It's an unusually packed for major releases on all platforms. Two particularly big titles arrive on PS4 this Friday, though those aren't the only games hitting Sony's console in the next couple of days.
Co-headlining this week's releases is Assassin's Creed Origins, the latest installment in Ubisoft's popular franchise. This entry is the earliest chapter in the series and recounts the beginnings of the Assassin order. The game is set in ancient Egypt and features a revamped combat system, though players who'd prefer to soak up the sights can choose the educational Discovery mode, a free mode that launches next year and eschews combat altogether. We'll have a review of Assassin's Creed Origins up soon, but you'll be able to pick the game up on October 27.
Launching alongside it is Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the highly anticipated first-person shooter from Bethesda. The New Colossus is the sequel to the 2014 Wolfenstein game, The New Order. It once again puts players in the role of B.J. Blazkowicz, who is fighting to take back control of the United States from Nazis. The game's latest trailer featured a surprise appearance by a notable character who, up until now, has never actually appeared in a Wolfenstein game. The New Colossus releases on October 27, but in the meantime, you can take a look back on the history of the Wolfenstein series.
With every new peek at Thor: Ragnarok, it becomes clearer that it is unlike any movie Marvel has released before. With a quirky sense of humor that could only come from the mind of director Taika Waititi, and an adventure that finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) struggling to save his home, and running into the familiar faces of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) along the way, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are in for something special.
In a new featurette from the movie, the trio--and their secret weapon, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson)--are introduced, as Thor puts together a new team of heroes to take on the goddess of death, Hela (Cate Blanchett). "Thor has certainly met his match and he needs help," Hemsworth teases in the video, which can be seen below.
It remains to be seen whether this team can properly band together to actually defeat Hela and save Asgard from complete destruction. In the meantime, though, at the very least this new group has a name. Thor almost immediately dubs them The Revengers. While it's not the most original name, it makes sense that Thor--a founding member of the Avengers--wouldn't stray too far from what he knows. Besides, as he explains to Valkyrie, the name makes some sense. "I'm getting revenge, you're getting revenge," the god of thunder says, as if it were obvious.
Can the Revengers actually get the job done, though? After all, Hulk is an uncontrollable rage monster, Loki would betray his brother before he would actually help him, and Thor is without his trusty hammer. That sounds like a recipe for a complete disaster. Luckily, as the featurette shows, Valkyrie--who Thompson describes as "one of many elite warriors"--is exactly what they need and will hopefully help bring them closer together. Honestly, based on what's been seen of the character so far, maybe a Valkyrie standalone movie isn't such a bad idea?
Following Destiny 2's launch on PC this week, some concerns began to emerge regarding the use of seemingly innocuous software, such as Discord, Fraps, Mumble, and Xsplit. Players reported they had been banned for running these programs while playing Destiny 2, but Bungie has now responded to clarify what it's handing out bans for--and it says it's not any of these programs.
As reports began to pile up that bans had been issued for use of the aforementioned software, a thread on Reddit began making the rounds to warn players. It claimed that using any of these programs would subject you to a ban, which was a real concern given that Bungie's support site states that there is no recourse for banned players. "Permanent account bans are only implemented with rigorous checking to ensure that the innocent are not punished alongside the guilty," the page states, adding, "Account restrictions and bans are only done in extreme cases; if actions were taken against your account, then it was with reason."
Bungie has now confirmed it did ban "approximately" 400 players on PC on launch day. However, it notes that these were not done automatically--Bungie manually investigates each case before dropping the banhammer. Those 400 players "were using tools that pose a threat to the shared ecosystem of the game." In other words, chatting through Discord didn't get anyone banned.
"We did not (and will not) issue any bans for the use of overlays or performance tools, including Discord, Xsplit, OBS, RTSS, etc.," Bungie said. It also added that it overturned four bans from the PC beta, and refers players to this post for more details on compatibility between the game and third-party software.
The release of Bungie's game on PC has allowed it to be datamined. This has led to a possible leak of Destiny 2 DLC details, though at this point we have no way of knowing for sure what will actually make it into the game.
Another update is on the way to Rainbow Six Siege. Ubisoft has detailed what's new in the upcoming patch, which serves as one of the "Mid-Season Reinforcements" that focuses on improving the game and fixing bugs, rather than introducing new content.
Kapkan sees a radical change to how his gadget works. His laser trip mines now essentially disappear after being placed, making it far more difficult for enemies to avoid. However, this isn't an across-the-board buff: the mine deals 60 damage, rather than instant killing foes caught in the blast. Kapkan himself, meanwhile, sees a jump in his movement speed.
"We feel as though this change is an adaptation of Kapkan to the skill level of players who have adapted to spotting the trip laser, instead of rushing through doorways," Ubisoft explained. "We hope to see new strategies develop for him, alongside our other trapper defenders."
