Netflix's The Punisher and Jessica Jones series' have been canceled. Deadline reports that the third season 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 a second season launch 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

Civilization VI told a straightforward story of the consequences of your actions. Fail to keep your people happy and they would put down their hammers and raise pitchforks. Be rude to the other leaders and they would soon refuse to deal with you. Beyond that, however, you could go about building your empire mostly unconcerned with any repercussions to your decisions. Last year's Rise and Fall expansion added some complexity to the tale with the introduction of its Loyalty mechanic. Operating in isolation was no longer possible. Settlements on the fringes of an empire could, if they liked what they saw across the border, decide to rebel. Players who took their citizens' loyalty for granted would find themselves leading no one.This kind of accountability is extended in multiple directions with Gathering Storm, the second major expansion for Civ VI. Through the institution of a World Congress, Gathering Storm lets leaders reward and punish each other for certain actions, allow them to pass sweeping resolutions that affect every civilization, and ultimately secure their diplomatic favor. And with its new World Climate system, Gathering Storm makes you accountable to the world itself by hitting you--sometimes painfully hard--with the calamitous consequences of exploiting the map's rich resources.Your path to victory in Civ VI was predictable once you'd established the foundation of your empire by the Modern Era, but the new World Congress and World Climate systems add enough dynamism to keep you working right up to the new Future Era. Gathering Storm encourages you to “play the map," taking advantage of the surrounding resources, and then adapt the repercussions of your decisions reflected on that map. As an expansion focused on consequences, however, it can take some time for the new stuff to make its presence felt.The World Climate system is the most meaningful change, but it doesn't really kick in until you've started extracting strategic resources like coal and oil. Early on you'll encounter floods, hurricanes, blizzards, and endure the odd drought or volcanic eruption. These weather events pass in a couple of turns, potentially reducing your population, injuring units and pillaging improvements, but they can also fertilize tiles to reward you with greater yields in future.But weather is not climate. Once you start burning coal and oil to fuel both the power plants in your industrial districts and the battleships and tanks that comprise your military force, you start pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As those emissions rise, tallied by the new World Climate report that tracks the cumulative contributions of each civ and resource, the world will progress through up to seven phases of climate change. Sea levels will rise, at first flooding coastal tiles and eventually leaving many of them completely underwater. Weather events will increase in both frequency and severity, simultaneously desiccating your farmlands through drought and ravaging your cities with tornadoes.The choices you're forced to make here are difficult and meaningful. Resources like coal and oil are powerful and refusing to exploit them will cede an immediate advantage to any rival. Through the Industrial and Modern Eras they fuel the most effective units in your navy and army. Do you really want to rely on defending your homeland with frigates while the enemy has ironclads? Further, consumable fuel resources are the first ways you're able to power your cities. A concept debuting in Gathering Storm, powering a city--say, via a coal power plant--boosts the yields of various districts and buildings. Can you really afford to let your research labs and stock exchanges sit idle while your coal-guzzling neighbor is sprinting ahead in the science race?Later you're able to develop methods of harvesting renewable energy resources such as wind and solar farms, but by the time you're able to deploy them, you may find yourself lagging too far behind a less eco-friendly rival or, worse, suffering the consequences of irreversible damage to the planet. Helping to mitigate such destruction and preserving the natural environment will slow down the effects of climate change. This forces new, perplexing early game decisions. Chopping down that nearby rainforest will give a quick boost to producing a settler, but leaving it untouched may mean future settlers will live to see a world that still has air to breathe. Before Gathering Storm, this wasn't a choice--you chopped for the short-term gain because there were no long-term consequences. Now, every decision is purposeful. Now, every tile in your empire is asking: "Are you sure you want to do that?"The World Congress is slightly less successful at providing new and meaningful choices than the World Climate system. What it does, though, is make you far more aware of what other leaders are up to. Once the congress convenes, from the Medieval Era onwards, you'll find yourself voting on various resolutions every 30 turns. You might be asked to vote on boosting or banning certain types of great people, or whether trade routes to particular civs or city-states should receive bonuses. You don't just get one vote; instead, you can spend a new form of currency called Diplomatic Favor to vote as many times as you can afford. Favors can also be traded with other leaders, just like any resource, meaning diplomatic players will need to give away valuable luxuries or strategic resources in order to fully exert their influence on the World Congress.In theory, these resolutions should enable the diplomatic player to tip the scales in their favor. In practice, though, their effects aren't transformative. You might get an extra trade route here, a slightly slower Great Engineer there, but nothing that feels game-changing. The randomness doesn't help--if you could propose a resolution rather than merely voting on the ones that pop up that would provide a better return on the investment.More compelling are the choices to be made around actually pursuing the new Diplomatic Victory, awarded to the leader who first reaches 10 Diplomatic Victory points. You're still essentially voting your way to the top, but you're also competing with other leaders to send the most aid to another civ recently devastated by floods, for instance, or to generate the most great people points to win the Nobel Prize. Diplomatic Favor is also earned via alliances with other civs and becoming the suzerain of a city-state, so the Diplomatic Victory is genuinely a case of demonstrating you can lead the world.These are the two biggest new features in this add-on, but Gathering Storm also includes countless smaller tweaks that in combination with the above make it an essential purchase for Civ VI fans. There are new World Wonders to build, such as the Great Bath or the University Sankore. There are new Natural Wonders, new military units to fill in the gaps between eras, and nine new leaders, including the series' first-ever dual-nationality leader (Eleanor of Aquitaine can represent either England or France).Thoughtfully, the new leaders are balanced between those that are clearly geared towards Gathering Storm's prominent additions--Kristina of Sweden is all about winning diplomatic favor while the unique abilities of Kupe, the Maori leader, incentivize leaving untouched as much of the natural world as possible--and those who embrace some previously overlooked facet of the game. In the latter camp, Matthias Corvinus heads a Hungarian empire whose military force is best composed of units levied from allied city-states, while in the Inca, lead by Pachacuti, we finally have a civ that wants lots of mountain tiles throughout its lands.Gathering Storm is overall a great expansion, ushering in two significant new systems that work hand in hand to deepen the experience. The embellished diplomatic options extend the range of interactions with other leaders, allowing you to work cooperatively towards common goals or pull the strings to your advantage behind the scenes. While the introduction of climate change delivers new strategic choices whose consequences resonate ever-more-loudly as you advance throughout the eras. It isn't simply more Civ, it's a whole new way to play Civ.Info from Gamespot.com

Every Crunchyroll Anime Awards winner has now been announced. In a repeat of last year's results, My Hero Academia has once again gone home as the most awarded anime of the year, winning five of the 15 categories. Also like last year, though, My Hero Academia lost when it came to Anime of the Year.This year, the Anime of the Year award goes to Devilman Crybaby, a series created by Science Saru. A 2018 Netflix Original that premiered January 5, Devilman Crybaby is an anime adaptation of Go Nagai's 1970s Devilman manga. Devilman has been adapted before, but Crybaby is the first to update the story with a modern day setting, and the anime includes new characters and an adjusted plot. Devilman Crybaby focuses on two best friends, Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka. After discovering demons are real, Akira convinces Ryo to become possessed by one in order to give humanity a fighting chance against the supernatural threat. Now half human and half demon, Ryo calls himself the Devilman and protects the world as a violent superhero.Other notable highlights during the Anime Awards were the world premiere of the trailer for the upcoming Made in Abyss movie, as well as a sneak peak at the upcoming Spring 2019 anime YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of the World. YU-NO is a combined effort by both Feel and Genco, two major anime studios. The former is responsible for animating series like Dagashi Kashi and Hinamatsuri, while the latter is the production company behind anime like Sword Art Online, Toradora, and Elfen Lied. During the Anime Awards, Crunchyroll also gave away some sweet Devil May Cry 5 and Hime-themed Xbox One consoles and controllers.We've outlined the entire list of Crunchyroll Anime Awards winners below. If you need a refresher on which series and movies were nominated for each category--of which I helped decide as one of the judges this year--we've got you covered on that too.Crunchyroll Anime Awards WinnersAnime of the Year -- Devilman CrybabyBest Protagonist -- Rimuru Tempest (That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime)Best Antagonist -- All for One (My Hero Academia Season 3)Best Boy -- Izuku "Deku" Midoriya (My Hero Academia Season 3)Best Girl -- Mai Sakurajima (Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai)Best Opening Sequence -- "Kiss of Death" sung by Mika Nakashima (Darling in the Franxx)Best Ending Sequence -- "Akatsuki no Requiem" sung by Linked Horizon (Attack on Titan Season 3)Best Voice Actor: Japanese -- Mamoru Miyano for his character Kotaro Tatsumi (Zombie Land Saga)Best Voice Actor: English -- Christopher Sabat for his character All Might (My Hero Academia Season 3)Best Director -- Masaaki Yuasa (Devilman Crybaby)Best Animation -- Violet EvergardenBest Film -- My Hero Academia: Two HeroesBest Character Design -- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden WindBest Fight Scene -- All for One vs All Might (My Hero Academia Season 3)Best Continuing Series -- Dragon Ball SuperInfo from Gamespot.com

