So much has already been said about Assassin's Creed Odyssey leading up to its release on October 5 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. But here, we have all the bases covered on the series' latest entry in one place. We'll run down many of Odyssey's broader features and go through the basics of what you should know before jumping in. Everything from story to combat tips are outlined below, along with links to more detailed guides if you wish to dig deeper. Note that there are no major story spoilers in this article.
When And Where Is Odyssey Set?
You're probably aware that Assassin's Creed Odyssey takes place in Ancient Greece, but it specifically covers the Peloponnesian War fought between Athens and Sparta. The game opens with a 300-esque battle scene where you take control of King Leonidas of Sparta during the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, then transitions to the start of the main protagonist's story almost 50 years later in 431 BCE.
Greece makes for some breathtaking views.
If you've followed Odyssey since it was first revealed at E3 2018, then you'll know that you can choose between taking on the role of a female or male lead; Kassandra and Alexios are two sides of the same coin and play exactly the same--the main differences are, of course, the voice acting and character model. Your choice also affects the narrative slightly; whoever you choose to play as is made to be the older sibling of the two. You come from Spartan lineage, but the game doesn't force you into aligning with either side of the war since you're a mercenary trying uncover the truth of your family's disappearance.
Prominent Greek figures like Socrates and Hippocrates make appearances throughout Odyssey, and you can interact with them as they offer side quests of their own. While historical fiction has always been the foundation of Assassin's Creed lore, it's never been afraid to incorporate the supernatural. Odyssey takes it a step further by pitting you against mythology itself; one example is a fight against Medusa where you try to avoid getting turned into stone.
Catch Up On Assassin's Creed Lore
This is a long-running franchise, but Odyssey can be a good point to jump into the series. Knowledge of previous events isn't necessarily required to enjoy the new game. However, if you need a refresher on the everything that have taken place up to this point, be sure to read our Assassin's Creed story summary.
How Long Is Odyssey?
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Assassin's Creed Odyssey is huge--its open world is about twice as big as Origins. That may not seem as daunting when you consider the fact that the Mediterranean Sea makes up a large portion of the map and that you'll spend plenty of time sailing the high seas. Regardless, there's still a great deal of ground to cover throughout Greece's mainland and several islands.
As for game length, it's difficult to get an accurate range since every player will engage in a varying number of optional quests and activities along the way. Estimates have been around 50 hours to complete the main story and a decent chunk of side activities. GameSpot editor Alessandro Fillari spent 60 hours with the game for the purposes of his review, and there remain more optional content for him to take part in.
New to the franchise is Exploration Mode. Instead of having waypoints and objective markers littered on screen in the traditional Guided Mode, Exploration Mode puts the onus on you to figure out where to go to complete quests. This means you'll have to pay closer attention to NPC dialogue and investigate the environment more closely.
This is especially true if you take on the optional quest to hunt down a cultist organization. They're a web of mysterious figures with hidden identities scattered throughout Greece and you'll need to do investigative work to locate and assassinate them. Sometimes, you'll happen to take them down in the midst of a side mission that they're involved in, but you'll often have to dig for clues on their whereabouts whether or not you've activated Exploration mode.
Fighting With Style
Odyssey builds off of Origins' combat system, but it introduces some key changes. Shields are no longer an option, which naturally pushes fights towards a faster pace. The skill tree remains divided in three categories attributed to specific playstyles (Hunter, Warrior, and Assassin), but it features some neat new abilities. You may think the Spartan Kick is in the game just for kicks and giggles until you realize that it's super effective for booting enemies off cliffs or creating space in fights. Another setting-appropriate ability is the Rush Assassination that lets you put the Spear of Leonidas to use during long-distance stealth kills.
The skill tree includes several abilities that allow you to tinker with different character builds.
In addition to multiple types of melee weapons (like polearms, swords, and maces), you have a bow that's both useful for attacking long-range and inflicting status effects on enemies. The Arrow Master skill unlocks arrows that can poison, paralyze, or explode on impact, opening up numerous possibilities in combat; combine that with Devastating Shot and your projectiles will be even stronger. The skill tree can be overwhelming at first, but we have a few tips on some good abilities to pick up early and how to use them in clever ways.
Don't worry about min-maxing in the skill tree; you can respec at any time for small cost. This affords you the opportunity to experiment with different combat approaches and character builds.
Setting Sail In The Mediterranean
With multiple islands scattered across Greece, great emphasis is placed on sailing and ship combat in Odyssey, essentially taking a page out of Black Flag's book. Engaging with hostile ships will have you firing arrow barrages, tossing waves of javelins, or using the naval ram to inflict damage. Once an enemy ship's health is depleted, you can either sink it for a small reward or board it with your crew to get better loot. If you board the ship, you'll have to get your hands dirty and fight the opposing crew.
Enemy ships vary in size, health, and strength, so be sure to know what you're up against before engaging. Throughout Odyssey, you'll upgrade your ship and recruit shipmates from quests or smooth dialogue interactions. Different crew members offer specific bonuses and attributes for your ship.
Play Your Part
Odyssey doubles down on RPG elements. There's leveling up, skill trees, gear scores, and numerous optional quests, which was implemented in Origins, but the series dips its toes into branching story threads for the first time. Dialogue trees permeate character interactions and you'll face consequences for your actions whether they be good or bad. The way you decide to complete some quests will affect the resulting narrative and can also spill into the details of other quest-lines; don't be surprised if there are unforeseen consequences and collateral damage.
With branching dialogue comes romance options. You're free to romance as many of the available characters as you want, and the circumstances for which you can romance them may change based on other decisions. Most often, these partners will become part of your ship's crew, which may be a bit of an unceremonious conclusion for love interests. However, these scenarios can play out strangely, and you can see for yourself how romance can feel awkward or forced.
By nature of being an RPG that deals with choice and consequence, there are multiple endings in Assassin's Creed Odyssey; nine to be specific. Unfortunately, you'll be hard-pressed to see them all in one playthrough since key decisions early in the game will affect the possible endings open to you.
You now have more agency in how the story plays out thanks to branching dialogue and quest decisions.
Different Versions, Special Editions, And DLC
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is out soon, but you can still snag the pre-order bonuses offered. Pre-ordering from the Ubisoft Store grants you access to the Blind King mission, Best Buy gifts you a $10 rewards certificate, and GameStop includes the Blind King mission and a Spartan helmet keychain. Aside from the standard edition of the game, there's a Deluxe edition ($80) that includes an XP and drachmae (in-game money) boost, the Kronos and Herald of Dusk gear pack, and the Capricornus naval pack. The Gold edition ($110) packs the DLC season pass, Secrets of Greece and Blind King bonus missions, and lets you start playing now. The Ultimate edition ($120) includes all the aforementioned content from both the Deluxe and Gold editions. There are few other special editions with collector's statues that you check out in our pre-order guide.
PC Minimum And Recommended Specs
For the PC players out there, make sure your system is powerful enough to run the game properly. If you're aiming for 4K resolution with High settings, Ubisoft recommends a system with at least an AMD Ryzen 1700X or Intel Core i7-7700 CPU, AMD Vega 64 or Nvidia GTX 1080 video card, and 16GB of RAM. For those not doing 4K, be sure to read up on the minimum and recommended PC specs to run AC Odyssey smoothly.
Review
You can read or watch our review of Assassin's Creed Odyssey right now; editor Alessandro Fillari concluded: "Assassin's Creed Odyssey's ambition is admirable, which is reflected in its rich attention to detail for the era and its approach to handling the multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead. While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting." For perspectives from other critics on the game, you can read through our review roundup.
As is to be expected from a new project that Rockstar has been working on for years, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredibly dense open-world game that's jam-packed full of details. We recently got to go hands-on with the high-anticipated sequel, and while playing we discovered numerous mechanics and details that go above and beyond those from the original Red Dead Redemption. While the game features improvements to pre-existing mechanics, there are light survival systems this time around. These require you to pay attention to things like your body temperature, gun maintenance, and meat expiration. As fans of the original, all of these new details are surprising and unexpected. But what has us the most enthused about it all is how these mechanics are likely to foster tons of ridiculous shenanigans in the game's world--especially once Red Dead Online releases.
