It may be hard to believe, but 2018 is nearly over. That means it won't be long before January rolls around, bringing PlayStation Plus members a new set of free PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games to add to their collection. Sony has announced January's lineup, so let's dive in and see what you'll be able to download from PSN between January 1 and February 5.PS4 owners can pick up Steep, an extreme sports game from Ubisoft that lets you ski, snowboard, and glide in a wing suit to go from a mountain's snowy peaks to its powdery base. The other PS4 game for January is Portal Knights, which takes the building component of Minecraft and constructs around it an RPG that encourages crafting and exploration.The PS3 freebies are Zone of the Enders HD Collection, which contains remastered versions of two PS2 mech combat games, and the music/rhythm game Amplitude. PS Vita owners can grab Fallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also playable on PS4) and Super Mutant Alien Assault.If you're reading this in 2018, it's not too late to pick up your free PS Plus games for December. They include the racing game Onrush and the horror game Soma for PS4; Steredenn and SteinsGate for PS3; and Papers, Please and Iconoclasts for PS Vita.PS Plus members should note that, starting in March 2019, Sony will no longer give away free PS3 and PS Vita games for PS Plus members. If you subscribe to PS Plus primarily for those free titles, you'll want to turn off your subscription's auto-renewal option or cancel it then.PlayStation Plus Games For January 2019PS4SteepPortal KnightsFallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS Vita)PS3Zone of the Enders HD CollectionAmplitudePS VitaFallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS4)Super Mutant Alien AssaultInfo from Gamespot.com

Earlier this month, a quickly-deleted tweet from Netflix suggested that the acclaimed sci-fi anthology show Black Mirror would be returning to screens before the end of 2018. It turns out that the tweet was accurate, and the one-off Black Mirror "event" titled Bandersnatch is set to hit the service tomorrow, December 28. A trailer has now been released.The trailer confirms the rumors that Bandersnatch will be set in the 1980s, and will focus on the creation of a new video game. Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk) plays a developer who is hired by a software company to work on a game based on a novel titled Bandersnatch, whose author "went cuckoo and cut his wife's head off." It looks like a typically weird, futuristic nightmare--check the trailer out above.The episode also stars Will Poulter (Detroit), Alice Lowe (Prevenge), and Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing). There have been rumors that Bandersnatch will be an interactive "choose-your-own-adventure"-style episode, in which viewers can make certain choices to affect the direction of the story. While we are unlikely to know for sure until tomorrow, it would make sense given what we know of the plot.Season 4 of Black Mirror hit Netflix in December 2017, and in March it was confirmed that the show will return for a full fifth season in 2019. For more on Black Mirror, check out GameSpot's guide to the most WTF moments in Season 4.Info from Gamespot.com

Christmas has come and gone, which means the big shopping frenzy has drawn to an end. Thankfully, you can still get some great deals on video games if you know where to look. This week's sale at Best Buy finds discounts on a number of big games for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Let's take a look at what kind of deals area available between now and December 30.Fans of tiny retro consoles can get a killer deal on the PlayStation Classic this week. This plug-and-play system comes with two controllers and 20 games, and while it normally retails for $100, it's on sale this week for just $60, bringing it more in line with the pricing of Nintendo's Classic consoles. In other hardware news, if you buy any new Xbox One S or X, you'll get a $50 e-gift card for free.As for the games, some of the fall's biggest titles are on sale for steep discounts this week. Fallout 76 is down to $40, as is Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Both of those games are big enough to keep you playing well into 2019. Battlefield V is even cheaper this week at $30, and it's scheduled to keep getting free updates for months to come.No matter which console you have, you can save money on exclusives as well. Anyone with a PS4 can pick up Persona 5 for $30, and PSVR owners can grab the delightful platformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission for $20. Xbox One owners can get Forza Horizon 4 for $35 or State of Decay 2 for $20. Switch owners can pick up Fire Emblem Warriors for $45 or Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for $25. And no matter which system you have, you can get Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack--which comes with a toy ship, pilot, and weapons--for $35.You'll find more of our picks below, or you can view the full list of games on sale at Best Buy this week here.PS4Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection -- $20Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $40Astro Bot Rescue Mission (PSVR) -- $20Battlefield V -- $30Fallout 76 -- $40FIFA 19 -- $30Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise -- $50God of War Collector's Edition -- $60The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA Tour -- $30Grand Theft Auto V Premium Online Edition -- $30Jurassic World Evolution -- $50Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30NHL 19 -- $40Overcooked 2 -- $30Persona 5 -- $30PlayStation VR Worlds -- $10Star Wars Battlefront II -- $10Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $35UFC 3 -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Xbox OneAssassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection -- $20Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $40Battlefield V -- $30Fallout 76 -- $40FIFA 19 -- $30Forza Horizon 4 -- $35The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA Tour -- $30Grand Theft Auto V Premium Online Edition -- $30Jurassic World Evolution -- $50Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30NHL 19 -- 40Overcooked 2 -- $20PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds -- $20Star Wars Battlefront II -- $10Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $35State of Decay 2 -- $20UFC 3 -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Nintendo SwitchDiablo III: Eternal Collection -- $50Fire Emblem Warriors -- $45Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle -- $25Namco Musem Arcade Pac -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30Overcooked 2 -- $30Sid Meier's Civilization VI -- $50SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy -- $40Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $35Sushi Striker: The Way of the Sushido -- $40Info from Gamespot.com

Get up off that couch and warm up those Fortnite fingers because there's another batch of weekly challenges for you to complete. We're now in Season 7, Week 4, and that means there's new Battle Stars to be earned, and doing so will level up your Battle Pass and get you one step closer to unlocking all those cosmetic rewards.As always, there's two categories of challenges. The first is available to everyone, while the second is exclusive to those that have a paid Battle Pass. In the free section players will need to use an X-4 Stormwing plane in five different matches and launch fireworks three times for five Battle Stars apiece. The harder challenge in this group involves eliminating three opponents in Expedition Outposts, which will net you 10 Battle Stars.For the paid tier, meanwhile, players are tasked with starting off a three-stage challenge by destroying 80 chairs. When you've done that, you'll unlock the second stage, and completing that will reveal the third and final stage in turn. After that, they'll need to get up-close and personal with enemies to deal 100 points of pickaxe damage for five Battle Stars.For the remaining stars there's another multi-stage challenge which begins by searching the letter 'O' west of Pleasant Park. That's the first part of a total of five stages, so there'll be more to do after that. The final challenge tasks players with taking out three enemies at either Happy Hamlet or Pleasant Park. Take a look below for the full list of challenges.FreeUse an X-4 Stormwing plane in different matches (5) -- 5 Battle StarsLaunch fireworks (3) -- 5 Battle StarEliminate opponents at Expedition Outposts (3) -- 10 Battle StarsBattle PassStage 1: Destroy chairs (80) -- 2 Battle StarsDeal damage with a pickaxe to opponents (100) -- 5 Battle StarEliminate opponents at Happy Hamlet or Pleasant Park (3) -- 10 Battle StarsStage 1: Search the letter 'O' west of Pleasant Park (1) -- 3 Battle StarsIf you haven't been keeping an eye on Fortnite, you may have missed the 14 Days of Fortnite event that's been happening. Every day until January 2, developer Epic Games will be updating the game with one challenge per day which, if completed, will unlock a new customization option. We've been updating our 14 Days of Fortnite event guide regularly and, based on what we've seen, the challenges are quite simple, so they're a quick and easy way to score some cosmetics.If doing these challenges has got put you in the mood to grind out some more, we've got a comprehensive Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide that'll help you with all the trickiest challenges from previous weeks. If you're planning to unlock everything in the season 7 Battle Pass, you'll want to get it all done as early as possible, as the last week rush to finish everything can be brutal.Info from Gamespot.com

We might be in the Christmas break period but that doesn't mean the Fortnite challenges are on hold. We're now in Season 7, Week 4, and the latest selection of challenges have gone live for players to grind out and earn Battle Stars. As always, they're split into the free and paid Battle Pass categories, and in the former there's one that'll need you to head to very specific locations on the map, then eliminate enemies there.Those specific locations are Expedition Outposts, which look like little red bunkers with a globe icon surrounded by arrows on them. They're usually surrounded by X-4 Stormwing planes, which are visible from quite high up and thus serve as good markers. In total, you'll need to take out three enemies at Expedition Outposts and, to make things easier, we've got a list of all the places you'll find one.Of course, getting