This fall, get ready to pick up the scalpel and become the surgeon of your dreams (or nightmares) once again--and with a friend. Surgeon Simulator CPR is headed to Switch.
It's been five years since Bossa Studios first let us near the operating table. The Switch port is in celebration of that anniversary, and it will include features of the previous iterations, from the notoriously challenging and awkward controls to the most successful heart-in-mouth transplants.
CPR will include motion controls and HD rumble support, as well as every original operation and the eye and teeth transplants from A&E. You'll also be able to get your hands on the classified Alien Autopsy operation.
What's one clumsy surgeon without another? New to CPR is co-op. No matter where you are or how you're playing, hand a joy-con to a friend for drop-in, drop-out co-op play.
While we don't have an exact release date for Surgeon Simulator CPR, we do know it will be dropping sometime this fall. You can also find previous ports of Surgeon Simulator of PC, PS4, PSVR, and iOS.
One of the big new features coming in Battlefield V is Grand Operations, an "upgraded version" of the Operations multiplayer mode introduced in Battlefield 1. However, it appears players won't be able to participate in this new multiplayer experience until after the game releases. [Update] EA has clarified that the Battlefield V website had outdated information and confirmed Grand Operations will be playable at launch.
"A previous version of this article stated that Battlefield V Grand Operations would be available shortly after launch, based on development plans as of June 9, the date the story published," reads the statement. "The article has been updated to reflect that Grand Operations will be playable at launch and as part of Tides of War." Original story follows.
EA shared more details about Grand Operations in a new post on the official Battlefield V website. Most notably, the post reveals that the first Grand Operation will be available "shortly after launch." No other timing details were shared in the post, so it remains to be seen how long players will have to wait to play the first one.
EA says Grand Operations are "designed to seamlessly showcase the maps and modes of Battlefield V." Each one lasts roughly an hour and takes place across three in-game "days," beginning with an insertion. In the Norway Operation, that will take the form of the new Airborne mode, which has one team parachute onto a map to destroy a group of artillery cannons while the other defends against their attack.
How well your faction performs will determine how the remaining days of the Grand Operation begin. As EA explains, "Play well on the first day and deploy with an adequate supply of ammo or vehicles when the map shifts, for example. Do poorly, and you'll deploy the next day with perhaps fewer respawns, vehicles, or other resources."
Battlefield V launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 19, but those who purchase the game's Deluxe edition will be able to jump in three days early, on October 16. Like the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, it will feature its own battle royale mode. For more on the upcoming shooter, be sure to check out our roundup of everything we know about Battlefield V.
No Man's Sky is back and bursting with new opportunities following the release of the Next update. For the first time you can embark on missions or traipse around the stars with friends in tow. You can all kick back and plan missions from the deck of your capital ship and command a fleet of AI fighter craft should a gang of space pirates attempt to plunder your coffers. New planet types and overhauled visuals add a layer of freshness to it all. If you thought NMS was marvelous before, prepare to be wowed all over again.
If you're like me, there's no question about whether or not you should jump back in, but rather if you should continue playing your existing save or start over from scratch. There isn't one correct answer, and my reasoning may seem frivolous depending on how you play the game and what your ultimate goals are, but judging by my experiences so far this week, taking a step back isn't as detrimental as you might think.
Regardless of what you hope to accomplish, odds are that if you haven't played No Man's Sky in a while you will be confused by the revamped resources and their associated survival systems. Upon booting up my PS4 save, with dozens of hours behind it and millions of units waiting to be spent, I immediately struggled to wrap my head around everything that's been added to the game over the last two years. I had a ship I loved. I had great gear and ample cash flow with which to establish a new life among the stars. But I lacked the most important thing of all: a clue.
It was at this stage I considered putting the past behind me. Starting over would afford me the chance to ease into the game's new rules and systems. It is, after all, about the journey rather than the destination. I thought of transferring my riches to a friend and recouping them after starting a new game to lessen the blow, but that felt like cheating myself out of the full experience. I gave myself one concession: I would pick up an existing save on PC that was set just after acquiring the warp drive, one of the game's earliest milestones. That would save me an hour of tutorialized quests and put me at the start of the game's two main quest lines, which both provide structure and advanced instruction.
Booting up my immature PC save was a bit demoralizing at first, but that momentary doubt quickly gave way once a couple of friends loaded in. In that instant, No Man's Sky was less about my journey and more about reveling in the splendor of it all with a couple of goofy partners. No Man's Sky is not a humorous game, but it can be with the right friends in tow. Light-hearted banter goes a long way to make less-inspiring activities, such as harvesting resources, far more enjoyable.
After a few minutes of questions and answers with my comrades it didn't take long until I felt confident in my ability to understand No Man's Sky's revamped systems. I knew where to get the materials I wanted and how to convert them into fuel for my ship and energy for my survival gear--the most basic and critical skills to master.
That's when it hit me: I really wish I had all of my old stuff again. Here I was, feeling confident about my ability to operate under a new set of instructions but with nothing to show for my otherwise extensive experience. I could jump back to my PS4 save and leave my friends behind, but committing to that would be cutting myself off from one of the things that has made my time back in No Man's Sky so enjoyable in the first place. I honestly can't choose between my kickass starship on PS4 and a couple of knuckleheads on PC because they both bring different things to the table. But one thing is for sure: starting over afforded me the knowledge to make my old save worth playing again.
No Man's Sky is a platform that can be used for a lot of different things, and that's more true than ever before with the addition of multiplayer. The question of whether or not you should start a new save is pretty personal, and in my case, I simply found a temporary trip back to square one to be worth the effort. If you already own No Man's Sky and are wondering if you should start over,, consider that you'll be far better off equipping yourself with the necessary knowledge to succeed in the long run than to assume you picking up the game where you left off years ago is actually giving No Man's Sky Next a fair shot.
The PlayStation library is home to countless iconic games, but few are as synonymous with Sony's first console as Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot. Last year, Activision remastered the Crash trilogy and it was a massive success, but the company has since set its sights on Spyro the Dragon with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. As one of Sony's historic flagship franchises, the purple dragon has a substantial legacy, which has understandably made the task of modernizing his most well-known adventures a tall order for California-based studio Toys For Bob.
There's a great deal of challenge involved in remastering the visuals and mechanics of the original Spyro trilogy. How do you imbue new life into worlds and characters who were originally created under the pressure of hardware limitations? Technology has advanced astronomically since Spyro's debut in 1998; you can't just touch up these graphics and hope the same charm is expressed. According to the Reignited Trilogy's developers, the solution is far more complex.
"When you look at the original game and you squint your eyes at it, there's a lot of imagination that you had to do at the time to fill in the blanks." said Toys For Bob co-studio head Paul Yan. "For us, it's taking the game, and asking: What do people remember about this? It was important to start with the memories as opposed to how do you interpret exactly what's on the screen."
It's undeniable that memory plays a huge part in our fondness for 3D 32-bit console games. From a visual standpoint, you can argue that graphics from this generation have not aged well at all. Yet we still possess an unwavering affection for these 3D games. Call it rose-tinted glasses, but it's precisely this view that keeps games like Spyro front-of-mind for so many.
Fortunately, Toys For Bob has steered clear from interfering too much with our fondest recollections of Spyro, instead opting to harness the personal accounts and memories of both fans and the game's original creators to create a new yet familiar vision of Spyro and his world.
"We didn't approach [the games] with, 'How can we add all these new ideas?'" commented Yan. "It's really about, how do we understand the truth of them and then bring that up and find opportunities to embellish and add more lushness and detail?"
There's an intensity and boldness in the Reignited Trilogy's remastered visuals, as if an otherworldly force motioned its hand to sprout an abundance of life and color across every inch of the original environments. These new details seem to close the gap on what our minds once filled in, enhancing and making real everything we once imagined for ourselves staring at the primitive polygonal edges of Spyro's world.
Elder dragons have been redesigned to give them their own unique appearances and personalities.
