Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming PC RPG Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire has passed another funding milestone. The game's crowdfunding campaign on Fig now has now cleared $4 million, making it the most successful fan-funded game on any site since 2015, the developer says.
It's also the most-funded game in Fig's history, though the site only launched in 2015. Unlike Kickstarter and Indiegogo, Fig allows people to acquire equity, allowing them to share in a game's success. At press time, Deadfire has raised $4.15 million from more than 31,600 backers.
It's no surprise that Deadfire is also Fig's most successful game in terms of equity funding; at press time, $2.14 million has come from "Fig Game Shares" and the remaining $2 million from traditional pledges.
If funding hits $4.25 million, Obsidian will add a "soulbound weapon," which is one that is "infused with a personality that can speak to you throughout your adventure."
Obsidian announced this week that Deadfire will have ships that players can use to travel throughout the sea, adding "open-world exploration and discovery" to the game.
"Your ship is a Dyrwoodan sloop called the Defiant, purchased for you by the Steward of Caed Nua, who has made the journey to help you (part of her, anyway) on your quest to hunt down Eothas, and is one of the first allies to join you on your adventure," Obsidian said. "The ship acts as your mobile base of operations, carrying you and your comrades wherever you command. Companions will stay on-board while not in your party, and you can even go below decks to your captain's quarters for rest and relaxation."
"You can customize, upgrade, and add personal touches to the Defiant. This includes changing your sails, painting your hull, and flying flags to show your personal colors/faction allegiance," the developer added. "You can also improve the performance of your cannons, sails, and hull, beyond just their cosmetic appearance."
Deadfire builds on the mechanics of the previous game and promises to offer "truly living cities [and] more freedom to explore the open world." You can read more about it here. A release is currently slated for the first quarter of 2018.
February 24 is also know as Twin Peaks Day, based on the date that Agent Dale Cooper first entered the iconic town in the cult TV show. To celebrate, Showtime have released two new posters in advance of its return in May. One features Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) as she looked during its original run, while the other shows an older Cooper (Kyle McLachlan). Check them out below:
The two-hour premiere of the new season debuts on Showtime on May 21 at 9 PM ET. In the build-up to that, the channel are broadcasting the first two seasons with back-to-back episodes every Sunday at 7 PM ET.
In a recent interview with IGN, actress Madchen Amick, who plays Shelly Johnson, spoke about her emotional return to the show. "The first few days back on set I was crying the whole time," she said. "I was constantly fighting tears the whole time. It was touching, it was moving, it was surreal that we get the opportunity to revisit it and revisit it in a way that is appropriate for the show and celebrates the show that isn't just a comeback or a reunion.
"It's not a reboot. It's just now seeing the characters 25 years later and seeing what they've been up to. People that love Twin Peaks will enjoy it and they'll get to see a lot of stuff obviously that they are familiar with. But for a new audience that comes to it, they're just going to love it for what it is at this point."
Hajime Tabata made a name for himself as the director of Square Enix portable games like Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Type-0. With Switch being a hybrid console/portable device, it would seemingly be right up Tabata's alley.
"I've worked on handheld titles, but I've also worked on console games," he told Polygon. "So the fact that Switch is both at the same time is really fascinating to me. I'm really interested in coming up with ideas and how to capitalize on that technology and how to create the best experience possible on the technology. But I'm not quite sure that I have it yet.
"You have your Switch sitting in front of the television and you're playing on the big screen and then you take it out, put it down on the table. It becomes a monitor. You take out the two Joy-Cons, and you play with a friend ... it doesn't stop there, because in my mind, it would be really perfect if you could then take this new monitor and use it like a tablet, for example, and play different apps on it like you would on your iPhone or your Android. So basically, it's accomplishing three tasks in one machine. It's kind of like the dream machine."
Don't take this to mean he's working on a Switch project, however, at least at the moment. He did admit that he and others on the Final Fantasy XV team are "really interested in the Switch," but he stopped short of committing to anything.
You can read Polygon's full interview with Tabata here; it primarily focuses on Final Fantasy XV's future, which includes a cooperative multiplayer mode (complete with character creation), among other things.
Pixar's upcoming Cars 3 will feature the voices of quite a few NASCAR drivers and others connected to the sport, Disney announced this week.
These include big names in racing such as Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty, as well as Fox's NASCAR commentator Shannon Spake. They all have clever/silly names; Gordon's character is named Jeff Gorvette, while Spake's character is Shannon Spokes. You can see a full rundown below, with descriptions written by Disney.
Additionally, Disney announced a co-marketing plan with TV network Fox for this weekend's Daytona 500. First, Owen Wilson, who voices Lightning McQueen, will be the grand marshal for the event, which takes place on Sunday, February 26.
