Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is getting a Photo Mode. The new feature is coming to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC game in the newest patch scheduled for December 11.The Photo Mode is enabled through the game settings, and players can snap photos by pressing LS and RS on Xbox or L3 and R3 on PlayStation at the same time. The game will then pause, and players can utilize a number of different settings to take the nicest photo possible. You can rotate the camera, adjust the height, zoom in, and tilt. Some of the other things you can adjust are focal distance and exposure, while you can pretty-up your photos with things like a film grain filter and chromatic aberration.The Fallen Order Photo Mode also allows players to hide the player, the UI, and the AI, while players can also place spotlights to accentuate certain elements. Take a look at the video below from EA's Ben Walke to see the new Photo Mode in action and find out how it works.Photo Mode is coming to #JediFallenOrder this week, here's a quick video overview. pic.twitter.com/HEzD7786v7 — Ben Walke (@BenWalke) December 10, 2019In our Jedi Fallen Order review, we said, "Especially as it wears on, Fallen Order becomes perhaps the strongest conception of what playing as a Jedi Knight ought to really be like. Even with some rough edges, Fallen Order represents one of the most compelling game additions to the Star Wars franchise in years."Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order News & GuidesStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Beginner's Guide - Tips To Get You StartedStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Scomp Link Guide - What's A Scomp Link And How To A Get New OneStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Lightsaber Guide - How To Get More Colors (Spoilers)Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Character Cameos From The Star Wars EUStar Wars: Jedi Fallen Order ReviewInfo from Gamespot.com

A new update for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is coming on December 11. In addition to a new Photo Mode, the update makes a small but welcome change to how your lightsaber can look. The change involves understanding a certain plot point, so be aware this post contains some spoilers down below.Mild spoilers for Jedi Fallen Order follow below.After completing a certain amount of the story, you're required to equip a switch given to you by Cere to your lightsaber following a story event. This throws off the symmetry when you're using a double-bladed lightsaber, and players have complained about this for a while.With the new update, players can simply remove the switch from the lightsaber customization menu. It's a small but welcome change that gives players more control of how they look.The December 11 patch also improves the stability of Fallen Order by reducing the number of crash scenarios that players could encounter. The update also fixes collision issues in the caves and temple on Zeffo, so Cal shouldn't get stuck in the geometry as often. There waa also an issue with the game that could cause Cal to fall out of the world on Kashyyyk, and this has been fixed.You can see the full patch notes below, as posted by developer Respawn on Reddit.Jedi Fallen Order December 11 Patch NotesNew FeaturesA Photo Mode has been added and can be accessed from within the game by pressing L3 and R3 at the same time.Implemented a toggle that will allow you to remove a specific part of Cal’s lightsaber from within the customization menu.Bug FixesWe’ve made a pass of the game in an effort to reduce the number of crashes you should encounter. The end result of this is now a more stable game.Fixed collision issues across several planets in the gameCollision within the caves and temple on Zeffo have been improved, reducing clipping issues and lowering the possibility of Cal becoming stuck.Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause Cal to become stuck in a floating state below the train on Bracca.We identified a few areas on Kashyyyk where Cal could fall out of the world, this will no longer happen.We've fixed some collision on Dathomir, preventing Cal from falling through the ground.Collision on Illum has also been improved, making sure that Cal doesn’t become stuck.During a fight with the Second Sister, it was possible for her to get stuck in a door. She has been freed.Bogano has had its collision improved, preventing Cal from becoming stuck on world geometry.In some rare cases, Cal was floating while on Kashyyyk. He has since been grounded.BD-1’s ability to slice panels was sometimes not working as intended, preventing you from progressing. This has been fixed and should no longer occur.A mural scan on Bogano wasn’t working properly, this should now be fixed.The train on Bracca could get stuck in a state where grates would fall off too early, preventing progress. We've fixed this so that Cal can continue climbing.On rare occasions Bounty Hunters would stop hunting Cal, we've now re-enabled their trackers, so be careful.For some players, BD-1 had gotten left behind on Bogano, preventing further progression. This should now be fixed.The chest count on some planets was not working as intended, this has been fixed.On rare occasions Greeze would refuse to open the ship doors and expose Cal to the sunlight on Dathomir. We’ve fixed this so that the story can continue.Fixed an issue that prevented Holomap areas and gates from not working properly on Dathomir, Kashyyyk and Bogano.An issue would sometimes occur that would cause the Holomap tutorial on Bogano to remain on-screen. This has been