The Year of Legendary Pokemon may have ended, but The Pokemon Company has another free gift in store for fans. For a limited time, anyone with a copy of Pokemon Sun and Moon or Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon can receive a bundle of Berries for free via Mystery Gift.The bundle consists of five different types of Berries: Enigma, Micle, Custap, Jaboca, and Rowap. You'll receive 12 of each variety as part of the gift, which you can then equip to a Pokemon for use in battle or plant in Isle Aplenny of the Poke Pelago in order to grow more.What makes these particular Berries special is that they can't otherwise be obtained in Sun and Moon or their Ultra counterparts, making this your first opportunity to get your hands on them in the seventh-generation titles. You can read about the effect each one has when it's equipped to a Pokemon below:Enigma Berry: Restores some HP after being hit by a super-effective attackMicle Berry: Raises accuracy one time when your Pokemon is in a pinchCustap Berry: Allows your Pokemon to move first one time when in a pinchJaboca Berry: Opponent also takes damage when your Pokemon is hit with a physical attackRowap Berry: Opponent also takes damage when your Pokemon is hit with a special attackTo claim the Berries, you'll first need to select Mystery Gift from your game's main menu. Choose the option to receive your gift via the internet, and the Berries will be downloaded into your game. You'll then need to pick them up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.A new Pokemon RPG is slated to release for Nintendo Switch this year. Unlike Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, which were designed to be more welcoming to newer and younger players, The Pokemon Company says this year's title will be a "core" installment, although few details have been announced beyond that. You can read everything we know about Pokemon for Switch here.Info from Gamespot.com

You'll soon be able to buy a TV that can disappear from your living room, thanks to a new OLED TV LG is showing off at CES 2019. The rollable TV is based on a prototype the company showed off last year, and which can roll down into an unobtrusive piece of furniture when it's not being used.As GameSpot sister site CNET reported, LG intends to make the new TV, which right now is called the Signature OLED TV R, available in the second half of 2019. When off, it rolls up into what looks like a small table, and cloth covers a Dolby Atmos sound system as part of the machine. When you turn the TV on, a sliding door on top moves out of the way to allow the screen to roll up.The Signature's moving screen also supports at least one screen configuration beyond just "on" and "off." You can also set it to "line" mode, which raises part of the screen to display a home screen with information like weather and a clock, or to a 21:9 ratio mode to display ultra-widescreen movies without the letterbox bars. It can also just play music with no screen present.LG says the only version of the rolling set available this year will be a 65-inch version. It hasn't said what it'll cost--but it seems likely the Signature OLED TV R will be pretty expensive. Still, the set sounds like it impressed the folks at CNET, and could be the first step toward what your future living room could look like.There has been a lot of interesting stuff showed off at CES 2019 in Las Vegas this week, including huge new TVs from Samsung and LG, and a bunch of new virtual reality goodies from HTC. For all our CES coverage throughout the show, check out our CES hub page.Info from Gamespot.com

One of the biggest games announced for 2019 is Metro Exodus, an open-world shooter that's set in post-apocalyptic Russia. The third game in the Metro series, Exodus will be enhanced for Xbox One X, featuring 4K resolution and HDR graphics. To help get players acquainted (or reacquainted) with the series, Microsoft has announced it will release the Xbox One X Metro Saga Bundle on February 15.The Xbox One X Metro Saga Bundle comes with a 1TB Xbox One X console, a controller, one-month trials for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, as well as digital copies of Metro 2033 Redux, Metro: Last Light Redux, and Metro Exodus. That's all you need to play through the entire Metro series from the beginning. Like most Xbox One X bundles, this one will retail for $499.Pre-order Xbox One X Metro Saga Bundle from Microsoft -- $500Pre-order Xbox One X Metro Saga Bundle from GameStop -- $500Metro 2033 is a shooter with survival elements that first launched in 2010. It was followed in 2013 by Metro: Last Light, a direct sequel. Both games were remastered for modern consoles in 2014 with the release of Metro Redux. The remastered versions are what appear in this Xbox One X bundle.Both games received high scores from GameSpot, though they're not exactly light, happy fare. In our Metro Redux review, Kevin VanOrd wrote, "In both Metro: Last Light and in the refashioned Metro 2033, there is more dread in the deafening silence than there is in the retort of a shotgun. In the metro tunnels beneath Moscow, you scavenge for ammo to use as currency as well as munitions, burn away cobwebs with your lighter, and search for gas masks that allow you to breathe the perilous air should you approach the surface." For more information about the upcoming sequel, which launches on February 15, check out what to expect from Metro Exodus.As for the Xbox One X, it's the most powerful version of Microsoft's current-gen console. It supports Ultra HD Blu-ray disc playback, 4K resolution, and HDR. For more information, read or watch our Xbox One X review.Info from Gamespot.com

