By Kallie Plagge on Sep 20, 2018 11:54 pm
Top Tier
PC gaming has been around for decades, but as technology grows, so too do the possibilities! Many, many games come out on PC--especially Steam--at a pretty fast pace, so it can be hard to know what to play. There's also a wide variety of genres to keep track of, plus all those games you buy during the Steam sale. To help you out, we went back a few years and rounded up the best PC-exclusive games. For this feature, we included some (but not all) of the PC games that received a score of 8 or higher on GameSpot, with priority going to games that were nominated for awards at the end of their release years. To narrow the scope further, we only picked games that released in 2013 or later--sorry, CS:GO. Many of the games on this list are relatively new, including Frostpunk, Into the Breach, and Divinity: Original Sin II, and a lot of them are among the best released on the platform. You can spend tons of hours in classic CRPG-style games or immerse yourself in more narrative-driven indie adventure games. Suffice it to say, there's plenty of high-quality options available to you. What PC games from 2013 onward do you love the most? Let us know in the comments below. And for more PC recommendations, be sure to check out our new show, Steam Punks, where we pick out a few hidden gems on Steam for you to try each week. You can also see our list of the biggest PC games to play in 2018 for more of what's to come.
Frozen Synapse 2 -- 8/10
"It's hard not to be drawn in by Frozen Synapse 2's style, but it's even harder to pull away once the game's combat gets its hooks in you. While the single-player mode ambles through both high and low points, the multiplayer remains a steadfastly enjoyable experience. The anticipation as squads approach in preparation for battle is both thrilling and nerve-wracking, and the ability to switch between multiplayer games on the fly makes tracking multiple games elegantly simple. Technical hiccups aside, Frozen Synapse 2's incredible style and strong tactical combat make it wonderfully gratifying." [read the full review] -- James Swinbanks
Two Point Hospital -- 8/10
"It's remarkable that it's taken so long for a spiritual successor to Theme Hospital to show up, but now that it's here, it feels like it's been well worth the wait. The exaggerated, cartoon look and relaxed approach to management make it inviting enough for most players, while the deeper aspects of its economy are enough to keep seasoned players engaged. Two Point Hospital not only re-works an old formula into something modern and enjoyable, it also iterates on the classic brand of irresistible charm and wit, making something that's truly wonderful." [Read the review] -- James Swinbanks
Unavowed -- 9/10
"Unavowed's greatest strength is that it maintains an admirable focus on incredible characterization that feeds into every quest and conversation. Every question you ask, every decision you make, and every sacrifice you make carries you and your team members on an impassioned journey that epitomizes the best qualities of an adventure game. It never rests on tropes, a strong sense of empathy is present through its entirety, and not only do you come to wholly understand character motivations, the way these people deal with supernatural situations helps to build a bond between them and you as a player. From its wonderfully realized locations and its inviting, three-dimensional characters, Unavowed will have you eager to discover the captivating stories lurking in the demonic underworld of New York City." [read the full review] -- David Rayfield
Battletech -- 8/10
"Battletech is a game that selfishly takes its time to be meticulous in every respect, and pushing through the density and idiosyncrasies of its many, slow-moving parts can be tough. But if you have the will to decipher it, albeit, at a deliberate and punishingly plodding pace, you can find yourself completely engrossed in its kinetic clashes. Battletech's intricate components ultimately foster a fascinating wealth of nuanced systems that build a uniquely strenuous, detailed, and thoroughly rewarding tactical strategy game." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Total War: Thrones of Britannia -- 8/10
"Thrones of Britannia is an exciting experience despite the cuts to integral components of the Total War series, such as city planning hinging on military needs, specific building customization, and expanded intrigue options. But this has given Creative Assembly room to focus on enhancing parts of the strategy experience that aren't quite as impenetrable to newcomers, and to allow the series to return to some of the beloved parts of previous historical games to balance out its newer, slimmer form. While there are minor issues with AI, and pacing suffers when you've comfortably gotten the upper hand, this is still a worthy and engaging contribution to the Total War stable that has successfully taken its cues from history's winners and losers alike." [read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Far: Lone Sails -- 8/10
"Lone Sails is a transfixing, lovely experience, one that takes recurring indie game tropes and does something unique and fun with them. It's short enough that you could play through it in a single two or three-hour session, but it will likely stick with you for a long time. I can see myself going back in a few months just to revisit the ship, like checking in on an old friend." [read the full review] -- James O'Connor
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire -- 8/10
"Deadfire is dense, and it isn't a small game, easily dwarfing its predecessor in terms of scale. There's a lot to do, and it's easier than ever to get lost in the little stories you find, without following the arcs that the game has specially set out for you. Still, it's worth taking your time. The richness of Deadfire takes a while to appreciate, and like the brined sailors that call it home, you'll be left with an indelible attachment to these islands when you do finally step away." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Frostpunk -- 9/10
"Frostpunk is among the best overall takes on the survival city builder to date. Its theming and consistency create a powerful narrative through line that binds your actions around the struggle to hold onto humanity in uncertain times. Hope is a qualified good, but you may not always be strong enough (or clever enough) to shelter that flame from the cold." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Into the Breach -- 9/10
"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. 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. It's a pleasure to see what kind of life-threatening predicaments await for you to creatively resolve in every new turn, every new battle, and every new campaign. Into The Breach is a pristine and pragmatic tactical gem with dynamic conflicts that will inspire you to jump back in again, and again, and again." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Divinity: Original Sin II -- 10/10
"From lonely farmhouses through pitched battles with gods in far-flung dimensions, Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made. Its immaculately conceived and emotion-wrought fantasy world, topped by brilliant tactical combat, make it one of the finest games of the year thus far, and it has to be regarded as an instant classic in the pantheon of RPG greats." [read the full review] -- Brett Todd Note: Divinity: Original Sin II is coming to PS4 and Xbox One in August.
Total War: Warhammer II -- 9/10
"With Warhammer II, Total War doesn't reinvent anything so much as it iterates on the ideas that made the first so special. At its heart there's still the marriage of Total War's big-scale strategy and Warhammer's precise tactical play. But, through a thousand tiny tweaks, they've refined the experience into one of the most intriguing and exciting strategy games ever." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
The Red Strings Club -- 9/10
"From the game's opening piano chords, The Red String Club's futuristic exploration of themes regarding human emotion, strong writing, and exciting situations create an experience that is deeply gratifying. The cast of relatable, three-dimensional characters elevate the stakes of every bullet fired, secret divulged and cocktail poured. They are flawed and dangerous, but also convey admirable human characteristics that feel inspirational. The Red Strings Club is a tense adventure about a cast of characters that endanger themselves for goals that aren't necessarily guaranteed, a rewarding journey into the human soul, and a game that pushes the limits of what a point-and-click adventure can do." [read the full review] -- David Rayfield
Civilization VI -- 9/10
"Civ 6 has a few rough edges, but they're pushed far into the periphery by spectacular strategic depth and intricate interlocking nuances. Any frustrations I experienced were immediately eclipsed by my desire to continue playing. Just one more turn, every turn, forever." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth Note: Civilization VI's latest expansion, Rise and Fall, received an 8/10 on GameSpot and adds "several key features that both complement and change up the base game." You can read our full review for more.
Endless Space 2 -- 8/10
"4X space sims have long been known as the territory of the serious strategy gamer, but Amplitude has broken away from the pack here. Outstanding depth and tactical challenge have been preserved, although not at the expense of the strong storytelling needed to emphasize the sense of awe and wonder in galactic exploration that's always been a huge part of the genre's appeal. Amplitude has done a masterful job combining these two elements into a single game, where the quests and strategy and politics and economy are all tied into a whole much greater than the sum of its parts." [read the full review] -- Brett Todd
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III -- 8/10
"An odd chimera of its forebears, there's a lot in this fast-paced RTS that's a little bit off. Parts of the interface don't work sometimes, inter-match army management is half-baked, and the micromanagement needed to use the game's signature hero units effectively doesn't jibe with the extensive base-building you'll need to support them. But those problems fall away when you're in the heat of battle. Dawn of War III builds and maintains an organic tension that yields huge pay-offs, and there's nothing else quite like it." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Hacknet - Labyrinths -- 8/10
"The feeling of playing Hacknet in a dark room with headphones on and being absorbed by its engrossing puzzles and soundtrack--full of heavy beats and filthy synth sounds--feels as close as you can get to the Hollywood hacker experience. The puzzles are uniquely challenging without feeling inaccessible, and the Labyrinths expansion takes the formula further by integrating deeper investigations and adding more puzzle variety. Despite the stumbling climax and steady learning curve, Hacknet - Labyrinths is one hell of a ride that leads you down the rabbit hole and back again." [read the full review] -- James Swinbanks
Orwell -- 8/10
"Orwell is a hard experience to pull back from, even as the dirtiness of your job sinks in. It uses simple mechanics to tell a complex and engaging story, one that feels particularly relevant right now. This is a game where your choices matter and resonate, and which will leave you with plenty to think about once it's over." [read the full review] -- James O'Connor
World of Warcraft: Legion -- 9/10
"With Legion, it's hard to remember when WoW's narrative and questing were ever this strong before. Time will tell if Blizzard will serve up a healthy dose of new content to keep the expansion and game alive (a la Mists or Lich King) or if it will suffer the fate of Warlords of Draenor, but right now (about a month after the expansion's release) Blizzard has proven it can still craft an MMO experience as well as--if not better--than anyone else." [read the full review] -- Don Saas
Quadrilateral Cowboy -- 9/10
"Quadrilateral Cowboy succeeds in astonishing ways: It makes you feel like an incredibly accomplished computer hacker and agent of espionage. It creates an eccentric, thorough world that feels good to exist in and creates characters you can empathise with, despite the lack of a clear plot thread. Quadrilateral Cowboy presents you with a spectrum of moments, and each moment makes you feel great." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Total War: Warhammer -- 9/10
"When you're in the middle of a siege and you're coordinating an assault with a friend, Total War: Warhammer approaches perfection. You'll be tested on all fronts and asked to manage complex battles with broad, nuanced outcomes. Every system and piece feeds into others, and your choices make all the difference. It's a triumph of real-time strategy design, and the best the Total War series has ever been." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Offworld Trading Company -- 9/10
"It's a bit chilling to think that in Offworld you're playing out the same obsessive pursuit of capitalism that led to the fall of its finctional Earth--an event hinted at in tutorial dialogue--yet it's so recklessly entertaining and biting with its satire that I couldn't help but get lost. When combined with truly deep and intricate strategic options, Offworld is a revelation. It's almost unparalleled in the genre. Each and every game is thrilling. Every moment is a challenge. And the brutality of the free market ensures that you can never rest on your laurels, less you be quashed by the invisible hand." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Devil Daggers -- 8/10
"Most of the time, Devil Daggers finds elegance in its simplicity. By stripping the pomp of many modern shooters, it reveals the complexity beneath, molding the fundamentals into something exhilarating, something always worth one more try." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak -- 9/10
"Homeworld was always about loneliness. It was always about clarity and focus. Kharak isn't new in that regard, but it is special. It shows us that when you get things right--and excel--that formula isn't easy to exhaust. Kharak does its part to add to that, though. Its use of voice acting and efficient visuals is a brilliant addition that's far from superficial. It helps narrow the scope of what you need to manage, so that it can load you up with as much as your brain can handle. It's a fast, daunting experience that's tough to shake, making Kharak as intoxicating as Homeworld has ever been." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
That Dragon, Cancer -- 9/10
"It's virtually impossible to not bring one's own biases into That Dragon, Cancer, because death and disease are universal. Just as it's impossible to quantify whether the exploration of those two heavy topics is worth the time and considerable emotional energy, it's impossible to truly quantify the immeasurable value of being able to not just forever present the best version of a person to the world, but being able to earn his presence in every way his parents did." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
The Beginner's Guide -- 8/10
"The Beginner's Guide is an absorbing journey into the thoughts and processes involved during the creation of a video game. It succeeds in helping you understand and sympathize with game developers as artists and people. It equips you with important tools to perceive and think about both video games and other mediums in intelligent ways. It's a game that lives up to its namesake--it's the beginner's guide to the meaning of video games." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Her Story -- 8/10
"We have an intimate level of knowledge about this woman in the wake of her own personal tragedy, and the strength of Her Story as a narrative experience is that even as the right clips put the truth in sharp relief, your ability to uncover it is both satisfying and horrifying. This feat of intelligence and insight sticks with you long after the credits roll." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Interloper -- 8/10
"Interloper distills the core elements of every good RTS and adds a little extra to put it over the top. No matter if you love or loathe traditional real-time strategy, the deep tactics and puzzle solving crammed into a nicely condensed package here come highly recommended." [read the full review] -- Brett Todd
The Stanley Parable -- 9/10
"The Stanley Parable is both a richly stimulating commentary on the nature of choice in games (and in other systems, too, like our workplaces and our families) and a game that offers some of the most enjoyable, surprising, and rewarding choices I've ever been confronted with in a game. Going the wrong way has never felt so right." [read the full review] -- Carolyn Petit
Arma 3 -- 8/10
"ARMA III is a game with few modern counterparts. The influence of Operation Flashpoint isn't felt in many current games, even the modern OF, leaving the ARMA series to lead a charge accompanied by Red Orchestra, Iron Front, and too few others. With that uniqueness comes a dedicated community willing to overlook the flaws because they crave a kind of tension and large-scale teamwork unavailable anywhere else. You should consider joining that crowd. ARMA III is a beast. It occasionally flails and moans, but once you learn how to balance yourself upon it, it gives you a marvelous, turbulent, and memorable ride." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Dota 2 -- 9/10
"The original Dota was an unexpectedly powerful blend of clashing genres and disparate elements that ended up taking over the world, and Valve's successor retains the original rules and characters while adding in a cheery free-to-play model and slick production values. The experience of playing Dota changes day by day--some evenings will be exhilarating, while others will kick your morale to the curb--but there are few games as worthy of your time investment as this. Those who choose to commit to Dota 2 will find many happy hours within this immaculate update." [read the full review] -- Martin Gaston
Antichamber -- 8.5/10
"There are moments in Antichamber that remain with you long after you've uncovered your last clue and solved your last puzzle. What has been created within its barren walls is supremely intelligent and wildly inventive, and Antichamber doesn't give up its ideals for the sake of accessibility. The few spells of frustration are fleeting and never compromise Antichamber's powerful achievements in design and style. 'Every journey is a series of choices,' you're told at the beginning of your adventure. You should choose to begin yours in Antichamber: it really is quite unlike anything else." [read the full review] -- Mark Walton
By Kallie Plagge on Sep 20, 2018 11:50 pm
Best of the Best
Xbox One launched over four years ago, which means over four years of games! As such, it can be hard to decide what to play. From exclusives to the top multi-platform games to indies, there's a lot to choose from--and even though people joke that the Xbox One has no games, that's just not true! We've picked out the best Xbox One games so far. This includes many of the games that received an 8 or higher on GameSpot, and we've prioritized games that were nominated for our Best Xbox One Game list in the years those games released. It also includes Assassin's Creed: Origins, which was one of GameSpot's top Xbox One games of 2017 due to its performance on the Xbox One X. While there are plenty of new games, we haven't included the hundreds of backwards compatible games on Xbox One, which includes many original Xbox and Xbox 360 favorites. Xbox also has a subscription service called which lets you download and play a selection of over 100 games that varies slightly from month to month. For more Xbox One games, see our roundups of the best cheap games on Xbox One, and make sure to check out our gallery of the Xbox One exclusive games confirmed for 2018 as well as the biggest Xbox One games of 2018 for everything coming to the console.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- 8/10
"Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Valkyria Chronicles 4 -- 8/10
"Ultimately, this is a return to form for the Valkyria Chronicles series as a whole. It stays so true to the franchise's first iteration that it'll feel as if almost no time has passed in the decade or so since the original game first came out. In revisiting the concerns and the environments of the first, it makes the most of those parallels and invites comparison in a way that highlights its strengths. Valkyria Chronicles 4 doesn't necessarily tell a new tale, but it doesn't have to; for all of its clichés and expected twists, there's a charm to the game's unwillingness to let up as it drives you and your friends forward at a rapid clip towards its bittersweet end." [Read the review] -- Edmond Tran
Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition -- 10/10
"From lonely farmhouses through pitched battles with gods in far-flung dimensions, Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made in both its original and Definitive incarnations, with the latter proving that even the most complicated role-players can be ported successfully to gamepad-limited consoles. This immaculately conceived and emotion-wrought fantasy world, topped by brilliant tactical combat, make it one of the finest games of recent years, and it remains an instant classic in the pantheon of RPG greats." [Read the review] -- Brett Todd
PES 2019 -- 9/10
"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." [Read the review] -- Richard Wakeling
Dead Cells -- 9/10
"Dead Cells is a fascinating amalgam of several of today's most popular indie genres. It juggles elements of tough-as-nails action games and Metroid-inspired exploration platformers, with the procedurally generated levels and random item allotments found in roguelikes. It's impressive how it all comes together without a hitch, especially given that the persistent character growth found in games like Dark Souls or Metroid squarely conflicts with the randomized resets emblematic of Rogue-inspired games." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Far Cry 5 -- 9/10
"Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Monster Hunter: World -- 8/10
"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Celeste -- 9/10
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
What Remains of Edith Finch -- 9/10
"Developer Giant Sparrow managed to strike the delicate balance between joy and sorrow in 2012's The Unfinished Swan, but What Remains of Edith Finch transcends even the latent sadness of that game, finding the beauty--even sometimes the fun--in what's always fundamentally a tragedy. It's not often that a game's plot slips past the bitterness of grief to finally get to the acceptance, but that's the triumph in What Remains of Edith Finch. Ultimately, if the game has any resemblance of a moral, it's that the bravest, most beautiful thing every one of us does is choose to keep going, despite knowing what's coming." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 9/10
"The New Colossus never lets you forget who and why you're fighting. Nazi brutality is on full display, from the blown-out, irradiated remains of Manhattan to each of the resistance members, who all carry mental scars if not physical ones. You're never given a chance between cutscenes, missions, and even downtime on the U-boat to lose sight of the Reich's cruelty. Wolfenstein's tense gameplay elevates this further by giving you the power to truly resist--and come out of each battle ready for another fight." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Sonic Mania -- 9/10
"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Cuphead -- 8/10
"Everything you've heard about Cuphead is true. It is a difficult side-scrolling shooter with relentless boss battles that demand rapid-fire actions and reactions. Think for too long, and you won't stand a chance against the game's toughest enemies. Battles may only last three minutes at most, but they feel far longer when you know that you can only absorb three hits before you have to start from scratch. When you are navigating your way around bullets, smaller enemies, and pitfalls, while simultaneously trying to damage your primary target, toppling Cuphead's imposing bosses is both a monumental and rewarding task." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Assassin's Creed Origins -- 7/10
"Assassin's Creed has undergone many changes in its long and storied history, and Origins feels like the first step in the start of a new journey. It has its fair share of problems, but the vision for its future is one worth pursuing." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Stardew Valley -- 9/10
"On the surface, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, but there are more adventures awaiting curious players beyond cultivating a rich and bountiful garden. From mining and fishing to making friends and falling in love, Stardew Valley's Pelican Town is stuffed with rewarding opportunities. As modern day woes give way to pressing matters on the farm and within your newfound community, Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world. It's a game that tugs at your curiosity as often as it does your heart." [read the full review] -- Mary Kish
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard -- 8/10
"By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that's okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I'd survived a truly harrowing journey. The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Night in the Woods -- 9/10
"Both intensely personal and widely relatable, Night in the Woods doesn't just tell a story--it gracefully captures complex, often unpleasant feelings and experiences. From the quiet melancholy of doing nothing on a rainy day to the emotional vacuum of severe depression, I felt deeply, sometimes too deeply, while wandering through the cartoon-animal version of a small Midwestern town. Its witty writing and character development keep its crushing existential themes grounded, making Night in the Woods one of the most evocative games I've played in a long time." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Overwatch -- 9/10
"Overwatch is an exercise in refined chaos. There are multitudes of layers hiding beneath the hectic surface, and they emerge, one after another, the more you play. This is a shooter that knows how to surprise, one that unfolds at a frantic pace, one that takes a handful of great ideas, and combines them into something spectacular." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Battlefield 1 -- 9/10
"EA DICE splendidly interprets the early 20th century as a world in technological transition while humanizing the war's participants through well crafted, albeit fictional, narrative vignettes. Combined with an enthralling multiplayer component, the overall result is the studio's best work since Battlefield: Bad Company 2." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Titanfall 2 -- 9/10
"Titanfall 2 demonstrates a vitality that its predecessor couldn't. Whereas the first Titanfall kept up its breakneck pace throughout the entirety of every match, Titanfall 2 understands that sometimes, dialing things back for a few moments can make the long run much more enjoyable. In many ways, Titanfall 2 feels like the game Respawn should have made in 2013. It's a fantastic sequel. It's a fluid shooter. It's a spectacular game." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Dishonored 2 -- 8/10
"Any time I'm given a choice between stealth and action, I go stealth. I love the hold-your-breath tension of hoping a guard didn't spot you and the hard-earned triumph of executing a perfectly timed plan. Dishonored 2 delivers that sneaky satisfaction, arming you with stealth essentials like hiding bodies, peering through keyholes, and silent takedowns. But it's also an incredible engine for gleeful chaos, one so engrossing and amusing that I kind of accidentally beat the entire campaign raining hilarious, elaborate death on my enemies." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Forza Horizon 3 -- 9/10
"With Forza Horizon 3, Turn 10 and Playground Games affirm the series' status as the driving game for everyone. The new emphasis on off-road options isn't at the expense of traditional races, thanks to the sheer volume of activities. All the while, Playground Games' calculated kitchen-sink design philosophy and rich reward system persistently tempt you to explore beyond your comfort zone, whether it's gifting your first Ariel Nomad buggy or reminding you that stunt races can impress thousands of fans. Enhancing your own brand might feel like a strange motivation to hit the road, but pulling off sick e-drifts on a mile-long series of curves makes the PR work worthwhile." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Inside -- 8/10
"This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo. Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence." [read the full review] -- Alex Newhouse
Dark Souls III -- 8/10
"Dark Souls III is a game of valleys and peaks, down through dungeons and up over castle walls. It's a plummet into places we shouldn't be--an escape from places we don't belong. But of course, we fight our way through the darkness, and find our way out. There are a few stumbles along the way, but in the end, Dark Souls III is well worth the riveting climb." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- 10/10
"Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Halo 5: Guardians -- 8/10
"Halo 5: Guardians is fueled by new ideas and propelled by some of the boldest changes to this storied franchise yet. Some of these changes fail, but others succeed, and although Halo 5 falters at times, it whisks us through black holes and across war torn tropical islands at a rapid pace. We can only surrender to its velocity." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Rise of the Tomb Raider -- 9/10
"Rise of the Tomb Raider's first shot pans over the vast, foreboding landscape we'll soon come to know. In many ways, it functions as a promise on the part of Crystal Dynamics: there are big things ahead of us. And at the end of Lara's journey, after we've seen her through this adventure, and experienced everything the world has to offer, it's clear that promise was kept." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Ori and the Blind Forest -- 9/10
"It consistently surprises you with new tricks: gravitational divergences, new ways to move through its spaces, and carefully designed levels that require you to think quickly and respond. It is not as snappy as, say, a typical Mario platformer, seeking instead a broader gameplay arc stretching across a single, interconnected world. It's a superb and thematically consistent approach that allows Ori and the Blind Forest to build joy on a bed of heartache, adding a new layer of mechanical complexity with each ray of hope." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain -- 10/10
"There has never been a game in the series with such depth to its gameplay, or so much volume in content. The best elements from the past games are here, and the new open-world gameplay adds more to love on top. When it comes to storytelling, there has never been a Metal Gear game that's so consistent in tone, daring in subject matter, and so captivating in presentation. The Phantom Pain may be a contender for one of the best action games ever made, but is undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Fallout 4 -- 9/10
"Fallout 4 is an engrossing game that lures you in with mystery and the promise of adventure. Its wretched wasteland can be captivating, and you never know what odd person or settlement lies around the next bend. Fallout 4 uses its dark world as a canvas for exciting combat and gripping stories, and when you dig deeper into its post-nuclear-apocalypse version of Boston--defending yourself from violent scavengers and using your wits to climb social ladders--you become attached to the new you, and ultimately invested in the fate of your new world." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor -- 8/10
"This is a great game in its own right, narratively disjointed but mechanically sound, made up of excellent parts pieced together in excellent ways. I already knew what future lay in store for Middle-earth as I played Shadow of Mordor; I'm hoping that my own future might one day bring another Lord of the Rings adventure as stirring as this one." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Dragon Age: Inquisition -- 9/10
"Inquisition's characters and world recall the grand gestures of the original Dragon Age, even though the game as a whole is so structurally different to its predecessors. It offers the thrill of discovery and the passion of camaraderie. It features a glee club called The Sing-Quisition, and a dwarf with writer's block. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition -- 8/10
"Lara herself is so well crafted that I grew attached to her exploits and was sad to say goodbye when the credits rolled. And the exquisite visual design is so breathtaking that I continually found myself staring at the scenery instead of pushing onward. Tomb Raider is a great reinvention of this enduring franchise that made me eager to see where Lara goes in her future." [read the full review] -- Tom McShea
Forza Motorsport 5 -- 9/10
"All of this combined makes Forza Motorsport 5 an outstanding improvement to an already excellent racing franchise. It's far more than just a great racing sim, or a gorgeous showcase for the types of feats the Xbox One hardware is capable of. This is a game built on the romantic thrill of motorsport in all its forms, and that love for its subject matter is all but impossible to resist." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- 9/10
"There's an incredible scope to what you can do in Black Flag, with a level of harmony between its component parts that encourages you to try it all, and a story that keeps you invested throughout the whole thing. If there was ever any question that Assassin's Creed needed something ambitious to get the series back on track, Black Flag is that game and then some." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
By Alessandro Fillari on Sep 20, 2018 11:48 pm
The Games Of PAX West 2018
As one of the biggest gaming conventions on the west coast, PAX West has remained a popular destination for developers to get their next big titles in front of their audience, and for fans to discover something new brand new. With indies and AAA titles out in full force, there were a lot of games to check out at private events and on the show floor. After spending some time whittling down our picks, we drafted our selection of some of PAX West 2018's most noteworthy games. While some of these titles are quite well known, there are many others that were just recently revealed to the public, allowing us the opportunity to get first hands-on with the games. In addition to being among the first to play Streets of Rage 4 and Windjammers 2, we also got a detailed look of the upcoming Torchlight Frontiers, which will be a big change for the action-RPG series. In addition to those games, we also saw a number of other games that possess an incredible amount of creativity and personality, which goes a long way in the eyes of passionate gamers. Along with Lab Zero Games' action-RPG Indivisible, Devolver Digital's Gato Roboto, and the chilling World of Horror, the indie scene is looking very exciting. Here are 24 games that stood out the most to us at PAX West 2018. For more info on PAX West and the other games coming later this year and in early 2019, check out our impressions of Streets of Rage 4, Life is Strange 2, and along with our bizarre, yet fun interview with SUDA51 regarding the upcoming Killer7 Remaster.
