Game News
Snag PS5-Exclusive Action Game Rise Of The Ronin For Only $40 Today Only (October 29)
One of PlayStation's 2024 console exclusives just received its best discount yet. Rise of the Ronin, the latest action-RPG from Team Ninja, is available for only $40 at Best Buy. This $30 discount is only available until the end of the day (October 29), and considering the previous low was $50--and even that was rare--we wouldn't be surprised if it sold out before then. The Rise of the Ronin deal is joined by a rare discount on another PS5-exclusive action-RPG: Stellar Blade. You can snag Stellar Blade for $50 (was $70) today only, too.
Stellar Blade Standard Edition
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Xenoblade Chronicles X Completes The Xenoblade Saga On Nintendo Switch In March
While the world waits with bated breath for the announcement of the company's next home console, Nintendo appears to be content making other announcements that no one is expecting. First it was Alarmo--the Nintendo-themed alarm clock that can wake you up to the sounds of Mario, Zelda, and dying Pikmin--and now it's a surprise game reveal: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, a remaster of the Wii U's Xenoblade Chronicles side-story action-RPG, is coming to Nintendo Switch on March 20.
Xenoblade Chronicles X takes place on the large open world of Mira, which is inhabited by humans and massive monsters alike. Players will create a custom character, with whom they'll join BLADE, a human protection agency based in the city of New Los Angeles, who fight the dangers of Mira with large bipedal mechs called Skells.
The updated version will include visual upgrades, story elements, and more, with one of those new story elements is teased in the game's announcement trailer: a mysterious hooded figure approaches the player on a beach, but the camera cuts away before their face is revealed.
Continue Reading at GameSpotJoaquin Phoenix Met With Christopher Nolan Over The Dark Knight's Joker Role
Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Academy Award for his take on the Joker in the first feature film, the actor revealed he almost played the part in another Batman movie. In a new interview, Phoenix said he talked to Christopher Nolan to play the Joker in 2008's The Dark Knight, though he didn't wind up with the role.
Speaking in length on Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin, Phoenix talked about a slew of topics, also how he met Nolan and wanted the role of Batman's iconic villain. However, he soon realized he wasn't right for the part.
"I remember I talked to Chris Nolan about The Dark Knight and that didn't happen for whatever reason. I wasn't ready then," the actor explained (via Deadline). "That's one of those things where it's like, 'What is in me that's not doing this?' And it's not about me. There's something else. There's another person who is going to do something."
Continue Reading at GameSpotDungeons & Dragons Worlds & Realms Sounds Like A Must-Read Book For D&D Players
Dungeons & Dragons - Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerun and Beyond
See at AmazonDungeons & Dragons fans have a new, multiverse-spanning adventure to read. Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerun and Beyond book released today, October 29. The hardcover volume was written to celebrate the classic tabletop roleplaying game's 50th anniversary and will read like a narrative-driven art book, taking readers on an illustrated tour of the many realms in the D&D franchise through the eyes of various adventuring parties. Amazon is offering a nice launch discount that drops the price of the new D&D book to $35 (list price is $50).
Dungeons & Dragons - Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerun and Beyond $35 (was $50)According to the book's description, Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerun and Beyond features many of the lands seen in all five editions of Dungeons & Dragons and its expansions across its 368 pages. Each chapter offers history and lore tidbits about the featured realm--however, instead of reading like a traditional D&D sourcebook, these insights are delivered by the mage Mordenkainen, giving readers an in-universe "mage’s-eye view of [each realm's] unique features, creatures, and characters."
Along with the mage's musings, you'll find short stories set in these various realms written by award-winning D&D writers like Jaleigh Johnson, Jody Houser, Eric Campbell, Jasmine Bhullar, and Geoffrey Golden. The book's lore dumps and short stories are accompanied by artwork from every edition of D&D, including all-new original illustrations that open each chapter.
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If you're a D&D fan, chances are you're also into Baldur's Gate 3, which is set in the Sword Coast region of the D&D realm Faerun. Soon, you'll be able to add the characters from the acclaimed CRPG into your tabletop sessions with the official D&D minis of Baldur's Gate 3 party members and enemies. The minis launch early next year and are available to preorder now.
