Post-apocalyptic turn-based tactics game Overland--think XCOM crossed with The Oregon Trail--launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 19, a new trailer has revealed.Indie developer Finji's latest game puts you in control of a group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic America. You'll travel across the country in a vehicle, stopping to scavenge for supplies, rescue fellow travellers, and fend off the game's peculiar rock monsters. There are also dogs you can pet, and they even wear backpacks. Good doggos.Each level and character you meet on your journey is randomly generated, making each road trip different from the last. There's an emphasis on grabbing what you can and escaping back to your car before being overrun, and you'll have to make some tough choices about who to save and where to travel to next as you continue the fight to survive.Info from Gamespot.com

New Cyberpunk 2077 information is set to be revealed today, ahead of its April 2020 release. CD Projekt Red is hosting a stream for the upcoming game that will unveil a 15-minute edit of what was shown to attendees and press at Gamescom 2019.The stream will be hosted by Hollie Bennett, CD Projekt Red's UK head of comms, and will feature interviews with a lineup of developers ready to shed additional insight on the footage that's shown. The stream promises to delve into the thought process behind creative decisions, reveal information about Pacifica--one of the districts of Night City--and share tons of new information on the playstyles you’ll be able to adopt in Cyberpunk 2077.The company also planned to showcase gameplay at PAX West but there's been a change of plans and it will be streaming from Warsaw instead. "There are many logistical (and some creative) reasons behind this decision," CD Projekt Red said on its website. "The most important thing we want to say is that we’re sorry for the change of plans. We know that many of you waited to meet us face to face in Seattle and it bums us out that we won’t be able to see each other there." Despite this, the PAX cosplay contest is still on, there just won't be a developer panel on-site.The stream takes place on August 30 at 2pm EST // 11am PT // 6pm GMT // 8PM CEST on the official CD Projekt Red Twitch and Mixer channels.We also recently learned that the map in Cyberpunk 2077 is smaller than The Witcher 3, but that it's much denser. The game is expected to have a new game plus mode, too, and will feature a harder difficulty that turns off the game's UI. Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red says it is looking into multiplayer. Producer Richard Borzymowski told GameSpot that while nothing could be confirmed, the team will "think [about expansions]" after game development is done.Cyberpunk 2077 launches April 16, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, with an unannounced release date for Google Stadia.Info from Gamespot.com

When Thor: Ragnarok hit theaters in 2017, one of the most pleasant surprises of the film was the chemistry on display between Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), who was making her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. The two paired on-screen perfectly, making for a hilarious duo in the film. Thus, when it was announced that they would reunite to star in Men in Black: International, it was hard to look at it as anything but good news.Now, with the movie available now on digital release and headed to 4K and Blu-ray on September 3, a little light is being shed on the reunion. "It was great to not have to, sort of, work on the chemistry and find that rhythm," Hemsworth explained in a home release featurette, debuting exclusively on GameSpot. "We came off of Thor 3 and Avengers [Endgame], straight into this and picked up where we left off."For Thompson, though, it was less about continuing the chemistry from Ragnarok and more about looking for something new. "We're constantly trying to figure out how is this dynamic different," she said. "What can we bring?"What they brought, it seems, is a fair amount of improvised dialogue. "I think the best parts of our performance has been when [director F.] Gary [Gray] gives us our take at the end of each sort of setup," Hemsworth admitted. "We get to rub the edges off of it and improvise."As for whether the improvised dialogue and working relationship between the pair make a good movie, that's debatable. In his review, GameSpot's Chris E. Hayner called Men in Black: International "a predictable, cliched, and plodding affair that somehow loses the charm of both the franchise and the chemistry we all know exists between Hemsworth and Thompson."The 4K and Blu-ray releases of Men in Black: International are loaded with special features, which you can check out below.Deleted ScenesGag ReelNew Recruits, Classic Suits featuretteLet's Do This! Inside the Action & Stunts featuretteLook Right Here: Gadgets, Weapons, & Rides featuretteExpanding the Universe of MIB featuretteFrank & Pawny's Peanut Gallery featuretteLes Twins Leave It on the Floor featuretteIn Case You've Been Neuralyzed: MIB Recap featuretteThe MIB Meet the NBA featuretteMen in Black: International is available on digital now. It releases on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 3. Info from Gamespot.com

