Microsoft held an Xbox Insider livestream on Tuesday, and it was unusually chock full of news about the coming months and beyond. Packed into the presentation were announcements regarding the Halo series, Game Pass, Sea of Thieves, new console bundles, and more. Read on for a full recap of the news.Halo Outpost DiscoveryWe're still not sure just when to expect Halo Infinite, but fans can live out their Halo fantasies this year regardless. 343 and Microsoft will be hosting a traveling event with in-universe activities, panels, and more. It will visit five cities this year, open for one weekend in each. You can explore a Halo Ring, visit a Warthog, play VR simulations and laser tag, attend panels with creators, and get cosplay tips. Plus, of course, you can just play yourself some Halo. Check whether it's coming to your neck of the woods.Game Pass in FebruaryThe smallest month is bringing some big games to Xbox One Game Pass, the all-you-can-eat subscription service. The February line-up includes Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Walking Dead Season 1, and Batman: Return to Arkham, to name a few. The real headliner is Crackdown 3, which is finally really coming out after years of delays. As a Microsoft first-party game, it's included as part of Game Pass, so if you're a subscriber you already as good as own it. Check out the full calendar for when each game will drop on the service.The Division 2 and Anthem BundlesTwo more big games are dropping soon, and Microsoft is partnering with each one's publisher to offer hardware bundles. Both Anthem and The Division 2 are getting paired with Xbox Ones. The Anthem bundle includes the game's Legion of Dawn edition with bonuses, an Xbox One S 1 TB, and one-month trials of EA Access, Game Pass, and Xbox Live Gold. The Division 2 is getting two separate sets of bundles, one with a black Xbox One X and one with a white Xbox One S. Check out price and release date details to plan your purchases.Sea of Thieves Brings Your Mateys AboardIf your adventures on the high seas are feeling a little lonely, Rare and Microsoft are making it a little easier to fill your crew. Owners of Sea of Thieves or Game Pass subscribers can gift a copy of the game to up to three people, which will let them play for free until February 13. After that, they can purchase it for a 35% discount. Keep in mind that they'll need to a Gold membership to play the online game.New Red Controller is SportyIf you need a brand-new controller to play all these games on, the livestream covered that too. It debuted the new Sport Red Special Edition, which aside from the nifty paint job features rubber grips along the back. Because sports. It will cost $70 and release on March 5. A matching Pro Charging Stand will also be available in North America. Read more details on the nifty piece of kit.Microsoft Game Studios Becomes Xbox Game StudiosIn a bit of branding news that you may notice when you start up a first-party game in the future, Microsoft Game Studios is no more. It's been renamed Xbox Game Studios, which corporate VP Matt Booty says is a reflection of how the Xbox brand itself has expanded. This comes just after a series of acquisitions, so the newly rebranded Xbox Game Studios is now composed of 13 teams. Booty said the teams are working on "incredible exclusives, original IP, and all-new chapters from your favorite franchises." Info from Gamespot.com

BioWare has released a new video for Anthem which finally delves into the previously secretive details about how the end-game works. As you may expect your freelancer will be able to delve into extra-hard challenges to continue scoring better and better loot.To start, three extra difficulty modes will be unlocked once you reach pilot level 30, the game's level cap. Those are called Grandmaster 1, Grandmaster 2, and Grandmaster 3. The higher you set your difficulty, the better chances you'll have to score rare gear and cosmetic items.As for what you'll be doing with those extra difficulty modes, the end-game is composed of a few new objective types: challenges, contracts, and strongholds. Contracts are specialized missions you take on by talking to NPCs, and they improve your faction rep and unlock new blueprints. Legendary contracts are larger, multi-part missions with bigger rewards. Challenges will award you with coins and crafting materials, while strongholds are team-required missions with some of the biggest rewards.The video also teases that you can do freeplay in the end-game. You'll also find cataclysms, which are time-limited world events. Finally, the overview promises other features coming like guilds and social hubs, along with "massive world-changing events." Alongside this, BioWare shared a content roadmap in the form of a calendar of events; it lists the first "act," titled Echoes of Reality, as launching in March. It's rather vague, but you can see these in the images embedded above.EA is putting big hopes on Anthem to move six million copies in its first month and a half, following what it admits was a difficult quarter. Microsoft is also partnering with EA to offer an Anthem Xbox One bundle. Info from Gamespot.com

