The Americans star Keri Russell is one of the new cast members for this December's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and now she's revealed more details about the sci-fi film. Specifically, she told The Associated Press that the script made her emotional."When I read his script that [write-director JJ Abrams] wrote I cried," she said. "I mean who knows what it will turn out to be and I hope it remains true to what he originally wanted."According to Russell, Abrams is the right person to direct Episode 9 because he "really respects what it is" and "he's not trying to change it to be something else." Russell plays a new character named Zorri Bliss who wears a helmet. Russell was excited about that. "I was like, 'That is my dream job. I can see everyone. No one can see me. Hello. Amazing!'"The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20. It stars Daisy Ridley as Rey, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Mark Hamill as Luke, and Billy Dee Williams as Lando. For more, check out the movie's first trailer and everything we know about Star Wars Episode IX.The Rise of Skywalker is said to be the final entry in the Skywalker Saga that began all the way back in 1977 with the original movie, so it seems so momentous--and emotional--events might happen.In addition to The Rise of Skywalker, a new live-action TV show The Mandalorian will be available on the streaming service Disney+ when it launches on November 12.Info from Gamespot.com

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled's release date has finally arrived, meaning fans can once again enjoy the Bandicoot's kart racing debut. (Is it still a debut if it's a remaster? Who knows!)The game is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. While some free Crash Team Racing DLC is on the way, including Spyro the Dragon, you can already get your hands on a multitude of characters, karts, and tracks right now. For more, you can check out our US buying guide for Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.As for the reviews, the reception has been positive. We awarded the game an 8/10 in our Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled review-in-progress, saying it feels as good now as it did 20 years ago. For more scores, check out a selection of verdicts below, or take a look at our sister site, Metacritic.Game: Crash Team Racing Nitro-FueledDeveloper / Publisher: Beenox / ActivisionPlatforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchRelease date: Out nowPrice: $40 / £35 / AU $70GameSpot -- 8/10 (Review-In-Progress)"Simply put: This is a remaster done right. Nitro-Fueled maintains the spirit and rock-solid foundations of a childhood favorite while building on it and modernizing it where necessary--even if the handling might take a bit of getting used to. Adventure mode's classic variant feels a little tough, but your first race on Roo's Tubes or Sewer Speedway will bring a nostalgic grin to your face regardless. When the nostalgia fades, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled remains fun and engaging enough to keep you racing on with a smile on your face for much longer yet. It's good to have Crash back." -- Oscar Dayus [Full review-in-progress]GamesRadar+ -- 5/5"Beenox has managed to take the original Crash Team Racing, and somehow made it better. 20 years ago, this was the kart racer to play, but Mario Kart gradually usurped it and since the early 2000s, Crash has been laid dormant, waiting for its time to seize the throne and become the king of kart racers once more. That time is now, because Crash is back, baby." -- Ford James [Full review]IGN -- 8.2/10"Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled's difficulty, memorable track design, and addictive power slide mechanic make it a kart racer worth playing, especially competitively (though new players should check out a guide or two first). In single-player it's richer than what the genre normally provides, but at the expense of a cheap and unforgiving Adventure mode design that can become overly frustrating. Overall, a new HUD, cosmetic options, and the ability to swap characters during the campaign mean there's simply no contest between playing this and the 1999 original." -- Janet Garcia [Full review]Eurogamer -- Essential"I was worried that revisiting CTR might feel a bit like going back to your old school, where everything's much smaller than you remembered - and maybe if it were just the base game that might be true. But Nitro-Fueled feels more like seeing and old friend than an old classroom, even if it's a pretty weird friend who refuses to grow up and still wears jorts in public. It's just plain, dumb fun, a game completely unashamed of itself even now. I think that's probably why, even beyond the enormously generous treatment it's had from Beenox and under the nice, polished-up hood, CTR is still one of the best kart racers ever made." -- Chris Tapsell [Full review]Video Games Chronicle -- 4/5"Comfortably the best kart racer on PS4 and Xbox One, and earning a creditable second place on Switch, this is a seriously impressive calling card for its unsung makers." -- Chris Schilling [Full review]Info from Gamespot.com

