You can now peddle white lightning as a black-market bootlegger in Moonshiners, the latest frontier pursuit for Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode. Purchase the new Shack property and team up with an infamous distiller to start your own Moonshining business--provided you've already cut your teeth as a trader.You can purchase one of five different Moonshining Shacks. Once you've sourced your cook and equipment, Maggie Fike--an old hand in the bootlegging business--will maintain the homestead's front upstairs while the illegal distillation takes place downstairs. The basement also has room for a bar, a space for a band and dancefloor, and you can even upgrade your moonshining equipment.Once you've sourced all of the ingredients and produced the goods, you'll have to learn the demands of the market and time your shipments so that they align with the tastes of your buyers. Because of this, Moonshining requires you to have attained at least rank five as a Trader, or completed one Trader Sell mission. Once all of that is out of the way, you can get the operation up and running.There are new story missions you can take on solo or with your Posse, as Maggie helps to build your business and enact a little revenge of her own along the way. Completing missions will earn benefits that expand your business, as you eliminate rivals, learn new recipes, and establish a steady list of clientele. You can also develop different blends to distribute across the five states, and serve patrons and friends directly with your own bar.Much like every other Specialist Role in Red Dead Online, the Moonshiner features a unique progression path that unlocks bespoke apparel and accessories, equipment upgrades, new weapons like a Flammable Moonshine Jug, new horse breeds, and more.On top of this, the Outlaw Pass is returning with another 100 ranks of rewards to earn, including new clothing and accessories, Role XP boosts during the Club Membership period, and Gold gifts up to 40 Gold Bars. In addition, the free Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Club Membership entitles you to select perks as you accumulate XP up until March 10, 2020. Every Red Dead Online player is automatically enrolled in the Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Club just by playing the game.Elsewhere, Offers and Rewards is a new feature you can find on the Benefits page in the pause menu. Here you'll find a collection of gifts, discounts, and promotions that can be applied to a range of goods. Rewards include gifts like Gold Bars, refills on Trader and Moonshiner business supplies, clothing items and accessories, and other complimentary gifts.The latest update to Red Dead Online also features new clothing items, including Bandoliers and Corsets, the powerful Navy Revolver, and plenty of gameplay improvements and enhancements. You can find out more on Rockstar's blog.Here are some of the improvements added in the latest update:The ability to quick-swap weapons in the heat of battle--simply assign a "Quick Select" firearm within the Weapon Wheel, then tap L1/LB/Tab during gameplay to quickly switch between this and your currently-equipped weapon (you can still holster your weapon with a double tap of L1/LB/Tab or by selecting Unarmed in the Weapon Wheel)Ability Card rebalancing on certain cards, and limits on Tonic use to ensure a level playing field for all playersAccessibility improvements for fishing, allowing players to reel in a catch by holding a button rather than circling the analogue stickIncreased stability for Horses, making your steed slightly less likely to fall down after a collision and quicker to get back up after a fall or revivalMoonshiners is available now in Red Dead Online for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and is coming to Google Stadia later this month.Info from Gamespot.com

Despite suffering a delay from November 2019 to February 2020, the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie is inching closer to completion. Director Jeff Fowler confirmed that the film's sound mixing is done.Fowler shared the news on Twitter, with a photo of what appears to be the Paramount Pictures sound mixing room. Fowler said he's excited to share Sonic the Hedgehog's "amazing score" composed by Tom "Junkie XL" Holkenborg, a Dutch composer who has scored big-budget films like Batman v Super: Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, Mad Max: Fury Road, the 2018 Tomb Raider reboot, Terminator: Dark Fate, and many others.And that is a WRAP on sound mixing for the #SonicMovie! Cannot wait for you to hear the amazing score Tom Holkenborg aka @Junkie_XL created for this movie... it is GLORIOUS!! 🎼💙 pic.twitter.com/CvagZJPuzM — Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) December 12, 2019Junkie XL has also composed music for video games. His songs can be heard in titles such as 2005's Destroy All Humans and Forza Motorsport, Burnout Revenge, Need for Speed: Underground, SSX Blur, and more.Sonic the Hedgehog was pushed out of its November 2019 theatrical debut in response to community backlash regarding the titular character's design. A new trailer revealed Sonic's redesign, a feat led by an animator who worked on Sonic Mania. Unfortunately, that studio--Moving Picture Company (MPC) based in Vancouver--has closed its doors, citing "increasing external market pressures" in the area as the cause.Sonic the Hedgehog is slated to debut in theatres on February 14, 2020. Sonic the Hedgehog Movie News New Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer Reveals The Redesigned Sonic Sonic Movie: 9 Comparison Shots Of The Old And New Hedgehog Designs Side-By-Side Info from Gamespot.com

Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the 10 best games of 2019, organized by release date. Then, on December 17, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Best Game of 2019. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2019 hub.Remedy Entertainment excels at creating deep worlds with each of its new games, but none is quite so fleshed-out and exciting to explore as the developer's latest, Control. Set in a government office building that houses a department specifically geared at investigating, containing, and understanding paranormal artifacts, Control drops you in a strange and shifting world full of mysteries, and one that's incredibly well-realized--the result of a confluence of writing, gameplay, visual artistry, and singular vision.From the first moment you set foot in the Oldest House, itself a potentially-sentient structure whose corridors and rooms change and mutate of their own accord, Control revels in its sense of the supernatural uncanny. Its influences are immediately apparent: As much as it might draw on real science and history as a grounding for its extra-ordinary events, it also pulls ideas from the online creepypasta database SCP and leans into Remedy's long-running fascination with the works of David Lynch. As the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, Jesse, you're tasked with both saving and exploring this world that even the characters of the Bureau don't really understand. That gives Remedy plenty of room to make Control remarkably weird, but in a delightful way--it can be strange, fascinating, horrifying, and hilarious in equal measure (and sometimes simultaneously). It's all thanks to well-drawn characters and strong writing throughout, which makes seeking out the inter-office memos and files that shed light on the inner workings of the Bureau a motivation to play the game in and of itself.From a gameplay standpoint, Control often is a full realization of Remedy's brand of action, culminating ideas that have been kicking around in its other games for some time. As you find various supernatural Objects of Power scattered throughout the Oldest House, you gain a variety of new abilities, like picking up and tossing objects at enemies with your mind, levitating around huge rooms, and using chunks of concrete walls and floors as shields. Control is a fast-action third-person shooter at its heart, but the gunplay takes a back seat to the combinations of abilities you can use to get the upper-hand on your opponents. And it's often a blast, especially as you gain more and more ridiculous power. It helps that, graphically, Control is gorgeous; every camera movement looks like a planned bit of cinematography as you play, and shredding the Oldest House in combat is a delight of flying papers and bits of concrete that make the powers you're wielding feel all the more fantastic--and believable.Though Control's gameplay lends itself to cool moments, it's everything surrounding the action that really makes the game special. Every step through the Oldest House reveals something new about the game's world, whether through Jesse's internal monologue musings, her interactions with the other characters, or the many tidbits of story you discover through the files and documents that litter its halls. Remedy sets its game in a version of reality filled with a vaster and less understandable world hidden just beneath the surface, and it's bursting with ideas that beg to be explored.There's the otherworldly motel filled with locked rooms, which links sections of the Oldest House together like a metaphysical conduit--and whose physical location can't be pinned down. There's the standout Ashtray Maze section, in which you fight through an ever-changing Overlook Hotel-like locale that expands and contracts in impossible ways, set to a kick-ass soundtrack. You'll venture to the Astral Plane and have interactions with The Board, the vaguely menacing extradimensional presence that seems to guide the Bureau. All the while, you're dealing with the Hiss, the evil presence that threatens to take over everything by literally possessing the Bureau's employees to fulfill an unknowable agenda.Just as interesting are the tidbits Remedy throws in that give Control a uniquely uncanny feel. Hidden throughout the offices are films created by the Bureau's lead researcher, Casper Darling, in which he excitedly explains the paranormal entities and artifacts the agency specializes in--while constantly revealing how little anyone actually knows about what they're dealing with and how dangerous it is. There are the Threshold Kids episodes, a series of low-fidelity puppet show videos meant to teach children living in the Bureau about its intricacies, all of which have an undercurrent of horror flowing through them. Even memos and messages sent between characters that you discover along the way are constantly challenging you to make connections and fill in gaps in the world yourself. Remedy's consistently excellent writing makes each of these worthy reasons to stop and read in the middle of a game about flying around and using telekineses to smash monsters. It all works together to compel you to continually explore the Oldest House and try to understand its secrets--even as the whole point, made clear again and again, is that the people of the Bureau are in over their heads, fumbling away at something they'll never sufficiently understand or, ahem, control.More than any other game this year (and many others), I lost myself to Control. Its expertly crafted world is incredibly deep, vast, and intriguing, stretching out from the Oldest House like the gnarled roots of an ancient tree. Every time I booted up the game, I discovered something new, from Control's links to Remedy's past works that create an intricate universe of stories, to little tidbits that gave new insights on easy-to-miss story beats. Control is amazingly dense and lovingly constructed by a team that knew exactly what it wanted to make. It's a game that is truly more than the sum of its parts, and you absolutely should wander its shifting, perilous corridors to see what you can discover. See Control at Amazon Info from Gamespot.com

