Looking at From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it's clear that it's built on the foundations of the team's previous work on the Dark Souls series. Focusing on an uncompromising and stoic design sense that rewards patient players who learn from their mistakes, the developer's next big title definitely channels some of the best of what their last ten years of games have to offer. However, Sekiro is a major shift away from the slower, and more cautious playstyle of action-RPG Dark Souls and even Bloodborne--moving further into the direction of what seems to be a traditional action game.
In Sekiro, you're tasked with using some unorthodox gadgets, a sharp blade, and a ninja's cunning and agility to overcome foes that can drop you in only a few strikes. Just prior to Gamescom, we dove into a brief section of Sekiro, which showcased the unique combat and stealth encounters, and got an idea of how it recontextualizes the Souls-formula into a stealth-action experience.
Set in a heavily fictionalized take on Sengoku-era Japan in 1500, you play as a shinobi who faces a brutal defeat at the hands of a rival samurai, losing their left arm in the process. Defying death, the warrior is given a new arm by a mysterious monk who names him the "One-Armed Wolf". From here, the main character begins his quest for revenge against the samurai and his clan that roam the lands. But during his adventure, he'll encounter other dangerous beasts and larger than life monsters, slowly revealing a much greater threat that will push his shinobi training to its limits.
Unlike From Software's past titles, Sekiro focuses on the story of a defined character, and with stripped down RPG mechanics--there's a greater emphasis on the more action-oriented gameplay and smart use of the tools you have on hand. As more of a spiritual successor to From Software's previous games--which were also directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki--many of the familiar touchstones from the Souls games remain intact--but with many notable differences.
At its heart, Sekiro is a stealth-action game, and many encounters involve getting the jump up on unsuspecting enemies for quick and efficient kill, or by avoiding packs of foes altogether. With the One-Armed Wolf's grappling hook, there's a stronger focus on verticality and movement throughout the levels, where gaining the high-ground above your opponents can mean all the difference in your chances for survival. Though you're certainly free to engage them head-on, most areas are heavily guarded, and you can easily find yourself outmatched by ranged foes and close-range fighters. The enemies in Sekiro are incredibly aggressive, and they prefer to fight in numbers.
During my time with Sekiro, I was impressed with the versatility of the game's main character, which quickly asked you to learn the ins and outs of his arsenal. With the ability to sneak, hug walls, climb steep surfaces, and even jump, the protagonist's skills give him an incredible amount of flexibility and range, allowing you to uncover hidden vantages above groups of enemies, or secret encounters off the beaten path--such as a Shinobi-hunting monk who's immune to many of the Wolf's tricks. But the protagonist's most valuable tool in his arsenal is the Shinobi Prosthetic, which acts as your all-in-one support item, akin to Bloodborne's trick weapons. Allowing you to toss shurikens, spew fire, blind foes, and unleash a powerful axe that can break through enemy defenses, the One-Armed Wolf can pull off all sorts of clever moves on the fly--such as igniting your sword on fire to add extra damage.
Like other titles from the Souls series, death plays a large role in Sekiro. While the One-Armed Wolf is an extremely lethal fighter with gadgets and weapons that allow him to kill most common enemies in only a single blow, he's extremely vulnerable as well. While you're certainly able to face off against groups of foes, it's usually the smarter option not to. During one challenging section, I entered a courtyard with several guards trying to a contain an imprisoned Ogre, only to be spotting by ranged bowmen who had the high ground. With the stealthy approach out the window, I tried to engage each target one-by-one--but then the Ogre broke free and joined the fight. What followed was a cascade of violent blows and flying arrows--culminating in the large Ogre powerbombing me and tossing me like a ragdoll.
You'll die a lot in Sekiro. But as the subtitle of the game suggests, there's more to death than what it seems. Referred to as the Resurrection mechanic and used as somewhat of a tactical respawn, you're able to use up a life token (two at max)--found from resting at Sculptor's Idols, essentially bonfires--to instantly revive on the spot and pick up where you left. In most situations, you can wait for enemies to walk away, revive, and then sneak up for a kill when their guard is down. But of course, if the situation looks too dire--some enemies will choose to stick around your body--you can accept your death instead, which will send you back to the nearest Sculptor's Idol. And of course, all common foes will return after visiting the rest point, forcing you to take on that familiar gauntlet once again.
Eventually, you'll come across elite foes that guard the only path forward. These mid-bosses are among the more dangerous opponents you'll encounter, and battling them feels more like a game of wits and quick reflexes, rather than brute force. Much like stealth gameplay, melee combat is all about taking advantage of your opponent's vulnerabilities. With the Posture System, aggressive attacks, timed parries and blocks will add pressure to your opponent. Once the Posture gauge tops out, they'll enter a stunned state, opening them up to critical attacks. However, the elite enemies can do the same to you, which will decimate your life bar in a single blow.
There were definitely a lot of surprises to be found in this relatively modest demo for the game. After passing through the castle grounds, we entered a large canyon guarded by a massive snake. With the only way forward ahead of it, we had to time our jumps and grapples correctly to enter small cave in time to evade its attacks. Soon after, we faced off against the demo's boss on a bridge surrounded by sparkling red trees--one of the demo's most visually stunning areas. Known as the Cursed Monk, this multi-phased fight forces you to use every skill you have--even grappling to higher ground to avoid attacks. It was easily the hardest fight in the demo, and unsurprisingly, we couldn't beat it.
After playing more than half-an-hour of the game, it's clear that the roots of the Souls genre are still there--yet it's undeniably its own beast. One of the more common sensations felt when playing games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne is the sense of apprehension and dread. While those feelings are still present in Sekiro to an extent, the tools and skills that the protagonist possessed gave me much more of an empowered feeling throughout. Having said that, there's still much we have to learn about Sekiro, and just how far it will go with its mashup of stealth-action gameplay and the best of what the Souls series is all about.
For more on our continuing coverage of Gamescom 2018, which includes our hands-on impressions of Devil May Cry 5 and Hitman 2, be sure to check out GameSpot's hub page for all the latest news and videos.
Here's a game you should probably download if you haven't already bought it. For Honor: Starter Edition is free on Steam for a limited time. This isn't one of those free play weekends where you lose access after a couple of days, either. If you download the game, you can keep and play it forever.
For Honor is quite a bit different from most other games on the market. It's an online melee brawler that pits three factions of warriors against one another: Vikings, Knights, and Samurai. All of the heroes have unique fighting styles, and the combat system is deep and intricate.
The version that's free right now on Steam is the Starter Edition, which typically sells for $15. As such, it's more limited than the pricier versions you can also purchase. The Starter Edition comes with all the core content of the game--the single-player campaign and all the multiplayer modes and maps are there. What's missing are most of the heroes.
For Honor launched with 12 hero characters. The Starter Edition comes with three heroes fully unlocked (one from each faction). You also get to choose three additional heroes to make "playable." Unlike the fully unlocked heroes, you can't customize these characters with new outfits unless you spend 8,000 Steel (the in-game currency) on each one. The six additional heroes that launched with the game cost 8,000 Steel each to fully unlock.
Since the game launched, Ubisoft has introduced six additional heroes to the game. Unlocking these characters costs 15,000 Steel each. (A new faction comprised of four more characters is coming with the Marching Fire update on October 16).
You can buy Steel for real-life money or acquire it through gameplay. Ubisoft says earning 8,000 Steel requires an in-game purchase of $8 or between eight and 15 hours of play time. Even if you don't want to do the mental gymnastics to figure out what it would take to unlock all the characters, you can still pick up For Honor: Starter Edition for free right now to try it out. It's unclear when it'll go back to its normal price, so you're better off downloading it sooner than later.
There's a saying that the rich get richer. And in the case of Crazy Rich Asians, it seems the adage rings true. It's been confirmed that the Jon M. Chu-directed romcom will get a sequel, with Chu returning to lead the project.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. Pictures has given the OK to continue development on the Crazy Rich Asians sequel, "with plans to reunite the first movie's original team, including producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson." Although Chu is occupied with a few other projects--including Lin-Manuel Miranda's first musical--sources told the Hollywood Reporter he'd possibly direct the sequel after completing Miranda's In the Heights adaptation, which is scheduled for a June 2020 release.
