A lot of us might still be playing God of War, but it's a new month, and that means new games are coming! There's a good mix for May, from highly anticipated ports to anime games, RPGs, and more. This includes Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Switch at the beginning of the month and Dark Souls Remastered on PS4, Xbox One, and PC at the end. David Cage's PS4-exclusive narrative game, Detroit: Become Human, also comes out this month along with Destiny 2's latest DLC, Warmind.
Below, you'll find all the big games coming to Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC in May. For a full look at all of the major games coming to each platform throughout the rest of the year, check out our comprehensive 2018 game release date list.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch) -- May 4
One of the first games coming in May is Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which first released in 2014 for the Wii U. The side-scrolling platformer delivers the Donkey Kong Country gameplay many have come to love, and the Switch version adds a new character: Funky Kong! Tropical Freeze is Retro Studios' second Donkey Kong Country game and gives you six worlds to explore.
Dark Souls Remastered (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- May 25
Though it's been delayed on Nintendo Switch, Dark Souls Remastered is still coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 25! Publisher Bandai Namco has said that on PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, and PC, the game runs in upscaled 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. It also makes some quality-of-life changes that both experienced players and newcomers may find helpful.
Another of May's biggest games is Detroit: Become Human, the latest from David Cage (Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls). In it, androids walk and work alongside humans, though many humans aren't happy about it. You switch between three different android characters, encountering difficult and emotional situations like abuse, murder, and discrimination.
Newegg has launched a 25%-off sale on lots of the biggest games on the market right now. Whether you play games on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch, you'll want to look at these deals. The only hitch is that you have to enter promo code EMCPUEU83 at checkout to receive the discount. Take a look at our picks for the best games in the sale below, or check out the full list here.
Anyone with a PS4 can save money on an array of exclusives this week. Baseball fans can grab MLB The Show 18 for $45. People who enjoy a good challenge can try their hand at Nioh for $30. And racing fans who want a realistic driving experience can get Gran Turismo Sport for $30 as well.
Xbox One owners can grab the open-sea pirate game Sea of Thieves for $45, and the battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is on sale for $19. Lots of other games are available for 25% off, too. Just don't forget to enter the promo code at checkout.
A new weekly sale is live on the Xbox Store and it has some killer deals on some fantastic games. Whether you like playing on Xbox One, Xbox 360, or backwards-compatible 360 games on your Xbox One, you'll find plenty of deals that can save you lots of money. Most of the discounts are available to anyone, but a handful require an Xbox Live Gold subscription (marked below). You can find the full list of deals here, but let's dig into the highlights.
Fans of the Caped Crusader can practically get the Arkham trilogy for a song this week, with Batman: Return to Arkham and Batman: Arkham Knight available for $10 each (£14 - £20). You can build your own Arkham, or the metropolis of your choosing, in Cities: Skylines for $20 (£16).
The tough-as-nails platformer Cuphead gets a modest discount this week down to $17 (£14). The equally tough action games Devil May Cry 4 ($13 / £10) and Devil May Cry HD Collection ($21 / £25) are also on sale.
In terms of bang for your buck, you won't find a better deal than Dragon Age: Inquisition - GotY Edition on sale for $10 / £6. That includes the game and all of its expansions, which amounts to many dozens of hours of fantasy action-role-playing. Mass Effect: Andromeda is the same price and offers a similarly expansive amount of content for those who prefer sci-fi settings.
And if you're into fighting games, you can't go wrong with Injustice 2 ($24 / £18) or Mortal Kombat X ($8 / £10). To get more fighters from the start, consider buying Injustice 2 - Legendary Edition ($48 / £40) or Mortal Kombat XL ($10 / £20). You can find even more highlights from the Xbox One sale below.
After the amazing gaming year that was 2017, you have to wonder how 2018 will compare. But if 2018's current roster of releases is anything to go by, we might be in for another fantastic year. It seems primed to impress with a slew of hotly anticipated new games, including big-budget games like Super Smash Bros., Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, Crackdown 3, and a whole lot more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy 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.
Publisher EA's PC subscription service, Origin Access, is adding more free games to its "Vault" of freebies. Five more games are coming to the library on May 17, and interestingly, they are not all published by EA itself. That's not entirely surprising, however, as Origin Access has already added many non-EA games.
Origin Access has more than 80 games already in its library of freebies; you can see a full rundown of the titles here. In addition to free games, subscribers save 10 percent on Origin purchases and can play some of EA's upcoming games multiple days ahead of launch.
A similar service, EA Access, is offered on Xbox One with its own library of free games. No version of the program is available on PlayStation 4, though the door isn't completely shut.
Ariana Grande's "No Tears Left To Cry" is one of the hottest songs on Earth right now, and Nintendo smartly is getting in on that to promote Nintendo Labo. Yes, really.
Jimmy Fallon and his house band The Roots performed the song in its entirety with Grande using cardboard instruments from Nintendo Labo. This is a version of Fallon's silly "Classroom Instruments" segment where he and his band perform popular songs like Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" with kazoos and melodicas. This "No Tears Left To Cry" segment is probably the best produced video of the bunch.
In case you're wondering, here's the full rundown of who played what for Fallon's incredible version of "No Tears Left To Cry."
Ariana Grande - Vocals
Jimmy Fallon - Guitar, Piano Studio
Questlove - Robot Kit
Black Thought - Electric Guitar Fishing Rod
Kamal Gray - Toy-Con Piano x2 (Organ)
James Poyser - Toy-Con Piano x2
Captain Kirk - Acoustic Guitar
Mark Kelley - Bass Guitar
Stro - Toy-Con Garage Drum Machine
GameSpot's Nintendo Labo review scored the game a 7/10. Reviewer Kallie Plagge said, "It's a remarkable educational tool and an opportunity to see your creations come to life, and that's something very special, even if the games themselves don't stand out."
Update 2: Fortnite's new update, 4.2, is now due out on Wednesday. Server downtime will begin at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST / 6 PM AET, although no estimate for its duration was shared. The new patch will be available once the servers are back online.
Update: The new Fortnite patch has been delayed due to Epic's discovery of an unspecified issues. Related to this, some quests might not work as expected, Epic said. That includes one of the Week 3 challenges.