PAX West is underway and, CD Projekt Red kicked it off with an extended look at Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay during a livestream. The video footage shown during the stream was very similar to what was shown behind-closed-doors at E3 2019 and, more recently, Gamescom. But for those who weren't at the show and able to access the private demos, it was an exciting look at some of what the game will offer. The lengthy gameplay video is available to rewatch above and you'll get to see everything from Pacifica--a small section of Night City, where the game takes place-- to the gangs that inhabit it, and character customization. There's also a brief overview of how you can use futuristic technology to complete missions and a tease of the branching storylines.Pacifica is one of Night City's six unique districts and was designed to be a tourist hotspot. However, funding was pulled and what was meant to be a crown jewel of tourism has become an almost post-apocalyptic wasteland, where expectations and reality collide to result in ongoing disappointment. Pacifica is dangerous to those unfamiliar with it, but its local markets are good for finding cyberware.In terms of gangs, a group called the 'Animals' have moved in for reasons unknown. The district is predominantly ruled by the Voodoo Boys, however, which has caused some conflict. The Voodoo Boys are the most skilled at using the net and mainly made up of Haitians, who arrived en masse after the environmental changes resulted in Haiti being completely flooded some time ago. They don't usually work with outsiders but are making an exception for V, the character the player controls.In a discussion held after the gameplay demo was shown, senior level designer Miles Tost discussed how CD Projekt Red approached encounters and mission design, saying the team used a simple scenario to engage creative thinking and encourage non-linear design for missions. The scenario was effectively imagining the player has to go through a door and kill a character on the other side, but in going through the door, the player would be stripped of all weapons. With that rule and context established, the team began thinking about what different means could they implement to make the player get over this challenge and complete their mission, which naturally led to non-linear design.Quest designer Phillip Weber said that Night City is very large and dense, and although there are fast travel options, CD Projekt Red has filled it with interesting things to see and experience, so it's worth exploring on foot. The developer has city planners working on Cyberpunk 2077 to help make it feel like a real, believable location. Districts also have a character called a Fixer, who can give you jobs, which can be Street Stories--or sidequest. Following The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red setup a team to work on these side-quests, which no doubt means there will be plenty to do.Life paths were also a subject of discussion during the stream. These serve as the starting point for a character and, over the course of the game, you develop this through your actions. There are three main ways to go through the story, but a player can mix and match along the way, but your chosen life path will always be represented in conversations and quest branches. It's important to allow players to role-play their character, explained quest designer Pawel Sasako. Watch the video above to see it all. GPU manufacturer Nvidia recently dropped a teaser video on Twitter, showcasing the scope of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City. CD Projekt Red gave a private look at some Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay at E3 2019, which was supposed to be made public during PAX West but will now be streamed from Warsaw at an unspecified time. There are no specifics on what will be shown during the livestream, but the developers did confirm that the stream will feature a 15-minute edit of the demo shown privately at Gamescom and interviews "from the studio for additional information."In other Cyberpunk 2077 news, the upcoming action-RPG has dropped binary male/female options in favor of inclusivity. "You know, we really want to make a video game that's really inclusive," senior concept artist Marthe Jonkers told Metro. "Of course, if you tackle certain subjects then you will expect people to have an opinion about it and we respect that. And it's good that people give us feedback."Cyberpunk 2077 is expected to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release for Google Stadia in 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

