Fortnite's latest Snapshot Quests, also known as story challenges, are live in the game, and a few of them are trickier than you may be used to as of late. If you need to know where to find the location referred to when Cerberus says he left a chew toy "near the snow where people bury yummy bones," we have your solution here.

Near the snow where people bury yummy bones in Fortnite

Each of these Cerberus chew toys you'll be finding for this week's snapshots require you to head to landmarks across the island, then dig up the toy. The nice thing to note is that once you get to the right spot, you'll receive a marker for where to dig, so you won't have to guess so long as you've arrived in the correct location.

For this one, you'll want to head to the graveyard southeast of Lavish Lair. We've marked it on the map below.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

To stand out as a Souls-like these days, a game needs to either reach similar heights as the genre's namesake when it comes to gameplay, or have a compelling new spin on the genre. While Another Crab's Treasure gets close on the combat front, its excellent 3D platforming are what help distinguish it. Combining those gameplay elements with a genuine, if perhaps slow to start, story about a crab named Kril, who starts as a loner just wanting to get his shell back and go home, but instead finds a greater understanding of the vast ocean, makes for a fun take on the genre.

The game kicks off with Kril's shell being repossessed as a tax by a wealthy monarch, but this setup is mainly used as an excuse to send him on a treasure hunt across the ocean. Kril's story during Another Crab's Treasure is a particularly strong aspect of the game. While initially framed as a tale about Kril breaking out of his routine and finding renewed purpose, it eventually tackles the ocean's ongoing pollution problems, taking the narrative to a place that is bleak yet also genuine. Where Kril finds himself by the end isn't one of those overdone happy endings, but instead a far more complicated place that feels true to some of the game's more dour themes.

The game is broken up into large levels, filled with both enemies and platforming challenges, that you need to explore to find an objective, such as a piece of a treasure map, or reach a far-off structure. The levels are well-designed, with combat and platforming flowing together seamlessly. There are a few places where the brutality of Another Crab's Treasure does overdo it--such as during platforming sections overlooked by ranged enemies--which results in unwelcome difficulty spikes. Trying to navigate these areas while not getting blown up by ranged attacks that take away a third of your health goes from difficult to frustrating, but this only happens in a handful of instances.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Game developers have come together for a massive video game bundle on itch.io to raise funds for besieged Palestinian citizens in Gaza. All proceeds will be donated to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF).

The Palestine Relief Bundle will net you 373 games for an for $8 (though you can pay more if you want). Notable inclusions are the cutesy platformer A Short Hike, the musical adventure Wandersong, and the 2D zelda-like Anodyne. The bundle also includes a number of tabletop role-playing games, like the mech-focused Apocalypse Frame and the paranormal mercenary sim Fist.

The collection has blown past its initial goal of $100,000 and its second goal of $250,000. Currently it has raised over $323,000 and is aiming to raise $500,000. The bundle is available for the next 11 days, as of writing. Developers created a similar bundle for Palestine in 2021, which raised money for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Other itch.io bundles have supported causes like racial justice and Ukraine.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Major changes could be in the cards for TikTok. President Biden on Wednesday signed into law a $95 billion plan that delivers aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, and also mandates that TikTok owner ByteDance must sell the hugely popular app or else it will be banned in the US.

ByteDance is now on the clock and has nine months to divest from its US subsidiary (with a further three-month extension if a deal is in the works but not yet completed). As such, any potential ban wouldn't happen soon, and that's to say nothing of any legal battles that could extend the timeline or lead to any other changes.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video posted on TikTok (via THR), "Rest assured, we aren't going anywhere." Chew aded, "Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice. Politicians may say otherwise. But don't get confused."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Ubisoft developers have confirmed they have more ideas revolving around Assassin's Creed Mirage protagonist Basim, but reiterate that the game is a standalone experience.

In a Reddit AMA, several Ubisoft developers answered questions about Assassin's Creed Mirage and the future of the franchise. "We’re thrilled by the reception of Mirage! Mirage [has been designed] as a standalone experience without any [DLC planned]," explained creative director Stephane Boudon. "However, we have ideas on how we could extend the story of Basim, surely. But as of today, no post-launch content is planned for Mirage."