This is reflected best in the way Toys For Bob has approached redesigning the first Spyro game's 80 collectable elder dragons. In the original, they had some size, shape, and color diversity, but their designs eventually started to blend together. To combat this, Toys For Bob has given each of the elder dragons their own unique design and personality. For example, Beast Maker dragons act more shamanistic and speak in Cajun accents due to their home being much like the Louisiana bayou. Additions like this elevate our understanding of Spyro's cast and better connect us to the worlds in which they live.
"Our philosophy was to try to understand the key style points of the character, and understand what the intention was," Yan said. "We'd ask what was the story Insomniac were trying to tell? Once we felt like we understood that, we'd then try to inject as much new storytelling as we could into both the environments and the characters."
We didn't approach [the games] with, 'How can we add all these new ideas?' It's really about, how do we understand the truth of them and then bring that up and find opportunities to embellish and add more lushness and detail?
Paul Yan, Toys For Bob co-studio head
While visuals have been enhanced with new details and narrative threads, other aspects, like environment layouts, had to remain exactly the same. "The one thing that we were always extremely adherent to was the feel and the gameplay because we wanted that to be as referential and one-to-one to the originals as possible," Reignited Trilogy art director Josh Nadelberg said.
And it's not just the level geometry that needs to stay the same, it's the sounds too. Prolific voice actor Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants, Adventure Time) reprises his role as Spyro for the Reignited Trilogy, and from early footage, he hits the notes we all expect him to. But even he faces his own unique struggles in the remastering process. According to Kenny, matching line reads he did 20 years ago, while trying to incorporate lessons he's learned since voicing Spyro in 1998, has proved difficult.
"You want to be very respectful of the way people remember Spyro, but you still want your acting to be zesty," commented Kenny. "You still want Spyro to live. But you don't want to be so concerned with matching syllable for syllable that it becomes a total left-brain exercise."
It's a tough balancing act that those involved in the remastering process must follow. But there are moments when the solution is simply to go both ways. The Reignited Trilogy faithfully recreates the instrumentation of the original soundtracks but adjusts them to dynamically shift with the player's actions during gameplay. However, if players want a more faithful experience, they can choose to switch back to the original scores composed by music legend Stewart Copeland (The Police).
Even for a high-profile musician like Copeland, Spyro has a special, unshakable meaning. "When I went down [to Toys For Bob], I was hugely relieved because I was actually very emotionally invested in the Spyro series, musically and with the visuals too," said Copeland when asked about his thoughts on the remaster. "I went down there with my hackles up and left with a glow of joy. It was actually kind of emotional to see it brought forward in this way."
There's always the original games that they could play and have that experience, but what we've done is we've tried to make the game richer in a way that we feel is honoring the spirit of the originals.
Josh Nadelberg, art director
Reignited Trilogy music remixer Stephan Vankov and the team were intentional in their approach to offer players options in listening to the series' iconic musical score. "We wanted to provide a fresh way to experience the same music tracks where both new and old players can hear the work and it would be clearly transparent, the updates we've done to the music, and to take advantage of the latest technologies in game audio," said Vankov. "But we also wanted to give players the ability to switch back because the original soundtrack was so beloved, and we know that maybe not everybody's going to like the work that we've done."
It's a hard-hitting truth that not everyone is going to love the changes made, a reality that Toys For Bob has come to terms with. In a remastering process as deep as the Reignited Trilogy, there are changes that simply won't fly with some fans. A game like this will inherently trigger division, and after a while, there's only so much you can do to accommodate the tastes of everyone. When working on any creative project, tough calls need to be made, but what ultimately matters is that these decisions are made from the heart and with the best of intentions.
"There are folks that really don't want things to change. We respect that," concluded Nadelberg. "There's always the original games that they could play and have that experience, but what we've done is we've tried to make the game richer in a way that we feel is honoring the spirit of the originals. We hope that the fans give that a shot and fall in love with the world as much as we did while we were recreating it."
Netflix has purchased the rights to Mowgli, the live-action Jungle Book adaptation from director Andy Serkis. The darker take on the Rudyard Kipling classic was in a race with Disney's own live-action adaptation, which Disney won by releasing in 2016.
This version was originally slated for 2016 as well, but has since suffered multiple delays. It recently released its first trailer with a theatrical release planned for October 19, 2018. EW reports that this acquisition delays it once again, as now Netflix will premiere it on its streaming platform sometime in 2019.
Serkis is best known for his variety of motion-capture work in films like The Planet of the Apes and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. He dons the motion-capture suit in Mowgli as well to play Baloo the bear, while also taking duties behind the camera as director.
The director told Deadline that he needed extra time for his performance capture work, and decided to "let the other film have its moment." He also suggested that Netflix will help them avoid direct comparisons between the two films, and give it more creative freedom to have darker themes and to explore the violence between the animals.
Mowgli stars Rohan Chand in the title role, alongside Christian Bale as Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, and of course, Andy Serkis as Baloo.
It's July, which of course means we're already half way through 2018. Summer usually has a reputation for being a rather dry period for exciting games, but this month looks to have some interesting titles to keep you busy during the warm and sunny days. In the month of July, there's a surprising amount of remasters and re-releases looking to find new homes on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One--which includes Sonic Mania Plus and the cleverly named Red Faction: Guerilla Re-Mars-tered Edition. While remasters and ports are common, July certainly has them in healthy abundance.
Along with these remasters, we also have the first-time releases of Octopath Traveler and The Banner Saga 3, which should keep RPG and strategy fans engaged for quite sometime. For a more in-depth look at all the most notable games coming this year, check out our more detailed list of releases here.
Octopath Traveler (Nintendo Switch) -- July 13
Set for release on July 13 for the Switch, Octopath Traveler is Square-Enix's long-awaited return to classic 2D RPG gameplay that fans have been yearning for. With a visual style that recreates those familiar old-school graphics for the HD era, you'll band together a party of heroes, level up, and do battle with bandits and other monsters in a world of myth and mystery.
Sonic Mania Plus (Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One) -- July 17
Coming almost a year after the original release, Sonic Mania Plus plans to offer new and returning players alike the purest form of classic Sonic the Hedgehog gameplay. Coming to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One on July 17, Sega's next big return to traditional Sonic action will include new levels, more secrets, and two additional characters in the form of Mighty the Armadillo, and Ray the Flying Squirrel--both of whom have been long absent since their appearance in the arcade-only release of SegaSonic the Hedgehog.
The Banner Saga 3 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One) -- July 24
Starting out as a Kickstarter success story, The Banner Saga series has grown from crowdfunding hopeful to a game series with a passionate following. With the third installment now approaching its release, the developers behind the punishing RPG aim to give the main story a fitting conclusion, while also offering far more challenging battles and tough decisions to make in order to stay alive in the harsh environment.
Following a tantalizingly brief teaser trailer back in March, Nintendo formally unveiled its next Super Smash Bros. game at E3 2018. The new installment in the beloved fighting series arrives on Nintendo Switch later this year, and while there are still undoubtedly many details we don't yet know about it, Nintendo revealed a ton of information about the game during its June presentation, giving us a good idea of what to expect.
To catch you up on everything Nintendo has revealed about the game so far, we've compiled everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate below, from the game's release date and new characters to the many changes being made to its gameplay. We'll continue to update this list as new details emerge, so be sure to check back for the latest information on Nintendo's highly anticipated mascot fighter.
Prior to its official reveal at E3, there was much speculation over whether Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be a new installment in the series or an expanded port of the Wii U entry, in the vein of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo cleared up any misconceptions during a Q&A session at this year's expo, confirming that Ultimate is indeed a brand-new title built for Nintendo Switch.
How Many New Characters Are There?
Nintendo has revealed three new fighters debuting in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Inkling, Ridley, and Daisy. The first two are brand-new additions to the series, and both boast their own unique movesets and play styles that draw from their respective franchises. Inkling can splatter opponents with ink and use a variety of weapons from Splatoon, such as Splat Bombs and the Splat Roller, while Ridley can spew fire and spear other combatants with his tail.
