Though a previous teaser for the upcoming YouTube Red series Cobra Kai showed that original Karate Kid villain Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) grew up to become quite a jerk, the latest trailer for the show reveals why that might be the case--and it's Daniel's (Ralph Macchio) fault.
In the latest trailer, it's revealed that life has worked out pretty well for the former student of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). He has a wife, a beautiful home, and what looks like a job selling luxury cars. Life has been less kind for his former nemesis, who is now reopening the Cobra Kai Dojo. "The guy thinks he can bring Cobra Kai back to the valley? Not on my watch," Daniel tells his wife.
While that may seem to paint Daniel as some kind of hero, things take a major turn quickly as a scruffy and unkempt Johnny is put down by the former karate champion and his friend. "This is the guy whose ass you kicked?" the friend asks. Daniel quickly shoots back, "If you want to get technical, I kicked his face."
Whatever is happening in that scene, it's clear that Johnny has seen better days, while Daniel is still gloating about something that happened over 30 years ago. Is that the kind of thing that makes you want to root for the titular Karate Kid?
With each tease, the premise of Cobra Kai becomes a bit more mysterious. Johnny may be relaunching the dojo that made him such a punk as a teenager--and carrying on many of its less-than-commendable traditions--but Daniel is no saint in this scenario.
Still, it's hard not to feel a little excitement when Daniel suits up in his old Miyagi Dojo uniform once more and throw a kick. While it was previously revealed that he will be serving as a trainer to Johnny's son, clearly there's still some fight left in him. Perhaps Cobra Kai will build to another showdown between him and Johnny when it premieres on YouTube Red in the spring.
Video game adaptations have a checkered history, which makes it easy to cast a skeptical eye on Tomb Raider, the latest take on the classic franchise. Even big-budget adaptations like Prince of Persia have fizzled, and other game adaptation are downright infamous.
In the above video, we take a closer look at all the elements that may set this one apart. As games have become more cinematic and told more personal stories, they've become a closer match for movies. Unlike the successful but campier Angelia Jolie films, this version of Tomb Raider is based on the gritty 2013 reboot. That makes this Lara a younger woman who finds herself out of her element and forced to survive against a hostile environment and even more hostile mercenaries.
To take on this role, the director tapped Alicia Vikander, most known for her roles in The Danish Girl and Ex Machina. Vikander talks about her training for the physicality of the role, which made liberal use of MMA fighters and giant mattresses. All that went into transforming the actress to believably take on the challenges her character was faced with. Finally, director Roar Uthuag gives his insights about how characterization is the key to avoiding the fate of so many other video game adaptations.
Our review is coming soon, but in the meantime, take a look at all that went into making this film--including a near shot-for-shot remake of one famous scene from the 2013 game. The movie will hit theaters on March 16.
While it's not exactly Call of Duty or Battlefield, the Far Cry series has become one of the biggest first-person shooter series in the industry. With its latest entry, Far Cry 5, set to release soon, we decided to look back at the franchise and how it got to where it is today.
In the video above, we run through the complete history of Far Cry. We start with the original, open-ended game from Crytek, the studio that would later go on to make the Crysis series. We look at the transition as Ubisoft Montreal took the reigns with the stellar Far Cry 2 and its many follow-ups--there have been quite a few Far Cry games, despite the fact that we're technically only up to Far Cry 5.
In many ways, Far Cry 3 firmly established the formula that the series still follows today; it was also the first to latch onto the tower-climbing of Assassin's Creed, introducing the climb-the-radio-tower mechanic used to unlock the in-game map. And who can forget Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, the bizarre spin-off that no one would have thought to ask for yet offered a brilliant, distilled Far Cry experience seeped in '80s action movie cheese?
Watch the video above for a trip down memory lane. There's not much longer to wait until the next entry in the series is here, as Far Cry 5 is due out on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 27. You can watch us chat about the somewhat confusing game in a recent video and read all about the confirmed DLC.
Valve boss Gabe Newell has signaled an end to the company's long hiatus. At a talk yesterday, the president said the company is "going to start shipping games again." He also opened up about why the pace of its releases slowed down so much, and what's changed since then.
The presentation (via PC Gamer) was centered mostly on Artifact, the Dota 2-themed card game announced last year. But he made sure to point out that it's not the only game on Valve's slate. He explicitly said that it's "the first of several games" coming from the studio. Since the release of Dota 2, Valve's gaming efforts have been focused mostly on supporting it and Team Fortress 2.
As for why Valve moved away from games, Newell frankly said he was concerned about PCs becoming more of a closed system. He said his investments into Vive were an effort to "offset" the impact of Microsoft and Facebook looking into OS and VR concepts that the company considered less open. The result has been a newly revised Valve that he says feels comfortable in hardware design as well as software. Newell hinted that may impact how they treat their game designs going forward.
"We've always been a little bit jealous of companies like Nintendo," Newell said. "When Miyamoto is sitting down and thinking about the next version of Zelda or Mario, he's thinking what is the controller going to look like, what sort of graphics and other capabilities. He can introduce new capabilities like motion input because he controls both of those things. And he can make the hardware look as good as possible because he's designing the software at the same time that's really going to take advantage of it. So that is something we've been jealous of, and that's something that you'll see us taking advantage of subsequently."