to the outposts is the easy part; eliminating enemies is where it gets difficult. To give yourself the edge focus on being quick, as these locations often have chests with good drops in them. If you're lucky enough to get to a chest before others, you may be able to grab a good weapon and take out enemies with less powerful guns at their disposal. Take a look below for the full list of Expedition Outpost locations.Expedition Outpost LocationsSouth east of Lazy Links (F3)North east of Pleasant Park (D3)South west of Pleasant Park (C4)West of Dusty Divot (F5)West of Lonely Lodge (I5)West of Paradise PalmsSouth of Shifty Shafts (D8)With this challenge done and dusted, you can move on to the remaining ones. We've got a full list Fortnite Season 7, Week 4 challenges and, as you'll see, there's a few you can complete while doing this one. Specifically, the challenge that involves doing damage with a pickaxe. If you're bold enough, you may be able to get your outpost eliminations using the pickaxe.Don't forget to take a shot at the 14 Days of Fortnite event guide challenges too, as they're quite simple and will unlock some very cool cosmetic rewards. Once you're done with all those, you may feel like mopping up challenges from previous weeks, and you can use our full Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide for help with that. Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite is now in Week 4 of Season 7, which means there's new challenges to do for those precious Battle Stars. Among the paid Battle Pass-exclusive challenges is a multi-stage one that begins by tasking players with search for the letter 'O' west of Pleasant Park. There's a further three parts to this challenge, with each one requiring players to find a letter. While the game provides the name of the location where these can be found, we've got more specific details that'll help you get to them quicker.First up is the letter 'N', which under a frozen lake. One glance at the map and you'll know that can be found in the bottom left of the island, but if you aim yourself to land at the grid reference C7 you'll see there's a number of black floor panels in the middle. Equip your pickaxe, destroy those, and you'll fall into the area below where the letter can be found.Next up is the 'O' in Pleasant Park, which is at the grid reference B4. You'll need to look for the house, head left of the gate, and you'll find it tucked away in the corner. Simply walk up to it, search it, and it's on tot he next one.After that, it's the letter 'M' at Dusty Divot. This one is pretty easy to find as it's at the very center of the forest at grid reference G6. In the top left of that grid block you'll find a collection of what looks like metal containers and small white buildings, and there's a door in. Pop inside and you'll find the 'M' waiting in the corner of the room.Finally, the letter 'S' is at Wailing Woods at grid reference I3. At the very center of the hedge maze is the wooden shack with the "Leave" sign on it. Smash the barrier directly below it and head inside, and you'll want to find the room in the north with old computers and the colorful lockers next to them. In there is a smaller room where you'll find the 'S' waiting for you. With that done, you'll have collected all the letters, which spell "NOMS" and you're done. You can also watch us complete the challenge in the video above. Fortnite Letter N, O, M, S LocationsLetter N: North of Polar Peak (C7)Letter O: House at Pleasant Park (B4)Letter M: Center of Dusty Divot (G6)Letter S: Center of Wailing Woods (I3)The other tricky challenge for Season 7, Week 4 involves taking out enemies at Expedition Outposts. We've put together a guide for exactly where you can find these outposts, and the the best way to give yourself the edge for when you get there.While you're completing these, it's also worth taking a look at our 14 Days of Fortnite event guide, which breaks down all the special challenges available until January 2. They're quite easy to complete and you'll get yourself some nice cosmetic unlocks for doing them. Info from Gamespot.com

The gift-giving holidays are over, but retailers still need to pay the rent. To help urge you to open your wallet as one year ends and another begins, GameStop is running its Winter Sale, which sees prices dropping on all kinds of PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games. Read on to see what's on sale between now and January 1.For starters, if you buy two pre-owned games, you'll get one free. The PlayStation Classic just released on December 3 for $100, but the plug-and-play console is already down to $60. No matter which system you have, you can grab the newest toys-to-life game on the market, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, for just $40. And if you trade in select games, you'll get $20 off any new game or pre-order.A good number of games are on sale this week, including many recent releases that are available for up to half off. Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Battlefield V, Hitman 2, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider are available for $30 each only months or weeks after release. Also, $35 gets you Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, which is quite a deal on one of the year's biggest titles.PS4 owners can grab Spider-Man for $40 or Tetris Effect for $30. If Xbox One is your preferred console, you can pick up Forza Horizon 4 for $40. Nintendo Switch owners can get Diablo III: Eternal Collection or Sid Meier's Civilization VI for $50 each. And if you missed out on Middle-earth: Shadow of War on PS4 or Xbox One, it can be yours for just $10.You'll find more of our picks below, or you can check out the full list of game discounts here.PS4Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $30Battlefield V -- $30Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $35Fallout 76 -- $40Grand Theft Auto V -- $20Hitman 2 -- $30Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $40Middle-earth: Shadow of War -- $10Mortal Kombat XL -- $15NBA 2K19 -- $30No Man's Sky -- $10Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $30Spider-Man -- $40Tetris Effect -- $30Xbox OneAssassin's Creed Odyssey -- $30Battlefield V -- $30Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $35Fallout 76 -- $40Forza Horizon 4 -- $40Grand Theft Auto V -- $20Hitman 2 -- $30Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $40Middle-earth: Shadow of War -- $10Mortal Kombat XL -- $15NBA 2K19 -- $30No Man's Sky -- $20Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $30SwitchDiablo III: Eternal Collection -- $50Lego DC Super Villains -- $40Lego Harry Potter Collection -- $40Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 -- $15Sid Meier's Civilization VI -- $50Info from Gamespot.com

It's been nearly nine years since the first How to Train Your Dragon film arrived in theaters, launching an animated franchise that has spun off into sequels, a TV series, and a number of short films. Now, with February’s How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,, the adventures of Hiccup and his best dragon friend Toothless are coming to an end.This third and final movie--for now, at least--will give fans a closure that a lot of other franchises don't get the luxury having. "I think they're gonna be simultaneously sad and satisfied," star Jay Baruchel, who voices Hiccup in the films and TV series, told GameSpot.It's not just the fans that will have to come to terms with the end of the franchise, though. Baruchel himself is saying goodbye to a character he's played longer than any other. "It's hard not to get a bit kind of wistful, a bit melancholy," he said. "You know, I auditioned for this movie when I was shooting a movie called Tropic Thunder... There's very few things I've done for this long. I've been a son for 36 years. Been an actor for 20 some odd [years]. [I've] never played a part for as long as I played Hiccup. So it's gonna be [melancholic] to say goodbye."Still, as producer Brad Lewis explained to GameSpot, it's best to go out on top. "When you fall in love with characters and you fall in love with a world in a story, obviously, you don't want that to end," he said. "At the same time, you also don't want it to get cheap. You don't want it to feel artificially extended, and relationships start to meander, right? You want it to have an intense emotional focus. So, for me, the great thing is we've been really focused on taking this trilogy and having these characters and these stories really have a conclusion to them."Like Baruchel, though, Lewis expects there to be a bit of sadness from the audience, now that it's coming to a close. "Like all great endings, there's bittersweet aspects to it," he teased. "There's things that you're happy about, things that you wish emotionally that were really tough to accept. But that's, you know... if we can do that to an audience, then we've really done our job."How to Trains Your Dragon: The Hidden World hits theaters on February 22. Info from Gamespot.com

Sony released the PlayStation Classic on December 3, confirming rumors that it was working on a competitor to Nintendo's line of miniature consoles. One of the surprises was the system's $100 price tag, which is higher than Nintendo's NES and SNES Classics, which cost $60 and $80 respectively. The price isn't such a big problem this week, because many retailers currently have the PlayStation Classic marked down to $60. That's 40% off a product that released less than a month ago.PlayStation Classic is a miniature version of the original PlayStation console from 1995. It comes with 20 PS1 games loaded onto it and two full-sized controllers so you and a partner can play the games that support couch co-op. You can find the full list of the games included on the system below.Buy PlayStation Classic from B&H -- $55Buy PlayStation Classic from Amazon -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Best Buy -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from GameStop -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Newegg -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Target -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Walmart -- $60Deals this good don't tend to last long, so if you've had your eye on a PlayStation Classic, now is a good time to grab one. Fair warning, though: in GameSpot's PlayStation Classic review, critic Peter Brown wasn't thrilled with the retro console. "The PS Classic doesn't feel like a celebration of PlayStation's formative years the way Nintendo's systems do," he wrote.Speaking of Nintendo's mini console series, if you want an NES or SNES Classic, you might want to pick it up soon, because Nintendo is about to cease production of the miniature consoles. In the meantime, you can still find them in stock at several retailers.PlayStation Classic Full Game ListBattle Arena ToshindenCool Boarders 2Destruction DerbyFinal Fantasy VIIGrand Theft AutoIntelligent QubeJumping FlashMetal Gear SolidMr DrillerOddworld: Abe’s OddyseeRaymanResident Evil Director’s CutRevelations: PersonaRidge Racer Type 4Super Puzzle Fighter II TurboSyphon FilterTekken 3Tom Clancy’s Rainbow SixTwisted MetalWild ArmsInfo from Gamespot.com

