With the Destiny 2weekly reset comes another Ascendant Challenge for those with the Forsaken DLC. This is another one we haven't seen before, though it might be the last original one for the time being before existing ones are added to the rotation. Whatever the case, here's where to find the Taken portal and what to do once you're inside.
As always, the first step is to pick up the Ascendant Challenge from Petra--this is what nets you a piece of Powerful gear for completing it. Once that's done, make sure you have a Tincture of Queensfoil. With that in hand, you'll enter the Lost Sector in Rheasilvia. You'll need to make your way through the entire thing, as the portal is located just behind the chest that unlocks after killing the boss. While optional, you might as well complete the Lost Sector to make things easier on yourself. With that out of the way, use the Tincture to gain the Ascendance buff, which allows you to see the Taken portal. The exact location can be seen in the video above and map below.
Jump through the portal to head to Cimmerian Garrison, located in the Ascendant Plane. Here, you'll be faced with what amounts to a gauntlet--you'll need to make your way through and kill an enemy at the end. Once you go inside, you'll be chased by three knights. As you progress, you'll have to deal with various enemies, including hobgoblins, shriekers, and thrall with yellow health bars. Take them out as you go, and you'll reach a point where you have to platform across some rocks (because it wouldn't be an Ascendant Challenge without some first-person platforming). Along the way, be mindful of the Taken corruption that will periodically explode with a blast of energy, which can send you falling you to your death if you aren't careful.
Once you're done platforming, you'll have to kill a knight to finish things out, but beware the shrieker that spawns nearby. With the knight dead, open the chest to complete the Ascendant Challenge. There may not be any special rewards inside there, but you'll get a piece of Powerful gear for turning in the associated bounty.
The new Ascendant Challenge is a welcome activity, particularly considering that Spider's big weekly bounty is a repeat of Wanted: Gravetide Summoner. That's another way to net yourself some Powerful gear ahead of Festival of the Lost, the Halloween-themed event that begins on October 16. Also launching on that day is the first of two big updates releasing this month.
Overwatch has kicked off its regular annual Halloween promotional event, Halloween Terror. The seasonal event will operate through October 31, and brings with it a bunch of new spooky and kooky skins and other cosmetic items to unlock through loot boxes.
Blizzard has been teasing the event with some unveils of the new skins, including Pharah and Moira, Doomfist, Wrecking Ball and McCree, among others. The new trailer reveals several more like Bride Sombra and Slasher 76. It's all styled after a haunted house, with the viewer's perspective trying to escape the various monsters' clutches. As advertised, the 50 loot box bundle includes a bonus 10 boxes during the promotion, for those of you hunting down skins.
The Halloween Terror event is available across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In addition to the creepy Halloween-themed costumes, it will explore the next chapter in the story of Dr. Junkenstein--a Halloween version of Junkrat. The addition of Sombra as the Bride implies she'll be joining his ranks in whatever this next piece of the story holds.
This year, Junkenstein's Revenge includes not one but two playable modes: Junkenstein's Revenge (Classic) and Junkenstein's Revenge: Endless Night. It also adds two new heroes for the PvE mode, Tracer and Brigitte.
After debuting in November 2017, the Hulu original series Future Man is ready to return and, somehow, get even weirder the second time around. The cast and creative crew of the series came to New York Comic Con 2018 to give fans the first look at the new season, including the world premiere of the first new episode of the show.
Rather quickly, it becomes apparent that the future Josh Futterman (Josh Hutcherson) thought he saved in Season 1 is somehow even worse off. Now he's expected to once again save the world with little more skills than being good at video games. Now, though, Futterman has the experience to actually change the timeline… maybe. In the meantime, he will urinate on himself, be constantly humiliated, and simply attempt not to die in horrible ways.
After the Season 2 premiere episode was shown, the first trailer for the new episodes was revealed, giving even more of an idea of what's to come. In the new and terrible future, Wolf (Derek Wilson) is married to five people as they raise a child together--which is played as being completely normal in whatever version of reality they've ended up in--while Tiger's (Eliza Coupe) status as a biotic, which was revealed in the Season 1 finale, is going to cause quite a strain on the team. Fans will also be introduced to other Tiger biotics with a variety of personalities, which should prove very entertaining. Additionally, Coupe said in the panel that "my voice is different," when it comes to the alternate Tigers, including one that is rather high-pitched.
The main drive of the new season sees the future divided between two groups, one of which wants to relocate half of the future's population to Mars. The other group, meanwhile, simply wants to be left alone. As this is all happening, a group called the Pointed Circle is plotting some kind of attack, which uses Futterman in some kind of key way that will definitely kill him. Unsurprisingly, he's on the run because of this.
As for the weird stuff that made Future Man Season 1 so interesting, there's plenty of that to come. Futterman's gigantic penis will make another appearance, while Coupe detailed one particularly bizarre scene she shot for the new episodes. "I have sex to completion with a brain, with my hands," she said. "That was fun to do."
There are also a number of new characters coming to the show, several of which have yet to be revealed. However, the trailer shows the arrival of someone named Susan, played by Future Man executive producer Seth Rogen.
While the Season 9 premiere of The Walking Dead might have seemed quieter and less action-packed than many of the show's recent episodes--thanks to the end of the pesky war with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)--there was still plenty to see. The new episode caught viewers up on what's been happening since the end of the show's "All Out War" story and set the stage for a major Maggie (Lauren Cohan) arc, leading up to her departure from the show.
In the final moments of the episode, Maggie lets Rick (Andrew Lincoln) know that she's ready for him to step aside and let her lead. Following that, she supervises the execution of Gregory (Xander Berkeley), who tried to have her assassinated. The moment shows the woman Maggie has grown into since being introduced in Season 2 of The Walking Dead.
And during a visit to the show's Atlanta set, new showrunner Angela Kang explained to GameSpot and a small group of other outlets that it would also inform her final story on the show--for now.
"We had always planned to have this great story with Maggie this season, and I think we promised something," she says. "You know, we wanted to pay off that promise. So we definitely have a very strong Maggie arc. Lauren, I think, has always been such a great actress for us, has done some spectacular work this season. As you've seen in the episodes but also in the episodes that are upcoming, there's some stuff that just blew me away. And I'm just a pure fan."
Still, while Maggie may be the focus of what is unfolding at Hilltop, the coming events will also be used to build up those around her to fill the void, once the episodes featuring Cohan have come to an end. "It also opens up some interesting opportunities for other characters when that character is gone for reasons that will be explained in the story," she explained. "That's part of the story going forward, what's happening at Hilltop? And how do people deal with Maggie not being there?"
Cohan has said she'd like to be able to return to the show at some point, and Kang is confident that could happen. "I'll say first of all that we still plan to tell more story with Maggie," she said. "Lauren wants to, it just it will be a little subject to her schedule. But hopefully, we have her back next season."
While there is no clear picture or when or if Cohan will be able to return to The Walking Dead, her exit date from the series has not been revealed. While she's shot her final scenes for now, AMC has not announced when she or Lincoln's final episodes will air.
Whether your GTA Online wallet is looking a little thin these days or you just want to add to your heaps of digital riches, you'll probably want to hop into Grand Theft Auto V's online mode this week. That's because GTA$ is available in abundance between now and October 15, and you don't even have to do anything special to get much of it. Here's a breakdown of what freebies to expect.
Just for logging into GTA Online between now and October 15, you'll get GTA$300,000 delivered to your Maze Bank account next week, by October 22. You can log right back out if you want, and you'll still get the bonus cash. In addition to the money, you'll also instantly unlock a Green Wireframe Body Suit for free (it looks kind of creepy, but hey, it's October).
That's not all, though--here's another big one. If you've already completed the Stone Hatchet and Double-Action Revolver challenges, you'll get an additional GTA$250,000 simply for logging in. But if you haven't completed those challenges yet and you beat them this week, you'll receive GTA$250,000 for each one. Better yet, you'll get another bonus of GTA$250,000 for each of those challenges next week, for a grand total of GTA$1 million.
Also between now and October 15, all four remixed Adversary Modes are rewarding double GTA$ and RP. That means you'll get a nice boost for playing Hunting Pack (Remix), Trading Places (Remix), Running Back (Remix), and Sumo (Remix). In addition, if you own a Nightclub, you'll get double Nightclub income all week long.
Finally, pre-ordering any digital edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 from the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store gets you GTA$1,000,000 in GTA Online; all you have to do is log into GTA Online by October 15 to get it. And if you've already pre-ordered the game from either online store, just log in before October 15, and you'll get the same bonus. That cash will be deposited into your Maze Bank account between October 16-22.
In other GTA Online news, this week finds three new cars coming to the Southern San Andreas Super Autos catalog. They're the Karin Futo, Bollokan Prairie, and Imponte Ruiner. New liveries are also available for those cars, as well as for the Maibatsu Penumbra, Declasse Mamba, and Invetero Coquette Classic. You can find even more of this week's GTA Online news on the Rockstar blog.
Some major changes are on the way for Destiny 2 later this month, as is the Halloween-themed Festival of the Lost event. In the meantime, we have the latest weekly reset, which doesn't bring much in the way of new content. It does, however, mark a refresh for activities across the game, offering a variety of new ways to obtain Powerful gear. Here's the lowdown on what's new this week for Forsaken owners, including the Ascendant Challenge, Spider's big bounty, Eververse's store update, and more.
Ascendant Challenge
Another new Ascendant Challenge--possibly the last original one we'll see for now before they begin to be recycled--is now available. The portal is located in a Lost Sector, and inside you'll have to deal with a gauntlet of enemies and (of course) some platforming. You'll need to use a Tincture of Queensfoil in order to see the portal, and be sure to grab the bounty from Petra before starting. The chest you receive at the end is nothing special, but the bounty itself offers Powerful gear.
Spider Bounty -- Wanted: Gravetide Summoner
For the third week running, the big bounty offered by Spider--the one that offers Powerful gear--is Wanted: Gravetide Summoner. But whereas last week's repeat of this did at least take you to a different Lost Sector, this one brings us back to the same one as two weeks ago. Take five Ghost Fragments to Spider to pick up the bounty, and you'll receive an Adventure on Titan's The Rig. Kill the boss in the Lost Sector to complete the bounty and earn Powerful gear.
Nightfall
As is typical, the Nightfall has been refreshed with three new choices of Strikes. You can pick from Warden of Nothing, The Corrupted, and The Pyramidion; all three have a recommended Power level of 540. Whichever you choose, there's a piece of Powerful gear for completing it. If you manage to do so while achieving a score of 100,000 or more, you'll also receive another Powerful gear.
Eververse
A new set of bounties are available from Eververse, most of which reward you with varying amounts of Bright Dust. The cost of these bounties varies, but as always, the most expensive one gets you the most Bright Dust for your investment--provided you finish it. This week, that bounty is Herosim in Battle (complete five Strikes from the Strike playlist), which will net you 150 Bright Dust upon completion.
The Rise of the Challenge bounty is available, which offers a Prismatic Facet as a reward. If you have a Facet on hand (or are willing to spend some Silver), you can activate the Matrix, which has a new set of items. Here's what's on offer:
Guardian Angel (Exotic weapon ornament for The Chaperone)
Death to Kells (Exotic ship)
Dragonfly Regalia Vest (Legendary Hunter chest armor)
Dragonfly Regalia Helm (Legendary Titan helmet)
Dragonfly Regalia Bond (Legendary Warlock bond)
Atlantis Shell (Legendary Ghost shell)
Astera Blade (Legendary ship)
Here I Stand (Legendary vehicle)
Jade Rabbit Projection (Rare Ghost projection)
Awkward Greeting (Rare emote)
Petra
Petra's location has rotated again, and we're back to the most pleasant of the bunch. She's in Divalian Mists, right next to the Dreaming City's landing zone. You'll want to speak with her to grab the Ascendant Challenge bounty, as well as The Orange Engine, which lets you do the mission of the same name. War for the Dreaming City has you again complete eight daily bounties for Petra during the week, and Gateway Between Worlds has you take part in the Blind Well. All four of these reward you with Powerful gear.
Clan Bounties
New clan bounties are now available. The weekly ones offer the biggest clan XP rewards, with Blindsight (completing the Blind Well at Tier III or above while in a fireteam with clanmates) offering the most. You can also pick up Band of Adventurers (complete three Adventures with clanmates) and House Advantage (complete Gambit matches with clanmates). Those ready to dive into the Raid can also taken on Summoning Ritual, which asks you to complete the challenge of the same name. Complete that, and you'll net yourself some Powerful gear.
Vanguard Strikes
The Vanguard Strikes playlist again has the same weekly challenge, which asks you to complete three Strikes while using the same subclass element as one of your Fireteam members. Do that for a piece of Powerful gear. You may want to consider picking Solar, as that lines up with this week's modifiers, which are as follows:
Solar Singe -- Solar damage increases slightly from all sources
Blackout -- Enemy melee attacks are significantly more powerful, and radar is disabled
Brawler -- Melee abilities deal more damage and recharge much faster
Daily Heroic Story Missions
Completing three daily Heroic story missions during the week will net you a Powerful gear, making it worthwhile to replay some old missions. These feature the same modifiers outlined above for the Strikes playlist, and you'll have five different options with varying Power levels:
Looped -- 280 Power level
Chosen -- 280 Power level
Pilgrimage -- 360 Power level
Ice and Shadow -- 360 Power level
Nothing Left to Say -- 500 Power level
Gambit
Head over to The Drifter in the Tower for a new set of bounties. The most important of the bunch to grab is the weekly one, Might of the Traveler. This has you do certain things--cast Supers, defeat enemies with Supers, and create Orbs of Light--to earn progress. Complete the bounty for a piece of Powerful gear.
Currently, we're in the midst of the Dreaming City's three-week cycle, so the special Primeval needed to begin the Malfeasance questline is not as likely to show up in Gambit (though it can still spawn). However, Bungie recently said it will soon make it spawn more often.
Flashpoint
The current Flashpoint is on Titan, which is where you'll also find the current Heroic adventure (Siren Song). Complete the Adventure for a piece of Powerful gear, and finish the Flashpoint--by completing Heroic adventures, Public Events, and Lost Sectors--for another.
505 Games has announced that Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will be getting a physical retail edition. Coming to both Xbox One and PS4, the physical edition will be available on December 4.
Originally releasing in 2017 as a PS4 console exclusive, Hellblade eventually launched on Xbox One in 2018. The game was then ported to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and if you already own the game on PC then you'll unlock the VR version of the game for free.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was one of our top 10 games of 2017. The game puts you in the shoes of Senua, a Pict warrior who's traveling through a long-abandoned Nordic land. Her journey forces her to confront her guilt-ridden past that takes on the form of literal enemies, spectral remnants, and vivid hallucinations. Hellblade forces you to undergo numerous trials--ranging from harrowing fights to perspective-bending puzzles--and captures the surreal experience of someone suffering from poor mental health.
In our Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice review, GameSpot editor Alessandro Fillari gave the game an 8/10, writing, "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."
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC; and can be played in VR on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Tell me if you've heard this one before: A priest, a vacuum cleaner salesman, and a backup singer walk into a motel lobby. Drew Goddard's sophomore feature plays out like this joke, until the bloodbath begins. Goddard's follow up to his critically acclaimed Cabin in the Woods feels like a lost mid '90s film, from the time where everyone and their mother started making ensemble self-aware neo-noir crime movies with cool, period soundtracks, tons of dialogue, stylish violence, and convoluted structures in the wake of Quentin Tarantino's success.
This could be Heaven or this could be Hell, you could be thinking to yourself, as for the most part the film succeeds at standing among the crowd of Pulp Fiction wannabes. But while the entrance to Bad Times at the El Royale may entice you with cool characters and an intriguing mystery, the rooms are messy, uninvited guests come in at late hours, and the layout is confusing enough to make you want to check out early.
Welcome to the beautiful and lively motel El Royale--or at least it used to be. The massive front doors give way to a stylish '60s lobby, with a red line painted on the floor that divides the entire establishment into California and Nevada sections, each with appropriate decorations that invite guests to drink in California and then gamble in Nevada. But El Royale isn't what it used to be in its Rat Pack glory days, especially after losing its gambling license. Now the giant Vegas-style neon sign isn't glamorous, but tacky.
By the time our main guests arrive to check-in, there is plenty of room at the El Royale, and the sandwiches in the 1950s World Fair vending machines are expired. Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), vacuum cleaner salesman Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm), background singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), and a mysterious girl (Emily) who signs the ledger as "F*** you" (Dakota Johnson) all arrive looking for a room, each with their unique reasoning. As the motel's lone clerk and only active employee, Miles (Lewis Pullman) guides them safely to their rooms, but a quiet night in the desert will soon turn violent and bloody.
Just like most Tarantino-inspired films of the '90s, Bad Times at the El Royale is divided into chapters, mostly reliving the moments following check-in from the perspective of each guest. Goddard plays with the idea that we all lie to each other and to ourselves, as no character is who they seem to be. Is he really a priest, or a salesman, or an FBI agent? Is it really a kidnapping, or a rescue? This works at first, as each chapter ends on a cliffhanger that further twists the plot and keeps you wanting to see more, especially Bridges and Erivo. The former plays a surprisingly vulnerable character suffering from the loss of memory and maybe something more, playing tough one moment, and weak the next. Eviro is the breakthrough star of the film, portraying a woman tired of dealing with bad men, and with a singing voice to destroy them all.
But as the film goes on, it starts to get repetitive, as you can only watch the same scene unfold so many times, and flashbacks start interweaving with the repeated scenes without adding much necessary information, but just an overly long runtime. Some of the most promising characters disappear or get killed rather quickly and without much explanation or reason, and the most interesting subplot--that of the El Royale's surveillance tunnels and one-way mirrors--is abandoned as soon as it gets introduced and never given any pay-off.
Drew Goddard and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey shoot the hotel rooms like living dioramas, making film look like a stage play--like we are observing lab rats. Goddard also oversaturates the film with cool blues for outdoor and present scenes, and with warm red flames indoors and in flashbacks. This results in a dazzling look that will be imprinted on your memory, together with the excellent production design that makes the El Royale feel like a real, lived in, rundown motel. There's also the film's soundtrack, composed of '60s songs that perfectly set the mood.
Note that I still haven't mentioned Chris Hemsworth, who is prominently featured on the marketing campaign for the film. The reason is that he arrives late in the film as a third act ace in the sleeve. He plays dangerous hippie Billy Lee, who likes to walk through heavy rain with his abs exposed and acts like a typical charismatic yet psychopathic cult leader. His storyline ties in with another character, Boots (Cailee Spaeny), in exactly the way you start to expect long before his introduction.
Hemsworth's shredded, gyrating, charismatic Charles Manson type may be fun for some, but the sudden introduction of an over the top, shirtless Australian makes the film shift focus from being a thriller about people hiding secrets to an over-the-top bloodbath in a change in tone that's too big and too quick, without feeling justified.
Bad Times at the El Royale starts promising, with interesting characters, great set design, and quick, witty dialogue. But by the time the film turns bloody, you will stop caring, since you have seen this before a million times. You will want to run for the door, begging the night man to let you leave early.
Bad Times at the El Royale hits theaters Friday, October 12.
The Good
The Bad
Cinematography is mesmerizing
Hemsworth is wasted in a forgettable villain role
Set design feels lived in
Some characters disappear or die before they get to truly shine
Promising start with witty dialogue
Narrative structure hurts the initial premise by over-complicating story
The Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature, introduced in November 2015, lets you play original Xbox and Xbox 360 games on the current-gen console. But what games are available? We've rounded them all up--and we'll continue to update this post as new games are made available to the extensive list. More are added regularly, although new original Xbox games will be less common. [Updated October 9 with two more games.]
Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Lineup:
Xbox
New titles are bolded
Black
Blinx: The Time Sweeper
BloodRayne 2
Breakdown
Conker: Live & Reloaded
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Dead to Rights
Destroy All Humans
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Full Spectrum Warrior
Fuzion Frenzy
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Hunter: The Reckoning
Jade Empire
The King of Fighters Neowave
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
MX Unleashed
Ninja Gaiden Black
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory (Europe only)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Psychonauts
Red Faction II
Sid Meier's Pirates
SSX 3
Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefront II
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Xbox 360
New titles are bolded
0 Day Attack on Earth
3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
A Kingdom for Keflings
A World of Keflings
Aegis Wing
Age of Booty
Alan Wake
Alan Wake's American Nightmare
Alice: Madness Returns
Alien Hominid HD
Altered Beast
Anomaly Warzone Earth
Arkanoid Live
Army of Two
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed III
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation HD
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Assassin's Creed Rogue
Assault Heroes 2
Asteroids & Deluxe
AstroPop
Aqua
Axel & Pixel (not available for purchase)
Babel Rising
Band of Bugs
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts n Bolts
Banjo Tooie
Banjo Kazooie
Batman: Arkham Origins
Battlefield: Bad Company
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield 3
Battlefield 1943
BattleBlock Theater
Battlestations: Midway
Bayonetta
Beat'n Groovy
Bejeweled 2
Bejeweled 3
Bellator: MMA Onslaught
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
BioShock
BioShock 2
BioShock Infinite
Bloodforge
Blood Knights
Blood of the Werewolf
BloodRayne: Betrayal
Blue Dragon
Bomberman Live: Battlefest
Boom Boom Rocket
Borderlands
Borderlands 2
Bound by Flame
Braid
Brain Challenge
Bullet Soul
Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Burnout Paradise
Burnout Revenge
Cabela's Alaskan Adventures
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013
Cabela's Hunting Expeditions
Cabela's Survival: Shadows of Katmai
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 -- added August 28
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood -- added September 25
Call of Juarez: The Cartel -- added September 25
Call of Juarez Gunslinger
Capcom Arcade Cabinet
Carcassonne
Cars: Mater-National Championship
Cars 2
Castle Crashers
Castlestorm
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Catherine
The Cave
Centipede & Millipede
Child of Light
Civilization: Revolution
Clannad
Commanders: Attack of the Genos
Comic Jumper
Comix Zone
Condemned
Contra
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Crackdown
Crazy Taxi
Crystal Quest
Crystal Defenders
Cyber Troopers Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
The Darkness II
Dark Souls
Dark Void
Darksiders
Darksiders II
Daytona USA
de Blob 2
Dead Rising 2: Case West
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 3
Dead Space Ignition
Deadfall Adventures
Deadliest Warrior: Legends
Deadliest Warrior: The Game
Deadly Premonition
Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue
Defense Grid
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
Dig Dug
Dirt 3
Dirt Showdown
Discs of Tron
Disney Bolt
Disney Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Divinity II
Domino Master
Doom
Doom II
Doom 3: BFG Edition
Doritos Crash Course
Double Dragon: Neon
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age II
Dragon's Lair
Driver: San Franciso
DuckTales Remastered
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
Dungeon Siege III
E4: Every Extend Extra Extreme
Earthworm Jim HD
Earth Defense Force 2017
Earth Defense Force 2025 -- added August 7
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Encleverment Experiment
Escape Dead Island
F1 2014
Fable Anniversary
Fable Heroes
Fable II
Fable II Pub Games
Fable III
Faery: Legends of Avalon
Fallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding Frenzy 2
Fight Night Champion
Fighting Vipers
Final Fight: Double Impact
Flashback
Flock
Forza Horizon
Fret Nice
Frogger
Frogger 2
FunTown Mahjong
Galaga
Galaga Legions
Galaga Legions DX
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Gatling Gears
Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War: Judgment
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
Gin Rummy
Girl Fight
Goat Simulator
Golden Axe
Go! Go! Break Steady
Golf: Tee It Up
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grid 2
Grid Autosport
Gripshift
Guardian Heroes
Gunstar Heroes
Guwange
Gyromancer
Gyruss
Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST Campaign Edition
Halo 4
Halo: Reach
Halo: Spartan Assault
Halo Wars
Hard Corps: Uprising
Hardwood Backgammon
Hardwood Hearts
Hardwood Spades
Harms Way
Haunted House
Heavy Weapon
Hexic 2
Hexic HD
Hitman: Absolution
Hitman: Blood Money
Hydro Thunder
I Am Alive
Ikaruga
Ilomilo
Injustice: Gods Among Us + disc-only Ultimate Edition
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos
Iron Brigade
Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
Jet Set Radio
Jetpac Refuelled
Jewel Quest
Joe Danger Special Edition
Joe Danger 2: The Movie
Joust
Joy Ride Turbo
Juju
Jurassic Park: The Game
Just Cause 2
Kameo
Kane & Lynch 2
Killer Is Dead
The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters 2002
KOF Sky Stage
Lazy Raiders
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Lego Batman
Lego Indiana Jones
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Limbo
Lode Runner
Lost Odyssey
Lumines Live!
Luxor 2
Mad Tracks
Mafia II
Magic: The Gathering 2012
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
Mars: War Logs
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, and Beyond
The Maw
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Meet the Robinsons
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 10
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Solid: HD Edition (MGS 2 and MGS 3) -- added October 9
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug XX
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Midway Arcade Origins
Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
Military Madness
Mirror's Edge
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
Missile Command
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
Monday Night Combat
Monkey Island: SE
Monkey Island 2: SE
Monopoly Deal
Moon Diver
Motocross Madness
Ms. Splosion Man
Ms Pac-Man
Mutant Blobs Attack
Mutant Storm Empire
Mutant Storm Reloaded
MX vs. ATV Reflex
N+
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
Neogeo Battle Coliseum
Nights Into Dreams
Of Orcs and Men
Omega Five
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
The Orange Box
Overlord
Overlord II
Outland
Pac-Man
Pac-Man C.E
Pac-Man CE DX+
Pac-Man Museum
Peggle
Peggle 2
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark Zero
Persona 4 Arena
Phantasy Star II
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds
Pinball FX
Planets Under Attack
Plants vs. Zombies
Poker Smash
Portal: Still Alive
Portal 2
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia (2008) -- added August 7
Prey
Pure
Putty Squad
Puzzle Quest
Puzzle Quest 2
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
QIX++ Puzzlegeddon
Rage
Raiden IV
Raskulls
Rayman 3 HD
Rayman Legends
Rayman Origins
Red Dead Redemption
Red Faction: Armageddon
Red Faction: Battlegrounds
RoboBlitz
Rocket Knight
Rockstar's Table Tennis
R-Type Dimensions
Runner 2
Sacred 3
Sacred Citadel
Saints Row
Saints Row 2
Saints Row: The Third
Saints Row IV
Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell
Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space
Sam & Max Save the World
Samurai Shodown II
Scarygirl
Scrap Metal
ScreamRide
Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl
Sensible World of Soccer
Shadow Assault/Tenchu
Shadow Complex
Shadowrun
Shadows of the Damned
Shank 2
Shinobi
Shred Nebula
Shotest Shogi
Silent Hill: Downpour
Silent Hill HD Collection
Silent Hill: Homecoming
Sine Mora -- added August 7
Skate 3
Skullgirls
Skydive
Slender: The Arrival
Small Arms
Sniper Elite V2
Soltrio Solitaire
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic CD
Sonic The Fighters
Sonic Generations
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Soulcalibur
Soulcalibur II
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Space Ark
Space Giraffe
Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Spec Ops: The Line
Spelunky
The Splatters
Split/Second
Splosion Man
SSX
Stacking
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Steins; Gate 比翼恋理のだーりん (Japan only)
Steins; Gate (オリジナル版) (Japan only)
Steins; Gate 線形拘束のフェノグラム (Japan-only, requires game disc)
Strania
Street Fighter IV
Stuntman: Ignition
Super Contra
Super Meat Boy
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Supreme Commander 2
Syberia
Tecmo Bowl Throwback
Tekken 6
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Texas Hold 'Em
Ticket to Ride
TimeShift
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Tomb Raider: Anniversary -- added August 14
Tomb Raider: Legend -- added August 14
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Torchlight
Tour de France 2009
Tour de France 2011
Toy Soldiers
Toy Soldiers Cold War
Toy Story 3
Toybox Turbos
Tower Bloxx Deluxe
Trials HD
Trine 2
Tron: Evolution
Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
Unbound Saga
Undertow
Vanquish
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
Viva Piñata
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Season 2 - A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
You can sneak past guards and stop convoluted global conspiracies on Xbox One now, with the addition of two more Metal Gear Solid games. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater have just been added to the platform's backwards compatibility list. They're available combined as part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Edition, originally released on Xbox 360, for $20 / £15.
Metal Gear Solid 2 was the radical follow-up to the original, but divided fans at the time. Whereas its marketing focused heavily on the return of protagonist Solid Snake, some fans were disappointed that a significant amount of the game starred a new character, Raiden. (He's gone on to more prominent parts in later games, as well as his own game, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.) Metal Gear Solid 3 took the series back in time, starring a younger Big Boss as Naked Snake and introducing more complex camouflage and survival systems. Both are critically acclaimed classics in their genre.
As always, if you have the original Metal Gear Solid HD Edition Xbox 360 disc you can just pop it into your Xbox One system and play it right away. If you own it digitally, it will already be a part of your downloadable library, so you can grab it from your purchased games.
Microsoft has been regularly releasing new backwards compatible games since introducing the feature in November 2015. The list is now pretty sizable and getting longer all the time, so if you have some Xbox or Xbox 360 discs, don't get rid of them just yet. They might join the line-up sometime soon.
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.
The final season of Gotham won't premiere until 2019; however, with the show's final appearance at New York Comic-Con happening over the weekend, the Batman prequel series is at the center of a lot of buzz. Whether it's the news that Shane West will play Bane in the Fox show's final episodes or that Batman will finally make an appearance in the series finale, there's plenty to talk about.
One other topic of discussion over the last week is whether the show would jump ahead in time following the events of the Season 4 finale, in which Jeremiah (Cameron Monaghan) blew up the bridges that connect Gotham City to the rest of the world, essentially setting up a story inspired by the "No Man's Land" story from the DC comic books. During a visit to the show's set in New York City, GameSpot learned from multiple cast members that there would be a three-month time jump in the new season.
Thanks to a little clarification from executive producer John Stephens, though, it's not quite that simple. "We have a time jump of 391 days at the top of the premiere opener, but then we settle in back at 87 days," he said.
That means when the series returns, fans will see Gotham City a little over a year after Jeremiah destroyed the bridges, before settling back into its three-month jump. The season will then, assumedly, tell the story of how Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), and whoever else is left get the city to the point it's at on the 391-day mark.
Those aren't the only two time jumps at play in the final season, though. Speaking at Gotham's NYCC panel, Stephens also dropped another bombshell. The series finale will jump forward again, this time to 10 years in the future. It's at this point that the audience will meet Bruce as Batman. That said, it remains to be seen whether it'll be Mazouz in the cape and cowl.
Of course, any longtime fan of Gotham is probably keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that the young actor who was 13 years old when the show launched would end up getting to properly become Batman. To see whether that happens or not, though, you're going to have to wait for whenever the final season of Gotham premieres. All we know at this point is that it won't be until sometime early next year.
Ever since Bethesda announced its newest game in the Fallout series, it's been difficult to get a sense of what Fallout 76--an online-only RPG--is all about. While the concept of an online Fallout experience is enticing, it also comes into conflict with the series' typical brand of role-playing. Though Fallout 76 does lessen those traditionally single-player details to a noticeable degree, it offers up an alluring opportunity to explore uncharted, irradiated territory with other players online.
With the pivot to multiplayer, Fallout 76 focuses a lot more on exploration and survival in West Virginia's Appalachia, with all its regional oddities and newfound horrors coming in large doses. Recently, we played three hours of the game ahead of the game's upcoming October beta, and spoke with developers from Bethesda Game Studios about the particular challenges of making a different kind of Fallout.
Set only 25 years after the bombs dropped--making it the earliest game in the series' timeline--Fallout 76 gives itself plenty of distance from previous games to show off the freshly devastated wilderness. In traditional fashion, you leave the safe confines of the Vault to venture out into the wasteland--bringing with you a sense of determination, and also the naïveté that can come from living in somewhat comfortable isolation. After a quick introduction, you create your character, get accustomed to the new controls and systems, and venture out to the surface. However, what sets this game apart from the others is that you're one of many survivors. And once you're outside, it's every Vault Dweller for themselves.
During the first hour, I got my bearings by taking a tour around the immediate area, even joining a group to take in all the sights. Fallout 76 has the familiar RPG mechanics and sense of exploration that the series is known for, but it also has more of an amusement park vibe--with several key attractions and locales clearly highlighted on the map, such as The Greenbrier Resort and the Top of the World ski-slope. While exploring Fallout's take on West Virginia, which is several times larger than the Commonwealth of Fallout 4, I got the feeling that I was sort of experiencing the greatest hits of all things Fallout. First came the familiar weapons and armor found from previous games, then came the feral ghouls, the Super Mutants, and references to the Brotherhood of Steel and Enclave.
Still, the new location in West Virginia feels totally different from Fallout 4's Capital Wasteland and the Mojave from New Vegas, which quickly introduces its own brand of locales and strange monsters that reside there. Along with weird monsters like enlarged ticks, three-headed possums, and even Mole Men, there are other monsters that reference West Virginian urban legends. This includes the headless, hulking Grafton Monster and the enigmatic Mothman, the latter of which is revered by the hostile cabal of Scorched, heavily irradiated humans who eventually evolve into ghouls of sound mind.
For the most part, combat and general movement handle similarly to Fallout 4. However, the new mechanics and survival systems at play felt somewhat overwhelming to get a handle during our introduction. In 76, much of the tutorial happens in a trial by fire scenario in the open world, where you'll have to follow the early moments of the quests closely in order to learn the new mechanics, all while fighting off enemies and scavenging resources. While I appreciated the quick pace at which players are whisked out of the vault, picking up some meager supplies along the way, I felt that the on-boarding process could be a bit more detailed--it made me feel mostly unprepared as I was scrambling to find any weapon I could get my hands on.
With the new online focus, some returning mechanics have seen some changes. For instance, Fallout's iconic V.A.T.S.--allowing you to target enemies and fire off precisely-aimed shots--now operates in real-time. It acts more like a real-time lock-on--with your weapon's hit-rate adjusting depending on the enemy's movement or their surroundings. This style of V.A.T.S. definitely took some getting used to. Mostly to the fact that enemies move around often, and combined with the awkward focus of the V.A.T.S. camera, it was jarring to actually use it during a fight. Because of this, I mostly stuck with standard aiming and shooting, which felt more reliable during engagements. While you can upgrade V.A.T.S. with perks to make it more effective, it feels more like an option that should be used sparingly.
Fallout 76's survival mechanics take many cues from Fallout 4's more challenging Survival mode. In addition to keeping your character well fed on a regular basis, you'll also have to avoid ailments and diseases--such as contracting the oddly named but still troubling Rad Worms. Some enemies and locations even carry specific diseases, which create added risks to watch out for when exploring. These illnesses range from diseases that sap your maximum health, action points, and the general damage resistances for your character, to even increasing your susceptibility to radiation.
With a large emphasis on survival, nearly every item and resource you can get your hands on feels much more valuable. Nothing really lasts too long in Fallout 76--even the buffs from Bobbleheads and skill magazines only last a short time--so every tool you have will inevitably be discarded for something new. As you're scavenging through the open world, you'll find junk items, scraps, and crafting plans that can be turned into new gear and building materials for your constructions. Some of these materials can create bizarre weapons like the Heated Pitchfork or Ski-Sword--a single ski sharpened to form a blade. But over time, weapons and armor will eventually need to be repaired or broken down into materials for other items. Moreover, cooking and chem stations now have a greater importance, allowing you to prepare meals and craft support items.
Character growth is still the core part of Fallout 76, and it offers an impressive amount of variety and flexibility. After leveling up, you can place points into the familiar categories of the SPECIAL system, each of which boost areas of your character's raw stats. Eventually, you'll acquire a pack of Perk Cards that can offer special buffs in their assigned categories. For example, the Gladiator perk card is a Strength card which increases damage with melee weapons, while Lead Belly can decrease the radiation from drinking contaminated water. The more points you have in a category, the more Perk Cards you can potentially slot in, giving you a whole suite of added buffs. At any time, you can swap out your set of Perk Cards to readjust your character, to better prepare for different challenges.
In keeping with the game's focus on pioneering, the building mechanics from Fallout 4 also return. Now known as the C.A.M.P. system, you have in your possession a mobile construction device that allows you create a building at any time--provided that it doesn't overlap with existing structures. You have free rein to construct whatever you like, whether that be subtle safe-houses for you to stash supplies, or even larger mega-structures that house turrets and a dedicated place to relax. If you ever want to pack up and move elsewhere, you can save your structure as a blueprint and dismantle it. This can come in handy if your chosen spot becomes too popular with other players.
The biggest point of contention with Fallout 76's online nature is its lack of NPCs and slimmed down story, now serve to highlight the focus on moment-to-moment engagements with enemies and other players. This lack of traditional interactions and storytelling felt more noticeable the deeper we dove into the world. While you're certainly free to play solo and avoid other players--and we definitely took the opportunity to strike out on our own, leading to those familiar moments of solitude and wanderlust, you'll always be a potential target within the online world.
Having said that, I couldn't help but feel intrigued by the re-focus here. Lore and smaller doses of story are still in surprisingly ample supply, but told passively through the environment and journals scattered about. While there are no active NPC characters to find--with exception to roaming robots that can offer trades and intel--you'll eventually stumble across the bodies of long-dead survivors who have had a notable presence in the world. In their possession are special holotapes known Survivor Stories, detailing the last moments of their lives in the irradiated wilderness.
These stories told some interesting tales for the characters in Appalachia, which had some poignant and heartfelt moments to them--which was reassuring given the fragmented nature of the storytelling in 76. Speaking with design director Emil Paglliarulo, he elaborated on their refocus to make Fallout more about engaging with others players.
"We started off with the premise where the only other people you see are the ones that came from the vault," he said. "We've also never had the opportunity to do a game that's set twenty-five years after the bombs fell, it's always been two-hundred something years after. Now, we have the stories of the people that survived the initial war, and we've never been able to tell those stories before. Of course without NPCs or no dialog trees--which was a huge adjustment for our quest designers, as they were used to doing it a certain way--and now the lore-heavy stuff comes from holo-tapes, which now has its own tab in the Pip-Boy. That's been really interesting for us. And what ended up happening is that we ended up having a much more lonely story than in Fallout 4. All of these people that you do [learn about] are dead already, and it's almost like a weird ghost story. We didn't expect that."
Whether you want to play solo or within a group, player interaction is a big part of the game. Encountering another person after rounding the corner or reaching the end of a dungeon creates some genuinely tense feelings--not knowing what intentions the other player in front of you has. To communicate with others, Fallout 76 features a variety of in-game emotes to use and proximity based voice-chat. During our session, however, we used Xbox Live's party chat client to stay in constant communication with our group--which won't be the case for most players online.
When playing in groups, communication is important, and the emotes and proximity chat are a great way to get your point across. This is especially vital when grouping up for some of the more active quests that task you with overcoming some bizarre obstacles, such as finding the keys to an armory in a makeshift town built out of a destroyed aircraft, or finding out a mob of "unruly golfer feral ghouls" at a ritzy resort that's still maintained by protectotrons. This can lead to some humorous and equally tense moments where players are scrambling to rely on their team's special skills to progress further.
Once you reach level 5, Fallout 76's PvP systems open up. When you encounter another player that's over level 5, you can fire your weapon at them to let them know of your intentions. If they return fire, then you'll both engage in a duel, with the loser dropping their current haul of junk items--no caps or gear is lost after a defeat. When shooting at a player that hasn't engaged in response, all damage will be cut in half, which gives them enough time to react. It's possible to kill another player who is not into the idea of fighting, and appropriately enough, this backhanded approach will mark you as a murderer, painting a massive target on your back for all players in the world to see.
Our group of level 5 explorers tried to take down a level-58 player in power armor in similar fashion, but it didn't go over well at all as he easily decimated the group with a high-powered Tesla Rifle. While damage calculations scale for enemies, allowing low-level players to potentially take out monsters several levels ahead of them, it does not for PvP engagements. However, if you wish to avoid PvP, or if a player is bugging you too much, you can block them or fast-travel to safety fairly easily. So far, the system in place is a thoughtful way to overcome the potential harassment that can often spring up with this type of game.
To cap off our hands-on time, the developers launched a nuke, which obliterates specific areas of the map. We all had front row seats to the explosion, and then proceeded to jump into the ensuing fallout--with its heavy radiation promptly killing us off one-by-one. As one of the larger end-game goals in Fallout 76, activating a nuke can lead to new events in the irradiated areas, revealing rare materials and dangerous enemies to fight. It also highlights the more dynamic nature of Fallout 76, with many of its narrative touches informed by the player's decisions in the world.
The scale of Fallout 76 seemed impressive based on the first few hours. The location of West Virginia--and all its oddities--was exciting to dive into, which felt refreshing after coming off of Fallout 4's Commonwealth. However, much like previous Fallout games, there were a number of odd bugs and large frame-rate dips that occurred throughout. This was especially noticeable during larger fire fights against large groups of enemies, which brought overall performance down to a slog. The developers we spoke to, however, assured us that the performance will be improved in time for its November 14 launch.
76 certainly isn't like other Fallout games. After our three hours, I got the impression that Bethesda is taking a risky approach with the series in regards to its lore and its core gameplay. With its heavy focus on survival gameplay and the online experience, I suspect that this largely experimental take on Fallout will become a rather polarizing entry. Though the mechanics were somewhat overwhelming to get a handle of, I can't deny that I enjoyed exploring the large map and engaging in the mysterious, post-apocalyptic take on West Virginia. Fallout 76 looks like it can flourish in the long-term, and I'm interested in what can come about after many hours in its off-kilter and ever-changing setting.
It's a convergence of sales this week on the PlayStation Store, as a number of different sales come together to drop prices on a whole heap of great games. EA is running a publisher sale, while Sony is celebrating its exclusives with the Only on PlayStation Sale. And finally, this week sees the second anniversary of the launch of PlayStation VR, so Sony is also dropping prices on well over 100 PSVR titles. There's a lot to save money on this week--and in many cases PS Plus members save even more--so let's look at some of the highlights of all the sales ending October 15.
If you're in the mood for horror during the lead-up to Halloween, you should do yourself a favor and pick up Resident Evil 7: Gold Edition for $35 (it's particularly terrifying when played in PSVR). On sale this week for $5 is Until Dawn, a game that's basically a playable horror movie where your actions determine who lives and who dies.
And if you have a PSVR headset, you'll find plenty of worthwhile games to play for cheap. The Invisible Hours is a creative murder mystery that lets you manipulate time to try to figure out who committed a murder in a remote mansion. Doom VFR lets you blast demons with satisfyingly fast-paced action, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR offers the largest, most detailed VR world you're likely to find anytime soon. Other VR standouts include the rhythm game Thumper for $7, the team-based shooter Firewall: Zero Hour for $34, and the hilarious Job Simulator for $15.
It's a fantastic week for PS4 game deals, so be sure to check out more of our suggestions below, or head over to the PlayStation Store to see the full list of discounts.
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.
Niantic has kicked off a new event for Pokemon Go. With Mewtwo now available in Raid Battles, the developer is giving players the chance to capture even more Psychic Pokemon with the Psychic Spectacular event, which began October 5 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET and runs until the same time on October 14.
During the Psychic Spectacular event, Psychic-type Pokemon such as Abra, Ralts, Baltoy, Slowpoke, and others will appear in the wild much more frequently than they normally do. Additionally, Niantic is rolling out more Field Research tasks revolving around Psychic Pokemon; completing these will help bring you closer to achieving a Research Breakthrough and crossing paths with Suicune.
On top of that, players will have a chance of finding Shiny Drowzee during the event. This marks the first time that Shiny versions of Drowzee have been available in Pokemon Go, so you won't want to miss your chance to capture one. In contrast to standard Drowzee and Hypno, which have yellow fur, their Shiny variants are pink.
As previously mentioned, Mewtwo is now appearing in standard Raid Battles after previously being restricted to the invite-only EX Raids. The Legendary Psychic-type will be available as a Raid Boss until October 23. Meanwhile, the Mythical Pokemon Deoxys has now begun appearing in EX Raids, although you'll need to receive an invitation in order to participate in one of those battles.
Pokemon Go players will be able to get their hands on another rare Psychic Pokemon a little later this month. October's Community Day is set to take place on Sunday, October 21, and it will feature the Steel/Psychic Pokemon Beldum. Niantic has yet to reveal what special attack it will be able to learn during the event, but dataminers have previously discovered the move Meteor Mash--Metagross's signature attack--within the game's code.
Your Pokedex is about get a whole lot bigger as The Pokemon Company and Niantic have announced that monsters from the Sinnoh region (including Gen 4's starters) are coming to Pokemon Go. A new trailer, which has a nice Planet Earth vibe, shows brief glimpses at a Turtwig hanging out in a grassy area, a Chimchar rousing from sleep in a cave, and a Piplup swimming beneath a layer of ice.
"A vast new world is waking up around us," the voice over says. "With more to explore than we could have ever imagined." The trailer ends with a pair of red eyes emerging and, although the Pokemon they belong to remains cloaked in darkness, it looks very much like Giratina, a Legendary from the Sinnoh region.
Pokemon Go has received fresh injections of content on a fairly regular basis, and there's usually always some sort of event or Raid for players to enjoy. As we approach Halloween--the holiday of spooky ghosts--Niantic and the Pokemon Company has kicked off the Psychic Spectacular event, encouraging everyone to stock up on Pokemon that absolutely tear through ghosts, which seems a bit unfair if you ask me.
The Psychic Spectacular event runs until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on October 14 and you'll be able to catch Pokemon such as Abra, Ralts, Baltoy, and Slowpoke more frequently. Additional Field Research tasks are also available, and if you complete these you'll get a little closer to running into Suicune.
October's Community Day, meanwhile, is set for October 21. On this day the Steel/Psychic Pokemon Beldum will become available. As of yet Niantic hasn't confirmed what special attack it will be able to learn during the event, but dataminers previously discovered the move Meteor Mash--Metagross's signature attack--within the game's code.
In keeping with series tradition, Devil May Cry 5 features a wide array of stylish, over-the-top weapons with which to dismantle the hordes of the underworld, and now we've gotten our first look at another brand-new one. During a Devil May Cry 5 panel we attended at New York Comic-Con, Capcom revealed the Faust Hat, a new type of weapon that Dante will be able to wield in the game.
The company has yet to release footage of the Faust Hat, but it looks like a stylish cowboy hat with eyes. When you equip it, you'll also don a scarf similar to the one worn by Faust in Devil May Cry 4. This scarf is made out of Red Orbs, and its length is determined by the amount you currently have.
Capcom says the Faust Hat was designed to present a risk/reward dynamic. Wearing it allows you to fire Red Orbs at enemies from your hands. You'll also be able to throw the hat itself; if you manage to dispatch a foe with it, you'll receive a substantial amount of Red Orbs back. However, throwing the hat at an enemy also "marks" it with its own hat, and if they attack you in return, you'll lose more Red Orbs.
Capcom also showed off a number of returning weapons during the panel, many of which feature some new abilities this time around. Among them is the Cerberus, which can transform between ice nunchucks, a fiery bo staff, and a lightning-imbued sansetsukon.
Devil May Cry 5 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 8, 2019. The game will release in standard and Deluxe editions, the latter of which comes with a handful of bonus digital content, including alternate costumes and several exclusive weapons. You can read more about each in our Devil May Cry 5 pre-order guide.
Earlier this year, Square Enix announced a DLC roadmap for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which includes seven monthly DLC packs that will each bring a new Challenge Tomb, weapon, outfit, skill, and side mission to the game. The first of these, The Forge, will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on November 13. It's included as part of the game's season pass (priced at $30), but you can also purchase it separately for $5.
The Forge is a lava-filled Challenge Tomb that tasks you with climbing a rotating tower. In our time playing through the tomb, we came across plenty of pitfalls and explosive gas vents that sent us to an early grave on a few occasions. Using the same gas vents to propel ourselves around on swinging pendulums was a clever twist on the obstacle. Reaching the end granted us a Grenadier skill, used for crafting grenades.
We played through The Forge cooperatively, and in fact five of the seven DLC Challenge Tombs will be playable in co-op. When playing in co-op, both players see themselves as Lara Croft and the second player as a side character. In this case, the second character was Kuwaq Yaku villager Abby. Each DLC ties its challenge tombs in with a side mission and character, lending the puzzle-solving experience a narrative hook.
Each tomb can also be revisited in Time Attack and Score Attack modes. The former records your best times completing the tomb, while the latter sees you collecting wisps of light and shooting glowing lanterns to increase your score. These modes will also be made available for the game's existing tombs.
Starting in November, each of the seven Challenge Tombs will release monthly. All are included in the season pass, and six will be available to purchase individually. The final tomb, and the only one requiring you to have finished the game's main story, will be made available to season pass holders only.
Fallout 76 takes place before all of the other games in the franchise, featuring one of the control Vaults that was meant to re-colonize the surface after the radiation threat had passed. That puts it in a unique place that could run into continuity errors with the existing canon. Bethesda marketing boss Pete Hines explained to GameSpot how the studio is balancing its storytelling needs with the story so far.
"Our developers take things like lore and canon seriously and if they're going to do something they're going to make sure that there's a real and defensible reason for it," he said. "We have proven with Elder Scrolls games, we're willing to say 'Well lots of people will say things happened one way,' and the opposite or something else could entirely be true. So there's no question that we've gone back to change things to fit what developers have wanted to do and not be beholden to something that somebody wrote 20 years ago even in franchises that we created like the Elder Scrolls.
He continued: "But having said that, we don't take it lightly to just go 'Ah, we're just going to do whatever the hell we want.' There has to be a thought process--what is the rationale? Why would this logically work in this time? Why would there be super mutants, or the Brotherhood of Steel? How does that all fit and hold together? There's absolutely reasons and explanations for how all that ties to Fallout 76."
Bethesda previously explained that given the time period of Fallout 76, some factions like Raiders simply don't make sense for the world. Instead, that enemy type has been filled by a new, half-feral race of Ghouls called the Scorched. Plus it reasons that some of the mutated enemies will be bigger and stronger than we've seen before, since it's closer to the time when the bombs fell.
Fallout 76 is a major new evolution for the long-running series, as we got to find out in our recent hands-on session. It takes the nuclear war ravaged wasteland that we're accustomed to exploring in isolation and turns it into an always-online multiplayer game, opening it up for players to come together. Fallout 76 will enable dozens of players to explore and adventure together--either as friends or enemies, so naturally, the game world will have to be big enough to accommodate them. On top of that it also needs to have enough activities to keep them engaged for hours on end.
Bethesda says Fallout 76 is the biggest game it has ever created. At E3 2018 the studio said it will be "four times larger" than Fallout 4, which already offers a pretty expansive game world. While we'll have to wait until its launch (or at least beta) to get a feel for it from the ground-level, at a recent hands-on event we got a top-down look at the world through an in-game map. Below you can see everywhere in West Virginia that you'll be able to explore.
Although the specific locations are unmarked, you can get a good feel for the overall framework of the map. As the key in the bottom left shows, this layout is mapped based on the Wilderness Survey #76-2076.2 and plots out major roadways, main highways, interstate highways, railroads, and the river, alongside the mounts and cliffs encasing it all.
On the left-hand side of the map, towards the top corner, you can see Vault 76, where players will start off the game. Fallout 76 is a prequel to the previous games in the series and players are cast as one of the first of the Vault dwellers to emerge into the untamed wasteland. This time around, the wasteland is in better shape than in previous Fallout titles, and your task is to make the most of what remains to rebuild civilization.
Bethesda has previously confirmed that human NPCs won't factor into the game in a major way, as other players are the focus. Instead Fallout 76 will use robot NPCs, recordings, and environmental storytelling to deliver its narrative and dish out tasks. For more on the nitty-gritty of what's involved, check out article on everything we know about Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 is set to launch on November 14 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A pre-order exclusive beta will be available in October for all platforms (though Xbox One owners get in first). The beta will include the entire game and progress carries forward to the full release.
In August it was announced that The Meg star Ruby Rose will play Batwoman in The CW's DC universe, starting with an appearance in December's Arrow-verse crossover event. With production on the crossover now starting in Vancouver, the network has released the first image of Rose in costume.
The picture is suitably comic book in style and reveals a very cool version of the iconic Batwoman costume. Rose has Kate Cane's fiery red hair, with a red Bat symbol and old school Bat-ears on her mask. Check it out below:
The CW's crossover starts on December 8 and incorporates all the shows in the Arrow-verse, namely The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow. Following this, Rose will star in a standalone Batwoman show, which is expected to premiere in the fall of 2019, with The Vampire Diaries showrunner Caroline Dries writing and executive producing the pilot.
The backlash from trolls that followed Rose's casting announcement forced the star to quit Twitter in August. The current incarnation of Batwoman first appeared in DC comics in 2006 and is an openly gay character. Rose herself is an out lesbian and described opinions that she wasn't right for the role as "ridiculous."
In related news, at last weekend's New York Comic-Con, fans were given a first look at new episodes of the fifth and final season of the DC show Gotham. The show premieres in 2019 and it has been confirmed that Bane will feature, played by Shane West.
Fortnite is coming back to retail stores next month with a special bundle being produced in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive. The Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle will hit the US on November 13 for $30 and the UK on November 16 for £25. It will be available on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, and a digital version of the bundle will also be available through the in-game store.
The bundle includes the free-to-play game Fortnite: Battle Royale--which presumably means it excludes the Save the World mode--along with the Frostbite outfit/skin, Cold Front glider, Chill-Axe pickaxe, Freezing Point back bling, and 1,000 V-Bucks to buy yourself some other snazzy new gear of your choice or a Battle Pass. The box on store shelves will contain a voucher code for the content, instead of a disc.
This is one of the cheaper retail options for Fortnite, though if you're in the market for a console as well, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One have options as well. Those include some special skins and V-Bucks for good measure. If you just want a particularly good deal on V-Bucks themselves, you can grab the Ace Bundle for a better price than usual.
If you've already gotten your hands on the Season 6 Battle Pass and need some help grinding out its many rewards, check out our challenge guide. Meanwhile we're waiting for some updates that have been leaked in one way or another--a new rocket launcher and some spooky Halloween merriment, to be exact.
We recently learned that Red Dead Redemption 2's PS4-exclusive content will be available on Sony's console 30 days early, but now we've gotten a look at what some of those items are. In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony revealed four pieces of content that PS4 players will receive before Xbox One owners, including an outfit for protagonist Arthur Morgan and a special horse.
First, PS4 players will get the Grizzlies Outlaw Outfit, which is described as "a slick but rugged look" that's "perfect for exploring the forests of Ambarino." The outfit will be available from the outset in the main game and at launch in Red Dead Redemption 2's online component, Red Dead Online, when that beta kicks off next month.
In addition to that, PS4 players will have early access to the Red Chestnut Arabian Horse, a special steed that's "a class above most horses you would find in the wild." They'll also get the Alligator Skin Ranch Cutter Saddle, which bestows your horse with health and stamina boosts, as well as the High Roller Double Action Revolver.
All three of the aforementioned items will be available for PS4 players in Red Dead Online at launch, while the Grizzlies Outlaw Outfit will be available in both Red Dead Online and the main game. As was the case with Grand Theft Auto V's online mode, Red Dead Online is coming a month after Red Dead Redemption 2 launches. Rockstar hasn't announced an exact release date for the online mode yet, but the company warns there may be some teething issues when the beta first begins.
Filmmaker George Romero's passing left a gap in the horror landscape, but he's left plenty of material to be used posthumously. The director most known for his work on the Living Dead series has reportedly left almost 50 unused scripts that could still be developed into films.
ComicBook.com reports that Romero had been working on Road of the Dead, a project still in development, along with the novel The Living Dead. Dan Klaus is currently working on finishing a rewrite of the novel. But several other scripts are still being looked through according to his wife, Suzanne Desrocher-Romero.
"George was a prolific writer," she said. "He loved to write, and we have 40, 50 scripts that he's written, and a lot of it is very good. He had a lot to say, and he still does, because I'm gonna make sure that he does. It's my mission."
In addition to unused scripts and his novel, Desrocher-Romero suggested we could see a full unused film from Romero's early career as well.
"We have a film that he shot in 1973 that most people haven't seen," she said. "A handful of people have seen this film. We're gonna restore it, and we're gonna show it to Romero cinephiles. It's a scary movie, but it's not a horror movie, and it's about ageism. Anyway, he has a cameo in it, and it'll be fun. And we'll show the movie, or get it distributed. It'll be a project that the foundation's gonna do. I think it's the first project we're gonna do actually."
She noted that the lost film isn't a zombie movie like some of his most famous work, but she wants it released so that his followers can see some of his early footprint. "You see how he shoots and the story. It's a unique find. I'm so happy I have it."
There are many reasons why Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is regarded as a classic. The allure of secret passages and new equipment draws you into a haunted castle filled with odd creatures and dangerous traps. All of it beautifully designed, not to mention backed by an eclectic soundtrack to suit the castle's many moods. You delve into this adventure as the silver-haired Alucard, the sympathetic son of a notorious supernatural villain, with graceful moves and a cool demeanor befitting of a vampiric heartthrob. Each of these pieces neatly click together, forming what many consider to be one of the best video games ever made. Symphony of the Night is the rare game that seems to get everything right, because even when it stumbles in gloriously cheesy ways, our accumulated goodwill turns would-be mockery into celebration.
Konami, apparently, doesn't see things the same way. Its upcoming release of Symphony of the Night on PS4 (as part of the Castlevania Requiem collection) is based on the retooled PSP release that was buried within Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. This version, while still excellent in most respects, tries to improve upon the original PlayStation release (which is also mostly intact on Xbox 360), but in the process eliminates one of the most memorable moments of the entire game.
I'm referring, of course, to the meme-ified exchange between Richter Belmont and Dracula during the prologue.
Richter: Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!
Dracula: It was not by my hand that I'm once again given flesh. I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute.
Richter: "Tribute"?! You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!
Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions.
Richter: Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!
Dracula: What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk! Have at you!
It's campy, over the top, and incredibly memorable. Who among us hasn't been tempted to rhetorically question the essence of humanity, fling a glass of wine across the room, and declare the answer we all know in our hearts to be true? Dracula may have sounded ridiculous, but let's be honest: he's not wrong.
The PSP version, and the upcoming PS4 port, use new voice actors and a new script, with Richter and Dracula's iconic lines rewritten to the following.
Richter: Dracula. Die now, and leave this world! You'll never belong here!
Dracula: Oh but this world invited me. Your own kind called me forth with praise and tribute.
Richter: Tribute? You're a thief. You steal men's souls, their freedom...
Dracula: Freedom is always sacrificed to faith, good hunter. Or are you truly here by choice?
Richter: All I'm here for is you. To hell with your heresy! You're nothing but a blight on mankind.
Dracula: Ha! Mankind. A cesspit of hatred and lies. Fight for them, then, and die for their sins!
In the age of Twitter, where the original discussion has been glorified and given a life of its own, the decision to base the re-release on the altered version of Symphony of the Night feels like an odd one. Granted, this is a small piece of a much bigger puzzle; the game is far from ruined. Its reputation, however, is definitely challenged.
When polled, 1,780 respondents on Twitter weighed in on the matter: 33% don't care about the fact that the PSP version is being used, 26% feel that their excitement for the re-release is slightly diminished, and 41% of voters consider it to be a deal breaker.
For as much as I dislike the decision to use the PSP version of Symphony of the Night, I'm not going to pass up the chance to have a fresh copy on a modern console--assuming its emulation is technically sound. I may not, however, be able to shake the little voice in my head reminding me that it's not the definitive version of the game.
Where do you fall on the matter? Am I a crazed fan whose picked a frivolous hill to die on? Let us know in the comments below!
You may have read a lot about Assassin's Creed Odyssey leading up to its release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The new open-world game has finally arrived, and below, we've rounded up all of the essential information about 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.
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.
If you've beaten all the games you've been playing or are simply on the lookout for something new, you'll be pleased to hear a fresh set of digital Xbox One games is on sale on the Microsoft Store. Note that most of this week's sale items fall in the Deals with Gold category, which means you'll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to take advantage of them. With that out of the way, here's what's on sale between now and October 15.
The list of Xbox One game deals is surprisingly short this week, but it contains a few gems. Among them is Red Dead Redemption, a backwards compatible Xbox 360 game that runs flawlessly on Xbox One. If you hurry, you might be able to play through the whole thing before Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26. Though RDR2 is a prequel, you can expect plenty of tie-ins between the two games.
Also on sale is Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which is discounted to $45 / £41 this week for Gold members. It caps off Lara Croft's latest trilogy as she rushes to stop an apocalypse that her raiding of tombs set into motion. Check out our Shadow of the Tomb Raider review for details.
Other games of interest include the charming puzzle-platformer Unravel 2 for $15 / £13.50 (and if you haven't played the first installment, you can pick up both games for $20 / £16). Those looking to spend as little as possible can grab the artful puzzle game The Bridge or the surprisingly addictive word game Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey Remastered for $3 / £2.40 each, or Ubisoft's fairy tale-like RPG Child of Light for $4.50 / £3.60.
If none of those deals appeal to you, US customers can take a look at Best Buy's sale this week, where you'll find deals on some great physical Xbox One games.
Crunchyroll has announced that DanMachi: Memoria Freese, a free mobile RPG that uses characters from the anime Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon, will have a limited-time Attack on Titan event. The event is exclusive to North America.
The event incorporates lines spoken from the original actors from the Attack on Titan anime. You'll be able to have characters from both Titan and Dungeon team up together as they defend Orario from a Titan's attack. The event launches on October 30 at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET.
In DanMachi, you build your team from an assortment of Dungeon's characters and battle your way through an ever-changing dungeon that's different depending on the time of day you play. The game's original stories are created by Dungeon's writer Fujino Ōmori, and the anime's original cast voice their characters in the game. As a Gacha game, players spend currency--virtual or real--to unlock new characters to fight with and items to use.
Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon tells the story of Bell Cranel, a young solo adventurer who one day discovers the goddess Hestia in a dungeon. He pledges to serve as a part of her Familia and works hard every day to both serve his goddess and become worthy enough of catching the eye of Ais Wallenstein, a famous adventurer he's in love with. The original Japanese version of the anime can be watched on Crunchyroll, and both the Japanese and English versions are available on HiDive.
Attack on Titan is in the midst of its third season. In the anime, giant and seemingly mindless Titans roam the Earth for people to eat. The only defense against these Titans are giant walls that keep the monsters out, and the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment that allows soldiers to zip between buildings and trees at dizzying speeds to reach the Titan's only weak point, the neck. Attack on Titan is streaming in Japanese on Crunchyroll and in both Japanese and English on Funimation and Netflix.
DanMachi: Memoria Freese is available for both iOS and Android. If you're looking for more anime to watch, be sure to check out our fall 2018 anime guide.
Sony has indicated it is in the midst of creating the follow-up to the PlayStation 4. Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times, company president Kenichiro Yoshida said "at this point, what I can say is it's necessary to have a next-generation hardware," but stopped short of outright saying a PlayStation 5 is in development.
The statement isn't exactly a surprise, given that Sony is constantly thinking about new hardware and another PlayStation is all but guaranteed after the success of the PS4. However, the fact that Yoshida has publicly referenced next-generation hardware and Sony's need for it could be an indication of where the company feels the PS4 is in its life, as well as acknowledgement that a successor is in the works.
The PS4 is five years old now, having been released in 2013 and, traditionally, Sony's platforms have a lifecycle of around six years. This was the gap between the original PlayStation and the PlayStation 2. Six years after the PS2, the PlayStation 3 launched, with the PS4 following seven years after that. However, GPU and CPU technology is advancing at a much quicker rate than ever before, as is internet speed. On top of this, the way content is delivered and consumed has shifted significantly and is on the cusp of doing so again, with advances in game streaming.
Developers, meanwhile, seem to already be thinking about new hardware. At E3 2018 Bethesda announced Starfield, a new game from the team behind The Elder Scrolls. In an interview with GameSpot, Bethesda Game Studios' creative director Todd Howard said that the team is thinking about the best way to realise its vision for Starfield and, should it be necessary, will forego releasing it on PS4 and Xbox One to achieve this. Bethesda also confirmed a new Elder Scrolls title was on the way at E3 2018. However, it didn't mention what platforms it is being developed for.
Bethesda is one of the studios that has been briefed on Sony's plans. Marketing executive Pete Hines said in September that he knows "some stuff" about new hardware, both from Sony and Microsoft, but didn't provide any further insight.
Furthermore, CD Projekt Red has been coy about what platforms Cyberpunk 2077 will be available for. By all accounts, the slice of gameplay it has shown feels next-gen, especially if it that level of quality is going to be extrapolated into a bigger open-world.
Although there are no further details from Sony on its next-generation hardware, citing "people in the games publishing industry with knowledge of Sony's plans for a future console" the Financial Times says it "might not represent a major departure from the PS4, and that the fundamental architecture would be similar."
In May 2018, Sony's head of PlayStation, John Kodera, said the company "will use the next three years to prepare the next step, to crouch down so that we can jump higher in the future." This would mean new hardware would arrive in 2021 at the earliest.
To date there have two revisions on the original PS4 model. Although the PS4 Slim packed the same hardware in a smaller form factor, the PS4 Pro featured beefier hardware to support 4K output. Microsoft, meanwhile, has released the same number of revisions, with the Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X.
For its part, Microsoft is making moves towards diversifying where its games can be played. Although it currently enables some games to be played on Xbox One and PC through its Xbox Play Anywhere program, the newly announced Project xCloud will push further into mobile devices. New gaming hardware from Microsoft is pretty much a given, much like a new PlayStation is, but as of yet Microsoft has not indicated when it wants to launch a new platform.
In November, Microsoft will host XO18, an event described as a "global celebration of all things Xbox." It may be that we get further insight into its plans there.
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