We've discovered an issue that's going to delay the release of v4.2. Due to this delay some quests may not function until the build releases. We'll update you once we have a more accurate time frame.
Fortnite continues to get new updates. Developer Epic Games announced today on Twitter that the battle royale game's next update is coming on May 15.
Version 4.2 will arrive tomorrow starting at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET, and there will be some downtime associated with it. However, Epic did not specify how long the downtime will last. The patch is expected for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and we'll circle back with the patch notes when they are made available.
What came first, the chicken or this emote? 🐥 Get the Chicken Emote while you can! pic.twitter.com/TUp4y7Izss
In other Fortnite news, Epic has added yet another dance emote. This one is called the Chicken Emote, and it really looks like Gob's wonderful dance from Arrested Development. You can see the dance in action in the video above.
As with other Fortnite emotes and skins, the Chicken Emote will only be available for a limited time.
Slowly but surely, phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is becoming clear. While much of what will come after Avengers 4 remains unknown, two movies have been announced--a sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, it seems Marvel is also planning for the future of the Captain Marvel franchise.
Speaking to the BBC, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says plans are in motion to use Captain Marvel as a way to introduce yet another Marvel superhero. The character in question is none other than Ms. Marvel, the MCU's first Muslim superhero. According to Feige, the arrival of Ms. Marvel "is definitely sort of in the works."
He continues, "We have plans for that once we've introduced Captain Marvel to the world." With the Captain Marvel movie headed to theaters on March 8, 2019--and the superhero played by Brie Larson set to help close out Phase 3 in Avengers 4 on May 3, 2019--that clears the way for Ms. Marvel to possibly be introduced in a Captain Marvel sequel.
In the comics, Ms. Marvel is actually Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American sixteen-year-old who idolizes Carol Danvers. After discovering she has Inhuman genes--much like her hero Captain Marvel, she takes up the Ms. Marvel identity Danvers once went by. She was first introduced in the comics in 2013.
We've reached the middle of the month, which means the second half of May's free Games with Gold are now available to download. From now until the end of the month, Xbox Live Gold members can grab two more titles for Xbox One and Xbox 360 at no charge, and they're both certainly worth a download if you don't have them yet.
On Xbox One, subscribers can get the critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Originally released in 2015, The Phantom Pain is the latest mainline installment in the Metal Gear Solid series, and the final entry overseen by Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima. GameSpot's Peter Brown called it "undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is" and awarded it a rare 10/10 in our Metal Gear Solid V review.
This month's second free Xbox 360 game is Vanquish, the cult favorite shooter from Bayonetta developer Platinum Games. In our original Vanquish review, GameSpot awarded the title a 9/10 and called it "one of the most gleeful and memorable experiences" of its time. Like other titles offered through Games with Gold, Vanquish is also playable on Xbox One thanks to backwards compatibility.
Vanquish will remain free to download through the end of the month, while Metal Gear Solid V will be available until June 15. Gold members can also still grab the recently released Super Mega Baseball 2, which is free to download throughout the entire month. You can find the full list of May'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)
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale is underway. In addition to taking part in matches like normal, that also means there are special challenges to complete. Beyond the regular Starter and weekly challenges, Season 4 also presents some additional ones: Blockbuster and Carbide. Here's everything you need to know and details on all of the challenges revealed so far.
All Fortnite players on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile are eligible to complete the Starter challenges. These are relatively run-of-the-mill and offer different rewards, including Battle Stars and various minor cosmetics. The Battle Stars allow you to rank up the Battle Pass, which is where the vast majority of Season 4 skins and rewards are located, such as the coveted Omega skin pictured below. However, the free tier has a very limited number of goodies on offer. You'll need to purchase the full Season 4 Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks to be able to obtain all of the rewards as you level up.
Purchasing the Battle Pass also entitles you to all of the weekly challenges. Another set of these opens up each week during the season and can be completed anytime between now and when Season 4 ends on July 9.
Some of the rewards available in Season 4
That's how things have worked in past seasons, but Season 4 also has new types of challenges. Blockbusters involve completing all of the challenges from a given week. Doing so earns you an additional reward on top of what you'd get from finishing those challenges anyway. The first Blockbuster challenge you finish pays out a loading screen, which serves as a clue that directs you to an in-game location where you can get a free Battle Pass tier. To find that, though, you'll have to actually complete all of the challenges from a week.
Also new in Season 4 are Carbide challenges. One of the rewards you immediately get for buying the Battle Pass is the Carbide skin. As you reach certain level milestones during Season 4, you'll complete Carbide challenges, which unlock different "styles" that let you customize the look of the Carbide skin. Completing three Carbide challenges also nets you a matching pickaxe.
Below, you'll find a complete list of all Season 4 challenges to be revealed so far, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 4 Challenges
Starter
Outlive opponents (1,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches with friends (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents (5,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Land at different Named Locations (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches (50) -- Ace of spades cosmetic item
Play matches with at least one elimination (10) -- concept art
Hard: Win a match -- #1 cosmetic item
Reward: 5k XP (after completing four challenges)
Blockbuster
Complete all challenges in a week -- #1 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 2 different weeks -- #2 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 3 different weeks -- #3 reward
Complete all challenges in 4 different weeks -- #4 reward
Complete all challenges in 5 different weeks -- #5 reward
Complete all challenges in 6 different weeks -- #6 reward
Complete all challenges in 7 different weeks -- #7 reward
The Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature, introduced in November 2015, lets you play original Xbox and Xbox 360 games on the current-gen console. But what games are available? We've rounded them all up--and we'll continue to update this post as new games are made available to the extensive list. More are added regularly, although new original Xbox games will be less common. [Updated May 15 with one more game.]
Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Lineup:
Xbox
New titles are bolded
Black
Blinx: The Time Sweeper -- added April 17
BloodRayne 2
Breakdown -- added April 17
Conker: Live & Reloaded -- added April 17
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Dead to Rights
Destroy All Humans -- added April 26
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind -- added April 17
Full Spectrum Warrior -- added April 26
Fuzion Frenzy
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Hunter: The Reckoning -- added April 17
Jade Empire -- added April 17
The King of Fighters Neowave
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction -- added April 26
MX Unleashed -- added April 26
Ninja Gaiden Black
Panzer Dragoon Orta -- added April 17
Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory (Europe only) -- added April 26
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Psychonauts
Red Faction II
Sid Meier's Pirates
SSX 3 -- added April 17
Star Wars Battlefront -- added April 26
Star Wars Battlefront II -- added April 26
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy -- added April 26
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter -- added April 26
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords -- added April 26
Star Wars: Republic Commando -- added April 26
Xbox 360
New titles are bolded
0 Day Attack on Earth
3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
A Kingdom for Keflings
A World of Keflings
Aegis Wing
Age of Booty
Alan Wake
Alan Wake's American Nightmare
Alice: Madness Returns
Alien Hominid HD
Altered Beast
Anomaly Warzone Earth
Arkanoid Live
Army of Two
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed III
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- added April 3
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Assassin's Creed Rogue
Assault Heroes 2
Asteroids & Deluxe
AstroPop
Aqua
Axel & Pixel (not available for purchase)
Babel Rising
Band of Bugs
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts n Bolts
Banjo Tooie
Banjo Kazooie
Batman: Arkham Origins
Battlefield: Bad Company
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield 3
BattleBlock Theater
Battlestations: Midway
Bayonetta
Beat'n Groovy
Bejeweled 2
Bejeweled 3
Bellator: MMA Onslaught
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
BioShock
BioShock 2
BioShock Infinite
Bloodforge
Blood Knights
Blood of the Werewolf
BloodRayne: Betrayal
Blue Dragon
Bomberman Live: Battlefest
Boom Boom Rocket
Borderlands
Borderlands 2
Bound by Flame
Braid
Brain Challenge
Bullet Soul
Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Burnout Paradise
Burnout Revenge -- added May 8
Cabela's Alaskan Adventures
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013
Cabela's Hunting Expeditions
Cabela's Survival: Shadows of Katmai
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Juarez Gunslinger
Capcom Arcade Cabinet
Carcassonne
Cars: Mater-National Championship
Cars 2
Castle Crashers
Castlestorm
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Catherine
The Cave
Centipede & Millipede
Child of Light
Civilization: Revolution
Clannad
Commanders: Attack of the Genos
Comic Jumper
Comix Zone
Condemned
Contra
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Crackdown
Crazy Taxi
Crystal Quest
Crystal Defenders
Cyber Troopers Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
The Darkness II
Dark Souls
Dark Void
Darksiders
Darksiders II
Daytona USA
de Blob 2
Dead Rising 2: Case West
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 3
Dead Space Ignition
Deadfall Adventures
Deadliest Warrior: Legends
Deadliest Warrior: The Game
Deadly Premonition
Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue
Defense Grid
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
Dig Dug
Dirt 3
Dirt Showdown
Discs of Tron
Disney Bolt
Disney Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Divinity II -- added April 3
Domino Master
Doom
Doom II
Doom 3: BFG Edition
Doritos Crash Course
Double Dragon: Neon
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age II -- added May 3
Dragon's Lair
Driver: San Franciso
DuckTales Remastered
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
Dungeon Siege III
E4: Every Extend Extra Extreme
Earthworm Jim HD
Earth Defense Force 2017
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Encleverment Experiment
Escape Dead Island
F1 2014
Fable Anniversary
Fable II
Fable II Pub Games
Fable III
Faery: Legends of Avalon
Fallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding Frenzy 2
Fight Night Champion -- added May 15
Fighting Vipers
Final Fight: Double Impact
Flashback
Flock
Forza Horizon
Fret Nice
Frogger
Frogger 2
FunTown Mahjong
Galaga
Galaga Legions
Galaga Legions DX
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Gatling Gears
Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War: Judgment
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
Gin Rummy
Girl Fight
Goat Simulator
Golden Axe
Go! Go! Break Steady
Golf: Tee It Up
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grid 2
Gripshift
Guardian Heroes
Gunstar Heroes
Guwange
Gyromancer
Gyruss
Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST Campaign Edition
Halo 4
Halo: Reach
Halo: Spartan Assault
Halo Wars
Hard Corps: Uprising
Hardwood Backgammon
Hardwood Hearts
Hardwood Spades
Harms Way
Haunted House
Heavy Weapon
Hexic 2
Hexic HD
Hitman: Absolution
Hitman: Blood Money
Hydro Thunder
I Am Alive
Ikaruga
Ilomilo
Injustice: Gods Among Us + disc-only Ultimate Edition
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos
Iron Brigade
Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
Jet Set Radio
Jetpac Refuelled
Jewel Quest
Joe Danger Special Edition
Joe Danger 2: The Movie
Joust
Joy Ride Turbo
Juju
Jurassic Park: The Game
Just Cause 2
Kameo
Kane & Lynch 2
Killer Is Dead
The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters 2002
KOF Sky Stage
Lazy Raiders
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Lego Batman
Lego Indiana Jones
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Limbo
Lode Runner
Lost Odyssey
Lumines Live!
