Only a couple years after Fallout 4's release, Bethesda surprised fans by officially announcing Fallout 76, the next entry in its beloved post-apocalyptic RPG franchise. The new game was revealed in a trailer after a series of teases, and Bethesda discussed it in more detail at E3 2018 and at QuakeCon 2018. We even got an opportunity to play the game at a recent hands-on preview event. While there's still so much we do not yet know about Bethesda's upcoming game, the company has offered some clarity on Fallout 76's most curious features and additions to the Fallout formula.To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Fallout 76, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: our in-depth preview, the platforms it's on, its online functionality, its anti-griefing features, and where the game falls in the series' timeline.Table of Contents [hide]What is Fallout 76?Who's Developing It?Is It An Online Survival Game?How Big Is The World?What Can You Do?How Does Character Creation And Progression Work?How Does PvP Work?How It Plays: Our In-Depth PreviewAny Voice Chat?When's the Beta?Release DateWhat is Fallout 76?Fallout 76 is a prequel to all of the previous Fallout games. Set in 2102, you play an inhabitant of Vault 76 who emerges from the shelter 25 years after the bombs fell on America. Your task is simple: explore what remains of post-apocalyptic America and rebuild civilization.Longtime fans will likely recognize Vault 76; although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, this West Virginia-based vault was occupied by 500 of of America's best and brightest minds. Unlike the more grotesque experimental vaults in the Fallout universe, Vault 76 is a control vault intended to be opened 20 or so years after a nuclear war. But if the Vault was supposed to open 20 years after the bombs fell, why have 25 years gone by? The story likely has a few surprises in store.Fallout 76 uses the Creation Engine, the same engine used to make Fallout 4, but it will purportedly feature much more graphical detail than its predecessor. Game director Todd Howard has said that Fallout 76 has new rendering and lighting technology, which allows for "16 times" the detail.Who's Developing It?Bethesda Game Studios, the Maryland-based developer responsible for the Elder Scrolls series and both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is at work on the game. In addition, Bethesda Game Studios Austin--formerly BattleCry Studios--assisted in fine-tuning the Creation Engine to support multiplayer functionality.Is It An Online Survival Game?Fallout 76 is a much different sort of game from its predecessors. It's "entirely online," but don't worry, you'll be able to play it solo too. According to Bethesda, the idea to take this approach to open-world survival came four years ago, when it started to work on building a multiplayer Fallout experience. Howard described the game's approach to survival as "softcore," which means death doesn't equal loss of progression.You can form a party with up to three other players. You won't be able to manage your placement in servers when you login, as you'll automatically be inserted into a session with others upon booting up the game. Of course, you also have the option simply join alongside your friends and play together.Howard commented that Fallout 76 will have dedicated servers that will support the game "now and for years to come." At launch, there will only be public servers, but Bethesda plans to introduce private servers that will allow players to invite friends to play in order to prevent undesirable behavior.Some classic mechanics from past games will be changing to accommodate the shift to online play. For example, V.A.T.S has been reconfigured to work in real time, while still allowing players to target specific enemy body parts. But this time around, it has been updated to be more of a tool that allows you to spot out dangers in the environment.How Big Is The World?According to Howard, Fallout 76's world is four times the size of Fallout 4. There are six different regions to explore, and each has its own unique style, risks, and rewards. Confirmed areas include the West Virginia State Capitol, The Greenbrier, Woodburn Circle, New River Gorge Bridge, and Camden Park. Contained within each area is a variety of new creatures to encounter, some of which are based on West Virginian folklore. You can take at the full map in the image below.What Can You Do?Like previous games, players will spend the majority of their time exploring and completing quests. However, Fallout 76 will not feature any human non-player characters, as all surviving humans will be controlled by active players. Instead, the game will use combination of robot NPCs, collectible recordings, and environmental storytelling in order to give players what they need to piece together quests and the story at large.Given the game's premise of rebuilding the world, there will be base-building elements similar to Fallout 4. You will be able to set up a bases anywhere using an item called the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform, or CAMP. These can be placed down in the world and allow you to construct an impromptu camp. At E3, we got to see the player laying down walls and decorating the base with pool tables, toilets, and other household objects. As the "mobile platform" part of the name implies, your CAMP can also be picked up and relocated, allowing you to move your base anywhere in the world.While you can help build the world, you can also destroy it. If you have the necessary nuclear launch codes, it's actually possible to access a missile silo to fire a nuke at any point on the map. Doing so irradiates the chosen