Bandai Namco has announced that My Hero Academia protagonist Izuku Midoriya will be a part of Jump Force. Although the studio did not come out and confirm it, an image in a tweet implies Midoriya will be a playable character and not just a part of the story like Death Notes' Light and Ryuk.
Midoriya has worn three different costumes in the My Hero Academia manga and anime, and each showcases growth in his development of his superpowered Quirk, One For All. The images of him in Jump Force show him wearing the initial design for Costume Gamma, a more heavily armored variation of his suit that comes equipped with braces for his arms and iron soles for his feet. Midoriya first wears this costume when he adopts his new "Shoot Style" fighting form that focuses on kicks instead of punches, so we can assume his combos will probably include more than his fist super moves like Detroit Smash and Delaware Smash.
So far, Midoriya is the only character from My Hero Academia to be confirmed for Jump Force. However, other franchises included in the game--such as Dragon Ball and One Piece--have included half a dozen characters from their respective manga/anime, so there's a possibility for more of Midoriya's allies or enemies to appear in Jump Force. Jump Force could also implement a similar system to My Hero One's Justice and include multiple versions of Midoriya with different fighting styles.
Jump Force is a celebration of 50 years of Shonen Jump manga and anime. The tag-team arena fighting game includes characters from Black Clover, Bleach, City Hunter, Dragon Ball, Fist of the North Star, Hunter x Hunter, My Hero Academia, Naruto, One Piece, Rurouni Kenshin, Saint Seiya, Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Death Note. The game will tell an original story, where characters from across the Shonen Jump multiverse need to unite in order to defeat an evil that threatens all of their respective worlds.
Jump Force launches in Japan on February 14, 2019 and then for North America on the following day. The game will be playable on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
The 14 Days of Fortnite event is now underway in Epic's hit battle royale game. From now until January 2, Fortnite players on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile can take part in new and returning limited-time modes, purchase new seasonal outfits from the in-game shop, and even earn daily rewards.
On top of the aforementioned LTMs, Epic will offer a new challenge each day during the 14 Days of Fortnite event, which will net you a free seasonal reward once completed. If you manage to finish all 14 of the challenges from the event, you'll also unlock a special mystery item.
Epic is revealing the 14 Days of Fortnite challenges day by day, so we'll be rounding up a list of all the tasks from the event and the rewards you get for completing them as they're unveiled. Be sure to check back here each day of the event as we update the list with challenges, rewards, and tips on how to get them once they're available.
The first 14 Days of Fortnite challenge is straightforward. You'll simply need to create or join a server in the game's new Creative mode, which allows players create their own games and play around as they see fit in their own private matches. Once you do that, you'll unlock the first of the events daily rewards: an Ornament Spray featuring the letters "GG."
In addition to daily challenges, Epic will feature a variety of new and returning limited-time modes during the 14 Days of Fortnite event. These will rotate frequently throughout the event; according to the developer, "large team modes" will switch every 48 hours, while "small team modes" will change every 24.
14 Days Of Fortnite Challenges
Start or join a Creative server (1) -- "GG" Ornament Spray
In 2010, GameSpot's Game of the Year was none other than Red Dead Redemption. Eight years later, that game remains one of our all-time favorites, and leaving John Marston behind to step into Arthur Morgan's story wasn't easy. Red Dead Redemption 2 ended up being everything we could have wanted in a prequel, but it's also a moving, often heartbreaking, and oddly hopeful story that stands independently of its predecessor--and that's only part of the reason why Red Dead 2 is GameSpot's 2018 Game of the Year.
It's fair to say that Red Dead Redemption 2 faced incredibly high expectations. For fans, there was the matter of how to follow the original Red Dead Redemption. More generally, there was the simple fact that GTA V, Rockstar's previous game, is among the most successful entertainment properties of all time, as well as the promise that Red Dead 2's open world would be vast and incredibly detailed (including the horse anatomy). Going into Red Dead 2, you'd be forgiven for expecting it to be a big cowboy playground where you can go anywhere and do anything an outlaw might care to do. And in some ways, it is--but it's remarkable for the ways in which it isn't.
When you first start Red Dead 2, the scope and detail of its world are almost overwhelming. In a series of tutorial missions woven into the exposition, you're presented with a variety of cowboy-ish activities you can undertake: fishing, horse-rearing, robbing, hunting, and more robbing, plus personal grooming and the need to eat. It's easy to dismiss the story missions entirely to follow the pastime of your choice, which inevitably leads you to another random activity or a chance encounter on the side of the road and then, before you know it, to a town far from where you are "supposed" to be. Your choices seem endless, the world impossibly large, and the freedom of wandering through it on your horse is too enticing to ignore.
Even more impressive is how the world shifts to react to you. Getting into a deadly fight in a bar, for example, doesn't just put your own honor level at risk; townspeople will remember you for it, and you will not be very popular. An expensive horse gets oohs and ahhs from passersby, while running into someone with your horse will (understandably) make them very, very upset. The world is both fantastic and mundane, populated by criminals and honest citizens alike, and getting a cheery greeting from a random person in the street draws you into the world just as much, if not more, than discovering a serial killer's hideout or robbing a train does.
There's a point where this sense of wonder and freedom will clash with what the story is doing, and that point may be different for everyone. It might be the mission structure, which often devolves into firefights even if you try your hardest to avoid them; it might be the pacing, which is slow and deliberate and sometimes exhausting; it might simply be the nature of getting from place to place, which, due to limited fast travel options, means you'll be spending a lot of time with your horse. No matter how you're trying to play, whether it's as an honorable Arthur or a terrible one, you'll often find yourself doing things you didn't particularly want or intend to do.
This is where Red Dead 2 tests your patience, and it can feel like you're fighting against the game just to play it. But far more than being a detailed, living open-world game, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a focused narrative experience, and you, the player, are not at the center of it. This story belongs to Arthur Morgan, to the Van der Linde gang, and to the death of the Wild West; everything you do feeds that story. The choices you make are not as important as the process of making them, and that's precisely why the story is as impactful as it is.
Arthur Morgan is a man caught between two versions of himself: the man he is and the man he would like to be. He's caught between his loyalty to Dutch and the doubt that creeps in as more and more things go wrong. The act of playing Red Dead 2, as you're caught between what you want to do and what you are able to do, brings you closer to Arthur. Your frustration when a mission goes south is Arthur's frustration; any guilt you feel toward the end of the game, when you're meddling in matters that don't concern you, is Arthur's guilt.
There's an overwhelming sense of inevitability in everything you do, which is exacerbated if you played the original game and know what becomes of the Van der Linde gang. Many of the people you're building relationships with, you assume, will die before the events of Red Dead Redemption, and the ones who don't can make you sad for other reasons. But despite that, Red Dead 2's story is ultimately a hopeful one, and fleeting moments of levity and optimism offer a respite even when you can sense a cruel fate is only a few story beats away.
It's hard to shake the kind of connection you develop with Red Dead Redemption 2's world and characters. It's a game that can try your patience, for sure, but it simply wouldn't be the same if it didn't. It's an unforgettable experience that challenges your expectations as often as it meets or exceeds them, and there's no question that it's our Game of the Year.
