Aside from a manga adaptation, Kill la Kill The Game: IF is the first expansion to the story of 2013's Kill la Kill, the hit anime series that put Studio Trigger on the map. Kill la Kill IF captures the unique fighting styles of the main cast of characters from the anime in arena battles, while also delivering some enjoyable missions to tackle in the single-player campaign. It doesn't manage to deliver a balanced competitive landscape, but there is a delightful collection of rewards to work towards in Kill la Kill IF--supplying a satisfying incentive for replaying the single-player content.Kill la Kill follows Ryuko Matoi, who transfers to Japan's prestigious Honnouji Academy in hopes of finding answers to her father's murder. Her only clue is half of the giant scissor used to kill him. Honnouji Academy is run by fascist student council president Satsuki Kiryuin and her closest allies: the Elite Four. Students at the school wear Goku Uniforms, each providing enhanced strength and superhuman abilities. Realizing Satsuki recognizes the scissor blade she carries, Ryuko attacks and demands answers, only to be ultimately trounced by the president's underlings. After escaping, Ryuko stumbles upon a sentient sailor uniform who gifts her with god-like magical girl powers when it feeds on her blood. Now much more powerful, Ryuko swears to defeat the entire student body of Honnouji Academy and gain the answers she seeks.Kill la Kill IF is a "what if" scenario, asking, "What if Satsuki was the protagonist of Kill la Kill?" The hypothetical is explored in the game's campaign extraordinarily well, putting forth the theory that Satsuki may have been the brilliant mastermind behind the anime's entire narrative from the very beginning, tragically refusing the spotlight she wants because she believes her plans for a better world will work out for the better if Ryuko is the main hero. It's a fascinating addition to Kill la Kill's lore, and it provides plenty of incentive to see the game's two-part campaign all the way through.Combat in Kill la Kill IF is pretty easy to pick up, with your staple combination of close-range, long-range, aerial, guard-break, and special attacks. There's also a rock-paper-scissors-style clash system that allows you to buff yourself if you're lucky enough to win. Though every character controls the same, each has a completely different specialty and unique playstyle. Masochistic Ira Gamagoori becomes more powerful by whipping and damaging himself, for instance, while petite Nonon Jakuzure excels at shooting her opponent from a distance and manipulative Nui Harime relies on decoys to overwhelm her opponents from multiple angles. Though the roster does offer a diversity of playstyles, there are only eight options to choose from at launch. That's a pretty small pool for a fighting game--disappointing given how massive Kill la Kill's cast is. This is slightly offset by the alternate costumes that change how certain characters attack, but the adjustments aren't enough to make the variants feel like brand-new fighters.Exciting though the colorful combat may be, it also feels lopsided with no reliable means of defending yourself. Every fighter can block and dodge, but both moves are pretty slow so it's fairly easy to just overwhelm opponents with aggressive close-range characters. Once caught in a combo, there's only one way to recover, and that's using a counter burst--a move that uses up half of your special attack meter. You have to deal out or endure quite a few hits to fill up the meter, so you can't regularly rely on having a counter burst at the ready. And if you are caught in a combo and you don't have that 50% of meter to burn, you just have to wait until your opponent stops attacking you. As a result, juggling can be a pretty big issue against difficult AI opponents or advanced players that know how to pull off the game's longer, more devastating combos--which can lead to unfair and unfun matches.Despite the issues with combat, battles in the game are wholeheartedly Kill la Kill, and they're typically glorious fun as a result. Characters yell out the name of their special attacks--some with barely contained rage and others with malicious glee--in epic battle cries, each one animated in a cel-shaded rendition of Kill la Kill's over-the-top style. The most powerful blows land with an impact, slowing down the action just long enough for you to understand the recipient is about to be very hurt. The addition of the luck-based clash system feels right at home too, giving you a last-ditch effort to maybe make a comeback--randomly screaming during a battle and luckily finding a deeper well of strength is extremely Kill la Kill. Sure, the lack of a reliable counter system means winning in these battles is less about skill and more about who can press the attack buttons more quickly, but that doesn't change that most matches are still explosively epic, full of silly puns, and just enjoyable to play. This is especially true for most of the battles in Kill la Kill IF's campaign.There are a variety of obstacles to overcome in the campaign as the game offers more than what's usually expected from arena fighters. Though there are still traditional one-on-one fights, Kill la Kill IF's story mode is a mixture of various mission types. The most interesting ones take advantage of the constantly shifting alliances in the narrative. One battle has Satsuki, Ryuko, and Nui all fight in a three-way free-for-all, for instance, and another sees Satsuki go up against the brain-washed Elite Four in a one-on-four fight. Wave-based battles against a horde of enemies are thrown into the mix, too. The variety keeps the campaign from getting stale.Though these types of missions offer a welcome change of pace for an arena fighter, they're also held back by Kill la Kill IF's traditional mechanics and features. Most arena fighters don't need a mechanic to specifically focus on one combatant or a feature to alert you when an off-screen target is about to attack, as fights are pretty much exclusively one-on-one. In Kill la Kill IF's campaign, where you occasionally fight multiple enemies at once and the only way to remain focused on a character is to stay near them, the absence of any such mechanic or feature is far more noticeable. It's tricky to stay focused on the fighter you want when you and your opponents are being smacked around the arena, and it's frustrating when you're in the midst of a combo and you don't know whether you need to suddenly dodge or block because you're about to be attacked from outside your field of view.Outside the campaign, Kill la Kill IF offers Practice and Versus modes, as well as a horde challenge and figure posing gallery. Given the risque nature of Kill la Kill, it's a nice surprise that the figures' available poses aren't all that leery, though the offering of shots you can produce is a little sparse. The gallery feels tacked on as a poor replacement for a photo mode, which is a shame given how gorgeous many of the characters look while in motion. Versus runs without much issue, but the online ranked mode does confirm that this fighting game has a juggling problem that rewards aggressive attack combos as opposed to strategic play.Both the Japanese and English dub anime voice actors reprise their roles in Kill la Kill IF, so you can enjoy whichever cast you prefer (it's something a lot more anime games should do, frankly). Unfortunately, the English dub doesn't perfectly match up in certain animations, so there are quite a few moments where characters are technically done speaking but their mouths keep moving. It's no deal-breaker, as both sets of voice actors do a great job once again bringing their respective characters to life. The voices aren't the only sound from the anime to make it into the game either. Songs from Kill la Kill are regularly intermixed into the originally composed soundtrack, including fan-favorites "Before My Body Is Dry" and "Sirius," augmenting every battle and emotional moment with the same epic sensations as the anime.The voice actors and soundtrack provide the biggest motivation to keep playing Kill la Kill IF. As you complete the story and win matches, you'll unlock in-game currency that you can use to buy songs and special recorded messages. The messages that seem to be from the characters' perspectives are an absolute delight, like Satsuki providing words of encouragement to those living in "this cruel world," but most are from the voice actors themselves--Todd Haberkorn (Shirou Iori) teasingly relaying congratulations for beating the game, for instance, or Carrie Keranen (Satsuki Kiryuin) revealing just how much it meant to get a chance to do voice work for Kill la Kill again after nearly five years. It's all phenomenal content--ranging from hilarious to heartfelt--which provides plenty of incentive to keep playing and earn more in-game currency.Kill la Kill IF is clearly designed for fans of Kill la Kill who are looking for more ways to enjoy the characters, music, and battles of the anime series. Each fighter behaves as they do in the anime, and the excellent voice actor rewards provide a nice incentive to keep playing even after you've mastered every character. However, as a fighting game, Kill la Kill IF doesn't deliver the expected harmony of offense and defense. And though campaign battles that are beyond the one-on-one formula are an awesome addition, the traditional arena fighting game mechanics aren't designed to adequately handle multiple opponents. The campaign's startling revelation is a fascinating turn of events for Kill la Kill's story, though, creating a new and intriguing interpretation of one of 2013's best anime series.Info from Gamespot.com

