In case you didn't think Avengers: Infinity War has enough superheroes, even though it contains literally every Marvel Cinematic Universe hero (except possibly Hawkeye; sorry Hawkeye), you're in luck. My Hero Academia, which just debuted its third season on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu, is teaming up with the MCU movie.
The collaboration was announced on Twitter, where the official Japanese Avengers account posted a link to a website featuring comparisons between My Hero Academia characters and members of the Avengers team. Toho Animation, which produces My Hero Academia, also uploaded a reworked version of the Infinity War trailer with the anime's characters built in, which you can watch below.
The collaboration's website shows off the parallels between the two superhero worlds. For example, Izuku is compared to Captain America, while Ochaco steps in as Black Widow. The site also contains My Hero Academia's take on the Infinity War poster, with Shigaraki playing the role of Thanos. Thus far, this is as far as the collaboration between the two projects goes--it appears to be a promotional campaign for Avengers: Infinity War.
The third season of My Hero Academia is airing now, and you can check out GameSpot's comprehensive coverage of Avengers: Infinity War, from which characters will survive to where the heck Hawkeye is. The movie hits theaters on April 27.
Jessica Jones has not reached the end of her story just yet. After Season 2 premiered on International Women's Day in March, Netflix has announced the Marvel series will continue thanks to a Season 3 renewal. The following contains spoilers for the second season of Jessica Jones.
What's unclear is where in the show's timeline it will return. The end of Season 2 jumped forward in time a bit, with Jessica (Krysten Ritter) finally accepting her role in the world as a hero, though without Trish (Rachael Taylor) and Malcolm (Eka Darville) by her side. With her character in a better frame of mind than ever before, a third season of the series should be very interesting to see--even if Season 2 felt like a downgrade in quality from Season 1.
Still, even though critics weren't as wild about the latest season as the first, a renewal was practically guaranteed. After all, Netflix has yet to cancel one of its entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The second season of Luke Cage arrives in June, while new seasons of Daredevil, The Punisher, and Iron Fist have all been ordered.
The only piece of the puzzle that hasn't been addressed is Defenders, which saw all of Netflix's Marvel superheroes teaming up. The team-up was presented as a miniseries, rather than a standalone show that could continue. Still, a continuation is always possible should this piece of the MCU continue on long enough. As for Jessica Jones, though, a return date has not been announced.
A new Nintendo Eshop sale is going on this week. While it doesn't have a tentpole game like Arms in last week's sale, it has some good deals on a handful of well-respected indies. There's no indication when the prices will go back up, so jump on a game if you want it. Let's get to it, shall we?
The narrative-driven game Oxenfree is down to $5 (from $20). It's about a group of teens who spend a weekend on an island, where supernatural events begin to occur. Another standout is the Metroid-style platformer Cave Story+, which is on sale for $24.
If you have friends over often, you can't go wrong with The Jackbox Party Pack, on sale for $16. It has a mix of mini-games that lots of people can play together, using their phones or tablets as controllers.
Some other ones you might want to take a look at are the 2D-Zelda-like game Ittle Dew 2+ ($24), the dark, ultra-challenging platformer The End is Nigh ($12), the gravity-defying VVVVVV ($8), and the serpent platformer Snake Pass ($10).
On the 3DS side of things, there's only one noteworthy game on the list, but it's just a couple months old. It's the time-bending JRPG Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, and it's on sale for $32.
We're giving away 5,000 Closed Beta Keys for you to play Round 2 of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' new map, Codename: Savage, on Steam.
Entry is open worldwide. The Closed Beta Key allows you to play the map even if you do not own PUBG. This is NOT an instant win. Scroll down to enter below. 5,000 winners will be chosen on Sunday, April 15 at 8:00 PM PT, and contacted via email.
You can access Codename: Savage on the Closed Experimental Server at these times:
Starts: Mon, April 16, 6pm PDT / Tues, April 17, 3am CEST / April 17, 10am KST
Ends: Wed, April 18, 6pm PDT / Thur, April 19, 3am CEST / April 19, 10am KST
Review scores for Sony's new God of War game for PlayStation 4 are now online, and one person praising Sony on the game is the gaming boss at chief competitor Microsoft. Xbox boss Phil Spencer today congratulated Sony Santa Monica and PlayStation Worldwide Studios leader Shuhei Yoshida on the positive review scores and upcoming launch.
He added, "Looks like a special launch for the franchise, great job." Yoshida responded, thanking Spencer for his kind words.
Congrats @SonySantaMonica@yosp on the review scores and the upcoming launch of God of War. Looks like a special launch for the franchise, great job.
Phil Spencer praising Sony is expected at this point. He does it frequently when Sony launches something new or exciting. His sentiments come across as genuine, and it's encouraging to see someone at his level speaking so warmly about the competition.
Microsoft and Sony may be competitors, but they're staffed by people; people who enjoy video games just like you and me. As Spencer has said before, console wars are not productive.
GameSpot's God of War review scored the action game a 9/10. "God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come," reviewer Peter Brown said.
While it remains unclear if Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will return to the main Fast and Furious franchise, he is set to star in a spin-off alongside fellow action star Jason Statham. The movie will focus upon their Fast and Furious characters Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, and it has been confirmed that it will be directed by Deadpool 2's David Leitch.
