Whether you're already deep into Devil May Cry 5, which just released on March 8, or haven't had a chance to pick up the latest game, you may find this news exciting: Devil May Cry: The Animated Series is currently available for free from the PlayStation Store.If you're thinking, I didn't even know Devil May Cry had an anime, here's a quick catch-up: The DMC anime released in Japan in 2007 and consists of 12 episodes. Set between the events of Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2, the anime follows devil hunter Dante, who's running his business and taking odd jobs while struggling with crippling debt. The show also introduces two regular characters: J.D. Morrison, Dante's agent who brings him job requests, and Patty Lowell, an orphan girl Dante rescues who becomes like a daughter to him. Morrison makes his first appearance in the video game series with Devil May Cry 5, so you'll have to watch the anime to understand his full backstory with Dante.How to watch Devil May Cry: The Animated Series on PSNThe DMC anime is available to purchase and watch for free in the PlayStation store right now, but you can only access it through your PS4, rather than the web store. The deal also appears to be limited to the North American store (although some people on Reddit have commented that it's not free for them in Canada).To access the series, head to the PlayStation Store on your PS4 and search "Devil May Cry." The anime should pop up alongside the games. If you're not seeing it there, try searching under Movies and TV -> TV Genres -> Anime, and then sort A to Z to find Devil May Cry. Normally, the series is $25 to purchase, and it's unclear how long it'll be listed as free, so don't wait long if you're interested in watching.While Devil May Cry is on your mind, read our Devil May Cry 5 review, and pick up the new game if you're ready to bash some demons.Info from Gamespot.com

Control, an upcoming game by developer Remedy, is scheduled to come out this year, more specifically this summer. The tease was included in an interview for the cover story in the most recent issue of Game Informer magazine, with the rest of the article detailing the abilities that Control's protagonist has at her disposal.In Control, you play as Jesse Faden, a woman with supernatural abilities. At the game's start, Jesse breaks into the Federal Bureau of Control--a fictional government agency that researches ways to explain and exploit paranormal phenomenon--in order to discover the truth about the origin of her powers. Her infiltration, however, runs into a snag, and she's suddenly thrust into a fight to protect the Bureau as its new director.Gameplay wise, it looks as if you'll have plenty of tools at your disposal in Control. Jesse's powerful supernatural abilities allow her to wield telekinesis to rip apart the environment, or lift herself up and fly through the air. She can also seize the minds of others, bending them to her will and forcing them to fight alongside her. Defensively, Jesse can use her powers to create a forcefield in front of her or instantly propel herself in any direction to dodge out of the way. When powers aren't enough, Jesse also has access to a powerful firearm that can be upgraded in a variety of ways, giving it new forms that allow it to fire different types of bullets.Control is one of our most anticipated games of 2019, seemingly blending together the best aspects of Remedy's previous titles, Alan Wake and Quantum Break. Game director Mikael Kasurinen compared the atmosphere of Control to the 2018 movie Annihilation, while Remedy creative director Sam Lake loves that Control gives him the freedom to be weird again.Control is currently scheduled for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

A former Activision creative higher-up pitched the company on a new IP, but the Call of Duty publisher didn't go for it. Glen Schofield, the Dead Space co-creator who later established Call of Duty: WWII studio Sledgehammer Games, spoke about this in a new interview for what appears to be the first time."Did a little prototype for them--they didn't go for it, but they should have," Schofield told Game Informer.Schofield pitched this new game--which he didn't share any more details on--after he left Sledgehammer to take a position at Activision HQ. Sledgehammer's other founder, Michael Condrey, moved to Activision corporate as well. Schofield teased that Condrey was working on "something" for Activision, while he was spending his own time working on "new game ideas."Schofield didn't say why Activision vetoed his new game idea, and we've reached out to the company for comment but haven't heard back. Whatever the case, Schofield talked about how making new IP is a challenging task. Activision Publishing, which is a part of Activision Blizzard, publishes franchises like Call of Duty, Spyro, and Crash. One of its highest profile new IPs was Bungie's Destiny, which it published until the companies broke up but never owned outright as Bungie always held the IP rights.With new IP, companies basically start from the bottom, with the the likelihood of strong return-on-investment potential seemingly not as high as it would be for an established series."It's hard to get a great new IP going, and you've got to put time and money and effort into these things," Schofield said. "We put time and effort into it, and some