The Gears 5 multiplayer technical test kicks off this Friday, July 19. Ahead of that, Microsoft has launched the game's download client, allowing players to download and install it so they can get started exactly when the servers go live.You can find the Gears 5 Tech Test download on the Xbox Store for Xbox One and PC by searching for it. The file size is 10.89 GB on Xbox One, and Microsoft says in a FAQ that it should be about the same for PC. Developer The Coalition warns that players may have to wait in a queue because the developer is trying to "protect server stability as much as possible."The tech test begins July 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and it runs through the same time on July 22. A second tech test runs the following weekend, from July 26 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET through July 29 at the same time. The Gears 5 Tech Test includes three modes (Arcade, Escalation, and King of the Hill), along with two multiplayer maps--District and Training Grounds. The test also includes the new Bootcamp mode, which is a tutorial mode of sorts that teaches players the basics. Also included in the tech test is "Tour of Duty," which is a progression system that rewards players with the "Tester Weapon Skin" by completing certain challenges; the skin will be available in Gears 5 when it releases. To access the Gears 5 tech test, you need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass or pre-order the game on Xbox One or PC. For lots more on the granular details on the Gears 5 tech test, read this FAQ. You can also see the minimum and recommend PC specs posted below.Minimum Spec (AMD)Min OS: Windows 10 May 2019 UpdateCPU: AMD FX-6000 SeriesGPU: AMD Radeon R9 280 or RX 560VRAM: 2GBRAM: 6GBHDD: 15GBMinimum Spec (Nvidia)Min OS: Windows 10 May 2019 UpdateCPU: Intel i3 SkylakeGPU: Nvidia GTX 760 or GTX 1050VRAM: 2GBRAM: 6GBHDD: 15GBRecommended Spec (AMD)Min OS: Windows 10 May 2019 UpdateCPU: AMD Ryzen 3GPU: AMD Radeon RX 570 or RX 5700VRAM: 4GBRAM: 8GBHDD: 15GBRecommended Spec (Nvidia)Windows 10 May 2019 UpdateIntel i5 SkylakeNvidia GTX 970 or GTX 1660 TiVRAM: 4GBRAM: 8GBHDD: 15GBIdeal Spec (AMD)Windows 10 May 2019 UpdateAMD Ryzen 7AMD Radeon VIIVRAM: 8GBRAM: 16GBHDD: 15GB + SSDIdeal Spec (Nvidia)Windows 10 May 2019 UpdateIntel i7 SkylakeNvidia GTX 2080VRAM: 8GBRAM: 16GBHDD: 15GB + SSDInfo from Gamespot.com

The old adage of "don't judge a book by its cover" doesn't just apply to printed matter. When you first see images and screenshots of Dragon Quest Builders 2, it's easy to write the game off as yet another blocky-building sandbox game. But Dragon Quest Builders 2 is more than just your run-of-the-mill material-gathering, object-crafting, block-laying game. Its virtual community-creating gameplay stands out among the crowd, jam-packed with the warmth, joy, and charm that makes the Dragon Quest series so delightfully memorable.Dragon Quest Builders 2 begins with your player character, a Builder with the ability to move and create objects, winding up stranded on a strange archipelago. Long ago, these islands flourished with a great civilization--up until a cult called the Children of Hargon gained power, destroying all that existed and forbidding those in its thrall from creating anything new. It's up to you and your mysterious friend, a snarky, aggressive boy named Malroth, to destroy the cult's hold on the people and restore these islands to their former glory, one block at a time. Much like how the original Dragon Quest Builders was a take on a what-if ending for the original Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes the ending of Dragon Quest II and turns it on its head--but you don't need to be familiar with that game to get a lot of enjoyment out of this one. (You will appreciate several of the callbacks, though.)The core gameplay loop in Dragon Quest Builders is immensely satisfying. You have a central island, the Isle of Awakening, that acts like one big sandbox, along with several other islands both large and small that you can visit to gather materials and advance the main story. The larger islands all feature a big, overarching quest to restore a destroyed population center, which you'll accomplish by completing numerous smaller sub-quests to build facilities, find new materials, help individual NPCs, and explore different areas. Completing these quests rewards you with the gratitude of those you've aided, which in turn yields new item-creation recipes, improves the skills of the NPCs at the base, and brings more characters to the area to help with building, farming, mining, and monster-slaying. When you finally complete the lengthy main quest on each of the bigger islands, several of the NPCs will return with you to the Isle of Awakening, eager to aid you in building your own unique city and letting you run absolutely wild with your creative town-building concepts.Part of what makes this gameplay loop so fulfilling is that doing these dozens upon dozens of small errands for NPCs rarely becomes tedious. The characters you meet in Dragon Quest Builders 2 are lively and full of personality (and funny accents), and helping them out with their needs to receive their heartfelt thanks just feels really, really good. You also get the joy of watching a town transform from a barely-functional series of ramshackle hovels into a thriving community thanks to your persistence and kindness. When you finish a new building or complete a task, the populace gathers around to showcase their elation and shower you with gratitude points--a simple reward that nonetheless feels wonderful to get.It also helps that the world itself is tremendously fun to explore. The varied settings you encounter in your quest offer a variety of things to discover: towering hills, sandy beaches, secret underground caverns, ancient ruins, waterlogged bogs, and so on. You'll find plenty to do out in Dragon