Jordan Peele's directorial debut Get Out was most of the most successful and critically acclaimed horror movies of recent years, and expectations are high for his follow-up, Us. It's another horror film and arrives next month. Following the movie's recent freaky Super Bowl trailer, a stunning new poster has been released.The poster was tweeted by Peele himself, and it shows star Lupita Nyong'o (Black Panther) pulling aside a mask of her smiling face to reveal a much scarier version underneath. We already know that the film focuses on a family who are terrorised by a group of identical doppelgangers, and this poster is every bit as unnerving as the footage released so far. Check it out below:pic.twitter.com/EpStDGxloj — Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) February 6, 2019Us also stars Nyong'o's Black Panther co-star Winston Duke as Gabe Wilson. Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale) and Tim Heidecker join them as members of the Tyler family, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II from Aquaman and Anna Diop from the DC Universe streaming series Titans, also appearing. It hits theaters on March 8, 2019.2019 is set to be a big year for Peele. In addition to Us, his take on a new Twilight Zone series will debut on CBS All Access on April 1 (disclosure: CBS is GameSpot's parent company). Peele will serve as host and narrator of the show, and his production company, Monkeypaw, is set to produce the series.In addition, Peele is producing a new Amazon series titled The Hunt. The show is set in 1977 New York City and centers on a group of people known as Hunters who track down Nazis hoping to establish a Fourth Reich in America. Last month it was reported that Al Pacino will take the lead role in the series.Info from Gamespot.com

2019 may have only just begun, but this year has already given us some great new games, with many more on the way. Capcom and Square Enix capped off January with two veritable blockbusters, the Resident Evil 2 remake and Kingdom Hearts 3, and February has a handful of its own marquee titles in store for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.February 15 in particular is shaping up to be one of the busiest days of the year in terms of releases. Three big-name games are set to launch on that day, including Microsoft's oft-delayed Crackdown 3, Ubisoft's latest Far Cry game, New Dawn, and Metro Exodus. Bandai Namco's star-studded crossover brawler, Jump Force, also arrives that day, while BioWare's anticipated shooter/RPG follows closely behind on February 22.That's on top of all the titles that have already been released, including Ace Combat 7, the Advance Wars-like strategy game Wargroove, and Respawn's surprise free battle royale game, Apex Legends. There are plenty of others on the way this month as well. You can see all of the biggest game releases for February 2019 below. For a wider look at what's ahead this year, be sure to check out our complete list of game release dates in 2019.Crackdown 3 (Xbox One, PC) -- February 15After suffering numerous developmental setbacks, Crackdown 3 is finally ready to launch for Xbox One and PC this month. Set 10 years after the events of its predecessor, the game sees the Agency returning to New Providence to deal with a mysterious terrorist organization known as Terra Nova. Like previous entries, Crackdown 3 features the series' trademark over-the-top action along with new features like Wrecking Zone, a hectic, cloud-based multiplayer mode set in a completely destructible arena.Further reading:Crackdown 3's Multiplayer Makes An Incredible First Impression, Overshadowing Single Player In The ProcessCrackdown 3: Everything You Need To Know - Story, Multiplayer, Launch Date, And MoreCrackdown 3's New Wrecking Zone Multiplayer Mode Shown At X018Far Cry: New Dawn (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- February 15Ubisoft is following 2018's Far Cry 5 with the post-apocalyptic spin-off Far Cry: New Dawn. Like last year's installment, the game is set in the fictional Montana town of Hope County, but it takes place 17 years in the future, after the US was ravaged by nukes in one of Far Cry 5's endings. The region has now fallen under the control of the Highwaymen, a group of bandits led by the murderous twins Mickey and Lou, and it's up to players to band together with other Hope County survivors and bring them down.Further reading:Far Cry: New Dawn - Ubisoft Talks Nuking The USA And Female VillainsFar Cry: New Dawn Is Now A Fallout-esque Apocalyptic RPGFar Cry: New Dawn Marks The "Beginning Of A New World"--Here's Everything We KnowMetro