After several years of waiting, Capcom has finally debuted its remake of classic survival-horror game Resident Evil 2. If you only watched its E3 2018 reveal trailer, chances are you have some questions regarding how it plays and how faithful it is to the 1998 original. There are still plenty of details that we don't know, but Capcom has at least offered some clarity on its most curious changes.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Resident Evil 2 remake, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: how it came to be, why its camera is from the third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, its collector's edition, and more.
While not explicitly titled "Resident Evil 2 Remake," the game is in fact a total remake of the classic survival-horror game, and not a remastered version of the PS1 original with touched-up graphics--much in the same vein as 2002's Resident Evil remake. You once again control rookie cop Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after its citizens are transformed into zombies by a virus two months after the events of the first Resident Evil.
The project came to be after Capcom producer Yoshiaki "H" Hirabayashi took to Facebook on July 30, 2015 to ask the Resident Evil community if they'd be interested in a remake. The request was met with enthusiastic support, which prompted Hirabayashi to pitch the idea to his boss sometime later. The result of the pitch meeting was confirmed the following August when the game was formally announced by Hirabayashi in a special message to fans.
How It Plays
The Resident Evil 2 remake plays from a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, similar to Resident Evil 4. If you're worried this deviates too far from the original's fixed-camera system, don't let this get you down: the remake still emphasizes survival-horror above all else. You're not given the same amount of power that the more action-oriented games in the series offer you.
The new aiming style feels like a modernized version of the aiming from classic Resident Evil games that allows you to move and pick out where you want your shots to land.
This manifests itself in combat. When you aim, the cardinal markers on your reticle slowly move until they're closed in on the center, allowing you to fire a more precise shot. But when you move, the reticle resets and takes time to close in again. Shots take time to line up and you need to stand still to get them just right; you can't instantly fire from the hip and expect to hit your target. It's a small change, but it completely alters your sense of control. The new aiming style feels like a modernized version of the aiming from classic Resident Evil games that allows you to move and pick out where you want your shots to land.
Progression also remains largely the same as the original Resident Evil 2. You're still solving puzzles, tracking down keys, gathering resources, and putting them back into item boxes for later use. But there's more freedom to explore and discover secrets at your own pace and in varying orders--which is a welcome change of pace from the more constricted adventure game-like progression of the original. You're constantly investigating new pathways and gaining new items that might help you open up the way to your objective.
In the same way Resident Evil 7 felt like a classic Resident Evil game played from the first-person perspective, the Resident Evil 2 remake feels the same--but from an over-the-shoulder perspective.
Why The Third-Person Camera Perspective?
As stated, Resident Evil 2 remake will play from a third-person over-the-shoulder view. Hirabayashi told GameSpot that he and his team chose the perspective because they wanted the experience of playing the game to be "intimately terrifying in nature, to [have] up-close and personal zombie encounters that you can only get with that kind of view." He commented further that the perspective was also chosen to open up new possibilities for the series' classic puzzle-solving.
Based on our time spent playing the game at E3 2018, the third-person perspective plays well with the labyrinthian corridors of the police department, making exploration feel unsettling and claustrophobic. We're curious how it'll be effectively used in the latter portions of the game.
How Faithfully Does It Recreate The Original?
Currently, all we have to go in terms of judging the game's faithfulness is the Racoon City Police Department--the primary location of the first playable demo at E3. The remake appears to closely recreate many of the area's iconic rooms and corridors, while adding in new details to give it a more modern flair. Some rooms have been slightly rearranged, but the overall structure of the police station remains largely the same--at least from the first floor. Some areas are much darker than in the original too, forcing Leon to brandish a flashlight in order to safely navigate the environment. Also, there are no longer any loading screen doors, so say goodbye to your old-school escape techniques, zombies will now follow you from room to room whether you like it or not.
Leon is still the rookie cop with a heart of gold that we all remember, yet his naivety and sense of honor is reframed and more subtly reflected in his line delivery. Commanding officer Marvin Branagh appears to be a more substantial character who still warns Leon of the dangers ahead, but who seems to have a larger presence, remaining in the main hall after gifting you with a survival knife (and not a keycard).
Story events seem to be remixed as well. The beats we've seen so far are incredibly similar, with Leon reaching the police station, but the story progresses slightly differently. For example, you're forced to explore the Eastern side of the police station first before encountering Marvin, instead of meeting up with him first to unlock the doors to both the Western and Eastern sections.
How Will The Leon/Claire Campaigns Work?
One of the most unique aspects of the original Resident Evil 2 was how it separated its campaign; you had the option to start the game as either Leon or Claire. And depending on who you finished the campaign with, you could then start a new one from the other character's perspective. This closely tied into the Zapping System, where each of the two playable characters are confronted with different storylines and puzzles depending on the order you choose to play their scenarios. You had the option of starting the "A" scenario with either of the two protagonists and then completing their subsequent "B" scenario, resulting in a total of four different scenarios.
It appears that the remake won't use the Zapping System, but will instead offer a total of two completely separate campaigns starring Leon and Claire. It's unclear if your actions in either of the two campaigns will impact the other.
Will There Be VR Support?
Resident Evil 7 was one of the earliest big-budget games you could play entirely with a VR headset, so folks have been asking if Resident Evil 2 remake will receive the same treatment. Producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi confirmed that it was decided the game would not be playable in VR due to the third-person over-the-shoulder view.
Any Other Fancy New Features?
Similar to Resident Evil remake, whenever you're grabbed, you can instantly stab a zombie to push them away and avoid damage. Interestingly, your knife will remain in the body of the zombie until you pick it back up. We're curious what would happen if you left the knife in the zombie and carried on, as there also seem to be puzzles that involve using your knife. Are you forced to backtrack and retrieve it? Or are there multiple combat knives you can find? Time will tell.
