Yet another new update for Fortnite has arrived. The 5.30 patch adds an interesting new item--the Rift-to-Go--along with a limited-time mode that has the potential to thoroughly shake up the action by changing how you win a match. But for players on consoles, the most significant change may have been buried more deeply in the patch notes--and it's one that's gone over poorly enough that Epic is working to undo it.
Located in the Gameplay area of the patch notes is the following line: "Tuned controller input and accelerations to allow for more fine tuning when aiming." Soon after the update went live, players began reporting issues related to controller sensitivity. Epic acknowledged the issue and released a hotfix to "revert the sensitivity for consoles to a state prior to the v5.30 update." However, there's more to the story than that, because not everything has been undone.
In a post on Reddit, Epic explained that while it's been able to reverse some of the changes through a hotfix--which, as the name suggests, can be rolled out extremely quickly without a big download--the rest will require a proper update. In other words, it's going to take some time.
"Based on player feedback we went a bit too far here," Epic explained. "We're going to revert this change to how it functioned prior to the update. As of now, we've reverted what we can via hotfixes but will need to release a client update to solve ... the rest. We'll get this out to you as soon as we're able to but don't currently have a time frame."
Epic also outlined something specifically impacting those playing on Xbox One, stating, "We also lowered the dead-zone used for aiming on Xbox One controllers, which we are leaving implemented in-game as we believe this is a healthy adjustment in the long term. In doing this we discovered and fixed a bug that slightly changed Aim Sensitivity for controllers. This means you may need to adjust your sensitivity to get that 'just right' feeling back, but you'll no longer experience the change in aim acceleration."
For a competitive shooter like Fortnite where aiming is key, messing with things like sensitivity and acceleration can be a big deal. Here's hoping Epic is able to straighten it out quickly.
A new month is nearly upon us, and The Pokemon Company is continuing its Year of Legendary Pokemon campaign with another pair of free Legendaries for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. During September, players will be able to claim one of the two Eon Pokemon from Ruby and Sapphire, Latios and Latias, but as usual, the way to get your hands on them will vary by region.
Once again, those who live in the US will need to go to a participating retailer to pick up a free download code for the Legendaries. This time, the code will be distributed at Best Buy stores around the country from September 2-29. Players in Europe and Australia, meanwhile, will be able to download the Legendaries directly from the Nintendo Network between September 1-23.
As usual, the Pokemon you receive will depend on which version you're playing. You can claim the Legendaries in any seventh-generation Pokemon game, but there's an added incentive to redeem them in the Ultra titles; not only will the Legendaries come at higher levels and know different moves, they'll be equipped with a Gold Bottle Cap, a rare item that can be exchanged to Hyper Train a Pokemon. You can see their movesets and other details below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Latias -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Mist Ball
Psychic
Draco Meteor
Tailwind
Pokemon Sun
Latias -- Level 60
Mist Ball
Dragon Pulse
Psycho Shift
Wish
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Latios -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Luster Purge
Psychic
Draco Meteor
Tailwind
Pokemon Moon
Latios -- Level 60
Luster Purge
Dragon Pulse
Psycho Shift
Dragon Breath
To get the Legendary, select Mystery Gift from the main menu and choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password. Enter the download code you picked up and the Pokemon will be downloaded into your game. (Players in Europe and Australia, meanwhile, will simply need to select the option to receive their gift via the internet.) Once those steps have been completed, you'll be able to pick your Legendary up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center around Alola.
In the meantime, you still have a little more time to claim August's free Legendary Pokemon, Groudon and Kyogre, if you still haven't done so. The Ruby and Sapphire cover monsters will be available from GameStop stores until August 26. You can see all of the other free Pokemon available right now in our roundup.
Epic has rolled out a new update for Fortnite. This week's patch introduces new items and other changes to the battle royale game across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and mobile, and it also marks the start of another new limited-time mode: Score Royale.
As its name suggests, the object of Score Royale isn't to be the last player or team remaining, but to be the first to achieve the designated high score. Throughout the match, you'll earn points by collecting coins, opening chests and other loot containers, consuming certain recovery items, and eliminating other players, and the first to surpass the target score will be the winner. You can see the score breakdown, courtesy of the Fortnite website, below.
Winning Score (Solo) -- 2000
Winning Score (Duos) -- 3000
Winning Score (Squads) -- 4500
Use an Apple/Mushroom -- 10
Open an Ammo Box -- 25
Open a Llama -- 50
Open a Supply Drop -- 100
Eliminate an Enemy -- 100
Open a Treasure Chest -- 50
Find a Bronze Coin -- 30
Find a Silver Coin -- 50
Find a Gold Coin -- 100
Additionally, the initial storm circles in Score Royale are larger and move more slowly than they do in a typical Battle Royale match, which Epic says gives players "more time to spread out and search for loot." However, later storms close in much more quickly, making the late-game an intense scramble to amass points.
On top of Score Royale, Fortnite's ongoing Playground mode has also been updated with more items. The sandbox-style mode now features "a couple dozen" more ATKs to pilot, additional ramps to jump off, and a few more Rifts interspersed among the map. You can read more details about each mode in Epic's patch notes.
Beyond the new LTM, update 5.30 added the recently teased Rift-to-Go to Battle Royale, which functions like a portable rift that you can activate to warp high into the air and skydive back down. The patch also made changes to controller sensitivity, although these have been poorly received by players and will be undone. Most importantly, the update added the ability to thank the bus driver, as a fan petition humorously requested.
Assassin's Creed Origins released in 2017 following a year off, when Ubisoft took time off to reassess the future of its flagship series. Beyond the obvious move to Egypt, Origins' most notable area of innovation was combat. Previously reliant on engaging enemies and playing out execution animations, Origins completely transformed the series' combat into a hitbox-based system emphasizing precise timing and tactical dodging. While this was a welcome shift that introduced more complexity to enemy encounters, it still had plenty of shortcomings. You could easily fall into using a single dominant strategy to win fights, and the relatively low skill ceiling meant that you ultimately had very little improvement to strive for.
Ubisoft Quebec's upcoming Assassin's Creed Odyssey seems to be attending to these issues, providing more tactical combat than its predecessor while making subtle adjustments that vastly improve the moment-to-moment thrills of engagement. This might not mean much if you're more inclined to play stealth or ranged. I've personally been more of a stealth player in past Assassin's Creed games, even in entries that didn't accommodate such a playstyle--I'm looking at you, Assassin's Creed III. But I was pleasantly surprised to find during my experiences playing Odyssey that its combat was one of the aspects I enjoyed the most. Here are four major changes I noted during a recent two-hour Gamescom 2018 preview session while playing one of Odyssey's late-game questlines.
No Shields, Just Dodges
The most welcome change to Odyssey's combat is the lack of a shield or guarding stance. No longer can you block enemy attacks or arrows--you dodge them instead. This alters the flow of combat, forcing you to pay close attention to enemy movements while also being mindful of the spacing between you and your opponent. This is the best part about Odyssey's take on Origins' combat, as it elevates your active investment in a fight. It was easy to become idle in Origins, often turtling up against enemies with a shield, charging up a strong attack to knock them down, and then wailing on them. You need to be fully aware in Odyssey, unleashing measured bursts of attacks and dodging before getting hit by an enemy follow-up.
You may not come equipped with a shield of your own, but your opponents do! There's a power imbalance you feel every time you square up against a group of shielded enemies--a feeling I rarely got from fighting such enemies in Origins. Luckily, you're given a shield removal skill that can quickly put foes on even ground with you. It's an added layer of defense to enemies that seems superficial at first blush, but during my experiences with Odyssey, it contributed to the tension and reinforced the need to be alert.
A drastic, yet subtle new addition to movement is the roll as an action. In Origins, you could perform a roll after mashing the dodge button three times; it would be the third maneuver Bayek would perform after two step-dodges. However, it didn't serve much of a tactical purpose and was more of a cosmetic animation. In Odyssey, a roll is performed by holding the dodge button, and it covers more ground than the standard step-dodge. In every encounter, I had to distinguish which enemy attacks called for a roll, and which could be simply dodged with a quick step. It's a minute change but it made all the difference in elevating my senses during a battle.