As for the identity of these mystery projects, Newell was much more tight-lipped. He did say in a Reddit AMA in January that they're working on a single-player game. He's also mentioned three more VR games on the way. That's four more in addition to Artifact, with a notable focus on custom hardware, so those could be the games he was referring to. Either way, though, it sounds like Valve is back in the games business.
President Trump hosted a roundtable discussion with games industry stakeholders and critics yesterday to talk about the potential impact of video game violence. Like most high-profile political events, it was fodder for the late-night comedy circuit. The Daily Show's Trevor Noah took a swing at lampooning the attempt to draw a link between video games and real-life tragedy.
The centerpiece of Noah's argument focuses on Japan, which is the third-highest consumer of video games in the world, but suffers dramatically less gun-related crime than America. In fact, in 2015 the country had only one gun murder. "I'm sorry but if you're the only gun death in a country of 120 million people, you probably deserved it," Noah quipped.
The meeting on the whole was described as respectful but occasionally contentious. The White House opened the meeting with a montage of violent imagery from several video games, removed from context, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Fallout 4, and others. Media Research Council president Brent Bozell suggested tougher regulation on games, and Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) said afterwards that such regulations should also apply to other media like movies.
The industry's side, represented by the ESA and ESRB among other leaders, refuted the connections. They had an ally in Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) who pointed out there's been no evidence that the Parkland shooter was motivated by playing video games. He did advocate increasing measures to make sure parents are aware of resources like the ESRB to monitor their kids' entertainment.
The Division may have recently passed 20 million players and gotten a massive content drop in December, but publisher Ubisoft is already thinking about what's next for the series. We know that the recently announced The Division 2 will transfer some amount of progress from the original game, but we won't learn much more about the sequel until E3 later this year.
The original Division was released two years ago, and the sequel is being developed by the same trio of developers: Massive Entertainment, Red Storm, and Ubisoft Reflections. And while the original only received middling reviews at launch, the game's recent 1.8 update has introduced far-reaching improvements. And just because a sequel is on the way doesn't mean that support for the original Division is ending; current players will still be getting global events and a 4K patch on Xbox One X.
But what's on our wishlist for the best possible version of The Division 2? Here are our suggestions for features we hope make it into the next game.
1) More world-building and environmental changes
At the start of The Division you arrive at the Hudson Refugee camp; even after hundreds of hours, the camp doesn't really grow or change. The Division 2 needs to show progress in the world to increase your investment in the experience. There are literally people waiting in line forever to get into the camp. You're never given a sense of how your actions have positively impacted the world outside of your personal base's progression.
2) Better faction system
The "kill everything" approach to the various factions in the original Division really hurt the game's potential for creating a truly memorable experience. Let enemy factions make their case to you and force you to work with some and against others. Take a page from Fallout: let the factions fight each other or perhaps make some parts of the map more or less dangerous for players based on their alliances.
3) A more integrated story
By the time your agent got to New York in the first Division, the interesting pandemic stuff had already occurred, and all you were left with were memories in the form of echoes. Destiny made a similar mistake the first time around when it took the strongest story beats out of the main game experience. And while The Division's separation isn't quite as tedious as searching out Grimoire cards, it would be far more impactful to get to know neighborhoods full of people and their struggles to survive rather than just running across the stuff they left behind.
4) Survival elements and meaningful cosmetics
The Division had players scavenging empty apartments for items such as soda cans, but that busywork didn't pay off until the Survival DLC. In-game cosmetic items were equally dull and useless; what's the incentive for taking a walnut-colored beanie over a beige one? The Survival DLC added stats to cosmetic items as well as weather events that finally gave players a reason to consider their outfits. Survival was a standalone mode, but those elements should be considered for the base game.
5) Baseball caps shouldn't be bulletproof
One universally agreed criticism of the original was that dumping hundreds of rounds into a looter whose only protection was a hoodie was more than a little immersion-breaking. Damage in The Division 2 needs to make visual sense. The game has made strides through the 1.8 patch to address this, but Ubisoft needs to go further with the sequel.
6) Stat balance the Dark Zone
On paper, the RPG-style Dark Zone sounds good, but in practice a top tier of players have emerged to unstoppably rule the Dark Zone, ruining it for everyone else. Destiny's stats-balanced model makes a lot more sense in making PvP fair. The 1.8 patch did add a Rogue toggle and turned off friendly fire to make the DZ more balanced, but shooting still doesn't feel anywhere near as good as other PvP games. Also, the Dark Zone needs to have some kind of new, special infected units and more interesting unique gear to be relevant.
7) Get rid of enemy grenade spam
Certain enemy types in The Division not only spammed grenades but seemed to magically be able to damage you through walls and ceilings. Later Incursion bosses mimicked this annoying feature with endless waves of RC car bombs or unstoppable mortars. Division 2 needs to put an end to this frustrating spam.