money, and it just didn't work out."Schofield announced in December 2018 that he was leaving Activision. He left the company with no new job lined up, and that's something he never thought he'd do. But with Activision not greenlighting his new IP, he said it was the right time to try something new."Not seeing the project greenlit--it was time [to leave Activision]," Schofield said. "There's nothing bitter; everything about my years there were really good. I really enjoyed them. I never thought that [I'd] leave a place without a gig, right? I never thought about that. But nowadays I see why."Schofield is now taking meetings for new jobs, and he said he plans to do more networking at the Game Developers Conference later this month in San Francisco. As for Condrey, he landed a high-profile job heading up a new 2K development studio in Silicon Valley.It's been tough times at Activision Blizzard of late, as the company recently cut around 8 percent of its workforce in a downsizing that reportedly affected around 800 people. Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo is holding a new Splatfest event in Splatoon 2 this weekend. The 24-hour competition kicks off on Friday, March 15 at 9 PM PT (12 AM ET on March 16), and as usual, it asks players to represent one of two opposing teams in Turf War. This time, however, you'll be able to face off in special outfits.The theme for this month's Splatfest is knights vs. wizards. As always, players will choose one of the two sides from the Splatfest terminal in the game's main plaza and try to rack up as many wins for their team as possible during the event. However, unlike previous events, you'll be able to dress like your team of choice if you have the appropriate gear.During each Splatfest, once you've chosen a side you'll receive a special in-game t-shirt representing your team. You're able to equip any headgear or footwear you own during the event, but you typically cannot change your t-shirt until the Splatfest has concluded.This time, however, if you wear headgear and boots from the Steel or Enchanted lines--which are unlocked via the Octoling Boy and Octoling Girl Amiibo figures, respectively--your Splatfest shirt will automatically change to match, letting you battle it out in full knight or wizard regalia.Ahead of the Splatfest, Nintendo recently rolled out Splatoon 2's 4.5.0 update. This patch primarily makes balance adjustments to a range of weapons, most notably nerfing several Sloshers and buffing a handful of Blasters. You can read the full patch notes for the 4.5.0 update on Nintendo's support website.Info from Gamespot.com

Bethesda has announced the first piece of its three-part 2019 roadmap for Fallout 76 is delayed. Don't worry, though, it's only been delayed by a day."We are moving the release of Wild Appalachia back one day on all platforms," Bethesda tweeted. "We just need a little more time to brew. Experience the new quest, crafting station & much more starting now on March 13." Wild Appalachia was first announced on Fallout 76's 100 day anniversary, alongside the game's two other major follow-up expansions for 2019, Nuclear Winter and Wastelanders.Wild Appalachia includes two new quests and a game mode, as well as several features. The two quests, titled Shear Terror and Ever Upwards, offer new stories for you to pursue, with the former focusing on mythical monsters and the latter having you join the Pioneer Scouts and earning merit badges. The new game mode, called Survival, is a PvP variation of Fallout 76's Adventure mode. Of all the new features, brewing and distilling your own Nukashine recipes is the most notable, but the expansion also includes a means for exchanging unwanted legendary gear for new legendaries and setting up your own store for you to sell items to other players.Fallout 76's two other 2019 expansions are scheduled for much later in the year, with Nuclear Winter launching in the summer and Wastelanders in the fall. Nuclear Winter unlocks a new Legendary status and abilities for players who are level 50, and opens up Vaults 94 and 96 as challenging Raids for you to tackle with your friends. Wastelanders introduces "a tale with true choice and consequences" that includes a new main quest, factions, events, and features.In our Fallout 76 review, Edmond Tran wrote, "Bethesda has stated it intends to continue supporting the game for a long time, but at launch, Fallout 76 is a poor experience. There are echoes of the series' admirable qualities, but look past that facade, past the cute Vault Boy animations, past the familiar radio tracks, and you'll find no heart--just an inconsequential wasteland doomed to be nuked over and over again."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

Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo have announced the first details on their first non-MCU film. According to Variety, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland is in discussions to have a starring role in the new Russo brothers movie, Cherry.The brothers are directing the movie, with Jessica Goldberg (Hulu's The Path) serving as the writer.The movie is based on the 2018 book "Cherry" by Nico Walker; it tells the story of a former Army medic who comes home addicted to opiates and starts robbing banks to help pay for his habit. The book is based on Walker's real life but it contains many fictional elements. In real life, Walker was captured after executing multiple heists, and is currently serving 11 years in federal prison; he's scheduled to get out in November 2020. Walker wrote the book on a typewriter in prison. Holland is presumably being eyed to play him.This Rolling Stone story has lots more intriguing details about Walker's life and story.Holland will be seen next as Spider-Man in April's Avengers: Endgame. He's also coming back to play Spider-Man again in this year's Spider-Man: Far From Home. Outside of superhero films, Holland will play a young Nathan Drake in the Uncharted movie.As for Avengers: Endgame, the Russo brothers recently finished editing the film, which is one of the final stages of production. The movie hits theatres on April 26. Info from Gamespot.com

Out of nowhere, Netflix today announced a number of new anime series--and one of them is a show based on Capcom's Dragon's Dogma franchise. Here is the official synopsis for the Dragon's Dogma anime series, which is being produced by animation studio Sublimation:"Based on a world-famous action RPG set in an open world, Dragon's Dogma from Capcom will be brought to life as a Netflix original anime series. The story follows a man's journey seeking revenge on a dragon who stole his heart. On his way, the man is brought back to life as an 'Arisen.' An action adventure about a man challenged by demons who represent the seven deadly sins of humans."Sublimation representative director Atsushi Koishikawa said in a statement that the studio has for a long time dreamed about working on its own project, and now it's finally happening."We have oftentimes worked with partner studios to create partial CGI portions within a given title, so we feel very fortunate to work with Netflix through this production line deal," Koishikawa said. "We're excited to bring our unique cel shaded animation that carries hand-drawn textures to anime fans around the world."One of the other anime series announced by Netflix is one based on the network's sci-fi series, Altered Carbon, called Altered Carbon: Resleeved. The other new one is Spriggan, which is based on the manga series. These shows join the previously announced new Netflix anime series including Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 and Vampire in the Garden."Netflix aims to be the most compelling and attractive home for anime fans, creators, and production studios," Netflix's director of content for Japan, John Derderian, said in a statement. "We are creating an environment where production houses can do their best work, and deliver their shows on a service where we connect anime fans from over 190 countries to content they love." Info from Gamespot.com

Apple has set a date for its next big reveal event, and this one might be a bit different.The company has sent out invitations for a March 25 event in San Francisco with the intriguing tagline, "It's show time." An accompanying graphic shows the "4... 3... 2..." countdown that is traditionally shown before the start of films and TV shows. Apple is rumoured to be launching a video streaming service to potentially rival Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others. As GameSpot sister site CNET points out, Apple has in recent months inked content deals for new projects from M. Night Shyamalan, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah.We'll report back with all the big news from Apple's March 25 event as it unfolds. One of the next big new streaming services in the works is Disney+, which is slated to arrive last this year.GameSpot's parent company, CBS, recently launched its own streaming service in CBS All-Access. The next original show for CBS All-Access is the new Twilight Zone, which comes to the service on April 1. Info from Gamespot.com

Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for the Tale of a Timeless Tome DLC for Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. The DLC is scheduled to release on March 19, and the new trailer details what the expansion will add to the game. The trailer can be watched below.Tale of a Timeless Tome adds a new character to Ni no Kuni II: a mysterious rabbit who's wearing a suit. According to the trailer, protagonist Evan and his allies encounter this new character in "a curious place where people's memories mix and mingle." The trailer gives off a fantastical Alice in Wonderland vibe, before taking a darker turn and introducing The Nightmares, which are the enemies threatening to destroy this charming world.To fight this threat, Evan gains access to several new magical abilities that he learns through The Wizard's Companion. The trailer also showcases him relying on Pikman-like creatures in combat, a new method of fighting called spritecraft that Evan learns through Martha's Methods. The Nightmares aren't the only new threat Evan encounters either, as the trailer also showcases an arena called Solosseum Slog where the young king and his allies must battle through waves of challenging enemies.Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is available for PS4 and PC, and Tale of a Timeless Tome is coming to both systems. Tale of a Timeless Tome is the second and final piece of content included in the Season Pass for Ni no Kuni II. The first piece of content, titled The Lair of the Lost Lord, came out in December 2018. Like Tale of a Timeless Tome, The Lair of the Lost Lord introduced a brand-new world into Ni no Kuni II, and also continued the game's story, added more items, and implemented additional combat mechanics.In our Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom review, Peter Brown gave the game an 8/10, writing, "Ni No Kuni 2 is a robust game that offers ample ways to spend your time, and even if they aren't all up to the same level of quality, it's easy to appreciate how they collectively contribute to the bigger picture. It's chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn't play the first game, don't let this one pass you by too."Info from Gamespot.com

