In 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV came at a time when open-world games were a dime a dozen. With the open-world framework set by GTA III, where player agency inside a large and expansive setting is given all the focus, Rockstar Games' big return to the criminal underworld of Liberty City had to overcome some high expectations and other competitors that advanced the genre even further. Though GTA IV found remarkable critical and commercial success, many fans found the game's more grounded and subdued tone to be somewhat jarring, especially compared to GTA San Andreas' outlandish, over-the-top campaign.
When you look at GTA IV in the broader sense, it was more interested in immersing players into the atmosphere of Liberty City. With a larger cast of characters, along with several new systems to learn while exploring a more dense city, the new setting offered the most dynamic space in a GTA game at the time. And now celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2018, we're taking a look back at Rockstar's seminal sequel and how its more realistic take and focus on immersing players into its dense city opened doors for many other open-world games thereafter--setting the stage for Rockstar's biggest success, GTA V.
As the first GTA game on PS3 and Xbox 360, the developers at Rockstar North opted to switch things up for its return to Liberty City. Powered by the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE for short), which made its debut with the budget-release Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis, Grand Theft Auto IV was the first AAA game to use the publisher's new tech. In addition to featuring the Euphoria physics-engine, it offered far more detail in movement and animations, along with stronger visual fidelity and design. This gave the game a drastically different look and feel compared to the previous entries, presenting more detail in geography and aesthetic across the city's various locales across the four boroughs of Liberty City.
While the familiar iconography, social commentary, and open-world action from previous games were still present--albeit in a more subdued light--GTA IV's plot centers around the immigrant experience of Niko Bellic, establishing a fresh start for the series. Traveling from eastern Europe, the Serbian War veteran sought a new life in Liberty City, while also trying to find the man responsible for betraying him many years before. Though GTA III was set in Liberty City, this game's incarnation of the setting was entirely revamped. This put players and Niko Bellic on equal footing, both outsiders to a new setting they had to make their mark in.
GTA IV has its share of high-stakes shootouts and elaborate high-speed chases, including the now-infamous Three Leaf Clover bank heist mission--which went on to serve as the basis for GTA V's heist missions--but it never goes completely beyond the realm of belief. To do so would go counter to the tone of the main story and the style it went for. Respectively, GTA IV forgoes a lot of dumb action in favor of actually getting you to spend time with the many supporting characters in Niko's story.
"Choosing to spend some time with secondary characters leads to some surprising moments of humanity and friendship, which is somewhat unexpected for a GTA game."
Early on, Niko's ne'er-do-well cousin Roman gives him a cellphone, which acts as the game's main communication and contextual gameplay tool. Along with calling in taxies and emergency service vehicles--allowing you to take on side-jobs as a driver or even track down local criminals by hijacking service vehicles--it also opens up relationships with Niko's closest allies. During your off time, you can take part in seemingly frivolous activities, such as going to cabarets, drinking at local bars, or visiting a strip club. Most importantly, you could even take part in a few games of bowling, which turns out to be a favorite among Niko's circle of friends--particularly Roman.
In some cases, characters will contact Niko directly to hang out for happy hour, or for genuine dates with potential love interests. These encounters, while mostly optional, do have some greater payoff, such as extra bodyguards and access to better resources. For instance, Dwayne Forge, a former crime lord and ex-con, will contact players to hang out. Despite having tremendous pull in the criminal underworld, he lives a largely lonesome life in a perpetual state of depression. Hanging out with Dwayne will encourage him to loosen up and open up about his past. Choosing to spend some time with secondary characters leads to some surprising moments of humanity and friendship, which is somewhat unexpected for a GTA game. It turned out that the game wasn't all about mayhem and crime after all. It was refreshing to see your time being rewarded with something cool in a GTA game, without having to fire a single bullet.
As Niko becomes more accustomed to living in Liberty City, his disdain for American life grows--sharing his thoughts with others about awful US television and the growing influence of social media. The radio stations of Liberty City blare late-2000s music and political commentary, and news stories keep you aware of the local goings-on around town, even referencing your own antics. That's not to say that its commentary is totally on the money, however. Much of the humor and style it tries to play off for laughs hasn't aged all that well--such as scenes with gay stereotypes and off-color racial humor. Granted, GTA has never been totally on the mark with its social critiques, but it does however have a strong sense of time.
Prior to GTA IV, the natural thing for other games to do was to offer more content, more action, and a bigger space to take part in. While other open-world games certainly did that well, such as the GTA clone-turned-full-blown-parody Saints Row, GTA IV focused on offering more active content to dive into. In comparison to San Andreas, the size of Liberty City's four boroughs are smaller, but it's far more dense with activity. Compared to previous games, GTA IV did a far better job of rewarding you for messing around and taking on side activities. Whether it was hanging out with friends or exploring the city to find several unmarked quests that led to some of the game's most humorous and darkest missions, there was an incredible amount of thought placed into the core design of the world and how you could choose to spend your time in it.
GTA IV came at a time when open-world games were increasingly common, and it approached things in a way that made it stand out from the rest. Sometime after GTA IV's launch, Rockstar released two DLC episodes--The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony--which introduced new missions and playable events that eventually lightened the tone. Along with offering more extravagant action set-pieces and a larger arsenal of weapons in the style of the previous games, these expansions also offered alternate perspectives to the main story--another aspect further expanded upon in GTA V.
When looking at Grand Theft Auto IV in the broader picture of the series, the general vibe it tends to give off can make it feel a bit self-serious. Still, there's something endearing--and even commendable--about how Rockstar stuck with it, and showing that you can still have a fun time exploring the city while learning more about the people in it. 10 years later, Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City still features some of the series' finest moments of storytelling. And given that it's coming from a series that focused on tons of dumb moments full of violent nonsense, that's a remarkable achievement in its own right.
In its present state, Final Fantasy XV is very different from the game we had at its 2016 launch. After several updates and content drops, which included a number of quality-of-life improvements, new missions, monsters, and world events--along with four DLC episodes--the fifteenth core entry in the JRPG has continued to evolve in its post-launch period. And the developers still see plenty of room for more growth moving forward.
