Ubisoft is offering another new free game, for a limited time. This time it's the 2D stealth-action game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, one of the very few Assassin's Creed games that doesn't take place in Europe or the Americas. Make sure to claim your free copy through the Ubisoft Store anytime by February 5.This was one of a trilogy of Chronicles games, which each featured a new setting and Assassin. China features the female assassin Shao Jun, who trained under the series' biggest star, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. She returns to her homeland to take out a group of Templars called the Eight Tigers. Subsequent Chronicles games would be set in India during the Sikh Empire and Russia just after the October Revolution.Ubisoft has made a regular practice of giving away free games through its PC storefront, and this comes just as Epic Games has started to do the same for its own burgeoning store. Steam and Epic have been starting to battle it out publicly lately. Ubisoft's own store is competing with them to an extent, but as a publisher it's also able to partner with either store. The Division 2 is eschewing Steam for the Ubisoft Store, for example."Chronicles' passive pacing is a shame, because the pieces, combat notwithstanding, are mostly strong," critic Kevin VanOrd wrote in GameSpot's review. "Furthermore, the exquisite environments craft a setting that makes me eager to see the two upcoming sequels--Chronicles: India, and Chronicles: Russia--in action. If they follow in Chronicles: China's footsteps, they will be beautiful to behold. I hope, however, that unlike the first entry, they take the leap of faith required to make them play as boldly as they look."Info from Gamespot.com

Steam is offering another free game to download through its client. This time it's the 2015 indie horror game Kholat from Polish studio Imgn.Pro. The creepy game is narrated by actor Sean Bean. You can pick it up now on the Steam Store until February 4 at 9 AM PT.Kholat has you exploring the Russian Ural Mountains to uncover the mystery of nine students who went missing in 1959. The game is based loosely on the real-life Dyatlov Pass Incident, in which nine students ventured into the Kholat Syakhl ("Dead Mountain" in Mansi) and were each found dead over the span of four months. The game goes in a much more supernatural direction with their disappearance."In many stories, blizzards and the frigid cold provide a specific kind of terror, and Kholat's moaning winds cry out tales of lost souls that the game ignores in favor of shapeless nonsense," critic Kevin VanOrd wrote in GameSpot's review. "Its ideas reveal the game Kholat wanted to be, but its aspirations soar far higher than the game it became. What good is a mystery if you don't care about what it might tell you?"Steam has been giving away free games through its service for some time, but it recently got more competition with the advent of the Epic Games store. Epic's challenger to Steam's PC store dominance is offering its own free games--currently the Jackbox Party Pack--as well as striking exclusive distribution deals for games like Metro Exodus and The Division 2. This has started to garner a response from Valve regarding the aggressive moves. The Ubisoft store is also offering a free game right now, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China.Info from Gamespot.com

Sharing screenshots and videos from Xbox One has been notoriously difficult throughout the console's life cycle. Thankfully, Microsoft has listened to people's concerns and made it a little easier, though you'll need to use a separate app to take advantage.The Xbox App--known earlier in its life as SmartGlass--has been updated, and it can now share media from your Xbox One to social networks and your smartphone directly. Xbox director of programming and community figurehead Major Nelson shared the news on Twitter with a screenshot that showed Instagram, Discord, iMessage, email, and Twitter as some of the sharing options in the newly updated app.Be warned, however, that at the time of writing Xbox Live is experiencing sign-in errors on Xbox One, so you might struggle to try out the app's new features for the time being.In other Xbox news, the free Games with Gold for February have now been revealed. The Xbox One games include Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, an 8-bit style game modeled loosely after Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse that's available for the entire month. Super Bomberman R, meanwhile, joins the rotation on February 16 through mid-March. On Xbox 360, you get Assassin's Creed Rogue, which is available through February 15, after which it will be replaced by the original Xbox game Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.Info from Gamespot.com

