Although Suicide Squad wasn't exactly a hit with critics, it was a box office success, and most fans agree that Margot Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn was one of its highlights. Robbie is expected to reprise the role, but it remains unclear in what project. To date there have been rumors of a Joker and Harley movie, a female supervillain team-up, and Suicide Squad 2.
Robbie has spoken about playing the role again, and in an interview with MTV, she revealed that she is also working on a "separate" Harley movie, unconnected to those other projects. "Yeah, I've been working on it for two years now," she said. "It's hard to kind of talk about it, because all the stuff is kind of under lock and key. But I've been working on a separate spinoff Harley thing for a while now."
In related news, Warner is making a Harley Quinn animated series geared toward adult audiences. The studio has ordered a 26-episode first season, which will join the already-announced revival of the animated series Young Justice and a live-action Titans show. Harley Quinn, which is the tentative title of the series, will follow the one-time girlfriend of The Joker as she attempts to establish herself as Gotham City's criminal queenpin.
If you missed out on all the Black Friday deals for Call of Duty: WWII but are still interested in picking up Activision's new shooter, you have another chance to snag it at a discount. Amazon has the game on sale for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One right now for a very limited time.
The online retailer's deal of the day sees the standard edition of Call of Duty: WWII drop down to $38 for both consoles. That's even cheaper than the best deal that was available on Black Friday, when Best Buy had the WWII shooter for $40. You can pick it up for PS4 here or for Xbox One here.
As this is one of Amazon's deals of the day, it won't be around for very long. The sale price will only be available until 12 AM PT, giving you only a few hours to take advantage of this discount. If you're still unsure if Call of Duty: WWII is worth picking up, you can read more about the game in our Call of Duty: WWII review.
Black Friday featured some nice discounts on Destiny 2, and those have continued this week. Following a sale earlier this week that beat anything we saw on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, Bungie's shooter has seen its price drop again, and you might be able to get it for its best price yet.
For the first day of its "20 Days of Doorbusters" promotion, Best Buy has dropped the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Destiny 2 to $30 for today, December 1, only. Amazon has likewise matched this price, dropping both console versions to $30 (though we're not sure for how long). Unfortunately, the PC version isn't included, as it was in the Amazon sale earlier this week.
Best Buy also sold Destiny 2 for $30 on Black Friday, but there's an important distinction with today's sale. Gamers Club Unlocked members normally receive 20% off new games, but the discount couldn't be combined with Black Friday prices. That isn't the case today, meaning GCU members can pick up the game for $24, which is the cheapest it's been to date.
Destiny 2 is set to expand dramatically this month through both the upcoming Curse of Osiris DLC and a pair of free updates. The latter will introduce a new class of weapon and a variety of changes to existing systems to make the game more rewarding, particularly for hardcore players. The game has been embroiled in some controversy recently involving an undisclosed system that limited XP earned in certain activities. That has since been disabled, and developer Bungie has addressed both those complaints and others about its communications and the lack of a proper end-game. Changes will begin to be made with a Destiny 2 update releasing on December 5, alongside Curse of Osiris.
For more, you can check out our Destiny 2 review. You can grab the game through the links below.
Like previous character trailers, the new video is very brief, but it provides a closer look at Kid Buu's unique offense. He has been described as one of the most wild and unpredictable characters on the Dragon Ball FighterZ roster thanks to his tricky moveset. Along with being able to stretch his limbs to attack opponents from afar, Kid Buu can also turn other fighters into candy or curl up into a ball and hurl himself at them. You can see him in action above.
Following a delay, Destiny 2's scheduled maintenance period is officially underway. The process is expected to last for approximately six hours, and for most of that time, the game will be rendered unplayable as Bungie performs server maintenance ahead of Curse of Osiris's release next week.
Maintenance officially began at 8 AM PT. As of this writing, no one can log in until maintenance is complete, although those who were online when the process began will be able to continue playing for an hour. At 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM GMT (4 AM AET on Saturday), everyone will be booted offline. Bungie expects maintenance to conclude five hours after that, although we've seen previous estimates prove to be wrong, for better and worse.
Bungie has not shared the specific purpose of the maintenance; these periods are sometimes followed by the release of a new patch, but there's been no indication of that happening today. We do know that a major Destiny 2 update is scheduled for release on December 5, alongside Curse of Osiris. The update will make numerous changes to the game, changing existing systems and introducing some new ones. It will be followed a week later, on December 12, with even more changes, including the addition of a new class of weapons, called Masterworks.
These details were shared in an extensive blog post earlier this week, in lieu of a planned livestream dedicated to Curse of Osiris. The post was intended to address mounting complaints from hardcore players, particularly in light of a recent controversy when it was discovered Destiny 2 throttles XP earned from certain activities. That system has been disabled, and further changes are planned. Bungie continues to face pressure regarding certain design choices and the studio's admitted communication problems, though it says it will attempt to be more open with fans.
We're finally at the end of 2017, but we've still got a couple big games left to round out the year. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Destiny 2 expansion Curse of Osiris make up the bulk of the month's major releases. A wealth of DLC is on the way, like the second and final DLC pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the last two story DLC packs for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Aside from the bigger games and DLC, there's also a number of VR ports and re-releases of games coming to new platforms and hardware, such as Doom VFR, Fallout 4 VR, Dead Rising 4, and Okami HD.
Here's a quick run-through of what you can expect in the month of December, along with its most notable releases. For a full list of all the big games coming out during the rest of this year, check out our comprehensive 2017 game release date list.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) -- December 1
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Wii-exclusive open-world-RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles. You play as protagonist Rex who alongside his friend, Pyra, are searching the world for Elysium, the ultimate paradise for humanity. Like the first game, it's set in a world where the last remnants of civilization live on the backs of colossal beasts known as the Titans.
Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- December 5
Curse of Osiris is the first expansion for Destiny 2. It introduces new areas to explore, Strikes, missions, a new social space called the Lighthouse, Raid Lairs, free roam activities, a world quest, and more.
An unexpected re-release this month is the HD remaster of Capcom's PS2 classic Okami. Originally remastered in 2012, the latest release supports 4K resolutions and includes an optional widescreen presentation alongside the 4:3 aspect ratio of the original.
The Xbox One port of the incredibly popular PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds arrives this month via Microsoft's Game Preview program. While no major changes have been made to the battle royale shooter, developer Bluehole has noted that the Xbox One version will slightly differ from the PC version over time. Xbox One players will also be able to purchase some exclusive content in the form of special cosmetic packs.
Microsoft has added a couple more games to Xbox One's backwards compatibility library. Two more Xbox 360 titles are now playable on the current-generation console. Microsoft's Major Nelson revealed the new additions via Twitter.
The two new backwards compatibility games are Earth Defense Force 2017 and the Dreamcast classic Sonic Adventure 2. The former title was a physical release, while the latter was only available on Xbox 360 digitally as an Xbox Live Arcade title.
If you already own the disc for Earth Defense Force 2017, you can simply pop it into your Xbox One disc tray and begin playing, while Sonic Adventure 2 will be waiting in the Ready to Download section of My Games and Apps if you already own that game digitally. You can also purchase both titles now from the Xbox Store.
Another batch of titles have been added to the Nintendo Switch Eshop. The bulk of this week's releases launched on Thursday, November 30, but the biggest game of the week--both literally and figuratively--arrives today.
Headlining this week's Switch releases is Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the last major first-party game for the console in 2017. The open-world JRPG puts players in the role of Rex, a Driver who is able to summon and fight alongside living weapons called Blades. Alongside the game, Switch owners will be able to purchase the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 season pass, which costs $30 and adds new quests, rare Blades, story content, and more throughout 2018. You can read more about the game in our Xenoblade Chronicles 2 review and review roundup.
Thursday's batch of releases consists of seven titles, including two arcade titles: the latest ACA Neo Geo classic, World Heroes, and Traverse USA. Also available is Serial Cleaner, a game about cleaning up bloody murder scenes, as well as the classic adventure game Syberia 2.
Rounding out Thursday's releases is the shoot-'em-up Star Ghost; the space-searching adventure game Opus: The Day We Found Earth; and the mythological puzzle game Mujo. Also out for Switch this week are Resident Evil: Revelations and its sequel. The two games are available to purchase individually from the Eshop or bundled together in the Revelations Collection physical package. You can find the full list of this week's Switch releases below.