While a release date has not been announced for Amazon Prime's upcoming adaptation of the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson comic book The Boys, one actor appearing in the show is glad something that's been so important to him for over a decade is finally coming to life. Mission Impossible: Fallout star Simon Pegg has a long history with The Boys and it's one he's able to carry over to the adaptation.Fans of the comic about superheroes that embrace the dark side of their powers and celebrity status have no doubt realized how much the character Hughie looks like Pegg, and that's not a coincidence. Ennis and Robertson looked to the actor for inspiration with Hughie. Unfortunately, that was over 12 years ago and a younger actor--Jack Quaid--has been cast as the character. Thankfully, though, Ennis and Robertson, along with executive producers Eric Kripke, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen have created a new role for Pegg.The Shaun of the Dead star has taken on the role of Hughie's dad, who did not appear in the comics. The surprise announcement was made at New York Comic-Con in October, at which point Pegg sat down to speak with GameSpot about the role."This comic book has been in my life for 10 years, longer probably, and it was bittersweet when I found out that it was finally coming to screen and I realized that I wouldn't be Hughie," he said. "I'm too kind of old to play that role. I was delighted to hear it was Jack. I think Jack's amazing."As for the role of Hughie's dad within the show's story, Pegg says he will appear in a few episodes of the first season. "It's very much a sort of little guest role that I came and did and was delighted to do," he admitted. "I felt like it was only right in a way, and I'm glad they felt the same way."What should be interesting to see is the dynamic between Hughie and his father, as it sounds like dad may be a little overprotective of his son. "Hughie's dad's a very lovely guy," Pegg teased. "It's just him and Hughie. He worries about him... He's still got all his toys in his room and stuff. I think he likes it that way. He likes to sit on the couch with his son and watch TV. That's where he would like to stay forever."Of course, given that Hughie has super-strength, there's little chance of that happening. Still, a father can dream.As for the rather graphic nature of the comic, which is a pretty violent affair, Pegg assured fans that Amazon Prime has given a lot of freedom to the project. "They showed me the stuff that they'd already shot that was surprising and shocking, but for all the right reasons," he said. "I think Garth almost and Darick together, obviously because Darick Robertson was drawing it, together they were trying to almost dare somebody to adapt it. It was almost the unadaptable comic book, even more so than Preacher I think."As for when you'll be able to see what the creative team behind The Boys has come up with, a premiere date has not been announced. However, the series that also stars Karl Urban, Elisabeth Shue, and Chace Crawford, will arrive in 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

Far Cry 5 came out in March as a full $60 game, but this week the PS4 and Xbox One versions are on sale for $20 at Best Buy. That's the lowest price we've seen yet--which is good news for anyone who likes shooters, especially considering Far Cry New Dawn is set to launch on February 15. In a first for the series, New Dawn is a direct sequel to Far Cry 5, making now the perfect time to get caught up on the story. Just make sure you grab the game before it goes back to regular price on December 30.Far Cry 5 is an open-world shooter that's set in Hope County, Montana, a rural area that's been overrun by an apocalyptic cult led by a man named Joseph Seed. You play as a federal deputy sent in to arrest Seed, but there wouldn't be much of a game if things went as planned. You quickly find yourself alone in a massive, hostile region, with an enormous amount of freedom over where to go and how to upgrade your abilities.Buy Far Cry 5 for PS4 -- $20Buy Far Cry 5 for Xbox One -- $20In GameSpot's 9/10 Far Cry 5 review, Edmond Tran wrote, "Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world."The canonical ending of Far Cry 5 packs a punch, and Far Cry New Dawn takes place in the same geographic area 17 years later. According to the trailer, it will feature at least one character from the previous game, and likely more than that. So pick up Far Cry 5 and give it a go before the modestly priced sequel launches in February.Info from Gamespot.com

