Gearbox Software has finally confirmed Borderlands 3--revealing the game's first trailer during the studio's PAX East panel. You can watch the trailer, as well as our impressions of it, below. Unfortunately, Gearbox did not announce a release date for the game. However, the developer did promise to reveal more details on Borderlands 3 will come out next week, on April 3.The trailer begins with a shot of the iconic Psycho mask and pans up to reveal that the wasteland is as desolate and full of mayhem as when we last saw it. A Children of the Vault camp is one of the first things we see and next to the entrance there are signs referring to Calypso. One message reads, "Answer Calypso's call," while another invites people to "Meet Calypso." This enigmatic figure is introduced in the very next scene and from her wry grin, overconfident swagger, and snarling sidekick, it's a pretty safe bet to say she'll be one of the key villains of Borderlands 3. For those that know their Greek mythology, Calypso is the daughter of the titan, Atlas. It just so happens that Atlas is also the name of one of the big corporate entities on Pandora, where the Borderland games primarily take place.In the next shot, we're re-introduced to Lilith, who made her debut as a playable character in the first Borderlands title. She's a key figure in the mythos of Borderlands, being a Siren--incredibly powerful women that have mysterious backgrounds. It is believed that only six Sirens can exist at any one time and, to date, three have appeared in the games. While it doesn't seem like Lilith will be playable, she will no doubt play a huge part in the events of Borderlands 3.From there, we're introduced to four characters. These are likely the Vault Hunters players will get to control. As of yet, it's unclear what classes they correspond to. The Borderlands games tend to have a mixture of traditional archetypes like Berserker, Hunter, and Soldier, but also throw some unexpected ones into the mix too, like Siren and Mechromancer. At one point the female Vault Hunter, who looks to be melee-focused, given her ripped physique and knuckle duster, summons multiple ethereal arms like a Bodhisattva.The trailer quickly rolls on to quick cuts of action, with the four Vault Hunters cruising around in vehicles, firing all manner of strange weaponry--including a battle mech--and taking on vicious looking monsters. At one point Borderlands 2's Maya, who also happens to be a Siren, makes an appearance, though with much longer hair now.One of the key new features for Borderlands 3 is revealed when the words "Explore the Worlds!" appear on screen. This indicates that the game is going to be much bigger than the previous two entries, offering players a variety of different worlds to scavenge for loot and hunt down mythical treasure in. The trailer showcases some of these, with a neon city that has towering skyscrapers and overgrown swamplands, alongside the traditional Mad Max-like desert terrain.There's a brief intermission in the trailer for Brick to lay down a sax solo that, frankly, is quite good, before we get to the Borderlands series' biggest claim to fame: guns. This time around Gearbox is claiming that Borderlands 3 will have "one billion guns," one of which is an assault rifle with little robot legs that is skipping along while firing off shots. Basically, the trailer shows off pretty much exactly what most Borderlands fans want from a sequel.Gearbox has said more information for Borderlands 3 will be revealed on April 3. We don't know exactly what to expect, but the studio says the details will show up on Borderlands.com. If you're wondering what we thought, some of our biggest fans of the series shared their thoughts in a Borderlands 3 trailer breakdown.The Year of Borderlands will also give fans of the series the opportunity to play a Game of the Year version of the first Borderlands, complete with new weapons and other improvements. Additionally, the Borderlands Handsome Collection is getting graphical improvements by way of a free Ultra HD Texture Pack. This will also be available for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 2 on PC. Finally, all Borderlands 2's DLC will be added to Borderlands 2 for PlayStation VR this summer.Other news out of Gearbox's panel included a trailer for Risk of Rain 2, which is now out in Steam Early Access, as well as a trailer for Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland's new game, Trover Saves The Universe, and the announcement of Bulletstorm for Nintendo Switch.Info from Gamespot.com

