The follow-up to Rockstar Games' classic western game Red Dead Redemption is fast approaching. Set 12 years before the events of the original game, Red Dead Redemption 2 will explore an expansive region of the American wilderness, with Dutch Van der Linde's gang on the run from lawmen during the last years of the wild west. Experiencing Rockstar's take on the open-world western from a new perspective, you'll uncover the history of the Van Der Linde gang, which has a young John Marston in its thralls.We got the opportunity to play Red Dead Redemption 2, and suffice to say, it's shaping up to be one of the most detailed open world games we've ever played. You can find out more in our preview below where you can read about our experiences completing story missions and exploring the game's world. There's also plenty of details below on the game's narrative and all of its trailers. With its release date of October 26 approaching, we're beginning to learn a lot more about the base game, as well as its Red Dead Online mode.Table of Contents [hide]Where Is RDR2 Set, And Is It A Prequel?The First RevealWho Are You Playing As?The Second TrailerWho's In Dutch's Gang?The Third TrailerFirst Gameplay TrailerSecond Gameplay TrailerWhat's New In Red Dead Redemption 2?How It Plays: Our In-Depth PreviewHow Will Online Multiplayer Work?How Can I Play RDR2? When Is Its Release Date?PS4 Pro BundleWhere Is RDR2 Set, And Is It A Prequel?Set 12 years before the main events of the original game, the prequel focuses on the outlaw life of the Van der Linde gang, led by Red Dead Redemption's main antagonists. After a robbery in Blackwater (one of the original game's major towns) goes bad--the gang finds themselves on the run. Dutch, his right-hand man Arthur Morgan, and several members of the gang have to contend with a life on-the-run while confrontations with rival gangs and the law make their situation grow more desperate.Rockstar also released a description of the plot:America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.The First RevealDebuting on October 20, 2016, the first trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 was a bit of a mood piece that showcased many locales in the game, while also portraying the somber tone of the main narrative. In this trailer, we saw several towns and locales, many of which are teeming with life and activity--such as ranchers rustling up some cattle, huntsmen bringing back their haul, and a group of citizens hanging out in the general store.Who Are You Playing As?Though the central character of Red Dead Redemption, John Marston, plays some role in the story--the main protagonist of the prequel is Arthur Morgan. As Dutch's right-hand man and enforcer for the gang, he'll handle much of the daily duties of keeping the gang in-check--which includes a young and less-experienced John Marston. When it comes to keeping the gang and its community afloat, Morgan is quite handy with picking up various jobs to ensure everyone is well fed and in good spirits. But as the story progresses, he'll begin to question his own resolve for Dutch's way of life, and whether he still has a place in the gang.The Second TrailerOn September 28, 2017, the second trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 debuted. In the new footage, we got to see more of Arthur Morgan and how ruthless he can be while on the job. During some of the story cutscenes, Morgan will use coercion and physical threats to collect money and information, all for the "benefit" of the community. For more info on this particular trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.Who's In Dutch's Gang?In Red Dead Redemption 2, we'll see Dutch's gang and its key players in their prime. While the original game had John hunt down and kill the remaining members of the gang, we'll see many of the familiar faces in relatively happier times. From the most recent trailer, we see Dutch Van der Linde, Arthur Morgan, Bill Williamson, Javier Esquela, Sadie Adler, Charles Smith, Micah Bell, Hosea Matthews, and of course John Marston in the roster. We'll also interact with other characters who would have a key role in the gang and in the lives of both Arthur Morgan and John Marston.The Third TrailerIn the new footage released on May 2, we saw a deeper look into the game's narrative and how the gang functions. Along with the familiar activities like hunting, heists, and side-quests with the region's citizens, rob trains and banks, and take in shows at theaters. For the most part, the trailer focuses on the many connections you'll have with the members of the gang, as well as how your choices will affect them. For more info on the third trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.First Gameplay TrailerOn August 9, Rockstar unveiled Red Dead Redemption 2's first gameplay trailer. The new footage revealed that the core mechanics from the original game were still intact, but almost everything had received a facelift. Wildlife is smarter and lives within its own ecosystem. Arthur Morgan can interact with the people around him in ways John Marston never could.Second Gameplay TrailerOn October 2, Rockstar finally showcased the second round of gameplay footage it promised. It dives more deeply into the game's side-activities, as well as the nature of the world and its varying systems. In addition, there's an in-depth look at how the sequel's dead eye system works. What's New In Red Dead Redemption 2?While the sequel is largely in the same vein as its predecessor, focusing on exploration, hunting, shoot-outs, heists, and other side-activities where you'll interact with a number of unique characters--Red Dead Redemption 2 features a far more expansive world to dive into. There are a ton of new mechanics in Red Dead Redemption 2. Below you can find a bulleted list of many of the new features in the game, but for all the details on everything new, check out our comprehensive list of all the new features we've discovered so far.You can play the whole game in first-personYou can disable the HUDA new cinematic camera is utilized during missions where you're traveling across the world during missionsYou can inspect nearly all items in the worldYour weapons are always visible on your personThere's a killcam that changes depending on your honorYou can break enemy weaponsDead Eye has five levels nowYour guns can degrade and jamYou need to maintain and clean Arthur or else you'll get dirty and disgust people around youYou can gain and lose weightHow It Plays: Our In-Depth PreviewWe recently got a hands-on with