The dichotomy of beauty and violence has always been a driving theme in The Witcher series. The Northern Realms' gorgeous vistas are dotted with war-torn battlefields, kindness--no matter how fleeting it may be--is often juxtaposed with savagery, and even the warmest characters have a cold and calculated side to them. That neverending tug-of-war is ever-present in The Witcher 3, even when its stripped-down visuals may obscure some of that beauty.Everything is here in the Nintendo Switch version--The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, its two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, and all of its DLC. The main game alone offers dozens of superb quests filled with interesting characters, fantastic twists, and rewarding combat encounters. As Kevin VanOrd said in GameSpot's original review, "Excellence abounds at every turn in this open-world role-playing game." The same is mostly true for the Nintendo Switch version.As you'd expect, the visuals have been pared down significantly. The textures are muddied, the draw-distances are reined in, and the resolution has taken a hit. These issues are exacerbated during docked play. While it technically runs at a higher frame rate and resolution docked, these visual issues are all the more noticeable when projected onto a larger screen.The standard Nintendo Switch's 6.2-inch screen does a great job of hiding the blemishes. Even though it's running at a lower resolution, the smaller screen gives it a much crisper look, so the poor textures and pop-in are less apparent. If you do plan on playing it in handheld mode, you can, thankfully, adjust the size of the HUD to make things easier to read.C'mon, this is what you're really here forFor returning players, the visual downgrade may require some getting used to. However, focusing solely on The Witcher 3's visuals does this port a disservice. Four years later, the game is still massive in scope, and seeing the battle-scarred swamps of Velen, jagged peaks of Skellige, and sprawling countryside of Toussaint on a technically inferior platform is still a sight to behold.More importantly, the grittier look of the Switch port doesn't affect The Witcher 3's core gameplay. The combat and exploration may be smoother on a PC, Xbox One X, or PS4 Pro, but I found performance to be consistent throughout a wide variety of combat encounters and locales. After nearly 30 hours, I haven't experienced any significant frame rate dips. Even the swamps in Velen--an area notorious for causing frame rate issues on PS4 and Xbox One--are comparable to the rest of the experience on Switch. According to developer CD Projekt Red, the frame rate should range between 24 and 30 frames per second. In populated areas like Novigrad, the frame rate dipped to the lower end of that range. Given the slower pace of The Witcher 3, I never found these dips to be an issue, even in the heat of combat.The Witcher 3's visual prowess may have been a selling point for some in 2015, but the Nintendo Switch version is a reminder that there is far more to this adventure than a pretty picture. Even today, there are few games that can rival the storytelling and worldbuilding on display here. Nothing is as simple as it seems, and every thread you pull on reveals enticing new details about this world and its characters.The Nintendo Switch version is a reminder that there is far more to this adventure than a pretty pictureThe vast web of decisions and consequences is just as impressive as it was in 2015. While it may not be apparent on your first playthrough, your actions--both big and small--can have serious repercussions, even if you were trying to do the right thing. What's more impressive is how well fleshed-out each of these paths are and how they ebb and flow through main quests and side quests. While many outcomes are bittersweet by design, none feel underdeveloped.Where The Witcher 3 continues to shine is in its many deeply human stories. While the political aspects of the main story give context to the world and the characters that inhabit it, it's the interactions Geralt has with its denizens that gives weight to the experience. There are no good guys or bad guys. There are just people fighting to find hope in an oppressive world. Many of the quests provoke questions like: Would you hurt others for those you love? Can even the most vile of men be forgiven? How far can fear drive someone?The superb storytelling continues in the game's two expansions. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. While not necessary to the main narrative, these two expansions are thoughtful addendums to Geralt's story. Blood and Wine in particular is a heartfelt send-off for the storied series. If you're jumping back into the game and just want to experience these, you can skip to them right when you load it up for the first time.Although the Nintendo Switch might not be the best platform to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it's still a fantastic experience that shouldn't be missed. If you are looking to replay The Witcher 3 and bask in its detail and beauty, the Switch port may not quite scratch that itch. However, what makes this game excellent isn't its graphics, but the powerful stories it tells, and those are as vivid as ever on Switch. Info from Gamespot.com