We got to experience many of the new systems at work--most of which you can read about in our comprehensive feature compiling them all. But there were some fascinating standouts we wanted to highlight that we feel will contribute to some of the game's most memorable and entertaining moment-to-moment experiences. Included in this feature are nine of the most unexpected mechanics and details in Red Dead Redemption 2.
If you haven't already seen our Red Dead Redemption 2 preview covering the story missions we saw, make sure to read it for our in-depth impressions on the game. Though, if you want to get caught up with everything there is to know about Red Dead Redemption 2, check out our roundup of everything we've learned about RDR2. In the meantime, what details are you most excited to experience in Red Dead Redemption 2? Let us know in the comments below.
Clothes Make The Outlaw
The game's clothing customization options are comprehensive--each character will have different sets to coincide with hot and cold weather conditions. 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.
Other customizations will allow layering and minor adjustments, like the option to roll up your sleeves or tuck your pants into your boots. Whatever you end up choosing, you're free to craft Arthur into the high plains drifter you want him to be.
You Can Fire Warning Shots And Whistle For Fun
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.
Speaking of possible buffoonery, you can even whistle at people to get their attention or call your horse. And if you keep holding down the button, you can keep whistling until Arthur runs out of breath. Imagine combining both warning shots and whistling; you'll become the countryside menace you've always dreamed of being.
Your Guns Can Degrade And Jam
You need to take care of your weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2. You have the option to clean them, which is incredibly important to do regularly because guns can jam mid-fire due to disrepair and environmental conditions. You don't want to be caught with a rusted gun--lest you seek to dig yourself an early grave.
Hunted Materials Can Rot And Be Damaged
The components you acquire from hunting all have an expiration date. If you're not careful, time will eventually take its toll and both the fresh pelt and carcass you've acquired will start to rot and attract vermin, reducing its value and making you generally unpleasant to be around. Not only that, but if you use a firearm to kill an animal as opposed to an arrow or knife, its pelt will be damaged and will sell for less at local stores.
Cleaning, Grooming, And Feeding Yourself
Speaking of unpleasantness, NPCs will react not just to the stink of your rotting deer corpse, but also if you 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 blood on your jacket doesn't attract the best reactions.
Time also has an effect on Arthur's hair, which actually grow longer. 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 options that require more hair--a more realistic take on customization compared to GTA V. Of course, you're welcome to not pay attention to grooming. In fact, you can totally rock the mountain man look by just letting Arthur's hair and facial hair grow to its max.
Arthur will need to eat to keep his health and stamina meters up, but will also lose and gain weight depending on his food intake. He'll have to stay active in order to keep in top shape.
You Will Get A Camera
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 were 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 on Twitter once the game releases.
You Can Lose Your Hat
If you're not careful, you can easily lose your hat in the midst of a shootout. If you drop your hat, you need to physically pick it back up to get back to looking like a proper outlaw. Though, if you ride away from your hat, it'll appear as an icon on the map. However, it will reappear back on your horse if you go too far away. Alternatively, Arthur can swap his hat for any other one that just happens to fall off someone else's head. Sometimes you just have to adjust your style on the go.
There's A Killcam That Changes Depending On Your Honor
When you take out the final opponent during a gunfight, a killcam will frame that final blow a la Max Payne 3. 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 like those from the classic film Westerns of old.
You Can Break Enemy's 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 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.
Catch A Stage Show
Assuming he isn't too stinky to make it past the ushers, Arthur can kick back and catch a show at the local theater. We're curious the sorts of genre of theater you'll be able to see or what Arthur like watching.
You Can Dance (If You Want To!)
If you find yourself at camp and the mood strikes you, you can break a leg and dance with your gang. The simple moves in the trailer seems fairly traditional, but we'll put good money on there being sillier options whenever Red Dead Online launches.
Horse Dressage And Drifting Techniques
Horses are an important part of Red Dead Redemption 2, but it seems like they're far more capable creatures than they've ever been in previous games. 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.
One of the key areas of Red Dead Redemption 2's gameplay that Rockstar has focused on is how horses work. The bond with your steed is as important as your speed on the draw, and in the upcoming open-world western sequel there will be ample opportunity to ensure main character Arthur Morgan makes the most of his companion.
At a recent hands-on event, we got the opportunity to learn more about how horses work; specifically, how they can be developed. In Red Dead Redemption 2, players will be able to establish and cultivate bonds with their horses. There are a total of four levels a bond can progress through, and each new level provides better response from and control of your horse, in addition to new abilities.
At bond level two your horse will be able to pivot quicker and also do something akin to a skid. Naturally, this will make getting around much easier, and we foresee it being very useful for chase sequences or navigating tighter environments. We're also hoping that we'll be able to drift horses around corners because that would be ridiculous and pretty cool.
As the bond level grows, horses will become more resilient and dedicated to sticking by your side through thick and thin. Early on in the game, they can become spooked by gunfire and other dangerous things in the environment, but the longer you spend caring for it and investing in your relationship, the more fearless a horse becomes. Of course, the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 will throw up all kinds of dangers, and you'll need to ensure your horse is ready for them. In our gameplay demo our level three horse was sent galloping through a swampy area; however, the rattling of snakes and hissing of an alligator freaked it out--clearly it was in need of more training.
Another advantage to spending time bonding with your horses is, eventually, you'll be able to unlock dressage, allowing you to put on a little show for everyone around you. Perhaps a more useful perk, however, is the ability to call your horse over from a greater distance.
As touted in Red Dead Redemption 2's first gameplay trailer, new interactivity options mean that players will have a deeper level of engagement with the world around them. This extends to horses too, since you can calm them, groom them, and generally ensure they're healthy and happy. Horses function as transport, inventory storage, and also as a companion.
Rockstar released a second Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay trailer on October 1, showing off more open-world action. It focused on how the game gets players into missions and activities in a way that feels natural, revealed more about the new Deadeye system, and showed off the first-person mode.
Red Dead Redemption 2's release date has been confirmed as October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A number of special editions will be available, and you can get details on all of them in our Red Dead Redemption pre-order guide. Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode is set to launch as a beta in November. Rockstar has warned players to expect "teething problems," as is typical of most betas.
Only a couple years after Fallout 4's release, Bethesda surprised fans by officially announcing Fallout 76, the next entry in its beloved post-apocalyptic RPG franchise. The new game was revealed in a trailer after a series of teases, and Bethesda discussed it in more detail at E3 2018 and more recently at QuakeCon 2018. While there's still so much we do not yet know about Bethesda's upcoming game, the company has offered some clarity on Fallout 76's most curious features and additions to the Fallout formula.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Fallout 76, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: the platforms it's on, its online functionality, its anti-griefing features, and where the game falls in the series' timeline.
Fallout 76 is a prequel to all of the previous Fallout games. Set in 2102, you play an inhabitant of Vault 76 who emerges from the shelter 25 years after the bombs fell on America. Your task is simple: explore what remains of post-apocalyptic America and rebuild civilization.
Longtime fans will likely recognize Vault 76; although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, this West Virginia-based vault was occupied by 500 of of America's best and brightest minds. Unlike the more grotesque experimental vaults in the Fallout universe, Vault 76 is a control vault intended to be opened 20 or so years after a nuclear war. But if the Vault was supposed to open 20 years after the bombs fell, why have 25 years gone by? The story likely has a few surprises in store.
Fallout 76 uses the Creation Engine, the same engine used to make Fallout 4, but it will purportedly feature much more graphical detail than its predecessor. Game director Todd Howard has said that Fallout 76 has new rendering and lighting technology, which allows for "16 times" the detail.
Who's Developing It?
Bethesda Game Studios, the Maryland-based developer responsible for the Elder Scrolls series and both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is at work on the game. In addition, Bethesda Game Studios Austin--formerly BattleCry Studios--assisted in fine-tuning the Creation Engine to support multiplayer functionality.
Is It An Online Survival Game?
