The collaboration's announcement trailer shows off the title with a gorgeous Breath of the Wild spin. Not only does the collaboration include Link's blue garb and weapons, it also alters resources and the environment that might just make you feel like you're back in the plains of Hyrule. And of course, Koroks are in the mix too as costumes for your adorable fighting companions, the Palicos.
Right on schedule, Destiny 2's PC beta client is now available to pre-load, at least for some players. People who pre-ordered Destiny 2 on PC can now pre-load so they can start playing precisely when the beta goes live on August 28.
People who pre-ordered a digital copy need only press "Install" in the Battle.net app to pre-load. Retail customers have to go to bungie.net/redeem to redeem their code.
Pre-loading is now available to players with Early Access to the Destiny 2 PC Beta. Open Access downloads will begin on 8/29.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge will wear Destiny-themed cleats during games this weekend, according to Bungie. Judge, who was an All-Star this year and won the Home Run Derby, is apparently a fan of Destiny's Warlocks. He's also going to wear batting gloves that have cool-looking Destiny flair.
Judge is apparently a big fan of Destiny. He visited developer Bungie's offices in July, thanking the studio for giving him a look at Destiny 2 ahead of its release.
Judge was involved in the multiple benches-clearing brawls that took place during the Yankees/Tigers game this week in Detroit. However, controversially, he was not suspended. You can check out some footage of the fights below.
Destiny 2 launches on September 6 for PS4 and Xbox One, with the PC edition scheduled to arrive in October. A beta for the PC version will debut next week.
In an interview with Polygon, Microsoft Studios Publishing general manager Shannon Loftis said that, in her opinion, the game was announced prematurely. She remarked that it's been more difficult than anticipated to get Crackdown 3's three game modes up to high quality.
"We definitely underestimated the challenge of making sure the quality bar of all three of those modes was high and it delivers on what we need to deliver on," she explained. "So we had to take the extra time [and] make sure that we're delivering the game the Crackdown fans want. It was a super hard decision to do that, and it was made harder because we announced the game."
Crackdown 3's situation is something that Microsoft will learn from, Loftis said. It's not the only game that she believes Microsoft announced too soon, so the company needs to get better in the future.
"I think in the past we have made the mistake of announcing some exclusives a little bit too early," she stated. "We're trying to learn from that mistake and do better, so we have a bit that's in development now that we're not talking about. We're in this for the long haul, and we want to make sure that not just in the spring of 2018, but in the summer, and in the fall, and the spring of 2019 that we'll have great, unique, fun experiences for Xbox gamers."
You can see Crackdown 3 in action in the embed above. You can also check out the reveal trailer for Commander Jaxon here, a character who is played by actor Terry Crews.
Piracy is one of the main enemies of many, if not most, video game and media companies, as it is often blamed for lost sales. One indie developer, however, has embraced piracy as a way to get its game in the hands of more people. Acid Wizard Studio has uploaded its own game onto The Pirate Bay, the popular torrent site, in order to give those who can't afford it access to a safe version.
Darkwood was fully released last week, and it's garnered a positive response from Steam users since then. Following its successful launch, Acid Wizard's Maciej Gorny explained that the developer wanted to ensure that everyone had the ability to play a secure, stable, and safe copy.
"We decided to upload it to Pirate Bay to ensure that people who can't afford it can download a safe version of the game," he said in a press release.
Further, the studio explained that it was frustrated with how game keys often end up being resold on suspicious and possibly dangerous website, so it decided to do something about it. "To be honest, we're fed up with it," Acid Wizard wrote on Imgur. "This practice makes it impossible for us to do any giveaways or send keys to people who actually don't have the money to play Darkwood."
"If you don't have the money and want to play the game, we have a safe torrent on The Pirate Bay of the latest version of Darkwood (1.0 hotfix 3), completely DRM-free," the developer continued. "There's no catch, no added pirate hats for characters or anything like that. We have just one request: if you like Darkwood and want us to continue making games, consider buying it in the future, maybe on a sale, through Steam, GOG, or Humble Store."
Darkwood is a top-down, survival-horror game that came about because the studio members were too afraid to play other horror titles. In a post on Reddit, the developer stated that it wanted to make a game that doesn't depend on jump scares to create a sense of suspense and horror.
Developer Cloud Imperium Games has made a big announcement about Star Citizen. The studio announced that it's working with Faceware Technologies to introduce the company's "first-of-its-kind" facial tech that will let you animate your character's face in real time as you speak with other players in the incredibly ambitious PC space game.
"The new feature will track players' facial expressions and movement, then reproduce them on their avatars in-game, allowing for the most immersive and realistic player-to-player communication," Cloud Imperium explained.
The feature will use what's being called Face Over Internet Protocol (FOIP). It uses a facial motion sensor to detect "hundreds" of facial movements, including in low light.
"Those movements are then instantly streamed onto the character's face, in-game, a critical element in creating believable digital faces. The feature can also be used with the computer's built-in webcam, though the quality of facial detection may vary," CIG said.
Star Citizen creator Chris Roberts said no game in history has ever used a system like this. He said it's a "revolutionary step in gaming."
