Explainer
43 Comments

For Honor’s accidental alt-right connection

A rallying cry adopted by For Honor players may sound familiar to those well-versed in the conservative political landscape. “Deus vult,” a phrase that’s become popular with the multiplayer game’s community, may have origins in 11th-century Europe, but it’s more recently been associated with the alt-right movement. “Deus vult” is Latin for “God wills it,” which became a stirring declaration for the Crusaders. It concluded a speech made by Pope Urban II, calling defenders of Christianity to action in the fight to win back their Holy Land from its Muslim occupants. It became symbolic not just of pride in the Christian state, but in Western culture as a whole. The religious, historical nature of the phrase is obvious and inextricable, and that’s what accounts for its use by the community...
Explainer
7 Comments

How to protect your gaming accounts with two-factor authentication

Cybersecurity is of paramount importance these days, considering our ever-increasing dependence on cloud-based services. We store more and more data online, often for convenience but often because there is no other option, and we trust giant corporations to safeguard our sensitive private information — passwords, addresses, credit cards, Social Security numbers and more. But paradoxically, our reliance on these systems is increasing exponentially even as our faith in them is dropping. It seems like reports of massive hacks are coming more and more frequently. To hear our next president tell it, we live in challenging times. Cybersecurity is of paramount importance “I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly,” said President-elect Donald Trump last Wednesday, speaking to...
Explainer
18 Comments
Everything you need to know to dive into one of the best JRPG franchises around

The Persona series, explained

Since its arrival in 1996 in the form of a teen-filled role-playing game, the series has undergone massive changes. Each new title has been an impressive improvement on the last, a thoughtful refinement of old ideas coupled with the introduction of new concepts. The arrival of Persona 4 Golden, the latest major entry in the series, was no different; the game garnered near universally positive praise from critics, as well as one of Polygon’s elusive top scores. As a role-playing series, Persona consistently follows a group of teenagers doing extraordinary things. As a dungeon crawler, it encourages players to grind to their heart’s content without forcing their hand. As a social simulator, it places heavy emphasis on building meaningful bonds — and more impressively, succeeds. It is...
Explainer
21 Comments

The Dreamcast could be immortal, thanks to homebrew

It’s hard to forget when the Dreamcast hit stores: Sept. 9, 1999. But Sega’s failure to light the industry on fire with its ambitious console is the narrative that most remember best. Less than two years after it came to market, poor sales led to the Dreamcast’s discontinuation. Except that 17 years after its release, the Dreamcast’s most dedicated, talented fans are grown up and making games themselves. Instead of moving on to modern iterations of the Dreamcast’s one-time competitors, a community of programmers continues to develop games for Sega’s final home console. Between the Dreamcast itself and the Virtual Memory Unit (VMU), a funky peripheral released alongside it, there’s a steady stream of new releases to play on there. Uh, what? This may seem bizarre, especially as we...
Explainer
7 Comments

Charted: Comparing the PS4 Pro, PS4 slim and the OG PS4

As of Nov. 10, the PlayStation 4 line will look radically different as two new models come to retail. The PlayStation lover well-versed in specs will know exactly how to discern one version of the PS4 from the other. What about the layman, though, who can’t tell a PlayStation from a PSone? Comparing this generation’s entire PlayStation 4 hardware family — that’d be the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 slim and PlayStation 4 Pro — is a simple task, if you’re willing to take the time to do it. Below, find how each version of the PS4 differs in terms of dimensions, processing power and, most importantly, looks. We've also got charts with all the specs you need at the very end. How big are these things? The original PS4, which Sony is phasing out in favor of its lithe little sibling, is...
Explainer
71 Comments

What to expect from today’s PlayStation Meeting

It's been three months since Sony confirmed it was making an upgraded version of the PlayStation 4, but since then, it has said absolutely nothing of its plans the console, other than to announce a special event in Times Square on Sept. 7. Amidst other hardware leaks and an ever-turning rumor mill, Sony has kept mum thus far about what it will show on stage from 3-5 p.m. ET. Instead, we're left with some strong, well-founded suspicions about what to expect from the PlayStation Meeting. The high-end PlayStation 4 "Neo" Sony confirmed in June that it would bring a high-end PS4 model to market, one that’s 4K-capable. Known just as "Neo" for now, we expect for it to get a name, price tag and first look tomorrow. Expect it to have similar specs to the upcoming Xbox One "Project Scorpio,"...
News
20 Comments

Pokémon Go isn't strongly affecting Nintendo's bottom line, company says

Pokémon Go is a massive hit from both a mind share perspective and a financial standpoint. But while many people associate anything Pokémon-related with Nintendo, the company said today that the game’s success isn’t having a material impact on its financial forecast — at least not yet. "Because of [Nintendo’s equity in The Pokémon Co.], the income reflected on [Nintendo’s] consolidated business results is limited," Nintendo said today in a note to investors. Nintendo’s market capitalization has doubled since the launch of Pokémon Go Following Pokémon Go’s debut in early July, the game quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. With every new country that it launches in, it rockets to the top of the App Store charts (including Japan, where the game arrived earlier today). That applies for...
Explainer
24 Comments