During PAX East 2018, the creative team behind FFXV announced four brand new episodes focusing on Ardyn, Aranea, Luna, and Noctis--which aim to close out the game's main story. Moreover, the developers plan to move forward with making mod tools for the PC version available. They hope this will allow players to implement new events and missions, along with a healthy helping of weird side-content.
Speaking with GameSpot, episode director Takefumi Terada and live services manager Shigefumi Tanaka spoke about their respect for the community its feedback, along with their hopes on closing out FFXV's main story.
There's been a lot of enthusiasm from the community about experiencing the game on PC, even more so now that the new updates are coming. What are your thoughts on the response the PC version has had?
Shigefumi Tanaka: Yeah, when developing the PC version, it wasn't just a straight one-on-one port. We were going from the ground up, working really closely within our available skillset, putting the features in there.. We put in a lot of effort and then made sure it appealed to our PC audience. I think that is something that has resonated well with them, which was reflected in the feedback we have gotten so far.
The level editor is gonna give the players ability to create little events on their own. Technically, you could have situations where other characters than Ignis can say, "I've come up with a recipe" and little bits of like that. Just the fact that we're gonna be letting players choose their way of enjoying the game [through custom content] is something that we're looking forward to seeing. For us, we just want to provide the platform for players to take advantage of all the mod tools that are gonna be released from us, and then have them just go wild with it, have fun and, just really enjoy their own experiences.
Is Mod support something you're maybe keeping in mind for future Final Fantasy titles but also maybe some other SquareEnix games as well?
ST: I think it's something we always consider if it's right for that particular game and that particular project. I think we're gonna be really interested in seeing what those fan reactions are, too. Once the tools are all out there and we get to see how it plays out, we'll see how we want to proceed with it. In general, I think most Square Enix titles don't really open themselves up to mods officially. It's a first in many ways. I think this will be maybe setting a new standard or maybe at least sending up a new type of gameplay ideas for us in the future.
Mods are usually something you see from Western developed games. Do you feel like you've learned a lot from how those types of games are developed over the years, and how to apply the most interesting ideas to your projects?
ST: Generally, our business is not just putting out games for the Japanese market. We've always had a global vision, especially with FFXV. With that said, that's probably one of the reasons--major reasons, actually--why when we decided to do the Windows edition, [we decided] we're gonna be supporting mods on it. Moving forward, we're gonna always have a goal in our mindset. Whatever makes the most sense in that regard, I think, that's how we're gonna approach the development. Yeah, probably gonna be natural progression into the way we think and the way how we approach.
What's interesting about Final Fantasy XV is that it's changed a lot over the time sice the game first released. It's the first mainline Final Fantasy game that's not an MMO to receive such sizable content post-launch. What has it been like for you to re-examine a main entry like this after release?
Takefumi Terada: For an offline [Final Fantasy] game like this, to be continuing to update it after launch is really unusual. Even our general audience in Japan are always really interested in the thinking behind it, and why we're doing it like this. Up until launch, it is more of a traditional approach where the dev team made the game that they wanted the players to play and said, "Here it is." Once the players got their hands on it, they played it, and we heard a lot of feedback, we heard their comments, what they like, what they didn't like, things like that, and then it gave us an opportunity to respond to all the voices in the feedback.
That's why we went, "Okay, now, we're gonna add this feature or we're gonna do this." It's been a cycle where at first, it was the dev team wanting to put the game out that they believed was the one that they wanted people to play, doing our user feedback and saying, "All right. We wanna respond to that." Now, there's two-way communication between the players and the dev team. It's been how things have progressed.
Did the extended development period of Final Fantasy XV--formerly FF Versus XIII--also influence the decision to re-examine XV? Given that the dev team had many ideas that may have stayed out of the released product.
TT: It all stems from the user feedback that we got from people who purchased FF15 on day one and their immediate responses. Then as we see all the responses and the voices, we look back and we're like, "All right. Maybe there's this thing we could have used." Because it was a long development discussion, there were a lot of things we saw, but it wasn't necessarily the objective to put all those things out there. It was more about starting from the fan feedback and saying, "Okay. What can work for that? Oh, we had this. Maybe we could try using that or playing that."
A lot of fans were surprised by the announcement of the next round of DLC episodes for the game at PAX East. The response to the previous set was very enthusiastic as well. Looking back, were you happy with how those DLC episodes turned out?
TT: From a development standpoint, it got better and better in terms of the things that we wanted to achieve. We felt we could improve the quality of episode as it went on. That was due to us working together for so long. While comrades had its own dedicated team working on their own piece of the game, the DLC episodes--Episode Gladiolus, Episode Prompto, Episode Ignis, and Episode Duscae--had the same time as the scale of the games increased. Once one project was done, we'd go to the next one. Some of the things that they couldn't achieve in the previous one, they'd apply those new learnings and they try new approaches for the next one.
Is there something in particular from the previous episodes that you wanted to implement into the game, but couldn't?
TT: There's probably some things that we could apply to the next set. One thing in particular that stands out right now is that there wasn't any character progression in terms of leveling up in skills and things like that in the previous episodes. They were largely static and situational when it came to growth. That might be one feature that we can work its way into the next four.
What's interesting is that the Final Fantasy XV game we have now is very different from the game we had at launch. The focus clearly is on expanding the world, which is really exciting to see for a Final Fantasy fan. Are you interested in seeing where it goes from here even after the release of the next episodes?
ST: As far as the next DLC goes, it's really about giving the theme of the ultimate grand finale. Right now, we don't have any plans post Episode Noctis. That is the official close of this journey of FFXV. On the other side of that, in terms of providing more story content, what the team is doing is working alongside the live services team in trying to put out content that keeps general activity in-game going. From a day-to-day level, the active users will have as many ways to enjoy the game as possible.
That's why we're doing the Mods and all the great updates like user treasures and things like that--to give some kind of connection with players around the world. Even though it's not a multiplayer experience, it still gives the feeling of you being involved in something bigger, and just that two-way approach in terms of providing more story content but also just providing things on a more day-to-day level for people to just enjoy and create their own customized experience is how we're looking at the remainder on this XV timeline.