The newest Pokemon mobile game, Pokemon Masters, has arrived on iOS and Android, and it's already off to an impressive start. According to mobile analytics company Sensor Tower (via Venture Beat), Masters is the No. 1 free game in the App Store in 27 countries, including the US and Japan.While Masters is free to download, it appears it's already raking in some cash as well. Sensor Tower reports the game is No. 1 on iPhone in terms of revenue in Japan and Hong Kong, although players in the US are spending far less on the title, at least at this early juncture, as the game is No. 12 in that same category in the region.Pokemon Masters is developed by DeNA, the studio that co-developed many of Nintendo's mobile titles, including Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The game takes place in a new island region called Pasio, where famous Pokemon trainers from around the world have gathered to participate in the Pokemon Masters League tournament.Each famous trainer comes with one partner Pokemon, forming a duo that is collectively known as a Synch Pair. Unlike most other Pokemon games, players don't catch their own Pokemon in Masters; rather, they recruit other Synch Pairs and form teams with them to take part in three-on-three real-time battles.If you're just jumping into the game, be sure check out our roundup of everything you need to know about Pokemon Masters. We've also broken down what Scout Points are and how to get them, as well as how to evolve and Mega Evolve Pokemon in the game.Info from Gamespot.com

It's Xur time in Destiny 2: the weekend is here, and so is the Agent of the Nine with his usual haul of Exotic items. There's not much of note in Xur's offerings today, but with the Iron Banner taking place while players wait for the launch of Shadowkeep, and Cross-Save now in full effect, it might be a good time to pick up any Exotics you're missing.Where Is Xur?Head to Titan to find Xur this weekend. He's hanging out on The Rig; from the transmat zone, head to the north end of the area. Once you pass under a mess of catwalks, look for a low building on your left, near the edge of the rig. Xur is inside.What Is Xur Selling?Xur doesn't have anything too remarkable on his slate this week, unfortunately, since most players will have picked up his Exotic weapon, Vigilance Wing, way back in the first year of Destiny 2. However, whereas there is no difference between each version of an individual Exotic weapon, armor is a different story. Because armor features randomized rolls, you might find that what Xur is selling offers better perks than the version you might already own. At the very least, these perks might better align with your playstyle. Or, if you don't already own these pieces, it's an easy opportunity to fill out your collection. Beyond the items, Xur also has the Five of Swords challenge card (to modify Nightfall difficulty) and an Invitation of the Nine (which provides you with some objectives and leads to a bit of new story content). And if you're a PC or Xbox One player taking advantage of Cross-Save, you can jump on PS4 and potentially get Wavesplitter from the Fated Engram.Xur Item Lineup (August 30-September 3)Vigilance Wing (Exotic Pulse Rifle) -- 29 Legendary ShardsAeon Safe (Exotic Titan Gauntlet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsOphidia Spathe (Exotic Hunter Chest Armor) -- 23 Legendary ShardsChromatic Fire (Exotic Warlock Chest Armor) -- 23 Legendary ShardsVigilance WingIf you love pulse rifles and don't have this one, now's a great time to snag Vigilance Wing and give it a workout in the Iron Banner. The pulse fires a five-round burst, rather than the three- or four-round standard of other rifles, and gives you increased movement speed and regeneration when nearby allies are killed. If you happen to be the last player alive on your fireteam, you get more bonuses of increased accuracy and weapon performances.Aeon SafeThe Aeon Cult Exotics are meant to be used together with a fireteam of buddies to maximize their abilities. For Titans, Aeon Safe gives nearby allies additional energy for their abilities: Grenade energy for Warlocks, Melee energy for Titans, and Dodge energy for Hunters. Players wearing Aeon Exotics get the most energy, but allies will get bonuses even if they're not wearing the Exotics.RollsSlot 1: Auto Rifle Loader; Scout Rifle Loader; Submachine Gun LoaderSlot 2: Grenade Launcher Scavenger; Special Ammo FinderOphidia SpatheHunters who like throwing knives, especially those who run the middle path on Gunslinger, will dig Ophidia Spathe. It's a simple Exotic that provides you a second throwing knife charge--great if you're trying to keep Playing With Fire going.RollsSlot 1: Unflinching Linear Fusion Aim; Unflinching Power Aim; Unflinching Light Arms AimSlot 2: Auto Rifle Reserves; Primary Ammo FinderChromatic FireFor Warlocks, there's Chromatic Fire. The chest armor triggers elemental explosions when you kill enemies with precision hits with your Kinetic weapon. The explosions are tied to the element of the subclass you're running, and can be pretty devastating in PvE situations.RollsSlot 1: Unflinching Hand Cannon Aim; Unflinching Scout Rifle Aim; Unflinching Large Arms AimSlot 2: Sidearm Reserves; Special Ammo Finder Info from Gamespot.com

Push Me Pull You developers House House has announced that its latest project, Untitled Goose Game, will honk onto Mac, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 20.House House shared the news on Twitter, alongside a release date trailer highlighting the honking shenanigans you can get into. As a very mean goose, you'll be able to terrorize children, ruin gardens and houses, startle people off their feet, and more--all while honking, of course. Think director Nick Castle's 1993 comedy classic Dennis the Menace but a goose instead.It's finally time to honk.Untitled Goose Game is coming to Nintendo Switch, Mac & PC on September 20th.https://t.co/mLLf8rWG4b pic.twitter.com/HxsM6TX0AV — House House (@house_house_) August 30, 2019Unveiled back in 2017, Untitled Goose Game was given an early 2019 release window in August 2018. House House went relatively quiet until E3 2019, where the indie developers revealed that the quirky puzzle game will be an Epic Store exclusive on PC. House House explained this decision, saying, "This kind of stability [that Epic provides in an industry like ours] is huge."PAX West is officially underway, and the news is starting to drizzle. We were able to check out 16 minutes of Streets of Rage 4, which included a look at new stages and the brand-new character Cherry Hunter. We also saw a closer look at Shadow of the Colossus-inspired indie game Praey for the Gods. Also out of PAX, Epic announced a new batch of Epic Store exclusives, including Manifold Garden and Superliminal. There's a lot more to come out of PAX West, which runs until Monday, September 2, so be sure to check out our hub for the latest news. Info from Gamespot.com

Intel has kicked off its Gamer Days 2019 discounts, which means multiple retailers are having sales on Intel-based hardware for the next week. In addition, Green Man Gaming is offering some great PC games on sale. There are so many discounts, it can be hard to sift through them all, so we've collected some of the most notable ones.As part of its free-play event happening now, Rainbow Six Siege ($8) and its multiple editions are on sale, with each one offering different levels of access to the game's 28 DLC operators. Assassin's Creed Odyssey ($30) and its special editions--which include varying amounts of DLC--are also discounted.Quite a few Konami games are included in the sale as well. These include Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience ($12), which gives you access to Ground Zeroes, The Phantom Pain, and all DLC; Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance ($7.50); and the three recently released Anniversary Collections--Contra ($14), Castlevania ($14), and Konami Arcade Classics ($14). All three Castlevania: Lords of Shadow games are also on sale.There are also some great deals on the latest Tomb Raider trilogy, Civilization VI's Gathering Storm expansion ($24), and Borderlands: The Handsome Collection ($5.50). The latter two deals are only available for the Mac versions. And of course, you can check out a list of even more at the bottom of this article.In addition to games, there are also a bunch of deals available at multiple retailers on Intel-based PC hardware. These sales last until September 8, with the exception of Best Buy, which runs until September 3. Some deals are only available for a limited time, so be sure to check and see if a product you're interested in expires early. For example, this all-in-one PC equipped with an RTX 2080 and i7-8700K is discounted by $500 on Amazon but only until August 31.CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme MSAAG1000 Gaming PC$1,100This is a Microsoft Store-exclusive deal. It comes equipped with an i7-9700F, GTX 1660, 16 GB RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and a 1TB HDD. It also includes a keyboard and mouse; the only thing you'll need is a monitor. You even get a bundle of some pretty dang good games. These include PUBG, Hitman, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and X-Morph: Defense.See it at MicrosoftMSI GE63 Raider Gaming Laptop$1,700 ($2,350)This gaming laptop has an i7-8750H, an RTX 2070, 16 GB RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and 1TB HDD. It also comes with the same bundle of PUBG, Hitman, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and X-Morph: Defense.See it at MicrosoftiBUYPOWER Pro Gaming PC Trace 928770$1,400This all-in-one PC has a six-core i7-8700, an RTX 2070, 16 GB RAM, a 240 GB SSD, and a 1 TB HDD. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a games bundle like the previous two deals.See it at AmazonDiscounted PC gamesAssassin's Creed Odyssey -- $30Rainbow Six Siege -- $8Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance -- $7.50Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience -- $12Superhot -- $10Superhot VR -- $12Contra Anniversary Collection -- $14Konami Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection -- $14Castlevania Anniversary Collection -- $14Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition -- $7.50Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 -- $10Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD -- $3.75Tomb Raider -- $3Rise of the Tomb Raider -- $12Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $19.80Borderlands: The Handsome Collection -- $5.50 (Mac version only)Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (DLC) -- $24 (Mac version only)You can check out the rest of the sales happening as part of Intel's Gamer Days event below.All-in-one PCs, gaming laptops, and moreSee the deals at Amazon See the deals at WalmartSee the deals at Best Buy See the deals at MicrosoftSee the deals at Newegg See the deals at CorsairInfo from Gamespot.com

Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in the fictional Night City, which is said to be a smaller, denser map than Geralt explored in The Witcher 3. But it is also a city, as opposed to The Witcher's various open fields and townships, so CD Projekt Red has hired on experts to help make it a reality.During a deep-dive into Cyberpunk alongside PAX West, the studio revealed that it hired real city planners to help map out Night City. As a result, they say that exploring the city feels organic and you can tell where you are by landmarks and other structures. That's especially important since the game is all first-person, so you'll need to be able to get your bearings from a relatively low perspective."We actually have proper city planners working here that are actually planning out Night City," said quest designer Phillip Weber. "How the traffic would work in that city and how it would make the most sense, how a city like that would grow organically, and how traffic would flow through there."Other new information provided during the stream includes how Cyberpunk 2077's sidequests will work, what Netrunners are capable of, and how deep character customization goes. Cyberpunk 2077 is expected to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release for Google Stadia in 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

As August comes to an end, we're officially less than a month away from fall. To herald in the season, two of this year's most anticipated horror games have just released, and on the same day: The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (PS4, Xbox One, PC) and Blair Witch (Xbox One, PC). If you were planning to buy either game on Steam, you'll want to know they're both on sale already at Green Man Gaming. Plus, Man of Medan's console versions are also getting price cuts.The Dark Pictures: Man of MedanWhile its MSRP is $30, The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is already discounted to $26.09, and new customers can save an additional 15% with promo code HELLO15, dropping the price to $25.49. The PS4 and Xbox One version are discounted too at various retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Man of Medan is the latest from Supermassive Games, the team behind acclaimed survival horror adventure Until Dawn. The first in an anthology of story-driven, cinematic horror games, Man of Medan follows a group of American students on a holiday diving trip who soon find themselves trapped on a cursed ghost ship.The game earned a 6/10 in GameSpot's Man of Medan review, in which critic James O'Connor took issue with its weaker narrative and reliance on jump scares. He did praise its "smart and innovative" online co-op mode. "It is, without a doubt, the definitive way to experience Man of Medan, especially if you're playing with another person who is familiar with the material," he wrote. "Shared Story sees you both playing at the same time, taking control of different characters as their scenes play out simultaneously. You'll both, eventually, get a turn with every character (if they live long enough), and often your paths will diverge. Once the five main characters meet after the initial prologue, Shared Story immediately offers a more engaging experience than the single-player campaign can."Despite less-than-stellar reviews, longtime Until Dawn fans will likely still want to dive in and get their first taste of The Dark Pictures anthology. You can grab Man of Medan for $25 at the following retailers.See at Green Man Gaming See at AmazonSee at Target See at WalmartBlair WitchInspired by the classic horror film franchise, Blair Witch is a first-person psychological horror game from Bloober Team, best known for creating the Layers of Fear games. Its list price is also $30, but new customers can get it for $25.49 with promo code HELLO15 at Green Man Gaming. You'll get a Steam key with that purchase, but if you aren't a new GMG customer, you can also buy it directly at Steam for $27. So far, it's not on sale anywhere for Xbox One.Blair Witch is set in 1996, when a boy goes missing in the Black Hills Forest in Maryland. You'll play as Ellis, a police officer investigating his disappearance. We haven't had a chance to review the game yet, but if you're familiar with the Blair Witch franchise, you can probably guess what disturbing ways the story may unfold from there.See at Green Man Gaming See at SteamGreen Man Gaming has some other solid deals available this weekend, including upcoming releases like Final Fantasy VIII Remastered (out Tuesday). You can check those deals out below.Final Fantasy VIII Remastered -- $17 using promo code HELLO15*, includes pre-order bonusGreedfall -- $43.39 ($42.49 with promo code HELLO15*), includes pre-order bonusChildren of Morta -- $17.42Layers of Fear: Masterpiece Edition -- $6.44 (72% off)InnerSpace -- $4 (80% off)Observer -- $7.20 (76% off)Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- $8 (60% off) (Mac only)Civilization VI: Gathering Storm -- $24 (40% off) (Mac only)Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $19.80 (67% off)Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Croft Edition -- $29.70 (67% off)Ancestors Legacy -- $17.50Through the Woods: Collector's Edition -- $5.75 (75% off)Deep Sky Derelicts -- $10 (50% off)*new customers onlyInfo from Gamespot.com

Netflix's critically acclaimed horror anthology series that kicked of with The Haunting Of Hill House last year is returning for a second season with an all-new spooky house and a healthy mix of new and returning cast. Season 2, titled The Haunting Of Bly Manor, will return at some point next year.Details about the plot are still relatively sparse, but director Mike Flannagan has been slowly rolling out casting announcements on social media. Today, he announced that Catherine Parker, who played Poppy Hill in Season 1, will be returning. She'll be joined by T'nia Miller (Years and Years, Free Rain), Rahul Kohli (Supergirl, iZombie), and Amelia Eve (Mens Sana, Big Boys Don't Cry). Miles and Flora, the two children at the heart of Bly Manor's mystery will be played by Benjamin Ainsworth, and Amelie Smith (EastEnders).Almost a decade ago, I first worked with CATHERINE PARKER on a tiny movie called ABSENTIA. Last season, she was unforgettable as Poppy Hill... today, I’m thrilled to announce that she’s joining us at Bly Manor. — Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) August 30, 2019These cast members will join Hill House veterans Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas and Kate Seigel, all of whom will be playing new roles for the new season in the style of other horror anthology series like American Horror Story.Like Hill House before it, The Haunting Of Bly Manor will be based on a horror classic. The 1898 Henry James novella, The Turn of The Screw, will provide the inspiration for this season--though, if Hill House is any indication, we can expect Flanagan and company to come up with all sorts of interesting twists and turns that will keep Bly Manor from becoming a predictable adaptation.Info from Gamespot.com

I died eight times before level 10 in World of Warcraft Classic. Compared to vanilla World of Warcraft back in 2005, that was probably a lot more efficient than the first time around. In 'live,' or 'retail,' or whatever we're calling the current version of World of Warcraft, you really only die in the open world if you make a stupid mistake. WoW Classic is a surprising reminder that the game once seemed to be deeply comfortable with making players fall on their face.In the two years since WoW Classic was announced at BlizzCon 2017, the mood has shifted dramatically. At first, the majority of the sentiment wondered, "Why would someone want to go back?" But a hardcore tribe of vanilla WoW fans, so serious about the old-school experience they'd been chasing black market private servers to get that OG feeling any way they could, felt very different. In recent months, with the Classic beta giving many players and streamers a chance to look back and let the nostalgic love flow back into their hearts, it seemed like everyone was ready for launch day.Indeed, too many were ready for launch day.The queues were ridiculous, over 20,000 strong and half-day wait times on some servers. Lucky for some, rotten for others, server crashes saw the queues rotate a little faster, but those who crashed out found themselves sent to the back of the queue. Blizzard launched extra servers to spread the load and help people just get in and have fun. But the reason so many stayed in those queues instead of jumping to an easy server is a big part of what exactly people were coming back to Classic to look for.No, not the queue itself. "A true day one experience lol" was the catch cry, but the reason people stayed put was fundamental--people made plans to play with old friends and reform old guilds, and once the plans were in place you couldn't just swap to a new server on the fly. Classic is all about community. Even in those early levels the game plays in ways akin to why people are falling in love with more recent games that are lauded for their difficulty. Yes, World of Warcraft isn't really a 'hard' game in the same way something like Dark Souls is, but to succeed with minimal delay, you need friends to get by.Back in 2005, WoW was seen as so ubiquitous in Silicon Valley circles it built a reputation as a kind of 'new golf'. A place where people would meet and hang out. Run a dungeon together. Do some fishing. Discuss business while sitting in Booty Bay.Some of that may have been all talk, but in my own experience as an early-career tech and games journalist I did make friends with future colleagues through the game. I joined a guild and spent time regularly with people I'd met in the industry, which helped solidify work contacts and networks. If I'd started World of Warcraft in more recent years, the years since automated random dungeon and raid queues, and tools that let you group with people without ever needing to type a word or know their names, I don't feel like I'd have built such friend networks through the game so easily. During the first few days of WoW Classic, with everyone at low levels, sharing scant resources and mobs in the earliest areas of the game, spontaneous groups would form as people helped each other complete quests to progress a little faster and with minimal loss of life. I was invited to group while on my very first quest at level one--"Hey, we need to kill some stuff. Let's kill stuff together."The global chat channel in a multiplayer game was actually full of nice and helpful comments for once, as people answered each other's questions or requests for help. It was like a time before social media had made us all (or at least me) the jaded cynics we've become.Named mobs for early quests were a particular problem. At first, people just formed circles and partied up in groups of five. If you got the first hit, lucky you and your four friends. But then rumors started to circulate that some servers were forming spontaneous queues for bottleneck kills. If I hadn't seen the screenshots I'd have thought it was an urban myth.Let´s Do It The Right Way :D Build A Line Info from Gamespot.com

While The Witcher 3 saw you play as the fixed character of Geralt of Rivia, CD Projekt Red's upcoming action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077 will feature a substantial character creator where there are few limits on who you are and what you can become.CD Projekt Red wrapped up its Cyberpunk 2077 livestream, where we saw new gameplay showcasing separate playstyles. In the deep dive livestream, we also got a glimpse at the game's character creator, which first has you selecting from different backgrounds or "life paths"--Corporate, Nomad, and Street Kid. Each path impacts Cyberpunk 2077's beginning, with you starting in different areas of Night City depending on your background.CD Projekt Red's lead quest designer Pawel Sasko said this choice is taken into consideration throughout the entire game. "You, as the player, can actually associate yourself with Nomads [or] Corporate people, or you can be part of the streets," Sasko explained. "It's really up to you what path you want to pick through the main story." You aren't bound to your life path, but your origin will be "[taken] from the very beginning till the very end [of the game]." As such, Sasko said you can use these origins to your advantage, allowing you to exploit and, perhaps, unlock branching dialogues and quests depending on your interactions with your chosen group.We also saw a brief look at the character creator screen in the Cyberpunk 2077 deep dive livestream. You start by selecting a body type, then you can define your appearance, fine-tuning things like skin color and facial features. Following this, you're taken to the attributes menu, where you slot points into traits like "Cool" and "Intelligence." On top of attributes, you have skills that further define your character's intricacies. One skill is called "Cold Blood," unlocked via the "Cool" attribute, and it grants you extra damage and survivability when your health is nearly depleted. Using skills repeatedly results in you getting better with that skill and unlocking perks in that skill's tree. For example, with special perks added to your "Athletics" skill, you can run while carrying a dead body, potentially bolstering your stealth playthrough.Cyberpunk 2077's "Cool" attribute pertains to your ability to handle pressure, not how stylish you are in-game. The cooler you are, the better things like accuracy will be. And the cooler you are, the better you'll be able to handle tense dialogue situations.There are a few other details to note out of the Cyberpunk 2077 deep dive livestream. CD Projekt Red announced that it has hired real city planners to construct and flesh out the fictional Night City. The studio established a brand-new team dedicated to sidequests after how successful they were in The Witcher 3. Finally, you won't have to worry about cool-factor and functionality in Cyberpunk 2077, as CD Projekt Red is aiming to address the common RPG discrepancy between how something looks and how well it functions.CD Projekt Red confirmed Cyberpunk 2077 will feature non-binary gender options in the character creator. "You know, we really want to make a video game that's really inclusive," senior concept artist Marthe Jonkers said. "Of course, if you tackle certain subjects then you will expect people to have an opinion about it and we respect that. And it's good that people give us feedback."Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release for Google Stadia some time in 2020.PAX West is officially underway, and there's a lot more news to come out of the event. Be sure to check out our hub for more news on Cyberpunk 2077 and more.Info from Gamespot.com

During its Cyberpunk 2007 deep dive gameplay stream, CD Projekt Red talked at length about various aspects of the upcoming PS4, Xbox One, and PC RPG. One of the interesting tidbits that was discussed was the conflict that can often arise between how items impact the way a character looks and their capabilities. This, according to the developer, is something that the team is very aware of and intends to tackle.In many RPGs, players often have to make sacrifices between equipping items that bestow valuable stat changes and items that are in line with the way they want their character to look. We've all had that situation where a piece of equipment looks good but has rubbish stats--or vice verse--and agonized about what to do and, according to senior level designer Miles Tost, CD Projekt Red knows this is a concern."It's really important to us for you to be able to realize your character. Of course that comes in the character creation but also how you dress your character, right? We're aware that, in most RPGs, there's this disconnect between the stats on an item and the looks ... Let's just say we're aware of this conflict of interest, I guess."So, we're looking into how you would be able to make your character still look cool despite having the best stats of an item. It just goes to show that is really important to us. Of course, the whole role-playing aspect goes even further because we'll have customization options not only for the way you look but also for your guns."The stream was replete with information about the game. Among the cooler revelations was that CD Projekt Red has real city planners working on Cyberpunk 2077 so that it can build its setting, Night City, to be realistic and believable. We also got a pretty in-depth breakdown of how sidequests will work in Cyberpunk 2077.Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release for Google Stadia some time in 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red gave fans another extended look at Cyberpunk 2077 with its latest deep-dive gameplay video. Following the demonstration, a few of the developers sat down to further discuss the anticipated title, and one topic they touched on was how sidequests, a longtime RPG staple, will work in the upcoming game.Those who've played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will remember that sidequests and other jobs could be accepted from various notice boards in each town, but in Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red says the quests will be more organically tied into the world. One way is through "fixers" like Dexter DeShawn, who played a major role in last year's gameplay demo.Most districts in Night City will have its own fixer, and these characters may contact you with jobs they need to get done. These jobs can come in the form of "street stories," which will show up on your map as an icon denoting what kind of street story it is.CD Projekt Red has previously said Night City will have a denser map than The Witcher 3 did, and the studio revealed during the interview that it created a dedicated team to fill the world with engaging sidequests and other activities for players to do."After [The Witcher 3:] Wild Hunt, we actually founded a completely new team, the open world team, which is creating some amazing content to fill this world with things that are meaningful," quest designer Philipp Weber said. "We want to make this [so that] you can do many, smaller things around the city, but they're all cool and unique in their own way."The latest Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay demo gave us a glimpse at Pacifica, one of the districts in Night City. Pacifica was originally intended to be a tourist hot spot, but it fell into disarray after funding was pulled and has since been overrun by two gangs: the Voodoo Boys and the Animals, the latter of which have taken over the Grand Imperial mall. Another interesting tidbit CD Projekt Red revealed is that it is working with real city planners to design Night City.Cyberpunk 2077 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 16, 2020. The game is also coming to Google Stadia. You can read more about the game and its collector's edition in our Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com