The Nintendo Switch may have launched less than a year ago, but the hybrid console has already become home to some of Nintendo's most ambitious and acclaimed titles. The company's last major release for the system this year, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, launches on December 1, and like Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, it's a massive and lengthy adventure.
Despite the number in its title, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 isn't a direct follow-up to the original Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii, but it shares many similarities with the previous two Xenoblade titles. The game is set in Alrest, a swirling sea of clouds where all life forms live atop the backs of colossal beings known as Titans. The game follows the story of Rex, a Driver who is capable of summoning living weapons called Blades. Together with a Blade named Pyra, he journeys across Alrest in search of the World Tree, where the fabled paradise Elysium is said to rest.
Ahead of the game's release, reviews for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 have begun appearing online. As usual, we've rounded up a sample of them below to give you an idea of what critics are saying about Switch's next big release. For a wider look at what critics think of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, be sure to check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Developer: Monolith Soft
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release date: December 1
Price: $60 / £50
GameSpot -- 7/10
"Xenoblade 2 exhibits admirable depth. Adventurous types that enjoy complex combat systems can easily spend more than 100 hours uncovering Alrest's secrets and developing their team of Blades, provided they can come to terms with a handful of unavoidable shortcomings. It's equal parts pleasing and frustrating, but the struggle to keep up with everything thrown your way is more of a hurdle than a roadblock. It will be a tough pill to swallow for people who aren't accustomed to the typical cliches found in many Japanese RPGs, and its often clumsy nature keeps it from being the next groundbreaking Switch game, but Xenoblade 2 is worth pursuing if you've got enough patience to let it blossom." -- Peter Brown [Full review]
Eurogamer -- Recommended
"Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a crunchier, more chaotic proposition than the rest of Nintendo's recent output, then. Monolith Soft either doesn't have the resources or the relentless tenacity to explore every one of its game mechanics with the rigour and finality of Nintendo EAD. But while the game's individual components are far from pristine, in combination they prove irresistible. And as with Rex, it is to the wrinkles and idiosyncrasies that we are ultimately drawn, and ultimately convinced." -- Simon Parkin [Full review]
IGN -- 8.5/10
"Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a standout RPG that manages to keep its story, combat, and exploration interesting over the course of at least 70 hours of adventure through an impressively varied and rich world. Getting from place to place can be confusing, but outside of that and a multi-hour progression roadblock near the end this is an excellent game full of tough, memorable battles and a positive message." -- Leif Johnson [Full review]
US Gamer -- 4.5/5
"Xenoblade Chronicles 2 applies an energetic signature and wax seal to a wonderful year for the Nintendo Switch, and for JRPGs in general. Between the amount of time it takes to get used to the game and getting through everything it has to offer, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a worthy investment for series fans and newcomers." -- Nadia Oxford [Full review]
Destructoid -- 8/10
"To the delight of many, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is less X and more traditional Xenoblade. Although they all have a special place in my library, I appreciate the return to what brought Monolith Soft back into the public eye after a series of portable games." -- Chris Carter [Full review]
Trusted Reviews -- 4.5/5
"Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an excellent JRPG with a truly extravagant open world begging to be explored. Its in-depth battle system and impressively paced narrative help to deliver a smooth experience, despite its massive run-time. The Nintendo Switch has yet another jewel in its exclusive library, cementing itself as a system never to be underestimated. Now, if you'll excuse me, Alrest is calling." -- Jordan King [Full review]
Polygon -- Review-in-Progress
"It feels like both a relic out of time and a welcome glimpse of handheld gaming's future. For all its sloppiness, Xenoblade 2's combination of classic RPG concepts and flexible on-the-go play make for one of the most engrossing takes on the genre I've encountered since Dragon Quest 9, which possessed a similar appeal. While I still have quite a bit more of the game to battle through before I can definitively say whether it manages to hold my interest through the final chapter, the first half has at least been a success." -- Jeremy Parish [Full review]
Game Informer -- 7.5/10
"Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a sprawling RPG with numerous interconnected pieces, so no part of the experience is isolated. It takes about 100 hours to finish, and not all of that time feels well spent, with bloated quests and repetitive combat. On the other hand, the vast world and intricate upgrades are a joy to dive into. Everything evens out in the end, but the wild swings between its highs and lows make it impossible for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to maintain altitude above its peers." -- Joe Juba [Full review]
EGM -- 7/10
"It has its upsides: the worldbuilding is intriguing; the continent-sized Titans make for interesting maps to explore; the music is downright gorgeous. Even the combat system itself, barring the length, has a solid core and a lot of potential for depth. It also has a few downsides: map markers can occasionally be confusing; characters shout over one another non-stop during the combat cacophony; most of the character designs are straight out of an over-the-top anime (cat girls, giant robot mecha maids, it has it all)." -- Emma Schaefer [Full review]
Dual Shockers -- 9.5/10
"Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of those RPGs that I didn't want to end. Luckily, there is enough post-game content to satisfy players looking to sink hundreds of hours into more adventures with Rex and the party. However, I can't seem to shake the feeling that I was left with as the end credits rolled. I feel like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 showed me what it's like to go on a real adventure and it happens to be one that I don't think I will ever forget." -- Azario Lopez [Full review]
With the arrival of the holidays comes a slew of new shows and movies on Netflix. It's a particularly busy month for the streamer, with many holiday specials joining the service, alongside several Netflix originals and a number of new library titles. With popular titles like V for Vendetta, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Disney's The Santa Clause trilogy arriving, December is going to be a busy month for streaming.
However, it's a Netflix original movie that you should be paying closest attention to. December 22 will see the premiere of Bright, starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton. The fantasy crime movie is directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad) with a script by Max Landis (American Ultra). The film marks Smith's first time starring in a Netflix project and he's certainly picked an interesting one.
Bright is set in a world where humans and fantasy creatures coexist. Smith plays an LAPD officer who is partnered with an Orc (Edgerton) when they find a very powerful magic wand that has the potential to change the world. Other new entries include Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, a new season of The Ranch, and Dave Chappelle's latest stand-up comedy special. It's not all good news, though.
There are also many titles departing the service in December. Black Snake Moan, Practical Magic, and 11 seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are just a few of the movies and shows that will no longer be available after the end of 2017. So make sure you watch them while you still can.
You can take a look at the full list of what's coming and going on Netflix throughout December below. You can also see everything that's arrived in November.
