If you open Netflix this weekend, you'll probably come across a new show called Locke and Key. Season 1 of the fantasy-horror series went live today, with all 10 episodes available to binge. Comic book readers will likely instantly recognize the series, as it's adapted from one of the very best comics of the 21st century. The show diverges from Joe Hill's original comics, removing some of the more frightening elements in favor of lighthearted fantasy. With that said, it's definitely worth checking out the comics whether you enjoy the show or not. Amazon has the Locke and Key Slipcase Set on sale for $65.62, roughly $35 off its list price.The Slipcase Set contains the six main Locke and Key stories See at Amazon The Locke and Key Slipcase Set compiles the six main volumes in the comic series (984 pages in all):Welcome to LovecraftHead GamesCrown of ShadowsKeys to the KingdomClockworksAlpha and OmegaAfter Rendell Locke is brutally murdered, newly widowed Nina and her three kids--Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode--move to Rendell's childhood home in Lovecraft, Massachusetts known as Keyhouse Manor. They soon learn that Keyhouse is much more than a home; it's filled with doors to other dimensions and an ominous being that's seeking the key that Rendell died protecting. Locke and Key's gripping story is told in non-chronological order, jumping from the present to the past throughout.The comics are genuinely frightening, which isn't surprising considering that Hill is responsible for some of the best modern horror fiction, including Heart-Shaped Box and NOS4A2.The Slipcase Set contains most of the Locke and Key comics, but not all. A seventh volume, Heaven and Earth, released in 2017 and features three new one-shot stories and other one-shots from "The Golden Age" arc that take place in the past. Last year, Joe Hill revealed a new six-issue arc in the series called World War Key, and earlier this week he announced a new one-shot called Pale Battalions.For those who have already read the comics, make sure to check out our breakdown detailing the biggest changes in the show. After you watch Episode 1, see how many of these Easter Eggs you noticed. Best Deals This Week PSA: Resident Evil 3 Pre-Orders Are Discounted At Amazon (PS4, Xbox One) February 2020 PS Plus Games Revealed For PS4 February 2020 Xbox Games With Gold Revealed Two Excellent Strategy Games Are Free On PC Best Nintendo Switch Deals In The Eshop This Week Info from Gamespot.com

The sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has found itself a new writer. Michael Waldron, the creator of Marvel's Loki series premiering on Disney+ in early 2021, will pen the script for the upcoming MCU Phase 4 film.Waldron will take over for Jade Barlett, who had penned a draft of the script already, according to The Wrap. During Comic-Con 2019, Kevin Feige and then-director Scott Derrickson said the Doctor Strange sequel will be the MCU's "first scary movie," though how scary it will be with its PG-13 rating remains to be seen.The news comes just as the Doctor Strange sequel began eyeing original Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi to lead the project. If selected, Raimi will replace Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson, who announced last month that he is not returning to direct the sequel because of creative differences. Derrickson confirmed that he will stay on the project as an executive producer.Benedict Cumberbatch will return as the titular character, Doctor Strange. Benedict Wong (Wong) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Karl Mordo) are also reprising in their roles, while Elizabeth Olsen will star as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. As GameSpot sister site Comic Book reports, Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer) won't return for the Doctor Strange sequel.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is slated to hit theatres on May 7, 2021, with production scheduled to start this May. Marvel News Disney Plus The Falcon And Winter Soldier And WandaVision Get Rough Release Dates Falcon And Winter Soldier, Loki, And WandaVision Footage Revealed During Super Bowl Commercial MCU Theories For WandaVision, Falcon And Winter Soldier, Loki TV Shows Marvel Phase 4 Movies & TV Shows: Here's What's Coming Info from Gamespot.com

The demo for Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers hit the Switch's Japanese Eshop and PSN earlier this week and I was able play through it with a few easy steps. I absolutely appreciate how it captures the style and spirit of the RPG in action form--it's also exciting as hell to continue the story of the Phantom Thieves since this is as close to a sequel as you could get. But the thing that's still stuck in my head is that remix to the battle theme "Last Surprise" that hits during certain fights in P5 Scramble, because damn, it is a certified banger.Persona 5's lavish style was complemented by its eclectic jazz-fusion soundtrack, and "Last Surprise" was emblematic of that. It kicks off with dramatic strings, transitions to the groovy vocals of singer Lyn Inaizumi, and goes into the iconic (and over-meme'd) hook with "YOU NEVER SEE IT COMIIIIIIIIIIN'!" After 100+ battles with the song playing, it naturally gets shuffled as background sound. It still stands as an incredible song that shows Atlus Sound Team's creativity and talents, but what if I told you the Persona 5 Scramble remix was just as good, if not better? Stick with me here and listen to it real quick:In the opening seconds, the remix hits you with a more direct melodic-hardcore tone--the new rhythm guitar melody complements that familiar main riff. The two guitar tracks harmonize with each other just right, and as a result, creates a better balance since the song relies a bit less on the riff itself. Also, Lyn's vocal note she holds before the beat picks up thrusts you right into the new fast tempo; and the heavier percussion flawlessly supports the bold new sound. Even though the remix leans more into punk-metal, it doesn't ditch the all of the original's elements as you can still catch the orchestral strings in the hook and the second verse comes with a funky rhythm guitar.It's so different from the original, yet it evokes the same attitude Persona 5 embodies and fits the new action RPG mold. But I think the remix also reminds me of when I would go to punk shows and throw down in moshpits, so when I hear it, I daydream of throwing down at a Persona Super Live concert.Maybe hearing a new, fresh version of a top-tier battle theme has me hyped in the moment, but I'll entertain the idea that the "Last Surprise" remix might be the better version. Then again, why pit two great songs against each other? After all, they both slap in their own unique ways. Honestly, I'm just happy to have more music from the Atlus Sound Team. There are a bunch of new songs in Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers which you'll start to hear more of when it launches in Japan on February 20. Even Persona 5 Royal has some new tracks, and you can catch up on everything new in P5R ahead of its March 31 release date in the West.Info from Gamespot.com

The Xbox One had a rocky launch in 2013, but since then, Microsoft has markedly improved the console and, most importantly, its controllers. Things are looking great heading into the Xbox Series X launch, especially since the next-gen console will be backward-compatible with all of the Xbox One's peripherals. That means every Xbox One owner already owns a controller that works with the Series X, and anything they buy before the console releases will be compatible as well.Best Xbox One controllers with Xbox Series X compatibilityWith the number of great Xbox controllers on the market, including high-end options, you can rest easy knowing that if you drop a large amount of money on a pad, you'll be able to use it with Xbox Series X and the next generation of Xbox consoles.Of course, the basic Xbox One controller is perfectly suitable. It features excellent ergonomics, smooth triggers, and accurate analog sticks, and if you need to face someone 1-on-1 in a fighting game, its clicky D-pad will serve you well enough. However, some of the alternative options will give you customization features, a more accessible experience, or even an edge over the competition.If you need to keep your thumbs on both sticks during a tense firefight, there are several controllers from Microsoft, Scuf, and Razer that