There was a wealth of amazing games to play in 2017. However, it seems 2018 is primed with its own roster of exciting new games, including big-budget adventures like Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, Sea of Thieves, Kingdom Hearts III, Crackdown 3, and a whole lot more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out, we've compiled all the release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2018 so far.
Be sure to check back often as we update this article with more release dates or any potential changes to any of the dates below. And if you're eager to figure out the release dates from games last year, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2017.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime this year. There are also games listed that we expect to launch in 2018. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
While Far Cry 5 is a lot of fun in solo play, the game's expanded online gameplay is likely where most players will spend their time. Co-op play is where Ubisoft's next open-world game really shines, and after the game's tutorial mission, the entirety of your time through Hope County can be played online with a friend. Whether it's diving into several stunt-driving missions, base-raiding, taking down some of the key members of Eden's Gate, or hunting animals, you can do it with a friend.
In the above video, Aaron Sampson and I got to play through Far Cry 5's opening and experience the early hours in the open world. During that time, we took part in the many activities that Hope County has to offer. But we wanted to go a bit further, so we took some time to test all sorts of stunts and features associated with co-op, and whether it could all work in ways that most players will expect.
We put together a series of tests to see how much you can push co-op play, and how the game world reacts to the presence of an additional player in-game. Things we tested include how far you and your co-op buddy can stray from one another, if the game will get harder with another player added into the mix, and what sort of progress the guest player gets to keep after leaving the session. Many of these tests required some quick-thinking and some trial-and-error, but we had fun putting it all together for you. Check out which of these hot-topics were were successes and failures.
As the first Far Cry game set in the USA, the upcoming entry in Ubisoft's open-world shooter series has created some hot debate amongst fans and critics alike. Taking place in the fictional Hope County, nestled within the deep wilderness of Montana, the central character will come into conflict with Eden's Gate, a powerful and growing cult led by the charismatic Joseph Seed. Tackling some topics and imagery related to religious extremism and the cult of personality, Far Cry 5's narrative feels rather timely.
After spending some time playing the game at a Ubisoft press event in Livermore, CA--which included a crossbow range and tons of barbecue--we took some time to discuss what Far Cry 5 is setting out to do. In the above video, Aaron Sampson, Jean-Luc Seipke, Mike Mahardy, and Alessandro Fillari had a chat about how Far Cry 5 handles its topics and the current timing of its release, while also reveling in the sort of open-world hijinks that players would expect from the series. While the setting and politics surrounding the game are receiving much attention, the game is still what many fans of Ubisoft's open-world shooter can expect.
Along with our talks about the tone and story, Aaron and I shared some stories of a few of the side quests and events that took place during our session--including a few missions that went horribly wrong. We also got to talk about the added scope of the co-op play and just how much you push the game with a friend.
Microsoft has announced a release date and pricing details for its upcoming zombie survival game, State of Decay 2. The title launches for Xbox One and PC on May 22, and it'll be a little cheaper than fans might expect.
The standard version of State of Decay 2 will run for $30, while the Ultimate Edition costs $50. The latter grants players access to State of Decay 2 a few days early, on May 18. It also includes an Xbox One copy of State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition, as well as the forthcoming Independence and Daybreak DLC packs when they release.
Microsoft GM of Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg addressed State of Decay 2's surprisingly low price point on IGN. "Our goal is to build a long-term relationship with the State of Decay community and to foster deeper experiences with the franchise," Greenberg said. "We believe State of Decay 2 accomplishes this goal by immersing fans in the ultimate zombie survival fantasy, and we want to give more players the opportunity to join in and experience this unique game."
Are you ready to revisit your childhood? The first trailer for Christopher Robin--Disney's latest live-action take on its animated universe--has arrived, as the studio puts a Hook-like spin on Winnie the Pooh and his animal friends that were created by AA Milne.
In the trailer, a grown-up Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) has become so dedicated to his work that his family is suffering. "What to do?" he wonders to himself before Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) appears behind him. While Christopher questions whether he's gone insane, a peek at the movie's official synopsis confirms he is not.
"In the heartwarming live-action adventure, the young boy who embarked on countless adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with his band of spirited and lovable stuffed animals, has grown up and lost his way," the synopsis reads. "Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into our world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy who is still inside."
Rounding out the Hundred Acre Wood inhabitants are Chris O'Dowd as Tigger, Brad Garrett as Eeyore, Tony Jones as Owl, Nick Mohammed as Piglet, Peter Capaldi as Rabbit, and Sophie Okonedo as Kanga. The film also stars Hayley Atwell, Mark Gatiss, and Bronce Carmichael. Christopher Robin opens in theaters on August 3.
God of War's launch is coming up, and it marks the first major first-party PS4 release of the year for Sony. It's also the first new entry in the series in five years, and to mark the occasion, Sony will release a PS4 Pro bundle that includes a specially designed console and controller.
As pictured below, the console is primarily silver and grey, with some yellow and dark grey highlights. The top of the console is adorned with the skill tree from the game that's used to upgrade Kratos's new Leviathan Axe. On the front, you'll see runes that represent different realms from the game. The matching controller features a much simpler design with the same colors; the right grip includes the Huldra Brothers brand that's also seen on the Leviathan Axe, while touchpad has the God of War logo.
Both the system (which is otherwise a standard 1 TB PS4 Pro) and controller are available in the limited edition God of War PS4 Pro bundle. It also includes a physical copy of God of War and unspecified "digital content." It'll be released on the same day as the game, April 20, and will cost $400 in the US (the same price as a standard PS4 Pro) or $500 CAD. The bundle will also be available internationally, although specific pricing has not been shared.
As noted above, God of War is the first game in the series since 2013's God of War: Ascension. The new entry features a markedly different tone from past games, as it centers around Norse mythology (rather than Greek) and the story of Kratos and his son, Atreus. In addition to the base version, there are also more expensive special editions available, though you won't get those with the new PS4 Pro bundle.
On Twitter, Ubisoft stated that each version of the game will go down for an hour as the company launches the update. It'll arrive first on PC, which will be down from 6-7 AM PT / 9-10 AM ET / 2-3 PM GMT. Next, the PS4 version will go down for maintenance and deployment from 7-8 AM PT / 10-11 AM ET / 3-4 PM GMT. Finally, Ubisoft will deploy the update to Xbox One from 8-9 AM PT / 11 AM-12 PM ET / 4-5 PM GMT.
The update also tweaks a bunch of Operators. Ela's gun is getting nerfed, while Kapkan's loadout is changing. In addition, Blitz will now be a 2 speed / 2 armor Operator, having previously been 1 speed / 3 armor. For more, check out the Operation Chimera patch notes.
