What can be said about Tetris that hasn't been said already? Well, that depends on the type of Tetris game in question. Tetris Effect changed the conversation around the classic puzzle concept last year by directly tying your actions and the flow of stages to the fluctuating rhythm of an eclectic (and all-around amazing) soundtrack. In the case of the Switch-exclusive Tetris 99, the moment-to-moment gameplay is more immediately recognizable, but a new twist helps it stand out from Tetris games of old: a 99-player last-player-standing competition. It's chaotic, which can work in your favor or lead to moments that feel practically unfair. Thankfully, with the solid gameplay at its foundation and a quick means of getting into a new match, no game of Tetris 99 feels like time wasted.The competitive aspect of Tetris 99 is something most people are familiar with, albeit based on less ambitious setups. Clear some lines, and a batch of junk lines will appear in a queue next to your opponent's puzzle space. If they can clear lines of their own, the junk-in-waiting can be negated; if no new lines are completed, the weight of your success will bear down on their board and reduce the free space for mid-drop tetrimino trickery.This straightforward setup has, in the past, been utilized in two-player scenarios. With 99 players competing at once here, all visible next to your puzzle space with lines appearing and disappearing between players every few seconds, your early matches will feel a little confusing.Somewhat frustratingly, Tetris 99 offers no explanation of its inner workings nor the function of various attack modes you can pick from during a match. You can get really far by simply playing Tetris the way you always have, but an uninformed player will always be at a severe disadvantage. Even though all the info is a quick internet search away, it's disappointing that Tetris 99 is bereft of these details or explanations.So here it goes: You can influence automated attack patterns using the right analog stick, determining whether your offensive lines get sent to randoms, players attacking you, people near death, or players who have done the most killing in the match. Playing handheld, you can also use the Switch touchscreen to target players manually. Less intuitively, when playing docked, the left analog stick can be used to cycle through the phalanx of players on either side of your screen.The control given to you by most of these options can be used in strategic ways, but none more so than by attacking killers, AKA the "badges" option. It's named thusly because killing a player nets you a portion of a badge and, better yet, any belonging to the defeated player. These badges enhance the output of your attacks, throwing more lines per combo and making the final moments of a match a living hell for your opponents. With the increasing speed of a Tetris 99 match, manually picking your targets based on small icons is an expert's game, so these automated attack profiles are ultimately to your benefit, even if they aren't explained well and could potentially be a source of confusion for new players.The beauty of Tetris 99 is the tried-and-true game at the center of it all. Tetris is a god among games, and competitive Tetris only enhances the rising tension of a match. Tetris 99, being a game with so many competitors and a default "random" attack pattern, means that you will inevitably enter matches where the odds feel stacked against you from the beginning with no rhyme or reason. And when that happens, you may find that you have no recourse with a screen full of junk lines.Even though each loss isn't always a lesson learned, it's also just a small roadblock, as a new match is generally seconds, rather than minutes, away. Simply hold down a button to start a search for new players, and watch the screen fill up with opponents in the blink of an eye. There may come a time when the countdown clock expires and matches have less than 99 players, but at launch, that is a very rare occurrence.Tetris 99 may not be a proper battle royale game, but it taps into the same emotional well, where a large number of players vying for supremacy creates an ever-present intensity that's difficult to shake. Add that layer to a game that's plenty capable of instilling tension on its own, and you've got a riveting experience that even at its worst is still a game very much worth playing. There's obvious room for improvement, but that's the last thing on your mind when the pieces start falling and the players start dropping.Info from Gamespot.com

Launching upward off a jungle floor and bursting through a thick canopy of trees, bobbing and weaving your way under a waterfall as you take in the lush landscape below you, is one of the highlights of Anthem. Flight, in these moments, is freeing, serene and exhilarating all at once. But you will eventually have to come back down to earth. When you don't have a means to cool down in the air, you have to interrupt your flight to cool off on the ground--or else your suit will overheat and send you careening downward much more violently. This is what Anthem is like as a whole: a game where promising moments are bookended by frustration, where good ideas are undone before they can be fully realized.It can take a while to warm up to Anthem in the first place. In its intro mission, you are a rookie Freelancer--a hero type who battles threats to humanity in mechanized combat suits called javelins. But that brief mission ends in failure, and after a two-year time skip, you're now an experienced Freelancer. As a result, everyone talks to you as if you know everything about the world, even though much of the game's space-fantasy