feature remappable back paddles. If you want to relive the past with a hefty dose of nostalgia, the Xbox One has two excellent options in Hyperkin's Duke and X91 pads. And if you're looking to streamline the gameplay experience as, or for, someone with limited mobility, then Microsoft has an excellent, accessibility-focused controller.Xbox Series X controller: What we know about the next-gen padWe won't have hands-on with the Xbox Series X controller until later this year, but we already know quite a bit about it. At the end of 2019, we spoke to Xbox head Phil Spencer for the Xbox Series X's reveal. He said Microsoft learned a lot from the Elite controller and through fan feedback. Two significant design changes for the Xbox Series X controller came from that. The first is a new hybrid D-pad, while the second is a share button. Aside from this and some obvious cosmetic changes, not much else has been adjusted, as Spencer believes the Xbox One controller is already "pretty good." And like every controller on this list, it'll be compatible with the Xbox Series X and any Xbox One console. Xbox Series X And Xbox One News February 2020 Xbox Games With Gold Revealed Xbox Series X: Release Date, Specs, Price, And Everything We Know Why You Can't Pre-Order Xbox Series X Yet Xbox Series X Exclusive Details: Say Hello To Microsoft's Next-Gen Console We'll keep this article updated as we test new controllers, leading up to the release of the Xbox Series X and throughout its lifespan. While you wait for the next-gen console, be sure to read through our list of the best Xbox One controllers that will work with the Series X. It's important to note that the prices indicated below are each controller's standard price and don't reflect any discounts or fluctuations.Quick look: The best Xbox One controllers in 2020 Xbox One wireless controller -- starts at $60Xbox Design Lab controller -- starts at $70Xbox Elite Series 2 controller -- $180Xbox Adaptive controller -- $100Scuf Prestige -- starts at $160Razer Wolverine Ultimate -- $160Hyperkin Duke -- $70Hyperkin X91 -- $30Razer Atrox fight stick -- $200 Best value Xbox One wireless controller | starts at $60/$70Pros:Stark improvements have made for an excellent standard controllerAffordable priceSeveral different editions to choose fromOf course, you can't talk about the best Xbox One controllers without first talking about the standard of which all are based on. The Xbox One controller has overgone a significant makeover since it was first released with the console back in 2013. For starters, the bumpers have been tuned to make them more ergonomic and easier to push, while the entire front faceplate of the controller is now one solid piece of plastic--the plastic around the Home button used to be separate from the rest of the pad. In addition to that, the controller now features a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth connectivity. Other small changes have also been adopted, making it increasingly hard to go back to any previous iteration of the Xbox One controller. Despite all the changes, it still requires two AA batteries.Different editions of the controller sometimes boast unique properties, such as extra texture on the hand grips or triggers. If you want a unique design for your controller, Microsoft offers Xbox Design Lab, which gives you the ability to change the colour of almost every single part of the pad--you can also add an engraved message. No matter what direction you go with a standard Xbox One controller, you're going to get a great pad that works well with every game on the console. | Mat Paget See Xbox One controller at Amazon See Xbox Design Lab at Microsoft Best overall Xbox One controllerXbox One Elite Series 2 controller | $180Pros:Newly added grips keep controller firmly in your handsTrigger stops automatically adjust sensitivityThree profiles for controller customizationAdjustable analog-stick tensionNew thumb-stick heads emulate Xbox 360 controller40-hours of battery lifeCons:Uncomfortable with all four paddles attachedThe Xbox One Elite Series 2 controller is hard to beat. With its textured hand and trigger grips, refined trigger stops, and adjustable stick tension, it's quite the step up from the original Elite controller. It features all of the same customization options as well, but instead of only two profiles, there are four--one of which returns the controller to its default settings. It also boasts a built-in battery that can last up to 40 hours and Bluetooth connectivity, which was introduced to the Xbox One's controllers after the release of the Elite Series 1 controller.There is a downside, though. Microsoft's layout for the Elite controllers' back paddles is a bit uncomfortable, and while it's not terribly difficult to get used to, I do find it hard to get my hands into a comfortable position with all four paddles attached. Thankfully, I don't feel the need to have all four paddles attached--I'm perfectly content with two paddles for crouching and jumping in my shooters of choice. However, when companies like Scuf make controllers with a comfortable layout for all four paddles, it is slightly disappointing by comparison.Despite this setback, the Elite Series 2 is a delight to use. The extra hand and trigger grip feels nice, and being able to adjust the stick tension is a huge positive. The tighter analog sticks feel great, and when paired with the larger thumb stick heads, it emulates the Xbox 360 controller except with the more comfortable ergonomics of the Xbox One pad. On top of that, there are now two trigger stop positions as opposed to one, and by default, the controller adjusts trigger sensitivity on its own--previously, you'd have to do this in the Xbox Accessories app on Xbox One or PC. The clicky home button also has a more premium feel when compared to the mushy-ness of the basic Xbox One controller. All of this makes the Elite Series 2 feel like a next-gen controller, perfect for using with the Xbox Series X. | Mat Paget See Elite Series 2 controller at Amazon Best Xbox One controller for accessibilityXbox adaptive controller | $100Pros:Works with a wide range of assistive devicesExtremely flexible customizationOfficially compatible with Xbox One and PCWorks on Nintendo Switch with Bluetooth adapterThe Xbox Adaptive controller is much different than the rest of the control options in this round-up. It's intended first and foremost as a device that helps those with limited mobility play games. It works with a wide range of assistive devices that users can plug in and assign to specific controller inputs to give them the ability to play any game on the two platforms.It features 20 ports for you to plug joysticks, switches, buttons, and any other assistive device into--19 of those are 3.5 mm ports, while the other two are USB 2.0 ports. There's also a 3.5mm audio output port for headphones or a headset. It's compatible with both Xbox One and PC, and there's quite the dedicated community behind it, discovering new ways to use the adaptive controller--you can even utilize a Bluetooth adapter to get it working with the Nintendo Switch.The Adaptive controller may not be for everyone, but thanks to its ability to effectively bridge the gap between gamers with limited mobility and the games they want to play, there's no doubt in my mind that it's the most important controller on this list. | Mat Paget See Xbox adaptive controller at Microsoft Best back paddlesScuf Prestige | starts at $160Pros:Extremely comfortable back paddles30-hour rechargeable battery lifeRubberized grip feels greatInterchangeable analog sticksCons:Scuf has been making Elite-style controllers for years, and it shows. The company's controllers are some of the most comfortable you can find, and the Scuf Prestige controller is a great example of this. The Scuf Prestige is very similar to a standard Xbox One pad, though it definitely feels different. The plastic is much smoother on the Scuf controller, and the backside features subtle, yet effective rubberized grip. It also features an interchangeable faceplate and a built-in rechargeable battery with 30 hours of life.The Prestige excels most in its four back paddles, which are the most comfortable we've tested, thanks to their vertical alignment and distinct textures, shapes, and sizes. Remapping the paddles is also quite simple, though you'll need to make sure to hang on to a small accessory to do so--the EMR (Electro-Magnetic Remapping) key. All you do is place the magnetic key on the back