You're Making Way More Decisions In Combat
Remedying the issue of Origins' barebones combat are a ton of special skills you can equip and activate on the fly in Odyssey. The most prominently featured skill in early Odyssey footage is the Spartan Kick, which allows you to launch foes away, potentially off cliffs or into shark-infested waters. But there are several other skills you can use--some offensive and others defensive. For example, one allows you to slow down time and move seven times faster than your opponents, something that comes in handy for doling out more damage or simply getting out of harm's way. Skills are triggered by holding the shoulder button and pressing the face button associated with the one equipped on your wheel. You can equip up to eight skills at once, and each takes up a specific number of points from your Adrenaline Meter--which is now split up into segments--upon use.
During high-level play, having so many skills to mix-and-match made for a satisfying dance of creatively linking together the best ones to inflict the highest damage possible. But it also demanded think about how I spend Adrenaline. While you can use it to trigger a powerful special attack that can easily dispatch a single foe, you might be better served triggering several crowd-control moves to hurt multiple foes or launch them off the battle arena instead. A canvas for players to use skills the way they want was exactly what Odyssey creative director Jonathan Dumont intended to be a part of the game's combat.
"We tried to have choice at the core of everything that we've added." said Dumont. "We were thinking about how it would be cool to mix and match skills...we looked at it more from a perspective of customization instead of trying to enforce a certain way to play the game or unlock things in a certain order."
Boss Fights Are More Difficult And Complex
If there's anything that Origins was completely lacking in, it was boss fights. Bosses were often just stronger versions of standard enemies, and if they did have something more interesting at play, the strategy to beat them was incredibly simplistic. Even at high-level play, Origins' boss fights were prolonged encounters that simply required dodging and walloping on a foe until you had enough Adrenaline to perform an Overpower move; rinse and repeat.
Odyssey seems to throw more variety into difficult boss encounters. Admittedly, this observation is purely based on my experiences fighting against Medusa (yes, that Medusa). But if what I experienced with that fight is indicative of the entire game, then I'm quite excited for what other formidable opponents Odyssey is going to throw me against--mythological creature or not.
Medusa actually had varying attack patterns and different stages as the fight progressed. She would try to slow me down with her petrifying stare and then spawn stone soldiers to gang up on me. But as the fight went on, went on, she'd assault me with petrifying lasers and try to attack me directly, all while more stone soldiers spawned in. The fight actually challenged my ability to dodge and use skills efficiently. It's exactly what you want a boss fight to be: a test of everything you've learned and executed upon using the game's various systems. You can watch the full battle against Medusa at the end of the footage above.
You Can Restat Anytime You Want
This doesn't pertain to combat directly, but if you decide there's another character build you'd like to pursue that would better accommodate your fighting style, you're free to completely restat your ability points any time at no cost to you. This is a tremendous addition that gives you the ability to experiment and spend your ability points on other skills that may not have fit your initial character build. Once again, this seems to align with what Dumont believes is Odyssey's emphasis on creativity and player choice.
"Invest the points where you want them but map them like you want them and create your own playstyle," commented Dumont when asked about player customization. "Because Assassin's Creed has been around for over 10 years now, we all play differently. Where some people just want to play stealth or ranged, some people want combat. So, we want to make sure that your play style that you want to bring in is a right playstyle for you. And the game allows you to play that way."
That creativity is welcomed by the freedom to change the way you play at any time. The build given to me during the preview was focused more on combat, but I was able to restat into a hybrid of both combat and stealth. It made the build more focused on chain-killing as many enemies as possible with the Rush Assassination skill before being seen, and then clearing out the rest with crowd-control and attack buff skills. The opportunity to branch out allowed me to get creative with my character on a whim. It was refreshing to have no penalty for doing so, as Origins forced you to commit to a build for a majority of its runtime.
A Step Forward For Combat
There's a higher sense of urgency and strategizing in Odyssey's combat. You're thinking more and you're constantly making split-second decisions on the types of skills you want to perform. Enemy groups are quicker to surround and overwhelm you than in Origins, so it's essential to move quickly and act aggressively. All of this already puts Odyssey's combat system far above Origins' in complexity and nuance, often motivating me to pursue enemies head-on more than I'm usually accustomed to.
As someone who has always relished in playing stealthily in every Assassin's Creed game, it's exciting to see improvements that make combat less mindless and more tactical. For the first time in the series' history, I'm struggling to settle on a playstyle--not because of lacking quality in one over the other, but simply out of finding each genuinely appealing. It honestly surprises me, and for a series I've been following since the beginning, I find that fantastic.
Following a round of server maintenance, a new update is now available for Fortnite. Patch 5.30 has arrived on all platforms--PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile--and it introduces new items to both Battle Royale and Save the World modes, along with an assortment of bug fixes and other improvements.
On the Battle Royale side, Epic has introduced the previously teased Rift-to-Go. As its name suggests, this Epic rarity item is a portable rift that you can use to warp into the air and skydive back down. The rifts will last for 10 seconds once they've been activated, so other players will also have a brief window of time to jump into them.
The map has changed, as Risky Reels is now home to a fan film you can watch. More significantly, Tomato Town has been replaced by Tomato Temple, where you'll find a large pyramid in place of the old restaurant.
Epic has also tweaked a handful of other weapons in Battle Royale. Now, Clingers will only detonate once their timer is up, while the Double Barrel Shotgun's spread has been reduced by 15% when crouching. Epic has also slightly decreased the equip time of the Pump Shotgun and increased the max stack size of Impulse Grenades by one. Additionally, changes have been made to controller sensitivity that have proven problematic; Epic is now trying to roll them back. And, in a more delightful change, you can now thank the bus driver.
Beyond that, the latest update marks the start of a new limited-time mode called Score Royale. This mode has players scrambling to be the first to surpass the designated high score, and they'll earn points by collecting coins, acquiring loot, and eliminating other players. The storm circle at the start of the match is also larger than normal, while the late-game circles close in more rapidly.
On the Save the World side, Epic has added the Bundlebuss Assault Rifle to the Weekly Store. This powerful new gun with a large magazine will only be available from August 23-29. A new Horde Weekly Challenge is also now available to take on.
You can find the full patch notes for update 5.30 on the Fortnite website. This week's batch of challenges will arrive a little later than usual, rolling out on Friday, August 24, instead of on Thursday like they normally do. In the meantime, you can find guides for all the missions that are currently available in our complete Season 5 challenge guide.
As players dig into the new Fortnite update, we're finding more that wasn't explicitly mentioned in the 5.30 patch notes. While some are silly--like the ability to thank the bus driver--another is pretty meaningful for the game, as the map has seen a big change to one of its named areas.
Ahead of the update's release, it seemed as if change was afoot for Tomato Town when part of its restaurant disappeared through a rift, similar to what what was happening to kick off Season 5. With the 5.30 update, Tomato Town has changed significantly enough to warrant a new name--it's now Tomato Temple.
Many of the same buildings, including the gas station, are still located there. But the central restaurant location has been replaced entirely by a large stone pyramid. You can both climb to the top and go inside, where you'll find a variety of tomatoes (and, seemingly, relics commemorating the old Tomato Town mascot).
Elsewhere on the map, the screen at Risky Reels has been repaired completely and is now functioning. After showing some typical pre-movie visuals encouraging you to buy refreshments, it airs the winner of the Fortnite Blockbuster contest, which saw fans create and submit Fortnite movies. Janthony's "Prepare for Collision" came out on top, and you can see it airing in-game or in the video above (where you don't run the risk of being shot in the back while watching, as happened to me).
Perhaps to coincide with the update to Tomato Town, Epic has added the Tomatohead skin to the in-game store for a limited time. It sells for 1,500 V-Bucks and will soon rotate out, to be replaced by other new outfits. But for those who do get their hands on it (or already have it), a new style is now available for it that can be unlocked by completing newly added challenges, which are only available for those with the skin.
There's been a lot to take in from the new Fortnite update. For a complete look at what's new, check out our coverage through the links below.
