Building a criminal empire isn't all fun and games, you know. In Evil Genius 2, the sequel/reboot of the 2004 cult classic strategy game, running a casino and super-secret volcano lair with a doomsday device takes vision… and the ability to manage an army of minions. It's a management sim that requires careful planning and timing; you need to build a base that runs like a well-oiled machine that can mint the resources you'll need to conquer the globe. To succeed where every Bond villain has failed, the base needs to double as a labyrinth of wild traps like shark pits and laser walls that can keep nosy secret agents from bringing too much heat down on you. Though aspects of the game can feel like they're at cross-purposes from time to time, Evil Genius 2's goofy, lighthearted vision perfectly captures a cartoony retro spy vibe that lets you revel in pretending you're the ultimate evil boss.Taking advantage of nearly 20 years of technological advances since the original, Evil Genius 2 makes good on the promise of making a Bond Villain simulator. The art, music, and style channel the cartoon camp of ‘60s and ‘70s spy movies and TV. In cutscenes, the Genius banters with rival villains and super spies or berates his minions, who maintain a sheepish, aww-shucks attitude. All of this paints the Genius' rise to power as a fun, free-wheeling romp. The swanky lounge soundtrack, punctuated by dramatic musical cues likewise feels like it's pulled out of the early-era Bond that permeates every pore of the game.The '60s and '70s spy-movie vibe permeates every aspect of Evil Genius 2 to great effect.You can feel it most acutely in the characters. Though you are the mastermind, there are actually many Evil Geniuses. At the start of the game you can choose one of four to be your avatar. From the gold-obsessed Maximilian to the metal-armed Russian General Red Ivan, the geniuses all have the larger-than-life international crime syndicate boss look and feel. You can also recruit "henchmen," unique lieutenants with similar powers and Bond villain personas. Lastly, each region of the world has a singular Super Agent who can disrupt your base pretty handily and deliver some of that crucial hero-villain banter.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

GameStop's annual Spring Sale has already begun and will run all week, ending Saturday, April 3. As usual, the GameStop Spring Sale brings a medley of game deals for PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch as well as discounts on collectibles and accessories. Several games also support next-gen upgrades, should you have or plan to buy one of the newer systems soon. GameStop has released a preview of its Spring Sale deals ahead of time, so we're rounding up the best ones here. The sale doesn't have any particularly mind-blowing offers, but there are a few things worth calling out. There's a preowned games sale that's a good opportunity to snag a bunch of older games for relatively cheap--the offer lets you pick five games for $50 (they must be preowned games under $20 though). In terms of new games, some of the best game deals include Yakuza: Like a Dragon for $40, Little Nightmares II for $20, and Persona 5 Royal for $30. You can also pick up Splatoon 2 for $50--that's not a huge discount, but Splatoon 2 rarely crops up in sales like this, so it's notable.Game dealsPreowned games -- get five for $50 (on titles under $20)Assassin's Creed Valhalla -- $30 ($60)BioShock: The Collection -- $20 ($50)Borderlands: Legendary Collection -- $20 ($50)Immortals Fenyx Rising -- $30 ($60)Just Dance 2021 -- $30 ($50)Little Nightmares II -- $20 ($30)Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Kollection -- $20 ($40)Persona 5 Royal -- $30 ($60)Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition -- $30 ($40)Splatoon 2 -- $50 ($60)Star Wars Squadrons -- $20 ($40)XCOM 2 Collection -- $20 ($50)Watch Dogs Legion -- $20 ($60)Yakuza: Like a Dragon -- $40 ($60)Aside from games, accessories and gaming tech are seeing discounts in the GameStop Spring Sale as well. If you have more than one pair of Joy-Cons, you can snag PowerA's Joy-Con Charging Dock for $20, letting you charge four Joy-Con controllers at once. GameStop is also releasing a Razer PC gaming bundle that gets you the Cynosa Lite gaming keyboard, Viper Mini gaming mouse, and Gigantus V2 gaming mouse mat for $70 during the Spring Sale. And if you're in need of a cheap gaming chair, the Victorage gaming chair will be $40 off and is made of thick PVC faux leather, reclines up to 145 degrees, and comes with head and lower back pillows.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The next seasonal theme for Rocket League has been revealed by Psyonix. Following the musical Season 2, Season 3 will be a celebration of auto racing. It begins April 7, and it puts a major focus on both Nascar and Formula 1 racing. Keeping to the theme, Season 3 introduces a new auto racer battle car, the Tyranno. The Tyranno can be unlocked through Season 3's battle pass; it has a Dominus hitbox.Season 3's battle cars are all themed around auto racing, with the F1 and NASCAR contained in bundles and the Tyranno unlocked via the battle pass.Additionally, throughout Season 3, two new battle car bundles will become available in the shop. In early May, a NASCAR battle car bundle will be added, and in mid-May, a Formula 1 battle car bundle will roll in.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