a near final-build of Red Dead Redemption 2. It plays much like its predecessor, but with a bevy of new features and systems that enhance its storytelling, combat, and overall progression. We got to experience two story missions, as well as a chance to goof around freely in the open world. There's a lot to unpack about how the upcoming sequel looks and feels, so be sure to read our in-depth preview detailing our impressions about how it plays.How Will Online Multiplayer Work?Currently, Rockstar hasn't shared any info on how the online play will function. The original Red Dead Redemption featured online free-for-all and team deathmatch style gameplay in the open world, along with several co-op themed missions. While it's safe to assume that these sorts of missions will return, another long-lingering rumor is the appearance of a battle royale mode. Rockstar has recently confirmed that a public beta for the online mode is scheduled for a month after the game's launch.How Can I Play RDR2? When Is Its Release Date?Red Dead Redemption 2 is set for release on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. There are also plans for a collector's edition of the game called the Special Edition. Priced at $80, the package includes a copy of the game along with special missions, weapons and a physical map of the game world for players to own. There are also two additional packs for Red Dead Redemption 2 for premium prices, The Ultimate Edition and The Collector's Box--both priced at $100. While The Ultimate Edition has all items from the special edition--including additional DLC items to acquire--The Collector's Box does not include any digital items. Instead, it offers special playing cards, artwork, a bandit's bandana, a physical map of the game world, and a collector's coin in the set.It's worth noting that the PS4 version will have special content that's exclusive to that version for 30 days. There is still no word as to what the PlayStation-exclusive content is, but now we know it's for Red Dead Online and that Xbox One owners will have to wait to check it out.Though the original Red Dead Redemption never found its way to the PC, there's been some rumors that its sequel might. A mention of Red Dead Redemption 2's appearance on PC found its way online, but it has since been scrubbed.PS4 Pro BundleAlthough the system itself doesn't sport a unique design, there will be a Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Pro bundle. Priced at $400 in the US, you're essentially getting a copy of the game for free. However, this doesn't include any of the aforementioned special editions; it's just a standard edition version of the game. The bundle is available for pre-order now.Info from Gamespot.com

With the 2018-2019 NHL season just about to begin, EA Sports has released the results of its annual simulation of the season within the latest NHL game. The biggest takeaway? The Toronto Maple Leafs will beat the San Jose Sharks to win the 2019 Stanley Cup.That's a notable prediction given that the Leafs, one of the NHL's original six teams, have not won the Cup since 1967--some 50 years ago. Here are some other notable takeaways from NHL 19's simulation of the upcoming NHL season.Leafs center John Tavares wins the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is the MVP for the playoffs.Erik Karlsson of the Sharks wins his third James Norris Memorial Trophy for the best defenseman.Connor McDavid wins the Hart Memorial Trophy and Art Ross Trophy.The Vegas Golden Knights take home the President's Trophy with 118 points.EA's annual NHL season uses updated player data and factors in a lot of specifics that you'd expect and hope for such as line combinations, as well as hot streaks and injuries. The prediction has been wrong for many years in a row now; last year, EA's simulation stated that the Winnipeg Jets would defeat the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final, but in reality both teams were eliminated in earlier rounds.NHL 19 launched in September for PS4 and Xbox One, and GameSpot's 8/10 review praised the game's controls, graphics, and presentation. Info from Gamespot.com

With the UFC and larger sports world focused on the much-anticipated upcoming Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, EA is launching a new edition of its UFC game to piggbyback on the awareness that the fight is bringing to the UFC scene.The EA Sports UFC 3 Notorious Edition, as it's called, features new covert art and in-game extras such as 500 UFC Ultimate Team points, five Notorious Ultimate Team packs, and your choice of a "Champion" fighter. The options are McGregor, Georges St. Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Anderson Silva. The game costs $30 USD and it will only be available until Monday, October 15.UFC 229, featuring the McGregor vs. Khabib fight, takes place on October 7. EA will release the results of its simulation of the fight using UFC 3 on October 5.You don't have to buy the Notorious Edition to get new content in UFC 3. A new update out now adds a series of new fighters such as Ronda Rousey, Sean O'Malley, and Israel Adesanya.For lots more on UFC 229 and the Mcgregor v Khabib fight, check out GameSpot sister site CBS Sports' breakdown of the event. Info from Gamespot.com

A professional sports team apparently has a strict "No Fortnite" rule on road trips. Bo Horvat, one of the star players of the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL, says Fortnite is "definitely a no-go" for road trips. He told TSN 1040 that he would rather him and his teammates spend time together enjoying their road trips out in the real world."Yeah, that's definitely a no-go on the road," he said, via The Province. "No more Fortnite. No more bringing your video games on the road. It's strictly team meals, team dinners, and hanging out with the guys. So we'll have to put an end to that.""In my opinion ... there's better ways to spend time on the road, whether it's hanging with the guys in the room or going to a movie with the guys," he added. "Doing stuff outside your room. There's a lot of cool cities we go and visit and to be cooped up in your room all night and not doing anything, playing Fortnite, is a waste of your time."Horvat added that he hopes his message reaches parents. "Hopefully a lot of parents and little kids are listening right now. I don't play [Fortnite]. Nor will I ever," he said.The Canucks announced today that they will not have a single captain this year, following the retirement of star Henrik Sedin last year. Instead, there will be four rotating alternate captains, including Horvat, Alexander Edler, Brandon Sutter, and Chris Taney.The Canucks are not the first professional sports team to have a Fortnite problem. Members of the MLB's Boston Red Sox play Fortnite so much that they have to stop to remember to eat. The Red Sox ended the regular season with the best record in baseball, so their time spent playing the game doesn't seem to have taken away from their on-field abilities.Fortnite is one of the most popular games on Earth right now, so it's no surprise that it's also popular among professional athletes. And it's understandable that some might see it as a distraction, but it will be interesting to see how Horvat's mandate goes down with his teammates.While Fortnite is hugely popular, Microsoft's Minecraft has many millions more monthly players than Epic's battle royale game.Info from Gamespot.com