resolved and it should no longer occur.An elevator on Zeffo could lead to Cal getting stuck in an infinite loop, our maintenance crews have fixed this particular elevator.A dropship on Zeffo wasn't showing up as intended, preventing the player from progressing further. We’ve ensured all landing zones are clear for arrival and this should no longer occur.PC players were having issues selecting difficulty with the mouse, this should now be resolved.We’ve fixed an issue where Cal could avoid enemies on Zeffo, to the extent that gameplay events wouldn’t trigger, halting progression to the story.On rare occasions cinematics on Dathomir get stuck in an error state, preventing progress. This has been fixed.Fixed an issue that would cause world loading issues on Kashyyyk for players with double jump. We’ve optimised the level to ensure loading completes properly.Info from Gamespot.com

If you've been waiting to get a chance to play Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, now is a great opportunity to do so. In Fallen Order, you'll play as Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis as he trains to become a full-fledged Jedi to restore the ancient order. If you've been waiting to get a chance to play Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, now is a great opportunity to do so. In Fallen Order, you'll play as Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis as he trains to become a full-fledged Jedi to restore the ancient order.In this giveaway, two lucky readers will take home not only an Xbox One digital copy of Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars game, but also a console, an Xbox wireless controller, and a one month trial of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold. Additionally, both Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order bundles give you one month of EA Access.Here's what you can win in this giveaway:Grand Prize: Xbox One X Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order bundleFirst Prize: Xbox One S Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order bundleTo enter this giveaway, read the official rules, accept the terms and conditions and then fill out the form below. You can also follow us on social media to increase your chances of scoring a bundle. If you don’t see this form in your mobile device please click here.On December 30, we will sort through the entries and reach out to the two winners of the bundles. So be sure to keep an eye out for an email from CBS Interactive at the end of this year.What's the first Star Wars game you remember playing? Head down to the comments section and let us know the name of the game and what system it was on.Info from Gamespot.com

Netflix has announced how many people have watched Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. The streaming network said on Twitter that some 26.4 million accounts globally viewed the very long movie within its first seven days. Anyone who watches 70 percent of a movie is counted as viewer.Netflix programming boss Ted Sarandos said during a speaking event this week that he expects The Irishman to climb to 40 million views over its first 28 days, according to Variety. The movie came to Netflix on November 27 following a limited run in theatres.By Netflix's latest count, the streamer has 60.6 million paying subscribers in the US and 158.3 million worldwide.Sarandos said the viewership achievement for The Irishman is especially notable because the movie is so long--it clocks in at around 3.5 hours. "People still choose a relationship with a film… They sit down to watch a three-and-a-half-hour movie," he said.*pours glass of wine**dips bread*My friends, I’ve got some news from the big guy at the top: THE IRISHMAN was watched by 26,404,081 accounts globally — within its first 7 days on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/abVV993CWS — Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) December 10, 2019Sarandos added that people are praising Netflix for funding The Irishman, which reportedly had a $175 million budget, but he doesn't see the movie as much of a risk. "Betting that Martin Scorsese is going to make a great mob movie with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci and Al Pacino doesn't seem like a long shot," he said.Netflix does not release viewership numbers for all of its shows, so comparisons are difficult. The company did, however, previously share that the Sandra Bullock movie Bird Box was seen by 45 million accounts globally in its first week and 80 million over its first four weeks.GameSpot's review of The Irishman scored it a 9/10. "It feels like a career summation, a mature and dignified work that could only be made by an older filmmaker able to look back on his life and his work. And while Frank Sheeran is left as an old man filled only with shame and regret, Scorsese proves that his powers as a filmmaker remain at full strength," reviewer Dan Auty said. Netflix News What's New To Netflix This Week? Movies, TV, And Originals Best Things To Stream For December 2019 - Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video What's New To Netflix In December 2019? Movies, TV Shows, And Originals Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go's big December Community Day takes place this weekend, but that isn't the only event on the horizon for the hit mobile game. Niantic has now outlined a handful of other events that are happening this month, and they include a new Special Research quest, a special Raid weekend, and more.First, Niantic is rolling out new Team Rocket-focused Special Research questline called A Challenging