As 2019 winds down, it's time to look ahead to 2020 and a whole new year of game releases. Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers is among the many titles already scheduled to be released in the new year; below, we've outlined everything we know about the upcoming game.If you haven't been keeping track, 2020 is looking to be one of the most jam-packed years for new game releases we've seen in a while. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are all delivering brand-new IPs and long-awaited sequels to fan-favorite first-party series. Third party developers are delivering too, both triple-A and indie. And, of course, there will be new consoles on the market. Marvel's Avengers will have a lot of competition for player attention in 2020.Table of Contents [hide]Announcement & RevealWhat Is Marvel's Avengers?What Characters Will Be Included In Marvel's Avengers?Confirmed Playable CharactersAdditional Characters Confirmed To At Least AppearWhen Will Marvel's Avengers Release?Announcement & RevealFirst announced in January 2017 with the codename The Avengers Project, Marvel's Avengers remained fairly secret for years--the only concrete information revealed was that it was being developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal, the same teams respectively behind the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy and Deus Ex series. It wouldn't be until 2019 that more information would be released: that the game was officially called Marvel's Avengers. The game was then officially unveiled and shown off for the first time at E3 2019.Initial reactions for the game were mixed--we here at GameSpot weren't sure what the game even was upon seeing it behind closed doors. Based solely on the announcement trailer, Marvel's Avengers seemed to be a superhero game where you played missions as the titular characters in levels that included both button-mashing combat segments and scripted, on-the-rails platforming/flight sections. The trailer released fresh off the heels of the widely popular Avengers Endgame, and some fans weren't too thrilled with the stylistic choices taken with the Avengers' new designs. Square Enix went on record saying the designs would stay, but, ultimately, the characters did get updated designs in future trailers, gameplay reveals, and press images.Read More:Marvel's Avengers Characters Have New(ish) LooksWhat Is Marvel's Avengers?It wouldn't be until Gamescom 2019 that we'd get a better idea as to what Marvel's Avengers even is. Despite the title, the main focus of the game's narrative does not actually focus on Earth's mightiests heroes. Instead, the main character of Marvel's Avengers is Kamala Khan, the second Ms. Marvel and the first openly Muslim character to headline a Marvel comic. Since her debut, Kamala has quickly become one of Marvel's most beloved heroes, going on to receive a second comic run under a different writer and feature in numerous animated series and video games. She's also getting a live-action TV series for Disney+, which will introduce the character to Disney's MCU.Marvel's Avengers primarily follows on the heels of a reworked variation of the Inhumanity storyline, in which countless humans around the world suddenly discover they are Inhuman and develop superpowers. Kamala is one such Inhuman, developing shapeshifting abilities that she can utilize to grow in size and strength. Discovering a plot by the villainous H.I.V.E, Kamala attempts to reunite the disbanded Avengers, who went their separate ways after failing to stop a terrorist attack.Gameplay wise, Marvel's Avengers sees you take on missions as different superheroes--primarily Kamala, but you do play as Avengers and familiar faces from the Marvel universe as well--all of whom play differently. This opens up Marvel's Avengers to different types of gameplay, ranging from high-action flight missions as Iron Man to more Batman: Arkham Trilogy-like stealth and combat sections as Black Widow. As a result, certain missions can only be tackled by specific characters. However, some missions will allow you to replay them with different characters from the in-game roster.Marvel's Avengers is being developed as a games-as-a-service title, with additional characters, missions, and cosmetics releasing after the game has launched. The game supports both single- and multiplayer; as well as both off- and online play.Read More:Marvel's Avengers First Prequel Comic Is Available NowMarvel's Avengers Stars Ms. Marvel & 80 Years Of Comic HistoryMarvel's Avengers Game Will Get "Changes To Everything" Before LaunchMarvel's Avengers Gameplay, Story Details Shown At Comic-Con PanelGood News: Marvel's Avengers Game Can Be Played OfflineMarvel's Avengers Game Has MicrotransactionsWhat Characters Will Be Included In Marvel's Avengers?A complete list has yet to be revealed, but, so far, the following characters have been confirmed to be playable in Marvel's Avengers. Note: Square Enix has teased Hawkeye as a playable character, but has asked fans to "stay tuned" for additional details.Confirmed Playable CharactersCaptain AmericaIron ManBlack WidowHulkThorAnt-ManMs. MarvelThe following Marvel characters have been confirmed for Marvel's Avengers as well, though no announcement has been made confirming whether or not they're playable.Additional Characters Confirmed To At Least AppearTaskmasterThe AbominationRead More:Marvel's Avengers Game Characters: All The Superheroes Confirmed (So Far)Marvel’s Avengers Studio Head Talks Character Appearances, Crunch, And Squirrel GirlWhen Will Marvel's Avengers Release?Marvel's Avengers is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Google Stadia on May 15, 2020. Info from Gamespot.com