Fallout: New Vegas and South Park: The Stick of Truth developer Obsidian's next game is The Outer Worlds, and it launches this Friday, October 25. Designed by original Fallout designers Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, The Outer Worlds was praised by GameSpot for being the "best possible version of a Fallout game." But how long will it take you to complete?GameSpot reviewer Edmond Tran finished the game in about 30 hours. In that time, he completed the main quest and nearly all sidequests. Jess McDonell, who created GameSpot's video review, also took about 30 hours to reach the credits. They both played on Regular difficulty for their first runs.As always, your mileage may vary because everyone plays games differently. Additionally, The Outer Worlds has multiple different difficulty options, including "Supernova" that has increased combat danger and more, which may encourage you to play again.Not only that, but The Outer Worlds features narrative choices that can be grey, so you might find yourself playing again to see more of what the game has to offer.The Outer Worlds launches October 25 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The PC edition is exclusive to the Epic Games Store at launch, while the Xbox One version is free with Xbox Game Pass.The Outer Worlds is Obsidian's final game as an independent developer. Microsoft acquired Obsidian at the end of 2018, at which time the game was well into development and already had a publisher in the form of GTA and Red Dead company Take-Two's indie label, Private Division.For more on The Outer Worlds and the reaction to it, take a look at this roundup of review scores from other outlets. Info from Gamespot.com

The stable of EA Sports games once included numerous college sports games, but for a variety of reasons--including lawsuits from former players--EA stopped making them. Now, EA's CEO has said the company might return to college sports games thanks in part to a new law that will affect certain collegiate athletes and endorsement deals.Speaking at the WSJ Tech Live conference this week, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said EA would "jump for the opportunity" to make more college sports video games if the NCAA can come up with a system to pay players.Wilson added that he receives lots of emails to his personal account from fans asking for EA to bring back college sports games. "I think there are many, many--maybe even millions--of players who hope that's the case," he said.California governor Gavin Newsom signed a law in September that allows student-athletes to make money from endorsement deals while in school. The law doesn't take effect until 2023, however, so it remains to be seen how it will all shake out.EA used to develop college football and basketball games, but the final college basketball game was NCAA Basketball 10 and the final football title was NCAA Football 14.Video games based on professional sports, meanwhile, continue to be very big business for EA. The company makes NBA, NHL, NFL, and FIFA games, with their Ultimate Team modes bringing in lots of cash from microtransactions.Fans, including Snoop Dogg, have been calling on EA to return to the college sports game business for years. Fans got a little treat with Madden NFL 20, as the game's story mode featured 10 different college football teams, though no player likenesses or names were used.EA and the NCAA ended their licensing deal in 2013. In 2015, EA was ordered to pay $60 million to former college players following a lawsuit over likenesses. Info from Gamespot.com

As the Arrow-verse continues rocketing toward the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, so much more is being revealed about what's to come. When The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) was first introduced in last year's Elseworlds crossover, he made it clear that the upcoming crisis was no laughing matter.Now, with the lives of the Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and The Flash (Grant Gustin) on the line--not to mention the entire multiverse--the latest episode of Arrow, titled "Welcome to Hong Kong," revealed that somebody very close to Team Arrow has been working with the Monitor all along. It was previously revealed that Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson), who's married to Diggle (David Ramsey) and the head of the government agency ARGUS, would take on the mantle of Harbinger in the crossover. Harbinger, in the comics, was an orphan that the Monitor rescued and raised to do his bidding.What we didn't know is who this version of Lyla was or what Earth she came from. In "Welcome to Hong Kong," though, it was revealed that the Lyla working with the Monitor is the Earth-1 version fans have been watching for years. Some changes have been made to the character's background, though.While Lyla hasn't been revealed to be an orphan rescued by the Monitor at this point, she did give some insight into her troubling past. "When I was in Afghanistan, my unit got sent out on patrol on a day I pulled base duty," she explained to Laurel (Katie Cassidy Rodgers). "There was an IED in the road. None of them made it back. I used to lie in bed at night asking myself, 'Why them? Why not me?' And I made every deal I could think of with any god I thought listened."When asked if any of the deal she made worked, she looked haunted. "Not exactly," she offered. Clearly, the Monitor is one of those gods she made a deal with.Lyla's tour of duty in Afghanistan happened before Arrow began. It's there that she met Diggle, meaning she's potentially been under the thumb of the Monitor for as long as she's known her husband.What else has she done at the Monitor's request? What is she willing to do? These are questions that will hopefully be answered as we get closer to the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.Arrow airs Tuesdays on The CW.Info from Gamespot.com