The Whisperers are coming. It's something we've known for a while about The Walking Dead and, thus far in Season 9, we've gotten lots of teases for the new villains on the show but have yet to actually meet any of them. Well, that changes now.
AMC has released new key art for the show's return in February, which prominently features new cast member Samantha Morton as Alpha, leader of the Whisperers. If she doesn't look too familiar in the image below, there's a reason for that. The Whisperers are unlike any other force your favorite survivors have come up against before. They move among the walkers by wearing the skin of the dead over their own. Yes, it's as disgusting as it sounds and GameSpot will have plenty more details about the new group as we get closer to the mid-season premiere.
However, in living among the walkers, it brings the Whisperers a kind of freedom many in this horrible world don't have. It seems they don't necessarily fear the dead, which is a powerful trait to have.
A plot description of the show's return reads, "The second half of The Walking Dead Season 9 finds our groups of survivors, both old and new, continuing to deal with the impact of events that took place during the six years that have passed. Since the disappearance of Rick, many of these characters have become strangers to each other, and in some ways, strangers to themselves. What they do know is that they are in undeniable danger. They will soon realize the world just beyond does not operate as they thought. The group's rules and ways of survival no longer guarantee their safety. A whole new threat has crossed their paths, and they soon discover it's unlike any threat they have encountered or endured before. The group will start to question what they think they see. What may appear to be normal in this post-apocalyptic world could actually be more disturbing and terrifying than when the apocalypse first broke out. All that is certain is the stakes are high and numerous."
Morton won't be alone in leading the group. Sons of Anarchy and Bates Motel alum Ryan Hurst has also joined the cast as Beta, her second-in-command. Together, these two will lead the Whisperers as they attempt to take out the survivors in Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Sanctuary.
Unfortunately, it'll be some time before we find out how successful they are. The Walking Dead returns Sunday, February 10, on AMC.
This is not an instant win. No purchase necessary. Competition ends at 5:00 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 next Fast & Furious movie isn't scheduled to be released until 2020, but fans of the series won't have to wait that long for the next entry in that universe. Hobbs & Shaw is a spin-off focusing on the characters played by Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham and it arrives in August next year. A first official image has now been released.
The picture comes via Entertainment Weekly. In it, former federal Agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and mercenary-for-hire Owen Shaw (Statham) are facing down some adversaries in what looks like a warehouse, armed only with bits of wood. Check it out below:
This image follows some earlier behind-the-scenes shots that Johnson posted on Instagram. Hobbs & Shaw is directed by Deadpool 2's David Leitch and also stars Idris Elba as the movie's main villain, plus Mission Impossible: Fallout's Vanessa Kirby. It releases on August 2, 2019.
In an interview with EW, Johnson spoke about what will set Hobbs & Shaw apart from the insane, over-the-top action of the main Fast & Furious movies. "The main thing that we can do and focus on is how can we evolve," he said. "So instead of thinking of whatever the biggest explosions are with the biggest vehicles and let's drop them from the moon, this is where finding the perfect director comes in with a very unique point of view and perspective, and someone who understands not only action but understands stylistic action mixed in with story and character."
"David Leitch just did the new Deadpool and John Wick and Atomic Blonde," Johnson continued. "So you can see the stylistic approach that he has, and he really just stepped up to the plate and took great ownership of this spin-off. He's really been delivering, and if his past movies are an example of what he's been doing, wait until you see this one."
In terms of the main series, the currently untitled Fast & Furious 9 is currently scheduled for an April 2020 release. The decision to delay the movie by a year to make way for Hobbs & Shaw caused some controversy last year, when co-star Tyreese suggested that if Johnson were to appear, he would not. This follows the reported on-set feud between Johnson and star/producer Vin Diesel during the production of 2017's The Fate of the Furious.
Hide-and-seek is so central to a child's sense of play that it's surprising how infrequently it's been explored by video games. A recent vogue for "asymmetrical multiplayer," in which one player at a time faces several others, does channel some of the exhilarating imbalance of being It. But even titles such as Friday the 13th or Dead by Daylight tend to emphasize escape over taking cover and ultimately feel more like run-and-chase than the slower, calmer, more observational game that's forever fascinated kids. So it is a considerable pleasure to discover that Typhon Hunter, the new multiplayer expansion for the science-fiction immersive sim Prey by Arkane Studios, very closely resembles the traditional format of the familiar childhood pastime--with the slight difference that this hide-and-seek involves bloodthirsty aliens and takes place on a space station orbiting the moon.
In its previous incarnation, Prey was an ambitious and original game with a strong conceit and too many crude mechanics--intermittently intriguing but on the whole unrefined, sometimes outright broken. It cast players as Morgan Yu, among the few surviving humans aboard a space station overrun by aliens known as the Typhon. The Typhon are shapeshifters, capable of taking the form of the inanimate objects around them; wandering through the desolate station in a bid for survival, you often found them scattered about mimicking ashtrays and coffee mugs, poised to leap up and attack at any moment.
Since the cool reception when Prey was released last spring, Arkane has continued to revise and expand the game. Most notably, it released a premium expansion in June called Mooncrash, a rogue-lite adventure set on a satellite that retained the mechanics and milieu of Prey but applied them to an entirely different genre. Another six months later, we now have Typhon Hunter, an expansion that once again takes Arkane's promising source material and attempts to reimagine the kind of game it can be.
A hide-and-seek version of Prey is more compelling than Prey in its original form, it turns out. Like the rogue-lite twist of Mooncrash, the sneaky, delightful Typhon Hunter multiplayer is simply a more rewarding application of Prey's basic elements; it ports over the environments from the campaign and repurposes the unique enemy design for the core of the new experience. Typhon Hunter is a game for six players: five are Mimics, the crawling baby aliens that can morph into the stuff around them, and one is Morgan, the wrench-wielding human whose objective it is to eradicate them before the five-minute countdown elapses. Rounds mostly consist of Morgan hunting high and low as Mimics in the shape of garbage cans or cardboard boxes sit very still, hoping not to be seen or awaiting an opportunity to attack.
Walking into a room littered with random furniture and detritus when you know damn well that five other players could be lurking there among it all feels overwhelming in the most satisfying way. There's a real sense of danger and suspense just wandering from one room to another, swinging your wrench at every errant martini glass that looks out of place or wine bottle that strikes you as suspicious, only to be petrified, again, when the stack of old magazines in the corner suddenly lunges at your face. When the Mimics kill Morgan, there's a 10-second breather that allows them to move around or find a new hiding place, and rather than frustrating I found these brief moments of repose pumped me up to charge back in there and scrutinize every item I happened upon. Each Mimic, meanwhile, only has one life, and players default to spectating until the round's end if they die.
As a Mimic, hiding can sometimes seem almost too easy, because the environments are so extensively populated with the kinds of objects that lend themselves to mimicry--every kitchen counter covered in cups, every maintenance hallway strewn with boxes, all spread about in a disorderly fashion that makes it seamless for even a somewhat careless player to blend in. Objects are left in unlikely places and positions to throw the human player off, and in contrast to, say, the online infiltrations in Watch Dogs, it is never immediately obvious to the naked eye what's an innocuous component of the game and what's human-controlled. On several occasions I watched wracked with tension as a Morgan player strolled by just inches away without noticing me. It reminded me of the attraction of hide-and-seek, which is how wildly thrilling it is to hide.