Audio Logs is a show all about the magic of making games. It features the people that design and develop the experiences that we love, telling the stories of how they're made. Making games is a long and difficult process where passionate people work tirelessly to overcome challenges, all so that we can be moved by unique games. We rarely see just how much care, thought, and attention goes into every element of the games we play, but Audio Logs aims to deliver some insight into that by giving creators a platform to tell their stories. This, we hope, will, in turn, let fans to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the games they hold dear.In Audio Logs Season One, we delved into the creation of God of War, Dead Cells, Cuphead, Devil May Cry V, the Shadow of the Colossus remake, and Overwatch character Baptiste, as well as looking back at the career of Goichi "Suda51" Suda. Season 2 will be equally as exciting, and we're starting with a big one!The first episode of Audio Logs Season 2 is all about Death Stranding, a unique game and one of the most interesting of 2019. Discussing it are none other than legendary game developers Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa, who break down a pivotal scene from early on in the game. The duo lay out how it was created and reveal the thinking behind its direction, as well as detail how individual elements were designed and depicted.The scene in question was first shown at The Game Awards in 2017 and, in Kojima and Shinkawa's own words, encapsulates much of the overall Death Stranding experience. It shows Norman Reedus's character, Sam Porter Bridges, encountering a BT and having to deal with the fallout of the event. This scene is densely packed with information about the science-fiction world that Death Stranding is set in, but it's all intentionally placed to give players key information and hint at mysteries that will unfold over the course of the game.Kojima and Shinkawa unpack the scene, pointing out the smaller details that may not be immediately apparent, explaining why they are important and relevant, and telling the stories of how they were created. For fans of Death Stranding--or Kojima Productions' previous work--there's plenty of fascinating insight into things such as why Sam is so frequently shown lying down, the reason the suits look the way they do, and different versions of the Odradek. Kojima also delves into some of the inspirations behind the game, telling stories such as how a bug led to one of the creepiest creatures in Death Stranding, and exploring the message he wants to send through the game.This episode of Audio Logs is available to watch above, and you can also see it on YouTube, where Season 1 is available to watch. Be sure to subscribe to GameSpot on YouTube to see more episodes as they’re released every Sunday. You won’t want to miss it as the coming episodes will be focused on Control, Persona 5 Royal, Gears 5, and a few more surprises.In GameSpot's Death Stranding review, Kallie Plagge said it is a "hard game to absorb," adding that its quirkier aspects "belie an otherwise very simple message" which becomes more apparent in its mundane moments. Moments such as "when you find a desperately-needed ladder left behind by another player or receive a letter from an NPC thanking you for your efforts are "positive without ignoring pain." She continues: "In fact, it argues in both its story and its gameplay that adversity itself is what makes things worth doing and life worth living. It's a game that requires patience, compassion, and love, and it's also one we really need right now."Death Stranding was also highlighted as one of GameSpot's favorite games of the year. "With our present being rife with political turmoil and a general feeling of angst towards our future, there's a comfort that can be found in a routine and the positivity from others who come from different backgrounds," said Alessandro Fillari. "Sam's routine as a delivery man in a post-apocalyptic setting reveals its larger message of hope and perseverance in the face of depressing circumstances, which is a touching message that resonates deeply." Info from Gamespot.com

Techland's Dying Light 2, the sequel to the open-world zombie-apocalypse game, is shaping up to reinforce the original's stellar combat and traversal gameplay with a more fleshed out and fully realized world. One of the original game's biggest strengths was its handling of blending melee combat with slick parkour-based traversal in an open-world overrun by the infected, and it was always thrilling getting in and out of major scrapes with a bag full of loot intact. Dying Light was one of the best games of 2015, and with the next game, there's a deeper emphasis on having your character play a more prominent role in shaping the fate of the last bastion of humanity left in the world.As we head into 2020, we figured it's time to lay out everything we know about Dying Light 2. Since its debut back in 2018, the upcoming sequel looks to do all the things a traditional follow-up sets out to do--build upon the foundations of what was there, tell a new story, and introduce some new surprises. But there's a bit more going on with Dying Light 2 than we expected, so here's a quick breakdown of everything we know about the game so far. Once more details are revealed, along with a firm release date, we'll update this feature for more info.Table of Contents [hide]What Is Dying Light 2?Release DateShould You Still Play The Original?The E3 2018 Debut TrailerWhat's New In The Sequel?Will There Be Multiplayer?The Extended Gameplay TrailerPre-Order GuideWhat Is Dying Light 2?Dying Light 2 is an open-world action game set in an isolated urban landscape during the zombie apocalypse. You play as Aiden Caldwell, a freelance runner who handles various odd jobs and tasks for the citizens of The City, one of the last human settlements in Europe. Following the events of Dying Light's post-game expansion, The Following, the former-protagonist Kyle Crane was infected with a new strain of the virus that turns people into the ravenous infected, and he unknowingly spread the disease throughout the world. After the global outbreak, modern civilization came to an end, pushing humanity into a new dark age.The sequel takes place twenty years later, where the modern world is a thing of the past. In Dying Light 2's present, advanced technology is scarce, and firearms are hard to come by, requiring you to scavenge parts and piece make-shift weapons together to survive the onslaught of infected, along with enemy factions looking to take what you have left. As you freely explore The City, which is four times bigger than the original game's world, you'll be able to take on side-missions, explore abandoned buildings, and make essential choices that will impact the flow of your story. Ultimately, your decisions throughout the settlement will leave an impression on the state of the last human settlement.Release DateAs of this time, Dying Light 2 will launch in the first half of 2020 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Techland and publisher Square-Enix hasn't confirmed the release date at this time, but in a separate interview from WCCFTech, developer Pawel Pohleder confirmed that Dying Light 2 was always planned to be a cross-gen game. In addition to the current hardware, the game will also be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.Should You Still Play The Original?Though Dying Light 2 is a continuation of the original game's plot, which set the groundwork for the