In Wolfenstein's alternate 1980s, Nazis remain a tyrannical force of evil and oppression across Europe, even after Hitler was killed by series protagonist BJ Blazkowicz. Thus, the Nazi killing continues as the Blazkowicz twins, Jess and Soph, pick up where their parents left off for a spin-off in Wolfenstein: Youngblood--a relentless co-op shooter driven by an unapologetic, youthful attitude. It may not reach the same narrative heights of its predecessors or land every idea borne out in its new approach, but Youngblood hits where it counts.Our introduction to Jess and Soph shows how their parents, Anya and BJ, taught them the means for survival on their rural Texas homestead. There's a tense tone of protective parents who've been through the worst and are preparing their daughters to be able to handle the same, which is quickly juxtaposed with the twins' carefree exuberance when alone together. Bring in the wizkid best friend Abby, daughter of Wolfenstein 2's Grace Walker, and you have a trio that brings their own unique swagger to the Wolfenstein name.Their personalities immediately come to life. Jess and Soph are boisterous and sometimes dorky, the same way many teenagers and young adults are, and it gives them genuine personalities that mostly just come off cool as hell, especially with stellar voice acting. They'll go back and forth about their favorite superspy novel series Arthur & Kenneth, even imagining themselves as their beloved in-fiction duo. They'll refer to things their parents have done, hype each other up in combat, and just straight up act silly in the elevator loading screens to the tune of '80s synthpop background music, breathing new life into the Blazkowicz family.The game is less about a bold, fleshed-out narrative and more about instilling an infectious charisma in its star characters to match the over-the-top action and sow the seeds for what's next in Wolfenstein.It's not long before they take a turn for the absurd; with BJ gone missing, they uncover clues to his disappearance and take matters into their own hands. But they're not exactly sneaking out of the house or secretly taking their parents' car out for a drive. They're taking a military-grade helicopter to Nazi-occupied France to find their dad, and well, kill Nazis. As either Jess or Soph (with your co-op or AI partner as the other sister) and equipped with high-tech Da'at Yichud battle suits, you join a French resistance movement in Neu-Paris, which quickly boils down to you raiding Nazi outposts and strongholds.With Jess and Soph inseparable, co-op is at the heart of the experience, and thankfully partnering up online is a breeze. As a host you can have friends (or randoms) jump into your session seamlessly without interruption; the AI will assume control until a player connects and again right as a player leaves. If players have identical missions in the quest log, completing it will record progress for both players. And if you'd rather go it alone alongside a decent AI companion, it's just as viable an option for the entire game.Youngblood captures that familiar Wolfenstein feeling of taking an automatic shotgun to a Nazi soldier, melting an armor-clad supersoldier with a laser rifle, or zapping a horde with a lighting coil, and what a powerful feeling it is. But what's new is that tougher enemies have one of two armor elements that are weak to corresponding weapons, encouraging you to actively juggle your varied arsenal. Furthermore, a slightly more diverse weapon upgrade system helps flesh out some familiar firearms to get them to function the way you prefer and tear through enemies more efficiently.Light RPG elements also make their way into the character progression system; you rack up XP then dump upgrade points into new skills and perks, like raising health/armor caps, increasing cloak times, stocking heavy weapons, and much more. Enemies scale to your level, and only a few sections are defended by near-impossible enemies early on. It's a simple system that helps facilitate steady unlocks, making you feel like you're getting ever more devastating, but never overpowered.Solid gunplay and some neat mechanics wouldn't mean much without the proper combat encounters to complement them, and Youngblood delivers. You'll often find yourself pulling out all the stops to either finish combat scenarios or realize you have to retreat and rethink your approach. A completely stealthy approach isn't as viable as it was in previous Wolfenstein games, even with the new cloaking ability, but it's a good way to thin out the opposition before going all-out guns blazing. It can get overwhelming when supersoldiers, massive mechs, and a bomb-strapped panzerhund bear down on you, but that's when Youngblood is at its best. Intense firefights can break out anywhere with little warning, and the main missions manage to keep a consistent action-packed momentum throughout.Youngblood captures that familiar Wolfenstein feeling of taking an automatic shotgun to a Nazi soldier, melting an armor-clad supersoldier with a laser rifle, or zapping a horde with a lighting coil, and what a powerful feeling it is.Admittedly, co-op centric features are a bit sparse. Each sister has a roster of emotes and motivational quips called pep signals that provide stat buffs or much-needed armor/health. However, that's pretty much what you get in terms of tandem abilities, and the absence of some sort of joint attack or tag-team abilities feels like a missed opportunity. In the fray, partners will be frantically trying to revive each other or falling back on shared lives which work like instant continues, taking the place of a traditional checkpoint system. It can be frustrating to make it to the final fight of a main mission, run out of shared lives, and be sent back to the very beginning of the mission. But if anything, it's a crude way to emphasize cooperation and tactical gameplay.Overall, Youngblood leans more into an open structure by making Neu-Paris a group of separate districts (open hub areas) where you find your missions. After a brief introduction, you're tasked with assaulting three "Brother" towers--your main quests--attached to each hub area. Out on the streets, though, side missions and random events fill in the spaces and are conducive for racking up early XP, getting familiar with district layouts, and soaking up the vibe of a downtrodden 1980s Paris, but these missions quickly feel like filler that bulk out your to-do list.The design of the districts are striking, however, and you'll see hints of Arkane Studios' influence; when I'm double jumping and mantling to the rooftops and top floors of buildings, I'm reminded of Dishonored, especially as I search for collectibles and chests full of currency. This approach also spices up combat with some verticality and the opportunity to flex the agile capabilities of those slick Da'at Yichud suits. The Brother towers even have alternative entry points that you'll have to discover yourself or find through side missions. It's a successful incorporation of that studio's strengths, and the game is better for it.The Paris catacombs acts your safe hub in Youngblood, and it's where you accept side missions from resistance members, stock up on supplies, or hit up the old knock-off Wolfenstein 3D cabinet. It's not as extensive as The New Colossus' U-boat home, and you won't get much from its inhabitants--they're nowhere near as involved as Wolfenstein 2's supporting cast since they're just quest givers. However, Jess, Soph, and Abby are there to pick up the slack.They might be polar opposites of their parents, but it gives Youngblood its own flair. BJ's inner monologue and struggle internalizing life-long trauma is at the heart of modern Wolfenstein games, and Anya has seen the pure evil of the Nazi regime first hand through the years. Naturally, Jess and Soph have vastly different characterizations, only knowing a post-war world and presumably growing up in a stable household. They capture the spirit of a carefree youth, yet they share the same unfettered motivation for killing Nazis; it would seem that Anya and BJ taught them well.The story doesn't reach the same highs as mainline Wolfenstein games, namely The New Colossus. It’s an incredibly tough act to follow, really. But aside from a cheap plot twist and underwhelming villains, most of Youngblood's lean story is quality stuff. To that end, the game is less about a bold, fleshed-out narrative and more about instilling an infectious charisma in its star characters to match the over-the-top action and sow the seeds for what's next in Wolfenstein. Despite Youngblood taking place after events we've yet to see unfold in the mainline games, it leaves the door open for some exciting, wild possibilities for where the series could go.Jess and Soph are boisterous and sometimes dorky, the same way many teenagers and young adults are, and it gives them genuine personalities that mostly just come off cool as hell...Throughout Youngblood, traces of an ongoing game structure become more pronounced once you finish the main story. You can take on daily and weekly challenges as they cycle into the game, which offer some additional XP and currency to unlock any remaining abilities and weapon mods. What's a bit more substantial is the option to replay story missions on harder difficulties (hard, very hard, and challenging) for increasing amounts of XP and currency. While it's a bog-standard way to keep the co-op experience going, they at least offer an outlet to try new tactics, as these harder modes can become quite unforgiving. The endgame may not be extensive, but the ride was exciting enough that the content feels like a little value added.Wolfenstein: Youngblood has the series' signature first-person shooting thrills that'll have you gladly busting shots and blasting lasers in the face of Nazi trash--and the opportunity to do so alongside a friend. It incorporates some new ideas which are serviceable for the most part, but hits more of the right notes in RPG elements and level design. It also knows the resistance doesn't end when one person cuts the head off a monstrous regime; the fight continues, sometimes into the next generation. And the way this brief spin-off broadens the saga with the Blazkowicz twins makes you wish there was more to see from this new cast of lovable knuckleheads. Jess and Soph--and Abby too--learned from the best, and embrace their newfound duty of ridding their world of tyranny while being cool as hell doing it. Youngblood is short, but oh-so sweet. Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses asks a lot of you. Every piece, from battle to friendships to training your units, must be managed both individually and as part of a whole. It can be intimidating, but when it all clicks together, it really clicks. Mastering the art of thoughtful lesson planning as a professor improves your performance on the battlefield, where success relies on calculated teamwork and deft execution. Cultivating relationships during battle in turn draws you closer to each of the characters, who you then want to invest even more time into in the classroom. Every piece feeds into the next in a rewarding, engrossing loop where you get lost in the whole experience, not just in the minutiae.Three Houses casts you as a mercenary who, while out on a mission with their father, runs into a group of teens under attack. After a brief introduction and battle tutorial--which you shouldn't need, since you're apparently already an established mercenary, but we'll go with it--you learn that they are students at Garreg Mach monastery. Each of them leads one of the school's three houses: Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer. At the behest of the church's archbishop, who definitely gives off nefarious vibes but is also a gentle mom figure, you end up becoming a professor and must choose which of the houses to lead. There is a lot of mystery to the setup, with consistent hints that something is not quite right, and it's easy to get absorbed in trying to figure out what the archbishop and various other shady figures are up to.Your main role as professor is to instruct your students in matters of combat and prepare them for story battles at the end of each month. Battles in Three Houses feature the same turn-based, tactical combat at the heart of the series, albeit with some changes. The classic weapon triangle is downplayed quite a bit in favor of Combat Arts, which have been altered somewhat from their introduction in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Combat Arts are attacks tied to a weapon type and can boost a unit's attack power at the expense of weapon durability; some are effective against specific enemy types, like armored units. You can also unlock skills outside of Combat Arts that grant you better stats with certain weapons, like a heftier boost for using an axe against a lance user, similar to the old weapon triangle. It's the same complexity the series is known for but less abstracted, making it a bit easier to strategize without sacrificing depth.One of the big combat additions is battalions, mini armies you can equip that provide various benefits to a unit during battle. They also give you a new type of attack called a Gambit, which varies based on the type of battalion--magic-focused, brute force, and so on--and stuns the enemies it hits. Gambits are limited-use and can be incredibly powerful against the right enemies. You can increase a Gambit's effectiveness even further if one or more of your other units are within attack range of the target, a tried-and-true Fire Emblem concept that applies to all kinds of attacks. There's also an anime-style splash screen as you attack that shows each character involved in the Gambit looking fierce, which adds a nice bit of drama.How much you use Combat Arts and Gambits depends on what difficulty you're on. On Normal difficulty, well-trained units will likely be able to dispatch most enemies in one or two hits without the help of Combat Arts or Gambits. On Hard, however, enemies hit harder and withstand your attacks better. You have to think much more carefully about unit placement, the best time to use a Gambit and take advantage of its stun effect, and how many Combat Arts you can fire off before your weapon breaks. This is where things get exciting; after a few turns of cautious setup, you (hopefully) get to knock out tons of enemies as your plans fall into place.Some of the early-game and optional battle maps are open spaces that don't require you to think too hard, especially on Normal. But the story battles throughout feature a variety of map layouts--from pirate ships to what appears to be a lava-filled cavern--that challenge you to consider where your units need to be, both in the next turn and several turns down the line. Many of them have different routes, enemies coming at you from multiple angles, optional treasure to chase, and other quirks that require you to split your party up or change their equipped classes to suit the situation. Thieves, for instance, can open chests and doors without a key, while flying units don't take damage from ground that's on fire.The depth of strategy in these elements really shines on Hard difficulty, but especially so when coupled with Divine Pulse, another limited-use ability. Divine Pulse allows you to rewind time in order to redo all or part of the battle, usually if one of your units dies. Rewinding with Divine Pulse shows just how important unit placement and attack choice can be, as even a slight change can make or break the encounter. It's also just a nice quality-of-life feature if you play on Classic mode, in which units who die in battle are lost forever and can't fight or train anymore. You might still soft reset from time to time, but it's great to be able to rectify a mistake right away and get a shot of instant gratification for a job well re-done.Battling, of course, is only one part of life at the monastery. The backbone of Three Houses is the monthly school calendar, and if you like organizing things, planning ahead, or school in general, this can be the most engrossing part. On Sundays, you have free time you can spend in one of four ways: exploring the monastery, participating in side battles, holding a seminar to improve your students' skills, or simply taking the day off. Mondays are for instruction, which consists of selecting students from a list and choosing a few of their skills to boost. The rest of the week goes by automatically, with a sprite of the professor running along the calendar and stopping occasionally for random events or story cutscenes. It sounds a bit hands-off, but there's a lot to think about as it is, and the week-by-week rather than day-by-day structure keeps things moving and ensures you never have to wait too long to progress in any area.The predictable structure of each month--and the fact that you can see the full month's schedule with events listed ahead of time--gives you the foundation to make effective plans. All that time management can definitely be overwhelming, at least at first. You have to keep tabs on your students' skills and study goals, your own skills, everyone's inventory, and various other meters and menus while planning for the lessons and battles to come. But you're treated to a near-constant stream of positive reinforcement as those meters fill up week by week and your students improve their skills. You're always moving toward the next thing: the next level up, the next skill you need to develop, the next month and what may unfold.To complement this, your activities when exploring the monastery (as well as how many battles you can participate in, if you choose to battle on your day off) are limited by activity points. You get more as your "professor level" increases, which means you have to balance activities that boost your professor level with ones that help your students grow. Activity points also ensure that the month continues at a healthy pace, preventing you from lingering on any one Sunday for too long. Seminars and rest days just eat up the whole day without consideration for activity points, which can break up the more involved weeks and provide their own benefits.How you choose to spend your time also comes down to how motivated your students are to learn. Each of your students has a motivation gauge that's drained when you instruct them, and they can't be instructed again until you interact with them and get their motivation back up. You can do this most effectively when exploring the monastery--where you get to talk to different characters, give them gifts, and share bonding time with them--whereas battle only rarely increases motivation levels. While you can skip a lot of the school life bits and even automate instruction, you won't get the best results. You're directly at a disadvantage in combat if you don't make time for your students, which is by design.Like all recent Fire Emblem games, keeping you invested in your units and their relationships is the glue that binds the whole experience together. It's incredibly effective in Three Houses, where your direct involvement in nearly all aspects of a unit's growth trajectory gives you a special stake in their success. After spending time and effort to help a character achieve their full potential, you're not just satisfied when they win a fight--you're proud. And the more you invest in someone--both emotionally and through months of lesson plans and instruction--the