of the controller, then hold a specific paddle and specific button for at least one second. Once you're done remapping your paddles, just remove the EMR key and you're good to go.The Prestige also comes with two interchangeable thumbsticks and adjustable built-in trigger stops. Like all Scuf controllers, you can customize and build your own exactly to your liking on Scuf's website. It starts at $160, and you can choose the colour of each and every part, as well as remove the rumble motors if you want to go that route. | Mat Paget See Scuf Prestige at Scuf Gaming Best buttonsRazer Wolverine Ultimate | $160Pros:Excellent, clicky face buttonsSix programmable buttonsInterchangeable D-padCons:Only usable with a wired connectionThe Xbox One Elite and Elite 2 controllers are regarded as some of the best high-end, pro-style gamepads out there. But Razer has its own take on that design with the Wolverine Ultimate. It may not sound like a game-changer, but the best thing about the Wolverine is how great its buttons feel. The face buttons mimic the tactile nature of mouse clicks and feel more responsive as a result, and the analog sticks are buttery smooth and frictionless (which makes minuscule movements and precision easier).Another key feature of the Wolverine is its six programmable buttons--four are on the back and two are near the shoulder buttons. Of course, this means you can map face button functions to these additional inputs and keep your thumbs on the sticks at all times. Those buttons are effortless to press down as well. You can also customize the D-pad to be used in a traditional four-way or rounded eight-way layout.There are a few drawbacks with the Wolverine Ultimate, one being that it can only be used through a wired USB connection. It usually retails around $160 USD, which puts it up in the territory of an Elite controller, too. But if you're looking for an Elite-style controller and can find it on sale, the Razer Wolverine Ultimate would be a great option. | Michael Higham See Razer Wolverine Ultimate at Amazon Best retro-style Xbox One controllersHyperkin Duke | $70Pros:Recreates classic Xbox feelIncludes modern touches like shoulder buttonsFeels great to use with big handsCons:Can be quite cumbersome for smaller handsOnly useable with a wired connectionThe Hyperkin Duke was made purely out of nostalgia for the original launch Xbox controller from way back in 2001--it was this hulking gamepad with oddly shaped and offset face buttons. So there wasn't much surprise when it was quickly surpassed by the Controller S, which became the standard design moving forward. But if you have massive hands, the Duke might be a better fit.Hyperkin has made a name for itself by recreating retro gaming experiences through its wide range of hardware, and its Duke controller very much resembles the original Xbox controller in terms of size and button layout, but with a few modern touches. While original Xbox controllers had black/white buttons instead of left/right bumpers, Hyperkin incorporated small bumpers so the Duke would make sense for playing today's games. The huge logo on the center of the controller is a screen that also acts as the home button--when you power on, the screen displays the old Xbox splash screen. Otherwise, it's a faithful recreation of the Duke that now works through USB for Xbox One and PCs. | Michael Higham See Hyperkin Duke at Amazon Hyperkin X91 | $30Pros:Retro form factorFeatures every button a regular Xbox One controller doesGreat for retro-style or D-pad-focused gamesCons:Mushy triggersOnly usable with a wired connectionIn addition to Hyperkin's wide array of retro gaming hardware that lets you play old games easily, it has a few retro-inspired accessories. One of which is the Hyperkin X91, an Xbox One controller that's scrunched down into a SNES-like form factor. Despite the small size, everything you need in a controller is there and it all works surprisingly well. From the analog sticks to the face buttons, the X91 recreates the full controller feel almost perfectly. One downside is that the triggers can feel a bit squishy as opposed to the smooth feel of the triggers on a DualShock or regular Xbox One controller.And if you have a gaming laptop and play on the go often, the X91 is the perfect size for travel. Unfortunately, this controller only works through wired USB. While that means you don't have to worry about battery life, having a thick cord connected can make it a bit clunky to have around. The form factor may also make it slightly more difficult to be precise with the analog sticks since there isn't much you can grip to keep the controller steady. However, if you need a small, fully-featured gamepad for less intense games, the X91 is a fine choice. | Michael Higham See Hyperkin X91 at Amazon Best Xbox One fight stickRazer Atrox fight stick | $200Pros:Easily moddableExcellent 8-way stickGreat buttonsSanwa partsRemovable USB cableCons:No right-stick control or L3/R3 buttonsNo official PC supportIf you're looking for an Xbox fight stick that will last, then the Razer Atrox is the one you want. Not only will it be forward-compatible with the Xbox Series X, but it's also fully moddable, which means you can replace the joystick and buttons as you wish--and it's as easy as pushing a button to pop the Atrox open and access its various wires and components. Despite its modding potential, it's more than ready to go right out of the box. The Sanwa joystick and buttons feel great and are satisfying to tap combos out on. The USB cable is also completely removable, making it easy to store inside the fight stick's compartment.The Atrox may be the best stick I've used for the Xbox One so far, but it's not quite perfect. Unlike Razer's Panthera Evo PS4 stick, the Atrox is not officially compatible with PC and does not feature a switch that lets you swap the joystick from D-pad to either analog stick or a way to press L3 or R3. The cases in which you need these inputs in a fighting game are rare, but needing a regular controller for character customization or anything else that uses these inputs is a little disappointing.Thankfully, the Atrox makes up for this when you get into the action. I tested it with Dragon Ball FighterZ, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Tekken 7, and Dead or Alive 6 and was very happy with how it performed across different styles of fighting games. If you're looking for a great, future-proofed Xbox One fight stick, then the Atrox is an excellent one to go with. | Mat Paget See Razer Atrox at Amazon Info from Gamespot.com

Kunai's premise is a familiar one. Humankind has reached the pinnacle of technological advancement and brought about their own downfall, inviting an army of AI-controlled robots to nearly wipe out all life on earth. A small resistance of remaining humans and conflict-averse droids begin fighting back, but without a miracle, that battle is all but lost lost. Tabby, a cheerfully emoting tablet in ninja robes, is that miracle.Kunai is both outlandish and endearing, starting squarely with its odd protagonist. Tabby--a dexterous tablet in a world dominated by robots with CRT-like heads and barely any traces of humankind--is on a quest to extinguish an AI uprising and prevent humanity's extinction. Kunai's world is fragmented into varied areas, giving you multiple paths to explore in its opening hours, with your growing toolset opening up new avenues to explore as you progress. Kunai features the familiar DNA of action-platformers and Metroidvanias, combining satisfying platforming and engrossing combat to great effect.You start out with just a sword, and you can use it to quickly carve through the metal exteriors of robot foes and stylishly protect yourself from projectiles with a flurry of swings. You have a generous jump, too, that allows you to attack from above and continuously bounce between enemies after each swipe. Getting into a rhythm of bouncing off one enemy and directly onto the next while not missing an attack in between is both easy to grasp and satisfying to pull off. Kunai's combat scenarios generally feature only a handful of enemies at a time, too, giving you ample space to feel like a kickass ninja consistently.Adding to your airborne maneuverability early on are the kunai, a pair of grappling hooks equipped in each hand that let you swing around environments with ease. Augmenting standard movement with the aerial freedom of your kunai injects combat with a captivating sense of flow. It's effortless to chain