Blitz is another character seeing a change. Ubisoft wanted to make him more effective overall, noting that he is "extremely vulnerable without his shield protecting him," particularly when he sprints. With this update, Blitz can sprint but keep his shield up in front of him, protecting him from enemy fire while he gets close enough to leverage his shield flash ability.
The last big character change concerns Ela, who has been deemed too strong. Following the update, she'll now have only three Grzmot mines (down from four) and experience greater recoil when firing her Scorpion SMG.
Also included in the update is a new Jager Elite set, Flying Ace, which consists of a matching uniform, headgear, Operator card, title, charm, and victory animation. There are also a variety of network improvements--including those to hit validation and latency alignment--which are explored in some detail here.
Ubisoft has also resolved a potential exploit that allows it to provide Renown in single-player Terrorist Hunt missions and Situations, though this will be doled out based on playtime--meaning difficulty or performance isn't accounted for. Finally, numerous bugs have been fixed, such as problems with shields in certain doorways and an issue where players could see through smoke grenades if they were far away. You can check out everything that's changed in the full patch notes. The update is on the way to PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but a release date has not been announced.
We teamed up with Blizzard to give away ten (10) BlizzCon 2017 Virtual Tickets that include in-game freebies! Entry is open Worldwide. Yup, you read that correctly... WORLDWIDE. Competition ends Sunday, October 29th, 2017 at 12:00PM PT and ten winners will be contacted via email. Scroll down to enter below.
The Virtual Ticket let's you stream BlizzCon 2017 from the comfort of your own couch, live and in high definition. You'll get coverage of both days of the show, including panels, contests, interviews, the closing ceremony, and more, along with some in-game goodies. This year's BlizzCon takes place November 3rd & 4th.
The in-game freebies you get include:
Overwatch: BlizzCon 2017 Winston Skin
World of Warcraft: Stormwind Skychaser and Orgrimmar Interceptor
StarCraft II: Junker SCV, Probe, and Drone Skins
Heroes of the Storm: Nexus Razorback Mount
Diablo III: Murkromancer Pet
Hearthstone: Mystery Goodie
Enter below (the additional entries are optional to increase your chances of winning):
Though Warner Bros hasn't had much to say about their Shazam movie lately, it's still on track for a release, according to the director. When the studio first released their DC Entertainment film slate in 2014, they revealed that a Shazam movie was scheduled to be released on April 5, 2019.
Quite a bit has changed since then, though. Firstly, there's the critical reception to the DC movie universe. Outside of Wonder Woman, the films have been met with less-than-stellar reviews. Beyond that, Dwayne Johnson revealed that instead of his Black Adam appearing in Shazam, he would star in his own standalone film. Still, earlier this year Warner Bros. claimed that Shazam was still on-deck to be the movie that follows Aquaman.
Now, in a post on Reddit, director David F. Sandberg has confirmed the movie's release month. "April 2019," he writes in response to a question about the film's release. "It takes a long time to make [visual effects] heavy movies." However, he doesn't mention whether the originally announced April 5 release is still the target.
The director, who also helmed horror films Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, was first announced as directing the movie in 2016. While no casting news or production start date has been revealed, Sandberg has been actively documenting the pre-production process on Instagram.
However, those hoping to catch a glimpse at what the movie may be about are out of luck. Thus far, the images and videos contain mostly looks at the soda, candy, and toys of the production office.
In the meantime, there are plenty of DC projects in the works--from Wonder Woman 2to an eventual Batgirl movie.
In the new video, released by USA Today, Johnson describes the experience of growing up a fan, only to now be creating his own entry into the iconic Star Wars canon. "I flash back to when I was a kid with the action figures," he says of walking aboard the Millennium Falcon for the first time. "Suddenly I had a big lump in my throat. This is how it gets you."
The footage gives a candid look at the set of a Star Wars film in a way most don't see--from Daisy Ridley (Rey) twirling around her lightsabers like a baton to Johnson directing Peter Mayhew to give a Chewbacca howl that's "sad like a dog whimper." While the production was no doubt long and exhausting--this is a Star Wars movie, after all--the feeling the video gives is that the experience was filled with positivity and joy.
Based on what the cast has to say, one of the main reasons that came to pass is the director himself. Following Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ridley says that Johnson decided to shake things up. "Rian is doing many unexpected things and taking the characters in new directions," she reveals. John Boyega (Finn) adds, "The individual stories of these characters are elevated and made fresh and new."
That new approach isn't just refreshing for the cast introduced in The Force Awakens, though. Even Mark Hamill, who has been playing Luke Skywalker for 40 years, is excited about the movie's trajectory. He explains, "That's what I love about Rian's approach to the story. It's like a real journey of discovery."