Unlike the other two newcomers, Daisy isn't an entirely new addition to the roster, but rather an Echo Fighter--a clone of an existing character, in the vein of Lucina and Dark Pit. Her moveset and play style are based on Princess Peach, although she boasts some different characteristics to set her apart. Beyond those three fighters, Nintendo hasn't revealed if any other new characters will appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, although it seems likely that a few surprises still remain in store for fans.
Which Characters Are Coming Back?
Everyone! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features the largest roster in the series to date with 66 confirmed fighters (and presumably a couple of surprises still to be revealed). Every playable character who has ever appeared in a Smash Bros. game will return in Ultimate, including all of the DLC fighters released for the Wii U and 3DS installments--such as Bayonetta, Corrin, and Mewtwo--as well as third-party characters like Sonic, Cloud, and Street Fighter's Ryu.
The roster even encompasses characters who have previously only appeared in a single Super Smash Bros. game, including Pichu and Young Link (whose sole appearances were in 2001's Melee), and Wolf and Snake from 2008's Brawl. Longtime Metal Gear Solid voice actor David Hayter revealed he is reprising his role as the latter in Ultimate, and Snake's signature stage, Shadow Moses Island, has also been confirmed to return.
It's unclear just how many of these characters will be available from the outset; Nintendo teases that the starting roster could be as small as that of the first Super Smash Bros. for N64--eight characters--but an exact count has not been confirmed. However, the company says the conditions for unlocking characters have been streamlined this time around, and new fighters will be doled out frequently, giving players the feeling that they're constantly making progress.
How Many Stages Are There?
Nintendo hasn't revealed the full list of stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate yet, but the company says a "massive list" of them will return in the game. Among the many that have been confirmed thus far are Spirit Train and Tortimer Island from Super Smash Bros. for 3DS; Princess Peach's Castle and Great Bay from Melee; New Pork City and Frigate Orpheon from Brawl; and Mario Galaxy from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. At least two new stages will be introduced in the game as well: Great Plateau Tower (based on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild), and Splatoon's Moray Towers. Every stage in the game will also have a Battlefield and Omega form.
What Else Is Different?
Aside from all of the new characters, stages, and items, Nintendo is making a ton of mechanical and balance changes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Game director Masahiro Sakurai says the amount of tweaks in the game could number in the "tens of thousands," and they range from subtle visual upgrades--like Wii Fit Trainer's refined face--to reworked movesets and other dramatic overhauls.
One of the most notable changes is the pace of the game. Combat in Ultimate feels speedier than in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, resulting in quicker and more intense matches. Moreover, Nintendo has introduced some new techniques, such as directional air dodges, and simplified other ones, like short hop attacks, improving the game's accessibility while also allowing for more skillful play. In keeping with this emphasis on speedier matches, players will dish out more damage in one-on-one battles, while those who excessively dodge will now be penalized with slowed dodge movement and a smaller window of invulnerability.
Most Final Smashes have also undergone some dramatic changes in Ultimate. Some existing specials, like Pikachu's Volt Tackle and Sonic's Super Sonic transformation, are now uncontrollable, lightning-fast attacks, while other characters have received new Final Smashes entirely. This time, Link fires a devastating Ancient Arrow, while Pit barrels through opponents in the Lightning Chariot. Nintendo says that nearly every Final Smash has been reworked in Ultimate to be more immediate, allowing players to get back into the fray more quickly.
Likewise, many returning characters have received significant overhauls in Ultimate, both in terms of their appearance and their movesets. Ganondorf, for instance, is modeled after his classic look in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and he now uses his sword for his smash attacks. Princess Zelda's new model is based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds, and Link dons his Champion's Tunic from Breath of the Wild. Shulk can now choose Monado Arts directly rather than having to cycle through them, while Palutena's special attacks have been streamlined.
Can I Use GameCube Controllers?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will support several different controller options, including the Switch Pro controller, a single Joy-Con, and many Smash fans' preferred gamepad, the GameCube controller. As was the case with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the latter will be compatible with the console via a separate adapter. This peripheral plugs into the Switch dock and works with both standard wired GameCube controllers and the wireless WaveBird.
Those who already own the Wii U GameCube controller adapter will be able to use it with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Switch. Nintendo will also release a new controller adapter later this year, along with a new line of Smash-branded wired GameCube controllers. Both are already available for pre-order from various retailers such as Amazon and GameStop; the adapter retails for $20, while the GameCube controllers run for $30 each.
Will It Work with Amiibo?
Nintendo confirmed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be compatible with the existing range of Smash Bros. Amiibo, and data saved to those figures will carry over to the new game. The company has also announced it will produce several new Smash Bros. Amiibo. During E3 2018, Nintendo showcased figures of Ridley and Inkling, two of the new fighters making their debut in Ultimate. The third new fighter announced for the game thus far, Daisy, will likewise receive an Amiibo, although it wasn't on display at E3.
In addition to the new figures, Nintendo announced it will also produce Amiibo for returning characters. The company has specifically confirmed Wolf, Ice Climbers, and Pichu will receive Amiibo, although that will presumably apply to other returning fighters, such as Young Link and Snake, as well. The Ridley, Inkling, and Wolf figures will launch alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this December and retail for $16 each. Reprints of many previous Smash Bros. Amiibo will also be available later this year for $13.
Will I Need to Pay to Play Online?
While online play on Nintendo Switch has been free up until now, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (and other online-enabled games like Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee) will require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription once the premium service rolls out this September. Subscriptions will be available for one month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), three months (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and 12 months (US $20 / £18 / AU $30). Nintendo will also offer a Family Plan, which allows up to eight accounts to share one membership for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 a year.
Will There Be DLC?
Nintendo hasn't given any indication as to whether or not it will release additional content for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, the most recent installments in the series received an extensive amount of DLC following their release, from new stages and characters to a wide assortment of Mii Fighter costumes, and it seems likely that Ultimate will get a similar level of post-launch support, although nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
When's the Release Date?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch later this year, on December 7.
We may be only in the middle of 2018, but there's already an exciting roster of games releasing in 2019. Highly-anticipated games like Anthem, Days Gone, and Kingdom Hearts III make up only a small number of what's ahead. And that's not to mention the all the big games recently revealed at E3, like Resident Evil 2 Remake, Gears 5, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which we can't wait to get our hands on. To help you keep track of all the games coming out next year, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2019 so far.
More dates are sure to be confirmed as the year goes on, so be sure to check back often as we update this article with new additions or potential changes. But if you're looking for this year's release dates, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2018.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime in 2019. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
After several years of waiting, Capcom has finally debuted its remake of classic survival-horror game Resident Evil 2. If you only watched its E3 2018 reveal trailer, chances are you have some questions regarding how it plays and how faithful it is to the 1998 original. There are still plenty of details that we don't know, but Capcom has at least offered some clarity on its most curious changes.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Resident Evil 2 remake, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: how it came to be, why its camera is from the third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, its collector's edition, and more.
While not explicitly titled "Resident Evil 2 Remake," the game is in fact a total remake of the classic survival-horror game, and not a remastered version of the PS1 original with touched-up graphics--much in the same vein as 2002's Resident Evil remake. You once again control rookie cop Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after its citizens are transformed into zombies by a virus two months after the events of the first Resident Evil.
The project came to be after Capcom producer Yoshiaki "H" Hirabayashi took to Facebook on July 30, 2015 to ask the Resident Evil community if they'd be interested in a remake. The request was met with enthusiastic support, which prompted Hirabayashi to pitch the idea to his boss sometime later. The result of the pitch meeting was confirmed the following August when the game was formally announced by Hirabayashi in a special message to fans.
How It Plays
The Resident Evil 2 remake plays from a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, similar to Resident Evil 4. If you're worried this deviates too far from the original's fixed-camera system, don't let this get you down: the remake still emphasizes survival-horror above all else. You're not given the same amount of power that the more action-oriented games in the series offer you.
