Marvel's Avengers has had a tough launch. The game has endeared itself to players with a strong story and a pretty fun post-campaign live game component--even though the two parts didn't really feel in sync--but it's been plagued with bugs since its release. With a new update, developer Crystal Dynamics is hoping to clear out the infestation, claiming to address more than 1,000 issues.As Crystal Dynamics notes on the Avengers website, Update 1.3.0 is the first big patch since Avengers' launch, built in response to bug reports it has received from players on Reddit and elsewhere. The focus is mostly on bugs at this point, with quality-of-life changes coming down the line in later updates. For the time being, though, there are a lot of bugs to patch, ranging from weird graphical issues to major problems.Avengers' biggest trouble up to now has been instability resulting in crashes. During my time reviewing the game on PC, I found crashing to be a major issue in the days after the game's full launch. PC players in particular have been complaining about that issue, but it's affected the console versions of the game as well. Crystal Dynamics mentions dealing with PC crashes in Update 1.3.0's notes; Nvidia also has released new graphics card drivers that should hopefully help the issue.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

We're about to enter what is likely the strangest transition to next-gen consoles we've ever seen. After months of fragmented online speculation in times of COVID-19, we finally have an idea of what to expect from the release of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S and their respective launch lineups. On the surface, the consoles have all the traditional trappings of new video game hardware--faster performance, more detailed graphics, and bigger, better games. Sony and Microsoft have maintained the forward-thinking approach that encapsulates the promise of next-gen. However, what is different about the upcoming launch of both consoles is that Sony and Microsoft are actively reframing the expectations for the new hardware's launch window, for the better.What strikes me as refreshing, and a lot less stressful, about this upcoming generation is that I know that we'll have plenty of games to play due to continued access to my existing games from the current and past generations. Historically, new consoles have been something of a reboot for existing fans, while also being a fresh start for newcomers. Once we enter the next-gen, it's essentially a new era with dedicated games, a new infrastructure, and an assortment of features and innovations that put each console several leaps ahead of its predecessors. This change is to be expected with new hardware, and because of this ensuing gap, I tend to keep my older consoles close in case I want to play some games that aren't accessible on the new hardware.This divide can often be the decider when looking forward to the consoles, and it's especially noticeable in the early period of new hardware. Truth be told, when I first bought my PS4, I had some regrets about my purchase. In the months immediately following its launch, the only games I had sunk any time into were Infamous: Second Son and Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. So far, based on the messaging from both Sony and Microsoft, the launch of the new hardware seems to be addressing this rut that can often come from adopting new hardware early. Instead of anticipating the usual angst and uneasiness of having a new console with not much to play at launch, I see myself more enthused about buying a new console earlier than I expected.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A new Mega-Evolved Pokemon is now available in Pokemon Go. As a reward for collectively completing two million Mega Raid Battles during the first week of the Mega September event, Mega Pidgeot has begun appearing in the game as a Mega Raid boss.With Mega Pidgeot's arrival, you can now Mega Evolve your own Pidgeot once you collect enough Pidgeot Mega Energy. You'll earn this energy for defeating Mega Pidgeot in Raids. You'll need to amass 100 energy to Mega Evolve your Pidgeot for the first time, but subsequent transformations will take less energy. Niantic also says it is tweaking Mega Evolutions to give players more ways to earn Mega Energy outside of Mega Raids.Mega Pidgeot Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Despite what the box and blurbs might tell you, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim isn't really a game about piloting giant robots. I mean, sure, you do fight off massive swarms of building-sized creatures hellbent on total destruction in an alternate-universe 1980s Japan at some points. But these seemingly model-kit-ready metal combat suits are just a plot device, a cog in the story. In actuality, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a character drama: a twisting, turning sci-fi epic jumping through time and dimensions as it follows the lives of its numerous teen protagonists. Missiles, Gatling guns, and armor-crushing metal fistcuffs are merely a side event to the everyday drama of highschoolers who find themselves unwilling pawns in a bigger game with the fate of the world at stake. And you know what? That's great. Once the narrative of 13 Sentinels sinks its hooks into you, you want nothing more than to go along for the ride up until the very climax.13 Sentinels is a unique, genre-mixing experiment. It takes elements of point-and-click adventure games, visual novels, real-time strategy games, and tower defense games, mixing them together to create an experience that's quite unlike anything else out there. Things get rolling when young Japanese highschooler Juro Kurabe is called upon to fight a horde of alien invaders in 1985, only for the story to flash back to earlier that year, then over to young soldiers in 1945 wartime-era Japan, then to two schoolgirls witnessing a crisis in the year 2025. You immediately meet a huge cast of characters across different eras, learning that there is one constant: the existence of Sentinels, massive human-piloted robot weapons who exist to protect the world from otherworldly monsters.The game is split into three parts: a Remembrance mode where you uncover the story piece by piece, a Destruction mode where you use giant Sentinel mechs to protect the city from invasion, and an Analysis mode that collects all of the information and story scenes you have discovered through gameplay. Remembrance is presented as an episodic series where you explore and interact with various environments and characters to advance the plot. Destruction, in contrast, is an overhead-view strategy segment where you use the Sentinels to defend a critical underground access point from invading forces.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The first time I beat the final boss in Hades, I felt an enormous sense of relief. I'd been fighting to see this ending for hours (months, technically, if you count my time in early access), and in roguelikes, it feels better than usual to see an ending. But while I was definitely a little too proud of putting together a set of abilities and perks that shredded the boss after they wrecked me just a few tries ago, that wasn't why I felt tears welling up. I'd gotten so caught up in the story of my character, Zagreus, and the heroes, villains, and gods that had helped him get here that I was elated to have finally gotten him to the end of his journey. What sets Hades apart isn't just that it's a great roguelike with the kind of repeatable depth that makes it engrossing to play for hours, but also how it uses its structure to tell an ongoing story about family, secrets, and resolution.That Hades' narrative is so entwined with its combat is nothing new for the developers at Supergiant Games, who've established themselves as masters of putting your actions in sync with the stories they tell. In a roguelike such as Hades, it means playing as Zagreus, a god of rebirth. Tired of living under his father Hades' thumb and seeking answers about where he comes from, he sets out to escape to the world of the living, battling various undead monsters, living creatures, and mythological figures on his way out.Hades captured on Nintendo SwitchYour godliness justifies the endless runs through the depths of the underworld, since dying and coming back to life is par for the course in Greek myth. One of the best parts of Hades, in fact, is returning to the House of Hades time and again after you die. It's not just a pit stop on the way to the next run--it's the centerpiece Hades hinges on. There, figures such as Achilles, Hypnos, and Nyx console you after your deaths, praise you for making progress, and confide in you about one another. You chat with them, undertake side quests, and exchange gifts to deepen your relationships. Eventually, they become vital allies on your quest, even if they're not in the thick of combat with you.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

