Capcom is bringing three classic Resident Evil games--Resident Evil HD Remaster, 0, and 4--to Nintendo Switch on May 20. All three are now available to pre-purchase through the Eshop, but as the digital store reveals, they're a bit pricier than you might expect.All three Resident Evil games are listed on Switch's storefront for $30 / £30 apiece. Not only is that price tag surprising considering each game is several generations old by this point, it is $10 more than the titles cost on other platforms.This certainly isn't the first time the Switch versions of some games have turned out to be more expensive than on other consoles; since the system launched, many publishers have charged slightly more for Switch games to offset the cost of manufacturing cartridges. Such was the case with Rime and LA Noire, among others.What makes this instance feel especially egregious to fans, however, is that Resident Evil HD and Resident Evil 4 aren't receiving physical releases on the system; they'll only be available digitally. Switch owners will be able to purchase a physical copy of Resident Evil 0, and Capcom is selling a Resident Evil Origins Collection that packs in both 0 and the original for $60--although reportedly only 0 will be on a game card, with the other included as a download code.Aside from the Japan-only streaming version of Resident Evil 7, this marks the first time the mainline Resident Evil series is coming to Switch, although Capcom has previously released Resident Evil Revelations and its sequel for the console. Both titles came with exclusive retro-style minigames.Info from Gamespot.com

In one of the biggest contracts in sports history, slugger Bryce Harper today signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the MLB's Philadelphia Phillies. Harper was previously announced as the cover star of Sony's MLB The Show 19, but because he was a free agent then, the cover was only a placeholder that showed Harper in a nondescript hoodie. Now that he's signed his record-breaking deal, Sony has released the official cover art showing Harper in his Phillies garb.Breaking News: Harper, Phillies reach agreement:https://t.co/fCHLTdfb4J pic.twitter.com/PCYVTx5j2u — MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) February 28, 2019Harper's deal, which has yet to be officially confirmed by the Phillies and is pending a physical, also includes a no-trade clause and no opt-out clause, so we could continue to see Harper playing for the Phillies until 2031. In the deal, Harper makes an average of $24.4 million per season. While massive, it doesn't even crack the top ten of the MLB's highest annual salary list.Under his new contract, Harper will make more than $150,000 per game and almost $45,000 every time he steps to the plate, according to numbers crunched by Darren Rovell.The Bryce Breakdown... pic.twitter.com/jfrjpDW4Kh — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 28, 2019Harper spent his entire professional career as the right fielder for the Washington Nationals before signing with the Phillies today. The new cover for MLB The Show 19 with Harper in a Phillies uniform is just fine, but his beard looks weird.An #MLBTheShow exclusive! @BHarper3407 chose his colors with the @Phillies, now choose yours: https://t.co/c1vYWCZuaW pic.twitter.com/H5DxWMy7Cc — MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) February 28, 2019MLB The Show 19, which launches on March 26, will be available in a Standard Edition ($60 USD) and a Gone Yard Edition ($100) that is exclusive to GameStop and EB Games. It comes with a New Era baseball snap back cap, a copy of the game, in-game extras, and more. A $100 Digital Deluxe edition will also be available; some of its extras include an allotment of Stubs, custom avatars, and more. An MVP Edition ($70), meanwhile, includes a series of digital extras and a steelbook case if you're picking up the physical edition. Everyone who pre-orders any edition of MLB The Show 19 gets extra in-game digital content.Info from Gamespot.com

Palkia may no longer be available in Pokemon Go, but a new Legendary Pokemon is set to take its place soon. Starting March 1, the Pokemon Diamond mascot Dialga will begin appearing in Raid Battles around the world--but as usual, it'll only be around for a limited time.As with most other Legendaries, to catch Dialga you'll first need to team up with other players at a Gym where a Dialga Raid is taking place and battle the Pokemon. If you manage to defeat Dialga, each player who participated in the Raid will receive a handful of Premier Balls and an opportunity to catch it.Dialga is the only Steel/Dragon Pokemon in the series, which gives it numerous resistances to other types. Your best bet for battling it is to bring along Fighting and Ground Pokemon such as Machamp, Hariyama, and Groudon. Dialga will only appear in Raid Battles until March 28, giving you until the end of the month to catch one.In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic recently introduced the Team Medallion to the app's in-game store. This item allows players to change their team allegiance once every 365 days. The developer has also rolled out a new AR photo mode, which is the only way to encounter the elusive Pokemon Smeargle.Pokemon Go's next Community Day event is scheduled for March 23. This time, the featured Pokemon will be Treecko, one of the three starters from Ruby and Sapphire. Players will also be able to hatch Pokemon Eggs at a quarter of the distance they typically require during the event.Info from Gamespot.com