The latest free expansion for Rainbow Six Siege, Operation Chimera, launches today, thereby kicking off Year 3 for the popular shooter. This is a more substantial update than usual, as it adds new content to not only the core, competitive multiplayer component of the game, but it also introduces a new co-op event mode for a limited time. After a period of server downtime, Operation Chimera is now live on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
As part of this new expansion, two new Operators are now available. Unusually, both are Attackers; Finka is able to heal and temporarily boost the health of teammates or revive them from a distance, while Lion possesses a drone that can be used to identify the location of enemies for a brief time. They're both available to Year 3 season pass owners now, while other players will be able to purchase them with in-game currency soon. You can read all about them in our impressions of the new Chimera Operators.
Outbreak is another major highlight of this update. It's a co-op mode quite unlike anything currently in the game; across three missions, teams of three players work together to deal with zombie-like enemies. This comes complete with new cutscenes featuring characters like Ash and Thermite, and it's joined by a special loot box that includes exclusive gear. Outbreak and the loot box will only be available for a limited time, running from now until April 3.
Just a few days after we got the official confirmation that Brigitte is indeed the identity of the new Overwatch character, she's already gotten a new look. Following an accidental early reveal, Blizzard has officially released a brief video showing off one of Brigitte's skins. [Update: We've now gotten a look at all of Brigitte's new skins, which you can check out in our gallery.]
Referred to as the Engineer skin, Brigitte still has the same basic look, but it introduces some new colors to her outfit, changes the look of her weapon, and puts some spinning gears in the middle of her shield. She's also got some new (cosmetic) equipment on her, including welding goggles that rest atop her head and a tool pouch on her belt. It looks to be the gear she's assembling in her origins trailer.
According to Blizzard, the Engineer skin will be available "soon" on the Public Test Realm, where Brigitte herself is currently in testing before her official release. The PTR is only accessible by owners of the PC version; it requires a separate download through the Battle.net client. With it installed, you can try out Brigitte and her distinct abilities.
Armoring you up! 🔧 🛡️ Brigitte's ENGINEER skin will be available soon on the PTR. pic.twitter.com/OtDun7DKNo
As revealed last week, Brigitte is a Support-class hero who can heal and provide armor to her allies, hit multiple enemies at once with her flail, and equip a shield. With the use of her Shield Bash ability, she's able to do some notable things, like stun Reinhardt through his shield, stop Reinhardt's Charge, and stun Torbjörn's sentry.
There's not yet a date for when Brigitte will be released in full on all platforms, but once revealed, it's typically not too long before new characters arrive on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
From Software's critically acclaimed action-RPG Bloodborne is one of the PlayStation Plus free games of March 2018, which means there's going to be a multitude of newcomers playing the game for the first time. When you start the game, you'll notice that it's not your typical action-RPG in that it doesn't distinguish its heroes based on class, but rather how their upbringings have shaped them. Known as origins, these categories are analogous to classes in that they vary widely in determining your starting stats. These origins only vary by statistics. No one class is supplied with any additional gifts, items, or gear. The only exception is the bold hunter's mark, which is given to every origin. It should be noted that gender, age, nor appearance has any bearing on your stats or abilities.
How you shape your character from this point is up to you. As you level up, you can further customize those stats however you see fit. If it turned out you wanted your noble scion to improve his modest starting physical attack stats, you can spend the next 10 levels increasing strength. You can create your own mental narrative, where a hunter with a violent past now has the maturity to temper his aggression by focusing on upgrading stats other than strength.
One of the challenging aspects of choosing an origin in Bloodborne is that a couple useful stats are withheld from comparison until after you commit. HP, for example, is determined by vitality, while endurance determines stamina. Another stat is discovery, which determines the frequency of enemy item drops. Looking over our guide will show you which origin has greater discovery over others.
Like the Souls series, upgrading one primary stat increase various other stats. Here are some of the specifics:
Vitality: Increases HP and Physical DEF
Endurance: Increases Stamina, Physical DEF, Slow Poison RES, and Fast Poison RES
Strength: Increases R-hand ATK and Physical DEF
Skill: Increases R-hand ATK and Physical DEF (and also increase the potency of secondary offensive items)
Bloodtinge: Increases L-hand ATK and Physical DEF
Arcane: Increases L-hand ATK, Physical DEF, and Discovery
If you lived or admired the life of a middle class upbringing, you can project that middle-of-the-road outlook through the milquetoast origin. No one stat is exceptional, nor are they notably low. If you are a beginner who wants to be well-rounded, but doesn't want any special treatment with increased strength, go for milquetoast.
Lone Survivor
As the name implies, this class is high in vitality. No matter what genre you play, if you're the type of play who chooses to boost their HP first, you should like the lone survivor. It has the highest starting hit points out of any class at 659. By comparison, the well-rounded milquetoast only has 594.
Troubled Childhood
It's likely that someone from a troubled childhood has experienced unspeakable events not unlike that of the lone survivor. This would make a great symbolic pairing in co-op in the name of shared experiences and bonding over the mutual hardships within Bloodborne. Where the lone survivor is average in endurance and skill is made up by partnering with someone from a troubled childhood. If you're in a co-op session and are dealing with an enemy that deals slow potion, someone with a troubled childhood should be at the forefront, given that this hunter has the highest resistance to slow poison.
Violent Past
Whether the hunters who have a violent past were the dealers or receivers of violence matters not. All that counts is that they're able to take out their aggression out on all of Yharnam's hostiles, by having the highest starting strength out of all the origins. That's even higher than military veteran. If you appreciate the close quarters combat of Bloodborne and if you thrive on dealing with the crowd, go with violent past, especially since this class is weak in firearms potency.
Professional
Talented and educated, this origin brings high skill and endurance to the battle. With no shields in Yharnam's early areas, all creatures great and small will force you to dodge roll often. Having high endurance means having generous stamina to evade enemies, no matter the distance. And if you're one of those adventurers who finds a lot of value using offensive items beyond the gun and blade, we recommend the professional since his skill makes him adept at items like molotov cocktails and throwing blades.
Military Veteran
Oddly enough, if you're looking for a version of the milquetoast with a bit more of a kick in physical attacks, we recommend the Military Veteran. It's one of the more beginner-friendly classes since it's well-rounded with a strength boost to help you get through the townsfolk of Yharnam. The veteran's prior experience in battle is the reason why his strength, skill, vitality, and endurance are in the double digits.
Noble Scion
If you picture a military veteran class to be more adept with firearms, you should consider the noble scion. Out of all the origins, this has the highest combination of skill and bloodtinge. You also start with the highest amount of blood echoes: 540. Blood echoes is the game's version of souls in Dark Souls. If you are confident that you'll survive, or at least, recover blood echoes after your most recent death, you should be able to make good use of these extra starting allocation..
Cruel Fate
Those born of cruel fate endured many hardships, but those trials have only strengthened their resolve. By choosing cruel fate, you're picking an origin with some very well-spread stats, with the exception of bloodtinge, which is low and affects the potency of your firearms. It's a small price to pay because there is one unlisted stat that makes cruel fate one of the best classes to pick: discovery. As stated above, this stat increases the likelihood of enemy drops. Whereas all the other classes' discovery starts at 100 or 103, Cruel Fate starts at a whopping 119. If you can relate to a thief or explorer class from other RPGs, choose cruel fate.