together swings to maintain airtime while bouncing between enemies to attack.A variety of layouts from screen to screen challenge you to use your tools creatively. More open expanses let you freely hop around, but don't offer many points for you to hook your kunai into. Cramped pathways limit your aerial maneuverability, encouraging you to deflect more projectiles and choose your attacks wisely. Each area throws in unique elements that supplement this--the dense forest features vines that you can use to climb on while mines feature fragile walls that crumble if you swing from them--keeping platforming and combat entertaining throughout.You're free to explore the multiple areas of Kunai's large map as far as your equipment will take you. Each new item you find doubles as both a weapon and a tool to navigate the world in new ways. Your dual machine guns, for example, act as both a powerful medium range attack and a creative means to float over large gaps, since you can use downward fire to sustain your jump for as long as you have bullets to fire. Each new item's use is also easy to understand from the get-go, calling to mind locked doors or obstructed pathways that can now be cleared with your new abilities, making it easy to decide where to push onto next.Each new item expands your limited moveset in exciting ways, but navigating to each specific part of the map where they might be useful becomes taxing quickly. Individual segments in Kunai's areas offer up enough variety in their construction to encourage different combat strategies, but they don't coalesce in a way that makes navigating the same spaces as interesting on return visits. In some cases coming to the end of a critical path and reaching its respective goal is deflated by the realisation that you need to navigate all the way back to where you started, sometimes without anything new in your arsenal to shake up the return journey. It's disappointing to brush through an area with a fine comb only to be contacted over radio and redirected without any real narrative progression, especially when there are no fast-travel systems to alleviate the backtracking.This is exacerbated in some later stages in which it can be unclear where your next objective lies, with all possible paths requiring a tool you don't yet have. The aimless wandering is especially tiresome because poking around Kunai's world isn't incredibly rewarding either, even with optional chests hidden throughout each area for you to uncover. Some contain cosmetic hats for some visual variety while others hold valuable in-game currency for upgrades, but it's the few featuring parts of a health upgrade that are worth seeking out. The issue is that the majority of the chests lie at the end of passageways hidden entirely from view, only revealing themselves when you accidentally brush close to their entrance and cause the textures obfuscating them to fade away. It's a disappointingly basic way to hide them, making your discoveries feel more lucky than well deduced.Although navigating each area multiple times isn't as fun as it should be, the gorgeous visual shifts between them are a delight. Kunai's limited color palette is used to accentuate its varied areas with subtlety. Each of the areas features different muted colours for their backdrop, such as the flat greys and dim blues of its opening factory and the bright greens of its AI-infested forests. The variation makes shifting between each area not only clear but visually delightful too. While most colors are muted, bright reds are especially prominent. Not only does it help make enemies and points of importance stand out from the background, it imbues each slash of your sword and subsequent connecting strike with a powerful punch that bathes the screen in sharp, contrasting red hues. It works in tandem with a well-measured screenshake effect that gives Kunai's combat a stylish look in motion.This sense of style doesn't transition, however, to Kunai's limited story. It sets up an initial premise and gives you an understanding of what you're fighting for, but doesn't leave much for you to uncover about its world beyond that. The only avenue for learning more about Kunai's world is through limited but surprisingly entertaining interactions with other resistance robots. Usually denoted by their chunky CRT monitor heads and calming blue shading, these side characters add some levity to the setting by making light of disastrous events with silly puns and small, humorous anecdotes. Although there are other important named characters that are meant to add more to the narrative, they don't stand out as much as each brief interaction you have when arriving at a new camp.It's disappointing that there isn't more to dig into when it comes down to Kunai's set dressing, especially when it's paired with such a striking visual style and engrossing combat. Kunai's level design pushes you to keep adapting while affording you the space to finish off a group of enemies with a series of pinpoint grappling hook swings, precise double jumps, and intelligently integrated swings of your sword. Kunai loses some of its momentum far too frequently, but when it hits a balance between its engrossing combat and satisfying platforming, it's difficult to put down.Info from Gamespot.com

It’s human nature to be curious about what seemingly mundane and inanimate things get up to while we’re not looking. Such thinking spawned mythos like fairies in people’s gardens, borrowers, and the Toy Story saga, and now we come to street signs. What do those little human figures get up to when no-one is around? If The Pedestrian is to be believed, the answer is 2D platforming, solving lots and lots of puzzles, and taking control of electrical devices in an attempt to escape their confines.In taking control of a human figure (either with or without a dress) your adventure in The Pedestrian is mostly confined to various street signs, blueprints, and other 2D surfaces. In the background, blurred into obscurity, are the beautiful 3D landscapes of the world they exist in. You can run, jump, and climb with light platforming maneuvers to get to new areas, but the crux of The Pedestrian's puzzling comes from the ability to zoom out and rearrange the positions of the 2D signs and flat surfaces, creating doorways and new paths. Once you regain control of the person symbol, you can then use these new doorways to access the other signs to complete puzzles and move forward. Rearranging the playing field adds a layer of complexity that will have you thinking about obstacles in two different ways for the majority of the experience. There’s a satisfaction in ordering the panels of a level in your own way, which then allows you to jump back in and complete the puzzle. The process is not totally freeform, as doors and ladders on one panel will only connect to those on another if they are properly aligned, and there are often obstacles in the way that might impede a certain way of doing things. However, there's definitely a very godlike feel to the control it gives you. Occasionally my solutions felt so chaotic that I wondered if they were the intended direction; other times the puzzles felt intentionally crafted to lead me to certain results. But there is overall a nice feeling that you are figuring out things on your own, in your own way.Extra difficulty lies in the fact that you can’t make most changes to the arrangement of your 2D platforming world without resetting other things--activated switches will deactivate, and key items will be lost, so you need to go in with a plan. Sometimes resetting is necessary, especially if you hit a dead-end, but later you'll be able to freeze some signs to prevent them from resetting, keeping the elements there active for your next attempt. The concept moves you to start thinking about puzzles in a way that's almost akin to time travel. Having to manage a puzzle board full of different segments filled with switches, keys, and laser beams, among other things, and then literally having to manage time and space to reach a goal provides some surprisingly challenging and satisfying scenarios.The Pedestrian serves out these scenarios in bite-sized pieces. Even when presented with a larger puzzle, it’s still broken down into several smaller sections, which certainly makes them easier to comprehend. However, because of this structure, The Pedestrian can begin to feel a little too samey, especially when the reward for completing a puzzle is almost always more puzzles. It