The next big PlayStation exclusive game, Days Gone, arrives this week, and ahead of that, the action-adventure games' official soundtrack has been released. The 25-song soundtrack features music by Nathan Whitehead, who also did the music for movies like The Purge, Keanu, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.The soundtrack also features artists like Jack Savoretti, Billy Raffoul, and Zander Reese, while singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is featured with the song "Days Gone Quiet.""The ideas that define the score are the tenacity of the human spirit and the value of relationship," Whitehead said in a release.Whitehead worked with Sony Bend creative director John Garvin on the music. Garvin told Whitehead that the theme of Days Gone the game is not just about surviving, but also why people like main character Deacon want to survive in the first place."When I heard that, I was instantly excited about all the places the music could go," Whitehead said. "I found it really interesting to be navigating the survival aspect and also this introspective aspect at the same time. The Pacific Northwest setting is absolutely beautiful and it really felt like the score needed to connect to this environment as well. Deacon and the environment seemed to call for an organic, lived-in sound with a touch of Americana."Days Gone follows the story of a bounty hunter named Deacon St. John, who travels through the Pacific Northwest in a world two years removed from a "global pandemic." Days Gone launches on April 26. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more. Info from Gamespot.com

Game of Thrones Season8, Episode 2--"A Knight of Seven Kingdoms--aired Sunday night--and it was a good one. You can check out GameSpot's Lucy and Ryan break down the episode in the video embedded above, while HBO has released a video of its own.Showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff break down the emotional and impactful episode, taking you through all the key moments. It's a nice treat to hear directly from the creators about particular scenes and the decision-making process. Check out the video below.For lots more on this week's episode of Game of Thrones, check out the stories below:Game Of Thrones Finally Fulfills Two Years-Long Fan ShipsGame Of Thrones Season 8: Jon Snow's Direwolf Ghost Is Back--Did You Catch His Stealthy Return?Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2 Review: A Long Night And A New KnightGame Of Thrones Season 8: This Theory Explains How Sean Bean's Ned Stark Might Return In Episode 3Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2: The Meaning Behind "Jenny's Song"Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2: Brienne And Jaime Just Made Westerosi HistoryGame Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3 Teaser Previews The Big Battle ComingInfo from Gamespot.com

HBO has released a new teaser for next week's episode of Game of Thrones--and it is very dramatic and foreboding. The teaser for Episode 3 shows the Night King's army preparing to face off against Dany, Jon, and the rest of the gang at Winterfell. In one sequence, Jon remarks, "The Night King is coming." Dany then says to him, "The dead are already here."That line is intriguing, given that it could be Dany referencing a theory about the Night King bringing the dead back to life from the crypt inside Winterfell. We'll have to wait a bit longer to find out what happens, but it's clear that the battle at Winterfell is upon us. Next week's Episode 3 is 82 minutes long, which is the longest of the entire Season 8. The battle scene said to be one of the longest battle sequences in the history of film or TV, eclipsing the 40-minute Battle of Helm's Deep from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. For lots more on this week's episode of Game of Thrones, check out the stories below:Game Of Thrones Finally Fulfills Two Years-Long Fan ShipsGame Of Thrones Season 8: Jon Snow's Direwolf Ghost Is Back--Did You Catch His Stealthy Return?Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2 Review: A Long Night And A New KnightGame Of Thrones Season 8: This Theory Explains How Sean Bean's Ned Stark Might Return In Episode 3Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2: The Meaning Behind "Jenny's Song"Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2: Brienne And Jaime Just Made Westerosi HistoryInfo from Gamespot.com

Avengers: Endgame is almost here. Its release this week comes amid massive anticipation, and as a result, the superhero blockbuster is expected to have a huge opening at the box office.Deadline put some projections together, and Endgame is expected to have the biggest domestic opening in the history of movies. Sources told the site that pre-sale tickets alone in the United States have reached as high as $140 million, which is uncharted territory in film.This is absolutely insane. There hasn't been a (non-sports) globally monocultural event like this... Ever. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Presales Estimated At $120-140M+; $300M Domestic Opening In PlayChina is even hotter on a relative basis.https://t.co/kKuacRpAQx — Matthew Ball (@ballmatthew) April 22, 2019I'm still doubtful it will break Avatar's record (and certainly won't when inflation adjusted, to say nothing to massive growth of Chinese box office since 2009).But this is leagues higher than anything else in history when it comes to actual launch demand, concurrent views — Matthew Ball (@ballmatthew) April 22, 2019Avengers: Infinity War holds the record for biggest domestic box office debut, coming in at $257.6 million in 2018. Deadline reports that Endgame could reach $300 million in the US for its opening, to set a new record. Endgame is a very long movie, coming in at 3 hours and 1 minute; by comparison, Infinity War was 2 hours, 29 minutes and The Force Awakens was 2 hours, 16 minutes. Box office analysts told Deadline that if the 12,000 or so US theatres have four or five showtimes for Endgame per day day at each location, with each theatre at 70 percent capacity, then Endgame might have a chance of reaching $300 million for its opening weekend.Deadline acknowledges that tracking estimates are challenging for Endgame, considering the sample size of movies that have made more than even $200 million over their opening weekends is so small. "More realistic projections for Endgame have it beating Infinity War's all-time domestic opening record of $257.6M last year at this time, and coming in within a range of $260M-$270M," Deadline reported.Also bear in mind that Deadline's report is only for the US. The movie of course is opening around the world, but box office projections for international markets weren't included in the report. Infinity War made $640.5 million for its opening weekend to hold the worldwide opening-weekend record.As for Endgame's total box office haul, that will be interesting to watch. Infinity War made $2.048 billion globally, while Avatar remains the highest-grossing movie worldwide in history with $2.78 billion.Endgame is expected to make so much money, but it's also been a very expensive film to produce and market. The film no doubt has a massive budget due in part to its cast of A-list talent and extensive VFX, among other things. In addition, Deadline reports that Marvel is spending an unprecedented $200 million to promote the film.Endgame is coming on April 26, with some screenings scheduled for the evening of April 25. Spoilers have begun to leak on the Internet, making this a very perilous couple of days for fans who want to be surprised when they see the conclusion of this decade-long story. The film's directors have politely asked everyone not to spoil the fun for others, but we've also put together some practical advice on how to avoid being spoiled.In other news, Fortnite has teased a new Avengers-themed crossover event--get all the details here.Info from Gamespot.com

The new big bad in Mortal Kombat is named Kronika, and she's causing a ruckus by messing with time and rewriting history. Characters are getting erased or colliding with their past selves, while alliances are reverting and new ones are being made--it's the kind of chaos that's ripe for conflict. Nothing that happened with Mortal Kombat before really matters anymore; the series is giving itself a clean slate, and not just with the lore in the story. Netherrealm's multifaceted fighting system has been streamlined, and comprehensive tutorials and practice functions are focussed on making sure no matter where you're coming from, you're well-equipped to dive deep into Mortal Kombat 11.It's hard not to get excited about the story mode in a Netherrealm game given the studio's history of crafting involved narratives, and Mortal Kombat 11 unsurprisingly delivers an entertaining and polished blockbuster-style cinematic experience with its tale of Kronika's time-bending antics. Combat is woven in with a number of cutscenes, though you'll probably spend more time watching well-choreographed action rather than participating. But the story is a great primer for some of the series' more popular characters nonetheless, and the joys of Kronika's time manipulation means that even if you're a passing fan and aren't up-to-date with all of the wacky stuff that's happened in the universe lately, you can still get a kick out of seeing classic versions of familiar faces, who are just as baffled as you about what's happened to their future selves since.Watching the character interactions between young and old selves are a highlight, and with the exception of a somewhat flat Sonya Blade, the solid performances are endearingly sincere with some unexpected moments of introspection. By the time it ended I was eager for more--more of Johnny Cage being embarrassed by his younger self, more of the bromance between Liu Kang and Kung Lao, the sappy dynamic between parents and children. But the story mode hits that perfect balance of being just enough and not overstaying its welcome. The plot conceits are regularly ridiculous, especially when family members and lovers get into fatal tiffs, but it's a delightfully bombastic and outlandish visual spectacle if nothing else.Mortal Kombat 11's eclectic roster includes a solid selection of the series' iconic fighters, along with some of the great additions from Mortal Kombat X, like gunslinger Erron Black and the grotesque insectoid D'Vorah. Three brand new characters do their best to help the lineup branch out--Geras is a tanky character with the ability to rewind and manipulate time, Cetrion is an elder god with