There are few authors whose work has been as consistently and successfully adapted as Stephen King. The huge success of 2017's It proved that movies of King's work are as popular as ever, and the It sequel is due later this year. Ahead of that, we have a new version of his classic 1983 book Pet Sematary, and the latest trailer has now released.While the first trailer was more interested in establishing a spooky mood, this one sets up the plot. We see the Creed family moving into a new house near some old woods and hearing stories about local kids who buried their dead pets in a makeshift cemetery (with a misspelt sign). A tragedy occurs and soon the family find themselves involved in some very dark supernatural events. Be warned--the trailer gives away some important plot developments. Check it out above.Pet Sematary stars Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), John Lithgow (The Crown, Dexter), and Amy Seimetz (Alien: Covenant, Stranger Things). It's directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, who previously helmed the acclaimed 2014 indie horror Starry Eyes, and it hits theaters on April 5, 2019. The first adaptation of Pet Sematary was released in 1989.In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Clarke spoke about what drew him to the project. "[It's] more than a horror movie," he said. "I was like, 'Where's the horror? I'm disturbed.' That was it for me, I found it insanely disturbing. [King] reaches inside you in some way, he always does. There is great intellect and great subconscious and subtext and thought and reason behind it."It: Chapter Two, meanwhile, is set to arrive in September. The movie is set 30 years after the first film, and it follows the adult versions of the kids in the original. It's directed by Andy Muschietti once more, who marked the end of shooting last year with this behind-the-scenes image.Info from Gamespot.com

In recent years, AMD has been in a position to react to Nvidia in the graphics card landscape. The RX Vega 64, which launched in August 2017, was an answer to the high-end GTX 1080 that first hit the market in May 2016. This time around, AMD's schedule isn't as far behind; the new Radeon VII is AMD's answer to Nvidia's RTX 2080 that came out in September 2018. And just like RX Vega, Radeon VII isn't here to blow Nvidia's lineup out of the water, rather, it's a viable option to compete with the newest generation of GeForce cards.AMD isn't rolling out fancy new graphics technologies like Nvidia did with RTX's real-time ray tracing or AI-powered supersampling (aka DLSS) for gaming, as those technologies are specifically tuned for Nvidia's Turing GPU architecture. But what AMD does offer is a significant improvement over its previous generation with a more efficient version of the Vega architecture, a ton of video memory (VRAM), and improved video encoding for content creators. In this review, however, we'll be measuring performance in eight graphically demanding PC games to see how it stacks against other cards. At $700 USD, the Radeon VII shares the same suggested retail price as the RTX 2080. And as you'll see from our tests below, while AMD's new card stays competitive, its raw performance doesn't quite justify the price point.A closer look at the Radeon VII card and its sleek silver aluminum shroud with a triple-fan cooling system. See the card from all angles in the gallery below.Table of Contents [hide]Technical DetailsSpecs and MethodologyBenchmark ResultsAssassin's Creed OdysseyShadow of the Tomb RaiderForza Horizon 4Final Fantasy XVMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarDeus Ex: Mankind DividedGrand Theft Auto VMetro: Last LightTemperaturesVerdictTechnical DetailsRadeon VII is the first consumer-level video card built with the 7nm manufacturing process, which allowed AMD to create the smallest GPU die yet. The shrunken die translates to better efficiency; higher clock speeds, more room for memory on the GPU, and better performance per watt. You can see this in the tech specs alone: Radeon VII sports base GPU clock of 1400MHz and boost clock of 1750MHz, while Vega 64 runs a base and boost clock of 1274MHz and 1546MHz, respectively. When it comes to VRAM, Radeon VII boasts 16GB of HBM2 since it's able to fit two additional stacks, resulting in memory bandwidth of 1TB/s as opposed to Vega 64's 8GB of HBM2 and 483 GB/s memory bandwidth.A closer look at the GPU die in the new Radeon VII video card (right) compared to the RX Vega 64 (left).When using RX Vega 64 as a comparison, Radeon VII looks a lot more efficient by offering better clock speeds and memory configuration with a smaller die. But its 300-watt TDP indicates that we're still working with a power-hungry card, especially considering the RTX 2080's 215-watt TDP (225-watt for Founders Edition).Specs and MethodologyFor the purposes of testing the new AMD Radeon VII card, we used a high-end test bench equipped with the following specs:CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K CPU (6-core/12-thread, 3.7 GHz)Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus X HeroCPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X62 liquid CPU coolerMemory: 16GB (8GBx2) HyperX Fury DDR4-2400MHz dual-channel RAMStorage: 1TB Samsung 970 EVO m.2 NVMe SSDPSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850-watt 80+ Gold PSUOS: Windows 10 64-bit Home EditionTo paint a clearer picture of where the Radeon VII stands against other high-end options, we tested five video cards in total for this this review:Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Founders Edition)Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 (Founders Edition)Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Founders Edition)AMD Radeon VII (Reference Card)AMD RX Vega 64 (Reference Card)Note: At the time of testing, we used the latest GeForce driver version 418.81 for Nvidia cards and the pre-release Radeon Software version 18.50.15.02 for AMD cards.The RTX 2080 was included since it's the most direct competitor (and in the same price tier as the Radeon VII), and we brought in the GTX 2080 Ti to see how wide the gap is between AMD's new top-end GPU and Nvidia's best consumer-level card. Also included is nvidia's previous generation powerhouse in the GTX 1080 Ti that still stands strong. And of course AMD's previous flagship card, RX Vega 64, was tested alongside Radeon VII to see just how much of a generational bump the new card has to offer.For measuring performance, we chose eight games featuring comprehensive in-game benchmark tools that are representative of the more graphically demanding side of PC gaming. Since we're working with high-end video cards, resolutions of 4K and 1440p were tested while using the highest quality settings available in each game. The results can be seen below.Benchmark ResultsAssassin's Creed OdysseyUbisoft knows how to make a beautiful open world using the latest advanced graphics options that push your hardware, evident with Assassin's Creed Odyssey. To get our results, we used the built-in benchmark test that does a fly-by of the expansive landscape of Ancient Greece. We also used the "Ultra High" graphics preset which includes maxed out character detail, volumetric clouds, environmental quality, temporal anti-aliasing (TAA), and so much more.At 4K, the Radeon VII performs nearly identically to the RTX 2080 with both cards getting an average of 40 FPS and 41 FPS, respectively. However, AMD's new card trails behind at 1440p with the RTX 2080 managing a seven-frame (or 11.7%) advantage. This also means the Radeon VII performs on par with the GTX 1080 Ti at 1440p, though it does offer a slight bump in 4K. Compared to the RX Vega 64, the Radeon VII offers a 25% and 33.3% performance boost in 4K and 1440p, respectively.Shadow of the Tomb RaiderShadow of the Tomb Raider is another visual showcase with robust graphics options and a built-in benchmark tool that takes you through vast, detailed environments. Using the "Highest" graphics preset, we have visual effects like volumetric lighting, HBAO+, tessellation, and great-looking shadows along with TAA to help clean up image quality.The Radeon VII gets averages of 44 FPS in 4K and 81 FPS in 1440p; this comes close to matching the RTX 2080 in average FPS, as Nvidia's card leads by a handful of frames (6% in 4K and 7% in 1440p). This also means that the Radeon VII beats out the GTX 1080 Ti by just a hair, and outperforms Vega 64 by 25.7% in 4K and 26.6% in 1440p.Forza Horizon 4The Forza Horizon series has always had beautiful landscapes in open worlds for you to whip around and race your custom-tuned cars. Horizon 4 is the best example of that, and thankfully it comes with an in-game benchmark that takes you through a full race with crowds, weather effects, and scenic views.The Radeon VII has some trouble keeping up in 4K as the RTX 2080 overtakes it by 15.7% and GTX 1080 Ti by 13.7%. The gap closes in 1440p since both aforementioned Nvidia cards only lead by 5% each. But between AMD generations, the Radeon VII zooms past the RX Vega 64 by 24.4% in 4K and 19.4% in 1440p.Final Fantasy XVSquare Enix offers the Final Fantasy XV benchmark tool for free, so those who don't have the game can still see how well their system performs in one of the best-looking RPGs to date. The test itself is lengthy and takes you across Eos in the Regalia, through a few battles, and to a campsite where Ignis cooks up a tasty dish. However, the test itself doesn't give you FPS results or a performance breakdown and instead spits out a total score. A general rule of thumb for this test is to divide the score by 100 to get a rough estimate of the average FPS.AMD cards don't do particularly well in Final Fantasy XV, evident in the fact that the Radeon VII lags behind the RTX 2080 by 42% at 4K and 45.6% at 1440p. It doesn't come all that close to the GTX 1080 Ti either. Radeon VII does offer a 16.2% and 18.6% bump over the Vega 64 at 4K and 1440p, respectively.Middle-earth: Shadow of War2017's Middle-earth: Shadow of War offers a variety of graphics options that let you crank up things like ambient occlusion and tessellation; the game also comes with a good benchmark tool that showcases several effects and large crowds in a short camera fly-by. We used the Ultra quality preset and TAA for antialiasing.Here, the Radeon VII edges out the GTX 1080 Ti ever-so-slightly by one FPS in both resolutions, but gets beaten by the RTX 2080 by 9.6% in 4K and 11.9% in 1440p. As for improvement over last generation, the Radeon VII offers a boost of 23.8% in 4K and 21.7% in 1440p.Deus Ex: Mankind DividedDeus Ex: Mankind Divided is a resource-heavy game with all its eye candy cranked up. It offers a ton of options like tessellation, high-quality ambient occlusion, cloth physics, contact hardening shadows and a whole lot more. The in-game benchmark sequence takes you through a marketplace in Golem City where character models, lighting, and shadows come into play, and it gave us our results here.This is one game where the Radeon VII performs identically to the RTX 2080 in both 4K and 1440p, which means it gets a slight lead on the GTX 1080 Ti by just a few FPS. Compared to its predecessor, the Radeon VII shows a 30% and 23.2% improvement in 4K and 1440p, respectively.Grand Theft Auto VGrand Theft Auto V doesn't have any presets in the graphics options, so we tinkered with the settings ourselves. We set everything to Very High, used PCSS soft shadows, applied 4x MSAA along with FXAA. Despite being an older game, GTA V can still push high-end systems when running 