After 15 years since the first game in the series, the "Classic Dungeon" is back! The latest installment of the "Classic Dungeon" series, "Classic Dungeon X3," has been released, with all elements powered up by more than x3 (3 times)! You are one of the many bad guys who were suddenly brought to Manoakazu one day. Then, the bad guys who gathered at Manoakazu are told that they will play a death game for "world peace." You must become strong to survive the dangerous death game full of bad guys. You will train yourself, collect items, and step into the mysterious dungeon connected to Manoakazu to become the strongest bad guy.

The town of Hallfein was once situated at the border of three provinces, and thrived due to mining and trade. However, a mysterious disaster struck the town, causing most of its residents to disappear and leading to it becoming a restricted area. As time passed, restrictions on the town were lifted, and a plan to restore it was initiated. Seizing this opportunity, a young woman and a young man, having come of age after being driven from Hallfein long ago, now return to the land they once called home. After meeting in their hometown, the two embark on a journey together to seek the truth, unaware of the encounters and revelations that await them...

The Lord of the Rings Hardcover Box Set (1988)

$40.79 (was $90) | Artwork by Alan Lee

Get deal at Amazon

Amazon's early Prime Big Deal Days sale features a wide assortment of excellent book deals, including steep discounts on a bunch of popular fantasy and sci-fi box sets. As usual, some of the most popular deals take readers back to Middle-earth. One of the standouts is a beloved 3-book box set of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings with artwork by Alan Lee on the front covers and beautiful display box. Prime members can get this vintage hardcover box set for only $40.79 (was $90), which is the lowest price this year.

After you're done checking out the vintage box set, read on for more superb deals on Tolkien box sets, such as The Complete History of Middle-earth for $80.65 (was $250), and budget-friendly Collector's Editions like The Hobbit for $11.33 and The Silmarillion for $12.26. With Prime Big Deal Days set for October 7-8, you can expect to see even more great promotions on Tolkien books in the coming days.

The Lord of the Rings Hardcover Box Set (1988) $40.79 (was $90) | Artwork by Alan Lee

One of the most popular modern editions of The Lord of the Rings, the 1988 hardcover box set offers the most economical way to get editions with cover and box art illustrated by Alan Lee. Widely considered to be the best artist who has worked on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Alan Lee's Middle-earth landscape paintings and Middle-earth maps are gorgeous.

The box set has wrap-around art on the slipcase that matches the covers of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Each cover resembles a painting, as the full-color illustrations have ornate frames with detailed patterns. These editions also come with fold-out maps of Middle-earth during the Third Age. Each book concludes with a section of appendices filled with fascinating reference material and background information.

The muted color palette combined with the classical typeface and faded yellow dust jackets makes these editions look appropriately vintage. Even over 45 years later, though, these editions are among the most beautiful you can buy today. It's not surprising these hardcover editions and the box set remain in print. Across all three volumes, the 1988 edition of LOTR is 1,214 pages.

You can check out the cover designs of each of the three volumes below. Each hardcover is also sold separately, but you'd wind up spending roughly $50 and won't get the lovely display box.

Get deal at Amazon The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (1988 editions)

As mentioned, the 1988 editions are the most affordable with cover art by Alan Lee, but there are editions filled with incredible illustrations by the artist. Last year, William Morrow published a remastered edition of the phenomenal 1992 Centenary Edition of The Lord of the Rings. The collector's set carries a $325 retail price, but it's also on sale in Amazon's early Prime Big Deal Days sale. You can get The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set for only $135.09 (58% off). This three-volume set is packaged in a custom cloth board display box and features over 50 new illustrations and drawings by Lee. The books themselves have cloth board cases and are quarterbound in leather. Check out our dedicated story on The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set to see why these editions are so special.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

One Battle After Another on 4K Blu-ray

Steelbook 4K: $44.25 | Standard 4K: $30

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart

Paul Thomas Anderson (and Thomas Pynchon) fans can preorder One Battle After Another on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon and Walmart. The Leonardo DiCaprio-led action thriller just opened in theaters, but we already know of four physical editions. The Limited Edition Steelbook was briefly available to preorder at Walmart before selling out. Amazon has yet to open preorders for the 4K Steelbook, but the standard 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray editions are much cheaper at Amazon (for now at least). You can reserve One Battle After Another's 4K Blu-ray for $30, while the 1080p Blu-ray is $25.

