In the center of Balan Wonderworld's hub area lies the construction site of a clock tower. Complete the 12 worlds--the entry points to which are arranged at random around the tower like dial markings on a jumbled clock face--and the clock tower rises further into the sky; an elaborate contraption that stands as a monument to your hours played. Despite a thematic preoccupation with telling the time, Balan Wonderworld feels like something of an anachronism, a throwback 3D platformer whose occasional charms arrive too late.Balan Wonderworld makes a terrible first impression. It's a 3D platformer where the primary act of running around the levels feels sloppy. Swapping character costumes to employ new abilities is the key novelty, but the initial batch of costumes fail to inspire, and instead add the sorts of abilities you'd take for granted in any other platformer. Completing the early game doldrums, you're dropped into levels without context nor any attempt to explain your goals.The clumsy controls and character movement are the most persistent problem. There's a weird dissonance in the way it feels like you're moving too slowly while the choppiness of the simplistic animation gives the illusion of moving too quickly. Your character will float slightly above the ground even when standing on a flat surface. Jumping and judging distance feels sloppy and imprecise, mostly thanks to a stickiness of movement but also because, from time to time, the useful ground shadows cast by yourself and other objects will simply disappear. To put it kindly, mistiming or failing to land a jump doesn't always feel like it's your own fault.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

FunPlus' free-to-play strategy game State of Survival is adding The Walking Dead's Daryl Dixon as a new character. GameSpot can reveal today that Dixon--who is performed on the TV show and in the game by Norman Reedus--will be added to the game starting April 15.He's coming to the game as part of a special limited-time event through October. Dixon will be a playable character, and his canine companion dog from the TV show will be by his side as they try to survive against zombies.Reedus is lending his voice and likeness to the game, which the actor announces himself in the video below.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A self-described "casual engineer" has created a working Nintendo Switch that is 650% larger than normal. According to a Reddit post, Michael Pick created the very big Switch in order to donate it to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Tennessee.As spotted by VGC, Pick documented the build process on his YouTube channel, and he also showed off how the comically oversized Joy-Cons actually work. He played a few rounds of Mario Kart before switching to Fortnite and claiming a Victory Royale.The giant Switch consists of a television and a docked normal Switch that hides inside of the device's housing. The oversized Joy-Cons are attached to levers that manipulate the real Joy-Cons when the large button is pressed. Pick also placed chargers in the mounts to ensure that they don't run out of juice.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Actress Zendaya is voicing Lola Bunny in the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy as part of the movie's ambition to make the character more "fully realized."Director Malcolm D. Lee said that Lola was inappropriately depicted in the 1996 movie. She's wearing a crop top and is overall "not politically correct," he told Entertainment Weekly."This is a kids' movie: why is she in a crop top? It just felt unnecessary, but at the same time there's a long history of that in cartoons," he said.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Another Monday is upon us--after a holiday weekend, no less--but there's a good way to combat the beginning of the work/school week: a little retail therapy. There are plenty of excellent deals across gaming, tech, and entertainment right now. The recently released Monster Hunter Rise is on sale for $50 at eBay. You can also grab PlayStation exclusives such as The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima at great prices. Since it's April, numerous spring sales are ongoing, including massive promotions on the Xbox Store and PSN. PC gamers can also save on a variety of high-end products, including Razer and Logitech peripherals as well as a stellar LG gaming monitor. We've rounded up the best deals across the internet today, and make sure to check back tomorrow for new deals. Monster Hunter Rise $50 (was $60) Monster Hunter Rise is one of the most impressive Nintendo Switch games released in quite some time. It earned a 9/10 in our Monster Hunter Rise review. Adhering to the tried-and-true Monster Hunter formula while pushing the franchise forward at the same time, Monster Hunter Rise is a must-play game for longtime fans and newcomers. Right now, you can snag a copy of Rise at eBay for $50. This is a brand-new copy that comes with free shipping and a money-back guarantee. See at eBay Cyberpunk 2077 $30 (was $60) Cyberpunk 2077 is on sale for just $30 as part of Best Buy's daily deals. CD Projekt Red's ambitious open-world RPG got off to a rather inauspicious start last fall, especially on consoles, but if you want to check it out for yourself, this is a solid price. PS4 and Xbox One copies of Cyberpunk 2077 come with free next-gen upgrades, and performance is improved on PS5 and Series X. Cyberpunk 2077 also recently received a big update that includes hundreds of fixes and improvements. See at Best Buy Ghost of Tsushima $39.88 (was $60) Whether you're gaming on PS4 or