It's a great time to be a fan of platformers, thanks to Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Spelunky 2 both launching this week. It's also a really action-packed week, with Crysis Remastered and WWE 2K Battlegrounds on the horizon, too. If you prefer to play something at a slower pace, you can also check out narrative adventure game Welcome to Elk. Here are some of the hottest games launching this week.Spelunky 2 -- September 15Available on: PS4The long-anticipated roguelike sequel has arrived. Spelunky 2 has you take control of new characters exploring randomly generated levels on the moon, which is full of new enemies to beat, traps to dodge, and treasures to collect. There's a base camp where the explorers can hang out between runs, too. This week's launch is for PS4 players only: PC gamers will have to wait until the 29th for the Steam version.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Song Exploder, the long-running popular podcast where musicians take apart their songs and tell the story of how they were made, is coming to Netflix as a TV series October 2. Based on a new trailer and the release accompanying it, the show's premise is based upon the podcast, which originally debuted in 2014."As a teenager, I used to sit in my room and listen to music while poring over the lyrics and liner notes and artwork until I could almost feel myself living in the world of an artist," says Hrishikesh Hirway, who created the podcast. "It was the most incredible feeling, and with Song Exploder, I wanted to take that feeling and go even further. It's been so exciting to turn it into a television show, because it's provided a chance to immerse yourself--and the ideas behind the music--in a deeper way than I ever imagined." Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

During Nintendo's Nintendo's Mini Direct showcase today where information about upcoming third-party titles was detailed, Nintendo revealed that Square Enix's Balan Wonderland launches on March 26, 2021 for Nintendo Switch, as well as PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.Developed by The Balan Company, a new action-game brand under the Square Enix umbrella, Balan Wonderland is a 3D platformer where you play as Emma and Leo, two friends who get transported to the fantastical world of Wonderland. Using abilities by donning costumes a la The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask or Super Mario Odyssey, the two team up to escape the mysterious world.Each costume grants you access to a different kind of power. The Pumpkin Puncher, a Halloween-themed outfit, propels the fists to destroy giant blocks. Others, such as the Soaring Sheep outfit--which literally dresses you as an adorable sheep-person--lets you ride wind turbines to reach higher locations. There are over 80 costumes to find and collect, all of which help you collect hidden statues to progress to different stages. Balan Company also features bosses and local cooperative play. You can check out the official release date announcement trailer below.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most in-person conventions have been canceled. However, throughout 2020, we've seen a few successful virtual ones pop up in their place like FunimationCon, Comic-Con@Home, and two days of DC FanDome. New York Comic-Con will join the online convention trend with its event taking place October 8-11. In early September, NYCC revealed the first group of panels for the show, which included panels featuring Walking Dead, What We Do In The Shadows, and more. Now, a wave two of panels have been announced.The next round of announcements features a few Netflix shows, some anime, and Locke & Key comics panels. Even though the new Netflix series debuts on September 18, there will be a Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous panel featuring Colin Trevorrow and Scott Kreamer along with other writers of the show. There is a chance we could get possible tidbits about the next Jurassic World film as well.If you're into anime, there is a VIZ and Powerhouse animation panel about Seis Manos, which is available on Netflix. The panel will feature the creators and voice actors of the show and they reveal behind-the scenes secrets.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Wednesday's PlayStation event was not the first place to tease God of War's upcoming Ragnarok-themed sequel, it turns out. Sony teased a new game yesterday in the bloody franchise with the key words "Ragnarok is coming" during the PS5 event yesterday, but the God of War's creative director put out a hint in 2019 on Twitter."Reminiscing about how crazy the last 6 yrs has been so I thought I would create a GOW BTS THREAD of photos + thoughts," Barlog wrote in a Twitter thread. The first letter of every tweet spells out "Ragnarok is coming" and no one had any idea.Reminiscing about how crazy the last 6 yrs has been so I thought I would create a GOW BTS THREAD of photos + thoughts. Buckle up, gonna’ be long.😁It all started out as scribbles and notes on a board and a stack of note cards. Big board image is an early breakdown of the story. pic.twitter.com/a1iZB0SllK — Cory Barlog 🖖 (@corybarlog) April 21, 2019The thread goes over all sorts of things from God of War's production, including pre-production, press trips, and combat training. Barlog had made other changes to his Twitter profile, like changing his profile picture to a picture of grey ice, in order to tease the reveal yesterday.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