Also, Disney will release a new trailer for Cars 3 during the Daytona 500, while there will be marketing efforts for the movie in place at other NASCAR Cup Series events this year. What's more, NASCAR and Disney will release elementary school learning materials called Acceleration Nation.
The next gen drivers of NASCAR and #Cars3... in other words, AWESOME!
Chase Elliott,21, was named 2016's Sunoco Rookie of the Year after finishing last season tenth in the driver standings. Elliott, who pilots the No. 24 car previously driven by four-time champion Jeff Gordon, lends his voice to second-generation Piston Cup racer Chase Racelott in Cars 3. Racelott's blend of skills, track smarts and top-of-the-line technology make this rookie a real contender.
Ryan Blaney, a 23-year-old, third-generation racer, pilots the No. 21 Ford in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series. He voices third-generation racer Ryan "Inside" Laney in Cars 3. Known for his racing passion and ability to have fun on the track, Laney races with talent, speed and precision.
Daniel Suarez, who just turned 25, pilots the No. 19 Arris Toyota Camry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion can be heard in the film voicing Danny Swervez, a next-gen racer who's ascending the Piston-Cup ladder against all odds. A mid-season replacement, Swervez is a quick learner who pushes himself to the limit.
Bubba Wallace, 23, won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in 2013, becoming the first African American to win in one of the top three touring divisions since Wendell Scott in 1963. In Cars 3, Wallace voices next-gen stock car racer Bubba Wheelhouse, a fast and tenacious young racer who knows how to win.
Darrell Waltrip, the NASCAR Hall of Fame racer-turned-NASCAR on FOX color analyst lends his voice to Darrell Cartrip. Cartrip, a veteran Piston-Cup announcer also heard in Cars and Cars 2, may think he's seen it all--but this new season might still have a surprise or two in store.
Shannon Spake, NASCAR on FOX correspondent and college football and basketball reporter for Fox Sports, voices on-the-track reporter Shannon Spokes in the film. Spokes weaves her way into the middle of the action for in-the-moment interviews, and she's not afraid to ask racers the tough questions.
Howard Augustine "Humpy" Wheeler Jr., the legendary NASCAR promoter and former president and GM of Charlotte Motor Speedway, lends his voice to iconic Dinoco team owner Tex Dinoco in Cars 3. Tex, who met Lightning McQueen in Cars, would love nothing more than to see #95 decked out in Dinoco blue.
Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR champion, current NASCAR on Fox analyst, and story consultant for Cars 3, lends his voice to Jeff Gorvette. Gorvette, whose number of top-ten finishes remains unmatched, may have hung up his racing tires--but his heart remains on the track. His ability to succeed at all levels turned hoods wherever he raced.
Richard "The King" Petty, team owner and champion NASCAR driver with 200 wins, returns to the role of Strip "The King" Weathers. From his humble beginnings on the Piston-Cup circuit to the glitzy sponsorship and media attention, the champion racer now serves as crew chief for his nephew, Cal Weathers.
Kyle Petty, retired NASCAR driver and current NASCAR commentator on NBC, helps bring Cal Weathers to life in Cars 3. Weathers grew up around the track watching his uncle, Strip "The King" Weathers, tear it up. The veteran racer finds himself taking a step back to make room for the next generation on the track.
Mike Joy is Fox Sports' lead NASCAR announcer who will call his 38th Daytona 500 this Sunday. He lends his iconic voice to on-the-spot radio talk show host Mike Joyride in the movie. Joyride stays one step ahead in the racing news game by keeping a keen eye on where the racing season is headed.
Ray Evernham, winner of three NASCAR championships as crew chief for Jeff Gordon and current consultant to Hendrick Motorsports, lends his voice to Ray Reverham, Jackson Storm's crew chief, and an expert at training in the cutting edge technology and tactics being used by the next-gen racers. Evernham also serves as a story consultant for filmmakers.
Giving away the occasional game to Twitch Prime members isn't new. However, in this case, doing so will help out The Banner Saga 3, which is currently in the midst of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Twitch says it will pledge $1 towards the game's development for each person who downloads and plays either of the first two games through Twitch between now and March 6.
You'll actually need to open up the game to qualify for the $1 pledge; simply downloading it from Twitch isn't enough. On its Kickstarter page, developer Stoic Studios encouraged fans to do so even if they already own or have played the games, as this will still add to the newest game's funding.
Further details weren't shared, but presumably this money won't be directed through Kickstarter itself, which would result in the site taking a cut. As it stands, Stoic has already far surpassed its funding goal of $200,000. With 11 days still go, it has raised more than $315,000. It's already hit two stretch goals, adding a playable Dredge and Survival mode to the game.