It's Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) that has the nicest sentiments for her director, though, in an interview filmed before her 2016 death. The Last Jedi will be the final appearance in the franchise for the late actress, who says of Johnson, "He has flaws in other areas. I just don't know about them."
For his part, Johnson admits to USA Today that the scenes featuring Fisher in the movie are among the ones he's most excited for fans to see. "Having these scenes in the film recontextualize tragically with her not being here anymore, it's incredibly emotional," he says. "For the next few months, seeing the fans ... process the loss and celebrate her as Leia one last time, it's going to be intense. I think it's going to be really sad but really joyful, I hope. She really kicks (butt) as General Leia, and I'm happy for that."
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters on December 15.
If the It movie has proven anything, it's that there's nothing creepier than an evil clown like Pennywise. That's something Vine star and former Colbert Report production assistant Jesse McLaren set out to prove when his sister asked him to shoot her engagement photos.
He took the pictures but didn't stop there. "My sister asked me to shoot her engagement pics so I hid Pennywise the Clown in every photo," he writes on Twitter. "Countdown until she notices." That tweet was accompanied by four images from the set, in which he's photoshopped Pennywise the Dancing Clown somewhere into the background.
Image credit: Jesse McLaren
One image uses Tim Curry's portrayal of Pennywise from the 1990 TV miniseries, while the other three rely on Bill Skarsgard's take on the evil clown from this year's film. The images themselves--or what can be seen of them, as McLaren has cropped out the faces of his sister and her fiance--are well-done. However, all it takes is one little glimpse of Pennywise to make them equal parts hilarious and downright scary.
Naturally, it didn't take the woman long to realize what he'd done with the photos and thankfully she can take a joke. He shared a text message from his sister on Instagram, who writes, "On one hand, I really hope that you get the help that you need. On the other...I totally want to use these."
Whether the couple actually use the creepy photos remains to be seen but it would certainly make them memorable to anybody who got a copy. You can see all four of the photos on McLaren's Twitter account.
As promised, Nintendo's Animal Crossing-focused Direct presentation eschewed talk of any other console or game to focus completely on a new Animal Crossing game for mobile. Dubbed Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, the game will arrive sometime in late November. Nintendo followed up the presentation with some screenshots and a slew of press release information.
The game's design, sound, and overall gameplay will be familiar to anyone's who's played the full-fledged entires in the series, and there'll be an assortment of returning activities and mechanics. In addition to customizing your character and your living area (in this case, an RV camper), you'll also lay out furniture and themed items across the game's campground setting. There'll be a real-time day/night cycle, and you'll have the ability to visit shops run by the regular game cast to purchase new clothing and furniture to customize your personal space. And it wouldn't be an Animal Crossing game without the ability to go into deep debt. Instead of Tom Nook, however, Pocket Camp has OK Motors, where you can purchase major upgrades that expand your RV's interior and allow you to trick out your in-game camper.
But it's not all familiar; Pocket Camp introduces a few changes as well. Completing requests from visitors will provide you with crafting material. Instead of just buying new items, you can craft new furniture by bringing the materials to series-regular Cyrus, who'll take the raw materials and craft stylish new items.
Another change to the standard Animal Crossing flow are friendship levels for visiting animals. You can raise that level by bringing your friend items they like or fulfilling specific requests. From the press release, "If you level up your friendship or decorate your campsite with an animal's favorite items, she or he might pay you a visit." And it wouldn't be a mobile game without some kind of new currency. Pocket Camp introduces Leaf Tickets, which can be "earned through regular gameplay or purchased using real-world money." The items "can be used to shorten the time needed to craft items,more easily acquire materials or acquire unique camper exterior designs."
You can also play with visit other players' camps or trade items with real-life friends by sharing game IDs. "Random player avatars will also visit the campsite from time to time. Once someone visits, you can exchange your Bells for items saved in the Market Box."
The game will launch for free across both iOS and Android. And regular content updates will roll out afterward--which you can assume will include some kind Christmas/holiday content. The press release states: "Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will eventually offer seasonal events to keep the experience fresh and surprising, as well as limited-time furniture and outfit options through game updates. These events and updates will begin rolling out after launch."
There is no denying The Walking Dead has proven to be one of the biggest TV shows of recent years. It set records for scripted cable drama and, despite being seven years old, still draws audiences that many shows would be very pleased with. Nevertheless, last weekend's Season 8 opener was the lowest rating season premiere since its third season in 2012.
As reported by Variety, the episode was watched by a total of 11.4 million viewers on Sunday night. This was the fourth worst premiere in the show's history, beating only Season 1 (5.35 million), Season 2 (7.26 million), and Season 3 (10.86 million).