4K resolution. The in-game benchmark tool runs five different sequences, each with their own average FPS, so took the average of all those sequences for the final result.At 4K, the Radeon VII almost keeps up with the RTX 2080 and GTX 1080 Ti, only trailing by a few FPS. However, the gap slightly widens at 1440p with the AMD card behind the 1080 Ti by 11.2% and 2080 by 9%. Radeon VII does make a significant jump of 48.5% at 4K and 38.1% at 1440p compared to last gen's Vega 64.Metro: Last LightWhile Metro: Last Light is the oldest game of the bunch, it can still stress powerful PCs when you throw supersampling into the mix at high resolutions. The game's benchmark tool takes you through a slow motion fly-by of the game's final fight sequence that has special effects and many character models all at once.The Radeon VII trails both the RTX 2080 and GTX 1080 Ti by 14.7% at 4K but closes the gap slightly in 1440p just behind the 1080 Ti by 8.8% and the 2080 by 11.8%. When put against the Vega 64, the Radeon VII pulls ahead by 30.8% at 4K and 28.3% at 1440p.TemperaturesOf all five cards in our review, the Radeon VII unfortunately takes the cake when it comes to load temperature. When accounting for Radeon VII's high TDP, it would be expected for it to run hot, but with a whopping peak load temperature of 104 C, it surpasses every other card by a longshot. Thankfully, this didn't result in any functional issues, but those who want to run a cool system should take note. Radeon VII's cooling solution may not the best for keeping temperatures down, but its fans stay fairly quiet.Video CardIdle Temp (Celsius)Load Temp (Celsius)Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti31 C78 CNvidia RTX 208030 C75 CNvidia GTX 1080 Ti36 C85 CAMD Radeon VII34 C104 CAMD RX Vega 6437 C84 CLoad temperature measurements were obtained via CPUID HWMonitor when performing the Assassin's Creed Odyssey benchmark.VerdictThe scope of our tests intended to cover how the card handles graphically demanding games relative to AMD's previous generation and the competition. It's fair to say that the Radeon VII isn't a slouch, as it puts up in-game performance numbers close to the RTX 2080.Those who want to stay within the AMD ecosystem should be happy to know that the Radeon VII can handle games in 4K at high settings with playable framerates, which shows significant improvement over RX Vega 64. If you have your eyes set on 4K display or high refresh rate 1440p FreeSync monitor, Radeon VII is of course the best option from AMD. Also keep in mind that future AMD drivers may help with optimizations or improved performance, but that's something we have to see develop software matures.However, the bummer is that at the Radeon VII costs $700, the same as the RTX 2080. So, it's tough to make a compelling case for Radeon VII given the performance metrics, efficiency, and price point of your other option. You can't help but wonder why one would choose to go with AMD's current offering when Nvidia is paving the way for new tech like real-time ray tracing and DLSS, both of which look like promising features as more games adopt them. In addition, support for Nvidia hardware using adaptive sync (or FreeSync) continues to grow, further sweetening the deal for those strictly looking for the best value in a GPU for PC gaming.If anything, Radeon VII gives AMD an avenue to challenge Nvidia in the high-end graphics card space, and it's a necessary competitor, especially if AMD decides to be more flexible and offer aggressive pricing in the future.Info from Gamespot.com

We're now in Fortnite Season 7, Week 10, which means there isn't long left until the season comes to a close and a new one begins. While that's sure to include an exciting upheaval on the island following this week's new patch, it also means that time is running out to get the Battle Pass rewards for Season 7. But before you start wrapping up challenges from previous weeks, let's get the latest batch completed.As always, challenges are split into two categories, with one set available to all players and a second set exclusively for those that have spent money on a Battle Pass. Completing said challenges will reward you with Battle Stars, which in turn level up your free or paid Battle Pass and unlock cosmetic rewards. Easy peasy.In the free section for Week 10, players will need to place a Mounted Turret or a Damage Trap in three different matches for five Battle Stars. After that it's on to search seven chests at Lazy Links or Dusty Divot for five Battle Stars, and then three Assault Rife eliminations for 10 Battle Stars.For those with a paid Battle Pass, challenges involve doing 200 points of damage with Scoped Weapons for five Battle Stars, getting a score of five or more at the Shooting Gallery east of Wailing Woods (this is part one of a three-part challenge), visiting four Expedition Outposts in a single match, and hitting three opponents with a Chiller Grenade or Boogie Bomb in different matches.FreePlace a Mounted Turret or a Damage Trap in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle StarsSearch Chests at Lazy Links or Dusty Divot (7) -- 5 Battle StarsAssault Rifle eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle StarsBattle PassDeal damage with Scoped Weapons to opponents (200) -- 5 Battle StarsGet a score of 5 or more at the Shooting Gallery east of Wailing Woods (1) -- 1 Battle StarVisit Expedition Outposts in a single match (4) -- 10 Battle StarsHit an opponent with a Chiller Grenade or Boogie Bomb in different matches (3) -- 10 Battle StarsIt seems the preparations for Fortnite Season 8 have already begun. Players have noticed that earthquakes are occurring in-game, with tremors shaking the island mid-match. Dataminers previous discovered audio files labeled as "small," "med," and "lrg," indicating that these tremors are going to get worse. Presumably this will in turn lead to the type of map-changing event that we've seen kick off the past few seasons.Season 7 of Fortnite is scheduled to come to a close on February 28, according to Epic's website. That's your deadline on completing challenges from previous weeks, but you can get tips and guides from our complete Season 7 challenges roundup to speed things up. Info from Gamespot.com