8) Expand on the Underground DLC idea
This one's simple: The Division's post-launch Underground DLC introduced randomly generated dungeons, and we'd love it if they were further expanded on in The Division 2's endgame. Players quickly grew tired of daily story missions in the first game because they were predictable and often didn't require high level strategy beyond knowing which sections to bypass. The randomly generated model from Underground could add unpredictability and longevity to grinding for those endgame currencies.
9) Build off the updates to The Division
We know that something will carry over from Division 1 to Division 2, but we really hope that Ubisoft's sequel learns from the mistakes of Destiny 2. Specifically, do not take away progress built between the community and developers. Updates added global events and made important changes to going rogue in the Dark Zone. Division 2 shouldn't start all of that over from nothing, but should instead introduce that as a baseline starting point for the sequel.
Not long after the latest one, Sony has launched another flash sale on the PlayStation Store in the United States. As always, this brings some steep discounts to games on PSN for PS4, PS3, and Vita but only for a very limited time.
As you'd expect, PS4 is home to the majority of these deals, of which there's quite a wide variety. Among the highlights is Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (one of our picks for the best cheap PS4 games at its regular price), which drops to just $8--quite a steal considering it includes remastered versions of three full games. Diablo III's Eternal Collection, which packs in last year's excellent Rise of the Necromancer DLC, is just $30, while the Necromancer pack on its own can be had for $9.74.
All of these prices are available from now until Monday, March 12, at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, and there's no additional discount for PS Plus members. You can see everything on sale here. If you don't find something to your liking, the usual PS4 weekly game deals are still live in the US until Tuesday, while those in Europe have a PSN sale of their own going on right now.
Fortnite: Battle Royale is coming to mobile devices, Epic has announced. Most intriguingly, this is apparently the same 100-player experience, and it will support cross-play for some systems. Thanks to a partnership with Sony, the game will support cross-play and cross-progression between PS4, PC, Mac, iOS, and (eventually) Android. The Xbox One edition does not support cross-play, presumably due to Epic's partnership with Sony.
"Same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates," Epic said in a forum post about Fortnite: Battle Royale's mobile edition. "We believe this is the future of games. The same game on all platforms. Console quality graphics and action. Play when you want, where you want."
As for the cross-play support, Epic said you'll be able to join a squad and play together with friends on different platforms. That sounds pretty cool, and it'll be interesting to see how it works in practice. You'd have to imagine that console/PC players would have an advantage.
Sign-ups will open on Monday for an invite-only test on iOS; Android will follow "in the next few months." You'll be able to sign up at Fornite's website starting March 12, and you'll receive an invite "shortly thereafter" by email if you're accepted. More invites will be sent out over the coming months, so if you don't get in right away, you'll have more opportunities later. If you do get in, you'll get codes to share with friends, so that's good.
Fortnite's mobile edition requires an internet connection (of course), and an iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017 device or newer. Right now, it sounds like only Battle Royale is coming to mobile, not Fortnite's other mode, Save the World.
Battle Royale is free on consoles and PC, supported by microtransactions (which are cosmetic only), and we would expect the mobile edition for follow the same format. We'll report back with more details on Battle Royale's mobile edition as they're announced.
PUBG, which likely inspired Fortnite: Battle Royale, also has a mobile edition--but it's only available in China and it does not support cross-play. The game is not available on PS4, which might also explain Sony's apparent eagerness to partner with Epic for Fortnite: Battle Royale.
[UPDATE] Epic's Nick Chester has now offered some insight into how cross-play will work, stating it will be an opt-in. In other words, you'll be able to play with friends who are on other platforms, but you won't be forced into teaming up with someone on mobile if you're on PS4 or PC.
If a mobile player wants to play with their friend on PS4 or PC, cool! If a PS4 player wants to play with a PC player, cool! They should be able to. :)
Yeah, that's correct. A PC player won't end up playing in a PS4 or mobile game, for example. It's opt in for players who want to squad up with friends.
President Donald Trump's administration today hosted a roundtable meeting to discuss the subject of violence in video games and their effects on young players. It brought together various representatives from the video game industry, including the heads of the ESA, ESRB, and Take-Two, as well as lawmakers and individuals who have assigned blame for violent incidents to video games in the past. Although it was closed to the press as it happened, here's what we've since learned about the discussion.
The White House has yet to comment on the meeting. In lieu of an official transcript, we only have after-the-fact comments and a Washington Post report to clue us in as to what was talked about. Trump apparently started the meeting by showing off video of unspecified violent games, which has since been released on YouTube. It shows particularly violent, context-free moments from Fallout 4, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (the infamous No Russian scene), and The Evil Within, among others. You can watch it below.
According to the report, there were calls from those in the meeting, including Media Research Council president Brent Bozell, for "much tougher regulation" that would treat games like tobacco and liquor. In a statement released on Twitter after the meeting, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (a Republican from Missouri) said that she believes in an "all-encompassing approach" and that discussion should not be limited to just video games. She called for similar meetings to be held with members of the movie industry, adding, "Today's meeting was an opportunity to learn and hear from different sides to violence in schools. I believe significant progress was made today, and my hope is that we can build on the progress in the future."