jargon is explained only in codex entries. "Shapers," "Arcanists," to "silence" this or that "relic"--all the dialogue is structured as if you already know what all these things are, so there's not even an element of mystery to it. It's just hard to follow.The story and overall worldbuilding do a great disservice to the characters, which have elements of what you might think of as BioWare's pedigree. The main cast is well-acted and genuine, with complicated emotions and motivations that might have been interesting had they been given time to grow. Two characters are mad at you for the events of the tutorial, even though it's never quite clear why; that bad blood spills over into your relationship with your current partner-in-Freelancing, Owen, and there's enough believable awkwardness there to make you almost feel bad for him. But because the narrative is so poorly set up, the drama feels unearned, the "emotional" reveals robbed of their impact, and any connection you might have had to the characters just out of reach.Exacerbating all of this is Anthem's loot game core, which is simple on paper. After every mission, you return to your base of operations, Fort Tarsis, to talk to people, get new missions, and tinker with your javelins using the loot you picked up from the previous mission. Missions themselves almost universally involve some quick narrative setup followed by flying, completing routine tasks, and plenty of combat (with more brief plot-related stuff thrown in via radio chatter).But this general structure doesn't work well in practice. You're told up front that playing Anthem with others is the best way to play and that you'll get better rewards in a group, but this means asking your friends to be quiet every few minutes so you can hear a bit of dialogue or to wait patiently while you tweak your loadout. Playing solo is better if you want to take your time and talk to different characters, but doing so can make missions more difficult or tedious. Matchmaking with random people is the best option, since you'll have people with you for grindy parts but will leave you alone for the story--but even then, it's easy to lose track of what's going on, especially if someone in your team is ahead of you and triggering dialogue early.And no matter what, you'll have to return to Fort Tarsis after each expedition, which makes for choppy pacing in both the story and the gameplay. There's no way to change your loadout on the go and no way to just continue on to another mission right away, and there are currently a number of loading screens in between leaving and returning to Fort Tarsis. It's hard to really get into any kind of flow.When I finally took the time to talk to NPCs in between missions, I found endearing characters and brief but interesting bits of story spread between them. There's one girl who just loves animals no matter how dangerous, and she'll happily tell you all about them; there's the oldest man in Fort Tarsis, who admits to doing some shady things to earn that title; there's an old woman whose daughter has been missing for years and might just need some kindness. Though it took some patience to do it, I was glad I stopped to listen to them.Throughout all of this, combat is the main thing keeping Anthem afloat. There are four types of javelins--Ranger, Storm, Interceptor, and Colossus--that are essentially a soldier, mage, assassin, and tank, respectively. Each plays differently, with a different pool of abilities, and you aren't locked into the one you start with; you unlock them as you level up. That, combined with a handful of new weapons and abilities after each mission, means that you're almost always experimenting with new loadouts and playstyles.I initially picked the Ranger, thinking it would be a good all-around class while I was learning the basics. But the guns alone aren't enough to make Anthem combat's exciting; I found a lot of the weapons, especially shotguns, to feel ineffectual. The Ranger's abilities are pretty straightforward, too--you get grenades and missiles and the like--which left me largely unimpressed with combat in the beginning. But then I unlocked the speedy Interceptor, whose gymnastic jumps and swift melee strikes are incredibly satisfying, and I started to get excited about trying new things in each successive mission.The Storm javelin became my favorite, though, because it both has interesting elemental abilities and can hover for minutes, not seconds, at a time before overheating. Its assortment of powers lends itself well to getting combos, which result in a satisfying explosion of sorts and a more chaotic battlefield. But more importantly, it's the only javelin that doesn't require frequent stops on the ground, and as a result it provides the most dynamic combat--you can go from shooting basic enemies in a hallway to floating above the battlefield, raining down lightning to wipe out five at once while scoping out the area for your team.Generally, all of the javelins can easily jet out of sticky situations in a pinch or briefly hover in the air to gain the upper hand, and combining movement with your abilities is consistently a good time. But when fighting titans and certain other bosses, there's a catch; a lot of them use fire attacks that overheat your suit and ground you instantly, robbing the fight of much of what makes combat interesting. You can still use your abilities, but they don't do much in these fights, and they fall flat compared to the often bombastic impact they have on regular enemies. This extends to the final fight, which is especially underwhelming.The endgame thus far is to complete high numbers of the various mission types, which amounts to