Quest Builders 2's expansive environments, and by exploring, you're amply rewarded with rare materials, optional side quests, some new NPC companions, and even a few simple puzzles that yield nice rewards upon completion. There are even a few randomly generated small islands you can sail out to that offer fresh experiences every time you visit, allowing you the chance to see interesting procedurally-made environments, collect lots of unique, rare materials and bring them all home to build the city of your dreams.Of course, it wouldn't be a Dragon Quest game without many of the series' beloved monster designs. While a few non-humans are friendly to you, most of the monsters you encounter are strict adherents of the Children of Hargon and want nothing more than to destroy you and everything you've made. You'll have to fight them off if you want to keep on building. Unfortunately, you're a Builder, not a fighter, so your combat prowess for a lot of the game feels quite lacking.As a result, combat winds up being the weakest part of the game. While it's a marked improvement over the original Dragon Quest Builders, offering you a lot more control over your character and bringing NPCs into the mix to aid you in fighting, it still feels quite bland most of the time--you'll just run up to enemies, whack them with a few basic weapon strikes, and hope they die sooner rather than later. The NPC warriors that join you on expeditions and when your bases and city need defending are far more useful for fighting off enemies than you are most of the time, particularly Malroth, who is an absolute beast when it comes to monster-mashing. I frequently found myself just waiting for Malroth to whittle down enemies' health before I went in to finish them off and collect EXP and loot. The boss fights utilize some gimmicks involving your Builder abilities that make them significantly more interesting than normal fights, but they're few and far between. At least combat isn't a primary focus of the game, and new abilities and items you build as you progress help with enemy destruction--but combat never really stops feeling like an annoying distraction to what you want to do most: explore and build stuff.But whatever problems the game has are quickly negated by everything else Dragon Quest Builders 2 does well. Characters are quirky and memorable with wonderfully written dialogue (though they're sometimes a smidge too chatty), you get lots of cool materials to work with over the course of the game to build and customize your city, and everything, from the controls to the visuals and audio to the interface, feels inviting, engaging, and fun. Occasionally there's a bit of tiny text that's hard to read (a problem made worse when playing in handheld mode on Switch), but the vast majority of the time you'll be too busy building away to care about the game's small irritations.Online co-op play opens once you have cleared the game’s first major quest. Unfortunately, while you can’t play the campaign in a co-op session, you are still allowed to build on the Isle of Awakening alongside a buddy or three. Working together to build your island is as fun as playing solo—maybe even more so—and the various customization items you can craft to wear during these sessions add a lot of goofy charm to the proceedings. In our testing, sessions with other players located in North America went smoothly, with few noticeable lag hiccups. If you want to show off but don’t feel like having a virtual block party, there’s also a bulletin board where players from around the world can post, tag, and share screenshots of their creations in-game.Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a great game, combining exploration, sandbox-building, questing, and town-management into a delightful package that will gladly suck up your time and put a big smile on your face. It's the sort of game that you'll intend to play for a little while, only to find that hours have flown by once you manage to actually put it down. Don't dismiss this one when you see big square blocks on the box--you'll be missing out on a very fun twist on an excellent gaming foundation.Info from Gamespot.com

The taxi cab is refitted as a confession booth in Night Call, a noir-styled visual novel that interweaves a series of murder mysteries through the tales of dozens of ordinary Parisians, the threads of their lives intermingling as you crisscross the streets of the city. Everyone's a little frail or fragile, much like the fabric of the game's core investigation, and it's the insights into people's everyday hopes, fears, and secrets that linger long after the end credits have rolled.You play as Houssine, an Algerian immigrant living in Paris. Much of his background is elided, or only revealed in suggestion over the course of the game, but he is Muslim, sports a thick, dark beard, and works as a cab driver on the night shift. Houssine is recently back behind the wheel after an assault that saw him hospitalized and, because of who he is, a suspect in the very crime of which he was a victim.Houssine understands what it means to feel like an outsider. There's been a terrorist attack recently, the details of which remain unspecified, but Arab men like Houssine are singled out for suspicion, their mere presence a cause for concern. His assault also resulted in the death of another person, the latest in a series of deaths that the police are keen to pin on him. One detective, however, disagrees and offers Houssine a deal: Help her investigation into the murders and he'll walk free.It feels right that Houssine would be of interest to the police given the political climate (both current and echoed in-game) and the hints at his troubled past. And it feels authentic that someone would pressure him to essentially become an informant, the kind of blackmail that insinuates that inside the moral grey area of society lies a corrupt, black