Fallout 76 is a much different sort of game from its predecessors. It's "entirely online," but don't worry, you'll be able to play it solo too. According to Bethesda, the idea to take this approach to open-world survival came four years ago, when it started to work on building a multiplayer Fallout experience. Howard described the game's approach to survival as "softcore," which means death doesn't equal loss of progression.
You can form a party with up to three other players. You won't be able to manage your placement in servers when you login, as you'll automatically be inserted into a session with others upon booting up the game. Of course, you also have the option simply join alongside your friends and play together.
Howard commented that Fallout 76 will have dedicated servers that will support the game "now and for years to come." At launch, there will only be public servers, but Bethesda plans to introduce private servers that will allow players to invite friends to play in order to prevent undesirable behavior.
Some classic mechanics from past games will be changing to accommodate the shift to online play. For example, V.A.T.S has been reconfigured to work in real time, while still allowing players to target specific enemy body parts. But this time around, it has been updated to be more of a tool that allows you to spot out dangers in the environment.
How Big Is The World?
According to Howard, Fallout 76's world is four times the size of Fallout 4. There are six different regions to explore, and each has its own unique style, risks, and rewards. Confirmed areas include the West Virginia State Capitol, The Greenbrier, Woodburn Circle, New River Gorge Bridge, and Camden Park. Contained within each area is a variety of new creatures to encounter, some of which are based on West Virginian folklore.
What Can You Do?
Like previous games, players will spend the majority of their time exploring and completing quests. However, Fallout 76 will not feature any human non-player characters, as all surviving humans will be controlled by active players. Instead, the game will use combination of robot NPCs, collectible recordings, and environmental storytelling in order to give players what they need to piece together quests and the story at large.
Given the game's premise of rebuilding the world, there will be base-building elements similar to Fallout 4. You will be able to set up a bases anywhere using an item called the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform, or CAMP. These can be placed down in the world and allow you to construct an impromptu camp. At E3, we got to see the player laying down walls and decorating the base with pool tables, toilets, and other household objects. As the "mobile platform" part of the name implies, your CAMP can also be picked up and relocated, allowing you to move your base anywhere in the world.
While you can help build the world, you can also destroy it. If you have the necessary nuclear launch codes, it's actually possible to access a missile silo to fire a nuke at any point on the map. Doing so irradiates the chosen area, but it also allows for the opportunity to discover rare weapons, gear, and items. Be wary; nuking an area also causes more powerful enemies to show up, making it more difficult to survive. But don't be discouraged by this, the CAMP blueprint system makes it easy for players to quickly rebuild their homes, and if they're privy to an incoming threat, they can pack their things and move to a new location.
As an online experience, player choice is said to be incredibly important, going as far as giving players the freedom to choose who are the heroes and who are the villains. Early footage showcased multiple players engaging in combat and participating in friendly activities, which seems to indicate that players have the freedom to choose their paths in the world of Fallout 76.
How Does Character Creation And Progression Work?
You'll have similar character creation tools as Fallout 4. However, you're free to change your appearance at any point. In addition, you can also utilize the game's new photo mode during the creation process to better see how your character looks, as well as snap some shots you can share on social media.
The SPECIAL system returns and it's a bit different. Like previous games, SPECIAL encompasses the following stats: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck. You're given one point to put into any of those stats every time you level up. The first thing you do when you emerge from the vault is pick a SPECIAL and then you pick a perk in that particular SPECIAL. Essentially, every SPECIAL is a pool of points for your perks.
But unlike previous games, perks are now cards you can equip and unlock as you rank up in a given SPECIAL; though, you're free to swap cards out at any time if you want to alter your build. Each SPECIAL characteristic you develop has a perk card cap of 15. These perk cards can be enhanced further from one to five points to increase their power.
You can obtain additional perk cards via Perk Card Packs (four random cards), which you earn every two levels initially (1-10), and then every 5 after that. You can also pick one perk card per level, usually from your SPECIAL choice. There are hundreds of Perks cards you can unlock, so naturally SPECIAL ranks cap out after a while (you gain a rank up in a SPECIAL each time you level up). At level 50, you'll stop increasing SPECIAL ranks, but you'll still get card packs.
How Does PvP Work?
When you shoot someone you do a little bit of damage, which can be equated to lightly slapping them in order to challenge them to a duel. In response to this, the other player can choose to ignore or engage. If they engage in a battle with you, they'll start to take full damage. The one who is killed in this consenting PvP match has the option to seek revenge. Doing so gives that person the opportunity to get double the rewards granted they're successful.
If you'd rather choose to ignore a PvP match, there's no way to escape being killed--despite the small damage dealt to you during the initiation phases. However, if you are killed by a player under these circumstances, that player becomes a Wanted Murderer and will receive no rewards from having killed you.
A Wanted Murderer is marked on the map as a red star and a bounty is placed on their head. Players looking to cash in on this bounty aren't visible on the Murderer's map. If the murderer is killed, the money from that bounty is taken out their stock.
In order to give players time to properly acclimate to how Fallout 76 plays, PvP won't be available to players until level five. And if you perish from any PvP encounter, the only thing you'll lose is the junk you've been collecting, which can be reclaimed after death if not already picked up by other players. You can always store junk in stashes found around the world, so as to safeguard a portion of your stock. Armor and weapons are retained in your inventory after death.
Any Voice Chat?
It's possible to chat with your teammates and even strangers you discover out in the world. It's area-based so your ability to hear other plays will vary. But if you want nothing to do with strangers, it's possible to mute their voices entirely.
When's the Beta?
Fallout 76's beta will be available exclusively to those who preorder the game. Bethesda said that it will begin selecting participants from the pool of pre-orders on October 23 on Xbox One first. The plan is to start small and expand over time with PS4 and PC to follow on October 30. For more details, you can check out Bethesda's Fallout 76 FAQ for more details on how to redeem your code.
Release Date
Fallout 76 is being developed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and is currently scheduled to be released on November 14. Unfortunately, there's no word about a Nintendo Switch release, which didn't seem out of the question after the Skyrim re-release made it to that platform.
Robert Kirkman, writer and co-creator of The Walking Dead comics that have spawned a massive franchise, offered some hope for Telltale fans at New York Comic-Con. Speaking at a Q&A panel, Kirkman suggested he knows of the current efforts to resolve the unfinished story from The Walking Dead: The Final Season, and he seems to expect it to work out.
Asked by a fan if he'll be writing Clementine into the comics to resolve her story and pick up the slack left by the unfinished season, Kirkman didn't commit, but implied wheels are in motion in other ways.
"Stay tuned," he said. "Everyone involved is trying to make sure Clementine's story is told. I'm not concerned at the moment with telling that story in the comics."
Telltale Games, the studio behind the ongoing Walking Dead game series, recently had a mass layoff that effectively cancelled many of its current projects--including The Walking Dead. This was an especially difficult cancellation for many fans, as the game was in the middle of what was billed as its final season, resolving the story of Clementine that had gone back for years. Telltale had been going through troubles for quite some time, but hoped to finish the final season.
Facing criticism for continuing to sell the season pass with no intention of finishing the season, Telltale pulled it from storefronts. That may be temporary, though, as the studio says it's looking at "multiple potential partners" to finish the season. That may be what Kirkman is referring to, and he doesn't seem especially keen to step in and finish the story himself in the comics. If those game deals fall through, though, we could still see Clementine's story finish in some other medium.
After the amazing gaming year that was 2017, many wondered how well 2018 would turn out. Fortunately for everyone, it has been great. The first half of the year has yielded a wealth of fantastic games, and there's more on the horizon. Upcoming games for the rest of this 2018 include slew of hotly anticipated new games, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, and a whole lot more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out and what has already released, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2018 so far.
Game release dates change all the time and new ones arrive every month. Be sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating this article with more release dates or any potential changes to any of the dates below. And if you're eager to figure out the release dates from games next year, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2019.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime this year. There are also games listed that we expect to launch in 2018. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
We're now into the second week of Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 6, which recently went live on all platforms. Along with its many other additions--map changes among them--that means a new Battle Pass is now available for purchase. As is standard, you can buy it for 950 V-Bucks (about $10 in the US), and Epic estimates it will take about 75-100 hours to unlock all of its goodies. This season gets spooky with some distinctly Halloween-themed loot as "Darkness Rises."
