The new Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian, has added another high-profile cast member. Nick Nolte is joining the cast that already includes Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which revealed the news, the new show will allow actors to "come and go," while the nature of the show allows the producers to cast people later in production than normal. Nolte has been acting for decades; he's been nominated for three Oscars, for the movies The Prince of Tides, Affliction, and Warrior. Image credit: StarWars.comThe Mandalorian was written by Iron Man director Jon Favreau, and individual episodes will be directed by established Hollywood and TV veterans like Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi and Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard, among others. Pascal, who starred on Game of Thrones and Narcos, will play the lead role in The Mandalorian. He'll play a "lone gunfighter," in a story set after Return of the Jedi."After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic," reads the TV show's official description.The program will air on Disney's new streaming service, Disney+. The service launches in 2019, but it's unclear when the new Star Wars show may arrive. It is one of "several" Star Wars shows in development.Info from Gamespot.com

The next big patch for Bethesda's multiplayer RPG Fallout 76 is coming soon, and now developer Bethesda has posted the full patch notes for the December 4 update.As announced previously, this patch will increase the maximum stash storage to 600 pounds, and it could expand further down the road, Bethesda said. The update also introduces stability improvements to the Fallout 76 client and servers, which in turn should lead to a better experience overall.In terms of balance changes, the Fallout 76 patch makes bosses drop 2-4 items per boss (depending on difficulty and level), while weapon damage has been increased by 20 percent "across the board," so it sounds like you'll feel more powerful right away with this update.As for bug fixes, on console Bethesda has fixed an issue that could lead to an infinite loading screen when players signed out of their console while playing the game. And on Xbox One specifically, the patch addresses a crash scenario for a specific situation related to team invites. There are UI, Survival, and Perk changes, too, included in this update. You can see the full patch notes below, as posted by Bethesda on their website.Fallout 76 launched in mid-November, and while it might not have been a hit with critics, the game quickly reached "millions" of players. The game is underperforming GameStop's expectations, but that doesn't necessarily mean the game is doing badly.The December 4 update for Fallout 76 won't be the last, as Bethesda is planning another one for December 11, while the developer overall plans to support the game for years to come.GENERALPerformance: PC framerates are once again uncapped. However, reaching very high framerates will no longer cause movement speed to increase. This was originally fixed in the November 19 patch.Stability: The Fallout 76 game client and servers have received additional stability improvements.C.A.M.P., CRAFTING, AND WORKSHOPSStash: Maximum stash storage has been increased by 50%, to 600 pounds. This is a conservative adjustment, and we plan to increase the storage cap further in the future once we’ve verified this change does not impact the stability of the game.BALANCEEnemies: XP rewards for killing high-level creatures have been reduced.Bosses: Fixed an issue affecting instanced Boss loot. Players should now correctly receive 2-4 items per boss, depending on the creature’s difficulty and level.Weapons: Automatic weapon damage has been increased by approximately 20% across the board.PVPWeapon Effects: Hitting another player with a Cryolator now applies a Chilled, Frosted, or Frozen status based on how many times they are hit. The duration of movement speed reductions applied by these effects have been significantly decreased.BUG FIXESSTABILITY AND PERFORMANCEConsole: Fixed an issue that could cause the player to encounter an infinite loading screen when signing out of their console account while playing Fallout 76.Xbox: Addressed a crash that could occur when sending multiple team invites immediately after exiting Vault 76 to a player who is not a friend.GENERALPower Armor: Fixed an issue affecting Power Armor frames that could prevent the player from exiting their Power Armor.Nuke Silos: Flipboards inside Nuke Silos no longer display portions of launch codes too soon after the codes were reset for the week.C.A.M.P., WORKSHOPS, AND CRAFTINGC.A.M.P.: Moving C.A.M.P. locations will now correctly move standalone items built by the player into the build menu’s Stored tab.Workshops: On PS4, wires will no longer appear to float in mid-air when attempting connect two or more objects.Turrets: Will no longer become invisible if the player is not present at their C.A.M.P. when their turrets are destroyed.PERKSPerk Cards: Ranking up a Perk Card will no longer cause a duplicate card to appear.SOCIALTeams: Fixed an issue that could prevent a team from being correctly formed in a game world after creating the team on the Main Menu when both players are using new characters.Teams: Display durations for social notification have been reduced when many notifications are pending. This should help address an issue in which players did not see that they successfully joined a team.SURVIVALMutations: The Electrically Charged and Unstable Isotope Mutations no longer provide the player with bonus Health.USER INTERFACEAFK: Players will now be disconnected from a game world after 10 minutes of inactivity and will be prompted with a timer 1 minute before being