As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Leitch has officially signed on to the direct the movie, which hits theaters on July 26, 2019. The former stunt coordinator has become one of Hollywood's most in-demand action directors since he co-directed John Wick in 2015. As well as Deadpool 2, which arrives in May, he also helmed last year's Cold War thriller Atomic Blonde. The Hobbs and Shaw script is written by Chris Morgan, who has penned six other movies in the Fast and Furious franchise.
While the spin-off is highly anticipated by fans, it has been a source of contention among some members of the Fast and Furious cast. Tyrese Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce in the films, went on a well-documented rant against Johnson in 2017, after the spin-off led to the release date of Fast and Furious 9 getting pushed back. At one point, the actor even threatened to quit the franchise over the debacle. Thankfully, the drama seems to have ended.
In addition, Johnson is far happier to talk about the Hobbs and Shaw film than the main series. In a recent interview, the star revealed that he didn't know if he would be back for Fast and Furious 9, which is scheduled for a 2020 release, because he was "concentrating on making the spin-off as good as it can be."
Johnson went on to confirm the much-reported feud between himself and co-star Vin Diesel. "Vin and I had a few discussions, including an important face-to-face in my trailer," he said. "And what I came to realize is that we have a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach moviemaking and collaborating. It took me some time, but I'm grateful for that clarity. Whether we work together again or not."
In related news, the first trailer for Statham's upcoming shark thriller The Meg was released this week. The actor plays an expert diver who faces off against a 70-foot monster shark, and the movie releases in August.
While Bungie has become more open in sharing its plans for updates for Destiny 2, word on the game's second DLC expansion has been scant. Now, the studio has finally provided a name and release date for DLC 2: Warmind officially launches on May 8.
Unfortunately, details on what Warmind actually consists of haven't yet been shared. That information will start to be shared on April 24, when Bungie hosts a reveal livestream. For now, all we know is what you'd expect--the DLC "will send you to new places to meet new heroes and battle new enemies," and there will be new loot and activities introduced, according to a post on Bungie's website.
Warmind's release will coincide with that of Season 3 for Destiny 2. Bungie updated its roadmap for the future of the game, and we know that this update will add seasonal Crucible rankings, private matches, an increase to vault space, support for multiple equipped emotes, Exotic weapon Masterworks, and more. Later in the summer, Season 3 will also bring bounties, a new seasonal event, Faction Rally improvements, and changes to the Exotic armor sandbox. Season 4 in September will bring gear collections, weapon slot changes, and more.
Season 3 also marks a significant change to how Crucible content is handled. All new maps from Warmind (and the Curse of Osiris DLC before it) will be available in matchmaking to all players, whether or not they own the DLC. However, to play the maps in the newly added private matches, you'll have to purchase the DLC.
The day following the latest patch for Fortnite, the 3.5 update, has been a disappointing one for fans. The game was rendered unplayable for many on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile during that span due to a variety of technical issues. Those appear to be ironed out now for the most part, but developer Epic plans to apologize with freebies for everyone. [Update: The first of these freebies are now available, so be sure to log in and claim them while they're free.]
"It's been no secret that over the past 24 hours we've been experiencing issues with our services that have prevented many of you from playing Battle Royale and Save the World. We're sorry," Epic says in a message on its website. "We know how frustrating this has been. We messed up here."
In return for players being "awesome and patient," it's offering free items that can be claimed for a limited time. This weekend, Battle Royale players can get a free Back Bling item (a new type of customization slot added for Season 3), which is pictured below. Also this weekend, Save the World players can grab a Troll Stash Llama. Both of these will be available from the respective modes' in-game stores.
In addition, Battle Royale players will receive a "pack of Battle Stars," which are used to rank up the Battle Pass and earn rewards. Save the World players will get some amount of seasonal gold. Unlike the freebies on the store, these will require downtime to distribute, so that will happen as part of the planned update for the week (which is likely to come between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, US time).
Epic says it intends to release a "detailed postmortem" detailing the problem Fortnite encountered this week and its plans to "improve services" in the future. This will be released "later next week."
If you're interested in the open-world shooter Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands but haven't picked it up yet, we have some good news: You'll get a chance to try the game for free this weekend. The free-play weekend runs from now through 15, on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
It's a good weekend to hop in, too. This week sees the launch of Wildlands' first big Year 2 update. It's called Special Operation I, and as Ubisoft just announced, it features a mission with Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher. Unlike in Blacklist, the previous Splinter Cell game, Fisher is once again voiced by Michael Ironside.
Ghost Recon Wildlands takes place in Bolivia, where the drug war is in full swing. You and up to three others play as a special forces unit tasked with going in and dismantling the cartel's operations. Your job is to topple one drug lord lieutenant at a time, until you reach the kingpin El Sueno.
In GameSpot's Ghost Recon Wildlands review, Miguel Concepcion wrote, "As only the second open world game in the Clancyverse, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a middlingly safe tactical shooter and a slightly wasted opportunity given the ambitious scope of its seemingly boundless map. While its main strength is its mission diversity, it doesn't take long to lose the motivation after reaching El Sueno's doorstep. Even with a foursome of highly trained friends, Wildlands eventually reveals its diminishing returns. The feeling of positive immediacy and dopamine hits begin to wane sooner than you expected from a game with such a large and diverse world."