The Epic Games Store free games program is one of the coolest perks for PC gamers. Since the store's launch last December, Epic has consistently given away good games, completely free of charge. It started as a bi-weekly program, but Epic ramped it up to weekly giveaways earlier this year. It's been an awesome ride, but Epic has even bigger plans in store for the holidays. Starting December 19, Epic will give away one free game per day for 12 days. The promotion coincides with Epic's holiday sale and runs until January 1. December 19 to January 1 actually spans 14 days. If we had to guess, Christmas and New Year's Eve will be the "off days" for the giveaway.Epic hasn't revealed any of the 12 freebies, but judging by the quality of the games handed out throughout 2019, we expect them to be good.To take part in Epic's holiday festivities, all you need to do is sign up for a free Epic account. Once you claim any free game from Epic, it'll be in your library forever. Epic's current free games are The Escapists and The Wolf Among Us, which we just learned is finally getting a sequel. You can download both of those games until December 19 at 11 AM ET. It's safe to say the first free mystery game will go live at that time.Epic announced earlier this year that the free games program would run until the end of 2019. Epic hasn't officially confirmed the end of the program, but there's a chance the big holiday giveaway could be the program's last hurrah. The Game Awards The Game Awards: Gears Of War Strategy Game Gears Tactics Gets A Release Date, Trailer PS4 Exclusive Ghost Of Tsushima Release Window Revealed At The Game Awards Magic Legends, Action-MMO From Neverwinter Devs, Announced At Game Awards Apex Legends Is Getting A Mirage-Themed, Christmas Event Called Holo-Day Bash The Forest Sequel Sons Of The Forest Announced At The Game Awards Xbox Series X: Everything We Just Learned About Microsoft's Next-Gen Console Inside The New Xbox Controller For The Series X Console Warframe's Ship Combat Expansion Empyrean Is Out Now On PC Bravely Default 2 (Not To Be Confused With Bravely Second) Announced At The Game Awards Why Project Scarlett Was Named Xbox Series X Info from Gamespot.com

Capcom has released a new demo for the remake of Resident Evil 2, titled R.P.D. Demo. It's available to download now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and includes a well-timed reference to the upcoming release of Resident Evil 3.The demo is the same as the one-shot demo released prior to Resident Evil 2's launch back in January, except the 30-minute time limit has been removed so you can explore Racoon City's police station at your own pace. However, there is one key difference in the form of a creepy Easter egg.Sooo.. you can hear Nemesis screaming "STARS" in the updated Resident Evil 2 R.P.D. demo nowhttps://t.co/U59QEBfZJJ pic.twitter.com/eJ123abrhM — Nibel (@Nibellion) December 13, 2019Players investigating the front entrance of the R.P.D. in the latest demo have reported hearing Nemesis shouting "STARS." Nemesis is, of course, the popular antagonist of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, which Capcom announced earlier this week is also getting the remake treatment. Resident Evil 3 takes place prior to and during the events of Resident Evil 2, so Nemesis would have been pursuing Jill Valentine at the same time Leon and Claire were both in Racoon City. It's a very cool Easter egg, especially considering this week's reveal, and is something Capcom really didn't have to do--so it's easy to appreciate that they did.The remake of Resident Evil 3 is set to launch on April 3, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It also comes packaged with Resident Evil Resistance, an asymmetric multiplayer game which, among other things, stars a guy called Martin Sandwich.Info from Gamespot.com

Cliff Bleszinski wants to create again, whether that means making a new video game or indulging in his passion for writing and drawing. The former design director for Epic Games and co-founder of Boss Key Productions is one of gaming's biggest and most recognizable names, known for his role in the development of Unreal and Gears of War."I need to create," Bleszinski tweeted. "I miss it. I don't know what it will be, writing, drawing, maybe a game, but, lord, since I was a kid I loved doing it and I need to do SOMETHING again soon. The itch is back. No promises to those of you who care. But it is soooo freeing to make, well, stuff."And no, I'm not going to stream or be a [You]'tuber. I'm friggin 44. C'mon, man."Bleszinski departed Epic in 2012 after 20 years at the company, before going on to co-found Boss Key. The studio released Lawbreakers, a multiplayer first-person shooter, in 2017, but the game's positive critical reception wasn't enough to help it gain a healthy player base, so the servers were shut down in September 2018. After this, Boss Key launched the battle royale shooter Radical Heights in April 2018, but the company closed its doors soon after, with Bleszinski describing the game as "too little too late."Since then, Bleszinski has stepped away from the gaming industry, getting involved in one of his other passions: theatre. He was an investor/producer for the play Hadestown, which won eight Tony awards, including Best Musical, and also co-produced another Broadway play, a new version of Terrence McNally's "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune." Aside from this, Bleszinski has invested in multiple restaurants and is planning on writing a memoir about his time in the games industry.If he does make another game, Bleszinski says he doesn't want to run his own company again. "I'll tell y'all one thing--I will NEVER be a CEO again. I wasn't that good at it and it made me miserable. Some creatives can do it, I cannot."Don't expect to hear about a new game from him anytime soon, though. The Gears of War creator later clarified his earlier tweets, saying, "Haha literally just had a call with my agent from the video game space as he was driving to downtown LA for The Game Awards and realized that tweet is going to cause him to be inundated with questions there. To be clear, I'm just loving...writing...right now."Info from Gamespot.com

