2018-10-25
Like Lucas Pope's previous game, Papers, Please, Return of the Obra Dinn is primarily concerned with processing information. In the latter, you play as an insurance clerk assessing claims on a mysteriously abandoned ship rather than a customs agent assessing documents at the border of a totalitarian country, but in both games, you are presented with fragments of data and asked to check their veracity through cross-reference and deductive logic. Both games are also grim in their own ways, but while Papers, Please forces you to consider your personal moral compass and where you're willing to see it compromised, Return of the Obra Dinn leaves you in a more detached role as the time-traveling observer of a naval journey gone horribly wrong.In 1802 the "good ship" Obra Dinn set sail from London to "the Orient" but never reached its destination. Five years later it is found drifting into the port of Falmouth in southwest England with no one left alive on board. As a clerk at the East India Company it's your job to explore the ship and find out what happened. You're given a nifty book--which includes a full crew and passenger manifest, annotated deck maps, a glossary of basic sailing terms, and a group sketch of the people on board drawn by one of the passengers--into which you are expected to record all the relevant details.Like most insurance clerks, one suspects, you are also equipped with a magical pocket watch that, when opened and activated in the presence of a corpse, allows you to travel back in time to the moment of the person's death. It's almost literally a single moment, too, as the screen fades to black and you hear but a few seconds of speech or other sounds leading up to the fatal incident before you find yourself inside a scene that's been frozen in time, and the investigation begins.In this space (which, like the entire game is explored in first-person) you can walk around a confined section of the ship but you cannot interact with anything. You can only zoom in for a closer look at any object, and beyond the immediate surroundings, the background just fades out into nothingness. The entire game is presented in a starkly beautiful monochromatic color scheme, a graphical style described by the developer as "1-bit". When still, it resembles something from an early '80s PC, albeit displaying at a much higher resolution. But in motion, when you're walking around the decks, it looks quite unlike anything seen before--a startling retro throwback that is as alien as it is familiar, and that inherent strangeness works only to enhance the sense of mystery.Once inside an investigation space--or memory, as the game refers to them--the first thing you're compelled to do is examine the now-deceased body in front of you, matching their face to the artist's sketch in your book to commence the process of identification. You still don't know their name, but perhaps there was something you heard just before they died that could be a clue? Maybe there's something about what they were doing or wearing or where they were on the ship or who they were with? You also need to determine their fate--were they shot or stabbed or poisoned or crushed or worse? And, if they were murdered, then by whom? Which likely means having to identify someone else through another series of clues. Or maybe you'll need to find the answers in another memory instead?At first, you won't have enough information to draw any firm conclusions about the fate of the ship. However, as you explore the ship and find more bodies, which in turn open up new areas of the ship and reveal yet more bodies, the gaps in your knowledge will start to close. Soon you'll have access to a series of memories that, by the time you're done identifying everyone and discovering their fates, come together to tell the story of the Obra Dinn and the sixty people on board. It's at this point, as you stand over an unknown corpse with your trusty notebook in hand, that Return of the Obra Dinn solidifies into an exceptionally compelling representation of detective work.Unlocking a person's identity requires you to pay attention to every last detail across multiple memories. To narrow your search you can bookmark a specific person and revisit only the memories in which they appear, letting you focus on their individual story in an attempt to clarify their actions and link them to a particular role on the ship. Further, the Obra Dinn had a fairly multicultural crew so you'll do well to note the different languages spoken and the varying accents of the English-speaking majority, as well as the details of each person's physical appearance.At any point, you can pull out your book to pencil in a detail. Perhaps you think this chap is the First Mate or this fellow with the beard got shot by the ship's surgeon. Correctly identify three people and their fates and the game will let you know by properly typesetting your penciled notes. Some will be obvious, most will not, and many will require keeping track of multiple scenes and threading together numerous