Avengers: Endgame is around the corner, and we want to commemorate the end of the franchise with you. We’ve partnered with TV Guide, TechRepublic, ZDNet, and CNET, searching high and low for the hardcore fans that love Marvel to create a gallery that showcases your favorite Marvel collectibles. You can share a complete set of comics, your favorite Avenger t-shirt, or maybe you even have a Marvel shrine. Anything and everything Marvel is on the table!Here is my personal collection.My personal collection consists of some Marvel apparel that I’ve acquired at every SDCC--yes, even the exclusive ones to San Diego Comic-Con. Also a Black Widow Itty Bitty and an autographed art book by Marvel’s artist, Humberto Ramos. Your collection can be big, small, old, new, or just simply important to you.Share your photos by using the form below. Remember to keep the photos under 3MB and send us horizontal pictures--this will showcase your collection much better! And don’t forget to caption your photo to tell us about what we’re seeing and why it’s special. And we also have a Captain Marvel inspired giveaway right now that you should check out right after submitting your photos. We can’t wait to see your pictures! Info from Gamespot.com

Digital Extremes has announced a new update that changes how melee combat works in the PC version of Warframe. This update is only the first part of a multi-phase process for transforming melee strikes and how they operate in Warframe.This first phase of changes mostly addresses how combat in Warframe was previously split between firearm and melee portions. The update allows you to quickly transition between shooting and slicing, which is designed to create a more flow-like state to the game's combat. "When interrupting a melee combo with gunfire, dodging, bullet jumping, or any parkour, your next melee attack will resume the combo where it left off (within a window)," Digital Extremes live ops & community director Rebb Ford wrote in a forum post. "This simply means taking brief and tactical actions between combo executions is now a valid strategy."Ground slams have also been changed. Previously, ground slams interrupted all momentum and aimed straight down. Now, you'll be able to aim your ground slams, allowing you to also use the move to retreat from a forward jump or extend forward to an enemy. To account for these changes, as well as the aforementioned flow-like state for firearm and melee combat, Warframe's keybindings have been updated as well. Those changes are outlined below. If you're looking for more details, you can find them in the forum post that's linked above.Warframe Keybinding March ChangesBlockingBlocking with a melee weapon is no longer keybound, it is automatic when facing enemies who are dealing damage to you in melee mode.ChannelingChanneling is now a toggle set to your alt-fire button when in melee mode.Your 'F' button now exclusively swaps between Primary and Secondary weapons with a tap.Your left mouse button is gun fire, always, instantly.Your right mouse button is now aim, always, instantly.OptionsWe are adding a toggle to preserve one aspect of the older melee system. You will be able to toggle an option, allowing you to continue melee attacks with the left mouse button once in melee mode.In our initial Warframe review, Chris Watters gave the game a 6/10, writing, "Without new challenges for your combat abilities, the excitement soon dries up, leaving you without a compelling reason to keep playing. This free-to-play shooter is still technically in beta, so changes may come that make a substantive difference. But as of now, Warframe's interesting combat mechanics are too quickly overcome by the grind of repetition." However, last year we picked Warframe as one of our five favorite evolving multiplayer games in 2018. The game has certainly changed for the better in recent years.Info from Gamespot.com

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of mysteries, from the origins of each Infinity Stone to just what the hell the point of that Adam Warlock reveal at the end of Guardians 2 was. With the release of Captain Marvel today, we've finally gotten an answer to one of the MCU's longest running and most mysterious of enigmas: the source of Nick Fury's eyepatch.Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel actually reveals a lot about Nick Fury's origins and the start of his Avengers initiative. The movie features a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson co-starring alongside Brie Larson's Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel--not to mention a de-aged Clark Gregg as the beloved Agent Coulson--during Fury and Coulson's early days in SHIELD. Besides the uncanny digital effects on these actors' faces, the most notable thing about Fury's appearance in Captain Marvel is that he's lacking that signature, badass, half-pirate-half-super-spy eyepatch. And there's a good reason for that, as Captain Marvel finally reveals the origin of his mysterious eye injury.To understand what happened to Nick Fury's eye, you first have to understand why everyone's talking about Goose the cat. You see, the cute orange tabby isn't really a cat at all--it's a Flerken, a dangerous alien creature that closely resembles a cat, but is far more powerful. Flerkens possess pocket dimensions in their stomachs, which has the incredible effect of allowing them to swallow just about anything--including, say, Infinity Stones. It also has a mouth full of massive, Lovecraftian horror inspired tentacles that erupt from its eldritch maw and swallow Kree whole, which comes in handy during the film.Most importantly, the Flerken is a mysterious creature that possesses powers unknown. That becomes important late in the movie when Goose scratches Nick Fury in the eye. Unfortunately for him, it turns out to be no normal cat scratch, ultimately resulting in the eye becoming useless. Guess he should have listened to the numerous other characters who told him not to get so close to the thing. Anyway, that's it! Nick Fury's famous eye injury didn't come from some epic showdown with murderous aliens or a fight against supervillains from across the wide spectrum of MCU characters. It didn't even come from the car crash early on in Captain Marvel--the bandage Fury sports above his left eye for the rest of the movie turned out to be a red herring. Instead, Fury wears that signature eyepatch thanks to the character's love of cats and a deceptively adorable Flerken named Goose. Who would have guessed?Of course, Captain Marvel reveals much more about the MCU's past and future than simply what happened to Nick Fury's eye. Go check out what the movie's major Skrull changes could mean, the full breakdown on Fury's origin story, and what actually happened in the post-credits scenes. Then, once you've brushed up on all your facts and figures, start working on polishing up your Endgame theories. Info from Gamespot.com