While Warner Bros. hasn't officially greenlit the project, development on the sequel is still moving forward. It's not uncommon for film studios to monitor the performance of a new franchise before going all in, but Crazy Rich Asians has been exceeding expectations since its opening, grossing an approximate combined total of $40 million dollars worldwide and knocking The Meg out of the water this past weekend. Fans and analysts alike have been impressed with Crazy Rich Asians, especially considering it's the first Hollywood movie since 1993's The Joy Luck Club to star an all-Western Asian cast.
Crazy Rich Asians is based on the 2013 novel of the same name written by Singaporean-American author Kevin Kwan. As noted by the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has access to Kwan's entire trilogy, including 2015's China Rich Girlfriend and 2017's Rich People Problems. "We have a plan with Kevin for the next two films," producer Brad Simpson said.
DICE has received backlash since the announcement that women would be included in Battlefield 5. There are many who accuse the developer of pursuing an agenda, bending historical accuracy to jump on "the bandwagon" of gender and racial inclusivity. DICE executive producer Aleksander Grondal disagrees, even saying he wishes his team had included women in 2016's Battlefield 1.
"I mean, if we were getting on the bandwagon, I created Battlefield 1, and we could've 'jumped on the bandwagon' that time around," Grondal told GamesRadar+.
He continued, "I think it's a shame we didn't [add women], because that perhaps would've been better for us. I don't think it's a bandwagon thing, I think it's about gamers wanting to express themselves in different ways. If you take a look at Battlefield historically, it's been about expressing yourself through gameplay, solving problems the way you want to, and these characters fall perfectly in line with that thinking."
During the Inside Xbox presentation during Gamescom 2018, it was announced that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to Xbox Game Pass. This Xbox One exclusive includes anniversary editions of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, as well as Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. Although only the campaign for ODST is in the collection, the multiplayer of the other four games are all included.
Xbox also had some announcements in regards to the company's Game Pass program. Until August 31, new members only have to pay $2 for a two month membership. A beta for the Game Pass mobile app is also launching today. The app allows you to install games to your Xbox One remotely and monitor both Game Pass deals and the schedule for when titles are added or removed from the program. Android users can download the app through Google Play while iOS users need to secure a spot through TestFlight. Spots in the iOS beta are limited so act fast if you want in.
The Master Chief Collection comes to Xbox Game Pass on September 1. The collection is also getting Xbox One X enhanced, improved matchmaking, offline LAN support, and a new custom game browser. You'll get these add-ons and patches on September 1 if you just buy the collection as well.
Each and every Wednesday, GameStop puts out a new ad that highlights all of the deals and discounts available at the gaming retailer that week. This week's ad is up, so let's dig in to find all the best PS4 and Xbox One deals of the week (Nintendo Switch is left out of this week's discounts, unfortunately). These discounts go away on August 28, so don't wait too long if anything looks appealing.
If your Xbox Live Gold subscription is running out (or even if it's not), you can pick up three months of the service for $25 and get an additional three months for free. In the market for an Xbox One X? You'll get extra trade-in credit if you put a current-gen console toward Microsoft's powerful console. And you'll get half off any pre-owned game under $10 between now and August 26.
Speaking of shooters, if you pre-order Battlefield V, you'll get early access to the open beta. The beta is available for everyone on September 6, but anyone who pre-orders can download it September 3 and start playing September 4.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been on sale a lot recently, but not for this low of a price. You can pick up this romp through Tolkien's fantasy world for just $10. Sports (and sports entertainment) fans who missed out on NBA 2K18 or WWE 2K18 can pick them up for $30 each. And the cross-country racing game The Crew 2 is down to $40.
With Gamescom 2018 ongoing, Nintendo took some time just prior to the start of the event to announce over a dozen new indie games for Switch. Of the games revealed, three were released almost immediately. Right now, you can download and play Bad North, Prison Architect: Nintendo Switch Edition, and Morphies Law.
Bad North is a viking-themed real time tactics roguelite. One of the cooler indie games we saw at E3 2018, Bad North is developed by Plausible Concept. Don't be fooled by its charming art style. This game is very difficult, and losing a commander in battle means they're gone for good. Bad North costs $15/£13.49. The title is coming to Xbox One and PS4 on August 28.
Prison Architect Nintendo Switch Edition is the Switch port of the prison-building simulator already on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, mobile, and PC. This version includes both the All Day and a Night and Psych Ward expansions, and the Escape Mode DLC will be available for purchase later this summer. In our Prison Architect review, we gave the game a 7/10. Prison Architect goes for $30/£25 on the Nintendo Eshop.
Morphies Law is a bizarre size-changing shooter. Shooting enemy players lets you to steal their size until they shrink into nothing. This means players in the lead will be large, easy-to-shoot targets while those who are falling behind can take advantage of their smaller size to weave between firefights. The game is available on the Eshop right now for $20/£16, and will be coming on PC at a later date.
The full list of announced titles coming to Switch can be found below.
It's happening! Finally! Veronica Mars isn't so dead, after all. A revival of the former UPN and CW series is in the world at Hulu. Thankfully, the project already has creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell signed on.
The news comes from Entertainment Weekly, which reports that parts of the deal have yet to be finalized, though negotiations between streaming service Hulu and Warner Bros. TV have been ongoing for months. The important thing to note is that, however the deal for the revival is structured, Bell will be allowed to appear on the show, as well as NBC's The Good Place.
The original series centered on teen detective Veronica Mars as she solved various crimes and mysteries in her hometown. It ran for two seasons on UPN, before the network merged with The WB to create The CW. Mars then aired one final season on the new network.
Absolutely nothing else about the revival is known at this point, including when it might air and what other cast would come back. Of course, the hope is that just about everyone imaginable would return to the fictional town of Neptune for the revival.
Bell last played Mars in a 2014 follow-up film that saw most of her co-stars join her on the big screen, including Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Tina Majorino, Chris Lowell, Ryan Hansen, Krysten Ritter, Percy Daggs II, and many more.
After the film, Thomas collaborated with writer Jennifer Graham on two novels released in 2014 and 2015. Currently, the creator is working on the final season of The CW's iZombie, a show that has seen multiple Veronica Mars stars appear.
In Season 3, Riverdale is jumping back in time for an episode filled with very interesting casting changes. The fourth episode of the upcoming season, "The Midnight Club," will flashback to when the parents of the show's main characters were high school students themselves.
It was previously revealed that the show's younger cast would step up to play the teenage versions of their characters' parents. That means KJ Apa exchanging his red hair for a brown to play a young Luke Perry and Lili Reinhart channeling her inner Shely Briggs from Twin Peaks to portray a teenage Madchen Amick.
Now, though, the episode that's taking heavy inspiration from The Breakfast Club has made its most inspiring casting choice yet. Warner Bros. TV has announced that original Breakfast Club star Anthony Michael Hall will play Principal Featherhead in the episode. According to a character description, Featherhead is "the longstanding principal at Riverdale High who gets caught up in the game the teenagers are playing in an unexpected way."
It's hard to argue with this particular piece of casting. Seeing Hall go from the student he played in the film to the teacher stuck in the middle of whatever chaos is unfolding should be fun to watch. A full plot synopsis for the episode has yet to be released; however, viewers will learn about some of the dark secrets the parents of Riverdale have been hiding from their children all of their lives.
Riverdale returns to The CW on Wednesday, October 10, at 8 PM ET. The episode "The Midnight Club" will air on Wednesday, November 7. Be sure to check out all of our Riverdale Season 3 spoilers and teases.
While former MoviePass customers may be concerned about their non-canceled accounts, those who still believe in the movie ticketing subscription service may be disappointed. The company has announced it's limiting movie selection to just six to seven movies per day for the foreseeable future.
In an email sent out by company CEO Mitch Lowe on Thursday, August 16, "MoviePass will offer up to six films to choose from daily, including a selection of major studio first-run films and independent releases." In addition to limiting movie selection, Lowe confirmed that showtime availability will be limited "depending on the popularity of those films on the app that particular day."