The first part of Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood's big 4.5 patch, A Requiem for Heroes, has arrived on PS4 and PC. The update introduces a load of new content to the MMO, including main story quests that set the stage for the game's forthcoming Shadowbringers expansion.Among the new content available now is the third and final raid in the Return to Ivalice Alliance series, which takes players to Orbonne Monastery. Square Enix says the raid also features content by Yasumi Matsuno, the original director of Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics. Additionally, the update introduces a new dungeon, the Ghimlyt Dark, which features a 90-minute time limit and can only be tackled by players who have a Disciple of War or Magic that is level 70.On top of that, the first part of the 4.5 patch brings new minions, mounts, hairstyles, and emotes to the MMO. It also introduces a new "limited job" class, the Blue Mage, although that will go live next week, on January 15. Square Enix says the class will "provide a unique solo gameplay experience" and will be available to players who have completed A Realm Reborn's main scenario and have a character that's at least level 50.You can find the full patch notes for the first part of the 4.5 update on the official Final Fantasy XIV website. Square Enix says the second and final part of the patch will release in late March and cap off the Stormblood storyline, although additional 4.5 content updates are also set to arrive. The Shadowbringers expansion, meanwhile, is slated to launch in early summer.In addition to the new patch, Final Fantasy XIV is in the midst of its annual Heavensturn New Year event. The event will be live through January 15 and features special seasonal quests and rewards.Info from Gamespot.com

Game streaming accessory maker Elgato debuted two more products aimed at streamers at CES. The first is a piece of software that makes it easier to stream mobile games, while the other is an accessory to increase the production value for streaming personalities.The Elgato Screen Link is PC/Mac software that makes your iPhone or iPad appear as an input source for streaming apps like OBS Studio, Streamlabs, XSplit, and Game Capture. You can sample it for free now through the official site, with a limitation of 15-minute streams and a max bitrate of 16 Mbps. A Pro version, said to be coming soon, will unlock unlimited streams and a 32 Mbps bitrate for $10.The Key Light is a simple solution for streamer lighting, so that viewers can see your face nice and clearly. It's designed to attach to desks for streamers, and the interface lets you adjust the intensity and warmth of the light from your desktop. It's releasing on January 14 for $200.Of course, much of the technology at CES has been targeted towards people who simply play games. Those have included new announcements like Viveport Infinity, an all-you-can-eat VR game service, new TVs from Samsung, and gaming laptops. You can check out all that and much more at all of our at CES 2019 coverage, and even more at GameSpot sister site CNET.Info from Gamespot.com

At CES 2019, Samsung unveiled its new 75-inch MicroLED TV. Despite its size, this is actually the smallest MicroLED TV that supports 4K resolution. Even though both OLED and LCD technology are already pushing 8K resolution, CNET's coverage of CES reports that Samsung plans on further developing its MicroLED technology so that it can rival the two older display types by the end of 2019.Samsung first showcased this MicroLED TV technology at CES 2018, showcasing how the screens were composed of millions of individual LEDs. Individuals screens could be combined to create massive displays, which the company calls The Wall TV. Previously, the smallest size for The Wall--that could support 4K--was 146 inches. The company could go larger and still support 4K though, and it proved that this year with the reveal of a larger 219-inch version of The Wall too.According to CNET, Samsung is taking advantage of the new-generation display's thinner panels to make plans for selling MicroLED TVs to US consumers in 2019. The panels have previously been 80mm, which is more appropriate for industrial use. However, they've recently been shrunk down to 30mm. Samsung will announce the TVs' release date and prices at a later time.Just because Samsung plans on promoting MicroLED, does not mean the company plans on abandoning its OLED and LCD TVs. At CES 2019, Samsung revealed a new 98-inch 8K QLED resolution TV. Relying on 33 million pixels, the television is about the size of an average living room. For context, if you were to play Red Dead Redemption 2 on this TV, it would probably display a nearby horse close to a believable real-life size. No price has been announced for this TV either, but Samsung sold last year's 85-inch 8K QLED TV for $15,000 USD, so you may want to expect at least that price.