more cautious you'll be about putting them in harm's way, and the more you'll work to come up with a solid battle strategy.Considering you're a teacher, it's good rather than disappointing that there's almost no romance to speak of. Some students are flirty, but mainly, you're fostering camaraderie rather than playing matchmaker or romancing them yourself. As you unlock new support levels with different characters--both by interacting with them at the monastery and by using teamwork in battles--you get cutscenes that flesh them out more. Some are charming, lighthearted conversations between two friends, while many of them give you insight into more serious matters--a father forcing his daughter into marriage, discrimination within the monastery, the dark reason behind someone's lofty ambitions. For the most part, each support conversation is just a piece of who a character is, and as you slowly build support levels over time, you begin to uncover the full picture of each person. As a result, learning more about each of the characters and their place in the monastery is as much a reward for progress as the level bars that tick forever upward as you go.Every NPC is fully voiced in both English and Japanese, which brings a lot of life to the brief support conversations. Disappointingly, though, the professor is silent. They do have a voice--they'll occasionally say a line when leveling up or improving a skill--but in cutscenes and when talking to students and faculty, they just nod or shake their head flatly. There are brief dialogue options during conversations, but where they could give way to a full, subtitled sentence or two from the professor, you're just left with the other character's reaction. Characters do, however, refer to the professor's personality and how they come across throughout the game, which is odd considering they mostly nod at things. This puts distance between you and the characters you're bonding with, and it's a missed opportunity in a game where the protagonist has an otherwise set look, personality, and backstory.It's not hard to like a lot of the characters, though. They draw you in with anime archetypes--the ladies' man, the bratty prince, the clumsy but well-meaning girl--and surprise you with much more nuance under the surface. Some of the funniest scenes early on involve Bernadetta, a shut-in with extreme reactions to normal social situations, but her inner life is a lot darker and more complicated than those early conversations let on. You might discover a character you thought was a jerk is actually one of your favorites or slowly stop using a less-than-favorite character in battle. You also have the option of having tea with someone, during which you have to choose conversation topics according to what you know about them, dating sim-style. Knowing what topics they'll like is actually a lot harder than it sounds, and successfully talking to a favorite character--even if the tea setup can be a little awkward in practice--is a small victory.Each house's campaign feels distinct but not so different that one seems way better than the other. Every house has a mix of personalities and skills, and they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Students from different houses can form friendships with each other, too, and you can eventually recruit students from other houses to join yours. Rather than being repetitive, on a second playthrough, recruiting gives you access to different relationship combinations; you can see a different side to a character through a different set of support conversations. And while the overall setup of the game is largely the same across the three houses, each has its own web of B plots, and the second half of the game will look very different depending on who you're with and the choices you've made.The first half concerns the church, its secrets, and the fact that the professor knows very little about their own identity. As the basic loop of each month pulls you forward, so too does the promise of learning the truth about something, whether it's why the archbishop wanted you to be a teacher in the first place or who a suspicious masked individual is. These threads remain pretty open, though, at least after one and a quarter playthroughs. You get different details in each route, and so far it's been a long process to piece everything together.Learning more about each of the characters and their place in the monastery is as much a reward for progress as the level bars that tick forever upward as you go.After a five-year time skip, you enter the "war phase" of the game. While the structure of the game is the same--you even instruct your units, since you still need to train for battle--the focus shifts to the house-specific stories. They involve a lot of hard decisions, with old friends becoming enemies, people you wish you didn't have to kill, and students who've changed either in spite or because of your guidance. Late-game battles are especially challenging, with higher stakes and multi-lane layouts that require a lot of forethought. Success in these battles is incredibly rewarding, as you're seeing dozens of hours of investment in your students reach a crescendo, but they're bittersweet in context.When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough. I was curious about the mysteries left unsolved, of course, but I also hoped to undo my mistakes. There were characters I didn't talk to enough, students I didn't recruit, and far more effective ways to train my units. A second playthrough treads familiar ground in the beginning, but after learning and growing so much in the first, it feels fresh, too. That speaks to Three Houses' mechanical complexity and depth as well as the connections it fosters with its characters--and whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go's latest Legendary Pokemon, Armored Mewtwo, has been a regular sight in Raid Battles for a couple of weeks now--but it won't be around for much longer. The special version of the Legendary Psychic Pokemon is slated to leave the game at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST on July 31, so you better get busy adding it to your collection.Unlike a standard Mewtwo, this version of the Legendary Pokemon is sporting the power-suppressing armor it wears in the Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution movie. Not only is its appearance different, but it has more defense-oriented stats than a regular Mewtwo, and it is capable of learning different attacks.Like most other Legendaries in Pokemon Go, Armored Mewtwo will appear in five-star Raids. You must team up with other players in-person and battle the Legendary Pokemon first, before you can earn a chance at capturing it. Despite its different appearance and stats, Armored Mewtwo is still a pure Psychic-type, which means it's weak to Ghost, Dark, and Bug Pokemon such as Giratina, Tyranitar, and Scizor.Armored Mewtwo isn't the only Pokemon leaving Go soon. You also only have a few more days to catch a Pikachu wearing a straw hat, which is spawning around the world as part of a One Piece crossover event. Straw hat Pikachu will only appear in the wild until July 29, so time is running out to add one to your collection if you haven't already.In other Pokemon Go news, Team Rocket has begun appearing in the game. You can challenge Rocket grunts at certain PokeStops and then catch the Shadow Pokemon they leave behind. Niantic has also announced the first details for August's Community Day. The event is set for Saturday, August 3, and the featured Pokemon this time will be the Psychic/Fairy-type Ralts.Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses releases Friday, July 26 on Nintendo Switch, and surprisingly, the game is already on sale at release. If you live near a Walmart, you can pick up the game for just $49.94 in stores on release day. But an even better deal is available for a limited time at MassGenie, where you can get the game for $45.95 with free shipping as part of a limited-time Power Deal. While coupon code FETHNSWITCH is technically valid until July 31, we expect this Power Deal will sell out quickly, as over 300 copies have been sold already and only 360 copies total were reserved for the offer, according to MassGenie.Get Fire Emblem: Three Houses for $45.95To claim the deal at MassGenie, either click the button above or head to the product page and hit the button that says "Power Deal." You'll be prompted to either log in or create a free account if you don't already have one. Afterward, you'll be redirected to checkout, where you'll see coupon code FETHNSWITCH automatically applied, dropping the price to $45.95.The game earned a 9/10 in GameSpot's Fire Emblem: Three Houses review for its variety of characters and storylines, streamlined strategy elements, rewarding time management requirements, and more."A second playthrough treads familiar ground in the beginning, but after learning and growing so much in the first, it feels fresh, too," wrote GameSpot's Kallie Plagge. "That speaks to Three Houses' mechanical complexity and depth as well as the connections it fosters with its characters--and whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over."Info from Gamespot.com

