The Nintendo Switch is technically a portable console. It can be pulled out of the dock, taken with you to the bathroom--or anywhere else--and played in handheld mode. But it's not the most comfortable portable experience. Even Nintendo seems to agree, with a smaller, handheld-only version of the Switch releasing on September 20. Considering how often my hands cramp or fall asleep while holding my launch Switch, this is a godsend, as I've grown tired of shaking the feeling back into them.However, there is a solution to that tingling hands problem that makes the original Switch model more comfortable to play in handheld mode: a grip case. These work much in the same way as protective cases do, except they add a little something to grab on to, turning them into something that feels a lot more like a controller. Handheld mode is my preferred method of playing the Switch, and after using a grip case I knew I could never go back to playing without one.Now, while there are a couple of grips we absolutely love, not all of the ones we tested were winners. RDS Industries' Goplay Grip put my hands in an awkward position for most games, while the Orzly Comfort Grip didn't provide enough of a handle to hold comfortably. Most grips fell somewhere between these two.But there are a few standouts, and you can read on for an overview of the best Switch grip cases we've tried and can vouch for. Note that all pricing indicated below is subject to change--Amazon slashes prices all the time, so you may see a discount when clicking through. Of course, we'll keep this article updated if we try out any new Switch grips worth buying.Skull & Co Grip Case$19 | $40 with carrying caseThe Good:Extremely comfortable, ergonomic designInterchangeable grips to help you find the best fit for your handsEasily removableThe Bad:Not very dock friendlyRight-stick positioning feels a little awkwardThe Skull & Co grip case is exactly what I was looking for for my Switch. It's a slip-on case just like the one you'd put on your phone, except it also turns your Switch into something that feels a bit more like a proper controller--a much more ergonomic handheld device. The case comes with three pairs of interchangeable grips so you can decide which shape best fits your hands. The Snap Grip is the smallest of the three options, equipped with rounded edges. The Plus Grip is a bigger version of the Snap Grip that protrudes much further out. Lastly, we have the Trigger Grip, which is my personal favourite as it feels the most like a normal controller and fits my hands perfectly. It also has a little hooked peak for your middle finger to rest in, which makes your Switch very easy to hold onto, even with one hand. The Skull & Co grip case is a huge improvement over the flat and gripless Switch, especially for Super Mario Maker 2, which previously gave me constant cramps while making levels.In addition to the handles, the Skull & Co grip case covers everything but the front of the Switch. This means the shoulder buttons are covered as well, requiring you to press on the case's button covers to press the L, R, ZL, and ZR buttons. However, the distance between the button cover and the button itself is so small that it doesn't feel much different from just pulling the trigger.I don't want to play my Switch in handheld mode without this grip case. However, that doesn't mean it's perfect. I found the shape made it slightly more difficult to position my thumb and use the right analog stick. It's not an insurmountable issue, but I did feel a little soreness in my joint while playing certain games that rely on the right stick a lot.Skull & Co claims this grip case is "dock friendly" and doesn't need to be removed for TV mode. However, there tends to be a slight bend in some people's docks, causing it to have a slightly smaller opening. The slight difference is enough to keep this case from being completely dock-friendly. While I was able to force my Switch into the dock and get it to output to the TV, it took a considerable amount of time and the Switch would sometimes undock itself. I can't recommend this grip case enough when it comes to playing in handheld, but if you want to output to your TV, be sure to take it off before sliding it into your dock. | Mat Paget$19 at Amazon $40 with carrying caseSatisfye Grip$26 | $48 with carrying caseThe Good:Comfortable, ergonomic design prevents crampingDoubles as a sturdy stand with room for charging cableBonus thumb tabs for extra grip and customizationThe Bad:Doesn't fit in many carrying casesFor a long time, I shied away from taking my Switch out of its dock, and that's largely because I've always found playing Switch handheld to be incredibly uncomfortable. The long, slender tablet forces your wrists into a cramped, unnatural position, and it weighs just enough that I always find myself gripping it too hard to keep from dropping it. I've spent a few months with the Satisfye grip, and I can honestly say I'll never go back to playing the Switch without it.First of all, the Satisfye grip is extremely lightweight--it doesn't make the console feel any heavier when I hold it (in fact, because it makes holding the Switch so much easier, it almost feels lighter). The Switch slides into the grip easily but firmly, and it hasn't left any scuff marks on my Joy-Cons, as some Amazon reviewers have mentioned. The bottom of the grip has two hooks for additional console support, and they also allow the Switch to stand securely upright on its own with enough room for the charging cable to run underneath.While the change in hand positioning takes some getting used to, the grip features a more ergonomic design that fills your palms and keeps your thumbs in their natural resting positions. There's a nice little spot on top of both handles for your index fingers to rest when you're not using the triggers. The handles are also rubberized on the back, which helps you grip them even better. Plus, it's way easier to use the buttons, as your thumbs have more space and support to move around. Additionally, the Satisfye grip comes with four bonus thumb tabs. I don't personally use them, but they're intended to add extra grip to the analog sticks.At this point, I've traveled cross-country multiple times with the Satisfye grip, and even though I store my Switch in a protective case when I travel, the grip was easily transported in my backpack without any damage. (Note: Satisfye also offers a bundle with the grip, protective case, and USB charging cable for $48.) Now, it feels weird when I play without the Satisfye grip, and I'd recommend it to anyone who currently finds handheld play a bit uncomfortable. | Jenae Sitzes$26 at Amazon $48 with carrying caseInfo from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go's next Community Day is just a few days away, and developer Niantic has now shared a few more details about the event. We already knew the featured Pokemon this month will be Turtwig, the Grass-type starter from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, but you'll have even more opportunities than usual to catch some during the event.Not only will Turtwig spawn in the wild more often than normal throughout this month's Community Day, you'll also be able to encounter it as a Raid boss. On top of that, any 2 km eggs that you receive from PokeStops during the event will have a chance of hatching into Turtwig, giving you plenty of ways to add the cute turtle Pokemon to your collection.Attention! Trainers who evolve Grotle during #PokemonGOCommunityDay or up to two hours afterward can obtain a Torterra that knows the Community Day exclusive move—🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃 Frenzy Plant! 🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃 pic.twitter.com/AGXYBm2Vfk — Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) September 11, 2019 Niantic has also revealed what this month's special event-exclusive move will be. If you're able to evolve Turtwig's evolved form, Grotle, into Torterra up to two hours after the event ends, the Pokemon will automatically known the powerful Grass-type attack Frenzy Plant. These event-exclusive moves are a staple of Community Days, but in the past, you only had an extra hour after the event ended to obtain them.September's Community Day takes place this Sunday, September 15. This time around, the event will be held much earlier than usual, from 11 AM to 2 PM local time. You can read more details about the Community Day on the official Pokemon website.In the meantime, Pokemon Go's second wave of Ultra Bonuses is now live. Until September 16, all four forms of the Mythical Pokemon Deoxys will appear in five-star Raid Battles, and you'll have a chance to hatch the region-exclusive Pokemon Farfetch'd, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime, and Tauros from 7 km eggs. The third wave of Ultra Bonuses will go live on September 16, and it'll introduce the first Gen 5 Pokemon to the game.Info from Gamespot.com

Borderlands 3's campaign takes a little over 30 hours to complete, putting its runtime just over that of Borderlands 2's story. However, there's still stuff to do once the campaign is complete as Borderlands 3 does have an endgame. Below, you'll find a general overview of all the content you'll unlock at the end of Borderlands 3.Borderlands 3 launches for Xbox One, PS4, and PC via the Epic Games Store on September 13. The game is scheduled to release on Google Stadia later this year and on additional PC storefronts in 2020. If you're still trying to figure out whether or not you want to buy it, read GameSpot's Borderlands 3 review.Table of Contents [hide]Circle Of SlaughterTrue Vault Hunter ModeMayhem ModeGuardian RanksEnforcerSurvivorHunterProving GroundsPost-Release ContentCircle Of SlaughterLong-time fans will recognize Torgue's Circle of Slaughter arenas as the franchise's traditional horde mode, which is renamed with a different title in every game. In Circle of Slaughter, you face off against waves of enemies, each of which are divided into phases. Each phase also has optional tasks you can complete to earn even greater rewards once you've completed every wave.If you die, you'll have to start over from the first phase on the first wave so Circle of Slaughter is much more feasible to complete as a team as opposed to by yourself. As you fight, your exploits will be praised or condemned--depending on your performance--by Mr. Torgue himself. The man loves when people use his guns or kill enemies with grenades, so if you want to make him happy, be sure to bring along all your explosive Torgue weapons.True Vault Hunter ModeIf you immediately want to jump back into Borderlands 3's campaign and replay it from the very beginning, you can do it without losing all your progress. Obviously you can just start over with a brand-new Vault Hunter if you prefer, but Borderlands 3 also has a new game plus called True Vault Hunter Mode.In True Vault Hunter Mode, you retain all of your skill points, weapons, grenades, and cosmetic unlocks. The enemies you fight will drop