Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the ten best games of 2018, organized by release date. Then on December 19, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Game of the Year. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2018 hub.
It's been said over and over again this year that Monster Hunter World is the most accessible game yet in the long-running Japanese action RPG series. Monster Hunter's detractors know that doesn't mean much--World may be the easiest entry point yet, but it's still pretty obtuse for all but the most diligent, attentive, and detail-oriented newbies. Either you need to have the dedication and persistence to fight through hours of ignorance while you speed-Google every new thing the game throws at you, or you need a monster-hunting veteran friend to lend a hand. But that's fine--some subjective concept of "accessibility" isn't what makes MHW so great. And besides, cooperative multiplayer happens to be exactly where Monster Hunter World shines brightest.
MHW casts players as hunters on an expedition to a new land, where giant, powerful Elder Dragons have taken up residence and screwed up the local ecosystems. There's a surprising amount of additional backstory and lore for the diehard fans who care, but you're really just there to do one thing: Hunt big monsters and make hats out of their bones.
A typical gameplay session involves selecting a mission or hunt from the game's vibrant hub area, selecting the equipment and items you want to use, then heading out into one of the game's several disparate, labyrinthine areas once you're prepared. Each new fight is a battle of attrition as you slowly chip away at your prey's health, chopping horns and tails until you eventually injure it badly enough to capture it or kill it outright. But the object of your hunt is never your only concern--as you pursue one target through forests, deserts, and caves, more powerful beasts invariably appear to throw a wrench in whatever plans you've made. Sometimes you can have the most fun just watching two towering monsters tear and claw at one another while you take the opportunity to heal, sharpen your sword, and re-apply any lapsed buffs.
With your prey eventually slain, you return to town triumphant, and see what new weapon upgrades or armor you can craft from the spoils. At higher levels, you target specific upgrade paths and hunt down the corresponding monsters over and over until you have enough materials. And then you do it all over again, gradually increasing your mastery over your chosen weapons, the monsters you hunt, and this world as a whole.
The exhilarating feeling of executing complicated combos with three friends as you gradually destroy an incredible beast the size of a house makes the considerable cost of entry worth it.
Alone, that all is daunting. But with friends, it's a blast. That's the key to Monster Hunter World's success: You can do almost everything in the game in cooperative multiplayer. Each player's character is practically the same, but there's such a ridiculously huge variety of weapons to choose from, each type with its own complex depth of movesets and strategies, that no two players will fight the exact same way. Sure, the process of actually linking up with your friends to play can be irritating--again, being the most accessible Monster Hunter game yet is a low bar to hit. But the exhilarating feeling of executing complicated combos with three friends as you gradually destroy an incredible beast the size of a house makes the considerable cost of entry worth it.
Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the 10 best games of 2018, organized by release date. Then on December 19, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Game of the Year. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2018 hub.
The new God of War from Santa Monica Studio is a masterful reinvention of a now-classic PlayStation series and, primarily, its lead character. Kratos went from being a killing machine driven solely by rage in previous games, to, well, a killing machine driven by paternal instinct and a promise made to his deceased wife. But even without being compared to his former self, Kratos' newfound sensitivity and self-awareness are as effective as they are because of how well the character and his journey are executed in general. For fans, it's great to witness the character's pivot from yesteryear's action darling to today's loving father figure in disguise, but Kratos and the game he leads are simply excellent on their own terms.
Many of the new systems, narrative beats, and surprises at hand feed off of the partnership between the mighty Kratos and his scrappy son, Atreus. The boy's bow and arrow play an important role in combat, because without his chain whips in hand, Kratos is left to engage enemies up close with his Leviathan Axe, or rely on his throwing skills to strike enemies from a distance. The latter may require a bit more work on your part, but there's also nothing else in games quite like Kratos calling the axe back to his hand, a la Thor, culminating in an abrupt and meaty thwack upon arrival. Thanks to well-thought-out controls, managing both Kratos' brute force and Atreus' elementally charged bow and arrow shots is far easier than you might imagine despite also adding new layers of strategy to combat.
Kratos and Atreus have to cover a lot of ground on foot in God of War. Where most games fail to treat moment-to-moment travel as anything other than an afterthought, God of War injects would-be downtime with a bit of wisdom and education from Mimir, the sage-like disembodied head attached to Kratos' waist who not-so humbly refers to himself as the smartest man alive. By his own account, he knows every corner of the world, every point in history worth remembering, and every language spoken. Tall claims, but given how he consistently offers up new bits of backstory and esoteric knowledge as you truck from point A to point B, it settles in that he might be right. More than a font of knowledge, he's also voiced remarkably well by Alastair Duncan, better known for his work as Celebrimbor in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor.
These three characters form a trio that makes your adventure more than just a series of battles. Though Mimir's personality hardly deviates beyond that of an entertaining fanny pack (which, don't get us wrong, we love), Kratos and Atreus undergo massive changes. For Atreus, the loss of his mother and the gruff attitude of his father set him up to follow in Kratos' footsteps, which as we know from previous games could ultimately lead to unexpected and negative results. Kratos, on the other hand, must simultaneously control his own urges while trying to counteract his son's budding aggression. The result is some powerful moments between a father and son who couldn't seem more different at first, but at heart are practically one in the same despite being at different stages in their lives.
Regardless of what we all expected from Sony's muscle-bound badass, God of War is simply a great video game driven by a bold directorial vision and top-tier execution from a team that clearly knows how to knock it out of the park.
God of War's strong lead characters and their many brushes with death are held aloft by a world jam packed with beauty and detail. Wild, connected environments flow into one another with nary an awkward transition to be found. Through the use of a dimension hopping portal, you can also transport Kratos and son to haunting and dangerous locations that pack some of the game's biggest challenges. And the most impressive achievement therein is the game's single-shot, uncut nature. You may enter tiny waiting-room realms to travel between dimensions, but your view is never once interrupted by camera cuts or loading screens. This isn't a small game, and this feat is all the more impressive when God of War's world fully comes into view.
Again, it's tough not to wrap all the things that make God of War great around the idea that it's a shockingly good revival. It certainly is that, and Santa Monica Studio deserves credit for proving that God of War can be so much more than a spectacular action game. But regardless of what we all expected from Sony's muscle-bound badass, God of War is simply a great video game driven by a bold directorial vision and top-tier execution from a team that clearly knows how to knock it out of the park.
