BioWare has announced that Anthem, its upcoming sci-fi action game, will have multiple demos ahead of its release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 22, 2019. As detailed during The Game Awards, the first is a VIP demo that will be available to pre-order customers from January 25 until January 27.The second demo will be available to everyone from February 1 until February 3. Speaking to GameSpot, Anthem's lead producer clarified that these are not betas for the game. Instead they are a slice of the game taken from the middle and, as such, as intended to give players a sense of how they play.Although it's not a beta, players should not expect their progression to carry over to the main game when it becomes available. When asked about the length of demo and the missions contained within it, Gamble did not provide any details, saying that the content was still being finalized.In early November rumors were circulating that suggested EA and BioWare were thinking about delaying Anthem. However, executive producer Mark Darrah took to Twitter to re-state Anthem is on schedule for February 22, 2019.Anthem casts players as Freelancers, who are soldiers that are outfitted with Javelins. They look like Tony Stark's Iron Man outfits and, if we're honest, seem to behave like them too. That's not a criticism, as it enables players to take to the skies and fly around open-environments, then plunge themselves underwater and explore sea caves, getting into combat and using unique abilities to take out their enemies.If you signed up for the Anthem alpha test and were successful, you should be able to play the game from December 8-9. As previously detailed, the test will not be available for the entirety of that period, and instead there will be "multiple sessions" spread across the weekend.Beyond Anthem, BioWare has teased that it is working on the future of Mass Effect. On top of that, BioWare's Casey Hudson previously said it is preparing reveal its plans for the Dragon Age series. He specifically said it would be in December, so fans were expecting some new about it at The Game Awards. Info from Gamespot.com

The next game in the Far Cry series is spinning off in a new direction--the post-apocalypse. Ubisoft announced Far Cry: New Dawn at The Game Awards 2018, and it plays of the ending of Far Cry 5 that saw nuclear bombs falling across the world. Far Cry: New Dawn picks up 17 years after the world has been reduced largely to ruins, and lets you fight your way through the aftermath in Far Cry 5's Hope County.Taking place on a transformed version of the map from Far Cry 5, New Dawn puts players on the side of survivors as they battle against the Highwaymen, a group of murderous scavengers who've taken over the whole area. They're led by the even more murderous twins, Mickey and Lou, two women who rule the Highwaymen with a pair of iron fists. The Highwaymen are looking to strip the resources of the relatively prosperous Hope County, which is finally starting to bounce back years after nuclear war and the following nuclear winter.To counter them, you'll build up Prosperity, a base location where the survivors of Hope County congregate. The more resources and effort you devote to Prosperity will strengthen the community there, giving you the ability to build new weapons from items you scavenge from the ruins of the old world. You'll also be able to train various Guns for Hire, characters you can take into battle with you in the world.A big new element to the Far Cry franchise in New Dawn is the ability to access Expeditions from Prosperity. Though most of the game takes place in Hope County, you'll also be able to visit locations across the country in the post-apocalypse, seeing how different areas have fared over the past 17 years. These missions have you invading Highwaymen bases in a variety of places, either stealthily or guns blazing, to steal resources and escape with your life.New Dawn will run you $40 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC when it launches on February 15.Info from Gamespot.com

The Big Bash League, or BBL, is cricket's answer to the ever-increasing pace of modern life; a 20-over-a-side slogfest where smashing the ball out of the park to the sound of fireworks and loud rock music takes the place of five-day-long tests of endurance and patience. Big Bash Boom takes this concept and smashes it into the arcade game-o-sphere by introducing nice-looking power-ups, unlockable customizations, and a streamlined approach to gameplay that speeds up the action, while leaning into a goofiness that cricket games rarely embrace. But with a litany of technical problems and no meaningful tutorial to help you work out the basics, Big Bash Boom feels like it needs more time in the practice nets.Big Bash cricket is all about smashing the heck out of every ball and scoring as many runs as possible, and Big Bash Boom does a superb job of recreating the buzzing atmosphere you'll find at the ground during a BBL match, complete with wild crowds, fireworks displays, and unintentionally terrifying-looking mascots. You can pick any of the eight licensed teams from either the BBL or Women's BBL, taking them to glory in a casual match, full tournament, or online head-to-head.When jumping straight into a casual match, you can customize match options, team lineups, and ball type, which includes a few fun varieties--pie, anyone? You're led out onto the pitch and greeted by real-world commentator Pete Lazer, though his occasionally charming reads come off as a series of one-liners instead of actual commentary, and they begin to grate after some repeats.Out on the field is where Big Bash Boom shows off its main differences to past cricket games, including Ashes Cricket, which was by the same developer as Big Bash Boom. The action has been streamlined to cut out a lot of the dead air time that you tend to get at a cricket match, which gives the game its arcade feel. You're never asked to pick bowlers or select lineups. You can if you wish, but the game will otherwise make these calls to ensure a faster flow. The players all have NBA Jam-style big heads, which shows off the player likenesses in a way that's easy to appreciate. Faces are detailed, if a little robotic and expressionless, but the overall look works in context, especially combined with the great use of special effects to mark big shots.Batting and bowling feel more pick-up-and-play than in any other cricket game; however, the lack of a meaningful tutorial means things that should be obvious knowledge, like what the changing cursor colour on the pitch means, remain a mystery until you just happen to work it out through the natural course of playing. But that aside, it's simple enough to get into a match and start slogging balls left and