The next real-world event for Pokemon Go is nearly here. Niantic is hosting the third Pokemon Go Community Day this Sunday, March 25, giving players around the world a chance to earn bonuses and capture rare Pokemon, including one that may know an exclusive move.
Like previous Community Days, this month's event will be held during a specific three-hour window, which will kick off at different times depending on where you live. In the US, the event begins at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and runs until 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET; in Europe and Africa, it runs from 10 AM - 1 PM UTC; and in the Asia-Pacific region, the event lasts from 12 PM - 3 PM JST.
During the Community Day hours, you will earn triple the normal amount of XP for every Pokemon you capture. It will also be possible to earn up to six times the usual amount of XP for catching Pokemon if you activate a Lucky Egg during the event. As an additional perk, Lure Modules will last for three hours.
The featured Pokemon for this month's Community Day is the classic Kanto starter, Bulbasaur. The Grass-type will spawn much more frequently during the event hours. If you manage to evolve one into Venusaur before the Community Day ends, it will learn the powerful Grass-type attack Frenzy Plant. However, only Venusaur that are obtained during the event will learn Frenzy Plant, giving you only a brief window of time to get the exclusive move.
In addition to the Community Day, Pokemon Go's Easter-themed Eggstravaganza event is now underway. From now until April 2, Pokemon that typically hatch from 5 km or 10 km Eggs, like Wynaut or Ralts, can be hatched from 2 km Eggs, and certain Pokemon like Pichu and Togepi will hatch more frequently. Every Egg that's hatched during the event will also come with extra Candy.
Pokemon Go's latest Legendary Pokemon, Lugia, is also still available. The Psychic-type will appear in Raid Battles until April 2, and this time around it knows the "newly improved" Flying move Sky Attack. Players will also find that Lugia is also easier to capture than it was during its initial run if they manage to bring it down.
Last fall, Nintendo announced that it will shut down the Wii Shop Channel. While the digital storefront will still be operational until next January, this weekend is effectively your last chance to buy any titles from it.
From March 26, players will no longer be able to purchase points for the Wii Shop on either Wii or Wii U. Points that are already in your account following that date can still be redeemed for titles until the service is discontinued next January, but you won't be able to add any more to your balance, which is the only way to download titles.
Unlike Switch's digital storefront, the Eshop, the Wii Shop Channel doesn't allow users to purchase games directly with real money. Rather, players have to first buy Wii Points using either a credit card or a pre-paid card, which could then be redeemed for digital software from the service.
While many of the games available on the Wii Shop would eventually appear on the Wii U Eshop, there are a number of Virtual Console and WiiWare titles that are only available through Wii's digital store, including a catalog of Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 legacy games, so this is your last opportunity to stock up on some otherwise unattainable titles while you still can.
The Wii Shop Channel shuts down for good on January 31, 2019. It is notable for being Nintendo's first digital storefront, though it will perhaps best be remembered for its impossibly catchy music. Until then, players can still re-download and transfer Wii Shop games to Wii U, and all WiiWare and Virtual Console titles purchased from the service will still be playable as long as they are on the system's memory.
Some more games are now available for Nintendo Switch. This week is fairly light in terms of releases; only 12 new titles have been added to the Eshop, but they include a couple of notable games that are worth a download if you're looking for something new to play on Nintendo's console.
Headlining this week's Switch releases is Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the third installment in WayForward's well-received platforming series. It's joined by Attack on Titan 2, the video game adaptation of the popular anime and manga series. We called the latter "one of the more surprising releases of the year" in our Attack on Titan 2 review.
Other new releases this week include two more classic Arcade Archives games, World Heroes 2 Jet and Moon Patrol; the humorous horror-puzzle game Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut; the retro beat-'em-up Gekido Kintaro's Revenge; the medieval side-scrolling action game Castle of Heart; and BlazBlue's food-eating rhythm game spin-off, Eat Beat Deadspike-san. You can find the full list of this week's new Eshop games below.
This week also sees the release of the some new DLC for Pokken Tournament DX. Wave 2 of the Battle Pack is now available and introduces another new playable Pokemon to the game: Blastoise. Two more Support Pokemon--Mew and Celebi--have also been added, as have an assortment of new customization items for your avatar.
Wave 2 of the Pokken Tournament DLC can only be purchased as part of the game's $15 Pokken Battle Pack. The first wave released back in February and added Aegislash as a playable Pokemon. It also includes another pair of Support Pokemon--Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu--and various other items to customize your avatar.
GameStop kicked off its spring "Play Days" sale last week. Today we're entering the second week of the promotion, and some new deals and discounts have been rotated on games and accessories for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
This week a few more recent games went on sale, like Assassin's Creed Origins for $30, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT for $40, and Skyrim VR for $40. Following the offer of Sea of Thieves with any Xbox One X console purchase, the deal has been expanded this week to include a game of your choice. All Nintendo 3DS XL systems are discounted by $25
The sale is ongoing through April 1, and includes many more discounts on accessories and collectibles to boot. You can check out the full line-up at GameStop's website.
Omensight is a rather peculiar take on a wartime story. Set shortly before and after the end of the world, you take on the role of a time-traveling deity who must turn back the clock and figure out how to prevent the end of all things. Developed by Spearhead Games--the same team behind Stories: The Paths of Destinies--the developer describes its alluring time-travel narrative as something influenced by the classic detective TV series Columbo. As an apocalyptic detective story, with regular moments action and platforming, it mashes up a number of different genres together, making for a rather unique and intriguing action-adventure game.
With several factions at war, the escalating conflict in a world full of anthropomorphic beings eventually reaches a boiling point--resulting in the demise of all life. While that may seem like the end of the story, it's really only the beginning. Taking on the role of a timeless warrior known as The Harbinger, you're tasked with rewriting history to learn just how the end of the world was set into motion. As you meet each character and learn their story, you'll come to blows with many of the soldiers and monsters in the land who seek to stop The Harbinger from interfering in the conflict. Set within a time-loop of the final day, you'll have to pick a path and learn the fate of each of key character in order to prevent the end of the world from happening again.