PES 2019's big data pack 4.0 update is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, adding a bunch of cosmetic options to the sports sim--and making a few gameplay tweaks, too.Headlining the update is the addition of Celtic Park and Ibrox as new stadiums, along with plenty of player faces for Rangers' and Celtic's squads. More than 70 player faces are included in the update, including some from the biggest leagues around the world. Finally, new boots from Nike, Adidas, Puma, and Umbro have been added, as well as the Thailand national team's official kits.Before the release of #DP4 tomorrow, take a look at some of the player faces updates from the English League and Eredivisie. #PES2019 pic.twitter.com/TTSnjKoDfC — Pro Evolution Soccer (@officialpes) February 6, 2019Data Pack 4 launches alongside the announcement of new Legends coming to PES 2019's MyClub mode later this month. Hidetoshi Nakata, Park Ji-Sung, and Francesco Totti will be available in-game as part of MyClub's February campaign.PES 2019--as with many recent titles in the series--has been a critical success. When it launched in August last year, we awarded it a 9/10 in our PES 2019 review. "For as long as EA continues to develop FIFA and hold a monopoly over official licences, PES will be the scrappy underdog just hoping for a surprise upset, even when it's fielding the likes of London Blue and PV White Red," wrote our critic, Richard Wakeling. "The lack of licences for top-tier leagues remains a disheartening sticking point, but PES continues to make brilliant strides on the pitch, building on what was already an incredibly satisfying game of football to produce one of the greatest playing football games of all time. It might be lacking off the pitch, but put it on the field against the competition and a famous giant killing wouldn't be all that surprising."Info from Gamespot.com

Week 10's challenges for Season 7 of Fortnite are now available, and one of them asks you to visit Expedition Outposts. This tasks may be familiar to you, as it's been used multiple times in the season. However, if you're still not intimately familiar with their locations, we're here to lend a helping hand. Below you'll find a guide on how and where to find the Expedition Outposts--something you'll need to do four times in a single match.Expedition Outposts can be seen on the map as little red dots. In the actual game they appear as small red bunkers with a little globe icon on them. You can usually spot them by looking for the X-4 Stormwing planes that are often scattered around the outposts.All you've got to do to complete the challenge is to find the outposts and pass through the area. When you do so, you'll see your progress towards completing the challenge tick up. The tricky part is getting to all of them in a single match. We recommend jumping in a plane and flying between them, as that lowers the chances of being taken out by an enemy player. And you don't have to actually land the plane, as simply flying through the area is enough to count towards the challenge.To make things easier, we've got a list of bunker locations below, as well as a map to show your their exact locations. You can also watch the video above to see us complete the challenge.Expedition Outpost LocationsSoutheast of Lazy Links (F3)Northeast of Pleasant Park (D3)Southwest of Pleasant Park (C4)West of Dusty Divot (F5)West of Lonely Lodge (I5)West of Paradise PalmsSouth of Shifty Shafts (D8)According to Fortnite developer Epic's website, Season 7 of Fortnite is set to end on February 28. You don't have much time left to complete all the challenges from the season and unlock the cosmetics, but you can use our complete Season 7 challenges roundup to get it done quicker.Epic recently launched Fortnite's 7.30 content update, and it introduced a new weapon called the Bottle Rocket, which unleashes a salvo of explosives on structures when thrown. Bottle Rockets can be found in stacks of two in floor loot or chests, Vending Machines, Supply Llamas, and Supply Drops. You can read Fortnite update 7.30's full patch notes to see what else it does. Info from Gamespot.com

The beta for The Division 2 is now live, so you can explore the burned-out wreckage of a post-apocalyptic Washington DC for a limited time. This is a private beta, so you'll need to have gotten in through a pre-order for the game, or having been randomly selected for entry after signing up online.The beta includes two main missions, five side missions, some open-world activities, and one of the three new Dark Zones. The beta will add an extra piece of endgame content, called an Invaded mission, on February 8 at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 4 PM GMT. The player cap for the beta will be level 30.The team has acknowledged some issues as the beta has rolled out, from wrongfully labeling players as banned to issues with friend invites. You can keep an eye on the official Twitter account for fixes as they come.The first Division took place in New York City, following the outbreak of a bio-engineered virus. The mastermind behind the biological attack put the infection on dollar bills that circulated during Black Friday and subsequent heavy shopping days, which spread the virus quickly. The city quickly descended into chaos and was quarantined, and a secret cabal of sleeper agents--the titular Division--were dispatched to restore order. This sequel takes place in the nation's capital, which apparently didn't fare much better.Check out everything we know for more details on the beta and details on how to get in and read up on how Dark Zones have changed. Microsoft recently announced two Xbox One bundles that will come packaged with The Division 2. The full game releases on March 15.Info from Gamespot.com