new story, the sequel works as a standalone game on its own. Set two decades later and in an entirely different location, Dying Light 2 sticks with its narrative, with references from the previous game only serving to flesh out a sense of worldbuilding. Still, the original Dying Light is an exhilarating game that's held up well. If you're interested in the sequel but haven't played the original, then definitely give it a shot. With that said, you won't be at a huge loss if you want to wait for the sequel.The E3 2018 Debut TrailerDebuting at E3 2018 during the Microsoft Press Conference, Techland showed off the first look of the follow-up to the 2015 game. Set in a European urban setting, the protagonist fought against several bandits that culminated in important choices that could change the fate of a city's district, such as taking control of the area's water supply for selfish benefit. Shortly after the debut, narrative designer Chris Avellone took to the stage to lay out Techland's vision for the game."Dying Light 2 is everything that you would expect from a bold sequel of the first game," stated Avellone. "A fluid parkour system with improved natural movement, deep and tactical first-person melee combat, and of course, terrifying nights when the infected emerge from the depths of the city to feed on anyone they can find. We invite you to a new vision of the post-apocalypse, an unforgiving reality we call the 'modern dark ages.'"What's New In The Sequel?The most significant change coming to Dying Light 2 is the new adaptive storytelling. Throughout the game, Aiden Caldwell will rub shoulders with the various factions in The City, and at critical points in the plot, he'll need to choose whom to side with to press forward. Depending on which factions control the districts of The City, you'll see changes to the environment that reflect their ideologies. During E3 2019, we saw a gameplay demo that showed off a mission set at a fortified water dam. A faction had moved in and turned it into a safe-haven. While it seemed like a peaceful place, your present task required that you break in and confront the leader, putting you at odds with the group. Choosing to take over the dam will not only claim the territory for your chosen faction, but it will also change the very layout of the district's map itself. By manipulating the dam's water levels, certain areas of the map will flood, making them inaccessible. On the inverse of that, other places will see the water drained, which will unearth new places to explore, along with mutated infected that will spread to the city.Throughout the game, you'll acquire new abilities and weapons to aid you in your fight against bandits and the more evolved infected. There's a more significant emphasis on crafting gear, and in some instances, you can build modded weapons that have multiple uses. In the E3 2019 demo, Aiden picked up a special harpoon gun that can be used a mace when you're out of ammo. Along with that, modded weapons are far more effective in the sequel, but your enemies are also far more capable of taking you down in combat.According to the developers, the sequel plans to take more cues from role-playing games to give players more choice in the flow of the narrative. With Chris Avellone serving as narrative director, whose previous writing and design credits include the Fallout series and Planescape: Torment, Dying Light 2's story offers a lot more flexibility when compared to the original's static plot. This approach will, in turn, create more opportunities to shape the dynamic of The City based on your preferences. In addition to the returning focus on open-world exploration and melee combat, the adaptive narrative adds a new twist that makes the game's world feel more like your own. In a recent interview, the Techland devs stated that to see the game's 100+ hours of content, it will require multiple playthroughs of the game.Will There Be Multiplayer?Yes, Dying Light 2 will feature co-operative multiplayer for up to four players. Just like the original game, players can have others join their game to take on various missions, activities, and other open-world excursions. As of this time, there hasn't been any additional info about what you can do in the open-world with other players.The Extended Gameplay TrailerAt E3 2019, Techland showed off extensive gameplay behind closed doors to press, showcasing a vertical slice of the game's key pillars for combat, traversal, and storytelling. In the months after E3, the developer released a video of the same demo to the public online. In this video, we saw Aiden freerun across the rooftops to catch up to a truck belonging to a rival faction. This extended clip showcased a lot of the upgrades to melee combat and traversal, both of which feature a greater sense of weight, speed, and flexibility. During parkour traversal, Aiden can run across walls, along with grabbing enemies from perches and use them to break his fall from long drops.Pre-Order GuideCurrently, there isn't a set release date for Dying Light 2, nor is there any info on any special collector's editions of the game. Still, you can pre-order the game at this time on various digital distribution platforms. Check out our pre-order guide to find the best places to go pre-order the game. Info from Gamespot.com

Whether it's video games, movies, or TV shows, entertainment is filled with iconic tools of warfare, and much of the stories we love are defined by them; the Pulse Rifle is synonymous with the Aliens franchise; the Man With No Name's mystique and effortless cool is heightened by the revolver he whips out in the squint of an eye; and the sound of a bullet from the Intervention hitting an enemy immediately conjures up Call of Duty-flavoured nostalgia.These weapons are the focus of Loadout, a new show that will identify some of pop culture's most influential armaments and explore them in-depth. Each week, host Dave Jewitt will tackle a different weapon, delve into its origins, examine how it has been used, and lay out the impact it has had on pop culture.In Episode 1, Loadout takes hold of the revolver, a legendary weapon that has been present from the earliest days of cinema to the current era of video games. Why is it so popular? For Episode 2, Dave takes a look at The Intervention, a weapon that Call of Duty players will be intimately familiar with and, given its status as arguably the most meme-able video game weapon, you may know it even if you haven't played the shooter series. For Episode 3, Dave delves into the world of Warhammer 40k to explore the history of an iconic sci-fi weapon. Episode four delves into the history of the rocket launcher, a staple weapon for video games. Its use spans everything from first-person shooters like Quake and Doom, to fighting games like Smash Bros., courtesy of Metal Gear's Solid Snake. But the origins of the rocket launcher might surprise you.New episodes of Loadout will air every Saturday and you can find them on GameSpot's YouTube channel--make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.Episode 4: The Rocket LauncherEpisode 3: The BolterEpisode 2: The InterventionEpisode 1: Revolvers Info from Gamespot.com

