The DC Universe is gearing up for the return of the fan favorite team up book, Batman/Superman, with the creative team of Joshua Williamson and David Marquez this August--and to celebrate, they've released a first look at the first five pages of the first issue, which you can check out below.Here's some context if you've lapsed on your DC reading over the past year or so. Remember that evil, fanged Robin who just introduced himself as Billy Batson? He's a member of the Batman Who Laughs' crew--a team of monstrous, brainwashed youths who run around with crowbars gnashing their teeth at whatever their evil overlord points them at. And, for a while, that's all their really was to it. The Batman Who Laughs and his underlings are all invaders from an evil alternate reality called the Dark Multiverse (because comics, don't worry too much about it) so of course, it just went to follow that an evil Batman would have evil Robins, right?But there's more to the story now, apparently--and one of the Robins has revealed himself to actually be none other than Shazam, himself: Billy Batson. No, not our Billy Batson--at least, not that we can tell--but a version of Billy Batson from the Dark Multiverse who was corrupted by The Batman Who Laughs. Maybe, at least. From the context of the preview, it's hard to tell whether or not this is the Billy from our universe or not.ither way, he's definitely in some serious trouble.Batman/Superman plans on delving deep into the mysteries of The Batman Who Laughs and the "sleeper agents," a new Rebirth-era "Secret Six," who he's planted across the world--superheroes he has corrupted who continue to live and exist in their normal lives none-the-wiser but who can be transformed into the evilest versions of themselves at any moment. Anyone could be a potential threat and when the truth is finally uncovered, the DC Universe will never be the same. So what does this mean for Billy and his heroic counterpart, Shazam? Only time will tell--but it's probably nothing good.Batman/Superman #1 hits shelves August 14.Info from Gamespot.com

The first impression of CD Projekt RED's closed-door demo of Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 2019 is that it's taken a lot of influence from similar titles, such as Deus Ex games. The hour-long session focused extensively on the kind of gameplay you'll take part in as you adventure through Night City, with a specific look at the choices available to you in combat and story situations. The big takeaway: you'll get lots of options for working through an area or dealing with combat depending on your playstyle and decisions.Cyberpunk's RPG underpinnings mostly come through in its "fluid class system," which allows you to pick abilities and perks from a variety of areas to develop your own version of V, the game's main character. That means you don't have to be a specialized Net Runner (read: hacker) or Strong Solo (read: super-strong brawler) in particular; you can mix and match your abilities to fit your desired play style. The abilities you choose will give you a variety of options for dealing with combat, working your way through areas and missions, and interacting with other characters--similar to games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution.CD Projekt's E3 demo showed one such mission and the options available to two different variants on V. After seeking out a gang called the Voodoo Boys for help dealing with V's "biochip" (which seems to contain a "digital ghost" version of Keanu Reeves' character, Johnny Silverhand, who exists only in V's head), V gets contracted to do a job for the gang. It entails venturing to the Grand Imperial Mall in the district of Pacifica, where a rival gang called the Animals have taken up residence. V's job: infiltrate the building, figure out what the Animals are up to, and shut it down.One version of V sneaked in through the mall's loading dock, using cybernetic implants like an optical scanner to spot enemies and carefully move past them. Good thing, too--the Animals are known for bodybuilding and muscle-enhancement technology, and the weaker Netrunner V would have been handily pummeled if he'd been discovered. While you'll have a lot of firepower at your disposal, as we saw in last year's Cyberpunk demo, relying on stealth is an option as well.A little further in, this version of V, who specialized as a Netrunner ran into a surveillance camera covering the hallway. A nearby network node offered an opportunity to hack in and take control of the camera by way of a quick hacking minigame--but slipping into the network offered its own problems.Turns out, there's a Netrunner hiding out in the mall somewhere running counter-hacking on you, and that's no small thing. In Cyberpunk, hacking into people can be deadly; the only reason V survives this encounter is because of the help of the Voodoo Boys' Netrunner, Placid, who is linked to your character during the mission to provide tactical support. Despite the interference, being connected to the network gives you the opportunity to mess with a number of devices throughout the mall.Still undiscovered, V continued into a gym area where a few Animals were distracted watching one of their pals with a robot in a boxing ring. V's "quick hack" skill allowed him to mess with the robot, ratcheting up its difficulty setting. That created a handy distraction as the bot brained his sparring