Are you tired of looking at that tiny television sitting on that gross coffee table? How would you like a brand-new, large and in charge TV complete with a swiveling wall mount and a rad surround sound system? What if I told you that you can have all that for an unbelievable price? Well, you can have it all this Black Friday, the annual retail holiday taking place after Thanksgiving. Door-to-door salesman speech aside, Best Buy released its circular featuring a tsunami of deals on TVs, TV accessories, streaming devices, and more, and we have some highlighted deals you may be interested in.
Best Buy's Black Friday sale kicks off on Thursday, November 22 at 5 PM, and hundreds of the deals listed in the circular are available in store, right now, until Sunday. The Black Friday ad does not mention whether or not stores nationwide will be closing in the early-morning hours, so check with your local retailer for the hours, as they may vary.
There are plenty of doorbuster sales, so it's first come, first served for many of the items listed below. If you're in the new market for a TV, Best Buy will have you covered on the retail holiday. If you're planning on going big--or going home--there is an 82" Samsung 4K smart TV on sale for roughly $2500. If that breaks the bank, the cheapest large television you can get is a 65" 4K smart TV from Samsung for $600 or a 70" LG 4K smart TV for $700.
Best Buy also has accessories for your living room as well. A 2.1 channel Sony soundbar with wireless subwoofer is priced at $149 and a full-motion TV mount from Rocketfish will be $100. Additionally, if you're in the market for a universal remote, there's a nice one from Logitech for $60.
Beyond that, Best Buy has a sale on streaming and smart home devices as well as tablets and headphones. If you're looking for anything technology related at a discounted price, Best Buy may be the way to be. Check out some of the highlighted items below.
Nintendo has published new job listings that further confirms the developer has already begun production on another The Legend of Zelda game. Perhaps more interestingly, the job listings suggest dungeons--a series staple that was mostly absent from 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--will be returning in the upcoming game.
Currently, Nintendo is looking for a 3DCG designer and level designer to contribute work to The Legend of Zelda series. Both job listings are published in Japanese, but ResetEra user guru-guru has been able to provide a rough English translation. The 3DCG designer's primary roles are the creation of terrain and topography for fields and dungeons, as well as concept art. The level designer is being hired to plan enemy placements and dungeon layout.
The job listings do not reveal whether or not this upcoming game is a brand new story. In the six years between Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild, Nintendo only created mainline Zelda titles that connected to older games. 2015's Tri Force Heroes, for example, is a sequel to 2013's A Link Between Worlds, which itself is a sequel to 1991's A Link to the Past. 2013's The Wind Waker HD, 2015's Majora's Mask 3D, and 2016's Twilight Princess HD are all remasters of classic Zelda titles.
The job postings also don't specify work on the next game in the franchise, just a game in the series, so there's a chance the upcoming The Legend of Zelda title could be a sequel story or HD remaster of an older story as opposed to something completely new. A remaster of an older Zelda game would explain the emphasis Nintendo is placing on dungeons. This is, however, simply a guess and not something to be taken as fact.
Last year, The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma said there is a possibility that there would be another Zelda game on Nintendo Switch. He also mentioned that the next mainline game in the series could be multiplayer-focused.
Ubisoft has announced the first details for the next expansion for Rainbow Six Siege. Titled Operation Wind Bastion, the expansion will add two Operators and a new multiplayer map at the start of Year 3, Season 4.
The new Operators will be an Attacker and a Defender that come from the Kingdom of Morocco's GIGR (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Royale). In a blog post, Ubisoft describes the new Attacker as a care-free yet resourceful explorer who is "an expert on environmental operations with a knack for pushing the enemy back." The Defender is described as a stoic commander who "inspires respect and has taken it upon himself to guide the future of Moroccan Special Forces."
The new map, called Fortress, is a military facility in the Atlas Mountains. According to Ubisoft, the "map will be comprised of two distinguishable sections offering a variety of open space, points of cover, and lines of sight for both close and long range engagements." Fortress is also "the first ever map to be heavily associated with an Operator." Ubisoft has not announced whether that Operator is one of the two new ones, or a member of Siege's existing roster.
Operation Wind Bastion's full reveal--as well as the rest of new content for Year 3, Season 4--will be made at Siege's Pro League Finals on November 17-18. One of the major changes coming to Siege at the start of Season 4 will be censorship of certain in-game environments and icons. Ubisoft is removing references to specific mature content, like gambling and sex, in Siege ahead of its release in Asian territories that have heavier content restrictions.
Siege's last major patch, Update Y3S3.2, addressed many of the bugs that previously existed in the game. The update also added balancing changes to both Clash and Maestro, two Operators that Ubisoft felt were underused. Two firearms, the SMG-11 and Vector, were also patched to reduce recoil and improve the weapons' handling.
Rainbow Six Siege is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
BioWare has announced that the Xbox One version of Mass Effect Andromeda is now X-enhanced. The patch enhances Andromeda on Xbox One X, offering better resolution and HDR support.
The new update is a part of 2018's N7 Day celebration. N7 Day is an annual celebration of Mass Effect games, comics, movies, and culture that occurs on November 7. BioWare usually uses the date to announce new updates or expansions for old Mass Effect games.
During the announcement video for the new update, BioWare also teased the next Mass Effect game. After Andromeda's less than stellar launch, BioWare put work on the Mass Effect series on hiatus, and hasn't revealed concrete details about what the next game in the franchise might look like. However, earlier in the year, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson revealed that work on something new had begun.
"Our Star Wars: The Old Republic team is hard at work on some amazing plans for the coming year, with new features and surprises that I think makes it the game's most exciting year yet," wrote Hudson in a blog post. "And yes--we hear loud and clear the interest in BioWare doing more Dragon Age and Mass Effect, so rest assured that we have some teams hidden away working on some secret stuff that I think you'll really like--we're just not ready to talk about any of it for a little while…"
In our Mass Effect Andromeda review, Scott Butterworth gave the game a 6/10, writing, "The game can't escape its shortcomings, but patient explorers can still find a few stars shining in the darkness."
Mass Effect Andromeda is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Studio Wildcard has announced that the new expansion for Ark: Survival Evolved, titled Extinction, will go live on PC today. Extinction continues Ark's story by pitting humanity against giant mega-dinosaur creatures called Titans.
Defeating the raid boss-like Titans is the centerpiece to Extinction, but the expansion also adds more creatures to tame and technology to utilize. Cryopods, for example, are handy pieces of tech that allow you to store your creatures and easily carry them around in your inventory. You'll be able to transfer your preexisting characters into Extinction, but your items and tamed creatures will have to stay behind. Whatever you claim in Extinction, though, can be brought back with you into Ark's older maps.
"We will be introducing North American and European Extinction servers first," Studio Wildcard senior community manager Jen Stuber wrote in a Steam blog post. "We will be releasing an initial start batch of servers, and bringing more servers online as needed so please be patient for us during this period. The servers will be the standard 70-player cap. Extinction will be included in all CrossARK clusters (except 'TheHundred'), as well as Conquest and Small Tribes servers."
Extinction's PC servers have launched, after experiencing brief technical issues. Both the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Extinction will launch on November 13. Extinction comes included in Ark's Season Pass, but can be purchased separately as well.
The PC version of Ark: Survival Evolved is being offered as free-to-play until November 11 on Steam. You can also buy the game at a discounted price of $20 / £18 / €22 until November 13.
A new update for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds adds new content to the game and fixes several of its bugs. The most noticeable change is the addition of Suicide Squad-themed skins that allow players to dress up as the movie's Harley Quinn or Joker.
Both characters are sold as in-game skin bundles. Harley Quinn's bundle includes the character's "Daddy's Lil Monster" outfit and a special baseball bat skin for the crowbar and machete. Joker's bundle includes the "Night Club Suit" outfit. Both bundles also include the character's hair and makeup options if you want to create their faces on your own custom in-game avatar.