2020 is almost here, so we've asked GameSpot's staff to share which games they're looking forward to most in the new year. New consoles are going to dominate the headlines, but at the end of the day it's all about the games, and there are a ton of exciting ones to look forward to. When you're done reading this entry, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2019 hub and our Most Anticipated of 2020 hub.In 2019, Valve almost gave Half-Life fans what they wanted with the official announcement of the upcoming prequel Half-Life: Alyx. But when it announced that the next Half-Life game would be a full-length VR-exclusive prequel to Half-Life 2 rather than the concluding story everyone expected, many grew skeptical. I certainly had my doubts at first. After all, I could easily see its exclusivity as a means for Valve to sell more of its recently-released Index headset. However, those concerns were laid to rest with the game's first trailer. Now I am convinced that Valve is ready to change the way we play virtual reality games, and will shake up the video game industry once again.Half-Life: Alyx follows the story of Alyx Vance before Gordon Freeman's arrival in City 17. As fans know, the events of the first game triggered a massive alien zombie epidemic from a lab experiment gone wrong at the Black Mesa facility. Half-Life: Alyx will most likely fill in the blanks between the first and second game with plenty of surprises up its sleeves--if the spirit of previous Half-Life games is to be of any indication.Every detail in the first trailer had me in absolute shock. The game seems to pull from the best ideas that Half-Life 2 introduced while exploring the lingering questions the franchise left us with. But what most excites me about Half-Life: Alyx is the potential in interaction being explored in the game. The truth is, VR has often left me wanting more since I feel that the medium is still several notches shy of true immersion. Based on the trailer, no such concern has been raised, and truthfully, it's the pedigree that Valve boasted in how Half-Life 1 and 2 radically shifted how we think of first-person shooters that has me convinced VR might be a great choice. I believe Valve's implementation of VR will be Half-Life: Alyx's highlight and pave the way for other developers to follow suit. I can already see how the new gloves Alyx uses is bringing gravity gun tricks back into the fray through intriguing-looking combat, and how immersive it might be to peek out from cover or comb through rubble for scarce ammunition. Most of all, I eagerly await and dread the sheer terror I will probably encounter when I turn around just in time to see a headcrab launch itself right at my face.The early release date is also too much for me to process fully. Here I was accepting that Half-Life 3 became the gaming world's favorite meme, and now I'm staring down a March 2020 release date for the only other thing that could get me just as excited. Half-Life: Alyx has its work cut out for it considering the massive expectations fans have from the series, but I'm excited to see what Valve will offer. We are at the precipice of a brand new decade of ground-breaking titles, and it is exciting that Valve seems to be cracking its knuckles, eager to get the first shot. Info from Gamespot.com

Season 2 of The Mandalorian will premiere in Fall 2020, producer Jon Favreau has confirmed. The Star Wars TV show's first series premiered in November with the launch of Disney+.Deadline reports that "several established characters" from the Skywalker Saga series of movies may appear in The Mandalorian Season 2. However, no specifics have been confirmed yet.The Mandalorian Season 1 stars Game of Thrones and Narcos actor Pedro Pascal, with a cast that also includes Gina Carano, Giancarlo Espositio, Werner Herzog, and Nick Nolte, among others.The Mandalorian is the first Star Wars live-action TV show. Favreau created and was the executive producer on the show. Some of his past work has included Elf and Iron Man.Season 2 of #TheMandalorian coming Fall 2020 pic.twitter.com/8VQYLDMQ0V — Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) December 27, 2019Episode 8, Redemption, was directed by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi--it premiered on December 27. It was the final episode in Season 1, and Favreau confirmed Season 2 not long after the chapter debuted on Disney's streaming service. Star Wars The Mandalorian Episode 8: 11 Easter Eggs And References You Might Have Missed Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Rules The Weekend Box Office, But Opens Below Previous Films Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker: The Biggest Unanswered Questions Of Episode IX Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Ending Explained How Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Ends For Every Major Character Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker - 48 Easter Eggs From Past Movies Is Baby Yoda In Star Wars 9: The Rise Of Skywalker? Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Review - A Galactic Disappointment The Mandalorian Schedule: When Does Episode 7 Release On Disney Plus? Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker – Read Critics' Reactions Info from Gamespot.com