Development. This questline will be available until the end of December and will give players another chance to confront Team Rocket leader Giovanni. If you can defeat him this month, you'll be able to rescue Shadow Zapdos.On top of that, you'll have a chance to hatch different kinds of Pokemon from eggs this month beginning Monday, December 16. The following day, the Gen 5 Legendary Virizion will make its debut in the game. You'll be able to encounter the Legendary Pokemon in five-star Raids until January 7.Virizion isn't the only Legendary Pokemon you'll have a chance to catch this month. Ho-oh and Lugia will also return for a special Raid weekend. From December 20-23, you'll be able to encounter the two Legendary Pokemon again in five-star Raids.Finally, Niantic is closing out the month with Pokemon Go's annual holiday event, which runs from December 24 to January 1. During that time, you'll be able to encounter Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu, and Stantler wearing holiday outfits in the wild and Raids. Ice-type Pokemon like Sneasel, Delibird, and the debuting Cubchoo will also appear more frequently in the wild. You'll also have a chance to catch another new Gen 5 Pokemon, Cryogonal, when you use Glacial Lures during the event, and shiny versions of Snover and holiday Stantler will be available as well.On top of that, Niantic is offering different bonuses each day of Pokemon Go's holiday 2019 event. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.In the meantime, Pokemon Go's December Community Day takes place this weekend. Unlike typical Community Days, this month's event takes place on two days--December 14 and 15--and brings back all of the featured Pokemon from previous Community Days. You can read more in our Pokemon Go December Community Day guide. Pokemon Go News Pokemon Go: Last Chance To Catch Terrakion Pokemon Go December 2019 Community Day Guide: Featured Pokemon, Start Times, And More Pokemon Go December 2019 Field Research Task List New Pokemon Go Event Makes It Much Easier To Get Evolution Items Pokemon Go December Community Day Weekend Brings Back All Previous Featured Pokemon Info from Gamespot.com

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, the consoles are starting to get back into their regular routine of weekly deals. This week, the Xbox One has a ton of discounts featured on some great games, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Far Cry 5.In addition to Origins, several remastered Assassin's Creed games are on sale. Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection, Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered, and Assassin's Creed III Remastered are all discounted. Other Ubisoft deals include discounts on For Honor, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, and Far Cry Primal.Some of my personal favourite games included in this sale are Hitman: Game of the Year Edition, DMC Devil May Cry Definitive Edition, and Mortal Kombat XL. You can see more of the best deals in the list below.As usual, this week's deals last until Monday, December 16, but specific discounts may expire before then, so be sure to note how much time is left when checking the games you're interested in. You can see the entire sale on Xbox.com.The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year Edition -- $15 ($50)Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales -- $15 ($30)XCOM 2 -- $15 ($60)Assassin's Creed Origins -- $15 ($60)Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection -- $12 ($40)Assassin's Creed III Remastered -- $16 ($40)Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered -- $15 ($30)Far Cry 5 -- $15 ($60)Far Cry Primal -- $9.90 ($30)For Honor -- $9.90 ($30)South Park: The Fractured But Whole -- $15 ($50)Little Nightmares -- $5 ($20)Mortal Kombat XL -- $6 ($20)Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2 Bundle -- $16 ($40)Dragon Ball: Xenoverse -- $10 ($40)Saints Row IV: Re-Elected & Gat Out of Hell -- $6 ($30)Mafia III -- $10 ($40)Hitman: Game of the Year Edition -- $12 ($60)Hunting Simulator -- $8 ($40)Strange Brigade -- $15 ($50)Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition -- $7.50 ($25)DMC Devil May Cry Definitive Edition -- $9.90 ($30)Dead Rising Triple Bundle Pack -- $14.87 ($59.50)Info from Gamespot.com

Video game retailer GameStop continues to struggle. The Texas-based company announced earnings for its fiscal third quarter ended November 2, and the results were less than great, with revenue falling overall and sales decreasing across nearly every category of the company's businessTotal revenue fell by 25.7 percent to $1.4 billion. In terms of specific results, new hardware sales dropped by 45.8 percent, a significant downturn that GameStop management said was due in part to the anticipation for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett in Holiday 2020. Given the consoles are still about a year away from release, GameStop said it expects hardware sales to continue to slide in future quarters.Revenue from new game sales, meanwhile, dropped by 32.6 percent. Game sales for Nintendo Switch grew year-over-year, but this success was not enough to offset the category. Gamestop said this fiscal quarter had "weaker title launches" at GameStop this quarter compared to last year.The video game industry is increasingly moving toward digital, so it makes sense that GameStop's physical sales business would suffer as a result. As evidence of this, 2K announced earlier this year that Borderlands 3 sold 70 percent of its launch copies digitally, which is the highest-ever digital percentage for any 2K game. Another