The Gears of War franchise's most lauded feature is undoubtedly its cover-based combat. From the weighty movement and the satisfying slam into waist-high walls, to firing bullets into meaty humanoid monsters, the feeling of playing a Gears game is unique and distinct. But since the first game's debut in 2006 the series has also built a strong narrative.From the outside looking in, it may not be immediately evident what makes the Gears franchise so compelling from a story perspective, but the key to it is in the colorful cast of characters, each which drive the story forward and allow it to play with tone. In Season 2, Episode 4 of Audio Logs, Rod Fergusson--head of developer The Coalition--highlighted this as one of the defining features of the franchise."When I think about when people come to Gears, they come for the story. We're given permission, because of the world we've built, to have this comic book sort of sensibilities. We can laugh at ourselves, we can make really bad jokes and have dark humor, we can have blockbuster action movie sequences … and then we can have sweet moments of sadness," he said,"The fact that we can go from big men with thick necks and all that stuff to a place where we're able to play with that and make our storytelling more contemporary with greys instead of black and whites, can have more complex characters, more nuanced characters, and yet still bring out the emotion, and people are responding to the story is so meaningful to all of us."Perhaps the best representation of this strength is Jack, a helper bot introduced in the first game. Jack began life as a tool to open doors, but over time has become not only a vector for The Coalition's narrative ambition but proof that the series' story and characterization has as much depth as its gameplay.Jack's journey from helper to hero spans multiple games across the series' 13 year existence. In that time Jack has changed significantly, becoming more functionally relevant for gameplay but also emotionally resonant for story. Gears 5 is the culmination of Jack's arc and leverages the little-bot-that-could's entire history for an impactful payoff. To guide us through the whole journey, Rod Fergusson dives into the creation of Jack, charts his evolution, and breaks down his role in the latest entry in the franchise.Make sure you subscribe to GameSpot on YouTube for new episodes of Audio Logs Season 2 every Sunday. Thus far we've had Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa breaking down a pivotal scene from Death Stranding; Control director Mikael Kasurinen showing how the incredible Ashtray Maze was created; and Disco Elysium writer and designer Robert Kurvitz talking through the fascinating Thought Cabinet feature.Info from Gamespot.com

Back in September, Apple announced the upcoming launch of its streaming service, which would consist of only original content. One of the highlights from the announcement was Steven Spielberg revealing Amazing Stories, his upcoming show on Apple TV+. Now, Apple has revealed when Amazing Stories will hit the service.During the TCA winter press tour, it was revealed that Amazing Stories will debut on Friday, March 6. The anthology series will star Dylan O'Brien (Maze Runner), Victoria Pedretti (Haunting of Hill House), Josh Holloway (Lost) Sasha Alexander (Shameless), and Robert Forster in various episodes throughout the series.Each episode will be a brand-new story featuring talent from different corners of filmmaking. Episode directors include Chris Long (The Americans), Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones), Michael Dinner (Sneaky Pete), Susanna Fogel (Utopia), and Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard). In addition to the release date, a photo from an episode was revealed as well. Check it out below.Photo: Amazing Stories/Apple TV+The image above is from the episode titled "The Rift," which will be directed by Mylod and stars Kerry Lynn Bishe, Whitney Coleman, Trisha Mashburn, Austin Stowell, Edward Burns and Juliana Canfield. The series is executive produced by Spielberg, Eddy Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Long, Don Kurt and David H. Goodman. Kitsis and Horowitz will serve as showruners."Amazing Stories is a beloved show that has captured our imaginations, and we couldn't be more excited to share its next thrilling iteration with a global audience of all ages on Apple TV+," said Matt Cherniss, head of development for Apple TV+.Amazing Stories on Apple TV+ is a revamp of Speilberg's 1985 series of the same name, which lasted two seasons. The sci-fi stories featured big-name directors, like Martin Scorsese, but ultimately, it did not have the ratings to move forward.This revival of the TV show will have five episodes drop on March 6. It's unknown how long each episode will be at the time of this writing. Info from Gamespot.com

Ahead of its Season 1 debut, the upcoming comedy series Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet was renewed for a second season on Apple TV+. During the TCA winter press tour, Apple revealed that the comedy series about game developers has been renewed before its February 7 debut on the streaming service.The series comes from Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Megan Ganz, the minds behind FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A trailer for the show was recently released, which you can check out below.McElhenney stars in Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet as Ian Grimm, the creative director of a video game company whose prized game is an MMORPG. He is joined by the ensemble cast of F. Murray Abraham (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Danny Pudi (Community), Imani Hakim (Cam), Charlotte Nicdao (Thor: Ragnarok), David Hornsby (It's Always Sunny), Ashly Burch (Life is Strange), and Jessie Ennis (Love).February's first season will consist of nine, half-hour episode, all of which will drop on the same day. To keep up with more news from the TCA winter press tour, check out some of GameSpot's coverage below.More from the TCA winter press tour: Starz Boss Offers Update On The John Wick TV ShowFX On Hulu: Check Out The Release Schedule For All Your Favorite New ShowsAmazon Greenlights Jack Reacher Series, Has Big Shoes To Fill With CastingWheel Of Time Update: Amazon Is Hard At Work, World-BuildingHalo Showtime Series Update Includes First Master Chief Photo (But You Can't See It Yet)Picard Star Patrick Stewart Explains Why Star Trek's Popularity Never DiesStar Trek: Picard's Dog Means Much More Than You Might ExpectChild's Play TV Show Chucky Gets Series Order At Syfy--What Is It About?Syfy Developing Gritty Peter Pan SequelYoung Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Life Explored In New NBC ComedyTwilight Zone Season 2 Cast Includes Deadpool And Westworld Stars, Among OthersStar Trek: Picard Officially Receives Second Season Before Launch On CBS All AccessHBO's The Plot Against America Reimagines WWII With Fascist Leader As PresidentPatton Oswalt's MODOK Marvel Series Gets Update From Hulu BossHulu Boss Gives Marvel's Helstrom Update: Get Ready For Comic Book HorrorSteven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories Series Gets Premiere Date And First Look On Apple TV Plus Info from Gamespot.com