Following its earlier release in Australia and New Zealand, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is now officially available in the US and UK. The new Harry Potter game from Warner Bros. and Niantic shares many commonalities with its predecessor, Pokemon Go, although it packs more content right out of the gate than Pokemon Go did when it launched three years ago. And while it's clearly built on the foundation that Niantic established with Pokemon Go, Wizards Unite is missing one significant feature the Pokemon mobile game has.Wizards Unite doesn't yet appear to have its own equivalent of Pokemon Go's Adventure Sync. That feature rolled out for Go back in October and allows the game to keep track of the distance you walk, even when the app is running in the background. Not only was it a boon for the game's battery life, it made it much easier to hatch Eggs, as you wouldn't need to have the game open the whole time while walking around.How To Get More Spell Energy In Wizards UniteWizards Unite has its own version of Eggs in Portkeys, which will take you to a Wizarding World location once you've walked a certain distance. However, because the game lacks an Adventure Sync-like feature, that means you need to keep it open the whole time in order for it to log the distance you've traveled, which makes activating Portkeys a relative hassle.Of course, considering Wizards Unite has only been live for a short time, it's still very much early days for the game. Pokemon Go didn't get its Adventure Sync until more than two years after it launched, so Niantic will presumably add a similar feature to Wizards Unite sometime down the line. As of right now, however, you'll need to keep the game open if you're hoping to activate any Portkeys you find.There is much more to Wizards Unite than just Portkeys. The game also has a Profession system, which allows you to upgrade yourself with perks and abilities as you level up. You can read more details about those in our Wizards Unite Professions guide. We've also put together a Wizards Unite glossary guide to help you familiarize yourself with the game's vast array of terminology. For even more coverage, be sure to check out our Harry Potter: Wizards Unite hub page.Info from Gamespot.com

One of June's biggest Netflix additions is the beloved anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, marking a big get for anime devotees. The show had been difficult to track down in English in the West, but it's out now in its entirety on Netflix. However, it's not all good news, as the show is missing a key component, while another aspect of it has seemingly been changed in the localization process, and long-time fans of the series are calling foul.The Netflix stream is missing some music cues, as well as the karaoke covers of the old standard "Fly Me To The Moon," which would play at the end of every episode. Some users have claimed that Netflix Japan has retained the covers, which could suggest that it's a music licensing issue. Either way, it's a memorable aspect of the original version of the show that's gone here.Netflix US Evangelion has missing music cues and the iconic karaoke style covers of Fly Me To The Moon that used to end every episode, but Netflix Japan has it, probably because of not paying for a music license. Really dismaying streaming can do this. https://t.co/YXfzcmLswE — Aaron Stewart-Ahn (@somebadideas) June 21, 2019Meanwhile, another Twitter user has shown purported side-by-side translations from the original that appear to censor a gay theme involving a key character. The sci-fi series focuses on adolescents who are uniquely suited to pilot giant mecha armor to defend humanity against the attacks of beasts known as Angels. It's rated TV-14, and is known for its heady themes surrounding violence, psychology, religion, and sexuality.Netflix has the 26 original episodes of the series, as well as the two films, The End of Evangelion and Death & Rebirth. Evangelion was given a new theatrical version starting in 2007, as a trilogy of films that tell roughly the same story in a style that is meant to be more accessible. Those movies are not available on Netflix.Info from Gamespot.com

Best Buy is once again living up to its name with a great deal on Razer Electra V2 wired gaming headsets. For one day only you can get a pair for just $35, which is wholly $25 off from the full price of $60. The Electra V2 uses a classic, universal 3.5mm jack, making it the perfect headset for budget-minded gamers that play across multiple platforms, but don't want to invest in separate headsets for each.Get the Razer Electra V2 wired gaming headset for $35 »Razer lists compatibility with PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, and mobile devices. The Electra V2 is a perfect entry-level headset with custom 40mm drivers, virtual 7.1 surround sound, a removable boom mic, and in-line volume and mute controls, but no other expensive bells and whistles to drive up the price. Razer has been making dedicated gaming peripherals for longer than nearly anyone else in the industry, making them a reliable source for gear at both the high-end, and with consumer-grade products like the Electra.It's a great week for PC gamers in general, with sales running on Dell and Alienware gaming PCs from the manufacturer, as well as Xbox wireless controllers with PC adapters at Amazon. Console gamers should check out our lists of essential accessories for the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch to see if there's anything else that they need to complete their gaming set-up.Info from Gamespot.com

