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?
Nintendo has shared a load of new details on its next mobile title, Dragalia Lost. Unlike the company's previous smartphone efforts, Dragalia Lost marks the first Nintendo mobile game based on an entirely new IP, and it's slated to launch on iOS and Android devices in late September.
Co-developed by Cygames (the studio behind the popular mobile RPG Granblue Fantasy), Dragalia Lost is an action RPG set in the Kingdom of Alberia, a fantasy realm in which humans and dragons live together in harmony. When the forces of darkness threaten the kingdom, the seventh prince of Alberia sets out on a journey to partner with a dragon of his own and drive back the monsters.
Players will guide the prince of Alberia and his party through a variety of isometric 3D levels. The game is played entirely using touch controls; sliding your finger on the screen will cause the party to move in that direction, and you'll attack enemies by tapping on the screen. Battling foes will also cause your Skill Button to gradually fill up; once it's full, it can be tapped to unleash a powerful special ability.
You can create your own four-person party out of more than 60 different characters, who can be summoned using Dragalia Lost's two forms of in-game currency: Wyrmite, which are earned by completing quests, and Diamantium, which are purchased with real-world money. Additionally, you can summon and form pacts with new dragons and shapeshift into them during a battle when you collect enough crystals. You can also team with up to three other players to complete quests together.
Dragalia Lost releases in the App Store and Google Play on September 27. You can pre-register for the game now on the official Dragalia Lost website; if 500,000 players pre-register ahead of its launch, everyone will receive 1,500 Wyrmite.
Dragalia Lost isn't the only mobile game Nintendo has in the works; the company also announced a mobile version of Mario Kart called Mario Kart Tour, which is slated to launch sometime before March 2019. A Zelda mobile game is also reportedly in development.
Bethesda always said the $200 Fallout 76 Power Armor edition was a very limited edition, and now the company has responded to concerns about the short supply. Bethesda marketing boss Pete Hines said the company is ordering "as many as possible" but it won't be enough for everyone, as the premium edition is sold out on Bethesda's website.
"We are making as many as possible and made all of them available," Hines said on Twitter. There's no way to make any more." In another tweet, he added: "They're not quick or easy to make. We got as many lines making them as possible in order to get them finished and assembled in time for launch. I'm sorry if you didn't get one."
His comments come from the very real concerns among some that people snapped up the Power Armor edition in hopes of re-selling it on the grey market for a higher price. Hines did not address that concern specifically, but it's an issue pretty much every company that makes things people want has to face.
The Fallout 76 Power Armor edition was announced at E3 2018 in June. The headline item is a working, wearable T-51 helmet that includes a headlamp and voice modulation device. The Power Armor edition also includes a glow-in-the-dark physical map of the game's six regions of West Virginia; you also get in-game content and access to the upcoming beta.
Fallout 76 launches in November for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC; the beta begins in October, and it'll be available first on Xbox One. Unlike previous games in the series, Fallout 76 is an always-online, multiplayer-focused game. Alongside the Power Armor edition, Microsoft will bundle the game with a white Xbox One X.
After the amazing gaming year that was 2017, many wondered how well 2018 would turn out. Fortunately for everyone, it has been great. The first half of the year has yielded a wealth of fantastic games, and there's more on the horizon. Upcoming games for the rest of this 2018 include slew of hotly anticipated new games, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, and a whole lot more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out and what has already released, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2018 so far.
Game release dates change all the time and new ones arrive every month. Be sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating this article with more release dates or any potential changes to any of the dates below. And if you're eager to figure out the release dates from games next year, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2019.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime this year. There are also games listed that we expect to launch in 2018. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
Somehow it is already nearly September, and that means the next batch of free Games With Gold titles for Xbox One and Xbox 360 will be available very soon. You've got a short while longer to claim the existing games before this new set of freebies arrives on Saturday, September 1.
The Xbox One freebies are Prison Architect (September 1-30) and Livelock (September 16-October 15), which normally sell for $30 and $10 USD respectively. The Xbox 360 free games are Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (September 1-15) and Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World (September 16-30). The Xbox 360 Games With Gold titles play on Xbox One through backwards compatibility, so Xbox One owners are actually getting four freebies.
Additionally, one of August's free Xbox One games--Ubisoft's swordfighting game For Honor--will remain free until September 15. However, now is your last chance to pick up August's other Games With Gold freebies, Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One) and Disney Epic Mickey 2 (Xbox 360), for free before they return to their normal prices on September 1. Go, go, go.
September 2018 Games With Gold
Xbox One
Prison Architect (September 1-30)
For Honor (August 16-September 15)
Livelock (September 16-October 15)
Xbox 360
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (September 1-15)
Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World (September 16-30)
Riot Games has responded to a story alleging that the League of Legends developer has a toxic, sexist workplace environment and outlined how it plans to address the matter. In a statement, Riot said it has been spending its time "listening and learning" in the time since Kotaku published its story in early August.
The studio used a video game metaphor to describe how it plans to address the claims. "As a company, we're used to patching problems ASAP, but this patch will not happen overnight. We will weave this change into our cultural DNA and leave no room for sexism and misogyny," Riot said.
The statement continues: "Inclusivity, diversity, respect, and equality are all non-negotiable. While there is much to improve, there is a tremendous amount of good at Riot that will drive this change. This is our top priority until we get it right."
Riot used the statement to apologise to employees past and present, who worked for the company internally and on a contract basis. "We're sorry. We're sorry that Riot hasn't always been--or wasn't--the place we promised you. And we're sorry it took so long for us to hear you," Riot said.
The studio added that, over the coming days, weeks, months, and years, Riot will strive to "make Riot a place we can all be proud of."
Riot also addressed players past and present, saying, "We know we've let you down, and we're committed to fixing that." And to those looking for a job at Riot, the studio said it understands the doubts some might have about joining the company. "But we also need you now more than ever," Riot said. "We need people who will drive change and fight for what's right."
Additionally, Riot's statement addressed the partners it works with, asking them for patience as Riot takes steps to "heal and improve."
But what is Riot actually going to do to improve its studio culture? Riot said these issues are "serious," and the company's culture must evolve to get to a better place. Riot's "First Steps" will include seven items, including things like establishing a new internal team to focus on "cultural evolution" and launching new anti-harassment training sessions. Additionally, Riot has established an anonymous hotline that employees can call to bring up issues, while the company has also hired an external law firm to review its new policies. The seven "First Steps" are listed below, as published in Riot's statement:
Expanding the Culture and D&I Initiative: We've built a new team to lead our cultural evolution. This group and their work will impact every corner of this organization, and will also accelerate our existing cultural and inclusion work. We are all committed to keeping the best parts of today's Riot--like our focus on player empathy--while tirelessly looking toward the future. The team will be accountable to our CEO directly.
Revisiting Cultural Definitions: We are putting everything on the table, including our core cultural tenets, like our manifesto. This includes reevaluating the language of Riot, words like "gamer" and "meritocracy," to ensure they mean the same thing to all of us. If the words are misused or don't help us describe our vision for the future, we won't use them.
Third-Party Evaluation: We have engaged two leading consultants on culture change to provide us with their expertise and recommendations as we rebuild Riot's culture. Our goal isn't just to be good; it's to become a leader on diversity, inclusion, and culture. We're asking them to develop mechanisms to measure our progress and hold us accountable against this objective.