area, but it also allows for the opportunity to discover rare weapons, gear, and items. Be wary; nuking an area also causes more powerful enemies to show up, making it more difficult to survive. But don't be discouraged by this, the CAMP blueprint system makes it easy for players to quickly rebuild their homes, and if they're privy to an incoming threat, they can pack their things and move to a new location.As an online experience, player choice is said to be incredibly important, going as far as giving players the freedom to choose who are the heroes and who are the villains. Early footage showcased multiple players engaging in combat and participating in friendly activities, which seems to indicate that players have the freedom to choose their paths in the world of Fallout 76.How Does Character Creation And Progression Work?You'll have similar character creation tools as Fallout 4. However, you're free to change your appearance at any point. In addition, you can also utilize the game's new photo mode during the creation process to better see how your character looks, as well as snap some shots you can share on social media.The SPECIAL system returns and it's a bit different. Like previous games, SPECIAL encompasses the following stats: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck. You're given one point to put into any of those stats every time you level up. The first thing you do when you emerge from the vault is pick a SPECIAL and then you pick a perk in that particular SPECIAL. Essentially, every SPECIAL is a pool of points for your perks.But unlike previous games, perks are now cards you can equip and unlock as you rank up in a given SPECIAL; though, you're free to swap cards out at any time if you want to alter your build. Each SPECIAL characteristic you develop has a perk card cap of 15. These perk cards can be enhanced further from one to five points to increase their power.You can obtain additional perk cards via Perk Card Packs (four random cards), which you earn every two levels initially (1-10), and then every 5 after that. You can also pick one perk card per level, usually from your SPECIAL choice. There are hundreds of Perks cards you can unlock, so naturally SPECIAL ranks cap out after a while (you gain a rank up in a SPECIAL each time you level up). At level 50, you'll stop increasing SPECIAL ranks, but you'll still get card packs.How Does PvP Work?When you shoot someone you do a little bit of damage, which can be equated to lightly slapping them in order to challenge them to a duel. In response to this, the other player can choose to ignore or engage. If they engage in a battle with you, they'll start to take full damage. The one who is killed in this consenting PvP match has the option to seek revenge. Doing so gives that person the opportunity to get double the rewards granted they're successful.If you'd rather choose to ignore a PvP match, there's no way to escape being killed--despite the small damage dealt to you during the initiation phases. However, if you are killed by a player under these circumstances, that player becomes a Wanted Murderer and will receive no rewards from having killed you.A Wanted Murderer is marked on the map as a red star and a bounty is placed on their head. Players looking to cash in on this bounty aren't visible on the Murderer's map. If the murderer is killed, the money from that bounty is taken out their stock.In order to give players time to properly acclimate to how Fallout 76 plays, PvP won't be available to players until level five. And if you perish from any PvP encounter, the only thing you'll lose is the junk you've been collecting, which can be reclaimed after death if not already picked up by other players. You can always store junk in stashes found around the world, so as to safeguard a portion of your stock. Armor and weapons are retained in your inventory after death.How It Plays: Our In-Depth PreviewWe recently got a hands-on with a build of Fallout 76. It plays similarly to Fallout 4, but it features some new additions that subtly shift the paradigm established by past entries in the series. We got to experience three hours of the game, exploring a decent chunk of the opening area while taking on quests and generally working cooperatively with the players around us. There's a lot to unpack about how the upcoming multiplayer open-world RPG, so be sure to watch the video above and read our full thoughts in our in-depth preview detailing what we got to play.Any Voice Chat?It's possible to chat with your teammates and even strangers you discover out in the world. It's area-based so your ability to hear other plays will vary. But if you want nothing to do with strangers, it's possible to mute their voices entirely.When's the Beta?Fallout 76's beta will be available exclusively to those who preorder the game. Bethesda said that it will begin selecting participants from the pool of pre-orders on October 23 on Xbox One first. The plan is to start small and expand over time with PS4 and PC to follow on October 30. For more details, you can check out Bethesda's Fallout 76 FAQ for more details on how to redeem your code.Release DateFallout 76 is being developed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and is currently scheduled to be released on November 14. Unfortunately, there's no word about a Nintendo Switch release, which didn't seem out of the question after the Skyrim re-release made it to that platform.Info from Gamespot.com