Waste of Skin
As the game describes, "You are nothing. Talentless. You shouldn't have been born. There is no benefit." Waste of skin is for the true masochist, where the only bright spots are that you're not deprived of the bold hunter's mark and you start the game with clothes. If you are that specific kind of Souls series veteran who entertains the thought of beating Dark Souls II with a single dagger, this class is for you. It's the "bragging rights" class of Bloodborne.
The rollout of the major new Operation Chimera update for Rainbow Six Siege is upon us, but players are encountering some hiccups on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Ubisoft has confirmed a variety of known issues with both Chimera's additions and the new Outbreak mode, as well as one involving the free skin many players should have received.
Ubisoft angered players with its plans to change Siege's pricing and ultimately relented. Among the apologies it planned to offer was Ash's Sidewinder Elite skin, which would be made available to all players for free by playing a match before March 6, the day of Chimera's launch. If you qualified, it should be in your inventory now that the update has gone live, but many players have reported that it isn't showing up.
In a list of known issues outlined on Reddit, Ubisoft confirms it's aware of the problem and says a fix is in progress. The same is also true for an issue where the inventory doesn't show the Damascus Steel skin. Some other issues--including the VIP discount not working and Starter Edition players being unable to buy old Operators--have already been resolved. And if you haven't received your free Outbreak loot boxes for logging in, Ubisoft says you should simply restart the game to resolve it.
Other problems don't appear to have been addressed yet. These include a delay that Buck encounters when switching to and from his Skeleton Key shotgun, voice chat not functioning, and party leaders being lost in matchmaking. You can see all of the problems Ubisoft is aware of here.
As for what's new, the Chimera update introduces two new Operators and the limited-time Outbreak mode, which features special new maps. There are also other changes that have been made to the game, as you can read about in the full Chimera patch notes.
Sony has kicked off another sale in the US PlayStation Store, offering some big discounts on a ton of critically acclaimed PS4, PS3, and Vita titles for the next few days. If that wasn't enough incentive to pick something up from PSN this week, the company is also holding a limited-time promotion that will get you some PSN credit when you spend a certain amount of money. [Update: It's now March 6, the final day to take advantage of this promotion.]
From now until March 6, players who spend $100 on PSN (not including tax) will receive a code worth $15 in credit toward a future purchase. This includes full titles purchased digitally from the PlayStation Store, as well as add-on content and subscriptions for digital services like PS Plus and PlayStation Now.
Those who qualify for the $15 credit will receive it "on or before" March 16. Sony will distribute the code for the credit via email or as a system message for each of the aforementioned consoles. Sony says it will offer one $15 code per person for the duration for the promotion, and you'll need to use it by 11:59 PM PT on March 30. You can read more about the offer on the PlayStation Store website.
Another batch of free games for PlayStation Plus members has arrived. Although this month's lineup is no different from the average one in terms of total games, there are some excellent titles to be had across PS4, PS3, and Vita.
Alongside that, Ratchet & Clank is also free right now. This is the most recent entry in Insomniac's long-running platforming series, although it's technically not an original game. It's based in part on the animated film, which itself was based on the original Ratchet & Clank game.
That's not it for PS4 owners, who will receive a total of five games this month thanks to Cross-Buy. Both games available on Vita, Claire: Extended Cut and Bombing Busters, are free on Plus, as is one of the two PS3 games, Mighty No. 9. PS3 owners also get their hands on Legend of Kay.
Karen Gillan's character Nebula has appeared so far in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, where she's played the rival and foil to Zoe Saldana's Gamora. The two are adoptive sisters, "daughters" to the Mad Titan Thanos, who's set to be the villain (and apparently, the main character) of Avengers: Infinity War.
But while Nebula's been captivating any time she's on the screen, we've never learned much about her. That's going to change in upcoming MCU films, according to Gillan.
"I love my character so much," Gillan told GameSpot while promoting Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle's home release (on digital March 6 and DVD/Blu-ray March 20). "I am so invested in her whole backstory, her whole relationship with her sister, the relationship with her father that we're definitely going to explore in the movies that are coming out soon."
The next Marvel Cinematic Universe movie on the docket is, of course, Avengers: Infinity War, whose release date was recently moved up a week to April 27. Given the movie's expected focus on Thanos, it's safe to guess that Infinity War is the movie Gillan is referring to. The next MCU movies on the schedule are Ant-Man and the Wasp over the summer on July 6 and Captain Marvel on March 8 next year, followed by the fourth, still-untitled Avengers movie on May 3.
It's most likely that Infinity War will spend some time exploring the complicated relationship between Thanos and Nebula, and likely Gamora too--whether through flashbacks or present day exposition, we'll have to wait and see.
In the comics, Nebula plays a major role in the Infinity Gauntlet saga, though her on-screen version is significantly different from the source. Regardless, Gillan said she's excited for audiences to witness the character's journey.
"I just feel so lucky that I got this character who, you know, was initially a villain, and then we started to learn more about her, and then our view as the audience, I think, changed toward her," Gillan said. "And she's just such a well written character that I feel like lots of people are getting invested in her along with me. And so I'm just so excited for everyone to see where she ends up."
Anyone who was watching Doctor Who around seven years ago could have guessed that Karen Gillan was going to be big. Her role as Amy Pond was just the beginning, and she's since starred in movies like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2, and of course, the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War.
Gillan spoke with GameSpot to celebrate Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle's upcoming home releases (March 6 digitally and March 20 on DVD and 4K Blu-ray).
GameSpot: Are there any deleted scenes or other special features you're excited for people to see in Jumanji?
Karen Gillan: You know, I don't have a clue. I'm really hoping that there are deleted scenes. I can't remember exactly what didn't make the cut, but there was a lot of hilarity going on during filming that I think you'll probably find on the DVD, particularly all the bloopers.
Who was the funniest person on set?
Oo, good question! I think DJ is the secret funny one--Dwayne Johnson. His style of comedy I really like. It's sort of slightly more British. It's a bit dryer and understated, and that just appeals to the British in me. However, the other guys are so funny too. I mean, Kevin Hart is a stand-up comedian through and through, you know, he sort of never switches off in that respect. He's just a natural stand-up. And then Jack, I mean--just watching him play a 16-year-old girl might take the biscuit in terms of how funny anyone is ever.
I was surprised how funny Nick Jonas was when I interviewed him, I thought it was so dry and then I went back and watched it again and realized he wasn't being serious at all.
Oh, Nick! He's funny too! How could I forget? He's maybe a little more understated with his humor as well. He's another one with the dry, more deadpan delivery that I really like.
The lead roles in Jumanji were unique for everyone, but I feel like it was especially incongruous for you to have to act like this awkward person--was that hard for you?