Investigation Process: We're evaluating and improving our investigation process and systems. We understand we lost trust with Rioters, so rebuilding trust is key to making Rioters feel safe and empowered to raise issues. Here's some of what we've done already:
We set up a hotline where anyone can anonymously raise issues and submit complaints.
We have expanded our internal team, and brought in an outside law firm to assess our policies. They'll also be working side-by-side with talent partners to investigate any new claims raised by Rioters to provide an additional, unbiased layer to all of our investigations.
No one and nothing is sacred. We are prepared to make big changes and have begun taking action against specific cases, including removal of Rioters, though we aren't likely to get into those details publicly on a case-by-case basis for legal and privacy reasons.
Reevaluating Recruiting: We're accelerating our efforts to make our recruiting system more open. We're overhauling our job descriptions to ensure they're readily accessible to all demographic groups; reassessing which universities we recruit from; and expanding the pools from which we target our candidates.
Trainings: We're doubling down on trainings. Trainings that had been specific to managers are being expanded to all Rioters, including interview training and anti-harassment training. We're also investing in anti-bias training to encourage behaviors that foster a fair and inclusive work environment. In addition, we are investing in management training for all managers to build and support better teams. These trainings will be required for existing Rioters, with elements integrated into our Rioter onboarding program.
Staffing up for D&I: We are deep into the process of recruiting a new Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and recently began the search for a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). They will join the CEO, President, and COO as part of our executive leadership team, and will add critical experience to our existing D&I team to accelerate all our work in this area.
Kotaku's report, "Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games," contained a number of shocking claims and revelations. One source told the site, "The 'bro culture' there is so real. It's agonizingly real. It's like working at a giant fraternity." You can read the full story here.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, the Nintendo Switch version of the 3DS game, is out now, and the critics' reviews are rolling in. Generations Ultimate doesn't stray far from the original, and little has been done to lower the barrier-to-entry to the game (it can be punishingly hard at times), but there have been new additions that do add some freshness to this port.
For starters, you'll have access to two new Hunting Styles (Alchemy and Valor), an additional Elder Dragon, and a new endgame boss. You'll also be able to go on "G Rank" quests that task you with hunting more difficult versions of enemies. Then, there's the crossover content: players can access armor based on Link's Champion's Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and you're also able to craft a Korok costume for your Palico.
So, are the game's additions and appearance on the Switch enough to warrant its re-release? We've collected a sample of the critics' impressions below. For a broader look at the game's critical reception, be sure to visit GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
Developer: Capcom
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release date: August 28
Price: $60 / £50
GameSpot -- 7/10
"Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate game is not for the faint of heart. It is a commitment, and it's not something that you genuinely play casually. You can sink dozens of hours into the game and still not get close to conquering the full set of monsters contained within. For those that are down for such an extraordinary adventure, there's more than enough here to thrill and delight. Just know what you're getting into. You will struggle to understand the basics if this is your first Monster Hunter game, but there are incredible rewards should you make it over every one of its initial hurdles." --Daniel Starkey [Full review]
IGN -- 8.3/10
"Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate brings the majority of the series' monsters into one package for a lengthy and exciting hunting extravaganza. While it feels dated in some ways post-Monster Hunter: World, it's a great farewell tour for the old style of the franchise. If you can stomach the pacing problems and obtuse menu systems, it's a worthwhile and challenging trek through the history of Monster Hunter." --Steven Petite [Full review]
US Gamer -- 4.5/5
"While it comes in the form of a no-frills port, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate exists as the most thorough exploration of Monster Hunter to date. If you can get over its 3DS-era visuals, you're in for a seemingly endless experience you can easily devote a lifetime to—and one worth devoting a lifetime to. Whether you're new to the series, someone who started with Monster Hunter World, or just a fan of the previous 3DS games, you're bound to get addicted once MHGU gets its hooks into you. Just don't be afraid to ask for help." --Bob Mackey [Full review]
Fandom -- 4.5/5
"Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate has some of the best kineticism and game feel of any game you can play on handheld consoles right now. Its graduation from 3DS to Switch is nothing short of mind-blowing. Granted, World introduced many quality of life improvements to the series as a whole, but compared to Generations Ultimate, it barely scratches the surface of what Monster Hunter has to offer." --Dom Peppiatt [Full review]
Nintendo Life -- 9.5/10
"Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate may lack the smoothness and accessibility that made Monster Hunter: World such a smash hit, but it more than makes up for it by being a sort of 'greatest hits' collection of the high points of the series, giving you hundreds of hours of content to play through. Couple this with the HD visuals, easy to use multiplayer, and the ability to play the full experience on the go, and you've got a game that will easily appeal to both veterans and newcomers alike. It may not necessarily represent the future of the series, but Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is an utterly fantastic experience in its own right and a worthy follow up to the 3DS original, and one that no Switch owner will want to be without." --Mitch Vogel [Full review]
Press Start -- 8/10
"Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate builds upon the already comprehensive celebration of the Monster Hunter franchise that was established in the original Generations. There is heaps to do here regardless of whether you've played before, and the sheer volume of content on offer here is staggering. Yes, it's slightly less easy to pick up and play than Monster Hunter World, but what Generations Ultimate lacks in polish and pizazz it makes up for with unbridled depth and longevity." --James Mitchell [Full review]
The Daily Dot -- 2.5/5
"While it was clear that Monster Hunter: World would never come to Nintendo Switch, Generations Ultimate is far too much of a compromise. The lack of guidance for newcomers is borderline insulting, and the main draw is content that dedicated fans might have experienced years ago. Playing on Switch does feel great compared to older titles, but I can't call it enough. At the end of the day, Generations Ultimate is a greatest-hits collection that doesn't go out of the way to re-contextualize why the hits are so great in the first place. While it still provides the thrills that made Monster Hunter huge, it's hard to argue the series isn't ready for something else." --AJ Moser [Full review]
After last week's delayed launch, Fortnite's challenges are back in their usual slot for Season 5, Week 8, which means players on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile have new rewards to work towards earning. As with previous weeks in this season, challenges are partitioned into two categories, with some available to all players and others only to those that have paid for a Battle Pass. As always, we've got a breakdown of all the new Fortnite challenges and guides to help you get them done.
On the free side, this week's challenge involve placing 10 traps, searching seven chests in Wailing Woods and getting four kills with a shotgun. While the free challenges this week are relatively easy, the ones in the paid Battle Pass section will require a little more time, effort, and perseverance.
The first involves doing 250 damage to enemies with the pickaxe, which means you'll need to get up close and personal. Since enemies may opt to just gun you down, you'll have to be sneaky and try not to get discouraged by all the bullets flying your way while you're trying to do some nice, wholesome melee damage.
The remaining paid Battle Pass challenges are the quite tough. One is a three-part challenge that begins by asking you to eliminate an opponent in Greasy Grove. Completing this is all down to your prowess as a hunter, so hang around in the area and see if you can pick of an unsuspecting enemy. Once done, you can progress on to the next stage of the challenge. Another challenge involves searching between three oversized seats, while the final one requires you to use a Rift at 10 different Rift spawn locations.