343 Industries has announced new Halo 5: Guardians weapons skins themed around unicorns. The weapon skins will be made available "very slowly and very deliberately," the developer explained as part of its latest weekly blog post.
The "Fire" skin
To get the "Fire" skin, you need to "create something awesome" in Halo 5 and have it be featured on the developer's Waypoint site. "We want to recognize and reward players who are creating great content and helping to enrich our community, and this is one of the few things we have left to help do that," 343 said.
The studio will go back through its 2017 Waypoint posts and retroactively award the weapon skins to players. This could be for having their gameplay clip featured as a "Play of the Week" in 343's weekly blog posts or for doing anything else that the studio deems worthy.
"If you've been featured, hang tight," 343 said. "We'll be rolling these out shortly but since it is a manual process we appreciate your patience."
The Unicorn "Ice" skin will be given to people who play with or against during the developer's Community Playdates sessions; the first of the skins will go to people who participated in the Valentine's Day event earlier this month. The next event will take place next week. In the future, 343 said it will publish a schedule for these events so players can have a better chance of getting the skin.
The "Ice" skin
In other Halo 5 news, 343 announced that this weekend's Warzone Firefight Mythic playlist will feature the Skirmish at Darkstar map. Additionally, 343 confirmed that the current rotational playlist, Assault, will be replaced next week by Covie Slayer. Finally, the developer said it has completed work on a "small maintenance update" for Halo 5 that should be out during the second week of March. The primary focus of this patch is bug fixes for the Forge mode.
A console's launch lineup can be important in helping it get off to a good start. After the struggles of the Wii U, Nintendo is surely hoping the Switch gets off to a strong start in March.
While the Switch's full launch lineup has yet to be confirmed, we now know at least a few of the titles that will debut alongside the system on March 3. As confirmed during the Switch news event on January 12, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Nintendo's new party game 1-2-Switch will be launch titles, as will Ubisoft's Just Dance 2017. Super Bomberman R, The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+, and Skylanders: Imaginators are also launch titles, according to Nintendo on Twitter. These appear to be the only confirmed launch titles at this stage. We will round up all the Switch launch titles and those coming later in this post, adding more to the list below as they become confirmed.
By comparison, the Wii U, released in 2012, had 23 launch titles.
Following up on an apparent tease of Overwatch's new character from earlier this week, Blizzard has now provided another hint of who or what it might be.
Whereas the first tease was an in-world interview with a character, this is a tweet and image from an in-world news station about an incident at an airport. "OR15 defense units destroyed in confrontation with unidentified assailant at Numbani airport," it reads. "No civilian casualties reported."
In the upper right, you'll see the shadow of an odd-looking thing--possibly cocoons or something of the sort. Whether that's a detail relevant to the identity of the character remains to be seen; it may be another piece of the puzzle or something to throw fans off.
This new tease tracks with what we've already seen. The aforementioned interview was with an 11-year-old scientist who ominously suggests she has plans for a grant she received. She also notes she's about to take her first trip on a plane. Subsequently, players discovered that an in-game airport arrivals board had been changed. If you look closely, it looks to be the same board as the one in the new teaser image.
Halo Wars 2 launched this week on Xbox One and PC. You can expect developers 343 Industries and Creative Assembly to continue to support it with extra content and updates, some of which were discussed as part of 343's latest weekly blog post.
"Just because the game has launched doesn't mean the work is done," the developer said. "In fact, very far from it, as the Creative Assembly and 343 teams are hard at work on upcoming patches as well as future downloadable content."
Concerning DLC, 343 said players can look forward to new content every third Wednesday of the month, starting in March with a new leader, Kinsano (above). More leaders, units, and campaign missions are headed to Halo Wars 2 in the coming months. At PAX East, 343 will "go deeper" on what players can expect in terms of DLC. We'll report back with more details at that time.
On the more immediate horizon for Halo Wars 2 are updates addressing issues that have popped up since launch. The first of these is already available, while a "large patch" for Xbox One and Windows 10 is coming next week. It includes a "significant" number of fixes and improvements. The patch notes will be shared at a later date.
"Additionally, work and investigations continue into online connectivity, latency, and performance issues that some players have been reporting," 343 said. "We're aware that some players are still experiencing issues and it's a top priority area of focus for the team."
343 also mentioned that it released a hotfix for an XP exploit where players in 1v1 games could destroy their base at the start of a match to earn 600XP. The game continues to show that you received the XP for doing this, but it's not actually applied. "So doing this will not only net you no real reward, it will also ruin the fun for the person you're matching against while inaccurately skewing player skill ratings," 343 said.
