Borderlands 3 was believed to be in the works for years now, and recent teases from series developer Gearbox only intensified that belief. Today, during the company's PAX East panel, it finally confirmed it: Borderlands 3 is real.
The Gearbox panel is ongoing, but we'll report back with more details as they're shared.
During Gearbox's PAX East keynote presentation, the company revealed Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition, a Switch port of Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition that also includes the Duke Nukem DLC. This way, you can play the game with original protagonist Grayson Hunt or the titular protagonist of the Duke Nukem franchise.
Releasing in 2011, Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter that focuses on rewarding players for killing enemies in the most creative way possible. A remaster for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, titled Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, released in April 2017, adding the option of playing as Duke Nukem--who fits in perfectly with the game's rather crass humor. The Switch port is scheduled for Summer 2019.
In our Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition review, Scott Butterworth gave the game an 8/10, writing, "For longtime fans, Full Clip Edition doesn't offer much to be excited about. Additions like Overkill Mode and the upgraded visuals are certainly welcome, but fundamentally, this is the same game they already played in 2011. That said, the experience absolutely holds up: the skillshot system remains wildly fun and inventive, the weapons are still a gruesome joy, and the writing...well, it's as distinctive as ever. If you missed Bulletstorm when it originally released--and based on sales numbers, you probably did--now's the time to treat yourself to a clever if cringe-worthy blockbuster."
Gearbox made several other announcements during its keynote presentation. We Happy Few is getting a new DLC, titled They Came From Below, that will launch next week as a part of the game's season pass. TinyBuild also has a new horror game coming out on May 23 called Pathologic 2.
Further details about the upcoming Borderlands game was announced as well, but there wasn't anything new revealed (yet anyway, as the keynote is still going). Gearbox confirmed the identities of some of the characters included in the teaser trailer for the new game, including an older Tiny Tina, Hammerlock, Ellie, and Marcus.
Gearbox teased that it would have multiple announcements during its PAX East panel, and one of them has turned out to center around the original Borderlands. The studio has announced a re-released version of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition. It releases on April 3.
This news isn't a complete surprise, as a Korean ratings board listing from last year suggested this game was coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Gearbox tried to run the trailer revealing the news during its panel, but it seemingly ran into technical issues. Despite that, the trailer was rolled out on YouTube anyway, and you can see it below.
"With new weapons, visual upgrades, character heads, gold chests and keys, plus all 4 add-on packs, you can enjoy all of the content from one of the Most Acclaimed Games of its era, now in one sweet and deliciously modern package!" a description reads.
Borderlands was originally released in 2009, so this announcement comes just ahead of the series' 10-year anniversary. The Game of the Year version followed that in 2010, bundling the base game with its four DLC packs.
Google Stadia, a cloud-based platform that streams games from a remote data center to nearly any device, is designed to work on laptops, phones, tablets, PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, and TVs with Chromecast. All graphics processing is relegated to off-site hardware, so all you need is a strong internet connection. It's a technologically impressive concept, and we were eager to be one of the first to experience it on the GDC 2019 showroom floor. Both Assassin's Creed Odyssey and 2016's Doom were playable at the event, and though they ran and looked great, I couldn't help but notice one significant shortcoming.
Keep in mind, my hands-on time was at the Google stations on the GDC show floor, so your mileage may vary. There are a lot variables at play in addition to the internet connection, and these are early playable builds under unknown conditions. Display response time is another factor that we couldn't account for during the hands-on demo, and it's an important spec to consider, especially for a PC-like experience--these were not gaming-grade monitors at the demo stations.
Input lag was the worst offender during my time with Doom; this was readily apparent when swiping the mouse around to aim. The aiming reticule would trail behind my mouse movements ever so slightly, and for a game like Doom--a hyper-fast first-person shooter that relies on precision aiming--it can be a deal-breaker. Playing on a controller mitigated the emphasis on speed and precision and made input lag a little less of a factor, but it doesn't negate the issue altogether. Another thing to note is that Google staff told me the Doom demo in particular was running in a low-latency mode available on Stadia itself. From a fidelity standpoint, the game ran at a consistent frame-rate using medium-high settings with adequate overall image quality; artifacting (or compression) didn't affect the experience. However, it's a bit disappointing that input lag could hold this back from being the ideal way to play a game as fast as Doom.
[Update: Google, for its part, insists latency wouldn't be an issue for Stadia. This claim came from Phil Harrison, who sat down with GameSpot to discuss a range of Stadia questions, including exclusive games, pricing, and data caps. Not long after Stadia's reveal, Apple announced its new foray into games with Apple Arcade. That service works like Xbox Game Pass and is not cloud-based, as Apple made it clear that--in an apparent nod toward Stadia concerns--its games can be played offline.]
I also got to revisit Assassin's Creed Odyssey with Stadia and it felt very similar to Google's early cloud-gaming beta that called Project Stream. Of course, Odyssey doesn't have the same emphasis on speed and accuracy as Doom, so naturally the experience translated better to the cloud-based platform. When peeking at some of the settings, the demo was running at 1080p, 60 FPS, with a 20 Mbps bit rate. The game had decent visual quality with some discernible artifacting, but we were playing up-close on large TVs which isn't a typical setup.
At launch, it'll be capable of delivering up to 4K resolution and 60 FPS thanks to a brand-new AMD GPU rated at 10.7 TFLOPs that powers the data center hardware--remember, the Xbox One X, currently the most powerful console to date, has 6.0 TFLOPs. Stadia will come with a whole roster of features in addition to the convenience of playing games over a powerful cloud-based platform.
Google will also offer its own controller for Stadia which has integrated Google Assistant, its voice-controlled AI technology--developers will be able to incorporate this capability into their games. Additionally, Stadia will have seamless streaming to YouTube with plenty of features change how people will able to jump into multiplayer games (Crowd Play), and share specific gameplay moments for other players to jump into (State Share).
Google isn't the only one staking a claim in cloud-based gaming, however. Microsoft's Project xCloud, which also streams games from hardware at a data center to devices via an internet connection, will be having test runs later this year as well. For more on the game streaming landscape, be sure to read our quick rundown of all the gaming companies investing in cloud gaming and what they're offering.
If Google can improve key aspects, namely the apparent issues with input lag, Stadia would be a serious competitor in the gaming landscape. Otherwise, there may be limitations as to which games would work best on this new platform. Regardless, the accessibility that Google will offer is unprecedented. While cloud gaming itself is not new, the combination of accessibility and convenience could help this service to establish a foothold. We'll all be able to see for ourselves when Stadia launches sometime in 2019.
Apple's latest keynote, the Show Time event, brought with it news on an array of products and services coming to the company's slew of devices. However, unlike most Apple events, the focus was not on new hardware, but instead on subscription-based services--all designed to deliver entertainment, video game, and magazine content.