Technology giant Microsoft has announced a bold new plan to do its part to save the planet amid growing concerns about climate change. There are two key takeaways from this announcement, the first of which is that Microsoft is planning to become "carbon negative" by 2030. By 2050, the Xbox-maker also aims to remove all the carbon it has created as a company since its foundation in 1975.Microsoft's "aggressive program" plans to cut carbon emissions from its direct sources and from the chain of companies it works with to create its various products. Microsoft said it will create a $1 billion "climate innovation fund" to help with these efforts, and progress on all fronts will be detailed in a yearly Environmental Sustainability Report."We must begin to offset the damaging effects of climate change, and that's what we are here to talk about today," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. "The scientific consensus is clear. The world, today, is confronted with an urgent carbon crisis. If we don't curb emissions and the temperatures continue to climb, the science tells us the results will be devastating."Each of us is going to need to take action, and that includes businesses. No one company can solve this macro challenge alone, but as a global technology company, we have a particular responsibility to do our part. That's why today we're announcing an ambitious new plan to help address the sustainability of our planet." Carbon negative, by Microsoft's definition, means that a company is removing more carbon than it creates each year. "While it is imperative that we continue to avoid emissions, and these investments remain important, we see an acute need to begin removing carbon from the atmosphere, which we believe we can help catalyze through our investments," Microsoft said.Microsoft said it plans to make use of the "best available science and most accurate math" to make its decisions about sustainability. The company said it also plans to enact various measures to help both its suppliers and customers become more informed about best practices as it relates to reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, Microsoft will use its platform as one of the world's biggest companies to work with politicians and other agencies to "accelerate carbon reduction and removal opportunities."Lastly, Microsoft said it will create new opportunities for its employees to help with the company's overall ambition to reduce its carbon footprint. Microsoft is among the largest employers on planet Earth, as it has nearly 150,000 employees worldwide.Microsoft is producing 825,000 carbon-neutral Xbox game consoles as part of a pilot program that represents the first gaming consoles in history to bear that designation. "We love Xboxes, but we all know that an Xbox works only when it's plugged in, and it's using electricity," Microsoft president Brad Smith said in a statement.As for Sony, the company has said the PlayStation 5 will be more environmentally friendly.You can visit Microsoft's website to see a detailed breakdown of how the company will go about reducing its carbon footprint.In 2019, the United Nations announced an initiative called "Playing for the Planet," which saw gaming giants like Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, and Niantic announce plans to work together to come up with best practices for reducing the environmental impact of the video game industry. Nintendo is missing from the alliance but the company already operate an Environment Committee at the company's headquarters in Japan, while each of its overseas subsidiaries have their own committees that look into environmental impact in their regions.In total, the efforts undertaken by the 21 game companies is estimated to result in a "30 million ton reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030." Additionally, "millions" of trees will be planted, while game companies will enact practices to do better in the areas of "energy management, packaging, and device recycling."A researcher in Australia is trying to further analyze the impact on the environmental impact of the gaming industry and also learn what game developers think about climate change and sustainability.Info from Gamespot.com

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been in theatres for over a month now, but we're still learning more about the billion-dollar blockbuster. The secret cameo role that singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran had in the movie has now been seemingly confirmed, and it comes as a big surprise.Images shared before Rise of Skywalker's release showed Sheeran in a Stormtrooper outfit, but it appears he played a different role. Oh My Disney reports that the "Shape of You" singer played an alien member of the resistance--the iguana-looking creature, to be more specific. You can see an image of the character at Oh My Disney.The fact that the official Star Wars Twitter account shared the story means this information is surely correct. The name of the alien character, however, is unknown.It's possible Sheeran has two cameos in Rise of Skywalker, or that he was on set in a Stormtrooper outfit as a gag or to throw people off.Star Wars is not the first gigantic franchise featuring Sheeran in a cameo. He also played a character in Game of Thrones. After a mixed reaction from fans, this character ultimately died in a horrific manner.The Rise of Skywalker received mixed reviews, and it was also the only one of the new Star Wars movies to not get an "A" Cinemascore rating. The movie was directed by JJ Abrams, who also made 2015's The Force Awakens. The Rise of Skywalker was Disney's seventh 2019 movie to make $1 billion, following Avengers: Endgame ($2.79 billion), The Lion King ($1.65 billion), Frozen II ($1.37 billion), Captain Marvel ($1.12 billion), Toy Story 4 ($1.04 billion), and Aladdin ($1.05 billion). Info from Gamespot.com

Xbox Achievements remain a core part of the Xbox ecosystem, and having a high gamerscore in a game--or finally snagging a difficult Achievement--can feel pretty good. Xbox achievement tracking site True Achievements has created a tool, called #MyDecadeOnXbox, to give you some insight into your own play habits.Log into your Xbox account and the site's tracker will tell you how many games you played over that decade on Xbox, how many achievements and gamerscore you unlocked, how many of those achievements were rare, and much more. It tracks your best month and day for achievements, gives you a platform breakdown, and lists your rarest achievements. It's worth noting that this is not an official Microsoft initiative--you will need a True Achievements account, and you'll need to give them access to your Xbox account information to get these figures.It's an interesting list of statistics, and a good way to chart how your play habits on Xbox systems have or have not changed. Xbox Achievements have changed a lot over the decade, as the distinction between retail and "arcade" games has been dropped, and Microsoft has been less rigid over how many Achievements a game can or can't have. You can even earn them on Switch, but only in a tiny handful of games.Achievements will likely remain a big part of the Xbox Series X when it launches in late 2020. There are still plenty of Xbox One games on the horizon as well, though, so Achievement hunters will be able to keep busy this year.Info from Gamespot.com