Exodus (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- February 15The next installment in 4A's first-person survival shooter franchise, Metro Exodus, arrives a week earlier than originally planned, and it takes the series to new places--both figuratively and literally. Set several years after the events of Metro: Last Light, Exodus follows protagonist Artyom and his companions as they trek across a post-nuclear war Russia. On the journey, players will explore larger, more sandbox-like environments that are littered with all manner of supplies to scavenge and mutants to fight.Further reading:Valve: Metro Exodus Leaving Steam For Epic Store Is "Unfair"Metro Exodus PC Specs Outlined, One Of Which Is An Epic AccountMetro Exodus Feels Best When It Sticks To Its RootsAnthem (PS4, Xbox One, PC) -- February 22BioWare's cooperative shooter, Anthem, officially arrives on February 22 (although EA is offering a complicated array of options for jumping in early). While the game still features role-playing elements, Anthem represents a marked departure for the renowned RPG studio. Players are cast in the role of Freelancers, fighters-for-hire who don high-powered exosuits called Javelins and take on quests, defeat monsters, and chase loot. BioWare also promises world-changing events and more to keep players coming back.Further reading:EA Shares A Chart To Help Decode Anthem's Release DateAnthem Will (Thankfully) Let You Run In Fort Tarsis When The Game LaunchesAnthem Demo: BioWare Explains Issues And What's Being FixedFull February Release ScheduleGamePlatformRelease DateAce Combat 7: Skies UnknownPCFebruary 1WargrooveSwitchFebruary 1Apex LegendsPS4, Xbox One, PCFebruary 4Etrian Odyssey: Nexus3DSFebruary 5The OccupationPS4, Xbox One, PCFebruary 5God Eater 3PS4, PCFebruary 8Yo-kai Watch 33DSFebruary 8The Liar Princess and the Blind PrincePS4, SwitchFebruary 12Crackdown 3Xbox One, PCFebruary 15Far Cry: New DawnPS4, Xbox One, PCFebruary 15Jump ForcePS4, Xbox One, PCFebruary 15Metro ExodusPS4, Xbox One, PCFebruary 15Yakuza KiwamiPCFebruary 26AnthemPS4, Xbox One, PCFebruary 22Anno 1800PCFebruary 26Dirt Rally 2.0PS4, Xbox One, PCFebruary 26Trials RisingPS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchFebruary 26Info from Gamespot.com

We're on the long, dusty road to Wrestlemania, but we have to make a pit stop at the last PPV before it that matters, Elimination Chamber--because Fastlane may as well be an episode of Monday Night Raw. Like most PPVs nowadays, there will be plenty of title matches on the card, but unlike most major WWE events, the star of the show is none other than the titular Elimination Chamber match.This match, which we only see once a year, puts six--or 12 if it's a tag team match--WWE superstars into an enclosed cell, but to make things more interesting, four of the six competitors are placed in pods at the start of the match. Then, another competitor enters the match every five minutes. This is an elimination match, so it only ends when--well--all but one WWE superstar is left standing.This year's event comes to PPV and the WWE Network on Sunday, February 17. And the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas will host it, beginning at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 12 AM GMT (February 18). Like all PPVs, there will be a Kickoff Show beginning one hour prior. Luckily, this event won't be as long as the Royal Rumble, which came in at around seven hours.If you plan on watching the event, there are two ways to go about it. You can order it through your cable or satellite provider, which is expensive, or watch it through the WWE Network for $10 a month. If you don't have the WWE Network, you can sign up for one month for free--as long as you are a new user.As of this writing, there are four matches on the card--two of which are Elimination Chamber matches. It doesn't seem like Raw's Universal Championship will be defended here, but Smackdown's WWE Championship will in an Elimination Chamber match. This event will also crown the first-ever Women's Tag Team Champions as well. There should be at least three more matches added to this card, with at least one taking place on the Kickoff Show. Here's what WWE has lined up for its fans so far.Elimination Match Card:Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa (Cruiserweight Championship)The Miz & Shane McMahon (c) vs. The Usos (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)Sasha 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)Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, February 17 for live coverage and a review of the show.