Netflix has been slowly killing off its slate of Marvel shows, in a move that seemed apparently linked to the impending launch of Disney's proprietary streaming service, Disney+. Now Disney's Kevin Mayer, the chairman in charge of direct-to-consumer offers, has left the door open to reviving those shows on its own channel once it launches sometime in 2019."They are very high-quality shows," Mayer told The Hollywood Reporter. "We haven't yet discussed that, but I would say that's a possibility."It's far from a commitment, but it certainly gives more hope to further episodes than previously thought. Netflix has been cancelling the shows one by one, usually shortly after releasing their last season. It impacted Iron Fist, then Luke Cage, and most recently, Daredevil. Only Jessica Jones and The Punisher remain standing, but with Punisher's next season set for January and JJ's coming at some point soon too, both appear likely for the chopping block.Disney has already announced a number of series for its own streaming service, including original Marvel series. Those plans include a series revolving around the fan-favorite character Loki. It joins some high-profile Star Wars projects like a series starring Rogue One character Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and another called The Mandalorian. Those are already some big plans, which may make Disney hesitant to bring on even more shows.On the other hand, the Netflix series are already critically well-regarded. In particular Daredevil was acclaimed for its first and third seasons, the latter of which left off with a cliffhanger. If Disney does revive it, fans will be able to see how that storyline pays off after all.Info from Gamespot.com

It may be hard to believe, but 2018 is nearly over. That means it won't be long before January rolls around, bringing PlayStation Plus members a new set of free PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games to add to their collection. Sony has announced January's lineup, so let's dive in and see what you'll be able to download from PSN between January 1 and February 5.PS4 owners can pick up Steep, an extreme sports game from Ubisoft that lets you ski, snowboard, and glide in a wing suit to go from a mountain's snowy peaks to its powdery base. The other PS4 game for January is Portal Knights, which takes the building component of Minecraft and constructs around it an RPG that encourages crafting and exploration.The PS3 freebies are Zone of the Enders HD Collection, which contains remastered versions of two PS2 mech combat games, and the music/rhythm game Amplitude. PS Vita owners can grab Fallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also playable on PS4) and Super Mutant Alien Assault.If you're reading this in 2018, it's not too late to pick up your free PS Plus games for December. They include the racing game Onrush and the horror game Soma for PS4; Steredenn and SteinsGate for PS3; and Papers, Please and Iconoclasts for PS Vita.PS Plus members should note that, starting in March 2019, Sony will no longer give away free PS3 and PS Vita games for PS Plus members. If you subscribe to PS Plus primarily for those free titles, you'll want to turn off your subscription's auto-renewal option or cancel it then.PlayStation Plus Games For January 2019PS4SteepPortal KnightsFallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS Vita)PS3Zone of the Enders HD CollectionAmplitudePS VitaFallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS4)Super Mutant Alien AssaultInfo from Gamespot.com

With Christmas in the rearview, Aquaman is finally in theaters, and chances are you've seen it--which means you inevitably have a lot of questions. We kind of, sort of, mostly loved the movie, despite its problems, but we were also pretty confused about much of its worldbuilding and plot points. For example: What exactly is the timeline of Atlantean history? How long did King Atlan spend in his self-imposed exile after the fall of Atlantis? And how long ago did he record that message for the future king? How much time has passed since Atlanteans lived in what is now the Sahara desert, and how could a clue that's seemingly millions of years old point Arthur and Mera to a Greco-Roman era statue in Sicily?Luckily, Warner Bros. gave us the opportunity to sit down with Aquaman's screenwriters, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, as well as DC's famed writer and Aquaman executive producer Geoff Johns. Of course, we asked them to clear this all up.The main Aquaman timeline problem comes from the fact that Arthur and Mera surmise the Deserters Kingdom under the Sahara desert has been there since "before the Sahara was a desert," which a quick Google search tells us was around 7 million years ago. In addition, Atlanteans who broke off into the various Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis went down wildly divergent evolutionary paths, transforming over time into CGI fish people, CGI crab people, and CGI deep sea monsters, which doesn't happen overnight. Those facts suggest that the fall of Atlantis may have really occurred millions of years ago.Yet at the same time, Atlan's voicemail message--the one that Arthur and Mera viewed in the chamber under the desert--pointed them to a statue in Sicily that's at most a few thousand years old. How do the writers explain that seemingly kraken-sized plot hole?"Well, there's definitely a lot of different ways to skin this cat," Johns told us. "One is that Atlan actually lives longer than [other Atlanteans]. Atlanteans live longer than humans, and he's a king, with that trident, so clearly he lived a long, long time in isolation. I think that is probably the easiest explanation."In other words, King Atlan--the same king who reigned during Atlantis's downfall--may have survived in exile at the Hidden Sea at the Earth's Core for millions of years. His trident's vaguely defined magical powers, which are never really explicitly defined in the movie, might have had something to do with it. "[Atlan] is hanging onto the trident, and it's holding him together in some way," Beall added."Yeah, it's holding him together," Johns agreed. "I think he was there a long, long time."Does that mean Arthur is effectively immortal as long as he wields it? Maybe we'll find out in future Aquaman movies (fingers crossed). But if the trident isn't responsible, the writers have another theory that could explain Atlan's long life: The energy blast that sank Atlantis may have had unknown effects on those who would have been nearest its epicenter."I think [Atlan] had some power beyond other Atlanteans, and he was at the ground zero of that explosion, so who knows how that energy affected him?" Johns posited.One problem with that theory is it means Atlan survived in exile on the other side of that weird portal thingie for millions of years, then at some point swam back up through the Trench Kingdom, scouted around for potential clue locations, found that statue in Sicily, recorded that cryptic voicemail, and then swam back down through the portal and resumed his lonely vigil. Maybe he decided that the quest for his trident was a little too difficult, like video game developers who add more objective markers in a post-release patch. On the other hand, the Karathen--which, by the way, was voiced by Julie Andrews--seems to have had plenty of victims over the years, although it also states that it hasn't feasted in ages. So who knows? There's yet another theory that has less to do with Atlan's age: The Deserters Kingdom in the Sahara may have actually survived into much more recent history. That's only possible if a hidden body of water once existed under the Sahara, which real life science suggests is actually possible. Johns floated this theory as well:"Also, just because we believe that the Sahara was dry for millions of years doesn't mean there wasn't some water underneath it in this hidden kingdom at some point," Johns said.Either way, it's pretty incredible that the best Aquaman's writers and executive producer can offer about the movie's timeline is theories. If anyone should be able to explain this stuff, it's them. Of course, they could have also taken the route chosen by Venom director Ruben Fleischer and simply fessed up to the plot hole. Instead, Johns and Aquaman's screenwriters decided on a middle path: They're not sure exactly how the movie's timeline works out, but according to them, it's not impossible.Considering we're really just nitpicking here, we're going to say that's good enough for us and officially close this investigation. Aquaman is in theaters now. Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has announced the next in-game event for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This week's Spirit event is titled "Oh Yeah! Mario Time!” and it features a variety of characters taken from the Mario series, as well as a handful of exclusive Spirits you can't get otherwise.Unlike the previous two Spirit events in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate thus far, both of which were only available for three days, the "Oh Yeah! Mario Time!" event kicks off at 10 PM PT on December 27 (1 AM ET / 6 AM GMT / 5 PM AEDT on December 28) and runs until the same time on January 1, giving you five days to take advantage of it. During that period, an assortment of Mario Spirits, such as the Legend-class Pauline and Dry Bowser, will appear more frequently on the Spirit Board. You'll also earn additional Gold for defeating these Spirits.On top of that, the event will also feature a couple of exclusive Super Mario Party Spirits: the Novice-class Dice Block, the Advanced-class River Survival, and the Ace-class Golden Dash Mushroom. These three have not previously been available in the game and will appear at set times every day throughout the event, so you'll want to add them to your collection while they're still around.Nintendo is holding a different Spirit event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate each week. Last week's event was the first part of the Fire Emblem Fest, which made Fire Emblem characters such as Azura and Eliwood appear more frequently on the Spirit Board. Nintendo hasn't announced the date for the second part yet, but it is slated to take place in January.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been a big success for Nintendo thus far, breaking sales records for the series around the world since its launch earlier this month. The game was also met with widespread critical acclaim. GameSpot selected it as one of our 10 best video games of 2018. "There are so many wonderful things packed into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that, even in the short time between its release and our Best Of The Year discussions, it has filled us with an immense amount of joy," we said.Info from Gamespot.com