Techland, the Polish developer behind Dying Light and Call of Juarez franchises, recently announced a round of layoffs, but the studio's ongoing game projects are unaffected.The job losses came as part of Techland's decision to close its Polish distribution and publishing department. Techland was in the business of publishing some third-party boxed games in Poland specifically, but that is coming to an end by the end of 2019.Everyone affected by the layoffs is receiving a severance package that Techland says is "above the [video game] industry and the Polish employment legislation standards." Affected employees will receive help finding new jobs, Techland said, adding that employees affected by the restructuring were made aware of the move for a period of time before it became official.Techland added that its Polish publishing and distribution business has not been a core pillar of Techland's strategy for "a few years," so the wind-down was expected. Those who were laid off worked in "logistics and trade" departments. No game developers were affected.The restructuring at Techland has no influence on Dying Light 2's development or its publishing of God's Trigger, the studio said, adding that the company's overall global structure is unchanged."Techland is in good condition, which is proven by the fact Dying Light sales continue to grow year-on-year," the studio said. "We are growing in terms of AAA open world action games development."13 employees are affected by the restructuring, Techland said. The company employs more than 400 people, while it has more than 50 people currently being actively recruited for roles.Here is Techland CEO Pawel Marchewka's full statement:"After months worth of market analysis we have started the process of shutting down the Polish publishing and distribution department. The process will last until the end of 2019. This only applies to 3rd party boxed goods on the Polish market. For several years physical distribution has not been the core of our strategy, which is to develop the best AAA action open-world games.""These changes have no impact on our global publishing plans and the development of two AAA games we are currently working on, one of them being Dying Light 2. Our company is constantly growing and developing great games. The sales of the original Dying Light are not only not decreasing, but actually continuing to grow year-on-year. Dying Light constantly reaches new audiences and and this makes us happy and shows us we have chosen the right direction. It also motivates us to work hard on making Dying Light 2 our best game yet.""I have personally made sure to take care of the affairs and future careers of the members of our Polish distribution department who will be leaving Techland. Severance packages they will receive are both above the industry and the Polish employment legislation standards. I would like to thank the whole team for the many years of great work together." Info from Gamespot.com

BioWare has released a new update for Anthem, its multiplayer-focused action RPG. The update addresses tethering issues that occurred when playing with others by increasing the time available to catch up to teammates.The tethering system keeps you from wandering too far away from your team and focused on completing the selected mission at hand. If you don't keep up with your teammates, a message will pop up that informs you that you will be teleported to your allies unless you return to the mission area. After Anthem launched, players complained the system wasn't forgiving enough and didn't provide an adequate amount of time for anyone to catch up to their teammates before being subjected to a loading screen--which also occasionally caused them to lose out on crucial in-game dialogue or cutscenes.The new update also implements changes to Strongholds. In the Swarm Tyrant encounter in the Tyrant Mine Stronghold, you and your squad will no longer be able to reset the battle by exiting to the main menu and rejoining the session. Also, you will no longer be able to reopen chests that have already been looted in Strongholds. For the full patch notes on the update, you can check out BioWare's post on Reddit.BioWare has another update planned for Anthem that is scheduled to launch either sometime tonight or tomorrow, March 1. This next update will affect loot in Anthem. Specifically, uncommon and common weapons and abilities no longer appear from level 30 drop tables, and crafting requirements for masterwork items and embers has decreased. Inscriptions on all masterwork items will also now exclusively apply to the weapon or ability it amplifies. So, for example, a masterwork pistol will only be inscribed with a special ability that amplifies pistols, and not shotguns or assault rifles. This update will only apply to new items that you find or craft however, so all weapons and abilities you've previously collected will not be affected.If you're still on the fence about picking up Anthem, be sure to check out our review of the game. If you're already playing, we have guides to help you out, which are outlined below.Anthem GuidesAnthem Is Best Played Solo, Sort OfEssential Tips To Know Before Starting AnthemThe Most Important Thing That Anthem Doesn't Tell YouCombo Guide: Best Tips For Javelin Detonators, Primers, And Special AbilitiesAnthem is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