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft is preparing to launch the beta test for The Division 2 this weekend, and you can begin pre-loading now. The beta will begin on February 7 at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 10 AM GMT. Pre-loading began 24 hours before that point.This is a private beta, so you can get access one of two ways. The first is to simply pre-order the game. Digital pre-orders will be granted access automatically without a key. You can also use manual links to add it to your library on Xbox One or PS4. Retail pre-orders will come with a unique code to be redeemed through the official site, which will then grant you a key. Note that digital pre-orders through the Epic Games Store will have their keys delivered in an email from Epic.The other method of entry is to sign up through the official site and hope to be randomly selected. If you are, you'll receive an access key via email, and then redeem it through the same method as the pre-order.The beta will include two main missions, five side missions, and other open-world activities. You can also dive into one of the three new Dark Zones. An Invaded mission, a piece of endgame content, will unlock on February 8 at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 4 PM GMT. Players will be capped at level 30.For more details on the upcoming beta, check out everything we know. Then for insight on the challenges awaiting you in the full game, read up the secret endgame faction. 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

Treyarch has released another update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Only minor changes are being made to Blackout, but the update makes larger changes to Multiplayer and Zombies.For Blackout, the update fixes an issue that allowed helicopters to fly outside of the circle on Ambush without malfunctioning. If you try to do so now, you're going to crash. Ambush is the newest game type in Black Ops 4's battle royale mode. It features a rapidly closing safe zone and limits players to sniper rifles, launchers, and melee weapons. Ambush will only be available for a limited-time.Larger changes have come to Multiplayer and Zombies in the new update. In the former, the issues that allowed 9-Bang to be used more than once per round in Heist and caused stability problems in Search & Destroy have been fixed. Mercenary Nuketown has also been added as a Featured Playlist, with Hardcore Nuketown, Mercenary Capture Moshpit, and Endurance Chaos Moshpit being added to the Featured category rotation. For Zombies, the update fixes several different exploits and glitches that have been plaguing some of the weapons.For the complete list of changes now live in Black Ops 4, check out the full patch notes on Reddit. We've also outlined the highlights below.Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Black Ops 4 February 5 Update Patch NotesMultiplayerFeatured Playlists Mercenary Nuketown added as Featured Playlist.Hardcore Nuketown, Mercenary Capture Moshpit, Endurance Chaos Moshpit, and Pro Series Moshpit added to Featured category.Game Modes Heist Resolved an issue that caused the 9-Bang to be used more than once per round in Heist.Stability Fixed a CODcaster crash with maximum players in Search & Destroy.ZombiesMiscellaneous Resolved an issue related to the Daemon 3XB where players could lose their weapons and points when taking a weapon from the Mystery Box.Closed an exploit where players could use the Electric Burst and a charged melee attack to stop enemies from pathing to players.Closed an exploit where players were able to keep the effects of the Ragnarok DG-5 if they were holding a Monkey Bomb or Claymore while the Special Weapon timed out.Closed an exploit where players could recreate the shockwave of the Special Weapon by switching between Equipment and Special Weapon.BlackoutMiscellaneous Helicopters now properly begin to malfunction when flying outside of the circle in Ambush.GeneralBlack Market Fixed an issue with Crash’s Warlock outfit that prevented players from receiving the corresponding Warpaint.Info from Gamespot.com

I adore Crash Team Racing; it was one of my favorite games growing up and it still is to this day. I remember every course, item, and shortcut from the original. And even after all these years, I can still compete against some of my best lap times. I firmly believe that CTR is the best kart racer of all time, and after playing a few hours of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, I can say with most certainty, that there's nothing to worry about about.Nitro-Fueled's presentation is incredible. The three tracks I got to play--Crash Cove, Polar Pass, and Dingo Canyon--all looked great. There’s so much new detail that developer Beenox has packed into the remake, not only on the tracks themselves, but particularly in the backgrounds. In Polar Pass, for example, I noticed bears climbing banners while a train chugged along just above the raceway. Details like this added new life to classic tracks, elevating their presentation past the original.Each character has their own unique set of animations for jumping and celebrating, too. Some character