The Outer Worlds plays just like a Fallout game. That's a pretty tepid description and an obvious comparison. It's easy to take one look at the game, which strongly echoes the mechanical form of the Bethesda RPGs, and think you know what to expect. The developer, Obsidian Entertainment, was responsible for the cult-favorite Fallout: New Vegas after all. But The Outer Worlds doesn't just play like a Fallout game. It is, surprisingly, the best possible version of a Fallout game--a potent distillation of what made that series so beloved in the first place.The Outer Worlds adopts the most compelling innovations of modern Fallout games, emphasising immersive exploration and impactful, action-oriented combat in a game engine (Unreal Engine) that actually makes those things feel good by contemporary standards. It shares Fallout's satirical but incredibly bleak look at the future, but is free of its tired tropes. Critically, The Outer Worlds exhibits the same depth of soul as the early Interplay and Black Isle Fallout games (as well as other games in the '90s PC RPG genre) with a genuinely complex, interconnected narrative web of relationships and events that feel like they can change in a seemingly infinite number of ways based on the character you want to be, the variety of choices you can make, and the actions you take.Given the studio and the key people responsible (original Fallout creators Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky), that last trait isn't surprising. But it's not the only element that makes The Outer Worlds an excellent space Western adventure--that's just the incredibly sound foundation that elevates the game's great world-building, wonderful characters, and multi-layered quest design, on top of punchy combat and consistently sharp writing.In The Outer Worlds, you are just one of the thousands of people left in hibernation on an abandoned colony ship, when a scientist of possibly ill repute frees you and enlists your help in saving the rest of your frozen peers. After a rigorous character creation process--involving a slew of variable attributes, perks, and aesthetic customization--you crash-land on a planet, alone, and from there, how you make your mark on the Halcyon system is up to you.The crux of this sci-fi setup is that, among other things, the Halcyon system is owned and run entirely by a board of corporations, and their presence is a big deal. Whole planets are owned by corps looking to use their ecosystems as part of a larger supply chain, and numerous vending machines from different companies populate towns, trying to attract you with their bright logos and jingles. In fact, The Outer Worlds is saturated with strikingly colourful locales; the planets you'll visit are impressively varied and sometimes beautiful, flaunting an H.G. Wells-like retro-futuristic aesthetic, the antithesis of grimdark cyberpunk.On the first impression, corporations appear as a mostly aesthetic layer folded into the world. A number of the companies mentioned seem to mostly just exist as manufacturers of weapons and consumables--a piece of flair to keep the tone light in the same way that the Circus of Values exists in BioShock, but it's far more ingrained than that. Corporate capitalism so deeply affects everything in The Outer Worlds, and explorations into how it can affect society on a variety of levels is a surprisingly well-considered constant, despite the semblance of parody. You'll meet sympathetic workers whose livelihoods are only made possible by offering themselves to exploitation and indentured servitude, white-collared outlaws who are more bureaucrats than pirates, and well-meaning middle-managers who are trying to change the corporate machine from the inside. You'll find moderates, idealists, extremists, and most things in between and around the fringes, all of which have their own feasible ideas about how to best serve the colony or themselves. By the time the climax hits, it's clear that The Outer Worlds has its own stance on this bleak future, but that doesn't stop the world it creates, the sojourns you take, and characters you meet along the way from being any less fascinating.There are plenty of characters in The Outer Worlds who I didn't like. Reed Tobson, for example, is a snivelling factory chief in the early hours of the game who I didn't have to think twice about undermining, and Felix, one of your potential companion characters, had such an annoyingly naive personality I avoided talking to him as much as possible. The Outer Worlds allows you to kill any character in the game (bar one), and the world will reshape and move on without them, but there's something to be said for game's depiction of its unappealing people, whose portrayal I admired despite my distaste. You'll talk to a lot of people in The Outer Worlds. How much you do is up to you--you're allowed to cut straight to get to the point or dive deeper--but chatting to the game's entire supporting cast of non-player characters is something that never gets tiring, even if you don't care for them, purely because of how strong the game's writing and vocal performances are.I never