Horizon Zero Dawn launched two years ago today, and it's done quite well in that time. In a blog post celebrating the milestone, Guerrilla Games managing director Hermen Hulst revealed that the game has now sold "well over" 10 million copies worldwide. "The idea that we were able to bring Aloy's journey to so many players is astounding," he said. "We'e been deeply moved by the enormous amount of fan creations you've posted online, as well as the heartfelt letters you've sent sharing your favorite moments from Aloy's journey."This figure likely includes copies of the game purchased outright and those included in PS4 hardware bundles. Horizon Zero Dawn was something new for Guerrilla, which up until that point had been best known for its Killzone shooter series. Given the commercial success of Horizon Zero Dawn, a sequel would seemingly make sense for business reasons. No announcements have been made, but Hulst previously teased that Aloy might have more stories to tell and secrets to uncover beyond the main game and its Frozen Wilds expansion. "She's really uncovered some of the main mysteries in the world, but how do you feel when you finish the story? Are there questions that come up that you want to answer for Aloy?" Hulst told GamesRadar. It was not difficult for us to build the Frozen Wilds and tell that story through Aloy. The environments and the world that we've put together easily raise more questions, so it feels pretty rich to us, but that's all I can say about that for now."Here at GameSpot, we're very excited for the possibilities of what a Horizon Zero Dawn 2 could deliver if Guerrilla decides to make it.Also in the blog post, Hulst shared some "peculiar details" about the developer of Horizon Zero Dawn. Here are some of the highlights:They used the model for Killzone 3's Jammer as a stand-in for Aloy in the game's early stages because her character model was still being developed.Guerrilla's Jochen Willemensen got the flu during development. While recovering at home he saw a movie starring Hannah Hoekstra, and used her face as a model for Aloy's.Baby Aloy was voiced by an actual baby. Guerrilla's music supervisor Lucas van Tol captured his daughter's voice and sounds by setting up a recording area near her playpen.Tol researched 750 bird sounds for the game and only 30 made the cut.Info from Gamespot.com

Following reports yesterday about Bond 25's casting, including word that Rami Malek remains a top choice to play the villain, now comes another report that has some intriguing casting details.Deadline reports that Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave, Star Wars) is in talks to join the Cary Fukunaga-directed action movie. Nyong'o also appeared in the Oscar-winning Black Panther and is set to have a role in Jordan Peele's eerie new film Us.If Nyong'o does join Bond 25, she'll be at least the second Oscar-winner on the call sheet. Malek just won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Nyong'o won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 2012's 12 Years A Slave.What is confirmed about Bond 25 is that Daniel Craig will be back to play Bond again, and for the last time. We also know that Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, and Lea Seydoux are coming back to reprise their roles. The movie will reportedly add Billy Magnussen (The Many Saints of Newark, The Big Short, in a role said to be similar to the American CIA agent likened to Jeffrey Wright's character in previous movies.Bond 25 is scheduled to start shooting sometime this Spring and hit theatres in April 2020.2015's Spectre is the latest James Bond film. It was a gigantic commercial success, making around $880 million worldwide at the box office.For more on the James Bond franchise, check out GameSpot's recent feature, "Exploring James Bond's Uneven Video Game History."Info from Gamespot.com

Every month, Xbox Live Gold members can look forward to a few free game downloads, and the first offering of Games With Gold for March are now live: Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion for Xbox One and Star Wars Republic Commando for both Xbox 360 and Xbox One.Halfway through the month, you'll gain access to the second two free games this month: Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 for Xbox One and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which is also playable on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One.Pirates of the Enchiridion is the most recent game based on beloved cartoon Adventure Time, and it gives players control of characters like Finn, Jake, and Marceline to investigate why the Land of Ooo has been flooded. Thanks to backward compatibility, 2005's Star Wars Republic Commando can be played on Xbox One and offers an exciting single-player campaign with squad-based, military-style combat.Plants vs. Zombies fans will appreciate the free download of Garden Warfare 2. The light-hearted shooter expands the series with new characters, modes, and solo content while retaining the humor and ridiculous costumes that make it so entertaining. Finally, there's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which takes place four years after Metal Gear Solid 4 and puts players in control of a cybernetically enhanced Raiden. In our review, we praised the game for its adrenaline-pumping combat and Raiden's compelling story.See the full list of games and dates for March's Games With Gold below.Xbox Live Games With Gold for MarchAdventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion -- March 1 to 31 (Xbox One)Star Wars Republic Commando -- March 1 to 15 (Xbox One, Xbox 360)Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance -- March 16 to 31 (Xbox One, Xbox 360)Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 -- March 16 to April 15 (Xbox One)Info from Gamespot.com

