It's officially May, which means a new bundle of free PC games is available for Twitch and Amazon Prime members. This month's offerings include a number of widely respected indie games. To find your freebies, just click the crown-shaped Prime Loot icon next to the search bar on Twitch. That opens a drop-down menu that contains your free games.
One of the biggest games this month is the mind-bending 3D platformer Psychonauts, in which you enter people's minds and explore physical manifestations of their psyches. Gone Home is a first-person story-driven game. The adventure game I, Hope covers some heavy subject matter, and for those looking for fast-paced action, High Hell is a first-person shooter that encourages speedrunning.
Also free is the challenging first-person game Clustertruck, which has you sprinting across the roofs of semi-trucks as they race through the desert. Touch the ground and you're toast. Finally, Titan Souls puts you in the shoes of a tiny character with a single arrow and asks you to take down enormous bosses. You don't need a health bar in this game, because one hit spells death.
Twitch Prime is a perk for members of Amazon Prime. All you have to do to sign up is link your Amazon Prime account to your Twitch account. Once you do, you can download all six games for no cost between May 1 - 31. They're yours to keep forever, even if you cancel Amazon Prime at some point down the line. The only catch is that you need the Twitch desktop app to install them.
Summer movie season may be starting in May, but Netflix is going out of its way to make sure you stayed glued to your couch. We're now well into the new month, and the streaming service has released the full list of additions for May. That features a variety of new movies, TV shows, and originals to keep you busy for the foreseeable future--and there's some good stuff on tap.
Firstly, Disney/Pixar's Coco will be added on May 29. If you somehow missed one of the studio's best animated films ever, this will be your chance to watch and cry in the privacy of your own home. That's always a better option than publicly weeping in a theater, right?
On the TV side, the latest seasons of some of the CW's biggest shows will be added in April. Riverdale, Arrow, The Flash, Supernatural, and Dynasty will all end their current seasons, with them becoming available to stream a week later. Additionally, a new season of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, along with a slew of other originals, will arrive throughout the month. Of note, the second half of The Toys That Made Us Season 1, the documentary series about famous toy lines, released on May 25.
To get an idea of everything coming on Netflix in May, take a look at the list below, and make sure you see what's leaving the service. Additionally, if you missed what the streamer was up to in April, you can check that out.
Arriving on Netflix in May
May 1
27: Gone Too Soon
A Life of Its Own: The Truth About Medical Marijuana
Amelie
Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Season 1
Beautiful Girls
Darc
God's Own Country
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous Live at Radio City (Netflix Original)
Mr. Woodcock
My Perfect Romance
Pocoyo & Cars
Pocoyo & The Space Circus
Queens of Comedy: Season 1
Reasonable Doubt
Red Dragon
Scream 2
Shrek
Simon: Season 1
Sliding Doors
Sometimes (Netflix Original)
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Carter Effect
The Clapper
The Reaping
The Strange Name Movie
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Season 2
May 2
Jailbreak
A Little Help with Carol Burnett (Netflix Original)
Anon (Netflix Original)
Busted!: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Dear White People: Volume 2 (Netflix Original)
End Game (Netflix Original)
Forgive Us Our Debts (Netflix Original)
Kong: King of the Apes: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Lo más sencillo es complicarlo todo
Manhunt (Netflix Original)
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Tina Fey (Netflix Original)
No Estoy Loca
The Rain: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
May 5
Faces Places
May 6
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale (Netflix Original)
May 8
Desolation
Hari Kondabolu: Warn Your Relatives (Netflix Original)
May 9
Dirty Girl
May 11
Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 3 (Netflix Original)
Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist (Netflix Original)
Spirit Riding Free: Season 5 (Netflix Original)
The Kissing Booth (Netflix Original)
The Who Was? Show: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
May 13
Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife (Netflix Original)
May 14
The Phantom of the Opera
May 15
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season 4
Grand Designs: Seasons 13–14
Only God Forgives
The Game 365: Seasons 15–16
May 16
89
Mamma Mia!
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The Kingdom
Wanted
May 18
Cargo (Netflix Original)
Catching Feelings (Netflix Original)
Inspector Gadget: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
May 19
Bridge to Terabithia
Disney's Scandal: Season 7
Small Town Crime
May 20
Some Kind of Beautiful
May 21
Señora Acero: Season 4
May 22
Mob Psycho 100: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Shooter: Season 2
Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 2 (Netflix Original)
Tig Notaro: Happy To Be Here (Netflix Original)
May 23
Explained (Netflix Original)
May 24
Fauda: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Survivors Guide to Prison
May 25
Ibiza (Netflix Original)
Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life (Netflix Original)
The Toys That Made Us: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Trollhunters: Part 3 (Netflix Original)
May 26
Sara's Notebook (Netflix Original)
May 27
The Break with Michelle Wolf (Netflix Original)
May 29
Coco
May 30
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
May 31
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Howard Stern (Netflix Original)
Also arriving in April
Arrow: Season 6
Dynasty: Season 1
Riverdale: Season 2
Supernatural: Season 1
The Flash: Season 4
Leaving Netflix in May
May 1
Bridget Jones's Diary
Casper
Chappie
Charlotte's Web
Field of Dreams
GoodFellas
Ocean's Eleven
Sahara
Silent Hill
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Hurt Locker
To Rome With Love
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
May 2
12 Dates of Christmas
Beauty & the Briefcase
Cadet Kelly
Camp Rock
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
Cow Belles
Cyberbully
Disney's The Cheetah Girls
Disney's The Cheetah Girls 2
Disney's The Cheetah Girls: One World
Frenemies
Geek Charming
Good Luck Charlie: It's Christmas
Hello Sister, Goodbye Life
High School Musical
High School Musical 2
Jump In!