significantly better loot and grant you larger chunks of experience so you can level up faster. However, all enemies will have additional health and you'll encounter badass variants in greater frequency. In Borderlands 2, True Vault Hunter Mode actually changed some enemies, giving them brand-new identities, weapons, and combat strategies. Borderlands 3 probably does the same, but we haven't tested True Vault Hunter Mode yet as we want to try the game's other endgame content first.Mayhem ModeMayhem Mode allows you to add interesting additional effects to combat while you're mopping up any remaining side quests. By default, turning on Mayhem Mode increases loot quality by 200%, which decreases the likelihood of finding common and uncommon loot and increases the probability that you'll get rare, very rare, and legendary. The amount of experience, eridum, and cash that drops from enemies and that's found in chests increases by 200% as well. However, enemy health increases by 15% and shields and armor both increase by 25%.With Mayhem Mode turned on, potential gameplay mods are activated as well. Some enemies may become moderately bullet-proof, for instance, or you'll become a wizard that deals less damage with normal bullets and far more with elemental attacks. You can unlock two more additional levels of mayhem in Mayhem Mode, with each evolution increasing the possibility of gaining good loot but also making the potential gameplay mods significantly more drastic.Guardian RanksBorderlands 3 does away with the traditional Badass Ranks for Guardian Ranks, and you'll unlock this second level of progression once you've completed the campaign. In previous games, your Badass Rank was increased by spending tokens you unlocked through completing challenges. In Borderlands 3, you also increase your Guardian Rank with tokens but they're earned through experience that's tied to a progression bar that's separate from the one for your level.Once you've unlocked your Guardian Rank, you can evolve it in different ways by investing tokens into three different classes: Enforcer, Survivor, and Hunter. Putting points into Enforcer increases your overall damage and fire rate, while Survivor is geared towards health and shields, and Hunter focuses on your active skills and luck (luck being the stat that determines how often you get rare, very rare, and legendary loot drops). Investing in each class also unlocks certain weapon skins and other cosmetics.Once you've invested a token, you can't get it back but you can put points towards any class you want and you're not locked out of the other two if you heavily invest in one. The full list of stat boosts that come with each class are listed below.EnforcerCritical DamageGrenade DamageGun DamageGun Fire RateMelee DamageVehicle DamageSurvivorFight for Your Life DurationFight for Your Life Movement SpeedMax HealthShield CapacityShield Recharge DelayShield Recharge RateHunterAccuracyAction Skill CooldownLuck (Rarity Rate)Recoil ReductionReload SpeedProving GroundsThe Proving Grounds are designed as cooperative-focused missions, but you can take them on solo if you prefer. You unlock several Proving Grounds upon finishing Borderlands 3's campaign and though each one is different, they all follow the same time-based challenge format.In Proving Grounds, you're tasked with beating three waves of enemies. Completing all the waves sees you go up against a boss, and defeating said boss rewards you with some excellent loot. The loot's rarity and power is dependent on both how quickly you beat the entire mission and how many times you died throughout. It's strongly advised you take on the Proving Grounds as a team instead of on your own. Though you'll be able to take on the Proving Grounds alone and most likely beat them without dying (provided you're at the recommended level), it can take a while to defeat the bosses by yourself, and that can make it more difficult to win within the optional time restrictions.Post-Release ContentThe Fall/Winter 2019 post-release content roadmap for Borderlands 3 has already been revealed. You can expect two free pieces of content first, Bloody Harvest (which sounds Halloween-themed) and Maliwan Takedown. Bloody Harvest is an event that will add new side quests and thematic awards and Maliwan Takedown adds a brand-new map, enemies, a boss, and rewards. Borderlands 3's first piece of paid DLC arrives at the end of 2019, adding new campaign story missions. All four pieces of major DLC are included in Borderlands 3's season pass.Though exact details haven't been revealed, Borderlands 3 is scheduled to get raids down the line as well, which may be what makes doing most of the aforementioned endgame content worthwhile. "We'll have special events as well as raids," Borderlands 3 lead boss designer Matt Cox said in an interview with VG247. "The details on how that shakes out will be announced later, but there's plenty of endgame."Info from Gamespot.com

With Gears 5 fully released for everyone, we've updated our review from "In-Progress" to "Final." This version reflects time spent in multiplayer and with the game's various progression systems.You couldn't be blamed for thinking the latest game in the Gears of War franchise actually belongs in the middle of the original trilogy's Locust War. Shooting gooey reptilian monsters, exploring ruined labs, and chainsawing other players are the things Gears does best, and Gears 5 is aimed squarely at strengthening those core elements. The underpinnings of the series haven't been tweaked much in its sixth entry, but The Coalition adds a lot of new stuff in its second game since taking the reins on the Gears of War franchise. While Gears 5's story is largely obsessed with the past, and to some degree, Gears 5 stays there too, the new additions help revitalize the series' best old ideas.And there are a lot of new additions. On the cooperative multiplayer side, characters get new abilities so that they each play a little differently. Expansive progression systems in competitive and co-op multiplayer draw from games like Fortnite and Call of Duty to give you a constant feeling of advancement. Even the story campaign has something of an RPG-like progression system, as well as a few wide-open areas that change up the series' traditionally linear approach. The Coalition hasn't moved far from the fundamentals of Gears gameplay--you still move deliberately, diving between cover positions behind chest-high walls and other debris to pop out and shoot at enemies with a variety of guns. Carefully timing your active reloads gets you the most out of your firepower, and you're always searching the battlefield for new weapons better suited to the enemies you're taking down. Gory executions and melee kills are still essential at close quarters. Multiplayer battles often come down to two people diving back and forth, trying to land that last big shotgun blast to turn their opponent into a pile of meaty chunks. But the game has grown significantly, with a free Battle Pass-like system, hero shooter-inspired characters, and other improvements that are all welcome evolutions for a 13-year-old franchise.While the new elements don't stop Gears 5 from feeling true to the earlier games in the franchise, at least in its 12-hour story campaign, there's also a lot of ground that's being revisited. The Locust are back, but they're called the Swarm now. You'll spend some time trying to convince straggly bands of surviving humans to join forces with the fascist COG army to fight the Swarm, but these folks aren't called the Stranded anymore; they're Outsiders. Most of the game concerns bringing a franchise superweapon, the Hammer of Dawn, back online to use against your enemies. Gears is undoubtedly back in the same territory it covered with the trilogy that wrapped up back in 2011, and while some of the tools in this war are different, the war has mostly gone unchanged. Gears 5 is weakened somewhat by being mired in the past; there are some strong moments in its campaign, but it struggles to move forward in a way that's a satisfying continuation of the narrative.The story picks up not long after the events of Gears of War 4, in which JD Fenix--son of series poster boy Marcus Fenix--and his pals Del and Kait discovered the Swarm threat and set out to stop it. You'll mostly just run around shooting various groups of Swarm monsters from behind cover in much the same way you always have in previous games--but Gears 5 breaks things up with a few variations on the gameplay that improve on its predecessors.Instead of focusing on JD and his relationship with Marcus as in Gears 4, the sequel recenters on Kait, who lost her mother to the Swarm at the end of the last game. Gears 4's ending suggested that Kait has a connection to the Locust horde that Marcus helped to genocide 25 years ago, and a good portion of Gears 5 is about exploring that connection and uncovering secrets long buried by the COG government.The first and last Acts are more traditional Gears fare, in that you're guided through a series of missions that are mostly about taking objectives, backing up other squads, and killing giant monsters. But in the middle of the game, Gears 5 changes the pace with two open segments. You hop aboard a skiff, which is essentially a dogsled with a sail on it, and zip over the terrain of a snowy valley and across a vast desert. These areas feel fundamentally different from past Gears games, allowing you to explore and look for side objectives where you can pick up small subplots of story and grab hidden collectibles and upgrades, advancing the main plot (or not) at your own pace.The open areas don't take you too far out of the Gears norm--you won't be accosted by roaming forces or stuck in a shootout in the middle of the wilderness. Arriving at any point of interest usually sends you on a short mission where you'll explore a building or wander into an arena filled with enemies. They're like mini Gears levels that you can take or leave, usually with an ambush to tangle you up and some weapons, upgrades, or a bit of lore waiting at the end.Story On A Small ScaleWhat's really enticing about these areas, though, are the many small moments they allow between characters. Act 2 finds Kait and Del on their own as they explore Kabar, a frozen alpine region full of old COG labs and fortifications that you'll search for Kait's answers. But the entire segment is fleshed out through a series of character-building conversations between Kait and Del as they hang around together, basically on a shooty road trip. Gears 5's writing is at its best in these character conversations, and the intimate time spent with characters in Acts 2 and 3 help you feel closer to them. Listening to Kait tell Del what she's worried she might uncover, or Kait making fun of Del for dropping tons of esoteric knowledge about things like the commercial lumber industry, bring you closer to the characters than any number of battles with AI teammates do.Kait provides an interesting alternative viewpoint to the proceedings as