As with May 4 and Star Wars or October 3 and Mean Girls, March 10 is one of those days that has become inextricably linked to an iconic piece of pop culture: Mario. At some point in human history, someone realized that March 10--when stylized as MAR10--has an uncanny resemblance to the name of Nintendo's heroic plumber, and while Nintendo had no involvement in declaring March 10 as Mario Day, the company has since come to embrace the unofficial day of celebration. This year, many retailers are recognizing Mario Day by offering discounts on select Mario games with the purchase of a Nintendo Switch console. Here's a full breakdown of all the deals:Starting Sunday, March 10, you can purchase a Nintendo Switch and one of its Mario games for a combo deal of $330. The five Mario games being offered are:Super Mario PartySuper Mario OdysseyMario Kart 8 DeluxeMario Tennis AcesNew Super Mario Bros. U DeluxeThe Switch sells for $300 and first-party Nintendo games are steadily priced at $60, so this combo deal is about $30 in savings. It may not seem like much, but if you were already planning to buy a Switch, getting one of its best games for 50% off isn't anything to sneeze at.GameStop is offering the above deal on March 10 only, while supplies last. However, other retailers are offering this deal all week long, from March 10 through March 16. Those retailers include Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target. This promotion is running both online and in stores.Already own a Switch? Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target also also offering a digital download code for one of the above Mario games for $40, so if you've been waiting to pick up any of those games, now's a great time to do so.Shop these Nintendo Switch Mario Day deals:AmazonTargetBest BuyWalmartGameStopInfo from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft's new loot-driven shooter, The Division 2, is only a few days away. The publisher is taking an Anthem-like approach to the game's release and offering it several days early depending on where and what edition you pre-order. Regardless of when you can jump into the game, however, you'll first need to download a hefty day-one update.As it detailed on its support website, Ubisoft is releasing a big patch alongside The Division 2 that includes "various bug fixes and improvements for the main game." On Xbox One and PC, the update will weigh in at 48-52 GB "depending on your region and preferred language," while the PS4 patch will weigh between 88-92 GB.On top of that, Ubisoft is rolling out Title Update 1.5 beginning March 11. This patch is likewise mandatory but is mercifully much smaller, weighing in around 2 GB depending on your platform and region. Ubisoft says this update "addresses occurrences of audio missing or cutting out experienced by some during Open Beta."The Division 2 officially launches on March 15, but some players will have a chance to play the game a little early. Those who pre-order the Gold or Ultimate Editions will get to dive into the title beginning March 12. The game will also go live at different times depending on region; you can see all the listed times here.Much like the previous game, Ubisoft will continue supporting The Division 2 with a steady stream of free post-launch updates. The publisher recently laid out the game's Year One roadmap, which will see two new episodes arrive this summer and fall, with a third slated for this winter. Ubisoft is also offering a $40 Year One pass that will grant early access to these episodes and exclusive cosmetics and other perks.Info from Gamespot.com

Captain Marvel is the final stop on the Marvel Cinematic Universe space train that's been hurtling inexorably towards Avengers: Endgame for an entire decade. What Marvel has accomplished with the MCU is basically a miracle, tying disparate franchises with varying tones and dozens of characters together into one masterful tapestry that somehow, against all odds, really works. This has never been done before--or even attempted--which means there's no set template for how to end it. Marvel had to sit down and decide, at some point, whether they'd make Captain Marvel so integral to the plot of Endgame that this penultimate MCU movie would be essential viewing.That's an important question for the more casual MCU fans among us: Is Captain Marvel essential viewing? Do you have to go see Marvel's first movie starring a female superhero if you want to have any hope of understanding what's going on in Endgame? The answer, ultimately, is probably not--but at this point, we can't exactly be 100% certain, considering Endgame is still on the horizon.Here are the facts: Avengers: Infinity War ended with a pretty killer Captain Marvel tease, as Nick Fury's final act before disintegrating into cosmic dust was to send a message using what appeared--and indeed turned out--to be a modified 1990s era pager. As the camera zoomed in on that strange, retro plot device, an unmistakable logo appeared: Captain Marvel's red-and-blue-flanked star.The Captain Marvel movie had already been announced as Marvel's first female-led MCU adventure way back in 2014--five years ago!--and Brie Larson was introduced as the actress playing Carol Danvers in 2016. The movie was eventually delayed from a planned 2018 release date into 2019, but other than that, we heard very little about Captain Marvel between 2016 and Infinity War's release last year. But with the teaser following Thanos's Snap, it became clear that Carol Danvers will play a part in the finale of the MCU's first three phases in Avengers: Endgame.That leads us to the question: Do you need to see Captain Marvel's standalone movie if you want to understand the hero's role in Endgame? We say probably not, because whatever her role in the upcoming movie is, Marvel will likely take some time to re-introduce her to audiences in Endgame itself. There's a perfect opportunity built into the plot, as the rest of the remaining Avengers and other heroes--Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk, Ant Man, Rocket, Nebula, and War Machine--currently have no idea who she is, and they'll have to meet her at some point. (We have a recap if you want to know what happens in Captain Marvel's end credits scenes.)Even if Endgame brushes quickly past this introduction--the movie will no doubt have a lot to jam in when it comes to undoing Thanos's victory--there will be countless ways to catch up on Captain Marvel's story before Endgame comes out. If you just can't bring yourself to head to the theater in the coming weeks and see it for yourself, you can still check out our explainers for everything the movie establishes, from how Captain Marvel got her powers to what it reveals about Nick Fury's origins and the beginnings of the Avengers Initiative.All that said: Even if Captain Marvel feels like a somewhat unnecessary narrative cul-de-sac this close to Avengers: Endgame's release on April 26 (which I argue in my review), it's still an extremely solid entry in the MCU in its own right. It certainly doesn't reach the previous heights of movies like Civil War, Winter Soldier, Black Panther, and Infinity War--or even worthy side stories like the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie--but Carol's origin story is a fun adventure with a strong hero front and center, the great blend of action, drama, and comedy we've come to expect from the MCU, and a fun mystery at its core.If you have the ability to go see Captain Marvel, absolutely do. We can't be completely sure at this point whether or not Carol's origin story will be integral to understanding everything that's about to go down in Avengers: Endgame. But if you're wondering whether Captain Marvel is absolutely essential viewing in the build-up to the Avengers' final fight, my money is on "no." Info from Gamespot.com