There were plenty of remasters in 2018, but this year's best souped up not only the visuals and performance of the most iconic and critically acclaimed games but introduced additional features that elevated them past their original releases--a requirement for eligibility. In no particular order, these are the five best reissued games of 2018.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most beautiful and emotionally captivating games ever created, and it has been made even better this year thanks to the work of developer Bluepoint Games. The 2018 remake of Team Ico's masterpiece adds an awe-inspiring new level of detail; blades of grass appear crisper, mountains fill the horizon with a deeper presence, and Colossi fur looks more dense and luscious. It's tough not to be enamored of the new visual and texture work, as a world you thought stunning initially has been made to look even better than ever before. All the while, improved stability pushes the remake far beyond the sub-30fps frame-rate issues of the original, with an optional performance mode on PS4 Pro that even runs at 60fps. Whether you've played the original or are a newcomer entirely, you owe it to yourself to play Shadow of the Colossus on PS4. From a visual and performance standpoint, it is the best version to play.
Last year's Yakuza Kiwami was a fantastic remake of the inaugural entry that started the long-running action-crime drama franchise. Yakuza Kiwami 2 refines its predecessor's changes with a sweeping list of quality-of-life improvements that bring the original to entirely new standards. This is thanks in part to the Dragon Engine--the new engine that Yakuza 6 is built on. It helps that Yakuza 2 is one of the series' best games and where the series began expanding the scope of its world and storytelling. The result is a remake that combines the best parts of past and present, simultaneously revisiting where the series hit its stride while offering the benefits of a seamless world and fluid combat system provided by the Dragon Engine.
After the financial success of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, it was a no-brainer for Activision to offer the same treatment to the equally cherished Spyro the Dragon games. As a remastered collection, Spyro Reignited Trilogy does the expected and imbues the original games with increased graphical fidelity and reworked designs for familiar character and locales. The new visuals are a sight to behold, as if an otherworldly force motioned its hand to sprout an abundance of life and color across every inch of the original environments. However, Reignited Trilogy's best aspects are what it introduces under the hood. The updated control scheme makes playing Spyro feel less floaty and more responsive in turn. Movement is faster and more exciting; it's a joy to charge, glide, and breathe fire in rapid succession. In addition, an improved camera removes the navigational frustrations of the originals and allows you to better focus on the beautiful remastered sights. It's no easy task to modernize 3D platformers from a bygone era when developers were still trying to find their footing, but developer Toys for Bob have accomplished just that, revitalizing the Spyro the Dragon games for both new and old audiences to enjoy.
Another part of what makes reissued games great is the chance to play fantastic games as they were. Sure, a new coat of paint is nice, but sometimes being able to play a classic game as it is can be just as remarkable. SNK 40th Anniversary is a substantial package compiling the famed developer's most iconic games, which includes Ikari Warriors, Crystalis, Alpha Mission, and more. Each are well-emulated thanks to the work of developer Digital Eclipse, whose amazing track record (Mega Man Legacy Collection, Disney Afternoon Collection) continues here. New control schemes and the autoplay feature (something we never knew we wanted until now) further enhance the experience of playing each game. While not everything contained within is a gem, SNK 40th Anniversary's biggest charm is in its reverence for the lesser-known beginnings of its titular developer. Bonus content offers substantial history lessons looking back at SNK's formative years. And just for the sake of your reference, there are even scans of independent fan zines from the '80s and arcade game guides included as well. SNK 40th Anniversary's infectious passion for its subject matter and commitment to preserving its history is perhaps its most admirable trait, and one of the main reasons why it's one of this year's best reissued games--to say nothing of the 11 free DLC games added after launch.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 was already a phenomenal RPG when it launched on PC last year. With its immense scope, complex tactical combat, and compelling narrative, it remains one of the best RPGs out now. However, console players were out of luck if they wanted to experience developer Larian Studios' masterpiece--until 2018, that is. Divinity: Original Sin 2 finally made its way to consoles this year in the form of the Definitive Edition, which introduced a plethora of improvements and additional features (and was made available on PC as a free update). Rewritten dialogue enhanced moment-to-moment interactions, balance changes made combat more fulfilling, and additional difficulty levels offered greater challenge and accessibility. But these are only a handful of the laundry list of changes made, all of which enhance what's an already astounding 100-plus hour adventure. Divinity Original Sin 2 is a beast of an RPG that's likely to intimidate those who don't have experience handling its intricacies. But don't let that deter you: Definitive Edition stands as the best version of an already exceptional game that you can't afford to skip in 2018, regardless of whether you've played the original version or not.
GameSpot will be unveiling our picks for the best games and entertainment of 2018 throughout December. Head to our Best of 2018 hub to see all the winners so far.
Epic Games will share the technology that enables cross-platform play in Fortnite. In a post on the Unreal Engine website the company said, in 2019, it will be launching "a large set of cross-platform game services originally built for Fortnite, and battle-tested with 200,000,000 players across 7 platforms." All developers will be able to utilize this technology for free, and it will be open to all engines, platforms, and stores.
"Successfully launching and operating a live, online game requires a suite of services that go far beyond the functionality of a traditional game engine," it said in the post. "These services are expensive to build, test and harden in real-world conditions, but once operational, are relatively inexpensive to scale to more games and more users. At Epic, our goal is to help game developers succeed ... As a developer, you're free to choose mix-and-match solutions from Epic and others as you wish."
The rollout will begin with a C software development kit that contains Epic's online services, complete with integration for Unreal Engine--the company's own engine, which is available to license--and Unity, another popular game development engine. From there, Epic plans to expand the feature set, making the following available to developers:
Cross-Platform Login, Friends, Presence, Profile, and Entitlements: Coming Q2-Q3 2019 to PC, other platforms throughout 2019 -- Provides the core functionality for persistently recognizing players across multiple sessions and devices; identifying friends; and managing free and paid item entitlements. This will support all seven major platforms (PC, Mac, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch) to the full extent each platform allows per-title.
PC/Mac Overlay API: Coming Q3 2019 -- Provides a user interface for login, friends, and other features in a game-agnostic, engine-agnostic way.
Cross-Platform Voice Comms: Coming Q3 2019 to all platforms -- Epic is building a new in-game voice communications service supporting all platforms, all stores, and all engines, which will be available for free. (For developers needing an immediately-available voice solution, check out Discord, Vivox, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, and Mumble.)