Gears 5's protagonist as well. She's fundamentally an outsider--in the sense of her anti-COG upbringing, her somewhat arms-length relationship with the city-boy soldiers with whom she fights, and her apparent ties to humanity's greatest enemies. The game doesn't necessarily spend a ton of time exploring that idea, but in the conversations between Delta squad members, we get a much better sense of the distance Kait feels from her friends.Unfortunately, the rest of Gears 5's story is uneven. Though Kait's desire to find out more about her connection to the Locust is a strong drive to push the narrative forward, Gears 5 pretty much wraps up what feels like her central drive by the middle of the game. The rest is just about Delta cruising around completing various tasks to fight off the growing Swarm threat, while the more personal stuff is left to linger. Exploring the destroyed desert facilities of the COG's old human enemies, the UIR, is a fun diversion full of a lot of pitched battles, but as far as the characters are concerned, nothing impactful happens outside of a bunch of big action set pieces. Gears 5 plays out its best story moments early, and it ends without doing much with the reveals and turning points it does create.The story ultimately feels somewhat truncated and meandering, but the campaign is still fun to play. Some key changes in the structure do a lot to provide new opportunities in the old framework. Since you're exploring areas at your own pace, you'll often come across unaware Swarm soldiers searching for ammo or prepping for combat, which gives you a chance to stealthily take some out. You also have a new set of abilities for your squad to use on the battlefield thanks to Jack, the R2-D2-like robot that follows you around on missions. Jack can zap enemies to injure them, flash enemies to stun them and make them break cover, ping their locations, turn you invisible, and even take over an enemy's mind for a brief period.Jack effectively provides Gears 5's campaign with a progression system, and coupled with the more varied gameplay and some slight squad control in the form of marking targets, he helps take Gears out of its cover-shooter comfort zone somewhat. Quickly swapping through and using Jack's abilities gives you a chance to make new decisions in combat or take advantage of different ways to play that you couldn't before, like by activating invisibility to slip through the front lines for a flanking position or using the Stim ability to strengthen yourself so you can melee to death a hulking Swarm Scion.Jack has a skill tree that lets you improve his abilities along a few different paths, allowing you to tweak his capabilities to better fit your playstyle. He's also the major reason to complete side missions and search all those nooks, crannies, dead ends, and side areas that litter Gears 5. While those side activities sometimes give a bit of a better understanding of the story or the world, the big reward is almost always an item that helps you improve Jack's abilities.Multiplayer, But MoreAs with the campaign, The Coalition doesn't reinvent the series' standard multiplayer in Gears 5--but much of it sees improvements aimed at adding customization and support for varied playstyles. The franchise's usual competitive multiplayer is back, where two teams of five players face off, with options segmented into more casual Quickplay and more hardcore Ranked playlists.Gears 5 multiplayer doesn't fix what isn't broken--it's striking how much Gears 5's competitive modes feel like, say, Gears of War 3, and are fun in the same ways. You'll still spend a lot of time in cover, dance around other players with shotguns, and sprint for the power weapons at the start of each match. Maps are symmetrical with teams spawning on either side, with tactically superior high ground at one end and lower, tighter areas at the other. Since it isn't changing the core feel of the gameplay, The Coalition has expanded on it by offering more options for multiplayer, so you can find the modes you like, and metagame progression systems, to make your time feel more meaningful.Quickplay includes a bunch of different game types that fit the Gears framework, while pushing you to play a little differently in every match. Its modes include classics like King of the Hill, as well as Gears of War 4's weapon-based Arms Race (a literal race to get kills with a host of different guns) and Dodgeball, in which you can't respawn unless a teammate kills a member of the opposing squad. The Ranked mode, on the other hand, plays things straighter with simpler modes like Team Deathmatch.It's very easy to see the influence live service games have on Gears 5, with an overall level-up system for your multiplayer persona, the ability to unlock more guns for your starting loadouts, and lots of customization options. They're all of a type similar to what you'd see in something like Fortnite--nothing that would draw you into multiplayer on its own, but plenty to give you new unlocks to chase and to help multiplayer feel like it has more depth than just a series of matches to play. Those progression systems are handy for giving Gears 5 multiplayer some depth, providing you stuff to focus on in between matches, but they're also ancillary enough that they can be safely ignored if you don't care about unlocking new background banners or weapon skins. It should be noted also that, like live service games, Gears 5 also includes customization items you can grab by spending money on premium currency.Specializing In Co-OpThe bigger refinements come in Gears 5's co-op modes. Here, Gears 5 furthers an emphasis on teamwork and specialization, and again, the live service influence is apparent.Horde mode returns, in which five players team up to take on 50 waves of enemies while building fortifications and buying new weapons in between each round. It sees some tweaks to the rules, with elements like shared resources, the ability to spend those resources on character perks to make yourself stronger, and greater character specialization that gives you more of a particular job as you work together to survive. New to the cooperative scene is Escape, in which you race through a Swarm Hive as a squad of three, trying to outrun deadly gas as you find your way out and kill enemies along the way. Escape differs from the other modes in that you have limited weapons and ammo, forcing you to search for more resources as you go and to work together to stay alive, especially on higher difficulties.Both modes add more ways to engage with Gears 5, and they share their own live service-style progression systems that let you level up characters, customize their capabilities and loadouts, and generally make them more your own. The characters you choose in both Horde and Escape each have different roles and special abilities, including an Ultimate ability that charges up over time. You can even play as Jack the robot in an almost purely support role, providing something for players who prefer backing up teammates over scoring headshots. On the surface, Horde and Escape play pretty similarly to Gears' other modes, and the characters aren't drastically different from one another in most cases. But the ability to unlock new perks and abilities gives the sense that your characters are advancing as your skills improve, and the more time you put in, the more specialized and different each character becomes.Gears 5's additions make the whole package feel denser and more involved--even if it still plays very similarly to Gears games in the past. To some degree, there's almost too much progression to deal with; it's a lot to learn and keep in mind, and it takes a while to build up good-enough perks that your characters really start to become different from one another.But what makes Gears 5 work well is that those additions feel like a useful evolution of the core Gears concept, even if a lot of these ideas--like an involved character progression system or a Battle Pass-like rewards path--are also becoming commonplace among shooters. 13 years after the franchise's first release, The Coalition's additions to Gears 5 are all things that seem right at home with the elements that give the series its identity. The upshot is, there are lots of options, and while you might not play them all, there's probably something that fits the kind of player you are.Gears 5 is very much a return of those best elements of Gears of War, but with a focus on making the game feel somewhat more adaptive to your particular ways of playing. Whether you want campaign or co-op, Competitive or Quickplay, there's an option for you in Gears 5, and plenty of stuff to reward you for time spent and skill gained. Gears 5 might suffer from some of the same storytelling missteps as its predecessors, and it might not venture far out of the past, but the new ideas it brings to the series are all good reasons for fans to return.Info from Gamespot.com

The American version of The Office is one of the most popular TV shows ever. It went off the air in 2013, and while there are rumors about a potential reboot, nothing has been confirmed. While fans wait, the actors who played Pam Beesly and Angela Martin on the show are starting an Office-themed podcast.Podcast company Sticher announced a new show called "Office Ladies," which features Jenna Fischer (Pam) and Angela Kinsey (Angela) sharing stories about the production of the iconic TV show. The first episode premieres on October 16 through Sticher's Earwolf network, and it can be heard on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other places. Earwolf is the same network that produces popular podcasts like Comedy Bang! Bang! and Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.From the sound of it, Office Ladies will be a can't-miss podcast for fans of The Office."Each week, Fischer and Kinsey break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind-the-scenes stories that only two people who were there would know," reads a line from the show's official description. "While watching the show that made them best friends, they will reminisce, share memories and answer questions from fans."In a statement, Fischer said it's the right time to revisit the office now as it approaches its 15th anniversary. In addition to discussing the show, Fischer and Kinsey will talk about their own close personal friendship.One of Fischer's biggest TV roles after the office was a starring part on the ABC show Splitting Up Together, which was canceled in May this year after two seasons. She also does theatre work; in 2016, Fischer played a lead role in comedy legend Steve Martin's musical, Meteor Shower.As for Kinsey, she starred in the Netflix show Haters Back Off! while she also has a starring role in Hulu's Hotwives of Orlando. Her next big production is the Netflix movie Tall Girl which premieres September 13.The Office, which was adapted from the Ricky Gervais BBC show of the same name, ran for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013. The American show was developed by Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons writer Greg Daniels, who recently teamed up with Carell for a new Space Force show for Netflix.The Office, which is Netflix's most popular show, is leaving the platform in 2021. Going forward, it will be available exclusively through NBC's streaming service. Info from Gamespot.com