The latest box office numbers are in, and Bad Boys for Life started strong to win the weekend. The action movie starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence pulled in an estimated $59.2 million for the January 17-19 weekend in the US and Canada to top all other movies, while its international results have the movie closing in on $100 million worldwide.Bad Boys for Life is the first new entry in the action series since 2003's Bad Boys II. The $59.2 million opening-weekend figure for Bad Boys for Life is the best domestic start for the series, surpassing Bad Boys II ($47 million), and Bad Boys ($15.6 million).The new movie also stars Kate del Castillo, Paola Nunez, Alexander Ludwig, Joe Pantoliano, and Vanessa Hudgens. Bad Boys for Life is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Action movie giant Michael Bay directed the first two Bad Boys movies; he has a cameo in Bad Boys for Life.Bad Boys For Life made $38.6 million over the weekend from international markets, pushing the total haul to close to $100 million. The film is expected to surpass $100 million once the final weekend numbers come in, according to Variety. The movie reportedly had a $90 million budget before marketing.The strong start for Bad Boys for Life is good news for Sony, which recently announced yet another Bad Boys movie starring Smith and Lawrence.Last week's No. 1 movie, 1917, pulled in another $22 million to finish this weekend in the No. 3 position. The Robert Downey Jr. movie Dolittle finished second, with $23 million. That is a very low result, given the movie reportedly had a $175 million budget. It was Robert Downey Jr.'s first post-Marvel movie. The film could end up losing $100 million, according to The Wrap.Rounding out the top five were Jumanji: The Next Level ($10 million) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ($8.4 million). This is the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in the US, so box office numbers will eventually include Monday figures once they come in.You can see the full charts below, via Entertainment Weekly.January 17-19 US Box OfficeBad Boys for Life— $59.2 millionDolittle— $23 million1917—$22 millionJumanji: The Next Level— $10 millionStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker—$8.4 millionJust Mercy—$6 millionLittle Women—$6 millionKnives Out—$4.3 millionLike a Boss—$4.1 millionFrozen 2— $4.2 millionInfo from Gamespot.com

As January rolls on, it brings us new adventures, more content for some big titles, and the chance to revisit some previous releases. The Pokemon-inspired MMO Temtem is full of creatures to collect, while The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is full of zombies to gun down. You can also jump back into Kingdom Hearts 3 with the Re:Mind expansion. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is getting an updated Nintendo Switch port, while the dystopia adventure game Mosaic makes its console debut.Temtem -- January 21Available on: PCAt first glance, you might think Temtem is related to Pokemon Sword & Shield. Well, the Pokemon series is developer Crema's chief inspiration. But there are some key differences: chiefly, Temtem is an MMO. That means you can explore the archipelago, catch creatures, and throw down in 2v2 battles with friends. Those battles involve a elemental strengths and weaknesses, yes, but Temtems can also synergize for deeper strategies.More Coverage:What Pokemon Can (And Should) Learn From TemtemGetting An Evolution As Fast As We Can In TemtemKingdom Hearts III - Re:Mind -- January 23Available on: PS4Re:Mind brings more of what you love about Kingdom Hearts to the latest game, with more boss fights, story content, and two new Keyblades for Sora to wield: Oblivion and Oathkeeper. It focuses on his search for Kairi in the Keyblade Graveyard, but Kairi herself is also playable. Re:Mind also brings back Final Fantasy favorites like Aerith, Yuffie, and Leon.More Coverage:Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC: Pre-Order Editions, Concert Video, And Release DateKingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind Will Get You Granular Difficulty Control And New Photo ModesOddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD -- January 23Available on: SwitchThe Oddworld series is, well, odd. The titular stranger wields a crossbow that fires tiny creatures as ammo, letting you take down enemies with unique effects. This Nintendo Switch port lets you do that with new gyro controls. The Stranger himself is a bounty hunter who can leap and climb around the environment, and there's plenty of platforming to be had here too.More Coverage:Oddworld Stranger's Wrath ReviewNintendo Switch Getting Axiom Verge 2, Dauntless, & Oddworld - GS News UpdateMosaic -- January 23Available on: PS4, Xbox One, SwitchMosaic is set in a dreadful world: a sprawling, depressing city with lifeless people just going through their daily routines. The game tasks you with breaking out of this dystopia, going on a journey to overcome your urban isolationism. That sounds abstract, I know, but at least there's a fun saxophone player in the trailer.The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners -- January 23Available on: PCWhat's an episode of New Releases without a virtual reality game? Saints and Sinners is set in a flooded New Orleans, where you'll have to scavenge for supplies, make tough decisions, and meet with various factions if you want to survive. There's also a secret hidden in the city that just might put a stop to this whole zombie plague thing too.There's still another batch of hot January games in the oven. Next week, New Releases will bite into Journey to the Savage Planet and the long-awaited final episode of Kentucky Route Zero.Info from Gamespot.com