Taking cues from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, you'll have to be selective about your course of action when it comes to stopping the apocalypse. Each of the supporting characters' particular story takes place across the entire final day, forcing you to commit to one person of interest. After seeing their story through to the finish, the world ends and The Harbinger returns to his base of operations with another clue. Of course, all this meddling on The Harbinger's part won't go unnoticed, and in a number of cases you'll have to fight off enemies and creatures looking to stop you from interfering. Combat has a free-flow style rhythm to it, where you'll be able to bounce between multiple targets and use a number of time-bending powers to gain the upper hand. Moreover, many of the supporting characters you assist--some of which were meant to die in previous events before your interference--can help out during fights, leading to rather hectic battles when against a large group of enemies.
While in the player hub--located outside of the present timeline--you can examine current clues, along with characters' relationships and connections, and upgrade The Harbinger before planning your next course of action. Though the flow of the narrative can initially come off a bit abrupt, and somewhat episodic, the background of the conflict gradually becomes more detailed--showing a greater depth of world history and each character's place in the world's final hours. One of the more striking elements of Omensight is its strong visual style which feels akin to The Secret of Nihm's balance of whimsical aesthetic with dark undertones.
Set for a 2018 release on PC, Omensight presents its apocalyptic story in a way that shows great attention to the world it's set in. With some rather stunning visuals, and a charming artstyle that confronts a rather bleak atmosphere, Spearhead's upcoming action-adventure game about preventing the apocalypse before it happens is one to watch out for.
I've always been a little embarrassed to admit that I could never get into God of War games. When the first installment came out in 2005 and received critical acclaim, I was naturally intrigued. I loved hack and slash games, and as Devil May Cry fan I devoured Dante's Awakening earlier that year, but despite a number of solid attempts, including its sequels, God of War never got its hooks into me enough to drag me past the first couple of hours.
There was a major problem for me: Kratos' signature dual chain-blades didn't feel satisfying to use. I was used to hitting square and seeing a direct correlation to Dante's individual slashes as he cleaved through an enemy. I could see a distinct impact on screen, hear it in my ears, and feel it in my controller. When I hit square with Kratos, I saw a wild flurry of orange and the sound of rattling chains, and there was little sense of impact or contact other than a ticking combo meter. The distant camera only diminished this sensation further, and despite the series' spectacular set pieces, it wasn't what I wanted out of a combat-heavy game. It didn't help that I never had an affinity towards Greek mythology.
Knowing all this about me, it may annoy you to learn that I recently had a chance to play the new God of War on PS4. While series purists may have initially balked at the dramatic change in style, I'm happy to report (to myself, if no-one else) that after two hours, this is definitely a game I want to keep playing.
With its over-the-shoulder perspective and new default weapon, I was immediately taken with the changes in combat. Kratos' axe is more purposeful than it is flashy, meaning one button press issues a single strike, and the close perspective means that the impact of each blow is clearly felt. Though the new God of War uncharacteristically begins with somber, quiet moments before very slowly escalating, the new, satisfying feel of its combat was evident to me from the first few low-stakes encounters.
The broad mechanics are similar to existing God of War games--Light and heavy attacks can be combined with the analog stick to execute a number of different combo strings. You may have also heard about the joys of being able to throw Kratos' axe, and recall it back to your hand just as easily. With just these basic starting tools and some light experimentation, I was able to find a few combos that I had a lot of fun executing, like knocking enemies into the air after a combo string and finishing them by immediately throwing your axe into them.
I could also perform some basic crowd control by using the axe to freeze an enemy in place, and go to town on his buddy with Kratos' bare knuckles. Attacking unarmed was something I was surprised to discover I could do, and soon became my favorite thing--especially as someone who plays Dark Souls with fist weapons. The feeling of embodying a god like Kratos and using his raw power to knock out monsters felt really good, and its audiovisual feedback, with visible screen shakes and meaty thuds, were so satisfying that I preferred to put my axe away whenever I had a good handle of the situation.
There's a stun mechanic that gives preference to unarmed blows, too. Rapid weapon attacks or regular punches build up an enemy's stun meter, and when filled Kratos can execute violent takedowns. These were initially fun to watch, but performing these over and over again got a little tedious. I preferred my own loop of standing and waiting for an enemy attack, parrying it (which is hugely satisfying in its own right) to open them up, and smacking them with a hand-to-hand combo that eventually sent them flying back into other enemies, or forcefully into a wall for extra damage. Some of the incredible, cinematic boss fights I experienced had powerful, earthshaking interstitial moments that recalled Asura's Wrath--an over-the-top Capcom beat-em-up game, which I loved.
With the new God of War focussing on Uncharted-like character interactions, and a Horizon-like gear system, many people I've spoken to have mentioned that the combat is really the only part of the game that reminds them of classic God of War. But to me, the combat reminds me more of The Last of Us, and the impactful feeling of smacking an infected with a plank of wood. You could say that God of War distinctly feels like a Sony game, an amalgamation of mechanics and narrative elements that have defined the success of the company's major first-party titles over the last few years, fused together to create its own stylistic genre.
The new God of War doesn't feel like the old God of War, and I can empathize with series devotees who might be bothered by that. But for the first time, God of War is a game that excites me--the combat finally feels good, the Naughty Dog inspired character moments work well so far, and I can definitely get behind its lore shift to a grounded version of Nordic mythology. I can't say whether existing fans will still be on the bandwagon, but I feel like I'm finally ready to join the Kratos Fan Club.
Sea of Thieves, Microsoft's first big Xbox One console exclusive of the year and the long-awaited original game from Rare, finally arrived this week. Despite the variety of server and other issues it's suffered from, a number of us here at GameSpot have already spent a great deal of time with it. And while it's certainly an intriguing game, it does at times leave us wishing there were more to it, at least in the early going.