Monster Hunter World's first paid expansion, Iceborne, is now available on PS4 and Xbox One. Our review has now been finalized after a brief stint as a review in progress. For more, check out our Iceborne tips guide.Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is more of the same, glorious slog for everyone who's ever been taken down by a fire-breathing facsimile of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and thought, "I can't wait to do that 50 times over." The franchise has always rewarded those willing to put in the hard yards, and Iceborne is no exception. It adds more of what set the base game aside from its predecessors without feeling overcrowded, even if its narrative could have used a little more work.Monster Hunter World was an exercise in refinement upon its release in early 2018. Not only did it manage to simplify a franchise-wide burgeoning quest system, but it also had a very successful stab at creating an open-world ecosystem absolutely teeming with things to do and colossal monsters who want to hunt you. Best of all, these changes never overwhelmed--the new mission and upgrade systems that were introduced were relatively straightforward to grasp, all whilst leaving room for experienced hunters to master them.Screenshot provided by CapcomSince the game’s launch, the game has seen a steady drip-feed of DLC content in the form of in-game events. Many of these follow the formula of transplanting something fearsome into an already familiar environment--the Witcher 3 crossover saw a Leshenn loom large in the Ancient Forest, and the Final Fantasy XIV collaboration had you running for cover when Behemoth reared its head. The design philosophy behind Monster Hunter World: Iceborne takes a similar approach in implementing that sort of content, though on a larger scale; it uses touchstones in the form of storied foes and familiar locations to build upon the robust ecosystem of the base game to deliver an experience that will test your mettle without breaking you.Iceborne is all about building on existing foundations. This is most evident in the narrative that has been spun out in the wake of the base game’s single-player campaign. Monster Hunter World was notable for introducing a clear-cut, story-based incentive to throw yourself against the biggest and baddest beasts out there. Iceborne takes a slightly crooked step forward by spinning a story that revolves not around you, but around your Handler.Shortly after the successes of dealing with the base game’s Elder Dragon predicament, a mass migration event shakes the recovering ecosystem of Astera and prompts you to investigate. What comes next is a tale of family legacies, mysterious scales, and your Handler embarking on her own personal quest. To shift the focus of a story from the protagonist to what is essentially a side character is a bold one--for all the aid and assistance that the Handler gives in Monster Hunter World, she’s still fundamentally a living, breathing quest board. Monster Hunter World players will no doubt have become attached to her over the course of their travels, but is that attachment is deep enough to shoulder a full expansion’s narrative conceit? Not quite.Screenshot provided by CapcomAs soon as you’re introduced to the latest curveball about Iceborne’s new signature location, Hoarfrost Reach, and how that intersects rather conveniently with your Handler’s past, you’re immediately whisked back to lands and territories from the base game to cull a couple of monsters that have gotten too big for their boots. It’s not exactly narrative whiplash, but it’s certainly not as compelling as it would have been had we been the ones to follow the Handler from the first step of her journey to the new lands of Iceborne.That said, revisiting those familiar locations early on to take down new and improved versions of killer dinosaurs that you’ve faced before is one of the most compelling parts of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. As with the DLC strategy, the building blocks of the expansion are steeped in elements that existing players are already acquainted with. You’ll cut your teeth on monsters like the Nightshade Paolumu--a variant on the oversized flying squirrel encountered early on in the base game, though this time with the lethal ability to put unsuspecting hunters to sleep. The expansion arguably doesn’t open up until you’ve also vanquished the Viper Tobi-Kadachi--a souped-up version of its cousin from the Ancient Forest, albeit with poisonous projectiles and a bite that’s much more dangerous than its hiss.The changes that Iceborne makes in the form of these variant breeds has a twofold effect: First, they provide you with a motivation to form new strategies to slice and dice their way to the next story beat. Secondly, they’re just distinct enough in terms of attack patterns and additional elemental considerations that you never really feel like you’re just fighting a reskin of something that you made mincemeat out of 80 hours ago. It's as if there's been a concerted effort to balance the difficulty of what many fans might rightfully view as the second coming of the coveted “G-Rank” in this latest iteration of Monster Hunter.Screenshot provided by CapcomDespite some focus on iterating established systems, there are innovations introduced in Iceborne that truly set it apart from its predecessor. Brand-new monsters and the implementation of legacy series favourites like Nargacuga look and feel impressive thanks to all the new ways monsters can interact with other beasts and the various locations. But more importantly, there is a library’s worth of new weapon moves for you to take advantage of.Charge Axe users can now cancel into a particularly fun multi-directional attack when caught unawares, and Gunlance users no longer have to worry about running out of ammo in an emergency before getting to use their new signature move that is, quite literally, explosive. Hunting Horn users have also had their ability to do damage buffed, with the addition of a new move that lets you stick your horn in the ground and spin it like some kind of demented Beyblade to catch whatever’s charging towards you off guard. That’s just a few new examples, but overall these additions seem to be informed by the dual precepts of style and lethality.However, the biggest quality-of-life addition has been something called the Clutch Claw--every hunter can use this alongside their primary weapon to grapple onto their foe and, depending on what other sharp object is equipped, do anything from steering a rampaging wyvern into a rock face to weakening a specific part of its body that needs to be lopped off.Screenshot provided by CapcomUsing the Clutch Claw is by no means compulsory, so it fits in that nice niche where it can make your hunts a little bit easier or a little bit more exhilarating in equal turns. But you're not forced to use it to feel like you're getting your money’s worth if, say, you’re a veteran player trying to do your own version of Nuzlocke rules but with items. However, having the option and ability to scale up the side of a monster after landing a savvy shot with the Clutch Claw feels ridiculously satisfying, and so does driving a beast to its doom in the many treacherous terrain pitfalls that dot the newest, snow-covered region of Hoarfrost Reach.That new, frosty landscape is beautiful and treacherous in equal measure. With new foes, more verticality than the Coral Highlands, and frozen terrain that can crack and send you plunging to your death, it really is a sight to behold. More than ever, it feels like the environment can be turned against you; some monsters will uproot trees and throw them at you, while the wrong move on cracked ice can mean certain death.By that measure, however, there are also more opportunities to get the jump on your enemies, especially with the Clutch Claw giving you the ability to walk them into vine traps, blinding light, and more. Having a grasp of every bit of the map is integral to truly mastering what Iceborne has to throw at you, and it’s incredibly satisfying when everything suddenly clicks and you go from the hunted to the hunter leading their prey to a painful trap that attempts to even the scales.Screenshot provided by CapcomBeing dropped into this intricately-designed location as a relatively new player may be overwhelming, but no matter your experience level, joining up with other hunters and picking your way through this icy dens of beasts together is incredibly rewarding in its own way. Iceborne benefits from the matchmaking improvements introduced since the release of the base game, which have made it relatively seamless on console to find fellow hunters--no more messing about with PlayStation parties and friends lists--and dropping into a party to help friends tackle these fearsome monsters is easy.Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is at its best when you’re fighting tooth and nail against something that you know could crush you within its teeth in a second, even though this might feel like it came at the expense of a more interesting narrative. Nothing is quite as good as the biting chill cutting through the furs of your armor, the shrill cry of your Palico as it comes to your aid, and the wind roaring in your ears as you latch onto a beast’s flank and climb up its side while it bucks and roars.This expansion is rife with moments like that; all of the tweaking and the improvements feel like they were done with the excellent building blocks of Monster Hunter World in mind, which means that getting to the meat of the matter is quicker and more satisfying than ever. There’s no more fussing about with new systems or worrying about ruffling the feathers of hardcore fans with a direction change in the series; those teething problems have already come and gone. Iceborne is a confident step into the future of the franchise, and it's hard not to think about what might come next.Info from Gamespot.com