Astroneer | PC
Though the concept of Astroneer makes it sound like Minecraft in space, in actuality it's far more advanced than the popular terrestrial-based builder ever could. Focusing on the pioneering spirit behind space-exploration, the ensuing adventures will prompt players to think big to come up with some unorthodox solutions to some of Astroneer's more complex challenges. Currently in early access, the game's approach to online exploration and base-building--allowing players to break down and recreate the environment at will--has given players plenty of options to come up with some clever solutions. However, Astroneer is planning to shoot even further to the stars with its upcoming 1.0 update, launching this December. In order to give the community some added challenge after they've established themselves on their planets, players will eventually uncover mysterious alien monoliths while exploring--which will force players to work together to figure out their origins. Along with more planets and other new additions coming in the next update, the space-exploration game has plenty in store for its community. The sense of scale in Astroneer is already impressive, and it'll be exciting the see where the game goes from here with its ambitious new update. | Alessandro Fillari
Black Future '88 | PC
Black Future '88 pitches a dark cyberpunk world where you must climb a procedural tower and face off against waves of enemies--where death is all but inevitable. A familiar concept to be sure, but Black Future '88 brings a style all its own with a slick neon presentation and over-the-top weapons. In my demo at PAX I got my hands on a teleportation gun that swapped me with the enemies I killed. Add a second player into the mix and the game becomes a chaotic mess of color and bullets that's exhilarating to play. Games like Dead Cells have brought fresh new takes on the roguelike genre and Black Future '88 has the potential to do this at well. It feels great to play and its use of the cyberpunk genre could make it a real winner. | Jean-Luc Seipke
The Blackout Club | PC
In The Blackout Club, you control of a group of teenagers who take matters into their own hands after discovering their town, and all the adults in it, are a part of a secret conspiracy that puts the entire world at risk. Though this premise sounds very similar to other shows and films like Stranger Things and Stephen King's IT, the co-op survival-horror experience does things a bit differently, putting players deeper into the experience of fighting the so-called "truth monster". Coming from the same developers behind games like Thief: Deadly Shadows, BioShock 2, and the underrated The Magic Circle, The Blackout Club pulls from a large pedigree of games in the immersive sim sub-genre to craft something that feels all its own. Though it can be played solo, The Blackout Club shines when it's played with others online. With much of the game's objectives and resources randomized, each playthrough will result in some different encounters, forcing players to communicate and use their tools carefully. However, the one constant throughout your many missions is the enigmatic force known as The Shape, an invisible entity that stalks players throughout the level. And the only way for players to see is by having their characters close their eyes, and call out its location to the others. The Blackout Club shows a lot of promise, and the atmosphere it exudes is both unnerving and exciting, which makes us eager to dive back in for another round. | Alessandro Fillari
Boyfriend Dungeon | PC
For anyone who loves either social simulations or dungeon-crawling action RPGs, there is Boyfriend Dungeon. It cleverly brings both genres together by letting you, yes, build relationships with your weapons. Outside of dungeons, weapons manifest themselves as actual people with different personalities of all genders. You'll have heartfelt conversations with them, and dialogue options will determine the outcome of your dates, which turns into upgraded attributes for when you have to slash through hordes of enemies. There's a small overworld to walk around, filled with date spots, but we only had the chance to take a nice stroll around the park with our dagger Valeria. Actual dungeons are made up of multiple floors filled with varied enemy types, but Boyfriend Dungeon shines in how fast and fluid combat feels. Responsive controls make the isometric hacking, slashing, and combo-stringing wholly satisfying, and the soothing synth-pop soundtrack makes it all the more enjoyable. We're looking forward to digging more into Boyfriend Dungeon and see where these relationships take us when the game launches sometime in 2019. | Michael Higham
Breach | PC
Breach is a co-op brawler that takes influence from several cultures' mythologies and several genres' tropes, putting them into a free-to-play game where our Earth has collided with the Mythological Earth. You and a group of friends take on levels based on a specific mythology with various styles of gameplay depending on which class you choose. For example, in Egypt, me and my teammates took on appropriately-themed enemies such as the crocodile god Sobek and the jackal deity Anubis. I played as the Reaper class, which had me wielding a scythe and casting Death-like abilities. I had zombie-like hands rising from the ground to impede my enemies, while I ominously made my way towards them as if I was Death slowly following my next victim. Other classes I tried out let me shoot enemies from afar or attack them up close with launchers and air combos as if I was Dante from Devil May Cry--in fact, the developer was eager to admit they took inspiration from Capcom's demon hunter. I had fun with Breach, but I felt my enjoyment was dependent on the type of class I chose: there were several others that I just didn't vibe with. I was told that Breach is taking inspiration from League of Legends in that it will be a free-to-play game that has classes on a free rotation, allowing you to buy the ones you want to keep. You can test every class before buying them, but if you're not willing to throw down money, then some rotations could prove to be obstacles. It'll be interesting to see how the game evolves once it hits Steam Early Access. | Mat Paget
Get In The Car, Loser! | PC
Road trips can often be a boring tests of patience as you head to your destination. But in Get in The Car, Loser!, it's very much about the journey you take while you're on that long stretch of road. Announced this year for PC, the developers at Love Conquers All Games, the same team behind the visual novel game Ladykiller In A Bind, brings their similar sense of lovelorn style to a new genre. Bringing together a diverse crew of queer vagabonds--including a brawler, mage, a soldier, and an always reliable driver--the road-trip romance RPG will have the party share their feelings on life, dating, and love while on their drive--stopping every so often to fuel up, and engage in some fights with monsters that get in the way. Get In the Car, Loser! isn't shy about sharing its influences from the Final Fantasy series, with many of the battles and similar premise pulling from Final Fantasy XIII and XV respectively. However, it does a clever job of recontextualizing the party gameplay and battles from the JRPG series into a more down-to-earth and surprisingly honest story. The romance roadtrip role-playing game still has a ways to go before release, but the early look we had offered a refreshing and fun take on familiar RPG gameplay. | Alessandro Fillari
Killer Queen Black | PC, Switch
When Killer Queen was first introduced, the only way to play it was at your local arcade--which are always so few and far between. Even then, very few places were fortunate enough to house one, making it one of the more rare arcade games. With the newest version of Killer Queen, now called Killer Queen Black, it's a much more accessible take on the original, and it's set for release on PC and the Nintendo Switch. Much like the original release, two teams compete to secure enough resources to mount an attack on the opposing team's queen. However, Killer Queen Black is quite different from the arcade version. While the original game in the arcade allows for ten players, the Black release dials it down to 8 to make a it bit more manageable for players. As the first time people can play this game out of the arcades, there's several different ways to enjoy the game. Killer Queen Black on Switch is quite the experience, allowing for multiple players to come together with several joycons and consoles. Playing Killer Queen Black was an absolute blast, and I can't wait to play it some more. | Gajan Kulasingham
Knights and Bikes | PC
I often think back to my childhood and long for those days of innocence. Childhood is kinda what Knights and Bikes is all about. You and a friend play as two virtual friends called Nessa and Demelza, as they explore the British island of Penfurzy. You run around the world, finding stuff to do, items to use, and puzzles to solve. I didn't come across any combat, but there are apparently enemies you'll have to deal with. What I got to see involved puzzle solving, high fives, and goofy activities like racing your friend. The freedom of exploration reminds me a lot of the first time my friend and I were allowed to run around our hometown on our own. Getting into trouble, finding dumb and fun things do, and imagining grand adventures was our MO, and Knights and Bikes seems to capture that feeling quite well. I'm looking forward to jumping into it for real with a close friend. | Mat Paget
Metal Wolf Chaos XD | PC
Part of me thinks to myself, "how the hell is Metal Wolf Chaos getting remastered today?" But here we are. From Software has made a name for itself with the likes of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, but the developer put out the comedic Metal Wolf Chaos exclusively in Japan for the original Xbox back in 2004, and its gone on to earn cult status despite. It's a third-person mech-based shooter that puts you in the shoes of US President Michael Wilson, who is seeking revenge on Vice President Richard Hawk after he staged a military coup. Also, you're related to 28th President Woodrow Wilson. At its core, Metal Wolf Chaos remains untouched. It plays nearly identical to its original release, clunkiness and all. Voice acting, sound effects, levels, and almost all graphical assets are just as they were 14 years ago. Thankfully the game gets native widescreen support and modern screen resolutions, but there are also bloom effects to make the lighting pop a bit more. President Wilson's mech has two firing modes that can be outfitted with different weapons on the fly, in addition to jumping and boost jets. We'll be able to revel in all its absurdity when Metal Wolf Chaos XD launches sometime in 2019, and it'll be the first time the game gets localized and released worldwide. | Michael Higham
My Friend Pedro | PC, Switch
If Max Payne went 2D and threw any level of seriousness out the window, you'd get My Friend Pedro. This side-scrolling shooter brings together a few unique mechanics for some real wild moments. You can dive, flip, and somersault into firefights while going into a bullet time slow-mo to take down a room full of bad guys. Object physics also play a role in pulling off ridiculous stunts; for example, we kicked a frying pan up in the air, shot at it so bullets would ricochet off it to hit enemies perched on high up ledges. Core mechanics like the spinning dodge and splitting your dual-wielded weapons to shoot at both sides of the screen come in handy for staying nimble. My Friend Pedro does move a little slower than you might expect, but given the number of things happening on screen at once, you're at least given time to devise a course of action and make your moves. Oh yeah, and your friend Pedro is that talking banana that guides you along the way. | Michael Higham
Ninjala | Switch
Ninjala takes its premise of young ninjas wielding weapons made from bubble gum very seriously. Which is to say that it goes all the way with its ridiculous premise. As a multiplayer focused online action-game, with some hints of Splatoon's sense of color and whimsy, Ninjala focuses heavily on fast-paced action to overcome other rival ninjas to reach number one. Set against the backdrop of a massive ninja tournament, you and other agile fighters will use their special bubblegum-jutsu to pull off some slick maneuver and skills. Though there is a story mode focusing on the game's eight characters, the developers at Gung Ho have kept much of it underwraps, opting to show off more of the game's multiplayer mode. After spending a few rounds in the game, I came away excited to see more of what's to come with Ninjala, and what other bubblegum-jutsu skills there are to take advantage of. | Alessandro Fillari
Ooblets | PC, Xbox One
I'm an absolute sucker for games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, so anything where I get to run away from real life, move to a new town, and meet its citizens already has my attention. Ooblets combines farming and town exploration gameplay with something similar to Pokemon. You farm, grow, and collect Ooblets, which you can use to battle other trainers and their Ooblets. However, this game is entirely wholesome, so you're not fighting each other--no, instead you're competing in dance battles. Unfortunately, my time with Ooblets was limited, and I was told there were areas outside of the town to explore and find new Ooblets in. I'm excited to spend my own time with it, where I can grow bonds with both the citizens of Oob and my Ooblets. It's not the type of game that benefits from short, impersonal demos; however, for the short amount of time I spent with it, I was relaxed, charmed, and happy. And that's exactly what I look for in this type of game. | Mat Paget
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw | PC
No Man's Sky took me across the galaxy, but it just wasn't the Han Solo simulator I was itching for. And if the first Rebel Galaxy was a single finger scratching said itch, then Rebel Galaxy Outlaw could be a full body scratch-fest that makes a dog's tail wag like a turbo-induced grandfather clock. I was completely enraptured with Outlaw during my brief time with it. Shooting down enemy cruisers, taking on Star Destroyers, and helping victims of spaces pirates was immediately appealing. But as exciting as the intergalactic dog fights were, that's not what has me thinking of the game weeks after playing it: it was the style that permeated every nook and cranny of this game. It was the radio, playing everything from metal to country and rock n' roll to big band music, while I dodged enemy fire. It was the space stations that were home to aliens playing pool and people looking to hire for a job. It was the finger guns the main character shoots at her enemies before blowing them up with some carefully-aimed missiles. Rebel Galaxy Outlaw has one heck of a style, and it's one I can't wait to revisit once it releases next year. | Mat Paget
Samurai Gunn 2 | Switch
One neat surprise going into PAX West was Samurai Gunn 2, a sequel to the 2013 PC game that focuses on fast-paced multiplayer action with a sleek retro look. Once again, up to four players can slash and shoot at each other in a deathmatch that takes place in single-screen combat arenas. However, a big addition this time around is the inclusion of single-player, which consists of side-scrolling levels where you mow down enemies. Boss fights will also pit you against one of the playable characters in unique arenas with deadly obstacles to dodge. Aside from running, jumping, and slashing, players have three gunshots or dashes per life in multiplayer. You can slash upward or downward, and swinging your sword carries momentum. You can pull of some neat tricks by adding momentum to your jumps. Each combat arena has unique conditions such as deadly spikes, sticky walls, or puddles that'll jam your gun. New artwork was done for the game, and a digital graphic novel by French artist Valentin Seiche will also be included; characters now have their own backstory. Samurai Gunn 2 is fast and hectic, and it's set to hit the Nintendo Switch in early 2019. | Michael Higham
Steel Rats | PC
Steel Rats follows a motorcycle gang in the post-apocalypse, where the player controls its multiple members as they ride through various levels full of enemies. With its side-scrolling, motorcycle gameplay, comparisons could be made to the Trials series, though from what I played, Steel Rats is much more focused on combat and light puzzle-solving than actual platforming. The levels I played were relatively easy, though I was told the difficulty would ramp up as the game progressed. Each character has their own unique weapon or ability to take out the robotic enemies--one of the characters I had access to used a laser of sorts to shoot enemies as you rode past them. However, each character has a blade on their front tire that can be used to break through obstacles and enemies, as well as a way to ride up walls and on ceilings. Getting through each level without stopping was tricky yet exciting, and I'll be interested to see how the later levels challenge you. | Mat Paget
Stormland | PC
You may be praising developer Insomniac right now for its wonderful work on the PlayStation 4 exclusive Spider-Man game. But the team is hard at work with its fourth VR game called Stormland. It's one of the more ambitious VR games on the horizon as its attempting to build a persistent open world that's constantly changing. It's a first-person shooter and adventure where you're a robot that was once just a gardener who now has to protect its world from an evil robot force--not a groundbreaking premise. However, Stormland stands out by pushing the boundaries of VR gameplay-wise, especially with traversal. Artificial locomotion is the only way to walk in the world, and you'll be climbing walls, jumping off cliffs, and gliding through the air to get around the open world. You may want to get acquainted with movement in VR to see if you can handle these types of motions. Aside from that, you'll take on quests, loot for upgrades, and shoot down enemy robots, which can be done with a group of friends. The game world is said to change in physical structure every week with new objectives to mix things up. Stormland will launch for Oculus Rift sometime in 2019. | Michael Higham
Super Meat Boy Forever | PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Super Meat Boy represents that rare game that became a classic almost the instant it was released. Its tightly tuned platforming and unforgiving challenge is rarely matched even today. I spent countless hours retrying level after level to get the perfect run, while the pile of Meat Boy bodies continued to rise. At first glance a sequel might not seem necessary, but Super Meat Boy Forever is bringing new ideas while keeping the feel that makes the first game so good intact. As the name suggests, the Forever is an endless runner. Meat Boy auto runs while you use jump and punch to make your way through each gauntlet. The lack of direct control may feel strange as first but you quickly find that by removing the need to worry about movement, Forever refines the Super Meat Boy formula to its purest form. Levels are auto generated and adapt to your skill level. While it's hard to say how this works overall, in my time with the game's first world I found each level to be a well crafted nightmare of saw-blades and death, with no signs of the seams that put them together. We're still not sure when Super Meat Boy Forever will finally release, but I can't wait to punish myself in the name of perfection all over again. | Jean-Luc Seipke
Torchlight Frontiers | PC
It's a difficult thing, making games in the lootfest action-RPG genre, because it will always have a Diablo-shaped shadow hanging over it. But although it may not have the brand recognition of Blizzard's iconic RPG, the Torchlight series has always been an exercise in smart, refined, and creative role-playing. With Torchlight Frontiers, developer Echtra Games is taking its oft overlooked series and bringing it into the modern multiplayer scene: its core gameplay loop of isometric combat and loot management is still intact--but much of it will now unfold within a shared world. Think: Diablo meets Destiny. During our demo at PAX West, we saw two new classes: the robot and the dusk mage. The former uses chest-mounted cannons and interchangeable appendages, while the latter relies on alternating dark and light energy. Although the shared world components weren't present in this demo, Echtra described how the long term gameplay will take shape: you'll spend much of your time exploring an overworld populated by other human players, before diving into "private" dungeons by yourself, or with cooperative party members. All in all, Frontiers looks promising. The core Torchlight identity is intact, with customizable characters and an array of progression options that dwarf those of Diablo 3. However, with the shared-world options making their way to the forefront, Torchlight Frontiers could set itself apart even farther with its next entry. | Mike Mahardy
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes | Switch
Suda51 is at it again with Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. However, instead of the open-world action-adventure type game we've come to expect from this series, Travis Strikes Again will be a hack-and-slash style where you tear through hordes of enemies. Co-op is at the heart of experience with one player as series protagonist Travis Touchdown and the other as Badman, father of past boss, Bad Girl. While the two are at odds, they'll need to fight together to get out of the Death Drive Mk II, which is the demonic possessed game console they're trapped in. As you'd expect from a game about game characters stuck inside games, things get meta. While it uses the conventions of other games of this genre, the attitude and aesthetic is very much true to No More Heroes--it's crude, absurd, and relentlessly stylish. Bosses seem to be a highlight as well; during the demo at PAX West, we completed a hectic boss battle and pulled off a sweet co-op special attack to finish the fight. And yes, you still have to use the bathroom to save. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is currently a Switch exclusive set to launch January 18, 2019. | Michael Higham
Treachery In Beatdown City | PC, Switch