As you explore the RPD, you'll get your hands on wooden boards that you can use to barricade doors and windows from zombies and other bioweapon threats. If the absence of loading screen doors hurts your sense of safety, then these new wooden boards can serve as a decent--albeit temporary--replacement.
Lastly, a gunpowder crafting mechanic is present, which allows you to create much-needed ammo from scratch. If it's anything like past games, you'll likely be relying on it to create the fancier ammo types needed to swiftly take down strong opponents.
New Screenshots
In time for GamesCom 2018, Capcom has released new screenshots showcasing Claire's campaign. Aside from the iconic heroine, you can get glimpses of Sherry Birkin, the mutated William Birkin, and the corrupt RPD Chief, Brian Irons.
What's In The Collector's Edition?
The collector's edition includes the already announced deluxe edition of the game, which is Resident Evil 2 with a special packaging design and an extra DLC pack. This includes two outfits for Leon and three for Claire, the Albert model of the Samurai Edge weapon, and a code to listen to the original music while playing the game, rather than the remaster's soundtrack.
The collector's edition also adds a 12-inch statue of Leon, a 32-page art book, a digital version of a 25-song soundtrack, and a Racoon City Police Department poster celebrating its conversion from museum to police station. It's all collected in an R.P.D. themed box. The collector's edition is a GameStop exclusive that can only be purchased in North American regions. It's priced at $200 in the U.S. and $240 in Canada.
What's The Release Date?
Resident Evil 2 remake will release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on January 25, 2019. That's not too far away, but gosh doesn't it just feel like an eternity?
We may be only in the middle of 2018, but there's already an exciting roster of games releasing in 2019. Highly-anticipated games like Anthem, Days Gone, and Kingdom Hearts III make up only a small number of what's ahead. And that's not to mention the all the big games recently revealed at E3, like Resident Evil 2 Remake, Gears 5, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which we can't wait to get our hands on. To help you keep track of all the games coming out next year, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2019 so far.
More dates are sure to be confirmed as the year goes on, so be sure to check back often as we update this article with new additions or potential changes. But if you're looking for this year's release dates, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2018.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime in 2019. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
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 to PC at a later date.
The full list of announced titles coming to Switch can be found below.
Nerial, Devolver Digital, and HBO just announced Reigns: Game of Thrones, the newest entry in the Reigns series. Using similar mechanics from the original title and its sequel Reigns: her Majesty, the next game puts you in control of one of the main characters from Game of Thrones as opposed to a nameless king or queen.
The Reigns titles are swipe 'em up games, so they're played a lot like the Tinder dating app. You're given control of a kingdom to rule and address issues one at a time. Each problem has two possible solutions, and you can make one by swiping to the left and another by swiping right. The series includes hundreds of different problems to solve, people to manage, and disasters to handle--so you keep playing until the consequences of your actions end your rule. Then the game continues with whoever is next in line for the throne, which is typically the child of the previous ruler.
Reigns: Games of Thrones explores possible futures for the characters from the HBO series. You can choose to reign as Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, Sansa Stark, or one of the other possible kings or queens from the show before you decide their fate by swiping either right or left. Because the Reigns titles are built on choice, Reigns: Game of Thrones isn't tied to the source material's canon. Prepare to live through entirely new and unique outcomes, such as Cersei rebuilding the Great Sept of Baelor or Sansa Stark marrying Jaime Lannister.
Reigns: Game of Thrones comes to PC and mobile devices this October for $4/£3/€4. While you wait, you can play Reigns: Her Majesty on PC and mobile devices or the original title on PC, mobile devices, and Switch.
DICE has received backlash since the announcement that women would be included in Battlefield 5. There are many who accuse the developer of pursuing an agenda, bending historical accuracy to jump on "the bandwagon" of gender and racial inclusivity. DICE executive producer Aleksander Grondal disagrees, even saying he wishes his team had initially included women in 2016's Battlefield 1.
"I mean, if we were getting on the bandwagon, I created Battlefield 1, and we could've 'jumped on the bandwagon' that time around," Grondal told GamesRadar+. DICE did eventually add female Russian soldiers to Battlefield 1 in the In The Name of the Tsar DLC, but women were not prominently featured in the multiplayer prior.
Grondal continued, "I think it's a shame we didn't [add women], because that perhaps would've been better for us. I don't think it's a bandwagon thing, I think it's about gamers wanting to express themselves in different ways. If you take a look at Battlefield historically, it's been about expressing yourself through gameplay, solving problems the way you want to, and these characters fall perfectly in line with that thinking."
During Gamescom 2018, Bandai Namco revealed a new gameplay trailer for Tira, who's day one DLC for the upcoming SoulCalibur 6. The company also unveiled a new trailer that details the game's second story mode.
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's second 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 Chronicle of Souls, SoulCalibur 6's main campaign that revisits events from the first game, show up in Libra of Souls to either help or hinder you. Your custom Libra of Souls character will be available to play in both online casual and ranked matches.
SoulCalibur 6 is launching for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 19.
Unlike most other retailers that offer games, Amazon doesn't put on official weekly video game sales. But that doesn't mean you can't find a deal at the online store. Whether the gaming deals available now are mostly to price-match other stores' deals or they were whipped up by an algorithm, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that some great games are available for cheap on Amazon in the US right now. Let's take a look.
Basically, no matter your console of choice, you'll probably find something worth picking up at an appealing price. You can find more Amazon video game discounts listed below.
During Gamescom 2018, the Lego Group teased that an announcement concerning a collaboration between Overwatch and Lego is coming soon. The teaser depicted the outlines of six Lego figures, each stylized after one of Overwatch's heroes.
From left to right, the six figures appear to be Widowmaker, Reinhardt, Genji, Soldier: 76, Mercy, and McCree. Neither the Lego Group or Blizzard would comment further on what the two companies' collaboration might entail, but Blizzard did promise to announce new Overwatch content at Gamescom on Wednesday, August 22. So we might be finding out pretty soon. [Update: Blizzard did not address the new Lego partnership during the Overwatch presentation.]