Luxor 2
Mad Tracks
Mafia II
Magic: The Gathering 2012
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
Mars: War Logs
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, and Beyond
The Maw
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Meet the Robinsons
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 10
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug XX
Midway Arcade Origins
Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
Military Madness
Mirror's Edge
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
Missile Command
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
Monday Night Combat
Monkey Island: SE
Monkey Island 2: SE
Monopoly Deal
Moon Diver
Motocross Madness
Ms. Splosion Man
Ms Pac-Man
Mutant Blobs Attack
Mutant Storm Empire
Mutant Storm Reloaded
MX vs. ATV Reflex
N+
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
Neogeo Battle Coliseum
Nights Into Dreams
Of Orcs and Men
Omega Five
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
The Orange Box
Outland
Pac-Man
Pac-Man C.E
Pac-Man CE DX+
Pac-Man Museum
Peggle
Peggle 2
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark Zero
Persona 4 Arena
Phantasy Star II
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds
Pinball FX
Planets Under Attack
Plants vs. Zombies
Poker Smash
Portal: Still Alive
Portal 2
Prince of Persia
Prey
Pure
Putty Squad
Puzzle Quest
Puzzle Quest 2
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
QIX++ Puzzlegeddon
Rage
Raiden IV
Raskulls
Rayman 3 HD
Rayman Legends
Rayman Origins
Red Dead Redemption
Red Faction: Armageddon
Red Faction: Battlegrounds
RoboBlitz
Rocket Knight
R-Type Dimensions
Runner 2
Sacred 3
Sacred Citadel
Saints Row 2 -- added May 1
Saints Row: The Third
Saints Row IV
Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space
Sam & Max Save the World
Samurai Shodown II
Scarygirl
Scrap Metal
ScreamRide
Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl
Shadow Assault/Tenchu
Shadow Complex
Shadowrun
Shadows of the Damned
Shank 2
Shinobi
Shred Nebula
Shotest Shogi
Silent Hill: Downpour
Skate 3
Skullgirls
Skydive
Slender: The Arrival
Small Arms
Sniper Elite V2
Soltrio Solitaire
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic CD
Sonic The Fighters
Sonic Generations -- added April 10
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Soulcalibur
Soulcalibur II
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Space Ark
Space Giraffe
Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Spec Ops: The Line
Spelunky
The Splatters
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Split/Second
Splosion Man
SSX
Stacking
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Steins; Gate 比翼恋理のだーりん (Japan only)
Steins; Gate (オリジナル版) (Japan only)
Steins; Gate 線形拘束のフェノグラム (Japan-only, requires game disc)
Strania
Street Fighter IV
Stuntman: Ignition
Super Contra
Super Meat Boy
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Supreme Commander 2
Syberia
Tecmo Bowl Throwback
Tekken 6
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Texas Hold 'Em
Ticket to Ride
TimeShift
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Torchlight
Tour de France 2009
Tour de France 2011
Toy Soldiers
Toy Soldiers Cold War
Toy Story 3
Tower Bloxx Deluxe
Trials HD
Trine 2
Tron: Evolution
Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
Unbound Saga
Undertow
Vanquish
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
Viva Piñata
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Season 2 - A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
Microsoft continues to expand Xbox One's backwards compatible library little by little. Major Nelson announced on Twitter today that one more Xbox 360 game is now playable on the current-gen console: EA's fast-paced boxing sim, Fight Night Champion.
Originally released in 2011, Champion is the fifth and, to date, most recent installment in the Fight Night series. It features a variety of modes, including a full story campaign that follows Andre Bishop, a professional boxer working his way back to the circuit after serving out a prison sentence.
EA's boxing sim earned an 8.5/10 in GameSpot's original Fight Night Champion review. Critic Justin Calvert said, "Fight Night Champion is a great game that has a lot to offer. The story-driven Champion mode is an entertaining addition to the series, and once you get into the Legacy mode you might find that it's hard to put down your controller even after you've spent dozens of hours using the same fighter."
If you still own a physical copy of Fight Night Champion, you can now insert the disc into your Xbox One's disc drive and begin playing. Conversely, if you own the game digitally, it will appear automatically in the Ready to Download section of the My Games & Apps tab. You can also purchase a digital copy of the title from the Xbox Store for US $20 / £20 / AU $29.95.
Xbox One has amassed an impressive library of backwards compatible games since Microsoft first introduced the feature back in 2015, including a selection of original Xbox games. The most recent batch of those arrived last month and included The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Jade Empire, and Panzer Dragoon Orta, among other popular titles.
Rockstar has rolled out another batch of content for Grand Theft Auto V. Along with a new selection of in-game bonuses and discounts, the developer has introduced a new, battle royale-inspired Adversary mode for GTA Online called Trap Door, which is available to play now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Trap Door pits teams against each other on a floating platform that is shrinking "rapidly" throughout the match. Each time a player is killed, they are transported to the red zone, where they're given only a few seconds to escape to the main platform before the zone disappears and dumps everyone within into the ocean.
To commemorate the launch of Trap Door, everyone who participates in the new mode in the next few days will receive extra bonuses. From now until May 21, Trap Door is paying out double the usual amount of GTA$ and RP. You can jump into the mode either from the boot screen or by setting a waypoint to the Featured Adversary mode.
In addition to Trap Door, players will earn double GTA$ and RP for Biker Business Sell Missions, while Smuggler's Run missions will pay out double GTA$ this week. Those who also participated in last week's Business Week event will now find their bonus money waiting in their Maze Bank accounts.
On top of the aforementioned bonuses, players can save 30% off of Executive Office Garages in GTA Online this week. An assortment of "fan favorite" vehicles and weapons are also on sale; the full list of discounted items can be found below. You can read more about this week's GTA V discount on Rockstar's official website.
This Week's GTA Online Discounts
Vehicles
Mammoth Hydra -- 40% off (Buy It Now & Trade Price)
When a big new game comes out, it often takes months before we see a significant price drop. The PS4 exclusive God of War launched less than a month ago, but you can already get it for $47--that's more than 20% off. It's a good deal on a game that's received incredibly high marks from both critics and players. All you have to do is click here to get it from Newegg via Ebay. The discount appears when you add the game to your cart.
The most common way to get 20% off new games is to pre-order them with Amazon Prime or to be a Gamers Club Unlocked member through Best Buy. The problem is, those subscriptions cost money. They also only get you 20% off, which would bring the price down to $48. This deal saves you an extra dollar and doesn't require a paid membership. That's a win-win.
On the fence about buying God of War? Judging by its 94/100 score on our sister site Metacritic, you probably don't need to worry. The user score is also high at 9.2/10, indicating people who bought it tend to agree with reviewers.
From GameSpot's God of War review: "In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come."
If that sounds good, get it while it's on sale. There's no indication of when the price may go back up to $60, so the sooner the better.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
One of the big Switch exclusives coming this year, Mario Tennis Aces, is getting a beta in June, Nintendo has announced. The sports game's Pre-Launch Online Tournament will run from June 1-3, although the exact start and end times will vary by region. You can find the full announced schedule below.
Four characters are playable at the start of the demo: Mario, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser. If you gain enough performance-related points, you can unlock a further five characters, though it's not clear who these are. Matches are playable online against other people around the world or in single-player against AI-controlled opponents, but in this trial you'll need to be connected to the internet at all times no matter which mode you play. Nintendo also states that "all participants" will be able to unlock a free additional costume--Mario's traditional dungarees--for use in the full game, though it's not currently known whether you must achieve some feat to unlock this or if it's awarded to you just by taking part.