According to Lowe, the movies and showtime availability in the app will change daily. However, Lowe did state that "the schedule of available film selections will be published at least a week in advance [so] members can plan ahead for the films they want to see." In keeping true to this, the current list of movies available to MoviePass subscribers has been published on the company's official site and features the same five movies for the week of August 20-26: Juliet, Naked,Skate Kitchen, Summer of 84,The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and We the Animals. The other two slots swap between Alpha, A-X-L, Blackkklansman, Crazy Rich Asians, Mile 22, Searching, and The Happytime Murders.
As Variety reports, big blockbuster movies currently unavailable on MoviePass for the next 10 days are Mission: Impossible: Fallout, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and various other movies showing in theatres.
This all comes on the heels of MoviePass' identity crisis, as the ticket subscription service can't seem to figure out the pricing method that'll please subscribers. After announcing it was going to increase the subscription price to $14.95 per month, MoviePass quickly canned that idea and changed its pricing model to three movies for $9.95 per month. In addition to troubled pricing and running out of money, the company was recently hit with a class action lawsuit from its own shareholders.
During Gamescom 2018, Bandai Namco announced the second story mode for SoulCalibur 6. The company also revealed a gameplay trailer for Tira, a new DLC fighter.
The new story mode is called Libra of Souls, and it allows you to play as your own custom character through a single-player campaign. You'll have 16 different races to choose from for your character before customizing how they look, from their body type to facial features. You'll even be able to pick what type of fighting style they specialize in, and choose the armor and weapon that you think best fits that style.
After making your character, you'll fight your way through a unique campaign that pits you against an evil mastermind bent on gathering the Soul Edge shards. Familiar faces from SoulCalibur 6's main campaign, Chronicle of Souls, will show up to either help or hinder you. Chronicle of Souls takes you back to the beginning of the SoulCalibur franchise and revisits the events of the first game. Like the fighters you play as in Chronicle of Souls, your custom Libra of Souls character will be available to play in both online casual and ranked matches.
At Gamescom, Bandai Namco also revealed a gameplay trailer for DLC fighter Tira. First introduced in SoulCalibur 3, Tira has since become a veteran of the franchise and appeared in both SoulCalibur 4 and SoulCalibur 5.
In both SoulCalibur 4 and 5, Tira's fighting style was transformed to match how her personality unexpectedly changes. She has two different states, Gloomy and Jolly, with the former allowing her to dish out more powerful attacks at the cost of her own health. Some of her moves allow you to switch Tira's states on the fly, but she can also just change whenever she feels like it or after she's struck by certain attacks. The new trailer suggests Tira maintains this fighting style in SoulCalibur 6, but Bandai Namco hasn't confirmed whether or not that is the case.
SoulCalibur 6 is launching for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 19.
Fans eager to test the historical accuracy of Battlefield V won't have to wait much longer, as EA's announced the game's open beta start date. Battlefield V's open beta is scheduled to start at the beginning of September, with those who pre-order or are members of Origin Access Premier, Origin Access Basic, or EA Access getting two whole days to play before everyone else.
Battlefield V's open beta will kick off on September 4 for those who pre-order and/or are subscribers of EA's services, while everyone else will get access to it on September 6 on all platforms. The open beta will feature the new Rotterdam map for Conquest, as well as the Arctic Fjord map for both Conquest and Grand Operations. Pre-loading the open beta starts on September 3.
According to the press release, the Rotterdam map will put players in "a battle fought throughout the streets of Holland where the game's dynamic physicality and destruction will be on full display." Grand Operations makes its Battlefield V debut and is "a multiplayer experience across multiple maps and modes that takes players through a powerful narrative journey inspired by historical events," as stated in the press release. In addition to the new map and mode, a five-part Tides of War chapter--an ever-evolving journey through World War II featuring a new story every few months--will be available during the open beta, and those that complete it will receive an exclusive in-game Dog Tag when the game launches.
EA DICE recently dropped a new trailer for Battlefield V ahead of Gamescom 2018. The trailer, called Devastation of Rotterdam, shows an amalgam of cutscenes and gameplay footage. Toward the end of the trailer, we get a potential tease of Battlefield V's new Battle Royale mode, which was announced during E3 2018. We expect to see more Battlefield V footage during Gamescom and hopefully learn more about this new Battle Royale mode. Nvidia also partnered with EA DICE and used Battlefield V to showcase the newly-announced RTX video cards.
Those who pre-order Battlefield V will not only get early access to the open beta but will also be able to play the full game three days ahead of its release, on October 16. Origin Access Premier members on PC can play the full game on October 11, while Origin Access Basic members on PC and EA Access members on Xbox One get access to the Play First Trial on the same day.
Battlefield V will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 19, 2018.
The follow-up to Rockstar Games' classic western game Red Dead Redemption is fast approaching. Set 12 years before the events of the original game, Red Dead Redemption 2 will explore an expansive region of the American wilderness, with Dutch Van der Linde's gang on the run from lawmen during the last years of the wild west. Experiencing Rockstar's take on the open-world western from a new perspective, you'll uncover the history of the Van Der Linde gang, which has a young John Marston in its thralls.
Red Dead Redemption 2 was surprisingly a no show at this year's E3, despite the game releasing in only a few months. Still, the recent trailers, screenshots, and info have given us plenty to talk about. Here's everything we know so far about Rockstar Games' upcoming open-world western.
How Can I Play RDR2?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set for release on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. There are also plans for a collector's edition of the game called the Special Edition. Priced at $80, the package includes a copy of the game along with special missions, weapons and a physical map of the game world for players to own. There are also two additional packs for Red Dead Redemption 2 for premium prices, The Ultimate Edition and The Collector's Box--both priced at $100. While The Ultimate Edition has all items from the special edition--including additional DLC items to acquire--The Collector's Box does not include any digital items. Instead, it offers special playing cards, artwork, a bandit's bandana, a physical map of the game world, and a collector's coin in the set.
Though the original Red Dead Redemption never found its way to the PC, there's been some rumors that its sequel might. A mention of Red Dead Redemption 2's appearance on PC found its way online, but it has since been scrubbed.
Where Is RDR2 Set, And Is It A Prequel?
Set 12 years before the main events of the original game, the prequel focuses on the outlaw life of the Van der Linde gang, led by Red Dead Redemption's main antagonists. After a robbery in Blackwater (one of the original game's major towns) goes bad--the gang finds themselves on the run. Dutch, his right-hand man Arthur Morgan, and several members of the gang have to contend with a life on-the-run while confrontations with rival gangs and the law make their situation grow more desperate.
Rockstar also released a description of the plot:
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. 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.
The First Reveal
Debuting on October 20, 2016, the first trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 was a bit of a mood piece that showcased many locales in the game, while also portraying the somber tone of the main narrative. In this trailer, we saw several towns and locales, many of which are teeming with life and activity--such as ranchers rustling up some cattle, huntsmen bringing back their haul, and a group of citizens hanging out in the general store.
Who Are We Playing As?
Though the central character of Red Dead Redemption, John Marston, plays some role in the story--the main protagonist of the prequel is Arthur Morgan. As Dutch's right-hand man and enforcer for the gang, he'll handle much of the daily duties of keeping the gang in-check--which includes a young and less-experienced John Marston. When it comes to keeping the gang and its community afloat, Morgan is quite handy with picking up various jobs to ensure everyone is well fed and in good spirits. But as the story progresses, he'll begin to question his own resolve for Dutch's way of life, and whether he still has a place in the gang.
The Second Trailer
On September 28, 2017, the second trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 debuted. In the new footage, we got to see more of Arthur Morgan and how ruthless he can be while on the job. During some of the story cutscenes, Morgan will use coercion and physical threats to collect money and information, all for the "benefit" of the community. For more info on this particular trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.
Who's In Dutch's Gang?
In Red Dead Redemption 2, we'll see Dutch's gang and its key players in their prime. While the original game had John hunt down and kill the remaining members of the gang, we'll see many of the familiar faces in relatively happier times. From the most recent trailer, we see Dutch Van der Linde, Arthur Morgan, Bill Williamson, Javier Esquela, Sadie Adler, Charles Smith, Micah Bell, Hosea Matthews, and of course John Marston in the roster. We'll also interact with other characters who would have a key role in the gang and in the lives of both Arthur Morgan and John Marston.