Following a very public falling out with Marvel Studios, James Gunn has been brought on to write and potentially direct the Suicide Squad sequel for its comic-inspired rival, Warner Bros. and the DC cinematic universe. The director of the first Suicide Squad has come forward to praise the move, calling it gutsy of the studio and complimenting Gunn in the process."I think it's an incredibly brave and smart move by the studio," director David Ayer said on Twitter. "James is the right man for the job!" In response to some fans suggested he was being sarcastic, he signal-boosted a comment that argued he was being sincere.Gunn had risen to blockbuster notoriety for his work on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy films. In fact, comic fans noted the similarities to Suicide Squad as DC's answer to it--a ragtag group of neer-do-wells and crooks who reluctantly save the day. He was at work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when Marvel Studios abruptly fired him due to a social media campaign against his old tweets.The Guardians cast rallied behind Gunn with a letter of support, but Marvel and parent company Disney remained unmoved. Guardians 3 has been put on indefinite hold, and Disney has not given word on a new director or if it will use Gunn's script.Dave Bautista, who played Drax in the Guardians films, has been especially vocal about using Gunn's script, threatening that he'd like to be released from his contract if Disney chooses to use a different one. With the news that Gunn is jumping to DC, Bautista indicated he was open to following the director to the new project.Info from Gamespot.com

Ahead of its launch on October 12, Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is now available to pre-load across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. GameSpot discovered that it weighs in at 49.33 GB on Xbox One, and the file size is presumably similar on PS4 and PC.In fact, Activision said in a post on Reddit that the file size for the digital full game is 55 GB, but this appears to be an average across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. If you're picking up Black Ops 4 on a physical disc, you cannot pre-load, of course. Additionally, the physical disc version requires a hefty 50 GB day one update, so that's something you may want to consider.Pre-loading on console started at 12 AM local time where you live on October 10, while PC players have been able to pre-load since October 9. It's not immediately clear when the Black Ops 4 servers go live, but it should be in the early hours of October 12.You can start playing Black Ops 4's battle royale mode, Blackout, after the download is around 30 percent complete (which amounts to 16-20 GB depending on your platform), Activision clarified in its Reddit post. However, the download needs to finish completely to play the rest of the modes including multiplayer, Zombies, and the Specialist Headquarters.Black Ops 4 does not feature a traditional campaign, but the Specialist Headquarters mode will offer single-player scenarios that contain some story elements. As for Blackout, this is Call of Duty's response to battle royale games PUBG and Fortnite; you can check out the newest Blackout trailer in the embed above. Black Ops 4 is developed by Treyarch, which created the Black Ops sub-brand and the fan-favorite Zombies mode. For more on the game, check out everything we know about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. If you're thinking about picking up the game, there are numerous editions available for pre-order.Info from Gamespot.com

Everyone's favorite Archie Comics based teen crime drama, Riverdale, is back for its third season on The CW and things are not looking great for Archie and his pals. Don't worry, they're still as fashionable and as shirtless as ever before, but not only is Archie Andrews on trial for murder, and not only has Betty Cooper's mom Alice joined a cult, but the town of Riverdale is slowly being invaded by a creature called the Gargoyle King. Watch out, this post contains spoilers for Riverdale's Season 3 premiere.This week's episode gave us our first real insight into what, exactly, the Gargoyle King is--and it's even more buckwild than you might expect. Dilton Doiley, Riverdale's erstwhile scoutmaster and occasional paranoid gun enthusiast, and his friend Ben have, apparently, started playing a Dungeons and Dragons flavored roleplaying game over the summer--a game that, somehow, has summoned the Gargoyle King into their world. Maybe.It's unclear whether or not the Gargoyle King is actually some sort of supernatural monster that has been summoned to Riverdale by Dilton and Ben's game, or if it's just (yet another) opportunistic serial killer carving a path through the countryside. Honestly, at this point, either option seems pretty absurd--and equally likely. Either magic and monsters are both real, or Riverdale is the single most unlucky town on Earth, so does it really matter?That question is exactly the point of this season, explained Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa at this year's New York Comic Con. "Just how supernatural is the Gargoyle King? That's the big question." Aguirre-Sacasa teased, "He's a little bit like the Slender Man--we're taking these crazy things, but we're grounding them with real-life touchstones."The Slender Man seems to be an apt comparison after we see Dilton's panic in this episode. "Ben and I, we thought it was just a game," he frantically explained to Jughead, "The Gargoyle King." But it wasn't a game, apparently--or, at least, it wasn't the game Dilton and Ben assumed it was. Just hours after Dilton's initial breakdown, Jughead finds a mysterious map left on his kitchen table that leads him deep into the woods on the outskirts of town. There he finds what can only be described as a sacrificial altar--and the unconscious, possibly dead, bodies of both Dilton and Ben strung up