The most effective horror can seep its way into the mundanity of our everyday lives, ruminating beneath the surface before wrapping its malevolent tendrils around our sense of comfort and familiarity. Years after it was removed from sale, the bite-sized slice of P.T. we were privy to still manages to evoke those trembling feelings of unease more potently than almost any other horror game since--making each trip around that unremarkable L-shaped corridor an intimidating test of nerves. Devotion, a new psychological horror game from Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games, evokes P.T.'s terrifying spirit to paint an inventive, thought-provoking, and insidious portrait of family life within the claustrophobic confines of a small Taiwanese apartment.Set throughout the 1980s, Devotion focuses on a strained family of three: struggling screenwriter Du Feng Yu, retired singer and movie star Li Fang, and their sickly young daughter Mei Shin, who aspires to be like her mother. The game predominantly takes place within the five rooms of their modest apartment, with a narrative that takes you on a distressing tour through the years and various configurations of this intimate space. The attention to detail in each facet of the apartment is striking, as every nook and cranny is thoughtfully assembled to replicate an authentic, lived-in home. There are old newspapers being used as makeshift tablecloths, pencils and discarded scripts messily strewn across desks, a corridor that's extravagantly decorated with the haphazard art of Meh Shin and her litany of crayons, and a calendar hung above the CRT TV that notates significant dates in the family's lives. Each detail, no matter how meaningful or insignificant, establishes and effectively reinforces Devotion's disconcerting sense of familiarity. This nuanced sense of place ensures that whenever your eyes are averted elsewhere and the apartment begins to shift and transcend its limitations--sometimes dramatically, other times subtly--it's all the more unnerving when you turn around and come face-to-face with a surreal distortion.Click image to view in full screenAll of these details, from the apartment's transforming arrangement of rooms, its varying lighting, the tempestuous weather rattling away at the windows outside, and the way the building mutates around you, are all in service of Red Candle's profound storytelling. The central tale is intimately focused on the family of three, but Devotion manages to weave a tangled web that deftly examines the impact that mental illness, societal pressure and expectations, and religious fanaticism can have on a beleaguered family. For as much as Devotion is about its characters and the fantastic way their development coalesces with that of the ever-changing apartment--with the increasingly dishevelled rooms acting as a poignant metaphor for the family--it's also about a specific time and place; delving into the role of women in 1980's Taiwan, feminine beauty standards, the infancy of mental health research and the stigmas attached to it, and the sometimes dangerous faith desperate people will place in religion. Explorations of Taoism and Buddhism might not completely resonate with a Western audience, but the story is told in such a way that it's relatively easy to read through the lines and understand the awful, heartbreaking extremes people are willing to go to for those they love.Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games, evokes P.T.'s terrifying spirit to paint an inventive, thought-provoking, and insidious portrait of family lifeImpassioned voice acting brings Devotion's limited number of cutscenes to life, but most of the story is told through the myriad items you gather, read, and manipulate as you traverse through different variations of the family home during 1980, 1985, and 1986. Puzzle solving is relatively straightforward, with any items you find inevitably being used to solve a particular conundrum. All of your interactions are geared towards unravelling the mystery of exactly what happened within the unassuming walls of this family home. A note you found earlier might inform a scene later on, while coming to understand the family's relationship with one another will gradually evolve the context and meaning of certain trinkets aside from the revelations discovered in its most gut-punching moments. Devotion might be mechanically simple--knowing to put a camera on a tripod isn't going to wrack your brain, for example--but its strengths come from simply immersing you in a place with an engaging story you'll want to see through to its conclusion. There are a couple of jump scares, but they feel earned within the oppressive atmosphere achieved through ominous music, sounds, and unsettling imagery, with striking motifs tracing everything back to the family's shattered lives.Unlike a lot of contemporary horror games, Devotion also resists the temptation to dabble in frustrating trial-and-error stealth sections or monotonous conflicts with monsters in an attempt to heighten any perceived sense of excitement. There is one regrettable chase scene late in the game, which is undeniably Devotion's lowest point, but it's also brief and easy enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome. At three hours in length it's feasible to reach the end credits in one sitting, and that might be the ideal way to experience it. The pacing is almost immaculate aside from a plodding stroll towards the game's final act, but even this is easy to push to the back of your mind once you've reached its stunning conclusion.Devotion doesn't quite match the anxiety-inducing frights that permeate each cautious step forward in games like P.T. and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but its domestic terror burrows deep inside your psyche long after the final credits have rolled. The sorrowful story it tells meshes malice with tenderness, metaphor with stark truths, and achieves it all with the nuanced kind of environmental storytelling other games can only strive for. There are moments when it jumps out of the genre completely, surprising you with a sudden tonal shift, and others where the oftentimes clichéd presence of a children's doll is used to signal a character's poignant detachment. Everything Devotion does is in service of this story and its character development; you learn about these people's lives, empathize with their plight, and come to understand their actions, even if you don't agree with them. Home is where the heart is, and Devotion is a shining example of what the horror genre is capable of.Editor's note: At the time of publishing Devotion is not available to purchase on Steam. The game was pulled by Red Candle Games, which stated this was due to "technical issues that cause unexpected crashes and among other reasons." The game was also caught up in a controversy surrounding art in the game which looked to be based on a meme of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Addressing this, Red Candle Games said "our team would also review our game material once again making sure no other unintended materials was inserted." The game is expected to be made available again in the future.Info from Gamespot.com

