Nintendo's February 2019 Direct presentation has concluded, and--as promised--it brought plenty of information about new Switch games. In addition, we got welcome updates on existing Switch games, with new free and paid DLC coming to a bunch of our favorite titles.Along with some exciting news for Mario and Zelda --sorry, Animal Crossing fans and those holding out hope for Mother 3--we learned about a slate of games and demos releasing today. Some of these are already available on the Nintendo Switch Eshop. Now, let's get in to all the biggest news from the Direct.Super Mario Maker 2Super Mario Maker 2 has been announced, with a release window of June this year. Read more: Super Mario Maker 2 Announced For Nintendo Switch.Super Smash Bros. UltimateSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate's 3.0 update has been detailed, and we also got a confirmed release date for the upcoming DLC character Joker. Additionally, several more Smash-themed Amiibo figures are on the way, including Pokemon Trainer, Metal Gear Solid's Snake, and Castlevania's Simon Belmont. Read more: Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.0 Update And Joker Release Detailed; New Amiibo Revealed.BoxBoy + BoxGirlBoxBoy + BoxGirl is a brand-new game with 270 stages, including two-player co-op. It's the first Switch game in the BoxBoy series, which began and 2015 on 3DS and was most recently seen in 2017 with Bye-Bye BoxBoy. Read more: BoxBoy + BoxGirl Announced For Nintendo Switch.Captain Toad: Treasure TrackerThe Switch version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is getting new DLC, some of which is paid (new challenges and courses) and some of which is free (a new co-op mode, which will be live in a few hours). Read more: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Switch Is Getting Free And Paid DLC.Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black OrderNew details and characters were revealed for this upcoming brawler, and we now know the Defenders squad will be included. Read more: New Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 Characters Revealed.The Legend Of Zelda: Link's AwakeningNintendo has revealed a remake of the Game Boy classic The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for the Nintendo Switch. Read more: The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake Announced For Switch.Bloodstained: Ritual Of The NightWe got an update on the progress of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, whose release date will fall in summer 2019. Read more: Castlevania-Like Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night Release Date Narrowed, SlightlyTetris 99Tetris 99 is a new, free-to-play twist on classic Tetris that pits--you guessed it--99 players against one another. Read more: Nintendo Switch Gets A New Battle Royale Game Today, And It's TetrisAssassin's Creed 3 RemasterUbisoft's Assassin's Creed III Remaster will be available on Nintendo Switch on May 21. It will include a remaster of PlayStation Vita title Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, and the Tyranny of King Washington DLC. Read more: Assassin's Creed 3 Remaster's Nintendo Switch Release Date ConfirmedFire Emblem: Three HousesFire Emblem: Three Houses got an extended trailer showing off a bunch of narrative details about the game. On top of that, we got to see combat learned more about how characters will form bonds. Nintendo also confirmed a release date for the game, as well as a special edition. Read more: Nintendo Switch's Fire Emblem: Three Houses Details Revealed, Nintendo Switch's Fire Emblem: Three Houses Release Date And Special Edition RevealedHellblade: Senua's SacrificeNinja Theory's acclaimed action game, which explores mental illness through the lens of a Norse mythology setting, is coming to Nintendo Switch and has a release window of Spring 2019. Read more: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Announced For Nintendo SwitchDeltaruneToby Fox's Deltarune is coming to Switch on February 28, with Chapter 1 of the Undertale follow-up being downloadable for free. Additional chapters, which are "currently in development", will not be free, however. Read more: Deltarune: Chapter 1 Announced For Switch, Will Be FreeYoshi's Crafted WorldA demo for Yoshi's Crafted World is coming to Switch today, giving Nintendo Switch owner a free taste of the little dinosaur's next big adventure. Read more: Yoshi's Crafted World Demo Available Later Today On Nintendo SwitchFinal Fantasy 9 and Final Fantasy 7Final Fantasy VII is launching for Switch next month, on March 26, but Final Fantasy IX will be available in the Switch Eshop later today. Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy, meanwhile, is set to arrive next month, on March 2. Read more: Final Fantasy 9 Out Today On Switch, Final Fantasy 7 Coming Next Month Info from Gamespot.com

