Wednesday, February 20, 2019

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In the 02/21/2019 edition:

Resident Evil 2 Invades PUBG In Scary New Battle Royale Mode, But Only On Mobile

By Jordan Ramée on Feb 21, 2019 12:26 am

The new Resident Evil 2-themed mode, titled Zombie: Survive Till Dawn, has gone live in PUBG Mobile. The crossover introduces Resident Evil 2's enemies into the mobile version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and also adds the extra challenge of bosses to the battle royale game.

Added in patch 0.11.0, Zombie: Survive Till Dawn, has 60 players face off in a 30-minute battle royale match that's divided into three days and two nights. During the day, you still must contend with other players and scavenge for weapons and resources, but wandering computer-controlled enemies from Resident Evil 2--such as lickers and undead police officers--present an added challenge. Killing these enemies rewards you with resources, but doing so might telegraph your position to other players.

At night, the game gets even more tricky. The darkness makes it hard to see, and computer-controlled enemies become much more aggressive. During both the day and night, you'll have to be on the lookout for the mode's bosses as well. William Birkin, aka G1, spawns in PUBG Mobile's police station. Regardless of the time, you'll have to contend with him if you want the location's excellent loot. Resident Evil 2's Tyrant, aka Mr. X, randomly appears around air drops to pursue those who try to claim them. To help hold back these threats, the Zombie: Survive Till Dawn introduces the new MI34 minigun.

If you play Zombie: Survive Till Dawn, you can unlock Leon and Claire skins for use in PUBG Mobile, as well as costumes inspired by Ada and Marvin. PUBG Mobile is available for both Android and iOS.

After braving the horrors of Resident Evil 2 in a battle royale setting, consider picking up the actual game as well. In our Resident Evil 2 review, we gave the game a 9/10, describing it as "a stellar remake of the original" that "delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations" and tops "some of the series' finest entries."


January's Best-Selling Games And Console In The US Revealed

By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 21, 2019 12:00 am

January saw the release of two of the year's most anticipated titles, Kingdom Hearts III and Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake, and both unsurprisingly had strong debuts in the US. According to the NPD Group's latest sales report, the two were the best-selling games in the country last month, with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe following at third.

While the NPD Group doesn't disclose sales numbers, it notes that Kingdom Hearts 3 was the US's best-selling game for January. Furthermore, the title's total launch month dollar sales were two-and-a-half times higher than the series' previous best, Kingdom Hearts II.

Resident Evil 2 took the runner-up spot last month and similarly had 2.8 times higher dollar sales than the original, which released on PS One back in 1998. New Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, meanwhile, generated 30% higher launch month dollar sales than the original Wii U title did when it released alongside the system in 2012.

While Kingdom Hearts may have been the best-selling game, the Nintendo Switch was the US's best-selling console last month in both units and dollars. Moreover, NPD says Switch was the only platform to grow year-on-year, and the Switch Pro Controller was the best-selling accessory last month.

Despite these strong sales, NPD reports that overall video game spending last month was down 19% compared to January 2018. That's not all bad news, however, as the group notes that January 2019 still had "the second highest market total achieved in a January month since the $917 million reached in January 2013."

January 2019's Best-Selling Games In The US

  1. Kingdom Hearts III
  2. Resident Evil 2
  3. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
  4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
  5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  6. Red Dead Redemption 2
  7. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
  8. NBA 2K19
  9. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
  10. Grand Theft Auto V
  11. Madden NFL 19
  12. Tales of Vesperia
  13. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  14. Battlefield V
  15. Super Mario Party
  16. Minecraft
  17. Assassin's Creed Odyssey
  18. Marvel's Spider-Man
  19. FIFA 19
  20. Super Mario Odyssey

Apex Legends Adds Its First New Gun, Havoc--See It In Action

By Phil Hornshaw on Feb 20, 2019 11:50 pm

Respawn Entertainment has said it intends for Apex Legends to be a live-service game, and that means we'll see changes and events pop up in the future. What exactly those are isn't quite clear yet--the game's first season, and the new content Respawn has teased with it, doesn't come until March. We've seen one update to the game that brought new cosmetic items and some error fixes, but players are just getting their first taste of long-term Apex Legends today.

In a new trailer, Respawn showed off the first new gun it's adding to Apex Legends since the game's launch earlier this month. The weapon is the Havoc energy rifle, which looks to be a fully automatic assault rifle that handles in a similar way to current weapons like the R-301 Carbine or the Devotion light machine gun. The Havoc is live in the game now--check it out in action in the trailer below.

The most interesting thing about the Havoc as seen in the trailer is that it's different from the rest of the guns in Apex Legends. It accepts two kinds of "hop-up" attachments; these are rarer items you can add to certain guns that change the way they perform, but usually guns only support one kind of hop-up. For the Devotion LMG, for instance, you can add the Turbocharger hop-up, which speeds up the charge time when the gun begins to fire. The Prowler submachine gun can take the Select Fire hop-up, which can switch the gun from its default burst-fire mode to a fully automatic mode that makes it even more deadly.

The trailer shows that the Havoc can handle either the Turbocharger hop-up or the Select Fire hop-up, and each has a different effect on the gun. The Turbocharger speeds up the rate at which the gun hits its top speed in fully automatic mode--like the Devotion, the Havoc seems to have a short charge time before it gets up to its full energy bullet-spewing potential. With the Turbocharger, the gun looks pretty effective at short and medium ranges.

The Select Fire hop-up allows you to switch the Havoc to a single-fire mode, which fires one charging shot. In the trailer, Select Fire makes the gun effective at longer ranges and, from the looks of things, can turn the Havoc into a sniper or scout rifle.

That's a whole lot of versatility in one gun, and more than we've seen so far in Apex Legends. The Havoc also suggests that future additions to the Apex armory could offer even more customization depending on the attachments and loot you find in the game once you drop into a match. That could make the potential changes coming with Apex Legends' first season pretty powerful, but we'll have to wait until March to find out for sure.


Final Fantasy 15's Last DLC Episode Releases Next Month

By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 20, 2019 09:35 pm

Square Enix has announced a release date for Final Fantasy XV's last DLC chapter, Episode Ardyn. The expansion arrives on PS4, Xbox One, and PC next month, on March 26. Some mild Final Fantasy XV spoilers follow.

Episode Ardyn casts players in the role of the eponymous Final Fantasy XV villain. According to Square Enix, the story is set 35 years before the events of the main game, after Ardyn is freed from his centuries-long imprisonment by Niflheim researcher Verstael Besithia.

