Looking at From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it's clear that it's built on the foundations of the team's previous work on the Dark Souls series. Focusing on an uncompromising and stoic design sense that rewards patient players who learn from their mistakes, the developer's next big title definitely channels some of the best of what their last ten years of games have to offer. However, Sekiro is a major shift away from the slower, and more cautious playstyle of action-RPG Dark Souls and even Bloodborne--moving further into the direction of what seems to be a traditional action game.
In Sekiro, you're tasked with using some unorthodox gadgets, a sharp blade, and a ninja's cunning and agility to overcome foes that can drop you in only a few strikes. Just prior to Gamescom, we dove into a brief section of Sekiro, which showcased the unique combat and stealth encounters, and got an idea of how it recontextualizes the Souls-formula into a stealth-action experience.
Set in a heavily fictionalized take on Sengoku-era Japan in 1500, you play as a shinobi who faces a brutal defeat at the hands of a rival samurai, losing their left arm in the process. Defying death, the warrior is given a new arm by a mysterious monk who names him the "One-Armed Wolf". From here, the main character begins his quest for revenge against the samurai and his clan that roam the lands. But during his adventure, he'll encounter other dangerous beasts and larger than life monsters, slowly revealing a much greater threat that will push his shinobi training to its limits.
Unlike From Software's past titles, Sekiro focuses on the story of a defined character, and with stripped down RPG mechanics--there's a greater emphasis on the more action-oriented gameplay and smart use of the tools you have on hand. As more of a spiritual successor to From Software's previous games--which were also directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki--many of the familiar touchstones from the Souls games remain intact--but with many notable differences.
At its heart, Sekiro is a stealth-action game, and many encounters involve getting the jump up on unsuspecting enemies for quick and efficient kill, or by avoiding packs of foes altogether. With the One-Armed Wolf's grappling hook, there's a stronger focus on verticality and movement throughout the levels, where gaining the high-ground above your opponents can mean all the difference in your chances for survival. Though you're certainly free to engage them head-on, most areas are heavily guarded, and you can easily find yourself outmatched by ranged foes and close-range fighters. The enemies in Sekiro are incredibly aggressive, and they prefer to fight in numbers.
During my time with Sekiro, I was impressed with the versatility of the game's main character, which quickly asked you to learn the ins and outs of his arsenal. With the ability to sneak, hug walls, climb steep surfaces, and even jump, the protagonist's skills give him an incredible amount of flexibility and range, allowing you to uncover hidden vantages above groups of enemies, or secret encounters off the beaten path--such as a Shinobi-hunting monk who's immune to many of the Wolf's tricks. But the protagonist's most valuable tool in his arsenal is the Shinobi Prosthetic, which acts as your all-in-one support item, akin to Bloodborne's trick weapons. Allowing you to toss shurikens, spew fire, blind foes, and unleash a powerful axe that can break through enemy defenses, the One-Armed Wolf can pull off all sorts of clever moves on the fly--such as igniting your sword on fire to add extra damage.
Like other titles from the Souls series, death plays a large role in Sekiro. While the One-Armed Wolf is an extremely lethal fighter with gadgets and weapons that allow him to kill most common enemies in only a single blow, he's extremely vulnerable as well. While you're certainly able to face off against groups of foes, it's usually the smarter option not to. During one challenging section, I entered a courtyard with several guards trying to a contain an imprisoned Ogre, only to be spotting by ranged bowmen who had the high ground. With the stealthy approach out the window, I tried to engage each target one-by-one--but then the Ogre broke free and joined the fight. What followed was a cascade of violent blows and flying arrows--culminating in the large Ogre powerbombing me and tossing me like a ragdoll.
You'll die a lot in Sekiro. But as the subtitle of the game suggests, there's more to death than what it seems. Referred to as the Resurrection mechanic and used as somewhat of a tactical respawn, you're able to use up a life token (two at max)--found from resting at Sculptor's Idols, essentially bonfires--to instantly revive on the spot and pick up where you left. In most situations, you can wait for enemies to walk away, revive, and then sneak up for a kill when their guard is down. But of course, if the situation looks too dire--some enemies will choose to stick around your body--you can accept your death instead, which will send you back to the nearest Sculptor's Idol. And of course, all common foes will return after visiting the rest point, forcing you to take on that familiar gauntlet once again.
