 — a long-requested feature that will allow players to aim their attacks in one direction, while moving their avatar in another.

The showcase also featured some news about the original Path of Exile’s upcoming season: Affliction, which brings some highly requested quality of life improvements and a whole bunch of new content to tide players over until Path of Exile 2 next year.

Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.