It's hard to imagine a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie without Stan Lee popping up make fans laugh via some kind of cameo. The co-creator of so many Marvel characters, from Spider-Man to Scarlet Witch, has been a regular fixture in the MCU, appearing briefly in each film, along with a handful of non-Marvel Studios titles.With Lee's passing in late 2018, though, there was some fear that his cameo in Captain Marvel would be the last. Thankfully, that's not the case. In an interview with ET Online, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirms that more appearances were filmed before Lee's death. Warning: The following contains spoilers for Lee's role in Captain Marvel. If you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading now."We shot a couple of others, so we're coming up on the last of them, yes," he said. Feige also confirmed that one of said cameos is for the next MCU movie, Avengers: Endgame. When asked about Spider-Man: Far From Home, he offered, "We'll see."Lee's role in Captain Marvel actually finds him playing none other than Stan Lee. In a scene set on a train, he can be seen holding the script to Kevin Smith's 1994 movie Mallrats--in which he plays himself--rehearsing dialogue. For a moment, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) thinks he's a Skrull in disguise but instead acknowledges him with a small smile before moving onto the next potential suspect.As a further tribute to Lee, the film also opens up with a modified version of the Marvel Studios signature, in which all of the MCU's heroes have been replaced by his cameo appearances from over the years. The introduction is followed with a simple, "Thank you Stan."According to Feige, the idea to honor the comics icon this way came to fruition shortly after his passing. "We figured, as we always have, the way to pay honor to him is the way we've been trying to do while he was alive, which is the movies. I had always thought in the back of my head, should that day ever come--which as I've previously said, I wasn't sure it would. Like, I envisioned him at 127--that I would want something sort of touching and rousing up front, as opposed to sort of depressing at the end."For a look at all of Lee's cameo contributions to Marvel movies, take a look at our definitive ranking. Also, make sure to check out this behind-the-scenes look at how the Spider-Man co-creator has not just one, but dozens of cameos in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.Info from Gamespot.com

There are plenty of perks that come with being an Xbox Live Gold member--getting access to monthly free game giveaways is just one--and the latest bonus will be of particular interest for fighting game enthusiasts, Mortal Kombat fans in particular. Xbox Live is holding a Free Play Days event where Xbox Live Gold members can play Mortal Kombat X for free from now until Sunday, March 10 at 11:59 PM PST / 2:59 AM EST on Monday.This free-to-play deal comes a little over a month before the release of Mortal Kombat 11, which launches on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch on April 23. Many playable characters have already been announced, and our preview of the game's story and Towers of Time mode was promising. Read more about where to pre-order Mortal Kombat 11, which gives you access to a beta on March 28.Mortal Kombat X introduced a new, smoother fighting engine to the series and a story mode that will appeal a lot to long-term fans who care about Mortal Kombat lore. In our Mortal Kombat X review, GameSpot's Peter Brown praised the game for its fantastic character designs and fighting mechanics. "A great roster with a wide range of diverse fighting styles and variations gives you plenty to play around with, and the new fighting mechanics add the right amount of depth to nudge Mortal Kombat X ever higher on the list of respectable fighting games," he wrote.Use the below link to download and install Mortal Kombat X, or to download on console, go to the Gold member area on your Xbox One's dashboard. The game is free to play for just a couple more days, so don't wait if you want to try it out.Download Mortal Kombat X from the Microsoft Store »Info from Gamespot.com

Psycho-Pass is getting a third season. This cyberpunk detective thriller anime first aired in 2012, before being followed by a second season, titled Psycho-Pass 2, in 2014.According to the Psycho-Pass anime's website, which was translated by Anime News Network, the new season will star Yuuki Kaji as Arata Shindō and Yūichi Nakamura as Kei Mikhail Ignatov. Naoyoshi Shiotani, who directed the first season but was replaced with Kiyotaka Suzuki for the second, is scheduled to return for this third season. The creator of Psycho-Pass, Akira Amano, is returning to do the designs for the brand-new characters as well.The Psycho-Pass anime has had a rather bumpy history. The first season is popular and highly regarded in both Japan and the West for its soundtrack, characters, and visuals. The TV show's second season was not praised to the same extent, and critics of the second season target its over-the-top use of gore as well as a villain who isn't as well-written as the one in the first season. Since its unpopular second season, the universe of Psycho-Pass has been expanded with three films (the most recent of which released in Japan last month), a manga that operates as a prequel to the main series, and a video game called Mandatory Happiness.Psycho-Pass takes place in Japan in the near future, where crime is virtually nonexistent. At all times, everyone is monitored by a network of psychometric scanners that measure the mental and emotional state of each individual. Those who are calculated to likely commit a crime are swiftly detained and given therapy, while those who are deemed too far gone to save are sentenced to life in prison as "latent criminals" or killed on the spot by Inspectors or Enforcers. Inspectors are elite police officers who patrol the city, enacting the will of the system that governs everyone's mental state. Enforcers are latent criminals who serve Inspectors by committing the violent actions that may negatively affect their handlers--their lifetime servitude the price they have to pay for ever once feeling or thinking something illegal.If you're interested in catching up on Psycho-Pass, you can watch both Season 1 and 2 on Funimation.Info from Gamespot.com