Eventually, you'll come across elite foes that guard the only path forward. These mid-bosses are among the more dangerous opponents you'll encounter, and battling them feels more like a game of wits and quick reflexes, rather than brute force. Much like stealth gameplay, melee combat is all about taking advantage of your opponent's vulnerabilities. With the Posture System, aggressive attacks, timed parries and blocks will add pressure to your opponent. Once the Posture gauge tops out, they'll enter a stunned state, opening them up to critical attacks. However, the elite enemies can do the same to you, which will decimate your life bar in a single blow.
There were definitely a lot of surprises to be found in this relatively modest demo for the game. After passing through the castle grounds, we entered a large canyon guarded by a massive snake. With the only way forward ahead of it, we had to time our jumps and grapples correctly to enter small cave in time to evade its attacks. Soon after, we faced off against the demo's boss on a bridge surrounded by sparkling red trees--one of the demo's most visually stunning areas. Known as the Cursed Monk, this multi-phased fight forces you to use every skill you have--even grappling to higher ground to avoid attacks. It was easily the hardest fight in the demo, and unsurprisingly, we couldn't beat it.
After playing more than half-an-hour of the game, it's clear that the roots of the Souls genre are still there--yet it's undeniably its own beast. One of the more common sensations felt when playing games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne is the sense of apprehension and dread. While those feelings are still present in Sekiro to an extent, the tools and skills that the protagonist possessed gave me much more of an empowered feeling throughout. Having said that, there's still much we have to learn about Sekiro, and just how far it will go with its mashup of stealth-action gameplay and the best of what the Souls series is all about.
For more on our continuing coverage of Gamescom 2018, which includes our hands-on impressions of Devil May Cry 5 and Hitman 2, be sure to check out GameSpot's hub page for all the latest news and videos.
Here's a game you should probably download if you haven't already bought it. For Honor: Starter Edition is free on Steam for a limited time. This isn't one of those free play weekends where you lose access after a couple of days, either. If you download the game, you can keep and play it forever.
For Honor is quite a bit different from most other games on the market. It's an online melee brawler that pits three factions of warriors against one another: Vikings, Knights, and Samurai. All of the heroes have unique fighting styles, and the combat system is deep and intricate.
The version that's free right now on Steam is the Starter Edition, which typically sells for $15. As such, it's more limited than the pricier versions you can also purchase. The Starter Edition comes with all the core content of the game--the single-player campaign and all the multiplayer modes and maps are there. What's missing are most of the heroes.
For Honor launched with 12 hero characters. The Starter Edition comes with three heroes fully unlocked (one from each faction). You also get to choose three additional heroes to make "playable." Unlike the fully unlocked heroes, you can't customize these characters with new outfits unless you spend 8,000 Steel (the in-game currency) on each one. The six additional heroes that launched with the game cost 8,000 Steel each to fully unlock.
Since the game launched, Ubisoft has introduced six additional heroes to the game. Unlocking these characters costs 15,000 Steel each. (A new faction comprised of four more characters is coming with the Marching Fire update on October 16).
You can buy Steel for real-life money or acquire it through gameplay. Ubisoft says earning 8,000 Steel requires an in-game purchase of $8 or between eight and 15 hours of play time. Even if you don't want to do the mental gymnastics to figure out what it would take to unlock all the characters, you can still pick up For Honor: Starter Edition for free right now to try it out. It's unclear when it'll go back to its normal price, so you're better off downloading it sooner than later.
There's a saying that the rich get richer. And in the case of Crazy Rich Asians, it seems the adage rings true. It's been confirmed that the Jon M. Chu-directed romcom will get a sequel, with Chu returning to lead the project.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. Pictures has given the OK to continue development on the Crazy Rich Asians sequel, "with plans to reunite the first movie's original team, including producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson." Although Chu is occupied with a few other projects--including Lin-Manuel Miranda's first musical--sources told the Hollywood Reporter he'd possibly direct the sequel after completing Miranda's In the Heights adaptation, which is scheduled for a June 2020 release.