The Third Trailer
In the new footage released on May 2, we saw a deeper look into the game's narrative and how the gang functions. Along with the familiar activities like hunting, heists, and side-quests with the region's citizens, rob trains and banks, and take in shows at theaters. For the most part, the trailer focuses on the many connections you'll have with the members of the gang, as well as how your choices will affect them. For more info on the third trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.
What's New In Red Dead Redemption 2?
While the sequel is largely in the same vein as its predecessor, focusing on exploration, hunting, shoot-outs, heists, and other side-activities where you'll interact with a number of unique characters--Red Dead Redemption 2 features a far more expansive world to dive into. We got our first good look at this world and how we'll be playing through in Read Dead Redemption 2's first gameplay trailer.
The honor system from the original game makes a return, but now with far more detailed tracking. Along with the average citizen, members of your community will react to how well or how poorly you treat them. As the lead enforcer, Morgan will have to handle a ton of responsibilities, such as resource gathering, procuring funds, and making sure everyone in the community is happy.
First Gameplay Trailer
On August 9, Rockstar unveiled Red Dead Redemption 2's first gameplay trailer. The new footage revealed that the core mechanics from the original game were still intact, but almost everything had received a facelift. Wildlife is smarter and lives within its own ecosystem. Arthur Morgan can interact with the people around him in ways John Marston never could. For more info on the first gameplay trailer, check out our detailed gameplay mechanics breakdown.
How Will Online Multiplayer Work?
Currently, Rockstar hasn't shared any info on how the online play will function. The original Red Dead Redemption featured online free-for-all and team deathmatch style gameplay in the open world, along with several co-op themed missions. While it's safe to assume that these sorts of missions will return, another long-lingering rumor is the appearance of a battle royale mode. In the coming months before its release, we should expect to hear more about what Red Dead Redemption II will have when it comes to online.
Other Info
The History Of Red Dead - A look back on the history of the Red Dead series. From the early days a Gunsmoke spiritual sequel, to Rockstar Games' next successful open word game.
Two of FIFA's most popular modes will go practically unchanged this year, EA has confirmed. Some fans had been worried by EA focusing so heavily on the addition of the Champions League license to FIFA 19, with basically nothing said so far about Career Mode or Pro Clubs. Now, the company has confirmed to GameSpot that FIFA 19's versions of Career Mode and Pro Clubs contain no major new features, with the bulk of new content this year coming in the way of the expanded Kick Off portion of the game.
"In terms of Career Mode, we decided to make sure the experience with the Champions League was 100% authentic," FIFA 19's lead gameplay producer, Sam Rivera, told GameSpot at Gamescom 2018. "When it's Champions League day, everything changes--[there's a] reskin. That was our highest priority.
"But we are listening to our fans. They've been requesting more stuff, bigger stuff, in terms of Career Mode [and] in terms of Pro Clubs. There's discussions right now to see what can be added in the future. We know it's a very passionate community. At the moment, that's all we're announcing for those modes. We are actively having conversations, listening to [the community] to see what else we can bring to those modes."
When pressed on what would be coming to FIFA 19 specifically with regards to those modes, Rivera replied: "It's mainly the Champions League integration." Later in the interview, EA confirmed Champions League is not integrated into Pro Clubs, but that other licensed leagues are. More licenses, yet to be announced, will also come to both modes in the final game.
Following the interview, EA reached out to GameSpot to speak of three new features coming to Career Mode. Those three features are new locker room cutscenes, the integration of Ultimate difficulty (which was previously only available in Ultimate Team), and the addition of a star above your club badge if your team wins the Champions League. No new features of any kind were mentioned for Pro Clubs.
Elsewhere, FIFA 19 greatly expands Kick Off with the addition of persistent stat tracking, house rules (including a battle royale-like Survival Mode and a No Rules option), and tournament- and cup-specific graphical options. Ultimate Team, meanwhile, brings a new sub-mode named Division Rivals, while The Journey returns for its third year to tell the final chapter of Alex Hunter's story. FIFA 19's release date has been set for September 28 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PS3, and Xbox 360.
It's official: Shenmue III will release on PS4 and PC on August 27, 2019. The news comes from an announcement made by publisher Deep Silver at Gamescom 2018.
First announced in 2015 alongside a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the game, Shenmue III went on to rack up $6,333,295 from nearly 70,000 backers--a record for the most money raised for a video game on the crowd-funding platform. Once the Kickstarter ended, developer Ys Net set up a Slacker Backer campaign to keep collecting money from anyone who wanted to contribute.
Ys Net was originally aiming to launch the the game in December 2017, but wound up delaying it to the following year. In August 2017, Deep Silver signed on to publish Shenmue III, and soon the game was delayed again to 2019. A statement on Deep Silver's website read, "The extra time will be used to polish the quality of the game even further, to the high standards it deserves and release the product in the best possible timeframe."
The series kicked off in 1999 and received a sequel in 2002. If you want to see why so many people are fans of this series, you can pick up a collection of Shenmue I & II now on PS4, Xbox One, or PC.
Deals on Steam aren't limited to the quarterly mega-sales Valve puts on (though those are nice, too). Each Monday the digital game retailer puts up a new set of PC game deals that last a full week. This week's batch is up, and it contains some great titles available at low prices. Let's see what discounts are available between now and August 27.
All told, 549 games are on sale this week, so there's a good chance you can find something you're interested in playing. Among the standouts is Life is Strange: Before the Storm, which is 60% off, bringing it down to $7. It takes place three years before the original game and focuses on Chloe. Ryse: Son of Rome, a melee-centered action game that tells the story of a Roman soldier seeking revenge against his enemies, is on sale for just $4.
Puzzle platformer fans can pick up The Swapper for $3. You play as an astronaut trying to navigate difficult terrain on a faraway planet. To get from point A to point B, you have to use a device that clones your body. All of the clones also follow your control inputs, making for some fun, mind-bending puzzles.
If you're open to a psychological horror adventure game that's displayed in a big-pixel art style, you can pick up The Last Door: Collector's Edition for $5; it contains four episodes of Victorian terror. And if the idea of surviving the zombie apocalypse appeals to you, you might want to grab How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition while it's on sale for just $2. It comes with the core game, plus six pieces of DLC.
You can find more picks below, or view the whole list here.
Amazon has announced that, effective August 28, Prime members will no longer receive 20% off of video game pre-orders. Instead, the online retailer will implement a new benefit that gives customers a $10 Amazon credit for pre-ordering select games. Depending on how many games that ends up being, this could severely cut the savings Prime members receive when buying new games.
Amazon has offered the 20% pre-order discount since 2016, effectively bringing the price of a standard $60 game down to $48 for Prime members, saving $12 right off the bat. It was a good deal, because games don't tend to go on sale or get discounts for several months after release.
Best Buy used to offer a similar benefit to members of its Gamers Club Unlocked program, but the company quietly shuttered the program in May. Best Buy also replaced it with a deal that gets My Best Buy members a $10 coupon for pre-ordering select games--but at the time of this writing, the selection is limited to 10 games. Effectively, the new pre-order benefits at both Best Buy and Amazon are less valuable and more limited than they were previously.
"More limited" has been the trajectory of the Amazon Prime pre-order deal for some time now. When it first started, Amazon offered the 20%-off deal to Prime members who bought a game within two weeks of launch. It limited the deal strictly to pre-orders last year. And in July, Amazon updated its terms and conditions to eliminate re-releases and remasters from the deal.
In related news, Twitch also also announced that its ad-free viewing benefit with Prime is going away for new members on September 14.
If you're a Prime member who's looking forward to any games this fall or early next year, it's probably worth pre-ordering them before August 28. For suggestions, here's our top pre-order guides for upcoming games.
When it comes to colorful game controllers, you might think Microsoft has the market cornered with its Xbox Design Lab, which lets you go nuts with color customization. But PlayStation 4 owners who want to add a splash of color to their gaming rigs aren't left in the cold. You can already find a variety of DualShock 4 controllers in colors beyond the standard black, and starting in September, Sony will add four new colorful designs.