right, with timing and shot selection all coming into play. Time it perfectly, and you'll probably make it sail over the ropes, but get it wrong and you might pop the ball up for an easy catch or swing and miss entirely. Bowling is a touch more complicated, involving selecting a bowl type to start the run in and then keeping the cursor on the pitch in place while timing your release. It often feels like you're up against it as a bowler; there's little you can do to avoid being belted around the park apart from bowling the occasional short ball, and you're limited to performing only one of those per over. Getting belted around every ball takes some getting used to, but thankfully if you'd rather spare yourself the embarrassment, you can always simulate the innings.The inclusion of power-ups for batters and bowlers help pump up the excitement of a match, and you can activate these after filling a special meter by hitting runs and boundaries as a batter, or dot balls and wickets as a bowler. Each exhibits some excellent-looking animations and special effects, and you'll get some extra power for the next few balls. Bowlers can bowl twice as fast, fielders are able to run at double their speed, and batters can force slower throws from the outfield or hit twice as hard, sending loose balls into the stratosphere. It's immensely satisfying.Everything you do in a match will earn you coins that you can put towards buying new in-match celebrations, which you're prompted to perform after hitting a big six or taking a wicket. While it's somewhat satisfying to rub it in your opponent's face, the lack of gameplay benefits makes showboating feel a little arbitrary. You can also purchase cosmetic customizations like new hats and helmets, but that's as far as personalization goes; disappointingly, there's no player or team editor.Beyond the excellent special moves and vibrant aesthetic, the rest of the game struggles to hide its seams, most notably when it comes to animations. Fielders will move about awkwardly when chasing the ball before settling and sending in the return throw, while batters often warp into place before setting off for a run. There are also some more obtrusive bugs that, when they hit, can change the outcome of a match. A few times I was called out for a catch on one side of the field when the camera made it look like the ball had gone in the opposite direction. I've also had catches made in the outfield seem as though they don't count, with my player harmlessly throwing the ball back to the keeper as though nothing happened--something that can be immensely frustrating.Big Bash Boom's potential is clear. Despite its singular focus making it feel a little barebones when compared to other cricket titles, the shift towards arcade gameplay feels perfectly suited to the relatively flamboyant presentation of the BBL. But it's washed with bugs that affect the core of the experience, and those technical issues make it difficult to warm up to. Info from Gamespot.com

Far Cry 5's companion system brought a welcome way to get some backup when playing in single-player. But it also contained a critical flaw, as the dog--Boomer--could not jump in your vehicle and go for a ride as the human companions did. Fortunately, Ubisoft heard the response and is amending this grave error in the newly announced Far Cry: New Dawn, which premiered during The Game Awards.New Dawn appears to very much be an evolution of Far Cry 5, and that includes bringing in the same style of companion system. Set in the same location of Hope County, Montana, but years after FC5, you'll meet and recruit a new series of allies. Among them is another dog, Timber, who could be seen in the reveal trailer for New Dawn.Thankfully, when you decide to commandeer a vehicle, Timber will jump in and go for a ride, just like anyone else. It's a minor, silly detail, but a welcome one nonetheless for those who felt bad about leaving their pooch to hoof it on his own.New Dawn is set in a post-apocalyptic version of Hope County where you contend with a devious group known as the Highwaymen, who are led by Mickey and Lou, twin sisters known simply as The Twins. There's a greater emphasis on crafting, as you can create weapons and vehicles. Beyond exploring this altered version of Hope County, you'll also take on missions called Expeditions that let you explore entirely new areas.New Dawn is set for release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15. It'll cost $40 in the US; international pricing has not yet been announced.Info from Gamespot.com

Dauntless, the Monster Hunter-like RPG that is currently available for PC, is making its way to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, developer Phoenix Labs announced during The Game Awards. It is expected to arrive as a free download on these platforms in April 2019, when it will also become available through Epic Games' newly announced store on PC. Phoenix Labs has also said Dauntless is coming to mobile and Nintendo Switch later in 2019.The studio said Dauntless' arrival on new platforms brings it closer to the team's "One Dauntless" vision, which will allow players to connect through seamless cross-platform play, and have their progression and account management carry across all platforms, worldwide."At Phoenix Labs we define ourselves through a transparent development relationship with our community and strong focus on inclusivity, both at the studio and in our game," said studio co-founder Jesse Houston. "With our upcoming platform launches in April and One Dauntless, we will soon be able to welcome and connect players worldwide like never before. The journey of Dauntless is just beginning in the ever-evolving online world of the Shattered Isles, and we’re excited to share many more years of experiences with our players.”Dauntless will support cross-platform play between PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, with progression, customization, and purchases reflected in all versions.Phoenix Labs also announced Frostfall, a new expansion that will be available on December 6. "The new update ushers in brand new seasonal content as a deep freeze descends on Ramsgate, and Slayers will also have a chilling challenge on their hands with the introduction of a new Behemoth: Valomyr," it said in a press release detailing the update.Additionally, the Dauntless Hunt Pass will be available on December 6, and will give new challenges to undertake with big reward payouts for completing them. The pass will cost $10 and provide "in-game activities and challenges, a collection of exclusive items, emotes, cosmetics, and more."There was plenty of other big announcements at the show, and you can see it all in our The Game Awards news roundup.Info from Gamespot.com