Borderlands fans can finally rest easy knowing Borderlands 3 is real, and those who are hyped and ready to dive back into the series will soon have reason to revisit the previous games. Alongside the other Borderlands news shared during its PAX East panel, Gearbox announced that it's releasing graphical improvements for The Handsome Collection's games--Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel--and expanding Borderlands 2 VR.When it came time for the news to be shared at PAX, Gearbox's panel was struck with some unfortunate technical issues that hampered the rollout of a few trailers. Below, you can see what's in store in terms of the technical improvements coming for the last two Borderlands shooters. These ultra HD texture packs are coming to Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel on PC, and the Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (which consists of those two games) for PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. You can see the improvements in the trailer and screenshots below.There are some differences between how the texture packs work on consoles versus on PC. Console players get 4K and HDR support, along with remastered environment textures, characters, and vehicles, along with improved anti-aliasing and improved shadows. PC gets many of these same things, but there's no mention of HDR, though Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO) has been improved. The full lists for the respective platforms follows below.The ultra HD texture packs will be available for free on all supported platforms; they release on April 3. PS4 Pro owners will find it as a single DLC pack for Handsome Collection, while PC and Xbox One X players can download the packs individually for Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel.PS4's Borderlands 2 VR is also getting an improvement, as Gearbox will update the PlayStation VR game to include all of the non-VR version's DLC. A free update arriving this summer will add Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt, and Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep.Alongside all of this, Gearbox's PAX East panel brought some other exciting news. Borderlands 3 is officially real, and the studio is also re-releasing an enhanced version of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition.PS4 Pro/Xbox One X Improvements:4K Ultra HD resolution and HDR for Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro playersRemastered 4K environment textures, including geometry and skyboxesRemastered 4K characters and vehiclesUpdated weapon meshes and texturesRe-encoded 4K CinematicsImproved Anti-Aliasing, including improved edge line implementation This includes improved ink line definition and framing/outline around character modelsHigher Resolution Dynamic Shadows Improved quality and smoothness of shadows, especially during movementPC Improvements:Remastered 4K environment textures, including geometry and skyboxesRemastered 4K characters and vehiclesRemastered 4K weapon meshes and texturesImproved Anti-Aliasing, including improved edge line implementation This includes improved ink line definition and framing/outline around character modelsHigher Resolution Dynamic Shadows Improved quality and smoothness of shadows, especially during movementImproved Screen Space Ambient Occlusion An improved SSAO method for more realistic ambient lightingInfo from Gamespot.com

The next game from Rick And Morty creator Justin Roiland and studio Squanch Games, called Trover Saves The Universe, had a trailer revealed during Gearbox's PAX East 2019 panel. It's coming to PlayStation 4 and PSVR on May 31 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on June 4. The game appears to have a similar sense of humor found in Roiland's previous work, such as Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality from Owlchemy Labs and Adult Swim Games, and Accounting from Squanch Games. But Trover plays more like a traditional 3D action-platformer.As expected, it has a wacky premise where your dogs have been taken hostage and you have to stop the big bad Glorkon who puts the universe at stake and shoves your dogs into its eye sockets. There are plenty of deranged character designs and a whole lot of cursing; think Astro Bot but for adults! However, the game will be playable both in and outside of VR. You can watch the trailer above.Trover, the one who saves the universe.A whole lot more came out of the Gearbox PAX East 2019 presentation, which included the announcement of Bulletstorm coming to Nintendo Switch with the Duke Nukem DLC and a showcase of the upcoming sequel Risk of Rain 2. The biggest news from Gearbox was the reveal of both Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC with visual and mechanical improvements, and finally the reveal and trailer for Borderlands 3.Gearbox CEO and president Randy Pitchford was doing magic tricks on stage, too, and you can check that out here if you really want.Info from Gamespot.com

Last year, Nintendo launched its subscription-based online service for Nintendo Switch, following in the footsteps of Sony and Microsoft. While the price is more modest than that of PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold, that price just got even better if you're a Twitch Prime member (one of the persk of Amazon Prime). Twitch Prime members can now claim a free three months of Nintendo Switch Online. You just need to sign in to claim your three months, and if you come back after 60 days, you can get another nine months added to your account. That's a year of Switch Online for free.If you already have Switch Online, you can still take advantage of this deal. Just sign-in and be sure to renew the deal after 60 days so you can get all 12 months added to your account. Whether you're signing up for Switch Online for the first time or adding free time to your account, you have until September 24 to grab your first three months and until January 22, 2020 to claim the additional nine.A Switch Online subscription offers more than being able to play the online multiplayer