felt like I had to endure stretches of pointless or overly dramatic exchanges, both because of how focussed and subtle the script seemed to be, as well as the variety of response options for my player character which kept conversations flowing in largely natural ways. Numerous considerations for the world state let conversations take into account things you may or may not already have done throughout your campaign; brief and subtle injections of worldbuilding and lore stop conversation from being too matter of fact without losing the game's identity, and some exceptional low-key wit works very well in sparking a periodic laugh without humour feeling like a sticking point. Solid, consistent voice direction helps keep the tone firmly measured, meaning the hours you spend absorbing the world through its people are always engaging.Nowhere does the strength of the game's characters shine more strongly than in your companions, however (except for Felix; that guy is a weenie). You have the option to recruit six predetermined characters to accompany and assist you in your adventures, though the game does have tools to bolster a lone wolf character too. But having companions along for the ride is a delight, and that's, again, because of the strength of the character writing. Companions instantly feel like fleshed-out characters of their own accord, not like they simply exist to revolve around you. They'll converse privately with each other and chime in on conversations you have with other characters in the world, acting as sounding boards during key moments. They can, in extreme situations, leave you of their own accord if they strongly disagree with a course of action. It's all mechanically conditional, of course, but the illusion the game builds is so endearing--spending time with these folks feels just as valuable as your pursuing the overarching goal.Companions have their own customisable skill trees, equipment loadouts, combat tactics, and special abilities you can command them to use, which, with their cinematic camera angles, inspired battle cries, and useful status effects, never become unsatisfying to initiate. The other major tool at your disposal in combat, provided your character's weapon skills are high enough to use it, is Tactical Time Dilation (TTD)--a time-bending mechanic that slows the action to a crawl, allowing you to give yourself some breathing room in order to analyse enemies and take the time to execute precision attacks. Hitting certain locations on enemies will let you do things like cripple or maim them, or inflict weapon-specific effects like bleed damage or knocking them unconscious. Using TTD tactically to take out key targets and attempt to control the flow of battle makes it an entertaining and useful tool, but its availability is limited and not something you can rely on entirely until you get to meaningfully upgrade it much later in the game.Despite having strong RPG foundations, the combat in The Outer Worlds is very much focussed on first-person action, incorporating things like parries, blocks, and dodges on top of an array of melee weapons and firearms. There's a hectic and fast-paced fluidity to combat that feels very good, however. That's aided by some enthusiastic sound design, which does most of the heavy lifting in giving all weapons some satisfying feedback. A range of "Science weapons" bring some creative diversity in your arsenal, and features guns that have unique, entertaining properties like shrinking enemies or turning them against each other.The only problem with combat is that on the game's recommended Regular difficulty, it eventually turns into a cakewalk. This is satisfying in a way, of course--all the points I pumped into maxing out my handgun skills, thus becoming best gunslinger in the galaxy, did actually make me feel utterly invincible. But, it also meant I didn't feel pushed to explore the game's slew of combat-adjacent mechanics nearly as deeply as I would have hoped. Things like elemental damage, equipment modding, companion synergies, and the special effects allowed by consumables (which, by the way, are incredibly difficult to parse in the game's icon-heavy menu), could all be safely ignored. The Outer Worlds has a "flaws" system that lets you purposefully shoulder restrictive debuffs in certain situations in exchange for an extra perk point, but it's completely optional and rarely worth the tradeoff. Jumping into the "Supernova" difficulty level in a subsequent playthrough changes all that, however--combat danger increases, your ability to save your game becomes restricted, and survival mechanics like hunger and thirst are introduced, making all of the game's mechanical considerations feel far more vital. The game is more challenging and interesting because of it, but its demanding nature definitely makes it more of a second-run option.Toe-to-toe combat is not the only solution to your problems. The Outer Worlds allows for a variety of avenues for alternative and passive solutions--stealth, hacking, and speech-related options are available throughout the game, provided you pass the skill checks. It's nigh impossible to complete the game without getting into at least some combat, unfortunately, but to the game's credit, virtually every quest in the game, big or small, features branching options in terms of their paths to success and how you deal with the big, final choices you have to make to resolve disputes, which are often deliciously