A demo for Yoshi's Crafted World is coming to Switch soon--later today, in fact. During the February 2019 Nintendo Direct (see all the news from it here), the company announced the demo with a short trailer that also showed off some gameplay and a preview of Yoshi's adorable costumes.Nintendo didn't specify exactly what today's new demo will include, but the trailer featured Yoshi rafting, racing solar cars, and flying a plane. It also detailed how you can use in-game coins to craft cardboard costumes for Yoshi, which function like armor. This includes a Nintendo Labo-themed outfit in the shape of the piano.Yoshi's Crafted World was first revealed during E3 2017. It appears to play similarly to previous Yoshi games and features a perspective-shifting mechanic in a cardboard diorama-like world. It is set to release on Nintendo Switch on March 29.Nintendo opened the Direct with the announcement of Super Mario Maker 2 for Switch. The company also announced Fire Emblem: Three Houses' release date and gave more details about the game in an extended trailer.Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses marks the long-running strategy RPG series' debut on Nintendo Switch. It's among the biggest franchises Nintendo has planned for this year, and now we know it will be a mid-summer treat. In midst of all the news from the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, the company also announced a release date for Fire Emblem: Three Houses of July 26.For devotees of the series, the Direct also announced a collector's edition. The Seasons of Warfare Edition will include an artbook, "sound selection CD," 2020 calendar, and steelbook case in addition to a copy of the game itself. You can get a look at it below.According to a listing on Best Buy's website, the Seasons of Warfare Edition will be priced at $100 in the US, a $40 premium over the standard edition.Fire Emblem was the centerpiece of the Nintendo Direct presentation, taking most of its time with tons of new details. We saw combat in action, the way cutscenes will integrate into battle sequences, and a lot more story details. You'll be the head of the Officer's Academy, which is composed of three houses--the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer--and are tasked with training the students and assisting in their studies. Check out all the new details we learned.An official press release further sums up some of the new information about Three Houses. It reads, "The Black Eagles. The Blue Lions. The Golden Deer. Three noble houses that are part of the Officer’s Academy, an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic and special skills. As a professor, the player must choose one of these houses to lead its students in grid-based battles with life-or-death stakes. Each house is comprised of many different students to meet and train, each with her or his own personality and skills. These students can interact with each other at the academy, strengthening their bonds and supporting each other on the battlefield. "Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.Info from Gamespot.com

A Breaking Bad movie is on the way, and now a new report says it may air on Netflix. According to Deadline, the movie will premiere first on Netflix and come to TV network AMC later.AMC is the network that originally aired Breaking Bad, while it also hosts the spinoff Better Call Saul. It would be a reversal of sorts, as Breaking Bad ran on AMC first before coming to Netflix.Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan said in 2013 during his best drama acceptance speech at the Emmys that the show thrived thanks to Netflix. "I think Netflix kept us on the air," he said at the time, adding that he thought the show might have only had two seasons were it not for Netflix.Not much is known about the Breaking Bad movie, but it's rumoured to be a sequel that stars the character Jesse Pinkman, who was played by Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad. Intriguingly, Deadline reports that it hasn't yet been decided if the movie will be released as a film or split into episodes. Whatever the case, Paul is said to be returning to play Pinkman again.Breaking Bad ended with Pinkman escaping alive from his neo-Nazi captors and riding into the night. Fans have speculated about where he might have gone and what he would do with his life post-Walter White. At the same time, the law would presumably be hunting him down for his role in the meth empire. It makes for a compelling set-up, and with Gilligan coming back to write the movie, it seemingly has the ingredients to be a success.Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, confirmed in November that a Breaking Bad movie was happening but he didn't say if he's involved. He teased that the movie may feature a couple of characters whose story arcs were not seen through completion.The first Breaking Bad spinoff was Better Call Saul, a TV show that focuses on how Jimmy McGill became the scummy lawyer Saul Goodman. That show remains on TV; a fifth season is on the way.The Breaking Bad movie was reportedly set to start filming in New Mexico back in November, though it's not clear if that happened. Breaking Bad recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, as the show originally premiered back in 2008.