Lemonade Mouth
Little Einsteins: Seasons 1–2
My Fake Fiancé
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
Phineas and Ferb: Seasons 1–4
Princess Protection Program
Princess: A Modern Fairytale
Read It and Weep
Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure
Special Agent Oso: Seasons 1–2
StarStruck
Teen Spirit
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Seasons 1–5
We're nearly halfway through May, which means the first batch of this month's free Games with Gold on Xbox One won't be available for much longer. Xbox Live Gold members only have a few more days to grab a couple of titles at no charge before they return to their regular price.
From now until May 15, Gold members can download the first of this month's two free Xbox 360 games: the Sega classic Streets of Rage. Like all other Games with Gold, it is also playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility. Additionally, one holdover from April's Games with Gold lineup--Assassin's Creed Syndicate--will also return to its regular price on May 15.
Those two will be replaced by a new pair of titles beginning May 16. On the Xbox One side, Gold members will be able to grab the last mainline installment in the Metal Gear Solid series, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, while Platinum Games' cult favorite shooter Vanquish will be the second free 360 title available this month.
Both Metal Gear Solid V and Vanquish will be free to download through the end of May, and the latter is likewise also playable on Xbox One thanks to backwards compatibility. Gold members can also still grab the newly released Super Mega Baseball 2 for free until May 31. You can see the full list of this month's free Games with Gold below.
May 2018 Games With Gold
Xbox One
Super Mega Baseball 2 (May 1-31)
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (May 16-June 15)
Between now and May 15, you can download Battlefield 1's first DLC, They Shall Not Pass, for free on Xbox One and PC. And although the price goes back up to $15 after that, it's yours to keep and play forever if you add it to your account before the deadline.
To get it on Xbox One, you can click here to add it to your account. For PC players, you'll need to do the same through the expansion's page on Origin. Naturally, you have to own the core game to play it.
The expansion, which came out in March of last year, brings the French army to the game and adds four maps set in France. It also includes a new mode called Frontlines, two new Operations, six unlockable weapons, four melee weapons, a new Behemoth, and the Trench Raider elite class.
Three additional expansions are available for Battlefield 1, though they're not currently free. Now that all the DLC is out, DICE said in a blog post that it will begin winding down the frequency of game updates.
Before that happens, though, DICE will add a mode called Shock Operations, which is similar to Operations mode but focuses the action on a single map. Shock Operations will be available on five maps: Giant's Shadow, Lupkow Pass, Prise de Tahure, River Somme, and Zeebrugge. When playing in Shock Operations mode, you won't need to own the corresponding DLC to play on any of the maps.
Despite rumors and speculation about a 2018 Battlefield game, publisher Electronic Arts has yet to make any official announcements. It looks as if the new game will be revealed later this month.
Not content to have just one sale live on the PlayStation Store, Sony has begun promoting a second sale on PS4 games. It's called the Totally Digital sale, and as you can probably guess, it revolves around games that are only available in a digital, downloadable format. As usual with sales on the PlayStation Store, PS Plus members get an extra discount. The sale ends May 29. [Update: There are also other PSN sales going on right now.]
The sale is divided into two parts: games that are out now and games that aren't. For the upcoming games in the sale, PS Plus members get between 20-25% off their pre-orders. These games include Tacoma, a narrative-driven sci-fi game from the makers of Gone Home. It launches May 8, and it's on sale for $15 (down from $20). Trailblazers is a team racing game in which you can spill paint on the track. When your teammates drive on paint you've spilled, they get a speed boost. It's on sale for $24 (down from $30).
For the games on sale you can play now, PS Plus members get an extra discount. Pyre, a sports-game-meets-RPG we gave 9/10 in our review, is on sale for $14 ($12 with PS Plus). The slow-motion shooter Superhot is on sale for $17 ($15), as is its PSVR counterpart Superhot VR. Also on sale are the horror game Soma for $15 ($12) and the bizarre-yet-enjoyable Headlander for $8 ($6).
Below, you'll find our picks for the best deals on the best games in the Totally Digital sale. You can find the full list of games on sale here.
Eventually, streaming services are going to run out of new titles to add. Until that happens, though, Amazon Prime Video has plenty to keep you occupied in May. The streaming service may not have the robust collection of originals Netflix continues to build, but it's library of beloved movies and TV shows is only getting bigger.
Among the titles arriving in May are five Rocky movies and a slew of James Bond films. Other films being added this month include A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The Brady Bunch Movie, Bad News Bears, Cool World, and Beast of Burden--just to name a few of so many.
Likewise, a bunch of new TV seasons will also be available to stream. Among the shows arriving are the original UK version of The Office, Orphan Black, Howard's End, and Rocky and Bullwinkle. And while Amazon may not have as much original output as Netflix or Hulu, the streamer's Picnic at Hanging Rock series premieres on May 25.
For a full list of everything being added to Amazon Prime Video in May, take a look below. Then make sure to look at everything coming and going on Netflix this month.
Halloween is still five months away, but there's plenty to be scared of in May thanks to Hulu. The streaming service is adding dozens of new movies and TV shows this month, giving you plenty to watch--including one of the most beloved franchises in horror.
May sees the arrival of five A Nightmare on Elm Street movies, from the 1984 original through Wes Craven's New Nightmare--save for Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. Never fear, though, as that particular title is already available from the streamer. Unfortunately, 2003's Freddy vs. Jason is nowhere to be found, which leaves fans without star Robert Englund's final time donning that horrifying glove.
Other new movie arrivals include the Sylvester Stallone classic Demolition Man, She's All That, and five Rocky installments. On the TV side, new seasons of Drunk History, Mobile Suit Gundam, 12 Monkeys, and The Strain all begin streaming in May.