However, it is worth noting that while Season 7's premiere was far more popular, with 17.03 million viewers tuning in, it showed the resolution of a hugely controversial cliffhanger, and the season saw a rapid drop off in viewers. In comparison, there was no cliffhanger leading into Season 8, so it will be interesting to see if viewers fall away further.
The season opener's lower-than-usual viewing figures were matched by its lukewarm critical reaction. GameSpot's Walking Dead Season 8 premiere review stated that the episode "on the whole it felt like a placeholder, something to remind fans of why they like the show in the first place, while hinting at some more interesting developments to come--but not a 100th episode." Click here to check out a full video breakdown of the episode.
In bizarre, related news, AMC is selling Walking Dead branded adult diapers. The novelty item comes after a line in the premiere episode and is available now to order from the official Walking Dead online store.
There have been a handful of racing games released on Nintendo Switch so far, but those have primarily skewed toward a more unrealistic style. Mario Kart 8 is a kart racer like its predecessors, while Fast RMX offers the closest thing to F-Zero that we may see on a Nintendo system in the near future. Those looking for a different flavor of racing may get just what they want with Gear Club Unlimited.
As featured in the video above, Gear Club seeks to fill that simulation-style racing game void on Switch. While not quite on par with Gran Turismo in terms of realism, it does distinguish itself from the obvious choices for racing action on the platform. Most notably, it does so by featuring licensed, real-world cars.
More than 400 different races are included in Gear Club, and it features split-screen multiplayer support for up to four players. Although you won't be adjusting gear ratios and other truly hardcore elements of simulation racers, it does allow you to customize various components to tune the vehicle's performance.
Gear Club Unlimited arrives for Switch on December 1 and carries a price tag of $45. You can get a better sense of what to expect in the video feature above.
Warner Bros. has announced a slate of DLC for Middle-earth: Shadow of War. The publisher detailed the additional content in a new trailer, which provides a look at the new tribes and story campaigns players can experience soon.
Developer Monolith will add four expansions to the game, two of which come in the form of new tribes. First is the Slaughter tribe, a "gruesome" tribe of Orcs that are "capable of ambushing players at any point." The expansion will launch this November and introduces new missions, a new fortress with an Overlord throne room, monuments, outposts, and new Epic and Legendary Orcs.
That will be followed by the Outlaw tribe, which is set to launch this December. The Outlaw tribe is "home to the most rebellious warriors in Orc society." Like the previous tribe expansion, it adds new missions, Epic and Legendary Orcs, and a new tribe fortress with Overlord throne room, monuments, and outposts.
The remaining two expansions are story campaigns that will launch in 2018. The Blade of Galadriel campaign releases in February and puts players in the role of Eltarie, an "elite assassin" who wields dual Elven blades and can "harness the Light of Galadriel with a host of deadly new combat abilities, skills, and gear." The expansion also adds new Nemesis characters like Flint and Tinder and the Slayer of the Dead.
The second story expansion launches in May and is dubbed Desolation of Mordor. In this campaign, players assume the role of Baranor and "command the forces of Man against a new Orc threat to the East." The expansion also lets players craft new gear and takes them to a brand-new region, the Desert of Lithlad
The Slaughter Tribe, Outlaw Tribe, and Blade of Galadriel expansions will be available to purchase individually for $15, while the Desolation of Mordor DLC will cost $20. Warner Bros. is also offering a $40 season pass that will net you all four expansions when they become available. Players who purchased the $100 Gold Edition of Middle-earth: Shadow of War will get the DLC packs for no additional cost.
In what might be the most inevitable news story of the week, the newly launched PC version of Destiny 2 has already been datamined. As a result, we've gotten some hints of what might be to come in future updates or DLC expansions for the game, though there's no guarantee any of it will ever happen. [Possible Destiny 2 DLC spoilers ahead.]
As uncovered by Reddit user TheEcumene, thousands of files have been uncovered that relate to things not yet in the live version of Destiny 2. This primarily consists of voicelines, which reference a wide variety of things. For instance, there is talk about the Patrol zones from the original Destiny, as well as Black Garden and Vault of Glass, which has players speculating about their possible return in Destiny 2. Phobos and Mercury are also discussed, with the former sounding like it could become a Patrol zone, according to TheEcumene. Remember that a previous report suggested Mercury would serve as the key new location in the game's first DLC, Curse of Osiris.
Elsewhere in the files, new worlds Ganymede and the Myriad are mentioned, and Osiris will apparently be coming to the Tower (and Shiro will head to Mercury). Bungie has already suggested we'll see the return of some limited-time events from the original Destiny--The Dawning is coming up--and these files point to returns for others, such as Crimson Days, Festival of the Lost, and Sparrow Racing League. Players may also have the chance to head to the Reef again and take part in the Prison of Elders activity, with the names of Petra and Variks coming up.