After multiple delays, Nintendo finally rolled out its paid online subscription service for Switch last September. While the company doesn't typically disclose usage numbers, it did share some insight on how the service has been faring thus far.In its recent financial results briefing, Nintendo revealed that the Nintendo Switch Online service has more than eight million subscribed accounts. According to the company, this figure doesn't include accounts that only participated in the free trial, but it does factor in every account included under a family membership, which allows up to eight account holders across different Switch consoles to share the benefits of one subscription."Nintendo Switch Online has had a good start," president Shuntaro Furukawa said in the briefing. "In keeping with the goal of providing Nintendo Switch owners with 'More Games. More Features. More Fun,' we are working on continuing to expand the service offerings."Nintendo didn't share any further details on how it will expand NSO, but during the briefing, the company teased that it is working on an unannounced Switch game that is "suitable" for the service (via Siliconera), presumably meaning it will emphasize online play. Rumors have circulated that SNES games could also be coming to the service, although Nintendo hasn't confirmed this.Much like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live, the Nintendo Switch Online service is required to play Nintendo Switch games online. It gives subscribers a few other benefits as well, such as the ability to back up their save data to the cloud and exclusive access to a library of classic NES games. NSO subscribers are also eligible for "special offers," such as an exclusive set of NES-style controllers for Switch.Info from Gamespot.com

As January comes to a close, Twitch has unlocked five new games that you can download for free during February. Once the month ends, you're out of luck. But if you download them now, you can keep 'em forever. As always, you'll need a Twitch Prime subscription (which comes with an Amazon Prime membership) to claim them, but at $11 USD a month, you're actually getting all five titles for less than their combined retail price.Pikuniku is the noticeable stand-out this time around. Added to Twitch Prime games in late January on the day it released, the adorable title looks like a children's book come to life, and yet it utilizes a more sarcastic, irreverent tone to tell its story of a town battling a corporate takeover--one that's sure to resonate with an older crowd. In our Pikuniku review, James O'Connor gave the game an 8/10, writing, "From Piku's weird wobbly gait and looping jumps in the opening right through to the game's funny, bizarre ending, Pikuniku is more gripping than its simple aesthetic and playful tone would suggest. It'll make you feel like a kid again."Until February 28, you can also download Dear Esther: Landmark Edition, Downwell, The Flame in the Flood, and Draknek & Co Puzzle Collection. You might remember Dear Esther as the game that popularized the "walking sim" genre, and this special edition of the game comes with remastered audio and developer commentary. Downwell is a fun roguelike for its simplicity, and you can just keep jumping down its randomly assorted pits for hours. The Flame in the Flood is also a roguelike, but one geared towards survival as opposed to fast-paced action. Finally, Draknek is a collection of three puzzle games, the chemistry-focused Sokobond, the building-focusing A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build, and the frustrating but cute Cosmic Express.Twitch Prime's Free Games For January 2019PikunikuDear Ester: Landmark EditionDownwellThe Flame in the FloodDraknek & Co Puzzle CollectionInfo from Gamespot.com

Nintendo is partnering with Illumination Entertainment, the company behind Despicable Me and the Minions movie, to produce an animated film based on the Super Mario series. The project was formally announced last January following a report by the Wall Street Journal, and now Nintendo has revealed when it's expected to hit theaters.In Nintendo's financial results briefing, president Shuntaro Furukawa announced that development on the Super Mario movie is "moving along for an anticipated theatrical release around 2022." Nintendo didn't share any other new details about the film, but it has previously been confirmed that Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto will be producing.This, of course, isn't the first feature film to be based on the Mario series. A live-action Super Mario Bros. movie released in 1993 and was a critical and commercial failure. Bob Hoskins, the late actor who portrayed Mario in the film, called it the worst movie he's ever been a part of. Nintendo, likely wary of another flop, has said it may abandon the animated film if it isn't "interesting" enough.The animated Super Mario movie is part of Nintendo's new initiative to leverage its IP beyond video games. Nintendo is also partnering with Universal Studios Japan to build a Super Nintendo Land theme park, which is slated to "open in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics." On top of that, Nintendo has announced it is opening an official Nintendo Tokyo store in Japan this fall.Despite these new initiatives, Furukawa reaffirmed that Nintendo will remain first and foremost a video game company. "Nintendo's core business will continue to be the integrated hardware-software video game platform business," he said in the financial results briefing. The company has a number of big exclusives for Switch lined up for this year, including a new Animal Crossing game and a "core" Pokemon RPG.Nintendo also has multiple smartphone games on the way. The company recently announced a Dr. Mario mobile game, which is due out early summer. However, its Mario Kart mobile game, which was originally scheduled to launch by the end of March, has been delayed.Info from Gamespot.com