Additionally, 343 said it continues to look over player feedback and game data with an eye on tweaking balance in the future as needed. You can send in feedback to 343 here on the Halo Wars 2 forums.
Halo Wars 2 launched without ranked multiplayer; this feature is coming "soon," but a date has not been announced.
"Halo Wars 2 carries forth enough of the series' beloved elements to make any fan of Halo feel right at home at first, but not in the long run," reviewer Kallie Plagge said. "It's palatable for those used to the FPS games, taking inspiration from favorite missions and putting a strategic spin on them; but just when things become more challenging and actually interesting, it runs out of steam."
Gears of War 4 is offering up a new weekend-only Horde playlist and giving out double class XP right now. The new playlist is called Feral Horde, and it's the first-ever playlist for a variant of Horde. In a forum post, developer The Coalition explained why Feral Horde is more challenging than regular Horde.
"Feral Horde ratchets up the intensity of each wave, changing the composition of each wave to focus more on constant pressure and unrelenting assault," the developer said. "Prepare to move, dodge, and scrap your way to victory against new waves filled with hefty amounts of Explosive Trackers, Swarm Grenadiers, DR-1s, Dropshot Scions, and more."
The Feral Horde playlist is automatically set to the Hardcore difficulty, and it's available on only one map, Clocktower.
To encourage people to try Feral Horde, The Coalition is offering up three Swarm character skins. To get them, you need to first register your Gamertag and then do the following:
Complete 50 Waves in the Feral Horde playlist (unlocks the the Tiger Skin).
Complete 100 Waves in the Feral Horde playlist (unlocks the Cheetah Skin).
Complete 200 Waves in the Feral Horde playlist (unlocks the Snow Leopard Skin).
Additionally, The Coalition has released a Feral Horde Pack, which comes with everything shown in the picture above. It's available right now for 400 Credits.
Finally, double class XP is available this weekend for not just Feral Horde, but also the Public and Private Horde playlists.
The Coalition did not announce when the weekend event wraps up.
Store pickup is free (if it's in stock at your local store), while shipping is free on orders of $35 or more, so you'd need to buy something else to get that.
If you pick up Titanfall 2 as part of this sale or already have the game, you can look forward to new content in the future. Just this week, Respawn released the new Live Fire mode, while a free update in March will see the return of a Titanfall 1 map.
For more on Titanfall 2, check out GameSpot's review here and all of our videos and written content here.
The next major PlayStation 4 exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn, is almost here. Ahead of its release next week, Sony today published the launch trailer for the much-anticipated action-RPG.
The video, which does not contain any gameplay footage, sets up some of the story for the futuristic game in which massive robot machines rule the Earth. You play as Aloy, an inquisitive woman who treks through the world to find out what the robots are and where they came from. You can watch the video in the embed above.
Now, ZeniMax has filed further papers against Oculus--which is owned by social media giant Facebook--requesting that Oculus's products using the stolen code be removed from sale. Specifically, ZeniMax is seeking to block sales of its mobile and PC developer kits, as well as technology allowing the integration of Oculus Rift with development engines Unreal and Unity, reports Law360.
If the injunction isn't granted, ZeniMax wants a share of "revenues derived from products incorporating its intellectual properties," suggesting a 20 percent cut for at least 10 years. ZeniMax argues the previous settlement of $500 million is "insufficient incentive for [Oculus] to cease infringing."
Oculus, meanwhile, says that "ZeniMax's motion does not change the fact that the [original] verdict was legally flawed and factually unwarranted.
"We look forward to filing our own motion to set aside the jury's verdict and, if necessary, filing an appeal that will allow us to put this litigation behind us," the virtual reality company stated.
The original case concluded in early February after testimonies from many high profile individuals, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Oculus's chief technology officer John Carmack.
The revered game programmer found himself at the center of the case from the start. Before his current position at Oculus, he worked for ZeniMax from 2009, when the corporation acquired his studio Id Software for $405 million. In November 2013, he resigned to join Oculus full-time.
Hugh Jackman has said he expects Logan to be his last time playing Wolverine. But it's now come to light that Jackman apparently would have considered coming back if a deal between Wolverine studio Fox and Marvel Entertainment could be reached to make Wolverine an Avenger.
That's not uncharted territory, as Spider-Man movie rights-holder Sony partnered with Marvel to bring the web-slinger to Captain America: Civil War and next year's Avengers: Infinity War.
Speaking to ScreenRant, Jackman said, "If that was on the table when I made my decision [to stop playing Wolverine after Logan], it certainly would have made me pause. That's for sure."