below it.Fans of the first season of HBO's anthology crime drama True Detective might see the similarities immediately. The creepy wicker-and-skulls motif, the ritualized position of the bodies, the weird runes painted (carved?) into their backs--it has all the classic Southern Gothic markings of some creepy, cult-based horror. A True Detective flavored, surreal, supernatural-but-not crime spin on this season seems slightly more likely than the honest-to-goodness supernatural being tossed into the mix--but really, it's far too early to call.There is, after all, a cult in the mix with Alice and Polly Cooper's "The Farm," a New Age "lifestyle support group" led by the mysterious (but amazingly named) Edgar Evernever. For a brief moment, we see Betty hallucinate (?) Alice and Polly attempting to sacrifice Polly's twin babies into a giant bonfire--only to watch the babies float upwards away from the flames rather than burning to death. Moments after watching/hallucinating the event, Betty experienced a strange not-quite-black-out where she collapsed with a ringing in her ears. Was it the product of her recently revealed prescription drug problem? A side effect from the nefarious machinations of The Farm? A genuine supernatural event that Betty's mind just couldn't process? Were Alice and Polly really about to sacrifice children, or was the whole thing just in Betty's head?The waters of what is or isn't on the table get a bit murkier when you look at the bigger Archie Comics-based picture. Though they're officially not crossing over (not yet, at least) Riverdale's neighboring town of Greendale is dealing with witches, warlocks, and demons over in Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, so who's to say some of Greendale's magic didn't cross the city limits?So far, we know that The Gargoyle King has something to do with Dilton and Ben's tabletop game, that it apparently either requires or encourages some sort of sacrifice, that Jughead may now be the only other person outside of Dilton and Ben who knows that something is wrong, and, while all of this is going on, Riverdale is now home to a cult. Maybe the two things are related--maybe they're not. But, either way, Riverdale's teen heroes are about to have their work cut out for them.Info from Gamespot.com

Starlink: Battle For Atlas is assembling itself to launch on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on October 16. This game lets you pilot a space ship through a massive solar system, landing on and exploring seven varied planets aswarm with enemies. The game itself is like a family-friendly No Man's Sky mixed with Star Fox (in fact, the Switch version even has a Star Fox crossover). It also features a whole toys-to-life aspect that lets you change out parts of your in-game ship just by swapping pieces of a toy line that launches alongside the game.If you're ready to pre-order Starlink: Battle for Atlas, you may have a few questions about how it all works and what you need to buy. You can relax and read on because we have you covered below.Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter EditionThe starter edition of Starlink: Battle for Atlas comes with everything you need to play the game. You get a ship, a controller mount, a pilot, three weapons, and a poster.The game is also available from digital stores in both standard and deluxe editions. These versions don't come with any accompanying toys, but they're still fully playable because you can swap out pilots and ship parts from an in-game menu. The deluxe edition comes with digital versions of all of the ships, pilots, and weapons.Amazon -- $75 -- PS4 | Xbox One | SwitchBest Buy -- $75 -- PS4 | Xbox One | SwitchGameStop -- $75 -- PS4 | Xbox One | SwitchNewegg -- $75 -- PS4 | Xbox One | SwitchTarget -- $75 -- PS4 | Xbox One | SwitchWalmart -- $75 -- PS4 | Xbox One | SwitchMicrosoft StoreDigital Edition -- $60Digital Deluxe Edition -- $80Nintendo EshopDigital Edition -- $60PlayStation StoreDigital Edition -- $60Digital Deluxe Edition -- $80Starship PacksEach starship pack costs $25 and comes with a ship, a pilot, and a weapon. The packs aren't console-specific, so they'll work with any version of the game.Lance Starship PackNadir Starship PackNeptune Starship PackPulse Starship PackWeapon PacksEach weapon pack costs $10 and comes with two additional weapons you can switch out at any time while playing the game.Crusher Weapon PackHailstorm Weapon PackIron Fist Weapon PackShockwave Weapon PackPilot PacksPilot packs cost $8 each contain one pilot. Every pilot has a unique ability in the game.Eli Arborwood Pilot PackKharl Zeon Pilot PackLevi McCray Pilot PackRazor Lemay Pilot PackCo-op PacksCo-op packs are just controller mounts you can clip onto second controller to play with another person locally. They each cost $20, and all ships, weapons, and pilots are sold separately.Nintendo Switch Co-op PackPlayStation 4 Co-op PackXbox One Co-op PackInfo from Gamespot.com