The centerpiece of the announcements was Apple TV, which came in two major ways. The Apple TV app is getting a major revision called Apple TV Channels that will allow users to directly access shows from providers like HBO, Starz, Amazon, and Hulu. You'll also be able to purchase shows on demand. It's coming this May, and the app will also expand to smart TVs and players like Roku and Amazon Fire TV in the spring.
Most of Apple's time was spent on Apple TV Plus, a premium subscription service offering new original programming akin to Netflix. Several Hollywood directors and actors appeared on stage to debut their upcoming projects, including Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Momoa, Big Bird, and Oprah. It will launch in the fall, and the price has not been announced. Apple showed off a backdrop full of creators currently making exclusives for Apple TV Plus.
Apple Arcade
Apple TV Plus wasn't the only subscription service announced during the presentation, though. The company also announced a new game product, Apple Arcade, which will get its own tab in the App Store when it launches this fall. It will include roughly 100 games with more being rotated regularly, and the list of publishers includes lots of recognizable names. In a seeming shot at Google's Stadia service, Apple was sure to mention that these games can be downloaded and played offline. One key detail we don't yet have is a price--we have no idea what access to these games will cost, but that in a market largely dominated by free-to-play titles, that could make or break the service.
Apple News Plus
But wait, there's another subscription service. Apple also announced Apple News Plus, an expansion to its News service that adds a wide selection of magazine subscriptions. It will cost $10 per month for unlimited access to more than 300 periodicals. App fans may recognize this as similar to Texture, the magazine subscription service acquired by Apple last year. Apple has added its own bells and whistles by integrating the functionality into its News service, as well as adding more search functions and neat features like "live covers."
Apple Credit Card
Finally, Apple announced its own credit card. It works similarly to Apple Pay, and the digital version actually runs through the Apple Pay app. But this is its own card with its own security features, financial tools, and cash-back rewards--which are delivered daily. A separate physical titanium card will be available too. Those cards launch this summer.
You can still see the full presentation through Apple's website.
Apple is expanding its presence in the games industry with its own game subscription service called Apple Arcade--designed to provide access to a variety of titles whether you want to play on mobile, desktop, or in the living room. Unlike Google's Stadia, Apple Arcade won't be a cloud streaming service, though. A brief overview trailer of Apple Arcade is linked below, and if you're looking for more details, check out everything we know about Apple Arcade.
Essentially, Apple's service takes the form of a monthly subscription that provides unlimited access to a curated selection of paid titles on the App Store; it sounds sort of like Xbox Game Pass. Development partners include Sega, Konami, Disney, Sumo Digital, and Cartoon Network, among others, and more than 100 exclusive games will become part of the service. Additional games will also be added "all the time," the company said, although an exact cadence for new releases was not shared.
Apple Arcade covers more than just iOS games, although these will work on devices like iPhones and iPads. Beyond that, you'll be able to play on MacOS and Apple TV, meaning these games span mobile, laptops, and TV. And these versions won't operate independently of each other; your progress transfers between the different platforms. In other words, you can move from playing something on your phone to your TV or laptop, for instance, which is not entirely dissimilar from the vision Google recently outlined with Stadia.
Apple went on to state that every game would be playable offline, while future game updates and DLC would be included at no extra cost. Apple Arcade will have its own tab on the App Store, and the games will be free of ads and microtransactions.
Apple Arcade will be available in 150 countries "this fall." One key bit of information--how much it will cost--has not yet been shared. Apple says pricing and more details are still to come.
During the event, we got a brief look at a few of the games coming to the service, with more being confirmed afterward in a press release. Among the confirmed games are Sonic Racing, Lego Brawls, Oceanhorn 2, Overland, Fantasian (from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi), and Beyond the Steel Sky (which is being worked on by Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame). We also got a list of Apple Arcade developers and publishers, including names like Lego, Disney, Sega, and Konami.
Apple says it will be "contributing to the development costs and working closely with creators to bring the games to life," suggesting it will do more than just pay developers for their games to be included.
"The App Store is the world's biggest and most successful game platform. Now we are going to take games even further with Apple Arcade, the first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room," said Apple marking boss Phil Schiller. "We are working with some of the most innovative game developers in the world to create over 100 new and exclusive games to play across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Apple Arcade games will be great for families, respect user privacy and will not have ads or require any additional purchases. We think players of all ages are going to love Apple Arcade."
Godzilla might be one of the most famous movie monsters of all time, but there are plenty of other incredible creatures in this long-running franchise. King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra are all classic monsters from Japanese Godzilla movies, and they will make their Hollywood debut this summer in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. A new trailer has now been released.
The latest promo features loads of new footage. It opens with some stunning shots of three-headed King Ghidorah, the winged Rodan, and moth-like Mothra. The trailer reveals that scientists from monster-tracking agency Monarch plan to set Godzilla free from his aquatic prison to fight these giant threats--as one character says, "It's a good thing he's on our side." The movie looks absolutely stunning--check the trailer out below.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty, whose previous credits include the Christmas monster movie Krampus. It stars Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), Kyle Chandler (Game Night), and Millie Bobbie Brown (Stranger Things), plus Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Ken Watanabe (Inception), and O'Shea Jackson Jr (Straight Outta Compton). It hits theaters on May 31, 2019. For more check out everything we know about Godzilla: King of the Monsters, plus this recent trailer.
In a recent interview with Collider, Dougherty spoke about how his movie will differ from its predecessor, Gareth Edwards' 2014 hit Godzilla. "I hesitate to say it, but I would call it the Aliens to Gareth's Alien," he said. "So it's a bit more on an ensemble film. The first movie was really about Brody's character kind of weaving his way through that adventure and Monarch kind of was the backdrop for that. Here Monarch is the focus, because I find that concept really fascinating. The idea that there is a secret agency that tracks giant monsters--that is a dream come true for me too. I think if the government said to me, 'Tomorrow you have to fake your own death and abandon everyone you know to go hunt the paranormal,' I would be gone in a heartbeat."
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the latest entry in Legendary Pictures' so-called MonsterVerse, following Godzilla and 2017's Kong: Skull Island. The fourth movie in the series will be Godzilla vs Kong, which is now in production and scheduled for a May 2020 release.
Pokemon Sword and Shield may be on the horizon, but The Pokemon Company isn't done giving away freebies for the series' latest 3DS installments, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Players with a Pokemon Bank subscription can now claim two more free Pokemon in the seventh-gen games, and these are a little different from the ones you can normally catch.
For a limited time, you'll be able to receive a free Oranguru and Passimian by signing into Pokemon Bank. What makes these particular Pokemon special is they come with their Hidden Abilities, which normally aren't obtainable in the games. Passimian's is Defiant, which raises its Attack any time one of its stats is lowered by the opponent, while Oranguru's is Symbiosis, which will pass the item it's holding to an ally in Double or Triple Battles when that Pokemon consumes its own held item.