core. These themes--of feeling like you don’t belong, of a rotten system operating to exclude all but the privileged few--infuse not just Houssine’s personal experience but of many of the people he encounters, and work well in linking together an otherwise disparate collection of stories. At one point a young black man from Chicago (he’s in Paris studying to become a mime, hilariously) gets into Houssine’s cab after a humiliating run-in with the police, and they bond over their shared experiences. “I’d say the police have a problem with black people,” Houssine says, then grins, “... and Arabs.”Each night, Houssine hits the streets to track down clues and follow up leads, all while performing his regular job. From a map of the city, you select a fare to take and watch a yellow arrow navigate to its destination, the scene then overlaying an interior shot of the cab with Houssine front right and his passenger(s) in the back seat behind.At this point, the only thing to do is talk. Conversations are entirely text-based, with you selecting dialogue options on Houssine's behalf interspersed with his internal observations. Despite being minimally animated, with a handful of poses and expressions each, each character conveys a remarkable range of emotion and succeeds in bringing to vivid life each new person you encounter.It's a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, too. In total there are 75 passengers to meet over the course of the game, drawn from a broad range of ages, social classes, ethnicities, sexualities and, in one or possibly two cases, dimensions. They each have their own stories to tell, and Houssine seems to be the man chosen to hear them all.That's because while he's an outsider, as a cab driver, Houssine's difference is camouflaged. Many of the people he picks up are oblivious to him, at least at first. Couples discuss private matters as if he is not there. Lone passengers mutter to themselves, seemingly unaware of the possibility there's a real human being sharing the vehicle with them. When they do notice him, one passenger scoffs at the idea that a lowly cab driver could have any useful advice. Another passenger assumes Houssine has certain political sympathies because he's a brown, working-class man. "According to the people of this country, you don't count," one character tells him, with weary resignation. Houssine is both othered and unseen, tagged as different and yet simultaneously erased.However, some passengers are immediately warm towards Houssine, while others, if distant or cautious to begin with, soon find themselves disarmed. Regardless of their disposition, however, they're all willing to reveal the most intimate details of their inner lives with often only the slightest bit of delicate prodding. There's the politician who is at the end of his tether over endemic corruption and pleads with Houssine to help him leak confidential documents. There's the lesbian couple who are loudly debating the merits of the prospective sperm donor with whom they have just concluded a "date." There's the former porn actress who is eager to talk all about her new pro-union production company making gender-positive porn movies. These tales are often funny, moving, and sweet--but moreover, they're always fascinating and exceptionally well-written.In between these fares, Houssine can visit various locations to further his investigation. He knows someone who works somewhere who might have some information, that sort of thing. But these scenes don't feel as fleshed out as the cab ride conversations. It's not made clear how Houssine knows to go to these places or why many of these contacts are able to help him. Indeed, much of the casework he's pursuing is obscured, as if key details have been intentionally, frustratingly, left out of reach. When Houssine returns to his apartment each morning and assesses the clues he’s uncovered--presented as hand-written notes pinned to a board--I found it difficult to interpret what much of it meant. By the time Houssine was called upon to accuse a suspect, I made an unconvincing guess that just happened to be correct.The structure of this series of murder mysteries is strange. There are three cases to choose from when you begin a new game, and each is framed the same way: Houssine finds himself the inadvertent victim of a serial killer and strong-armed by a detective to assist the investigation. Recurring characters populate each case, though if you meet someone in one case, that relationship won't carry over into the next one. It was very odd to give a ride in the second case to the very same person I'd revealed as the killer in the first. I did learn some more things about him that complicated my feelings about how the first case was resolved, but I couldn’t help but wish I’d encountered this conversation while pursuing that first case.Houssine can't just focus on his detective work. He needs to earn a living, too. Fuel for your cab, daily car maintenance, and repayments on your cab license are all a drain on your bank account that can only be plugged by picking up new fares. Your boss says you're like a son to him, but if you don't make enough money from your shift and can't afford to pay his cut, the car maintenance, and the license fee, he fires you on the spot and it's game over.I like the theory behind this slight economic sim layer. It's there to ensure you feel the precariousness of Houssine's existence while also nudging you towards interacting with all the characters who don't really have anything to do with the core mystery. But my experience of the normal difficulty setting was that it felt too punitive. On my first case, I entered an all-too-real downward spiral where I simply couldn't pull Houssine out of the red and had to abandon the game. On the easy difficulty, Houssine still loses money each night, but he starts with a buffer sufficient to see the story through.If you're going to play Night Call, then play it on the "Story" setting. The normal difficulty claims it is "the way Night Call is meant to be played." I disagree. Night Call is at its best when you're behind the wheel, gliding through the rain-kissed boulevards, lost in conversation with whichever lost soul just happened to appear in the back seat of your cab. It presents itself as a noir mystery, but the murders you’re investigating are the least interesting narrative element. Night Call’s real strength is in the stories it tells about Paris, about the people who live there and the meaningful connections you can have with them no matter how brief or unexpected. It's these people you'll remember once you've solved each case, not the fares you charged them. Info from Gamespot.com