Ape Out is, at heart, a game about jazz. The soundtrack is crafted by your improvised actions as you careen a runaway ape through the game’s levels, leaving a path of destruction and bloodshed in your wake. It’s high energy and exciting, even if, by the end, it feels like you’re playing the same basic tunes over and over.It's a very simple game, at least in terms of how it's played--You're an ape, and you must run through each level without getting blown up or shot three times by human enemies. The camera is positioned above you, giving you a Hotline Miami-esque omnipotence when it comes to where your enemies are positioned. You can push enemies, who will splat and die if they hit a solid object, or you can grab them, at which point they'll fire at least one shot from their gun straight forward, hopefully into another person. A grabbed enemy can be thrown with more precision, which is especially handy if they're wearing an explosive pack, which will blow up and take out anything within its blast radius. You'll spend most of your time running forward, smacking enemies as you go, occasionally snaking away to avoid a mob or stopping to rip a steel door off its hinges.But the way Ape Out elevates its relatively straightforward gameplay loop is by evoking the feeling of creating music, thanks to Matt Boch's captivating procedural soundtrack, which generates a drum-heavy percussion beat under the action. During lulls, the music fades to a calm, but when the action gets frenetic the drums and cymbal crashes kick in hard, and there are occasional horns and contextual changes depending on what's happening in any given stage. Additionally, the levels are presented as though they were albums, with each new subsection representing a track, complete with transitions from Side A to Side B at the midway point. It's a fascinating system which gives those moments where you're in the middle of a killing spree a significant extra kick. It's a repetitive game--you're ultimately doing the same thing continually over the whole course of the game--but it can also be quite propulsive and thrilling, especially when you're on a good run.The stages themselves are starkly designed, with limited color palettes and simple geometric shapes. The ape itself is a single orange shape, and enemies are demarcated by a handful of different designs. There's a slight film grain effect over the action that gives everything a subtle jittery quality, and the album motif is even baked into the loading screens, which make the faint scratching noises of a vinyl record that is left on the turntable after the music has finished. The game’s greatest strength is how defined and consistent this aesthetic is. The unique art blends perfectly with the soundtrack, making the game's violence a bit more palatable than it might have otherwise been, and its boldness pulls you into the action very well.It's great that Ape Out has so much style and flair, because it's essential to your investment due to the game's lack of variety. There are slight variations in how each level operates--the third album, for instance, features combustible liquids that can create walls of fire if you throw an explosives expert into them, and in the second (and best) album there are windows that riot police can rappel through--but they never dramatically alter how you need to play the game. A few new enemy types pop up, but the methods you use to deal with them never really change. There are a handful of good sections where the lights go out and you need to track enemy movements based on the beams of their flashlights, and they highlight how much the game could have benefited from more interesting gimmicks and variety. It’s a shame that Ape Out isn’t more playful, because whenever new ideas are introduced, they’re always welcome--there just aren’t that many of them. The game is short, yet some levels still feel superfluous and samey. I kept hoping a level would come along that would fundamentally change how I had to play, but this never happened.Levels are semi-procedurally generated, so while some landmarks and choke-points will always pop up in roughly the same spot, the exact layout and enemy placements will change. This means that you'll sometimes find yourself in situations where a huge number of enemies swarm you at once, and properly defending yourself is all but impossible. Several times I encountered enemies wearing explosive vests and found that avoiding both their blast radius and gunfire from another enemy was frustrating and futile. The game isn't too difficult on the default difficulty, although there are occasional spikes when a level is a bit longer, which gives enemies more time to put bullets into you.Ape Out is a game that draws you in with its strong aesthetic style and flair, but it feels short on ideas. When you're barrelling through a room, knocking multiple enemies into walls and watching them explode into puddles of blood, it can be quite exciting. But the game never really rises above being a mild thrill, and a lack the variety means that it’s too repetitive to truly make a strong impact. Ape Out isn't as creative with its level designs and challenges as it is with its soundtrack and art, but as it stands it’s a pleasant, jazzy way to spend a few hours. Info from Gamespot.com