You can check out everything for yourself in this Reddit post, provided you don't mind having future content potentially spoiled. Just be aware that none of this may actually end up in the game--plans change and are scrapped, so the existence of any of these files doesn't mean anything on its own.
Microsoft's Kinect sensor, which sold millions across its Xbox 360 and Xbox One iterations but was often criticized, is officially dead. Ahead of its next earnings report later this week, the company has revealed that it has put an end to manufacturing of the device, meaning those still sitting on store shelves will be the last ones available for purchase.
The news was shared by Kinect creator Alex Kipman and Xbox Devices Marketing GM Matthew Lapsen in an interview with Fast Company. Support for the device will continue, so there's no need--at least in the short term--to worry if you're someone who still enjoys playing the odd game that uses it or pausing Netflix with a voice command.
This comes as little surprise. Originally launched partway through the Xbox 360's life cycle, Kinect sold millions and opened the platform to new types of games, like Dance Central. Microsoft then decided to make it a mandatory part of the Xbox One package, driving up the price of the system at launch to $500. It would later be made optional, allowing Microsoft to bring the price down and attempt to appeal to those with no interest in voice controls or motion sensors, though seemingly too late for the system to catch up to Sony's competing PS4 in terms of sales.
If it had not already been clear, the future of Kinect came into focus when Microsoft released the Xbox One S, the first new iteration of Xbox One. The system revision lacked the necessary port for Kinect, necessitating the use of an adapter for those who still had one laying around. Similarly, the upcoming Xbox One X lacks an integrated Kinect port.
Kinect's non-gaming applications have proven to arguably be more useful, even providing medical uses. And while the device itself may now effectively be dead, the technology behind it will live on, as aspects of it are used to power Microsoft's HoloLens augmented reality device.
Bandai Namco has released another new trailer and batch of screenshots for Dragon Ball FighterZ. This video focuses on one of the game's newly revealed characters, the Saiyan general Nappa.
As V-Jump magazine detailed, Nappa has a few unique tricks in his repertoire, which are shown off in the new trailer. The burly Saiyan can plant Saibamen, which will sprout and help him in battle. He can also fire a powerful beam blast from his mouth. You can take a look at Nappa in action below.
Additionally, Bandai Namco has shared a new batch of screenshots for Captain Ginyu, the other new character revealed in the most recent issue of V-Jump magazine. The images show off the flamboyant warrior's own unique arsenal of skills, such as his signature Body Change ability. You can also see a screenshot of Ginyu Force members Jeice and Recoome fighting alongside Ginyu in battle, similar to the way Android 17 can momentarily join Android 18 for certain attacks.
Super Mario Odyssey isn't the only Switch game from Nintendo to arrive this month. Also available now is Fire Emblem Warriors, Nintendo's latest collaboration with Koei Tecmo. Like Hyrule Warriors on Wii U, the game marries characters and elements from Nintendo's RPG series with the over-the-top hack-and-slash gameplay the Warriors series is known for.
Now that the game has been released, reviews for Fire Emblem Warriors have begun appearing online. We've collected a sample of them below. For a wider look at what critics have to say about the title, be sure to check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
"Fire Emblem Warriors doesn't radically change the formula of the two-decade-old Warriors franchise, nor is it concerned with attempting to do so. At best, it's a decent vehicle for Fire Emblem's characters, a chance to flex their muscles in a new venue without the limitations of turn-based combat holding their abilities back. There are signs of potential left unrealized, and the thought of what a Warriors game with truly dramatic character relationships and permadeath could have been lingers. For now that remains out of reach as Fire Emblem Warriors is yet another collaboration where Omega Force's tendencies dominate the finished product." -- Jeremy Winslow [Full review]
Eurogamer -- Recommended
"Those who are able to cultivate a resilience or blind spot for these micro-management niggles will be left with perhaps the most joyous and textured musou game yet. Fire Emblem not only fits Koei Tecmo's structures with unmatched elegance, its rollover systems enrich and improve the design in a way that, perhaps, could not be bettered by any other crossover, Nintendo-born or otherwise." -- Simon Parkin [Full review]
IGN -- 8/10
"The malleable quality of Fire Emblem's weapons-triangle and pairing systems make them a natural fit for the hack n' slash genre. Even when I could barely tell what was going on on the crowded battlefield and my troops were a little too codependent, I enjoyed directing the action and jumping in to be part of the carnage. And while Fire Emblem Warriors makes poor use of the Fire Emblem universe's story and history, we still get traces of the relationships between the characters that make it memorable." -- Meghan Sullivan [Full review]
Game Informer -- 7.5/10