Imbalance is a common problem with asymmetrical multiplayer, as different character types and abilities expressly designed to be uneven are difficult to make seem 100% fair. I did find, over the course of my time with the game, that Mimics seemed to win matches much more often than Morgans, regardless of which side I chose; it didn't seem so much an issue of the Mimics being too hard to find as being sometimes difficult to kill once found, especially when using one of the underpowered pistols scattered across the maps. Still, I never felt any great injustice when I failed to vanquish the Mimics within the time allotted, just an urge to look harder and swing faster next time. Besides, the sensation of being alone against everyone is a fundamental part of being It.
With such a limited number of maps and this one hide-and-seek game mode, Typhon Hunter is not a multiplayer experience of much longevity. As fun as it can be to skulk around a space station as an unassuming box of pizza, biding your time to strike, the format inevitably loses its novelty after a few dozen rounds, once it starts to seem that there isn't any object left that as a Mimic you haven't turned into and as a human you haven't been killed by or destroyed. That said, this is of course a free expansion to a game that came out almost two years ago, and one that takes Prey's best elements and applies them in better ways. It's commendable that Arkane continues to return to Prey with fresh ideas, and if you have the game already you'd be remiss not to play.
A forthcoming (free) update, set to release in January, will bring Typhon Hunter to virtual reality, making it possible to ferret out Mimics with a VR headset. In the meantime, Typhon Hunter includes a kind of secondary mini-expansion called TranStar VR, which offers about an hour of virtual reality content set in the familiar Prey world. Like other VR supplements to non-VR titles, such as those included with Star Wars Battlefront and Rise of the Tomb Raider, TranStar has the feeling of an extended tech demo rather than a complete standalone game, both in the brevity of its runtime and the limited integration of the tech. There's certainly nothing here that would justify the purchase of a PSVR for anyone who doesn't have one already lying around.
It's commendable that Arkane continues to return to Prey with fresh ideas, and if you have the game already you'd be remiss not to play.
With that said, those who do have a headset may be surprised to find that TranStar is more interesting than expected, given that its late release and inclusion with another expansion suggests it was more of an afterthought. Arkane has landed on another pretty crafty, auspicious use for this material--this time as grist for a series of puzzle games designed to resemble the real-life escape rooms that have over the last several years become a worldwide craze. Players enter one of three self-contained environments--each pulled from the original Prey but lavishly recreated in VR--and follow a complex sequence of prompts that test your observation, problem-solving skills, and lateral thinking.
The puzzles are well-conceived and, some technical problems aside, well-realized in virtual reality. For instance, in one level--familiar to Prey veterans as the simulated apartment from the beginning of the campaign--a giant display screen must be switched on by entering a code whose digits are printed in a cipher on clipboards hidden around the room. At one point a clipboard crucial to solving the puzzle fell straight through a table and clipped into the floor, both obscuring the information I needed and making it impossible to pick it up again. A wonderful moment that hinges on a voice synthesizer and a karaoke hologram had me feeling delighted when I solved it, until a glitch made it necessary to reset. Such problems are hardly the end of the world, but frustrating when they disrupt the flow of a puzzle that is coming together nicely.
It's strange to say of a free add-on to an underwhelming game, but TranStar is actually on the upper end of experiences on the PSVR, succinctly showing off the immersive features of the technology. Considering it isn't even the main attraction of the DLC and is more like a bonus, it's clear that Typhon Hunter is another worthy, generous expansion from Arkane, who have by this point more than made up for Prey's shortcomings. This package highlights the strongest attributes of the game's already appealing core mechanics, and it's an excellent capper on the qualities that earned Mooncrash its place on our list of the best expansions of 2018.
Today only, anyone in the US with a Twitch Prime membership can get a copy of Grand Theft Auto V on PS4 or Xbox One effectively for free. You'll have to pay $15 up front, but you'll receive a $15 credit in your Amazon account within a week after purchase. At the time of this writing, the promotion works on the physical PS4 version and both the digital and physical versions for Xbox One. You'll want to hurry, because the offer goes away at tonight at 11:59 PM PT (2:59 AM ET December 20).
As you might expect, there are a number of caveats. First off, you have to be an Amazon Prime member. Next, you have to have linked your Prime membership with your Twitch account to become a Twitch Prime member (here's how to do that). The offer also only applies to copies of the game sold by Amazon.com or Amazon Digital Services LLC, meaning it won't work with third-party sellers. The $15 promotional credit expires on January 31, 2019, so you'll want to spend it before then. Read the full set of terms and conditions for more information.
Even with all that in mind, this is still a fantastic deal for anyone who doesn't have GTA V on PS4 or Xbox One. The single-player campaign is lengthy, and Rockstar has been updating the included GTA Online mode each week for years.
In GameSpot's Grand Theft Auto V review, Mark Walton wrote, "Aside from a few mild frame rate issues that sometimes take the edge off its more dramatic moments, this is the definitive version of GTA V, and the bar by which all other open-world games, or indeed any game that aims for a cinematic feel, should be judged. It is beautiful, and thought-provoking, and thrilling throughout. Even if you've played through GTA V once already, it's worth going back just to be reminded of what an outstanding achievement it is."
Fortnite is one of the most popular games on the planet, and the PS4 is currently the best-selling console of this generation. That means there are probably a lot of PS4 owners who enjoy playing Fortnite. If you fall into that category and you happen to be a PlayStation Plus member, here's some good news. You can grab the Fortnite: Battle Royale PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack for free.
The Celebration Pack is a bundle of three in-game items: Prodigy outfit, Tabulator back bling, and a 2D Pizza emoticon. Like all Fortnite gear, these items are purely cosmetic and don't affect gameplay. And while you normally have to spend V-Bucks or complete challenges to get in-game items like these, this pack is available for free just for being a PS Plus member.
The Prodigy outfit consists of glasses, a red handkerchief worn around the neck, and a blue sweater vest adorned with math symbols. The Tabulator back bling is a giant calculator that displays the number of eliminations you've gotten during the current match, and the 2D Pizza emoticon is a slice of cheesy pepperoni pizza.
This isn't the first free pack of Fortnite gear for PS Plus members. Previous packs have vanished from the PlayStation Store after a few weeks, so it's safe to assume this one will do the same. Before it does, be sure to add it to your account.
Hearthstone is making some big balance changes much sooner into a new expansion than usual. The patch, which is set to release December 19, is entirely breaking two popular combos, severely limiting another, and making some more fundamental changes to the Druid toolbox.
The two decks that are being undone entirely are Shudderwock Shaman and Kingsbane Rogue, with nerfs to Saronite Chain Gang and Leeching Poison, respectively. Saronite Chain Gang's card text will change slightly to impact the way it copies itself. That copying mechanic was used in Shudderwock Shaman to create infinite copies of the Legendary card Shudderwock, so this change essentially cuts off that strategy. Leeching Poison is changing its effect to only give your weapon Lifesteal for a single turn, so that you can't use a powered up Kingsbane forever to stay alive. Its cost is also changing from 2 Mana to 1.