A recent patch for Fallout 76 reintroduced problems that had already been fixed in a previous patch. But in an ironic twist, Bethesda's hotfix to take care of the issue again introduced a bug that's even worse. The problem appears to be ongoing, so it's difficult to tell when a new fix will be issued to fix the issues caused by the fix to the fix.Rock Paper Shotgun reports that when Patch 5 rolled out, it brought back issues that had already been fixed in Patch 4, such as making bobby pins much heavier than they should be. The company issued a mea culpa and quickly sent out a hotfix, but that seems to have introduced a new bug that trashes crafting materials.Users on the Fallout 76 subreddit noticed that the autoscrapping system isn't working as intended, and many complain that they've lost materials that they had converted to bulk. The studio hasn't given any further updates on when to expect the latest issue to be resolved.Fallout 76 has had a history of unintended problems both in and outside the game. A recent bug temporarily disabled nukes, an important late-game feature. Outside of the game, Bethesda was heavily criticized for misleading advertisements about a special edition canvas bag, and then in its attempt to make right and provide the bags, it leaked users' personal data. This was on top of the generally low review scores that the game suffered upon release.The studio is still forging ahead with plans to keep supporting it, however. It has announced updates coming this year including a new mode without PvP restrictions, and the ability to run your own shop.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has announced a ton of anime deals for February. There are some massive deals live right now for Funimation movies and TV series that will last until February 4, but several less aggressive discounts will continue for the rest of the month.Until February 4, the Dragon Ball Z movies Battle of Gods--which is offered in the original Japanese and dubbed--and Resurrection F are discounted to $3 and $4 respectively. In Resurrection F's case, it's actually cheaper to buy the movie than it is to rent it. For even more Dragon Ball Z, Microsoft is offering the first season for free until February 4, and you can buy the other eight seasons at the discounted price of $7 each. Goku and his friend's story continues in Dragon Ball Super, and Microsoft is selling the first five seasons of the series at a 63 percent discount each.Every other Funimation series on sale until February 4 is an ecchi anime, so expect a ton of sexual fan service and partial nudity. Of the lot, Prison School and Keijo are probably the two noticeable standouts, although Rosario + Vampire and My First Girlfriend is a Gal are worth looking at if you're a fan of harem romantic comedies. The full list of anime on sale until February 4 is outlined below.Microsoft's Funimation Anime SaleMoviesDragon Ball Z: Battle of GodsDragon Ball Z: Resurrection FTV SeriesDragon Ball SuperDragon Ball ZCat Planet CutiesMy First Girlfriend is a GalValkyrie Drive: MermaidPrison SchoolRosario + VampireSeven Mortal SinsIkki TousenKeijoFreezingThroughout the rest of February, there are dozens of other anime series and movies on sale as well. Unlike the Funimation anime above, these other titles are only 40 percent off, as opposed to 60 or more. That's still a pretty good deal though, especially for grabbing quality titles like 2017's In This Corner of the World, 2018's Napping Princess, or the entirety of Digimon Adventure Tri. Seasons of Naruto Shippuden, One-Punch Man, Sword Art Online, and Hunter x Hunter are on sale as well. There are too many good deals to list them all here, but we've outlined the best ones below.Microsoft's February Anime SaleMoviesDigimon Adventure Tri: 6-FilmSword Art Online The Movie: OrdinalBoruto: Naruto The MovieBlame! MovieFireworksIn This Corner of the WorldNapping PrincessTV SeriesYu-Gi-Oh!Death NoteSword Art OnlineNarutoNaruto ShippudenHunter x HunterOne Punch ManCardcaptor SakuraThe Prince of Tennis Info from Gamespot.com

Following on the heels of Palkia's arrival, a few new Pokemon have begun appearing in Pokemon Go. Niantic has introduced another handful of monsters originally from the series' fourth-generation titles, Diamond and Pearl, to the mobile game, including a couple of new evolved forms and baby Pokemon.If you have a Sinnoh Stone, you're now able to evolve Lickitung, Tangela, Aipom, and Yanma into their respective evolutions: Lickilicky, Tangrowth, Ambipom, and Yanmega. Additionally, male Kirlia can be evolved into the Psychic/Fighting Pokemon Gallade, while female Snorunt can be evolved into Froslass.A handful of new monsters can also be found in the wild. You'll now have a chance of encountering Combee, Glameow, and the fossil Pokemon Shieldon and Cranidos out in the field. Happiny, Mime Jr., and Bonsly--the baby forms of Chansey, Mr. Mime, and Sudowoodo, respectively--also now have a chance of hatching from certain Eggs.Along with the new Pokemon, Niantic has made some notable changes to Raid Battles. As the developer detailed on the official Pokemon Go website, Raid bosses will now have more HP "to offset some of the damage increases made to the attacks of other Pokémon in the last year." Niantic has also made balance changes for various moves in Trainer Battles, and certain Pokemon are now capable of learning new attacks.The aforementioned Legendary Pokemon Palkia will appear in Raid Battles until February 28. Meanwhile, the next Pokemon Go Community Day is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 16. The featured Pokemon this month will be Swinub.Info from Gamespot.com