"For the first time we'll be able to deliver the full range of human emotion, not just voice. Our players' facial expressions will be translated onto their avatars' face. Combine that with a player's voice correctly positioned in the virtual world, and you have the most lifelike player-to-player communication ever," Roberts said.
Faceware's technology was used to create digital faces in games like Grand Theft Auto V and Destiny.
Star Citizen is the most successful crowdfunded project of any kind in history, bringing in more than $157 million in backer contributions by the latest count.
When you hear "Terminator 2 3D," you might recall a certain 3D theme park attraction called T2 3-D: Battle Across Time, especially if you visited any Universal Studios parks in the last 20 years. This week, the 1991 classic is returning to theaters for a true 3D remaster of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and GameSpot spoke with the film's co-writer, William Wisher, about why he thinks this is the best version yet.
"There's a couple of things. Right off the bat, it will add interest to audiences who have never seen it in a theater. If they just re-released it [without adding 3D], I don't think anybody, except for diehard fans, nobody would really care. The fact that [James Cameron] has put it in 3D, which I'm sure looks fantastic...that creates an event," Wisher said. "I think that in and of itself is a good thing, because it gets people into a theater that otherwise might not have ever done that. We turned it out about 25, 26 years ago, so there are people that age who weren't born when we made it. So I think that's cool.
"I also think that as well as the film has always held up visually, in terms of the SFX we used and the CGI we used, I'm going to guess that some of that got a little bit improved and cleaned up," he continued. "So it'll be kind of a perfect version of the film."
He's correct, of course: James Cameron told Yahoo Movies this week about some slight alterations he made for Terminator 2 3D, fixing a pair of gaffes that have bothered viewers for decades: The truck windshield that gets blown out only to re-appear in a later shot, and the motorcycle stunt driver who is very clearly not Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Other than that, though, T2: Judgment Day 3D is the same movie it was over 25 years ago, with a shiny new coat of 3D paint. "It is the original theatrical release that they're putting out, so you get to have the experience all over again," Wisher said. "And I think that's a good thing."
He added that despite the many extended cuts circulated over the years, the original is still his favorite. "I think that that cut--the original cut--probably plays the best, just in terms of pacing," WIsher said, "which is why it was the original theatrical cut!"
There's one exception: His favorite deleted scene, in which Sarah and John Connor perform a minor surgery on Schwarzenegger's Terminator, seen in James Cameron's director's cut of the film.
"The only thing that I personally really missed was the scene where Sarah and John are in the garage with the Terminator, and they turn him off, pull out his CPU, and turn it from read to write," he said. "We covered it in the film; there's a line of ADR [Automated Dialogue Replacement, also known as dubbing] where Arnold says 'The longer I stay here, the more I learn,' or something like that, to cover how he begins to learn more about humanity and people. But I always liked that scene."
As for 3D itself, Wisher said in an interview last year with The Terminator Fans that he's "not a huge fan of 3D (because movies are already 3D in your head anyway, aren't they?)."
He clarified to GameSpot that 3D sometimes gives him a headache, but that he's a fan of the way Cameron uses it. "Jim's pretty good about managing 3D so it looks right but it doesn't cause your brain to go into a spasm," he said.
For those willing to risk it, Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D hits theaters today.
Destiny 2's PC beta is right around the corner, running from August 28-31 (or 29-31 for those who don't pre-order). In anticipation of its launch, AMD has released a new edition of its Radeon Crimson ReLive driver and software suite for optimal performance of its video cards. Version 17.8.2 also provides a measurable performance boost in both F1 2017 and Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, and addresses a few existing issues.
AMD's tests were conducted using the recently released RX Vega 64 graphics card on a system consisting of an Intel Core i7-7700K (4.2GHz) and 16 GB of RAM in dual-channel on Windows 10 64-bit. With a 4K resolution, AMD determined that the new driver will provide an improvement of around 18% in framerate for Playerunknown's Battlegrounds compared to the previous driver (from 28.5 FPS to 33.6 FPS). As for F1 2017, AMD users should expect about a 4% performance boost (from 54 FPS to 56 FPS).
Outside of performance optimizations, the new AMD graphics driver addressed the following issues from previous versions:
Display may blank or go black after install upgrade with Radeon RX Vega Series graphics products.
Random corruption may appear in Microsoft desktop productivity applications on Radeon RX Vega series graphics products.
The "Reset" option in Radeon Settings Gaming tab may enable the "HBCC Memory Segment" feature instead of setting it to the default disabled state.
Radeon WattMan may not reach applied overclock states on Radeon RX Vega series graphics.
Unable to create Eyefinity configurations through the Eyefinity Advanced Setup option.
Known bugs and issues are par for the course with any new driver. Here are the ones to look out for:
Mouse stuttering may be observed on some Radeon RX graphics products when Radeon WattMan is open and running in the background or other third party GPU information polling apps are running in the background.
GPU Scaling may fail to work on some DirectX 11 applications.
Windows Media Player may experience an application hang during video playback if Radeon ReLive is actively recording desktop.
Secondary displays may show corruption or green screen when the display/system enters sleep or hibernate with content playing.
After resuming from sleep and playing back video content the system may become unresponsive on Radeon RX Vega series graphics products.