For as much as The Game Awards is about recognizing the success of the video game industry's previous year, it's also a venue for new game announcements--did you catch the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 reveal? There were more than a few at this year's event, but for longtime fans of Obsidian Entertainment, particularly its work on the Fallout series, its announcement came as a somewhat unexpected surprise--all we knew heading into the event was that Obsidian had something to announce.The Outer Worlds is a single-player, open-world RPG set on distant planets where player choice and dialogue play two very important roles. It's typical Obsidian, which for the past few years has been embedded in the world of isometric CRPGs such as Pillars of Eternity, its sequel Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, and Tyranny. Though Obsidian was recently acquired by Microsoft, this project remains under Take Two's Private Division publishing label.This is a developing story.Info from Gamespot.com

Coming off the heels of the recent PS1-era remakes Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, publisher Activision is prepping the comeback for another classic game from the 32-bit age. Making its debut at The Game Awards 2018, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a remake of the original PS1 kart racer, originally developed by Naughty Dog. Now developed by Beenox and set for release on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled brings one of the more remarkable kart racing games that isn't called Mario Kart into the HD era, showing off more of the Crash series' brand of style and humor.Launching on June 21, 2019, the developers wanted to give the original a modern look with the remake, while also keeping the core gameplay of drifting along tight tracks as you fire off powerful weapons against other racers intact. With all the tracks and characters from the original making a return, Nitro-Fueled also introduces some additional features including online gameplay, new character and kart customization options, and expanded co-op features. In an interview with Beenox' Co-Studio Head Thomas Wilson prior to the reveal, he talked about his respect for the Crash series, and how the developers sought to remain faithful for this remake."I was a big fan of the Crash series, so you can imagine that I thought it was super exciting to come back to this," said Wilson. "I would definitely say that Crash Team Racing deserved to be remastered, and I think that that's what makes it so exciting when you're thinking about it. It's been 20 years, so we'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Crash Team Racing when Nitro-Fueled comes out, which I think is the best moment to release it."Built from the ground up, the remake plans to continue the same level of vibrancy and respect that's been a constant from the previous Activision remakes. Instead of platforming, the action moves to fast-paced and hectic races across several tracks modeled after different levels from the Crash Bandicoot series. Though the original CTR was undeniably influenced by Mario Kart, it also featured a full-fledged story mode, taking your chosen character to battle against other racers and bosses--including the big bad Nitrous Oxide--across several challenging tracks.At launch, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled will go for $40. However, there will also be a deluxe release with the Nitros Oxide Edition, going for $60. In addition to the full game, the Nitros Oxide Edition will unlock the titular boss character and his unusual kart at the beginning of the game--the standard version requires normal progression through the game to unlock. Moreover, there will be added character and kart skins for Crash, Coco, Cortex, and other characters to use."I can't wait for people to see it, play it, because it's a work of passion, right?" said Wilson. "We put our heart and soul into making these games. And for me, it's not just a remaster, it needs to be a true love letter to what Crash Team Racing was. What I mean by that is with so much improvement that's coming with the Nitro-Fueled, by having the upgraded graphics, upgraded animations, and upgraded visual fidelity, we'll also bring it online for everybody as well, and that's what makes me so excited."There's much more to see from The Game Awards 2018. Be sure to keep track of all the latest news and trailers that have been revealed at the show by visiting our roundup.Info from Gamespot.com

Mutant Year Zero took me by surprise. When you tap the space bar to switch from the real-time exploration mode to the turn-based tactical mode, it's not considered activating combat. You're not entering into battle. The word “Fight!” doesn't leap out of the centre of the screen. Instead, the space bar is labeled “Ambush” and, while pressing it does indeed initiate a turn-based XCOM-style encounter, the semantics make all the difference.Road to Eden is all about using stealth to thoroughly scout dangers ahead, then applying that knowledge to maneuver your squad into position for the perfect ambush. Do your research and plan well, and you can take out your target without them (or their cohorts) even realizing what has happened. Proceed without caution and you'll soon be bleeding out, your impatience severely punished. Approached properly, Mutant Year Zero isn't a difficult game; it’s a tight, cohesive tactical masterclass that rewards the diligent player.Road to Eden depicts a post-apocalyptic Scandinavia where resources are scarce and knowledge of what the world used to be is even harder to come by. Stalkers are sent from the Ark, one of the few remaining hubs of human civilization, into the Zone to scavenge for scrap and fend off the bandits, ghouls, feral dogs and worse that now occupy the ruined towns and suburbs. Everyone, even those safe in the Ark, has been touched by mutation. But Dux and Bormin, the two starting playable stalkers, are different; they're mutated animals, a duck and a boar, respectively.At first glance, there's a lot you can do to customize each stalker and gear them up to specialize in certain fields, letting you mix and match your active squad based on the task at hand. The limited number of weapons and sheer expense of upgrades means you're forced to make tough choices. Should you spend literally all your weapon parts on the close-quarters effectiveness of Bormin's scattergun, or are you better served improving the ranged potency of Dux's crossbow? You can only afford one right now and, since there's no capacity for grinding, it may be some time before you can afford the other.Sometimes the decisions are easier. Up against robots? You'll want at least one stalker, probably two, with an effective EMP attack. Up against dogs? You'll want at least