Robert Downey Jr.'s first post-Avengers movie, a re-imagining of the Dr. Dolittle series--has come up short at the box office. The movie is projected to make $50 million worldwide this weekend, including $30 million in America and $20 million from international markets.The movie had a reported budget of $175 million, and now a report claims the film could end up losing $100 million for Universal. Multiple film finance experts told The Wrap that they are modeling a $100 million loss for the movie.This is bad news for Universal, which also produced the box office loser Cats. That film, which reportedly had a lower budget of between $90 million and $95 million, will lose around $70 million when all is said and done, according to the report.As The Wrap reminds us, Dolittle has yet to open in 20 markets worldwide, including China, so the box office results are expected to get better over time. The movie could break even if those new markets overperform against expectations. The film also faces an uphill battle as it relates to reception, as the movie has a very low 27 rating on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.Reports indicated that the budget ballooned for Dolittle due to reshoots, among other things. The film makes use of a lot of CGI as well, which surely came at no small expense. The movie also features performances by Antonio Banderas, Emma Thompson, Michael Sheen, Rami Malek, John Cena, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Kumail Nanjiani, and Marion Cotillard.Dolittle is directed by Oscar-winning directed Stephan Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana).As for Downey Jr., he is rumoured to appear as Tony Stark/Iron Man in Black Widow this year, but after that, he is reportedly finished playing the character. Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite is one of the world's most popular video games. TikTok is one of the world's most popular apps. Now, the two are joining forces for a new crossover campaign.The Emote Royal Contest on TikTok is a new challenge that Epic and the makers of the uber-popular app have announced. Here's how it works: film yourself performing an original dance move, then submit it on TikTok using the hashtag #EmoteRoyaleContest.@pokii can’t believe i’m saying this but i have my own Fortnite Emote! 🤯🥳 you can get one too by entering a dance with #EmoteRoyalecontest #EpicPartner♬ original sound - pokiThe winning dance, as decided by Epic, will then become a real emote in Fortnite. The winner will also receive 25,000 V-Bucks and a "Fortnite VIP giveaway package." This includes two hoodies, a crossbody bag, a battle bus drone, a Funko toy, and the Fortnite edition of Jenga, among other things.Fortnite players Jordan Fisher and Pokimane already created TikTok dances that will be turned into emotes in Fortnite. You can check out their videos embedded in this story to see what you want to try to do to get selected for the contest.@jordan_fisherDropping into Emote Royale with my new emote! Enter the contest and you could get your own emote too. #EmoteRoyaleContest fortnite♬ original sound - jordan_fisherYou must use one of Fortnite's pre-chosen music tracks for this contest; download them here. The official contest rules also state that contestants must perform original dance moves. This line is notable because Epic has faced and fought numerous lawsuits related to how Fortnite's in-game emotes are based on other people's dances.The contest started January 18 and runs through January 24.Info from Gamespot.com

Dragon Ball FighterZ will get at least one more fighter, with Ultra Instinct Goku set to appear in the game this year. The new DLC was announced in Japanese V Jump Magazine, and shared by the Twitter account Dragon Ball Hype.Ultra Instinct Goku is coming to FighterZ - V Jump Scan. pic.twitter.com/vVCGvGVfgQ — Dragon Ball Hype. (@DbsHype) January 19, 2020It's unclear if this new character heralds a third FighterZ Pass, but Gematsu reports that we'll learn more during the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Finals 2019 – 2020 in February.This is the eighth Goku in the game, not counting the very Goku-like Bardock. Ultra Instinct Goku will join a roster that already includes Super Saiyan Goku, Super Saiyan Blue Goku, Goku Black, base form Goku, Super Saiyan Blue Vegito (Goku and Vegeta fused), Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta (Goku and Vegeta fused, but with a different method) and kid Goku from Dragon Ball GT.Ultra Instinct was introduced in the latest anime series, Dragon Ball Super, during the Tournament of Power arc. The form shown in the magazine is "mastered" Ultra Instinct, a form in which the body reacts instinctively to every situation. The power-scaling in Dragon Ball FighterZ means that even Yamcha and Videl will potentially be able to beat Goku in this form. It's not yet clear what Ultra Instinct Goku's moveset will be.A brand new Dragon Ball game, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, is also out now.Info from Gamespot.com

Joe Biden, the former vice president of the United States of America, is currently campaigning to be the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election. In an interview with the New York Times, when asked about the expanding power of Silicon Valley during Obama's time in office, Biden found himself discussing a meeting with "the leaders of Silicon Valley," and one unnamed game creator evidently left a sour taste in his mouth."And you may recall, the criticism I got for meeting with the leaders in Silicon Valley, when I was trying to work out an agreement dealing with them protecting intellectual property for artists in the United States of America," Biden says. "And at one point, one of the little creeps sitting around that table, was a multi- —close to a billionaire—who told me he was an artist because he was able to come up with games to teach you how to kill people..."This off-hand comment is not the first time Biden has expressed a distaste for violent games. In 2013, as vice president, he spoke about the possibility of applying additional taxes to violent media. He was also seeking to meet with members of the games industry to discuss the links between games and gun violence, and an open letter published at the time implored him not to blame games for real-world violence.An interviewer asks if he's referring to video games, and Biden continues, "Yeah, video games. And I was lectured by one of the senior leaders there that by saying if I insisted on what Leahy’d put together and we were, I thought we were going to fully support, that they would blow up the network, figuratively speaking. Have everybody contact. They get out and go out and contact the switchboard, just blow it up."The "Leahy" line is likely a reference to Vermont senator Patrick Leahy, although the context is not entirely clear from Biden's response. Biden recalls that one of the Silicon Valley people he was meeting with described them as "the economic engine of America," which he took issue with. "As I added up the seven outfits, everyone’s there but Microsoft. I said, you have fewer people on your payroll than all the losses that General Motors just faced in the last quarter, of employees. So don’t lecture me about how you’ve created all this employment.""The point is, there’s an arrogance about it, an overwhelming arrogance," Biden said, referencing the idea that Silicon Valley was bolstering the economy.It's not clear which meeting, or developer, Biden is talking about. Kotaku has theorized several identities for the "creep," but there's no definitive answer.Info from Gamespot.com