Toys R Us made the shocking announcement earlier this year that it would close 800 stores and lay off 33,000 employees as part of bankruptcy proceedings in the wake of "devastating" holiday 2017 sales.But now, it appears that Toys R Us and its related brands may live on in some fashion. The same hedge fund groups that control Toys R Us, and decided to cancel a reorganisation that led to the major changes, have now apparently decided to cancel the bankruptcy and attempt to revive Toys R Us and its brands. The Wall Street Journal reports that Toys R Us said in court documents this week that it received bids for the Toys R Us, Babies R Us, and Geoffrey the Giraffe brand names, but it decided that the bids would not be able to "yield a superior alternative..." Instead, the new Toys R Us owners are looking to create a new "branding company" that "maintains existing global license agreements and can invest in and create new, domestic, retail operating businesses." As for the employees who were laid off, WSJ reports that two of Toys R Us' private equity funders, Bain Capital and KKR & Co., plan to create a $20 million fund to give affected employees severance.Info from Gamespot.com

Hollywood will try to turn anything that is popular into a movie, and the latest evidence of this is today's announcement that a film based on Dance Dance Revolution is in development.According to its official description, the DDR movie has incredibly high takes. "The project will explore a world on the brink of destruction where the only hope is to unite through the universal language of dance," according to Variety.Konami, which owns the DDR IP, is working with film company Stampede on the film.DDR, which utilises a physical dance pad, launched in Japanese arcades in the late '90s before coming to North America in the early 2000s. The game was a massive success, and Konami would go on to partner with companies like Nintendo on versions of the game, including DDR: Mario Mix.There are no further details at this stage about the DDR movie, so we don't know when it'll enter production or any of the talent behind it. It seems like very early days for the project.In other news about movies you never thought would happen, the Tetris film has an $80 million budget and plans to be the first in a trilogy of movies.Info from Gamespot.com

Making a Venom movie without Spider-Man is a unique challenge. But many of Venom's issues have nothing to do with Spidey's absence.For example: Early in Venom, the Symbiote that will later be revealed as Riot escapes the Life Foundation's custody and infects a woman in a marketplace in Malaysia, with the explicit goal of reaching San Francisco. The movie's main story then begins: Eddie Brock makes some poor decisions, loses his job and his girlfriend (Michelle Williams' Anne Weying), and hits rock bottom. Cue a six month time jump--and our friend Riot, still inhabiting the old woman from the marketplace, has finally made it--to the airport?What was Riot doing for the six months between then and now? Did it go on a killing spree across Malaysia? Was it dormant or hibernating--something the movie never gives any hint that Symbiotes might be capable of? Was it biding its time pretending to be someone's grandma? That blatant plot hole has nothing to do with Venom's general 1990s cheesiness as a character, or the considerable challenge of trying to make a Venom movie without a single reference to Spider-Man. It's just good, old fashioned, avoidable sloppiness.Don't get me wrong: The lack of Spider-Man does cause problems. Specifically, the entire premise--that Venom chooses to stick around on Earth, attach itself permanently to Eddie Brock, and betray its entire species--doesn't really work in this movie. In the books, Venom's obsession with Spider-Man gives it common purpose with Eddie, and cutting Spidey out of the equation necessitates something take his place as their end goal. The movie tries to get around that by clumsily painting Eddie and Venom as Breakfast Club style lovable "losers" (actual, direct quote: "On my planet, I am kind of a loser, like you"). It's nonsensical, implausible, under-explained, and tonally weird; that line is easily the movie's biggest laugh, but not in a good way.Venom is surprisingly funny, mostly in the verbal abuse the Symbiote whispers directly into Eddie's brain, usually after Tom Hardy's character does something Venom considers cowardly or embarrassing. When Eddie holds his hands up in surrender to law enforcement, Venom laments that he's "making us look bad;" when Eddie opts to take the elevator rather than jumping from a skyscraper, Venom calls him a "pussy." These moments are deliberately played for laughs, and they land well enough. The bigger problem is why an alien parasite from space talks like a frat bro, or, extrapolating further, why it needs eyes and teeth if its main form is a shapeless, pulsing black goo. These essential curiosities of Venom as a character are never so much as acknowledged, much less explained. On the plus side, Venom and the other Symbiotes look pretty good in this movie. The CG work is somewhat inconsistent, and it definitely goes through ups and downs when it comes to raw fidelity. But unlike in his other live action incarnations (looking at you, Spider-Man 3), Venom actually looks like Venom here. The alien comes off as both lithe and powerful; it leaps around gracefully, but its hulking form also exudes menace and strength. The visual effect of Venom's vicious visage wrapping itself over Eddie's head is creatively executed, and Symbiote-on-Symbiote fight scenes play out in unexpected ways, with human hosts and alien parasites