one stalker, probably two, with crowd control abilities to prevent their melee rush. If you've done your scouting properly, you'll know what's coming and know which stalkers to swap in and out before you tap that spacebar. But don't tap that spacebar just yet. You're not quite ready.The Zone is divided into a couple dozen maps networked across southwest Sweden. They're not especially large--bigger than an XCOM map, but hardly sprawling--and typically centered on an identifiable feature: a scrapyard, a school, a subway station, a fast food restaurant, and so on. When you first enter an area you're in exploration mode and free to walk around in real time. When you spot an enemy you can enter stealth mode by switching off your flashlight, thus slightly reducing your visibility but also greatly reducing the distance at which the enemy will spot you. You're still moving around in real time, just slower and more discreetly.The tension is ratcheted up during this pre-combat exploration phase, as you're tip-toeing into hostile territory, identifying how many enemies await you, what types they are, what levels they are, whether they're patrolling, where those patrol routes take them, where their vision cones intersect, and so on. You've noticed one enemy's patrol route takes him away from the others. You hit F to split up your party and guide them individually into position. Bormin has his back to a tree, Dux is on the roof of a nearby building, and Selma is crouched behind a rock at the end of the unsuspecting enemy's patrol route. He's there now. Time to hit the spacebar.It's all about the ambush. It's about analyzing each scenario in the exploration phase and identifying which enemies you can eliminate, one by one, without alerting others. But pulling off a series of clean hits isn't always possible. Inevitably something will go wrong--you'll miss that 75% chance shot you were counting on or fail to do quite enough damage before the enemy gets its turn and calls out for reinforcements--and suddenly the whole area is on alert and you're scrambling to improvise a new plan. In these moments of high chaos, when the rug is pulled out from under you, this is where the game really shines.The tactical combat engine borrows a lot from Firaxis' revival of XCOM and offers as much depth alongside a presentation that ensures all critical information is clearly communicated at all times. And you need to be well-informed, because most of the time--outside of the odd simple skirmish that introduces a new element--there's an awful lot to think about. Enemy variety is key; there are basic brutes who charge you in melee, snipers who hunker down on overwatch, shamen who can call in reinforcements, and medbots who can revive enemies, pyros who flush you out with molotovs, and that's just the early stages. Later, there are high-HP tanks who can ram your cover, priests who can buff fellow enemies or deliver chain lightning attacks, giant dogs who can knock you over and maul you for multiple turns, while others possess mind control powers and more. Tackling groups of enemies drawn from several of these types can be hugely challenging, even when you've culled their numbers with some decisive early stealth takedowns.The stakes are high, especially on the harder difficulty settings. Your stalkers' health will be measured in single and low-double digits for much of the game, meaning it only takes a couple of direct hits to put them down. Similarly, your weapons can only fire once, twice, or if you're lucky, three times before you need to use up valuable action points to reload. These limited resources echo the post-apocalyptic themes of scarcity and survival while also raising moment-to-moment tactical considerations in combat.Juggling all the demands of combat, from patiently surveying the field beforehand through to learning how to best counter each enemy type and improvising a new strategy when it all goes horribly wrong, make for an immensely satisfying tactical experience. But as enjoyable as the predefined encounters on offer over the course of Road to Eden's mostly linear story are, it's still a linear story. On a new playthrough, that same map will still feature the same enemies standing in the same spots or running the same patrol routes. Outside of testing yourself against the hardest difficulty and a permadeath mode (assuming you don't opt for these first time through) there's not a lot of replay value to be found.It's a shame, because the combat engine is so robust I would love to continue pitting myself against some sort of randomly generated map long after completing the main story. Mutant Year Zero's clever focus on stealth and pre-combat preparation reward your diligence, its turn-based combat encounters are complex, and they help bolster its all-encompassing post-apocalyptic atmosphere. It is a superb tactical combat campaign that you shouldn't let sneak past.Info from Gamespot.com

Taking nods from a number of design elements endemic to traditional trading card games and combining those with the flexibility and ease of digitized play fields, Artifact brings a uniquely compelling twist to the TCG formula. The bulk of this comes from Valve’s tentpole franchise of late: Dota 2. Artifact remixes many of the core ideas, focusing on the essentials of MOBAs to bring new layers of tactical complexity to great effect. Establishing a broad number of possibilities allows for near-limitless experimentation and development of new and complex styles of play.Those unfamiliar with the free-to-play behemoth, Dota 2, and its competitors (League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, etc.) won’t need much additional context, but a grasp of the basics can go a long way. As with standard MOBAs, you’ll have three lanes that you share with your competitor. Monsters, heroes, creeps, and items all get funneled into one of these passages and are pit against one another. Each of you will vie for control of all three in succession, starting from left to right, marshaling what forces and powers you can to overpower your opponent and topple the tower sitting at the end.In essence, the lanes act like as distinct play areas, though you do share a hand across them. Besides that, though what happens in one lane stays there. To win, you’ll either need to claim two of the three lanes, or manage to bring down your foe’s “ancient,” which appears only after you’ve taken a lane.These basics are sticky to explain, but mercifully, pretty easy to grasp once you see them in action. Artifact offloads a good chunk of its calculations to computers, allowing it to be a lot more complex than a traditional card game. By taking some of that extra grunt work off of you, it broadens the possibility space beyond anything comparable. Because any number of