The Apple Event took place today, and along with multiple announcements about its Apple Arcade gaming service and Apple TV+ streaming service, the new generation of iPads was revealed. Apple outlined the specs and capabilities, and the starting price of the new line of tablets.The new 7th generation iPad pricing begins at $329 USD and will be available starting September 30. The iPad Mini starts at $399 and features a 7.9-inch display, while the slimmer iPad Air has a 10.5-inch screen goes for $499. At the top of the line, there will be the iPad Pro that has the option for an 11-inch or 12.9-inch screen and starts at $800.First off, the new iPad (base model) will have a 10.2-inch retina display with nearly 3.5 million pixels--it'll be able to output 2.5 times the brightness, have a viewing angle that's 3.7 times a wider, and pack 3.3 times the pixel density from the previous generation. Apple's A10 Fusion chip still powers the base model iPad, which is the SOC (CPU and GPU) in the previous iPads and the iPhone 7 line. All other iPad models (Mini, Air, and Pro) are powered by the stronger A12 Bionic chip (A12X on the Pro). See all the 7th generation iPad details below.ModelDisplayChipStorage (Max)Starting Price (USD)iPad10.2" retinaA10 Fusion128 GB$329iPad Mini7.9" retinaA12 Bionic256 GB$399iPad Air10.5" retinaA12 Bionic256 GB$499iPad Pro11" or 12.9" liquid retinaA12X Bionic1 TB$799The home screen has been redesigned for the new OS, called iPadOS. There was also a demonstration on how there will be deeper integration with Apple Pencil. To improve usability, a floating keyboard will be featured on the side for one-handed typing and more of the screen is visible. These iPads will feature a smart connector so you can connect the smart keyboard, which folds into a cover.For all our coverage of the Apple Event, be sure to read through our stories below. Apple Event News Apple iPhone 11 And 11 Pro Details And Prices Revealed Apple Arcade Price, Release Date Revealed Apple iPad 7th Generation Announced Apple TV+ Price And Release Date Revealed Every Game Confirmed For Apple Arcade So Far Info from Gamespot.com

During the September 10 Apple event, we got to see a trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ original See, which stars Jason Momoa.The Apple Original takes place in the future, hundreds of years after a virus killed most humans. The ones that survived were left blinded, as was the rest of humanity going onward. The world has become much more primitive, and one day, twins are born with the ability to see. Check out the trailer for yourself below.See will launch on the same day as Apple TV+, November 1. The Apple event also revealed the monthly price for the service, and Apple TV+ will be cheaper and launch sooner than the highly-anticipated Disney+.Apple TV+ has plenty of other originals coming to subscribers, including Kumail Nanjiani's Little America, which explores stories of people immigrating to the United States in a documentary-style format. Apple Event News Apple iPhone 11 And 11 Pro Details And Prices Revealed Apple Arcade Price, Release Date Revealed Apple iPad 7th Generation Announced Apple TV+ Price And Release Date Revealed Every Game Confirmed For Apple Arcade So Far The Apple event also introduced the world to the 7th generation of iPad and some pricing info on the upcoming Apple Arcade monthly service. The biggest news of the event was information of iPhone 11, which has a dual camera system, with 12mp ultra wide camera, and 120-degree field of view.Info from Gamespot.com

Apple had a wealth of announcements to share during its Apple September event. Along with revealing new details about the Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ services, the company showcased the next generation of its flagship products, including the new iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.The standard iPhone 11 features a 6.1 inch liquid retina display and true tone display, as well as Dolby Atmos support. The phone also has a dual camera system, with 12mp wide and ultra wide cameras, and 120-degree field of view. The iPhone 11 will come in six colors: red, black, yellow, white, purple, and green.Apple briefly touched on other aspects of the phone as well. In terms of battery life, the company says the iPhone 11 will last one hour longer than the iPhone XR, and it features an A13 bionic CPU chip. As far as pricing goes, the iPhone 11 will retail for $699.That isn't the only new iPhone on the way, however. Apple also unveiled the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max--higher end models with better specs. While the standard iPhone 11 comes with two cameras, the Pro boasts three. It comes in four colors--midnight green, space gray, silver, and gold--and is made from surgical grade stainless steel. It is also 15% more energy efficient.Regarding battery life, the iPhone 11 Pro lasts four hours longer than the iPhone XS, while the Pro Max lasts up to five hours longer than the XS Max. The phones also come with a fast charge adaptor right out of the box. Of course, with better specs comes a heftier price tag. The 11 Pro costs $999, while the 11 Pro Max is $1099. You'll be able to pre-order the phones beginning this Friday, September 13, and they'll begin shipping out on September 20.Apple's September event is still ongoing, and it was packed with announcements. Among other things, the company also gave viewers their first look at the seventh-generation iPad. You can catch up on all the biggest news from the event below. Apple Event News Apple iPhone 11 And 11 Pro Details And Prices Revealed Apple Arcade Price, Release Date Revealed Apple iPad 7th Generation Announced Apple TV+ Price And Release Date Revealed Every Game Confirmed For Apple Arcade So Far Info from Gamespot.com

