Like its predecessors, Exodus is a single-player first-person shooter set in Russia during a post-apocalyptic future that's been ravaged by both nuclear fallout and mutant monsters. Those that survived did so by hiding in the country's metro stations. Unlike the last two games, Exodus mostly ditches the cramped, underground setting for one on Russia's surface. The game isn't completely open world, though. Instead, it's a series of connected open spaces. Survival still proves challenging in Exodus, as you'll encounter mutants and antagonistic survivors, and need to scavenge for materials to keep your weapons and equipment working.
In our Metro Exodus review, Michael Higham gave the game an 8/10, writing, "At first glance, Metro Exodus gives you that wide-open, free, and dangerous world unbound by tunnels, though the scope of its tale focuses on what drives you personally and the lengths you're willing to go to protect what matters most. The open sandboxes may not be strongest addition, but the game still embraces the sense of vulnerability and post-apocalyptic terror alongside impactful weapons used in refined combat and stealth scenarios. You may miss the mystery and intrigue of the previous games, but Exodus puts together a charismatic crew of friends and family that you'll want to follow to the ends of the earth."
If you're ready to pre-order Metro Exodus, you might be wondering which of its two editions to buy, where you can find them, and what pre-order you can expect for buying the game early. We've outlined all that information below.
Metro Exodus Pre-Order Bonus
For Metro Exodus, each platform gets its own unique pre-order bonus. If you pre-order the game for PS4, you'll get a dynamic Metro Exodus theme for your console. Xbox One pre-orders come with a free code for Metro 2033 Redux. Lastly, PC pre-orders come with a digital artbook and the Metro Exodus soundtrack.
Metro Exodus Standard Edition
The standard edition just comes with the game and the applicable pre-order bonus.
In addition to the platform-specific pre-order bonus, physical copies of the Aurora Limited Edition include a steelbook case, a World of Metro artbook, and the game's expansion pass. Digital copies are priced $5 cheaper, but they only come with the expansion pass.
Set to launch February 15, Far Cry New Dawn is both a post-apocalyptic reskin of and sequel to Far Cry 5 that introduces a new story, allies, and weapons. You won't have to shell out the typical $60 USD to grab this brand-new game, though, as New Dawn has a $40 price point. The game launches on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
The canonical ending of Far Cry 5 saw nukes dropping from the sky, wiping out nearly all life in Hope County, Montana. But that wasn't the end of the story, not by a long-shot. Jumping 17 years later, Far Cry New Dawn sees the remnants of Hope County try to rebuild society, only to come into conflict with a pair of power-hungry twins and their bloodthirsty army of outlaws.
In our Far Cry New Dawn review, Edmond Tran gave the game a 6/10, writing, "There's a lot of potential in the ideas seeded in New Dawn, but there isn't enough room for many of them to breathe and feel fully realized. Not the post-apocalyptic theme, not the RPG mechanics, not the weapons, vehicles, plot, or characters. Advancing through the adventure is an enjoyable experience, especially once you get your superhuman powers, but this is largely because Far Cry 5's combat and progression models remain compelling enough to propel you forward. For its part, New Dawn is a palatable but unremarkable spin-off that feels like it could have achieved so much more."
If you're looking to lock in your pre-order for Far Cry New Dawn, you'll probably want to know what comes in the game's two different editions, where you can buy them, and how much each costs. We've compiled all that information below.
Far Cry New Dawn Pre-Order Bonus
Regardless of which edition you pre-order, doing so nets you the colorful (and deadly) Unicorn Trike vehicle.
Far Cry New Dawn Standard Edition
Pre-ordering the standard edition of Far Cry New Dawn will get you the full game, plus the pre-order bonus listed above.
The digital deluxe edition of Far Cry New Dawn comes with additional sets of in-game items, including the Knight Pack (SVD Claymore and Sidecar Motorbike), Hurk Legacy Pack (Wrath M249, Legacy Offroader, and Hurkling Outfits), M133M Shotgun, and RAT4 Rocket Launcher.
Part two of the four-part crossover event The Price, which hops back and forth Batman and The Flash's comic book series through the month of February, hit shelves this week, and it brought with it the return of a newer DC Comics character who hasn't been around for a while. Gotham Girl, Claire Clover, has made her slightly less-than-triumphant reappearance, and she's brought with her a whole slew of trouble for Barry Allen and Bruce Wayne. As if things weren't already complicated enough.
Now, there's a pretty good chance the name Gotham Girl doesn't sound familiar to you, and if that's the case, don't panic. She was first introduced only three years ago in the first arc of Batman's Rebirth reboot, which you can find in trade paperback format under the title Batman: I Am Gotham. On the surface, her story pretty typical--tragic past, murdered parents, an idolized brother who imparted a need to do good--but that's where things start to get a little complicated.
To bring you up to speed, if you haven't checked out I Am Gotham, Claire and her brother were inspired to become superheroes in much the same way Bruce Wayne was after losing their parents, only they opted for a much quicker and deadly method, submitting themselves to experiments that gave them metahuman powers that slowly chip away at their bodies and minds with use. Things, unsurprisingly, did not end well--Claire was ultimately the only survivor of their encounter with Batman, and it only got worse from there. Traumatized and manipulated by supervillains, Claire all but broke down and dropped off the map for a while. At least, until now.
So what does this have to do with Batman and Flash now? It all plays into the bigger picture The Price is exploring, according to writer Joshua Williamson who spoke with GameSpot earlier this week.
"With Claire, it's a chance to talk about how weird it is to experience tragedies secondhand," Williamson explained. "Her brother saw their parents murdered, she had to hear about it from him. He was inspired to become a hero, she just followed his lead--and since then, she's been corrupted by all these people. So sitting with her, it's interesting to start thinking about what choices she's actually made and which choices were made for her. Is being a hero even what she actually wants?"
This begins to touch upon what Williamson sees as one of the core thesis statements The Price wants to look at: where responsibility and free will really come into play in the world of superheroes and their proteges. "Claire is a character who keeps being used," Williamson explained--and not always by people who intend to hurt her. "When Barry looks at her, sees how lost she's feeling without her brother, he sees some of himself after the loss of Wally [West] [...] he thinks to himself, 'no, not again, I won't let this happen again.'" Meanwhile, when Bruce looks at her, he sees yet another person he's inspired putting themselves in the line of fire. At the end of the day, both heroes are motivated to step in and try and make Claire's choices for her in service of their own agenda--which, obviously, may not be the best or most heroic way to proceed.
These tricky questions are where The Price really finds its footing. It's hard, if not impossible, to really objectively answer big questions like "do superheroes cause the problems they fix?" or "are superheroes really doing more harm than good by inspiring others to take on their cause?" but confronting the characters themselves with these moral quandaries is easily the next best thing. And things only get more interesting when you place two of these characters who have a fundamental difference of opinion on the matter in a room with one another and force them to wrestle with an answer.