repeating many individual missions. The draw is better gear, but without compelling high-level fights, you don't have anything to build toward with all that grinding. A post-credits cutscene has the most intriguing plot point in the game and serves as a preview of what might come later on--but right now it's just a promise, rather than a true incentive to keep going.It's worth noting that the early access period saw a number of technical hiccups. Dropped audio, server issues, long loading times, missions not registering as complete--I didn't have a single session without some sort of problem. A day-one patch aims to iron much of this out, but overall, the poor structure and pacing are a more frustrating problem.Anthem has good ideas, but it struggles significantly with the execution. It's a co-op game that works best with no one talking; it buries genuinely interesting character moments and puts its most incomprehensible story bits at the forefront; its combat is exciting until you get to the boss fights and find your wings have been clipped. Even the simple, exhilarating act of flying is frequently interrupted by the limitations of your javelin, and 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

Amazon Prime has begun to tease its upcoming Lord of the Rings original show, with a series of posts on social media that both show maps of Middle-earth and quote the famous poem cited in Peter Jackson's film trilogy. As a result, fans have begun speculating on where and when the series will be set.The first teaser was a tweet that displays a wide map of Middle-earth, conspicuously unlabeled, with the phrase "three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky." A threaded reply included a link to explore or download the map, complete with labels. A follow-up on Instagram quotes the next part of the poem, "seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone."The teases are a clear reference to the poem from the series of novels that details the backstory of of how the Rings of Power were distributed and how the One Ring was used to deceive the various factions of the world. Gandalf, played by Sir Ian McKellen, memorably quotes a piece of the poem in the first Peter Jackson film. The full poem reads:Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky; Seven for the Dwarf-lords in halls of stone; Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die; One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne; In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie; One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them; One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them; In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.That leaves six more lines left to quote, if Amazon plans to slowly cite the entire poem. We know this will be a prequel, and the community seems to believe it will detail the events that led to the War of the Ring--the climactic battle between Sauron's armies and the free peoples of Middle-earth.Other than stating it takes place before Fellowship of the Ring, Amazon has been notoriously tight-lipped about its plans for its original series. We know it's an expensive project for the company, and that it has hired writers from Star Trek 4.Info from Gamespot.com

Netflix's The Punisher and Jessica Jones series' have been canceled. Deadline reports that Season 3 of Jessica Jones will still air on the streaming service, but it will mark the end of her run. The Punisher, meanwhile, will not return, having had Season 2 release on Netflix in January 2019.This seemingly brings Marvel and Netflix's relationship as it pertains to creating new shows to an end. The streaming service has already called time on its Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist shows, which means The Defenders are no more. Netflix has indicated that the shows will remain on Netflix for subscribers to watch, however."Marvel's The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix," reads a statement issued to Deadline. "Showrunner Steve Lightfoot, the terrific crew, and exceptional cast including star Jon Bernthal, delivered an acclaimed and compelling series for fans, and we are proud to showcase their work on Netflix for years to come."In reviewing our Marvel programming, we have decided that the upcoming third season will also be the final season for Marvel's Jessica Jones. We are grateful to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, star Krysten Ritter, and the entire cast and crew, for three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series, which was recognized by the Peabody Awards among many others."Marvel TV boss Jeph Loeb has also released a statement, saying that the company was thrilled by the stories it told with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Punisher. He went on to reflect on the achievement of bringing together the characters and talked up the talent that contributed to doing so."Marvel assembled amazing teams to write, produce, direct, edit, and score 13 seasons and 161 one-hour episodes. Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft. We loved each and every minute of it. And we did it all for you--the fans--who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it."Interestingly, his statement also indicated that it was Netflix's decision to drop the shows, and suggested that Marvel isn't done with the characters. "Our network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters ... but you know Marvel better than that," he teased. "As Matthew Murdock's Dad once said, 'The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it's how he gets back up.' To be continued...!"Of course, Marvel is owned by Disney and it has been speculated that these characters could have a future on Disney's own streaming service, which is called Disney+. The service will be home to Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and another new live-action Star Wars series called The Mandalorian. Disney has also confirmed TV shows based on "beloved superheroes" that may not have had their own spotlight on the big screen. One of these is a show based on fan-favorite character Loki.Disney's Kevin Mayer, the chairman in charge of direct-to-consumer offers, previously said that migrating Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Punisher is a possibility.Info from Gamespot.com

