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In the 08/11/2018 edition:

15 Terrifying Horror Movies On Netflix You Need To Watch Now
Every Call Of Duty Game, Reviewed: Black Ops, Modern Warfare, And More
Every Grand Theft Auto Game, Reviewed: Vice City, GTA 5, And More
Xbox One: Best Backwards Compatible Games To Play
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Characters Confirmed So Far: Simon And Richter Belmont, King K. Rool, More
Best PS4 Game Exclusives So Far (August 2018 Update)
The Best PS4 Games Right Now (August 2018 Update)
Every Assassin's Creed Game, Reviewed: Origins, Black Flag, AC II, And More
All Of Red Dead Redemption 2's Cool New Mechanics
16 Crazy Shark Movies, Ranked By Insanity
Monster Hunter World PC Guide: 16 Tips You Should Know Before Starting
Monster Hunter World PC Guide And Beginner's Tips: Co-op, Armor, Weapons, And More
All The Overwatch Summer Games 2018 Skins, Both New And Returning

15 Terrifying Horror Movies On Netflix You Need To Watch Now

By Dan Auty on Aug 10, 2018 07:04 pm

There has never been a better time to be a horror movie fan. The sheer number of films available on VoD, subscription, and streaming services means that the biggest challenge viewers have is deciding what to watch--we've all spent way too much time scrolling through page after page of movies in search of the right thing. With so much content hitting services all the time, it's very easy to miss some great movies.

Netflix is packed with horror, but many of these films arrive on the service with little fanfare and no big stars, and it's easy to presume that most aren't worth a watch, since, let's face it, even the genre's biggest fan will admit that there is loads of terrible horror out there. But the fact is there are some outstanding recent horror movies currently available to stream right now. None of these films had a wide release and most are low budget, but they show that the genre has never been healthier or more diverse.

From ghost stories and monster movies to insane Asian shockers and disturbing Turkish gorefests, here's 15 of the best recent horror movies that you might have missed, all of which can be streamed right now on Netflix. Let's get scared!

15. Dig Two Graves

This acclaimed gothic thriller shows what you can do on a low budget with a great script and strong actors. It's set in 1977, and centers upon a 14-year-old girl who is given a difficult moral choice by three mysterious moonshine makers, who tell her that they can bring her dead brother back to life in return for her taking another life. There's no gore and few conventional shocks. But what first time director Hunter Adams delivers is atmospheric and engrossing, with stand-out performances from young Samantha Isler (Molly's Game) and Buffalo Bill himself, Silence of the Lambs' Ted Levine.

14. The Bar

Álex de la Iglesia has remained one of the most provocative Spanish filmmakers for several decades, with movies such as Acción Mutante, Day of the Beast, and Perdita Durango showing his skill at mixing horror, comedy, and wild, violent action. The Bar is another stand-out. It centers around a group of strangers who are trapped inside a cafe by a sniper, who is looking to kill one of them. But which one? It's perhaps a bit more restrained than some of Iglesia's earlier movies, but it's a tense and funny ride with some typically outlandish camerawork.

13. Before I Wake

Mike Flanagan is one of the best young horror directors working, with movies such as Oculus, Ouija 2, and last year's superb Stephen King adaptation Gerald's Game on his impressive filmography. Flanagan shot the haunting Before I Wake way back in 2013, but various legal issues meant that the movie did not get released until January this year, where it made its debut as a Netflix Original. It's an impressive, affecting ghost story in which a grieving couple are visited by the spirit of their dead son. Strong performances from Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, and Jacob Tremblay, and a deftly balanced mix of chills and drama, make this a must-see for fans of Flanagan's other films.

12. Mohawk

Mohawk is technically more of a historical action adventure than a straight horror, but director Ted Geoghegan's past experience in the genre ensures that the movie frequently tips into horror territory. It's a tale of revenge and survival, in which a native American woman must fight to survive against a squad of bloodthirsty American soldiers determined to hunt and kill her. It's a tense and violent film that gets darker and weirder as it progresses. There are great performances from rising star Kaniehtiio Horn and Eamon Farren, who gets to play a good guy after his turn as the despicable Richard Horne in last year's Twin Peaks: The Return, plus the acting debut of WWE star Jon Huber (aka Luke Harper).

11. The Devil's Candy

Sean Byrne's first film, the darkly funny kidnap horror The Loved Ones, has become something of a cult favorite over the past decade, so expectations were high for his follow-up. Luckily, The Devil's Candy didn't disappoint. It's a tale of madness and metal, in which a struggling, metal-obsessed artist finds himself going insane when he moves his family to a country estate with a dark past. On paper, it sounds like yet another rerun of The Shining or The Amityville Horror, but in Byrne's skilled hands, it becomes a scary, disorientating, visually stunning trip into hell. We can't wait to see what film no.3 delivers.

10. The Void

From Stranger Things to the adaptation of Stephen King's It, there's no denying that the 1980s is one of the most popular decades for horror filmmakers to get nostalgic about. The Void taps directly into the gore-laden monster movies of the '80s, with a clear influence from such cult favorites as The Thing and From Beyond. The film takes place overnight in a small hospital, where an unlucky group of people are besieged by both a sinister cult and tentacled monsters from some alternate dimension. With a John Carpenter-esque score and loads of gloopy physical effects, The Void is an absolute blast.

9. Tag

Not to be confused with the recent Hollywood comedy, this Tag is directed by the hugely prolific Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono. Sono is known for pushing the boundaries of taste when it comes to sex and violence in his movies, and Tag is no exception. It opens with an incredible sequence in which a busload of school kids are decapitated en masse and gets crazier from there, as a teenage girl finds herself trapped in a strange and violent game. It makes absolutely no sense, but fans of weird, subversive horror will love it.

8. Beyond The Gates

Another enjoyable dose of '80s-inspired horror, this quirky chiller resurrects the long-forgotten concept of the VCR board game, in which players had to watch a series of VHS videos while playing a game. In this case, it's a horror-themed game named "Beyond The Gates," which must be played by a pair of estranged brothers trying to find their missing dad. Genre icon Barbara Crampton plays the game's host, and the movie has enough charm, gore, and crazy neon visuals to make up for the low budget and a few variable performances.

7. I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House

Director Oz Perkins might be the son of the legendary Psycho actor Anthony Perkins, but his two movies to date have seen the filmmaker step easily out of his dad's shadow. Having made the intense and disturbing The Blackcoat's Daughter, Perkins followed it with this Netflix Original. It's an old-fashioned gothic chiller in which a nurse comes to a remote house to look after the old, infirm author who lives there. Of course, some weird stuff starts happening. Perkins successfully avoids many of the cliches of the genre and delivers a subtle, atmospheric movie that'll appeal to fans of classic horror.

6. Creep/Creep 2

Prolific director, writer, and actor Mark Duplass is best known for his work on indie dramas such as Jeff, Who Lives at Home and the HBO series Togetherness, but he is also the man behind this pair of twisted found footage horror comedies. Duplass co-wrote both films with director Patrick Brice, and he stars as a strange man called Josef, who, in the first movie, places an ad to hire a videographer for the week. The bizarre, ghoulish events of Creep lead directly onto the even funnier and more unsettling Creep 2, which puts a fascinating spin on the first movie's plot. Both films walk a fine line between uncomfortable humor and genuine scares, and are anchored by Duplass's brilliantly unnerving performance. You'll laugh, jump, and cringe--usually in the same scene.

5. Evolution

Body horror master David Cronenberg was clearly an influence on this strange French shocker about a young boy who lives in a seaside hospital with a load of other kids, all of whom are forced to undergo strange surgical procedures. It's a weird and unsettling experience, and at times is as much an art movie as a straight horror film. But it has a unique disturbing power and lingers in the mind long after it finishes.

4. Baskin

Baskin is an intense, stylish headtrip from the warped mind of rising Turkish filmmaker Can Evernol. It takes its influences from the likes David Lynch, Dario Argento, and HP Lovecraft, and delivers a story about a group of cops who find themselves at the mercy of a deranged cult when they answer an emergency call. It's packed with surreal, nightmarish imagery and is definitely not for the faint of heart. Which of course makes it a must-see.

3. The Invitation

When it comes to uncomfortable dinner parties, it's hard to think of one worse than that in The Invitation. Karyn Kusama's tense, blackly funny horror thriller has a simple set-up--a group of old friends reconvene for a evening of food, drink, and conversation after many years. But it's clear early on that something is very wrong, and in particular with the host's new husband and his creepy friend (superbly played by Zodiac's John Carroll Lynch). To say any more would spoil the movie's many dark delights, but it's a brilliantly controlled piece of filmmaking that builds to a gripping conclusion and knock-out final twist.

2. The Wailing

Some of the weirdest, wildest, and most visually stunning genre movies have come from South Korea over the past 15 years, and The Wailing is no exception. It's a hugely ambitious, gripping mash-up of serial killer mystery, social satire, and wild exorcism movie, in which a policeman investigates an outbreak of mysterious deaths in a small town. It's stunningly directed by Na Hong-jin, who previous helmed the equally impressive action movie The Yellow Sea. The film is long--a whopping 156 minutes--but it delivers more scares, tension, twists, and dark laughs than anything released in the West for some time.

1. Under The Shadow

One the best horror movies of the past couple of years, Under The Shadow is a wonderfully effective ghost story with a fascinating historical setting, namely post-revolutionary Iran in the 1980s. A mother is trapped in her home during a period of heavy fighting in Tehran, but unfortunately for her, there's an evil spirit in there too, who wants to claim her child. The film works brilliantly as both a real-world drama and a terrifying horror movie, making it an essential watch for all fans of the genre.

