Rockstar Games recently dropped a new content update for Red Dead Redemption 2's online component. The update adds new gameplay modes, weapons, events, and more. And those playing it this weekend will get some free stuff.
In a tweet posted by the official Rockstar Games account, the publisher announced that players will receive "fire arrows, high velocity ammo, and more, just by participating in the ongoing Red Dead Online Beta." Players only need to get to the camp's lockbox or visit any post office to collect the rewards. Hop to it, cowboys and cowgirls.
Receive a free care package this week including Fire Arrows, High Velocity Ammo and more, just by participating in the Red Dead Online Beta.
Visit your camp’s lockbox or any post office across the five states to collect.
With the implementation of the new content update, Rockstar Games brought back a weapon from Red Dead Redemption: the Evans Repeater, a long-range rifle holstered in John Marston's weapon wheel during the events of the first game. Fool's Gold, a PvP mode where players adorn golden armor, also comes packaged in Red Dead Online's new update. That's just one many Free Roam events where the lawless can gain some extra experience and cash. As outlined in an announcement post on the official Rockstar Games website, the full list of items added to this weekend's free care package is below.
60x High-Velocity Pistol Ammo
60x High-Velocity Repeater Ammo
2x Fire Bottles
8x Fire Arrows
2x Jolly Jack's
2x Potent Horse Medicine
1x Lake Lure
In our Red Dead Redemption 2 review we said that, while it features "some frustrating systems and a predictable mission structure," the game is "an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done."
Sony has revealed the list of last month's best-selling PS4 games on PSN. February was packed with high-profile releases, from Far Cry: New Dawn to Metro Exodus, but it was BioWare's cooperative RPG/shooter, Anthem, that took the top spot in both North America and Europe.
Despite its rocky launch, Anthem has similarly been performing well at retail, at least in the UK. It debuted at No. 1 in the region and managed to hold on to that position for the week ending March 2.
Taking the runner-up spot in North America was Bandai Namco's crossover fighting game, Jump Force. Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto V continues to defy the specter of age, coming in at No. 2 in Europe and rounding out the top three in North America.
February also saw the surprise release of Apex Legends, the new battle royale game from Titanfall developer Respawn, and it is similarly off to a strong start, dethroning the genre's reigning champion, Fortnite, on the Free-to-Play chart. Epic's battle royale game dropped to No. 3 last month, while another battle royale game, Realm Royale, took No. 2.
You can see PSN's top 10 best-selling PS4 games for February below. The full list for each region can be found on the US and European PlayStation Blogs.
US's Top 10 PS4 Games On PSN For February 2019
Anthem
Jump Force
Grand Theft Auto V
Rainbow Six Siege
Kingdom Hearts III
Far Cry 5
NBA 2K19
Far Cry: New Dawn
FIFA 19
Red Dead Redemption 2
US's Top 10 Free-To-Play PS4 Games For February 2019
Apex Legends
Realm Royale
Fortnite
Warface
H1Z1: Battle Royale
Brawlhalla
Switchblade
Paladins
Warframe
DC Universe Online Free-to-Play
Europe's Top 10 PS4 Games On PSN For February 2019
Larian Studios has released a new update for Divinity: Original Sin II. The update adds the first of several gift bags planned to drop in the 2017 computer RPG, as well as some bug fixes.
"Working in cooperation with Fool's Theory and Anshar Studios, we have created new visual options for your characters," Larian Studios wrote in a blog post. "There are new faces for each race, more hairstyles, and additional facial features for you to use when creating a new character. You can also respec your existing characters using these new options by using the Magic Mirror aboard the Lady Vengeance."
The developer has more gifts bags planned for 2019, each of which contains "treats" that will "continue to enrich your adventures in Rivellon." Larian Studios shared no more information other than that, but promises additional details will be available "soon." As stated before, the rest of the update deals with bug fixes. The most notable of these addresses the issue with fast-travelling to the Lady Vengeance as well as the bug that causes Source to be incorrectly absorbed by Sir Lora. The full patch notes in the update is outlined below.
Divinity: Original Sin II March 8 Update Patch Notes
Updates
Added new Character Creation assets
Mac Pro 2013 now supported
MacOS 10.14.4 introduces a fix for Apple Gamecenter lobbies
Bug Fixes
Fixed a rare crash when joining multiplayer games with certain mods
Fixed save file compatibility issue
Fixed an issue with using the Swornbreaker in multiplayer games
Fixed issue with player fast-traveling to Lady Vengeance
Fixed Dashing June not taking gold from player inventory
Fixed Sir Lora incorrectly absorbing Source
Fixed the Frozen Family incorrectly initiating combat if defrosted in a certain way
Fixed issue with Malady not appearing on the lower deck in some situations
Fixed issues with players not receiving Seascape and Liberator achievements
Fixed issues with The Gargoyle's Maze quest not appearing in the Journal under certain circumstances
GM: Fixed issues with certain children missing faces and limbs when switching torsos
Fixed minor visual and audio issues
Fixed some dialogue issues
Fixed UI cutoff in Spanish
Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the few games we've given a 10/10, and it went on to be included in our list of top 10 games for 2017. In our Divinity: Original Sin II review, Brett Todd wrote, "From lonely farmhouses through pitched battles with gods in far-flung dimensions, Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made in both its original and Definitive incarnations, with the latter proving that even the most complicated role-players can be ported successfully to gamepad-limited consoles. This immaculately conceived and emotion-wrought fantasy world, topped by brilliant tactical combat, make it one of the finest games of recent years, and it remains an instant classic in the pantheon of RPG greats."
In Devil May Cry 5, you'll need to up your skills in combat to see some of the game's most exciting and satisfying moments. Just like in previous games in the series, Capcom's action game features some hidden secrets to uncover, and they'll require players to put their skills to the test in order to unlock them. Though in a , which feature post-credits easter eggs at game's end, Devil May Cry 5's secret ending can be seen during the opening mission of the game.
In the Prologue, you'll play as Nero--sans his iconic Devil Bringer. As it's revealed in the first act of the game, his demonic arm was torn off by a mysterious figure, and he's been hellbent on exacting revenge ever since. In this state, the scrappy protagonist is as well-equipped compared to his outing in DMC4, which makes his first major encounter with the all-powerful Urizen a major battle to overcome. This first boss fight is intended to show how powerful this big bad is, and that Nero will need more power to stand a chance. Having said that, it's actually possible to defeat Urizen in this battle--ending the threat before it even begins to have a major impact.
First off, I'd like to stress that unless you're a highly skilled DMC player that wants to show off, you're much better off saving this particular fight for when you've successfully cleared through the game at least once. It's not worth doing multiple attempts on this missing right the beginning. Since you're free to replay every mission in the game at any time, bringing all of your upgrades and new skills to old missions, it will make for a much more 'fair' fight if you come in prepared. As the prologue mission clearly illustrates, Nero is outmatched. But even when you revist this mission more prepared, you're still in for a tough fight. If you want to see this ending, it's recommended you try this fight on the Devil Hunter difficulty.
The key to winning this fight is to keep moving and to avoid all of Urizen's attacks. While this seems simple and a pretty obvious tip, the new demon king is extremely effective at keeping you at a distance and overwhelming you with attacks--all of which deal heavy damage. You're essentially fighting a near end-game boss right at the beginning, and he'll pull out all the stops to take you down, and all without getting up from his chair. In order to strike Urizen directly, you'll need to destroy the crystal that protects him. This crystal not only shields him from damage, but it will also use attacks of its own. Generally speaking, you'll want to stay as close as possible to him and keep attacking the crystal until it shatters. This will leave Urizen vulnerable for a limited time, allowing you to get some hits in. He'll regain his posture soon after and conjure up another crystal--repeating the process again.
If you're able to fend off Urizen's attacks and go in for the critical blows when he's vulnerable, then you'll be treated to a somewhat uneventful if a bit humorous ending celebrating your feat. You'll also be treated to an achievement/trophy for clearing the tough battle. Though it may not seem worth the effort, it is a particularly interesting fight to brute force your way through, and it'll be a nice feather in your cap. With that said, a real challenge will be clearing this battle on Dante Must Die mode, DMC5's hardest difficulty.
For more on Devil May Cry 5, including the locations of all the Secret Missions and how to beat them, and along with our full review of the game.