kicked.Atomic Shop: On PC, cursor position will no longer be disjointed from clicks in the Atomic Shop while using 16:10 resolutions.Enemies: Red crosshairs and enemy health bars will no longer persist on-screen when an enemy is no longer in view.Localization: Subtitles will now appear correctly, and English voiceover will play, for game clients in languages that do not have their own localized voiceover when listening to a Holotape or interacting with robots.Pip-Boy: Fixed an issue that could cause duplicate data to appear in the Pip-Boy’s Stat and Effects interfaces.Respawn: Dying while severely overencumbered will no longer remove all map markers when attempting to respawn. Instead, the player can now respawn at the nearest discovered Map Marker.Quest Tracker: Quest objective notifications will no longer appear for inactive Quests immediately upon connecting to a world.Info from Gamespot.com

A new trailer for Marvel's next big movie, Captain Marvel, is coming very soon. Marvel has announced that the premiere trailer will debut during Monday Night Football on ESPN tomorrow, December 3. The game starts at 8:15 PM ET / 5:15 PM PT, but there is no word as of yet as to when the trailer will drop during the matchup between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles. Whatever the case, we'll post it here on GameSpot as soon as we can.To help ease the wait for the trailer, Marvel released a brand-new poster for Captain Marvel, showcasing Brie Larson as the star. Check it out below.Check out the new poster for Marvel Studios' #CaptainMarvel, and tune in to @ESPN’s Monday Night Football to see the brand new trailer! pic.twitter.com/8yNrk8d7AA — Captain Marvel (@captainmarvel) December 3, 2018Monday Night Football airs on ESPN, whose parent company is Disney (which owns Marvel), so the Captain Marvel trailer premiering on the sports network makes a lot of sense.Captain Marvel is set to premiere in March 2019. The first Captain Marvel trailer came online in September--you can check out GameSpot's in-depth breakdown in the video above.In addition to Larson in the title role, Captain Marvel--which is set in the 1990s--stars a two-eyed, digitally de-aged Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jude Law as a Kree commander, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser, and Gemma Chan as Minn-Rrva. You can see a full breakdown of who's in the movie here.Larson, who won the Best Actress Oscar for his role in Room, will play Captain Marvel again in 2019's untitled Avengers 4. Info from Gamespot.com

For the first time in E3's history, Sony is skipping the annual big-time gaming show next year. Microsoft, meanwhile, will attend the event. Now, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has shared some insight into why Microsoft remains committed to E3 after its biggest competitor dropped out.According to Twinfinite, during Microsoft's Extra Life livestream event, Spencer acknowledged how E3 has changed over the years. E3 began as a very business-focused event that retailers would attend to determine how many games to order for the holidays. That still happens, and E3 remains important for business reasons, but show is now open to the public and overall it's taken more of a consumer and press focus in recent years. Spencer said Microsoft continues to enjoy and support E3 is because it's a "celebration" of gaming that helps bring people today.He admitted that Microsoft could host its own gaming event outside of E3 or a "direct" in the fashion of Nintendo. But Microsoft won't do that because "it's an awesome and frankly convenient way for the fans to experience video games. I think we do it because it's a U.S. celebration in L.A. It's easy for people in the U.S. to come to one place and just share their love of video games."Spencer went on to say that he hopes E3 grows bigger still in the future, while at the same time acknowledging that he also expects the show to change "in some ways" in the future.In addition to E3, Microsoft recently resurrected its X018 event, holding the show in Mexico City last month where it announced the acquisitions of Obsidian and inXile, among other things. Spencer said in the new livestream that Microsoft is "really happy" with how X018 went, and while he stopped short of confirming a 2019 show, he said, "We want to do it again."Explaining its decision to not attend E3 next year, a Sony representative said, "We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019 and can't wait to share our plans with you."The company added: "As the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage the community. PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019."There won't be a PlayStation Experience event this year, either.The major gaming companies--Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo--have all adjusted their E3 plans in recent years. In 2018, Microsoft notably moved nearly its entire presence offsite to the Microsoft Theater, with only Mixer present on the showfloor, while Nintendo has forgone live press conferences in favor of pre-recorded video presentations for the past several years. Sony, too, tried something different with its E3 2018 showing by focusing primarily on four of its upcoming games and presenting them through a "guided experience," which garnered a mixed reaction from viewers.While Sony is skipping E3 2019, Microsoft and Nintendo, as well as Ubisoft, Activision, Take-Two, and other notable gaming companies are confirmed to attend the event.E3 2019 takes place June 11-13. It is notably the final show confirmed for the Los Angeles Convention Center--the venue it has traditionally been held in for much of its history. Former ESA CEO Michael Gallagher had previously said the organization may pursue other options if the LACC does not modernize and upgrade the facility.Info from Gamespot.com