Following his guest appearance in SoulCalibur VI, The Witcher 3's Geralt of Rivia is venturing into Capcom's hit action RPG, Monster Hunter World. The White Wolf will arrive as a free update for the PS4 and Xbox One versions today, February 7 (with a PC release to follow later), and he'll come alongside new Witcher-inspired quests.The update is scheduled to go live at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET (12 AM GMT on February 8). Capcom hasn't shared many details yet on what the new quests will entail, but the publisher says they'll have "a unique flavor, blending the RPG mechanics of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt with Monster Hunter World's game systems."According to Capcom, the Witcher collaboration event was developed closely with CD Projekt Red, the studio behind the Witcher series and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077. Geralt's original voice actor was also brought in to provide new voice over work for the collaboration.Geralt arrives in the midst of Monster Hunter World's first anniversary event, the Appreciation Fest. The event will continue to run on all platforms until February 21, and it brings back most of the game's previous Event Quests alongside some new ones. Players can also craft new anniversary gear sets for their hunters and Palicos.Monster Hunter World has been a huge critical and commercial success for Capcom since it launched last January. The publisher recently revealed the title has sold more than 11 million copies world. Its positive critical reception also helped Capcom claim the honor of being Metacritic's top publisher of 2018.Capcom still has a lot more new content planned for Monster Hunter World. This fall, the publisher will release Iceborne, a major paid expansion that will introduce new monsters to hunt, locales to explore, gear to craft, and other content.Info from Gamespot.com

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 will still use James Gunn's script, according to star Chris Pratt. Gunn had been primarily responsible for bringing Guardians to the big screen, having written and directed both previous films before being fired from the third.Pratt, who plays the Guardians leader Star-Lord, confirmed that the project is on and will use Gunn's script in an interview with MTV News. At the same time, he shared mixed emotions about how he feels moving forward with this last installment without Gunn leading the project as director."Well, I love James. I'm loyal to James and I love him so much," Pratt said. "We're gonna deliver the movie, we're gonna give the fans what they deserve. I think it's in the nature of the Guardians of the Galaxy to come together and get the job done. And that's what we'll do."Gunn had been fired by Marvel Studios, following an online campaign criticizing distasteful comments he had made earlier in his career. The entire Guardians cast signed a letter of support for him as director, but Disney and Marvel didn't budge. The project was put on hold indefinitely, and Dave Bautista (who plays Drax) threatened to leave the project if the studio went with a new scriptwriter. Reports began to circulate late last year that his script would likely still be used.The director isn't short on big-budget superhero projects, though. Marvel's loss was DC's gain, as Warner Bros. brought him on to write the next Suicide Squad film. He may also direct it, though that is unconfirmed as of this time. Bautista has expressed interest in appearing in the Suicide Squad film as well.Info from Gamespot.com

The newest free game being given away on the Epic Game Store is Axiom Verge. First releasing in 2015, Axiom Verge proved popular with fans with its gripping science fiction narrative and Metroidvania-inspired mechanics.Axiom Verge will be free to download on the Epic Game Store until February 21, but it's yours to keep and play forever once you have. All you need to do is create an Epic account on the company's store page, sign-in, and then you can download the game. It's worth keeping your account around if you want more games, because after Axiom Verge, the Epic Games Store will start offering the excellent Thimbleweed Park for free.In our Axiom Verge review, Peter Brown gave the game an 8/10, writing, "Axiom Verge is a game that's easy to fall in love with because it hits so many high notes. It takes the Metroidvania model and adds layers of ingenuity that are in a league all of their own, the most notable being the Address Disruptor. Yes it's occasionally drab looking, and some enemies may not fit in with the rest of the world, but when a game is this good, these blemishes quickly fade into the back of your mind. The chilling sci-fi setting, mysterious plot, and a seemingly endless number of abilities keep your mind busy, and your curiosity at fever pitch. It's not a stretch to say that Axiom Verge is better than the games that inspired it, because it's so inventive and thoughtfully crafted. There's no excuse to hold onto the past when the present is this amazing."The Epic Store is one of the more recent additions to the competition challenging Valve's dominance over the PC gaming market with Steam. Epic has been in the news recently for its habit of securing major exclusives away from Steam, such as Metro Exodus and The Division 2. Valve described Epic's acquisition of the former as "unfair" for players, and the decision to not launch the game on Steam has stirred quite a bit of controversy. Exodus isn't the only major title coming out in the next month that won't launch on Steam, as additional games like Anthem and Crackdown 3 are releasing exclusively on other stores.Info from Gamespot.com