You can claim Oranguru and Passimian in either of the Ultra games or the original Sun and Moon versions. To download them, you'll need to insert your game of choice in the 3DS and access the Pokemon Bank app. After you see a notification that the gifts are available, you'll need to open the game, then pick the Pokemon up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center. It's unclear how long this distribution will run, so you'll want to act fast.
Pokemon Bank is a paid cloud service that allows you to easily store and move Pokemon between all of the series' sixth- and seventh-generation 3DS Pokemon games. Subscriptions cost $5 / £4.49 per year. As an added bonus, The Pokemon Company regularly distributes free Pokemon to subscribers; last year, for instance, it gave away all three Alola starters with their Hidden Abilities. You can also store Pokemon from the 3DS Virtual Console versions of Red/Blue/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal on Pokemon Bank.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are the next "core" installments in the Pokemon series, and they're slated to launch for Nintendo Switch in late 2019. The Pokemon Company hasn't revealed many details about the games yet, but we got our first look at their new setting and starter Pokemon. You can read everything we know about Pokemon Sword and Shield so far here.
Media Molecule has announced that early access to Dreams, its upcoming PS4 exclusive, will be available from April 16. Like the studio's Little Big Planet series, Dreams enables players to create unique gameplay experiences as well as play what Media Molecule and other players have created. The early access part of Dreams will be limited to the creative tools, the studio said on the PlayStation Blog.
"The core of Dreams--the creation bit--is ready," explained studio director Siobhan Reddy. "There is so much we want to do with and add to Dreams--but to start, we want players to be able to see their creations on their own TV screen and be able to have all the tools they need to make games or stories or art or music accessible from their couch.
"[Early access] won't feature everything that the full release will have (our story mode being a big piece of that) but you'll get our full tool set for creating, our interactive tutorials and arcade games, templates and additional content created by Media Molecule and access to what you, the CoMmunity, made during our Dreams Creator Beta. You'll also be getting the first hands-on with new features and content as we add them."
Early access is an opportunity for players to offer feedback to the developer, and Reddy said Media Molecule plans to make Dreams "an amazing space for creators and players alike for years to come." Anything created in the early access will carry over to the full game.
The early access version of Dreams will cost $30/£25/CAD$40. It will be available in the US, Canada, and all European territories. Those that purchase the early access version of Dreams will get the full version when it is released. Media Molecule and publisher Sony have not yet provided a release date for the full version, however.
Media Molecule has also said that early access is limited, in terms of the amount of people that can purchase it. Although it added that "it's a big limit," the studio suggested players purchase as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Fortnite Season 8 seems to be whizzing by, as we're already in Week 5. For those with hopes of unlocking everything the Battle Pass has to offer, the clock is ticking. Luckily for you, there's a way to speed the whole process up: doing challenges. Every week developer Epic Games updates Fortnite with a fresh set of tasks for you to complete. Doing so unlocks Battle Stars which levels up your Battle Pass and makes cosmetics available.
As always, there are two categories of challenges. The first is available to everyone playing the game, while the second is exclusive to those that have spent V-Bucks on a battle pass. Below you'll find a list of everything that you need to do in both categories.
First up is the free challenges. As part of this players will need to deal damage with scoped weapons, search chests in Paradise Palms or Shifty Shafts, and complete a lap of the race track in Happy Hamlet. If you've got the premium Battle Pass, you'll need to use the Bouncy Ball toy and get 15 bounces with it.
You'll also have to complete a three-stage challenge that begins with getting shields from Mushrooms, and once that's done further stages will be revealed. You'll also need to use a Volcano Vent, a zipline, and a vehicle all in the same match, and head to pirate camps to take out three enemies. Take a look at the full list of challenges below.
Fortnite Season 8, Week 5 Challenges
Free
Deal damage with Scoped Weapons to opponents (200) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests at Paradise Palms or Shifty Shafts (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Complete a lap of the Race Track in Happy Hamlet (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Get 15 bounces in a single throw with the Bouncy Ball toy (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1 of 3: Gain shields from Mushrooms (50) -- 5 Battle Star
Use a Volcano Vent, a zipline, and a vehicle in the same match (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents at Pirate Camps -- 3 Battle Stars
Deal Damage With Scoped Weapons
This one is fairly obvious: grab yourself a weapon and make sure it has a scope. Once you've got one of those you'll need to land 200 points of damage on opponents, and in return you'll be rewarded with five Battle Stars. Fortnite has scoped sniper rifles, assault rifles, and a scoped revolver. For our money, we recommend looking for an assault rifle, as it's the most common and also much easier to land shots with.
Search Chests At Paradise Pals or Shifty Shafts
Again, another fairly obvious one. Drop into one of those two locations and, to speed things up, look for an elevated position. From there you should be able to spot nearby treasure chests that you can search. However, be careful as both these areas will likely be crawling with other players also looking to complete the challenge. If you're able to get there with a scoped rifle and are feeling confident, you could engage enemies and kill two birds with one stone.
Complete A Lap Of The Race Track In Happy Hamlet
This is a nice, easy breezy challenge that lets you have a bit of fun. Happy Hamlet is located at grid reference D9 on the Fortnite map. Drop there, hop into a vehicle, and do a quick lap. Done!
Get 15 Bounces With Bouncy Ball Toy
If you head to your emote locker you'll be able to select the bouncy ball and throw it for a good time. The easiest way to complete this challenge is to grab the resources necessary to build a high ramp, build up, and once you're relatively high in the sky, just throw down the bouncy ball and let physics take care of all the hard work for you. Alternatively, just build a 1x1 structure around yourself and throw the ball--even easier.
Gain Shields From Mushrooms
Mushrooms are consumable items in Fortnite that you're most likely to encounter in the dense forest areas of the map. We recommend heading to Wailing Woods, Dusty Divot, and Shifty Shafts to find them. However, given that they're relatively prevalent throughout the map, it's probably easier to just get on with the other challenges and keep your eyes peeled for them as you're out on your adventures.
Epic Games also recently released update 8.20 for Fortnite. It introduces a new limited-time mode that tasks players with avoiding lava that is constantly rising. There's also a new trap weapon and a number of other tweaks to the way the game plays. Check out the full Fortnite 8.20 patch notes to see everything included in it.
In February it was announced that Kaz Hirai, who led the PlayStation business before being promoted to CEO of Sony, would step down and transition to the role of director, chairman. Now, Sony has announced that Hirai will be retiring from those roles effective June 18. Hirai will serve as senior advisor for the company and "will continue to provide counsel as requested by Sony's management team."
In a statement, Hirai lent his support to Kenichiro Yoshida, who replaced him as CEO of Sony on April 1. "Since passing the baton of CEO to Yoshida-san last April, as Chairman of Sony, I have had the opportunity to both ensure a smooth transition and provide support to Sony's management. I am confident that everyone at Sony is fully aligned under Yoshida-san's strong leadership, and are ready to build an even brighter future for Sony.