partner, causing a handful of Animals to run over to see what was up. Just a little way further, the way was blocked by another Animal using a bench press station. Luckily, the Internet of Things is alive and well in the 2077--V quick-hacked the bench press to increase the weight, dispatching the poor enemy as the barbell choked him to death. That's why you don't lift without a spotter.The quick hack ability has a lot of uses. V was able to commandeer a gun turret and switch off its friendly fire function, for instance. Quick hack looks very reminiscent of the remote hacking capabilities players get in the Watch Dogs franchise, with a lot of similar applications. He also carried a "nano wire," a physical hacking cable he could throw at enemies at close range to jack into their brains, cooking them alive or causing them to attack their friends if you've purchased the right malicious software. Even cooler, though, was the fact the nano wire doubled as a laser whip--something borrowed directly from the cyberpunk movie Johnny Mnemonic (which also starred Reeves).Switching speeds, CD Projekt showed the same mission with a female version of V who specialized in overwhelming force. Sporting cybernetic implants like gorilla strength, this V didn't have the option to hack her way past the surveillance camera; instead, she ran to a nearby door and used brute strength to force it open. That created an alternate path into an elevator shaft, completely bypassing the Animals in the gym. The move gave off a very Deus Ex vibe, with alternate paths through areas accessible depending on your abilities and your playstyle.That same access to alternative situations was true in the next room, where V faced the turret and nearby Animals. Instead of taking over the turret, this V simply ripped it off its moorings, turning it into a massive minigun and ravaging enemies with it. She also didn't have the aversion to melee combat that her weaker Netrunner counterpart did and set about punching Animals to death, as well as stabbing them with broken bottles and other handy implements. You'll also be able to wield things like swords, or deal with unaware enemies with stealthy takedowns--including environmental ones. At one point, V sneaked up behind an adversary standing next to a garbage chute, grabbed him by the neck, and bounced his head off a nearby wall before tossing him in, taking him out and disposing of his body in one move.As with its many story choices, Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't seem to be breaking new ground with its approach to gameplay choices and playstyle iterations. A lot of similar games in the genre offer a lot of similar variations. But Cyberpunk's balance of giving you lots of options that conform to your style, and making them all viable and interesting, makes it look pretty exciting. We only saw a small snapshot of what you'll be able to do in the game, it seems--you'll be able to play the whole game non-lethally, for instance, as well as mix and match a number of different abilities, too. All the different play styles and abilities look they're receiving equal love from CD Projekt, which should make playing Cyberpunk 2077 a pretty responsive and individual experience, regardless of how you want to tackle Night City. Info from Gamespot.com

Defining the story through your choices is at the heart of pen-and-paper RPGs, and that makes it the center of CD Projekt RED's Cyberpunk 2077. That's nothing new for CD Projekt coming off the Witcher series, but what feels remarkable about what we've seen of Cyberpunk so far is the number of elements it mixes to make the story feel bespoke to the character you've created. None of the ideas CD Projekt uses to build out a flexible narrative are new--it uses dialogue trees, branching narratives, multiple paths through mission and combat encounters, and character stats. What's impressive, though, is how many variations Cyberpunk 2077 seems to offer players, and how often the choices you make will influence your gameplay and the story the game tells you.CD Projekt RED showed a new demo of the game behind closed doors at E3 2019. This one focused on gameplay, walking through a mission with two different versions of V, the player character. Even still, there were plenty of conversations to work through and decisions to make that influenced the story, starting with character creation. At the start of the game, you set your character's gender (just male and female, it seems) and their proclivities. As previously detailed, Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't include set classes; instead, it sports a "fluid class system" that allows you to choose a variety of different abilities and perks as you level up.You'll define your character in a lot of other ways as well. There are three backstory options to choose from that fill out what your childhood was like, while also defining what kind of person you are by investing points in a variety of stats. There's Nomad, a Mad Max-like roaming gang existence; Street Kid, an urchin upbringing in the city; and Corporate, an origin among the straight-laced life.All those elements (and a whole bunch more) influence your path through V's story in Night City. The demo showed a mission in which V headed to Pacifica, the southernmost of Night City's six distinct districts and which is mostly populated by immigrants from Haiti, to try to enlist the