In Treachery In Beatdown City, an ex-MMA fighter, a boxer, and a stockbroker with skills in Capoeira team up to battle the city's most ruthless foes to save kidnapped president Blake Orama from ninjas. While on the surface Treachery in Beatdown City looks like a parody of the inherently ridiculous premise of street brawlers throwing hands with common thugs and corrupt politicians alike--which isn't too far off--it soon reveals that it's got a sharp eye for satire, shining a lot on some socially relevant topics through the lens of a beat-em-up. After finding success on Kickstarter back in 2014, the game's creator, Shawn Alexander Allen, has been steadily improving his action-RPG/beat-em-up, where super moves, suplexes, and slaps are dished out by turn. As what is likely the first truly socially aware beat-em-up game, Beatdown City takes a far more contemporary look at the beat-em-up genre. Many of the encounters the trio face come from pushy sidewalk rappers hawking their CDs, gentrifying transplants escalating innocuous run-ins through racially motivated micro-aggressions, and dirty cops taking pride in the privilege that comes from their profession. Even though there's plenty of moments where Beatdown City revels in the familiar tropes of beat-em-up games--because there's always gotta be fresh, healthy food found in trash cans--it's not shy about telling you how it really feels, and how the brawlers now feel like outsiders in their own home. This satire of a beat-em-up game shows some grit in in places you'd least expect. | Alessandro Fillari
UFO 50 | PC
To say that diving into UFO 50's backlog of bespoke retro titles was incredibly nostalgic would be a massive understatement. Paying homage to the 8-bit era's multi-cart that were jam-packed with over dozens of games--some decent, other not so much--these multi-game offerings were expensive, but had an enticing value. UFO 50 takes this concept and runs with it, packaging 50 freshly-made retro games that show off the splendor and glory of the 8-bit era. Coming from a collective of indie developers, including Spelunky creator Derek Yu, UFO 50's unique games cover a broad spectrum of genres and styles--all of which have their own strange twist to them. For instance, UFO 50's take on tennis features a cast of ninjas and samurai squaring off on a Kabuki stage, using their sword strikes and special attributes to get ahead of the opponent. In many ways, UFO 50 feels like a time-capsule of games that never saw release during the 1980s. From beat-em-ups, golf, platformers, shooters, and even RPGs, the compilation game packs in a lot of value into such a modest pack, which makes it a rather compelling way to relive one of the 8-bit era's forgotten gems. | Alessandro Fillari
Wandersong | PC, Switch
As you head off into the game's first 'battle', Wandersong clues you in to the type of game you're set to play. As the short Bard of average build prepares for his first encounter with a monster, the sword he struggles to wield leaves little to no effect in the fight. With no other option, the Bard relies on his singing voice, which immediately quells the monster, revealing a peaceful spirit who's impressed with his vocal talents. In Wandersong, the many puzzles, interactions, and moments of action play out through song, with the Bard showing that there's more than one way to become a hero in this musical fantasy adventure. Wandersong plays with the adventure genre in a very whimsical way, with the protagonist engaging in battles and solving everyday problems by using his single voice. Similar to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the Bard's connection to town citizens is just as important as his journeys in the wild. One moment you'll quell a ghost in the town mayor's home, and in the next you'll try to cheer up a elderly person who's grown incredibly bitter. Wandersong has an infectious charm, and it does a lot to show that there's more to an adventure game than simply swinging a sword and slaying beasts in its colorful and bright world. | Alessandro Fillari
Windjammers 2 | TBD
Do you want more Windjammers? Of course you do, and thankfully Windjammers 2 is just that. The game is still in a very early state, so we were only able to play two different characters in the build, but the core gameplay remains in tact. From our short time playing, it seems that it's still fast and responsive, which is the most important factor considering the precision required for high-level Windjammers play. One new feature is that each character will have their own unique special ability, which you can execute after filling up a meter at the bottom of the screen. For those who are unfamiliar with Windjammers, it's a fast-paced one-on-one sports game where your goal is to toss a frisbee into your opponent's net. You have different types of throws to keep your opponent on their toes, so you better be quick on your feet. The original game came to SNK's Neo Geo and arcades in 1994, and has a cult following and a strong competitive scene in France. To see the game receive a sequel 24 years later is a sight to behold. | Michael Higham
World Of Horror | PC
In World Of Horror, a small idyllic Japanese town in the early 1990s is haunted by a horrifying and grotesque supernatural presence that leaves a lasting impression. Taking inspiration from classic PC adventure role-playing games and along with the works of Japanese horror artist Junji Ito, World of Horror is an RPG-investigation game focusing on the exploits of a young girl who must use her wits and knowledge of the supernatural to solve the strange and peculiar cases behind each haunting in town, and expel the evil that lurks there. Right from the beginning, the style and visual look of World of Horror will catch your eye. Despite the minimal 1-bit graphical style--designed entirely in MS Paint--the monochromatic visuals and tone throughout give much of the more violent and disturbing scenes an extra sense of dread. One moment you'll be investigating the hallways of the local school at night, and in the next you'll come face-to-face with ghosts and other demons with grotesque faces and bodies that hide within the darkest corners. Along with the investigation system, tasking you to find clues and the tools to survive, you'll also do battle with the monsters and possessed humans using a turn-based combat system. As one of the biggest surprises of PAX West 2018, World of Horror definitely keeps its scares close to the vest, lulling you into a false sense of security before surprising you with some unexpected frights. And yes, there are some incredibly unnerving jump-scares to encounter in this game. | Alessandro Fillari
Young Souls | TBD
Young Souls feels like a modern take on the classic side-scrolling beat-em-up action game with RPG elements sprinkled in. You play as either Jenn or Tristan, twin siblings who are outcasts within their town. Little do the townsfolk know that Jenn and Tristan defend the human world against a hostile alternate dimension where the combat takes place. At its heart, Young Souls is a cooperative experience, and it has a seamless jump-in jump-out function for a second player to join. Combat is simple enough in the early going with a block, dodge, light attack, heavy attack, and special power, which you'll be using to clear out rooms of enemies. Boss battles also take place within dungeons for an added challenge. Young Souls sports a charming 2D hand-painted pastel art style that gives that breathes life into the redhead duo and the world around them. There's currently no word on a release date or platforms, though we did play the early build on PC. | Michael Higham
By Matt Espineli on Sep 20, 2018 11:46 pm
When you first jump into Marvel's Spider-Man, you're likely going to be taken aback by the complexities of its combat and web-swinging. Developer Insomniac has done a great job at making each system an interesting one that allows you to be creative while also expressing yourself as a player. While web-swinging will undoubtedly be easier to pick up, you're likely going to run into some issues properly executing the right combat moves during the right situations in a fight. There's a lot to the mechanics at work and it might catch you off guard, especially if you're more accustomed to the systems of other superhero games. Spider-Man is a much more agile and acrobatic character to play as than, say, Batman from the Arkham games. So, if you're thrown off by that, don't worry: we were too. But with enough practice, you can embrace and learn all the skills and abilities that Spider-Man has to offer and more. To help prepare you for the challenges ahead, we've compiled 11 tips you should know before starting Spider-Man. In this feature, we outline the best practices in combat, the types of skills you should prioritize unlocking in the game's skill tree, and other habits you should follow in order to come out successful. Spider-Man releases on September 7 on PS4. GameSpot reviewer Edmond Tran said the game is "a superior Spider-Man experience that leaves a lasting impression." You can read more in our full review. As the day goes on, look out for our in-depth guide highlighting the best skills, as well as our feature about the coolest best mods and suits mods in the game. And if you're loving what you're playing, you're in luck. The game's first DLC expansion is set to launch on October 23. In the meantime, were there any Spider-Man tips you have that you don't see here? Let us know about them in the comments below.
Repair The Security Towers ASAP
This might seem a given, but the sooner you can repair all of the Oscorp security towers, the better. Otherwise, you're going to be staring at a completely fuzzed out map for a decent chunk of the game. An effective crimefighter needs to have full awareness of their environment, so make repairing the police towers the first thing you do.
Practice The Basics of Combat
While web-swinging is pretty easy to understand and execute, combat takes a while to wrap your head around. Spider-Man has a pretty wide range of attacks and dodges at the start of the game that require quick reflexes to properly execute. Some moves are situational, but others have to be linked together with another move to be effective. For example, the Air Launcher (Hold square) can be combined with Yank Down (Hold triangle) for a powerful slam attack to the ground that knocks back nearby enemies. Take time to study the move list menu to watch footage of what each one does and the types of situations they're most useful in. It's best not to button mash, as later you'll acquire upgrades that reward perfectly-timed hits and dodges. If you're looking for a great venue to practice, then seek out Thug Crimes and Fisk Hideouts; there are plenty of enemies there you can test your skills against. Mastering the basics puts you in good shape for when you start unlocking gadgets and suit upgrades, which require intimate understanding of Spider-Man's repertoire to find the most powerful combinations (More on that later).
Unlock Enemy-Focused Combat Skills
Your early runnings as Spider-Man can be a bit tough when fighting against brutes and enemies equipped with shields or firearms, as they can easily fluster and overpower you if you're not careful. To help shift the odds in your favor, it's a good idea to unlock combat skills focused on hurting the different enemy types. Do you hate it when shielded enemies knock you back? Bunker Buster allows you to do the same to them and even launch them off buildings. Are you powerless to the Brute's constant pummeling? Wrecking Ball allows you to grab these meatheads and spin throw them, hurting surrounding enemies in the process. These enemy-focused skills tend to be a bit higher up on their respective skill trees, but they're well worth getting. After all, nothing is more satisfying than dismantling the tactics of the bad guys and showing them what's what.
Web Slinging Skills Are Essential and Cool
While combat skills and defensive maneuvers are essential aspects of your repertoire, there really isn't anything more essential to the Spider-Man Experience™ than web-slinging. So if you're into that kind of thing, we would recommend diving straight into that particular skill tree first. You'll earn some very useful abilities to help you traverse the city more efficiently and make the opening hours of the game much more invigorating. Aim to get the Point Launch, Quick Recovery, and Charge Jump as soon as possible, and you'll be flying through the city in record time.
Don't Forget To Craft Suit Powers And Mods
It can be easy to get lost in the action of Spider-Man's exploits and the ensuing drama of his double life--so much so that you neglect to upgrade his suit's capabilities. There's a wealth of equippable suit mods that each grant you special combat capabilities, like slow down time after a perfect dodge, instantly shock enemies who hit you, or generate Gadget refills after performing Finishers. And suits are more than just cosmetic unlockables, they actually give you access to special suit powers that can you equip no matter which suit you wear. These powers give Spider-Man special attributes, like bulletproof armor or the ability to throw enemies without having to web them up. All of these upgrades will be completely lost on you if you ignore them or simply stick to the ones assigned to you during the game's tutorial. Take advantage of suit powers and mods to enhance your Spidey tactics and abilities, but just make sure to check in every once in a while to see what you've unlocked for upgrade.
Diversify Your Side Activities
As you complete side activities and nab more of the game's myriad collectables, you'll earn special tokens used to upgrade Spider-Man's gadgets and craft new suit mods and powers. These upgrades require all manner of tokens to unlock, so when you're out in the world, try to diversify the types of activities you do. This way you'll always be racking in enough tokens to unlock the best Spider-Man's arsenal has to offer. When you hover over an activity on the map screen, it'll tell you the type of tokens you'll be rewarded, as well as how many you'll get. Some activities can even be repeated for additional token rewards. As a crimefighter, you'll want to keep yourself preoccupied, but try to avoid doing the same thing over and over.
Build A One Man Army: Be Creative
As Uncle Ben once said, with new suits, comes new suit powers. Or something like that. Our memory is a bit hazy. But by combining Suit powers with your gadgets, along with the three Suit Mod slots, you're able to create some spectacular combos. For example, if you're fighting a bunch of goons, you could shoot a loaded-up Web Bomb, then let out an ear-splitting solo with the Rock Out power to send them all flying. Maybe you want to take to the skies and pair the suspension matrix with low gravity for some serious hangtime. Or you could just let your robots to do the dirty work for you: use the Spider Drone and Spider Bro for a tag team takedown. Spider-Man's combat is all about creatively combining the effects of your gadgets, suit powers, and suit mods together for disastrous results. Be a responsible crime fighter and take time to mix n' match to see what works best. That's how Uncle Ben would've wanted it. You don't want to let him down, do you?
Ground Floor
As much fun as it is to swing through the city, there's still a whole world out there on the sidewalks to New York to explore, so take some time out of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Manning to appreciate the details on the ground floor. Give people high fives! Eavesdrop on the chatter! Check out the iconic New York City landmarks! Read the Daily Bugle! And sometimes, folks on the street might inform you about nearby crimes in the area.
Stop The Crime, Or Pay With Time
If you're a completionist and can't possibly imagine yourself NOT getting all of Spider-Man's spiffy new suits, then you're going to want to listen up. In order to unlock the final outfit (which we won't spoil here), you'll need to complete each of Manhattan's nine districts. That means finishing every single side quest, completing all the activities, and finding every collectible. This is why we cannot emphasize enough: do not skip crime activities. If you see a red exclamation icon pop up on your mini-map, make that your top priority. You'll want to complete as many as you can over the course of the main story, otherwise you're going to be spending a whole lot of time wandering the streets, searching for thugs to beat up. See a crime happening? Take 'em down. That's the Spidey way.
Seek Out Challenges
Later on, you'll come across stations that allow you to take on challenges. They might be combat or stealth focused or might have you chasing a drone across the city rooftops. Make sure not to skip these, as they'll reward you valuable tokens needed to acquire high-level upgrades for your gadgets and suit powers, especially when you break the high score record.
You Never Know What Nerdy Stuff You Might Find
Spider-Man is deeply entrenched in the character's extensive lore. As you advance the game's story, you'll notice a variety of references to the comics and movies. But if you take time to explore and look more closely at Insomniac's take on Spider-Man's Manhattan, you'll discover an abundance of Marvel references scattered all around. For example, there are several landmarks that are direct nods to famous Marvel characters and organizations. When you're not out fighting crime, be sure to set aside time to search for these references. It may not benefit your progression directly, but it's well worth doing--if only to be in awe of all the little details packed into the world.
By Matt Espineli on Sep 20, 2018 11:45 pm
Despite having its own unique interpretation of the web-slinger's established world, Insomniac's Spider-Man is deeply entrenched in Marvel's expansive lore. The game makes reference to several characters and entities from the comics and movies, which includes mentions of the Avengers, Damage Control, Crusher Hogan, and a lot more. If you're an avid comic book reader or even a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you're likely to catch onto these subtle nods and details. But if you're among the many who love the character but may not be familiar with the more obscure facets of his world and those inhabit it, these references might swing over your head. During our time spent playing the game, we discovered a wealth of references and easter eggs that we'd be remiss not to share. With so many clever details to notice and discover in Spider-Man's bustling world, we've highlighted the most fascinating Easter eggs and Marvel references. There's a lot of late game story details present in this feature, so if you haven't beaten the game, we recommend you bookmark this page and return once you've cleared the game. If that doesn't bother you, feel free to click ahead. Spider-Man is out now and it's a fantastic game that exudes passion for the character at every turn. For our full thoughts on the game, be sure to read our review. You can also check out our guides detailing all the tips we wish we knew before starting the game, as well as our in-depth skills guide. And if you're loving what you're playing, you're in luck. The game's first DLC expansion is set to launch on October 23. In the meantime, were there any Spider-Man or Marvel Easter eggs you discovered that you don't see here? Feel free to let us know about them in the comments below.
Famous Landmarks
There's a ton of landmarks in Insomniac's take of Manhattan. Some are real--like Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building--but others not so much. After all, this isn't our Manhattan, it's Marvel's version of the famous real-life burrough. As one of Marvel's central superhero (and supervillain) hubs, there are a ton of iconic locations packed in that Marvel fans will recognize. The first major one folks will notice is likely the Avengers Tower located in the Upper East Side district, but there's so much more scattered around! You can find the Wakanda Embassy in the Midtown district; Peter will make a comment about King T'challa aka Black Panther, wondering if he was bitten by a radioactive panther in order to get his powers. Dr. Strange's home--the Sanctum Sanctorum--is located exactly where it should be in Greenwich Village. And there's even some deeper, like Damage Control HQ, an organization specializing in cleaning up the wreckage of superhero fights. And The Bar With No Name, which is a hidden speakeasy where supervillains can drink and relax in peace. Spider-Man is littered with Marvel landmarks. We're only scratching the surface here, so we highly encourage you to explore and see the rest for yourself!
Mr. Phillip Chang
One of the side-missions has you helping out a fella named Phillip Chang, an ESU student who has you looking for his missing classmates. He's a resourceful guy, having developed advanced facial recognition technology that allows him to track down people via their social media feeds. Okay, maybe that sounds a bit creepy, but it helped Spidey save the day. Anyway, Phillip Chang is actually a character from the comics; though, his origins are much different. Peter attended university with Chang and they were even labmates for a time. He was a pivotal character in a story arc involving a deadly gang known as the Tiger's Claw. In his teenage years, Chang lived a troubled life, becoming involved with an underworld organization in China. However, he renounced his ways when the effects of his criminal dealings tragically took the lives of his parents. Chang then moved to the U.S., attending college at ESU where he met Peter Parker. But this peace was soon disturbed by the Tiger's Claw, who noticed Chang's impressive fighting ability and wished to make him their leader. Of course, Chang was reluctant and refused, but this triggered a series of events that ended with Spider-Man saving Chang from the clutches of the Tiger's Claw.
Otto's AIM Contract
After losing their support from the grant committee and having all their resources revoked from them by Norman Osborn, Otto calls in some favors and takes on a few grants in order to fund his research. One of the funding partners should be instantly recognizable to Marvel fans. If you examine some of the new equipment in the lab, you'll discover paperwork detailing a grant from A.I.M. aka Advanced Idea Mechanics. Peter remarks that their reputation is a tad shady, which is a bit of an understatement if we're talking about the very same organization from the comics. A.I.M. is a privately funded organization of terrorist arms dealers and scientists whose sole mission is to overthrow the governments of the world through the use of technology and scientific advancement. Their list of clientele and allies includes big-name supervillains, like Red Skull, Hydra, General Thunderbolt Ross, and the Serpent Society--which is an enterprise of criminals and mercenaries dressed as snakes. So yeah, pretty shady.
The Taskmaster
About halfway through the game you'll run into a shadowy figure who challenges you to complete some difficult tasks involving beating/sneaking up on goons, disarming bombs, and chasing drones. This menacing foe is none other than Taskmaster, a supervillain who battles Spider-Man every once in a while in the comics. Though, he has also made appearances in the comics of The Avengers, Deadpool, Daredevil, and more. Fighting game fans will likely recognize this skull-faced mercenary, as he was featured several years ago in the roster of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. As you complete Taskmaster's challenges, you'll start to learn that he has what's called "photographic reflexes," which allows him to duplicate almost any physical activity he sees by simply seeing it performed once. It's literally the reason why he's setup these challenges throughout Manhattan; he wants to take you down by learning your every move. What a creep!