"That's really what Issue #2 is about for me," Williamson said. "It's about two people who are trying to put everything aside and work together, but aren't sure if they can." Claire may be the root of the contention at the moment, but these are struggles that reach much deeper than the present day, connecting all the way back the scaffolding that makes Bruce and Barry who they are. "Everyone knows exactly who Barry Allen is, right?" Williamson laughed, "He's on this pedestal. He's the hero who sacrifices himself. But everyone has a different idea of who Batman is, sometimes totally the opposite idea. [...] I wanted to challenge that idea about Barry [...] show him stumbling and falling before he gets back up."
The Price continues next week in Batman #65. Parts 1 and 2 are available on shelves now in Batman #64 and The Flash #64.
The second of NetherRealm's Kombat Kast broadcasts dedicated to Mortal Kombat 11 is scheduled to take place today, February 14. It begins this afternoon, and you can watch the live stream here through the embed below.
The Kombat Kast starts at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM GMT (8 AM AET on February 15). NetherRealm hasn't shared exactly what to expect, but the first of these streams brought word on a new character--Kabal--along with a full breakdown of him, so that might again be the case with another fighter.
Shortly after that Kombat Kast, an Inside Xbox stream delivered the reveal of another returning character, D'Vorah. She was not showcased in great detail, nor has another character, Kano; further information on those two is also possible during the stream. You can see everyone who has been confirmed so far in our roundup of the Mortal Kombat 11 character roster. So far, it's light on new fighters, with Geras being the lone original character to be confirmed at this point.
Whatever the case, we do know Mortal Kombat 11 releases for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on April 23 (though the Switch version comes to Europe on May 10). It features new ways to customize your characters and some new fighting mechanics. It's also as brutal as ever; with the gameplay and fatalities we've seen so far, NetherRealm is not holding back on the violence at all.
A live-action Anthem story short from Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9, Chappie, and Elysium, has been released. Titled 'Conviction,' the three-minute video is set in the world of BioWare's upcoming action game, but decades before the game's own story. It is narrated by a female character, who recounts the history of humanity, its enslavement, fight for freedom, and efforts to rebuild as it struggles for survival.
Freelancers--the Javelin-wearing characters that players take control of in the game--are shown to have discovered a mysterious woman in the jungles. However, her discovery ignites a new conflict, with lines being crossed, betrayals, and explosive battles. "The Anthem swims through your mind, it knows you, it knows us all," she says.
While the details of the story are vague, perhaps purposefully so, the short does a good job of depicting the world of Anthem and teasing some of the sci-fi intrigue that BioWare will no doubt further explore in the game's narrative. Check it out above.
Blomkamp's ability to realize sci-fi worlds and tell stories within them is on show in the short, even if it is a bit brief. The director has some history with video games, having previously been attached to a Halo movie adaptation. The Javelins look especially cool, which is making us pine for the Halo movie he may have once created.
Anthem, meanwhile, is set to launch on February 22. However, those with an EA or Origin Access membership will be able to play from February 15. Ahead of its release, BioWare shared an update roadmap and endgame details to give players an idea of what they'll be able to experience beyond the main campaign.
EA is expecting BioWare's newest game to sell as many as 6 million copies by March, and CFO Blake Jorgensen said the company is confident that the game will reach these numbers based on the popularity of the game's VIP and open demos. However, it will also face heavy competition from Fortnite, which is as popular as ever, Apex Legends, another EA title which launched for free and has already reached 10 million unique users, and Ubisoft's The Division 2, which delivers a similar games as a service experience.
Hollow Knight developer Team Cherry has announced a full sequel that's planned for release on Nintendo Switch and PC. Hollow Knight: Silksong was originally DLC for the first game funded through a Kickstarter stretch goal. It would allow players to take control of supporting character Hornet. However, instead of building off the original Hollow Knight to offer a sub-chapter or a character swapping mechanic, Team Cherry has opted to take the character to a new location in her own game.
"As we kept going and kicking around ideas, the idea of having Hornet going on an adventure in a whole new kingdom was an interesting idea to us," co-director William Pellen said in a candid developer diary. "The other part is we have no idea how to make DLC... It seems like a weirdly complicated thing," added Ari Gibson.
According to the co-directors, Silksong is a "huge game" and it's still growing. Further information about the sequel's inception can be found on the developer's official website: "Almost from the very start, Hornet's adventure was intended to take place in a new land, but as we dove in, it quickly became too large and too unique to stay a DLC, as initially planned. We do know that makes the wait a little longer, but we think the final, fresh world you'll get to explore is worth it.
Those that backed the Hollow Knight Kickstarter will be be given a copy of Hollow Knight: Silk Song at no additional cost. "Any backer of the game from the $10AUD and above tiers can choose to receive their copy of Hollow Knight: Silksong free on either PC or Nintendo Switch, at launch," Team Cherry said. "We'll shoot out a simple survey as we get closer to release to find out which version you'd like to receive.
"Higher tier backers who received multiple copies of Hollow Knight will also receive multiple copies of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the same rules apply as for Hollow Knight. You can elect for your primary copy on either Nintendo Switch or PC, with all additional copies as PC versions."
Although Hollow Knight: Silksong has only been announced for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Nintendo Switch, Team Cherry has said "more platforms may happen." The developer noted, however, that it is still made up of just three people. It has also broken down what players can expect from Silksong in a handy list that you can see below.
Discover a whole new kingdom: Explore coral forests, mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
Engage in lethal acrobatic action: Wield a whole new suite of nimble moves as you dance between foes in deadly, beautiful combat.
Craft powerful tools: Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps and mechanisms to confound your enemies and explore new heights.
Solve shocking quests: Hunt down rare beasts, unearth ancient mysteries and search for lost treasures to fulfil the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom's hope. Prepare for the unexpected!
Face over 150 all-new foes: Beasts and hunters, assassins and kings, monsters and knights – defeat them all with bravery and skill!
Experience a stunning orchestral score: Hollow Knight's award-winning composer, Christopher Larkin, returns to bring melancholy melodies, symphonic strings and heart-thumping, soul strumming boss themes to the adventure.
Challenge Silk Soul mode: Once you conquer the game, test your skills in an all-new mode that spins the game into a unique, challenging experience.
In GameSpot's Hollow Knight review, Alessandro Barbosa awarded the game a 9/10. "Hollow Knight feels exceptional because so many of its smaller, expertly designed parts fit so well together over an extraordinarily long adventure that could easily have fallen prey to poor pacing.
"But its expansive enemy roster and routinely surprising areas and platforming challenges ensure that your journey through this fallen bug kingdom is one you're unlikely to forget. Hollow Knight offers a surprisingly large and harrowing adventure, and it's a treat that every bit of it is just as divine as that last."
Fortnite developer Epic Games is getting into the Valentine's Day spirit with the release of a new patch and event called "#ShareTheLove Valentine's Surprise." As part of this, it is launching a series of challenges which, if completed, will unlock a free Battle Pass for Season 8 of the game. This move perhaps not so coincidentally comes shortly after the launch of Respawn's Apex Legends, which has gotten off to a hugely successful start, racking up more than 25 million players already.