flashy elemental powers, the Kollector has a wonderfully unsettling, six-armed demonic design--and they all add an inspired diversity to the familiar roster of magical ninjas and military hard-asses. Character variations also help to keep things diverse. A returning concept from Mortal Kombat X, each character can select between different sets of special moves that alter their playstyle. You can now customize these loadouts in MK11, but only two predetermined movesets are acceptable for serious competitive play. Even so, it means there are a few things to consider when picking which fighter to use.Some key changes streamline the mechanics of MK11, resulting in a fighting system that somehow feels more active and aggressive than its predecessors. The special meter system has been simplified to allow for amplified offensive and defensive maneuvers to be used at almost any time--gone is the idea of needing to hold back and save up two or three bars of a meter to perform a particular kind of technique. Dedicated meters for defensive and offensive techniques, along with rapid recharge rates mean amplified techniques can be used a little more liberally. "Fatal Blows" replace MKX's X-Ray techniques, serving as a last-ditch comeback mechanic that can be activated once per match when your health is nearly depleted, adding a heightened tension when things get down to the wire. Significant block damage discourages you from being overly defensive, while learning the perfect-timing demands of the "flawless block" system is encouraged to mitigate some damage and open up turnabout opportunities. Running and stamina meters have been removed and dash distances feel shorter, honing MK11's focus on always being within striking distance of your opponent. All of these tweaks mean there is rarely a low moment in a Mortal Kombat 11 fight.If you're new to the series, learning all those intricacies of the fighting system, special moves, and combo strings for characters can be intimidating. Fortunately, Mortal Kombat 11 does a lot to help onboard you to almost all of its concepts. Following the good work seen in Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat 11 features a comprehensive series of fantastic practical tutorials, with everything from teaching you basic attacks to more advanced lessons on managing the ebb and flow of a match, strategies on how to change or maintain the dynamic of a fight (like dealing with corners or projectile spam), and how to approach building your own combos. What's more, there are also a series of tutorials that succinctly break down expert-level concepts, such as one that shows you what frame data is and how it works in clear, visual terms. Not only that, there are lessons on how to interpret that information and use it in a practical scenario--it'll teach you what makes a move "safe" or "unsafe," how to create pressure in a fight, and even how to perform frame traps. It's an impressive resource that doesn't just give you a better understanding of Mortal Kombat 11's systems, but a deeper understanding of fighting game mechanics in general--knowledge that you can take to any other title.Character-specific tutorials exist, too, and are more than just a simple rundown of all available techniques. These helpful lessons focus on the most useful and practical abilities and combos for a particular character and give you suggestions on when to use them, the pros and cons of doing so, and what you could follow up with. Furthermore, the in-game move lists are incredibly comprehensive, providing all sorts of helpful data for each move's properties, so you can easily discern something like which of your character's moves has the quickest startup. It's valuable information and knowledge which Netherrealm has been building upon in its last few games and is presented at its best in MK11. Of course, if you're the kind of player that couldn't care less about the advanced stuff and just wants to jump in and see blood spilled, Mortal Kombat 11 can certainly be just as entertaining. Predetermined combo strings, flashy special moves, and humorously over-the-top barbarity means that the game is a joy to watch and participate in, whether the players are just messing around or taking it seriously.In addition to the game's story mode, MK11 sees the return of Klassic Towers, a more straightforward single-player mode where you fight a series of opponents before eventually facing big boss Kronika. But the real meat of the single-player offering is the Towers Of Time, MK11's version of the limited-time ladders seen in other Netherrealm games, which feature unique modifiers that can affect the playing field, combatants, and mechanics. The idea is that the Towers Of Time provide you with an ever-rotating palette of different single-player challenges to take on for various rewards, but the downside is that here, the odds are nearly always stacked against you.Some modifiers in the Towers Of Time can affect both you and your opponent equally, like a tilting stage that drains the health of whoever is lower. But more often, the challenges I took on featured negative modifiers that solely affected me, which means they felt horribly cruel and unbalanced. No matter how good you think you are at Mortal Kombat (or how bad you think I am), trying to fight an opponent where you're constantly being targeted and shot and frozen in place by devastating lasers from the sky, or being chased by missiles that turn your screen pitch black if one hits you, is a rotten experience. Being the loner in a 2vs1 match, or fighting a much hardier opponent whose attacks can't be interrupted, is more of an exercise in frustration than it is a hearty challenge.To overcome the more challenging Towers Of Time, MK11 encourages that you make liberal use of "Konsumables," a large variety of limited-use items that you can equip and activate during a fight. These have their own individual properties, whether it be countering a particular modifier effect, or giving you access to an additional ability. The catch is, the way that you obtain these Konsumables is through luck, perhaps earning one through completing other towers, or spending "Koins" you've accumulated from the game's activities to open one of hundreds of randomized chests in the Krypt, MK11's third-person quasi-puzzle-adventure mode designed for unlocking collectables like cosmetics, concept art, and countless other bits and pieces.So, there's no guarantee you'll have the right item to help you out on a particular tower, and if you don't, it's going to be a steep uphill battle. But in my experience, even if I did have a suitable item, using it really didn't feel like evening the odds. In the example of the aforementioned blinding missiles, using the item to counter the effects of darkness modifiers meant I could only mitigate one or two missiles before the effect wore off, at which point I would have to wait for the item to come off a long cooldown timer and then manually reactivate it in the middle of the fight, which opens me up to severe punishment from my opponent.I've only seen four days worth of Towers during the pre-release review period, so their behavior and difficulty may well change in the future. I'll continue to monitor the challenge varieties in the Towers Of Time during the week of launch to see whether the feeling of overwhelmingly unbalanced odds continues. While MK11's "Premium" microtransaction store wasn't live during the review period, the reliance on Konsumables to help even the odds in Towers Of Time, as well as the random nature of their acquisition, certainly makes me curious as to how you'll be able to spend the game's virtual currency, "Time Krystals," when the store goes live. There's another issue in the way that the game handles its customizable gear for each character. Taking cues from Netherrealm's previous release, Injustice 2, each fighter in Mortal Kombat 11 has three interchangeable pieces of equipment that you're able to receive as a reward, level up, and equip with "augments" once you've done so. The problem is, there's not a lot of motivation to care about that stuff at all. With a few exceptions, gear parts are usually small and aren't a focal point of your character model. You're changing out weapons and pieces of flair rather than entire costume pieces--alternate costumes are predetermined and are unlocked through performing activities like Towers Of Time--so there's little motivation to change them up early on, especially when you'll likely have been earning experience on the default set you've already got equipped. Accruing experience to level up gear for specific characters is a slow process, especially if you like to use multiple fighters; the augments you can equip drop rarely, and the buffs they add for single-player activities are mostly meager. In Injustice 2, even if you didn't really care about the abilities a piece of gear had, they were at least interesting cosmetic parts that you could mix and match to customize a character in your own way for competitive play. Gear in MK11 by comparison just doesn't feel as interesting or meaningful to toy around with.MK11 also features a range of online multiplayer modes, including ranked and casual matchmaking, as well as private options like lobbies and the ability to practice with a friend. I'll be testing the performance of these modes over the next week once the game is widely available to the public. Additionally, GameSpot was not provided copies of Mortal Kombat 11 on PC or Nintendo Switch during the review period, and I'll be aiming to spend some time with those versions of the game--the PC release of Mortal Kombat X was certainly not without issues, and I'm curious to see how the game performs in the Switch's handheld mode. This review will remain in-progress until I've had adequate time to get a feel of these aspects, on top of keeping an eye on the Towers Of Time.MK11 isn't just a sequel for series fans and Netherrealm devotees, it's a gateway into the realm of fighting games for anyone who has a passing interest in watching ruthless warriors beat each other silly. Streamlined mechanics keep the act of fighting furiously exciting no matter what your skill level, and comprehensive tutorials encourage you to dig into the nitty-gritty. There's a diverse roster of interesting characters and playstyles, and the story mode is an entertaining romp. The unfulfilling approaches to the game's dynamic single-player content and progression may feel like they've totally whiffed (at least at this early stage), but Mortal Kombat 11 hits where it matters. Info from Gamespot.com