In the video above, three of our most seasoned pirates chat about their thoughts on the game so far. One of the challenges is how you play: While some find the solo experience enjoyable, it can prove frustrating. If your friends aren't available, joining others online randomly is not always a viable option, as it can be a crapshoot as to whether you end up in a group with people who are using microphones and are willing to cooperate.
We also discuss the game's unusual progression. The gold you accumulate through your journeys can be spent on ship "upgrades," different-looking weapons, and new outfits, but all of these things are purely cosmetic. This keeps players on a relatively level playing field, but it also means you may not be provided with the motivation you'd hope for.
Despite all of this, there is fun to be had in Sea of Thieves, particularly when playing with friends. Although you might not be incredibly driven to earn the gold necessary to buy a fancy new hat, the emergent fun of puking on a buddy or engaging in pirate-y hijinks is notable.
For more discussion on the game, watch the full video above. Our review is still to come, but in the meantime, you can read up our impressions of it so far.
Fortnite: Battle Royale players once again have a lineup of new objectives to complete. Epic Games has released the Week 5 challenges for Battle Pass owners, offering a new way to obtain some experience and Battle Stars on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Many of the objectives this week are fairly straightforward; they include searching chests in Moisty Mire and using the bush item. Two of the Hard-difficulty challenges are equally straightforward: get three eliminations with a pistol and defeat three enemies in Tilted Towers. Players are also tasked with dealing 200 damage to opponents with a pickaxe. While you can certainly swing away at any enemy, this counts damage dealt to those who have been downed. In other words, completely finish off two people who are in a DBNO state using the pickaxe, and this is easily completed.
There are two other objectives that may require some guidance. The first asks you to visit three gas stations--but the catch is this has to be done in a single match (meaning you should avoid attempting it in Blitz mode). Reddit user __Kaneda__ has published a map highlighting the various gas stations you'll find around the island. Most of these are found in named locations, but some are in smaller areas. Pick any three, run by them during one match, and you'll earn five Battle Stars.
The other more complex challenge is labeled as Hard, meaning you'll receive 10 Battle Stars. It tells you to "follow the treasure map found in Anarchy Acres." The map points you to a location just southwest of Junk Junction, near the western edge of the map. As with past versions of this challenge, you don't actually need to hunt down the treasure map first; if you know where to go, you can simply head right to that point. You can have a look at this map from Reddit user ThePuffyPenguin.
As always, despite being weekly challenges, you have until the end of Season 3 to complete these objectives (see them all below). That's also true for the previous four weeks, as well as the set of freebie challenges that are available even to non-Battle Pass owners.
Aside from simply giving you some focused objectives, completing these challenges allows you to more quickly rank up your Battle Pass. This, in turn, unlocks a variety of cosmetics, XP boosts, and other things that don't directly impact gameplay. You can see everything there is to be earned in our Season 3 Battle Pass gallery.
Fortnite Week 5 Challenges
Use the Bush -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests in Moisty Mire (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with a pickaxe to opponents (200) -- 5 Battle Stars
Visit different gas stations in a single match (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map in Anarchy Acres -- 10 Battle Stars
The major new update for Monster Hunter World has launched, bringing a slate of new content to the game on PS4 and Xbox One. Most notably, it features the first monster to be added to the game post-launch, Deviljho, along with balance changes for almost every weapon type in the game.
Deviljho is a returning monster from previous games, and it poses a serious challenge. As you can see in the recent gameplay video above, Deviljho isn't shy about messing around with other monsters it encounters, even picking them up in its mouth to use as a weapon. It should pose a serious challenge for players.
With the arrival of a new monster, there's also new gear to acquire. With the parts you'll get from fighting it, you'll be able to craft new Deviljho weapons and High Rank armor. That should give you plenty of reason to take it on.
Some other changes not specifically related to balance include improvements that should reduce load times, new options in the "Select Return Destination" menu, and an option to kick someone from the player list. Most importantly is an anti-griefing measure that makes it so other players can't interrupt you while you're carving. You can see all the changes in the patch notes below or on Capcom's blog.
Charge Tier 3 -- Charged Big Bang stun values increased.
Hunting Horn
The Encore effect for the Self-Improvement melody now also increases your attack power (the effect is now "Attack Up + Deflected Attack Prevention").
Lance
Counter-thrust -- Temporary knockback negation during a successful counter-thrust.
Gunlance
Shelling -- Damage parameters increased when sharpness is yellow or worse.
Sharpness loss alleviated for all Wyrmstake Cannon and Wyvern's Fire attacks.
Wyrmstake Cannon -- Damage increased.
Wyvern's Fire -- Damage increased.
Switch Axe
Zero Sum Discharge -- Level 4 Earplugs effect during use.
It is now possible to chain the beginning of Sword: Jumping Element Discharge into Zero Sum Discharge.
Zero Sum Discharge Finisher -- Damaged increased.
Mounted Discharge Finisher -- No longer causes sharpness loss.
Zero Sum Discharge -- (Bug Fix) After use, you should now properly be immune to knockbacks until you land on the ground.
Charge Blade
Impact Phials -- Attack power bonuses from effects other than that of the Artillery skill (for the explosions) were decreased.
Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge -- Stun values decreased for Impact Phials.
Phial stun values increased for all attacks other than Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge.
Elemental values increased for Power Element Phials.
Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge -- Power Element Phial explosions spaced closer together to make them easier to hit.
Insect Glaive
Improved the effect of the attack power increase for red/white and red/white/orange extract hybrid effects.
Extract effect times increased overall.
Extract effect times no longer decrease while mounting a monster.
Bow
Dashing Shot -- Fixed a bug where the Spread/Power Shots skill effect was applied twice.