massive 2019 game, Madden NFL 20, sold more than 50 percent of its launch-week copies digitally. It was the first time in franchise history that launch-week sales surpassed a 50 percent share for digital.All of this spells trouble for GameStop, which relies on physical media not just for initial game sales, but also as part of its all-important secondhand business. That pre-owned business for GameStop fell 13.3 percent during the quarter; hardware and software both experienced drop-offs in sales.Moving along, GameStop's accessories category saw its sales fall by 13.4 percent. The only category at GameStop that grew during the quarter was Collectibles, which improved by 4.3 percent.In total, GameStop posted a loss of $83.4 million for the quarter. That's a big loss, but it's actually much better than the net loss of $488.6 million during the same period last year.GameStop CEO George Sherman said other companies are struggling as well with new hardware sales as the current generation of consoles comes to an end. The thinking is that consumers are holding off on buying new consoles because next-generation systems are coming. Info from Gamespot.com

Payday 2 developer Overkill Software has recently restarted work on their co-op shooter after a rough year that began in December 2018 when their office was raided. The team is now in a better place to discuss what is happening with the game going forward, including with the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions of the game.In a post on Overkill Software's site, CEO Mikael Nermark has opened up about the console versions of the game, admitting that the disparity that exists between them and the PC version (which has received numerous updates and heists that have not come to consoles) will remain. Although update 1.5 is now live for PS4 and Xbox One, it does not bring the console version in line with the PC release."We’ve had to look at the future console updates from our situation as it looks today, with the limitations that we have, rather than looking back at what has been said and done before and make choices accordingly, even though they might not be what we wish," Hermark admits. "We simply have too many constraints in available manpower to be able to fix the situation in the short term."The following heists and features are not available in console versions, and are unlikely to be made available in the future:Shacklethorne Auction Heist (part of Icebreaker Campaign)Reservoir Dogs HeistHells Island Heist (part of Breaking News Campaign)No Mercy Heist (part of Breaking News Campaign)The White House Heist (part of Breaking News Campaign)The Safe House featureBecause of this, "The Secret" storyline will remain inaccessible on consoles. Nermark says that the team is investigating bringing over the masks, weapons, and mods associated with these heists, though. "Some additional content has licensing and collaboration restrictions attached to them, which unfortunately will make them challenging to release," he notes. It's also unclear whether the upcoming Silk Road campaign will be exclusive to PC or not.The Switch version, meanwhile, is "very unlikely" to receive further updates. Because the Switch version was developed externally, the team is not in a position to continue work on it in their current form, so Switch players will miss out on future content. The Switch port of Payday 2 received a 5/10 in our review, with reviewer James Swinbanks finding that in this version of the game "almost every aspect is outdated or diminished in some way."Nermark says that Overkill Software is "very unwilling to close the door completely on some of these issues," but for now, it's likely that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game will lag behind the PC version, and the Switch will not receive updates. The silver lining here is that Nermark says that the changes are being made internally to ensure that, with Payday 3, they can "do it right" from launch onwards. Info from Gamespot.com

Despite no official announcements having been made as of yet, the cast for Amazon's much-anticipated Lord of the Rings TV continues to come into focus. Deadline reports that Ema Horvath has been cast in a series regular role for the fantasy show.Horvath starred in Halloween studio Blumhouse's 2017 horror movie Like.Share.Follow when she was still enrolled at Harvard. She has also appeared in The Gallows: Act II and The Mortuary Collection.The Lord of the Rings TV show will also feature Will Poulter (Bandersnatch, Maze Runner), Markella Kavenagh (Romper Stomper, The Cry), and Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones, Birdsong). It's unclear yet what roles the actors are playing.Deadline is also reporting that Amazon is pausing production of the Lord of the Rings TV show in New Zealand for about 4-5 months to give the writing team time to map out the recently announced Season 2. 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 joining the team. Jurassic World: Forbidden Kingdom director JA Bayona is set to direct the first two episodes of Season 1.The Amazon show is set in the Second Age, which is a 3,441-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 Numenor the island 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