It's worth noting Ubisoft has released a number of updates and expansions for Wildlands since the review was published, including a PvP mode called Ghost War. Ubisoft also announced last week that all Year 2 content would be free for all players. So it's probably worth trying out if you're looking for something to play this weekend.
Big budget sci-fi or not, a show in which an imperfect but ultimately wholesome family overcomes great obstacles and realizes they can do anything if they work together might sound too cheesy to possibly be any good. But that's exactly what Netflix's Lost in Space is: great science fiction with a positive message that's safe for the whole family to watch together. The fact that it's also a faithful, yet transformative adaptation of a decades-dormant sci-fi classic only makes it sweeter.
In the new Lost in Space, the Robinsons aren't the vanilla nuclear family you remember from the original. John Robinson (Toby Stephens) is a secretive soldier who, before the family's journey, was more or less estranged from his wife and kids. Maureen (Molly Parker) is a mother who will do anything for her kids--right or wrong be damned. Daughter Penny (Mina Sundwall) doesn't fit any stereotypes--she's obsessed with books, but isn't afraid to take the wheel and steer the ship when she has to. Judy (Taylor Russell) is Maureen's daughter from a previous marriage, and has darker skin--she's a skilled teenage doctor, but becomes hindered by trauma on the journey. The youngest, Will (Max Jenkins), is a capable kid who's troubled by the notion that he doesn't belong there.
Put these five together with some great writing that feels true to how families actually communicate, and you get a surprisingly realistic dynamic. The Robinsons aren't some idealized American family, despite the fact that they're some of the best humanity has to offer (it's not easy to qualify for the trip on the colony ship that spirited them away from Earth). Their bonds are messy and complex, which is much more interesting.
The show's first season opens with the Robinsons' personal familial ship, the Jupiter 2, crash-landing on a mysterious planet in the wake of some disaster on their much larger colony vessel. Over the course of the season, they'll meet other survivors: Ignacio Serricchio's pragmatic Don West, Parker Posey's conniving Dr. Smith, Raza Jaffrey's leadership-minded Victor, and more. These characters bounce off and orbit one another in ways that move the story forward, even as they all face obstacle after obstacle.
If there's one criticism of this show, it's that it relies far too heavily on Murphy's Law--anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I noted this after reviewing the first episode, and it only got more true throughout the rest of Season 1. Every time these survivors overcome one obstacle, two or three more pop up in its wake. Lost in Space definitely vibes on The Martian, as the Robinsons and co. are forced to use everything at their disposal, from planetary resources to debris from their wrecked ships, in order to survive.
Oh, and the robot helps a lot. The robot! If there was one thing on this show that might have threatened to sink the whole thing with raw cheesiness, it was the robot. Little kids watching the original Lost in Space dreamed of having their own pet robot; how could that not turn out corny? But by making the robot alien in origin--a new twist on the old character--Netflix's Lost in Space reinvigorates it. The robot is still Will's best friend, and yes, it utters that iconic phrase, "Danger, Will Robinson." But the more the Robinsons learn about it, the more interesting their relationship with the robot becomes. It's at the center of some of the season's best moments.
But Lost in Space isn't just about relationships and family drama. The fact that all this takes place against a backdrop of hardcore science fiction is borderline incredible. Even when you factor in futuristic technology, it seems like some of the show's finer scientific points must be dramatized past the point of realism, but it's not usually easy to tell. Hopefully Neil Degrasse Tyson weighs in soon.
What makes Lost in Space a true binge is not the moment-to-moment drama. It's the characters and the talented actors who portray them. Fresh off his memorable stint as the lead pirate on the Starz drama Black Sails, Toby Stephens puts in some of his best work as a gruff dad who's trying to do better for his family. Molly Parker matches his performance with ease, and Maureen is a complicated mother. The younger actors are all great as well, particularly Max (who plays Will), whose last job--no joke--was performing in the circus.
The one weak link in the characters is Parker Posey's Dr. Smith, who's written just a bit too villainously in the show's first season. Her motivations and actual personality get lost in her sociopathic schemes, and by the end it's hard to remember what her goal even is. Why is she so evil? If you have it all figured out, feel free to drop a comment below.
That Netflix will grant Lost in Space a second season is pretty much guaranteed. For now, enjoy one of the best sci-fi shows in recent memory--with your whole family, if you want.
If you've been eyeing an Xbox One X, you'll want to take a look at this deal from a retailer on Ebay. It gets you a 1TB Xbox One X, plus an extra controller, plus Assassin's Creed Origins for $480 (the sale price appears in your cart at checkout).
The standard retail price for just a 1TB Xbox One X is $500, so tossing in $120 worth of extras while lowering the price $20 represents a pretty great savings. The Ebay retailer in question, Ant Online, has a strong history of positive feedback. But if you're leery about sending hundreds of dollars to an unfamiliar Ebay retailer, you can grab just the core unit at Amazon for $490.
If you have a console you're willing to part with, you have one other potential option. Through April 22, GameStop is running a promotion that grants additional trade-in credit for PS4 and Xbox One consoles. How much you get back depends on the model you have, but the trade-in values are fairly high and can go a long way toward a new Xbox One X.
Like the PS4 Pro, the Xbox One X is a more powerful version of its predecessor. The X is capable of producing 4K visuals in most newer big-budget games, and even in some last-gen games that've been updated, like Halo 3 and Red Dead Redemption. It also supports HDR playback, and it's the only game console on the market that can play 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays.