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony's PlayStation 4-exclusive God of War launched in April behind rapt praise from critics and commercial success. Some fans might have expected DLC to follow, but that never happened. It remains to be seen if the action game will ever receive any additional content, but what we do know is that game director Cory Barlog pitched a DLC idea that was too ambitious. As a result, this expansion, at least in the way Barlog imagined it, may never see the light of day."I had a really fun idea for a DLC that I only regret because I would love to have done that," Barlog told Kinda Funny. "But it was too ambitious."Barlog said it would have been like The Last of Us 1's Left Behind or Uncharted Lost Legacy releases, which were big enough to warrant their own standalone releases."It would [have] ended up being its own thing," Barlog said of the mystery God of War DLC. "Rightfully so, everybody said, 'Dude, this is crazy, this isn't DLC, this is a little too big."One of the only regrets that Barlog said he still has about God of War is that the team wasn't able to release the Photo Mode and New Game+ options at launch. Instead, these were released through free updates after the game was released. The New Game+ mode did add some new armor and customisation items, but it might not have been the proper expansion some fans would have wanted.God of War was one of GameSpot's favourite titles of 2018, while it beat out Red Dead Redemption 2 to win the overall Game of the Year award at The Game Awards in December. The game may not be finished winning awards yet, as it is nominated for a top writing award at the Writers Guild Awards this year.Info from Gamespot.com

The new live-action Barbie moving starring Margot Robbie in the title role is now finally official. Movie giant Warner Bros. and toy company Mattel have announced a partnership for the film, and also confirmed that Robbie will be a producer on the film.According to Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich, the new Barbie movie will "bring Barbie to life on screen in a fresh and relevant way for today's audiences."He added that the new Barbie movie is the first in a new partnership with Mattel's new film division, Mattel Films, which suggests some of the iconic toy company's other brands may get spun into films someday. Barbie is arguably Mattel's biggest brand, but the company also owns the American Girl Doll, Hot Wheels, Hot Wheels, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Fisher Price brands, among many others.Mattel's share price has plummeted over the past year, and the company also cut more than 2,000 jobs in an effort to improve its profitability, according to CNBC.Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz said in his own statement that the company is trying to become an "IP-driven, high performing toy company," and the new film division is one part of this. The new Mattel Films division is led by Robbie Brenner, who shared the Best Picture Oscar nomination for Dallas Buyers Club.As for Robbie, who earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her leading role in I, Tonya, said she is "honoured" to be playing Barbie in the new film."Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child's journey to self-discovery. Over the brand's almost 60 years, Barbie has empowered kids to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a princess to president," she said.According to Variety, the story is along the lines of Enchanted and Big, in that the main character finds herself kicked out of Barbieland and thrust into the real world.Amy Schumer was originally lined up to play Barbie in the movie when it was set up at Sony. Before the studio changeover, it was expected to open in Summer 2018, but the date has been pushed. Reports now say that Barbie is slated for a May 8, 2020 release date.Info from Gamespot.com