exclamations and taunts have also been re-recorded, while entirely new ones have been added to the roster. Dr. Neo Cortex has never seemed more like a bumbling maniacal mad scientist than he appears and sounds here. Speaking of which, sound design has also experienced an upgrade; missiles whizzing past my ears to an exhilarating effect, and the potions I threw ahead at my competitors landed with a satisfying splash. And of course, hearing the re-recorded title theme music hit me with a wave of nostalgia.As for replicating the overall feel, the CTR remaster seems to be honoring the original--for the most part. From the moment I picked up the controller, I was tapping the X button to charge my initial boost out of the gate, and immediately went into lining up the angle to get the perfect powerslide around the next corner. It certainly plays just like it used to: you start sliding, charge your turbo, and hit L1 to boost up to three times. The longer you let it charge, the longer your boost goes. However, the length of time that a boost lasts has been shortened, which is particularly noticeable on long, straight lanes without turns. On Crash Cove, for example, it used to be easy to keep your boost going in the final stretch using the turbo pads, but in Nitro-Fueled, this once useful strategy has been nerfed.Coming out of your drift also felt a bit off as well as if the turning radius after boosting had been adjusted. I'm not entirely positive if it's a matter of how far or quickly you turn, but it led to a couple of cases where I accidentally boosted off the ledge or into a wall because my angle was off. I'd need to test this mechanic more before confirming it to be an actual issue. What I played was still an early build, so there’s always room to fine-tune everything if my suspicions turn out true. Worst case scenario, it just means I need slightly adjust how I approach those turns.Minor control issues and changes aside, what I played of Nitro-Fueled still exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to pick it up and feel the rush of competition again. The updated visuals and sound were more than enough to trigger a deep yearning in me to jump back in. If Nitro-Fueled meets the high quality met by both Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy, then this just might be one of my favorites this year. However, if Nitrous Oxide is still a dirty cheater after all these years, I’m going to lose it. Info from Gamespot.com

In early 2018, Fox announced a deal with WWE to get the TV rights to its Tuesday night programming, Smackdown Live. The agreement, which cost Fox a reported $1 billion for five years, will kick off this October, but one question WWE fans have had was, "Will Smackdown continue to air live?"There is official confirmation now about the fate of Smackdown in late 2019. "It's live, and what's remarkable [is] these are people that know their audience," Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier explained during the Fox executive session at the Television Critics Association press tour. "They're great storytellers and I think it fits beautifully with what we're doing."While Smackdown is coming to Fox, there is more WWE content planned for this new partnership, treating wrestling more as a sport than a weekly, episode TV series. "The Fox sports networks, FS1, and others, will have some other wrestling--not live Smackdown, not Raw, but other ties to the WWE world."As to what programming Fox plans on delving into is a mystery at this point, but considering FS1's current content, it's reasonable to speculate that there will be recap shows as well as talking head series where we get an editorial experience about WWE programming, something the WWE Network has attempted to deliver.Currently, Smackdown is airing on Tuesday evenings on USA, and the stories are all pointing to the biggest event of the year, Wrestlemania. WWE's premiere PPV will be coming to the WWE Network on Sunday, April 7, as well as through cable and satellite providers. Info from Gamespot.com

Now that February is underway, Sony has revealed last month's best-selling PS4 games on PSN in the US and Europe. January saw the release of two of this year's most anticipated titles, Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake and Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts 3, and each one unsurprisingly charted highly on both sides of the pond.Kingdom Hearts 3 was the most-downloaded PS4 game in the US in January, with Resident Evil 2 taking the runner-up spot. The survival horror game proved to be even more popular across the Atlantic; it was Europe's best-selling PSN game for January, while Kingdom Hearts debuted at No. 6.The rest of the chart was made up largely of the usual suspects, including Rockstar's perennial hit Grand Theft Auto V, which continues to sell astoundingly well despite its age; the game was No. 2 and No. 3 in Europe and the US, respectively. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 took the No. 4 spot in the US, while PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, which made its PS4 debut in December, was No. 5 in Europe and No. 6 in the US.Sony also revealed PSN's best-selling PSVR titles of January. The VR rhythm game Beat Saber topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic, but the remainder of the list was almost entirely different in each region. Job Simulator and PlayStation VR Worlds came in No. 2 and No. 3 in the US, while Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and Creed: Rise to Glory made up the rest of Europe's top three.You can see PSN's top 10 best-selling PS4 games in the US and Europe for January 2019 below. The full list for each region can be found on the US and European PlayStation Blogs.US's Top 10 PS4 Games On PSN For January 2019Kingdom Hearts 3Resident Evil 2Grand Theft Auto VCall of Duty: Black Ops 4Madden NFL 19PlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsRed Dead Redemption 2FIFA 19MinecraftBattlefield VEurope's Top 10 PS4 Games On PSN For January 2019Resident Evil 2Grand Theft Auto VFIFA 19Need for Speed PaybackPlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsKingdom Hearts 3The Sims 4: Deluxe Party EditionThe ForestRocket LeagueBattlefield VInfo from Gamespot.com

Despite being members of the Justice League alongside one another, Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen aren't exactly the characters you'd expect to team up. It's not that they don't have a healthy working relationship--they've saved the world together more times than anyone could really count--but at the end of the day, they're just very different people. Anyone who's seen an episode of The Flash and watched one of the many, many Batman-centric films out there in the universe could tell you that.But the truth of the matter is, the dynamic between Batman and The Flash over in their comic book incarnations is fraught with a lot more complexity than the boiled down versions we see on screen--and that's exactly what the four-issue mini series, The Price, by Joshua Williamson, Guillem March, and Rafa Sandoval, explores."When you think about characters in the League, characters like Bruce and Clark have this relationship that's explored, or Clark and Diana, or Bruce and Diana. Barry has this relationship with Hal Jordan that's well known--but we've never really explored the idea of Bruce and Barry who are like these two guys that are like nerdy science friends. They're detective bros, right?" Writer Josh Williamson explained in an interview with GameSpot. "For a really long time, Barry didn't have someone he could talk about [his forensic work] with. Barry is very much this like, nerdy awkward guy and Bruce is this suave cool guy but underneath that they have this connection. They have this understanding for each other as scientists and as detectives."That connection is specifically important, since the case currently holding their attention is not only incredibly disturbing--it's deeply personal. In the Heroes In Crisis event series, a mass murderer targeted Sanctuary, a secret mental health facility for superheroes. One of the victims was, unfortunately, Wally West--Barry's protege and close friend of Dick Grayson, Batman's protege. As if the murder itself weren't horrifying enough, the Justice League still has no real idea who was responsible or why which, on top of being grieving friends and guardians, is arguably the worst position a pair of detectives could be in.Worse yet? Wally's stay at Sanctuary was Bruce's idea. There's a certain amount of unspoken blame floating between the two heroes as Barry forces himself to reconcile Wally's death with Bruce's advice and Bruce is forced to stomach the guilt and responsibility for the part he played.Yeah, it's messy--and people like Barry and Bruce tend to take messiness to a whole new level. They may be superheroes, but neither of them are well known for their healthy coping mechanisms.So of course, the pressure of those circumstances--the grief, the frustration, the need to solve the mystery--is starting to weigh on both Barry and Bruce's shoulders. "There's this growing tension between them," Williamson said. "They're two people who are good friends, who understand each other, but they're both feeling so burnt out and worn down by all of this. [...] It's about not only about solving the case, it's about solving the friendship."That level of interpersonal struggle is where The Price really sets itself apart. It departs, largely, from the formulaic superhero conflict that is ultimately resolved by punching, and digs into the emotional stakes at hand. Is there a place for grief and self-care in the realm of people who have to save the world daily? Can someone like The Flash ever take a break, sort himself out, and