Watch out, Amazon Prime Day--Humble Monthly, the subscription service that delivers a group of PC games to your gaming account every month, has Kingdom Come: Deliverance as one of its titles for August 2019.Deliverance is a no-fantasy RPG from Mafia creator Daniel Vavra's studio, Warhorse. The game was originally released in 2018 for PC, as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.GameSpot's review of Kingdom Come scored the game an 8/10. "This is one of those rare, memorable games that stays with you long after you stop playing," reviewer Brett Todd said.Other outlets praised the game as well, but if that's not enough to get you to consider picking it up on Humble Monthly, you should know that there is a chicken in every cutscene in the game."In every single [cutscene], appropriate or not, there's a hen somewhere in some form. And let me tell you, sometimes it was very challenging to find a spot for it and we had to be very creative," Warhorse said on Reddit.Another one of the Humble Monthly games for August is Surviving Mars, the highly acclaimed 2018 city-building game from Tropico developer Haemimont Games.The rest of August 2019's Humble Monthly titles will be announced later. You must subscribe by August 2 to get the bundle. Memberships are available starting at $12 USD/month.Go to Humble Monthly's FAQ page here to learn more. Info from Gamespot.com

It's not just Madden NFL 20 that's revealing its player ratings. Another one of this year's big sports games, NBA 2K20, has now begun to announce its own player ratings.LeBron James is the highest-rated with a 97 overall rating, while Kawahi Leonard is No. 2 also with a 97 rating. Giannis Antetokounmpo follows at No. 3 with a 96 rating, while Kevin Durant and James Harden round out the Top 5 with 96 overall ratings. There are no surprises in the Top 5.You can see the full 1-20 list below.The top 5 rated players in NBA 2K20! #2KRatings 1) @KingJames 9⃣7⃣2) @KawhiLeonard 9⃣7⃣3) @Giannis_An34 9⃣6⃣4) @KDTrey5 9⃣6⃣5) @JHarden13 9⃣6⃣ — NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) July 16, 2019NBA 2K20 launches in September for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Anthony Davis is on the cover of the standard edition, while Dwayne Wade graces the cover of the Legend edition.NBA 2K20 Player Ratings (1-20)LeBron James -- 97Kawahi Leonard -- 97Giannis Antetokounmpo -- 96Kevin Durant -- 96James Harden -- 96Steph Curry -- 95Anthony Davis -- 94Paul George -- 93Damian Lillard --- 92Joel Embid -- 91Kyrie Irving -- 91Nikola Jokic -- 90Russell Westbrook -- 90Klay Thompson -- 89Karl-Anthony Towns -- 89Jimmy Butler -- 88Kemba Walker -- 88Donovan Mitchell -- 88Rudy Gobert -- 88Blake Griffin -- 88Info from Gamespot.com

Madden NFL 20's release is coming up soon, and one of the most exciting parts of "Madden Season" is the reveal of player ratings. EA started things off with ratings for rookies and later the four 99-rated players, and now the company has revealed the ratings for every player in the entire game.We'll break down the Top 10 players at some high-profile positions below, but you can go to EA's website to see a full breakdown of every player rating. As far as overall team ratings go, the Philadelphia Eagles are the highest-rated overall at 89, while the Miami Dolphins are the lowest-rated at 74. The New Orleans Saints have the highest-rated overall offense at 92, while the Chicago Bears have the best defense rating at 88. Highest Rated TeamsPhiladelphia Eagles -- 89Dallas Cowboys -- 88New Orleans Saints -- 87New England Patriots -- 87Green Bay Packers -- 87Atlanta Falcons -- 86Indianapolis Colts -- 86Los Angeles Rams -- 85San Diego Chargers -- 85Pittsburgh Steelers -- 84Highest Rated QBsPatrick Mahomes -- 97 Tom Brady -- 96Philip Rivers -- 94Drew Brees -- 92Andrew Luck -- 92Russell Wilson -- 91Aaron Rodgers -- 90Matt Ryan -- 89Ben Roethlisberger -- 85Cam Newton -- 84Highest Rated WRsOdell Beckham J. -- 96Michael Thomas -- 95Tyreek Hill -- 94Adam Thielen -- 94Stefon Diggs -- 93Davante Adams -- 92Mike Evans -- 91T.Y. Hilton -- 91A.J. Green -- 90Keenan Allen --- 89Highest Rated TEsZach Ertz -- 93Delanie Walker -- 92George Kittle -- 90Greg Olsen -- 89Tyler Eifert -- 88Jordan Reed -- 88Trey Burton -- 87Jared Cook -- 87Eric Ebron -- 86Hunter Henry -- 86Highest Rating Running Backs Todd Gurley II -- 97Ezekiel Elliott -- 94Le'Veon Bell -- 92Melvin Gordon III -- 92Saquon Barkley -- 91Christian McCaffrey -- 91Kareem Hunt -- 90Alvin Kamara -- 90Devonta Freeman -- 89Joe Nixon -- 88The Madden 20 ratings are decided by EA's Andre Weingarten and Dustin Smith. You can learn a lot more about the process of how they come up with player ratings in this fascinating ESPN feature.The Madden NFL ratings were for a long time formulated by ratings czar Donny Moore until he retired in 2015. Madden NFL 20's player ratings will change as the season progresses based on how players perform on the field. Something new for Madden 20 are the new X-Factor abilities that give the highest-rated players unique special skills that can be used in certain circumstances. This will theoretically boost a player's OVR even further, though it remains to be seen how it will all shake out.Madden NFL 20 pre-order guideMadden 20 launches on August 2 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. EA Access members will get a limited amount of time to play the game early, as usual.Info from Gamespot.com