One Battle After Another on 4K Blu-ray Steelbook 4K: $44.25 | Standard 4K: $30

One Battle After Another's 4K Blu-ray editions support HDR10 and two Dolby surround sound modes: Dolby Atmos and Dolby TrueHD 7.1. Special features haven't been revealed yet, neither has the official artwork for any of the four editions we know about so far: Limited Edition Steelbook, standard 4K Blu-ray, 1080p Blu-ray, and DVD. The Steelbook Edition artwork should be revealed soon, and it wouldn't be surprising if the movie poster above winds up being the cover for the standard editions.

The Steelbook Edition also comes with a standard Blu-ray disc and digital edition. The regular 4K Blu-ray edition only includes 4K and digital. The standard Blu-ray edition also includes the digital edition.

One Battle After Another at Amazon:

• 4K Standard -- $30
• Blu-ray -- $25
• DVD -- $20

One Battle After Another at Walmart:

• 4K Steelbook -- $44.25
• 4K Standard -- $37
• Blu-ray -- $33
• DVD -- $30

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson with Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti, and Teyana Taylor starring, One Battle After Another looks to be an early contender for major awards next year. An action thriller spliced with dark comedy, the 162-minute film currently sits at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes' critic meter. DiCaprio leads the way as a former revolutionary who is now perpetually paranoid due to rampant substance use. Bob Ferguson/Pat Calhoun (DiCaprio's character) must rescue his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) from Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, his mortal enemy played by Sean Penn.

One Battle After Another is inspired by Thomas Pynchon's 1990 novel Vineland. The basic premise and some plot points are adapted from the book, but One Battle After Another isn't a conventional adaptation. Anderson previously adapted Pynchon's 2009 novel Inherent Vice. The 2014 movie is considered to be "based on" rather than "inspired by," as it's more faithful in its approach. Unfortunately, Inherent Vice is only available on Blu-ray, not 4K Blu-ray, but at least it's super cheap. Pynchon, one of America's greatest living novelists, is famously reclusive, so it's doubtful we'll learn how he feels about One Battle After Another.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Last Year, Pacific Drive took players to an alternate version of the Pacific Northwest filled with bizarre horrors. The indie survival game was one of our favorite releases of the year, and soon it's getting a big new expansion, Whisper in the Woods, later in 2025. Even better, you'll be able to add a new physical edition of the game to your collection when the Amazon-exclusive Pacific Drive: Ritual Edition launches for PS5 later this year. This version will include the full base game plus the new Whisper in the Woods DLC, a selection of bonus content, and an exclusive steelbook case for $60. While there's no firm release date yet--nor any preorder bonuses announced--fans can secure their copy now at Amazon.

Pacific Drive: Ritual Edition $60 | Release TBA

This PS5-exclusive physical version of Pacific Drive will include the base game and the upcoming The Whisper in the Woods Story Expansion, four cosmetic DLC packs, and an exclusive steelbook with tuckbox packaging. While Pacific Drive originally launched on both PS5 and PC, this edition is limited to just PS5.

Preorder at Amazon Pacific Drive Ritual Edition

If you don't want to wait for the new Ritual Edition to own the game physically on PS5, check out the existing Pacific Drive: Deluxe Edition. This comes with the base game, an in-game cosmetic pack, a reversible cover, three physical art cards, and a traveler’s journal. It’s currently on sale for $36 (was $40), making it a nice alternative to the upcoming steelbook of the Ritual Edition. Meanwhile, PC players can grab the Steam version at a discount via Fanatical, where the standard edition is currently on sale for $13.64 (was $30) or the Deluxe Edition for $16 (was $35).

Pacific Drive Deals

• Pacific Drive standard edition (PC) -- $13.64 ($30)
• Pacific Drive: Deluxe Edition
  • PS5 -- $36 ($40)
  • PC -- $16 ($35)
• Pacific Drive: Ritual Edition (PS5) -- $60 | Release TBA

Our Pacific Drive review gave it a strong 8/10, highlighting its powerful upgrade system, unsettling version of the Pacific Northwest, and a excellent soundtrack featuring artists from the region. “Rarely does a video game make driving as engaging and enjoyable as Pacific Drive does, even though it can be much more challenging than any real-life drive I've ever taken,” wrote critic Mark Delaney. “With a ton of gameplay depth, an intoxicating atmosphere, and a New Weird story I obsessed over, the debut game from Ironwood Studios dazzled me even though it occasionally left me stranded in the breakdown lane.”