Spoiler alert: At the end of Far Cry 5, the United States gets nuked. Seventeen years later, the region and residents of Hope County have endured and mostly recovered from the devastation anew. The vegetation is more abundant, society has been reshaped, and there is a hell of a lot more duct tape everywhere. Everything feels new and different--well, except for that fact that there's ruthless, tyrannical oppression taking over everything and it's up to you, and basically only you, to stop it. Some things never change. That's Far Cry: New Dawn--despite a few new novelties and a great mechanical twist, New Dawn feels exactly like what it is: a direct continuation of Far Cry 5.That's not inherently a bad thing. New Dawn features the same kind of forward-thinking approach to open-world exploration and progression as Far Cry 5. While main missions are mapped out for you, the discovery of side activities like enemy outposts, treasure hunts (formerly prepper stashes), and companion recruitment missions mostly comes from your own organic exploration. Earning perk points to improve your abilities is tied to your discovery of hidden caches and diversifying the activities you undertake. New Dawn is a more concise game--the map is smaller than Far Cry 5 and there's less curated content to discover this time around--but the emphasis is still on staying out in the world and soaking up the environment.That sense of freedom has been diminished, however. It's not the fact that you're revisiting Hope County, but rather how New Dawn sets up the pins. In Far Cry 5, you began in the middle of the map and were allowed to explore in any direction you wished; New Dawn starts you off in the bottom corner of the map and basically pushes you in a steady, linear sweep north as you slowly reclaim territory, and asks you to regularly bring resources back to your base in that starting area to bolster it.What's to stop you from just darting ahead? Well, damage numbers. New Dawn introduces RPG elements, like damage numbers, into its design for the first time in the series. The game's guns and enemies fall into four different tiered ranks, and getting ahead requires that you go out into the world to scavenge crafting materials to upgrade your base so you can upgrade your weapons workshop and eventually craft better guns to take down the higher rank enemies impeding your progress. Outfits, armor, and defense numbers don't factor in your growth, just weapons. Guns at rank 1 and 2 will do a minimal amount of damage to well-armored rank 3 and elite rank enemies.Early on, this can be annoying if you try to push the limits of the game in a way you're not meant to. Heading too far into the map and needing to use up hundreds of bullets to take down a rank 3 bear you encounter isn't terrifying as much as it is silly, and eventually, the demands of story missions will stop you from going too far.But if you dial down your Far Cry 5-style expectations of freedom and go with the flow, you run into these awkward predicaments far less often. Your guns feel like they do the damage they're supposed to, and enemies feel like they have an acceptable level of resistance. In fact, once you get access to the top-tier arsenal, things will start to swing wildly in your favor--your guns will feel overpowered to the point where even shooting rank 1 enemies in the foot might be enough to take them out--which feels great when you're getting overwhelmed. Played the right way, the game's RPG-style systems basically feel invisible, and you can enjoy Far Cry's style of weighty gunplay and feel like an incredibly competent one-person army. The feeling of eventually being able to overcome New Dawn's elite enemies is good, but you're left wondering why you needed to be held back by artificial gating at all.It doesn't help that there's no tangible sense of growth with weapons and vehicle crafting; New Dawn's selection of guns and cars isn't dramatically different enough between ranks to make the large distinction in damage output believable. Rank 1 weapons are a varied suite of handguns, rifles, and shotguns, and higher-rank arsenals are basically defined by the increasing amount of duct tape and junk on that same suite, as if that stuff has magical properties that makes the guns perform better. There are lots of guns to choose from, but if you've played Far Cry 5 you'll immediately recognize them, duct tape or no.The one nice exception is the new Saw Launcher, which shoots circular saw blades. Higher tier versions of the weapon actually have noticeably different properties, like the ability to shoot saw blades with ricocheting, homing, and boomerang traits. It's the only weapon which truly feels like it was borne out of the post-apocalypse, improvised from scavenged parts. Aerosol cans, pipes, and spray paint might give the other guns and cars a cool look, but it doesn't change how familiar they feel.The same can be said of the world itself. Far Cry 5's Hope County already felt a bit post-apocalyptic--the rural setting was isolated from the world thanks to antagonist Joseph Seed--so even though there are plenty of visible differences to the region, the impact of those changes isn't massive. There are a few key locations that provoke some amusement in their discovery, but the strength of Far Cry 5's Hope County was its natural environments--the forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains. The conceit that the region was re-vegetated by a super bloom after nuclear devastation means that the vibe in New Dawn is basically identical, despite dramatic increases in upended cars and graffiti. It's a pretty post-apocalypse, but it doesn't have the feeling of desperation you might associate with the theme. Scavenging for materials doesn't feel like a drastic necessity, just a way to get ahead. New Dawn doesn't feel like it takes the theme to enough of an extreme to feel meaningful or different.The solid bones of Far Cry's combat are still here, though, and they're still very good. Taking on outposts (within your rank), whether that be via stealth or aggression, is still enjoyable, and the game encourages you to repeat them at increased difficulties to earn more resources. New Dawn also introduces seven self-contained missions called Expeditions. These are large, diverse maps set outside Hope County, and they feature setpieces like a New Orleans amusement park, an aircraft carrier, and even a Splinter Cell-themed plane crash. Expedition environments are a highlight, but the snatch-and-grab objectives mean that you're never really encouraged to stop and appreciate them--you're more concerned with getting the hell out of there as a non-stop stream of enemies comes after you.The concise nature of the game means there's a remarkable lack of time given to the characters and plot, too. A few of the major characters feel like they could be interesting, the twin sister antagonists especially, but the few interactions you have with them are definitely not enough to develop them and make you care. While the performances have gusto, key moments of pathos just feel completely unearned. Something major happened to a key character and I was surprised how little empathy I felt. A detestable deal is made and I was mad at how little time they spent justifying it. Underdeveloped connections to characters also exacerbate the relative mundanity of the story missions compared to the game's side and open-world activities--turret sequences, bland chases, forced melee fights, and even a slow boat ride, all of which go on for way too long.You do get a double jump, though. That is, the ability to jump in mid-air. You also get the ability to basically turn invisible and give yourself super speed and strength. The Far Cry series has always dabbled in the mystic, but yes: In a strange turn of events, New Dawn eventually says "screw it" and gives you access to superhuman powers. And the way it changes how you approach the world is undoubtedly the best thing about the game.These sudden powers let you lean hard into superhero fantasy, allowing you to bound over fences and onto buildings, using your newfound mobility and invisibility to completely terrorize enemies like you're the Predator, or perhaps jumping high into the fray and firing off explosive arrows, pretending you're Hawkeye from The Avengers. Maybe you're more of a Wolverine, activating the berserker ability to rush an outpost at super speed and send heavily armed assailants and bears alike flying with your bare fists. A minor new mechanic lets you temporarily pick up shields from enemies and toss them like you're Captain America (supporting characters even refer to you as "Cap"), and I'm shocked they didn't do more with this--the inability to permanently keep a shield is a big disappointment.The powers are so good that it's almost a shame they come at a point late in the game where you'll likely already be well-equipped to deal with elite rank enemies, since a few scenarios that challenge your ability to use these effectively definitely would have been a welcome addition. But as it stands, they're a fantastic expansion of Far Cry's combat vocabulary. They completely elevate your confidence to rip through everything and everyone, suddenly turning New Dawn's familiar, pedestrian experience into a raucous blast.There's a lot of potential in the ideas seeded in New Dawn, but there isn't enough room for many of them to breathe and feel fully realized. Not the post-apocalyptic theme, not the RPG mechanics, not the weapons, vehicles, plot, or characters. Advancing through the adventure is an enjoyable experience, especially once you get your superhuman powers, but this is largely because Far Cry 5's combat and progression models remain compelling enough to propel you forward. For its part, New Dawn is a palatable but unremarkable spin-off that feels like it could have achieved so much more.Info from Gamespot.com

