Some of the biggest questions about Anthem, BioWare's shared-world sci-fi shooter, revolve around its story. Few details about the scenario of the studio's first new IP in 10 years--which takes place on a strange planet that's home to huge creatures and players who wear Iron Man-like super suits called Javelins--have been made public. Ahead of The Game Awards 2018, Anthem director John Warner and lead producer Mike Gamble briefed the press about what we can expect to see from the story of the game and how BioWare's well-loved approach to storytelling will play a role.Anthem takes place on a world whose name BioWare hasn't revealed, which is the home of a force called the Anthem of Creation. The Anthem is pretty nebulous as well--"It's not explainable through technology or even human understanding," Gamble told GameSpot--but it's a ridiculously powerful force for both creation and destruction, and it makes the world a pretty dangerous place.The Anthem of Creation is mostly intangible, like gravity, Gamble explained. The force was used in the past by some kind of precursor race, called the Shapers, which used it to literally make the game's world. For some reason, they quit about halfway through and disappeared, although they left behind their tools for the humans of the world to find.Nobody quite knows how to use it, but Shaper technology has been scavenged and retrofitted to create other things, such as Javelins. Loose Shaper tech also interacts with the Anthem at random intervals to create Shaper Storms in the world, which, as Gamble put it, "tear the fabric of reality"--and new stuff might pop out of those tears, changing the world of Anthem at any time. Giant creatures and even other peoples, like the insectile and vicious Scars you'll fight in the game, are the kinds of things that come through tears.The chaos of the Anthem of Creation has created a volatile world where civilization has been somewhat strained, and people largely live in walled cities and semi-safe locations. The danger of the Anthem has also limited the development of technology and automation. There are no factories in Anthem; most everything is made by hand.Most of the game takes place in Fort Tarsis, a frontier town and your base of operations, and Bastion, the region around it. You play as a Freelancer, basically a heroic adventurer willing to head out into the dangerous non-walled city area in your Javelin to complete jobs, fight bad guys, save civilians, and destroy Shaper artifacts that are causing a ruckus. Freelancers used to be part of the Legion of Dawn, a bigger order of heroes led by General Tarsis (for whom the fort is named), before it weakened and splintered into different groups, like Freelancers and the Sentinels, which are basically Javelin-wearing cops who protect cities.Humans haven't been able to figure out the Anthem of Creation, but that doesn't mean they're not trying. As revealed in BioWare's trailer at The Game Awards 2018, the primary villain at the game's release, a spooky guy called the Monitor, is hoping to take control of the force. He's one of the leaders of the Dominion, another splinter group of the Legion of Dawn, which favors peace and stability through authoritarian control. The Monitor thinks he can end a lot of suffering by taking control of the Anthem, and he seems willing to dish out a ton of additional suffering, Thanos-style, in order to make his dream a reality.As Warner explained it, there's Anthem's main plot, which will have an ending when the game releases in February. But the setting also allows for the developers to add new stories to the game as well."I really want people to look at our story through two lenses," Warner said. "One is the story of the struggle against the Monitor and the Dominion, and then there's the story of the world conflict, and this is why I love this world," Warner said. "I love this setting because it is a setting of endless adventure and it is a conflict that will never be resolved. Some Freelancer someday will not find the off switch and turn off the Anthem of Creation."A BioWare Approach To A Shared WorldWhen it comes to BioWare stories, players have a lot of expectations. The studio is best known for games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, all of which are RPGs where player choices can have serious effects on how their tales unfold. Anthem will also have some of these choices, although they'll be much less impactful than the universe-rocking decisions you made in Mass Effect. Instead, you'll largely see your impact on the game world reflected in Fort Tarsis.When it comes to how Anthem will tell its tale, you'll have two different kinds of experiences. Out in the world, flying in your Javelin, the story will largely be told through gameplay as you and your friends blast enemies and complete objectives. You'll be supported by the non-player members of your Freelancer team, including a Cipher, who uses the Anthem of Creation to power technology that can communicate with you over long distances."When you're on a mission, generally, whether you're by yourself or with your friends, you won't be stopping to pick up lot of collectibles," Gamble explained. "We don't really push those missions. The reason is, if you and I are playing and you know, we're facing challenge together, we don't want you going off and reading a codex entry or looking for collectibles while I'm getting my ass handed to me."You can, however, go look for those things in free play mode, which allows you to explore the world of Anthem alone or with friends, but without specific missions to keep you busy, he said."So free play, you're not tethered to anyone unless you want to be and you can go explore," Gamble explained. "There's landmarks to be found. There's environmental storytelling in there. There's collectibles, as with all kind of open world-style games, there's codex entries that you will collect in the world. So it's all that kind of stuff."The majority of the rest of the story will take place in Tarsis. The rest of the world of Anthem might be shared with other players, but Fort Tarsis is more a single-player location. You'll spend time there talking to other characters, taking on missions, collecting things, and generally getting Anthem's story when it's not coming over your radio or requiring you to blow up a giant creature.And since you'll be interacting with people in Tarsis, that's where you'll see your effects on the story. But they might be as small as how someone treats you, Gamble said."To set expectations, it's not like half of Tarsis blows up or half of Tarsis doesn't blow up," he said. "In a place where it's a frontier town and you have a lot of people who are just kind of mulling about doing their own thing, your actions will have an impact on certain people and what they say. But you're not, you know, the great hope of Tarsis and what you decide won't affect the fates of the entire town or something like that. But it will change and you will see it change."Case in point, when you start the game, Tarsis is more of a ghost town. There's not much going on, it's kind of run down, they're already under threat of attack all the time. You as a hero start to change that to turn that around, and then by the end of the game, if you've done a certain amount of stuff, you'll see Tarsis evolving that way."The Hero's Journey (For A Lot Of Heroes)Though the press briefing only scratched the surface, Anthem seems to have plenty of lore. There are multiple factions players will deal with, including the Sentinels, the more spiritual Arcanists, and the clandestine secret agents of the Corvus, as well as the characters that represent them. There's also a lot of history and lore to uncover, much of which isn't spelled out--like the identity of the Shapers and what their deal might be.Gamble and Warner said most of the story in Anthem is more forward-looking, though, and focused on the player and their Freelancer team as they venture into the world. As Warner put it, the focus of the storytelling approach in Anthem is on the monomyth, or hero's journey, as described by Joseph Campbell. Of course, it's tougher to tell that story in a shared world, where every player is the star of their own hero's journey."I think that telling the hero's journey without the chosen one, giving you the agency to be the hero, means we have to set things up in a way that will allow you the freedom to tell your own heroic story, that will allow you to identify an associate with the things that are important to you, whether that's factions in the world or even how you equipment and personalize your Javelin," Warner said. "I think all of those things kind of fold into it, and then it's our job of course as writers to tell a story of heroic proportions that involves mythic elements. But it's really setting the table, and hopefully we've set the table well enough where you'll feel things that resonate with you and keep you coming back." Info from Gamespot.com