The new aiming style feels like a modernized version of the aiming from classic Resident Evil games that allows you to move and pick out where you want your shots to land.
This manifests itself in combat. When you aim, the cardinal markers on your reticle slowly move until they're closed in on the center, allowing you to fire a more precise shot. But when you move, the reticle resets and takes time to close in again. Shots take time to line up and you need to stand still to get them just right; you can't instantly fire from the hip and expect to hit your target. It's a small change, but it completely alters your sense of control. The new aiming style feels like a modernized version of the aiming from classic Resident Evil games that allows you to move and pick out where you want your shots to land.
Progression also remains largely the same as the original Resident Evil 2. You're still solving puzzles, tracking down keys, gathering resources, and putting them back into item boxes for later use. But there's more freedom to explore and discover secrets at your own pace and in varying orders--which is a welcome change of pace from the more constricted adventure game-like progression of the original. You're constantly investigating new pathways and gaining new items that might help you open up the way to your objective.
In the same way Resident Evil 7 felt like a classic Resident Evil game played from the first-person perspective, the Resident Evil 2 remake feels the same--but from an over-the-shoulder perspective.
Why The Third-Person Camera Perspective?
As stated, Resident Evil 2 remake will play from a third-person over-the-shoulder view. Hirabayashi told GameSpot that he and his team chose the perspective because they wanted the experience of playing the game to be "intimately terrifying in nature, to [have] up-close and personal zombie encounters that you can only get with that kind of view." He commented further that the perspective was also chosen to open up new possibilities for the series' classic puzzle-solving.
Based on our time spent playing the game at E3 2018, the third-person perspective plays well with the labyrinthian corridors of the police department, making exploration feel unsettling and claustrophobic. We're curious how it'll be effectively used in the latter portions of the game.
How Faithfully Does It Recreate The Original?
Currently, all we have to go in terms of judging the game's faithfulness is the Racoon City Police Department--the primary location of the first playable demo at E3. The remake appears to closely recreate many of the area's iconic rooms and corridors, while adding in new details to give it a more modern flair. Some rooms have been slightly rearranged, but the overall structure of the police station remains largely the same--at least from the first floor. Some areas are much darker than in the original too, forcing Leon to brandish a flashlight in order to safely navigate the environment. Also, there are no longer any loading screen doors, so say goodbye to your old-school escape techniques, zombies will now follow you from room to room whether you like it or not.
Leon is still the rookie cop with a heart of gold that we all remember, yet his naivety and sense of honor is reframed and more subtly reflected in his line delivery. Commanding officer Marvin Branagh appears to be a more substantial character who still warns Leon of the dangers ahead, but who seems to have a larger presence, remaining in the main hall after gifting you with a survival knife (and not a keycard).
Story events seem to be remixed as well. The beats we've seen so far are incredibly similar, with Leon reaching the police station, but the story progresses slightly differently. For example, you're forced to explore the Eastern side of the police station first before encountering Marvin, instead of meeting up with him first to unlock the doors to both the Western and Eastern sections.
How Will The Leon/Claire Campaigns Work?
One of the most unique aspects of the original Resident Evil 2 was how it separated its campaign; you had the option to start the game as either Leon or Claire. And depending on who you finished the campaign with, you could then start a new one from the other character's perspective. This closely tied into the Zapping System, where each of the two playable characters are confronted with different storylines and puzzles depending on the order you choose to play their scenarios. You had the option of starting the "A" scenario with either of the two protagonists and then completing their subsequent "B" scenario, resulting in a total of four different scenarios.
It appears that the remake won't use the Zapping System, but will instead offer a total of two completely separate campaigns starring Leon and Claire. It's unclear if your actions in either of the two campaigns will impact the other.
Will There Be VR Support?
Resident Evil 7 was one of the earliest big-budget games you could play entirely with a VR headset, so folks have been asking if Resident Evil 2 remake will receive the same treatment. Producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi confirmed that it was decided the game would not be playable in VR due to the third-person over-the-shoulder view.
Any Other Fancy New Features?
Similar to Resident Evil remake, whenever you're grabbed, you can instantly stab a zombie to push them away and avoid damage. Interestingly, your knife will remain in the body of the zombie until you pick it back up. We're curious what would happen if you left the knife in the zombie and carried on, as there also seem to be puzzles that involve using your knife. Are you forced to backtrack and retrieve it? Or are there multiple combat knives you can find? Time will tell.
As you explore the RPD, you'll get your hands on wooden boards that you can use to barricade doors and windows from zombies and other bioweapon threats. If the absence of loading screen doors hurts your sense of safety, then these new wooden boards can serve as a decent--albeit temporary--replacement.
Lastly, a gunpowder crafting mechanic is present, which allows you to create much-needed ammo from scratch. If it's anything like past games, you'll likely be relying on it to create the fancier ammo types needed to swiftly take down strong opponents.
What's In The Collector's Edition?
The collector's edition includes the already announced deluxe edition of the game, which is Resident Evil 2 with a special packaging design and an extra DLC pack. This includes two outfits for Leon and three for Claire, the Albert model of the Samurai Edge weapon, and a code to listen to the original music while playing the game, rather than the remaster's soundtrack.
The collector's edition also adds a 12-inch statue of Leon, a 32-page art book, a digital version of a 25-song soundtrack, and a Racoon City Police Department poster celebrating its conversion from museum to police station. It's all collected in an R.P.D. themed box. The collector's edition is a GameStop exclusive that can only be purchased in North American regions. It's priced at $200 in the U.S. and $240 in Canada.
What's The Release Date?
Resident Evil 2 remake will release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on January 25, 2019. That's not too far away, but gosh doesn't it just feel like an eternity?
Only a couple years after Fallout 4's release, Bethesda surprised fans by officially announcing Fallout 76, the next entry in its beloved post-apocalyptic RPG franchise. The new game was revealed in a trailer after a series of teases, and Bethesda discussed it in more detail at E3 2018. While there's still so much we do not yet know about Bethesda's upcoming game, the company has offered some clarity on Fallout 76's most curious features and additions to the Fallout formula.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Fallout 76, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: the platforms it's on, its online functionality, its anti-griefing features, and where the game falls in the series' timeline.
Fallout 76 is a prequel to all of the previous Fallout games. Set in 2102, you play an inhabitant of Vault 76 who emerges from the shelter 25 years after the bombs fell on America. Your task is simple: explore what remains of post-apocalyptic America and rebuild civilization.
Longtime fans will likely recognize Vault 76; although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, this West Virginia-based vault was occupied by 500 of of America's best and brightest minds. Unlike the more grotesque experimental vaults in the Fallout universe, Vault 76 is a control vault intended to be opened 20 or so years after a nuclear war. But if the Vault was supposed to open 20 years after the bombs fell, why have 25 years gone by? The story likely has a few surprises in store.
Fallout 76 uses the Creation Engine, the same engine used to make Fallout 4, but it will purportedly feature much more graphical detail than its predecessor. Game director Todd Howard has said that Fallout 76 has new rendering and lighting technology, which allows for "16 times" the detail.
Is It An Online Survival Game?
Fallout 76 is a much different sort of game from its predecessors. It's "entirely online," but don't worry, you'll be able to play it solo too. According to Bethesda, the idea to take this approach to open-world survival came four years ago, when it started to work on building a multiplayer Fallout experience. Howard described the game's approach to survival as "softcore," which means death doesn't equal loss of progression.
You can form a party with up to three other players. You won't be able to manage your placement in servers when you login, as you'll automatically be inserted into a session with others upon booting up the game. Of course, you also have the option simply join alongside your friends and play together.
Howard commented that Fallout 76 will have dedicated servers that will support the game "now and for years to come." At launch, there will only be public servers, but Bethesda plans to introduce private servers that will allow players to invite friends to play in order to prevent undesirable behavior. According Bethesda Senior Vice President Pete Hines, it will actually be incredibly difficult to participate in ill-behavior. For instance, the game's PvP works more like issuing a challenge to somebody, preventing folks from pushing any attempts at griefing too far.