PlayStation Plus is a necessity for most PS4 players these days. The premium membership is the only way to enjoy online multiplayer for many games, and it also grants subscribers access to exclusive discounts and two free PS4 games every month. While its regular price tag isn't exactly cheap--a yearlong membership sells for $60--a limited-time deal at Newegg will let you snag 12 months of PS Plus for only $43. Whether you're looking to renew, extend your membership, or try out PS Plus for the first time, this is an excellent opportunity to do so.To claim the deal, just head over to Newegg. The listing still says $60, but just add the membership to your cart. During checkout, apply promo code EMCTEUT29 to see the $17 slashed off the price. You'll receive your new PS Plus code via email. As a reminder, you can stack PS Plus memberships if you'd like to extend your current subscription at a discount, but there's a limit of two codes per customer for this deal. This particular offer ends Monday, September 16.Get 12 months of PS Plus for $43 at NeweggThis month's PS Plus free games are Batman: Arkham Knight and Darksiders III. PlayStation Plus members can claim both games free from the PlayStation Store now through September 30. In the meantime, be sure to check out more of the best PS4 deals available this month, including a PS4 Pro bundle with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and For Honor: Marching Fire Edition for $400.Info from Gamespot.com

Apple's September keynote revealed a wealth of new details about the company's upcoming gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade. During the presentation, Apple announced Arcade's pricing and showed off a couple of titles coming exclusively to the service, and we learned of a few others in a press release following the event--including one from Square Enix.The publisher is releasing a new RPG on Apple Arcade called Various Daylife. Perhaps unsurprisingly given its strange title, the game is developed by the team behind Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. Few details were revealed about the game, but here is the synopsis from Apple's press release:"Various Daylife, from Square Enix, is a brand-new RPG from the creators of Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. In the year 211 of the Imperial Era, players explore a newly discovered continent while living life to the fullest in the city of Erebia."Square Enix's new game Various DaylifeWe don't know much else about the game beyond that, but the press release also includes a screenshot of the game, which shows off what appears to be a traditional turn-based battle against a pack of wolf-like monsters. You can take a look at the screenshot above.Apple Arcade launches later this month, on September 19. The service will cost $5 per month, but you'll be able to try out one month for free. With the service, you'll get unlimited access to more than 100 exclusive games, with additional titles joining the catalog every month, including new entries in a number of beloved series such as Shantae and the Seven Sirens, ChuChu Rocket Universe, and Exit the Gungeon. You can see all the confirmed games for Apple Arcade so far in our gallery.A ton of other news came out from this month's Apple keynote, including the reveal of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. You can catch up on all the biggest announcements from the presentation below. Apple Event News Apple iPhone 11 And 11 Pro Details And Prices Revealed Apple Arcade Price, Release Date Revealed Apple iPad 7th Generation Announced Apple TV+ Price And Release Date Revealed Every Game Confirmed For Apple Arcade So Far Info from Gamespot.com

EA has announced that Respawn's Titanfall-themed battle royale game, Apex Legends, is getting two physical editions. One is themed after Bloodhound and the other after Lifeline, and both include exclusive content.The Apex Legends Bloodhound Edition is themed after the devil, including a legendary skin for the recon character, called The Intimidator, that makes them look like a demon. The edition includes a demon-themed banner for Bloodhound that's called Feeling Impish, a legendary Wrath Bringer skin for the Prowler submachine gun, and the Tormentor badge. If you're feeling a bit more angelic, you can instead get the Apex Legends Lifeline Edition. This version includes a legendary skin for Lifeline called Guardian Angel (which looks really cool), a legendary Chooser of the Slain skin for the Flatline assault rifle, and a Lifeline Winged Guardian banner and Angel Struck badge.Both physical versions of Apex Legends also include 1,000 Apex Coins--one of the three in-game currencies. Apex Coins can be used to buy a variety of items, though their main purpose is the purchase of new Legends if you don't have enough Legend Tokens. The starting roster of Apex Legends only includes six characters. You need to purchase Caustic, Mirage, Octane, and Wattson--each of which cost 750 Apex Coins / 12,000 Legend Tokens. Apex Coins can also be used to purchase loot boxes (100 each), the seasonal battle pass (950 each season), battle pass levels (150 each), or items from the in-game store.Apex Legends Bloodhound Edition and Lifeline Edition each go for $20. You can buy the physical version of the game for Xbox One, PS4, or PC. With the exception of the Apex Coins, all of the content in each physical edition is exclusive to their respective versions, so if you want those awesome-looking legendary skins you'll need to buy a physical copy of Apex Legends. The physical editions are scheduled to release on October 18, which is probably around the time Apex Legends Season 3 begins--and likely when the hacker Crypto and anti-Titan Charge Rifle are added to the battle royale game.In GameSpot's Apex Legends review, Phil Hornshaw wrote, "Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses. Respawn's intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it's an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future."Info from Gamespot.com