This isn't Overwatch's first partnership with a toy company. Earlier this year, Hasbro announced that the company "signed a licensing agreement with Blizzard Entertainment to become the global master toy licensee for the Overwatch franchise."
During, Blizzard's Overwatch presentation the company unveiled a new animated short for D.Va, which does a good job of fleshing out the haughty MEKA pilot and teaching people the importance of asking for help. Other than Overwatch, Blizzard has panels and presentations planned for Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo.
You can easily keep track of the company's full schedule via the "Blizzard at Gamescom 2018" app, but we've also outlined it below. Times are listed in GMT+2.
Blizzard Gamescom 2018 Schedule
August 22
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Opening and Quiz (Main Stage)
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Overwatch Event (Main Stage)
12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. – World of Warcraft Event (Main Stage)
12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – StarCraft Event (Main Stage)
2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Heroes of the Storm Event (Main Stage)
3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Diablo Event (Main Stage)
4:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Guest Event (Main Stage)
5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage)
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Video Games Live Concert (Main Stage)
7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – Closing and Recap (Main Stage)
August 23
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Opening (Main Stage)
11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. – Starcraft: Commander Co-op (Main Stage) – Starcraft II developer Kevin Dong demonstrates the new co-op commander with YouTubers Lowko and Winter.
11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. – Heroes of the Storm: Live Drawing with Carbot (Main Stage) – Carbot Animations is back this year, drawing characters from Heroes of the Storm live on stage.
12:45 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Overwatch: Lucioball Challenge (Main Stage) – German Overwatch World Cup team members play Lucioball live on stage against members of the Gamescom audience.
2:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth: Island Expeditions Showcase (Main Stage) – Top German guilds Aversion and Set Sail For Fail compete live on stage in Island Expeditions.
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Blizzard Dance Contest (Main Stage) – Perform dances from your favorite Blizzard characters for the chance to win awesome prizes.
5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Vide Games Live Concert (Main Stage) – Enjoy an epic concert packed with music from Blizzard's games with the Video Games Live orchestra.
7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – Closing (Main Stage)
August 24
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Opening (Main Stage)
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Overwatch: German Voice Actors Panel (Main Stage) – Hear from your favorite Overwatch characters as their German voice actors perform on stage.
12:00 p.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Hearthstone: Puzzle Time! (Main Stage) – Teams of Gamescom audience members race to complete challenges in Hearthstone's new Puzzle Lab.
1:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. – Diablo: Live Drawing with Chris Amaral (Main Stage) – Blizzard artist Chris Amaral creates some evil artwork before your eyes.
2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. – Heroes of the Storm: Escape from Braxis (Main Stage) – Streamers MFPallytime and chu8 team up with Heroes of the Storm developer Matthew Cooper and two members of the audience in this Heroic Brawl.
3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. – Overwatch: Lucioball Challenge (Main Stage) – German Overwatch World Cup team members play Lucioball live on stage against members of the Gamescom audience.
5:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. – World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth: Island Expeditions Showcase (Main Stage) – Top German guilds Aversion and Set Sail For Fail compete live on stage in Island Expeditions.
6:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth: Cosplay Showcase (Main Stage) – World of Warcraft cosplayers show off creations inspired by the latest expansion.
7:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. – Closing (Main Stage)
August 25
10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Opening (Main Stage)
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Diablo: Live Drawing with Chris Amaral (Main Stage) – Blizzard artist Chris Amaral creates some evil artwork before your eyes.
12:00 p.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Hearthstone: Puzzle Time! (Main Stage) – Teams of Gamescom audience members race to complete challenges in Hearthstone's new Puzzle Lab.
1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Overwatch: Lucioball Challenge (Main Stage) – German Overwatch World Cup team members play Lucioball live on stage against members of the Gamescom audience.
2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. – StarCraft: One vs. Many – YouTubers Lowko and Winter take on Gamescom audience members in one-versus-three battles live on stage.
4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Quiz (Main Stage) – Prove your knowledge of Blizzard games for the chance to win prizes.
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Blizzard Cosplay Contest – Top cosplayers from Europe compete for amazing prizes, including a ticket to BlizzCon.
Trinket Studios has announced a PS4 port for Battle Chef Brigade. Called Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe, the game comes with a few updates that will be free for whoever already owns the game on Nintendo Switch or PC.
The largest update included in Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe is one that fans have been requesting for a while: split-screen multiplayer. Two new modes, Survival and Free Play, are also being added. You'll be able to play as Ziggy--the undead chef who makes sarcastic quips--too, and you'll be able to create new cooking combination with nine new items. Deluxe also come with an illustration gallery to look through, new maps to play on, and accessibility improvements--such as a color-blind option.
Released in 2017, Battle Chef Brigade attracted a fierce following for managing to mix the mechanics of cooking, puzzle, and hack-and-slash games, and then packaging those features into a charming story about an immature girl growing up to become a young chef. You play as Mina, who wants to become her world's version of a knight, a battle chef. Battle chefs hunt down dangerous creatures and cook them into exquisite dishes for the people. To become one, Mina has to pass a series of cooking competitions that play out like a monstrous version of the TV series Chopped.
🍨🍦🍩🍪 Battle Chef Brigade ✨Deluxe✨ PS4, Switch, and Steam on August 28th! 🍔 Undead Chef Ziggy 🥢 Split-Screen Multiplayer 🍲 Survival Mode 🥗 Free Play 🍭 Illustration Gallery 🍳 9 New Items 🎥@StudioYotta and @TrinketEric 🎧@Fat_Bardhttps://t.co/nI8VD8HeiI
You take control of Mina during the competition and must cook dishes that contain certain ingredients and flavors. You'll have to hunt down the animals and plants you need, return to the kitchen, cook your food, and serve your dish in the time allowed. Between tournament rounds, Mina can speak to her fellow chefs, run errands, and sign up for part-time jobs to earn a paycheck. Money can be spent on different types of pots and pans, ingredients Mina can take with her into competitions, or combat upgrades to make hunting monsters easier.