Buying into the Battle Pass lets you complete seasonal and weekly challenges to earn XP and gain cosmetic unlockables. Each Battle Pass has 100 levels to earn in all, so grinding out the highest tiers of rewards takes quite a while. As a shortcut, you can also buy additional tiers for 150 V-bucks each, or a bundle of the Battle Pass and 25 tiers for 2,800 V-Bucks ($25 in the US).
This season, you're competing for skins, back bling, and emotes that look an awful lot like Halloween costumes. Those include a robot llama DJ, a grinning fruit-head, Red Riding Hood, and a big bad wolfman. The level 100 reward is the Dire skin, which progressively transforms you into a werewolf as you level it up. You can check out our full rewards gallery for everything you could earn.
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This season also adds Pets that can follow you around the battlefield and dynamically react to whatever you're doing. So far there are three pets: Bonsey, a dog; Scales, a baby dragon; and Camo, a chameleon. These are also available as cosmetic rewards, so you can further customize your character to your liking.
What was Riot doing for the six months between then and now? Did it go on a killing spree across Malaysia? Was it dormant or hibernating--something the movie never gives any hint that Symbiotes might be capable of? Was it biding its time pretending to be someone's grandma? That blatant plot hole has nothing to do with Venom's general 1990s cheesiness as a character, or the considerable challenge of trying to make a Venom movie without a single reference to Spider-Man. It's just good, old fashioned, avoidable sloppiness.
Don't get me wrong: The lack of Spider-Man does cause problems. Specifically, the entire premise--that Venom chooses to stick around on Earth, attach itself permanently to Eddie Brock, and betray its entire species--doesn't really work in this movie. In the books, Venom's obsession with Spider-Man gives it common purpose with Eddie, and cutting Spidey out of the equation necessitates something take his place as their end goal. The movie tries to get around that by clumsily painting Eddie and Venom as Breakfast Club style lovable "losers" (actual, direct quote: "On my planet, I am kind of a loser, like you"). It's nonsensical, implausible, under-explained, and tonally weird; that line is easily the movie's biggest laugh, but not in a good way.
Venom is surprisingly funny, mostly in the verbal abuse the Symbiote whispers directly into Eddie's brain, usually after Tom Hardy's character does something Venom considers cowardly or embarrassing. When Eddie holds his hands up in surrender to law enforcement, Venom laments that he's "making us look bad;" when Eddie opts to take the elevator rather than jumping from a skyscraper, Venom calls him a "pussy." These moments are deliberately played for laughs, and they land well enough. The bigger problem is why an alien parasite from space talks like a frat bro, or, extrapolating further, why it needs eyes and teeth if its main form is a shapeless, pulsing black goo. These essential curiosities of Venom as a character are never so much as acknowledged, much less explained.
On the plus side, Venom and the other Symbiotes look pretty good in this movie. The CG work is somewhat inconsistent, and it definitely goes through ups and downs when it comes to raw fidelity. But unlike in his other live action incarnations (looking at you, Spider-Man 3), Venom actually looks like Venom here. The alien comes off as both lithe and powerful; it leaps around gracefully, but its hulking form also exudes menace and strength. The visual effect of Venom's vicious visage wrapping itself over Eddie's head is creatively executed, and Symbiote-on-Symbiote fight scenes play out in unexpected ways, with human hosts and alien parasites struggling to remain linked while trying to rip and tear their opponents apart.
Michelle Williams does just fine as Anne, although her attachment to Eddie is really inexplicable, as the two have zero chemistry. Even weirder is the willingness of her new doctor boyfriend (Reid Scott) to administer Eddie multiple MRI screenings, even after Eddie interrupts their fancy lunch date by climbing into a lobster tank (the Symbiote affects him in some truly strange ways).
Riz Ahmed does a great job as the megalomaniacal head of the Life Foundation, totally selling his character's belief that humans will have to mutate themselves using alien parasites if we want to survive climate change. That said, it's a pretty thin motivation, and Dr. Carlton Drake is an utterly one note villain. To be honest, the only character who actually experiences any kind of growth or change is the scientist played by comedian and actress Jenny Slate, who is terrific in this movie--and, unfortunately, underused.
Venom has all the ingredients of a decent superhero movie--10 or 15 years ago. With spotty CGI, poorly drawn characters, tonal inconsistency including forced "edginess" and awkward humor, sidelined female characters, and even cringeworthy licensed musical cues, it feels like a relic from the distant, pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe past. That may in part be attributed to the fact that it's been in production in one form or another since at least 2008. But its problems go way past simply being "old school," and ultimately, Venom lacks the charm, clarity, and ambition superhero fans have come to expect.
Epic Games has released update 6.01 for Fortnite and, alongside it, the full patch notes detailing everything new and everything that has been changed. While not as significant as the last patch, which kicked off Season 6, this content update does add in a new item for Battle Royale called the Chiller.
"Don't get cold feet! Freeze your foes and slide around for a quick getaway," reads the official description. The Chiller is a large trap that encases an enemy player's feet in ice on contact, causing them to slide around. Check out the video below to see it in action.
[Update: Shortly after the update went live, Epic reported it was aware of and working on partying issues. It's now taken a step toward fixing it by disabling Goalbound skins temporarily. If you have one equipped, Epic says you might need to change it to avoid encountering issues while it's disabled.]
Epic also resolved an issue that caused the Soaring 50s limited-time mode to be temporarily unavailable. It's set to be replaced by another new mode soon that centers around dancing, but we don't yet have an exact launch time for that as of yet. There's also no word on the Halloween skins that leaked.
The other big addition in this update is custom Playground options which allow you to tweak settings such as health, time of day, gravity, and more. Take a look at the full patch notes below, which details the new additions, as well as the other tweaks to gameplay and performance. You can also see how the patch changes Fortnite's Save The World mode here--the major addition is that of a new weapon.
Limited Time Mode: Playground
Playground Custom Options
Added more options to Playground. Allowing you to change settings such as starting health, time of day, gravity, and more!
Weapons + Items
Chiller added.
Common Trap.
Can be placed on floors, walls, or ceilings.
Drops in stacks of 3 in Treasure Chests, Supply Drops, Vending Machines, Supply Llamas, and floor loot.
Applies icy feet to friends or foes, causing them to slide around with low friction.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that could cause vehicles to become uncontrollable.
Gameplay
Made improvements to the motion controls for the Switch to make it feel more accurate and responsive.
Bug Fixes
Pets are now hidden along with your character when the camera is too close to you.
Toys now respect the streamer mode setting for player names in minigame messages.
Slightly increased the hitbox size on the Fancy Tomato to match its visual size.
Audio
The following adjustments have been made to Glider audio tells:
Muffled the audio if there isn't a clear line of sight between you other gliding players.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where incorrect audio would play when a teammate was eliminated.
UI
Bug Fixes
Added star ratings to the UI elements of all trap items.
Mobile
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where players occasionally couldn't interact with items.
Fortnite Season 6 began on September 27 and, at the same time, the floating island that rose from Loot Lake began moving around the map. It is leaving strange craters in its wake and, as of yet, we're not sure what this means, though fans are speculating it could be building up to a new event. Epic also added new cosmetics to unlock, which you can see in our Fortnite Season 6 Battle Pass rewards gallery. You can also find tips for all the latest challenges in our Season 6 challenge roundup.
Avengers 4 looks to be the culmination of a years-long story arc, and if Avengers: Infinity War is any indication, it could lead some of our heroes to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. In an emotional thank you, Chris Evans (who plays Steve Rogers aka Captain America) seemed to indicate it could be his own character on the chopping block--or at least we're meant to think he is.
Calling it an "emotional day" and noting the amount of time he played the character definitely implies a sense of finality, but that doesn't necessarily mean Cap is a goner. Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4, have gone to great lengths to protect plot reveals--even going so far as to produce a fake-out version of a scene for the Infinity War trailer that never appeared in the finished film.
Officially wrapped on Avengers 4. It was an emotional day to say the least. Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful.