Harley Quinn's bundle costs 2500 G-Coin, while Joker's is 2000. You can also buy the individual pieces of each bundle as well. Harley's outfit is 2000, her hair is 500, her make up is 500, and her bat is 300. Joker's outfit is 1500, and his hair and make up are both 500. As opposed to BP, which is earned through playing PUBG, G-Coin is bought with real cash. You can buy 500 G-Coin for $5 USD, 1100 for $10, or 2300 for $20.
If purchased, these options will appear under PUBG's new "Make Up" tab in the "Appearance" category. For the most part, changing a character's face, hair, make-up, and gender will also no longer cost BP. A few paid items are exempt from this.
The update also adds a new supply system and custom matches to the Xbox One version of PUBG. The game's texture streaming has also been optimized and a bug in the Training Mode has been fixed. The full patch notes are on PUBG's forums, but we've listed the highlights below.
If you're curious about trying PUBG on Xbox One, the console version of the game is free to download and play November 8-11.
PUBG Xbox One Update #3 Patch Notes
Supply System
Added Supply System
Earn XP through play time and completing missions to level-up and obtain rewards.
Each 10 levels you will receive a permanent reward.
Every level-up on the way to each permanent reward will grant you BP and also a chance to receive an additional permanent reward.
You can level up and get rewards when you fill the Survival gauge with survival XP
You must click "Claim" to receive the completed mission XP
Observing teammates grants 50% less XP than while alive
Skin & Items
Added a "Make Up" tab in the "Appearance" category.
The "Appearance" category has been added to the store, where you can purchase additional Hair and Make-up options.
Changing "Appearance" such as face, hair and/or gender will not cost BP (some paid items for face and make-up are excluded from this).
Custom Match
Custom matches have been added and custom match creation is available for all players.
Known issue: You may experience short instances of hitching in the custom match lobby when assigning or moving teams.
Custom match list can now be viewed after selecting custom match game mode.
Normal mode: Classic battle royale rules—be the last person (or team) standing
War Mode: Team deathmatch with respawns. The team with the most points (kills and knocks) wins.
After selecting your preferred game mode, custom matches can now be created using presets.
Each game mode currently has a default preset and one additional preset available.
War Mode includes the Desert Knights preset.
Normal Mode includes Sanhok Forty Fivers preset.
Rules: Set number of players, team size.
Basic: Set game mode, password, map, weather, etc.
After creating the match, the settings can be adjusted using the options in the Basic and Rules menus.
Normal Mode includes the Sanhok Forty Fivers preset.
Things to keep in mind when creating custom matches:
At least 10 players are required to start the match.
You can keep the game in a waiting room for up to two hours.
Performance
Optimized texture streaming to reduce hitching
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug where upon completing a match in Training Mode, you would receive two wins that counted towards Game Hub stats
Blizzard executive producer Allen Adham has announced that more of the developer's IPs may get the mobile game treatment. The news comes out after the announcement of Diablo Immortal, a mobile title that's part of the Diablo franchise.
"In terms of Blizzard's approach to mobile gaming, many of us over the last few years have shifted from playing primarily desktop to playing many hours on mobile, and we have many of our best developers now working on new mobile titles across all of our IPs," said Adham during a BlizzCon 2018 press conference, according to a Reddit user. "Some of them are with external partners, like Diablo Immortal; many of them are being developed internally only, and we'll have information to share on those in the future. I will say also that we have more new products in development today at Blizzard than we've ever had in our history and our future is very bright."
Blizzard's four main franchises are Diablo, Warcraft, StarCraft, and Overwatch. The developer has already enjoyed success with Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, a free-to-play collectible card game based on the Warcraft series, that originally released on PC before being ported to mobile.
Diablo Immortal is a sequel to Diablo II and prequel to Diablo III, focusing on the adventures of certain series characters between those two games. After its announcement, Immortal faced widespread backlash from Diablo fans, many of whom were hoping the next game announced for the series would be Diablo IV. However, after playing Immortal ourselves, we're surprisingly impressed with what's been done. According to Blizzard, more Diablo is on the way, and not all of it is going to be for mobile.
November is here, and that means it's time to plan out your Black Friday shopping. Up until the actual event--on November 23--retailers will be revealing their huge deals for the holiday season. The first to show off their wares was Target, though that's quickly been followed by Walmart and Best Buy. Aside from a ton of deals on video games, Target also has plenty of TVs and tech for sale on the retail holiday.
Instead of blindly rampaging through the retail giant, you can plan out your excursion with the list of selected items below or through the full Black Friday ad from Target's website. The deals are available online, but if you want to bravely battle the crowds, Game of Thrones-style, Target's doors open at 5 PM on Thursday, November 22 and will stay open until 1 AM on Friday, November 23. Target will re-open at 7 AM that morning. Hours may vary depending on location. It's first come, first served for the items and there will be limited quantities for everything in the Target ad.
Like every year, the main focus is on TVs. There are 21 televisions featured in the ad, with almost all of them being doorbuster promotions. You'll have to make your Lord of the Rings-esque journey to a local Target for these deals rather than buy them online. There are plenty of great Samsung TVs on sale, most of which are 4K Smart TVs. You can get $180 off a 65" 4K Smart TV for $650 or get the curved version for $800--which saves you $300. There is also an LG 4K Smart TV on sale for $750, saving $150 from the original price. The cheapest 4K TV for Black Friday is a 55' from Element for $200.
If you're looking to add some upgrades to your TV, you can add a Sony 4K Blu-ray player for $150, and that's a savings of $100. You can add a soundbar from Samsung for $120, so you can experience your movies with theater-quality sound. Amazon, Google, and Roku all have streaming devices on sale as well, for as little as $25 for the Fire TV Stick.
Check out the "best of" list for Target below and the items prices. More may be added to the Black Friday list, so we'll keep you updated if there are any changes. You can also check out our roundup of Target's best Black Friday game deals.
Target Black Friday Deals
TVs:
Element 32" Smart LED TV -- $120 [Doorbuster]
Element 55" Smart 4K UHD -- $200
LG 43" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $270 [Doorbuster]
LG 49" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $330 [Doorbuster]
LG 55" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $470 [Doorbuster]
LG 60" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $550 [Doorbuster]
LG 65" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $750 [Doorbuster]
Philips 50" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $250 [Doorbuster]
Polaroid 32" LED TV -- $80 [Doorbuster]
Samsung 32" Smart LED TV -- $180 [Doorbuster]
Samsung 43" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $280 [Doorbuster]
Samsung 50" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV -- $330 [Doorbuster]
Believe it or not, Black Friday 2018 is right around the corner--two weeks from this Friday, in fact. The end of the year is approaching, and the holiday season brings with it the biggest shopping day on the calendar in the United States, family time be damned.
Even with a couple weeks to go before Black Friday--it takes place on November 23--we've already begun to get a look at the deals that will be available. Most notably, we got Target's ad early, giving us a look at what will be on sale across games, tech, and entertainment, and that's been followed by two other huge ones, Walmart and Best Buy. Sam's Club is also have a pre-Black Friday sale that has some nice deals for game fans, as is Best Buy.
As always, tracking what's on sale and where can be an overwhelming task, as can determining what the best deals are. We'll be doing our best to help you stay on top of this so you can make the most of Black Friday (and Cyber Monday immediately after that) without having to drown in a sea of circulars and hastily scrawled post-it notes. Below, you'll find our complete coverage of the event; be sure to check back as more ads are revealed in the lead up to the big day.
Platforms And TVs
PS4
All PS4 Deals
If you're looking for all things related to PS4, we've collected every deal announced so far for the platform--including consoles, accessories, and games--in one story. Among the highlights is a $200 PS4 bundle that comes with Marvel's Spider-Man at Target.