He added: "I always love the idea of him within that dynamic, with the Hulk obviously, with Iron Man but there's a lot of smarter people with MBAs who can't figure that out [laughter]. You never know."
It's too bad that couldn't happen, but it looks like Jackman's Wolverine is going out on a high note. GameSpot's Logan review praised it for being brutal and grim, featuring outstanding performances by Jackman and co-star Patrick Stewart.
"Logan continually subverts your expectations, but in its impactful ending, it still somehow feels like the only way the movie--and Wolverine's long journey--could end," GameSpot critic Randolph Ramsay said. "This is a film that elevates its genre, succeeding precisely because it's different, and because it strives to be the Wolverine movie fans have always wanted to see. Logan is a must-watch, and is not only a wonderful superhero movie, but a wonderful movie in its own right."
Nintendo has announced a new video broadcast for the Nintendo Switch that will showcase some of the independently developed games coming to the hybrid console.
Set for Tuesday, February 28 at 9 AM PT, broadcast is called "Nindies Showcase," and you can watch it through Nintendo's website here. We'll report back with any news that gets announced.
Nintendo has confirmed that there will be more than 60 "indie" games on the Nintendo Switch's eShop this year. Those that will be available at launch on March 3 include Shovel Knight (and its Specter of Torment expansion) and the racing game Fast RMX--you can read more about those here.
With only a few days to go before Horizon Zero Dawn's release, Sony has published a new trailer for the PlayStation 4 exclusive that highlights the action-RPG's positive reviews (including GameSpot's).
The video contains a lot of nice-looking footage, but bear in mind that it was captured on a PlayStation 4 Pro console, not the standard model. Check out the video below.
If the entirety of Breath of the Wild maintains the beauty and variety seen in its opening hours, it will be a strong contender for the best Zelda game of all time. I say this fully aware that any new Zelda game comes with a hefty dose of hype and anticipation. Throw in a console launch on top of that, and you wouldn't be blamed for sounding the hyperbole alarm.
However, my enjoyment isn't tied to holding a shiny new piece of plastic or simply swinging a sword as Link. Breath of the Wild is an exciting game for its incredible landscapes and how, with minimum instruction, you're allowed to find your footing as you go. Rather than wade through prolonged tutorials like you did at the start of Wii's Skyward Sword, you pick up new tricks and take to heart new lessons by way of action and exploration.
You have to contend with a dense ruleset, in which nearly every decision you make must take your surroundings into consideration. And because of this demanding yet satisfying setup, you feel like you are constantly learning, often through failure and death. Survival, let alone progress, is a major concern.
Though you won't need to worry about hunger or thirst, you have to understand your physical limitations; wander too far up a snowy mountain without the proper gear and you will freeze to death in short order. If you dive into a lake, you better pray you have enough stamina to make it to the other side, and prepare for the reality that you may drown before you get there if you don't. You can also scale cliffs, but you may find yourself stuck mid-climb if the weather takes a sudden turn for the worse as your ability to get a foothold is drastically reduced in the rain.
Enemies, of course, are another chief concern. Rushing into battle is a non-option against anything other than fledgling gelatinous Chuchus or a single Bokoblin warrior. However, small encampments lure you with treasure chests that only open once you've cleared out the camp, so you won't want to avoid mobs for long. You will have to make the most of your surroundings to clear a squad of five enemies and not die--you can only sustain a few hits early on. If you see a red barrel, find a way to set it ablaze. Perhaps wait for nightfall so you can sneak up on enemies and kill a few while they sleep.
Experimenting and learning new tactics will get you far, but you also need to be active and aware when clashing swords or spears. Link is capable of parrying incoming attacks if you press a button within a brief window of time, forcing you to pay attention to every move your enemy makes. You can also dodge and backflip away from an attack, which will leave an enemy vulnerable if they whif. Enemies with polearms or spears present a different challenge: how do you get in close with a considerably shorter weapon in hand? By jumping over their weapon and attacking from overhead (another maneuver you have to learn on your own). Though battles are a tough nut to crack at first, you quickly learn how to overcome these obstacles through necessity and experimentation, a process that's consistently rewarding despite the number of deaths you incur along the way.
Every weapon in the game, thus far, is acquired by defeating enemies. You therefore come across a lot of potential weapons, both in number and variety. You need to be mindful of their durability, which is only detailed in words; the ambiguity this creates is the one shortcoming of Breath of the Wild that stands out early on. Most of the swords, spears, clubs, and shields found in the early hours of the game break after just a few fights. It isn't always easy to reconcile preserving a cool weapon with equipping something that's more common yet weak, but you don't always have a choice. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the long term. The hope is that you will eventually find more durable weapons that can hold a permanent spot in your inventory, but that remains to be seen.
