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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Massive Entertainment Release: August 30, 2024 Earlier this year, I flew to Malmö, Sweden, to get an exclusive first look at Star Wars Outlaws for our cover story . During that time, I played through an hour of early-game content, spoke with various members of the developers, and dove deep into the approach the studio behind The Division took when crafting its adventure in the galaxy far, far away. Several months have passed since my trip out to Sweden, and with Ubisoft hosting one final preview event prior to the game's August 30 release date, I traveled to Irvine, California, to get my hands on a longer section of the game. In Star Wars Outlaws, you control Kay Vess, a scoundrel who gets swept up in a difficult situation and must navigate the criminal underworld in the time between  The Empire Strikes Back  and  Return of the Jedi . But she's not alone; she has her faithful (and insanel...

Visions of Mana is a month away from release, but anxious players can get an early taste starting today, thanks to a free demo. Available now on PlayStation consoles, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, this playable slice lets players experience the game’s first chapter and a big boss fight. The demo begins in the middle of Chapter 1 at Rime Falls and takes players through areas such as Fallow Steppe and Rhata Harbor. The chapter’s final boss, the Kraken, awaits the playable party of Val, Careena, and Morley.  Unfortunately, save data will not transfer from the demo to the full game. Square Enix states this is because the final version of this section has been altered “for a more satisfying experience.” Instead, those with save data from the demo who purchase the full game will receive three weapons for Val upon reaching Chapter 1: Gladius, Falx, and Horn Lance.  First revealed at The Game Awards 2023, Visions of Mana marks the first original Mana entry in 15 years. Set in a vibra...

Tony Pankhurst, the UK actor who served as the face for The Curator in Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology, has passed away. He was 67. Supermassive announced Pankhurst's passing on Twitter. A tribute page from Pankhurst’s family (spotted by GameSpot ) reveals that he died on May 9 and his funeral was held on June 7. The family is currently accepting donations to Hospice in the Weald, who cared for Pankhurst during his final weeks. We are all saddened to hear of Tony Pankhurst's passing. He was the face of The Curator, and we loved working with him. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/ZZQbeViE8S — Supermassive Games (@SuperMGames) July 29, 2024 Pankhurst’s career in the entertainment industry spans over 40 years across films, TV, and radio. In video games, he provided the likeness for the mysterious Curator in The Dark Pictures Anthology games Man of Madan, Little Hope, House of Ashes, and The Devil in Me, although actor Pip Torrens provided the voice and motion capture for t...

Last month, we learned Sega and Amazon had partnered to create a live-action series based on the Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series. Over the weekend, during the San Diego Comic-Con, the studio unveiled the first teaser trailer.  Like A Dragon: Yakuza centers on Kazuma Kiryu (played by Takeuchi Ryoma) and follows his life during two time periods: 1995 and 2005. Set in the series’ fictional Tokyo district of Kamurochō, the trailer’s synopsis states the show “depicts the lives of fierce yet passionate gangsters and people” and will explore stories the games haven’t been able to.  The six-episode series will be released on Prime Video in two parts, with the first three episodes premiering on October 24 and the last three arriving on November 1. It will be subbed and dubbed in 30 languages. Like a Dragon: Yakuza is directed by Take Masaharu ( 100 Yen Love ). You can read our review of the latest game in the series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, here . Source: Game...

Summer Games Fest gave us the cinematic reveal of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, an upcoming game based on the popular wizarding sport. A new trailer provides the first look at gameplay, including glimpses of a couple of modes and character customization.  Quidditch Champions features a single-player career mode that allows players to climb the ranks of the sport. Each victory takes them to larger, grander venues, from Hogwarts to the Quidditch World Cup Stadium. An online competitive mode pits teams of real-life players against each other. Playable characters include Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy, but you can also create and customize your own athletes using an extensive character creator.  Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions launches digitally on September 3 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. A Switch version is planned to launch sometime this holiday.  Quidditch Champions will be available in two versions. Th...

Mortal Kombat 1’s much-anticipated story expansion has been revealed, and it’s called Khaos Reigns. It unfolds after the events of the story campaign and centers on the invasion of Titan Havik from an alternate reality, who seeks to spread anarchy across all timelines. The expansion's cinematic story introduces new playable characters, Noob Saibot and the now female Sektor and Cyrax. These three fighters make up half of Kombat Pack 2 and will be available when the DLC launches on September 24.  In keeping with the tradition of prior games, the second half of Kombat Pack 2 features guest fighters from various films. Scream ’s Ghostface, Terminator 2 ’s T-1000, and Conan the Barbarian are on the way, but there’s no release window for their arrival. Kombat Pack 2 comes included with Khaos Reigns and cannot be purchased as a standalone character bundle.  Animalities are making their return as a free content update upon Khaos Reigns’ release. First introduced in Mortal Kombat ...

Netflix’s upcoming film adaptation of Bioshock is still happening, but it won’t be as grand as originally planned. During a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con yesterday, the film’s director and producer revealed the movie now has a reduced scope due to budget cuts. As reported by Variety , producer Roy Lee ( Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , The Lego Movie ) revealed during Collider’s Producers on Producers panel that since the film’s announcement in February 2022, a regime change at Netflix has affected the project. Netflix’s film chief at that time, Scott Stuber, has since been replaced by Dan Lin. While Stuber emphasized large spending for an expansive film slate, Lin has scaled back to a more modest strategy. This means the Bioshock film’s budget has been reduced, with director Francis Lawrence ( I Am Legend , The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ) stating its been reworked as a “more personal film”.  “The new regime has lowered the budgets,” Roy Lee said. “So we’re doing a much s...