Cross-Platform Parties and Matchmaking: Coming Q3-4 2019 to all platforms
Cross-Platform Data Storage, Cloud-Saved Games: Coming Q2 2019
Cross-Platform Achievements and Trophies: Coming Q3 2019
As noted by Epic, its services operate using Amazon Web Services data centers. Fortnite is one of the few games that allows players across PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices come together. Most importantly, it supports multi-platform logins, making it a relatively painless experience to hop between platforms.
The fact that Epic is making these services available to developers at large is a big step forward for cross-play; however, it's one piece of a complicated puzzle. Platform holders Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo need to also facilitate cross-platform services. While Microsoft, with Xbox One and PC, has been very vocal about allowing player bases to unite for some time now, Sony has only just begun experimenting.
After much resistance, in September, PlayStation said it had "identified a path towards supporting cross-platform features for select third-party content." Currently, Fortnite is the only game that allows cross-platform play, and it is in a beta phase.
"We recognize that PS4 players have been eagerly awaiting an update, and we appreciate the community's continued patience as we have navigated through this issue to find a solution," president of Sony Interactive Entertainment John Kodera said at the time. "We see the beta as an opportunity to conduct thorough testing that ensures cross-platform play is best on PlayStation, while being mindful about the user experience from both a technical and social perspective.
"Today, the communities around some games have evolved to the point where cross-platform experiences add significant value to players. In recognition of this, we have completed a thorough analysis of the business mechanics required to ensure that the PlayStation experience for our users remains intact today, and in the future, as we look to open up the platform."
Sony has said it is "in the planning process across the organization to support [cross-play]" more widely. Rocket League is another game that cross-play is highly sought after for, and plans to introduce it are expected to be revealed in 2019, provided Sony gives the go ahead.
"The good news is that with Sony's recent announcements regarding full cross-platform functionality, we can now make additional changes to prepare RocketID for ALL platforms should we receive permission to do so," said developer Psyonix. "We're working incredibly hard to ensure that it's as intuitive, stable, and polished as possible, before releasing it to the world."
The response from other developers, publishers, and platform holders to Sony's change in cross-platform policy has been positive, with Microsoft showing their approval through the Xbox Twitter account.
Epic Games has been made some big moves lately. In addition to this, it also launched its own store which, in numerous ways, challenges Valve's Steam service. It's currently available for PC and Mac, and is expected to come to Android in 2019. For developers, launching on the Epic Store is an enticing prospect as they'll earn 88% of their revenue. There are no tiers to the profit-sharing, just an 88/12 split between developers and Epic for listing on their marketplace. Steam, meanwhile, currently takes 20-30% of revenue based on a tiered earning structure. You can find out more about what the Epic Store offers here.
ZeniMax Media and Facebook have reached a settlement in their long-running litigation, effectively ending the legal drama. This news follows shortly after Id designer John Carmack announced that his own personal legal dispute against ZeniMax had ended.
In the announcement from ZeniMax, the company said it settled its litigation against Facebook and Oculus. The terms of the settlement weren't shared. ZeniMax chairman and CEO Robert Altman said, "We are pleased that a settlement has been reached and are fully satisfied by the outcome. While we dislike litigation, we will always vigorously defend against any infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property by third parties."
ZeniMax alleged that John Carmack had worked on VR while employed at Id Software--which was owned by ZeniMax--and then taken it to Oculus for the development of the Oculus Rift. Facebook was brought into the suit since it bought Oculus in 2014.
The company was seeking $2 billion in damages and another $4 billion in punitive damages. The court awarded ZeniMax $500 million in damages. That included $250 million from Oculus, $100 million from former CEO Brandon Iribe, and $50 million from founder Palmer Luckey. Facebook itself was found not liable. That figure was later reduced to $250 million, and Oculus continued to appeal.
ZeniMax also filed suit in 2017 against Samsung VR. That suit alleged that Carmack had worked with Matt Hooper, another former ZeniMax employee, to develop mobile VR. Then, the suit alleges, Oculus took that suit to Samsung. The settlement doesn't specify any further developments to the Samsung litigation, but given that it has settled with Carmack and Oculus in recent months, that branch of the suit may be wrapping up as well.
Oculus has continued to develop as its own business within Facebook, recently releasing the Oculus Go. For more on what the sudden advent of consumer virtual reality has brought, check out our look back at VR in 2018.
Nintendo has announced the first in-game event for its new Switch fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The three-day event is scheduled to kick off this Thursday night, December 13, and will make certain Spirits appear more frequently in the game's Spirit Board mode.
The event is dubbed "Spectacled Spirits," and it focuses on Spirits who are wearing glasses. Throughout the weekend, bespectacled game characters such as Jeff from EarthBound, Brittany from Pikmin 3, and others will be featured on the Spirit Board. You'll also receive extra Gold if you manage to defeat them.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features more than 1,200 Spirits to unlock, making the upcoming event a good opportunity to add more to your collection. Nintendo says that there will be other new events in the game every week.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn't the only Switch title holding an in-game event soon. The next Splatfest in Splatoon 2 is also set to take place this weekend. That event kicks off on Friday, December 14, at 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET and will run for 24 hours. To celebrate the launch of Ultimate, this Splatfest is themed around Smash Bros.--specifically, it asks players if they'd rather side with Smash's heroes or villains.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available exclusively for Nintendo Switch. Everyone who purchases the game and registers it on My Nintendo by January 31 will receive Piranha Plant as a free DLC fighter. Nintendo will also release five other DLC characters for the game throughout the year, one of which we recently learned is Joker from Persona 5.
Happy new year! Well, we're still a few weeks away from 2019 arriving, but Netflix has already revealed what is coming and leaving the service in January. There are plenty of movies and Netflix originals coming to the streaming service you'll want to watch.
The most releases from Netflix comes on New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1. The Netflix original A Series of Unfortunate Events drops its final season. Pulp Fiction lands on the service that day, and so does does The Dark Knight. However, the best thing about January 1 is that every Indiana Jones movie lands on Netflix. Watch Dr. Jones run from a giant boulder, ride in a mine cart, drink from a really old cup, and... see an alien.
Later in the month, on January 29, Ant-Man and the Wasp heads to Netflix, which was one of the most fun movies of 2018. Then, one day later, Incredibles 2 arrives. If that's not enough superhero awesomeness for you, don't worry. Season 2 of Punisher arrives sometime during the month, and more than likely, it will be cancelled right afterwards, as Netflix has been parting ways with all the Marvel series recently.