PS5, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima is well worth checking out. Thanks to a gorgeous next-gen update, it earned a spot on our best PS5 games so far roundup. The open-world action game features a stylish combat system and an engrossing mainline story, and the free post-launch multiplayer content makes Tsushima a game you could be playing long after the credits roll. It's on sale for $39.88 at Walmart. See at Walmart The Last of Us Part 2 $29.88 (was $60) The Last of Us Part 2 is on sale for $29.88 at Amazon. This is the same price you can find during the PlayStation Store Spring Sale, but if you prefer a physical copy, now's your chance to snag one at a great price. The Last of Us Part 2 was one of our favorite games of 2020 thanks to its gripping story of revenge, great characters, and a solid mix of stirring action and stealth combat. See at Amazon LG 27-Inch Ultragear GHD Gaming Monitor $297 (was $400) One of LG's best gaming monitors is on sale for more than $100 off at Amazon right now. The 27-inch Ultragear QHD monitor has a 2560p resolution IPS display and a lightning fast 1ms response time. The quick response time paired with a 144Hz refresh rate and G-Sync technology creates a smooth gaming experience even when there is chaos on screen. See at Amazon SanDisk Ultra 1TB Internal NVMe SSD $100 (was $230) NVMe internal solid-state drives are quite expensive, but Best Buy has a great daily deal on a 1TB option. The SanDisk Ultra 1TB PC Express 3.0 x 4 NVMe SSD is slashed to $100, down from $230. The hallmark of NVMe drives is speed, and this SanDisk Ultra SSD boasts 2,400MB per second read speeds and close to 2,000MB per second write speeds. See at Best Buy WD 4TB External Hard Drive $85 (was $150) If you're looking for a storage device for your PC, Xbox, or PlayStation, Best Buy has a fantastic deal on a reliable Western Digital drive. The WD 4TB Easystore external hard drive is only $85 today only, which is a substantial discount off its regular $150 price. This is a USB 3.0 drive capable of transferring 5Gbps. See at Best Buy Hyperkin Duke Xbox Controller $50 (was $70) The original Xbox controller--known as the Duke--wasn't very popular when it released, prompting Microsoft to retool the controller to a shape that's familiar to all Xbox fans nowadays. That said, the Duke has garnered a dedicated following, which eventually led to this officially licensed recreation from Hyperkin. The retro-minded translucent green controller is great for gamers with larger hands, and the Duke is improved thanks to shoulder buttons. It works with both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Hyperkin's Duke controller is on sale for $50 at the Microsoft Store. It's featured in our best Xbox Series X controllers roundup. See at Microsoft Store Logitech G613 Keyboard + G903 Mouse $178 (was $278) Amazon has an excellent deal on wireless gaming keyboard and mouse bundle from Logitech. On sale for $100 off, the bundle comes with the Logitech G613 wireless gaming keyboard and G903 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse. The G613 has Romer G mechanical switches built for a quiet performance. The G903 has a 25K DPI optical sensor, 11 programmable buttons, and a battery life of up to 180 hours on a single charge (140 with lighting enabled). You can also purchase each of these products separately at a discount, with the G613 down to $78 and the G903 for $100. See at Amazon Razer Basilisk HyperSpeed Wireless Gaming Mouse $100 (was $150) The Razer Basilisk is one of the most versatile and comfortable gaming mouses around. It boasts a 20K DPI sensor, 11 programmable buttons, Chroma RGB lighting, and runs for up to 100 hours on a full charge. The Basilisk has an ergonomic design that makes it comfortable for lengthy gaming sessions. It's on sale for $50 off at Amazon right now. See at Amazon Lego Super Mario Starter Course $48 (was $60) Lego Super Mario released last year, and if you want to dive into the brick-building interactive playsets, the starter course is the first purchase you should make. Amazon is offering the Lego Super Mario Starter Course for $48. The 231-piece set lets you create your own Mario levels and comes with the Mario figure that is used to interact with every Lego Super Mario expansion set. See at Amazon RowOne Home Theater Recliner $830 (was $1,180) Many people have missed the movie theater experience over the past year, and one of Best Buy's daily deals helps you bring the charm of the cinema to your own home. RowOne's high-quality home theater recliner looks like seats you'd find in a theater, with a black leather and vinyl design that is stylish and soft to the touch. The recliner also has some nice bells and whistles, including power reclining, a USB charging port, and storage departments in the arms. The cupholder and base rail both have LED lighting as well. RowOne's home theater recliner is on sale for $830 today only, down from $1,180. See at Best Buy Xbox Spring Sale More than 600 games discounted The Xbox Spring Sale is live until April 15 with deals on more than 600 games for Xbox One and Xbox Series X. You can check out some of the highlights below:Assassin's Creed Valhalla -- $40 ($60)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare -- $45 ($60)Control Ultimate Edition -- $20 ($40)Gears Tactics -- $24 ($60)Hitman 3 -- $45 ($60)Mortal Kombat Ultimate -- $30 ($60)Ori: The Collection -- $17.50 ($35)Rainbow Six Siege Deluxe -- $10 ($40)Red Dead Redemption 2 -- $27 ($60)Star Wars Squadrons -- $20 ($40)Watch Dogs: Legion -- $30 ($60)Yakuza: Like a Dragon -- $42 ($60) See on Xbox Store PSN Spring Sale More than 700 games discounted The PlayStation Store is also hosting a massive Spring Sale featuring more than 700 games, including numerous PlayStation exclusives:Assassin's Creed Valhalla -- $40.19 ($60)BioShock: The Collection -- $10 ($50)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare -- $39 ($60)Doom Eternal -- $24 ($60)Dreams -- $13 ($20)Ghost of Tsushima -- $40.19 ($60)The Last of Us: Part II -- $30 ($60) See on PlayStation Store Best Deals And Sales This Week Today Only: Get A Super-Fast 1TB SSD For Just $100 Best Deals Today: Monster Hunter Rise For $50, Gaming Mice, LG Gaming Monitor, And More GameStop's Big Spring Sale Is Live Now + Show More Best Deals And Sales This Week Links (3) 9 Free PS4 And PSVR Games Up For Grabs Now More Than 600 Xbox Games Discounted In Massive Spring Sale Animal Crossing Build-A-Bear Collection Launches Tuesday Info from Gamespot.com