It seems like mods are going to be the thing to keep the game going after the official content is done. Is there any type of mod in particular you're looking forward to seeing from fans?
ST: Well, the golfing bit that we snuck into [our PAX East presentation] is one of those examples--which again is totally possible to make with the tools. Those left field things that people might come up with, we just want to see what people can really do with it.
TT: I think from my point of view, I want to see things that people come up that we on the dev team are always thinking about doing. Usually for us, we'll make stuff and give it to the players. We'd love for people to come up with things that will surprise us, and we'd be like, "Damn, that's good." That would be a loud and really cool moment of excitement for us.
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.
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.
The latest God of War takes a different approach from past entries in the series. This time around, the game introduces RPG mechanics, allowing you equip a variety of gear that enhance a set of stats and even offer special perks. Much like the recent Monster Hunter World, your progression is tied not to experience points, but the new armor and weapons you're able to acquire and craft.
The armor you collect comes in a variety of different styles, shapes, types, and sizes. While each armor set you has its own specific bonuses that suit different playstyles, they also offer different looks for Kratos. To give you an idea of what kind of armor sets you'll be able to use once you've progressed far enough in the game, we've compiled across the three armor piece categories some of the best looking and most powerful sets. Click from the images below to see each piece and its respective stats.
It's also worth noting that many of these armor sets can be purchased at the blacksmith shop. Each set becomes available as you progress through the game, often unlocking in the shop after a key moment in the story. Some sets can also be acquired by exploring and opening up chests, while others can be unlocked by completing specific favor sidequests. For example, both Brok's and Syndri's special armor sets are unlocked after completing the "Hail to the King" sidequest. Be wary; many of the setsin the images below are only acquired later on in the game, so there are some slight spoilers.
Below you can click through the chest pieces of some of the best armor sets. For your reference, the pieces come in the following categories: Rare (blue), Legendary (purple), and Epic (gold).
Wrist Armor
Below you can click through the wrist pieces of the game's best armor sets. For your reference, the pieces come in the following categories: Rare (blue), Legendary (purple), and Epic (gold).
Waist Armor
Below you can click through the waist pieces of the game's best armor sets. For your reference, the pieces come in the following categories: Rare (blue), Legendary (purple), and Epic (gold).
Throughout God of War's many realms lie hidden chambers sequestering powerful Valkyries. These cursed warriors offer some of the toughest fights in the entire game and grant you access to impressive-looking armor. You won't be able to fight them until you acquire the tip of a certain giant's chisel, but once you have that key item it's time to start thinking seriously about hunting Valkyries down.
Below, we will show you the exact location of each Valkyrie fight, and provide general tips on how to take them down and protect yourself from their attacks. For more on God of War, check out GameSpot's God of War review. For more guides, check out our progression system explainer and our feature detailing 11 tips you should know before starting.
Every Valkyrie Location
With four fights to discover, Midgard contains more Valkyries than any other realm in the game, but you can also find them in Alfheim, Helheim, Muspelheim, and Niflheim. The eight images below display their exact locations in each realm.
While you shouldn't have too much of an issue coming across these locations throughout the course of following the story, Muspelheim in particular is a bit deceiving at first. To get to the Valkyrie, you actually need to complete every trial and work your way to the top of the mountain, which wraps around--hence why it looks like it's near the entrance, even though it isn't.
General Tips
God of War doesn't present a clear order in which to fight the Valkyries, and not all Valkyries are created equal. That said there are a few key strategies you can take into battle that should help you regardless of the Valkyrie in question.
Whether or not you ultimately need it, be sure to take a resurrection stone into battle. Valkyries are punishing and in some cases are able to wipe you out with little warning. Having a stone in hand ensures that you get a second chance, and you'll be glad you thought ahead if you ever get knocked just before finishing off their last bit of health.
You should also prepare yourself for a bit of trial and error. Valkyries are highly mobile and capable of attacking in many different ways from near or far. It can take a few fights before you begin to recognize their attack patterns and learn how to avoid taking damage. Always go in knowing that you're better off being patient and waiting for an obvious moment of opportunity, versus risking progress on a moment of over-confidence.
The best tip you should always keep in mind: Whenever you see a Valkyrie leap into the air and telegraph an unblockable attack with a red ring of light, have Atreus fire an arrow to knock them to the ground. In most cases the attack they would otherwise activate is an arena-wide flash of energy that's impossible to dodge.
It's also smart to closely manage your runic attack cooldowns, and consider using the Talisman of Unbound Potential, which you can use to refill your meters in an instant. Simple combos will do damage to Valkyries but there's nothing quite like a powerful, magic-infused axe blow when you get the chance. Avoid spamming attacks and make the most of the opportunities that arise.
What's My Prize?
Some say victory is a reward unto itself, but this is a video game we're talking about. For every Valkyrie you defeat, you are guaranteed to get Epic-grade items in return, including plenty of enchantments and armor. Armor in particular is very desirable as each piece usually comes with powerful perks that may prove especially useful while trekking through Niflheim or Muspelheim.
What's Next?
After you defeat all eight Valkyries, well, you get to fight one more. Each Valkyrie you kill leaves a head behind that you can return to the council of Valkyries. The location of the council is pinpointed on your map--just to the left of the oarsmen--after you kill your first Valkyrie.
Returning the eight heads creates a tear that can be used to initiate a fight with the Queen of the Valkyries. She has far more health than any of the others, and even has a few new attacks to catch you off guard. The best advice for beating her is to just be patient. Don't rush, and do your best to survive. It's a long fight. Good luck.
Capcom and Sega have teamed up to offer a surprisingly great Humble Bundle that should appeal to just about any PS4 owner. And if you have a PS3 and a PS Vita, so much the better. As always with Humble Bundles, you can spend any amount you choose, starting with $1 to get the initial tier of games. Nabbing games in the higher tiers costs more money, but it's always significantly less than you'd have to spend to buy the games on their own. This Humble Bundle deal ends May 8.