Dragon Piercer -- Fixed a bug where you could shoot past the attack's angle limitations. Now shoots straight ahead of the player, regardless of the camera angle, when shot with the camera angle past the attack's angle limitations.
Light Bowgun and Heavy Bowgun
No adjustments were made.
Game System Additional Changes
Optimized data processing to reduce loading times.
Added the feature "Kick from Online Session" to the player list.
Added "Return to Gathering Hub" (single player) and "Disband & Return to Gathering Hub" (multiplayer) to the options for "Select Return Destination" after a quest.
Added the "Text Size" setting for changing subtitle text size, under Start Menu > Options Game Settings.
In the "Online Session" menu, the name for the menu command "Squad Session Search" was changed to "Create/Search for a Squad Session" (the functionality is unchanged).
Attacks from allies no longer interrupt you during the carving animation. Additionally, players are now immune to all hit reactions, including bombs, during carving animations after quest completion.
Slightly reduced the amount that the Scoutfly Level (which is tied to monster research levels) gauge decreases after each quest.
Added the game version number to the game's title screen (for this update--PS4: 2.00; Xbox One: 2.0.0.0).
For better or worse, Sea of Thieves is a game that grants players a lot of freedom. While there are quests and goals, you aren't led by the hand with an objective marker from one place to the next. You can go where you want and do what you want, but with that level of flexibility, actually getting started can be a bit overwhelming.
That's where we come in. With the Xbox One and PC game now available, we've put together some advice on exactly how to get started. In the video above, we explain what to do when you first get into the game and highlight the differences between the three faction: Gold Hoarders, Merchant Alliance, and Order of Souls. You'll see us take on a quest for the Order of Souls to hunt down a captain, and we run through the basics of piloting a ship--a process that's more involved than simply grabbing hold of the wheel and hitting the accelerator.
Sea of Thieves is the latest game from Rare. It's a console exclusive on Xbox One, though digital copies enjoy Play Anywhere support, meaning you can play it on both Xbox One and PC. More notably, it's the first game to launch day and date through Xbox Game Pass. In other words, you don't actually have to purchase the game to play it--for as long as you're a Game Pass member, you'll be able to play.
The game's launch has unfortunately been less than smooth for many people. Numerous launch issues have impacted the game, including those which prevent players from getting online to play and some that cause a delay before receiving rewards. Rare has acknowledged the problems on its website and says it's working to resolve them, but fixes may take some time.
Roman Reigns is going to beat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34. This much we know, with near 100% certainty. Sorry to disappoint you.
There will be contrarian predictions over the next two weeks, but those predictions will be wrong. There will be no Seth Rollins plot swerve. There will be no eleventh-hour booking change by Vince McMahon. Lesnar won the WWE Universal title from Goldberg at Wrestlemania 33, and since then, he has defeated every other conceivable threat to his dominance. He defeated Samoa Joe. He defeated Braun Strowman. Reigns is the only viable opponent left. Reigns vs. Lesnar is a rematch of the two men's Wrestlemania 31 main event, which creates narrative closure to their feud. It would be impossible to duplicate the same level of excitement on a smaller stage.
Reigns is also winning because the WWE writers painted themselves into a figurative corner. Brock Lesnar, according to the storyline, is a spoiled, entitled champion who doesn't care about the fans, blows off scheduled appearances, and coasts on the hard work of younger, hungrier, full-time wrestlers. Roman Reigns, meanwhile, is the man who loves the fans and sacrifices his health and happiness to put smiles on their faces. WWE has sold fans on the following premise: that so long as Lesnar is champion, Monday Night Raw is worse off for it. To have Lesnar beat Reigns is a tacit admission that the show will continue to be bad.
There's every reason to believe that Reigns vs. Lesnar will be fantastic. The last time they faced one another, Brock ended the evening with blood running down his face. Reigns didn't, but of the two men, he arguably got hurt more. Brock's moves were stiffer than usual that evening; a particularly vicious lariat sent Reigns crashing off the apron. Reigns took so many German suplexes that Lesnar improvised a meme--"Suplex City, b***h!"--around it.
The more WWE makes Reigns physically suffer, the more people cheer him instead of boo him. You can see the exact moment the tide shifts during Wrestlemania 31, when Reigns is rolling on the ground in pain, laughing like a long-haired, greased-up Tyler Durden. This past year, Strowman threw Reigns into tables, hurled him against an ambulance and shoved him into any hard, unforgiving surface nearest to them. The crowds ate it up. And most recently on the March 19 episode of Raw, Lesnar beat Reigns with a steel chair before tipping over his stretcher.
Beating Reigns to a pulp satisfies multiple audiences in multiple ways. His fans empathize with his pain. His haters love to see him suffer. And everyone loves a good beatdown. The YouTube videos of Reigns getting pulverized are some of the most watched videos on WWE's official channel.
Love him or hate him, one positive factor about Roman Reigns is indisputable: he is quite possibly the most durable man on the roster. The man can take a hard beating and keep coming back for more. Even his most venomous critics can concede that. Hurting Reigns to get him over isn't a viable long-term strategy--he'll have a truncated career if he keeps hurling himself into metal objects-- but it might work in the short term for Wrestlemania 34.
Reigns is winning on April 8, and he's going to earn the Universal Championship the hard way. Perhaps, that'll be enough for the majority of fans to finally get on board with him.
If you're interested in more breakdowns of upcoming Wrestlemania matches, check out all our predictions here and stay tuned to GameSpot for more Wrestlemania coverage.
Wrestlemania is quickly approaching. The 34th annual installment of WWE's biggest event of the year takes place on Sunday, April 8, coming to the Superdome in New Orleans. The match card for the event is still being filled out, and there is room for a few more matches.
That being said, there are plenty of rumors drifting around the 'net about additional matches, future plans for wrestlers, and surprise returns of injured wrestlers. One longstanding rumor that came true this past week was Daniel Bryan being cleared to wrestling once again. What else could come true? We rounded up some of the most believable ones coming from wrestling insiders.