It's possible Evans was recruited by the Russos to set out audience expectations so they can be subverted later. It's also possible, of course, that he is putting the character to bed and sincerely got caught up in the moment. Or all this tea-leaf reading is meaningless because he was just showing appreciation to the crew after a very long shoot.
For the time being, fans are attempting to guess the title of the next movie, which Marvel has kept carefully under wraps. Writer Christopher Markus said the next film will be very different, summarizing it as: "We broke your heart. Now we're going to blow your mind."
The online PC game retailer GOG is celebrating its 10th anniversary by giving away a free game to anyone who wants it. Between now and October 6, you can head over to GOG and get a free copy of Shadow Warrior 2--a game that normally sells for $40. To take advantage of the deal, all you need is a free GOG account. You can get the free game here.
The giveaway is the result of a poll the company ran earlier in the week that let customers vote on which game would be free to download. The vote was between Shadow Warrior 2, Firewatch, and Superhot. If you were hoping to get one of the other games for free, all is not lost; for a limited time, they're available at sizable discounts. You can get Firewatch for 75% off ($5) and Superhot for half price ($12.50).
Shadow Warrior 2 is a mystical first-person action game in which you play as an assassin-for-hire named Lo Wang. One thing that's unusual about this game is that Wang is as quick with a penis joke as he is with a gun. In addition to fast-paced sword and firearm combat, this game is drenched in juvenile humor that may appeal to you or repel you, depending on how funny you find jokes about bodily functions and genitals.
The game can be played solo or with up to three friends online. In GameSpot's 8/10 Shadow Warrior 2 review, Mat Paget was less fond of the humor than of the combat. He wrote, "Thankfully for Shadow Warrior 2, it's still a great game to play. Picking off enemies one-by-one with a railgun, demolishing them point-blank with a shotgun, and ripping through them with a chainsaw are just a few of the exciting moments that make it hard to put down."
If that sounds like your kind of game, make sure to grab it before it goes back to $40 on October 6.
We're now in Week 2 of Fortnite Season 6 and with a whole new Battle Pass that means there's plenty of new cosmetics to unlock. One of the ways to do this is by completing the weekly challenges. To make that a quicker, easier task we've got a breakdown of everything you need to do. As with the previous season, challenges are split into two categories, with one set available to everyone and a second set exclusively for those that purchase a Battle Pass. Complete the mini-quests and you'll earn Battle Stars that level up your Battle Pass to unlock rewards.
In the free section you'll need to use a Shadow Stone in three different matches, complete stage one of a multi-part challenge by dealing 200 points of damage with an Assault Rifle, and visit all of the Corrupted Areas (more on that below). In the paid Battle Pass section the challenges all involve getting into combat, with one asking you to kill an opponent from at least 50m away, while another requires you to take out three players with an SMG. Take a look below for the full list of challenges.
The Visit all of the Corrupted Areas challenge is pretty straightforward as they're clearly visible on the in-game map (we've also included a map below). For those that haven't been keeping up, Corrupted Areas appeared on the Fortnite island at the start of Season 6 and are, in part, the creation of a giant, mysterious cube currently floating around. When you bring up your map in-game you'll spot purple hotspots with runes in the middle, these are the locations you'll need to visit. One of the corrupted areas you'll need to visit is the floating island which started off at Loot Lake but has since been moving around. It's currently located west of Shifty Shafts.
Helpfully, the Corrupted Areas also tend to have an abundance of Shadow Stones peppered around them, so if you spot them make sure to grab them as you'll need to use one in three different matches to complete another of this week's challenges. You can watch the video above to see us complete the challenge.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 2 Challenges
Free
Visit all of the Corrupted Areas (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Shadow Stone in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Deal damage with standard Assault Rifles to opponents (200) -- 3 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Eliminate an opponent from at least 50m away (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Pistols to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Star
SMG eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Deal damage with Hunting Rifles to opponents (200) -- 10 Battle Stars
If you'd like to see all the cosmetics included in the latest Battle Pass, check out our gallery of all of Fortnite Season 6's new skins, sprays, emotes, and more. For Season 6 developer Epic Games also introduced Pets, which hang with you as you go about your adventures on the island and react to things happening around them in adorable ways. You can read all about Pets, as well as the other new additions and changes, in the full Fortnite update 6.0 patch notes. Since the launch of Season 6 and the patch, Epic has released update 6.01, which included a new trap called the Chiller.
Bandai Namco has released the official Jump Force character reveal trailer for Yugi Mutou, the protagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh. Yugi will be joining the growing roster of Shonen Jump characters in the upcoming arena brawler.
Yugi isn't as capable a fighter as the other characters that have already been confirmed to appear in Jump Force. So instead of throwing a punch himself, Yugi summons the monsters and effects from the Yu-Gi-Oh card game to do the fighting for him. In his character reveal trailer, we see Yugi mostly rely on Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, but the video also ends with what's probably his ultimate attack: summoning the Egyptian God Card, Slifer the Sky Dragon.
Jump Force takes all of Shonen Jump's most memorable characters and throws them into one three-on-three tag team fighting video game. The game's story is about the Shonen Jump universe crashing into our world, allowing its villains to wreck havoc on our reality. In response, Shonen Jump's heroes decide to unite to stop the spread of evil and separate the two worlds.
In Jump Force's announcement trailer, Bandai Namco revealed Naruto's Naruto, Dragon Ball's Guko and Frieda, One Piece's Luffy, and Death Note's Light and Ryuk would be in the game, although the Death Note characters would not be playable. Bandai would follow up with reveals that characters from both Bleach and Hunter x Hunter would be in Jump Force as well.
Jump Force is being made in celebration of 50 years of Shonen Jump manga and anime. The game is scheduled to release in 2019 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who directed Paranormal Activity 3 and Paranormal Activity 4, are writing and directing the Mega Man film, which is tentatively titled "Mega Man." Planet of the Apes studios 20th Century Fox is distributing the movie; Chernin Entertainment is producing.
Heroes actor Masi Oka is producing as well.
"Based on the influential and globally beloved Mega Man franchise, Capcom aims to appeal to a diverse audience, including not only game players but action movie fans as well, with an adaptation that maintains the world of the Mega Man games, while incorporating the grand production and entertainment value that Hollywood movies are known for," Capcom said in a news release.
This will be the first Mega Man movie, but the franchise already came to TV in the form of the animated show Mega Man: Fully Charged. There is no word on when the movie will be released or who will star in it. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
Director Jon Favreau has shared more details on his upcoming live-action Star Wars TV show. In a post on Instagram, Favreau suggested the show will focus on the Mandalorian. As we already knew, the show is set seven years after the events of 1983's Return of the Jedi, and it will feature new characters. Favreau's new Instagram post contains even more new details, specifically that the show will follow a "lone gunfighter."
"After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe," reads a line from the description. "The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic..."
The program will air on Disney's new streaming service. The service launches in 2019, but it's unclear when the new Star Wars show may arrive. The Mandalorian is one of "several" Star Wars shows in development. There is no word on who may star in any of the shows.
Favreau is an accomplished director whose credits include films like Elf, Iron Man, and Iron Man 2, as well as the recent box office smash The Jungle Book for Disney. He's teaming up with Disney again for The Jungle Book 2 and the new Lion King film, in addition to the Star Wars show. Favreau is also a veteran actor, having appeared in TV shows and movies like Friends, Deep Impact, and I Love You, Man, among many others.
Week 2 of Fortnite Season 6 has arrived, which means there's a new set of challenges for players to undertake on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile. As has been the case recently, the new challenges are divided up into two categories--those available to everyone, and those reserved for players who've purchased a Season 6 Battle Pass--and completing them will earn you XP and unlock some of the new Season 6 rewards.
The challenge that requires the most legwork this week is to visit all of the Corrupted Areas, which began cropping up around the map after the locations were visited by the mysterious purple cube toward the end of Season 5. There are seven of these Corrupted Areas scattered around the island, and completing the challenge is simply a matter of heading to all of them over the course of several matches. You can see where all of them our in our dedicated Corrupted Areas challenge guide.