When Bungie detailed Destiny 2's latest season, the Season of Dawn, a big part of its rundown concerned Solar character subclasses. As with Arc subclasses last year, Bungie revamped a bunch of Solar subclass abilities and perks to make more character builds and strategies useful in the game and viable to players. For the first visit of the season for weekend Exotic vendor Xur, Bungie has carried on the Solar theme--the Agent of the Nine's entire inventory is geared toward Solar subclasses. Time to try out some new strats.Here's where you can find Xur and everything he's carrying. Destiny 2 News And Guides Where Is Xur Today? Destiny 2 Exotic Location, Weapon, And Armor (December 13-17) Destiny 2: Where To Find All 15 Vex Transformers For "An Impossible Task" Quest Destiny 2: A Matter Of Time Quest Steps -- How To Unlock The Sundial Destiny 2 Patch Notes: Update 2.7.0 Kicks Off Season Of Dawn Xur LocationXur is located on Nessus in the Watcher's Grave area, offering Prometheus Lens as his Exotic weapon this weekend. For Hunters, he has Young Ahamkara's Spine gauntlets; for Titans, it's the Hallowfire Heart chest armor; and for Warlocks, it's the Wings of Sacred Dawn chest armor.To find Xur's location, spawn in at the Watcher's Grave transmat zone, jump on your sparrow, and head north. You'll see Calus's golden barge floating above the landscape ahead. Climb aboard and look for Xur hanging out near the edge of one side.What Is Xur Selling?Unfortunately for veterans but perhaps fortunate for New Light players, Xur's entire haul this weekend consists of Year One Exotics. Your weapon from Xur this week is an oldie but a goodie: Prometheus Lens. The Exotic trace rifle fires a powerful Solar beam, and if you want a fun Solar weapon to use for Zavala's seasonal Strike missions to earn the Buzzard ritual gun, the new shader, and the new emblem, Prometheus Lens isn't a bad choice.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.Xur Item Lineup (December 13-17)Prometheus Lens (Exotic trace rifle)Young Ahamkara's Spine (Exotic Hunter gauntlets)Hallowfire Heart (Exotic Titan chest armor)Wings of Sacred Dawn (Exotic Warlock chest armor)Prometheus LensThere was a time when Prometheus Lens was a beastly Crucible weapon that needed nerfing. These days, it's still a handy trace rifle that can do some serious damage from long distances, thanks to its perfectly straight laser trajectory. It fires a Solar beam that creates an expanding heat field on whatever you hit, which grows larger the longer you hold down the beam to do more damage. Landing kills with Prometheus Lens gives the gun ammo from reserves, too, so the more havoc you wreak, the longer the beam will last.Young Ahamkara's Spine (Hunter)If you like Tripmine Grenades, you'll love Young Ahamkara's Spine. The gauntlets increase your tripmines' duration and blast radius, which can make them extremely deadly--and great for setting traps in the Crucible. You can also get your grenades back faster with the gauntlets, since any ability kills will give you Tripmine Grenade energy.Stats:Mobility: 10Resilience: 3Recovery: 11Discipline: 10Intellect: 6Strength: 6Total: 46Hallowfire Heart (Titan)Titans get to set a lot of things on fire with Hallowfire Heart. The Exotic chest armor has a simple function: It improves the recharge rate of all your Solar abilities--especially when your Super is fully charged. Go forth and burn the bad guys down.Stats:Mobility: 8Resilience: 7Recovery: 10Discipline: 6Intellect: 12Strength: 6Total: 49Wings of Sacred Dawn (Warlock)Now that Solar subclasses have been updated, flying around as a Warlock is a much more viable strategy than it has been in the past. Wings of Sacred Dawn feed into that plan, since the chest armor buffs you as you soar through the air. When airborne, aiming down sights causes you to hover in place briefly, where you get increased damage resistance, increased accuracy, and reduced flinch. You can also extend the effect by landing weapon hits.Stats:Mobility: 14Resilience: 6Recovery: 7Discipline: 6Intellect: 12Strength: 6Total: 51Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft made a splash at The Game Awards by showing off its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X--previously known by its codename, Scarlett. The company also shared a ton of technical specs and details exclusively with GameSpot, but one big question remains if you're currently plunking coins into your piggy bank: how much will it cost?Though Microsoft hasn't revealed a price for Series X yet, it has talked quite a bit about how it's approaching the price tag. In June, Microsoft's Jason Ronald said the company is keenly aware of what consumers see as "reasonable" for price, while stressing that it will be a high-end piece of hardware. Xbox head Phil Spencer echoed those sentiments in November, suggesting that the company had learned a hard lesson from being both significantly more expensive and less powerful than the competition."I would say a learning from the Xbox One generation is we will not be out of