"Everyone who completes 13 free Overtime Challenges by February 27 will receive the upcoming Season 8 Battle Pass for free," Epic explains on the Fortnite website. "If you don't have an outfit, now is your chance to get several for free. With the Battle Pass, you'll receive two Season 8 Outfits instantly and you can earn up to five more. Save your V-Bucks, this one's on us."
This is quite a big deal, as the Fortnite Battle Pass enables players to unlock a huge variety of cosmetics that can be used to customize their character. Additionally, it grants owners access to an exclusive set of weekly challenges, which are crucial to levelling up the Battle Pass and getting those cosmetics quicker.
The first set of Overtime Challenges that can be be completed to work towards that free Fortnite Season 8 Battle Pass are now available in the game, and will require players to spend some time in the Creative mode, hunt for chests or ammo boxes, and play with a friend in duos. Learn more about them and see the full list of Overtime Challenges here.
Season 7's challenges may be over, but there's still time to get any uncompleted ones you have done before Season 8 launches. If you need a helping hand, take a look at our complete Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup, which compiles all the tips and guides we've written for Season 7's trickier challenges.
Fortnite's weekly challenges for Season 7 are over and the game is now preparing to make the transition to Season 8. However, that doesn't mean there are no challenges to undertake at all--quite the opposite in fact. Developer Epic is keeping the train rolling with the Overtime Challenges, which begin today, February 14, and unlock every three days up until February 23. In an unexpected twist, however, completing these challenges not only nets you experience and the odd cosmetic unlock, but also a free Season 8 Battle Pass.
To get the new Battle Pass at no cost you just need to complete 13 of the Overtime Challenges, the first set of which are available now. The initial batch ask the player to collect coins in the Creative Islands, seek out ammo boxes or treasure chests, and drop onto the island as a duo and place in the top 15. As you complete the challenges, you'll also unlock skins from Fortnite Season 7 at the five, 10, and 15 challenge mark. You can see the full list of challenges below.
Fortnite Overtime Challenges
Collect Coins in Featured Creative Islands (15) -- 500 XP
Search chest or ammo boxes at a motel or an RV park (7) -- 500
Place Top 15 in Duos with a friend (3) -- Wrap
Epic has also released update 7.40 for Fornite and the full patch notes alongside it. The Valentine's Day event is one of the big new additions introduced in the update, but there's also a new weapon, and the ability to gift an item. You can read the full list of changes, tweaks, and additions in the Fortnite update 7.40 patch notes.
It is expected that Season 7 of Fortnite will end on February 28, so you've got a little more time to complete any outstanding challenges. If you need a hand, check out our comprehensive Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup, which collects all our tips and guides into one, convenient location.
Given that the Overtime Challenges will be available until February 27, we expect Season 8 will begin on February 28. Before that, however, Epic is expected to hold two double XP weekends; the first is set for February 15-17, while the second takes place February 22-24.
Following a delay, Epic Games has released update 7.40 for Fortnite. With its release, the company has released the full patch detailing exactly what's being added, tweaked, or changed. The headline features for the update are the start of the Valentine's Surprise event, which rewards those who complete 13 Overtime Challenges with a free Battle Pass for Season 8.
Another big new feature added as part of the update is Gifting which, for a limited time starting now and lasting until February 22, lets players send the Heartspan Glider to someone else for free. The Glider will be free until Friday, February 15 at 7 PM ET.
A new weapon has also been introduced: the Infantry Rifle. There are Common, Uncommon, and Rare variants of it, which deal 41, 43, and 45 damage, respectively; land a headshot, and that damage is doubled. If you want to give it a try, you'll find it as floor loot or in chests and vending machines. It uses medium ammo and doesn't experience damage falloff, making it a useful weapon at long range.
With Epic speeding up the frequency of its limited-time modes, it's introduced a new one with this patch. It's called Catch, and it removes all weapons from the game excerpt for thrown items like certain grenade types and Port-a-Forts (standard grenades have been vaulted). Also now available is Team Rumble, where two teams compete to secure 100 kills first.
Beyond all this, you'll find changes and nerfs to various items and weapons. Those are all detailed in full Fortnite: Battle Royale update 7.40 patch notes below. To see what's changing in the Creative and Save The World modes, head to Epic's website.
Click image to view in full screen
Limited Time Mode Rotations
As mentioned last week, we're continuing with rotate through LTMs at a faster pace throughout the week moving forward. The first mode is detailed below, check the in-game client on Thursdays and Saturdays to see what other modes are available!
Limited Time Mode: Catch!
Summary
In this mode, all guns have been removed. The only weapons are grenades and other items that can be thrown or tossed. Get in there and throw the enemies back to the lobby!
Available grenades/items:
Smoke Grenades
Clingers
Remote Explosives
Port-a-Forts
Impulse Grenades
Shockwave Grenades
Mode details:
Chest spawns and Floor Spawns set to 100.
Can only get consumables out of Chests, Floor Loot, and Supply Drops.
Increase Supply Drops throughout the game.
Faster circle times.
Increased drop stack counts.
Limited Time Mode: Team Rumble
Summary
Two large teams fight for the Victory Royale in an action-packed mode where the first team to get 100 eliminations wins!
Reduced likelihood of Storm ending up near the center of the map.
Overtime Challenges & Rewards
Looking to earn a free Season 8 Battle Pass? Starting with the v7.40 release, complete 13 free Overtime Challenges by February 27 to receive the upcoming Season 8 Battle Pass for FREE! Additionally, unlock 5 new rewards including the Valentine Wrap and Vines Contrail for completing these Challenges.
And for current Battle Pass owners, the Overtime Challenge rewards will include new unlockable styles for the Trog, Powder, and Onesie outfits.
Weapons + Items
Infantry Rifle
Available in Common, Uncommon and Rare variants.
Deals 41, 43, 45 damage. 2x headshot multiplier.
Can be found from Floor Loot, Chests, and Vending Machines.
Uses Medium Ammo.
Fires quick-moving projectiles without damage falloff.
Improvements to the Bush consumable.
Now absorbs one instance of weapon damage before being removed from the owner. Fall damage will not remove the Bush.
Now translucent (for the Bush wearer only!) in order to allow for better visibility of surroundings.
Hand Cannon
Epic rarity
Reduced environmental damage from 150 to 100.
Legendary rarity
Reduced environmental damage from 157 to 105.
Rocket Launcher
Shifted availability of Rocket Launchers out of Chests and into Supply Drops.
Removed Rocket Launchers from Chests.
Increased the chance of receiving a Rocket Launcher from Supply Drops from 25% to 50%.
Epic rarity
Reload speed increased from 2.66 to 3.42.
Now only available from Vending Machines
Legendary rarity
Reload speed increased from 2.52 to 3.24.
Unvaulted
Clingers
Cupid's Crossbow - Limited Time Item
Epic Rarity.
Infinite ammo.