monsters or heroes can be in each lane, it's possible that you’ll end up with 10 combat rounds or more across three lanes in a turn. That sounds like a lot, but Artifact offers up battle previews, detailing what will happen if you don’t respond. Likewise, the playable cards in your hand will glow a gentle blue, so you can save time and consider the ramifications of the play instead of burning your thoughts attempting to figure out what you even can play on top of what effect it would have.Play proceeds in a series of rounds, where you’ll pass over each lane and resolve whatever relevant cards in sequence. Between each, though, you’ll have a chance to buy items and equipment to help in the next go around. Each creep you take down yields one gold, whereas an enemy hero yields five. Neither are necessary objectives in themselves, but creeps and heroes guard the towers, so most of the time you’ll need to be chipping away at them anyway, and the extra payout is a useful bonus that will--on occasion--affect which lane you choose to press through and when.In truth, there’s a litany of micro-decisions like those that Artifact relies on to build itself into a fully fledged and shockingly nuanced trading card game. The fineries of play will take quite some time to master, and not because they are obtuse or particularly convoluted, but because of the tension between where, how, and when you choose to play. It can be to your advantage, for instance, to make one big push through a single lane if you don’t believe you can spread your forces effectively enough to nab two. But, even then, you’ll still need a capable defense to prevent your towers from being overrun.All of this is covered in the tutorial, but developing a genuine sense of the game takes quite a while, simply due to the nature of its play. Normally this would be a positive trait, and the fact that learning nuances over time is encouraged is a helps create a satisfying, growth-oriented style of play. But that clashes a bit with Artifact’s pricing structure.Buying the game gets you a starting deck as well as several booster packs to round out your starting set. But from there, you’ll either need to trade and sell cards on the real-currency marketplace to fill out your decks, or compete incredibly well to win them. Competing would be fine, too, but the number of matches you need to win and the rewards you get from there are scant enough that most new players will need to put in some extra cash.The fineries of play will take quite some time to master, and not because they are obtuse or particularly convoluted, but because of the tension between where, how, and when you choose to play.This has been helped somewhat by the post-launch addition of a free draft mode (previously it had been behind a paywall). Here you can play all you want and experiment with whatever cards come up in the draft. Players looking to build their actual decks, though, may be disappointed. I say may because the market’s prices are extremely variable, shifting quickly as the market gets more and more rare cards and the metagame evolves. It isn’t clear, however, at this stage, what developer Valve will be doing in terms of restricting card rarity to keep prices stable down the line--or if there are any such plans at all. It may be that in two weeks’ time, competitive decks are dramatically cheaper to field. As it is, Artifact is dramatically cheaper than high-end Magic or Hearthstone, but it may feel less welcoming to passive fans who want to avoid any significant financial investment.In aggregate, though, Artifact works far more often than it doesn’t. While the volatility of the market is one thing, play on its own is more challenging and engaging than many of its contemporaries. Play moves remarkably fast, too, shuffling between the lanes and then back to the start sometimes in under a minute. It’s a lot to keep track of, but it’s put together well enough and propped up by enough card playability hints and subtle calculations that it rarely ceases to delight.Production and animation help a good chunk with that, too. Play will frequently shift between the board as a whole and the specific play space on which you’re focusing. Between lanes, though, you’ll have a fluttering imp that manages your deck, carrying it seamlessly to the different play areas between rounds. They don’t affect play, only adding to the aesthetic presentation of the game and the visual language of how your deck and hand move across the board to each miniature arena, but they’re a nice touch. Similarly, the crack of a spell or the soft trickle of the stream that runs the length of the board are engrossing touches that bind the field together and give the game an added visual flair.All-told, Artifact is a capable reimagining of modern trading card games. It plays quite a bit differently than just about any of its contemporaries--digital or not--and while the marketplace is volatile to say the least, there’s little evidence that the pricing is straight-up predatory. Just note, however, that the game is not free-to-play and be prepared to spend some additional bit of money coming in. It would be nice to see some more extensive options for those wanting to play by themselves or in non-competitive settings, but beyond that, Artifact is a great showing. Info from Gamespot.com

The idea of what the Super Smash Bros. games are, and what they can be, has been different things during the series' 20-year history. What began as an accessible multiplayer game also became a highly competitive one-on-one game. But it's also been noted for having a comprehensive single-player adventure, as well as becoming a sort of virtual museum catalog, exhibiting knowledge and audiovisual artifacts from the histories of its increasingly diverse crossover cast. Ultimate embraces all these aspects, and each has been notably refined, added to, and improved for the better. Everyone, and basically everything, from previous games is here--all existing characters, nearly all existing stages, along with the flexibility to play and enjoy those things in different ways. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a comprehensive, considered, and charming package that builds on an already strong and enduring fighting system.If you've ever spent time with a Smash game, then you likely have a good idea of how Ultimate works. Competing players deal damage to their opponents in order to more easily knock them off the stage. The controls remain relatively approachable for a competitive combat game; three different buttons in tandem with basic directional movements are all you need to access a character's variety of attacks and special abilities. There are a large variety of items and power-ups to mix things up (if you want to) and interesting, dynamic stages to fight on (also if you want to). You can find complexities past this, of course--once you quickly experience the breadth of a character's skillset, it allows you to begin thinking about the nuances of a fight (again, if you want to). Thinking about optimal positioning, figuring out what attacks can easily combo off of another, working out what the best move for each situation is, and playing mind games with your human opponents can quickly become considerations, and the allure of Smash as a fighting game is how easy it is to reach that stage.Complexity also comes with the wide variety of techniques afforded by Ultimate's staggeringly large roster of over 70 characters. Smash's continuing accessibility is a fortunate trait in this regard, because once you understand the basic idea of how to control a character, many of the barriers to trying out a completely new one are gone. Every fighter who has appeared in the previous four Smash games is here, along with some brand-new ones, and the presence of so many diverse and unorthodox styles to both wield and compete against is just as attractive as the presence of the characters themselves. In fact, it's still astounding that a game featuring characters from Mario Bros, Sonic The Hedgehog, Pac-Man, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and Street Fighter all interacting with each other actually exists.On a more technical level, Ultimate makes a number of under-the-hood alterations that, at this early stage, seem like positive changes that make Smash feel noticeably faster and more exciting to both watch and play. Characters take more damage in one-on-one fights; continuous dodging is punished with increased vulnerability; fighters can perform any ground-based attack, including smash moves, immediately out of a running state; and short-hop aerial attacks (previously a moderately demanding technique) can be easily performed by pressing two buttons simultaneously. Refinements like these might go unnoticed by most, but they help define Ultimate's core gameplay as a tangible evolution of the series' core mechanics.A number of Ultimate's more superficial changes also help Smash's general quality-of-life experience, too. Some make it a more readable game--additions to the UI communicate previously hidden elements like meter charges and Villager's captured items, a simple radar helps keep track of characters off-screen, and a slow motion, zoom-in visual effect when critical hits connect make these moments more exciting to watch. Other changes help streamline the core multiplayer experience and add compelling options. Match rules can now be pre-defined with a swath of modifiers and saved for quick selection later. Stage selection occurs before character selection, so you can make more informed decisions on which fighter to use.On top of a built-in tournament bracket mode, Ultimate also features a number of additional Smash styles. Super Sudden Death returns, as does Custom Smash, which allows you to create matches with wacky modifiers. Squad Strike is a personal favorite, which allows you to play 3v3 or 5v5 tag-team battles (think King of Fighters), and Smashdown is a great, engaging mode that makes the most of the game's large roster by disqualifying characters that have already been used as a series of matches continues, challenging your ability to do well with characters who you might not be familiar with.The most significant addition to Ultimate, however, lies in its single-player content. Ultimate once again features a Classic Mode where each individual fighter has their own unique ladder of opponents to defeat, but the bigger deal is World of Light, Ultimate's surprisingly substantial RPG-style campaign. It's a convoluted setup--beginning as Kirby, you go on a long journey throughout a huge world map to rescue Smash's other fighters (who have incidentally been cloned in large numbers) from the big bad's control. Along the way, you'll do battles with Spirits, characters hailing from other video games that, while not directly engaging in combat, have taken control of clones, altered them in their images, and unleashed them on you.Though there is some light puzzling, the world is naturally filled with hundreds upon hundreds of fights--there are over 1200 Spirit characters, and the vast majority have their own unique battle stages that use the game's match variables to represent their essence. The Goomba Spirit, for example, will put you up against an army of tiny Donkey Kongs. Meanwhile, the Excitebike Spirit might throw three Warios at you who only use their Side+B motorbike attacks.It may seem like a tenuous idea at first, but these fights are incredibly entertaining. It's hard not to appreciate the creativity of using Smash's assets to represent a thousand different characters. Zero Suit Samus might stand in for a battle with The Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater by donning a silver-palette costume and fighting you in a flower-filled Final Destination, but she also stands in for the spirit of Alexandra Roivas from Eternal Darkness by using a black-palette costume and fighting you in the haunted Luigi's Mansion stage, with a modifier that makes the screen occasionally flip upside down (Eternal Darkness was a GameCube horror game whose signature feature were "Sanity Effects", which skewed the game in spooky ways to represent the character's loosening grip on reality). If I knew the character, I often found myself thinking about how clever their Spirit battle was.Defeating a Spirit will add it to your collection, and Spirits also act as World of Light's RPG system. There are two types of Spirit: Primary and Support. Primary Spirits have their own power number and can be leveled up through various means to help make your actual fighter stronger. Primary Spirits also have one of four associated classes, which determine combat effectiveness in a rock-scissors-paper-style system. These are both major considerations to take into account before a battle, and making sure you're not going into a fight at a massive disadvantage adds a nice dimension to the amusing unpredictability of this mode. What you also need to take into account are the modifiers that might be enabled on each stage, which is where Support Spirits come in. They can be attached to Primary Spirits in a limited quantity and can mitigate the effect of things like poisonous floors, pitch-black stages, or reversed controls, or they can simply buff certain attacks.There are a few Spirit fights that can be frustrating, however. Stages that are a 1v4 pile-on are downright annoying, despite how well-equipped you might be, as are stages where you compete against powerful assist trophies. On the flip side, once you find yourself towards the end of the campaign, there are