position on power or price," Spencer said. "If you remember the beginning of this generation we were a hundred dollars more expensive and, yes, we were less powerful. And we started Project Scarlett with this leadership team in place with a goal of having market success."Xbox Series X Specs Quick LookCPU: AMD Ryzen Zen 2 CPUGPU: AMD Navi-based GPU (~12 TFLOPs)RAM: GDDR6 SDRAM (capacity not confirmed)Storage: NVMe SSD (capacity not confirmed)Max Output Resolution: 8KMax Refresh Rate: 120HzAll of that suggests a price that is on the higher-end of normalcy. One report with purportedly leaked specs in October claimed the higher-end model would be $500, which fits that criteria. However, it's unclear if Microsoft is pursuing a strategy of two models at launch, so that report could be inaccurate. Spencer did mention in the Series X reveal that the name "gives us the freedom to do other things with that name so that we can create descriptors when we need to." That implies a strategy around multiple models, at least long-term.One reason Microsoft hasn't talked more openly about price could be that the decision is still in flux. Spencer said in June that the price could be impacted by a lot of factors, including President Donald Trump's trade war with China."The price will be important. Clearly, price is one of those things that people want to know," he said. "As we're watching how the cost of the components are coming in, and things like tariffs and other things, trying to figure out what that price is going to be next year. We have a price point in mind; I think we're going to hit that. But we want to make sure everything comes in right. We'll get price out as soon as we can."Finally, we may not know the price yet, but Microsoft is offering a roundabout way to start paying in installments. The Xbox All Access program returned for the holiday season, letting you essentially make monthly payments on a new Xbox One along with Game Pass Ultimate, which includes both the subscription service and Xbox Live Gold.The subscription model, similar to cell phone payment plans, has you pay off your console over 24 months. If you go for the highest tier--which includes an Xbox One X--by the end of 2019, you can upgrade to the Xbox Series X after 12 months. At that point, your 24-month payment plan will reset, and Microsoft hasn't detailed what those monthly payments will be. Assuming Microsoft wants to move its All Access customers neatly over to the new console without raising their monthly rate, the new console would need to be priced at roughly the same point as a current Xbox One X--which is $500.For more on the Xbox Series X, check out everything we learned. Xbox Series X News Xbox Series X Price: Everything Microsoft Has Said About How Much It Will Cost Xbox Series X: Everything We Just Learned About Microsoft's Next-Gen Console Goodbye, Project Scarlett, Hello Xbox Series X - Exclusive First Look And Interview Inside The New Xbox Controller For The Series X Console Why You Can't Pre-Order Xbox Series X Yet Xbox Series X: Release Date, Specs, Price, And Everything We Know Info from Gamespot.com

If you're still looking for PlayStation deals this Christmas, Sony is kicking off a last-minute sale this Sunday, December 15. The sale will run until December 28 and feature deals on the PS4 holiday bundle and a few PS4 exclusives, including Death Stranding. Sony's last-minute sale will be available at select retailers in the US. We already know Target is participating, but we expect Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop, and Amazon will also take part in the fun.Death Stranding | $40 ($60)Most notably, Death Stranding will be discounted to $40 at participating retailers. We suggest you scoop this deal up as quickly as possible, because it's bound to sell out. Death Stranding wasn't on sale Black Friday, but the best Black Friday game deals sold out in a hurry. See Death Stranding at Amazon Death Stranding isn't the only PS4 exclusive to receive a last-minute discount. Days Gone and Marvel's Spider-Man Game of the Year Edition are both discounted from $40 to $20. Best Buy actually already has the official Sony discount beat on Marvel's Spider-Man, dropping the price all the way to $15.PS4 Slim holiday bundle | $250 ($300)Still in the market for a PS4 console? The PS4 Slim holiday bundle is $250. It includes God of War, The Last of Us Remastered, and Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition. This bundle was $200 on Black Friday, so the last-minute deal isn't nearly as good. Still, this is your best bet if you're still looking for a PS4 Slim this holiday. Walmart already has it listed for the $250 sale price. See PS4 holiday bundle at Walmart PlayStation Direct saleSony will also kick off a holiday special at PlayStation Direct on physical games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. If you buy two select games, you'll save 30% on your order. If you buy three, you'll save 50%. Here's the list of games included in the special:Bloodborne -- $20God of War -- $20God of War III Remastered -- $20Gran Turismo Sport -- $20Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition -- $20Little Big Planet 3 -- $20MLB The Show 19 -- $30Quantic Dream Collection -- $40Ratchet & Clank -- $20The Last of Us Remastered -- $20Uncharted 4: A Thief's End -- $20Uncharted: The Lost Legacy -- $20Astro Bot: Rescue Mission -- $20Blood and Truth -- $40Everybody's Golf VR -- $30Farpoint -- $20PlayStation VR Worlds -- $15Until Dawn: Rush of Blood -- $15PlayStation Plus 12-month subscription | $45 ($60)One great last-minute gift idea is a PlayStation Plus subscription. From December 20 to January 17, 12-month PS Plus subscriptions will be $45, which is 25% off. See PlayStation Plus at Amazon Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft's Xbox Series X, formerly known as Project Scarlett, is an unconventional-looking games console. The hardware was shown off for the first time during The Game Awards and seems to evoke a PC tower-like design. However, speaking to GameSpot, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that owners will still have the freedom to position the console how they want."The first thing I wanted to say is the [Xbox Series X's] design works vertical or horizontal, just like the Xbox One S and Xbox One X," he said. "We think that it's not our job to dictate the orientation of our console in your home. That is up to you."During our interview, we asked Spencer what his first reaction to seeing the console was, and he went on to reveal that, despite its striking design, the Xbox Series X can fade into the background--it doesn't demand attention or have to become the focal point of a room.Xbox Series X Specs Quick LookCPU: AMD Ryzen Zen 2 CPUGPU: AMD Navi-based GPU (~12 TFLOPs)RAM: GDDR6 SDRAM (capacity not confirmed)Storage: NVMe SSD (capacity not confirmed)Max Output Resolution: 8KMax Refresh Rate: 120Hz"When we set this design goal for the power that we wanted to put in, I was not sure what the [team was] going to be able to come back with because we really pushed the envelope on what we thought a home console could do. And I was really impressed with what they came back with."Now it sits in my home [and] it just kind of goes away. It's quiet, it sits on the shelf--to be fair, I have mine laying on its side--and just where it sits in my setup, it just goes away. And that's exactly what I wanted it to do." Xbox Series X News Xbox Series X Price: Everything Microsoft Has Said About How Much It Will Cost Xbox Series X: Everything We Just Learned About Microsoft's Next-Gen Console Goodbye, Project Scarlett, Hello Xbox Series X - Exclusive First Look And Interview Inside The New Xbox Controller For The Series X Console Why You Can't Pre-Order Xbox Series X Yet Xbox Series X: Release Date, Specs, Price, And Everything We Know Despite that, the Xbox Series X also wears its power on its sleeve, according to Spencer. "When my daughters were over for Thanksgiving and they came down to see it--they know what dad does--they said they thought it looked powerful. They were just like, 'That is cool.'"So I was happy that we were able to challenge some of the preconceptions of what it should look like and then really impressed with what they were able to land given the performance that we wanted out of the box."GameSpot got to see the Xbox Series X before its unveiling and hear about the hardware, its new controller, and Phil Spencer's vision for what it represents. You can learn about that in our exclusive Xbox Series X reveal feature.Info from Gamespot.com

When Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived on PC last month, it came with some additional content not available in the console versions, including a Photo Mode and some exclusive story missions. Along with the Moonshiner update that Rockstar dropped for Red Dead Online today, the developer has now brought the game's PC-exclusive content to PS4.Players on Sony's console now have access to Red Dead Redemption 2's Photo Mode, which lets you snap images, edit them with filters, text, or stickers, and share them with other players via Rockstar's Social Club. On top of that, several new horses and trinkets have been added to the game's story mode, along with a handful of new Bounty Hunter missions, treasure maps, and more.Here's all the new content that's now available in the PS4 version, courtesy of Rockstar's blog:Story Mode Bounty Hunter Missions: track down wanted criminals Herman Zizendorf, Camille de Millemont and Bart CavanaughStory Mode Gang Hideouts: Take on the deadly Del Lobos gang at Gaptooth Breach and Solomon’s FollyStory Mode Treasure Maps: Landmarks of Riches and The Elemental Trail“To The Ends of The Earth” Story Mode MissionWeapons Added to Story Mode: M1899 Pistol, Evans Repeater, High Roller Revolver and LeMat RevolverHorses Added to Story Mode: Warped Brindle Arabian, Few Spot Appaloosa, Perlino Andalusian and Red Chestnut ArabianHidden Trinkets Added to Story Mode: Hawk Talon, Cat Eye, Shark Tooth, Turtle Shell and Crow BeakXbox One players won't be left out for long; Rockstar says that all this content will arrive on Microsoft's platform on January 21, along with the timed-exclusive PS4 content that rolled out today as part of the aforementioned Moonshiner update. That includes a new hideout, Beaver Hollow, as well as a handful of new emotes and apparel. You can read more about the latest batch of timed-exclusive content for PS4 on Rockstar's website.Red Dead Online's Moonshiner update is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and it's coming to Google Stadia later this month. Headlining the update is the titular Moonshiner Frontier Pursuit, which lets you open and run your own bootlegging business. Red Dead Redemption 2 News Red Dead 2 On PS4 Gets PC Exclusive Content Red Dead Redemption 2 Easy Money Guide: How To Get Cash Quickly Red Dead Redemption 2 Legendary Bear Pelt: Here's What To Do With It Info from Gamespot.com

Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the 10 best games of 2019, organized by release date. Then, on December 17, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Best Game of 2019. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best Games of 2019 hub.Disco Elysium is unlike anything else we played this year. It takes traditional CRPG mechanics and puts a psychological spin on them, with your skills feeding into how conversations unfold in clever and unexpected ways. To that end, it has some of the best writing we've seen in a game to date--at once unavoidably bleak and effortlessly funny, both a brilliant detective game and an incredible work of existential fiction besides.While the bulk of the game is reading, Disco Elysium's inventive twist on traditional RPG systems sets it apart from a regular novel. A lot of the text you read consists of the main character's interior monologue, and the loudest voices are the skills you spec into--things like empathy, logic, and even electrochemistry, the part of him that's addicted to drugs and alcohol. How you craft your amnesiac, alcoholic cop transforms how conversations play out, what responses are available to you, and the kinds of clues you pick up on in relation to the murder investigation at the core of the story. Logic might tell you that a locked door must have a key somewhere, while electrochemistry might encourage you to do the drugs you confiscated from a kid and empathy will suggest that you look into his clearly troubled home life.Whether you listen to any of these inner voices is up to you. Sometimes they're wrong; there are always skill checks being rolled in the background, and if, say, your empathy isn't high enough for a particular situation, it might suggest something inaccurate or insensitive instead of helpful. While you are afforded some freedom in how you roleplay the detective--including whether he's a communist or a fascist, for instance--a lot of the time, you are instead deciding whether to act on his impulses or not, and that makes him feel more human.Because of that, you really do feel like a detective, even if the detective you control is a bit of a disaster. A passing observation early on can lead to an unexpected revelation down the line, leaving you to wonder what you might have missed. The side activity that seems like a distraction may very well lead back to the case, if only because it gives you a fuller picture of the city you're in and the people who live and die there. Seemingly unrelated events and interactions come together in surprising ways. And crucially, the story isn't tied up with a neat bow--events and people intersect in believable ways that make Disco Elysium's world feel lived-in, and while the murder mystery has its satisfying aha moments, it's also beautifully messy.The game finds humor in flaws, too. Choose too many non-committal answers and you'll unlock an achievement mocking you for being a centrist. Fail a critical skill check while trying to crack a joke and everyone will just stare at the detective blankly. He can even die from sitting in an uncomfortable chair for too long (heart attack--the alcoholism has done a number on his body). Often incisive comedy provides much-needed levity in Disco Elysium's darkness: the immense emotional pain the detective feels but can't identify, the ills of late capitalism and corruption that rot its world, the frank descriptions of human decay during an autopsy.It's a testament to the quality of Disco Elysium's writing that the sheer volume of it doesn't get overwhelming. It's a dense game, both in the number of words and the depth and breadth of the subject matter, but no words are wasted. Not everything has a direct purpose--you might inspect something suspicious-looking at the behest of your drama skill to discover it's obviously unrelated to the murder case, for example--but every conversation, observation, and interaction provides something for your trouble. It might be a deeper insight into the world, its inhabitants, or yourself, or it might just be a witty joke, but regardless, taking the time to read and explore in Disco Elysium always yields something worthwhile.Info from Gamespot.com

Black Friday had some fantastic VR deals, and with Half-Life: Alyx releasing next year, interest in virtual reality has spiked. Thankfully, the deals haven't stopped with Black Friday, as several headsets have received some pretty awesome discounts and special bundles. If you didn't get a chance to jump on a headset during Black Friday, then these VR deals are your best bet.One of the marquee VR deals going on right now is for the all-in-one Oculus Quest, which proved so popular during Black Friday that it's sold out nearly everywhere. However, if you can find an Oculus Quest before January 31, you'll get all three episodes of Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series as long as you activate your headset within 30 days of purchasing it. Thankfully, Amazon will have more stock on December 26.Oculus Quest (64GB/128GB) with Vader Immortal | $400/$500Available for backorder; compatible with Half-Life: Alyx See at Amazon The Oculus Quest doesn't need to connect to a PC, which gives you full freedom to move within your designated space. However, if you're interested in plugging it into a PC, Oculus recently introduced Oculus Link, which lets you connect your Quest to a PC with a high-quality USB 3.0 cable. And yes, that means it's compatible with Half-Life: Alyx.You can see all of the best VR deals below. We know there's interest in Half-Life: Alyx, so we've made a note of pointing out which ones will be ready to go for its March release date.VR deals and discountsSamsung HMD Odyssey+ | $229 ($500)Compatible with Half-Life: AlyxThe Samsung HMD Odyssey+ is a great headset, especially at this price. As far as Windows Mixed Reality headsets go, this is the best one. You get two free months of Viveport Infinity, a VR game subscription service, with your purchase, and there's also a huge library of compatible games on Steam, including the upcoming Half-Life: Alyx. Amazon has it discounted to $229. See at Amazon HTC Cosmos with 6-months of Viveport Infinity | $599 ($700)Compatible with Half-Life: AlyxHTC debuted its first headset with inside-out tracking earlier this year, and Walmart has the headset for $100 off. It's not as great as GameStop's Black