By Anonymous on May 19, 2015 12:11 am
If you play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on the PC, you may import your Witcher 2 save files so that the third game in this role-playing trilogy reflects the major decisions you made in the previous adventure. However, you may not be playing on PC, or perhaps you lost your save files, forgot what happened in the story, or never even played The Witcher games prior to Wild Hunt. The good news: The Witcher 3 allows you to select those decisions as if you played its predecessor. The bad news: If you didn't play The Witcher 2, you may not understand the sequence that presents these choices. In this Witcher 3 sequence, Nilfgaardian emperor Emhyr var Emreis has invited you to the palace at Vizima. Before you meet the ruler, however, commander Morvran Voorhis subjects you to a shave, during which he asks you some probing questions. If you haven't played The Witcher 2, you aren't likely to know the background to these queries. (You can simply skip this Q&A sequence if these matters don't interest you by selecting not to simulate The Witcher 2 decisions when you start the game, if you prefer.) Fear not, however: I am here to provide some context, so that you don't feel completely lost when Voorhis confronts you--perhaps only slightly lost. I will not be telling you how each of those decisions plays out over the course of The Witcher 3, though some of those possibilities are notable: In The Witcher 3, entire quest lines appear that are only available if you choose/chose a particular path. However, my aim is to give you proper backstory so you understand what these decisions mean, and don't have to make them blindly. Warning: The Witcher 2 spoilers ahead! Choice 1: Did you kill Aryan La Valette, or allow him to live?Aryan La Valette, armored commander and mama's boy.Aryan La Valette is/was the son of Mary Louisa La Valette, the mistress of King Foltest of Temeria--the king whose assassination is at the center of The Witcher 2's story. In The Witcher 2's prologue, you confront Aryan, who is commanding the guard that provides his castle's defenses. You can kill Aryan in this scene (and his guards, if you so wish), or allow him to live. Killing him opens up interactions with his mother later in The Witcher 2; should you force him to surrender, you encounter him later in The Witcher 2, and might even aid in his escape from the castle. Choice 2: Did you leave Flotsam with Vernon Roche, or with Iorveth? Iorveth, elven guerrilla and vaping enthusiast. Vernon Roche is a loyal servant of Foltest who interrogated Geralt in the dungeons of La Valette castle. However, Roche came to believe that Geralt did not assassinate Foltest, and assisted him in his escape. Iorveth, on the other hand, has no loyalty towards Foltest, or any other human king. Iorveth is an elf and the commander of a Scoia'tael unit. Scoia'tael are non-human (typically elven) freedom fighters/guerrillas driven by their abhorrence of humans, yet known to ally with human leaders should such an alliance prove worthwhile. You associate with both of these characters in the border town of Flotsam, where most of The Witcher 2's second act takes place. Whether you side with Roche or with Iorveth is The Witcher 2's primary choice, as it has enormous repercussions on the chapters that follow. Siding with Roche and his unit, known as the Blue Stripes, opens up a series of possibilities and quests known as "Roche's Path." You may, for instance, assist Roche in killing Henselt, King of Kaedwen--or refuse to help Roche in such an instance. Traveling down "Iorveth's Path," of course, introduces a different series of quests and decisions, opening the possibility of a friendlier world for Iorveth and his fellow non-humans. Which choice you make in this dialogue then affects the next choice available. Choice 3 (Iorveth's Path): Did you save Triss at the Loc Muinne summit, or did you lift the spell that held Saskia?Triss Merigold, talented sorceress, and character most likely to be naked when you Google her.Oh, Triss Merigold. She is Geralt's primary romantic interest in the Witcher games, and is a sorceress of some renown. Saskia is a beloved warrior who led a revolt when Kaedweni King Henselt tried to invade her land of Aedirn. At this stage of The Witcher 2, Triss is imprisoned in a Nilfgaardian war camp, while Saskia, who is revealed to actually be a shapeshifting dragon, is under control of powerful sorceress Philippa Eilhart. (Sadly, if you take Roche's path, you never discover that Saskia is a dragon.) Rescuing Triss not only allows you to have some fun in the camp, but it also allows Triss to accuse Síle de Tansarville, another powerful mage, of being