Bezel compensation in mixed mode Eyefinity cannot be applied.
AMD has made a comeback in the high-end graphics card space with the Vega series that released earlier this month; check out our review of the RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56. You can view the full release notes of Radeon Crimson ReLive version 17.8.2 on AMD's website. If you're equipped with any of Nvidia's graphics cards, take a look at our coverage of the latest GeForce driver.
August 25 update 2: The SNES Classic Edition is back in stock at Walmart right now. It likely won't last long, so be sure to jump on it quickly if you're interested. This may be one of the last opportunities to pre-order the system prior to its launch in late September.
August 25: A number of Amazon pre-order customers have been notified that they may not receive their order on time. It's unclear how long the hold-up will last or what the problem is, but affected users have been sent an email notifying them of the potential delay. The retailer states that everyone who pre-ordered the system will eventually get their hands on one.
August 23: GameStop is officially sold out of SNES Classic Editions online, and it appears to be gone at most (if not all) of its physical stores, too. The retailer has said it will have more SNES Classics available for walk-ins at its stores on launch day, although it's unclear how easy it will be to get one. Meanwhile, SNES Classic prices have skyrocketed on Ebay. Some people had success ordering systems from Target after it looked as if they were all gone, so it's not inconceivable that routinely checking out the US retailer links below will be fruitful. We'll continue to update this story as more pre-order opportunities become available, but there's no guarantee that there will be many more chances to buy one in advance of launch--at least at retail price.
August 22 update 6: Toys R Us has announced on Twitter that it will not offer pre-orders. Instead, it will be available in stores beginning on launch day, September 29. This comes as a surprise, as Toys R Us was among the retailers that Nintendo listed on its official website as offering pre-orders.
August 22 update 5: Amazingly, the expensive bundles at ThinkGeek have sold out. GameStop's website returned online this afternoon with the SNES Classic and bundles available, but heavy traffic brought it offline. As was the case earlier, it's again redirecting visitors to ThinkGeek.
August 22 update 4: Just as GameStop is offering some pricey bundles in stores, its subsidiary, ThinkGeek, is now selling the system online. Its website offers seven different bundles, ranging from $140 to a whopping $330.
August 22 update 3: Walmart and Target pre-orders are indeed gone, at least for now. GameStop's website has been taken offline, but it's taking pre-orders in its physical stores. There's still no word on Toys R Us pre-orders.
August 22 update 2: Walmart pre-orders have gone live and seemingly sold out almost right away. Target pre-orders are live but the site seems to be having trouble, and it may also be gone. Likewise, GameStop's website is slow to load, but you might be able to get an order in. Separately, GameStop announced on Twitter that it's offering in-store pre-orders right now.
August 22 update: Amazon and Best Buy both briefly offered SNES Classic units in the very early US morning hours today. It came in and out of stock at Best Buy for a period of time, but for now, it appears both retailers are sold out. That said, it looks as if more stores will soon launch SNES Classic pre-orders.
Those in Canada will soon be able to pre-order a SNES Classic from Best Buy. The store has announced that pre-orders go live at approximately 10 AM PT today, so you'll want to start mashing F5 on its website around then. It will not be available in Quebec.
Update: Those in the UK may have missed at least their first chance to pre-order from certain retailers, but Nintendo's online store has the SNES Classic available as of this writing.
Original Story: Nintendo announced the SNES Classic today. A miniature version of the classic Nintendo console, the $80 system that comes with 21 games and two controllers launches in the US in September. Given that last year's NES Classic sold out basically instantly everywhere it was sold, fans might be wondering how they can secure the SNES Classic right away.
US retailers are not yet widely accepting pre-orders, but in Australia, you can secure a pre-order right now through JB Hi Fi and EB Games. The console sells for $120 in Australia and it looks a little different than the North American edition.
In the US, Amazon has a page up for the SNES Classic, as does Best Buy, but you cannot actually pre-order the system there as of yet. We will update this post as more retailers open pre-orders for the SNES Classic. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
As with the NES Classic Edition, the SNES Classic features HDMI output and resembles the look of the system it's based on but in a smaller form factor. But unlike that system, it comes with two controllers in the box.
On the subject of supply, while Nintendo isn't sharing specific numbers, it did say it will deliver "significantly more" units than it did with the NES Classic Edition. That said, it only plans to ship the system between September and the end of 2017.
The first trailer for the second season of Channel Zero is out, and you're best not watching it alone in the dark. The story for this year is based on Creepypasta's "No-End House," which is about a house where each room gets increasingly terrifying.
As you can see in the trailer above, "No-End House" is the talk of the town, but it plays on the fears of those who enter it. If you can survive the six rooms, you win some money--the experience is different for everyone. However, one person who leaves the house finds her life has changed. The original Creepypasta story was written by Brian Russell.
Last year,Channel Zero debuted on Syfy, adapting the Creepypasta story "Candle Cove." The show followed a man returning to his hometown where local children have been disappearing, and it all revolved around a television show from his childhood. Those who watched it won't be able to forget the monster made of teeth.