component in games like Splatoon 2 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. With a subscription, you get access to a library of classic NES games that you can play as much as you want. New games are added every few months, with 1998's Blaster Master and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link added this past January. Subscribers also get access to cloud saves, allowing them to recover their data should their Switch console break or be stolen.Normally, individual Switch Online subscriptions cost $4 USD a month, $8 USD for three months, and $20 USD for 12 months. For $35 USD a year, you can subscribe to a Switch Online Family Membership, which includes the service for eight different consoles.Amazon has already been creating video game-related benefits for Twitch Prime members, offering free PC titles every month. You still have time to download the four March 2019 games, which will no longer be offered once April begins. Until March 31, with Twitch Prime, you can download the puzzle RPG Star Vikings Forever, artsy platformer The King's Bird, multiplayer pinball game Kabounce, and puzzle platformer Snake Pass. To claim these games, you must make sure you Amazon account is linked to Twitch.Info from Gamespot.com

There isn't much to say about STALKER 2 at this point, to be honest. But the fact that the game's official website has been updated with new key art and music is enough for fans, like myself, to get hyped up. In addition, the project launched its own Twitter account (@stalker_thegame) which it says will be used to share news and "interesting content" for the franchise. As for the music that plays on the site, it's a three minute(ish) creepy, foreboding ambient track that fits the series' often terrifying post-apocalyptic atmosphere.STALKER 2 was revealed to be in the works when the site went live back in May of last year--at the time, it simply featured the game's title painted onto a concrete background with the number "2021" clearly implying that the game won't be around until then. The team behind the original entries, GSC Game World, is heading up STALKER 2 as the company's own site says it is currently in development.Hi, Stalkers!You got on the official Twitter account for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game franchise. Here we will share news and interesting content with you. Join our ranks :)#stalker2 #gscgameworld #stalker pic.twitter.com/ygvDhia58A — S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Official (@stalker_thegame) March 28, 2019GSC Game World has been through a lot since releasing the original STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl and the two follow-ups Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat. Plans for a full sequel began in 2010 with the hopes of hitting a 2012 release, but was eventually cancelled. The studio remained relatively quiet, but released the strategy game Cossacks 3 in 2016.For those unfamiliar with STALKER, it's a first-person shooter and survival horror series loosely based on the Russian novel Roadside Picnic and movie Stalker (1979). It's set in an alternate reality where another nuclear disaster hit the Russian nuclear zone of Chernobyl. The story takes supernatural turns as you uncover the mysteries of the Nuclear Exclusion Zone alongside other stalkers, who are rogue hunters and scavengers in "The Zone." STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl was one of the best games of its time despite having a lot of technical bugs; you can read more about it in our list of great games from 2007.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony has released the latest firmware patch for PS4, update 6.51. The update doesn't do all that much, despite being 463 MB in size. In the full patch notes for update 6.51, Sony states that the update "improves system performance." That's it. Overall, update 6.50 did a lot more, implementing several new features in the PS4. Update 6.50 added the choice of 720p video when broadcasting with Niconico Live, and also added button assignment support for "enter" operations--allowing you to change the selection button from circle to X.Notably lacking from update 6.51 is the option to change your PSN online ID, a patch that, last year, Sony promised is coming early 2019. You can already change your PSN online ID if you're a part of PlayStation's Preview Program, but the update hasn't left beta and gone public. Sony has announced that when the patch does go live, the first name change will be for free. However, subsequent changes will cost $5 USD / €5 / £4 for PlayStation Plus members, and twice as much for everyone else.Sony has admitted that implementing PSN online ID changes isn't a smooth process, so there could still be plenty of bugs the company is trying to iron out. Apparently, the feature won't be compatible with every game released prior to April 1, 2018. Not all PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games are guaranteed to support the feature either, so users may see several issues or errors in relation to their PSN online ID for certain games. Additionally, one of the Preview Program testers reported a bug that changing your PSN online ID might cause a loss in DLC purchases and game save data.However, if you run into issues after changing your ID, PlayStation has said it will provide an option for players to revert back to their old one for free.