During a special Nintendo Direct for Pokemon Day, Nintendo has finally revealed its upcoming Pokemon games for Nintendo Switch, which seem to represent Generation 8. Named Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, the games will be released in "late 2019." You can see the game in action in the trailer below.The games are set in a new region named Galar, which looks to be similar in appearance to Britain. The three starter creatures were shown off in Nintendo's Pokemon Direct presentation; they are a grass monkey named Grookey, a fire bunny named Scorbunny, and a sad water lizard, Sobble. Gameplay was shown in the Direct but was not detailed extensively, though it seems like this will bring back random encounters, among other things. We've rounded up the big takeaways from what we've seen so far to help you get a handle on what to expect.Sword and Shield are directed by Shigeru Ohmori, who previously directed Sun and Moon and has worked on the series since 2002's Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. Following Sword and Shield's trailer, which you can watch below, The Pokemon Company teased it was working on more in the Pokemon franchise besides these new titles. No more details were confirmed.The Pokemon Company first announced it was working on new Pokemon games at E3 2017. Since then, the publisher said little else about the upcoming titles--only that they are "core RPG Pokemon titles" and that they would launch in the latter half of 2019.The "core RPG" description is in contrast to the most recent Pokemon games, Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee, which were released for Nintendo Switch in November 2018 as remakes of sorts of Pokemon Yellow. They incorporated some elements of the mobile phenomenon Pokemon Go in an attempt to ease newer players into the mainline series.February 27 is Pokemon Day, The Pokemon Company's yearly celebration of its huge pocket monster franchise. Pokemon Go is holding a special event, with generation one creatures spawning more frequently along with shiny versions of Pidgey and Rattata.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo debuted the new Pokemon RPGs coming to Nintendo Switch this year during its special Pokemon Nintendo Direct on Wednesday morning. Alongside its new Gen 8 starters and confirmation of various returning Pokemon, it revealed a lot about its new setting. Pokemon Sword and Shield are set in the Galar region, and the gameplay video gives some sense of the real-life setting that inspired it.Based on what we've seen so far, Galar looks to be very heavily inspired by the UK. It's full of cottages and Victorian architecture, and an overview even showed a tall clock tower that appears similar to the famous Big Ben tower in London, England. The setting also appears to offer a variety of weather types, including winter weather that requires a change of clothes. You might also notice some mysterious symbols scattered throughout; we're not sure if they have any significance at this point, but they could prove to be significant.The names "Sword" and "Shield" also invoke imagery of Medieval knights, often associated with English history. In a tweet from 2018 that may have slyly teased the game, Game Freak specifically tagged Nintendo of Europe. At one point in the trailer the player character dons a soccer-like uniform and enters a huge stadium, which contributes to the European feel.This wouldn't be the first time Pokemon has been set in a region inspired by Europe. While many of the earlier Pokemon RPGs have been set in areas based on Japanese settings, the Kalos region of Pokemon X and Y was based on Paris and the surrounding French countryside. Other notable non-Japanese regions have included Unova from Black and White (based on New York City) and Alola from Sun and Moon (based on Hawaii).The debut also laid out the three new Gen 8 starters, and they're just adorable. We've also rounded up all the Pokemon in Sword and Shield we've seen so far.Info from Gamespot.com