One of the best things Microsoft has done with Xbox One is make good on its commitment to backwards compatibility. New backwards compatible games are being added all the time. As with the most recent additions--Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider Anniversary--these are shared by Major Nelson on Twitter at 9 AM PT on Twitter, although there's no particular schedule for how many are released (if any) on a given day. It's always a mystery as to when we'll get more; we only know what time it'll be and that it'll come on a weekday, but the next batch of games usually isn't far off.
Even without a proper schedule for new releases, the past few years have seen the list of backwards compatible games grow quite long--and, as a result, it can be extremely difficult to find those that are worthwhile. Not only are there 400+ Xbox 360 games that can be played on Xbox One, but more than 30+ original Xbox titles are also supported.
Beyond the consistent rollout of games, Microsoft has publicly made it clear that backwards compatibility is a real priority for the company. "I see games as an art form," Xbox boss Phil Spencer said last year. "Console games can get lost when hardware generations go away. It can become more challenging to play the games of our past ... There's something to be learned from experiencing what I played as a kid. There's good business there for the content owners, but as players, it's nice to be able to understand how our art form has progressed."
Spencer subsequently made it clear that backwards compatibility is--despite reports suggesting it's ignored--a feature that people do use. He wrote off data that said otherwise and pointed to an example of strong sales for an old Call of Duty game when it was added to the service: "I think the best signal we had so far is when Black Ops II landed and that month it hit NPD's Top 10 that month for game sales. An Xbox 360 game that's years old, that shows that people care."
The feature has only gotten better with the release of the Xbox One X, as it offers much sharper visuals in these old games; some even have specific enhancements on top of a resolution increase. But whether you play on an X, an Xbox One S, or even the standard Xbox One, you're treated to a feature that is currently unmatched by both PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
While not providing access to everything available on Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, the supported backwards compatible games from the two include classics ranging from expansive RPGs and thrilling adventures to XBLA gems and old arcade games refined for the big screen. Among these are all-time greats like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Mass Effect Trilogy, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to name a few. But if you want a challenge that's faster to jump into, the likes of Ikaruga or Super Meat Boy will do the trick.
To help you parse through the giant list of supported games, we've compiled a list of our personal favorites to highlight which backwards compatible titles are worth your time. If you want to pick something out yourself, you can peruse the entire list of Xbox One backwards compatible games. Which Xbox One backwards compatible games do you love the most? Are there any games would you like to be added in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
Alan Wake
Unfortunately, Alan Wake has been removed from all digital platforms, which includes the Xbox Store. However, if you can snag yourself a physical copy of it (or already own it digitally), then Alan Wake will take you on an adventure that you won't soon forget. Set in the Pacific Northwest town of Bright Falls (and taking significant inspiration from the television series Twin Peaks), Alan Wake features the titular character taking a vacation with his wife, who hopes the break will help her husband with his writing block. Things quickly take a turn for the worse, as Alan's wife disappears, and he's forced to confront the darkness that shrouds Bright Falls and ultimately question his own sanity. It's a compelling narrative that'll have you aching for a proper sequel. Thankfully, the two DLC story expansions are now free, so you'll at least have something to tide you over. | Mat Paget
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Desmond Miles' trip through time ended with Assassin's Creed III, and Ubisoft's follow-up title put players into the role of a nameless Abstergo employee. It was a clean slate for the franchise, offering a great point for new players to jump in without having to start from Altair's story. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag steps back from the grand ideologies of the Assassins and Templars, as well as the convoluted Those Who Came Before storyline, to deliver a relatable tale of one man's quest for redemption. Edward Kenway isn't all that different from a young Ezio; he has a good heart but he's brash and selfish. Over the course of Black Flag, Edward grows from a greedy pirate into a humbled hero. The inclusion of both traditional assassination missions and new naval combat along with the lush islands and open seas of the Caribbean made for one of the best games in the franchise. | Jordan Ramee
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Rockstar constantly refines its open-world action games, which we've seen through the Grand Theft Auto series and Red Dead Redemption. But the one that always stands out to me is Bully, because it traded gratuitous violence and adult stories for the rough-and-tumble fisticuffs and hijinx of a rambunctious high school. I vividly remember the theme song that plays while walking Bullworth Academy, rushing to make it to class on time, and scrapping with the bullies in missions to become the most respected student on campus. Bully expands beyond that with loads of fun mini-games, silly characters based on high school stereotypes, and an expansive open world. While it may be a bit wonky in terms of controls and technical performance compared to modern games, everything it does right comes together for a game worth playing today. | Michael Higham
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Countless so-called Metroidvania games have drawn inspiration from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but more than two decades later, few can approach its greatness. It evolved the well-established Castlevania series in numerous ways, offering a non-linear castle to explore and RPG-style progression while maintaining the satisfying side-scrolling action of earlier titles. I came to it years after its original release and still thoroughly enjoyed it, and it's something that I still routinely find myself booting up. Exploring Castle Dracula is one of the great pleasures in gaming, and it's a testament to its design that fans of the game still have its layout memorized so many years later. I'll spare you a reference to the twist in case you've managed to avoid it all these years, but whether you're a fan of more recent Metroidvania-style games who missed out on this progenitor of the genre or someone who's never dabbled in these types of games, you owe it to yourself to see why Symphony of the Night is regarded as an all-time classic. | Chris Pereira
Crackdown
Despite initially being written off by many as "that game with the Halo 3 beta," I was immediately taken with the concept of Crackdown--an open-world game where you play as a superhero special agent who can pick up and throw cars or leap over buildings. A decade later, the fairly basic set of goals you're given leave something to be desired, but the core gameplay remains extremely fun. Hunting down agility orbs and dealing with villainous gangs is still tremendously satisfying, particularly with a friend online. Its cel-shaded art style still looks good, and with backwards compatibility introducing some impressive Xbox One X enhancements to the visuals, Crackdown is a game that's well worth picking up. | Chris Pereira
Dead Space
Let's face facts: there's practically no chance that EA will bring back Dead Space, at least not as we know it. While it's sad to think that one of the most intriguing sci-fi horror series out there has been pushed to the sidelines, the fact that Dead Space is backwards compatible on Xbox One is at least worth celebrating. I know, it's also on PC, but if you're in a console-only household, Xbox One is the only current-gen console you can look to. And why should you play Dead Space? In short: it's a spooky-as-hell third-person action game with fantastic art direction, and features one of the coolest "guns" in gaming. The enemies you face are drastically distorted humans with malformed and elongated limbs that make great targets for your Plasma Cutter--a maintenance tool that fires energy beams, making it an equally effective sidearm. Dead Space manages to juggle cool tech and a scary setting unlike any other game out there, and if you haven't tried it in the past, you really should if you have an Xbox One at home. | Peter Brown
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 kicked off the series' modern era and helped cement Bethesda Game Studios' reputation as a leader in the field of open-world RPGs. The open-ended structure allows you to freely roam a post-apocalyptic wasteland (so long as you can survive) and seek out stories in the most unlikely and dangerous places. The dialogue choices are numerous, allowing you to shape the story and your character with a great amount of freedom, staying true to the series' RPG roots. Likewise, despite the shift to a first-person perspective, Bethesda implemented the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, better known as VATS, to allow for strategic menu-based combat. It was an unusual mechanic but one that quickly gained favor for how it effectively bridged the gap between Fallout old and new. Fallout 3 was hugely ambitious at the time of its release, and persists as one of the all-time great open-world RPGs 10 years later. | Peter Brown
Fallout: New Vegas
Obsidian has the magic touch when it comes to RPGs, and Fallout: New Vegas is a prime example. The vast brown deserts of Nevada might not sound very appealing, but New Vegas shines through incredibly clever writing and masterful quest design. Vaguely aligned factions and active societies fill the world with distinct charisma. I'll never forget the high-class casino that acts as a front to a secret bourgeois cannibalistic society and the reveal of Mr. House's true identity while overlooking the entirety of New Vegas. Quests like these are plentiful, and they're surrounded by such intricate lead-up and dialogue sequences that plant genuine curiosity in your head to see them to the end. Fallout can easily drop in swing tunes and old-time jazz for a great soundtrack, and it's all the more fitting with the Vegas theme. But since this is a post-apocalyptic wild west, classic country-western songs diversify the tracklist and are burnt into my memories of trekking the dangerous deserts with a big iron on my hip. | Michael Higham
Far Cry: Blood Dragon
While I've personally grown tired of the franchise formula that was established with Far Cry 3, the one post-Far Cry 2 game in the series that I'm still quite taken with is Blood Dragon. The spin-off infuses Far Cry 3's gameplay with a dystopian '80s flavor. Despite being set in 2007, the game boasts a unique look, as it's essentially made to imitate the way '80s movies tended to imagine the future; there's fog everywhere, with neon colors and lasers paired with a matching synth soundtrack. You play as a stereotypical action hero named Rex "Power" Colt, who's voiced by Terminator and Aliens star Michael Biehn. It's all very over-the-top, satirical in nature, and it pairs quite nicely with Far Cry's gameplay. Blood Dragon's distinct enough to make it worth a try even if you find the Far Cry games somewhat rote. | Chris Pereira
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
If I had to pick a favorite Grand Theft Auto game in the series, I will always point to San Andreas. As a sort of ode to '90s hip-hop culture and satire of Southern California street gangs, San Andreas was an odd reflection of home. Sure, it's a GTA game, violent and absurd overall, but the way characters talked, the music that played, and just the way the city streets looked were all too familiar. In addition, Rockstar layered some light RPG elements that made the streets of Los Santos feel more lived-in. Sometimes I wouldn't even do missions, and instead hit the gym or shop for clothes.