Continue Reading at GameSpotRed Dead Redemption Is Finally On PC, More Than 14 Years Later
PC gamers have waited more than 14 years for Red Dead Redemption to make its way to that platform, but at long last, they can saddle up for the classic open-world cowboy adventure. Now available, this edition includes both the base game and its Undead Nightmare expansion, as well as PC-specific features like support for ultrawide and super ultrawide monitors, Nvidia DLSS frame generation, and other graphical upgrades.
Controversially, Red Dead Redemption has a launch price of $50, which Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called "commercially accurate" when it was released for that price in 2023 on PS4 and Switch (via IGN). In comparison, Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC is just $35 on Steam--and less than $20 at Fanatical--but you can save a few bucks on Red Dead Redemption with this launch deal for the Epic Games Store version.
See at Green Man Gaming (Use code OCT15)Hopefully, the game launches in a smoother state than GTA Trilogy, as the 2021 release of that game on PC was marred by numerous technical issues.
Continue Reading at GameSpotTwo M-Rated N64 Games Are Now On Nintendo Switch Online Ahead Of Halloween
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is celebrating spooky season with the addition of two M-rated N64 games--Shadow Man and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. Both games featuring weird creatures to fight are available now on the premium subscription service, just in time for Halloween.
Shadow Man is a voodoo-inspired action-adventure game that originally launched on N64 in 1999. It tasks players with stopping an apocalypse planned by a villain named Legion. A remastered version of Shadow Man actually came to Switch and other consoles back in 2022 from developer Nightdive Studios.
Meanwhile, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil came out in 1998 for N64 and was published by Acclaim like Shadow Man. The FPS sequel sees the eponymous hero going up against aliens and primitive foes. Turok 2 has also previously seen a remaster from Night Studios.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAlan Wake 2: The Lake House Star Explains Why Remedy Is Special
The final expansion of Alan Wake 2, The Lake House, is out now, closing a chapter for Remedy that was 13 years in the making. In The Lake House, players assume the role of Agent Kiran Estevez as she investigates the titular Federal Bureau of Control satellite station following a disturbance. The high strangeness of Remedy's Control mixes with the horror of Alan Wake 2, giving the expansion the feeling of both an epilogue and a prologue, as the studio continues to build out its connected universe, the RCU.
I recently caught up with the DLC's star, Janina Gavankar, whom you may know from things like Star Wars Battlefront 2 and True Blood. Gavankar explained what she loves about working with Remedy, why she's hoping to do it again soon, and whether we can expect to see her in Control's sequel.
"I've been stalking Remedy and Sam [Lake] for eight years," Gavankar said. "Quantum Break was my first Remedy game, and I loved it so much. I found all three acts of [in-universe movie script] Time Knife, and I invited some of the cast over, and I made a soundboard so I could play effects, and I streamed a live reading of it. I think that's when Sam and other people at Remedy realized, 'Oh, she's like us.'"
Continue Reading at GameSpotGet 18 Dragon Age And Mass Effect Comics For Just $18 At Humble Bundle
Just in time for the launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Humble is offering an enticing Dragon Age and Mass Effect Digital Comic Bundle, giving you a chance to dive deeper into the lore of these two iconic series. The bundle is available in three tiers--the best of which gets you 18 digital comics valued at $189 for just $18. That's an impressive offer, and since it doesn't end until November 11, you have plenty of time to cash in on the deal.
See at HumbleThis Humble Bundle lets you pay any price for the collection, and depending on how much you spend, you’ll unlock a different number of comics. Spending $18 or more is the best option, as it’ll get you the full 18-comic bundle, which equates to $189 worth of comics. There’s also a seven-comic bundle for $10 and a two-comic bundle for just $1.
We've outlined the full list of comics included in each tier below, but some highlights include Dragon Age: The Missing, which bridges the events between Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Mass Effect: Foundations Volumes 1-3, which flesh out the backstories of companions characters from the beloved sci-fi RPG series. All comics in the bundle are delivered as PDF and CBZ files, allowing you to read them on a variety of devices, including your smartphone, PC, Kindle, or tablet.