The newly released Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is out now in the US and UK (joining Australia and New Zealand) on iOS and Android. If you play much of it, you'll soon find yourself in needing of Spell Energy, leading to the question: How do you get more energy once you run out?Wizards Unite operates a lot like Pokemon Go, developer Niantic's preceding augmented reality game. The two have similar underlying premises of "go out in the real world, catch virtual things," and use a lot of the same mechanics--we even created a guide for Pokemon Go players to understand Wizards Unite (along with other Wizards Unite coverage). Where Pokemon Go has Poke Balls that you need to gather in order to use them to try to catch Pokemon, Wizards Unite finds players relying on the aforementioned Spell Energy. Running out of Spell Energy will quickly put a damper on your dreams of Wizarding World glory.Of course, you can always get more Spell Energy. But the term itself is a bit misleading. In most mobile games, "energy" is a resource expended whenever you play the game, putting a limitation on how much you can play until you wait for a set amount of time to pass and your energy to "recharge." It's a tactic to try to get you to spend money in the game to speed up the wait time so you can play more right away. But in Wizards Unite, Spell Energy isn't something you get over time--it's something you have to go out and find, again just like Poke Balls in Pokemon Go.How To Get More Spell EnergyJust like in Pokemon Go, to get more Spell Energy (and in that game, Poke Balls), you have to visit physical locations in the real world. Wizards Unite is a game that encourages you to walk around in the world in order to play it, and physically going to certain places is part of the game. To get more Spell Energy, you can visit two kinds of locations: Inns and Greenhouses. Of the two, the most reliable place to recharge your Spell Energy is at an Inn.Wizards Unite uses real-life location data to create its map, so Inns, Greenhouses, and other locations called Fortresses are usually placed on real landmarks in your area. A post office or a school might double as an Inn, for instance, as might anything else that grabs attention, like a piece of outdoor art or well-known graffiti. To interact with an Inn, you need to be relatively close to it; when you're within range, it'll become larger on your map screen in Wizards Unite. Tap the Inn to enter it.Inside, trace the arcing line at the bottom of the screen (just like spinning a Poke Stop) in order to "dine" at the Inn. You'll randomly receive one of the five meals appearing on the screen. Depending on which meal you get, you'll also receive Spell Energy--sometimes just one or two points, sometimes a whole lot more. The best way to refill your stores of Spell Energy is to go for a walk and hit multiple Inns as you go. You can also revisit to the same Inn over and over again, but you'll need to wait five minutes between Inn meals.Greenhouses Help, TooGreenhouses are similar to Inns and also sometimes provide Spell Energy, but in smaller amounts. The rewards you get for interacting with these locations is primarily potion-brewing materials. When you enter a Greenhouse, Wizards Unite will present you with three potted plants, and you get to pick one to see what kind of Herbology rewards await inside. Most of what you'll receive are ingredients, but you might also sometimes get a few points of Spell Energy too. It's not as good as visiting an Inn, but Greenhouses are worth a stop if they're on your way.Keeping up your Spell Energy means visiting Inns often, so make sure you note where they are in your area. It's best if you can find a walking route that'll take you past several Inns, so you can continually stock up on your Spell Energy, search for new Traces, and log kilometers to unlock Portkey Portmanteaus, too.Info from Gamespot.com