Sen. Marco Rubio (a Republican from Florida) pointed out there has been "no evidence" suggesting the Parkland shooter was motivated by playing video games. He added that he wants to "mak[e] sure parents are aware of the resources available to them to monitor and control the entertainment their children are exposed to."
The Washington Post story offers little of the games industry's side during the meeting, except to say they refuted the alleged connection between games and real-life acts of violence. The Entertainment Software Association, the industry's lobbying group that is also responsible for organizing E3, was also in attendance and released a statement this afternoon.
"We welcomed the opportunity today to meet with the President and other elected officials at the White House," a spokesperson said. "We discussed the numerous scientific studies establishing that there is no connection between video games and violence, First Amendment protection of video games, and how our industry's rating system effectively helps parents make informed entertainment choices. We appreciate the President's receptive and comprehensive approach to this discussion."
Although he was not in attendance, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (a Democrat from Connecticut) issued a statement decrying the attempt to deflect attention from the issue of gun control. "I'm willing to look at anything and everything that may help address the gun violence epidemic that has swept our country--including addressing the culture of violence many see in America today," he said. "But there is an urgent need now for meaningful action on extreme risk protection orders, expanded background checks, and banning assault weapons. Blaming video games or the entertainment media for the 90 American lives lost every single day to gun violence is an unacceptable excuse to avoid talking about serious policy proposals."
Today's meeting was hastily announced last week in the wake of the recent tragedy in Parkland. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump would be "meeting with members of the video game industry to see what they can do on that front." At the time, no specifics were shared about who would be involved, and the ESA said it had not heard anything about it. The specifics of the meeting then came into focus this week, though a list of attendees was not made public until less than a day before it was set to take place.
Trump has suggested that violent video games are a problem in the past, tweeting that they are "creating monsters" back in 2012. After the shooting in Parkland, he referenced how he's been told "the level of violence in video games is really shaping young people's thoughts." He went on to suggest that a movie and or video games rating board is needed, despite the fact that those already exist in the US in the form of the MPAA and ESRB.
More broadly, lawmakers have taken issue with violent video games for more than 25 years. An uproar around the violence in games like Mortal Kombat is what led to the founding of the ESRB, which is a self-regulatory body. After the Sandy Hook school shooting, then-Vice President Joe Biden also met with the games industry to discuss violence, though that ultimately had little impact in terms of legislation. Most notably, a 2011 ruling by the Supreme Court struck down a bill that would have blocked the sale of violent video games to minors.
Studies have yet to connect the motives of shooters with a connection to violent video games. In fact, there's research that suggests school shooters may be less interested in violent games than other people. The ESA has frequently cited the fact that games are played internationally as further evidence that they are not to blame: "Video games are plainly not the issue: entertainment is distributed and consumed globally, but the US has an exponentially higher level of gun violence than any other nation," it said recently. A recent Washington Post story further suggests this is a US-centric problem.
Video games often take the blame at times like this, but whether any of this talk results in real legislation remains to be seen. Drafting laws is a challenging process, and without a convincing scientific argument, it may prove difficult to pass a bill. One thing is for sure, though: This is unlikely to be the last time we see politicians pursue this path.
Following a great deal of speculation and apparent confirmation that 2018's Call of Duty entry would be a new Black Ops game, Activision has made it official. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is in development and will be released later this year --though it'll be out sooner than we're accustomed to.
Black Ops 4 is headed to PS4, Xbox One, and PC; there's no word on a Switch version, as some had hoped. It will be released on Friday, October 12, almost a full month sooner than the early November release window that new Call of Duty games typically occupy. As previously confirmed, this year's game is being developed by Treyarch, the studio responsible for the entire Black Ops series.
Unfortunately, beyond those basic details, Activision hasn't shared anything further about the game. Instead, a special event will be hosted on May 17 where Activision will reveal the game publicly. It's unclear if we'll get any other official details prior to that date. It looks as if the PC version may use Blizzard's Battle.net.
It was reported earlier this year that 2018's game would be Black Ops 4. Activision rotates between Call of Duty studios on a three-year cycle, and given the sub-series' popularity and the fact that 2018 marks three years since the previous Black Ops game's launch, the news made sense. Subsequently, NBA star James Harden was recently spotted wearing a hat that appeared to feature a modified version of the Black Ops III logo, only with four symbols (roman numerals be damned). That logo turned out to be real, as you can see above. Black Ops 3, meanwhile, received a surprise update with new content, leading some to wonder if it was meant to tease the possibility of a sequel.
We'll report back as Activision shares more details on Black Ops 4. In the meantime, let us know what you hope to see from it in the comments below.
Update: Ubisoft has officially confirmed a sequel to The Division, aptly titled The Division 2. In a livestream, the company revealed the game and confirmed it's being developed by the same primary studios as the first entry, including Massive Entertainment, Red Storm, and Ubisoft Reflections. You'll be able to transfer some progress from the original game to Division 2, though how that will work is not yet clear. No more details have been discussed; the company says a full reveal is coming at E3 2018. We'll report back as more details are shared. The original story follows.