Treyarch has released a Reddit post that details new updates for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. One update has already gone live, adding new featured Multiplayer playlists. The rest are scheduled throughout January and mostly patch Zombies and Blackout.The January 8 update adds Endurance Chaos Moshpit to the Featured playlist. It also puts Mercenary Capture Moshpit, Mercenary Hardcore Moshpit, Deathmatch Moshpit, and Map Pack Moshpit into the Featured category.Treyarch will add League Play to Black Ops 4 later this month. The new feature transforms competitive multiplayer into something more along the lines of what's seen in professional matches with skill-based matchmaking putting participants into 50-player groupings. League Play events will typically last for three days, much like a tournament, with unranked scrimmage matches taking place in between each event for you to sharpen your skills.There are also scheduled plans for implementing new Zombies features and content as well. Gauntlets is launching first in Voyage of Despair sometime next week, and three new Elixirs are coming to the PS4 version of the game. Treyarch also teased new details about the major changes coming to Zombies mode this year will be shared next week during a "very Zombies-specific date."Also next week, Treyarch will release an update on consoles that makes it easier to loot in Blackout. You'll be able click through your inventory, instead of having to move a pointer, and more easily select the item you want to pick up off the ground if you're near multiple weapons and equipment.All the changes that are currently live in Black Ops 4 are listed in the full patch notes below. Black Ops 4 is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 January UpdateMultiplayerFeatured PlaylistsAdded Endurance Chaos Moshpit as Featured Playlist. 6v6 with higher score limits.Team Deathmatch with 150 score limit, 15 minute time limit.Domination with 200 score round limit, 400 score match limit.Hardpoint with 500 score limit, 10 minute time limit.Kill Confirmed with 150 score limit, 15 minute time limit.Added Mercenary Capture Moshpit, Mercenary Hardcore Moshpit, Deathmatch Moshpit, and Map Pack Moshpit to Featured category.StabilityImproved stability with Torque's Barricade and its effects on enemy players.Improved stability with the Mantis Scorestreak, particularly when firing rockets.Improved stability when killing Strike Team members as they rappel out of the helicopter.ZombiesMiscellaneousDead of the Night Addressed an issue that occasionally prevented a gravestone marker from appearing during the Main Quest.Addressed an issue that could prevent progression of the Stake Knife quest.Addressed an issue where players were able to pick up the Savage Impaler while their Special Weapon was in use.Addressed a rare stability issue involving the clock step in the Pack-A-Punch Quest.IXAddressed an issue that could prevent progression of the bull head portion of the Main Quest.StabilityImproved stability when multiple Sentries are active.Info from Gamespot.com

There will be no new mainline Assassin's Creed game coming out in 2019, and as such, Ubisoft is supporting Assassin's Creed Odyssey with heaps of extra content to keep players busy and coming back. Now, Ubisoft has revealed what's coming to the game in January--and it's a lot.Starting off, the second episode of the Legacy of the First Blade DLC, Shadow Heritage, will launch on January 15. In this new expansion, players will "investigate a blockade initiated by the Order of the Ancients around the port city in Achaia."The description goes on: "You'll discover a group of stranded citizens whose lives are being threatened by a fierce naval commander, the Tempest, who is in charge of the blockade. Steal the Tempest's top secret weapon, help the citizens escape, and destroy the blockade once and for all...with your ship! An epic maritime battle awaits you at the Aegean Sea."To play Shadow Heritage, you need to finish the first episode, Hunted, complete the Naxos questline from chapter 7 of the main story, and hit level 28 or higher.The Legacy of the First Blade DLC is paid, but Odyssey's Lost Tales of Greece DLC is free, and it continues in January with the Daughters of Lalaia expansion. In the Daughters of Lalai content, you'll travel to a village left defenseless after all the men left for battle. Players will train the townspeople to prepare them for "incoming danger."The other new Lost Tales of Greece content is called Poet's Legacy, and it introduces players to Greece's "most scandalous poet.""During this questline you'll learn that she isn't quite what she seems as you become increasingly involved in her risqué performances," Ubisoft said.Additionally, Odyssey is adding a new mythical creature, a cyclops named Bright One. Players who defeat the beast will get his weapon, the Hammer of Hephaistos. You can find the Bright One on Arges; this is a challenging quest, so Ubisoft recommends that you're at least level 50 before facing off.The new Athena gearAdditionally, Ubisoft Club members can bring Aya from Assassin's Creed Origins to their ship in January, while a bunch of new items are coming to the game as well. The Dionysos Character Pack adds a new gear set, a big cow mount, and a "legendary