Mario Tennis Aces is coming to Switch on June 22. It introduces new mechanics such as precise Zone Shots and time-bending Zone Speed, as well as ultra-powerful Special Shots and more.
Aces is the first new installment in the series since 2015's Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U. It also marks the first Mario Tennis game since the Game Boy Advance entry, Mario Tennis: Power Tour, to feature a single-player story mode.
Mario Tennis Aces was first revealed during the surprise Nintendo Direct Mini presentation that aired back in January. The game is developed by Camelot, the studio behind the Golden Sun series and numerous other Mario Sports titles.
After a series of teasers and an initial reveal trailer, Bethesda has finally shown off some Rage 2 gameplay. The PS4, Xbox One, and PC shooter features a lot of over-the-top action, a bunch of guns, and for the first time in the series, an open world. Take a look at the new footage for yourself above.
In addition, Bethesda has revealed a few more details about the upcoming game. "Born from a collaboration of the gods of shooters, id Software, and the masters of open-world mayhem, Avalanche Studios, Rage 2 packs a carnival of carnage so intense it can only come from two legendary AAA studios," reads a press release. "That's right, this is a f***ing AAAAAA game."
Bethesda has not yet confirmed a release date for Rage 2; it simply says the game is coming in Spring 2019. The sequel is set after an asteroid kills 80% of the world's population: "Ruthless and bloodthirsty gangs roam the open roads and the tyrannical Authority seek to rule with an iron fist." You play as Walker, "the last Ranger of the wasteland and a threat to [The Authority's] power." Your character is robbed of his home and left for dead, but you must now "rage for justice and freedom."
Nanotrite powers and vehicles return from the original game, meanwhile: "From monster trucks to gyrocopters, use an assortment of rugged and wasteland-ready vehicles to speed across the badlands. If you see it, you can drive it."
Shortly after Rage 2 was confirmed, a page on Bethesda's website revealed that it would be developed not just by id Software, but also Avalanche Studios--the company responsible for the Just Cause series and 2015's Mad Max.
Bethesda stated we'll see new Rage 2 gameplay at the company's E3 press conference, which is set for 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET on June 10 (2:30 AM BST / 11:30 AM AET on June 11). The company recently teased that the showcase might be its longest one ever, although beyond Rage 2, we know little else about what will be included.
Another set of Fortnite challenges, these for Week 3 of Season 4, are now available. These introduce a treasure map hunt in Salty Springs and new rubber duckies to find, along with the usual slate of chest-opening and killing in Battle Royale. Here's how to complete all of Week 3's objectives.
One key thing to be aware of if you're attempting these challenges shortly after they debuted is that at least one of them, Watch a Match Replay, is not currently possible. Developer Epic Games intended for Week 3 challenges to launch alongside update 4.2. That patch, however, had to be delayed, and as a result Epic warned that "some quests may not function until the build releases." That includes match replays, which will seemingly not register completion without update 4.2 in place.
Another challenge (a Hard-difficulty one) asks you to follow the treasure map found in Salty Springs. As with past instances of this challenge, you can explore Salty Springs to locate the treasure map, or you can simply head to where the treasure is--if you know where to go. In this case, you'll head to an unnamed location on the map on the eastern edge of the map. Just northeast of Moisty Mire, but south of Lonely Lodge, you'll see dirt circles for what looks like a dirtbike track. Go toward the middle of the lower circle and you'll find the Battle Pass icon just southwest of the large tree. Collect the icon by holding the same Use button/key that you'd use to open a chest.
Week 3's other more involved challenge involves searching 10 rubber duckies. This involves tracking down a duck and collecting it. You can do the 10 across a series of matches, and already more than a total of 10 have been discovered across the island. There's no in-game indication for where to find them, but when you get near to one, you'll hear a telltale noise that gives away the duck's proximity. Once you find one, simply walk up to it and collect as you did the Battle Pass icon. We're assembling a map of locations now, but two you can find easily are located in the river that runs to the east of Anarchy Acres. Head to the base of the covered bridge to find one, and then follow the river north and drop down the waterfall to find another--but make sure you have materials to build your way back up.
The remainder of the challenges are more rote. You'll need to deal 500 damage with pistols to opponents, which is something you can grind out by getting your hands on pistols and then making use of them whenever possible. Another asks you to search chests in Lonely Lodge; simply drop there at the start of a match enough times and you're sure to get all seven chests.
The remaining two challenges are both Hard-difficulty ones. One asks you to get two sniper rifle eliminations, which can be difficult if you aren't great at aiming snipers. Another asks you to eliminate three opponents in Tilted Towers. Your best bet in both cases is to attempt this in a Solo playlist, where you don't have to worry about downing enemies or having their teammates revive them.
Completing challenges helps you to rank up your Battle Pass--although you'll need to have purchased the Season 4 Battle Pass to take part in anything more than the Starter challenges. Ranking up unlocks all of the skins and cosmetics that are currently available. You can get a full rundown on how to complete them all in our Season 4 challenge guide.
Season 4, Week 3 Challenges
Watch a Match Replay -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Pistols to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Lonely Lodge (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Rubber Duckies (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Salty Springs -- 10 Battle Stars
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 little more time to grab a couple of titles at no charge before they return to their regular price.
Gold members can still 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)
With the big Operation Para Bellum update quickly approaching, Ubisoft continues to reveal more details about the next season of content for Rainbow Six Siege. This time, the publisher pulled back the curtain on one of the two Operators being introduced in the upcoming update: Alibi.
Described as a "cunning woman with a gift for infiltrating dense networks of organized crime," Alibi is a new Defender inspired by the Italian Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale unit. "Picking Alibi is an invitation for a battle of wits with your opponents," Ubisoft said. "This Defender is all about finding clever ways to force the Attackers' hands. Any hesitation comes at a heavy price."
Ubisoft hasn't detailed Alibi's gadget, although the publisher notes her knowledge of Italian firearms and exceptional precision shooting skills in her backstory on the official Rainbow Six Siege website. She can also be seen standing back-to-back with a holographic decoy of herself that she can use to distract enemies, although it's not yet clear how that ability will work.