The Kickoff Show is over, and there was an incredible Cruiserweight Championship match during the preshow, and you can see the results of it below. Now, it's onto the main card where we will see two Elimination Chamber matches during this WWE PPV.One of the most insane structures ever devised by WWE is coming to the Elimination Chamber PPV today. WWE's latest event has seven matches on the card--five of which are title matches--and two of them will take place in the Elimination Chamber.The show will air on the WWE Network and on PPV, taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The main card begins at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 12 AM GMT (February 18), with a Kickoff Show starting one hour prior.The Elimination Chamber is a giant metal structure placed around a WWE ring. Inside this monstrosity, there are four plexiglass pods. Six wrestlers enter the structure--four of which go into individual pods. Two wrestlers begin battle inside the ring, and one-by-one, wrestlers are released from their pods. The WWE superstars get eliminated until only one remains. In most cases, the last person standing becomes champion, and they rule Bartertown.The biggest thing to look forward to this evening is the crowning of the first-ever Women's Tag Team Champions. Who will win? Will it be the brute "Blaster" force of Tamina and Nia Jax, the cunning "Auntie Entity" strategy of the Iiconics, or will it be our "Max Rockatansky," Sasha Banks and Bayley? We have a few predictions for this and all the matches taking place this evening. Additionally, there will be one more EC match for the WWE Championship, featuring six competitors from Smackdown.Below, you'll find up-to-the-minute updates and results for all the matches taking place this evening. After the show is over, make sure to come back to GameSpot for our review of the show.Elimination Match Card:Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa (Cruiserweight Championship)Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush vs. Finn Bálor (Handicap Match for the Intercontinental Championship)The Miz & Shane McMahon (c) vs. The Usos (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Ruby Riott (Raw Women's Championship)Braun Strowman vs. Baron CorbinSasha Banks & Bayley vs. Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose vs. Naomi & Carmella vs. Nia Jax & Tamina vs. Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan vs. The Iiconics (Elimination Chamber for the Women's Tag Team Championship)"The New" Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe (Elimination Chamber for the WWE Championship)KICKOFF SHOWBuddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa (Cruiserweight Championship)Murphy pins Tozawa at 13:20.Main CardWomen's Tag Team Elimination Chamber MatchSasha Banks & Bayley vs. Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose vs. Naomi & Carmella vs. Nia Jax & Tamina vs. Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan vs. The Iiconics (As competitors are eliminated, they'll be crossed out here)Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley startRiott Squad releasedThe Iiconics releasedNaomi & Carmella releasedThe IIconics eliminate Naomi at 17:10Nia Jax & Tamina releasedNia & Tamina eliminate the IIconics at 20:12Tamina eliminates the Riott Squad (WWE Network issues, no timestamp)Everyone pins and eliminates Tamina at 26:36Banks submits Deville at 32:25Sasha Banks and Bayley winThe Miz & Shane McMahon (c) vs. The Usos (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)Jimmy pins Miz at 14:10Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush vs. Finn Bálor (Handicap Match for the Intercontinental Championship)Balor pins Rush around 9:00 (WWE Network issues)Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Ruby Riott (Raw Women's Championship)Rousey submits Riott at 1:40.Braun Strowman vs. Baron CorbinCorbin pins Strowman at 10:45Men's Elimination Chamber Match"The New" Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe (As competitors are eliminated, they'll be crossed out here)Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe startKofi Kingston releasedAJ Styles releasedStyles pins Joe at 14:34Jeff Hardy releasedBryan pins Hardy at 17:57Randy Orton releasedOrton pins Styles at 22:21Kingston pins Orton at 24:08Match in progressUpdating...Info from Gamespot.com

Rainbow Six Siege's big new Operation Burnt Horizon update is on the way to PS4, Xbox One, and PC soon, and publisher Ubisoft has finally revealed all the details. As revealed during at the 6 Invitational, Year 4, Season 1 will bring two new Operators, Mozzie and Gridlock, as well as a new map named Outback.Gridlock is a 3 armor, 1 speed attacker who comes equipped with three Trax Stingers--throwable, expanding spike clusters that slow and damage enemies who walk on them. Think of them as attacking versions of razor wire that cause damage--and make a similar amount of noise. Gridlock is therefore seen as an anti-roaming Operator. Her weapons include the F90 assault rifle or M249 LMG, as well as the Super Shorty sawn-off shotgun.Mozzie, meanwhile, is a 2 armor, 2 speed defender who wields three deployable Pest devices, which will automatically hack and take over any enemy drone that enters a small radius. The drone is then fully under the command of the defending team; a small blue light is the only indicator to attackers that their drone is no longer under their control. Mozzie can use an AR9 assault rifle or the R10 Ronie machine pistol, as well as the same Super Shorty as Gridlock.Outback is the accompanying Australian-themed map to Operation Burnt Horizon. Its restaurant, hotel, and fuel station form a relatively small L-shape arena that offers ample opportunity for close quarters combat. Outback is free for all players, while Gridlock and Mozzie can be unlocked with in-game Renown or by buying the Year 4 pass.Ubisoft has not yet announced a release date for Operation Burnt Horizon, but it will likely launch on the test server for PC players very soon, before a wider launch on all platforms in the coming weeks.During the 6 Invitational stream, Ubisoft also detailed what it has in store for the game in the coming year. Firstly, it is reworking itself as a dev team and setting up number of cells to tackle different aspects of the Siege experience, including how players interact with the game and other players. One of the big new upcoming features is designed to address the ongoing team-killing issue. Season 1 of Year 4 will test reverse friendly fire, which damages a player attacked others on their own team.Those that deal damage to a friendly player is sanctioned, and then any additional damage they dish out is instead inflicted on them. Ubisoft noted that this is the first iteration of the reverse friendly fire system, and it intends to work on it going forward.Ubisoft is also planning to take ranked play out of beta, and will have the pick and ban game mode as the primary match type in this competitive playlist. A ranked hub is being added in where players can get more information on what maps are being rotated in and out of the pool, personal performance stats, and other details on rewards for winning competitive matches.Another thing revealed during its Year 4 roadmap include a playlist designed to help newcomers to ease into the game. It is for players level one to 50 clearance, and will put them in games with other people of a similar skill level. Rules will be very similar to those used in ranked matches, to get newcomers comfortable with the way its played at higher levels. Newcomers can still play casual matches, where action time will be reduced to three minutes and 30 seconds.Naturally, each of the four seasons that make up Year 4 will also add two new characters from different parts of the world into the game. Older Operators, meanwhile, will be discounted, so they'll be cheaper to buy regardless of whether you're spending real money or in-game currency. Ubisoft intends to add in a new Operator select screen to accommodate the arrival of new character in Year 4 and beyond.Map reworks are also in the plans. Kafe Dostoyevsky will get an expanded second floor to give players more space to work with, while moving the staircase on the bottom floor to help reduce dead space. The Bakery bombsite, meanwhile, has been moved into the kitchen, which helps out defenders.Kanal is being re-imagined for Season 3. There's a new route up top and a tunnel below, so there's new options as you approach the red building. Choke points have been opened up a bit so it's not as claustrophobic as it previously was. Finally, Theme Park is set to be changed in Season 4, and it is very early in the redesign process. Ubisoft showed of a floor plan said it would be looking at the hallway on the second floor, and added that it hopes to rework the lighting so it's easier to identify threats.Operators will also be further balanced, and there's an entire team dedicated to it. For Lion, Ubisoft is pushing him towards a role that makes him an intel operator that helps others get kills by supplying them with information. Glaz became a bit too good in close quarters, so his IR scoped will be linked to his movements, so he'll require more skill to be successfully penetrate enemy lines. He's also being shifted into more of a sniper roll, instead of an entry fragger. Both of these characters will be updated in the first half of Year 4.In terms of Gadgets, the deployable shield will be easier to position and have small slits in it that let whoever is behind the shield see what's happening on the other side. An operator cannot shoot through them, as they're primarily designed to be an intel-gathering tool. Capitao's fire grenade is also being tweaked so it's better for area denial. The breach charge is also undergoing a small quality of life change, so the impact of an explosion isn't as extreme. This means it's less likely to kill enemies that aren't really close to the blast zone. Info from Gamespot.com