With vaccines rolling out more widely in the United States and daily new COVID-19 cases getting progressively lower, San Diego Comic-Con has been scheduled as an in-person event for later this year. However, the organizers opted to do it on Thanksgiving weekend, and unless you live locally, attending would mean missing Thanksgiving itself. Comic-Con Special Edition will take place at the San Diego Convention Center as a three-day event from November 26 through November 28. That means it starts the day after Thanksgiving, assuming the health situation allows for it."It is our hope that by Fall, conditions will permit larger public gatherings," Comic-Con International said in a statement.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Game Boy Advance SP is one of the best handheld systems ever made, fixing nearly every issue the original Game Boy Advance model had while also lookin a whole lot sleeker. It's also, apparently, the perfect system to use in a DIY-style tiny arcade kit, and you can buy one for yourself now.Available in a variety of styles from the Etsy seller RetroJoyGaming, these Game Boy Advance mini arcade kits come with pre-sized pieces of wood that have been stained and oiled, leaving room for you to pop your open system in and start gaming like you're playing on an arcade cabinet. There are even little marked cutouts for where the shoulder and power buttons go so you don't need to remove it to turn it off or play a more complex game.First kit went out yesterday... Only about 6 years after I first came up with the idea. That's a pretty decent turn around time for me 😀 pic.twitter.com/ZzQPYNybp0 — Retro Joy (@retrojoygaming) March 27, 2021You'll also get a design template in case you want to then add your own custom artwork to it, and you can pop your system back out if you want to use it the standard way again. because of the cartridge slot being on the bottom, it's also easier to swap out a game when you want to play something new. Sure, there aren't any coins, but you can always cut out your own little slot to pretend.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

GameStop is gearing up to begin a big sale, and it's less than a day away. The retailer's annual Spring Sale will begin this Sunday, March 28, and run all next week, ending Saturday, April 3. As usual, the GameStop Spring Sale will bring a medley of game deals for PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch as well as discounts on collectibles and accessories. If you've been able to track down a PS5 or Xbox Series X, it's a great time to stock up. GameStop has released a preview of its Spring Sale deals ahead of time, so we're rounding up the best ones here. The sale doesn't have any particularly mind-blowing offers, but there are a few things worth calling out. There's a preowned games sale that's a good opportunity to snag a bunch of older games for relatively cheap--the offer lets you pick five games for $50 (they must be preowned games under $20 though). In terms of new games, some of the best game deals include Yakuza: Like a Dragon for $40, Little Nightmares II for $20, and Persona 5 Royal for $30. You can also pick up Splatoon 2 for $50--that's not a huge discount, but Splatoon 2 rarely crops up in sales like this, so it's notable.Game dealsPreowned games -- get five for $50 (on titles under $20)Assassin's Creed Valhalla -- $30 ($60)BioShock: The Collection -- $20 ($50)Borderlands: Legendary Collection -- $20 ($50)Immortals Fenyx Rising -- $30 ($60)Just Dance 2021 -- $30 ($50)Little Nightmares II -- $20 ($30)Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Kollection -- $20 ($40)Persona 5 Royal -- $30 ($60)Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition -- $30 ($40)Splatoon 2 -- $50 ($60)Star Wars Squadrons -- $20 ($40)XCOM 2 Collection -- $20 ($50)Watch Dogs Legion -- $20 ($60)Yakuza: Like a Dragon -- $40 ($60)Aside from games, accessories and gaming tech are seeing discounts in the GameStop Spring Sale as well. If you have more than one pair of Joy-Cons, you can snag PowerA's Joy-Con Charging Dock for $20, letting you charge four Joy-Con controllers at once. GameStop is also releasing a Razer PC gaming bundle that gets you the Cynosa Lite gaming keyboard, Viper Mini gaming mouse, and Gigantus V2 gaming mouse mat for $70 during the Spring Sale. And if you're in need of a cheap gaming chair, the Victorage gaming chair will be $40 off and is made of thick PVC faux leather, reclines up to 145 degrees, and comes with head and lower back pillows.