Every Call Of Duty Game, Reviewed: Black Ops, Modern Warfare, And More

By Peter Brown on Aug 10, 2018 05:50 am

Heed the call.

Heed the call.

Call of Duty is a force to be reckoned with in the video game industry. It has, for the past 14 years, been the dominant first-person shooter in a market with some serious contenders. The series has had to evolve to maintain its edge, and despite being developed by multiple different studios, the entirety of the Call of Duty series has almost consistently garnered widespread acclaim from critics and players alike. People will always debate the merits of an annualized series, especially one that seems to thrive on iteration, but Call of Duty shows no signs of slowing down.

It all began back in 2003, with the original Call of Duty appearing alongside the likes of Medal of Honor and Battlefield, two series that had already established a glowing reputation among military FPS fans. All three were set during World War II, and Call of Duty would continue down that path for both Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 3.

"Call of Duty: Roads to Victory isn't a terrible game--it's just unnecessary. While it may look like Call of Duty and for a while feel like Call of Duty, nearly all of the things that make the Call of Duty games so enjoyable are watered down or missing." [Read the review]

-- Aaron Thomas

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- 9/10

"The last time Call of Duty had "Warfare" in its subtitle, it led to a well-received trilogy that deftly transitioned the series away from a well-trodden global conflict to modern-day combat. If the settings of today have run their course just as World War II did years ago, Advanced Warfare makes for a convincing foundation of futuristic yet relatable combat that is worth exploring and expanding further. The huge change in player mobility is less of a paradigm shift and more of an overdue retooling for an 11-year-old FPS franchise, especially in a year of mobility-focused shooters. Yet for all its predictability, Advanced Warfare is a deluge of action-film bravado, and it's difficult to not be carried away by its tidal forces." [Read the review]

-- Miguel Concepcion

Call of Duty: Black Ops III -- 7/10

"There are fleeting moments when Black Ops III's cybernetic modifications change the way you play. These abilities let you control enemy drones, stun human opponents, or set fire to robots' internal systems. The powers would be more impactful, though, if there wasn't such a lack of enemy variety. Aside from flying drones and the occasional mech mini-boss, enemy variants just require differing numbers of bullets to take down. And when you're using them on such a repetitive group of targets, who react the same way every time, the abilities lose their novelty.

Although Black Ops III offers the option to play the campaign cooperatively, its problems only multiply as a result. Instead of creating deeper scenarios involving teamwork and communication between up to four players, Black Ops III decides to just throw more hardened enemies at you. One Warlord--an enemy that requires several magazines to bring down--is bothersome enough. Four of them together is downright frustrating. They feel more like brick walls than sentient soldiers.

Black Ops III's narrative doesn't support the campaign in any meaningful way, either. It tells an incomprehensible story about AI ascendancy and the moral grays of a hyper-connected future, raising intriguing questions but never bothering to answer them. At the end of it all, after hours of soulless shooting and unremarkable storytelling, Black Ops III delivered its nebulous twist, and I didn't dwell on it.

In its undead modes, and the first 10 hours of multiplayer, it excels. But in its campaign, it merely crawls forward. Black Ops III doesn't offer anything remarkable to the series, but does just enough to maintain the Call of Duty status quo. The franchise, however slowly, continues its inexorable march." [Read the review]

-- Mike Mahardy

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare -- 8/10

"By venturing beyond Earth--and not just to other planets, but to space itself--Call of Duty found a canvas to produce its best story in years. It reinforces the notion that a game's narrative is only as good as its characters. Given the campaign's accomplishments in space combat, it's puzzling that no effort was made to replicate its zero-G sensations in Infinite Warfare's multiplayer. Consequently, the well-crafted Zombies mode is a more attractive, time-consuming proposition for those looking to play with friends. While no Call of Duty game has matched the comprehensive excellence of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the exploits of Reyes and Ethan are at least as memorable and moving as any deeds from "Soap" MacTavish and John Price during from the series' heyday." [Read the review]

-- Miguel Concepcion

Call of Duty: WWII -- 9/10

"Ultimately, if every shooter set in the European Theater of World War II is measured by how it depicts its D-Day landing--assuming it has such a mission--Call of Duty: WWII emphatically succeeds in its impactful designs and delivery. The sensation of riding the troop carrier as it approached the beach filled me with depression more than dread, knowing I'd survive eventually while many of my surrounding brothers in arms wouldn't. While not equally emotional, this battle's reinterpretation in War mode proves to be a highlight in a superb suite of competitive modes. Zombies rounds off this stellar return to form, effectively blending the ferocity of online cooperative play with the goal-driven satisfaction of found in the campaign. As one of the most comprehensive and filler-free Call of Dutys in recent memory, Call of Duty: WWII successfully capitalizes on the series' strengths" [Read the review]

-- Miguel Concepcion

Every Grand Theft Auto Game, Reviewed: Vice City, GTA 5, And More

By Alessandro Fillari on Aug 10, 2018 05:48 am

Moving On Up In The City

Now spanning twenty years, the Grand Theft Auto series has seen all sorts of changes and improvements throughout its many crime sprees in large open worlds. While each game brought its own take on the familiar rags-to-riches story, where a small-time hood makes some bold moves against some notorious criminals, Rockstar Games have managed to up the ante with every installment--eventually becoming the quintessential example of what an open-world game is.

"Aside from a few mild frame rate issues that sometimes take the edge off its more dramatic moments, this is the definitive version of GTA V, and the bar by which all other open-world games, or indeed any game that aims for a cinematic feel, should be judged. It is beautiful, and thought-provoking, and thrilling throughout. Even if you've played through GTA V once already, it's worth going back just to be reminded of what an outstanding achievement it is."

[Read the full review]

-- Mark Walton and Peter Brown

Xbox One: Best Backwards Compatible Games To Play

By Array on Aug 10, 2018 05:38 am

The Best Xbox One Backwards Compatible Games

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--Overlord and Overlord II--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

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Characters Confirmed So Far: Simon And Richter Belmont, King K. Rool, More

By Array on Aug 10, 2018 05:36 am

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is shaping up to be one of the most exciting games coming to Switch. In a surprising, yet bold move, Nintendo announced that the game will include every single fighter that has ever appeared in a Super Smash Bros. game. Full stop. And not only that, the game will also include brand new fighters never seen in the franchise's history, like Samus' archenemy Ridley, Simon and Richter Belmont from Castlevania, and much more.

Across the series' near 20-year history, there have been dozens of fighters. With well over 60 fighters to play in Ultimate, it might seem difficult to keep track of everyone, especially if you don't have the best memory of past games. Luckily, we've got you covered and have compiled every single character for your reference. Nintendo favorites like Mario, Donkey Kong, and Link are all represented, alongside a variety of cult favorites who you can see in the slides ahead.

With each passing announcement, Ultimate just keeps getting bigger in the character department. Nintendo announced the series would begin incorporating a new type of character called Echo Fighters. These Echo Fighters are essentially reskins of previous characters. But it opens up Ultimate to an entire pantheon of additional fighters who can just adopt the moves of older Smash characters. Ultimate is launching with a few Echo Fighters, such as Princess Daisy who is a reskin of Princess Peach. Aside from characters, there's going to be a plethora of new assist trophies, such as Alucard from Castlevania and Rathalos from Monster Hunter. Not to mention there's also going to be bunch of new stages to fight in as well, which you can find in our feature documenting all the new stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Nintendo announced a bunch of new details during its Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct presentation. For every other announcement from the presentation, check out our news roundup. In the meantime, which character are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below.

Mario

Donkey Kong

Link

Samus Aran

Dark Samus*

*Echo Fighter of Samus Aran

Yoshi

Kirby

Fox

Pikachu

Luigi

Ness

Captain Falcon

Jigglypuff

Princess Peach

Princess Daisy*

*Echo Fighter of Princess Peach

Bowser

Ice Climbers

Sheik

Princess Zelda

Dr. Mario

Pichu

Falco

Marth

Lucina*

*Echo Fighter of Marth

Young Link

Ganondorf

Mewtwo

Roy

Chrom*

*Echo Fighter of Roy

Mr. Game & Watch

Meta Knight

Pit

Dark Pit*

*Echo Fighter of Pit

Zero Suit Samus

Wario

Snake

Ike

Pokemon Trainer

Diddy Kong

Lucas

Sonic

King Dedede

Captain Olimar

Lucario

R.O.B.

Toon Link

Wolf

Villager

Mega Man

Wii Fit Trainer

Rosalina & Luma

Little Mac

Greninja

Mii Fighters

Palutena

Pac-Man

Robin

Shulk

Bowser. Jr

Duck Hunt

Ryu

Cloud

Corrin

Bayonetta

Inkling

Ridley

Simon Belmont

Richter Belmont

King K. Rool

Best PS4 Game Exclusives So Far (August 2018 Update)

By Jordan Ramée on Aug 10, 2018 05:34 am

The PlayStation 4 launched in November 2013 and Sony's done a phenomenal job making sure a stream of excellent exclusives continues to launch on the platform. That trend isn't slowing down in 2018, with the phenomenal God of War releasing earlier this spring and Insomniac Games' Spider-Man on its way in just a few months.