Those specifically hunting for a PlayStation 4 are in luck, as the console will be on sale in addition to many of its games. We'll be keeping an eye on all the ads as they come out to find out exactly where you should head for a PS4.
For a look at all things Xbox One, we've put together a roundup of every announced deal related to the system. That includes deals on consoles, games, and accessories. One of the best offers we've seen so far is a $400 Xbox One X bundle with a whopping $120 in Kohl's Cash from (you guessed it) Kohl's.
Whether you're hunting for an Xbox One S or an Xbox One X, you'll have some options this year. We're keeping track of the best offers on the consoles to help make it easy for you to pick one up.
Nintendo Switch has had a big second year on the market, and whether you're looking for discounted games or some kind of sale involving system itself, you'll have at least a limited number of options to choose from. That includes a free copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe when buying the console at Target.
TVs are always one of the hot-ticket items on Black Friday, and 2018 is no exception. We've rounded up all of the discounts so far and will continue to do so as they roll in.
Walmart has a huge ad full of games on sale, along with consoles and accessories. One of its best deals see Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 drop to just $40 despite its relatively recent release.
Target was the first big store out of the gate to release its Black Friday ad early, and it included a ton of stuff of interest to game fans. You'll find a PS4 with Spider-Man for $200, among other things.
If you're interested in what Target will have to offer on the gaming front without wading through a long list, we've rounded up some recommendations on the best deals it has this year. This covers consoles (with deals on Switch, PS4, and Xbox One) and games for those systems.
Alongside its game offerings, Target's early Black Friday ad gave us a look at its many movies and TV shows that will be on sale, and it includes some great sub-$10 4K movies.
Black Friday is always a great opportunity to pick up a new TV for relatively cheap, and 4K TVs are among the variety of tech items you'll find discounted at Target.
Kohl's doesn't sell many games, but it oftentimes has some excellent deals come Black Friday. 2018 is no exception, as it might be the best place to buy an Xbox One X.
Kohl's might primarily be a clothes retailer, but it does sell a limited number of electronics, like TVs. These are discounted in addition to netting you some Kohl's Cash.
Black Ops 4 represented a significant shift for the Call of Duty series, dumping a traditional single-player campaign and introducing a battle royale mode, Blackout. It's another game that, despite having only just been released, will be on sale come Black Friday.
God of War has been one of the year's standout games so far. It will be discounted this Black Friday, and thanks to the fact that it came out earlier in the year, the savings are even greater than with some of its fellow triple-A games that launched more recently.
We should have a firm idea of everything that will be on sale well in advance of Black Friday, but while we wait for all of the ads to come in, we've previewed what to expect from this year's big day. That may help you determine if you should buy something now or wait for a possible deal later this month.
Anybody can walk into a story on Black Friday or browse to a retailer's website, but there are tips and tricks to best approaching it. We've put together a guide to help you make the most of all the big sales.
It's been exciting times in the world of Fortnite lately. The Halloween event, Fortnitemares, came to a close--and in quite spectacular fashion, with a one-time event that transported players into an alternate world. In the aftermath of the event, Kevin the cube has vanished, and a new land mass has appeared in Loot Lake. The full implications of this remain to be seen, but we expect developer Epic Games will be digging into the mysteries of the new location over the coming weeks. In the meantime, there are challenges to be completed.
At this point all of this should be second nature, but here's a quick primer for the newcomers: Each week there's a fresh set of Fortnite challenges for players to complete. By doing so, players earn Battle Stars which level up the Battle Pass and unlocks cosmetic rewards. Some challenges, and thus unlocks, are exclusive to those that have spent money on a paid-tier for the Battle Pass.
This week's challenges are pretty straightforward. On the free side, you'll need to get seven ammo boxes in a single match, deal 500 headshot damage to enemies, and--as part of a three stage challenge--deal 300 damage to opponents in a single match. Once you've done that, the next stage will reveal itself, and the same goes for the third stage.
For those that have paid for a Battle Pass, you'll need to do another multi-stage challenge which begins with destroying 50 trees. There's also a third multi-stage challenge that kicks off with consuming five apples. Other challenges in this tier involve skydiving through 20 floating rings and eliminating three opponents in Pleasant Park.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 7 Challenges
Free
Search 7 Ammo Boxes in a single match (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal headshot damage to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Deal damage to opponents in a single match (300)-- 2 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Stage 1: Destroy trees (50) -- 5 Battle Stars
Skydive through floating rings (20) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: consume 5 Apples (5) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in Pleasant Park (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Epic recently rolled out Fortnite update v6.22 and introduced two new limited-time modes. The first LTM is Team Terror, which pits two teams of 32 against each other with the goal of wiping out the opposing side. However, Cube Monsters, the enemies that players had to battle against during the Fortnitemares event, will also be out for blood.
The second LTM is Blitz, which speeds up the Battle Royale formula by making the storm circle start to close in right from the start of the match. On top of that, it'll shrink more frequently than usual, so matches should last around 15 minutes.
The patch also introduces the new heavy assault rifle. Plus the update laid the groundwork for new NFL skins that are expected to be out later this week. If you've still got outstanding challenges from previous weeks check out our Season 6 challenge guide.
A lot of announcements have come out of Blizzcon 2018 so far, but the funnest and most bizarre is probably the latest news about a cereal based on a joke from Overwatch. Lucio, the skating DJ support character who uses his music to heal and speed boost teammates, is getting a real cereal from Kellogg's called "Lucio-Ohs," based on one of Lucio's sprays.
There's already a full commercial for the cereal, which Blizzard dropped on YouTube. You'll have to wait until December to tear into a box of Lucio-Ohs, though, but the part of a complete breakfast will also come with in-game Overwatch loot.
Fruity loops aren't the only Lucio product you can snag for yourself--Blizzard also released a full album of Lucio music you can download right now at luciomusic.com.
Synaesthesia Auditiva is Lucio's in-universe debut album, and it's actually been a part of the Overwatch story for quite a while. Blizzard released a fictional news story back in 2015 detailing the international DJ sensation's world tour. In Overwatch, the essential part of Lucio's character is that his music has literal healing properties, and the news story mostly provides a story explanation for them. But included with it were two real tracks from the album that fans could listen to online for free.
There hasn't been much more on the Lucio front since then, even though Blizzard shared both the cover art for Lucio's album, as well as its full track list. In the meantime, though, Overwatch has grown significantly with new characters, and Blizzard has put out several more story trailers that add details to the game's world. Lucio hasn't gotten such a trailer, but the album might be even better.
Pokemon Go has been a notorious battery hog since it released in 2016, largely because of one specific element: hatching Pokemon eggs, which has always been done by walking around in the real world with Pokemon Go running on your phone. Thanks to the release of the new Adventure Sync feature, the game now is capable of tracking steps without it running--which means the game should finally become a little more battery friendly.
Developer Niantic Labs made the feature available to at least some members of the Pokemon Go community this week, allowing them to opt-in to Adventure Sync. According to Niantic's support page detailing the feature, Adventure Sync seems to work by tapping into your phone's on-board fitness-tracking software, either Apple's Health or Google Fit, then using the step data your phone tracks and translating it into the game. That change should make hatching Pokemon eggs and gaining Buddy candies, which also are earned by walking, a lot easier. From its launch, Pokemon Go has used location data to track distance walked, rather than actual steps taken--a metric that could sometimes be finicky in its tracking, and which sucked up a lot of battery and cellular data.
Using Adventure Sync also means Pokemon Go gives you a weekly fitness report that shows you how far you walked, how many steps you took, how many eggs you hatched, and how many candies you earned.
Adventure Sync isn't available to everyone playing Pokemon Go just yet. Niantic's support page for the feature says it's slowly rolling it out to the player community in waves, but "We look forward to granting access to everyone above level 5 soon." Once Adventure Sync is fully implemented, it'll be available to all players once they reach level 5 in the game. You'll also have to switch the feature on in the Settings menu, or you'll be stuck with the old step-tracking method.