Much like previous Final Fantasy XV DLC chapters, Episode Ardyn features some unique gameplay mechanics. As Ardyn, players will be able to speed around the environment using his Shadow Move ability. He can also Daemonify enemies, turning them into daemons.

Ahead of Episode Ardyn's release, Square Enix shared an animated prologue video that sets the stage for the DLC. You can watch it below.

Excluding the multiplayer Comrades expansion, Episode Ardyn marks the fourth DLC chapter Square Enix has released for Final Fantasy XV. The previous three, Episode Gladio, Episode Prompto, and Episode Ignis, each revolved around protagonist Noctis's retainers.

Episode Ardyn wasn't intended to be Final Fantasy XV's last DLC. Square Enix originally had three other DLC episodes planned for the game, but the publisher announced back in November that those have been canceled, and Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata has left the company. Square Enix also said that Luminous, the subsidiary developing the DLC, is now devoting its resources to making a new AAA game, although no further details were shared.


What's Coming And Going From Netflix In March 2019? Movies, TV, And Originals (US)

By Mat Elfring on Feb 20, 2019 09:32 pm

Netflix has a whole slew of new movies, TV series, and originals coming to its service for the month of March. From classic movies you've seen a thousand times and want to watch again to brand-new movies and series produced by Netflix, and there are plenty of those.

Hitting the service on March 1, Stanley Kubrick's classic A Clockwork Orange arrives. The film centers on the leader of an ultra-violent gang who undergoes behavior modification experiments, which doesn't go as planned. Also arriving to Netflix that day is the Ron Howard film Apollo 13. Starring Tom Hanks, the movie centers around the real-life story of the Apollo 13 space flight, which had a disaster mid-flight, and the astronauts and NASA searched for a way to get everyone home safely.

As you'll see, there are a lot of new Netflix originals for March, and there are a few of note you might be interested in. On March 15, there is a new round of Arrested Development episodes coming, and the third season of Queer Eye arrives that day as well. Mark your calendars for March 22, when The Dirt comes to Netflix. The movie is a dramatization of an autobiography about the '80s rock band Mötley Crüe. If you know anything about the band's antics off stage, you'll want to check this one out as their stories are legendary.

It's not all good news though. There are plenty of movies and TV series leaving the streaming service in March as well. On March 31, all five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters will fade away, so get your animated fix of Slimer while you still can. And on March 1, both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II will be leaving as well. It's almost like Netflix hates people who bust ghosts.

Below, you'll find everything coming to Netflix in March and leaving the service as well. For more streaming service stuff, check out what's hitting Amazon Prime Video next month.

Coming in March

  • On My Block: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL (Date not listed)

Avail. 3/1/19

  • A Clockwork Orange
  • Apollo 13
  • Budapest (FR)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  • Disney's Saving Mr. Banks
  • Emma
  • Junebug
  • Larva Island: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Losers-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Music and Lyrics
  • Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
  • Northern Rescue-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • River's Edge (JP)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Stuart Little
  • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind-- NETFLIX FILM
  • The Hurt Locker
  • The Notebook
  • Tyson
  • Wet Hot American Summer
  • Winter's Bone
  • Your Son (ES)-- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 3/2/19

  • Romance is a Bonus Book (Korea) (Streaming Every Saturday)-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/3/19

  • Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj: Volume 2 (Streaming Every Sunday)-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/5/19

  • Disney's Christopher Robin

Avail. 3/6/19

  • Secret City: Under the Eagle: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/7/19

  • Doubt
  • The Order-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/8/19

  • After Life-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Bangkok Love Stories: Hey You!-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Bangkok Love Stories: Innocence-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Blue Jasmine
  • Formula 1: Drive to Survive-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Hunter X Hunter (2011): Seasons 1-3
  • Immortals-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Juanita-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Lady J (FR)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Shadow-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
  • The Jane Austen Book Club
  • Walk. Ride. Rodeo.-- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 3/12/19

  • Jimmy Carr: The Best of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 6-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/13/19

  • Triple Frontier-- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 3/15/19

  • A Separation
  • Arrested Development: Season 5 B-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Burn Out (FR)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Dry Martina (AR)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Girl (BE)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • If I Hadn't Met You-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Kung Fu Hustle
  • Las muñecas de la mafia: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Love, Death & Robots-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Paskal (MY)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Queer Eye: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Robozuna: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • The Lives of Others
  • Turn Up Charlie-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • YooHoo to the Rescue-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/16/19

  • Green Door-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/19/19

  • Amy Schumer Growing-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/21/19

  • Antoine Griezmann: The Making of a Legend-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/22/19

  • Carlo & Malik-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Charlie's Colorforms City-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Delhi Crime-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Historia de un crimen: Colosio-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Mirage (ES)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Most Beautiful Thing-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Selling Sunset-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • The Dirt-- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 3/26/19

  • Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/28/19

  • Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 3/29/19

  • 15 August (IN)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Bayoneta (MX)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Osmosis-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Santa Clarita Diet: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • The Highwaymen-- NETFLIX FILM
  • The Legend of Cocaine Island-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Traitors-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Avail. 3/30/19

  • How to Get Away with Murder: Season 5

Avail. 3/31/19

  • El sabor de las margaritas-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • The Burial of Kojo
  • Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Leaving Netflix In March

Leaving 3/1/19

  • Bruce Almighty
  • Fair Game - Director's Cut
  • Ghostbusters
  • Ghostbusters 2
  • Hostage
  • Pearl Harbor
  • The Breakfast Club
  • The Cider House Rules
  • The Gift
  • The Little Rascals
  • United 93

Leaving 3/2/19

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Eighteenth Year

Leaving 3/3/19

  • Drop Dead Diva: Seasons 1-6

Leaving 3/4/19

  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Leaving 3/5/19

  • Newsies: The Broadway Musical

Leaving 3/8/19

  • Click

Leaving 3/16/19

  • Baby Mama
  • Charlie St. Cloud
  • Role Models

Leaving 3/18/19

  • Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Leaving 3/31/19

  • Party of Five: Seasons 1-6
  • The Real Ghostbusters: Seasons 1-5

Xbox One Game Pass Adds More To February Lineup

By Steve Watts on Feb 20, 2019 09:18 pm

Microsoft previously announced its slate of Xbox Game Pass offerings for February, but more than halfway through the month the company has now announced even more coming before the month ends. This new batch includes a cute game starring Mickey Mouse, another chapter of Telltale's The Walking Dead, and more.