"The real story's only just begun." Those were the chilling final words spoken during the Cobra Kai Season 1 finale, as the disgraced former sensei of the Cobra Kai dojo, John Kreese (Martin Kove), made his first appearance on the series. It had been nearly three decades since Kreese had appeared on-screen in The Karate Kid Part III, but it was instantly clear that the vicious former mentor of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) is as devious as ever.The actor behind the character, though, is a completely different story. That's what I learned during a visit to the set of Cobra Kai's second season. When we sat down to talk just outside of the dojo set, Kove--who introduced himself as Marty--proved to have very little in common with Kreese. Even on this cold day in Atlanta in the final days of production on the season, he was happy and excited about the opportunity to revisit this character."Working here, and the things that [Cobra Kai explores] of why and what has happened to [Kreese] in the last 30 years, it's incredible," he said. "And it's so much fun to act."It's not just Kove having fun, though. Bringing Kreese back to life on the series--you may remember Johnny's Season 1 claim that his mentor was dead--allowed producers, who are longtime Karate Kid fans, the opportunity to explore the character in ways the movies never had the luxury."It's like you get the Emperor from Star Wars back. This guy embodies the dark side of karate," executive producer Josh Heald told GameSpot. "There's not a single moment in any of the first three movies where he's not this foreboding, scary bad guy. And so he brings all of that to the table as a character and here, in the series, we get to peel back the layers and understand in a real world, how could somebody be like this?"That question is one Kove has thought about quite a bit over the years. "He doesn't believe that karate is a defensive art. Karate is an offensive sport," the actor explained. "And he believes that your opponent, if he's not on the ground, pretty much unconscious, then you haven't won yet. That came out of Vietnam, that came out of where our soldiers and our boys weren't really allowed to win, because John Kreese, which I've talked about many times in panels and all, was always a champion, until he went to Vietnam, where our boys were not allowed to win. He vowed when he came back he'd never lose again and neither would his students."That, Kove believes, is where Cobra Kai's no mercy declaration was born. "Mercy is for the weak and here on the streets [when] someone confronts you, he is your enemy and enemy deserves no mercy," he said.Cobra Kai is a different place in 2019 than it was when we last saw Kreese in 1989, though. When Johnny relaunched the dojo in Season 1, it was easy to see his vision differed from his mentor's. "The only way that I could, as an actor, justify Johnny [relaunching the dojo is] that he's trying to approach it differently and [hoping] for a different result," William Zabka, the actor who plays Johnny, explained. "So he's definitely not Kreese. He's Johnny Lawrence with all of his history and all of his tics and challenges and dreams and all that, trying to help these kids genuinely, and he believes it."And with Johnny at the helm, Kreese is going to play nice--for now, at least. "He's willing to obey the rules, he's willing to try and gain the confidence of Johnny by being a human being," Kove said. "And he doesn't have a problem coming in, be an assistant sensei--even though he created Cobra Kai--as long as the values of Cobra Kai stay as he created them, which you would think, Johnny being his best student, would maintain."Of course, while Johnny may be trying to run a very different Cobra Kai, you can still expect to see Kreese up to some of his old tricks. "He brings a whole other flavor to the show which we really enjoy and you get to see him interacting with students of today, his former student in Johnny, and you get to [witness] Daniel LaRusso's seeing Sensei Kreese again for the first time in a long time," executive producer John Hurwitz teased.At least as far as Kreese is concerned, he wasn't kidding when he said, "The real story's only just begun." What that means for the future of Johnny Lawrence and the Cobra Kai dojo is something you'll find out when Cobra Kai premieres Wednesday, April 24, on YouTube Premium.Info from Gamespot.com

Spoilers for God of War follow.2018's God of War has received widespread critical acclaim. Among its many achievements is the way it brought nuance to Kratos, a character that many would argue had simply served as an avatar for rage and bloodthirsty fury up until that point. In the PS4 pseudo-reboot, Kratos takes on the responsibility of fatherhood and, in doing so, is forced to make decisions that put his son, Atreus, before himself. One such moment sees him return to the Blades of Chaos, the iconic weapons he once used to carve a bloody path through the pantheon of Greek gods as part of a crusade for vengeance.The extended scene during which he travels home to dredge up a past he hoped would remain buried is powerful for what it represents, but it almost didn't make it in because of technical and design challenges. In the first episode of a new GameSpot show called Audio Logs, God of War director Cory Barlog discusses the issues developer Sony Santa Monica faced when bringing the Blades of Chaos to the new God of War, which swapped the isometric and side-on view of the classic series for a more cinematic, behind-the-shoulder viewpoint."The payoff that we actually got [the Blades of Chaos] right, that was always in question. We didn't do the blades until probably the last year [of development]," he explained. "We worked on the [Leviathan] axe for so long that there was a possibility that the blades were going to have to get cut because they were just taking so long to get online that everybody said, ‘Look, it took three and a half to four years to do the axe, you're never going to be able to do the blades in time.'"So we had a good year of animated chain moves that were just like, ‘That doesn't feel right, that doesn't work.' And with this new camera angle where you have the camera behind [Kratos] it's very different … You don't get the same visual as when you have a side view of Kratos shooting the chain blades out. Seeing it from an isometric view, seeing it from a side view, you get a better view of the line of action. We really had to figure out how to take the old moves and make them work much better in this camera angle."Barlog goes on to explain that, while the Blades of Chaos are a nice nod to longtime fans of the God of War series, they also serve a crucial narrative purpose. After all, Sony Santa Monica's original vision for the game wasn't one that cast aside Kratos's brutal history and the questionable morals of his previous actions, but one that embraced them to show his evolution as a person."So much of the game was built on this revelation, this realization from Kratos that the blades were something he was going to have to return to. They were something he wanted to get rid of, but would have to go back to them, he'd have to put them on, and he'd do that for his son. That was part of his growth."That growth, and the part that the Blades of Chaos played in presenting it, made God of War one of the standout games of the year. GameSpot's God of War review awarded it a 9/10, with critic Peter Brown saying its biggest surprise was "how mature its storytelling has become."He continued: "Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come."God of War was also one of GameSpot's 10 Best Games of 2018: "Regardless of what we all expected from Sony's muscle-bound badass, God of War is simply a great video game driven by a bold directorial vision and top-tier execution from a team that clearly knows how to knock it out of the park," we said.Episode one of Audio Logs is available now on YouTube and in it Barlog walks through the sequence in its entirety, breaking down the different cinematic flourishes and design techniques Sony Santa Monica used to bring the moment to life and make sure it lands with players in a way that is memorable.He also delves into the characterization of Kratos and the inner turmoil he faced when coming to the decision that he’d need to return to the Blades of Chaos to help his son, Atreus. There are a variety of small touches that even those that have played through the game numerous times will no doubt have missed, and--perhaps more interestingly--insight into the previous versions of the scene that had to be tweaked and altered to because of the realities of game development. Make sure to watch the episode.Audio Logs is a weekly show where the people behind the games we love tell the stories of how they're made, exploring the trials, tribulations, successes, and failures that come with development. Subscribe to GameSpot on YouTube to see more. Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's Week 8 challenges of Season 8 are now live on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and mobile, giving players across all platforms another opportunity to level their Battle Pass up and unlock this season's rewards. While many of this week's missions are fairly straightforward, a few of them may throw you for a loop if you aren't very familiar with Fortnite's map, like the one that asks you to dial the Durrr Burger number on the big telephone west of Fatal Fields. That's why we're here to help.The big telephone challenge is one of two multi-step missions available this week (the other ask you to search treasure map signposts). Fortunately, this task is a lot simpler than it may initially sound. To complete the first step, you'll need to head to the oversized telephone mentioned in the challenge name; it can be found atop a snowy mountain directly west of Fatal Fields. Once you get there, you'll see the Durrr Burger number already displayed on the phone's dial, so all you need to do is shoot the numbers in the correct sequence to move on to stage two.Once you've dialed the first phone, you'll be asked to dial the Pizza Pit number on the big telephone east of The Block; you can see its exact location on the map below. As before, the number is already displayed on the phone, so all you need to do is shoot them in the right order to complete the challenge and earn your Battle Stars. If you need another look at where to go, you can watch us walk you through the whole challenge in the video above.There are only a few weeks remaining in Fortnite Season 8, so you still have a little time to complete any outstanding challenges and unlock this season's Battle Pass rewards. If you need some assistance, you can find tips for this season's trickier tasks in our complete Fortnite Season 8 challenge guide, which we've been updating as new challenges are rolled out. You can also see all the skins and other cosmetics up for grabs in our Fortnite Season 8 rewards gallery.Week 8's challenges arrive hot on the heels of Fortnite's 8.40 update, which kicked off a new limited-time mode called Air Royale. This LTM revolves around dogfighting and features its own set of challenges to complete, which will net you special Wraps. The patch also brought back the Food Fight LTM, but this time around it's called Deep Fried and features elevated restaurant bases, requiring you and your teammates to build up to them to protect your mascot.Info from Gamespot.com