works very well as a game to spend half an hour with and then return to later, rather than slog out the whole four-hour duration in one unending sign barrage. I’d often find myself leaving it due to puzzle fatigue or being a little stuck, then come back to it later with renewed inspiration to immediately solve the troublesome puzzle, ready for a little more. The introduction of new concepts and escalation in difficulty are gently paced, and only when new elements are first added does it really ever feel daunting--some of the puzzles I spent the longest on were just working out exactly how a new mechanic worked or could be used since the game doesn’t often provide much direction. Instead, the Pedestrian then gives you plenty of opportunities to explore and understand new features in subsequent levels and encourages you to work things out for yourself. The initial frustration is always made up for by the enhanced understanding and satisfaction of working it out on your own. It also ensured I completely grasped all the concepts, which allowed me to then solve increasingly difficult puzzles I’m sure I would have been stumped by otherwise. The payoff for making me feel stupid for one puzzle allowed me to feel incredibly smart for many other harder challenges.There’s a real freshness to The Pedestrian's take on puzzle-platforming and world manipulation. The constant introduction of new, sometimes surprisingly complex ideas means there’s enough to keep you moving through the nicely segmented challenges. The levels themselves can be quite repetitive in both look and feel, making the game tiresome during long play sessions, but it lends itself well to short-burst experiences and never lets you feel too lost. The Pedestrian executes its charming premise well, with just enough complexity to keep your brain pleasantly stimulated. Info from Gamespot.com

I push past a group of brownshirts threatening a Jewish shopkeeper. They're holding placards that read "Don't buy from the Jews!" and accusing the owner of being a parasite on the German community. The woman inside cringes as I enter the shop and warns me the men outside won't like it if I buy anything. But I insist and hand her my grocery list. At the end of the exchange I have three dialogue options: "There will be better times ahead," "I'm so sorry," and "I don't know what to say." All of them feel devastating and inadequate.When you're one person trying to resist the Nazi juggernaut in 1930s Germany, your best course of action is not at all obvious; indeed, anything you choose to do can often feel futile. There were so many occasions during Through the Darkest of Times that I questioned whether I was doing the right thing or if anything I did could even make a difference. Frequently, I simply didn't know what to say. All I knew was that I had to keep fighting, keep surviving, keep resisting, and hope that it would be enough.Through the Darkest of Times is billed as a historical resistance strategy game and plays out akin to a kind of narrative boardgame as you lead a band of as many as five freedom fighters against the Reich. Its story begins in 1933 as Hitler's appointment as Chancellor confirms the Nazi party's seizure of power. The four-act structure skips ahead to 1936 and the Berlin Olympics, to the occupation of France and invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, and to the final months of the war, before a brief epilogue in 1946, a year after the Allied victory. The time periods it visits chart an emotional journey that feels authentic: Disbelief gives way to anger and fear as the truth about the Nazis' goals is revealed; suffering and grief lead to the steeling of a righteous fury; and finally, glimpses of cautious optimism are tempered by an uncertain future. Each turn you play your hand, as it were, assigning resistance members to undertake missions across a map of Berlin. After ending a turn you see the results come in: Charlotte managed to get those leaflets printed; Arthur collected donations down at the factory but may have been spotted by the authorities; Gerhard was arrested while painting slogans on the campus walls. You're managing assets and resources--we need two people for this job, a truck and some explosives for that job--and getting the logistics in order becomes the primary focus. Always the director of operations, never the operative.Strategic decisions are forced through scarcity. A 20-turn limit is applied during each act, which is nowhere near enough time to do every available mission. Major missions often have plenty of prerequisites, too. If you want to eventually bust a group of prisoners out of a torture camp, you're going to need some brownshirt uniforms, and to get those you're first going to have to do a recon mission. Constant is the pressure to stop and think about what you realistically have the time and resources to accomplish.Throwing a spanner in the works, certain actions can also trigger new missions that might only be available for a handful of turns. Can you afford to spare someone to tackle a side mission without disrupting your main goal? Meanwhile, you're now running low on funds to get those books printed, so Angelika is probably going to have to ignore that meeting with a British Secret Service contact and instead try to steal new funds from the SA, the Nazi militia. The decisions swiftly pile up over the course of 20 turns and with them comes a growing anxiety that there simply aren't enough turns to get anything done. At times I felt like I was drowning. Aside from a few narrative threads that run through the whole game, and your early choices flowing on accordingly, the start of each act essentially resets the strategic layer. You keep your recruited members and their gained experience, but all your resources--your money, all that paper and paint you'd bought, that precious intel, the medicine, gasoline, bicycles, and so on--are returned to square one. So you've got to build it all up again. With each reset, and, indeed, even on a second playthrough, I'd begin with a clear head, pick one specific goal and tell myself that was my sole focus. But every time, without fail, by halfway through I'd find myself pulled this way and that, only able to partially complete a few mission chains but never managing to pull off something big. It's immensely frustrating, that feeling of there simply not being enough hours in the day to get it all done. Looming over it, the knowledge of all that partial progress going to waste and ultimately counting for nought.It wasn't just me feeling this way. The members of my resistance movement, as they met up each week to discuss their next moves, would also find themselves experiencing a similar sensation of despair. Peter would fret about whether they were doing enough. Juliane would worry that the situation was hopeless. I found it reassuring that I wasn't the only one struggling to find the motivation to continue.Away from the dry mechanics of the strategic layer, it was during these narrative interludes in between turns that I truly connected with the plight of the German people. One day Rosalinde found out her brother had joined the SA. She was despondent, but I was able to encourage her to take advantage of this and get information out of him. A few weeks later she raised fears that her brother now suspected her of being a resistance member and I had a choice: tell her to leave the group for her own safety or force her stay. The brother had inadvertently given us valuable intel, but I'd grown to care for Rosalinde and couldn't bear the thought of her being discovered. Reluctantly, I asked her to leave.On a second playthrough, I decided to run a more ruthless ship, to be the type of revolutionary who would stop at nothing. So when Lotte told me she was pregnant and wanted out in order to protect her imminent child, I demanded she remained with us. Morale in the group plummeted and, one day, Lotte just never showed up for the resistance meeting. Later I discovered she'd lost her baby and fled. It stung, of course, though I was able to coldly characterise her exit as a betrayal of the cause, thanks to the flexibility of the dialogue choices offered during these scenes.Given the particulars of the premise--you're absolutely not doing anything other than fighting back against the Nazis here--I was pleasantly surprised to see how different choices I'd made across two playthroughs could shape two such wildly different personalities. The strategic layer seems