Arriving on Netflix, December 2017
December 1
8 Mile
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
All Hail King Julien: Season 5 (Netflix Original)
A StoryBots Christmas (Netflix Original)
August Rush
Chef & My Fridge: 2017
Dark: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Diana: In Her Own Words
Dreamcatcher
DreamWorks Home: For the Holidays (Netflix Original)
Easy: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Exporting Raymond
Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story
Full Metal Jacket
Hitch
My Happy Family (Netflix Original)
Nacho Libre
Sahara
The Farthest - Voyager in Space
The Little Rascals
The Wackness
The Young Victoria
Tyson
V for Vendetta
TURN: Washington's Spies: Season 4
Voyeur (Netflix Original)
While You Were Sleeping
December 4
When Calls the Heart: Season 4
December 5
Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight (Netflix Original)
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
December 6
Trolls Holiday Special
December 8
El Camino Christmas (Netflix Original)
The Crown: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
December 11
Catwoman
The Magicians: Season 2
December 12
Disney's The Santa Clause
Disney's The Santa Clause 2
Disney's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Judd Apatow: The Return (Netflix Original)
December 14
41 Dogs in My Home
A&E: When Patients Attack
Ainsley Eats the Streets: Season 1
Halt and Catch Fire: Season 4
December 15
A Five Star Life
Christmas Inheritance (Netflix Original)
Discovering Bigfoot
El Señor de los Cielos: Season 5
Erased: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Freeway: Crack In The System
Neverlake
Pottersville
Reggie Yates Outside Man: Volume 2
The Haunting of Helena
The Mafia Kills Only in Summer
The Ranch: Part 4 (Netflix Original)
Trollhunters: Part 2 (Netflix Original)
Ultimate Beastmaster (Netflix Original)
Wormwood (Netflix Original)
December 18
Hello, My Twenties!: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
December 19
Miss Me This Christmas
Russell Howard: Recalibrate (Netflix Original)
The Indian Detective: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
You Can't Fight Christmas
December 20
La Casa de Papel: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
December 21
Peaky Blinders: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
December 22
72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Bright (Netflix Original)
Dope: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Fuller House: Season 3, New Episodes (Netflix Original)
Rosario Tijeras: Season 1
The Toys That Made Us: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
December 23
Creep 2
Myths & Monsters: Season 1
December 25
Cable Girls: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Planet Earth II
December 26
Todd Barry: Spicy Honey (Netflix Original)
Travelers: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
All Hail King Julien: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Beat Bugs: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Larva: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Pororo: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Puffin Rock: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Skylanders Academy: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Trollhunters: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
True and The Rainbow Kingdom: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Word Party: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
December 27
Pusher
December 29
Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 2: Part 1 (Netflix Original)
Killer Legends
La Mante: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Shelter
The Climb (Netflix Original)
December 31
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (Netflix Original)
Fun Mom Dinner
Leaving Netflix, December 2017
December 1
All I Want for Christmas
Bedazzled
Black Snake Moan
Compulsion
Cousin Bette
Hoffa
La Viuda Negra: Season 1
Picture Perfect
Practical Magic
Rebelde
Scary Movie 2
Scary Movie 3
Super Size Me
Terriers: Season 1
The Crucible
The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus
The Man from Snowy River
Touch: Season 2
Toys
Two Girls and a Guy
Waking Life
Young Frankenstein
Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Seasons 1-2
December 5
Holes
December 9
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Seasons 1-11
December 10
Lucky Number Slevin
Nightcrawler
The Rite
December 11
Dollhouse: Season 2
December 13
The Queen of Versailles
December 15
America's Funniest Home Video Kids: Holidazed
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Animals with Attitude: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: It's Tough Being a Kid: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Playtime Ain't for Wimps: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos: New Collection D: Nincompoop Nation
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself
December 19
Dance Academy: Series 1-3
December 20
Che: Parts 1 & 2
December 24
Amores Perros
December 25
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Destiny 2's first expansion, Curse of Osiris, is just a week away from launch. GameSpot recently got a chance to check out the expansion at Bungie's headquarters. We've looked at the first campaign mission and exploration on Mercury in previous weeks; in the video above, you can now get a look at the new Crucible maps we were shown, Wormhaven and Pacifica.
Pacifica is a largely interior two-story map with lots of vertical angles to watch out for. Wormhaven is also interior but with large, round rooms, longer sightlines, and windows that let you see the enemy team right before gunfights break out.
As far as new weapons go, our favorite was the Metronome-52, an automatic scout rifle you can see in the video. However, armor and weapon details weren't final in the build we saw, so it remains to be seen how the new Curse of Osiris gear will change up PvP.
The big screen reboot of the classic cartoon and toy line Masters of the Universe has been in development for many years, but it now seems to be closer to actually happening. Following the announcement of a release date earlier this year, it has been reported that a director may have been found.
According to The Wrap, David S. Goyer is in talks to helm the movie. Goyer is mostly known as a writer, having worked on the scripts for a variety of films for DC, including Man of Steel, The Dark Knight, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As a director, he previously helmed Blade: Trinity and the horror movie The Unborn.
Goyer was already involved with writing the Masters of the Universe reboot, so it is not surprising that he might also take on directing duties. The last director to be associated with the movie was Terminator: Salvation director McG, but he has since left the project. In August 2015, it was reported that Thor writer Christopher Yost was working on the script, but it is unknown what stage this reached. The film is currently scheduled for a 2019 release.
Mattel launched the Masters of the Universe toy line in 1982, creating a mythology about the conflict between good and evil on the planet of Eternia. A cartoon based on the property, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ran for two years, in addition to a comic book series, a spinoff animation called She-Ra: Princess of Power, and a number of video games.
In 1987, Cannon Films produced a live-action movie version, starring Dolph Lundgren as muscle-bound hero He-Man. By that point, however, the popularity of Masters of the Universe was in decline, and the toys were discontinued the following year. Subsequent attempts to revive the franchise included a new toy line and a short-lived second animated series in the early 2000s.
Destiny 2 will be unplayable for a few hours this week as developer Bungie performs server maintenance. The company is taking the game offline for around six hours to perform the maintenance, which applies to PS4, Xbox One, and PC. [Update: Destiny 2 servers are now down as maintenance is underway.]
Players will no longer be able to log in from 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM GMT on Friday, December (that's 2 AM AEST on December 2 in Australia). An hour later, anyone still playing the game will be booted to the title screen. Bungie says the maintenance will end five hours after that--at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 10 PM GMT (8 AM in Australia).
Bungie has provided no clues as to what--if anything--is changing; it only says that "no gameplay content or updates will be introduced with this maintenance period." It could be related to an upcoming blog post, which will detail some key changes coming to Destiny 2.
It's possible that post--which replaces the now-canceled Curse of Osiris stream--will address the game's recent XP controversy. Fans discovered that Destiny 2 was limiting the amount of XP you earned when taking part in certain activities, such as Public Events. Bungie acknowledged this hidden system was in place and disabled it, stating, "We are not happy with the results." However, this seemingly welcome change coincided with another adjustment, this one doubling the amount of XP needed to rank up at the level cap. Bungie did not acknowledge this change at first, only later confirming it to be the case and informing players it is working on an update to the in-game UI to make this change clear.
Far Cry 5's American setting and religious cult themes have been heavily publicized since its reveal in May. Set in a fictional part of Montana, USA called Hope County, the open-world game will explore how problematic groups and charismatic leaders can make people believe whatever they want. Below, you can read more about those subjects, as well as how director Dan Hay feels about where Far Cry is heading as a series, and more.
GameSpot: The Far Cry series has been to a number of different locales now, and gone to far-flung places in the world, so why bring it back to a much more familiar setting in America?
Dan Hay: I joined the company and my first game for the company was Far Cry 3. And at the time, we were steeped in this idea of building a character that maybe people out there didn't have the ability to take a year off college or that gap year between high and school and university and go out and just explore. We kind of built a game with a character that was sort of doing that with their friends and it spoke to people. I think it was a cool idea, it worked. And then the next one we talked about somebody who was, not obligated, but had an opportunity to go over and discover a place that they were from and that was interesting as well. And then with Primal we did something completely different.
I think that the idea in the back of our heads, all the way back to as far back as Far Cry 3, was to explore the idea that you don't have to go far to see something strange. You don't have to go far and yet people tend to overlook the things that are in their own backyard. I think that idea had resonated with us as far back as when we shipped Far Cry 3; we just didn't know what to do with it. And then about three years ago-ish, the idea came back and it felt right, so we just sort of started to explore that the things, sort of in real life and in your backyard, can be as wondrous and strange and sometimes scary as all the stuff that you could do if you go out and visit an exotic locale.
Sure. And it's not just a walk around the park in America; at least from the look of the trailers so far and the gameplay that I've seen, it's very much focused on this idea of the cult, the Project at Eden's Gate. What made you want to tackle that kind of issue and those themes?
There were kind of two ways that we built the cult. One is that we know that we build these unique and interesting annex and that a lot of the times we build characters that you're going to have a face-off with, that are magnetic and that are interesting, unique characters. And in this case, what we really wanted to do was build somebody who stood for something and that wasn't just there ... You know you build a character that's a bad guy and you can ask yourself, "Why are they bad?" And the reasoning doesn't satiate anything. It's just, well they're bad because they're supposed to play a role. And the point is, is that what makes this character tick, what do they believe in, why are they doing this? Maybe they don't believe they're the bad guy. That was sort of element number one: how do we build that and how do we grow on the things that we did with Vaas and Pagan Min and how do we take it to the next level?