Shazam, the next DC Entertainment movie, won't be in theaters for almost a month. However, the film has screened for select members of the press and the reactions should be enough to get you excited about the origin story of Billy Batson.Practically across the board, the social media reviews of the film are incredibly positive. According to GameSpot's own Mike Rougeau, "it's the best DCEU movie to date. It's super fun, has a ton of heart, feels like a self-aware throwback to adventure movies of the '80s, the cast are all great, and everything about it just works!"I saw #Shazam this week--no review yet, but I and can confidently say it's the best DCEU movie to date. It's super fun, has a ton of heart, feels like a self-aware throwback to adventure movies of the '80s, the cast are all great, and everything about it just works! pic.twitter.com/LwSncWZFut — Mike Rougeau (@RogueCheddar) March 8, 2019That's a sentiment shared by many, including io9's Germain Lussier, who wrote, "The humor & action you'd expect from a superhero film are there, but [Shazam] stands out because of the emotional, family story at its center." While Lussier notes there are some minor issues with the film, "the family stuff is dynamic & powerful." ET Online's Ash Crossan agreed, tweeting, "Pure of heart, incredibly funny, full of in-jokes and references. Brought me a childlike joy to watch."Shazam! is another win for DC. Sure, the humor & action you'd expect from a superhero film are there, but #ShazamMovie stands out because of the emotional, family story at its center. I had some small issues with the hero/villain aspects but the family stuff is dynamic & powerful pic.twitter.com/FYM3QVp5hu — Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) March 8, 2019#Shazam was damn near PERFECT in my book. My FAVORITE DC movie (DCEU? What are we saying now?) by far. Pure of heart, incredibly funny, full of in-jokes and references. Brought me a childlike joy to watch. This role was MADE for @ZacharyLevi... & Jack & Asher & the entire cast pic.twitter.com/rVrxjcwvCe — Ash Crossan (@AshCrossan) March 8, 2019According to Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta, the movie is "parts Home Alone, parts Big, a [crowd-pleasing] family-friendly joy-filled wish-fulfillment superhero film which gets a bit over the top and cheesy at times." Meanwhile, reporter Rosie Marx concluded Shazam is "sweet, funny, inclusive, charming. It encapsulates the wish fulfillment and wonder of superhero comics in a way that will appeal to kids whilst being filled with [non-stop] surprises for big comic book fans too."#Shazam is parts Home Alone, parts Big, a crowd pleasing family-friendly joy-filled wish-fulfillment superhero film which gets a bit over the top and cheesy at times. It’s fun and funny, and I was surprised at how much it wears it’s heart on its sleeve. — Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) March 8, 2019#Shazam was very very good. Sweet, funny, inclusive, charming. It encapsulates the wish fulfillment and wonder of superhero comics in a way that will appeal to kids whilst being filled with non stop surprises for big comic book fans too. I loved it. ⚡️❤️ pic.twitter.com/X4I9updTFV — Rosie Knight (@RosieMarx) March 8, 2019You'll be able to see for yourself what kind of movie Shazam is when it hits theaters on April 5. In the meantime, take a look at even more Twitter reactions below.Zachary Levi was born to play #Shazam He delivers lots of laughs alongside co-star Jack Dylan Grazer. The film packs some big surprises for comics buffs and offers enough mainstream appeal to win over new fans. Shazam’s strengths definitely outweigh its weaknesses. pic.twitter.com/kfFMW01jfO — Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) March 8, 2019Shazam showcases Zachary Levi's charm and charisma as an actor and has a heartfelt and inspiring message at its core. Despite the dark tone in parts, it ends up bringing about lots of laughs and fun for all. #shazam #shazammovie pic.twitter.com/nyK1fWgykE — Ashley Menzel @ SXSW (@AshleyGMenzel) March 8, 2019#Shazam is an incredible film. It is full of heart and humor. The kids are phenomenal and have great chemistry. Zachary Levi was perfectly cast and the action was awesome. This is one of DC’s best! pic.twitter.com/VSpHbSDjBM — Geeks of Color (@GeeksOfColor) March 8, 2019#Shazam is a super-powered BIG & I LOVED every second of it. A colorful, vibrant, vital addition to the DCEU. Vivid character-driven action, heartrending central relationships & fully earned, totally satisfying emotional moments. Super hilarious. Super thrilling. Super awesome! pic.twitter.com/KelHZ5YzFq — Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) March 8, 2019#SHAZAM! is pure joy that would have been right at home in the Amblin era. It has huge heart, loads of laughs, and even a few (welcome) scares. @ponysmasher combines classic charm and modern irreverence to create a thrilling superhero adventure for all. #SHAZAMMovie pic.twitter.com/3S7OYIjVos — Sean Gerber (@MrSeanGerber) March 8, 2019#Shazam is an absolute delight! Super vibrant, tons of heart & a great fun-loving vibe. The family element is a big charmer & so is the humor that comes with watching @ZacharyLevi explore his new powers. Said this after IT but it's worth repeating - @Jgrazerofficial is a star. — Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) March 8, 2019Finally allowed to say that #Shazam was fantastic! Full of heart and pure childhood wish fulfillment. It's funny and the tone is exactly right. @zacharylevi is perfect in the role, and so is @asherangel, who I'm convinced is @maisie_williams' brother! pic.twitter.com/DXhp2ZBteR — Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) March 8, 2019 Info from Gamespot.com

As you send demons flying across the screen in Devil May Cry 5, a strong sense of familiarity will hit you. This is "old school" Devil May Cry, a simplistic network of hallways and arenas where you humiliate demons with absurd weaponry as a thumping battle theme fuels the bliss of every well-executed combo. DMC5 marks a return to the previous series continuity, and everything you remember about how those games played has been resurrected and improved. It is a brilliant iteration of the series’ best qualities--but it innovates as much as it reiterates, balancing new and old with infectious confidence.The majority of your time in DMC5 is spent killing demons. With an array of melee and projectile attacks, you inflict complex combo strings while performing split-second dodges to evade incoming attacks. An in-game ranking system continually judges your style, encouraging you to better your performance. Protagonists Nero, Dante, and newcomer V each offer their own unique playstyles that makes the simple objective of clearing rooms of enemies continually exhilarating. Combat is where the game most expresses itself, showcasing the nuances of its mechanical depth in a variety of creative ways.Nero is where new and old ideas