the puppetmaster behind Foltest's death. Saskia, however, remains under Eilhart's thrall, leading to a later confrontation between witcher and dragon. If you choose to release Saskia from her curse, Triss is still freed, in this case by Letho, the true kingslayer--yet there are damaging repercussions for mages, who are now the victims of a witch hunt that would not have begun had you freed Triss from her bounds. Choice 3 (Roche's Path): Did you save Triss from her Nilfgaardian prison, or did you save Anaïs La Valette?Anais La Valette, confused heir and political pawn.Remember Mary Louisa La Valette, Aryan's mother? Well, she had two children that were fathered not by her husband, but by King Foltest. (Aryan, however, was pure La Valette.) That makes Anais, the older of the two, the true heir to Foltest's throne. She is captured and held by Henselt's forces at a Kaedweni camp, and should you choose to rescue her, you must again make a choice, handing her over either to Redania or to Temeria. As with Iorveth's path, Triss does not die in this scenario; Letho frees her, and she waits for you with the kingslayer in the final scenes. On the other hand, Triss's blazing red hair is difficult to resist, and should you heed its call, Triss is free to point a finger at sorceress Síle de Tansarville for her murderous politicking once you release Triss from her Nilfgaardian shackles. As you can see, you get an option to assist Triss whether you follow Iorveth's path or Roche's, and the consequences, at least those related directly to Triss, are more or less the same. Anais still lives in this scenario, rescued by Vernon Roche himself, but she will never be treated like royalty. Choice 4: Did you save Síle de Tansarville from her defective megascope, or did you let her perish?Sile de Tansarville, evil mage and hat connoisseur. A megascope is a magical device good for teleporting and having conversations at a distance, among other fantastical uses. Unfortunately for Sile, Letho had sabotaged her megascope. You watch Sile try to teleport away, only to realize the danger and beg for Geralt to help. If you save her, she disappears--but only after giving you a hint as to where you can find long lost love Yennefer. If you let Sile die, well, she become magical mush. Good riddance! Choice 5: Did you kill Letho, or allow him to walk free?Letho of Gulet, kingslayer and president of Hair Club for Men. Letho is a witcher and the man who committed the crime Geralt is accused of. You meet him several times over the course of The Witcher 2, but your final act is to choose whether Letho should live as a potential ally, or die for his crimes. It may be your last decision in The Witcher 2, but its consequences are simple, as the game then ends either way.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2015 11:59 pm
Earlier this month, Sonic and Total War publisher Sega announced plans to remove games that no longer meet its standards. At the time, the publisher didn't say which games would be affected. But now we know. A total of 19 iOS and Android games have been removed from iTunes and Google Play. Via Pocketgamer, they include titles like After Burner Climax, Jet Set Radio, and various Super Monkey Ball games. The full list of affected titles, which are mostly ports of classic titles and not new games, is below. - After Burner Climax
- Jet Set Radio
- Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2
- Super Monkey Ball Adventure
- Super Monkey Ball Tip'n'Tilt 1 and 2
- Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll
- Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz
- Altered Beast
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Golden Axe 1, 2, and 3
- Phantasy Star 2
- Streets of Rage 1 and 3
- Space Harrier 2
- Virtua Fighter 2
Search for one of the affected games and you'll see this sad screenAnyone who has already downloaded any of the affected titles will be able to re-download them if you get a new phone or tablet. What's more, it's possible that these games will one day return. "While we have nothing to announce at this time, given the right situation, these titles may return in an updated form," Sega explained.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2015 11:15 pm
 Check out the launch trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2015 11:12 pm
Velen
Velen
War runs rampant in Velen, a region also called No Man's Land. It is home to a number of villages and strongholds, including Crow's Perch, which now serves as a home to Philip Strenger, aka The Bloody Baron. "Velen" is also the word for the autumnal equinox--an interesting contrast, given the celebratory nature of the equinox and the current state of the area.