Following the swift removal of Dangen Entertainment CEO Ben Judd, the Japanese indie publisher is now offering its developers the option of reconsidering their contracts with the company. Dan Stern, the current CEO of Dangen, said in a statement that "all developers will be free to reconsider contracts and decide whether or not they would like to continue forward with Dangen under its new management." According to Stern, Dangen has reached out to its developers--including those working on Devil Engine and Fight Knight--and hopes to resolve these matters as quickly as possible.This news follows Stern stepping into Ben Judd's shoes as CEO earlier this month. Judd, who co-founded Dangen in 2017, was accused of mismanagement and sexual harassment by multiple individuals who have worked with him in the past. The allegations led to Judd stepping down as CEO, saying in a statement, "For the foreseeable future, I will be focusing on fixing some of the issues that have come to light as well as spending time with my family. They believe in me and I want to work hard to grow in a way that justifies that faith. I am truly sorry."Regarding the studios working on Devil Engine and Fight Knight, Stern said he has "reached out to [those] developers with a clear path toward mutually agreed separation." He also specified that if any studio wishes to part ways with the publisher, all of Dangen's marketing materials will be removed from those projects, ownership of store pages will be given back to the developers, and final payments (especially to the Devil Engine team) will be resolved when invoices are received.Dangen Entertainment is the publisher of many indie games, including 2D fighter Pocket Rumble, action-platformer Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, upcoming beat-em-up The TakeOver, and more. The company is perhaps best known for the 2018 critically acclaimed indie action-puzzler Iconoclasts, which received a 9/10 in our review.Iconoclasts is published by Dangen specifically in Japan and, as such, serves as a regional distributor. The game is published by Bifrost Entertainment in other territories. Info from Gamespot.com

The gift-giving season is almost over, but if Santa missed anything from your list you may be able to grab it at a significant discount. Target is offering 25% off select PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games starting Sunday, December 29.The deal comes from its weekly circular (via Wario64), and applies to select games if you use the store's online order pickup option. That means ordering through Target.com and then picking your game up through customer service once it's ready. The ad doesn't detail every included game, but it does show a few examples: Madden NFL 20, FIFA 20, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Nascar Heat 4, NBA 2K20 Switch, and Just Dance 2020.Notably, some of those games are actually already on sale at Target for even bigger discounts--particularly the sports games. If you want to pick up Madden, FIFA, or NBA 2K, it's better to jump on them now instead of later.This is similar to a deal the retailer offered over the summer, which gave the discounted chunk for online pickup. The move seems aimed at getting users to sample its online pickup option, which some stores are also supporting with dedicated parking spaces so you don't even have to get out of your car.Info from Gamespot.com

Fans worried about the Deadpool franchise following Disney's acquisition of Fox can now rest easy. Actor Ryan Reynolds has confirmed Marvel Studios is working on a third Deadpool installment.Reynolds told the hosts of Live With Kelly And Ryan that "the whole team" at Marvel is working on Deadpool 3. "Yeah, we're working on it right now with the whole team," Reynolds said. "We're over at Marvel [Studios] now, which is like the big leagues all of a sudden. It's kind of crazy. So yeah, we're working on it." The actor teased something Marvel-related earlier this year when he visited Marvel to "audition for the role of 'Anthony Stark.'"Deadpool 3 doesn't have a definitive release date or window yet. It also remains unclear whether David Leitch (Deadpool 2) or Tim Miller (Deadpool) will return to direct the third installment.Reynolds, who voiced Pikachu in Rob Letterman's 2019 fantasy mystery film Detective Pikachu, is slated to appear in the star-studded action-thriller Red Notice. The film is expected to land sometime in 2021 and stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot, and more.Until Red Notice hits theatres, Reynolds has a few projects coming in the next year. The actor will appear in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (director by Patrick Hughes), Free Guy (director by Shawn Levy), and The Croods 2 (directed by Joel Crawford). He is also attached to a silly adaptation of A Christmas Carol, as well as workshopping a funny reimagining of Home Alone called Stoned Alone.Info from Gamespot.com

2020 is almost here, so we've asked GameSpot's staff to share which games they're looking forward to most in the new year. New consoles are going to dominate the headlines, but at the end of the day it's all about the games, and there are a ton of exciting ones to look forward to. When you're done reading this entry, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2019 hub and our Most Anticipated of 2020 hub.So many games have taken inspiration from the mechanics and systems found in From Software's Soulsborne games, giving rise to the Souls-like subgenre. Without a doubt, my favorite title in that grouping is Hollow Knight, which is scheduled to receive a sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.In Silksong, you play as Hornet--the secondary protagonist of Hollow Knight--in the aftermath of one of the original game's five endings. Captured and taken to Pharloom, Hornet escapes and decides to figure out why she was brought to the haunted kingdom, making her way up through Pharloom's many layers to reach a citadel that supposedly has the answers she seeks. Hollow Knight: Silksong is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch and PC. Team Cherry hasn't revealed the game's exact release date, writing in a blog post that Silksong will launch "when it's ready" and "matches the quality and scale of Hollow Knight."So, granted, there's a chance Silksong doesn't actually release next year. But I'm not the only member of GameSpot staff making out-there predictions for 2020, and after getting hands-on with Hollow Knight: Silksong at E3 2019, I have faith that the game is far enough in development to potentially launch next year.The original Hollow Knight is a gorgeous game steeped in some of the best written lore I've ever read--the history of the Mantis Tribe and backstory for Hornet's upbringing being two of many notable standouts. Its combat mechanics are simple enough to grasp but dealing with the attack patterns of certain enemies and bosses in the late- and post-game can get excruciatingly challenging--demanding you to push yourself to jump and slash with near perfect precision. It's a deeply satisfying game to overcome, both in terms of defeating god-like adversaries and better understanding the history of its fascinating characters, because it so expertly toes the line between frustrating defeat and exhilarating victory.And that's why I'm eagerly anticipating Silksong. Overall, Silksong plays very similarly to its predecessor. You're