Borderlands 3 will not have cross-play support at launch in September across any of its platforms: PS4, Xbox One, and PC. However, the feature could be added at some point after release, as Gearbox is "committed" to making it happen, according to Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford, who set out to temper expectations for a teaser of something to come on July 16.His statement came after Gearbox released a teaser inviting players to a "celebration of togetherness." Some people saw this as a reference to cross-play, but that's not the case. The teaser was for something else; whatever it is, it'll be revealed on July 16 at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET. [Update: The time has arrived, and it's turned out to be a new Borderlands 3 trailer in which the game's various playable Vault Hunters all dance around, albeit with the sort of Borderlands-y twist you might expect. Beyond that, there was no news regarding the game, despite the initial expectations given the teaser.]We hope to see you there. 🌹 #Borderlands3 pic.twitter.com/JxDfmkSwcM — Borderlands 3 (@Borderlands) July 12, 2019"Some folks may be speculating that this thing tomorrow may be about cross-play," Pitchford said. "Tomorrow's thing is awesome, but *not* about cross-play. But, Good News: We are committed to supporting cross-play for Borderlands 3 with our partners as soon as practicable after launch. #talklater"Pitchford went on to confirm outright that Borderlands 3 has no cross-play at launch, though conversations are ongoing about making this a reality. "To be clear, there will not be any cross-play functionality in Borderlands 3 at launch as we work closely with our partners to create a positive cross-play experience as soon as practicable," he said. "We are committed to cross-play on as many platforms as possible."According to Pitchford, Borderlands 3 publisher 2K Games makes all the decisions about "platform partnerships," and this would presumably include cross-play. "Myself and the team at Gearbox have a very keen interest in cross-platform play," Pitchford said back in April.Borderlands 3 has four-player co-op support, so it appears cross-play functionality would be for this. However, nothing is confirmed at this stage.Borderlands 3 launches on September 13 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, while the game is also coming to Google Stadia. Info from Gamespot.com

The 50th anniversary of San Diego Comic-Con is just around the corner and to commemorate the occasion we are giving away a grand prize package that includes a Furreal Mighty Roar Simba; a Captain Marvel collection set that comes with the Captain Marvel Photon Power figurine, Photon Power FX Glove, Captain Marvel with Marvel's Goose set and a Captain Marvel (Starforce) figurine. The winner will also take home the Star Wars Retro Collection, (featuring the 1977 designs of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Stormtrooper, Darth Vader, Chewbacca and Princess Leia).The first runner up wins a Transformers exclusive from SDCC 2018, Throne of Primes and other Transformer goodies like Retro Rock Garage: Bumblebee figurine, two decks and three starter packs for the Transformers Trading Card Game. But it's not all about Autobots and Decepticons, this package comes with Stranger Things items like a Stranger Things Walkie Talkie phone case, Dungeons & Dragons Starter Game, an electronic arcade game and Trivial Pursuit - 80's Edition, all inspired by the Netflix show.The second runner up prize pack is an Overwatch Ultimates collection with figures of Sombra, Tracer, Rienhardt, Mercy & Pharah, Lucio, Ana & Soldier: 76, and Reaper.The third runner up prize is Nerf blasters and soakers inspired by Fortnite. The bundle includes an HC-E Blaster, Micro Llama Blaster, Micro RL Blaster, Micro TS Blaster, AR-L Blaster, and TS-R Super Soaker.To enter the giveaway you have to fill out the form below after reading our official rules and accepting our terms and conditions. You also have the option of getting extra entries. After filling out the form you will unlock actions that will give you additional entries for following us on social media or visiting our website. If you're having trouble viewing the form please us this link.Head to the comment section and tell us what prize calling you or what other prizes you would like to see in our giveaways. Good luck! Info from Gamespot.com

Sony has released a new system software update for PS4, but it doesn't add all that much. The brief official patch notes state the update "improves system performance."The 6.72 update is available now, and it weighs in at around 463 MB. The "system performance" line is a fairly standard one for minor updates like this.The next major PS4 update, meanwhile, is still in beta. That patch will contain big improvements to the console's Party chat system, including increased chatroom size, better audio quality, and improved network connectivity. There are also a couple of neat accessibility options being tested: the PS4 Second Screen mobile app will allow you to enter text to be spoken aloud to other party members. Additionally, the app can transcribe incoming chat audio from your friends.In other PlayStation news, July's PS Plus games are available now. After a mix-up where a game was announced and then swapped out, this month's free titles are Detroit: Become Human and Horizon Chase Turbo.Info from Gamespot.com