dagger." The Athena Pack is also on the way, and it adds some snazzy new gear; you can see it in the image embedded above.In addition to all the new content, Ubisoft said it continues to work on more title updates for Odyssey that add new features. One of these is new Mercenary tiers--two more are coming to the game, and they should be extra challenging. Defeat them and you'll earn "new benefits worthy of a demigod," Ubisoft said. Additionally, a new vendor is coming to Odyssey that will allow players to view and purchase new engravings, upgrade them, and also perform the engravings themselves on gear you already own. The new shop, Hephaistos's Workshop, is located int he Myson Cave in the Malis region.Finally, Ubisoft is addressing enemy scaling. With the new title update on January 10, players can select an enemy-scaling system that suits their playstyle. The options (which aren't available when in Nightmare difficulty mode) include:Heavy – All enemies remain at your level.Normal – No change in the difficulty settings.Light – Content is around two levels below your level.Very Light – Content is around four levels below your level.In other news about Odyssey, the game is nominated for outstanding achievement in writing at the Writers Guild Awards. Info from Gamespot.com

It's finally happening. Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks officially announced they were launching their own wrestling company--All Elite Wrestling--on January 1. Now, after an AEW rally held in Jacksonville, Florida, those involved with the new company have shared many more details, including several names that will make up the roster of the show.The biggest announcement was the signing of four-time WWE World Champion Chris Jericho, who proclaimed he's "all in on All Elite Wrestling." Jericho, who most recently appeared at New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 13 on January 4, was last seen on WWE programming in April 2018 during the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view.Joining Jericho on the AEW is another former WWE superstar, Pac, who wrestled for the company as Neville. The two-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion interrupted "Hangman" Adam Page during the rally, leading to the two arguing over who will be the first All Elite Wrestling World Champion. Pac was with WWE between 2012 and 2017.The rest of the roster is made up of some of the biggest names in independent wrestling. Beyond Cody, Page, and the Young Bucks, All Elite has signed "The Bad Boy" Joey Janela, Penelope Ford, Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, Christopher Daniels, Dr. Britt Baker DMD, and Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Interestingly, it was announced that not only would AEW have a women's division when it launched, but that female talent would be paid on a scale equal to what male talent is paid.At this point, there's no word on whether Kenny Omega will join his friends in The Elite as part of AEW. He and "The Villain" Marty Scurll are the only two members of The Elite that, as of now, are not officially tied to the new company.As for the AEW's first show, it was announced by Cody and The Bucks that the sequel to their All In event--Double or Nothing--will take place on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. That particular venue has a history of hosting professional wrestling as the home of WCW's Halloween Havoc pay-per-view between 1996 and 2000, as well as many episodes of WCW Monday Nitro.The arrival of AW comes at a very interesting time for professional wrestling. While WWE remains the undeniable leader in sports entertainment, independent wrestling is perhaps more popular than it's ever been, with many indie wrestlers stating that it's now possible to make a good living without signing to WWE--something that was unthinkable at one point. Now with Ring of Honor and NJPW running a show together at Madison Square Garden, the longtime "home arena" of WWE, and AEW heading to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the wrestling landscape is definitely changing.Info from Gamespot.com

One of the benefits of subscribing to Nintendo Switch Online is that you get access to a library of classic NES games to play as much as you want. Nintendo is adding two (or three, depending on where you live) to the service in January, and now they've been announced.Arriving January 16 are two games from 1998: Blaster Master and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link. In Japan, subscribers get a third game, Joy Mech Fight.#Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Blaster Master are coming to #NintendoSwitchOnline – Nintendo Entertainment System! Set up your membership now and start playing on 1/16! https://t.co/ZPh216goDt pic.twitter.com/XKKhdPMb3K — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 9, 2019The NES library for Switch Online subscribers launched with 20 big-name games, including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Dr. Mario, Ice Climber, Metroid, and Donkey Kong.Nintendo Switch Online costs $4 USD/month or $8 USD for three months. A 12-month subscription goes for $20 USD, while a Family Membership for up to eight Nintendo Account members costs $35 USD for a year. New subscribers can sign up with a seven-day free trial. In addition to free NES games, subscribers get access to cloud saves, online player for many titles such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Ultimate. Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has announced the release dates for two upcoming exclusives games. First, the adorable-looking Yoshi's Crafted World will launch for Nintendo Switch on March 29. Another game with a handcrafted style, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, is due out on March 8 for 3DS, Nintendo announced.You play as Yoshi, of course, in Yoshi's Crafted World, with the goal of solving puzzles, collecting eggs and throwing them, and jumping around to make it through levels. Stages can be played backward for another challenge, while the game also supports two-player co-op.Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, meanwhile, is an "enhanced" edition of Kirby's Epic Yarn from the Wii. As its name suggests, Kirby is brought to a universe where everything is made of cloth and yarn, and the objective is to use the yarn to defeat enemies and solve puzzles.All of the stages from the Wii version are included in the 3DS edition, while the game also boasts new features like "Ravel" abilities and new mini-games. There is also a new "Devilish" mode that makes each stage more challenging.In other Nintendo news, some Nintendo Switch and 3DS games are now available through the Humble Store in the United States. Info from Gamespot.com

After Marvel Games changed its social handle to "Marvel G4mes," the company has now further teased a Fantastic Four-related announcement for one of its games.During a livestream today, Marvel boss Ryan Penagos teased that "something fantastic" is coming to Insomniac's Spider-Man game for PS4. "I can't tell you anything more right now...but you'll want to keep an eye out for this. It's going to be amazing and fantastic," he said, according to IGN. Developer Insomniac playfully teased the announcement with the eyes emoji, so it looks like an announcement may be coming soon.And for our final #FantasticFourWeek livestream announcement... something "fantastic" is coming to Marvel's Spider-Man! Any guesses? #SpiderManPS4 @insomniacgames @PlayStation — Marvel Games (@MarvelGames) January 8, 2019👀 https://t.co/63DYv61wKr — Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) January 8, 2019So what is this all about? Nothing is certain at this stage, but one possibility is that Insomniac is adding a new suit to Spider-Man on PS4. Spider-Man was a member of the Fantastic Four, sort of, as part of the spin-off group Future Foundation.Some of the previously released Spider-Man PS4 DLC outfits have included the Spider-Clan outfit from Marvel's Mangaverse, Spider-UK from Edge of Spider-Verse, and his look from the Sam Raimi movies.In other Spider-Man PS4 news, Sony just recently announced that the game reached 9 million in sales as of November 25. We'll report back with more details on the new Spider-Man PS4 Fantastic Four news as soon as it's announced. What are you hoping to see? Let us know in the comments below!Info from Gamespot.com

Below, Capy's long-in-development roguelike, has cultivated a sense of mystery across the course of its entire gestation. The question of what Below is, exactly, doesn't go away once you're playing it--the game offers minimal instruction beyond the occasional button prompt, and much of the first few hours is spent figuring out how everything fits together. Your objective is simple enough and spelled out in the game's title--you're on an island, and you need to go as deep below the surface as you can. How you do that slowly becomes clear, although reaching any suggestion as to why you make this voyage takes far longer.Below opens with a long, slow cutscene of a boat arriving on an island, with no context or explanation. It's a suitable introduction to a game that you'll want to take at a considered pace; from the beginning, there's no instruction, although it won't take you long to find the lantern at the island's apex and begin your journey through the first floor. From there it's a matter of exploring each floor of the island's depths, finding keys to unlock doors that will take you further down, and managing your resources and health as you deal with a series of hardships.Whenever you die in Below, a different boat will arrive at the island's shore and you'll be given a new disposable character to take up the quest with. The distant camera and simple character designs mean there's not much to differentiate each individual you control: they're not named or unique