Pokemon Go's next real-world event is right around the corner. Niantic is hosting May's Community Day this weekend, and ahead of the event, the developer has finally revealed which exclusive move players will be able to get this time.
May's Community Day takes place this Saturday, May 19, and features the popular Red and Blue starter Pokemon Charmander. For the duration of the event, Charmander will spawn much more frequently than usual, and if players manage to evolve it into its final form, Charizard, it will learn the powerful Fire-type attack Blast Burn.
As was the case with previous Community Days, players will need to evolve or catch a Charizard before the event ends to learn Blast Burn. Any Charmander or Charmeleon captured prior to the Community Day will also know the attack if they evolve during the event hours, but the Pokemon will no longer be able to learn Blast Burn once the event concludes.
On top of increased Charmander spawns, any Lure Modules that are activated during the Community Day will last for three hours, as opposed to their usual 30 minutes. Niantic is also offering an additional bonus to players who participate in the event. This time, everyone will receive triple the normal amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon.
As usual, this month's Community Day only runs for a three-hour window of time, and the event begins at different times depending on the part of the world you live in. You can see the event schedule for each region below:
North America
11 AM - 2 PM PT
2 PM - 5 PM ET
Europe and Africa
10 AM - 1 PM BST
Asia-Pacific
12 PM - 3 PM JST
Beyond this month's Community Day, Niantic will soon kick off the Pokemon Go Summer Tour 2018, a series of real-world events taking place throughout the summer. The tour begins next month with a Safari Zone event in Germany, with the second annual Pokemon Go Fest taking place in Chicago on July 14-15. A special Safari Zone event will also be held in Yokosuka, Japan later this summer; details on that will be shared later.
In the meantime, players can still capture the Legendary Eon Pokemon Latios and Latias in Pokemon Go. After swapping regions earlier this month, Latios is now appearing across Europe and Asia, while Latias can be found in North America, South America, and Africa. The Legendaries will remain in those regions until June 5. Players can also capture the Legendary bird Zapdos by completing the newest batch of Field Research quests.
Alongside news of plans to celebrate Overwatch's second anniversary in-game, Blizzard has also announced that a new version of its hero shooter is on the way. Here's what we know about Overwatch: Legendary Edition.
The Legendary Edition launches on May 22, the same day the new Anniversary event begins. It's only being released digitally, so you won't find it in stores. It comes with the base game and 15 skins, which were not specified. Blizzard only says it includes "sets of Legendary, Epic, and Origin skins."
This package seems intended for those who have not yet picked up the game, rather than die-hard fans eager to put a fancy box on their shelf. If you're unsure whether you want to finally take the plunge, Blizzard also plans to host another free weekend event on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This will run May 25-28 and offer access to most of the game, save for Competitive mode.
That period overlaps with the Anniversary event, which will introduce new skins and cosmetics, bring back old Brawl modes, and add a new map. In the meantime, it's not too late to buy the new pink Mercy skin, which costs $15 but sees the proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The critically acclaimed PC RPG Divinity: Original Sin II is coming to consoles this summer, but Xbox One owners will have a chance to play a portion of it early. Bandai Namco announced that the first three hours of the game will be playable for free via Xbox Game Preview beginning May 16.
On top of the free trial, those who purchase Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition on Xbox One will get early access to the entire first act of the game--approximately 20 hours of content by Bandai Namco's estimates--ahead of its launch. Players will also be able to carry the progress they make in the First Act over to the full game upon its release.
Bandai Namco has yet to announce an exact release date for Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition, but the game is slated to arrive on both Xbox One and PS4 this August. The publisher also hasn't announced if a similar early access period will be offered for PS4 owners.
Bandai Namco says the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Original Sin II boast "a user interface tailored for console." Like the PC release, the game will also support four-player online co-op on consoles, as well as two-player split-screen co-op.
Divinity: Original Sin II launched to widespread acclaim on PC in September 2017. The game earned a rare 10/10 in GameSpot's Divinity: Original Sin II review, with critic Brett Todd calling it "one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made." The title also took the No. 5 spot on our Best Game of 2017 list.
Anyone who's been kicking around the idea of buying an Xbox One X lately will want to take a look at this deal from Rakuten. Microsoft's most powerful console normally retails for $500, but you can get one now for $400 if you use promo code ALT85 at checkout. That's one of the best deals we've ever seen on an Xbox One X.
What you get for the money is a machine that can run a growing list of Xbox One X-enhanced games in 4K, including older games like Red Dead Redemption. Some games come with the option to increase resolution or to smooth out the frame rate. Either way, games look and/or run better on the Xbox One X. It can also play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs--something that can't be said of the PS4 Pro.
In GameSpot's Xbox One X review, Jimmy Thang wrote, "While the Xbox One X is an expensive box, from a hardware standpoint, you're getting a very powerful and capable machine. You'll be hard pressed to build a comparably powerful PC for $500. On top of that, you get a 4K HDR Blu-ray player, which can cost several hundred dollars on its own."
And if you need some help deciding which Xbox One is right for you, the review offers a few possible scenarios:
"If you game on a 1080p TV and don't have any plans to upgrade to a 4K one, the Xbox One S is going to be a better fit for you. While you will get some graphical enhancements with the X, you don't really get your money's worth if you don't have a 4K HDR TV.
"But what if you already own a 4K HDR TV and an Xbox One? In this case, I'd only recommend getting the X if you have the disposable cash to spare for the increased visual fidelity and performance benefits. If you have a 4K HDR TV, don't have a current gen console, and are looking to purchase one, however, the Xbox One X is a great choice."
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The first official details about the newly confirmed Rage 2 have been revealed. While the initial trailer didn't do much except to establish its returning post-apocalyptic setting and the possibility of a sillier tone, we've now learned about its confirmed platforms and a new developer.