Tonight, during the WWE event Elimination Chamber, the first-ever Women's Tag Team Champions were crowned after one intense battle. 12 teams entered the Chamber, and one-by-one they were eliminated until only one tag team survived.By the end of the contest, Sasha Banks & Bayley stood victorious, and were handed the brand-new title belts, making them the inaugural champions. After the match, while being interviewed in the ring, Bayley said, "I don't even know what to say," as she held back tears. The crowd chanted, "You deserve it" over and over again."No one know how hard we fought to get this," Bank said. "If you guys, legit, only knew... This is just the beginning of more changes to come."During the match, Banks and Bayley eliminated Tamina--along with the help of everyone else. During the final moments of the Elimination Chamber, it was Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose. Sasha Banks locked in the Bank Statement on Deville, forcing her to tap after an exciting battle.What's different about these tag titles--compared to all others--is that they are not brand specific. If a team from Raw is champion, another team from Smackdown can be in the running for a title shot. This places a heavy emphasis on competition between the two brands, which adds some fun to the shows. [Raw/Smackdown] can currently claim brand dominance because two of their superstars are champions. The only question is how will #1 contendership work in the future?For more on Elimination Chamber, check out our predictions for the show and make sure to check out our live results, updated regularly.Info from Gamespot.com

There's a blacksmith, toiling away in the markets of the capital of Nava, who thinks making swords is boring. Why create something, she argues, when death is its only use? She'd rather make a kettle any day of the week. So I bought her kettle, and now I can brew all kinds of delicious, and at times mysterious, tea whenever I hole up and camp in the wilderness. And I still haven't found a sword.Eastshade is a non-violent, first-person adventure game set in a rolling open world full of quests. Imagine an Elder Scrolls game was an old boot, and you picked it up, turned it upside down and shook it until all the combat and magic and loot, every orc and dragon and bandit fell out. Then you took a shoehorn and eased a walking simulator inside the wrinkled leather before setting off on a delightful stroll across the countryside. Eastshade is just about the loveliest, prettiest, and just bloody nicest game I've played in years.You play an artist, recently shipwrecked in Eastshade near the small coastal village of Lyndor. After a kind chap finds you on the beach and lets you rest in his cozy cave until you recover, you resume your journey to visit and then paint your just-passed mother's favorite places in Eastshade. It's a simple setup, paying tribute to a lost loved one, and it's indicative of the kind of sincere, touching gestures you'll carry out over the course of the game.The flow of Eastshade will be familiar to anyone who has played an open-world RPG in recent years. You speak to NPCs, at first enquiring about the local history and points of interest before delving into something more personal and finally unlocking a unique quest. A child and aspiring painter asks you to help her acquire some art supplies. A smitten merchant wants some advice on how she should pursue her romantic interest. A park ranger needs your assistance in catching and caring for an injured waterfox. Not everyone has a story to tell--there are plenty of mute, generic NPCs filling the streets--but the ones you do meet almost always open up to you in the sweetest of ways.Most quests involve tracking down the next person in the quest chain or venturing afar to find a particular item. Some, however, require your talents as an artist. Indeed, it seems that once an Eastshadian discovers you can paint, they're quick to realize how much they'd really like some oil on canvas hanging over the fireplace. One keen art-lover asked me to paint him a picture of a chicken, so I made my way over the markets where I'd earlier spied some chickens nestling among the hay, set down my easel and painted the perfect poultry portrait.The act of painting itself isn't simulated in any way. You simply use the mouse to drag a frame across the screen. Anything within that frame is then captured, rendered in a painterly style, and reproduced on the canvas. In essence, you're taking screenshots. As such there's much pleasure to be had in framing your subject, as anyone who has unearthed the joys of a game's photo mode can attest. I was asked by a particularly pompous villager to paint his portrait, and fully capture all his self-described nobility and heroism. He was sitting in a tavern at the time, next to a huge fireplace whose chimney stretched to the double-story ceiling, so I framed him as this tiny figure dwarfed by the imposing stone furnace. He was grateful, of course--I'm sure the game logic merely checks if the required subject is in the frame--but I found it extremely satisfying.At a certain point you will also gain the ability to register with another local artist and begin taking commissions to earn glowstones, the local currency. It functions much like a job board: you check in, accept the gig, then return later with the finished painting and collect your cash. Each commission gives you a description of the type of painting desired and it's up to you to figure out where you need to go and what you need to include in the frame. Some are easy to identify, like a specific request for a windmill, but you may have no idea where to find it. Others are more vague, like a “starry cavern” or a “natural arch.” Either way, it's enjoyable to have your memory of the landscape tested as you struggle to recall elements of the terrain.Sometimes you won't have a spare canvas to paint on, meaning you'll have to obtain the materials necessary to craft a new canvas. Fortunately, there are wooden boards and piles of cloth lying around the various towns and villages, and NPCs don't seem to mind at all if you walk into their homes and grab some. It's a good idea to thoroughly explore every area and collect any such craftable materials as there doesn't seem to be any limit on how much you can carry. I found I typically had enough canvases to complete quest-critical paintings, but if I'd wanted to paint for fun, as it were, I would have had to tediously wait for previously collected materials to respawn or spend my hard-earned glowstones to buy them.Money's tight, you see, and there are other things worth purchasing. This isn't an RPG, so you won't be selling loot to finance your endeavors--though there is a sort of joke merchant who will buy anything off you for the princely sum of one glowstone. However, there are items you will need in order to access new areas of the world. A coat, for example, lets you continue to explore the countryside during the cold nights, while a tent lets you camp outdoors overnight or simply rest for a while if you need to meet someone at a certain time of day.You'll find yourself walking a fine line between securing what you need to complete your current tasks and saving up to afford what you need to unlock new quest possibilities. I remember standing in the markets and agonizing over whether to spend what little money I had on a fishing rod (because one quest wanted me to catch a particular type of fish) or a kettle (because my pockets were already bursting with all different kinds of plants and herbs). It was a genuinely stressful moment in a game otherwise conducted entirely in serene contemplation.Eastshade is a slow game. There's an awful lot of walking, or running once you realize there's the option, and you'll spend almost all your time trekking back and forth between villages or strolling across town from one shop to the next, ferrying this item to that person and hoping to speak to so-and-so about this-and-that. It would quickly grow tiresome were it not for the dinky penny-farthing bicycle you can buy and the presence of craftable fast travel items, and more importantly, the immense natural beauty found in every corner, along every path, and over every crest of the world.Indeed, Eastshade is a slow game that moves at just the right pace. From the warm, golden sunlight filtering through the dense canopy of the Great Tree to the pools of water on the terrace farms that skirt the city glittering in the morning light, you'll constantly find yourself stopping to catch your breath. Even after treading the same cobbled road a dozen or more times, hours later I would still find myself admiring the scenery, expansive vistas and minute details alike.The pace perfectly complements your actions, too. This is a game about taking your time and paying attention to the environment through which you're moving. You have a quest log and a map of the land, but there are no quest markers or waypoints telling you where to go. You have to read the lay of the land and remember details of where you've been. As you travel, the geographical contours of the world gradually become imprinted in your mind until you could paint them almost from memory alone. Almost.By giving you a paintbrush (and a kettle) instead of a sword, Eastshade is a rare first-person open world game that's not about killing but rather about doing good deeds, helping people see the error of their ways, and bringing communities together all through the power of art. It's a breath of fresh Eastshadian air and a genuine, unironic feel-good game. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put the kettle on.Info from Gamespot.com