"As such, I have decided to depart from Sony, which has been a part of my life for the past 35 years. I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to all our employees and stakeholders who have supported me throughout this journey."
Yoshida added: "Hirai-san and I have been working on management reforms together since December 2013. While he will be retiring from both Chairman and our Board of Directors, we look forward to his continuing high-level support to Sony's management that encompasses a breadth of diverse businesses."
Hirai was instrumental in launching the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, and went on to become CEO and president of Sony. In February, the PlayStation business had a management reshuffle, with Jim Ryan being appointed president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
2019 is set to be quite a different year for the PlayStation division, particularly in the way it communicates and promotes its products to its audience and the wider gaming community. The company has pulled out of E3, where it traditionally debuted and showed off its biggest upcoming games.
Fans are looking to PlayStation Experience to be the tentpole PlayStation event for 2019. Sony opted to skip PlayStation Experience in 2018, so many are hoping to see it return this year. However, as of yet Sony hasn't indicated it has plans to host the show.
Sony has kicked off State of Play, however. This is a series of smaller, streamed showcases in the same vein as Nintendo's Directs. The first one yielded a new Iron Man VR title, as well as information on No Man's Sky VR and Mortal Kombat 11. You can read all the news from Sony's first State of Play to catch up on what happened.
Sony has said State of Play will return throughout the year to deliver updates on key titles. While the first episode wasn't exactly a barnstormer, the company has a number of big games on the way, including Death Stranding, The Last of Us: Part II, and Ghost of Tsushima, so upcoming episodes stand to be much more exciting.
In our Yoshi's Crafted World review, critic Kallie Plagge says the game is a worthy addition to the Switch catalog, awarding it an 8/10. You can take a take a glimpse at more reviews below, or check out the full picture on the game's critical reception on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: Yoshi's Crafted World
Developer / Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release date: March 29
Price: $60 / £50 / AU $80
GameSpot -- 8/10
"Yoshi's Crafted World is at its best when it's relaxing and pleasant. The 2D-to-3D level design keeps you curious while the go-at-your-own-pace approach keeps the pressure off and leaves you to appreciate the small, imaginative details. Its most interesting ideas never evolve past their first introductions and are frequently confined to one or two levels, but individually, those levels both reward your curiosity and your willingness to slow down and look at what's around you--and it's those simple pleasures that provide the most joy." -- Kallie Plagge [Full review]
IGN -- 7.8/10
"Yoshi's Crafted World is an engaging and charming platformer that is absolutely worth playing, but it misses a clear opportunity to be more than that by not taking full advantage of its most clever ideas. It has enough creative collectibles to make completionists want to hunt down every last one, but I'm disappointed Crafted World didn't challenge me more in the way its last few levels proved it could have. Of course, I still thoroughly enjoyed every adorable hour I spent with it." -- Tom Marks [Full review]
VentureBeat -- 65/100
"Yoshi's Crafted World may be a good fit for young children or other gamers interested in the cute-factor. But as someone who prefers more fast-paced sidescrollers, I was too bored to let the clever, crafted world put a smile on my face. This is yet another Yoshi game that doesn't come close to reaching Yoshi's Island greatness." -- Mike Minotti [Full review]
Game Informer -- 8.25/10
"After a fun adventure through a world made of wool, Yoshi's transition to arts and crafts is a delight. With satisfying exploration, fun platforming, and a charming art style, Yoshi's Crafted World gives the Switch yet another strong platformer." -- Brian Shea [Full review]
USGamer -- 4/5
"The visuals in Yoshi's Crafted World speak for themselves. Every corner you turn presents something new to wonder at. The game's a bit on the easy side, but that's not necessarily a bad thing if you accept Yoshi titles are more about exploration and collecting than serious platforming. It's a great little "spring game" that should fill out your Switch library nicely." -- Nadia Oxford [Full review]
GamesRadar -- 3.5/5
"The difficulty in recommending this game is that it's an absolutely solid Nintendo platformer, but it doesn't really do anything ambitious or use its conceit to great effect. I consistently wanted to soldier on to see what the next gorgeous world would entail, but when all was said and done, the experience felt slightly hollow, even if I'd had my eyes bleached by Yoshi's cute capers." -- Jordan Oloman [Full review]
Monolith Soft, the developer of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, is working on a new Legend of Zelda title. The studio's website is putting the call out for developers to join the project, and recruiting for programmers, designers, and artists, among other roles.
Although Monolith Soft is known primarily for its work on the Xenoblade Chronicles titles, it's no stranger to Zelda. The studio previously co-developed The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and, more recently, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where it no doubt leveraged its expertise in creating vast open-worlds that players can explore.
It's unclear what this new game is at this stage or whether it will fit the open-world mould established by Breath of the Wild. However, Monolith Soft's involvement with the project does certainly suggest it could be another grand adventure in the same vein as the Switch launch title.
Nintendo has a number of other Zelda projects in the pipeline. Excitingly, one of those is a remake of the Game Boy classic The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which is being "reborn as a new experience" for Switch and is expected to launch in 2019. Nintendo has also announced Cadence of Hyrule, a crossover between its Legend of Zelda series and Brace Yourself Games' Crypt of the Necrodancer.
Of course, if you're really in the mood for Zelda, there's probably still plenty left for your to do in the vast world of Breath of the Wild. In GameSpot's review, Peter Brown awarded the game a 10, saying it is "the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created."
He added: "No matter how gorgeous its environments are, how clever its enemies are, and how tricky its puzzles get, the fact that Breath of the Wild continues to surprise you with newfound rules and possibilities after dozens of hours is by far its most valuable quality. It's a game that allows you to feel gradually more and more empowered yet simultaneously manages to retain a sense of challenge and mystery--which, together, creates a steady, consistent feeling of gratification throughout the entire experience. Breath of the Wild is a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series."
Revealed at The Game Awards 2018, Journey to the Savage Planet takes a decidedly more strange and self-aware approach to the premise of the lone space adventurer exploring a distant world. Instead of seeking knowledge and charting new areas of the universe for the betterment of humanity, it's your job as an interstellar adventurer to make way for the inevitable push of capitalism by prepping the planet for your employer--a mid-tier corporation that has an endless flow of products to sell.
We spent some time with Journey to the Savage Planet during GDC 2019 and spoke with Typhoon Studios co-founder and creative director Alex Hutchinson about the developer's approach to the familiar premise, why he's proud the game features no procedurally generated content, and how players will always be within reach of consumerist tendencies, even in the furthest reaches of space.