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has confirmed the time and date of its E3 2019 press conference. The company said on Twitter its briefing would begin on Monday, June 10 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST (6 AM AEST on June 11).The news comes amid other publishers scaling down their E3 conferences or pulling out altogether. Sony will not be attending E3 2019, while EA will eschew its usual conference in favor of multiple smaller livestreams. Conversely, Microsoft is holding a conference, while Bethesda has already confirmed the date and time of its usual presentation.It's not yet clear what Ubisoft has to share at E3 this year, as many of the publisher's 2019 games--including Far Cry: New Dawn, Trials Rising, Assassin's Creed III: Remastered, and The Division 2--have already launched, while Anno 1800 is scheduled for release on April 16. The only remaining Ubisoft games we know of are Skull & Bones and Beyond Good & Evil 2, so it seems likely we'll see more of them in June.We could also hear more of the heavily rumored Watch Dogs 3, which is ostensibly set in London. However, the publisher's staple Assassin's Creed reveal is unlikely, since it has already stated no "full-fledged Assassin's" game will launch in 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

Wrestlemania, WWE's biggest PPV of the year, is right around the corner, airing on Sunday, April 7. If you're familiar with WWE, then you know there are multiple ways you can watch this event from your phone to TV to PC. Here's a breakdown of the easiest ways for you to watch Wrestlemania.The cheapest and easiest way to watch the PPV is through the WWE Network. While the network normally costs $10 a month and offers replays of past PPVs, weekly television events, and original content, new subscribers can sign up for one month free. So you can watch Wrestlemania without paying a dime, from the comfort of your own home. Just make sure to decide after the event whether or not you want to keep your subscription to the service.Additionally, Wrestlemania is available through your cable or satellite provider. However, if you plan on doing that, be prepared to pay between $60-70 for the event. Why would you pay that much for the event? Well, internet service isn't fast enough in some parts of the country to handle streaming the show.If you are staying home and streaming the event, there are multiple ways to watch Wrestlemania through the WWE Network. The show can be accessed through phones, tablets, or through your PC, among other devices. Both iOS and Windows 10 have apps available and it is accessible through your web browser.The WWE Network app is available on certain smart TVs as well as devices like Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast. You can watch the network using your Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4 by downloading the app through its stores. Sorry Nintendo Switch users, but the WWE Network is not available on the console yet.WWE Network App Links:PS3PS4Microsoft StoreGoogle PlayiTunes App StoreWrestlemania 35 comes to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, April 7. The show's start time is set at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 12 AM BST (April 8) with a Kickoff Show starting two hours prior. Check out our predictions, the full match card for the show, and the rumors leading to the event. Also, come back to GameSpot that day for live coverage of the event. Info from Gamespot.com

Xur, Agent of the Nine, has returned to the solar system in Destiny 2 for another weekend. That means he's brought another crop of Exotic weapons and armor to help fill out your collection. Xur can now sell Exotics from the Forsaken expansion thanks to a recent update, but his inventory is random--and this week, there are no Forsaken Exotics in Xur's haul. You can still grab an Invitation of the Nine, though, which offers new story info and Powerful gear.You can find Xur hanging out in the Tower, near the back of the Hangar on a catwalk. From the entrance to the area, hang a left and walk toward the drop-off, then up the nearby stairs. Xur's weapon offering is Sunshot, a powerful Solar hand cannon that fires rounds that explode. Anybody damaged by the gun or the resulting explosions gets marked, making it a pretty handy weapon for both the Crucible and fighting around the solar system.As for armor, you won't find any Year Two Exotics among Xur's inventory, but there are solid options if you need to fill out your collection. Hunters can snag Foetracer, an Exotic helmet that marks any enemies you target, allowing you to see their movements on the battlefield even behind cover. You'll also deal additional damage to enemies who you've marked if they're already low health--making it great for finishing people off in the Crucible. Warlocks can pick up Sunbracers, a set of gauntlets that increase your Solar grenade duration and give you Solar grenade energy when you make Solar melee kills. For Titans, there's the Helm of Saint-14, a helmet that blinds enemies who pass through your Ward of Dawn Super and nearby enemies when you guard with your Sentinel shield. Meanwhile, any allies who pass through your Ward of Dawn get an