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo Switch is getting last year's critically acclaimed Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Ellusive Age. Announced during Nintendo's Direct presentation, this version of the game is being touted as the "definitive version." Though, its official title is Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive EditionPreviously confirmed for release in Japan, the Switch version is finally confirmed for the West sometime this Fall. Based on the trailer, the Switch version of Dragon Quest XI will retain all of the content from the original. However, there will be some fun extras too.First, it'll include the option to select between midi and orchestrated soundtrack--a major criticism leveled towards the game's original release by the series' fanbase. Also introduced is the ability to switch to a 16-bit interface modeled after the visuals from the Super Nintendo era of Dragon Quest; fans should recognize this feature from the 3DS port of the game that never made it to the West. Lastly, you have the option to choose either English or Japanese voices.GameSpot gave the original release of Dragon Quest XI a 9/10 with reviewer Heidi Kemps praising the game's faithfulness to series tradition: "Innovation in games is talked about a lot, but it's also great to see traditional gameplay formulas that have been around for decades presented exceptionally well. Dragon Quest XI is one of the best modern examples of this; its beautiful presentation, both visual- and story-wise, combines with a tried-and-true gameplay formula for a journey that’s full of heart and soul. Once you find yourself sucked into the world of Dragon Quest XI, it's going to be hard to put down until you reach the grand finale." Be sure to read our full review. Info from Gamespot.com

During the recent Nintendo Direct, the developers behind Super Smash Bros. Ultimate revealed what's in store this year for the crossover brawler. In addition to a new update 3.0, and launch details for the first DLC pack, they showed off some new footage of Persona 5's Joker--the next guest character coming to the game. Another big surprise was the reveal of a new batch of Amiibos coming this year.With the Amiibos making their debut with Smash Bros. Wii U, Nintendo has been steadily cranking out new figurines ever since--even including non-Nintendo characters into the fold. During the stream, Nintendo revealed Amiibos for Simon Belmont, Solid Snake, Squirtle, Ivysaur, and the well-travelled Trainer. Unfortunately, release dates weren't shared, though they'll likely drop more details once the new DLC packs begins to roll out.In addition to those, Nintendo shared word about some additional Amiibo figures' release dates after the Direct. In a tweet, it revealed that Ken, Daisy, and Young Link will also receive new figures on April 12. You can see those in the gallery below.Released last December, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been one of the Switch's most successful games, currently sitting at well over 5 million copies worldwide as of early 2019. GameSpot's Edmond Tran reviewed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, giving it a 9."Its entertaining single-player content helps keep the game rich with interesting things to do, as well as bolstering its spirit of loving homage to the games that have graced Nintendo consoles. Ultimate's diverse content is compelling, its strong mechanics are refined, and the encompassing collection is simply superb."For more info about the recent Nintendo Direct, including details about Mario Maker 2 and the remake for The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, be sure to check out our coverage on GameSpot.Info from Gamespot.com

If you've been considering picking up an Xbox One X but wanted to wait for a discount, now might be a good time to do so. The online retailer Newegg is offering a 1TB Xbox One X bundle that includes a digital copy of Fallout 76 for just $350 now until Thursday. It also comes with a free one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold (which is required to play Fallout 76) and Xbox Game Pass.Xbox One X 1TB Console - Fallout 76 Bundle is $349.99 at Newegg https://t.co/8uSGbtE7Be pic.twitter.com/DvHjBmRJr3 — Wario64 (@Wario64) February 13, 2019The Xbox One X is the most powerful console to date that enhances many of the platform's games with visual upgrades including 4K and HDR support. Even those without 4K displays will get some benefit from the console's power with supersampling which helps render a crisper image. With one month of Game Pass for free, you can download and jump into any of the games in its vast library, including first-party titles on launch day--note that Crackdown 3 is out this week.As for Fallout 76, it may not be the best game for 2018, but it's free in an already-discounted bundle. It's the multiplayer spin-off of the storied post-apocalyptic RPG franchise that puts you in West Virginia to find out what happened years before the mainline games. If you plan on jumping into the game after picking up the bundle, check out guide of things you need to know before playing Fallout 76.Info from Gamespot.com