Today marks the first official day of summer, and now that the days are growing warmer and sunnier, what better time to hide inside and play some games? The PlayStation Store is celebrating the new season with a flash sale on PS4, PS3, and Vita games, and the best part is that everything is $10 or less.The sale is running now through Monday, June 4 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET and includes markdowns up to 75% off PS4 titles like Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin for $10, Dragon Ball Xenoverse for $10, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition for $4.49, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for $10, and Psychonauts (PS2 Classic) for only $1.49. For last-gen console owners, the PS3 and Vita offering is quite substantial as well. You can save big on classics like BioShock Infinite for $6, Borderlands for $3, the Devil May Cry HD Collection for $5, Life Is Strange: The Complete Season for $4, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution for $3.While not part of the flash sale, there are some other great deals to grab before they disappear next week, including Persona 5 for only $16 ($14 with PS Plus) and Persona 4 Golden (Vita) for $12 ($10 with PS Plus). You can also grab Shenmue I & II for only $21 ($18 with PS Plus) and Monster Hunter World for $20. In addition, you can save big on PS Plus for a limited time, as MassGenie is currently offering a 12-month subscription for only $36. There are hundreds of games on sale to pick through, and you can browse the full list of discounted titles and DLC at the PlayStation blog. Plus, see some of our picks from the weekend flash sale below.PS42064: Read Only Memories -- $58-Bit Invaders -- $7.49Amnesia: Collection -- $9Assassin's Creed Chronicles (China, India, Russia) -- $4 eachBanner Saga 1 -- $10Bastion -- $3Bleed: Complete Bundle -- $7Child of Light -- $4.49The Crew -- $9.89Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin -- $10Day of the Tentacle Remastered -- $2.24Deus Ex: Mankind Divided -- $4.49Don't Starve Together: Console Edition -- $6Don't Starve: Console Edition -- $4.49Furi -- $6Inside -- $7Invisible Inc. Console Edition -- $6.79Jackbox Party Pack 2 and 3 -- $10 eachJust Cause 3 -- $6Layers of Fear -- $5Life is Strange: Complete Season -- $4Limbo -- $2Limbo and Inside Bundle -- $9Little Nightmares -- $6Octahedron -- $6.49Outlast 2 -- $7.49Oxenfree -- $7Psychonauts (PS2 Classic) -- $1.49Rayman Legends -- $10Resident Evil Revealtions -- $8Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition -- $4.49Soma -- $9Steamworld Dig 2 -- $10Tacoma -- $5Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition -- $6Trine Trilogy -- $9Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 -- $10Xeodrifter -- $1PS3BioShock -- $4BioShock Infinite -- $6Borderlands -- $3Borderlands 2 -- $4Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel -- $6Day of the Tentacle RemasteredDeus Ex: Human Revolution -- $3Devil May Cry HD Collection -- $5DMC Devil May Cry -- $5Grand Theft Auto V -- $10Just Cause 2 -- $2Life Is Strange: Complete Season -- $4Sleeping Dogs: Digital Edition -- $3XCOM: Enemy Within -- $6Vita2064: Read Only Memories -- $5Bastion -- $3Day of the Tentacle Remastered -- $2.24Steamworld Dig 2 -- $3Super Meat Boy -- $4.49Xeodrifter -- $1Info from Gamespot.com

The Season of Opulence is in full swing with its first Iron Banner this week in Destiny 2, giving players a bunch of new gear to chase down through an extensive quest. If you want to get yourself some new gear without nearly as much hassle, though, you can always visit weekend vendor Xur, who returns with a new batch of Exotics for sale. Here's where to find Xur this weekend and everything he's offering.Where To Find XurXur is hanging out on Earth in the EDZ this weekend, in the Winding Cove area. You can find him by heading toward north from the spawn, then climbing the cliff wall at the edge of the area up to the crashed Fallen dropship. This week he's offering The Jade Rabbit, which is a powerful Exotic scout rifle that you might find very useful if you're fighting through the Iron Banner. The rifle gives you bonus damage to headshots if you chain them with body shots first, and precision shots return ammo to its magazine.In the armor department, everyone gets Year Two offerings this week. For Hunters, there's Oathkeeper, a pair of gauntlets that let you hold your bow charges indefinitely. Titans can pick up Ursa Furiosa, a set of gauntlets that give you faster movement when using your Sentinel Shield Super, and which converts damage absorbed by the shield into Super energy. Finally, there's Phoenix Protocol for Warlocks, a chest armor piece that gives you Super energy for kills and assists you make while standing in your Well of Radiance.Xur Exotics For June 21-25The Jade Rabbit (Exotic scout rifle) -- 29 Legendary ShardsUrsa Furiosa (Exotic Titan gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsOathkeeper (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsPhoenix Protocol (Exotic Warlock chest armor) -- 23 Legendary ShardsIf Xur's inventory doesn't interest, you can also buy a Fated Engram, if you can afford it. Dropping 97 Legendary Shards on the item will grant you one Year One Exotic you don't already have for that character. Xur also offers the Five of Swords challenge card for free, which allows you to add difficulty modifiers that increase your score in Nightfall runs.And if you haven't finished all of Xur's Invitations of the Nine from the Season of the Drifter, you can snag one of those as well. The bounty was new in Season of the Drifter, dispensing Powerful gear rewards, a bit of story about the Nine and the Drifter, and a lore drop. Info from Gamespot.com