still exploring a uniquely stylized and interconnected world, battling a variety of challenging foes, and enjoying a wonderful soundtrack. Everything that makes Hollow Knight great still seems to be in Silksong--which makes sense given this sequel was originally just an expansion for the first game. Silksong is already building on a good foundation.That said, I'm more curious to see how Silksong's differences impact the overall experience. Hornet, unlike the unnamed knight from the first game, can speak and regularly voices her opinions, which could influence the overall interpretation of Silksong's story. Hornet is a lot faster than the knight too--sporting a longer-reaching dash and downward diagonal aerial slash to better reach her targets. She can also heal much more quickly (and can even do so while airborne). Given that Silksong's enemies are all much faster than the ones seen in the original game, these gameplay changes seem to encourage utilizing a faster, more aggressive playstyle than the one needed for Hollow Knight. If Hollow Knight is Dark Souls, then Silksong seems to be Team Cherry's Bloodborne. Info from Gamespot.com

2020 is almost here, so we've asked GameSpot's staff to share which games they're looking forward to most in the new year. New consoles are going to dominate the headlines, but at the end of the day it's all about the games, and there are a ton of exciting ones to look forward to. When you're done reading this entry, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2019 hub and our Most Anticipated of 2020 hub.Nintendo may have only given us a brief glimpse into its 2020 lineup, but we've already seen some exciting titles in store for Switch next year, including the long-awaited new entry of Animal Crossing. The game I'm most excited for, however, is unquestionably Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, a remake/remaster of Wii's best RPG. Nintendo unveiled the title at the end of its September Direct broadcast, and while it didn't reveal much beyond a brief trailer, it was more than enough to get me hyped.That Nintendo would choose to cap off its most recent Direct with the announcement of a Xenoblade remake illustrates just how far the series has come in the company's eyes. The original Xenoblade Chronicles may have been greeted with critical acclaim when it first released, but the game is perhaps most famous for almost not releasing in the US at all.Xenoblade Chronicles originally launched in Japan in 2010 and made its way to Europe the following year, but it wouldn't arrive stateside until 2012, after much fan outcry. By that point, however, the Wii wasn't so much showing its age as it was a shambling corpse, and Xenoblade Chronicles already looked hopelessly dated compared to contemporary releases on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. And yet despite this, it turned out to be one of the most absorbing games of that entire generation thanks to its breathtaking environments and expansive story, which more than masked its visual shortcomings.From what little we've seen of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, it appears the visuals have received the most significant changes, but that's the only area that really needed any touching up to begin with. Despite being nearly a decade old now, the game holds up remarkably well thanks to some forward-thinking ideas it had for its time--some of which its own follow-ups, Wii U's Xenoblade Chronicles X and Switch's Xenoblade Chronicles 2, would curiously discard.In particular, Xenoblade trimmed some archaic design conventions that turned me off of so many other JRPGs. For one, the game didn't require you to return to quest givers to collect your rewards after completing many of its side-quests, which meant it never felt like I was wasting my time while playing. You could also quick-travel to any landmark you had previously visited effectively from the outset of your journey--a radical idea when other contemporary JRPGs, such as Ni No Kuni, forced you to wait dozens of hours before you could unlock a quick-travel option.These smart refinements are a big reason why Xenoblade felt so fresh when it first launched, but what gripped me most was the game's sense of scale. Xenoblade presented a vast and varied world to explore, and it constantly rewarded your curiosity, doling out XP for discovering a new landmark and tucking away rare items in hard-to-reach areas. What a world it was, too; each new locale the game presented felt more stunning and imaginative than the last, enlivened by an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack that I still listen to regularly. In my mind, Xenoblade Chronicles' setting rivals any open world in gaming today, and I can't wait to explore it again after its HD facelift.Even if Nintendo and developer Monolith Soft were strictly updating the game's visuals and nothing more, I would eagerly take any chance to revisit Xenoblade Chronicles on Switch, but it appears the companies are going beyond that. The teaser trailer ended with a look at a location that never appeared in the original game, which suggests Monolith will be introducing some new content to the title as well--as if I needed any more convincing to pick it up. Nintendo hasn't announced a release date for Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition yet, but it can't come soon enough.Info from Gamespot.com

Despite calling on the community for help revitalizing the Xenosaga series with a potential HD remaster collection, the project has officially fallen through the cracks. A producer at Bandai Namco has confirmed that a remaster of the long-dormant RPG franchise would be "difficult" to do based on current market analysis.Katsuhiro Harada, a director/producer at Bandai Namco and the producer of the Tekken series, shared on Twitter that an HD Xenosaga remaster collection didn't make sense from a profitability standpoint. Harada said that the project was progressing as a potential plan but was dropped somewhere along the process. According to Harada, resurfacing the project would be difficult to do.This actually progressed to the remaster's plan, but failed in a profitable market analysis.Sorry guys, This plan will be difficult to resurface... https://t.co/0CRJJDPl5Z — Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) December 26, 2019Harada sent a request to fans on Twitter in 2014, asking the community to band together in the hopes of getting a Xenosaga HD remaster collection off the ground. At that time, Harada said he couldn't "find the necessary market size" to make bringing the franchise back worthwhile. He said fan voices might chance those prospects.Though the possible Xenosaga HD remaster collection remains left on the cutting room floor, Harada has kept himself and his team busy with Tekken 7, which received an 8/10 in our review when it launched in 2017 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.The critically acclaimed fighting game has revealed two new combatants for its third season, one of which is an original character added to the series. Tekken 7's latest character, Leroy Smith, launched on December 10 for all platforms.