"Fire Emblem Warriors successfully taps into the series' long history to create an entertaining mash-up of its most memorable characters. Despite some poor storytelling and extraneous systems, I can't wait to return to the battlefield as my favorite characters to single-handily lay waste to entire armies and look incredibly stylish while doing it." -- Javy Gwaltney [Full review]
Destructoid -- 6.5/10
"With the power to pick up the Switch tablet and storm through History on the go, Fire Emblem Warriors is still going to get some play in my house despite its issues. It follows a set formula with very little in the way of risk-taking, but so long as you can stomach the idea of warring kingdoms with very little at stake other than your level-up bar, it'll probably delight you too. With some DLC meat on these bones it'll likely be a long, wild ride." -- Chris Carter [Full review]
Kotaku
"Fire Emblem Warriors lacks charm but compensates with spectacle. Battles are hectic and demand more concentration than other musou games. It never completely reconciles Fire Emblem's tactical sensibilities and the Warriors series' raw chaos but what does manages to coalesce is captivating. The Fire Emblem series draws strength from tales of heroism: princes facing deadly dragons, farm boys rising to lead nations, armies staring down evil in spite of stacked odds. Fire Emblem Warriors might not capture the gameplay of the source material but it captures a sentiment. There is a special pleasure is watching your character charge headfirst into battles, repelling packs of monsters and dispelling the magic of dark sorcerers." -- Heather Alexandra [Full review]
Trusted Reviews -- 4/5
"Fire Emblem Warriors is superb. It successfully translates the beloved RPG series without sacrificing any elements for which I have adored the series. With countless characters, a robust upgrade system and plenty of modes on offer, you'll sink hours into this stylish hack 'n' slasher without even knowing it." -- Jordan King [Full review]
We've teamed up with THQ Nordic to offer 10,000 keys for the multiplayer closed beta for Aquanox Deep Descent. The beta will run from Friday, October 27, 6:00 PM CET / 9 AM PT / 5 PM BST, to Sunday, October 29, 11:59 PM CET / 02:59 PM PT / 10:59 PM BST.
Aquanox is a PC first person underwater vehicle shooter set on a near future Earth, deep below the sea. The beta includes two game modes, Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch, which can be played 4v4 or 8v8 depending on the map. There will be four maps available to play during the beta, two of which are brand new for this beta.
Schwarzenegger has been speaking about the next movie, which will be directed by Deadpool's Tim Miller, and suggested that it is taking a back-to-basics approach and will ignore most of the events in the films since 1991's Terminator 2. In an interview with Business Insider, the Austrian action icon explained that the titular killer robot and Hamilton's Sarah Connor will be the only characters who appear from earlier movies.
"I think Cameron and Tim came up with a concept where they can continue on with the T-800 but make a whole new movie," he said. "What they are doing now with this one is basically to just take a few very basic characters, like Linda Hamilton's character and my character, and dismiss everything else. Just move away from all these rules of the timeline and other characters."
Schwarzenegger explained why the new movie wouldn't go down the route of confusing multiple timelines like Genisys did. "It's hard to come up with new ideas when you stay within that framework," he said.
In a recent interview, Miller hinted that the movie will avoid the huge-scale, effects-laden style of Genisys and 2009's Terminator Salvation. "Believe me, there was no lack of things up on the whiteboard," he said. "He could do this and he could make a marching band out of endoplasmic metal, but who the f**k cares? I don't want to see that. So we're trying to keep it grounded like Jim did for Terminator."
There had been some confusion about whether a new Terminator would happen at all. Terminator: Genisys was originally intended to be the first part of a new trilogy, but its box office failure ended this plan. Subsequent reports suggested that Paramount had abandoned the idea of any more movies, before Cameron's return to the series was confirmed last month.
The launch of Assassin's Creed Origins is just a couple days away, and Ubisoft has unveiled the official launch trailer. It gives players a sneak peek at the game's action and its story, which tells the tale of the beginning of the Assassin Brotherhood. Check it out in the video above.
The trailer, called Legend of The Assassin, introduces Bayek, a warrior in Ancient Egypt whose struggle against the corrupt forces of the time leads him towards becoming the first Assassin. Unlike other games in the series, which always advanced the story forward in time, Origins is a prequel to those that came before it. There's a lot to the plot and lore of the franchise's universe, so if you haven't played the previous games or just need a refresher, check out GameSpot's recap of the Assassin's Creed story so far.
The trailer showcases a lot of the action and beautiful cinematic cutscenes in Origins, too. Players can expect more of the series' trademark parkour-inspired adventure and fight sequences but, unlike previous Assassin's Creed games, Origins adds RPG elements to its open-world gameplay. You'll level up your abilities in a skill tree, which will increase your hit points, damage, and abilities over time.