This week turned out to be a very busy and exciting one for Destiny 2--despite the fact that nothing was noted on Bungie's Season of Dawn content calendar. The community has united to figure out what's going on with a new secret quest located in the Corridors of Time. While it's possible to unlock some lore and an emblem from the secret quest right now, we still don't know where it will eventually lead--but lots of speculation suggests it might result in a new Exotic weapon.In the meantime, there are easier Exotics to get, like Devil's Ruin. And since it's the weekend, Xur is back in town, ready to sell you a few Exotics from his ever-changing inventory. Here's where to find Xur and everything he's offering this week.Xur LocationXur is located on Nessus in Watcher's Grave this weekend. His Exotic weapon this week is The Colony grenade launcher. For Titans, he's selling the Mask of the Quiet One helmet; Warlocks can get Lunafaction Boots leg armor; and for Hunters, there's the Shinobu's Vow gauntlets. Destiny 2 News And Guides Where Is Xur Today? Destiny 2 Exotic Location, Weapon And Armor (January 17-21) Destiny 2 Has A New Secret Quest: Here's How To Start It Destiny 2 Weekly Reset (Jan. 14-20): Secret Quest, Flashpoint, And More Destiny 2 Devil's Ruin Exotic Quest Guide: Where To Find Every Timelost Fragment Destiny 2 EDZ Obelisk Bug: How To Activate The Obelisk You can find Xur hanging out on Calus's barge. When you spawn in at Watcher's Grave, take your sparrow north and climb up onto the floating golden barge. Xur is waiting on the left edge.Xur InventoryIf you don't have The Colony already, Xur's Exotic weapon this week is worthy of your attention, particularly as a tried-and-true Crucible weapon thanks to its seeking spider bots. Lunafaction Boots are also a great get for Warlocks, especially when paired with Well of Radiance in boss encounters.If Xur's wares aren't compelling, you can always roll the dice on the expensive Fated Engram he brings with him. This gives you a single Exotic from the limited pool of ones you haven't already earned, for the price of 97 Legendary Shards. If there's something you're missing from your collection and you want it sooner rather than later, it can be a good deal--starting with the Season of Dawn, all Exotic Engrams are Fated Engrams, but you'll have to level up your Season Pass or wait for a random drop to get some. Be sure to purchase it on the character who's missing the Exotic, and note that you can only get one per week, so choose wisely which of your characters makes the buy. If you're a PC or Xbox One player taking advantage of cross-save, you can now potentially get Wavesplitter from the Fated Engram as well, thanks to the fact that it's no longer exclusive to PS4.Xur Item Lineup (January 17-21)The Colony (Exotic grenade launcher)Mask of the Quiet One (Exotic Titan helmet)Lunafaction Boots (Exotic Warlock leg armor)Shinobu's Vow (Exotic Hunter gauntlets)The ColonyYou'll see The Colony a lot in PvP matches because it'll usually guarantee you a kill if you can find Heavy ammo. The grenade launcher doesn't just shoot explosive projectiles--it fires tiny spider robots that run around looking for targets. It's a great weapon particularly for the Crucible, where you can fire it in the vicinity of enemies and let the spiders do the work of locating people to blow up.Mask of the Quiet One (Titan)Titans don't have any abilities that can heal them in an emergency, but Mask of the Quiet One can help. The Exotic helmet gives you ability energy when you take damage, and if you're in critical condition, landing a kill will completely heal you. That makes it great in both PvE and PvP, and rewards you if you're an aggressive kind of player.Stats:Mobility: 6Resilience: 8Recovery: 10Discipline: 6Intellect: 6Strength: 12Total: 48Lunafaction Boots (Warlock)There was a time when Warlocks were expected to take Lunafaction Boots into every battle, paired with the Well of Radiance Super. That's not really the case anymore, but the Exotic can still be extremely useful in tough fights. Wearing the boots causes your Rifts and Wells to increase reload speed for everyone standing in them, and makes the guns of you and your fireteam more effective over longer ranges when standing in an Empowering Rift. If you're trying to fight a raid boss and everyone needs to stand in a Well, Lunafaction Boots can be extremely helpful.Stats:Mobility: 6Resilience: 13Recovery: 7Discipline: 6Intellect: 6Strength: 10Total: 48Shinobu's Vow (Hunter)Hunters get the simplest Exotic in Xur's bag this week. Shinobu's Vow has one particular use: it makes your Skip grenades more effective. Paired with an Armor 2.0 loadout that favors grenades, Shinobu's Vow can help make your grenades pretty deadly, but the use case is also a fairly specific one.Stats:Mobility: 11Resilience: 7Recovery: 6Discipline: 16Intellect: 2Strength: 6Total: 48Info from Gamespot.com

After a busy year of video games, the slower pace of January is a great time for us to go back and play some of the cool, smaller titles that we might have passed over while trying to keep up with the big blockbusters of the end of the year. In this article, we take a look at the wonderfully charming Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard, as well as two fiendish puzzle games for those who like a little more (well, a lot more) challenge: Superliminal and Kine.In retrospect, 2019 was actually pretty rich for the indie scene, and it's nice to see some of the games we'd previously mentioned in this column making it to a few best-of lists around the internet--if you missed them, you can go back and check out our takes on Eliza, A Short Hike, and Anodyne 2, as well as Mutazione, Wilmot's Warehouse, and Fit For A King. Don't sleep on these super cool games! Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible WizardI feel like we could do with a bit more wholesomeness right about now. The second and, if the unexpected post-credits scene is accurate, evidently not the last in the Frog Detective Investigations series offers a welcome respite from the bleak realities of raging bushfires, corporate greed, and bellicose presidents. It’s a world without crime, after all, despite the confusingly-named Frog Detective Crime Solving Agency.It’s also a world where the kind folk of Warlock Woods come together to throw a welcome parade to their devastatingly shy new neighbour, and reluctantly call in the services of the titular frog detective when they discover the parade preparations have been trashed. Everyone in Warlock Woods is just so damn nice… well, except for Victor perhaps, but he’s only a little grumpy because he’s so hungry. Still, they’re a friendly lot, a close-knit community of talking animals who have refreshingly progressive views on how to receive a complete stranger into their small town. Actual detective work is light on the ground. You cannot