However, there are plenty of movies leaving the service you'll want to check out before they are gone forever. On January 1, all the Godfather and Sharknado movies will be gone. And Rogue One: A Star Wars Story leaves on January 18. If you need a Star Wars fix though, Solo arrives on January 9, so it seems like there will always be something from the Star Wars universe available on the service, at least until Disney+ launches in 2019.
Check out the complete list of everything headed to Netflix--and leaving--in January. If you're interested in what's still headed your way soon, check out what's coming in December.
Everything coming to Netflix in January 2019
Avail. 1/1/19
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Across the Universe
Babel
Black Hawk Down
City of God
COMEDIANS of the world-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Definitely, Maybe
Godzilla
Happy Feet
Hell or High Water
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
It Takes Two
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jersey Boys
Mona Lisa Smile
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Pan's Labyrinth
Pinky Malinky-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Pulp Fiction
Swingers
Tears of the Sun
The Addams Family
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Strangers
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Watchmen
xXx
XXX: State of the Union
Avail. 1/2/19
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Avail. 1/4/19
And Breathe Normally-- NETFLIX FILM
Call My Agent!: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
El Potro: Unstoppable-- NETFLIX FILM
Lionheart-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 1/9/19
GODZILLA The Planet Eater-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Avail. 1/10/19
When Heroes Fly-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/11/19
Friends from College: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sex Education-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Solo-- NETFLIX FILM
The Last Laugh-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 1/15/19
Revenger-- NETFLIX FILM
Sebastian Maniscalco: Stay Hungry-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/16/19
American Gangster
Avail. 1/17/19
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Avail. 1/18/19
Carmen Sandiego-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Close-- NETFLIX FILM
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
GIRL-- NETFLIX FILM
Grace and Frankie: Season 5-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
IO-- NETFLIX FILM
Soni-- NETFLIX FILM
The World's Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part B-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 5-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/21/19
Justice-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/24/19
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Avail. 1/25/19
Animas-- NETFLIX FILM
Black Earth Rising-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Club de Cuervos: Season 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Kingdom-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Medici: The Magnificent-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Polar-- NETFLIX FILM
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 4 Part 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/27/19
Z Nation: Season 5
Avail. 1/29/19
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias: One Show Fits All-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
If you thought your chances to save money on video games ended with Black Friday, you're mistaken. GameStop has unveiled its Game Days sale, which runs between now and December 25. This sale finds huge discounts on a massive list of PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games. That's good news for anyone still needing to buy holiday gifts or anyone looking for something new to play themselves. Let's see take a peek at the week's best deals.
If you've been wanting to check out some of the biggest shooters that launched in recent months, you're in luck. You can grab Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 or Fallout 76 for $40 each. For those who find the stealthy approach more appealing, Hitman 2 is on sale for the same price. For larger-scale confrontations with tanks and fighter planes thrown in the mix, pick up Battlefield V for just $30.
A starter pack for the toys-to-life game Starlink: Battle for Atlas normally retails for $75, but it's on sale on all platforms right now for $40. Each copy of the game comes with a ship, pilot, and weapons, plus a mount that lets you attach the whole thing to your controller. The Switch version also includes the in-game exclusives Fox McCloud and Arwing.
Ever since it launched last month, we've been raving about Tetris Effect, a PS4 (and PSVR-compatible) game with incredible visuals and audio that combine to make it much more than "just Tetris." It's on sale for half off at $20; you can read our Tetris Effect review for details. PlayStation VR owners can also grab one of the year's best games, the Mario-like platformer Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, also for $20.
That just scratches the surface of the Game Days sale. You'll find a lot more discounted titles in the list below, or you can check out the full set of deals at GameStop.
HBO's acclaimed cop anthology show, True Detective, is set to return for a third season in January, and a new trailer has been released. This season is clearly aiming to recapture the dark, moody rural atmosphere of 2014's Season 1, following a disappointing Season 2. The new trailer even uses the tagline: "The original series returns."
The trailer focuses on main character Wayne Hays, a cop played by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Luke Cage, House of Cards), who investigated the disappearance of two kids in the Ozarks many years ago and is still haunted by the case. The show is set across several decades, with Ali appearing as both an older man and a much younger officer. Check it out above.
True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto has written the entire season, with Deadwood creator David Milch lending a hand. The cast also includes Stephen Dorff (Blade), Ray Fisher (Justice League), Carmen Ejogo (Alien: Covenant), and Scoot McNairy (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Hold the Dark and Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier helms the first two episodes. It premieres on January 13, 2019--check out the previous trailer here.
In a recent interview with Indiewire, Pizzolatto spoke about the striking setting for Season 3 and explained that the surroundings were vital to the season's story. "The mystery of the deep woods," he said. "The fog over the mountains. The rivers. The water. The sense of scale when you get out to some of this nature. Also, what the buildings say about the lives behind them. I feel like people will see it as an extension of character, something that embodies characters' emotional journeys while influencing those journeys."
"Sometimes we found things that seem to come straight out of the imagination, like this particular house that I don't want to go into it too much because of spoilers, but once we found it we couldn't believe it existed. It was almost exactly what I had written, and it needed to be very specific."
This is not an instant win. No purchase necessary. Competition ends at 12:00 PM PT on December 19, 2018, in which 30 winners will be chosen at random and emailed a code for the full game (MSRP: $30).
The Dawning, Destiny 2's holiday-themed event, is always all about gift-giving, just like the Halloween-themed Festival of the Lost is about wearing masks. Activities during the December event usually have you finding and giving gifts to the various characters in Destiny 2, and this year those gifts have a different twist--you're baking treats for all the game's major characters.
Destiny 2 is, of course, a game about shooting, so most of your confections will be crafted from the bones (and other parts) of your enemies. As you go marauding through the solar system, you'll gain items you can stick in a special oven in order to make treats. Eva, the character who puts you on your quest, gives you one recipe for cookies, but the rest you have to find through trial and error--unless you have our guide.
Baking all the goods on Eva's list and giving them to the people around the Tower will net you an Exotic sparrow, as well as a number of Triumphs. The Dawning runs through the month of December, so there may well be more rewards in store as well, in a similar way to how the Murder Mystery quest of the Festival of the Lost turned out to reward players with Thunderlord. Here's everything you need to know to bake cookies in Destiny 2, as well as the recipes we've uncovered so far. We'll update this list as more information and more recipes become know.