The Rifts were introduced at the start of Season 5, and generally they all appear in the same location. Since the challenge is very similar to previous ones that have also required interacting with Rifts, you should have a good feel for where they are. As a refresher, here are some of the common locations that you can find rifts:
Southeast of Junk Junction near the Easter Island statue
Northeast of Risky Reels around the Noms sign
Northwest of Dusty Divot in the mountain
Northwest of Tomato Town around the river
East of Pleasant Park close to the Durr Burger statue
North of Paradise Palms in the town
Northwest of Paradise Palms around the lake
Southeast of Shifty Shafts around the Easter Island statue
West of Lucky Landing around the Easter Island statue
Northeast of Paradise Pals around the Go Kart track
If you need further help locating the Rifts, we've also put together a map of common Rift location and a video of us completing the challenge above to give you a better idea of where to go. You can see all the other Week 8 challenges, and their rewards, below.
Fortnite Season 5, Week 8 Challenges
Free
Place traps (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests in Wailing Woods (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Shotgun eliminations (4) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Deal damage with pickaxe to opponents (250) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Rift at different Rift spawn locations (10) -- 5 Battle Star
Search between three oversized seats -- 10 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Eliminate an opponent in Greasy Grove -- 3 Battle Stars
Stage 2: Eliminate an opponent in Lonely Lodge
Stage 3: Eliminate an opponent in Fatal Fields
On August 28, Epic launched a new update for Fortnite, introducing a new weapon and a Limited-Time Mode to Battle Royale. The Shockwave Grenade, classed as an Epic rarity item, can be acquired from Supply Drops, Vending Machines, chests, and llamas. Upon detonation, it knocks back anyone caught in the blast, and although the victims don't take fall damage, they will destroy any structures they crash through.
The new Limited-Time Mode, meanwhile, is called "Solid Gold." This can be played in the standard and 50v50 variations and, as in past iterations, weapons and items that spawn will all be of the Legendary variety. Those are the headliners, but you can see everything new from the Fortnite 5.30 content update here.
The patch also made a significant change to the challenge that tasks players with opening chests in specific locations, making it a little more manageable. We analysed the impact this change has had, saying that Fortnite has finally made the treasure chest challenges fun.
A new batch of challenges for Fortnite Season 5, Week 8 are available and, among the harder ones for paid Battle Pass owners, is one that asks players to search between three oversized seats. Doing so will score you 10 Battle Stars, but unless you're quite familiar with the map, you may find yourself at a loss for where to go. For those people, we've put together a short and sweet guide on where to go to get the challenge done.
To complete this challenge, all you've got to do is head to the mountain just north of Flush Factory and you'll find the Battle Star, as it's pretty easy to spot in that location. You can take a look at the exact location below, where you'll find a few images of the map zoomed in to where you need to be. Alternatively, you can watch the video above and see us complete the challenge for a better idea of where to go.
Click image to view in full screen
The other tricky challenge involves using a Rift at 10 different Rift Portal spawn locations. If you play a lot of Fortnite you'll no doubt have seen these countless times on your travels, so you should have a good feel for where to go. All you need to do is travel around the island to 10 of them, interact, and you're good to go. However, if you need a little guidance, we've got a Rift spawn location guide to make things a bit easier.
If you're still catching up on older challenges, we can offer a helping hand with those too. Just head over to our full Fortnite Season 5 challenge guide, where you'll find a complete breakdown for every challenge from this season, the rewards you get for completing them, and guides to make things quick and easy for you to do.
Fortnite Season 5, Week 8 Challenges
Free
Place traps (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests in Wailing Woods (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Shotgun eliminations (4) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Deal damage with pickaxe to opponents (250) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Rift at different Rift spawn locations (10) -- 5 Battle Star
Search between three oversized seats -- 10 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Eliminate an opponent in Greasy Grove -- 3 Battle Stars
Alongside the release of a new update, the talk of the town in Fortnite over the past few days has obviously been the appearance of a mysterious giant purple cube. This almighty being (all hail cube) is covered in hieroglyphic symbols, shoots purple lightning, and is slowly moving somewhere, so the fascination with it is understandable. However, a few hours before the cube exploded onto the scene, a significant change happened to Fortnite's challenges that shakes up the weekly formula in a positive way. [Update: After Week 7 challenges introduced the new stage-based approach to chest objectives, Week 8 has gone back to the old style of chest quests. That's disappointing, but you can still read about why it would be wise for Epic to adopt the newer style permanently below.]
New challenges are released roughly every Thursday, resulting in a deluge of Battle Pass owners hopping on and bombarding a particular location because a new challenge is situated there. It can be a bit of a mess at times, particularly when you're trying to complete the challenge that revolves around simply opening chests. This sounds easy enough, but when you've got around 30 or 40 people descending on somewhere like Fatal Fields trying to do the same thing, it turns into a mad dash just to open a single chest before unceremoniously dying. This is repetitive, frustrating, and makes you question whether it's all worth it for another dance emote or fancy skin (spoiler: it always is).
However, Epic surprised us last week by finally altering the way chest-centric challenges work. Now it's a multi-step "treasure hunt" of sorts that scatters the challenge across multiple locations. Instead of this hectic scamper to open a chest before anyone else can, the player base is spread out across the map depending on which step of the challenge they're currently on. I managed to open all five chests in five different matches with little issue. I wasn't immediately dying because someone else shot me in the back after finding a chest first; I could actually have a proper game of Fortnite, opening a chest to tick it off the list, before running off to complete other challenges/die somewhere else. This is a marked improvement over previous weeks, and sits in stark contrast to the old formula of landing in the same place and dying over and over again like Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow.
[The new challenge] sits in stark contrast to the old formula of landing in the same place and dying over and over again like Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow
I understand this isn't some groundbreaking change, but it removes a lot of the monotony from Fortnite's weekly challenges, and has an effect on the overall composition of matches as well. With the player base spread out, the flow of games is a lot smoother, with a higher likelihood of encountering combat opportunities no matter where you are on the map. It's a practical change and gives me hope Epic has a few more changes in store for Fortnite's weekly challenges.
Season 5 has already seen some interesting activities, from using ATKs and trolleys to hop through rings of fire, to the recent time trials that challenged people's building and traversal skills (complete with an 8-bit remix of the old Fortnite theme). These challenges offer a welcome change of pace, and there's always excitement in the air each Thursday as we wait to see if Epic has something similarly unconventional up its sleeve. We're essentially paying for the privilege to compete in these challenges, right? Might as well make them fun.
What's scarier than a theme park filled with haunted mazes and spooky rides at Halloween? A killer actually being on the loose in one, according to the new red band trailer for Hell Fest.
The upcoming film is set at a Halloween-themed amusement park, not unlike Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights, where an actual serial killer is on the loose and taking the lives of those looking for a cheap thrill. Luckily for viewers, based on what's shown in the trailer, the mysterious killer is going about murdering his victims in some very intriguing ways--it's a good thing that prop guillotine also works as an actual guillotine.
Like many a slasher killers in movie history, the villain of Hell Fest is hidden behind a spooky mask that looks like it was quickly snagged from the set of the latest Purge film. That doesn't keep him from being a scary force, though, especially when you consider he's essentially stalking and killing his prey in theme park hell.
That's bad news for the ragtag group of friends at the center of the movie, who range from extremely excited about Hell Fest to not really into it. Unfortunately for most of them, chances are only one of two of them will survive the night. The one who takes a massive needle to the eye in the trailer is definitely not going home alive.