By paying $1 or more, you get Dead Rising on PS4, Crazy Taxi on PS3, and Dustforce and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz on PS Vita. Capcom's Dead Rising, which originally came out in 2006, is this tier's highlight, if only because it's made for the only console that you probably still play. It puts you in a mall and has you try to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Moving on up, if you spend more than the average amount Humble Bundle buyers have spent, you get access to six additional games, four of which are for PS4. They include Resident Evil, Mega Man Legacy Collection, Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, and Alien: Isolation. Now we're cooking with fire. The first three are classics, while Alien: Isolation is an often-overlooked survival horror gem. You also get the PS3 games Binary Domain and Sonic Generations, as well as sizable discounts on newer PS4 games (detailed below).
If you drop $15 on the bundle, you'll also get Dead Rising 2 and Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, both for PS4. The former is another fine zombie-killing affair, while the latter is a refreshingly unique strategy game that mixes turn-based combat with third-person shooting.
All told, this is a killer deal, regardless of what tier you choose to come in on. Click here to visit the Humble Bundle page.
Sony has kicked off the Golden Week Sale, a two-week-long promotion on PS4 games on the PlayStation Store. It has loads of great titles on sale for low prices. And if you're a PlayStation Plus member, you get even deeper discounts on the games. The sale ends on May 8, so read on for our picks for the best deals in the Golden Week Sale. [Update: In addition to this, there's also a new Totally Digital sale that's now underway on PSN, as well as Star Wars Day deals.]
As far as big games go, you can get Monster Hunter World for $48 ($45 for PS Plus members). It offers hundreds of hours of monster hunts, loot drops, and character upgrades. The stylish 100-hour RPG Persona 5 is on sale for $33 ($27). Nier: Automata will bend your mind to the point of breaking for $36 ($30), as you find all 26 endings. Meanwhile, the remake Yakuza Kiwami is the perfect entry point in this long-running series about Japanese gangsters. It's on sale for $21 ($18).
Many smaller or more niche games are also on currently on sale. The Metroid-style pixel art game Axiom Verge is on sale for $12 ($10). All installments of the totally bonkers visual novel series Danganronpa are on sale. These games are about a murderous teddy bear who enjoys trapping high schoolers in buildings and making them kill each other to escape. And if you need to lighten up after that, try Dragon Quest Builders, a colorful game that's like a more structured, mission-driven version of Minecraft. It's on sale for $28 ($36).
You'll find our picks for the best PS4 deals below, but you can see the full list here.
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 reward
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
Reward: unknown (after complete seven challenges)
Carbide
Reach Season Level 10 -- Carbide chest cosmetic
Reach Season Level 20 -- Carbide legs cosmetic
Reach Season Level 30 -- Carbide arm cosmetic
Reach Season Level 40 -- Carbide helmet cosmetic
Reach Season Level 65 -- Carbide cosmetic
Reward: Carbide pickaxe (after completing three challenges)
Week 1
Deal damage with sniper rifles to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests in Haunted Hills (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Port-a-Fort -- 5 Battle Stars
Search F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E letters -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Tomato Town -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Pistol eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Eliminate opponents in Flush Factory -- 10 Battle Stars
It's a good day to be a Legion fan. The trippy FX series, which has ties to Marvel Comics, is getting an 11th episode added to its 10-episode season. That means more psychedelic scenes, more bizarre metaphorical moments, and more weirdness before Season 2 comes to a close.
The new season finale will air on June 12 at 10 PM ET on FX, according to Deadline. The series follows a young, troubled man named David Haller (Dan Stevens), who is the son of the famed Professor X. He was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia but came to realize he was an exceptionally powerful mutant who has the powers of telepathy and telekinesis. He quickly learns that there are more people out there just like him, and he's no longer alone. However, some of these other mutants aren't very friendly.
The newest season revolves around Haller fighting for the future. He continues his battle with the Shadow King, an incredibly powerful telepath in his own right. There have been hints to what could be coming in future episodes, like Haller's father finally appearing on the show. However, it can be tough to figure out just where this show is going sometimes because it's a bit of trip and tends to play with the audience.
While Season 1 of Legion was a blast, it felt pretty disconnected from its source material. In Season 2, there are a lot of nods to the X-Men comics, whichmake it finally feel like an X-Men TV series. But this isn't the X-Men universe we know or have seen on the big screen.
"With the X-Men comics, there are a lot of alt universes, so that has allowed me some leeway," Legion showrunner Noah Hawley told Variety. "And obviously it's a sort of origin story for David, but none of the other characters that I've surrounded him with are from the comics. It's sort of an invented world."
We'll have to wait and see what Hawley and company has planned as the season progresses. Legion airs Tuesdays at 10 PM ET on FX.
We're giving away two copies of Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - Day One Edition on PS4! Explore a beautifully crafted world and experience the gripping story in an all-new RPG adventure.
Entry is open to United States residents only, since the prizes are shipping from the US. Competition ends Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00 AM PDT. Two (2) winners will be chosen.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
Nintendo has added a selection of new rewards to the My Nintendo program. Ahead of the Switch release of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, members can redeem their points for discounts on several Legend of Zelda games for 3DS and Wii U.
On the 3DS side, My Nintendo members can get 30% off of both Ocarina of Time 3D (50 Gold points) and Majora's Mask 3D (90 Gold points). Nintendo is also offering 50% off of the series' three classic Game Boy Color titles: Link's Awakening DX (30 Gold points), Oracle of Ages (30 Gold points), and Oracle of Seasons (240 Platinum points).
Wii U owners, meanwhile, can save 30% off of the original N64 version of Ocarina of Time (240 Platinum points). Nintendo is also offering a 30% discount on the HD remasters of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess; the former can be yours for 470 Platinum points, while the latter is available for 110 Gold points.
In addition to the Zelda rewards, both Wii U and 3DS owners can now get 40% off of the original Ninja Gaiden (160 Platinum points). Members can also exchange 90 Gold points for a 30% discount on Ever Oasis, the recent action RPG from developer Grezzo (the studio behind the 3DS remakes of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask). You can find the full list of rewards on the My Nintendo website.