The new controllers will sell for $65 ($75 CAD) each at participating retailers. US pre-orders are live at GameStop right now. European customers will get three of the new designs starting in October.
Two of the new colors are notably bolder than the ones Sony has released in the past. While nearly all of the currently available DualShock 4 colors are monochromatic, these will feature two combinations of eye-catching colors. One is a light blue and maroon design called Berry Blue. The other is an orange and navy blue design, called Sunset Orange. The Sunset Orange controller will not release in Europe.
A Blue Camouflage controller is also on the way, featuring subtle DualShock 4 shapes in the camouflage. It's similar to the Green Camouflage model that's already available for $47. The only monochromatic addition is the Copper DualShock 4. In the US, it will be a GameStop exclusive at first, before becoming available at other retailers later. It's similar to the Gold and Silver models available now for $47 each.
Other recent additions to the DualShock 4 lineup include Midnight Blue and Steel Black, both of which debuted in March. Also coming in September is the $200 Scuf Vantage PS4 controller. It's similar to the Xbox One Elite controller in that it offers programmable buttons and paddles on the back for quicker button access.
A surprise sale has popped up on PSN, and it's one of the biggest ones we've seen. It's called Attack of the Blockbuster, and the sale more than lives up to the name. Dozens and dozens of the biggest PS4 games are discounted now, including tons of major PS4 exclusives. As often happens with these things, PlayStation Plus members get additional savings. There's no official word on when the sale will end, but a few of the games say they're going back to regular price August 28. In any case, get ready to put a hurting on your credit card.
Let's start with God of War, which is on sale for $40 (or $35 if you're a PS Plus member). That's a great deal, considering how recently this surefire Game of the Year contender came out. Speaking of major PS4 exclusives, you can grab Horizon: Zero Dawn: Complete Edition for just $16 ($12). And the massive JRPG Persona 5 is down to $35 ($30).
It's not just Sony exclusives on sale, either. The Witcher 3: Complete Edition, a sprawling game you could spend hundreds of hours exploring, is down to $25 ($20). The first-person horror-fest Resident Evil 7 is on sale for $22.50 ($20). For bonus scares, you can play the whole game using PSVR.
We've passed the halfway point of August, which means Xbox Live Gold subscribers have two new games to download for free. The Xbox One freebie you can grab is For Honor, available now through September 15. The Xbox 360 game--which is also playable on Xbox One--is Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, available for free until August 31.
For Honor is an online brawler from Ubisoft. It pits three factions of warriors against one another: knights, samurai, and vikings. Each faction is divided into classes, and each class has its own abilities and fighting style. GameSpot's For Honor review praised the game's deep fighting mechanics for keeping the experience interesting. It's set to receive a big free update this fall that includes an ambitious new castle siege mode.
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is a platformer that finds the mouse mascot bringing new life to a wasteland by using a magical paintbrush. Unfortunately, this game didn't fare quite so well in our review: "It's simply not worth suffering through hours of punishing game design to discover the occasional moments of nostalgic joy. Sadly, The Power of Two is another failed attempt at revitalizing Mickey's career." Maybe kids will get some fun out of it?
Also available for free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers right now is the 2014 racing game Forza Horizon 2. It's available until the end of the month.
Games With Gold August 2018
Xbox One
Forza Horizon 2 (August 1-31)
For Honor (August 16-September 15)
Xbox 360
Dead Space 3 (August 1-15)
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (August 16-31)
Blizzard has released a new animated short for Overwatch called "Shooting Star" and this time the focus is much-loved Meka pilot D.Va. With Gamescom 2018 going on in Germany, the short was shown at Korea Fanfest, where Blizzard also debuted a brand-new Overwatch map. The video starts with a news report about D.Va, who has become a national hero by defending her nation from the Omnics.
Although the news report says D.Va, whose real name is Hana Song, is enjoying the fruits of her efforts by living a life of glitz and glamour, she's actually shown at home, repairing her Meka and chowing down on non-copyright infringing Doritos. D.Va is always thinking about how her country is relying on her to keep them safe, and this means she isn't able to relax. And she's proven right, as the enemy Omnics launch an assault. You can see what happens next in the video above.
The new Overwatch map is also themed after D.Va and set in South Korea. Players will have to duke it out over Control points across three locations. "Explore the serene setting of the Sanctuary, surrounded by an ancient temple, beautiful gardens, and historic architecture," Blizzard said. "Clash in the bustling metropolis of Downtown, where players will fight across a busy PC bang, flashy karaoke bar, and central light rail station (just watch out for the train).
"Explore the serene setting of the Sanctuary, surrounded by an ancient temple, beautiful gardens, and historic architecture. Clash in the bustling metropolis of Downtown, where players will fight across a busy PC bang, flashy karaoke bar, and central light rail station (just watch out for the train)." You can watch the trailer for the new Busan Overwatch map here. It's available now on the PC version's PTR.
Microsoft made a bunch of announcements at Gamescom 2018 during its Xbox Insider broadcast--there are new special edition controllers, and lots of new Xbox One gameplay footage to pore over--but new Xbox One bundles were the consistent thread throughout the multi-hour presentation.
Here are all of the bundles Microsoft announced at the show, including one that contains a special edition Xbox One X, along with their release dates and prices. These hit many of the fall's major releases and offer a discount over buying the system and accompany game separately, so they're worth a look if you're in the market.
Forza Horizon 4 Xbox One X Bundle (1TB), Oct. 2, $500
The same day Forza Horizon 4 becomes available, you can purchase a digital download of the game with an Xbox One X for $500. The bundle includes the standard wireless controller, one month of Xbox Game Pass, a 14-day trial of Xbox Live gold, and a digital version of last year's well-received racing sim, Forza Motorsport 7.
Xbox One X Shadow of the Tomb Raider Bundle (1TB), Oct. 2, $500
Shadow of the Tomb Raider launches on Sept. 14, but a few short weeks later the game will be included as part of a new Xbox One X Bundle on Oct. 2. In addition to the 1TB Xbox One X, wireless controller, and a digital copy of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, this package will include 1 free month of Xbox Game Pass and a 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold.
Xbox One X Gold Rush Special Edition Battlefield V Bundle (1TB), Oct. 16, $500
If you already know you want Battlefield V and an Xbox One X, you will have the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone on Oct. 16. For $500, you can purchase a bundle that includes a special edition 1TB Xbox One X that fades from gold to black, versus the standard all-black version. This console will come packed with the Deluxe Edition of Battlefield V, the backwards-compatible Xbox 360 game Battlefield 1943, a 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold, and one month of both EA Access and Xbox Game Pass.
The Deluxe edition of Battlefield V allows you to access the game prior to its official launch on Oct. 18, and grants you complimentary in-game content: five paratrooper outfits, 20 weekly airlifts (each with a customization item,) and more starter assignments. This limited edition console is gone when it sells out, but a comparable bundle with a standard black Xbox One X will also be sold for the same price on Oct. 16.
Xbox One X Fallout 76 Bundle (1TB), Nov. 14, $500
When Fallout 76 releases on November 14, you will also have the option of picking the digital version of the game up as a bundle with a standard 1TB Xbox One X. This package also includes one wireless controller, and one free month of both Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass. This bundle will be available for $500 MSRP.
Microsoft also announced several Xbox One S bundles for the same games, with the exception of Fallout 76, listed below.
For the rest of the news that broke during Microsoft's Xbox Insider broadcast, and everything else happening at Gamescom 2018, head over to our event page.
2016's Doom surprised folks when it first launched. Touted as a franchise reboot, many had not anticipated that the game would fare so well, as the limited footage people had seen only gave brief glimpses of what to expect. But when the game finally released, it received glowing reviews. GameSpot's Peter Brown praised the game, saying, "It captures the essence of what made the classic Doom games touchstones of their day, and translates it to suit modern palates with impressively rendered hellscapes and a steady influx of tantalizing upgrades."
Bethesda recently confirmed Doom would receive a sequel titled Doom Eternal. For a while we didn't know much about what the game would be like, but creative director Hugo Martin and director Marty Stratton recently took to the stage at QuakeCon 2018 to finally show off gameplay.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Doom Eternal, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far. Be sure to keep checking back often as we update this feature with more details.