Of course, San Andreas includes an expansive open world beyond Los Santos with Las Venturas, the Vegas stand-in, and San Fierro to imitate San Francisco. Some of the mission designs are dated and the shooting mechanics aren't refined like modern entries, but San Andreas is still a ton of fun and has a unique personality that few games can match. Carl Johnson (CJ) still stands as one of the best GTA characters, ever. | Michael Higham
Halo: Reach
After Halo 3: ODST took a detour from John-117's story to focus on the mission of one squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, Halo: Reach took that same format of working within a squad and reapplied it to a group of Spartans. Taking place prior to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, the story of how the planet Reach fell is a rollercoaster of empowering firefights and emotional sacrifices. It was Bungie's last Halo title before handing the reins over to 343 Industries, and it shows. Halo: Reach takes the best online multiplayer and single-player campaign elements that Bungie spent perfecting over Master Chief's original trilogy and combines it into one incredible game. I'll still boot up Halo: Reach from time to time, and the servers for SWAT are still loaded with thousands of players waiting to vote to play on Sword Base. | Jordan Ramee
Hitman: Blood Money
Before the 2016 franchise revival, Hitman: Blood Money was the peak of Agent 47 hijinx. At its core, Blood Money succeeds because of expertly designed missions; everything from creating a specific atmosphere for each level to weaving all the variables that can play out were on point. So many clever assassinations stand out to me, like loading a prop gun with real ammo that's supposed to be fired during an opera play or strangling a target with the handy fiberwire during mardi gras wearing a big yellow bird costume. This is where Hitman got its dark sense of humor, and it breathes life into an otherwise stoic assassin.
Because it nails down the Hitman formula that's been refined with the recent entry, Blood Money has aged well and very much feels like a modern game. It's a little less forgiving and doesn't have the slew of interesting challenges from 2016's game, but Blood Money has some of the series' most memorable missions--and they remain just as fun today. | Michael Higham
Ikaruga
Japanese developer Treasure has another game on this list that's also a vertical-scrolling arcade shooter, but Ikaruga's reputation is unlike any of its peers'. Where so many games of this type bank on nuanced mechanics and subtle differences to standout in the eyes of enthusiasts, Ikaruga's big mechanic is so well known that it's gone on to inspire other developers who make games in entirely different genres. I'm talking about the black-and-white color switching mechanic, which both gives you the ability to absorb incoming enemy shots of the same color and alter your affinity to impart greater damage to enemies of the opposite color. Getting to the end of a stage in a game with one-hit deaths is challenging enough, but if you are after the top spot on a leaderboard you also have to know how to maximize your score by chaining together attacks as the appropriate color. It's tough, but Ikaruga is also a beautiful game that showcases an amount of maturity that feels unique compared to the rest of Treasure's output. While it's not everyone's cup of tea, Ikaruga is still an easy game to appreciate. | Peter Brown
Jet Set Radio
Jet Set Radio is a series that Sega may never bring back, but at least the HD port of the original Dreamcast hit is playable on Xbox One. It combines rollerblading and graffiti in a goofy cel-shaded metropolis, and apart from its sequel (which sadly isn't backwards compatible), there's no game like it. Jet Set Radio's expressive characters are only matched by the eclectic soundtrack that ranges from hip hop to Japanese rock, and it's so beloved that the lead composer, Hideki Naganuma, is regularly berated on Twitter to bring the series back, despite simply being in charge of music. Its reputation hasn't faded in 18 years, and if you don't know why, you owe it to play it and find out for yourself. | Peter Brown
Mass Effect Trilogy
BioWare's famed trilogy is defined by choice, and you'll make hundreds across all three games. Some of these decisions will be incredibly difficult, even heart-wrenching; I've spent many an evening thinking through the possible moral ramifications of my decisions. The trilogy really begins to show your impact when choices you made in the first game snowball into increasingly dire situations across the next two entries. I've only played the original Mass Effect once, but poured close to a thousand hours into the second and several hundred in the third. Each title is a masterpiece in its own right, and the latter two are mechanically sound third-person RPG-shooter hybrids that still hold up years after release. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite video game of all time, mostly because it's the best interstellar dating sim on the market. Over the course of three games, you'll fall in love with these characters and the rich sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. | Jordan Ramee
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Most people love Metal Gear for the series' stealth-centric games, but that doesn't mean the action-packed Rising should be ignored; far from it! Not only does it manage to fit right into the timeline and (in a roundabout way) the series' overall attitude, it is an excellent action game that, like Bayonetta and Vanquish, perfectly showcases why Platinum Games is so beloved. The standout feature of the blade-based combat system is Raiden's ability to literally slice through enemies--a process you can control, lopping off limbs or bisecting torsos with laser accuracy. It's an impressive feat of programming, and a unique mechanic that (as far as I know) has never been truly replicated. Worry not if you've always been turned off by Metal Gear's confusing storyline. Rising is all about over-the-top katana mayhem, and when it does make an effort to tell a story, it delivers goofy melodrama that anyone can appreciate. | Peter Brown
Mirror's Edge
When Mirror's Edge released, the gaming world had never seen anything like it. First-person platforming was practically a no-no, but EA DICE proved it's possible under the right set of circumstances. The trick, at least the one that made Mirror's Edge such a revelation, was to simplify pathfinding by using clever visual cues and implement contextual animations to create a sense of flow. In one stage you will leap across rooftops, wall run, smash through windows, and slide under enemy fire before taking the aggressor out. It's basically Parkour: The Game. While its sequel, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, tried to go for a more open-world design, the original game is focused enough to be tackled in small sessions, which also encourages you to attempt run after run through a single level, chasing your best times and most stylish performances. It's an endlessly cool game that may never get old. | Peter Brown
Ninja Gaiden Black
The original Ninja Gaiden reboot was something to behold back in 2004. As one of the fastest and most challenging action games of its era, Ryu Hayabusa's revenge mission where he fights ninjas, demons--and pretty much everything in between--was a knockout when it came to delivering thrills and moments of white-knuckle challenge. I'll even admit that I earned the lowly title of Ninja Dog on occasions, which was Ninja Gaiden's not-so-subtle way of saying 'git gud' back in the day. The game consistently delivered fast-paced action, and in the months after its release, it managed to get even better. As one of the early games on the original Xbox to use downloadable content, new weapons, monsters, and challenges were eventually added in, making the game even more of a stellar title. This culminated in the release of Ninja Gaiden Black, essentially the definitive edition of the core game. While Ninja Gaiden (2004) was remade again in the form of Sigma on PS3, I still think of Black as the best way to play Ryu Hayabusa's gory and over-the-top descent through the demonic underworld. Even after the releases of Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising, and several installments Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden Black hasn't lost its touch, and it still stands still one of the greatest action games ever made. | Alessandro Fillari
Panzer Dragoon Orta
I've always had a deep respect for Sega's strange shooter series Panzer Dragoon, and the last entry, Panzer Dragoon Orta, remains a stellar tribute to its bizarre world. The series' otherworldly presentation--along with its own fictional language--gave it a sense of depth and wonder that felt all its own. While much of the series had its home on the short-lived Sega Saturn, 2003's Panzer Dragoon Orta was released on the original Xbox, showing a noticeable visual and technical upgrade over its predecessors. Diving back into the game after all these years made me appreciate how much thought and craft went into the game, which has held up spectacularly. Along with a wealth of hidden lore and concept art to find, it also comes with an unlockable version of the original game--which stands as one of the greatest game rewards of all time. If you're at all curious about the Panzer Dragoon series, Orta is the most accessible point of entry, and it still brims with that sense of otherworldly wonder that the series is all about. | Alessandro Fillari