what-at-first-seemed-inconsequential pieces of information. When a clutch of clues fall into place and you crack the case, as it were, it feels immensely satisfying.Plenty of games promise to make you feel like a detective only to have you checking boxes, but here it's different. Return of the Obra Dinn gives you all the tools you'll need to solve its puzzles--the book interface is a masterpiece of connected design--and then trusts that you'll be capable of arriving at the correct answers by yourself.But it's more than that. Your magical pocket watch and its time-traveling, corpse-identifying mechanic offers far more than just an exceptionally clever puzzle game--as if that wasn't already enough. It also delivers a wonderfully evocative method of storytelling as you gain glimpses into the lives of each person on board at vital moments along the Obra Dinn's journey and piece together who they were, what they had to deal, what motivated them, and how they responded when tragedy struck. You may only see them in scratchy monochrome stills and hear them in brief snatches of urgent conversation, if at all, but if you're paying attention then you should feel like you know (almost) every one of these sixty people intimately by the end of the game. Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
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. You'll be able to try the game for yourself as part of a beta, the first instance of which happens for some Xbox One owners on October 23. With these test periods being very limited in time, we've also put together a list of what you should do first.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 pre-order 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
2018-10-24
Two more Xbox 360 games have joined the Xbox One backwards compatibility lineup. These new additions include a family-friendly Star Wars game and a satirical sim.Lego Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy was one of the earliest Lego-branded takes on a popular franchise, after the first Lego Star Wars hit it big by immortalizing the prequel trilogy in plastic bricks. As the name implies, it's a take on the three classic films A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.Tropico 4 is one of five entries in the long-running simulation series that makes you dictator of a small island nation. As "El Presidente" you're tasked with keeping citizens happy or quelling rebellions to retain power and stave off the ever-present threat of being overthrown.Both Lego Star Wars 2 and Tropico 4 received positive GameSpot reviews. As always, if you own these games digitally you can download them from your library, or insert the disc if you own the physical copies. They're on sale in the Xbox Store for $15 (Lego Star Wars) and $10 (Tropico).Microsoft has been regularly adding new backwards compatibility features since introducing the initiative in November 2015. The full list of backwards compatible games is getting pretty sizable at this point. If you need some recommendations on which ones are worth your time, check out our gallery of the best Xbox One backwards compatible games.Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
Ubisoft has announced a new update for Rainbow Six Siege that changes a few of the game's Operators. The update comes halfway through Siege's Year 3, Season 3--referred to as Operation Grim Sky--and makes adjustments based on the influence of the two newest Operators, Clash and Maverick.The two Operators getting patched in the update are Maestro and Clash. Ubisoft outlined the changes the two would undergo in a blog post on Siege's main website. Both Operators are Defenders. Ubisoft wants to make Maestro less confusing to use, and change Clash so that she performs more in line with the developer's original plans for the Operator.The update changes Maestro's ALDA 5.56 so that its recoil matches that of other LMGs in the game. Currently, the ALDA 5.56 reduces recoil the longer it fires without aiming down the sights, but this has "led to confusion" where players try to aim as if recoil would increase with sustained fire.Clash is getting reduced weapon swapping speed between her shield and sidearm, and the delay before her shield's charge refills will be doubled. Also, Attackers that Clash shocks will regain full mobility after only 0.5 seconds, instead of the existing 1.5 seconds. "Ultimately, we believe that this will further drive the idea that Clash is reliant on teammates, as opposed to an Operator that can exist completely independently," Ubisoft wrote. "She is not intended to be able to hold half of the map by herself, and will now require the proper support from teammates to do so."These changes were calculated as a part of both Operators' Win Delta and Pick Rate. An Operator's Win Delta is the percentage of how often said Operator is a part of a winning team. The Pick Rate is the percentage for how often an Operator is picked, regardless if they're on a team that wins or loses. When graphed on a chart, Ubisoft is able to determine which Operators are over picked