It's October again, and that means time for Halloween festivities throughout a whole host of online games. Many announcements have already begun to outline the upcoming festivities, so we're keeping track of all the spooky specials. Many of these will be time-limited events with special rewards, like the Overwatch Halloween Terror event, so check out the active dates and plan your gaming accordingly.DauntlessThe Dauntless Dark Harvest event will kick off in the middle of the month, casting a shadow on the hub city of Ramsgate. It will introduce a new cult known as the Unseen, who worship a Behemoth. Slayers can test their might against a new Behemoth in the Shattered Isles and stores will offer limited-time exclusive items.DatesBegins October 17FortniteThe entire season is somewhat spooky, with the Darkness Rises theme and skins like the Dire Wolf. However, a more particular Halloween theme appears to be on the way, as we've gotten a look at some special Halloween cosmetics on the way. Those include skins, back bling, gliders, and pickaxes. No word yet on what creepy world events might be ringing in the seasonal content.DatesUnknownFurther ReadingFortnite Halloween Skins LeakedHearthstoneHearthstone's annual "Hallow's End" celebration starts on October 17 and lasts through Halloween on October 31. Logging in during the event will net you a free golden Witch's Cauldron card, and the Headless Horseman will return for a new Tavern Brawl starring the characters from the Monster Hunt mode. You'll also be able to take part in a dual class Arena mode, and characters will use Hallow's End emotes. Finally, the event will accompany the launch of a new Paladin hero for purchase,DatesOctober 17-31Further ReadingOfficial SiteKilling Floor 2Killing Floor 2 has already introduced its Halloween Horrors: Monster Masquerade update. The sprawling update includes a new Monster Ball map, along with Halloween-themed looks and effects for all the zeds and bosses. Plus you can access new weapons and limited-time items to take them all down.DatesAvailable NowFurther ReadingOfficial SiteOverwatchOverwatch's annual Halloween Terror event is once again here. Each year the Halloween Terror event continues the story of Junkenstein's monster, and this one serves up two separate PvE modes: Classic and Endless Night. The event is always a debuts several new Halloween-themed skins, emotes, sprays, and more. It is going on now through October 31, and Blizzard has revealed all the nifty new costumes.DatesOctober 9-31Splatoon 2The Splatoon 2 version of a Halloween gathering is a twist on its usual monthly Splatfests, appropriately named Splatoween. It will start October 19 and last through October 21, with players picking their sides in a Turf Wars between Team Trick and Team Treat. Inkopolis will also be updated with Halloween decorations, and the squid kids will get a chance at four special Splatoween headgear that can be kept after the event is over. You'll have to go through the Nintendo Switch News app to get them, however.DatesOctober 19-21 Info from Gamespot.com

It's October, which means Xbox Live Gold members can download a new pair of Xbox One and 360 games without paying a dime. That's bad news for anyone who didn't pick up last month's games, which are now back to regular price--but it's good news for fans of hectic co-op games and stunt driving titles.Available now on Xbox One is Overcooked, a restaurant game about preparing meals for customers in increasingly outlandish situations. It all starts out reasonably enough, with you and up to three co-op partners preparing dishes, cleaning plates, and putting out stovetop fires in a restaurant's kitchen. Before long, though, you find yourself cooking in absurd places like the backs of moving trucks and on ice floes in the sea, all of which present their own additional challenges. Overcooked is available all month long.The Xbox 360 game that's available between now and October 15 is Stuntman: Ignition, which puts you behind the wheel of various stunt vehicles on movie sets. Your job is to drive through action set pieces, hitting all of your marks, and earning as many extra style points as possible along the way. Additionally, you can still get the top-down shooter Livelock as a holdover from September's Games with Gold.Two of this month's other titles will become available on October 16. These are the Xbox One action-RPG Victor Vran and the Xbox 360 assassination sim Hitman: Blood Money. As always, all 360 games in the program are backwards compatible, so you can play them on Xbox One.October 2018 Games with GoldXbox OneOvercooked (October 1-31)Victor Vran (October 16-November 15)Livelock (September 16-October 15)Xbox 360Stuntman: Ignition (October 1-15)Hitman: Blood Money (October 16-31)Info from Gamespot.com

As the big video game release season ramps up, you might be tempted to pay full price for new titles. Nothing wrong with that, but you might as well get a little something extra as a bonus. This week's sale at GameStop offers some appealing pre-order incentives, as well as savings on excellent games you might have missed. Let's take a look at the best PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games on sale between now and October 10.GameStop has a few exclusive pre-order bonuses for some of the biggest upcoming games. Pre-order Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and you'll get a signature gun called Divinity, plus the opportunity to unlock Divine Justice by completing in-game challenges. Pre-order Kingdom Hearts III, and you'll get an exclusive fabric poster. You also get a poster for pre-ordering Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.Buying a three-month Xbox Live Gold subscription gets you a code for $10 of Xbox currency. If you have a system to trade in, you'll get 25% extra credit by doing so by October 7. And if you trade in one of these select games, you'll get a $20 discount on any new game or pre-order.In terms of specific game deals, RPG fans can pick up the recently released Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age for $50 or Persona 5 for $30. Anyone who wants a refresher on the complex plot of Kingdom Hearts before the third installment hits early next year can grab Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for $20 each. Or you can soar through the cosmos in the Xbox One version of No Man's Sky, which is on sale for $40.We have more deals listed below, or you can view GameStop's full weekly ad here.The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ -- $25Dark Rose Valkyrie -- $20Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age -- $50Gravel -- $20Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix -- $20Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue -- $20Life is Strange: Before the Storm -- $10No Man's Sky (Xbox One) -- $40Onrush -- $30Persona 5 -- $30Pokemon Sun/Moon -- $20Sonic Forces -- $20 ($25 on Switch)Info from Gamespot.com