How do Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skins work?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the popular first-person shooter from Valve, has been in the news a lot lately — and not in a good way. Following a report this past spring about Global Offensive players essentially using the game to gamble, a scandal came to light in which a couple of well-known Counter-Strike YouTube personalities were outed as owners of a Global Offensive betting website that they promoted in their videos. How did it come to this? How did a video game become a gateway to gambling for its players, many of whom admit to being under the legal gambling age in the U.S.? The answer centers on "skins" in Global Offensive, and no, the term has nothing to do with the expression of "having skin in the game." Let us explain. What is a skin? In general, a "skin" in a video...
TV
75 Comments

The Game of Thrones finale's massive Jon Snow reveal, explained (update)

Spoiler alert! This article is intended for folks who've already seen every episode of Game of Thrones, and will include a description of the series' events! Check out all of Polygon's Game of Thrones coverage. "You know nothing, Jon Snow." The line from Ygritte that became a Game of Thrones meme is more true than ever after yesterday's season 6 finale, "The Winds of Winter," which confirmed a long-standing theory about Jon Snow's real parents held by readers of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Let's dive in and discuss the particulars and the implications of R + L = J. R + L = J The letters above stand for Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon. Until last night, we didn't really know two of those characters, but we'd heard their names plenty of times in the discussion...
Explainer
10 Comments
Lord Saladin will have his day

Destiny: Rise of Iron: Everything we know

Here's what we know so far about Destiny: Rise of Iron. Just the facts Developer: Bungie Publisher: Activision Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One Release date: Sept. 20, 2016 The story The Fallen have punched through the centuries-old wall at the southern border of Old Russia, and have spilled into a previously quarantined area known as the Plaguelands. It was cordoned off for a reason, but now, with the Fallen digging into the ground, the Guardians must do battle to defend The Last City. Video Asked and answered What is Destiny: Rise of Iron? Rise of Iron is the fourth expansion for Destiny, following a year after The Taken King. Players must own The Taken King in order to play Rise of Iron. What will you be doing in the game? Guardians will partake in a story...
E3 2016
1 Comment
Please don't kill Trico

The Last Guardian: Everything we know

Here's what we know so far about The Last Guardian. Just the facts Developer: SIE Japan Studio / GenDesign / Team Ico Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Platforms: PlayStation 4 Release date: Oct. 25, 2016 The story The Last Guardian tells the story of a young boy who wakes up in the ruins of an ancient city after being kidnapped. He comes across a large wounded creature, and the two must learn to trust each other as they attempt to find their way back to civilization. Video Asked and answered What is The Last Guardian? The Last Guardian is a spiritual successor to Fumito Ueda's Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. It follows in the footsteps of those quiet, minimalist adventures about boys exploring desolate worlds to save girls. It's a...
Explainer
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Jungle exploring comes to VR!

Feral Rites: Everything we know

Here's everything we know about Feral Rites. JUST THE FACTS Developer: Insomniac Games Publisher: Oculus Studios Platforms: Oculus Rift Release Date: Fall 2016 THE STORY Taking inspiration from classic horror and fantasy tales like H.G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau and stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Feral Rites follows the child of a beloved chieftain who was forced to flee Stone Fang Island after his father was killed. 20 years later, he returns to the island where he was raised to avenge his father's death. Insomniac Games' creative director, Marcus Smith, said that while revenge will act as the biggest motivator for the character, it won't be a typical revenge game. Smith said there are quite a few twists along the way that will make the...
E3 2016
3 Comments
He didn't ask for this, but it's a part of his life now

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided: Everything we know

Here's what we know so far about Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Just the facts Developer: Eidos Montreal Publisher: Square Enix Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One Release date: Aug. 23, 2016 The story Deus Ex: Mankind Divided takes place in 2029, two years after the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. In the "Aug Incident" at the end of that game, mechanically augmented humans went haywire, suffering hallucinations that led them to kill everybody in sight. Now the "augs" have been forced to live on the fringes of society in segregated enclaves. Adam Jensen, the protagonist of Human Revolution, returns and is now working with Interpol. As a member of the covert group Task Force 29, Jensen tackles the rise in global terrorism in the wake of the Aug...
E3 2016
7 Comments
Two assassins team up to uncover a conspiracy

Dishonored 2: Everything we know

Here's what we know so far about Dishonored 2. Just the facts Developer: Arkane Studios Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One Release date: Nov. 11, 2016 The story Dishonored 2 takes place about 15 years after the original game, and features a grown-up Emily Kaldwin, who was the princess at the center of Dishonored. She is one of two playable characters in the sequel, along with Dishonored's protagonist, Corvo Attano. Following her rescue by Corvo, Emily assumed her rightful place as empress. But now she's been replaced by an "otherworldly usurper," so she becomes a supernatural assassin herself to retake her throne. Video Asked and answered What is Dishonored 2? Dishonored 2 is a follow-up to 2012's D...
E3 2016
12 Comments
Space marines!

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3: Everything we know

Here's what we know so far about Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3. Just the facts Developer: Relic Entertainment Publisher: Sega Platforms: Windows PC Release date: 2017 The story The Space Marines of the Blood Ravens, the Orks and the Eldar converge on the planet Acheron after the discovery of a massive weapon. Video Asked and answered What is Dawn of War 3? More than anything, Dawn of War 3 is a Warhammer 40,000 real-time strategy game. Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop wargame that takes place in a dystopian science fiction universe and is played with minutely detailed miniatures. The original wargame first hit in 1987, and there have been seven editions since. Elite Points for heroes In 2004, THQ published the first Relic-developed computer...