Get Your Ingredients
The stuff you use to actually make the cookies comes from out in the world and completing various activities. For each batch of cookies, you'll need three things: a common ingredient, a rare ingredient, and 15 Essence of Dawning.
Killing enemies in the world yields common ingredients based on what kind of enemy you kill; there's something different for Fallen, Vex, Cabal, Taken, Scorn, and Hive. Rare ingredients drop based on the means of killing enemies. If you use explosives, you might get a Delicious Explosion ingredient; a sword kill could earn you a Sharp Taste. They're mostly pretty easy to figure out, but a few are a little confusing. Here's how to get each ingredient.
Delicious Explosion: Explosive kills
Sharp Flavor: Sword kills
Impossible Heat: Solar kills
Electric Taste: Arc kills
Null Taste: Void kills
Flash of Inspiration: Create Orbs of Light
Personal Touch: Melee kills
Perfect Taste: Precision kills
Bullet Spray: SMG and Machine Gun kills
Essence of Dawning: Complete activities in the solar system
Recipes
These are the combinations we've found that yield specific cookies. Note that you need 15 Essence of Dawning for each recipe in order to make the oven work. We'll keep updating this list as more recipes are discovered.
Gjallardoodles (deliver to Zavala): Ether Cane, Delicious Explosion
Infinite Forest Cakes (deliver to Failsafe): Vex Milk, Impossible Heat
Gentleman's Shortbread (deliver to Devrim Kay): Ether Cane, Perfect Taste
Vanilla Blades (deliver to Shaxx): Cabal Oil, Sharp Flavor
Radiolarian Pudding (deliver to Asher): Vex Milk, Electric Flavor
Eliksni Birdseed (deliver to Hawthorne): Ether Cane, Personal touch
Chocolate Ship Cookies (deliver to Holliday): Cabal Oil, Null Taste
Telemetry Tapioca (deliver to Banshee-44): Vex Milk, Bullet Spray
Traveler Donut Holes (deliver to Ikora): Cabal Oil, Flash of Inspiration
Javelin Mooncake (deliver to Ana Bray): Chitin Powder, Sharp Flavor
Dark Chocolate Motes (deliver to the Drifter): Taken Butter, Null Flavor
Alkane Dragee Cookies (deliver to Sloane): Chitin Powder, Bullet Spray
Ill-Fortune Cookies (deliver to Petra Venj): Dark Ether Cane, Impossible Heat
Candy Dead Ghosts (deliver to the Spider): Dark Ether Cane, Flash of Inspiration
Strange Cookies (deliver to Xur): Taken Butter, Electric Flavor
Once you've baked one of every kind of cookie, you can upgrade your oven to a Masterwork, reducing the Essence of Dawning cost for making more cookies from 15 units to 10. That's good, because if you want to unlock everything in The Dawning, you're going to baking a lot.
If you want to save yourself a little time (and it's very little), bake the cookies but don't deliver them until you get 12 sets finished. You'll need to deliver gifts as part of the quest that unlocks when you earn the Dawning Cheer sparrow.
Don't Throw Away Your Failures!
If you create a recipe combination that doesn't work, you'll get Burned Edge Transit cookies. You'll lose whatever ingredients you put in, plus your Essence of Dawning that you needed to do the cooking. But just because your cookies are horrible doesn't mean these are a total loss. You can't get your lost ingredients back, but you can reclaim the Essence, which is something since every batch of cookies you make costs 15 Essence, and you need to complete activities to get more.
To get your Essence of Dawning back, head to the Tower and talk to the Cryptarch. He'll accept your burnt cookies as gifts and trade you back 15 Essence--the complete cost of cooking the bad batch. You can then immediately try a new recipe if you've got the ingredients, without having to go find a Public Event or some other activity to complete.
Special Delivery
Once you've made 12 Dawning deliveries, you can return to Eva for a Powerful gear reward. At that point, she'll also make her storefront available, which includes a set of bounties and the ability to trade Dawning Essence for various cookie ingredients. While you'll probably only need that stuff if you get serious about trying to complete all the Dawning Triumphs, it's worth noting that Eva has a weekly bounty that drops Powerful gear. You can complete it by cooking any six batches of cookies, which should be pretty easy to accomplish while completing other tasks during the event.
Earning Your Sleigh
To unlock the Dawning Cheer sparrow, you need to make a few specific cookies, as well as 12 batches in total. To unlock it to start, make Vanilla Blades, Chocolate Ship Cookies, and Eliksni Birdseed using the recipes above. Once you've delivered them, you'll unlock the sparrow.
After you've got the sparrow, you can set about repairing it, which unlocks several additional perks on Dawning Cheer. To get them, you have to complete bounties offered by Amanda Holliday, which only unlock after you've got the sparrow.
The bounties require you to cook a bunch more cookies for various characters. The first bounty, Titan and Warlock, requires Donut Holes for Ikora and Alkane Dragee Cookies for Sloane, as well as baking 48 cookies in total. It unlocks the Happy Dawning perk on the sleigh, which shoots out glimmer presents from your sparrow while you're boosting.
The second bounty, Sniper and Scribe, requires Gentleman's Shortbread for Devrim, Radiolarian Pudding for Asher, and 72 total cookies baked. It unlocks the Dawning Dare perk on your sparrow, which spawns glimmer presents any time you land a trick.
The final bounty is Gunsmith and Navigator, which you can complete by delivering Telemetry Tapioca to Banshee-44 and Infinite Forest Cake to Failsafe, along with completing 120 total bakes. Complete that bounty to unlock the Transmat Preloader perk on Dawning Cheer, which makes summoning your sparrow instantaneous.
Doctor Strange director and co-writer Scott Derrickson is returning to head the movie's sequel. There are no concrete details for Doctor Strange 2 yet, except that the film will occur after 2019's Avengers: Endgame during Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, there's still a search for a writer for Doctor Strange 2's script. However, both Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong, who play Steven Strange and Wong respectfully, will be returning in the sequel. Rachel McAdams, who portrays Christine Palmer, is theorized to be in the sequel as well. The script for Doctor Strange 2 is currently scheduled to be finished by the end of 2019, with production on the film starting in Spring 2020 and the movie releasing in May 2021. Marvel has yet to confirm these details.