Whenever you take down a monster, they are likely to drop body parts in addition to their weapon. These are but a few of the resources available to you in the field. You can also gather fruit from trees, meat from hunting animals, and valuable minerals by exploring mountains, to name a few. All of these ingredients can be combined in various ways to produce hearty meals at camp fires spread across the world. These will sometimes grant you buffs; hot peppers, for example, will infuse a recipe with freeze resistance, allowing you a window of time to trek through snowy areas.
At the moment, beyond satisfying your curiosity, exploration is driven by shrines--puzzle-driven dungeons littered throughout the map. They are bite-sized, lasting only a few minutes a piece, but they deliver a completely different tone compared to the outside world. At the start of some shrines, you will be granted a new power--known as a rune--and the puzzles you face within that shrine serve as a practical tutorial for your new abilities. Early runes include bombs that can be generated resource-free under a cooldown timer, but you also gain the ability to summon pillars of ice from bodies of water and move metallic objects by controlling a magic, magnetic orb tethered to your body.
Each shrine is guaranteed to net you a spirit orb, which act as a currency of sorts that you trade in by praying at a statue to upgrade your health or stamina meters. So far, picking one upgrade over the other has been the hardest decision to make in Breath of the Wild. Don't hesitate to explore and test your mettle, but be sure you know what you're getting yourself into when you pick increased health over stamina, or vice versa. Shrines are common, but not so common that you can expect to quickly maintain a balance between stats.
This all sounds like a lot to manage, and it is, but damn if it doesn't feel good to play a Zelda game with so many variables and opportunities from the start. All of this is to say nothing of the lighthearted events that populate the world, and how they brighten up a dreary trip through rain and fog after a hard fought battle. People are affable and cheeky, and animals prove to be a soothing and beneficial distraction: Nuzzle a dog with your face and become instant friends, tame a wild horse and make it your own, and swipe at a chicken to make it drop an egg that you can put into your next meal.
Breath of the Wild is, five hours in, an enthralling and surprising experience, and the stories being shared among those playing it at GameSpot are all vastly different. Even though we are all playing the same game, we are envious of each other's unique experiences. Breath of the Wild embodies the freedom and danger that made the first Zelda game so enthralling, and captures the feeling of awe that came when Ocarina of Time hit the scene, in this case by layering unspoken variables into seemingly every facet of the game. Based on our early impressions, it's safe to say that Breath of the Wild will forever change what people expect from the series.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the latest entry in the critically acclaimed, long-running Zelda series. It's set in a massive open world that's far bigger than any Zelda game before it, packed with distinct locations to explore and enemies to defeat.
With the scheduled to release on March 3 for both Nintendo Switch and Wii U, we've compiled our most important previews, features, and gameplay videos detailing everything you need to know about this fascinating new entry in The Legend of Zelda series. Be sure to check back often as we update this article with additional features and videos, as well as our full review.
Our Impressions of the First Five Hours
"Breath of the Wild is dense, challenging, and filled with wonder, and the stories being shared among those playing it at GameSpot are all vastly different and exciting. Even though we are all playing the same game, we are envious of each other's unique experiences. Breath of the Wild embodies the freedom and danger that made the first Zelda game so enthralling, and captures the feeling of awe that came when Ocarina of Time hit the scene, in this case by layering unspoken variables into seemingly every facet of the game. Based on our early impressions, it's safe to say that Breath of the Wild will forever change what people expect from the series."--Peter Brown [Full Preview]
Early Open World Impressions--We played the first 20 minutes of the game on Nintendo Switch. Here are all the good and bad moments we experienced during the early moments of Link's next adventure.
First 17 Minutes on Nintendo Switch--Watch the first 17 minutes of the Switch version of the game where we explore the Grand Plateau full of enemies and dungeons.
A new bundle for the free-to-play FPS Heroes & Generals is available now on Steam that includes a copy of the new Mel Gibson war movie Hacksaw Ridge and extra content for the game.
The $22 bundle comes with a 14-day Veteran membership, which lets you level up faster and give bonuses to people in your squad. Also included in the bundle is the the Medkit and Medic Boosters pack, which includes a medkit (lets you heal yourself and others) and five Medic ribbon boosters.
The Veteran membership normally costs $8 and the Medkit and Medic Boosters pack for $3, while Hacksaw Ridge costs $19 on Steam to buy (or $5 to rent), so the bundle saves you around $8 if you wanted all three items.