Peggle
Peggle has received a sequel you can and should play on Xbox One, but more Peggle action is still a good thing. Fortunately, the original game is playable through backwards compatibility, and it holds up nicely. The basic Peggle formula--a sort of take on pachinko and pinball, but with tremendous sound design--is still as delightful as ever. You launch balls into a board filled with pegs and various obstacles in the hopes of hitting them and removing them from play. Finishing a round hilariously causes "Ode to Joy" to play as your ball sails across the screen one last time in slow motion, but the euphoric build-up of sound effects when you pull off an exceptional shot is one of the most satisfying experiences I've ever had in a game. | Chris Pereira
Radiant Silvergun
Remember Sega Saturn? While not a powerhouse in the US or Europe, it found great success in Japan where arcade ports were plentiful. One of the most well-known Japanese-exclusive Saturn games is Radiant Silvergun, and thanks to Microsoft's effort years ago to pump up the Xbox Marketplace with Japanese games, westerners finally got an official release on Xbox 360 and can still enjoy the game on Xbox One today. The most notable feature of this vertical-scrolling shooter is the large number of weapons you can pick from, which differ more in behavior than you might expect. Like many games by developer Treasure, Radiant Silvergun is a technical showcase (for its time) that also manages to be a great game with timeless appeal. | Peter Brown
Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and 2
In between its old-school tactical shooter phase and the current competitive multiplayer focus, Rainbow Six took a trip to Vegas and balanced its military sim roots with some more approachable shooter gameplay. Both Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and 2 captured the gaudy spectacle of the city's nightlife with bright lights and rows of slot machines, which often served as cover from enemy fire. I've had so many memorable multiplayer matches; taking cover and having the camera switch to third-person, rappelling down skyscrapers to crash through windows, or turning upside down on a rappel line to pop shots are a few of the amazing moments in competition. Servers are still online, so if you can get a group of dedicated players to play a few matches or terrorist hunt missions, you're guaranteed a great time. | Michael Higham
Red Dead Redemption
Of all the games that are backwards compatible on Xbox One, Red Dead Redemption tops the list as the most exciting. When it was added to the program earlier this year, not only did people finally have a way to replay one of the best games of the last generation on a current-gen console, they also got the option to play it in 4K on Xbox One X. This open-world western proved that Rockstar Games is capable of more than just Grand Theft Auto, and with the sequel on the way, now is the perfect time to see why Red Dead Redemption is such a big deal. | Peter Brown
Saint's Row: The Third
Saints Row was always a little silly, but The Third is clearly the point where Volition realized the franchise could no longer compete with Grand Theft Auto and chose instead to double down on the ridiculous. Saints Row: The Third is non-stop parody of open-world action games and pop culture references, and I love every second of it. There's something positively magical about playing as a loud-mouthed crime boss who's weaving between traffic on her motorcycle to save her friends from a ticking time bomb as government soldiers try to stop her while Bonnie Tyler's "I Need a Hero" plays over the radio. All of which occurs in what might be the most normal level in the game. Saints Row: The Third also does a good job recapping the events of the previous two games and introduces franchise favorite Kinzie Kensington, so it's a nice jumping on point if you're looking to play Saints Row IV or Agents of Mayhem. | Jordan Ramee
Shadows of the Damned
Shadows of the Damned was a match made in heaven for me. The quirky Suda 51 brought his comedic writing chops and teamed up with Resident Evil 4 director Shinji Mikami and Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka to make a shooter that, at the time, felt more like a Resident Evil 4 sequel than any game before it, including Resident Evil 5. The buddy-demon hunter adventure saw Garcia Hotspur and Johnson, the trusty skull sidekick that also turns into a number of different guns, venture into Hell to rescue Hotspur's love. There is quite the variety of enemies, levels, and crude jokes. While a sequel is what I truly want, I'll gladly play through it again for the umpteenth time to revisit it all. | Mat Paget
Skate 3
The Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series may go down as having the "best" skateboarding games of all time, but none of them capture the sport quite like the Skate series does. And while the first two Skate games had a more structured campaign the open-world skateboarding sandbox of Skate 3 is still as fun to flip, grind, and bail in as it was the day it came out. Tackling a specific spot over and over again in Skate 3 mirrors what real-life skateboarding is like, though I can actually pull off a darkslide or a benihana in Skate 3. And with its surprisingly breathtaking 4K enhancements on the Xbox One X, I can't recommend it enough. | Mat Paget
Spec Ops: The Line
Six years after release, I'm still reeling from the emotional fallout of Spec Ops: The Line. This unsettling game tackles the mental and emotional cost of war, and its moral quandaries stick with you long after you've put the game down and had a good cry. Despite having third-person shooter mechanics that are okay at best, Spec Ops: The Line kept me playing. Long after it forced me to kill innocent civilians, I was frantically shooting enemy combatants in a desperate attempt to justify my own in-game atrocities. But war doesn't work that way. I don't think I'll ever forget what white phosphorus does to a person, and if you play this game, you won't either. | Jordan Ramee
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a gaming classic, and it was one of the best-written stories in the Star Wars canon prior to Disney neutering its relevance. The game utilizes similar combat, squadmate recruitment, and morality mechanics that BioWare would eventually use for both Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins. The game lets you fulfill your fantasy of living as a Jedi or a Sith, as you explore a galaxy far, far away, four millennia before the events of A Phantom Menace. I loved exploring ancient Tatooine and Kashyyyk on the Jedi path, but not nearly as much as seeing brand-new planets, like the ancient Sith homeworld Korriban, or flirting with Bastila. | Jordan Ramee
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords is one of the best Star Wars video games of all time. Although its gameplay is largely untouched from its predecessor, KOTOR II implements elements of grey to the previously black or white morality system. New lightsaber styles also add a level of strategy, and there's twice as many people you can try to smooch. My favorite Star Wars droid, HK-47, also returns from the original KOTOR, and he continues to deliver unparalleled levels of sarcastic murder puns and sass. Despite its removal from the Star Wars canon, if you love Bioware's RPGs and the adventures of a galaxy far, far away, you need to play this game. Its incredible narrative will hook you in 15 minutes. | Jordan Ramee
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Prior to The Clone Wars animated series, the only hint that the clone army was more than a faceless batch of characters was Star Wars: Republic Commando. This video game moved past the uniform helmets to reveal each clone had their own personality, likes and dislikes, and skill set. I fell in love with the troopers through Republic Commando, and the clones have remained my favorite Star Wars characters ever since. Taking the lead of Delta Squad as the dependable Boss and directing the demolitions expert Scorch, computer-savvy Fixer, and weapons specialist Sev offered a more tactical experience than 2004's Star Wars: Battlefront. New enemy types and weapons keep the game fresh across its three different locations, and the story is one of the best in the Star Wars Legends universe. | Jordan Ramee
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy has become something of a reference point for games that have come after it--and with good reason, as it's an exceptionally well designed game. It's a tough platformer where death can come at any instant--and you will die many, many times. And as heartbreaking as those deaths can sometimes be, it's invariably your own fault; SMB offers extremely tight controls and a deeply satisfying wall-jumping mechanic (made all the better by the way Meat Boy leaves behind a trail of meat wherever he moves). With hundreds of levels and numerous secrets to uncover, there's a lot to enjoy here. But most importantly, playing this original Xbox 360 version means you get to enjoy the brilliant original soundtrack by Danny Baranowsky that's missing from SMB's most recent re-releases. | Chris Pereira
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition
Capcom managed to do a lot of awesome things for Street Fighter V, but Street Fighter IV is still relevant for a lot of fighting game fans due to its massive roster and years' worth of competitive refinement. Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition marks the penultimate upgrade for the game, but you can also download the Ultra Street Fighter IV DLC to convert it into the ultimate version of the game on Xbox One. Whether you are a serious competitor or a casual fighting game fan who just likes to mash out a few combos with friends on the weekends, SFIV has loads of great characters to experiment with, and tons of personality to keep you entertained along the way. | Peter Brown
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind takes me back--to six-years-old Aiden. Even though I was far too young to be playing such an intense RPG, and 90 percent of the story went right over my head, I couldn't help but get utterly consumed in how fantastical and insurmountable Vvardenfell seemed. Maybe it was my child-like wonder, or maybe it was just Bethesda's magic. At the time, I hadn't really played anything like it, and boy were the giant mushroom houses and terrifying Cliff Racers just as cool as kicking tail during Lara's Tomb Raider adventures. Morrowind was the first RPG that really made me fall in love with the more serious and immersive side of gaming, and even though its graphics haven't aged particularly well, it still holds that obnoxiously special place in my heart that I can't let go of, a place where I forge my own story, and escape into some far-off land. And, you know, knock the daylights out of some cultists. That too. | Aiden Strawhun
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
"Stop right there, Criminal Scum! You've violated the law!" Once you get past the potato faces, Oblivion's hyper-saturated graphics really are something special. Oblivion also took a lot of the annoying mechanics in Morrowind and made them just a little bit better. Any race could wear any armor, birthsigns could be changed, vampirism was part of the main game, the list goes on. One minute you have the incredibly lush, almost ethereal expanses of Cyrodiil, the next, there's an actual demon invasion. It's a wonderful contrast that I don't think the other Elder Scrolls games quite capture, as they're dark and morose, and somewhat brooding--but Oblivion is brimming with energy and color. | Aiden Strawhun
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
The beautiful thing about The Witcher series is that if you're looking to hop into the latest entry, you don't need to play the previous titles. However, they do add a considerable amount of context to the expansive cast of characters, and particularly to every one of Geralt's relationships. The Witcher 2 is a mostly on-rails, linear RPG. That doesn't stop it from being an incredible, dramatic, and enticing adventure, however. The world is detailed and lush, as you'd expect from the series, and the choices you make throughout the story determine some pretty major outcomes. Just make sure to spend some time between story missions to smell the roses--er, the monsters, rather. | Aiden Strawhun
Viva Pinata
Rare's output under Microsoft has been uneven, but one bright spot shines above the rest. Viva Pinata is a sweet refuge from the norm--a sim that defies easy categorization. It bears a lot in common with farming sims like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley. Instead of standard livestock, though, you're raising up beautifully designed candy-animals with punny names like "fudgehog" and "chewnicorn." The look is distinctly family-friendly, but under the surface the gameplay is surprisingly deep. I lost many nights to converting "sour" pinatas, facilitating my animals' feeding and mating habits, and even managing the food chain. (Some pinatas eat others, you see.) I'm partial to the first, but the semi-sequel Trouble in Paradise is mostly a revision for the better. Either way you can't go wrong, and they're both available on Xbox One. | Steve Watts
For all the bewilderment that accompanied its initial announcement, Nintendo's DIY game/toy line, Labo, turned out to be a remarkable showpiece for Switch, using the console's hardware in some ingenious and mind-bending ways. Having already witnessed the technical wizardry behind the Variety and Robot Kits, Nintendo's third Labo pack, the Vehicle Kit, doesn't inspire the same initial wonder as its predecessors, but it does a much better job of integrating its constructions into a more traditional gaming experience.
As its name describes, the Labo Vehicle Kit features an assortment of projects all related to vehicles. There are three different types in its accompanying game (car, airplane, and submarine), and each of the peripherals you build is used to maneuver these around the world; the car, for instance, is controlled using the steering wheel Toy-Con, while the airplane is piloted with a flight stick. You also need to assemble two general accessories, a pedal and a "key", in addition to the vehicle-specific Toy-Cons in order to drive them in-game. The pedal rests on the floor while you play and causes you to accelerate when depressed with your foot, while the key houses the right Joy-Con and is inserted into each of the main Toy-Cons to switch between vehicles on the fly.
We only had a chance to assemble the key during our hands-on time with the Vehicle Kit, but just from a glance, the new Toy-Cons are generally more intricate than most of those found in the Variety Kit. The steering wheel is the most elaborate of the bunch, requiring between two and three hours to assemble by Nintendo's estimates. Despite their complexity, the building process is just as intuitive as before, with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions for each one displayed on the Switch screen as you build it.
Once the Toy-Cons have been assembled, you're able to use them to play several different vehicle-based game modes. The biggest of these, both in terms of scale and the amount of content it contains, is Adventure mode, which has you explore a surprisingly large sandbox world made up of 10 distinct areas. You can freely drive or fly around the world as you please--provided you have enough gas in your tank--but the ultimate goal is to complete missions. Refueling at one of the gas stations scattered about the world will open up a list of tasks that are available in that area, which can range from finding hidden items to chauffeuring an NPC to a specific location; one of the missions we came across during our demo session involved driving a dog to its favorite tree because it needed to relieve itself. A second player can also join in at any time locally by inserting a key into one of the other Toy-Cons, piggybacking onto your vehicle, Mario Kart: Double Dash-style, to blast targets with a bazooka.
Outside of Adventure mode, we got to go hands-on with Battle mode, a head-to-head competition that pits two cars against each other. This can either be played solo against an AI opponent or with another player using a second steering wheel Toy-Con, and the objective is to pummel each other with spring-loaded fists and be the first to rack up three wins. Various power-ups also spawn during the match to give you a temporary advantage over the other player; one causes your vehicle to grow in size, allowing you to run your opponent over for an instant KO. The final mode on display at the demo event, Slot Cars, is a four-player race around winding tracks using only the Toy-Con pedal. Despite its simplicity, Slot Cars was a highlight; you need to cautiously press the pedal to ensure your car doesn't go careening off the track, making for some intense races.
There are still several other modes we didn't get to try, but based on what we've seen so far, the Vehicle Kit seems like it could be the strongest Labo pack to date, featuring a more fully fleshed out collection of game modes that offer more replayability than the previous two kits and utilize the Toy-Cons in more satisfying ways. The Labo Variety Kit launches for Nintendo Switch on September 14 for $70.
Lots of video game sales have gone live this week, which makes now a good time to tally them up and find the best games in all the sales that are available for the lowest prices. So whether your platform of preference is your PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or PC, you'll find some great discounts if you keep reading.
Before diving into the deals, though, you'll want to pick up any free games you're eligible to receive. PC gamers can download a free copy of For Honor: Starter Edition between now and August 27. If you're a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscriber, you should make sure you've downloaded August's batch of free games on your console. PS Plus members get games like Mafia III and Dead by Daylight on PS4. Xbox Live Gold members can grab Forza Horizon 2, For Honor, and Disney Epic Mickey 2. And if you have an Amazon Prime account, don't forget to grab your seven free games from Twitch this month.
But it's not all good news this week for gamers on the lookout for money-saving deals. Amazon announced it will stop offering 20% off video game pre-orders to Prime members. Instead, like Best Buy before it, Amazon will offer a $10 credit on select games.
OK, enough preamble. Here are the best deals of the week on games across all platforms.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch)
In this adorable puzzle-action game, you help Toad unlock all the secrets hidden in cleverly constructed levels. It's on sale for 25% off this week.