Continue Reading at GameSpotCall Of Duty's Iconic Nuketown Map Arrives To Black Op 6 This Week
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 just arrived on October 25, launching with 16 brand-new multiplayer maps. However, Treyarch has confirmed the fan-favorite Nuketown map is returning this week, as well as a popular game mode.
Nuketown joins the Black Ops 6 map pool on Friday, November 1. The map has seen several themes and variations over the years, but players can expect the original 1950s-style Nuketown from 2010's Black Ops 1. The Black Ops 6 campaign is set in the '90s, but the developer explained that the original Nuketown map was chosen because many players have never experienced the original Nuketown setting. You can check out a new Nuketown trailer below.
While players will only have to wait a few more days for some classic Nuketown action, the popular Infected game mode arrives to Black Ops 6 later today. This is a survival-style game mode that selects one random player as "infected," who must then work to eliminate the survivors, which turns them into infected teammates. Survivors must fight to stay alive until the time runs out, or the match ends if all players become infected.
Continue Reading at GameSpotPath Of Exile 2 Early Access Delayed, Still Releasing In 2024
Grinding Gear Games has announced that Path of Exile 2's early access launch has been delayed from November 15 to December 6. This is due to server-side infrastructure work that's taking longer than anticipated.
According to game director Jonathan Rogers, the studio intends to keep its promises of allowing microtransactions from the first game to carry to the second game. Not only do new systems have to be built, but the developers also have to make sure that old data from the first game is backwards compatible with them as well. The developers also have to conduct load testing to make sure that the game doesn't fall apart at launch.
Rogers also explained that he believes the original launch date could have been met, but not without making mistakes. "We have to get everything perfect so that nobody loses anything they paid for, and nobody has their account broken," he said in a video.
Continue Reading at GameSpotRobert Downey Jr. Plans To Sue Anyone Who Makes An AI Replica Of Him
The uncanny valley of performers' likenesses is getting more shallow as technology advances and use the of AI becomes more prominent. From the early days of CGI being used in place of an actor with the family's blessing such as Nancy Marchand in The Sopranos, to Peter Cushing in Rogue One. However, Robert Downey Jr is making sure he will never be digitally recreated, even after he's long dead.
Appearing on a recent episode of the On With Kara Swisher podcast, the Oscar winner explains his intentions to anyone and everyone who tries to digitally clone him in any fashion.
"I intend to sue all future executives," he said bluntly (via Variety). That goes for any higher-ups who sign off on the creation of a Downey digital replica. Downey explained that he didn't want his likeness being used on-screen through AI technology and/or deepfakes.
Continue Reading at GameSpotMass Effect 5 Won't Have Stylized Dragon Age Graphics, But It Will Have Mature Tones
With the upcoming launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard this week, Mass Effect 5 project director Michael Gamble has commented on some of the differences that players will see between BioWare's fantasy and sci-fi franchises. One thing that Mass Effect fans can expect to see kept intact is the realistic art direction of that series, as opposed to the stylized visual approach of the new Dragon Age game.
"Mass Effect is photorealistic and will be as long as I'm running it," Gamble wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in response to a comment about Dragon Age's art direction. In terms of mood, Gamble added that "Mass Effect will maintain the mature tone" of the original trilogy of games, with some room for its serious characters to be put into humorous situations.
Regarding tone questions: Mass Effect will maintain the mature tone of the original Trilogy. This is all I'm gonna say for now.
— Michael Gamble (@GambleMike) October 29, 2024Mass Effect games have traditionally aimed for a photorealistic presentation using the technology of the time, and while there have been some technical gaffes--like Mass Effect: Andromeda's infamous issues--each entry in the series has looked great in action.
Continue Reading at GameSpotNFL's Monday Night Football Will Look Like It's Happening On The Simpsons In December
Bart and Homer will confront one another in a brand-new way in December. The iconic Simpsons characters will show up on an animated NFL field as the Cincinnati Bengals face the Dallas Cowboys on December 9. It's all part of The Simpsons Funday Football, a special Monday Night Football presentation that will display the action in animated form on Atoms Stadium in Springfield.