From the looks of the trailer, the new season seems to have raised the bar with shocking imagery. And showrunner Nick Antosca has a bit more to work with as the "No-End House" story is fleshed out much more than "Candle Cove." The second season will contain six episodes, and the show has already been renewed for a third and fourth season.
Season 2 of Channel Zero comes to Syfy on September 20.
The Evil Within 2 was one of Bethesda's big surprises at E3 2017. But despite this, the publisher has been rather tight-lipped about its next foray into survival-horror, which is already coming out on October 13. Thankfully during GamesCom and QuakeCon 2017, Bethesda gave people the chance to dive into the early chapters of the game, which looks to broaden its approach to depicting the horrifying and grotesque dream worlds conjured up and dismantled on the fly--and how it'll continue to torment its troubled main character.
Three years since the events of the first game, Sebastian Castellanos has fallen on hard times. Dismissed from the police force due to his erratic account of what occurred with Ruvik and the asylum, he relapses back into alcoholism and finds himself at rock bottom. When Kidman, one of the few survivors from first game, reaches out to him and reveals that his daughter Lily is still alive--whom Sebastian believed had died in a fire--he allows himself to reconnect to the mind-bending STEM machine to find answers. With his daughter in the custody of the ominous Mobius corporation, the creators of the mind-bending STEM machine, he enters the dreamscape known as Union to find her--but this time, there's far more at stake than his own mental well-being, and his continued presence in the real world.
The first game traversed some incredibly dark and grotesque storylines, and the sequel certainly continues that direction, while also telling a more personal story about Sebastian and his past. Though the lead is familiar with the trials and tribulations of the dreamscape, there's a strong sense of deja-vu when going through the early chapters of the game, creating a weird state of confusion. Starting off in Chapter 2, Something Not Quite Right, the former detective finds himself trapped in an abandoned building with hanging bodies from the ceiling and an old camera facing his direction. After some visual trickery with doorways and walls disappearing, he must escape from a massive buzzsaw wielding creature, all the while learning of the presence that's orchestrating the events in Union.
By and large, The Evil Within 2 is very similar to the original. Sebastian will have to manage his resources, including health items, ammo, and other crafting components, while also fighting and evading various nightmares in the dreamscape. The former detective will even have opportunities to retreat to the sanctum of his inner-mind from the first game, including the return of Nurse Tatiana and the creepy upgrade chair fueled on the green gel scooped up from dead creatures in the field. Added to this is the appearance of Sebastian's former police station, which gives him the space to review case files and photo slides that shed additional light on his past, and that of Kidman's--who is his companion via radio in the waking world.
While the original was regarded as a survival horror game, it featured many fast-paced sequences and set-piece moments that felt more in line with action games, often going away from the survival aspect of the sub-genre. In The Evil Within 2, there's more of a survival focus in the core gameplay, requiring you to be more mindful of when to open fire, and what resources you use. Along with his arsenal of weapons and supplies, the former detective can collect crafting components that allow him to create ammo from gunpowder and health syringes from herbs, and weapon parts to upgrade his firearms.
One refreshing change I felt was the initial pace Evil Within 2 goes about things, which is not quite at the breakneck speed as Sebastian's last time spent in STEM--feeling more akin to being pushed along on a carnival ride. Upon arriving in a small town conjured up by Union, he finds Mobius operatives overwhelmed by more aggressive variations of the Haunted, The Evil Within's take on the traditional zombie. Truth be told, I actually died in my first encounter with these creatures. They're far more aggressive and tough to deal with in this outing, which goes back to one of the core principles of the survival horror subgenre, where you have to learn to pick your battles.
To add to this more measured approach to traversing through the environment, Sebastian will be able to explore more open-ended areas that have optional events to uncover. Working from a central safe house, which have workbenches for more efficient upgrading and crafting--and a coffee maker that restores his health--the detective is armed with a voice communicator that can hone-in on signals emanating throughout the environment. Essentially, this allows you to pick points of interest found on the way to your main objective. While you can tune out the other signals, you'd miss out on new gear and supplies, but also some rather surprising and unnerving sequences.
On the way to Lily's location, Sebastian discovers a signal coming from one of the houses on the block, located on a fairly quaint looking area on Cedar Avenue in Union's projection of the small town. Inside, the detective finds a ladder that takes him into an underground bunker with a lone computer sitting against the wall. After examining the device, the walls of the room melt away, bringing him to a black void, and then--in an instant--to a new location in an abandoned facility, inhabited with a weeping, knife-wielding enemy that can shake off stealth strikes. Going in deeper, Sebastian finds a hidden Mobius armory yielding a new shotgun and ammunition. Given that this is a survival horror title, choosing to explore these space can be somewhat of a gamble, costing you resources or your life, but it was exciting to explore such spaces that could've been avoided entirely nonetheless.
In another nearby house, Sebastian explores several rooms and learns that something is in fact not quite right--with many of the furniture upending themselves and being tossed against the walls. Suddenly, he finds himself cornered by a wailing siren that desperately wants to get a hold of him. In order to make it out alive, you'll have to sneak past this creature and find an escape from the building, which has now shifted into a derelict office. Managing to make it out alive, and netting some valuable gear, the Siren teleports in front of Sebastian in the middle of the street. After getting a hold of him, she sucks the lifeforce out of him--and of course, the demo ends there. The siren also represents the demo's timed finish, cutting to black with a title splash and release date.