Niantic has been busy with Pokemon Go lately--it just started a new in-game event and released new Pokemon. It also rolled out the first wave of Gen 4 Pokemon from the Sinnoh region in October, and there's another Community Day coming on November 10. That one will feature increased spawns of the Pokemon Gold and Silver starter Cyndaquil.
With Black Friday approaching--it falls on November 23 this year--more and more retailers are releasing their Black Friday ads early. That's a good thing for shoppers, because it allows us to compare prices, plan our purchases, and decide which doorbusters to go for. Walmart's Black Friday ad is now available, so let's look at all the upcoming deals on video game consoles, games, and accessories.
As with many other retailers, Walmart isn't waiting until Friday to begin offering its discounts. Most Walmart stores will open at 6 PM local time on Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving in the US). Online shoppers will get access to the discounts even earlier; Black Friday deals at Walmart.com will start on Wednesday, November 21 at 10 PM ET (7 PM PT).
On the hardware side of things, Walmart will have a deal on nearly every console on the market. You'll be able to get a PS4 Slim 1TB with Spider-Man for $200. The Xbox One S Minecraft Creators Bundle will be marked down to $200, and you'll be able to save $100 on an Xbox One X, bringing the price down to $400. Nintendo Switch will still cost $300, but you'll get a free copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with the purchase. Finally, Nintendo 2DS with Super Mario Maker will be $80.
When it comes to games, it might be quicker to list the ones that won't be on sale. There will be tons of great deals, making Black Friday a good time to grab anything you've had an eye on recently. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be marked down to $40, which is $5 cheaper than it will be at Target and Best Buy. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is dipping to $35, as is Destiny 2: Forsaken Legendary Collection. And while they're not getting discounts, Walmart is offering exclusive steelbook versions of Fallout 76 and Red Dead Redemption 2 for $60 each.
You can find the full list of discounted items for each platform below. And if you want to see all the other items Walmart will have on sale, check out the full Walmart Black Friday ad.
While playing the first handful of hours of Red Dead Redemption 2, I was coming to terms with kinda sorta...hating it. Rockstar's sprawling western just wasn't for me. It was too plodding, too deliberate, too time-consuming, and too dull. So many of the game's systems seemed designed deliberately to keep you from having fun while playing it. No matter how much I liked the original Red Dead Redemption--a game I'd fully completed in 2010, despite a lot of the same sorts of issues--I was getting ready to let the sequel ride off into the sunset that is deleting it off my PS4 hard drive.
Then I hit one of the game's best scenes (at least, so far), and it significantly changed my mind.
It's not exactly an easy task to get to that scene if you're already at odds with the game's pace. It comes in Chapter 2, after you have gone through quite a few tutorial missions, learning about brushing horses, tracking and hunting game through the wilderness, and improving camp. Red Dead 2's story isn't in any particular hurry to pull you along, but eventually you spend time with all of the Van der Linde gang's characters, and hanging around with them starts to become the story in itself. One mission sees you and your comrades mounting a rescue mission to save Sean, an outlaw pal who was captured by bounty hunters off-screen in the earlier Blackwater job that happens before the game's start.
It's not the mission to save Sean that turned the corner for Red Dead 2. That's another of those "fight a bunch of guys" missions common to video games, where you gun down a small army while ducking behind trees and random bits of wood to hide incoming fire. Red Dead 2's gunplay isn't especially engaging most of the time; leaving the game's sticky aim assist on basically does the work for you, but turning it off makes picking out targets finicky and difficult. But the gang and I managed to clear out the bounty hunters holding Sean and secure his release, safe and sound.
One evening not long after rescuing Sean, I returned to camp to find everyone in good spirits. Dutch, the gang's leader, declared Sean's return a major victory, and before long, a full-blown party started. Scattered groups of people in the gang started pounding whiskey, singing, dancing, and conversing. The camp came alive as the characters cut loose and had a rare bit of fun.
The party scene is, so far, my favorite thing that's happened in Red Dead 2. You can wander around, sitting by campfires and joining in as other members of the gang sing songs, to which protagonist Arthur doesn't always know all the words. You can ask one of the women of the gang for a dance, and somewhat clumsily sway with her, or offer a quick dip. You can listen to a variety of interactions, including Sean drunkenly trying to convince one of the camp's women, Karen, that he's in love with her--and then to their tryst in a tent, where both break down in whiskey driven tears. It's a moment that's both heartfelt and hilarious, especially when Sean stumbles back out of the tent afterward and playfully calls Arthur a creep.
The party lasts through the night, and while there's not a particularly large amount to actually do from a gameplay standpoint, it's one of the better moments in Red Dead 2 because it takes advantage of what's great about the game: its characters. You spend the party just learning about the people who make up the gang, and time spent with them deepens the story moments and conversations that come later.
It's nice, too, that for as much shooting and stabbing as you do in Red Dead 2, there are ways to interact with its world that don't come at the end of a gun barrel. The games industry is full of triple-A titles that have huge, beautiful, imaginative worlds, but your only way of taking part in those worlds is to kill the stuff within them. For all that imagination, the reality of what games offer is usually pretty narrow: kill, or be killed. In Red Dead 2, there are at least these other opportunities, where interacting with characters is as rewarding as sticking them up or gunning them down.
Video games as a medium often still struggle in trying to tell compelling stories, specifically focusing on plot and action while relegating character development and worldbuilding to collectible notes and audio logs. Games often feel like their creators fear that if players aren't constantly running from one battle to the next, they'll stop playing altogether--there's no time to waste on populating many games with people, even though the people within them are what make humans so interested in stories in the first place.
Red Dead 2 isn't afraid to let you stop and just spend time with its characters. The party scene has no real gameplay loop, there's no achievement or trophy tied to it, and you can basically set your controller down for most of it. Red Dead 2's confidence in its characters is such that the game is okay with you not playing for a bit, but instead just being there, in that moment it's trying to create for you. Rockstar's willingness to try to leave you in moments like that is refreshing, because so many games and developers aren't. When other developers are looking at Red Dead 2's success, I hope that's the lesson they take from it.
Fences--merchants, not boundary markers--in Red Dead Redemption 2 are the only businesses that will buy goods you've found while looting strangers and rifling through private property, and by gum, they sure are hard to find. Considering the size of RDR2's map, and that there are only four fences in all the land, odds are you may be wondering where they're hiding. We've got a handy reference guide to help locate the black-market traders that peddle in illicit goods.
Fair warning: you have to first complete Chapter 2's 'The Spines of America' mission before you can use any fence, and you won't be able to access either of the specialized fences--for horses or wagons--until you reach certain progress milestones in the game's main story.
Let's start off with the first location you're likely to find: Emerald Ranch
The first fence location you might stumble across during the natural trajectory of the story's early mission is located on the south-west edge of Emerald Ranch, on the backside of a massive barn. In additional to its usual services, this is also the only fence that will pay you for turning in stolen stagecoaches and carriages.
The same time that you unlock the standard fence at Emerald Ranch, you will also unlock the ability to trade in stolen carriages; simply ride them up to the barn doors to engage the wagon fence.
Fence #2: Van Horn Trading Post
On the far-east edge of New Hanover (practically due east of Emerald Ranch) lies Van Horn Trading Post. The fence at this location is tucked away within the rear of building along the docks.
Fence #3: Rhodes
Due south of Emerald Ranch lies Rhodes, a small town with a small trailer park to the north. There you will find a bright red trailer, and on the backside you'll find a counter and a window where the local fence awaits your business.
Fence #4: Saint Denis
The far-off bustling streets of Saint Denis are where you'll find the most well-hidden fence of them all. Tucked under the busy market square, it's easy to spot if you keep an eye out for the brick archways, or the green building with bright green shudders. This is also the only fence that will purchase gold bars, valued at a whopping $500 a piece.