The second season of Netflix's witch show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will premiere on April 5, 2019, the network has announced. Not only that, but Netflix revealed a teaser trailer for the second season, while it also posted a brief synopsis of what to expect in the sophomore season."Get ready, mortals. Our girl's gone full witch," reads a line from the description. "Join Sabrina as she navigates the Path of Night while holding on tight to her friends who walk the Path of Light. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina continue on April 5." You can watch the reveal trailer above. Kiernan Shipka plays Sabrina in the show, which is far darker and edgier than the more family friendly version of the show starring Melissa Joan Hart in the late '90s show.In addition to Shipka, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina stars Lord of the Rings' Mirando Otto as her aunt Zelda and Wonder Woman's Lucy Davis as her other aunt Helga. The cat Salem is also in the show, but he doesn't talk like he did on the '90s show.The 10 episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina premiered on Netflix at the end of October. While you have to wait until 2019 for Season 2, a Christmas special premieres on December 14.Chilling Adventures of Sabrina generated some amount of controversy after the Satanic Temple sued Netflix and production company Warner Bros. for $50 million over the show's use of the Temple's goat-headed Baphomet creature. The companies eventually settled amicably. Info from Gamespot.com

The release date for MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries was announced at Mech-Con 2018 today. Originally scheduled for 2018, it is now slated to release on September 10 of next year.Developed by MechWarrior Online studio Piranha Games, it's the first numbered game in the series since 2000's MechWarrior 4: Vengeance. The series is known for its sim-focused mech combat that pushes its players to master its intricacies. MechWarrior 5 continues that tradition; however, it is trying to be much more approachable for newcomers.I got the opportunity to go to Piranha Games, speak to the team there, and play it for myself. One thing I talked to CEO Russ Bullock about was the balance of pleasing nostalgic while courting newcomers. As someone who hasn't played a MechWarrior game since the second installment from the mid-90s, I have fond yet admittedly foggy memories of firing rockets and peppering enemies with machine gun fire. MechWarrior 5 is easier to pick up and play than MechWarrior 2, and more action-packed, but Titanfall this is not. It still evokes the same feeling of controlling an incredibly heavy mech that feels like it can walk through a building as if you were slicing a stick of butter with a hot knife.In fact, Bullock stressed how important it was for them to add destructible buildings into the game. He talked about how it's always been a fantasy for players to be able to absolutely decimate structures, so it was an important aspect of the game to get right. Buildings that are of the same height as your mech, or shorter, are easily destroyed by moving towards them. Taller buildings, on the other hand, will be left as skeletal structures.And thankfully, it's relatively easy to get into the game and start causing all that destruction. Keyboard and mouse is the optimal way to play, but I also got a chance to go into a custom-made pod of sorts that was meant to simulate the cockpit of a mech. The first round of using a HOTAS setup was awkward, and my mech ended the round with both of its arms blown off. However, by the second round, I had gotten used to the throttle-and-stick and made it through relatively unscathed with a trail of dead mechs in my rear-view mirror. When the dust settled, I was thoroughly impressed with what I had experienced in my demos: shooting enemy mechs, stomping on ant-like tanks, and running through buildings.As for multiplayer, MechWarrior 5 will have co-op. Bullock said that the team wanted to focus on the campaign and let PVP-minded players have MechWarrior Online. That means you can invite up to three friends to join you in your otherwise single-player missions in MechWarrior 5.MechWarrior 5 releases for PC on September 10. You can follow more news from Mech-Con 2018 over on Piranha Games' Twitch channel where much of the event is being livestreamed this weekend.Info from Gamespot.com

Following a gradual rollout over the course of the week, Red Dead Redemption 2's online multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, is now available to all PS4 and Xbox One players. It had previously been restricted to just those with a premium version of the game or who had played shortly after launch.While Red Dead Online is now freely accessible for all owners of Red Dead 2, Rockstar maintains that this is still a beta. Before launch, it warned of potential issues that players might encounter, and sure enough, there have been a variety of problems (of the serious and not-so-serious variety) that have popped up this week, including frequent disconnects for some.Red Dead Online is, as the name suggests, an online game, though you're free to engage with it on your own. It features new story missions set before the events of the single-player campaign that can be played solo or with others. It also features a variety of co-op and PvP modes, including Red Dead's own battle royale mode.Rockstar says to expect "lots more updates to the Red Dead Online beta in the coming weeks and months." It hasn't shared much about what to expect in terms of future updates to the game, though Grand Theft Auto V's extensive array of free GTA Online expansions suggests there's plenty in store.One thing we do know that's coming is the ability to buy gold, a rare in-game currency, with real-world money. Gold can be earned by playing, and it's used to buy certain weapons and other items, as well as a shortcut to lower your Honor level.If you pre-ordered the game or bought a special edition, here's how to access your bonus content.Info from Gamespot.com