Some classic mechanics from past games will be changing to accommodate the shift to online play. For example, V.A.T.S has been reconfigured to work in real time, while still allowing players to target specific enemy body parts.
How Big Is The World?
According to Howard, Fallout 76's world is four times the size of Fallout 4. There are six different regions to explore, and each has its own unique style, risks, and rewards. Confirmed areas include the West Virginia State Capitol, The Greenbrier, Woodburn Circle, New River Gorge Bridge, and Camden Park. Contained within each area is a variety of new creatures to encounter, some of which are based on West Virginian folklore.
What Can You Do?
Like previous games, players will spend the majority of their time exploring and completing quests. However, Fallout 76 will not feature any human non-player characters, as all surviving humans will be controlled by active players. Instead, the game will use combination of robot NPCs, collectible recordings, and environmental storytelling in order to give players what they need to piece together quests and the story at large.
Given the game's premise of rebuilding the world, there will be base-building elements similar to Fallout 4. You will be able to set up a bases anywhere using an item called the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform, or CAMP. These can be placed down in the world and allow you to construct an impromptu camp. At E3, we got to see the player laying down walls and decorating the base with pool tables, toilets, and other household objects. As the "mobile platform" part of the name implies, your CAMP can also be picked up and relocated, allowing you to move your base anywhere in the world.
While you can help build the world, you can also destroy it. If you have the necessary nuclear launch codes, it's actually possible to access a missile silo to fire a nuke at any point on the map. Doing so irradiates the chosen area, but it also allows for the opportunity to discover rare weapons, gear, and items. Be wary; nuking an area also causes more powerful enemies to show up, making it more difficult to survive.
As an online experience, player choice is said to be incredibly important, going as far as giving players the freedom to choose who are the heroes and who are the villains. Early footage showcased multiple players engaging in combat and participating in friendly activities, which seems to indicate that players have the freedom to choose their paths in the world of Fallout 76.
Who's Developing It?
Bethesda Game Studios, the Maryland-based developer responsible for the Elder Scrolls series and both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is at work on the game. In addition, Bethesda Game Studios Austin--formerly BattleCry Studios--assisted in fine-tuning the Creation Engine to support multiplayer functionality.
When's the Beta?
Falout 76's beta will be available exclusively to those who preorder the game. Bethesda said that it will begin selecting participants from the pool of pre-orders in early October. The plan is to start small and expand over time. Xbox One owners have a slight leg up on the beta compared to other platforms. For more details, you can check out Bethesda's Fallout 76 FAQ for more details on how to redeem your code.
Release Date
Fallout 76 is being developed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and is currently scheduled to be released on November 14. Unfortunately, there's no word about a Nintendo Switch release, which didn't seem out of the question after the Skyrim re-release made it to that platform.
Fortnite might currently be celebrating its first birthday with exuberantly large in-game cakes and additional challenges, but the jubilation was somewhat dampened by the issue of ghost peeking, which has been a troublesome exploit affecting the game's loot-loving, trigger-happy player base. The folks at Epic Games have been trying to fix it for months now, and had mixed results.
If you're unaware, ghost peeking essentially lets players fire over cover without being seen and exposing themselves to the enemy. This is particularly problematic in a game where you can build your own cover at almost any time. It comes into practice when a player crouches uphill. As Fortnite's animation system makes adjustments to ensure your character's feet are correctly positioned on slopes, it also alters their mesh--even when your relative position hasn't changed--allowing you to remain completely behind cover while also being able to shoot over it.
If you've ever been shot by that sniper in the opposite tower without seeing his head peek out, the handy diagram below (posted on Reddit by Epic's Nick Donaldson) shows you why. "The yellow line is a trace from the center of your camera. The green line is supposed to be the bullet trace," he explained. As you can see, ghost peeking effectively removes the risk inherent in sticking your neck out of cover to pop off a shot.
Ghost peeking has been a widespread issue; you only need to search for the term on YouTube to uncover myriad video tutorials teaching players how to successfully pull it off. In the latest v5.1 update, however, Epic claimed to have fixed it, and based on the current evidence that seems to be the case. Huzzah! But don't get too excited just yet: this solution comes with a caveat. Fixing ghost peeking has had an adverse side-effect that impacts your ability to aim down sights.
Reddit user Grass---Tastes_Bad first pointed this out, showing how the Cuddle Team Leader premium skin will cover half the screen and your aiming reticle when you're positioned sideways on a ramp. The effect isn't always as pronounced with other skins (though hunting rifles seem to be universally bad as they zoom into the back of your head), but it still blocks the entire left-hand side of the screen, forcing you to disengage from these kinds of situations unless you want your viewpoint to be severely hampered.
Ghost peeking was a problem that needed to be fixed, but the current solution has introduced a more serious issue. It's bad enough getting killed by the new already-nerfed-but-still-really-powerful P90 Compact SMG, without having to also struggle to keep the enemy player in view.
Epic has been quick to fix any issues with Fortnite so far, and they're aware of this one, so there's hope this will be rectified soon. Whether that means ghost peeking returns in some form remains to be seen, but we might not be out of the woods just yet.
After an unfortunate debacle that vexed movie goers hoping to see Mission Impossible: Fallout on opening night, MoviePass released a lengthy statement apologizing for the problem, which was essentially that it ran out of money, and explained the new pricing model going forward.
The statement opens with an apology announcing that the issue had been resolved, calling it an "outage in the app". It went on to speak about the new peak-pricing model and explained that it is the alternative to raising subscription prices. The idea is that it will be more expensive to see a popular movie on opening weekend than it will be if you wait until the hype dies down.
The real kicker, though, is about what movies and theaters are available. Part of the statement reads, "certain movies may not always be available in every theater in our platform." Which is to say that in some cases, you may not even be able to see popular movies at all. It then tries to lessen the impact of this by comparing it to streaming sites where not every movie is on every platform, but that seems like a pretty different set of circumstances.
Blackouts for popular movies aren't new for MoviePass, but they're going to be a more common practice from now on. Basically, you might not get to see Mission Impossible: Fallout in your local theater this weekend.
The statement ends by talking about how much good the service does for the entertainment industry by encouraging people to go see movies at non-peak times. At the end of the day, though, the MoviePass restrictions are only growing, and with more subscription services coming out, it doesn't look good for MoviePass.
Over the course of its inaugural season, Overwatch League has shown solid growth throughout the 200+ games played since its debut. While Blizzard's esport experiment has seen its fair share of ups and downs--resulting in some unexpected roster shakeups, changes to the flow of the schedule, and some controversies surrounding players--the league's success with turning the hero shooter Overwatch into an event game has been a sight to behold. The tournament will culminate in a battle between fan-favorite teams the London Spitfire and Philadelphia Fusion. And with plans to expand further in the next season, including two new teams in Paris and Guangzhou, along with a substantial distribution deal with ESPN, the future looks bright for Overwatch League.
Spanning July 27-28, the Grand Finals will see the London Spitfire and Philadelphia Fusion compete in several games, with the champion crowned after a best two of three matches contest. While the first day will only have one match, the second day of the Grand Finals will decide the winner.
While both teams are fan-favorites and the best the season had to offer, they each faced many challenges that nearly kept them out of the finals. The 2017 pre-season provided ample opportunity for the teams to get their footing ahead of the official start in Season 1. However, the Fusion unfortunately missed out due to issues with scheduling and visa clearance for its roster. When they debuted at the open of Season 1 in January, they had a particularly poor showing during Stage 1 and 2. Eventually, the Fusion found their footing thanks to a roster change and solid performance from key players Georgii "Shadowburn" Gushcha, Josue "Eqo" Corona, and Alberto "Nepturo" Gonzalez Molinillo. Currently, the Fusion have a 24 win and 16 loss match record under their belt.