Horse Fence, North Of Rhodes (Unlocks after Chapter 3, Horse Flesh For Dinner)
After completing the gruesomely titled mission mentioned above, you can speak to a pair of strangers northwest of Rhodes, along the waterside, to turn in stolen horses.
The Mass Effect franchise is currently in a state of suspended animation following the lackluster showing by the series' fourth game, Mass Effect Andromeda. But there's still a big Mass Effect following out there, and developer BioWare knows it--that's why it acknowledges November 7 each year as "N7 Day" with some messaging to fans to remind them of their experiences trying to save the Milky Way Galaxy from the Reaper threat.
And it seems like BioWare boss Casey Hudson just used the studio's N7 Day Twitter post to hint at the future of Mass Effect.
BioWare posted a short video on Twitter mostly made up of people from both the studio and the fan community talking about why they like Mass Effect. It also includes an announcement that the studio turned out a free update for Andromeda on Xbox One X that improves the game's graphics.
What might be the most interesting part is the ending, though, where Hudson makes a statement laden with innuendo: "It means coming into the studio every day, dreaming about what the next great Mass Effect game will be."
Then he stares right into the camera for a long moment as he sips from a Mass Effect mug with the famous Commander Shepard line, "I Should Go," stenciled on the side. What does it mean???
Maybe nothing. After all, it's not like BioWare or its owner, Electronic Arts, ever said Mass Effect was officially canceled--but single-player DLC for Mass Effect Andromeda never materialized, despite some clear setups for some in the story, after that game received a rough reception from both fans and critics. BioWare has been putting its efforts into Anthem, its open-world sci-fi multiplayer game, which is set to release in February.
It sure does seem like Hudson's lingering look at the camera is a meaningful wink to fans, letting them know that the Mass Effect series hasn't been killed off in a boardroom somewhere. And in a blog post in August, Hudson noted that BioWare knows fans want more Mass Effect (and more of its fantasy franchise, Dragon Age), and said the studio has people working on "secret projects," even though he wouldn't enumerate what they might be. So that meaningful look seems like a playful reminder to fans on N7 Day that BioWare hasn't forgotten about them.
There's one the big question of what Mass Effect might look like, post-Andromeda. Would BioWare maintain the course set by the fourth game, which spins off from the original trilogy and takes place in a whole new galaxy, or would that game's rough reception lead to a whole new course?
If Hudson is telling fans to keep the faith for the future of Mass Effect, though, it'll likely be a long time before we hear anything more about it, thanks in part to Anthem. In the meantime, fans might just have to watch BioWare communications for secret messages.
The Castlevania games are well known for a few specific things, like elaborate levels, cheesy dialogue, and atmospheric design. Music ranks high among those characteristics, which made it extremely weird when the first season of Netflix's Castlevania show included exactly zero music from the Castlevania games. Fans hoped showrunner Adi Shankar would correct that in Castlevania Season 2, and those who watched all the way to Episode 7 weren't disappointed.
Why did it take so long for the Castlevania show to finally use some of the games' iconic music? We asked Shankar, who also produced the recent rap battle satire movie Bodied with Eminem, during a recent interview.
"It is a process," Shankar said. "I'm not making a commentary of how difficult of a process, but I'm just saying, yeah, it is a process."
The Castlevania franchise is owned by Konami, a Japanese company that famously has not seemed particularly interested in catering to what fans of its games want in recent years. Bloody Tears, the song used in Episode 7's impressive and game reference-heavy battle, was originally composed by Kenichi Matsubara and was first heard in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, a NES game released more than three decades ago. Needless to say, the licensing process for it and similar tracks may be more complex than fans assume.
But aside from that, Shankar didn't want to turn Castlevania into the kind of show that buys fans off with endless fan service.
"It was good to build to it, because it makes the use of it more meaningful," he said. The same went for Trevor's whip, which the character upgraded to the famous Morning Star during Castlevania Season 2: "There's a version of the show out there where literally every episode Trevor is getting an upgrade," Shankar said, and he didn't want to fall into that trap.
"At a certain point these things kind of lose their impact and meaning," he said, emphasizing that using the song there wasn't intended as some kind of cheap surprise. It's a moment of pay-off to things that have been building throughout Season 1 and 2, not simply a wink toward fans.
"Ultimately what we're trying to do here--with any kind of entertainment--is to evoke, provoke, make you feel a broad spectrum of emotions," Shankar said. "This is one of the notes we were able to hit--no pun intended. It's that--I don't want to say the nostalgia note, but it is a note we were able to hit, and it's one of those notes that has diminishing returns if you hit it too many times."
The music isn't the only thing Castlevania fans get nostalgic for. The show's three protagonists--Trevor, Alucard, and Sypha--are all playable characters from Castlevania III. The show also took inspiration from other Castlevania games, including Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness. Shankar said he likes to take characters and other elements from these games and flesh them out beyond the relatively basic characteristics present in their original incarnations--but in a way that makes sense to fans.
"Those early games were not able to communicate the subtle characterizations, the subtle nuances, because early games didn't have a way to communicate that," he said. "All of us felt--Warren Ellis, myself, Kevin [Kolde], my partner on the show--that it was really important to expand the world of the show."
He compared it to the Marvel universe, which spans comics, games, movies, TV shows, and more, all with their own continuities that run in parallel, and each medium with its own strengths and focuses. "In all these different universes, some events play out exactly the same, some things play out slightly differently," he said. "Some characters show up in slightly different timelines and slightly different forms. Sometimes the power balance is different, right? That's very much the same deal with Castlevania. Our show takes place in a parallel timeline--a parallel universe--to that of the games."
"Which, by the way, the games also have multiple timelines in and of themselves," he added.
By Season 2's conclusion, many of the storylines begun in the show are wrapped up neatly. But it also leaves our heroes in a position to have more adventures--and several villains remain in the mix as well. Netflix recently confirmed that Castlevania Season 3 is a go, and Shankar said they already have plans in place.
"I'm trying to think of what I can and can't say," he teased. "We have Season 3 mapped out. A big thing about this show is none of us want to be just making it up as we go along...Every single time, we take a look at how much time we have to tell the story and how many resources we have to tell it. But there's a plan in place. There's an arc in place. When Season 3 comes out you will see that Season 2 set up the events of Season 3. There's still this cast of nefarious characters out there."
"And don't forget this is also a massive world," he continued. "The world of Castlevania, of the--let's call it the Castlevania cinematic universe for our discussion--in that cinematic universe is this massive landscape, and what we saw [in Seasons 1 and 2] is a story on that board. But there are far reaching ramifications for all the events that transpired in Season 1 and Season 2."
What's his overall goal for Castlevania Season 3? "An Emmy nomination--that would be pretty tight," Shankar said. He'll have our vote whenever Castlevania returns to Netflix, which will hopefully happen sooner rather than later. You can catch Season 1 and 2 streaming on Netflix now.
It's that time of the year where Black Friday deals start rolling in, and retailers have jumped into season of sales by revealing their deals well ahead of the day itself. There are plenty of games that you'll be able to get for cheap, but here, we're focusing on how you can save a few bucks on Microsoft's consoles this year. Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles are seeing some price drops, so if you've been eyeing either system, you may want to take advantage of these deals. We've compiled what's been revealed as of now for Xbox One's family of consoles.
Kohl's will be offering a 1TB Xbox One S Minecraft Creators Bundle and $60 in Kohl's Cash for $200. The Xbox One X 1TB bundle with PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and $120 in Kohl's Cash is going for $400. Kohl's deals begin Monday, November 19 at 12:01 AM CT online and Thursday, November 22 at 5:00 PM in stores.