struggling to remain linked while trying to rip and tear their opponents apart.Hardy is as baffling in this role as the movie's trailers have suggested he'd be. As a New York transplant living in San Francisco, he's doing something like a caricature of an NYC cab driver's accent, mixed with frequent slurred mutterings--and that's before he encounters the Symbiote and his behavior becomes understandably erratic. Besides Hardy's strange performance, Brock himself is not a likeable or relatable character. He thoughtlessly uses his girlfriend in a half-baked gotcha journalism scheme that gets them both fired, and it literally never occurs to him to so much as apologize to her, until Venom for some unknowable reason nudges him in the right direction later in the film. Brock lacks the depth of character to carry this movie, and Hardy lacks the charm to make up for the character's shallowness. Michelle Williams does just fine as Anne, although her attachment to Eddie is really inexplicable, as the two have zero chemistry. Even weirder is the willingness of her new doctor boyfriend (Reid Scott) to administer Eddie multiple MRI screenings, even after Eddie interrupts their fancy lunch date by climbing into a lobster tank--the Symbiote affects him in some truly strange ways.Riz Ahmed does a great job as the megalomaniacal head of the Life Foundation, totally selling his character's belief that humans will have to mutate themselves using alien parasites if we want to survive climate change. That said, it's a pretty thin motivation, and Dr. Carlton Drake is an utterly one note villain. To be honest, the only character who actually experiences any kind of growth or change is the scientist played by comedian and actress Jenny Slate, who is terrific in this movie--and, unfortunately, underused. Venom has all the ingredients of a decent superhero movie--10 or 15 years ago. With spotty CGI, poorly drawn characters, tonal inconsistency including forced "edginess" and awkward humor, sidelined female characters, and even cringeworthy licensed musical cues, it feels like a relic from the distant, pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe past. That may in part be attributed to the fact that it's been in production in one form or another since at least 2008. But its problems go way past simply being "old school," and ultimately, Venom lacks the charm, clarity, and ambition superhero fans have come to expect.The GoodThe BadSurprisingly funnyInconsistent CGI qualityVenom looks like VenomUnlikeable, shallow charactersSome creative action and visual effectsTom Hardy's strange performanceBetter than Venom portrayal in Spider-Man 3Multiple plot holes Venom makes little sense as a characterInfo from Gamespot.com

The soft reboot that was Assassin's Creed Origins introduced a new approach to the series' brand of stealth-action gameplay, along with an expansive and vibrant open world with many dynamic systems at work. In this year's follow-up, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, developer Ubisoft Quebec builds upon its predecessor's pillars, and in the process shows greater confidence in the series' new direction.Set in Ancient Greece, Odyssey predates the previous game by several centuries. During the Peloponnesian War in 431 BCE, you take on the role of either Alexios or Kassandra, siblings and former Spartans-turned-mercenaries. In keeping with series tradition, Odyssey features parallel storylines, with the main narrative taking place in the distant past and the overarching plot set in the present day. After pivotal moments dealing with political intrigue and wartime conflict in Greece, you'll jump back to the modern day to continue the story of Layla Hassan, introduced in Origins, who's working to uncover the secrets of the first civilization. Throughout your travels in Ancient Greece you'll uncover lost tombs, engage in naval warfare on the high seas, and assassinate the key members of a shadowy conspiracy seeking control of the known world.In your trek through the Greek mainland and the islands of the Mediterranean sea, you come across diverse locales that showcase lush environments that pay tribute to the old gods, while rubbing shoulders with the many historical figures of the era looking to make their impression in Greek society. The amount of detail packed into each location is impressive, tied together by an active and dynamic ecosystem where local wildlife and civilians keep their territory. But as you dive further, you'll see the many hardships and realities of life in Ancient Greece firsthand, including the horrors of slavery and the ever-present war between the military-driven Spartans and the bureaucratic Athenian army.Featuring a map that's more than double the size of the previous game, Odyssey is built to be explored and has incidental content to reward your wanderlust. You get the sense that your actions will have a lasting impact wherever you go, and Odyssey offers up a wealth of content that fuels your growth at a steady pace. Though the issue of level-gating comes up occasionally, preventing you from actively exploring any region as you wish, you can take a break from the main story and dive into the breadth of side content at your leisure. Several side quests offer a surprising amount of depth and heart and feature some of Odyssey's more standout moments.Throughout the main story and in side-quests, you'll make several key decisions that affect the game's narrative and your character's journey. While many of the choices you make are largely inconsequential and result only in slightly different endings for quests, the fateful decisions that do matter can lead to drastic turns of events, with some storylines and characters meeting their end prematurely. In moments you'd least expect, you'll see the payoff for decisions made early on in the story, for better or worse. With nine different possible outcomes at the main story's conclusion, there's a surprisingly large amount of cause and effect that can make the narrative feel all your own.The different protagonists also offer up some of Odyssey's most endearing and entertaining moments. Despite the grim nature of the game, jokes and fun gags often break the tension, even during serious events. Though both Kassandra and Alexios share the same dialogue and story beats, their differing personalities, gender, and points of view offer unique flavor, making them stand apart--with some scenes and questlines feeling more appropriate with a particular character.The Photo Mode in Assassin's Creed Odyssey allows you to