First, on February 21, the service will add Headlander, the Metroidvania from Double Fine starring a disembodied head, along with Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, the sequel to Epic Mickey with co-op play between Mickey and his erstwhile rival Oswald. As previously announced, February 21 will also bring Batman: Return to Arkham, remastered versions of the first two Arkham games.

Then on February 28, you can play the second season of The Walking Dead, along with Alien: Isolation. The first one continues Clementine's story after the events of the first season, which joined Game Pass on February 7. The second is a a creepy survival thriller as an alien stalks you aboard a space station.

Other games added to the service this month include Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Pumped BMX Pro, De Blob, and Crackdown 3.

Xbox Game Pass offers all-you-can-eat gaming from a selection of titles for $10 per month. The company offers all first-party games on the day of release, which is why Crackdown 3 is included for February. As a subscription service the games are playable as long as you're a subscriber. Separately, Microsoft offers Games with Gold for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, which grant a few games every month.


Anthem Review Roundup

By Steve Watts on Feb 20, 2019 07:33 pm

Anthem is BioWare's latest game, but fans of the studio's massive RPGs like Mass Effect and Dragon Age will find a very different experience waiting for them. Anthem is a loot shooter, more akin to Destiny or The Division, consisting of a campaign followed by an extensive post-game with bigger and better rewards to collect and more difficult bosses to take on.

Anthem differentiates itself from the competition with extensive use of a flying mechanic, letting you zoom above the battlefield like Iron Man. It also lets you swap between classes more easily, as your character is a pilot called a "Freelancer" who can take the controls of the various suit types at will.

So far Anthem has only been released in early access on PC and Xbox One, through EA's various membership programs. Many of the reviews published thus far are early impressions without scores. Still, a consensus seems to be forming that while flying through the battlefield is enjoyable, the story is lackluster--especially compared to BioWare's best--and many say the game feels unfinished in its current state. Read on for impressions from around the industry, and check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for more details.

GameSpot -- No Score (In Progress)

"I'm currently treating Anthem's disparate missions as an excuse to try a new weapon or special attack, which, combined with flight, gives me incentive to keep going. I'm hoping that I get more out of the story as I go on, but so far it's too generic to get its hooks in me. I'll keep playing on PC--I've luckily only been kicked due to server issues twice--so look out for the full review in the next few days." -- Kallie Plagge [Full review]

Destructoid -- 7/10

"I wish some things were different but I find myself wanting to play Anthem beyond the scope of this review. It isn't changing the way the genre operates, not by a long shot, and if you've struggled with a few of them before and tossed them in the gutter, you'll probably do the same here. BioWare will need to build quickly on top of its shimmering jet-fueled foundation to hold people's interest, but folks looking for a new neighborhood to move into might want to give Anthem a try--either now or after fixes and updates." -- Chris Carter [Full review]

Ars Technica -- No Score

"This game is freaking rad at its best, but it's just not done. It's not fun to have sessions with friends so constantly interrupted. It's not fun to keep quitting out of the main map just to check my loot and quest beats. It's not fun to fight these boring bad guys in these boring missions, again and again and again. It's not fun to feel confused by a lack of information all over the place. Anthem has flashes of being a really good game, but what's the point if it's not fun?" -- Sam Machkovech [Full review]

Polygon -- No Score

"BioWare has already done a lot of the hard work. A satisfying core gameplay loop is difficult to create, but the studio has managed it. Playing makes me feel like a true sci-fi superhero, 10 seconds at a time. But in order for Anthem to survive, BioWare will need to clarify its identity and prioritize the right elements of it. I'd love for the story, the interface, the experience of playing Anthem to service that loop, rather than fight it. I'd love for unique quests and activities to not just keep me occupied, but give me something to strive for. Playing Anthem, I can sense where this game is going. I just worry about how long it will take to get there." -- Russ Frushtick [Full review]

GamesRadar -- No Score (In Progress)

"But there's nowhere near enough of the stuff that makes BioWare games distinctly BioWare. That's the content that Anthem needs sooner rather than later because, at the moment, it's existing solely in the shadow of Destiny. Not Destiny 2, which has steadily grown and evolved with the community, mind – but the Destiny of five years ago. Anthem is designed to grow and evolve over time, but unless that happens sooner rather than later it'll be dead on arrival." -- Sam Loveridge [Full review]

USGamer -- No Score (In Progress)

"It's a beautiful game where the movement is unique and freeing. The story is throwing a lot at the players and some of the characters feel like living mannequins, but there are standouts as well. And the overall mission loop feels like it has too many operations and too much downtime. It feels like the first Destiny: it's an intriguing start, but there are several problems that need to be ironed out. What's frustrating is that many of these problems have already been solved by other MMOs. It's baffling to me that Anthem seems to be starting from scratch, even if I'm sure BioWare is going to do whatever it takes to improve post-launch." -- Mike Williams [Full review]


Xbox One Gets Open Modding Platform Through A Third-Party

By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 20, 2019 07:30 pm

Cities: Skylines publisher Paradox Interactive has announced it is partnering with Microsoft to bring its opening modding platform, Paradox Mods, to Xbox One. Beginning today, February 20, players will be able to download and play mods for select Paradox titles on Microsoft's console.

Through this partnership, mod creators can now easily distribute their mods across PC and Xbox One "with a single upload" using either GOG or the Paradox Launcher.

"Modding has been, and remains an important part of the Paradox community," Paradox Mods product owner Andres Törlind said. "As we have diversified the way we distribute our games, we want to make sure all our players can take part in the creation process."

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The first game to receive mod support is Surviving Mars, a 2018 simulator that tasks players with building and sustaining a colony on the red planet. More than 30 mods are now available for the title. These can be accessed by logging into your Paradox Account on the game's title screen, then selecting the Mod Manager option at the bottom of the screen. Additionally, the Xbox One version of the game has been updated to allow mouse and keyboard support

While Surviving Mars is currently the only Xbox One title to take advantage of this new feature, Paradox says that mod support for other titles "is planned to come later this year." You can take a look at some of the mods that are available through the platform on Paradox's website.


Anthem Combo Guide: Primers, Detonators, And Each Javelin's Special Effect

By Jordan Ramée on Feb 20, 2019 05:14 am

There's quite a bit that Anthem doesn't explicitly tell you in its tutorial or first few hours. The basics--such as shooting, dodging, and flying--are covered, but several of the game's more nuanced mechanics, like executing a combo during combat, are left for you to figure out. Setting up and executing a combo isn't necessary for beating Anthem, but understanding how to do so--and also knowing how each Javelin does so differently--can really help with tackling the game's Grandmaster difficulties.