The Nintendo Switch console doesn't go on sale often, so when it does it's a big deal. Right now, Ant Online (via Ebay) is selling a Nintendo Switch with red and blue Joy-Cons for $270. That saves you $30 off the normal retail price. It's not clear how long this deal will last, so if you want to grab a Switch for yourself or someone on your gift list this year, hop on it fast.Now is a great time to get a Switch, thanks to its ever-expanding library of fantastic games. It has big first-party hits like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, plus recent and upcoming releases like Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, Super Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Then it has major third-party games like Diablo III, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. On top of that, you have a steady stream of indie hits on the Eshop like Dead Cells, Celeste, and Hollow Knight.It all adds up to a well-rounded system you can plug into your TV to play when you're at home, or throw into a bag when you're on the go. For more suggestions, check out our holiday gift guide for Switch games and accessories.This Ebay deal comes shortly after Nintendo announced it had a record-breaking Black Friday weekend in the US, selling $250 million worth of products, including Switch hardware and games like Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee and Super Mario Party.Info from Gamespot.com

Red Dead Redemption 2's online component, Red Dead Online, is now live to all players after a staggered rollout. If you're playing the game on PS4, you're entitled to some exclusive items that are not yet available on Xbox One. Here's how to claim them.Before being able to get any of the items, you'll first need to play through the opening tutorial section of Red Dead Online, which takes around 45 minutes or so. Once you've officially entered free roam, you're given access to things like the catalog, and it's at this point you can claim your freebies, as outlined on the PlayStation Blog.The easiest of the bunch to grab is the Grizzlies Outlaw outfit. Simply open your satchel by holding left on the D-pad, go to the Outfits section, and you can add it to your collection. Once you own it, you can change into it (or any other clothing you own) by heading to your camp and accessing the wardrobe.The other freebies require you to go to a particular location. For the High Roller Double-Action Revolver, you'll have to head to a Fence (which you can spot on the map), where it can be claimed.And finally, you'll head to a stable to grab both the Red Chestnut Arabian horse and the Alligator Skin Ranch Cutter saddle. You start out in Red Dead Online with only a single slot for a horse, so if you want to grab the new horse immediately, you'll need to ditch your starter steed to claim this one. This horse has better stats than the starter one, while the saddle provides bonuses to the health and stamina Cores of the horse you equip it on.All of this is separate from the exclusive goodies available in Red Dead Redemption 2's single-player mode. While we've become accustomed to timed exclusives like these lasting for long stretches--some Destiny content has been PS4-only for 1-2 years--the exclusivity period here lasts only 30 days. If you pre-ordered the game or bought a special edition, you may have other bonus content to claim in Online.Although Red Dead Online is now available to all owners of Red Dead 2, it is still in beta form. Rockstar promises many updates to come, and one thing we know is coming is the ability to buy in-game gold with real-world money.Info from Gamespot.com

Getting in the holiday spirit isn't the easiest thing for some people. If you could use a little help, Sony has a boost for you this weekend. The PlayStation company is running a flash sale on PSN, dropping prices on PS4 games of all kinds in both the US and UK. Let's look at some of the highlights you can get between now and December 3.On the US PlayStation Store, you can save a bunch of cash on the Assassin's Creed series. The Ezio Collection, which bundles together Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Revelations, is on sale for $15. The London-set installment, Syndicate, is on sale for $15 as well, and the side-scrolling Assassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy is down to $7.50.One of the best deals in the sale is Gravity Rush 2 for just $6. Strategy game fans can grab XCOM 2 for $15. Anyone with an interest in twisted visual novels can pick up the Zero Escape games for cheap: the first two are bundled together in Zero Escape: The Nonary Games ($15), while the third, Zero Time Dilemma, is on sale for $12.PSVR owners are well served this weekend too, with the boxing game Creed: Rise to Glory down to $9 and the realistic flying sim Ultrawings on sale for $7.50.The UK PlayStation Store has fewer games on sale, but the ones that are discounted are bigger. You can grab Battlefield V for £40, SoulCalibur VI for £35, or Uncharted: The Lost Legacy for £13. Or, if you'd like to welcome some darkness into your life this holiday season, you can pick up Resident Evil 7: Biohazard or Dark Souls 3 for £13 each, or BioShock: The Collection for £9.You can find the full list of items on sale on Sony's Flash Sale page.US DealsArchangel (PSVR) -- $9Assassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy -- $7.50Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection -- $15Assassin's Creed Syndicate -- $15Battlefield 1 -- $5BioShock: The Collection -- $15Borderlands: The Handsome Collection -- $15Bully -- $9Burnout Paradise Remastered -- $8Creed: Rise to Glory (PSVR) -- $9The Disney Afternoon Collection -- $5Dragon Age: Inquisition -- $12Eagle Flight (PSVR) -- $6Gravity Rush 2 -- $6Hitman: GotY Edition -- $15Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition -- $10Hotline Miami Collection -- $5LA Noire -- $20Mirror's Edge Catalyst -- $6Need for Speed Payback -- $12The Order: 1886 -- $6Peggle 2 Magical Masters Edition -- $4.50Plants Vs. Zombies Garden Warfare -- $6Ultrawings (PSVR) -- $7.50Uno -- $3Unravel -- $5Unravel 2 - $8Watch Dogs 2 -- $18XCOM 2 -- $15Zero Escape: The Nonary Games -- $15Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma -- $12UK DealsBattlefield V -- £40BioShock: The Collection -- £9Bloodborne -- £8Dark Souls 3 -- £13Resident Evil 7: Biohazard -- £13SoulCalibur VI -- £35Uncharted: The Lost Legacy -- £13Info from Gamespot.com

With the holidays just around the corner, Nintendo has announced a new seasonal event for Splatoon 2. Much like October's Splatoween, the upcoming Frosty Fest will be a special global event that encompasses a holiday-inspired Splatfest, themed stage decorations, and some new winter headgear.The Frosty Fest is scheduled to begin at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET on January 4. Unlike most other Splatfests, which typically only last for 24 hours, this event will run for an extra day, concluding at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET on January 6. Fittingly, the theme this time asks players who they prefer to spend the holidays with: friends or family?As was the case during the Splatoween event, Inkopolis will be decked out with holiday decorations during the Frosty Fest. Nintendo is also introducing four new pieces of holiday headgear for your Inkling: New Year's Glasses DX, Twisty Headband, Festive Party Cone, and the Eel-Cake Hat. These are yours to keep even after the event ends. You can take a look at them below.As was the case with the Splatoween headgear, you won't be able to purchase these from Splatoon 2's in-game store. Rather, they'll be available through the Splatoon 2 News channel on your Nintendo Switch's News feed. Nintendo will post an article about the headgear in late December. Toward the end of it will be an option to launch Splatoon 2; click it and you'll claim the headgear. If you own a physical copy of Splatoon 2, you'll need to have the game card inserted in order to launch the game this way.Before that, Nintendo will roll out a new update for Splatoon 2. Version 4.3.0 arrives on Wednesday, December 5, and introduces eight new weapons to the game, including the Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau, Nautilus 79, Custom Explosher, Bloblobber Deco, and four more as-yet-unrevealed Kensa Collection weapons.On top of that, the Version 4.3.0 update will add two new gear abilities. The first, Bomb Defense Up DX, combines the Bomb Defense Up and Cold-Blooded abilities into one. Bomb Defense Up DX will replace those two abilities on any piece of gear you already own. The other new ability is Main Power Up, which improves the effectiveness of your main weapon. Its benefits will vary by weapon; for instance, it increases the shot accuracy of the Splattershot when you're firing while jumping. You can see some other examples below.Like most other multiplayer games on Switch, Splatoon 2 requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play online with other players. If you sign up for a 12-month subscription--either individually or as part of a family plan--you'll receive two exclusive pieces of gear for the game: the Online Jersey and Online Squidkid V Shoes, both of which are based on the uniform worn by the winning team of the Splatoon 2 World Championship.Info from Gamespot.com

With the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse nearly upon us, the reviews are in. The movie is Sony's first feature-length animated Spidey adventure, and it features no fewer than six different versions of the wall-crawler. It's produced by The Lego Movie's Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with a screenplay by Lord, and the voicecast includes Shameik Moore (The Get Down) as Miles Morales and Jake Johnson (Jurassic World) as Peter Parker, plus Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee), Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), and Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage).Sony's last movie to feature characters from Spider-Man comic books was Venom, which was met with very mixed reviews. However, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has so far received an extremely positive reaction--it currently stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 82% on Metacritic. And of course, Venom went on to be a huge box office success, so there's every expectation that Into the Spider-Verse will also be a big hit, especially as it arrives in theaters just before the Holidays, on December 14. So let's take a look at the reviews...GameSpot -- no score"Its heart is pretty simple. Anyone, anywhere, has the power to be as heroic and as special as Spider-Man. It may seem a bit saccharine, typed out in so many words, but it's a message that superhero comics--that Spider-Man comics specifically--have been touting for ages, and something that's been long overdue for a big screen debut. It probably wouldn't work if Into The Spider-Verse weren't just so funny, self aware, and bleeding-edge modern--but it is, and it does. The end result is an instant animated classic, and, with any luck, the