Following the trailer's release, Bethesda has published a page on its website devoted to Rage 2. There's not a whole lot there, but in lieu of a full reveal, it does share some key details. For starters, the game is coming to the platforms you'd expect--PC, PS4, and Xbox One--based on box art displayed there.
In terms of what Rage 2 is all about, the basic overview is also basically what you would guess: "Dive headfirst into a dystopian world devoid of society, law, and order. Rage 2 brings together a true open-world FPS experience where you can go anywhere, shoot anything, and explode everything."
Most interesting is an easily missed detail in the website's footer. It notes that Rage 2 is "developed in association with Avalanche Studios." Avalanche is the studio best known for the over-the-top open-world Just Cause series, although it more recently was responsible for 2015's open-world Mad Max game. Its involvement makes sense given Rage 2's open-world nature and Mad Max-style setting and characters.
What wasn't immediately clear was the involvement of id Software, the developer of the first Rage. Bethesda has, however, confirmed with GameSpot that Rage 2 is a "collaboration" between id and Avalanche. The official Rage account subsequently tweeted out another joke referencing its reaction to the recent Walmart leak:
Rage 2 does not yet have a release date, but a gameplay reveal trailer is due out on Tuesday, May 15. We can also safely expect to hear much more during Bethesda's E3 2018 press conference on June 10.
Mission Impossible is one of the longest-running and most successful action franchises of all time, and the sixth entry, Mission Impossible: Fallout, hits theaters in July. The first trailer was released in February, and a new one is expected this week. Ahead of that we have a new poster.
While the first poster was simple and stylish, this is a much more chaotic affair, with many of the supporting cast placed within the franchise's initials, together with various explosions, guns, planes, and cars. These in turn sit on top of Cruise's jacket--or maybe that IS his jacket. Check it out below:
Mission Impossible: Fallout reunites Cruise with co-stars Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Alec Baldwin. Superman star Henry Cavill joins the cast this time round, and it's directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who previously helmed 2015's Ghost Protocol. It hits theaters on July 27.
Cruise is famous for his crazy stuntwork on the Mission: Impossible movies, and at the CinemaCon exhibition in Las Vegas last month, he revealed footage of one of Fallout's most dangerous stunts. It's a skydiving sequence through a lightning storm, and the leap was from so high that it required oxygen tanks simply to breathe on the way down. "It took a year to figure this sequence out," Cruise explained at the event.
However, despite sequences like these, McQuarrie has previously stated that Fallout will be more character-based than some previous entries. "I don't want to string together a bunch of action scenes, I want to actually deal with character," he told Empire. "So I put Ethan in a bunch of complicated moral quandaries, and I'm trying to find ways to connect them--and then, ironically, the way to connect them was through giant action scenes."
Best Buy has refreshed its weekly deals with a whole new slate of discounts and promotions for your perusal. It includes sales on a number of PS4 and Nintendo Switch games, as well as some discounts on Xbox One hardware and software.
As always, you can save even more money with a Gamers Club Unlocked membership. GCU members get 20% off all video game pre-orders and new (non-used) games. A two-year subscription costs $30, but considering you'll save $12 on each game that's regularly priced at $60, it pays for itself after just a few uses. You can subscribe here. Now onto this week's deals.
Anyone in the market for an Xbox One S will want to take a look at Best Buy's sale this week. You can get $50 off select bundles, including one that includes PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and one that comes with Sea of Thieves. That brings the price of either bundle down to $250--not bad for a console that can also play 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.
If you purchase an Xbox One, you can also save $20 on a second controller, $10 on an Xbox Live Gold subscription, and/or $10 on a headset thanks to a promotion running this week. It stacks on the Xbox One S deal above, so you can save quite a bit of money if you're interested in a new Xbox One S and those add-ons.
Rage 2 is a real game. After Bethesda decided not to deny a recent leak of the game, it's officially announced the game is indeed in the works with its first trailer. Unfortunately, it doesn't showcase any gameplay, but that's just around the corner. Subsequently, an official website has provided us with a few more details--including one of the developers.
Rage 2's first trailer is comprised almost entirely of live action. A variety of characters who wouldn't look out of place in Mad Max's world can be seen fighting, wielding weapons, and... lifting weights. It doesn't provide any real indication of what to expect from the game, though it does seem to suggest the possibility of a somewhat lighthearted tone (or as lighthearted as can be in a post-apocalyptic world).
Bethesda said that a gameplay trailer will follow soon after this one; that video is due out on Tuesday, May 15. That's set to drop at the same time that this one did, at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 3 PM BST (12 AM AET on May 16). The company didn't share anything more, including a release date or platforms, though PC, PS4, and Xbox One seem like fair assumptions.
The official Bethesda website has been updated with an area devoted to Rage 2, and it reveals a bit more than the trailer. Answering the question of what Rage 2 is, it states, "Dive headfirst into a dystopian world devoid of society, law, and order. Rage 2 brings together a true open-world FPS experience where you can go anywhere, shoot anything, and explode everything." Additionally, the footer of the site notes that it was developed "in association" with Avalanche Studios, the studio responsible for the Just Cause series. It also developed 2015's Mad Max game.
A recent leak on Walmart Canada's website seemingly spilled the beans on games that many assumed were planned for E3 2018 reveals. It's unclear if that's the case with Rage 2, but Bethesda opted not to take the usual route of declining to comment. Instead, Rage's Twitter account jokingly made suggestions about problems with the listing, and Bethesda's account began sending out numerous teaser images.
Bethesda's E3 2018 press conference is set for Sunday, June 10. The company recently teased that it might be its longest one ever, although beyond Rage 2's inevitable appearance, we know little else about what will be included.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Insomniac's Spider-Man is swinging in soon, and if you just can't get enough of the red-and-blue hero, GameStop is carrying an exclusive collector's box of goodies to pair with the PS4 game.