and too strong, over picked and too weak, under picked and too strong, or under picked and too weak.Although there are no scheduled changes for any other Operators in this update, Ubisoft wants to patch both Lion and Glaz in the near future. The developer has two possible solutions for Lion, which should fix how "problematic" he is at higher level play. "One adjustment would remove the intel gathering aspect of his gadget, or we may go with the other, which will trigger more of a Jackal style ping," Ubisoft wrote. For Glaz, Ubisoft wants to bring the Operator back to his original role as a sniper in the rear. Currently, Glaz is one of the best "site pushing" Operators who can lead the charge with a high-powered weapon.Ubisoft held a Reddit AMA to address further details about the new update. The full patch notes for the update can be read below.Rainbow Six Siege Y3S3.2 Update Patch NotesOperatorsClashReduced weapon swapping speed between CCE Shield and SidearmDelay before refilling charge after usage ends increased to 2 seconds, from 1 secondAttackers regain full mobility after 0.5 seconds, down from 1.5 seconds, after being shockedMaestroALDA 5.56 recoil aligned with other LMGsWeaponsSMG-11Reducing recoil to improve handlingVectorReducing recoil to improve handlingInfo from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
There's no shortage of ways to get your hands on a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 when it launches on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One (you can check out our Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-order guide for details). The only problem is, you'll have to wait until October 26 before you can play it. If you want to get it a little earlier, it turns out there's a way to do so. Both Best Buy and GameStop have announced they'll begin selling copies of the game at 9 PM local time on October 25--the day before it launches elsewhere.That gives you a three-hour head start on everyone who ordered it digitally. You'll still have to go home and install the game to your console's hard drive before you can play it, of course--and it's an enormous game. But because the data is installed on your hard drive from the disc instead of downloaded from the internet, it's quite possible you'll be up and running before midnight. (Then again, it's also possible there will be a download on top of the disc install).You can pre-order Red Dead Redemption 2 from GameStop here or from Best Buy here. All pre-orders come with a download code for the Ardennes War Horse and Outlaw Survival Kit.Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in 1899, at the tale end of the era when outlaw gangs were running amuck in the Wild West. Rather than taking control of John Marston like in the previous game, you play as Arthur Morgan, another member of Dutch Van der Linde's gang. To refresh your memory about the story of the previous game, you can take a look at our Red Dead Redemption recap or watch the video above. Also be sure to check out our Red Dead Redemption 2 impressions for more information.Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
Any game as big as Red Dead Redemption 2 is probably going to be a system-seller. And if you're in the market for an Xbox One S or Xbox One X, you can save $100 if you buy Red Dead Redemption 2 from GameStop between October 25 and November 3. That's a killer deal for anyone who's looking to buy both of those items anyway. Better yet, you can pick up your copy of the game at GameStop starting at 9 PM local time, three hours earlier than it goes live on digital stores.If you need help choosing between the two console models, you can check out our Xbox One S and Xbox One X reviews to get the full rundown on what features each one includes. We've also done an in-depth comparison of the models. It's worth noting that Red Dead Redemption 2 is an Xbox One X-enhanced game, meaning it runs in 4K and supports HDR when played on an Xbox One X connected to a TV with the corresponding features. (The S also supports HDR, but not native 4K--it's confusing).Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel to the 2010 original. It takes place in 1899 and finds the Van der Linde gang on a crime spree in the Old West. You play as a man named Arthur Morgan this time around, though the previous game's protagonist, John Marston, also makes an appearance. The game comes out October 26 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.You can check out our Red Dead Redemption story recap to get yourself up to speed from a narrative perspective. We've also gone hands-on with the game, so you can see our thoughts on 90 minutes of playtime. And if you're ready to place your pre-order, we have everything you need to know about the pre-order bonuses, as well as what comes in each edition and how much it costs in our Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-order guide. Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