come together. Replacing his lone Devil Bringer from DMC4 are new prosthetic arms called Devil Breakers. With them, you can pull enemies towards you, as well as tap into an assortment of special abilities depending on which Devil Breaker model you have equipped. For example, Overture can deliver a wide shock attack, while Punch Line shoots a rocket-powered fist that continuously damages enemies. Devil Breakers significantly evolve Nero’s playstyle by expanding his attacks, but what’s most curious is how switching between them requires you to discard your current one in order to equip the next down the line. At first, this seems like an arbitrary way to access each arm’s unique abilities--not to mention there’s little done to justify this rule in-game other than asserting that they’re simply "fragile."However, this limitation introduces a thrilling spontaneity to combat that encourages you to be industrious and adaptable. You’re initially compelled to be frugal with Devil Breakers, but as you expand the number you can carry, you start hitting a rhythm expending them with strategic grace, flowing from one stylish combo to the next. But even with the best reflexes, an enemy can shatter a Devil Breaker mid-combo, which forces you to adjust your strategy on the fly. A persistent tension underlies using Nero’s Devil Breakers, melding high-consequence tactics with impulsive creativity. The gratifying free-flowing strategies that Devil Breakers inspire makes it easy to overlook any initial frustrations. They present a brilliant dichotomy that strengthens and amplifies the idiosyncrasies of Nero's more accessible playstyle.Where Nero brings new flair to classic mechanics, V is fresh and unexpected. Unlike his sword-touting brethren, V damages enemies from afar with his two familiars: a shape-shifting panther named Shadow and a demonic bird named Griffon (DMC1 fans should instantly recognize these creatures). The former inflicts melee attacks, while the latter shoots projectiles. Each have their own regenerating health bar and can be taken out of combat temporarily if you're not careful. V also has a third familiar named Nightmare. This giant golem acts as more as a Devil Trigger-like last resort who can inflict ridiculous damage all on his own for a short duration. In addition, it can be commandeered to inflict more direct assaults on enemies. An enemy cannot be killed by a familiar’s attacks alone, though; V himself must inflict the final blow. V requires a patience that goes against your general instinct to be confrontational. As a result, his more deliberate pace can be occasionally irritating, especially when your familiars have trouble focusing on the proper target during a hectic fight. It’s a bit disorienting due to the lack of feedback from hitting enemies with your familiars.Despite this, V’s emphasis on space management and calculated movement is a fantastic change of pace. Cunningly avoiding attacks as you command your familiars to deliver complex juggles is a satisfying thrill. And it's made all the more rewarding by the impact of a final blow alongside V's brief poetic soliloquies. V demands restraint, a quality that defies the offensive strategies of previous characters. His abilities may not seem like much, but he reframes the way DMC is played, demonstrating that there's still room for original and refreshing ideas in combat. V's inventive playstyle is a superb addition that feels right at home alongside Nero and Dante.Old-timer Dante most maintains traditional mechanics, but he’s also where combat is most creative. Like his DMC4 counterpart, he’s able to seamlessly switch between four different fighting styles, each with their own unique maneuvers and setups. This time, though, he can equip up to four weapons and four guns. It’s a joy to perform combos with Dante‘s extensive arsenal; you're capable of rush-stabbing a demon, break-dance-fighting them while they’re down, and then propelling them into the air with a demonic motorcycle chainsaw.While part of the fun is taking in the spectacle of a fight, playing as Dante is really about expressing yourself. There are so many attack combinations available that you can’t help but get sucked into learning the nuances of his every ability to achieve your desired style and flair. DMC historically excels when it’s continually motivating you to not only master its systems, but to execute upon them as elegantly and creatively as possible. Eventually, you get into a kind of flow with Dante, where combat is less about thinking than it is about feeling your way through it. Each character in DMC5 exemplifies this depth and intensity, but it’s with Dante’s open-ended combos where it feels most liberating and rewarding.With an abundance of fighting systems to learn, it helps that you’re gradually weaned into them. The campaign’s pacing is deliberate, starting you with the more accessible Nero, then switching you to strategic spacing of V before opening up combat entirely with Dante. But even as you grow accustomed to how everyone plays, new mechanics are constantly introduced, keeping you thoroughly engaged in the highs of DMC5's stylish combat.There are plenty of foes that test your abilities, too. Bosses in particular offer the most rewarding trials, with different challenges to suit each character's playstyle. For instance, one pushes Dante's ability to maintain quick and effective damage, where another is tailored specifically to V's vulnerability at close-range, forcing you to frequently manage your spacing while keeping your familiars in play. There are a couple bosses tied to relatively anticlimactic set pieces, but these are few and far between. The challenges are kept consistent, supplying riveting duels and new layers of complexity that inspire you to improve. And even with repeated deaths, a lenient continue system keeps the action and drama moving.Speaking of drama, DMC5’s story is an engrossing, albeit predictable, saga with plenty of extravagant action to keep you thoroughly entertained. It has a non-linear structure that has you switching perspectives to get the full picture, which lends variety to the events unfolding before you. Set in the duration of a single day, you're notified of the passing of time at the start of every mission. The narrative benefits from this approach to storytelling, keeping you invested in what each mission has to contribute to your understanding of the timeline.The return to familiar characters is perhaps the story’s most endearing quality. In fact, there are several loving nods to many of the series’ most iconic moments scattered throughout-- a particular instance involving Dante and a hat is a hilarious acknowledgement to the character's history. While some characters, like fan-favorites Trish and Lady, don’t have much to contribute, their presence at least brings a sense of camaraderie. However, a couple of nude scenes involving them come across as tasteless; with so many pleasing callbacks and references, moments like this awkwardly stand out. They feel cheap and