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The ID@Xbox stream on March 26 was a gargantuan show that featured more than 100 games and ran for well over three hours, and one of the most-impressive games announced was Astria Ascending. A JRPG from Artisan Studios, it blends a Vanillaware art style with turn-based combat, and its development team includes some of the biggest names in Japanese gaming.Written by Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy VII Remake scribe Kazushige Nojima, and with music composed by Final Fantasy XII's Hitoshi Sakimoto, Astria Ascending stars eight heroes known as the "Demigods," and they're "charged with the fate of the world." The game features a number of different races as well as 20 different classes to choose from, and its story seems to be focused on a fruit known as the "harmelon" that keeps peace between the various groups in Orcanon. Yes, a "harmony melon" plays a key role. It's only possible in JRPGs. "… their fates are doomed, but the world is not," says a line on the Steam page. If you were looking for a story that was all sunshine and rainbows, you should probably look elsewhere. Alongside Final Fantasy and Bravely Default developers, Astria Ascending's team also includes Nier: Automata veterans, and that game isn't exactly known as a lighthearted romp.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

After previously sharing a vague Spring 2021 window for Rust: Console Edition, the development team at Double Eleven has finally given a firm launch date: May 21. The launch comes after major optimization challenges that were needed to get the game running on systems with significantly less power than the PCs required to run the original version.In a post on its website, Rust: Console Edition studio Double Eleven--the PC version was made by Facepunch Studios--said it needed to get the game working with 4.5 GB of RAM, despite the PC version having a minimum 10 GB requirement. This required rewriting much of the game in the Unity engine, but it still had extremely long loading times that could hit 45 minutes. Further optimization tricks cut this down to about one minute."We have got to a level of performance and stability that the majority of our beta testers seem to be happy with, and we are in the background striving to make it better every day!" said community manager Pedro Silva.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet was one of our favorite shows of 2020, and the show's second season is almost here--it arrives on Apple TV+ May 7. To celebrate, Apple has released a promo featuring our favorite game testers, Rachel (Ashly Burch) and Dana (Imani Hakim), testing a variety of non-video-game objects.Rachel and Dana's storyline throughout Mythic Quest Season 1, during which an adorable romance between them began to blossom, was one of the show's highlights. It's fun to see that the actors have great chemistry together as well. Check out the video below.Mythic Quest is a workplace comedy from the creators of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as well as Ubisoft Film & Television and Lionsgate TV. It stars It's Always Sunny's Rob McElhenney as Ian Grimm, the creative director of the titular game Mythic Quest. David Hornsby, who plays "Cricket" on It's Always Sunny, is also on the show, and Charlie Day helped write the second season. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

With COVID-19 bringing the entire planet to a halt for most of 2020, we started to see video games get delayed last year, including some major AAA releases. However, the real effect of the pandemic seems to be in games that were already planned for 2021, as teams had to use new work-from-home setups that delayed processes and ultimately often slowed down development. We aren't too far into the year yet, but a number of games have already been delayed, and we've rounded up a list of them all.Games on this list had either concrete release dates or a release window, so certain games announced for 2022 like Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 were not included. A game also didn't have to be delayed out of 2021 to be on the list--it just had to be delayed.Gran Turismo 7Gran Turismo 7Sony confirmed back in February that Gran Turismo 7 had been delayed into 2022. The decision came as "critical" parts of the development process were affected by the pandemic, and because of the changing nature of the global situation, a firm date wasn't set. As we get closer to next year, that will likely change.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