If Apex Legends has one thing going for it, it's the feeling that the game is complete--something not all battle royale games can boast. The massive popularity in the genre means there are lots of games that do last-player-standing competition pretty well, but with some kinks and issues along the way. Some well-established shooters are adding battle royale modes to their offerings, fitting their existing gameplay into a new framework; other battle royale games are constantly struggling to work out bugs and balancing issues; and still others started life as something else and managed to retrofit their mechanics the battle royale mold, with some ideas fitting better than others.Meanwhile, Apex Legends focuses on doing one thing extremely well. That thing is team competition in the BR genre; at launch, it only includes a team-based mode where 20 groups of three players square off against each other. Everything in Apex Legends works to further teamwork: that includes a number of improvements to issues that plague the whole genre, like cleaning up inventory management and increasing accessibility, and the addition of new ideas, like squad composition elements and special character abilities.Apex Legends excels by combining good ideas that have worked in shooters before. The battle royale ruleset is the same as in similar games, with very few changes: Teams skydive onto a huge island with nothing and scramble to gather up weapons and items to use against any other teams they encounter until only one team survives. While there are no titans or wall-running, it's still possible to see the bones of Titanfall 2 undergirding Apex, which reuses Titanfall's weapons and some of its fluid movement mechanics, like sliding and mantling. But the core of the formula here is the tight, three-player squad structure, which all the other pieces benefit.Another big change to the battle royale formula in Apex Legends is one extremely similar to what Blizzard brought to multiplayer FPS games in Overwatch. At the start of each match, each player chooses one of eight characters, each with specific abilities that serve specific roles. The defensive Gibraltar can drop a shield and call in an airstrike to drive another team back; the offensive Wraith can create portals between two locations and briefly disappear to avoid damage; the supportive Pathfinder uses grappling hooks and ziplines to help the team reach areas where they might have a tactical advantage.It all plays back into the focus on teamwork, since no character is especially powerful, and no abilities are useful all the time. You're not a lone wolf--instead, you have a specific role that complements teammates as you play, and that works to help find a new side of battle royale that hasn't been explored before.Moment-to-moment, though, what's remarkable about Apex Legends is that it just works. Battle royale is a bit of an obtuse genre with a lot of moving parts; in most games, you find weapons, gun attachments, armor, healing items, and more. You'll spend lots of time digging in menus to manage inventory. Apex streamlines all of that with user interface tweaks that make it possible to instantly identify what you need and ignore the things you don't. Ammo types are color-coded to the guns that use them. Attachments automatically join with guns they fit and swap to appropriate new guns when you pick them up, while things you can't use or don't improve your gear are brightly marked as such. It's an even more accessible version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's battle royale improvements with its Blackout mode, and the rest of the genre should adopt it.The best feature in Apex Legends is its extremely robust "ping" system, which lets you press a button to create a marker on your teammates' screens. The ping system is super smart--aim it at a gun or a helmet and your character will identify that object's location to everyone else. You can ping in your menu to call for things you need, mark places you want to go, or identify spots other players have passed through. Most importantly, you can use pings to mark enemy locations. The system is so responsive and well-implemented in Apex Legends that it can fully replace talking to your team at all. In fact, the accuracy of a ping on-screen can often be better at helping you quickly convey information than talking.A revival system also helps you get more engaged with your team. If a teammate falls in battle and is knocked out of the match, you can recover their banner, an item that drops with their loot, and use it to respawn them into the game as if they just started. The system adds some intense, harrowing strategy to Apex that requires you to risk everything to save your squad; you can only call back dead teammates at specific, single-use Respawn Beacons on the map, but you're completely exposed while doing so. Pull off a clutch play, though, and you can bring your team back from the brink. The system provides a great incentive to stay in matches and keep talking to and aiding your team, instead of just leaving when you die to join another match.Like in Respawn's previous games, shooting here is hefty and satisfying, and Apex sports a wide variety of cool guns to learn and master. However, gunplay sometimes gets held back because lots guns carry strangely small magazines. Players have a lot of health, which gets increased greatly with the addition of armor, so it often takes a lot of shots to take people down. Ideally, you're always shooting someone with the help of a pal, but the small magazines have the effect of making you feel underpowered alone. In most matches I've played, shotguns get the most use from players because they have the highest likelihood of actually taking down an opponent, while many of the other guns spray bullets too much and leave you vulnerable as you reload and reload and reload.Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses.As a free-to-play game, Apex Legends includes both loot boxes and in-game items that can be purchased with real money, and loot boxes can also be earned by playing. Everything on offer is cosmetic, much like in Fortnite or Overwatch, so paying money isn't essential to playing the game and staying competitive, and you can largely ignore microtransactions if you aren't interested in paying.The one place Apex Legends' microtransactions can irritate is in trying to unlock new characters. At launch, six characters are available for free, with two that can be unlocked either with paid or earned currency. Neither is essential--they offer different abilities but not better or worse ones--but as an average player, it still took me around 17 hours of play to earn enough currency to buy one character (it'll be shorter if you get more kills and more wins). With Respawn adding more characters to the game in the future, it's fully possible trying to unlock new characters will become a slog that turns off casual players and those unwilling or unable to pay.Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses. Respawn's intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it's an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future.Info from Gamespot.com

The new Dune movie from Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve continues to add to its already incredibly star-studded cast. According to Variety, veteran actor Josh Brolin has joined the movie to play Gurney Halleck. The Thanos actor joins an already star-studded cast that includes Timothee Chalamet, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Rampling, and Stellan Skarsgard.Halleck is a mentor to Chalamet's character. He was played by Patrick Stewart in the 1984 film.The movie is based on the Frank Herbert 1965 novel. David Lynch directed the first Dune movie in 1984; it was not a commercial success but it gained a cult reputation. A mini-series for TV was produced in the early 2000s on the Syfy channel. Villeneuve, who also directed Sicario and Arrival, co-wrote the script for the new Dune with Eric Roth (A Star Is Born, Forrest Gump) and Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).No release date has been announced as of yet for the new Dune. Given its cast, director, and writing team, the new Dune adaptation is very high on our anticipation radar. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest. Info from Gamespot.com

Alongside the announcement of Dragon Quest XI for Switch, we also got confirmation for the western release of Dragon Quest Builders 2, which released in Japan late last year. It's coming to the West on July 12 for both Switch and PS4. The news was confirmed during Nintendo's Direct presentation and subsequently on Sony and Square Enix social feeds. Though, for all the news from the Direct presentation, be sure to read our news roundup.Much like the first game, Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes place in an alternate reality of an existing Dragon Quest game where the main antagonist defeated the heroes and left the world a barren wasteland; this one specifically focuses on Dragon Quest II. You play as a Builder rescued by a mysterious boy who's tasked with rebuilding the world back to its former glory.The sequel sports an array of new features, which includes four-player online and local cooperative play, underwater exploration, an optional first-person view, a dash ability, and more. Owners of the first Dragon Quest Builders also get some nice perks, being able to unlock the ability to craft the original protagonist's clothes and the Dragon Lord's throne.For a closer look at the game, watch the trailer above. Otherwise, if you're curious about the first Dragon Quest Builders, be sure to read our full review. GameSpot gave it an 8/10, concluding that "the excellence of Dragon Quest Builders illustrates the versatility of this 30-year-old franchise as much as it speaks to the engrossing appeal of Minecraft-inspired creation. The story-advancing draw of quests goes hand-in-hand with the depth of a crafting system that cleverly uses monster drops as some of the game's building tools. Whether you want to focus on completing assignments or build with no specific purpose, the game is feature-rich enough to suck up untold hours, even if this happens to be your first Dragon Quest experience."Info from Gamespot.com

James Cameron, the legendary movie director who made aquatic-themed movies like Titanic and The Abyss, has seen Aquaman and he's not exactly the biggest fan of it. In an interview with Yahoo! (via EW), Cameron said the movie is "great fun" but not very realistic."I could have never made that film because it requires this total dreamlike disconnection from any sense of physics or reality. It exists somewhere between a Greek mythic landscape and a fairy tale landscape. And people just kind of zoom around underwater because … they propel themselves mentally, I guess. I don't know. " he said. You buy it on its own terms."Cameron, who himself has traveled to the bottom of the ocean, pointed out that he's spent "thousands" of hours underwater. He takes underwater storytelling very seriously."I'm very literal about my underwater. It needs to look like it's real," he said. "And while I can enjoy that film I don't