Hell Fest stars Bex Taylor-Klaus (Scream: The TV Series), Amy Forsyth (Channel Zero), and Reign Edwards (MacGyver). It hits theaters on September 28, giving you plenty of time to go see the movie then head to your local theme park haunt. Happy Halloween!
Doctor Who travels throughout all of space and time, so it's certainly possible that the show's titular Time Lord could wind up stuck a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. While that's likely not how it will work, it looks like former Doctor Who star Matt Smith is ready to make his Star Wars debut.
The next Star Wars movie will see JJ Abrams return as director, after helming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The previously announced cast includes returning favorites like Daisy Ridley (Rey), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), John Boyega (Finn), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Lupita Nyong'o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), and Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix).
Additionally, Billy Dee Williams will reprise his role of Lando Calrissian on the big screen for the first time since 1983's Return of the Jedi. Among the other new cast joining the film are Keri Russell, Naomi Acki, and Richard E. Grant. Their characters are currently unknown.
The film will also see the final performance of Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa. Though the actress died in 2016, unused footage from The Force Awakens will be featured in Episode IX in order to complete Leia's story.
While it does not have a proper title yet, Star Wars: Episode IX will be in theaters on December 20, 2019.
When MoviePass announced in August 2017 that it was changing its business model to a monthly subscription that cost $9.95 and allowed users to see a movie every day, the floodgates were officially open. Since then, the concept of movie ticket subscription services has become the norm for those that like to routinely head to theaters, and MoviePass has since radically changed its offerings. Update: This story has been updated to reflect MoviePass's new plan options.
As you'd expect, with interest in the idea surging, competition has presented itself. MoviePass isn't the only subscription service in the game anymore--and it might not even be the best, either. To find out which subscription service offers the best value, GameSpot put MoviePass, Sinemia, and AMC's Stubs A-List to the test. Here's what you need to know about each one and why it might be the right choice for you. But bear in mind that MoviePass has been facing some financial difficulties, even resulting in tickets being unavailable at times.
MoviePass
The service that started it all. MoviePass was the first to offer a massive number of movie tickets for a low monthly price and has made quite a name for itself in the process. In recent months, though, the company has faced a mountain of changes in its terms as it attempts to be profitable while only charging $10 a month.
What Works
Initially, MoviePass offered the chance to see one movie a day for its $10 monthly price tag. However, the company has now changed its plan to offer a maximum of three tickets each month for the same price. Additionally, MoviePass offers in-app ticket purchases from select theaters, which is a nice perk.
What Doesn't Work
The theaters that offer in-app ticket purchases are rare. The only other option is to check into the theater when you arrive and buy your ticket on the spot. All tickets must be purchased the day of the screening, so you can't plan ahead too far. Another wrinkle is that premium formats (3D, IMAX, etc.) are not available with the service at this point.
Additionally, MoviePass strictly limits the ability to purchase tickets to movies it deems "in demand." However, the company hasn't revealed how it will determine what is in demand. If you enjoy seeing movies in the first week or two of release, MoviePass might be very difficult to use.
The biggest knock against MoviePass, though, is the service itself. The terms of the subscription keep changing. Over the last year, this service has not only begun restricting you from seeing a movie a second time but is also requiring users to submit photos of their ticket stubs and is tinkering with temporarily locking specific movies in certain locations. When attempting to buy a ticket to a screening of Red Sparrow back in March, the title was simply blocked out on the app. When I tweeted MoviePass to ask why, it quickly responded, "As we continue to enhance our service for everyone, certain inventory may not be available at all times." Of course, there was no warning that this would be happening.
Not all of these new rules have stuck, as the company constantly changes course in an effort to stay afloat. What's more, many users who believed they'd canceled their subscriptions were surprised to find themselves charged for yet another month of service. It makes for a very confusing user experience and one that the company's customer service isn't great at addressing.
AMC Stubs A-List
The newest player on the block is AMC's response to MoviePass. The world's largest movie theater chain has integrated a subscription service to its loyalty points system. AMC Stubs A-List offers three tickets each week for the monthly price of $19.95.
What Works
The most exciting thing about A-List is it's all contained within the AMC Theaters app--it's where you find the movies, buy the tickets, and have them scanned at the theater. With that in mind, it's also linked to your Stubs account. As a member, you get access to Stubs Premium, which allows you to collect points from concession purchases that earn you rewards.
The nicest perk of A-List, though, is access to premium formats. Not only can you watch movies repeatedly, but you have access to IMAX, 3D, Dolby, and AMC Prime screenings. There are no restrictions.
What Doesn't Work
The big problem with A-List is it only works at AMC theaters. While it is the world's largest theater chain, that doesn't mean everybody lives near one. If there's not an AMC in your neighborhood, you're out of luck.
Of course, there's also the fact that you're paying twice as much as MoviePass for less than half of the movies. However, this should only concern you if you know you'll be seeing more than three movies each week.
Sinemia
Sinemia is seemingly a dark horse that came out of nowhere. However, it's been around since 2014 with offerings in the UK, Canada, Turkey, and Australia. It made its presence known in the US market in May with four different pricing options:
$3.99 per month for 1 standard movie ticket
$7.99 per month for 2 standard movie tickets
$9.99 per month for 3 standard movie tickets
$9.99 per month for 2 of any movie ticket (3D, 4D, IMAX)
$14.99 per month for 3 of any movie ticket (3D, 4D, IMAX)
What Works
The best thing about Sinemia is it allows you to purchase tickets to just about any movie theater. Those locked out on MoviePass typically aren't in Sinemia and it also works for the AMC theaters found in A-List. There are also a variety of plans to meet your moviegoing needs, provided you don't head to the theater multiple times each week.
For fans of premium format films, the top two plan options give access to IMAX, 3D, 4DX, and practically any other upcharge option a theater might offer--and it's all included in your monthly price.
What Doesn't Work
The biggest issue with Sinemia is the app itself. In trying to simplify the design, it's become a bit confusing. Want to buy a ticket to an upcoming film? Head to the planning tab. From there, though, you'll have to switch over to the Fandango app to find a theater and showtime.
After manually entering the information into the Sinemia app, a temporary credit card number will be unlocked that you can then transfer back over to the Fandango app--or Atom Tickets or MovieTickets.com--to purchase there. It can make for a difficult process.
There also doesn't seem to be a simple way within the app to find out how many tickets you have left. These are all problems that could be addressed in a redesign. Still, given that you're paying up to $15 each month for three tickets, it could make the hassle more than it's worth.
The Bottom Line
Truthfully, two of these subscriptions has some merit. Sinemia offers the least tickets, but access to premium theaters and formats. AMC Stubs A-List offers a middle-of-the-road number of tickets for the highest price, but with surprisingly few restrictions outside of only being available at AMC theaters. Then there's MoviePass. With its most recent changes, lowering the number of tickets you get and restricting what you have access to see, there's very little about the service that helps it come even close to the other two plans.
In the end, though, there is a clear winner. While it may be the newest on the scene, AMC Stubs A-List is exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to a movie ticket subscription. Everything is housed within the app, it's really easy to use, and IMAX, 3D, and other premium formats are offered--what's not to love?
That said, if you don't live near an AMC theater but still want to see new movies every month, Sinemia may be your best bet. It may not be the best-designed app, but it allows you to easily treat yourself to IMAX and 3D screenings.
Disclosure: Sinemia provided GameSpot with a trial subscription to evaluate the service for this story.