EA has made some big changes to its executive team, shuffling several of its highest executives into new roles or even newly created ones. The announcement from CEO Andrew Wilson outlines the various personnel changes.
Patrick Soderlund will become Chief Design Officer, moving up from his role at Worldwide Studios. Laura Miele will become Chief Studios Officer, leading EA Worldwide Studios. Blake Jorgensen will hold a dual role as both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Other role changes include Chris Bruzzo leading a new internal marketing and analytics organization, and Matt Bilbey will become Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth.
"Change in the gaming industry is accelerating, with more disruption expected in the next 5 years than the last 45," Wilson said. "We must position ourselves for continued transformation and leadership. ... I'm a big believer in having the courage to change, especially in service of our players and our future. To that end, we have aligned on several strategic organizational changes that will sharpen focus on the creative core of EA, drive precision in our operations, and define clear leadership for our growth initiatives."
This all comes in the wake of EA underperforming with Star Wars: Battlefront 2, likely due in part to the bad press and reputation that came with its microtransactions structure. Jorgensen said at the time that microtransactions would be coming back, but they returned in a different form instead. That followed a tepid reception for Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem being delayed into 2019. It seems the company has had some trouble finding its footing lately, which makes Wilson's comments about changing with the times that much more apt.
Sega has something big on the horizon. The company is teasing a live event tomorrow out of Tokyo aimed at fans of its franchises. The tease was vague, but whatever it has in store is coming straight from Sega Festival 2018.
Sega FES is taking place in Akihabra, Toyko this weekend. The timing would be right to finally unveil the Sonic Racing game it began teasing last month, but at this point, it would be hard to call that a surprise. The studio could have something else entirely in store, but we won't know until tomorrow.
Stay tuned for a special announcement tomorrow, LIVE and direct from SEGA FES in Tokyo. You DO NOT want to miss this, SEGA fans! pic.twitter.com/2qKsQCSSI3
Alongside the Sonic Racing tease, Sega announced Sonic Mania Plus, a physical re-release of the 2D Sonic game released last year. It adds an Encore mode along with two more playable characters, Mighty and Ray. Sega is also partnering with Puma for Sonic-inspired sneakers.
A new update is on the way to the PC version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Ahead of its full release, patch 10 is now available on PUBG's test server, and it makes a number of adjustments to the Miramar map and other aspects of the game. [Update: Following a three-hour round of server maintenance, update 10 is now available in the live version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.]
Regarding Miramar, developer PUBG Corp. says it has tweaked the northeastern and northwestern portions of the map to make them "more appealing." In particular, the oasis can now be found in the northern part of Miramar, and Alcantara village has been added to the northwest. Additional roads, off-road paths, and car spawn locations have also been added to make it easier for players to get into and out of the area.
In addition to that, PUBG Corp. has made an assortment of general gameplay adjustments, particularly to the blue zone. With this update, delay time between blue zones has been decreased, giving players less time between phases. PUBG Corp. has also increased the amount of damage players will take from the seventh, eight, and ninth blue zones. Lastly, all in-game clothing spawns have been removed, although the rate of other item spawns remains unchanged.
PUBG Corp. hasn't announced exactly when it will roll update 10 over to the live game, but it says it will implement the patch sometime this week if the changes work as the developer intended. In the meantime, you can find the full patch notes for the update on the Steam forums.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Game Awards were held this week. Spoiler alert: What Remains of Edith Finch won Best Game. But to celebrate the nominees, both Steam and the Humble Store have dropped prices on some of the best games of 2017. Many of the deals are the same at both stores, so if you prefer one over the other, be sure to compare prices on the games you want. It's also worth noting that Humble Monthly subscribers get 10% off at the Humble Store. With that out of the way, here's what's on sale.
Steam
You can find the full list of games in the Steam BAFTA sale here, but we'll highlight some of the best deals below. Let's start with the Best Game winner. What Remains of Edith Finch is on sale for $14/£10. It's a unique story-based game that puts you in the shoes of many doomed family members related to the title character. Each vignette plays out in a different, often touching, way. There's nothing else quite like this game.
The acclaimed Metroid-style action game Hollow Knight is on sale for $10/£7. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, which tackles mental illness in a creative way, got a slight price drop to $27/£22. And the challenging-yet-satisfying game Cuphead is on sale for $17/£13.
If you're into narrative- and character-driven games, you have lots of options, too. Tacoma, which has you figure out what happened to the missing crew of a space station, is half off at $10/£7. Night in the Woods, a game about a girl coming home to her small hometown after dropping out of college, is $14/£10. And the prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm is on sale for $10/£7.
Humble Store
Many of the same games are on sale for the same or similar prices at the Humble Store. You can see the full list here, but let's look at some of the deals that are better than the ones on Steam.
Following the announcement earlier this week that Disney's upcoming live adaptation of Mulan will co-star martial arts legend Donnie Yen, two more huge Chinese stars have been added to the cast. Jet Li and Gong Li will join Yen and Liu Yifei in the movie, which is scheduled for a 2020 release.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jet Li will play the emperor of China, while Gong Li is to appear as the movie's villain, a powerful witch. As THR notes, this will be a new character, and not one that featured in the 1993 animated movie.