To combo in Anthem, you'll first need to know which of a Javelin's unique abilities act as a primer and which are a detonator. Primers typically cause a status effect to an enemy, such as ice or acid, and set an enemy up for a combo. A detonator, meanwhile, will execute a combo on an enemy that has been primed. There are also standard abilities in the game, which neither prime nor detonate, and the Storm's Ultimate attack--Elemental Storm--is both a primer and detonator. In-game, primers are marked in the Forge customization window with a circle icon, and detonators are identified by a four-pronged star icon. If a weapon does neither, you won't see either symbol.

Both primers and detonators can be used alone and still cause enemy damage, much like a standard weapon. However, you'll want to execute combos as often as you can to do the most damage in the shortest amount of time. Some enemies tend to be bullet sponges and take a while to kill with firearms alone, so detonating a primer on them is a much easier way of dealing with them.

Detonating an enemy won't remove a primer's effect either, so you don't have to worry about neutralizing status effects by pulling off a combo. If you freeze a group of enemies with a Ranger's Frost Grenade, detonating the combo with a Colossus' Lightning Coil won't unfreeze them. You will have to prime the enemies again for another detonation, but the ice status effect remains until it naturally melts away.

It's also worth noting that each Javelin creates its own unique special effect when it detonates an enemy, so if you're playing in a group, you should know when to combo and when to let a teammate take the lead. Each Javelin and their corresponding combo effect are outlined below.

Javelin Combo Effects

  • Ranger -- Critical Target Damage: Detonating an enemy causes more damage than any other Javelin's detonation
  • Colossus -- Explosion: Detonating an enemy causes an explosion which damages all nearby enemies
  • Storm -- Spread: Detonating an enemy causes an explosion which spreads the enemy's elemental status effect to nearby foes
  • Interceptor -- Aura: Detonating an enemy causes its elemental status effect to imbued into your Javelin, which can then be spread to nearby targets through proximity

Each Javelin's Role When Setting Up A Combo

Ideally, you'd have Ranger handle all of the detonations when fighting a boss, as its combo effect allows it to do the most damage on a single target. Colossus, Storm, and Interceptor, on the other hand, are great for handling mobs of enemies bunched up together.

That's not to say these roles can't be reversed, though. Ranger's Ultimate, the Multi-Target Missile Battery, hits a bunch of enemies and is a detonator. If you prime a mob, you can do huge amounts of combo damage with this attack. Conversely, Storm and Interceptor's combo effects are ideal in situations where a boss is joined by enemy mobs. Also, Colossus' Ultimate, Siege Cannon, launches three detonators, which can do a lot of damage if your teammates can quickly prime a boss between each shot.

Each Javelin's melee attack needs to be taken into consideration as well. The Ranger's Shock Mace is a primer, while the Colossus' Heavy Smash, Storm's Fiery Strike, and Interceptor's Bladed Daggers are all detonators.

Going Solo Vs. Being A Part Of A Team

In Anthem, it's good practice to have at least two loadouts for each Javelin, one for solo play and another for when you're with others. Because when by yourself, you want a Javelin that can both easily prime and detonate so you're not scrambling against high-powered foes. For example, it's not the best strategy to play by yourself with a Ranger armed with Inferno Grenade and Venom Darts--both of which are primers--as then you'll only be able to detonate a combo with the Javelin's Ultimate. It's a great loadout, however, when playing with another player who's armed with a powerful detonator.

By yourself, one of the best Ranger loadouts is Frost Grenade and Seeking Missile if you prefer fighting from long range. This loadout will allow you to keep enemies in place and detonate them from afar. For close range, consider Inferno Grenade and Pulse Blast. Colossus has a devastating solo build with Lightning Coil and Flamethrower, and it'll put you right in the enemy's face where the Javelin can do the most damage. Interceptor, who also excels at close-range, has two solid solo loadouts: Cyro Glaive and Tempest Strike for those who prefer to shoot firearms or Venom Spray and Spark Dash if you enjoy using melee attacks and a hit-and-run playstyle. You've got a ton of choices for solo builds with Storm, since most of its primers and detonators are really good and can be mixed and matched.


Pokemon Go Finally Adds Clamperl In New Limited Research Event This Weekend

By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 20, 2019 04:15 am

Niantic has announced a new Limited Research event for Pokemon Go. Much like a Community Day, the event will run for three hours this coming Saturday, February 23, and it'll give players their first opportunity to catch a never-before-available Pokemon: Clamperl.

During the Limited Research event, players will be able to receive special Field Research tasks by spinning the Photo Disc at PokeStops. Other Water Pokemon, such as Krabby and Wailmer, will also appear more frequently throughout the event, and players will be rewarded with twice the normal amount of Stardust for every Water-type they catch.

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Just as during the first Limited Research event, you'll be able to complete the special Field Research tasks you collect any time, even after the event ends, but they'll only be distributed during the designated hours. Completing these tasks will end in an encounter with Clamperl, one of the last remaining Gen 3 Pokemon yet to appear in Go.

Clamperl has two possible evolutions: Huntail and Gorebyss. In the mainline games, the Pokemon will evolve into one of the two forms depending on what item it is holding when traded; in Go, however, Niantic says you won't know which form it'll turn into until it evolves, so you'll want to capture as many as possible during the event to ensure you get both evolutions. You can find the event hours for each region below.

A special Meltan event is also currently underway in Pokemon Go. Until March 4, you'll have a chance of encountering a Shiny Meltan when you open the Mystery Box. On top of that, the time you need to wait to re-open the box has been shortened by three days.

Pokemon Go February Limited Research Schedule

The Americas and Greenland

  • 11 AM - 2 PM PT
  • 2 PM - 5 PM ET

Europe, Middle East, and Africa

  • 10 AM - 1 PM UTC

Asia-Pacific

  • 12 PM - 3 PM JST (February 24)

New Apex Legends Weapon Revealed, Havoc Arrives Today

By Tamoor Hussain on Feb 20, 2019 04:00 am

Respawn Entertainment has revealed that a brand new gun will be added to its popular battle royale title, Apex Legends. The announcement was short and sweet, with a video of the rifle in question being posted to the official Apex Legends Twitter account. The video has a glitching effect going on, so it's difficult to get a really good look at it, but it seems like the weapon can be fired like an automatic rifle and will have an alternate fire that lets the player charge a shot. Take a look at the video for yourself below.

Respawn hasn't said exactly when the new weapon will be added to Apex Legends, only that it'll be available tomorrow (February 20). Of course, we'll be at hand to let you know when it's available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. We'll also take it for a bit of a test run and bring you some video of it in action. Depending on how it performs, we may even add it to our list of best Apex Legends guns.