If you've been thinking about upgrading to an Xbox One X, you might want to do it soon. Between now and October 28, GameStop is running a promotion that gets you a sizable bonus on the trade-in value of other current-gen consoles--provided that you put the credit toward the purchase of an Xbox One X.How much trade credit you get depends, of course, on which console you trade in. If you have a PS4 Pro lying around that you're ready to part with, you can get $300 toward an Xbox One X at GameStop. That's $50 more than you'd get for trading it in for regular GameStop credit.In perhaps a more likely scenario, you can get $250 toward an Xbox One X for trading in a Nintendo Switch, PS4 Slim, original PS4, or Xbox One S. An original PS4 normally nets you $150 in trade credit, so that's a nice $100 bonus. And if you're looking to upgrade to an X from an original Xbox One, you'll get $200 credit, which is also $100 more than you'd normally get. Seeing as an Xbox One X costs $500, this trade-in deal lets you get one by parting with just $200 to $300 in cash.The Xbox One X is Microsoft's mid-generation upgrade model that offers a boost in both power and features over the original Xbox One or Xbox One S. It plays all the same games, but it can render many of them natively in 4K, with HDR for more accurate colors, shorter load times, and improved framerates.In our Xbox One X review, Jimmy Thang wrote, "While the Xbox One X is an expensive box, from a hardware standpoint, you're getting a very powerful and capable machine. You'll be hard pressed to build a comparably powerful PC for $500. On top of that, you get a 4K HDR Blu-ray player, which can cost several hundred dollars on its own." For more information, you can check out our comparison of all Xbox One models. Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
A new week means you can find a new set of video game deals at Best Buy, available both in-store and online. This week's sale sees temporary price drops on a handful of PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games, as well as discounts on accessories and $10 rewards for specific purchases and pre-orders. Let's take a look at what deals are available between now and October 27.For PS4 owners, select DualShock 4 controllers are $5 off this week, bringing them down to $60 each. They come in a variety of colors, which is great for anyone looking to expand beyond the traditional black. Pre-order Fallout 76 this week, and you'll get a special steelbook edition, plus access to the beta. The beta begins October 23 on Xbox One and October 30 on PS4 and PC.If you trade in select games between now and December 1, you'll get a $10 coupon toward the purchase of Battlefield V in addition to the game's trade value. That's on top of the $10 reward credit you can get for pre-ordering Battlefield V. Speaking of credit, if you pre-order Just Cause 4, which comes out December 4, you'll also get a $10 reward. And buying Dragon Ball FighterZ for Nintendo Switch gets you a free $10 Best Buy gift card.There aren't that many games on sale this week at Best Buy, but you can same some cash on a few fine titles. Sports fans can grab NHL 19 or NBA 2K19 for $40 each. The open-world shooter Far Cry 5 is on sale for $30, the cheapest we've seen it drop yet on console. And Xbox One owners can pick up Minecraft: Explorer's Pack for $20.You can find more video game discounts at Best Buy right here.Agony -- $30 -- PS4 | Xbox OneFar Cry 5 -- $30 -- PS4 | Xbox OneMinecraft: Explorer's Pack -- $20 -- Xbox OneNBA 2K19 -- $40 -- PS4 | Xbox One | SwitchNHL 19 -- $40 -- PS4 | Xbox OnePayday 2 -- $40 -- SwitchVampyr -- $40 -- PS4 | Xbox OneYoku's Island Express -- $15 -- PS4 | Xbox One | Switch ($20)Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
It seems Sony loves nothing more than springing a surprise sale on PS4 owners. Right now, in addition to the regular weekly PlayStation Store sale, you can save up to 50% on a mountain of mostly spooky games to play during the lead-up to Halloween and beyond. As usual, PS Plus members get an extra discount on top of these deals. It's the Sale of the Dead, and it runs between now and November 2. Let's take a look at what deals are available.If bang for your buck is what you're after, you can pick up BioShock: The Collection for $26. These creepy games tell some of the best and most out-there stories you'll find in any shooter on the market. And if you'd like to spend time trying to avoid death-by-xenoomorph, grab Alien: Isolation for $15.With Devil May Cry 5 scheduled for March 2019, now is a great time to catch up on the series. You can pick up the first three games in Devil May Cry HD Collection for $18 and finish it off with Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition for $10.Some early PS4 games are on sale for deep discounts right now, including The Order: 1886 for $5 and Until Dawn for $6. Both are cinematic horror stories. Speaking of, What Remains of Edith Finch ($20) is basically a playable collection of short stories that all revolve around death. One of them even takes place on Halloween.What connection, exactly, Street Fighter has to horror is