The Paladin card Level Up will be changing to 6 Mana rather than 5. This severely hobbles but doesn't quite break the "Odd Paladin" deck, since it gets an upgraded hero power by limiting it to odd-costed cards. Since Level Up will no longer be allowable in Odd Paladin decks, players will have to choose between flooding the field with recruits or upgrading them, rather than both.
Finally, Druid is getting a couple of changes to some of its classic cards. Wild Growth and Nourish are both going up by one Mana apiece, to 3 and 6 Mana respectively. Blizzard notes that these cards have been so dominant in Druid deck-building that the class can start to feel stale and repetitive, and "stifle creative deckbuilding decisions."
The latest expansion for Hearthstone, Rastakhan's Rumble, launched in early December. Usually Blizzard allows more time to pass with a new expansion before rolling out balance changes, but the studio notes that it's "opted to make these changes earlier in the expansion cycle than we normally consider." It invites feedback from players regarding the timing of the update, along with the actual changes themselves. You can read more details at the Hearthstone Blog.
Disney's catalogue of classic fairytale properties is proving to be highly lucrative business for the studio, as the company continues to give them the live-action remake treatment. A new version Aladdin is set to hit theaters in May, and now the first images have been released.
The pictures come via Entertainment Weekly. They show the three main stars--Mena Massoud (Jack Ryan), as Aladdin, Naomi Scott (Power Rangers) as Jasmine, and Will Smith, who plays the Genie. And in case you're you're thinking that Smith looks a bit ordinary as this legendary magical character, EW have also confirmed that he will have a "floating lamp form," but that vfx isn't finished yet. Check the images out below:
Aladdin also stars Marwan Kenzari (The Mummy) as Jafar, Navid Negahban (American Sniper) as The Sultan, Billy Magnussen (Game Night, The Big Short) as Prince Anders. It's directed by Guy Richie (Sherlock Holmes, Snatch) and is set to be released on May 24, 2019.
In an interview with EW, Smith talked about taking on the role of the Genie, which was famously played by Robin Williams in the classic 1992 animated movie. "Whenever you're doing things that are iconic, it's always terrifying," he said. "The question is always: Where was there meat left on the bone? Robin didn't leave a lot of meat on the bone with the character.
"[But] I started to feel confident that I could deliver something that was an homage to Robin Williams but was musically different. Just the flavor of the character would be different enough and unique enough that it would be in a different lane, versus trying to compete."
Aladdin is just one of several classic fairy tale remakes that Disney has on the way. In March, Tim Burton's reimagining of Dumbo hits theaters, while a new version of The Lion King arrives in July. Beyond that, the remake of Mulan is scheduled for 2020, plus movies based on Cruella De Ville (101 Dalmations) and Tinker Bell (Peter Pan) are reportedly also in development.
Media Molecule has been working on Dreams for a little while now, and it's finally ready to show more of the game off to the general public. The developer will hold a beta for the PS4 title in January, with sign ups going live December 19.
The beta itself begins "the week of January 8," Media Molecule explains in a blog post, but invites will be sent out in waves. If you're on the developer's mailing list, you can register your interest now; others must wait until January 4 to sign up for the beta. Note that signing up does not guarantee you access: "Though we cannot guarantee space for everyone, we will try our best," Media Molecule states. The trial will remain open through January 21.
Media Molecule says the purpose of this test period is to gather player feedback on Dreams' tutorials and creative tools, among other things. For this reason, the game's Story Mode is not included in the beta. To maintain the game's surprises until its final launch date, beta participants will be required to fill out an NDA and therefore won't be able to share screenshots, impressions, or videos publicly. However, the developer says its plan is for your creations to carry over to the final game.
We don't yet know Dreams' PS4 release date--the closest we have to a release window is simply "2019." The game has a similar focus on player creation as Media Molecule's best-known franchise, LittleBigPlanet--you can even make a battle royale-style game inside Dreams.
My Hero Academia Season 4 will begin airing in October 2019, it has been announced. The acclaimed anime series wrapped up its third season in September of this year, with main character Midoriya being introduced to three third-year students that have distinguished themselves in the hero course. One of those students, Mirio Togata, is featured on a new poster teasing the fourth season.
Mirio is shown alongside Midoriya and is wearing his hero outfit, something which has not yet been seen in the anime. As indicated in Season 3, Mirio will play a crucial part in Midoriya's journey to fulfilling his role as All Might's successor, so it makes perfect sense that he'd be featured heavily in marketing around the new season. Having said that, we expect My Hero Academia's colorful--and beloved--cast of supporting characters will also get their time in the spotlight, ahead of the new season kicking off.
My Hero Academia Season 3 was praised heavily by GameSpot. As part of our Best of Entertainment awards we highlighted it as one of the best anime shows of 2018 and the episode titled "One For All" was also named of the best episodes of a show you could watch this year. If that wasn't enough praise, My Hero Academia Season 3 was one our picks for Best Superhero Movie or TV Show of the year and was also one of our overall favourite shows of 2018.
2018 was also the year the first My Hero Academia movie released. In our My Hero Academia: Two Heroes review, Dave Klein said the movie "may not hit 'Plus Ultra' levels of excitement, and it never matches the highest moments of the show, [but] if you're looking for a fun extra dose of My Hero, Two Heroes is certain to satisfy that craving."
The third Forge of Destiny 2's expansion, The Black Armory, is here, but accessing it is not especially easy. Like the other Forges, you'll have to complete a mission to locate the Izanami Forge, and it's not exactly obvious how to get started. This Forge quest is a lot more involved than those to open the first two, Volundr and Gofannon, and while the objectives are mostly pretty clear, there are a few best practices that can help you get through the quest more quickly.
Unlocking the Izanami Forge will take you to Nessus, and it has you fighting all kinds of Vex enemies. You'll also need to knock out several Public Events, a few missions, and even a special Strike. Expect to get your Power level to at least 630 in order to unlock the Izanami Forge, and possibly even higher. If you can get a Fireteam together, you'll probably have an easier time, although it's fully possible to do everything alone.
Here's everything you need to know about unlocking the Izanami Forge of The Black Armory and how best to get through all the steps. And check out a look at completing the Forge in action above.
Get Some Vex
To start the quest to access the Izanami Forge, you'll want to head to Nessus. The quest seems to trigger when you kill Vex, much like the Gofannon Forge quest was started by killing Fallen. However, the seemingly most reliable way to kick off the quest is by completing the Daily Heroic Adventure on Nessus. That's how we started our search for Izanami--the Vex Transponder item it requires dropped when the Adventure was completed.
Fire Up The Transponder
The Transponder will take you to the Forge's location on Nessus, but first you'll need to get it going. It requires you to kill 100 Vex. You'll find them all over Nessus, so attack this the way you see fit--Lost Sectors are usually a good bet, as are Public Events. Both are also useful for completing the Nessus Flashpoint, which is one of the rare instances while you hunt for the Forge where you get to kill two birds with one stone.