leave your office to travel to the town without first collecting your trusty magnifying glass, but it’s a red herring really, and utterly useless for the task at hand. Instead, you’re best served by chatting with the townsfolk and making gentle enquiries as to their whereabouts on the night in question. There are some trifling puzzles to overcome to push the story forward, but for the most part, you’re here to enjoy the witty dialogue and revel in the whimsical nature of it all.Be warned: this is a short game, as the Steam page makes very clear. In a sense, it’s almost a perfectly formed one, and best played in one sitting over the course of about an hour. The writing is sharp, the banter between the animals silly yet crammed full of genuinely smart and laugh out loud exchanges. It’s goofy without slipping into wackiness, and facetious without sliding into sarcasm. Hitting on a tone that’s just the right mix of playful and good-natured, Frog Detective 2 delivers a delightfully mischievous mystery to solve.It’s like: LA Noire spent a Night in the Woods in the Animal Crossing villageGet Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard on Steam and Itch.ioKineA musical trio featuring drums, accordion, and trombone may not suggest ear-catching potential, but when the three are asked to jam in this pop-jazz puzzler it's hard to resist toe-tapping along to the beat.Kine presents a series of discrete spatial puzzles that sprawl out across a kind of big band infused cityscape. Aesthetically it screams--well, rather shuffles and struts--early 20th century New York, all bright lights and big beats and Broadway. Each puzzle takes place on a small grid and you must maneuver your musical instrument, whether it's drum, trombone, or accordion, across the grid to a goal square.The catch is that the block-shaped instruments can only be moved by rolling them on their side, a task that's made trickier through the devious gaps in the floor and pillars that block the obvious path. Each instrument has different dimensions and movement mechanics to consider too--the accordion, for example, can extend either vertically or horizontally, changing its shape on the fly and thus the squares of the grid its now eligible to roll onto. The L-shaped trombone is even more complex. It can be reconfigured along two axes and is prone to find its movement impeded by the increasing number of obstructions around the grid.The difficulty ramps up gently as you’re introduced to the three instruments in turn. Later levels become fiendishly fraught when the trio finally comes together and you’re required to switch between them to solve the puzzle. Moving the drums just so to create a new platform for the accordion to land on which in turn will open up a route for the trombone, and so on. These later levels encourage you to visualise the shape of the board several moves in advance, which is exhausting in the moment but thrilling to solve.I had to take breaks after every few levels when my head was too cluttered with geometry. The compulsive, looping jazz soundtrack kept me returning, though, driving me forward onto the next puzzle grid of musical gymnastics with its percussive momentum.It’s like: Stephen’s Sausage Roll by way of Cadence of Hyrule and JazzpunkGet Kine on the Epic Game Store and digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.SuperliminalSuperliminal is a puzzle game about how we see the world, and how much your perspective on the world matters. And it really wants you to understand that its core mechanic is also a metaphor for the infinite ways we collectively see the world. We’ve all got our own perspective, but wouldn’t it be good if we could see things from another vantage point? Maybe a change of perspective might, you know, change some perspectives.That core mechanic initially sees you able to pick up certain objects and alter their size depending on how they’re set back down into the environment. Walk real close to a tiny ball so it appears large, then pick it up and suddenly it’ll be enormous when you look up and drop it in the middle of a room. Conversely, grab something large from a distance and it’ll shrink in your hands, letting you set down a miniature version. It’s a startling effect the first time you see it, and that sense of wonder--that feeling you’re performing some kind of illicit dark magic every time you pick something up--only dissipates slightly over the course of the game.Other mechanics are added to your puzzle-solving repertoire, letting you utilise negative space to your advantage or allowing the seemingly infinite replication of interactable objects, among others. Some of these additions are more successful than others, and while they do extend the palette of puzzle types, it’s that core “is it big or is it small?” conceit that conjures the most satisfying conundrums to crack, especially the second-to-last series of challenges that take the core idea and twist it back in on itself in an unexpectedly giddying manner.The denouement to this Portal-esque series of puzzle chambers is a little anticlimactic in terms of its difficulty, though it never fails to throw up fascinating new environments that you’ll want to thoroughly explore. And it’s here where the “how about a new perspective?” narrative metaphor becomes laboured to a point verging on parody, though the earnestness of its all-too-obvious message did make me feel bad for rolling my eyes.Don’t let the clumsy theme deter you, Superliminal remains an inventive and eye-opening puzzle game throughout.It’s like: Portal enrolled at the Stanley Parable and brought a bag of Photoshop tricks.Get Superliminal on the Epic Game Store. Info from Gamespot.com

New games get announced all the time, but amid the news and excitement, many quickly drop off the radar. After all, there are quite a few games that we haven't heard from in some time, while others have only been hinted at with no official word. Heck, some haven't been canceled outright, either, leaving their fates uncertain.Below you can find a list of games that we haven't seen or heard from in a long time. Some are games we're likely to learn more about soon with the upcoming next-generation consoles, while others seem more like white whales we may never get to see again.Which games on this list do you think we might finally hear about in 2020? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.EA's Other Star Wars GameWhile Star Wars fans have been blessed with the release of Respawn's fantastic Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the franchise's other big project still remains a mystery due to a turbulent development that's changed hands between EA's studios. Initially teased in 2014, the game--code named "Ragtag"--was to be made by veteran developer Amy Hennig and the team at Visceral Games. However, EA shuttered the studio back in 2017, which resulted in Hennig's departure. Following this, the game was shifted over to EA Vancouver, and after some time retooling it into an open-world Star Wars game, it was quietly cancelled in early 2019.That seemed to be the end of this project, but in 2019, it was reported that EA Motive, co-developer of Star Wars: Battlefront II along with DICE, are working on a new game in the sci-fi franchise. In an interesting twist, EA Motive studio head Patrick Klaus stated that it would use some material leftover from Visceral's Ragtag, and that it would be "a very unique Star Wars experience." We've heard little about the project ever since, but EA remains adamant that more Star Wars games are on the way. And with the positive reception around Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and the improved quality of Star Wars Battlefront II, EA is in a better position to finally show what this other Star Wars project has become.Shadow of the EternalsShadow of the Eternals is the spiritual successor to cult-favorite horror game Eternal Darkness. Veterans from the original game's developer, Silicon Knights, formed a new studio called Precursor Games to work on the survival horror adventure, including former president Denis Dyack. However, the crowdfunding project failed to meet its goal. The lack of funding forced the game's development to be put on hold.In October 2014, Dyack opened up a new studio called Quantum Entanglement Entertainment to resume development on the project. The studio was quietly shut down in January 2018, and the production of Shadow of the Eternals was put on hold again. Dyack moved on to form a new studio called Apocalypse Studios, which has since been actively working on a Legacy of Kain-inspired free-to-play RPG called Deadhaus Sonata. A quick update about the state of Shadow of the Eternals on the project's Facebook page stated that while it's not canceled, it's not going to be in active development for a while. Given these events, it's more than likely that Shadow of the Eternals may not be released for quite some time, if ever.SpyjinxSpyjinx is a collaboration between developer Chair (Infinity Blade, Shadow Complex) along with filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and his off-shoot games studio Bad Robot Interactive. It was first announced in 2015 with a release date of 2016 for PC and mobile, but we've heard little since then. There are no details about what the game will be about or how it'll play. However, Chair creative director and Epic Games CCO Donald Mustard has reaffirmed throughout the years that the game remains in active development. To this day, you can still sign up for the game's future closed beta via its official website. While it remains to be seen whether the project will come to fruition, Mustard and Abrams still seem involved with one another, seeing as the two recently collaborated for a Star Wars promotional event in Fortnite.Bethesda's Open-World RPGs: Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VIBethesda Game Studios' Todd Howard surprised fans during E3 2018 when it announced Starfield--the developer's first new IP in 25 years--and The Elder Scrolls VI, which are two projects that are each huge in their own right. So it came as a shock that we heard about both at the same time. Still, Howard prefaced that it would be a long time until we'd see either in detail, and he was right. It has been a while, and aside from Howard's rare updates around their development and the likelihood of them coming to next-generation consoles, we've been given little idea what these games will play or look like.With both PS5 and Xbox Series X launching this holiday, there's a possibility we just might hear more about Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI soon but don't get your hopes up about the latter. Howard confirmed that Starfield would be released before The Elder Scrolls VI, so you'll likely have to wait longer to catch a new glimpse of Bethesda Game Studios' next-generation journey back to Tamriel.HellraidAnnounced in 2013, Hellraid is an upcoming project from developer Techland. It was initially intended as a mod for Dead Island before transitioning into a standalone game. Techland described Hellraid as a mix between Dead Island and The Elder Scrolls series. The game was scheduled to be released in 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360 but then was delayed to 2014 with development transitioning to PS4 and Xbox One. However, the development of Hellraid was put on hold in 2015 as the game failed to meet the company's expectations, and because Techland wanted to focus on expanding the universe of its other big project of the time, Dying Light.Pikmin 4Back in 2015, Pikmin 4 was announced and apparently "very close to completion." After almost a year with no news, Miyamoto himself assured Pikmin fans in 2016 that the sequel was still happening--and that was it. Though the spin-off Hey Pikmin came out on 3DS in 2017, it's still not at all clear what's happening with Pikmin 4 besides the fact that it's, well, happening. It's a new year, though, and Nintendo seems all the more focused on its properties than ever before, so who knows what surprises it has in store!Tekken x Street FighterTekken x Street Fighter was announced in 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360, and it's been kind of a mystery ever since. Producer Katsuhiro Harada assured fans in 2014 and reiterated in 2015 that the crossover fighting game wasn't canceled. However, in April 2016, Harada revealed that Tekken x Street Fighter was "no longer in active development" and that publisher Bandai Namco was waiting for "the right time" to release it.GameSpot reached out for comment in 2016, and at the time, Bandai Namco said the team was focusing on Tekken 7, which came out in 2017. Bandai Namco told us then that the Tekken team was concentrated on Tekken 7 DLC. Harada later confirmed during a 2018 year-end party livestream that the game was about 30% complete before being put on hold. But in a VGC interview in 2019, the developer questioned the validity of the crossover project given the post-launch content successes of both Tekken 7 and Street Fighter 5. Still, it appears Tekken x Street Fighter is very much on Harada's mind, seeing as, during the most recent Game Awards, he posted a Twitter poll to weigh current interest in the game.BattlecryBattlecry, a MOBA-like with historical inspirations and a focus on melee combat, was announced in 2014. It had a trailer and even sign-ups for a global beta in 2015, but publisher Bethesda expressed concerns about its quality. It's been three years, and we haven't heard anything--good or bad--about the game.The developer, which was initially branded as BattleCry Studios LLC, was created with the express purpose of making a multiplayer arena game, was rebranded Bethesda Game Studios Austin in March 2018. It recently worked alongside Bethesda Game Studios on Fallout 76.Skull & BonesOf the few Ubisoft games that received delays, Skull & Bones is one we've heard little about in the time since its original debut. Announced at E3 2017, this upcoming open-world