resonate with it because it doesn't look real."Cameron wasn't entirely negative about Aquaman, however, as he said he applauds the movie for the scenes in which it showed the ocean as being used as a garbage dump to remind people to respect and protect the world's oceans. The upcoming Avatar sequels that Cameron is making will have "a lot" of underwater sequences, and these will have "such a different feel" than Aquaman, Cameron said. For the Avatar sequels, Cameron is using a reportedly brand-new filming technique capable of doing motion-capture work underwater.James Wan, who directed Aquaman, previously spoke with EW about working in the shadow of Cameron. "Rule No. 1 is don't ever compete with James Cameron," he said. "He's in a whole different game of his own. And No. 2, our movie is such a different-looking film."Aquaman was a smash hit, taking in more than $1 billion globally at the box office. Unsurprisingly, a sequel is on the way; it's progressing further now by hiring a writer. As for the Avatar series, Avatar 2 is expected to hit theatres in December 2020. Info from Gamespot.com

Beyond the dark, oppressive tunnels and radioactive surface of Moscow are the societies that emerge from a nuclear apocalypse and prospective lands habitable for new life. It's a sensible change in setting that broadens Metro's horizons, though it sometimes loses the focus the series is known for. Still, the firefights and stealth deliver a familiar and incredible tension, complemented by streamlined survival mechanics necessary to face terrifying threats. But with Artyom and friends punching a one-way train ticket in hopes of greener pastures, Metro Exodus becomes a journey more about the enduring relationships and ties that bind an earnest crew of survivors.In the opening hours, returning protagonist Artyom is shown with a tenacious insistence that human life exists outside the metro. It gets him into serious trouble, and it's further revealed that a larger conspiracy is at play. Your departure seems all too sudden and a bit of a disservice to the hardships endured in the previous games, but the heat of the moment and gut instincts of your companions help ease you into the premise of a year-long expedition to wherever the railroads lead.The way the map works in Metro Exodus is a nice touch.Thus, Metro Exodus takes the franchise in a bold direction by having a few significant chapters dedicated to open sandbox-style environments where you're free to roam, explore non-critical points of interest, and follow the main story path. Exploration tends to not be a reward in itself as these open areas are sparse and struggle to incentivize you to venture far off. Doing so pits you against mutants that force you to expend valuable resources for very little in return. Navigating isn't entirely enjoyable whether it be because of the sluggish rowboats in the Volga or empty lands of the Caspian. It sometimes feels as if Metro's methodical movement was thrown into much larger spaces it wasn't meant for. Thankfully, the game reins it in for its other chapters, especially when you make it to the lush forest of the Taiga that masterfully guides you to and from open areas and confined spaces at a tempered pace.During your time in the open areas, optional side quests will organically populate your map by way of environmental hints or characters mentioning a point of interest in dialogue. These aren’t traditional side quests that get logged into a checklist; instead, they're opportunities to experience more of Metro’s tense combat scenarios and lead to potentially finding new equipment, scavenging additional resources, or extracting smaller stories that feed into the bigger picture.Despite the addition of open environments, Exodus primarily plays similarly to previous games, and for the majority of the time it channels the series existing strengths. Carefully laid out levels strike a balance between freedom of approach and linear, focused paths to objectives when you face human enemies, creating a fine flow within missions. Sure, some guards will have their backs conveniently turned or make silly moves in combat, but the overarching thrill that you can swiftly kill or be killed lingers. Another Metro staple of fighting mutated beasts delivers a different style of tension. Irradiated spiders, nimble mutants, and lurking amphibians strike fear as you brace for their attack in ravaged pitch-dark corridors and flooded buildings. Even the harmless spiders that crawl on your arm and across your face further build a terrifying atmosphere. It's a state of vulnerability covered in a layer of dread that Metro gets right yet again.Hardly do you ever feel either unfairly disadvantaged or overpowered, as weapons fire with impact and can be a challenge to handle. Each firearm has a roster of modifications that you'll scavenge from enemy weapons--sights, scopes, barrels, loading mechanisms--which give you control of how you want to fight. This wide variety of customization options can turn a dinky revolver into a formidable long-range weapon or a janky Kalashnikov into a devastating assault rifle--it's a satisfying system that gives gunplay an additional layer of depth. Modding can also be done using your backpack at any time, giving you the chance to adapt to situations as they arise.Workbenches and