Two new Steins;Gate games have come to the Switch, allowing you to enjoy more of the sprawling anime visual novel saga on Nintendo's portable console. One has been available on other systems for a while, the other is a new game that has come west for the first time.Steins;Gate 0 and Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace are both available now on Switch, and My Darling's Embrace is also out on PC and PS4. 0 has released in the west before, but this is the first time fans have been able to play an English language version of My Darling's Embrace, which launched in Japan on Xbox 360 back in 2011.In 0, you assist a group of young students in preventing World War III. It's a sequel, not the prequel the "0" might suggest, in which you explore an "Alternate Worldline" in which the characters in the original game gave up. The game is also available on PS4, PC, PS Vita, and Xbox One.My Darling's Embrace is a "sweet and slapstick romantic comedy," according to the store page. It's focused on jokes over science-fiction, and you'll be able to change the course of events based on how you use your phone during the game. Both games are available at a 10% discount until December 17, and cost $27 / £24 / $40.50AUD. Steins;Gate Elite released on the Switch earlier this year and was the only game in the series on the system until now.Info from Gamespot.com

Quentin Tarantino, the director of this year's Golden Globe contender Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, has previously said that his upcoming Star Trek movie might be the last one that he ever makes. But the director--who is currently working on a play and television series that he has not discussed the details of--is also thinking about how to bring back one of his classic characters.In an interview with Andy Cohen on Sirius XM (embedded below,) Tarantino was asked about the long-rumored Kill Bill 3, and whether it will ever happen. "Well, I just so happen to have had dinner with Uma Thurman last night," Tarantino says, saying that they had a "lovely night". Speaking to the question of Kill Bill specifically, he says "well, I do have an idea of what I would do. That was the whole thing, conquering that concept of, 'what's happened to the bride? And what do I want to do?'" Tarantino says that The Bride "deserves better" than "some cockamamie adventure," but that he now has an idea that "could be interesting." However, it'll have to wait until he's done with his current projects. "I wouldn't do it for a little bit. It would be at least three years from now or something like that. But it's definitely in the ether."Tarantino has talked about making sequels and spin-offs before, though, including earlier career plans to make a film that would unite the Vega brothers from Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, which never happened. However, that was planned as a prequel that became less viable as actors Michael Madsen and John Travolta aged. Kill Bill 3 undoubtedly has a greater chance of being made. Info from Gamespot.com

Electronic Arts is closing the multiplayer servers for its boxing game Fight Night Round 4. An update on EA's website confirms that the servers for the 2009 Xbox 360/PS3 game will close on March 9, 2020.In an email, EA informed players that the servers are being pulled down because the daily active playerbase "has reached very low numbers and we can no longer ensure a quality online experience." You can read the full message below.Fight Night Round 4 has a number of achievements that can only be unlocked through online gameplay, so you have just a few months more to grab them. Fight Night Round 4 will continue to be playable after the server shutdown in offline mode.After Fight Night Champion in 2011, EA put the Fight Night series on hold as it instead focused on its EA Sports UFC franchise. That same year, EA CEO Andrew Wilson told IGN that the Fight Night series might come back someday, but as of yet it hasn't happened.Earlier this year, EA announced that it will add another sports game to its catalogue in the next fiscal year, which means it will launch between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. EA already makes officially licensed FIFA, NFL, NHL, and NBA video games, and there are rumors of EA Sports UFC 4 being in development. It remains to be seen what the new sports game will be, but we'll report back with more details as they are revealed.Would you like to see the Fight Night series return? Let us know in the comments below!EA Statement:"Hello Fight Night Round 4 Fans, after eleven years of an incredible online community, the daily active playerbase in Fight Night Round 4 has reached a very low number and we can no longer ensure a quality online experience. As of March 9, 2020, the Fight Night Round 4 servers will be retired. After this date, you’ll still be able to play all offline modes on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.Thanks for your continued support"Info from Gamespot.com

Practically no one is safe in the latest Arrow-verse crossover--regardless of how significant a character they are in DC Comics mythology. Crisis on Infinite Earths, thus far, has killed off a version of Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy), as well as the Green Arrow (Stephen Amell). Of course, it remains to be seen how permanent the Green Arrow's death is. Warning: The following contains spoilers for the third installment of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. If you have yet to see it, stop reading now.Now, you can add The Flash to the list. No, the Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) you tune in to watch every week on The CW isn't dead. Instead, it was the Barry Allen of Earth-90, played by John Wesley Shipp. For those having trouble keeping track of the infinite Earths of the Arrow-verse, that's the same Flash from the 1990s TV series.All this season, the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) has told Barry (Gustin) that the Flash had to die