In the latter half of the season, the London Spitfire have become one of the league's most popular teams. With a strong start in Stage 1, they quickly made themselves known as the team to watch out for. But they struggled to maintain momentum, resulting in several disappointing games in Stages 2 and 3. After an unsuccessful start in the first week of Stage 4, the team management made the surprising move to remove four players from its active roster--Hyeon-woo "HaGoPeun" Jo, Jang-hyeon "TiZi" Hwang, Seung-hyun "WooHyaL" Sung, and Seong Dong-eun "Hooreg" Lee. The reason for they stated in a press release was to craft a smaller, "championship-caliber" team. Amazingly enough, this allowed the team to regain the same buzz they had in the pre-season, leading to some memorable matches against the Fusion, and the Spitfire's rivals, the Los Angeles Gladiators--whom they were able to knock out in the playoffs. Much like the Fusion, the Spitfire also has an identical match record of 24 wins and 16 losses.
London Spitfire owner Jack Etienne was candid about the team's challenges over the course of the season, including their important decision to make changes to the roster.
"For me personally, the biggest challenge this season was for me to understand that you can't just put the best 12 players on a team and expect things to go well," he said. "The thing is, when you have only six of those players be on the stage, the other six are not gonna be happy being backup. I've always believed that the teams that win at playoffs are the teams that are peaking at the right time. When we were down and out, like after Stage 3 and not doing well, and then going into Stage 4 and not doing well, and sending players home after--my players were miserable. We talked about it, and I told them that, 'Hey, this slump hurts, it sucks to be here right now, but this is the time, the best time, to figure out what is wrong with us, and come back strong.' Other teams that have those slumps later on didn't have time to fix it; we actually had time to fix what's going wrong."
"The Fusion in particular have played strong against us, they're a really solid team," he continued. "And through our [earlier games], they're by far the best--we're the best two teams in the league. I have a huge amount of respect for them, and it's really good that things ended up the way they did in the bracketing, because it would've been a real shame if we had to play each other in quarter-finals or semi-finals, and one of us just lost from the other teams, it would've sucked. That would've been a bad finals. But the way things ended up, with the brackets, [the League] ended up with the two best teams, peaking at the right times, to be here."
With the Grand Finals, Overwatch League will up the scale of the event. Along with the change in venue from the Blizzard Arena in Burbank to the Barclays Center, the increased reach that Blizzard has planned for its final games will give viewers more ways to view the deciding matches between the Spitfire and Fusion. In addition to its online audience on Twitch and other streaming platforms, the league will also be broadcast on ESPN and the Disney Channel in North America. The exposure these last games of the season are getting show a clear payoff in the gamble Blizzard has taken with the making of its own esports league, and this will likely set tone for how it expands in the seasons to come.
Jon Spector, OWL director of franchises and competition, spoke about what he wanted to do with the league's reach, and the goal to expand the OWL audience even further.
"We've always wanted our content to be as accessible as possible to fans," said Spector. "That meant you can watch Overwatch League on Twitch, you can watch it on our website, you can watch it on the app, we're making it now with the ESPN partnership, you can watch it on TV in parts of the world. So I think if you look at what we're most excited about, for the ESPN/Disney relationship, it is that ability to bring Overwatch League to a new group of fans that maybe hadn't watched us on Twitch before, and hadn't even checked out our website. This is a chance when we're on for the finals and prime time on ESPN to introduce the league to some new fans. So I'm really excited about that but I think it mirrors our core strategy of making the content as widely accessible for fans. However they want to consume it, we want Overwatch league to be there."
Season 1 of Overwatch League has already a been solid start for Blizzard's venture into esports territory. As more teams are drafted, and with additional arenas being added into the mix, there's a greater sense that the league is just getting started. For Blizzard, what makes the Overwatch League work is not only the design of the hero shooter itself, which focuses on a diverse and skilled group of people that come together to form a team, but also the passionate community that has become drawn to its hopeful and optimistic view of what the future could be, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to find joy in something great. This is something that people are naturally attracted to and constantly seeking out, and it's what will be the driving force behind Overwatch League's growth.
To celebrate the first birthday of Fortnite, developer Epic Games has introduced a special set of celebratory challenges to the game as part of the 5.10 update. There are a total of three new challenges, and if you're able to complete all of them you'll get a special, birthday-themed reward item. Thankfully, each of the challenges are fairly easy, though one of them will require you to spend a little bit of time running around the map and getting your dance on. Here's what you need to know and where to go.
The first of the challenges involves playing 14 matches in the Battle Royale mode, which you can probably manage with ease. The second involves being a little aggressive in-game and dealing damage to opponents. You'll have to dish out a total of 1000 points of hurt before you're rewarded with the birthday emote.
The third of the challenges requires you to dance in front of 10 different birthday cakes, and once you've done that you'll get a spray. We've done the legwork and put the locations of each of the birthday cakes on the map, which you can find below. There's also a list of the locations, along with a short description on where to find the cakes. Alternatively, you can watch the video above to see us find each of the cakes and do a little jig.
With all three challenges complete, you'll unlock a special back bling for your character. You've got up until August 7, when the event will no longer be active. You can see an image of the new Back Bling, along with the details for the three challenges, below.
Fortnite 1st Birthday Challenges
Play matches (14) -- 5,000 XP
Deal damage to opponents (1000) -- Emote
Dance in front of different Birthday Cakes (10) -- Spray
Birthday Cake Locations
Lazy Links: Near the road next to the southern sand traps
Wailing Woods/Risky Reels: On the hill between Wailing Woods and Risky Reels
Retail: In the middle of the market near the basketball court
Tilted Towers/Loot Lake: Above the waterfall between Tilted Towers and Loot Late
Pleasant Park: East of the park, behind the gas station
Greasy Grove: Centre of Greasy Grove, between the Durr Burger and the basketball court
Paradise Palms: North of Paradise Palms, across the street from the welcome sign
Fatal Fields: In the middle of Fatal Fields
Flush Factory: Under the giant toilet sign
Lonely Lodge: West Lonely Lodge, near the parked Caravans.
Alongside the new challenges, Epic Games has detailed the contents of the 5.10 update. The patch brings back the Playground LTM, which has had a few tweaks for its second appearance. There's also the introduction of the Compact SMG, which is deadly when you get in close. A number of tweaks have also been made to the gameplay, performance, and user-interface, so check out our story on the full patch notes to see that all. You'll also find some details on what's new with Save the World mode. Subsequently, Epic released another patch that nerfed the SMG.
In related news, Fortnite Halloween costumes are going to be released as part of a partnership with retailers Spirit Halloween and Spencer. The two completed a deal with Epic Games for "a range of officially licensed" Fortnite costumes, as well as accessories and gear based on the brand. There are outfits based on the Black Knight, Crackshot, Dark Voyager, Skull Trooper, and Cuddle Team Leader skins. You can also purchase the basic, rainbow smash, and party animal pickaxes, or a light-up boogie bomb that actually plays sound.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 5 has entered its third week, which means developer Epic Games has introduced another new set of weekly challenges for players to complete on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. As with previous weeks in Season 5, the challenges are split into two categories, with some being available to everyone while others are only accessible for those with this season's Battle Pass.
On the free side, this week's challenges involve dealing 500 damage to opponents in a single match, using a launch pad, and following the treasure map found in Flush Factory. While the first two shouldn't give you much trouble, the third of the bunch will require a little bit of legwork. Flush Factory can be found in the southern part of the island and it's there that you'll find the treasure map.
However, you aren't actually required to get the map first. Instead you can skip this bit and go to quadrant F8 of the map, where you'll find a house on a hilltop. If you're looking at the house head-on, the Star you need to collect will be on the right of the path leading up to the house. Although gliding onto the spot from the Battle Bus is the easiest way to get to it, you can also build your way up. Take a look below to see the location on the map or watch the video above to see us do it.