Steamworld Dig 2 is a swashbuckling underground Metroidvania that has you collecting treasure and fighting subterranean beasts in order to improve your abilities.
Not only is this JRPG drenched in stylish art direction from its combat encounters to its menus, but it will also keep you coming back for dozens of hours.
With developer Supermassive Games having just unveiled the horror anthology series The Dark Pictures Anthology, now is a great time to brush up on the brilliant game that inspired it.
You get 50 Steam games, including several Metal Gear Solids and Castlevanias, plus Rage and a ton of indies, for $50. And a portion of your money goes to help kids in need.
This one's not quite a deal, but if you want to add a splash of color to your PS4 setup, you can pre-order these gorgeous new DualShock 4 controllers, coming in September.
The new film Crazy Rich Asians stars an all-Asian cast, and it was number 1 at the box office in its opening weekend. It was directed by Jon Chu, an Asian American, and it was based off a novel written by Kevin Kwan, another Asian American. A sequel is already on the way.
I was hopeful going into this film--more hopeful than I would normally be. Asian Americans are having a cultural moment right now in Hollywood; we're getting more roles, more opportunities, and more of a say in how our stories are told. The last Asian American to have a seismic, ground-shifting effect on the American cultural landscape was Bruce Lee, and since his death, we've struggled to emerge from his shadow and retain a distinct Asian-ness to our identity, rather than subsuming it. But there have been strides, particularly in the last 20 years.
Sometimes, it comes in the form of parody: Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle wrestled with Asian stereotypes from the perspective of two young Asian American men. Other times, it comes in the form of mythbreaking; Better Luck Tomorrow portrayed four Asian Americans who used their academic reputation as cover for illegal hustling. Both films were stepping stones to what we have today. Comedies like Fresh off the Boat, stand up specials like Ali Wong's Baby Cobra, and films like upcoming thriller Searching depict Asian Americans with complexity. They neither deny Asian heritage nor patronizingly feed into it. True integration simply is.
And keeping with that, Crazy Rich Asians is an old school romantic comedy, so steeped in tropes that it includes not only a vengeful ex-girlfriend and a mid-film breakup, but also a dramatic airport denouement. The subtext here is both mundane and groundbreaking: that Asian Americans love the same as any other American, that we experience the same heart-melting and heartbreaking emotions. The scenes that would be ordinary in another film--two Asian couples enjoying street food in an open market, or two Asian men bonding over respective relationship problems--are so rare in American film as to be non-existent. But they are in this movie, unassumingly making a bold statement: We are not dispassionate people.
Words can't express how special it was for me to watch #CrazyRichAsians but here are some thoughts: - YES to showing Asian men as sexy romantic leads - "Tian Mi Mi" and the shuffling of mahjong tiles are the sounds of my childhood - I felt so proud to see my culture on screen pic.twitter.com/heOdBGmzPl
But this negative stereotype persists. In an article for Pacific Standard, Ravi Mangla cites a speed-dating study done at Columbia University, in which women--even Asian women--are less likely to respond favorably to Asian men. A study by OKCupid also concluded that Asian men consistently rank at the bottom of women's preferences. It's a recurring problem in the LGBTQ community as well.
Therapist Nicole Hsiang, in an interview with Brittany Wong of the Huffington Post, discussed the negative impact this can have on Asian men's psyches: "Dating rejection can be traumatic because it affirms these deep-seated beliefs about their masculinity and sexual attractiveness. Many Asian men who grew up in a mostly white environment have told me they think they are unattractive, comparing themselves to the white masculine ideal."
As a movie reviewer who's also the wife of an Asian man & mom to 3 #hapa kids, I've been waiting forever for a movie like #CrazyRichAsians that features desirable, funny Asian characters (& sexy Asian men). Hooray for #CrazyRichAsians huge opening weekend. https://t.co/E6R1dEqV3a
Crazy Rich Asians challenges this state of affairs, most notably in its treatment of Asian male sexuality. The most sensual, erotic scenes in the film involve Asian men; in an early shower scene, water glistens off Pierre Png's muscular, nude body, and the camera lingers on him, ogling the definition of his abs and stopping just short of an R-rating. Later scenes show male characters, especially lead Nick Young played by Henry Golding, in various states of undress, more so than any of the film's female characters. This was the point: to subvert audience expectations about Asian sexuality to an American audience--even an Asian American audience--that has been conditioned to ignore it. By celebrating Asian men's desirability, Chu forces us to confront it.
We just saw #CrazyRichAsians. And can I just say, I'm glad the rest of the world now has SEVERAL prime examples of hot-ass Asian dudes? They've been relegated to comic relief for far too long, so those fresh outta the shower scenes... 😳😏🤤 pic.twitter.com/usY4KM6pLe
And that's not to say that every Asian man in this film is a rippling Adonis with seductive charm; that would have been a different type of condescending. There are other Asian men in this film who have average bodies and physiques and who are awkward or socially inept; Ken Jeong plays one of these characters in a show-stealing appearance. But it is not embarrassing. Why? Because the problem with American film is not that Asian misfits exist; the problem is when they are the only characters, and they carry the burden of representing an entire people.
In Crazy Rich Asians, these comedic men exist alongside other Asian men who are dramatic, sympathetic leads. Multiple Asian roles allow for complexity. And this is why true representation--rather than its close cousin, tokenism--matters.
Like many other Asian Americans, I left Crazy Rich Asians moved--that we are portrayed as people worthy of dignity, love, and mutual desire. I was ecstatic that our cultural eccentricities are criticized from within, for our own self-reflection, rather than from without, for others' amusement or validation.
This film reaffirms what we have always known, that Asian characters should never be played by non-Asian leads; we must continue to assert our place in our own stories. And this is a great step forward. The next "Bruce Lee" might not be an action hero; he just might be a romantic lead.
Ah, September. That wonderful month when half of us begin our struggle of going back to school. At least Netflix has a bunch of new movies, TV shows, and original series for those weekend binge sessions. There's a lot of new goodies this month, although we're losing quite a few August add-ons as well.
The big addition in September is Black Panther, the Marvel superhero movie that took the world by storm this past February. If you happened to miss out on this celebration of African culture--which we described as "a top tier Marvel movie with all the humor, style, action, passion, and fun that the MCU has come to embody" in our Black Panther review--then now's your chance. Other film highlights coming in September are Groundhog Day, Scarface, Bruce Almighty, The Breakfast Club, Lilo & Stitch, The Emperor's New Groove, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Netflix exclusive Next Gen.
The list of new TV shows isn't as impressively large, but there are a few stellar options being added. Both Bojack Horseman and Stranger Things are getting new seasons. If you like staying appraised of everything going on in the MCU, Iron Fist is getting its second season.
If animation is your thing, new anime series Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan--about a rookie air force pilot who finds herself being chosen as the destined rider for an actual dragon--and animated series The Dragon Prince--which is created by the same folks behind Avatar: The Last Airbender--debut on Netflix this September.
Of the movies and TV shows being removed, Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are the two noticeable standouts. If you want to watch either movie again, do so soon before they're gone for good.
Arriving in September
September 1
Unforgiven
10,000 B.C.
