Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Massive Entertainment Release: August 30, 2024 The June 2023 reveal of Star Wars Outlaws gave us our first glimpse of Kay Vess and Nix, the two protagonists of the game. From talking with Massive Entertainment during our recent trip out to Sweden to get our hands on Star Wars Outlaws, it sounds as though their bond will be special. However, they aren't on this journey alone, as they are joined by a trenchcoat-wearing BX-commando droid named ND-5. Though Kay and Nix were greater points of emphasis during our studio visi ..read more

Taming a wolf in Minecraft is one of the game's simplest joys, and no matter how many times I start a new world, I always hoard bones in case I encounter one. But once you've adopted a canine companion, you probably hide them away in a house for safe-keeping, shielding them from the horrors of the game's hostile mobs. Today, Minecraft is adding a way to make them a little stronger – wolf armor. Like leather armor, wolf armor can be colored using dyes in-game, so if you've got multiple adopted animals, it'll still be easy to tell them apart. This variation is separate from the collar colors a ..read more

Epic Games has revealed a new setting for Fortnite that allows players to hide emotes the company considers "confrontational." This doesn't outright ban these emotes from the game and those with them can still use them, but if someone has this new setting turned off, they won't see others use them.  Called "See Confrontational Emotes," players can choose whether they want to see emotes like "Laugh It Up," "Take the L," "Whipcrack," and "Make It Plantain" from anyone, from friends in a party, or never. Epic says players who have these emotes hidden with this new setting will see a player ..read more

Publisher Atlus and developer Studio Zero have released a new trailer for the upcoming fantasy RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and it features plenty of new gameplay. It also reveals Metaphor: ReFantazio will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 11.  Dubbed "The King's Trial," this new trailer sets up a bit of the Metaphor: ReFantazio's world more, highlighting a tournament for the king's throne at the center of the narrative. It seems our protagonist and the friends and allies they encounter along the way are vying for a crown that others are also af ..read more

With the introduction of Fortnite Festival, Epic's rhythm game within the chart-topping Battle Royale, there's more incentive than ever for musicians to have their likenesses added to the game. The latest of these artists is Billie Eilish, who announced her collaboration with the game on social media earlier today. Fortnite Festival Main Stage: 4.23.24 pic.twitter.com/dxaQBsqD4A — billie eilish (@billieeilish) April 22, 2024 Eilish is not just getting a skin added to the game (like Eminem, for example), she's the next headliner for Fortnite Festival's main stage event, which will start tomor ..read more

Developer Wētā Workshop and publisher Private Division have released the first trailer for Tales of the Shire, and it showcases what looks like a Middle-earth Animal Crossing game with hobbits and a cozy place to call home. This trailer arrives after the companies teased releasing the first Tales of the Shire trailer this month, following the game's reveal last year.  In Tales of the Shire, players will create their own Hobbit before setting forth into Bywater, the shire setting of the game. Here, players can forage fruits and herbs, tend to gardens, fish, trade with townsfolk, and ..read more

Summer Game Fest is just a few months away, but that's not stopping Xbox from hosting its own indie event next week. Partnering with IGN, the ID@Xbox Digital Showcase will air live next Monday, April 29, at 10 AM PT/ 1 PM ET. The event will feature "epic trailers, fresh gameplay, and new reveals," according to the announcement blog. This announcement is brought to you by great indie games ? Tune in to the ID@Xbox x IGN Showcase on April 29 at 10am PT: https://t.co/ODYWGtHqzB pic.twitter.com/KdkACE03Ri — Xbox (@Xbox) April 22, 2024 They've also given a heads-up on some games we can expect to ..read more

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC Publisher: EA Originals Developer: Surgent Studios Release: April 23, 2024 Rating: Everyone 10+ In Tales of Kenzera: Zau, the debut game from Surgent Studios, the use of the word "Tales" is more literal than it initially seems. To kick off the events of the game, protagonist Zuberi reads a book written by his late father about a place called Kenzera. He uses fiction to cope with his grief, just as the player might do with the plot of the game, and as the studio founder, who lost his father as well, did when creati ..read more

Embracer Group, the company that recently sold Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake developer Saber Interactive for $500 million, has announced its plans to split into three individual, publicly traded companies. As such, Embracer Group as we know it will be no more; instead, it will largely consist of Asmodee, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends.  Each of these companies will be run individually and traded publicly in the market, with IP and franchises under the Embracer Group umbrella spread across them. This separation follows a rocky period ..read more

The live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie series that started in 2020 has delivered entertaining adventures starring everybody's favorite Blue Blur and his ever-growing stable of friends. One of the highlights of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba. The fish-out-of-water gags and his strict adherence to the echidna warrior code, which is in stark contrast to Sonic's fun-loving personality, made for an enjoyable dynamic within the cast of characters. Knuckles, the new six-episode streaming show on Paramount Plus, tries to carry forward that dynamic. However, t ..read more