Playing as an unnamed planetary settler for Kindred Aerospace--the fourth-best interstellar corporation in the universe--you'll explore a distant planet housing strange wildlife and plentiful resources. With the intent on making the planet ready for colonization, you'll quickly find that the creatures of the planet are more than capable of defending their territory from invaders. To make things more complicated, the planet possesses signs of intelligent life, and prominently features some ominous ancient ruins hinting at something hidden deep within the planet. In order to complete your lonely mission, you'll need to collect as much data as you can and uncover the secrets of the ruins, and this is all while enduring constant advertisements for Kindred products.
In a similar vein to the adventurous jaunts found in No Man's Sky, the key to accomplishing your goals in Savage Planet is to explore as much as you can, scan everything in sight, and collect resources. But in contrast to the scale and breadth of procedurally generated content found in the former game, Typhoon Studios' self-aware take on the space-adventure is set entirely on one planet, allowing you to get acquainted with all the bizarre sights found within. Your only safe haven on the planet is your makeshift base. If you die, a 3D-printed copy of yourself will respawn here, allowing you to continue your mission.
Typhoon Studio worked to present a setting that shows personality and nuance, Hutchinson said, setting Savage Planet apart from other games that rely heavily on tech that creates content on the fly.
"It's kind of like we're a hipster game, we made all of the content in-game by hand," said Hutchinson while explaining Typhoon's approach to world design. "Personally, I don't think anything made by an algorithm is worth looking at. The meaning of anything creative for me is why you did it and how you did it. If no one did, then I don't really find it that meaningful. It's like you're missing the point by relying on that technology too much. Also, we made a very funny game, and there really aren't a lot of games like that out there. I remember growing up with games like the Super Nintendo and the Amiga 500, and playing these new games you'd see these bright blue skies, and it had an optimistic outlook in them where you would actually like to be in those cool worlds. That was really attractive to me, and it's something that's somewhat absent now."
In keeping with those retro roots, Savage Planet has a lot in common with games like Metroid and Castlevania, focusing on the exploration of an interconnected environment. Over the course of your expedition, you'll gradually find some rare materials to upgrade your suit and weaponry. With the planet divided into four distinct biomes, each area requires certain gadgets to traverse. For instance, the grappling hook upgrade can open up new shortcuts and sections of the planet, and is surprisingly useful when trying to evade certain enemies.
Just when you think you've gotten used to the strange wildlife, such as non-hostile creatures that howl with an ear-piercing screech if provoked, you'll encounter some of the more dangerous critters. During the demo, we came across a larger beast that could fire out mortar strikes from its back.
Personally, I don't think anything made by an algorithm is worth looking at. The meaning of anything creative for me is why you did it and how you did it.
One of the more interesting twists on the larger plot is that your character is an extension of the larger corporation that's come to colonize the planet. Though the game doesn't outright refer to you as a colonizer or an invader, it's not hard to see that you're clearly encroaching upon territory that isn't yours, especially when it's your job to disrupt the environment for a company that can just as easily clone you as it tries to sell you on more of its products. With no means of two-way communication, your only link back to civilization is with constant live-action advertisements that mimic late-night '90s infomercials. These ads all praise the corporation's mid-tier achievements while hawking bizarre goods that are mostly useless for your mission--even more so in the grander scheme of trying to find ancient life on the planet.
"We often joke that you're basically coming to this alien world to ruin it," said Hutchinson. "But everything we've placed in this game has a point. When a game says 'you're on an adventure!' it's usually not for no reason, there is a broader point to be made, a payoff. You have your goal and your core missions to find and accomplish, and you can accomplish those goals at any time in your own way. But also, we're going to bombard you with weird advertisements along the way."
What I found most interesting about Journey to the Savage Planet is how it managed to blend satire with the experience of an isolating exploration game, which felt surprisingly more intimate than expected. That feeling of isolation is often punctuated with the obnoxious live-action advertisements, which are the closest connection you have to civilization and a friendly face. Though it's still a ways out from launch, planned for a Q1 2020 release, Typhoon's new game seems to be striking a particular tone that aims to be more thoughtful with the pulpy premise than it initially lets on.
The MCU will look like after Avengers: Endgame is still a little mysterious. Marvel has, unsurprisingly, been closely guarding the details of just how the final fight with Thanos is going to shake out, and what the landscape of our favorite live action superheroes will look like when the dust (haha, get it?) settles.
But we do have a slate of upcoming films announced with directors attached--among them, The Eternals, directed by Chloe Zhao. As reported by THR, the film is apparently in talks with Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie for the role, though no specific details are available at this time.
The Eternals are one of Marvel's more esoteric comic book properties. Created by the legendary Jack Kirby in the mid '70s, they're not a property with much name recognition. Still, over their fourty-plus year publication history, the Eternals have grown into a vibrant and complex corner of the Marvel Universe that weaves real world mythology into high flying pulp action.
Specifics of The Eternals' plot and characters have yet to be confirmed by Marvel Studios, but the movie will reportedly center around Ikaris, a near-immortal who used the codename "Sovereign" for his superhero activity and lead a team known as the "New Breed;" and Sersi, a matter-manipulator who has existed among humans for thousands of years.
We're partway through Season 8 of Fortnite now, but the hit battle royale game shows no signs of slowing down. Hot on the heels of the 8.20 update, Epic has released a new batch of challenges across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Week 5's challenges run the gamut from dealing damage with scoped weapons to completing a lap around the race track in Happy Hamlet, with precious Battle Stars awaiting for each task you complete.
As you clear this season's challenges, you'll level up your Battle Pass and steadily unlock the new Season 8 skins and rewards. There's another incentive to complete as many challenges as you can, however; if you finish all of the ones from a given week, you'll also complete one of this season's Discovery challenges, the reward for which is a special loading screen that leads you to a free Battle Star or Banner hiding somewhere around the island.
Complete five weeks' worth of challenges in Season 8 and you'll unlock the loading screen pictured below. This one depicts a character striking a hero post and, in the background, you can see a volcano. This is the clue that'll guide you to the Battle Star. Take a look at the second image below, where you'll find the exact location. We've also included a map to the location.
If you need more help finding the Battle Star, you can watch the video at the top of this guide to see exactly where you need to go. We've also marked its location on the map below. However, be aware that this particular Battle Star won't appear in the game unless you've completed the requisite number of challenges and unlocked the above loading screen, so you won't be able to collect it unless you've done all the necessary steps.
If you have any outstanding challenges from this season, you can find all of our tips and guides in our full Fortnite Season 8 challenges roundup. You'll have until the season ends in May to complete these tasks, but it's in your best interest to finish them as early as you can, as you'll have a much better chance to unlock Season 8's mystery Legendary skin.
The aforementioned 8.2 patch dropped on March 27 and introduced a new Poison Dart Trap to Battle Royale mode. As its name suggests, it'll fire darts when triggered, which will inflict damage directly to players' health over time. The update also marked the start of a brand-new limited-time mode called The Floor Is Lava, which gradually sees the molten liquid rise and cover the map as matches progress.