Well, the next thing was, as you do that, it has to be believable in the space, and that's a challenge. You know, going to the States, putting it at the Frontier, putting it out in the West, and so, we kind of were kicking around different ideas and one of the things that really resonated was this character that is deeply spiritual and believes that the end of times is coming. When I tell the story remembering that when I was a kid and being a child of the '80s, looking up, just being a kid and thinking, "What's going to happen in the future?" And seeing the titans of the Soviet Union and United States locked in this battle and this Cold War and thinking, you know, a lot of people in the '80s were spending like there was no tomorrow, and part of me believes it's because they may have believed there wasn't one.
I think that feeling of looking up and being scared and feeling so small and so insignificant and not being able to act on it, just made me feel like we were close to the edge. Harnessing that, harnessing knowing that we wanted to make this magnetic leader and then putting it in an environment where this person was deeply spiritual and believed a little part of or elements of, what I remember as a kid about the potential of the world could end and if it was this close, would we know it, when it appeared? Would we have the wherewithal? Would we have the maturity to go, "Guys, we're this close to the edge, take a step back?"
This guy just basically says, "There's no taking a step back, it's going to happen and the best you can do is survive it." That made that character super interesting. I remember [when we were pitching Far Cry 5], just basically putting a picture on the wall with a cliff and somebody standing next to it and a "we are here." That was the pitch.
Somebody would come in and say,"Okay, well, tell me a pitch, tell me what's going on." [He points at the metaphorical picture.] "What does the character believe?" [He points at the metaphorical picture.] "What's the middle part of the game about?" [He points at the metaphorical picture.] "Well, how does it start?" [He points at the metaphorical picture.]
But it was super interesting because you could kind of look at this and go, "Guys, this is it." We built this complex character, we looked at the idea of a cult and then, I think the other thing that we did was, we also know that we want it to be a game and we want it to be fun, we want to be able to own it, we want it to be ours and so we definitely put it out West, we put it in Montana but we wanted to make it a place you couldn't find on the map. We wanted to make sure that we built Hope County, we built our story, we built our characters, and they may be inspired by certain things that we may have seen but the truth is is that it's our space. It's our game and it's our world.
Dan Hay
In a lot of ways, I kind of feel like our brand is a little bit The Twilight Zone, right? What The Twilight Zone did that was really, really smart is that they would have themes, they would have ideas, but they would kind of hide it with a whole bunch of other stuff, science-fiction or [other] moments, and you would learn something or it would offer thought-provoking commentary, but at the same time, you would just, you'd be in the moment and would be consuming it.
I feel like we're a little bit like that. We have an opportunity for you to go out and play with the anecdote factory, play with all the systems, and have guns for hire and have Boomer there with you or be able to fly a plane a do all that stuff. But we also have compelling characters who have this ethos, that have this belief. If you're the type of player who just wants to go out and be crazy and do a whole bunch of crazy stuff, for sure you can do that, but we want you to be able to go into action bubbles, we want you to be able to meet these characters and see what they believe and feel it.
To what extent have real-life cults and individuals influenced Far Cry 5's cult, The Project at Eden's Gate, and its primary antagonist? I know you've worked with real-life de-programmers, right?
Yes [we did]. Basically, one of the things that stuck with me was as we were doing our research... I was looking at cult leaders and different names came up and [Peoples Temple founder] Jim Jones came up and the horrible things that happened with Jonestown and all that and I remember that. That's one story that I really remember from when I was a kid because I didn't understand how that could happen. It didn't make any sense to me, it didn't seem believable. When I was little kid I didn't understand. But there was something scary about that. I remember that story kind of stuck with me. It's not that the game is about that at all, but definitely, as we began to think about cult leaders, you draw on what you know, right?
But I think one of the dangers of building a cult, in some cases, is that people have a tendency to think, "Oh, it's just a bunch of people running around in robes," and it becomes cliched. We really wanted to go and meet with experts who were going to talk to us about, you know, how long does it take for somebody to come into it, what do they believe? How real is it that could happen? I think the thing that really I focused on was ... I think a lot of us most likely won't ever be in a cult, and because we don't have that experience, we probably believe that we're safe and that we're smarter in that nobody could really talk us out of our ideas and we wouldn't fall in line like that.
It became super important that we found an actor who had the ability to win us over. There's a certain thing when you're watching an actor work, you ask yourself, "Do you believe this person? Do they believe themselves as they're giving that performance?" We got a bunch of different performances together and I kept coming across do I believe this, do I believe this? Then we met Greg Bryk, and he basically put a performance on tape. Somebody goes, "Come here, you've got to see this." From, like, the first 30 seconds, this chill went down my back and I was like, "I absolutely believe this guy could lead a cult. I absolutely believe that if I spent too much time with him, I'd join him."
That was a moment where there's a little bit of magic, where you realize we're pretty well-known for making these interesting, unique, and magnetic villains. We knew the bar was set high. We set the bar even higher for ourselves. When we did that, we knew that we had our father, but we also set the bar so that [we decided] it wasn't just going to be him, we would build the whole family.
Then we had to build some other characters that would respond to that. This has been a much wider experience for us. We've learned a lot. We've tried different stuff. But I think, when people play game, the promise of being able to go out into the world and play the game in any direction that you want to and meet different people and hire some of those people as guns for hire, and to be able to go through and experience the game at the same time as being able to snack on story or the entirety of the open world, we want to make sure we deliver on our promise.
Far Cry underwent a huge change from the original to Far Cry 2, and then another huge change from 2 to 3, and then some people have criticized the series since then for not moving on hugely in terms of its mechanics. Is that a fair criticism and if so, how you're going to go about changing that?
It's a great question. Anybody who's a consumer, anybody who wants to be a part of stuff, and players want verbs, right, they want actions. It's a really difficult thing as a developer to go, "Okay, we have this really cool recipe. Now let's break it." Half the team's like, "No, but it's a real cool recipe." It's like, "Exactly. So let's break it." It's super hard to know when's the right time to do that.
I think the rule that I have, that we have, is it even comes down to something as simple as choosing to be in Montana, right? I think Far Cry's done a pretty good job historically, of [doing different things to what people expect]. Because we really do try and challenge ourselves. We really do try and change things up and shift them. In this game, it's about bringing guns for hire with you. It's about having a pet that comes with you.
I think that we're evolving, I think that we're growing, and you can see we're leveraging stuff from [games] that we've done in the past. You can see that the really cool stuff that was done in Primal with all the beasts, master mode, and all those types of things, we take that and go, "Wow, this is really, really cool. Now, how the hell are we going to figure out how to put that in [Far Cry 5 and have it be] a feature that grows?" The truth is that all that work helped us make Boomer, right? And some of the other things that we have in the game.
I think sometimes it's easy to look back at it and go, "This game was this and this game was this and I need something completely different." When in truth, the line is much more jagged and we're evolving all the time. We have runs of, "Oh, it's going to be you climbing towers and that's what's going to inform you about the space." Then just one day we don't.
I think of [the game] more as an organism. It's growing all the time. I think people are going to be really pleasantly surprised about this, what we're building, and what they're going to be able to play, and how organic it is and how generous it is.
Does the removal of towers and a mini-map mean Far Cry 5 is going a little more 'hardcore' than Far Cry 4 or Far Cry 3? Do you think the series could ever be a more hardcore, Far Cry 2-like experience ever again?
People [might look] at it from the outside and go, "Well, what category does it fall into? There's a bucket and I need to know where it goes on certain things." There are hints as to where you might be able to put that category, but the truth is that games are getting so big and they're getting so complex and they're getting so organic, that we're shifting the categories. I totally understand where, if you're looking at the game and you're going,"Oh cool, I don't climb towers anymore. How do I get permission? How do I open up the world?" The natural place to take that is,"Oh, well then that must mean that it's not as generous or it's more hardcore." What I would say is, "No," but it's difficult for me to explain why.
The best I can tell you is, we really wanted to focus on the idea that if you want information and if you want to be able to learn about the world, you go and you talk to people. People have that information, because that's what life is like, right? It's not that we didn't like the towers and it's not that the towers were generous, it's just that after a while, it felt like we could grow from that idea. How do you do that? Let's say that you actually took a plane, you've landed in this place, the place got taken over by a cult, you need info. Chances are, you wouldn't necessarily climb up a tower to get it, right? What would you do? You'd go and meet people and you'd knock on the door, you'd go and meet people and they'd have information, but they wouldn't have the whole picture.