Screwball
In the side-mission, Internet Famous, you get wrapped up in an internet challenge that takes a turn for the worse. After scanning a QR code, you're forced to complete combat and puzzle trials under a strict time limit in order to reveal the location of a kidnapping victim. The individual forcing you to do all this is a social media personality known as Screwball, who is only trying to take advantage of your involvement with the challenge to wrack up more subscribers. Screwball definitely has some screws loose, that's for sure. Her whole shtick is the same in the comics, committing crimes while a camera crew films her and then uploading the footage on YouTube to earn money. She makes it a point to get Spider-Man in the footage, as she acknowledges that her internet hits are even better with him around. It's worth noting that Screwball was first introduced in 2008 right around the early years of YouTube; her antics are more relevant now than ever before.
Spider-Man 2 Reference
During the latter half of the game, Spider-Man needs to make a quick save in order to stop a speeding subway train after dispatching Mr. Negative. His first attempt should be a familiar one to Spider-Man fans, as it's the same method that he used to save a subway train in Spider-Man 2. The game makes a very clear nod to this, even going as far as to having Spider-Man say "That totally worked the first time!" when it inevitably fails. Nice one, Insomniac, we see watchu doin'.
Backpack Collectibles
The game's 55 backpacks are more than just mindless collectibles you grab to upgrade Spider-Man's abilities. They each represent and inform a little about Peter Parker's life and history as a superhero. For example, you can find the last pair of glasses Peter used before he got his powers and even his Mk I web shooters! But there's a lot of other fascinating references and tidbits in-between, like a business card for Daredevil's law practice, and vials containing the blood of The Lizard and the sand of..well, Sandman--both are iconic supervillains from the comics. There's even a lovely nod to the past with the Arm Web collectible, which Peter comments he tried to use to glide short distances, but never worked. This Arm Web is an iconic aspect of Spider-Man's early designs in the comic books by artist Steve Ditko, who often drew the character with these underarm webs for aesthetic purposes. The references don't stop at characters and in-universe lore, though. There's a pin for the Spidey Squad, a real-life Spider-Man fan club. Peter acknowledges their presence in-game as his one and only fan club who always supports him when J. Jonah Jameson attempts to attack his reputation. The backpack collectibles are rich with narrative details that reference both Spider-Man and Marvel history. Don't hesitate to grab them in your travels!
Yuri Watanabe's Potential Secret
Yuri Watanabe is one of your closest allies in the game. As you'd expect, she exists in the comics, but she has a much more fascinating alter ego that's not yet confirmed to exist in this game's universe. In a similar vein, Yuri is an NYPD captain and ally of Spider-Man, but at night she acts as a ghostly vigilante known as the Wraith. She's technically the fourth person to take on the mantle of Wraith, but we won't go too hard on the specifics of the history of that. What matters is that there exists a possibility that this version of Yuri could very well become the Wraith. But will it happen? Time will tell.
The Black Cat
As you'll gather, the stakeout side activity centers around a thief named Black Cat, who is alluded to have quite the history with Spider-Man. In the comics, Black-Cat is a major character. She started out as a supervillain to Spider-Man, but this ended when the two eventually fell in love. Acting as on-again, off-again romantic partners, the couple worked together on several occasions to fight crime. However, the relationship inevitably ended when Black Cat eventually fell back into her thieving ways. Black Cat is considered one of Spider-Man's most trusted allies. However, at this point in the game's universe, she appears to be going through that same lapse she experienced in the comics. Though, were they romantic partners in this universe? That much remains unsaid. We imagine these stakeouts are a teaser for the upcoming Spider-Man DLC, titled The Heist, where Black Cat is to be prominently featured.
Dr. Morgan Michaels
In your quest to stop the "Devil's Breath" attack, you meet an Oscorp biochemist by the name of Dr. Morgan Michaels. Aside from showing remorse for his actions, you don't get much more out of him. However, this scientist is a lot more in the Marvel universe. In the comics, Michaels is better known as Morbius the Living Vampire. That's right, a vampire. A brilliant scientist, Michaels suffered from a rare blood disease, which he attempted to solve with an experimental treatment involving vampire bats and electroshocks. Of course, this didn't work out, instead instilling in him a thirst for blood and an intense aversion to sunlight. The resulting shift in his physiology rendered him into an unstable creature of the night. He would go on to fight Spider-Man a few times, but would ultimately become an anti-hero who preys on the blood of criminals.
Those Spider-Suits!
You unlock a multitude of suits as you progress through the story. A few of them are canonical to the story, but the others are all based on Spider-Man suits from the comics and movies. Some standouts include the Stark Suit from Spider-Man: Homecoming; the Scarlet Spider suit from the infamous Clone Saga arc; and the Spirit Spider suit, which is based on an alternate-universe version of Spider-Man who returns from the dead with supernatural abilities. For the full rundown on where each Spider-Man is from, check out our feature highlighting each one and their background.
By Array on Sep 20, 2018 11:45 pm
Classic Suit (Damaged)
Spider-Man on PS4 has finally arrived and the word is in: the game is practically every bit the superhero simulator we were hoping for. Insomniac Games nailed the traversal, which effectively means that every moment in the game makes you feel like Spider-Man. The dramatic camera angles, the sense of speed, and the characterization of Spidey are easy qualities to love. The sheer number of unlockables also ensures that you're never far away from a new look or skill to add to your Spider-Man fantasy. In this feature, we are going to take a look at every suit that you can earn while leveling up and completing challenges, as well their relevant reference points and suit powers. If you're still early in the game, beware: you will be spoiled if you continue through the gallery. That said, you can also check out our beginner guides for the game, including a look at the best skills to prioritize in your unlock tree, and useful tips to keep in mind as you start off. But if you're here for suits and have no interest in our advice, read on. The first suit we're going to look at is the one you wear at the start of the game, the classic Spider-Man suit, although it's quickly in need of repairs after the opening missions. This kicks off the beginning of a series of upgrades, all thanks to your unlikely patron, Otto Octavius.
Advanced Suit
The Advanced Suit is the first new suit that you unlock, and was designed exclusively for the game by Insomniac. Its suit power, Battle Focus, allows you to generate a charge that can be used to either heal yourself or use powerful finishing moves.
Classic Suit (Repaired)
Once you get your Classic Suit back, it comes with the suit power, Web Blossom. Trigger it to watch Spider-Man leap in the air and spray webbing on almost everything in his immediate surroundings.
Noir Suit
This suit, inspired by 2009's Spider-Man Noir comic-book run, looks cool and grants you an effective suit power. With Sound of Silence activated, enemies that become alerted to your presence will refrain from calling backup.
Scarlet Spider Suit
The origins of this particular suit are a bit unusual. It's the suit of Ben Reilly--a mysterious clone of Peter Parker--who at one point fought crime in Manhattan alongside Spider-Man during the events of infamous comic book arc, The Clone Saga. Its suit power, Holo Decoy, spawns figments of Spider-Man as he moves for a short period of time, and enemies that attack them will wind up stunned as a result.
Spider Armor MK II
This black and yellow suit was designed back in 2011 to help protect Spider-Man from gunfire, and that's exactly what it does when you activate the Bullet Proof suit power.
Secret War Suit
This suit is in reference to the 2004 Secret War comics, and its suit power is one of the most effective in the game. Trigger the Arms Race power to emit an EMP blast that stuns every enemy within a short range, freeing yourself from a swarm of bad guys and opening them up to attack.
Stark Suit
This suit made its debut in the 2016 Captain America: Civil War film and has since appeared in subsequent Marvel films: Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War. Its suit power is the Spider-Bro, a mechanical friend that can zap enemies during combat to make them drop their guard.
Negative Suit
The Negative Suit is designed to mimic the game's major villain, Mr. Negative. In addition to its unusual look, its suit power emits a devastating shockwave of negative energy.
Electrically Insulated Suit
This lightly padded suit debuted in issue #425 of The Amazing Spider-Man in 1997 when Spider-Man and the X-Men fought Electro. Activating its Electric Punch suit power charges your fists with electricity and lets you stun enemies on impact.
Spider-Punk Suit
Rock Out to blast enemies with a wave of "righteous sound" with the Spider-Punk's suit power, or simply enjoy his unorthodox superhero costume. Spider-Punk first appeared in comics in 2015, and is the alter ego of an alternate-universe version Hobie Brown aka The Prowler.
Wrestler Suit
Throwing enemies into other enemies is one of the great joys during combat in Spider-Man, and the King of the Ring suit power granted to you by the Wrestler Suit allows you to snag bad guys without having to web them up first. It seems to be the game's version of the wrestling gear Spider-Man wore on the night Uncle Ben was murdered.
Fear Itself Suit
If you just want to punch villains really hard and not bother with a lot of footwork during a fight, using the Fear Itself's suit power, Quad Damage, is the way to go. The suit itself is based on Spider-Man's appearance from the Marvel crossover Fear Itself, which ran in 2011. The outfit has Spider-Man sporting bracelets made from Asgardian uru, the same magical metal used to create Thor's hammer.
Stealth ("Big Time") Suit
This black and green suit gives you a power that, when activated, makes you invisible to non-alerted enemies. This is a popular suit that's appeared in a lot of games since its comic debut in 2010. In the comics, Peter developed the suit using new technology he created from his job at Horizon Labs. It's closely associated by fans with the "Big Time" storylines.
Spider Armor Mk III
If you recall what the previous Spider Armor Mk model did, then it makes perfect sense that this suit takes bullet proofing one step further. Though it won't work for sniper fire, every other incoming bullet will bounce right off of this suit and fire back at the shooter when you activate the Titanium Alloy Plates suit power. In the comics, the Spider Armor Mk III was developed by Peter as a last resort suit to combat the Sinister Six. How fitting given its power and armored appearance.
Spider-Man 2099 Black
Spider-Man 2099 was a popular 1992 comic series that jumped ahead in time and presented a new hero behind the mask, Miguel O'Hara. The Low Gravity suit power associated with it increases your hang-time while activated.
Iron Spider Suit
The Iron Spider suits is one of the coolest in the game. It looks awesome, and comes with a suit power that causes metallic arms to rise from Spider-Man's back and attack nearby enemies. Though the original Iron Spider suit debuted back in 2006, this version was popularized in Avengers: Infinity War.
Velocity Suit
If you have a need for speed, this Velocity Suit's power Blitz will make you spring away from danger faster in combat, and send enemies flying farther than usual based on your momentum. The suit was designed specifically for the game by artist Adi Granov, who is known more famously for his art in the classic Iron Man: Extremis storyline.
Spider Armor Mk IV
This Spider Armor Mk series returns to a sleeker look for the fourth model. Its suit power can generate a temporary forcefield that protects you from all incoming damage. In the comics, the suit was created by Peter for his friend, Hobie Brown, to use in order to impersonate him. There's more to that story, but we'll spare you the details. Comics amirite?
Spirit Spider Suit
And now for something completely different. This out-there suit is based on a 2011 comic that more or less resulted in Peter Parker becoming infused with the power of the damned. This manifests itself when you use the Spirit Fire suit power, which sets enemies ablaze with mysterious blue flames.
Spider-Man 2099 White Suit
The alternate Spider-Man 2099 suit has a very useful suit power, Concussive Blast, that can send enemies flying off of buildings, making them easy one-hit-kill targets. The suit itself is the second one that O'Hara wears and it was designed by Peter during the All-New, All-Different Spider-Man arc.
Vintage Comic Book Suit
This understated suit is still rather impressive given how its rendered with a cel-shaded visual style that makes it pop. As an homage to its roots in classic Spider-Man comics, its suit power causes Spider-Man to release a series of bad jokes and one-liners that are so cringeworthy that they effectively stun nearby enemies.
Last Stand Suit
This leather-clad suit comes late in the game, which is probably for the better given how impactful its suit power can be. Using Unrelenting Fury prevents enemies, even those with shields, from blocking your attacks. This suit is a reference to a short-lived look at an alternate-future Peter Parker that appeared in 2003.
Undies
More Peter Parker than Spider-Man, swinging and kicking around in your underwear is a thing you can do if you need a laugh, but the suit power you get when you unlock this suit is no laughing matter: activate Equalizer to take out enemies with a single blow, but watch out as this punishing rule will also apply to you. Tread lightly, true believer.
Homemade Suit
This kitchy suit comes from Spider-Man: Homecoming and it can be yours if you take the time to find the 55 backpacks scattered across the map. Without a suit power, this one is more for the entertainment value of seeing Spider-Man in a funny outfit that it is a useful addition to your repertoire.
ESU Suit
Completing all of the photography challenges in Spider-Man will net you this collegiate outfit so you can proudly rep Peter Parker's alma mater--its unofficial suit power. You unlock it by nabbing all of the secret photos.
Anti-Ock Suit
This great-looking suit is unique to the game, and offers the very helpful Resupply suit power, which can be used to refill your gadgets when activated.
Dark Suit
The Dark Suit is earned after you complete all of the Black Cat activities in the game, and is a striking red-and-black suit with looks that make up for its lack of a suit power.
By Matt Espineli on Sep 20, 2018 11:44 pm
In the beginning of Marvel's Spider-Man, you're not armed with many special moves in combat and web-swinging. And when you gain access to the skill tree, there are so many skills to choose from that you might wonder where to even start. Spanning three separate trees (Innovator, Defender, and Webslinger) with 11 skills in each, you're free to prioritize however you wish. Amidst all of these skills, there are some that we believe to be absolutely worth getting. To help you be the most effective crime fighter there is, we've gathered 12 of the best skills to unlock first. In this feature, we discuss some of the most worthwhile skills and the reason why they're so useful. Though, if none of these skills suit your fancy, feel free to use our suggestions as a basis to figure out what works best for your playstyle. It's worth noting that you can unlock all of the skills by the end of the game. However, with so few skill points to go around early on, you're going to want to spend wisely. If all this talk of skills is getting you pumped, you can play Marvel's Spider-Man on September 7. According to GameSpot reviewer Edmond Tran, the game is "a superior Spider-Man experience that leaves a lasting impression, one that has you longing for just one more swing around New York City, even after the credits roll." You can read more in our full review. But if you're looking for more guides, you can also check out our feature detailing all the tips we wish we knew before starting the game. Which skills do you think are most worth unlocking first? Shout your opinions in the comments below.
Perfect Dodge (Defender)
As one of the first skills you can unlock, you'd be hard-pressed not to nab Perfect Dodge an hour or two after the skill tree is made available. But we cannot understate the importance of this skill, as it clues you in on the moment an attack is about to land. Not only that, but it generates bonus Focus and automatically makes Spider-Man counter with a Web Shot to an enemy's face. Master this skill and it'll get you out of trouble more times than you can count.
Quick Zip (Webslinger)
Quick Zip is a must if you're looking to pick up some serious speed while you're web-swinging. It basically allows you to Web Zip a second time without losing altitude, which comes in handy during tense chases or the web-swinging challenges you'll take on throughout the game.
Point Launch Boost (Webslinger)
Point Launch Boost is another brilliant web-swinging skill that helps you continually build up speed and momentum by hitting jump as soon as you make contact with a point. As a souped-up version of the standard Point Launch, it massively increases the distance traveled, further contributing to your general mood of feeling like the king of the world. It's always a good idea to use if you're lagging behind in a chase, and when performed in conjunction with Quick Zip, you'll close the distance in no time.
Wrecking Ball (Innovator)
Brutes can be a handful early on, locking you out of basic punching combos with their guard and overwhelming you with constant pummeling. Aside from throwing objects at them or webbing them and punching them back, there's not much you can do to physically hurt them. But with Wrecking Ball, these once frustrating foes can be webbed and thrown with ease. It's just about as functional as a typical Web Throw, but gosh if it's not just rewarding to finally do away with these meatheads.
Bunker Buster (Webslinger)
Like brutes, shield enemies can be a bit of a hassle. While they're easy to counter with a well-executed Dodge Under, shield enemies are generally a stressor in combat that can cause you to change your attack strategy by simply existing on the field. If you're like us and hate changing plans last-minute, then invest in the path to unlock the Bunker Buster Skill. It allows your Swing Kick to knock these well-guarded nuisances on their butts. Though, let's be real, the best time to use Bunker Buster is when you're on a rooftop where you can just knock shield enemies right off the edge. There's nothing malicious about that, right?
Throw (Defender)
Throw is...well, a throw. Performed by pressing square and then holding triangle, this tactical maneuver tosses your opponent in any direction you please. It's useful when you want to do some quick crowd control in a fight or throw any annoying brutes or gunmen off a roof. Hmm, we're starting to notice a theme here...
Payback (Defender)
Those pesky gunmen are the bane of our existence in combat, and it seems the game acknowledges this. You need only look to the appropriately named Payback skill, which lets you to perform an instant takedown on rifle and pistol enemies after a Perfect Dodge. If that sounds like your idea of a good time (we know it does), then invest in this skill ASAP.
Yank And Throw (Innovator)
Piggybacking off that sentiment of gunmen being quite annoying, Yank And Throw is another way to vent out your frustrations. All the skills preceding it are incredibly useful for disarming these enemies, but it's Yank And Throw that reigns supreme, completely disarming their weapons and hurling it right back them with concussive force.
Ground Strike (Defender)
Ground Strike allows you to smash down on the ground with explosive force--either after an air combo or when you're high up enough in the air. When a fight starts to get hectic, Ground Strike is a great way to throw enemies off balance, buying you time to retreat or set up a devastating Gadget combo. It also comes in handy when you want to land on a dime in the middle of web-swinging.
Chain Finisher (Defender)
Who doesn't want to perform two instant K.O.s in a row? Chain Finisher is a powerful skill that lets you to perform a second Finisher on basic enemies regardless of the Focus you have after performing the first one. If you're able to keep generating Focus consistently, this skill can make short work of large groups. That, and it's just straight up satisfying.
Air Yank (Webslinger)
Air Yank provides a useful way to initiate an air combo after a jump. It's also great after performing an air combo, allowing you to yank an additional enemy up to your level for another fruitful beating. You can even use it a few inches out from the edge of a rooftop to grab a foe from the safety of their perch and leave them to fall… Okay, that's the last time, we swear!
Air Tricks (Webslinger)
Air Tricks isn't so much useful as it is awesome. Have you ever wanted to feel even more cool while web-swinging? Is that even possible? Yes! Yes, it is! Air Tricks lets you perform aerial tricks to earn extra Focus and XP. While you could realistically use it to grind out XP, know that it doesn't offer you that much and that it specifically locks you out of leveling up with its earnings alone. Still, doing moonsaults all the way down after jumping off the Empire State Building has a special charm that's too difficult to pass up, especially if you're able to launch right back into a web-swing just before you hit the ground!
By Matt Espineli on Sep 20, 2018 11:41 pm
Assassin's Creed Through The Ages
It's hard to believe, but Ubisoft has released 20 Assassin's Creed games in the span of a decade, and we're already primed for a new one this year with Assassin's Creed Odyssey. In the years since the franchise's 2007 debut, we've received a wealth of fantastic games that have each managed to refine the series' classic open-world formula, while at times pushing it in exciting new directions. Of course, not every Assassin's Creed game has met fan expectations, but the franchise is still packed with a ton of thrilling adventures that are well-worth experiencing and even revisiting today. It all began with the first Assassin's Creed, a flawed game that showed great promise with its innovative climbing mechanics and sci-fi/historical drama narrative. This potential was eventually realized with Assassin's Creed II, which proved a remarkable improvement thanks to more varied design and a historical setting that stood out from other open-world games of the time. Its follow-up, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, remains a satisfying sequel that refined much of what we loved about AC II while giving us new combat and exploration mechanics to engage with. The next major highlight in the franchise came from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, a pirate-themed adventure telling the redemption tale of Edward Kenway, an errant thief soon to be made an Assassin. The game's naval combat and exploration brought new life to the series' increasingly stale urban environments. Rounding out the series' most noteworthy entries are Assassin's Creed Syndicate and Assassin's Creed Origins. Syndicate brought hope back to the series after one of its most debilitating lows, but Origins completely revitalized the franchise while transforming it into an action-RPG series. You can experience the highs and lows of Assassin's Creed by checking out our reviews of nearly every single game in the franchise in the slides ahead. It's worth noting that we do not have reviews of lesser-known games in the series: Assassin's Creed: Pirates and Assassin's Creed identity. Though, if you're interested in the deeper cuts of the franchise and want an in-depth look at Assassin's Creed in all of its ups and downs, be sure to watch the video above discussing the franchise's history and its impact on the gaming industry. In the meantime, which Assassin's Creed games do you love the most? Which games disappointed you the most? Feel free to discuss all your thoughts in the comments below.