during the Crisis. At no point did he think it was possible that the Flash in question was one from another Earth. In the third episode of the crossover, though, viewers saw that prophecy come to pass as Earth-90's Flash disintegrated while trying to stop the wave of anti-matter from destroying Earth-1--which ultimately proved futile.Still, with his demise, The CW paid tribute to the original Flash TV series by flashing back to a memory of the elder Barry's, in which he shares a tender moment with Tina (Amanda Pays), the character's love interest on the show.In the end, with Earth-90's Flash dead and the entirety of the multiverse destroyed, a handful of heroes were sent to the Vanishing Point to figure out how to reverse everything that's been unleashed.In the comics, the Vanishing Point is a dimension that exists outside of the time/space continuum, meaning the anti-matter wave that killed off the various Earths did not harm it.How those who survive--The Flash (Gustin), Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), Batwoman (Ruby Rose), Ryan Choi (Osric Chau), Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), J'onn J'onzz (David Harewood), and Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer)--will save the multiverse or any of the people that have been wiped out of existence is anyone's guess. Another mystery is what happened to Superman (Brandon Routh), who also went to the Vanishing Point before he was replaced with Lex.These are questions that won't get answered until January 14, when the final two installments in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover air on The CW. Info from Gamespot.com

King of Cards, the third (and final) Shovel Knight expansion, feels almost like a full-blown sequel. Starring the memorable King Knight, it harkens back to the gameplay of the original Shovel Knight adventure in both structure and execution. It's filled to the brim with varied and challenging levels, each more refined and focused than before by building on the many established strengths of this enduring franchise.Shovel Knight: King of Cards acts as a prequel to the events of the original game in the same way that Specter of Torment did, following King Knight prior to his induction in the Order of No Quarter. It's a humorously written tale that gives more insight into the petulant and egotistical (but consistently entertaining) self-proclaimed King as you battle across the land to claim your namesake through a frivolous Joustus tournament. This is a new card game sweeping the kingdom, controlled by three of its best players in each of the regions you'll visit and claim for yourself.King Knight's adventure falls squarely into standard Shovel Knight fare, with King of Cards feeling the most similar in structure to the original adventure out of the three expansions and the closest to a sequel in its scope. There's the same Super Mario Bros. 3-styled overworld map that you can work through in various ways. You can choose the shortest path to the region's boss battle or enjoy exploring by using alternative exits in levels to create paths to secret stages filled with valuable loot or new weapons and abilities. Side boss battle and optional treasure challenges pop up on the map to tempt you into treading off the beaten path, rewarding your detours with unsurprisingly stratifying platforming puzzles or nail-biting bouts that the series has become known for.Stages adopt familiar themes from the series, from the neon-soaked labs of Plague Knight to the gold-laden walls of King Knight's future abode. Revisiting these areas is initially welcoming--a trip back to a familiar world--and does make some of the newer stages stand out more, given that you're not seeing them for potentially the fourth time like with the returning ones. King of Cards often feels like a celebration of Shovel Knight and its world, but it can at times feel overindulgent in its return to boss fights and stages you may have experienced multiple times already. While stages are altered enough to feel different beyond their visual makeup to account for King Knight's new moves, boss fights can feel much easier given that their attack patterns and abilities haven't really changed since their first appearance in the original Shovel Knight.King Knight's own move set does make combat and platforming feel fresh, though, while also feeling faithful to the original flow of Shovel Knight. His standard attack is a horizontal dash and bash, flinging you into the air on contact with an enemy or a wall. When launched into the air, King Knight pirouettes into a dangerous spin, letting you hop between enemies while damaging them until you hit the ground again. It's reminiscent of Shovel Knight's vertical attack without the added benefit of choosing when you can enact it. Instead you have to carefully connect multiple dashes with reactive movements in the air that keep the chain going for the best effect, studying enemies' various attack patterns to pick the right moment to engage and the best window to get out. It gives combat a much quicker pace than any other previous protagonist, and retains the satisfaction of it despite the recycled enemies.This puts a different spin on platforming, with each stage being suitably designed to challenge your understanding of King Knight's unique movement. While Specter Knight was able to wall jump and glide through lanterns, King Knight feels more restrained. Most walls can be dashed into to initiate a higher jump, but levels will routinely shake things up with elements that both restrict and change the way you perform this simple action. Slippery, ice-slicked