One of the things that's really difficult is when you meet somebody in the world and they go, "Here's what you need to know, here's when you need to know it, here's why, here's why I'm so important, this is what's going on." You're like, "Okay. That feels completely artificial."
I'd rather walk up to somebody and have them give me hints about data that I can use, but maybe it's not the perfect data and maybe they don't have all of it. Which means that I have to explore and I have to go and I have to try, I have to work for it. Then, be generous with that data and give brand-new opportunities to explore. I understand the question, I just think that once people play the game, they're going to see different buckets.
Is there any chance that we could see Far Cry 5 or any Far Cry come to Nintendo Switch?
I know what far Cry's shipping on, you know what Far Cry 5 is shipping on. I think that when it comes to what we're going to ship on, you know, we've got a big game and we have a plan, and we'll be shipping on the stuff that we'll be shipping on, is how it's going to work. But in terms of where the game could go after that, give me some time to think about that, because it's not where we are today.
[Update] Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene has clarified that PUBG will run at 30 FPS on all the Xbox devices, including the Xbox One X, when the game becomes available through Xbox's Game Preview Program.
While I previously stated PUBG would run at higher FPS at XGP launch on 12/12, I want to clarify that PUBG will run at 30 FPS across all @Xbox One devices. We’re constantly refining the game & exploring options to increase FPS, but this early in dev, we’re unable to confirm more.
[Original story] PUBG is finally coming to Xbox One in December. On Xbox One X, you can expect the Hunger Games-style shooter to run at 60 FPS, creator Brendan Greene said in a new interview. But on the standard Xbox One, which has less power, the frame rate could be halved.
"Definitely on Xbox One X, 60 FPS," Greene said in the latest issue of GamesTM, as reported by Wccftech. "On [the standard] Xbox One, we're not sure. We may have to limit it at 30 FPS, maybe, but the last time I saw it, it was running at about 30 to 40."
Greene, who is the Playerunknown from the game's title, added that developer Bluehole is "constantly improving" the game before launch, with an aim of hitting 60 FPS on both the standard Xbox One and the Xbox One X. One of the reasons why PUBG is launching on Xbox One through Game Preview program is to allow the developer the opportunity to improve the game in a test environment before its official launch. Overall, Greene said he has "great faith" that PUBG will hit 60 FPS on both.
At the same time, Greene acknowledged that frame rate "isn't that important" for a game like PUBG compared to a twitch-based shooter like Call of Duty.
Also in the interview, Greene spoke generally about bringing PUBG to console. He said he's happy to have partnered with Microsoft for the initial launch because "Xbox is synonymous with gaming." Greene said there is the opportunity to see "incredible numbers" on console. Indeed, the huge success of the PUBG-like Fortnite Battle Royale seems to suggest console gamers are thirsty for the Battle Royale experience.
Greene told GameSpot earlier this year that he wants the Xbox One X version of PUBG to use 4K assets, but he wasn't sure if this would be possible. That still seems to be the case, as Greene told the magazine that these 4K assets "don't exist yet," adding that "it's going to take us some time to get them, but we do have a plan."
While PUBG's only current announced console platform is Xbox One, Microsoft has said the game is a "console launch exclusive" for Xbox. That seems to suggest a PlayStation 4 release may follow. PUBG launches on Xbox One on December 12.
Batman is one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, but with so many different actors, movies, and TV shows about him across the decades, it's hard to think of what else can be done with the character. But it seems that there are still new and exciting ways to present the Caped Crusader--and the upcoming anime feature Batman Ninja is the proof.
Fans attending New York Comic-Con in September got a first taste of what to expect from the animated feature when a clip was screened there, and now the full trailer is online. As the title suggests, it's a glorious mash-up of wild samurai action and classic Batman characters. So if you've ever wanted to see Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn, The Penguin, and Catwoman in an insane anime movie, here's your chance. Check the trailer out below:
Batman Ninja has an impressive team of anime veterans behind the scenes. Creators Junpei Mizusaki, Takashi Okazashi, and Kazuki Nakashima have worked on shows such as Afro Samurai, Kill La Kill, and Gurren Lagann.
At the Comic-Con launch, the trio revealed that that they were approached by Warner to create the feature, and as huge Batman fans they jumped at the chance. "There's a fight scene in this that might be the best fight scene I've seen in animation anywhere," Miereanu told Comicbook.com. In addition, Mizusaki explained that all the action was acted out by performers in live-action, with the choreography motion-captured to assist the animation.
Batman Ninja is yet to be given a release date, but it is expected to arrive in 2019.
Next week is looking good for players of The Division, as developer Ubisoft has announced a big update to the game, scheduled for Monday, December 4. Update 1.8 will add a bunch of new content, from new game modes to a map expansion and more.
Two new modes are included in the patch: Resistance--a "PVE horde mode activity"--and Skirmish, which is a "4v4 PVP mode that emphasizes close-quarters combat and gunplay. The map expansion, meanwhile, comes over on the left-hand portion of Manhattan. It's called West Side Pier, though we don't yet know what the environment will contain.
Weapon hunters can look forward to three new exotic weapons--the Big Alejandro LMG, Devil and Heel MMR pair, and House SMG--and a new system called Gear Optimization allows you to "spend D-Tech to upgrade weapon/gear statistics to maximum." Finally, the game's Underground Agents are being revamped to add new Directives, Check Points, Hunters, and chances for classified gear, while "Rogue 2.0" will bring a "voluntary rogue toggle for PVP flagging" aimed at rebalancing the Dark Zone.
The update is scheduled for December 4, though Ubisoft says it will not include the in-progress Xbox One X patch. That is coming at a later date, the company says.
Ubisoft continues to support The Division, over 18 months after its launch. The game's most recent big update added new customization options, Global Events, and a bunch of other improvements. You can read more about The Division's 1.7 update here.
EA and DICE have detailed the contents of the new update for Star Wars Battlefront II, patch 1.03. It doesn't do much in the way of introducing new features, instead focusing on resolving bugs and making other small tweaks. Perhaps most notably, it addresses complaints about the awards screen presented at the end of a round.
Previously, this screen recognized the player who earned a certain distinction--MVP, most kills, longest killstreak, and so on. Because of the specifics awards that it hands out, this oftentimes results in the screen being dominated by a single player (or sometimes two) who earned all five awards. Update 1.03 makes a change to simply acknowledge players by their score, which means more of them will be recognized.
Spawn points and the combat area on a number of maps have been adjusted, as have some specifics of how objectives can be captured. Most notably, Boba Fett can no longer hover high up in the air and make progress toward capturing an objective. Additionally, some collision issues have also been addressed on Jakku, Endor, and Kashyyyk. "This means that movement [is] now more fluent and no weird or invisible barriers are stopping your movement," DICE said.
Other changes of note include a fix for the error when quitting games, an increase to reinforcements earned after each stage of a Galactic Assault match, and a reduction to the time needed to interact with objectives.
As promised, Bungie has delivered details on where Destiny 2 is headed. Since launch, there have been complaints from the hardcore fanbase about the lack of a real end-game and poor communication from Bungie, among other things. Today's preview, which took the place of a canceled Curse of Osiris livestream, is meant to address much of this.
Stating that Bungie needs to be "more open," director Luke Smith and project lead Chris Barrett stated that the studio plans to refocus its efforts on catering to players who want to enjoy the game long-term: "Going forward, Destiny 2's post-launch game systems, features, and updates are being designed specifically to focus on and support players who want Destiny to be their hobby--the game they return to, and a game where friendships are made. We want Destiny to be a game that fits into your life, providing you with reasons to log in and play with your friends, clans, and families. We want Destiny to be a world you want to be a part of."
Bungie outlined its plans for two updates coming next month that will start this process. The first of these comes on December 5, alongside Curse of Osiris, with another following on December 12. The studio's stated goals for these patches are as follows: "Deepen rewards for advanced players; provide more player control over obtaining rewards; make Shards useful by adding things to use them for; provide general quality fixes wherever possible."