first of many of its kind." -- Michael Rougeau [Full review]Collider -- A"I had high hopes for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the movie surpassed them. Having seen three different iterations of Spider-Man in the past 16 years, I assumed that Spider-Verse would be backed into a corner with its only cards to play being Miles Morales instead of Peter Parker and animation instead of live-action. Instead, it has surpassed the other Spider-Man movies by breaking down the character without ever losing sight of an entertaining, lovely story. If you feel like you've seen all the Spider-Man you can handle, just wait. You haven't seen anything yet." -- Matt Goldberg [Full review]AV Club -- B+"In the end it plays more like a celebration of both insane comics continuity and the mutable nature of superhero identification. Characters endlessly derived from a single superhero power-set can be hackneyed, but when the movie bands a bunch of those characters together with a lead Spidey of black and Latino heritage, it's making a convincing case for how familiar superheroes can refresh themselves when new faces take up the mantle. For that matter, it makes a cleverly self-serving case for an animated spin-off of a much-adapted character. This is the seventh Spider-Man feature film in 16 years, but this universe has rarely felt so fresh." -- Jesse Hassenger [Full review]The Hollywood Reporter -- no score"It helps to be well-versed in Spider-Man lore to fully appreciate Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a free-wheeling, fast-and-loose, strikingly animated addition to one of the biggest library of films in the Marvel collection. Faced with the challenge of how to further expand the franchise without sating both the character and fans, Marvel and Sony have borrowed from the comics to introduce a fresh origin story that both references the past and swings into a new, thoroughly multicultural and multi-Spidified future." -- Todd McCarthy [Full review]Den of Geek -- 5/5"That Miles Morales can share the screen with one of the most recognizable icons in all of pop culture and still clearly be the hero of his own story is impressive, and a testament to the obvious love that went into crafting both the character and his world. Delivering that kind of emotion in a movie this big and brash is no small task. It's the kind of achievement that brings to mind the adjectives usually attached to one of Peter Parker's comic books. Amazing. Spectacular. Sensational." -- Mike Cecchini [Full review]Uproxx -- A"I love this movie and I love that it exists. I love that Sony took a risk on a (yes) somewhat complicated premise and turned it into something unique and funny and daring (and weird). I don't always love the concept of “rooting” for movies to be financially successful, but I do hope Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse succeeds and sets off, not just a few more of these Miles Morales Spider-Man films, but also a whole plethora of studio-backed animated superhero films that can take real chances. This animated movie has more heart and emotion than most live actions films of this genre." -- Mike Ryan [Full review]Screenrant -- 4.5/5"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse offers nearly two-hours of stunning and altogether captivating animation that's beautifully rendered to bring the superhero origin story of Miles Morales - and the Spider-Verse - to life in a never-before-seen manner. Although the threads left hanging for a potential sequel may be somewhat more fascinating than the fairly by-the-numbers origin story of Miles, the multiverse does provide a unique twist on Miles' coming-of-age hero tale from awkward teenager to self-confident superhero." -- Molly Freeman [Full review]The Wrap -- no score"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse represents some of the best superhero storytelling on the market. The frenetic animation and freewheeling story offer audiences a sense of boundless dynamism. It's not the first time a director has attempted to incorporate comic book iconography into a feature-film adaptation, but it's the most appealing. Watching Into the Spider-Verse evokes feelings of sitting cross-legged on the floor of your bedroom, eating cookies and immersing yourself in outrageous, mostly inviting new worlds." -- William Bibbiani [Full review]Insider -- A"Despite a wordy tongue twister of a title, Into the Spider-Verse feels like a comic-book come to life. Sony's vibrant, hilarious holiday movie is gorgeous to look at, is incredibly self-aware, and delivers the big screen debut of a few new Spideys that will become household names." -- Kirsten Acuna [Full review]Info from Gamespot.com

While Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee draw most of their elements from Pokemon Yellow, the pair diverge from the classic Game Boy title in some dramatic ways. Rather than starring Red and Blue, the protagonist and rival of the original game, the pair cast players in the role of a brand-new trainer who is setting off on a journey to become a Pokemon Master alongside a new rival character.But while Red and Blue no longer share the spotlight in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, they do play a role in the games. As we learned from a recent trailer, both classic characters appear at some point during the adventure--as does Green, the female trainer who was seen standing alongside the other two characters in the original artwork for Pokemon Red and Blue.All three trainers can be battled at different points in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, but as in previous games, Red is the most difficult to find and defeat of the three. While Blue and Green will challenge you to a match when you've made it to