unnecessary, hurting Trish and Lady's already minimal characterizations. It stands in stark contrast to the always delightful gunsmith Nico, who's established as headstrong, intelligent, and the reason why Nero is able to make short work of demons in the first place.The story ties a nice bow on the classic continuity’s unanswered questions, allowing for satisfying conclusions for its major protagonists.In spite of its more ambitious scale, DMC5's story leaves room for meaningful character development. It's by no means a nuanced study of its protagonists that digs deep into what makes them tick. But their motivations are always made abundantly clear, making for compelling melodrama whenever they clash against one another. You grow attached to their impassioned, if a bit simplistic, plights--if only to see how they'll overcome the harrowing challenges set before them. Ultimately, the story ties a nice bow on the classic continuity’s unanswered questions, allowing for satisfying conclusions for its major protagonists.There is an effort to pull DMC5's more grandiose moments together on a mechanical level with the Cameo System, which adds a subtle online cooperative element to the formula. Some missions often include the presence of another character exploring a nearby area or even acting alongside you. By default these characters are AI controlled, but through the Cameo System they're controlled either by other players online or their respective ghost data. A cool concept on paper, the feature is largely underutilized with only one particularly exciting instance where you actually get to fight alongside another player. That said, seeing another player from afar does add a novel yet fleeting solidarity to your journey.DMC5 thrives on the stylistic and mechanical prowess of its predecessors. It sticks to tradition above all else, pursuing a few ambitious new ideas along the way, but mostly maintaining the series’ focus on intricate fighting systems and campy bravado. Rarely does the game stumble, consistently leveraging its spectacle and mechanical depth to push aside any small frustrations. All the while, the story exudes a charismatic charm that keeps you constantly intrigued as you’re refining your skills. DMC5 proves the series can still be brilliant and imaginative without compromising its longest-held traditions.Info from Gamespot.com

Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has announced that Crackdown 2 is now Xbox One backwards compatible. The game is also now free on the Xbox Live store.With this announcement, you can now own the entire Crackdown trilogy without spending a dime, provided you already have a subscription to Xbox Game Pass. Prior to the release of the third game, the original Crackdown was made free on the Xbox Live marketplace, and Crackdown 3 is included in the list of games offered through Game Pass. Both Crackdown and Crackdown 2 can be played on Xbox One via backwards compatibility--along with a long list of other games.In our Crackdown review, Jeff Gerstmann gave the game a 7.8/10, writing, "Crackdown feels unfinished. It feels like the developers sat down and crafted a wonderful-looking city and carefully considered how the gameplay and abilities should work, and then they didn't have enough time to plug in enough activities to take advantage of it all."In our Crackdown 2 review, Chris Watters gave the game a 7/10, writing, "What Crackdown 2 does offer is a whole bunch of room to have fun. Exploring the vast city, grabbing orbs, pulling off stunts, and flexing your abilities can keep you entertained for hours, and it's even more enjoyable when you have some friends along to add their own sparks of diversion."Finally, in our Crackdown 3 review, Chris Pereira gave the game a 5/10, writing, "...it soon becomes apparent that the game has little new to offer beyond cool destruction tech that never gets put to good use. It certainly delivers on letting you blow things up and jump around the city. However, a dozen years after the first Crackdown offered that same experience but failed to provide you with enough interesting content surrounding that, it's truly disappointing to see this latest iteration suffer from the very same problems."Info from Gamespot.com

With March having finally arrived, we're slowly, but steadily moving through 2019. Capcom and Square Enix capped off January with two tremendous games, the Resident Evil 2 remake and Kingdom Hearts 3. On the other hand, we saw the release of three big-name games in February, which included Anthem, Metro Exodus, and Far Cry: New Dawn. Suffice to say, we've got a pretty steady lineup of new games so far. However, March is looking to shake things up further with even more exciting new games.Starting off March's big releases are Dead or Alive 6 and Devil May Cry 5, which will be closely followed by Tom Clancy's The Division 2 in the middle of the month. The latter end of March will see the launch of From Software's new epic, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, as well as Nintendo's adorable platformer, Yoshi's Crafted World.There are plenty of other more smaller experiences and remasters on the way this month as well. You can see all of the biggest game releases for March 2019 below. For a wider look at what's ahead this year, be sure to check out our complete list of game release dates in 2019.Devil May Cry 5 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- March 8After a six-year hiatus, the Devil May Cry franchise makes its long-awaited return with this month's release of Devil May Cry 5. The highly anticipated installment features the series' trademark stylish, over-the-top action, but this time around, it stars three playable characters: Dante, Nero, and newcomer V, who battles by summoning demonic familiars. That isn't the only way it diverges from previous games; it also introduces a new mechanic called the Cameo System, which allows players to team up online.Further reading:Devil May Cry 5 Review: A Soul Filled With LightHow Long Is Devil May Cry 5?Devil May Cry 5 Sticks To Series Tradition And I Wouldn't Want It Any Other WayTom Clancy's The Division 2 (PS4, Xbox Once, PC) -- March 15The Division 2 is Ubisoft Massive's follow-up to its 2016 open-world shooter. This time around it's set in Washington DC and deals with the exploits of the Division attempting to reclaim the capital. Likes its predecessor, you work alongside other players to complete objectives while collecting all sorts of loot in the process.Further reading:The Division 2 Has A Huge Day-One UpdateThe Division 2's Release Is Adopting An Anthem-Style Launch ScheduleThe Division 2's DLC Roadmap And Year One Pass OutlinedSekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- March 22Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the long-awaited new game from acclaimed studio From Software. You play as a mysterious shinobi, known as the one-armed wolf, with a weaponized prosthetic arm seeking to save his kidnapped lord and exact revenge on the one who cut off his arm. It appears to