capture some of the game's most breathtaking views.Romancing side characters is also possible in Odyssey. While some of these scenes can be amusing, they're mostly just bizarre shows of affection that have no real purpose. These scenes almost always result in a shallow aside during the conversation, with the characters slinking off-screen before returning to the conversation without skipping a beat. Most often, these awkward romance opportunities appear immediately after (or during) otherwise harrowing events. Aside from seeing some additional scenes with certain characters, there's really no benefit to engaging in romance at all. The inclusion of these scenes feels cheap and can sully otherwise interesting conversations.As you unravel more of the world and advance in the main story, new gameplay mechanics and side opportunities will reveal themselves, adding even greater incentive to explore. When the conspiracy that threatens Greece makes itself known, you'll be able to keep track of the major players through a large interconnected web in the game's menu, showing their connections to other targets and how to find the intel to track them down. But in one of Odyssey's more involved quests, you'll encounter several mythological beasts hidden within the world, offering up some of the game's most inventive and memorable encounters, where brute force isn't always the answer.The world in Ancient Greece feels much more reactive compared to previous Assassin's Creed games, and you get the sense that your actions will have a lasting impact wherever you go. When you start causing too much trouble, you'll attract the attention of rival mercenaries looking to collect a bounty. Similar to Shadow of War's Nemesis system, though not as sophisticated, Odyssey presents a seemingly endless set of antagonists with their own backstories, strengths, and potential loot. If you find yourself with a bounty on your head, mercenaries are often quick to appear--leading to some annoying encounters where they arrive at the worst possible time, even during some story missions. If the heat from the encroaching mercenaries feels too much, you can lay low long enough for the bounty to clear, assassinate another wanted criminal, or pay off your own bounty in the game menu.With nine different possible outcomes at the main story's conclusion, there's a surprisingly large amount of cause and effect that can make the narrative feel all your own.One of Odyssey's more clever features is the new Exploration Mode. With this optional mode enabled, you're challenged to use your observation and deduction skills to find your next target, without the support of icons or waypoints. By engaging with quest-givers and friendly NPCs, you'll learn details about your surroundings and slowly piece together your next steps. Exploration Mode heightens the pride that comes from solving puzzles, and this makes each step of your investigations feel all the more rewarding.When it comes to combat, Odyssey keeps up with the recent trend to incorporate stat-based mechanics into its core gameplay. Compared to previous games, there's now a greater focus on allowing you to customize your character to approach the challenges ahead. You can also build your character to specialize in stealth, long-range, or melee combat, and you're able to respec at any time. If you want to build your character as a powerful Spartan warrior wielding a legendary spear and use your Spartan Kick to boot enemies off cliffs, you can, but you are also free to stick with the traditional Assassin archetype.This opens a lot of opportunities to experiment with special moves and gear, the latter of which can also be customized with special perks that offer unique bonuses. Odyssey no longer features the shields introduced in Origins, and as a result, combat flows at a brisker pace. By placing the emphasis more on dodging and parrying incoming blows from enemies, fighting feels more involved and dynamic. While there are times where Odyssey can run right into the awkwardness of its RPG mechanics clashing with the action gameplay--such as being unable to assassinate enemies outright due to being under-leveled--it makes up for it by giving players the options to avoid such clumsy engagements.Your ship, The Adrestia, can be upgraded to deal greater damage and move faster while out on the open waters.Naval combat and sailing make a return in Odyssey, opening up exploration on the high seas. As you build up resources and find new members to join your crew, you can customize and upgrade your ship, The Adrestia, to take on more daring challenges. Much like in Black Flag and Rogue, seafaring offers up some of the more exciting and visually pleasing moments of the game, finding lost sunken ruins in the oceans depths or facing off against increasingly aggressive rival ships. Over the course of your travels, you'll be able to recruit new lieutenants to add buffs to your ship, giving you more of a fighting chance against the sea's greater threats.The scope of Odyssey is enormous, and for the most part, it's presented well. But some of the new innovations that seek to fit within the scale of the world, however, feel somewhat lost in the grand scheme of the game. With the ongoing war between the Spartan and Athenian army, you can choose to take part in the conflict and dismantle a faction's influence in a region. In these Conquest battles, you'll pick a side and cripple an army's hold by assassinating their leaders and taking their resources--culminating in a large-scale battle against their forces.While this is a solid way of gaining resources and improving your standing with a faction, the mechanics and implementation into Odyssey's general systems make it feel half-baked at best and pointless at worst. In some of the more bizarre cases, the game and its narrative don't seem to take Conquest seriously, especially when the main story has you helping a particular faction, despite the side content in the area actively hurting them. This in turn can create a jarring and noticeable feeling of dissonance throughout your adventures. The game often struggles to make sense of the actual war gameplay within the context of its core narrative, which is disappointing.When looking at Odyssey in the bigger picture, it can often feel like too much game for its own good. There are numerous moments where the loop of exploring, completing missions, and traveling can slow the pace significantly. This is exacerbated by the expansive map, which can sometimes feel excessively big and a chore to travel through. There are also some notable bugs and hitches that crop up throughout, including those that prevent progress in missions to outright crash the game. Several times throughout my journey, progression was somewhat exhausting, which made some of the more impactful and exciting moments in the story feel like a drag.Despite this, Assassin's Creed Odyssey's ambition is admirable, which is reflected in its rich attention to detail for the era and its approach to handling the multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead. While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting.Info from Gamespot.com