Now that March is nearly behind us and April is just around the corner, Niantic has shared the first details for April's Pokemon Go Community Day. The monthly event is scheduled to return on Saturday, April 13, and this time around it'll feature a rare Dragon Pokemon: Bagon.
All throughout the Community Day, Bagon will appear in the wild in greater numbers than it normally does, making it much easier to add some to your collection. Considering that Niantic typically introduces the Shiny form of that month's featured Pokemon during each Community Day, you'll also presumably have your first chance to catch a Shiny Bagon during this month's event.
Bagon is the base form of the powerful Dragon/Flying Pokemon Salamence, so you'll want to catch as many as you can during April's Community Day. If you manage to evolve any into Salamence up to an hour after the event ends, it will also learn an exclusive move, although Niantic hasn't revealed what that will be just yet.
Like March's Community Day, April's event will take place from 3-6 PM local time, rather than the usual schedule it followed. As an added incentive to participate, Niantic is also offering triple the usual amount of XP for capturing Pokemon. You can read more details about the event on the official Pokemon website.
That isn't the only event happening in Pokemon Go next month. From April 2-9, Niantic is also holding a Bug Out event. During that period, Bug Pokemon will appear more frequently than normal, and Incenses will last twice as long. You'll also be able to find special limited-time Field Research tasks revolving around Bug Pokemon from Poke Stops.
In the meantime, the Gen 4 Legendary Giratina is set to return to Raids beginning March 28. It will initially appear in its standard Altered Forme until April 2, when it'll transform into its Origine Forme. A new Limited Research event is also scheduled for March 30. During that, you'll find special Field Research tasks focusing on Lotad, and you'll even have your first opportunity to catch Shiny versions of Lotad and Castform.
It's been more than 10 years since the release of Iron Man in 2008, which sparked the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a collection of movies that's earned a massive fan base over the past decade. Now, the grand finale to the story built up by 21 films is nearly here with the upcoming release of Avengers: Endgame on April 26.
If you're already planning your Marvel movie marathon and reading up on Endgame theories, we feel you. The hype is real. To fuel your obsession even more, we rounded up some of the best Avengers and MCU-themed merch out there, both licensed and fan-made. From posters and Funko Pop figures to collectibles, T-shirts, and even Legos, these Marvel-inspired products will keep your favorite heroes close--even after their stories come to a conclusion in Endgame.
Because it definitely makes sense to store your tools inside a...much bigger and powerful tool like Thor's hammer. This ThinkGeek exclusive is officially licensed Marvel merch; plus, it doesn't just look badass--it also serves a practical purpose.
We can't all live in a palace in the high-tech African country of Wakanda--but this welcome mat will still look cool outside the door of your own personal kingdom.
These astral-themed posters will make you think of your favorite Guardians every time you see them. Choose between Star-Lord (RIP), Baby Groot (RIP), and the sole Guardian survivor of Thanos' snap, Rocket. These posters also come with hooks on the back for easy hanging.
This full-size Iron Man helmet lights up and makes sounds, but you can also literally wear it to capture the feeling of suiting up as the high-tech hero. The Amazon-exclusive item is perfect for both display and cosplay purposes. With some fan theories suggesting Tony Stark won't live through Endgame, this collectible is the perfect way to honor the armored Avenger.
Not only was Black Panther nominated for Best Picture at the 2019 Oscars; it took home three awards that night and is one of the most commercially successful Marvel movies to date. In fact, we've called it "the best Marvel movie of all time" in our ranking of all the Marvel films. If you loved Black Panther as much as we did, you'll appreciate this comprehensive guide to all things Wakanda, going all the way back to Black Panther's comics debut back in 1966. Aside from gorgeous comic artwork and profiles of T'Challa and all of his friends and allies, this book also plots Black Panther's most important issues, major plotlines, story arcs, and more.
Whether you have kids or are an avid Lego enthusiast yourself, you'll appreciate this Lego set that recreates the showdown between Thanos, Iron Man, Gamora, and Star-Lord. There are multiple other Lego Infinity War sets available on Amazon too.
The original MCU Avengers are among the few heroes left going into Endgame, but this shirt gives a nod to the five original Avengers in the comics--Thor, Iron Man, Ant Man, The Wasp, and The Hulk--with a retro style inspired by their 1960s comic design.
We saw her backstory in Captain Marvel, and now the MCU's latest character will be joining the fight against Thanos in Endgame. Practically every Marvel character has gotten their own Funko Pop--browse the collection to find your favorite hero.
While we're talking about Funko Pops: This Spider-Man Funko wearing Peter Parker's outfit in Spider-Man: Homecoming is just wonderful. And considering the sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, will be the first MCU film to release after Endgame, what better way to honor the spider hero's eventual return after he was turned to dust in Infinity War?
Thor and The Hulk went head-to-head in an arena battle in Thor: Ragnarok--and now they can hang side-by-side in your home. These licensed, ThickGeek-exclusive posters are already encased in black frames with metal mounting brackets on the back. Last time we checked, only the Thor poster was still in stock--if you want the Hulk poster, you can have ThinkGeek email you when it's available again.
Marvel Studios 101: All Your Questions Answered, $11.55
With 21 films to date, the MCU has covered a lot of ground and introduced dozens of characters, so it's understandable you might not remember every plot point. This book is a valuable, yet affordable resource for casual Marvel fans who need a refresher on everything that's happened leading up to the events of Infinity War and Endgame. With lots of helpful charts and illustrations, it also makes a great gift for younger fans.
In this fun dice and card game, you and up to three other players will assemble a team of heroes to face off against Thanos himself. Utilizing the different strengths of characters like Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Bucky Barnes, your goal is defeat Thanos before he collects all the Infinity Stones.
The man, the myth, the legend himself--this colorful poster from BlackRavenOath captures Stan Lee is classic Andy Warhol style. The Marvel creator behind countless beloved characters, like Spider-Man, The Hulk, and Iron Man, passed away late last year. One of his final famous cameos will appear in Endgame.
This collection comes with three games--Lego Marvel Super-Heroes, Lego Marvel Super-Heroes 2, and Lego Marvel's Avengers--plus all DLC at a discounted price of just $40. The Lego games are known for their highly entertaining local co-op, so they make great options if you want to team up with a friend or family member to play as Marvel's most iconic heroes and take down villains.
If you've ever looked at the Infinity Gauntlet and thought, "Huh, I'd like that for myself," well, your dreams can finally come true. This wearable electronic fist allows for finger movement and produces lights and movie effect sounds when you press the middle button. You can also lock it to keep in display mode.
This stunning art from swiffy honors Shuri, the teen genius in Black Panther and T'Challa's sassy sister. The latest Endgame posters revealed Shuri didn't survive Thanos' snap in Infinity War, so we're anxious to see her final fate in Endgame.