Um, no. It was actually more natural to me than other roles I've played, just because I think I probably was that at 16 and maybe somewhere inside of me I think there is an awkward 16-year-old girl. So it was fairly easy easy for me to access that, and I noticed that actually I've maybe just been suppressing it in my other roles, and finally I was getting to embrace it. And so I had a lot of fun with that. I was like 'Oh, I'm really tapping into something authentic here!'
I think we probably never stop feeling like our awkward teenage selves deep down.
I think probably everyone feels like that in some regard.
Are there any other '90s reboots you'd want to star in?
I think probably remaking Scream--to play the killer in Scream! I just have this idea that it would be so funny to have like, a really Scottish girl on the end of the phone. Like, 'What's your favorite scary movie?'
Are you a big horror movie fan?
I am, I do like a '90s process-of-elimination teenage slasher movie.
What are your favorites?
Ooo, OK, Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, [and] The Exorcist.
Classic.
Oh yes. I met the girl from The Exorcist recently. I've never been more starstruck.
What about contemporary horror movies? Anything recent?
I really enjoyed Get Out. I thought that was pretty good, an original take on the horror genre, sort of brings some social commentary into it as well.
Whenever you have something like Jumanji that was so important to people in their childhoods, expectations are all over the place. Why do you think this reboot worked so well?
I honestly think that there's no algorithm to creating a successful film or reboot. Actually all it boils down to is making something good. I think everybody's trying to pull all these tricks, when really all that matters is like, good movie or not. And this is just a good, funny movie, and it can be watched by the whole family, so therefore it's not just for a particular demographic. You can watch it with your parents, and your nephew, so it's a really broad demographic, and something that everyone can enjoy together. And we don't have that many of those out there, actually--entertainment that brings the entire family together. I think it's rare.
I've been a fan of yours since the Doctor Who days. Do you have any favorite moments from all of your time on the show?
I mean, I have so many, I don't even know where to start. I think it has to be--this is a bit of a boring answer, but it's working with the two guys I was working with, Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill. We became like family--I mean genuinely, they were like my brothers. And I don't have any brothers, so I now know what it feels like to have really annoying brothers.
We just had such a good time together and experienced this crazy show together, which took us all from obscurity and catapulted us to this different life. I don't know, it was just like this mental time in our lives, and it was great...I still keep in contact with them and we still have fun nights out together and stuff like that. We tend to reminisce on our time on Doctor Who more than anything.
What's been the most rewarding part of being involved in Infinity War and the Marvel movies in general?
Probably playing this particular character [Nebula]. I love my character so much. I am so invested in her whole backstory, her whole relationship with her sister, the relationship with her father [Thanos] that we're definitely going to explore in the movies that are coming out soon, and so I think it all boils down to that. I just feel so lucky that I got this character who, you know, was initially a villain, and then we started to learn more about her, and then our view as the audience, I think, changed toward her. And she's just such a well written character that I feel like lots of people are getting invested in her along with me. And so I'm just so excited for everyone to see where she ends up.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is out on digital today, March 6, and on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/DVD March 20.
This week's episode of New Releases kicks off the month of March, which brings plenty of sequels and console exclusives, like the much-anticipated Sea of Thieves, which is finally leaving port after a few delays. Nintendo Switch gets an adventure all its own with Kirby Star Allies, while RPG fans can dive into Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom on PS4 and PC. You can also work together to escape prison in the EA Original title A Way Out, or shoot your way to freedom in Far Cry 5.
Kirby Star Allies -- March 16
Available on: Nintendo Switch
The pink puffball's latest adventure is all about working together, even if you're playing alone. That means four-player co-op is included, but you can also use the new heart mechanic to bring enemies over to your side if you don't have a full party. Of course, the real treat here is seeing an insanely buff King Dedede.
If I tell you that Sea of Thieves is all about gathering a pirate crew with your friends, you can probably figure the rest out: you can explore a massive ocean, run a tight ship, battle other crews, search for buried treasure, and so much more. You might even run into a kraken or two.
A Way Out is a forced co-op game--one player controls Leo, the other controls Vincent--where your goal is to escape prison. In practice, this means one of you can be stuck in a cut scene while the other explores or take on a sticky situation from multiple angles.
This RPG sequel had its own set of delays, but it'll soon be time to help King Evan restore his stolen throne. New to the game are the Pikmin-like Higgledies, which can be commanded in battle. And you'll definitely be having plenty of those across the game's open world.
Even Far Cry 5 had its share of delays, but it's still looking to make a bang this month. The latest entry in the shooter series eschews the typical exotic locale for a home-grown conflict in the American midwest. You'll be fighting to liberate an entire county from a gun-toting cult.
Legendary Week is now over in Pokemon Go, and Niantic has shared the results from the 10-day-long event. The company revealed that players managed to defeat the Legendary Pokemon Rayquaza more times than the returning Groudon and Kyogre, which means Pokemon that like windy weather will be a lot more common in the game for the next few days.
From now until March 16, Pokemon that typically spawn in windy conditions, such as Bagon, will be more likely to hatch from Eggs. In addition to that, Raid Battles will likewise feature Pokemon that prefer windy weather. Players will also receive double XP as an added bonus from now until March 16.
March 16 is a notable date for Pokemon Go players to remember, as that is also when Rayquaza will leave the game. The Legendary Dragon-type Pokemon can be encountered until then in Raid Battles at Gyms. However, time has run out to capture its fellow Gen 3 Legendaries, Groudon and Kyogre. Following their initial runs as Raid bosses, the pair returned to Raid Battles for a limited time as part of Legendary Week, but they have once again left the game with the conclusion of the event.
Niantic kicked off Legendary Week last month, on February 23. For the duration of the event, Pokemon Go players had another chance to capture Groudon and Kyogre in Raid Battles alongside Rayquaza, and the Legendary they defeated most would directly influence which kinds of Pokemon will hatch from Eggs for the next few days. If players could defeat Rayquaza more than Groudon and Kyogre combined, then Pokemon that prefer windy weather would be more likely to hatch; if they couldn't, then those that prefer sunny or rainy weather would be more likely.
Niantic has already shared details for the next Pokemon Go Community Day. The event will take place on March 25, and as before, it will feature a rare Pokemon that knows a move it cannot typically learn in the game. Niantic still hasn't revealed what the move will be, but the special Pokemon players will be able to encounter during this month's event is the Pokemon Red and Blue starter Bulbasaur.
Far Cry 5's March 27 release date is drawing ever nearer, and now publisher Ubisoft has revealed a new mode for the upcoming game. Arcade Mode is a versatile level editor that lets you build huge, complex arenas, and it even includes assets from other Ubisoft titles.
You can use items from games such as Assassin's Creed Unity, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Watch Dogs, Far Cry 4, and Far Cry Primal, as well as Far Cry 5 itself of course. At a recent preview event we got to try out a couple of levels made by Ubisoft itself: one is a weird, mind-bending mission in which you must escape some sort of prison or maze, while the other is a stealth-based find-and-kill level that contains a nod to James Bond. Arcade Mode also contains a multiplayer segment, although we weren't permitted to capture footage of that mode; you can, however, watch us play the single-player levels above.