Walmart is going to offer the 1TB Xbox One S Minecraft Bundle for $200 and a 1TB Xbox One X for $400. Additionally, all other Xbox One X bundles will be $70 off and Xbox One S bundles will go for $230. Sales begin Wednesday, November 21 at 10:00 PM ET online and store doors open Thursday, November 22 at 6:00 PM.
Best Buy will offer one of the better deals with a 1TB Xbox One X Battlefield V Special Edition bundle that comes with an extra controller for $430. It'll also be selling the 1TB Xbox One S Minecraft Creators bundle for $200. Best Buy is dropping deals everyday online, but kicks off its in-store sales Thursday, November 22 at 5:00 PM.
Target will have the same 1TB Xbox One S Minecraft Creators Bundle for $200 as well, but its also advertising $70 off all other Xbox One consoles, though its not entirely clear how this affects bundles. Some deals will start at an unspecified time online, but Target's doors open Thursday, November 22 at 5:00 PM.
It's still early, so we're continually tracking Black Friday sales as they pop up and updating our list as we go. You should note that retailers may run out of stock at any point during sales. Retailers are also only offering certain deals in-store, so be sure to check the conditions for sales you're interested in. Lastly, stores opening times may vary by location, so check with your local retailer.
Xbox One S
Kohl's
Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle + $60 Kohl's Cash -- $200
Walmart
Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle -- $200
Xbox One S Bundles -- $230 (each)
Best Buy
Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle -- $200
Target
Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle + $20 Target Gift Card -- $200
Xbox One S Consoles - $70 OFF
Xbox One X
Kohl's
Xbox One X 1TB PlayUnknown's Battlegrounds Bundle + $120 Kohl's Cash -- $400
Walmart
Xbox One X 1TB -- $400
Xbox One X Bundles -- Prices May Vary ($70 OFF)
Best Buy
Xbox One X 1TB Battlefield V Special Edition + Extra Controller -- $430
November is here, and although Black Friday 2018 isn't until November 23, some retailers have already begun pulling back the curtain on the deals they'll offer on the big day. Target has released its Black Friday ad, which means you can start preparing for what video games, consoles, accessories, TVs, tablets, and other items you'll to want to buy on the biggest shopping day of the year. You can find the full Target Black Friday ad here, but we've gone in and pulled out all of the gaming deals below. We've also highlighted Target's best gaming deals.
You can get these sale prices online or in store, but as always, stock will be limited. If you want to brave the crowds and get your hands on the items in person, Target stores will be open and offering these deals from 5 PM Thursday, November 22 to 1 AM Friday, November 23. Then--presumably after spending a few hours cleaning up and re-stocking--they'll re-open Friday, November 23 at 7 AM. It's possible certain stores will use different hours, so you might want to double-check closer to Black Friday.
A few video game items are listed as doorbusters in Target's ad. For starters, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on both PS4 and Xbox One will be on sale for $45--not a bad discount for a game that just launched last month. Another recent game is getting an even bigger price drop; the starter pack for the toys-to-life space shooter Starlink: Battle for Atlas will be on sale for $40, down from $75.
In terms of hardware doorbusters, you'll be able to get a PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB console with Spider-Man for $200 (for a savings of $100). Also $100 off is a PlayStation VR bundle that comes with the headset, camera, and two Move controllers, as well as copies of Superhot VR and Creed: Rise to Glory, all for $250.
Even many of the non-doorbuster discounts are much better than you'd see during normal sales. Assassin's Creed Odyssey can be had for $35, while Shadow of the Tomb Raider is down to $30. Overwatch and Star Wars Battlefront 2 are down to just $15 each. A Nintendo Switch can be had for its usual price of $300 but with a free copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Now it's time for the big list. All of the following games will be available at the prices listed below on Black Friday, but Target says even more games will also be on sale. We'll update this article when we find out what those are. In the mean time, check out the full list and start planning your Black Friday 2018 purchases now.
I think it's fair to say that the most important news out of BlizzCon was the reveal of BOB, a companion of Overwatch's new hero, Ashe. BOB (Big Omnic Bodyguard/Butler) was one of a number of individuals in the Reunion animated short that looked as if they could be a new playable character, a fact that Blizzard itself even acknowledged during the opening ceremony. Soon after that video premiered, Blizzard announced that it was Ashe who would be Hero 29, and that BOB (and his little hat) would instead serve as her Ultimate ability. BOB could have taken the news badly, but he's just happy to be here.
Ashe is now live on the PTR, and Twitch user ESL_OneAmongstMany has done us all a favor by jumping into the game and waving at dear BOB. As you'd expect from such a lovable, instantly classic character, he doesn't ignore the gesture. Have a look:
Yes, when you wave at BOB, he waves back. We've verified this discovery and frankly, it's the sort of thing that should vault Overwatch into the Game of the Year conversation despite it having launched in 2016. BOB just might not be able to make the awards because I assume he'll be too busy starring in his own franchise of films that shame everything up to and including Citizen Kane.
As for Ashe, you can get a full breakdown of her abilities from BlizzCon. If you own Overwatch on PC, you can jump into the PTR now to try her (and BOB) for yourself before they hit the live game on PC, PS4, and Xbox One sometime in the near future. Blizzard hasn't yet announced an exact release date, but the one thing we know for sure is that BOB is already perfect.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is now available on both PS4 and Xbox One, but if you haven't been paying close attention, you might be wondering where its multiplayer mode is and how to access it. Red Dead Online, as it's called, is not yet available; instead, it will launch sometime in November as a beta. There's still very little known about it, but you can read our original story below for what we do know. Additionally, Take-Two has now narrowed things down slightly, saying Red Dead Online launches in late November.
Rockstar has shared the first details regarding Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode, named simply Red Dead Online. As was the case with Grand Theft Auto V's online component, GTA Online, Red Dead Online will not launch alongside the game itself; instead, it will debut sometime in November 2018--one month after Redemption 2 itself releases--and will start as a public beta. Anyone who owns a copy of RDR2 will have free access to Red Dead Online; there's no indication the multiplayer mode will be made available separately.
"Using the gameplay of the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 as a foundation, Red Dead Online will be ready to be explored alone or with friends, and will also feature constant updates and adjustments to grow and evolve this experience for all players," the announcement states.
But in a moment of expectations-setting, the announcement also warns that players who hop on immediately are likely to experience some growing pains. Specifically, the studio says it expects turbulence at launch, and to work with the community to overcome "teething problems" and develop Red Dead Online over time.
That roadmap makes it sound very similar to Grand Theft Online, which was fairly rough when it first launched a few weeks after the launch of Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar has been treating it as a live service since then, though, and has continuously added new features, modes, and cosmetic items over the course of years. Red Dead Online is likely to get a similar treatment given the phenomenal long-term success of GTA V.
Fortnite has opened up a new set of limited-time challenges in honor of everyone's favorite sentient otherworldly cube, though it might already be too late to qualify for them. Your reward for completing the event is a Kevin the Cube to call your own, nicknamed Lil' Kev, as a new piece of back bling.
The event takes place in two phases. First, you had to log on prior to 1 PM ET on November 5 to unlock the Lil' Kev challenge pack--in other words, if you didn't get in before that deadline, you have no way to obtain these challenges and the accompany back bling. Provided you did get online, doing so provides you with a set of three challenges, which themselves are pretty simple. You'll have until November 11 at 1 PM ET to finish them to earn the back bling. If you didn't qualify, at least you have Week 7 challenges to take on.
Unlike Fortnite's weekly challenges, which are usually catered toward some specific seasonal content, these challenges will be naturally obtained if you play some Fortnite over the coming week. You'll get completion simply by playing matches, earning XP, and outliving opponents. You'll need to play a minimum of 15 games to complete all three.
If you're still looking to complete this season's Battle Pass and earn your Season 6 rewards, check out our challenges guide. You can tote a new weapon into battle soon, since Epic has been teasing the addition of a new heavy assault rifle to the game that could drop any time. And if you're a Kevin fan that somehow missed the big world event over the weekend, check out our recap. The cube has been busy making all sorts of weirdness happen in the world.