The first Aquaman movie doesn't hit theaters for another couple of weeks, but Warner Bros. is already reportedly planning a second one. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. executive Toby Emmerich has already started preliminary discussions about a sequel, though the report acknowledged that Warner Bros. hadn't hired a writer yet.Tracking estimates show that Aquaman is expected to make $65 million for its US opening later this month, beating Mary Poppins Returns and the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, which open at the same time. This strong box office tracking is what supposedly gave Emmerich the confidence to get started on an Aquaman sequel before the first one is even out.The quote came as part of a wider story focusing on actress Amber Heard, who plays Mera in Aquaman. According to the report, she was paid a low-seven-figure salary for Aquaman, meaning she earned at least $1 million to appear in the movie. For the sequel, Heard--and presumably Aquaman actor Jason Momoa--will see bigger paydays, according The Hollywood Reporter.Aquaman is directed by James Wan, who previously helmed The Conjuring and Furious 7, and hits theaters on December 21, 2018.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's big 7.00 update is now live, marking the start of Season 7 of the popular battle royale game. Developer Epic Games has introduced a wealth of new content to the title this season, from new pets, skins, and toys to a load of other cosmetics you can unlock through the Season 7 Battle Pass.Those certainly aren't the only new things in the game, however; Epic has also made some dramatic changes to Fortnite's map. As the developer has been teasing in the lead up to the season, the iceberg that appeared in the ocean near the end of Season 6 has collided into the island, creating a new arctic biome.As you can see in the image above, the entire lower western portion of the island has been overtaken by snow. The region is home to three new areas: Polar Peak, Frosty Flights, and the charming Happy Hamlet. Moreover, there are now ziplines around the map, which help you traverse various heights much more quickly.Perhaps the biggest addition in Season 7 thus far, however, is the X-4 Stormwing plane, Fortnite's first aerial vehicle. The plane can seat five players and features a mounted gun, allowing you to fire at opponents from the skies. It adds a fun new dimension to the game, especially when you're trying to take out other Stormwings, as you can watch us do in the video above.As usual, Epic will roll out new challenges for Fortnite on a weekly basis throughout Season 7. The first batch is now available and tasks players with dancing in forbidden locations and dancing on a crown of RVs, among other things. You can find tips for completing all the new challenges in our Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup.Info from Gamespot.com