Like previous games, Kingdom Hearts III has the Ultima Weapon, one of the most powerful Keyblades Sora can obtain. Synthesizing it requires a laundry list of rare materials, but the most difficult of these components to find is Orichalcum+. This rare commodity can be found in seven specific ways. Below we detail all seven methods through which you can get Orichalcum, as well as how to start synthesizing the Ultima Weapon in general.For more tips, be sure to check out our beginner's guide feature. You can also read our review for our full thoughts about the game. We've also published a look at just how we reviewed it as well.How To Unlock the Ultima Weapon RecipeIf you're vying to get the Ultima Weapon, you're going to need to unlock its Synthesis recipe first. To do this, you need to obtain 58 different Synthesis Materials. You generally earn Synthesis Materials from defeating bosses or other strong enemies; they're also obtained from treasure chests across the different worlds.The RecipeWhen you first get the recipe, you'll likely notice you're short of an incredibly rare Synthesis Material called Orichalcum+.There's a high chance that you've naturally accumulated many of the Ultima Weapon's various Synthesis Materials throughout your journey. But for reference, the recipe is as follows:Orichalcum+ x 7Wellspring Crystal x 2Lucid Crystal x 2Pulsing Crystal x 2Make sure you equip the Lucky Sheriff to up your chances of getting Wellspring Crystals from the enemies in Battlegate 12. Before we jump into where to find some Orichalcum+, let's cover the other materials first. Both the Lucid Crystal and Pulsing Crystal can be crafted via the Synthesis menu (unlocked upon collecting 32 and 30 Synthesis Materials respectively). On the other hand, the Wellspring Crystal must be earned by defeating enemies out in the field.There are a couple methods to get Wellspring Crystals, but a great way to gather some is by completing Battlegate 12 in San Fransokyo. If you haven't unlocked Battlegates yet, we suggest progressing the story until you do. The enemies in this optional challenge drop Wellspring Crystals. Just make sure to equip the Favorite Deputy Keyblade, as its Lucky Strike ability increases how often enemies drop items.The Seven Ways To Get Orichalcum+:As stated above, Orichalcum+ is an incredibly rare material. There are seven in total throughout the entire game, which is precisely the amount you need to craft the Ultima Weapon. Below we detail how to get each one.Turn in a Moogle Raffle TicketIt takes a while, but keep reloading your game until you net an Orichalcum+ from the mailbox.Getting this Orichalcum+ is more up to chance than anything else. When you get your hands on a Moogle Raffle Ticket--typically rewarded after purchasing items at the shop--go ahead and create a save slot. Then take that ticket to the mailbox in Twilight Town and send it out. If you don't get an Orichalcum+, reload your game and repeat the sending process. If luck is on your side, you'll get your hands on one before you know it.Collect all the Treasures in the Arendelle Sled Mini-GameWhen you talk to Elsa after completing the story sections of Arendelle, you can play a fun sledding mini-game. As you go through the track, you'll spot several numerically marked treasures. It'll take a few runs across its myriad pathways to find them, but once you've collected them all, you'll earn an Orichalcum+.A Chest in The Caribbean WorldThere are several islands across the massive Caribbean world. An Orichulum+ can be found in a treasure chest on Exile Island, which is southwest from the center of the map. You'll see it hidden in a small grove.Collect All the Lucky EmblemsYou discover early on a special type of collectible called Lucky Emblems, which are Mickey Mouse symbols that you "collect" by taking a snapshot of it with your Gummiphone. On normal difficulty, photographing a majority of them nets you the secret ending, but if you're committed enough to collect all 90, you're rewarded with an Orichalcum+. If you need help finding all the Lucky Emblems, watch the video above or check out our in-depth location guide.A Chest in the Keyblade GraveyardThis Orichalcum+ is located in a treasure chest at the End of the World section of the Keyblade Graveyard--an area you can only access during the final portions of the game. Simply approach the red transport orb in the open field after crossing the narrow pathway by the save point. This will take you to the End of the World section where the treasure chest is located.Defeat the Eclipse Galaxy BossesThis is yet another Orichalcum+ that can only be accessed near the end of the game. When the Eclipse Galaxy opens up after you reach the Keyblade Graveyard, fly your Gummiship around until you find the Colossus Pyramid boss. Defeating it unlocks four additional bosses on the map, which you need to defeat in order to take on the powerful Omega Machina boss. Once you've overcome all of these foes, you'll be rewarded with an Orichalcum+. Be wary; defeating these bosses is no easy feat. Make sure you've extensively upgraded your Gummiship's stats before taking them on.Achieving the Highest Score in the Flantastic Mini-GamesYou might've noticed odd-looking desserts protruding from the ground throughout your journey. If you've met these unique Heartless--known collectively as the Flantastic Seven--you'll know that interacting with them allows you to play fun mini-games. There are seven different mini-games in total and are found in the following worlds: Olympus, Kingdom of Coronoa, Toy Box, Monstrolpolis, Arendelle, the Caribbean, and San Fransokyo. If you obtain the high-score for each mini-game, you're rewarded with an Orichalcum+.Members of the Flantastic Seven are typically tucked away in unexpected corners of the world, usually appearing as unsuspecting desserts sprouting from the ground--which makes them pretty hard to miss. Below are details on where to find each.Olympus: Teleport to the Overlook save point and head upstairs until you reach a dead end.Toy Box: Teleport to the Rest Area save point and you'll find it behind the couches near the vending machines.Kingdom