grey. It's at the level where you'll always be considering the additional ways you could have achieved something, whether that be taking a different route, finding more information out in the world, or killing the quest giver and everyone else in the town. When you hit the end, the game runs through a whole slew of epilogues that describe how you resolved the game's numerous major variables and what became of them, and being shown all your exploits after some 30 hours makes the whole journey and your unique path through it really feel quite meaningful. It's difficult to know the full extent of just how many directions something can go, and the end result of many quests can likely only ever differ in a small handful of ways, but this perception of freedom and possibilities on your first run is inspiring.I finished The Outer Worlds wanting more, eager to jump back into the world to see extra things. It's not a short game, but it's one packed with such a steady stream of wonderful characters to meet, interesting places to explore, and meaningful, multi-layered quests to solve, that it didn't feel like there was any room to get tired of it. I wanted to rewind the clock and do everything in a completely different way. The Outer Worlds is consistently compelling throughout, and it's a superb example of how to promote traditional RPG sensibilities in a sharp, modern experience. Info from Gamespot.com

An ambitious crossover event in its own right, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing a four-movie Blu-ray/digital box set that includes Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, Venom, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Homecoming and Far From Home are, of course, Marvel movies, while Into the Spider-Verse and Venom belong to Sony. The limited-edition steelbook collection releases December 3, and right now you can save $19 on your pre-order at Amazon.The four-disc box set has a $75 list price, but you can get it for $57. At roughly $14 per movie, it's a pretty great deal -- even if one of the movies has a significantly worse reputation than the others. Yes, we're talking about Venom, the 2018 film that kicked off Sony's "Marvel Universe." Since Venom didn't really touch on Spider-Man at all, its inclusion in this collection may strike some as odd. But hey, Venom hails from Spider-Man comics, so all is well. See at AmazonThe pair of live-action Spider-Man movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Homecoming and Far From Home, fared much better than Venom. Tom Holland has proven to be a wonderful Spider-Man and perhaps an even better Peter Parker. Thankfully, we'll get to see more of Holland's Spider-Man in future MCU movies.While Homecoming and Far From Home are genuinely awesome live-action Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is arguably the crown jewel of this box set. Critic Meg Downey called it the "perfect superhero film" in our Into the Spider-Verse review. With dazzling animation, clever and funny writing, and a story that never fails to delight, Into the Spider-Verse is a truly can't-miss movie.Info from Gamespot.com

The much-anticipated live-action adaptation of the hugely popular anime series Cowboy Bebop has only been in production for a few weeks, but it will now face a lengthy delay. It has been reported that star John Cho has injured himself on-set, leading the production on the Netflix show to shut down for many months.According to Deadline, Cho suffered a a knee injury during a "routine and well-rehearsed scene" on the New Zealand set of Cowboy Bebop. The injury requires surgery and extensive rehabilitation, and Cho has flown back to LA for treatment. The production shutdown is expected to last from seven to nine months.The site states that because filming was at an early stage, Netflix could've easily recast the role. However, the streaming giant is reportedly "fully committed" to Cho and willing to wait until next year to resume shooting. Cho himself posted on Instagram, thanking fans for the good wishes.The Cowboy Bebop series was first announced in November 2018. Cho was confirmed in the role of bounty hunter Spike Spiegel in April, and earlier this month a behind-the-scenes video was released. The cast also includes Alex Hassell as Vicious, Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine, and Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black. Thor: The Dark World writer Christopher Yost is executively producing and has written the first episode.The anime series Cowboy Bebop was released in Japan in 1998 and ran for 26 episodes. It was followed by an animated movie in 2003, as well as a manga series and a video game. It became one of the key anime properties to break through to a western audience and was screened on Adult Swim in the US.Info from Gamespot.com