The Simpsons executive team has decided to pull an episode that featured deceased pop star Michael Jackson as a guest voice, following renewed allegations of abuse. Creator Matt Groening, executive producer James L. Brooks, and showrunner Al Jean said they reached the decision together after viewing the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.
"It feels clearly the only choice to make," Brooks told The Wall Street Journal. "The guys I work with--where we spend our lives arguing over jokes--were of one mind on this."
The 1991 episode "Stark Raving Dad" was about Homer being committed to a mental institution, where he met a soft-spoken patient who believes he is Michael Jackson, who at the time was a famous musician. Homer didn't know the pop music reference, but brought the man home with him. Word spread around town that Jackson was visiting, leading to a backlash against the Simpson family when he turned out to be an imposter. The man then helped Bart write a song for his sister Lisa's birthday.
Jackson was credited under the name "John Jay Smith" to obscure his involvement in the episode. He spoke his own lines, but used a voice double for the singing parts.
Leaving Neverland prominently features testimony from Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Both allege that when they were boys, Jackson groomed the boys for sexual abuse and instructed them to keep silent about these experiences. The documentary has led to a new conversations about Jackson's legacy, and some radio stations have pulled his songs from their rotation.
Games tech company Improbable has announced it is venturing into games development with two newly created studios in London and Edmonton, the latter of which is being headed up by former BioWare veteran Aaryn Flynn. In a press release, the company says the studios are working on "online multiplayer games" powered by its SpatialOS platform.
Flynn worked at BioWare for 11 years and served as the company's general manager from 2015-2017. During his tenure there, he oversaw the development of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises, as well as Star Wars: The Old Republic. He joined Improbable as the general manager of its North American games business in September 2018.
"I was interested in making a game using SpatialOS from the very first time I spoke to Improbable," Flynn said. "Building tools and content has been a great way for our Edmonton team to master SpatialOS, but a full game was always an opportunity myself and others had in mind as the Edmonton studio took shape. Now, after a lot of great hires and great progress, we're going to focus on creating that game using Unreal Engine 4 and building on SpatialOS' next-generation online games platform."
Improbable's London studio, meanwhile, is being led by John Wasilczyk, who previously worked at EA DICE and Fortnite developer Epic Games. The company says it plans to further grow these studios and found additional ones in other locations.
Improbable will discuss its SpatialOS platform and its move into game development at this year's Game Developers Conference, which takes place from March 18-22. The company will also host two panels at the conference, which will feature Flynn and Josh Holmes, who previously worked on the Def Jam Vendetta and Halo series.
Every weekend, a small group of games are discounted and available to play for free on Steam, and the latest bunch of free weekend offerings are now live. The first game available to play for free this weekend is Conan Exiles, which released last May. Conan Exiles is an open-world survival game set in the savage lands of Conan the Barbarian where you must build up your own kingdom from nothing. The game can be played in single-player, co-op, or persistent online multiplayer modes. Explore the wilds, gather resources, slay monsters, loot treasure, and wage war against other civilizations to become the dominant clan among many. The developers recently rolled out more updates to Conan Exiles, so it's a good chance to try the game out. Conan Exiles will be free to play until Sunday, March 10, at 1 PM PST / 4 PM EST.
If you play Conan Exiles and love the experience, its standard edition is just $20 this weekend--a full 50% off. The deluxe edition is $42 (40% off) and comes with five DLC packs.
Also free to play on Steam this weekend: Warhammer: Vermintide 2, a first-person co-op adventure set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Think Left 4 Dead, but instead of fighting your way through swarms of infected humans, you'll fight alongside three companions against combined hordes of Skaven and Chaos. You also have five different characters and 15 diverse classes to choose from. You can play Vermintide 2 for free until Sunday, March 10 at 1 PM PST / 4 PM EST.
Vermintide 2's standard edition is just $12 (60% off) and the collector's edition is only $18 (also 60% off) until Monday, March 11 at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST.
Hover is another free-to-play offering on Steam this weekend--check it out at no cost until Sunday. The game is only $6.79 (66% off) until Tuesday, March 12 at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST. Available to play alone or online with friends, Hover is a fast-paced parkour game set in a futuristic open-world city where you lead a young team of rebels against an anti-leisure dictatorship using high-tech gear that allows you to pull off crazy tricks and combos.
It's the first weekend of Joker's Wild, Destiny 2's second Annual Pass content expansion. That means everyone's favorite snake-faced salesman, Xur, is back in the solar system with a host of Exotic weapons and armor. But unlike Xur's visits for the first five seasons of Destiny 2, this weekend is different: it's the first time that Xur has a chance of bringing along Exotics from the Forsaken expansion to sell.
Of course, now that Forsaken Exotics are in the rotation, that doesn't mean that Xur is guaranteed to actually bring you something you might want. They're just in the randomly chosen pool of his wares. Luckily, this week is an embarrassment of riches for players who've been hoping to snag some Year Two Exotics, because Xur has three of them.
Xur's arrival this week takes him to the Tower, where you'll find him in the Hangar. At the bottom of the stairs as you enter the area, turn left and walk to the back to where you'll find a staircase heading upward to the left toward a catwalk. Xur is about halfway up, enjoying the view.
The Forsaken weapon Xur is packing this week is Trinity Ghoul, a combat bow that fires more than one shot at once. The arrow from Trinity Ghoul splits when fired to make three shots, but you can decrease that spread by aiming down the sights and fully charging the shot. Precision kills also send chain lightning out that can hit other enemies.
In the armor department, Xur has two other Forsaken Exotics for sale. The first is Ursa Furiosa, a pair of gauntlets for Titans that increase your movement speed when Sentinel Shield is active and converts Guarded Damage to Super energy when your Super ends. Hunters, meanwhile, get the Oathkeeper Exotic Gauntlets from Forsaken, which allow you to hold bow charges indefinitely. The only class that doesn't have a Forsaken Exotic for sale is Warlock, which gets the Ophidian Aspect gauntlets from the Curse of Osiris expansion. The gloves speed your weapon reload and ready times and extend your melee range.
Here are all the Exotics Xur offers this week and what they'll cost you:
You can also buy a Fated Engram, if you can afford it. Dropping 97 Legendary Shards on the item will grant you one Year One Exotic you don't already have for that character. Xur also offers the Five of Swords challenge card for free, which allows you to add difficulty modifiers that increase your score in Nightfall runs.
Xur's arrival this week also corresponds with the release of The Reckoning Tier 2, which makes stronger Gambit Prime armor available. If you haven't dived into the two new Joker's Wild activities, check out our guide, which can help you navigate the differences between Gambit and Gambit Prime and keep you alive during the chaos of the Reckoning.
March 8 is International Women's Day, a celebration of the many influential and inspiring women around the world. To mark the occasion, Sony has released a free International Women's Day PS4 theme featuring some of the iconic female leads from PlayStation games new and old.
The characters featured include Horizon Zero Dawn's Aloy, The Last of Us' Ellie, Freya from God of War, the Hunter from Bloodborne, and leading duo Chloe and Nadine from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. The theme is available to download now on the European and Australian PlayStation Stores; it's not yet listed on the US PS Store, but given it's International Women's Day, we expect it shouldn't be too much longer before it appears. [Update: PSN in the US has now added its theme; it features a different design but many of the same characters.]
In other PlayStation news, PS4 users can now play their games using their iPhones and iPads via Remote Play, thanks to a recent PS4 system software update. Once your console is updated, you'll also need to download the PS4 Remote Play app from the Apple App Store. The app itself is compatible with the vast majority of PS4 games, with virtual buttons and sticks appearing on the iOS device screen, though you may find a bluetooth gamepad allows greater control.
Octopath Traveler is getting a prequel for iOS and Android devices called Octopath Traveler: Conquerors of the Continent, Square Enix has announced. The first trailer, which you can watch above, shows that the mobile game will retain the striking "HD-2D" visual style that served as one of the main draws for the Nintendo Switch version.
Although details on Octopath Traveler: Conquerors of the Continent are scant, it has been confirmed that the game will take place before the events of the Switch title, with three characters that have unique stories. This format mirrors the distinct campaigns that were tied to Octopath Traveler's cast of heroes.
Octopath Traveler: Conquerors of the Continent is expected to launch for iOS and Android in Japan in 2019 and is free-to-play. Square Enix has not yet confirmed how it will monetize the game.