Unlike the digital stores on PS4 and Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch Eshop doesn't offer a regular weekly sale. Deals on Switch games come and go at the whims of the publishers on Nintendo's digital storefront. Nevertheless, at any given time you can usually find a nice selection of discounts, so we try to check in each week to see what's worth buying. Here are some of the highlights of the Switch and 3DS game deals available now. The discounts' end dates vary, so if you see a game you want, it's best to grab it soon.If life is feeling hectic, you can get a dose of rural simplicity in Farming Simulator, on sale for $30. On the other hand, to add a sense of urgency to your gaming time, you can try Minit, an RPG you try to speed through in 60-second intervals. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a couch co-op shooter that takes place in a large space ship; it's on sale for $9. And for $10.50, you can download Road to Ballhalla, a rhythm-based ball-rolling game.As for Nintendo 3DS Eshop deals, you can save lots of cash on the Ace Attorney series between now and October 10. All of the games--Apollo Justice, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice--are on sale for under $12 apiece. You'll find the details in the list below.And finally, this deal isn't in the Eshop sale, but it's one Switch owners might be interested in anyway: you can get a physical copy of Octopath Traveler for $48 from Newegg if you enter promo code EMCEPPT63 at checkout.You'll find more Eshop deals below, or you can head over to the sales and deals page for the full list.Nintendo SwitchThe Escapists 2 -- $12Farming Simulator -- $30Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition -- $12Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime -- $9Minit -- $7.50Mr. Shifty -- $10.50Overcooked: Special Edition -- $10Riptide GP -- $5Road to Ballhalla -- $10.50Slain: Back from Hell -- $6The Swindle -- $12Tiny Troopers Joint Ops XL - $9Worms WMD -- $18Nintendo 3DSApollo Justice: Ace Attorney -- $10Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy -- $12Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies -- $9Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice -- $12Info from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is set to launch Friday, October 12 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. If you're a fan of the series, you probably already knew that, but what you might not know is that PS4 owners can pick up some nice Black Ops 4-themed freebies. In fact, you don't even need a PS4 to take advantage of some of them.All of the free items can be collected from PlayStation's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Countdown to Launch page. Here you can click links to get several things. For one, between now and October 11, you can enter to win one of three PS4 Pro consoles that come with a physical copy of the game and are packaged in a massive Black Ops 4 shield tin box.Next, you can scroll down to claim codes for Black Ops 4 PS4 avatars, as well as a dynamic Black Ops 4 PS4 theme. You can redeem these codes on the PlayStation Store, either in a browser or on your PlayStation 4 console itself.The theme gradually cycles between images of different specialists from the game, giving each one the slow-zooming "Ken Burns effect" treatment. The theme also tints your system icons Black Ops orange. Finally, the Countdown to Launch page also offers a selection of wallpapers for desktop and mobile devices that anyone can download, even those without a PlayStation account. One set of wallpapers is based on Zombies mode, while the other features the new battle royale-like Blackout mode.Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will ship with the two modes mentioned above, but without a standard campaign like the ones found in previous installments. Instead, you'll find a selection of single-player challenge missions that are intended to help sharpen players' skills. In addition to the content that ships with the game, developer Treyarch has a good deal of free post-launch DLC lined up to keep players coming back.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft makes the Xbox One Elite controller itself, but Sony has always relied on third-party hardware makers to fill in the gap in its PlayStation 4 controller product line. With the Scuf Vantage controller, a new entry in the category has just arrived. It's available now, and you can order one here. Just be warned: it's not cheap.The default version costs $170. The front of the controller is gray with black accents, plus yellow rings around the analog sticks. But just like another Microsoft offering, you can customize the colors of nearly every part of the controller, from the faceplate and buttons to the D-pad and analog sticks. Custom-designed Scuf Vantage controllers cost an additional $30, and adding a wireless option costs an additional $30.Why pay that much for a PS4 controller? Because it has a number of features you won't find in a standard DualShock 4 controller. These features are designed to make you a better player, particularly if you enjoy competitive games online. It has anti-friction rings that automatically lubricate the thumbsticks to create a smoother glide. The thumbsticks themselves come in two height options and your choice of domed or concave thumb pads.Like the Xbox One Elite controller, you can swap out the D-pad with a control disc that's designed to offer easier access to diagonal directions. Finally, you can outfit the rear of the controller with paddle-like triggers that feature adjustable trigger tension. They also come with with optional covers to let you choose exactly how much travel the triggers should have before the button press registers.The Scuf Vantage is definitely not for everyone. But if you have deep enough pockets and want to gain an edge in the games you play, it might be worth a shot.Customize your own Scuf Vantage PS4 controller hereInfo from Gamespot.com