For those with a Battle Pass, you'll need to search seven chests in Fatal Fields, shoot a Clay Pigeon at five different locations, eliminate five enemies in Haunted Hills, and then get three eliminations using an explosive weapon. You'll also get 5K worth of XP for doing completing all of these challenges. If you need help hunting them down, check out our Clay Pigeons location guide. You can also find all of Fortnite Season 5, Week 3's challenges, along with their rewards, below.
Click image to view in full screen
Fortnite Season 5, Week 3 Challenges
Free
Deal damage to opponents in a single match (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a launch pad (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Follow the treasure map found in Flush Factory (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Search chests in Fatal Fields (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Shoot a Clay Pigeon at different locations (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in Haunted Hills (5) -- 10 Battle Stars
Explosive weapon eliminations -- 10 Battle Stars
In related news, Fortnite's SMG and Compact SMG have been nerfed, following feedback from the community. Epic Games has tweaked a number of attributes for both guns, including damage, range, fire rate, and accuracy. This, the developer says, brings it more in line with how it wants the guns to perform in-game.
Fortnite is also celebrating its 1st birthday with a set of challenges that will unlock a birthday-themed emote, spray, and bling. The first two challenges are relatively easy, requiring you to do a specified amount of damage and play a certain amount of matches. However, the third challenge is a little trickier. For this you'll need to find 10 cakes that have been scattered around the island and dance in front of them. To make things a little easier on yourself, check out our Fortnite Birthday Cake Location Guide to watch us do the entire challenge and also see a map of where all the cakes are.
Epic Games is also giving new Fortnite skins to those that have been playing the game from the very beginning. If you purchased the Founder's Pack when Fortnite's Save the World mode originally launched, you'll be prompted about the classic skins when you next boot up the game. These were promised to Founder's Pack owners when the Battle Royale mode first launched, and have finally been delivered around a year later.
Despite previous statements to the contrary, the late Carrie Fisher will reprise her role as Leia Organa in the upcoming Star Wars Episode IX. Lucasfilm confirmed the news as part of a broader announcement regarding casting and other details, which also revealed that Mark Hamill will be in the new movie.
In a post on the official Star Wars website, Lucasfilm said it will use "previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in order to include Fisher, who passed away in December 2016. Notably, Episode IX is being directed by JJ Abrams, who also helmed The Force Awakens before Rian Johnson took over for The Last Jedi, which was thought to be Fisher's final Star Wars role.
"We desperately loved Carrie Fisher," Abrams said in a statement. "Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie's legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII."
This news comes as a surprise. Fisher's brother said last year that "recent footage" of the actress would be used to allow her to make an appearance in Episode IX. But Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy later denied this was the case, stating that Fisher would not be included in the movie. Prior to that, Lucasfilm said it would not recreate her using CGI.
It's unclear at this point exactly what caused Lucasfilm to reverse its decision, but fans of Fisher will no doubt be excited to see her in her most famous role one last time.
Alongside Fisher, Episode IX's cast will feature a variety of returning actors, including Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Episode IX also sees Billy Dee Williams reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. Notably, Mark Hamill is also said to be among the cast members.
The Year of Legendary Pokemon rolls on with another pair of free Legendaries for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Next month, The Pokemon Company is giving away two powerful monsters that originally appeared in Pokemon Black and White versions: Tornadus and Thundurus.
Continuing the trend of previous distributions, the Legendaries will be given out in different ways depending upon your region. US residents can pick up a free download code for the Pokemon at the electronics section of Target from July 13-28; those in Europe can download the Legendaries over the Nintendo Network via Mystery Gift from July 6-22; and players in Canada will receive a code in the Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter.
As before, the Legendaries can be redeemed in any seventh-generation Pokemon game, although the one you receive will differ depending on which version you have. In Sun and Ultra Sun, players will get the Electric-type Thundurus, while those with Moon and Ultra Moon will receive the Flying-type Tornadus. The Pokemon will also come at different levels and know different moves depending upon the game. You can see the moveset for each Legendary below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Thundurus -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Thunderbolt
Focus Blast
Grass Knot
Nasty Plot
Pokemon Sun
Thundurus -- Level 60
Discharge
Crunch
Charge
Nasty Plot
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Tornadus -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Hurricane
Heat Wave
Grass Knot
Tailwind
Pokemon Moon
Tornadus -- Level 60
Air Slash
Crunch
Tailwind
Rain Dance
The code you receive can be redeemed via the Mystery Gift feature from the games' main menu. After selecting it, choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password, input the code, and the Pokemon will be downloaded to your game. (Players in Europe must choose the option to receive their gift via the internet to download their Legendaries.) You'll then be able to pick your Pokemon up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
Since February, The Pokemon Company has been giving away free Legendaries for the seventh-gen Pokemon games. Following the Tornadus and Thundurus distribution, players will be able to get the Hoenn Legendaries Groudon and Kyogre in August. In the meantime, you can see all of the free Pokemon available for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon right now.
With Season 3 of Attack on Titan having recently kicked off, you may be wondering where you can watch the show from the beginning. As it turns out, the first season of Attack on Titan is free right now on the PlayStation Store. Unfortunately, you can't take advantage of this deal from the comfort of an internet browser. You'll have to boot up your PS4, navigate to the Store, and search for it. Alternately, you can use the PlayStation Video mobile app to "buy" it there.
Note that it's the English language dub of the show that's free, and not the original Japanese-language one. And if you don't want to fill up your PS4 hard drive with 25 episodes of the show in HD, it's also available on Netflix and Hulu.
Attack on Titan is an anime series that was adapted from a manga of the same name. Season 1 debuted in 2013, with the second season releasing just last year. The third season began airing earlier this month.
Here's the first season's description on the PlayStation Store: "When the man-eating giants called Titans first appeared, humans retreated behind massive walls. After a hundred years of safety, a colossal-sized Titan smashes through the defenses, unleashing a flood of giants and carnage in the streets. Eren Jaeger watches helplessly as one of the creatures devours his mother. He vows to kill every Titan walking the earth."
It's unclear how long the season will remain free for PS4 owners, so head to your console as soon as possible to add it to your account.
A bunch of new games are now available for Nintendo Switch. This week brings a total of 19 titles to Nintendo's hybrid console, along with a new batch of DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and the second major update for Kirby Star Allies.
Headlining this week's releases are Mega Man X Legacy Collections 1+2, two compilations encompassing the entire Mega Man X series. Each collection can be purchased separately from the Eshop for $20 or together in one physical package for $40. If you decide to spring for the latter, be aware that only the first will be available on the game card; the second collection is packed in as a download code. You can learn more in our Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 review.
This week's other major release is The Banner Saga 3, the third and final chapter in the critically acclaimed strategy RPG series. This installment features new playable characters as well as a new waves battles, and those who've played the previous two titles can carry their save data over. GameSpot awarded it an 8/10 in our Banner Saga 3 review and called the game "a worthwhile and cathartic end to your long journey."
Also available for Switch this week is the minigame compilation Go Vacation; two more classic Arcade Archives games, The King of Fighters '97 and Omega Fighter; the stylish 2D platformer Semblance; and the '80s-inspired RPG Crossing Souls. You can see the full list of this week's releases below.
In addition to these titles, a new set of DLC is available for players who've purchased Xenoblade Chronicles 2's expansion pass. This batch introduces a new Rare Blade to the game named Crossette (who comes with her own Core Crystal to ensure she is summoned), as well as a custom difficulty option and the fourth and final selection of DLC quests.
Finally, Nintendo has released a new update for Kirby Star Allies. This one introduces three more Dream Friends to the game: Daroach, the villain of Kirby Squeak Squad; Dark Meta Knight from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror; and Adeleine & Ribbon from Kirby 64. The update is available for free for everyone who owns the game.
The cast list for Star Wars: Episode IX was just announced on the Star Wars site, and it comes with a few surprises.
JJ Abrams is back to direct, and of course, John Williams will return to score the film, as he has done since 1977. Many cast members are returning as well, including, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd.