We first heard of Alibi back in March, when players discovered files for her and another new Operator named Maestro in the PC version of Rainbow Six Siege. Alibi's announcement seems to confirm that Maestro will be the second Operator coming as part of the Operation Para Bellum, although we'll know for sure soon, as Ubisoft is set to reveal more details about the upcoming season during the Rainbow Six Siege Pro League Finals on May 19-20.
Along with two new Defenders, Operation Para Bellum will introduce a Pick & Ban system, which gives players the ability to counter opponents by banning certain Operators from play. It also introduces a new map called Villa and makes a number of balance tweaks to existing Operators, particularly Echo, who will receive a second Yokai drone and other buffs. You'll be able to stream the Pro League Finals on Rainbow Six Siege's Twitch channel.
If you needed help getting away from people trying to kill you, who but Mark Wahlberg would you possibly turn to? After all, when he's not saving the universe with his massive robot friends in the Transformers movies, he's being the hero the world needs in movies like Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor, and Patriots Day. In his next movie, Mile 22, though, he's got a pretty impressive team on his side.
A red band trailer for the upcoming film has been released, featuring Wahlberg as elite and mysterious CIA operative James Silva. When the United States government needs to get someone with information about a possible devastating nuclear attack off of foreign soil, they call in Silva and his crew--which includes characters played by The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan and WWE superstar Ronda Rousey.
Based on the trailer, the movie is everything you'd expect from an action movie starring Wahlberg--from car chases and shootouts to massive explosions and plenty of opportunities for the actor to crack wise. The film comes from director Peter Berg, who previously worked with Wahlberg on the aforementioned Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day. Clearly the two like collaborating and know how to craft the kind of action fare an audience is looking for.
Mile 22 also stars John Malkovich and Iko Uwais. It hits theaters on August 3.
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
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). It features the Andrew WK song "Ready to Die."
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.
With the release of Deadpool 2 finally upon us, the reviews are in. The movie is the sequel to 2015's irreverent X-Men spin-off, which surprised many by not only becoming the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time, but also the most successful movie in Fox's X-Men franchise. So what do the critics think of the follow-up?
For the most part, reviews are positive. Deadpool 2 currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 82%, which is slightly worse than the first movie's 83% score. In terms of other films in the X-Men series, it sits behind the highly acclaimed Logan (93%), but way ahead of 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse (48%).
Most critics agreed that, for better or worse, the new movie hasn't attempted to change the originals' winning combination of irreverent humor and gory, over-the-top violence. The Deadpool 2 review from GameSpot's own Michael Rougeau said the film "mostly works for all the same reasons that the original did. Reynolds carries the movie on his back--although this time around he should have shared the load a little more evenly with some of his talented co-stars. But Reynolds' Wade Wilson is just as charming as ever, in his own twisted way, and Deadpool 2 delivers the laughs, action, and gruesome maimings that fans want."
Uproxx's Vince Mancini stated that the movie's willingness to abandon many of cliches of modern superhero movies was extremely refreshing. "It may not be as naughty as it thinks it is, or subversive in any real sense, but it does jettison many unwelcome now-standard attributes of superhero films that became convention almost without us even noticing," he said. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone agreed, describing the movie as a "a grab-bag of humor, sorrow, sensation and silliness" that "throws everything it has at you until you throw your arms up in happy surrender."
There was praise for the cast too, in particular Zazie Beetz as Domino and 15-year-old Julian Dennison, who plays a young mutant called Russell. Bruce Demara from the Toronto Star said Dennison delivers "a very strong performance here, [which is] raging, pain-filled, and believable," while Scott Mendelson of Forbes described Beetz's performance as "delightfully droll."
Nevertheless, not everyone loved the movie, and some critics felt the movie's constant irreverence actually made for lazy filmmaking. "It's also a cheap way of asking us to let the production off the hook," argued the Village Voice's Alan Scherstuhl. "I can understand why fans might laugh, but I'm obliged to ask: Wouldn't less lazy writing without a self-exonerating joke prove more satisfying?"
Similarly, Jen Yamoto of the LA Times argued that there was "a tedium to the sort of repetition that merely rehashes and recycles the same wink-wink barbs that worked the first time around--but also a relatable, even pitiable humanity in the film's desperation to be liked."
Mafia 3 developer Hangar 13 is setting up a new studio office in Brighton, UK, to be headed by Split/Second director Nick Baynes. Baynes makes something of a reunion for the studio, as he worked at Black Rock Studio with Andy Wilson, who is now VP of development at Hangar 13.
The new team will work alongside the existing offices in California and the Czech Republic to collaborate on projects. For the time being, that current project is an unannounced AAA game for 2K. The announcement promises that the studio will be scaling up its various locations to keep pace with development.
The studio's sole credit, Mafia 3, received a mixed reception on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. The GameSpot Mafia 3 review was similarly lukewarm, hailing its excellent characterization and memorable story missions, but finding the core gameplay feeling dated and plagued with technical issues.
It was a big-budget freshman attempt, though, and managed to set records for 2K at the time. The developer was hit with layoffs earlier this year regardless, but given that it's currently on a project and announcing plans to ramp up during production, that may have simply been the sunsetting of one project and moving onto the next.
A new Xbox controller designed for people with accessibility considerations has leaked online ahead of E3 2018. Twitter user h0x0d found a promotional image for the supposed new controller, which you can see below. Additionally, noted Microsoft insider Jez Corden of WindowsCentral backed it up with a report saying the controller is aimed at delivering a better Xbox experience for players with "accessibility needs."
As of yet, there is no word on how this new controller actually works, but the leaked images provide some idea. The two large buttons are presumably A and B, and they may be programmable.
WindowsCentral says the controller should be officially announced between now and E3 2018. Microsoft's E3 briefing takes place on Sunday, June 11.
Microsoft has done great work to support gamers with accessibility considerations over the year. Earlier this year, the American Foundation for the Blind gave Microsoft its Helen Keller award for spearheading advancements in technology to help those with visual impairment issues. One of the company's achievements was helping former NFL player Steve Gleason, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, improve his quality of life by updating Windows 10 to allow users to control some mechanisms with just their eyes.