unclear; nevertheless, you can pick up Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition on sale for $28. Hitman: Game of the Year Edition might not seem like it has a Halloween connection, but in fact it does: you can grab the Halloween Pack for free right now. The full game is also discounted to $30 right now.We have more selections below, or you can head to the PlayStation Store to see the full list of sale items.Alien: Isolation -- $15 ($9 with PS Plus)Amnesia Collection -- $12 ($9)BioShock: The Collection -- $26 ($20)Bloodborne: Complete Edition -- $16 ($12)Dead Island: Definitive Collection -- $16 ($12)Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package -- $24 ($20)Devil May Cry HD Collection -- $21 ($18)Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition -- $10 ($7.50)Goosebumps: The Game -- $7.50 ($6)Hitman: Game of the Year Edition -- $30 ($24)The Order: 1886 -- $5 ($4)Outlast 2 -- $12 ($9)Resident Evil 4 -- $10 ($8)Resident Evil 7 -- $22.50 ($19.50)Shantae and the Pirate's Curse -- $16 ($14)Soma -- $12 ($9)Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition -- $28 ($24)Until Dawn -- $6 ($5)The Walking Dead Collection -- $35 ($30)What Remains of Edith Finch -- $20 ($12)The Witcher 3: Complete Edition -- $25 ($20)Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
With Halloween nearly upon us, we're seeing spooky events showing up in lots of games this month. Among them is the online shooter Destiny 2, a game that's seen a significant uptick in fresh content since the launch of the Forsaken expansion. The latest update is the Festival of the Lost event, which runs between now and November 6 and introduces lots of new gear and cosmetics. The most sought-after reward in the whole event is a new auto rifle called Horror Story.Horror Story is a fully-Masterworked Legendary auto rifle that comes with Zen Moment and Rampage. It's also locked at 600 Light, which will give a nice Power boost to lower-level players. You can buy Horror Story from Amanda Holliday in the Tower, but to do so you'll need to save up 120 Fragmented Souls, a new currency that was introduced in the Festival of the Lost. And the only way to get Fragmented Souls is to participate in a new PvE event called the Haunted Forest. Here's everything you'll need to do.(If you've already unlocked the Haunted Forest, you can check out these 10 tips for surviving the Haunted Forest as well as a trick for escaping the scary pit at the end of each run.)Unlock the Haunted ForestThe first thing you'll need to do after downloading the latest Destiny 2 update is head to the hangar in the east end of the Tower and talk to Amanda Holliday. She'll give you a Master Rahool mask and assign you a mission to investigate Lost Sectors on Io. Drop in at The Rupture on Io and complete the mission. Once you do, head back to the Tower and talk to Amanda, who will ask you to investigate the Haunted Forest.As luck would have it, you can find the Haunted Forest right on the map of the Tower. Before you launch, equip your mask and apply one of the three mods available for it. Also make sure to equip a favorable loadout before launching, because for some reason your gear is locked for the duration of this quest step.The Haunted Forest is a darker, spookier version of the Infinite Forest, but your goal is simple. All you have to do here is clear out the enemies in each area until the text on the screen reads, "Branch clear 100%." At this point, you'll be teleported to a battle against a Nightmare version of a boss.Defeat it, and you'll be returned to the Tower, where you'll have to talk to Amanda one more time. She'll give you a nice reward for your trouble: the Fighting Lion grenade launcher, along with its catalyst. Now the Haunted Forest is open for business, which means you can begin collecting Fragmented Souls.Get BountiesRegular trips through the Haunted Forest will net you a handful of Fragmented Souls, but collecting the 120 you'll need to buy Horror Story requires a good deal of grinding, so you'll want to maximize your time by getting all the advantages you can.To get additional Souls, you can pick up all of the bounties Amanda Holliday has on offer. She sells five daily bounties that grant you one Soul each, plus one weekly bounty that gets you 40 Souls. To complete the weekly one you'll need to do 15 Festival bounties, which is worthwhile, considering the weekly bounty gets you a third of the Souls you'll need to buy the weapon.Grind the Haunted ForestOnce you have the bounties, it's time to head back to the Haunted Forest. You have two options for entering it: Haunted Forest and Firewalled Haunted Forest. The only difference is that Haunted Forest has matchmaking, while the Firewalled one does not. To maximize your Souls you'll need a team of three players, so make sure to launch into the standard Haunted Forest option unless you're already in a three-person Fireteam.Each Haunted Forest run is similar to the one you did to unlock the area, except you and your partners have 15 minutes to clear as many branches as possible. When the timer runs out, you'll be able to finish the branch you're currently on, unless your team wipes. When it's over, you'll be transported near a loot chest that contains the Fragmented Souls you've earned. Don't worry if you fail to collect the Souls for whatever reason--they'll be waiting at the Postmaster.As you collect Fragmented Souls, you might be tempted to spend them on masks and other items Holliday is selling, but you'll probably want to wait until you get your hands on Horror Show before buying up the rest of her inventory. In any case, just make sure you save up 120 Souls before the Festival of the Lost goes away on November 6.Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