Battle Chef Brigade can be bought right now on Switch or PC. The Deluxe version won't be available until August 28.
CD Projekt Red has been developing Cyberpunk 2077 for the past six years. Although the developer has stated that there's more work to be done on the action RPG, the game is already playable from start to finish.
In an interview with Engadget, Cyberpunk 2077 producer Richard Borzymowski said the game still doesn't have all of its assets, and the fixes for the bugs that were discovered in playtesting haven't been implemented yet. However, you can play through the entire game and see the story unfold, which Borzymowski says is important for finishing the game's development. "[Playing through the game] gives you the answers to all of your doubts," he said. "It just feels great."
Cyberpunk 2077 just had a big showing at Gamescom 2018. CD Projekt Red released new screens of the RPG that provide greater context for the game's world and also tease a mystery for people to solve. Prior to that, we were able to sit down with Borzymowski and delve into Cyberpunk 2077's gameplay, as well as the title's emphasis on choice and personal freedom.
CD Project Red has been keeping most details concerning Cyberpunk 2077 close to the chest, but what we've seen so far has left us excited about the game. Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't have a release window yet, but we know the game is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Season 5 of Fortnite: Battle Royale continues on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and--most recently--Android. As with the previous seasons, this one brings with it a selection of fresh challenges to complete on a weekly basis, as well as a variety of Battle Pass rewards to unlock for your efforts. This time, however, Epic has made a few tweaks to the way certain Battle Pass challenges operate, including the introduction of free challenges for all players. Here's everything you need to know about the newest Season 5 challenges, details on all of the ones available so far, and exactly how to get them all done.
Once again, players who purchase the Season 5 Battle Pass will get a set of objectives to complete every week, which in turn will go toward leveling the Battle Pass up and unlocking new rewards. Unlike past seasons, however, weekly challenges are now divided into two categories, Free (which are available to all Fortnite players) and Battle Pass (which are reserved for those who've purchased the Pass). That means that even if you haven't bought the Battle Pass, you'll still be able to complete certain objectives and earn rewards.
If you do decide to pick up the Battle Pass partway through the season, you'll be also able to retroactively unlock any premium rewards you've earned based on the tier that you've already reached. However, one of the advantages of purchasing the Battle Pass early is bonus XP, which is awarded for playing in general and for playing in a party with friends. Since leveling up with XP translates into Battle Stars, you'll want to grab the Battle Pass as soon as you can and take advantage of these bonuses.
There are two other types of challenges to complete this season as well: Road Trip and Drift. The former are much like the Blockbuster challenges from Season 4; when you complete all of the challenges in a given week, you'll receive a special loading screen that points to the location of a hidden Battle Star. Drift challenges, on the other hand, task you with gaining a certain amount of XP. There are five Drift challenges to complete in total in Season 5, each of which reward you with a new style option for the Drift skin. If you manage to complete four out of the five Drift challenges, you'll also unlock the Rift Edge, an alternative for the pickaxe. For a limited time, you can also complete special anniversary challenges tied to Fortnite's birthday event.
You'll find a complete list of all Season 5 challenges available so far below, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all. You can see all of the new skins, cosmetics, emotes, sprays, and other items to unlock this season in our gallery of Fortnite Season 5 Battle Pass rewards.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 5 Challenges
Road Trip
Complete all challenges from any week -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 2 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 3 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 4 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 5 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 6 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 7 different weeks -- loading screen
It took a little longer than usual, but a new set of weekly challenges is now available in Fortnite, whether you're playing on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, or mobile. As has been the case this entire season, Week 7's challenges are divided up into two categories--those available to all players and those exclusive to Battle Pass owners--and they run the gamut from straightforward tasks to some that require a bit more legwork.
The trickiest of the bunch this week is to follow the treasure map found in Dusty Divot. The map in question is located in one of the buildings on the western side of the area, but you don't need to actually find it in-game in order to complete the challenge; if you already know where it leads to, you can simply head to that location and claim the Battle Star. In this case, the map points you to a trio of trees just past the large stone head located northwest of Dusty Divot's warehouse.
To get the Battle Star, simply drop in the aforementioned area at the start of a match and you'll see it waiting to be collected in the middle of the three trees. If you need help finding its precise location, we've put together the video above showing you exactly where to go to find the Battle Star. You can also check out the screenshots and maps below for a closer look at where the Battle Star is hidden.
The other two tasks labeled as Hard this week are both elimination challenges. One has you scoring three eliminations with an SMG, while the other challenges you with eliminating three opponents in Lazy Links. Completing these is simply a matter of picking up the right weapon--or in the case of the latter, heading to the right area--and trying to rack up the requisite kills. Similarly, the challenge to deal damage to opponents' structures with Remote Explosives is fairly straightforward and simply requires you to use the appropriate weapons to destroy other players' structures.
Beyond that, you'll have to visit the center of four named locations within a single match to complete its corresponding challenge. The remaining two missions both involve searching loot containers. One has you searching three Supply Drops, while the other is a multi-step challenge that leads you to five different treasure chests scattered around the map.
You can find the full list of Week 7 challenges below. You'll have until the end of the season next month to complete them and unlock the Fortnite Season 5 Battle Pass rewards. If you still need help completing any of the earlier tasks, you can find guides for each previous week in our complete Season 5 challenge roundup.