Space, as I'm sure we're all aware, is incomprehensibly vast. It can be difficult to fathom the scope of large nations in earnest, to say nothing of the endless expanse of the universe. While the vastness of space and its inherent loneliness has been explored time and again in fiction, Objects in Space contributes to that conversation by capturing the beauty of the mundane as you helm a solitary freighter drifting to and fro in a desolate void. Moreover, it positions itself as a rework of '90s adventure games, but with the added draw of real-time combat and problem solving as you and your hauler make your way.Objects in Space immediately taps your imagination of a grand adventure to the stars. You are one of the first truly interstellar explorers, launched aboard the mighty Cassandra--a colony-spawning vessel with nearly a million inhabitants. Alongside dozens of support craft, the mission of this mega-ship was to create a jumpgate, allowing instant transit back to Earth. Unfortunately, your destination, the Apollo Cluster, was all but barren, putting a major kink in the plan. Even worse, due to some unexpected anomalies, a few of the accompanying ships in Cassandra's support fleet arrived decades later than intended--including yours.When you finally arrive, your ship is spinning out of control thanks to damage sustained on the trip. A friendly passerby quickly offers their assistance, guiding you through the repairs and introducing you to the basics of your ship. Life in Apollo Cluster is surprisingly low-tech, despite its interstellar nature. As a result, you'll be listening the telltale squeal of metal scraping rock or the klaxon warning of an inbound projectile.Flight is a decidedly sensory experience in Objects in Space. You're planted at the center of an array of controls, dials, knobs, and monitors. Important data is often split across multiple screens (which is to say both in-game view screens and your own real-world vantage point), with engineering info being kept to a seperate station than the helm or comms. with the constant feed of environmental information, you're always juggling a few different streams of information and responsibilities at any given point.It's common to set off in a direction and accidentally end up in a pirate-packed nebula or anomaly. These threats require hands-on scanning, and rapid course adjustments. If you don't have enough speed, you can flip off nonessential systems and give the engines a full burn. The sum of these small decisions about piloting, maneuvering and maintenance are often quite impressive, and leave you with the distinct sensation that your experience and your knowledge of your ship get you out of trouble. It's quite a bit to manage, but your trek through the stars gets its texture from the emergent narrative of your choices.The set-up and execution both work together to set the stage for a great bit of speculative fiction and an excuse to dump you into sociological crucible with only your ship as a trusty companion. In many respects, how you play and what happens along your journey is a vital component of the experience. And by simulating all the mundane bits of space travel, it asks you to fully inhabit the role of space captain at the edge of the cosmos. What you encounter and how you grapple with it becomes an intrinsic part of not just the story, but the story you compose hand-in-hand with the game.The granularity of the simulation helps build a relationship between you and your ship. Drifting in the black, your ship is your companion. It's the only thing protecting your flesh and bone from the utter lethality of radiation, micro-meteorites, and, of course, that lung-rending vacuum. You'd expect it, then, to be a tough machine--and many ships are, to a point--but they're also vulnerable. When you jump, every system needs to reboot, selling the idea that this is a tremendous feat--one that not even this rugged, mechanical beast can handle.Your ship can hide secrets and quirks, too. You may or may not discover window shutters, posters, or the like on your particular model. The layout of each ship and system is markedly different. Parts can be swapped out, but only at dock. Changes to your companion are thus a big deal, requiring you to plot a course and go through all the standard docking procedures, and then recruit the help of the station's robotic arms to rearrange things. When it breaks down or gets hit by just about anything, you feel it. Objects in Space uses its aesthetics--both visual and ludic--to craft an enchanting atmosphere.Objects in Space is committed to its own brand of realism, fashioned from the experience of inhabiting a place. As such, your ship's status is linked to your capabilities; as your ship takes damage, systems will work