Click ahead to view GameSpot's highest-rated PS4 exclusives since the console's launch. The titles are in alphabetical order and don't reflect our own personal ranking of each game. The list only includes games we've awarded an 8/10 or higher. We've also limited the gallery based on console exclusivity, so you'll see a few games in this gallery that are also available on PC or PS Vita. This means games that originally released for PS2 or PS3 and launched again on the PS4 without any additional content (like Beyond: Two Souls) are not included. Remasters, remakes, and reboots are all fair game though.

For review, we gave:

MLB 14: The Show an 8/10

MLB 15: The Show an 8/10.

We gave the game an 8/10.

In our Tooth and Tail review, Daniel Starkey wrote, "Rotating through the band of 20 fighters will offer plenty of depth on its own, too. There's plenty of room to fake out foes by overbuilding one type and feinting a foe into countering that so you can sweep them with your own reserves. If you don't have quite the squads you need to deal with enemies in the best way, you'll have to adapt -- and strong variety will give you the tools to come up with unique combinations and tactics on the fly.

When all of that comes together in a tight, four-player battle royale, it is a thing of beauty."

Transistor

We gave the game an 8/10.

In our Transistor review, Carolyn Petit wrote, "Transistor is always a good-looking game, but in [certain] instances, it demonstrates a rare knack for combining its visuals and music to powerfully convey both narrative information and tone, driving the story forward with Red's own unwavering resolve. So in the end, yes, Transistor is a fun action role-playing game with a neat combat system, but beautiful moments like these make it more than that. They make it a game with a soul."

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

We gave the collection an 8/10.

In our Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection review, Mike Mahardy wrote, "At various times throughout the Uncharted games, our protagonist carries the ring of Francis Drake on a leather band around his neck. The ring's inscription reads: "Sic Parvus Magna," or, "greatness from small beginnings."

I can't imagine a better way to encapsulate this collection. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was a fine game in 2007, but its wrinkles are deeper now, its age more apparent.

With Uncharted 2 and [Uncharted 3], though, Naughty Dog transcended Drake's own small beginnings. The Nathan Drake Collection is a firsthand account of Naughty Dog's growth as a storyteller, and this collection is the best way to relive that history, and witness its transformation up close."

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

We gave the game a perfect 10/10.

In our Uncharted 4: A Thief's End review, Mike Mahardy wrote, "And most of all, as its final moments make clear, this is a story about storytelling--the importance we lend our idols, legends, and myths. How we pass down the ones that inspire us. How an old photo of three friends sitting on a pile of gold can unleash a flood of memories. Uncharted 4 is a challenge to the medium. In its writing, in its design, in its understanding of what makes games unique, Uncharted 4 is something to aspire to. It's a shining example. And we'll be talking about it for years to come."

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

We gave the game a 9/10.

In our Uncharted: The Lost Legacy review, Miguel Concepcion wrote, "The Lost Legacy doesn't signify a new era for Uncharted so much as it presents an opportunity to show the series from new perspectives, for which Chloe and the AI-controlled Nadine are perfectly capable. With a new playable treasure hunter comes new settings and character motivations, wrapped in a comfortingly familiar Uncharted package. The thrill of playing through set pieces that call back scenes from the earlier games is all the more enhanced when seen through the gameplay mechanics introduced in A Thief's End. The initial hours of The Lost Legacy give an "Uncharted Greatest Hits" vibe, but it grows into a more nuanced, clever experience, ranking among the best in the series while also making its own mark as a standalone Uncharted that isn't anchored to Nathan Drake's harrowing exploits."

Until Dawn

We gave the game an 8/10.

In our Until Dawn review, Alexa Ray Corriea wrote, "I didn't expect to have so much fun with Until Dawn, and the depth with which my choices mattered and affected the final outcome encouraged repeat playthroughs. The visuals can be wonky at times, but in the end Until Dawn succeeds in being a thoughtful use of familiar mechanics, a great achievement in player-driven narrative, and a horror game you shouldn't miss."

Wipeout Omega Collection

We gave the game a 9/10.

In our Wipeout Omega Collection review, Miguel Concepcion wrote, "By focusing on this specific era of the series, Wipeout Omega Collection maintains a level of cohesion you wouldn't get if this compilation included, say, Wipeout Pure or Fusion. While each of the three games exude style and stimulation in their own distinct ways, they collectively showcase the best elements of franchise's engrossing racing and silky smooth visuals. And even though it doesn't completely scratch the itch that only a completely new PS4 sequel can offer, this collection is easily the next best thing."

Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life

We gave the game an 8/10.

In our Yakuza 6: The Song of Life review, Edmond Tran wrote, "Yakuza 6 reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It's a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you're a newcomer. The narrative is dramatic and sincere, and the game's endearing characters--coming from all walks of life--are interesting studies. The world is dense and rewarding to exist in, the dynamic combat system stays exciting even after you've kicked the crap out of five thousand enemies, and perhaps most importantly, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life serves as a fulfilling conclusion to the turbulent, decade-long saga of its beloved icon, Kazuma Kiryu."

The Best PS4 Games Right Now (August 2018 Update)

By Matt Espineli on Aug 10, 2018 05:32 am

The Best Around

It feels just like yesterday, but PS4 launched over four years ago, and a ton of games have come out in that time. As such, it can be tough to sort through all of them and decide what to play. Luckily, we at GameSpot have played tons of PS4 over the years and have more than a few recommendations to start you off with--whether you're a new PS4 owner or have had the console and are just looking for something you might've missed.

In this feature, we've collected the best PS4 games so far. This includes many of the games that have received an 8 or higher on GameSpot, and we've prioritized games that were nominated for our end-of-year Best PS4 Game lists. Check out our choices for the best games released on the PS4. And with the console's library continuing to expand, make sure to check back often as we update this feature over the coming weeks and months.

For more PS4 games on a budget, see our roundups of the best cheap games on PS4, and make sure to check out our gallery of the best PS4 exclusive games confirmed for 2018 as well as the biggest PS4 games of 2018 for everything coming to the console.

There are heaps of amazing PS4 games out there. Which PS4 games do you love the most? Doesn't matter if it's popular or incredibly underrated. Let us know in the comments below.

Dead Cells -- 9/10

"Dead Cells is a fascinating amalgam of several of today's most popular indie genres. It juggles elements of tough-as-nails action games and Metroid-inspired exploration platformers, with the procedurally generated levels and random item allotments found in roguelikes. It's impressive how it all comes together without a hitch, especially given that the persistent character growth found in games like Dark Souls or Metroid squarely conflicts with the randomized resets emblematic of Rogue-inspired games." [Read the full review]

-- Daniel Starkey

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit -- 8/10

"Life is Strange gained a huge cult following, and whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, Captain Spirit captures a lot of the original game's appeal. Regardless of how you classify The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit--whether it's a standalone adventure, a demo, or a prologue--it's a beautiful game, and one that leaves you all the more excited about Life is Strange 2." [Read the full review]

-- James O'Connor

Onrush -- 9/10

"When it comes to crumpling metal and high speed thrills, not all of Onrush's game modes are on equal footing in terms of consistent excitement. Yet its foundations are so strong, and so unique, that it's easy to lose hours upon hours barreling around these disparate tracks. The question of longevity will, of course, depend on post-release support, with new classes, game modes, and tracks potentially on the horizon. Considering you need 12 players to fill a full room, it would be a shame if Onrush doesn't find the kind of audience that will give it the lifespan it deserves. Part of this will depend on how Codemasters iterates on the game from here on out, but they've shown a proficiency in knowing how arcade racing games click, and Onrush is such a bold, refreshing twist on the genre that there should be little hesitation in putting your faith in them to succeed."

-- Richard Wakeling

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life -- 8/10

"Yakuza 6 reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It's a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you're a newcomer. The narrative is dramatic and sincere, and the game's endearing characters--coming from all walks of life--are interesting studies. The world is dense and rewarding to exist in, the dynamic combat system stays exciting even after you've kicked the crap out of five thousand enemies, and perhaps most importantly, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life serves as a fulfilling conclusion to the turbulent, decade-long saga of its beloved icon, Kazuma Kiryu." [read the full review]

-- Edmond Tran, Senior Editor and Video Producer

God Of War -- 9/10

"In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come." [read the full review]

-- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor

Bloodborne -- 9/10

"The finest treasures are found within the city of Yharnam and the forests, lakes, and purgatories beyond it. Only Bloodborne would be so bold as to bury an entire factional player-versus-player mechanic within an optional region, which is in turn buried within a series of oblique steps you might miss if you aren't exploring every nook and cranny, or ignore the game's enigmatic hints. I finished Bloodborne in less time than I did Dark Souls II, yet I treasure it more in spite of its few missteps. In death there is life, and in blood, there is redemption. More hyperbole, yes, but for a game this theatrical, only hyperbole will do." [read the full review]

-- Kevin VanOrd

Monster Hunter: World -- 8/10

"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [read the full review]

-- Ginny Woo

Celeste -- 9/10

"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [read the full review]

-- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer

What Remains of Edith Finch -- 9/10

"Developer Giant Sparrow managed to strike the delicate balance between joy and sorrow in 2012's The Unfinished Swan, but What Remains of Edith Finch transcends even the latent sadness of that game, finding the beauty--even sometimes the fun--in what's always fundamentally a tragedy. It's not often that a game's plot slips past the bitterness of grief to finally get to the acceptance, but that's the triumph in What Remains of Edith Finch. Ultimately, if the game has any resemblance of a moral, it's that the bravest, most beautiful thing every one of us does is choose to keep going, despite knowing what's coming." [read the full review]