So you've finished your Daredevil binge. You've sat through 13 episodes and come out the other side feeling hopefully a little victorious, and probably a little confused. Don't panic. We're here to break down exactly what was going on in that final scene for you, and to explain just what it means in the increasingly uncertain future of the Netflix Marvel Universe.Needless to say: spoilers abound after this, so please read with care if you haven't finished this season!As a result of his final confrontation with both Daredevil and Kingpin, Dex winds up paralyzed--specifically after Fisk breaks his spine over a wall corner, a move that Dex should probably be thankful didn't just full on kill him. Instead, he's left mumbling that he can't move as the NYPD storms onto the scene. That very well could have been the end of things for poor Benjamin Poindexter--but it wasn't.After Fisk is put away and Matt, Foggy, and Karen begin regrouping, we're treated to a scene of Dex laying face down on an operating table with his entire back slit open right down the middle. A team of doctors are working on his spine, speaking to one another about the risks of such an experimental procedure, and its less-than-optimistic odds of success. If that wasn't weird enough, just before the final credits roll, we see Dex's eyes are open, his pupils haloed with an irridescent bullseye shape.The target symbol is the easy part. Like Fisk before this season, no one ever called Dex by any codename or call sign--the name "Bullseye" was never uttered in Daredevil Season 3, despite the obvious trajectory of the character. Dex may have completed his arc and wound up a full-on criminal by the end of the season, but his time as a costumed supervillain is presumably still to come (that is, if Daredevil doesn't get canceled like Luke Cage and Iron Fist). Whether he's going to assign the name to himself or get it from somewhere else like Fisk's FBI agents naming him "Kingpin" in secret is still up for debate, but definitely something to keep an eye out for.But what, exactly, is up with the surgery?To really understand what's happening, you'll need to know a little bit about Bullseye's comic book history. After a particularly nasty encounter with Daredevil that ended with Matt literally throwing him off of a telephone wire from several stories up, Bullseye was paralyzed and hospitalized. But things didn't end there. Rather than let things go, Matt repeatedly broke into Bullseye's hospital room and tortured him with a rigged game of Russian Roulette using a gun that was secretly unloaded, just to terrify and humiliate Bullseye as much as possible.Of course, that cruelty comes back to haunt Matt in the end, after Bullseye is sprung from his hospital cell by a mysterious man named Lord Dark Wind, the scientist who invented the adamantium-based procedures that created heroes and villains like Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike. Dark Wind promises Bullseye his mobility if he undergoes the same procedure, lacing his bones with adamantium in exchange for becoming Dark Wind's personal assassin.The procedure actually goes according to plan, but Bullseye promptly betrays Dark Wind and returns to Hell's Kitchen to work with Kingpin instead, complete with his new adamantium bones. They don't help too much, however, and Daredevil is able to best him again and again. Bullseye retained his mobility for years, until he was killed and resurrected by The Hand in a botched ceremony that left him alive but completely paralyzed and confined to an iron lung. His second round with paralysis didn't completely stop Bullseye's quest to destroy Daredevil, however, and he spent his time confined in his own body engineering schemes where other people would end up doing his dirty work for him.So, where does that leave Dex in the show? Well, Lord Dark Wind may not literally be in play for the Netflix MCU, but we do hear the name "Dr. Oyama" used during Dex's surgery, a reference to the name Kenji Oyama, Dark Wind's civilian alter ego. Additionally, the word "adamantium" is never used (probably something to do with the rights, considering it's X-Men connotations) but the doctors do say that they're repairing Dex's spine with "cognium steel," another, less known imaginary metal from the Marvel universe.One thing that's simply unclear is how Dex got to this operating