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pokemon TCG Pocket's next expansion arrives on September 29. This set is called Deluxe Pack ex, and it guarantees at least one rare card in every pack. However, unlike previous expansions, it will only be available for a limited time.

According to the official Pokemon website, every Deluxe Pack ex pack will include "one card with a rarity of ♦♦♦♦ or higher from previous expansions, from Genetic Apex to Wisdom of Sea and Sky." Moreover, the expansion will introduce "parallel foil" cards that boast a special shine effect, as well as older cards with new artwork. You can take a look at some of the cards in the trailer below.

As mentioned, unlike previous Pokemon TCG Pocket expansions, the Deluxe Pack ex set will only be available through October 29, giving you a month to take advantage of the improved rates and fill out your card collection. However, the game has a few events lined up for that time period, including a Raichu ex drop event and a special Bonus Week event.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In late 2022, Henry Cavill announced his departure from Netflix's The Witcher. In his place, Liam Hemsworth will take over the role of Geralt of Rivia for the show's fourth and fifth seasons. Ahead of Season 4's debut next month, Hemsworth has revealed that he was very aware of the backlash against his casting. That's why he largely swore off the internet during that time.

"There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside," Hemsworth told Entertainment Weekly. "It started to become a distraction. I dealt with that sort of thing in the past a lot and, you know, at the end of the day, I love making movies and I love telling stories and acting. I just don't want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I'm trying to tell. I jumped off social media and the internet most of last year."

Hemsworth also noted that Season 4 picks up shortly after the conclusion of Season 3, with Geralt feeling battered physically and mentally.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Doug Bowser, the final boss in Nintendo's Mushroom Kingdom, will say goodbye to the company he's been with for over a decade. Bowser will step down on December 31, with executive vice president Devon Pritchard taking his presidential throne.

In a press release shared by BusinessWire, Bowser said it's been "an honor" leading Nintendo in the past decade and he's "proud" of what the team has accomplished for the business and consumers. He went on to praise Pritchard, saying NOA is ready for new blood.

"Now, it's time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself," he said. "She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company's growth. I have full confidence that she will guide the company to even greater heights."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Like almost every annual sports game, EA Sports FC 26 is exactly what you would expect it to be: an iterative upgrade on last year's game. To EA's credit, it's a pretty good upgrade, all things considered. This is partly due to how off the mark EA FC 25 was, but also because of a concerted effort to solve some of the series' longstanding issues by focusing on player feedback. The end result is an interesting attempt to appeal to every type of player. It's not wholly successful in this ambition, but EA FC 26 is at least a step in the right direction.

The headlining change is a shift to two distinct playstyles. The series has always felt somewhat different when played online compared to offline, but the feeling is now much more pronounced and extends beyond the foibles of online netcode. Competitive and Authentic gameplay presets make a marked difference in how the match engine handles. You can choose between either one when playing offline, but online modes, such as Ultimate Team, are locked into the Competitive playstyle (even when playing Squad Battles against the CPU).

The Competitive preset is all about player skill. The pace of the game is rapid, with passes ping-ponging between players' feet, and the spotlight is on dribbling, skill moves, and consistently high-scoring matches. Despite this proclivity for attacking football, defending has also been improved. Successful tackles actually regain possession, rather than knocking the ball right back to the attacking player's feet, so a lot of the frustration from previous entries has been exorcised.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

I still can't believe this is really happening. Longtime Yakuza fans can finally delete all their sad tweet drafts after the recent Ryu Ga Gotoku Summit, because Yakuza Kiwami 3 is real and, from what we've seen, it offers way more than anyone expected.