Bodyshot Damage: 79.
Headshot Damage: 197.
Can be found in Floor Loot and Chests.
Does 1 environmental damage.
Vaulted
Grenades
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue causing projectile weapons to fire inaccurately when aiming at other players from very close range.
Fixed an issue that was causing explosive splash damage to be blocked when players didn't actually have cover.
Gameplay
Added Pop-Up Cup settings to default playlists
We're introducing a few larger changes into the default Fortnite playlist as a test. We've seen these settings in pop-up cups result in more engaging fights and allowing players to gain more consistent rewards for the risk of engagement.
Based on the positive feedback we received during these specific Pop-Up cups, we're implementing the following adjustments:
50 Health (or Shield) based on your health when the Elimination occurs.
50/50/50 materials dropped on Elimination
500/500/500 Cap on materials
Harvest rate increased by 40%
We'll be closely monitoring feedback on this change - play a couple matches and let us know what you think!
Removed the ability for the X4 Stormwing to break through structures and large objects.
Small props will still be destroyed from direct hit from an X4 Stormwing.
Changes to Ziplines
Ziplines are now interact to engage.
Ziplines grant fall damage immunity.
Ziplines now have an audio visualizer icon.
Final Circle adjustments
Increased the travel distance by 48%.
Shrink time has been increased from 45 seconds to 75 seconds.
PC, Mac, and console players can now crouch while in Edit Mode.
Gamepad players can assign this through custom gamepad controls.
Note: This functionality is coming to mobile soon.
Turbo Building
Reduced the initial timer for turbo building from 0.15 to 0.05.
Added the ability to swap the item in the currently selected slot with a new item by holding interact instead of tapping.
Added UI text to show players they're able to use swap.
Not available on touch input.
Floor traps will automatically build a floor piece for you if needed. You must have the required resources.
Logitech and Razer RGB peripherals will now react when doing emotes.
Sneaky Snowmen will be destroyed if they fall from a high distance.
Stand on the head of a Sneaky Snowman to avoid fall damage.
Removed HUD bar for the minigun overheating mechanic.
Adjusted the distance of the Bottle Rocket sound indicators so that they match the max distance of the sound effects.
Added a Bottle Rocket sound indicator for the explosion of rockets.
Bug Fixes
Aim Assist "Snap-To" Adjustments
We've added a compounding time delay to the aim assist "snap-to" feature when spamming the Aim Down Sight button. Each button press after the first will apply a time delay, up to 5 seconds, before the aim assist "snap-to" effect is applied.
We are making this change to prevent situations where players would spam the Aim Down Sight button on enemies, which caused the crosshair to stay locked on to targets indefinitely.
This change should prevent the lock-on mechanic from being abused while retaining the same Aim Assist feel. We'll be closely monitoring feedback about this change.
Fixed an issue where Bottle Rockets would not align to specific slope angles.
Cozy Campfire logs no longer block movement.
Prevent weapon auto-reload from canceling emotes.
Fixed an issue that allowed traps to trigger through lab tunnel walls in Dusty Divot.
Fixed auto pickup not occurring when landing from skydiving.
Fix issue where a player with no traps would switch to the build tool if they hit the button to equip traps.
Fixed an issue where glider items could be triggered right after teleporting with a Rift-to-Go which would block subsequent skydiving.
Fixed an issue that would block building beneath a mounted turret.
Fixed an issue where Snowmen placed on the map would appear invisible or under the map.
Events
New Tournament Series - 'Share The Love Series' (Solo & Duo)
Available from February 14 until February 24.
Players will compete across any of four division tournaments:
Open Division
Prospect Division
Contender Division
Champion Division
Earning enough points during any nightly session to receive a pin will unlock the next highest division.
Earning a pin during a Champion Division session will advance to Round 2 - the Champion Division Finals!
'Share the Love Series' Sprays will be granted based on the highest division achieved, including the Champion Division Finals.
All divisions run simultaneously and share the same tournament schedule. The full schedule for your server region can be viewed from the Events tab.
New Tournament - 'Trios One Day Cup'
Available on February 17
Grab a couple of your best friends and join in for the Trios One Day Cup, going from a fully Open tournament to an intense final round with the best Trios in a single day.
The tournament takes place across three rounds - earn a pin during each round to advance.
The full schedule for your server region can be viewed within the Events tab.
Tournaments can now take place across multiple rounds, with players needing to earn a pin in order to unlock the next round of the tournament.
Multiple tournaments are now able to be running at the same time.
Reduced the maximum matchmaking time for tournaments from 5 minutes to 4 minutes.
This value limits the amount of time a player can wait for a match in a tournament before they create the best match possible at that time.
Increased the minimum amount of players for tournament matches from 80 to 90.
Streamer Mode can now be used during tournament play.
In-game leaderboards are now fully available in all regions, for each tournament session. These can be accessed inside of the tournament page by clicking on any tournament session.
Audio
Add audio when squadmates ready up in the lobby.
The following audio improvements have been made for Mobile/Switch platforms:
Improve skydiving wind audio.
Add more variation to gunshot environment impacts.
Bug Fixes
Fixed the Air Horn emote only having 1 variation on Mobile/Switch.
UI
Stats v2
The ability to track all of your play in one place and view it across all platforms.
This includes the ability for mobile and Switch players to view their stats in-game.
Breaks up stats by each individual Limited Time Mode.
Players now receive a pop-up prompt informing them if a player they recently reported has had action taken against their account.
When eliminated by the Storm, instead of saying "You Eliminated Yourself", the text now says "Eliminated by the Storm"
Improved look and implementation of Bad Network Indicator and updated Bad Connection Indicator UI to track bad vs severe ping.
Yellow indicates poor status, red indicates severe status, flashing red indicates dropped signal
Slash commands have been improved and re-enabled in chat windows.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where you could switch between different tabs in the background if you were in the Player Feedback menu.
Fixed missing Remove Marker map icon on Mac.
Fixed Battle Pass info not displaying properly in the lobby in certain cases.
Fixed an issue where elimination counts and names for teammates were not calculated properly in large team modes.
Replay
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue causing weapon animations to sometimes play twice for each shot fired in replays.
Social
Gifting returns for a Limited Time
The Gifting feature is back for a limited time! You'll be able to send or receive presents from friends until February 22.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that would result in incorrect or duplicate party suggestion text bubbles to appear in the lobby.
Mobile
Adding an optional Targeted Edit button to allow you to edit without having to touch the screen. This allows the player to edit using their crosshairs, similar to other platforms.
The Targeted Edit button can be found in the extra buttons section under the HUD Layout Tool.
Edit and Edit Reset Buttons will now capture touches.
No more editing through the edit button.
Adding visual feedback to many mobile buttons to allow for better instant feedback and help us better diagnose issues seen in the community.
Now backing up the most recently saved hud layout to the player's cloud save.
Bug Fixes
Fixing an issue with the input blocked message appearing on mobile when leaving a game.