Another Cinderella Story
Assassins
August Rush
Bruce Almighty
Delirium
Fair Game
Groundhog Day
King Kong
La Catedral del Mar
Martian Child
Monkey Twins
Mr. Sunshine
Nacho Libre
Pearl Harbor
Scarface
Sisters
Spider-Man 3
Stephanie
Summer Catch
Sydney White
The Ant Bully
The Breakfast Club
The Cider House Rules
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Keeping Hours
The River Wild
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Two Weeks Notice
September 2
Lilo & Stitch
The Emperor's New Groove
Maynard
Quantico: Season 3
September 3
A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities
September 4
Black Panther
September 5
Van Helsing: Season 2
Wentworth: Season 6
September 6
Once Upon a Time: Season 7
September 7
Atypical: Season 2
Cable Girls: Season 3
City of Joy
Click
First and Last
Iron Fist: Season 2
Next Gen
Sierra Burgess Is A Loser
Stretch Armstrong & the Flex Fighters: Season 2
The Most Assassinated Woman in the World
September 10
Call the Midwife: Series 7
September 11
Daniel Sloss: Live Shows
The Resistance Banker
September 12
Blacklist: Season 5
Life
On My Skin
September 14
American Vandal: Season 2
Bleach
Boca Juniors Confidential
BoJack Horseman: Season 5
Car Masters: Rust to Riches
Ingobernable: Season 2
Last Hope
Norm Macdonald has a Show
Super Monsters Monster Party: Songs
The Angel
The Dragon Prince
The Land of Steady Habits
The World's Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part A
September 15
Inside The Freemasons: Season 1
September 16
Role Models
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
September 17
The VVitch
September 18
American Horror Story: Cult
D.L. Hughley: Contrarian
September 21
Battlefish
Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan
Hilda
Maniac: Limited Series
Nappily Ever After
Quincy
The Good Cop
September 23
The Walking Dead: Season 8
September 25
A Wrinkle in Time
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
September 26
Norsemen: Season 2
The Hurricane Heist
September 28
Chef's Table: Volume 5
El Marginal: Season 2
Forest of Piano
Hold the Dark
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father: Season 2
Lessons From A School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane
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 initially 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+. DICE did eventually add female Russian soldiers to Battlefield 1 in the In The Name of the Tsar DLC, but women were not prominently featured in the multiplayer prior.
Grondal 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."
During Gamescom 2018, the Lego Group teased that an announcement concerning a collaboration between Overwatch and Lego is coming soon. The teaser depicted the outlines of six Lego figures, each stylized after one of Overwatch's heroes.
From left to right, the six figures appear to be Widowmaker, Reinhardt, Genji, Soldier: 76, Mercy, and McCree. Neither the Lego Group or Blizzard would comment further on what the two companies' collaboration might entail, but Blizzard did promise to announce new Overwatch content at Gamescom on Wednesday, August 22. So we might be finding out pretty soon. [Update: Blizzard did not address the new Lego partnership during the Overwatch presentation.]
This isn't Overwatch's first partnership with a toy company. Earlier this year, Hasbro announced that the company "signed a licensing agreement with Blizzard Entertainment to become the global master toy licensee for the Overwatch franchise."
During, Blizzard's Overwatch presentation the company unveiled a new animated short for D.Va, which does a good job of fleshing out the haughty MEKA pilot and teaching people the importance of asking for help. Other than Overwatch, Blizzard has panels and presentations planned for Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo.
You can easily keep track of the company's full schedule via the "Blizzard at Gamescom 2018" app, but we've also outlined it below. Times are listed in GMT+2.
Blizzard Gamescom 2018 Schedule
August 22
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Opening and Quiz (Main Stage)
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Overwatch Event (Main Stage)
12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. – World of Warcraft Event (Main Stage)
12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – StarCraft Event (Main Stage)
2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Heroes of the Storm Event (Main Stage)
3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Diablo Event (Main Stage)
4:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Guest Event (Main Stage)
5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Video Games Live Concert (Main Stage)
7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – Closing and Recap (Main Stage)
August 23
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Opening (Main Stage)
11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. – Starcraft: Commander Co-op (Main Stage) – Starcraft II developer Kevin Dong demonstrates the new co-op commander with YouTubers Lowko and Winter.
11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. – Heroes of the Storm: Live Drawing with Carbot (Main Stage) – Carbot Animations is back this year, drawing characters from Heroes of the Storm live on stage.
12:45 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Overwatch: Lucioball Challenge (Main Stage) – German Overwatch World Cup team members play Lucioball live on stage against members of the Gamescom audience.
2:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth: Island Expeditions Showcase (Main Stage) – Top German guilds Aversion and Set Sail For Fail compete live on stage in Island Expeditions.
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Blizzard Dance Contest (Main Stage) – Perform dances from your favorite Blizzard characters for the chance to win awesome prizes.
5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Vide Games Live Concert (Main Stage) – Enjoy an epic concert packed with music from Blizzard's games with the Video Games Live orchestra.
7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – Closing (Main Stage)
August 24
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Opening (Main Stage)
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Overwatch: German Voice Actors Panel (Main Stage) – Hear from your favorite Overwatch characters as their German voice actors perform on stage.
12:00 p.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Hearthstone: Puzzle Time! (Main Stage) – Teams of Gamescom audience members race to complete challenges in Hearthstone's new Puzzle Lab.
1:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. – Diablo: Live Drawing with Chris Amaral (Main Stage) – Blizzard artist Chris Amaral creates some evil artwork before your eyes.
2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. – Heroes of the Storm: Escape from Braxis (Main Stage) – Streamers MFPallytime and chu8 team up with Heroes of the Storm developer Matthew Cooper and two members of the audience in this Heroic Brawl.
3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. – Overwatch: Lucioball Challenge (Main Stage) – German Overwatch World Cup team members play Lucioball live on stage against members of the Gamescom audience.
5:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. – World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth: Island Expeditions Showcase (Main Stage) – Top German guilds Aversion and Set Sail For Fail compete live on stage in Island Expeditions.
6:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth: Cosplay Showcase (Main Stage) – World of Warcraft cosplayers show off creations inspired by the latest expansion.
7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – Closing (Main Stage)
August 25
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Opening (Main Stage)
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Diablo: Live Drawing with Chris Amaral (Main Stage) – Blizzard artist Chris Amaral creates some evil artwork before your eyes.
12:00 p.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Hearthstone: Puzzle Time! (Main Stage) – Teams of Gamescom audience members race to complete challenges in Hearthstone's new Puzzle Lab.
1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Overwatch: Lucioball Challenge (Main Stage) – German Overwatch World Cup team members play Lucioball live on stage against members of the Gamescom audience.
2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. – StarCraft: One vs. Many – YouTubers Lowko and Winter take on Gamescom audience members in one-versus-three battles live on stage.
4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Blizzard Cosplay Contest – Top cosplayers from Europe compete for amazing prizes, including a ticket to BlizzCon.
Trinket Studios has announced a PS4 port for Battle Chef Brigade. Called Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe, the game comes with a few updates that will be free for whoever already owns the game on Nintendo Switch or PC.
The largest update included in Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe is one that fans have been requesting for a while: split-screen multiplayer. Two new modes, Survival and Free Play, are also being added. You'll be able to play as Ziggy--the undead chef who makes sarcastic quips--too, and you'll be able to create new cooking combination with nine new items. Deluxe also come with an illustration gallery to look through, new maps to play on, and accessibility improvements--such as a color-blind option.
Released in 2017, Battle Chef Brigade attracted a fierce following for managing to mix the mechanics of cooking, puzzle, and hack-and-slash games, and then packaging those features into a charming story about an immature girl growing up to become a young chef. You play as Mina, who wants to become her world's version of a knight, a battle chef. Battle chefs hunt down dangerous creatures and cook them into exquisite dishes for the people. To become one, Mina has to pass a series of cooking competitions that play out like a monstrous version of the TV series Chopped.
🍨🍦🍩🍪 Battle Chef Brigade ✨Deluxe✨ PS4, Switch, and Steam on August 28th! 🍔 Undead Chef Ziggy 🥢 Split-Screen Multiplayer 🍲 Survival Mode 🥗 Free Play 🍭 Illustration Gallery 🍳 9 New Items 🎥@StudioYotta and @TrinketEric 🎧@Fat_Bardhttps://t.co/nI8VD8HeiI
You take control of Mina during the competition and must cook dishes that contain certain ingredients and flavors. You'll have to hunt down the animals and plants you need, return to the kitchen, cook your food, and serve your dish in the time allowed. Between tournament rounds, Mina can speak to her fellow chefs, run errands, and sign up for part-time jobs to earn a paycheck. Money can be spent on different types of pots and pans, ingredients Mina can take with her into competitions, or combat upgrades to make hunting monsters easier.
Battle Chef Brigade can be bought right now on Switch or PC. The Deluxe version won't be available until August 28.
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Fresh from Gamescom 2018, here's some gameplay of the new characters just added to the Jump Force roster.
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