Assassin's Creed -- 9/10
"Assassin's Creed will stay with you long after you finish it. Here is one of the most unique gameworlds ever created: beautiful, memorable, and alive. Every crack and crevasse is filled with gorgeous, subtle details, from astounding visual flourishes to overheard cries for help. But it's more than just a world--it's a fun and exciting action game with a ton of stuff to do and places to explore, rounded out with silky-smooth controls and a complex story that will slowly grab you the more you play. Make no mistake: Assassin's Creed is one of the best efforts of the year and a must-own game." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles -- 6/10
"You could finish Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles in around four hours, but even the promise of a harder difficulty level won't likely lure you back for a second play-through. It's hardly a bad game; in fact, the final hour mixes the various elements together nicely and hits a smooth stride as a result. Nevertheless, the game offers few surprises, and some sloppy execution problems get in the way far too often to make it outright recommendable." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines -- 5/10
"Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines doesn't get it. On the surface, it offers many of the features you'd want from an Assassin's Creed game on the PSP. It puts you in control of Altair, the first game's nimble protagonist, and sends you on a mission to assassinate your Templar enemies, who are equally eager to plunge their swords into you. If you delve a little deeper, however, you'll find that Bloodlines skimps on what makes the console games so special. The joy of rooftop running has been diminished by flawed platforming and smaller environments, bustling cities have been replaced by barren districts on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, and AI problems render the stealthy approach all but irrelevant. Bloodlines still delivers the brief bloody thrills you get from a well-timed counterattack, but on the whole, it is a neutered and unsatisfying adventure." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed II -- 9/10
"At first, Assassin's Creed II might seem as if it has added more than its foundation was meant to handle, but once all the new features are completely introduced, it develops that magic that so few games can cast. This is the rare sequel that offers fans of the original the basics they would expect, while adding and changing so many other aspects that even those who didn't appreciate the first should take the plunge, without hesitation. A few more contrivances notwithstanding, Assassin's Creed II is a better game than its forebear and is a beautiful and memorable experience on its own terms. But it's more than just a game--it's an escape to a place and a time that feel so welcoming, you'll be making return trips even after your initial adventure is over." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed II: Discovery -- 7/10
"In spite of its flaws, Assassin's Creed II: Discovery does a good job of bringing the Assassin's Creed vibe to a handheld platform. The scope is condensed but the spirit remains, thanks to fluid combat animations, familiar sound effects, and little touches, like cowering citizens, that pay homage to the vibrant cities of the console games. It's got its share of quirks, but Discovery is the first right step toward fitting a world of secret assassins and crazy conspiracies in your pocket." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood -- 8.5/10
"Almost every aspect of the series has seen enhancements in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, from travel (you can whistle for a horse and ride it almost anywhere) to value (you can now replay any completed memory). There is joy in leaping across the Roman rooftops, taking in the grand sights in front of you and realizing that it is all your own playground. Stealing a combatant's spear from him and impaling him on it is a brutal pleasure. And the little touches--the way Claudia meets Ezio's stare with one of her own, or the fluid animations that characterize your agile maneuvers--are constant reminders of what makes these games so enchanting. This may not be Assassin's Creed III, but like Ezio's smirk, Brotherhood is too irresistible to ignore." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed: Revelations -- 8/10
"Even the greatest heroes can't live forever. And so it goes for Ezio Auditore di Firenze, who finally steps aside to make room for new champions in Assassin's Creed: Revelations. This is another quality entry in a quality series, and it unleashes you in a visually stunning re-creation of 16th-century Constantinople. Additions to the movement mechanics make exploring the city a joyous exercise in high-flying parkour, with you as Ezio leaping across rooftops and flinging yourself up exterior walls like a Renaissance superhero. Like many sequels, Revelations giveth, and Revelations taketh away, so you lose certain elements (horses) in favor of a slew of new ones (bomb crafting). Lots and lots of new ones. Assassin's Creed: Revelations is sometimes a lumpy Frankenstein's monster of a game, half-formed appendages stitched into place regardless of whether they belong there or not. Thankfully, when Revelations remembers to be an Assassin's Creed game, it soars into the Turkish skies, reminding fans why they fell in love with this freewheeling series." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed III -- 8.5/10
"Assassin's Creed III is a big game that gives you a lot to do, some of which is fleshed out relatively well, and some of which isn't. It is not, however, content to rest on the series' laurels. It takes chances with its opening, with its story, and with its characters. It expands the series' gameplay in enjoyable and sensible ways. As with many ambitious games, not every arrow fired hits the bull's-eye, yet this big, narratively rich sequel is easy to get invested in. Other games stimulate emotion with manipulative music and teary monologues; Assassin's Creed III rouses your mind and your heart by giving you a glimpse into its characters' souls and letting you judge them on their own merits." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation -- 6.5/10
"Though Assassin's Creed III: Liberation toys around with intriguing concepts and centers its story around a character you desperately want to know more about, none of it comes together especially well. Liberation often excels, but it stumbles just as much. The result is a game that fails to bear the standard of quality that has defined this series for years." [Read the review] -- Shaun McInnis
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- 9/10
"Black Flag presents a world full of adventure and opportunity, where treasures scavenged in a remote jungle can be used to turn the tide in a massive naval battle against mighty Spanish warships. It's a game where you can sail the seas for hours at a time, either hunting great white sharks or simply listening to your crew sing one infectious sea shanty after the next. There's an incredible scope to what you can do in Black Flag, with a level of harmony between its component parts that encourages you to try it all, and a story that keeps you invested throughout the whole thing. If there was ever any question that Assassin's Creed needed something ambitious to get the series back on track, Black Flag is that game and then some." [Read the review] -- Shaun McInnis
Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry -- 6/10
"With the strongest ensemble cast in the franchise, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag wasn't short of assassins and pirates worthy of their own playable tales, DLC or otherwise. Freedom Cry is more than just another Assassin's Creed IV chapter with a reskinned protagonist, but its troubled handling of dark themes makes this a turbulent voyage." [Read the review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Assassin's Creed Unity -- 7/10
"Not all of Unity's more progressive touches are for the best then, but you might spend more time noticing what's old than what's new. The terrific city atmosphere of Paris, the focus on parkour, and the incentives for performing stealthy assassinations, all these things hint at a game that's trying to return to its roots after branching out so wildly in its past two iterations. Yes, Unity is the most ACII-like of the series since, well, ACII, and while it never really hits the dizzying heights of Ezio's jaunt through 15th century Italy, Unity's similarities are comforting enough to take the edge off its less-than-successful changes. But is it the next-gen Assassin's Creed game we've all been waiting for? Not quite. It's very good, maybe even great in places, but the story's smaller focus has come at the expense of its exquisitely rendered backdrop. The grandness and spectacle that so often graces the finest Assassin's Creeds is sadly sorely lacking here." [Read the review] -- Mark Walton
Assassin's Creed Rogue -- 6/10
"Outside of a few additions like an air rifle and grenade launcher (which is used exactly one for mission), there's next to nothing in Rogue that moves the franchise forward. And even if you simply wanted more of Black Flag, that the missions are so sparse makes it difficult to want to drag yourself across the vast expanse of Rogue's oceans. Instead of a rich, fleshed-out game, Rogue is a short, mildly entertaining adventure that's thin on core content, but thick with information. It's intriguing information though, particularly if you're a series fan, just don't expect the best of adventures while you're taking it all in." [Read the review] -- Mark Walton
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China -- 6/10
"Assassin Shao Jun really wants a box. Apparently, the box holds a precious artifact left from the time of the First Civilization, but it is simply the ultimate in MacGuffins; it's the Maltese Falcon, the briefcase from Pulp Fiction, and the Ark of the Covenant. What it does is irrelevant and never elaborated upon, at least not in this story, for its purpose is to kick an adventure into action--in this case, a beautiful and ultimately boring trek that cribs from Mark of the Ninja but can't capture the earlier game's cleverness or excitement. It's tempting to praise Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China for squeezing the series' signature elements into two-and-a-half dimensions, and for making stealth gameplay more vital than it has been in an Assassin's Creed game for years. But Chronicles rests on being pretty, adding new mechanics over time but flattening the pace and allowing exploits and glitches to suck out the rising tension." [Read the review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Assassin's Creed Syndicate -- 9/10
"[Assassin's Creed Syndicate] is a triumphant return to form for the franchise, and presents a beautifully structured tale with heart and soul to spare. Ziplining through London is thrilling, and the game allows you to organically discover missions and leaves you open-ended solutions lets you to create a meaningful, personal experience within its world. Coupled with strong, loveable leads and a seemingly endless procession of ways to leave your (fictional) mark on London's history, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a shining example of gameplay and storytelling." [Read the review] -- Alexa Ray Corriea
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India -- 7/10
"For the mainline Assassin's Creed games, the history and characters are the bones holding the gameplay upright. For the Chronicles series, the curiosities presented by the setting act as a thin veneer that only momentarily distracts from the flaws beneath. Like Arbaaz himself, these great moments have a bad habit of vanishing into thin air when you least want them to, bit there is still a lot of fun to be had in this Indian adventure." [Read the review] -- Justin Clark
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia -- 5/10
"[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia's] art style is ultimately indicative of the problems with the series, in that, even at its most colorful or active, it falls flat. We're given few reasons to care about the story or characters, and gameplay doesn't escalate in a way that make sticking around for the complete three-game journey worthwhile. Newcomers may still find fleeting joy in one of the games for being a bite sized portion of Prince of Persia-style journeys through an exotic land. But the idea of sticking around for seconds or thirds has been proven to be a fool's errand, and that single portion turning out to be Russia would give a lackluster impression of the rest. Chronicles ends not with a bang or a whimper, but a shrug." [Read the review] -- Justin Clark
Assassin's Creed Origins -- 7/10
"While Assassin's Creed Origins reaches great heights in this new setting, it routinely runs into issues that bog down the overall experience. Technical issues make for an inconsistent experience and its new gameplay pillars wobble under the weight of its systems. But despite this, the world of Origins remains fresh and exciting to explore, which is a testament to the remarkable setting and compelling story. Assassin's Creed has undergone many changes in its long and storied history, and Origins feels like the first step in the start of a new journey. It has its fair share of problems, but the vision for its future is one worth pursuing." [Read the review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
By Matt Espineli on Sep 20, 2018 11:39 pm
Switch Games That You Need To Play
The release of the Nintendo Switch marked the beginning of a new generation for Nintendo. After the lukewarm reception of the Wii U, many were beginning to wonder if the company would be able to survive in today's console market. However, it defied all expectations with its hybrid console/handheld console. Alongside the Switch's release was the universally praised The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, giving it the killer app it needed to quickly rise to the top of console sales charts and dramatically increase Nintendo's revenue. In the year since its launch, there has been no shortage of amazing games coming, from huge first-party games like Mario and Splatoon to indie darlings like Owlboy and Celeste. There's even great third-party games, like Octopath Traveler and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The library only seems to be expanding and improving with every consecutive release. In this feature, we're taking a look back at the best Switch games so far. This includes games that have received a score of 8 or higher on GameSpot since the console's release, as well as reviews for new games and updates to reviews of older games that were ported to Switch. Check out our choices for the best games released on the Switch. And with the console's library continuing to expand, make sure to check back often as we update this feature over the coming weeks and months. For an analysis of Nintendo Switch's first year, be sure to read our retrospective feature discussing the console's various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we ported to Switch, 13 things we want to see from the console. The Switch already has hundreds of games, so many that some are bound to fly under our radar. The games covered here are only a small handful of the experiences out there. Which games do you think are some of the Switch's finest? Let us know in the comments below.
Undertale -- 9/10
"Three years after its initial release on PC, Undertale has found its way to the Nintendo Switch--and of course, the game is every bit as charming, challenging, and harrowing as it was the first time around. Undertale may seem like a straightforward retro-style RPG, but it subverts player expectations every chance it gets, which never gets stale because of clever writing and an evocative chiptune soundtrack. Thankfully, it plays just as well as it does on other platforms without any performance hitches or bugs after putting about four hours into this version. Like its console counterparts, you can fill the screen with an adaptive border that thematically fits with the location you're in (Undertale plays in a 4:3 aspect ratio). Dodging enemy attacks in the bullet hell-style defensive phase in combat works just as well with the Joy-Con analog sticks. Undertale isn't afraid to break convention, and because it does so in a way that's thoughtful and humorous throughout, the result is an emotional rollercoaster that fills us with determination." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham
Into the Breach -- 9/10
"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. 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. It's a pleasure to see what kind of life-threatening predicaments await for you to creatively resolve in every new turn, every new battle, and every new campaign. Into The Breach is a pristine and pragmatic tactical gem with dynamic conflicts that will inspire you to jump back in again, and again, and again." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran
The Messenger -- 8/10
"The Messenger takes the best parts of the action-platformers it takes influence from and reinterprets them well. With clever writing, well-designed levels, and balanced difficulty curve, the game continuously hooks you with enticing skill-based challenges and satisfying payoffs. Your character might have an immediate imperative to delivering a world-saving scroll, but the journey there is definitely one to savor." [Read the full review] -- Alexander Pan
Dead Cells -- 9/10
"Dead Cells is a fascinating amalgam of several of today's most popular indie genres. It juggles elements of tough-as-nails action games and Metroid-inspired exploration platformers, with the procedurally generated levels and random item allotments found in roguelikes. It's impressive how it all comes together without a hitch, especially given that the persistent character growth found in games like Dark Souls or Metroid squarely conflicts with the randomized resets emblematic of Rogue-inspired games." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2
"In a way, the entire collection itself is the museum--an entire series, with all its beauty and its blemishes, on display for its audience to judge and assess years later. Parts of this legacy have aged horribly, but they're still undeniably a piece of Mega Man X history. We've been told that the upcoming Mega Man 11 was greenlit thanks in part to fan interest in the original Mega Man Legacy Collection. If Capcom follows with a proper sequel to Mega Man X, this compilation provides valuable lessons on what the series is, what it isn't, and what it can be when given the chance." [Read the full review] -- Steve Watts
Octopath Traveler -- 8/10
"Despite the lackluster stories that pull you through the world, Octopath thrives on its character progression and the temptations of high-level challenges and rewards. The promise of new jobs, exciting boss fights, and powerful gear will inspire you to poke around every corner, and there are no shortage of discoveries to strive for. And all the while, you're treated to one of the most interesting and effective re-imaginings of a retro aesthetic around. Octopath will likely be a divisive game due to its fractured storytelling, but it's one worth playing despite its lesser qualities. Its high points are simply too good to ignore." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Captain Toad
"Despite a smattering of minor complaints, Captain Toad stands as a pint-sized version of Nintendo's stellar first party pedigree. It's among the best Mario spin-offs around and a delightful iteration on old ideas." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 8/10
"As long as you're able to play the entire game in docked mode, The New Colossus is the same fantastic game it is on other platforms. It runs well and, despite some minor visual compromises, it still looks pretty good. Handheld mode is unfortunately far less optimized, and the Joy-Cons simply don't feel as good to use as the Pro Controller. If Switch is your only way to play it, The New Colossus is absolutely worth your time--just not on the go." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
West of Loathing -- 8/10
"There are a few minor issues--inventory management on Switch becomes cumbersome as you collect an increasing amount of things, fights with a lot of enemies can obscure some pertinent information, and the stakes sometimes feel a little too low to be completely motivating. But West of Loathing's focus on maintaining a flexible, open-ended nature and lighthearted, humorous feel keeps you engaged in what feels like an imaginative pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons campaign, led by a game master whose only goal is to make sure you're laughing and having a fun time. West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Video Producer
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10
"Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection -- 8/10
"That's more or less the story of the 30th Anniversary Collection. It won't satisfy every specific demand, but it's still a big collection of awesome games and behind-the-scenes content that no Street Fighter fan should miss. Street Fighter is a series worth celebrating and Digital Eclipse has managed to do so in a manner that feels respectful to the series and to the people who keep the spirit of arcade battles alive." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition -- 8/10
"Those returning to the fray will likely be a little disappointed as there just isn't enough new content to rouse fresh excitement. For newcomers, though, Hyrule warriors is a delightful, bizarre outing that opens up the Zelda series, taking us places we've been before, just with thousands of monsters and awesome, screen-clearing magical attacks." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Battle Chasers: Nightwar -- 8/10
"Beyond the challenge of combat, Battle Chasers is sustained through the strength of its story, a rollicking tale that takes our heroes literally to hell and back. It's bolstered by some sharp dialogue, gorgeous artwork, and an ensemble that plays extremely well off of each other. Lots of work has gone into Nightwar since its first release, and the balancing improvements make it an easy game to recommend on all platforms." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze -- 9/10
"Tropical Freeze isn't a heavy-hitter from Nintendo in the same way Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey are, but it's a fantastic platformer that's bursting with creativity and expertly designed challenges. It's tuned just right--always tough but rarely frustrating--to ensure that even the most common moments feel great. If you missed out when the game first debuted back in 2014, give it a shot today. It easily stands the test of time." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Bayonetta 2 -- 10/10
"But it's a challenge you'll want to experience again as soon as you put down the controller. Bayonetta 2's combat is so expertly constructed, and its presentation so joyously insane, that you'd have to try so very hard to get bored of it all. In a year filled with the promise of ever more elaborate experiences on all the shiny new hardware, that Bayonetta 2--a homage to classic game design and escapism--should be the most fun I've had playing a game all year is unexpected. But maybe it shouldn't have been. After all, its predecessor still stands as one of the finest games of its genre. To have surpassed that with Bayonetta 2, and to have created a game that will be remembered as an absolute classic, is nothing short of astonishing." [Read the review] -- Mark Walton
Celeste -- 9/10
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [Read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
Dragon Quest Builders -- 8/10
"The excellence of Dragon Quest Builders illustrates the versatility of this 30-year-old franchise as much as it speaks to the engrossing appeal of Minecraft-inspired creation. The story-advancing draw of quests goes hand-in-hand with the depth of a crafting system that cleverly uses monster drops as some of the game's building tools. Whether you want to focus on completing assignments or build with no specific purpose, the game is feature-rich enough to suck up untold hours, even if this happens to be your first Dragon Quest experience." [Read the review] -- Miguel Concepcion, Editor
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim -- 8/10
"The original version of Skyrim is still an immense, engrossing RPG, and the quality, number, and variety of its quests makes it as easy to become lost in its world as ever. With the addition of Zelda-themed gear that's actually useful--and the fact that you can play anywhere--the Switch version of Skyrim is a great excuse to revisit a much-loved RPG." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Golf Story -- 8/10
"It can take a little while for the narrative to ramp up in Golf Story and for you to feel like you've really cultivated the skills of a champion, but based on the sheer scope of what the game delivers, there's likely something for everyone to enjoy whether their shtick is mini-golfing or terrorising delinquents with frisbees. It has successfully captured the trappings of yesteryear's RPGs, and the witticisms and idiosyncrasies of the characters you encounter are a great palate cleanser between rounds. Switch has had a swathe of indies hit its eShop recently, but if you're looking for something that'll give you satisfaction in terms of an interesting story and a rewarding mechanic, then Golf Story is certainly par for the course." [Read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Gorogoa -- 8/10
"Few games take the concept of altering reality to as artistic a level as Gorogoa. This labor of love made chiefly by one developer is a gorgeous and intriguing puzzle game that works because of its stunning art and intelligent puzzle design. Far from a traditional game, Gorogoa is a slow and methodical trip into the surreal." [Read the full review] -- Jason D'Aprile
Kirby Star Allies -- 8/10
"Star Allies is yet another Kirby game, but it's up there with some of the best. It's an artistic showcase, and a great opportunity for co-op platforming. The one real complaint you can levy at it is that it gates off its more challenging aspects, but the fact that they are present to begin with will please anyone who's grown weary of the series' painless platforming." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -- 10/10
"No matter how gorgeous its environments are, how clever its enemies are, and how tricky its puzzles get, the fact that Breath of the Wild continues to surprise you with newfound rules and possibilities after dozens of hours is by far its most valuable quality. It's a game that allows you to feel gradually more and more empowered yet simultaneously manages to retain a sense of challenge and mystery--which, together, creates a steady, consistent feeling of gratification throughout the entire experience. Breath of the Wild is a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series, and the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle -- 9/10
"Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle exudes off-beat optimism that never dissolves. It's a consistent delight, no matter how challenging the road becomes, because Kingdom Battle's unique turn-based tactics system is in every way a pleasure to engage with. Coupled with the annoyingly infectious allure of Rabbids, and the always delightful, colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an implausibly engrossing formula that is positively challenging and endlessly charming." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe -- 9/10
"For Mario Kart fans, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe might look like more of the same with small Double Dash-inspired tweaks. But thanks to a series of updates both big and almost unseen, it's the version of Mario Kart to get. If you don't own a Wii U or skipped out on Mario Kart 8 the first time around--or even if you've played it before--Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is worth your time. It plays beautifully on Switch in both handheld and docked mode, and its core racing is as exciting as ever. And, most notably, it completely revamps the original's lackluster Battle Mode, rounding out an already great racing game." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Mr. Shifty -- 8/10
"Mr. Shifty isn't a huge game in terms of length, but the three- to four-hour campaign is ample. It's like a shot of adrenalin, offering an exciting, intense experience, and it's easy to forgive the game's performance flaws when it so consistently makes you feel like a badass." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor
NBA 2K18 -- 8/10
"NBA 2K18 is a hardcore sports simulation. If you want to get good, you have to put in the work. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to improve your skills no matter how you want to play. And the fact that there's so much to do is a bonus, because on the court, NBA 2K18 is also an amazingly well-crafted experience." [Read the full review] -- Seth Macy
Night in the Woods -- 9/10
"From beginning to end to epilogue, Night in the Woods is ultimately open to individual interpretation. How you relate to it depends on your own experiences and choices, including Mae's dialogue and who you decide to spend time with. Though its charming and angsty story works well on its own merits, it's special because of how it prioritizes conveying emotion over telling a straight narrative." [Read the review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Owlboy -- 9/10
"Owlboy is consistently charming and surprising, and when its final act doubles down on every front, it's bittersweet to see it end. As you relish the outcome of the final battle and watch the closing cutscene, you can't help but reflect on the beginning of your adventure and how far the world and its inhabitants have come. You'll never be able to play Owlboy for the first time again, but the memories of its magic moments stick with you. This is more than a treat for fans of old-school games; Owlboy is a heartfelt experience that will touch anyone with an affinity for great art and storytelling." [Read the review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 Plus -- 8/10
"Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 creates an exciting dynamic where ghosts are still dangerous, but the overall game is more forgiving than the original--and it's more entertaining as a result. Arcade ports tend to be games we play in short bursts--mostly for the nostalgia factor. Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 certainly relies on that nostalgia to a point, but it handles the classic game in a way that plays with expectations to surprise you. It's the same game enhanced in the right directions to be make an old concept fun, innovative, and challenging all over again." [Read the review] -- Jason D'Aprile
Puyo Puyo Tetris -- 8/10
"Overflowing with colorful personality, Puyo Puyo Tetris revels in its weirdness. It provides solid versions of both puzzle games and merges the two in bizarre, frantic ways that adds a fresh dash of style to these long-running series. With an array of game variations spanning single-player, along with on- and offline multiplayer, it's an incredibly meaty package that should satisfy gamers for a long time to come." [Read the full review] -- Jason D'Aprile
Rive -- 8/10
"Rive is demanding, but it pushes the kind of near-thoughtless play that shoot-em-ups strive to achieve. When faced with an onslaught of enemies and environmental hazards, you'll have to think fast or die. Rive also doesn't run all that long, but what's here is excellent, top-notch action, and the game delivers some of the most memorable moments in a shoot-em-up in years." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Rocket League -- 9/10
"For people new to the game, they have a lot to look forward to regardless, as it's one of the most fascinating sports games in memory. Nevermind if you don't like soccer or couldn't care less about the growing esports community. Rocket League is a unique game that redefines the concept of what a sports game can be, and Psyonix continues to support it with new content on a regular basis. It's been around for a while, but now that it's on Switch, there's no better time to give it a shot." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment -- 8/10
"Specter of Torment is a finely-crafted 2D platformer that is satisfying in all respects. Simply controlling Specter Knight--flying through the air and slicing through enemies--is a joy in itself, and being able to push your ability to control these skills in overcoming the game's cleverly-designed and challenging levels is always an exhilarating feeling. Specter of Torment is a focussed, polished, and satisfyingly challenging game that's well worth experiencing whether or not you've had the pleasure of playing Shovel Knight." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor
Sonic Mania -- 9/10
"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Splatoon 2 -- 8/10
"At first glance, Splatoon 2 seems very similar to the first game. But all the small changes, and even the bigger ones in single player and League Battles, make for a fresh take on the already unique shooter. If you played a lot of the original, the sequel has enough to keep you coming back, and if you're new to the game, it's a fantastic place to jump in." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Stardew Valley -- 9/10
"The sheer number of things to accomplish in Stardew Valley can keep you interested beyond the original three in-game years you need to reach the end of your story--you may just want to start over rather than continue on. You'll work quite hard to gather enough money for your first horse, so that you can quickly move to the mines to get a mineral to complete a bundle at the community center. It's all centered around whatever it is you want to accomplish that day. And that's truly what makes Stardew Valley such a lovely experience, it encourages you to go out and be the best you can be, in whichever task that brings you the most joy. Stardew Valley motivates naturally, with blissful optimism." [Read the full review] -- Mary Kish
SteamWorld Dig 2 -- 9/10
"Every advancement Dig 2 makes to its story and mechanics strengthens your initiative to progress. There's an overwhelming sense of momentum that runs through the adventure; as if developer Image & Form sifted the original in a pan, removing its redundancies while expanding upon what made it so fun to persistently play. In your quest to acquire every upgrade and explore every nook and cranny, there's no shortage of hidden collectables to discover. And with post-game content that unlocks after you unearth every secret, the desire to keep digging intensifies. Dig 2 manages to not only be an exceptional successor, but a great adventure in its own right. Where the first game was a diamond in the rough, Dig 2 is a polished jewel." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Super Mario Odyssey -- 10/10
"Odyssey is sustained beyond its major milestones not only through colorful worlds and hidden challenges, but through the sheer joy of controlling Mario, who's never felt more responsive or dynamic in action. Even with everything new that's been introduced, Nintendo's forward-thinking platformer retains the series' classic handcrafted appeal, which is even more impressive when you realize how densely packed each kingdom is. Mario's latest outing is big, bold, and bursting with new ideas, and like Breath of the Wild, is another instance of Nintendo going above and beyond to redefine our expectations. It's a shining example of refined creativity, and another crown jewel for Switch that is without equal." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Lumines Remastered -- 8/10
"Lumines is the kind of game that temporarily rewires your brain, splicing together its ability to recognize visual patterns and audible rhythms simultaneously and forcing you to do the hard but delightful work of putting that ability to use. Having that experience so lovingly presented--and on the Switch, having Lumines handheld again for the first time in six years--is an occasion worth celebrating." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark
By Matt Espineli on Sep 20, 2018 11:38 pm
The Best Around
It feels just like yesterday, but PS4 launched over four years ago, and a ton of games have come out in that time. As such, it can be tough to sort through all of them and decide what to play. Luckily, we at GameSpot have played tons of PS4 over the years and have more than a few recommendations to start you off with--whether you're a new PS4 owner or have had the console and are just looking for something you might've missed. In this feature, we've collected the best PS4 games so far. This includes many of the games that have received an 8 or higher on GameSpot, and we've prioritized games that were nominated for our end-of-year Best PS4 Game lists. Check out our choices for the best games released on the PS4. And with the console's library continuing to expand, make sure to check back often as we update this feature over the coming weeks and months. For more PS4 games on a budget, see our roundups of the best cheap games on PS4, and make sure to check out our gallery of the best PS4 exclusive games confirmed for 2018 as well as the biggest PS4 games of 2018 for everything coming to the console. There are heaps of amazing PS4 games out there. Which PS4 games do you love the most? Doesn't matter if it's popular or incredibly underrated. Let us know in the comments below.