Doom Eternal is a sequel set sometime after the events of 2016's Doom. Not much is known about Eternal's exact premise aside from fact that it takes place on an Earth overrun by the forces of Hell. You'll also be spending time in space on Phobos, the innermost moon of Mars.
How Does It Play?
From a gameplay perspective, Eternal will play much like its predecessor, once again challenging you to fast-paced firefights against an onslaught of demons. Speaking of which, it has been confirmed that there will be twice as many varieties of demons as there were in the first game. Based on the early footage, Cacodemons, Barons of Hell, Pain Elementals, Arch-Viles, Arachnotrons, Imps, and Revenants are set to return. There will also be new demons coming in the form of reimaginings of enemies from Doom 2, as well as completely new enemies entirely.
There are going to be a ton of new weapons, but a few old ones from the previous game will return albeit with some subtle changes. For instance, the Plasma Rifle now shoots orbs that electrify enemies. While some weapons have been slightly changed, others have been revamped, like the Ballista, which is a new version of the Gauss Cannon that shoots explosive energy bolts.
Doom Slayer looks to play exactly as you remember him but with an expanded roster of mobility options. You now have the ability to quickly dash/dodge ala Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; you can even climb certain surfaces and swing on poles in the environment to clear wide gaps. In addition, you can use a grappling hook to latch onto enemies and nearby surfaces. There are also new suit abilities, such as an arm blade and a shoulder mounted launcher that can shoot grenades and fire. Lastly, power-ups are returning and it appears they can enhance your physical characteristics permanently.
Any New Modes?
The biggest new addition in Eternal is an invasion mode where other players can jump into your single-player campaign as demons, basically forming hunting parties to take you out. The mode will allow you to join friends to invade or be invaded. Of course, you can also play alone if you don't want to deal with it.
In an odd twist, there appears to be a lives system of some kind. Based on the debut footage, this doesn't seem to directly impact normal single-player play, but we're thinking this item might come in handy during the invasions where you could easily die at any moment and lose your progress.
Is It Coming To Nintendo Switch?
A Nintendo Switch version of Eternal has been confirmed, but it's unclear if it'll release alongside the for PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions. In addition, it appears that Panic Button, the studio that handled porting the first game, will be returning to port Eternal--at least if this humorous tweet teasing at the possibility is to be believed.
Release Date
Bethesda has not confirmed a release date for Doom Eternal at this time, though it's set to launch sometime in 2019. We're hoping that a release window is confirmed sooner than later.
Microsoft's Xbox Insider broadcast from Gamescom 2018 in Cologne, Germany included a look at the inner-workings of PUBG Soeul's offices in Korea, which lead nicely into the announcement that PUBG will see its 1.0 release on the console on September 4, and that Microsoft would be releasing a specially designed controller to celebrate the milestone.
Microsoft's Limited Edition PUBG controller can be pre-ordered now, and while it's in most ways the same controller Xbox One users have used until now, there are obvious cosmetic details and a subtle physical difference that set it apart. The controller is covered a digital-camo pattern, and this finish is accented by a blue ring around the left analog stick (a throwback to the game's shrinking blue circle that limits the battlefield,) a sight scope on the right analog stick, and a red X on the right trigger.
Appearances aside, it's the new triggers that could make a tangible if small difference in the way you play. In order to prevent your trigger fingers from slipping during tense moments, Microsoft has implemented rubberized triggers--a first for an official Xbox controller.
A close-up of the new rubberized triggers.
Microsoft also revealed new customization options for anyone who wishes to create a personalized Xbox One controller on its website. In addition to being able to change the color of the body of the controller and various buttons, you can now apply one of five new camo patterns, or a shadow finish, which puts a gradient color transition from top to bottom. For a limited time, until September 30, you also have the option of picking a silver shadow option.
In addition to its new controller announcements, Microsoft had plenty more to share during its Xbox Insider broadcast. For all of those stories and more from Gamescom 2018, head over to our event page to catch everything we've covered so far.
As if you didn't have enough reasons to bring your Switch everywhere, a new app for the hybrid console will let you read comics. Announced during Gamescom 2018 and called InkyPen, the subscription service gives you access to a library of all-you-can-read comics and graphic novels on Switch. Currently, only English is supported, but the company says that most content will be available globally at launch.
InkyPen has announced a few series so far, including Dark Souls, Warhammer, Sonic, and Transformers comics. The official announcement notes that the catalog includes over 10,000 US comics, European comics, and manga. You can read in both handheld and docked mode, and the app includes touch controls in handheld mode.
The app requires a monthly subscription of $8 US / €8 or "local equivalent" (if pricing is consistent, that's around £6). It's set to launch in November 2018. You can see a preview of the app above.
In other Nintendo Switch news, critically acclaimed indie game Gone Home has been announced for the console. First released on PC in 2013, Gone Home came to Xbox One and PS4 in 2016 and is coming to Switch on August 23. Nintendo also recently announced over a dozen new indie games for the console ahead of Gamescom 2018, three of which are already out.
Only a couple years after Fallout 4's release, Bethesda surprised fans by officially announcing Fallout 76, the next entry in its beloved post-apocalyptic RPG franchise. The new game was revealed in a trailer after a series of teases, and Bethesda discussed it in more detail at E3 2018 and more recently at QuakeCon 2018. While there's still so much we do not yet know about Bethesda's upcoming game, the company has offered some clarity on Fallout 76's most curious features and additions to the Fallout formula.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Fallout 76, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: the platforms it's on, its online functionality, its anti-griefing features, and where the game falls in the series' timeline.
Fallout 76 is a prequel to all of the previous Fallout games. Set in 2102, you play an inhabitant of Vault 76 who emerges from the shelter 25 years after the bombs fell on America. Your task is simple: explore what remains of post-apocalyptic America and rebuild civilization.
Longtime fans will likely recognize Vault 76; although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, this West Virginia-based vault was occupied by 500 of of America's best and brightest minds. Unlike the more grotesque experimental vaults in the Fallout universe, Vault 76 is a control vault intended to be opened 20 or so years after a nuclear war. But if the Vault was supposed to open 20 years after the bombs fell, why have 25 years gone by? The story likely has a few surprises in store.
Fallout 76 uses the Creation Engine, the same engine used to make Fallout 4, but it will purportedly feature much more graphical detail than its predecessor. Game director Todd Howard has said that Fallout 76 has new rendering and lighting technology, which allows for "16 times" the detail.
Who's Developing It?
Bethesda Game Studios, the Maryland-based developer responsible for the Elder Scrolls series and both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is at work on the game. In addition, Bethesda Game Studios Austin--formerly BattleCry Studios--assisted in fine-tuning the Creation Engine to support multiplayer functionality.
Is It An Online Survival Game?
Fallout 76 is a much different sort of game from its predecessors. It's "entirely online," but don't worry, you'll be able to play it solo too. According to Bethesda, the idea to take this approach to open-world survival came four years ago, when it started to work on building a multiplayer Fallout experience. Howard described the game's approach to survival as "softcore," which means death doesn't equal loss of progression.
You can form a party with up to three other players. You won't be able to manage your placement in servers when you login, as you'll automatically be inserted into a session with others upon booting up the game. Of course, you also have the option simply join alongside your friends and play together.
Howard commented that Fallout 76 will have dedicated servers that will support the game "now and for years to come." At launch, there will only be public servers, but Bethesda plans to introduce private servers that will allow players to invite friends to play in order to prevent undesirable behavior.
Some classic mechanics from past games will be changing to accommodate the shift to online play. For example, V.A.T.S has been reconfigured to work in real time, while still allowing players to target specific enemy body parts. But this time around, it has been updated to be more of a tool that allows you to spot out dangers in the environment.
How Big Is The World?
According to Howard, Fallout 76's world is four times the size of Fallout 4. There are six different regions to explore, and each has its own unique style, risks, and rewards. Confirmed areas include the West Virginia State Capitol, The Greenbrier, Woodburn Circle, New River Gorge Bridge, and Camden Park. Contained within each area is a variety of new creatures to encounter, some of which are based on West Virginian folklore.
What Can You Do?