overshield.Here are all the Exotics Xur offers this week and what they'll cost you:Sunshot (Exotic hand cannon) -- 29 Legendary ShardsHelm of Saint-14 (Exotic Titan helmet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsFoetracer (Exotic Hunter helmet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsSunbracers (Exotic Warlock gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsYou 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.As has been the case for a couple weeks now, Xur also offers an Invitation of the Nine, a special weekly bounty that gives you a Powerful gear reward and new lore about the enigmatic entities known as the Nine. You'll need to go to the EDZ on Earth to complete it--shoot Cabal, Fallen, and Taken enemies there to gain Samples drops from each one, and complete the Lake of Shadows Strike. It's easiest to get the Fallen and Cabal Samples from Public Events, while the Taken ones you're likely to acquire from the Strike itself. Once you've finished the Invitation's steps, head up to the Drifter's Haul location in the Gambit menu for a new scene and your reward.Info from Gamespot.com

Since its pre-video game years as a Japanese playing-card company, Nintendo has designed games that combine strategy, competition, and luck. This mixture takes competition-centric pressure off players, making the game less about winning and more about having fun.Franchises like Mario Party, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. are designed to put advanced players and novices on a more equal footing. These games are easy to pick up and understand, can be played alone or with others, and have high replay value.However, some players rebel against luck in video games, arguing that skill and technical prowess should be the ultimate arbitrators of who wins or loses. They see games as a meritocracy and view luck as punishing some players for being good, while unjustly rewarding other players who didn’t put in the time and effort to improve. But for many Nintendo games, the focus on competition isn’t the point.Dr. Nicholas Bowman is an associate professor at the Interaction Lab at West Virginia University. He researches interactivity and media psychology, analyzing how people react to media on screens. Bowman says Nintendo games such as Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros. use elements of luck to downplay cognitive aspects of gaming (strategy, reflexes, choosing what button to push at the right time, etc.) to enhance the social experience of playing."In some ways, they take after board games, which always have that element of luck, whether you are playing Monopoly or even something like Dungeon and Dragons," Bowman explained. "No matter how good you are, you still have to roll the dice."What Nintendo knows is that an important part of having fun is those around you also having fun. Adding dice rolls to Mario Party, or items based on your place in a Mario Kart race, or stage obstacles to Super Smash Bros. creates an element of surprise that makes each playthrough unique and offers novice players a chance to win. Bowman argues that these Nintendo games are meant to allow players of varying experience levels to have fun playing against each other."You know that if you had five friends come over, and they never touched a video game in their life, you could have them play one of those games and they'd be fine," Bowman continued. "But the most important thing is they think they have a chance of winning."Bowman also studies video games and nostalgia, and said the ease and casual nature of these Mario multiplayer games facilitates greater levels of social connection."What you find out is people aren't nostalgic for the game itself, but the game reminds them of the people they were around when playing it," Bowman said. "Putting Smash Bros. on 100 lives is ridiculous--unless you want to spend hours with your buddies--then it's awesome. The things that are most nostalgic are things that have these social connections with them."But many casual gamers, for whom competition isn't a big motivator, often feel the broader gaming community looks down on those in it for the "play." In his book, "The Toxic Meritocracy of Video Games," Dr. Christopher Paul is critical of the ways in which gaming culture has come to over-emphasize meritocracy at the expense of enjoyment. He writes that, as games became more popular and the community sought to carve out space as a legitimate sport, gaming culture uncritically accepted the idea that "success in video games is something that is properly earned by players through effort and labor."Paul, an assistant professor at Seattle University, argues that this thinking and other cultural assumptions underlie toxic in-group versus out-group dichotomies of who gets to be called a "real" gamer. Those who accept this framework are likely to think luck has no place in a game, because randomness erases complete control and makes the game "unfair."The logic goes that if a game is easy to learn, it takes less skill and less time to learn that skill; therefore it isn't a good or fun game, and those who play games like Mario Kart or Party are not serious about gaming or are "not real gamers." If luck makes it so that "anyone" can win, why play the game?Super Smash Bros. is the traditionally considered the most skill-based