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo is keeping its 2020 lineup close to its vest as we head into the new year, but the company has given us a tantalizing peek at a handful of games on the way to Switch over the next few months. The biggest of these is undoubtedly Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the long-awaited new installment in the beloved life sim series.New Horizons arrives nearly eight years after the last proper Animal Crossing game, New Leaf, released on 3DS, making it one of the year's most hotly anticipated titles. We got our first real look at the game during Nintendo's E3 2019 presentation, and since then, the company has gradually divulged new tidbits about it in the lead up to its March 2020 launch.To help catch you up on all the details that have been revealed so far, we've rounded up everything we know about Animal Crossing: New Horizons below. We'll continue to update this list as more information is revealed, so check back often for the latest on Nintendo's new Animal Crossing game.There are a ton of other great-looking titles lined up for next year. You can see some of the ones the GameSpot staff are most excited for in our Most Anticipated of 2020 hub. You can also catch up on our other end-of-year coverage in our Best of 2019 hub.Table of Contents [hide]Announcement And Reveal TrailerRelease DateWhat's New In New Horizons?Which Characters Will Return?Will New Horizons Support Cloud Saves?MultiplayerPre-OrderAnnouncement And Reveal TrailerWhile it was long speculated that Nintendo was secretly working on a new Animal Crossing game, the next entry in the series wouldn't be officially announced until the company's September 2018 Direct presentation. After revealing that Isabelle was joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable fighter, Nintendo confirmed that a new Animal Crossing game was in development for Switch, although it shared no other details about it beyond a vague 2019 release window.It would be another nine months before we heard more about the title. Nintendo waited until E3 2019 to finally share the first trailer for its new Animal Crossing game--now officially christened Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The video, which you can watch above, offered our first glimpse at how Animal Crossing's familiar, laid-back gameplay would be translated to Switch. More interestingly, it also revealed this entry's unique premise: rather than starting your domestic adventure by moving into a pre-existing town, as in every previous Animal Crossing game, New Horizons drops you on a deserted island and lets you build your own village from the ground up.Release DateAnimal Crossing: New Horizons was originally slated to release for Switch in 2019; however, at this year's E3, Nintendo confirmed that the game had been delayed by a few months and would now launch worldwide on March 20, 2020. According to the company, the reason for this delay was in part to ensure the development team maintains a healthy work-life balance--an important issue in the industry today, as many other studios have recently come under scrutiny for their excessive "crunch" practices."For us, one of our key tenets is that we bring smiles to people's faces, and we talk about that all the time. It's our vision. Or our mission, I should say. For us, that applies to our own employees," Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser told IGN. "We need to make sure that our employees have good work-life balance. One of those examples is, we will not bring a game to market before it's ready. We just talked about one example [New Horizons' delay]. It's really important that we have that balance in our world."What's New In New Horizons?At its core, New Horizons is very much a traditional Animal Crossing game, so your day-to-day experience will revolve primarily around interacting with neighbors and performing other familiar activities such as fishing, catching insects, discovering fossils, and decorating your home. However, the game builds on this foundation by incorporating some elements from the series' mobile spin-off, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. In particular, you can now collect different materials like tree branches and stones and fashion those into tools and furniture at Tom Nook's workbench. One new type of tool you can craft is a pole, which allows you to vault over the river and reach the other side more quickly.New Horizons introduces a few other new elements to the series as well, many of which are facilitated by the NookPhone, a smartphone-like device that you receive shortly after settling down on your island. With the NookPhone, you can look up crafting recipes, invite a friend to play alongside you, access the game's photo mode, and track your Nook Miles--points you accrue by completing certain tasks, such as picking weeds, learning new recipes, and more. These Nook Miles can be redeemed for special recipes and other in-game items.New Horizons also makes a swathe of quality-of-life improvements. While furniture could previously only be placed inside your house, you can now lay it down outside as well for some exterior decorating. The game, blessedly, also gives you the ability to dictate where your animal neighbors live. According to game director Aya Kyogoku, before a new villager moves in, they'll first check with you about the spot they've chosen; if you disapprove, you can select a new spot for their house.Other welcome tweaks that Nintendo has confirmed: you can shovel up an entire tree and replant it elsewhere rather than having to chop it down; you'll be able to freely select your character's skin tone, hairstyle, and facial features, and can swap between the different options at any point in the game; and you can move furniture in half-units, as you can in Happy Home Designer.Which Characters Will Return?Thus far, the only familiar characters we've seen in New Horizons are Tom Nook and his nephews, Timmy and Tommy, who will play a more pivotal role than they did in New Leaf. This time, the Nooks will run your island's