The month's mid-point has come, which means that the Xbox Games With Gold have cycled over into the next set. February's previous games are still available through the end of the month, while this new batch will be available to download through mid-March. On Xbox One, Super Bomberman R joins the line-up next to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, which went up earlier this month. Super Bomberman is an action game that pays homage to the classic series, having you set bombs and traps against friends and foes alike in a maze-like environment. Curse of the Moon is modeled after classic Castlevania games and serves as a prequel to the upcoming Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.Meanwhile, the classic Xbox game Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy has joined the service, replacing Assassin's Creed Rogue. This is an unusual example of an original Xbox game rotating instead of one for Xbox 360, but it's well-regarded among Star Wars fans.As always these games are free and will be yours to keep as long as you grab them during the promotional period, even if your Gold account expires. Separately, Microsoft offers the subscription-based Game Pass service, which this month adds Crackdown 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and more.February 2019 Games With GoldXbox OneBloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Feb. 1-28)Super Bomberman R (Feb. 16-Mar. 15)Xbox 360Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (Feb. 16-28)Info from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is getting a big update, and it's coming to PS4 first this week. Operation Grand Heist adds new characters, outfits, maps, and a lot more. A lengthy trailer (above) sped through all the new content, but it's so jam-packed you could blink and miss something.Grand Heist will bring back the Outrider Specialist, and introduce a new Blackout mode map called Ghost Town. Those who own the Black Ops Pass will also get two new multiplayer maps, Casino and Lockup, along with an exclusive Cosmic Silverback character for use in Blackout.The trailer teases two new modes, called One in the Chamber and Hot Pursuit. It also promises that more outfits, weapons, vehicles, and camos are on the way. In the briefest flash, it also teases something happening with the Zombies mode as a ghoulish figure rushes the screen for a split-second.Operation Grand Heist is coming to PS4 on February 19, with other platforms to follow after. Treyarch had previously teased this update alongside a double XP weekend and other special modes.Black Ops 4 is a collection of three multiplayer modes--Competitive MP, Zombies, and the battle royale Blackout mode--and abandoned the series' traditional single-player campaign altogether. That won't be the case for this year's installment of the long-running series, though, as Activision has already confirmed that CoD 2019 will have a campaign. It's rumored to be Modern Warfare 4.Info from Gamespot.com

Respawn Entertainment has released an update for Apex Legends, its wildly popular battle royale title. The patch, which was detailed on Reddit, is available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Generally, it is focused on reducing crashes and addressing gameplay bugs. [Update: While this patch may not have any new content in it, it's set to be followed very soon by the addition of a new gun.]Players on Sony's console shouldn't have a more stable experience, as Respawn has addressed an issue with GPU hangs and also resolved crashes that happened when a button was pressed in the loading process. An issue where players would occasionally move slower after a revive has also been resolved, as has one that caused crashes because of Mirage's special ability. Finally, on Xbox One, crashes related to Gibraltar's Epic skin have been addressed. Take a look at the full patch notes below.Apex Legends February 19 Patch NotesFixes for PS4 crash issues. Addresses issues we saw with GPU hangs.Fixed crash when pressing button early in load process.Fixed issue where players would sometimes move slowly after revive.Fixed issue with Mirage Ability causing crashes.Fixed issue with Gibraltar Epic skins on Xbox One causing crashesApex Legends launched on February 4, somewhat unexpectedly. The game has taken the world by storm and hit 25 million players in its first week of availability and, at one point, reached "well over" 2 million peak concurrent players. Of course, Fortnite is still very much the genre leader, with 200 million players and a peak concurrent record of 8.3 million players, but it's been a very strong start for Apex Legends in a highly competitive genre.In GameSpot's Apex Legends review, critic Phil Hornshaw awarded the game 9/10. "Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses," he said. "Respawn's intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it's an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future."If you've been playing the game and need a little help improving, make sure to check out our Apex Legends character guides. Each of the playable Legends requires some getting used to, and you'll have to consider their strengths and weaknesses in battle if you want to be the champion. Our character breakdowns will help you do that. We're still working our way through the roster, so we'll have guides for the remaining heroes soon.Apex Legends Pathfinder Guide: Tips To Be The Best Robot ScoutApex Legends Caustic Guide: How To Gas Your Enemies Into OblivionApex Legends Mirage Tips & Guide: Tips On How To Be The Best Holographic TricksterInfo from Gamespot.com