"Hacksaw Ridge is a great story about how one man's actions and courage can make a difference in war--something that is also very key to Heroes & Generals," the game's director, Jacob Andersen, said in a statement. "The uniqueness of Steam as an entertainment platform for both PC games and movies makes it possible for us and the visionary team at Lionsgate to partner up for this exclusive bundle featuring the film and special in-game content."
This bundle is only available in the US, though people in Europe can buy the Heroes & Generals Medic Pack as standalone DLC. Another important thing to note is that the Medkit and Medic Booster pack won't be available in the game until March 21, but the Veteran membership is available now.
Hacksaw Ridge, which is Gibson's first time back in the director's chair since 2006's Apocalypto, received six nominations for this year's Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson.
New character posters for the upcoming big screen reboot of Power Rangers have been released. They show the Rangers alongside their Zords, the metallic dinosaur mechs that they pilot against enemies. Check them out in the gallery below:
Power Rangers opens in theaters on March 24, 2017, and is directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac). It stars Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, and Ludi Lin as the Rangers. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) portrays the Rangers' mentor, Zordon.
Developer Undead Labs has posted a new piece of concept art for the upcoming zombie game sequel, State of Decay 2, and it's completely brutal and bloody.
The image, published on the game's website, shows a survivor who defied the odds and took down an entire horde of undead with a baseball bat. Undead Labs acknowledges that one person taking down that many zombies with a baseball bat is pretty unlikely. But the developer said it "loved the expression of numb weariness and exhausted triumph on the survivor's face. And besides, success against the odds is also something that's important to illustrate for State of Decay 2."
This piece of art, which was created by an outside illustrator, Stephen Schirle, was created "long before" production began on State of Decay 2. What you see in the image may not represent what will actually be in the game,.
Undead Labs sent Schirle a list of phrases that they wanted him to turn into art such as "Nobody Survives Alone," "Faded Memories," and "Horrific Beauty." The concept art posted here was his take on the phrase "Explore and Complete Missions." The particular mission in this case was "defeat a horde."
New concept art for State of Decay 2 is released every week. You can see the concept art that Undead Labs released in the five previous weeks here, here, here, here, and here.
Microsoft continues to add new features to Xbox One. The newest is "decimal-level precision" for Achievements, which means Xbox Live will now tell you, down to a decimal point, what percentage of gamers have unlocked any given achievement. That's pretty cool.
Below is an image of what that looks like, courtesy of Xbox engineering boss Mike Ybarra's Twitter feed. He sent the tweet out yesterday, so the update that adds this should be out now.
Tomorrow we will update achievements to show decimal level precision on Xbox! Check it out & look for it. #Xboxpic.twitter.com/cLs6xywYDM
The expansion, which costs US $12 / £9.49 / AU $17.95, acts as a prequel to the main Mankind Divided campaign. It tells the story of Adam Jensen's first mission for Task Force 29, in which he is dropped undercover into a hostile, high security prison.
"His mission: track down and retrieve sensitive information from a fellow undercover agent who has gone dark," reads an official description. "Success will help the fight against terror around the world, but Jensen will need to confront a darker side to his role before the day is done."
The expansion is the second of its kind for Mankind Divided. The first, System Rift, launched in September.
Like System Rift, A Criminal Past will be available on its own or as part of the $30 season pass. More, smaller pieces of add-on content launched for free in January--take a look at all the details here.
The first teaser for the upcoming third season of Fargo has been released. It's very short and doesn't give anything away--but it does feature a deflating giant Santa. Check it out below:
The new season is set to premiere on FX on April 19. It's inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers movie of the same name, and will star Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Big Fish) in two parts: Emmit Stussy, "the "Parking Lot King of Minnesota," and his younger brother Ray, a parole officer who has lived in his brother's shadow his entire life. What begins as sibling rivalry escalates to murder, according to an official description for Season 3 posted by Deadline.
Other new cast members include David Thewlis (Harry Potter series), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man), Carrie Coon (Gone Girl), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), and comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Production on Fargo Season 3 took place in Calgary. The show was created by Noah Hawley (Bones, Legion); Joel and Ethan Coen are executive producers.
EA Access subscribers have yet another game they can download for free today. As announced previously, EA's Madden NFL 17 joins the library of Vault games today on Xbox One.
Subscribers can play the full version of the game for as long as their subscription remains active. Madden NFL 17 becomes the fourth Madden title in the Vault, joining Madden NFL 15, Madden NFL 16, and Madden NFL 25.
Access to Vault games is the primary benefit of being an EA Access member. Other perks include discounts on digital EA games and DLC, as well as early access to most upcoming EA games. That includes Mass Effect: Andromeda.
A version of EA Access called Origin Access is available on PC, but the Madden series is exclusive to consoles.