Hyrule Warriors: Definite Edition launches for Switch later this month, on May 18. The game bundles all of the content from the Wii U and 3DS versions of Hyrule Warriors into one package, including all of the game's DLC characters, such as Marin and Yuga. You can read more about the title in our original Hyrule Warriors review.
Lucasfilm under the Disney label has become the new caretakers of the Star Wars franchise, but original visionary George Lucas still has some pull. Ron Howard, who directed the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, revealed that his old colleague Lucas had some feedback for a scene, and he took it.
"We were doing a scene and he was trying to stay out of the way, but he did lean over and he said, 'You know what Han would really do there?'" Howard said on The Late Show (via EW). "I said, 'What?' And he told me the joke, he gave me a little joke. And I said [to the crew], 'Hey, guess what? Here's what we're gonna do in the next take.' So I know when I hear a good idea."
Given the tone of the anecdote, it seems that Lucas' suggestion likely made the cut--though we'll probably have to hear some follow-up from Howard on which quip in particular sprung from the mind of the series creator. Lucas did create Han Solo, and this movie is meant to be a throwback to the iconic rogue, so it makes sense that he'd have thoughts on how to steer the characterization.
Of course, Lucas has seemed at times peevish at the direction of the new films under Disney's direction. When The Force Awakens released, he made comments indicating frustration that the company had deviated from his own vision for the series. More recently, he said The Last Jedi was "beautifully made" but stopped short of any further thoughts. It was also apparently not what he had in mind for the future of some of his iconic characters. Lucas hasn't chimed in with thoughts on Solo yet, but we can say with near-certainty that he thinks it has at least one pretty good joke.
A new Overwatch update is out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it presents some significant changes for the game. Blizzard has not just introduced the new map, Rialto, but it's also released significant balance updates for several character--with the biggest of the bunch being the long-awaited revamp of Hanzo.
Blizzard has been working on an update for Hanzo for some time. As detailed in the full patch notes, this finally implements the changes that have been tested on the PTR recently. He loses his Scatter Arrow ability, which has long been a frustrating component of his kit for enemies. In its place, he gets Storm Arrows, which lets him rapidly fire as many as six arrows. Each of these does less damage than a standard arrow, but they're each fired at max power.
Another new ability for Hanzo is Lunge. By pressing jump while he's in mid-air, he's able to leap horizontally. Additionally, his default attack gets a tweak, with his arrows moving more quickly. Sonic Arrow, which is used to highlight the location of enemies near its landing spot, has been adjusted to be used more often but last for a shorter duration. Its cooldown is now 12 seconds (down from 20), its duration is six seconds (down from 10), and its radius is seven meters (down from 10).
"The goal of these Hanzo changes is to allow him to have new options and maintain his high damage output, while removing the frustration of fighting against the old Scatter Arrow," Blizzard explained. "Hanzo is now much more mobile with his new Lunge ability, and with the combination of the bow projectile speed increase and the new Storm Arrows ability he can now deal his high damage more consistently than ever before."
Other hero updates are less impactful but still noteworthy. The projectile size of Junkrat's Frag Launcher is now smaller, and his RIP-Tire is slightly slower. Lucio's Wall Ride should generally be more reliable and now even lets him go around corners without leaving the wall. His Soundwave ability also doesn't consume ammo and can be activated while he's reloading.
Rialto, the new map
Tracer's Pulse Bomb loses a chunk of its damage, a change which is meant to make it less deadly to tanks (while still allowing it to kill other characters). The hitbox size of Genji's deflect is now smaller, and the cone angle of Brigitte's Shield Bash has been reduced.
The remainder of the patch deals primarily with fixing some lingering bugs and adding some options for custom games. Those include the ability to disable Mercy's passive, Regeneration.
The release of the second DLC expansion for Destiny 2, Warmind, is right around the corner, but it's what comes after that which is suddenly much more intriguing. Publisher Activision has teased that this fall will see the addition of a major new mode, although it's keeping specifics under wraps until E3 2018.
During a post-earnings conference call with investors, Activision president Coddy Johnson responded to a question about how Bungie plans to continue improving the game. He said Bungie recently hosted a group of Destiny 2 players at the studio to show them both Warmind and some of what's coming this fall. Johnson claimed the response was "very positive" to both what Warmind and the update roadmap are doing, but also to something in the fall update.
Without giving away any details, he said the addition is "an incredibly engaging new mode--one that introduces a whole new style of play for first-person shooter gaming generally and certainly for the shared-world shooter space that Destiny created. It's a really exciting development. It's one of the things we think will really speak to the community when it comes out in the fall."
Despite this tease, Johnson added that we won't be hearing more about it until after Warmind's release, once E3 rolls around. E3 takes place in LA from June 12-14, and we'll have all the details on whatever Bungie and Activision have to say.
Bungie has made a concerted effort of late to better inform players about what's coming to Destiny 2 next. It's outlined a roadmap going through this summer, but so far, we haven't heard anything about the expected fall expansion, which will be the game's third. The original Destiny also faced numerous complaints until the release of its third DLC, The Taken King, that really turned around the perception of the game. We'll find out if E3 if something similar may be in store for Destiny 2.
Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard is the narrator of the cult comedy Arrested Development. So when he started doing voiceover for Star Wars promos, everyone wanted him to narrate Star Wars in the style of Arrested Development. Now he has--and it is wonderful. The Star Wars Show writers came up with a script for what A New Hope would be like as an episode of Arrested Development, and they really nailed it.
The video is true to Arrested Development to a great degree, including the opening sequence and Howard's trademark pauses and quips. It is well and truly wonderful--have a watch in the video below.
Howard replaced directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, who were fired by Lucasfilm with less than a year to go before Solo is due in theatres. Howard, who won an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind, talks more about his involvement with such a major production in this episode of The Star Wars Show.
Solo: A Star Wars Story stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han and Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, plus Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Emilia Clarke. It hits theaters on May 25, 2018. Ehrenreich recently let slip that his contract covers three appearances as Han, so we could be seeing more of the actor in the iconic role.