The visual style of Octopath was a big point of discussion, and praise, when it was released. The aesthetic was unique enough for Square Enix to trademark the term "HD-2D," indicating it would be utilized in the future.
In his Octopath Traveler review, Peter Brown said the game "thrives on its character progression and the temptations of high-level challenges and rewards. The promise of new jobs, exciting boss fights, and powerful gear will inspire you to poke around every corner, and there are no shortage of discoveries to strive for.
"And all the while, you're treated to one of the most interesting and effective re-imaginings of a retro aesthetic around. Octopath will likely be a divisive game due to its fractured storytelling, but it's one worth playing despite its lesser qualities. Its high points are simply too good to ignore."
Captain Marvel is finally here, and we are teaming up with CNET and Her Universe to celebrate the opening weekend with this online sweepstakes. Check out the prizes:
The first runner-up includes a Funko Pop of Nakia from Black Panther and a $75 gift certificate to Her Universe
The second runner-up will get a $50 gift certificate to Her Universe
Keep in mind that Her Universe has apparel and swag for men and women, so you can start browsing to plan what you'll get if you win one of those gift certificates.
To enter for a chance to be one of the three winners you have to fill out the form below after reading our rules and accepting the terms and conditions of the giveaway. You also have the option to complete actions to get extra entries, like following us across social media.
Don't be shy, and head out to our comment section and tell us about your favorite Marvel character. Good luck!
One of the popular, consistent rumours about Amazon's The Lord of the Rings TV show was that one of its storylines might focus on a young Aragorn.
However, now that Amazon has confirmed when in Middle-earth history the show takes place, that can seemingly be ruled out. Amazon confirmed that the untitled Lord of the Rings show is set during the Second Age. However, Aragorn was born during the Third Age.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. #LOTRonPrimepic.twitter.com/7TuQh7gRPD
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019
The popular theory now is that the Amazon show, being set during the Second Age, will focus on "The Age of Numenor," and specifically the island of Numenor. The Second Age is a 3,441-year period during which a lot of important Middle-earth history took place.
As Twitter user Dudeseid points out, major events in the Second Age included the forging of the Rings of Power, including the One Ring; the War of Sauron, the beginning of the Ringwraiths, and when Numenor the island sank into the ocean. Also, it was during the Second Age that the Elven city of Rivendell was developed and that the great battle where men, elves, and dwarves fought together for the first time against Sauron.
Some of the significant characters during the Second Age were Elrond, Galadriel, Elendil, and Sauron. Hugo Weaving played Elrond in Peter Jackson's movies, while Cate Blanchette portrayed Galadriel. The new series is set long before the events of Jackson's movies.
Events that a Second Age show could cover: -Forging of Rings of Power -Sauron's betrayal with the One Ring -The War of Sauron and Elves -the origin of the Ringwraiths -the corruption/sinking of Númenor -The Founding of Gondor/Arnor -The War of the Last Alliance -Sauron overthrown pic.twitter.com/xUzAYgXaxj
The Lord of the Rings show on Amazon doesn't currently have a title or release date, and no casting has been announced as yet. But it's set to be an incredibly expensive series.
Outside of the TV show, a biopic about Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien is coming out in May. Nicholas Hoult stars as Tolkien, while Lily Collins plays his wife, Edith Bratt--you can see the latest trailer here.
Battlefield V's battle royale mode, Firestorm, has leaked online ahead of its release this spring. What appears to be the mode's tutorial video has appeared online.
As the video explains, Battlefield V's Firestorm will have Solo, Duo, and Squads options. As with other battle royale games, rounds start with players dropping in from above; in this case it's with a parachute. Players must then find weapons and other items on the map and use them to be the last player standing. There are three tiers of weapons: Common, Rare, and Epic.
As with other battle royale games, ammo isn't always easy to find, so you will need to manage your inventory and share with teammates in Duos and Squads to survive and win.
Another interesting tidbit is that downed players can still fire their sidearm, while teammates can revive them. However, there is no true respawning like in Apex Legends.
It was already confirmed that Firestorm is developed not by main Battlefield studio DICE but rather another EA-owned studio, Criterion. Unlike Fortnite and PUBG, which support 100-player battles, Firestorm allows for up to 64 combatants. It's also worth noting that Battlefield's trademark destructible environments are featured in Firestorm, as are its tanks and other transport vehicles.
EA seemingly responded to the Firestorm leak, which originated on Reddit, with a cryptic video that appears to be teasing the battle royale mode and the source of its latest leak. It shows a ring of fire closing in on a squad of soldiers, while the tweet is captioned with the emojis for "fire" and "storm," so yes, this is surely a reference to Firestorm. Not only that, but the voice in the video very much sounds like DICE's Lars Gustavsson.
Battlefield 5 sold more than 7 million copies, but overall it failed to meet EA's commercial expectations. Firestorm will be EA's second new battle royale experience in as many months, as Respawn launched its free-to-play battle royale game Apex Legends in February.
Microsoft continues to update and support Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The latest update is out now in time for the start of Spring in the northern hemisphere, and it's a big one. Starting off, players will immediately notice that the menu screen is changed.
Gone is the winter-themed background featuring a Warthog amid falling fun. It was peaceful and serene, so we're sad to see it go. The menu screen is now back with its regular look that was there prior to the first revision around the Flood back in October.
"The past few months have been fun from changing up the look and feel of the menus, adding community maps, and introducing some much asked for features," 343 said. "We have had fun working with the community to bring new life to the loading screens and we are looking forward to the next update."
In addition to changing the Halo: MCC menu screen, the update makes a series of changes to the Social Games multiplayer playlist. You'll now find new game types such as Team Muskets (no shields or shotguns), Rocketball (Oddball with Rockets), and Team Reign (a player on each team is "it" and they have to be protected).
On the Competitive front, the Halo 2 Classic Team Arena is going away, and it's replaced by Halo 2 Classic Team Hardcore on ranked playlists.
Further changes to Competitive games include betrayal and suicide penalties being disabled for Hardcore. You can see a rundown of the changes in the new update at the bottom of this post, as outlined by 343 on the game's forums.
The new update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection comes amid a recent report that claimed the game may be announced soon for PC. It's been rumoured for a while now that Microsoft would bring the game to PC, and Microsoft may announce it during its Inside Xbox video event on March 12. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection Xbox One March 7 Update:
Social Games
As a result of community feedback, we've also updated the following for Social Games:
4v4 HCS Action Sack: Chiron-TL34, Chill Out, and Rat Race support Team Muskets
Team Musket: A Team Slayer variant consisting of no shields and shotguns (Similar to ShWATguns from later titles, just with more health)
4v4 HCE Action Sack: Battle Creek, Chill Out, and Wizard support Team Rocketball4v4 HCE Action Sack: Moved Reverse Tag on Damnation from Asset Denial to Action Sack
Rocketball: Who doesn't love blowing up a friend? (Yes this is what it sounds like – Oddball with Rockets)
4v4 HCE Action Sack: Chill Out, Longest, and Rat Race support Team Reign4v4 H2C Snipers: Added Lockout, Midship, Beaver Creek, and Sanctuary and retuned weighting
Team Reign: An Oddball variant where a player on each team is 'it' and must be protected at all costs
2v2v2v2 Action Sack: Score to win in Fiesta increased from 25 to 50
8v8 H2A Flag and Bomb: Reduced number of rounds from 6 to 4 for One Flag CTF and One Bomb Assault
8v8 H2A Zone Control: Added attack/defend Territories to Remnant and Stonetown
8v8 H2A all: Disabled Sudden Death and better aligned game settings across modes
Competitive Games
We have also made some changes to our Competitive Games offerings. We are retiring H2C Team Arena in favor of H2C Team Hardcore to focus our ranked playlists on the most hardcore settings while the arena experience can be found in Social Games. If you think what you have it takes, hop in and try your shot at the professional gaming settings that were used during the era of Halo 2 Classic.