Even the most mundane, everyday things can seem full of mystery and adventure when you're a kid. Especially when you have a like-minded friend to bounce ideas off and encourage your flights of fancy. Knights & Bikes channels this familiar childhood experience in a knock-about co-operative (but you can still play it solo) adventure that remains endlessly charming even when its core mechanics don't join in the fun.Nessa is a stowaway on a boat that's just docked at the holiday island home of Demelza. Quickly, the two girls meet and, in that way only children can do, become firm friends almost instantly. Nessa is slightly older and seemingly orphaned; Demelza lives in the island's caravan park run by her single dad, who is struggling to keep the business afloat. The pair seize the opportunity to escape into each other's imaginations, setting off on a grand adventure to recover the island's legendary buried treasure and, Demelza hopes, use it to reverse her father's financial misfortune. The girls may have a treasure map to guide them, but things aren't quite so straightforward as realizing X marks the spot. Getting around town is a challenge. Nessa and Demelza can run--and if you hold down the run button they'll do that thing kids do where they spread their arms like wings and yell "Vrrrrrrrmmmm!" like they're a plane arcing through the air--but it's often not entirely clear where they ought to be running to. Luckily, Demelza's pet goose, Honkers, has a good nose for direction and will run off in the right direction, honking his little heart out if the girls fall behind. Oh, and don't worry, you can absolutely pet the goose.Early on Nessa and Demelza procure the eponymous bikes which allow them to zip around the island much faster than on foot. The bikes can be upgraded, too, with all kinds of handlebar grips, paint jobs, spoke decorations, and so on. All of these are purely cosmetic, save for one--a particular set of wheels that lets the girls traverse pools of mud that would otherwise be blocking their progress. Cycling around the island is hugely entertaining in itself, not because it's especially interesting to navigate the many crisscrossing paths connecting the handful of major points of interest, but because the presentation does such a great job of capturing the carefree abandon these girls are feeling. You mash to pedal and build up momentum then hold down the button for a short burst of extra speed, all the while the girls are hooting and howling and, it must be said, not necessarily obeying strict road safety procedures.Their adventure takes them from the caravan park to a mini golf course that doubles as the site of some historical battle to a maze-like scrapyard that transforms into a terrifying dungeon with seemingly no way out; to a hiking trail through the woods that twists and turns back in on itself in the manner of other more famous Lost Woods. Every step of the way the girls imbue the world with unwarranted but understandable wonder. The history book the local librarian is reading is obviously full of clues to the whereabouts of the treasure. That old man with a beard is very probably a wizard. And, clearly, every stroke of misfortune they encounter is a sign of the horrible curse afflicting the island. It's all great fun. The (probably) consensual hallucinations of the two girls are for the most part light and breezy and carry them headlong into one thrilling scrape after another. Their humour is infectious and their bonds of friendship, forged so fast in the fire of fantasy, are never in doubt. They're both such superbly written characters, flinging one-liners at each other and building upon the other's latest witty invention. And they're vividly expressive, each new close-up of their comically contorted faces frozen in shock, disgust, awe or sly realization will never fail to bring a smile to your lips.Where Knights & Bikes falters is in the moment to moment, the rote combat and light puzzling that knits together its seat-of-the-pants dash through childhood curiosity. Each girl finds three pieces of gear over the course of the game and these are used to both fend off enemies and negotiate numerous environmental puzzles. Nessa's water bombs, for example, can be thrown to deal damage to enemies, extinguish fires (and do extra damage to fire-based enemies) and, when splatted into a puddle on the ground, conduct electricity.But combat is mostly trivial. Enemies aren't especially hard to defeat and the girls can heal each other (via a cute high-five) as long as they have enough of the bandages that drop in consistently plentiful amounts. Combat has the same knock-about energy that infuses the rest of the game, so it's sort of fun to button-mash your way through. But it's never interesting enough to look forward to. The puzzles fare slightly better. There were a few occasions where I had to pause for a minute to think about what I needed to do next to progress. And I always enjoyed watching the next nonsensical triggered event play out after solving a puzzle even if I wasn't always sure what I was trying to accomplish. Most of the time I just chuckled and wondered what was going to happen next.Remarkably, for a game clearly designed for two-player cooperative play (locally or online), it works well when played solo. Here, you can switch between the two girls whenever you wish and the capable AI will assume control of the other. In combat, the AI controlled girl will use her abilities effectively and, even more impressively, when required to help solve a puzzle she'll smartly move to the right spot and perform whatever is necessary. Even if you don't have a co-op partner, you're not really missing out on much.Knights & Bikes was created by a small team featuring several people who worked on LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway, and you can feel that all these games share a similar creative vision. There's a kind of wide-eyed, rough and tumble spirit of adventure running through all three games that is hard to resist. Knights & Bikes is a wonderfully warm, effortlessly inviting experience that'll make you feel young again. Info from Gamespot.com