In related news, it was announced in February that Jungle Book director Jon Favreau is developing a new live-action Star Wars TV show. The series is set to premiere on Disney's streaming platform, which launches next year. This is in addition to the two new Star Wars movie series in the work, one from Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, the other overseen by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
The newest trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 is finally here, and that's not the only revelation about the much-anticipated western today. What appears to be the game's box art has popped up online at places like Amazon and Rockstar's own website. It shows main character Arthur Morgan pointing a revolver with a menacing look on his face. Also on the page are seven silhouettes, which are presumably the other members of the Van der Linde gang who are at the heart of the story.
What's more, the striking box art shows the stars of the American flag. Overall, the art has a warm, red-and-orange color scheme with forest trees alluding to locations in the game.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in 1899 America, 12 years before the events of 2010's Red Dead Redemption. The story picks up after a robbery goes wrong in Blackwater, with Morgan and the gang on the run; federal agents and bounty hunters are tracking them down. "As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him," reads a line from Rockstar's official description of the story.
Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Rockstar Games historically does not have a big presence at E3, but anything is possible, especially considering Rockstar's partnership with Sony to give PlayStation gamers first access to some of Red Dead Redemption 2's online content.
Buying a video game can be a risky thing. What if you don't like it? What if it's not how you imagined it would be? You're often out of luck. But what if you could try a game before you buy it? For five games this weekend, you can. These worthy games are free to play this weekend across various platforms. Better yet, if you choose to buy the full games, you can get them on sale. Here are the games you can play this weekend without spending a nickel.
Call of Duty: WWII -- (PC)
The latest installment in this premier FPS franchise has sold plenty of copies, but that doesn't mean everyone has tried it. If you've yet to pull the trigger on Call of Duty: WWII, Activision would like to give you a chance to change your mind. This weekend, PC gamers can try out the game's multiplayer mode for free on Steam. The full game is also on sale for $39 all weekend long.
From our 9/10 Call of Duty: WWII review: "As one of the most comprehensive and filler-free Call of Dutys in recent memory, Call of Duty: WWII successfully capitalizes on the series' strengths."
For Honor -- (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
For Honor is an online melee combat game set in a medieval-style fantasy world. You can see if you have what it takes to hang with the knights, vikings, and samurai for free this weekend on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game is also on sale for $20 on digital platforms. (Note: Xbox One owners will need Xbox Live Gold to play, but the PS4 version doesn't require PS Plus).
From our For Honor review: "After slaying countless foes, it's clear the impact For Honor's combat has had; its fundamental tenets of discipline and restraint are bestowed upon you permanently, forever changing the way you perceive a melee-combat encounter in a game. In its highest moments, For Honor is difficult to put down."
XCOM 2 -- (Xbox One)
Also free to play this weekend on Xbox One is the turn-based strategy game XCOM 2, which puts you in a leadership role as you fight for humanity's existence against alien overlords. The full game is on sale for $20 this weekend, too. (Note: you'll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play).
In our 9/10 XCOM 2 review, Mike Mahardy wrote, "This new script supports numerous tweaks to the XCOM formula, all for the better. We're still building an army, researching new technologies, and putting them to use in squad-based strategy missions. But these missions are less about repelling the aliens, and more about sabotaging their global operations whenever we can. We loot supply trains and intercept communications signals to halt the Advent's plan for human eradication. XCOM 2 ties its narrative and gameplay together in such a way that every mission feels critical, and every shot carries weight."
Just Cause 3 -- (Xbox One)
Fans of over-the-top action should check out Just Cause 3, which is free this weekend on Xbox One. It's basically a sandbox open-world in which all manner of chaos and action movie stunts can and do happen. This game is on sale on the Xbox Store for just $6 all weekend.
From our 8/10 Just Cause 3 review: "Just Cause 3 makes no apologies for its outrageous nature. It's a power fantasy in every sense of the phrase, placing you in a world rife with destructible environments and giving you creative instruments with which to destroy them. There are intermittent technical problems, and scripted moments detract from the freedom found elsewhere, but in the end, Just Cause 3 provides a spectacular, explosive sandbox experience."
From our 9/10 Offworld Trading Company review: "When combined with truly deep and intricate strategic options, Offworld is a revelation. It's almost unparalleled in the genre. Each and every game is thrilling. Every moment is a challenge. And the brutality of the free market ensures that you can never rest on your laurels, less you be quashed by the invisible hand."
With Sony running a sale on the PlayStation Store and Microsoft doing the same on the Xbox Store, it's about time Nintendo joined the festivities. This week, the company has put a number of Switch and 3DS games on sale on the Nintendo Eshop. We've combed through the deals and highlighted the best of the bunch below. Read on to save money on these digital games.
On Switch, you can grab the fairly new crossover game Bridge Constructor Portal for $10, down from $15. It has you build bridges and deploy portals to guide a forklift from point A to point B through each hazardous level. Also on sale is Lego Worlds ($15), an open-world, procedurally-generated game that's not unlike Minecraft, but with blocks that look like actual Legos.
For a full list of Eshop game sales, check here. And for information on all the best sales across all platforms, be sure to keep an eye on our frequently updated weekly roundup.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
If you follow video game deals, you're probably aware you can save 20% on game pre-orders from Amazon and Best Buy. The catch is that you have to subscribe to Amazon Prime or Best Buy's Gamers Club Unlocked, and those programs cost money to join. But on rare occasions, the stars align and you can lock in a pre-order for an even bigger discount without being a member of either program. That's what's happening now for SoulCalibur VI. Amazon has the Xbox One version of the game available for pre-order for $45 for everyone--that's a full 25% off--before the game is even out.
In fact, this deal is live before the game even has a release date. SoulCalibur VI is set to release sometime this year, but Bandai Namco has yet to specify an official date. The game is also coming to PC, but that version is not currently marked down.
There's no telling when SoulCalibur VI's pre-order price will shoot back up to its usual $60, so lock in your pre-order now if you're interested in the game. Amazon doesn't charge until the game ships, so you can always cancel your pre-order at any time with no penalty.