NBA 2K20 launched last week, and the release wasn't entirely smooth. Players immediately reported a number of issues, and a Twitter hashtag #fix2k20 even kicked off and caught steam, with players listing off the issues they experienced with the professional basketball game.Now, the developers have responded. A tweet from the NBA 2K20 account states that "many" of the previously reported launch issues have been fixed through updates. However, the company acknowledged that some issues remain, adding that its team is working "around the clock" to put together another patch that will address the game's most "significant" issues.2K Community 🗣Although many of the issues seen after launch have been fixed, we know there are still others we need to resolve. Our Dev team is working around the clock to prepare an upcoming patch that will address other significant issuesThanks for your patience 🙏 — NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) September 11, 2019One of the most glaring issues with NBA 2K20 is how the PC version's launcher shows the icon for last year's game, NBA 2K19, on the taskbar. Some of the other issues included extended loading times and various instances of bugs and other oddities. The game has "overwhelmingly negative" reviews on Steam.NBA 2K20 took a step forward this year with its introduction of the WNBA, with 12 teams available to use in the Play Now and Season modes. Some of the league's standout players have been scanned into the game, including Breanna Stewart, while animations and play styles fans will expect to see from the women's league have also been brought in.EA's competing basketball game, NBA Live 20, was delayed to a later point in 2019. EA Sports says the game is taking a "different approach" this year, but it remains to be seen what that means.Info from Gamespot.com

The Creature has laid out a dozen traps, all of which can only be deactivated by the glowing ball carefully balanced on the tip of my sword. At a glance, I can tell it's going to take an impressive display of geometry to bounce the ball into every target before an approaching laser cuts me in half. The Creature threatens that a worthless piece of trash like me has no place in its mountain before it disappears back into the shadows with a haughty growl, convinced that at least one of its pinball death machines will stop me. Unfortunately for me, this time around, it's right, and the Creature smugly returns to pick my limp body off the floor and throw it out of its well. After muttering a few curses under my breath, I pick myself up, restructure my loadout, and head back into the monster's home.In Creature in the Well, you play as BOT-C, a robotic engineer tasked with maintaining a weather machine that's built into a mountain and designed to dispel the constant sandstorms that blanket the town of Mirage. Angry at the townsfolk for encroaching on its home and "worshiping" a machine for protection against the storms, the Creature that lives in the town well breaks the contraption. You set out to undo the damage only to learn that the Creature has filled the caverns of its home with deadly traps to stop you.Developer Flight School Studio refers to Creature in the Well as a "pinbrawler," a term coined by the studio to describe a top-down hack-and-slash dungeon crawler that utilizes pinball-inspired mechanics. It just so happens that the Creature's traps transform every room in the mountain into a giant pinball machine, allowing you to siphon energy from the bumper-like nodes that power the Creature's inventions by flipping balls into them. The energy you absorb can be used to unlock doors that lead further into the mountain.This fairly straightforward concept of hitting balls into bumpers evolves into more difficult puzzles as you delve into the areas beyond the first dungeon. Additional concepts are introduced at a steady pace, building new types of enjoyable challenges on what the game has already established so you're not blindsided by whatever you're up against next. Early on, the game only really tasks you with learning how to bank your shot, presenting puzzles where you need to angle the ball off of walls to hit nodes in a certain order. But then Creature in the Well starts adding cannons that shoot at you, lasers that disintegrate you, and other types of threats that need to be deactivated or dodged while you're also trying to position for your next shot.Few of the challenges in Creature in the Well are an equal combination of pinball and hack-and-slash. Instead, they fluctuate between the two to curate welcome variety in its dungeon-crawler gameplay. One room may not have a ball for you to use so you'll need to time your attack and use a shot from an enemy cannon as your ball, for instance, while another may task you with figuring out how it's possible to hit every node in a room within a specific time limit. Most of these challenges lean into the hack-and-slash inspirations and are more enjoyable as a result--largely because the flurry of frantically dashing between enemy traps as you try to calculate the trajectory of all the balls bouncing around the room produces the same thrill as battling your way through a difficult mob in a typical dungeon crawler.The pinball-focused rooms are designed to be a test of your intellect, but none of them are overly difficult. As a result, they mostly just stand out in stark contrast to the more plentiful hack-and-slash rooms as the handful of moments in Creature in the Well when the action slows down. They're still good, but Creature in the Well is just better as a pinball-inspired action game than a geometry-focused puzzle one, as its hack-and-slash mechanics better lend themselves to quickly overcoming obstacles through good reaction and precision instead of repeated trial-and-error. Though Creature in the Well does occasionally repeat puzzles, these duplicates rarely show up and they're typically only after the game has given you a chance to expand your arsenal or encouraged you to learn a new strategy. Tackling these recurrent puzzles with newfound efficiency each time helps reinforce that you are getting better (plus, it's really fun).Creature in the Well doesn't have much in the way of tutorials, but the game is fairly well-structured and teaches you most of what you need to know without exposition. The game never tells you that each room is optional, for example, but it provides enough opportunities at the start of the first dungeon to earn a surplus of energy so that you can try opening a few doors in the early areas without completing every puzzle. Likewise, almost as if it assumes most players will try, regardless, to complete every room at the start of the game anyway, Creature in the Well hides its first secret area relatively early in its campaign so that you learn hidden doors are only revealed by fully completing puzzles in certain rooms. In this way, you absorb enough of the basics to beat the campaign, but a few of the game's aspects that help alleviate some of its tougher challenges could have used additional explanation.The game doesn't tell you how to heal in the hub area after dying, for instance, and it doesn't explicitly reveal what BOT-C's core upgrades actually do. Without this knowledge, moments of Creature in the Well can, at times, feel frustratingly stacked against you, though it thankfully never gets to the point where the disadvantage feels impossibly unfair. And it's likely you'll eventually stumble into these mechanics and features before Creature in the Well's story is through. However, these things--that there's a pool of water in the hub you can bathe in to replenish your health and that core upgrades allow you to pull off more powerful strikes that siphon off extra node energy--feel like crucial information. Learning the purpose of the core upgrades, specifically, helped alleviate most of the struggle I was having with the late-game dungeons.There's an excellent diversity to each tool's effect--most of which seem inspired by traditional dungeon crawler powers and weapons--allowing for various playstyles.These dungeons are each structured around certain thematic challenges. To help you better respond to a dungeon's specific test, every one contains a tool designed to handle its threats. For example, the Lockdown Systems mostly contains rooms with nodes that move or require you to strike balls through a tiny opening. This area hides the Dual Blades, twin swords that help you make precision and long-distance shots by revealing a ball's travel path, allowing you to course correct before you even swing. Every tool is fun to experiment with, and it's exciting to discover how you might use a new one. And though each tool is designed for its specific dungeon, their special abilities can be reapplied in different ways to overcome the challenges found in other areas. You're thus encouraged to return to dungeons you didn't fully complete to see if the new tools you've acquired can help you solve any lingering optional puzzles you previously couldn't get past.Every tool is divided into one of two categories, charge and strike, and you can equip one of each to combine their special effects and build different loadouts for BOT-C. I most enjoyed pairing the aforementioned Dual Blades with the Focus Hammer, a strike tool that allows you to slow down time, to transform BOT-C into a sniper-like fighter. There's an excellent diversity to each tool's effect--most of which seem inspired by traditional dungeon crawler powers and weapons--allowing for various playstyles.The best moments to test out these different playstyles are in Creature in the Well's boss battles--each located at the end of a dungeon and all of which see you go up against the titular Creature. Each battle sees the Creature throw several waves of challenges at you that you must complete in a single run, with each consisting of a culmination of more difficult variations of the puzzles seen in that particular dungeon--further encouraging you to fully explore every area and experiment with multiple tool loadouts in each one. The boss battles are fast-paced and demand a higher level of tactical awareness than the rest of the game, as the Creature will also just randomly outright attack you as you're trying to hit the nodes scattered throughout the arena. Whereas most of the dungeons allow you the time to dissect how a problem can be solved, the boss battles force you into piecing together the solution on the fly.Though the abrupt change in pace between the slower dungeon puzzles and faster boss battles can be a little flustering, learning the different patterns of the Creature and overcoming them are gratifying challenges that require both careful aim and situational cognizance. Beating each boss rewards you with more dungeons to explore--and thus new challenges to tackle and tools to find--as well as lore-focused texts that further flesh out Creature in the Well's history. Though most of this lore isn't compelling enough to regularly be a fulfilling reward, the promise of more dungeons and new weapons eases away that disappointment.Both Creature in the Well's dungeons and boss battles are also improved via the portrayal of its antagonist. The Creature is terrifying, largely because you never actually see the entirety of it or learn its motivations. From start to finish, the Creature is a pair of glowing eyes and skeletal arms, most of its body covered in shadow. It growls, taunts, and even threatens you, but it never reveals what it is, remaining this demonic-like enigma that refuses to be understood or stopped. The Creature appears at seemingly random points in every dungeon, watching you from just out of your reach and cultivating this paranoia that it doesn't even have a physical form for you to fight. So when you do actually win and manage to push the Creature back a little further into the mountain, the battle feels hard-won, a boss fight on par with one in a traditional dungeon crawler.Creature in the Well manages to inject the geometry-focused experience of pinball into the frenzied gameplay loop of a dungeon crawler to craft a unique puzzle action game. On occasion, the game's hands-off approach to conveying information is a hindrance, but the well-structured dungeons and monstrous antagonist more than make up for it--producing an engaging hack-and-slash experience that allows for satisfying experimentation.Info from Gamespot.com