This officially licensed Marvel tee is a dark reminder of the chaos left behind at the end of Infinity War--and the dramatic conclusion that awaits us in Endgame.
This week, Bethesda released a new trailer and release date for Wolfenstein: Youngblood, the standalone sequel to Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus announced last year. It also detailed the game's special edition, dubbed the Deluxe Edition, and highlighted one particular feature that's fairly unusual but might make it a no-brainer for those interested in playing cooperatively with a friend.
The standard version of Wolfenstein: Youngblood has a retail price of $30 USD, while the Deluxe Edition goes for $40 USD. The Deluxe Edition includes a cyborg-themed skin pack, which is roughly par for the course with a special edition like this, but more notable is the inclusion of what's called the Buddy Pass. That extra $10 might be worth it for the Buddy Pass alone, because it allows you to grant limited access to the game to a friend, making it perfect for co-op play.
According to the Youngblood FAQ, you can send a Buddy Pass invite code to as many friends as you want. With the code, someone can play Youngblood with you in co-op for free. You can only play with one friend at a time, though, and you do need to be playing in order for someone else to use your pass.
There are some limitations; anyone playing Youngblood via the pass won't be able to earn in-game Xbox One Achievements or PS4 Trophies, for instance. If they want to get those, they'll have to pay an upgrade fee to purchase the full game. Bethesda has not revealed whether the upgrade fee will be cheaper than just buying the game. Still, this might save you both some money if you know you want to play the game with a friend.
The Cyborg Skin Pack includes a custom character skin as well as titanium alloy skins for all weapons, the hatchet, and the knife. The pack also gives you an armor-boosting pep signal. Youngblood includes a few other cosmetic packs as well. The Legacy Pack--which is a set of BJ Blazkowicz-themed outfits and weapons--is available as a pre-order bonus for both editions of the game. The Youngblood FAQ reveals there will be additional cosmetic items, all of which can be earned via in-game currency or bought with microtransactions. The full list of pre-order and Deluxe Edition bonuses follows below.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood's release date on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Switch is set for July 26. Bethesda has confirmed the Switch version of the game will be released the same day as the others. The game has you play as Jess and Soph, the twin daughters of Wolfenstein protagonist BJ Blazkowicz. After their father goes missing in Nazi-occupied Paris, Jess and Soph launch a rescue mission in order to find him and bring him home. The game can be played completely solo with an AI-controlled partner or co-op with another person.
Yacht Club Games burst onto the indie scene in 2011 with Shovel Knight, a 2D side-scrolling platformer meant to evoke the NES-style sensibilities of yesteryear. Six years and numerous Shovel Knight expansions later, the indie developer has announced its second publishing effort in the form of Cyber Shadow.
Cyber Shadow, according to the official announcement, is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that combines "the level design principles of Mario, the skills and action of Ninja Gaiden, the enemy designs of Contra, and the dark visual aesthetic of Batman." Think The Messenger but in the future where everything, including the player character himself, is cybernetic. It looks slick, with fast-paced action necessitating precise platforming and quick reflexes. You'll be able to equip items, find secrets, upgrade your skills, and more, all while listening to a thumping soundtrack produced by Jake Kaufman (Shovel Knight, Crypt of the NecroDancer).
You can view the official trailer below.
Yacht Club itself is not the game's developer; it's instead working with its one-person team, Aarne "MekaSkull" Hunziker, to help make it happen. Yacht Club will focus specifically on "the marketing, porting, business side, and typical roles of a publisher," the studio stated on its official website.
Yacht Club will be at PAX East--which runs from Thursday, March 28 to Sunday, March 31--where the studio will be showing off a build of the game, as well both Shovel Knight: King of Cards and Shovel Knight: Showdown.
Cyber Shadow is headed to Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One at an unannounced date. The next expansion to the Shovel Knight series, Shovel Knight: Showdown, is scheduled to hit PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Linux, macOS, and Wii U on April 9.
It's only a couple weeks until Season 8 of Game of Thrones debuts on HBO. However, the week after the series finale hits, the network will air a documentary about the making of the final season titled The Last Watch.
Coming on Sunday, May 26 at 9 PM ET / 11 PM PT--a week after the series finale--The Last Watch will recount the production from the set in Northern Ireland and the studios where the season was shot. It will follow the cast and crew through day-to-day production, dealing with the ins and outs of putting together one of the most anticipated finales in HBO's history. It will be directed by Jeanie Finlay.
But before fans get an in-depth look at how it all came together, the final season of Game of Thrones has to air, and it's premiering on Sunday, April 14. Earlier in the month, the first trailer for the series was revealed, and it left fans with a lot of questions and even more theories as to where Season 8 will go. Hopefully, it's a step in the right direction, as the last battle with the White Walkers in Season 7, Episode 6--"Beyond the Wall"--had some serious problems.
However, even after someone takes their seat on the Iron Throne, there are still more stories from Westeros to be told. A prequel series, which has been rumored will be called The Long Night, is set to start filming this summer.
The Long Night refers to an era that takes place 8,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and according to the Stark family's servant Old Nan on Game of Thrones, "There came a night that lasted a generation, and kings shivered and died in their castles even as the swineherds in their hovels. Women smothered their children rather than see them starve, and cried, and felt their tears freeze on their cheeks."
Jane Goldman (X-Men: First Class) will serve as showrunner, and it is expected to premiere in 2020 or 2021.
Facing Genichiro marks your first humiliation in From Software's latest punishing action game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It's Genichiro who blocks your escape early in the game after you rescue Kuro, the Divine Heir, and after facing you in a battle you're clearly not prepared for, he slices off your arm.
After acquiring the Shinobi Prosthetic, though, you'll venture out into Ashina on a quest to free Kuro and avenge yourself on Genichiro. You'll get your chance before long, too, as he's just at the top of Ashina Castle, which is not too far from where you start when you awaken after your battle. It's possible to go pretty much straight there, besting a few bosses like the Chained Ogre, Gyoubu the Demon, and the Blazing Bull along the way. While the road is tough, nothing you've faced up to that point is as difficult as taking on Genichiro for the second time.
Luckily, we've got you covered. The tips below can help you deal with Genichiro's powerful attacks, and allow you to finally best him and get your revenge.
Learn The Rhythm
Genichiro might be the first fight in Sekiro that really forces you to learn how to play the game. It's not like From Software's Dark Souls or Bloodborne games--the focus here is on trading blows and sword-fighting, and if you're not playing aggressively enough with Genichiro, he's going to beat you again and again. You have to get in close and fight to take him down.