The Simpsons Funday Football show will stream on Disney+ and ESPN+ (as well as NFL+ on mobile) starting at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET on December 9. For most of the NFL game, Sony's Beyond Sports Technology will transform Bengals and Cowboys players into The Simpsons world. But, during specific plays and moments, Bart will show up on the field with the Bengals, and Homer will do the same for the Cowboys.
The special presentation will see Bart show up on the field with the Cincinnati Bengals and Homer with the Dallas Cowboys.Marge and Lisa are set to talk with players during the game--with Bart's sister also cheering on the Bengals--while Maggie controls the SkyCam. Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse, and Ralph will also root for the Bengals. On the other side, Carl, Barney, Lenny, and Moe will back the Cowboys with Homer.
Continue Reading at GameSpotIndiana Jones And The Great Circle Is Scratching My Dishonored Itch
Trailers for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle have nailed the tone of the franchise. The triumphant John Williams theme song, Harrison Ford's sly smirk, all accompanied with the crack of a whip and the distant howl of a Wilhelm scream. These are stylistic staples in the 43-year-old franchise that has had five films, a handful of games, and a TV show. There's no doubt that developer MachineGames understands the look and feel of Indy, but questions have lingered around its ability to capture playing as the globetrotter. Now that I've had some hands-on time with the game, it's clear to me MachineGames understands more than just the aesthetic of Indiana Jones, but also what it means to be Indiana Jones. The result is a promising prospect not just for fans of the franchise, but the adventure genre as a whole.
Taking place between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, The Great Circle sees the titular character a year removed from his globe-trotting adventures, having been teaching archaeology at the fictional Marshall College in the interim. At the beginning of my hands-on time, I wasn't thrust instantly into a big action set piece, but instead I got to walk around as Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr. the professor, rather than Indiana Jones the adventurer. This is an important distinction, as it presented a more relatable tone with the character, and a steady sense of pacing that allowed me to take in its environments rather than run through them--characteristics I was happy to see present for the entirety of my 90 minutes of hands-on time, all the way from Marshall College to the mini-sandbox of Giza.
Playing as Dr. Jones the professor, rather than Indiana Jones the adventurer, presents a more grounded tone.Dr. Jones's time-off from adventuring is put to an end, however, when he comes face-to-face with a towering intruder, portrayed by the menacing presence of Tony Todd, who steals an artifact from the college's gallery and beats the crap out of Jones. With an artifact gone and its mystery thief on the run, Professor Jones hangs up the tweed sports coat in exchange for his brown leather jacket and fedora.
Continue Reading at GameSpotChristopher Lee's Saruman Will Appear In Lord Of The Rings Movie, 10 Years After His Death
Christopher Lee lived a life that was almost out of legend. He was friends with both JRR Tolkien and Ian Fleming and eventually portrayed iconic characters from their respective worlds. Lee portrayed the dark wizard Saruman in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises, and despite having passed away in 2015, the actor will reprise his role from beyond the grave in The War of Rohirrim.
Philippa Boyens, a longtime collaborator of Peter Jackson and co-writer of The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, spoke with TheOneRing.net at New York Comic Con and confirmed that Saruman will make an appearance, once again voiced by Lee.
"We went into his [recordings], I got to go back and hear his voice, not just doing his lines, but talking to us as we were recording him," Boyens said. "We based [his performance on The War of Rohirrim] on a line from The Hobbit, which is 'Are you in need of assistance my lady?', a version of that line. We can see how many takes he did of that, can we use it, can we find a new read on it, and change it up a little bit…but it is an authentic bit of a Christopher Lee performance."
Continue Reading at GameSpotBungie Is Fixing Busted Destiny 2 Perk RNG After Mass Community Bug Hunt
In the weeks since Destiny 2's latest dungeon, Vesper's Host, released, players have been convinced that some perk combinations on legendary weapons are far rarer than others, if not impossible to get. Bungie recently acknowledged that there is indeed a bug affecting legendary weapon perk RNG and has now shared more details on the bug, as well as a timeline for fixes and compensation.