James Gunn has revealed who Sylvester Stallone is playing in The Suicide Squad, and it's none other than King Shark. In addition to this news, there are a whole new crop of character movie posters, showcasing the cast of the film.Before the brand-new red band trailer for Suicide Squad dropped, a slew of character posters for the August 6 movie dropped. And a little later, James Gunn announced who would be voicing King Shark: none other than action legend himself, Sylvester Stallone.In case you're wondering who that shark is... @TheSlyStallone King Shark. #TheSuicideSquad https://t.co/ziuCDeU0Wl pic.twitter.com/uB7mnqh7ab — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 26, 2021Most of the cast had their character posters revealed on Twitter. The official The Suicide Squad Twitter rounded them all up, and you can see each character in all their glory below.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Blizzard is making a change to how you might pay for World of Warcraft--going forward, the only option for Game Time is to buy it for 60 days. The 30, 90, and 180-day Game Time offerings are going away, and only 60 days will remain. The game's subscription offerings, meanwhile, are staying unchanged (more on that later).This Game Time change is effective immediately, but any time you might have bought already will remain available at the current rate and duration. Going forward, the only option will be to buy 60 days of Game Time for $30 USD.Blizzard said it's making these changes following a "review on the available services in all currencies."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Monster Hunter Rise is out now on Switch, and the game's first free post-launch update is slated to follow in late April. Capcom has shared a few more details on what that will include in its latest blog post, along with a very brief overview of what the next update after that will bring.As the publisher previously revealed, Monster Hunter Rise's 2.0 update will introduce a handful of new monsters to hunt. Capcom had previously confirmed that the Elder Dragon Chameleos will be among them, and in its blog post, it also revealed that Apex Rathalos will make its debut in the game as well. Additionally, the 2.0 update will unlock your Hunter Rank cap and adjust "a few other related features."After that, Capcom says it will roll out the game's 3.0 update "at a later date." The publisher didn't share too many specifics about that patch yet, but it confirmed that update will introduce another handful of monsters to the game as well as an "additional ending" to the game's story.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Microsoft revealed a slew of indie games coming to Xbox Game Pass at its ID@Xbox Showcase. The stream announced more than 20 games that will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch, many across both the console and PC versions of the service.Some highlights of the additions include the newly-debuted Nobody Saves the World from Guacamelee studio Drinkbox, Hello Neighbor 2, and STALKER 2 (which was previously confirmed for the subscription service). While some have set releases this year (or even this summer), most of the games have not announced a release target.Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's game subscription service, offering a rotating library of games for $10 per month for the console or PC versions. A combined Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription includes both console and PC, along with cloud streaming functionality. Some of the games announced will be coming with cloud streaming available at launch as well. That functionality is already on Android devices, and is said to be coming to iOS very soon.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Thanks to the charitable donations of World of Warcraft players, everyone is getting an adorable new in-game pet for the MMO. WoW's Doctors Without Borders campaign, which is raising money for efforts related to the pandemic, has now reached $500,000, which means Bananas the monkey is now available for everyone, even if you didn't donate.You can download Bananas for free right now from the Blizzard Shop. Should funding reach $1 million before the campaign ends on April 26, every WoW player will receive a second pet, Daisy the sloth, who is also adorable. You can see both pets in the image below; use the slider to quickly see each of them.Gallery Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com