Additional changes for Competitive Games:
H2C Team Arena is replaced with H2C Team Hardcore.H2A Team Arena is replaced with H2A Team Hardcore (the original HCS maps and settings)
All H2C Arena contents can still be played in Match Composer
Betrayal and Suicide penalties have been disabled in Hardcore
The idea of playing games through a cloud streaming service is trending upward due to the likes of Sony's PSNow, Google Project Stream's early test run with Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and Nvidia's GeForce Now. And many signs point to cloud-based gaming being the next big shift in the industry with names like Microsoft and Amazon making moves in this space. Right now, French company Blade has a stake in cloud gaming with its Shadow streaming service and Shadow Ghost set-top box (an improved version of the Shadow Box we reviewed last year).
Blade has been expanding the reach of its service--it was previously only available in California for US customers, but is now currently available in most states in the US, the UK, Germany, and France. And I spent several hours using Shadow on a MacBook Air and the Shadow Ghost to see if this setup is a viable solution for those looking for a mid/high-end gaming PC.
The Shadow Ghost set-top box runs the application and gets you access to your virtual PC.
How It Works
Any device that runs Windows 7 / 8.1 / 10, macOS 10.10 or later, Android 7.0 Nougat or later, or iOS 11.0 or later can run the Shadow application and essentially turn into a gaming PC (Ubuntu support is currently in beta). You'll also have to pay $35 USD per month--or $30 per month on a year-long commitment--and use an internet connection that's fast and stable enough. This isn't a Netflix-style service, or a parallel to Xbox Game Pass since you're not subscribing for access to games, you're subscribing to a powerful Windows 10 PC.
In a sense, Shadow functions similarly to any other video streaming service since you're simply getting video feed of a PC you're controlling remotely (located at the closest data center to you). As of now, you can set a Shadow stream bit rate to run between 5 Mbps to 70 Mbps which dictates the visual quality of the stream; just be sure you have the proper bandwidth and are aware of any data limitations you may have. Blade recommends having at least a modest 25 Mbps connection and suggests using wired connections for reliability.
As for the set-top box, the Shadow Ghost is a slimmed-down version of Blade's previous hardware offering, the Shadow Box. Aside from the redesign that includes significantly condensed dimensions, Ghost has its ports in a more sensible configuration--they're all neatly positioned on one side of the device and offers one HDMI out instead of two DisplayPort outs. Otherwise, the box serves the same purpose and goes for $140 USD (subscription not included).
Shadow Ghost--the local hardware that can run the service--has the necessary ports for a fully functional PC. This makes Ghost ideal for living room or home theater setups, and if you're not looking to use another compatible device to control your Shadow PC. Regardless of whether you use the application or the Ghost, Shadow presents you with a home menu to configure settings and access your account. From there, you boot your virtual PC and start getting feed of the Windows 10 desktop.
The Shadow app for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android gives you access to your virtual PC remotely.
Technical Specifications
The Ghost itself features two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI out, one 3.5mm audio jack, and an Ethernet port. It's powered by a 5V DC plug and runs completely silent since there are no fans. As far as wireless capabilities, it features dual-band WiFi for up to 400 Mbps and Bluetooth 4.1 support. A keyboard and mouse are required to at least navigate the Ghost's menus and Windows desktop.
When it comes to actual hardware that runs the games you're streaming, Shadow packs some fairly beefy specs. Blade says that it'll upgrade Shadow's specs free of charge in the future, so you'll be getting a better PC for the same price down the road. But for now, this is the PC you'll be working with:
One thing jumps out when taking a quick look at the spec sheet; you only get 256 GB of storage space. In the modern era where the latest games can take up well above 50 GB, your Shadow drive will fill up fast. For example, I was only able to have Anthem, Apex Legends, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and Metro Exodus installed at once with very little room left. Unfortunately, Blade currently doesn't offer any subscription options that grant you more storage space.
This isn't a Netflix-style service, or a parallel to Xbox Game Pass since you're not subscribing for access to games, you're subscribing to a powerful Windows 10 PC.
If it's any consolation, your virtual PC accesses an internet connection that's rated at 805 Mbps down according to Google's own speed test. This makes games incredibly fast to download; Origin and Uplay were all downloading games at around 130 Mbps. In a way, you're getting access to gigabit internet via Shadow. Remember, you're not using your own connection to download games since you're controlling a PC remotely, but keep in mind that you are using your own bandwidth to stream.
It may sound odd that Shadow's cloud-based PCs use Nvidia Quadro P5000 workstation video cards as opposed to the more common GeForce gaming lineup--the rough equivalent would be a GTX 1080 in this case. And the same can be said about having an Intel Xeon E5 instead of the popular Intel Core i7 CPUs. Regardless, these specs make for a very capable gaming rig, if you're not expecting to run 4K with high settings in the latest games at 60 FPS.
Performance And Experience
In terms of performance metrics, I used the Final Fantasy XV benchmark to get a gauge of how the system's Quadro P5000 video card stacks up against more common cards. At 4K using the High settings preset, the FFXV benchmark gave a score of 3132, which roughly translates to an average of 31 FPS. This puts the Quadro P5000 right next to the GTX 1070 Ti and slightly below a GTX 1080, which are both formidable mid/high-end cards. For an idea of how it can handle 1080p using max settings in a graphically demanding game, we turned to the Assassin's Creed Odyssey benchmark, in which it got an average of 49 FPS.
One big concern when it comes to cloud-based gaming is latency, but you can largely put that to rest. The moment-to-moment gameplay experience using Shadow Ghost is undoubtedly impressive with little to no perceivable input lag. Games like Anthem, which move fast and pack a ton of action at any given moment, played so well that I soon forgot it was being streamed. This means that other games with forgiving windows for timing and less emphasis on speed, such as Assassin's Creed Odyssey, flow smooth and play nearly indistinguishable from a local PC. The level of performance Shadow delivers considering the asking price is quite impressive, but you probably don't want to rely on it for competitive games that move super-fast and emphasize twitch reactions.
I was able to stay competitive throughout my few hours with Apex Legends using Shadow, but hitches in the streaming feed were a lot more noticeable by nature of the game's speed and style. It rarely tripped me up, but having a stutter during an intense high-stakes firefight is less than ideal, which happens more frequently when using a wireless connection. I connected to a a WiFi network that had a 200 Mbps download speed and 5 ms latency reading, but hitches tended to happen at regular intervals and bogged down my experience in Apex Legends. It's readily apparent in audio; if you listen to a steady, sustained sound effect such as a waterfall in Anthem or simply listen to a song, you'll easily pick up on this issue.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey played on a MacBook Air through the Shadow application.
Another concern that some may have about cloud-based gaming is video compression; the loss of image quality from a streamed feed. You can probably pick up on compression when reading text or looking at smaller, more detailed objects in a game world, even at the highest bit rate of 70 Mbps. But loss in video quality largely goes unnoticed when you're in the heat of the moment or entirely focused on what's happening in the game you're playing.
The Ghost itself had a few of its own issues. My Xbox One controller and USB headset would only be recognized when plugged into the two USB 3.0 ports. The 3.5mm audio jack was inconsistent in sending audio and would occasionally deliver no sound. A restart of the Ghost itself would often resolve the problem, but it's certainly frustrating. I also experienced hard crashes on two separate occasions that had the Ghost revert to a command prompt screen that stated "Error: No calibratable device found." It was solved by unplugged the power source before starting it up again, but another inconvenience nonetheless.
If anything, Shadow showcases where gaming can go and where gaming hardware could fit into that future and makes that readily available in a competent form.
Using Shadow to turn my modest MacBook Air from 2015 into a decent rig by today's standards is more than just a novelty--it's a convenient, adequate way to play games in the presence of any viable internet connection. For the most part, the compact Shadow Ghost box proved to be a practical way to use the service in the absence of a device that can conveniently hook up to TVs and monitors. And regardless of however you use Shadow, you're putting very little stress on your local hardware and consuming relatively less power since, again, you're only streaming.
Final Thoughts
Blade further proves that cloud-based gaming is a viable option for the near future with its Shadow service. It's already impressive in many cases, especially when it comes to nearly imperceptible input lag and limited video compression on high-speed internet connections. When it comes to the Shadow Ghost set-top box, it decently fills the void for those who have no other means of running the service via Ethernet or conveniently for bigger screens.
It's not without its faults, however. Minor technical hiccups are bound to show up with the Ghost, but the lack of storage space and noticeable hitches in fast-moving games on a wireless connection prevent Shadow from being the best option for PC gaming. Shadow may be the right solution for the right person, though. For those who don't have much interest in playing competitive games dependent on quick reactions and don't concern themselves with pixel-perfect fidelity, it would suffice.