platforms add a dangerous momentum to each of your landings, for example, while walls overgrown with vines prevent you from jumping against them from certain angles. Learning when you can chain together dashes and jumps and using the opportune positioning of enemies to bounce between long stretches of dangerous falls feels great. The designs of each stage make you feel like you're constantly on the brink of failure, but are forgiving enough to make each attempt feel fair. It's incredibly rewarding to push past each of King of Cards' challenging platforming gauntlets, and the varied level design makes consistent use of your limited movement in inventive ways.King of Cards features many, many stages for you to tackle, and scratches the same sort of itch previous entries in the series have. But it also features an entirely new avenue of play in Joustus. Central to King Knight's quest is a card game that has captivated the land, filling taverns in each of the game's unique areas with challenging opponents. In Joustus, you use a deck of 16 cards to strategically move cards you've placed on a board onto green gems. Once the board is full and a player can no longer make a move, the player with the most cards on the gems on the board wins. Unlike card games such as Hearthstone or Gwent, Jousts feels more akin to strategic games like Go. It's less about individual card abilities and more about using specific cards to push around ones on the board, where thinking three steps ahead of your opponent and anticipating how they might affect the board is paramount to victory.Vendors and beaten opponents will reward you with cards to build your deck, with their unique abilities adding to the complexity of the matches that follow. Initially, cards are inscribed with arrows that indicate directions that can push others on the board, but it doesn't take long for them to include effects that let you destroy other cards, alter their player allegiance, or push them much further than the standard single square. It takes some time to adjust to the rhythm that Joustus demands, especially when thinking about how your cards on the board can be moved around into inescapable areas. But it's a challenging side activity that acts as a rewarding respite from the demanding platforming, balancing the overall pacing of King of Cards.Standard progression isn't gated by Joustus if you choose not to engage with the card game at all, despite the rewards attached to them. Vendors even offer cheats that turn each Joustus game into a trivial affair, letting you reap the rewards without needing to engage with deck construction and card collection if you're just here for standard Shovel Knight fare. It's easy enough to ignore the cheats if you want to feel the rush of a strategically demanding game of Joustus, but not obscure enough to miss if you're just looking for an easy way out.Whether you're challenging foes at a table in a tavern or bashing them into oblivion with your scepter, King of Cards is like comfort food if you already have a taste for Shovel Knight. It doesn't stray from its established formula and often sticks closer to the format of the first game in the series rather than the more experimental expansions that came after it. And while its well-balanced platforming and demanding combat are a treat, its use of existing boss fights and enemies with little to no change in their mechanics saps some of the surprise out of these exciting encounters. It's been a persistent issue in each of Shovel Knight's expansions, but the King of Cards' attention to level design and deeply engrossing gameplay do help mask it better than before. If this is meant to be a farewell to Shovel Knight's first adventure, it goes off with all the spectacle and confetti it deserves.Info from Gamespot.com

Hell is teeming with demonic masters tricked into subservience by Lucifer himself--or Lucy, as Strife affectionately calls him in Darksiders: Genesis. An isometric hack-and-slash bonanza, the latest instalment in the Darksiders series sees you puppeteer dastardly duo War and Strife in a combat-fueled romp filled with bombastic brawls, infernal abominations, and quippish one-liners.The protagonistic pair form one cohesive half of the Four Horsemen--a parade of soldiers born from the ungodly union of angels and devils. And yet Genesis' story is wonderfully witty and whimsically warm. War is a belligerent and straight-laced gladiator who takes everything very, very seriously, and Strife has brilliant fun hurling droll jests his way. "Knock knock," opens one exchange. "What?" replies War. "You're supposed to say 'Who's there?'," retorts an incredulous Strife. "Why would I give away my location? I would simply smash through the door and face my assailant," reasons War.The pair are so radically different to one another that the writing really has room to blossom into something special. To make this even more charming, the majority of Genesis' cutscenes unfold in a comic-book panel aesthetic--much like previous Darksiders games. The animation is stylish and memorable, and helps to ensure that Genesis never gets too grave--quip after quip, panel after panel, it's a game about Hell and the end of the world that maintains a delightful degree of charisma and warmth. It's also spectacularly garish, to the extent that its inherent campiness becomes its biggest strength.Each of the two characters has their own distinct playstyle, both of which are excellent. War uses his gargantuan sword, Chaoseater, to tussle with enemies at close-range--he's a big, hulking bruiser that enjoys a good knock. Strife, on the other hand, has a pair of