be expanding upon the classic Dark Souls formula by introducing stealth-action elements and more acrobatic maneuvers.Further reading:Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Makes Death Both Enemy And AllySekiro: Shadows Die Twice PC Specs RevealedNew Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Trailer Introduces The Protagonist's OriginYoshi's Crafted World (Switch) -- March 29While Yoshi's Crafted World appears to be a rather straightforward 2D side-scroller, it offers a subtle twist to the formula in which levels appear as dioramas, and you switch from the front view to a behind-the-scenes look to reveal the stages' secrets. Revealed during Nintendo's E3 2017 presentation, Yoshi's Crafted World looks like one of Nintendo's most adorable games yet.Further reading:Yoshi's Crafted World Is Cute...But Is It Fun?New Nintendo Switch Demo For Yoshi's Crafted World Out NowYoshi's Crafted World Release Date And US Pre-Order GuideFull March Release ScheduleGamePlatformRelease DateDead or Alive 6PS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 1ToeJam & Earl: Back in the GroovePS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchMarch 1Left AlivePS4, PCMarch 5Devil May Cry 5PS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 8Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn3DSMarch 8The Caligula Effect: OverdosePS4, Switch, PCMarch 12Tom Clancy's The Division 2PS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 15One Piece: World SeekerPS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 16Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every BuddyPS4, SwitchMarch 20The Sinking CityPS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 21Sekiro: Shadows Die TwicePS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 22Danganronpa TrilogyPS4March 26Final Fantasy VIIXbox One, SwitchMarch 26Assassin's Creed III RemasteredPS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 29Danganronpa TrilogyPS4March 29Tropico 6PS4, Xbox One, PCMarch 29Yoshi's Crafted WorldSwitchMarch 29Info from Gamespot.com

ToeJam & Earl was in many respects typical of the kind of game that defined the Genesis--charmingly eccentric, ostentatiously hip, staunchly uncommercial. A broad comic pastiche of tropes from early hip-hop and mid-'80s New York street style, this low-key co-op dungeon-crawler about alien rappers had what you'd call a vibe, and as one might have put it then, it was a trip just to groove with it. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is faithful to this spirit. A ground-up remake from series creator Greg Johnson, it adheres so closely to the source material that it's hard to critique without it reading like a referendum on the original. Everything about the experience has been designed to make you nostalgic for the early 1990s, and sinking into its reverie of the past can be appealing. But too often it reminds you how far we've come since then, and makes you remember why certain things are better left behind.The setup is identical. As the game begins, our extraterrestrial heroes have crash-landed on Earth, their ship totally obliterated. At the same time, a black hole has warped the world out of recognition, the upshot of which is the planet has been laid out across small tracts of land stacked one on top of the other, the lot of them connected by elevators--sort of like a Salvador Dali landscape crossed with Super Mario Galaxy. The object of the game is to collect the 10 pieces of scattered debris that together comprise your ship so you can return home to planet Funkotron. The pieces are hidden, their locations randomized, and the distorted quasi-earth that houses them teeming with nefarious earthlings out to thwart you for reasons unexplained. It's glib and vaguely surreal. It's absurd, but you get the sense you're not meant to question it.Your pursuit of the 10 missing ship pieces unfolds not unlike the exploration of a dungeon in old fantasy role-playing games; Back in the Groove is a more or less standard example of the roguelite genre. Earth's ascending series of floating-island stages are generated procedurally--with the option to play a "fixed" mode that trains you to a static set of levels--while enemies and loot, both abundant, are randomized on each playthrough. Enemy placement and distance between objectives have the luck-of-the-draw quality that makes roguelites so engrossing (if frustrating), and death is permanent, demanding from-the-start replays.What distinguishes ToeJam & Earl from other roguelites are its style and its attitude. One of the first things you notice is how mellow it feels. It's an extremely gentle, easy-going game. That's not to say it can't be difficult--on random mode, I died frequently and agonizingly, and won by the skin of my teeth. But there's a kind of unflappable composure and lackadaisical pace throughout that makes the experience feel relaxed. This is a game that not only permits but rewards lounging in a hot tub for as long as you'd like, and in which the heroes don't run but saunter. Where most games tend toward the urgent and dramatic, ToeJam & Earl prefers things unhurried. The word for it is chill. It's very likeable.The overall look of ToeJam & Earl is unmistakable. Its vibrant aesthetic drew from a variety of urban artists of the era, including the pop art of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat and the subway graffiti of Futura and Zephyr, and in its own cartoonish way the game is as authentic a snapshot of the period's hip-hop and street culture as films like Breakin or Wild Style. Of course, what was contemporary in 1991 is decidedly retro in 2019, and its bright acrylic colors and bold animations are all the more striking for their vintage air. This is particularly true of the patterned backgrounds used as interstitial lulls between levels. In the original these were loading screens; here they're technically unnecessary, but they add something unquantifiable, like grace notes, and have been wisely left in. It's in such touches that Back in the Groove best captures the mood of its predecessors.Old-school hip-hop looms over ToeJam & Earl, but it's actually funk, not rap, that provides the music. As the title promises, grooves abound. The newly recorded soundtrack, a raft of jams by virtuoso bassist Cody Wright, features such aptly named tracks as "Slow Groovin," "The Bass Master," and "Funk Funk Funk E," which sound as advertised. It's hardly the most diverse score, but I never found it repetitive. Those endless basslines feel inseparable from the tempo of the action and atmosphere of the setting, and as such contribute to what is on the whole a really coherent style. Tone, rhythm, visual design--it's all of a piece. And the few elements introduced expressly for the remake, like new enemies, items, and playable characters, don't depart from the template of the original in the slightest.There are things one expects even the most faithful throwback to modernize. But as if to protect the essence of ToeJam & Earl, next to nothing about the classic