Like Yen, Jet Li has appeared in many of Hong Kong and China's most popular action movies over the past three decades. The pair appeared together in Hero, and Li's other movies include Fist of Legend and the Once Upon A Time In China series. In the US, he is known for roles in movies such as The Expendables and Lethal Weapon 4. Gong Li, meanwhile, is one of the China's best known actresses, and appeared in movies like Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami Vice, andCurse of the Golden Flower.
Mulan is scheduled to hit theaters on March 27, 2020 and is directed by Niki Caro, who is best known for the acclaimed drama Whale Rider. It will combine the story of the 1998 animated film with the tale of the legendary Hua Mulan, who impersonated a man to fight against a Hun invasion in the 4th Century.
It was previously reported that Disney was hiring an all-Asian cast, to avoid the accusations of "white-washing" that were levelled at a number of other movies recently. The manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell was criticised for casting Scarlett Johansson in the lead role, while actor Ed Skrein quit the upcoming Hellboy remake after he discovered that his role was Asian in the Hellboy comics.
Mulan is just one of many live-action remakes of Disney classics that are in development. New adaptatins of The Lion King and Aladdin are due in 2019, with Dumbo, Pinocchio, and The Jungle Book 2 also on the way.
The next crossover event in Monster Hunter World is now available. With the Spring Blossom Fest event ongoing, a new quest is now available on PS4 and Xbox One that allows you to get your hands on the crafting materials necessary to dress your Palico up like Mega Man.
The event quest itself is called A Rush of Blood, and it's an Arena where you have to hunt two Odagarons. One of these is an adorable, miniaturized version of the monster. That wrinkle aside, it's an otherwise standard 7-star mission, with limits of 50 minutes and three faints. Completing it will reward you with Mega Man Tickets, which are one of the resources necessary to craft the new gear. You'll have to repeat the fight several times to get enough tickets for everything.
With those in hand, head to the Smithy and open the Forge Palico Equipment section. Go to Full Armor Sets, and you can craft the Mega Man gear, which consists of two High Rank pieces: the Mega Man Helmet and Mega Man Suit. This costs three Mega Man Tickets.
For the Palico weapon, you'll go to the Standard Equipment area of the Forge Palico Equipment section. Toward the bottom of the High Rank weapons, you'll find find the Mega Man set's weapon, called the Mega Buster. This costs an additional two Mega Man Tickets, meaning you'll need five total to craft everything.
One unique aspect of this gear was teased during its original announcement. Depending on what weapon your character has equipped, you'll hear different classic Mega Man music when your Palico has this gear on. However, this is only true in the event quest; you unfortunately won't be hearing it during your regular adventures.
You have only a limited time to collect the necessary materials for this gear, as the event quest will only be available until April 27. The Spring Blossom Fest, meanwhile, ends on April 19 and provides an opportunity to get a new greatsword and armor.
Week 8 challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale involve several objectives that you may need some assistance in completing. There are three challenges in particular--involving dance floors, three boats, and vending machines--that are not immediately obvious based on their descriptions. Here's how to tackle those, as well as the remaining Week 8 challenges, for Battle Pass owners on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile.
The most intriguing-sounding of the bunch is the one that tells you to dance on different Dance Floors. These aren't something we've seen in the game previously--they've just been added as part of the new 3.5 update. This challenge wants you to find them and perform a dance emote while standing on top of them. You'll need to do this with three dance floors in all, though you can accomplish this across multiple matches. So far, we've only found three dance floors total; you can find them by heading to the southeastern corner of Flush Factory, grid B4 (west-southwest of Pleasant Park), and grid I6 (just east of Retail Row). The dance floors are located on the ground floor of newly added buildings. The locations are pictured in the map below, along with another challenge's location.
The trickiest of the challenges that Epic labels as being Hard has you search between Three Boats. As has been the case with similar objectives in the past, you don't get a treasure map or anything here--you simply have to recognize the landmarks that it's referring to. If you assume boats would be at Loot Lake, you're correct. The Battle Star you have to collect is located at the end of a small dock on the southeastern corner of Loot Lake's island. You can land right there at the start of a match and pick it up (by holding the same key/button used to open chests)--just be aware that you won't actually see it until you're very close to the ground.
Week 8 also brings a challenge to use a Vending Machine; these were added in the 3.4 content update. Visit one, and you're able to exchange building materials you've collected for items. These don't always show up in the same spots, but there are areas where they frequently show up. You can see those in our Vending Machine locations guide.
The remaining Week 8 challenges are less complex, though some of them come down to circumstance. You'll need to deal 500 damage to enemies with an explosive weapon, which can be done with grenade-type items or launchers. (However, you'll have to do it without one option, as the Guided Missile has been disabled temporarily.) Searching chests in Snobby Shores will involve simply spending some time in the area and exploring thoroughly--a good strategy, as always, is to check in the attics of buildings. Make sure to use an assault rifle as soon as you get one to get your three Assault Rifle eliminations, and if possible, do so in Dusty Depot, where you need to rack up three eliminations. All four of these might be easiest in solo playlists, where players can't be revived and you don't have teammates hogging any weapons.
Completing challenges rewards you with a specific number of Battle Stars--either five (for normal ones) or 10 (for Hard ones). These in turn allow you to level up your Battle Pass more quickly, which in turn unlocks Season 3 skins and rewards.