Sometimes, the staggering number of games out there can feel overwhelming, especially if you plan to be part of the discourse surrounding the immeasurable amount of games. Thankfully, Microsoft's making the decision of what to play a little easier with its newest offering of free games for the platform's Free Play Days event.The news comes via the official Twitter account of Microsoft's Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson. From now until Sunday, February 10, at 11:59 PM PT (2:59 AM ET / 7:59 AM ET on Monday), Xbox Live Gold subscribers can play Fishing Sim World, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and The Sims 4 all for free.In addition to playing these three vastly different games for free during the weekend, each game will receive a discount of up to 25-80%. Fishing Sim World sees a 25% discount, priced at $15 in the US instead of $20. The Master Chief Collection also gets a 25% discount, dropping from $30 to $22.49. The Sims 4 sees the largest discount of the three titles at 80% off the base game, going from $40 to $8. Additionally, select The Sims 4 expansions--like Cats & Dogs, Seasons, and others--will receive a 50 percent discount.For the uninitiated, The Sims 4, developed by The Sims Studio and published by EA, is the fourth major entry in the long-running The Sims franchise. Similar to previous iterations and spin-offs, The Sims 4 is a life simulation where you control avatars as they go about their lives, interacting with them in a variety of ways and exploring their oftentimes eclectic personalities. Halo: The Master Chief Collection, developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Game Studios (which has just been rebranded), is a compilation of the platform's most iconic first-person shooter. It bundles Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (a 2011 enhanced remake of 2001's seminal shooter, Halo: Combat Evolved), Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 in one package, streamlining Master Chief's journey. Developed and published by Dovetail Games, Fishing Sim World is just what the name sounds like: a fishing simulator where you... catch fish in what's pitched as "the most authentic fishing simulator ever made."All three games are available to download and play for free now. Just head over to the official Free Play Days part of the Microsoft Store, or search for them on the Xbox One's marketplace. If you're willing to part with some cash, there are some nice Xbox One game deals on Xbox Live this week, or you could also download the just-released free-to-play battle royale shooter from Respawn, Apex Legends.Info from Gamespot.com

In case you missed out on the last Devil May Cry 5 demo on Xbox One, a new one is now available for both Xbox One and PS4. As noted on the game's official Twitter, this demo introduces a new Devil Breaker called the Punch Line, as well as the ability to power up by calling Nico.The last demo was available on Xbox One in December but was subsequently pulled in January. That one was Xbox One exclusive, and it remained playable for those who had downloaded it previously. This second demo is the first time PS4 players get a taste of the stylish action game.Devil May Cry 5 is a direct sequel to DMC4, ignoring the series reboot that received a mixed reception. As a result it brings back Dante and Nero in recognizable fashion, along with a new playable character named V. He appears to have an axe to grind against the other heroes, and his move set is more about controlling a variety of summoned beasts. Devil May Cry 5 is among our most anticipated games of 2019., and we just spent several hours kicking its tires."When DmC: Definitive Edition and DMC4: Special Edition both launched in 2015, it lay a crossroads of where the series could go," wrote editor Matt Espineli. "After playing both, I realized that the series can honestly be one or the other and still be phenomenal. Before going to this event, I anticipated Capcom would make DMCV a hybrid of both, but in the end it seemingly chose one: classic DMC."Devil May Cry 5 is coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 8.Info from Gamespot.com

From Software has released a new trailer for its upcoming Souls-like game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The trailer delivers our first official look at the game's story, specifically the origin of its protagonist, The Wolf. You can watch it above.The developer behind Dark Souls and Bloodborne is changing quite a few aspects of its tried-and-true formula to deliver a new kind of experience with Sekiro. For one, Sekiro's protagonist actually speaks. The story in Sekiro plays out more as a Japanese drama, with players embodying a specific character with his own established backstory, feelings, and sense of morality. Some of the narrative will play out as flashback sequences as well, which is another first for From Software when it comes to its Soulsborne titles.Sekiro's boss battles will also play out differently than what's been seen in Bloodborne and Dark Souls. "The traversal options allow much more dynamic movement within the boss arena, both for yourself and the boss character themselves," From Software director Hidetaka Miyazaki said. "Previously, you would have just had to run around a huge boss' feet and hack away at his ankles, but now you have all these movement options; you can both fully use the extent of that arena." You'll actually be able to pause the game too, even in the midst of a hectic fight, as there isn't any multiplayer in Sekiro.Miyazaki has confirmed that Sekiro is "probably even more challenging than previous From games," and after playing some of it, we agree. Sekiro's addition of parkour and stealth mechanics certainly allows you to move faster and occasionally kill more efficiently in comparison to previous Soulsborne titles, but the game's new combat system of wearing down an enemy's guard before executing them definitely has a learning curve.Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is scheduled to release on March 22 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