trusty pistols and excels when quickly moving about the battlefield. Like his wit, his movements are sharp and precise, and he's very well-suited to players who enjoy pummeling bosses in between choreographed sequences of fancy footwork. Being able to switch between the two on the fly allows for a massive amount of diversity in combat.Although the genesis of Genesis is the relationship between its joint protagonists, these differences in combat style are what make it shine as a Darksiders game. It may seem as if this is budget Darksiders--an isometric camera angle and a short but sweet story. It's the opposite. You emphatically feel like a member of the Four Horsemen. As you learn new abilities--called Enhancements in Genesis--you gradually gain access to combos so devastating that it makes sense for the masters of Hell to fear you. War can channel lightning into his sword and unleash it upon his enemies, whereas Strife can shoot legitimate lava bullets from his pistols--he's half-gunslinger, half-volcano.You have two different variables to pay attention to while you're in the thick of it: Health and Wrath. The former is a straightforward vitality meter, whereas the latter is tied to special abilities. For every Wrath bar you fill, you can use one of these powers--maybe you'll do a flaming somersault or create a clone of yourself to serve as a decoy while you leg it back to safety.However, the real fun starts when you fill your Wrath meter right up to the brim and then some. After achieving this, you gain access to your Chaos mode, which causes you to temporarily become a colossus. War lights himself and his sword on fire, while Strife gets a gun that seems to shoot space dust. If you're clever, you can deprive a boss of half their health with a single Chaos transformation. It's an excellent mechanic because it's difficult to obtain and necessitates a lot of risk--you can't spend your Wrath bars on standard abilities if you're saving up to go Plus Ultra, Darksiders style. However, when you pull it off, you become a force of nature wreaking havoc on the hordes of hell and reminding their infernal lords that the Nephilim are not to be trifled with. It's almost as if they seem to forget that one of you was literally named after war itself.You improve your Health, Wrath, and general attack power by investing in what's more of a skill map than a skill tree. Because it's refreshingly easy to navigate this skill map, you can experiment with a variety of combat styles without having to pump hours into trying different permutations. Although each character only has a single, distinct build, the wide range of enhancements and abilities available to you begets combat that never truly becomes boring or laborious, which is a massive testament to why the game actually works. One minute you're using your sword to rip up the ground and shoot a shock wave at your opponent, the next you're putting on a red Iron Man-esque gauntlet and smashing hordes into bits from above. The more fights you pick, the more the game opens up for you in terms of varied belligerence.However, the isometric camera angle is not well-suited to the game's platforming sections whatsoever, which means that any puzzle that requires mobility to solve is a nightmare, especially on mouse and keyboard. At times, movement seems entirely arbitrary, as moving right in one section might have the same directional effect as moving up in another, even when tied to the exact same angle and situation. Most of Genesis' puzzles are intuitive, especially in co-op where the gear system really gets to shine--War and Strife each have access to three tools, which are used for problem-solving. However, once traversal comes into the question, puzzles become chores, and the momentum of an otherwise excellent game slows to a disheartening standstill.There are also quite a few bugs in Genesis, but they're relatively minor and can be easily rectified. I got stuck in rocks on at least five occasions, but because the game auto-saves so regularly, a soft reboot fixed these pretty quickly. However, a more serious bug can occur in co-op. The host is fine, but the person playing in their friend's server can automatically switch to first-person mode, which isn't even supposed to be an option as far as I know. Being forced to wander around a world designed for third-person in first-person is far less than ideal. This issue can be fixed by summoning your horse and immediately dismounting it, but you can't summon a horse in dungeons or tight spaces, and even though these bugs may be co-op specific, they break the game. A shame, really, because co-op is where puzzles become complex endeavors that necessitate proper teamwork, and where boss fights encourage synergized button-mashing instead of 100 slightly-concentrated mouse-clicks a minute--not that rapid clicks are a bad thing in a good hack-and-slash. It's just more satisfying to strategize and quickly dispatch enemies with a partner.Despite these issues, Darksiders: Genesis is a very worthy prequel to an established series. The combat is excellently engaging, the writing is genuinely funny without having to try too hard, and the art is consistently captivating. It's a shame about the dodgy camera angle--this is a game that doesn't really benefit from an isometric perspective for the most part, despite the hack-and-slash aspects being easy to control in top-down view. But at the end of the day, Darksiders: Genesis has a clear identity. It's not the most experimental game in the world, but it takes a variety of tried-and-tested systems and executes them with bravado and grace.Info from Gamespot.com