Every week, Netflix unloads a bunch of new content to its subscribers for them to binge-watch all night long. This week, there are a few things you want to check out, including a new original series from one of the stars of Stranger Things.If you're in the mood for some intense martial arts action, then you're going to want to tune in to Netflix starting on Wednesday when Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy arrives. Taking place in the world of Ip Man, this spinoff follows a man who once lost a battle with Ip Man, and now, he's trying to put his martial arts past behind him. Obviously, that's not going to bode well. The Ip Man series has gone full Fast & Furious at this point with gigantic battles, over-the-top scenes, and adding a WWE wrestler to the movie (Dave Bautista). Even the opening of the trailer is intense, where star Jin Zhang and Michelle Yeoh have a literal hand-to-hand battle over a glass of bourbon.There is a new Netflix original headed your way this week. Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo has a new prank show called Prank Encounters where he scares unsuspecting people signing up for a new job. It's very much like Scare Tactics, which is also on Netflix right now as well. Prank Encounters arrives on Friday. Netflix News What's New To Netflix This Week: Movies, TV, And Originals What's New To Netflix In October 2019? Movies, TV Shows, And Originals Below, you'll find everything headed to Netflix this week, and for more streaming news, check out what's coming to Amazon Prime Video and Hulu for the month of November.What's new to Netflix this week?Monday, October 21Echo in the CanyonFree FireTuesday, October 22Jenny Slate: Stage FrightWednesday, October 23Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerDancing with the BirdsMaster Z: The Ip Man LegacyThursday, October 24DaybreakRevenge of PontianakFriday, October 25A Tale of Love and DarknessAssimilateBrigada Costa del SolBrotherhoodDolemite Is My NameGreenhouse Academy: Season 3The Kominsky Method: Season 2MonzonNailed It! France (C'est du gâteau!)Nailed It! Spain (Niquelao!)Prank EncountersRattlesnakeIt Takes a LunaticInfo from Gamespot.com

The eighth Maximus Cup in Tetris 99 kicks off this weekend on Nintendo Switch. The in-game event will run from October 25 to 28, and much like previous themed crossovers with Splatoon, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Super Kirby Clash, the latest Maximus Cup is a collaboration with another Nintendo Switch title--the upcoming Luigi's Mansion 3.The competition is points-based, with each round on Tetris 99 earning you a number of points depending on how well you place. If you can amass 100 points by the time the competition ends, you'll unlock a Luigi's Mansion 3 theme for Tetris 99, complete with a spooky jazz soundtrack.[トピックス]第8回テト1カップ　10月25日開催！ 発売直前の『ルイージマンション3』テーマを手に入れよう！ https://t.co/PBMPqkgTsU pic.twitter.com/H00aj5Fm2C — 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) October 21, 2019Tetris 99 is one of the exclusive perks you get with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. NSO members can download the game for free and play against 98 other players online in a battle royale-inspired competition to be the last one remaining.Peter Brown praised the game's unique spin on competitive block dropping in GameSpot's Tetis 99 review, saying "Tetris 99 may not be a proper battle royale game, but it taps into the same emotional well, where a large number of players vying for supremacy creates an ever-present intensity that's difficult to shake. Add that layer to a game that's plenty capable of instilling tension on its own, and you've got a riveting experience that even at its worst is still a game very much worth playing. There's obvious room for improvement, but that's the last thing on your mind when the pieces start falling and the players start dropping."NSO memberships run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Nintendo also offers an annual Family Membership that costs US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts across multiple Switch systems.Rather fittingly, Luigi's Mansion 3 launches for the Nintendo Switch on Halloween itself, this October 31.Info from Gamespot.com

Fallout speedrunner Tomatoanus will be playing at January's Awesome Game's Done Quick event under a different, less butt-centric name, after reaching an agreement with the event's organisers.The accomplished speedrunner has competed at six Games Done Quick events under the name Tomatoanus, but considering it's a family-friendly event for charity, three of his six runs have not been displayed publicly due to the whole "anus" thing not being quite wholesome enough.Tomatoanus explained in a recent statement that he's decided to appear under the name "Tomatoangus" as a compromise. "[Games Done Quick] told me that my submissions were not automatically denied, and that they would be considered just as any other submission, but they would not be publicly viewable on their website as long as I submitted with my username being 'tomatoanus'," he explains. "This is obviously because they're a professional organization representing a charity, which I understand and accept."I continued to submit under the same username for the next few events, and eventually decided I would prefer to have my submissions be publicly viewable so people could see that I was submitting on their website rather than only know based on me tweeting what my submissions were."The name change will only affect his appearances at Games Done Quick. Tomatoanus' Twitch and YouTube accounts will remain the same, anus and all.His speedrunning feats are definitely worth watching. In the past he's set a world record by dashing through the Fallout Anthology (Fallout 1, 2, 3, New Vegas, and 4) in under 1.5 hours. He also managed to set a "sex%" world record in the same games, sitting atop an unofficial speedrunning category that involves having sex in each of the main games as fast as possible. With a name like that is it any surprise?Info from Gamespot.com