Not to be confused with the collector's edition of the game, this collector's box comes with seven different items, ranging from home goods, wearables, accessories and more. The box is valued at $100 but is being sold for $50.
Each Spider-Man collector's box will come with a backpack, notebook, insulated travel mug, beanie, enamel pin, and two mystery items. If you're one for subtlety with your video game swag, this collection might be for you, as the arachnid hero and the game's logo are plastered on each item.
The first Tuesday of the month has arrived, which means a new set of PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games is now available for PlayStation Plus members to download for free. You have six games waiting for you across all systems for May 2018, but because several of them are Cross-Buy, you'll get three games for PS4.
This month's PS4 offerings are headlined by Beyond: Two Souls, a game from Quantic Dream, the makers of this month's big PS4 exclusive, Detroit: Become Human. Like Detroit, Beyond: Two Souls is a cinematic, narrative-driven game whose plot largely hinges around the choices you make. May's other free PS4 game is the stylish, well-received platformer Rayman Legends.
Over on PS3, you get the action RPG Risen 3: Titan Lords as well as the arcade-style game Eat Them, which has you design a monster and use it to go wreck a city. PS Vita owners can download the similarly destruction-based game King Oddball and the physics puzzle game Furmins. King Oddball supports Cross-Buy and is playable on PS3 and PS4 as well.
All of these games are free to download until Tuesday, June 5, and you can play them as long as you have an active PS Plus membership. You can download the games from your PlayStation device, or from the web-based PlayStation Store.
Here's some good news for anyone who likes having joy and excitement in their life: Peggle is free to download for PC on Origin. It normally sells for $5, but right now, for a limited time, you can get it to keep and play every day forever. So hurry to the Origin Store to download your copy now.
What's the big deal about Peggle? If you haven't played this marvelous and highly addictive game, it's like a psychedelically-enhanced version of pachinko. You aim and shoot a ball from the top of the screen. The ball bounces and ricochets between colorful pegs on its way to the bottom. Each peg it touches disappears. Clear out all the orange pegs, and you can proceed to the next level.
It's a wonderfully simple setup that combines skill and luck in equal measure. Each new world has its own "teacher" who grants you a limited power that can help you clear pegs in all sorts of creative new ways. Throw in a bunch of optional challenges, and you have a game you can spend many pleasant hours trying to complete.
Whether you've played it before or not, Peggle is always worth a download when it's free. Head over to the Origin Store to add it to your collection before the price goes back up.
Overwatch was released two years ago this month. To celebrate the popular game's second birthday, Blizzard is holding an anniversary event that will include a new Deathmatch map, Petra, and more than 50 new cosmetic items to collect.
Among those are eight brand-new Legendary skins and three Epic-rarity skins. Additionally, Doomfist, Moira, and Brigitte are getting new dance emotes. What's more, all previously released seasonal cosmetic items, and "most" of the prior brawls for Arcade (on a daily, rotating basis), will be back for the new anniversary event.
You'll have a brawl! Past brawls and cosmetics are back for Overwatch Anniversary 2018. The celebration begins May 22! 🎉🎂 pic.twitter.com/C58AFSvfOs
As for the new map, Petra is being added to the Deathmatch hopper. Additionally, a new Competitive Mode is being added to Deathmatch. This sounds like a full-featured mode, as it includes placement matches, skill rating division, and leaderboards to track progress. This appears to be separate from Overwatch's existing Competitive Mode.
The anniversary event, which runs May 22 - June 11, also adds new loot boxes. Everyone who logs in during the event gets one free loot box that guarantees a Legendary-level item. If you want to spend money, picking up the 50 loot box bundle comes with a bonus of one legendary loot box. Additionally, all previously released loot boxes for seasonal events are included for the anniversary event.
Blizzard also announced a Legendary edition of Overwatch that is due to launch on May 22, which is when the game's second anniversary event begins. This version of the game--which will only be sold digitally--includes the base game and 15 skins total, comprised of Legendary, Epic, and Origin skins.
Finally, Blizzard will offer yet another free weekend for Overwatch that runs May 25-28. Blizzard confirmed that PS4 players do not need a PlayStation Plus membership to take part, though it's unclear if Xbox Live Gold is required on Xbox One.
Sony has updated the PlayStation Store with a whole new set of discounts on downloadable games for the week. For some of the deals, Sony is offering a small additional savings for PS Plus members. For others, everyone gets the same sale price. You can view the full list of PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games on sale here, or read on for our picks for the best deals in the bunch. But hurry, these deals are only good through May 14. [Update: It's now Monday, and these deals will be wrapping up soon, so act fast if you're interested in what's outlined below.]
To kick things off, Ubisoft has sliced the prices of a bunch of its big games, ranging from the medieval brawler For Honor to the shooters Tom Clancy's The Division and Ghost Recon Wildlands; they're all available for about $20 regardless of your PS Plus status. For Assassin's Creed fans, you can get Origins, Syndicate, and the Ezio Collection on sale as well, for between $20 and $30 each.
As is often the case, Grand Theft Auto V is on sale for $30 this week, while the turn-based strategy game XCOM 2 will only set you back $20. Additionally, a bunch of smaller and/or indie games are on sale, including The Witness, The Disney Afternoon Collection, and Undertale. See below for details on the deals.
Mojang has announced a date for the big Better Together update to Minecraft on Switch, which will enable the unprecedented ability to earn Xbox achievements on the Nintendo console. The update will drop on June 21.