Amazon didn't win over any gamers when it killed off its pre-order discount program recently, but that's not the only video game deal the company offers to Prime members. If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you also get free PC games through Twitch each month. All you have to do is link your Twitch and Amazon accounts, and you can get free games, plus in-game items for titles like Fortnite and Overwatch. And unlike some competing services, the games are yours to keep forever, even if you cancel your Prime subscription.
The Adventure Pals is a colorful side-scrolling platformer about a boy and his pet giraffe. The art style looks nice--even if it veers too close to a certain cartoon that clearly inspired it--and the gameplay has received high praise in reviews. Guild of Dungeoneering puts you in the role of the dungeon master. Your job is to create the game world by laying down cards that represent monsters, rooms, hallways, and treasure.
Gunpoint is a side-scrolling spy game in which your nimble character is tasked with breaking into high-security buildings. The Original Strife is a re-release of a shooter from 1996 that looks a lot like the original Doom. And finally, Pumped BMX+ is a stunt biking game in the vein of the Trials series.
Make sure to pick up these free games before they go away at the start of October. To get them, just visit Twitch and click the crown-shaped icon next to the search bar.
Sony has announced the games PlayStation Plus members will be able to download for free in September. As usual, subscribers get two games each for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita between September 4 and October 1. Two things about this month's offerings are unusual. First, all six games are Cross Buy with PS4, so you don't need to dust off old hardware to play them. And secondly, one of the games is available early--right now, in fact. Here's what PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games PS Plus members can expect to get for free in September 2018.
The biggest game on the list--and the one you can download right now--is Destiny 2. This shared-world online shooter launched last year to wide acclaim before much of the players base ran out of things to do. All this year, Bungie has been adding content through expansions and surprise updates in order to create more endgame content. The effort has seemed to pay off. With the major Forsaken expansion launching on September 4 (sold separately), the player base seems to be coming back around in a big way.
Better yet, everyone with a copy of Destiny 2 can participate a 24-hour free trial of the upcoming PvP-meets-PvE Gambit mode, starting September 1 at 10 AM PT (1 PM ET). If you want to see your options for accessing Forsaken, take a look at our Destiny 2: Forsaken pre-order guide.
And while these aren't specific to September's lineup, PS Plus members can still download the smart phone-controlled trivia game Knowledge is Power through November 6 and the PSVR horror game Here They Lie for free through October 2.
It's also not too late to download August's PS Plus freebies. These include Mafia III and Dead by Daylight on PS4, Bound by Flame and Serious Sam BFE on PS3, and Draw Slasher and Space Hulk on PS Vita.
September 2018 PS Plus Games
PS4
Destiny 2
God of War III Remastered
Another World - 20th Anniversary Edition (Cross Buy with PS3 and Vita)
QUBE Director's Cut (Cross Buy with PS3)
Sparkle 2 (Cross Buy with PS3 and Vita)
Foul Play (Cross Buy with Vita)
PS3
Another World - 20th Anniversary Edition (Cross Buy with PS4 and Vita)
Hot on the heels of the launch of Yakuza Kiwami 2--the full remake of the series' second entry--Sega put out a survey asking if people are interested in more. Specifically, it asks four separate questions that seemingly point to different projects that you may be aware of (see below).
First, "how interested are you in remasters/remakes of existing Yakuza games?" is likely to be in relation to the remasters of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 that are currently only slated for release in Japan. There aren't any known plans to re-localize those games, but this may hint at them coming to the West. All three original games are available for PlayStation 3.
Second, "how interested are you in new games set in the world of Yakuza?" could be pointing to both Ryu Ga Gotoku Online (Yakuza Online) and Shin Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza 7) which are still in development. A new protagonist named Kasuga Ichiban has been detailed for the next game in the series and will make an appearance in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online which is set to launch sometime this year in Japan. No plans have been announced for a Western release.
The question "how interested are you in purchasing games created by the Yakuza team in other worlds, like the upcoming Fist of the North Star game?" might be related to Sega's unannounced project being handled by the Yakuza team. More details are coming in September, likely during Tokyo Game Show, but we know the game will be a new IP.
Lastly, for those crossing their fingers for localized and remastered versions of Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan and Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin, there could be hope. "How interested are you in various spin-off titles that never received Western release?" is more than likely to be gauging interest for the two historical games. Kenzan takes place during Japan's Edo period while Ishin is set during the Bakumatsu period--both games use character models and voice actors from the mainline series to tell its historical fiction.
Battlefield V has been delayed. The World War II shooter will now launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on November 20, publisher EA confirmed in a statement. The company says the delay will give developer DICE additional development time to fine-tune the game as it sees fit.
"We're going to take the time to continue to make some final adjustments to core gameplay, and to ensure we really deliver on the potential of [new Battlefield live service] Tides of War," wrote DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson. "We know moving the launch date means that we all have to wait a little longer. But we're going to take our time to make sure we get it right."
Battlefield V was previously scheduled to launch on October 19, meaning the new date represents a delay of a month. It also means the game will now be released after Red Dead Redemption 2, along with other big titles like Hitman 2 and Fallout 76. Battlefield's biggest rival, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, launches on October 12.
The Nintendo Direct-style presentation that preceded Gamescom brought with it word on a trio of new Switch games that all released that very day. A new broadcast, this one from Nintendo of America and again focused on indie titles, only had one such game, but it's a stellar one: Into the Breach.
Originally launched earlier this year on PC, Into the Breach is the latest title from Subset Games, the developer of the acclaimed FTL. The game is now available on the Eshop for $15/£11.39.
Into the Breach is a turn-based strategy game where you control three giant mechs tasked with defending an area from monsters. What makes it unique is the level of transparency with everything about the upcoming turn: You know precisely what order enemies are going to move in, what they're going to do, and how much damage they will inflict. Likewise, you know the effects of your own actions; there's nothing random about how much damage you'll do, for instance. Combined with the ability to physically move units and enemies around (letting you knock enemies off the map or cause them to attack each other), it all makes for an extremely satisfying experience unlike anything else.
Given its turn-based nature, this should make for a perfect fit on Switch. The game itself is terrific, as detailed in our Into the Breach review. "There is so much strategic joy in seeing the potential destruction a swarm of giant monsters is about to unleash on a city, then quickly staging and executing elaborate counter maneuvers to ruin the party," Edmond Tran wrote. "Into The Breach's focus on foresight makes its turn-based encounters an action-packed, risk-free puzzle, and the remarkable diversity of playstyles afforded by unique units keeps each new run interesting."
While this might be the only just-revealed Switch game to come out right away, Nintendo also announced numerous other indie titles and exclusives on the way. Among other things, Hyper Light Drifter for Switch will include some new items, while the system is also getting Samurai Gunn 2, a cool-looking action game called Bullet Age, and Untitled Goose Game.
A new month is nearly upon us, and The Pokemon Company is continuing its Year of Legendary Pokemon campaign with another pair of free Legendaries for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. During September, players will be able to claim one of the two Eon Pokemon from Ruby and Sapphire, Latios and Latias, but as usual, the way to get your hands on them will vary by region.
Once again, those who live in the US will need to go to a participating retailer to pick up a free download code for the Legendaries. This time, the code will be distributed at Best Buy stores around the country from September 2-29. Players in Europe and Australia, meanwhile, will be able to download the Legendaries directly from the Nintendo Network between September 1-23.