Things haven't been easy for Mega Man fans in the 2010s. Between the cancellations of Mega Man Universe and Mega Man Legends 3 and the disappointing spiritual revival Mighty No. 9, it felt like every hope of seeing the series' beloved, classic action gameplay return was dashed in some way. So it was to great anticipation and expectations that Capcom announced Mega Man 11, the first all-new Mega Man game in over eight years. And while the game does deliver on its promises of being a charming, challenging action game with a rogue's gallery of robots to scrap, it makes a few puzzling choices that keep it from true greatness.Those who have been enjoying our blue buddy's adventures within the last three decades are probably familiar with the gameplay formula here: You go through eight themed levels in the order of your choosing, claiming the weapons of the end-stage Robot Masters you defeat--and which can be used to exploit weaknesses in subsequent boss encounters. Once the eight robots are beaten, you advance to a tiered fortress with a final Dr. Wily showdown waiting at the end.The big new feature this time around, however, is that our hero has been fitted with the Double Gear System, which allows him to increase his weapon power or slow down the environment for a limited time. The Power Gear can increase the output of the standard Mega Buster or enhance special weapons with more potent effects, while the Speed Gear can help you in tricky spots where timing or moving quickly is crucial. However, these effects only last a few seconds, and once time runs out you have to wait for a cooldown period to end or collect a special item before you can use them again, preventing you from relying too heavily on them. You're also not the only one using this new power, as you'll find Wily's machines are also putting it to use.One thing you'll notice right off the bat is how well the game manages to nail the overall feel and charm of the series in its visual presentation. The 3D character models of Mega Man, his friends, and his Robot Master foes are on point, with subtle visual flourishes like Auto's exasperated expressions and robot bird Beat struggling to lift Mega's weight adding a little bit of humor. The stages themselves are packed with the sort of strangely cute, googly-eyed robot enemies that have come to define the franchise, and background elements like Blast Man's self-advertisements or Block Man's strange hieroglyphs add a spark of personality to each of the stages. With visuals this nice, it's easy to overlook the soundtrack, which is pleasant but wholly unmemorable.Unfortunately, the early-game experience in Mega Man 11 is a trying one. Veterans will certainly notice how unusually long each of the stages are. While you might assume that more Mega Man action is good, the stage length serves to make the game far more frustrating than it should be, as checkpoints are sparsely placed and extra lives are few and far between. Making things worse, you often hit the most challenging parts of a stage in rapid succession, affording you little time to catch your breath. The stage design also tends to put trial-and-error areas like a labyrinth of instant-kill spike walls or a series of rapid-fire jumps at the end of these lengthy levels, making game overs especially demoralizing.In other Mega Man games, failure feels more like a learning experience than a setback; here, however, the prospect of redoing a 10-minute level laden with strict checkpoints, instant-kill elements, and a mid-boss brawl often feels painful. The Double Gears help somewhat in navigating the more difficult sections, but they always seems to run out of power too quickly to be reliable. Progress gets better once you manage to build up a repertoire of boss weapons and purchase upgrades with collectible bolts found in the stages, but there's still a small degree of frustration at certain stage design elements, like Torch Man's three stretches of instant-kill flame wall pursuit, that never quite goes away. And while you can play the game on a lower difficulty, giving you more lives and checkpoints to make the stage hazards more manageable, it overcompensates by severely lowering damage to the point where boss battles become a dull pushover.Of course, the levels--overly long as they are--aren't entirely bad, and there are a lot of enjoyable and interesting ideas. Blast Man's stage has you blowing exploding robots into crates and other mechs to create chain blasts, while Impact Man has some reflex-testing areas where you need to dodge a series of drilling robots that fly out in quick succession. The mid-stage bosses are all pretty great, as well; my personal favorite is the robotic, icicle-summoning mammoth skeleton in Tundra Man's stage. The Robot Masters themselves are also a lot of fun to fight, and they'll actually change up their patterns by using their own Double Gears as their health depletes, keeping you on your toes. The collected boss weapons are also tons of fun to use, and the Power Gear variations are a neat touch that calls to mind the Mega Man X series.Still, it's easy to forget how much fun you had in other stages when you're stuck getting nailed by yet another spike trap in the tail end of Acid Man's stage or struggling with the springy walls and obnoxious slappy-hand platforms present in Bounce Man's miserable abode. It culminates in a final set of levels that are both awesome and underwhelming: awesome in that they have some really fun gimmicks and bosses, underwhelming in that it doesn't feel like it's as significant of a skill test because you already dealt with some of the game's biggest obstacles in the stages prior.Mega Man 11 is a good action game that you can easily identify with, but it's far too uneven and bumpy to hold up against some of the best installments in the venerable franchise. At its best, it's a terrific retro romp with exciting boss encounters and unique gimmicks. At its worst, it's a frustrating experience whose too-long levels toss out infuriating obstacles to progress at the worst times. But even with these issues, it just feels good to see Mega Man back in action, and Mega Man 11 will hopefully be the start of many new robotic adventures to come.Info from Gamespot.com