your backpack are saving graces in Metro Exodus, since there are no longer any shops to buy equipment and items. Gone is the clever system of trading in military-grade bullets for critical items; in its place is a crafting system that's both manageable and fitting for the survivalist mentality Exodus instills. You'll accumulate scrap metal and chemicals to craft medkits, filters, and ammo, and maintain weapon condition. Even when you're juggling systems such as keeping your flashlight charged and changing out gasmask filters, it never becomes overbearing and adds an enjoyable challenge of gear management even as you're fending off foes throughout.For the most part, Metro Exodus does away with the supernatural by leaving the clairvoyant Dark Ones in the past. In venturing into the unknown, the game tends to rely on familiar post-apocalyptic tropes. You have the cultists who've brainwashed locals to shun technology, a society of cannibals who put up an orderly front, and slavers who exploit and abuse others. But Exodus uses them to lay the groundwork for its better moments between characters and the struggles they endure. And despite the story being less centered around Artyom--who oddly remains a silent protagonist outside of loading screen monologues--Exodus unfolds in a much more personal fashion. The broader examinations of humanity and psychological twists have been dialed back to make room for a more grounded story about the necessary sacrifices you make for the ones you love.These characters are brought to life with an impressive amount of dialogue that seems to go on forever, but because the moments of levity have a degree of charm and earnestness, you’ll want to stay and listen.The best parts of the story are found in chapters between the action where you simply hang out aboard the Aurora, the train that functions as headquarters. Here you have the chance to tune the radio to eavesdrop on transmissions that play off of in-game events or listen to some sweet tunes, but more importantly, it's your opportunity to unravel the endearing personalities that make up your crew. These characters are brought to life with an impressive amount of dialogue that seems to go on forever, but because the moments of levity have a degree of charm and earnestness, you’ll want to stay and listen. It's not without a few lines that feel contextually out of place, though the natural flow of dialogue and interactions between the team communicates just as much about them as the stories they tell.Anna shares her thoughts about the life she hopes to build with you as she rests her head on your lap. Damir's commitment to his ethnic roots and what remains of his homeland of Kazakhstan leads to a bittersweet exchange. Stepan, the big softy, is an uplifting presence who also fills the air with his acoustic guitar. And Miller is the hardened leader exemplifying the tough love of a father figure who wants the best for you and his daughter Anna. These are just a few of the characters that represent the best in Metro Exodus' narrative.Anna is one of the several great characters in Metro Exodus' story.The exact narrative threads can change, however; Metro's morality system makes a return, subtly judging your actions without explicitly revealing itself. What's important is that it doesn't always force you into a non-lethal approach; if you want to cut the throats of the heartless slavers or take a shotgun to a cannibal's head, by all means do so, and as long as you don't hurt the innocent, you're in the clear. And with a keen eye or sharp ear, you may also come across unexpected events that'll pay off depending on your course of action. Consequences don't make themselves immediately apparent, but can lead to fascinating results as the story progresses.It's worth noting that technical issues are strewn throughout Metro Exodus. In one playthrough (pre-day one patch), I've fallen through the game world just after an auto-save, inexplicably lost upgraded equipment I couldn't get back at a workbench, and had some rare, but noticeable framerate drops at modest settings with a fairly high-end PC. They didn't break the game, but can frustrate and negate hard-earned progress. In the few hours spent with the PS4 version, the game was stable, and as expected it ran on a lower framerate than a capable PC. It's not always a smooth ride, though it doesn't take away from the gripping journey that the game takes you on.You may miss the mystery and intrigue of the previous games, but Exodus puts together a charismatic crew of friends and family that you'll want to follow to the ends of the earth.At first glance, Metro Exodus gives you that wide-open, free, and dangerous world unbound by tunnels, though the scope of its tale focuses on what drives you personally and the lengths you're willing to go to protect what matters most. The open sandboxes may not be strongest addition, but the game still embraces the sense of vulnerability and post-apocalyptic terror alongside impactful weapons used in refined combat and stealth scenarios. You may miss the mystery and intrigue of the previous games, but Exodus puts together a charismatic crew of friends and family that you'll want to follow to the ends of the earth.Info from Gamespot.com