While there was a lot to admire in the first game, the sequel seems to be addressing many of the concerns with pacing and pulling back a bit more on the action-focused sequences. Though this was just opening, there was an almost oppressive feeling of familiarity with The Evil Within 2, in that some sequences and events felt too much like retreads for my liking--with Sebastian surprised by an enemy having to make an escape being a common occurrence. With that said, the expanded scope of it all feels far more in-line with an adventure game, even if there's a large risk to going off the beaten path of the dreamscape. And given how diverse many of the locations were in the original game, it'll be interesting see where you can go and how deep you'll be able to explore the new places. Which will no doubt lead to some terrifying moments.
The developer behind Crypt of the NecroDancer has just announced its next game, and it's quite a bit different than the rhythm-based dungeon crawler. Industries of Titan is a city-building simulation/strategy game, and it looks awesome.
The game tasks you with starting a metropolis on Titan, one of Saturn's moons, where you'll build a futuristic city from the resources you collect. It sounds like a cross between SimCity and a real-time strategy game, as you'll also be battling other civilizations for territory and resources.
But by far the most striking part of the game is its art style. You might have seen the beautiful, voxel-based animations and art from Twitter user Sir_carma--he's gained a following for making cityscapes like these. This year, the artist joined developer Brace Yourself Games specifically to work on Industries of Titan, and the game's art is similarly vivid and full of tiny details. You can check out some images at the bottom of this article.
If that's not enough, Danny Baranowsky--the musician behind the incredible Crypt of the Necrodancer soundtrack--is returning for Industries of Titan. A bit of his new music accompanies the game's announcement trailer.
There's no release date for the game, but you can read more about it over at its website.
While it may not technically be a brand-new system, there is a demand for the upcoming Xbox One X. According to Microsoft, it's been pre-ordered more quickly than any other console in Xbox history.
As expected, pre-orders for the Xbox One X were announced and went live this past Sunday as part of Gamescom, quickly selling out. "Within just a few days, we saw record-setting sell-out times and are currently sold out in many countries around the world," Microsoft marketing VP Mike Nichols wrote on the Xbox Wire. "You, our biggest fans, have pre-ordered more Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition consoles in the first five days than any Xbox ever."
Those on the fence about pre-ordering an Xbox One X may have been encouraged to do so by the announcement of the Scorpio Edition. This version of the console features an altered design and includes a vertical stand; more significantly, it will only be available by pre-order.
Microsoft doesn't plan to offer more Scorpio Edition consoles as a result of the demand, but pre-orders for the standard edition of the console (which carries the same $500/£449/AU $649 price) are coming. The company will share more details about that wave of pre-orders at some point in September. You can follow the latest in our Xbox One X pre-order guide; we've seen Scorpio Editions pop up in stores briefly this week after selling out, so you haven't necessarily missed your last chance to get one at retail price.
Xbox One X launches on November 7. It features a substantial increase in power and is capable of running 4K games, though you don't necessarily need a 4K display to take advantage. Not every game will leverage the additional power, but the list of Xbox One X enhanced games continues to grow and is now over 110 titles.
If you were worried that Mercy had been nerfed with today's Overwatch PTR update, fear not. While she might not be able to resurrect her entire team in one go anymore, she can do something better: Wreck the entire enemy team.
Yes, Mercy, who was a relatively harmless Support previously, can now do some serious damage. Today's patch replaced her Ultimate with Valkyrie, a new ability that buffs all of her other abilities for 20 seconds. It also provides her weapon with unlimited ammo and increases both its damage and fire for the duration. Combined with her ability to fly freely, she can be a real monster, particularly when she's under the effects of Ana's Nano Boost Ultimate. Sights like the one below (via Reddit user Blue-Cloud) are now possible.
This is not a one-off, either; you can see this Twitch clip (with some NSFW language) from Gale_Adelade that shows a similar scene. After being Nano Boosted, the super-mobile Mercy can take to the air and rip through an enemy team.
As always when major changes are made, time is needed to adjust and develop new strategies. Other times, things are simply taken too far--and Blizzard has already admitted as much.
"Her gun while using Valkyrie is a bit too strong at the moment," principal designer Geoff Goodman wrote on Blizzard's forums. "The idea is for it to have some extra juice to be able to use it in more niche situations. Right now, it is strong enough that it is feeling like the primary way to use the Ultimate, which isn't intended. There is likely to be a good amount of tuning happening throughout this PTR cycle to iron this kind of stuff out."
In other words, enjoy this while you can, Mercy mains. It isn't likely to last for long.
The Pokemon fighting game Pokken Tournament DX arrives on Switch in a little less than a month. Today, Nintendo released a new trailer for the game that gives fans an overview of all the new features and content that await in this version.
Most notably, the game includes several playable Pokemon that weren't available in the Wii U title: Darkrai, Empoleon, Scizor, Croagunk, and Decidueye. The first four Pokemon were previously only available in the arcade version of the fighting game, while Decidueye is a brand-new addition to the Switch release. The game also introduces two new support Pokemon: Popplio and Litten.