Riding on horseback is the primary of getting around in Red Dead Redemption 2's massive world. Before long, you'll find yourself rearing up a multitude of horses in search of the one that'll get you around the quickest. With not much in the way of fast travel, having a horse that's not only fast but can withstand the burdens of exploration is essential.
While the question of which horse is the absolute best comes down to preference, there are a few breeds that can be classified as some of the top candidates. Below we discuss these breeds and highlight their locations. If you're looking for a more in-depth guide on horse care and how to boost your trusty steed's performance while making bank along the way, we've got one in the hopper coming soon, so be sure to check back often to get all the information on how to be a proper horse trainer.
Be mindful that there are some light location spoilers below given how most of these horses can only be acquired later in the game. You should be good for the White-Maned Arabian breed, but be careful when looking at the details below if you want to steer clear of potential story bits.
As stated, there is no singular "best horse" in the game. There are only strong breeds that fair much better than the standard breeds you encounter early on. Speaking on the different types: the Arabian, Turkoman, and Missouri Fox Trotter breeds stand out as the most well-rounded and top-tier. Keep in mind that the stats below reflect the horse when you find it and not at its top condition.
Arabian
Arabian breed horses have some of the best stats overall. There are three coat types in total, each with their own unique statistics: White, Black, and Rose Grey Bay.
White-Maned Arabian
The White-Maned Arabian can only be found in the wild, which makes it possible to find relatively early on. This snow-white beauty wanders around the edges of Lake Isabella. It's quite difficult to tame, so you're going to need to be persistent in following it around and calming it down enough before you can approach it.
Compared to other Arabian horses, it has the lowest base Health and Stamina stats--though, it's still much higher than any of the more standard horse breeds. A worthy compromise for a fantastic horse you can catch and tame so early in the game. Just watch out for the wolves who hang out nearby.
Speed
Acceleration
Handling
Type
6
6
Elite
Superior
Black Arabian
The Black-Maned Arabian horse can be purchased at the Saint Denis Stable during Chapter 4. It has most the well-rounded stats of the Arabian Horses with decent Health and Stamina.
Speed
Acceleration
Handling
Type
6
6
Elite
Superior
Rose Grey Bay-Maned Arabian
The Rose Grey Bay-Maned Arabian can only be bought at the Blackwater Stable during the Epilogue section of the game. It has the highest Health and Stamina of the three Arabian horses.
Speed
Acceleration
Handling
Type
6
6
Elite
Superior
Turkoman
Turkoman breed horses make up their lacking acceleration with solid speed, average handling, and a high Health pool. As a cross between War and Racing breeds, they're well worth owning for riders who want a trusty steed who can withstand damage without sacrificing speed. All three Turkoman breeds have the same exact stats, which are reflected below along with a brief breakdown of where you can purchase them and when.
Speed
Acceleration
Handling
Type
6
5
Standard
Race / War
Gold Turkoman: Sold at the Saint Denis Stable during Chapter 4.
Dark Bay Turkoman: Sold at the Blackwater Stable during the Epilogue.
Silver Turkoman: Sold at the Tumbleweed Stable during the Epilogue.
Missouri Fox Trotter
The Missouri Fox Trotter balances the best base speed of all the horse breeds with solid Health and high Stamina. As a mix between the Race and Work breeds, the Missouri Fox Trotter comes highly recommended for those who want all of the perks and benefits of a fast riding horse with resilient Stamina. Like the Turkoman breed, all of the Missouri Fox Trotter coats have the same exact stats, which are reflected below along with a brief breakdown of where you can purchase them and when.
Speed
Acceleration
Handling
Type
7
5
Standard
Race / Work
Amber Champagne: Sold at Scarlett Meadows Stable during Chapter 4.
Silver Dapple Pinto: Sold at Blackwater Stable during the Epilogue.
Nintendo Switch is a little more of a multi-purpose device today, with the addition of a YouTube app. You can now download the YouTube app through the Nintendo eShop for free, and notably you don't need Nintendo's online subscription service to use it.
The app allows you to watch anything in YouTube's catalog in both docked and handheld modes. That includes tons of original content from users, along with livestreams, how-to guides, music, and more. You can log in with your Google account to access your preferences, playlists, and recommendations.
YouTube is just the second streaming video service to come to Nintendo Switch, after Hulu was added in November 2017. The company is still exploring bringing other video apps like Netflix to the console.
Nintendo Switch is first and foremost a gaming device, and hasn't pursued multimedia functionality as aggressively as its competitors, PS4 and Xbox One. Nintendo just recently started up its own paid service to play most games online, and threw a few other perks into the mix for good measure. It also gives access to cloud saves, and a growing library of classic NES games. This month it will add three more games. Fortunately, though, video services are exempt from the online requirement, so you can stream to your heart's content even if you haven't signed up for the service.
With Lisbeth Salander heading to theaters in a soft reboot of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo franchise, there's something different about the titular character in The Girl in the Spider's Web. This time around, Lisbeth Salander is empowered and she's righting wrongs at every turn she can. In fact, she has quite a bit in common with another vigilante that dresses in black: Batman.
In the movie, Lisbeth, played this time around by Claire Foy, is very reminiscent of the Dark Knight. From her penchant for dressing in black and hiding in the shadows, to her use of high tech gadgets, it's easy to draw a line between the two--Lisbeth even gets her own Batmobile, sort of. Even director Fede Álvarez sees a potential connection to the Caped Crusader. "It does probably go back to Batman," he said. "Maybe also because in that first scene they ask her, 'Who are you?' which takes me back to the first trailer of Tim Burton's Batman."
It's not just surface level traits that might remind you of the DC Comics vigilante, though. Like Bruce Wayne and his caped alter ego, she's also a tortured soul.
For Álvarez, showing this version of Lisbeth, as an incredibly flawed human being trying her best to make the world better, is what mattered most. "It was important because I don't like heroes usually," he told GameSpot. "I don't do heroes in my movies. I might introduce them like one but then part of the story is always going to show the human being behind that. I'm interested in seeing the real human being behind the flawed human being. That's what the movie does, in a way. It starts there, but then, as you know, it just starts going deeper and deeper to who they truly are."
He's not wrong. The Girl in the Spider's Web delves deep into Lisbeth in an attempt to explain the person she's become and why she fights the battles she does. As with Batman, it's childhood trauma that has largely contributed to the person she's grown to be, a lot of which is explored in The Girl in the Spider's Web. More than that, though, as fans of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, there's far more to Lisbeth than her childhood.
It's this kind of flawed humanity that, for Foy, makes the character so interesting to play. "I don't think she's a superhero because she bleeds when you cut her," the actress said. "It's very obvious that she's a human and that the only superpower she has, in a way, I suppose, is her brain. She knows she's not strong enough to fight all of these men but she's able to think faster than them and act quicker. She will always fight to the absolute bitter end. She will be clawing her way out."
While it may be more action-oriented than previous installments of the franchise, The Girl in the Spider's Web is by no means a superhero film. Instead, for Álvarez, this is the story of a flawed woman who is still learning about the world, even as she tries to save it. "I like to relate to characters through their mistakes, rather than through heroic acts," he said.
The Girl in the Spider's Web is in theaters on November 9.
Now that Andrew Lincoln's The Walking Dead fate has been revealed, fans know they haven't seen the last of the Rick Grimes character. Instead, three TV movies are in the works, which Lincoln will star in. However, he has reached the end of the road with the cast and crew he spent the last nine seasons with.
Of course, he didn't reach that end without one final practical joke from his co-star Norman Reedus. Lincoln and Reedus have been playing jokes on each other throughout the show's long run, and Reedus says he's winning. "I'm so f***ing far ahead of him that he could prank me 100 times, and I'd still be ahead," the actor told GameSpot and a small group of other outlets during a visit to the set of The Walking Dead.