Microsoft announced the ambitious plan to unify the various versions of Minecraft with cross-play last year, which also meant you'd be signing into an Xbox Live account on each platform. The company then confirmed in a statement that, since you'd be signed into an Xbox Live account, you'd be earning Xbox Live achievements no matter where you are. The Better Together update, also known as the "Bedrock Update" for providing a unified framework, already released on September 20, 2017 for all platforms except Nintendo Switch.
Aside from enabling achievements, the big update allows cross-platform play between the multiple places Minecraft has landed over the years. A new bedrock physical version of Minecraft for Switch will release the day before the update goes live, and current owners of Minecraft on Switch can update to the new version for free.
While the update will allow you to play across platforms, it may not remain free to do so. Nintendo is rolling out its own paid online service later this year, and it will be required for most online games. A handful of games have been confirmed to be gated to paid members, while others will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Minecraft hasn't been announced as one of the games falling under the paid tier, but it very well could be. Nintendo's online service is significantly less than that of other consoles, though, at $20 per year.
One of the most memorable points of Avengers: Infinity War may have been much different, if not for some solid improvisational skills from actor Tom Holland. The directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, opened up about how Holland added to a pivotal point for Spider-Man and helped capture the spirit of the moment. Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War follow.
In the climactic moment of Avengers: Infinity War, the villain Thanos snaps his fingers to wipe out half the population of the universe, and we subsequently see several characters both minor and major fading into dust. The camera lingers the longest on Spider-Man, who has an emotional moment with his mentor Tony Stark. The Russos told Uproxx that a lot of that was from Holland.
"I think what was scripted was, 'I don't feel so good,' and, 'I'm sorry,' and everything in-between is Tom," said Joe Russo. Throughout the rest of the scene, Parker is pleading and scared, saying he doesn't want to go. Joe said that was an emotional level they had pushed him to pursue, summarized as "you're a child and you don't understand."
On top of that, Holland also benefited from working with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, who has been a mentor to Holland as an actor as well. "Ever since we introduced the new Spider-Man in Civil War, Robert has been a very active mentor to him. And not just outside, but in the moment and in the scene while acting," said Anthony Russo. "Robert is one of the most remarkable performers on the planet and he makes everyone around him better and he brings everybody up. So, when Robert is tuned in to what you're doing and, on a performance level, he wants to help feed you and pull you. He can do remarkable things. And he will dance with Tom on a performance level that is amazing and that was one example of it. He's a very giving performer and he really helped us find that moment with Tom."
The result is one of the film's haunting emotional centerpieces, which Joe Russo says they knew they had to make a "gut-punch." Anthony Russo added, "Once we commit to a story idea, we commit to the fullest version of that. The potency of that moment is a function of us following that creative choice." Asked if they were concerned it would make kids cry, the two compared it to the adventure franchise film that made them cry as kids: The Empire Strikes Back.
"I stayed and I watched that movie from 11 AM until 11 PM the day that movie came out," Joe Russo said. "I just kept going back and back and back. And I think there's something about catharsis and we all create catharsis in storytelling. There are things you can deal with in fantasy that you can't deal with directly in the real world. I would argue that this movie is a reflection of its time. And that there is a level of catharsis the audience is going through collectively and globally as we march into whatever future awaits us."
Spider-Man certainly wasn't the only prominent and emotional death in the film, though. Black Panther has a brief emotional moment with his bodyguard Okoye, and Groot has a scene that hits even harder once you hear what his final "I am Groot" meant. Avengers 4 will continue the story and presumably resolve the Thanos arc when it releases next year, and Disney is already eyeing the next ten years of Marvel movies with a new franchise.
Avengers: Infinity War continues to make loads of money at the box office. The Marvel superhero movie pulled in $61.8 million in the US and Canada this weekend for another week at No. 1, while it made $281.3 million from international markets over the weekend (it opened in China; more on that later), reports EW. Globally, the movie has now made $1.6 billion, which is the fifth highest ever.
It's only now behind Jurassic World ($1.67 billion), Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.06 billion), Titanic ($2.18 billion), and Avatar ($2.78 billion), according to Box Office Mojo.
Infinity War opened in China this weekend, and it made an incredible $202 million there, according to box office data supplied to Variety. China is the world's second-biggest market for movies, and Infinity War's results there show much meaningful that is.
Infinity War made $1 billion globally faster than any movie in history, and it will be interesting to see how much further its box office results grow in the weeks ahead. The movie will eventually come to Blu-ray and DVD, bringing in even more money for Disney.
Rounding out the top five movies in the US and Canada this weekend were Life of the Party ($18.5 million), Breaking In ($16.5 million), Overboard ($10.1 million), and A Quiet Place ($6.4 million). You can see the full Top 10 report below, via EW.
If you were not able to grab an NES Classic during the retro console's initial run, the good news is that it'll be back in stock next month. Nintendo has announced that the hard-to-find mini-console will be available again starting on June 29.
The NES Classic ($60), and the more recently released SNES Classic ($80), should remain available to buy through the end of the year, Nintendo added.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 14, 2018
Last year, Nintendo announced that the NES Classic would return to store shelves in Summer 2018, so the June 29 timing matches up. The NES Classic first arrived last November. Pre-orders sold out in advance of launch, and those available on release day similarly disappeared in the blink of an eye, quickly leading to a price spike on sites like Ebay. Additional shipments delivered in subsequent months also rapidly sold out--this resulted in a frustrating loop where it would briefly come back in stock but be gone long before everyone could get one. Nintendo ultimately discontinued the NES Classic in April 2017 before announcing its return.
The NES Classic has 30 games, including some of Nintendo's most famous games like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong. The SNES Classic is a micro-sized version of the iconic Nintendo console. It comes with 21 games, including the previously unreleased Star Fox 2.
The SNES Classic has shipped more than 4 million units, while the NES Classic shipped 2.3 million units before it was initially discontinued.