Fortnite Season 5, Week 7 Challenges
Free
Visit the center of named locations in a single match (4) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Supply Drops (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: SMG eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Deal damage to opponents' structures with Remote Explosives (8,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Search a Chest in Pleasant Park (1) -- 1 Battle Star
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Dusty Divot -- 10 Battle Stars
Epic Games has launched a new update, v5.30, for Fortnite. The patch has arrived on all platforms--PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile--and it introduces new items to both Battle Royale and Save the World modes, along with an assortment of bug fixes and other improvements. And with it live, we finally have the Week 7 challenges. [Update: Additionally, another update--v5.30.1--has been released to roll back the controversial controller aiming changes mentioned below.]
On the Battle Royale side, Epic has introduced the previously teased Rift-to-Go. As its name suggests, this Epic rarity item is a portable rift that you can use to warp into the air and skydive back down. The rifts will last for 10 seconds once they've been activated, so other players will also have a brief window of time to jump into them.
The map has changed, as Risky Reels is now home to a fan film you can watch. More significantly, Tomato Town has been replaced by Tomato Temple, where you'll find a large pyramid in place of the old restaurant. There are also reportedly lightning strikes happening around the map.
Epic has also tweaked a handful of other weapons in Battle Royale. Now, Clingers will only detonate once their timer is up, while the Double Barrel Shotgun's spread has been reduced by 15% when crouching. Epic has also slightly decreased the equip time of the Pump Shotgun and increased the max stack size of Impulse Grenades by one. Additionally, changes have been made to controller sensitivity that have proven problematic; Epic is now trying to roll them back. And, in a more delightful change, you can now thank the bus driver.
Beyond that, the latest update marks the start of a new limited-time mode called Score Royale. This mode has players scrambling to be the first to surpass the designated high score, and they'll earn points by collecting coins, acquiring loot, and eliminating other players. The storm circle at the start of the match is also larger than normal, while the late-game circles close in more rapidly.
On the Save the World side, Epic has added the Bundlebuss Assault Rifle to the Weekly Store. This powerful new gun with a large magazine will only be available from August 23-29. A new Horde Weekly Challenge is also now available to take on.
You can find the full patch notes for update 5.30 on the Fortnite website. This week's batch of challenges will arrive a little later than usual, rolling out on Friday, August 24, instead of on Thursday like they normally do. In the meantime, you can find guides for all the missions that are currently available in our complete Season 5 challenge guide.
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.
Ah, September. That wonderful month when half of us begin our struggle of going back to school. At least Netflix has a bunch of new movies, TV shows, and original series for those weekend binge sessions. There's a lot of new goodies this month, although we're losing quite a few August add-ons as well.
The big addition in September is Black Panther, the Marvel superhero movie that took the world by storm this past February. If you happened to miss out on this celebration of African culture--which we described as "a top tier Marvel movie with all the humor, style, action, passion, and fun that the MCU has come to embody" in our Black Panther review--then now's your chance. Other film highlights coming in September are Groundhog Day, Scarface, Bruce Almighty, The Breakfast Club, Lilo & Stitch, The Emperor's New Groove, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Netflix exclusive Next Gen.
The list of new TV shows isn't as impressively large, but there are a few stellar options being added. Both Bojack Horseman and Stranger Things are getting new seasons. If you like staying appraised of everything going on in the MCU, Iron Fist is getting its second season.
If animation is your thing, new anime series Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan--about a rookie air force pilot who finds herself being chosen as the destined rider for an actual dragon--and animated series The Dragon Prince--which is created by the same folks behind Avatar: The Last Airbender--debut on Netflix this September.
Of the movies and TV shows being removed, Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are the two noticeable standouts. If you want to watch either movie again, do so soon before they're gone for good.
Arriving in September
September 1
Unforgiven
10,000 B.C.
Another Cinderella Story
Assassins
August Rush
Bruce Almighty
Delirium
Fair Game
Groundhog Day
King Kong
La Catedral del Mar
Martian Child
Monkey Twins
Mr. Sunshine
Nacho Libre
Pearl Harbor
Scarface
Sisters
Spider-Man 3
Stephanie
Summer Catch
Sydney White
The Ant Bully
The Breakfast Club
The Cider House Rules
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Keeping Hours
The River Wild
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Two Weeks Notice
September 2
Lilo & Stitch
The Emperor's New Groove
Maynard
Quantico: Season 3
September 3
A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities
September 4
Black Panther
September 5
Van Helsing: Season 2
Wentworth: Season 6
September 6
Once Upon a Time: Season 7
September 7
Atypical: Season 2
Cable Girls: Season 3
City of Joy
Click
First and Last
Iron Fist: Season 2
Next Gen
Sierra Burgess Is A Loser
Stretch Armstrong & the Flex Fighters: Season 2
The Most Assassinated Woman in the World
September 10
Call the Midwife: Series 7
September 11
Daniel Sloss: Live Shows
The Resistance Banker
September 12
Blacklist: Season 5
Life
On My Skin
September 14
American Vandal: Season 2
Bleach
Boca Juniors Confidential
BoJack Horseman: Season 5
Car Masters: Rust to Riches
Ingobernable: Season 2
Last Hope
Norm Macdonald has a Show
Super Monsters Monster Party: Songs
The Angel
The Dragon Prince
The Land of Steady Habits
The World's Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part A
September 15
Inside The Freemasons: Season 1
September 16
Role Models
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
September 17
The VVitch
September 18
American Horror Story: Cult
D.L. Hughley: Contrarian
September 21
Battlefish
Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan
Hilda
Maniac: Limited Series
Nappily Ever After
Quincy
The Good Cop
September 23
The Walking Dead: Season 8
September 25
A Wrinkle in Time
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
September 26
Norsemen: Season 2
The Hurricane Heist
September 28
Chef's Table: Volume 5
El Marginal: Season 2
Forest of Piano
Hold the Dark
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father: Season 2
Lessons From A School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane
Unless you've been avoiding any of the new story-centric trailers for Destiny 2's upcoming Forsaken DLC expansion, you know Cayde-6 is in a bad way. A new trailer for Forsaken that debuted at Gamescom 2018 has revealed exactly what precipitated our previous look at Cayde's apparent final moments. And if Destiny's most interesting character has to go out, at least he's doing so like a badass.