Marvel's Spider-Man -- 9/10
"Minor shortcomings don't detract from Insomniac's achievement in creating a game that feels like an authentic interpretation of a beloved creation. The feeling of embodying Spidey and using his abilities is astonishing, and the time spent on exploring its major characters help make its story feel heartfelt, despite superhero bombast. There have been open-world Spider-Man games before, but none so riveting and full of personality, none that explore and do justice to this many facets of the universe. Insomniac has created a superior Spider-Man experience that leaves a lasting impression, one that has you longing for just one more swing around New York City, even after the credits roll." [Read the review] -- Edmond Tran, Senior Editor and Producer
Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition -- 10/10
"From lonely farmhouses through pitched battles with gods in far-flung dimensions, Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made in both its original and Definitive incarnations, with the latter proving that even the most complicated role-players can be ported successfully to gamepad-limited consoles. This immaculately conceived and emotion-wrought fantasy world, topped by brilliant tactical combat, make it one of the finest games of recent years, and it remains an instant classic in the pantheon of RPG greats." [Read the review] -- Brett Todd
Guacamelee 2 -- 9/10
"Everything about Guacamelee 2 comes off as smarter and more thoughtful than the first game, even while indulging in its self-aware shenanigans and Rick & Morty-esque dimensional hijinks. The game never stops finding new ways to hook you in, to the point that even the most painstaking and intensive playthroughs feel like they just fly by. Saving the numerous timelines in Guacamelee 2 is just as much about partaking in a marvel of devious, meticulous game design as it is about saving Juan and his family from peril." [Read the review] -- Justin Clark
Dead Cells -- 9/10
"Dead Cells is a fascinating amalgam of several of today's most popular indie genres. It juggles elements of tough-as-nails action games and Metroid-inspired exploration platformers, with the procedurally generated levels and random item allotments found in roguelikes. It's impressive how it all comes together without a hitch, especially given that the persistent character growth found in games like Dark Souls or Metroid squarely conflicts with the randomized resets emblematic of Rogue-inspired games." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Onrush -- 9/10
"When it comes to crumpling metal and high speed thrills, not all of Onrush's game modes are on equal footing in terms of consistent excitement. Yet its foundations are so strong, and so unique, that it's easy to lose hours upon hours barreling around these disparate tracks. The question of longevity will, of course, depend on post-release support, with new classes, game modes, and tracks potentially on the horizon. Considering you need 12 players to fill a full room, it would be a shame if Onrush doesn't find the kind of audience that will give it the lifespan it deserves. Part of this will depend on how Codemasters iterates on the game from here on out, but they've shown a proficiency in knowing how arcade racing games click, and Onrush is such a bold, refreshing twist on the genre that there should be little hesitation in putting your faith in them to succeed." -- Richard Wakeling
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life -- 8/10
"Yakuza 6 reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It's a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you're a newcomer. The narrative is dramatic and sincere, and the game's endearing characters--coming from all walks of life--are interesting studies. The world is dense and rewarding to exist in, the dynamic combat system stays exciting even after you've kicked the crap out of five thousand enemies, and perhaps most importantly, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life serves as a fulfilling conclusion to the turbulent, decade-long saga of its beloved icon, Kazuma Kiryu." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Senior Editor and Video Producer
God Of War -- 9/10
"In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Bloodborne -- 9/10
"The finest treasures are found within the city of Yharnam and the forests, lakes, and purgatories beyond it. Only Bloodborne would be so bold as to bury an entire factional player-versus-player mechanic within an optional region, which is in turn buried within a series of oblique steps you might miss if you aren't exploring every nook and cranny, or ignore the game's enigmatic hints. I finished Bloodborne in less time than I did Dark Souls II, yet I treasure it more in spite of its few missteps. In death there is life, and in blood, there is redemption. More hyperbole, yes, but for a game this theatrical, only hyperbole will do." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Monster Hunter: World -- 8/10
"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Celeste -- 9/10
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
What Remains of Edith Finch -- 9/10
"Developer Giant Sparrow managed to strike the delicate balance between joy and sorrow in 2012's The Unfinished Swan, but What Remains of Edith Finch transcends even the latent sadness of that game, finding the beauty--even sometimes the fun--in what's always fundamentally a tragedy. It's not often that a game's plot slips past the bitterness of grief to finally get to the acceptance, but that's the triumph in What Remains of Edith Finch. Ultimately, if the game has any resemblance of a moral, it's that the bravest, most beautiful thing every one of us does is choose to keep going, despite knowing what's coming." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 9/10
"The New Colossus never lets you forget who and why you're fighting. Nazi brutality is on full display, from the blown-out, irradiated remains of Manhattan to each of the resistance members, who all carry mental scars if not physical ones. You're never given a chance between cutscenes, missions, and even downtime on the U-boat to lose sight of the Reich's cruelty. Wolfenstein's tense gameplay elevates this further by giving you the power to truly resist--and come out of each battle ready for another fight." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Sonic Mania -- 9/10
"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Stardew Valley -- 9/10
"On the surface, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, but there are more adventures awaiting curious players beyond cultivating a rich and bountiful garden. From mining and fishing to making friends and falling in love, Stardew Valley's Pelican Town is stuffed with rewarding opportunities. As modern day woes give way to pressing matters on the farm and within your newfound community, Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world. It's a game that tugs at your curiosity as often as it does your heart." [read the full review] -- Mary Kish
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard -- 8/10
"By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that's okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I'd survived a truly harrowing journey. The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Night in the Woods -- 9/10
"Both intensely personal and widely relatable, Night in the Woods doesn't just tell a story--it gracefully captures complex, often unpleasant feelings and experiences. From the quiet melancholy of doing nothing on a rainy day to the emotional vacuum of severe depression, I felt deeply, sometimes too deeply, while wandering through the cartoon-animal version of a small Midwestern town. Its witty writing and character development keep its crushing existential themes grounded, making Night in the Woods one of the most evocative games I've played in a long time." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Overwatch -- 9/10
"Overwatch is an exercise in refined chaos. There are multitudes of layers hiding beneath the hectic surface, and they emerge, one after another, the more you play. This is a shooter that knows how to surprise, one that unfolds at a frantic pace, one that takes a handful of great ideas, and combines them into something spectacular." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End -- 10/10
"Uncharted 4's gameplay pushes the narrative forward, the narrative feeds off its gameplay, and every detail coalesces to create something bigger. Uncharted 4 bounces between set pieces and personal moments with such grace, with such skill and poise and affection for its characters, that you don't mind when the guns stop firing, and the smoke clears, and Nathan gets a moment to breathe." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Titanfall 2 -- 9/10
"Titanfall 2 demonstrates a vitality that its predecessor couldn't. Whereas the first Titanfall kept up its breakneck pace throughout the entirety of every match, Titanfall 2 understands that sometimes, dialing things back for a few moments can make the long run much more enjoyable. In many ways, Titanfall 2 feels like the game Respawn should have made in 2013. It's a fantastic sequel. It's a fluid shooter. It's a spectacular game." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Dishonored 2 -- 8/10
"Any time I'm given a choice between stealth and action, I go stealth. I love the hold-your-breath tension of hoping a guard didn't spot you and the hard-earned triumph of executing a perfectly timed plan. Dishonored 2 delivers that sneaky satisfaction, arming you with stealth essentials like hiding bodies, peering through keyholes, and silent takedowns. But it's also an incredible engine for gleeful chaos, one so engrossing and amusing that I kind of accidentally beat the entire campaign raining hilarious, elaborate death on my enemies." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Dark Souls III -- 8/10
"Dark Souls III is a game of valleys and peaks, down through dungeons and up over castle walls. It's a plummet into places we shouldn't be--an escape from places we don't belong. But of course, we fight our way through the darkness, and find our way out. There are a few stumbles along the way, but in the end, Dark Souls III is well worth the riveting climb." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- 10/10
"Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Rise of the Tomb Raider -- 9/10
"Rise of the Tomb Raider's first shot pans over the vast, foreboding landscape we'll soon come to know. In many ways, it functions as a promise on the part of Crystal Dynamics: there are big things ahead of us. And at the end of Lara's journey, after we've seen her through this adventure, and experienced everything the world has to offer, it's clear that promise was kept." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain -- 10/10
"There has never been a game in the series with such depth to its gameplay, or so much volume in content. The best elements from the past games are here, and the new open-world gameplay adds more to love on top. When it comes to storytelling, there has never been a Metal Gear game that's so consistent in tone, daring in subject matter, and so captivating in presentation. The Phantom Pain may be a contender for one of the best action games ever made, but is undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Fallout 4 -- 9/10
"Fallout 4 is an engrossing game that lures you in with mystery and the promise of adventure. Its wretched wasteland can be captivating, and you never know what odd person or settlement lies around the next bend. Fallout 4 uses its dark world as a canvas for exciting combat and gripping stories, and when you dig deeper into its post-nuclear-apocalypse version of Boston--defending yourself from violent scavengers and using your wits to climb social ladders--you become attached to the new you, and ultimately invested in the fate of your new world." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor -- 8/10
"This is a great game in its own right, narratively disjointed but mechanically sound, made up of excellent parts pieced together in excellent ways. I already knew what future lay in store for Middle-earth as I played Shadow of Mordor; I'm hoping that my own future might one day bring another Lord of the Rings adventure as stirring as this one." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Dragon Age: Inquisition -- 9/10
"Inquisition's characters and world recall the grand gestures of the original Dragon Age, even though the game as a whole is so structurally different to its predecessors. It offers the thrill of discovery and the passion of camaraderie. It features a glee club called The Sing-Quisition, and a dwarf with writer's block. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
NBA 2K17 -- 9/10
"Despite its few drawbacks, NBA 2K17's excitement for basketball is contagious, and it's hard not to get wrapped up in it. Apart from the lacking 2KU mode and stiff recreations of commentators, the rest of the game looks great and plays even better. After finally devoting a significant amount of time to one of these games, I now see why it's such a well-regarded series, and it makes me wish that every sport got the same treatment that basketball does in NBA 2K17." -- Mat Paget
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- 9/10
"There's an incredible scope to what you can do in Black Flag, with a level of harmony between its component parts that encourages you to try it all, and a story that keeps you invested throughout the whole thing. If there was ever any question that Assassin's Creed needed something ambitious to get the series back on track, Black Flag is that game and then some." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
Until Dawn -- 8/10
"I didn't expect to have so much fun with Until Dawn, and the depth with which my choices mattered and affected the final outcome encouraged repeat playthroughs. The visuals can be wonky at times, but in the end Until Dawn succeeds in being a thoughtful use of familiar mechanics, a great achievement in player-driven narrative, and a horror game you shouldn't miss." [read the full review] -- Alexa Ray Corriea
The Last Guardian -- 9/10
"It isn't clear whether or not The Last Guardian means to be frustrating at times--if it's a concerted effort to test your patience for a lovable-yet-stubborn creature. Your affection for Trico and sympathy for both characters blossom nonetheless, culminating in an enrapturing series of revelations that cements your attachment to their personalities. Trico is the undeniable star of the show, exhibiting believable physicality and emotional range, but the boy is a valuable lesson in how to be patient and resilient when faced with unforeseen challenges. When the book closes on their story, it's hard not to open it up again and begin anew. The trials you overcome endear you to both characters, but the emotions Trico elicits make you want to give it another chance--to be the patient, effective partner it truly deserves." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Rocket League -- 9/10
"The joy of Rocket League rests on the countless plans that are conceived and discarded every other second in any given match. Trying to predict where and how the ball will bounce next is a game within the game. Despite the use of cars, Rocket League emulates the emotional surges typical of The Beautiful Game, such as the rush of an unexpected fast break or a well-timed header into a goal. With Rocket League, the promising concept of combining two wonderful things--cars and soccer--is equally magnificent in execution. You can't say the same thing about, say, combining cake and fruit to make fruitcake, as the comedian Jim Gaffigan observed." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- 8/10
"Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
MLB The Show 18 -- 9/10
"Sony's flagship baseball franchise has never been better. With its best-in-class controls and visuals, and impeccable attention to detail for the small stuff, MLB The Show 18 is worth catching for any baseball fan." [read the full review]
Horizon: Zero Dawn -- 9/10
"This is the first departure from the Killzone series for developer Guerrilla Games, and though you might think the team took a risk by stepping out of its FPS comfort zone to create a third-person open-world action game, you'd never know it was their first rodeo. For every minor imperfection, there's an element of greatness that recharges your desire to keep fighting and exploring Zero Dawn's beautiful and perilous world. Guerrilla Games has delivered one of the best open-world games of this generation, and redefined its team's reputation in the process." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Nier: Automata -- 9/10
"Thanks to Platinum Games' knack for riveting and gratifying combat, Automata is Yoko Taro's most exciting game to date. The combat mechanics click after hurdling a low learning curve, and the end result is a skillful dance where balletic dodges complement wushu-inspired aggression. Moreover, this multi-ending trip is generously peppered with surprises and revelations, as well as easter eggs that call back to the first game and the Drakengard series from which Nier spun off. It's a meaty, often exhilarating trek that showcases Platinum Games' and Yoko Taro's unique blend of genius." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Persona 5 -- 9/10
"Within Persona 5 is a complex set of interconnected gameplay mechanics, and in almost every aspect Atlus has executed on its vision exceptionally, barring the pacing issues towards the end. At every turn, it presents something to marvel at, whether it's the fluid combat, vibrant world, or the many memorable characters. It's a game I could talk about for hours; I haven't mentioned the ability to connect to the Thieves Guild, which lets you see how other players spent their day or ask them for help answering questions at school. Or the thumping acid-jazz-infused soundtrack that I've not been able to get out of my head. Or even just the joy of seeing how it stylishly transitions between menus. But that encapsulates why Persona 5 is a game that shouldn't be missed. It's stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes--there's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come." [read the full review] -- Lucy James, Video Producer
Unravel Two -- 8/10
"With its charming yarnlings and a newfound style of platforming, Unravel Two remains welcoming even at its most foreboding. Sure, a forest fire breaks out in one of the latter stages, but even then, the race to keep ahead of the blaze is fun and frantic instead of stressful. In almost every moment you're given ample time and space to breathe and take in the stunning photorealistic world from the viewpoint of the tiniest creatures. It's a game with boisterous birds, chases through meadows, and most importantly a cheerful partnership with a companion who's always got your back. With only six chapters that run roughly 30 minutes apiece, Unravel Two doesn't last long, but it's a game where the time you have is meaningful, memorable, and downright pleasant from beginning to end." -- Justin Clark
Madden NFL 18 -- 9/10
"Overall, Madden 18 marks an unusually large shakeup in a series that, due to its annualized releases, rarely features much more than small, iterative changes. The Frostbite engine allows the game to reach new levels of realism in its visuals, and EA has put a lot of effort into constantly evolving the game to keep it in line with real-world events. But it is the Longshot story mode that defines Madden 18. Some of Longshot is unnecessary spectacle, but its lasting value comes from the humanity that it brings to the game. The moments of vulnerability and sincerity between Devin Wade and Colt Cruise during the story are worthy of celebration and give the overall game a weight that Madden hasn't had before. And if that's not enough to entice you, it's also simply a terrific football game." [read the full review] -- Alex Newhouse
Far Cry 5 -- 9/10
"Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Senior Producer/Editor
Transistor -- 8/10
"Transistor is always a good-looking game, but in these instances, it demonstrates a rare knack for combining its visuals and music to powerfully convey both narrative information and tone, driving the story forward with Red's own unwavering resolve. So in the end, yes, Transistor is a fun action role-playing game with a neat combat system, but beautiful moments like these make it more than that. They make it a game with a soul." [read the full review] -- Carolyn Petit
Yakuza 0 -- 8/10
"Unless you have a strong aversion to violence, sex, or middling graphics, you owe it to yourself to give Zero a chance. Its story will surprise you, its inhabitants will make you laugh at every turn, and its ambitious scope will redefine how you think about open-world games. It's a fascinating adventure no matter how you approach it, and it's proof positive that a game can be wildly inconsistent yet remain a great experience." [read the full review]
Inside -- 8/10
"This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo. Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence." [read the full review] -- Alex Newhouse
Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10
"Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor
The Crew 2 -- 8/10
"I'm annoyed by the game's lack of public interaction and meaningless gear system, but I'll fondly recall both the tension of flinging sprint boats back and forth through the narrow, artificial canals of The Venetian in Las Vegas, and the easygoing satisfaction of an hour-long hypercar race from New York to San Francisco, where I listened to a podcast and enjoyed the rolling scenery. Despite its shortcomings, The Crew 2 still displays admirable strengths, which lie in its player-friendly features, freedom of movement, and its willingness to bend the rules in order to make things exciting and varied for an accessible, American-themed thrillride." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Senior Editor and Video Producer
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2
"In a way, the entire collection itself is the museum--an entire series, with all its beauty and its blemishes, on display for its audience to judge and assess years later. Parts of this legacy have aged horribly, but they're still undeniably a piece of Mega Man X history. We've been told that the upcoming Mega Man 11 was greenlit thanks in part to fan interest in the original Mega Man Legacy Collection. If Capcom follows with a proper sequel to Mega Man X, this compilation provides valuable lessons on what the series is, what it isn't, and what it can be when given the chance." [Read the full review] -- Steve Watts
No Man's Sky Next -- 8/10
"At its absolute best, No Man's Sky is a measured, gentle experience where you are rarely the agent of change, but a perpetual visitor who's constantly dwarfed by the magnitude of a universe neutral to your presence. It is not your job in these stories to colonize the universe. Your job is to comprehend it. Your job is to recognize the spirituality in it. The primary gimmick of No Man's Sky, since day one, has been awe. The best things about the Next update feed that gimmick. While features like multiplayer and base-building certainly put more proverbial asses in seats, they're also the least memorable additions to an otherwise thoughtful experience." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age -- 9/10
"Innovation in games is talked about a lot, but it's also great to see traditional gameplay formulas that have been around for decades presented exceptionally well. Dragon Quest XI is one of the best modern examples of this; its beautiful presentation, both visual- and story-wise, combines with a tried-and-true gameplay formula for a journey that's full of heart and soul. Once you find yourself sucked into the world of Dragon Quest XI, it's going to be hard to put down until you reach the grand finale." [Read the full review] -- Heidi Kemps
By Dan Auty on Sep 20, 2018 11:27 pm
Solo: A Star Wars Story has now arrived to buy on Blu-ray and digital formats, giving fans another chance to dig into the latest movie in the much-loved franchise. The movie didn't exactly have the smoothest ride to the screen, with original directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord fired during production and veteran filmmaker Ron Howard brought in to take over and reshoot a reported 70% of the entire film. Solo made its May release slot this year but underperformed at the box office, putting a sequel and further standalone Star Wars spin-offs in question. Nevertheless, it's a hugely entertaining movie well worth a revisit at home. The film, which focuses on the adventures of the young Han Solo, was written by Star Wars veteran Lawrence Kasdan with his son Jon. Last week, Jon took to Twitter to release a lengthy list of behind-the-scene observations and opinions about the film, which makes for fascinating reading as you watch it. Kasdan goes into detail about the many influences that he and the other filmmakers used for Solo, the film's many Easter Eggs, and how the new characters were developed. He explains what changed from earlier drafts of the script and what scenes were shot but ended up on the cutting room floor. He also reveals that, despite the reshoots, the influence of Lord and Miller was greater than many fans might expect, with several key moments remaining from their time on the movie. Finally, Kasdan speculates on the future of the younger incarnations of Han, Chewie, and Lando, and if we'll get to see them in another movie. So here's our pick of Kasdan's most fascinating insights into the making of Solo, presented in chronological order and in his own words.