gameplay has been modified, supplemented, or otherwise upgraded. The game still controls like it's mapped to three buttons, and rather than streamlined it's merely simplistic. There's not much more to do than walk around and alternately locate ship parts and elevators as you evade earthlings, most of whom are so predictable and easily avoided that death is usually caused not by any one tricky enemy but by a bunch of them crowding you in a flourish of unlucky randomization. A pair of basic minigames (a crude rhythm game and an endless runner) feel like afterthoughts, and from beginning to end the campaign can be completed by a skilled player in under two hours.Items, like much else in ToeJam & Earl, are distributed at random, gift-wrapped and unidentified until opened or divined by magic. These presents are in ample supply, and there's a staggering number of types to discover, most of them outlandish. Some, like earthling-pelting tomatoes or enemy-attracting decoys, have obvious (if limited) benefits. Others, like an alarm that sits above your head and alerts enemies to your position or a kind of bomb that causes you to immediately self-destruct, are gag gifts, better left unopened. Most seem pretty arbitrary, as though included because they're amusing. None struck me as particularly useful--even the slingshot, which should be straightforward, is ineffective. They have no real effect on strategy, except as blunt instruments, and more often than not their randomness is a burden.A simple progression system--another holdover from the Genesis version--allows you to level up and earn titles ranging from "Weiner" to "Funklord." Now this system has been expanded upon with a basic stats tree governing your speed, luck, and so on, and in Back in the Groove graduation from one title to the next bears with it additional points in each category. The entire system is underdeveloped, and while boosts to these attributes no doubt do have some bearing on your speed or the frequency with which you happen upon valuable presents, the effect of levelling up on anything other than your health meter seems negligible. It mattered so little to my success moment-to-moment that I often forgot to redeem my level-ups when I'd earned them.Online multiplayer is one of the rare other modern amenities, and it is an awkward fit. ToeJam & Earl was a quintessential couch co-op game circa 1991; two players felt fundamental to a full experience. But while local multiplayer still delights as expected, playing with up to three friends or strangers online is not remotely the same. There just isn't enough ground to cover in a given level to warrant four different people searching for the same elevator, and not enough content other than that to keep everyone busy; walking around together is redundant, and splitting up a waste of time, as whoever happens on the goal first has to stand around waiting for the rest of the gang to catch up. One tardy straggler can make a level feel interminable.As if to protect the essence of ToeJam & Earl, next to nothing about the classic gameplay has been modified, supplemented, or otherwise upgraded.In its first incarnation, ToeJam & Earl could seriously strain the Sega hardware. An environment bustling with enemies could slow the frame rate nearly to a halt, and the game's madcap sense of creative abandon sometimes seemed too much for the console to handle. Back in the Groove suffers from similar technical defects, even on PlayStation 4, to the point where I honestly wondered whether the persistent freezing and stuttering might not be an ingenious reference to its underperforming forebear. There are intermittent problems with the randomization process, too, including, on multiple occasions, the failure of game-essential objects to appear, preventing advancement to the next level. Several times I arrived on a new level to find that the elevator to the following level was nowhere to be found, requiring me to exit and load a previous save file.ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove belongs completely and unapologetically to the early 1990s. This remake's most attractive features--its dazzling animation, its infectious bass--are ambrosia for the nostalgic and derive much of their charm from their fidelity to the Genesis original. But a lot has changed over the last 30 years, and the game too often fails to gracefully integrate new features to a modern standard. For every wistful reminder of bygone days and the pleasures of the era, there's a lingering fault or drawback that could have been smoothed over or mended. The issue with Back in the Groove's unwavering faithfulness to its predecessor is inextricable from what makes it occasionally so much fun: It's both captured the good and brought the bad back with it.Info from Gamespot.com

The Division 2 revolves around a weaponized super-virus that has wreaked havoc on the social order, first starting in New York and then migrating to the United States capitol Washington DC in the sequel. The themes and setting would seem to lend themselves to political commentary, and the latest bit of promotional world-building lays it on thick.A tweet from the official account shows a fictionalized letter from the state department of Mexico, responding to the "deteriorating situation" in the US. It cites instability due to people fleeing to Mexico from the United States, and announces that it is closing the border. To that end, it says the Mexican government has fully funded a border wall and has dispatched troops for security in the meantime.The letter mentions the titular Division agents at the very end. In the fiction of the game, you play as one of these agents--an elite cabal who live ordinary lives throughout the country until activated to deal with acute domestic threats. But it says despite their efforts, Mexico has "lost both faith and confidence in the ability of the United States government."The statement is clearly positioned as cheeky commentary on the current day US-Mexico relationship. President Donald Trump has advocated for a border wall, citing threats from those fleeing Mexico, and has dispatched troops along selected areas of the border. The letter playfully imagines the reverse, when a catastrophe causes Americans to seek refuge.Ubisoft Massive, the developer behind The Division has stated in the past that it doesn't intend to be overtly political, stating that it's "bad for business." Earlier this year, the Ubisoft marketing team apologized for a previous email that had made light of the US government shutdown, which was ongoing at the time.While the main campaign tells the next chapter in the story of an out-of-control super-virus, the game itself is a loot-shooter, which means you'll be spending lots of time replaying missions and going on raids to get the best gear. We had an exclusive look at one such gear set, appropriately named the Patriot Set for its red, white, and blue debuffs.The Division 2 is coming on March 15 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.Info from Gamespot.com