Vex Spire Integration
Now head to the Nessus area known as the Hallows. You're waiting for the Spire Integration Public Event to start. That's the Vex event in which robots march toward a spire, which you need to defend. You need to complete the event on Heroic difficulty, which means standing on three round pressure plates scattered around the spire for a set amount of time. Complete the Heroic event and you're on to your next requirement.
Kill Some Minotaurs
Next you have to rack up some kills on Vex Minotaurs. You need 20 Minotaurs in total, which can be tough because they're somewhat more rare than other Vex models. Check Lost Sectors and the Spire Integration event to find some.
Find The Forge
Finally, you get to head to Izanami Forge. You'll now have a new Mission marker on Nessus, which will take you to the Forge's location and require you to clear it of Vex enemies. Your objective is to jump around the Forge room, hacking several Confluxes. After that, you'll kill a Forge boss, much like in the other two Forges.
Unfortunately, you're not done here: the Forge's igniter is broken, and you're stuck repairing it. Take the Igniter to Ada to trigger the next step.
Repair The Igniter
To fix the Forge, you need components from all the alien races. You'll get them from specific Public Events--the Hive Witches Ritual, Vex Spire Integration, and Fallen Glimmer Extraction--all of which you need to clear on the Heroic difficulty. You can reliably find Witches Ritual on Mars, in the Glacial Drift area, or on Titan, in Sirens Watch. Glimmer Extractions are easiest to find on Earth in Trostland. And you can get more Spire Integrations on Nessus in the Hollows and Exodus Black.
Repair The Igniter, Uh, Some More
After you've done the Vex stuff, you'll have a half-repaired Igniter with more steps to complete. They'll send you to Io for Condensed Blights, and in search of Fallen, on whom you need to rack up precision multikills.
The Condensed Blights are a bit easier. Head to Io and venture into its three Lost Sectors. It doesn't matter which you visit, because each one has a Taken Blight inside that you'll need to find and destroy. It's always about midway through the Lost Sector, and there's always just the one. The good news is that you don't have to clear the Lost Sectors to get what you need, and it's quicker to just run in, find the Blight, and destroy it. The bad news is that you'll need to do so five times.
For the Fallen multikills, Earth or the Tangled Shore are good bets, and you'll probably want to pick a Lost Sector where you can get at lots of Fallen at once, without having to deal with other players stealing your kills. Pick a scout rifle or something similarly precise, and concentrate on headshots. You need to get two headshots in a row fairly quickly, and getting a body shot kill in between two headshots will break the streak. This is an annoying step to be sure, but you only need two kills in a row for it to count as a multikill, and every headshot kill after the second will also drop the Ether you need. If you can get long chains, you can finish this one up pretty quickly. Each multikill only counts for 3% of what you need, though, and the game is a bit finicky about counting certain kills toward the goal.
Gather Vex Energy
You've got one more mission to complete, but this one isn't too difficult. This one will bring you back to Nessus and have you killing Vex, before venturing out onto a series of platforms to reach confluxes. There's a bit of a strange mechanic here, where you'll find that no platform is waiting for you to jump as you head out into the abyss. To make those platforms appear, you'll have to shoot some blue floating diamonds that hang nearby. Shoot them quickly, or the platform you're standing on will fade away before you can make the next one appear.
Fire Up Volundr
After you've killed all the Blights and Fallen you need, you'll be sent back to Earth's Volundr Forge. There's nothing special to this objective, and at this point, you're probably a seasoned Forge-igniter, so this is an easy step. This is a good opportunity to clear Forge bounties and other objectives as well. Finish the Forge and your next stop will be to talk to Ada with a fully repaired Igniter.
Fight Through The Insight Terminus
Time to go back to Nessus. You gathered Taken, Vex, and Fallen components for the Igniter, but you need something from the Cabal. To get it, you'll take part in a special version of the Insight Terminus strike on Nessus. The Recommended Power level on this Strike is 630, and it doesn't have matchmaking, so you'll need to find a crew of friends or run it alone. There's another caveat, though: If your team wipes on the Strike, you'll be kicked to orbit and have to try it all over again.
Luckily, it sounds harder than it is. We completed the Strike solo at a Power level of 640, so it's possible to take it on alone and perfectly doable with a completed team. Just take your time and be careful, and bring along your best gear.
One More Forge Mission
Finally, it's back to the Forge. You'll face down a 630-Power mission to clear the Forge one more time. Complete it and you'll have full access to the Forge just like the other two, although Izanami is a bit weirder than the others thanks to its three-island layout. It ends with a Vex Hydra as its boss, and completing it this week can net you a Black Armory bow and pulse rifle. According to reports from players, there's also a chance Le Monarque, The Black Armory's Exotic bow, will drop from completing the Forge as well.
It's not just Xbox One consoles that are on sale right now. Amazon has launched a very good deal on the Xbox Game Pass membership. Right now you can get three months for $20 USD (normally $30 USD) or 12 months for $70 USD (normally $120). Go to Amazon's Xbox Game Pass product page here to learn more and place an order.
And if you haven't signed up for Xbox Game Pass yet, you can get your first month for only $1 as part of a special introductory offer.
All first-party Xbox games launch into Xbox Game Pass, which means subscribers will get Gears 5, Halo Infinite, and all other exclusives in the time to come at no extra cost.
There are currently more than 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games in the Xbox Game Pass library. The service has been referred to by some as the "Netflix of games," but Xbox Game Pass titles are downloaded, not streamed. Microsoft is working on a game-streaming service of its own, but right now it's not incorporated into Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass is currently only available on Xbox One, but Microsoft is bringing it to PC in the future. On a longer timeline, the company wants to have Xbox Game Pass on "every device."
While Bethesda hasn't made any announcements about how well the controversial multiplayer-focused Fallout 76 did commercially, a report from the NPD Group contains some clues.
The NPD Group's report for US game sales in November show that Fallout 76 was the fourth best-selling game of November, only behind Battlefield V, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and Red Dead Redemption 2. While the NPD Group's reports now contain digital sales numbers, this only applies to some publishers. Bethesda doesn't share digital game sales, so Fallout 76 ranking fourth with only physical sales accounted for is a more impressive achievement.
Fallout 76's physical sales in the US in November amounted to the third highest launch-month sales in the history of the Fallout series, only behind Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas.
Critics generally did not enjoy Fallout 76, and GameSpot's review scored it a 4/10. While Bethesda hasn't announced any specific sales numbers for Fallout 76, the company said last month that "millions" of people have played the game.
While Fallout 76 might have had a good start sales-wise in November, it did not crack the top 10 list for best-selling games of 2018 so far. Grand Theft Auto V, a game originally released in 2013, has sold better than Fallout 76 this year.
Some of the other game sales highlights for November in the US include:
Red Dead Redemption 2 sales after just two months exceed the lifetime sales of Red Dead Redemption 1 by almost 40 percent.
Black Ops 4 continues to be the best-selling game of 2018. It is also the second fastest-selling game on PS4 and Xbox One ever, only behind Call of Duty: WWII.