While Warner Bros. hasn't officially greenlit the project, development on the sequel is still moving forward. It's not uncommon for film studios to monitor the performance of a new franchise before going all in, but Crazy Rich Asians has been exceeding expectations since its opening, grossing an approximate combined total of $40 million dollars worldwide and knocking The Meg out of the water this past weekend. Fans and analysts alike have been impressed with Crazy Rich Asians, especially considering it's the first Hollywood movie since 1993's The Joy Luck Club to star an all-Western Asian cast.
Crazy Rich Asians is based on the 2013 novel of the same name written by Singaporean-American author Kevin Kwan. As noted by the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has access to Kwan's entire trilogy, including 2015's China Rich Girlfriend and 2017's Rich People Problems. "We have a plan with Kevin for the next two films," producer Brad Simpson said.
DICE has received backlash since the announcement that women would be included in Battlefield 5. There are many who accuse the developer of pursuing an agenda, bending historical accuracy to jump on "the bandwagon" of gender and racial inclusivity. DICE executive producer Aleksander Grondal disagrees, even saying he wishes his team had included women in 2016's Battlefield 1.
"I mean, if we were getting on the bandwagon, I created Battlefield 1, and we could've 'jumped on the bandwagon' that time around," Grondal told GamesRadar+.
He continued, "I think it's a shame we didn't [add women], because that perhaps would've been better for us. I don't think it's a bandwagon thing, I think it's about gamers wanting to express themselves in different ways. If you take a look at Battlefield historically, it's been about expressing yourself through gameplay, solving problems the way you want to, and these characters fall perfectly in line with that thinking."
By Anonymous on Aug 22, 2018 11:51 pm We went hands on with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice at Gamesom 2018. Tamoor and Lucy chat about how it's a challenging new alternative to the Dark Souls formula. From Software's new title will be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 22nd 2019.
By Anonymous on Aug 22, 2018 11:42 pm Take a look at some fresh Spyro remastered gameplay running on Xbox One. We play one level from each of the PS1 classics. And yes, we go skateboarding.
By Anonymous on Aug 22, 2018 11:30 pm We fly an advanced Typhoon fighter jet into combat to bomb tanks and ground targets in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on PS4 Pro.
By Anonymous on Aug 22, 2018 11:26 pm We got to check out the full Miami mission in Hitman 2 at Gamescom 2018. Dave and Oscar chat about how Hitman nails the formula, and how it keeps delivering on that same idea. Hitman 2 releases later this year on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
During the Inside Xbox presentation during Gamescom 2018, it was announced that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to Xbox Game Pass. This Xbox One exclusive includes anniversary editions of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, as well as Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. Although only the campaign for ODST is in the collection, the multiplayer of the other four games are all included.
Xbox also had some announcements in regards to the company's Game Pass program. Until August 31, new members only have to pay $2 for a two month membership. A beta for the Game Pass mobile app is also launching today. The app allows you to install games to your Xbox One remotely and monitor both Game Pass deals and the schedule for when titles are added or removed from the program. Android users can download the app through Google Play while iOS users need to secure a spot through TestFlight. Spots in the iOS beta are limited so act fast if you want in.
The Master Chief Collection comes to Xbox Game Pass on September 1. The collection is also getting Xbox One X enhanced, improved matchmaking, offline LAN support, and a new custom game browser. You'll get these add-ons and patches on September 1 if you just buy the collection as well.
Each and every Wednesday, GameStop puts out a new ad that highlights all of the deals and discounts available at the gaming retailer that week. This week's ad is up, so let's dig in to find all the best PS4 and Xbox One deals of the week (Nintendo Switch is left out of this week's discounts, unfortunately). These discounts go away on August 28, so don't wait too long if anything looks appealing.