Earlier this year, Marvel's Avengers: Endgame surpassed James Cameron's Avatar to become the all-time highest-grossing movie ever worldwide with $2.79 billion. It dethroned Avatar ($2.78 billion), which had held the No. 1 position since 2009. Cameron isn't salty about his movie's record being broken, however, as he explained in a recent interview that the enormous success of Avengers proves that people are still willing and eager to go to the theatre--and that's good for the movie business all up."It gives me a lot of hope," Cameron told Deadline. "Avengers: Endgame is demonstrable proof that people will still go to movie theaters. The thing that scared me most about making Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 was that the market might have shifted so much that it simply was no longer possible to get people that excited about going and sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers to watch something."Avatar 2 is slated to hit theatres in December 2021, with Avatar 3 coming in December 2023. Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are slated to hit cinemas in 2024 and 2027, but Deadline points out that these movies might not happen if the first two sequels don't succeed at the box office.Cameron said he isn't sure if the Avatar sequels can be as enormously successful at capturing "the zeitgeist" like Endgame did. However, Endgame proves that it is possible, and that's a big deal, he said."Will Avatar 2 and 3 be able to create that kind of success in the zeitgeist? Who knows. We're trying. Maybe we do, maybe we don't, but the point is, it's still possible," Cameron said. "I'm happy to see it."With the rise of Netflix and streaming, some have wondered how that may impact the eagerness of people to leave their homes and watch movies in a theatre. It remains to be seen how it will all shake out, and as for Cameron, he said he's happy to see the traditional movie-going experience remaining popular. He said there is an "alternate scenario" focused more on streaming and away from theatres that could have led to a situation where big, tentpole movies might not succeed on the level they do today.While Cameron's Avatar was knocked down to No. 2, his earlier movie, Titanic ($2.18 billion), sits at No. 3 all time not adjusted for inflation, so he's doing just fine. With inflation factored in, however, Avatar remains ahead of Avengers: Endgame in some categories.No new Avengers movies have been announced, but Marvel's Phase 4 includes a number of anticipated films like Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder, among others.Info from Gamespot.com

Bandai Namco's upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot game has a release date. The third-person Dragon Ball action RPG is scheduled to launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on January 17, 2020.While at the Tokyo Game Show, DBZ: Kakarot producer Ryosuka Hara told GameSpot about additional details about the game, as well as what players can expect for pre-ordering it. Previous descriptions for DBZ: Kakarot have made it sound like Goku, Kid Gohan, and Future Trunks would be the only playable characters in the game, but you'll also be able to take control of adult Gohan and explore the world as the Great Saiyaman during the Majin Buu Saga.For pre-ordering DBZ: Kakarot, you'll get access to the side quest "A Competitive Party With Friends," an ultra-special meat that can be used while cooking, and early access to Bonyu's training. Bonyu is a new character designed by Dragon Ball Super writer Akira Toriyama, and you normally fight against her in a virtual training match during the Cell arc. Pre-ordering DBZ: Kakarot allows you to face her as early as the Android Arc.There are a few different editions of DBZ: Kakarot that you can pre-order. The standard edition just includes the game. The Deluxe edition also gets you a special deluxe cooking item. The Ultimate edition includes the base game, a special ultimate cooking item, the season pass, a music pack, and an in-game vehicle for Goku. The Collector's Edition is composed of the game, an 8x8x8 diorama figure, and a collectible steelbook.DBZ: Kakarot is a video game retelling of Goku's adventures in Dragon Ball Z--the latter half of the popular manga/anime series, Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball is a loose reinterpretation of the Superman story, following the life of Goku, one of the last survivors of his destroyed planet. As an alien, Goku possesses enhanced reflexes, strength, and speed in comparison to humans, but his human-like appearance allows him to blend in with society. Info from Gamespot.com

Death Stranding is one of the biggest games at Tokyo Game Show 2019, which is taking place between September 12 through September 15. The Kojima Productions-developed game is set to be showcased three times during the show and, ahead of these panels, a new poster has been released.As with most Death Stranding drops, the poster was revealed online by way of director Hideo Kojima's Twitter account. The poster itself features the large cast of characters depicted in an awesome movie poster-like format. It's the kind of art style that you'd ordinarily see for Star Wars or Marvel movies like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and it looks awesome.TGS now started. I’ll see you guys at the stage! Here’s new image of DEATH STRANDING by Pablo Uchida, the genius painter whom I even feel jealous of his talent. Title design by Kyle Cooper. We have a strong strand by respecting each other. 👍🌈🦀 pic.twitter.com/gGyBhWSv5S — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) September 12, 2019The artist behind the poster is Pablo Uchida, who also created a piece of key art for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain that was used as promotional material in Japan and featured on the cover of the Definitive Experience re-release of Metal Gear Solid 5. Kyle Cooper, meanwhile, worked on the title design. Cooper is known for his work on numerous movies.The briefing trailer released alongside the poster was shown behind-closed-doors at Gamescom. While Death Stranding was one of the big reveals during the Opening Night show, this particular video features a deeper dive into the game, specifically the narrative and a few of the characters involved in the story. Check it out above.There will reportedly be 80-minutes of Death Stranding shown at TGS 2019. People are no doubt hoping to get a better understanding of what the game is, but we wouldn't count on that. Kojima has said, "Even now, I don’t understand the game." He added: "Its world view, gameplay, they are all new. My mission is to create a genre that does not currently exist, and which takes everyone by surprise. There is, naturally, a risk in that.” Death Stranding's release date has been confirmed as November 8, 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

One of the most critical choices you will make in a Borderlands game is picking your Vault Hunter. Fortunately, every Vault Hunter in Borderlands 3 is a ton of fun, and you can't go wrong playing as any of them. That said, they are designed differently around specific playstyles, so it helps to know a little about how they play before starting the game. In the article below, you can find an overview to help you see which Vault Hunter is right for you.We hope you find what we've detailed helpful for you in deciding which character you want to play first. For more Borderlands 3 features, be on the lookout for our beginner's guide and gallery highlighting all the craziest guns. We'll also be updating this feature in the coming days with links to standalone guides about each Vault Hunter, so be sure to check often. And if you haven't already, be sure to read our Borderlands 3 review.Table of Contents [hide]Amara (The Elemental Brawler Siren)Zane (The Hit-And-Run Grenade Throwing Maniac...with a Drone)Moze (The Scrappy Mech-Driving Soldier)FL4K (The Long-Range Beast Tamer)Amara (The Elemental Brawler Siren)If you liked playing as Brick in Borderlands and Kreig in Borderlands 2, you'd most likely enjoy Amara as she's the Siren equivalent of those two put together. Though she does come with some support and defensive abilities, Amara is almost entirely offense-focused and at her best when she's in the middle of a fight, punching bandits with her fists and crushing soldiers with her elemental arms. If you want to be aggressive, like all the time, then you want to pick Amara.Each of Amara's three active skills is designed to get her into an opponent's face as quickly as possible. Many of them can be evolved with secondary perks to aid Amara in close-quarters combat--like keeping her elemental arms out to deflect bullets or extend the reach and power of her melee attack. She never wants to leave the fight.As Amara, you're always charging forward because her attack power grows when closer to an enemy. So if you pick Amara, you'll always want to be surrounded. Playing her requires good spatial awareness--there's a lot to account for when multiple enemies are hitting you from more than one direction. Shotguns and close-range pistols are your best friends. If you enjoy tossing grenades and sniping enemies from a distance, then Amara is not for you.Amara is a bit more challenging to use in comparison to her fellow Vault Hunters as a result of her emphasis on overwhelming her opponent with close-quarters elemental damage. Some late-game enemies and bosses can fly or have sturdy elemental resistances, both of which put Amara at a disadvantage. You may want to hold off on picking her for your first playthrough if this is your first Borderlands game. But if you think guns are silly and that you'd rather punch every enemy to death, then look no further than Amara.Zane (The Hit-And-Run Grenade Throwing Maniac...with a Drone)Zane is a hit-and-run character and a grenade stacking maniac. Unlike other Vault Hunters, he can use two active skills at once--though there is no reason to do so in your early playthrough due to the second skill taking the place of grenades. Part of what makes Zane such a capable hit-and-run tactician is his potential to blow up everything in the immediate area and then instantly teleport out. This power comes from his Digi-Clone ability.The Digi-Clone is one of Zane's active skills in his Double Agent skill tree that allows him to summon a stationary copy of himself. Zane