The most cost-effective way to get into Shadow is through a year-long subscription of $30 a month ($360 a year) when using a device with the application. Adding the Ghost to that puts it up to $500 for the initial year. You dictate (and own) what you play instead of being limited to what a service would offer, and that means having to buy games yourself. But as these technologies grow in capability and availability, how important it is to maintain an up-to-date PC at home is something you'll have to consider. If anything, Shadow showcases where gaming can go and where gaming hardware could fit into that future and makes that readily available in a competent form.
The Good
The Bad
+ Access to mid/high-end specs at a decent price
- Severely limited storage space
+ Little to no perceivable input lag
- Technical issues on the Ghost device to work through
+ Shadow is versatile and works on any device that can use the app
- Minor, but noticeable hitching, especially on a wireless connection
+ Low stress on local hardware
- Slight video compression even at the highest bit rate
Unlike most battle royale games, Apex Legends puts its whole focus on team-based gameplay--it currently only supports games in which you join a squad of three to face off against other teams. For a lot of players, that means jumping into the game to be matched up with random other players as teammates, which comes with its own challenges.
Playing by yourself in Apex Legends, rather than with friends on whom you can rely, can be tough. Random players have a tendency not to work together, they rarely talk to each other, and sometimes they run off and get killed. It's a lot tougher to be successful in a team game with players you don't know--but it's far from impossible. In fact, Apex Legends' innovations, like its robust ping system, can make the experience of playing with people you don't know pretty good, all things considered.
Still, there are lots of strategies and situations to consider if you're jumping onto a team all by yourself. Playing alone with people you don't know means adapting to the situation if you want to be successful, and it means trying to make the team work even if you're at a communications disadvantage. Changing the way you play, and paying attention to how your teammates play, can help you take down those championships even if you're not with your full squad of buds. Use these tips to help you be effective on a squad in matchmaking, or even when you find yourself all alone, whether by circumstance--or by choice.
Ping Like Crazy
Whether you're playing with randoms or your best friends, the best thing you can do in Apex Legends is share information. Playing with people you don't know usually means talking is kept to a minimum, but but you can still do a lot for your team by sharing information with pings. This doesn't mean you should mark every Mozambique you pass--please, stop doing that--but high-power weapons like the Longbow, Triple Take, Spitfire, and Peacekeeper are worthy of sharing, as are high-level attachments and accessories. More than that, letting your team know where enemies are and have been lets everyone keep aware of potential threats, and that makes your random team a lot more likely to survive.
Stick Together
It's tempting to wander off looting, striking out on your own a bit in order to grab the best gear you can without your teammates getting in your way, but resist the urge if you can. Spreading out so that your team can't quickly get together to aid one another is the best way to get beat in Apex Legends. What's more, most fights are won not by one particularly good player, but by the combined fire of a squad on a single enemy--it's the quickest way to take people out of the fight and skew the odds in your favor. If you let your randoms get picked off one at a time, you're going to struggle, no matter how clutch a player you are.
Share And Share Alike
Apex Legends is built on working together, and that goes beyond just shooting the same enemies or pinging good guns. Helping your teammates stay well-equipped and healthy will help you win matches. That means using your abilities when they'll help, if you're playing as someone like Lifeline, and it also means tossing teammates ammo, health, and shield pickups when they need them. Sharing will encourage players to share with you, and when you're all looking out for each other, your chances of winning are a lot higher. Keep your teammates alive and they'll help keep you alive, so share the loot wealth when you can.
Observe And Adapt
If possible, watch how your teammates play and try to find the best way to help them, both with your character's abilities and with your weapon choices. Are they trying to snipe? You might be better off getting in close on enemies if that's the case. Do they prefer close engagements? Providing sniper backup might be a better role for you, then. Try to diversify your team's roles and capabilities so that you can handle a variety of situations and engagements. If you're all carrying close-range or long-range weapons, you're more likely to fall to a team that's more versatile.
Don't Shoot At Enemies You Can't Kill
This is a good rule no matter the situation in Apex Legends, but when playing with randoms, it's especially useful. If you see enemies in the distance, don't start firing unless you're sure your team is ready for the engagement, and your chances of winning are good. Taking pot shots at players you can't reliably down is a good way to give away your position to another team that could ambush you, and it risks starting a fight with a team that might be better outfitted than you and giving away the element of surprise. It's better to ping an enemy position and try to close the distance before you're spotted than to start shooting and hope that your teammates will figure out what to do.
When Alone, Pick Your Engagements
The big trouble with being alone is that most players opposing you are going to be sticking together, and any three-on-one battle you enter is highly likely to be a loser. When more than one player focuses their fire on you, chances are, the fight is already over. The key, then, is to pick off enemies when they're separated, or to get the drop on them. Whether you've bailed on your team because you don't like them, or you're alone after losing everyone else, keeping yourself alive is job one when solo. If you find yourself outnumbered, try to get away, and move carefully and quietly to make sure you hear anybody who might be coming up on you.
Don't Just Quit
Be the change you want to see in the world. If you're downed early in a match or you don't get the Legend you want, don't just bail on your teammates. You're just contributing to everyone's bad time--your teammates are stuck with a disadvantage, which means they'll have less fun, and then they'll be more likely to quit out of their next game at the first sign of trouble, and on and on. Instead of contributing to the frustrations of the community at large, stick around; you never know when a teammate might make a clutch play and manage to revive you at a respawn beacon.
Following the news today that Electronic Arts will not have a traditional press conference at E3 2019 this year, indie game publisher Devolver Digital quickly chimed in to confirm it will have a press conference this year. That's good news, considering Devolver's previous E3 press conferences were some of the wackiest, wild, and absurd the show has to offer
Devolver confirmed in its tweet, "FWIW, we're still going to do an E3 press conference."
FWIW we're still going to do an E3 press conference.
Devolver's E3 press conferences in the past have been pre-recorded, and they're known to be truly absurd. The host usually makes jabs at video game industry trends and gaming culture in general. It's really great and refreshing.
We can only imagine what Devolver will have in store for its 2019 E3 press conference. We'll be watching, that's for sure.
EA won't have a traditional press conference at E3 this year, and, in a major shakeup for the annual summer gaming show, neither will Sony. Nintendo, Ubisoft, and Bethesda have yet to confirm their plans for E3 2019. Microsoft, meanwhile, is going big at E3 2019. The company will reportedly discuss its plans for next-generation consoles and more during the show.
E3 2019 runs June 12-14, so keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
One of Devolver's latest games, Ape Out, came out at the end of February. Here at GameSpot we gave it a 7/10 and called it a "pleasant, jazzy way to spend a few hours."
NantG has announced that the PC version of H1Z1--formally known as H1Z1: King of the Kill and H1Z1 before that--has been renamed Z1 Battle Royale. Also now called Z1BR for short, the title has received a patch that updates almost every aspect of the free-to-play battle royale game. The PS4 version of the game (still owned by its original developer Daybreak Games--which itself used to be called Sony Online Entertainment) will retain its H1Z1 moniker. Confused by all the name changing yet? No? Excellent.
"[The PC update for Z1BR is] also huge because it represents the first big delivery on the promise that the new NantG team made when it took over development last September: Bring back the game that so many of you fell in love with in the classic 'King of the Kill' era around Preseason 3 at the end of 2016 and in early 2017," NantG general manager Anthony Castoro said in a blog post. "We still plan to address old weapon models, classic in-game UI elements, and more," he continued.
The new patch updates movement and stance animations, as well as combat and gun mechanics. In terms of animations, updates have been made to running, jumping, crouching, weapon swapping and reloading, and both active and passive stances. The speed of running and strafing, as well as the height of your jump, has also been changed. We've listed the combat and gun mechanic changes below.
Z1 Battle Royale Weapon Changes
AR-15 restored PS3 recoil and bullet speed.
AK-47 restored PS3 recoil and bullet speed.
Shotgun restored PS3 recoil and bullet speed.
M1911 restored PS3 recoil, fire rate, and bullet speed.
Sniper Rifle restored PS3 recoil, sway, and bullet speed.
Removed the Hellfire SMG and reintroduced the M1911A1.