The Switch version boasts several new modes as well. In Team Battle, players choose three Pokemon to take into battle; when one is knocked out, players take control of the next one until all three of a combatant's monsters have been defeated. Also new are online group matches, which allow players to create a private lobby. Finally, the game features daily challenges; when completed, players are rewarded with skill points that strengthen their Pokemon.
Pokken Tournament DX launches on September 22. A free demo is available to download right now from the Nintendo Switch Eshop; it features three playable Pokemon and lets players try up to 15 battles against a CPU or a local opponent. The same day Pokken Tournament releases, the classic second-generation Pokemon games, Gold and Silver, arrive in the 3DS Eshop. Players can transfer any Pokemon they catch in the classic games to Sun/Moon or the upcoming Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon using Pokemon Bank.
Nintendo has shared the full list of games and activities it has lined up for this year's PAX West, which kicks off next week, on September 1. In addition to demos of some of the company's biggest upcoming releases, Nintendo has a number of fan events planned throughout the expo.
Even before PAX officially begins, Nintendo will be giving fans a chance to go hands-on with some upcoming Switch games. On August 31, the company will host a "Nindies@Night" event at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. The event begins at 8:30 PM PT and lets attendees meet independent developers and try out some of the indie games coming to Switch. Nintendo will also feature a Nindie arcade at the convention center.
At the event proper, fans will be able to try demos of some of several Switch and 3DS games. Most notably, showgoers can go hands-on with the company's biggest release this fall, Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo will also hold a Super Mario Odyssey Fan Challenge every day of the expo. Fans will get passport stamps for completing certain activities, and those who complete their passport will receive Mario Odyssey-themed gifts.
In addition to the anticipated platformer, showgoers can try out the Switch versions of Rocket League, NBA 2K18, FIFA 18, and Pokken Tournament DX. Nintendo will also hold a "virtual academy" event for the latter on September 1 in the Willow ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel. This event will include a tournament and exhibition matches featuring pro Pokken Tournament players and members of the Nintendo Treehouse.
Players will also be able to try out demos for the 3DS remake of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Metroid: Samus Returns. Showgoers can also attend a live Nintendo Minute taping focused on the latter game on September 2 at the Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel's Hydra Theatre. You can see the full list of games below:
The next free DLC weapon for Splatoon 2 is coming soon. This week, players can clean up on the battlefield with the Sloshing Machine, another returning weapon from the first Splatoon.
The Sloshing Machine will be available in the game's weapon shop, Ammo Knights, tonight at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET. This washing machine-shaped weapon has a slower attack rate than other Sloshers but compensates with its power.
The Sloshing Machine is complemented with the Autobomb sub-weapon, which seeks out and explodes around nearby opponents. Its special in Splatoon 2 is the Sting Ray, a powerful laser-like attack that can pass through walls.
In addition to the Sloshing Machine, Nintendo is releasing Splatoon 2's first free DLC map tonight. At 7 PM PT/10 PM ET, Manta Maria will be added to the game's stage rotation. This map is a large sailboat moored at a harbor. The focal point of the stage is its three masts and their surrounding netting.
Nintendo released another free piece of downloadable content for the game earlier this week. On Tuesday, a new stage called Lost Outpost was added to Salmon Run mode. This map was once a coastal settlement but has been abandoned due to rising sea levels. It features many walls that players can use to hide from enemy Salmonids, though the walls can also obstruct your line of sight.
Splatoon 2's next Splatfest event takes place next weekend, from September 1-2. This time, players are asked to choose which superpower they would rather have: flight or invisibility. Debuting alongside the Splatfest is a brand-new special attack, the Bubble Blower. It allows players to create up to three large bubbles that will explode when shot with your team's ink. It will be coupled with next week's free DLC weapon, the Forge Splattershot Pro.
Switch owners who have yet to pick up Nintendo's unusual fighting game, Arms, now have another chance to try it out for free. The Arms Global Testpunch demo has returned for another weekend.
Unlike the previous Testpunch event, which was only available during specific blocks of time, this weekend's demo runs continuously until Sunday afternoon. The Testpunch begins at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM BST today, August 25, and ends at 1 PM PT / 4 PM PT / 9 PM BST on August 27. Players can try out select Arms characters, including Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, and Twintelle, and face off against others online in regular, Hoops, and Skillshot matches.
In related news, Nintendo recently unveiled Arms' second free DLC character, the street-performing clown, Lola Pop. Lola's hair and arms resemble candy, and she can inflate her body to increase her defense. She also comes with three brand new sets of Arms; one is a shield that is able to reflect opponents' attacks back at them, while another fires a trio of stamps that obstruct your opponent's vision.
Nintendo hasn't announced when Lola will be available, but she'll be rolling out to all Arms players in a "future update." In addition to her, the update will add another free stage to the game, which is likewise candy-themed. You can see screenshots of the colorful fighter above.
Ever since the massive, free Atlas Rises update went live in No Man's Sky, developer Hello Games seems to be treating the game like it's brand new. It's released updates at a very high frequency over the past couple of weeks, and the latest patch is out now.