Like previous games, players will spend the majority of their time exploring and completing quests. However, Fallout 76 will not feature any human non-player characters, as all surviving humans will be controlled by active players. Instead, the game will use combination of robot NPCs, collectible recordings, and environmental storytelling in order to give players what they need to piece together quests and the story at large.
Given the game's premise of rebuilding the world, there will be base-building elements similar to Fallout 4. You will be able to set up a bases anywhere using an item called the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform, or CAMP. These can be placed down in the world and allow you to construct an impromptu camp. At E3, we got to see the player laying down walls and decorating the base with pool tables, toilets, and other household objects. As the "mobile platform" part of the name implies, your CAMP can also be picked up and relocated, allowing you to move your base anywhere in the world.
While you can help build the world, you can also destroy it. If you have the necessary nuclear launch codes, it's actually possible to access a missile silo to fire a nuke at any point on the map. Doing so irradiates the chosen area, but it also allows for the opportunity to discover rare weapons, gear, and items. Be wary; nuking an area also causes more powerful enemies to show up, making it more difficult to survive. But don't be discouraged by this, the CAMP blueprint system makes it easy for players to quickly rebuild their homes, and if they're privy to an incoming threat, they can pack their things and move to a new location.
As an online experience, player choice is said to be incredibly important, going as far as giving players the freedom to choose who are the heroes and who are the villains. Early footage showcased multiple players engaging in combat and participating in friendly activities, which seems to indicate that players have the freedom to choose their paths in the world of Fallout 76.
How Does Character Creation And Progression Work?
You'll have similar character creation tools as Fallout 4. However, you're free to change your appearance at any point. In addition, you can also utilize the game's new photo mode during the creation process to better see how your character looks, as well as snap some shots you can share on social media.
The SPECIAL system returns and it's a bit different. Like previous games, SPECIAL encompasses the following stats: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck. You're given one point to put into any of those stats every time you level up. The first thing you do when you emerge from the vault is pick a SPECIAL and then you pick a perk in that particular SPECIAL. Essentially, every SPECIAL is a pool of points for your perks.
But unlike previous games, perks are now cards you can equip and unlock as you rank up in a given SPECIAL; though, you're free to swap cards out at any time if you want to alter your build. Each SPECIAL characteristic you develop has a perk card cap of 15. These perk cards can be enhanced further from one to five points to increase their power.
You can obtain additional perk cards via Perk Card Packs (four random cards), which you earn every two levels initially (1-10), and then every 5 after that. You can also pick one perk card per level, usually from your SPECIAL choice. There are hundreds of Perks cards you can unlock, so naturally SPECIAL ranks cap out after a while (you gain a rank up in a SPECIAL each time you level up). At level 50, you'll stop increasing SPECIAL ranks, but you'll still get card packs.
How Does PvP Work?
When you shoot someone you do a little bit of damage, which can be equated to lightly slapping them in order to challenge them to a duel. In response to this, the other player can choose to ignore or engage. If they engage in a battle with you, they'll start to take full damage. The one who is killed in this consenting PvP match has the option to seek revenge. Doing so gives that person the opportunity to get double the rewards granted they're successful.
If you'd rather choose to ignore a PvP match, there's no way to escape being killed--despite the small damage dealt to you during the initiation phases. However, if you are killed by a player under these circumstances, that player becomes a Wanted Murderer and will receive no rewards from having killed you.
A Wanted Murderer is marked on the map as a red star and a bounty is placed on their head. Players looking to cash in on this bounty aren't visible on the Murderer's map. If the murderer is killed, the money from that bounty is taken out their stock.
In order to give players time to properly acclimate to how Fallout 76 plays, PvP won't be available to players until level five. And if you perish from any PvP encounter, the only thing you'll lose is the junk you've been collecting, which can be reclaimed after death if not already picked up by other players. You can always store junk in stashes found around the world, so as to safeguard a portion of your stock. Armor and weapons are retained in your inventory after death.
Any Voice Chat?
It's possible to chat with your teammates and even strangers you discover out in the world. It's area-based so your ability to hear other plays will vary. But if you want nothing to do with strangers, it's possible to mute their voices entirely.
When's the Beta?
Falout 76's beta will be available exclusively to those who preorder the game. Bethesda said that it will begin selecting participants from the pool of pre-orders in early October. The plan is to start small and expand over time. Xbox One owners have a slight leg up on the beta compared to other platforms. For more details, you can check out Bethesda's Fallout 76 FAQ for more details on how to redeem your code.
Release Date
Fallout 76 is being developed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and is currently scheduled to be released on November 14. Unfortunately, there's no word about a Nintendo Switch release, which didn't seem out of the question after the Skyrim re-release made it to that platform.
During Microsoft's Inside Xbox livestream at Gamescom 2018, Bethesda's VP of marketing Pete Hines revealed the upcoming Xbox One X console bundle for Fallout 76. Releasing November 14 alongside Fallout 76 and priced $499.00 MSRP, the bundle will come packed with a 1TB Xbox One X, a copy of Fallout 76, one wireless controller, and one free month for both Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass--the console's digital gaming distribution service.
In Fallout 76, players will explore an online world with others as they craft materials, explore the locales of post-apocalyptic West Virginia, and fight other mutated creatures and rival vault dwellers. While Fallout series has traditionally been about the single player experience, 76 is set entirely within an online space where others will have to work together to survive. Fans of the series will have their first chance at playing the game this October with the upcoming beta, which has no specific release date.
This was one of multiple new Xbox One X bundles that was announced during Gamescom 2018. Just prior to the reveal of the Fallout 76 bundle, EA and Microsoft announced plans for the console bundle for Battlefield V, titled the Gold Rush bundle. Though similar to the Fallout 76 bundle, the Gold Rush package also includes a copy of Battlefield 1943--which was just made available via backwards compatibility.
For more info about Fallout 76 and the many other games we've seen during Gamescom 2018, check out all of our latest coverage on GameSpot's Gamescom 2018 hub page.
During the huge Dota 2 The International tournament today, Valve announced something unexpected: A Gabe Newell voice pack for the hugely popular free-to-play MOBA. That's right, the Valve founder's voice is coming to Dota 2. And in a very smart move on Valve's part, the company is offering the voice pack in Dota 2's Battle Pass for $10. A quarter of Battle Pass sales are contributed to the overall The International prize pool, which is already the biggest in the history of esports.
We can only imagine the prize pool will increase significantly now that players can pay for the ability to hear Newell announce Dota 2 matches. Valve made the announcement today in a silly skit where Newell struggles to express any emotion or enthusiasm during the voice over process. The actual in-game voice lines are pretty great; they include things like, "Fundamentally, piracy is a service problem" and "As you can see, games are indeed art." Check out the video at the bottom of this post from DotaBoyz to hear the new Gabe Newell lines that are in the game now.
The International's Main Event began on Monday, August 20, and runs through the finals on Saturday, August 25. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on the event.
The current prize pool for The International 2018 is almost $25 million. The winning team will take home more than $10 million, while the team that places last--18th place--earns more than $60,000. You can learn more about the prize pool and the tournament here on its website.
You might not have even heard of it, but a new movie starring Kevin Spacey--Billionaire Boys Club--opened this past weekend in the US. It did not do well.
The movie made only $126 on its opening day of Friday, August 18. It made another $162 on August 19 for a two-day haul of $287, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The movie was initially released on some video-on-demand platforms in July. For the full Friday-Sunday period, THR says the movie could struggle to make even $425.
Billionaire Boys Club is playing at eight theaters across the US, with the Metro Movies 12 in Middletown, Connecticut faring the best on Friday with $45. It is not playing in the New York or Los Angeles markets. It is expected to be the lowest-ever opening box office for a movie featuring Spacey.
The film stars Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) and Taron Egerton (Kingsman), while Spacey plays a supporting role alongside Emma Roberts, Cary Elwes, Judd Nelson, and Billie Lourd.
The movie's distributor, Vertical Entertainment, said earlier this year that it was not aware of the "distressing allegations" of sexual assault against Spacey when it produced the movie in 2016. "In the end, we hope audiences make up their own minds as to the reprehensible allegations of one person's past, but not at the expense of the entire cast and crew present on this film," the company said.