of the Nintendo games previously mentioned; there are tournaments such as EVO, where items and certain stages are banned in order make the battles solely about skill. Mario Kart, meanwhile, has gotten some of the worst flack, mainly for what critics feel is the unfairness of the "blue shell." Many advanced gamers are critical of Mario Party, seeing it as too random, as opposed to being a genuine test of skill.These critiques are indicative of what many more advanced gamers feel about Mario spin-offs, but also highlight that they are likely conflating skill, competition, and technical mastery on one hand, and "fun" on the other. Not being able to see the value of games like Mario Party is overlooking and diminishing the social intent behind them.The rationale behind critiques of these multiplayer Mario games can be a bit contradictory. The stigma placed on luck or randomness is often at odds with how unexpected moments in games are often the most enjoyable. If you flip through Fortnite highlights on Youtube or Twitch, a constant thread is moments where players, even professional ones, get lucky. It doesn't mean these players didn't have skill, but shooting an opponent from a distance so far that you can barely see them is as lucky as hitting the first place driver with a red shell right before they cross the finish line.Also, some gamers defend gaming as a sacred space of competition in ways they would find unacceptable in more traditional sports. If you and your friends went to shoot some hoops, and someone came over to say what you all were doing wasn't "real basketball," what would your reaction be? So why do we do this--either implicitly or explicitly--in the gaming community? Bowman thinks sometimes our competitive drive can bring out the best and the worst in us."Most people don't realize, it's not the in-group that's dangerous, it's once you start calling other people out-group," he said. "It's okay to be proud of who you are or the time you put in, but when that means other people who aren't you can't be proud, that's a problem."What may be overlooked is the fact that the chance and probability elements of these games are meant to alter and augment player strategy, not diminish it.There are scenarios in Mario Kart games where the best position to be in is second place, but if you are in first, you may want to hold on to a Super Horn to neutralize attacks from possible red and blue shells. After a few times playing Smash Bros. games, you understand how going after items is both an opportunity and a distraction. The randomness of their appearances forces players to constantly adjust their strategy and to see offense and defense as simultaneous choices, not separate ones. In Super Mario Party, players can take a risk and roll their special dice to move around the board faster, but also have to account for the probability that buying a star can help an opponent as well, since it moves the Star Space to another place.Good players learn how to not only navigate the balancing elements of these games, but use them to their advantage. But while these games use chance as a way to even the odds a bit, they don't overcorrect to the point where skill and strategy are no longer vital.For example, being good at mini-games gives you a big advantage in Mario Party. Anyone who has played Smash knows that the random item appearances or the obstacles on different stages aren't going to help a novice opponent who doesn't know how to block and dodge, or who hasn't learned how to overcome edge guarding. Mario Kart's director and producer Hideki Konno previously noted that Nintendo wanted an experience where "everyone was in it until the end," but the "best" player is still going to win most of the time--like they would in pretty much any other game.On its website, Nintendo's marketing for the Switch includes phrases like "keep the focus on fun," "connect and make memories," and "something for everyone." These Nintendo favorites don't eliminate the incentives for mastery or autonomy, but they do place a premium on social interaction. Nintendo designs its games for families and those who want to have fun social experiences.Skill and technical prowess will always be a key aspect of gaming. Wanting to win isn't an inherently bad thing. But adding a little bit of luck can make each playthrough unique and give players of different skill levels a chance to compete--all of which place more emphasis on the "fun" and not the "win."Info from Gamespot.com

Gearbox has finally confirmed the existence of Borderlands 3, and even revealed a new trailer for the long-awaited sequel to one of the studio's most beloved franchises. In the video above, GameSpot video producer Jean-Luc Seipke and associate editor Jordan Ramée voice their impressions of the new trailer after watching it.Fans of the original Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Tales from the Borderlands: A Telltale Series, both Jean-Luc and Jordan are happy to see several beloved characters return in the trailer for the new game. Most notable is an adult Tiny Tina, who was still 13-years-old in Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, but the return of characters from Tales from the Borderlands is a welcome surprise. There are plenty of other familiar faces as well, such as Sirens Lilith and Maya (the