Update 1.34 is meant to eliminate a bunch of bugs and issues introduced with Atlas Rises; it's the third such patch released in the last eight days. 1.34 includes fixes such as preventing save files from inflating too much in size; increasing the maximum number of paths that can be displayed on the galactic map; and correcting animations for NPC interactions.
The patch also allows for players to teleport between stations as well as to their base, while also improving the list of systems that you have recently teleported from. You can see the full patch notes below.
Fixed an issue where large numbers of portal visits would be added to save files, greatly increasing the save size and impeding the ability to save the game.
Prevented the terrain editor draining in charge when editing empty voxels
Prevented players being able to edit terrain outside their base radius for free while standing inside their base
Fixed responses made to Artemis and Apollo at times being incorrectly tracked
Prevented players being blocked from progressing if they decline to enter glyphs into a particular story portal
Fixed instances where Atlas text was appearing as though it came from an NPC
Fixed FoV in photo mode showing degrees as a temperature
The discovery screen will now show images from a larger number of visited waypoints
Added a placeholder image in cases where a waypoint image is not available
Allowed scrolling of names on the discovery page which are too long to be displayed
Fixed a graphical issue where a blur effect would be applied while teleporting
Improved prioritization of systems you have teleported from when listing your most recent teleport locations
Altered teleporters in space stations to allow players to teleport directly to other stations as well as to their base
Improved ordering of icons on the galactic map to more accurately indicate missions and system information
Increased maximum number of paths which can be rendered in the galactic map
Improved appearance of the message displayed when your starship is out of range
Fixed warning symbol on broken tech appearing too small
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused glyphs not to be awarded correctly
Fixed an issue in tutorial messaging when you repair your pulse drive but nothing else before entering your ship
Added the amount of units you will earn for a discovery to the Analysis Visor interface
Added correct emotion animations for various interactions with NPCs
Fixed an issue when claiming a new base location (which caused base NPCs to stop responding)
You might associate swiping right and left most closely with Tinder, but developer Nerial figured out a way to make a great adventure game based on the same actions with Reigns. Today, the studio announced that a sequel is in the works.
Reigns: Her Majesty is the follow-up to Reigns, and as the name suggests, it tasks you with rising the ranks and completing quests as a queen. There'll be a new array of characters to entice you, support you, or lead you astray, including a chamberlain, a witch, a handmaid, and a fox. Check out the announcement trailer below.
From the video, Reigns: Her Majesty's core mechanics look pretty much identical to the original Reigns. But the story looks quite different, and undoubtedly there'll be many more challenges and puzzles to overcome. It's still to be seen, however, if Reigns: Her Majesty will feature a romance simulator structured like Tinder, as the first game did.
Reigns: Her Majesty will launch later this year on PC, iOS, and Android. If you haven't checked it out yet, you can grab the first game for $3 on Steam, the Apple App Store, and the Google Play store.
Bandai Namco shared another new trailer for Dragon Ball FighterZ at Gamescom today. This video provides fans with their first look at two of the game's most powerful fighters, Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta.
The two Saiyans are shown off fighting some of the game's other recently revealed characters like Krillin and Android 18. Based on the footage, it appears they boast some new combos on top of superpowered versions of moves used by their base forms. You can see the two characters in action at the top of this story.
Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta were revealed earlier this month in an issue of Jump magazine, but it wasn't clear if they would be separate fighters or simply transformations for the existing characters. Bandai Namco confirmed this week that the two will be unlockable in the game, but fans who pre-order the physical version will have access to them right from the outset.
Dragon Ball FighterZ releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in Europe in February 2018. Bandai Namco hasn't confirmed a release window for the US; the game is still listed for "early 2018," but it presumably won't be far off from its European release. The game will be available in a $140 Collector's Edition that includes art boards, a Goku statue, and other collectibles. PS4 and Xbox One players can still register for the game's closed beta, which begins September 16.
If you were fortunate enough to snag a SNES Classic Edition pre-order from Amazon, you may want want to check your email. It appears that the retailer won't be able to deliver all of its orders on time.
A number of customers--including some of us at GameSpot--received an email today from Amazon announcing the mix-up. "We recently learned that we may miss your delivery promise and apologize for the inconvenience," the message reads. "You will still receive your order of Super NES Classic. We are working hard to ensure you get this item as soon as it is in stock. You can track the status of, or make any changes to, your order under Your Orders on Amazon.com."
While it's good news that everyone will still eventually get their system--especially in light of how in-demand it is--it will surely be frustrating for those who were expecting to get it right at launch on September 29. Whether it's the store, Nintendo, or someone else to blame, this doesn't make Amazon look great, and the retailer was already criticized for bringing its pre-orders online in the middle of the night in the US.
This isn't the first mistake involving SNES Classic pre-orders. Walmart briefly brought its pre-orders online in July, well in advance of any other US retailer. It ultimately canceled all of those orders, explaining that the listing had gone up in error.
The next season of Black Mirror is almost here, and today, Netflix released a teaser for the upcoming season, which revealed the titles for all of the six episodes in the fourth season.