Take these rumors with a grain of salt as not all rumors end up coming true. We'll be updating piece throughout the upcoming weeks to let you know what's confirmed and what we heard wrong.
Daniel Bryan's Future
Daniel Bryan has to go in for medical testing after every match. While many are saying Daniel Bryan is the healthiest star in the company, part of the superstar's new agreement requires him to get a doctor's evaluation after every match. (via Cagesideseats) It's pretty obvious that he'll be teaming up with Shane McMahon to take on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The supposed stipulation for the match will be a street fight or unsanctioned match. (via Ringsidenews)
Owens and Zayn Will Remain Fired
In addition, Owens and Zayn--who were "fired" on the March 20 episode of Smackdown--may remained fired until after Wrestlemania, where they will be drafted by Raw. (via Ringsidenews)
Is AJ Styles Injured?
There have been rumors that WWE Champion AJ Styles is injured. While there is no confirmation as to whether or not that is true, AJ Styles said in a recent interview that he will be at Wrestlemania, no matter what anyone else claims. (via Catch-Newz)
When Will Cena/Taker Be Announced?
John Cena won't get an official Wrestlemania match until days before the event. We all know the Undertaker will fight Cena at this year's event, but Taker has not answered Cena's call. Apparently, the confirmation for this match won't come until the Raw before Wrestlemania on April 2. (via Cagesideseats)
Big Cass Will Return
Remember Big Cass? He's been injured since Summerslam last year, and apparently, Cass has been telling people his leg has healed up, and he's cleared to wrestle again. It's unclear if he'll be at Wrestlemania this year, even if it's just for a quick spot in the Andre The Giant Battle Royal. If not Wrestlemania, then Cass could return at Raw the next night. (via PWInsider)
WWE's Plans For Asuka
Get ready for a long Asuka run. She's a shoe-in to win the championship at Wrestlemania against Charlotte, and the plan is for her to defend it for a year, leading to Wrestlemania 35 where she takes on Ronda Rousey. (via WrestlingNews)
The Rivalry Isn't Over
According to wrestling insider Dave Meltzer, Gargano vs. Ciampa will happen at Takeover: New Orleans. (via Twitter)
The Greatest Royal Rumble On WWE Network
Apparently, the Greatest Royal Rumble, an event taking place on April 27 in Saudi Arabia, will appear on the WWE Network. The 50-man rumble match was promoted on the WWE Network when you try to cancel your subscription. GameSpot attempted this but saw no such promotion on the cancellation page. (via Twitter)
Hulkamania To Run Wild Again?
Hulk Hogan hasn't been a part of WWE since July 2015, but that could change. Hogan is allegedly in talks with WWE to make his return. As to what he would do in WWE is the real question. With Shane McMahon spending less time on tv and Daniel Bryan going back to wrestling, there are a couple of positions open on Smackdown for a new commissioner or general manager. At this time, WWE stated it does not have a contract with Hogan but it has confirmed it's spoken with him. (via PWInsider)
We'll learn if more of these rumors are true during Wrestlemania weekend, which takes place April 6-8.
WWE's biggest PPV of the year, Wrestlemania 34, is quickly approaching, and this year's event is going to be jam-packed. As of this writing, there are 11 matches on the card with at least two more to be added between now and Sunday, April 8 when Wrestlemania comes to the WWE Network and PPV.
New Orleans will host this year's event at the Superdome, and already, there have been some huge surprises going in, like Smackdown general manager Daniel Bryan being cleared to wrestle at the show. In addition, actor Macaulay Culkin answered Rusev's open challenge for Wrestlemania, and while that sounds like a blast, we don't think anything will come out of it, but you never know.
Wrestlemania 34 starts at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, with a Kickoff Show more than likely starting two hours prior--WWE has not announced specifics for the Kickoff yet. Last year's event went for six and a half hours, so hopefully, you are watching the event somewhere really comfortable.
Obviously, there are still a few more matches that will be added to the card, like John Cena vs. Undertaker and Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn; however, we're only delivering the 100% confirmed matches for the upcoming event. Aside from those two potential matches, there could be even more surprises, if some of the WWE rumors floating around the 'net come true.
While some storylines in wrestling blur the lines between reality and fiction, the absence of Daniel Bryan from in-ring action has been very much a real-life ordeal. After sustaining multiple concussions, which led to seizures, Bryan was forced to retire in early 2016. Although he has been the Smackdown general manager since the summer of 2016, Bryan was not allowed to compete or fight at all in WWE. On the March 20 episode of Smackdown, Bryan announced his return to the world, only to very quickly be beaten to a pulp by aggravated superstars.
Daniel Bryan have a heartfelt speech on the Tuesday night show to let the world know that he's been cleared to compete in the ring again. The emotionally charged segment had Bryan with tears in his eyes during the opening moments of Smackdown. It was a sincere, beautiful moment to share with fans.
However, this is WWE, and stories need to be told and friends need to be betrayed. Later in the evening, Bryan came out again to fire Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who beat up Smackdown commissioner Shane McMahon a week prior. Long story short, Zayn and Owens were not pleased, and they powerbombed Bryan on the ring apron after an in-ring assault.
While this is seemingly all setting up a Wrestlemania match between Bryan and Shane McMahon taking on Owens and Zayn, what WWE did sensationally well with this segment was let Bryan play to the crowd. We got to see the "Yes Kicks," Bryan's dropkicks in the corner, and overall, it was an exceptionally exciting moment.
This was the first time Bryan has fought on television since April 26, 2016, when he and John Cena took on Cesaro and Tyson Kidd--another wrestler forced early into retirement because of injury. Bryan looked pretty good in the ring; however, the main worry is that Bryan will still use his high-risk, in-ring style which got him hurt in the first place. While there was nothing more exciting than seeing Bryan compete back in the ring, he has to play it safe for his latest run.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is in line to get a third map in the near future. And while developer PUBG Corp. has shown off some artwork previously that offered a sense for the map's layout, we've now gotten a peek at what it looks like in-game.
Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene offered the glimpse during a panel at the Game Developers Conference. He subsequently shared it in the tweet you see below. It appears to have a more tropical setting than the existing maps, and it has some new types of buildings we haven't seen before.
Most notably, Greene points out that this is a 4x4km map, which is markedly smaller than 8x8km size of Erangel and Miramar. PUBG Corp. had previously announced it was working on a smaller island map for release sometime this year and that it "should give you all a much more intense and faster paced Battle Royale experience."
At the time, it was said to be launching on the PC's Experimental Test Server in April. Greene's latest tweet says it's due out "soon," though he offers no further specifics on when players will be able to test the map. We also don't know how soon it will arrive on Xbox One--or the recently launched PUBG Mobile, for that matter.
One thing players will be able to try out in the meantime without having to go to the test server are the first limited-time event modes. The debut one will bump up squad sizes to eight players and increase the rate at which players find rifles.
Like previous games, Far Cry 5 deals with some serious subject matter. Its story centers around a radical apocalyptic cult in a small Montana town that's led by a crazed figure known as The Father. For better or worse, its developers claim they weren't trying to offer a commentary on present-day issues by setting the game in the United States. And while the game's opening is certainly eerie, that's not a tone that's maintained throughout.
That's evidenced by nothing better than one side mission in particular, which you can check out in the video above. It tasks you with helping the town to prepare for an annual tradition, which sounds innocuous enough, only this tradition is something called the Testical Festival. I won't spoil it for you, but it involves a sequence that I think it's safe to say you haven't seen in a video game before.
You'll be able to see this for yourself in-game quite soon, as Far Cry 5 releases on March 27 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Despite the number in the title, this is far from the fifth entry in the series, as we explored in our recent look back at the history of Far Cry.
Far Cry 5's story should take you about 25 hours to complete, although that will of course depend greatly on how much you engage in side shenanigans such as this. If you'd prefer to make your own fun, Arcade mode lets you create some very different types of experiences.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner is getting a remaster, and now Konami has confirmed when fans will be able to dive back into the cult PS2 shooter on current-gen machines. The remaster is coming to PS4 and PC in September 2018.
That represents a slight delay; Konami had previously stated the game would launch this spring. In addition, the company is launching VR versions of the game for PSVR and PC, though it's unclear which other headsets will support the game.
ZONE OF THE ENDERS: THE 2nd RUNNER M∀RS is coming September 2018! Become Jehuty in both fully remastered 4K and the newly created 1st person VR game-play! Check out the 4K technical comparison trailer and get ready to embrace an a whole new experience of this classic title! pic.twitter.com/PBUt8lO35P
"All visual and aural elements have been remastered for native 4K resolution, and the action has been similarly improved with the game experience being ported to VR," Konami said when the remaster was announced in September 2017. "As such, the new game retains the unique and beautiful visuals of the original title, but boasts textures in updated 4K while using surround sound techniques to offer layered and immersive audio effects."
This means, then, you can play it in third person--as with the game's first release--or in first person in VR. The 2nd Runner Mars, as the remaster is dubbed, also has new sound design, including "next-gen surround sound." Konami describes it as a way to "relive the odyssey from a new perspective." Players can also look forward to "brand new features," though these were not specifically detailed.
Fortnite: Battle Royale has just received a new weapon. The Heavy Shotgun is available now in Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. No additional download is required, and nor was there any server downtime to introduce the change. In addition, Fortnite's Save the World mode is getting a new Flame Grill Floor Trap very soon, but it's not yet clear precisely when that item will become available.
Fortnite's latest big patch, update 3.3, was released last week. That added remote explosives, which allow you to place a bomb and then detonate it from a distance. These are ideal for dealing with player-built fortresses, though their introduction does mean smoke grenades have been "vaulted," meaning those are no longer available in-game for the time being. Remote Explosives come in stacks of four, with a maximum of 10.
Remote explosives can be found in treasure chests or supply drops, as floor loot, or through Supply Llamas, another of update 3.3's new features. These are essentially treasure chests found in unusual locations that will reward you with good loot.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Star, Barlog was asked about the new God of War's one-shot cinematic technique, which presents its entire story in one, uninterrupted shot without cuts or fades. This, he said, was something that he originally pitched for Tomb Raider, though his efforts were unsuccessful.
"I wanted to do [the one-shot camera technique] and I had pitched it to Crystal Dynamics when I was there working on Tomb Raider and everyone was like, 'That's crazy, we don't want to do that,'" he explained.
The studio's resistance to the idea contributed to his decision to leave and return to Sony Santa Monica, where he directed God of War 2, wrote multiple other God of War titles, and is now directing the newest entry in the series for PS4.
"My reaction was like, 'Yeah, you know, I don't know if this is the best place for me anyway.' I was already starting to talk to people about new roles at Sony and then I think I realized [the new God of War] is the one I can do it on."
Barlog added that he now has "a lot more creative support and faith with Sony," which he says is willing to support crazier ideas "regardless of how much of a leap off of a cliff it is." Despite this, the path to getting the one-shot in God of War wasn't easy, and it's only recently that people have understood why it was important.
"I've had a bee in my bonnet about the one-shot camera for quite a long time and you know, I got a lot of resistance," he said. "In the beginning, I had to fight the fight with everybody on the development team. And eventually, one by one, you win them over, you show them something, you explain how it's going to be. But, honestly, I think even then, they weren't convinced.
"In this last month, everybody's had a lot of free time. Bugs have to be reproduced and as most people are creating content, they are playing the game more. And I'm getting leads from various departments and animators and artists from the studio coming into my office and saying, 'Okay, I get it. Seeing the game as a whole makes sense, I see why you wanted this thing.'"