Apex Legends is a free-to-play title that launched on February 4 and has since become incredibly popular. Respawn has revealed that the game hit 25 million players in the first week of availability and had "well over" 2 million peak concurrent players at one point. The game is set in the Titanfall universe, and although it doesn't have the iconic giant mechs or the ability to parkour around environments, it retains Titanfall's frenetic, satisfying gameplay style.

Apex Legends also takes a page out of Overwatch's book and features a diverse cast of characters that each have unique abilities. This is what gives Respawn's take on the battle royale genre its own unique flavor.

In GameSpot's Apex Legends review, critic Phil Hornshaw awarded the game 9/10. "Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses," he said. "Respawn's intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it's an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future."


Overwatch: New Paris Map Now Live In PS4, Xbox One, And PC Update

By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 20, 2019 03:20 am

Overwatch's newest map, Paris, is now live across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The map arrives as part of a new patch that also fixes numerous bugs and other issues in Blizzard's popular hero shooter.

Paris is the fifth Assault map to hit the game. It's set in the titular French city and features narrow streets, corridors, and storefronts to funnel players into firefights. It also encompasses a variety of areas, most notably the Cabaret Luna, the Pâtisserie Galand, and the sprawling Maison Marat located in the heart of the city.

The Paris map made its debut in Overwatch earlier this month on the PC test servers, but this marks the first time it is available on all platforms. If you want to take a closer look at it before hopping in, you can watch us play a round on the new map in the video above.

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In addition to Paris, the new Overwatch patch implements a long list of general and character-specific bug fixes across platforms. Among other things, Blizzard has patched out a bug that allowed Symmetra's teleporter to reach "unintended" areas, as well as one that prevented an enemy from being hit by Reinhardt's Earthshatter if they were pinned by his charge. You can find the full patch notes on Blizzard's website.

Overwatch's annual Lunar New Year event recently wrapped up on February 18, and as usual, it introduced a variety of seasonal skins. Blizzard also made some big buffs and nerfs to certain characters as part of that update, notably Brigitte and D.Va; the former's Rally was capped at a maximum duration of 30 seconds, while the latter's Defense Matrix cooldown was increased from 1 second to 2 seconds.


Free Apex Legends Skin And Loot Now Available With Amazon / Twitch Prime

By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 20, 2019 02:25 am

A new freebie is now available for Twitch Prime members. For a limited time, players can claim a free loot pack for Respawn's newly released battle royale game, Apex Legends, hot on the heels of the release of its new patch (and impending new weapon). The pack is available on PS4, Xbox One, or PC and contains an exclusive skin, but you'll need to be careful when claiming it, as it can only be redeemed on one platform.

The Apex Legends Twitch Prime Pack comes with a variety of cosmetics for the battle royale game. The highlight is the legendary Omega Point skin for Pathfinder, but it also includes five Apex Packs, the game's equivalent of loot boxes which contain a random assortment of cosmetic items such as weapon skins and gestures.

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To claim the Twitch Prime Pack, you'll first need to link your Twitch account with your EA Account, then click on the crown-shaped Prime Loot icon on Twitch's website. As previously mentioned, the pack is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but you can only redeem it once, and only on the first platform you log into with your linked EA Account. You can read more in the FAQ.

Twitch Prime is one of the perks included in an Amazon Prime membership, and it offers freebies for a variety of games. Members can also download a selection of titles every month at no charge; February's batch includes Pikuniku, Dear Esther: Landmark Edition, Downwell, The Flame in the Flood, and Draknek & Co Puzzle Collection. Square Enix is also separately offering Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition for free until May 3.

Apex Legends launched earlier this month following a surprise reveal, and it's already hit a huge player milestone. Much like Fortnite, it's free to download and play, but it also places a heavier emphasis on teamwork and features a variety of characters with unique abilities and characteristics, not unlike Overwatch. If you're new to the game, be sure to check out GameSpot's guides roundup for helpful tips and strategies.


Apex Legends Gibraltar Character Guide: Tips On Playing As The Shielded Fortress

By Phil Hornshaw on Feb 20, 2019 02:19 am

Team balance is pretty important in Apex Legends. Developer Respawn Entertainment shakes up the battle royale formula by including individual characters you can choose at the beginning of a match. That means the best teams aren't just thinking about how to beat other players, but how they can support and complement each other on the battlefield. Other than the medic character Lifeline, there's not another Legend in Apex as team-oriented as Gibraltar.

Gibraltar is a defensive player, with abilities that are all geared toward standing his ground, protecting teammates, and making it tough for enemies to put fire on his squad. Used effectively, Gibraltar can save teammates' lives and turn the tides of fights by making your team's position more defensible than the enemy's. But perhaps more than most other characters in Apex Legends, effective communication with Gibraltar is key, because he can do as much harm as he can good at times.

Playing as Gibraltar takes some getting used to, but once you've put some time in, you'll be saving your squad with dome shields and potentially dropping whole squads with effective mortar strikes. We've got all you need to know about Gibraltar's abilities, plus a whole mess of tips to help you make the most of any situation when playing as him.

We've also run down a whole lot of useful information Apex Legends doesn't tell you, and spent some time myth-busting to find out exactly what is and isn't possible in Apex Legends, so check those out. You might also want to read our Apex Legends review.

Other Character Guides

General Overview

Gibraltar is called the "Shielded Fortress" on the Legends select screen, and that's the best way to think about him. Most of his abilities are about absorbing damage and pushing the other team back and away from your squad, and they're all useful in a pinch when you're in a bad situation. Gibraltar is great to have on a team for those fights that aren't going your way, when you need a second to heal, reset, or retreat.

The trick with Gibraltar is not getting too cocky about the shields he carries around. Yes, they're good at absorbing damage and can give you a couple extra seconds in a fight, but used poorly, they can also become a huge liability. Over-reliance on your shields can make you vulnerable to smart players, and your shields can block your teammates as well as your enemies. Communication about when to use your capabilities is key to using them effectively, so your team knows exactly what to expect and when to expect it. Almost none of the other characters require as much team awareness as an effective Gibraltar does.

When used right, Gibraltar can totally shift a battle, making a position indefensible, forcing an enemy team on the run, closing off part of the battlefield to fire, or giving you the time you need to retreat or flank. He's also great in a stand-up fight with weapons like the Spitfire LMG or Peacekeeper shotgun because he can take a little more punishment than other characters. As long as you know your limits, Gibraltar can help you wreck other teams.