help of a gang called the Voodoo Boyz. Pacifica is pretty vastly different from the Night City we've previously seen. The district was initially planned as a beach-side resort area, and corporations poured money into creating m hotels and malls. Somewhere along the way, though, plans fell through. The money dried up, the corporations moved out, and Pacifica became a mostly abandoned locale where some of Night City's poorest live. There isn't even really a police presence in the district, making it unsafe even by Night City standards.As developers explained, V has "biochip" stuck in their head and needs it removed. It contains the "secret to immortality," and something else--Johnny Silverhand. The "digital ghost" of the Cyberpunk 2020 character, played by Keanu Reeves in the game, was introduced during CD Projekt's appearance during Microsoft's E3 press conference. He resides in your head, and your relationship with him (and how you choose to shape it through your choices) will be a big part of the story.Mercenary For HireOf course, help from the Voodoo Boyz doesn't come easy. When you enter Pacifica, you meet with Placid, a high-level Netrunner (or hacker to non-cyberpunks) who means to put you on a job in exchange for the gang's assistance. Your interactions with Placid includes lots of choices. You get standard dialogue options for your responses when speaking with him, while others open up based on context and the unique aspects of your character. For instance, if you choose the Street Kid backstory, your experience in gangs in your youth can give you insights into the inner turmoil of the group, which unlocks different responses. If you pumped points into Intelligence, V might recognize something technical in Placid's interactions with an underling that adds another response.Things going on in the room with you also add response possibilities, as do perks you unlock--being a skilled Netrunner might let you talk shop with Placid. You'll also see all those options, whether they're available or not, on the screen when you choose your responses, so you know exactly what you're missing.During their conversation about the job, there's a moment when Placid reaches out and grabs V's network link cable, a wire that slips out of V's wrist that directly links to their brain. It's how you "jack in" to networks and computers to get information, but using it carries a lot of danger--just as you can use it to access systems, systems can use it to access you. It's a significant invasion of your space and safety for Placid to touch the cable and try to jack V in without their consent. The moment showed a different kind of interactive conversation moment: the player could choose for V to recoil from Placid's reach, but a timer showed you only have a brief window to make that call.Your actions and interactions also influence a stat called "Street Cred." As you increase your cred through completing missions and doing other such things, you'll gain access to more content, CD Projekt said. That might mean shopkeepers end up trusting you enough to offer you better, more illicit, or more illegal goods, or it might be new options in dialogue and new sidequests you wouldn't get access to if you hadn't built up a reputation.Placid eventually dispatches you on a mission to figure out what another rival gang, the Animals, are doing in Pacifica. They've taken up residence in the Grand Imperial Mall, far from their usual territory, and he needs someone to go in and find out what they're up to. There are plenty of choices for how you deal with the enemies there, and CD Projekt explained that you could complete the entire game without killing anyone if you so choose. Choosing between going lethal or non-lethal won't necessarily have huge effects on the story, lead quest designer Pawel Sasko told GameSpot, but there are story moments where your choice to finish someone off or spare them will have lasting consequences. Choosing A SideAfter sneaking around and fighting (and killing) a whole bunch of gangsters, the mission ended with V discovering the secret of what's happening in the mall: a government agency called Netwatch is using a surveillance van to break into the Voodoo Boyz's network to hunt them all down. Your actual mission, which Placid didn't fully explain, is to take out the Netwatch agent in the mall. When you find and confront the agent, he introduces another twist--he says the Voodoo Boyz call in outside contractors like you because you're disposable, and if you link the Voodoo Boyz into Netwatch's network as instructed, they'll kill you.V had several options for responding to Mosley, the Netwatch agent, including asking him for more evidence or distrusting him outright thanks to the Street Kid backstory experience. You can choose to side with the government (or stay off its bad side) in this moment, or complete your mission for Placid, and that decision leads to vastly different outcomes.In the end, V chose to trust Placid and did as instructed. But Mosley was right, and seconds after making the connection, the Voodoo Boyz remotely cooked the brains of everyone on the Netwatch network--including V.The betrayal didn't entirely take, though. V woke up some eight hours later with the ghostly Johnny standing over them; it seems that biochip and the imaginary friend in V's head might have helped them survive an otherwise lethal brain-hacking situation. Leaving