Respawn's battle royale game, Apex Legends, is centered around the concept of surviving as a team. You can wordlessly ask for weapons and equipment or point out enemy locations with the game's ping system. Downed teammates can be revived, and you can respawn dead allies if you grab their banner in time. Everything in the game revolves around your squad working together, and that starts with knowing how to use your chosen Legend's unique abilities to benefit the team.Wraith is one of the six Legends unlocked in Apex from the start (with two more you can earn or purchase), and this interdimensional skirmisher is one of the most versatile characters in the game. Although she's designed to excel as a hit-and-run tactician, Wraith can fit into Mirage's role as a trickster or handle Bloodhound's recon duties in a pinch. In this short guide, we're going to take a look at Wraith, and explain how this Legend can open up new avenues towards victory for you and your squad.If you're still on the fence about picking up Apex Legends, check out our review. If you're already playing Respawn's battle royale game and you're looking for a few extra tips, we have a guide on becoming a champion, as well as a gallery of the best weapons in the game.Other Character GuidesLifeline Guide: Tips On How To Be The Best Combat MedicMirage Guide: Tips On How To Be The Best Holographic TricksterPathfinder Guide: Tips On How To Be The Best Forward ScoutCaustic Guide: Tips On How To Be The Best Toxic TrapperWraith's General OverviewWraith is one of the three offense-focused fighters in Apex Legends, so she's specifically designed to be one of her team's major damage dealers. Her abilities make her an ideal candidate for your squad's point person, so don't expect to hang back when it's time to move out. That doesn't mean you should go off on your own though. Wraith may be able to take care of herself, but she's a force to be reckoned with when she's using her portals to help her entire team get the drop on an enemy.Confusing the enemy should be your main concern as Wraith, but if need be you can use her skills to aid downed allies, scout ahead, get your team out of a losing firefight, set ambushes, or trick an enemy into killing themselves. Regardless of how you use Wraith, it's important to keep moving during a fight. Wraith is most useless when she's standing still and trying to snipe an enemy from afar, where her abilities can really only be used defensively. Because you'll usually be in the thick of things as Wraith, you'll want to nab at least one weapon with a decent fire rate that packs a punch at close range. The EVA-8 and Mastiff shotguns are your best bets, but the Peacekeeper, Wingman, and Flatline are all excellent choices as well. Also, try to avoid executing enemies. Wraith has some really cool execution animations, but you want to keep moving to kill the enemy team as quickly as possible.Wraith's SkillsPassive Skill: Voices From The Void - A voice warns you when danger approaches. As far as you can tell, it’s on your side.With this passive, voices warn of any incoming threat that might harm Wraith, so stick close to your teammates to defend them as well. The voices are whispered, so for the best results, play Apex Legends with headphones, subtitles on, or both. On very rare occasions, this passive makes enemy footsteps louder as well, so headphones might be the way to go, since you don't get an audible warning for those. Don't forget to hit the button prompt when the voices speak up, so you can alert your teammates as well. Knowing an enemy has spotted you, that a grenade is fast approaching, or that one of Caustic's Nox Gas Traps is waiting for you around the corner or behind a closed door can make a difference between victory and defeatTactical Skill: Into The Void - Reposition quickly through the safety of void space, avoiding all damage.When Wraith journeys into the void, she becomes untouchable and nearly invisible. She also moves a lot faster too, so you can use this skill to escape an approaching ring wall. Wraith can't interact with anything while in the void, though, meaning she can't pick up weapons or items, see enemies or allies, attack, or open or close doors.Ultimate Skill: Dimensional Rift - Link two locations with portals for 60 seconds, allowing your entire team to use them.Wraith has one of the most useful Ultimate skills in Apex Legends. She can drop portals next to downed allies so they can crawl through and teleport to safety, or use the massive speed boost she gets from placing her first portal to escape an approaching zone wall. If you don't have a Bloodhound on-hand, you can use Wraith to drop one portal, run ahead to scout some buildings, and escape through a quickly placed second portal if any enemies are hiding inside.Tips To Play As WraithOnce you've gotten a knack for Voices From The Void, Wraith can become nearly untouchable at long range. Not only are you warned when someone tags you, the voices speak up when you're in a sniper's scope. The second you hear that you've got a sniper on you, warn your teammates and use your tactical skill, Into The Void. You'll disappear and become untouchable, much to your enemy's chagrin.Speaking of Into The Void, because of its drawbacks, it's best used defensively to escape a firefight or ambush. However, you can also use the ability to reach downed allies or safely flank an enemy's position. If your team has another pinned down, you can use Into The Void to get the drop on someone, but that's much easier to do if you're chatting with friends and they guide you to where an opponent is hiding. To truly master Into The Void, learn all the tiny details of Apex Legends' map, so you know what you're doing and where you're going when you blink out of existence.As a final note, pay close attention to the shadows that populate the void. They aren't enemies or allies. They're actually Wraith. Because she's caught between dimensions, Wraith can see every outcome she's ever made, making, or will make, in both this universe and others. Those shadows mark where she'll come out of the void if she heads in that direction, so they're basically marking her possible futures.Above, we listed how Wraith can support her team with Dimensional Rift, but as an offense-focused character, this skill is best used for killing enemies. If Wraith uses Dimensional Rift, she can follow up with Into the Void to speed across the battlefield unscathed before placing her second portal. With this strategy, you can teleport your entire team into a flanking position behind another squad. To safeguard your first portal, you can have Gibraltar throw his Dome Of Protection over it, or have Bangalore's Smoke Launcher hide its location.If you really want to mess with an enemy, have your squad wait behind cover with grenades, before rushing forward and placing a portal next to an another team. The second it's set, teleport back to safety while your allies step through to the enemy squad, drop their grenades at their feet, and then transport back. If you have a Caustic on your squad, his Ultimate can do insane damage with this technique, especially within enclosed spaces. If you're in the midst of a firefight, drop one portal and run to the nearest map edge to drop your second. With any luck, in the confusion of battle, your enemies will think you escaped through the portal and "follow you" through it to kill you, only to appear in open air and fall to their deaths instead. You can trick people into teleporting outside the ring wall too. If the edge of the map and ring are far away, having a waiting Caustic Nox Gas Trap or a Gibraltar with a Spitfire or Devotion and his Gun Shield up can work too. We've done a lot experiments with what Wraith's portals can and can't do if you need any more combat strategies.How To Counter Wraith's WeaknessesDespite the wide range of attacks Wraith can pull off with her skills, she can be easily countered by a Bloodhound. The technological tracker can tell where Wraith has gone, and see her through walls. If you're playing Wraith and see a Bloodhound, taking them out should be your first priority.Wraith is also at her best when she is the one causing the confusion, not the other way around. Disorienting Wraith with Bangalore's Smoke Launcher, Caustic's Nox Gas Grenade, or Mirage's Psyche Out or Vanishing Act are the best ways of knocking her off her game once she's within killing range. If you're playing Wraith and your enemy responds with any of these attacks, don't panic. Use Into The Void and get out. Remember, your abilities are best used to surprise the enemy. If you're the one being surprised, you need to retreat and try again. Info from Gamespot.com

Today, Crunchyroll will be live streaming the third annual Anime Awards. Before the show starts tonight at 6PM PT / 9PM ET, we're sharing an exclusive sneak peek of the show's opening. You can watch the video above.The opening for this year's Anime Awards includes scenes from several notable series and movies from 2018, including Violet Evergarden, Aggretsuko, Planet With, Devilman Crybaby, Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san, Mirai, and Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku. All of these anime are nominated for at least one award this year. But they're not the only ones. The most popular nominee is Megalobox, which is up for eight of the 15 award categories. Other popular 2018 series, such as A Place Further Than the Universe, Zombie Land Saga, and My Hero Academia, have been nominated as well.This year, voice actress Cristina Vee is scheduled to host the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. She's most well-known for her portrayal of The Familiar of Zero's Louise, Sailor Moon's Rei Hino, Devilman Crybaby's Miki Makimura, and Konosuba's Darkness. Crunchyroll has also announced that industry professionals and well-known anime fans, such as Made in Abyss composer Kevin Penkin, Roosterteeth director and writer Miles Luna, and IGN senior editor Miranda Sanchez, are scheduled to announce the winner for each category.You can catch the full livestream of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards to watch the crowning of the best of anime in 2018, and see sneak previews of new upcoming anime projects as well. Tune in exclusively on Twitch and Crunchyroll. If you need a reminder for which series and movies have been nominated, we've outlined each category below. As one of this year's judges, I had a hand in determining the list of nominees.Crunchyroll Anime Awards Category NomineesAnime of the YearA Place Further Than the UniverseDevilman CrybabyMegaloboxViolet EvergardenHinamatsuriZombie Land SagaBest AnimationViolet EvergardenDevilman CrybabyMegaloboxA Place Further Than the UniverseBloom into YouMy Hero Academia Season 3Best Opening SequenceWotakoi: Love is Hard for OtakuDarling in the FranxxKakegurui: Compulsive GamblerPop Team EpicAggretsukoJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden WindBest Ending SequenceMegaloboxAttack on Titan Season 3After the RainFLCL AlternativeRevue StarlightFLCL ProgressiveBest FilmNight is Short, Walk On GirlMy Hero Academia: Two HeroesMirai of the FutureLiz and the Blue BirdMazinger Z: InfinityFireworksBest Character DesignViolet EvergardenDevilman CrybabyZombie Land SagaMegaloboxAggretsukoJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden WindBest BoyKotaro TatsumiHonda-sanIzuku MidoriyaSakuta AzusagawaHaidaJoeBest GirlAnzuHinata MiyakeLily HoshikawaAsirpaNadeshiko KagamiharaMai SakurajimaBest VA Performance (JP)Mamoru MiyanoSoma SaitoMegumi HanNao ToyamaRarekoReina UedaBest VA Performance (EN)Kari WahlgrenChristopher SabatErica MendezDavid WaldTia BallardErika HarlacherBest DirectorMasaaki YuasaAtsuko IshizukaYou MoriyamaYohei SuzukiTaichi IshidateHiroko UtsumiBest ProtagonistRetsukoYumeko JabamiJoeViolet EvergardenRimuru TempestSakuta AzusagawaBest AntagonistRyo AsukaAkane ShinjoAll For OneYuriTokushiro TsurumiMomongaBest Fight Scene Presented by CapcomHina vs AnzuAll for One vs All MightNaruto & Sasuke vs MomoshikiJiren vs GokuYami vs LichtSatan vs DevilmanBest Continuing Series Presented by VRVThe Ancient Magus' BrideDragon Ball SuperBlack CloverMarch comes in like a lionOne PieceBoruto: Naruto Next GenerationsInfo from Gamespot.com