New Jersey is lobbying to become a new major east coast filming location, after several studios opted to boycott Georgia due to new laws that critics say amounts to voter suppression. New Jersey governor Phil Murphy has reached out to major studios looking to make Georgia's loss into the Garden State's gain.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy wrote to Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros. touting New Jersey's film-friendly tax incentives and criticizing Georgia for its strict voter laws. He noted that New Jersey has a 30% tax credit on films, comparable to Georgia's incentives, and a 40% subsidy for studio development inside the state. He also signaled solidarity with the studios over the cause for their boycott in the first place, that being the strict voting restrictions recently passed by the state."I’ve watched the recent decisions coming from the Georgia State House with disappointment," Murphy wrote. "Restricting the right to vote is more than just wrong, it’s un-American. These voting restrictions have thrust Georgia into the national spotlight, with the vast majority seeing the State’s decision as an attack on people of color by a Governor and Legislature willing to do anything to stay in power."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Personal information for over 500 million Facebook users was recently posted online on a hacking forum. According to Business Insider, the data includes phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, birthdays, bios, locations, and some email addresses.The posted data includes users from 106 countries, with the vast majority of records coming from either the US, the UK, or India. Business Insider obtained a sample of the publicly available data and verified its contents by matching known Facebook users' phone numbers with information in the data set.A Facebook spokesperson told Insider that the leaked data is the result of a data breach that occurred in 2019. The tech company patched the vulnerability that allowed hackers to scrape the set later that year. Alon Gal, the chief technology officer of the cybercrime intelligence firm Hudson Rock, told Insider that while the data is old, it can still be used by hackers and scammers to trick users into giving up their private information.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

One of the biggest names in the world of cooking, Guy Fieri, has signed a new deal with Food Network that will see the host and Mayor of Flavortown stay with the channel through 2024.As relayed by The Hollywood Reporter, Fieri's deal with Food Network covers three more years. Fieri has been with Food Network since 2006 after he won the network's The Next Food Network Star reality show. He's since become one of the network's most famous personalities, helping drive the success of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, which is on its 33rd season. More recently, Fieri's new show Tournament of Champions debuted in 2020."Guy Fieri infuses his unmatched energy and passion into every show he makes," Food Network president Courtney White said. "He is truly one-of-a-kind, adored globally for his own love of food and his deep appreciation for the people behind the restaurant scenes. I am beyond thrilled to be able to continue this extraordinary, creative partnership."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

As part of Game of Thrones's 10-year anniversary in April, HBO has been fanfaring it up by both revealing the most watched episodes and also announcing a "month-long celebration to commemorate the series." The most-watched episodes are now being reported in HBO Max and are as follows in this order:S1, E5: The Wolf and the LionS1, E6: A Golden CrownS1, E4 Cripples, Bastards, and Broken ThingsS2, E1: The North RemembersS1, E3: Lord SnowS2, E2: The Night LandsThe 10-year anniversary, which HBO is calling The Iron Anniversary, kicks off with a curated spotlight page on HBO Max, with "personalized curations, a binge-watching marathon, special-edition products, and more" launching throughout the month. That link will also be a go-to source for that marathon, dubbed the MaraThrone, which starts on April 10 and will "challenge fans… to binge watch all 73 episodes of the series on HBO Max while raising money for select global charities."The marathon, which will reportedly take place over two weeks, will have "cast members rally the fandom to contribute" to charities including Women for Women International, World Central Kitchen, Conservation International, International Rescue Committee (IRC), UNICEF, FilmAid International, SameYou, Royal Mencap Society, National Urban League, and The Trevor Project. "A selection of superfans and influencers" will receive a MaraThrone "kit" to "aid their marathon-viewing experiences." Later in the month, HBO will "surprise three couples who were married in Westeros-themed ceremonies with special anniversary gifts," which will include "GoT-branded barrels of wine, custom chalices, and elaborate cakes."