In the wake of the sexual assault allegations, Spacey was fired from House of Cards and was replaced from another movie just six weeks before it was released. He was set to play Gore Vidal in a new Netflix movie, but this film was canceled. He is apparently not publicly attached to any upcoming projects.
Streaming platform Hulu has announced everything that's coming to and leaving the service in September. Starting with what's arriving, there are a lot of high-profile movies coming to Hulu, including There Will Be Blood, Any Given Sunday, Jerry Maguire, Unbreakable, City of God, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, all of which debut on September 1.
New episodes of the Hulu original show I Love You, America, premiere on September 6, while the Season 22 premiere of South Park comes out on September 27. The full season of American Horror Story: Cult hits on September 18, while premiere episodes for a number of other series returning (or debuting) this fall arrive toward the end of September. Those include This Is Us, Lethal Weapon, and The Gifted.
As for what's leaving, the Christian Bale thriller American Psycho, the 1989 feel-good baseball movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Smith's Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and the Star Wars spoof Spaceballs are all on the way out on September 1. Watch them now while you still can.
You can see the full rundown below. Netflix has not yet announced its lineup for September, but keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
Hulu September 2018 What's New And Leaving:
Available September 1
13 Going on 30 (2004)
A Good Woman (2006)
A Murder of Crows (1999)
Adaptation (2002)
The Amityville Horror (1979)
AntiHuman (2017)
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Bandits (2001)
Blow Out (1981)
Bolero (1984)
The Bone Collector (1999)
City of God (2002)
The Cleanse (2016)
Cool It (2010)
Darkness (2002)
The Dark Half (1993)
Doctor Dolittle 2 (2001)
Double Impact (1991)
Dragon Blade (2015)
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Emma (1996)
Fall Time (1993)
The Female Brain (2018)
Field of Dreams (1989)
The Fly (1986)
Going Overboard (1989)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Joyride (1997)
Kill Me Again (1989)
The Longest Yard (1974)
The Midnighters (2018)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
No Game, No Life: ZERO (2018)
Over the Top (1987)
The Perfect Weapon (1991)
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Primal Fear (1996)
Pumpkinhead (1988)
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994)
Rodger Dodger (2002)
Rushmore (1998)
Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985)
Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
Senorita Justice (2004)
Signs (2002)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Small Town Saturday Night (2010)
Stealth Fighter (1999)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Unbreakable (2000)
What Dreams May Come (1998)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Available September 2
The English Patient (1996)
Available September 3
Flower (2017)
The Miracle Season (2018)
Available September 4
Daphne & Velma (2018)
Monochrome (2016)
Women and Sometimes Men (2018)
Available September 6
I Love You, America: New Episodes (Hulu Original)
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
Available September 7
Cesar Chavez (2014)
Available September 8
Stand Up To Cancer: Special (EIF)
From Paris with Love (2009)
Stronger (2017)
Available September 10
REL: Series Premiere (FOX)
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2017)
Available September 11
Bodysnatch (2018)
Natural Vice (2017)
Available September 12
Grace Unplugged (2014)
Available September 13
El Clon: Complete Season 1 (Telemundo)
Higher Power (2017)
Available September 14
The First: Series Premiere (Hulu Original)
The Housemaid (2017)
Available September 15
Good Behavior: Complete Season 2 (TNT)
Alien Invasion: S.U.M.1 (2017)
Hardware (1990)
She's So Lovely (1997)
The Queen (2006)
The Shipping News (2001)
Available September 16
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Available September 18
American Horror Story: Cult: Complete Season 7 (FX)
La Impostora: Complete Season 1 (Telemundo)
Pasion De Gavilanes: Complete Season 1 (Telemundo)
Available September 20
Total Divas: Season 8 Premiere (E!)
BB King: On The Road (2017)
Boom for Real (2018)
Sacrifice (2016)
This is Home: A Refugee Story (2018)
Available September 21
Aurora: Complete Season 1 (Telemundo)
My Little Pony (2017)
Available September 22
For Colored Girls (2010)
Love after Love (2018)
Available September 24
9-1-1: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)
Gemini (2018)
Iris (2001)
Available September 25
Dancing with the Stars: Season 27 Premiere (ABC)
The Good Doctor: Season 2 Premiere (ABC)
Manifest: Series Premiere (NBC)
The Resident: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)
The Voice: Season 15 Premiere (NBC)
Afterlife (2018)
UFO Chronicles: The Black Vault (2018)
Available September 26
Dama y Obrero: Complete Season 1 (Telemundo)
The Gifted: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)
Lethal Weapon: Season 3 Premiere (FOX)
New Amsterdam: Series Premiere (NBC)
This is Us: Season 3 Premiere (NBC)
The Krays (1990)
Available September 27
A Million Little Things: Series Premiere (ABC)
American Housewife: Season 3 Premiere (ABC)
Chicago Fire: Season 7 Premiere (NBC)
Chicago Med: Season 4 Premiere (NBC)
Chicago P.D.: Season 6 Premiere (NBC)
Empire: Season 5 Premiere (FOX)
The Goldbergs: Season 6 Premiere (ABC)
Modern Family: Season 10 Premiere (ABC)
Single Parents: Series Premiere (ABC)
South Park: Season 22 Premiere (Comedy Central)
Star: Season 3 Premiere (FOX)
Available September 28
The Good Place: Season 3 Premiere (NBC)
Grey's Anatomy: Season 15 Premiere (ABC)
How to Get Away With Murder: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Season 20 Premiere (NBC)
Suburbicon (2017)
Available September 29
The Cool Kids: Series Premiere (FOX)
Dateline: Season 28 Premiere (NBC)
Hell's Kitchen: Season 18 Premiere (FOX)
Last Man Standing: Season 7 Premiere (FOX)
Jigsaw (2017)
Available September 30
Nicky Ricky Dicky & Dawn: Complete Season 4 (Nickelodeon)
The following are available with the SHOWTIME premium add-on:
Kidding: Series Premiere (9/9)
Shameless: Season 9 Premiere (9/9)
*The following are available with the HBO premium add-on:
The Deuce: Season 2 Premiere (9/9)
Ferdinand (2017) (9/1)
The Greatest Showman (2017) (9/8)
Pitch Perfect (2012) (9/15)
The Shape of Water (2017) (9/22)
Phantom Thread (2017) (9/29)
The following are available with the CINEMAX premium add-on:
Snatched (2017) (9/7)
12 Strong (2018) (9/14)
All Eyez on Me (2017) (9/21)
Insidious: The Last Key (2018) (9/28)
What's Leaving Hulu
September 30
The Adventures of Panda Warrior (2012)
American Psycho (2000)
American Psycho 2 (2002)
And God Created Women (1988)
Angel Heart (1987)
Arlo: The Burping Pig (2016)
Babel (2006)
Back to School (1986)
Beautiful Boy (2010)
Beyond Borders (2003)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Billy Madison (1995)
Bloodsport (1988)
Bound (1996)
The Brothers Bloom (2009)
Cadillac Man (1990)
Chasing Amy (1997)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Cyborg (1989)
Delta Force (1986)
Disaster Movie (2008)
The Disembodied (2011)
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Dr. T and the Women (2000)
Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
Elephant Kingdom (2016)
Everybody's Fine (2009)
Evolution (2001)
Extract (2009)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Get Real (1999)
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Hello, My Name is Doris (2016)
Hoosiers (1986)
House Arrest (1996)
In a World… (2013)
Incident at Loch Ness (2004)
It Takes Two (1995)
The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Judge Dredd (1995)
Just Before I Go (2014)
Kalifornia (1993)
Ladybugs (1992)
The Ladies Man (2000)
Last Castle (2001)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Miami Blues (1990)
Mimic (1997)
Next (2007)
Pawn (2013)
Precious Cargo (2016)
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Rabbit Hole (2011)
Rare Birds (2002)
The Rock (1996)
Salsa (1988)
Sex Drive (2008)
Six Shooters (2013)
Sleepers (1996)
Snake Eyes (1998)
Spaceballs (1987)
Superstar (1999)
The Suffering (2016)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Trade (2007)
Witness (1985)
Wooly Boys (2004)
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