latter of whom is now sporting longer hair), Ellie, Marcus, and Sir Hammerlock.Although the sight of so many beloved Borderlands characters is nice, both Jean-Luc and Jordan are wary of just how little the Borderlands 3 trailer touches on the franchise's strongest points. The characters' hilariously ludicrous dialogue is absent, and there's little individuality in regards to the new heroes and villains. Jean-Luc and Jordan are also a little worried that the environments in the trailer all look a little too much like Pandora. If Borderlands 3 takes place on multiple worlds--as Borderlands 2 implied and the new trailer claims--then the people and places in this new game should be fairly different from what's been seen before.Obviously, with this being the very first look at Borderlands 3, neither Jean-Luc or Jordan are ready to condemn or praise the game--especially not before they can get their hands on it. As is, after watching this trailer, they are optimistic Borderlands 3 can carve out its own identity in the now loot shooter heavy market.Borderlands 3's announcement was accompanied by the reveal of an enhanced Borderlands GOTY Edition coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC. A free update is also being released that adds 4K graphics to Borderlands: The Handsome Collection--a bundle of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel--which is also available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

The announcement of Mortal Kombat 11 wasn't much of a surprise, but the word that it would be appearing on Nintendo Switch alongside PC, PS4, and Xbox One certainly was. In part because the ultra-violent series has had a checkered history contrasted with Nintendo's family-friendly image, and in part because the series has recently turned into a fidelity-pushing powerhouse, the Switch wasn't an expected home for NetherRealm's latest gore-fest. Following hands-on time at PAX East, it feels perfectly at home on Nintendo's hybrid platform, even if the visuals are predictably downgraded.The port isn't being handled in-house, instead having been handed off to Miami-based Shiver Entertainment with NetherRealm overseeing production. The mission given to the studio was apparently to make sure it runs smoothly at 60 FPS. While we didn't verify the exact frame rate, the message came through clearly: the priority was the fighting mechanics themselves.Shiver succeeded, with some visual compromises. One close-up of Sub-Zero's biceps looked more like painted on musculature than the curves and shadows you'd expect on other platforms. The x-ray effect of the Fatal Blows are less detailed, looking more like a bloody mess than the stomach-churning viscera of the other versions. And naturally, the backgrounds are lacking some of the cool lighting effects that give the game such a moody atmosphere. The result is something not quite as downgraded as the mobile ports of Mortal Kombat X, but the drop in visual quality is still noticeable.That said, the gameplay itself has made the transition beautifully. Mortal Kombat's revival is almost rhythmic in its style, with hard-hitting blows pummeling opponents into the ground with a kind of gory grace. Those elements rely on smooth animations and clockwork-tight controls.If seeing every crunching bone and snapped tendon with perfect clarity is what matters to you, of course, the Nintendo Switch will not be your platform of choice. But NetherRealm and Shiver appear to have succeeded at their apparent mission, to make a Nintendo Switch version that is on-par with the others in the fighting fundamentals. That's good news for those who want to take their Kombat on the go, and don't mind a few compromises.Mortal Kombat 11 launches April 23 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.Info from Gamespot.com

Indie studio Heart Machine, founded in 2013, received a great deal of acclaim after Hyper Light Drifter releases in 2016. The 2D action-RPG found its way to the Nintendo Switch two years later with a host of new content, and now studio founder Alx Preston has revealed a TV adaptation.According to a report by Polygon, Hyper Light Drifter will receive a TV series from Castlevania producer, Adi Shankar. Preston told Polygon that he and Shankar are actively developing the TV adaptation. No writer has been confirmed, but Preston and Shankar are actively seeking writers to lead the project. There's also the matter of translating a semi-open world game to a TV show where there's no interactivity with the viewer."The difference between a series and a game is vast in a lot of ways. Hyper Light [Drifter] as a game was pretty atmospheric and kind of overbearing at times," Preston said. "For a series, the question is: how do you sustain and keep your attention on a non-interactive run? Does it get really, really dark and serious? Does it have some levity?"Hyper Light Drifter the game lacks verbal, distinguishable dialogue, relying solely on world-building and environmental storytelling to tell its narrative. Preston wonders how he and Shankar will translate this to Hyper Light Drifter the TV show. "There's still a question of how much dialogue we really have, if any. Could it be a more silent series or would we have voice acting?" he said.Shankar expressed his love for video games as a medium and stated that he enjoys translating works by passionate creators like Preston. "It's important for me not to just all of a sudden become the AAA junkie," Shankar said. "To just go like, 'OK, what are the biggest franchise, I'm going to jump on all of them.' That's not why I'm trying to do[with] this."Earlier in March 2019, Heart Machine unveiled its next project, Solar Ash Kingdom. The game features a familiar, vibrant aesthetic, but in a 3D setting. The announcement trailer didn't divulge much information in the way of a release date or platforms, but it did conclude with the Epic Games Store tag, seemingly confirming the title will make its way to the Epic Games storefront when it launches.Hyper Light Drifter is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Linux, and macOS.Info from Gamespot.com