This past weekend marked the first anniversary of the Nintendo Switch, but the celebration was dampened for many Switch owners when they discovered the system had begun seemingly resetting their play times. Fortunately, the issue appears to be temporary, and Nintendo has announced an update is on the way to resolve it.
"Some Nintendo Switch owners' play activity info is displaying incorrectly, but play activity is still being recorded accurately in the background," Nintendo said on Twitter. "A future system update will resolve this issue [and] ensure play time data is correctly displayed. We apologize for the inconvenience."
The play time glitch was first reported just prior to the console's first birthday. Many early adopters had discovered that any titles they had started playing on the system's launch day, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, now displayed that they were first played "0 days ago" in their Switch profile, leading many to fear that the system was only keeping track of users' play activity for one year.
Fan publication NF Magazine later reported on Twitter that play times aren't reset permanently, but rather disappear for 10 days--the same amount of time it normally takes for your play activity to show up in your Switch profile. After day 11, your play time would begin displaying again normally. This is certainly good news for players who enjoy having a record of how long they've spent playing each of their Switch games.
As it so often does, Twitch is offering another batch of free in-game goodies to Amazon Prime members, this time for Epic's popular shooter Fortnite. Right now, those with a Prime account will be able to claim the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack, which includes cosmetics and other items for both Battle Royale and Save the World modes.
The Twitch Prime Pack is redeemable on all platforms--PC, PS4, and Xbox One--and comes with two exclusive gliders and outfits for Battle Royale: the Havoc Outfit and Back Bling, plus the Sub Commander Outfit and Slipstream Glider. Additionally, users will receive four exclusive Twitch chat emoji and two heroes for Save the World: Havoc and Sub Commando Jonesy. You can take a look at some of the freebies below.
Twitch Prime regularly offers free items and games for Amazon Prime members, so anyone who's a subscriber to the premium service is able to take advantage of this offer. To grab the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack, simply click on the Prime Loot icon at the top of Twitch's homepage or visit Epic's official website for more details about how to claim the free items.
The Twitch Prime Pack isn't the only freebie that Fortnite players can get right now. PS Plus subscribers can also download the PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack on PS4, which includes an exclusive glider and outfit. You can grab the pack here. Meanwhile, the next free game for Twitch Prime members is the original Devil May Cry, although that won't be available to claim until March 6 due to "unforeseen technical circumstances."
Star Wars Rebels may be over, but if the series finale makes anything clear, it's that there is so much more story to tell. While the final episode of the Disney XD series left most of its characters in a way that they could be easily revisited, it's Sabine's (Tiya Sircar) story that is worthy of an entirely new series.
With the city of Lothal safe from the threat of the Empire, Sabine reveals that she and Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) are embarking on a new adventure to find Ezra (Tyler Gray). In the climax of the finale, Ezra uses the Purrgil--essentially space whales capable of warp speed--to rid Lothal of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and the Empire's remaining ships. However, in doing so, he was also blasted into space, leaving his friends behind.
While his location is unknown, Sabine and Ahsoka finding him and continuing their adventures through the galaxy could make for an exciting new series. At least, that's what Scrubs star and superfan Donald Faison told co-creator and executive producer Dave Filoni during a fan screening of the series finale.
"Obviously, it's intriguing. It would probably make a good story. It's a good idea. So I don't know. We'll have to see," Filoni responded. "There's so many stories to tell, Donald. I've been so busy and I've been too busy finishing this story to think of another one."
However, Filoni is adamant that if these characters are revisited, it can't just be about the search for Ezra. "It's going to be more than that," he says. After all, Star Wars Rebels is a story about a family coming together to fight off its evil oppressors. A new series can't just be about a single mission.
As for any sort of time frame on a new series, chances are fans are going to have to wait a while, if the story does indeed continue. "I have this crazy thing. I have to know what the story's about before I tell it," Filioni told fans. "We'll see. You never know. Time marches on."
Still, while he's being vague about possibly continuing the Rebels storyline, we'd bet good money this isn't the last fans have seen of Sabine, Ezra, Chopper, and the rest of the crew. The series ended on such a high note with so many possibilities to explore that chances are Filoni's already spinning a few ideas in his head.
Ela has been a popular pick since her release, but she's to be nerfed in the new update, as Ubisoft believes she is still "picked way too often." Her SMG will suffer from increased recoil and deal less damage than before, and her impact grenades have been replaced by a deployable shield. "She was too good at doing all the roaming work by herself," the developer said, "preparing rotations, being warned by Concussion mines, and of course killing with her SMG. This loadout change will force her to rely on teammates for rotation holes, or to pick the shotgun if she wants to do them herself."
Kapkan is also exchanging his barbed wire for impact grenades, as he apparently had too many tasks during the preparation phase as it was. "Having impact grenades for faster rotations is a better fit for his playstyle," Ubisoft states.
The final Operator tweak pertains to Blitz, who has been made a 2 speed / 2 armor Operator, having previously been 1 speed / 3 armor. The reasoning for this is that "making Blitz faster is the next logical step to making him a more attractive choice and help him close the gap, as he really shines when he manages to get in close quarter with isolated defenders."
Ubisoft has also changed a few things regarding reloads. After the coming patch, you'll be able to interrupt a reload animation by aiming down a weapon's sights. If you do interrupt a reload (by any method) and then reload again shortly afterward, you'll be able to resume it after some key moment--after throwing away an old magazine, for example--rather than having to undergo the entire animation again.
Patch 3.1's final big tweaks are the removal of Bartlett University from the Casual map playlist, to be replaced by Yacht, and that you can no longer walk on top of deployable shields. For the full list of changes, check out the patch notes at the bottom of this article, via Ubisoft.
We are going to continue building on our previous adjustments to Ela by making more substantial changes this Season. She is still too powerful and, logically, picked way too often. This is mostly because of her SMG still being too strong. As such, we are going to be making the following changes.
Increased recoil: The recoil will be harder to control. It will pull harder on the camera, and the maximum amount of kick (max diamond size) is bigger.
Damage reduced: The damage is lowered from 28 to 23, to better take the high rate of fire into account
Scorpion Evo 3 A1 damage updates: Our objective is that she remains efficient at taking fights at short distances when getting pushed by attackers, but is at a clear disadvantage when taking medium to long range fights versus assault rifles with ACOGs.
Loadout changes: A deployable shield will replace her impact grenades. As many of you identified, she was too good at doing all the roaming work by herself: preparing rotations, being warned by Concussion mines, and of course killing with her SMG. This loadout change will force her to rely on teammates for rotation holes, or to pick the shotgun if she wants to do them herself.
Kapkan
Impact grenades will replace Kapkan's barbed wires. He already has a lot to do in preparation phase to set his traps up – having impact grenades for faster rotations is a better fit for his playstyle.
Blitz
Blitz has been working out, and will now be a 2 speed / 2 armor operator.