-- Justin Clark

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 9/10

"The New Colossus never lets you forget who and why you're fighting. Nazi brutality is on full display, from the blown-out, irradiated remains of Manhattan to each of the resistance members, who all carry mental scars if not physical ones. You're never given a chance between cutscenes, missions, and even downtime on the U-boat to lose sight of the Reich's cruelty. Wolfenstein's tense gameplay elevates this further by giving you the power to truly resist--and come out of each battle ready for another fight." [read the full review]

-- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor

Sonic Mania -- 9/10

"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [read the full review]

-- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor

Stardew Valley -- 9/10

"On the surface, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, but there are more adventures awaiting curious players beyond cultivating a rich and bountiful garden. From mining and fishing to making friends and falling in love, Stardew Valley's Pelican Town is stuffed with rewarding opportunities. As modern day woes give way to pressing matters on the farm and within your newfound community, Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world. It's a game that tugs at your curiosity as often as it does your heart." [read the full review]

-- Mary Kish

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard -- 8/10

"By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that's okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I'd survived a truly harrowing journey. The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special." [read the full review]

-- Scott Butterworth

Night in the Woods -- 9/10

"Both intensely personal and widely relatable, Night in the Woods doesn't just tell a story--it gracefully captures complex, often unpleasant feelings and experiences. From the quiet melancholy of doing nothing on a rainy day to the emotional vacuum of severe depression, I felt deeply, sometimes too deeply, while wandering through the cartoon-animal version of a small Midwestern town. Its witty writing and character development keep its crushing existential themes grounded, making Night in the Woods one of the most evocative games I've played in a long time." [read the full review]

-- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor

Overwatch -- 9/10

"Overwatch is an exercise in refined chaos. There are multitudes of layers hiding beneath the hectic surface, and they emerge, one after another, the more you play. This is a shooter that knows how to surprise, one that unfolds at a frantic pace, one that takes a handful of great ideas, and combines them into something spectacular." [read the full review]

-- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End -- 10/10

"Uncharted 4's gameplay pushes the narrative forward, the narrative feeds off its gameplay, and every detail coalesces to create something bigger. Uncharted 4 bounces between set pieces and personal moments with such grace, with such skill and poise and affection for its characters, that you don't mind when the guns stop firing, and the smoke clears, and Nathan gets a moment to breathe." [read the full review]

-- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer

Titanfall 2 -- 9/10

"Titanfall 2 demonstrates a vitality that its predecessor couldn't. Whereas the first Titanfall kept up its breakneck pace throughout the entirety of every match, Titanfall 2 understands that sometimes, dialing things back for a few moments can make the long run much more enjoyable. In many ways, Titanfall 2 feels like the game Respawn should have made in 2013. It's a fantastic sequel. It's a fluid shooter. It's a spectacular game." [read the full review]

-- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer

Dishonored 2 -- 8/10

"Any time I'm given a choice between stealth and action, I go stealth. I love the hold-your-breath tension of hoping a guard didn't spot you and the hard-earned triumph of executing a perfectly timed plan. Dishonored 2 delivers that sneaky satisfaction, arming you with stealth essentials like hiding bodies, peering through keyholes, and silent takedowns. But it's also an incredible engine for gleeful chaos, one so engrossing and amusing that I kind of accidentally beat the entire campaign raining hilarious, elaborate death on my enemies." [read the full review]

-- Scott Butterworth

Dark Souls III -- 8/10

"I didn't expect to have so much fun with Until Dawn, and the depth with which my choices mattered and affected the final outcome encouraged repeat playthroughs. The visuals can be wonky at times, but in the end Until Dawn succeeds in being a thoughtful use of familiar mechanics, a great achievement in player-driven narrative, and a horror game you shouldn't miss." [read the full review]

-- Alexa Ray Corriea

The Last Guardian -- 9/10

"It isn't clear whether or not The Last Guardian means to be frustrating at times--if it's a concerted effort to test your patience for a lovable-yet-stubborn creature. Your affection for Trico and sympathy for both characters blossom nonetheless, culminating in an enrapturing series of revelations that cements your attachment to their personalities. Trico is the undeniable star of the show, exhibiting believable physicality and emotional range, but the boy is a valuable lesson in how to be patient and resilient when faced with unforeseen challenges.

When the book closes on their story, it's hard not to open it up again and begin anew. The trials you overcome endear you to both characters, but the emotions Trico elicits make you want to give it another chance--to be the patient, effective partner it truly deserves." [read the full review]

-- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor

Rocket League -- 9/10

"The joy of Rocket League rests on the countless plans that are conceived and discarded every other second in any given match. Trying to predict where and how the ball will bounce next is a game within the game. Despite the use of cars, Rocket League emulates the emotional surges typical of The Beautiful Game, such as the rush of an unexpected fast break or a well-timed header into a goal. With Rocket League, the promising concept of combining two wonderful things--cars and soccer--is equally magnificent in execution. You can't say the same thing about, say, combining cake and fruit to make fruitcake, as the comedian Jim Gaffigan observed." [read the full review]

-- Miguel Concepcion

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- 8/10

"Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with." [read the full review]

-- Alessandro Fillari, Editor

MLB The Show 18 -- 9/10

"Sony's flagship baseball franchise has never been better. With its best-in-class controls and visuals, and impeccable attention to detail for the small stuff, MLB The Show 18 is worth catching for any baseball fan." [read the full review]

Horizon: Zero Dawn -- 9/10

"This is the first departure from the Killzone series for developer Guerrilla Games, and though you might think the team took a risk by stepping out of its FPS comfort zone to create a third-person open-world action game, you'd never know it was their first rodeo. For every minor imperfection, there's an element of greatness that recharges your desire to keep fighting and exploring Zero Dawn's beautiful and perilous world. Guerrilla Games has delivered one of the best open-world games of this generation, and redefined its team's reputation in the process." [read the full review]

-- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor

Nier: Automata -- 9/10

"Thanks to Platinum Games' knack for riveting and gratifying combat, Automata is Yoko Taro's most exciting game to date. The combat mechanics click after hurdling a low learning curve, and the end result is a skillful dance where balletic dodges complement wushu-inspired aggression. Moreover, this multi-ending trip is generously peppered with surprises and revelations, as well as easter eggs that call back to the first game and the Drakengard series from which Nier spun off. It's a meaty, often exhilarating trek that showcases Platinum Games' and Yoko Taro's unique blend of genius." [read the full review]

-- Miguel Concepcion

Persona 5 -- 9/10

"Within Persona 5 is a complex set of interconnected gameplay mechanics, and in almost every aspect Atlus has executed on its vision exceptionally, barring the pacing issues towards the end. At every turn, it presents something to marvel at, whether it's the fluid combat, vibrant world, or the many memorable characters. It's a game I could talk about for hours; I haven't mentioned the ability to connect to the Thieves Guild, which lets you see how other players spent their day or ask them for help answering questions at school. Or the thumping acid-jazz-infused soundtrack that I've not been able to get out of my head. Or even just the joy of seeing how it stylishly transitions between menus. But that encapsulates why Persona 5 is a game that shouldn't be missed. It's stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes--there's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come." [read the full review]

-- Lucy James, Video Producer

Unravel Two -- 8/10

"With its charming yarnlings and a newfound style of platforming, Unravel Two remains welcoming even at its most foreboding. Sure, a forest fire breaks out in one of the latter stages, but even then, the race to keep ahead of the blaze is fun and frantic instead of stressful. In almost every moment you're given ample time and space to breathe and take in the stunning photorealistic world from the viewpoint of the tiniest creatures. It's a game with boisterous birds, chases through meadows, and most importantly a cheerful partnership with a companion who's always got your back. With only six chapters that run roughly 30 minutes apiece, Unravel Two doesn't last long, but it's a game where the time you have is meaningful, memorable, and downright pleasant from beginning to end."

-- Justin Clark

Madden NFL 18 -- 9/10

"Overall, Madden 18 marks an unusually large shakeup in a series that, due to its annualized releases, rarely features much more than small, iterative changes. The Frostbite engine allows the game to reach new levels of realism in its visuals, and EA has put a lot of effort into constantly evolving the game to keep it in line with real-world events. But it is the Longshot story mode that defines Madden 18. Some of Longshot is unnecessary spectacle, but its lasting value comes from the humanity that it brings to the game. The moments of vulnerability and sincerity between Devin Wade and Colt Cruise during the story are worthy of celebration and give the overall game a weight that Madden hasn't had before. And if that's not enough to entice you, it's also simply a terrific football game." [read the full review]

-- Alex Newhouse

Far Cry 5 -- 9/10

"Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [read the full review]

-- Edmond Tran, Senior Producer/Editor

Transistor -- 8/10

"Transistor is always a good-looking game, but in these instances, it demonstrates a rare knack for combining its visuals and music to powerfully convey both narrative information and tone, driving the story forward with Red's own unwavering resolve. So in the end, yes, Transistor is a fun action role-playing game with a neat combat system, but beautiful moments like these make it more than that. They make it a game with a soul." [read the full review]

-- Carolyn Petit

Yakuza 0 -- 8/10

"Unless you have a strong aversion to violence, sex, or middling graphics, you owe it to yourself to give Zero a chance. Its story will surprise you, its inhabitants will make you laugh at every turn, and its ambitious scope will redefine how you think about open-world games. It's a fascinating adventure no matter how you approach it, and it's proof positive that a game can be wildly inconsistent yet remain a great experience." [read the full review]