During Apple's September showcase, the company announced the price and release date details for Apple Arcade. It also took some time to show off a handful of games coming to the subscription service. But curiously, the company left a lot more unmentioned, including some in big franchises and from notable publishers.During the keynote, the company gave stage time to Frogger, Shinsekai Into The Depths, and Sayonara Wild Hearts from Konami, Capcom, and Annapurna, respectively. But then, a press release accompanying the keynote rattled off an additional 11 games that were nowhere to be seen during the presentation. Those include a new Chu-Chu Rocket puzzle game, a follow-up to Enter the Gungeon, another Shantae from WayForward, and a new game from the Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler team at Square Enix. You can see the full list with official descriptions below. Apple Event News Apple iPhone 11 And 11 Pro Details And Prices Revealed Apple Arcade Price, Release Date Revealed Apple iPad 7th Generation Announced Apple TV+ Price And Release Date Revealed Every Game Confirmed For Apple Arcade So Far It's not clear how Apple chose which games to highlight. The company may have chosen games that it felt would appeal to a wide audience tuning in for more general Apple hardware news. Still, the company devoted almost twice as much time to the iPhone 11 Pro camera alone, so it's a puzzling choice not to show a larger chunk of the Apple Arcade lineup.Apple Arcade is launching on September 19, and will cost $5 for a family plan. You can also sign up for a free trial month to test out the service.Ballistic Baseball from Gameloft, is an action-packed arcade baseball game that captures the intense battle between pitcher and batter in live head-to-head multiplayer matches.ChuChu Rocket! Universe explodes as Sega launches the beloved ChuChus into a universe of strange and wonderful planets with over 100 mind-bending puzzles.In Exit the Gungeon from Devolver, players must escape a collapsing hell dungeon as increasingly perilous obstacles and opponents stand in their way.Pac-Man Party Royale from Bandai Namco, is a brand-new arcade experience featuring a four-player Battle Mode where the last PAC-MAN standing winsIn Rayman Mini from Ubisoft, Rayman has been reduced to the size of an ant! Players use insects, mushrooms and plants to run through the world as quickly as possible or try over and over again to achieve the perfect score.In Shantae and the Seven Sirens from WayForward, players explore a vast sunken city and battle the Seven Sirens in the Half-Genie’s most thrilling adventure yet.Skate City from Snowman brings the heart and soul of street skating to life with multi-touch controls as city streets become the ultimate skater playground.Steven Universe: Unleash the Light, is an original Cartoon Network game, co-written by Rebecca Sugar, where players pick their favorite characters, choose which Gems are in their party, unlock awesome new abilities and equip alternate costumes in the ultimate mobile role-playing game (RPG).Super Impossible Road from Rogue Games, is a futuristic, high-speed racing game where players master hairpin turns on courses that twist and coil over beautiful galactic backdrops.In The Enchanted World from Noodlecake, players help a young fairy piece together a magical world torn apart by dark forces.Various Daylife from Square Enix, is a brand-new RPG from the creators of “Bravely Default” and “Octopath Traveler.” In the year 211 of the Imperial Era, players explore a newly discovered continent while living life to the fullest in the city of Erebia.Info from Gamespot.com

Borderlands 3 was first announced in April of this year, and now we're just days from its official release date: September 13. The new first-person shooter from Gearbox Software will launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with the latter version exclusive to the Epic Games Store until April 2020.If you can't wait to get your hands on Borderlands 3 this weekend, here's a way to save yourself some money if you're purchasing for PS4 or Xbox One. According to deals site Cheap Ass Gamer, Walmart stores will be selling Borderlands 3 for $49.94 rather than $60 on release, a growing trend we've seen with other recent games like Astral Chain and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. You'll have to physically go to your nearest Walmart store to take advantage of this offer; it doesn't appear to be available online.Pre-Order: Borderlands 3 (PS4/X1) & $10 Amazon Credit $59.99 via Amazon (Prime Eligible). Game Will Also be $49.94 On Release Day via Wal-Mart. https://t.co/GQ7m1qAQVc pic.twitter.com/OJPIQpJ6E6 — Cheap Ass Gamer (@videogamedeals) September 8, 2019Alternatively, Amazon and Best Buy shoppers can get $10 reward credit if they pre-order Borderlands 3. At Amazon, this offer is exclusive to Prime members, while Best Buy's deal is available to My Best Buy members (you can sign up for free). Borderlands 3's other pre-order bonuses include a gold weapon trinket and gold weapon skins for all guns in the game. You can read more about the game's various editions and what they contain in our Borderlands 3 pre-order guide.See Borderlands 3 at AmazonSee Borderlands 3 at Best BuyThe game earned an 8/10 in our Borderlands 3 review for its unique enemies and environments, new Vault Hunters bringing a variety of playstyles, and strategic weapon builds, although GameSpot's Jordan Ramée did take issue with the game's bullet-sponge bosses and disappointing villains. "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," he wrote."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

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

Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot arrives in a little over a month, but players will soon have a chance to try it out ahead of its release. Activision is hosting a Modern Warfare open beta beginning this week on PS4, and if you're eager to jump in, the beta client is now available to preload on Sony's console.The first Modern Warfare open beta session takes place on PS4 from September 14-16. However, if you've pre-ordered any edition of the game, you'll be able to access the beta early on September 12 and 13. If you pre-ordered the game digitally, you can now grab the beta client from the PlayStation Store and preload it ahead of the first session; if you reserved a physical copy, you'll receive a beta code via email. The client is a hefty download, weighing in at 27.52 GB.The next Modern Warfare beta session begins on September 19. On that date, Xbox One and PC players who've pre-ordered the game (in addition to all PS4 players, whether or not you've pre-ordered it) will be able to participate in the beta. Finally, on September 21, the beta will expand to all PS4, Xbox One, and PC players until September 23.The second beta session is notable because it gives players their first chance to try out cross-play in Modern Warfare. This year's Call of Duty game is one of a small (but growing) handful of titles that support the feature, allowing players to play with each other across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. You can read more details in our Modern Warfare beta roundup. You also have a chance to win a code for the beta in GameSpot's Modern Warfare beta giveaway.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launches on October 25. Unlike last year's entry in the series, Black Ops 4, it will feature a traditional campaign; however, it probably won't have a battle royale mode. If you're interested in securing a copy, be sure to check out our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare pre-order guide.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Beta DetailsPS4 Exclusive Beta DatesSeptember 12-23 (Early Access, PS4)September 14-16 (Open beta, PS4)Cross-Play Beta DatesSeptember 19-20 (Early access, PC and Xbox One; open beta, PS4)September 21-23 (Open beta, PS4, Xbox One, and PC)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

The Xbox One's latest set of game deals is a good one, with the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Resident Evil 2 headlining the lot. In fact, many games from the Resident Evil series are discounted, and if you're a Gold subscriber there are even more deals for you to choose from.Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently $36 USD / $48 CAD / £36 for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Unfortunately, there is no discount for non-subscribers. Battlefield 5, on the other hand, is discounted to $19.80 USD / $26.40 CAD / £19.80 for everyone. The Resident Evil series' deals are also available to all. Resident Evil 2 leads with the discounted price of $36 USD / $48 CAD / £36.Red Dead Redemption 2 - $36 USD / $48 CAD / £36Battlefield 5 - $19.80 USD / $26.40 CAD / £19.80Resident Evil 0 - $8 USD / $10.40 CAD / £6.40Resident Evil - $8 USD / $10.40 CAD / £6.40Resident Evil 2 - $36 USD / $48 CAD / £36Resident Evil 4 - $8 USD / $10.40 CAD / £6.40Resident Evil 5 - $8 USD / $10.40 CAD / £6.40Resident Evil 6 - $8 USD / $10.40 CAD / £6.40Resident Evil 7 Biohazard - $15 USD / $20.25 CAD / £12Resident Evil Revelations - $8 USD / $10.40 CAD / £6.40Resident Evil Revelations 2 - $12 USD / $16 CAD / £10Xbox is also holding a Double Discounts with Gold and Ultimate sale. All of the games included in this sale are discounted for regular Xbox users, but if you're subscribed to Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you'll be able to save up to 50% more until September 16. This includes games like Cuphead, Rocket League, and Overcooked. You can see all of our favourite deals in the list below. All of the prices shown include the extra discount for Gold members.Cuphead - $16 USD / $20.80 CAD / £13.40Rocket League - $12 USD / $16 CAD / £9.80Overcooked - $5.60 USD / $5.60 CAD / £4.20Gang Beasts - $15 USD / $15 CAD / £12Full Metal Furies - $6 USD / $7.80 CAD / £5Guacamelee! STCE - $3.75 USD / $3.75 CAD / £2.80Kingdom: Two Crowns - $14 USD / $14 CAD / £11.20Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime - $6 USD / $6 CAD / £4.80Nidhogg 2 - $7.50 USD / $7.50 CAD / £6Road Redemption - $10 USD / $10 CAD / £8Tricky Towers - $7.50 USD / $7.50 CAD / £6Info from Gamespot.com

Credit: ActivisionThe Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta test kicks off this week and we partnered with Activision to give away 500 codes to our readers. The winners will get a sneak peak of the new collection of maps and modes before the official release on Oct. 25.To enter, read our official rules, accept our terms and conditions and fill out the form below. Get additional entries by following us on social media to increase your chances of winning! If you are having trouble viewing the entry form please click here.Remember to check your email on Monday Sept. 16th because we will be sending the codes to all winners around 10 a.m. PT. The beta of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Multiplayer will be available for PS4, Xbox One and PC from Sept. 19 through 20 only.Head to our comments and let us know what is your favorite mode and why. Good luck! Info from Gamespot.com

Entertainment giant Disney is reportedly taking another big step away from in-house game development. According to sources speaking to financial publication Bloomberg, Disney is planning to sell the game developer/publisher FoxNext, which it picked up through the acquisition of Fox earlier this year.The site reports that different Disney executives, including direct-to-consumer boss Kevin Mayer, considered keeping FoxNext. However, Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly shut that down, and it was ultimately decided to sell FoxNext. Officially, Disney had no comment.FoxNext was founded in 2017 with the aim of handling Fox's video game, virtual reality, augmented reality, and theme park endeavors. In 2018, FoxNext announced it was working on a new Alien shooter with a team made up of people who worked on BioShock, Borderlands, and Star Trek: Online.In terms of games that FoxNext has already released, the company worked with Aftershock Studios on the mobile game Marvel Strike Force; it was released in March 2018. Earlier in 2019, FoxNext announced it created an program to fund the development of indie games; the first of these was the gravity-based puzzle game Etherborn.If Disney does decide to sell FoxNext, that would be little surprise given that the House of Mouse has been moving away from internal game development for a long time already. In 2016, Disney shut down the Disney Infinity toys-to-life series and closed developer Avalanche Software in the process.Before that, Disney closed down Tron Evolution studio Propaganda Games, which was working on Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned before its cancellation. Disney also owned the game developer Black Rock Studios that made the excellent racing games Pure and Split/Second before it shut down that studio, too. Disney also developed the Epic Mickey video games with Warren Spector's Junction Point Studios, but the company ended the franchise and closed the developer in 2013.Bungie founder Alex Seropian was heading up Disney's gaming business before he left to form a mobile game studio called Industrial Toys that EA later acquired.During an earnings call earlier this year, Iger talked about Disney's rocky history with game development and publishing."Over the years we've tried our hand in self-publishing, we've bought companies, we've sold companies, we've bought developers, we've closed developers. And we've found over the years that we haven't been particularly good at the self-publishing side, but we've been great at the licensing side which obviously doesn't require that much allocation of capital," Iger said.One of Disney's video game licensees is EA, which signed a 10-year deal with the company to make Star Wars games. Iger said these licensing arrangements have been a positive for EA on the video game side, and you can expect them to continue in the future.There is no word as of yet regarding potential buyers for FoxNext, if Disney is indeed selling the company. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest. Info from Gamespot.com