Rockstar has announced all of this week's new sales, events, and double XP opportunities for GTA Online--and there's a lot. Now through April 16 as part of what Rockstar is calling "Contraband Week," you can earn double GTA$ and RP for all Gunrunning Sell missions.
Additionally, the Target Assault races will pay double GTA$ and RP through the same time. This is a new mode featuring racing and shooting that was only just released this month.
In terms of sales, the Warstock Cache & Carry store is offering some nice discounts on things like vehicles and upgrades. Additionally, bunkers and bunker upgrades are on sale, while Legendary Motorsport is offering 25 percent off the Pfister Neon and Overflod Autarch cars through April 16. You can see a full rundown of this week's discounts below, as outlined on Rockstar's blog.
In other news, this week's Premium Race is "The Loop," while the Time Trial is "Great Ocean Highway." As usual, the top three finishers in the Premium Race will get GTA$, while everyone gets triple RP no matter how they finish. For the Time Trial, those who beat the par time will get an allotment of GTA$ and RP for their achievement.
Looking ahead, Rockstar announced that a new mode, The Vespucci Job, is coming to GTA Online next week. In this mode, players in the little Weeny Issi Classic car will try to escape other players in LSPD squad cars. Additionally, Rockstar is adding new vehicles to the game next week in the form of the Vapid Flash GT sports car and the Sea Sparrow chopper.
A new in-game event is underway in Pokemon Go. For the next few days, Niantic is holding Kanto Week, an event celebrating the classic Red and Blue versions with increased spawn rates for some Gen I Pokemon and other bonuses.
Kanto Week runs from now until April 17. For the duration of the event, Kanto-native Pokemon, like the original starting trio Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, will appear much more frequently in the wild. Other Gen I monsters, such as Aerodactyl and Snorlax, will also return to Raid Battles.
In addition to that, players will receive double the normal amount of Candy for capturing and transferring Pokemon during Kanto Week. Niantic is also offering special boxes from the in-game store that contain Raid Passes and other helpful items.
Kanto Week ties into the recently added Special Research quest to find Mew. As part of the tasks to encounter the Mythical Pokemon, players need to earn a gold Kanto medal, which is awarded for capturing 100 Pokemon from the region. This event should make it easier to accomplish that feat.
Kanto Week runs through Pokemon Go's next Community Day, which takes place this coming Sunday, April 15. During that event, Eggs will hatch at a quarter of the distance they typically require. Players will also have a greater chance to capture the Electric-type sheep Mareep; if it evolves into Ampharos during the event hours, the Pokemon will learn the powerful Dragon-type attack Dragon Pulse.
Nintendo Switch owners looking for something to play now have a lot of new options to choose from. A load of new titles are now available on the Eshop. This week sees 18 games arrive on the digital storefront, along with a pair of demos and a new Eshop sale that's underway for a limited time.
Headlining this week's releases is the acclaimed survival game Don't Starve. The title puts players in the role of Wilson, a gentlemanly scientist trapped in the wilderness by a demon. Players will have to guide Wilson around the hostile world, gathering resources and food in order to stave off starvation. The Switch version also includes the Reign of Giants and Shipwrecked DLC expansions.
In addition to Don't Starve, this week sees the release of the charming adventure game Burly Men at Sea. The title follows the story of three big, bearded fisherman, who "step away from the ordinary to seek adventure." The game features multiple branching pathways depending on your choices which will take the fishermen through "a series of encounters with creatures from folklore."
Other new Switch releases this week include the latest classic Neo Geo game, Gururin; the voxel adventure game Eternal Edge; the humorous brawler Super Daryl Deluxe; the tactical RPG Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs; and the Bomberman-like game Bombslinger. You can find the full list of this week's new Switch games below.
Whether you grew up playing the Spyro games or you're just now jumping on the purple dragon's bandwagon, you're probably looking forward to Spyro Reignited Trilogy. The game comes out September 21 on PS4 and Xbox One. But if you pre-order Spyro Reignited Trilogy from the PlayStation Store, you'll receive an exclusive Spyro avatar, as well as an exclusive Spyro dynamic theme.
You get these bonuses the moment you pre-order, so there's no need to wait until the game comes out to place the adorable dragon on your PS4's home screen. The theme finds Spyro standing on a wall under a starry sky, while calming music plays in the background. The standard icons have a golden hue, and a high-pitched chime plays each time you select a new icon.
Pre-order the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and snag this dynamic theme for your PS4! pic.twitter.com/D8tGAsqoS5
Activision's announcement for the new game says it features "scaled-up HD graphics," with every level "mapped faithfully from the originals, only now re-imagined with modern mechanics to give fans an excellent gaming experience." Check out our graphics comparison between the original games and the remasters to see just how massive the graphical update is.
The new trailer for The Incredibles 2 is here. The sequel to Pixar's 2004 superhero adventure hits theaters in June, and the first full trailer follows the teaser released in November and this recent poster.
The trailer focuses on the flourishing superhero career of Helen Parr, aka Elastigirl, while her husband Bob (Mr. Incredible) stays at home looking after the kids--Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack, the increasingly powerful latest addition to their family. The trailer also features the return of Frozone, plus the threat of a mysterious new villain who calls himself the Screen Slaver. Check it out above.