Week 8 of Fortnite Season 8 is in full swing, and it's brought a new set of challenges to complete across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. Most of this week's tasks are self-explanatory and can be completed with a little persistence, but there are a couple that require a bit more legwork, like the one that asks you to search jigsaw puzzle pieces under bridges and in caves. If you're unsure where to go, we're here to point you in the right direction.To complete this mission, you'll simply need to find seven different puzzle pieces scattered around the island. As the challenge states, these will be hidden inside caves and under bridges, giving you an idea of where you need to go. If you're not too familiar with Fortnite's island, however, you may not know where these areas are, so we've listed out all the puzzle pieces' locations and marked them on the map below.Fortnite Jigsaw Puzzle Piece LocationsBeneath the bridge northwest of Lucky LandingBeneath the bridge to the south of Shifty ShaftsIn the cavern southeast of The BlockIn the cave on the northeastern end of Tilted TowersIn the Yeti's cave in the southwest corner of the islandBeneath the bridge to the southwest of Paradise PalmsAt the edge of the desert northwest of Paradise PalmsOnce you've found all seven jigsaw pieces, they'll form a picture of a strange, alien-ish creature and then disappear. It's unclear what, if any, significance the picture has, but the important thing is the challenge will be completed, netting you five Battle Stars. If you need more help finding the pieces, we walk you through where each one is located in the video at the top of this guide.This is one of the trickier challenges you'll come across this week, but it isn't the only one; you'll also need to dial numbers on big telephones and search treasure map signposts. We've put together guides for those as well to help you rack up the Battle Stars. If you still have any outstanding challenges from previous weeks, you can also find our other guides in our complete Fortnite Season 8 challenges roundup.Week 8's challenges are coming on the heels of Fortnite's 8.40 update. That patch kicked off a new limited-time mode called Air Royale, which revolves around dogfighting. Air Royale also has its own set of challenges, which will reward you with special Wraps when completed. Additionally, the 8.40 update brought back the Food Fight LTM, but this time, it's called Deep Fried and features elevated restaurant bases.Info from Gamespot.com

Niantic is hosting Pokemon Go's first Safari Zone event in Singapore this week, giving players in the region a chance to catch some rare and exotic Pokemon like Lapras, Dratini, and Alolan Exeggutor. But even if you don't live in the area, you'll be able to join in on the festivities, as the developer is debuting a new Shiny Pokemon around the world this weekend.Beginning 6 AM local time today, April 20, the Mold Pokemon Shuckle will appear in the wild across the globe. On top of that, you'll have your first chance to encounter a Shiny Shuckle, which has a blue shell rather than a red one. However, you'll need to act quickly if you're hoping to add one to your collection, as the Pokemon will only spawn until 10 PM local time on April 21.The Safari Zone event isn't the only one happening in Pokemon Go right now; we're also in the midst of the annual Eggstravaganza. Until April 23, you'll be able to hatch baby Pokemon like Pichu, Smoochum, and Magby from 2 km Eggs, and you'll earn twice the normal amount of Candy for each Egg you hatch. On top of that, Buneary will appear in the wild more frequently, and you'll even have a chance to find its Shiny form.In addition to the Eggstravaganza, Latios has returned to Pokemon Go as part of a special Raid event. The Legendary Eon Pokemon will appear in Raid Battles until April 22, and its Shiny form will likewise be available. Meanwhile, game's current Legendary, Origin Forme Giratina, is scheduled to leave Raids on April 29.Niantic has also announced the first details for May's Community Day. That event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 19, and it'll feature the Gen 3 starter Pokemon Torchic.Info from Gamespot.com

If you missed the chance to catch a Shiny Meltan in Pokemon Go back in February, you're in luck. Niantic is bringing the Meltan event back for a limited time beginning Wednesday, April 24, giving players around the world another opportunity to capture the Shiny form of the Mythical Hex Nut Pokemon.Unlike other Pokemon, Meltan will only appear in Pokemon Go if you've opened the Mystery Box, an item you get in the mobile game after you've transferred a Gen 1 Pokemon to Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee on Nintendo Switch. Typically, the Mystery Box will close after 30 minutes, and you'll need to wait seven days before opening it again; during the Meltan event, however, you'll be able to re-open it after three days, allowing you to find Meltan much quicker than usual.You'll also have a chance of encountering a Shiny Meltan each time you open the Mystery Box. You can tell the Shiny variant apart by its darker head and blue tail. If you manage to catch a Shiny Meltan and evolve it into Melmetal, it'll retain its Shiny coloration. However, you'll only be able to find Shiny Meltan until May 5, so you'll want to act fast if you're hoping to get one. You can read more on how to catch the Mythical Pokemon in our Meltan and Melmetal guide.Meltan isn't the only Shiny Pokemon appearing in Pokemon Go soon. To celebrate the inaugural Safari Zone event in Singapore, the rare Gen 2 Pokemon Shuckle will be appearing around the world from April 20-21. During that time, players will also have their first chance to find Shiny Shuckle. Shiny Latios is also available as part of a special Raid event, which is set to end on April 22.Not long after the Meltan event ends, Niantic will be holding Pokemon Go's next Community Day. That event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 19, and this time around the featured Pokemon will be Torchic, one of the three starters from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. You'll also be able to earn triple the usual amount of Stardust for every Pokemon you catch during May's Community Day.Info from Gamespot.com

So far, 2019 has been an especially good year for Capcom. Just in the first quarter, the publisher has released new Devil May Cry and Resident Evil games, and both titles have gone on to find tremendous commercial and critical success. These recent entries represent a fundamental return to the roots for their respective series, and in the broader sense, they also show a clear shift in the company's vision.With over four decades in the business, Capcom has produced some of the most influential games, and each of those games feels like a decidedly Capcom-made experience that's difficult to replicate. However, as many fans are aware, Capcom's track record isn't flawless. But if anything, its recent successes help alleviate the notable missteps that have left long-time fans frustrated and disappointed--myself included. With this in mind, I felt it was worth talking about why it's been especially great to see Capcom coming back into its own as a creative force in the industry.Over the years, the company has evolved and reinvented itself in a number of interesting ways. And in most cases, technology and external pressure were the driving factors for strong innovation and change. With the launch of hardware like the PlayStation 2 and GameCube during the early 2000s, Capcom pushed for a number of new entries in its most popular franchises like Resident Evil 4, along with the creation of new IPs such as the original Devil May Cry. This period was a particularly exciting time for fans, as it pushed Capcom to create new experiences that made the most of the new hardware at the time. Several of these titles would go on to become best-sellers and fan-favorites, placing Capcom in a position as one of the industry's premier developers.When looking at where they're at now, it shows a clear pivot from the troubled period the company was in during the late 2000s and early 2010s--a time where a sudden shift in the gaming market in the wake of the PS3 and Xbox 360 put Capcom in a bind. Though there were standout hits like Street Fighter IV--which revitalized the fighting game scene and propelled it to esports stardom that carried over to Street Fighter V--this period in its history proved to be challenging after the departure of several key creatives, including Shinji Mikami and Hideki Kamiya, and the closure of internal developer Clover Studio.Mega Man 11 (2018)Around the early period of the 2010s, there was pressure to follow the evolving gaming market, and all signs seemed to be pointing towards the West. This shift was spearheaded by former Capcom designer and head of global development Keiji Inafune--one of the key creatives behind Mega Man--who lamented the state of the Japanese game development scene in a September 2010 article in the New York Times."I look around Tokyo Games Show [2010] and everyone's making awful games; Japan is at least five years behind," said the former head of global research and development. "Capcom is barely keeping up. I want to study how Westerners live and make games that appeal to them."This belief motivated the push for more western-style entries in key franchises, with the aim of attracting a broader audience. With Capcom investing time and resources into western developers, acquiring Blue Castle Games and forming Capcom Vancouver, it sought to refocus some of its key brands like Bionic Commando, Devil May Cry, and Dead Rising to create more global appeal. This also had an influence on internal developers at Capcom, emphasizing