the mall, V surprised the Voodoo Boyz lookouts waiting outside, who expected everyone inside to be dead. The player chose to let the gangsters drive V back to Placid to confront him. A handful of dialogue choices presented themselves, including one that had V just straight-up punch Placid in the face.The last scene of the demo found Brigitte, the Voodoo Boyz's real leader, making good on the promise to help despite the previous attempt to murder V. That would require heading into cyberspace to look for another Cyberpunk 2020 character who seems to be central to the game: Alt Cunningham. In the pen-and-paper sourcebooks, Cunningham developed a technology that could allow Netrunners to copy their brains into a fully digital form. Thanks to more murder and betrayal, Cunningham's physical body was killed, but she survived as the first fully digitized person, escaping into the internet. To figure out the biochip and Johnny's deal, it seems, V needs Cunningham's help. V had the option to discuss the situation with Johnny before deciding to hop into cyberspace, a Matrix code-like realm, further emphasizing that for much of the game, Johnny seems to be a confidant and something of a partner. The demo ended just before V could determine if Cunningham, missing for some 50 years, is still alive--or still human.None of the story elements in the Cyberpunk 2077 demo were major innovations. Franchises like Deus Ex, Mass Effect, and The Witcher have used all of these ideas to great effect in telling their stories. But Cyberpunk seems to use all the tricks and ideas in choice-based narrative games that have come before to greatly increase the ways the game's story can feel uniquely yours, thanks to the V you create and your decisions along the way.Of course, not every choice is monumental or triggering a significant change in the story; most probably don't really matter. But Cyberpunk's attention to detail in giving you so many options depending on different contexts looks like it'll go a long way to making it feel very responsive. All these things look like they'll go into helping players develop a V that will seem uniquely theirs. When the game finally launches on April 16, 2020, we'll see how successfully those elements work together.Info from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 has just about reached its end. This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo delivered some big news, including a Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel, a new Xbox console named Project Scarlett, and plenty more.However, it also contained some wacky and wonderful moments none of us expected, and it gave rise to some stars we never thought would shine at the gaming expo. Let's take a look at some of the people--and animals--that have brightened up our E3.Table of Contents [hide]Doug Bowser Picking A Fight With, Uh, BowserKeanu Reeves Is In Cyberpunk 2077Ubisoft Brought An Adorable Dog On StageIkumi Nakamura Is The Internet's New Favorite Game DeveloperHelen, Watch Dogs: Legion's Killer GrandmotherDoug Bowser Picking A Fight With, Uh, BowserAfter Reggie Fils-Aime's recent retirement, Nintendo needed a new star to present its E3 Directs. Thankfully, Bowser was there to take over--in style. Doug Bowser, that is.The Koopa King thought he was the one to tell us about Nintendo's new games at E3 2019, but it turns out there was a mistake, and D Bowser promptly put Mario's longtime enemy in his place. Sorry, Bowser.Keanu Reeves Is In Cyberpunk 2077Keanu Reeves had already captured the internet's hearts for being an all-round Good Egg. So when he emerged on-stage at Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference, everyone understandably went wild. The actor, perhaps best known for his roles in the Matrix and John Wick franchises, is in Cyberpunk 2077. He plays a character named Johnny Silverhand, who is described by developer CD Projekt Red as a "legendary rocker boy" who gets his name from the fact that he has a robotic, silver arm. Silverhand is a "key" character in Cyberpunk 2077, so we may see a lot of him.Reeves not only provided the voice and likeness of Silverhand, but he also performed full-body motion capture. This means Silverhand will look and act like Reeves. That's good news, because as behind-the-scenes John Wick training videos have shown, Reeves is a talented actor who commits to his craft to ensure the best possible result.Ubisoft Brought An Adorable Dog On StageUbisoft's E3 2019 press conference was as varied as ever, bringing us news on Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and more. But by far the most adorable moment was when actor John Bernthal (The Wolf of Wall Street, Daredevil, The Punisher) arrived on stage accompanied by his dog, Bam Bam. Bernthal was there to discuss his role in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, while Bam Bam was merely there to be A Good Boy. Watch the wholesome moment above.Ikumi Nakamura Is The Internet's New Favorite Game DeveloperThe grey clouds of Activision's reduced E3 presence and Sony's no-show seemed ready to unleash a shower of disappointment on E3 2019. And then the Bethesda press conference happened. Tango Gameworks creative director Ikumi Nakamura took to the stage, and like a beam of light from the sun, she cut through the miasma to energize and uplift us all. Nakamura arrived on stage to announce Ghostwire: Tokyo, a new game from the