Fixed an issue causing some key-bind widgets to display incorrectly on mobile with controllers.
Quick switching from a weapon to a consumable no longer briefly fires the equipped weapon.
Fixed multiple issues with Turbo Building or weapon firing stopping when switching weapons or switching between Build, Edit, Combat mode.
Fixed an issue with touch input causing controllers to stop responding when scrolling.
Fixed multiple issues to support more controller hardware as well as fixed many issues related to parts of the UI that may not be properly navigable by controllers.
Season 7 of Fortnite ends on February 28, so players only have a little more time to complete any remaining challenges. We have all the tips and guides you need for the trickier ones in our complete Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup. Epic is also expected to hold two double XP weekends before the season ends to give players another opportunity to level their Battle Pass up; the first is set for February 15-17, while the second takes place February 22-24. It has not yet been confirmed when Season 8 of Fortnite will begin.
A rumor popped up today that claimed Rian Johnson would no longer work on the previously announced new Star Wars trilogy. However, that's a bunch of baloney.
Johnson himself clarified on Twitter that he's still working on the new trilogy of Star Wars movies that will follow Episode 9 later this year. "No, it isn't true," he said of the rumors.
The rumour seemed to stem from the site SuperBroMovies. Responding to the origin of the rumour, Johnson said he's shooting down the rumor "with all due respect to the movie bros, who I'm sure are lovely kind bros with good fraternal intentions."
No it isn't true, I'm still working on the trilogy. With all due respect to the movie bros, who I'm sure are lovely kind bros with good fraternal intentions.
Discussing the new trilogy last year, Johnson said the films will feature "new characters, new places." He said Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy responded positively to his ideas. While Johnson will oversee the story for the three films, he may not direct all of them.
Johnson directed 2017's The Last Jedi, which was the second of three films in the new trilogy that began with 2015's The Force Awakens and wraps up with this December's Episode IX. The Last Jedi made more than $1.33 billion at the worldwide box office.
In addition to the new trilogy of Star Wars films, Johnson is writing and directing the mysterious movie Knives Out featuring Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, and Toni Collette.
The 22nd D.I.C.E. Awards took place in Las Vegas tonight, and Sony's God of War was a big winner. The PlayStation 4 exclusive took home nine total awards, including the highly coveted overall Game of the Year.
In addition to that award, God of War won Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, Adventure Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Story, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, Outstanding Achievement in Character (Kratos), and Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.
God of War wasn't the only game that won multiple awards, as Celeste picked up Action Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game. Florence won Portable Game of the Year, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate took home Fighting Game of the Year, and Monster Hunter: World picked up Role-Playing Game of the Year. Fortnite, meanwhile, won for Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay. Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 won for Outstanding Technical Achievement, but that was the only award it took home tonight.
You can see the full list of categories and winners below. The D.I.C.E. Awards are not connected to the Swedish developer DICE.
Also during the D.I.C.E. Awards, Bonnie Ross was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. The longtime Microsoft employee and head of Halo developer 343 Industries, Ross was praised for her work in growing the Halo franchise and for spearheading efforts to promote STEM and diversity in video games. She is the first woman in the AIAS Hall of Fame, and she joins other big names like Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Valve founder Gabe Newell, and Metal Gear designer Hideo Kojima, among others.
22nd DICE Award Winners
Game of the Year
God of War
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
God of War
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
God of War
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Portable Game of the Year
Florence
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Developer: Mountains
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
Celeste
Publisher: Matt Makes Games
Developer: Matt Makes Games
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
Beat Saber
Publisher: Beat Games
Developer: Beat Games
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
Tónandi
Publisher: Magic Leap
Developer: Magic Leap and Sigur Rós
Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay
Fortnite
Publisher: Epic Games
Developer: Epic Games
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Into the Breach
Publisher: Subset Games
Developer: Subset Games
Sports Game of the Year
Mario Tennis Aces
Publisher: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Developer: Nintendo Co., Ltd. and Camelot Co. Ltd.
Role-Playing Game of the Year
Monster Hunter: World
Publisher: CAPCOM
Developer: CAPCOM
Racing Game of the Year
Forza Horizon 4
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Playground Games
Fighting Game of the Year
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Publisher: Nintendo of America
Developer: Nintendo, Sora Ltd., and BANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc.
Family Game of the Year
Unravel Two
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: ColdWood Interactive
Adventure Game of the Year
God of War
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Action Game of the Year
Celeste
Publisher: Matt Makes Games
Developer: Matt Makes Games
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Red Dead Redemption 2
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar Games
Outstanding Achievement in Story
God of War
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
God of War
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
The new Apex Legends update released on Wednesday has apparently caused some issues on Xbox One. Developer Respawn announced that it discovered an "unfortunate issue" related to the Through the Heart DMR skin, which was released as part of the Valentine's Day-themed update, as well as some skins and the two unlockable Legends characters, Caustic and Mirage.
Respawn has disabled the three troubles skins--Through the Heart Valentines DMR skin, and Gibraltar's Daemon Hunter and Neural Net skins--as it investigates the issue, which only appears to be affect Xbox One and not PlayStation 4 or PC.
Separate from this, and more meaningful due to its impact on gameplay, is an unrelated problem related to the two characters who are not unlocked by default: Caustic and Mirage. Respawn says some players on Xbox One are unable to use the characters after unlocking them. There's no word on when the issue might be resolved.
Unlike the other six characters, both Caustic and Mirage have to be purchased using either in-game currency (earned by playing) or with a premium currency (purchased with real-world money). EA and Origin Access members receive a free allotment of the premium currency, but that's only enough to cover the cost of one of these two characters. Grinding the in-game currency to purchase Caustic or Mirage by playing takes a long time.
Hey all. We discovered an unfortunate issue with the Through the Heart Valentines DMR skin, Gibraltar's Daemon Hunter and Neural Net skins that are causing crashes on Xbox One. We've disabled the skins while we investigate.
We're aware of the reports of players unable to use Caustic or Mirage after unlocking on Xbox One and investigating. Will update when we have more info.
In addition to the new Valentine's Day-themed content, the Apex Legends update made improvements and changes to the UI, while it also beefed up server stability and performance. Additionally, the update fixed a number of bugs, including an exploit that allowed players to duplicate items in their inventory. No longer! You can see the full Apex Legends patch notes here.
Apex Legends is off to a great start. In just a week, the free-to-play battle royale game has picked up 25 million downloads and a peak concurrent user record of more than 2 million. The game's Fortnite-style battle pass launches in March, and it adds even more heroes and other new content.
The new Dune movie from Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve continues to add to its already incredibly star-studded cast. According to Variety, veteran actor Josh Brolin has joined the movie to play Gurney Halleck. The Thanos actor joins an already star-studded cast that includes Timothee Chalamet, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Rampling, and Stellan Skarsgard.
Halleck is a mentor to Chalamet's character. He was played by Patrick Stewart in the 1984 film.