more of a western-style for their own games, which was especially noticeable in the Resident Evil series. The 6th main entry reached a crescendo of over-the-top action and kitchen-sink style game-design, along with the underwhelming Umbrella Corps, an esports-driven shooter that was poorly received by fans.Capcom hitting such highs as of late by basically being Capcom has been a welcome sight to see.Though some of these games saw critical and commercial success, including Ninja Theory's 2013 stylish-action reboot DmC: Devil May Cry, it also led to other games that missed the mark--such as Bionic Commando and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, the latter of which turned the familiar survival-horror experience into a squad-based shooter. What made some of these western-centric games a tough sell was that they often didn't exhibit the same level of craft and style as Capcom's internal titles. In essence, the push for westernization by Capcom coincided with a drop in quality and effectively diluted the franchises that brought the company success in the first place.Following Inafune's departure, and after lack of successes for many of its key titles, Capcom refocused efforts in-house in recent years and produced a number of games that reaffirmed its standing as one of the industry's top developers. There have been four games in particular that have helped Capcom re-establish itself as a premier publisher, and in turn, rejuvenate their aging franchises for the modern era. One of the biggest assets that Capcom has employed for this current resurgence is a focus on prioritizing its own internal talent and technology, prompting the creation of the RE Engine--the successor to their proprietary in-house engine MT Framework.In 2017, Resident Evil 7 was released, returning the series' focus to classic survival-horror gameplay, which it had gradually phased out in the sequels following the series' reinvention with Resident Evil 4. As an incredibly macabre, and atmospheric horror title, greatly emphasizing player disempowerment in comparison to its direct predecessors, this return to the series' roots was the first game to use the RE Engine. It was also the first game in the survival horror series to feature VR functionality, allowing for a greater sense of immersion during the near relentless experience.However, as Capcom realigned focus, it continued to show some signs of growing pains in the face of the shifting gaming landscape. 2017's Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite, the latest game in the popular crossover fighting game series, was a misfire due to its scaled-back approach and other stylistic changes that rubbed fans the wrong way. The company also closed its sole western development studio, Capcom Vancouver. Though it became the core Dead Rising studio following the success of the sequel, the following games, unfortunately, didn't leave much of an impact.In 2018, Capcom released Monster Hunter World, the latest entry in the co-op focused monster-slaying series. It would eventually go on to become the company's biggest hit in years, surpassing 11 million units as of March 2019. What makes this a particularly surprising turn of events is the fact that Monster Hunter games can often feel unapproachable for newcomers, often chucking players into the deep end fairly early on. With a particularly steep learning curve for its main systems and some long, drawn-out battles against even some of the lower-end beasts, past entries could make for a challenging game to invest yourself in. However, Monster Hunter World offered an exciting and surprisingly accessible point of entry for many players, allowing them to learn the expansive systems to take on the bigger challenges that await.Most recently, Capcom launched both Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5, the latest entries in franchises that helped define the developer in the 2000s. Powered by the RE Engine, both games take advantage of modern technology to reintroduce players to the kind of gameplay that made each series stand out during its prime. Both games would go on to become best sellers, with Resident Evil 2 selling over four million copies, and Devil May Cry 5 passing two million sold in just 10 days. In some ways, the consecutive releases of the RE2 remake and DMC5 serve as something of a one-two punch focusing on the type of gameplay experience that made Capcom such a beloved developer for many fans.Monster Hunter World (2018)Capcom also has become one of the more proactive developers in quality issuing remasters and remakes of older titles. These re-releases often serve as a great opportunity for new players to experience some of Capcom's finest games for new platforms. Currently, Capcom is still in the business of re-releasing past titles, with 2019 seeing the return of the original Onimusha, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen for Switch, and the collection for the Phoenix Wright series.In many ways, the developer's recent successes match that of its strong and innovative run during the early 2000s, bolstered by the need to make changes that leaned into what it does best. In an interview with USGamer, Devil May Cry 5 director Hideaki Itsuno--who has had a hand in other franchises including Street Fighter, the Capcom VS series, and Dragon's Dogma--attributed the recent successes with a strategic change the company applied some years back."About three or four years ago, there was a shift where it wasn't so much about focusing on what the market wanted," said the DMC5 director. "It was more of a shift of, 'Let's make what we want to make, and what we consider to be the highest quality and the best game.' Three or four years later, which is now, is when you're starting to finally see those games come out. It's nice to see that success."This internal shift focusing on new games within its core franchises have all earned stellar approval. Games like Resident Evil 7, the RE2 remake, Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter World, and Mega Man 11--the latter of which is the first installment in more than a decade--have gone to become standout hits, inspiring more confidence for what's next. Capcom hitting such highs as of late by basically being Capcom has been a welcome sight to see.Following the launch of Devil May Cry 5, Capcom USA CEO Kiichiro Urata stated on social media that "Capcom is back", and with how things are going, that's hard to dispute. In many ways, it appears that Capcom has rediscovered its identity after years o. In addition to the first major expansion for Monster Hunter World, and more re-releases in the wings for 2019, Capcom's strong year is looking to continue at a steady pace. Here's hoping we'll be able to see that growth and momentum carry on for the years to come, and perhaps lead to the revival of other classic Capcom titles.Info from Gamespot.com

Though the games are mostly about beating up other players and taking them out with gory, brutal fatalities, the Mortal Kombat series is steeped in lore. Ten games in, its story is pretty convoluted--there are the various realms, the different gods, a bunch of character backstories, and plots filled with sorcerers, spells, zombies, and even time travel.With Mortal Kombat 11 quickly approaching, we've dug back through the stories of the Mortal Kombat games to bring you up to speed on everything you need to know--and, honestly, probably some things you don't. It's all about Raiden trying to save Earth and prevent the end of all reality, and long-time baddie Shao Kahn basically mucking that up. But there are a huge number of evil players, and they're all likely to be relevant once again in Mortal Kombat 11, which promises more time-bending weirdness.Here's the entire story of the Mortal Kombat series thanks in large part to the Mortal Kombat Fandom wiki and a few handy YouTube videos, from the first release in 1992, all the way through the following 27 years.Before The GamesFirst and foremost, it's important to understand how the world of Mortal Kombat is laid out. There are special, powerful Elder Gods, who preside over multiple distinct dimensions known as the realms, and a bunch of lesser gods who hang around those various realms, with their own agendas--usually to protect places and people from the scarier folks of other realms.The major realms are Earthrealm (Earth as we know it, more or less), Outworld (a conquest-happy barbarian wasteland), Edenia (a beautiful magical paradise), and the Netherrealm (Hell). There are more but they vary in size and importance, but if they exist, Outworld wants to dominate them. In Mortal Kombat, that doesn't just mean sending occupiers to another dimension to take over; when a realm is conquered by another, they literally merge together, mixing their landscapes.The Elder Gods figured they should regulate all this realm-merging nonsense somehow. They created the Mortal Kombat tournament, in which, once a generation, champions from competing realms would face off. If one realm beats another realm 10 times in a row, the victor wins the right to take over the loser.Outworld wasn't just warring with other realms; it was creating an empire. For centuries, Outworld was ruled by Onaga, who was obsessed with taking over as many other realms as he could. Onaga was particularly scary because he could raise the dead, making his army effectively invincible. He and his followers were also noodling on a way to make him invincible.Onaga eventually was betrayed by his lieutenant, Shao Kahn, with the backing of the Elder Gods. Shao Kahn took over the role of ruler and protector of Outworld, but like Onaga, his lust for power got the better of him. Shao Kahn took on his own campaign of conquest, with the help of Shang Tsung, his sorcerer minion. His primary target: Edenia.Meanwhile, On EarthSeparate of all the scary Outworld stuff were the events going down on Earth. One of the Elder Gods, Shinnok, decided he wanted to take over Earthrealm and make everyone worship him and be all-powerful. Shinnok was more than a regular god thanks to his special amulet, which was linked to his powers and allowed him to travel between the realms without the Elder Gods being able to stop him.Luckily, Earth had Raiden, the god of thunder, who wasn't an Elder God but powerful nonetheless. He battled Shinnok in an intense war that lasted millennia, caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and toppled civilizations, and even tore holes between realities. A race of dinosaur-descended folks (e.g. Reptile) came through those tears, and while most were wiped out with