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Skills

Passive Ability: Gun Shield

In any given fight, Gibraltar gets a leg-up on whoever he's battling with his Gun Shield. This is a damage-absorbing shield that covers his midsection whenever he's aiming down the sights of a gun. It can take a fair amount of punishment and make inaccurate players stumble against you as you fill them full of lead, but it has the drawback of requiring a sacrifice in mobility to use it. That makes the Gun Shield good for midrange or close encounters where you can benefit from taking time to aim, while your opponent is more likely to hit the shield and not you.

Tactical Ability: Dome Shield

Your dome shield can be essential in any given fight. It creates 15 seconds of protection around a giving area, absorbing all fire in or out. That makes it great for blocking big attacks like air strikes, but any time you're facing down a situation that's not great, the shield can keep you alive long enough to get your bearings and get back the upper hand. The key is to avoid over-reliance on the shield--both teammates and enemies can walk right through it, so most people respond to seeing a bubble shield by switching to a shotgun and charging straight into it for close-range cleanup.

Ultimate Ability: Defensive Bombardment

While Gibraltar's abilities are mostly about defending against gunfire, his ultimate can do serious damage to unsuspecting enemies. The Defensive Bombardment is a mortar strike that drops bombs around a smoke grenade Gibraltar throws onto the battlefield, and anyone caught in the middle can get fairly wrecked by it. Unlike Bangalore's airstrike, Gibraltar's covers a circular area around the smoke grenade used to call it, so you can drop it right on an enemy position, in a specific place you want to force people away from, or even on yourself--it's great when combined with the Dome Shield to push a team away from you or quickly finish them off.

Tips To Play As Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a defensive hero, and you should try to use him as such whenever possible. That doesn't mean you don't get into a fight when you need to--aggression often pays off in Apex Legends, because giving a team a chance to heal up or revive enemies can lose you a fight. But the Dome Shield and Defensive Bombardment abilities are great for slowing or stopping an opposing team or giving your teammates the edge, so always think about how you can help keep your squad alive.

Your Gun Shield is a handy boost in a fight, but it carries serious drawbacks, so think about when you want to use it and when you don't. It blocks a lot less damage than you think, and the loss of mobility means more fire comes at you. Use the Gun Shield when you have a weapon advantage, with something like a shotgun or an LMG, at a range where you're more likely to do more damage than you take. It can also be effective when you're sniping if you've got extra cover. In every instance, though, don't rely on the Gun Shield to save you, because it probably won't; it's best for giving you an edge, and that edge can be especially handy at closer ranges.

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Defensive Bombardment is a highly versatile ultimate. Drop it at the beginning of a fight to force another squad to scramble out of cover, or wait till you're in close and they're committed to fighting you turn the battlefield into a disaster area. The bombardment is also great for dropping on enemies you've knocked down: In most cases, the mortar strikes will kill them, and you might get lucky as a teammate tries to get the revive. Just note that you can take damage from your own bombardments, but your squadmates will be immune to it.

If you've got a teammate down, try throwing the Defensive Bombardment on their location, then running in and dropping a Dome Shield. Mortars will keep anyone from charging you, in most cases, while the shield will give you ample time to pick up your teammate, with the possibility that they'll also have time to heal up a bit, too.

Dome Shields are actually highly vulnerable, so be careful how you use them. They block incoming fire, but turn into death traps if an enemy with a shotgun gets bold enough to run in. Try using them at range when possible to avoid having anybody close the gap on you, and remember that being behind the shield is just as effective at stopping fire as being inside it. Keep mobile and adapt even when shielding.

Domes are extremely visible to the enemy, and they cut through walls, so they basically give away your position whenever you use them. It's possible to use that to your advantage, though; dropping a shield makes an enemy squad think they know where you are, giving you a chance to try to not be there. The misdirect can be especially effective with Bangalore's smoke or Caustic's gas, allowing you to move away from the shield while your enemies are focusing on the wrong thing.

You don't just have to use bombardments to attack enemies--try dropping them at choke points or in areas where you're worried a team might try to flank you. The bombardment is deadly, but its real defensive function is to push squads out of position and make them move, so try to use it to control the battlefield. The same is true of the Dome Shield, which you can position to block incoming fire from flankers while you deal with a closer, more pressing threat.

If you're trying to escape a fight, try dropping the Dome Shield behind you as you go. It'll block incoming fire like a wall while you keep moving, allowing you to get some distance on your attackers while they fire on you. If you're lucky, the shield's position might cause them to lose track of you as well.

You can turn off Gibraltar's Gun Shield anytime you want to, and if you're trying to discreetly target enemies without being seen, it's a good idea to switch it off. Seen by opponents, the shield is a big, orange, glowing rectangle, and like the Dome Shield, it's very visible. Just remember to switch it back on for closer fights.

It's possible to drop your Dome Shield generator on top of a Lifeline healing drone. That lets you push the floating drone forward, moving the shield, giving you a mobile barrier.


New On Netflix: This Week's Movies, TV, And Originals (US)

By Steve Watts on Feb 20, 2019 01:40 am

The shortest month is approaching its end, and Netflix's slate of new offerings is slowing. Even a relatively slow week for the streaming giant has a handful of new shows and original films to watch, though, and this one is no exception. This week we get five new films, along with new series and a few additional seasons of existing shows.

The new films include the dramas The Drug King and Firebrand, the love story Paris Is Us, historical drama The Photographer of Mauthausen, and the comedy Paddleton. Those are joined by another volume of Chef's Table, and new seasons of The Big Family Cooking Showdown, Rebellion, and Suburra. Plus a new comedy series Workin' Moms premieres with its first season.

Meanwhile, a couple of offerings are leaving this week. Girl Meets World, the recent sequel to the classic sitcom, will have its seasons 1-3 vanish from the service, along with horror comedy movie Piranha.

Check below for the full listing of shows and movies rotating in and out this week, and watch above for our best recommendations this month.

Avail. 2/21/19

  • The Drug King-- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 2/22/19

  • Chef's Table: Volume 6-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Firebrand-- NETFLIX FILM
  • GO! Vive a tu manera-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Paddleton-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Paris Is Us (Paris est à nous)-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Rebellion: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Suburra: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • The Big Family Cooking Showdown: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • The Photographer of Mauthausen-- NETFLIX FILM
  • Workin' Moms-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Leaving 2/19/19

  • Disney's Girl Meets World: Seasons 1-3

Leaving 2/20/19

  • Piranha

Path Of Exile PS4 Releases In March

By Alessandro Fillari on Feb 20, 2019 01:30 am

The continually evolving Path of Exile will finally see the release of the long-awaited PS4 edition later in March. Intended to be released following the launch of the last expansion, Betrayal, in December, the game was abruptly delayed prior to its planned launch. During a recent chat with Path of Exile's managing director Chris Wilson, he offered an update on the PS4 edition, and why developer Grinding Gear Games chose to delay it.