Both EA Access and Origin Access have dozens of free games available to subscribers. You can see lists of all them here.
We've now rounded up all the freebies into lists, which you can see below. We will update this post in the days, weeks, and years ahead when more games are added. EA has vowed never to remove any games from the "Vault" of freebies. "I think one of the key things is that once a game goes into the Vault it stays there, it's not going to be taken out, that's a commitment we've made," Peter Moore said.
In addition to free games, EA/Origin Access members can play some games (but not all) ahead of launch; most of the time, subscribers get a five-day headstart. Another benefit is that subscribers save 10 percent on all EA digital content, which knocks down the price of a $60 game to $54.
The service costs $5/month or $30/year.
EA Access Free Games (As of February 24, 2017)
New and upcoming games are bolded
Battlefield 3 (released on January 20)
Battlefield 4
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (released on January 20)
Battlefield Hardline
Bejeweled 2
Bejeweled 3
Dead Space
Dead Space Ignition (coming in 2017)
Dragon Age: Inqusition
EA Sports UFC
EA Sports UFC 2
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding Frenzy 2
FIFA 14
FIFA 15
FIFA 16
Heavy Weapon
Madden NFL 15
Madden NFL 16
Madden NFL 17 (released on February 24)
Madden NFL 25
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge Catalyst
NBA Live 15
NBA Live 16
NHL 15
NHL 16
Need for Speed
Need for Speed Rivals
Peggle 2
Plants vs. Zombies
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour
Skate 3 (released on February 13)
SSX
Star Wars Battlefront
Titanfall
Unravel
Zuma
Zuma's Revenge (coming in 2017)
Origin Access Free Games (As of February 24, 2017)
"Not A Hero," the previously announced upcoming expansion pack for Resident Evil 7, will be released this spring on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Now, Capcom has confirmed that, as rumored, it will star a series veteran. The company made the announcement on its Twitter and Facebook pages, but we won't link them here since they contain major spoilers.
Spoilers for Resident Evil 7 follow below.
At the end of Resident Evil 7, Chris Redfield is revealed to be working for the Umbrella Corporation, according to Destructoid. He will be the focus of the Not A Hero DLC, which is free.
"Who or what is he chasing? Find out soon in this separate story," Capcom said in its announcement.
In one of the three Not A Hero screenshots that Capcom released, Chris Redfield is shown standing in front of some giant mass with a helicopter flying overhead and soldiers at his side. Click through the images in the gallery below to see all the Not A Hero screenshots that have been released so far.
Not A Hero is the third piece of add-on content for Resident Evil 7, following the paid expansions Banned Footage Vol. 1 and Banned Footage Vol. 2, which are now available on all platforms.
A new international trailer for The Fate of the Furious has arrived. The eighth movie in the Fast and the Furious series hits theaters in April, and this new teaser features some new footage and lots of action. Check it out below:
The Fate of the Furious is directed by F. Gary Gray, who most recently helmed the hugely successful hip-hop biopic Straight Outta Compton. Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jason Statham are all returning from the previous movies and are joined by Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, and Kurt Russell.
Last year, Diesel announced the release dates for the next three parts in the series, with parts 9 and 10 following in 2019 and 2021. He also told Variety that there were plans for spinoffs. "We've written out story lines for various characters," he said. "We've been playing with it for a long time. It's a very rich property and we're committed to treating it with a lot of class."
The Fate of the Furious is released on April 14, 2017.
The game was previously slated for "March 2017," but has now been given a firm digital release date of March 3, meaning it will launch alongside the Switch itself.
A week later, on March 10, a bundle of the game containing a pair of additional Joy-Cons will arrive at retail. The pack contains a download code for Snipperclips in addition to the Neon Red and Blue Joy-Cons.
Lastly, Nintendo announced a playable demo of Snipperclips will launch on the eShop on March 3, allowing players to try the game out for free.
A poster for the Netflix series based on Castlevania has been released. It was posted on Facebook by producer Adi Shakar and features pretty much everything you'd expect from Castlevania: a giant gothic castle, a blood red moon, and plenty of bats.
Shankar didn't provide much information on the series other than it "drops 2017 on Netflix." The Castlevania Netflix series is being written by Warren Ellis, who is responsible for multiple acclaimed comic series including Transmetropolitan.
"Inspired by the classic video game series, Castlevania is a dark medieval fantasy following the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hand of Vlad Dracula Tepes himself," an official description reads.
"The animated series is from Frederator Studios, a Wow Unlimited Media company, written by best-selling author and comic book icon Warren Ellis and executive produced by Warren Ellis, Kevin Kolde, Fred Seibert, and Adi Shankar."
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