Assassin's Creed Origins releases October 27 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. When the system launches on November 7, it will also be available for Xbox One X, rendering in beautiful 4K for those with 4K displays and offering enhanced "architectural models, vegetation, rocks and display[s] them at longer Draw Distances in dense environments like the grand cities of Alexandria and Memphis," according to developer Ubisoft.
Everyone who pre-orders gets the Survival Pack. This comes with four gold-plated weapons (bat, sledgehammer, survival machete, and survival spear), two gestures (happy and thumbs-up), four survival scarves (green, blue, pink, and silver), and Kabuki face paint. Additionally, the Survival Pack includes the Mother Base nameplate and the Boxman [The Orange] accessory.
Metal Gear Survive is the first game in the franchise to be released since series creator Hideo Kojima parted ways with Konami. It's a noticeably different sort of game, set in an alternate reality after the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes where you have to deal with what amount to zombies--something Kojima finds odd. It also features cooperative multiplayer as a key component, and is due out for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Assassin's Creed Origins is the latest entry in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise. Unlike past games, which continually pushed the ancestor timeline forward, this entry is a prequel. Set in Egypt, you play as Bayek, a warrior whose struggle against the corrupt forces of the time leads him towards becoming the first Assassin.
With the game's release date set for October 27 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, we've compiled our most important features and gameplay videos detailing everything you need to know about Assassin's Creed Origins. Check back often as we update this article with our in-depth review, guides, additional articles, and videos.
Features
Unlike its predecessors, Assassin's Creed Origins is an action-RPG; it sports a multi-faceted skill tree, damage hit points, and equipment with varying statistics. In addition, everything you do feeds into an overarching progression system that steadily improves your character's strength and abilities over time. For more about the game's mechanics and story, as well as our impressions of it thus far, check out the features below:
Super Mario Odyssey is the latest installment of Nintendo's tenured franchise starring the lovable Italian plumber. You once again control Mario as he works to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. But this time around, he has the help of a new hat sidekick named Cappy, who he can throw at certain objects or enemies to temporarily posses them and use their unique abilities.
With Super Mario Odyssey's release date set for October 27 on Nintendo Switch, we've compiled our most important features and gameplay videos detailing everything you need to know about the game. Check back often as we update this article with our in-depth review, guides, additional articles, and videos.
Features
As a 3D-style Mario game, the emphasis is on exploration in Super Mario Odyssey. The game sports a multitude of open sandbox environments to navigate, which are each packed with enemies and platforming challenges. For more about our impressions about the game thus far, check out the features below:
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is the follow-up to 2014's The New Order. It once again centers around B.J. Blazkowicz and his struggle to overthrow the Nazi regime. This time around he's trying to set up a second American Revolution with the help of a militant group of resistance fighters.
With the game's release date set for October 27 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, we've compiled our most important features and gameplay videos detailing everything you need to know about Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Check back often as we update this article with our in-depth review, additional articles, and videos.
Features
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus maintains the same action-heavy gunplay of its predecessor. The game features a variety of weapons, most of which can be dual-wielded. New this time around is a cover system to aid your approach in a firefight. For more of our impressions about the game and its provocative depiction of a Nazi-occupied America, check out the features below:
Every Cinematic Cutscene So Far--We collected every cutscene we have seen so far for Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and put them all into one handy video for you. Be warned, this video is packed with spoilers.
Delivering A Nuke To Area 52 Gameplay--BJ Blazkowicz is back at it again! This time our well armed friend is fighting through a train to deliver a nuke to Area 52.
On top of this week's selection of deals for Xbox Live Gold members, Microsoft is holding another Shocktober sale in the Xbox Store. For a limited time, players can find a big range of discounts on some great horror games for both Xbox One and Xbox 360.
On the newer console, Xbox Live Gold and Silver members can save 50% on the acclaimed new entry in Capcom's survival-horror series, Resident Evil 7. The standard edition is available for $30/£26.50, while the Deluxe edition runs for $45/£35. The game's DLC is also discounted; the Banned Footage Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 expansions retail for $6/£4.79 and $9/£7.19, respectively, while the game's season pass is $27/£22.49.
A number of classic Resident Evil games are on sale for Xbox One, as well. Players can find discounts on Resident Evil HD ($8/£6.40), its prequel Resident Evil 0 ($10/£8), and Resident Evil 4 ($8/£6.40). Resident Evil Revelations and Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition are also on sale. The games run individually for $14/£11.19 and $12/£10. If you'd like to pick up both, you can purchase them together as a bundle for $30/£26.24.
Other notable games on sale for Xbox One right now include:
You can find the full list of discounted titles on Major Nelson's blog. The Shocktober sale runs through Halloween, while this week's regular selection of Xbox Live Gold deals will be available until October 30. As an added bonus, players can get free metallic finishes for D-pads and triggers on any custom Xbox Design Lab controller purchased during the Shocktober sale. There's also a surprising number of major titles launching within the next few days, making this a particularly busy week for gamers on all platforms.