can swap places with the clone at any time and even use the clone to revive from the "Fight for Your Life" state. The clone can be used creatively to bound up a battlefield, fall back to reload, or only as a distraction to draw fire.As Zane progresses down his Double Agent tree, several abilities begin to increase his explosive power. For example, Fractal Frags where the clone throws a copy of your grenade, Duct Tape Mod where Zane will randomly fire a grenade, and Dobblebanger where the clone explodes at the end of the skill timer. Combining these abilities with any grenade that has the MIRV trait, which splits into multiple munitions, can be satisfyingly destructive. However, the biggest threat to Zane is himself. It's essential to retreat from an area blanketed with grenades by leaving the Digi-Clone behind.If you want a completely different Zane--one that posts up behind a barrier and sends out a drone to flush enemies from cover--then his other two active skills Barrier and SNTNL make him into less of a solo build and more of a support team player. You can even pick up and move with his shield.The final thing to know about Zane is he's a pretty funny guy and acknowledges his age. He wheezes if you run for any length of time and often makes it clear he'd instead be drinking in a bar somewhere else. If you're looking for a character who got smarter and deadlier with age, then Zane is your Vault Hunter.Moze (The Scrappy Mech-Driving Soldier)Moze is perfect for series newcomers and highly recommended to those with an itchy trigger finger. On her own, she doesn't have much combat abilities, but when you jump into her Iron Bear mech, a world of possibility is available to you.The Iron Bear is only available for a limited time, but in that short duration, it's well-capable of wiping out entire rooms of enemies. It starts with three weapons: the V35 Grenade Launcher, the Minigun, and the Railgun, but that arsenal expands by investing in each of Moze's three skill trees--opening up options to equip other types of firepower, like a flamethrower and a rocket volley. And each can also be customized with skills that modify their capabilities.The Iron Bear can be used in a variety of strategic ways: you can summon it frequently to rain down everlasting hell upon your enemies, or you might keep it as your ace in the hole during boss fights or when a firefight goes south. Heck, you can take both approaches; it's up to you! Moze can also be useful as a tank (conceptually and literally) for other players. After all, the Iron Bear is a near-invincible wall that can quickly pull enemy aggro off teammates.None of this is to say that Moze isn't as capable outside the mech. In fact, she's just as deadly on-foot. Her skill tree has plenty of bonuses that amplify her capabilities, such as improved reload speed, bonus incendiary damage, and enhanced shield strength. Many of Moze's skills optimize her ability to inflict damage as aggressively as possible while occasionally buffing teammates and even letting them hop aboard the Iron Bear's manned turret.As Moze, you are regularly switching between wiping out enemies on-foot and devastating them with the Iron Bear. She's a scrappy, agile, and adaptable character whose most significant strength is stacking up a plethora of damage in a short time and taking the heat off friends.In many ways, Moze is essentially a Titanfall pilot without the wall-running. So if that doesn't make you want to play as her, then we don't know what does.FL4K (The Long-Range Beast Tamer)Every Vault Hunter is perfectly viable to play with solo, but FL4K is designed around working by themselves. Instead of real friends, you can make up the difference with one of FL4K's three pets. Not only do their kills count for getting a second chance if you're downed, but you can eventually invest in a passive skill that lets them revive you. Each pet behaves differently and can be swapped around at any time, allowing for a lot of experimentation.The Master tree is all about boasting the pets, but even if you don't spec in this tree, it's essential to understand that FL4K's pets are a crucial part of their playstyle and if you aren't using them all the time then you aren't taking full advantage of what FL4K can do.There are a lot of aspects from previous Vault Hunters Mordecai and Zero present in FL4K's other skill trees. "Fade Away" lets you turn invisible for a short period and "Rakk Attack!" throws out a group of Rakk's to assault enemies. So yeah, if you liked those characters, FL4K will be familiar to you. And also like those characters, FL4K is best suited for long-range sniping. Their Hunter Skill tree is all about increasing crit damage. So if you like playing from a distance, using sniper rifles, and getting headshots, then FL4K is for you! Jakobs guns, which are all about bolt action precision damage, are going to be your best friends.FL4K is going to work best for players that manage their pets, along with their skills, to team up on enemies and take them out together. They may not be as visually flashy as the other Vault Hunters but make no mistake, in the hands of a skilled player FL4K, can dish out some severe damage.Our one warning for picking FL4K is that their pets tend to walk in front of you during important emotional moments with characters, which can be annoying. Borderlands 3 News Borderlands 3 Review Borderlands 3 Review, Release Date, Preload, Unlock Times, PC Specs, And More Borderlands 3 Post Release Content Detailed, Includes Story Expansions And Free Events Info from Gamespot.com

After Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, a disappointing spin-off released in 2014, Borderlands 3 is a welcome return to form for the franchise. The game reunites fans with the core group of memorable main characters from the first two games and delivers the mayhem-heavy loot-shooter experience that the series is known for. Borderlands 3 carries forward many of the things that made the first two games special, but in doing so it also brings with it a few of the same stumbling blocks. There are noticeable improvements to the series formula, though, as Borderlands 3 provides additional freedom in how you want to play.Set seven years after the events of Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3 wraps up most of the narratives established in the earlier games, while also teasing additional threads that could be explored in the future. Despite these hints, there's a definite finality to Borderlands 3's campaign, which satisfyingly wraps up the arcs of characters that fans have been following for 10 years.As one of four fledgling Vault Hunters--Zane the operative, Amara the Siren, Moze the gunner, or FL4K the beastmaster--you are recruited into the Crimson Raiders, the militia that defends the only civilized pocket of society found on the bandit-filled wasteland planet of Pandora. Led by Lilith, a former Vault Hunter, the Crimson Raiders have gone to war with Tyreen Calypso and her twin brother Troy, who are using their influence as popular video streamers to convince their cult following to help them acquire the immense power found in secret vaults scattered throughout the universe. The story is a bit of a slow start, but it quickly picks up near the end of the first act and rarely slows down on its way to its grand finale. Looting and shooting are still the focus of Borderlands 3, but its campaign also delivers a fairly well-written story of sacrifice, the importance of family, and the responsibilities of heroes.Borderlands 3 provides more flexibility than ever before to create the type of character you want. For the first time in the series, the Vault Hunters all have an active skill tied to each of their three respective skill trees. Amara, for example, can equip Phaseslam to deal immense close range damage, Phasecast to tear through enemies from afar, or Phasegrasp to crowd control or focus her elemental abilities on one target. Using perks from all three skill trees, you can evolve each of these skills in meaningful ways. For instance, if you want to make Amara's area-of-effect Phaseslam ability into something more precise, you could change it with perks found in both the Brawl and Fist of the Elements skill trees so that the ability transforms Amara into a levitating spider-like creature that shoots a massive fire-based death ray before she careens to earth in a smaller slam. Phaseslam can evolve in other ways too, as can Phasecast and Phasegrasp--providing numerous options for how you want Amara to fight. The same can be said for Zane, Moze, and FL4K.As a result, it's pretty easy for both you and a friend to be playing as the same character but have completely different builds and roles on the battlefield. This added freedom also makes it far more feasible, and thus enjoyable, to play Borderlands 3's campaign entirely solo in comparison to previous games in the franchise, as you're not limited to established class restrictions based on your Vault Hunter choice. You obviously don't have to go it alone--and Borderlands 3 actually makes co-op more rewarding thanks to an option that removes the need to compete for loot--but it's nice knowing that if you want to, your experience will not be completely defined by the Vault Hunter you choose.The freedom to build your ideal loadout extends beyond your Vault Hunter's skill trees. Borderlands 3 makes clear-cut distinctions when it comes to the manufacturer of each gun. Before you even loot a new firearm, looking at which company made it will tell you most of what you need to know about what it can do. Maliwan guns are fairly weak but each one shoots elemental bullets, for instance, allowing you to more easily electrocute shields, melt armor, or burn through flesh, while a Hyperion firearm raises a forcefield in front of you while aiming down sights and becomes more accurate as you pull the trigger. They're minor changes to further differentiate each type of gun, but these new manufacturer effects make it a lot easier to build specialized loadouts that can augment the perks you choose.But, more than anything, the guns are just fun to shoot. It may come as little surprise given that distinctive firearms has been the bread and butter of the franchise since the beginning, but Borderlands 3 has quite a few unique guns that offer a wide variety of enjoyable effects. Some have actual gameplay-changing ramifications, like a sniper rifle that can transform into a shotgun. But Borderlands 3 also has guns that are just playfully quirky and weird--ones that insult and tease you for your performance or just shoot more guns, for example. And you acquire new firepower at a gratifying pace, with new loot regularly dropping from the tougher enemies in the groups you encounter and explosively erupting from bosses you defeat. Borderlands 3 never lets up on giving you new weapons to experiment with, progressively increasing the explosive potential and wacky effects of the weapons you find, which in turn serves as a satisfying visual representation of how much stronger