come back with fresh eyes? Is Batman ever allowed to stop and refocus?Obviously, there are no clear right or wrong answers, making the story that much more engaging. Sure, there's a villain--there is an immediate concern. "Stopping [a villain] is obviously the chief concern," Williamson said, "but it becomes about what's after that. The question becomes, okay, if we stop [the villain], what do we do with them? Whose responsibility are they?"Thankfully, the heaviness of the theme doesn't weigh the story down any more than it needs to--thanks, in part, to artists Sandoval and March alongside colorist Tomeu Morey, who help bring a cohesive energy and life to the forefront. The Price takes place in four issues, alternating between Batman #64 and #65 and The Flash #64 and #65 with March handling the former and Sandoval on the latter. "They make such great storytelling choices," Williamson explained, "by the end of the process, we were actually going through and striking lines of dialogue. The art just worked better to make the point."The Price is a perfect story for anyone looking to dig a little deeper into the minds of their favorite heroes--whether they're fans of the live action Barry on CW's The Flash looking for more to read between episodes, or long-time fans of the DCU who have lapsed in their reading. It doesn't take much prerequisite work--pick up the trade paperbacks for The Button (conveniently available on Comixology Unlimited), Flash War, and catch up with the currently ongoing Heroes in Crisis event if you're looking to be a completionist; or hop right in with The Price part 1 in Batman #64. Info from Gamespot.com

The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones is now only two months away, and while we are yet to see a full trailer, a new batch of images has been released by HBO. Unsurprisingly, the photos don't give much away, but it does show all of the main characters and will get fans excited for the upcoming season.There are 14 images in all, and if nothing else, it's a handy way to remind viewers exactly who is still alive as we go into Season 8. So there's Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), Varys (Conleth Hill), and Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham). Check them out below:Although the full trailer for the next season is yet to be released, a cryptic first teaser was released last month. It didn't contain any actual footage, but it did hint at the fates of members of the Stark family. We also know the final battle in the new season is the largest in the entire series, and most brutal as well. It premieres on HBO on April 14.Although Game of Thrones is nearing the end, there is a prequel spin-off on the way. X-Men: First Class' Jane Goldman will serve as showrunner and has developed the story with George RR Martin, who wrote the original novels. This week it was revealed that the show will start filming early this summer.While it's yet to receive an official title, Martin suggested last year that it would be called The Long Night. He subsequently walked that back, perhaps due to pressure from HBO that didn't want that name shared yet. In any event, it does provide some insight into what to expect. It is expected to premiere in 2020 or 2021.Info from Gamespot.com

With no pre-release marketing whatsoever (unless you count the leaks), EA and Respawn both announced and released a brand-new game earlier this week, Apex Legends. It's a battle royale game spin-off of sorts from the Titanfall series, and early impressions of it have been positive. Being free-to-play on PS4, Xbox One, and PC means that most anyone can jump in. But maybe battle royale isn't your thing. Or perhaps using the weapons from Titanfall has, like me, gotten you thinking about that series. Whatever the case, if you've gotten the urge to jump back into a proper Titanfall game, you can do so for awfully cheap right now on Xbox One.As part of this week's Xbox Live sale, you can pick up Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition for just $4.50/£3.75. That's a steep discount of 85% off the regular price, and a mere pittance for such a terrific game. It'll be available for that price through February 11 with or without Xbox Live Gold (though you'll need it in order to play online multiplayer). This Ultimate Edition comes with some extra perks to give you a head start on progression and some cosmetics in multiplayer.Titanfall 2 was released back in October 2016 and faced somewhat of an uphill battle to garner attention, due to stiff competition launching that fall. But it was nonetheless a genuinely excellent game, expanding on its predecessor in intelligent ways while still providing the fluid, fast-paced gameplay it was known for. There are few, if any, games that can deliver the same kind of thrills as Titanfall 2. It's not uncommon to parkour through the environment, leap into your