sporadically before finally giving out. This creates a bit of a moving target--your goal is always to survive, but the challenge grows when you're carrying battle damage from a prior encounter or your sensors are spotty. As a point of contrast, though, you'll also have plenty time to simply “live” in your ship, as it were.Because this is space, when you are ready to dart off, your course will usually take several minutes or longer. Most of that is downtime, though, unless some obstacle or scenario arises. And it's here that you get quiet moments with little but the hum of your drives and the synth music from your ship's radio to keep you company. These segments of peace do a lot to punctuate the frantic crisis management that permeates many missions.The obstacles of your journey are somewhat predictable. Pirates, asteroids, and so on are all pretty standard fare, though how you grapple with and overcome them is always unique. With such a broad array of options and tactics to use--dumping cargo, creative flying, etc.--you're mostly limited by your imagination and cleverness. Some strategies, like flipping your ship into a weird position, drawing others into a fight, or nixing non-essential systems to save up power for a massive engine burn, when executed well, give you the feeling of being not just a brilliant captain, but the entire crew of a much larger spacecraft. There's a raw, almost space cowboy feeling that emerges after a few encounters that permeates the game. And, provided that you keep flying, you'll feel like a hotshot scoundrel in no time.Those with affinity for the kind of nuanced technical challenges of running a space freight business will be enraptured, but such players will be far from the only ones. In its best moments, Objects in Space can work a unique kind of magic. Few other games pull away the barriers between ship and captain so completely, and yet lean so hard on the mundane. Pulling yourself away from the real world and allowing the mysteries and adventure soak in can take a bit, but once you're settled into your chair and piloting, you'll find there you'll find there's no place quite like it anywhere--be it our world or its own.Info from Gamespot.com

Anthem, BioWare's looter-shooter, has had some trouble since it launched early February. The game has been crashing hardware and a bug has made Anthem's starter weapon a bit overpowered. Those are just a couple of the issues the game has faced. However, BioWare has committed to improving Anthem, and the developer has revealed a host of fixes in its latest patch, which is live now.According to a post by EA community manager Jesse Anderson, Anthem's 1.0.3. update addresses a number of issues both known and unknown to players. Chief among them is a improvements to platform stability, a problem that's rendered the game unplayable for numerous Freelancers. The patch also brings audio fixes, loot changes, and more.Respawn timers for Crit-Path, Agent Missions, and other non-end game missions are now 10 seconds. Strongholds, Legendary Contracts, and other end game mission respawn timers are now 30 seconds. Freeplay respawn timers, meanwhile, have remained unchanged.In addition to addressing gameplay issues, the new patch is reported to fix a plethora of problems plaguing the hub area, Fort Tarsis. Players should now be able to interact with NPCs with no issues. Freelancers can launch a mission from anywhere in Fort Tarsis instead of having to head to the launch bay. The vault is inaccessible in the forge now as a means to improve performance.The patch notes are long. While they don't address every issue players have encountered--and quite a few remain, such as potential audio crackling in Fort Tarsis, being unable to quit a quickplay mission through the map UI, bugs that make other players and NPCs non-interactable, and more--BioWare's demonstrating its commitment to bringing Anthem up to the standards the player base holds the developers to. Some of these other issues are supposed to be addressed in the next path, according to the post.High level fixes and changesRespawn restrictions have been removed - Respawn timers are now based on the activity a player is in. Crit-Path, Agent Missions and other non-end game missions now have a respawn timer of 10 seconds. Strongholds, Legendary Contracts, and other end game missions now have a respawn timer of 30 seconds. The respawn timer Freeplay remains unchanged.Loot Changes - Common (white) and Uncommon (green) drops will no longer appear for players that are level 30.Improved stability for all platforms - this includes fixes for a number of issues that were causing crashes or connection problemsAudio Improvements - Fixed a number of issues that could cause audio to drop outGeneral Fixes and ImprovementsFixed a number of issues that were blocking players from accessing the ForgeAll missions should now properly end when all conditions have been metThe inbox now properly displays information on PC (the inbox is found in the newsfeed)Fixed an issue that would cause players to be unable to interact with NPCs in Fort TarsisThe vault is no longer accessible from the Forge. This change was made to improve performanceFixed an issue that would cause the game to hang when entering menus while on an expeditionTitans will no longer respawn on missions after they are defeated. Example: if players defeat 2 out of 3 titans