As usual, the Pokemon you receive will depend on which version you're playing. You can claim the Legendaries in any seventh-generation Pokemon game, but there's an added incentive to redeem them in the Ultra titles; not only will the Legendaries come at higher levels and know different moves, they'll be equipped with a Gold Bottle Cap, a rare item that can be exchanged to Hyper Train a Pokemon. You can see their movesets and other details below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Latias -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Mist Ball
Psychic
Draco Meteor
Tailwind
Pokemon Sun
Latias -- Level 60
Mist Ball
Dragon Pulse
Psycho Shift
Wish
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Latios -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Luster Purge
Psychic
Draco Meteor
Tailwind
Pokemon Moon
Latios -- Level 60
Luster Purge
Dragon Pulse
Psycho Shift
Dragon Breath
To get the Legendary, select Mystery Gift from the main menu and choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password. Enter the download code you picked up and the Pokemon will be downloaded into your game. (Players in Europe and Australia, meanwhile, will simply need to select the option to receive their gift via the internet.) Once those steps have been completed, you'll be able to pick your Legendary up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center around Alola.
You also still have time to redeem your download code for August's free Legendaries, Groudon and Kyogre. If you still haven't picked one up, however, you're out of luck, as codes for the Ruby and Sapphire cover monsters were only being given away from GameStop stores until August 26. You can see all of the other free Pokemon available for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon right now in our roundup.
In an unusual move, Sony has released one of September's free PlayStation Plus games on PS4 early. Rather than wait for the first Tuesday of the month as usual (September 4, in this case), Sony has both announced the full lineup and offered one of the games for free right now: Destiny 2, which just got a massive pre-DLC update.
It's a clever move, as Destiny 2's next big expansion, Forsaken, releases on September 4. While you'll need to purchase that DLC (along with the previous ones) to get the most out of the game, you can see what it's like and begin to get caught up so you can dive into the new expansion next week. Given that Forsaken has been positioned as the equivalent of the first Destiny's excellent Taken King DLC, that's an enticing proposition.
Further making this timing work out well is the upcoming Gambit trial. Gambit is the signature new mode in Forsaken, offering a blend of PvP and PvE. Ahead of Forsaken's launch, all Destiny 2 players will be able to try Gambit out for 24 hours on September 1. Although you won't be getting the same rewards you will once Forsaken is out, you can at least get a taste for what the mode is all about. Bear in mind you'll need to purchase the existing DLC to jump into Forsaken, which you'll also need to buy.
This PS Plus release comes just a day after the launch of a massive 2.0 update for Destiny 2. This overhauls the weapon slot system and numerous other areas of the game. Bungie has also shared a roadmap for the DLC and free updates coming in the year after Forsaken's launch.
While Destiny 2's biggest DLC expansion to date, Forsaken, is still a few days away, there's a ton of new stuff to check out in the game right now. Bungie has released a major update for all players to prepare the game for Forsaken. It's not only big in terms of file size--it weighs in at around 35 GB--but it has a meaningful impact on how the game is played right now.
Many new features and adjustments won't be enabled until Forsaken releases on September 4, but whether or not you plan on purchasing it, you can boot up the game and experience some major differences today. There are numerous tweaks to individual weapons, weapon types, perks, and classes, which you can read about in the full patch notes. For a primer on what to expect next time you boot up the game, here's a quick overview of some of the biggest and most important changes in update 2.0. And bear in mind you can potentially do so without already owing the game, as Destiny 2 is an early PS Plus freebie for September.
Weapon Slot And Ammo Overhaul
As before, you have three weapons equipped at a time, but just which slot those weapons go in has changed completely. You no longer are restricted to having one weapon that uses Primary ammo in the Kinect slot and one that uses Energy ammo in the Energy slot. You can in theory have two weapons that both use Primary ammo, if that's your preference.
More meaningfully, Bungie has shuffled which slot many weapons go in. Shotguns, snipers, and fusion rifles can now be found in the Energy slot, meaning you'll be able to use them far more often than before, as they now use the much more common Energy ammo, rather than Heavy ammo. The Heavy slot remains home to certain weapons of those types, including Exotics like DARCI, Tractor Cannon, The Legend of Acrius, and Whisper of the Worm.
While there are some exceptions, Bungie has readjusted which ammo type each weapon uses. Here's how things now look:
Primary Ammo Weapons
Hand Cannons
Scout Rifles
Auto Rifles
Sidearms
Submachine Guns
Pulse Rifles
Special Ammo Weapons
Fusion Rifles
Shotguns
Sniper Rifles
Trace Rifles
Single Shot Grenade Launchers
Heavy Ammo Weapons
Drum-Loaded Grenade Launchers
Rocket launchers
Linear Fusion Rifles
Swords
Infusion Works Differently
The process of infusion--where you take the higher Power level of one item to boost another of the same type--has changed in multiple ways. You're no longer required to match item types; for instance, you can infuse a pulse rifle using a hand cannon. Before, you'd need a pulse rifle to infuse another pulse rifle.
The cost of infusion has been adjusted to now also require a specific planetary material alongside Glimmer and Legendary Shards. Exact costs depend on the rarity levels of the items involved; infusing an Exotic into another item will ditch the Legendary Shard aspect of the price and reduce the amount of Glimmer needed.
This change ties in with planetary materials becoming far common. You'll now get them in large batches from things like opening chests, and they now serve as a primary source of gaining reputation on each planet, taking the place of tokens.
In terms of how and why this matters to you, it seems that infusing everything possible will no longer be the way to go. You'll want to carefully consider what you infuse and when, which may prove to be a welcome tweak.
You Can Get Forsaken Weapons And Armor Right Now
Forsaken might not be out, but you can actually start getting new gear from it already. The current Flashpoint is on Mars, and completing it can reward you with either a piece of Legendary Forsaken armor or a weapon. You can see those that we've gotten our hands on in the gallery below. That these items are available is notable because you don't actually need the Forsaken DLC to receive these items currently. It's unclear at this point if the items are dropping due to a bug.
Completing the Flashpoint is no different than in the past, although how you track it has changed. Many of the weekly milestones are no longer seen from a menu in the Director. Instead, these are now found by looking at specific activities in the Director, or--in the case of the Flashpoint--by hovering over the planet's vendor on the map.
Bungie has warned that some things may be broken in-game until Forsaken and its accompanying patch launch on September 4. Be aware: That appears to be the case with the Flashpoint progress meter, which doesn't accurately reflect how much you've done.
More Vault Space
It's not the most critical of changes, but Bungie has increased Vault space to 500 slots. That's welcome for those who like to collect everything, and it'll be particularly important once Forsaken releases, as Destiny 2 will be introducing items with random rolls (as in the first game), so it may be beneficial to keep multiples of the same weapon or armor piece.
Another thing to bear in mind: the Collection is inaccessible until the 2.0.0.1 patch launches on September 4. That means you can't retrieve emblems and Exotics that you don't already have stored on you or in your vault right now.