Your journey in Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds is defined by choice, with your decisions extending beyond a morality system that defines the type of hero you want to be. If you so choose, you can join up with the antagonists of The Outer Worlds and become the villain of the story.The Outer Worlds is set in a solar system that's been colonized by corporations led by a group referred to as the Board. You play as someone who was supposed to be one of the first colonists, but your ship is mysteriously lost along the way. 70 years later, someone finally finds you and wakes you up."The scientist Phineas Wells finds you," Obsidian Entertainment senior narrative designer Megan Starks said in an interview with GameSpot. "He wakes you up. The Board is trying to stop him because he wants you to help save the system. You can either decide to go with his plan and help him out or you can join the Board and go forward with their agenda. Or you can try and double cross both of them, and be a lone wolf.""You [can actually] end up being the antagonist of the game, based on your choices," she continued. And though Starks wasn't able to provide specifics (as doing so would obviously spoil the game), she did say that choosing to be The Outer Worlds' villain "definitely" has drastic changes to the overall outcome of the story.This style of storytelling isn't exactly new for Obsidian, as the developer crafted four unique endings to Fallout: New Vegas--all of which are dependent on which faction or individual you ultimately side with by the game's end. That said, the choices you make in The Outer Worlds can have very noticeable impacts on the story prior to reaching the end of the narrative. Not every choice is clearly laid out as a dialogue option either. Every cause, ranging from how you decide to complete a mission to choosing your clothes, can have some sort of effect."[Characters] will comment if you run around naked," Starks said, laughing. "A lot of [the story] is based on the actions you take in the game. If you kill someone that [another character] cares about, they're definitely going to be very opinionated. Felix is kind of this happy-go-lucky, violent anarchist, so he doesn't like it if you're siding with the Board and doing their propaganda stuff." How you present yourself can influence others' perception of you and, in turn, change what options you have with the said character going forward. Approaching a peaceful town with all your guns out isn't the best first impression, for example. "They'll ask you to put your gun away if you're in town," Starks said. "They'll say, 'Whoa! Watch where you're pointing that thing!'" Though it doesn't have as major an impact on questlines and the overall story, characters will react to whether you're a man or woman as well.Managing how others perceive you is important because you can lose out on certain quests and storylines if you drive your companions or other important NPCs away. "The companions are like real people," Starks said. "They have opinions on things. Companions have their own quests and you can decide which way you want to push them during the quest, but you can also fail the quest based on those decisions."Losing a companion, whether they just leave your squad or outright die via permadeath in the challenging Supernova Mode, is a loss in terms of both story and combat. Your allies aid you in battle, and their personalities provide help during conversations. Similarly to Mass Effect and Dragon Age, companions will interject their opinion into certain conversations during the main campaign. Building a bond with someone allows you to turn to them during difficult dialogue checks to provide their expertise and help you handle problems in unique ways. So choosing who you travel with on a mission extends beyond which weapons and perks they have. You (unfortunately) don't have the option to cement your connection with someone with romance, but traveling with specific companions and befriending them does allow you to get to know them better.In The Outer Worlds, your decisions and mistakes can cause your character to develop a Flaw. As the name implies, it nerfs your character in some way. However, each Flaw also provides a helpful perk. For example, if you die to a bunch of robot enemies in a short amount of time, you may unlock the Flaw Robophobia. If you choose to accept it, you'll struggle against robotic enemies but gain something helpful in return."The fear ones are pretty common," Starks said, adding that there are "a few different types." There are even ones that can account for any mistakes you might make in the character creator. "On one of my recent playtests, I wanted to make a Dumb character so I could see the Dumb dialogue options as I was going through the different areas of the game, but I forgot to lower my Intelligence in the character creator," Starks said. "But then I actually took enough damage [to