of Corona: This one is outside the hidden entrance of Rapunzel's castle. Turn left to see it near the foot of a tree.Montropolis: Teleport to the Basement save point and go through the white door ahead of the save point. Then proceed forward until you reach a wall with rows of colored doors. Step through the yellow door at the far left end of the wall. After arriving to the next area, turn around immediately to see the Flan.Arendelle: Teleport to the Mountain Ridge save point and jump down the hill to the left. You'll see the Flan just off in the distance.The Caribbean: Teleport to Port Royal Fort save point and you'll see the Flan right in the center of the clearing.San Fransokyo: Teleport to the South District save point at night and turn around. Run up the building ahead and glide towards the nearest rooftop to the right of the San Fransokyo Tower. Info from Gamespot.com

When Supernatural first premiered on The WB back in 2005--the same year YouTube came into existence--it was introduced as the story of two brothers, reunited and fighting the evil forces their family had been chasing for years. Now, 300 episodes later, Supernatural is still exactly that. While secondary characters have come and gone, it always comes back to the tale of Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) and his brother Dead (Jensen Ackles), traveling from town-to-town and vanquishing whatever otherworldly forces seem to be wreaking havoc.There's a third piece of the Winchester puzzle that's been with the brothers since the very beginning, though, and it's as integral to the formula as anyone or anything else on the show. When Dean rolled back into his brother's life in the show's pilot, he did it in his trusty 1967 Chevrolet Impala, nicknamed "Baby" and passed down to him by his dad.Baby, in many ways, is the heart and soul of Supernatural. For the brothers, it is the armory of weapons they use to fight against any number of demonic entities, their home on long nights with no motel room in sight, and the vessel that takes them to a new locale each week. The car has even had its own episode of the series in Season 11's "Baby," which told a story from the Impala's point of view.What's more, Baby is the one piece of the Winchesters' past that they've been able to hold onto. The one thing that's always there for them, regardless of circumstances, ever since it was passed to Dean from their father. "I think if Dean were a child Baby would be his blanket," Ackles explained to GameSpot at Supernatural's 300th episode celebration. "That's his safe place. [It's] kind of the touchstone of who he is. It represents a lot, and I think it represents a lot to the show. It's the one constant in his life other than his brother."A constant isn't exactly something Dean--of his brother, for that matter--has the luxury of, given the life of a hunter of supernatural entities. While it may be the "Family business," as Dean has reminded viewers of several times over the years, it's a truly lonely existence, even with your brother at your side.After all, the character is nearly 40 years old, and his entire life is wrapped up in his work, his brother, and his car. He's not the kind of person that you truly believe will ever be willing to settle down and live peacefully because he thrives on the chase and having no specific place he considers home other than the driver's seat of his Impala. It's something that's simply his."For somebody who lives kind of a vagabond life and a nomad existence, to have a constant like that, to have something that is his and that is his domain is, I think is really important to the character," Ackles continued. "You'll see a scene in an episode that we're filming, we just finished filming, where Dean says, 'I need to go clear my head. I need to go for a ride in Baby,'' and Sam says, 'Well, let me go with you.'' He says, 'No, no, no, I just need me and Baby and a long stretch of highway.'"While to outsiders who haven't taken the ride with Supernatural over the last 300 episodes, it may seem like Baby is just a car, fans know better. With total respect to Misha Collins, who plays the angel Castiel and has become one of the show's most beloved characters, Baby is the third lead of the series. What would have been three tons of steel on most shows is a fully fleshed out character on Supernatural.And according to executive producer Robert Singer, who also directed the 300th episode of the series, she's one of the reasons why, all of these years later, Supernatural is still speeding down the highway and has already been renewed for an impressive 15th season. "It's as much of a character as anyone else in the show," he said. "And yeah, [we] keep waiting for it to break down, but it's still humming."The 300th episode of Supernatural airs Thursday, February 7 at 8 PM ET/PT on The CW.Info from Gamespot.com