Bethesda is facing yet another public image stumble. The Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls publisher today acknowledged a data breach that resulted in personal data for more than 100 people potentially being exposed. However, no credit card or password details were compromised.In a statement posted on Twitter, Bethesda admitted that its Customer Support website "experienced an error" on December 5 that resulted in Support tickets being able to be viewed by anyone. Bethesda says it pulled down the website immediately after it became aware of the issue. Those who could see the Support tickets of other players could only do so for 45 minutes.pic.twitter.com/RhjfVx8fJY — Bethesda Support (@BethesdaSupport) December 7, 2018Bethesda said fewer than 123 tickets were submitted during that "exposure window," as the publisher called it. These might have been "partially or fully viewed" during this time. Of the 123 tickets, no more than 65 of them contained personal data that might been exposed.And again, Bethesda said no account passwords or full credit card numbers were visible. As for what was exposed, Bethesda said real names, user names, contact details like email addresses, physical mailing addresses, and phone numbers might have been exposed. Other publicly visible information included proof of purchase receipts, the kind that Bethesda asked people to provide request a canvas bag in the Fallout 76 fiasco.This is just the latest piece of rough news for Bethesda. The studio's latest game, Fallout 76, had a rocky launch, and reviewers generally did not like the game. What's more, a law firm is investigating Bethesda over its Fallout 76 refund policy. Bethesda has acknowledged some "frustrating issues" surrounding the game and has committed to supporting it long-term. It has already laid out a roadmap of upcoming changes.Info from Gamespot.com

In a rare moment of cross-company unity, executives for all three major console manufacturers--Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony--appeared on stage together to kick off The Game Awards. The execs were Phil Spencer, Reggie Fils-Aime, and Shawn Layden, respectively. The three gave a brief shared speech about the importance of coming together to celebrate the medium, which you can read in full below.The Game Awards hosted its array of accolades, as well as several new announcements for all three consoles. Check out the list of award-winners and all the news out of the show.Layden: Tonight at The Game Awards, we come together as a community to celebrate video games--the most compelling and immersive form of entertainment in the world.Spencer: As an industry we are most powerful when we come together united by our common love of the art form of games.Fils-Aime: We join with the viewers and gamers around the globe to celebrate creativity, innovation, and the role that video games play in popular culture.Spencer: Together we will continue to invite new voices, creators, and players into our worlds, because when everybody plays, we all win.Layden: Because when we see the strength of the united gaming community, we remember that we've never seen a challenge that you can't defeat.Fils-Aime: We're united in our commitment to leading and pushing this industry forward with new games, new experiences, and new ways for everyone to play.Spencer: Good luck to all the nominees.Layden: And congratulations to all the winners.Fils-Aime: And enjoy the game awards.Info from Gamespot.com

During The Game Awards 2018, Typhoon Studio--pulling together developers from Assassin's Creed and Batman: Arkham Asylum--revealed a brand-new game coming in 2019 known as Journey to the Savage Planet. In the trailer, we see footage of an derelict pod with a lone astronaut's body laying outside. In the distance is a bright and colorful alien world. In the background, a voice from the pod calls out to explore the new world.According to the developers, it's an up-beat adventure game focusing on the exploration of a hostile alien planet with little to no resources. Though the concept is prime material for another battle-royale or survival game, the developers state that it's purely an adventure game. We're still a bit in the dark about what to expect from the game, but the developers stated in a press release what the game's essence is all about."The core tenets of Typhoon are strong flavors, lots of intertwined systems, a penchant for bad jokes and a deep and abiding love of collaborative play,” said Alex Hutchinson, creative director and co-founder, Typhoon Studios. “Journey to the Savage Planet will encompass all of those things and more.”There's much more to see with The Game Award 2018, including all the latest reveals and roundup of all the winners.Info from Gamespot.com