resident services building, providing a place for you to purchase and craft furniture, tools, and other island necessities. We've also gotten quick glimpses at a handful of fan-favorite villagers who'll be returning in the game, including Angus, Fuchsia, and Goldie.Beyond that, however, we don't yet know what other recurring characters will show up in New Horizons or what role they'll serve. Isabelle in particular has been conspicuously absent from any footage Nintendo has shared of the game, but director Aya Kyogoku teases that she may make an appearance. "One thing that I could definitely say about Isabelle is that as the island develops a little more and it needs a little bit more support, then Isabelle might see some sort of use on the island," Kyogoku said.Another character that has been mentioned is the ever-irritable Mr. Resetti. In previous games, Mr. Resetti would pop up and berate players if they shut off the game without saving, but as New Horizons takes advantage of Switch's auto-save feature, Resetti's role has been made redundant. However, this doesn't mean he won't appear in a different capacity. "We also believe that Mr. Resetti is looking for a new job after his layoff. So please look forward to that," Kyogoku told Mashable.Will New Horizons Support Cloud Saves?Like a handful of other Switch games, it appears Animal Crossing: New Horizons will not support cloud saves. Producer Higashi Nogami confirmed to French outlet Gamekult (via US Gamer) that the title will not allow players to back up their save data to the cloud in order to prevent them from manipulating time within the game and cheating. Previous entries in the series have similarly disallowed players from backing up their save files, so this isn't entirely surprising, and it is hardly the only Switch title with this restriction.MultiplayerLike previous Animal Crossing games, New Horizons allows you to invite other players to visit your town. One island can host up to four players locally and up to eight in online sessions. However, you'll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to take advantage of these online features. Memberships for the service run for $4 USD for one month, $8 USD for three months, $20 USD for 12 months, and $35 USD for an annual family plan.In addition to local and online multiplayer, New Horizons also supports couch co-op. Using the Call Islander option in your NookPhone, you can summon another player who has a house on your island and play together by passing them one of your Joy-Cons. Director Aya Kyogoku demonstrated this feature during Nintendo's E3 2019 Treehouse livestream (above) by playing alongside producer Higashi Nogami. During these co-op sessions, the lead player is denoted by a flag over their head. The camera will only follow this player, but you can swap who the leader is at any time while playing.Pre-OrderWhile no pre-order bonuses have been announced yet, you can already reserve a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons at several retailers, including Amazon and GameStop. You can learn more in our New Horizons pre-order guide. See Animal Crossing: New Horizons at Amazon Info from Gamespot.com

A sale on the Nintendo Switch Eshop is offering solid deals on top-selling indie games. The sale lasts through midnight PT on December 28, so you only have a little while to take advantage. But it's a great way to catch up on games you may have missed over the year and spend those eshop cards that were in your stocking.These are all part of the Indie World library of games, which is also the name of this sale. Some highlights of the sale include Ori and the Blind Forest, Cuphead, and the standout puzzle game Baba Is You. Most of the prices are in the teens, though a few go even lower. The arcade shooter (and perfect use of Flip Grip) Downwell is less than two bucks. Two! You can check out the full listing of games and prices below.This indies sale is running concurrently with another, even bigger Eshop sale. That one discounts a much broader range of games, including Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy, and even some other indies like Bastion and Transistor. On the whole the Eshop is offering some great deals right now so check them out. See at Nintendo Eshop Nintendo Eshop Indies SaleBaba Is You - $12 ($15)Blasphemous - $20 ($25)Castle Crashers Remastered - $9 ($15)Cuphead - $14 ($20)Downwell - $1.50 ($3)My Friend Pedro - $14 ($20)Ori and the Blind Forest: Remastered - $14 ($20)Slay the Spire - $20 ($25)SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech - $17.50 ($25)Terraria - $21 ($30)Torchlight 2 - $12 ($20)Unravel Two - $5 ($20)Info from Gamespot.com

With Netflix's The Witcher getting a second season, actor Henry Cavill may be busy busting through Geralt of Rivia's leather. But the superstar actor has admitted in a new interview that he would much rather be playing video games right now--particularly, 2017 turn-based strategy tactics game Total War: Warhammer 2.In speaking to GQ magazine, Cavil confirmed his love of gaming as a means to escape his ever-growing popularity. "At home, I get to sit playing games for ridiculous amounts of hours and escape there," Cavill said. "Because going outside has the opposite effect." To date, Cavill has played Warhammer 2 a total of six times with six different races and "[loves] it each time."Warhammer 2 isn't the only game Cavill is fond of. The actor, who's currently playing Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's The Witcher, said CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a title he is two-and-a-half times to completion. CDPR's interpretation also happened to be Cavill's "first involved experience [with The Witcher franchise]" and one of the pieces that prompted him to chase Netflix's adaptation. In addition to Warhammer 2 and The Witcher 3, Cavill spoke about Delta Force and Half-Life as being among his gaming loves.The Witcher's complete first season is now available to stream on Netflix. The adaptation, however, is getting slammed by critics for its confusing timelines and cliched fantasy tropes. We scored the series a 4/10 in our The Witcher review, saying, "If you're utterly devoted to the world of The Witcher, you'll certainly enjoy the familiar aesthetic and characters, but beyond that, this series is hard to recommend." Netflix News Netflix's The Witcher: 36 Easter Eggs, References, And Other Tidbits You Might Have Missed Netflix's The Witcher Season 1 Ending Explained The Witcher's Confusing Timelines, Explained Netflix's The Witcher Review - Out Of Order What's New On Netflix In January 2020 Info from Gamespot.com