Surveillance is out of control, technology is numbing the minds of the masses, and the government (or corporations, or some combination thereof) has become fascist and corrupt, stripping freedoms and assassinating dissidents in the name of security. That familiar premise has been utilized again and again in works ranging from 1984 to Westworld, and it's also the state of the world in Liberated, a cyberpunk-ish side-scrolling action game that's as much comic book as video game. The tech dystopia is well-worn territory in movies, books, comics, and video games, and Liberated offers little that hasn't been done better elsewhere.Liberated's story is pretty much a carbon copy of its more interesting inspirations. The same is true with its frustrating side-scroller gameplay, which is both overly simplistic and often frustrating. It's unfortunate that the playable parts and the story that are meant to drive the game can't match up to its gorgeous, comics-inspired art style--paging through all those great-looking panels will make you wonder if Liberated wouldn't have made a pretty good comic, instead of a lackluster game.To be fair, Liberated's story is mostly a comic book. The game is presented as though you're reading through four volumes of a graphic novel of the same name. As you pass over panel after panel, you'll occasionally pause on one that becomes a playable side-scrolling level, where you're generally tasked with shooting a lot of enemies, or hiding from them and breaking their necks as they pass by.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In my original review of The Outer Worlds, one of my takeaways was that it had strong worldbuilding which was enhanced by its audiovisual direction. That was based on dozens of hours with the PC version of the game. The game now has a port on Nintendo Switch, and being able to play a title as expansive as The Outer Worlds on the system is impressive. But naturally, the big compromise that it makes in order to run on the relatively less powerful console is in the visual splendour of its world.As I've come to expect in Switch ports of graphically-intensive games, the concessions most noticeably come in the form of a very low level of detail, significantly reduced environmental objects, and the absence of many ambient and post-processing visual effects, among other things. The result is a fuzzy, watercolour-like image of a barren world, and you certainly lose a lot of the awe that comes with seeing the game's large, lush open areas and intricately detailed cities. But more importantly, the low visual fidelity makes it more difficult to spot enemy characters--especially at mid-to-long-range, and especially using the Switch's handheld mode; they tend to blend together, often sharing the same muted colour palettes. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Though it's not nearly as crucial as hand sanitizer, tissues, toilet paper, and other household goods, the Nintendo Switch console is seeing a major national shortage right now, as major retailers respond to increased demand for online goods due to the coronavirus outbreak. The $300 console is seeing increased demand as more people find themselves stuck indoors and looking for a good way to play some video games. The Nintendo Switch very briefly came into stock at Best Buy this afternoon, but it sold out as quickly as it appeared. However, GameStop just reposted some of its Neon Red and Blue Switch game bundles, available for $445 each. They come with the console, a Pro controller, a first-party Switch game, and tempered glass screen protector. $445 happens to be the exact value of each bundle, but it's obviously not ideal that you're being forced to buy a certain game and accessories. That said, these bundles always manage to sell out regardless.Nintendo Switch Breath of the Wild bundle -- $445Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle -- $445Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate bundle -- $445According to Nintendo, more regular Switch consoles will be restocked soon. "Nintendo Switch hardware is selling out at various retail locations in the US, but more systems are on the way. We apologize for any inconvenience," Nintendo told GameSpot in an email statement.It's rare to find the regular Nintendo Switch in stock right now, but we've seen it come back into stock on occasion. However, online restocks usually sell out within a minute or less. Some places, like GameStop and Best Buy, let you check availability at your local store, and if you can find it in stock, they may do curbside pickup so you don't even have to go inside. You can check the current listings and availability below. We check for availability frequently and update this story anytime we spot the Switch in stock.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

With GDC 2020 postponed and E3 2020 canceled, both Microsoft and Sony have had to share additional details about their respective next-gen consoles on their own terms, revealing insight into the hardware specs, games, and features that players can come to expect in the next generation. If you haven't been keeping up, Sony's next-gen console is called PlayStation 5, or PS5 for short (surprising literally no one). Microsoft's Project Scarlett has been officially unveiled to be the Xbox Series X--check out our exclusive coverage of the new console in an interview with Xbox boss Phil Spencer, including insight into why it's named Series X.In the following article, we dive into the differences and similarities between Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. We still don't have all the details (Sony has yet to officially reveal what its console looks like, for example), but we have enough to make some preliminary comparisons. Both Xbox Series X and PS5 are currently slated to release within the same window: the holiday season in 2020. So unless you're prepared to drop the cash for both, consider using this article to help you figure out which next-gen console is the one you want.Table of Contents [hide]SpecificationsSpecificationsWe don't have all the necessary specs to make a complete comparison between the two consoles, but both Microsoft and Sony have revealed a majority of the details that we need to begin contrasting the two. It remains to be seen how those numbers translate--we'll need hands on time with both consoles to see how they actually play games, handle loading times, and utilize storage.