Best Buy's current weekly sale kicked off on October 7 and runs through October 13. That means the window of time is open for you to hit the retailer either online or in-store to pick up this week's selection of video game deals. What kinds of deals are we talking? Let's take a look.If you buy Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (available October 12), you can save $10 on a 12-month subscription to PlayStation Plus. Ubisoft's toys-to-life game Starlink: Battle for Atlas comes out October 16. If you buy the starter pack, Best Buy will throw in an extra pilot figure for free (see our Starlink pre-order guide for more information). And while this one won't apply to everyone, if you purchase an Xbox One along with an eligible Samsung TV, you'll get a $100 gift card for free.All Xbox One controller chargers are on sale this week. And if you buy an Xbox One, you can save $20 on an extra controller. Speaking of controllers, some models of PS4's DualShock 4 controllers are on sale for a few bucks off, and some of the new color designs, like Berry Blue and Sunset Orange, are in stock.Not as many games are on sale this week, but the ones that are represent a wide variety of genres. Sports fans might want to jump on Madden NFL 19 and UFC 3 while they're down to $40 each, and Rocket League is available for $15. Xbox One owners can pick up Minecraft: Explorers Edition for $20 or Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker for $50. Dragon Quest XI is also on sale for $50, and Dark Souls Remastered is discounted to $30.In addition to sales, a bunch of video games are getting permanent price drops at Best Buy this week. You can see the full list of video game price drops and weekly discounts here.Dark Souls Remastered -- $30 -- PS4 | Xbox OneDragon Quest XI -- $50 -- PS4Extinction -- $30 -- PS4 | Xbox OneMadden NFL 19 -- $40 -- PS4 | Xbox OneMinecraft: Explorers Edition -- $20 -- Xbox OneNaruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker -- $50 -- Xbox OneNo Man's Sky -- $30 -- Xbox OneRocket League -- $15 -- PS4 | Xbox One | Switch ($20)UFC 3 -- $40 -- PS4 | Xbox OneInfo from Gamespot.com

The Nintendo Switch is an incredible gaming device, no question. Over the short time it has been on the market, it's accumulated an incredible library of games--which seems like a good thing. But with so many options, it can be hard to choose what to play next. Our advice? Look for a great deal.If you don't like spending more than you have to, sometimes a big discount on a great game can help you decide what to play next. We've scanned through all the sales currently running at many of the retailers that sell Switch games and picked out the best deals you can get right now. Also, we'll continue to update the list as the week grinds on. Let's dive in.Farming SimulatorNot all games have to be about blasting enemies or slashing through them with swords. Sometimes you just want to sit down and relax in front of a game. Farming Simulator for Nintendo Switch lets you do just that. Just imagine all the soil you'll till.Buy Farming Simulator -- $30Just Dance 2018The Switch is a great platform for party games because you can bring it with you wherever you go. With this year's installment of the Just Dance series, you and your friends can have a dance party just about anywhere, even the waiting room at the dentist's office.Buy Just Dance 2018 -- $40Lovers in a Dangerous SpacetimeAnother fantastic co-op game, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a space shooter that lets you and a partner work together to blast extra-terrestrial enemies to smithereens.Buy Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime -- $9Mega Man Legacy Collection 1+2After years of neglect, the Mega Man series is getting all kinds of attention in 2018 thanks to the release of Mega Man 11. While that game's too new to be on sale, you can play through the rest of the core series in order by picking up this collection, which contains games 1-10.Buy Mega Man Legacy Collection 1+2 -- $30Overcooked: Special EditionIf you've ever cooked several dishes simultaneously, you probably know it doesn't take long for things to get hectic in the kitchen. Overcooked is a co-op cooking game that takes this concept to ridiculous heights by putting you and your friends in kitchens with such hostile designs no one would ever want to cook in them. And yet somehow it's still fun.Buy Overcooked: Special Edition -- $10Resident Evil Revelations CollectionThe upcoming Resident Evil 2 Remaster isn't likely to show up on Switch anytime soon, but you can still play this pair of well received zombie games thanks to this affordable collection, on sale now.Buy Resident Evil Revelations Collection -- $30Rocket LeagueThis online multiplayer game features cars playing soccer in an indoor arena. Do you really need to hear more?Buy Rocket League -- $20Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate EditionShe's been whipping her hair at enemies since the days of the Game Boy Color, and her adventures have gotten nothing but better over the years. This cartoonish Metroid-like game comes with all the DLC, modes, and costumes available.Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition -- $30Info from Gamespot.com