action game is committed to evolving the naval combat component seen in the Assassin's Creed franchise--specifically, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. While we've seen brief displays of its multiplayer and single-player ship-on-ship combat, Ubisoft has seemed wary about showing any more of the game since E3 2018--much less committing to a definitive release date. The game has been delayed a couple of times, more recently to sometime after April 2020, and it even skipped E3 2019.Fortunately, the teams at Ubisoft look to be hard at work on the project even still, so there's hope that we'll get this adventure back into piracy sooner than later. And interestingly enough, Ubisoft announced in 2019 that it's collaborating with production company Atlas Entertainment to create a TV adaptation of Skull & Bones, which further increases the odds of its eventual release. Still, we can only speculate when this spiritual successor to one of the best Assassin's Creed entries will come out of hiding from the briny deep.WildWe know as much about Wild as we did four years ago, which is not a lot. The PS4-exclusive survival adventure game was revealed at Gamescom 2014, and we saw some gameplay during Paris Games Week in October 2015. Director Michel Ancel took to Instagram in January 2017 to confirm the game was still in production. But given that he's occupied developing Beyond Good and Evil 2, it seems like Wild has been put on hold. In terms of its premise, we know that Wild is an open-world adventure that casts you as a shaman who can possess animals.Deep DownNow in its fifth year on our missing games list, PS4 Souls-like Deep Down was revealed in 2013. It didn't disappear right away; we got details and trailers up through TGS 2014, and it was supposed to have a public beta in early 2015.The beta never happened, and in a February 2015 interview, producer Yoshinori Ono said that the game wasn't canceled but might be reworked. In 2016, Capcom told us that a Western release was never even confirmed for Deep Down, but the publisher filed a new patent for the game in the US in early 2017. In June 2018, Capcom extended the trademark for the game, and in the following year, a Eurogamer interview with Ono confirmed that it'd not been abandoned. With Capcom's major successes recently, Deep Down could certainly still be a possibility. Time will tell.Half-Life 3While the release of Half-Life series VR-exclusive spin-off Half-Life: Alyx draws near, we pretty much have to mention the long-awaited third game, even long after it hit peak meme status and transcended to the realm of "never going to happen." Half-Life 2: Episode 3 was announced back in 2006 but never materialized; it also wasn't canceled, either. In a Reddit AMA in early 2017, Valve boss Gabe Newell said there was still a possibility of more games in the Half-Life/Portal universe, so that's something. And there's also the leaked story summary from former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw, which confirms nothing but is still a wild read.With Half-Life back on people's radars thanks to Half-Life: Alyx, the franchise could have a new future. Whether that means Half-Life 3 is that much closer to becoming a reality, we'll just have to wait and see.Dead Island 2Zombie survival game Dead Island 2 came out of the gate with a very memorable trailer at E3 2014--and memorable is good since we've seen so little throughout the years. The game's original spring 2015 release window was later delayed to 2016, and then it lost its developer, Yager, in July 2015. Still, publisher Deep Silver assured us it wasn't canceled.It was announced in March 2016 that LittleBigPlanet 3 developer Sumo Digital had taken over the game's development. In 2018, the project shifted hands after the Dead Island property was acquired by THQ Nordic after the publisher purchased Koch Media, which owns Deep Silver and fellow games publisher Ravenscourt. Dead Island 2's development went silent again until THQ Nordic confirmed in 2019 that Dambuster Studios (Homefront: The Revolution) was taking the reins.While Dead Island 2's development certainly sounds tumultuous, Koch Media CEO Klemens Kundratitz remains confident and committed to supporting Dambuster Studios' work on the project. "It's a great story to tell everyone that it's on its third studio, but we like to be judged on the end result, and we're really confident that when it comes out it's going to be a kick-ass zombie game," Kundratitz said in a GamesIndustry.biz interview. "We'll certainly give it all our power."AgentIt wouldn't be a missing games list without Agent! The Cold War-era espionage game was teased way, way back in 2007 and announced in 2009 as a PS3 exclusive from Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar North. Since then, the game hasn't been officially canceled, but it's barely more than a murmur.The first images from Agent were released in 2011 when Rockstar parent Take-Two confirmed the game was still in development. Two full years later, Take-Two renewed trademarks for Agent. It renewed the trademarks again in 2014, just before E3. New images emerged in 2015, and at the end of 2016, Take-Two refiled the Agent trademarks yet again. But in November 2018, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office declared the "Agent" trademark as abandoned. It's likely now more than ever, especially after the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, that Agent is no longer a project that Rockstar is pursuing. But who knows what Rockstar will do; the studio is always full of surprises.Ken Levine's New GameBioShock creator Ken Levine appeared on NPR at the end of 2015 and discussed general design goals for his next game-- it's supposed to be highly replayable. Levine also described it as a "small-scale open-world game" with a sci-fi theme. An update on the game's development surfaced recently in the form of a job listing at his studio Ghost Story Games, which described the project as "a creatively ambitious project in the immersive sim genre." So as far as anyone knows, the mystery game is still happening.Phantom DustPhantom Dust has entered its fifth year running on our missing games list, and there's still no sign of news. The reboot of the 2005 Xbox game of the same name was first announced at E3 2014, but its original developer, Darkside Game Studios, closed down the following February. We saw some leaked gameplay footage in 2015 and got confirmation that the game wasn't dead. Microsoft Game Studios president Phil Spencer stated that it was put on hold until it could find the right studio to handle development. With the company acquiring so many different studios recently, there just might be hope for a Phantom Dust reboot. Regardless, we haven't heard anything in a while, so you'll need to continue waiting. But if you're still eager to engage with this cult-classic, a separate Phantom Dust re-release with slight improvements did release back in May 2017. Info from Gamespot.com