The first trailer for Bloodshot has been released. The movie is an adaptation of the comic book series, and stars Vin Diesel as a former soldier who is brought back from the dead via advanced nanotechnology.The trailer suggests a mix of Robocop, Edge of Tomorrow, and last year's Upgrade. It sets up the basic plot, in which Diesel wakes up as an enhanced cyborg warrior and is sent on a variety of missions to blow things up and kill people. Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3) plays the shady doctor in control of his life, and there's plenty of outlandishly gory action, plus Pearce saying "initiate sequence" a lot. Check the trailer out below.Bloodshot also stars Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver), Sam Heughan (Outlander), Lamorne Morris (New Girl), Toby Kebbell (Kong: Skull Island), and Talulah Riley (Westworld). It's directed by Dave Wilson, who worked on the acclaimed Netflix animated anthology Love Death + Robots, and releases on February 21, 2020.Bloodshot was created by Kevin Van Hook, Don Perlin, and Bob Layton and first appeared in 1992. He was one of the main characters for Valiant comics, which was set up in 1989 by former Marvel editor Jim Shooter. The Bloodshot film is part of a five-movie deal with Sony to bring various Valiant characters to the screen.In related news, Diesel will also star in the the currently-untitled ninth Fast & Furious movie, which releases in May next year. In August, it was announced that Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker has joined the cast.Info from Gamespot.com

Hitman 2 is all about murder, but usually it's the playful, wacky kind of murder. Once in a while Agent 47 gets deadly serious and downright scary, though, as in the case of the upcoming Halloween event. A special Escalation Contract available starting October 22 is full of spooky decor, and just to put a fine point on the festivities, the trailer is cut like a slasher flick.The event takes place in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, but it will be given a makeover with decorations like pumpkins and skeletons. Successfully completing the contract, by killing your targets, will earn you the Tactical Wetsuit and Bat Shuriken tool.The update will be available for free to anyone who has the (also free) Starter Pack. That acts as a demo, which means you can try out the Halloween content and then use those rewards you earned in the full game. It also offers an expansion pass for even more contracts on top of the base game."Hitman is about experiencing the anticipation of seeing whether a plan will work when you try it for the first time," said Edmond Tran in GameSpot's review. "It's about feeling the tension of briskly walking away from a bad situation, hoping you can lose the suspicious guards. It's the satisfaction of knowing the machinations of a level so well that when a target moves into a particular place at a particular time, you have the perfect way to intervene. Hitman 2 is a familiar experience, but in the Hitman world, familiarity is an incredible strength."Meanwhile, Hitman developer IO Interactive recently announced it's working again with publisher Warner Bros. on an entirely new universe. It's currently staffing up for the project, though, so we may not see what it is for some time.Info from Gamespot.com

Borderlands 3 will start its free Halloween-themed event, Bloody Harvest, this week, and a new trailer gives a look at all the goodies and special activities in store for spooky Vault Hunters. The trailer shows some of the new cosmetics like skins and weapon elements, the new Baron of Bloody Harvest boss, and a new Legendary weapon. Here's what to expect and when the event begins.The new Legendary is called the Fearmonger, and you can see it spreading the new Terror debuff. The new gameplay element obscures enemy's vision and weakens gun handling, accuracy, and spread. Special enemies will spread the Terror debuff during the event as well, but they'll go away when the event ends. Your new loot, which includes two new guns and a shield that all implement the Terror mechanic, will be yours to keep. You can see some of the highlights in the trailer and screenshots below.The event begins on October 24 and lasts through December 5. To start the event, look around the galaxy (i.e. not Pandora) for Haunted enemies. Defeat them to earn Hecktoplasm, and then trade it with a new character on Sanctuary named Maurice for access to the Bloody Harvest map.The Bloody Harvest map is where you'll find most of the Halloween haunts, including the new boss, the Baron of Bloody Harvest. He's a spectral form of Captain Traunt. In addition to the new weapons, you can also get Vault Hunter skins, Anointed weapon drops that can also use the Terror debuff, a new weapon trinket, and more.The Halloween event is part of the ongoing anniversary celebration month, which has included special events over the course of October. The current event, soon to be ending with the advent of Bloody Harvest, gives you bonus Eridium, so check in and stock up while you still can. Borderlands 3 News Borderlands 3 Bloody Harvest Trailer Shows Off Halloween Loot Borderlands 3 Patch Notes: Character Balance, Stability Improvements, And More Borderlands 3 Starter Guide: 17 Spoiler-Free Tips You Should Know Before Jumping In Borderlands 3 Shift Codes: All Active Shift Codes And How To Redeem Them Info from Gamespot.com