SoulCalibur VI is a Bandai Namco fighting game that takes place in the 1600s and is focused on weapons-based combat. In addition to many series regulars, including Siegfried and Taki, the roster of fighters will include the witcher himself, Geralt of Rivia. In fact, Geralt will even grace the SoulCalibur VI cover.
"We've collaborated with Bandai Namco artists to faithfully recreate Geralt, and shared original Witcher 3: Wild Hunt assets like Geralt's model, animations, and weapons," said CD Projekt Red community lead Marcin Momot. "I think Bandai Namco did an outstanding job of capturing all the details and introducing The Witcher to SoulCalibur in a way fans of both series will enjoy."
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is an Xbox One console exclusive, at least for the time being. If you've been wanting to check it out but haven't wanted to spend $30 to buy it (especially while its competitor Fortnite is free to play), you'll definitely want to check out this deal: CDKeys is selling digital codes for PUBG for $22--and it comes with a copy of Assassin's Creed Unity.
That's the lowest price we've seen yet for the Xbox One version of this game alone. You effectively get two huge games for $22. And if you want to save an extra 5%, you can "like" CDKeys on Facebook, which gives you an additional discount code (desktop only). That brings the price down to $17.
PUBG is still in early access on Xbox One, but it's receiving regular updates. In fact, it's set to get a new map soon, effectively doubling the content. As for the game itself, in GameSpot's PUBG review, Michael Higham wrote, "Each phase of a match presents a different type of tension that is equal parts thrilling and terrifying, driven by the insatiable desire to be the last person (or squad) standing. Whether you play solo or in a group, successfully executing adaptive tactics to win intense, high-stakes firefights makes for an incredibly rewarding experience. Every player has unique stories of their most memorable matches, and even after hundreds of hours, PUBG continues to inspire rousing tales of victory and defeat."
As for Assassin's Creed Unity, it drops players in a detailed re-creation of Paris during the French Revolution. In GameSpot's Assassin's Creed Unity review, Mark Walton wrote, "Assassin's Creed Unity is at once comfortingly familiar, yet drastically different. For all its recognizable tropes, and for all its throwbacks to Assassin's Creeds of old, Unity is surprisingly progressive. The sprawling narratives and endless procession of historical figures that have come to define the series have given way to a sharply focused, personal tale that eschews moments of joviality for something altogether much darker in tone."
Codes for Assassin's Creed Unity are limited, so if you want both games for $22, hop on this deal quickly.
The US video game retailer GameStop has refreshed its weekly deals and released a new ad with info on all the sales going on between May 2-8. Let's dig in and see what the best deals available this week are.
Whether you're planning to head to your local GameStop to pick up a Legendary Pokemon code, you can get Pokemon collectibles for 25% off. These include all kinds of items, from plushes to fleeces to coffee mugs. You have--no joke--27 pages of Pokemon gear to choose from.
Comedian and late night TV host Conan O'Brien's "Clueless Gamer" segment is back with a new episode for Sony's newly released PlayStation 4 game God of War. O'Brien is joined by another funny person, Bill Hader, and they do a good job at making light of a serious game.
Part of the appeal is hearing the jokes as they unfold naturally, so we won't spoil anything for you. And it's worth noting that this video appears to only use footage from the start of the game, but if you haven't started God of War yet and want to go in clean, it may be best to avoid it.
In other God of War news, Sony announced today that the game sold 3.1 million copies in its first three days, which makes it the "fastest-selling first-party title on PS4" ever. The game was developed by Santa Monica Studios under the leadership and direction of Cory Barlog.
God of War launched on April 20 and was met with widespread critical acclaim. GameSpot awarded it a 9/10 in our God of War review and said, "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."
A new week means a new set of video game deals has appeared at storefronts both physical and digital. In our ongoing quest to inform you about all the best deals in the wide world of gaming, we've gathered all the most notable sales into one place: right here. So whether you play games on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, or PC, we have you covered for all the best games available at the lowest prices this week.
And if you're looking for a free game to play this weekend, five fantastic big games, including Call of Duty: WWII, are free to play this weekend on various platforms.
This week happens to be the week of May 4--AKA Star Wars day. To celebrate, Sony has cut prices on many digital Star Wars games in half. It's called the May the 4th sale, and it has offers like $30 for Star Wars Battlefront II going on all week. That's in addition to the Golden Week sale (also running through May 8) and the Totally Digital sale, which lasts through May 29. That's a lot of sales on PS4, PS3, and Vita games.
If you've been waiting for a sale to buy the Xbox One version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, wait no longer. CDKeys has it on sale for $18, the best price we've seen yet--and it even includes a copy of Assassin's Creed Unity. And if you happen to own Battlefield 1 on Xbox One or PC, you can download the They Shall Not Pass DLC for free between now and May 15. And this weekend you can play XCOM 2 for free.
Nintendo Switch
A number of Switch (and 3DS) games are on sale this week on the Nintendo Eshop. You can save money on games like Lego Worlds, Sonic Forces, and more.
Avengers: Infinity War is the longest movie yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given everything the film had to accomplish and the endless list of characters it needed to service, that should come as no surprise. Still, that doesn't mean there was no footage left on the cutting room floor.
While most of what was shot for the film was used in the final product, Infinity War co-directors the Russo brothers have revealed details about one special deleted scene to Entertainment Weekly. "I think there's one really funny Guardians scene that didn't make the cut," Joe Russo says. "It's just more of a straight-up comedic scene."
Anthony Russo sheds a bit more light on the scene. "It's a scene where they're sort of stuck. There's a point in the movie where they're stuck without knowing what to do. And it was just this absurd scene of the Guardians not knowing where to go. And it was really fun and it was very endearing to us. But because the movie is so big and so propulsive, it just wasn't quite pushing us where we needed to go."
Everything else Joe describes as "loose ends here and there" that were trimmed to get Infinity War to its final running time. Additionally, as he explains, it makes sense that so little else was removed from the film.
"You have to be so vigilant in the script phase about what you are going to include in the movie just from a storytelling standpoint and be really difficult on the material because it is so expensive to acquire the material and you have limited time with some of the actors," Joe says. "Schedules don't always line up, so you have to be really targeted."