Season 10 of Fortnite is just around the corner, but in the meantime, the game's second birthday celebration is now underway on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and mobile devices. Alongside the event comes another handful of challenges, each of which will unlock a new birthday-themed reward when completed, with a special birthday cake pickaxe awaiting players who finish all of the tasks.There are four birthday challenges to complete in total, most of which are self-explanatory and can be cleared fairly easily simply by playing the game as normal. The one that may give you a bit of trouble, however, is to dance in front of different birthday cakes. A similar challenge was featured as part of last year's birthday event, but these cakes are hidden in different locations, which may pose a problem if you don't know where to look. Fortunately, we've put together a handy map and guide to help you find the birthday cake locations.Where Are The Birthday Cake Locations?You need to dance in front of 10 birthday cakes in total in order to complete this challenge, and they're scattered all across Fortnite's island. Fortunately, once you know where to look, the cakes should be easy enough to spot, as they'll be surrounded by balloons. We've put together a map of the birthday cake locations below: How To Complete The ChallengeOnce you know where to look for the birthday cakes, completing this challenge is simply a matter of going to the right location and then busting a move in front of the confection. If you're low on health, you can also grab a slice of cake to recover; not only will it help replenish your health and shield, it'll count toward your progress in a separate birthday challenge, allowing you to kill two birds with one stone.Unlike some other challenges of this nature, which allow you to revisit the same locations in different matches and still make progress toward completing the task, you'll need to visit 10 different cakes in order to clear this challenge. If you need a visual walkthrough, you can watch us complete the challenge in the video at the top of this guide.Fortnite Birthday Celebration ChallengesPlay matches (10) -- WrapDance in front of different Birthday Cakes (10) -- B-day Beats music trackOutlast Opponents (500) -- SprayGain health or shield from Birthday Cake (50) -- BannerReward: Birthday Cake harvesting tool (after completing all four challenges)Info from Gamespot.com

After numerous teases, Team Rocket finally made their debut in Pokemon Go earlier this week. The villainous trainers would "take over" various PokeStops around the world and challenge players to battles using their Shadow Pokemon. Although Rocket sightings up until now have been relatively rare, particularly if you live in rural areas, you'll have a better chance to encounter some Rocket grunts today, July 28, thanks to a special limited-time event.From 4-5 PM local time, Team Rocket grunts will take over all of your local PokeStops, guaranteeing you'll encounter the villainous trainers during that time frame. When you spin the Photo Disc at a Team Rocket PokeStop, the Rocket grunt will reveal themselves and challenge you to a Pokemon battle. As previously mentioned, Team Rocket has Shadow Pokemon in their possession, which are surrounded by a sinister aura.SUP, TWERPS! 👋 While all of you were distracted with the little stunt that we pulled in New York, we mobilized our forces for a GLOBAL TEAM GO ROCKET INVASION! From 4 to 5 p.m. in your local time, we’ll be taking over ALL the PokéStops in your area. Teehee. 🙃 #TeamGORocket pic.twitter.com/7KZ6HFS3jD — Team GO Rocket (@PokemonGoApp) July 28, 2019If you defeat the Rocket grunt, they'll leave their Shadow Pokemon behind, giving you an opportunity to capture it. You can choose to either keep the Pokemon in its Shadow form or "purify" it. Not only will this return the Pokemon's appearance to normal, it'll increase its stats and confer a few other benefits. You can read more about how the process works in our guide to catching and purifying Shadow Pokemon.While you're out searching for Team Rocket, you may want to search for Armored Mewtwo Raids as well--the Legendary Pokemon is leaving the game on July 31, making this your last opportunity to add one to your collection. Pokemon Go's One Piece crossover event is also ending soon; you have until tomorrow, July 29, to catch a Pikachu sporting a straw hat like the one that One Piece hero Luffy wears.Meanwhile, Pokemon Go's next Community Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 3. This time, the featured Pokemon will be Ralts. If you can evolve it into one of its final forms--Gardevoir or Gallade--up to an hour after the Community Day ends, the Pokemon will automatically learn a special event-exclusive move. Additionally, Pokemon Eggs will hatch at a quarter of the distance they typically require during the Community Day.Info from Gamespot.com

July is wrapping up, which mean it's time for New Releases to tackle a fresh month of video games. Speaking of tackling, Madden NFL 20 releases for everyone at the start of the month. Later on you'll be able to sling bullets and psychic powers in Control and revisit the early days of the world's biggest MMO with World of Warcraft Classic. August wraps up with the action-packed Astral Chain and the terrifying Blair Witch.Madden NFL 20 -- August 2Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PCSome of you might already have early access to Madden 20, but its public launch kicks off the new month. This year's game includes new features like Face of the Franchise, a campaign that takes a player from a college career up to the NFL proper. Some pros can also use special abilities during games thanks to new Superstar X-Factors.More Coverage:Madden NFL 20 Early Access Is Now Live, Here's How To Get InMadden NFL 20 Ratings Revealed For Every Player And TeamControl -- August 27Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PCThe latest game from Alan Wake and Quantum Break developer Remedy gets its name from the Federal Bureau of Control, a fictional government agency that handles cases where the laws of physics just don't add up. Enter protagonist Jesse Faden, who can fling bad guys and float around using her psychic powers. She's infiltrated the FBC to find her missing brother, and she'll have to shoot her way through a few men in black to find him.More Coverage:Control PC Specs Outlined, First Of Which Is An Epic Store AccountHow Remedy's Control Will Trust Players To Figure Out Its Unreal StoryWorld of Warcraft Classic -- August 27Available on: PCIf you've been yearning to return to an older version of WoW, Classic is exactly what you've been waiting for. Classic looks and plays the way WoW did during version 1.12 (the Drums of War update), a time before The Burning Crusade even launched. WoW subscribers get access to Classic at no additional cost.More Coverage:World Of Warcraft Classic Release Date Announced, Beta BeginsWoW Classic Will Have Australia And New Zealand ServersAstral Chain -- August 30Available on: SwitchIf you know Platinum Games' portfolio of titles like Bayonetta and Vanquish, then you know what to expect from Astral Chain. Your police offer protagonist is chained to a living weapon known as a Legion, and the two of you can swing around the battlefield to battle monsters in stylish combat. As you might be able to guess from the name, you can even travel to the Astral Plane to discover where the monsters originate.More Coverage:Astral Chain Hands-On: Two Characters Make Combat A Fast-Paced BlastPlatinum Games On Making A New Kind Action Experience With Astral ChainBlair Witch -- August 30Available on: Xbox One, PCLayers of Fear developer Bloober Team is revisiting the cult classic movie franchise with this canon game, featuring the studio's signature psychological horror flavor. You play as a cop looking for a missing boy in the famously haunted Black Hills Forest. At least you have your canine companion Bullet to help sniff out any witches.More Coverage:E3 2019: Blair Witch Game Announced During Xbox Press ConferenceThe Blair Witch Game Is Canon (And You Can Pet The Dog) | E3 2019August is creeping up, and the next episode of New Releases will look at more new games the month is bringing along. You have a chance to revisit some previously released titles with the Guacamelee One-Two Punch Collection and Metal Wolf Chaos XD.Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games' massive tournament for Fortnite kicked off on July 27. The Fortnite World Cup is a three-day event that will put $30 million up for grabs for the best players across different categories. Plus, as the game has become a cultural phenomenon, Epic may be planning appearances from celebrity guests and other surprises.The event is taking place at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York. It started with an opening ceremony at 12:30 PM ET, followed by Creative Finals at 1 PM. The Celebrity Pro-Am will begin at 4 PM. That showcase event will feature celebs and pro players competing for a prize pool of $3 million to be donated to charity.Then Saturday, July 27, the competitive tournament will start with the Duos Finals. A pre-show will begin at 12:30 PM ET followed by the competition at 1 PM. That will feature a total of 50 duos teams competing for Fortnite dominance. Then Sunday the schedule will repeat for Solos tournaments among 100 selected players. On both days, the winners will be crowned in a ceremony at 4:45 PM.Be sure to bookmark this page and check back for all the action as it happens. Info from Gamespot.com