Sony will soon cease production of the PlayStation Vita in Japan. The company revealed the news on the PlayStation Japan website, where it was confirmed both remaining models of the handheld will be discontinued soon.While Sony has not confirmed what this means for the handheld in the West, the writing has been on the wall for a while. In May 2018, physical PS Vita games were discontinued in the US and Europe, while incoming PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said in June 2017--when he was head of PlayStation in Europe--that the Vita was "not an active line" outside of Japan.The Vita launched in Japan in late 2011 before being released elsewhere in early 2012. A smaller, lighter model was released in 2013 in Japan and the following year in other parts of the world.The handheld was a critical success, as reviewers and consumers praised its hardware and many of its games. However, it struggled commercially and Sony admitted as early as March 2016 that its focus had shifted elsewhere.Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games has released a new patch for Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. The 7.40 content update introduces a new item that we've been waiting months to see, as well as a couple of Limited-Time Modes. Here's everything that's new in today's patch.Undoubtedly the biggest addition is the Driftboard, which was originally announced late last year but never made it into the game. It lets players "catch air, perform tricks, and imagine whole new ways to use the Driftboard in Creative mode." The Driftboard is only a "limited-time item," and we don't know how long it will stick around for. Whatever the case, you can do a variety of things while riding--fire your weapons, use consumables, loot, and revive allies--but you can't build. You'll find Driftboards located "all around the map."The new Driftin' LTM is an opportunity to make good use of the Driftboard, as it has a racing element to its gameplay. If you're after something a little more chaotic, Catch mode removes all guns, but leaves in grenades and other items that can be thrown at enemies. Take a look at the full patch notes below to see all the new content coming to Fortnite's battle royale mode. You can head to the official Fortnite website to see what's new with the Save The World and Creative modes.Presumably to compensate for the addition of the Driftboard, two other movement-focused items--Gliders and Balloons--are now less likely to spawn as floor loot. Dual Pistols are also now less likely to be found as floor loot.Fortnite Season 8 is quickly approaching and although it remains unclear what Epic has in store for players, it seems the transition is going to have a big impact on the island. Players have been reporting earthquakes for a few weeks now and, more recently, cracks in the island have started to appear. It could be that Epic is planning to break off chunks of the landmass to mix things up a bit.Although Season 7's challenges have come to an end, there are now Overtime Challenges to do. They're quite easy and completing 13 of them will unlock a free Fortnite Season 8 Battle Pass. The Overtime Challenges are currently set to expire on February 27, which has led to speculation that Season 8 could begin on February 28, though Epic hasn't officially confirmed this.Take a look at our complete Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup if you still have outstanding challenges from the current season. The roundup compiles all the tips and guides we've written for Season 7's tricker challenges, so you can use it to get them done quickly.Fortnite Content Update 7.40 Patch NotesLimited Time Mode: Driftin'SummaryGear up and grab a Driftboard from a Red Supply Drop, meet up with your team, then race to eliminate the enemies. Last team standing wins!Mode DetailsTwo teams of 32 players.All Chests and Ammo Boxes have been removed.Red Supply Drops fall all over the map, each containing a Driftboard, weapons, and ammo.Health and Shields slowly regenerate when riding on a Driftboard.Limited Time Mode: Catch!SummaryIn this mode, all guns have been removed. The only weapons are grenades and other items that can be thrown or tossed. Get in there and throw the enemies back to the lobby!Available grenades/items: Smoke GrenadesClingersRemote ExplosivesPort-a-FortsImpulse GrenadesShockwave GrenadesMode Details:Chest spawns and Floor Spawns set to 100.Can only get consumables out of Chests, Floor Loot, and Supply Drops.Increase Supply Drops throughout the game.Faster circle times.Increased drop stack counts.Weapons + ItemsDriftboard Use weapons or consumables as you ride the slopes. Boost past the competition with electrifying speed. Loot and revive downed allies. All without ever getting off the Driftboard!Building is not possible while on the Driftboard.Can be found scattered all around the map.Reduced availability of Balloons from Floor Loot from 1.08% to 0.73%.Reduced availability of Gliders from Floor Loot from 1.85% to 1.2%.Reduced availability of Dual Pistols from Floor Loot from 1.39% to 0.66%.