titan, and take out an enemy all in one intense sequence, or to rip the pilot out of a titan using your own and then soar through the air as you eject, causing a massive explosion. It's great.Titanfall 2 also features two notable elements absent from Apex Legends--the titular titans and the ability to wallrun--as well as a surprisingly enjoyable single-player campaign. While short, for just a few bucks, the story mode is worth the price of admission on its own.This great deal is unfortunately only available on Xbox One, and not PS4 or PC. Bear in mind, Titanfall is 2 is available for free to EA Access subscribers on Xbox One and Origin Access subscribers on PC, so you do potentially have an avenue to play it for relatively cheap on those platforms. An equivalent PS4 service is not yet available, although comments made by EA this week may have teased that a PS4 version of EA Access is finally on the way. And although Respawn has said Titanfall 3 is not currently in the works, a new "premium" Titanfall game of some sort is on the way.Info from Gamespot.com

Crackdown 3 is finally actually arriving, but you can try out the Wrecking Zone multiplayer a little early by taking part in a technical test. It will begin on Thursday, February 7 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET.According to the announcement, the test will be exclusive to Xbox Insiders. Players will try out the Agent Hunter game mode, which involves taking down rival agents and stealing their badges for points. The Blackout Zone map will be the one used for this test. If you're in the program you can begin installing at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Other playtests throughout the weekend will be announced through the Xbox Insider hub, as well as on Discord and on game's Facebook and Twitter.If you're not an Xbox Insider, membership is free so you can join whenever you'd like. You just have to download the Xbox Insider Hub from the storefront on your Xbox One, and then go to the Insider Content section and download "Wrecking Zone: Technical Test." That will give you access to the test, and Microsoft encourages users to leave feedback.The company says that the Wrecking Zone multiplayer uses its Azure Cloud service, which is part of why it's putting the mode through its paces this way. We came away impressed by Crackdown 3's multiplayer, finding it overshadowed even its single-player offering. If you're a subscriber to Game Pass, you'll have access to Crackdown 3 on its release day, February 15--along with a raft of other games this month. A new launch trailer (above) shows off some of what's in store. Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has made Crackdown free on the Xbox Live marketplace, allowing you to download the game on Xbox 360 or Xbox One. With Crackdown 3 right around the corner, it's a good opportunity to see how the series originated.In Microsoft's announcement of the deal, there was no word whether or not the game would be free forever or for a limited time. However, as the deal is to "celebrate the launch of Crackdown 3" it's probably best to act on this offer prior to Crackdown 3's release.When we got the chance to check out Crackdown 3, we thought it's single-player was a little too much like the original game. Despite the 12 year difference in release dates, Crackdown 3's campaign looks and plays just like the first title in the series. However, Crackdown 3's multiplayer is fantastic, and made an incredible first impression that completely overshadowed the single-player gameplay.Crackdown 3 is one of three major February PC releases that isn't releasing on Steam. A Microsoft first-party exclusive, Crackdown 3 is releasing on the company's store. Also this month, BioWare's multiplayer-focused shooter Anthem is launching on Origin, while 4A Games' post-apocalyptic RPG Metro Exodus is exclusive to the Epic Games Store. Of the three, Exodus has proven to be the most controversial, with Valve calling the game's move to Epic to be "unfair" for players, and Steam users review bombing both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light in response to the exclusivity.The original Crackdown is available for Xbox 360, and can be played on Xbox One with X-Enhancement via backwards compatibility--along with a long list of other games. Crackdown 3 is scheduled to launch for Xbox One and PC on February 15.In our Crackdown review, Jeff Gerstmann gave the game a 7.8/10, writing, "Crackdown feels unfinished. It feels like the developers sat down and crafted a wonderful-looking city and carefully considered how the gameplay and abilities should work, and then they didn't have enough time to plug in enough activities to take advantage of it all. While you'll certainly have a lot of fun playing Crackdown, it's hard not to get the distinct feeling that it was on the cusp of being so much more."Info from Gamespot.com