table in the first place. We never actually see him transported from the scene, so we don't know if he was arrested or convicted of the murders he committed while in the Daredevil suit, or if he was just sent directly to a hospital. We also don't know whether or not Dr. Oyama reached out to Dex or if Dex reached out to him. There are a lot of variables left up in the air that could potentially inform the way a hypothetical fourth season pans out.It's important to note that even with the adamantium enhancements, the comics incarnation of Bullseye doesn't actually have any superpowers beyond his uncanny marksmanship, so even if Dex's experimental surgery is a success, he probably won't become all that different than he was. If anything, he'll just get much harder to hurt. But that definitely keeps with the Netflix MCU's efforts to remain as "grounded" as possible while dealing with the most supernatural elements of superheroics. And Dex certainly does have a deep enough personal grudge against both Daredevil and Fisk to really push him over the edge once he's back on his feet.That, or it could be a complete failure and the next time we see Dex he could be encased in a tomb-like iron lung. Somehow, for a character like Bullseye, that seems just as terrifying.Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
Every month, Netflix releases an enormous amount of content to its subscribers, and it can be a daunting task to figure out what to watch every week. It's the end of October now, and the streaming giant has plenty of original movies and series for you to check out.On Tuesday, October 23, Adam Sandler returns to his roots with 100% Fresh. The title obviously takes aims at his ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, as critics haven't been incredibly kind to his film work, but the special itself veers away from addressing that, for the most part. 100% Fresh mixes jokes and songs that will remind fans of his classic 1996 HBO special What The Hell Happened To Me?Netflix is doubling-down on horror series on Friday, October 26 with the second season of Castlevania. In our review of Castlevania, GameSpot's Mike Rougeau said "With eight episodes instead of just four, there was hope that Castlevania Season 2 would feel like more of a complete thing. Instead, it feels more like Season 1 was the first act, and this is simply a continuation, and the extra room has been spent developing new characters while the old ones tread water."Also coming Friday is Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, a darker take on the character than fans may be accustomed to. In our review, Chris Hayner said, "It's hard to find something to dislike about Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. There's a moment or two that might seem like the show is trying too hard to channel the teen angst and melodrama of Riverdale, but given they come from the same creative force, that's not surprising. And if you're going into it expecting incredibly cinematic visuals, you might be disappointed, as the inspiration for the show's looks is clearly older horror films."For a full look at what's coming to Netflix this week, take a look at the list below.Available October 21Robozuna-- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvailable October 23ADAM SANDLER 100% FRESH-- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvailable October 24Bodyguard-- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvailable October 25Great News: Season 2Available October 26Been So Long-- NETFLIX FILMCastlevania: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINALChilling Adventures of Sabrina-- NETFLIX ORIGINALDovlatov-- NETFLIX FILMJefe-- NETFLIX FILMShirkers-- NETFLIX ORIGINALTerrorism Close Calls-- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvailable October 27Girl from Nowhere-- NETFLIX ORIGINALInfo from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
Hello Games has announced the next titled update to come out for No Man's Sky. It's called The Abyss, and, according to Hello Games founder Sean Murray, it "focuses on some of the eerier elements of No Man's Sky."In a blog post, Murray revealed that while "most of the team have been busy on weekly updates, a handful have been working on [The Abyss]." Like Next, the major titled update that released before it, The Abyss will be free for all No Man's Sky players. Murray reveals the update is releasing "next week" but didn't confirm a specific day or time. Considering the expansion's name and spooky theme, it's probable The Abyss will release prior to Halloween, or the day of.Hello Games hasn't yet revealed the contents of The Abyss either, although it sounds as if the update won't be as large as Next. Next was No Man's Sky's largest update to date, implementing several huge changes, such as dangerous Xenomorph-like aliens, space pirates, fleet building, a true multiplayer experience, and more. Next also changed No Man's Sky economy, transforming how you use certain materials and changing the value of certain elements. Building a reliable income