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Starting on June 24, owners of Roku devices manufactured in 2012 or older will no longer be able to use Hulu, the company said in a recent update to its support page.The affected devices include Roku Streaming Player models 2400 to 3100 and Roku Streaming Stick model 3420 or earlier. You can head to the About menu under Settings on your Roku device to learn which model you have.These Roku devices were previously able to use the Classic Hulu app, which restricted access to certain Hulu content, such as live TV and premium add-ons (like the newly released HBO Max).Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Sword and Shield introduce a variety of new features to their series, but one of the most exciting is Max Raids. Much like in Pokemon Go, you can team up with three other trainers (either locally or online) and take on supersized Dynamax Pokemon together in cooperative battles.The Pokemon you encounter in these Max Raids are special in a few different ways. First, there's a chance the monster will have its Hidden Ability. Regular wild Pokemon you come across in Sword and Shield will never have these, making Max Raids the only way to obtain Hidden Abilities in the games (outside of breeding, and in that case one of the parents would need to have the Hidden Ability in order to pass it down).Depending on the level of the Raid, the Pokemon will have a couple of perfect IVs (base stats) as well, making them useful for breeding if you're trying to put together a competitive team. You'll also receive an assortment of rewards for clearing Max Raids, including Exp. Candy and TRs, which can otherwise only be purchased with Watts (and are quite costly). Finally, Max Raids are the only way to encounter Gigantamax Pokemon; unlike standard monsters, these Pokemon take on a different appearance when they Dynamax and all have a unique G-Max move.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The "Star Wars: Battlefront III" listing spotted on SteamDB has been confirmed to be fake. Originally spotted by Gematsu on Twitter, the listing on SteamDB (which is not affiliated with Steam) appeared to show a remastered version of a sequel to the original Battlefront games that never released.The page was quickly updated with a message from SteamDB staff stating that the listing is "fake and not official." The page also used the box art from Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron, released for the PSP and DS. The page has been updated to "Unity App Student Project" and the EULA on Steam simply reads, "Some EULA stuff goes here, I don't care to fill it out."EULA here: https://t.co/Te83iybAb3Artwork is the same as the box art of Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron (PSP / DS game)SteamDB (not affiliated with Valve) updated with staff comment saying: "This is fake and not official." pic.twitter.com/yWWMmy8RP6 — Gematsu (@gematsucom) June 3, 2020 Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's Storm the Agency challenges are now live alongside the game's 12.61 update, giving you a few more tasks to complete before the Doomsday event occurs and ushers in Season 3 of the battle royale shooter. One of the trickier challenges from the bunch asks you to open a faction locked chest at three different spy bases. If you're having trouble tracking those down, this guide will explain where the spy bases are and how to complete the challenge.Where Are The Spy Base Locations?Much like the safe houses you need to visit for a separate Storm the Agency challenge, spy bases have been a fixture of the map since the start of Season 2. These are a bit more overt than the safe houses, however; while those are disguised to look like regular buildings, the spy bases are all named locations, so they're much easier to track down. We've marked down where a few of the chests at these bases are located below:The GrottoContinue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's 12.61 update has arrived, and it's brought one more set of challenges to complete before the upcoming Doomsday event closes out Season 2 and Season 3 of the game officially begins. The Storm the Agency challenges are now live, and one of the missions asks you to eliminate henchmen at different safe houses. If you're having trouble tracking them down, this guide will show you where the safe house are located and how to complete the challenge.Where Are The Shadow Safe House Locations?Shadow's safe houses have been a fixture of the map since Season 2 began, but they're tricky to find because of their inconspicuous appearance. The safe houses are all disguised to look like normal buildings from the outside, but there are some telltale signs that give them away. You'll know for sure when you stumble upon one as they're swarming with AI henchmen, so you'll need to be cautious when approaching them. We've marked down the safe house locations on the map below:Shadow safe houses mapPleasant ParkEast of Craggy CliffsSouth of Sweaty SandsMiddle of the island east of Frenzy FarmOn the small island north of Misty MeadowsHow To Complete The ChallengeThe trickiest part of this challenge is actually tracking down the safe houses, so once you know where those are located, all you need to do to complete the mission is head to them and eliminate henchmen. You need to eliminate a henchman at three different safe houses in total to finish the challenge, so you can't return to the same one across multiple matches, but you shouldn't have much difficulty regardless.