Velen: Drahim Castle
Drahim Castle
Drahim Castle was once occupied by Prince Adrien, the last member of the Sea Cats dynasty. After seizure by the Redanian king, the abode was eventually left to rot.
Velen: Coast Of Wrecks
Coast Of Wrecks
The coast is a dangerous obstacle for any sailor, particularly given the popularity of drink on all parts of the continent. Not only do these wrecks provide potential sustenance for nearby villagers, but they also harbor treasure for adventurers willing to dive deeply enough.
Velen: Hanged Man's Tree
Hanged Man's Tree
Corpses dangling from this massive tree serves as a constant warning to locals, who constantly live in fear of the Nilfgaardian army, whom they call "black ones." Geralt has a complex relationship with the Nilfgaardian emperor, Emhyr var Emreis, who gave his daughter Ciri to the witcher as payment for a life debt.
Velen: Crookback Bog
Crookback Bog
Crookback Bog is home to a woman called Gran, who cares for the orphans local parents cruelly send into the murk, coaxing them with a path of sweets. Gran is a troubled woman who suffers at the hands of men and beasts alike who see her only as a means to an end.
Velen: Est Tayiar
Est Tayiar
It was once a bustling Elven city. Now, it is a perilous ruin, its wonders swallowed by the ground after King Maeglor cursed it, fearing for his life and his legacy after his people succumbed to a mysterious plague.
Velen: Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Some time ago, King Radovid IV's cousin died in when his vessel crashed into the coast during a storm. The king demanded a lighthouse be built to warn future travelers. As an aside, Radovid IV was known as "The Bald," though his baldness certainly didn't make him less popular with the ladies: he bore a son, named Heribert, who would later place a tax on magic spells.
Velen: Fyke Isle
Fyke Isle
One of The Witcher 3's most moving side quests occurs on Fyke Isle, where a ruined tower hides secrets to the island's terrible past. When the Bloody Baron's troops approached Crow's Perch, the castle's previous occupant, Vserad, fled here.
Novigrad
Novigrad
Novigrad is a busy trading port and the largest city Geralt explores during The Witcher 3. Though it is not a friendly environment for magic-users, Triss Merigold has been able to make a home here, serving as a leader to disenfranchised sorceresses. Dandelion, too, is making a name for himself in the city, though it takes Geralt some effort to discover his whereabouts.
Novigrad: Docks
Docks
The game's description of Novigrad's docks helpfully refers to the area as a "den of dirt and depravity." Novigrad is certainly no stranger to organized crime, and when it comes to assisting the city's downtrodden, making friends in low places is often the best way to avoid the eyes of witch hunters.
Novigrad: Elector's Square
Elector's Square
Novigrad's history owes much to the politicians that governed its rise to prominence, and it's for them that the square is named. It lies at one end of St. Gregory's Bridge; at the other end, you'll find Novigrad's primary brothel, which, for all its depravity, features lovely landscaping.
Novigrad: Hierarch Square
Hierarch Square
You can buy all manner of sundries in Hierarch Square, though you won't find many mages: the witch hunters have driven them underground, leaving their homes abandoned and easily ransacked. King Radovid V is the ruler who has spread the hate for magic in recent times, and he proves to be as clever as he is wholly mad.
Kaer Morhen
Kaer Morhen
This keep, nestled in the chilly mountains of Kaedwen, is where witchers once trained their skills. Years ago, anti-witcher fanatics stormed the fortress, killing every witcher that was present but one: Vesemir. The witchers not present at the time of attack, including Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert, continued to carry the torch.
Royal Palace In Vizima
Royal Palace In Vizima
Vizima, the capital city of Temeria, is now occupied by the Niflgaardian emperor, a man who once called himself Duny after being cursed by a usurper to the Nilfgaardian throne. (See Hanged Man's Tree for more information about the great and terrible Emhyr var Emreis.) In the original Witcher game, Vizima serves as a primary locale.