Tonight at The Game Awards, it was announced that Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is on the way, and it will be released exclusively for Nintendo Switch. Like previous games in the series, The Black Order is a co-op beat-em-up, featuring veteran UItimate Alliance characters such as Wolverine and Hulk, but also welcoming newcomers like the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy.Perhaps the most surprising news of all: The Black Order is being developed by Team Ninja, the crew behind the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series. The trailer began with Nebula giving the Guardians of the Galaxy a talking to for dooming the universe.From that point it's a rapid showcase of the playable cast of characters, which includes Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora, Star-Lord, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and Spider-Man, among many others. In terms of villains, it looks like the big bad is Thanos, who is equipped with a fully gemmed out Infinity Gauntlet. However, there's a few other surprise villains including The Black Order and X-Men hounders the Sentinels.Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 has a cel-shaded style, which suits Marvel's characters nicely and brings to mind the recent Marvel Vs. Capcom fighting games. Previous Marvel Ultimate Alliance games had a huge cast, and although the trailer shown during The Game Awards certainly features a good selection of iconic Marvel heroes and villains, we've got our fingers crossed for more reveals in the future.The new game offers four-player multiplayer support, and players can drop in at any time. Multiplayer covers local and online support, and you can use a single Joy-Con controller to play.Info from Gamespot.com

During the Game Awards 2018 pre-show, a new edition of first-person "walking simulator" The Stanley Parable will be releasing sometime in 2019, called The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe. The thought-provoking meta-narrative game originally launched for PC back in 2013 and gained critical acclaim for its clever storytelling and often hilarious (and dark) moments.Along with a trailer that featured the original narrator Kevan Brighting breaking the fourth wall again, and cracking a joke about getting loads of money from a re-release, it was revealed that new content will be included in Ultra Deluxe. This means that new choices and new endings come with the updated version. The game will also be coming to consoles (though which platforms were not specified) and PC.The Stanley Parable has players walking through a series of rooms throughout a eerily empty office space while making observations about work culture and handling your personal life with a dash of dark humor. It also incorporates surrealist scenarios that are as bizarre as they are surprisingly creepy.You can read through our review of The Stanley Parable's original release in which author Carolyn Petit said the game is, "both a richly stimulating commentary on the nature of choice in games (and in other systems, too, like our workplaces and our families) and a game that offers some of the most enjoyable, surprising, and rewarding choices I've ever been confronted with in a game."Info from Gamespot.com

Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre developer Supergiant Games revealed a new game tonight, Hades, at The Game Awards. Not only was it a complete surprise, but Hades is also available right now on the newly opened Epic Games Store.Hades looks like a real-time action game where the player character will likely die, a lot, and form an ongoing relationship with Hades himself.If you want to try the game yourself, it's available right now for $20 on the Epic Games Store. Though we only learned a little from the trailer, the description on the store page says: "Defy the god of death as you hack and slash your way out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion and Transistor."The Game Awards is giving us plenty of new announcements, with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3--exclusive to the Switch--a console version of Stanley Parable, and much more. You can stay up to date with it all in our The Game Awards new roundup. Info from Gamespot.com

Epic teased that it would detail more about its new Epic Games Store during The Game Awards, and during the event it came out with its proverbial guns blazing. The store launched during the award show, alongside word that it would be giving away free games on a regular basis.As spotted on the storefront upon launch, its first two offerings are Subnautica and Super Meat Boy. A thumbnail points out that it will be swapping out the free game every two weeks through its partnerships with publishers.The Game Awards also showed off a trailer for a new game from Supergiant called Hades. The end of the trailer revealed that it is available already in early access, exclusively through the Epic Games Store. More Epic exclusives may be coming throughout the show.Developing...Info from Gamespot.com

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