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Aside from monthly free games and online multiplayer access, PlayStation Plus members look forward to exclusive discounts on games in the PlayStation Store, and the latest PS Plus-exclusive sale is live now with steep discounts on PS4 titles. The Double Discounts sale is back with twice the savings on select games for those who have an active PS Plus subscription, and you have until June 10 to take advantage of the deals.The latest Double Discounts sale isn't huge, but there are still notable deals worth taking advantage of. Several Assassin's Creed games are up for grabs, including Assassin's Creed III Remastered for $16 and Assassin's Creed Origins' Gold Edition, which gets you the season pass and Deluxe Pack with in-game items, for just $20. The Assassin's Creed Triple Pack is also discounted to $21.59 and combines Black Flag, Unity, and Syndicate in one package.Return to Arkham City and experience two critically acclaimed Batman adventures in the Batman: Return to Arkham bundle, which includes remastered versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City with updated visuals and all previously released DLC. The Return to Arkham bundle is on sale for $10 as part of the sale. Meanwhile, you can get the latest game in the series, Arkham Knight: Premium Edition, for a discounted $10 as well.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The PlayStation Store kicked off a new sale exclusive to PS Plus subscribers last week. The familiar Double Discounts sale features steep discounts on a wide variety of great PS4 games, but if you aren't a subscriber, there's another new sale that went live at the same time. The Games Under $20 Sale is back once again, and if that sounds like déjà vu, that's because a similar sale ran in early May. The new Games Under $20 deals feature a fresh lineup of games, so it's certainly worth taking a look before it ends on June 11.The latest Games Under $20 Sale has a fair number of AAA games from Ubisoft. Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Deluxe edition is down to $20, while Assassin's Creed Origin's Deluxe edition drops to just $14. Far Cry Primal's Digital Apex edition is discounted to $11.54, a great price for one of the more interesting games in the long-running first-person shooter series. Watch Dogs 2's Gold edition, which includes the season pass, is discounted to $18.More PS4 deals Persona 5 Royal $49.94 at Amazon PlayStation Plus $37 at Ebay Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Xbox Live is suffering from issues today, June 4, effectively preventing users from accessing the service on Xbox One and Windows 10. Microsoft has confirmed the problems and is looking into them, but there is no ETA for when servers will be back online. [Update: Microsoft reports that players are beginning to sign in without issue, so it appears the problems have been fixed for now.]We've heard back that users should once again be able to sign-in. Thanks to everyone that reported this to us! As always, we're here and listening. https://t.co/HpDqwGPSQq — Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) June 4, 2020More specifically, Microsoft acknowledged on Twitter and the Xbox Live status site that sign-in issues (which fall under the umbrella of "Xbox Live Core Services") are impacting the service right now.We're aware that some users are unable to sign-in and our teams are investigating. We'll update here & on our status page when we have more info. https://t.co/PzAdjUFMJj — Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) June 4, 2020Curiously, both Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 are listed on the status site as also having issues (as is Sea of Thieves). It seems as if that could be related to both GTA Online and Red Dead Online being offline earlier today--the online modes for both Rockstar games were temporarily taken offline in honor of the slain George Floyd for a period of time this afternoon.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle expansion will be live in a few hours, but an update that's been rolled out to prepare players has had some unintended consequences. It appears that the latest Sims 4 patch is making Sims pee fire.If it all sounds a bit dramatic, that's because it might well be. Sims 4 players have been reporting that using the bathroom after the latest patch has resulted in fires springing up in toilets. This is an uncommon sight even in the rather wacky universe of the Sims, and the official subreddit for the game has been afire with players commiserating with each other over this strange occurrence.The common consensus appears to be that it is the result of the latest Sims 4 patch. As reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, there have been a number of other strange bugs popping up in the wake of this content update, including issues with crashes, save files not functioning as intended, and of course, this particular burning issue.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Now that Valorant has been fully released, the biggest challenge for Riot Games will be keeping people playing for years. The team-based shooter may be the talk of the industry right now, but new content in the form of heroes, maps, and modes will need to come out continuously in order to sustain the game's player base.GameSpot sat down with Riot Games' Anna Donlon during the Play for All stream to talk about their plans for how they'll approach Valorant post-launch content. "We're not ready to commit to the exact cadence," she said. "The main reason why we don't want to commit to the exact cadence is we kind of need to see how the game balances itself out as players are playing it."Valorant left its closed beta phase last week, launching on PC on June 2. The version 1.0 release including some new content like the new Spike Rush mode.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department, there have been protests around the country, and even the world, for equality and against police brutality. Now, the Walt Disney Company is stepping up to donate millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations that promote advancements in social justice.The Walt Disney Company is pledging a total of $5 million in donations, which begins with a $2 million donation to the NAACP. In a statement, chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company Bob Chapek detailed why the company is doing this."The killing of George Floyd has forced our nation to once again confront the long history of injustice that black people in America have suffered, and it is critical that we stand together, speak out and do everything in our power to ensure that acts of racism and violence are never tolerated," said Chapek. "This $5 million pledge will continue to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations such as the NAACP that have worked tirelessly to ensure equality and justice."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com