you're getting beyond the higher damage numbers.Even without the loot, defeating enemies in combat is fulfilling. Shooting an unshielded enemy in the head rewards you with their cranium erupting in a satisfying blossom of blood and gore. When you don't land that final headshot, enemies mostly go out with a final battle cry--ranging from pitiful cries for salvation to humorous insults--and the game doesn't repeat lines often enough for them to grow stale. Combat is never dull as a result, with your chosen Vault Hunter shouting out funny or cool-sounding one-liners in the brief moments you're reloading and making your way to your next victim.As entertaining as Borderlands 3's combat is, the fun that is found in the freedom to fight however you want is occasionally interrupted by the structure of boss battles, a traditional problem for the franchise. Many of the bosses look cool and have incredible theme music, but they all amount to the same strategy: shoot the weak spots, run from or jump over attacks, and repeat. You can cheat some by hiding in an unreachable corner and slowly chipping away at the boss' weak spot, but that's not much fun either as pretty much every boss in the game has a large healthpool and many of the later ones are bullet-sponges.Borderlands 3's late-game bosses pack a wallop with every attack too, downing you in a few hits if you're not careful and thus demanding that you near-perfectly dodge for an extended period of time--which can drag on and feel boringly repetitive in the longest of these fights. So when you do encounter a boss in Borderlands 3, it typically grinds the mayhem-filled action to an abrupt halt as you're forced to respond to the boss' patterns by playing more slowly and carefully.The new climbing and sliding moves do allow you to better navigate environments and thus get out of the way of certain attacks, but both mechanics are better suited for weaving among the scattered firefights with normal enemies, not the concentrated bombardment of the bosses. Several boss battles are frustratingly difficult to tackle on your own as a result, to the point that they all seem like repeated suggestions that you should be playing Borderlands 3 with at least one other person. Two or more players allows you to take turns reviving each other, making it easier to last longer. But simply trying to outlast one strong enemy doesn't impart the same enjoyable impact of the mayhem-filled firefights from the rest of the game. You feel more like a badass running around and gunning down a vast assortment of different enemies than you do hiding behind cover and waiting for the boss to stop attacking you just so you can safely get a few shots off.Thankfully, boss battles only make up a small part of Borderlands 3's overall campaign. Most of the story sees you go up against the Calypsos' seemingly never-ending cult of bandits or the armies of the twins' corporate sponsors as you race to find the pieces of the keys to open up vaults across the universe. Your journey takes you far beyond the planet of Pandora, and it provides opportunities for new types of combat encounters in a series that has largely revolved around wide-open deserts full of bandits or factories full of robots. For example, the jungles of Eden-6 contain an assortment of dangerous wildlife that have different hunting grounds and patterns, and the low gravity of a Maliwan space station orbiting the planet of Promethea allows the elemental gunslinging corporate soldiers you're going up against to jump higher and more easily attack you from above. Certain weapons have greater utility in certain environments as well, such as an explosive mushroom-like grenade that becomes more powerful when thrown into water. That's easier to do more often in Eden-6's swamps than Pandora's sand dunes. Borderlands 3's campaign sees you bouncing back and forth between planets every few hours, which keeps each setting from growing stale while also encouraging you to keep adopting new playstyles, strategies, and weapons.Borderlands' heroes are nothing if not personable, and that trend continues in this latest installment--transforming the motley crew of outlaws into a family you feel a kinship with.Even if Borderlands 3 takes you far beyond the scope of Pandora and sees you meet brand-new allies and encounter never-before-seen threats, the original cast of characters that have defined the adventures from the beginning are still at the forefront, and the story is better for it. Whether you're a long-time fan or not, it's the connection to the Crimson Raiders that acts as your motivation for fighting through the campaign. Borderlands' heroes are nothing if not personable, and that trend continues in this latest installment--transforming the motley crew of outlaws into a family you feel a kinship with. Your connection to the Crimson Raiders continues to grow with every mission as well, as--thanks to the spaceship Sanctuary III--the entire group is with you throughout the course of your journey.Newcomer Tyreen is clearly a bad person, but the campaign's story never gives you a compelling reason as to why you would want to kill her so as to stop her for good. Lilith is fond of reminding you that Tyreen's plans would ultimately destroy Pandora, but Borderlands 3 introduces a bunch of planets that would make for more preferable homes. Tyreen, and thus Troy, never amounts to a credible threat that you feel like you need to stop as a result, so the Calypso twins instead feel like the primary source of much of Borderlands 3's comic relief, not villains that must be stopped.With most of the franchise's juvenile humor and ludicrous jokes coming from your planetside interactions with the Calypsos, it's on Sanctuary III with your crew that Borderlands 3's well-written story delves into its more heartfelt and emotional moments. The game wastes little time reintroducing you to mainstays Lilith and Patricia Tannis, a brilliant yet socially anxious scientist, and building the drama of its narrative around them as the two women grow into their new roles within the Crimson Raiders. Tannis' evolution is especially compelling as you see her make courageous strides to move beyond the self-imposed limitations she's set for herself on account of her autism and social anxiety. For two characters that were popular but little more than caricatures in the first game, it's rewarding to see the growth the two underwent in Borderlands 2 now culminate into two leaders that you're willing to follow to the end.That isn't to say the other fan-favorite characters have been left out. Pretty much everyone from the previous games returns to complete their respective arcs. Borderlands 3 weaves in plenty of memorable new characters as well--such as the coffee-obsessed Lorelei, artificial intelligence BALEX, and scoundrel turned rebel general Clay--but the game's story is very much the fulfilling conclusion that long-time fans have been looking forward to for the franchise's mainstays.And what a conclusion it is. Borderlands 3 has a few stumbling blocks when it comes to bosses, but these fights are overshadowed by the game's rewarding gunplay and over-the-top humor. The game's character-driven narrative acts as a satisfying finale for the loot-shooter franchise, and the new mechanics and features--especially the reworked skill trees and weapon manufacturer effects--give you plenty of agency in how you want to play through it. If you've never been a fan of the franchise, it's unlikely Borderlands 3 does enough things differently to change your mind, as the game best excels at continuing what the series has always done: deliver a humorous tall tale of misfits looting and shooting their way to heroism.Info from Gamespot.com

Yet another classic movie is getting a reboot. Paramount has announced it is rebooting the John Woo action movie Face/Off starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta.The new version of the 1997 movie will be written by 22 Jump Street writer Oren Uziel. All of this information comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter. According to Deadline, the reboot will have a new cast, but there is no word on who will play the two main leads. The original action movie told the story of two fierce enemies, FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) and terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). For various reasons and under changing circumstances, they each undergo surgery so that they have the other character's face. It's bizarre and very good.There is no word on how closely the new movie will follow to the plot of the original. As for the writer, Uziel also wrote The Cloverfield Paradox, as well as the upcoming movies Sonic the Hedgehog and the Detective Pikachu sequel.No word yet on who will direct or star in the Face/Off reboot, when it will shoot, or when it will release, but keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest news about people swapping faces.Info from Gamespot.com

The newly released Pokemon mobile game, Pokemon Masters, is making lots of money from microtransactions. According to a new report, the free-to-play game made more than $26 million during its first week to stand among the highest-grossing Pokemon mobile games ever during their respective first weeks.According to SensorTower, which supplied the data, only Pokemon Go ($56 million) made more money than Pokemon Masters during its first week in the Pokemon franchise on mobile. Another important distinction that speaks to Pokemon Go's incredible popularity is that its $56 million in first-week microtransaction revenue came from only five markets, while Masters launched in 60+ places.By comparison, Pokemon Quest made $3 million during its launch week; Pokemon: Magikarp Jump took in $1 million; and Pokemon Rumble Rush brought in $300,000 over its first seven days.According to SensorTower's estimates, Japan was the largest region for Masters in terms of grosses with $16 million. Almost $4.5 million came from the U.S., while microtransaction revenue in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and France made up the rest of Masters' top five regions based on grosses. Another noteworthy statistic is that 72 percent of microtransaction sales were on iOS; 28 percent came from Google Play.This quick success for Masters is no surprise, as the game reached 10 million downloads worldwide in only four days.Pokemon Masters is set in an island region called Pasio, where famous Pokemon trainers and their partner Pokemon have gathered for a Pokemon Masters League tournament. Unlike most traditional Pokemon games, you aren't able to catch your own Pokemon in Masters; rather, you recruit other Sync Pairs and form teams with them to take part in three-on-three real-time battles.If you're just setting off on your Pasio adventure, be sure check out our roundup of everything you need to know about Pokemon Masters. We've also broken down what Scout Points are and how to get them, as well as how to evolve and Mega Evolve Pokemon in the game. Info from Gamespot.com