I played the original Yakuza 3 after Kiwami 1 and 2 because I wanted to experience the series in chronological order, but going back to a time when the series was less technically capable right after the two gorgeous Dragon Engine remakes ended up being a challenge. Yakuza 3 was released back in 2009, and the gameplay now feels considerably broken and outdated from a modern standpoint. The difficulty scaling in boss fights felt unfair and most of the time, I ended up intensely button mashing through battles, hoping to finally break blocks before getting annihilated with just a few hits. Outside of fighting the game felt slow and clunky. I wanted to enjoy Kiryu's downtime in Okinawa, but the dragged-out interactions almost ruined the experience for me, not to mention those early '00s face models when the gaming industry couldn't quite figure out what a child looks like.

However, the game managed to save itself for me by having one of the most heartfelt stories in Kiryu's saga, with memorable characters that fans still gush about today. My experience may have been frustrating at times, but those rare, peaceful moments Kiryu spent with the orphans and his relationships with other Yakuza 3-exclusive characters are still some of my biggest highlights in the whole series.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

As rumored earlier this year, developers Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios are bringing Forza Horizon 6 to Japan. While the announcement trailer didn't show off much beyond Mount Fuji in the background, Xbox Game Studios spared no expense to help the devs understand Japanese culture for the game. That included hiring a cultural consultant to guide them throughout development.

On Xbox Wire, cultural consultant, Kyoko Yamashita explained why the Forza Horizon 6 team felt the need to have a deeper knowledge about Japan while recreating it for the game.

"Japan is widely loved, but it can also be widely misread when you only see it from afar," said Yamashita. "The team wanted to present more than a postcard or a backdrop; they wanted a lived-in world. Having a cultural consultant early helps you make a thousand small, respectful decisions: how neighborhoods sound, even what a sign color communicates about a shop. Those small choices add up to credibility and help avoid stereotypes, while also making it a truly immersive experience for players."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The United States government has announced that Amazon must pay $2.5 billion to settle claims that the company duped people into signing up for Prime and "knowingly made it difficult" for people to cancel. The Federal Trade Commission said Amazon will be forced to pay $1 billion in a civil penalty and $1.5 billion in refunds to consumers. Also as part of the settlement, Amazon must agree to "cease unlawful enrollment and cancellation practices for Prime."

It takes Amazon about 13 hours to make $1 billion, so the penalty isn't likely to hurt the company financially, but the FTC touted the precedent that's being set here.

What did the FTC say?

FTC chairman Andrew N. Ferguson said, "The evidence showed that Amazon used sophisticated subscription traps designed to manipulate consumers into enrolling in Prime, and then made it exceedingly hard for consumers to end their subscription."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Call of Duty Mobile Season 9: Midnight Rumble launches next month. This new season of mobile Call of Duty is a mix of Halloween and WWE crossover content. Haunted Hacienda, Attack of the Undead, and Hordepoint return. Plus, there are limited-time modes designed for the WWE collaboration.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Season 9 start date details
• Battle pass details

Season 9 start date details

Season 9: Midnight Rumble starts on October 1 at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET. This new season includes a brand-new battle pass with both free and premium items. The Season 9 battle pass contains a host of free and premium items, including many items to fit the spooky holiday theme.

Battle pass details

The main highlights of the free battle-pass tiers are the World War II-era Sten submachine gun and the Sentry Gun Steadygun scorestreak. However, this new scoresteak seems to be just a visual reskin of Call of Duty's standard sentry gun.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

After revealing a new subscription program for the 12-year-old crime sim Payday 2, developer Starbreeze Studios subsequently increased a DLC bundle pack by 44% from $118 to $170. Now, in response to the backlash, the team has apologized, reverting the price to its original amount after admitting it "messed up."

Starbreeze's head of commercial, Gustav Nisser, told PC Gamer that the Infamous Collection's 44% jump was not tied to the introduction of the new Payday 2: Subscription, a $5/month program that gives you access to a plethora of the game's DLC packs. While fans reportedly thought that the Infamous Collection's price hike was in some way a funnel toward the Subscription service, Nisser said it was all just really bad timing.

"If we had realized the change would be happening so close to the subscription launch, we wouldn't have done it," Nisser said. "In addition, we always aim to communicate upcoming price changes to our community and in this case we missed doing that as well. So basically we messed up in a couple of different ways, particularly both internal coordination and community communication and ... the results speak for themselves. The community has been pretty clear that they felt it looked like we were trying to push people into the subscription, and I completely understand that. For better or worse that's not the case, literally just a mishap."

Continue Reading at GameSpot