The teaser, which you can see above, gives snippets of what's to come for Season 4. Black Mirror is essentially Twilight Zone for the 21st century, with each standalone episode dealing with how the future of technology can quickly turn terrifying. The vast majority of the episodes end on a sour, depressing note, but it is one of the best produced shows currently on television. It just happens to have the potential to turn its audience into technophobes.
In a press release, Netflix revealed the episode titles, along with cast, directors, and writers for each episode:
"Arkangel"
Cast: Rosemarie Dewitt (La La Land, Mad Men), Brenna Harding (A Place to Call Home), Owen Teague (Bloodline)
Director: Jodie Foster
Written by: Charlie Brooker
"USS Callister"
Cast: Jesse Plemons (Black Mass, Fargo), Cristin Milioti (The Wolf of Wall Street, Fargo), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, House of Cards), Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum, Monsters: Dark Continent)
Director: Toby Haynes (Dr Who, Sherlock)
Written By: Charlie Brooker & William Bridges
"Crocodile"
Cast: Andrea Riseborough (Birdman, Bloodline), Andrew Gower (Outlander), Kiran Sonia Sawar (Murdered By My Father)
Director: John Hillcoat (Triple Nine, Lawless)
Written By: Charlie Brooker
"Hang the DJ"
Cast: Georgina Campbell (Flowers, Broadchurch), Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders, Green Room), George Blagden (Versailles, Vikings)
Director: Tim Van Patten (The Sopranos, Game of Thrones)
Written By: Charlie Brooker
"Metalhead"
Cast: Maxine Peake (The Theory Of Everything, The Village), Jake Davies (The Missing, A Brilliant Young Mind), Clint Dyer (Hope Springs)
Director: David Slade (Hannibal, American Gods)
Written By: Charlie Brooker
"Black Museum"
Cast: Douglas Hodge (The Night Manager, Catastrophe), Letitia Wright (Humans, Ready Player One), Babs Olusanmokun (Roots, The Defenders)
Director: Colm McCarthy
Written By: Charlie Brooker
Originally a Channel 4 series from the UK, Netflix ordered 12 episodes in 2015, which was later divided between two seasons. The third season, which came to Netflix in 2016, featured arguably one of the series' best episodes, "San Junipero"--at this point, the only episode that ends on a high note.
Netflix has stated nothing more than the fourth season of Black Mirror is "coming soon." Season 3 originally aired in late October, so we may get the next season a couple months from now.
Of all the iconic scenes in the seminal 1991 action movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, one in particular stands out in many fans' minds: The death of Miles Dyson, accidental creator of the doomsday AI Skynet.
After a violent meeting with Sarah Connor, her son John, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator, Dyson accompanies the crew to his lab, where they've determined they need to destroy his research to prevent the machine apocalypse. Dyson is shot in the ensuing fight, but not before arming a network of explosives that will go off when he relaxes his grip on a trigger mechanism. Bleeding out, propped against a wall, camera tight on his sweat-drenched face, Dyson gasps his final haunting, furtive breaths in a prolonged pocket of otherworldly silence. Then, kaboom.
Joe Morton, the actor behind the character, shared the story behind that memorable moment while chatting with GameSpot about Terminator 2 3D, released in theaters today.
"The reason that moment happened is, he got shot, and at first [James Cameron and I] couldn't find any real way to bring importance to his death," Morton said. "I told James I had been in a [car] accident a few years before where my lung collapsed, and showed him what the result of that was, and once I showed him that, that's what he decided to put in the movie, and it really did work. It was pretty special."
Even then, he couldn't have possibly realized how recognizable Miles' death scene would become. For example, this YouTube video of those last gasps expertly looped for 15 minutes is in the top results when you search the character's name:
Did he think then that a close-up on his face as he died would be one of Terminator 2's most iconic scenes?
"Not at all! Not at all," Morton said. "I mean, you just go in and you do your work, and then the film is over and everybody goes home. So no, there was no sort of expectation that people would think what a great moment that was. And I didn't realize to what extent people did think that until shortly after the movie opened. I think I was at the 3rd Street Promenade here in LA, and a bunch of guys came out of one of the restaurants and ran up to me, talking about how much they loved that death scene.
"In one sense, it kind of made me chuckle, because I felt like I was in a movie inside a movie," he continued. "Where a fan will say to a famous actor in the movie 'Oh, I love the way you died in such and such a film,' that when people said that to me, that's kind of how I received it. It was very strange, very surprising, and at the same time, very rewarding."
He also shared the story of how he got the role, which he considers fairly progressive for the time.
"I think it's something that James did deliberately. I think he specifically wanted that character to be black. When I interviewed for that part, at one point James asked me why it was so important to me, this character, and I said it was because of a joke that Richard Pryor had told," Morton said. "Richard Pryor said that the reason black characters in science fiction films either don't get cast at all, or they die early on in the film, is because Hollywood doesn't think we're going to be around in the future. And I think James's whole thing was he wanted a black or minority character to be sort of central to changing the world."
Luckily, that's changed significantly in the two and a half decades since Terminator 2's original 1991 release, Morton said.
"I think things have changed tremendously over the years, in terms of casting and in terms of how individuals or certain groups of individuals are looked upon, and I think probably in some way Terminator 2 helped create that change," he said.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D arrives in theaters today, Aug. 25.
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