the extinction, some made it to the realm of Zaterra.Raiden eventually defeated Shinnok, snagged his magic amulet, and imprisoned him into the Netherrealm for all eternity. For untold centuries, Shinnok was tortured and stuck in Hell, which was a pretty good result for Raiden.Shao Kahn Comes For EarthWhen Shao Kahn took Edenia, he next turned his attention to Earthrealm, which apparently is, like, the best one. In Edenia, he killed the realm's king and took its queen, Sindel, for his own. At Sindel's urging, Kahn spared the princess, Kitana; instead of killing her, he raised her to be a skilled assassin and member of his guard.Sindel might have been conquered, but she wasn't done fighting. She commited suicide in order to create a magic ward on Earth, which prevented Shao Kahn from stepping foot in the realm, which made it a lot harder for him to conquer.Shao Kahn sent Shang Tsung to kick off the Mortal Kombat tournament on Earth. Raiden had prepared for this, though, and created an order of Shaolin monks dedicated to seeking out the best fighters on Earth every generation to fight in the tournament. The Great Kung Lao won the tournament, and Earthrealm was safe.Shang Tsung had a trick this time, though. He brought the four-armed Goro to serve as Outworld's champion, and the monstrous fighter promptly kicked the Great Kung Lao's ass and killed him. The plan worked beautifully, and despite Raiden and Earthrealm's best efforts, Outworld won the next eight tournaments. One more, and they'd be able to invade and merge Earthrealm with Outworld.Shinnok's Not DoneBut wait! Shinnok is still a thing. After being tortured in the Netherrealm for a quarter of forever, Shinnok met Quan Chi, a sorcerer wandering around the realm. The pair made a deal: Quan Chi would help Shinnok in exchange for being his right-hand man and gaining the power to rule with him. They teamed up and eventually took over the Netherrealm. But even being King of Hell kind of sucks, on account of it's still Hell, so Shinnok and Quan Chi started working on getting out and back to Earth.On Earth, Quan Chi hired the Lin Kuei to find a map that would eventually lead to where Raiden had hidden Shinnok's amulet, which is what's depicted in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. Quan Chi also hired the Lin Kuei's rivals, the Shirai Ryu, for the same job to increase its chances of success. Sub-Zero, the ninja sent by the Lin Kuei, was successful in finding the map, and in the process killed Scorpion, from the Shirai Ryu. Quan Chi repaid the Lin Kuei by wiping out the Shirai Ryu, and when Sub-Zero tracked down the amulet, Quan Chi stole it and took it back to the Netherrealm. That was when Raiden decided to clue Sub-Zero in on what was happening, and the ninja went to the Netherrealm to undo the mess he'd created.Sub-Zero defeated Quan Chi and got the amulet back before Shinnok could use it to escape the Netherrealm. He returned the amulet to Raiden, and then allowed Shang Tsung to hire him to fight in the next Mortal Kombat tournament--although he had secret orders from the Lin Kuei to assassinate the sorcerer.Finally, The Original Mortal Kombat GamesThat brings us (oh my god, finally) to the original Mortal Kombat. Shang Tsung had orchestrated the tournament yet again, Outworld was one victory away from taking over Earth, and Goro was ready to wallop all challengers. But Shang Tsung didn't bank on Raiden and his new flock of champs, including Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, and Liu Kang (or on Sub-Zero, sent to kill Shang Tsung, or Scorpion, resurrected by Quan Chi and driven by revenge against Sub-Zero). Liu Kang went on to defeat Goro and Shang Tsung to win the tournament. Meanwhile, Scorpion killed Sub-Zero, whose soul went to the Netherrealm and became Noob Saibot.In Mortal Kombat II, Shang Tsung tried doubling down in repentance for his failure. He and Shao Kahn sent forces led by Baraka to attack the Shaolin monks, baiting Earth's fighters to Outworld for another tournament to get around the usual rules of Mortal Kombat. The idea was that if Earth won the Outworld tournament, Outworld would stop bothering them altogether--but if Outworld won, it would count as the tenth victory and allow Outworld to take over Earthrealm. It was a dumb gamble, but the Earth fighters were all upset, so they decided to go for it.Luckily, Liu Kang defeated Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn to win the tournament, again. He and Kung Lao headed off to restart the Shaolin monk order that would stand ready to defend Earthrealm. Meanwhile, Sub-Zero's brother (now bearing the name Sub-Zero) showed up in the tournament with his bud Smoke in an attempt to find out what happened to the original Sub-Zero. They were also fleeing the Lin Kuei, who had started turning their clansmen into cyborg ninjas--namely, Sektor and Cyrax. Sub-Zero and Smoke were apparently in line for the conversion and bailed on the clan instead, an act equivalent to treason, which was why the two cyborgs began hunting them. Sub-Zero got away, but Smoke was captured and got the robot treatment.Oh, and Kitana switched sides, realizing that Shao Kahn was a jerkbag and that her sister, Mileena, was not her sister at all, but some monster clone person created by Shang Tsung.In Mortal Kombat III, Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn's other shadow priests managed to resurrect Sindel and brainwashed her into being evil and loyal to Shao Kahn. That broke the ward over Earthrealm, and it also gave Shao Kahn the ability to cross into the realm to go after Sindel for some reason. Apparently, this is a significant loophole that allowed him to skip doing a bunch of stupid tournaments and just invade Earthrealm outright.Raiden gathered a bunch of Earth heroes to fight Shao Kahn, again, and again, Liu Kang beat him, this time liberating Edenia in the process of saving Earthrealm. Kitana managed to save Sindel, Johnny Cage was killed by Motaro, Kung Lao almost killed Baraka but didn't, then was supposedly killed by Shao Kahn. Anyway, Earth was saved.Another Invasion ThoughOn to Mortal Kombat 4. With Shao Kahn defeated, Quan Chi and Shinnok were ready to execute their plan and attack Earthrealm and the heavens, where the Elder Gods live. With the help of Noob Saibot and the Edenia traitor Tanya, Shinnok escaped to Edenia to wage his war, kidnapping Sindel and Kitana in the process. Mostly, Shinnok was very mad everyone let him rot in Hell for like a million years, and was out for vengeance on everyone, but specifically Raiden. His ultimate plan was to corrupt the Jinsei, the sort of life force of Earthrealm, to gain even more power.As usual, though, nobody planned for Liu Kang, who beat Shinnok and sent him back into the Netherrealm. Meanwhile, Quan Chi revealed himself as the guy who orchestrated all the events of Mortal Kombat Mythologies and who killed Scorpion's clan and family, just as he was attempting to banish Scorpion back to the Netherrealm. Enraged, Scorpion grabbed Quan Chi and dragged him back to Hell along with him, wrapping things up pretty nicely for everyone who was not Scorpion.Crucially, though, we learned that when Quan Chi took Shinnok's amulet from Sub-Zero way back in Mortal Kombat Mythologies, he switched it out for a fake. That meant the one Raiden took back to Earthrealm was, in fact, the copy. Quan Chi still had the real one.Quan Chi And Shang Tsung Team UpThe deadly alliance of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is one between Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Quan Chi used Shinnok's amulet to escape the Netherrealm, and at some point, he found out about Onaga's unbeatable mummified army. He approached Shang Tsung about filling those soldiers with souls--which Shang Tsung routinely steals from people, it's kind of his whole deal--so they could use them to take over all the realms. They started enacting their plan by taking out key opposition. They headed to Outworld and took down Shao Kahn, then went to Earthrealm and killed Liu Kang. (It turned out that Shao Kahn, in fact, faked his own death, hoping to see how things shook out as he worked to regain the Outworld throne.)Despite his best efforts in rallying a bunch of heroes to his cause, this time, Raiden wasn't able to turn back the bad guys. In Mortal Kombat: Deception, we found out that Raiden and a band of top fighters, including Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Jax, and Kitana, challenged Quan Chi and Shang Tsung at Shang Tsung's palace, but were ultimately defeated, with all the mortals getting killed (except for Sub-Zero, who wound up elsewhere). Raiden tried to stop the deadly alliance on his own but couldn't handle it. In the final moments, Quan Chi and Shang Tsung turned on each other for control of Shinnok's amulet, with Quan Chi emerging victorious. But hold that thought for a second...The Deception In Mortal Kombat: DeceptionThe Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception sets up the events of that game, ranging back 41 years before the battle between Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi. A warrior named Shujinko was visited by Damashi, who claimed to be an emissary of the Elder Gods. Damashi put Shujinko on a quest to collect special artifacts, the Kamidogu, from each of the realms and gather them together. Shujinko was deceived, however--decades later when he completed the task, he discovered Damashi was actually Onaga, with the Kamidogu allowing him to be reborn into the world once again.Onaga's plan: get Shinnok's amulet; control everything. So Onaga showed up at Shang Tsung's palace to get the amulet and his invincible army at the start of Mortal Kombat: Deception's main story. Quan Chi briefly teamed with Shang Tsung and Raiden against their common foe, but they were beaten. Raiden tried to sacrifice himself using all his god powers to blow up the whole place, but Onaga emerged pretty much unhurt. Onaga claimed the amulet, and Raiden eventually reconstituted, but came back as a red-eyed, corrupted, villainous version of the god.Onaga resurrected the other Earthrealm warriors to fight for him. Mileena disguised herself as Kitana (deception again!) to lead the Edenia forces against Onaga, and the Elder Gods saved Scorpion, who Shang Tsung and Quan Chi had seemingly destroyed in their "Soulnado" (yes, it's a tornado of souls), to be their champion. The ghost of Liu Kang and the telekinetic ninja Ermac also managed to unbrainwash all the resurrected Earthrealm warriors, and they stood against Onaga, too.In the end, it was Shujinko who stopped