in No Man's Sky has been a bit harder since the launch of Next, but there are plenty of strategies for making money fast.In our No Man's Sky Next review, Justin Clark gave the update an 8/10, writing, "At its absolute best, No Man's Sky is a measured, gentle experience where you are rarely the agent of change, but a perpetual visitor who's constantly dwarfed by the magnitude of a universe neutral to your presence. It is not your job in these stories to colonize the universe. Your job is to comprehend it. Your job is to recognize the spirituality in it. The primary gimmick of No Man's Sky, since day one, has been awe. The best things about the Next update feed that gimmick. While features like multiplayer and base-building certainly put more proverbial asses in seats, they're also the least memorable additions to an otherwise thoughtful experience."No Man's Sky is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
EA has announced that four of the voice actors from Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series will be reprising their roles in Battlefront 2. Each of the four Hero characters will be rolling out separately over the next several months, starting this October.In a blog post on Battlefront 2's website, EA DICE editorial writer Daniel Steinholtz revealed Matthew Wood, James Arnold Taylor, Corey Burton, and Matt Lanter will return to voice General Grievous, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku, and Anakin Skywalker respectfully. Grievous comes to Battlefront 2 on October 30, while the remaining three Hero characters don't have exact release dates. As of right now, Obi-Wan is scheduled for November 2018, Dooku for January 2019, and Anakin for February 2019.EA recently revealed its process for how new Star Wars Hero characters are chosen for Battlefront 2. For the developer, every "hero must counter a villain, and vice versa" so after deciding to add Obi-Wan and Anakin to the game, Grievous and Dooku--villains that share a "natural rivalry" with the two Jedi--were also chosen.Grievous, Obi-Wan, Dooku, and Anakin are part of a Clone Wars DLC road map scheduled for Battlefront 2. The updates started in August, first focusing on adding a wider variety of cosmetic appearances for the Republic Army, such as Yoda's 41st Elite Corps and Windu's 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps. A Prequel Era playlist was also added to the game, which limits multiplayer matches to Galactic Assault on Clone Wars era maps. More multiplayer locations, like Geonosis, are scheduled for future updates.Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The Clone Wars animated series, once believed to be cancelled for good, is returning with a seventh season that sees Anakin and Obi-Wan once again teaming up with Ahsoka Tano to aid in the Siege of Mandalore.Info from Gamespot.com
2018-10-24
In Update 2.0.4, the most recent patch for Destiny 2, data miners discovered evidence that Thunderlord, an Exotic machine gun from the original Destiny, could be returning. Not only that, but players might be adventuring to the Cosmodrome, the opening area of the first game, to earn the weapon.According to Polygon, the data miners have discovered Feeding Frenzy, one of Thunderlord's original perks, in Destiny 2's database. The perk isn't currently attached to any weapon in the game, which matches up with an earlier pattern established by Destiny 2's Whisper of the Worm, an Exotic sniper rifle. Whisper of the Worm is a renamed variation of Destiny's Black Spindle, a gun with an original perk called White Nail. The White Nail perk appeared in the data of Destiny 2's Warmind expansion prior to Whisper of the Worm being added to the game.The data miners also found audio files that suggest a future Destiny 2 update might send players back to the Cosmodrome, further hinting Thunderlord is on its way to Destiny 2. Thunderlord is the first Destiny Exotic weapon ever revealed to the world, shown off during Destiny's E3 2013 gameplay reveal demo. When Destiny launched, the mission was tweaked so that players wouldn't earn such a powerful weapon right at the game's start. However, these data mine leaks could be hinting that Destiny 2 will allow us to replay that mission as it happened back in 2013, and we'll earn Thunderlord just like the Guardians did in that first demo.Bungie has not revealed whether or not any of this is true, although some players believe that if the Cosmodrome mission and Thunderlord weapon are coming to Destiny 2, it will be a part of the Festival of the Lost, a limited-time Halloween-themed event currently going on right now. As part of the event, on October 30, you'll have access to a new quest line where you can track down Master Ives' killers. Bungie has remained rather coy on what these quests are, simply stating in a blog post that there will be "powerful" rewards.Destiny 2 is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Festival of the Lost continues until November 6 at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST / 6 PM BST.Info from Gamespot.com