1. Mother Proxima
"I always hoped Linda Hunt would voice Mother Proxima because she had done the haunting opening narration (an Edgar Allen Poe quote) for the short-lived and criminally-underrated Shelley Duvall Showtime series Nightmare Classics, which you can find on YouTube. When I told Linda this was why I'd thought of her, she had absolutely no recollection of having recorded that narration and disputed it. But it's definitely her. Also, Linda is one of the coolest people you're likely to meet."
2. Speeder Chase
"In early drafts of the script there was no speeder chase. This was something Chris and Phil conceived and Chris and Phil and Ron Howard executed, in my opinion, beautifully. They all felt we needed to see Han's skill "behind the yoke" and that it could it pay off later in the Kessel Run. Lawrence Kasdan, much more focused on the Dickensian element, was more passionate about the foot-chase and the deleted eel barrel scene which is included in the extras."
3. Coronet Spaceport
"Coronet Spaceport was a name we found on Wookieepedia while looking for spaceports on Corellia. We wanted the sequence to feel like the Ellis Island sequence in The Godfather Part 2, to give a sense of how small Han and Qi'ra are in the scheme of things and the cruel, impersonal machine that is the Empire."
4. Mimban
"We wanted Mimban to evoke Kubrick's Paths of Glory and put Han into the most hellish-possible war environment. Originally, there was a fourth member of Beckett's crew, Korso, and in some shots you can even see him. His performance was great but, given the hectic environment, it became confusing to introduce that character we were going to immediately kill off. The original logic for Korso, who was a rather large man, was that Beckett had lost his muscle and Chewie is a useful replacement."
5. The Beast
"Chris and Phil had the idea that Chewie would be 'the beast,' a punishment for disobedient soldiers (and I suppose droids) on Mimban. They also had the brilliant idea to have Han, at the crucial moment, speak Shyriiwook. The mud pit is pure Chris and Phil and for my money, it's one of the best scenes in the movie."
6. Beckett Leaves
"One action sequence that was never filmed but survived several drafts fairly deep into production involved Beckett's crew leaving WITHOUT Han and Chewie, forcing Han and Chewie to steal an Imperial garbage ship on which they could escape. At one point, they dump the garbage onto several Stormtroopers who are chasing them. Writing this now, I'm relieved we didn't actually shoot that. It would've cost a fortune and NEVER would've made the cut."
7. Vandor 1
"We Kasdans spent many a Christmas, while I was growing up, in the Rocky Mountains of Southern Colorado which is only odd when you consider that NONE of us ski. The environment of Vandor 1 was always meant to evoke that beautiful landscape. It also made sense for the space-Western feeling we were trying to invoke."
8. The Conveyex Job
"The Conveyex Job was in every draft of the script. It was something we conceived very early on that people were consistently responded to. Originally, the cargo was not Coaxium but rather an extremely-dangerous criminal en-route to a maximum security prison. Our idea was that Beckett's crew was hired to bust this guy out by members of his gang. The criminal and his gang wordlessly departed after the job and wouldn't return until some unspecified sequel where they would rescue Han at some crucial moment."
9. Val
"In retrospect, Thandie Newton may actually have been too good and too interesting as Val. It was always in the design of the story that Beckett would lose his trusted crew members during the Conveyex Job-gone-wrong and be forced to rely on newbies, Han and Chewie, and this would also open the door for Lando, Qi'ra, and L3 to join the crew. But Thandie is so compelling to watch that the death of her character feels a little like a cheat. It's an odd and unexpected problem that comes with working with such amazing, compelling actors in the Star Wars universe. You just want more of them."
10. Dryden's Base
"Dryden Vos's base of operation was originally not a ship but an island fortress like Mont-Saint Michel but with an elaborate system of canals. In the third act Lando drove a Star Wars-version of a go-fast boat through the canals. It was pretty cool stuff but ultimately impossible to execute and incredibly time-consuming."
11. Dryden Dispatches The Governor
"There was debate surrounding how exactly Dryden would dispose of that unfortunate regional governor. Some of us really wanted him decapitated and we actually shot a version where a head rolls across the floor. Others felt that was a little too rough for Star Wars."
12. Dryden's Influences
"Vos was Robert Prosky's character Leo in Michael Mann's Thief. Robert Prosky worked with Ron on Far and Away. Another influence was Don Draper. We wanted this character to be, physically, the antithesis of that other Star Wars crime boss. Ya know, the one with the weight problem."
13. Kessel Planning
"The scene in Dryden's study in which the Kessel Heist is first proposed is one of my personal favorites in the movie. It's where Han really becomes Han in a lot of ways. The way he improvises to save their skin in that scene felt true to the man he eventually becomes. 'We'll get the ship, we've already got the pilot.' felt like pure Han."
14. The Lodge
"The Lodge at Fort Ypso was something that came from Chris and Phil. They were inspired by Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller and really wanted to have that dark, wintery mountain lodge-feeling in the movie. [Cinematographer] Bradford [Young]'s work on that particular set is especially beautiful and was an anchor point for the look and feel of the whole movie."
15. Lando
"At this point it goes without saying, but Donald [Glover] was born to play Lando. I remember the thrill of seeing his screen test. Then the thrill of watching Bob Iger and Alan Horn watch his screen test, all of us knowing how much fun that was going to be and that he would steal each and every scene he was in. This was before Atlanta or Awaken My Love but after Community. In my opinion, Donald NEEDS to don the cape again and the sooner the better."
16. L3
"L3 was a character conceived in conversations between Chris and Phil, Lawrence, and myself. It's interesting to see how divisive she's been in these extremely divisive and politically-charged times. If you're interested in that particular conversation, there was a great piece by Spencer Kornhaber in the Atlantic and another by Kate Gardner on The Mary Sue that illustrate differing points of view and the passion people feel about Star Wars. The truth is, she actually evolved out of Chris's astute observation that it was funny that the bartender at Mos Eisley objected to Threepio, considering droids seem to be the least rambunctious folk in the galaxy."
17. The Falcon
"The night we shot the scene where Han sees the Falcon for the first time was one of the most fun nights of our shoot. I vividly remember the cast sitting around listening to Ron tell stories about growing up in the business and his experiences. Ron is a world-class storyteller and almost no one alive has worked more consistently, since they were five, than he has."
18. The Cape Closet
"Lando's cape closet, another great idea that's pure Chris and Phil. That scene was always meant to parallel the scene between Leia and Han in the avionics closet in Empire. We liked the idea of seeing Han in a similar situation, with a similar type of banter, but a very different partner, one who maybe teaches him a thing or two. The relationship between Han and Qi'ra was never intended to be concluded at the end of this movie. It's a story I hope we get to tell more of someday 'cause I like their diverging paths."
19. Beckett and Han
"The scene between Beckett and Han in the lounge really demonstrates the Michael Mann influence on the movie. We wanted Beckett to be cut from same cloth as [Heat's] Neal McCauley. We wanted Beckett embody a moral cynicism that Han would, later in his life, outwardly project but never really posses. This kind of scene Woody does without a single false note. There was no take of his performance in this scene we couldn't have used. Some actors, they say it and you just believe it. Woody is one of those guys and every moment you spend with him, whether on set or in a restaurant, is pure fun. Also, if you haven't seen it yet, I can't recommend his movie Lost In London enough. It's truly sort of a marvel of filmmaking."
20. The Maelstrom
"The Maelstrom. This is another idea that stuck from the first draft. Trying to solve the problem of how to make the Kessel Run visually exciting, inventive, and at least somewhat logical, weighed heavily on all of us throughout the process. It was something we discussed endlessly and knew would never satisfy everyone, and specifically never satisfy Neil Degrasse Tyson. We wanted a Jules Verne flavor and we loved the idea of a storm in space, what that might look like. The Hubble image of the Pillars of Creation was a huge influence on this concept. ILM did tests in which they blow up canisters of different colored powder and photographed the explosion in slo-mo. Those test were fun to watch."
21. Qi'ra's Job Title
"Is Qi'ra's made-up job title, 'Assistant to the Vice Admiral of Trade Route Allocation and Monetization' a good-natured poke at some of the more confusing bits of exposition in previous Star Wars adventures? Of course not, we take all this s*** very seriously."
22. The Kessel Heist
"While figuring out the Kessel Heist, we kept revisiting the Mission Impossible movies because we wanted the sequence to have the kind of momentum and feeling of coordinated effort that the best sequences in those movies always have. Ultimately though, Han's personality is very different from Ethan Hunt. He's much more... laid back, and things tend to go best for him when he just sorta bulls***s his way though. Which is why Han Solo is the patron saint of screenwriters."
23. Lando's Memoirs
"Would the movie have made more money if it had just been two hours of Lando dictating his memoirs into his holorecorder? Perhaps. You live and learn."
24. Beckett's Armor
"I wish there was a special feature where you see Beckett toss aside the Tantel Armor and Gondar-tusk mask he uses as a disguise on Kessel, then just settle into a time-lapse shot of that gear lying in a closet in the Falcon for like, fifteen years... until Lando picks it up and wears it as a disguise himself for Jabba's Palace. And if you're wondering why or objecting to how interconnected the movie is with the others, it's 'cos that's the kind of nonsense I think about."
25. Han And Lando Get Blasting
"When I was growing up, there was a stack of Star Wars Marvel comics in my grandparents' house in Michigan that, I assume, belonged to my brother. It remained there, in exactly the same spot, for twenty-five years. I really wanted the shoot-out on the landing pad at Kessel to evoke the feeling of those wonderful Marvel comic covers from the '80s, Han and Lando, their blasters blazing. I think Ron achieved that and then some. Seeing those three guys beneath the Falcon is the absolute realization of that particular childhood fantasies. Thank you Ron and George Lucas."
26. Han The Pilot
"Does the movie work? I'm not the person to ask. But here's what I think DOES work: the moment when Han jumps into pilot's seat of the Falcon for the first time. It's directed beautifully, Alden nails every movement and look, and unless you're actively resisting it, John Powell's perfect cue will make your heart swell. That moment is as good as this movie gets in my opinion."
27. Imperial Blockade
"An Imperial Blockade was something we wanted to see the burgeoning smuggler deal with. We went through many iterations of that bit as well. For a long time, the idea was that the Falcon got stuck in a tractor beam and Han has the idea to disrupt it by removing a small amount of Coaxium, putting it into Lando's mini-ship and launching the mini-ship at the destroyer. We even filmed this version but it was incredibly time-consuming and the Kessel Run hadn't even started yet."
28. The Kessel Run
"Love it, hate it, or indifferent, watch the Kessel Run on the best screen with the best sound you can find. It's truly a technical marvel of visual effects and sound design that really represents the state of that art form at this moment. I'd put that sequence up against any visual effects in movie history. Rob Bredow knocked out of the park. It's simply gorgeous. It's also a testament to Chris Rouse, the brilliant writer and editor who came in and helped us streamline the Kessel Run sequence and the Conveyex Job."
29. Summa-Verminoth
"SUMMA-VERMINOTH, the creature the Falcon encounters in the Maelstrom had a long road to the screen. In the earliest drafts, the Kessel Run was interrupted with a forced pit stop on a spooky Ridley Scott-type planet. On that Nameless Planet, Beckett's crew encounters enormous Lovecraftian monsters that claim one of their number. When Chris and Phil got involved, they determined (correctly) that that pit-stop would kill the momentum of the Kessel Run. Later, when working on the sequence with Ron, the notion of a Lovecraftian monster returned (as we are both huge Lovecraft fans). "I remember Kathleen Kennedy would go into her office and google images of frilled sharks and giant squids for reference. She loves that stuff. One thing we stumbled across while working on this was a fantastic short film/teaser directed Ruairi Robinson called The Leviathan. You can find it on YouTube and Vimeo. It has been long-rumored to be turned into a feature and I sincerely hope it will be. The name Summa-Verminoth is another Cthulhu mythos homage to Robert Bloch's fictional tome, De Vermis Mysteriis."
30. Savareen
"In the script, the area of Savareen where the refinery is located is identified as the Pnakotic Dunes, another Lovecraft nod. Where we shot it, on Fuerteventura, was an incredibly remote and punishing location. You'd return to the hotel at the end of the day, chapped everywhere and with your boots full of sand. But there were moments when you'd be standing on that set, and look off in a certain direction, away from the crew, at Neil Lamont's incredible set and the hundreds of costumed extras, and you would swear you really were IN another galaxy."
31. Efts Nest
"Erin Kellyman was a discovery of [casting director] Nina Gold and Chris and Phil that exceeded our wildest hopes for Enfys Nest. She has a face made for the movies and is, I believe, busy shooting a new version of Les Miserables as I write this. Personally, I'd love to see more of Enfys Nest."
32. Warwick
"While shooting in Fuerteventura I had another dream-fulfillment experience, getting to know and hang out with Warwick Davis. Maybe it was partly the way Bradford photographed him, but that guy just seems to get handsomer and cooler as he gets older. He's playing the same character he played in The Phantom Menace, Weazel, but I think maybe it's time Ron and I worked with Warwick to bring back another legacy character he once played. I don't know, what do you think?"
33. Qi'ra's Betrayal
"Qi'ra's betrayal/departure was also in the DNA of Solo from the very beginnIng. She was always intended to be more complicated and ambiguous than Han, at least at this point in their lives. This was a tricky thing to pull off as you're constantly weighing how invested you want the audience to be in that relationship with properly setting up the choice she makes in the end. Again, this was always intended to be just the first and second acts of their story. The third act, the resolution of Han and Qi'ra, has yet to be told."
34. Maul
"If you felt like it was just a cheap stunt, I suppose that's fair, but the the truth is Maul was built into the design of Solo in many subtle ways, including the name Crimson Dawn, the artifacts in Dryden's study, and Qi'ra's use of Teras Kasi. Maul is my favorite character from the prequel trilogy. I love that Dave Filoni brought him back and expanded on his story in The Clone Wars and Rebels. I love that there is at least some continuity between the shows and the movies. For me, Maul was destined to pass through Solo as the ultimate Star Wars Keyser Sozé."
35. Final Thoughts
"Will there ever be a sequel, 'cos it really seems like you guys were setting one up? To be honest, I think the challenge has much more to do with the foreign box office than the US. Personally, I think there are great Star Wars movies to be made that don't need to cost quite so much. Hopefully that will be the trend in the years to come, and maybe, just maybe that trend will allow us, one way or another, to tell more stories with Alden, Joonas, Emilia, and Donald. With those actors and Ron, I would jump at the opportunity. Given the way Hollywood, and the culture at large, seem to run from anything labeled a disappointment, the odds seem like they're against it happening anytime soon. But, I suppose, Han wouldn't have it any other way. "We really appreciate the feedback, love talking about this stuff with the fans, and we couldn't be more excited that Solo is now available to anyone who wants to see it anytime they want to. May the Force be with you... always."
By Edmond Tran on Sep 20, 2018 10:59 pm
Red Dead Redemption 2: All The New Features
A number of GameSpot staff members recently had the chance to see and play a near-final build of Red Dead Redemption 2, which releases in about a month's time on PS4 and Xbox One. Despite some initial familiarity as a Rockstar game, we discovered a wealth of new features and systems once we scratched the surface. There are a lot of mechanics to tell you about, a lot of stuff that we haven't seen the full scope of, and potentially a lot of things we haven't even seen yet. And that's without diving into Red Dead Online, which largely remains a mystery and won't launch until November (and even then, only as a beta). But we're excited to share all the things we discovered in our time with this highly anticipated open-world Western, so we've compiled all the things we noticed in this handy gallery. You'll learn more about the nitty-gritty details about towns, your horse, your weapons, customization, Arthur himself, and more. We'll continue to update it as we uncover the breadth of Red Dead Redemption 2's systems. Please note that due to the limited amount of available media, not all images will be completely representative of the features they're depicting. If you haven't already seen our primary Red Dead Redemption 2 preview covering the story missions we saw, make sure you read: Red Dead Redemption 2: We Played It, Here's Everything We Saw. What do you think of all these new additions? Lets us know in the comments below, and check out all of our coverage through the following links. Red Dead Redemption 2 News And Details
You Can Play The Whole Game In First Person
The entirety of Red Dead Redemption 2 can be played in first-person, much like Grand Theft Auto V when it was released on PS4, Xbox One, and later, PC. Like GTA V, this feels like a much more involved first-person experience than a conventional FPS because your actions feel more weighty, and animations are more confronting. We were trampled by a horse at one point, and it felt awful.
You Can Disable The HUD
The HUD is minimal by default, only showing the mini-map in the bottom left corner, with meters fading in as it becomes necessary. An expanded HUD option shows you a larger minimap, but there's also the option to turn everything off, as well as an option to only have a compass on the screen.
Cinematic Camera Has A New Implementation
If you're familiar with Rockstar open-world games, then you're probably familiar with the cinematic camera mode, which can be triggered while you're driving and activates when you're fast-traveling in a cab. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the cinematic camera will now automatically trigger in certain instances, like the long journey to a mission location, and will frame the journey with a montage of shots that emphasize the landscape and traveling group. You can break out of it at any time, but it's a nice touch, an enjoyable filmic framing of what might have otherwise been a standard journey. As long as you hold X on PS4 or A on Xbox One to keep pace with the pack (like RDR1), you can just sit back and enjoy the naturally-flowing conversation and scenery. This feature can also be triggered manually during gameplay.