a certain part of the story, you'll need to fulfill a few conditions before you're able to take on Red. Some mild spoilers follow below.If you're hoping to test your battle prowess against the iconic Pokemon trainer, you'll first need to complete the main story by defeating the Elite Four. Once you've taken the mantle of Pokemon League Champion, a new slew of characters known as Master Trainers will begin appearing around the Kanto region. Each Master Trainer specializes in one particular Pokemon, and you'll need to use that same Pokemon to defeat them in a one-on-one battle. True to their name, however, Master Trainers pose a significant challenge; the Pokemon they specialize in has high stats and knows attacks that give it an advantage over you.In order to battle Red, you'll first need to defeat any six Master Trainers in Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee. Once you've accomplished that feat, Red will appear outside of the Pokemon League in the Indigo Plateau, where you can talk to him to initiate the battle. He has a diverse team that consists of Pikachu, Snorlax, Arcanine, Lapras, Machamp, and Mega Venusaur, all of which are level 85, so you'll need to bring a powerful team of your own to stand a chance.After defeating Red, you'll earn the title of Battle Master, which you can display to other players in-game when challenging them to Link Battles. Red will then leave the area, but you'll be able to re-battle him in the same spot by defeating the Elite Four again.Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee are available exclusively for Nintendo Switch. The games make a great entry point for the series, but we still have nine tips you should know before starting your adventure. We've also put together a detailed guide on how to catch Meltan, as well as one on how to get the original starting Pokemon Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. You can learn more about the games in our Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee review.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee are now available on Switch, marking the series' proper debut on Nintendo's hybrid console. While not direct remakes of Pokemon Yellow, the pair follow its template very closely, featuring the same setting, story beats, and the original 151 Pokemon (plus their Alolan variants, which could be acquired either from certain NPCs or by transferring them over from Pokemon Go).Despite their many similarities to Yellow, Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee do introduce some new elements to the series--most notably Meltan, a brand-new Mythical Pokemon that hasn't appeared in any previous mainline Pokemon game. Fittingly for a Mythical Pokemon, Meltan can't be acquired through normal means, so we've put together a guide explaining just how you can add it and its evolved form, Melmetal, to your collection.How To Catch MeltanThe key to getting a Meltan in Let's Go involves connecting the games to Pokemon Go. As previously mentioned, you can link the mobile title to Let's Go via Bluetooth and transfer any Gen 1 Pokemon you've captured there over to the Switch games. The Pokemon you've transferred will then appear in the Go Park, a new facility that replaces the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City. See our full guide to connecting Go and Let's Go for more details.To begin a transfer, simply speak to the receptionist at the front desk of the Go Park and follow the on-screen prompts. This is a one-way process; any Pokemon you send from Go to Let's Go can't be returned to the mobile game. However, you'll need to complete at least one transfer in order to catch Meltan, as sending a Pokemon to Let's Go will reward you with a special item in Go: the Mystery Box.The Mystery Box is the key to summoning Meltan in Pokemon Go. Once opened, the Mythical Pokemon will begin appearing in the wild for a limited time, and you'll be able to capture it just as you would any other monster. However, you'll need to act quickly to catch as many as you can; the Mystery Box only remains open for 30 minutes, and you'll need to wait a full seven days before you can activate it again by transferring another Pokemon.While you can typically only transfer the original 151 Pokemon, Meltan is the sole exception. Once you've managed to catch one in Go, you'll be able to send it over to the Let's Go titles the same way you would any Gen 1 Pokemon. You'll then be able to recapture it in the Go Park to add it to your team.At the moment, this is the only way to obtain Meltan in either Go or Let's Go. You won't be able to find it in the wild in the Switch games, so if you're hoping to add one to your collection, you'll need to link the two titles together. However, The Pokemon Company has teased that a new Special Research questline revolving around Meltan will be available for Pokemon Go players sometime this winter, suggesting there will be other ways to acquire it in the future.Meltan is a pure Steel-type Pokemon that stands at eight inches tall, making it one of the smallest monsters in the Pokemon universe. While it may not look particularly intimidating, it does have a notable distinction: Meltan is the first Mythical Pokemon capable of evolving, and it's able to grow into a hulking monster called Melmetal.How To Evolve MeltanAs before, Pokemon Go is the key to obtaining Melmetal. In order to evolve Meltan, you'll need to feed it enough Candy in Go, just as you would evolve most other Pokemon in the mobile game. These are acquired each time you catch a Meltan or send one to Professor Willow, but be warned: you're going to need to capture a lot of Meltans if you're hoping to get its evolution, as the Mythical Pokemon requires a whopping 400 Candies to evolve.Given how