Both Peter Parker and Steven Strange met their end in the final moments of 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, yet the confirmation of Spider-Man: Far From Home and Doctor Strange 2 assures that both heroes will return to life in some way during the events of Endgame. Whether or not that means the same for everyone who disappeared as a result of Thanos' snap remains to be seen.
The MCU concludes Phase Three in 2019 with Captain Marvel on March 8 and Avengers: Endgame on April 26. 2018 saw the rise of King T'Challa as the new Black Panther, as well as Scott Lang once again donning the Ant-Man suit and partnering with Hope van Dyne, aka Wasp. However, Thanos' quest to eradicate half of life in the universe was realized in Avengers: Infinity War, which saw half of the Avengers, most of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and many other heroes dissolve into ash. Prior to Nick Fury's disappearance, he reached out to Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel and Earth's mightiest superhero. Hopefully her return to her home planet provides the strength the remaining heroes need to fight back against Thanos in Endgame.
Treyarch's first major post-launch content update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has gone live for some players. Operation Absolute Zero is now available on PS4 (with an Xbox One and PC release set to follow soon), and it introduces a new character, a revamped Black Market, daily Zombies missions, and more.
Headlining the update is Zero, Black Ops 4's newest playable Specialist. She can be unlocked by completing tier 1 of the new Black Market and will be available to use in both multiplayer and the Blackout battle royale mode. Zero specializes in hacking, and she can use her skills to "disrupt and distract enemies."
Additionally, Treyarch has introduced a new area to the Blackout map: Hijacked. Inspired by the fan-favorite Black Ops II map of the same name, the luxury yacht can be found in the northwest quadrant of Blackout's map. On top of that, the developer has added a new armored vehicle called the ARAV to the mode as well.
Zombies mode, meanwhile, has received new daily challenges dubbed Callings. Completing these will reward players with XP and Nebulium Plasma. Treyarch has also added a new Black Ops Authenticity Stamp system to the mode, which allows players to share the results of their game online with others.
Also of note, Treyarch has revamped the Black Market progression system to make it "simpler and more rewarding." The developer has also added a new Assault Rifle and a "fast-firing" SMG that players can unlock through Contraband tiers. You can read more details about the update on the official Black Ops 4 website.
In addition to Operation Absolute Zero, PS4 players who own the Black Ops Pass now have access to another handful of content, including two new multiplayer maps, Elevation and Madagascar; a new Zombies chapter, Dead of the Night; and a new Blackout character, Reaper. PC and Xbox One players will get access to this content a little later due to Activision's ongoing timed exclusivity agreement with Sony.
Bethesda has released another big update for Fallout 76. This latest patch weighs in at approximately 5 GB on PS4 and Xbox One and 3 GB on PC, and it introduces some notable CAMP improvements to the game, along with SPECIAL respeccing and a litany of bug fixes across all platforms.
Foremost, the new update makes it so that small obstructions, such as rocks and small trees, will automatically be cleared out when you build CAMP items near or on top of them. Additionally, Epic has implemented a notification system that will let you know when you log in if your CAMP location is occupied by another player. If you decide to stay in that session, Bethesda says you'll be able to place your CAMP somewhere else for free. If you opt to join a different session, your CAMP will automatically appear in its original spot if it is unoccupied.
Beyond the CAMP improvements, the new update allows you to respec your SPECIAL once you reach level 51. At that point, you'll have the option to either unlock a new Perk Card or reallocate one SPECIAL point each time you level up. Bethesda has also added new display options for the PC version, specifically 21:9 resolution support and field of view and depth of field sliders.
Rounding out the latest update is a handful of balance tweaks, as well as a long list of bug fixes. Among other things, the Scorchbeast Queen will now land on the ground more often than before. Super Mutants will also drop gunpowder less frequently, while .308 ammo will now drop in stacks of one to five. You can find the full patch notes on Bethesda's website; we've also included a selection of them below.
Bethesda plans to release at least one more update for Fallout 76 before the year wraps up. As the developer previously outlined, it is aiming to deploy another patch around December 18, which will "focus on stability and other concerns raised by the community." Then, beginning in early 2019, Bethesda will kick off "a variety of in-game events" in Fallout 76. Each one will be different and will feature some sort of "interesting twist" on the typical Fallout 76 gameplay.
Fallout 76 December 11 Update Patch Notes
Highlights
CAMP Construction Improvements: Small obstructions will now be automatically removed when you place objects on top of them, allowing you to more easily build when and where you want.
CAMP Placement Improvements: You will now be notified when you log into a world and your current CAMP location is occupied by another player. If you stay in that world, you can place your CAMP back down for free. If you decide not to place your CAMP and join a new world where your space is unoccupied, it will be automatically placed in its original spot.
SPECIAL Re-speccing: Upon reaching level 51, and every level thereafter, you'll be able to choose whether you want to unlock a new Perk Card or reallocate one SPECIAL point.
Push-to-Talk: We've implemented a push-to-talk hotkey for Voice Chat on PC so that you can decide when to speak up and when to remain silent.
New PC Settings: We've added Field of View and Depth of Field sliders so that you can further customize your view in-game.
21:9 Resolution Support: On PC, you can catch an even wider view from those gorgeous Appalachian vistas, because Fallout 76 now supports monitors that use 21:9 aspect ratios.
General
Performance: Several improvements have been made to in-game performance.
Stability: The Fallout 76 game client and servers have received additional stability improvements.
Art
Lighting: Exposure values have been adjusted for exterior environments, allowing them to appear brighter in dark conditions.
Balance
Loot: .308 Ammo dropped by creatures has been reduced. Players will now receive .308 Ammo in stacks of 1 – 5, rather than up to 12 for a single kill.
Loot: Super Mutants will now drop Gunpowder half as often, and the chance for additional loot has been reduced. Caps are guaranteed loot on Super Mutants until level 16.
Scorchbeast Queen: Will now land on the ground more often.
Workshops: Players no longer gain XP when crafting at a public Workshop.
CAMP, Crafting, and Workshops
NEW -- Automatically remove obstructions in CAMPs:
Rocks, small trees, and other small objects no longer prevent players from building items in those locations.
These obstructions are now automatically removed upon constructing objects and structures in CAMP, such as Foundations.
Placing an object to remove an obstruction and then removing that object, will cause that obstruction to reappear after some time or upon logging back in.
NEW -- CAMP placement improvements:
A notification will now be displayed to players upon logging into a world if their current CAMP location is occupied by someone else.