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has released a new Switch system update, but unfortunately it doesn't change much. The firmware patch fixes a bug pertaining to Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee / Pikachu and introduces "general system stability improvements."As Nintendo's patch notes state, update 7.0.1 resolves "an issue where the Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee games cannot reconnect to the Pokemon Go app if the game software was closed after pairing with the app." Aside from that and the general improvements noted above, that's about it for this latest patch, which is not a mandatory download.The previous update, version 7.0.0, was similarly minor, despite its round number. That update did at least include some new player icons themed around New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.Since then, Nintendo aired its latest Direct presentation, where we got more details on some of the big Switch games coming this year. Super Mario Maker 2 was announced, while a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was also confirmed. For more from the recent presentation, check out all the Nintendo Direct Switch announcements. Alternatively, check out every big new Switch and 3DS game coming in 2019 and beyond.Info from Gamespot.com

Anthem is already live for those with early access, but its official launch for all players will come later this week. It will be accompanied by a sizable day-one patch, set to fix a wide array of issues across all platforms just as the broader audience is cracking into the BioWare shooter. These include addressing some of the most common complaints from the past few days, including load times and issues with parties being gathered.The patch notes, as listed on Reddit, cite dozens of adjustments, but some are more prominent than others. The so-called "high-level fixes" improve loading times, fix infinite loading bugs and other crashes, fix challenge tracking, and make numbers appear for weapon and gear modifiers. Other notable improvements make the gather party mechanic work more leniently, and unlocks challenges at the correct levels. The notes go on to mention several tweaks for Strongholds, crafting, and other features.For a few more days, Anthem is only available to those who have either EA Access on Xbox One, or Origin Access on PC. Both of those offer 10 hours of access to the full game, while Origin Access Premier members already have unlimited access. Those players are diving into the game without the benefits of these improvements, so you may have a better overall experience by waiting."I'm currently treating Anthem's disparate missions as an excuse to try a new weapon or special attack, which, combined with flight, gives me incentive to keep going," wrote critic Kallie Plagge in our early review impressions. "I'm hoping that I get more out of the story as I go on, but so far it's too generic to get its hooks in me."While you wait for release, you can prepare by reading details on how to claim your pre-order and special edition bonuses once you do get your copy. Or just watch the short film from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp. The full day-one patch notes are below. Anthem releases for everyone on February 22.Anthem Day One Update Patch NotesHigh level fixesImproved loading timesFixed many infinite loading screensFixed multiple challenges not tracking properlyA number of issues have been fixed that were causing players to disconnect or crashWeapons and gear now have numbers present for modifiersGeneral Fixes and ImprovementsLoot Reveal and Expedition Summary now correctly play during the end of expedition screen.The gather party mechanic has been made more lenient in a number of situationsAt the end of expedition screen players will no longer get stuck on "Recording Victories" or "Skipping All".Game no longer hangs in Javelin menu when unlocking the second, third or fourth javelinDuring the mission “What Freelancers Do” dying after killing Junkmaw & freeing Arcanists leaves you unable to progress, this has been fixedChallenges now unlock for players at the correct levelsFixed some camera issues during cutscenesLegendary Contracts can now be accepted from the Social Hub contract boardSome enemies have had their shield values decreasedLoot now properly drops for players who are downedThe texture quality on the NPC Prospero has been improvedFinal boss of strongholds now drop loot instead of only being shown on the end of expedition screenFixed the time outs on echoes and relics to prevent griefing and to handle disconnections properlyPlayers can no longer fall through the floor during the 3rd trial in the Fortress of DawnCompleting the tutorial expedition will now show the correct Ranger appearanceAfter disconnecting, rejoining an expedition will now place you back into a squad if you were in one previouslyCorrected an issue where players could not interact with each other in the launch bay in certain circumstancesCorrected an issue during the Mission "Bad Deal" where outlaws won't spawn, blocking progressThe start of expedition screen has been improvedAddressed a variety of situations where killing enemies does not properly progress world eventsOpening a chest now increments Tomb of the Legionnaire progress for all squad members presentScar snipers can no longer shoot through Storm ShieldCorrected an issue where players would get stuck on the end of expedition screen in some situationsPlayers will no longer get disconnected if joining the "Finding Old Friends" mission while the cinematic is playingAddressed a number of situations where players can get stuck on the environment in the launch bayIncreased the