Given the huge success of the NES and SNES Classic consoles, many are wondering if Nintendo might release an N64 Classic next. Interestingly, a trademark filing suggested that this might be happening, though no official announcement has come as of yet. Nintendo's E3 2018 briefing is taking place in early June, and we're expecting some big news.
A movie based on Capcom's Monster Hunter franchise is on the way, and now we have learned more about it. We already knew Resident Evil series director Paul W.S. Anderson is attached to direct, and now we know Milla Jovovich will star in the Monster Hunter film. Jovovich, who is married to Anderson, starred in all of the Resident Evil movies.
According to Variety, the Monster Hunter movie will enter production in September with a reported budget of $60 million. The German production company Constantin, which also worked on Resident Evil, is also behind the Monster Hunter movie.
The film will shoot in and around Cape Town, South Africa.
Constantin boss Martim Moszkowicz told Variety that he thinks the Monster Hunter movie will be "stylish" like the Resident Evil movies.
"Paul has proven over and over he does stylish movies. It's one of his big strong points. He can make a movie look good, is very much into visuals," the executive explained. He added that the plan is for Monster Hunter to become a series just like Resident Evil did.
The six Resident Evil movies made more than $1.2 billion at the global box office over 10 years, so Constantin will be looking to repeat that success to at least some degree. Capcom, which is behind Resident Evil and Monster Hunter, announced recently that Monster Hunter: World--the newest release in the franchise--has become one of the company's most successful games ever. By Capcom's latest count, it's shipped almost 8 million copies.
In other news, Constantin is working on a reboot of the Resident Evil franchise, though Moszkowicz said he's not sure if it will be as a film or TV series. Anderson is not coming back for this project (he did six movies already, after all), but that's all we know so far.
There are no official plot details for the Monster Hunter movie yet, but Anderson previously spoke at a high level about why he thinks the franchise is so appealing.
"What I love about Monster Hunter is the incredibly beautiful, immersive world they've created. It's on the level of like a Star Wars movie, in terms of world creation," he said. "There are no real central characters so it's a bit like when we first approached Resident Evil and imposed our own characters and story on that world. I think this is a perfect IP for us to do exactly that same thing again."
There is no word yet on who else may star in the Monster Hunter movie or when it'll be released. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
Being an Amazon Prime member gets you more than just streaming videos and free two-day shipping. For no additional charge, you can link up your Twitch account to become a Twitch Prime member, which grants you a bunch of free gaming goodies each month. These range from PC games to free in-game items for some of the most popular games on the planet--including Fortnite. Here's a guide to all the free gear Twitch Prime members can collect in May 2018.
For starters, you can get Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack #2. It includes an exclusive outfit, pickaxe, back bling, and emote, all available at the click of a button. Next up is a selection of six free PC games you can download in May to keep and play forever. These include games like Gone Home and Psychonauts.
Call of Duty: WWII players can grab an Ultimate Supply Drop Pack that comes with a new uniform, charm, and other items. If it's your first Twitch Prime loot redemption for the game, you'll also get a free weapon camo. And finally, you can grab a Heroes of the Storm loot pack that includes a Glitch Steed and a Rare Loot Chest.
To collect these items, head over to Twitch and click the crown-shaped Prime Loot icon next to the search bar. Some of the loot requires you to link your Twitch Prime account to your game account, but it's all pretty user friendly. If you have any difficulties, consult the FAQ at the bottom of this page. Now go off and enjoy your free stuff.
Sony has detailed some of the games it will focus on during its E3 2018 press conference. Speaking on the PlayStation Blogcast, chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios Shawn Layden indicated that PlayStation won't have a traditional press conference, and will instead feature "exclusive looks and deep dives on four" upcoming titles: Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part II.
Beyond these titles, there will be announcements with third-party publishing partners and games from indie developers will also be given time in the spotlight. When asked about the possibility of a hardware at E3, Layden confirmed "there will be no new hardware announcements at E3" from PlayStation.
For Death Stranding, Layden said Sony has a "complete new report for everybody about what is happening around that title," while Ghost of Tsushima will also have a "deep dive." For Spider-Man there will be "a new drop," which is likely to be a new trailer. Finally, The Last of Us Part 2 will have "a full new scope and treatment to show progress on the game and give people a better understanding of where we're going with Part 2."
Sony's E3 2018 press conference is set for June 11 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET / 2 AM (June 12) BST. It will be streamed on Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, and PlayStation's website. Of course, GameSpot will also be at hand to provide in-depth coverage of the PlayStation press conference, as well as the other showcases and E3 as a whole. You can take a look at the full E3 2018 press conference schedule for more information on everything happening during that week.
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale's Week 2 challenges are now live, providing players who own the Battle Pass with seven different objectives to complete. Some of these make use of new Season 4 gameplay elements (such as Hop Rocks), while others offer more challenging tasks that could require the use of a map. Here are the locations for all the key objectives and some tips on how to complete them.
Among the challenges is the aforementioned one to consume Hop Rocks. You'll need to use seven in all--a task that's not especially difficult, provided you know where to look. Hop Rocks can be found in a number of places, but they're most abundant in Dusty Divot, the crater formed as part of Season 4's map update. Head there, and you'll find purple objects floating outside the fenced-in area surrounding the comet. Simply walk up to one and hold the same key or button you'd use to open a chest, and you'll consume a Hop Rock--temporarily granting you the ability to jump much higher than usual.