The movie is based on the Frank Herbert 1965 novel. David Lynch directed the first Dune movie in 1984; it was not a commercial success but it gained a cult reputation. A mini-series for TV was produced in the early 2000s on the Syfy channel.
Villeneuve, who also directed Sicario and Arrival, co-wrote the script for the new Dune with Eric Roth (A Star Is Born, Forrest Gump) and Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).
No release date has been announced as of yet for the new Dune. Given its cast, director, and writing team, the new Dune adaptation is very high on our anticipation radar. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
Alongside the announcement of Dragon Quest XI for Switch, we also got confirmation for the western release of Dragon Quest Builders 2, which released in Japan late last year. It's coming to the West on July 12 for both Switch and PS4.
The news was confirmed during Nintendo's Direct presentation and subsequently on Sony and Square Enix social feeds. Though, for all the news from the Direct presentation, be sure to read our news roundup.
Much like the first game, Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes place in an alternate reality of an existing Dragon Quest game where the main antagonist defeated the heroes and left the world a barren wasteland; this one specifically focuses on Dragon Quest II. You play as a Builder rescued by a mysterious boy who's tasked with rebuilding the world back to its former glory.
The sequel sports an array of new features, which includes four-player online and local cooperative play, underwater exploration, an optional first-person view, a dash ability, and more. Owners of the first Dragon Quest Builders also get some nice perks, being able to unlock the ability to craft the original protagonist's clothes and the Dragon Lord's throne.
For a closer look at the game, watch the trailer above. Otherwise, if you're curious about the first Dragon Quest Builders, be sure to read our full review. GameSpot gave it an 8/10, concluding that "the excellence of Dragon Quest Builders illustrates the versatility of this 30-year-old franchise as much as it speaks to the engrossing appeal of Minecraft-inspired creation. The story-advancing draw of quests goes hand-in-hand with the depth of a crafting system that cleverly uses monster drops as some of the game's building tools. Whether you want to focus on completing assignments or build with no specific purpose, the game is feature-rich enough to suck up untold hours, even if this happens to be your first Dragon Quest experience."
James Cameron, the legendary movie director who made aquatic-themed movies like Titanic and The Abyss, has seen Aquaman and he's not exactly the biggest fan of it. In an interview with Yahoo! (via EW), Cameron said the movie is "great fun" but not very realistic.
"I could have never made that film because it requires this total dreamlike disconnection from any sense of physics or reality. It exists somewhere between a Greek mythic landscape and a fairy tale landscape. And people just kind of zoom around underwater because … they propel themselves mentally, I guess. I don't know. " he said. You buy it on its own terms."
Cameron, who himself has traveled to the bottom of the ocean, pointed out that he's spent "thousands" of hours underwater. He takes underwater storytelling very seriously.
"I'm very literal about my underwater. It needs to look like it's real," he said. "And while I can enjoy that film I don't resonate with it because it doesn't look real."
Cameron wasn't entirely negative about Aquaman, however, as he said he applauds the movie for the scenes in which it showed the ocean as being used as a garbage dump to remind people to respect and protect the world's oceans.
The upcoming Avatar sequels that Cameron is making will have "a lot" of underwater sequences, and these will have "such a different feel" than Aquaman, Cameron said. For the Avatar sequels, Cameron is using a reportedly brand-new filming technique capable of doing motion-capture work underwater.
James Wan, who directed Aquaman, previously spoke with EW about working in the shadow of Cameron. "Rule No. 1 is don't ever compete with James Cameron," he said. "He's in a whole different game of his own. And No. 2, our movie is such a different-looking film."
Aquaman was a smash hit, taking in more than $1 billion globally at the box office. Unsurprisingly, a sequel is on the way; it's progressing further now by hiring a writer. As for the Avatar series, Avatar 2 is expected to hit theatres in December 2020.
If you've been considering picking up an Xbox One X but wanted to wait for a discount, now might be a good time to do so. The online retailer Newegg is offering a 1TB Xbox One X bundle that includes a digital copy of Fallout 76 for just $350 now until Thursday. It also comes with a free one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold (which is required to play Fallout 76) and Xbox Game Pass.
The Xbox One X is the most powerful console to date that enhances many of the platform's games with visual upgrades including 4K and HDR support. Even those without 4K displays will get some benefit from the console's power with supersampling which helps render a crisper image. With one month of Game Pass for free, you can download and jump into any of the games in its vast library, including first-party titles on launch day--note that Crackdown 3 is out this week.
As for Fallout 76, it may not be the best game for 2018, but it's free in an already-discounted bundle. It's the multiplayer spin-off of the storied post-apocalyptic RPG franchise that puts you in West Virginia to find out what happened years before the mainline games. If you plan on jumping into the game after picking up the bundle, check out guide of things you need to know before playing Fallout 76.
During the recent Nintendo Direct, the developers behind Super Smash Bros. Ultimate revealed what's in store this year for the crossover brawler. In addition to a new update 3.0, and launch details for the first DLC pack, they showed off some new footage of Persona 5's Joker--the next guest character coming to the game. Another big surprise was the reveal of a new batch of Amiibos coming this year.
With the Amiibos making their debut with Smash Bros. Wii U, Nintendo has been steadily cranking out new figurines ever since--even including non-Nintendo characters into the fold. During the stream, Nintendo revealed Amiibos for Simon Belmont, Solid Snake, Squirtle, Ivysaur, and the well-travelled Trainer. Unfortunately, release dates weren't shared, though they'll likely drop more details once the new DLC packs begins to roll out.
In addition to those, Nintendo shared word about some additional Amiibo figures' release dates after the Direct. In a tweet, it revealed that Ken, Daisy, and Young Link will also receive new figures on April 12. You can see those in the gallery below.
Released last December, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been one of the Switch's most successful games, currently sitting at well over 5 million copies worldwide as of early 2019. GameSpot's Edmond Tran reviewed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, giving it a 9.
"Its entertaining single-player content helps keep the game rich with interesting things to do, as well as bolstering its spirit of loving homage to the games that have graced Nintendo consoles. Ultimate's diverse content is compelling, its strong mechanics are refined, and the encompassing collection is simply superb."
Nintendo Switch is getting last year's critically acclaimed Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Ellusive Age. Announced during Nintendo's Direct presentation, this version of the game is being touted as the "definitive version." Though, its official title is Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Previously confirmed for release in Japan, the Switch version is finally confirmed for the West sometime this Fall. Based on the trailer, the Switch version of Dragon Quest XI will retain all of the content from the original. However, there will be some fun extras too.
First, it'll include the option to select between midi and orchestrated soundtrack--a major criticism leveled towards the game's original release by the series' fanbase. Also introduced is the ability to switch to a 16-bit interface modeled after the visuals from the Super Nintendo era of Dragon Quest; fans should recognize this feature from the 3DS port of the game that never made it to the West. Lastly, you have the option to choose either English or Japanese voices.