and then wipe on the third, the first two will not reappear when players respawn during a missionServer shutdown messages should now appear less oftenThe ability to Quickplay into a Stronghold has been added back to the gameMouse button 4 is no longer bound to the back button for PC playersCrashes that occurred while selecting certain conversation options when interacting with an NPC have been fixedPlayers should no longer get stuck at the end of the “Tomb of General Tarsis” missionPlayers should now run into less issues during Quickplay missions. Additional improvements to Quickplay will be coming in future updatesPlayers should no longer get stuck behind fogwalls on missions or in strongholds as oftenPlayers should now receive credit for the “There Be Giants” challenge when they are downed and when the event is activeImproved the audio when defeating creatures to provide better feedbackChanged wording for server shutdown messaging to better indicate that it is just the players server shutting down, not the entire game serverPlayers may now launch an expedition from anywhere within the launch bay and Fort Tarsis.PS4 led lights will now change based on the javelin being usedIt should now be harder for players to get stun locked by certain enemy compositionsThe values on max flight time inscriptions have been increasedThe appearance of the N7 vinyl on Legion of Dawn armor has been improvedHaluk will now properly face players during certain dialogue scenesThe message “Open the Cortex to track the legionnaire Challenges” will no longer pop up after completing the appropriate challengesStrongholdsFixed an issue that would cause players to get stuck at the entrance to the sewers in the Temple of the Scar StrongholdCreature UpdatesTitans: We have made several balance changes to all variations of Titans Reduced overall damage mitigation from 100% to between 70% and 75% depending on the damage type.Increased the time that weakpoints are exposed.Fixed an issue that prevented effects from applying and thus preventing combos.Increased the damage the Titan takes from weakpoint hits.Lesser Titan’s weakpoint’s have been changed to always be active.Improved the collision on the ring and seeking projectile attacks. This should make them easier to dodge.Decreased the radius of the seeking projectile attack.Decreased the damage done by the self-destruct ability.Frozen Scar Enforcers and Scrappers can no longer move or attack while frozen.The Monitor’s health has been greatly reduced in the Heart of Rage Stronghold.Force Players will be less likely to be repeatedly staggered by heavy attacks.Adjusted the force applied by some creature attacks down which will lower the frequency of player’s being staggered.Damage and Item Scaling ChangesAdjusted the damage scaling of secondary damage sources. These now scale with Average Item Power. This will allow these damage sources to better scale in the Grandmaster Difficulties. This will increase the scaling of the following: Melee DamageCombo DamageUltimate DamageStatus EffectsItem Procs (e.g. Proc from Yvenia’s Thunder)Item Power scaling has changed to better reflect the actual power of the item based on its rarity. This is applied to all items retroactively. Players will see the Power of their items go up.Gameplay Bug FixesThe Ultimate ability bar will no longer appear full at the start of a mission when it isn’t actually fullWeapon recoil will now stop once an exo is looking straight upFixed a number of animation issues that could occur when the Colossus was using its shieldIt should no longer be possible for the Interceptor to become Frozen while starting up their ultimateInterceptor Aura damage will now deal the correct type of damage based on the active auraPlayers can no longer equip abilities from one javelin to anotherThe Colossus can now use gear faster after being attacked by a heavy hit from enemiesThe Colossus can now shield charge through destructible objects such as explosive canisters or harvest nodesThe Colossus now recovers faster after crashing into wallsItem Balance UpdatesIncreased the base health of Wind Wall and Bulwark Point to provide better scaling in higher difficulties. The duration of these has been reduced to 20 seconds, down from 60 secondsBurst Mortar’s damage has been increased to 300, up from 145 and its cooldown has been reduced to 6 seconds, down from 10 seconds. Its description has also been fixedFlak Cannon’s damage has been increased to 42, up from 30Battle Cry’s description has been updated to explain that it also reduces the resistances of affected targetsWraith Strike’s damage has been increased to 250, up from 200 and it will now apply elemental effect to targets based on the active aura Note: Description text for Wraith Strike will be updated in 1.0.4.Item Bug FixesWind Wall should no longer block or interfere with other player abilitiesRanger Grenadier Component will now correctly lower the cooldown of grenade abilitiesFixed an issue where certain weapons were not firing where the crosshairs were aimedThe Ice Blast ability for the Storm javelin now has the primer icon correctly displayedInscription Bug FixesThe Thruster Delay Recovery inscription is now correctly applying a bonusThe Overheat Delay Recovery inscription is now correctly applying a bonusThe Weapon Reload Bonus inscription is now correctly applying a bonus Note: These will have non-updated