Beyond that, the rest of Week 2's challenges are fairly straightforward. One has you use a Shadow Stone in three different matches, which can be accomplished easily enough as you're traveling to different Corrupted Areas, as that is where the stones most readily appear. Most of the other challenges involve either eliminating or dealing damage to other players using a particular weapon. You can the full list of Week 2's challenges--and the rewards they bestow--below.
If you've already finished all of last week's challenges and complete this latest set, you'll also complete the Week 2 Hunting Party challenge. The reward for this is a special loading screen pointing to a free item hidden somewhere around the map. Rather than the usual Battle Star, however, the item this time is a free banner. If you need help finding it, be sure to check out our Week 2 Hunting Party challenge guide.
Season 6 of Fortnite kicked off last week, on September 27, and it's introduced a ton of new cosmetic items and other rewards to get your hands on, including adorable Pets that you can carry around on your back. You can see all of them in our Season 6 rewards gallery. These are unlocked as you complete challenges and level your Battle Pass up. If you need pointers, you can find tips for all of the challenges available thus far in our Season 6 challenge roundup.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 2 Challenges
Free
Visit all of the Corrupted Areas (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Shadow Stone in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Deal damage with standard Assault Rifles to opponents (200) -- 3 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Eliminate an opponent from at least 50m away (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Pistols to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Star
SMG eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Deal damage with Hunting Rifles to opponents (200) -- 10 Battle Stars
October is here, which means The Pokemon Company is giving away a new pair of Legendary Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. We're in the penultimate month of the Year of Legendary Pokemon promotion, and this time around, you'll be able to get your hands on the cover mascots from Pokemon Black and White: Reshiram and Zekrom.
Once again, if you live in the US, you'll need to travel to a specific retailer to pick up a download code for the Legendaries. This time, the code is being distributed in the electronics section of Target stores from October 19-28. Those who live in Europe and Australia, meanwhile, will be able to get the Pokemon without leaving the comfort of their home; the Legendaries are being given out over the Nintendo Network in those regions from October 5-21.
As usual, the Legendaries can be redeemed in any seventh generation Pokemon game on 3DS, but which one you receive depends on the version you're playing. Those with Sun or Ultra Sun will get Zekrom, while players who have Moon or Ultra Moon will get Reshiram. The Pokemon will also come with different levels and movesets depending on your game. You can see all of the details below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Zekrom -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Fusion Bolt
Bolt Strike
Outrage
Stone Edge
Pokemon Sun
Zekrom -- Level 60
Slash
Zen Headbutt
Fusion Bolt
Dragon Claw
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Reshiram -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Fusion Flare
Blue Flare
Draco Meteor
Earth Power
Pokemon Moon
Reshiram -- Level 60
Slash
Extrasensory
Fusion Flare
Dragon Pulse
You can redeem your download code for the Legendaries using the Mystery Gift feature from the games' main menu. After selecting it, choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password, then input your download code when prompted. If you live in Europe or Australia, you'll need to select the option to receive your gift via the internet. Once that's done, the Pokemon will be downloaded into your game. You'll then need to pick it up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
Pokemon fans will soon have a chance to get their hands on October's free Legendary Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, but those aren't the only rare monsters up for grabs this month. To commemorate the release of the upcoming Lost Thunder expansion for Pokemon TCG, The Pokemon Company is also giving away a rare Mythical Pokemon for the 3DS games this month: the Thunderclap Pokemon Zeraora.
First revealed this past April, Zeraora is a fast, cat-like Electric-type monster debuting in the latest Pokemon movie, The Power of Us. This marks the first opportunity players will have to get their hands on one; like other Mythical Pokemon, Zeraora isn't obtainable within the actual games, so you'll want to add one to your collection while you can.
As usual, the way you'll be able to get Zeraora depends on where you live. In the US, players can pick up a download code for the Mythical Pokemon at GameStop stores from October 19 to November 19; in the UK, The Pokemon Company is distributing codes for Zeraora at Game stores from October 1 to November 15.
Unlike most of the other free Pokemon given out this year, you can only redeem the Zeraora code in either Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon. Regardless of which version you claim it in, the Pokemon comes at level 50 and is equipped with an Air Balloon, an item that negates Ground-type attacks until it is popped. It also knows the moves Plasma Fist, Thunder Punch, Close Combat, and Thunder.
To redeem your download code, first select Mystery Gift from the games' main menu, then choose the option to receive your gift via a code/password. Input your code and Zeraora will be downloaded into your game. You'll then need to pick it up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
In addition to Zeraora, The Pokemon Company will give away two Legendary Pokemon originally from the Black and White versions this month: Reshiram and Zekrom. More details on that distribution will be announced soon. In the meantime, you can see all the free Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon available right now.
Latios and Latias aren't the only Legendary Pokemon players can pick up for free this month. To celebrate the release of the newest Pokemon TCG expansion, Dragon Majesty, The Pokemon Company has announced it is giving away a free Poipole in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon--but as usual, the way to claim it will vary by region. [Update: The Shiny Poipole distribution is scheduled to end this week, on October 7, making this your last chance to claim a download code for one if you still haven't.]
Originally unveiled under the codename UB Adhesive, Poipole is one of the new Ultra Beasts introduced in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, meaning you'll need to own one of those two versions to receive it. What makes this particular Poipole special is that it's a Shiny; unlike most of the ones you're likely to encounter in the game, this one is white and gold rather than the usual purple.
In the US, the Shiny Poipole will be given away as a download code at GameStop stores from September 17 - October 7. In the UK, players will be able to pick up a code for the Pokemon at Smyths stores from September 17 - October 15. Poipole will be distributed throughout the rest of Europe in the September Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter.
Unlike most of the other Legendary Pokemon given away this year, this Poipole comes at level 40 and isn't carrying any held items. It also knows the moves Venom Drench, Nasty Plot, Poison Jab, and Dragon Pulse. It needs to know the latter move and level up in order to evolve into the Poison/Dragon Pokemon Naganadel.
The aforementioned Latios and Latias are this month's free gifts as part of the ongoing Year of Legendary Pokemon promotion. The pair are claimable in any seventh-generation Pokemon game, although the one you receive will depend on which version you own. You can read how to get them here. You can also see the other freebies available now in our roundup of all the free Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse unabashedly pays homage to its comic book roots with a veritable league of Spider-people from dimensions crossing paths. The first trailer showed us the traditional Spider-Man and Miles Morales, with a brief glimpse of Gwen Stacy's "Spider-Gwen," but the new trailer showed off no less than six Spideys. Who are all these people?
First, a word about the Marvel multiverse. Marvel has established different continuities for its characters. To organize them, it has a "Multiverse," with different numbers corresponding to different realities. The main continuity in Marvel comics is Earth-616, which includes the vast majority of Marvel comics over the years. Other universes might be full of zombies or cross over with DC comics. Even our own actual reality, where superheroes and villains don't exist, is given a number in the Multiverse.
The Spider-beings from the Into the Spider-Verse trailer hail from several different dimensions, or versions of Earth. Some are minor variations on established continuity, while others are wild or comedic departures.
Spider-Man (Earth-616)
This is the main Marvel continuity, and the one occupied by Peter Parker, the traditionally recognized Spider-Man. In Into the Spider-Verse, Parker is an experienced superhero played by Jake Johnson.
Miles Morales (Earth-1610)
Miles Morales first occupied the Ultimate continuity, which had its own Ultimate versions of X-Men, Fantastic Four, and even Peter Parker's Spider-Man. However, in the Ultimate continuity, a young boy named Miles Morales was bitten by an experimental spider engineered to imitate Spider-Man's powers. Soon after, Peter Parker died protecting the city, inspiring Miles Morales to follow in his footsteps. He has similar powers as well as some unique ones like a cloaking ability. In the film he's played by Shameik Moore.
Spider-Gwen (Earth-65)
Spider-Gwen occupies an alternate reality in which Gwen Stacy was bitten by a radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker. She became Spider-Woman, aka The Ghost Spider. In her own twist on the tragic backstory, her best friend Peter Parker himself became this universe's version of the Lizard, and she accidentally killed him during a battle. She is played by Hailee Steinfeld.
Spider-Man Noir (Earth-90214)
This alternative take on the character is still Peter Parker, but set in the 1920s and 1930s. In this darker take on the character, Parker gains his superpowers in a very similar manner to the main continuity, and uses them to take down a crime boss named The Goblin. The primary differences are his costume and the setting. He's played by Nicolas Cage.
Spider-Ham (Earth-8311)
Hailing from a universe in which the recognized heroes are anthropomorphized animals, the pig Peter was given superpowers through an accident with his caretaker, May Porker. He's surrounded by similar animal parodies like Hulk-Bunny, Ducktor Doom, and Deerdevil. Spider-Ham is played by John Mulaney.
Peni Parker (Earth-14512)
A distinctly anime take on the iconic character, Peni Parker is a schoolgirl whose father piloted a robot known as the SP//dr. Pilots are chosen by a sentient spider that forms a mental link with the mech pilots. Peni takes control of piloting the SP//dr after her father dies. She is played by Kimiko Glenn.
Oh, One More Thing
Six Spider-persons seems like plenty, but this trailer squeezed in one more cameo appearance or Easter egg. Marvel's Spider-Man, the recent PlayStation 4 game, has its own continuity as Earth-1048. The animators paid it homage with a small glimpse of his suit, appearing in the background between Peter and Aunt May in one scene.
We might still be in the early days of October but Sony has revealed what games PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download for free and play on their PS4s come November. The official PlayStation website currently has a neat little graphic outing Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition and Yakuza Kiwami as November's PS Plus freebies.
There will likely be additional titles for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita, but Bulletstorm and Yakuza Kiwami are the headliners. Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is a remaster of the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC shooter developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly. It launched in April 2017 and received an 8/10 from GameSpot, with reviewer Scott Butterworth saying "the experience absolutely holds up." He continued: "The skillshot system remains wildly fun and inventive, the weapons are still a gruesome joy, and the writing...well, it's as distinctive as ever." You can read the full Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition review for our full take.
Yakuza Kiwami is also another remake, this time of Sega's PS2 classic. The new and improved version released in 2017 and was received well. In GameSpot's Yakuza Kiwami review Peter Brown said it "does a great job as both a remake of the original Yakuza game and as a sequel to Zero. Despite that combat remains more of a bump in the road than a rewarding pursuit, it's a no-brainer for existing fans of the series, and shouldn't be overlooked by newcomers, even if Zero passed them by. There's nothing else quite like Yakuza, and Kiwami isn't afraid to show it."
October's title are currently available to download and include Friday the 13th: The Game and Laser League for PS4. Master Reboot is available for PS3, while Rocketbirds 2: Evolution, 2064: Read Only Memories, and The Bridge are available for PS Vita (and also PS4 via Cross Buy). You can learn more about October's PS Plus titles here.
Epic has been introducing new items and weapons to Fortnite on a nearly weekly basis since the title's become a global hit, but to keep the item pool balanced, the developer also periodically moves some into the "vault," effectively removing them from the game. At the start of Season 6 last week, the studio vaulted an inordinately high number of items, and now we know why one of them was removed.
On Twitter (via Fortnite Intel), Epic Games Community Coordinator Sean Hamilton explained why the Bouncer was among the items removed from Fortnite last week. "[W]e removed Bouncers due to the influx of recent mobility items as well as more that we have planned for the future," Hamilton wrote.
Hamilton also reiterated that vaulting items doesn't necessarily remove them from the game permanently; some previously vaulted weapons have since been reintroduced to Fortnite after being reworked, leaving open the possibility that the Bouncer--or any of the other four weapons Epic recently removed--could come back down the line.
It remains to be seen what other kinds of mobility items Epic has in the works for Fortnite, but the studio rolled out a new type of trap with this week's 6.01 update: the Chiller. When the trap is triggered by another player, their feet will freeze together and cause them to slide around.
Season 6 of Fortnite kicked off on September 27, and since them, some unusual things have been happening in the game. Most notably, the floating island that rose from Loot Lake began moving around the island, leaving glowing craters in its wake.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the largest game in the franchise to date. The overall map in Odyssey is over twice the size of the one in Assassin's Creed Origins, and it's filled with a branching main storyline and hundreds of side quests. Simply playing through the game's campaign only scratches the surface of how much you can do.
For our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review, editor Alessandro Fillari completed the game's main story in just over 50 hours. And that's without hitting every single island and side mission available. There's a broad array of optional content to tackle outside the main campaign, including additional islands to explore and mythological creatures to slay.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey also has nine different endings. Not every ending is dependent solely on late-game decisions either, so you won't be able to save near the story's end to quickly see what you missed. For some of the endings, you'll need to make key choices early on--even as early as the game's opening two hours--and then make dialogue decisions or take certain actions throughout the campaign. You'll have to play through the entire game numerous times just to see everything, so if you're looking to see all the game has to offer, Assassin's Creed Odyssey will probably take you hundreds of hours to fully complete. That's not counting the two episodic post-launch expansions--Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis--that continue Kassandra and Alexios' story.
In our review, Alessandro gave Odyssey an 8/10, and described the game's ambition as "admirable" while also complimenting "its rich attention to detail" and "multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead." Unfortunately, its massive campaign was occasionally "tiresome" so going for all nine of Odyssey's endings will be a daunting, time-consuming task. With no Assassin's Creed game scheduled for 2019, it's clear Ubisoft wants you to be playing Odyssey for a very long time.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey launches on October 5 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Fortnite: Battle Royale has another limited-time mode incoming, and this one just wants you to shut up and dance. Disco Domination takes one of the game's most enduring and meme-worthy features and builds a whole toe-tapping game mode around it, having you defend your fellow party-goers as they dance the night away.
An in-game tease gave the name of the upcoming mode and says players will capture and defend dance floors using emotes to score points. An image shows a wild dance party around a disco ball; similar dance floors were previously found in-game as part of a challenge, so this may work similarly. In the meantime, you can continue checking out the current limited-time mode, Soaring 50s.
Fortnite recently rolled over into Season 6, with the theme "Darkness Rises." The first teaser for Season 6 may have hinted at this new game mode, with a robot llama and the caption "All great parties need a DJ." The robo-llama ended up being the DJ Yonder skin, one of the slew of new cosmetic skins you can earn this season. The update is also spooky-themed for Halloween, including elements like a Haunted Castle and cornfields.
For months, Sony had been the lone holdout when it came to allowing cross-play in Fortnite, but the company finally relented earlier this week and kicked off an "extended cross-play beta" for the hit battle royale game. If you've already made multiple Fortnite accounts in order to play on different consoles, Epic has now rolled out a tool that allows you to link all of your consoles to a single Epic Account.
First, the developer stresses that the following process will not transfer your existing purchases and progression from your account; rather, it will allow any future progression and purchases you make to carry across platforms. You will be able to combine all of your existing progression/purchases into one account when the developer releases an account merging tool this November.
Before you can link accounts, you'll first need to decide which platform will be your Primary console and which will be your Secondary. Epic recommends that you use the platform with the progression/purchases you value most as your Primary one, as you won't be able to access your Secondary console's purchases until the account merging tool launches.
Once you've determined a Primary console and a Secondary one, you'll need to follow the steps outlined on Epic's website in order to link them together. Both of your console accounts will need to have an Epic Account association; if either one doesn't, you'll need to create one. At the end of this step, you should have two separate Epic Accounts, one for each console. You'll also need to use a different email address for each account.
After that's done, you'll then need to unlink your Secondary console. Sign into Epic's website with your Secondary console account, click on the Account dropdown menu, then click on Connected Accounts and choose Disconnect. Be sure to keep the login information for your Secondary console account, however, as you'll need it to complete the account merging process in November.
Once you've clicked Unlink, log back in with your Primary console account, click on the Account dropdown menu, then click Connect on your Secondary console. Sign into that console when prompted, and your Primary and Secondary console accounts will be linked. You can find more details on how to complete the process here.
Season 6 of Fortnite is now underway, and it's made some pretty big changes to the battle royale game. In addition to a few new areas on the map, Epic has introduced a slew of new items, including Pets. You can see all of the game's new skins and cosmetics in our Season 6 rewards gallery. If you need help unlocking them, you can also find tips on how to complete Fortnite's latest challenges in our Season 6 challenge roundup.
Only months after Fox and Warner Bros. fired Clayne Crawford (CSI, Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids, Happy Endings) has announced that he's leaving Fox's Lethal Weapon reboot after the show's third season wraps up.
According to a brief interview conducted by Electronic Urban Web, Wayans said he's going to be "quitting the show in December after we finish the initial 13." Fox's Lethal Weapon was picked up for a third season after the conclusion of Season 2 in May 2018. The show's third season--which premiered last month--is only supposed to contain 13 episodes. After that, Wayans will no longer star in the television drama, and with Crawford out of the picture, the show's future hangs precariously in the balance.
News that Crawford would be exiting the drama first made headlines in May 2018, as its second season finished up. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Crawford came under fire for his behavior on the production set. Though he's since apologized for the incidents he was reprimanded for during the second season, this came too little too late. Crawford was fired, and Fox and Warner Bros. cast actor Sean William Scott (American Pie, Dude, Where's My Car) to lead alongside Wayans.
Unfortunately for both companies, Fox and Warner Bros. will have to scramble (again) to find another actor to fill the role Wayans will leave vacant in December if the show gets renewed for another season. "So, I really don't know what they're planning," Wayans said in the interview. "But that's what I'm planning. I'm a 58-year-old diabetic and I'm working 16-hour days."
While Wayans may be leaving his current starring role, he isn't abandoning acting altogether. He said, "I'm going to return to the stage and try to find my smile again."
From all that we've seen of Red Dead Redemption 2 thus far, it's evident Rockstar Games has crafted a detailed and reactive world to explore in its much anticipated western sequel. Not only will the non-playable characters you encounter snitch on your crimes if they see you engaging in some shady activities, you'll be able to interact with strangers you come across in various other ways, which can have some unexpected consequences.
During our most recent hands-on session with Red Dead Redemption 2, we were traveling leisurely down a dirt path that led to a crossroads. There, we encountered an older gentleman on the side of the road affixing a horseshoe to his horse. As we passed him, the game presented several different interaction prompts, giving us the option to Callout or Antagonize him. We chose to greet him, and in return, he stopped what he was doing and greeted us back.
However, our casual interaction had a completely unintended result. As he was returning our greeting, his horse was suddenly spooked and kicked the old man in the head, killing him instantly. The horse then ran away down the path as we went over to inspect the man's body. Even when Arthur Morgan has the best of intentions, it seems interacting with strangers can turn deadly.
Later in the demo, we encountered a Mexican gunslinger shooting bottles off of a railroad bridge. We approached him, and he revealed that he crossed the border to find the "best marksman in America." The man then challenged us to see who could shoot the most bottles off of the bridge in half a minute, with each of us wagering $5 or $10. We agreed to wager $5, and when the challenge ended, we saw that he has shot one more bottle than we were able to.
The man then asked if we'd like to double down on the wager. We declined, and just as we were about to leave, he reminded us that we had yet to pay him. It seems the game doesn't automatically deduct the money from your wallet when you accept these kinds of challenges; rather, you have to manually interact with the man to give him the money. We were then presented with the option to either pay him or refuse. Naturally, we chose the latter, and the man responded by firing at us.
There are numerous other ways the world in Red Dead Redemption 2 will react to you. As previously mentioned, characters who witness your misdeeds will be able to rat you out to the law unless you're able to intimidate them otherwise, and some characters will even begin avoiding you if you don't keep up with Arthur's personal hygiene.
Red Dead Redemption 2 releases for PS4 and Xbox One later this month, on October 26. The game will be available in various editions; you can learn more about what each one contains in our Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-order guide. Later in November, Rockstar will release Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode as a beta for those who've purchased the game, much like it released GTA Online one month after Grand Theft Auto V launched.
If you have a PlayStation 4 and you've been on the lookout for a new game to play, you're in luck. Between now and October 10, Newegg is offering 20% off some of the best games in the entire PS4 library. To get the discount on these select games, you just need to enter promo code EMCEPPT63 at checkout. In some instances, but not all, shipping is free. Let's take a look at what games are eligible for the discount.
But you don't have to spend dozens of dollars to get a game. A long list of titles are available for $16 each. These include some of the best games in the PS4's library, like Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn - Complete Edition, and The Last of Us Remastered. And if you're waiting for a price drop on Spider-Man, you can check out Insomniac's previous PS4 exclusive, Ratchet & Clank, also for $16.
Fighting game fans can grab Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition or Tekken 7 for $16 each, or Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection for $32. Anyone looking for a scary game to play before Halloween can buy Until Dawn on sale for $16. You'll find more PS4 picks below, but the discount also applies to a handful of Xbox One and Switch games, as well as accessories like headsets and controllers. You can find the full set of discountable items here.
Overwatch's Halloween Terror is coming back next week, and Blizzard has been teasing some of the cool new spooky-themed skins we can expect when the update hits. First it showed Doomfist as a Swamp Monster, and now it's Moira's turn. In a tweet, the company showed off the Legendary skin Banshee Moira.
So far, the skin reveals have been for relatively recent characters, which makes sense given that the original cast has had plenty of time to build up an impressive collection of scary skins over the last two Halloween Terror events. If this trend continues we may see new looks for Brigitte and Wrecking Ball on the way, since both of them are new to the Halloween festivities.
An ominous portent. Haunt down your enemies as BANSHEE MOIRA (Legendary)! Overwatch Halloween Terror begins Oct 9! pic.twitter.com/wqVYQHd64P
Halloween Terror will begin on October 9 and run through October 31. The company is keeping its exact plans under (mummy) wraps for the time being, but we know that it will bring about the usual cache of new skins to collect or purchase with credits. Blizzard usually puts old skins from the prior years' events on sale as well.
The annual event will also continue the story of Junkenstein's Revenge, a special PvE mode. In 2016 you were The Alchemist (Ana), the Gunslinger (McCree), the Archer (Hanzo), and the Soldier (Solder 76). In 2017 the story continued with The Countess (Widowmaker), the Swordsman (Genji), the Monk (Zenyatta), and the Viking (Torbjorn). The announcement included a poem that may give clues as to how the story will continue this year.
Season 6 of Fortnite rolls on. Another set of weekly challenges are now available to complete, and as usual, if you manage to finish all of the ones from a given week, you'll in turn complete a Hunting Party challenge--this season's equivalent of the Road Trip challenges from Season 5.
The reward for completing a Hunting Party challenge is a special loading screen, which hides a very subtle hint to the location of a free item hidden around the island. Typically, the item in question is a free Battle Star, which levels your Battle Pass up by one tier once collected, but toward the end of Season 5, Epic began hiding banners in their place.
Oddly, it appears a banner is the reward for completing the Week 2 Hunting Party challenge. If you've kept up-to-date with all of Season 6's weekly missions thus far, you'll unlock the following loading screen, which depicts a character standing in the middle of a dark forest while werewolves lurk among the trees. Peer closely enough at the image and you'll spot the silhouette of a banner and a carriage engraved in one of the trees on the right side of the screen.
The carriage in question can be found moldering in the desert just to the north of Paradise Palms. Glide to that location at the beginning of a match, find the carriage, and the banner will appear above it. Collect it as you would any other item and you'll be able to use it as a profile icon.
If you need more helping finding the secret banner, we've marked its location on the map below. You can also watch the video we put together at the top of this story showing you exactly where you need to go to collect the banner. However, as has been the case with previous Hunting Party and Road Trip challenges, the banner will only appear once you've completed the requisite number of challenges and unlocked the aforementioned loading screen.
Week 2's challenges arrived shortly after Fortnite's 6.01 update, and they task players with visiting corrupted areas and using the newly reenabled Shadow Stones during matches, among other missions. Completing these will help level up your Battle Pass, which in turn will unlock cosmetics and other rewards, such as the new Pets. You can see everything up for grabs this season in our Season 6 rewards gallery. For help completing challenges, be sure to check out our Season 6 challenge roundup.
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