You Can Inspect Everything
We spent a lot of time in town exploring stores, where items could be examined and purchased off the shelf individually, or via a catalog at the front counter. Switching to first person, you can make Arthur manipulate the object in his hands as he takes a close look at it. This is also how you'll interact with environmental narrative objects like notes and photographs. You can also inspect your weapons, which is great for appreciating any customizations you've made to them.
There Are A Variety of Business, Activities, and Secret Stores
We spent time in town browsing the gunsmith and general store, sitting down for a bowl of oatmeal and playing some Five Finger Fillet. Rockstar told us that some stores would have more illicit secret businesses in back rooms.
Your Weapons Are Visible On Your Person
Drawing on learnings from Max Payne 3, all of the weapons Arthur carries will be visible on his body. You'll be limited to carrying two long guns (or one long gun and one bow), two sidearms, a knife, a lasso, and a bunch of throwables. When we switched weapons in the demo, Arthur would carry his rifle in his left hand while he used his pistol in the other.
There's A Kill Cam That Changes Depending On Your Honor
Visible weapons aren't the only Max Payne 3 DNA in the game--when you take out the final opponent during a gunfight, a kill cam will frame that final blow. This will change depending on Arthur's moral standing: If you've been a naughty cowboy, these kill cams will be gorier. If you've been upstanding and honorable, they'll be framed in a more heroic fashion.
You Can Break Enemy Weapons
Speaking of heroic behavior, if you want to go the more non-lethal route, it's possible to shoot weapons out of enemy hands. Not only that, but you can even shoot directly at their weapons and break them. This seems like a handy technique if you're looking to be an outlaw with a heart of gold as opposed to a straight-up cold-blooded killer.
Dead Eye Has Five Levels Now
Red Dead Redemption's version of bullet time-style slowdown returns in the sequel, and it has more levels to it. We were able to deduce that Level 1 allows for slowdown, Level 2 allows you to paint targets and unleash a barrage of shots, and Level 3 allows you to manually pick your shooting points. However, Rockstar also mentioned that you had the ability to highlight critical hit points with higher levels, which will come in very handy for making clean kills when hunting animals.
You Can Customise Your Guns
In Red Dead Redemption 2, you're able to examine environmental objects in great detail, and you can do the same to your weapons, by clicking the right analog stick from the weapon wheel. That's handy because it lets you admire the customizations you can perform on them at gunsmiths, like personalized engravings and leather wraps.
Your Guns Can Degrade And Jam
You need to take care of your weapon in Red Dead Redemption 2. You have the option to clean it, which is incredibly important to do regularly because guns can rust and jam due to disrepair and environmental conditions. This one's sure to be a controversial feature, if Far Cry 2, which also featured gun jamming, was anything to go by.
You Can Fire Warning Shots
By having your gun unholstered and holding Up on the d-pad, you can fire warning shots into the air. This is handy for intimidating people, scaring off animals, or generally being a rowdy buffoon while you're riding around.
Shooting Is Not Your Only Option, Try Talking
Aiming at people with your gun holstered will give you access to a contextual menu, which lets you chat to people in the world. You'll often find the option to verbally defuse or agitate situations with other inhabitants in the world, and these interactions seemed quite fluid and natural during our short time with the game. For example, when a carriage rode past us, we had the option to call out to them to stop, greet them in a friendly manner, or antagonize them. We called out to the carriage and were then given the option to hitch a ride among other things, but we took too long to make a decision and the driver rode off. We called out again, and Arthur's dialogue was more unsure and desperate.
The Eyewitness System Returns
The eyewitness system means that nearby onlookers to a crime can report you to lawmen, and like the first Red Dead Redemption, the effect of eyewitnesses can be mitigated if you manage to catch up with them and either kill or bribe them before they report the crime. In the sequel, however, you have more options. You can speak to them in various temperaments in an attempt to intimidate or convince them not to report you, or you can beat them like a heartless jerk.
Melee Combat Has Been Expanded
We weren't able to get into the mechanical intricacies of this one during our demo, but Rockstar reps mentioned that melee combat had been expanded. We were shown a fistfight where Arthur used grapple moves, blocks, and a variety of different punches to knock out his opponent.
Hunting Is More Realistic, Laborious, And Confronting
The ability to hunt animals and sell their meat and pelts returns, but with a more realistic (and therefore more confronting) presentation. Once you successfully kill an animal, you can skin it. But where Red Dead Redemption's skinning animation didn't focus on the animal, Red Dead Redemption 2's most certainly does. You'll see Arthur pull his knife out, get on his hands and knees, plunge his knife into the poor beast, carve the pelt from its flesh, peel it off the body, and roll it up into a bundle. You'll almost certainly wince the first time you see it. Arthur actually carries the pelt now, and he'll need to store it on his horse to free up his hands. Similarly, to get the meat off a hunted animal, you'll manually have to pick up the bloodied carcass and carry it to a butcher. We had to load a hunted deer on our horse and ride it into the nearest town, where we had the option of getting it chopped up into cookable components or simply selling it whole.
Time Is Cruel
Rockstar reps wanted us to know that these meat components had an expiration date--time would eventually take its toll and both the fresh pelt and carcass would start to rot and attract vermin, reducing its value and making us generally unpleasant to be around.
Time To Shave
Time also has an effect on Arthur's hair, which will grow longer over time. Customizing Arthur's haircut and facial hair styling is also dependent on length since you're allowed to cut things shorter, but won't have access to anything that requires more hair--a more realistic take on personal grooming compared to GTA V.
Time To Open
Time will also affect towns over the course of the game. While exploring, we noticed a half-constructed building and were told that these would eventually become new storefronts as days passed.
Stay Clean
NPCs will certainly react to the stink of your rotting deer corpse if you've been around it too long, or just haven't taken a bath in a while. Arthur needs to get clean and change his clothes every once in a while, since townsfolk may refuse to talk or serve him based on his appearance--having a lot of blood on your jacket doesn't attract the best reactions.
You Can Layer Your Clothes
Rockstar reps explained that the game's clothing customization options will be comprehensive--each character will have different sets to coincide with weather conditions, while customizations would allow layering and minor adjustments, like the option to roll up your sleeves or tuck your pants into your boots. It's unclear whether outfits will have perks like RDR1, but we know that the type of clothes you wear will affect Arthur's performance. For example, if you wear a weighty jacket during a hot summer day, your running stamina will take a big hit.
You Get A Camera. Yes, You Can Take Selfies
We started a side quest during our time with Red Dead Redemption 2, and the mission giver handed Arthur a camera. This camera could be used at any time via your inventory, and yes, the first thing we did was take a selfie. These aren't arm-out handheld selfies, though. The mode is titled "self-portrait" and will frame Arthur's whole body as if the camera was set up on a tripod. You'll be able to adjust expressions and poses, too--expect to see a whole bunch of self-portraits depicting Arthur squatting in front of various things.
You Need To Eat
Arthur's core meters are health, stamina, and dead eye, and you'll need to keep him fed with snacks and meals to keep his well-being topped up. If your health or stamina falls below a certain level, Arthur will experience dizziness--he'll have trouble walking, and his vision will be blurry. Arthur can carry snacks on him for a quick boost, but eating meals in town areas and in camp are more effective.
You Can Gain And Lose Weight
Sure, you need to eat. But don't overdo it! Arthur can both lose and gain weight, much like Carl Johnson in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Presumably, you'll also lose weight by performing strenuous physical activities like sprinting.
Get Better By Doing
In our demo, we noticed that stamina limit could be raised by running. This suggests a similar progression system to previous Rockstar Games where your skill with something increases the more you perform that action.
Horses Are Complex Creatures
Your horse will have its own set of health and stamina meters, and like Arthur, you'll need to keep it fed as well. You'll also need to keep it clean and brushed, since it can become less effective, and you can pet your horse, which acts as a mechanism to calm it down after it's been spooked. We were told that bonding with your horse by caring for it and riding it regularly can unlock additional skills and improve responsiveness. During our hands-on, we were able to rear our horse on its hind legs, perform drifts to change direction quickly (apologies to equestrian enthusiasts), and move our horse precisely by performing dressage techniques. You can bond with multiple horses and stable them in different locations around the world, as different breeds will be better suited to certain situations. A Clydesdale warhorse, for example, would be more suitable in a battle than the Tennessee walking horse, which is more of an all-rounder. And yes, they poop.
Your Horse's Saddlebags Hold Everything
Because Arthur can only carry a limited amount of weapons, your horse also acts as your storage. Being in close proximity to your horse will give you access to your entire arsenal, but you'll need to transfer guns onto your person if you decide to stray. You can move your horse without mounting it, thankfully, by grabbing the reins and leading it on foot. This gamut of horse interactions is accessed by Red Dead Redemption 2's new contextual menu, by holding L2 with your gun holstered and aiming at your horse. Also, you can also rob other people's saddlebags. Just make sure no-one is watching.
Side Missions Are Potentially More Involved
The aforementioned side quest was a multi-part mission that we weren't allowed the time to pursue. In it, a biographer fed up with his drunken subject asked Arthur to track down a number of famed gunslingers to ask them about who was the best, with the strong insinuation that we would have to duel them ourselves. We were handed a number of photographs of the targets, each with some handwritten notes on the back. Physically analyzing these notes and photographs was likely the key to narrowing down our search, reminiscent of the Treasure Maps from the first Red Dead Redemption.
Camps Are Complex And Affected By Time
Your camp will not wait for you. We were told that the members of your gang who reside at camp will come and go, and finding out where exactly they've gone from others will be the basis of a number of quests and side quests. We found that the day and night cycle will also affect who you're able to interact with at camp. For example, we looked for our gang's cook to try and fix up some of the deer we had prepared earlier, but he was sleeping, and though we prodded him awake, we didn't feel mean enough to make him cook. The stockpiling of supplies like these is just one of the ways you can affect camp morale. We're told camp morale is an optional mechanic, but keeping this raised can provide Arthur with additional supplies and bonuses.
Gang Members Can Join You In Free-Roam
Rockstar told us that if available, gang members will offer to join you on free-roam activities, giving you access to the same kind of assistance saw in the story missions, like asking them to go ahead and take out an enemy. You can also spend time talking to gang members at camp, including Read Dead 1 protagonist John Martson, and even butt into conversations midway to add your two cents. Unfortunately, due to the time of day in our demo, we didn't have many of these opportunities to explore.
You Can Swap Your Hat
Last, but certainly not least, we noted that while you can easily lose your hat in the midst of a shootout, Arthur can swap his hat for any other hat that just happened to fall off someone else's head by no doing of your own. Because at the end of the day, if you can't wear the hat you want, what is the point of even playing? We'll continue to update this gallery as we discover more things about Red Dead Redemption 2. If you haven't already seen our primary Red Dead Redemption 2 preview covering the story missions we saw, make sure you read Red Dead Redemption 2: We Played It, Here's Everything We Saw.
By Array on Sep 20, 2018 09:50 pm
Last week saw the release of the third new DLC expansion for Destiny 2, Forsaken. It's much larger than the last two, being positioned as the equivalent of the previous entry's game-changing Taken King expansion. Whether it'll add the long-term legs players crave remains to be see, but early signs are encouraging. In the meantime, there is a lot of new stuff to take in--including Exotics (both weapons and armor) for Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans to get their hands on. Be sure to check out our Forsaken review-in-progress for thoughts on what we've played so far. Following the recent changes made as part of the 2.0 update, among the many additions and changes in Forsaken and the 2.0.0.1 update are a new Power level cap, Strikes, story missions, areas to explore, a Raid (now live), Gambit mode, Crucible maps, and much more. But players take part in many of these activities with one goal: to secure new gear, and specifically Exotic weapons and armor. You can always buy some old ones from Xur, but it's the new stuff that's most exciting. There's also new Legendary gear to get through Iron Banner, including a number of weapons and a set of full armor for each classs. No doubt there are many hidden Exotics to uncover, some of which may not be available right away. But already we've either gotten our hands on or been able to preview a ton of the Exotic weapons and armor included, and you can see them above, including one of the new weapon type, bows. We'll continue to expand this as we come across more. One thing to bear in mind is that there are a select number of items that you'll only find on PS4. As with previous Destiny content releases, Sony has a timed exclusivity arrangement that sees certain things released first on PS4. With Forsaken, that includes a Strike called Broodhold, an Exotic weapon called Wavesplitter (pictured above), an Exotic ship (Great Beyond), and an armor set for each class: Thorium Holt (Warlock), Red Moon Phantom (Hunter), and Mimetic Savior (Titan). All of this will eventually release on Xbox One and PC, but not until at least Fall 2019. Forsaken is now live on all platforms. We've got some early impressions, a guide to activating a new Heroic Public Event, and we'll have a Gambit guide soon on how to compete effectively in the new PvE/PvP hybrid mode. Look for much more in the coming days.
Warlock
Warlock
Warlock
Warlock
Titan
Titan
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Hunter
Hunter
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Hunter
By Chris E. Hayner on Sep 20, 2018 06:41 pm
Sure, you can watch Stranger Things at home. Chances are you've done that countless times and loved it. What if you could visit the Upside Down in real-life, though? Yes, an actual Upside Down--some kind of dark dimension filled with slime and dead trees and monsters--might not be your idea of a good vacation. But what if you could take a stroll through a replica that probably won't kill you? That's what Universal Studios has built with its Stranger Things attraction at Halloween Horror Nights in the Hollywood and Orlando parks. The haunted maze pulls visitors into the first season of the Netflix series, retracing the steps of Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) as she searches for her missing son. GameSpot was one of a few outlets to visit Universal Studios Hollywood for a tour of its Stranger Things maze while under construction. During the tour, Universal Studios Hollywood creative director John Murdy spilled many secrets about the new maze and how his team managed to translate a show as spooky and otherworldly as Stranger Things into a live experience. We were also able to snap some photos of the maze--and get our hands on some others for your viewing pleasure. Halloween Horror Nights opens at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando on Friday, September 14 and runs through November 3. It runs on select nights through Halloween. Make sure to check out our coverage of the other TV and movie-based mazes the event is pulling off this year.
Why they needed a soundstage
Though mazes for the event are typically built in massive tents constructed around the park, Stranger Things required something more. When a soundstage on the lot became available, Murdy knew he had his solution. "Only about two months ago Family Feud was filmed in here," he said. "And now we're in." As for why this particular maze demanded a different type of space, there were a couple of reasons. First and foremost, lighting was a concern. "There's a lot of the Upside Down where you needed to have complete control, even though we build mazes in tents and everything," Murdy explained. "Having complete control of the lighting was really important." The other chief reason was a soundstage offers a much higher ceiling than the tents, which leads to some of the biggest sets ever seen in a Horror Nights maze--including a massive scene set in the Hawkins National Laboratory.
Working with the Duffer brothers on the maze
When it comes to creating a maze based on a known property, it always starts with a pitch to the creative teams behind the movie or show. Luckily for Murdy, Stranger Things co-creators the Duffer brothers are fans of Halloween Horror Nights. "I pitched it to Netflix initially," he said. "I didn't personally pitch it to Duffer brothers, [Netflix was] going to present it to them. And so I said, 'Well I'll send you my treatment.' And that's usually about a hundred pages. And they called me as soon as they had the meeting with the Duffer brothers and [were] like, 'You won't believe this, there's no notes.'" While Murdy and his team have been doing this long enough that it's not often that he would get a long list of notes back, "it's rare that you get none." "They agreed 100% with our approach," he said. "They couldn't have agreed more." That approach is to solely focus on Season 1 of the series, rather than a mix of both installments.
Integrating the kids without having them throughout the maze
While Horror Nights mazes are typically filled with actors in costume, Stranger Things presented an odd dilemma. "What to do with the kids was a big decision we had to make because obviously on the show they're all 12," Murdy explained. "We just quickly realized that's not going to work, we got to figure out how to deliver the kids in a different way." The answer was to use audio from the first season--the voices of the kids. "There's 5.1 surround sound system throughout this sequence and multi-channel audio everywhere," he said. "So all throughout the maze, you're hearing the kids on the walkie-talkies calling to each other looking for their friend who's missing." Keep your eyes open, though. You still might see a couple kids along the way.
Recreating the Byers home
When it came to the actual design of the maze, that's where the obsessive work of Murdy and his team began. They poured over the show countless times, studied photos, and tried to recreate everything as closely as possible to what was seen on the show. When it came to the Byers' home, that wasn't necessarily easy. "It's set in the 1980s but really for the Byers that means the '70s because they're not a wealthy family," Murdy admitted. "Most everything they have in this house came from the '70s." That meant sourcing out furniture, recreating wallpaper patterns, and looking for appropriate touches to fill the house with, including rotary phones that the Horror Nights team had to have altered by a special effects company, in order for them to react to what's happening within the maze.
Building Castle Byers--twice
It also meant things outside of the house needed to be built, like Castle Byers--Will's fort that he uses to escape from the real world. To make sure it was accurate to what fans remember, the maze-building team received on-set photography to use as a reference. Murdy said he pulled around 30,000 pictures from the show for reference. And when it comes to Castle Byers, that department has to do it all twice--once for our world and once for the Upside Down, which has its own fort.
How they created the Demogorgon suit
What's a Stranger Things maze without a Demogorgon scaring visitors? Or in the case of Horror Nights, several Demogorgons. If you're going to be stepping into the maze, don't freak out when the beast is suddenly standing in front of you. "This is a full-blown creature suit that our performers are going to be wearing," Murdy teased. How does one create a Demogorgon in real life, though? While originally Murdy planned to use the same molds the show did, there was a problem. "Quickly, you realize how much is CGI," he admitted. "So like when they did the Demogorgon on set, they had a guy in a creature costume but his head inside the head petals was all a big green hood. So all of the teeth and the mouth and the movement was CGI." Instead, the Universal team used an animated "hero" head--one used for certain shots in the series--and sculpted their own version of it for the costume. From the teeth to the head petals, the massive Demogorgon will be haunting the maze, thanks to the event's artists.
Bringing the Upside Down to life
Building the Upside Down created another challenge for the team, due to it being mostly CGI on the series. To recreate that, the Horror Nights team created a forest of trees that look rotten in a pitch-black room. From there, dozens of small fiber optic lights have been hung throughout the area, creating the creepy light orbs seen in the Upside Down. "And then we're projecting on top of all of it," Murdy said. The process of creating this particular piece of the maze took multiple layers and steps, but should ultimately be one of the most impressive pieces of the maze.
And that includes a very dead Barb
Yes, we have all come to terms with the fact that Barb is dead. Still, you wouldn't expect a Stranger Things Season 1 maze to not shout out the untimely death of Nancy's best friend, right? Murdy and his team simply couldn't help themselves when they created this particular dead body to help decorate the Upside Down. Happy trails, Barb.
An Easter egg hunt
What's a fun haunted maze without Easter eggs to search for? Like most of the brand-based mazes that came before it, Stranger Things is filled with fun nods to the rest of the franchise. The only one we could get Murdy to point out takes place in the classroom scene of the maze, which comes near the end. In it, there's a Rube Goldberg device believed to be built by the boys in Season 1. It's the sort of thing where you won't see it if you're not looking too carefully, but noticing it helps to make the experience all the more exciting.
By Chris E. Hayner on Sep 20, 2018 06:37 pm
Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina won't bring its brand of scares until closer to Halloween. If you just can't wait, though, a big batch of photos from the new series has arrived, and they are positively spellbinding. The images are the first introduction the world is being given to a majority of the main characters on Chilling Adventures. While Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) and her journey are obviously front-and-center on the series, the world of Greendale is populated with some very interesting--and peculiar--people that make up her family, friends, and foes. Whether it's her aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda (Lucy Davis), the trio of Weird Sisters that look down on Sabrina, or her boyfriend Harvey (Ross Lynch)--who is somehow completely oblivious to the teen witch's magical antics--there are a number of new faces fans will get to know when the series debuts. Perhaps the most exciting and intriguing piece of the puzzle is Sabrina's cousin Ambrose (Chance Perdomo). After being placed under house arrest by the Witches Council at some point in his life, he's forbidden to leave their shared home. That won't stop him from getting into whatever trouble his cousin is causing, though. Rounding out the cast are Michelle Gomez, Richard Coyle, Jaz Sinclair, and Bronson Pinchot. The first season of the series will consist of 10 episodes, with Netflix having already ordered a second season. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina debuts on the streaming service on October 26, just in time for a Halloween binge. Don't forget to check out the first official teaser for the new series, as well as the 9 shows we think you need to be watching this fall.
Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka)
Harvey Kinkle (Ross Lynch)
The Weird Sisters (Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, and Abigail Cowen)
Aunt Zelda (Miranda Otto)
Aunt Hilda (Lucy Davis)
Mary Wardell/Madam Satan (Michelle Gomez)
Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka)
Father Blackwood (Richard Coyle), Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), Aunt Hilda (Lucy Davis), and Aunt Zelda (Miranda Otto)
Father Blackwood (Richard Coyle)
Ambrose Spellman (Chance Perdomo)
Susie Putnam (Lachlan Watson) and Rosalind Walker (Jaz SInclair)
Nicholas Scratch (Gavin Leatherwood)
Susie Putnam (Lachlan Watson), (Jaz Sinclair), Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), and Harvey Kinkle (Ross Lynch)
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