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Playdemic, the mobile game studio owned by Warner Bros., has announced a partnership with golfing great Bubba Watson for its golf game, Golf Clash.This takes the form of a limited-time event that runs April 8-10 in the game, during which players can compete in what's being called Bubba's 9-Hole Cup. This is a three-round tournament set on the Southern Pines golf course. While the tournament doesn't begin until April 8, you can check it out through a practice mode right now on iOS and Android. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A previously brewing lawsuit against The Shape of Water for that film having allegedly plagiarized the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Zindel has been dismissed, according to The Hollywood Reporter. On Friday, Disney's Fox units, Guillermo del Toro, and other defendants filed court papers indicating that the parties involved in the litigation had reached an agreement to dismiss the case."David Zindel, the son of Paul Zindel, author of Let Me Hear You Whisper, acknowledges, based on confidential information obtained during the litigation process, that his claims of plagiarism are unfounded," a spokesperson for the defendants said in a statement. "He acknowledges Guillermo del Toro as the true creator of The Shape of Water. Any similarity between the two works is coincidental."The Shape of Water is a delightfully weird and weirdly delightful romance story about a fishman and the mute cleaner at the high-security government laboratory where the former is being held. Released in 2017, the film received 13 nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, going on to win four: Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Director, and Best Picture.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A line in Outriders that appears to reference the January 6 insurrection in Washington DC is "purely coincidental," according to publisher Square Enix.Outriders features a sci-fi story in which Earth has been abandoned for a new home, but various characters are old enough to remember their prior planet. In a dialogue exchange reminiscing about old times and swapping war stories, your player character makes a reference to saving your partner from a "redneck mob storming DC."At a glance, this appears as if it could have been a reference to the January 6 storming of the United States Capitol building, in which supporters of former President Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election results. However, Square Enix says this isn't the case.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Obsidian's survival game Grounded has been updated on all platforms to address a number of issues raised by the community and more. The new 0.8.1 update is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and the patch notes are outlined below.Starting off, bases built on certain objects will no longer return an "Unsupported" error when you try to load them. Additionally, melee and ranged attacks should now register more like they should, while you should experience less lag and hitching when looking at buildings. Furthermore, any backpacks that escape the game world will now resync with you.Outside of these fixes, Grounded's trail market for the "Weed Killer Peak" quest will now show up in the right place, while any insects you've stuffed can be placed on furniture.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

April is officially underway, which means some new Field Research tasks and rewards are now live in Pokemon Go. In addition to the new rewards, Niantic is offering a new Research Breakthrough encounter this month. Each time you achieve a Research Breakthrough in April, you'll earn a chance to catch a male Frillish.To achieve a Research Breakthrough in the game, you'll first need to earn seven stamps. You'll get one stamp for the first Field Research task you complete each day, so you'll need to complete tasks over at least seven days before you can catch Frillish. If you weren't able to achieve a Research Breakthrough last month, any progress you made will carry over, which will reduce the number of stamps you need to earn this month.Unlike Special Research, which is assigned by Professor Willow, Field Research tasks are typically distributed at PokeStops and Gyms. You'll randomly receive one task from an overarching pool when you spin the Photo Disc, and the rewards for completing them may include Pokemon encounters or helpful items like berries and Poke Balls. You can see this month's Field Research tasks and rewards list, as compiled by The Silph Road, below.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Suicide Squad's record-setting new trailer features a modified version of Steely Dan's iconic song, "Dirty Work," and now the composer of the remix has shed some new light. Having released in 1972, the song is close to 50 years old, but director James Gunn was intent on bringing it back for the trailer, in part because its themes match up well with what The Suicide Squad is all about.The remix was composed by sound designer Adrian Nicholas Valdez, who is also responsible for the new edition of White Zombie's "More Human Than Human" for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone."Dirty Work" is a very slow and chill song, but Valdez told Variety that he was asked to "make it driving" to fit with the tone of The Suicide Squad.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com