It's been a long wait for Crackdown 3. Delays can be a positive thing, offering developers time to refine and polish a game. In other cases, it can result in what feels like a dated experience. Crackdown 3 firmly falls in the latter category, offering some amusement but little in the way of interesting new ideas or fun things to do. It's large and bombastic, with plenty of chaos and collateral damage, but few redeeming values--like a video game version of Man of Steel.You play as a superpowered member of The Agency who is sent into a city to dispense justice as you systematically eliminate the comically evil members of a nefarious evil corporation. You start out relatively weak but progressively grow in power, jumping higher and gaining the ability to perform ground pounds, pick up and throw increasingly heavy objects, and so on. Enemy factions are responsible for certain aspects of the criminal operation, such as manufacturing a sort of poison, and taking them out weakens that area and makes your ultimate goal of taking down the big bad leader more feasible. There will be collateral damage along the way that is frowned upon--kill too many innocents, and a local militia puts up a halfhearted effort to put you down--but is soon forgotten. Yes, I'm describing Crackdown 3, not its 2007 progenitor.It would be fine for this to feel so familiar if the action itself were more engaging. The core of collecting orbs (to level up your agility and jump height) and wreaking havoc remains enjoyable, but it isn't strong enough to make up for Crackdown 3's numerous shortcomings. From the moment you gain control of your character, it's hard to shake the sense that this doesn't feel like a game from 2019. Draw distance aside, the visuals are underwhelming, leaning too heavily on recreating the simple cel-shaded look of past Crackdown games. The one technological advancement the game has to boast about--large-scale destruction, powered by Microsoft's Azure cloud servers--is reserved entirely for the online Wrecking Zone mode, which uses mode-specific maps rather than letting you blow up parts of the city itself. There's no meaningful destruction in the campaign, and the end result is a world that feels lifeless, as if some key element of it is missing.The game's opening takes place in a small area of the city and lays out the basic structure of your goals: Take over a particular boss's various bases to locate him or her and then complete a boss fight, which, in most cases, is a pretty standard encounter where the enemy has more health than usual. This tutorial is somewhat of an off-putting start; for a game about freedom and doing badass superhero things, you're stuck in a tightly confined area, underpowered, and tasked with a goal that entails killing some enemies and then removing a pair of batteries powering a propaganda station. Before long, the game opens up and you're given access to the full city and a wider selection of objectives to tackle, at which point there's some hope that the newfound freedom and variety will provide the excitement that's lacking in this early area.The problem is, what you do in that opening section is representative of the entire game; there's very little variety to speak of. Ostensibly, each of the different factions presents its own unique challenges and objectives for you to complete. Yet it quickly becomes apparent that what distinguishes them are only surface-level details. No matter the faction, you're always mindlessly shooting an endless wave of foes as you work your way toward objective markers. Once you're there, you'll usually hold a button. Sometimes you'll have glowing targets to shoot. For a certain objective, you have to shoot a piece of machinery or throw a rock underneath it (always two times) to destroy it. After multiple hours of this, the action begins to bleed together. All of these bases you complete are just another box you can check off the to-do list, rather than a satisfying challenge you look forward to dealing with. I suffered a crash midway through the game that might have resulted in me losing some small amount of progress, but with how same-y many of the objectives are, I honestly wasn't sure if I was repeating one I had already completed. One of the major criticisms of the original Crackdown was a lack of things to do, and while there might be more here on paper, far too much of it feels like filler, rather than worthwhile missions.Interesting enemies could have made these rote objectives more exciting, but they too suffer from a lack of diversity. There are different archetypes with their own attack patterns, but they do little to shake up the action, even if some do fly, have shields, rush at you, or pilot mechs. Snipers, due to the heavy damage they inflict, were the only enemies that prompted me to break from my otherwise uniform approach of attacking whatever was closest to me. Weapons have certain types of targets they're more or less effective against, but certain guns are so powerful that I found little need carefully evaluate what I was using. You move from one objective on the map to the next, hold down the trigger to lock on to enemies, hope it picks the target you want (not always a given), and then blast away.And that's okay. Crackdown 3 isn't a game where you should need to carefully consider your loadout and the precise manner in which you need to approach a fight; you're supposed to be a superhero who can dominate whatever is in front of you. But the combination of stale objectives and cannon-fodder enemies makes combat mindless and, at times, even boring, which is strange for a game filled with explosions and enemies flying off of rooftops. If you were to chart the excitement of playing through the campaign, there would be few peaks or valleys; it's just sort of a constant white noise, like you're taking a weed wacker at whatever is in front of you. It's not until much further into the game that you gain the weapons (like a gun that creates black holes) and high-level abilities (like being able to pick up and throw tanks) that make combat more entertaining. By that point, the repetitive goals and encounters have long since become stale. Making your way up the skyscrapers that serve as headquarters for the final few bosses provides some of the only memorable combat sequences, but these only serve to emphasize how rote so much of the game is otherwise.it's just sort of a constant white noise, like you're taking a weed wacker at whatever is in front of youOutside of the core objectives, there is some fun to be had. Stunt rings that require you to drive a vehicle through them are an amusing challenge, even if the solution is often to rely on your transforming vehicle's ability to jump into the air. (Your Agency car can be summoned at almost any time and transforms into various forms, which is a cool concept that's spoiled by the poor driving controls that make it feel like you're riding across a sheet of ice.) Rooftop races that have you going from checkpoint to checkpoint on foot, often by leaping from one building to the next, are a thrill. Likewise, climbing puzzles that have you ascend tall structures make for a chest-pounding activity. Just be sure to do those as soon as you meet the recommended agility level designated on the map; wait too long, and the satisfying rush of landing a difficult jump is gone due to your ability to skip obstacles with massive leaps.Co-op multiplayer improves things across the board, letting you race against a friend and engage in general shenanigans. The old Crackdown standby of picking up someone driving a car and throwing it--whether to help them reach a distant goal or simply to doom them--is a hilarious way to interact with another player, and it's nice that rooftop races can be a competitive activity. But all of this only masks the underlying problems of the game; the action is just as repetitive, and I found myself wishing my partner and I had something worth doing together. Still, co-op is easily the best way to play the campaign.Wrecking Zone, Crackdown 3's competitive multiplayer component, brings in the much-hyped cloud-powered destruction elements--but little else. There are two different 5v5 modes available: Agent Hunter, where you kill enemies and collect badges they drop to score points, and Territories, where you capture and hold zones to score points. Much like the campaign, neither mode brings anything new to the table, relying on the gunplay and destruction to do all the heavy lifting. What you see in your first few matches is repeated ad nauseam, with little variety.Rather than requiring players to freely aim, Wrecking Zone allows you to target enemies by holding a lock-on button that works even at long range. Doing so alerts the enemy to your position, but because this lock-on can be maintained so easily, securing a kill rarely feels enjoyable or as if you've