The Xbox E3 2018 briefing takes place on June 11, and it's expected to bring some big news about what's next for Xbox this year and beyond. GameSpot will have lots more E3 2018 coverage coming up in the days and weeks ahead, so keep checking back for more.
Usually when Deadpool falls back on a tired trope, he turns to the camera and milks it for comedic effect. When he dives in front of a bullet, the next words out of his mouth are to make sure the cinematographers caught it in slow motion--that kind of thing. That lets Deadpool have his bloody cake and stuff it in his disgusting gob hole too; these movies can rely on silly superhero tropes, as long as Deadpool breaks the fourth wall and plays it up. "Woo! Superhero landing!"
But when that latter part doesn't happen--when the punchline never comes--it becomes hard to tell the difference between Deadpool and any other cliché-laden superhero sequel. That's the biggest problem with Deadpool 2. In its opening moments, Deadpool 2 resorts to a trope so tired and off-putting that it sets the rest of the movie on a clichéd, MacGuffin-laden path to blandness. It defines Deadpool's motivation for the whole movie. Even worse, the exact same trope motivates Cable, which is just plain bad writing. It's a double cliché of doom for Deadpool 2.
Luckily, Ryan Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth is still hilarious, irreverent, and irritatingly irresistible. The character, tone, and humor haven't changed from the original, so if you liked Deadpool the first time around, chances are you'll like Deadpool 2 as well, despite its flaws.
To explain much of Deadpool 2's plot would spoil it, but suffice to say things don't go well for Wade Wilson from the start. Like in an Iron Man sequel, the "hero" spends a lot of this movie wallowing and feeling sorry for himself, although Wade's version of that involves a lot more dick jokes than Tony Stark's. Eventually he recruits the other members of the X-Force, faces off with Cable (Josh Brolin), and meets up with Julian Dennison's character Russell, who calls himself Fire Fist--a nickname Wade is quick to make fun of.
Deadpool 2 is full of bait-and-switches. Characters you think are going to be important wind up not mattering at all. The X-Force--Terry Crews' Bedlam, Bill Skarsgard's Zeitgeist, Rob Delaney's Peter, and Lewis Tan's Shatterstar--aren't featured nearly as heavily as the trailers led us to believe (except, thankfully, Zazie Beetz's Domino, the freshest part of the whole film). Brianna Hildebrand's Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Stefan Kapicic's Colossus get about as much time as they did in the first Deadpool, while the newcomer to their crew, Shioli Kutsuna's Yukio, is onscreen for about 20 seconds total.
On the other hand, seemingly minor additions to the cast, like Dennison's Fire Fist, are actually integral to the plot, and not necessarily to the movie's benefit (Dennison is sometimes funny, but he's playing against type here, and it doesn't always work).
Deadpool 2's overarching plot doesn't really work. It relies too heavily on those aforementioned tropes, and on top of that it forgets to give you a reason to care about much of what's happening. Wade has his own goals in this movie, but they're actually counter to what you'll want to happen as the viewer, especially after a particularly conspicuous MacGuffin gets introduced partway through. Cable and Domino are undeniably cool, but like the other new characters, they have very little depth. At most, we get to know their basic motivations (if that).
All that said, Deadpool 2 is still hilarious. The character's best jokes always come from breaking the fourth wall and making references to other superhero movies and characters. Deadpool 2 pokes fun at the DC movies universe, Infinity War, the other Marvel movies, the other X-Men movies, and even certain previous Ryan Reynolds superhero roles. There are some extremely fun cameos, and the introduction, through Cable, of time travel into Deadpool's "continuity" (such as it is) makes for a collection of fantastically clever gags.
The action is still a stylish blast to watch, too, especially when the new characters get involved. Domino's power of "really good luck" lets her practically glide through action scenes without a scratch, while Cable makes good use of his "Winter Soldier arm," as Deadpool refers to it. The Merc himself uses his own regenerative body in horrifying new ways, including breaking his own arm in multiple places to put someone in an uncomfortable headlock. At one point he has to re-grow his entire bottom half, and he spends a whole scene "shirt-cocking it." If you're having trouble picturing that, think Winnie the Pooh.
Overall, Deadpool 2 mostly works for all the same reasons that the original did. Reynolds carries the movie on his back--although this time around he should have shared the load a little more evenly with some of his talented co-stars, particularly Beetz and Brolin. But Reynolds' Wade Wilson is just as charming as ever, in his own twisted way, and Deadpool 2 delivers the laughs, action, and gruesome maimings that fans want.
Microsoft, like Sony before it, is taking steps to be more transparent about the data it collects from Xbox users and in detailing what circumstances it is shared with other companies. The next time you boot up your Xbox One, you may be greeted with a page that reiterates Microsoft's policies surrounding privacy and data-sharing. Multiple GameSpot staffers received the notification today, which you can read in full at the bottom of this post.
The statement explains that if you're playing an Xbox Live-enabled game or app, Microsoft might share some information about you and your play habits with the publisher of said game or app. The information that can be shared with publishers includes your country and age range, Xbox profile data such as your Gamertag and avatar, and information about how many achievements you've unlocked and how much time you've spent in a game or app. Microsoft may also share details about enforcement against your profile.
Additionally, Microsoft's statement says it may share social data information such as your "interactions and communications" with other players, though it's unclear if this is for written and verbal messages. What's more, Microsoft may give publishers your real name, if you've elected to share that information.
Microsoft went on to say that it does not control what publishers do with this information once it is shared with them. That is determined by a specific publisher's own privacy policy practices, which you can find on the Xbox store pages.
If some or all of this information sounds spooky to you, there is something you can do. You can stop sharing game or app data with publishers by revoking access either on your console or through this website for some games and apps.
Earlier this month, Microsoft alerted fans that this data-sharing disclosure was coming. In a blog post detailing upcoming changes, the company said, "We'll also let you know about scenarios where we need to share your data with game developers, publishers, and other third parties so that you can play online." Microsoft's full privacy policy statement is below.
Xbox Data Sharing With Games And Apps:
If you use an Xbox Live enabled game (or app through your Xbox console), Microsoft may share information with the publisher of that game or app in order to deliver your online experiences, improve the game or app, diagnose problems, provide support, and connect you with other users.