After several hours spent playing Devil May Cry V, my wrist was cramped and the joints in my fingers were aching. These pains should be familiar to Devil May Cry fans; the series always demanded a high level of dexterity to master its combat. But in this sorry state, a joy washed over me: "I'm playing a new Devil May Cry, and that's awesome." But at the same time, another thought prodded my mind: "Will everyone else want this?"DMCV is a return to not only the series' previous canon, but to the philosophy and near fighting game-like intricacy of the first four games. As a longtime fan, it was exhilarating to play Nero and Dante again, slowly learning the strategic nuances of their every move, while constantly trying to better my execution. The high skill ceiling taunted me, instigating a deep desire to better understand how Nero's Devil Breaker arms work, and to finally master seamlessly switching between Dante's four different fighting styles.While I'm confident hardcore fans will love the work that's been done with combat in DMCV, the level design in between combat sections leaves much to be desired. This is where I find myself second guessing what the game is doing. There are some lessons from DmC: Devil May Cry that haven't been learned from here. Say what you will about the polarizing reboot, but that game presented some incredibly interesting level design and provocative visuals; showcasing diverse and compelling environments (sans the edgy text displayed on walls).In DMCV, you're typically running through ruined city streets and dilapidated buildings infested by thorny roots from a massive demonic tree at the center of town. A mission in the aforementioned tree helped break things up, but interesting sights like this were quickly overrun by more of the same apocalyptic backdrops. The repetition wore me down, especially when I started to realize that progression outside fights could be narrowed down to "destroy this red sack on this root, open path, repeat." It made me yearn for the chaotic highs of air juggling demons and subsequently breakdance-fighting their friends into oblivion.If not for DMCV's fantastic combat, this issue would be more troublesome. But it got me thinking: does this problem exist because classic DMC games are designed with a different philosophy in mind? While I can't answer this question myself, all I know is that the innovation of the combat system is what keeps me eager to return to DMCV.Newcomer V is an excellent example of this innovation; his ranged playstyle is probably the most creative and refreshing part of DMCV so far. You use V's summoned beasts to damage enemies for you, while you stand back and wait for the moment to deliver the final blow after their life has been depleted. It's all about space management and calculated movement; you need to be mindful of enemies around you, as a dodge in any direction will instantly call back one of his summons from the fray for a brief duration. Cunningly avoiding attacks as you command your beasts to deliver complex juggles provides a satisfying thrill. It's made all the more rewarding by the impact of a final blow alongside V's goading remarks. V's fighting style defies the directly offensive strategies of previous playable characters, but it's one that still feels right at home with the series. He's where I feel DMCV's combat design expresses itself the most, innovating and rearranging what we know from past games.There are hints of previous mechanics all around, but refinements and alterations have brought new life to them. V's playstyle calls to mind the tactics spurred by Vergil's concentration gauge from DMC4: Special Edition, where minimal movement and calculated attacks are key. On the other hand, Nero's various Devil Breakers significantly evolve his playstyle by adding more offensive options in a fight. You can propel a foe across the screen with the Overture's powerful attack, but in short time, detonate it in another group of demons while switching over to the Punch Line, riding it like a rocket-propelled skateboard into those still left alive. A great degree of technical skill is introduced to Nero thanks to the Devil Breakers, making his once beginner-friendly playstyle more complex than ever before.Dante is the only character who seems to remain faithful to previous iterations with few adjustments made to his base abilities--but maybe that's the point. With all the new mechanics introduced with Nero and V, Dante maintains the series' tradition, confidently declaring that everything you remember from the classic DMC combat system is back. That said, I only had access to a few of the weapons in his arsenal, so it's possible even he may change as you progress further in the full game.It's difficult to balance my expectations for DMCV. The more experimental DmC: Devil May Cry inspired me to think more deeply about what a game in the series could be, calling upon a higher standard for its accessibility and design overall. But my time with DMCV brought back memories of my infatuation with the story and combat of early games. Dante sports that same endearing confidence that charmed