On the morning of March 29, 2019, a Red Dead Redemption 2 AMV was shown on the news program Good Morning America. You might not have heard of it if you don't browse TikTok, the short-form video platform colloquially known as "cursed Vine," but that music video has, as of this writing, nearly 16 million views on YouTube and counting. It got over 80,000 views in the time it took to write this article.The song, "Old Town Road" by rapper Lil Nas X, is at the center of both an explosively popular cowboy meme and country music drama, and it also slaps. It shot up the Billboard Hot 100 list and on Spotify and iTunes, reaching #1 on global Apple Music by March 26. It was so popular that DJs had to rip it from YouTube in order to play it on the radio. All the while, RDR2 was wrapped up in the hype--Lil Nas X tweeted on March 13 that Rockstar Games had followed him, and when he was signed by Columbia Records, he was welcomed using the Red Dead font."Old Town Road" debuted at #19 on the Billboard country charts, but by March 27, Billboard had confirmed that it removed "Old Town Road" from the charts because "it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music." This resulted in a bit of an uproar about what genre "Old Town Road" belongs in, be it country, hip-hop, or something else--though Lil Nas X listed it as a country song, and while noting that it's not as serious, has said that it's not simply a parody. That's when the song really hit the mainstream, gaining attention beyond music publications and the meme-literate.So how did this all happen? Lil Nas X, who was largely unknown before dropping the banger, uploaded "Old Town Road" in December 2018. It took off around February this year thanks in part to TikTok, where people use the opening moments of the song--right when the trap beat hits and the country drawl begins--to transform themselves or their pets into cowboys, among other things. It often involves accidentally drinking "yeehaw" or "yeeyee juice." (It's what it sounds like.)The power of teens making jokes really can't be overstated. Compared to Vine, TikTok is currently a much more insular meme community, iterating on itself until the trends die out--often before they make it to Twitter or elsewhere. But TikTok has been responsible for songs going viral before, including the origin of the "hit or miss" meme, iLOVEFRiDAY's "Mia Khalifa." TikTok is also to thank for Solid Snake voice actor David Hayter saying the phrase "dummy thicc."Lil Nas X himself has a strong shitpost vibe on Twitter, where he recently became verified. But jokes aside, "Old Town Road" is simply a banger, and the music video is what's good about AMVs. No yeehaw juice needed.If you want more Red Dead 2 goofs, go ahead and check out our let's play series Dirty Arty, where we do dirty dirty stuff as Arthur Morgan and friends. There are even multiple timelines, somehow.Info from Gamespot.com

Star Citizen's been trudging along since it debuted on Kickstarter in 2012. Initially seeking $500,000, Cloud Imperium Games' space-sim closed its Kickstarter campaign after accruing a little more than $2.1 million in November 2012. Some years later, the studio's first game has exceeded well over $200 million--and the numbers keep going up. Now it's announced the game's biggest update should blast off this weekend.Titled Alpha 3.5, the update includes a new city-planet, overhauled flight models, and additional character creator options. The new planet is called ArcCorp, a planet with two moons that's "almost entirely covered in man-made structures." Players will be able to visit the Area18 landing zone where you'll find an NPC quest-giver who will dish out new missions.Alpha 3.5 takes gravity into consideration, as it's factored into planetary flight. Further, the update adds a new map called Star Marine for the squad FPS mini-game, new guns for pilots and ships, some new vehicles, and additional performance balancing and improvements.In addition to overhauled flight mechanics and a new planet to explore, Cloud Imperium implemented a new character generator. Now, players will pick two parents when creating a new character--think the character creators from Rockstar's GTA Online. Women will also (finally!) be playable, getting added to the character creator along with a variety of parents to pick from. Returning pilots can pick a new look and/or gender thanks to this update.Star Citizen is available now on PC to those who backed the project. Alpha 3.5, similarly, will be available to all backers.Info from Gamespot.com