In the December 5 update, new Armor Ornaments will be added for "some" existing armor. These will allow you to obtain a new look for your gear without affecting your Shaders or Mods. Armor sets will have a set of objectives to complete, and doing so will unlock Ornaments for your entire account. These sets will have Ornaments in Season 2, which begins on December 5:
Vanguard Faction Armor
Crucible Faction Armor
Trials of the Nine Armor
Iron Banner Armor
Dead Orbit Armor
Future War Cult Armor
New Monarchy Armor
Eater of Worlds Raid Lair Armor
Also on December 5, there will be changes to how mods are acquired from Banshee. Rare Mods can be dismantled for Gunsmith Materials and "have a chance to produce Legendary quality Mod Components." Banshee will also sell specific Legendary Mods, including those for Kinetic weapons. The lineup will change daily, with the price being a combination of Legendary Shards and Mod Components. Additionally, Master Rahool will sell Legendary Engrams, which will be one way of obtaining Masterworks (more on those below). Reputation Tokens will now be obtained in greater quantities and in more ways, though the amount of reputation required to obtain an Engram will also increase.
The bigger changes come in the December 12 update. Bungie will introduce Masterworks versions of Legendary weapons; these track and display your kills with that weapon (and can be set to show Crucible kills or total kills), create Orbs when securing multi-kills, and have weapon stat bonuses that are "selected randomly from a small pool and are re-rollable." That part is particularly important, as a common complaint is that weapon duplicates are effectively worthless in the current game.
Masterworks can be obtained through drops once you hit Power level 250, or Legendaries can be upgraded into them. To accomplish the latter, you can dismantle Masterworks to obtain materials that you'll then use to enhance a Legendary you own. Bungie notes that weapons from the Raid and Trials of the Nine have a "very high chance" to drop as Masterworks. It also states that there are plans for Masterworks versions of other types of gear, and to add more ways for your kill counts to be displayed, such as on the Crucible kill screen.
The December 12 update also introduces the option to directly purchase Faction armor and weapons for Legendary Shards and Faction Tokens from "most" Faction vendors. The selection will always include each armor slot, while weapons will rotate weekly (for Factions that offer them). These different slots will be unlocked as you claim Engram rewards for each Faction--and any you've earned previously will count toward unlocking these.
Finally, Xur will have new items on offer weekly. Fated Engrams can be purchased for Legendary Shards and will decrypt into Exotics that you don't already own, and there will be a new Three of Coins item for purchase with Legendary Shards. This Three of Coins will be easier to use than that of the first game; here, they'll simply provide a boost to Exotic drop rates from all sources for four hours. Zavala and Shaxx will both sell some new items, and--in maybe the most welcome change of all--vendors will only have a notification icon when you actually have enough Tokens to obtain an Engram.
Bungie's post also provided details on the recent Destiny 2 XP controversy, vowing to make further changes. It also reiterated its promise to communicate more effectively, stating, "Going forward, we plan to continue this dialog as openly and frequently as possible. This will be an ongoing process, but one that we are committed to." The developer also released a podcast this week where it further discusses the state of Destiny 2. You can also check out some new Destiny 2 Curse of Osiris Crucible maps, or see the full list of announced changes in the December updates and beyond here.
The end of the month is in sight, so Microsoft has revealed the next batch of games that will be available for free to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. As usual, December's Games With Gold lineup consists of four games spread across Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Some fans have already gotten a taste of Star Wars Battlefront II thanks to its early trial on EA/Origin Access, but today marks the game's official release. While much of the conversation around it has centered on its controversial handling of microtransactions and fan backlash (which ultimately forced EA to temporarily drop them just prior to release), developer DICE has built on the previous Star Wars Battlefront in some notable ways with Battlefront II, one of which is its new campaign.
Unlike its predecessor, Battlefront II features a full-fledged single-player storyline that's set between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The campaign puts players in the role of Iden Versio, the commander of an Imperial special forces unit known as the Inferno Squad and the primary character you play as throughout the campaign's 5-8-hour runtime.
Battlefront II's campaign is a canonical part of the franchise, filling in important details that lead up to the rise of the First Order in The Force Awakens and dropping clues as to what could be in store the next Star Wars film, The Last Jedi. If you're eager to see what happens in Battlefront II's story without the need to play through the campaign, we've compiled all of its cutscenes and some gameplay clips together in the video above so you can watch the entire tale unfold as if it were its own Star Wars movie.
Star Wars Battlefront II is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. In our Battlefront II review-in-progress, critic Alessandro Fillari said the game's campaign "does a decent job of showing the internal strife within the Empire's ranks," though it ultimately "falls a bit short of making it a remarkable journey for its characters."
The big PSN Black Friday sale may now be over, but there are still a few discounted titles available in the US PlayStation Store. This week is fairly light on deals; there are no publisher-specific sales going on now, but players can still find some PS4, PS3, and Vita games at a discount.
As usual, PS4 owners have the widest selection of discounts to choose from. The latest installment in Sony's racing series, Gran Turismo Sport, is on sale; the standard edition of the game runs for $39.59, while the Digital Deluxe edition is available for $60. The Elder Scrolls Online is also on sale; the Gold Edition costs $30, while the Morrowind expansion is $30. Other PS4 game discounts include:
You can find the full list of games on sale this week on the PlayStation Store. Many of the discounts are only available through the end of the week, so you only have a limited time to take advantage of these deals.
Next week marks the launch of Destiny 2's first expansion, Curse of Osiris. Coinciding with that, the first "season" of content will come to an end, bringing a refresh to certain aspects of the game. For now, the final weekly reset of Season 1 has taken place, introducing a new (and familiar) Nightfall Strike, Flashpoint, and Eververse lineup.
This week marks your final chance to earn Clan XP before your Clan level is reset for Season 2. Reaching the maximum level before the season ends will unlock this season's Clan Staff. Additionally, the items available in Bright Engrams will rotate for Season 2, so you'll want to unlock as many of those as you can now if there's something you've been wanting. The Spicy Ramen Exotic emote, specifically, will no longer be available after Season 1.
In terms of what's new this week, the Flashpoint has rotated to the European Dead Zone, and the new Nightfall Strike is Savathun's Song. It features the same Modifiers we saw during a previous instance of this. Timewarp - Anomalies makes it so that during the Strike, floating objects will appear. Destroying each one adds an additional 30 seconds to the timer, which should make it a bit easier to finish.
Also active is Momentum. This Modifier makes it so that your health and shields only regenerate when you're on the move; in other words, taking cover behind an object is not a viable strategy for recovering after taking damage. Sprinting causes shields and health to regenerate more quickly, so ensure you're always on the move.
As with the modifiers, the three Challenges are what we've seen before on this Strike. The first is Speed Of Dark, which is always active and asks you to complete the Nightfall with five minutes or more on the clock, making those anomalies all the more important. Unbroken tasks you with finishing with fewer than three total deaths during the Strike. And the last of the three, The Best Defense, requires shooting 15 projectiles during the final boss fight before you actually kill Savathun's Song.
Powerful Gear rewards are what you'll receive for completing the Nightfall. There aren't many activities you can complete to get your hands on those. What makes them particularly desirable is that they're an easy way to increase your Power level above 265, which can be difficult to do otherwise. This Nightfall will be available until the next weekly reset, which occurs at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST / 8 PM AEST on Tuesday, December 5. Curse of Osiris also launches that day on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
For those who haven't unlocked access to the Nightfall, you'll need to first finish two Strikes and get to about Power level 240. At that point, you can speak to Zavala and he'll provide access to them from the Director. Just keep in mind that there isn't standard matchmaking--but you can make use of Guided Games to be matched up with other players.
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have been released for 3DS, and while the two games are largely based on the previous Sun and Moon versions, they set themselves apart from last year's titles with a host of new content. Along with an expanded story that sheds more light on the mysterious Legendary Pokemon, Necrozma, the pair introduce a handful of new features and even Pokemon to the series.
If you've already played Sun or Moon and are unsure if the upcoming titles differ enough to warrant a return trip to Alola, we've rounded up all of the new Pokemon, moves, and features Nintendo has announced thus far to give you a better idea of what's new in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. You can read more about the games in our Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon review. And if you're unsure which version is right for you, we broke down the major differences between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
New Pokemon
Ultra Beasts
In the original Sun and Moon versions, Ultra Beasts are powerful, unidentified Pokemon that traveled to the Alola region from other worlds through wormholes. Naturally, they once again play a major role in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and this time the games introduce a couple of new ones to the series.