Inside -- 8/10

"This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo. Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence." [read the full review]

-- Alex Newhouse

Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10

"Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review]

-- Michael Higham, Associate Editor

The Crew 2 -- 8/10

"I'm annoyed by the game's lack of public interaction and meaningless gear system, but I'll fondly recall both the tension of flinging sprint boats back and forth through the narrow, artificial canals of The Venetian in Las Vegas, and the easygoing satisfaction of an hour-long hypercar race from New York to San Francisco, where I listened to a podcast and enjoyed the rolling scenery. Despite its shortcomings, The Crew 2 still displays admirable strengths, which lie in its player-friendly features, freedom of movement, and its willingness to bend the rules in order to make things exciting and varied for an accessible, American-themed thrillride." [Read the full review]

-- Edmond Tran, Senior Editor and Video Producer

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2

"In a way, the entire collection itself is the museum--an entire series, with all its beauty and its blemishes, on display for its audience to judge and assess years later. Parts of this legacy have aged horribly, but they're still undeniably a piece of Mega Man X history. We've been told that the upcoming Mega Man 11 was greenlit thanks in part to fan interest in the original Mega Man Legacy Collection. If Capcom follows with a proper sequel to Mega Man X, this compilation provides valuable lessons on what the series is, what it isn't, and what it can be when given the chance." [Read the full review]

-- Steve Watts

No Man's Sky Next -- 8/10

"At its absolute best, No Man's Sky is a measured, gentle experience where you are rarely the agent of change, but a perpetual visitor who's constantly dwarfed by the magnitude of a universe neutral to your presence. It is not your job in these stories to colonize the universe. Your job is to comprehend it. Your job is to recognize the spirituality in it. The primary gimmick of No Man's Sky, since day one, has been awe. The best things about the Next update feed that gimmick. While features like multiplayer and base-building certainly put more proverbial asses in seats, they're also the least memorable additions to an otherwise thoughtful experience." [Read the full review]

-- Justin Clark

Every Assassin's Creed Game, Reviewed: Origins, Black Flag, AC II, And More

By Matt Espineli on Aug 10, 2018 05:25 am

Assassin's Creed Through The Ages

It's hard to believe, but Ubisoft has released 20 Assassin's Creed games in the span of a decade, and we're already primed for a new one this year with Assassin's Creed Odyssey. In the years since the franchise's 2007 debut, we've received a wealth of fantastic games that have each managed to refine the series' classic open-world formula, while at times pushing it in exciting new directions.

Of course, not every Assassin's Creed game has met fan expectations, but the franchise is still packed with a ton of thrilling adventures that are well-worth experiencing and even revisiting today. It all began with the first Assassin's Creed, a flawed game that showed great promise with its innovative climbing mechanics and sci-fi/historical drama narrative. This potential was eventually realized with Assassin's Creed II, which proved a remarkable improvement thanks to more varied design and a historical setting that stood out from other open-world games of the time. Its follow-up, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, remains a satisfying sequel that refined much of what we loved about AC II while giving us new combat and exploration mechanics to engage with.

"While Assassin's Creed Origins reaches great heights in this new setting, it routinely runs into issues that bog down the overall experience. Technical issues make for an inconsistent experience and its new gameplay pillars wobble under the weight of its systems. But despite this, the world of Origins remains fresh and exciting to explore, which is a testament to the remarkable setting and compelling story. Assassin's Creed has undergone many changes in its long and storied history, and Origins feels like the first step in the start of a new journey. It has its fair share of problems, but the vision for its future is one worth pursuing." [Read the review]

-- Alessandro Fillari, Editor

All Of Red Dead Redemption 2's Cool New Mechanics

By Matt Espineli on Aug 10, 2018 03:48 am

Red Dead Details

Rockstar Games really knows how to keep its fans in anticipation. Nearly a year since its announcement, the publisher has only released a few brief trailers for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. Few details have emerged in the passing months about what you can do in the game, but now that we've finally gotten a glimpse at actual gameplay, we're starting to get a much clearer picture about how exactly Red Redemption 2 will play like when it releases later this year.

There's much more to Red Dead Redemption 2 than a simple next-generation facelift of the previous game's main mechanics. Some elements have remained the same, but a lot has changed. The world is much larger and more diverse, containing its own ecosystem of wildlife. Your level of interaction with the environment has been greatly expanded, allowing you to make moral decisions on the fly in your actions and conversations with the world's inhabitants. Horses are no longer just a disposable vehicle; instead, you must find a steed and build up a bond with them, which increases their ability to deal with riding around stressful firefights or dangerous animals.

To help you keep up to date on all the cool new mechanics being introduced into Red Dead Redemption 2, we've compiled them all in this feature for your reference. If you're loving what you're seeing here and in the first major gameplay video, then you're in luck: this is only the beginning. Rockstar plans to release more videos in the coming weeks showcasing additional gameplay features. The next trailer will discuss missions, activities, enemy gangs, robberies, how the Dead Eye system is changing, and more. As soon as those details drop, we'll be updating this feature, so make sure to keep checking back.

For the uninitiated, Red Dead Redemption 2 tells the story of outlaw Arthur Mogan. "After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee," Rockstar explained. "With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him."

Red Dead Redemption 2 releases on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. Although a PC version hasn't officially been confirmed, a programmer working on the game has alluded to the possibility that Read Dead Redemption 2 will launch on PC. What are you most excited about in Red Dead Redemption 2? Give us a holler about it in the comments below.

A Larger, More Diverse World

Red Dead 2's world is even larger than in the previous game and it's not simply open but filled with more diverse areas packed with meaningful activities to pursue. The world covers America's heartland all the way into its frontier, pushing you through a variety of environments such as harsh deserts, mountainous regions, untamed swamplands, and rural towns.

Varied Ecosystem

You're not alone out in the world. There's a whole ecosystem of animals out there that you need to be cautious of. You'll see a variety of predators--such as bears, wolves, and alligators--but there's also a host of prey and scavengers to encounter too. You might see a moose off in the distance or vultures feeding on a carcass. Compared to the game's predecessor, animals seem to interact more with one another whether you play a part in their encounters or not.

Improved World Interaction

Compared to the first game, your level of interaction with the environment has been greatly expanded. Now you can initiate and engage in a conversation with nearly everyone in the world, allowing you to make moral decisions on the fly in your actions and conversations. This is presented via button prompts which will differ based on who you're interacting with. For instance, if you see a passing rider, you can choose to call out to them, kindly greet them, or even antagonize them. On the other hand, these interactions will change when dealing with someone more aggressive. When threatened by an unsavory character, the game will allow you to rob them, defuse the situation, or antagonize them further. It's worth noting that these prompts do not appear in menus or dialogue trees and are instead initiated in real-time.

Your interactions with the world can even change depending on how you present yourself. With your gun holstered, folks are more willing to chat with you, but if you have your gun drawn, they'll notice and might want nothing to do with you. These sorts of details are important and will affect your experiences spent out in the world.

Expanded Honor System

Much like the honor system in the first Red Dead Redemption, your daily actions feed into the world's perception of you. However, the sequel seeks to expand on this by offering different consequences and opportunities to open up based on the honor you have. Your good actions may allow you to form friendships with folks you help out--who may lead you into new missions. But if you're a jerk, you might make enemies out of law enforcement and the populace at large, which could negatively impact your general activities out in the world.

Distinct Weaponry

Weapons have a more distinct feel than before, with each sporting their own unique realistic reload times and recoil. A wide range of weapons exist, ranging from basic six-shooter revolvers to scope-mounted sniper rifles.

You Can Only Carry Two Weapons

In a bit of a shift from the original, you can only carry two weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2. This means you've got to be smarter about which weaponry you choose to take with you into a firefight.

Fleshed Out Melee Combat

Melee combat was incredibly simplistic in the original Red Dead Redemption, as you could only really flail about when an enemy's guard was down in order to inflict any meaningful damage. However, this component seems to be far more engaging and more intimate. Much of the early gameplay shows Morgan grappling with enemies and guarding against their attacks to find better openings.

The Gang's Camp

Daily life in the Van der Linde gang revolves around the makeshift camp they set up each time they're forced to flee. This is a hub area where you can take on missions and companion activities, as well as listen in on NPC stories and play tabletop games. As you progress through the game, you're encouraged to help supply your camp with food and supplies. After all, these are folks Arthur calls family, which should prove more than enough of a motivator to keep everyone happy and well-fed. Putting in the time opens up new activities, increases your bonds with the members of your camp, and even reveals hidden secrets.

It's worth noting that taking care of your camp is not required from you as a player. However, if you do choose to disregard these duties, your camp will perceive you differently and maybe give a salty remark when you pass by.

You Can Hang Out With Gang Members

At any point in the game, you're free to chat with any member of your gang, which can sometimes reveal opportunities for new missions or side-activities. You can even ask them to headout with you to go fishing, commit robbery, or hunt for food.

Building Up Bonds With Your Horse

The power of friendship is a hell of a thing. And while you can grow closer to your comrades within Dutch's gang through conversations and activities, no one's more reliable than your trusty steed. Red Dead Redemption 2 makes horses valuable confidants by letting you groom, feed, and care for them, which results in benefits like faster dash speed and higher stamina. Horse skittishness also improves with a stronger bond; for example, bears may not scare it if trustworthiness is high. And the stronger the bond, the further it can hear your whistle.