Two years to the day after the first game was released, Ubisoft appears prepared to announce The Division 2. Details on the game are scant at this point, but we do know it's apparently in development at the same studio as the first game, Massive Entertainment.
News of the game first leaked through stock website 4-Traders, which published a blog post from creative director Julian Gerighty. While seemingly dubious on its own, an image showing The Division 2's logo has been discovered on Ubisoft's own website.
It's not a huge surprise that Ubisoft would decide to continue with The Division. Although the original was criticized by many at launch, Ubisoft and Massive have diligently worked to address complaints in the two ensuing years. The 1.8 update released this past December, in particular, was lauded as a highlight for its sweeping improvements--all of which came for free. The game has also received a pair of paid DLC expansions.
Alongside news of a sequel, Ubisoft has also announced that support is not ending for the first game. New global events are on the way as part of future title updates, as is an Xbox One X patch to provide 4K support--that's coming in April. In June, the game will also receive something called Crests, which are achievements that will unlock rewards in The Division 2.
There's no word on platforms or other details yet, but it seems like a safe assumption that The Division 2 will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. We'll report back as more information is shared.
Change is afoot at Uncharted and The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog, though it all appears to be positive news. Naughty Dog has announced new roles for several individuals at the company, including new co-directors for the upcoming Last of Us Part II.
In a post on Naughty Dog's website, president Evan Wells shared news that was announced during a recent in-house meeting. Neil Druckmann, who played key roles in the development of the first two Uncharted games and served as creative director on both The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, has been promoted to vice president.
"In recognition of his expanded role, contributing on critical, studio level decisions, Neil Druckmann is now Vice President of Naughty Dog," reads the post. "He's been a vital part of the management team for some time now, and we're proud to formally acknowledge his involvement."
Despite the lofty new title, Druckmann will still serve as Last of Us Part II's creative director. Meanwhile, its game directors have been named as Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau, both of whom were lead game designers on Uncharted 4 and worked on the first Last of Us. "Both Kurt and Anthony joined Naughty Dog during Uncharted 2 and have been instrumental in leading the design department, and have been key contributors on our subsequent games," Wells said.
Finally, Emilia Schatz and Richard Cambier will serve as the lead designers for Part II. They, too, have worked on multiple Naughty Dog games, including Uncharted 4 and The Last Of Us.
The Last of Us Part II is currently without an exact release date, and there's still a lot we don't know about it. Druckmann has teased that "no one is safe" and promised more details on the PS4 game are coming at this year's E3.
For a 30-minute presentation, March 2018's Nintendo Direct was jam-packed with presentations. Nintendo reeled off announcement after announcement, with the bulk of that time spent either highlighting details about previously announced Switch games or revealing new ones. Nintendo then teased that the show was over, only to sneak in one last announcement--Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch.
If you were on social media at the time (or in an office like GameSpot's), you likely saw a great deal of excitement over the news, even though a Super Smash Bros. game was inevitably going to make it to Switch. There may not have been a more intense reaction anywhere than at the Nintendo World Store in New York City, as the video below from YouTube channel EmpireArcadia shows. You can also see the crowd itself here.
Despite all the excitement, we don't actually know a whole lot about the new Super Smash Bros. at this point--like, for instance, whether it is indeed a new Smash. Nintendo's announcement is relatively ambiguous, leaving us to wonder whether this is a brand-new game or a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe-style enhanced re-release of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. At the very least, we know that Splatoon's inklings will be part of the roster given their prominent place in the reveal trailer. Mario and Link (wearing his Breath of the Wild outfit) are also spotted along with silhouettes for a variety of other characters, giving fans an image to dissect until Nintendo confirms who will be on the roster.
A variety of exciting new content is now available for Rainbow Six Siege, including two new Operators and the limited-time Outbreak mode, courtesy of the new Operation Chimera update. But there are other significant changes now in place for Siege that come as very welcome news for many players.
Earlier this year, Ubisoft announced that it would make changes to Siege's pricing, effectively raising the price of the game. The news wasn't well received, and Ubisoft ultimately relented and announced it would instead offer more things for free--namely, Operators and weapon attachments.
In the case of Operators, you won't suddenly get every one in the game for free. Provided you're not playing the budget-priced Starter Edition, however, you will receive access to all 20 Operators that originally released in the base game. Previously, you'd need to earn in-game currency called Renown to unlock them, limiting the number of options you'd have until investing a good amount of time in the game. Operators that have been released as part of post-launch expansions can still be unlocked with Renown or purchased in bundles (such as the new Year 3 season pass) for real-world money. If you need some tips on who to use, we've highlighted the best Operators for Siege newcomers and the best Operators for Siege experts.
Another use for Renown has also gone out the window, as all weapon attachments--both those already available and those to be added in the future--are now accessible to all players. Like Operators, these previously had to be purchased individually, which actually put new players at a disadvantage against those who had upgraded their weapons. Now, you'll no longer need to worry about how and what attachments to spend your money on; you can freely use whatever you want.