Information we share may include:
limited Microsoft account data such as country and age range;
Xbox profile data such as user id, gamertag, gamer profile, and avatars;
data about your game play or app session, including achievements unlocked, time spent in the game or app, presence, game statistics and rankings, and enforcement activity about you in the game or app;
social data, including club memberships; friends, other users you have played with, and information about your interactions and communications;
data about the game or app's performance on the console, including error reports;
content you create, upload or share in the game, app, or within Xbox Live;
other data, like gamerpics and real name, that you choose to share based on your settings or by providing additional consent.
Third party game and app publishers and developers are independent controllers of this data, and their data collection, use, and sharing practices are governed by their privacy policies. Please take time to review their policies; you may find these linked from the product pages of the games or apps in the Microsoft store. For games published by Microsoft, please visit privacy.microsoft.com.
If you want to stop sharing game or app data with a publisher, remove all its games or apps from all devices where you have installed them. Some publishers' access to your data may also be revoked by visiting https://microsoft.com/consent
For more information about our privacy practices, visit privacy.microsoft.com."
It's the end of the road for EA's latest golf game. Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is being removed from all digital storefronts for PS4 and Xbox One on May 22, which is also when it'll be taken out of the EA Access free game "Vault" on Xbox One. It's just the second game to leave the service, following FIFA 14 last year.
The news comes by way of sports site Pasta Padre. The site surmises that this may have something to do with a licensing deal expiring. We have contacted EA in an attempt to get more details, and we'll update this story with anything we hear back.
Rory McIlory PGA Tour, like EA's previous Tiger Woods PGA Tour games, uses a lot of different licenses. The game features the likenesses of many professional golfers in addition to McIlroy, including Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, and Jason Dufner. There are also a number of real-world courses such as St. Andrews and TPC Sawgrass that require licensing. What's more, the presentation is voiced by broadcast TV veterans Rich Lerner and Frank Nobilo.
Even after losing Augusta National and bigger-name commentators like Jim Nantz from past games, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour likely incurred a significant and potentially complicated licensing situation that was probably always due to expire at some point.
After dropping Tiger Woods as its cover star, EA announced McIlroy would take over for what was expected by some to be a new series of licensed PGA Tour games from EA. However, EA released no follow-ups and has yet to comment on the future of the franchise.
While EA may be backing away from licensed golf games, there are still golf games on the market and new ones coming. Golf Story for Nintendo Switch is delightful, while HB Studios' The Golf Club franchise--which allows players to build and design their own courses--is due to return this year with The Golf Club 19.
Now, with Solo: A Star Wars Story heading to theaters, some information about the events leading to Trevorrow's dismissal has been revealed. According to the Wall Street Journal, at the heart of the matter was the scripts being turned in to Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy.
While Trevorrow was hired based on his pitch to Kennedy, Disney president Alan Horn and Disney CEO Bob Iger, the scripts simply weren't up to snuff. The WSJ reports that Kennedy was unhappy with the drafts Trevorrow co-wrote, as well as one from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playwright Jack Thorne. While Trevorrow was keen to try again, Kennedy opted to fire him instead.
From there, the search was on for a new director. While Abrams ended up with the role, he wasn't necessarily the first person Lucasfilm went to. Also on their list was Rian Johnson, who was fresh off of directing Star Wars: The Last Jedi--and who will tackle his own trilogy of Star Wars films after Episode IX. According to Johnson, though, any discussions about his helming the film were not serious.
In the end, Abrams took the job, which brings him full circle in the Star Wars universe. After launching a new trilogy, he'll now bring it to a close. "I had a bunch of ideas from the beginning, back on VII, of where the story would go," he tells the WSJ. "I just never in my wildest dreams thought I would have a chance to execute them."
Of course, fans are going to have to wait a while to see how he executes those ideas. Star Wars: Episode IX is in theaters on December 20, 2019.
YouTube Red has delivered a serious leg sweep with its newest original program, Cobra Kai. The series, which follows up on the movie The Karate Kid nearly 35 years later, just debuted on the streaming service and has already been renewed.
In a press release touting the renewal, executive producers Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg say, "Continuing the Karate Kid saga with YouTube Red has been a dream come true. We are grateful to all our creative partners for giving us the freedom to revisit and expand the LaRusso/Lawrence rivalry. And we are truly exhilarated by the tidal wave of support from fans of this story, both old and new."
At this point, a release date for the new season has yet to be announced. However, YouTube Red is spilling quite a few details on what to expect from Cobra Kai when it returns.
When can you expect it?
While a specific date has not been revealed, YouTube Red says the new season will arrive in 2019. Production on the series resumes this fall.
How many episodes will be in Season 2?
As with Season 1, the next batch will include 10 half-hour episodes.
Who is returning?
Naturally, William Zabka, and Ralph Macchio will be back as Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, respectively. Also signed on to return are Xolo Mariduena (Miguel Diaz), Tanner Buchanan (Robby Keane), Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso), and Courtney Henggeler (Amanda LaRusso). There's no word yet on recurring stars like Nichole Brown (Aisha) and Jacob Bertrand (Hawk), but it's hard to imagine the new Cobra Kai Dojo without them.
What will it be about?
This is where we're getting into spoiler territory. If you've yet to watch the show, stop reading now. But also, what are you waiting for? As GameSpot's Cobra Kai review will tell you, this is not a show to be missed.
The first season ended with the new Cobra Kai Dojo having won the All-Valley Karate Tournament after Miguel showed no mercy against Robby in the finals. However, the regret on Johnny's face was clear after realizing the way he trained his students brought pain and defeat to his own son, Robby.
Clearly, Season 2 will continue to deal with the incredibly strained relationship between Johnny and Robby, as the former also likely reevaluates the lessons he learned from his days as a Cobra Kai student. However, complicating matters was the return of Johnny's sensei John Kreese (Martin Cove) in the season's final moments.
Johnny previously claimed his sensei was dead. However, he's very much alive and seems pleased with the dojo's rise to greatness once again. Could Season 2 lead to a showdown between the student and his teacher? That's a question that won't be answered until 2019.
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