The whole perk RNG saga has been dubbed "WeightGate" by the community, after players accused Bungie of having a secret perk weighting system in Destiny 2's backend. The issue came to the forefront after Vesper's Host released, when players noticed that it was almost impossible to get the new VS Chill Inhibitor grenade launcher with its most sought-after perk combination--Envious Arsenal and Bait and Switch.
While a single person's inability to get Chill Inhibitor's god roll might be put down to RNG and bad luck, some players suspected this was happening on a larger scale. Developer Newo, who created third-party analytics tool RaidHub for Destiny 2, created a new tool that could track perk rolls at scale, and managed to uncover a distinct pattern.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Xbox App On PC Is Becoming Quicker And Easier To Use
Microsoft has released a new update for the Xbox app on PC, though the update is currently only available for Xbox Insiders. Among other things, it lets users easily visit a recently played game's hub and jump directly into gameplay and more easily see new releases.
The new update includes a feature called "jump back in," which was tested back in May as part of the Game Pass tab experience. This feature shows the last nine games played in Compact Mode, letting players go to any game card which pulls up the game's hub, and allowing them to jump into gameplay.
Jump back in with the Xbox appAs for other features, part of the Home screen will now show featured content that includes new updates, upcoming game releases, and Game Pass content. That should let you more easily open the app and see the most notable new content.
Continue Reading at GameSpotOne Of The Best-Looking 4X Strategy Games Releases In November On PC And Console
Developer Chimera Entertainment has revealed that 4X strategy game Songs of Silence will be released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on November 13. Originally launching through Steam Early Access in June 2024, Songs of Silence is a mix of traditional 4X strategy and resource-gathering with battles that unfold at a faster pace when compared to other games in the genre.
The Art Nouveau-inspired visuals also give it a unique look and the game features an original score by Final Fantasy Tactics composer Hitoshi Sakimoto.
"The release of Songs of Silence is a huge milestone for our studio," creative director Alex Kehr said in a press statement. "Following our journey in Steam Early Access, our players' feedback has shaped the game into something truly special. We are so excited for the community to dive into the 1.0 version of Songs of Silence to experience its epic story campaign, hours upon hours of multiplayer content, finely-tuned combat, and tons of gameplay options that we feel reinvigorates the 4X strategy genre."
Continue Reading at GameSpotHorror Game Sale Features Scary Good Deals On Silent Hill 2, Cult Of The Lamb, And More
Ahead of Halloween, Fanatical has kicked off a big sale with some scary good deals on horror hits as well as games with tropes from the genre such as zombies, vampires, and ghosts. Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Miles Morales are also prominently featured on the Frightfest sale landing page. Since Spider-Man is a very popular Halloween costume, we suppose it fits the theme--and both games are nearly 50% off, so they are awesome deals regardless. Most of the games in the sale are Steam keys that can be redeemed instantly.
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Jumanji 3, Which is Actually Jumanji 4, Lands A 2026 Release Date
There was a 22-year gap between the first Jumanji, and its 2017 sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. So a seven-year gap between the third film, 2019's Jumanji: The Next Level, and the fourth movie isn't that bad by comparison. Now, Sony has set the date for the next Jumanji... which it's listing as "Jumanji 3"for now.
Jumanji 3 will hit theaters on December 11, 2026. It's more than likely that the film's final title will forgo the 3 altogether, just as The Next Level was released without a 2 in its name. And while there are no other films listed as opening that weekend, Sony has chosen a date that's only a week before Dune Messiah and an untitled Star Wars movie. Given the lack of Star Wars movies in the last five years, it won't be shocking if that untitled Star Wars film is pushed to another date. But if Dune Messiah sticks around, there could be a franchise battle in late December 2026.
According to Deadline, Jake Kasdan will return as the director, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson set to produce the sequel alongside Kasdan, Hiram Garcia, and Matt Tolmach. Johnson is reportedly also set to reprise his role Dr. Xander Bravestone. Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan are said to be in negotiations to return as well.
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