When looking at Tamarin's debut trailer, fans of classic 3D platformers from the Nintendo 64 will know the type of game they're in for. Coming from Chameleon Games, the self-published throwback platformer is a tribute made in collaboration with former developers from Rare. Aiming to recapture the same stylings of games from yesteryear, Tamarin channels the same vibe found from games like Donkey Kong Country 64 and Jet Force Gemini, the latter of which showed somewhat of a darker edge to Rare's 3D action-platformers.Taking on the role of the titular Tamarin, a new-world monkey that resembles a squirrel, you're tasked with defending your home from bug-like invaders seeking to take the land for themselves. This conceit entails exploring different levels and areas of your homeland, while also utilizing weapons acquired from the invaders to fight back. While this concept seems to be treading on well-worn ground, that's a part of the appeal that game director Omar Sawi is going for.We recently had the chance to speak with the development team working on this throwback 3D platformer. During our chat, Sawi talked about his collaboration with former Rare level designer Richard Vaucher and lead composer David Wise, and how it pushed them to approach this throwback a bit differently."So yeah, I started the game and what I wanted was for it to not be too much in one box," said Sawi. "Rare had these games that were very cute and charming. Yet some other platformers and shooters they made felt different. Tamarin is trying to capture a bit of that spirit. We're trying to have something that doesn't necessarily cater just to kids, but also has a wider appeal and has a bit of an edge to it."In recent years, there have been several games that have sought to emulate the same style and atmosphere from classic Rare games. These games include 2017's A Hat in Time and Yooka-Laylee--the latter of which was developed by Playtonic Games, a collective of former Rare developers. Whether it's the upbeat musical tracks or the somewhat self-aware humor, these games often try to evoke nostalgia for an era that reveled in exploring a colorful world filled with knick-knacks and other collectibles. And Tamarin is no exception.Wise, who's worked on games like the original Battletoads and the Donkey Kong Country series, is also responsible for one of the most iconic themes of the Super Nintendo music library: Donkey Kong Country 2's Stickerbrush Symphony. While working on Tamarin, Wise spent time revisiting themes from Rare's earlier years and has a particular view on why people still have an attachment for these this style of games."There are certainly still people that like the kind of nostalgia element to it," Wise said. "It can remind them of when they were a bit younger, and jumping back into games like that. Hopefully, Tamarin can take it a little bit further, as it's revisiting the genre and stretching it a bit more. I think there's a lot to be said for that kind of thing at the moment. Again, there are only so many styles of game. So it's nice to jump in and jump out of different styles and different genres. I'd say both myself and [Banjo-Kazooie composer] Grant Kirkhope are very fortunate in the fact that we've made a lot of games. We've been making music for so long; it's almost like we've set the expectations for the genre [of platformers]. Fortunately, a lot of people look to our style of music to evoke a kind of video game feel, which has worked out quite well for us over the years."Former Rare level designer Richard Vaucher also chimed in, adding that there's an appealing quality to the setting of Tamarin. A clear focus the developers had when making Tamarin was that they wanted to keep things interesting for players looking for a more familiar experience."With Tamarin, we're mixing different kinds of Rare games," Vaucher said. "It's adding a bit of variety to that familiar experience, and not just sticking to one type of game in terms of style. I guess for my part; it's mostly about the visuals, or like players discovering the new environments, and seeing what they think of the animations of the main character. But in my view, it's about the exploration [of that world]. I'm quite excited to see what players make of it, like discovering the new levels and seeing what's there."Set for release this year, Tamarin wears its influences on its sleeve, trying to emulate what classic Rare did best during the SNES and Nintendo 64 eras. We're still in the dark about how much variety is to be had in Tamarin's adventure. However, it does look to keep its focus on bringing back that particular charm from yesteryear. Considering how much Rare's imprint on the platforming genre has endured over the years, perhaps there's still room for more experimentation with this particular genre. Info from Gamespot.com

QuakeCon is now in Day 2 continues the "Year of Doom," both to celebrate the groundbreaking FPS classic's 25th anniversary and to look ahead to the coming release of Doom Eternal. A series of panels include a few looks at Doom, along with fellow Bethesda-published games Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls Online.GameSpot will be streaming the show as it all goes down, so make sure to bookmark this page and check back to watch the panels live. The first livestreams will begin today, Friday, July 26, with even more on Saturday, July 27.QuakeCon will once again take place in Dallas, TX. Panels include a keynote featuring Doom Eternal, two separate panels on the impact and influence of Doom, and panels featuring Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls Online. Those latter two are ongoing live games, so we may get a first look at upcoming updates and expansions. Check below for the full schedule.Friday, July 26thQuakeCon Keynote featuring Doom Eternal - 11 AM CT (12 PM ET / 9 AM PT)Influence of Doom Panel - 12 PM CT (1 PM ET / 10 AM PT)Saturday, July 27thFallout 76 Panel - 10 AM CT (11 AM ET / 8 AM PT)Knee Deep in Doom panel - 11 AM CT (12 PM ET / 9 AM PT)Elder Scrolls Online Panel - 2 PM CT (3 PM ET / 11 AM PT)Info from Gamespot.com

Coming from Nihon Falcom, The Legend of Heroes has always embraced the traditional formula that embodies a classic JRPG. While the series has never quite reached the heights of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, it's still cultivated a passionate fanbase in Japan, and even managed to carve out a niche in western markets. It's seen many stories and casts of characters come and go over the years. However, it's always stuck close to its group of young heroes as they face more significant challenges, grow in strength, and mature. This approach is especially evident in the current sub-series Trails of Cold Steel--a fantasy story of warring empires where military schools train the next band of warriors to defend their land.With the upcoming western release of Trails of Cold Steel 3, recently delayed to October 22, GameSpot sat down with Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo to reflect on the growth of the series. At the time of this interview, Trails of Cold Steel 4 has since been out in Japan, marking the end of this particular sub-series, which raises some theories about where the series could go next. Along with an update on the progress of the western release of Trails of Cold Steel 3, he discussed what's coming next for The Legend of Heroes franchise, and how the series could grow from here.Editor's note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.Looking back on the Legends of Heroes series, can you talk about how the Trails of Cold Steel sub-series fits into it, and what it really brings to the larger franchise?Toshihiro Kondo: The Legend of Heroes as a whole is a much larger series. When I first joined Falcom, they had just finished Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch in 1994, and they continued work on the following games thereafter--A Tear of Vermillion and a Song of the Ocean. This was part of a sub-series called the Gagharv Trilogy. Eventually, we moved onto a new sub-series called Trails of the Sky, which was technically at that point The Legend of Heroes VI.In Trails of the Sky, it starts very simply. There's a boy and a girl, they're in the village in the middle of nowhere, and their tale begins taking them from place to place to finally make it to the capital. They get involved in this big plot that's happening with their country and then things continue on from there. It was a traditional RPG about going on this adventure and having the characters grow and evolve. With Trails of Cold Steel, I guess you can say it's even more about the idea of youths forming bonds together, how they form links and grow up together. You could definitely call Trails of Cold Steel much more of a modern RPG than some of the games that came before.Though Trails of Cold Steel features a lot of modern elements from other JRPG titles like Persona or Shin Megami Tensei, it still shows its roots in more traditional games of the genre. Do you feel that there's a void in the market that needs to be filled?It's not so much a conscious desire to fill a void that may exist but it has more to do with just how the mindset from which these games are developed. To me, the story is the most important thing when it comes to the series. The Trails of Cold Steel series takes place in what's called the Erebonian Empire. From a story perspective, we found it necessary to explain what the empire is and how its inhabitants are, while also exploring the political systems they have. The story is what informs everything else about these series, it was very important to just go into depth--which is how the game ended up being more linear, more story-focused than some other kind of JRPG that's coming out nowadays.There are also practical development aspects as well. Since we are a smaller studio, we don't have the resources to create so many assets or craft an open-world game. I will say that no matter how big the studio gets, we'd still focus on story-driven games designed in our particular way. One of the cool things that happen because of this is that while we're focusing on the story, we can eventually lead up to new events that will open the game a bit more. When you're in the final arc, you're able to explore more freely and take on the new activities when you want.Though Trails of Cold Steel features a lot of modern elements from other JRPG titles like Persona or Shin Megami Tensei, it still shows its roots in more traditional games of the genre. Do you feel that there's a void in the market that needs to be filled?It's not so much a conscious desire to fill a void that may exist but it has more to do with just how the mindset from which these games are developed. To me, the story is the most important thing when it comes to the series. The Trails of Cold Steel series takes place in what's called the Erebonian Empire. From a story perspective, we found it necessary to explain what the empire is and how its inhabitants are, while also exploring the political systems they have. The story is what informs everything else about these series, it was very important to just go into depth--which is how the game ended up being more linear, more story-focused than some other kind of JRPG that's coming out nowadays.There are also practical development aspects as well. Since we are a smaller studio, we don't have the resources to create so many assets or craft an open-world game. I will say that no matter how big the studio gets, we'd still focus on story-driven games designed in our particular way. One of the cool things that happen because of this is that while we're focusing on the story, we can eventually lead up to new events that will open the game a bit more. When you're in the final arc, you're able to explore more freely and take on the new activities when you want.I definitely see a lot of influences from the Persona series, in terms of structure and design.It's interesting you bring up Persona. When you really want to focus on telling this story, the order in which things have to be seen becomes really important, which necessitates how the game is getting developed. I occasionally talk with Katsura Hashino, who is the director of Persona 5, and he said both of us have the awareness that we're making an old style of game. But we're also very happy to be doing it because this is the kind of game we want to make.Interestingly enough, there was a time when we wanted to make the Trails series as an action game, but it just didn't work out and so we reverted to a turn-based system. If you take a look at the history of Japanese games that fall under that umbrella, you'll notice that there was a time period when everybody was trying to make action-focused games and then many of them reverted to command, turn-based.Since this is the third game in the sub-series, was it a challenge to make this game an effective point to jump into the series?Well, when you do have a long-running series like this it's important to catch people up. You're absolutely right, it can be a challenge to get people up to speed. So, we have a very, very well thought out backstory which explains the events from the previous games in the series. As you can see, character profiles, world introduction, all of these things are there. You're able to read all about them and the world that they have in the other games. This is the first thing you can do to catch yourself up with the previous games.So the fourth and final Trails of Cold Steel game is already out in Japan. However, the western release of the Cold Steel series is still a bit behind. Can you talk a bit about the process for localizing these games? I imagine it must be very time-consuming.Well, as creators, we would love for everybody to be able to play the game as soon as possible but the reality is, because these [games] are so story focused, we're actually still fiddling with the text up until the very end, and we won't let localization partners work on it until it's complete. These games are known for their very luminous stories and we just take a long time to translate. This one, for example, has 2.4 million Japanese characters and it really just takes time.Do you feel that there's still more to explore the setting of the game within the larger Legend of Heroes saga?Well, regarding the future of the series, Trails of Cold Steel IV ended the Cold Steel sub-series. However, I revealed some time ago before this interview the full world map for this particular world. It turns out that the whole eastern half is pretty much still in shadows. We've hinted at this in places in Trails of the Sky, and so going forward we're going to be exploring that area of the world and its mysteries. It will be different characters and a new story, but it will still be a Legend of Heroes game. Looking at the larger story, I would say that it's about 60% complete. There's still much to be done, and I definitely would like to finish the story of this world while we still have the strength to do it.The Legend of Heroes series has been active for some time. Can you talk about what still resonates with you most about this series?For me personally, I joined this company because I love the Legends of Heroes series, and I see the Trails series within that as the true successor to what that was trying to do, even back in its original form. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is kind of my life's work. The Trails series has so many different characters in it and being able to tell all their stories is very gratifying for me. It means quite a lot to me.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go's latest Legendary Pokemon, Armored Mewtwo, has been a regular sight in Raid Battles for a couple of weeks now--but it won't be around for much longer. The special version of the Legendary Psychic Pokemon is slated to leave the game at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST on July 31, so you better get busy adding it to your collection.Unlike a standard Mewtwo, this version of the Legendary Pokemon is sporting the power-suppressing armor it wears in the Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution movie. Not only is its appearance different, but it has more defense-oriented stats than a regular Mewtwo, and it is capable of learning different attacks.Like most other Legendaries in Pokemon Go, Armored Mewtwo will appear in five-star Raids. You must team up with other players in-person and battle the Legendary Pokemon first, before you can earn a chance at capturing it. Despite its different appearance and stats, Armored Mewtwo is still a pure Psychic-type, which means it's weak to Ghost, Dark, and Bug Pokemon such as Giratina, Tyranitar, and Scizor.Armored Mewtwo isn't the only Pokemon leaving Go soon. You also only have a few more days to catch a Pikachu wearing a straw hat, which is spawning around the world as part of a One Piece crossover event. Straw hat Pikachu will only appear in the wild until July 29, so time is running out to add one to your collection if you haven't already.In other Pokemon Go news, Team Rocket has begun appearing in the game. You can challenge Rocket grunts at certain PokeStops and then catch the Shadow Pokemon they leave behind. Niantic has also announced the first details for August's Community Day. The event is set for Saturday, August 3, and the featured Pokemon this time will be the Psychic/Fairy-type Ralts.Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is now available on Nintendo Switch. Like previous installments in the series, you'll have the option to play the game on a couple of different difficulties, but if those aren't enough of a challenge, Nintendo will be adding an additional difficulty setting post-launch.On its official Twitter account, Nintendo announced that an even more challenging difficulty mode is coming to Three Houses as part of a free update. The company hasn't announced exactly when the update is expected to be released, only noting that it will be out sometime "later this year."That isn't the only post-release content on the way to Three Houses. Nintendo also has several pieces of DLC in the pipeline for the game. First, the company will release Officer's Academy outfits for protagonist Blythe on launch day, July 26. After that, new Auxiliary battle maps and more will be added to the game by October 31. Additional quests and costumes are expected to arrive by December 31, and finally, new story content that will introduce additional playable characters, locations, and more will release by April 30, 2020.All four waves of DLC are included as part of Three Houses' expansion pass, which retails for $25. The base game, meanwhile, typically costs $60; however, players in the US an pick it up on launch day for $10 cheaper from Walmart. You can read more about Three Houses and its expansion pass on Nintendo's website.Reviews for Three Houses are starting to go live ahead of its release, and the game has received a positive reception from critics. GameSpot awarded it a 9/10 in our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review. Critic Kallie Plagge wrote, "Fire Emblem: Three Houses asks a lot of you. Every piece, from battle to friendships to training your units, must be managed both individually and as part of a whole. It can be intimidating, but when it all clicks together, it really clicks."Info from Gamespot.com

Platinum Games upcoming Nintendo Switch title, Astral Chain, puts you in the role of a metaphysical anime K-9 cop. It's as cool an idea as it sounds, thanks to the game's mixture of a variety of ideas: light investigation mechanics, a little bit of platforming, and a combat system that puts you in control of two characters at once and gives a new twist to Platinum's usual approach to stylish, hard action.At San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Nintendo offered GameSpot our first chance to get hands-on with Astral Chain. We played a small portion of the game that took place a few hours in, which seemed more akin to a side quest than a main story mission. The slice gave a brief look at a lot of what Astral Chain has to offer, including its combat system and investigation mechanics, and how they'll both work together with the game's central conceit--controlling two characters at once.You play a member of a special police force unit called Neuron in Astral Chain, and your duties include dealing with the fact that the astral plane is spilling over into the real world. With it comes monsters, but you have a special trick for dealing with those, too: a Legion, your own astral plane entity that can fight monsters for you automatically or follow your commands. Your Legion is basically like a sword-wielding dog you lead around on a leash. The Legion attacks hostile creatures on its own, but you can also tell it where to go and what to attack.Your Legion is basically like a sword-wielding dog you lead around on a leash.The slice of Astral Chain we played started with a case about a missing woman who had seemingly come under attack from an astral plane monster, known as a chimera. Heading to the crime scene means walking through Astral Chain's city, where you'll find citizens to speak with and shops where you can buy useful items. Talking with people can give you information about the game's story and the cases you'll work on as you progress through the game, and like a real cop, you'll keep notes about important information you learn along the way. Conversations that took place before our slice of the game had brought up mention of something called "the Red Ghost," which turned out to be the chimera we're hunting.Arriving at the crime scene gave a quick sense of what Astral Chain's investigations are like. This case required checking certain spots on the ground where evidence had been marked. We were able to see a reconstruction of the victim lying on the ground after the attack and picked up some other information about the event, and eventually, we found a place where the chimera's astral plane energy had warped reality slightly. That was the clue we were looking for.Using Your Supernatural Police DogAs you walk around in Astral Chain, your Legion isn't necessarily always by your side, but you can just about always summon it with a quick press of the ZL button. You can use it to analyze astral plane evidence, and when we brought our Legion to check out what had happened at the crime scene, it was able to detect an astral trail the chimera had left behind. Now we were using the Legion like a bloodhound, navigating through the streets as it illuminated the trail. Before long, Astral Chain presented another use for the Legion--it can allow you to cross large gaps and leap to distant locations.When you summon the Legion, it'll float around on the end of its spectral leash and follow you, but you can take control of its movements by holding ZL and using the right thumbstick. Positioning the Legion on the far side of a gap lets you use it to pull you across the abyss, making it useful for platforming. You can also direct it to specific spots to activate switches and solve simple puzzles.Eventually, the Legion led us to a portal to the astral plane where the chimera had taken the woman. The astral plane is a spooky, strangely geometric and minimalist landscape, basically filled with arenas for battling enemies and locations to use your Legion to solve puzzles. It was here that we got our first taste of combat, which, despite sometimes requiring you to control two characters in the heat of battle, is actually intuitive and easy to pick up.One Player Co-op CombatYou only have one attack button in Astral Chain, which you'll pound away on as you fight enemies to create combos. Variety in combat is created by how your weapon can transform seamlessly; you wield a high-tech police baton that can change shape to fit the situation. It starts as a small, fast melee weapon, but can be switched to a powerful, slow, heavy sword called a gladius, or morphed into a pistol. You can switch your weapon on the fly to change your attacks as you pummel enemies, and stringing several attacks together builds a combo.Fighting is less about performing a bunch of complex moves and more about exact timing to link your attacks with those of your Legion. String six hits together and you'll see a blue circle appear on your character as time briefly slows, prompting you to hit ZL to summon your Legion. Do that in time, and the creature will spring into action, adding another big hit to your attack. You can then follow up with another strike of your own, which triggers another Legion prompt, and so on. After you've done enough damage, you can also activate finishing moves with your Legion, which sends your partner to rip out a chimera's "ability core," and restores your health and increases how long your Legion can fight at your side.Your other major ability is a quick dodge that can get you out of harm's way, and slipping past incoming attacks at the absolute last second gives you another opening to send your Legion in for an attack. Combat quickly becomes a fast-paced concert of attacks on open opponents and dodges that give you chances for counter-attacks, with your Legion leaping in and out to extend your combos. When you're not actively telling your Legion what to do, though, it engages whoever's closest on its own, without requiring you to babysit it.The result is the ability to control both characters, or just one, depending on the situation. You still need to be aware of both characters, though--your Legion disappears if a timer that starts when you summon it runs out, and more time gets subtracted as it takes damage.The Legion has a few other tricks, too. The creature is leashed to your wrist with its spectral chain, but if you control the Legion directly, you can wrap that chain around enemies (including bosses), which briefly locks them in place and stuns them. And like your weapon, you can switch it between a few different versions, like a sword-wielding take, or a slower, more hulking one. The sword Legion can be called on for special moves, too. We fought a big shield-wielding enemy, which required lots of combos with the Legion to beat, but later, it was joined by a floating pink baddie that could create a tether between it and its allies, rendering both invulnerable. Calling on the Legion allows you to take direct control of it for a sword strike that can cut things in the environment, including that energy tether. Slicing through it broke the invulnerability bond, allowing us to send the Legion to fight one enemy while we took on the other.After fighting some smaller enemies, we took on the chimera we'd been hunting, a multi-headed dog creature called, of course, Cerberus. The boss fight felt pretty typical to action games, with the monster winding up for big ground-smashing attacks that sent shockwaves outward, or leaping into the air to come hurtling back down toward us. The skill in the fight was in recognizing and dodging incoming attacks to create openings for the Legion to strike at the Cerberus. Avoiding attacks was a big focus since the boss could do massive damage to both you and your Legion; you need to protect yourself and pay attention to where your partner is to keep both of you alive and dishing out combo damage.More Astral Police WorkThe fight was tough, but in all not too overwhelming. Astral Chain's combat feels relatively simple when you first pick it up, which helps keep it accessible, but the number of things you can do with your Legion as you get used to the speed and timing of a fight adds a lot of complexity. The result is a combat system that allows you to do a lot of cool things as you get better at it, but which adds difficulty in the amount of attention and coordination it demands. Astral Chain wants you to be constantly thinking in two directions, and the skill involved in its fights comes both from quick reactions and timing, and from keeping track of both characters so you can use them effectively without getting either one killed.The Astral Chain demo wrapped up with defeating the boss and returning the woman safely back to the human world--only to discover that in the meantime, chimeras had started appearing all over the place and the astral plane was bleeding through into the real world. Civilians were scattered around the area where chimeras were showing up, so we were tasked with clearing out the enemies--along with a giant, sword-wielding boss creature--in order to save them.Astral Chain wants you to be constantly thinking in two directions.Though the demo only lasted 20 minutes or so, our look at Astral Chain was enough to get a sense of how fast and satisfying its combat can be. It looks as though your Legion will be an integral part of the entire experience, which offers a lot of depth to a combat system that's otherwise simple enough that just about anybody can pick it up.The demo was a little thinner on what the other half of the game will be like, as you venture through the city talking to other humans and solving metaphysical crimes. The investigation in our slice of the game was pretty shallow and simplistic, but the inclusion of the notebook suggests that doing police work will be a bigger part of the game and might be more complex than just interacting with certain spots on the ground.What's clear is that there are a lot of cool ideas at work in Astral Chain. Platinum Games' newest take on combat changes up the usual approach to action games just enough to feel fresh without being overwhelming, and its metaphysical setting and two-character mechanics suggest everything beyond fighting will be pretty interesting, too. We won't have to wait long to see how Platinum's new ideas work together as a whole; Astral Chain is due to hit Nintendo Switch on August 30. Info from Gamespot.com