in any way, and the game never makes it explicitly clear how or whether they're connected. You start each life armed with a sword and hunting bow, which can be used to fend off any enemies you encounter, as well as a single refillable bottle of water that's needed to replenish your character's thirst meter. From there it's up to you to gather the resources you'll need to survive--by defeating enemies, finding chests, and exploring any part of the world that's sparkling--as you delve deeper into Below's world.Early on, Below can feel generous by roguelike standards. You unlock multiple shortcuts as you go, allowing you to jump to a deeper level from the beginning of your next life, so that you don't need to go all the way back through the whole game every time. Before long you unlock the ability to activate campfires as single-use checkpoints, letting you warp straight back to them with your next character. Resting at campfires will take you into a little room where you can store excess items that your next explorer can collect if need be, although storage space is limited, and if you exit out of the game you'll start right back in the room you left when you start the game up again.It takes a while to encounter an enemy that can do real damage too, meaning that instant-kill traps are a much greater danger for the first few levels, conditioning you to take a slow, cautious approach. Each time you respawn, the layout of every floor will have changed slightly, with room positions shifting and your map (which helpfully shows which direction you can exit each room from) having reset. It's essential that you return to where you last died when you were carrying your lantern, which provides some challenge--you can retrieve resources from any corpses you leave behind, but your lantern is absolutely vital for progress.For the first seven or so hours, Below hits a good balance between the intrigue of its atmospheric aesthetic and the punishing nature of its mechanics. Unfortunately, the balance shifts in a major way later on, and the game's increasing difficulty is matched by harshened conditions. While early floors are rich in the essentials, letting you exploit swarms of bats for meat and enemies that drop gems that power your lantern, later floors are more miserly. Gathering resources from chests and defeated enemies is important--there's a rudimentary crafting system letting you combine them to create weapons and items, but which resources you have access to depends on which floor you're exploring. It's not unusual to end up with an inventory full of items that can't be combined or used for anything.Once you're midway through the game, each new restart is going to involve some early grinding, as jumping right to a lower level without the resources needed to keep your character fed, and without retrieving the lantern from where you last died, can turn the game into a disastrous slog. The areas you can use to gather resources need light so that you can avoid the instant-kill traps planted all over them, and although you can craft limited-use torches, that's not going to do you much good in later stages where the lantern is your main way of fighting back against some of the game's harsher nasties.Your mileage may vary depending on your patience, but this isn't a case where the game's brutality works in service of its excellent combat and astonishing world. Below's main thrills come from discovering new things, and when you're forced to repeat the same sections multiple times, the game's difficulty feels excessive and unnecessary. Below's combat is simply not interesting enough to make the tough sections feel worthwhile--the rudimentary dash/shield/attack system has little room for nuance, and when enemies can do extreme damage with a single hit (often with a "bleed" effect that requires you to use resources to patch yourself up), death doesn't always feel like your fault.Later floors ask you to play very differently compared to the earlier ones. Suddenly you need to keep moving constantly, and the slow, methodical exploration that made the early parts of the game interesting is lost. The game's sense of foreboding mystery begins to dissipate as well, as the mechanics reveal themselves to be relatively uncomplicated and the game's art design relies on some tired tropes and enemy designs. Overall, the art design and Jim Guthrie's imposing soundtrack are both excellent but become much harder to properly appreciate when you're suffering through the game's more tedious sections. Below also feels much better suited to PC--the distant camera and tiny characters had me moving closer to the television while playing on Xbox One.Below's extreme demands for patience and tolerance remain right through to the game's mysterious ending. But despite its assured aesthetic and the initial pleasures of discovery, Below will eventually turn into a slog for all but the most committed of players. Info from Gamespot.com