text values until the next patch (1.0.4)Masterwork Item Balance UpdatesIncreased the base damage of the following Masterwork Weapons. Ralner’s BlazeRolling CarnageCycle of PainThe Last StandGlorious ResultInsult and InjurySentinel VengeanceGnosta’s BalmVassa’s SurpriseSoothing TouchRenewed CourageArtinia’s GambitMasterwork Item Bug FixesRalner’s Blaze - Will no longer roll with incorrect inscriptionsAblative Shielding now provides the proper boost in shield and armorBadge of Devastation will now generate more ultimate charge when triggeredIt should no longer be possible to stack the effect from Gunslinger’s Mark more than onceIn addition to the above updates, we wanted to let you know of some other known issues that the team is working on fixing:When loading into the game for the first time after a patch the Shields and Armor on a javelin will be incorrect. The first time a player enters and exits Freeplay or any other activity the issue will fix itself.Players are not receiving their level 20 Match Consumables. Players were granted item blueprints instead of the recipes when they hit this level previously.Some players may experience audio crackling while in Fort Tarsis.There may be some instances where players are unable to quit out of a Quickplay mission through the map UI.A number challenges may not be tracking properly, such as the objectives under the “Legendary Freelancer” challenge.Some players may encounter a bug where they are unable to interact with any objects or players.Visual effects on javelin thrusters are not functioning properly while stormy weather is present in game.Inactivity messages may not be able to be dismissed after a player returns from being away.There are a number of Origin error messages that some PC players may encounter, including Origin showing that it is offline when it actually online and that the friends list is accessible when in offline mode.The UI may not display events for some players when an event has spawned nearby in Freeplay.There is a bug where armor pips can change in between activities. This is both a display and gameplay issue.In our Anthem review, we said the game has "good ideas, but it struggles significantly with the execution," saying that "you never quite shake that feeling of disappointment--of knowing, throughout the good parts of Anthem, that you'll inevitably come crashing back down."Info from Gamespot.com

Ever since its unveiling at E3 2015, Shenmue III has had very little new information revealed about it. Aside from gaining an official release date after suffering not one but two delays, publisher Deep Silver has kept the project largely away from the all-seeing public. However, a new trailer shows off the game's engine and combat. And it looks pretty good.The trailer, just a smidge longer than two and a half minutes in length, starts with series protagonist Ryo Hazuki wiped out on the floor with the mysterious girl, Ling Shenhua, kneeling over him. Some random thug with hair like a helmet, who's likely the one responsible for Ryo lying on the floor, mocks him.The trailer then cuts to Ryo following up on reports of some goons searching for something called the Pheonix Mirror. After the duo investigates some leads, we then see Ryo training with some mysterious hermit familiar with his father, Iwao Hazuki. It's here where we see Ryo engaged in two battles, showing off the game's combat. It's reminiscent of early 90s/early-aughts fighters like Virtua Fighter or brawlers like The Bouncer. You can view the trailer below.Shenmue I & II launched on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on August 21, 2018. The collection coupled the two Dreamcast classics together with HD visuals, smoother frame rates, and reduced shimmering effects. Thanks to publisher Sega and the collection's developer d3t, this Shenmue I & II collection is the best way to experience the cult classic on modern hardware.Shenmue III is slated to launch on August 27, 2019 for the PC and PlayStation 4.Info from Gamespot.com

In Devil May Cry 5, you'll need to up your skills in combat to see some of the game's most exciting and satisfying moments. Just like in previous games in the series, Capcom's action game features some hidden secrets to uncover, and they'll require players to put their skills to the test in order to unlock them. Though in a slight change from past games, which feature post-credits easter eggs at game's end, Devil May Cry 5's secret ending can be seen during the opening mission of the game.In the Prologue, you'll play as Nero--sans his iconic Devil Bringer. As it's revealed in the first act of the game, his demonic arm was torn off by a mysterious figure, and he's been hellbent on exacting revenge ever since. In the state Nero is in during the beginning of the game, the scrappy protagonist isn't as well-equipped compared to his outing in DMC4, which makes his first major encounter with the all-powerful Urizen a major battle to overcome. This first boss fight is intended to show how powerful this big bad is, and that Nero will need more power to stand a chance. Having said that, it's actually possible to defeat Urizen in this battle--ending the threat before it even begins to have a major impact.First off, I'd like to stress that unless you're a highly skilled DMC player that wants to show off, you're much better off saving this particular fight for when you've