Launch-month sales for Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee were the second-highest in Pokemon history, only behind 2000 Pokemon Stadium.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy's launch-month dollar sales were more than 30 percent higher than the launch-month sales of all other Spyro games ever combined, except Skylanders.
Hitman 2 didn't make it into the Top 20 list of best-sellers.
Total software sales for the US in November amounted to $1 billion, which is down 15 percent compared to last year. NPD said Black Ops 4's shift from November to October this year is to blame for the downturn.
On the hardware side, the Nintendo Switch was the top platform during November based on dollar sales, while the PS4 continues to be the leader year-to-date in terms of hardware dollar sales. Another notable takeaway is that, for the first time ever, three console systems sold more than 1 million units each in a November month; the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One each sold more than 1.3 million units during the month. In November 2010, the DS, Wii, and Xbox 360 each sold more than 1 million units, but the DS is apparently not counted as a console platform.
Total hardware sales in the US for November 2018 came to $1.18 billion, which is up 3 percent. Looking at games, hardware, and accessories combined, total US spending on games in November reached $2.7 billion.
Life Is Strange 2's second episode, "Rules," will launch on January 24, Square Enix and developer Dontnod Entertainment have announced. Episode 1, "Roads," was released at the end of September, so the wait will be around four months between episodes if the follow-up stays on schedule.
In addition to announcing Episode 2's release date, Square Enix released a live-action trailer featuring Gonzalo Martin, who voices one of the main characters, Sean Diaz. The trailer references a pivotal, emotional scene from the first episode, so be aware of that if you're worried about spoilers. You can watch the trailer in the embed above.
Additionally, Square Enix has released a plot synopsis for Episode 2, and it confirms that Captain Spirit from the free spinoff is in the game. You can find the full plot synopsis at the bottom of the page.
Square Enix's Jon Brooke said in a statement that Episode 2 will be a turning point for the five-episode series. "Previous seasons have both had a point that was just, 'that moment', that captivated fans from all over the world, and we feel like this will be the one for Life isStrange 2."
GameSpot's Life Is Strange 2: Episode 1 review scored the game a 9/10. "Life Is Strange 2: Episode 1 is a triumphant first chapter, featuring a narrative that fearlessly reflects the lives of two Latino brothers living in our politically-charged climate," reviewer Jess McDonell said.
Life Is Strange 2: Episode 2 "Roads" Plot Synopsis:
"Sean and Daniel's story continues in Episode 2. On the run from the police following a tragic incident in Seattle and the manifestation of a strange supernatural power, Sean and Daniel Diaz continue their journey into the winter months. As the two brothers struggle against the cold, Daniel gets increasingly ill. Sean decides that they must take the risk and make their way to their distant grandparent's house to recover and seek shelter.
There, they encounter next-door neighbour Chris Eriksen, a young boy who believes he has powers eerily similar to Daniel's, and they come face to face with his superhero alter ego, Captain Spirit. As Daniel and Chris are becoming fast friends, it's up to Sean to make sure Daniel follows a set of rules they agreed on for his power: Never in public. Never talk about it. Run from danger.
Can Daniel successfully hide the truth from the people around them, will the temptation to explore the immense power within him be too much, or will he break the rules in a time of need?"
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's first big content update, Operation Absolute Zero, has arrived on other platforms. Following its release on PS4 last week, the big update is now available on Xbox One and PC, bringing a new playable character, Blackout area, and more to the online shooter.
Among the additions to the game is the new Specialist, Zero--a hacker who can use her skills to "disrupt and distract enemies." Players can unlock her by completing tier 1 of the newly revamped Black Market, which now features 100 "clearly defined" tiers to streamline progression. Treyarch has also added a new batch of weapons and "more diverse content" to unlock in the Black Market, including Reactive Camos, Epic Outfits, Reticles, and Mastercrafts.
On top of the new Specialist, Operation Absolute Zero introduces a new area to Blackout mode: Hijacked, which is inspired by the fan-favorite Black Ops II map of the same name. It can be found in the northwest quadrant of the map. Additionally, a new armored vehicle--the ARAV--has been added to the battle royale mode as well.
Players who've purchased the Battle Pass on Xbox One or PC can access additional content, including two new multiplayer maps: Elevation and Madagascar. Reaper from Black Ops 3 has also been added to Blackout mode for Battle Pass holders, as has a new Zombies chapter: Dead of the Night, which features a cast of big-name celebrities including Kiefer Sutherland and Helena Bonham Carter.
Along with Operation Absolute Zero, Treyarch has rolled out some changes to all version of Black Ops 4. Among them, the developer has made some balance tweaks to the aforementioned new Specialist, Zero. Treyarch has also updated the featured playlist in multiplayer and introduced Custom games for Blackout mode, which let players start a private match and "explore the map at their own pace." You can find the full patch notes on Reddit.
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced that Bonnie Ross, a 24-year Microsoft veteran perhaps best known for her work on Halo, will be inducted into the group's Hall of Fame. She joins an esteemed group of game developers, including 2017's recipient, Bethesda's Todd Howard, along with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Metal Gear designer Hideo Kojima, and Valve founder Gabe Newell, among others. Ross will be the first woman in the AIAS Hall of Fame.
"It is thanks to Bonnie's vision and drive for combining art and technology that has allowed the Halo universe to flourish within so many different mediums and platforms," AIAS president Meggan Scavio said in a statement. "That along with her deep passion to expand diversity in gaming and encourage STEM education amongst women as well as all young people is truly inspirational. Her positive legacy and leadership have helped advance interactive entertainment and will impact game makers and aspiring game makers for generations to come."
Xbox boss Phil Spencer will present Ross with the Hall of Fame award at the 22nd DICE Awards ceremony on February 13, 2019 in Las Vegas.
In his own statement, Spencer said it's been a privilege to work with Ross for more than 20 years. "I have continually been impressed not only by her passion for merging art and storytelling, but also her equal passion for creating teams and technical breakthroughs; solid foundations that will set the direction of Halo and Xbox for years to come," he said.
Ross joined Microsoft in 1994 and some of her first work in games was on Microsoft's sports games for PC, beginning with NBA Full Court Press. She rose through the ranks and later held roles such as producer, lead producer, and executive producer, before becoming a general manager for Xbox where she oversaw pretty much everything from Microsoft Studios.
In 2007, her work on Halo expanded when Halo creator Bungie and Microsoft split off. Ross founded Microsoft's new internal Halo team, 343 Industries, and today she holds the title of Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Head of 343 Industries.
Outside of the Halo series, Ross co-founded Microsoft's Women in Gaming program that aims to help women get into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.
Halo franchise manager Frank O'Connor wrote a nice blog post about Ross, and in it he talks about what makes Ross such a great person and professional colleague.
"To see Bonnie recognized for her career and her passion is gratifying, but even more so knowing that the recognition itself will inspire future creators, engineers and world-builder and continue the work and the mission she started on her first day at Microsoft," he said. "On Legendary difficulty, obviously."
The next Halo game, Halo Infinite, is currently in development for Xbox One and PC.