February is officially here, which means PlayStation Plus subscribers will soon have a new selection of free games to download across PS4, PS3, and Vita. That also means this is your last opportunity to grab January's free PS Plus titles before they return to their regular prices on February 5.PS4 owners still have time to download the extreme snowboarding game Steep and the co-op RPG Portal Knights. PS3's freebies include Zone of the Enders HD Collection and the rhythm game Amplitude, while Fallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion and Super Mutant Alien Assault are free for Plus subscribers on Vita. Thanks to Cross-Buy, Amplitude and Fallen Legion are also playable on PS4.You'll be able to grab all six titles at no charge until February 5, when they'll be cycled out with the next batch of freebies. If you've yet to download them, you can simply head to the PS Plus page and add them to your library. As usual, all six games will remain free to play for as long as you have an active PS Plus subscription.Once February 5 rolls around, another six titles will be up for grabs. PS4 owners will be able to get the full first season of Hitman as well as Ubisoft's swordfighting game For Honor. Divekick and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be available for free on PS3, and Gunhouse and Rogue Aces make up Vita's freebies.February also marks the last time Sony will offer free PS3 and Vita games for Plus subscribers. Presumably as a concession for this, the company recently announced it will expand the amount of cloud storage members have access to from 10 GB to 100 GB. This change is set to begin sometime in early February.PlayStation Plus Games For January 2019PS4SteepPortal KnightsAmplitude (also on PS3)Fallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS Vita)PS3Zone of the Enders HD CollectionAmplitude (also on PS4)PS VitaFallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS4)Super Mutant Alien AssaultInfo from Gamespot.com

It's not often that fans' calls for a new entry in a series are ignored, only for an unrelated developer to come along with the perfect answer. And yet that's precisely what we have in Wargroove, an apparent facsimile of the Advance Wars series, which has has been dormant for more than a decade. But while its immediate appeal lies in filling a gap that few games have in recent years, Wargroove introduces smart improvements and impressive custom content tools that make this an experience that stands on its own as a terrific strategy game.Wargroove's most basic gameplay is nearly indistinguishable from that of Advance Wars (a point of comparison that developer Chucklefish itself hasn't avoided). It's a turn-based tactics game set on a tile-based map in which you assemble an army, take control of structures that can build units or generate gold, and (usually) work to eliminate or destroy a particular target. Every action is a significant commitment; because units can't stack on the same tile and buildings can only produce one thing per turn, you have to carefully think through your strategy on each turn. The same is also true of engaging in combat; because damage is dictated by the amount of health a unit has, being aggressive can help ensure you take less damage later. None of this is new, but it serves as a solid base that Chucklefish improves upon.Wargroove rekindles not just the classic gameplay of Advance Wars, but also its visual style. The pixelated, cartoonish maps are filled with small flourishes that help them to feel alive; birds fly overhead, fires burn, and the shadows cast by clouds slowly move along the ground. When combat begins, the action shifts to a 2D side view depicting the two units squaring off and showcasing a great-looking set of animations. The best of these belongs to the dog commander, Caesar, who exhibits a frankly impressive level of nonchalance, scratching himself and enjoying his time as his crossbow-wielding attendants do all the work. (Commendably, despite the presence of dog units--battlepups!--the amount of whining they do when taking damage is kept to a minimum.) For as nice as it all looks, I did find the breakdown of units' strengths and weaknesses--which consists of small, often similar-looking portraits--needlessly difficult to read.Aside from swapping Advance Wars' firearms, jets, and tanks for swords, dragons, and magic, the most obvious change is how commanders work. Rather than serving only as a special ability that can occasionally be wielded, commanders are powerful units on the map you control like any other. In most cases, eliminating the other team's commander is one of the available victory conditions, so you always want to keep yours safe. But what makes commanders so interesting are the ways in which you're encouraged to use them aggressively.Commanders each have a unique ability--the titular Grooves--such as healing nearby units, allowing adjacent units to act again during the current turn, summoning a friendly unit, and so on. These build up passively but are gained much more quickly by eliminating enemies with your commander, who unlike standard units also regains a small amount of health each turn. As a result, you're often wise to push forward with your commander in order to maximize how often you can use your Groove. But this presents you with difficult choices. Does it make sense to hurt but not kill a strong unit with your commander to mitigate the damage it can do and kill a weak enemy with another unit? Or should your commander secure that final blow to get your Groove that much faster, but risk suffering the strong unit's next attack doing heavier damage? Units each have enemies that they are strong and weak against, and terrain can provide defensive buffs or nerfs to account for. Along with that, commanders offer an additional consideration that make even a simple engagement into something you have to more thoughtfully examine.The same can also be said for Wargroove's critical-hit system. Rather than being something that happens randomly, each non-commander unit has a specific criteria for when a critical hit will occur. Pikemen get critical hits when adjacent to a friendly pikeman, rangers when they attack without first moving, trebuchets when their target is at the edge of their attack range, and so on. As a result, you sometimes have to weigh the risk of overextending yourself to get a critical hit against the risk of leaving yourself in a