Created in collaboration with Blur Studio, the trailer shows Cayde fighting off numerous enemies who have escaped the Prison of Elders. While he's often used as the comic relief (thanks to the excellent voice acting of Nathan Fillion, who has been replaced), here he's fighting for his life. And while he holds his own for a while, his Ghost is ultimately destroyed and he finds himself on death's door.
We'll have to wait for Forsaken to find out exactly how things play out from here and if Bungie has some kind of swerve up its sleeve. The DLC will bring much more than just a possible conclusion to the tale of Cayde; this is the biggest expansion to date, appearing to be on par with the original Destiny's acclaimed Taken King DLC. It includes new superclasses and Supers, weapons and gear, locations, and more.
Another big component of Forsaken is Gambit, a hybrid PvP/PvE mode that was revealed back at E3. Those eager to try it fortunately won't have to wait to do so, as a limited-time free trial will be held just ahead of Forsaken's launch. PS4, Xbox One, and PC players who own the game will be able to jump into Gambit on September 1 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST until the same time on September 2.
Forsaken releases on September 4. Unlike the first two DLC expansions, it's not included in the original Expansion Pass. You can read more in our Forsaken pre-order guide.
During the Gamescom 2018 Inside Xbox presentation, it was announced DayZ is coming to Xbox One. The standalone version of the ARMA 2 mod rose in popularity on PC back in 2013 for providing a multiplayer zombie-survival experience that relied on fear of the human element, not the zombies.
A console version of the game was originally announced at Gamescom 2014 and it was for PS4. At E3 2015, an Xbox One release was also announced. Players have been waiting since then for a console version of DayZ. Much like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds--which just left Game Preview--DayZ will first come to Xbox One in early access before officially launching after additional patches and updates.
DayZ launches as a Game Preview on Xbox One on August 29. The PS4 version of the game is still planned, but it's coming at a later date.
In DayZ, your character wakes up on the edge of a beach with nothing but the clothes on their back, a road flare, and a rag. To survive, you must scavenge for food to satisfy your hunger, water to satiate your thirst, and weapons to keep the zombies and other players at bay. Dying in DayZ causes you to lose everything you own and reawaken on the beach again. To survive, you can choose to team up and share resources with others, such as medical supplies to deal with broken limbs or bleeding wounds, or hunt and kill anyone who crosses your path.
During Gamescom 2018, Deep Silver announced that Saints Row: The Third is coming to Nintendo Switch. The publisher promises to reveal more information concerning the release at a later time.
Saints Row: The Third marks the the franchise's first real steps to differentiate itself from Grand Theft Auto. The first two Saints Row games were similar to GTA, albeit with goofier characters and stories. The Third doubled-down on the ridiculous, transforming its characters from an unorthodox street gang into an assortment of lovable psychopathic action heroes that satirized pop culture.
We loved the new direction. In our Saints Row: The Third review, Carolyn Petit gave the game an 8.5/10, writing, "Saints Row: The Third is buoyed to great heights by terrific mission design and by the remarkable assortment of vehicles and weapons it gives you with which to take over Steelport. Whether you're buying up property to increase your hourly income, cruising the city in your favorite vehicle to collect photo ops, drug packages, and sex dolls, or punching people to bits with those crazy apocafists, there's rarely a dull moment. Saints Row: The Third succeeds tremendously at delivering its unique brand of raunchy, outrageous fun. If you have an appetite for this particular kind of absurdity, you won't be disappointed."
Saints Row: The Third is currently available for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and--via backwards compatibility--Xbox One. Its planned standalone DLC Enter the Dominatrix was scrapped and made into The Third's sequel, Saints Row IV, which is available for Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The Third's Gat, Olaf, Kenzie, and Pierce appear as Mayhem agents Gat, Yeti, Safeword, and Kingpin in Agents of Mayhem, a game that takes place in an alternate reality created after Gat reset the universe at the end of Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell. Gat Out of Hell is available for Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, and PC and you can play Agents of Mayhem on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
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)
There's a new battle royale game on its way, and this one is coming from Finnish game studio Housemarque. At Gamescom 2018, the company unveiled a first peek at Stormdivers, a sci-fi game that revolves around third-person combat within an ever-shrinking storm of nano technology gone wrong. While we knew Stormdivers was coming, Housemarque has been tight-lipped on its details. You can get a first look at the game in the video above.
The battle royale game is set in a near-future dystopia. You play as a Stormdiver, "a rare breed of special operator," complete with special technological abilities and wild combat skills, as you battle for supremacy on an abandoned island. True to the battle royale formula, a deadly storm system boxes you and your competitors in. The island itself is an enemy; Housemarque says you will have to deal with environmental threats around every corner, while battling other players at the same time. "Those who can master speed, surprise, and take the high ground will reap the benefits of exotic loot," said Housemarque.
It also sounds as if Stormdivers will follow in the footsteps of games like Fortnite, which is constantly evolving and adding new content to keep players on their toes. "Stormdivers will excite players with its fast-paced gameplay, metagame, classes, and various events, all packaged with Housemarque's trademark high-quality visual effects," Housemarque wrote. "[It's] more than just another battle royale game, and we plan to roll out new content regularly in the future to continuously expand the experience." There are already plans for PvE co-op missions, new playable areas, and new player classes.
In April, the Resogun and Nex Machina developer announced it would be moving away from arcade-style games, proclaiming this genre was dead and that it would now be focusing on multiplayer-centric games instead. Stormdivers is Housemarque's first clear step in that direction, with the game releasing in 2019. For more game news out of Gamescom 2018 this week, check out all of our coverage from the year's largest consumer video games show.