As for whether you'll ever get to see that deleted scene featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy, never fear. The Russos confirm it will be available on the home release of Avengers: Infinity War. Maybe this scene will explain whatever happened to Kraglin.
The PlayStation Store is flush with sales at the moment. In addition to the Golden Week sale and the Totally Digital sale--both of which last through May 8--it's also running a May the 4th sale to celebrate all things Star Wars. To that end, you can save a bunch of money on Star Wars games over on the PlayStation Store this week thanks to the . (PC players can find similar sales on Steam and Humble as well). To celebrate this sci-fi holiday, Sony has taken a lightsaber and sliced the prices of many Star Wars games in half.
On PlayStation 4, you can buy Star Wars Battlefront II for $36 (or $30 with PS Plus). This is as good of a deal as we've seen on this game, which features a single-player campaign and a robust set of multiplayer modes. For a more kid-friendly take on the series, you can buy Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens for $10, also half off.
Star Wars fans from the PS2 era may want to check out a couple of classics you can play now on PS4. Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter ($5) is a spacefaring game that takes place between Episodes I and II. Star Wars Bounty Hunter ($5) has you play as Jango Fett, who's on the trail of a dark Jedi. Both games feature 1080p upscaled graphics, along with Trophies, remote play, and most of the other bells and whistles that come with PS4 games. Or you can buy the Star Wars Throwback Pack, which includes both of those games plus Star Wars: Racer Revenge, for $12.
Or, to go back even further, you can spend $5 on Super Star Wars, an action platformer that originally launched on SNES. Additionally, all manner of Star Wars pinball games and tables are on sale this week. You can go with Pinball FX3 - Star Wars Pinball for $5, or go all in and get 10 tables in Star Wars Pinball Season 1 Bundle for $12.
A number of Star Wars PS3 and Vita/PSP games are also on sale, so check out the full list for more deals.
When it comes to big retailers, you never know what kind of gaming deals you'll see from week to week. Sometimes they only put a handful of unexciting games on sale. Other times they'll offer deep discounts on tons of fantastic games. This week's sale at Best Buy definitely falls into the latter category. You can get some of the best recent PS4 games for far less than their normal prices. Note that Xbox One versions, when available, are also on sale for the same price. Below, you'll find our picks for the best PS4 game deals at Best Buy for the week ending May 5.
First, we should mention you'll save more money on these deals if you're a Gamers Club Unlocked member. GCU members get 20% off all video game pre-orders and new (non-used) games. Better yet, the discount stacks on top of any sale that's going on. 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 purchases. You can subscribe here.
Now for the specific deals. You can get Monster Hunter World for $45 ($36) and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands for $20 ($16). PlayStation 4 exclusives are well represented in this sale. You can get Horizon: Zero Dawn for $40 ($32), the remastered version of Shadow of the Colossus for $30 ($24), and the ultra-challenging game Nioh for $20 ($16). A bunch of PlayStation VR games are also on sale, including Skyrm VR for $40 ($32) and Doom VFR for $20 ($16).
Here are some of the sale's standout games, but you can find the full list here.
It's been a couple of weeks, but Target has finally put a new set of video games on sale. That's good news for console gamers in particular, because you can get many of the recent big games for up to 50% off their regular prices. Below, you'll find our picks for the best deals available this week at Target. The sale ends May 5.
PS4 and Xbox One games
Over on PS4 and Xbox One, you can get Call of Duty: WWII on sale for $50. If you'd rather hunt monsters and craft gear with their parts, you can do that in Monster Hunter World for $45.
Not as many Switch games are on sale, but the discounts are impressive for the ones that are. For anyone who wants to see Mario and Peach use heavy firepower, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is on sale for $30. Just Dance 2018, on sale for $35, will get you off the couch and moving around. And for those who like playing board games but don't like cleaning up the parts when you're done, Monopoly is on sale for $20.
Avengers: Infinity War leaves viewers wanting more, and it follows up with a brief post-credits sequence that hints at what's coming next. But directors Joe and Anthony Russo considered breaking with Marvel Studios tradition and having no post-credits scene at all. Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War follow.
The film ends with the villainous Thanos ultimately accomplishing his goal: obtaining the remaining Infinity Stones, slotting them into his golden glove, and snapping his fingers to wipe out half of all life in the universe. It's a particularly dour ending, especially given that we see his action wiping out several Marvel heroes big and small, including Spider-Man, Black Panther, Star-Lord, and many others. The directors thought about leaving it on that dark note.
"We debated having no tags in this movie," Joe Russo told Entertainment Weekly. Anthony added, "Part of it was because we knew the ending was a complicated ending, a difficult ending, and we wanted that ending to be very definitive. We didn't want to complicate it with other ideas. So there is one tag that puts a small button it, but that's it."
That small button leaves viewers with a tiny bit of hope. After witnessing the purge, Nick Fury and Maria Hill start to fade away themselves, but not before Fury sends out an emergency distress signal. The logo that appears is a clear nod to Captain Marvel, a powerful hero in the Marvel universe whose movie is due out next March. She's presumably the cavalry coming to help turn the tide, and her standalone movie will explain what she's been doing in the meantime.
To celebrate Golden Week, Square Enix has dropped prices on a number of PC games, notably on many entries in the Final Fantasy series. Below are the standouts from Square Enix's sale, but you can find the full list here.
To start with, you can get Mini Ninjas for free. To take advantage of this offer, just add it to your cart and use promo code MINININJAS at checkout. From GameSpot's Mini Ninjas review: "This action adventure is low on gruesome assassinations and high on lighthearted fun, but that doesn't mean fans of stealth-kill simulators, or anyone else for that matter, should skip over it."
Just about every Final Fantasy game available on PC right now is currently available for half off. Core installments III - VI are $8, while the later games range from $6 to $10 each. Those are great prices on some of the best RPGs in history--even if you don't prefer the art style changes Square Enix made to some of the games.
In non-Final Fantasy news, Dragon Quest Heroes and its sequel are also on sale for between $20 and $30, and a handful of other more niche titles are on sale as well.
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