As it turned out, the developers held back the PS4 release to give it some extra time. According to Wilson, the game was in solid shape, but the team felt it could be improved. Due to the lengthy process to authorize the game for release, the PS4 version will now have its launch in March--final date still pending. At its debut, the newest console release will have all present DLC available, which includes Synthesis.

"It really feels like we're completing the cycle with platforms for Path of Exile," said Wilson. "We wished we could have gotten on consoles earlier, but our resources were pretty limited at the time. Thankfully we were able to get them done. It's been really useful [not releasing the PS4 in December]. It would have been OK to have released it then, but we do want first-impressions to be good and there were certain areas of the game we weren't happy with. We wanted to tighten it up."

In addition to our talk about the PS4 release, he also went into detail about what's to come with the game's next update Synthesis, which adds a brand-new league to the game, along with a substantial rebalance to the game's magic and skill system. If you want a clear idea of what's to come with the Synthesis expansion, we breakdown all the new updates and rebalancing that's to come with the new expansion, and how things get weird once you start exploring the dreamscape and its shifting memory clusters.

For more on Path of Exile, including when exactly you can play the PS4 release, be sure to visit GameSpot in the weeks ahead.


Path Of Exile's Big New Expansion, Synthesis, Releases In March

By Alessandro Fillari on Feb 20, 2019 01:30 am

Path of Exile continues to keep new content rolling out at a steady pace. Following the Betrayal expansion last December, the developers at Grinding Gear Games still have big plans ahead for the online action-RPG. In addition to the launch of their next update, Synthesis, the developers will also bring the long-awaited release of the PlayStation 4 edition in March.

The Synthesis expansion launches on March 8 for PC and March 11 for Xbox One. It will shake up the game's familiar spell system for something more tactical and user-friendly, while also introducing some new features that will give greater incentive for players to revisit past locations. Along with new additions to the game's league system, allowing players to either start fresh with a new character or continue with their existing character, there's also a new storyline that deals with restoring the memories of a mysterious character who has access to a large arsenal of spells and loot--all set within a bizarre dreamscape.

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Managing director Chris Wilson spoke with us at great length about what to expect for Path of Exile's newest expansion, and how this one will be the beginning of an eventful year for the online-RPG--culminating at year's end with another substantial update.

"The title of this expansion relates to the actual Synthesis league--which is for the new content in the game--but the other part of this is for the really big rebalance and changes in Path of Exile," said Wilson. "It sounds like a routine thing, but the scope of it is a bit unprecedented for us. The goal is to try to open up a lot more viable build combinations for players. And honestly, as compelling as it is to release new leagues and other forms of new content, the rebalances often add more replayability to the game."

Along with new updates to Betrayal's syndicate gameplay, which will be rolled into the main campaign, the next expansion also rebalances a number of combat skills and spells in the main game. However, the main conceit of Synthesis is the larger quest to help the new NPC Cavas restore his lost memories. Scattered around the world are secret portals that open up the pathway to Cavas' memories. Upon entering, you'll explore a miniature world full of dangerous monsters and valuable loot. Once you reach the finish, you'll acquire a Memory Fragment.

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Eventually, you can take these fragments to the Memory Nexus, Cavas' base of operations. Fragments can then be used to fill out spaces on the Memory Map, an ethereal space where new memories form a continuous set of mini-dungeons to explore on the map. If you're able to complete a full sequence, you'll acquire special loot and rewards from Cavas. However, the memories will eventually decay, making them unstable, causing some strange effects while within the memory. Once fully decayed, they'll be wiped from the map.

In addition to the new gameplay loop with the Memory Map, one of the more substantial changes coming in Synthesis is the rebalancing of the spell system. Wilson stressed that this was the most difficult part of the expansion, which was also a long time coming.

"It's not just numerical values we're adjusting on the spells, we're kind of fundamentally altering how they work," said Wilson. "There's about 40-ish caster spells are all augmentable with several hundreds of support gems, and also compared to the over 110 different skills you can use as well. They can go through all these different shapes and timings, like a meteor-spell for instance. Having them all balanced was a very difficult task for the team, so it needed a lot of effort."

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Here's a quick breakdown of features coming with Path of Exile's newest expansion:

  • The Memory Map: Over the course of the Synthesis expansion, you'll acquire Memory Fragments which can be placed onto the Memory Map, creating a series of mini-dungeons to explore. Successfully exploring a full sequence will yield valuable loot and special rewards.
  • Fractured Items: The fractured items are special items that have powerful buffs applied to them, but they also often come with a downside. To combat this, fractured gear can be re-rolled to shuffle stats and buffs.
  • New Spells And Rebalancing: Over 40 spells have been overhauled and rebalanced. Furthermore, new spells and skills have been added into Path of Exile, including the first-ever Holy-elemental attack.
  • New Unique Items: 16 new unique items have been incorporated into the game. Coming in the form of armor, weapons, and accessories, the unique items of Synthesis are among the most powerful items that Path of Exile has seen yet.
  • Synthesized Items: In the Memory Nexus, players can use the synthesizer to turn three different fractured items to produce a new item with a set of new mods.

Throughout 2019, Grinding Gear will release three additional expansions following Synthesis. With the next ones coming in June, September, and December, the developer also plan to reveal the game's most ambitious expansions yet in November at Path of Exile's fan convention in New Zealand. During this event, two new major updates will be revealed--one of which is referred to as a mega-expansion by the developers. At this rate, Path of Exile's continued growth, which has been going for six years now, won't be slowing down any time soon.

For more on Path of Exile, including the launch of the upcoming expansion and PS4 edition, be sure to visit GameSpot in the weeks ahead.


New Ghost Recon: Wildlands Special Operation Update Coming Next Week

By Jordan Ramée on Feb 20, 2019 01:27 am

Ubisoft has announced the next Special Operation is coming to Ghost Recon: Wildlands on February 27. Special Operation 4 will introduce new PvP and PvE content, as well as several community-requested features.