The Division 2 will have an open beta, apparently. The Division's official Twitter account made a casual reference to an "Open Beta" when talking to a fan about rewards. [Update: Sure enough, Ubisoft has officially confirmed that a Division 2 open beta is on the way. It will take place in early March and apparently consist of the same content (and rewards in the full game) as the previous private beta.]Players can earn the Capitol Hill Arm Patch for completing the Invaded mission in the previous, pre-order exclusive Private beta, or the upcoming and unannounced Open Beta, the tweet said. Players who simply participate in either beta will earn the DC Patriot Weapon Skin.There are 2 rewards available for playing the Beta:Earn the Capitol Hill Arm Patch by completing the Invaded Mission in the Private or Open BetaEarn the DC Patriot Weapon Skin by participating in any of the The Division 2 Betas — The Division 2 (@TheDivisionGame) February 7, 2019Headlines about an open beta for The Division 2 made the rounds today after a community developer mentioned an "open beta" during a livestream.As mentioned, you had to pre-order The Division 2 to get access to the Private beta that ran earlier this month. The open beta will presumably be ... open for everyone to play. It's not clear at this stage if the content will differ from the Private beta to the Open beta, but keep checking back with GameSpot for more.The Division 2 launches on March 15 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, check out all of GameSpot's written and video content for the game here.Info from Gamespot.com

2018's Aquaman brought in more than $1.1 billion at the box office, making it one of the most commercially successful movies of the year. Success at that level pretty much guaranteed a sequel would happen, and now Warner Bros. is reportedly starting to lay the groundwork for it.According to The Wrap, Warner Bros. has hired the first movie's co-writer, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, to come back to write the script for the sequel. However, it's unclear if James Wan, who directed the first Aquaman, will return for the follow-up. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wan is in the midst of making a deal with Warner Bros. to produce the sequel, however. With more than $1.1 billion globally at the box office, Aquaman is DC's biggest hit since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. It was reported that Warner Bros. would make Aquaman 2 before the first movie even hit theatres, so it is no surprise at all that the film is advancing through the early stages of development. In December, THR said Aquaman actress Amber Heard was paid at least $1 million to appear as Mera in the film. For the sequel, Heard will earn more, according to the report. Aquaman actor Jason Momoa will presumably get a bigger payday for the rumoured sequel as well.In addition to Aquaman 2, Warner Bros. THR says Warner Bros. is developing a Aquaman spinoff called The Trench that is a horror movie. The film will reportedly have a smaller budget than Aquaman and other tentpole DC films, and it won't feature the stars of the mainline Aquaman. Info from Gamespot.com

Despite being fired from the production of the hit Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, in September last year director Bryan Singer was announced as director of fantasy movie Red Sonja. However, following various allegations of sexual assault against Singer, it has been reported that the project has been delayed by producers Millennium Films.According to Variety, the movie was set to start shooting in Bulgaria this year. However, a spokeswoman for Millennium confirmed that the movie is no longer on the studio's slate and plans for its production have been postponed. In addition, distribution rights are no longer for sale at the European Film Market, which is currently taking place in Berlin.Last month, The Atlantic published a story in which Singer was accused of sexual assault on the set of his 1998 movie Apt Pupil and of sleeping with under-age boys. Singer has denied all charges against him. In addition, Singer was fired by Fox from Bohemian Rhapsody in December 2017 after repeated absences from the set. Singer is also known as the director of several X-Men movies, including the original 2000 film and 2017's X-Men: Apocalypse.This news of Red Sonja's delay comes two weeks after Millennium boss Avi Lerner defended Singer and insisted that he was still in place as Red Sonja's director. "The over $800 million Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed, making it the highest grossing drama in film history, is testament to his remarkable vision and acumen," said Lerner at the time. "I know the difference between agenda driven fake news and reality, and I am very comfortable with this decision. In America people are innocent until proven otherwise."The character of Red Sonja first appeared in a 1973 issue of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian comic, and subsequently appeared in her own title. A previous movie was made in 1986, with Brigitte Nielsen in the lead role and co-starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, but this was a commercial and critical failure. A new movie version has been in development for many years--at one stage Alita: Battle Angel director Robert Rodriguez was slated to direct. Info from Gamespot.com