If they to choose remain in that world, they will be able to place their CAMP in a new location for free.
Alternatively, if the player decides not to place their CAMP in a new location, and instead joins a new world, their CAMP will be automatically placed back in its original location—provided that spot is unoccupied.
Additional CAMP, Crafting, and Workshop updates:
CAMP: The percentage of a CAMP's Budget that is being taken up by stored items and Blueprints will now appear in the Budget bar.
CAMP: While in build mode, players can now toggle the left joystick on controllers, or press "Q" on PC, to switch view between objects that can be built and those that cannot.
Windmill: The power produced by the Windmill has been increased from 3 to 12.
Workshops: Players can now purchase Atomic Shop items directly from the Workshop menu.
Progression
NEW -- SPECIAL Re-speccing:
Every time a player levels-up after level 50, they can now choose whether to unlock a new Perk Card or transfer one previously allocated SPECIAL point from one category to another.
This change is not retroactive for characters that have already progressed beyond level 50 but will apply to every level-up they achieve going forward.
If a player chooses to reallocate a SPECIAL point on leveling-up, they will be unable to select a new Perk Card for that level, and vice-versa.
Re-speccing details have also been added to the "Perks" section of the in-game Help menu.
Quests
Event Quests: A 15-minute cooldown timer has been added at the end of each Enclave Event Quest.
Event Quests: XP reward amounts have been reduced for the following Event Quests:
Fertile Soil, Collision Course, Tea Time, Guided Meditation, Distinguished Guests, Battle Bots, Line in the Sand, Protest March, Grafton Day, Patrol Duty, Jailbreak, Back on the Beat, and Feed the People.
Additionally, the cooldown timer that begins after starting each of these Events has been increased from 48 minutes to 1 hour and 12 minutes.
UI
NEW -- Push-to-Talk Setting (PC):
A Push-to-Talk setting has been added for Voice Chat, and is set to the Caps Lock key by default.
The "Toggle Always Run" hotkey, which used to be set on Caps Lock, has been moved to the "/" key by default.
Both the Caps Lock and "/" hotkeys can be rebound in the Controls Menu.
NEW -- Depth of Field Setting (PC):
A Depth of Field slider has been added and can be adjusted in the game's display settings menu.
NEW -- Field of View Setting (PC):
A Field of View slider has been added and can be adjusted in the game's display settings menu.
The Field of View slider can be adjusted in increments of 5, to a maximum of 120, and a minimum of 70.
Note: Field of View will be automatically set to 70 while modifying a character's appearance but can otherwise be set between the values mentioned above.
NEW -- 21:9 Resolution Support (PC):
The game client will now automatically detect and apply the correct display resolution for monitors that use 21:9 resolutions.
Additionally, various 21:9 resolutions can be selected in the game's display settings menu.
Additional User Interface Updates:
AFK Timer: The timer that disconnects players after a period of inactivity in-game has been increased from 10 to 30 minutes, and the warning prompt will now display 3 minutes, rather than 1 minute, prior to being disconnected.
Atomic Shop: Items that have recently been added to the Atomic Shop now display a "New" icon, and new items will now sort to the front of their associated subsections.
Atomic Shop: Item subtitles in the Atomic Shop have been moved to the top of item images.
Compass: Maximums have been implemented for each type of marker that can appear in the compass, and up to 60 markers in total can be visible at once:
Up to 10 markers each for quests, locations, hostile players, and enemies.
Up to 8 markers each for neutral players and targeted enemies.
Up to 4 markers for teammates.
Players can still use their Pip-Boys to toggle tracking off for individual quests if they'd prefer to reduce them amount of quest markers in the compass, and on-screen.
Aquaman may have been the unlikeliest member of the Justice League to get his own standalone film before Batman, but the King of Atlantis comes in swinging. While the DC cinematic universe has gained a reputation for being dour and over-serious, Aquaman appears bright, colorful, and boisterous. The critical consensus agrees that while it has some notable issues with plotting and tone, the overall package is satisfyingly wacky.
"There are living, breathing dinosaurs in Aquaman, and they're maybe the 15th or 20th craziest thing in the movie," wrote critic Michael Rougeau in GameSpot's Aquaman review. "It's not that the plot doesn't make sense, or that it's hard to follow. Aquaman is creatively bonkers--the insanity in the movie is a choice that was made, over and over, in every aspect of the film's creation."
Read below for a sampling of reviews from around the industry, or check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for more. Aquaman releases in theaters on December 21.
GameSpot -- no score
"Much of Aquaman--more than your average superhero movie, it seems--was taken straight off the pages of comic books, for better or worse. But Aquaman isn't simply a bunch of remixed comics elements thrown together. It's a movie with its own over the top, tongue in cheek, inconsistent, massive, irreverent, CGI-soaked tone, aesthetic, and world. And somehow, it works well enough that you'll be calling Arthur king by the end." -- Michael Rougeau [Full review]
CNET -- no score
"Still, this is unexpectedly giddy, fishy fun. Aquaman arrives in theaters alongside Bumblebee and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, making this a good month for charming and compelling family blockbusters. Come on in, the water's fine." -- Richard Trenholm [Full review]
ET Online -- no score
"Then there's an octopus playing the drums, and somehow that works. Because, at the end of the day, it is a fun movie, full of neon colors and plenty of bubbles and told on an ambitiously large scale. Wan's creativity in building this world is unending, and it is a blast seeing each new setup brought to life 20,000 leagues under the sea: Mer-people and fish monsters and Stormtrooperesque humanoids, spinning through seascapes that look like gloriously immersive screensavers. More of this!" -- John Boone [Full review]
Los Angeles Times -- no score
"When you throw in some emotional surprises, that's a lot of boat for one movie to float, but float is what Aquaman manages to do. Could that be a sequel hovering on the horizon? I wouldn't be at all surprised." -- Kenneth Turan [Full review]
AV Club -- no score
"The problem is that, for all of their cycloid-scale costumes, nacreous architecture, and giant cargo turtles, the Atlanteans aren't any fun. Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a high-tech pirate with a grudge against Aquaman and a bug-eyed helmet that shoots plasma beams, makes the bigger impression as an underutilized secondary villain. (He's Aquaman's best-known nemesis in the comics.) Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman, the most successful of the DC films, had its own problems with dull baddies and stiff, contraction-less exposition delivered by actors in armor. Aquaman needs its smirking, beer-loving, roadie-looking, Chippendale-chested hero--not to save the day, but to remind us that this is stuff is about as goofy as it gets." -- Ignatiy Vishnevetsky [Full review]
US Magazine -- 2 Stars (Out Of 4)
"The best I can say about Aquaman--and this is a big compliment--is that it's first live-action D.C. Comics movie in which a superhero actually appears to be having fun. Batman, Superman, the Suicide Squad, even our beloved Wonder Woman tend to behave as if they just lost their 401(k) savings during the apocalypse. Momoa's Aquaman is loose and laid-back and good times. Excited audiences all over the world are already hooked by this elusive attribute. I'd rather throw it back in the ocean." -- Mara Reinstein [Full review]
Complex -- 2.5 Stars (Out Of 4)
"What I liked most about this movie was its sense of adventure, a genre that's generally underserved as a subset of superhero and just across film in general. The bulk of this film concerns a capital-q Quest, and when you have an actor as charismatic as Jason (and as game as Amber) on a Quest, then fun is a given. Once Aqua put on his best Club Monaco jet-setting fit, the film really let's go and somehow the same journey takes him through the Sahara, Italy, on a boat fighting Power Rangers demons and finally, a Crash Bandicoot level. It's ridiculous, but they sell it, and it's undeniable if you don't think hard." -- Khal Davenport [Full review]
The PC game storefront Green Man Gaming is running a fun promotion that gets you five PC games for $5. The best part is that you can select any five games you want from a selection of over 30 titles. The bad news is that some of the games have already gone out of stock. That means you'd better hurry and assemble your mix-and-match bundle if you want to choose from the cream of the crop.