God of War's release date has been set for April 20. GameSpot recently played the game and you can hear about our impressions in this God of War gameplay preview. The series' iconic protagonist, Kratos, has also undergone some significant changes for his latest outing, and we talked to Barlog about that in an interview. You can watch him discuss Sony Santa Monica's new vision for Kratos in the video at the top of this page.
In Tomb Raider news, Square Enix recently confirmed that the next Lara Croft game will be Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The company also announced the Shadow of the Tomb Raider release date as September 14. It will come to PS4, Xbox One, and PC simultaneously, rather than being a timed exclusive to Xbox One like the previous game.
Ever since God of War was revealed for PS4, it's been clear the game would differ from its predecessors in the series. It appeared to have a slower pace, combat seemed vastly different, and Kratos now had a son! As it turns out, those assumptions are true: the game does feel unlike anything the series has seen before.
We recently got to check out the action title's opening couple of hours, and in the video above you can watch resident God of War expert Tamoor Hussain and series newcomer Dave Jewitt discuss what they saw. There's also some great gameplay of Kratos's new ice axe and shield combination.
They go on to talk about how Kratos's son, Atreus, feels relevant to both the story and the gameplay; Kratos is a stranger in the Nordic land he finds himself in, and he relies on his son to teach him about Norse culture and to decipher the people's runes and language. Atreus also helps out in combat, so he's doesn't feel like a burden, as many video game companion characters do.
Cyberpunk 2077 is as highly anticipated as it is shrouded in mystery; the game has been in the works for six years, with little information on what it will actually be like. Now, developer CD Projekt Red is dropping a small hint as to what players can expect.
At a streamed CD Projekt Red financial event, president and joint-CEO Adam Kiciński said players can expect a strong, single-player game very much in the vein of The Witcher 3. He made a point that the game would not have microtransactions or hidden payments. While he was hesitant to share any information at all, Kiciński said, "We're considering everything and anything," and when pushed on whether that meant multiplayer he wouldn't say yes or rule the idea out.
"The first thing we're going to discuss is the immense story-driven roleplay for a single-player without any micro-payments whatsoever, without any hidden things whatsoever, just as was the case for The Witcher 3," he added.
Kiciński was also asked about the possibility of Cyberpunk 2077 being announced at E3 2018. We know CD Projekt Red will be attending, but not whether the company will make any product announcements. Kiciński said he wasn't in a position to talk about any announcements, and the company will release info about its E3 plans right before the expo begins.
Cyberpunk 2077 will be very technologically advanced, according to Kiciński, leaving open the possibility of the game living on systems beyond the current PS4 and Xbox One. He also suggested Nintendo Switch releases were off the table for CD Projekt RED's larger games.
"Technology-wise, Cyberpunk is very advanced. Our technology is ready to interface with future generations. The game is developed in such a way that it can use future, very powerful equipment but I cannot tell you more beyond that today as no future generation of console has been announced," he said.
Fortnite developer Epic is releasing a replay editor for the game's massively popular Battle Royale mode. The studio unveiled the editing suite during a presentation at the Game Developers Conference this week, and it's slated to roll out for the game on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in the near future.
Epic showcased the replay system with a trailer edited by YouTube personality Ali-A, which you can watch above. As you can see from the video, the suite appears to be very robust, allowing you to rewatch completed matches and capture footage with a free camera to edit your own trailer or highlight reel together.
Epic hasn't announced exactly when the replay editor will roll out for Fortnite, but the developer says the system will be released for PC and consoles "soon." The replay editor will also be a part of Unreal Engine's 4.20 update, giving developers access to the same suite of tools.
Epic recently added a new weapon to Fortnite's Battle Royale mode: the Heavy Shotgun. That follows the remote explosives, which were introduced as part of last week's big 3.3 patch. A new type of loot drop--Supply Llamas--were also added in the update, while the smoke grenade was moved into the Vault.
Fortnite made its mobile debut last week, although it is currently only available to iOS users who sign up and receive an invitation. If you haven't managed to get an invite just yet, Epic will send additional ones out as the test expands. In the meantime, you can how Fortnite compares on iPhone X and Xbox One X. Players also still have time to claim a free Fortnite cosmetics pack from Twitch Prime.
One of the most anticipated PS4 games of 2018 has now reached a critical milestone. On Twitter, the official PlayStation account announced that the upcoming God of War has gone gold, meaning the game is now ready to be sent off for manufacturing.
Along with the announcement, game director Cory Barlog shared his thoughts on reaching the milestone and reflected on the game's development in a post on the PlayStation Blog. "Going gold means so much more to me with this game," Barlog said. "It has been a long and exhausting journey filled with laughs, arguments, and a healthy dose of fear--with a side of doubt.
"This was the scariest, most wonderful thing I have ever done and I can honestly say it would never have been possible without the full-throated support of Sony and the tireless work of the incredible team at Santa Monica Studio. We have been through a lot together and I would not change a thing."
Unlike previous entries, God of War for PS4 serves as something of a reboot for the series. The game is rooted in Norse mythology rather than Greek like previous installments and tells a more personal tale focusing on Kratos and his young son, Atreus. It also features a markedly different combat system, as well as a cool one-shot cinematic technique that presents the entire story in one, uninterrupted shot without cuts or fades.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has been a phenomenal success on PC since it first launched in Early Access last year, and it's proving to be quite popular on mobile as well. Shortly after releasing on iOS and Android earlier this week, the battle royale game is already topping the charts.
PUBG Mobile has already reached No. 1 on both Google Play and the App Store, dethroning the mobile version of Fortnite: Battle Royale, which was previously sitting at No. 1 on the latter's Free Apps chart. That's an impressive debut considering the game launched by surprise earlier this week, following a few rounds of beta tests restricted to Canada.