If you've been itching to try Square Enix's MMO Final Fantasy XIV, now could be the time. Prime Day is underway and among the various deals on games and hardware is a cheap price for the recently released and highly regarded FFXIV Shadowbringers expansion. The expansion is on sale for $34, down from the usual $40.Keep in mind this is the expansion only, so you'll need to download the base game too, which is free up to level 35. This marks the third major expansion, after Heavensword and Stormblood. A complete package with all previous expansions retails for $60. If you jump in now, you can check out the just-released update, which opens up the expansion's first raid and makes other adjustments.See FFXIV Shadowbringers at AmazonSee FFXIV Shadowbringers at Walmart"Equal parts redemption, vengeance, cruelty, and sassy Elezen, Shadowbringers promises a hell of a lot when you take your first steps into Norvrandt and delivers a truly spectacular finish even if it stumbles a little along the way," Ginny Woo wrote in GameSpot's review.Prime Day is one of Amazon's biggest sales days of the year, and this year other retailers have started challenging Amazon with sales of their own. The result is something akin to a Black Friday in the middle of summer, with lots of deals across several stores. Check out more of the best deals below to get your shop on.More Amazon Prime Day 2019 coverage:Prime Day 2019: Best Video Game Deals On PS4, Switch, Xbox One; Tips; And MorePrime Day Gaming Deals: Best PS4 Deals On Games, Consoles, And MoreBest Nintendo Switch Deals For Amazon Prime Day 2019Best PC Games And Accessories For Prime Day 2019Best Xbox One Deals For Prime Day 20197 Tips For Saving More During Amazon Prime Day 2019Best VR Gaming Deals For Prime Day 2019Not-Prime Day 2019: All The Best Sales That Aren't On AmazonGameStop Kicks Off Huge Summer Sale Just Before Prime DayThe Best Prime Day Gaming PC Deals At DellEbay Sale Might Have You Rooting For Amazon To Crash During Prime DayNew Exclusive Star Wars Funko Pop Launching For Amazon Prime DayThe Free PC Games Twitch Prime Members Can Claim In JulyWalmart Prime Day Deals Include Xbox One Bundle With Headset, Controller For $300Best Prime Day Anime DealsBest Prime Day Deals On Funko PopsBest Prime Day TV Show And Movie DealsBest Prime Day DealsPlayStation Plus 12-month subscription -- $36 at MassgenieDualShock 4 PS4 controllers -- $40 at AmazonNintendo Switch (neon red/blue Joy-Cons) / Nintendo Switch (gray Joy-Cons) -- $300 w/ free $35 Eshop credit at AmazonNintendo Switch + select game of your choice + bonus accessory -- $329 at WalmartXbox One S All-Digital Edition + Phantom White wireless controller -- $200 at AmazonBatman: The Complete TV Series -- $36.39 at AmazonRed Dead Redemption 2 (PS4 and Xbox One) -- $30 at WalmartInfo from Gamespot.com

Gearbox has released a new trailer for Borderlands 3. The trailer sees the game's four playable Vault Hunters--Moze, FL4K, Zane, and Amara--all dance to the song "So Happy Together" while they kill an army of bandits. All things considered, it's not the weirdest thing that Borderlands has ever done, but it's still pretty silly.The trailer, which can be watched above, begins with Claptrap dancing as a loot crate behind him opens. Inside the crate, a mini version of Pandora comes to life and Zane begins to playfully shoot the bandits surrounding him as "So Happy Together" starts to play. Although the other three Vault Hunters initially look at Zane with confusion, they all soon join in and the remainder of the murderous musical is devoted to showcasing each of the characters' unique special abilities.FL4K brings out the beasts under his control to chew on downed bandits to the rhythm of the music. Moze summons Iron Bear and crushes some enemies as the song transitions into the chorus. Zane dances to the chorus alongside his holographic decoy, and the two twirl together arm in arm while murdering the surrounding bandits. Finally, Amara joins the fray, careening down into the crowd with her Siren powers erupting into a colorful explosion. The four Vault Hunter then all join hands and dance together as they continue to shoot all the enemies around them.The teaser released prior to this trailer's debut, which referenced a "celebration of togetherness," led some fans to believe that Gearbox was planning to announce plans for cross-save. In response, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford stated that Borderlands 3 won't have cross-play at launch, although he added that the studio is "committed" to making it happen.We've had a chance to play with three of Borderlands 3's Vault Hunters--Zane, Amara, and Moze. We've got skill tree breakdowns on The Operative, The Siren, and The Gunner so you and your friends can begin planning your ideal squad loadout. Borderlands 3 takes inspiration from recent modern day shooters, such as Titanfall 2, and implements mechanics like climbing and sliding for a faster combat experience. Several new loot-based features have also been implemented to make a more enjoyable experience for those who prefer to play Borderlands games solo. Story-wise, Borderlands 3 introduces a lot of new stuff as well, including space travel, villains based on "really annoying" streamers, and a renewed focus on the mystery surrounding the Sirens.Borderlands 3 is scheduled to release on September 13 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The game will also release on Google Stadia in November 2019. The PC version of Borderlands 3 will launch on the Epic Games Store first, before releasing on Steam in 2020. Every edition of the game is now available for pre-order.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has revealed the patch notes for Rainbow Six Siege's new Y4S2.2 update, which is available now on PS4 and Xbox One. The patch will seemingly not be released on PC."The Y4S2.2 patch will be primarily bug fixes aimed at cleaning up issues raised during the Test Server and during the early weeks of season release while we prepare for the next update and work on other major issues," Ubisoft said in a blog post. "Clash and deployable shields have previously been re-enabled on live servers across all platforms, but we are continuing to monitor the fix that went out."The most notable changes in the update are tweaks to the recently-introduced reverse friendly fire. The threshold at which RFF kicks in when attacking hostages have been changed, Ubisoft says.Additionally, Lesion's Gu mines have had their cloaking mechanics changed. Going forward, they will have the same type of clock as Echo's drone, in order to prevent detection through ballistic shields.For more on the update, check out the full patch notes below, via Ubisoft. You might also be interested in Rainbow Six Siege's limited-time Showdown mode, which won't be live for much longer.Rainbow Six Siege Y4S2.2 Update Patch NotesBug FixesFixed – Attackers can break their rotation axis through a series of steps, allowing them to spin like a top. No more Beyblade.Fixed – Placing certain gadgets (Jammer, Prisma, Evil Eye, etc.) in front of a destructible wall segment can interfere with later attempts to reinforce.Fixed – Shield operators can see an invisible Yokai VFX through their shield when the glass is damaged.Fixed – Players can lose partial functionality if they started to defuse at the same time as another defender.Fixed – Sometimes the Defuser can be pushed outside the bomb site by interactions with barricades and wall reinforcements.Fixed – Players are kicked after putting the hostage in DBNO during prep phase.OperatorsMozzieFixed – Mozzie's hacked drone view for Defender Operators in Support mode are in color when they should be black + white. (Only Mozzie should see hacked drones in full-color).NomadFixed – Airjab proximity SFX is not present in replays.NokkFixed – Glitches feedback in first person POV continues playing after leaving rappel.WardenFixed – HUD becomes larger when deploying a shield, placing a reinforcement, or when on a ladder.TwitchFixed – Shock drone's beams cannot travel through railings on some maps to destroy camerasFixed – Twitch drone view for Defender Operators in Support mode are in color when they should be black + white. (Only Twitch should see her drones in full-color).Level DesignBankFixed – Players can vault the shelves at 1F Electrical Room.Fixed – Drone can be thrown into ceiling of 1F Teller’s Office.Fixed – Missing entry prompt when rappelling down from EXT Low Roof Skylight.Fixed – Operators clip through the South building's wall when rappeling down EXT Low Roof while holding the hostage.Fixed - Lesion cannot deploy his Gu mines on a specific location at the entrance of Ext Tunnel.BorderFixed – Players can vault and go through ceiling areas of EXT Pedestrian Customs.Fixed – Missing drone collision with in 1F Workshop allows drones to scan without being spotted.CoastlineFixed – Attackers can vault onto the purple tarps from EXT rooftop.Fixed – Defender drones lose reception in the 2F VIP Lounge drone hole.ConsulateFixed – Drones can be thrown between the floorboards above B Garage.ClubhouseFixed – Obstructed ADS vision in B Escape Tunnel.Fixed – One of the soft walls in B Container cannot be reinforced from the outside at EXT Construction Site.FortressFixed – LOD issues with glass display in 2F Museum Room.Hereford BaseFixed – Missing barricade at the start of a round in 2F Sewing Room.VillaFixed – Various window clipping and texture issues.Fixed – Flash Bang effects can pass through the stained glass windows on Villa onto the other side.Fixed – It is difficult to deploy Gadgets on some of the windows/flat window surfaces where they should be able to be deployed.Kafe Fixed – LOD issue in 2F Pillar Room.Fixed – Players can prone and hide in a shelf in 3F Bar Backstore.Fixed – Blocked windows from previous Kafe showing red outlines during preparation phase.Fixed – Operators can hide inside the cupboards in 1F Dining RoomFixed – Floating debris after destroying the wall in 2F Fireplace Hall.Fixed – Minor missing visual elements.Fixed – [Situations] Drone can remain stuck inside a tree after spawning in EXT Park.OregonFixed – Missing collision with doorstep when the floor is destroyed allows gadgets to pass through a beam.Fixed – Operators can clip through the B Tower Stairs.OutbackFixed – Players can vault onto the vending machine in 2F Garage Lounge.SkyscraperFixed – Missing compass location after rappelling towards EXT Dragon Statue.User ExperienceFixed – Spamming of special characters in All Text chat causes freezing.Fixed – Players are put into a situation instantly after cancelling a discovery queue.Fixed – Updates to various UI elements.Fixed – Fixes for some modeling and texture issues.Fixed – Swapping between guns will make ADS to be offset when in Support mode.Info from Gamespot.com

Prime Day is ongoing, and while some of the deals from Monday are already gone, an especially steep discount has popped up on Tuesday for those in the market for Microsoft's 4K-capable Xbox console, the Xbox One X. With the combination of a discount and a coupon code, you can snag an Xbox One X console for almost $200 off. That's a terrific opportunity for anyone interested in the system but unwilling to drop the usual $500 it goes for.The deal comes from Antonline through Google Express. The discount at checkout is $166 off, but with the addition of a coupon code (JULY20SAVE) you can make that $186 off. That's almost a savings of $200 from a system that ordinarily costs $500, putting it at about $314. That's roughly in the price range of standard, non-4K consoles.See Xbox One X at Google ExpressWe haven't seen many deals on Xbox One X for this year's Prime Day, and the system doubles as a 4K UHD player. Although it isn't bundled with any games, this is still a stellar price for the console.If you're in the market for a console but don't need the extra muscle of the Xbox One X, there are lots of deals to go around. Those include an Xbox One S All-Digital Edition with an extra controller for $200, or an Xbox One S All-Digital paired with a Nintendo Switch for $400. Plus there are plenty more discounts on games and hardware that you can see rounded up with our best deals. Check out some of our other picks for deals below.More Amazon Prime Day 2019 coverage:Prime Day 2019: Best Video Game Deals On PS4, Switch, Xbox One; Tips; And MorePrime Day Gaming Deals: Best PS4 Deals On Games, Consoles, And MoreBest Nintendo Switch Deals For Amazon Prime Day 2019Best PC Games And Accessories For Prime Day 2019Best Xbox One Deals For Prime Day 20197 Tips For Saving More During Amazon Prime Day 2019Best VR Gaming Deals For Prime Day 2019Not-Prime Day 2019: All The Best Sales That Aren't On AmazonGameStop Kicks Off Huge Summer Sale Just Before Prime DayThe Best Prime Day Gaming PC Deals At DellEbay Sale Might Have You Rooting For Amazon To Crash During Prime DayNew Exclusive Star Wars Funko Pop Launching For Amazon Prime DayThe Free PC Games Twitch Prime Members Can Claim In JulyWalmart Prime Day Deals Include Xbox One Bundle With Headset, Controller For $300Best Prime Day Anime DealsBest Prime Day Deals On Funko PopsBest Prime Day TV Show And Movie DealsBest Prime Day DealsPlayStation Plus 12-month subscription -- $36 at MassgenieDualShock 4 PS4 controllers -- $40 at AmazonNintendo Switch (neon red/blue Joy-Cons) / Nintendo Switch (gray Joy-Cons) -- $300 w/ free $35 Eshop credit at AmazonNintendo Switch + select game of your choice + bonus accessory -- $329 at WalmartXbox One S All-Digital Edition + Phantom White wireless controller -- $200 at AmazonBatman: The Complete TV Series -- $36.39 at AmazonRed Dead Redemption 2 (PS4 and Xbox One) -- $30 at WalmartInfo from Gamespot.com

Juventus will be exclusive to PES 2020 this year, meaning FIFA 20 will have to make do without. PES publisher Konami has announced a "long-term" deal with the club that makes PES "the only console football game to include the Italian champions."Konami says the partnership covers exclusive use of Juve's "team name, crest, and official kits"--as well as its Allianz Stadium--within "console football video games." That leaves the door open for other games, such as Football Manager, to include the club, but details on that are unclear. What is clear is that FIFA will not include Juventus this year; EA has stated its plans to instead feature an unlicensed version of the club."Following a close relationship with Juventus Football Club, EA Sports can confirm that June 30 marked the end of its partnership with the club," EA said.In a separate statement, the publisher continued: "Piemonte Calcio will be a new playable team in FIFA 20 with a custom badge and kit throughout Kick-Off, Career Mode, and Volta. Piemonte Calcio will use real-world, authentic players in FIFA 20 and FIFA 20 Ultimate Team. Piemonte Calcio players' Chemistry within FIFA 20 Ultimate Team is unaffected by these changes."The term "Piemonte" is a reference to the region of Italy Juventus is located, Piedmont. "Calcio," meanwhile, is the Italian word for "kick" that is commonly associated with football in the country. FIFA's version of the Italian league, Serie A, is titled Calcio A due to the lack of official league license.EA went on to reassure fans that while Juve's name, badge, and kits are unlicensed in FIFA 20, the club's players would still be depictions of their real selves, as player likenesses come under the umbrella football union, FIFPro, and not their individual clubs or leagues. Since FIFPro has partnerships with both Konami and EA, both are permitted to replicate player names and faces in their games. EA also said FIFA 20 will continue to feature Piemonte Calcio players as in-form players in Ultimate Team in accordance with Juventus's real-world standing. The company concluded by confirming existing versions of FIFA are unaffected by the change.PES 2020 also has official partnerships with Manchester United, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich, though those are not exclusive, so EA can continue to feature them officially in FIFA.PES 2020 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 10. A demo version, which includes online and offline match types as well as the game's edit mode, will launch on July 30.FIFA 20, meanwhile, launches September 27 and comes with a new five-a-side Volta mode, among other changes.Info from Gamespot.com

Netflix provided a first look at some of the major characters in its adaptation of The Witcher recently, but one notable absence stuck out: Roach, Geralt's trusty steed, was nowhere to be found. The studio has now remedied that oversight with a new still that shows Geralt riding Roach.The tweet showing the photo also provides another look at Geralt, including a detailed look at his layers of armor. It all looks like it could have been pulled straight out of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.Roach matters more for Witcher authenticity than just the riding, though. As many fans of the series noted, the first shot of Geralt showed him carrying one sword, rather than two. In Wild Hunt, he carries both a steel sword for fighting human foes, and a silver one for fighting against monsters. In other fiction, though, monster encounters come up infrequently enough that Geralt leaves the silver sword with Roach and he only equips it when necessary. That has led to speculation that this first season of the series could include details on how he starts to carry the weapon, and this shot of Roach--who doesn't seem to be carrying a second sword--would support that theory.We still haven't been given a release date for the Witcher TV series, but Netflix has confirmed it will be sometime this fall. We're likely to hear much more about the show, including a possible release date, at its Comic-Con panel on July 19. Check out everything we know and expect to come from San Diego Comic-Con. Info from Gamespot.com