successfully cleared through the game at least once. It's not worth doing multiple attempts on this mission right at the beginning. Since you're free to replay every mission in the game at any time, bringing all of your upgrades and new skills to old missions, it will make for a much more 'fair' fight if you come in prepared. As the prologue mission clearly illustrates, Nero is outmatched. But even when you revisit this mission more prepared, you're still in for a tough fight. If you want to see this ending, it's recommended you try this fight on the Devil Hunter difficulty.The key to winning this fight is to keep moving, get in close, and to avoid all of Urizen's attacks. While that seems like it should go without saying, the demon boss is extremely effective at keeping you at a distance and overwhelming you with attacks--all of which deal heavy damage. You're essentially fighting a near end-game boss right at the beginning, and he'll pull out all the stops to take you down, and all without getting up from his throne. In order to strike Urizen directly, you'll need to destroy the crystal that protects him. This crystal not only shields him from damage, but it also has attacks of its own. Generally speaking, you'll want to stay as close as possible to him and keep attacking the crystal until it shatters. This will leave Urizen vulnerable for a limited time, allowing you to get some hits in. He'll regain his posture soon after and conjure up another crystal--repeating the process again.If you're able to fend off Urizen's attacks and go in for the critical blows when he's vulnerable, then you'll be treated to a somewhat uneventful, but humorous ending celebrating your feat. You will also gain an achievement/trophy for clearing the tough battle. Though it may not seem worth the effort, it is a particularly interesting fight to brute force your way through, and it'll be a nice feather in your cap. With that said, a real challenge will be clearing this battle on Dante Must Die mode, DMC5's hardest difficulty.For more on Devil May Cry 5, including the locations of all the Secret Missions and how to beat them, and along with our full review of the game.Info from Gamespot.com

The Legendary Bounty Hunter Dante has his largest arsenal of weapons yet in Devil May Cry 5. Along with his old favorites including Rebellion and his twin handguns, he'll also find new armaments including a demonic hat that uses red orbs as ammunition, and a powerful motorcycle that transforms into massive chainsaw swords. However, there's one weapon in the game that can be very easy to miss, opening up access to a set of firearms, that when combined together, form one of the game's most powerful guns.For some background, one of the weapons that Dante will acquire later in the game (and seen in the many trailers) is the Kalina Ann II--a heavily modified rocket launcher that was specially built for the bounty hunter Lady. The original Kalina Ann was also a weapon that Dante could use in Devil May Cry 3. The second version of the weapon was intended as a replacement after the original was lost in a battle. The souped-up Kalina Ann II can fire off powerful missiles and mini-rockets, causing serious damage to all surrounding enemies. However, there's a way to track down and acquire the original Kalina Ann in one of the missions.In Mission 11, you'll control Dante as he explores a ruined town. During the mid-point of the level, you'll come to a massive tower that's tangled in demonic tendrils. Attacking the first blood sac will kill the first set of tendrils, causing the building to sink. Below the platform are two more blood sacs. Though you can destroy the one closest to the exit to proceed with the level, there's another one near the tower that will cause it to sink further. Destroying this particular sac will also open up access to the Secret Mission in the area. You can also find an opening in the section below the floor that leads to a room. Enter the room and approach the broken table to find an item. Picking it up will grant Dante the original Kalina Ann rocket launcher.If you have both rocket launchers in your possession, Dante will combine them together to form the Double Kalina Ann firearm. Essentially wielding both rocket launchers in tandem, switching off between shots, the high-powered weapon is the Devil Hunter's most powerful firearm. In addition to firing off rockets with great speed and power, Dante can merge both weapons together to open up new moves, including a powerful laser attack. In Gunslinger style, the Double Kalina Ann's move-set and power increase further, adding a variety of other options in a fight.This weapon offers a ridiculous amount of firepower, but if you find that wielding two rocket launchers at once is simply too much to handle, you can adjust your loadout to use only one--choosing either the original Kalina Ann or its upgrade. Still, the Double Kalian Ann is a surprisingly versatile weapon, offering quick, crowd-clearing moves, and also powerful single-enemy attacks at your fingertips.For more on Capcom's Devil May Cry 5, including the location of all the Secret Missions and how to find the hidden ending, but sure to check out our continuing coverage of the game. Also, if you haven't check out our full review yet for DMC5, written by editor Matt Espineli, be sure to give that a read as well.Info from Gamespot.com