my teenage heart all those years ago. Nero maintains the brashness of DMC3 Dante that I love; though, a new outlook reduces his once angsty demeanor. And with the innovation and creativity present in combat, I can't help but look past my greater dreams of what DMC's structure could be and simply accept DMCV for the traditional experience it is. If that means newcomers being further alienated from one of my favorite series of all time, then that might be a reality I have to accept. My fondness for the series in this form is simply too strong to want it any other way.When DmC: Definitive Edition and DMC4: Special Edition both launched in 2015, it lay a crossroads of where the series could go. After playing both, I realized that the series can honestly be one or the other and still be phenomenal. Before going to this event, I anticipated Capcom would make DMCV a hybrid of both, but in the end it chose one: classic DMC. Info from Gamespot.com

We're in the final stretch of Fortnite Season 7, but there's still plenty to see and do in the hit battle royale game before Season 8 kicks off. That includes Week 10's challenges, which are now available across all platforms. You'll find the usual assortment of tasks in this batch, including another search for Expedition Outposts.As usual, completing challenges will reward you with Battle Stars, which in turn will level your Battle Pass up and unlock Season 7 cosmetics. If you finish all of the tasks from a given week, however, you'll also complete one of this season's Snowfall challenges and unlock a special loading screen that points you toward a free Battle Star (good for leveling your Battle Pass up by one tier) or a Banner (which can be used as a profile icon) hidden somewhere on the map.If you've finished all 10 sets of weekly challenges, you'll complete the final Snowfall challenge, which will reward you with the loading screen pictured below. This one depicts the Prisoner--the Legendary skin you unlock for completing 60 weekly challenges--sitting beside a campfire atop a hill. Look to the left of the campfire, however, and you'll spot a Banner waiting beneath a tree in the distance. That's where you'll need to go to find the item.The tree in question can be found at the edge of the desert, near the race track just east of Retail Row. Once you've jumped into a match, glide to the area, locate the tree, and the Banner will appear beneath it, just as in the loading screen. Collect it like you would any other item then finish the match, and the Banner will be yours to use as an icon. You can see its exact location on the map below. We also show you where to go in the video above.Like always, there are a couple of caveats for this secret Banner. The item won't appear in the game unless you've completed all 10 sets of weekly challenges, so you can't simply go to the right location and expect to find it unless you've done the necessary work. If you need help finishing up any remaining tasks, you can find tips in our complete Season 7 challenges guide.Season 7 is scheduled to end on February 28 according to Epic's website, so there isn't much time left to complete this season's challenges. Of course, with Season 8 quickly approaching, some unusual things have begun happening in the game, namely earthquakes. What this means for the new season remains to be seen, although it wouldn't be surprising for the tremors to result in some portion of the map being dramatically transformed.Fortnite Season 7 Snowfall Challenge GuidesFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 1 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 2 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 3 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 4 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 5 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 6 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 7 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 8 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 9 Snowfall Challenge GuideFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 10 Snowfall Challenge GuideInfo from Gamespot.com

The private beta for The Division 2 has begun, and like any real beta this one appears to be exposing some technical hiccups for Ubisoft to mend. The studio has already outlined some tips to avoid common problems in the beta, and announced upcoming maintenance.On its known issues page, Ubisoft outlines two relatively serious issues that it says will be fixed before the full game launch, but that may present problems for beta players. The first is that extended play sessions could either degrade the experience on PS4, or crash the game altogether on PC and Xbox One. To avoid this, the studio recommends restarting the game every two to three hours.The second known issue is that receiving a game invite from a friend within the game, while you are outside the game, will cause the client to crash once you launch it. The practical solution offered here is to simply make sure you start the game first and then join the group from within the game client.In a tweet, Ubisoft says server maintenance will be performed on Friday, February 8, starting at 12:30 AM PT / 3:30 AM ET, and last approximately three hours. That scheduled time is just before an extra piece of content was to be added: a piece of endgame content called an Invaded mission. Presumably that will now hit as soon as the maintenance ends.Other beta content includes two main missions, five side missions, open-world activities, and one new Dark Zone. The player cap is set at 30 for the beta.You can check the official Twitter account for updates on any issues that come up, and visit the forums to offer feedback and report new issues. The Division 2 launches on March 15.Info from Gamespot.com