Horses will have different behavioral traits based on breed as well, which affects how they interact with the terrain or handle stressful situations. Breed will factor into on how they react to Arthur too. Since you can tame wild horses, it seems that this'll be another level of relationship management that has tangible results.

Horse Storage

Your horse is more than just your pal and a means of transportation, you can also use it to store weapons, medical items, and any animal skins or carcasses you've hunted. Horses are customizable with saddles and saddlebags that offer the extra storage that is likely to come in clutch during prolonged expeditions out in the wilderness.

16 Crazy Shark Movies, Ranked By Insanity

By Chris E. Hayner on Aug 10, 2018 03:42 am

With The Meg swimming into theaters, it's important to remember the long history of sharks on film. Granted, most of that long history isn't very good, but it certainly is memorable.

As long as sharks have been the subject of movies, they've been involved in plots and scenes that make so little sense that it's hard not to wonder who agreed to pay for it in the first place. Whether it's the time a shark went on a rampage at SeaWorld or when a tornado whipped up a series of sharks to throw at a city and a franchise was born, there really is no limit for the situations sharks find themselves in on the big screen. In fact, one movie even turned a shark into something of a psychopathic stalker.

GameSpot dug back through the history of sharks on film to find 16 that deserve another look due to just how crazy they can be, and The Meg is absolutely included. So when you head to theaters this weekend to check it out, make sure you track down these other films as well.

And make sure to check out GameSpot's The Meg review in case you're wondering just how ridiculous this movie is going to be.

16. Shark Tale

This might seem like a strange entry on a list of crazy shark movies, but Shark Tale is a super bizarre film to watch. In it, great white sharks are actually a mafia and the shark expected to take over leading the family is a vegetarian with a heart of gold that happens to be voiced by Jack Black. That's pretty strange.

15. The Shallows

What makes The Shallows such a scary and thrilling film is the realism. So many shark movies go about 20 steps too far in portraying the shark as a killer, and that's usually what makes them so great. This film, though, is simply one woman vs. a shark that wants to eat her. In terms of sheer insanity, though, it's pretty tame. That's not a knock against it, The Shallows is just very grounded.

14. Great White

What's so strange about this particular film is that it was pulled from theaters in the United States after a month because it's believed to plagiarize Jaws. Truthfully, Universal Pictures does have a point. It follows a group of men who go hunt a dangerous shark while the local government refuses to believe there's a problem. Sounds pretty familiar.

12. The Reef

The Reef is the kind of movie that should keep you off of a boat until the end of time. While there's nothing overtly bizarre about this movie, the terror it creates from what started as a simple vacation will leave an impression.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Jaws 2 is here to prove it's not. To be clear, this is nowhere near as exciting and inventive as the original Jaws. Still, between the shark eating a water skier, a boat exploding, and the heroes winning by electrocuting the shark, this movie is intense.

11. Mako: The Jaws of Death

In the aftermath of Jaws, there were many pretenders to the throne. However, Mako: The Jaws of Death puts an interesting spin on the shark tale. In it, the real victims are the sharks being exploited. Meanwhile, it's the stupid humans that are the real villains that are ultimately defeated.

10. USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

What's so crazy about this 2015 movie that completely bombed at the box office? First and foremost, it's based on a true story of a World War II ship that is sunk in shark-infested waters, leading to all kinds of maulings. What's more, this movie stars Nicolas Cage. It is, sadly, the only shark movie Cage has made for some reason.

9. Open Water

Yes, this is an incredibly low-budget movie and it shows. For a shark movie, there's surprisingly little shark to be seen. However, that's where Open Water truly embraces how terrifying it can be. It's simply two people stranded in the ocean alone as a shark is on the hunt. By keeping the scale so small, Open Water is frighteningly realistic.

8. Jaws 3

Is Jaws 3 a better movie than Jaws 2? Absolutely not. The last of the original cast is gone and Amity Island has been left behind. However, this time the shark attacks SeaWorld. That's not a typo. The entire premise of Jaws 3 is that a shark sneaks into SeaWorld and stalks prey via an underground system of pipes. It's so utterly ridiculous, it deserves to be remembered for how insane it is. What's more, this movie was shot in 3D, the only entry in the franchise to get that treatment. And no, it was not good 3D.

This movie stars LL Cool J. That's really enough of a qualifier to be on this list. The rapper even included two songs on the movie's soundtrack, including one where he raps, "my hat is like a shark's fin." How does that make sense?

What makes Deep Blue Sea so insane though is that it's about genetically modified sharks. If there's anything science needed to do, it's to make sharks more efficient killers.7. Deep Blue Sea

6. Jaws: The Revenge

The fourth Jaws movie makes no sense whatsoever. It takes its subtitle "The Revenge" very seriously as the shark hunts the wife of the recently deceased Sheriff Brody. The shark kills her son and follows her to the Bahamas, which is something a shark absolutely would not do. How did this movie get made, we'll never know. Thankfully, we can just sit back and bask in how weird Jaws got by the end.

5. 47 Meters Down

This is what Open Water would be like with a better budget and cast. This time it's Mandy Moore and Claire Holt stranded in the water with sharks ready to attack. What 47 Meters Down does to put its own twist on things, though, is these women are stuck in a shark cage on the ocean floor, with their oxygen running out. This movie is like a ready-made panic attack.

4. Shark Night 3D

While Jaws 3 might have been the first 3D shark movie, thank goodness for Shark Night 3D. It put modern 3D technology to use in a very creepy movie filled with vicious shark kills. What's so over-the-top about this film, though, is it's not set in an ocean. Instead, someone has filled a lake with sharks. It seems incredibly unlikely, but just go with it.

3. The Meg

The newest shark movie is also one of the craziest. The Meg goes prehistoric by putting a megalodon at the center of the insanity. These massive beasts are as scary as they come and delight in chomping through anything in sight, whether it's a massive ship or a beach filled with people who don't know any better.

2. Sharknado

What's scarier than a shark or an army of sharks or a shark seeking revenge or a shark mobster? A tornado filled with sharks, of course. Yes, Sharknado is a TV movie, but it was impossible to leave it off of this list. It's Sharknado! The crazy movie that spawned a crazy franchise is filled with moments that will be hard to forget. They throw bombs into the sharknado, for crying out loud.

1. Jaws

The one that so many ripped off is still the best. Jaws is a fantastic movie and watching it in 2018, as opposed to when it was released in 1974, doesn't change that. What's so crazy about this particular film, though, is the restraint it shows. You don't actually see the shark in this film until 80 minutes in, though that doesn't keep you safe from the carnage it spreads.

While the films that followed may have taken the idea of a shark movie to new extremes, with megalodons, tornadoes, LL Cool J, and more, none of them will ever compare to Jaws--not even the sequels to Jaws. What's more, it's likely they wouldn't even exist without this film.

Monster Hunter World PC Guide: 16 Tips You Should Know Before Starting

By Matt Espineli on Aug 10, 2018 02:14 am

Monster Hunting Tips To Be Mindful Of

Monster Hunter World is the most accessible game in the series. But if you're unfamiliar with Monster Hunter or have maybe played only a few hours of a previous game in the series, it can be a lot to take in. There are plenty of mechanics and systems in the game that are left unexplained, which causes a bit of a confusion in the early runnings, especially if you're one of the many newcomers playing the game for the first time thanks to the newly released PC version.

There's a wealth of random mechanics that simply aren't detailed, like how to use the insect glaive. It's also unclear how the skill tree and and investigations work too. Luckily, there are a variety of ways to ease you into everything Monster Hunter World has to offer. We've compiled 16 essential tips that we wish we knew before starting the game that will likely give you more of an understanding of its myriad intricacies.

All this tips talk comes as a result of the release of Monster Hunter World on PC. That's notable, as most series entries were limited to 3DS and consoles. The additional horsepower has allowed for a game with much larger, more beautiful environments to play in. And the PC version allows the game to display at an even higher resolution and graphical fidelity than ever before.

If you're already immersed in Monster Hunter World and are eager to see some of the game's high-rank armor sets, then check out our galleries showcasing armor on male characters, female characters, and Palicoes. You can also read more about what to expect in our Monster Hunter World review. For more impressions of the game, check out our feature detailing 11 ways for Capcom to make the game even better than it already is.

What tips did you wish you knew before starting Monster Hunter World? Let us know in the comments below.

Decorate Your House With Creatures

You might've noticed a net in your inventory that's not terribly effective against the world's bigger denizens. However, that net can be used to capture smaller insects, birds, and lizards. These captures earn you a few research points with each creature that you catch, but more importantly, the little beasts are added to your room as potential living decorations. Even after upgrading your room, the number of pets you can display is limited, but you're free to swap them out at any time.

This counts for fish as well: While you can grab fish one by one with your rod, you can grab a few at once by using your net. Be warned, though, that the net scares off every other fish in the surrounding water.

Your Palico Can Get New Gadgets

While you're probably aware that you can swap out your Palico's weapon and armor at the Smithy, you might not know that you can acquire other gadgets for your companion. The starting Vigorwasp gear is incredibly helpful--especially early in the game, since it gives you free and immediate heals. But you can find other pieces of gear that give your Palico a whole host of different benefits.

To find the new equipment, you need to go out to an area on an expedition and look for Grimilkynes; the researcher in each area will help point you in the right direction. Each area has a Grimilkyne who offers a quest, with new Palico equipment as the reward.