Mega Man 11 is coming out this week, after a long absence without a new entry. This eleventh installment eschews the NES-style throwback graphics of Mega Man 9 and 10 and instead makes a mark with its own visual style, an all-new Double Gear system, and a few notable tweaks.Mega Man famously has a lot of sequels and spin-offs under his belt, and so the series was often a target of criticism for retreading the same-old gameplay in sequel after sequel. The question now is, did absence make the heart grow fonder? The critical consensus is that we've missed the old boy (err, man) and this is a fine return-to-form with a new foundation to build upon. Check out a smattering of the industry response below, and read GameSpot sister-site Metacritic for a wider critical view.Game: Mega Man 11Developer / Publisher: CapcomPlatforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox OneRelease date: October 2Price: US $30 / £25 / AU $78GameSpot -- 7/10"At its best, it's a terrific retro romp with exciting boss encounters and unique gimmicks. At its worst, it's a frustrating experience whose too-long levels toss out infuriating obstacles to progress at the worst times. But even with these issues, it just feels good to see Mega Man back in action, and Mega Man 11 will hopefully be the start of many new robotic adventures to come." -- Heidi Kemps [Full review]US Gamer -- 4.5/5"Whatever you might think of its visuals and Double Gear system, Mega Man 11 marks a return to the top-tier platforming we love. Mega Man's had a long time to recharge his batteries: Let's see what else he can do." -- Nadia Oxford [Full review]VentureBeat -- 9/10"If you're a fan of Mega Man but feel uneasy about how Mega Man 11 looks or adds to the formula, don’t. This is a fantastic 2D action game worthy of the Blue Bomber's name." -- Mike Minotti [Full review]Game Informer -- 8.75/10"Mega Man 9 and 10 were both loving throwbacks to the franchise's NES roots, but Mega Man 11 is the first entry in ages that offers something new without sacrificing everything fans love. The new gear system is a cool mechanic, and Capcom's level design feels classic in all the right ways. Mega Man 11 taps into the series' past, but also serves as a solid foundation for the Blue Bomber's next 30 years." -- Ben Reeves [Full review]IGN -- 7.5/10"Mega Man plays like he should even with the cutesy but tolerable art style, and that's good because the challenge is cranked up to 11 and getting through these levels takes old-school precision and patience. Mega Man 11 is a good foundation for the next 10 Mega Man games." -- Samuel Claiborn [Full review]Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft is once again exploring the possibility of adding multiplayer to Assassin's Creed. Several of the mainline Assassin's Creed games after 2010 supported some type of multiplayer mode, but the feature was cut after 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity.In an interview with Game Informer, Ubisoft chief creative officer Serge Hascoet said, "We have many technologies, so it's case by case, but Assassin's Creed has no multiplayer mode, and that is very important for the social aspect of gaming, so we are looking for that."Hascoet didn't share what form Assassin's Creed's future multiplayer might take, but he doesn't want to just copy what others are doing. "Now, everybody is talking about battle royale, but we think there are 15 different companies making those games, and like mobile, only two will be successful," Hascoet said. "Many will be killed along the way; I don't know which ones will survive. I am working with my team on what's next. It's important to understand why games like Fortnite are so successful, but it's not so we can copy it. It's to do something else, but with the same disruptive approach. So, we have plenty of ideas. We are testing a lot of ideas internally, and maybe only one will go to market. "In Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Revelations, III, and IV: Black Flag, Ubisoft implemented a multiplayer mode where you had to disguise yourself as an NPC while also trying to hunt down and kill other players. In Assassin's Creed Unity, Ubisoft changed multiplayer to be less competitive and more cooperative. You and up to three other players could tackle different side stories with your own custom Assassins, and also take on much larger Heists where completing the mission objective without being spotted would net your team massive in-game monetary rewards. Ubisoft cut multiplayer from Assassin's Creed Rogue, Syndicate, and Origins, and there are currently no plans to implement any multiplayer features in Odyssey.Odyssey will be the last Assassin's Creed game for a while, as Ubisoft is not releasing another entry in the franchise in 2019. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is one of the largest games in the series to date, and we're loving it. In our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review, editor Alessandro Fillari gave the game an 8/10, writing, "While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting."Info from Gamespot.com

(Spoilers ahead for both the game and Avengers: Infinity War.) If you're still a little raw after the brutal ending of Avengers: Infinity War, then seeing this suit in action in the PS4-exclusive Spider-Man title may either make you very happy (yay this costume is great and I can pretend everything is OK with Peter Parker) or very, very sad (oh god it just reminds me of that last scene with Tony Stark MY FEELINGS). Either way, the Iron Spider suit stands as one of the most visually striking in the game, and it makes swinging through the skyscrapers of New York just that little bit cooler.Unsurprisingly, this suit's power mimics the one seen in the movie, and sprouts four mechanical arms from Spidey's back when activated. Within the game, these arms add extra power to Spidey's attacks, allowing you to bust through even the strongest enemies' defenses (including shielded foes and those pesky brutes), as well as hit multiple enemies at once. When you're surrounded and need a quick way to land some hits regardless of the enemy types around you, this suit's Iron Arms power is a lifesaver.The Iron Spider Suit unlocks about two-thirds of the way into the game, and when looking at the suits list, it's the 17th you'll have access to. The first thing you'll need to do to nab the Iron Spider is reach level 31. After that, you'll need to have four crime tokens accumulated, as well as three base tokens and three challenge ones. Once you have those, then Stark's hopefully-not-final creation for young Peter Parker is yours for the taking.Our full review of the webslinger's newest gameThe first 25 minutes of Spider-Man gameplay11 tips you should know before starting the gameWhat other critics think about the gameWhat the first DLC for the game looks like Info from Gamespot.com