GameSpot gave the original release of Dragon Quest XI a 9/10 with reviewer Heidi Kemps praising the game's faithfulness to series tradition: "Innovation in games is talked about a lot, but it's also great to see traditional gameplay formulas that have been around for decades presented exceptionally well. Dragon Quest XI is one of the best modern examples of this; its beautiful presentation, both visual- and story-wise, combines with a tried-and-true gameplay formula for a journey that's full of heart and soul. Once you find yourself sucked into the world of Dragon Quest XI, it's going to be hard to put down until you reach the grand finale." Be sure to read our full review.
A Breaking Bad movie is on the way, and now a new report says it may air on Netflix. According to Deadline, the movie will premiere first on Netflix and come to TV network AMC later.
AMC is the network that originally aired Breaking Bad, while it also hosts the spinoff Better Call Saul. It would be a reversal of sorts, as Breaking Bad ran on AMC first before coming to Netflix.
Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan said in 2013 during his best drama acceptance speech at the Emmys that the show thrived thanks to Netflix. "I think Netflix kept us on the air," he said at the time, adding that he thought the show might have only had two seasons were it not for Netflix.
Not much is known about the Breaking Bad movie, but it's rumoured to be a sequel that stars the character Jesse Pinkman, who was played by Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad. Intriguingly, Deadline reports that it hasn't yet been decided if the movie will be released as a film or split into episodes. Whatever the case, Paul is said to be returning to play Pinkman again.
Breaking Bad ended with Pinkman escaping alive from his neo-Nazi captors and riding into the night. Fans have speculated about where he might have gone and what he would do with his life post-Walter White. At the same time, the law would presumably be hunting him down for his role in the meth empire. It makes for a compelling set-up, and with Gilligan coming back to write the movie, it seemingly has the ingredients to be a success.
Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, confirmed in November that a Breaking Bad movie was happening but he didn't say if he's involved. He teased that the movie may feature a couple of characters whose story arcs were not seen through completion.
The first Breaking Bad spinoff was Better Call Saul, a TV show that focuses on how Jimmy McGill became the scummy lawyer Saul Goodman. That show remains on TV; a fifth season is on the way.
The Breaking Bad movie was reportedly set to start filming in New Mexico back in November, though it's not clear if that happened. Breaking Bad recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, as the show originally premiered back in 2008.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses marks the long-running strategy RPG series' debut on Nintendo Switch. It's among the biggest franchises Nintendo has planned for this year, and now we know it will be a mid-summer treat. In midst of all the news from the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, the company also announced a release date for Fire Emblem: Three Houses of July 26. That actually represents a delay, as Nintendo had previously stated it would launch this spring, though it never gave an exact date. The Direct brought word that some additional development time is needed, hence the July release.
For devotees of the series, the Direct also announced a collector's edition. The Seasons of Warfare Edition will include an artbook, "sound selection CD," 2020 calendar, and steelbook case in addition to a copy of the game itself. You can get a look at it below.
According to a listing on Best Buy's website, the Seasons of Warfare Edition will be priced at $100 in the US, a $40 premium over the standard edition.
Fire Emblem was the centerpiece of the Nintendo Direct presentation, taking most of its time with tons of new details. We saw combat in action, the way cutscenes will integrate into battle sequences, and a lot more story details. You'll be the head of the Officer's Academy, which is composed of three houses--the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer--and are tasked with training the students and assisting in their studies. Check out all the new details we learned.
An official press release further sums up some of the new information about Three Houses. It reads, "The Black Eagles. The Blue Lions. The Golden Deer. Three noble houses that are part of the Officer's Academy, an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic and special skills. As a professor, the player must choose one of these houses to lead its students in grid-based battles with life-or-death stakes. Each house is comprised of many different students to meet and train, each with her or his own personality and skills. These students can interact with each other at the academy, strengthening their bonds and supporting each other on the battlefield. "
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Nintendo didn't specify exactly what today's new demo will include, but the trailer featured Yoshi rafting, racing solar cars, and flying a plane. It also detailed how you can use in-game coins to craft cardboard costumes for Yoshi, which function like armor. This includes a Nintendo Labo-themed outfit in the shape of the piano.
Yoshi's Crafted World was first revealed during E3 2017. It appears to play similarly to previous Yoshi games and features a perspective-shifting mechanic in a cardboard diorama-like world. It is set to release on Nintendo Switch on March 29.
Nintendo's February 2019 Direct presentation on Wednesday has wrapped up, and as promised it delivered us some solid new information on the upcoming Fire Emblem game for Nintendo Switch, Three Houses. That unfortunately isn't releasing as soon as expected--it's been delayed until this summer--but the Direct also delivered reveals of some brand-new Switch games. In addition, we got welcome updates on existing Switch games, with new free and paid DLC coming to a bunch of our favorite titles, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Along with some exciting news for Mario and Zelda --sorry, Animal Crossing fans and those holding out hope for Mother 3--we learned about a slate of games and demos releasing today. Some of these are already available on the Nintendo Switch Eshop--and several are free--and the biggest surprise among those is a new, free-to-play Tetris game that is essentially a battle royale experience where you compete against 98 other players. It's an unusual concept, but one that's actually very fun. Now, let's get in to all the biggest news from the Direct.
BoxBoy + BoxGirl is a brand-new game with 270 stages, including two-player co-op. It's the first Switch game in the BoxBoy series, which began and 2015 on 3DS and was most recently seen in 2017 with Bye-Bye BoxBoy. Read more:BoxBoy + BoxGirl Announced For Nintendo Switch.
Ninja Theory's acclaimed action game, which explores mental illness through the lens of a Norse mythology setting, is coming to Nintendo Switch and has a release window of Spring 2019. Read more:Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Announced For Nintendo Switch
Final Fantasy VII is launching for Switch next month, on March 26, but Final Fantasy IX will be available in the Switch Eshop later today. Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy, meanwhile, is set to arrive next month, on March 2. Read more: Final Fantasy 9 Out Today On Switch, Final Fantasy 7 Coming Next Month
If you haven't already, you can catch up on all the biggest news from the latest Nintendo Direct here, but the showstopper was the new Zelda game for Switch. Nintendo closed out its latest Direct presentation by unveiling a remake of the beloved Game Boy game The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which is being "reborn as a new experience" on the hybrid console later in 2019. A specific release date was not announced.
Nintendo didn't share many details about the Link's Awakening remake, but it retains the top-down perspective of the original, making it the first new 2D-style Zelda game for Switch. It also features visuals somewhat reminiscent of A Link Between Worlds, the 3DS follow-up to A Link to the Past.
Link's Awakening originally launched for Game Boy back in 1993, with an updated color version (dubbed Link's Awakening DX) following in 1998. Unlike most other games in the series, it isn't set in Hyrule, but rather the mysterious Koholint Island. After being shipwrecked, Link washes ashore the island and can only escape by retrieving eight magical instruments and waking the isle's guardian, the Wind Fish.
Nintendo announced a ton of other Switch games during its latest direct presentation, including Super Mario Maker 2, which is slated to launch this June. As promised, we also got a closer look at Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which is now coming to Switch on July 26.