readymade for replays, as you strive for efficiency to reach those end goals, but I was initially worried that the story scenes wouldn't withstand repetition. To an extent, that is the case, and on my second playthrough I found myself fast-clicking through conversations I'd already seen. But making different choices allowed me to interpret our struggle in a new light, and as a result, grow attached to a second collection of otherwise randomly-generated characters.The tone is bleak, as you'd expect, almost unrelenting in its horror. A trip to a camp where the Nazis have rounded up Berlin's Romani population is grim, especially when you witness children being separated from their parents by brownshirts and taken away for unexplained medical reasons. I met a Russian woman who had escaped a massacre on the Eastern Front and made it to Berlin. She told me of the German army's scorched-earth approach in the east, of the mass graves and hangings of Russian civilians. It was heart-wrenching and, at times, almost too much to handle.Yet there is some respite. Angelika got married and we celebrated with a party in the park. We managed to track down Monica's missing husband and reunite her family. Even as I fled to an underground train station to find shelter from an air raid, I was able to stop and help a Jewish man who was trying to hide the star on his coat that would preclude him from accessing the shelter. Such moments of community, of kindness, of hope that there's still something worth fighting for, are peppered throughout Through the Darkest of Times, seemingly appearing just when the desperation of the strategic layer had left me at my lowest ebb. The twin aspects of the game could be better integrated. The narrative scenes are vividly realized despite the minimal presentation, often profoundly moving, and filled with choices that carry weight that can be felt weeks and occasionally years later. But outside the story interludes, there's a frustrating lack of specificity. You distribute "leaflets" and paint "slogans" and smuggle "books" and recover "intel," but none of it is described in any detail. The content is void on the strategic side, its components reduced to mechanical symbols. True, there is some overlap--a story scene might prompt a new mission on the map--but it's all one-way traffic, and your choices in one sphere are of disappointingly little consequence to the other.Through the Darkest of Times paints what feels like an accurate portrait of life in Nazi Germany. Cherry-picking major events, like the Reichstag Fire or the opening ceremony of the Olympics, it convincingly places you at the scene, putting you in the shoes of a regular German trying to come to grips with how one person--or even five people--can respond in the presence of evil. It depicts everyday life, and everyday people, both those seduced by ideology and those finding the strength to rally against it. I'm not sure it offers any answers--indeed, I suspect my frustrations with futility were intentional. One person alone can't change the world. But that's no reason not to fight for it. Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Funko Pops are surprisingly uncommon, especially considering the franchise's immense popularity. So far, Funko has only released Pops based on Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and Eevee--all of which are pretty adorable. Funko will practically double the Pokemon Pop lineup on May 2 with four new figures: Mewtwo, Mr. Mime, Pichu, and Vulpix. All four new Pops are available to pre-order now. Check out their designs below.Mewtwo | $11 Mewtwo is looking fierce.Mewtwo is the first legendary Pokemon to get its own Funko Pop. The Psychic-type from the original 151 has had a memorable ride as of late. Mewtwo had a critical role in Detective Pikachu and has a title role in the upcoming Netflix animated film Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back--Evolution, which is a remake of the first Pokemon movie. Though the often misunderstood Pokemon still looks serious as a Pop figure, I think Mewtwo also looks cute for the first(?) time. See at Amazon Pichu | $11Pichu's ears are about 20 times the size of its feet.Before Baby Yoda existed, I would have probably told you Pichu was the cutest fictitious baby creature. This Pichu Pop won't get the baby mouse its crown back, but it's still adorable and would look nice on your shelf next to this joyous Pikachu Pop. See at Amazon Mr. Mime | $11 Mr. Mime is trying to tell you something.Before I saw Detective Pikachu, I thought Mr. Mime was easily one of the worst Pokemon to ever disgrace this world. However, Mr. Mime's hilarious scene in Detective Pikachu made me much more sympathetic to his plight. He is, in fact, a wonderful creature who tells magical stories without ever saying a word. Sure, he's creepy and no one knows why he exists, but I'm glad he does. Mr. Mime was destined to be an expressive Funko Pop, and soon you can add him to your collection. See at Amazon Vulpix | $11Vulpix wins the hair game.Though Vulpix probably isn't as well-known as the other three new Pops, it makes sense that the Fire-type fox would get her own figure. Vulpix is one of the cutest Pokemon in the original 151. However, I can't help but think about the possibility of a much cooler Ninetales Funko Pop in the future. See at Amazon Best Deals This Week PSA: Resident Evil 3 Pre-Orders Are Discounted At Amazon (PS4, Xbox One) February 2020 PS Plus Games Revealed For PS4 February 2020 Xbox Games With Gold Revealed Two Excellent Strategy Games Are Free On PC Best Nintendo Switch Deals In The Eshop This Week Info from Gamespot.com

We know that Star Trek: Picard will see a number of characters returning from other Trek series. Jean-Luc Picard's second officer aboard the Enterprise, Data, has already been shown to have a big influence, and Star Trek: Voyager's former-Borg crewmember, Seven of Nine, will play a role, too. In Episode 3, "The End is the Beginning," we saw another returning character from previous shows: Hugh, another former Borg who appeared on The Next Generation.Hugh's presence on Star Trek: Picard seems like it has the potential to be a pretty big deal. He and Jean-Luc share the experience of being part of the Borg, but having been freed since then. And Hugh and Picard share another bond because of their experiences aboard the Enterprise. In a big way, Hugh changed Picard's perceptions of the Borg, and their meeting on TNG had profound effects on the way the Federation interacted with the cybernetic beings in later encounters. Picard might have destroyed the Borg for good, if not for Hugh.Regaining IndividualityPicard first met Hugh in TNG Season 5, in an episode called "I, Borg." The Enterprise discovered a crashed Borg ship, with four of its five inhabitants dead. Hugh, then designated Third of Five, survived, and Picard chose to beam him aboard the Enterprise. Dr. Crusher saved the Borg's life, and Picard and the crew began to formulate a plan.They knew the Borg would not leave any drone behind and would eventually return to find Hugh and the other Borg from the ship, to either reclaim them or destroy their bodies. Knowing that, Picard figured that it might be possible to send Hugh back with some kind of computer virus that would infiltrate the Borg Collective and, potentially, destroy it. He put Data and Geordi La Forge on the job of creating the virus, while Crusher continued to nurse Third of Five back to health. In the meantime, La Forge started spending time with the drone to study it and figure out how he might create a Borg-killing virus.Things changed, though. The more time Crusher and La Forge spent with Third of Five, the more they started to consider him a person, rather than just another Borg drone. Cut off from the Collective, Third of Five started to develop individuality. Eventually, La Forge and Crusher named him "Hugh," and Hugh started to consider La Forge his friend. Even Guinan, who hated the Borg for attacking her people's planet and nearly wiping them out, found herself struggling with the idea of using Hugh as a weapon after meeting him.With more and more of the crew questioning the morality of the plan to commit what was essentially genocide against the Borg, Picard finally felt he had to meet Hugh--and discovered that the young Borg was, in fact, an individual, and deserved to be treated with the respect that Picard and the Federation afford all life. Picard offered to let Hugh stay with the Enterprise crew, but