If you're not a fan of the white spider logo costume you've probably seen Spidey rock in most of the pre-release videos and images of Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4, then never fear. Not only does the game feature more than 20 alternate suits, but it also features the webslinger's popular Tony Stark-created suit featured in recent big screen films like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming.The Stark Suit--as it's referred to in the game--is actually one of the first ones you'll have access to. That's a huge plus, as not only is this suit one of the most aesthetically awesome costumes Spidey's worn in either the comics or in movies, it also unlocks what is probably one of the most useful powers in the game: Spider-Bro. Initiating Spider-Bro releases a small drone that flies around Spider-Man and zaps enemies with electricity, rendering them temporarily paralyzed and making them easy pickings. The effect lasts for a decent amount of time as well, meaning Spider-Bro can easily become your favorite crowd control move in the entire game.Unlocking the Stark Suit is pretty straightforward. If you've just started the game and are looking at a mainly empty list of boxes in your suits menu, the Stark Suit is actually eighth on the list. You'll need to be level 10 to get the chance to unlock it, but once you're there, you'll also need a few of the tokens you've likely already been collecting around New York--specifically, one base token, one research token, and three crime tokens.And the high tech Stark Suit isn't the only one from the Homecoming movie featured in the game. If you recall, the Peter Parker in that movie started his crime fighting wearing a simple red hoodie and blue pants, and that simple homemade suit can also eventually be unlocked and worn in this PS4 Spidey title. This suit doesn't have a specific power that it comes with, and will probably take you a while to achieve, as you'll need to find every backpack hidden throughout the game.Marvel's Spider-Man is out exclusively for PlayStation 4. Check out of all of our recent coverage around the game, including:Our full review of the webslinger's newest gameThe first 25 minutes of Spider-Man gameplay11 tips you should know before starting the gameWhat other critics think about the gameWhat the first DLC for the game looks like Info from Gamespot.com

Well, this is awkward. Two days after the first trailer for Dark Phoenix, the next X-Men movie, was released, Fox is now delaying the film. As stated in the trailer, Dark Phoenix was originally set to open in theaters on February 14, 2019. It would have been the perfect Valentine's Day date movie for you and your favorite mutant, but now you're out of luck.According to Deadline, Dark Phoenix will now hit theaters on June 7, 2019. That will make it a summer release, but the move is still very odd given how it's only been two days since a trailer arrived. However, as Deadline points out, not only could a summer release mean a much bigger box office take for Dark Phoenix, but the trailer's success in China--44 million views in 24 hours--could lead to it being a much larger hit in the country. It will now be opening against The Secret Life of Pets 2.The move to June 7 also necessitated another release change for Fox. Gambit, which has had no end of issues actually getting made, originally occupied the slot. It's now been bumped to 2020. Then again, who knows what the odds are that movie actually beginning production anytime soon.One other release date change by Fox sees Alita, the adaptation of Alita: Battle Angel, moving to Dark Phoenix's old February 14 release. It had originally been scheduled for December 21. Instead, Fox is believed to be releasing a PG-13 edit of Deadpool 2. That would be a very interesting move, given the upcoming sale of Fox to Disney, who owns Marvel. Perhaps this is how the studio will measure whether a toned down Deadpool movie could work. Of course, given that Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige will likely take control of the X-Men properties once the sale to Disney is complete, this could all change again in the coming months.Thus far, there's been no change in the release date of New Mutants, the other X-Men movie coming in 2019. The horror film is still scheduled to be released on August 2, 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 6 is officially live on all platforms. Along with its many other additions--map changes among them--that means a new Battle Pass is now available for purchase. As is standard, you can buy it for 950 V-Bucks (about $10 in the US), and Epic estimates it will take about 75-100 hours to unlock all of its goodies. This season gets spooky with some distinctly Halloween-themed loot as "Darkness Rises."Buying into the Battle Pass lets you complete seasonal and weekly challenges to earn XP and gain cosmetic unlockables. Each Battle Pass has 100 levels to earn in all, so grinding out the highest tiers of rewards takes quite a while. As a shortcut, you can also buy additional tiers for 150 V-bucks each, or a bundle of the Battle Pass and 25 tiers for 2,800 V-Bucks ($25 in the US).This season, you're competing for skins, back bling, and emotes that look an awful lot like Halloween costumes. Those include a robot llama DJ, a grinning fruit-head, Red Riding Hood, and a big bad wolfman. The level 100 reward is the Dire skin, which progressively transforms you into a werewolf as you level it up. You can check out our full rewards gallery for everything you could earn.Click image to view in full screenThis season also adds Pets that can follow you around the battlefield and dynamically react to whatever you're doing. So far there are three pets: Bonsey, a dog; Scales, a baby dragon; and Camo, a chameleon. These are also available as cosmetic rewards, so you can further customize your character to your liking.Info from Gamespot.com