Melee Weapons had a QoL clean up to responsiveness.
ADS snap speed when strafing/jumping.
Tweaks have also been made to the environment and vehicles. A new Ranked Pro playlist has been made available in Solos mode too, and the patch implements a series of bug fixes. There's quite a bit, all of which is outlined in the full patch notes on Z1BR's Steam page.
Captain Marvel is the final step before Avengers: Endgame, and no one can blame you for waiting with bated breath all the way through to the credits. After all, Infinity War concluded with the ultimate tease in its after-credit sequence, as the rapidly disintegrating Nick Fury frantically sent a page to who we could only assume was the still-not-officially-introduced Captain Marvel.
With her movie finally here, this is do-or-die time, and our last real chance to get some information before the final showdown with Thanos happens in Avengers: Endgame this April. These may be the most highly anticipated post-credits scenes in MCU history for that reason alone--and we're happy to make sure you're getting the absolute most out of them. Here's how many scenes you can expect to see during and after the end credits, as well as exactly what happens in them. Also be sure to check out our Captain Marvel review.
That said, there are obviously spoilers to follow, so proceed with caution if you're the sort of person who wants to head into either Captain Marvel or Endgame totally blind.
There's a pretty major time jump between the final scene of the movie and the first post credits scene--all the way from 1995 to post-Infinity War. We're not exactly sure how long post-Infinity War, but we have to assume it's relatively soon thanks to the presence of Steve's beard (while Cap was fully bearded when Infinity War ended, he's been clean shaved in both Endgame trailers so far). So, right after Infinity War is where we join Steve, Nat, Bruce, and Rhodey in the Avengers compound for Captain Marvel's first of two post-credits stingers.
There are several important things to note here. One, they're monitoring the situation in the post-Snap Earth as best they can--but, as Steve points out, it's a "nightmare," and they're not really getting anywhere. Two, they've found Fury's pager, and and they've been monitoring it for some time. How exactly they found it after it was just left on a random street in New York is pretty unclear, but we'll give Fury the benefit of the doubt and assume his car had some sort of tracking device they were able to follow in order to investigate his disappearance once they left Wakanda. Regardless, they've got the pager and they've been running it nonstop--but they have no idea what it does, so they're playing it relatively safe and keeping the whole thing under wraps.
But that doesn't actually seem to matter all that much because--surprise!--just as they're starting to debate whether it's worth trying to send the mysterious signal again, Carol shows up. That's right! One second she's not there, and the next she is, right smack dab in the middle of the Avengers compound, which she apparently infiltrated instantly and in complete silence. So that's how Captain Marvel arrives on Earth--one major question down, about a million more to go.
The most striking thing about Carol's sudden arrival is that, assuming we're right about the time elapsed between this moment and Infinity War, this means Carol actually shows up pretty early on in the process--in all likelihood, before the footage we've seen in both the Endgame trailers. So where was she during the trailers? Will she actually have a role in the team's plan to save the world like we all assume she will? Or is there something else going on?
More importantly, if Carol isn't the lynchpin of whatever plan Steve and co are cooking up, who or what is?
The scene doesn't go on long enough to give us any real answers--we don't get to see how the team reacts to Carol or how Carol reacts to the team, what that dynamic will be like, or if they're even able to trust each other under the circumstances. Looks like we'll be waiting until April for that.
Enter Goose
The second post credits scene is, unsurprisingly, a gag bit--sort of in the vein of Ant-Man & The Wasp's giant drumming ant, or Guardian's Howard the Duck cameo. We see Nick Fury's desk with everyone's favorite Goose, coughing up a "hairball" while Nick isn't around. Of course, the "hairball" is actually the Tesseract, which Goose swallowed earlier in the film to keep it away from Yon-Rogg.
Now, there might be some confusion about this scene, since Nick's absence makes it actually look like the scene might be set post-Infinity War at first glance. But it's not, don't worry. Notice the giant, clunky CRT monitor on Nick's desk? This scene is definitely still in the '90s, long before Thor picked up the Tesseract in the first Avengers film. So put those tin foil hats away--Thanos destroyed the Tesseract and got the Space Stone for the Infinity Gauntlet. Goose wasn't somehow keeping a bonus Tesseract secret from everyone all this time.
...Unless he was? In the comics, Flerken have the ability to access pocket dimensions, which could mean that, if the Russo Brothers totally ran out of ideas, he might actually be able to access some alternate reality version of the Infinity Stones and spit one out.
Probably not, though. But it might be something to keep in mind if you want to get deep, deep into the conspiracy theory well before Endgame releases on April 26. You've gotta pass that time somehow, right? And we certainly won't judge you.
Chances are, even if you're not super familiar with Marvel comics, you could maybe cite some facts about the Skrulls. They're one of the most iconic fictional alien races in pop culture, from their weirdly ridged chins and green skin to their ominous ability to shapeshift into just about anyone. They've been a major thorn in the side of virtually every Marvel superhero team since Fantastic Four #2 back in 1962, and for good reason. Traditionally, the Skrulls have always been seen as an invasive and destabilizing force--they invade planets in secret with their shapeshifting powers to infiltrate and later overtake whole worlds by turning friends on one another and allowing paranoia to do most of the work for them.
Sounds pretty devious, right? So it's no wonder that fans have been clamoring anxiously about all the new potential threats the Skrulls could represent in the MCU, now that they're being officially introduced in Captain Marvel. Except, that's not exactly how things actually panned out in the end. We were ready for just about every possible Skrull-related twist, from the reveal that beloved characters like Black Widow have actually been Skrulls this entire time to a full scale Secret Invasion-based storyline. We weren't, however, prepared for what we actually got.
Captain Marvel turned the idea of Skrulls on its head--and this changes everything we thought we knew about the future of the MCU. Obviously, we're getting into spoiler territory here, so consider yourself warned.
The major revelation of Captain Marvel was that Talos, the Skrull "leader" and assumed villain of the movie, in fact was not a villain at all--he, and his people, were victims. Yon-Rogg and the Kree were the bad guys all along, hunting down and massacring the Skrulls after they refused to submit to Kree rule. This, in and of itself, isn't totally shocking--in the comics the Kree/Skrull war is a pretty infamous storyline that revolves around the endless conflict between the two alien races. The major difference is that, in the comics, the lines between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" aren't so clearly drawn--both the Kree and the Skrulls are villains, they just so happen to be villains who are fighting with one another.
Not so in the MCU. Captain Marvel makes it perfectly clear that the Skrulls are actually anything but evil this time around--at least, not that we can see. There is absolutely no evidence in Captain Marvel to suggest that the Skrulls have done anything truly villainous, which puts us in an interesting position moving forward.
If the Skrulls aren't evil, conniving spies, what exactly are they? It certainly doesn't mean that there haven't been Skrulls hanging out on Earth for all these years, but it does drastically alter the stakes. For instance, if we suddenly learned that Natasha's been a Skrull this whole time, it would just be a quirky little character detail now, rather than a major, mind blowing revelation.
It also significantly reduces the chance of a live action Secret Invasion adaptation--a comic book event fans have been clamoring for since the Skrulls were first confirmed for the big screen. In Secret Invasion, the Avengers were devastated as they uncovered a conspiracy by a Skrull princess named Veranke who simultaneously undermined virtually every hero team in operation by placing secret double agents in their midst. Fans assumed that, by seeding the Skrull history back as far as the 90s in the MCU, a potential Secret Invasion-style story with a covert population ready to rise up and attack in the modern day was all but inevitable--but that probably won't be the case. After all, there isn't much of a threat behind groups of refugees hiding in plain sight to escape violent, tyrannical rule.
Good Skrulls aren't a totally new concept for Marvel. The lines between right and wrong for both the Kree and the Skrulls have always been pretty murky, and defectors from either side have cropped up time and time again to side with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The same way heroes like Mar-Vell, Carol, and Noh-Varr of the Avengers are human-aligned Kree, characters like Hulkling (of Young Avengers fame), the Cadre K (a group of X-Men adjacent aliens), and Xavin (of the original Runways) have all been human-aligned Skrulls. Of course, these characters' choices usually put them directly at odds with the imperatives of their homeworlds, but, hey, at least they're on our side, right?