That mostly means parrying. Genichiro is a swordsman and will come at you hard with various attacks, but apart from the thrust and sweep attacks, you can block and parry all of them. And you should; deflecting Genichiro's attacks is the surest way to make openings to strike back and to whittle down his Posture. It's an arduous process, but learning the rhythms of his attacks and parrying them will help you avoid damage. It's also a skill you must have to succeed in Sekiro, and this fight works like a training gauntlet for the rest of it, making sure you finally are breaking your other Soulsborne game habits and learning the ropes.
Be Aggressive
Genichiro has high Vitality, which means his Posture recovers quickly. You won't break his defense until you've dealt him some damage to lower his Vitality bar. Looking for openings where you can slash at Genichiro is key, but you can usually do that by dodging some of his bigger attacks and getting in close during the follow-up. Attacking aggressively and parrying can let you get in for a lot of damage, but be careful of his powerful counterattacks, especially the ones in which he jumps in the air. We often found the best success when dodging his thrust and sweep attacks, then closing the gap while he recovered to hit him before getting out again. Like a lot of enemies, Genichiro can be whittled down pretty effectively if you batter him with attacks, so long as you're quick enough to guard against his.
Block And Deflect Arrows
Genichiro likes to add arrows to his repertoire at a few points, and while they come fast, they're an attack like any other--blockable and deflectable. Keep your guard up when you see them coming, because they often herald other attacks from Genichiro that you'll want to dodge, deflect, or take advantage of to do some damage. He also likes to charge up a shot on you whenever you stop to use a healing gourd. The timing on that shot is such that you'll be able to block or dodge it just as you come out of the healing animation, but be careful because it's a big hit that can completely negate your heal.
Get Good At Mikiri Counter
Genichiro's thrust move is one of his most punishing, but this is a great opportunity to really learn to use that Mikiri Counter--which is one of the best moves in the game, and something you should unlock from the skill tree early. It does a lot of Posture damage and gives you a chance at a big hit when you pull it off, and it'll serve you well throughout the game, in various boss fights.
Ride The Lightning
Once you've dealt Genichiro a deathblow, you'll break into the second phase of the fight, in which he becomes much more aggressive and starts throwing elemental lightning attacks at you. The lightning can be tough to deal with and comes in two varieties: a straight-on arrow attack that's pretty easy to dodge, and a sweeping sword attack that can be a lot harder to avoid. Both are perilous attacks, which means you can't block them, but there is a way to deal with them that can give you a big boon against Genichiro.
The boss's lightning only hurts you if you're touching the ground when it strikes, and if it does, you'll also take the Shock status effect, which can mess you up for a bit. However, if take the lightning hit while in the air, you can use your attack button to send it back at Genichiro, zapping him and giving you a chance to get in a bunch of hits. Returning the lightning is the best way to deal with it, but the timing can be tough--the sword attack in particular is a bit delayed from the Perilous indicator that marks it, and if you jump too early, you'll take the full hit. If it's too much to deal with, try sprinting away and putting distance between you in Genichiro to get clear of the lightning attacks altogether.
Watch For The Flying Thrust
Lightning Genichiro likes to come at you in the air with a powerful Perilous blow, and he'll do it pretty often. The thing is, it's easy to avoid by backing up or dodging backwards. It's a frustrating attack if it hits you, but it's a great opportunity to deal damage in the meantime. He'll always land short if you pull back, so punish Genichiro for using this move and you'll speed along finishing him off in the second phase. You can also land a Mikiri Counter on this move for some major Posture damage.
Even More Guides
We've been killing bosses and writing down what we've discovered the whole way through Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Check out our big guide roundup for help with a bunch of bosses, our tips to help you stop dying so much, and our explanation of how to find and unlock the Bell Demon and Hard Mode.
Developer 4A Games has released a major new update for Metro Exodus, dubbed the Ranger Update. Available to download now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, this patch is approximately 6GB and both adds new features and makes various tweaks, in addition dealing with bugs. Read on for the highlights and the patch notes, courtesy of the game's official website.
The most standout addition is that of New Game Plus. This additional mode, available once the campaign is completed, gives you access to all weapons and attachments unlocked through earlier playthroughs. Further, New Game Plus gives you full customization to tailor the gameplay experience and it comes with new Achievements/Trophies. You'll also get developer commentary through New Game Plus, special tapes hidden throughout the world that provide insight into what the developers were thinking and how they went about creating some of the game's levels.
The Ranger Update also comes with a fourth controller sensitivity preset, platform-specific improvements and additions (such as "mouse and keyboard support for Xbox One, improved RTX and DLSS support on PC, DualShock Controller Light support for PS4"), addresses numerous bugs and crashes, and adds full Ukrainian localization.
In order to access New Game Plus, you must finish the main campaign at least once; the mode will then become available in the New Game menu. One thing to note: starting a new game, in either Regular or New Game Plus, will clear all saves (quick/auto/chapter select), meaning you'll need to progress through the game again to access those levels. You can view the full additions that come with New Game Plus below. You can also view the full patch notes for PC here or for consoles here.
In our Metro Exodus review, we said the game "puts together a charismatic crew of friends and family that you'll want to follow to the ends of the earth."
Metro Exodus is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
New Game Plus and Developer Commentary
New Game Plus adds a whole new dimension to repeat play-throughs of the campaign. Modify the following suite of modes and settings to craft your own personalised gameplay experience:
Inventory Modes
My Weapons
Allows you to start with all weapons and attachments found in the last playthrough
Weapons are granted after freeing Anna in Moscow
Starting weapons will be the last loadout that was set in the previous end game save
All other weapons and attachments previously unlocked will be available in the Aurora Workbench Armory, first encountered in Volga
Player Armor/Wrist upgrades do not carry over
One Weapon
Reduces weapon slots to one. Any weapon can be used in this slot, but you can only take one with you. Manage this by swapping Weapons in the field, or by using the Aurora Workbench Armory
Crossbow
Provides Player with the Crossbow at the beginning of the game in addition to normal Weapon Progression. Yermak gives the Player the Crossbow after Jammer scene in Moscow.
Backpack Limitations
Crafting in the Backpack is disabled, you may only use a Workbench
Only Weapon modifications allowed in Backpack
AI Modes
Armored Enemies
Human NPC's are upgraded by one level of Armor across the game if applicable
Tougher Creatures
Creatures have thicker hide across the game
Grenadiers
Human NPC's use explosives more often
Environment Modes
Real-Time Weather
Change the game's natural day/night cycle from 2 to 24 real hours for complete immersion
Bad Weather
Fog, Rain, Snow, and Sand storm conditions occur more frequently where applicable
Radiation is Forever
Additional radiation zones will appear across some levels, making the Gas Mask more important
Game Modes
Iron Mode
Fully disables the Save System, progress is only saved between levels
Developer Commentary
Green Tape Players throughout the game will be available to play Developer Commentary about the area in which it is found
Additional New Game Plus Content
Achievements / Trophies
Unique Collectibles
Additional set of hidden objects in the world, only available in New Game Plus
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