Month: October 2020

Join us as we chronicle the history of PlayStation, from the launch of the original console in 1994, to the PS5 launch in 2020.

In every respect, Silent Hill 2 stands alone: in its crowded genre, in its long-dormant series, even in the medium of video games in general. Widely considered one of the greatest horror games of all time, critics have championed James Sutherland’s descent into madness as one of the high-water marks for video games as an artform.

Armchair enthusiasts and YouTube analysts have scrutinized every inch of Silent Hill 2’s dismal lakeside town for clues and symbols, and subsequent generations of horror games have imitated (and even parodied) its twists and tiny touches in equal measure. But while the classic series isn’t getting much in the way of love from Konami these days, a team of more than a dozen die-hard Silent Hill fans have developed an alternate version of Silent Hill 2 that is one of the most impressive fan restoration projects we’ve yet seen. This unofficial patch grants the buggy, broken PC port of the game the superior sound, control, and visual effects of the original PS2 version while also allowing the game to be played at modern resolutions.

“Silent Hill 2 is loved by many and considered the example of a horror game done right,” says one of the project’s key contributors, who goes by the online handle Ratiocinator. “For most who play it for the first time, they quickly realize what makes it so special: The visuals and art direction, the atmosphere, otherworldly audio, character stories, and more. This is what makes the game so special to me and important to revisit to allow others to experience it on modern displays/hardware.”

Continue Reading at GameSpot

With Halloween right around the corner, and everyone having mainlined horror movies all month leading up to this ghoulish night, it’s time to settle, once and for all, the question of “who is the greatest slasher in all of horror cinema?”

Since Haddonfield’s heinous bogeyman, Michael Myers, kicked off the slasher genre of the the late ’70s/early ’80s in John Carpenter’s Halloween, he’s an obvious top choice. Then there’s Springwood’s nefarious nightmare man, Freddy Krueger, who can creep inside your dreams and murder you after you’ve dozed off watching Netflix. And let’s not forget Chucky, the killer doll who’s been terrorizing kids and grownups alike for over 30 years. And last but not least there’s the Crystal Lake Killer, hockey-masked maniac Jason Voorhees. This is the brawl to settle it all.

There are some fun videos for y’all to check out below that plead our case, followed by a poll where you can cast your official vote for the best scary movie murderer of all time!

And then be sure to also check out the results of our Movie Monster Face Off, where the slashers went against all manner of ghosts, ghouls, and grotesqueries and you, the IGN voter, chose the best!

Are you the outdoorsy type? Do you thrive in nature? Or are you like us and scream “what the f*** was that?” every time a leaf gently brushes against a twig?

Castles have Draculas, remote science outposts have Things, the sewers have ITs (*whispers* and maybe CHUDS), the hills have eyes, and the woods…the woods have Jasons.

That’s right, as we all know, forests are filled with Jasons. Just hacking and slashing their way through campers, hikers, paintballers, skinny dippers, and anyone who’s ever said “Hey, you know what’s fun? Being cold and vulnerable near some trees!”

Jason Voorhees is the People’s Slasher, if you will. The uncrowned champion of indoor kids everywhere. In the realm of horror, Jason is the main event. The headliner. The marquee monster. With his effortlessly famous look — which includes a hockey mask and a machete and sometimes maybe hair — Jason is known all over the world – even to non-horror fans. Show someone a hockey mask and they’re not going to say “that reminds me of olympic gold medalist goalie Jim Craig.” They’re going to say “Oh, that’s the swampy guy who kills all the teenagers. We love him. Specifically because of the teenager killing.”

The Friday the 13th movies didn’t always feature Jason (sometimes it was his mom, occasionally an imposter), but when this backwoods brute got to shine, either as a horror hillbilly or (eventually) an undead zombie, he was the one you rooted for in his movies. He’s battled a telekinetic girl, went on a cruise, visited Times Square, got blown up by the FBI, killed virtual teens in a spaceship holodeck, and clashed with Freddy Krueger. Yes, Jason is the Tintin book series of slasher cinema.

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Follow your dreams, they tell you. Dream big, they say. A dream is a wish your heart makes, Cinderella sang. Well Cinderella and “they” were full of s*** because Freddy Krueger, the infamous Springwood Slasher, can kill you in those freakin’ dreams of yours.

Yes, once upon a time, a cruel and vicious child murderer – that’s right, child murderer – had horror fans eating out of the palm of his knife hand because he ruled over the dreamscape and could turn his victims into puppets, pizza toppings, cockroaches and – er – side-scrolling platformers.

Also, let’s face it – dude had jokes. Watch the video above to hear why you should consider Freddy Krueger as your choice for Greatest Horror Movie Slasher of All Time!

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In the late ‘80s, slasher movies took on a more supernatural feel and Chucky, the creepy doll possessed by the soul of a serial killer from Child’s Play, has been menacing moviegoers ever since. And Chucky was an instant hit because no matter what generation you’re from, there was a toy you simply had to get your rotten mitts on. You know, those must-have gifts that caused all of your parents to hate you.

What? You don’t believe Chucky belongs on Mount Slashmore? You think guys like Freddy and Jason and Michael Myers tower over him? Well, you’re right about that last part, of course, because he ver smol, but Chucky’s been killing it for decades and all seven Chucky movies (not counting the 2019 Child’s Play remake) take place in one timeline. That’s right, there’s no break in continuity. That’s rare for horror (especially Halloween, which is just a multiverse at this point). Watch the silly video above to hear our pitch for why Chucky’s one of the all-time greats!

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In 1978, John Carpenter straight-up scared the s*** out of audiences with Halloween – the story of a mute maniac, Michael Myers, who returns to his hometown after escaping a nearby mental hospital where he’d spent the previous 15 years terrifying his court-appointed psychiatrist. So much that the poor man now thought Michael was nothing but a creepy husk covering pure evil.

Halloween single-knifedly gave birth to the slasher boom of the era. The film’s iconic score, kick-ass final girl (Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode), and instantly mesmerizing maniac made for an unexpected box office smash, launching an entire wave of horror movies that would dominate theaters for the next five years. And of all the maniacs mentioned on this list, Michael is the most relevant today given 2018’s hit rebootquel and the two other films — Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends — that are on the horizon. Anyhow, check out our Michael Myers video above to hear our proud plea as to why “The Shape” is the sinister slasher to beat.

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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.

With the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S right around the corner, people want to know what the launch lineup looks like for each system. As many have already discovered for themselves, the list of launch titles for both next-gen consoles is not exactly strong when it comes to new releases, but there is more to consider for these new consoles.

That is because Microsoft and Sony have taken new approaches to make this console transition much smoother and more seamless than before, thanks to backwards compatibility and free upgrade programs. For Microsoft specifically, it has also instigated a change in business practices to place less emphasis on exclusives and more of a focus on meeting customers wherever they are.

Backwards Compatibility

Starting with backwards compatibility, each next-generation platform will play thousands of games from the back catalog, and in many cases, older titles will perform better on the new machines thanks to their improved horsepower without any extra effort on the developer’s part. Simply put, many games will look and perform better by virtue of being on the new machines.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

We finally get more information about Riot Game’s new game Ruined King A League of Legends Story due to come in early 2021. Check out the announcement trailer.