Onaga. He did a thing where he summoned all the power of the other warriors, and used it to destroy Onaga's Kamidogu. That weakened Onaga, which allowed Nightwolf to do a magic thing to chuck him into the Netherrealm.Mortal Kombat Causes The End Of The WorldsNow it's Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. The rise of Onaga brought out all the bad guys everywhere and banded them together under one banner. All the warriors on the good side were converging to defeat them.This is actually all part of a prophecy made centuries earlier by Delia, the wife of Edenia's protector-god, Argus, according to the Mortal Kombat Fandom wiki. She foresaw a battle in which all the super-strong Mortal Kombat warriors fought each other until they destroyed all the realms with their power. To stop it, she and Argus enacted a plan: zap the warriors' powers. They created Blaze, a fire elemental that would draw all the warriors to the right place, because whoever beat it would get insane power. Then they put their two sons, Daegon and Tavin into stasis, with the idea that when the armageddon battle came, they'd get woken up and go on a quest to defeat Blaze, get its power, and either kill all the warriors or magically remove their powers. Shinnok messed that up, waking up their son Daegon centuries too soon. He turned super evil, and spent the years preparing to kill his brother, Taven, so he could get Blaze's power, which would turn one of the two brothers into a god.Taven awoke and completed his quest, then managed to defeat Daegon. But Taven failed to stop the warriors and defeat Blaze, like he was supposed to in order to ward off armageddon. Instead, it was the worst possible person who wound up on top with Blaze's power: Shao Kahn. All the other warriors were killed in the process and by Shao Kahn. The apocalypse had not been canceled, in fact, and now the realms would be dominated by an unstoppable Shao Kahn.Except, that is, for one last thing. Raiden, defeated and dying, used some kind of magic amulet to send a message through time to his younger self to try to prevent the apocalypse. The young Raiden realized he had to prevent the future, but he only had one clue to work with. Those were old Raiden's final words: "He must win!"Mortal Kombat: Groundhog DaySo now we're back to the beginning (sort of), but it's the 2011 Mortal Kombat (or Mortal Kombat 9), which used time travel to reboot the series timeline and covers a new version of the events of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat III. Raiden knew something bad is coming, but didn't have much information. Not knowing what the message meant, Raiden assumed it referred to Liu Kang defeating Shang Tsung in the first tournament.The events of Mortal Kombat mostly played out the way they did in the first timeline, but with Raiden trying to make some changes for the better. He convinced Scorpion not to kill Sub-Zero, for instance, but Quan Chi showed up during their battle and manipulated Scorpion into murdering Sub-Zero anyway, creating Noob Saibot. Raiden stopped things from going too wrong, like when he talked Cyrax out of killing Johnny Cage, and eventually Liu Kang won the Mortal Kombat tournament like the first time. But Raiden's magic amulet, the one he used to send the message back in time, cracked a little--telling him that Raiden hadn't stopped the bad future from happening.Next up are the events of Mortal Kombat II, which saw the heroes heading to Outland for Shao Kahn's tournament. Raiden tried to change some things again, guessing that "He must win" meant Kung Lao in the second tournament, rather than the always-winning Liu Kang. But Shao Kahn wound up killing Kung Lao, and Liu Kang won anyway. When Raiden tried to save Smoke from getting turned into a cyborg ninja, the Lin Kuei captured and converted the younger Sub-Zero instead. More cracks in the amulet.Mortal Kombat III came next with Shao Kahn launching his invasion of Earthrealm. Again, Raiden tried to make some changes to alter the future, but continued to suck at it. He saved Johnny Cage's life and Sub-Zero was reprogrammed by the Earthrealm fighters to give him back his free will. But Shao Kahn killed Shang Tsung and used his power to strengthen the brainwashed Sindel--and she, in turn, killed a bunch of humanity's best fighters.Desperate for the answer, Raiden went to the Netherrealm to ask for Quan Chi's help--but got turned down. But his conversation with Quan Chi did finally help Raiden figure out what "He must win" meant, which has probably been obvious all along. "He" in this case is Shao Kahn. Liu Kang constantly defeated Shao Kahn in the original timeline but was never able to kill him, which allowed Shao Kahn to keep hanging around until he finally brought about armageddon. If Earthrealm lost and Outworld merged with it, the Elder Gods would be forced to step in.And step in they did. Shao Kahn won his invasion but broke the rules of Mortal Kombat. The Elder Gods powered up Raiden and he fought Shao Kahn, defeating him and blowing him apart once and for all. Everyone was saved, except Liu Kang--Raiden accidentally killed him when he disagreed with the plan to let Shao Kahn win.As it turned out, though, this was all part of Quan Chi and Shinnok's plan, somehow. That might not, uh, make sense, but this was all about bringing Shinnok back to take over. Thanks to Raiden being terrible at time travel, most of the best fighters on the good side were now dead, and Shinnok would be able to take over a whole lot easier.Shinnok Comes BackFinally, we're coming to Mortal Kombat X. Shinnok and Quan Chi made their play, backed by undead versions of the warriors that had died in Mortal Kombat 9. It turned out, though, that Johnny Cage, who replaced Liu Kang as Earth's best fighter, was a member of a long line of warriors created by the gods. His special powers kicked in to allow him to defeat Shinnok and imprison him in his amulet. Quan Chi tried to kill Johnny and resurrect him as a member of his undead forces, but Raiden used all his godly powers to fight the move--and the interaction of their powers not only saved Johnny, it restored the other undead folks in the room to their human forms.Quan Chi got away, but Shinnok was defeated and everybody got to chill out. Sub-Zero and Scorpion remade their clans and finally buried their hatchet, while Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade had a daughter together, and Jax had a daughter of his own. Twenty-five years later, Kano managed to get hold of Shinnok's amulet and sell it to Mileena, causing the next generation of fighters to go hunting for it.The Earthrealm fighters had an uneasy alliance with Kotal Kahn, the new leader of Outworld, who sent is lieutenant D'Vorah to help them find Mileena. When they did, Kotal Kahn kept the amulet--but didn't know that D'Vorah was actually working with Quan Chi to get it. The Earthrealmers worked together to find and capture Quan Chi, but Scorpion and his clan showed up to get his vengeance on the man who caused the deaths of his family. Scorpion killed Quan Chi, but not before D'Vorah delivered the amulet and he used it to release Shinnok.Back once more, Shinnok was able to corrupt the Jinsei, the Earthrealm's mystical life force, with his evil magic, just like he planned the first time. That gave him intense powers and turned him into a demon--but Johnny and Sonya's daughter Cassie Cage fought Shinnok and defeated him, thanks to Johnny's special warrior bloodline. Raiden sacrificed himself to purify the Jinsei and save the world. Unfortunately, Raiden came out corrupted again. Now he's back to being sort of evil Raiden, with Shinnok's amulet and Shinnok's severed head--still living, thanks to him being a god.More Time Travel In Mortal Kombat 11We don't know too much about the story of Mortal Kombat 11, but comments from Ed Boon suggest that time travel is coming back in a big way. It seems we'll be seeing another time rewind at the hands of Kronika, the Keeper of Time. The new villain was apparently pretty happy with the way history had turned out, and didn't appreciate Raiden's meddling with the plan and rewriting history, as is apparent from the game's story trailer.This won't just be another return to the beginning of the story, though. Apparently, Kronika is causing the various timelines are going to "fold" together, with past events merging with present ones, and characters will run into themselves from the past and future. Perhaps most notably, that means Shao Kahn is back, and various forces of Earthrealm and Outworld are going to need to band together to defeat him and stop Kronika and her time-bending plans. Info from Gamespot.com

It's finally here. The first full trailer for the upcoming Child's Play reboot has arrived and, with it, the first real look at the new version of Chucky, who happens to be voiced by Mark Hamill. While we previously didn't know much about the film, the new movie gives a lot of insight into what makes this take on Child's Play so different.The big takeaway is that this isn't just some doll. It's 2019 and now Chucky is from the Buddi line of smart toys. As the trailer says, he can connect to all of your smart devices--which already sounds like a bad idea--and is controlled by an app. Of course, as the trailer teases, that app is going to go haywire as Chucky goes on a murdering spree.And while the trailer doesn't get too gory, it certainly looks as though Chucky is going to be very creative with his kills. From wrapping up one victim in Christmas lights, to seemingly taking control of electronic devices like drones to carry out his misdeeds, this murderous little doll is dangerous--and downright creepy. Check it out above.One thing the trailer doesn't do is give much context to the relationship between Chucky and his owner, the 13-year-old Andy (Gabriel Bateman). However, during a preview event for the trailer's release, GameSpot and select press were shown an additional scene from the movie.In it, Chucky and Andy are playing a board game, as the doll learns more about his owner. When a cat scratches the boy, though, Chucky goes on the offensive against the feline in a pretty disturbing moment. Thankfully, Andy stops him before it's too late, while Chucky says it's because the cat caused him pain.It certainly gives the impression that Chucky thinks he's protecting Andy when he gets violent, at least at first. Given that this is a Child's Play movie, though, clearly, Andy isn't going to remain safe. And when you consider that a doll like the new Chucky can control pretty much any device it wants to, it opens up a bunch of truly horrific possibilities.While this is the first real trailer for Child's Play, you're not going to have to wait much longer to see more. Child's Play, which also stars Aubrey Plaza and Bryan Tyree Henry, is in theaters on June 21.Info from Gamespot.com