Hugh opted to return to the Borg Collective, fearing the Borg would pursue him and threaten the Enterprise if it couldn't locate its missing drone.Corrupted By LoreAbout a year later, in Season 6, Picard and the Enterprise encountered some Borg who were attacking colonies and Federation outposts. Immediately, it was clear these Borg were different from the Collective the Enterprise had encountered in the past. They cared about their comrades, referred to themselves as "I" instead of "we," and generally gave signs of being individuals, rather than just pieces of a hive mind. Picard had speculated when Hugh returned to the Borg Collective that his individuality might get transferred to other Borg, and that that could be just as destructive to the hive mind as the virus the Enterprise crew had tried to create. Turns out, he was pretty close to correct.In "The Descent" and "The Descent II," Picard and the crew discovered that this particular group of Borg was led by Lore, Data's evil twin android brother. After Picard, La Forge, and Deanna Troi were captured by Lore and his band, Will Riker and Worf discovered another group of Borg who had broken away from Lore's. Among those Borg was Hugh, who explained that, yes, his individuality had spread and thrown his Borg Cube into chaos.Unable to deal with being individuals, they started fighting each other, until Lore found them and gave them a leader to follow. Lore said he'd help the Borg find perfection by becoming wholly artificial like he was, but didn't really know how to make that dream a reality, and so started experimenting on Borg drones with horrifying results. Realizing what Lore really was, Hugh and those like him hid out from the group loyal to Lore.Eventually, Data defeated Lore once and for all and had him disassembled. Hugh was worried that the Borg would again fall into chaos without a leader, but Picard suggested that Hugh could be the one the individualized Borg followed. That's where the Enterprise crew left them--as a group of Borg who had become something different from the other drones in the Collective.So Where Has Hugh Been?We're not sure what happened to Hugh in the years that followed. Picard and the Enterprise crew encountered the Borg Collective again in Star Trek: First Contact, so Hugh's individuality apparently didn't transfer to the entire Borg species, just to those on his particular cube. When we meet Hugh in Star Trek: Picard, he's changed significantly--he's no longer a Borg drone, but instead has been returned to humanity, with most of his Borg implants removed.Though we don't know how Hugh got from leading a group of Borg individuals to his role on the Artifact, we do know that he's using his knowledge of the Borg, seemingly, to help others. He leads the Borg Reclamation Project on the Artifact, the disabled Borg Cube that the Romulans are studying and salvaging on Star Trek: Picard. His work seems to focus on helping other former drones re-acclimate to society. We also know that, unlike Jean-Luc, Hugh has had a hard time adjusting to his life as a human. He suggests that people in society at large don't trust him because of his former life as a drone.It seems very likely that, eventually, Hugh and Picard will reunite (along with Seven of Nine, another former drone, who we know will appear in the show later this season), and have a lot to talk about. The Borg continue to be an important element of Star Trek: Picard, and there are a lot of potentially big implications there for all of these characters. We can only guess what might happen if and when Picard and Hugh finally meet, but given their history, it seems like it'll be a pretty big deal as the story of Jean-Luc Picard's next chapter unfolds.Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot's parent company.Info from Gamespot.com

Developer Chucklefish has announced that Wargroove's latest update, Double Trouble, is out now as a free download for Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox One. The PlayStation 4 version is said to be "coming soon." Double Trouble introduces a bevy of new content to the critically acclaimed tactics game, including a co-op campaign, extra commanders, more arcade missions, additions to the customer editor, and more.About 15 hours of story content has been added to Wargroove. This new story campaign can be played in both single- and multiplayer, and lets you take control of the Outlaw faction. The Outlaws come with three new roguish commanders: Wulfar, twins Errol and Orla, and Vesper. Each commander comes equipped with their own groove abilities, giving you more tactical options on the battlefield. Check out the launch trailer below.Double Trouble also comes with 15 new arcade missions, more competitive online quick play maps, and public and private multiplayer lobbies. A new volcano-themed map has been added to the custom editor and other editing tools--unit modifiers, gizmos, counters, and more--are now available for creative use.Wargroove launched in February 2019 before making its way to PS4 in July 2019. The tactical turn-based RPG received critical praise when it release, scoring a number of nominations and accolades. In our Wargroove review, we awarded the game an 8/10, saying, "Chucklefish could have offered up a prettied-up take on Advance Wars with online multiplayer and called it a day. Instead, it's made meaningful improvements that make this both a satisfying answer to starved Advance Wars fans' wishes and a genuinely great experience on its own merits."Info from Gamespot.com

If you were not aware, The Pokemon Company makes ASMR videos starring Pokemon. The videos are uploaded to an official YouTube channel called Pokemon Kids TV, where kids (presumably) can watch and listen to the soothing sounds of the Pocket Monsters. If there's one in particular you must see, it's this one starring Grimer, who makes a horrible--or soothing, depending on who you ask--squelching noise across a variety of terrains.Grimer squelches its way across a flat surface. It squelches across a ball pit. It squelches on a vibrating platform and through a clear tube. It flops around a bit, and it looks happy the whole time. It's hard to be mad at Grimer, who sounds a bit like stirring mac and cheese, and it's hard to look away. You can watch it for yourself below.Here are some Grimer facts for you: Grimer is number 88 in the National Pokedex; it's designated the "Sludge Pokemon" and one of its abilities is called Stench. It stands at 2'11" and weighs 66.1 pounds. According to Grimer's Pokemon Ruby Pokedex entry, "Grimer's sludgy and rubbery body can be forced through any opening, however small it may be." That explains the tube. According to its Pokemon Gold Pokedex entry, "As it moves, it loses bits of its body from which new Grimer emerge." That means there are infinite squelch possibilities here.The only other Pokemon ASMR video on the channel features Chespin eating Pokepuffs, a macaron-like snack. Pokemon Sword And Shield News & Guides Pokemon Home FAQ: Price, Release Date, Compatible Games, And More Pokemon Sword & Shield DLC: All The Confirmed Returning Pokemon So Far Three New Legendary Pokemon Revealed For Sword & Shield Pokemon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass Adds New Pokemon, Areas, And More Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Sword and Shield developer Game Freak has been offering a regular stream of freebies for the Nintendo Switch games since their release, and now another one is up for grabs. For a limited time, you can claim a free Bottle Cap via Mystery Gift.Bottle Caps are rare and valuable items in Sword and Shield, particularly if you intend on battling competitively. You can exchange a Bottle Cap at the Battle Tower in Wyndon to Hyper Train a Pokemon, maxing out one of its base stats.To claim the free Bottle Cap, first select Mystery Gift from Sword and Shield's menu, then choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password. Input the code C0MPET1T10N when prompted and the Bottle Cap will be added to your inventory. You'll have until March 30 to redeem this code.This isn't the only freebie available right now in Sword and Shield. Game Freak is also giving away 10 Heal Balls and 20 Battle Points via Mystery Gift. You can claim the former using the code G1GAGRANF1NALE and the latter with the code SUPEREFF1CACE. You can see all the other free Pokemon Sword and Shield gifts available right now in our roundup.In other Pokemon Sword and Shield news, a new Max Raid event is underway in the games. Until February 16, you'll have a greater chance to encounter Milcery with the Gigantamax factor in Max Raids, and defeating one may net you two new kinds of Sweets as a reward. Gigantamax Toxtricity will also make its debut in Max Raids starting February 6.Two big expansions for Sword and Shield--Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra--are on the way this year. Before then, the new Pokemon Home cloud storage service will launch for Nintendo Switch and smartphones later this month. The service will be available in free and paid tiers and allows players to store and move Pokemon between various games. You can learn more about it in our Pokemon Home FAQ.Info from Gamespot.com