The previous rework of Blitz that let him sprint while holding his shield had a positive impact on his popularity, but he is still at the bottom of the pack. We believe making Blitz faster is the next logical step to making him a more attractive choice and help him close the gap, as he really shines when he manages to get in close quarter with isolated defenders.
General Tweaks And Improvements
Game Health
Rotation desync for DNBO players: In some instances, the server was rejecting shots to players in a DBNO (Down But Not Out) state. The reason for this was a desynchronization with the game server. After downing an enemy, you could see him rotating in one direction from your point of view, while on the server, their movement was completely different, and that is why some of your shots to DBNO targets would not register. We have addressed this desync and your shots should now land properly and accurately on downed enemies.
Player Comfort
Changes to ammo update timings: When you reload your weapon there is always a point in the animation where your ammo count updates. We have overhauled the "key" moment where it happens during the animation. All weapons ammo updates are now slightly faster. They have been rationalized according to their animation. This should make reloading a lot more comfortable.
Interrupting tactical reload with going to ADS: You can now interrupt a tactical reload (reloading with a round in still in the chamber) with aiming down the sights. Before you could only do it with sprint, but now if you are reloading and someone surprises you and you want to shoot, all you have to do is go to ADS and fire instantly with your remaining ammunition.
Reload resume points: Missing reload resume points have been added to all weapons reloads. When you interrupt a full reload, if you have done certain steps (ie. Discarding the empty magazine) you won't do that step again when resuming the reload animation.
Raw Input on PC: We will be implementing a new input method on PC. This raw input option reads mouse/keyboard values directly from the hardware, without any post-processing. This may slightly improve the responsiveness of the mouse/keyboard during heavy load. This option can be found under Controls > Raw Input.
Playlist Changes
We are removing Bartlett University from the Casual Playlist and adding Yacht back. Ranked Playlist remains unchanged.
Game Balancing
Deployable shield walking: You can no longer walk on deployable shields. At any instant that an operator is considered walking on the shield, it will collapse on itself (be destroyed) and the shield is refunded in the inventory of the defender that placed it. That will prevent players from utilizing exploits by walking on a shield.
Melee hit validation: Throughout last season, we collected your feedback regarding hit validation in general and melee hit validation in particular. Many of you have experienced how it feels to flank an enemy, approach from behind, land a clear knife hit, hear the audio, but not get the kill. We understand how frustrating it can be, that's why in Patch 3.1 we have applied some tweaks and improvements that should make melee attacks much more reliable, and we are looking forward to receiving your feedback!
Main Bug Fixes
Gameplay
Fixed - The gadget crosshair will persist after switching to drone toss.
Fixed - It is possible to hear Mute's jammer even when standing very far away from it.
Fixed - The barbwires' slow down effect is still ongoing even after the player is no longer into the barbwire's effective range, or when the barbwire is destroyed.
Fixed - Resetting animation when switching views between one player standing up and one crouch.
Fixed - Rubberbanding can happen after detaching from rappelling.
Fixed - After scanning enemies, the distance to them might not be shown.
Fixed - A player will not take damage when spamming crouch.
Fixed - When the drone owner dies while controlling his drone, others can't rotate the camera view of the dead player's drone.
Fixed - Following certain steps, it's possible to have some gadgets out in a stance you normally can't.
Fixed - When the player interrupts the reload animation of the LFP586 revolver by switching weapons, then switches back to LFP586 and reloads again, there will be no new rounds loaded.
Fixed - Operator's body rotation is not replicated correctly when vaulting.
Fixed - Moving once you hit the ground after entering a window in rappel will lock the character's movement for a couple of seconds.
Fixed - Operators can teleport if they remove a breaching charge while ending the rappel animation.
Fixed - The "American Anarchy" headgear's hairstyle slightly extends the hitbox upwards.
Fixed - When friendly fire is off, drones don't get destroyed by going out of bounds.
Fixed - Players randomly die by falling during Multiplayer sessions.
Operators
Bandit: Fixed - The shock battery disappears when the barbwire it is placed on is destroyed.
Blitz: Fixed - Blitz's first person animation is faster than third person animation when equipping his shield from the back.
Doc: Fixed - Stim Pistol's reticule turns blue when aiming at an attacker.
Fixed - Doc is able to sprint and use his stim pistol without slowing down.
Echo: Fixed - Yokai drone can be placed in a door/window frame in a way that a barricade placed over, allows it to see and fire on both sides.
Fixed - HUD will display "Kill assist" when a teammate kills a stunned player but will not count on the scoreboard.
Ela: Fixed - The Grzmot mine can be deployed between wall panels causing the tip of the gadget to clip through the wall.
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.
Fuze: Fixed - The character can freeze while deploying the gadget from rappelling position.
Hibana: Fixed - Pellets stick incorrectly in the corner of some trapdoors.
Fixed - When shooting at least two times before detonating, X-Kairos do not produce any sound in third person.
IQ: Fixed - Deploying IQ's gadget and entering Observation Mode at the same time causes the gadget to become opaque.
Jager: Fixed - Jäger's gadget floats in the air when placed in certain locations.
Fixed - Jäger's gadget clips through the wall when placed in certain locations.
Lesion: Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.
Montagne: Fixed - Following certain steps, it is possible to have Montagne's shield up while rappelling.
Tachanka: Fixed - Tachanka's LMG shields are inconsistent, players can get shot through them in some instances.
Vigil: Fixed - Vigil's ERC-7 is deactivated when climbing or descending ladders.
Fixed - The laser under barrel is applied to the other side of the weapon in preview.
Ying: Fixed - The character can freeze while deploying the gadget from rappelling position.
Game Modes
Multiplayer: Fixed - The play ranked button can be selected for a second after a user below clearance level 20 joins the squad.
Fixed - In some instances, squads of two can split when matchmaking, forcing both players to play against each other.
Fixed - A squad is able to join a Ranked match even if there is one squad member below level 20.
Fixed - Sometimes a squad of 2+ can be split when trying to join a casual or ranked match.
Custom Game: Fixed - Users are able to create Player Hosted Custom Online Games.
Level Design
All maps: Fixed - When entering from rappel while breaching a window, the character animation will remain stuck looking up.
Fixed - Operators fall through the map when spawning.
Fixed - Rappelling while falling will make the character fall out of the map.
Fixed - Long rifle weapons can clip through walls.
Fixed - Players are able to land on window sills to spawn kill.
Bank: Fixed - A small gap in 1F Staff room reveals a spot in EXT Terrace.
Fixed - Attackers can place a drone inside the ceiling in B Server Room allowing them to see all of the basement area.
Fixed - Valkyrie can place a Black Eye inside the ceiling of B sever room.
Bartlett University: Fixed - Defenders are able to spawn kill attackers from 2F Classroom. Fixed - Ela's concussion mines are very difficult to pick up when place in the boat model.
Chalet: Fixed - Great room can be seen through a gap in the floor on 2F bedrooms hallway.
Fixed - There is a gap at the doorway located at 2F Office area allowing to see the EXT Backyard Patio and 1F Great Room area.