For his parting shot, Reedus made Lincoln's final scene very difficult to get through. The scene saw Rick in a bed. "I'm tickling his feet, and he's like, 'You a**hole,'" the actor said. It feels good to know Lincoln ended his time on the show giggling, given how heartbreaking The Walking Dead can be.
Once the scene came to an end and cut was called on him for the last time, Lincoln then shared a special moment with his cast and crew--one you're not going to see leaked videos of anywhere online. "He stands up, and he gives a speech to everybody, and here's tears and standing ovation type of thing, and he gets up and people immediately pull up the cameras," Reedus remembers. "And he's like, 'Hey, can we put those away?' He's like, 'This is ours. This here with us, this is our thing. This is our family. It's not for social media. It's not for anything. This is our thing.' I thought, 'That's so Andy.'' I mean, you know, in a world where it's impossible to do that almost all the time, just put it down. The memory's going to be the thing. And it was awesome, yeah."
After that day, Reedus admitted, "I cried like a baby for weeks." Given how close the two had become since they first started working together in Season 1, it's hard to blame him.
"That dude's been my BFF for almost a decade," Reedus said. "I wake up, the phone rings, he wants to talk about everything on the way to work. We work, then we have lunch, we get our lunch in there or in here, then we go straight to my trailer, and we sit in my trailer, and we talk about the rest of the day or what we did or upcoming scripts or whatever. And then, end of the day, we get in my car, or I get in my car and I pull out of the parking lot and my phone rings, and he wants to talk more. And then at night, the phone rings all night. His wife thinks that he and I are having an affair, I'm sure."
Now, though, both actors move forward as they continue to expand on the world of The Walking Dead, albeit it separately. That doesn't mean fans are going to see Daryl (Reedus) step into the leadership role Rick previously held. "I don't think anyone's going to step up and be Rick," he said. Instead, all of the remaining characters will have to work together to move forward without the man who's been leading the way for nearly a decade.
As 2018 nears its end, and the movie theater subscription service boom evens out, companies are altering their terms as they attempt to remain profitable. AMC just announced it would be increasing the price of the Stubs A-List ticket plan in select states beginning in 2019, and now Sinemia says it's actually bringing the cost of its subscription down for some users.
The new plans will offer tickets to movies from Monday through Thursday only, essentially making Fridays and weekends blackout days. "We're constantly striving to help people see movies more affordably, while doing so in a way that supports the entire movie-going economy," Sinemia CEO Rifat Oguz says in a press release. "With our new weekday plans, people can see movies at an even steeper discount, encouraging attendance on days where most movie theaters have many empty seats."
As part of the new plans, prices will drop anywhere from $1 each month for the one-ticket plan to $6 per month for the "unlimited" plan. The prices for the new weekday subscriptions are as follows:
$3.99 per month (compared to $4.99)--One ticket to any movie per month
$8.99 per month (compared to $10.99)--Three tickets to any movie per month
$9.99 per month (compared to $12.99)--Two tickets to any movie per month including 3D, 4D and IMAX formats
$14.99 per month (compared to $17.99)--Three tickets to any movie per month including 3D, 4D, IMAX formats
$23.99 per month (compared to $29.99)--One ticket to any movie per day (2D movie tickets)
It's important to note that Sinemia will continue to offer its full-week plans, as well as family plans for both the weekday only and full-week options. You can find all subscription price information on Sinemia's website. And if you're still unsure which movie theater subscription service is for you, take a look at GameSpot's review of Sinemia, AMC Stubs A-List, and MoviePass.
Following the news earlier this week that Netflix has a slate of new animated movies and TV shows on the way, it has been reported that the company is also developing several new anime shows. These include a series based on the Pacific Rim movies, as well as a spin-off from its own sci-fi show Altered Carbon.
According to Deadline, Netflix has five new anime shows in development. Pacific Rim will continue the story of the two live-action movies, which center around the epic futuristic battle between giant mecha Jaegers and monstrous Kaiju. The show will focus on two young siblings who find an abandoned Jaeger while trying to find their missing parents.
Altered Carbon will be set in the same universe as the show, which is based on Richard Morgan's acclaimed cyberpunk novel and premiered on Netflix earlier this year. Deadline states that the anime series will "explore new elements of the story mythology." Season 2 of the live-action show is due in 2019.
The other new anime shows on the way include Cagaster of an Insect Cage, which is based on the manga and is set in a futuristic world where a disease turns people into murderous insects. There's also Yasuke, which combines sci-fi and samurai influences and will feature a lead role for Atlanta's Lakeith Stanfield, and Trese, which is a supernatural gangster story. The new anime shows will be made by a variety of Japanese animation studios, including Anima, Gonzo, and MAPPA.
These latest additions to Netflix's animated roster indicate that the company is increasingly pushing into that area, ahead of the launch of Disney's streaming service next year. As well as the six titles announced earlier this week, we also know that Guillermo Del Toro will direct a new musical animated movie of Pinnochio for the company. This follows the news that Netflix plans to launch its own animation studio, which will enable it to make projects in-house without having to outsource much of the technical work to existing animation companies.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is the upcoming feature-length Spider-Man animated movie, in which the wallcrawler encounters many different versions of himself and has to save reality against the evil Kingpin. It hits theaters next month, and a new international trailer has been released.
This latest promo puts the focus on the six different versions of Spidey we can expect to see in the film. There's Miles Morales and Peter Parker, Spider-Gwen, the 1940s hero Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker (aka SP//dr), and Peter Porker (aka Spider-Ham). Check it out above.
Into The Spider-Verse is produced by The Lego Movie's Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with a screenplay by Lord. The voice cast includes Shameik Moore (The Get Down) as Miles, Jake Johnson (Jurassic World) as Peter, Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee) as Gwen, plus Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), and Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage).
In a recent interview, Miller spoke about the movie's distinctive visuals. "This is a new, unique experience, and we are pushing the medium," he said, via Indiewire. "We're getting away with so much with this movie. It's a pretty wild style." Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse hits theaters on December 14.
While the live-action Spider-Man is currently part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony retains the movie rights to the character. The studio's recent Spidey spin-off Venom proved to be a huge success, and last month it was confirmed that production begins early next year on the next spin-off, Morbius the Vampire.
For more Into The Spider-Verse coverage, check out the previous trailer, plus this guide to all the different versions of Spider-Man.
Kingsman star Taron Egerton says he won't be returning for the third film. During an interview for his upcoming starring role in a new adaptation of Robin Hood, Egerton revealed he's out for the next picture in the franchise, but left the door open for returning sometime in the future.
"I don't know how hot off the press this is, and I think I'm allowed to say it, but I'm not in the next Kingsman movie," Egerton told Yahoo. "That doesn't mean I won't be in Kingsman ever again. I was with Matthew [Vaughn] as little as a few days ago, we're still very much in business together, but his next journey in that world doesn't involve me."
Egerton has been the central character Gary "Eggsy" Unwin in both Kingsman movies so far: 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service and the sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. The comic adaptation centers on a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who gets recruited into a high-tech gentlemen spy organization. Both have had their share of James Bond-like action, punctuated with moments of tongue-in-cheek satire toward the spy genre.
The third film is scheduled for November 9, 2019, and will focus on a new character named Conrad against the backdrop of World War 1. That may make it a prequel, which explains Egerton's absence. Ralph Fiennes is also said to be involved. Egerton says he's talked with Vaughn about the story for the upcoming film.
"His idea for the new one is incredibly exciting," Egerton said. "I'm sad that I won't be on that journey with him, but it's not the last you've seen of Eggsy."
Egerton's next starring role, as the title character in Robin Hood, will debut in theaters on November 21. The film also stars Jamie Foxx, Jamie Dornan, and Eve Hewson.
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