As is tradition, dates for Steam's upcoming sales have leaked, allowing gamers plenty of time to save up for those sweet PC game deals. According to a tweet from Steam Database (@SteamDB), an account unaffiliated with Steam that tracks various information about the platform, the dates for Steam's Halloween, Autumn (Steam's stand-in for Black Friday), and Winter sales have been revealed online by "multiple developers" who "posted about it in multiple places despite Valve asking otherwise."As with all rumors, take this information with a grain of salt, but the dates listed below do line up closely with dates from previous years. The Steam Database Twitter account also has a history of reporting leaked dates that later turned out to be correct, including this year's Steam summer sale.Steam 2019 sale dates:Halloween sale: Oct. 28 - Nov. 1Autumn sale: Nov. 26 - Dec. 3Winter sale: Dec. 19 - Jan. 2The first one up will be the Halloween sale, and it's expected to kick off in about a week, lasting only a few days. This will be the best time to snag any horror games on your wishlist at a great price, but you'll find plenty of games that aren't strictly horror on sale too. Some of last year's best Halloween sale deals included Friday the 13th: The Game and Soma for $6 each, Salt and Sanctuary for $9, Hollow Knight for $10. and Dead Cells for $20. If you've held off on buying some of this year's horror releases, like Resident Evil 2, The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, or Blair Witch, this may be your chance to grab them for cheap.In the meantime, other digital stores have already begun their Halloween sales, including the Epic Games Store, which is offering some solid discounts on Borderlands 3, Control, Rainbow Six Siege, and more, as well as two spooky games that you can claim for free: Alan Wake's American Nightmare and Observer. The PlayStation Store's Halloween sale is also going strong, with markdowns on A Plague Tale: Innocence, the Resident Evil franchise, The Evil Within 2, and much more.Info from Gamespot.com

With less than a month before it premieres, there's still so little known about The Mandalorian, the upcoming live-action TV show set in the Star Wars universe. The series will be a Disney+ original program, helping to launch the new platform, and while there hasn't been much footage released, quite a bit has been screened.At a press event for the new show, reporters were shown 27 minutes worth of clips from the series, taken from multiple episodes. The clips were edited in a way to avoid spoiling any plot details whatsoever, but they definitely helped to give the press in attendance an idea of The Mandalorian's tone.After viewing the footage, GameSpot's Meg Downey explained the show is "a space western in the coolest sense." As for details, Uproxx's Mike Ryan revealed, "We saw IG-88 attacking, we saw Salacious Crumb being barbecued for a meal. And Werner Herzog as some sort of galactic gangster who has his own team Stormtroopers."The first episode of The Mandalorian premieres on November 12, the same day Disney+ launches in the United States. It will then continue to release new episodes weekly until the end of the year. You can take a look at a collection of reactions from the footage screening below.We saw some footage (not a full episode sadly, but about 30 minutes worth of clips) and friends, it's EXTREMELY cool. A space western in the coolest sense. — The Mothmeg (@rustypolished) October 19, 2019Oh wow THE MANDALORIAN footage looks incredible. We saw IG-88 attacking, we saw Salacious Crumb being barbecued for a meal. And Werner Herzog as some sort of galactic gangster who has his own team Stormtroopers — Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) April 14, 2019Just saw almost 30 minutes of #TheMandalorian’s pilot episode. It feels like a thrilling return to the original trilogy era of Star Wars. It feels like a big scale movie, not a tv series. They are still keeping a lot of mystery with deliberate cuts in the footage. — Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) October 19, 2019Just screened 27 minutes of footage from #TheMandalorian! Everything I saw looked incredible. Feels completely different than anything we’ve seen in the #StarWars universe! pic.twitter.com/6LOdiq0BAD — Dorian Parks (@DorianParksnRec) October 19, 2019Just watched 27 minutes of Mandalorian footage and legit cried. Can’t say much but — This is real and it’s happening and it feels SO FREAKING STAR WARS pic.twitter.com/A56KJBc1GH — Ash Crossan (@AshCrossan) October 19, 2019Saw 30 minutes of #TheMandalorian footage. Old studio westerns of the 40’s and 50’s with a dash of samurai movie vibes mixed in a Star Wars-y blender. I think Star Wars fans will be very pleased. @ludwiggoransson’s score is marvelous. — Michelle Buchman (@michelledeidre) October 19, 2019Reliving my childhood Saturday mornings watching Star Wars. The 30 so minutes of #TheMandalorian footage we saw was incredibly cool. The samurai-infused space western you've always wanted with an ice cold lead, a bunch of rad creatures, and a killer score @ludwiggoransson ✨ pic.twitter.com/FBcJf9II6P — Rosie Knight of The Comet 💥 (@RosieMarx) October 19, 2019Wow. #TheMandalorian is completely amazing. Saw nearly a half hour of footage from what I was told were the first three episodes. Whoever you think Nick Nolte is ... the answer will surprise you. pic.twitter.com/jh3CpZnMW2 — Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) October 19, 2019 Info from Gamespot.com