The Skellige Isles
The Skellige Isles
This archipelago is home to a number of clans, each of which is led by a jarl. One of the Witcher novels, The Tower of the Swallow, closely mirrors the events of The Witcher 3, and details Skellige culture, which harks back to Gaelic-Norse society. The name "Skellige," in fact, likely refers to Irish island Skellig Michael.
Skellige: Gedyneith
Gedyneith
Another important tree, this one a sacred oak worshiped by druids and other Skelligers. It is here that the isles' leader is crowned, though when Geralt first arrives in The Witcher 3, King Bran has just passed on, leaving his successor uncertain.
Skellige: Eldberg Lighthouse
Eldberg Lighthouse
There's always a lighthouse. There's not much to say about this one: it's just pretty.
Skellige: Freya's Garden
Freya's Garden
Like so many other abandoned landmarks in this world, Freya's Garden was once alive with colorful plant life. Freya, by the way, is the goddess of love and fertility, though the nearby residents of Lofoten do not welcome visitors with the same kind of love you may expect from those that worship the goddess.
Skellige: Kaer Trolde
Kaer Trolde
Kaer Trolde is a fortress and the political center of the isles, nestled in the mountains of Ard Skellig, the regions' largest island. It is here that a game of thrones (as it were) begins after King Bran's death. It was established by Crach an Craite, King Bran's nephew, a man who has an important role to play in the shenanigans that follow Bran's demise.
Skellige: Tor Gvalch'ca
Tor Gvalch'ca
Tor Gvalch'ca is an ancient elven tower rising towards the clouds from one of Skellige's many islets. Like other elven towers, such as the fabled Tor Zireael, it contains portals to places known and unknown.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2015 11:06 pm
Electronic Arts will formally announce this year's new Need for Speed game this coming Thursday, May 21, the publisher has revealed. Writing on the Need for Speed Facebook page, EA said fans can get the "first look at the return of NFS" this week. GameSpot will have all the news for you as it's announced. The publisher also shared a teaser image (enhanced version below), with many fans speculating that the new game could be a new installment in the Need for Speed Underground series. What do you think?  This year's Need for Speed game is currently in development at Sweden-based studio Ghost Games. Back in January, publisher EA said the game was "already looking spectacular." 2014 was the first year without a new, core Need for Speed title release in over a decade. In May 2014, EA confirmed that it would not launch new entry in the franchise until 2015 so that the project could have an "extended development window." Ghost Games GM Marcus Nilsson said in May 2014: "We are already deep in development on our next game and want to make this promise to you: we will listen to you. We're going to give you the game you've been asking for. It will be the game you deserve, but to do that will take us some time," he said.  Enhanced version by Facebook user Matthew Myerson.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2015 10:54 pm
 Today's best deals come from eBay, where you can get the Xbox One Halo Master Chief Collection bundle for $300 or The Last of Us Remastered PS4 bundle for $350. Dell also has an excellent Xbox One deal, offering the Master Chief Collection bundle with copies of State of Decay and Killer Instinct, Halo dogtags, and a $100 Dell gift card for only $380. Walmart is offering The Last of Us Remastered PS4 bundle with an extra controller for $399. Digital copies of The Witcher 3 can be had for $54 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One online stores, as well as on Steam and GOG. You can also get the digital PS4 version for $54 on Amazon. Target is selling physical copies of The Witcher 3 for the full $60, but is throwing in the $25 strategy guide for free while supplies last. Best Buy, meanwhile, is offering $10 in reward certificates for those who preorder, making today the last day to take advantage. Preorder any game at Target and get 30 percent off select games, including Bloodborne, Mortal Kombat X, MLB 15, and more. Meanwhile, the Humble Store's big spring sale continues, with new PC game deals being introduced every day through Thursday. Currently, you can get Alien: Isolation for $12.49, Max Payne 3 for $5, Killing Floor for $4, Super Hexagon for $0.29, and much more. You can preorder a number of games through Dell--Splatoon, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Batman: Arkham Knight--and receive a $15 Dell gift card. Below you'll find the rest of today's best deals divided by platform: PlayStation 4Amazon is offering the collector's edition of The Order: 1886 as a freebie alongside The Last of Us Remastered PS4 bundle for $400. EBay has seller-refurbished PS4s for $324. Preorder the Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 bundle at Dell and get three free months of PlayStation Plus and a $25 Dell gift card. Additionally, you can bring the price down from $420 to $400 by using the promo code: 6980X63DCJNXSP Buy a PS4 (including the Last of Us Remastered bundle) and get a free copy of Destiny at Best Buy. Other PS4 game deals: PlayStation Plus' free games for May are now available and include Guacamelee, Murasaki Baby, Hohokum, The Unfinished Swan, and more. Xbox OneWalmart is offering the Halo Master Chief Collection Xbox One bundle with a free second controller for $349. Get Evolve for $20 when you buy the Master Chief Collection Xbox One bundle for $350 at Best Buy. You can also buy a year of Xbox Live Gold on eBay for $39. Best Buy will take $20 off the price of a one-year Xbox Live Gold membership when you buy any Xbox 360 or Xbox One. Microsoft's latest Deals With Gold promotion is on, discounting a handful of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. You can check out all the deals here. Other Xbox One game deals: May's free Games With Gold games are now available on Xbox One and Xbox 360 and include CastleStorm and F1 2013. PCGOG has a weekend promotion going on through today that offers The Vanishing of Ethan Carter for $8, Grim Fandango Remastered for $10, Wasteland 2 for $20, and more. Buy a GeForce GTX 980 or GTX 970 and you'll get free copies of The Witcher 3 and Batman: Arkham Knight. The newest Humble Bundle features Paradox games. Paying any price gets you games like Magicka and Knights of Pen and Paper, while paying $15 or more also gets you Europa Universalis IV, Crusader Kings II, and more. Alternatively, check out the new Humble Weekly Bundle on RPGs. Ultima VIII: Gold Edition is free on Origin. Other PC game deals: Wii UIf you don't mind a refurbished system, Nintendo's online store has a Wii U bundle with Nintendo Land for $200, or Nintendo Land and Super Mario 3D World for $225. 3DSWalmart is offering a New 3DS XL bundle with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and your choice of select Amiibo figurines for $229. Alternatively, the retailer has a New 3DS XL bundle with your choice of select games and a Pokemon figurine for $229-$237. Eligible games include Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Code Name: Steam, and quite a few more. PS VitaHardwareAmazon prices are accurate as of publishing, but can fluctuate occasionally throughout the day. GameSpot's gaming deals posts always highlight the best deals we can find regardless of retailer. We also occasionally use retailer affiliate links, which means that purchasing goods through those links helps support all the great content (including the deals posts) you find for free here on the site.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2015 10:41 pm
CD Projekt Red on Monday released the launch trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and it is quite impressive. The lengthy trailer sets up the story and offers tantalizing teases about the locations you'll explore, enemies you'll fight, and lots more. And it's got a great song, too--Ben Howard's "Oats in the Water." The Witcher 3 officially launches on May 19. Digital copies unlock at 1 AM CET, which is 4 PM PDT / 7 PM EDT today, May 18. Earlier today, CD Projekt Red released the patch notes for the game's day-one update. GameSpot awarded The Witcher 3 a 10/10, only the ninth title in our site's history to receive a perfect score. Other reviewers are praising the game, too; see a roundup of reviews here. For lots more on The Witcher 3, check out GameSpot's detailed roundup of everything you need to know.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2015 04:30 am
 Sony has said that From Software's PS4 exclusive Bloodborne has surprisingly surpassed their ambitious sales exceptions.
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