The Nintendo Switch Eshop has quite a lot to offer in terms of game deals this week, including two publisher sales that slash the prices on $60 games. You'll also find a selection of great indies on sale, so let's take a look at the best deals on offer.Spike Chunsoft, the development team behind Danganronpa and Zero Escape, has a handful of its games marked down in the Eshop, and notably, that sale includes AI: The Somnium Files. The sci-fi mystery game released in September of last year and offers a thrilling adventure about a detective investigating a murder in near-future Tokyo. It was one of my personal favorites of last year, and fans of Zero Escape or other mystery games should definitely check it out. AI: The Somnium Files is discounted to $36 (normally $60).A 2K publisher sale is also going on, which makes this week the perfect time to grab Civilization VI on Nintendo Switch. The acclaimed turn-based strategy game is on sale for $36. NBA 2K20 is also on sale for $30.There are countless indie games available on Nintendo Switch, but it can be hard to know what's worth your time when browsing the Eshop. Neo Cab, an excellent game about driving around a futuristic city and connecting with the passengers you pick up, is on sale for $15. The Stillness of the Wind is a quiet, poignant farming game that'll only take you a few hours to beat but will linger with you afterward--it's on sale for just $6.49. Another game worth grabbing is Yoku's Island Express, an open-world pinball-platforming adventure set on a fascinating island. It's discounted to $6.79 right now.You can check out more of our picks below and see the full offering of deals in the Nintendo Eshop. Plus, check out all the new games hitting the Eshop this week, including Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales.Nintendo Switch Eshop's best deals this weekAI: The Somnium Files -- $36 ($60)Among the Sleep - Enhanced Edition -- $12.49 ($25)Children of Morta -- $15.39 ($22)The Church in the Darkness -- $10 ($20)Civilization VI -- $36 ($60)Civilization VI Expansion Pack -- $37.49 ($50)Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition -- $7.49 ($15)Knights and Bikes -- $18 ($20) - new releaseMy Time at Portia -- $15 ($30)NBA 2K20 -- $30 ($60)Neo Cab -- $15 ($20)Overcooked - Special Edition -- $6.79 ($20)Overcooked 2 -- $15 ($25)Shakedown: Hawaii -- $15 ($20)The Sinking City -- $25 ($50)Steins;Gate Elite -- $24 ($60)The Stillness of the Wind -- $6.49 ($13)Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair -- $20.09 ($30)Yoku's Island Express -- $6.79 ($20) Best Deals This Week PSA: Resident Evil 3 Pre-Orders Are Discounted At Amazon (PS4, Xbox One) February 2020 PS Plus Games Revealed For PS4 February 2020 Xbox Games With Gold Revealed Two Excellent Strategy Games Are Free On PC Best Nintendo Switch Deals In The Eshop This Week Info from Gamespot.com

Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida and global community producer Toshio Murouchi streamed another Live Letter (in Japanese) to officially detail the game's 5.2 update. It's subtitled Echoes of a Fallen Star and new quests that continue the main story, additional side quests, new boss battles (including Final Fantasy VII's famed superboss Ruby Weapon), another story dungeon, and more tweaks to the core game.As with other 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x patches, 5.2 keeps the story moving with additional main scenario quests that will eventually lead into the next expansion (light spoilers ahead). Based on the trailer (see below), former Garlean officer Gaius van Baelsar looks to be get more screen time. And trusty Scion allies Y'shtola and Crystal Exarch go deeper into the implications of the history and lore introduced in Shadowbringers. You'll also see the Crystarium (main home zone in Shadowbringers) consumed in clouds and a scene where Alphinaud and others witness a Calamity-like catastrophe.Along with the new story quests is another instanced dungeon called Anamnesis Anyder, which will work with the Trust system, letting you take AI characters to fight alongside you. The dungeon takes place in Amaurot, the final zone in the Shadowbringers expansion and seems to explore more of the Ascian people's history.There will be new 8-player raid content with the second chapter in the Eden's Verse raid series that'll be playable in both normal and savage difficulties. These also act as side stories and introduces a new character named Gaia, who you can see in action in the trailer--she was also designed by famed Square Enix dev Tetsuya Nomura. Judging from what was shown, you can expect battles agains old Primals like Garuda, Ramuh, and Ifrit. New gear will be made available as well.FFVII and FFXIV fans alike can get hyped about a new trial called Cinder Drift which stars the infamous superboss Ruby Weapon. Yoshida-san gave a preview of the fight during the stream which showed off a few its moveset. The fight will also tie into Gauis's backstory as Ruby Weapon looks to be another trick up the Garlean empire's sleeve. The trial will be playable on normal and extreme difficulties.Final Fantasy VII's Ruby Weapon appears in Final Fantasy XIV via patch 5.2.A lot more is packed into the 5.2 update like Qitari beast tribe quests, tweaks to the fishing activity, a new weapon quest series with added lore, and extra Golden Saucer changes. And Umbrellas are now a thing as a new cosmetic for your character. Subsequent 5.21 and 5.25 updates will include an Ishgardian Restoration update for crafters and gatherers and a Resistance Weapon questline tied to the Hrothgar race. Adjustments to jobs and classes are also said to be part of the 5.2 update, but Square Enix is not detailing those changes beforehand.For more on Square Enix's MMORPG, be sure to read our FFXIV Shadowbringers review to see what the game is all about or watch our FFXIV Extra Life 2019 segment where we held a glamour costume contest and ran a few 24-player raids. Additional information on Patch 5.2 is available on the official Square Enix website.Info from Gamespot.com

Google's cloud gaming service, Stadia, arrived to a thoroughly negative reception back in November, but the tech giant isn't quite ready to throw in the towel yet. In an interview with Protocol, Google vice president Phil Harrison said that the company is planning to launch a free version of Stadia later in 2020, titled "Stadia Base." No other details regarding the timing of release were provided."The big strategic difference is that over the next few months you will be able to experience Stadia for free," Harrison said. "No money down, without having to put a box in your home, you can just click and play amazing games straight from our data center."Such a move would improve upon Stadia's current payment scheme, which asks players to pay a $10 monthly fee for a smattering of free games, in addition to the $130 Founder's Edition--games that aren't included in the Pro package must be purchased individually. Though our reviewers felt that the streaming tech itself is in a good place, the library of games on offer is lacking compared to traditional consoles. Recently, Google announced that it'll be bringing 120 more games to the service in 2020, but details on most of those games are sketchy at this point.With the recent emergence of Nvidia's game streaming service, GeForce Now, and ongoing rumors about Amazon stepping into the space, it seems that the game streaming wars are only starting. But it's clear that Stadia has a lot of ground to make up if they plan on winning. Google Stadia News Stadia's Free Tier Coming In The "Next Few Months" Google Stadia Review - Streaming Is Only Half The Story Google Stadia Founder's Edition Unboxing: Controller, Chromecast, And More Info from Gamespot.com