truly earned it. It also means that deaths are often frustrating because they tend to be the result of someone spotting you first from an angle where it's difficult to break their line of sight. One-on-one duels amount to two players holding down their respective triggers and jumping around each other to little effect, due to the sheer strength of the lock-on; at that point, it's just a matter of who began firing first or if someone has to reload mid-fight. The end result is combat that's never truly satisfying.Destruction is Wrecking Zone's lone standout feature, but it's underutilized. Technically speaking, it's impressive, and the spectacle of watching buildings crumble is delightful. However, there tends to be the slightest of delays between when you'd expect that crumbling to begin and when it actually does, presumably due to the fact that this destruction is being processed by the cloud, rather than on your console. It's a nearly imperceptible wait, but it's enough to cause a feeling of disconnect with what's going on. Despite that, blowing things up is the most enjoyable part of Wrecking Zone, which makes it frustrating that it's not tied directly to what you're tasked with doing. There are times where you might be able to destroy a floor or wall to expose an enemy's position, but far more often you're better off repositioning yourself. Destruction tends to feel like an incidental event, rather than something that is a core aspect of gameplay. Because of that, Wrecking Zone is at odds with the one notable thing about it; your best opportunity to appreciate the destruction is to remove yourself from the action and hope no one comes to bother you as you blow things up.Leaping high through the air across rooftops and collecting orbs--which still feature one of the all-time great sound effects--is fun and rewarding, because that pursuit has a direct correlation to further improving your jump height. Lifting large objects and chucking them at foes is likewise an entertaining alternative to typical gunfights. Just like in its predecessors, these two superpowers are the primary source of what entertainment there is to be had in Crackdown 3. But it soon becomes apparent that the game has little new to offer beyond cool destruction tech that never gets put to good use. It certainly delivers on letting you blow things up and jump around the city. However, a dozen years after the first Crackdown offered that same experience but failed to provide you with enough interesting content surrounding that, it's truly disappointing to see this latest iteration suffer from the very same problems.Info from Gamespot.com

Capcom has released The Ghost Survivors DLC for the remake of Resident Evil 2. The expansion is free and available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Much like The 4th Survivor mode, The Ghost Survivors focuses on other characters you never interacted with in Leon and Claire's adventure throughout Raccoon City's police station. However, unlike the fourth survivor, Umbrella Security Services agent Hunk, these three additional characters are not meant to make it through the zombie outbreak. In fact, some met their demise prior to the events of the game, as you can discover their fate in Resident Evil 2's campaign.The first story, titled No Time To Mourn, focuses on Robert Kendo. Robert is the owner of Gun Shop Kendo, who sets out with a small arsenal to brave Raccoon City's streets--which are filled with a new type of poisonous zombie--in search of a means of escape. The second story, Runaway, follows Katherine Warren. The daughter of Raccoon City's mayor, Katherine must sneak her way to safety, all while avoiding or fighting a strangely mutated zombie that can only be stopped with special ammunition. The third story, Forgotten Soldier, follows Ghost. Like Hunk, Ghost is a U.S.S. agent that also survived the initial outbreak and is now trying to escape.Each story can be tackled on a regular difficulty, or an easier training mode. In a blog post, Capcom social media specialist Kellen Haney described each story as a "what if" scenario, providing "an alternate look at what things might have been like." So The Ghost Survivors isn't canon to the established lore of Resident Evil like The 4th Survivor is.In our Resident Evil 2 review, Alessandro Fillari gave the game a 9/10, writing, "Resident Evil 2 is not only a stellar remake of the original, but it's also simply a strong horror game that delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations, topping some of the series' finest entries. But above all, the remake is an impressive game for the fact that it goes all-in on the pure survival horror experience, confidently embracing its horrifying tone and rarely letting up until the story's conclusion. Though Resident Evil 2 has its roots firmly in the past, it reworks the familiar horrors into something that feels brand new and all its own."Info from Gamespot.com

NetherRealm Studios has confirmed Jade is returning to the fight in Mortal Kombat 11. A new gameplay trailer for Jade dropped during the developer's Kombat Kast live stream on February 14. You can watch it above.Jade's Mortal Kombat 11 trailer reveals her moveset now allows her to set up combos a little more easily in comparison to Mortal Kombat 9, and her new Crushing Blow and gruesome Fatality are proof she hasn't lost her edge. She sports a new outfit in Mortal Kombat 11, but it's still Jade's staple green. The ninja also hasn't lost her touch when it comes to delivering quips either.Here's how NetherRealm's official announcement describes her MK11 incarnation: "Now resurrected by an evil sorcerer, she serves the Netherrealm as an undead Revenant. Death hasn’t slowed Jade down, though. She still thrashes her enemies with her bo staff, razorrang, and patronizing put-downs.'Jade has been a part of the franchise since appearing as an unplayable character in the series' second entry, making her official debut in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. She last appeared in Mortal Kombat 9. Jade is a fairly fast fighter who's good at space control and pushing opponents back, able to use her staff and daggers to dish out damage from a slight distance as well.Other fighters confirmed for Mortal Kombat 11 include Kabal, D'Vorah, Kano, and several other franchise veterans. Scooby Doo's Shaggy, NetherRealm confirms, is not coming to Mortal Kombat 11 though. We've seen several cool skins for these characters as well, which are collected in a gallery.During Mortal Kombat 11's gameplay debut, director Ed Boon revealed in-game customization options. Each character has three pieces of gear that you can change, and there are more general makeover options as well. For example, Scorpion can switch up which katana he uses, as well as his mask and spear. A fighter's abilities can be customized as well.Mortal Kombat 11 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC on April 23. The game will have a beta test beforehand though--currently scheduled for March and only for Xbox and PS4--if you want to try it out before pre-ordering.Info from Gamespot.com

While most of the elements in Apex Legends are similar to other battle royale games, there is one big difference between Respawn's entry and others in the genre: the Legends, Apex's its unique cast of characters. Each character handles a little differently thanks to their specific abilities--some are best at offense, some specialize in defense, and some excel at supporting teammates. Deciding which character to play as and knowing how best they can aid your team is an essential part of the game.When it comes to Lifeline, Apex Legends' combat medic, it's all about playing smart and helping your teammates. Lifeline has some of the best support abilities in the game, but lacks any offensive options. She's great to have on a team, but when playing as her, you'll need to be smart about using her abilities to the fullest.Keep reading for all the information you need on Lifeline's abilities, including their strengths and weaknesses, as well as tips on how to use her effectively and help your team to victory. We've also got plenty more guides, including things that Apex Legends doesn't tell you`, a list of myths we've tested about how the game works, and a full rundown of the game's best guns. You might also want to check out our Apex Legends review while you're at it.General OverviewLifeline is the only medic of the current crop of Apex Legends characters, and as such, you'll see her on a lot of teams. Her healing abilities can be indispensable in times of crisis, making it a little easier to revive downed teammates and get them back up to fighting strength in the middle of a firefight. Her slate of support abilities mean she foregoes some offensive strengths, though--unlike other characters, she has no good means of attacking other players.Playing Lifeline well is all about working with your team and staying together. She's best kept close to other players but away from the front lines to lessen the chances that she'll get knocked down, so that when other players need help, she can assist them. She also lacks abilities that can help her escape in emergencies--she has nothing like the grapples, smoke, and shields that other characters can use. When you're playing Lifeline, you need to be smart and protect yourself so that you can protect your teammates.AbilitiesPassive: Combat MedicLifeline's most useful ability is the shield she projects in front of her when reviving teammates. While other players are stuck under fire when they revive and can be easily killed, Lifeline's shield saves her from the incoming damage. It can be the difference between losing a whole team and getting everyone back in the fight. Lifeline also heals herself and can revive teammates more quickly than other characters.Tactical: D.O.C. Heal DroneYou can save teammates and yourself from spending their health items with your healing drone. Lifeline can drop the drone anywhere, and anyone standing close to it gets health restored--although how much health the drone can dish out is limited, and gets split between all the nearby players. You should also note that anyone, including opponents, can make use of a healing done, so be sure to be careful about where you summon it.Ultimate: Care PackageLifeline's ultimate ability allows her to call her own supply drop