A new Legendary Pokemon has arrived in Pokemon Go. Heatran, another rare monster originally from the series' fourth-generation titles, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, has begun appearing in Raid Battles around the world following Cresselia's departure, and it'll remain as a Raid boss until January 15.
As usual, in order to catch Heatran, you'll first need to visit a Gym where a Heatran Raid is taking place, then team up with other players to battle the Legendary Pokemon. Once Heatran has been defeated, you'll be rewarded with a handful of Premiere Balls along with an opportunity to capture the Legendary.
Heatran is unique in that it is the only Fire- and Steel-type Pokemon in the entire series. This type combination gives it a resistance to Dragon and Psychic attacks, but it also makes the Pokemon very susceptible to Ground-types like Rhyperior and Groudon. Water and Fighting Pokemon such as Kyogre, Swampert, and Machamp will also be effective against the Legendary.
In addition to Heatran, a handful of new Gen 4 Pokemon have also begun appearing in Go. In addition to the previously teased Snover and Munchlax, Pokemon fansite Serebii is reporting that Skorupi, Bronzor, and a handful of other Sinnoh Pokemon have been added to the game.
Heatran's arrival also coincides with the start of Pokemon Go's third annual holiday event. From now until January 2, Ice-type Pokemon will spawn more frequently in the wild, and players will have another chance to catch Delibird and Santa hat Pikachu. Niantic is also offering different bonuses every few days throughout the event; from now until December 22, for instance, players will receive twice the usual amount of Stardust for catching Pokemon.
Story has never been the strong suit of the Destiny games, but things have gotten pretty interesting with Forsaken, Destiny 2's big expansion for its second year. Rather than drop everything in one big story campaign players ran through, Bungie has slowly been dropping new story tidbits with each week. Many of these specifically relate to the Dreaming City, Forsaken's big endgame area and the home of the race known as the Awoken, and the Curse, a strange phenomenon that's keeping the place in a three-week time loop.
This week saw a new cutscene that suggests a very big twist for the story--one that likely has serious implications for Destiny 2's story going forward. The trouble is, it's in a weird place and is easy to miss. Here's where to find the new story cutscene in the Dreaming City, and what it all means. You can also watch it above.
Warning: Spoilers beyond this point!
The cutscene is located in Awoken Queen Mara Sov's court, which you can only access by completing Petra's weekly bounty for the Blind Well. As usual, you'll take the offering you receive from the bounty to the Observatory, where you can make contact with Mara Sov. Since this is the third week of the cycle, when the curse is strongest, you'll be able to jump through the Oracle Engine's portal and visit Mara's court, where usually, you can talk to her in person.
This week, however, Mara's missing. Things have changed slightly here as well--on the left side of the court, where a purple hologram sits. This week, it shows a gazebo like those that are found around the Dreaming City, and maybe more notably, in the Ascendant Realm. If you approach the hologram, you'll be prompted to "lean closer," which triggers a cutscene.
In the video, we see a lone Ghost floating through the Dreaming City, before it happens across a body covered in a white sheet. A second later, the Ghost revives the body, revealing it to be Prince Uldren, Mara Sov's brother. The scene mimics the first thing we ever saw in Destiny, when Ghost first discovered and revived the player character. It seems Uldren is going to be a Guardian, just like the rest of us.
Uldren's resurrection is a pretty loaded twist for the story of Forsaken. The expansion began with Uldren murdering Cayde-6, one of the game's major characters, and the first half of the expansion was all about hunting Uldren down and getting revenge. Players were aided by Petra Venj, the queen's regent, in stopping and killing Uldren. But it turned out that Uldren was being manipulated by the Taken and maybe wasn't fully in control of himself. In fact, the Taken used Uldren to open the way to the Dreaming City and start the Curse to begin with.
So Uldren coming back could be big for dealing with the Curse, and Mara's absence from the throne room suggests she might have had something to do with it. Each visit to Mara has suggested she's working on a plan to stop the Taken and the Curse, but she's not really willing to explain it to anyone yet. Her brother coming back to life seems pretty significant, though.
A big lingering question is how this is going to affect the characters of Destiny 2. It sure looked like Petra was the one who pulled the trigger on Uldren, and Mara has always seemed a little weird about her brother's possession and death. We also know that Guardians don't remember their past lives, so will Uldren be a completely different person now? Will he still be the bitter jerk we knew briefly in Destiny 1 and in Forsaken? Will he remember how he wound up where he is in the first place?
Apparently, we'll need to keep waiting to see what changes Uldren's resurrection will have on Destiny 2's week-to-week story. Between live content like The Dawning, Destiny 2's holiday event, and the new Forge activities of The Black Armory, there's plenty going on in Bungie's shared-world shooter. Hopefully the story Bungie is telling lives up to the effort players are putting into discovering it.
Everyone with a gaming PC and an appreciation for 4X and real-time strategy games should head to Steam now. That's because you can download Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion for free, with no strings attached, between now and December 19. It's a great deal, considering the game normally sells for $40. Get your copy here.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is a standalone expansion that originally launched in 2012. In it, you control a growing number of galactic civilizations. Your job is to assemble battle fleets and sail through space, colonizing planets and asteroids, collecting resources, and either making nice or going to war with alien species.
In GameSpot's 8.5/10 Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion review, Brett Todd wrote, "Rebellion puts a nice capper on the Sins of a Solar Empire franchise. While this is an excellent game, with loads of new options and an incredible amount of tactical depth, it does show the age of the series. It's hard to imagine the Sins games progressing without a more serious overhaul to move the next release into full-blown sequel territory. Until that game launches, however, you can get your space-empire fix from this outstanding stand-alone expansion, which contains enough ways to conquer a galaxy to tide you over for a very long time."
The reason for the giveaway is the release of the DLC expansion Minor Factions, which adds 15 (you guessed it) minor factions to the game, each of which has unique abilities and advantages. With these enabled, publisher Stardock Entertainment says, the "game will place a number of minor factions onto the map to expand your strategic and tactical options."
If it sounds like something worth trying, make sure you grab the game before it goes back to full price on December 19.
Recently, Tencent Games, developers of battle royale game, Ring of Elysium have released teaser trailers for an upcoming new game mode. The new mode titled From Dusk Till Dawn is aimed to kick up the "arctic survival" aspect of Ring of Elysium with the addition of the body temperature system, which will task players with keeping up their body temperature throughout the match. From Dusk Till Dawn will have players battling it out in the dead of night.
In a standard Ring of Elysium match, up to four players are counted as being winners if they succeed in making it to the rescue helicopter. In the upcoming From Dusk Till Dawn mode, the rescue helicopter has left and won't be back until morning, leaving players to survive a night during Dione's worst season and harshest weather conditions. In order to survive, players will have to fight it out for valuable resources such as food, heat and of course, weapons.
Much like a standard match, From Dusk Till Dawn will also have multiple winners, however, this time, any players that survive the night cycle and make it until morning will be counted as winners in the match. This means that players queuing up in a group will be able to share the glory and may want to pool their resources rather than keeping them all to themselves in order to achieve survival. Each day, the new game mode will be available to players for a limited time.