One of our favorites is the Plunderblade, which you earn from the Grimalkyne in Rotten Vale. This handy item steals additional monster parts from your prey, which gives you yet another chance to earn some of the game's rarer items (and thus craft better loot).

Always Manage Bounties In Between Missions

Don't let all that time spent picking flowers and murdering small animals go to waste. Head to the Resource Center in Astera's tradeyard between every mission to turn in completed bounties and pick up new ones. They're usually fairly easy to complete--tasks range from gathering honey, to completing hunts in specific areas--and they reward valuable armor spheres for upgrading your equipment.

Turn In Delivery Requests At The Resource Center

The Resource Center is also where you go to turn in completed delivery quests. These are the missions that require you to collect a certain amount of specific materials, usually obtained from speaking with characters in Astera who have an exclamation mark icon. Even if you have all the materials, you can't turn in the quest until you speak with the woman at the Resource Center and select the correct option in the menu. Do so whenever possible, because the rewards are often valuable, and can include new fast travel campsites.

How Investigations Work

Investigations are one of the more confusing elements that are introduced early on in Monster Hunter World, largely because their name is something of a misnomer. You're not actually "investigating" anything; these are really just side quests to hunt or capture specific monsters. That's it.

The hard part is managing them. At the Resource Center in Astera's tradeyard, you can "register" a maximum of 50 investigations at any one time. Each investigation can only be attempted or completed a limited number of times, but it's easy to get more investigations through combat, or by sniffing out monster tracks, marks, and other leavings out in the world. You'll also want to periodically comb through and delete lower-level investigations that you're not interested in, so that you don't butt up against the cap. Investigations are the best option for farming specific monsters, if you want their loot to make new armor or weapons.

How Weapon Upgrade Trees Work

Even early on, when your weapon upgrade trees span barely more than a few branches, they can seem hopelessly confusing. The important part to understand is that each weapon archetype has multiple possible starting materials. The basic charge blade, for example, begins on the ore tree (the Proto Commission Axe) or the bone tree (the Bone Strongarm). Each has its own unique upgrade path, and they don't intersect.

For example, if you want to make a charge blade that deals lightning damage, you need to start with the Proto Commission Axe and work your way up; meanwhile, the Bone Strongarm can lead to a water-infused charge blade. It gets way more complicated, but the most important thing to know is that you can craft new base versions of these weapons--ore, bone, or otherwise--at the smithy anytime. You can also walk back most upgrades to get your materials back (though not the zenny).

How Multiplayer Works

Playing Monster Hunter World with your friends is one of the game's main selling points, but actually hooking up for multiplayer can be a headache. The main thing to know: You need to be in the same "session" as your friends to join each other on quests. When you load up the game, you can matchmake into a session with strangers, or create your own; either way, you can then invite friends. Or you can form a "squad" (like a clan or guild) with your friends, and load into your squad's session every time you start the game. Anyone in your session can join a quest once you "post" it at a quest board or with your handler. If you want only friends to be able to join, set a password.

This comes with some limitations. You can't invite your friends early on in "assigned" (story) missions; you have to view all the associated cutscenes and get to the actual monster fight first. After that, you can fire off SOS flares (to attract random players), or have friends in your session join from the quest board. If you're having more trouble connecting with people, make sure that you're in the same session by checking the player list from the options menu (make sure that everyone is the appropriate hunter rank for the quest you're attempting).

Be careful: Monsters become significantly more difficult in multiplayer, and their health scales automatically for four players. Playing with only two players can actually be harder than hunting solo, so it's smart to fire off an SOS flare from the menu, once you actually start the mission to invite more players in.

Save Manually

Monster Hunter World auto-saves your progress when you do something important, like completing a quest. But it's smart to save your game manually whenever you're joining a new online session or powering down for the night.

Let's say you complete a quest and then spend several minutes putzing around in Astera, upgrading weapons, registering bounties, and managing inventory. Then a friend invites you to their online session. Great--you accept their invitation, ignoring the warning about losing unsaved progress. Congrats! Unless you saved manually, you just lost 15 minutes of your life, and you'll have to do all that micromanagement again.

How To Actually Use the Insect Glaive

A lot of us first-time Monster Hunters were drawn to the Insect Glaive as our initial weapon of choice, because it's flashy and looks cool. But more than a few of us didn't discover how to use it to its full potential, until we had already slain the first few monsters.

The Insect Glaive comes with a Kinsect--a giant beetle that you're supposed to aim and shoot at monsters, in order to extract one of three different buffs for yourself. Once you're happy with what it's got, you'll need to recall it in order to receive the limited-time benefits.

If you're diligent, you can have all three buffs going at once, which will greatly assist in your ability to slay your foes. Send the Kinsect to a monster's feet, and you can get a white speed buff. Hit its body, and you'll get get an orange buff that boosts defence. Finally, hit its head and you'll get a red buff, which boosts your attack power--and more importantly, expands your attack strings and combo options with even more slicing and dicing!

Don't even consider attacking something until you have a red buff, at the very least. Seriously--some of us can't even believe we slogged through so many monsters without knowing this.

The other important thing to remember with the Insect Glaive is that you should make liberal use of the vault-jump (R2 + X on PS4, or Right Trigger + A on Xbox One). You'll have access to two different aerial attacks (which are fantastic once you have a red buff active), as well as a midair dash to cover more ground or keep your combo going. It's even possible to stay in the air indefinitely, if the conditions are right. Naturally, this ability also makes it incredibly easy to mount monsters in order to knock them down.

The Insect Glaive is all about being incredibly mobile, doing great air damage, and keeping your buffs up to unleash a dizzying flurry of strikes. It's fun as hell--when you know how to use it.

You Can Swing Around On Wedge Beetles

Mounting monsters is both fun and incredibly useful, but you don't always have always a good ledge to leap from. Enter the Wedge Beetle, those glowing bugs that you may have noticed scattered around the world (which also make a very distinctive noise to notify you that they're nearby). By aiming at a Wedge Beetle with the left trigger, you can hit the Circle button (on PS4) or B button (on Xbox One) to latch onto it, allowing you to swing indefinitely before launching yourself in a direction. This is useful not just for mounting monsters, but also for navigating the world, as you can sometimes save yourself the trouble of scaling a wall--just fly on up by latching onto a Wedge Beetle.

Item And Equipment Loadouts Save Tons Of Time

One of the most time-saving (and tedium-reducing) things you can do in Monster Hunter World is save your item and equipment loadouts. This can be done from the Manage Items and Manage Equipment screens of your item box, and each loadout can be assigned a name to help you keep track of what it is. By doing this, you can establish equipment sets that work effectively when hunting specific types of monsters. This means no more scrolling through all of your items to double-check, say, whether you have something that provides more defense and resistances.

Item loadouts serve a similar purpose: They not only ensure that you have everything you want to bring on a hunt, they also allow you to easily dump everything that you picked up on a previous hunt. While Monster Hunter World introduces the ability to visit your item box while you're in the field, this ensures that you never find yourself ready to capture a monster after a long fight, only to realize that you didn't bring any traps.

The Map Is A Powerful Tool

A glimpse at the map can be overwhelming, but it's incredibly helpful if you know how to use it. If you're on the trail of a monster, you can select it in the bottom-left of the map, to have your scout flies help guide you toward it. Beyond that, you can set custom waypoints anywhere on the map,and your scout flies will guide you to your destination. And the map shows quite a lot--quests and bounties that involve hunting a particular small monster or collecting honey are much easier when your scout flies can take you to the correct location.

Talk To The Chief Ecologist Often

Among the people you'll want to routinely talk to in town is the Chief Ecologist, in the Ecological Research area of Astera. Located just to your left of where you spawn (up the stairs, behind where you manage bounties and investigations), having a quick chat allows you to capitalize on any tracks and other monster evidence that you collect in the field. Picking up that stuff is incredibly helpful long-term, but speaking to the researcher is a necessary part of the process, as doing so lets you increase your Research level with that particular monster. This, in turn, allows you to check out your Hunter's Notes from the Start menu at any item, which gives you important information about monster weak points, resistances, and item drops. Higher Research levels also provide a scout fly bonus, letting you more quickly pick up a monster's trail.

The Wishlist Makes It Easy To Track Materials

Crafting everything you want requires a lot of materials--and trying to remember exactly what you need can become a hassle. Rather than waste your time running to the crafting screen to see if you finally have all the necessary parts after each hunt, setting up a wishlist ensures that you get notifications telling you both when you've picked up a material for something on your list, and when you have all the parts to start crafting.

Capturing Monsters Is The Way To Go

Capturing monsters may seem a little intimidating, particularly if you're a newcomer; it's easier and safer to just keep smacking a monster on the head with a sword than to risk death by trying to ensnare it. But the process is actually quite easy (check out our guide to capturing monsters in Monster Hunter World), and more importantly, tends to yield more rewards than killing a monster. Capturing is obviously an essential element of some quests, but even when you can get away with killing a monster, you're better off bringing some traps and tranq bombs (or tranq ammo) and capturing everything that you can.

Flash Pods Are Invaluable Against Flying Monsters

Flying monsters can be obnoxious, particularly if you're a melee weapon user. They soar into the air, often out of even the most comically large weapon's reach, and they launch deadly attacks from the sky. Launching rocks with your slinger won't do much, but the slinger can be equipped with something that is more effective: Flash Pods. These are occasionally given to you for free at the beginning of a quest, or you can craft them and bring them yourself.