At least three new Ultra Beasts appear in the titles: UB Burst, UB Assembly, and UB Adhesive. The former two are exclusive to a specific version. The jester-like UB Burst only appears in Ultra Sun and is a Fire/Ghost-type Pokemon that learns an exclusive move called Mind Blown. UB Assembly, meanwhile, is a defense-oriented Rock/Steel-type Pokemon that's exclusive to Ultra Moon.
The third new Ultra Beast, UB Adhesive, is a Poison-type that is said to be able to understand humans if it spends enough time among them. It first appears with the Ultra Recon Squad, a mysterious new group of trainers that travels to Alola through a wormhole. Which members of the Ultra Recon Squad you encounter depends on the version you're playing.
Dusk Mane / Dawn Wings Necrozma
While the mysterious Legendary Pokemon Necrozma appeared in the original Sun and Moon versions, it plays a much larger story role in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Depending on which version you pick up, it merges with the games' mascot Pokemon, Solgaleo or Lunala, to turn into its new Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings forms, respectively.
Along with taking on a new appearance and typing, Necrozma is able to use Solgaleo and Lunala's signature attacks when it merges with the two Legendaries. Dusk Mane Necrozma is a Psychic/Steel-type and can unleash Sunsteel Strike, while Dawn Wings Necrozma is a Psychic/Ghost-type and can use Moongeist Beam. Both forms also have the ability Prism Armor, which reduces the damage Necrozma takes from super-effective attacks.
Dusk Form Lycanroc
Depending on which version you played, the Rock-type puppy Pokemon Rockruff would evolve into one of two possible forms in Sun and Moon; in the former game, Rockruff would become Midday Form Lycanroc, while in the latter it would evolve into Midnight Form Lycanroc. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon introduce a third possible variant, this one called Dusk Form Lycanroc.
Like its name implies, Dusk Form Lycanroc is a cross between its Midday and Midnight forms. It has an orange and white coat and can learn both forms' signature attacks, Accelerock and Counter. It also comes with a different ability, Tough Claws, which increases the power of attacks that make direct contact with an opponent. Dusk Form Lycanroc is exclusive to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and so far, the only way to obtain one is to purchase either game by January 10; do that and you'll receive a special Rockruff that evolves into Dusk Form Lycanroc as a free gift.
New Features
Team Rainbow Rocket
In addition to the Ultra Recon Squad, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon introduce another new villainous group called Team Rainbow Rocket. Nintendo hasn't revealed many details about the team, but we know it is led by Team Rocket boss Giovanni and is made up of the leaders from every previous enemy team, including Archie and Maxie (Team Aqua/Magma from Ruby/Sapphire), Cyrus (Team Galactic from Diamond/Pearl), Ghetsis (Team Plasma from Black/White), and Lysandre (Team Flare from X/Y).
Ultra Wormholes
Ultra Wormholes were an important story element in Sun and Moon, allowing the Ultra Beasts to arrive to Alola from other worlds. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you'll actually be able to travel through these wormholes atop either Solgaleo or Lunala and visit the worlds the Ultra Beasts come from. You'll also be able to encounter other powerful Pokemon by traveling through Ultra Wormholes, including previous Legendaries such as Mewtwo and Ho-Oh, neither of which appeared in the original Sun and Moon versions.
Beyond encountering Legendary Pokemon, you'll also use Ultra Wormholes to travel to a new area known as Ultra Megalopolis. Nintendo hasn't revealed many details about the mysterious city, but it has been described as "a world that has had its light stolen by Necrozma" and will undoubtedly play an important role in the games' story.
Battle Agency
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon introduce several new areas to the Alola region, as well, one of which is a new battle facility called the Battle Agency. As in the Battle Tree, players can take part in a series of three-on-three Pokemon battles against a gauntlet of AI opponents; however, you can only take rental Pokemon into battle. The variety of Pokemon you can rent at the Battle Agency increases the more you use the games' communications features with other players.
Move Tutors
The reward for winning battles in the Battle Tree and at other facilities across Alola is Battle Points, or BP, which can be spent on a range of rare, competitive battling items like Mega Stones. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you'll also be able to spend your BP on new moves for your Pokemon, including some that they cannot normally learn through leveling up or with TMs.
Rotom Dex
The Rotom Dex plays an expanded role in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. In the new games, you'll be able to form a bond with your Rotom Dex the more you interact with it, which in turn will affect its personality. If you develop a strong enough bond with your Rotom Dex, you'll unlock its own unique Z-Power, which allows you to use a second Z-Move during battle.
Your Rotom Dex also has a new feature called Roto Loto, a slot machine-style mini-game that you can play at any time to get new items. The items can have a variety of different effects; some increase the amount of experience or money you earn for a period of time, while another temporarily decreases the amount of time it takes for Pokemon eggs.
New Z-Moves
Mega Evolution was one of the most notable features introduced in Pokemon X and Y, but in Sun and Moon, it was largely replaced with Z-Moves. At the start of your journey, you're given a Z-Ring, a special bracelet that allows your Pokemon to perform these ultra-powerful moves once per battle when it is equipped with a particular Z-Crystal.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon expand on this by introducing a handful of new Z-Moves to the mix, many of which are exclusive to a particular Pokemon. In the new games, the Pikachu lookalike Mimikyu can use a new Z-Move called Let's Snuggle Forever when it's equipped with Mimikium Z. All three forms of Lycanroc can also use an exclusive Z-Move, Splintered Stormshards, while the Fighting/Dragon-type Kommo-o gets its own signature Z-Move called Clangorous Soulblaze.
The Legendary cover Pokemon Solgaleo and Lunala get their own exclusive Z-Moves in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, as well, which can also be used by Necrozma when it takes on its two new forms. Solgaleo and Dusk Mane Necrozma can use the Steel-type attack Searing Sunraze Smash when equipped with Solganium Z; Lunala and Dawn Wings Necrozma can unleash the Ghost-type Z-Move Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom when they hold Lunalium Z.
Mantine Surf
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon introduce a new mini-game called Mantine Surf. When you summon Mantine, you can use it to manually surf between the different islands of the Alola region. You can also perform a variety of tricks while surfing, which will increase your high score and reward you with BP.
Totem Stickers
Like last year's games, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon eschew traditional gym battles for island trials--different challenges that culminate in a battle against a Totem Pokemon. What sets these monsters apart from regular Pokemon is their size; Totem Pokemon are much larger than normal ones and are surrounded by an aura that boosts their stats.
This time around, you'll be able to add your own Totem-sized Pokemon to your team thanks to new Totem Stickers. These collectibles are hidden throughout the entire Alola region, and you'll be able to get your own giant Pokemon depending on how many Stickers you collect. Some of the Totem-sized Pokemon are exclusive to a specific version; Ultra Sun players, for instance, can get a giant Lurantis, while those with Ultra Moon can get a Totem-sized Salazzle.
Sony has launched the next set of free games for PlayStation Plus members. We're now well into November, and subscribers can download a total of seven titles across PS4, PS3, and Vita. That's one more than usual, as Sony is again offering a bonus PlayStation VR game following the headset's recent one-year anniversary. As usual, PS4 owners have the widest and best selection of games, but you've got something to look forward to regardless of platform.
PS4 owners with PS Plus have four games in total to nab for free right now: strategy game Worms Battlegrounds, the gorgeous (but hard-to-describe) Bound, and PSVR shooter Until Dawn: Rush of Blood; the latter will be available for longer than the other games, as it's not a part of the standard monthly lineup. Additionally, Cross-Buy provides PS4 players with a fourth title at no cost, the action RPG Dungeon Punks.
All of the standard PS Plus freebies can be claimed until December 5, when they'll return to their regular prices. By adding them to your library before then, you can play them for as long as you remain a Plus subscriber. Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, meanwhile, remains free until January 3. You can see the full list of this month's PS Plus freebies and grab them from the links below. PSN's Black Friday sale has come to a close, but there's still something to look forward to, as December's PS Plus games have been announced.