damage of the electric status effectCorrected an issue where the Shield of Dawn could be crafted with less materials then intended in some situationsThe Platinum Mission feat now grants completion as intendedStatus effects can more reliably be applied to TitansStrongholdsFixed an issue that would cause a Stronghold server crash after defeating the last bossTemple of Scar - Players can no longer get stuck in the mined tunnel in the explosives roomTemple of Scar - Players can no longer be blocked from entering the explosives room due to fog wallFixed Tyrant Mine so people that join the stronghold in-progress do not end up locked away from their teamAdjusted lighting in Tyrant Mine underwater section to make it easier to navigate to the exitThe Swarm Tyrant will no longer get stuck in the side cave entrances in some situationsCorrected an issue where players would spawn into different areas of the Tyrant Mine in certain situationsGear and WeaponsAfter having 1st pilot unlock suit after tutorials, creating a new pilot and going to forge no longer causes load screen hangIce damage bonuses are now correctly applied on ice gearSuit-wide bonuses from inscription are now functioning properlyPlayers can no longer salvage equipped itemsJavelin specific gear and/or weapons are no longer able to be used on javelins they aren't intended forCorrected an issue where in some circumstances Masterwork Components do not have any inscriptionsThe Endless Siege Masterwork Autocannon no longer displays a damage increase of 0% in its tooltipJavelinsThe Colossus javelin is now able to activate its shield more quickly after using an ability or firing a weaponThe Storm javelin now reacts to getting hit when its shields are upFixed an exploit that allowed the Storm's ultimate attack to be used more times than intendedThe Colossus javelin can now shield and revive at the same timeInterceptor Combo Aura has been increased in power and now has a damage over time componentCraftingNon-Masterwork materials purchased from the crafting store now show as their proper rarity instead of incorrectly showing as MasterworkControlsAdditional Mouse and Keyboard control improvements have been madeUISome conversations were not popping up the reputation points post conversation completion, this has been fixedThe squad screen now displays the correct information for each playerFixed a number of issues where subtitles will no longer get stuck on the screen after dialogue has finished as oftenSettings should no longer reset upon exiting and restarting the game on Xbox OneMotion blur can now correctly be turned offThe Electric Status Effect now shows scaled damage properlyAn option has been added to hide the Squad Member HUDThe edge of the compass will now pulse to indicate enemy locationsA notification has been added in Fort Tarsis if a player's vault is at the cap of 250 itemsOn the "Repair the Strider" step of "A Cry for Help" the search radar has been adjusted to correctly lead the player to all 4 toolsPrimer and Detonator icons have been added to all Interceptor gearCorrected a user interface issue where a player’s ultimate would show as available when it isn'tInfo from Gamespot.com

This week's PlayStation Network sale in the US is a celebration of anime, thanks to deep discounts on loads of games from publisher Bandai Namco. The sale discounts games following popular anime franchises like Dragon Ball, Digimon, and Naruto, along with anime-inspired games like the .hack and Tales series.Some notable deals include sales on Dragon Ball FighterZ ($23), including the FighterZ Edition ($47) and Ultimate Edition ($55). You can also get the first FighterZ Pass for half price at $17, which includes an extra eight fighters, or you can select individual characters for $3 a la carte. You can also get Dragon Ball Xenoverse for $10 or Xenoverse 2 for $15.Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is down to $36. Gundam Versus is $20. Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja and One Piece: Burning Blood are both $15, and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm is $5. Plus the RPGs Tales of Berseria and .hack//GU Last Recode are down to $15 and $20, respectively."FighterZ is complex and distinct enough to be enjoyed by fighting game competitors, but there's no question that it's been designed to tap into the hearts of Dragon Ball's most dedicated fans, and no doubt those same qualities will win people over who've never given the series a chance," wrote critic Peter Brown in GameSpot's review of Dragon Ball FighterZ. "Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series' characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new: a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre."Several of the listed games also have DLC packs on sale too, so even if you own these games you might still want to expand it. You can check out the full store listing for more deals and details and to make your purchases.Info from Gamespot.com