A brand-new PvE mode is included in Special Operation 4, although Ubisoft hasn't yet revealed exact details for it other than that it would "test your endurance." In a blog post, the developer did say that completing the mode for the first time will unlock a new outfit, and that more information would be shared "soon." On the PvP side of things, Ghost War multiplayer will be getting a new class in Special Operation 4, as well as two additional maps. The new Ghost War class will be exclusive to Year 2 Pass holders for a week, before going live for everyone else on March 6.

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Several community-requested features will go live in Special Operation 4 as well. You'll now be able to change the time of day in the solo campaign. Both Battle and Prestige Crates have been updated, with all voice lines and several emotes moving from the former to the latter. Prestige Crates will also drop higher rarity items more often. A new browser will allow you to look through custom matches based on your selected criteria. Challenges will also have increased Prestige Credit rewards, and two new PvP events are being added to the pool.

In our Ghost Recon: Wildlands review, Miguel Concepcion gave the game a 7/10, writing, "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."


Fortnite Challenges Have Grown Stale, And Epic Needs To Shake Them Up Fast

By Richard Wakeling on Feb 20, 2019 01:13 am

If you've played Fortnite for more than a couple of seasons with the Battle Pass in hand, you know the weekly ritual all too well by now. A new batch of challenges are released, and each week you head to the internet (preferably GameSpot's essential guides) to find out where golden balloons are scattered, shooting galleries are located, or where exactly to search between landmarks. Then you hop into Fortnite with the sole intention of completing these challenges as quickly as humanly possible.

At this point, the majority of these challenges are monotonous, and completing them each week has become a bit of a chore. There's an obligation to do them that evokes a feeling not too dissimilar from the compulsory urge you get to play an MMO each month purely because you're paying a subscription fee.

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Fortnite's Battle Pass is good value, but only if you put in the time to get the most out of it, and that means completing challenges to earn battle stars, which in turn help you to gradually ascend through the tiers and unlock each of the skins, emotes, and whatever else is on offer for that particular season. You can even earn enough V-Bucks to purchase the next season without spending a dime of real money, provided you can resist the temptation to purchase any of the skins that go on sale in the item shop throughout the 10 weeks a season typically lasts.

The battle royale scene has heated up in recent months thanks to Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout mode. These are now vying for attention alongside established games such as Fortnite and PUBG. Epic has responded in kind with the opportunity for anyone to earn Season 8's Battle Pass free of charge. Fortnite isn't going to start hemorrhaging too many of its 200 million players any time soon, but with more options for people to choose from, offering an appetising incentive to play Fortnite is a prudent move on Epic's part.

In order to gain free access to Season 8's Battle Pass you have to complete a particular amount of the new Overtime Challenges. Much like the regular challenges found in the game, their quality varies wildly, but there's one key difference so far: You can complete most of them by simply playing the game.

Whether you're hopping in a plane to travel between numerous locations or have your face buried in a walkthrough to find a gaggle of hidden collectibles, you regularly have to veer off course to complete Fortnite's normal weekly challenges. Sure, these kinds of tasks encourage players to explore the map to a certain degree, and they do introduce gameplay variety beyond shooting to kill, but you're already incentivised to visit brand-new areas of the map just to see what's new, while The Block--a specific area of the map used to showcase user creations--disregards challenges completely because it isn't feasible when the play space changes each week. Sadly, however, the Block is all too easy to ignore if your time is dedicated to completing challenges.

There are exceptions to this rule, of course, and while the straightforward act of killing three people with a shotgun isn't the most inventive of challenges, it is something that can occur naturally while playing to win, or even playing to rack up as many kills as possible. Other similarly structured challenges might force you to go out of your way to use a weapon type you usually never do, or task you with approaching firefights with a builder's mindset. Fortnite could do with more of these challenges, as well as others that reinvigorate the weekly grind, instead of relying on the fetch quest facsimiles. Playing the game shouldn't feel like a compulsory chore each week if you want to get the most out of your Battle Pass purchase.

The things you're doing [in Fortnite's challenges] aren't changing in enough meaningful ways from week to week and season to season

At this point in Fortnite's lifecycle, particularly if you've been playing for more than a few seasons, the things you're doing aren't changing in enough meaningful ways from week to week and season to season. Shooting golden balloons might be different from dancing in front of various gargoyles, but it's still a bland task you have to go out of your way to do, and this whole process has become disappointingly rote. Epic does an admirable job of trying to keep the game fresh each week, introducing new weapons, working in exciting world events, and so on, but when it comes to the Battle Pass the weekly makeup of challenges has become counterintuitive to this freshness.

With the most dynamic aspect of Fortnite becoming stale we could see a slice of Fortnite's player base look to other battle royale experiences for a fresh twist on the formula. With high-quality alternatives such as Apex Legends now competing for our time, it feels imperative that Fortnite breaks out of this monotony. Offering a free Battle Pass for completing relatively easy tasks might be a shrewd idea, but the Overtime Challenges, like the regular weekly ones, only serve to highlight how lacklustre this aspect of the game has steadily become.


Big Black Ops 4 Operation Grand Heist Update Out Now On PS4

By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 20, 2019 01:00 am

Treyarch's big Operation Grand Heist update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has arrived on PS4. The update introduces a slew of new content to the online shooter, including a new Specialist, maps, and weapons, with even more still to come over the next few days.

Launching alongside the update today, February 19, is a new Specialist for multiplayer and Blackout modes: Outrider. Treyarch has also added a new multiplayer mode called One in the Chamber, while those with the Black Ops Pass have access to two new multiplayer maps, Casino and Lockup.

Black Ops Pass holders also get an exclusive character for Blackout: the Zombie gorilla Cosmic Silverback. As Treyarch recently teased, the Blackout map has also been expanded with a new locale called Ghost Town. The aboveground area is designed after the Black Ops II map Standoff, while the caverns below ground are inspired by the Zombies map Buried.

Speaking of Zombies, the mode has also received some new content in the form of the Death-Con Five Gauntlet for the Classified map. Treyarch has also implemented a new Perk, Ethereal Razor, which "substantially increases a player's melee damage with area of effect and life re-gen for each hit."

Rounding out the additions are new Black Market weapons, camos, outfits, accessories, and gestures. Treyarch has even more content on the way every day this week. Beginning February 20, the developer teases that "a familiar face makes an appearance to welcome in the new Operation," and the following day will kick off the first League Play event. Finally, on February 22, Blackout will get the new Hot Pursuit mode, which introduces three new vehicles: the SUV, PBR, and Muscle Car.

Like Operation Grand Heist, Hot Pursuit will go live first on PS4 and expand to Xbox One and PC the following week. You can read more details about the update on Treyarch's blog.


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