more vulnerable position. In one case, you might put a spearman in danger just to ensure another one lands a critical hit; in another, you might retreat slightly with a knight on one turn so that on the next they can utilize their maximum movement range (triggering a critical hit) to kill an enemy and avoid suffering a counter-attack. The logic behind critical hit requirements is uninspired in some cases--those for naval units merely ask you to be in a certain type of water tile--but they add another welcome layer of depth to combat and an extra point of differentiation for units.How you heal your damaged units is another tricky decision. The primary method requires you to move next to a structure you own and then pay gold that would otherwise be used to buy units or activate certain abilities. But healing like this comes with the downside of trading health from that structure (which slowly regains health each turn) to the unit (which does not). At times this means you won't necessarily be able to heal everyone, even if you have the gold to cover the cost. It also can mean leaving your buildings--and thus your source of income and additional units--susceptible to being lost. There are no easy choices here, and the aforementioned health regeneration of commanders provides you with the risky option of letting them tank damage and hoping they can recover from it for free.Despite having so much to juggle, the action is rarely overwhelming. That's due in part to a manageable number of unit types being available; Wargroove's four factions are different in appearance only, although each has three commanders with their own unique Groove. While it's disappointing to realize the introduction of a new faction means very little, there are enough unit types and systems at play to keep things interesting. Having to account for dozens of additional unit types would have slowed each turn to a crawl as you try to remember how they all work.Despite having so much to juggle, the action is rarely overwhelming.What does unfortunately slow the action down is the process of determining the danger zone in which you can be attacked. Rather than allowing you to see the full potential attack range of the enemy team, you're only able to see it unit by unit. Especially when managing expensive aerial units who can be easily downed if they end a turn within range of certain anti-air specialists, it's essential to carefully check and re-check these ranges. This adds an unnecessary layer of tedium to every turn, particularly in the large-scale battles that see significant numbers of units in play simultaneously. As a result, turns take more time than they otherwise would in order to facilitate this busywork.Those match times proved to be frustrating on occasion in the campaign. While I found myself having trouble in only a small handful of missions, those I failed often came near the end of 20- to 30-minute matches. With no way to create a mid-mission save, a loss can be dispiriting, especially if it comes as a result of an accidental click (it's far too easy to end a turn or order a unit to wait by mistake) or because you didn't notice an enemy unit and thus didn't account for its attack range.Some of my frustration in those failures stemmed from the fact that I was eager to see what the next mission held. Most offer some new wrinkle, like the introduction of a new type of unit or a different overall mission structure (such as assisting in a retreat). While dialogue is funny at times, the story is forgettable, consisting of a string of conflicts that could be avoided if characters made a real effort to explain why they aren't enemies. The story is not a major part of the experience, though, and much of the world's lore is consigned to a codex. Besides, the consistently fresh ideas the action itself offers are all the reason you need to see the campaign through.Even after completing the campaign, there are plenty of other ways to keep playing. Arcade mode presents you with a series of five battles and a light narrative wrapper for each commander, giving you a light campaign of sorts that you can see through in a single sitting. Puzzle mode more intriguingly presents you with a level that must be completed in a single turn, forcing you to ensure every move maximizes your damage output. Four-player multiplayer, with support for both local play and online, works well and presents a more worthwhile, unpredictable challenge than what the AI can muster. However, the lack of online support for private matches and AI players (available offline) are unfortunate omissions.Wargroove's greatest potential lies in its custom creation tools. These allow you to make not just maps but entire campaigns filled with main missions, side missions, and cutscenes. These can be easily shared and downloaded right through the game. While the creation aspect of Wargroove is initially overwhelming--you're left to discover the many tools at your disposal with zero direction--the end result is the ability to create a campaign on par with the one that the game ships with. Diving into this creation suite won't be for everyone, but everyone stands to benefit from those who do. One minor gripe with this setup: There's no way to jump directly into a new map when browsing for new content, and failing on a standalone map unceremoniously boots you back to the main menu.Outside of campaigns and standard missions, there's also the opportunity for map creators to develop entirely new ways to play. One example of this is baked right into the game with the Chessgroove map, which lines up two teams in a standard chess formation and permits players only