The Incredibles 2 hits theaters on June 15, 2018. The first movie made $633 million at the worldwide box office and for several years was the second biggest movie that Pixar had released. It currently stands as its seventh most successful film.
In related news, it was confirmed this week that Toy Story 4will be released next year. The Pixar sequel has been delayed several times--it was first announced in 2014, and at one stage was set to arrive this summer, before swapping places with The Incredibles 2. It will now be released on June 21, 2019.
Fortnite has another update available right now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile. Version 3.5.1 aims to address a few issues with the game's previous patch, version 3.5, and as such is limited to bug fixes.
In particular, the new replay system caused some problems whereby players' games could crash. These problems have now been addressed, according to developer Epic Games' official patch notes. Meanwhile an issue where players could fire weapons before the equip animation had finished under some circumstances has also now been resolved.
In Save the World, Epic has changed the way it converts event tickets into Llamas. From now on, players will receive one event Llama for every 1000 tickets; for any additional tickets above 1000, you'll receive one extra Llama regardless of how many extra tickets you have. The developer has also granted all Save the World players two Spring Llamas for free. Take a look at all the patch notes at the bottom of this article, via Epic.
More free Fortnite items are coming soon as an apology from Epic for the game's recent server problems. This weekend, Battle Royale players can get a free Back Bling item (a new type of customization slot added for Season 3), which is pictured below. Also this weekend, Save the World players can grab a Troll Stash Llama. Both of these will be available from the respective modes' in-game stores. In addition, Battle Royale players will receive a "pack of Battle Stars," which are used to rank up the Battle Pass and earn rewards.
Following its most recent update, Fortnite's next set of challenges have gone live on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile. Week 8 involves the usual mixture of straightforward objectives and several that will either require some additional legwork or a guide to completing them.
The most notable of the bunch is one that asks you to dance on different Dance Floors. These are newly added areas in the latest update, and you'll have to find a total of three to do your thing on in order to pass this challenge. Fortunately, you don't have to do all of this in a single match.
Another one that may trip you up is a Hard-difficulty challenge telling you to search between Three Boats. This requires you to know the map well, have a guide, or to just piece together that Loot Lake is where you'll find boats. Head there and pick up the Battle Star on the southeastern dock to complete the challenge.
Finally, the last of the trickier Week 8 challenges is one asking you to use a Vending Machine. These were added in the 3.4 content update and allow you to exchange materials you've collected for different items. You can check out our Vending Machine locations guide to find the most likely areas for one to show up.
Other Week 8 challenges include one that asks you to deal damage with explosive weapons. That should be easy enough, although you'll have one less weapon with which to do so, as the Guided Missile has been disabled temporarily at the time of this week. That's due to an animation bug following the release of Fortnite's 3.5 update.
You can check out the full list of challenges below--these are available to complete on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile, provided you own the Season 3 Battle Pass. Completing challenges allows you to more quickly level up the Battle Pass, earning you Season 3 skins and rewards.
Fortnite Week 8 Challenges
Use a Vending Machine -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Explosive Weapons to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Snobby Shores (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Dance on different Dance Floors (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between Three Boats -- 10 Battle Stars
Now, with God of War's release date drawing ever closer, reviews have gone live for the next big PS4 game, and it seems critics are impressed. In our God of War review, Peter Brown awarded the action-adventure title a 9/10, saying it's a "spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat." For more on what critics thought, check out our review roundup below, or head over to Metacritic for a wider view of the game's critical reception.
Game: God of War
Developer / Publisher: Sony Santa Monica / Sony
Platforms: PS4
Release Date: April 20
Price: US $60 / £53 / AU $100
GameSpot -- 9/10
"In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come." -- Peter Brown [Full review]
IGN -- 10/10
"I expected great action from God of War, and it delivers that handily. But I didn't expect it to be a thrilling journey in which every aspect of it complements the others to form what is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's a game in which Kratos, a previously one-note character, becomes a complex father, warrior, and monster, embattled both on the field and within his own heart about how to treat his son; one in which the world opens up and shifts, offering rewards in both gameplay and knowledge of its lore that I treasured with each accomplishment. The obvious care that went into crafting its world, characters, and gameplay delivers by far the most stirring and memorable game in the series." -- Jonathon Dornbush [Full review]
The Guardian -- 5/5
"It is rare to play a game so accomplished in everything it sets out to do. God of War is a standard-setter both technologically and narratively. It is a game that, until recently, would have been impossible." -- Keza MacDonald [Full review]
Game Informer -- 9.75/10
"Years ago, Kratos killed the deities of Mount Olympus in a gory rampage. Now, in the Norse realm, he has remade himself into a different kind of god. He is quieter and more deliberate, affected by his history but not constrained by it. Kratos' reinvention serves as a narrative hook, but it also parallels the series' evolution as a whole; where God of War once relied on bombast and bloodlust, now it leaves space for strategy and nuance. It still has superb action and plenty of jaw-dropping moments, but it supports them with a new level of depth and maturity. God of War learns from its past while clearing an exciting path for the future, and emerges as one of the best games of this generation." -- Joe Juba [Full review]
Variety -- No Score