The latest batch of deals are now available in the US PlayStation Store. This marks the second week of Sony's Sale of the Dead, which offers discounts on many PS4, PS3, and Vita games that are perfect for Halloween, while a new spotlight sale features Danganronpa and other titles from NIS America.
The spotlight sale offers some very sizable discounts on select NISA games across all of Sony's platforms, and those with a PS Plus subscription will save an additional percentage off many of the titles. On PS4, players can purchase the recently released Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony for $45 ($51 without PS Plus). Danganronpa 1-2 Reload is also on sale for $24 ($28), while the series' spin-off Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls for $10.49 ($13.49). Other PS4 games on sale include:
The NISA sale runs until October 31. You can find the full list of discounted titles here. You also have until October 31 to save on some great horror games for all Sony platforms, including Resident Evil 7 ($30/$36), Killing Floor 2 ($16/$20), and Dying Light: The Following ($21/$24), among others. You can find more discounted titles here.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole launched earlier this month, and now, publisher Ubisoft has released a free trial for the over-the-top turn-based combat game. In a news release, Ubisoft said the trial features "no alterations to gameplay."
However, being a trial, it is limited in a way. You can play for only one hour. After this runs out, all of your progress will carry forward if you decide to buy the full game.
The free trial is available only for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though the full game is out for those consoles as well as PC. We have followed up with Ubisoft to try to find out if the free trial will be made available on PC.
Like its predecessor, The Stick of Truth, Fractured but Whole puts players in the role of the New Kid, who moves into South Park and joins a superhero team with Cartman and other South Park mainstays.
GameSpot's Fractured But Whole review scored the game an 8/10. Reviewer Miguel Concepcion said, "It's an accomplishment that this game will wholly entertain devoted fans while delivering a heap of jokes that won't fly over the heads of casual viewers."
Earlier this month, Sony released the major new PlayStation 4 5.0 update that added new features and functionality. Now, the next patch has arrived, but it does not do nearly as much. PS4 5.01 is out now, and the patch notes are one line long: "This system software update improves system performance."
If your PS4 is in Rest Mode, this small update should be applied automatically. If not, you'll be prompted to install it the next time you boot up.
In other PlayStation news, Sony revealed a new PSVR model earlier this month. The updated version contains a streamlined cable layout and the ability to watch HDR content on your TV without having to disconnect the PSVR's processor unit. No release date has been revealed for the new PSVR model, though the price will remain the same.
With all the buzz surrounding Switch versions of Wolfenstein 2 and Doom, it's understandable if you forgot about another popular FPS coming to the console. Developer Overkill announced a Switch port of Payday 2 way back in April, and since then has been relatively silent about its progress. Today, however, it gave an update on the game, showing it running on Switch in portable mode.
The video also reveals a couple of new details about the port. First, the developer shows it running in both of Switch's undocked modes, portable and tabletop. We also learn that the game will feature a new interface and touchscreen support on the platform. Finally, there'll be a "special treat" for Switch players when the game launches. You can check out the video below.
The game was scheduled for launch this winter, although Overkill hasn't specified any more than that. However, the studio did reiterate the winter release window in the video.
Anyone with an active SWTOR account can play the Rise of the Hutt Cartel and Shadow of Revan expansions for free right now until November 6. All you have to do is go to this site and enter the code "Revanreturns" to get access.
The core game extends from level 1-50, Rise of the Hutt Cartel covers level 51-55, and Shadow of Revan is level 56-60. Since the main game is already free-to-play, this means that you can try out the game up to level 60 for no cost.
In addition, you can get a special Swoop Bike for use in The Old Republic that's themed after KOTOR. You can redeem it using code "Kotorspeeder" at the same website; the code expires on November 6.
KOTOR is among the first original Xbox games to be made backwards compatible on Xbox One. You can buy it through the Xbox Store, or, if you still have a physical copy lying around somewhere, you can put it in your Xbox One to unlock it. You can read about the other original Xbox games that are backwards compatible here.
Destiny 2 on consoles is a great-looking game with some truly gorgeous art. But today it launched on PC, allowing us to see what the game can achieve when some serious PC hardware is thrown at it. And the results are pretty amazing.
To give you a sense of just how good Destiny 2 can look on PC, we cranked it up to max settings and turned off the HUD. That way, there's nothing cluttering up the screen, and you can get a full view of the special PC-only visual effects. Check it out in the embed above.
Destiny 2 on PC is only available through Blizzard's Battle.net client, making it the first non-Blizzard game to do so. It also features an array of visual improvements and effects, including 4K and 21:9 monitor support.
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