Unlike the mobile version of Fortnite, PUBG Mobile is available to all players with an iOS or Android device, which has undoubtedly played a part in its quick ascent to the top of the charts. Currently, only select iOS users have access to Fortnite, as players have to sign up for a chance to take part in the game's invite-only test. It also helps that PUBG Mobile can be downloaded for free, unlike the PC or Xbox One versions, both of which must be purchased.
If you're interested in jumping into PUBG on mobile, iOS users can grab the game here, while those with an Android device can download it here. The game features the same 100-player experience as on PC and Xbox One and works surprisingly well on mobile. However, if you find yourself have considerably more success in the mobile version, it's likely because you're playing against bots.
Fortnite developer Epic kicked off the latest limited-time mode for Battle Royale, Blitz, earlier this week. Along with shorter match times, Blitz mode features significantly increased resources and loot spawns to quicken the pace of matches, although those will be seeing some changes soon.
On the Fortnite: Battle Royale subreddit, Epic announced it will adjust the abundance of building resources in Blitz mode with a hotfix update released on March 20. According to the developer, the rate at which players can acquire resources in the limited-time mode was "too abundant," and so the rate has been decreased in order to preserve a risk/reward element when players farm for them.
"Having tons of resources is a blast, and our goal with the mode was to make it easier to gain resources due to the storm moving in so much faster," Epic wrote. "We believe that our initial resource numbers were a bit too abundant, and are making this adjustment to ensure there is still some risk/reward when farming in Blitz."
Specifically, Epic has reduced floor loot resources from 100 to 60. Likewise, the farming resources increase was reduced from 200% to 150%. Epic says it will continue to "monitor" how these changes affect Blitz mode, so further adjustments may be on the way. You can read more about the building material adjustments on Reddit.
Epic hasn't announced an exact end date for Blitz, but limited-time modes in Battle Royale typically run for about a week. Blitz began following the release of Fortnite's 3.3 patch last week, which introduced Supply Llamas and a new weapon to Battle Royale: remote explosives. However, the update also removed Smoke Grenades from the game. Shortly after the patch, Epic "temporarily disabled" another weapon, the Boogie Bomb, due to a bug, but that will return once the issue has been resolved.
GameSpot and CNET have teamed up to give you a chance to win an Xbox One, SCUF Infinity1 controller, and PUBG crate. Competition ends March 31, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Two (2) winners will receive: Xbox One and SCUF Infinity1 controller
One (1) winner will receive: PUBG crate with a custom Xbox One controller
Far Cry 5's campaign can you run more than two dozen hours, but you can actually see the credits after around 10 minutes if you take advantage of an Easter egg of sorts. Just like in Far Cry 4, you can "complete" Far Cry 5's campaign in short order if you do something unexpected.
As you can see in the video above, one of the first major decisions you'll have to make is whether or not to cuff cult leader Joseph Seed. If you refuse, after about 90 seconds you'll trigger a sequence that ends the game. Pretty sneaky, Ubisoft!
Provided you don't opt for that abbreviated route, the full story should take you about 25 hours to complete, although that will of course depend greatly on how much you engage in side shenanigans. If you'd prefer to make your own fun, Arcade mode lets you create some very different types of experiences.
Far Cry 5 releases on March 27 PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, you can watch the game's first 11 minutes or see its weirdest mission, which involves something called the Testicle Festival. Expect to hear much more in the lead-up to the game and after launch--Ubisoft has extensive DLC plans that include some wacky-sounding concepts.
Far Cry 5 launches next week, and as we've seen, it's shaping up to give players a pretty interesting open world to roam around in. But its narrative premise has garnered the most attention, as it pits players against an apocalyptic, radical, Christian cult that has authoritarian control over a small Montana town.
In the video embedded above, the GameSpot team dives into the first 11 minutes of the game that show just how it begins its story. And, from this initial glimpse, it looks as creepy as you'd expect from a game about an extremist cult.
It's enough to even evoke some horror-film vibes, especially as you attempt to arrest the cult's leader, referred to as "The Father," but it all goes wrong. The beginning of the game is mostly cutscenes, but you can still get a good idea of the tone that Far Cry 5 wants to set.
Far Cry 5 releases early next week for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but eager players are able to get an early jump on downloading the game. Developer Ubisoft has now released the pre-load dates and times for all systems.
If you're playing on Xbox One, you'll be able to pre-load first as the game is now available for download (but not to play, obviously). PC players on both Uplay and Steam will be able to pre-load the game starting today, March 23 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT / 12 AM GMT. PlayStation 4 players will have to wait the longest; the game will be available for pre-loading on March 25 at midnight, local time.
Far Cry 5 officially releases on March 27. The game is garnering lots of attention for its narrative, which pits players against an apocalyptic, radical, Christian cult, run by a crazed figure known as The Father, who has authoritarian control over a small Montana town. The game is open world and will take about 25 hours to play through the main storyline.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance looks pretty great. The game is a beautifully harsh recreation of life in the medieval ages. In this first-person RPG, you play as a peasant trying to stay alive in 1400s Bohemia amid a brutal civil war, and the experience can be punishing at times thanks to a steep learning curve. Rob and Joey have decided to take a dive back into Kingdom Come to dial the game's graphics back to an equally punishing level.
In this episode of Potato Mode, the guys slowly take the game's graphics from historical recreation to hysterical wreck. Want to see the intricate textures, environments, and even the eyes of your favorite characters melt away? Then be sure to watch the video above. And while you're at it, play some dice on the lowest graphics settings and watch your table and chair disappear right before your eyes.
In GameSpot's Kingdom Come review, the game praised for being a "rare, memorable" experience with lifelike quests, strong storytelling, and voice-acting and visuals that immerse you in the setting. Of course, once you pare back the most essential of graphics layers, it's also ridiculous. Enjoy, and then watch the last Potato Mode when Rob and Joey dialed back the graphics on Grand Theft Auto V with equally obscene results.
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment