Astral Chain is the latest from developer Platinum Games and it brings a fresh take on stylish action exclusively to the Nintendo Switch. Now that some of us have played through the entire game, we can share just how long it takes to finish. Of course, your mileage may vary since time to completion depends on your playstyle and the amount of optional content you engage with, but here we can give a general range.As the reviewer of Astral Chain for GameSpot, I spent a total of 35 hours with the game to roll credits. This included a full playthrough on the Platinum Standard difficulty, an earnest effort to find and finish every side quest possible, and plenty of time spent exploring for leftover hidden missions--side quests also factor into your overall mission grade. I spent an extra five hours in an attempt to find the remaining content within the story chapters, and try out the hardest difficulty (Platinum Ultimate).You may want to rescue all the cats as well, which might be hard, but it'll warm your heart.Astral Chain features an achievement list called "Orders" which act as challenges to complete throughout the game. There are 185 of them, and while they're not essential, they grant you rewards like upgrade materials, items, or new cosmetic options for your character. Clearing out that list will add an inordinate amount of time to your playtime as some challenges require story completion on the hardest difficulty, S+ ranks on everything, among other things.The game would be much shorter if you simply go through the main story questline without looking at anything else, to which I would estimate to around 15 hours--you would be doing the bare minimum, however.As for install size, Astral Chain requires 9.8 GB of storage space on your Switch or SD card if you plan on purchasing the digital version of the game.Astral Chain launches this Friday, August 30 exclusively on Nintendo Switch. To get up to speed on it, be sure to read my Astral Chain review in which I say, "Astral Chain's shortcomings don't overshadow what it does best. It's an incredible execution of a fresh take on Platinum Games' foundation, standing among the stylish-action greats. And its own anime-inspired swagger makes fights all the more exhilarating."Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Odyssey has graced players with some free content on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. From now until September 1, you can grab the action-RPG's first DLC chapter, the Fields of Elysium, for free.Part of the Fate of Atlantis expansion pack--which also includes two additional DLC chapters--the Fields of Elysium sends Kassandra on a quest to Elysium to face off against Persephone and uncover a mystery surrounding the city of Atlantis. While the other two DLC chapters--Torment of Hades and Judgment of Atlantis--are not sold separately, the entire Fate of Atlantis expansion pack is 50 percent off, slashing the cost to $12.50 USD. Alternatively, you can pick up the season pass with all DLC for $20.Target is also having a huge sale on Xbox One digital games, with a handful of titles seeing a 20 percent discount. Assassin's Creed Odyssey and its season pass are both part of the sale, as well as other Xbox One exclusives like Forza Horizon 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Sea of Thieves, and State of Decay 2.In our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review, we said, "While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting."Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.Info from Gamespot.com

While there are plenty of good sales floating around this week just in time for Labor Day, nothing beats free, and there are two Free Play events kicking off for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Starting today, August 27, The Elder Scrolls Online is free to play until Tuesday, September 3. Meanwhile, starting tomorrow, August 28, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege will also be free to play until Wednesday, September 4. On Xbox One, this round of games is available to both Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. On PS4, you must have PlayStation Plus.The base game for The Elder Scrolls Online includes four character classes, 23 zones, the main story questline, the Morrowind chapter, and the Elsweyr Prologue quest. Any new ESO accounts made during the free play event will receive 500 crowns for the in-game Crown Store. You can learn more about the ESO free play event at the game's official website.Meanwhile, anyone who jumps into Rainbow Six Siege during the free play event will be able to experience the game with access to all maps, modes, and 20 Legacy operators. The tactical shooter has received continual updates in the years since its release and is now considered one of the best multiplayer experiences in modern gaming. During the free play week, you can play with anyone who already owns the game or with friends also taking advantage of the week-long offer. You can read more about the Rainbow Six Siege event at Ubisoft.Both games are also on sale so you can purchase them at a discount and continue playing while retaining any progress or achievements earned. You can check out those deals, as well as detailed times for the event, below.Free Play Days: Dates and dealsThe Elder Scrolls Online Live now; ends Sept. 3 at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ETStandard edition -- $10 (50% off) Elsweyr upgrade -- $24 (40% off)Elsweyr Collector's Edition upgrade -- $30 (40% off)Elsweyr -- $36 (40% off)Elsweyr Collector's Edition -- $48 (40% off)Xbox One:See deals at Microsoft StorePS4:See deals at PlayStation StorePC:See deals at SteamTom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Standard edition (PC only) -- $8 (60% off)Deluxe Edition -- $12 (70% off)Gold Edition -- $28 (60% off)Ultimate Edition -- $44 (60% off)Year 4 Pass -- $24 (20% off)Xbox One Begins Aug. 28 at midnight PT / 3 AM ET; ends Sept. 4 at midnight PT / 3 AM ETSee deals at Microsoft StorePS4 Begins Aug. 28 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET; ends Sept. 4 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ETSee deals at PlayStation StorePC Begins Aug. 28 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET; ends Sept. 4 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ETSee deals at SteamSee deals at UplayInfo from Gamespot.com

The Elite are headed back to Illinois for a followup to the PPV that changed the world of wrestling in 2018. This time, though, they have built a wrestling promotion since their last visit. Last year, All In was a revolutionary wrestling event and the seed for what would eventually become All Elite Wrestling.And AEW is coming back to where it all started--the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL--on Saturday, August 31.The PPV, titled All Out, will begin at 6 PM CT that day, and you can watch the event live on B/R Live for the price of $50 if you live in the United States. Outside of the US, you can watch All Out on Fite, the streaming service that originally aired All In. Check out the start times for the event below.AEW All Out start time:4 PM PT6 PM CT7 PM ET12 AM BST (September 1)9 AM AEST (September 1)One of the most-anticipated matches for the evening was Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley; however, Moxley revealed he will not be at the show as he will undergo surgery to deal with MRSA in his elbow and has bowed out. Moxley has been replaced with Pac, a wrestler who was originally part of AEW's first press conference but has not competed in any of the events that have taken place this year. You might remember him as WWE's Neville.Returning to All Out is the Casino (Battle) Royale from the Double or Nothing PPV. 21 wrestlers will come to the ring in groups and must throw each other over the top rope to be eliminated. This time around, the battle royal will consist entirely of women wrestlers, with the winner getting an AEW Women's Championship title shot when the wrestling promotion's TNT series begins in October. Here are all the confirmed wrestlers in the match.Confirmed Casino (Battle) Royale entrants:JazzTeal PiperIvelisseAerial MonroeSadie GibbsBig SwoleNyla RoseDr. Britt BakerYuka SakazakiAllieBrandy RhodesIn total, there are 10 matches on the card, two of which will be on the pre-show called The Buy-In, which is the first hour of the event. The Buy-In matches can typically be streamed for free on B/R Live. Here are all the confirmed matches for All Out.All Out match card:Casino (Battle) Royale [BUY-IN]Private Party vs. Angelico & Jack Evans [BUY-IN]Riho vs. Hikaru ShidaLuchasaurus, Jungle Boy, & Marko Stunt vs. SCUPac vs. Kenny OmegaThe Dark Order vs. The Best Friends (AEW Tag Team Championship Tournament)Joey Janela vs. Jimmy Havok vs. Darby AllinCody vs. Shawn SpearsThe Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros. (AAA Tag Team Championship Ladder Match)Hangman Page vs. Jericho (AEW World Championship) Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's 10.20 update has arrived, and it's kicked off a limited-time Borderlands crossover event. From now until September 10, all Fortnite: Battle Royale players can take on a special set of challenges that will unlock Borderlands-inspired cosmetic rewards, even if you haven't purchased a Season X Battle Pass.Most of the Borderlands challenges are fairly straightforward and have you searching for loot or eliminating opponents in the new Pandora Rift Zone, but there are a couple that will require a bit more legwork, like the task to find Claptrap's missing eye and then return it to him. If you're unsure of where to look, we've put together the map and guide below to help you complete the challenge.Where To Find Claptrap's EyeFirst things first: like the other Borderlands crossover challenges, this mission is centralized in the new Pandora Rift Zone, which is located in the desert to the south of Paradise Palms. This particular challenge involves two steps: first you'll need to track down Claptrap's missing eye, and then once you've collected it, bring it back to him.Claptrap himself can be found alongside the road near the westernmost entrance of the desert, while his eye is hidden inside a building to the south; once you make your way inside the correct building, you'll spot it in front of a television. You can see exactly where Claptrap and his eye are located on the map below.How To Complete The ChallengeOnce you know where to go, all you need to do is collect the eye and bring it back to the robot. If you need a visual guide, you can watch us complete the challenge in the video above. Once you've returned the eye, you'll unlock a Crunk Bunny spray for your troubles, and you'll be another step closer to unlocking the Mayhem wrap--the reward for completing all six of Fortnite's Borderlands challenges.As previously mentioned, the Borderlands crossover event will be live until September 10, so you have until then to complete its related challenges. Most are self-explanatory and can be cleared easily with enough persistence, but the only other one that may give you some trouble is to search different Vault Symbols. You can see where those are located in our Vault Symbol locations guide. You can find helpful tips for other challenges from this season in our full Fortnite Season X challenges roundup.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go's Water Festival is back again for another year, and as part of the event, Niantic is giving players around the world another chance to catch a rare Legendary Pokemon. Tomorrow, August 28, the Legendary lake trio Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie will return to Raid Battles in their respective regions--but they'll only be around for a very limited time.From 6-7 PM local time, the Legendary Psychic Pokemon will appear again as Raid Bosses, giving you only an hour to add them to your collection. To help you prepare, we've rounded up everything you need to know about this week's Legendary Raid Hour below, from what regions each Legendary will appear in to battling tips for when you challenge them.Which Region Are The Legendaries In?All three of the Legendary Psychic Pokemon will return for the Legendary Raid Hour, but each one will only appear in specific regions, so which one you encounter during the event will depend on where you live. You can see which Legendary is exclusive to each region below.Americas and GreenlandAzelfEurope, Africa, and Middle EastMespritAsia-PacificUxieHow To CatchBefore you can catch the Legendary Pokemon, you'll first need to visit a Gym that's hosting a five-star Raid and challenge them to a battle. Fortunately, there will be no shortage of Legendary Raids happening during the aforementioned hour, so it should be easy to find a Gym to visit. Like other Legendaries, Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie have high CP, so you'll need to team up with several other players in-person if you're hoping to battle them. Once the Legendaries have been defeated, everyone who participated in the Raid will receive a handful of Premier Balls along with the chance to catch them.Best Pokemon To Use Against Azelf, Mesprit, And UxieAll three Legendary Pokemon are pure Psychic-types, so regardless of which one you encounter, you'll generally want to use the same strategy. Dark, Ghost, and Bug Pokemon all have an advantage against Psychic-types, so your best bet will be to bring along Giratina, Tyranitar, Houndoom, Weavile, and Scizor. Gengar will also deal super-effective damage against the Legendaries, but thanks to its secondary Poison typing, it'll receive super-effective damage from them back.Despite their similar appearance, Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie all have slightly different stats and movesets, which you should be aware of before you challenge them. Azelf deals the most damage but is the weakest defensively; Uxie excels at defense; and Mesprit falls between the two of them. You can find more tips on how to catch the Legendaries on the official Pokemon website.Other BonusesWhile Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie will only be around for a limited time, you'll have until August 30 to take advantage of the Water Festival's other bonuses. Throughout the event, Water-type Pokemon like Magikarp, Wailmer, and others are spawning in the wild more often than normal, and if you're near a body of water, you'll have a greater chance to find the following Pokemon:WartortlePoliwhirlSeakingLaprasQwilfishMantineLotadFeebasPiplupBuizelFinneonAdditionally, Shiny versions of Carvanha and Barboach are appearing in the wild, and Water Pokemon are more likely to hatch from eggs. Separately, Niantic is soon rolling out a set of Ultra Bonuses for the game, which includes the arrival of Gen 5 Pokemon. The Mythical Jirachi is also available through a new Special Research questline called A Thousand-Year Slumber.Info from Gamespot.com

If you've been on the internet at all over the past few weeks, you're probably aware that Disney's new streaming service, Disney+, will launch in November. The company unleashed a slew of announcements during this year's D23 regarding new shows and movies coming to Disney+, including multiple new Marvel TV series: Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and even a show starring Loki. The platform will be home to all of Disney's major franchises, including Marvel and Star Wars, as well as Pixar films and the entire Disney motion picture library, so it's no surprise people are itching to try the service out for themselves.The downside, however, is that you might be adding Disney+ to a long list of streaming subscriptions you already have, like Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Now. A limited-time pre-order offer might make that purchase easier: From now through Sunday, September 1, you can save big on a Disney+ subscription if you're willing to pay upfront for three years. A one-year subscription generally costs $70, but the deal drops that price to $47 per year. That's still a total of $140.97 total, but it's a drastic savings compared to spending more than $200 over three years. And you'll be paying the equivalent of only $3.92 per month (compared to the regular monthly price of $7).This deal was first made available to paid D23 members over the weekend, but now it's available to any US residents with free general membership. To claim the offer, you'll need to sign up for Disney's free D23 fan club before 11:59 PM on Sunday night. It may take up to 36 hours to receive your invite to claim the deal if you're signing up for the first time. The exclusive offer will appear in your account information, and you should also receive an email.D23's page detailing this exclusive offer is having loading issues, which suggests a huge amount of people are trying to claim the deal. You can also sign up for free membership through this page, which appears to be working fine, or just wait and try again later. In the meantime, catch up on all the biggest news out of D23 Expo 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

An upcoming movie from Michael Bay, the famed film director behind high-octane action movies like the Transformers franchise, will be spun into a video game on top of the film. That's according to Variety, which reports that the movie--Black 5--is an original idea that Bay came up with.The report goes on to say that Bay is speaking with Sony Pictures to finance and distribute Black 5. There are no plot details available, but it will reportedly be "high on action" as most of Bay's films are. It's also reported that the movie will come first, at some unspecified point in the future, with the game coming later. Variety editor Justin Kroll said on Twitter that Bay is planning Black 5 to be a "possible video game franchise," which suggests it could span more than one entry.Ehren Kruger wrote the script for Black 5. He also wrote the Transformers movies Age of Extinction, Dark of the Moon, and Revenge of the Fallen, while he more recently penned the script for Disney's Dumbo.According to Variety, production on Black 5 (presumably just the movie) will begin in 2020 after Bay wraps up his Ryan Reynolds Netflix movie Six Underground.There are no details at all about the Black 5 video game, but presumably it would also be action-oriented like the movie. It remains to be seen if the Black 5 game would be for mobile, console, or PC, or what developer is behind it. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.In 2013 it was announced that Bay would produce Ubisoft's Ghost Recon movie, but it's been relatively quiet since, so there is no word on if this partnership is continuing.Info from Gamespot.com

The new Mortal Kombat movie from New Line has found two more leads. According to Variety, Hiroyuki Sanda will play Scorpion, with Chin Han taking on the role of Shang Tsung. Han played Lau in Christopher Nolan's Batman: The Dark Knight, while Sanda portrayed Akihiko in Avengers: Endgame.Han and Sanda join the already announced cast members for Mortal Kombat in the roles of Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Raiden, and more. You can see the full cast so far below.Mortal Kombat Movie Cast (So Far):Sub-Zero -- Joe TaslimLiu Kang -- Ludi LinSonya Blade -- Jessica McNameeKano -- Josh LawsonRaiden -- Tadanobu AsanoJackson "Jax" Bridges -- Mechad BrooksMileena -- Sisi StringerScorpion -- Hiroyuki SandaShang Tsung -- Chin HanUnspecified Role -- Lewis TanThe new Mortal Kombat movie will be directed by Australian commercials director Simon McQuoid. Aquaman director James Wan is producing. The movie will shoot in South Australia, and is set to be one of the country's biggest productions ever there. The movie opens in March 2021. The first Mortal Kombat movie, released in 1995, was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and it made more than $120 million worldwide. Its 1997 sequel, Annihilation, was a disappointment by comparison with only $51 million. An internet video series called Mortal Kombat Legacy ran from 2011-2013.The newest Mortal Kombat game, Mortal Kombat 11, is the best-selling video game of 2019 so far. Info from Gamespot.com

From the big cinematic trailer revealed at Gamescom, it's not immediately apparent exactly what V1 Interactive's first game, Disintegration, actually is. The trailer highlights a futuristic, bulky hovering vehicle called a grav-cycle that you'll be piloting, and its first-person shooter pedigree gives some clues--it's headed up by Marcus Lehto, a co-creator of the Halo universe. It turns out that Disintegration is more than just another futuristic FPS, though. It mixes in elements of the real-time strategy genre to become a hectic hybrid, requiring you not just to land your headshots, but to use your head, as well.At Gamescom, we played a few matches of Disintegration's multiplayer PvP mode, which pits teams of five players against one another. Each player pilots a floating armored tank known as a grav-cycle, while also taking command of a small squad of other units. The FPS aspect of the game has you blasting away at ground troops and other grav-cycles with machine guns and grenade launchers that are attached to the rig. You're also responsible for a team on the ground that might consist of characters carrying sniper or assault rifles, as well as a beefier teammate in what looks like an Aliens power loader. As the team leader, you're not just responsible for racking up kills and dealing damage with your powerful weapons; you also need to tell your squad what to do and when to deploy their special abilities, which can change the flow of battle pretty significantly.Lehto said the idea is that your grav-cycle and its weapons are basically your right hand, while the squad on the ground is your left. Each member of your group can do different things, like deploy a stasis field that slows enemy units or fire off a missile barrage that does big damage in a certain area. Your job is as much to guide them as to keep them alive, though; when your squad gets blasted, you'll have to wait for them to respawn, which puts you at a serious disadvantage.You need to take care of your squad because they're more easily killed than your much-tougher grav-cycle, but that doesn't mean you're babysitting them, Lehto said. A big challenge in designing the game was making the squad feel like an extension of the player in terms of combat, without making them an irritation. That meant making the units a little more autonomous than what you might expect from an RTS, he explained."We're building in a lot of mechanics to keep those units close to you at all times," Lehto told GameSpot. "They're tethered to the grav-cycle. If the player moves the units, they're literally firing a weapon from the grav-cycle down to the terrain to say move here, or attack this, or prioritize this as a target. So you can engage other grav-cycles and other enemy units and have your units focus-fire on them, and that sort of thing, or tell them to move over to a particular location where they can engage in combat and you can flank from a different perspective. So there are a lot of ways that you can engage as a crew, as a singular unit, and that's the way we think about this game, where pilot and grav-cycle are one part of the equation and the units are another part of the equation, and they are a single entity."The game type in the demo was sort of a reverse of capture the flag. One team plays offense and the other defense, with the attacking team attempting to carry one of two bombs into the defenders' territory to score a point. The thing is, bombs can only be carried by your smaller units. That means you need to defend your squad and be careful about where you send them. If they die, the bomb drops on the ground, and after a short while, it explodes, taking anyone in the vicinity with it.While there's already a lot going on in any given battle thanks to plenty of grav-cycles and units, Disintegration adds another layer to your tactical thinking by letting you choose from different grav-cycle crews to control at any point during a match. Each crew has a different visual theme, a different squad makeup, and a different set of abilities; Lehto likened them to "biker gangs of the future." It's here that Disintegration lets you adjust your capabilities to meet your style or your team's needs. Some crews are better at long-range combat, others are heavy hitters close up. You might grab a crew that specializes in deploying abilities that slow up enemies so your teammates can blast them, or hang back and shoot your teammates with a healing weapon that helps them stay in the fight longer. It's a lot to keep track of, and our hands-on time with Disintegration started with a steep learning curve of getting used to handling the grav-cycle, which is a bit slow and methodical in its movement. The benefit is the cycle can gain or drop altitude to gain better sightlines and boost short distances to get out of danger. Things started to gel as our team got the hang of how V1 wants you to think about Disintegration, however. It's not a rip-roaring run-and-gun kind of game; it's a slower and more cerebral experience, even when there are several players and their units engaging in a single battle.Because you have the squad with you, it's necessary to think about how best to use your units to your advantage. You can send them to a location to get them into cover or give them a better shot at enemies while you engage enemy grav-cycles yourself. Between shooting, positioning your grav-cycle, positioning your units, using their abilities, and coordinating with your human teammates, there's a lot to keep in mind. But those elements also give you a wealth of combat possibilities that go beyond just charging into a fight and slugging it out with an enemy group. If you can keep your head when things start to get messy, you can outmaneuver and outplay your enemies--but that requires changing how you think about first-person shooter engagements. Fast responses and strategic assessments are essential, and in our session, we finally managed victory when our team started surrounding and flanking opponents to make it tough for them to chase down bomb-carrying units.Lehto said that even though V1 is a smaller studio--it only sports a staff of about 30--players can expect more post-release content for Disintegration."The point of what we're constructing right now is that we're making sure that we can easily add onto it," he said. "Especially on the multiplayer side, with regards to new multiplayer modes, new maps, new crews, new skins for players to aesthetically upgrade their crews for the way they look, and attachments for your grav-cycle so you can really customize things and make things your own."Disintegration is set to launch sometime in 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Info from Gamespot.com

Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is in discussions to play a role in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. That's according to a report from Deadline, which states that he's in discussions but doesn't have any information on the part he'll play.The New Zealand movie-maker has strong acting chops, as he was memorably hilarious as Viago in his own 2014 movie What We Do in the Shadows. He also played the scene-stealing Korg in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame.According to Deadline, there is a table read for The Suicide Squad scheduled for September 11, with production on the film expected to begin on September 23. The movie hits theatres on August 6, 2021.Waititi is certainly keeping busy. In 2019 so far, Waititi reprised his role as Viago in the What We Do in the Shadows TV series this year, while he also plays Adolf Hitler in his own movie, Jojo Rabbit, which is scheduled to premiere in September. Additionally, he directed an episode of the Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian that is set to premiere in 2019. It was announced at San Diego Comic-Con this year that Waititi will come back to direct the next Thor movie, Love and Thunder, which is due in 2021.This news about Waititi joining The Suicide Squad comes not long after it was also reported that Nathan Fillion was also cast for a role in the DC action movie.The new Suicide Squad movie is a "total reboot," and not a sequel to David Ayer's 2016 film. Gunn wrote the script and will direct the movie. He reportedly signed on to the movie in the midst of his fallout with Disney, though Gunn has since been re-instated to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.The 2016 Suicide Squad received mixed reviews, but it was a huge commercial success. It made more than $746 million worldwide, and it won an Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling.The new movie stars a number of actors from the original, including Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, in addition to newcomers like Idris Elda, David Dastmalchian, and Steve Agee. Info from Gamespot.com

Seeing Astral Chain in motion may be what catches your eye, but the graceful execution of attacks is something you have to experience for yourself. Astral Chain delivers gratifying, kinetic, and inventive combat that goes beyond genre conventions--and it retains that excitement from start to finish. Couple that with an attractive art style brought to life through fluid animation and cinematic-style cuts in battle and you have yet another standout action experience from developer Platinum Games.As an elite cop on the Neuron special task force, it's your job to investigate the ever-growing presence of the otherworldly Chimera that threaten the world. Catastrophic incidents are abound as Chimera spill in from an alternate dimension, the astral plane, but of course there's more to the phenomenon than meets the eye. To get to the bottom of it all, you simultaneously control both your player-character and a Legion, a separate entity with its own attacks and abilities--think of it as a Stand from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. This dynamic is at the heart of Astral Chain's combat.Astral Chain's sense of style bursts at the seams with each battle.It takes time to get the hang of it, but once you do, working in tandem with a roster of Legions feels seamless. You earn Legions over time, accruing a total of five, and each one offers their own set of skills and cooldown attacks to upgrade via a skill tree. While they can be sent into the fray to perform auto-attacks, swapping between them effectively to juggle specific abilities creates the satisfaction of tearing down the monstrous Chimeras.Initially, there are so many variables at play that it can be daunting. You have chain binds to lock enemies down for a few seconds, timing-based sync attacks that unleash devastating blows, and showstopping sync finishers that top off the wild spectacle (and replenish your health to boot). You can even get creative with combos, like utilizing the AOE stun, gravity pull, and crash bomb--all from different Legions--to concentrate a ton of damage on. Even an unchained combo lets you briefly unleash two Legions at once. And if that already seems like a lot to handle, you'll also have to consider executing special attacks from directional inputs when it's best to use them.When you dig deeper into Astral Chain's systems, you see some of its lineage--particularly the chip system of Nier: Automata, the game which Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura was lead designer on. That system manifests as Ability Codes that you equip on each of your Legions to grant them specific buffs and perks, which can significantly change how they function.Astral Chain isn't about running head-first into fights against monsters that seek to destroy you, though. You have to be smart about positioning, dodging, and the limited energy of your Legion. Enemies are more than just fodder; they can overwhelm you with sheer numbers, size, or speed. Some may require you to meet certain conditions to defeat them, forcing you to use non-combat abilities in the midst of the chaos. And bosses come at you with unforgiving attacks that'll test your skill as much as your patience.You have options for creating your own cool anime cop, it's too bad they never really talk.With a multitude of factors and challenges at play, combat places much more emphasis on devising the right tactics for the right situation. Astral Chain provides a tremendous box of tools that are effective in their own right and an absolute joy to use.If there's a fault gameplay-wise, it's that movement can sometimes feel imprecise--don't expect the same buttery smoothness of Bayonetta. For example, the Beast Legion's mount mode winds up in an unpredictable direction, and the pistol combo forces you to flip backward. It may result in falling off ledges or unintentionally getting in harm's way. Thankfully, it's an occasional frustration that doesn't detract from the core experience.Astral Chain delivers gratifying, kinetic, and inventive combat that goes beyond genre conventions--and it retains that excitement from start to finish.If you watch gameplay carefully, you quickly see how slow-motion, camera cuts, and subtle audio-visual cues in combat serve to signify opportune times to make your move. These flourishes are also how the game cements its bold sense of style. Popular manga artist Masakazu Katsura lent his hand to lead the character designs, resulting in some of the best-looking anime cops around. And when your bombastic actions in battle are matched by visually-striking momentum and tenacity, it delivers a unique thrill that makes Astral Chain special to see in motion.Further complementing the game's grand spectacle is its soundtrack. The groovy house tune heard in the police headquarters is infectious and the somber guitar melody at the stray cat safehouse hits like a reprieve from the chaos that envelops the world. Tense instrumentals and hard-hitting rock remixes of songs seamlessly bounce between one another during some combat missions. Unrelenting metal tracks propel boss battles and an ethereal Nier-like theme plays in the astral plane. Sprinkle in some J-rock worthy of an anime OP and Astral Chain rounds out the musical spectrum to great effect.Astral Chain isn't just about flashiness and stylish action, though. You're given room to breathe between combat scenarios that comprise its chapters (or Files, as they're called). Structurally, it's somewhere between the traditional open world of Nier: Automata and segmented stages of Bayonetta--chapters funnel you through hub areas where you're free to take part in side missions or explore for optional activities. Not everything is laid out on your map, so it takes some detective work to unveil all the hidden content.Astral Chain's shortcomings don't overshadow what it does best. It's an incredible execution of a fresh take on Platinum Games' foundation, standing among the stylish-action greats.Investigation scenarios are peppered within the main missions, where you analyze the environment and talk to locals to solve the mysteries at hand. Piecing the clues together properly awards you with a top rank, and it's no sweat if you get things wrong. You'll often jump into segments of the astral plane, which feature the more intense fights, and these areas incorporate light puzzle/platforming elements that ask you to use Legion powers in different ways.The activities you undertake outside of combat aren't exactly groundbreaking, but they provide enjoyable ways to engage with Astral Chain's vivid world. It's a welcome variety that also helps the pacing from chapter to chapter. Astral Chain never sits on one particular element for too long; it knows when to move on.Investigation is just one way Astral Chain breaks up the pace.Now, style doesn't always equal substance. The overarching plot touches on the conventions of evil authority figures who abuse the power of science for their own agendas, and it also relates to the nature of how you're able to wield the power of Legions, which are tamed Chimera. However, these themes are hardly explored. Rather, Astral Chain relies on cliches within its story and exposition. As a result, the more pivotal moments feel a bit less consequential. While some anime-esque tropes are just plain fun to see play out, others are borderline nonsensical even in context.While you choose to play as a customized male or female cop on a special task force, your sibling--who's on the same team--becomes the narrative focal point with fully voiced dialogue. Your own character is relegated to being an awkward silent protagonist. It's disappointing because Astral Chain has so much stylistic potential to build from in order to give its lead character a distinct attitude. I can't help but see it as a missed opportunity, especially when both characters are voiced when they're your partner. In the end, the narrative presents stakes that are just high enough that you'll want to see it to the end, and, thankfully, every other part of the game remains outstanding.Astral Chain's shortcomings don't overshadow what it does best. It's an incredible execution of a fresh take on Platinum Games' foundation, standing among the stylish-action greats. And its own anime-inspired swagger makes fights all the more exhilarating. You'll come to appreciate the calmer moments in between that add variety and offer a second to relax before jumping back into the superb combat. After 40 hours with Astral Chain, I'm still eager to take on the tougher challenges, and I'll be grinning from ear to ear as I hit all the right moves, one after the other, while watching it all unfold.Info from Gamespot.com

Movie and TV giant Netflix does a lot of its business through streaming these days, but some may be surprised to know the company is actually more than two decades old. Its legacy is in the by-mail DVD and Blu-ray rental sector--and that's still very popular for Netflix.The company ships 1 million discs every week, and now Netflix's DVD business has reached a huge new milestone: 5 billion discs shipped."Five billion discs delivered is a huge milestone and we owe it all to our amazing members and team members," Netflix said in a tweet announcing the news.According to Entertainment Weekly, the Elton John biopic Rocketman was the 5 billionth DVD that went out to mail. One of the reasons people keep subscribing to the by-mail service is because not all movies are available to stream; Rocketman is an example of a popular movie that lots of people want to watch.5,000,000,000 shipments. F I V E B I L L I O N .The most heartfelt thank you to our incredible members that have been with us for the past 21 years of DVD Netflix. Five billion discs delivered is a huge milestone and we owe it all to our amazing members and team members. pic.twitter.com/Eg1bjEMtcx — DVD Netflix (@dvdnetflix) August 26, 2019As of June 30, the end of Netflix's most recent reporting period, the company had 2.4 million DVD by-mail subscribers. This works out to $157 million in revenue. The company's streaming business, of course, is much larger; it counts more than 150 million subscribers worldwide and $9.3 billion in revenue.Netflix is known for its huge number of original, exclusive series. One of the network's upcoming shows is The Witcher, which stars Henry Cavill as Geralt.Netflix was founded 21 years ago this week.Info from Gamespot.com

One of 2019's biggest games, Borderlands 3, launches very soon. Those looking to pick up the PC version can now have a look at the minimum and recommend specs, which publisher 2K posted todayIn addition to the specs themselves, which appear to be fairly reasonable, 2K posted a list of the many different graphics settings and visual options that PC players can take advantage of. Players will be able to tweak things like the field of view, ambient occlusion, and screen space reflections. Additionally, players are able to adjust things like the foliage detail, draw distance, character texture detail, and shadows, among many other things. Have a look at the lists below to see more.The PC version of Borderlands 3 is exclusive to the Epic Games Store through April 2020. At that point, it may release on other platforms such as Steam and others.Borderlands 3 launches on September 13 for PC, in addition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4. In other news, a new crossover event between Borderlands 3 and Fortnite has begun in the battle royale game.Borderlands 3 System RequirementsMinimumOS – Windows 7/8/10 (latest service pack)Processor – AMD FX-8350 (Intel i5-3570)Memory – 6GB RAMGraphics card – AMD Radeon HD 7970 (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB)HDD – 75 GBRecommended OS – Windows 7/8/10 (latest service pack)Processor - AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (Intel i7-4770)Memory – 16GB RAMGraphics card – AMD Radeon RX 590 (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB)HDD – 75 GBBorderlands 3 Graphics SettingsBasicGeneralGraphics API: DirectX 11, DirectX 12Display: (varies by setup)Display Mode: Full Screen, Windowed Borderless, WindowedResolution: (varies by setup)Vertical Sync: Off, OnResolution Scale: 50% - 200% in 25% incrementsLimit Frame Rate: Smooth 22-62 FPS, Capped 30 FPS, Capped 50 FPS, Capped 60 FPS, Capped 72 FPS, Capped 120 FPS, Unlimited, CustomCustom FPS Limit: default 90, minimum 15, maximum 300Calibrate Display: Brightness and HDRCalibrate Safe Area: Adjust the boundary of the UIField of View: default 90, minimum 70, maximum 110Vehicle Field of View: default 90, minimum 70, maximum 110HUD Scale: default 1, minimum 0.6, maximum 1.3AdvancedPreferencesDisplay Stats: Off, FPS, All (FPS, CPU, GPU)Anti Aliasing: None, FXAA, TemporalFidelityFX Sharpening: Off, OnCamera Motion Blur: Off, OnObject Motion Blur: Off, OnGeneralGraphics Quality: Low, Medium, High, UltraTexture Streaming: Low, Medium, High, UltraAnisotropic Filtering: 2x, 4x, 8x, 16xMaterial Quality: Low, Medium, High, UltraShadows: Low, Medium, High, UltraDraw Distance: Low, Medium, High, UltraEnvironment Texture Detail: Low, Medium, High, UltraEnvironment Detail: Low, Medium, High, UltraTerrain Detail: Low, Medium, High, UltraFoliage Detail: Low, Medium, High, UltraCharacter Texture Detail: Low, Medium, High, UltraCharacter Detail: Low, Medium, High, UltraAmbient Occlusion: Low, Medium, High, UltraVolumetric Fog: Off, Medium, High, UltraScreen Space Reflections: Off, Medium, High, UltraInfo from Gamespot.com

PAX West 2019 is shaping up to be a fun show that's packed with plenty of cool games to check out. There's going to be some heavy hitters like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Marvel's Avengers, but PAX West will also host a number of indie titles looking to leave their mark. Some of the most fun to be had, however, can be found at the panels and community events happening over the course of the show.In addition to our general coverage of the show, which you can keep track of on our PAX hub page, GameSpot will also host a panel on September 1 focusing on games that left a notable impression on us--despite making a poor first impression on us. Joining editor Michael Higham and video producers Jean-Luc Seipke and Jake Dekker are, Giant Bomb's Abby Russell, USGamer's Mike Williams, and freelance writer Ginny Woo, all of which will highlight their dark horse picks. You can find all the panel info you need on the PAX West official site, but here's the rundown on what our panel is all about:GameSpot Presents…The Best Games We Thought We Wouldn't LikeSunday, September 1, 2019 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST | CAT THEATRESurprise! It’s your favorite game you thought you’d never touch. Join GameSpot and friends as they unpack why certain games overcame our apparent disdain for a certain genre or style of game. Attendees will have a chance to share their picks as well and convince us it’s the next best game you didn’t know you needed!PanelistsMichael Higham, Editor at GameSpotJean-Luc Seipke, Video Producer at GameSpotJake Dekker, Video Producer at GameSpotAbby Russell, Video Producer at Giant BombMike Williams, Reviews Editor at USGamerGinny Woo, Freelance WriterIf you're attending PAX West 2019 on Sunday, September 1, feel free to swing by for our panel. For more on all things PAX, including news on Cyberpunk 2077 and our growing gallery rounding up the most interesting games of the show, be sure to check back with GameSpot over the course of the show.Info from Gamespot.com