The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Production Shut Down Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Disney+’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has shut down production due to COVID-19 concerns. The series was still filming in Prague when the local government closed schools and placed restrictions on travel and events.

Most of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier were shot in Atlanta, but a short shoot began last Friday in Prague, according to Deadline. The shoot was expected to be finished in a week, but after the production cancellation, everyone was ordered to return to Atlanta, and it’s unclear if the planned Prague shoots will be completed.

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Shoots for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier were previously affected when a planned shoot in Puerto Rico was impacted by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. However, the show is still expected to premiere on the Disney+ streaming service in August.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is a spinoff series focusing on Anthony Mackie’s The Falcon — who inherited Captain America’s shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame — and Sebastian Stan’s deprogrammed hitman The Winter Soldier as they work together to take down their old foe Zemo.

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It’s one of the many Marvel spinoffs premiering on Disney+. Other shows set to premiere on the service include WandaVision, Loki, She-Hulk, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel.

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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Nioh 2 Review

I’m not ashamed to admit it, I died a grand total of 409 times during my first playthrough of Nioh 2. Every death is a lesson, which is appropriate because there is a lot to learn in this excellent sequel to one of the first great non-FromSoftware Souls-like games. Nioh 2 takes everything the original game built and evolves it magnificently, adding all sorts of new nuances to the combat – but every gift it gives you is balanced with a stiff backhanded slap of difficulty to keep your ego in check.

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While Nioh put you in control of a fictionalized version of real-life sailor and Western Samurai (and professional Geralt of Rivia cosplayer), William Adams, Nioh 2 instead goes the route of the mute, custom-created character. It’s a change that actually works well. William was already basically a mute in the first game, so not much on that front is lost, and the character creator in Nioh 2 is amazing, allowing for some truly impressive looking protagonists.

But while the story fares better than the first, that’s still not a glowing endorsement. Nioh 2 struggles with making its characters anything more than a means for exposition dumps. The only bright spot is the alternate-universe version of real-life Japanese historical figure Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as his journey from goofy adventurer to fearsome leader and his relationship with your character is actually quite compelling.

Combat is King

Nioh 2’s combat is the star of the show here, and like its predecessor, it is phenomenal. The first and most substantial addition is the ability to use several equippable yokai skills. Borrowing one of the best elements from Castlevania: Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, along with the more recent Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, enemies in Nioh 2 have a chance of dropping a Soul Core. That can be picked up, purified at a shrine, and then equipped to let you use their own move against your foes.

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It’s an extremely cool addition in a number of ways: First off, it adds rare, exciting loot drops in a way Nioh 2’s equipment system desperately needs, since exotic weapons are dropped like candy; it brings even more tension to the very act of staying alive since you drop your Soul Cores (along with your accumulated Amrita currency) when you die; and most importantly, the moves you get from Soul Cores are fun to experiment with and offer a ton of variety in terms of how you’re able to approach different combat scenarios. Some of my favorites include the universally useful Enki spear throw, which remained my go-to ability when it came to dealing that extra bit of stamina damage required to stun an enemy; Ippon-Datara’s simple hammer slam, which synergized with my magic build as it dealt more damage to scorched enemies; and Ryomen Sukuna’s attack where he would spin forward with his fire and ice swords out, dealing both types of elemental damage at once.

While Soul Core abilities are very powerful, they’re kept in check by leaving you extremely vulnerable to follow-up attacks after use. They also drain your Anima meter, which is needed to use Nioh 2’s second most substantial new addition: Burst Counters.

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Burst Counters aren’t functionally much different than the usual parries that you’ll find in similar games – you time a Burst Counter right before an enemy hits you to stun them momentarily and deal a hefty amount of stamina damage – but what makes them special is how they can only be used against specific, extraordinarily dangerous red-aura attacks, and how just about every enemy has at least one of these attacks to throw out at you with only a second’s notice.

These attacks were terrifying when I first started playing, turning even weak enemies into huge threats that could kill me in one belly flop (contributing to that 409 body count), unblockable grab, or flurry of blows. But as I gained experience dealing with them, learning the timing of when to Burst Counter, these once-terrifying attacks became some of my best opportunities for inflicting damage. Reaching the point where something you feared is now something you look forward to is immensely satisfying, especially when dealing with Nioh 2’s many fantastic bosses.

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There are three different types of Burst Counters: Brute, Feral, and Phantom, and the one you’re equipped with is dependent on what type of Guardian Spirit you equip. The Brute counter has a very slow start-up, but once it gets going it can power through just about any attack and deal massive stamina damage even on its own; the Feral counter is a dash that is especially good at countering other dashes by meeting them head-on; and my personal favorite, the Phantom counter, is a standard parry with an extremely fast start-up, allowing you to react to quick attacks much more easily than the other styles. Certain counters work better against certain bosses, but thankfully Nioh 2 has the flexibility to allow you to change out your Guardian Spirit at each shrine.

Dangerously Deep

At the heart of Nioh 2 is customization. I already briefly touched upon the excellent character creator, but beyond looks, the amount of options you have with regards to every single one of its systems is staggering. There are a total of nine different types of melee weapons, each with their own playstyle and gigantic skill tree, two different types of magic that also have their own gigantic skill trees, and of course, eight stats that scale differently with each weapon and form of magic.

In addition to that, every item you get can have its stats rerolled until you find modifiers that suit your playstyle, you can easily change the look of any piece of gear and play “Fashion Souls” to your heart’s content, you can choose from a veritable zoo of guardian spirits, you can customize the look of your hut, and hell, you can even customize the look of your tea collection and have it appraised for some reason.

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The point is, Nioh 2 is deep as an ocean, and while that’s great in many ways, it can also often be overwhelming and lead to some loot-related issues. Playing the menu game of Nioh 2 is just as important as the one that’s played while in combat, and it can be exhausting sometimes to spend 30 minutes or more going through literally hundreds of pieces of gear, deciding what should be dismantled, what should be sold, what should be saved and offered to a shrine for extra health elixirs, what’s worth keeping around to feed into another item and level it up, and so on. Nioh 2 essentially turns loot into its own currency, which cheapens the excitement of gear-based rewards from boss battles, quest rewards, and treasure chests because the loot is almost never special. Even when exotics drop, it feels like opening a chest in Diablo and just getting a bunch of gold.

All of this inventory management is important because – boy let me tell ya – Nioh 2 is hard, and you’re going to need every stat-based advantage you can get.

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New to Nioh 2 are Yokai Realms, which are areas shrouded with a demonic fog and populated by several powerful enemies. To make matters worse, while fighting in Yokai Realms you have reduced Ki recovery, making it much easier for you to run out of stamina and get your guard broken, which is almost always a recipe for death.

On the plus side, you gain more Anima in Yokai Realms, encouraging more liberal use of your Yokai abilities. Once you kill the source of the Yokai Realm, the field will disappear and the enemies within will mercifully no longer spawn even after you rest at a shrine. Even though I’ve shouted my fair share of curses while inside a Yokai Realm, they’re always a satisfying challenge to fight through and the reward of essentially clearing a big area of enemies is always worth the effort.

Diving Into Difficulty

One of the really smart things about Nioh 2’s approach to difficulty, is that for everything Team Ninja made notably harder, they balanced it with something that makes it notably easier – if you’re able to take advantage of it. Enemies have more dangerous attacks that they use more frequently, but you can turn those attacks into opportunities with the Burst Counter. There are Yokai Fields that dramatically inhibit your Ki recovery, but you can now easily summon AI companions left by other players via Benevolent Graves. Bosses will turn the arena into a Yokai Realm every time you deplete their stamina, but you now have powerful Yokai Skills that regenerate faster while there.

It took me about 55 hours to beat Nioh 2, and while every single hour of gameplay was challenging, none of the main missions ever felt insurmountable or made me think that I needed to grind in order to overcome them. However, some of the sub-missions definitely skirted a little too close to the line between difficult and unfair. It’s in these sub-missions where I frequently found myself having to run a gauntlet of tough battles against multiple powerful yokai at once in wide-open arenas where I’m almost always getting hit from off-screen. Or having to fight a boss that was already hard one-on-one, but now I have to deal with it alongside several gun or bow-wielding enemies that like to make my life a living hell.

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Fortunately, these sub-missions are entirely optional, and none of these situations ever came up during any of the main missions. In those, you can avoid being overwhelmed through careful planning and taking out enemies from afar with your ranged weapons. That leaves many sub-missions as punishing challenges for those who want to take them on for extra rewards, or they can be comfortably skipped and returned to later once you’re sufficiently powerful.

Like its predecessor, Nioh 2 also has an exemplary New Game+ mode in the form of its “Dream of the Strong” difficulty setting, which ups both the challenge and the rewards substantially. It even allows you to offer up Ochoko Cups, an item used to summon help into your game, in order to increase the drop rate of Divine items – the rarest of all gear types in Nioh 2. While I didn’t have another 55 hours to push through New Game+ in time for this review, if this sequel is like the first Nioh, it’s safe to assume that further difficulties await.

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Apart from New Game+, you can also set up expeditions to play cooperatively with two friends, or queue up for a random expedition. Expeditions are essentially standalone missions that you can play with friends that use an assist meter; whenever a player dies, the assist meter goes down, and once it empties, the mission ends in failure. Unless, of course, you’re up against a boss, in which case the mission only ends in failure once everyone dies. Basically, as long as you’re still enjoying playing Nioh 2, there will be more Nioh 2 to play.

Also before I wrap this up, can I just say how great it is that Nioh 2’s load times are super fast, even on a base PlayStation 4? In a game that has you dying this much, Team Ninja deserves some sort of medal for putting you back in the action so quickly.

Nioh 2 Guide: Don’t Choose The Bird Guardian Spirit! (Unless You Really Want To)

At the start of Nioh 2, you’re given the choice of a Guardian Spirit, an ethereal creature that dictates the form you take when you transform into a Yokai. Yes, that’s right, you can become a Yokai this time. It’s a special form you take for a limited time with unique attacks and abilities depending on which Guardian Spirit you choose. If you need a brief rundown of Nioh 2’s Yokai powers and the different forms you can transform into, check out our explainer detailing Yokai Shift, Spirit Cores, and more (coming soon).

The Guardian Spirit you pick is one of the most important early decisions you’ll make in Nioh 2. But there’s something that you can’t readily predict about how the Guardian Spirit you choose impacts your playthrough–something we outline below.

For more Nioh 2 tips like the one described below, be sure to read our essential beginner’s tips. And we’re only just starting, so check often for even more guides. Also, be on the lookout for our Nioh 2 review in the coming days.

Don’t Pick The Bird Guardian Spirit (Ame-no-Mitori)

During the opening tutorial, you’re free to choose one of three Guardian Spirits, which, as mentioned, has one of the three Yokai Shift forms associated with it. Your choices are Ame-no-Mitori the bird (Feral), Makami the wolf (Brute), or Kagewani the shark (Phantom).

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I recommend not picking Ame-no-Mitori since the first Guardian Spirit you earn after beating the opening stage boss is Masaru the monkey–which can also turn you into a Feral form. So if you want to have more Yokai Shift form options to play with early on, I suggest choosing either Makami or Kagewani.

All this isn’t to say that Ame-no-Mitori is no good; it has its charms. With Special Effects that enhance your Ki Recovery Speed, Running Speed, and Lightning Damage, there’s some incentive to choose this elegant bird at the start. If all of this sounds like it benefits your playstyle, then go for it, but know that doing so locks you into using the Feral form Yokai Shift for a decent while.

And if you’re curious: Yes, I ended up picking Ame-no-Mitori. Please learn from my mistakes… Or repeat my mistakes? It’s up to you! There’s not necessarily a wrong choice, but for first time players, it’s useful to know how choosing Ame-no-Mirori impacts the tools available to you in your playthrough.

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Nioh 2 Guide: Essential Starter Tips To Help You Not Die

Learning How To Defy Death (Again)!

Learning How To Defy Death (Again)!

Nioh 2 is one of those sequels that’s more focused on building atop the foundation of its predecessor than completely reinventing itself. The game’s combat system, general structure, and progression are nearly identical to the original, but mechanically, it’s far more complex. As you dive into its first few hours, you’re likely going to have some questions around how to master its new mechanics and not die as much; it’s why you’re here, after all.

In the feature below, I outline in greater detail the most significant new systems and mechanics added to Nioh 2, as well as offer tips to help you better understand how to utilize them. The new skill trees are a bit of a handful at first, but in many ways, they’re just an easier-to-read version of the previous game’s skill table. On the other hand, Yokai powers are a lot to take in at first, but they’re similar enough to the Living Weapon form from Nioh 1, that the additional abilities you get access to aren’t too hard to get a handle on after a while.

I also offer general combat tips to help you get back up to speed. The most crucial element of the game is the Ki Pulse, which is a core mechanic I highlight below. It demands extra diligence to execute while you’re quickly anticipating your next move in a fight, so it takes some getting used to. You always need to keep an eye on your Ki and perform any Ki Pulse techniques possible to ensure you have enough to survive.

There are many important things to consider when playing Nioh 2. If you’re looking for anything specific, be sure to click from this feature’s table of contents to pinpoint what you want to know about:

Table of Contents

As mentioned, Nioh 2 is built on the foundations of the first game, which means its basic systems–like weapon stances, armor weight, and Ki, to name a few–all function the same. I’ve avoided going into too much detail about those subjects, as they’re generally obvious or are explained in the opening tutorial.

Got any important Nioh 2 tips or questions about the game in general? Let us know in the comments below.

Epic Games Store Adds A Long-Awaited Feature

The Epic Games Store launched in 2018 with a major lack of features, and while it’s still lagging behind other digital storefronts in some ways, it just added a new key feature to improve the store experience: the ability to add games to a wishlist. With so many exclusive games, especially those of small developers, a wishlist makes it easier to bookmark games and come back to them later when you’re ready to spend some money.

When looking at a game’s page in the Epic Games Store, you’ll notice a new heart icon next to the buy button. All you need to do is click that, and the game will be added to your wishlist. For games with multiple editions, you’ll need to click the “See Editions” button before choosing which one you’ll wishlist. To access and view your wishlist, you’ll need to click your account name in the bottom left of the Epic Games launcher and then select “Wishlist.”

For now, you can arrange your wishlist with a number of different filters–Alphabetical, Price, On Sale, or Recently Added–or search for a specific game. Thankfully, Epic plans to iterate with things like email notifications when games go on sale, leave Early Access, or become available for pre-orders. Some of the other upcoming features include mod support for games and self-service refunds, while things like gifting, user reviews, and support for additional currencies and payment methods are still planned for future development. You can see the full Epic Games Store roadmap on Trello.

In related news, the Epic Games Store is giving away three free games at the end of this week. Anodyne 2: Return to Dust, A Short Hike, and Mutazione will all be free starting March 12. Be sure to pick up the two free PC games that are available right now: Offworld Trading Company and Gonner.

Now Playing: Epic Games Store Will Have More Free Games Through 2020 – GS News Update

Developers Talk About Xbox Series X

Our Xbox crew celebrates the release of the fantastic Ori and the Blind Forest by discussing our final review impressions. Plus: developers talk to IGN about exactly what the Xbox Series X will mean for games, Call of Duty finally gets a standalone, free-to-play battle royale game, and more!

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, or grab an MP3 download of this week’s episode. For more awesome content, check out the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered, featuring an interview with DOOM Eternal director Hugo Martin and executive producer Marty Stratton:

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It’s already an incredibly fun year of Xbox coverage, and the best is yet to come. Join us!

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Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

American Horror Story Season 10 Poster Teases Scary Seaside Story

It’s almost nine years since the hugely popular anthology show American Horror Story premiered, and the series doesn’t show signs of finishing any time soon. In January, it was renewed for another three seasons, and Season 10 will arrive this year. The first poster has now been released.

The poster doesn’t exactly reveal much about the next season, but it does at least hint at what its theme might be. It shows a pair of hands gripping the earth, with the sea in the background, as if someone–or something–is slowly crawling out of the ocean. In addition, creator Ryan Murphy accompanied the image with an Instagram post which states, “Things are beginning to wash up on shore…” What could these things “things” be? Sea zombies? We’re going to have wait a while to find out, but in the meantime, here’s the poster:

American Horror Story Season 10 doesn’t have a confirmed premiere date yet, although Murphy did previously state that the show will arrive in 2020. Every season so far has premiered in either September or October, so it’s very likely that the next one will appear then too.

Several cast members have been confirmed for Season 10. Last week, it was announced Home Alone star Macauley Culkin will be joining Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd, Finn Wittrock, Lily Rabe, Adina Porter, Leslie Grossman, and Angelica Ross. In addition, regular fan favorites Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are returning to the series. The duo were not involved in last year’s season for the first time in the show’s history.

For more, check out GameSpot’s extensive coverage of the previous slasher-themed season, AHS 1984.