The organiser of an ill-fated Fortnite festival is to be sued by the game's publisher, Epic. Fortnite Live took place over the weekend in the UK city of Norwich, but was met with a universally negative reception from attendees. [Update: The organiser has now stated it's had to "cease all trading activities immediately" and will apparently cancel previously planned Fortnite Live events.]Tickets cost between £12 and £32 per person, which granted fans access to understaffed, generic, and poor-quality attractions such as a climbing wall and archery practice. Fortnite branding, including character likenesses, was used all over the event, despite none of that intellectual property being licensed for use by organiser Exciting Events. As a result, Epic has stated it will sue the event organiser."The quality of our player experience is incredibly important to us, whether it's inside the game or at official public events like last year's Fortnite Pro-Am," an Epic Games spokesperson told Eurogamer. "Epic Games was not in any way associated with the event that took place in Norwich and we've issued a claim against the organisers in the High Court of London."Attendees complained of long queues and of very few of the activities having anything to do with Fortnite. The free-to-play game itself was playable at the event--once you paid for the privilege and queued to get in."It should have been a fun day out, but the whole event was a shambles. My kids spent most of the day in queues," one woman told the Guardian. "Fortnite is all about hunting people down and killing them--I felt like doing that to the people who organised it."Exciting Events was offering refunds to people who requested their money back on the day and has since said it will aim to do better for next year's event. After Epic's legal action, Fortnite Live 2020 appears an unlikely prospect.In other news, Fortnite's latest 7.40 update went live just recently. The patch introduces two new limited-time modes and some new items, including a limited-time Driftboard.Info from Gamespot.com

The Game Developers Conference next month will host a keynote talk from the search giant Google, the company announced today. The invite says to "gather around" and promises "all will be revealed" at the keynote, which together suggests the company plans to make some form of announcement.Just what this project could be remains a mystery for the time being. We know that Google partnered with Ubisoft last year to test Project Stream. The test allowed interested players to stream Assassin's Creed Odyssey straight through their Google Chrome browser.Recently rumors have circulated regarding Google's so-called "Project Yeti," which is said to be its own take on the home console. It would focus on streaming, and may even have its own exclusive games, but the price and details are unknown. Google's own open Project Stream test confirms it has been looking into streaming gaming in some capacity, but the rest of the rumors regarding Yeti are unconfirmed.If Google is planning to jump into video games with some form of streaming box, it likely won't be alone. Microsoft has already announced its own streaming plans, called Project xCloud, and will be debuting it sometime this year. That announcement boasted that it would run on any kind of device including mobile, which Google's initial Project Stream test could not. We've also heard reports of other competitors exploring the idea, including Verizon.Whatever Google will be revealing, it will be detailed at its keynote. It will take place in the Moscone Center on March 19 at 10 AM PT. The Game Developers Conference kicks off March 18.Info from Gamespot.com

The latest weekly reset in Destiny 2 ends Crimson Days, the game's Valentine's Day event, and brings another Ascendant Challenge. We've completed the Dreaming City's six-week cycle on Ascendant Challenges, which means that this week, we're back to the beginning. This is your last chance to complete the challenge before Tuesday's reset. Here's where to go and what to do to complete the challenge.As always, the Ascendant Challenge starts out with acquiring the corresponding bounty from Petra in the Dreaming City. You'll also need a Tincture of Queensfoil, a consumable item you can earn by taking part in certain activities in the Dreaming City (or you can outright buy one). Once you have both the bounty and a Tincture, you'll head to a Lost Sector, Aphelion's Rest, which is located in The Strand, just beneath the area where Petra is sometimes found. Using a Tincture will grant you a buff, Ascendance, that allows you to see a Taken portal. This one is located partway through the Lost Sector, atop a hill--it's hard to miss if you've used your Tincture.Jumping into the portal takes you to the Ascendant Plane's Ouroborea. There, you'll have to explore the area to find four different blights. Enter the dome and destroy its core; you'll know you've done it when it disappears and the text "a seal breaks" pops up in the bottom-left corner. Once you've dealt with all the blights, you'll go back toward the center to destroy crystals (whose protective shield has been temporarily dropped). Just beware the knights who will chase you around as you do this--your best bet is to keep moving in a circle, which should let you destroy the crystals without allowing the knights to get too close.Although the chest is unlikely to have much in the way of worthwhile rewards, finishing the Ascendant Challenge also completes the bounty you picked up from Petra. That rewards you with a piece of Powerful gear that is highly desirable and can increase your level, making this all worth the trouble, provided you're capable of getting it done. With The Black Armory expansion in full swing, players are back to the gear grind to get to the new level cap of 650.Although this Ascendant Challenge is not a new one, there is a lot happening in Destiny 2 right now. Niobe Labs means the fourth of The Black Armory's new Forges to unlock, as well as a new step in the Mystery Box Exotic quest we've been tracking since the expansion released last month.There are actually five new Exotic weapons in The Black Armory to find, four of which we know about (and one of which we can take a guess at). There's also a lot more happening in January and beyond: Bungie laid out its content calendar for the rest of Year 2, which is pretty extensive.Info from Gamespot.com