This week on Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot's professional wrestling podcast, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring are talking toys with a true professional, and digging deep into one of professional wrestling's most legendary unsolved mysteries. That's right, after talking about it endlessly in multiple episodes, we're going to dig deep into GTV.It's one of the greatest unanswered questions in WWE history. Who was behind the notorious GTV hidden camera segments that WWE aired during the Attitude Era? While most people assume it was Goldust, the real answer is a lot more complicated than simply that--and Mat and Chris have their own ideas about who's really responsible for the segments that have almost no basis in reality.Then, we welcome Impact Wrestling's Brian Myers to the podcast. You might know him as former WWE superstar Curt Hawkins, or even as the self-proclaimed Scottie Pippen of wrestling action figure collecting. Myers joins Mat and Chris to talk about his new wrestling home in Impact, the wild world of collecting wrestling toys, the fantasy wrestling federation he's booking with action figures, and so much more.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The next game in the Little Big Planet series arrives as a PlayStation 5 launch title on November 12. Sackboy: A Big Adventure, which trades side-scrolling for 3D platforming, will also release on PS4 on the same day. Though it's not Little Big Planet 4, Sackboy does appear to be the closest to a mainline entry we've seen of the numerous spin-offs. As of now, only the PS5 version is available to preorder and no preorder bonuses have been announced.For those who don't plan on getting the PS5 at launch, you should know that the PS4 version has a free upgrade to the PS5 edition. The only exception to the free upgrade offer is if you purchase a physical PS4 edition of Sackboy and the PS5 Digital Edition. Preorder Sackboy: A Big Adventure $60 Sackboy: A Big Adventure PS5 preorders are live now at multiple retailers for $60. See at Amazon See at Best Buy Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

PlayStation 5 preorders went live earlier than expected, and many eager gamers are running into difficulties getting one from various retailers, including Walmart. The company, which previously said PS5 preorders would be available in its stores on September 22, has now changed these plans.Though online preorders at the retailer started yesterday, the new way for gamers to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 in time for its November 12 launch date from Walmart is to wait until the console drops on November 12. Previously, Walmart planned to take PS5 preorders, with people able to choose between the Digital and Standard editions. Now, Walmart's site states the PlayStation 5 is "coming soon," with no option to preorder available.This change was likely put in place to follow CDC guidelines on maintaining social distance during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as to keep steady control over in-store traffic.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Harry Potter fans may be relieved to find out that according to WB games--parent company of Hogwarts Legacy developers Avalanche and Portkey Games--series author J.K. Rowling did not have a direct role in creating the new game.In its FAQ, WB stated, "J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game, however, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World." It goes on to note that Hogwarts Legacy "is not a new story from J.K. Rowling."Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world RPG set in 1800's Hogwarts, before both the Fantastic Beasts films and the original series. Fans have been waiting a long time for a AAA Harry Potter game, but the announcement may have come too late.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

As previously revealed for the Xbox Series X, Microsoft has shown off the Quick Resume feature for the company's Series S as well in a new trailer.The feature lets you seamlessly switch between multiple games without exorbitant loading screens or startup times. With Quick Resume, you can play one game, pause that one to pick up your progress in a completely different game, and repeat without any hiccups. The trailer, embedded below, shows someone switching between Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Minecraft Dungeons, Skate 3, Black, and back to Jedi Fallen Order with only a few seconds of delay between each swap.The trailer is reminiscent of the Xbox Series X Quick Resume demo that dropped in March 2020. That video showed someone swapping between State of Decay 2, Forza Motorsport 7, Ori and the Blind Forest, The Cave, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, and back to State of Decay 2 with no issues.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com