Astral Chain takes place in a futuristic city, as players inhabit a special forces unit paired with a living weapon called Legion. The gameplay centers around this partnership, as you'll pull off combat combos and exploration with the assistance of the robotic creature.
The game is the latest from Takahisa Taura, the designer behind Nier Automata and the project is being supervised by Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya. It shows in the fluid combat that has become Platinum's signature style. The Nintendo Direct also took a moment to reiterate that Bayonetta 3 is still on its way.
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed III Remaster will be available on Nintendo Switch on May 21. The confirmation was provided during the Nintendo Direct (check out all the news here), and confirms rumors from earlier in the year. The game has already been confirmed for release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 29.
Alongside an updated version of Assassin's Creed III, the package will include a remaster of PlayStation Vita title Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, and the Tyranny of King Washington DLC. For those that have Assassin's Creed Odyssey's season pass, this remaster will be available at no extra cost. The Switch version will have new gameplay features such as aiming using motion control, and some touch-based gameplay too.
Assassin's Creed III was first released for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U in 2012. We awarded the game an 8.5/10 in our Assassin's Creed III review; critic Kevin VanOrd said it "expands the series' gameplay in enjoyable and sensible ways."
He added: "Assassin's Creed III is a big game that gives you a lot to do, some of which is fleshed out relatively well, and some of which isn't. It is not, however, content to rest on the series' laurels. It takes chances with its opening, with its story, and with its characters.
"As with many ambitious games, not every arrow fired hits the bull's-eye, yet this big, narratively rich sequel is easy to get invested in. Other games stimulate emotion with manipulative music and teary monologues; Assassin's Creed III rouses your mind and your heart by giving you a glimpse into its characters' souls and letting you judge them on their own merits."
During the latest Nintendo Direct presentation (all the news here), Nintendo revealed the release dates for a trio of classic Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy VII is launching for Switch on March 26, while the FF spin-off Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy is also set to release next month, on March 20. However, fans won't have to wait that long to play Final Fantasy IX; that game will arrive in the Switch Eshop later today, February 13, for $21.
Beyond those titles, Square Enix is also bringing Final Fantasy X, X-2, and XII: The Zodiac Age to both Switch and Xbox One this year. The X and X-2 HD Remaster collection will arrive on April 16, with Final Fantasy XII following several weeks later, on April 30. The publisher has also previously announced a PS4 and Switch port of Final Fantasy: The Crystal Chronicles, but no release date has been confirmed yet.
Nintendo didn't provide many details about the port during the presentation. Hellblade was originally a PlayStation 4 console exclusive (that was also available on PC), and it came to Xbox One in April 2018.
GameSpot awarded it an 8/10 in our Hellblade review, calling it "a spellbinding and sympathetic game about loss and redemption." It was also one of GameSpot's top 10 games of 2017.
During a Nintendo Direct packed with big Switch news, the company also revealed that Toby Fox's Deltarune will be coming to the handheld and console hybrid. Chapter 1 of the Undertale follow-up will be available for free, while later chapters--which are "currently in development"--will not. In true Toby Fox fashion, the announcement was made with "a censored, spoiler-free trailer" featuring tons of Undertale's Annoying Dog, which was later confirmed to not be in Deltarune at such high quantities.
Undertale, which first released on PC in 2015, came to Switch in September 2018. Deltarune: Chapter 1 is getting its port much more quickly; it first released late last year on PC to a very excited Undertale fanbase. Toby Fox stated that the game is far from finished and that Chapter 1 is a demo for what's hopefully to come.
Deltarune: Chapter 1 will release on the Switch Eshop on February 28. We loved what we saw when we first played it on PC. Nintendo Switch players aren't the only ones who received some good news regarding Deltarune, as a tweet confirmed that a PS4 port is also in the works. Specific timing or confirmation of that version's Chapter 1 being free weren't shared.
Epic Games has been sued by a number of people, including Backpack Kid, rapper 2 Milly, and Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, over claims that the studio stole their dance moves to use in Fortnite. Now, Epic Games has released a memorandum in which it seeks to have at least one of the lawsuits dismissed on the grounds that "no one can own a dance step."
A document filed in California court this week seeks to have rapper Terrence "2 Milly" Ferguson's lawsuit tossed out. It states that Ferguson's claims are "fundamentally at odds with free speech principles." The letter states, "Copyright law is clear that individual dance steps and simple dance routines are not protected by copyright." Epic asserts that such dance moves are actually "building blocks of free expression," and Epic says they are in the public domain.
Epic also said in its note that the "Swipe It" dance emote, which is the one in question, varies from the move that 2 Milly made popular. One example is that 2 Milly's dance move, which is referred to as "the Dance Step" in the letter, features the torso, shoulders, and head face forward while the ribs move side to side. For the Swipe It emote, the torso, shoulders, and head turn to the side while the ribs remain in place. Additionally, 2 Milly's actual dance move is faster than Swipe It. Put shortly, "the works simply are not substantially similar," Epic said.
The entire document is a doozy; it's filled with the kind of language and examples that make your head spin. You can read the full document here; as uploaded by The Hollywood Reporter.
It's not immediately clear if Epic has filed similar measures in response to the lawsuits from Backpack Kid and Alfonso Ribeiro, but keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
The lawsuits seemingly had holes from the beginning. In the case of Alfonso Ribeiro's lawsuit, it was discovered that Ribeiro himself admitted to borrowing the dance from someone else.
Fortnite recently picked up a new competitor, as the battle royale game Apex Legends from Respawn and Electronic Arts is off to a wildly fast start. As of this writing, Apex Legends has more viewers than Fortnite and all other games by a large margin today on Twitch.
Although the latest Nintendo Direct was filled with big news, upcoming Switch title Fire Emblem: Three Houses was the centerpiece, with an extended trailer showing off tons of narrative details about the upcoming game. We also saw combat in action and learned more about how characters will form bonds.
In Three Houses, three ruling powers share the land in relative harmony. You--either a male or female character--are a mercenary under your father Jeralt's command, and you receive an offer to teach at the Officer's Academy.
The Academy is composed of the titular three houses--the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer--and train them in particular skills to help you in battle. You're in charge of building a lesson plan of sorts that will help them learn and grow. Your students can also interact and form bonds at the academy, which will influence their actions on the battlefield.
Here's how a Nintendo press release sums things up: "The Black Eagles. The Blue Lions. The Golden Deer. Three noble houses that are part of the Officer's Academy, an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic and special skills. As a professor, the player must choose one of these houses to lead its students in grid-based battles with life-or-death stakes. Each house is comprised of many different students to meet and train, each with her or his own personality and skills. These students can interact with each other at the academy, strengthening their bonds and supporting each other on the battlefield."
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was originally scheduled for launch this spring but will now release for Nintendo Switch on July 26. The presentation also included a rundown of the game's special edition. In other Nintendo Direct news, the company began the presentation with the announcement of Super Mario Maker 2 for Switch, as well as a Zelda: Link's Awakening remake.
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