certain loadouts that can trivialize most stages, earning you victory in less than a second. Regardless, there's a compulsive quality to collecting Spirits, and not just because they might make you stronger. It's exciting to see which obscure character you run into next, feel validated for recognizing them, and see how the game interprets them in a Spirit battle. There's also just a superficial joy to collecting, say, the complete Elite Beat Agents cast (Osu! Takatae! Ouendan characters are here too), even though these trophies lack the frills of previous Smash games.Some hubs in the World of Light map are also themed around certain games and bundle related Spirits together to great effect--Dracula's Castle from Castlevania, which changes the map into a 2D side-scroller, and the globe from Street Fighter II, complete with the iconic airplane noises, are personal standouts. Despite the dramatic overtones of World of Spirit's setup, the homages you find within it feel like a nice commemoration of the games and characters without feeling like a pandering nostalgia play. One of the most rewarding homages of all, however, lies in Ultimate's huge library of video game music. Over 800 tracks, which include originals as well as fantastic new arrangements, can all be set as stage soundtracks as well enjoyed through the game's music player.There is one significant struggle that Ultimate comes up against, however, which lies in the nature of the console itself. Playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the Switch's handheld mode is simply not a great experience. In situations where there are more than two characters on screen, the view of the action often becomes too wide, making the fighters too small to see properly, and it can be difficult to tell what you or your opponent is doing. The game's penchant for flashy special effects and busy, colorful stages doesn't help things at all, and unless you're playing a one-on-one match, you'll likely suffer some blameless losses. This is a situational disadvantage and may not affect all players, but it puts a damper on the idea of Smash on the go.The need to unlock characters also has the potential to be an initial annoyance, especially if your goal is to jump straight into multiplayer and start learning one of the six brand-new characters. In my time with the game, I split my attention between playing World of Light (where rescuing characters unlocks them everywhere) and multiplayer matches, where the constant drip-feed of "New Challenger" unlock opportunities (which you can easily retry if you fail) came regularly. I naturally earned the entire roster in roughly 10 hours of playtime, but your mileage may vary.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also features online modes, but they were not active during Ultimate's pre-launch period. The game features skill-based matchmaking, private lobbies, and voice chat via Nintendo's smartphone app. It also features a system where defeating another player will earn you their personalized player tag, which can be used as a currency to unlock spirits, music, and costume items for Mii fighters. I'll begin testing these features once the service launches with the game's public release and will finalize the review score once I've had substantial time with the matchmaking experience.Situational downers don't stop Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from shining as a flexible multiplayer game that can be as freewheeling or as firm as you want it to be. 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. Info from Gamespot.com

A new Tony Hawk skateboarding game is in the works, but it might not be the one you want. Listings on Google Play and the Apple App Store show that a new free-to-play title, Tony Hawk's Skate Jam, is coming on December 13 to Android and iOS devices.The iOS listing states that Skate Jam will have a "classic career mode," as well as "global skate jam tournaments." What's more, players can expect street, park, and vert skate disciplines, as well as "dozens" of skateboards to collect from Hawk's own Birdhouse brand."Tony Hawk's Skate Jam will set a new bar for authentic tricks, controls, and music in a mobile game, thanks to Tony," reads a line from the game's description.As for playable skateboarders, the game mentions that Skate Jam will let you play as Tony Hawk himself, but no other skaters were mentioned.Skate Jam is in development at Maple Media, a mobile game studio that previously released skateboarding games Skateboard Party and Skateboard Party 2.The iOS store listing shows that Skate Jam is 1.4 GB, and confirms that it will feature microtransactions. The game will sell coin packs, though it's not clear yet what you can buy with them. Some kind of a "Starter Pack" will also be available. The listing states that a full announement of Skate Jam is coming soon.Small Coin Pack -- $2Medium Coin Pack -- $5Large Coin Pack -- $10Extra Large Coin Pack -- $20Jumbo Coin Pack Coin Pack -- $50Legendary Coin Pack -- $100Starter Pack -- $2Tony Hawk worked with Activision on numerous skateboarding games, starting with the 1999 original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. 2015's Pro Skater 5 is the latest entry in the long-running series. A mobile game called Tony Hawk's Shred Session was soft-launched in 2014, but it was never seen through to an official release.In February this year, Hawk said he had stopped working with Activision on skateboarding games. A month before that, he stated that he was working on a new skateboarding game without Activision, and it appears this title is Skate Jam.Info from Gamespot.com

Battlefield V's first free DLC, Chapter 1: Overture, is right around the corner. Developer DICE confirmed on Twitter that, after a short delay, the expansion will arrive on Wednesday, December 5. It was originally targeted to launch a day sooner, but DICE discovered some issues, and as a result, decided to push the release back.DICE said it was "working around the clock" to fix the issues that caused the delay, though the studio hasn't explained what the problems were in the first place. Whatever the case, the good news is that the delay was a short one. DICE apologised for the extra wait and thanked fans for their patience. "The team agreed it was best for the game's health to hold off and fix the issues," DICE said about the delay.Good news! The #Battlefield Chapter 1: Overture update is locked and loaded for deployment tomorrow, December 5th.Our sincerest apologies for the delay. The team agreed it was best for the game’s health to hold off and fix the issues, so thank you for being so understanding! pic.twitter.com/2x3NvbGU7s — #Battlefield V (@Battlefield) December 4, 2018Chapter 1: Overture is the first instalment in Battlefield V's Tides of War