Fixed - Players can place drones inside the walls of Chalet from 2F office balcony.
Fixed - The red wall does not cover the full Kitchen window, which allows Echo to throw his drone outside during Preparation Phase.
Fixed - Players can push teammates out or into geometry with the use of reinforcements in Kitchen.
Clubhouse: Fixed - Jäger gets stuck in 2F Logistic Office's bookcase after placing the ADS on the second shelf.
Fixed - The player is stuck under the table at 1F Bar when trying to get out from under it.
Coastline: Fixed - Jäger can clip through a wall after placing his ADS in a specific spot of the 2F Penthouse area.
Fixed - Players can get onto the purple tarps in EXT Pool by walking along the pool's glass border.
Fixed - When shot from the rooftop, Hibana pellets will not stick to the destructible wall from 1F Blue Bar area.
Consulate: Fixed - It's possible to melee through reinforced walls when doing a rappel enter in 2F Exit Stairs.
Fixed - Defenders can spawn kill attackers near Riot Barricade from 2F Administration Office.
Fixed - One Way Mirror can be deployed on the opposite side of the reinforcement in 2F Break Room.
Favela: Fixed - Attackers are killed if they enter rappel on the wall near to the EXT Courtyard metal platform while sliding off the platform.
Hereford Base: Fixed - In Terrorist Hunt, a player can spawn inside another when choosing EXT Shooting Range as spawn location.
Fixed - Defenders can have a one-way view outside from 2F laundry room.
Fixed - Valkyrie's camera becomes invisible if thrown on an iron frame between B Corridor and B Armory.
Fixed - Textures between reinforceable and indestructible walls allow bullets to pass through.
House: Fixed - Attackers near EXT Construction Site can be spawn killed by defenders from the window at 2F Upper Hallway.
Fixed - The Defuser can be planted between pillows and cannot be detected by defenders.
Kafe: Fixed - Inconsistent deployment of Active Defence System on walls with a lower wood panel.
Kanal: Fixed - A small gap in indestructible window allows players to see outside.
Oregon: Fixed - Some collisions with barbed wires and Grzmot mines are inconsistent.
Fixed - There is a space between the window frame and the wall at EXT Junkyard that allows the player to see inside the building.
Fixed - It is possible to shoot through textures from 1F Meeting Hall inside the B Supply Closet.
Plane: Fixed - Drone can be placed inside walls of Plane from 3F cockpit stairs.
Fixed - Destroying South side of 2F Meeting room ceiling reveals a gap that exposes attackers coming in from EXT Caterer.
Fixed - Drone can be placed inside the plane ceilings from EXT Caterer.
Skyscraper: Fixed - Players can vault on the wooden beam on 2F Work Office using a deployable shield.
Fixed - It's possible to shoot from 1F Bathroom to 1F bedroom through the indestructible cabinet.
Fixed - Operators are able to clip through the stairs when prone and moving.
Fixed - The wood blinds in the windows block bullets completely until broken.
Fixed - Skyscraper map name is not in capital letters as the rest of the maps list in PVP & PVE map preferences.
Theme Park: Fixed - Players can clip through the unbreakable wall between 2F Office and 2F Rail Corridor.
Fixed - A Black mirror cannot be placed next to another one when a reinforcement is placed on wall of 2F Daycare.
Fixed - Kapkan's EDD is sometimes destroyed when breaking a barricade.
Tower: Fixed - There is a gap in the wall that allows the player to see through it with a drone at 2F Exhibit Hallway.
Fixed - The glass in 1F West Balcony facing the west side is indestructible.
Fixed - It is possible to walk in the air in some areas of the map.
Fixed - The lights on the side of the tower can block the attacker's rappel trajectory.
Fixed - Users may experience FPS drops when shooting a specific screen at 1F West Observatory.
Yacht: Fixed - Characters can clip through the stairs when prone and moving.
User Experience
Fixed - Spawn Locations are missing in the waiting screen of the Preparation Phase when Attacker Unique Spawn match setting is activated.
Fixed - Killer's pawn orientation is sideways during the death cam zoom in.
Fixed - "This weapon skin is available for" section can only display up to 4 operator icons when unlocking weapon-specific weapon skins in an Alpha Pack.
Fixed - Placing gadgets such as breach charges on exterior small barricades will show no prompt for removing the gadget.
Fixed - The Dialog Volume affects environmental sounds, especially footsteps.
Fixed - The exterior part of the tactical map is missing in the spawn selection menu.
Fixed - There's no visual indicator for muted players.
Fixed - Sometimes hovering over a bundle in the shop will not show its description.
Fixed - There is no username voice chat display when a squad member speaks in the menu.
Fixed - Players are not notified to collect reward from a completed Ubisoft Club Challenge.
Fixed - Voice chat cuts off in MVP screen.
Fixed - No scoreboard is displayed at the end of the game.
Fixed - After collecting rewards from a Ubisoft Club challenge, in-game challenge tab won't update.
Fixed - Renown-counting sound is still playing in transition if the player quits the match.
Fixed - When a player loses connection, the message displayed is "spectator, GAMESERVER, has left the game".
Fixed - Player will remain with the shield while spectating in drone.
Fixed - Caster and Spectator have a team chat.
Fixed - The concussion effects of mines and Echo's drone are shown on the caster camera.
Composer John Williams has been an integral part of the Star Wars series since the first movie back in 1977. Williams has scored every film in the ongoing Saga since then, including last year's The Last Jedi. However, the 86-year-old movie music legend has now confirmed that he will stop with next year's Episode IX.
In a recent interview with Californian radio station KUSC, Williams explained that his ninth Star Wars score would also be his last. "We know JJ Abrams is preparing one [Star Wars movie] now that I will hopefully do next year for him," he said. "I look forward it. It will round out a series of nine, that will be quite enough for me."
Williams provided the iconic music for the original trilogy, the much-maligned prequel trilogy, and both The Last Jedi and 2015's The Force Awakens. In 2016, Alexandre Desplat became the first new composer to tackle a Star Wars movie, when he was hired to score the spin-off Rogue One. Bourne Identity composer John Powell will score the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, although Williams is still set to provide the movie's main theme.
Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on May 25, and the first trailer was released last month. It stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, and Donald Glover as Lando, plus Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Last week, Diablo fans got excited when the game's publisher, Blizzard, appeared to hint that a version of the game would be coming to Nintendo Switch. The company later quashed the rumors by saying, "We can assure you we're not that clever." Now, a new report claims the long-running action-RPG series is coming to Nintendo's hybrid console after all.
Eurogamer says its sources have informed the site that yes, Diablo is coming to Switch--specifically, it will be a port of Diablo III that makes its way to the device. The report does not state whether Diablo III's Reaper of Souls and Rise of the Necromancer expansions would be included in the port and does not mention a release date. An official announcement is still months away, the site says.
The news comes as something of a surprise after Blizzard said last week that the tweet--which showed a Diablo-themed light being switched on and off--was "meant to be a fun community engagement piece" and that the company has "nothing to announce" regarding the series coming to Switch.
The Witcher protagonist Geralt of Rivia could cameo in another game being released in 2018, according to a tease from CD Projekt RED community lead Marcin Momot, who hinted at the possibility on Twitter.
He asked: "What if Geralt was going to step out of [The Witcher] for the very first time to make an appearance in one of the upcoming games later this year?" Of course, this isn't confirmation, but it'd be quite the bait for him to mention it only for it not to happen.
There are some interesting possibilities for where Geralt could appear, but one that immediately sticks out is Bandai Namco's SoulCalibur VI, which is expected to launch later this year. Bandai Namco has a working relationship with CD Projekt Red, having distributed The Witcher 3 in Europe and The Witcher 2 in Australia.
The SoulCalibur series has previously included guest characters from a wide-range of franchises, including Star Wars and The Legend of Zelda, so Geralt wouldn't exactly feel out of place in the arena-based fighting game. There are other games that he's well suited to, most notably Monster Hunter: World or the PC release of Final Fantasy XV.
Following the huge success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red has moved on to working on its next title, CyberPunk 2077. There's been very little news about the title since it was originally announced in 2012, but CD Projekt Red has confirmed it will be attending E3 2018, sparking speculation that the game will be shown there.
After a leak last week claimed the new Battlefield will be set in World War II, a new report has now seemingly brought more details to light on the upcoming shooter. GamesBeat originally leaked Battlefield V--as the game is rumored to be titled--and it has now followed up with more information about the game's campaign and mechanics.
Firstly, the site claims Battlefield V's single-player mode will include a number of different stories packed into one overarching campaign. Battlefield 1 had a similar system of having you control a number of different protagonists to gain different perspectives on the war, and this is something DICE apparently wants to do again with the second World War. It's also important to note that GamesBeat says the title "Battlefield V" may simply be a placeholder, and that it was also used for Battlefield 1 when that game was in development.
If EA does return to WWII, it will be the first in the series set during that era for a while: the last game set during the conflict was 2009's Battlefield 1943. The publisher is yet to comment on the recent rumors, but it has confirmed a new Battlefield game is coming this year and that it will be playable at EA Play in June. Given that's the case, we'll likely find out more about the game soon.
For all the advancements that have been made in gaming, one element that remains in place is the character-select screen. Talk to someone who played games years ago--whether it was Super Mario Bros. 2, Street Fighter II, or any number of games--and you'll likely see them reminisce about the time spent on those screens agonizing over their character choice.
While they're most commonly associated with fighting games, that genre is hardly the only to be home to them, as evidenced by games like Mario 2 to Team Fortress 2 to countless MMOs. And although perhaps not as prominent as they once were, character-select screens are still present in many games today.
In the video above, we've put together a nostalgia-inducing run through a number of the most memorable such screens. You should get a sense for how they've changed over the years, from the basics of the aforementioned Mario to more modern examples, like Overwatch and Injustice 2.
What character-select screens do you remember most fondly? Let us know in the comments below!
As Netflix adds more and more original content every week, the streaming service is also removing a lot of popular titles from its library. March is no different, with dozens of films and TV shows being removed.
Among the most notable departure is the Jaws franchise of films. All four movies disappeared from Netflix on March 1. Likewise, the movies Less Than Zero, Baby's Day Out, and Ferngully: The Last Rainforest were removed at the beginning of the month. Later in the month, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Good Son, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou will go away, as well.
When it comes to TV, seasons of Archer, The Killing, Life In Pieces, The Carmichael Show, and The Finder will no longer be available to stream. You can take a look at everything leaving Netflix in March below. After that, check out every title the service is adding next month. Arrivals on the service include new seasons of Marvel's Jessica Jones and Santa Clarita Diet. Additionally, you can see what both Hulu and Amazon Prime are debuting in March.
Leaving Netflix in March
March 1
A Gang Story
Anastasia
Baby's Day Out
Eyewitness
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
First Response
Forget and Forgive
Hitch
Jaws
Jaws 2
Jaws 3
Jaws: The Revenge
Less Than Zero
Memento
Slums of Beverly Hills
The Chase
The Craft
The Panic in Needle Park
Trigger Point
Two Wrongs
xXx
March 4
Chloe
Safe Haven
March 6
The Finest Hours
March 8
Victoria
March 11
Believe
Glitch
March 12
Standby
Disney's The Santa Clause
Disney's The Santa Clause 2
Disney's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
March 13
Breakout Kings: Season 1
City of God: 10 Years Later
London Has Fallen
The Killing: Seasons 1-2
March 14
Archer: Seasons 1-7
March 19
V/H/S: Viral
March 20
Zootopia
March 22
Steve Jobs: One Last Thing
March 24
Voltron 84: Season 1
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
March 26
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
March 29
The Gates: Season 1
March 30
Life in Pieces: Season 1
March 31
Awake: Season 1
Bordertown: Season 1
Breakout Kings: Season 2
Brickleberry: Seasons 1-3
Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life: Season 1
March is going to be a very busy month for Amazon Prime Video. The streaming service is beefing up its movie and TV show selection with a number of new titles, including cult classic films, big-budget blockbusters, and new seasons of original programming.
On the film front, several James Bond titles are coming to Prime, including A View to a Kill and Moonraker. Additionally, films like 2017's Power Rangers, Earth Girls Are Easy, The Doors, Antitrust, Hackers, and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka were all added on March 1.
As for TV, a new season of the crime drama Sneaky Pete, created by Bryan Cranston and David Shore, debuts on March 9. The series stars Giovanni Ribisi, Marin Ireland, Margo Martindale and more. Other TV titles coming to Prime are a new season of The Tunnel, along with the debuts of Human Trafficking, The Color of Magic, and The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells.
The real March madness is how much binging you'll be doing with everything new coming to Netflix. The streaming service is going all out with its March additions, including a ton of new originals, along with more movies, TV shows, and specials.
While there are over 50 originals being added to the streamer in March, there are two you need to pay very special attention to. Firstly, the new season of Marvel's Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter is back as the whiskey-drinking hero, along with co-stars Rachael Taylor (Trish) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Jeri Hogarth). Notably, David Tennant will also reprise his role as the evil Killgrave in a guest appearance. The new season of Jessica Jones arrives on March 8--International Women's Day.
The other major original to keep an eye out for is the return of Santa Clarita Diet--the horror comedy zombie series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The first photos from the new season were released recently, showing new characters moving into the neighborhood and more undead insanity. New episodes of Santa Clarita Diet arrive on March 23.
As for movies, the Cruel Intentions trilogy--yes, it's actually a trilogy--will begin streaming in March. Other new titles include Adventureland, Jackass: Number Two, Wet Hot American Summer, and Let Me In.
It's not all good news, though. With the arrivals come the departures. March will see all four Jaws films leave Netflix, as well as three seasons of Brickleberry and the Santa Clause trilogy.
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