If your Xbox Live Gold subscription is running out (or even if it's not), you can pick up three months of the service for $25 and get an additional three months for free. In the market for an Xbox One X? You'll get extra trade-in credit if you put a current-gen console toward Microsoft's powerful console. And you'll get half off any pre-owned game under $10 between now and August 26.
Speaking of shooters, if you pre-order Battlefield V, you'll get early access to the open beta. The beta is available for everyone on September 6, but anyone who pre-orders can download it September 3 and start playing September 4.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been on sale a lot recently, but not for this low of a price. You can pick up this romp through Tolkien's fantasy world for just $10. Sports (and sports entertainment) fans who missed out on NBA 2K18 or WWE 2K18 can pick them up for $30 each. And the cross-country racing game The Crew 2 is down to $40.
It's happening! Finally! Veronica Mars isn't so dead, after all. A revival of the former UPN and CW series is in the world at Hulu. Thankfully, the project already has creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell signed on.
The news comes from Entertainment Weekly, which reports that parts of the deal have yet to be finalized, though negotiations between streaming service Hulu and Warner Bros. TV have been ongoing for months. The important thing to note is that, however the deal for the revival is structured, Bell will be allowed to appear on the show, as well as NBC's The Good Place.
The original series centered on teen detective Veronica Mars as she solved various crimes and mysteries in her hometown. It ran for two seasons on UPN, before the network merged with The WB to create The CW. Mars then aired one final season on the new network.
Absolutely nothing else about the revival is known at this point, including when it might air and what other cast would come back. Of course, the hope is that just about everyone imaginable would return to the fictional town of Neptune for the revival.
Bell last played Mars in a 2014 follow-up film that saw most of her co-stars join her on the big screen, including Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Tina Majorino, Chris Lowell, Ryan Hansen, Krysten Ritter, Percy Daggs II, and many more.
After the film, Thomas collaborated with writer Jennifer Graham on two novels released in 2014 and 2015. Currently, the creator is working on the final season of The CW's iZombie, a show that has seen multiple Veronica Mars stars appear.
By Anonymous on Aug 22, 2018 11:17 pm Dying Light is the latest game to enter the Battle Royale arena with Bad Blood. Oscar and Lucy put it to the test at Gamescom, and came out impressed ahead of its release in September.
In Season 3, Riverdale is jumping back in time for an episode filled with very interesting casting changes. The fourth episode of the upcoming season, "The Midnight Club," will flashback to when the parents of the show's main characters were high school students themselves.
It was previously revealed that the show's younger cast would step up to play the teenage versions of their characters' parents. That means KJ Apa exchanging his red hair for a brown to play a young Luke Perry and Lili Reinhart channeling her inner Shely Briggs from Twin Peaks to portray a teenage Madchen Amick.
Now, though, the episode that's taking heavy inspiration from The Breakfast Club has made its most inspiring casting choice yet. Warner Bros. TV has announced that original Breakfast Club star Anthony Michael Hall will play Principal Featherhead in the episode. According to a character description, Featherhead is "the longstanding principal at Riverdale High who gets caught up in the game the teenagers are playing in an unexpected way."
It's hard to argue with this particular piece of casting. Seeing Hall go from the student he played in the film to the teacher stuck in the middle of whatever chaos is unfolding should be fun to watch. A full plot synopsis for the episode has yet to be released; however, viewers will learn about some of the dark secrets the parents of Riverdale have been hiding from their children all of their lives.
Riverdale returns to The CW on Wednesday, October 10, at 8 PM ET. The episode "The Midnight Club" will air on Wednesday, November 7. Be sure to check out all of our Riverdale Season 3 spoilers and teases.
During Gamescom 2018, Bandai Namco announced the second story mode for SoulCalibur 6. The company also revealed a gameplay trailer for Tira, a new DLC fighter.
The new story mode is called Libra of Souls, and it allows you to play as your own custom character through a single-player campaign. You'll have 16 different races to choose from for your character before customizing how they look, from their body type to facial features. You'll even be able to pick what type of fighting style they specialize in, and choose the armor and weapon that you think best fits that style.