long it takes to reopen the Mystery Box, amassing enough Candy to evolve Meltan is a daunting prospect. Fortunately, if you've stocked up on Rare Candies, you'll be able to use them to expedite the process. You can also feed Pinap Berries to Meltan during the capture phase, which will increase the number of Candies you receive if you successfully catch it. Once you've evolved Meltan, you can transfer your Melmetal to the Let's Go games and recapture it in the Go Park.Just as its base form, Melmetal is a pure Steel-type Pokemon. According to the series' lore, it was worshiped in ancient times because of its ability to create metal. It is also capable of learning a brand-new move called Double Iron Bash, a two-hit Steel-type attack that can make the opposing Pokemon flinch.Despite being more welcoming than other entries in the series, Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are deeper than they may initially appear. Before you embark on your journey, be sure to check out our nine tips you should know. We've also put together a guide on how to get Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in the Switch games. For more, read our full Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee review.Info from Gamespot.com

Treyarch has released another update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This latest patch makes an assortment of tweaks and fixes across game modes on all platforms, including another round of stability improvements for Zombies, a new multiplayer playlist for PS4, and more.First, Treyarch has introduced the Safeguard playlist to the PS4 version of Black Ops 4. This mode has two teams vying to escort a robot into enemy territory while preventing the opposing side from doing the same. On top of that, the studio has added three other new Featured playlists on all platforms: Hardcore Nuketown, Mercenary Objective Moshpit, and Chaos Hardpoint.Along with the new playlists, Treyarch has added nighttime versions of two popular maps to the game. Seaside Sunset and Firing Range Night are available now for free for all players in the multiplayer map rotation and will remain in the game "indefinitely."For the battle royale-style Blackout mode, Treyarch has added a new weapon: the Bowie Knife. It can be found in equipment stashes or as drops from Zombies, and it allows for "stealthy 1-hit kills" according to the patch notes the developer shared on Reddit. Additionally, the Blightfather event is available once again on PS4, and Treyarch has introduced Character Missions to unlock Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen.Rounding out the update are more stability improvements and crash fixes for Zombies modes. These apply to all maps, as well as a few specific to IX. Treyarch teases that there will be "some exciting additions to Zombies in the coming weeks." You can read the full patch notes for the update below and on Reddit.Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 November 27 Update Patch NotesSummaryMultiplayerSafeguard playlist (PS4).Seaside Sunset and Firing Range Night MP maps.Hardcore Nuketown, Chaos Hardpoint, and Mercenary Objective Moshpit playlists.Exploit/bug fixes for Nuketown and Summit.BlackoutZombies Origins Character Missions (PS4).Blightfather Event with lower health in Solos and Duos (PS4).Bowie Knife now available on all platforms.ZombiesStability fixes across all maps.GeneralSpecialist HQ and After Action Report improvements.All PlatformsMultiplayerPlaylistsFeatured Playlist changed to Safeguard (PS4) / Hardcore Mercenary Moshpit (Xbox One and PC).Hardcore Nuketown added to Featured category.Chaos Hardpoint added to Featured category. Hardpoints spawn in a random orderScore increases with each teammate on the HardpointScore limit increased to 10006v6Mercenary Objective Moshpit added to Featured category. Domination, Hardpoint, Control, Search & Destroy, HeistNo parties allowed5v5MapsAdded Seaside Sunset and Firing Range Night to all playlists.Closed exploits in Nuketown that allowed Ruin to grapple outside of the map.Resolved an issue where the scoreboard would flash on screen after ending a game on Nuketown.Resolved an issue on Summit that allowed Care Packages deployed on a ramp in the eastern part of the map to float.Create-a-ClassResolved an issue that removed an attachment from weapons with maximum attachments and a Clan Tag or Kill Counter equipped.ChallengesTactical Mask Challenge now properly tracks kills while an enemy Counter UAV is active.BlackoutWeaponsBowie Knife now available in Equipment Stashes, as a random drop from killing Zombies, and as a randomized item spawn in Zombies-themed locations on all platforms.Character MissionsZombies Origins Character Missions (Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, Richtofen) now available to find and complete (PS4).PlaylistsBlightfather event enabled in all playlists (PS4).Reduced the health of the Blightfather in Solo and Duo playlists.ZombiesGameplayIX Resolved an issue where sliding under a Blade Trap without taking damage would not contribute to another player’s challenge.StabilityGeneralFixed a crash that could occur occasionally when using Anywhere But Here.Fixed a rare crash that could occur when a player disconnected while another player was downed.Fixed a rare crash that could occur when a player disconnected during Fast Travel.IX Fixed a crash that could occur when killing enemies with traps in IX.Fixed additional crashes related to a player helping another with challenges in IX.GeneralSpecialist HeadquartersImproved Torque tutorial mission scripting.After Action ReportAfter Action Report in Multiplayer and Blackout will now display all earned Tier Rewards and allow the player to scroll through the Tier Rewards menu.Info from Gamespot.com