If you've beaten all the games you've been playing or are simply on the lookout for something new, you'll be pleased to hear a fresh set of digital Xbox One games is on sale on the Microsoft Store. Note that most of this week's sale items fall in the Deals with Gold category, which means you'll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to take advantage of them. With that out of the way, here's what's on sale between now and October 15.The list of Xbox One game deals is surprisingly short this week, but it contains a few gems. Among them is Red Dead Redemption, a backwards compatible Xbox 360 game that runs flawlessly on Xbox One. If you hurry, you might be able to play through the whole thing before Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26. Though RDR2 is a prequel, you can expect plenty of tie-ins between the two games.Also on sale is Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which is discounted to $45 / £41 this week for Gold members. It caps off Lara Croft's latest trilogy as she rushes to stop an apocalypse that her raiding of tombs set into motion. Check out our Shadow of the Tomb Raider review for details.Other games of interest include the charming puzzle-platformer Unravel 2 for $15 / £13.50 (and if you haven't played the first installment, you can pick up both games for $20 / £16). Those looking to spend as little as possible can grab the artful puzzle game The Bridge or the surprisingly addictive word game Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey Remastered for $3 / £2.40 each, or Ubisoft's fairy tale-like RPG Child of Light for $4.50 / £3.60.If none of those deals appeal to you, US customers can take a look at Best Buy's sale this week, where you'll find deals on some great physical Xbox One games.The Bridge -- $3 / £2.40Child of Light -- $4.50 / £3.60Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey Remastered -- $3 / £2.40Red Dead Redemption -- $10 / £8Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $45 / £41Unravel 2 -- $15 / £13.50Unravel Yarny Bundle -- $20 / £16Info from Gamespot.com

Borderlands 2 is getting a virtual reality version. 2K and Gearbox has announced that a new version of the 2012 game, Borderlands 2 VR, will arrive for PlayStation VR on December 14.The VR edition was developed in-house at Gearbox Software. It's the same Borderlands 2 experience you remember, but in VR and with a few twists. The VR edition includes a feature that lets you slow down time--and it's called Bad Ass Mega Fun Time, or BAMF Time."Activating BAMF Time will give you the speed and reflexes of a rabid skag, allowing you to dodge bullets, pull off 360 no-scope headshots, and even use your Action Skill to fight off hordes of bandits, bullymongs, and whatever else Pandora might throw at you," Gearbox producer Brian Burleson said in a blog post.Unlike the traditional Borderlands 2 game, the VR edition is exclusively single-player. That meant Gearbox had to adjust character skills that required a co-op partner, including Maya's "Res" ability. In the VR edition, it's called "Empathy," and it has a big change.It causes "Phaselock to deplete half your current health, damaging enemies based on how much health you lost, and doubling healing during BAMF Time," Gearbox explained.Gearbox also updated the skills off the game's four classes--Siren, Commando, Gunzerker, and Assassin--with "unique combat styles" that make use of virtual reality in some capacity. And when driving vehicles, you control the steering wheel with motion controllers and the headset. Additionally, you can move around the world with either the traditional joystick approach or through a "pointed-teleporation" mode.Everyone who pre-orders gets a dynamic PS4 theme featuring the four main characters: Salvador, Maya, Axton and Zer0. In the US, Borderlands 2 costs $50, but international pricing was not announced."To now bring that spicy special sauce up close and personal in a VR world, it's beyond what we could have ever hoped for all those years ago," Burleson said. "We're excited to go back home to Pandora for the holidays, and we hope you are too. All aboard the poop train!"Launched in October 2016, PlayStation VR has sold more than 3 million units since then. According to Sony, Skyrim VR has been the most-played PlayStation VR game so far, with PlayStation VR Worlds, Rec Room, Resident Evil 7, and The Playroom VR rounding out the top five.In May this year, Sony acknowledged that the growth in the worldwide market for virtual reality games has been below what the company expected. NPD Group video game analyst Matt Piscatella believes VR on consoles will stay a "niche" market.Borderlands 2 shipped more than 18 million units, so it stands to become one of the biggest games, behind Skyrim, to launch a VR version for PlayStation VR. While Borderlands 2 VR is an exciting announcement in the Borderlands universe, fans are likely more eager to finally see the long-awaited Borderlands 3. In 2017, Gearbox studio head Randy Pitchford obliquely hinted at Borderlands 3, saying that 90% of the studio was "working on the thing I think most of you guys want us to be working on." The game has not been formally announced, however.Take-Two, the parent company of Borderlands publisher 2K, recently announced that one of 2K's next big games--likely Borderlands 3 or the next BioShock--has been delayed to 2019 or 2020.Info from Gamespot.com