From Dusk Till Dawn will be hitting Ring of Elysium on December 22nd, here's a peek at what players can expect to contend with if they intend on taking on a night on Dione.
Variety of Weather
Ring of Elysium already includes a dynamic weather system that shifts throughout each match, which includes things like avalanches and extreme freezing conditions causing players to be inflicted with hypothermia or worse—completely wiped out by an oncoming avalanche! Weather will play an even bigger part in From Dusk Till Dawn, as players face a full cycle of varying thermal conditions. Throughout a Dusk Till Dawn match, players will have to contend with light snow, heavy snow and extreme cold. The latter two, especially extreme cold, will affect players the most doing high amounts of damage to their body temperature as well as HP.
Body Temperature System
The new body temperature system will function separately but alongside a player's HP. While standard items to regain HP such as bandages and medical cases will still remain, players will have to keep up their body temperature if they want to survive the match without freezing or bleeding out. The lower a player's body temperature the faster the blood loss.
In order to stave off the cold, players can create a bonfire which they'll be able to do only once per match. Fuel such as additional firewood can be added to really get the fire roaring, but as Dione is a veritable frozen tundra you can guess it'll be a pretty limited (and valuable) resource. Using fuel also extends the life of the fire making it last longer and also has the benefit of cooking food at a faster rate.
Food plays an important role in Dusk Till Dawn as players will need it to keep up their body temperature and recover health. New food items are being added such as energy bars which will provide small, temporary amounts of body temperature but the most valuable and useful items will be cooked food. Eating cooked meats will give players the biggest boost in body temp and functions similar to a large health potion. So, expect to do some cooking if you want to see the sunrise, especially during heavy snow and extreme cold weather cycles.
Resource Locations
In order to help players plan out how they want to survive in the match, all resource locations will be shown on the map. What's more is that the location of players will be revealed during certain times throughout the match, which creates the opportunity for some strategic gameplay. Camping resource locations with a group and keeping an eye out on the map for a reveal of the competition may be a good way to gain some additional supplies while taking out the competition.
Winning Criteria
Each match of From Dusk Till Dawn will last for a set amount of time. As previously mentioned getting through the match without freezing to death or bleeding out will lead to victory and anyone who manages to do so will get to see a new sunrise animation and be able to claim victory over the night of Dione and any players you took out along the way.
Whether you plan to team up and pool resources or go it alone, From Dusk Till Dawn will definitely create some new challenges and really bring the feel of "arctic survival". Looking forward to From Dusk Till Dawn? You'll be able to take on a frozen night on Dione beginning December 22nd. If you haven't picked up Ring of Elysium yet, it's available on Steam and is free to play.
Fortnite's 7.10 update is now available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. While it doesn't include the previously teased Driftboard vehicle, it does make an assortment of weapon and balance tweaks. The highlight of this week's update, however, is 14 Days of Fortnite, a limited-time seasonal event that features new and returning LTMs, challenges, and more.
14 Days of Fortnite kicks off on December 19. As its name suggests, the event will run for two weeks, during which time players will be able to participate in new and returning limited-time modes. Epic says that "large team modes" will rotate every 48 hours, while "small team modes" will change every 24.
In addition to the LTMs, Epic will offer a new challenge to complete and a new free reward every day during the 14 Days of Fortnite event. Players will also be able to find seasonal items around the map, including a Snowball Launcher and a holiday-lit Legendary Bush. Finally, Epic will offer new and returning holiday outfits for purchase every day from the in-game item shop.
On top of the 14 Days of Fortnite event, the 7.10 update made tweaks and adjustments to various weapons, most notably the Heavy Assault Rifle, which is now less accurate and generally more difficult to use when not aiming down sights. Additionally, Epic has tweaked balloon controls, as well as the glider redeploy mechanic in the modes in which it's still available. You can find the full patch notes on Epic's website.
Epic also intended to release the Driftboard--a new snowboard-like vehicle--as part of this week's Fortnite update. However, just prior to the patch, the developer announced that it will be delaying the Driftboard in order to further fine-tune and polish the vehicle before setting it live in the game.
Die-hard Destiny 2 players who log in this week to chase down the new Izanami Forge will have something nice waiting for them: a batch of in-game items called the Veteran of the Hunt bundle. It's Bungie's way of saying thank you to early adopters of the Forsaken expansion, something the developer announced back in October.
The Veteran of the Hunt bundle is free to everyone who played Forsaken between its launch on September 4 and October 16. The bundle includes two Exotic emotes--one which mimics Petra Venj's knife-throwing animation, and another in which you do the Drifter's coin-flip move. It also has an unique Veteran of the Hunt emblem (which has changed since Bungie first announced it), and a handful of consumables, including Fireteam Medallions, Finest Matterweaves (which cause Enhancement Cores to drop from bosses), and Crucible and Vanguard Boons.
Bungie announced back in October that it was grouping Forsaken with Destiny 2's two previous expansions, Curse of Osiris and Warmind. Some players struggled after returning to Destiny 2 for Forsaken, but having skipped the previous two smaller DLC offerings. That meant those players weren't able to play the new content they'd paid for, since Forsaken requires the previous two installments as well.
As Bungie mentioned in its blog post, the Veteran of the Hunt bundle was a thank you to players who'd picked up Forsaken in that first month before Bungie made the change to how it sold its expansions. It took two months, but that thank you is finally here. If you're eligible for the Veteran bundle, logging into Destiny 2 will give you a notification that Zavala has a gift for you.
The most recent weekly reset brings the third new Forge activity, which is part of Destiny 2's latest expansion, The Black Armory. It also marks the second week of The Dawning, Destiny's holiday event, which this year requires baking cookies and giving them as gifts to the game's various characters. Check out our guide to cooking all the cookies and unlocking Dawning Cheer, a unique holiday-themed sparrow.
Sony's enormous holiday sale continues this week on the PlayStation Store. But apparently not content with the 1,200+ games, expansions, and in-game items that were already on sale, over 100 more have been added--and many of them are major titles available at big discounts. So check out the new additions below, then take a look at the best games for $5 or less and a selection of discounted games chosen by our editors and producers.
For years, there has been a debate online as to whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie. It is, and everyone who disagrees is wrong. End of discussion. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, 20th Century Fox is releasing a holiday-themed edition of the movie for the holiday season, and the studio recut the trailer to prove, once and for all, Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
John McClaine was just a simple man who wanted to spend some time with his family at Christmas, but he gets stuck at his wife's Christmas party after Hans Gruber and all his big bully friends hold everyone at the party captive. Now, John has to find a way home and stop Hans. You can check out the new trailer for the movie above.
Aside from the 30th anniversary edition of the film, which is available on Blu-ray and comes with four exclusive holiday cards, all five movies in the Die Hard franchise are available digitally on Google Play, Vudu, iTunes, and Movies Anywhere in Blu-ray.
As of this writing, the HD collection costs $25 on most of the services. iTunes is selling the 4K version of Die Hard for $10, but Google currently has it for $8. However, Google Play doesn't seem to have the special features that are offered with all the other services, but if you use Movies Anywhere and connect all your accounts, you should be able to access them, regardless of where you originally bought it.
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