Some great games are available to choose from. Rage, which normally sells for $10 on GMG, is among the options. It's a particularly fine choice, seeing as its fast-paced, colorful, violent sequel is launching early next year. Another smart pick is Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide, a Left 4 Dead-style multiplayer game that typically retails for $30.
Adrift strands you in the cold zero-G environment of outer space. Magicka puts you in control of a wizard with a range of mystical powers looking to stop an evil sorcerer bent on destroying the world. Then there's Next Up Hero, a colorful dungeon crawler made in the style of the arcade classic Gauntlet. You can find the full list of games available below.
Venom arrived digitally on December 11 and is coming to 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 18, and most fans want to know just what special features the home release will include. Is there anything special to get excited for? Well, if you enjoyed seeing Cletus Kasady--the serial killer who eventually bonds with the Carnage symbiote--there's a much longer cut of that scene.
In the theatrical version of the mid-credit sequence, Eddie Brock (with Venom) heads to San Quentin prison to interview a serial killer, which ends up being Cletus Kasady--played by Woody Harrelson. The whole sequence lasts about 30 seconds before Kasady says, "There's going to be Carnage." Get it? He eventually becomes Carnage.
However, on the home release of Venom, there is an extended version of this scene, coming in at three minutes. In this version--much like the original--Brock heads to the prison to interview Kasady. However, this time around, Kasady gets a bit of a monologue. He talks about being a serial killer and delivers some weird dialogue, including this line: "Talk about sucking out their eyeballs. Crunchy on the outside. Gooey on the inside." Sure. Strangely enough, it actually does a bit to flesh out Harrelson's portrayal of the character, even though it's a over-the-top and the dialogue is a bit cheesy. It closes with the same tag as the theatrical cut.
After watching it, you'll completely understand why the scene was cut down. It's just a bit too long for a mid-credit sequence, and leaves the viewers with too much new information before the credits finish rolling. Regardless, it's a nice little addition to the overall special features for fans who are planning on buying the movie.
Venom is available now through digital retailers and will be getting a physical release on December 18, check out our pre-order guide for all the info about the home release, including the special features.
Rainbow Six Siege's Operation Wind Bastion update recently arrived on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, marking the end of the game's third year. Ubisoft still has a lot more content in store for the shooter in 2019, however, including another batch of Operators. With the new season just around the corner, the publisher has already begun offering the Year 4 pass for Siege, and it grants holders some good benefits.
The Year 4 pass is available for purchase on all platforms. Much like previous Siege passes, it costs $30 and entitles players to a number of perks. Chief among them, those who purchase the Year 4 pass will receive seven-day early access to all eight of the new Operators being introduced to Siege in Year 4, and you won't have to grind for in-game currency in order to unlock them, as you would if you don't own the pass.
On top of that, Year 4 pass holders will get a handful of exclusive items, including eight uniforms and headgear, as well as the Lava 6 Charm. Owners will also receive 600 bonus R6 credits, along with a few other benefits through January 31, 2020, such as 5% Renown boost and a 10% discount in Siege's in-game shop.
As an added bonus, everyone who picks the pass up before March 4, 2019 will get the Volcano Signature weapon skin. Those who own the Year 3 Pass will also receive an additional 600 RS credits when they pick up Year 4's. You can read more about the season pass on the official Rainbow Six Siege website.
Ubisoft has yet to announce the new Operators coming to Rainbow Six Siege in Year 4, but the recent Operation Wind Bastion update introduced Nomad and Kaid. The former is an Attacker whose primary weapons come with a device that launches wind-powered proximity mines, while the latter is a Defender who's equipped with deployable electroclaws. Operation Wind Bastion also introduced a new map named Fortress.
Sony has kicked off a truly massive multi-week-long Holiday Sale on PSN. Week 1 is now live, offering discounts on over 1,200 digital games, bundles, and add-ons for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita. Some of the deals will last until January 15, while others are set to end on December 18. And if you're a PS Plus member, you get an extra discount on many of the games. Here are some of the best deals available right now.
Hitman 2 just launched last month, but it's already on sale for half price, bringing it down to $30--how about that? It's a fine game, too, receiving 8/10 in GameSpot's Hitman 2 review. Another of the year's biggest games, Monster Hunter World, is discounted to $25, while one of last year's PS4 exclusives, Gravity Rush 2, is on sale for $12. And if you missed out on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, you can grab it now for just $8.
You can get a number of hits from earlier in the PS4's life cycle for almost nothing during the sale as well. From Software's gothic masterpiece Bloodborne is down to $7, while another dark, brooding game, Inside, is on sale for $6. And while we're on the subject of darkness, you can pick up the "rhythm-violence" game Thumper for $6 as well (it's great in PSVR).
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