Activity Changes To Challenges, Strike Playlists, And More
The precise way in which you take part in activities has changed. Existing challenges are gone, replaced by bounties that will be obtainable from the relevant vendor; "challenges" now refer to daily or weekly bonuses that were previously viewed as milestones. The Nightfall is increasing in difficulty, while the Prestige version has been removed. The Heroic Strike playlist is gone, replaced by Legacy and Forsaken playlists (the latter with increasing difficulty levels, based on your Power level). Here's how Bungie outlines them:
Heroic Strike playlists have been retired for all players and replaced with a single content-appropriate playlist:
Legacy
Strikes playlist matches the legacy playlist that is currently available in Year 1
Recommended Power 200
Will have modifiers
Forsaken
Strike playlist has three difficulties to select from:
Recommended Power 300 (not available when your level is 40 Power higher)
Recommended Power 400 (not available when your level is 40 Power higher)
Recommended Power 500 (always available)
Will have modifiers
If you're looking for the Leviathan Raid and Raid Lairs, those are now located in the Nessus area of the Director. In preparation for his fate in Forsaken, Cayde has left the Tower, meaning you'll no longer be able to purchase scouting reports and treasure maps. And Xur, once he arrives, will no longer show up on the map, nor will he be found wherever the current Flashpoint is located.
This is just a sampling of the many changes that Bungie has implemented in Destiny 2. The game is very much in flux right now, as Forsaken is set to shake things up even further, with the annual pass set to continue expanding upon the game. Whether all of these adjustments are for the better remains to be seen, but whatever the case, it's an exciting time to be a Destiny 2 player.
It's been more than 30 years since Tony Scott's action drama Top Gun landed on theater runways. And while fans are excited about the sequel, unfortunately, they'll have to wait another year. Deadline reports that the upcoming Top Gun film has been pushed out of its summer 2019 date.
According to Deadline, Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel to 1986's Top Gun, has been moved from its July 12, 2019 release date to a new June 26, 2020 release date. The delay is being cited as allowing the production team to complete the elaborate flight sequences.
Top Gun: Maverick's cast features a litany of talent, including Glen Powell (The Dark Knight Rises), Jay Ellis (Insecure), Jennifer Connelly (Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Miles Teller (Whiplash). Additionally, Top Gun alumni Val Kilmer has been cast to reprise his role as Commander Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.
It's also been announced that Bashir Salahuddin (GLOW), Charles Parnell (A Million Little Pieces), Danny Ramirez (Assassination Nation), Ed Harris (Snowpiercer), Jon Hamm (Tag), Lewis Pullman (The Strangers: Prey at Night), and Monica Barbaro (The Good Cop) would all be joining the expanding roster.
This highly-anticipated sequel has been in development for years. Tony Scott was said to be looking to return to direct the sequel, but he tragically passed away in 2012. Thankfully, all other parties involved were still interested in making the film.
Legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed in January 2016 that he was in talks with Tom Cruise about a potential sequel to Top Gun. But it wasn't until May 2018 that we got confirmation from Cruise himself, who took to Twitter to share a teaser image announcing that a Top Gun sequel was in production. Joseph Kosinski--who's worked with Cruise on 2013's sci-fi film Obvilion and has revived another '80s property, 2010's Tron: Legacy--is directing Top Gun: Maverick.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate arrives for Nintendo Switch this December, and we learned earlier this month that Nintendo will release a limited edition bundle of the game in Europe. The company has now confirmed it will likewise offer a special edition of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the US, but this one will come with a different assortment of contents.
Nintendo has updated the official Smash Bros. website with the first images of the US Super Smash Bros. Ultimate special edition. Unlike the European equivalent, the US bundle comes with a copy of the game housed in a black steelbook case with a fiery Smash Bros. logo emblazoned on the center. Additionally, the bundle includes a Smash Bros.-themed Switch Pro Controller, which features white grips and a white Smash Bros. logo on the face. You can take a look at images of both below.
The US special edition will release on the same date as the standard version of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: December 7. It retails for $140; as of this writing, it's only available to pre-order from Best Buy and GameStop. The Smash-themed Switch Pro Controller can be purchased separately for $75 and is likewise available to pre-order from Best Buy and GameStop.
Europe's special edition packs likewise launches on December 7. It retails for £90 and, along with a copy of the game, packs in a GameCube controller plus the adapter needed to use it on Switch in a big collector's box. Both the adapter and a new line of GameCube controllers will also be available for purchase separately later this year. Those who already own the adapter released alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be able to use that with Switch.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features the largest selection of playable characters and stages to date, with more than 70 fighters and 103 stages. Nintendo hosted a special Direct presentation dedicated to the game earlier in August, during which it revealed five more playable characters, including Simon and Richter Belmont from Castlevania and King K. Rool from Donkey Kong Country. You can read more about the game in our roundup of everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate so far.
Pokemon Go developer Niantic has shared the first details on the game's next Community Day. September's event is scheduled to take place around the world on Saturday, September 22, and it'll feature one of the starter Pokemon from Gold and Silver.
The Grass-type Pokemon Chikorita will be the star of September's Community Day, meaning it'll be much easier to find than usual. For the duration of the event, players will have a greater chance of coming across a Chikorita while they play. The Pokemon will also be able to learn a special move during the Community Day, although Niantic has yet to reveal what it will be.
In addition to increased Chikorita spawns, September's Community Day will feature a couple of other bonuses. This time, players will receive triple the normal amount of XP for catches. Additionally, Lure Modules will last for an extended period of time, remaining active for three hours rather than their normal 30-minute duration.
As usual, September's Community Day won't be available for very long. The event will only run for a three-hour window of time, which varies depending on which part of the world you live in. You can find the full Community Day schedule for each region--courtesy of the Pokemon Go Live website--below.
Before the next Community Day rolls around, Niantic will close out the Pokemon Go Summer Tour 2018 by hosting another real-world Safari Zone event in Yokosuka, Japan, from August 29 to September 2. Players who can't attend the event in-person will still be able to complete Global Challenges and help unlock in-game bonuses and rewards.
While it was announced a few years ago, there has been very little about Seven Bucks Productions Big Trouble In Little China movie, which many people believed would be a remake of the 1986 John Carpenter classic. When Dwayne Johnson was set to star in the new film, fans of the original were cautious, as it wasn't a movie that needed a remake. Luckily, the new movie will be a sequel of sorts.
The Big Trouble sequel is still in the early days of pre-production--even though the movie was first announced in 2015. There is no release date and only Dwayne Johnson is attached as a cast member. However Hiram Garcia, producer of the upcoming film and president of production at Seven Bucks Productions--which Johnson is a co-CEO of--opened up about the plans for the movie.
"There's a lot of things going on with [Big Trouble in Little China]," Garcia told Collider. "We are in the process of developing that, and let me tell you, the idea is not to actually remake Big Trouble in Little China. You can't remake a classic like that, so what we're planning to do is we're going to continue the story. We're going to continue the universe of Big Trouble in Little China.
"Everything that happened in the original exists and is standalone and I think there's only one person that could ever play Jack Burton, so Dwayne would never try and play that character. So we are just having a lot of fun. We're actually in a really great space with the story that we've cracked. But yeah, no remake. It is a continuation, and we are deep into development on that as well, and I think you'll start hearing some things about that probably soon."
Without a doubt, Kurt Russell is Jack Burton, and no matter how charismatic and fun Dwayne Johnson is, fans would just be comparing him to Russell's original performance. Reboots can be hit or miss--more times miss--and continuations are the better route to go. Both Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Ocean's Eight lived in the worlds of the originals and both were great continuations to the originals without taking away from them. So here's to hoping this new Big Trouble movie can capture the spirit of the sequel.