"Kratos remains capable of startling violence. But there is a sense that even Sony Santa Monica has recoiled from some of 'God of War's' legacy, and the game is better for it. It is a game that treats its history with respect where appropriate, but without obligation, even in its very concluding moments. This new God of War has some rough edges remaining in its transition to something new, but even in its concluding moments, it commits to its vision in a way that few games do--and it's the first time the series has felt vibrant and important in a decade." -- Arthur Gies [Full review]
Polygon -- 10/10
"A decade ago, director Cory Barlog helped establish the God of War franchise as an iconic gory and debaucherous video game romp. While its antihero, Kratos, had pathos (he killed his wife and daughter in a fit of rage, his skin forever grayed by their ashes), it served little dramatic purpose, rather existing as a grimdark excuse for his god-slaying and orgy-having ways. Barlog--now older, a father--has returned to the series with a bundle of talented designers, many of whom served on the earlier games, to make good on that rich but neglected potential at its core. There's still plenty of gore, but the now the guts have meatiness." -- Chris Plante [Full review]
Eurogamer -- Recommended
"Like Kratos, the god of fury who must learn not to fear his son, this is a strange beast, really. The latest technology and astonishing craft and artistry are employed to deliver a game of extremely simple pleasures--a wash of new pseudo-ideas that cannot hide the fact that the basics remain unfixed because they were not broken. God of War dresses things up, in other words, but it is ultimately the same deal it always was. As is the way with myths, I guess. As is the way with gods." -- Christian Donlan [Full review]
As teased, Microsoft revealed a bunch of new original Xbox games that will soon be backwards compatible with Xbox One. During the latest episode of Inside Xbox, the company announced that 19 original Xbox titles will be playable on the current-gen console this month, including some of the platform's most beloved releases.
Like all other backwards compatible games, you'll be able to pop their original disc into your Xbox One and begin playing once they're added to the BC catalog. You'll also be able to download a digital copy of the aforementioned games from the Xbox Store.
Microsoft announced some big backwards compatibility news during tonight's Inside Xbox broadcast. Along with a huge selection of original Xbox games that will soon be playable on Xbox One, the company revealed that another batch of Xbox 360 titles are getting enhancements on its new Xbox One X console.
Five more 360 games from Xbox One's backwards compatible library are receiving updates to support the X today, April 10. The biggest of the bunch is Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar's critically acclaimed western, though the rest of the batch consists of some of 360's most beloved games, including Gears of War 2, Portal 2, Darksiders, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
In addition to those titles, Microsoft announced that another 360 game is joining Xbox One's backwards compatible library: Sonic Generations, the 2011 installment that features both classic and modern Sonic gameplay. It likewise is receiving an update to support Xbox One X today, April 10.
With the update, all of the above titles will run at higher resolution and feature other visual improvements when played on Xbox One X. This is done using the Heutchy Method--named after the Microsoft engineer who developed it--which "leverages the power of Xbox One X to let the Xbox 360 emulator present the very best version of the game possible with the existing assets--all without touching the game code."
Blizzard has revealed the final cards for its upcoming Hearthstone expansion, The Witchwood. This latest addition to the digital card game will add 135 cards in all when it releases today, April 12. It all centers around a spooky haunted forest theme with creepy new features and keywords.
Rush, one of the new keywords, is similar to the existing Charge mechanic but restricted only to attacking minions on the turn they are first played. The other is Echo, which lets you play the same card multiple times in a turn as long as you have the mana to pay for it. Other mechanics add flavor without their own devoted keyword. Worgen characters swap attack and health (and visual art) every turn they're in your hand. Finally, some of the new cards have special effects if you build a deck only out of even- or odd-costed cards.
If you'd like to jump aboard, you still have a few hours to claim some free packs for completing daily quests. Once the expansion launches, you can log in and claim three free packs and a free class legendary. You can read our chat with game director Ben Brode for more insights on the expansion and why this may be the best time for newcomers to join.
Check out the full list of expansion cards below, organized by class.
The latest update for Fortnite has arrived, bringing with it new content and other changes, particularly for Battle Royale mode. However, an issue has cropped up involving the game's latest weapon, the Guided Missile, forcing Epic Games to remove it temporarily.
As confirmed in a tweet from the game's official Twitter account, an "animation issue" has emerged involving the weapon. Specifically, "sprinting after firing the Guided Missile causes the player model to be stuck with no running animation." As a result, Epic is "temporarily disabling it" on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile until a fix can be implemented. The developer doesn't provide any sense for how long that will take, whether it'll be a matter of hours or days. Another problem that sprouted up after the new 3.5 update involving accuracy and reticle issues has already been resolved.
The Guided Missile was added recently and fires a rocket that players can remotely control (though doing so leaves you vulnerable) and even ride on top of. It's proven to be a controversial addition, though the new update does take steps to reduce its effectiveness. The maximum turn rate of the missile has been decreased by 75%, while its movement speed has been reduced by 15%. It's one of a number of balance changes to go along with the newly added Port-a-Fort item, which builds a pre-made fort when thrown. A revamped version of the 50v50 limited-time mode is also on the way.
The Guided Missile problem isn't the only lingering issue from the new update. A keybinding issue is affecting PC (and PS4 players using keyboards), while the new replay system is causing crashes. Epic shares the status of all of these problems (and any others the game is facing) on its public Trello board, allowing fans to stay on top of how they're being addressed.
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