Alongside the new gameplay content and balance changes, the Chimera update also introduced new, limited-time Outbreak packs. These are essentially loot boxes with new cosmetic gear, albeit with no duplicates. They can only be purchased with R6 Credits, Siege's premium currency, though you will get four for free by logging in during the event. You can see all of Rainbow Six Siege's Outbreak pack gear in our gallery.
You may not have correctly received those free packs--or the free Operators--when logging in, but Ubisoft is working to address the problems. That was just one of several issues that cropped up with Chimera's release.
Bungie has kicked off the latest Iron Banner event in Destiny 2. While change is afoot for the mode (as well as Crucible and the game in general), this one will play out in a manner that players will have become accustomed to. That said, there are some new rewards to get your hands on.
Iron Banner is now live once again, and the game type is Clash. The mode runs from now until the weekly reset on March 13, giving you a full week to get your hands on the new rewards. You can see a selection of Curse of Osiris-exclusive items in the gallery below; this includes three weapons that you can buy directly from Lord Saladin at the Tower for Legendary Shards and Iron Banner Tokens: Jorum's Claw (pulse rifle), Orimund's Anvil (auto rifle), and Orewing's Maul (grenade launcher). These are available alongside a full set of armor for each class.
Moreover, this Iron Banner carries over progress made during the previous event. This means you can continue working toward unlocking the armor ornaments that were offered before without having to start from scratch. These require you to do things like claim rewards, defeat enemies, complete milestones, win matches, and secure kills with grenades or melee attacks.
Bungie recently announced that following the upcoming 1.1.4 update, Iron Banner will revert to the 6v6 team size of the first Destiny. Alongside this change, matches will run for 12 minutes with a score limit of 125 points. Control zones will start off unclaimed and take "slightly longer to capture by default." The more players that attempt to capture a point, the faster progress will go (up to a maximum of three players). Those who capture zones will also receive bonus Super energy.
Sony's upcoming PS4 zombie game Days Gone has been delayed. Having originally been scheduled for this year, the survival game will now launch in 2019. "We can confirm that Days Gone will now be releasing in 2019 and we will keep you updated on the launch date," Sony told GameSpot. The company did not mention why the game has been delayed.
Sony Worldwide Studio president Shuhei Yoshida had previously stated the game would launch at some point in 2018, though it was not clear--and still isn't--at what point in the year that would be. Not much of the game has been shown off so far; audiences have simply seen a glimpse of the same section played during the day and at night.
Teams of 20, as it's officially titled, pits five teams against each other, with each team containing--as you may have guessed--20 players. Take a look at a trailer for the new mode above. In addition, the update introduces a new skin, called Burnout. Take a look at that below.
For Save the World players, developer Epic has introduced a set of new items called Hoverboard Boost Pads, which "send the Hoverboard flying." There's also a new Hero available: Wukong, a Mythic version of the Lunar New Year Berserker Soldier. Elsewhere, the update fixes a bunch of bugs and introduces more small tweaks; take a look at the full patch notes in the list below.
After a lengthy beta, PS4's latest system software update is now available to everyone. Version 5.50 is a mandatory update that weighs in at 460 MB, and it brings new organizational features, additional parental controls, and a new supersampling option for PS4 Pro.
Sony says that option will "improve image quality in some games when your PS4 Pro is connected to a TV with 2K resolution or lower," though it won't help if you have a standard PS4. The new parental controls, meanwhile, allow parents or guardians to monitor your child's playtime and set restrictions on that. You can also prevent your child from playing at certain hours of the day, such as late at night; in addition, you can view and manage these options from your phone or PC.
If you've ever been a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you'll now see a separate section in the Library app to keep all your PS Plus free games in one place. You can also now hide games and apps from the Purchased tab, if you wish to remove old betas, for example. In addition, PSVR games will now display a logo next to their Library icon to indicate they can played in VR. Finally, Notifications can now be deleted and you can now customise your background, team logo, or message thread cover picture with any image from a USB device. Take a look at the full patch notes above.
Sea of Thieves developer Rare has announced another beta for its upcoming multiplayer pirate game. This beta will be the final one before the game's release date in a few weeks and is open to everyone on Xbox One and PC. It's live now and runs until March 11 at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET / 10 AM GMT / 9 PM AEST.
During a developer update about the final beta, executive producer Joe Neate explained that the studio wants to have a greater number of players trying the game out than before, and in order to do so it has opened up the trial to everyone. Additionally, a number of new features have been included in the new beta.
The first of them is the Merchant Alliance, which is a faction that tasks players with capturing animals in exchange for rewards. Another new feature being tested in the beta is Skeleton Forts, which creates the opportunity for forts in the world to be occupied by skeletons. These special forts offer greater rewards for those who clear them out, but they're signified by large clouds hovering above them that are visible to all players. Naturally, this means you may have to battle other players as well as skeletons for riches.