As part of a special Nintendo Direct to celebrate Pokemon Day, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have finally pulled back the curtain on Pokemon Sword and Shield, the series' upcoming eighth generation titles for Nintendo Switch. On top of revealing details about the games' setting, we got our first look at their brand-new set of starter Pokemon, which represent the first Gen 8 Pokemon.As in previous Pokemon games, players will be presented with a choice of three different Pokemon when they first begin their adventure in Sword and Shield. This time around, the options will be the Grass-type chimp Grookey, the Fire-type rabbit Scorbunny, and the Water-type lizard Sobble. You can see all three of them below.No other new Pokemon have been revealed yet, but we did get a glimpse at a ton of returning Pokemon, including a handful from Sun and Moon--you can see all the Sword and Shield Pokemon in our gallery. Sword and Shield are set in the new Galar region, which appears to be based on Britain and spans idyllic countryside, rustic towns, and frigid mountains.Pokemon Sword and Shield are being directed by Shigeru Ohmori, who also served as director of Sun and Moon. Based on the footage revealed thus far, Sword and Shield appear to be much more traditional takes on the series than the recent Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee; random encounters seem to be back, and players will once again be able to battle wild Pokemon before capturing them. It's also been confirmed that Gyms are returning after they were dropped from Sun and Moon. We also spotted some mysterious symbols, though it's unclear what significance they have, if any.Pokemon Sword and Shield release exclusively for Nintendo Switch in late 2019. That doesn't appear to be all that awaits Pokemon fans this year, however. Toward the end of the presentation, The Pokemon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara teased that the company has "plenty in the works for the Pokemon brand that we hope will delight you."Info from Gamespot.com

In a Nintendo Direct earlier this morning, Nintendo announced two new Pokemon games, which are titled Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. The two games will arrive on Switch in late 2019, marking the first main series Pokemon games to arrive on the console. The Direct also gave us a brief look at the games' gorgeous new region, Galar, and the three new starter Pokemon: Grookey, a grass monkey; Scorbunny, a fiery rabbit; and Sobble, a shy water lizard.More information, including the exact release date, will be revealed in the coming months, but if you're already mentally throwing your money at Nintendo and counting down the days, pre-orders for the games have already opened up. Many retailers have listings for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield live on their sites, so you can pre-order them right now. We'll continue to update this post as more offers and bonuses become available.Where to pre-order Pokemon Sword and Pokemon ShieldPokemon SwordBest Buy -- $60Amazon -- $60GameStop -- $60Walmart -- $60Pokemon ShieldBest Buy -- $60Amazon -- $60GameStop -- $60Walmart -- $60Pre-order bonuses for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon ShieldAs of right now, the only pre-order bonus available is at Best Buy, where you can receive $10 reward credit for pre-ordering one of the Pokemon games. However, to be eligible, you must be a Best Buy member. Signing up for their membership program is free.Info from Gamespot.com

The eighth generation of Pokemon games, Pokemon Sword and Shield, have finally been revealed. The trailer, which you can watch below, shows off the new starter Pokemon, a new region, and how Pokemon will look on Nintendo Switch. But it also has a few shots that raise more questions than they answer.At three points in the trailer, you can see stones with symbols carved into them. These symbols are different from previous Pokemon puzzles, like Gen 2's Unown and Gen 3's braille, and they could just be decoration--the new region, Galar, might be inspired by England, and these could be Stonehenge-esque stones. But they're featured prominently in their respective shots, so it's hard not to wonder.Also shown in the trailer is a large carving in a hillside of what might be a Pokemon. Aside from another indication that this might be an England-inspired region, it could represent a legendary Pokemon; it appears to be both breathing fire (or smoke) and shooting out lightning bolts, and there are small figures at its feet that seem to be having a bad time.In more regular news, the trailer revealed the new Gen 8 starter Pokemon, and Sword and Shield have been confirmed for a late 2019 release.Info from Gamespot.com