Friday deal, but it's a deal worth considering if you want an HTC headset but don't want to deal with sensors. Unlike the all-in-one Quest, however, the Cosmos needs to be connected to a PC. See at Walmart Oculus Rift S + free game | $399Compatible with Half-Life: AlyxThe Rift S isn't discounted at the moment, but Oculus recently announced that if you purchase a Rift S prior to December 15, you'll get the excellent Asgard's Wrath. If you want to jump in before Half-Life: Alyx, the Rift S is compatible. It's also compatible with all of GameSpot's best VR games of 2019. It features inside-out tracking, but unlike the Quest, it needs to be plugged into a PC. See at Walmart Oculus Go (32GB/64GB) | $130/$200 ($199/$249)The Oculus Go headset's focus is more on media viewing. It's a great headset for watching movies, shows, and other videos, but you won't be able to play any of the games on Steam. Amazon has the headset discounted to $130 for the 32 GB version and $199 for the 64 GB option.32 GB: See at Amazon 64 GB: See at Amazon PlayStation VR with five-game mega pack | $300This PlayStation VR combo was discounted to $200 during Black Friday, but if you didn't get a chance to grab it then, you can still get it from Walmart from a third-party seller at its regular price. This is an excellent starter pack for PlayStation VR with five great games: Skyrim VR, Resident Evil 7, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, Everybody's Golf VR, and PlayStation VR Worlds. See at Walmart Info from Gamespot.com

Amazon's big-budget and highly anticipated Lord of the Rings TV show has lost one of its top-billed actors. Variety reports that Will Poulter is leaving the project due to scheduling conflicts. Amazon never confirmed reports that Poulter--who starred in The Maze Runner series, Bandersnatch, and Midsommar--had joined the show in the first place.However, it was widely reported that Poulter was among the first cast members to sign on for the project. Variety reports that Amazon is now looking for his replacement. It is unknown what role he was playing on the Amazon TV show.Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Maxim Baldry, and Ema Horvath are also reportedly signed on for roles on the show, though, again, Amazon has said nothing official as of yet.The new Lord of the Rings show is being written by JD Payne and Patrick McKay, with former Game of Thrones series producer Bryan Cogman also contributing to the program. Jurassic World: Forbidden Kingdom director JA Bayona is set to direct the first two episodes of Season 1, which is filming in New Zealand. In November, Amazon announced that the untitled show was renewed for a second season.Plot details for the show are being kept under wraps, but Amazon has confirmed it is set in the Second Age, which is the multiple thousand year period that covered major events like the forging of the Rings of Power, including the One Ring. It also covers the War of Sauron, the beginning of the Ringwraiths, and when the island Numenor sank into the ocean. The Second Age was also when the Elven city of Rivendell was developed, and when the first battle where men, elves, and dwarves fought together for the first time against Sauron.In other news, a new Lord of the Rings video game focused on Gollum is in development at Daedalic Entertainment, while a new Lord of the Rings MMO Is coming from Amazon. Info from Gamespot.com

There won't be any news about Half-Life: Alyx during The Game Awards. Valve announced on Twitter that the development team is staying heads down for now, but the company will share more details on the virtual reality title in 2020."We're sorry to say Half-Life: Alyx won’t be shown at The Game Awards tonight," Valve said. "The team is hard at work on the game, and we’re excited to show you more in the new year as we approach the March release!"Half-Life: Alyx, the first new Half-Life title in years, is exclusive to virtual reality. It takes place before the events of Half-Life 2, and has players controlling Alyx Vance. The game is set to launch in March 2020, and it supports all PC-compatible VR headsets.We're sorry to say Half-Life: Alyx won’t be shown at The Game Awards tonight. The team is hard at work on the game, and we’re excited to show you more in the new year as we approach the March release! — Valve (@valvesoftware) December 12, 2019While there won't be any news about Half-Life: Alyx, The Game Awards are expected to bring at least 10 game announcements or reveals. In terms of what we know will be announced, League of Legends developer Riot's publishing division, Riot Forge, will reveal a new game. Additionally, former Arkane bosses Raphael Colantonio and Julien Roby are announcing their first game at their new studio, Wolfeye.Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Google, Warner Bros., Ubisoft, Valve, Rockstar, and Activision are all partners for the event, though this doesn't necessarily guarantee new projects from these companies will be announced at the show. The Game Awards 2019 News The Game Awards 2019 Promising 10 Reveals Watch The Game Awards Livestream Right Here The Game Awards 2019 Stream Date The Game Awards 2019 Nominees Ex-Arkane Devs' New Game Will Be Revealed At The Game Awards 2019 The Game Awards begin at 5:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM CST / 8:30 PM ET on December 12 (and 1:30 AM BST / 12:30 PM AEST and on December 13) and can be streamed here on GameSpot and on Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, and elsewhere.In addition to the reveals, the show will hand out awards across numerous categories leading up to the overall Game of the Year at the end of the night. For more, check out this roundup of all the categories and nominees for the 2019 Game Awards.Info from Gamespot.com