anywhere she wants. It's not quite as good as the supply drops that appear automatically on the map from time to time, but it's still pretty solid--Lifeline's care packages include defensive items, so you can get some sweet armor and healing items out of them, and even high-level weapon attachments.Tips To PlayLifeline's healing capabilities are great for supporting your squad, but they leave her vulnerable to attack from enemies, and mean she doesn't have any handy abilities to use against opponents or get herself out of trouble. Therefore, when you're playing as Lifeline, you should try to stay back from fights and out of harm's way as much as you can so that you're ready to help out teammates when they need you.Going after revives will put you in the thick of the action, though, so it's best to be ready to defend yourself. Pick weapons that offer a lot of range, like the Longbow DMR or the G7 Scout, as well as shotguns or submachine guns for up-close encounters. Remember that while your job is to revive and heal people, getting killed while you do it is a great way to lose matches; shoot first, revive second.Whether you're playing as Lifeline or you have one on your team, keep an eye out for Ultimate Accelerants. Lifeline has one of the longer Ultimate cooldown timers, and the quicker you can get care packages, the quicker you can grab high-tier defensive loot. It's also worth trying to get several of Lifeline's care packages in a single match to help kit everyone else out.If you're set on gear and you still have a care package ultimate ready, try using it to distract enemies or confuse them. You can drop a package in one direction and run in the other, for instance, or call one and use it to draw out another squad for an ambush. We've also seen care packages kill enemy players by landing on them, and you use them to crowd tight areas or for cover--so get creative.Lifeline's quick healing means you should try to stay as healthy as possible. If you can manage to heal up without leaving your teammates hanging during a fight, do it; your chances of winning a fight are always higher if you have a higher health pool. Just remember that, in a fight, helping your team keep shooting is usually better than falling back. Gaining or losing a numerical advantage usually determines which team wins a battle.Drop health drones in cover positions so your teammates can fall back to them. Be careful where you leave them, though, because anyone can use them, including opponents.How To Counter Lifeline's WeaknessesLifeline is a great support character, but her lack of offensive abilities mean that all you've really got in a fight are your guns and your wits. You've got nothing that can help you escape bad situations or save you in a pinch. That means you want to be careful about the fights you get into and where you get into them. Lifeline is best when she has ample cover that she can use to protect herself and maybe even heal up, as well as clear escape lanes for when things get to hairy. If you're going to get into a fight with Lifeline, give yourself the best chance you can of surviving.You'll also want to be careful about committing to reviving other players. Just because you can use your shield to block incoming fire doesn't mean that you should go for those questionable pickups under fire. It's easy for other characters to close the gap and get around or through your shield to finish you off, so try to avoid going for revives when you don't have suppressing fire from a teammate to help.Lifeline is particularly vulnerable to things like sniping and airstrikes thanks to her lack of emergency abilities, so do your best to keep your head down--you're a high-value target for any squad trying to cripple your team in a fight. Conversely, if you're fighting another squad, their Lifeline can be an easier target than other characters for those same reasons. Taking out Lifeline early can make it tougher for a squad to recover in the midst of fighting you.Info from Gamespot.com

Apex Legends features a varied cast of characters that bring their own unique set of skills to the intense battle royale. Though many of these heroes fall into the same archetypes you would expect from familiar online shooters, each character's abilities have a special twist to them that can open up some interesting strategies and dynamics within the squad. With every match yielding their own situational encounters and tense gunfights, you'll need to know the ins and out of your character to survive, while also knowing what to do should you cross paths with them on the field.In this quick guide, we're taking a look at the cunning, but somewhat insecure Mirage. His peculiar skill-set can create some bizarre encounters where you'll see double, allowing him and his squad the chance to get the upper hand. Though these skills seem basic at first glance, they can create some interesting opportunities for you and your squad, which can open the pathway to becoming a champion.For more breakdowns of different characters, and along with our full review and other guides focusing on some of the best weapons in the game, check out our further Apex Legends coverage on GameSpot.General OverviewKnown as the Holographic Trickster, Mirage is one of the two unlockable characters in Apex Legends, the other being Caustic. He brings with him advanced holographic technology that can create false-duplicates for tactical purposes. On the surface, many of his skills appear a bit too situational and unorthodox, however, in keeping with the gameplay loop of a battle royale game, Mirage is the type of character that knows how to mess with his enemy's focus--which can mean all the difference in an intense fight.With his slate of holographic skills, Mirage can disorient enemies and create additional pressure during fights. His primary tactical skill, known as Psyche Out, allows Mirage to create a holographic clone that runs ahead of him. At first glance, this double is indistinguishable from the real thing, which can cause other players to open fire. Mirage's decoy also display intelligence as well, and they act different depending on where they're deployed to. For instance, using one near a supply box will have the decoy perform an animation where they try to open it. Though many of these skills require certain circumstances to truly be effective, they are at their best when used in situations where you're uncertain of what lies ahead, or when you need to help your squad out by drawing fire away from enemies. However, it may take some time getting used to his abilities. With this in mind, here's a quick breakdown on how to his skills effectively.Mirage's AbilitiesPassive Skill: Encore If all else fails and you get got, Mirage's passive skill Encore will kick in. Once you get knocked down, you'll instantly turn invisible and a decoy will drop in your place, who performs an overly dramatic death animation. This will buy you some time to crawl away to safety. However, the skill won't last long. If you're still out in the open and an enemy is nearby, then you're a prime target to get gunned down.Tactical Skill: Psyche Out Mirage's tactical ability Psyche Out allows you to send out a holographic decoy to confuse the enemy. It's a skill that has a surprising number of uses. In addition to drawing enemy fire in certain hot spots, allowing you to flank or get a bead on where a foe is hiding out, it's also a great skill to use for playing mind games. For instance, during the initial jump, you can send out decoys to landing spots, confusing enemy players into the thinking they're more active than they actually are.Ultimate Skill: Vanishing Act The Ultimate ability Vanishing Act is essentially a combination of Mirage's Passive and Tactical skills. When activated, Mirage will turn invisible and let a team of holograms distract the enemy for him. The skill is a great way to confuse enemies, who will likely lose track of which Mirage is the real one. This can be especially handy during tough fights in crowded spaces. Some of the best uses of Vanishing Act come when used to bail on fights that your squad is outmatched for or when you need to get the jump on enemies during a fight. However, there is a certain clue that can help enemy players keep track of the real Mirage. When you turn invisible, you'll leave a silhouette and can take damage. If the enemy can stay focused on any sudden movement, then they can still hit you with their shots.Tips To PlayMirage's greatest strength in battle is his ability to disorient enemies and shake up a fight. With his holographic skills, he can easily disrupt a fight by using his holograms, which also gives him and his squad some time to breathe. Right at the beginning of the match, once you and your squad make the jump, he can pull off some interesting tricks on other teams. While dropping from the ship, Mirage can send out up to two different holograms on the field. This can cause other teams to panic while in mid-flight, changing their course in order to avoid any possible fights when they're on the ground.Once you make it to the ground, Mirage is best used when keeping his skills close to the vest. Unlike other support characters, his abilities aren't handy with only his squad around. However, once things start to go down, when you inevitably cross paths with an enemy team, this is where Mirage can shine. If you get the sense that an enemy team is nearby, you can send out hologram to act as a probe, provoking any gunfire from enemies. While in the moment, it's difficult to tell what's the real Mirage or a hologram, and they'll likely open fire on-sight.Just like every other character, Mirage can carry his weight in a fight with any weapon he can get his hands on. However, given his trickster oriented skill-set, you may be better off using weapons that focus on long-range, such as the Longbow or Triple Take sniper-rifles. Once you toss out a decoy, you'll likely see enemies fire at the hologram, which will either give you a clue as to where they are--or if you're lucky--an opening if they decide to come run out to investigate.Mirage has a pretty peculiar skill-set, but in the hands of a patient, and decisive player, he can be an effective squadmate to have. Even before touching the battlefield, he can cause panic amongst the enemy teams, which can make for an impressive start for matches.Info from Gamespot.com