studio behind The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2.Nakamura casually strolled onto the stage with an enthusiastic, "Yayyyyyyy!" This was followed by, "Wow, wow, wow, so many people." Obviously, Nakamura was feeling overwhelmed by the size of the audience, but at the same time, she stayed cool, calm, and collected.Nakamura's minor case of stage fright belies her experience in game design and development. Though she may not be a familiar name or face to the greater video game fanbase as a whole, she has been involved in the creation of some of the most beloved games of all time, including Okami and Bayonetta, and of course The Evil Within.Over the course of a few minutes, Nakamura's earnestness and excitement won hearts and minds. She admitted her nervousness, said she'd give speaking English--which she is doing for our benefit--a solid shot, and then delivered a charismatic pitch for her new "spooooooky" game. People are vanishing in Tokyo, and we the player must find out why, unraveling conspiracies and delving into the occult along the way. She promised we'd meet spirits that were [ominous voice] "dangerous" and [playful voice] "peaceful."Helen, Watch Dogs: Legion's Killer GrandmotherUbisoft's E3 2019 press conference had quite a few unexpected surprises--one of which we've of course been over already--but none seems to have hit as hard as an octogenarian with a mean streak. Helen, one of the showcased playable characters from Watch Dogs: Legion, has captured the hearts of the internet.That's no small feat, because the pitch behind Legion is that anyone is a playable character. All of London's residents you find wandering around have their own stories, backgrounds, and habits, and you can hack into their lives and learn more about them to recruit them. Many of them have specialized skills like brawling or robotics expertise. Helen, according to the trailer, is a former assassin, and the wrinkles have made her no less deadly.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealed Info from Gamespot.com

Gears Tactics is not dead, according to publisher Microsoft, despite its E3 2019 no-show. The Xbox One and PC game was first unveiled at E3 2018 alongside Gears 5 and Gears Pop, but while those were shown off again at Xbox's press conference this time round, Tactics was not.This prompted fears from some that the game was canceled or experiencing development struggles. However, the publisher has now reassured fans that the strategy title is still on the way.Longtime series producer Rod Fergusson told Kotaku: "Last year we wanted to really talk about all three games [Gears 5, Pop, and Tactics] and show that Microsoft is tripling down on the Gears of War franchise, but now that we've had that we're really trying to make sure it's not always this three-pack … We'll talk about Gears Tactics later."No release date has been revealed for Gears Tactics, while Gears 5 launches on September 10. Gears Pop, meanwhile, will come to iOS and Android in "late summer" this year.Microsoft's E3 2019 conference focused heavily on Gears 5, which will receive a Terminator crossover in which you can play as the T-800 himself or Sarah Connor. Players will also have a couple of chances to try out Gears 5 ahead of its release. In July, The Coalition will launch a versus multiplayer test that includes a new competitive game type called Arcade. Then the following month, on August 19, you can test out Horde Mode.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

As it is unspoken that all great games must come to Switch eventually, so it has come to pass that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will arrive on Nintendo's console later this year. As announced during Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct presentation, this will be the complete version of the game, including both of its expansions: Hearts of Stone, and Blood and Wine. Pre-orders are available now for $60, with no release date yet more specific than later in 2019. The physical edition of the game will come on a single, 32GB cartridge, with no additional downloads required. In order to get the game running smoothly on the Switch, however, it will run at 540p in handheld mode and up to 720p, with dynamic resolution enabled, on the big screen. We will have to see how that feels in practice, but a PR manager from developer CD Projeckt Red tweeted out a still from one of the game's most infamous scenes to show it off in action, and it looked serviceable, to say the least.In addition to the cartridge the physical edition of the game will also ship with a map, a compendium, and stickers of Geralt's iconic wolf pendant, per Amazon's listing. As a definitive edition of a now-classic game, there are no pre-order bonuses announced at this time, so you can grab the full Witcher 3 experience from your preferred retailer.Pre-Order The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for SwitchGet it at Amazon -- $60Get it at Best Buy -- $60Info from Gamespot.com

BAFTA has given a special award to Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite and Gears of War, among other franchises. The company was given the award in a ceremony in LA, the host city of E3 2019, for its "impact on the global games industry."As well as developing Fortnite and the first four Gears of War titles, Epic also counts among its achievements the Unreal Tournament series and the industry standard development tool Unreal Engine. More recently, the company opened its own storefront as a rival to Steam. It also announced in March that it's created a $100 million fund for developers that was made possible thanks to the success of Fortnite."We are delighted to honor Epic Games with a BAFTA special award," said BAFTA Games committee chair Dr Jo Twist, OBE. "Their impact on the global games industry and its evolution has been extraordinary and we are pleased to be recognizing that this evening. Epic Games have empowered and supported creativity in the industry for over 20 years and they continue to innovate on established industry practice and champion the creative community."Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said: "The team has worked so hard to make these things reality and create art and be recognized for it. I hope this is just the beginning of the quest. We're trying to create a whole new world around digital entertainment and I think we’re just at the beginning of it."This is not the first award BAFTA has handed to Epic--Fortnite won the Evolving Game category at this year's Game BAFTAs. The battle royale title has gone on to become one of the most successful games ever made, with over 250 million registered players. Epic continues to evolve the game, with its latest patch adding a proximity grenade launcher and a Horde Rush mode.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

The dungeon-crawler Torchlight 2 is coming to consoles with extra content this fall. The original game was a PC exclusive, but now it will come to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It's due on September 3 for $20.Torchlight 2 was originally developed by Runic Games, and the port is being handled by Panic Button. These console ports feature an improved targeting system and revised console-friendly UI, and new pets. The Nintendo Switch version will let up to four dungeon divers play with their friends on a local wireless connection.The original Torchlight was released on PC and Xbox 360, and helped scratch the Diablo itch for action-RPG fans. Torchlight 2 came in 2012, and went head-to-head against Diablo 3. Torchlight is a bit lighter in tone than Blizzard's series, though, and includes some mechanical differences."We've discovered that the core mechanics featured in Torchlight II translate really well onto consoles," says Panic Button's Andy Boggs. "It's a solid multiplayer experience with fast-paced action and an almost endless progression system. Our team has been working hard on the console version to make sure that the combat feels just as fun and satisfying as it did on PC."GameSpot's review of Torchlight 2 was positive, crediting its distinct character classes, enticing loot, and vibrant visuals. Publisher Perfect World is currently preparing a brand new Torchlight game, called Torchlight Frontiers.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Epic's month-long Mega Sale ends after today, but the digital store announced it's extending one particular offer through the rest of 2019. During the Mega Sale, Epic began offering a free PC game to its users on a weekly basis (rather than biweekly, as it was doing before), and the store will continue giving one free game away every week through the rest of the year, starting with Enter the Gungeon.Available for free starting today, Enter the Gungeon is a gunfight dungeon-crawler that takes place in the Gungeon, a "bullet-hell fortress" that's constantly evolving and upping its challenges. The "gungeoneers" are a group of misfits with deep regrets seeking a powerful treasure at the Gungeon's core: a legendary gun that can kill their past. The heroes must brave traps, chasms, and wave after wave of bullets to make their way through the dungeon, and a variety of wacky weapons are at your disposal, including guns that shoot lasers, cannonballs, rainbows, fish, darts, and more.The game received a 7/10 in GameSpot's Enter the Gungeon review, in which critic Cassidee Moser took issue with its guns feeling similar and certain gameplay elements, but praised its finely tuned shooting mechanics, challenging enemies, and dynamic visuals. "Care has been placed in the smallest details, mixing retro-inspired pixelated artwork with more contemporary styles of visual feedback," wrote Moser.As a reminder, you'll need a free Epic account to claim Enter the Gungeon, and once you do add the game to your account, it'll be yours to keep. Enter the Gungeon will be available until June 20, when it will be replaced by space adventure Rebel Galaxy.Get Enter the Gungeon for free »Create a free Epic Store account »Info from Gamespot.com

Animal Crossing: New Horizons' delay was one of the more disappointing pieces of news from Nintendo's E3 2019 press conference. The publisher has now commented further on the reasoning behind the game's delay, saying it was to ensure employee welfare.Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser replied to IGN's question about industry crunch--whereby developers are often asked to work extreme hours in the lead-up to launch--by saying: "The crunch point is an interesting one. For us, one of our key tenets is that we bring smiles to people's faces, and we talk about that all the time. It's our vision. Or our mission, I should say. For us, that applies to our own employees. We need to make sure that our employees have good work-life balance."One of those examples is, we will not bring a game to market before it's ready. We just talked about one example [New Horizons' delay]. It's really important that we have that balance in our world. It's actually something we're proud of."New Horizons was initially scheduled for a 2019 launch, but it will now be released on March 20, 2020. While it's still a way off, pre-orders for the game are now open. You can read more in our Animal Crossing: New Horizons pre-order guide.The game makes a few neat changes compared to previous titles in the series, including the addition of couch co-op. At any point, you can pass a Joy-Con controller to a friend to let them take control of another character who lives in the village. Nintendo also said the game will support four players locally and up to eight players online. For more, check out these welcome Animal Crossing: New Horizons gameplay changes or our look at why New Horizons is so different to past Animal Crossing games.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

In Avengers: Endgame, Thor had a bit of a rough go toward the beginning of the movie, and in a recent video posted by Chris Hemsworth, we see one of the God of Thunder's saddest moments, covering Nine Inch Nails. Warning: Endgame spoilers ahead.His beheading of Thanos early on didn't bring him any sense of justice, and he's now living on Earth with what's left of the Asgardians. Thor spends his days getting drunk and playing video games online, while yelling at children over a headset, like Noobmaster69.Not sure why everyone’s so worried about Thor, he’s fine guys... pic.twitter.com/GTbprK1l0c — Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) June 13, 2019Thor covering "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails (specifically covering Johnny Cash's rendition of the song) is a hilarious yet oddly depressing moment in the God of Thunder's life. And we're really hopeful that the full version of this video somehow makes it onto the special features for the Avengers: Endgame home release.It's weirdly been a really cool year for Nine Inch Nails covers. Aside from Hemsworth's version of "Hurt," the latest season of Black Mirror had Miley Cyrus playing the character Ashley O, who covered the band's song "Head Like A Hole," as well as performing part of NIN's "Right Where It Belongs."Avengers: Endgame crushed box office records, beating out Avatar in the US, and taking in $2.7 billion globally. While a home release hasn't been announced for the film yet, we do know that it will be coming to the Disney+ streaming service in December.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo finally gave us our first glimpse at Animal Crossing for Switch--now officially christened Animal Crossing: New Horizons--during its E3 2019 Direct. We learned some further details during a subsequent Treehouse livestream demo, and since then, other tidbits about the game have emerged, including some welcome quality-of-life improvements it'll be making to the series.Unlike previous Animal Crossing games, which had players moving into a preexisting village, New Horizons ships you off to a deserted island, where you can establish your village from scratch. You won't be alone, however; in an interview with IGN, director Aya Kyogoku revealed you'll arrive on the island alongside a couple of other random animals who've also chosen to embark on the Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package. Before these other villagers settle down, however, they'll ask you if the spot they've chosen is okay, and if you don't like it, you can choose a different spot.You'll also have a much greater degree of freedom when customizing your character's appearance this time around. In past games, your character's face was determined by the answers you gave before moving in to your village, and the kind of hairstyles you could have were locked by gender (although you could eventually unlock the opposite gender's hairstyles in New Leaf). As Kyogoku revealed to Polygon, you'll be able to freely choose your character's facial features and hairstyle, regardless of gender, and you can swap between those options at any point in the game. For the first time in the main series, you can also select your character's skin tone.Those aren't the only big changes New Horizons is making. During the aforementioned Treehouse demo, we learned the game will feature couch co-op. At any point, you can pass a Joy-Con controller to a friend to let them take control of another character who lives in the village. Nintendo also said the game will support four players locally and up to eight players online.Animal Crossing: New Horizons launches for Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020. While it's still a way off, pre-orders for the game are now open. You can read more in our Animal Crossing: New Horizons pre-order guide.More E3 news: E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealed Info from Gamespot.com

The first trailer for Doctor Sleep is here. The movie is based on Stephen King's 2013 novel and is directed by Mike Flanagan, who previously helmed the Netflix adaptation of King's Gerald's Game, as well as the hit show The Haunting of Hill House.King's novel is a sequel to his classic The Shining. In the new movie, Ewan McGregor plays the adult version of Danny Torrance, the telekinetic kid from that earlier book and movie. Torrance meets a young girl with similar powers to his and must protect her from a sinister cult who are targeting children with similar gifts. Flanagan has previously proved himself a master at balancing scares and a heartfelt drama, and this looks like no exception. There's also quite a few cool references to scenes and iconic moments from The Shining--check it out above.Doctor Sleep also stars Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible: Fallout), Bruce Greenwood (Gerald's Game), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), and Jacob Tremblay (The Predator). Danny isn't the only character from The Shining to feature either--Carl Lumbly (Alias) plays Dick Hallorann, while Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes) appears as Wendy Torrance. The movie hits theaters on November 9, 2019.In a recent interview with Bloody Disgusting, Flanagan spoke about the inevitable shadow that Stanley Kubrick's movie adaption of The Shining cast over Doctor Sleep. "I think you do have to acknowledge [it]," he said. "There is no version of the world where I am trying not to acknowledge one of the greatest films ever made. There's no upside in shying away from that reality."It's its own story and in a very specific way," he continued. "If you've read the book, you know exactly why it's so different but it's quite a tightrope that we're walking I think. I'm having a great time doing it. I'm just going to get the movie out and then turn off the internet for two weeks and see how it all goes."Info from Gamespot.com

Square Enix's E3 2019 press conference came with a bevy of trailers, like a detailed look at combat for the hotly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake. One such trailer that swiftly passed by was a remastered release of two classic Square RPGs--Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace.The SaGa series has been around since the late '80s, with the first game--Makai Tōshi Sa·Ga in Japan, The Final Fantasy Legend in the West--releasing in December 1989. Romancing SaGa 3 sits as the sixth installment (debuting in 1995), while SaGa: Scarlet Grace is the twelfth and most recent release (debuting in 2016). Unfortunately, both launched exclusively in Japan, marking this re-release as the first time both titles debut in the West. Check out the announcement trailer below.No release date has been confirmed for either title, but Romancing SaGa 3 will launch on mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One; while SaGa: Scarlet Grace – Ambitions will launch on mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

In addition to all of the exciting new game announcements, every year E3 also brings with it a whole host of sales on all things gaming. Online retailer Newegg, best known for selling hardware and PC components, is getting in on the action this year, offering 10% off Nintendo and Microsoft gift cards, 30% off select accessories, and 50% off select games, all running from now until midnight on June 16, or until supplies last. Check out the details below, with some of our favorites highlighted.Microsoft/Nintendo Gift Cards -- 10% offEnter code EMCTBUW23 at checkout for 10% off of Microsoft and Nintendo gift cards, ranging from $10-50 for Nintendo and $10-100 for Microsoft. Note that there is a maximum discount of $200 per order. Both Microsoft and Nintendo are offering sales of their own for E3, so check those out for great ways to efficiently spend those gift cards.Check out the Xbox E3 saleCheck out the Nintendo E3 saleGaming Accessories -- 30% offEnter code EMCTBUW35 at checkout for 30% off of select gaming accessories, mostly comprising headsets from trusted manufacturers like Turtle Beach and Astro. Note that there is a maximum discount of $2000 per order.Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Wireless Headphones for Xbox One -- $105Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Wireless Headphones for PS4 -- $105Astro Gaming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild A10 Headset for Nintendo Switch -- $42Astro Gaming A40 TR Headset + M80 Mix Amp Pro for XB1/PC -- $175Razer Dragon Ball FighterZ Atrox Arcade Stick - Xbox One -- $140Razer Dragon Ball FighterZ Arcade Stick - PlayStation 4 -- $128Games -- 50% offEnter code EMCTBUW37 at checkout for 50% off of select games for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. Many of the included titles already have existing discounts with which this code will stack, leading to some great deals. Note that there is a maximum discount of $2000 per order.PlayStation 4Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $22.50Dead or Alive 6 -- $25Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition -- $15Kingdom Hearts 3 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $15Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition -- $20Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $30Xbox OneBattlefield V -- $15Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $22.50Dragon Ball FighterZ -- $15Far Cry: New Dawn -- $20Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition -- $12.50Kingdom Hearts 3 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $15Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $30SwitchNBA 2K19 -- $15Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido -- $10PCCall of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $22.50Info from Gamespot.com