After making your character, you'll fight your way through a unique campaign that pits you against an evil mastermind bent on gathering the Soul Edge shards. Familiar faces from SoulCalibur 6's main campaign, Chronicle of Souls, will show up to either help or hinder you. Chronicle of Souls takes you back to the beginning of the SoulCalibur franchise and revisits the events of the first game. Like the fighters you play as in Chronicle of Souls, your custom Libra of Souls character will be available to play in both online casual and ranked matches.
At Gamescom, Bandai Namco also revealed a gameplay trailer for DLC fighter Tira. First introduced in SoulCalibur 3, Tira has since become a veteran of the franchise and appeared in both SoulCalibur 4 and SoulCalibur 5.
In both SoulCalibur 4 and 5, Tira's fighting style was transformed to match how her personality unexpectedly changes. She has two different states, Gloomy and Jolly, with the former allowing her to dish out more powerful attacks at the cost of her own health. Some of her moves allow you to switch Tira's states on the fly, but she can also just change whenever she feels like it or after she's struck by certain attacks. The new trailer suggests Tira maintains this fighting style in SoulCalibur 6, but Bandai Namco hasn't confirmed whether or not that is the case.
SoulCalibur 6 is launching for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 19.
Fans eager to test the historical accuracy of Battlefield V won't have to wait much longer, as EA's announced the game's open beta start date. Battlefield V's open beta is scheduled to start at the beginning of September, with those who pre-order or are members of Origin Access Premier, Origin Access Basic, or EA Access getting two whole days to play before everyone else.
Battlefield V's open beta will kick off on September 4 for those who pre-order and/or are subscribers of EA's services, while everyone else will get access to it on September 6 on all platforms. The open beta will feature the new Rotterdam map for Conquest, as well as the Arctic Fjord map for both Conquest and Grand Operations. Pre-loading the open beta starts on September 3.
According to the press release, the Rotterdam map will put players in "a battle fought throughout the streets of Holland where the game's dynamic physicality and destruction will be on full display." Grand Operations makes its Battlefield V debut and is "a multiplayer experience across multiple maps and modes that takes players through a powerful narrative journey inspired by historical events," as stated in the press release. In addition to the new map and mode, a five-part Tides of War chapter--an ever-evolving journey through World War II featuring a new story every few months--will be available during the open beta, and those that complete it will receive an exclusive in-game Dog Tag when the game launches.
EA DICE recently dropped a new trailer for Battlefield V ahead of Gamescom 2018. The trailer, called Devastation of Rotterdam, shows an amalgam of cutscenes and gameplay footage. Toward the end of the trailer, we get a potential tease of Battlefield V's new Battle Royale mode, which was announced during E3 2018. We expect to see more Battlefield V footage during Gamescom and hopefully learn more about this new Battle Royale mode. Nvidia also partnered with EA DICE and used Battlefield V to showcase the newly-announced RTX video cards.
Those who pre-order Battlefield V will not only get early access to the open beta but will also be able to play the full game three days ahead of its release, on October 16. Origin Access Premier members on PC can play the full game on October 11, while Origin Access Basic members on PC and EA Access members on Xbox One get access to the Play First Trial on the same day.
Battlefield V will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 19, 2018.
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We went hands on with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice at Gamesom 2018. Tamoor and Lucy chat about how it's a challenging new alternative to the Dark Souls formula. From Software's new title will be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 22nd 2019.
Take a look at some fresh Spyro remastered gameplay running on Xbox One. We play one level from each of the PS1 classics. And yes, we go skateboarding.
We fly an advanced Typhoon fighter jet into combat to bomb tanks and ground targets in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on PS4 Pro.
We got to check out the full Miami mission in Hitman 2 at Gamescom 2018. Dave and Oscar chat about how Hitman nails the formula, and how it keeps delivering on that same idea. Hitman 2 releases later this year on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Dying Light is the latest game to enter the Battle Royale arena with Bad Blood. Oscar and Lucy put it to the test at Gamescom, and came out impressed ahead of its release in September.
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