Of course, none of this means the Skrulls can never be villains in the MCU. Talos and his group of survivors represent only a small sector of the scattered Skrull population--in his own words, "this is just the beginning--there are thousands of us separated from each other, scattered throughout the galaxy." This means there could be radical Skrull factions out there somewhere who are less interested in slipping away into a peaceful life than Talos was.
So, will we see a group of Skrulls come storming in to stealthily attack the Earth sometime in the future? Maybe. But are there secretly groups of Skrulls hiding on Earth ready to pounce at the slightest provocation, who have been covertly destabilizing our favorite heroes since the very beginning? Probably not. And since that makes the MCU's future all the more unpredictable, maybe it's a good thing.
If you've been following Captain Marvel's promotion at all, there's a good chance you know about Goose the cat--he's easily the MCU's latest breakout star, despite being, well, at cat. He even got his very own character poster right alongside Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson--not bad for someone who can't actually speak and doesn't have opposable thumbs.
But the truth about Goose is actually a little weirder than what you might assume. Sure, the internet loves cats, and the MCU has been sorely lacking in plucky animal companions since Rocket was introduced back in Guardians 1, but Goose is actually a lot more than meets the eye--and way, way more than a mascot for Carol and Nick's fun buddy cop adventures through the '90s.
Here's your obligatory spoiler warning: Major Captain Marvel plot points discussed below.
The truth is Goose is no ordinary cat--he's actually not a cat at all. Like his comics counterpart, Chewie, Goose is actually an alien known as a Flerken, a funny name for a monster that is really anything but.
Introduced fairly recently in Captain Marvel #1 back in 2014, Flerkens are a sort of dangerous alien creature that look shockingly similar to Earth's cats, but are in fact deadly, monstrous eating machines that procreate by laying over a hundred eggs at a time and can run the risk of infesting any area they call home. They've got tentacles in their mouths, voracious appetites, and stomachs that contain "pocket dimensions" that allow them to consume things much larger than their bodies without issue. In a weird way, they're almost like Star Trek's infamous Tribbles--but a bit more deadly and sly.
A Flerken infestation could prove deadly if left unchecked, which is why most people who know what they are and how to spot them react pretty violently to them--or, they just try to get as far away from them as possible. It was Rocket Racoon who first realized the truth about Chewie in the comics--which Carol herself vehemently denied, until he was proven right a bit later when we saw Chewie in a nest of all his Flerkhen eggs.
The movie handles Goose similarly, with Talos filling the role of the Flerken-spotter. Our confirmation of Goose doesn't come from a nest, however, but a starring role as the heroes' catch-all secret weapon, using his tentacle mouth and interior pocket dimension to not only kill a handful of Kree soldiers, but also to spirit the Tesseract back to Earth unnoticed.
The biggest question for the MCU is how, exactly, did Goose end up on Earth in the first place? He's not given any real origin story, and instead just shows up at the Project Pegasus base as Nick and Carol work to infiltrate it. The simplest and most obvious answer would be that Mar-Vell herself brought Goose to Earth while she was undercover, but what has he been doing for all this time since Mar-Vell's death and Carol's disappearance if that's the case? Protecting the Tesseract? Sneaking food and shelter from SHIELD? Just getting really into being treated like a house cat? And why would Mar-Vell bring a Flerken to Earth to begin with?
Who really knows? It's possible we haven't seen the last of Goose--or, at the very least, of his little Flerken relatives. He was on Earth for an awfully long time unsupervised, and if he's anything like Chewie, that means there's probably a big Flerken nest somewhere hidden on the Pegasus base. Maybe they've already hatched and there are hundreds of unsuspecting humans out there unknowingly caring for eldritch aliens.
What if the Flerken are the real invading force we all thought the Skrulls would turn into? Watch out, Thanos, there might be a new big bad in town.
Probably not. But maybe. Listen, they're a cat with other dimensions in their stomachs. They can eat Infinity Stones and hack them up like hairballs, as the after-credits scene shows. Tell me that's not at least a little bit terrifying.
One of the most-anticipated upcoming games, Cyberpunk 2077, is coming to E3 in June, but you don't have to wait that long to hear the developers talk about it. PlayStation has posted a new "Creating Cyberpunk 2077" video in which developers from CD Projekt Red discuss some elements of the long-in-development first-person RPG.
Miles Tost, one of the game's level designers, speaks in the video about why CD Projekt Red has kept so quiet about Cyberpunk 2077 over the years. He explains that video game development is an "iterative" process, which means things change all the time. That's just how development works. And it seems CD Projekt Red is more interested in waiting until it has something great, polished, and refined to show.
"The reason why you can't really go out and show everything is because video game development is such an iterative process," Tost says. "What we have now might not be there tomorrow. We've had ideas that have died over the years then they've been resurrected then they've died again and now they're back."
It's also confirmed in the video that Cyberpunk 2077 takes place 50 years after the source material and on a parallel timeline, which affords the studio another level of freedom to do new things. You can watch the full video in the embed above.
Cyberpunk 2077 was re-revealed at E3 2018 last year, and a 48-minute gameplay trailer left a lot of people very impressed. The game promises a nonlinear story designed for "mature" players and is set in the metropolis of Night City. According to CD Projekt Red, it will have some sandbox elements and a form of multiplayer.
The game is set to show up again at E3 2019 this June, but there is no word yet on what more we'll see or learn about the long-in-development game. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
According to Collider, the sequel may introduce a number of characters from the DC Comics world, including Ratcatcher, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, and Peacemaker.
Ratcatcher, who is one of Batman's enemies, is a man in the comics but will be a woman in the Suicide Squad sequel, according to Collider. King Shark is just that--a hulking humanoid shark. Polka-Dot Man is another villain whose body can produce polka dots that become weapons. Peacemaker, meanwhile, is an "agent of peace."
Sources told Collider that Suicide Squad 2 writer-director James Gunn, the Guardians of the Galaxy director who has yet to be officially announced for the project, is looking at Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista for the part of Peacemaker.
The Suicide Squad sequel, which is apparently called The Suicide Squad, comes to theatres on August 6, 2021. There is no word yet as to whether or not Margot Robbie will come back to play Harley Quinn or if Jared Leto will return to portray The Joker again. Also unknown is if Joel Kinnaman will be back as Rick Flagg or if Viola Davis will return as Amanda Waller.
It's worth mentioning that the sequel's script remains subject to change and none of the new details that emerged today have been confirmed by Warner Bros.
Gunn, who directed Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2, was fired by Disney in 2018 over distasteful comments he made earlier in his career. Bautista was one of Gunn's most outspoken defenders.
The latest trailer for the movie about Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien has come online, providing another look at Nicholas Hoult as the legendary author during his formative years. The movie, called Tolkien, touches on Tolkien's life as an orphan and his romantic relationship with Edith Bratt, who is played by Lily Collins.
In one nice scene in the trailer, we see Tolkien telling Bratt about how he invented an entire language--as he actually did--for his Middle-earth stories. A major focus of the story will be Tolkien's time in school with his close friends and how they later fought in World War I together as a "fellowship." Some of Tolkien's friends died on the battlefield, and the author's time in battle reportedly inspired some of his Middle-earth writing.
Another major element of the film will be Tolkien's relationship with Bratt. It's been reported that this relationship inspired Tolkien's Beren and Luthien story, which itself inspired the Aragorn-Arwen relationship in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings series.
Tolkien hits theatres on May 10. It's directed by Dome Karukoski (Heart of Finland), based on script from David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford.
In addition to this film, another one is in the works that focuses on the relationship between Tolkien and Narnia writer C.S. Lewis, and how Tolkien helped convert Lewis to Christianity.
There has been no shortage of events in Pokemon Go recently, and now developer Niantic has announced a new kind will be taking place next week. On Wednesday, March 13, players will be able to take part in the Legendary Lunch Hour, the first of what Niantic hopes will become a weekly series of events.
The Legendary Lunch Hour runs from 12-1 PM local time. During that window of time, there will be an increased number of Raids going on, giving players on their lunch breaks a chance to team up with classmates or colleagues and participate in Raid Battles together.
Niantic calls the Legendary Lunch Hour an "experiment," with next week's event serving as a test run of sorts. The developer says it will listen to player feedback in order to fine tune the event and make it one that players "can enjoy every week." You can read more about the first Legendary Lunch Hour on the Pokemon Go website.