a single move per turn. It's an intriguing concept, but one that quickly grows tiresome; because units aren't instantly killed as in chess, you can't quickly evaluate potential moves, turning what should be a relatively fast-paced affair into a boring slog. As disinterested as I was in playing Chessgroove again after my first match, it does offer a glimpse at what kind of outside-the-box concepts people might be able to come up with.That's good news, because Wargroove is a delight to play, and the possibility of an endless supply of content for it is a tantalizing prospect. Chucklefish could have offered up a prettied-up take on Advance Wars with online multiplayer and called it a day. Instead, it's made meaningful improvements that make this both a satisfying answer to starved Advance Wars fans' wishes and a genuinely great experience on its own merits.Info from Gamespot.com

You may recognize Kotaro Uchikoshi from his work directing the Zero Escape games (999, Virtue's Last Reward, and Zero Time Dilemma), and you might be familiar with Spike Chunsoft's murder mystery series Danganronpa. But it appears they're making a somewhat unexpected move related to their next game. They're promoting their own virtual pop idol and influencer. What a time to be alive.Iris Sagan, also referred to by her stage names A-set or Tesa, is said to be an important character in Uchikoshi's and Spike Chunsoft's upcoming game AI: The Somnium Files. It's worth noting that her design comes from artist Yusuke Kozaki, who is best known for his character designs in Fire Emblem Awakening (including Fates and Heroes) and the No More Heroes series.Apparently Iris a big-time streamer, internet pop star, and 18 year-old high school student all at the same time. And it seems that she has an active Twitter account alongside a video in which Uchikoshi-san himself comically introduces A-set, followed by a sort of music video that features her dancing and singing to an original song (feel free to see for yourself below).I'd like to consider myself a bit of an authority on digital pop idols as I still believe Rise Kujikawa (Persona 4) and Hatsune Miku to be the gold standards--so, my fandom sets the bar is set pretty high. But I won't write off Iris (or A-set) quite yet, especially if this ties into a larger narrative for AI: The Somnium Files.AI: The Somnium Files was first revealed during a panel at Anime Expo 2018, and Iris was first introduced as a key character. Not much has been said about the game itself, but it shares similarities to the developers' previous games; you'll play as Kaname Date and investigate a series of murders which will involve solving puzzles and gathering evidence that hopefully lead to sound conclusions. It's set to launch for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC sometime this year. Info from Gamespot.com

Acclaimed writer Stephen King's no stranger to his work getting adapted to the big screen. From It to The Dark Tower, King's work has made the jump from words to visuals since the 70s. Now as detailed by the Hollywood Reporter, another novel from King's expansive bibliography is set to hit the big screen.According to the Hollywood Reporter, CBS All Access has ordered a 10-episode, straight-to-series adaptation of King's best-selling post-apocalyptic epic, The Stand. The drama will see a script penned by Josh Boone (All We Had, The Fault in Our Stars), who was initially scheduled to write a feature film based on the 1978 epic. Ben Cavell (Justified, SEAL Team) is reportedly writing The Stand's script alongside Boone.Both Boone, who will also direct, and Cavell will write and executive produce this King adaptation. Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee (Death Note, The Disaster Artist) and Mosaic's Jimmy Miller (Bad Teacher, Semi-Pro) will also executive produce The Stand. Richard P. Rubinstein (Dawn of the Dead, Dune)--who served as a producer on several King adaptions throughout the 80s and 90s, including Golden Years, Thinner, and a 1994 mini-series of The Stand--is confirmed to executive produce the CBS drama with Boone, Cavell, Lee, and Miller. Will Weiske (Bridge of Spies, Her) and Miri Yoon (Behaving Badly, Death Note) will co-executive producer the drama. As the Hollywood Reporter states, Owen King, Stephen King's son, will produce.”I’m excited and so very pleased that The Stand is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform,” King said. “The people involved are men and women who know exactly what they’re doing; the scripts are dynamite. The result bids to be something memorable and thrilling. I believe it will take viewers away to a world they hope will never happen."Stephen King's The Stand, a novel almost as long as David Foster Wallace's 1996 epic Infinite Jest, expands on King's Night Surf, a short story published in an issue of Ubris magazine in the spring of 1969. The nearly 1000-page novel imagines the total breakdown of society after a modified version of the flu used for biological warfare is accidentally released. This causes widespread panic, triggering an apocalyptic pandemic that wipes out the majority of the world's human population.The TV series will see the fate of mankind rest of the shoulders of a few of the survivors of the pandemic. With the world caught in an elemental struggle between good and evil, the nightmares of the remnants of humanity are embodied in Randall Flagg, the Dark Man, an individual with unspeakable powers.Along with The Stand, CBS All Access' roster includes Star Trek: Discovery (which launched its second season on January 17), The Twilight Zone, Why Women Kill, and more.Info from Gamespot.com