the head] that I was offered the Permanent Concussion Flaw, which lowers your Intelligence but also gives you the Dumb tag. So it totally worked out!"In this example, Starks explained she was then able to make stupid remarks during conversations--opening up a whole new tree of dialogue options--but her lower Intelligence prevented her from using science weapons. In another example, developing a fear of the dark provided a welcome perk but at the cost of losing out on sneaking into an enemy stronghold via the unlit back alley. You need to think ahead when it comes to Flaws, as something that doesn't seem very important early in the game can have consequences hours later. "You don't have to take a Flaw unless you're playing the hardest difficulty, which is Supernova Mode," Starks said. "But if you choose to take a Flaw, it is with you for the rest of the game."The Outer Worlds is scheduled to launch on October 25 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. On PC, The Outer Worlds is a limited-time Epic Games Store exclusive, launching on that storefront first before releasing on Steam a year later. The Outer Worlds was one of our favorite games of E3 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

After an announcement back in November 2018 and a release date reveal in March 2019, Neon Genesis Evangelion has finally arrived on Netflix. This includes all 26 episodes of Hideaki Anno's classic anime and the two films--The End of Evangelion and Evangelion: Death(True)2--available to stream to all with an active Netflix account.Death(True)2 is a further edit of 1998's Evangelion: Death(True), which is the original 1997 Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth re-edited by episode director Masayuki Yamaguchi without footage from episodes 21–24. Death(True)2 sees some of that removed footage re-added, with the inclusion of some brand-new footage never before seen in either prior incarnation, making Death(True)2 the final, most complete version of the Death movies.Evangelion has had a difficult road traveling to the West, a Polygon report reveals. While it's possible to purchase "complete" editions of the series on DVD, they're usually sold by third-party vendors for astronomical prices. (A brief Amazon search shows prices ranging from $30 USD for two episodes to $200 USD for a part of the Platinum Collection to $500 USD for the Platinum: Perfect Collection.) What seems to have made Evangelion so difficult to obtain and/or watch was the limited availability of physical media, as well as the decline in physical media production for the series. These and a myriad of other factors--like a lack of Blu-Ray releases and confusion among the various kinds of "collections"--impacted Western English releases. Netflix bringing Evangelion to its platform makes watching it easier and more complete, a blessing to both anime diehards who love the series and casual anime consumers who've heard so much about the series.The Netflix release does come with a few changes, particularly to the English voice actors. Rei Ayanami's voice actor Amanda Winn Lee confirmed she's been replaced in a now-deleted tweet. The same goes for some of the series' main characters, including Asuka Langley Soryu (voiced by Tiffany Grant), Misato Katsuragi (voiced by Allison Keith), and Shinji Ikari (voiced by Spike Spencer). At the time of the March 2019 report, Lee said that Netflix "never had any intention of even auditioning us in the first place." Grant corroborated Lee's statement in a Facebook post, saying she knew for "months that we were all being replaced."In addition to voice actor alterations, the Evangelion Netflix release sees some music cues and end theme changed. There's speculation that the issue is music licensing, as Netflix Japan retains the covers. Further, a Twitter user shows side-by-side translations between the Netflix release and the original seemingly censoring a gay theme involving a key character.The series follows Shinji Ikari, a pilot of giant mechs called Evangelions, which are used to fight alien beings called Angels. Evangelion explores Ikari's experience being both a teenage boy and a pilot risking his life for the sake of human preservation, and deals with heady subject matter like violence, psychology, religion, and sexuality.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony Music Entertainment has launched a new imprint called Lost Rings, creating a space to promote artists who produce original content that combine their love of video games and music. Currently, Lost Rings is a collective of three artists: BlackKrystel, BunnyMightGameU, and Sunzi."Gamers have such an authentic community," Lost Rings A&R Tebs Maqubela said. "They tend to be passionate, super involved with their world, and experts in their craft. They can tell right away when someone is an outsider; in that sense, it is very similar to music, especially genres like hip hop. Those characteristics that Bunny, BlackKrystel, and Sunzi have on lock--knowing your space, having a specific identity, building a world around you--are all