Either way, simply scroll through your item bar and equip the Flash Pod, and you suddenly have a great counter to flying monsters. You only get three shots, but firing one in the vicinity of a monster's face with the slinger (done by holding the left trigger and firing with the right) will stun the monster and cause it to drop out of the sky, thereby saving you from an incoming attack (and opening up an opportunity to deal some damage).

Monster Hunter World PC Guide And Beginner's Tips: Co-op, Armor, Weapons, And More

By Justin Haywald on Aug 10, 2018 02:12 am

Monster Hunter World is quite possibly the most approachable entry in Capcom's long-running franchise yet, but it can still be a difficult game to get used to for the uninitiated. And for the influx of new players coming into the game thanks to its newly released PC version, the need for guidance ever increases. Whether you're a returning adventurer who wants a quick recap of how to jump in, or a beginner who wants to know how to get started, this guide will help you prepare for Monster Hunter World's opening hours.

Much of what you need to know deals with focusing in on the right weapons, properly equipping yourself, and being observant of your surroundings. While this doesn't sound like much, it becomes more essential during the game's more complex and difficult hunts and encounters. It's paramount you build up your skills and hunting readiness if you want to overcome Monster Hunter World's numerous challenges.

To ensure you're brought up to speed on the essentials, we've gathered 12 beginners tips to better your chances of survival. These tups will help you fight like a pro, even if you're an amateur. Be wary; it takes time to get adjusted to all of Monster Hunter World's mechanics. You definitely need to be patient above all things.

All this tips talk comes as a result of Monster Hunter World's release on PC (which is also available for Xbox One and PS4). That's notable, as mainline entries were limited to 3DS and consoles. And if you want learn even about what the game has in store, we're currently collecting all of the Monster Hunter armor sets and testing out strategies with each of the game's 14 weapons. Check out this link for all of our most important Monster Hunter content, including our Monster Hunter World review. We also have a guide on how to capture monsters.

Do you have any essential beginners tips to offer that you don't see here? Let us know in the comments below.

Find The Right Weapon

Unlike other games, you're not stuck in a specific class that dictates your playstyle in Monster Hunt World. Instead there's an assortment of 14 weapons that let you choose how to approach your hunt. Every weapon is a viable option, although some are much easier for beginners than others.

Whether or not this is your first game, it's a good idea to spend time in the game's training room to gain familiarity with the full range of weapons and see which one you like most. For your first adventure, the best choices are either the sword and shield or the dual blades. Both weapons provide the best trade-off between attack speed and recovery. They may not deal crazy damage, but they're the most forgiving when getting used to the controls and monsters you'll be fighting.

The next level up includes the great sword, long sword, and hammer. Slower, but more powerful weapons, the combos for those weapons are still easy to learn, but if you miss an attack, you're left vulnerable for much longer than the starting blades.

But the only way to really understand the different weapons is to try them. And keep in mind that if you go into a zone with the wrong equipment, you can always head to your tent at the campsite to swap it out for something more appropriate.

Find Some Friends To Adventure With

Monster Hunter World is tuned for both single- and multiplayer action, but if you're new to the series, playing with friends is the best way to experience everything offered. Even if you don't have a pre-arranged group of buddies who are already in the game, be sure to take advantage of the online matchmaking system: the options let you specify what type and rank of hunters you want to group up with so you can be sure to find the right dynamic for your particular skill level.

And if you do decide to go it alone, don't be afraid to take advantage of the SOS flares. In this version of Monster Hunter, you're able to call for help at a moment's notice when the situation gets dire.

Get Ready Before The Hunt

While you have access to your inventory--and even the canteen--after accepting a mission, you shouldn't waste time preparing after you've already set out. Instead, take care of these three mission prep steps before you start a hunt:

Eat: Make sure to get a good meal with a focus on whatever stat you think will help you get through the next fight. If it's a strong monster and your armor's so-so, get a defense boost. If they use a lot of elemental attacks, get an elemental boost. And if you're confident and you want to try to knock out your enemy as quickly as possible, opt for the attack boost.
Empty your personal storage: Do you have leftover items from your last quest? Get them out of your pockets and into your inventory box!
Stock up: Get the items you'll need for your next quest. Early on, you should be good with some potions, herbs (to make more potions), antidotes, nulberries, and honey. That list will expand as your hunter rank goes up, but it's important to establish a beginning setup that covers the major contingencies.

But where do you get all those preparatory items...?

Grab Everything

When you're out in the field, if you see something shiny, just grab it. Bugs, plants, mushrooms--eventually you'll learn what each item is, and maybe you'll ignore the stuff you use less of, but it's good to get in the habit of stocking up and staying at capacity.

If you're on a quest that you know will be easy, feel free to leave things like Nulberries and Herbs back in your camp inventory so you can collect more out in the field. And if ever run low on supplies, you can scope out specific items by looking at the gathering locations on your map.

Eventually, you'll unlock the ability to farm multiple items from one of researchers in Astera. You'll have to complete quests to stock that mini-supply, but that leads to the next point...

Regularly Check-in With Astera's NPCs

The game doesn't always make this explicit, but after every hunt you'll want to run a social circuit around Astera. Visit the old man in the Ecological Research Center to update your Monster Field Guide--you'll get prompted to do this on the results screen after a successful hunt if you've found enough new information.

Check in with the Resource Center to turn in any completed bounties and to register new ones. These are the main way you obtain Armor Spheres, which are necessary for keeping raising the effectiveness of your older armor.

Collect your harvest from the Botanical Research Center before it gets full. And if you don't have anything specific you want to cultivate, go with Honey. You'll always need mega potions.

And check in every so often with the Tailraider Safari, once you unlock it (you can access this from your room back in Astera).

Collect Wildlife

A Monster Hunter's life may mostly be about felling impossibly large beasts, but that net in your inventory lets you capture the smaller denizens of the world. If you're not sure if you can catch it, just try! The smaller creatures you catch with your net will be made available as pets back in your room.

The Wishlist Is A Great Way To Keep Track Of What You Need To Collect

Hunting down monsters so you can make some sweet pants is the primary driver in Monster Hunter, so be sure to take advantage of the wishlist feature. The wishlist will break down exactly what materials you need and even help you find what you're looking for. You'll get handy notifications when you've found the material for a piece of gear you're tracking, which saves you the trouble of checking in at the smith every time you return from a hunt.

Search For More Campsites

With each area in the game, you start with one camp, and through the story you'll get access to a second. However, there are a total of four in each area and it's up to you to find the rest. You can search yourself or you can just join a quest with another player who already found one to save a little time. After that, you'll get a special delivery you need to complete, and then the camp is yours.

Make Sure To Do The Optional Quests And Investigations

While you might be inclined to get through the main story quests as quickly as possible (and that's the fastest path to getting the best armor and weapons), you don't want to ignore the other items on your quest list. Optional Quests have the potential to unlock powerful upgrades, and they're also the way that you'll expand your cantina. If you want to make sure to get the most benefit from your pre-hunt meals, you'll need to complete the chef's gathering quests.

And unlike Bounties, the Resource Center's investigations aren't completed automatically when you meet those requirements on a hunt. Investigation quests are a separate category, and completing them nets you bonus rewards on the hunt. When you need "just one more" monster part, investigations are the best way to try and farm rarer crafting components.

Don't Forget to Upgrade Your Palico

Your Palico is your constant companion on the hunt, but don't forget that they have their own armor to upgrade as well! The system is a bit simpler, but whenever you're crafting new armor for yourself, check and see if there's anything better for the little guy as well.

Use The Environment

If you keep facing a monster head-on and failing, take a step back and look for some environmental help. When looking at your map, scroll over to the "Traps/Environmental" section to find things like Vine Traps, which can incapacitate your prey, as well as plants that can inflict poison and stun. Taking advantage of what's already available on the map can make taking down even seemingly unbeatable foes a little more manageable.

Don't Give Up!

Monster Hunter can be a challenging game, but it's an experience that rewards you the more you put into it. If a hunt fails, don't look at it as wasted time, but think about what you learned about that monster's patterns.

And if all else fails, upgrade your armor. Going back to finish lower tier sets (or pouring a few armor upgrade orbs into your current equipment), can give you just the defensive boost you need to take on your next quest. If it feels like you're doing everything right, but you're still taking a beating, boosting your defense might be all you need!

And if you really need a break, search for the Poogie in your camp and give him a pet. There's no better stress relief than petting your new best piggie friend.

All The Overwatch Summer Games 2018 Skins, Both New And Returning

By Gajan Kulasingham on Aug 10, 2018 01:05 am

Another Summer Means More Skins

The Overwatch Summer Games are back for a third year. Along with a slightly revamped version of Lucioball in a brand-new arena location, we've also received a new set of fun-in-the-sun costumes. This gallery shows off the initial batch of vanity shots, but we'll continue adding to it now that the event is live with a closer look at every new and returning costume.

This year, Summer games adds a Waveracer skin for D.Va and Gridironhardt skin for Reinhardt, as well as new looks for Winston and Ana and athletic attire for Roadhog and Zenyatta.

Summer Games 2018 continues until August 30, so you have until then to unlock Overwatch's summer-themed skins and emotes. If you have Twitch Prime, linking your Twitch and Blizzard accounts before September 3 will earn you two loot boxes that each hold four random cosmetics for Wrecking Ball.

While you'll be able to earn these rewards from the limited-time Summer Games-themed Loot Boxes, you can also purchase all of the new skins.

Overwatch is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.