live service element. Whereas previous Battlefield games charged players for extra content, DICE is giving it all away for Battlefield V, and instead selling cosmetic items. Microtransactions are not available in Battlefield V yet, but are presumably going to launch soon.In a post on Reddit, DICE revealed some key details on Chapter 1: Overture's rollout schedule. It will start to arrive on December 5 at midnight PT, which works out to 3 AM in New York, 8 AM in London, and 6 PM in Sydney. There will be one hour of downtime on each platform as the patch rolls out; here is the schedule:PC - Wednesday, Dec 5th at 1am PT / 4am ET / 9am UTC / 10am CETPlayStation 4 - Wednesday, Dec 5th at 2am PT / 5am ET / 10am UTC / 11am CETXbox One - Wednesday, Dec 5th at 3am PT / 6am ET / 11am UTC / 12pm CETThe Chapter 1: Overture update adds a new map, Panzerstorm, a new tutorial mode of sorts in Practice Range, a new single-player chapter where you play as a German soldier, vehicle cosmetic customisation options, and a series of gameplay balance changes. You can see the full patch notes here [PDF].On a further-out timeline, Battlefield V will introduce a battle royale mode called Firestorm in March.GameSpot's Battlefield V review scored the World War II shooter an 8/10. The game is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Info from Gamespot.com

Rainbow Six Siege's latest update has gone live for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, meaning Operation Wind Bastion's new Operators, Nomad and Kaid, are now available. The update also includes a new map, named Fortress.Operation Wind Bastion is themed around Morocco, with Fortress being set in the north African country and the two new Operators hailing from the GIGR special forces. Kaid, a Defender, comes equipped with three deployable electroclaws, which electrify any metallic object within a small radius. That means, if placed correctly, one electroclaw could electrify multiple reinforcements, deployable shields, or razor wires.Nomad, meanwhile, is an Attacker. Her primary weapons come attached with a device that launches wind-powered proximity mines. When an opponent approaches, the mines blast all enemies back and off their feet. Opposing players are rendered unable to use their weapon for a short duration, and must get back on their feet. The mines can be used defensively to protect your flanks or offensively to flush enemies out.Operation Wind Bastion also includes additional weapon skins and a headgear bundle. In addition, five existing Operators are receiving balancing changes: Mute, Clash, and Smoke are being buffed, while Lesion and Zofia are being nerfed. The full list of changes can be read in Operation Wind Bastion's patch notes.In the Operation's preview stage, we thought Kaid felt overpowered, so it will be interesting to see how the new Operators feel now the game is live for all. Operation Wind Bastion is the fourth and final Season of DLC from Siege's third year, though Ubisoft has stated its plans to continue supporting the game for years to come.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has plugged the upcoming Game Awards, with the implication that we could see something related to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at the event. The tweet doesn't explicitly promise any reveals, though, so it could just be tying the two together for promotional purposes.The Game Awards will air on Thursday evening, just hours before the launch of Smash Ultimate. This wasn't lost on Nintendo, which told its fans to tune in live before the game launch. It's possible, though far from definite, that the company has a reveal planned for the event. It could be presenting info regarding the upcoming Smash DLC, for example, or another project altogether. The Game Awards itself has teased ten new announcements along with updates on released games.Of course, tying the two together could be completely innocuous, as Nintendo is up for some awards itself. The company may just be promoting a big industry event, with plans to attend.#TheGameAwards are almost here! Make sure you tune in tomorrow night at 5:30pm PT to watch it all live before the launch of Super #SmashBrosUltimate!https://t.co/gZdCzcdHch pic.twitter.com/43AAaq3ybj — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 5, 2018The Game Awards will kick off on Thursday at 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT / 1:30 AM GMT (Friday) / 12:30 PM AET (Friday). You can watch it right here at GameSpot. In the meantime check out the full list of nominees.Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games has announced Fortnite Creative, a new mode that will give players the opportunity to design games and build unique Fortnite experiences with friends. Fortnite Creative will be available to play on December 13, but those that pick up the Season 7 Battle Pass can check it out from December 6."It's a brand new way to experience the world of Fortnite," Epic says on its website. "Design games, race around the island, battle your friends in new ways and build your dream Fortnite. It's all happening on your own private island where everything you make is saved."Epic has said it plans to add new features and make improvements to Fortnite Creative in coming updates. "Like Battle Royale and Save the World, we're committed to making this bigger and better over time," it explained.As noted in the video above, Epic is expecting initial rollout of Fortnite Creative to be "rough" and is encouraging those interested to get in early via the Battle Pass. Fortnite Season 7 is set to launch on December 6 and, alongside it, the new Battle Pass will be available. In addition to early access to Fortnite Creative, the Battle Pass entitles owners to a special set of challenges every week for as long as the season lasts. In turn, this means they can accrue Battle Stars faster and unlock cosmetics quicker.Fortnite Creative mode is one of the many ways Epic Games is encouraging players to keep returning to the game. The company has made a point of trying to both vary and broaden the kind of experiences it offers, and the successes resulting from this has had a knock on effect on Epic as a business. On December 4 it revealed its own marketplace, which competes directly with Valve's Steam.The Epic Games marketplace seems to be very developer friendly, giving creators 88% of their revenue. There is no profit-sharing and, instead, it's an 88/12 split between developers and Epic for listing on its marketplace. Developers that use Unreal Engine to create their game will have the 5% engine royalty covered by Epic out of its own 12% cut. Although this incentive encourages developers to use Unreal Engine, Epic says games created using other engines are also welcome.Info from Gamespot.com