Neate emphasised that there could be issues with the beta as the studio is testing the game and its features, and inviting a much larger amount of people to put the game's servers through its paces. If problems do arise, Rare says it may put temporary blocks on new players coming in to even out the experience. The services team will also be working on-the-fly to resolve any other issues that come up.
Capcom's beloved action adventure game Okami is coming to Nintendo Switch. Today during a Nintendo Direct broadcast, Nintendo announced that Okami HD will launch digitally on the eShop this summer.
A brief trailer was shown confirming that you can use touch screen controls in handheld mode. Additionally, you can use the Joy-Con motion controls in TV mode for the game's Celestial Brush.
Okami HD is already available on consoles like Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as PC. Of course, those versions do not support motion controls, so that sets the Switch edition apart. The Wii edition of Okami also supported motion controls.
A new WarioWare game is coming this year. Nintendo kicked off today's Direct presentation with the reveal of WarioWare Gold, a new microgame compilation arriving for 3DS in August.
Like the recent Mario Party: The Top 100, WarioWare Gold is a collection of some of the series' most popular microgames. It features 300 new and returning activities in total, making it the largest WarioWare game to date. Players will have to use the handheld's touchscreen, mic, gyroscope, and other features to play the microgames.
In addition to the new and returning games, WarioWare Gold stars many familiar characters from the series, who sport a new look in the upcoming title. The game releases in stores and the Eshop on August 3.
The classic GameCube title Luigi's Mansion is being released on 3DS this year. It was one of the few surprise 3DS games that Nintendo revealed during today's Direct presentation.
Luigi's Mansion was originally released alongside the GameCube in 2001. Unlike a traditional Mario title, players take control of Luigi, who must investigate a haunted mansion to rescue Mario from the ghosts that inhabit it. Rather than jump on foes, Luigi is armed with a vacuum-like device called the Poltergust 3000, which he must use to suck up ghosts.
The 3DS version of Luigi's Mansion features the same storyline and levels as the original GameCube title, but now players can view a map of the mansion on the handheld's bottom screen. The game also features a new Boss Rush mode and touched up visuals.
A sequel to Luigi's Mansion, Dark Moon, released for 3DS in 2013. Nintendo hasn't announced a release date for the Luigi's Mansion remake, but it's slated to arrive later this year. You can find more news from today's presentation in our roundup of all the new Switch and 3DS games from the Nintendo Direct March 2018.
During a Nintendo Direct presentation today, the company revealed that cult hit RPG Undertale is coming to Nintendo Switch. The announcement included Sans and Papyrus cracking a terrible pun, plus some of the game's music. No release date was announced, but in typical Undertale fashion, there was a very cheeky screen that said it's "coming...eventually."
Undertale won our hearts when it first released for PC in 2015. Since then, it has come to other platforms, including PS4 and Vita. The game is well-known for deconstructing RPG tropes, its fantastic soundtrack, its humor, and its deeply moving story.
The popular multiplayer RPG Phantasy Star Online 2 (first launched in 2012 on PC) now has a release date for a Nintendo Switch version, which was revealed during the latest Nintendo Direct livestream for Japan. However, those in North America and Europe will be disappointed to find out that (like all previous versions of PSO 2) the game will only release in Japan. The game was announced for Switch last year, but there is now a definitive release date: April 4, 2018.
The Switch version is called Phantasy Star Online 2: Cloud, and it will include equipment and costumes from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In the trailer below, you can see PSO 2 gameplay with characters wearing Link's normal clothing from Breath of the Wild and using the Hylian Shield and Master Sword.
In August of 2017, it was reported that both Persona 5 and Phantasy Star Online 2 were among the highlights for Sega's video game side of business for their fiscal quarter that ended in June of 2017. Despite being five years old at that point, Sega said PSO 2 continued to "perform strongly" and credited a "large-scale update."
Phantasy Star Online 2 first released in July of 2012 for PC with a PlayStation Vita version in February 2013. The game also came out for PlayStation 4 in April 2016. A mobile version called Phantasy Star Online 2es was made for iOS and Android platforms in 2014. None of these versions came out in North America or Europe.
There is some newly added content for this edition specifically themed around last year's Super Mario Odyssey. During our brief look at the game, Nintendo showed off a New Donk City-themed level. At this point, however, we don't know just how many new levels are being added; a press release shared after the broadcast says there are "new miniature courses based on various Kingdoms." This version also features two-player local multiplayer where each player can use a single Joy-Con. One controls Toad while the other provides support, doing things like firing turnips at enemies to keep them out of the way.
For the most part, Captain Toad is the same game you already know--it's a charming platformer where the titular character can't jump. As such, you rely on rotating the map to help find ways to navigate the world. In addition to this new Switch version, Nintendo also plans to bring the game to 3DS with 3D support and touchscreen controls.
Both the Switch and 3DS version of Captain Toad launch on July 10. A price was not shared, but Treasure Tracker for Wii U launched at a discounted price of $40 when it was originally released. For more announcements, check out our roundup of the jam-packed March 2018 Nintendo Direct.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is headed to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo announced the Switch port today during its latest Direct briefing. The Switch version of Fractured But Whole will launch on April 24.