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.
Six new shiny Pokemon have just been added to Pokemon Go. In celebration of the mobile game's limited-time Johto Festival event, which increases the spawn rate of all Johto exclusive Pokemon, the six additions are all part of the Gen 2 Pokedex.
In a tweet, Pokemon Go revealed both shiny Natu and Sunkern had been added, while hinting there might be more than just the two. It's since been revealed that the third shiny addition is Pineco, and that all three Pokemon evolve into shiny versions of Xatu, Sunflora, and Forretress respectfully.
Shiny Pokemon have long been sought after for their rarity. They can most easily be identified by their alternative color scheme, but Pokemon Go adds a small sparkle animation to the capture screen so you'll know when they first appear. Shiny Natu has yellow wings and feet. Surprisingly, shiny Sunkern is a darker and less vibrant yellow than its non-shiny counterpart. Shiny Pineco has the most noticeable transformation, changing the dark green pinecone Pokemon into a yellowish orange.
The Johto Festival also includes a new Special Research quest to Pokemon Go that allows players to catch the legendary Celebi. New Johto-inspired avatar items have also been added.
Pokemon Go is available on both iOS and Android devices. Nintendo Switch exclusive Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! features gameplay that borrows mechanically from Pokemon Go, and is scheduled to release on November 16.
With Gamescom 2018 almost underway, Square Enix has shared a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming open-world action game, Just Cause 4. The latest video provides fans with their first proper look at tornadoes, one of the four "extreme weather" simulations they will have to contend with in the game.
The trailer follows protagonist Rico Rodriguez on a mission to divert a tornado that is moving through the grasslands. He pursues the cyclone in an armored vehicle called the Storm Chaser, racing along winding dirt roads and leaping off ramps as the tornado tears through bridges, huts, towers, and anything else in its path. "Everything you see, as well as trajectory of every spiraling object is being calculated in real time," developer Avalanche says.
Rico eventually arrives at Solis's airport, which has been overtaken by the Black Hand. The mission then becomes to destroy the wind cannons keeping the tornado at bay. Avalanche says these can be dispatched using any method the player chooses, but the trailer shows Rico destroying the first with the railgun, one of the new weapons being introduced in Just Cause 4. Like all of the other new weapons in the game, the railgun has a "secondary fire option"--deploying a drone that can accompany Rico and also be used as a grapple point.
Square Enix formally unveiled Just Cause 4 during Microsoft's E3 press conference this past June, but the game was actually leaked twice ahead of the expo. Alongside a slew of new weapons, staple gadgets like the wing suit and grappling hook will return in the upcoming installment, and Avalanche is even upgrading them with new abilities and features.
Just Cause 4 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on December 4. The game will be available in two editions: standard and Gold, the latter of which runs for $90 and includes the Just Cause 4 season pass and other digital content. Those who pre-order the Gold edition will also get access to the game 24 hours early.
Just prior to the start of Gamescom 2018, Activision announced the official release date and a new edition for From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The Collector's Edition of Sekiro will release alongside the normal version on March 22, 2019.
"We can't wait for fans to finally get their hands on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice," said Steve Young, chief revenue officer at Activision. "Fans will get a taste of the multiple tools available for the prosthetic shinobi arm this week at Gamescom, and will be able to fully dive into the brutal, dark world of 1500s Sengoku Japan when the game launches [this March]."
Sekiro's Collector's Edition includes the full game contained in a steelbook case, as well as a 7" shinobi statue, art book, physical map, digital soundtrack, and replica game coins. It is now available for pre-order.
Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki--who previously oversaw Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls 3--Sekiro is a third-person, action-adventure RPG that borrows many of its mechanics from the Soulsborne games. Sekiro adds a few new features to the fan-favorite formula, the most notable of which is the ability to die twice by quickly resurrecting from a hasty death. Sword combat has also received a few changes by incorporating both Prosthetic Tools, such as the Grappling Hook, and special Sword Arts to supplement regular attacks.
On the surface, Ubisoft's new first-person psychological thriller, Transference, is a pretty spooky descent into one man's misguided efforts to transfer someone's consciousness onto a computer. As is the case with most fictional mad scientists, Raymond Hayes decides he and his family are the best subjects for his final test and attempts to upload himself, his wife Katherine, and their son Benjamin all into the same simulation. Things do not go well.
Transference picks up at the conclusion of Raymond's experiment. You take control of a nameless protagonist who stumbles upon Raymond's work, but instead of a happy family living in never-ending bliss, you discover a twisted digital reality that's partially incomplete and fractured into three different perspectives.
During a Ubisoft pre-Gamescom press event, I played a 15-minute Transference preview demo on the Vive, but the game is available as a non-VR title as well. After donning the headset, I began to explore a crumbling reality. I navigated a single apartment complex that experienced minute changes, very much like the one in Silent Hills' playable teaser, through the eyes of four different characters--the three members of the family and the neutral protagonist who can view the simulation without bias--to escape a collapsing digital world. Despite the urgency of the situation, I was often drawn to stop and watch the emotional distress that had befallen the Hayes family. I desperately wanted to know what happened and solve their mystery. Transference preys on this desire, the need to solve mysteries and fulfill patterns, throughout both its storytelling and puzzles.
"We wanted the player to use their observation and the simple interactions in the game to solve the puzzles," said Transference producer Kevin Racape. "The more the player progresses, the more the walls starts closing in. You're a prisoner of this world. You feel trapped within this simulation--this crazy experiment--and that's the feeling we wanted to give to our players."
Every clue you need to make it to the next area can be found in your immediate vicinity. The trick is changing your perspective. It's exactly like a real escape room, as each challenging puzzle is meant to be solved through the shared experiences of multiple people. Often, one clue can take on entirely new meaning when seen by a different set of eyes. Our histories affect how we take in information, and utilizing this fact is the key to overcoming the varied puzzles throughout Transference.