Another challenge is to dance in front of different film cameras. You'll need to find seven cameras in all; these are another new element introduced as part of Season 4, which features a moviemaking theme. This is as simple as it sounds--just find a camera and perform a dance emote in front of it. The only tricky part is tracking all of these down, and many are not in named locations. Luckily, there are more than seven total, so it's not as difficult as it could be. Here's a map for 10 film camera locations we've verified:
The other more involved challenge for Week 2 is labeled by Epic as a Hard-difficulty one, meaning it nets you 10 Battle Stars, twice the number as most challenges. It asks you to search between a scarecrow, pink hotrod, and a big screen. This requires you to have either a strong knowledge of the island or a map--either way, you simply head to a point in between all three of the stated objects to find a Battle Pass icon you can collect by holding the Use button/key. This can be found directly east of Risky Reels, as seen in the map below.
The remainder of the challenges are fairly straightforward, though they may require some time and luck. You'll have to search chests in Greasy Grove, which is really just a matter of spending enough time in the area. (As always, check out attics when looking for chests.) Another asks you to deal damage with suppressed weapons to opponents (500) total, which is just a matter of happening upon the right weapon and then making use of it.
Similarly, you'll need to rack up three explosive weapon eliminations, which includes both things like grenades and rocket launchers. (Your best bet may be in a solo playlist, where you don't have to worry about downing enemies that can be revived.) And finally, you'll need to eliminate three opponents in Tomato Town. Just drop there at the start of a match and try to track down a weapon before anyone else.
For more help, you can also check out our Week 1 challenges guide, as well as our roundup of all Season 4 challenges. Completing these is the fastest way to level up your Battle Pass, allowing to get your hands on this season's skins and rewards.
Fortnite Season 4, Week 2 Challenges
Search Chests in Greasy Grove (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Consume Hop Rocks (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Suppressed Weapons to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Dance in front of different film cameras (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between a Scarecrow, Pink Hotrod, and a Big Screen -- 10 Battle Stars
Week 2 of Fortnite's Season 4 challenges have been released for Battle Pass owners. These offer a set of objectives to complete when you're not getting killed trying to become Thanos, and they each come with Battle Stars to level up and earn skins and rewards. But as with the first week, Season 4's new Blockbuster challenges offer a free Battle Pass tier--provided you've got a good eye.
Once again, completing all of the challenges from a given week completes one of the Blockbuster challenges. And as with the previous week, the reward is a loading screen that is hiding a secret. Whereas the first Blockbuster challenge loading screen had the faint outline of a free Battle Pass tier that you could obtain in-game, this one hides map coordinates for the freebie.
Over on Reddit, user Bfor45 (with the help of fellow user qwert5656) was able to quickly crank out the Week 2 challenges, thus earning the Blockbuster reward. If you look carefully at the brick wall in the background, there are several alphanumeric combinations that correspond with areas on the in-game map: A3, A4, B3, B4.
If you follow where this guides you to (just south of Haunted Hills, as seen in the map above), you can find the Battle Pass icon and collect it to earn one free rank-up. However, be aware that this only appears if you've completed the corresponding Blockbuster challenge; you can't cheat your way there by skipping the prerequisites, as you can with individual challenges that send you to a specific location.
Week 2's challenges offer a mixture of fairly straightforward ones, like getting explosive kills and opening chests in Greasy Grove, and some that are more involved, like dancing in front of film cameras and searching between a scarecrow, pink hotrod, and a big screen. We have a guide to help you complete all of these, which will in turn let you get this Blockbuster freebie.
BioWare is best known for its work on single-player games, although it does have some experience on the multiplayer side as well. With Anthem seemingly being designed as EA's answer to Destiny, multiplayer appears to be a big focus. But for those who are more interested in going about things on their own, the game will also be playable solo.
In the latest blog post from BioWare boss Casey Hudson, the company's updated mission statement is outlined: "We create worlds of adventure, conflict, and companionship that inspire you to become the hero of your story." Hudson emphasized the companionship part, as he says the company's games are meant to feature other characters on your adventures--whether those are AI- or human-controlled.
"However we design it, we always want to capture the special feeling of being on a journey with memorable companions," Hudson said. "I talked last time about Anthem being 'a story you can experience with friends.' There were, understandably, some questions and concerns about story in multiplayer. Specifically, 'What if I don't want to play with randos?' 'What if I don't have friends that I play games with?' And, 'I like to be the one making choices in my story--if it's multiplayer, won't the story get watered down?'"
Hudson attempted to dispel any concerns over this, admitting that they are things he worries about as a player as well. He called attention to the "become the hero of your story" aspect of BioWare's mission statement, saying that you as an individual should be creating a character and deciding what happens.
"I think the reason people are concerned about whether these things are possible in a multiplayer game is because it just hasn't been solved well before," he said. "With Anthem we're taking this problem head-on and structuring the entire game design to provide a specific solution for this."
Unfortunately, Hudson didn't actually explain just how this problem is being tackled. These details will be shared "very soon," but he said that you don't have to worry about being forced to engage in multiplayer.
"We think it creates a unique experience where you have control over your own story, but your story is set in an ever-changing multiplayer world," he said. "And yes, even though Anthem is meant to bring out the best parts of playing as part of an online community, you can choose to play through the story with only your friends, or even on your own.
"It's true--we're trying something really different here. Anthem represents one way to deliver innovation and new experiences in the spirit of our mission. We also have teams envisioning future BioWare games, and they're designing approaches that are different from Anthem--including one that's very Dragon Age. As we try new things, I hope that you'll come on the journey with us, and continue asking questions that will help shape Anthem into something we'll all love to play."
Just prior to E3 2018, EA will host its annual EA Play event. BioWare will share "lots more details" on Anthem there, presumably including more on what Hudson outlined in the blog post. We still know very little about the game, but its release is approaching quickly--after a delay that pushed it out of 2018, it's now due out by March 2019. EA also plans to have some kind of early access or beta test for the game, although specifics on that also remain unknown.
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