The next pair of Pokemon games, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, are quickly approaching their November 17 release date, and ahead of their launch, Nintendo has been giving away a ton of free items and Pokemon for the previous Sun and Moon versions. Many of the giveaways have already ended, but there are still plenty of rare freebies for Sun and Moon players to get their hands on.
We've rounded up all of the distributions that are currently running for Pokemon Sun and Moon, as well as a few that will be available for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon when those versions launch. We'll be updating this list as more giveaways are announced, so check back often to see what free items and Pokemon you can get. In the meantime, check out our rundown on everything new in Pokemon Ultra Sun And Moon, and the differences between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Pokemon Sun/Moon Free Gifts
Pokemon
Magearna
Unlike other Mythical Pokemon, the Steel/Fairy-type Magearna is available not through Mystery Gift, but via a QR code. After defeating the Elite Four and completing the main story, you can use the QR Scanner feature to scan the below code. After doing so, visit the Antiques shop in Hau'oli City and pick your Magearna up from the deliveryman waiting there. The Mythical Pokemon comes at level 50 and knows the moves Fleur Cannon, Flash Cannon, Lucky Chant, and Helping Hand.
Celebi -- Ends Sep. 21, 2018
Players who purchase either Pokemon Gold or Silver from the 3DS Eshop by September 21, 2018 will receive a bonus download code for the Mythical Pokemon Celebi. The code can be redeemed in Pokemon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon. We've outlined the steps you need to take to find and redeem the code here.
Charizard -- DONE
Players in the US can pick up a free download code for Charizard from the electronics department in Target stores. The popular Fire-type Pokemon comes at level 50, is equipped with the Red Card item, and knows the moves Dragon Dance, Flare Blitz, Fly, and Earthquake. As with other download codes, you need to input your code via Mystery Gift to receive Charizard. The distribution runs until October 14, and you have until February 4, 2018 to redeem your code.
Marshadow -- DONE
For a very limited time, players can pick up a free download code for the Mythical Pokemon Marshadow. Those in the US can get the code from GameStop, while players in the UK will have to visit "participating retailers." This is the first legitimate way Sun and Moon players can obtain the rare Fighting/Ghost-type, which comes at level 50 and is equipped with Marshadium Z. It also knows the attacks Spectral Thief, Close Combat, Force Palm, and Shadow Ball.
Pikachu -- DONE
To celebrate the release of the Pokemon series' 20th anniversary film, Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You, The Pokemon Company is giving away six different versions of Ash's Pikachu for Sun and Moon. To receive a Pikachu, enter the code PIKACHU20 in Mystery Gift. However, you can only receive one of the six Pikachu, and the version you get depends on when you enter the code. The full Pikachu distribution schedule is below.
Beginning October 23, players in the US and Canada can pick up a free download code for a shiny Silvally from GameStop and EB Games stores. The distribution will run until November 13. Players in the UK will also have a chance to get the rare Pokemon at participating GAME stores from November 3-16.
Mega Stones -- DONE
Mega Stones are exceptionally rare and valuable in Pokemon Sun and Moon. When equipped to their corresponding Pokemon, Mega Stones allow it to Mega Evolve during battle, often changing its type and giving it a considerable stat boost. Nintendo is giving away several batches of Mega Stones that aren't normally available in Sun and Moon, all of which are redeemable via a universal download code. Input the following codes in Mystery Gift by October 31 and you'll receive these Mega Stones:
Purchase either Pokemon Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon by January 10 and you'll receive a special Rockruff as a free bonus. This Rockruff will only evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc, a new variant of the popular wolf Pokemon that is exclusive to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
It's that time of the week again where Destiny 2 players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC drop everything and go to see Xur to pick up some new Exotic gear and weapons. This week everyone's favorite part-timer has shown up on Earth and, as always, we've got all the information you need to find him and see what wares he's peddling this week.
Finding him, at this point, should be easy. He's been on this spot multiple times, but if you need a refresher here it is: fast travel to the Winding Cove and when you arrive hop on your Sparrow. On the left-hand side you should see a winding road, follow that up a bit and you'll see a small cliff with a downed ship above. Get off your Sparrow and get to jumping on rocks and you'll be able to make it up to him. If you're still finding it tricky, watch our video above, in which you'll also get to see what he's offering. Alternatively you can check out the gallery below for pictures of his latest stock.
Click image to view in fullscreen
Sweet Business (Auto Rifle) - 29 Legendary Shards
Lucy Raspberry (Chest Armor) -23 Legendary Shards
Synthoceps (Gauntlets) - 23 Legendary Shards
Skull of Dire Ahamkara (Warlock Class Helmet) - 23 Legendary Shards
Bungie has detailed its vision for Destiny 2's future in a preview blog post, which took the place of a canceled Curse of Osiris livestream. The studio outlined its plans for two updates coming next month, the first of which arrives on December 5 alongside Curse of Osiris, with another following on December 12. These updates will "deepen rewards for advanced players; provide more player control over obtaining rewards; make Shards useful by adding things to use them for; [ provide general quality fixes wherever possible."
In the December 5 update, new Armor Ornaments will be added for "some" existing armor, so players will be able to change the look of their gear without affecting your Shaders or Mods. There will also be changes to how mods are acquired from Banshee.
In the December 12 update, Bungie will introduce Masterworks versions of Legendary weapons, which track and display your kills with that weapon (and can be set to show Crucible kills or total kills). Masterworks weapons can also create Orbs when scoring multi-kills, and have weapon stat bonuses that are "selected randomly from a small pool and are re-rollable." They address a common complaint that weapon duplicates are effectively worthless in the current game. You can read more details about the upcoming Destiny 2 update changes here.
Also note that one of November's Games With Gold titles, Tales From the Borderlands, will continue to be free on Xbox One through through December 15. You can see the full Games With Gold schedule for December below.
Think you're good at Call of Duty: WWII? Now is your chance to prove it. Activision has is launching Ranked Play for PS4 and Xbox One, kicking this off with placement season where players will compete to find out how they stack up against the competition. This begins at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on December 1, so it's just hours away now.
As announced by Activision, Ranked Play takes the form of 4v4 matches, with game mods including Search & Destroy, Capture the Flag, and Hardpoint. eSports settings are enabled for Ranked, pulled from the settings found in the Call of Duty World League. For example, you cannot use turrets, while Incendiary shells are also not available. Additionally, some weapons are unavailable, including the Lewis, MG 15, Bren, and MG 42, while some attachments, scorestreaks, and equipment are also blocked. You can see a full rundown of the eSports settings here on the Call of Duty World League website.
Win matches and you'll earn points that go towards unlocking the next rank. Every time you lose or quit a match early, you'll lose points. As mentioned, the first season is only for placement. At the end of Season 1, you'll be assigned a skill rating, and that will carry forward to Season 2. There are seven tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Masters, and Pro. It'll be extremely difficult to get Pro status as only the top 100 players worldwide will reach this rank. It's probably not going to be you.
Reaching a new rank will unlock the rad-looking helmet above. Activision also confirmed there will be penalties for leaving Ranked matches early in the form of temporary bans. Quit early once and you'll be banned for 15 minutes; twice for 30 minutes, and on your third time you'll have to sit out for 45 minutes.
Activision did not say anything about bringing Ranked play to PC, though that could happen at a later date. In other news, a big new patch for Call of Duty: WWII is out now, and among other things, it finally makes the HQ mode work as intended.
Two PUBG mobile games have been announced, but they're only going to be available in China. Chinese internet giant Tencent is behind both of the games, with its Timi Studio making one that adds naval battles. The other game is being made by Lightspeed & Quantum Studio, and it looks like it's closer to the standard PC version.
According to industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, both games are being made using Epic's Unreal Engine 4. You can watch trailers and learn more about both games on their websites here and here. There is no word yet as to when or if these games may come to other parts of the world. And since the websites are in Chinese, we're not exactly clear on all the specifics; but keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
PUBG is still in Early Access and is due to officially launch on PC in late December. Meanwhile, the Xbox One version of the game has an Early Access release date of December 12. We've learned about some of the updates coming in the 1.0 launch, including vaulting, climbing, and new vehicles.
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