The Legendary Lunch Hour isn't the only Pokemon Go event taking place next week. Niantic is also bringing back the Gen 3 Legendary Rayquaza for a special Raid Weekend event from March 15-18. There's also the ongoing Battle Showdown event, which gives players a chance to find more Fighting Pokemon--including the Shiny forms of Mankey and Machop--until March 12.
In other news, the Legendary Pokemon Dialga recently made its Pokemon Go debut. The Temporal Pokemon will appear in Raid Battles until March 28. The game's next Community Day, meanwhile, is set for March 23, and this time the featured Pokemon will be Treecko, one of the three starters from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.
Season 8 of Epic's hit battle royale game, Fortnite, rolls on with a new set of weekly challenges to complete on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Week 2's tasks have players trekking to the furthest north, south, east, and west points on the island and dealing damage with the new Pirate Cannon weapon, among other things, all to score some more Battle Stars and unlock this season's cosmetic rewards.
If you're a seasoned Fortnite veteran by this point, you'll know there's an added incentive to complete as many challenges as you can; if you finish all of the tasks from a given week, you'll also clear a Discovery challenge and earn a special loading screen. On its own, the loading screen may not seem like a particularly worthwhile reward for completing so many tasks, but each one you unlock through this season's Discovery challenges contains a subtle clue pointing you to a free item hiding somewhere around the island.
Just as in Season 7, the item in question will alternate between a Battle Star (which levels your Battle Pass up by one tier) or a Banner (which can be used as a profile icon) depending on how many sets of challenges you've completed. The latter will be up for grabs if you've finished two weeks' sets, but first you'll need to figure out where it's hiding. Fortunately, this one is fairly easy to find.
After completing the second Discovery challenge, you'll unlock the loading screen pictured above. Look closely at the background, and you'll see the Banner etched into the wall to the left of the volcano's throne, giving you a clear idea of where you'll need to go. Head into the volcano and find the throne, and the Banner will appear beside it just as teased. Collect it then finish the match and it'll be yours to use as an icon.
The volcano should be easy enough to spot, but if you need help finding it, we've marked its location on the map below. You can also watch us get our hands on the Banner in the video at the top of this guide for a step-by-step look at where to go. However, be warned that the Banner will only appear if you've completed the requisite number of challenges, so you won't simply be able to go to the right location and collect it unless you've put in the necessary work.
Season 8 has only just begun, but already a lot has changed in Fortnite. The game's most recent update, patch 8.01, introduced Buried Treasure maps, which give you a chance to find some hidden loot around the island. There are also already a bunch of challenges to complete. If you need some assistance, you can find tips for the trickier ones in our complete Season 8 challenges guide.
We missed you, Cobra Kai. Thankfully, the YouTube Premium series is ready for its Season 2 return and things have never looked more intense for the Karate Kid sequel series. In the first trailer for the new season, which premieres on April 24, it's clear that Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) will likely never get over their venomous relationship.
The teaser reveals that Daniel is dedicating himself to taking down the Cobra Kai dojo by fully launching the rival Miyagi-Do, which allows him to pass on the lessons he learned from Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in the original Karate Kid film. What's more, he's offering his lessons for free in an attempt to undercut Johnny and Cobra Kai. "At Miyagi-Do, it's not about the money," he says. "It's about the karate."
Meanwhile, with Sensei Kreese (Martin Jove) back in the picture, it seems as though Johnny is embracing the dark side of Cobra Kai, as he teaches his students to be as ruthless as he once was. "Cobra Kai is about being badass," he tells his students.
What remains to be seen is whether we'll finally get to see Johnny and Daniel face-off once again. In the Season 1 finale, the two dojos went head-to-head, with Cobra Kai fighting dirty to take the victory. Still, we never saw Johnny and Daniel spar with each other, which one would assume has to happen at some point.
Regardless of whether it happens this season, fans won't have to wait long to find out if the two will finally have it out. All Season 2 episodes of Cobra Kai arrive April 24 on YouTube Premium.
PUBG Corp. has announced that future updates are coming to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds to improve the battle royale game's maps. The first map to be remastered is Erangel, PUBG's original battlefield.
"As some of you inferred from some recent leaks of a map image, we are working on new ways to balance loot and otherwise improve our maps, Erangel being the first," PUBG Corp. wrote in a blog post. "The addition of compounds is just one way we're testing internally, but is certainly not the ONLY way." In order to ensure any map changes "feel good when completed," PUBG Corp. plans on "testing several potential changes to Erangel soon." The exact details concerning these possible changes and planned tests will be revealed "in the coming weeks."
The blog post also reminds players to keep in mind that "leaked images are usually just a snapshot in time and rarely represent the entire plan or scope of what's being worked on." So the image of the new Erangel map may not turn out to be the changes that PUBG Corp. ultimately goes with. If, however, the image is to be believed, PUBG Corp. plans on adding numerous housing compounds to Erangel, creating new drops spots and points of interest to the map.
Along with the remastered visuals and layout, PUBG Corp. also intends to rebalance loot placement and drop rates on PUBG's maps. Like the visual and layout remaster, the loot rebalance will be coming to Erangel first. PUBG Corp. hasn't yet revealed what the rebalance patch might entail but it plans to test the changes with players first before solidifying them.
In November 2018, PUBG Corp. executive producer Taeseok Jang published a blog post detailing the company's plans for PUBG in 2019--which hinted something like map remasters might be coming. "Build stability and quality are now our most important value, and upon that base we will build new battle royale gameplay and new content," he wrote. "At first, this is likely to slow down our build cadence, but as these processes become more proficient, we hope to provide new content as fast as before, while maintaining our new stability and quality-first goal."
Captain Marvel is out now, and Microsoft is marking the occasion with a special console giveaway. You can enter a sweepstakes to win an Xbox One X with a custom paint job modeled after the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
To enter you simply need to retweet the promotional tweet. You need to be 14 or older, and minors need a parent or guardian's consent to enter the contest. Entries are open through Thursday, March 28, after which the company will draw a name from the entrants and notify the winner.
Captain Marvel tells the story of Carol Danvers, aka the title character. This is a prequel story that takes place in the 1990s, detailing her origin story and laying the groundwork for her involvement in Avengers: Endgame. She was primed to be a major part of the conclusion of the Avengers story by a post-credits sequence in Avengers: Infinity War, when Nick Fury sent out a beacon for her just before dissolving into dust. If you're eager to find out how the new movie follows it up, we've got a breakdown on Captain Marvel's end credits scenes, as well as some thoughts on its Skrulls and Goose the cat.
"Captain Marvel hits all the right notes, but it feels like it was released at the wrong time," Michael Rougeau wrote in GameSpot's review. "There's too much anticipation and dread right now to fully enjoy this heroic cul-de-sac. It doesn't quite set up the twists you might want it to, and its many expansions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe feel like fodder for future movies, not the impending Endgame itself. Carol Danvers would have been better served with an explosive entrance in Endgame, then her own standalone to kick off the MCU's next phase. Right now this movie is an obligatory addendum to the Avengers story, when it deserved to be an essential opening chapter."
For a broader view, check out our reviews roundup for more critical reception from around the industry. Captain Marvel opens on March 8.
Epic Games launched its own digital game storefront back in December, and to celebrate its first year in business, Epic is giving away a free game every two weeks. The latest free PC game is available now from the Epic Games Store: Slime Rancher, a charming first-person game set on a distant world known as the "Far, Far Range" where you collect cute, colorful slimes, grow crops, and harvest resources.
Essentially, you're in charge of feeding the slimes, which then produce "plorts" that can be exchanged for Newbucks, the in-game currency you use to purchase various upgrades for your farm. You can also experiment to create new slime types--but sometimes your slime creations may turn deadly. With a wild and vivid open world to explore and a slime farm to run, there's plenty to keep you entertained in this creative sandbox game (which is also available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4).
Slime Farm, which normally sells for $20 on PC, is available for free in the Epic Games Store until March 21, when it will be replaced by Epic's next free giveaway, Oxenfree, a supernatural mystery game from Night School Studio. To claim the free download, all you have to do is create an Epic account. It's worth it to keep the account, as Epic already has a track record of offering unique, high-quality games, with past freebies including gems like What Remains of Edith Finch, Subnautica, Thimbleweed Park, and Axiom Verge.
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