Throughout the Hayes' apartment complex are light switches. Flipping a switch literally switches which character you see through. When I first entered the simulation, I was looking at the world as the game's protagonist. He couldn't get into the Hayes' apartment, which comes as no surprise as he doesn't know what it's supposed to look like and thus can't visualize anything past the front door.
Flipping a switch put me into the perspective of little Benjamin, which removed the door entirely and replaced it with a gaping black mass of nothingness. Benjamin's memories of the front door had been corrupted, as the data was missing a few pieces. Switching back to the protagonist, I went down to the basement, grabbed an extra door knocker, switched back to Benjamin, and added it to the corrupted data to reform the door. As Benjamin, I made my way into the Hayes' apartment and into the next room.
Most of the perspective shifts in the Transference demo revolved around puzzles and gameplay mechanics, but there were a few times when jumping from person to person revealed story details as well. For example, both Benjamin and his father view their apartment very differently, one seeing it as a nightmare and the other as a place for new beginnings.
"[Seeing] the whole environment [as a representation of] their own psyche will help a lot in discovering who they are, because if you take the time to explore and observe every item in each of the perspectives, they all have a purpose for being there," Racape said. "Through these observations, this is how you'll manage to put the pieces together. The different perspectives are necessary in order to learn more about each of the characters."
Learning the backstory behind each member of the family can help inform how to solve the game's puzzles. Even the protagonist's perspective is important, as he's the one who can see that there's something very wrong with the simulation. Of course, the protagonist himself doesn't belong and the digital world knows it.
My time with the demo ended with the protagonist being attacked by a living mass of corrupted data. "The monster that the player faces is a part of the corrupted simulation, proof that this experiment did not turn out well," Racape said. That's all Racape would say about the corrupted data, but it seemed like the monster didn't want the protagonist learning about the Hayes family.
The monster's emergence forced me into my flight-or-fight response. Unfortunately, my decision to face the corrupted data did not end well. Perhaps Katherine would have seen the monster differently, but she was the only perspective I didn't get to play. Though terrifying at the time, the corrupted data is a welcome addition to Transference. Every good escape room pushes its players to think creatively by setting a time limit, and the monster's presence adds the necessary pressure to remain alert for the clues that lead to breaking fee.
Transference launches for Xbox One, PS4, PSVR, Vive, and Oculus on September 18. A demo that acts as a prelude to the main game is available on PS4 and PSVR right now. Although playable in non-VR, Racape advises choosing the VR version of the game for a more immersive experience. It's certainly a lot scarier.
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:
Activision has announced the first beta session for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout mode. As was the case with this month's private multiplayer beta, the first Blackout test will be reserved exclusively for PS4 players and is scheduled to kick off on September 10.
Blackout is Black Ops 4's take on battle royale. Aside from a brief glimpse in the game's latest trailer, however, Activision hasn't shared many details about the mode yet. Likewise, the publisher didn't provide much information as to what the Blackout beta will entail, but the official Call of Duty Twitter account revealed that players will have three different options to play the mode: solos, duos, and quads.
To get access to the Blackout beta, you'll need to pre-order a copy of Black Ops 4. While the first session will only be available on PS4, Activision will host an additional beta session for other platforms later in the week. Xbox One owners will likewise need to pre-order the game to participate in the Blackout beta, but PC players will be able to jump in even without reserving the title.
Black Ops 4's Blackout mode was first announced at E3 this past June. Developer Treyarch says it features the largest map the studio has ever created--approximately 1,500 times larger than Nuketown. The developer also revealed the mode draws heavily from previous Black Ops games and features ground, air, and sea vehicles--although last we heard, Treyarch was still undecided on Blackout's player count.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 releases for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12. In addition to Blackout, the game will launch with an expanded Zombies mode. However, it won't feature a traditional single-player campaign; instead, players will be able to undertake a series of solo missions that focus on each of Specialist character.
Shigeru Miyamoto--most well known for creating best-selling franchises like Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox--wants the video game industry to gravitate away from the free-to-play model. Warning his peers to not be greedy, Miyamoto hopes future games will stop overcharging players.
According to Bloomberg, Miyamoto said that Nintendo is exploring alternate ways for getting players to pay for mobile games. "I can't say that our fixed-cost model has really been a success," Miyamoto said, "But we're going to continue pushing it forward until it becomes entrenched. That way everyone can develop games in a comfortable environment. By focusing on bringing games to the widest range of people possible, we can continue boosting our mobile game business."
Miyamoto went on to say that he recognizes the effects that streaming services, YouTube, and MP3 file sharing have had on the music industry. Most people don't buy records, CDs, or even songs anymore, and instead subscribe to an app or software to get their music. Television is heading that way with services like Netflix and Hulu, as is anime with Crunchyroll and Funimation. Miyamoto thinks video games developers need to find a way to follow suit.
"It's necessary for developers to learn to get along with subscription-style services," Miyamoto said. "When seeking a partner for this, it's important to find someone who understands the value of your software. Then customers will feel the value in your apps and software and develop a habit of paying money for them."
As August rolls on and summer begins coming to a close, Netflix has quite a few new things for you to stream this week. In addition to a bunch of new originals movies and shows, something the service can't seem to get enough of, there are also a couple TV shows and films ready for you to enjoy.
For films, the 2009 Jack Black comedy Year One arrives this week. Additionally, original films Deadwind, The After Party, and a new stand-up comedy special Bert Kreischer are being added to the streaming service.
For TV fans, new seasons of Young & Hungry, Great News, and Trolls: The Beat Goes On are on the schedule. Other arrivals include Ghoul, a new Indian horror series from Blumhouse, as well as Ask the StoryBots.
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