In addition to the base game, Ubisoft will offer the previously released "Danger Deck" and "From Dusk Till Casa Bonita" DLC to buy individually or through a season pass. The third expansion, "Bring the Crunch," is due out later this year and will also be on Switch.
Danger Deck takes players to new locations in South Park to fight against "increasingly difficult" enemies created by the Freedom Pals. The From Dusk Till Casa Bonita expansion, meanwhile, sees players trying to rescue Mysterion's sister. The expansion takes players to the Casa Bonita restaurant and introduces a new class, the Netherborn. A new character, Henrietta the Goth, is also included in the From Dusk Till Casa Bonita expansion.
[UPDATE] The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is also coming to Xbox One and PC in addition to Switch. It launches for all platforms on July 10, according to Activision, and will consist of the same remastered collection of the first three Crash games. The original story follows below.
Following its release on PlayStation 4 last year, Activision's Crash Bandicoot remaster is coming to Nintendo Switch. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be out July 10 for Switch, Nintendo announced during today its Direct briefing.
The remaster package comes with updated versions of Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped. These games were originally developed by Naughty Dog, which went on to create the decidedly different Uncharted and Last of Us franchises.
Square Enix's new Nintendo Switch RPG, Octopath Traveler, will launch on July 13, Nintendo announced during its Direct briefing today. In addition to the release date, Nintendo revealed a special edition of the game. It'll come with a real cloth map, pop-up book, soundtrack CD, and a replica coin based on the game's in-game currency. This special edition, called the Wayfarer edition, will launch on the same day as the regular edition.
During the Direct, producer Masahi Takahashi shared some new details on the game and revealed two more characters: Tressa and Alfyn. Takahashi also announced a new feature in the form of the ability to have multiple jobs per character when in battle.
Octopath Traveler, which was formerly known as Project Octopath Traveler, is in development by the same team responsible for Bravely Default. The gorgeous-looking RPG features eight different playable characters, each with a distinct playstyle.
The game uses what the developers call "HD-2D" graphics. A free demo for the game was released in 2017, giving you the opportunity to get a feel for it yourself. For more on today's Nintendo Direct, check out GameSpot's roundup of all the Nintendo Direct news.
During the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, the publisher confirmed when players will finally be able to get their hands on the upcoming Switch edition of Hyrule Warriors. The game's Definitive Edition is due out on May 18.
The news wasn't accompanied by a look at any new gameplay from the hack-and-slash title. Hyrule Warriors is a Dynasty Warriors-style action game where you play as a variety of Zelda characters and take the fight to large group of enemies. The Direct event only briefly covered the game amid a flurry of other announcements, such as South Park: The Fractured But Whole and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker coming to Switch.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition consists of all existing content released for the game, including DLC maps, characters, and missions. Two-player local multiplayer is supported, and you can play with a friend by each using a single Joy-Con.
This version of the game was originally announced back in January, during the surprise Nintendo Direct presentation. March's Nintendo Direct brought even more news for Switch and 3DS owners.
As teased earlier this week, Nintendo shared more information on Mario Tennis Aces during today's Nintendo Direct presentation. We learned a ton of new details about the upcoming Switch sports game, including when it'll release around: June 22.
On top of basic actions like topspin, slices, and lobs, Mario Tennis Aces introduces new Zone Shots. These allow you to pinpoint any spot you want to aim at on the court using motion controls. They're also really powerful and can damage an opponent's racket if they're hit with one. Get hit by three Zone Shots and your racket will break completely, resulting in an automatic forfeit. Zone Shots are not all-powerful, however, as they can be stopped by a block.
In addition to Zone Shots, Mario Tennis Aces features a new mechanic called Zone Speed. This slows down the action around you, allowing you to move around the court in seemingly high-speed. Zone Shots and Zone Speed are fueled by a new energy gauge, which fills up the longer you keep a rally going. You can also perform Trick Shots to quickly jump to a ball that got away from you or unleash a powerful Special Shot, which can potentially break an opponent's racket in one hit.
If you prefer a more traditional tennis experience, Mario Tennis Aces also allows you to play using simple rules. The game supports online multiplayer for up to four players, and you can win special outfits and additional characters for playing online. Prior to its release, Nintendo will hold a pre-launch online tournament that allows players to play 1v1 matches online. Date and timing details for that will be revealed later.
Aces is the first new installment in the series since 2015's Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U. It also marks the first Mario Tennis game since the Game Boy Advance entry, Mario Tennis: Power Tour, to feature a single-player story mode.
Mario Tennis Aces was first revealed during the surprise Nintendo Direct Mini presentation that aired back in January. The game is developed by Camelot, the studio behind the Golden Sun series and numerous other Mario Sports titles.
Nintendo revealed a ton of new Switch and 3DS titles during today's Direct presentation, including a Splatoon 2 expansion and a Luigi's Mansion remake. You can see all of the biggest announcements from the broadcast in our Nintendo Direct news roundup.
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