New cast members will also be joining the franchise, including Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth) and Richard E. Grant (Logan). Some OGs will also be in the movie, including Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams.
Despite earlier announcements, the film will indeed feature Carrie Fisher. In a statement regarding the choice, Abrams said, "We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie's legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII."
Star Wars: Episode IX will start filming August 1 at Pinewood Studios in London, and is set to be released December 2019.
This week's PS4 news is all about new reveals, sports games, what's next for No Man's Sky, and lots of updates for your favorite titles.
In the sports game department, we saw updates about all the biggest 2019 games, including NBA Live 19, NHL 19, PES 2019, and WWE 2K19. H1Z1 is releasing soon on PS4, and Fortnite's Playground Mode is finally back with some much-needed improvements. Shadow of the Tomb Raider went gold this week alongside a new look at the gameplay in the hub village of Patiti. If you're looking for more Fallout 76 news, keep your eyes peeled for more details at this year's Quake-Con. In light of Bethesda's upcoming multiplayer title, it is committing to single-player and is asking fans to be patient regarding Elder Scrolls 6.
No Man's Sky's "Next" update is here. The game has been updated visually as well as delivering multiplayer and a new creative mode to take out tedious resource mining. Its designer admitted that he "made some mistakes," when the game initially launched. Now that it will see weekly updates, there's some hope for the galactic exploration title yet.
Turns out the real highlight of Avengers: Infinity War could have been Star-Lord and Drax bickering like an old married couple over music playing in their spaceship. Marvel just released a deleted scene from the film via EW, and it's basically about the Guardians taking out their frustrations on each other.
The scene happens after the Guardians face Thanos in Knowhere and lose, so tensions are understandably high. Star-Lord wants to play Kiss' "New York Groove" in order to get into a groove of his own, but Drax would prefer not to have the same song playing over and over again, which seems fair.
Mantis is also in the scene and she's just as irritated as Drax, but not about the music. A yellow light has been going off in her face, but she doesn't realize that it means an important coded message was sent to Star-Lord. By the end of the scene, everyone is annoyed and everyone is fighting.
This scene is one of several deleted or extended scenes that will be a bonus feature on the physical DVD and Blu-ray, coming out August 14. Guardians 3 is currently in the works, but it might end up looking different without James Gunn at the helm. If you'd like to know about all the bonus features on the Infinity War DVD, check out the list below.
Infinity War Bonus Features
Strange Alchemy (5:08)--Share the thrill of characters from across the MCU meeting for the first time--and discover why some were teamed up together.
The Mad Titan (6:34)--Explore the MCU's biggest, baddest villain, his trail of influence through the stories, and the existential threat he represents.
Beyond the Battle: Titan (9:36)--Dive into the climactic struggle on Thanos' ruined world, including the epic stunts and VFX, to uncover the source of its power.
Beyond the Battle: Wakanda (10:58)--Go behind the scenes to find out how the filmmakers pulled off the most massive and challenging battle Marvel had ever attempted.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:07)
Happy Knows Best (1:23)--Tony and Pepper spar over the details of their upcoming wedding--until a hassled Happy Hogan pulls up with an urgent request.
Hunt for the Mind Stone (1:24)--On a darkened street, Wanda Maximoff and the wounded Vision attempt to hide from Thanos' brutal allies.
The Guardians Get Their Groove Back (3:20)--As Peter Quill and Drax quarrel over their failed mission to Knowhere, Mantis interrupts with news.
A Father's Choice (4:00)--Thanos confronts Gamora with a vision from her past—and with lying to him about the Soul Stone.
Gag Reel (2:05)--Watch your favorite superheroes make super gaffes in this lighthearted collection of on-set antics.
Audio Commentary (approx. 149 min.) by Anthony and Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Now that SDCC 2018 has come and gone, this week's Xbox One news focuses more on what's coming with all new reveals, updates, and plenty of industry buzz.
In industry news, EA might have its own battle royale title in the works after the success of Fortnite--a game that's now earning $2 million on mobile per day. The designer behind No Man's Sky has admitted that he made some mistakes. Summer is coming to a close soon, but the sales are not. Xbox's Ultimate sale is still happening with deals on over 700 titles. Make sure to check out the deals section to see where you can save your precious dollar bills.
After the amazing gaming year that was 2017, many wondered how well 2018 would turn out. Fortunately for everyone, it has been great. The first half of the year has yielded a wealth of fantastic games, and there's more on the horizon. Upcoming games for the rest of this 2018 include slew of hotly anticipated new games, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, and a whole lot more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out and what has already released, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2018 so far.
Game release dates change all the time and new ones arrive every month. Be sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating this article with more release dates or any potential changes to any of the dates below. And if you're eager to figure out the release dates from games next year, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2019.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime this year. There are also games listed that we expect to launch in 2018. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
A new month is just around the corner, which means a new batch of Field Research quests will soon be available in Pokemon Go. Developer Niantic has shared the first details about the upcoming set of challenges on Twitter, including which Pokemon awaits those who manage to complete enough of them.
According to Niantic, August's batch of Field Research tasks will revolve primarily around Electric-type Pokemon. As usual, the first task you complete each day will reward you with a stamp; if you collect seven of them, you'll achieve a Research Breakthrough and unlock additional rewards, including an encounter with a rare Pokemon.
The reward for achieving a Research Breakthrough this time will be another encounter with Raikou, one of the three Legendary dogs originally from Pokemon Gold and Silver. Raikou was previously available in Pokemon Go last fall as a Raid Battle, but this gives players another opportunity to capture one without having to team up with other Trainers and travel to a Gym.
Field Research tasks are distributed at PokeStops. They're one of two types of quests introduced to the game earlier this year, along with Special Research. The latter are more story-driven challenges assigned by Professor Willow, with the reward being an encounter with a Mythical Pokemon. The first set of Special Research led to Mew, while an upcoming questline will give players the chance to find Celebi.
In addition to Raikou, Pokemon Go players can encounter another Legendary in the game right now. The powerful Steel-type Registeel is appearing in Raid Battles from now until August 21, when it will be replaced by Regirock. Before then, Niantic will host the next Pokemon Go Community Day on August 11 and 12, with Eevee starring as the next featured Pokemon.
Walt Disney and 21st Century Fox have voted in favor of a deal in which Disney will acquire large portions of the Fox company. The $71.3 billion deal will include 20th Century Fox film and TV studios, along with FX, Nat Geo, Star India, and Fox's 30% stake in Hulu and 39% stake in Sky.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the combination merger proposal received a majority of shareholder votes from Fox remarkably quickly, in just eight minutes. This appears to pave the way for Disney to own even more iconic brands, including the X-Men and Fantastic Four, both of which could finally find their way into the MCU.
There has been a tense bidding war going on between Disney and Comcast for Fox and its assets. Comcast recently dropped its own $65 billion bid, paving the way for this merger to take place. Comcast reportedly remains interested in acquiring Sky's assets.
Disney itself has emphasized the deal as a win for audiences, saying that buying Fox will help them make "richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love." Aside from the obvious Marvel comics synergy, this would also give Disney control over the Avatar franchise, The Simpsons, and the Alien and Predator series.
As July nears its end, so does your chance to pick up your free Xbox One and Xbox 360 Games with Gold for the month. But if the calendar page hasn't turned over, it's not too late for Xbox Live Gold subscribers to secure their free games for July. The titles available now include Assault Android Cactus, Death Squared, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction. Once July is over, all but Death Squared are going away.
Assault Android Cactus is a fast-paced twin-stick shooter that has you pick one of nine androids to fend off an army of attacking robots. It's available to download between now and July 31. Death Squared is a colorful co-op puzzle game that can be played alone or with up to four players. This will be the one holdover from July once August begins. Death Squared will be available until August 15.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is an Xbox 360 game (playable on Xbox One) that finds Sam Fisher on the outs with his former spy agency. Now he's on his own as he tries to stop a major terrorist attack. It's available free for Xbox Live Gold members until July 31.
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