Since its reveal last year at E3 2018, developer id Software has been very clear about Rage 2 being the game that the original should have been. Co-developed with Avalanche Studios, the sequel has been touted as a true open-world game compared to its predecessor's attempt at one, leaning heavily on hectic gameplay within a vast and dynamic environment. Though Rage 2 is all about blending together the fast, punchy corridor-shooter action that id software is known for with Avalanche's sense of scale and breadth of content from their world-exploring games, our last few impressions didn't give us the opportunity to see those aspects really come together.However, we recently got to play two hours of the final game ahead of its May 14 release. While exploring the setting at our leisure, we got more of a clear picture of how Rage 2 injects id Software's old-school design within the framework of a modern open-world game. We also spoke with id Software studio director Tim Willits about the making of the sequel to the 2011 post-apocalyptic open-world shooter, and how it's introduced them to new ideas that rethink their familiar design philosophies.Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.When you think back to the original game after playing this one, they're pretty night and day by comparison. Rage 2 feels like it's entirely its own thing.Yes, it is. Firstly, I like to say that Rage 2 delivers on all that Rage 1 promised. I've joked that the biggest lesson I've learned from Rage is don't make an open world game without an open world technology, which is what we did with our id Tech 5 engine for the original. But you're right, it's kinda like we're launching a new franchise. It's very exciting. We often get people asking, "Well, do I need to have played the first one?" And I'm like, "No. Don't worry about it. We got you covered." You can just jump in and play. Don't be nervous by the 2.After playing about two hours of this game, I do have to say that it felt more comfortable with being an id-shooter in an open world. Whereas the original felt like it was trying to brute force its way into that mold.I'm glad you noticed that. It was the number one thing we set out to do with this game. When we started pitching the game internally, I made this presentation and one slide had said "Rage 2." People were like, "okay, Rage 2, that's cool," and then the next slide was the Id logo and the Avalanche logo, and when people saw that they were like, yeah, that's cool! And then everything from there just made sense.It seems like Avalanche coming on to this project was instrumental in helping id Software transition its particular gameplay into the open world.Well, the great thing about working with the Avalanche team is they not only bring the Apex Engine technology, which is awesome, but they also bring that experience. They've been making open-world action games for a long time, so they just think about things differently. How we tell the story, how we write the dialogue, and how we approach the missions, those things really leveraged on a lot of their expertise. We have some amazing technology, but just for this style of game, we found that it was better to work with a company that had the experience with their own [open-world] tech and gameplay. Working with Avalanche on this game was kind of a match made in heaven.Truth be told, I played Rage 2 previously at other conventions, and it was difficult getting a sense of the world and the scale of the game. The previous demos tended to focus more on enclosed encounters--which seemed more in-line with traditional id shooters, rather than an open world game.Yeah, it's not the same experience getting to dive into this game at your own pace versus playing a 20-minute chunk at a show. At E3 last year, we had the Eden's Gate complex, which is a very classic id Software style-level. It was fun, it was cool, but you are right--We stuck you in a box, and obviously, this game is not a box. We wanted people to believe that we had that id-style combat in this world, so we really focused on proving that first, which is one of our biggest milestones in the project. We really had to figure out how it felt to play, what the endgame content was like, and what the weapons were like. Are they loud enough, powerful enough, fast enough? So it was definitely a hurdle we needed to jump over early.But I'm glad you were able to play a big part in the game just now. You know, it's funny, now, when you play the game, you'll get that Eden's Gate mission, and you'll be like, "this is so small compared to everything else I saw". When you play through it normally, you'll just blast through it. It's such a different feeling when you actually get to see it the world.This game will also see some interesting updates after launch which will affect the state of the world. In a recent trailer, there were some references to an in-world event that has you fight mutants for a TV program.Yes! So, we'll have events and we can churn in activities on the occasion. But you do not need to always be online for this game. So was a little bit of confusion recently, but if you are connected to the internet, you can participate in these live events. If you're not, then just play the base game and have fun. We can make these cool events happen that will kinda keep people engaged as we can deliver them more content in the future.So Rage 2 six to seven month from now will potentially be a different game than the one we've got at launch?Yes, that's the plan! Hopefully, people will stay with it. I do think we have a good plan. We have some cool beats that we'll talk about after the game launches, and what the framework looks like moving forward. When you play the full game, you can see that there's room for things to expand, and we will continually layer things in to keep people engaged.It seems like the idea of the evolving game or a games-as-a-service title is becoming more commonplace now. Is Rage 2 in that similar school of thought?No, it will just be a supported game. I don't know, it's so hard to--like someone needs to come up with a perfect definition of what a "games-as-a-service" game actually is. Many people have different ideas of that, and I may have confused people originally when I started talking about this. What we're planning on doing is creating some updates and content for this game after we launch. So, we monitor the game, we monitor the players, we act in the community, we're gonna support it, we're gonna update it. It's not like a subscription or a free-to-play game. But it will be supported.Though previous id Software shooters have seen updates after launch, this game seems more about expanding the world itself and the content therein. This seems to be new territory for you all.That's true, but it's honestly the direction that the industry is moving toward. Fans spend so much time with our games, and people want to know that the thing that they enjoy is being supported and that the developers stand behind it, and that they will continue to improve the experience. If you're gonna dedicate so much of your time, when there are so many other things to do, you want that commitment from the other side. So that's what we are gonna try to do, which is something that's new for us, so hopefully, it'll work.Though the game itself is very modern in its focus, it still feels very old-school in its design. And we see that in its focus on offering cheat codes, which seems to be a rarity in today's age.We don't take ourselves too seriously all the time, and those cheat codes should be pretty fun. The game shines when players just sit down and do what they want to do. I really believe the more time you spend with the game, the more enjoyable it is. If you rush through it, you're not gonna have as much fun as the person that spends twice as long. So, I would encourage people to take their time, experiment with the powers and upgrades, because there's a lot. It's definitely rewarding for people who spend the time.There's one cheat in particular called "Git Gud", which kills all enemies in one hit once activated. It seems to be a reference to online game challenge culture. Do you have a particular stance on how you want your games to be designed in terms of difficulty and the barrier for entry?So I'm a bit more old-school, I like to get thrown into a new mission and told to find the red key somewhere in the level. But in a game that's this big and open, we do need to help players when they feel like they need some help and we do need to kinda direct them [with the GPS]. As for difficulty, we have several different difficulty settings, of course. If you want that extra challenge then you can play the Nightmare difficulty. You really have to strategize and play smart, it's so tough. But yeah, if you're a pretty hardcore player, I'd encourage you to play it on hard, not normal.The openness that we have is the nature of this game, nothing is really off-limits. We may point you in the right direction, but we don't really scale the difficulty of the enemies. So if you find an area that's too tough, you can just come back to it when you have more upgrades and more abilities, and you can just tear through it. We give you that opportunity. With the open world nature of the game, I do believe that it allows for more accessibility than some of our other games. We tend to make intense games at id, and sometimes people accuse us of being a little too hardcore. But even though this game's fast and can be tough, because it can change based on what you do and how you play it, I actually think it's more accessible than any of our others games.I think what's especially noticeable about this game compared to the original is that it has a lot more personality.Yeah, the first one sold well and people enjoyed it, but I definitely feel that we are firing on all the cylinders with the sequel. We have the right personality, we have the right developers, we have the right tech, we have the right style. It's a good time, also, for this type of game. Because it is a little bit more unique than a lot of the other, kind of, post-apocalyptic games. And yes, you are absolutely correct. We really tried to make the game fun. So, if people play it, and their friend says, "Well, what do you think of Rage 2?" If they say, "That was fun!", then I'm happy.Info from Gamespot.com