qualities that they learned and perfected in gaming that translated over to songwriting and music making. They are writing about themselves and their world and they intrinsically knew how to do that and felt comfortable doing so."Alongside the reveal of Lost Rings, all three of its artists have each released a new song and accompanying music video. BlackKrystel's is Party Up, while Bunny's is Game U, and Sunzi stars in Joystick 'Em Up. While each song focuses on gaming, they reflect each of the artists' other passions as well. BlackKrystal's Party Up also celebrates her love of anime, for instance. You can listen to or purchase the three songs via the links below.BlackKrystel -- Party UpSunzi -- Joystick 'Em UpBunnyMightGameU -- Game U"Working with the Lost Rings artists is seamless as I mostly just had to find the right collaborators for them, collaborators who would be long term partners," Maqubela said. "For example, Bunny and Sunzi have the same producer, and the other day they were hanging out and playing PS4. There is a true working relationship there. The feedback I had for the artists was always structural and pertaining to arrangements. The verses, subject matter, world play, and raw matter was all them. They always came to the table with fleshed out ideas. For example, Bunny speaks Spanish and loves Latin music, and brought up doing a song in Spanish, so we set about working on that."Senior director of publicity Sarah Cunningham added that each artist was 100 percent involved in creating their song, the accompanying music video, and their style. The references in each song were decided by each artist as well. "They bring their own ideas to the table and they fully sign off on all of their own creative," she said. "We work collaboratively with them."Info from Gamespot.com

PlayStation Plus has been unusually cheap these days, starting with Sony's E3 2019 Days of Play sale that offered the annual membership for $40 and an already sold-out flash sale at Newegg with the same deal. However, the latest discount on PS Plus is the most affordable deal we've seen, and it's going down over at MassGenie now through June 30 (or while supplies last). For a limited time, you can get a year of PS Plus for only $36--and thousands have already claimed the deal.Get 12 months of PS Plus for $36 at MassGenie »Here's how the deal works: Click the link above, and you'll be prompted to either sign in or create a free account at MassGenie (there's no guest checkout for Power Deals). After that, you'll be redirected to checkout, where you'll see the PS Plus 12-month membership is already in your cart with the promo code PSPLUS12MO applied, dropping the price to $36. At that point, you just have to fill out all the normal checkout information and click "submit Power Deal." Within a few days, you'll receive an email with the PS Plus digital code, and you'll also be able to view the code in your order history, listed as the "tracking ID." You can check out the PS Plus deal page for more info.The PS Plus code can then be redeemed in the PlayStation Store, and even if you still have some time left on your membership, PS Plus subscriptions can be stacked to automatically extend your time, saving you money in the future.A PS Plus subscription is a must-have for most PS4 players, as it enables you to play online with friends and people around the world. In addition, you'll get regular discounts on games like Persona 5, which is only $14 for members right now, or Shenmue I & II, which is $18, as well as free monthly PS4 games. PS Plus members often get early access to demos and beta tests for upcoming releases, like Monster Hunter World's new full-size expansion, Iceborne, which is available exclusively for PS Plus members this weekend.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's Week 7 challenges are now live, which means we're quickly nearing the end of Season 9. While there are still a few weeks remaining before Season 10 officially kicks off, if you play Fortnite on PC, you may need to upgrade your rig in order to join the battle next season. That said, the new demands are not especially high--and in fact, it's more a matter of enforcing the existing requirements.Developer Epic Games has announced that Fortnite's effective minimum requirements on PC will change in Season 10. "Starting with Season 10, the PC version of Fortnite will require a graphics card capable of running Microsoft DirectX 11," Epic wrote on its website. As the developer explains:"While a DirectX 11-capable graphics card has always been one of Fortnite’s system requirements, we’ve kept support online for players with older graphics cards--so they could keep playing! However, when Season 10 begins, Fortnite will no longer be compatible with these older graphics cards. This allows us to focus our development and testing efforts to further optimize the Fortnite experience for all players."A DX11-capable card is not an especially high bar, so you shouldn't have too much trouble meeting these demands. Keep in mind, you've got plenty of other choices of supported Fortnite