For those looking for more Big Trouble in Little China, comic book publisher Boom! Studios released a direct sequel to the movie, back in 2015. The comic--written by John Carpenter and Eric Powell and drawn by Brian Churilla--follows the adventures of Jack Burton right after the events of the feature film. Followers of Lo Pan seek revenge on Burton and his friend Wang for the destruction of their master.
PES 2019's release date has finally arrived, and fans are getting their hands on this year's Pro Evo worldwide. The new edition contains improvements in players' energy depletion, meaning you now have to spend more attention to how much you keep that right trigger pressed down.
Huge advances have also been made in the on-pitch presentation, with new lighting techniques meaning matches look more realistic than ever. Our critic, Richard Wakeling, was impressed by this year's game, and he awarded it a 9/10 in our PES 2019 review-in-progress.
Take a look below to check out what other critics thought of this year's Pro Evolution Soccer. Alternatively, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for a wider view of critical opinion on the popular sports game.
Game: Pro Evolution Soccer 2019
Developer / Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: Out now
Price: $60 / £50 / AU $97
GameSpot -- 9/10 (Review-In-Progress)
"For as long as EA continues to develop FIFA and hold a monopoly over official licences, PES will be the scrappy underdog just hoping for a surprise upset, even when it's fielding the likes of London Blue and PV White Red. The lack of licences for top-tier leagues remains a disheartening sticking point, but PES continues to make brilliant strides on the pitch, building on what was already an incredibly satisfying game of football to produce one of the greatest playing football games of all time. It might be lacking off the pitch, but put it on the field against the competition and a famous giant killing wouldn't be all that surprising." -- Richard Wakeling [Full review-in-progress]
IGN -- 8.2/10
"You shouldn't buy PES 2019 for its new modes--there aren't any of note. Nor should you buy it for major changes to existing modes--the ones made are minor. If you do opt in this year, it should be for the focus on player individuality that sets this iteration apart from all previous years. It's not just a case of introducing bespoke animations, but accurately reflecting each player's ingrained habits, too. Football, after all, is a battle that's both physical and psychological. From PES 2019's crisp and robust action to the mind games unfolding behind the scenes, this is a game successfully capturing both sides." -- Benjamin Griffin [Full review]
Game Informer -- 8.5/10
"It's easy for me to sit and revel in what I love about PES, jogging through instant replay just to gawk at a foot flick a ball on to a teammate or charting out the future of my Master League club. But occasionally that reverence is broken by an ill-suited moment that illustrates that more work needs to be done. The franchise is steps away from greatness, which makes some of its foibles frustrating." -- Matthew Sato [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 4/5
"PES 2019 is still very much a hard sell to all but the most ardent who will religiously buy Konami's newest entry and the quantifiable new features are very much lacking this year. Hardcore FIFA fans, too, will find little here to tempt them outside of the handful of exclusive leagues and features; Master League is very much mired in the mid-'00s with its bland menus and odd quirks, and MyClub but a pale imitation of Ultimate Team.
"Regardless, of all that, PES 2019 is a game you'll like, and very much enjoy in extended spells. The nagging feeling, despite the superb football, remains: more could have been done to set it apart from its contemporaries, and even past Pro Evo entries--but you'll be having too much fun to care otherwise." -- Bradley Russell [Full review]
Eurogamer -- No Score
"The harsh, inescapable truth about PES 2019, though, is that quality on the pitch can't make up for the disappointment of the overall package. Even if you were to fall in love with its more sim-like gameplay, PES 2019 as an overall offering falls flat. Off the pitch, PES remains a shambles. Konami's licensing problems are well documented, but the addition of the Scottish, Russian and Turkish leagues, among half a dozen other officially-licensed leagues that appear in the game, does not make up for the loss of the Champions League license, which had been a PES mainstay for a decade. There are no new game modes. No new game modes! Beyond that, there are some basic, fundamental features PES lacks that do not sit well in 2018. Where are the women teams, for example?
"Despite it all, I keep thinking about the football. You know, the actual football. It really is a marvel and it matters so, so much. So much good comes from it--gorgeous passes, stunning shots, realistic tackles--but it finds itself stifled by a football video game that's stuck in the dark ages." -- Wesley Yin-Poole [Full review]
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
Reward: Legendary skin (Enforcer) and Back Bling (Subjugator)
"The events last weekend in Jacksonville will impact the gaming community forever," EA stated. "We can't begin to understand the pain so many are going through, nor do we pretend to have all the answers that will help us through the healing process.
"But as is so often the case, our community inspires us. The way you are coming together, and the outpouring of support for all those affected by this tragedy, is incredibly uplifting. We want to join you. So today, we're establishing the Jacksonville Tribute.
"First, we're making a $1 million contribution to support the victims of last Sunday's events. We're also working to set up a fund where others can contribute alongside our donation, and we will come back very soon with further details. Contributions will go to the victims, including the families of Taylor Robertson, Elijah Clayton, and all those who were affected."
In addition to the fund, EA says it will run a Jacksonville Tribute Livestream on Thursday, September 6. More details on this will be released soon, it says.
The events last weekend left three people dead, including the alleged shooter. Local hospitals treated 11 others for injuries, nine of whom sustained gunshot wounds. Further Madden tournaments in the series have been canceled in light of the tragedy.
To celebrate Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate coming to Nintendo Switch on August 28, 2018, we're giving away 10 copies of the game and 1 Nintendo Switch!
One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a Nintendo Switch, plus a copy of the game, and nine (9) runner-ups will receive the game on Nintendo Switch.
Entry is open to United States residents only. Competition ends September 9, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT.
About the game:
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is the follow-up to Monster Hunter Generations, and marks the Monster Hunter series' debut on Nintendo Switch as an exclusive. Hunters can face off against the largest roster of unique monsters in any Monster Hunter game to date. Players take on the role of a brave hunter challenging larger than life beasts that yield valuable resources used for crafting unique weapons and equipment. Accept hundreds of quests solo or with friends in this nostalgic look back at the series' beginnings and evolutions. Along the hunter's journey, players must defend each of the game's four villages from major threats known as the Fated Four, plus an even more dangerous new Elder Dragon. This game features a blend of classic gameplay and unique new twists, brand new explorable areas and monsters, plus returning fan-favorites like the lightning fast Zinogre and the stealthy long-tailed Nargacuga. Fans will be able to play in tabletop mode or in handheld mode on-the-go with up to three other hunters locally or online when it releases on August 28, 2018.
The Sonic the Hedgehog movie featuring Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, and James Marsden, is coming to theatres sooner than previously expected, according to Deadline.
The film, which will blend live-action and CG, will now be released on November 8, 2019; that's a week before it was initially due out on November 15, 2019. The move ahead is noteworthy because it means that Sonic the Hedgehog will hit theatres just one week after Wonder Woman 1984. The first Wonder Woman was a smash hit, making more than $800 million and still doing huge numbers in its second weekend. Sonic the Hedgehog could be a big draw at the box office, too, as its cast has some big names, including Carrey.
Schwartz voices Sonic, while Carrey plays the evil Dr. Robotnik. Marsden plays a police officer who travels across the country with Sonic collecting rings just like in the game.
The Sonic the Hedgehog movie is directed by Jeff Fowler, who picked up an Oscar nomination for his 2005 animated movie Gopher Broke. Deadpool 1 director Tim Miller is producing the Sonic the Hedgehog film, which is shooting now.
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment