There’s A (3rd) Party For Switch And You’re All Invited

For as long as its made consoles, Nintendo has delivered great first-party games. The Switch‘s first year on the market saw numerous examples, starting off with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in March, 2017, and concluding with Super Mario Odyssey in late October.

Nintendo’s output this year looks a little different, with fewer original Switch games and more Wii U ports. The DIY-centric Labo product line has also been a big focus, and after a period of silence post-launch, there’s a new Vehicle kit on the horizon. It’s not surprising to see Nintendo’s output of traditional, big-budget exclusives slow down for a period of time, but given the influx of third-party support, it doesn’t feel like the Switch is lacking in great games to play.

The most-recent reminder of this trend was the ‘Nindies’ Summer 2018 Showcase. The 22 games on display were a mix of old and new titles, and there were a lot of surprises among them. Ports of titles like Supergiant Games’ Bastion and Transistor were officially announced for the Switch, and there’s even an unlikely port on the way of Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, an iconic iOS game from 2011. The biggest shocker was the simultaneous announcement and release of Into The Breach. This tactical mech-combat hit wowed PC players earlier this year and sure enough it feels right at home on Switch.

In this episode of We Chat, Mike and Peter dive into the excellent third-party support on Switch and discuss some of their favorite games for the system not made by Nintendo. If you’re a Switch owner who’s found their own enjoyment in the console’s ever-expanding library of ports and indie games, give a shout out in the comments section below to some of your favorites.

New Anthem Trailer Explores Story, Combat, And World

EA has released a new trailer for Anthem, the upcoming action game developed by Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio BioWare. The trailer is called “Our World, My Story” breaks down two of the central pillars of Anthem, providing an insight into how players will experience the universe the game is set in and the narrative it tells.

“At the heart of Anthem is the concept of Our World, My Story,” BioWare says. “The distinctive combination of a shared, dynamic world and a personal story. Discover how these two elements help create a connected world that remains unique to every player.

“The world narrative advances for your whole team,” it continues. “You’ll get further into our world by taking on explosive missions offered by agents who need your help. These missions take you deep into the heart of anthem, while also developing the personal stories of each agent. Outside of the battles there’s freeplay, a chance for you to explore solo or with friends, uncover answers your questions about Anthem, and find powerful artifacts that could lead you to victory down the road … This is real-time storytelling, a reinvention of personal narrative in a multiplayer game.”

People will get an opportunity to sample some of this when a demo for Anthem is released on February 1, 2019. Announced during the game’s PAX panel, the “VIP demo” will be available to EA/Origin Access subscribers on Xbox One and PC. Access to it will also be granted to those that pre-order on any platform, which means those with a PS4, where EA Access is not available, won’t be left out.

At PAX, Anthem lead producer Mike Gamble said the demo is not “a tech test or a beta looking for feedback” and is instead a “slice of our game.” EA has confirmed the Anthem release date as February 22, 2019, so the wait to play the full game after the demo won’t be too long. Since its showing at E3 2018 executive producer Mark Darrah has been answering questions about about the game on Twitter. You can read about all these Anthem gameplay details here.

The Best Soundbars

Not everyone wants to fuss with setting up surround sound speakers. A much easier way to add some excellent audio to your home theater is with one of our picks for the best soundbar.

Fortnite Finals Summer Skirmish Schedule and Times

The finals of the Fortnite Summer Skirmish take place this weekend at PAX West, and you’ll be able to watch all of the action live right here on IGN.

The eight-week competition, which kicked off last month and boasts a prize pool of $8 million USD, will come to an end with four more days of matches that conclude on Monday, September 3. To ensure you don’t miss a second of the action, check out our handy rundown of when and where on IGN you’ll be able to watch all four days of the Fortnite competition live.

  • Friday, August 31 from 7-10pm PT/10pm-1am ET (Saturday, September 1 from 3-6am UK/12-3pm AET)
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