platforms, too, including Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and iOS and Android mobile devices.Epic hasn't yet announced an exact start date for Season 10, but Season 9 is slated to end on August 1 according to the game's website. That means you'll have until then to complete any challenges and unlock all the Season 9 Battle Pass rewards. If you need help completing any of those, you can find tips for the trickier ones in our full Fortnite Season 9 challenges guide.Fortnite's most recent update, patch 9.30, arrived earlier this week an introduced a new healing item to the game: the Chug Splash. When thrown, the item will heal you and other players who are within the range of its explosion. A subsequent patch addressed a variety of bugs and other issues that have impacted the game over the last few days.Info from Gamespot.com

While everyone's looking ahead to upcoming Star Wars releases such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (November 15) and Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker (December 20), video game publisher Electronic Arts announced some new content for the not-yet-forgotten Star Wars Battlefront 2.Dennis Brännvall, franchise design director for Star Wars Battlefront, took to Twitter to outline the new content in a community update video. The update, set to launch sometime this month, introduces new characters and firepower. Droidekas and the Galactic Republic TX-130 tank from the Clone Wars will finally roll out, alongside a new set of digs for Anakin Skywalker and the 212th Recon Division and 41st Scout Battalion troopers. Check out the announcement below.We also got a sneak peek at what's to come. A new planet called Felucia is in the works, as well as "new ways to play the game." Brännvall didn't specify when Felucia will be available nor did he clarify what "new ways to play" means.EA CEO Andrew Wilson said Star Wars Battlefront 2 is "a great game" in a May 2019 earnings call. Wilson was keenly aware of what microtransactions did to the game's reception, noting that they "clouded what was otherwise a really great game." However, he called attention to developer DICE's continued effort to support and improve the title, stating the shooter is now "a really strong game with really strong player sentiment."In our Star Wars Battlefront 2 review, we gave it a 6/10 at launch, saying, "While its main narrative feels unresolved, and the general loop of the multiplayer carries a number of issues, Battlefront II still manages to evoke that same sense of joy and excitement found in the core of what the series is all about."Info from Gamespot.com

From Software's new game Elden Ring boasts a high-profile partnership with fantasy author George RR Martin, but it's shaping up to be more than a Souls game infused with Martin's lore. The transition to an open world game, and some of the world-building from Martin, are making it into what Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki feels is the next logical step for the genre he helped to create."With a larger world, new systems and action mechanics inevitably become necessary," Miyazaki told IGN. "In that sense, I think that Elden Ring is a more natural evolution of Dark Souls."For example, the protagonist of Elden Ring can travel the world on horseback, and even fight enemies while mounted. Miyazaki says this leads to more diverse combat situations, rather than restricting players to combat within tightly confined spaces. The addition of horseback also means that spaces can be set further apart, including villages. But unlike many RPGs, these villages won't be safe havens full of NPCs and happy shopkeepers."Villages will be the dark dungeon-like ruins that you have come to expect from us," Miyazaki said. "Creating a more open game is a big challenge for us. If we were to add towns on top of that, it would become a bit too much, so we decided to create an open-world-style game focused on what we are best at."Miyazaki also says the division of labor with Martin has resulted in an interesting process developing the lore. Your character is created and so the protagonist of the story has no fixed identity. Martin's work has been to lay the groundwork with the lore and history of the world, while Miyazaki's team has been developing the events within the timeframe of the game. Both worked independently, but their work would impact each other."Storytelling in video games--at least the way we do it at From Software--comes with a lot of restrictions for the writer," he said. "I didn’t think it was a good idea to have Martin write within those restrictions. By having him write about a time the player isn’t directly involved in, he is free to unleash his creativity in the way he likes. Furthermore, as FromSoftware we didn't want to create a more linear and storydriven experience for Elden Ring. Both issues could be solved by having Martin write about the world’s history instead."Elden Ring is coming to PC, Xbox One, and PS4. For more on Elden Ring, check out our pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com