It's unclear what kind of way Basim could appear again. While Boudon said that there are no plans for Mirage DLC, that doesn't rule out something like a direct sequel or a cameo in future Assassin's Creed games.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Apple Vision Pro--a $3,500 mixed-reality headset--reportedly isn't selling too well and demand for the high-tech device is lower than expected, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via IGN). This has reportedly led Apple to make big production cuts, and it has been suggested that demand for the device has been weak in the US.

ShockedTimCookachu.jpg

Apple has cut its Vision Pro shipments to 400,000-450,000 units, according to the report, and Ming-Chi Kuo has speculated that the company may not release a cheaper Vision Pro model in 2025. It has been claimed that Apple is predicting a year-on-year decline for the headset in 2025. "The challenge for Vision Pro is to address the lack of key applications, price, and headset comfort without sacrificing the see-through user experience," Ming-Chi Kuo wrote.

When it first launched, critics praised the impressive hardware inside of the Apple Vision Pro while highlighting some serious shortcomings. The high price was the most obvious point of criticism, but the mediocre battery life, lack of killer apps on launch day, and performance bugs emphasized how Apple was catering to a niche audience of technophiles. Critics did agree that the Vision Pro provides a tempting peek into the future of mixed-reality computing, but one that is overshadowed by more affordable alternatives.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The main character in this open-world action-RPG adaptation of the late Akira Toriyama's Sand Land is arguably its egg-shaped tank. Developer ICLA has crafted a game with a heavy emphasis on vehicular combat and traversal, which is a fitting design choice considering Toriyama's love and passion for anything with a motor. You only have to glance at the number of vehicles featured in the Dragon Ball series to appreciate the legendary artist's vehicular love affair. As iconic and instantly recognizable as Toriyama's character designs are, his unique vehicle designs are just as evocative and essential to his signature world-building. Whether it's a car, scooter, hovercraft, or airship, Toriyama's anomalous designs are a delight, and Sand Land's bulbous tank is one of his best, mixing his characteristics with historical influences to create a memorable piece of machinery. ICLA's Sand Land might lack substance beneath its oozing style, but sitting behind the cockpit of some of Toriyama's intricately designed vehicles is a near-constant treat, even if it falters elsewhere.

The first half of the game's story is a faithful retelling of the original 14-chapter one-shot manga released in 2000. Set in the titular wasteland, Sand Land centers on a desert world suffering from an extreme water shortage, where sci-fi, fantasy, action, and comedy intertwine. You play as the rambunctious pink-skinned demon prince, Beelzebub, a video game-obsessed fiend who's as good as gold despite his protestations otherwise. Alongside the stern-faced Sheriff Rao and your wise old pal, Thief, you embark on a quest to uncover a rumored water source that will hopefully restore Sand Land to life. The second half of the game's narrative covers the brand-new events featured in the recently released anime adaptation. While the first six episodes of the show rehash the familiar ground of the manga, the last seven episodes function as a sequel to the original story, with Toriyama conceptualizing a fresh tale that sees Beelzebub, Rao, and Thief embroiled in a lopsided war after venturing into the neighboring Forest Land.

Sand Land might not be as popular as Toriyama's other works, such as Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, but despite its niche nature, its recent resurgence isn't without merit. The characters and world-building found in Sand Land are its greatest strength, and these elements are seamlessly translated into the game. The relationship between Beelzebub, Rao, and Thief is just as charming as it was on the page, while the game's open world gives their conversations and banter space to breathe as you travel between locations. These moments excel when pulling lines straight from the manga, but pockets of incidental dialogue have a habit of repeating over and over again, which quickly becomes grating to the point where I wish I could've muted it completely.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Preorder Team America: World Police 20th Anniversary Limited Edition

$20-$26

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Target

Just a few years into South Park's run, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone tried to leverage the show's success by making a puppet action movie, and the result was 2004's Team America: World Police, which is still a one-of-a-kind movie experience. And, finally, after two decades, it's finally getting a release on 4K Blu-ray on June 25, and you can preorder it now at Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

Team America is about a group of black ops soldiers who handle impossible, world-saving missions that nobody else can hope to pull off--the movie is parodying that common action trope through the lens of 9/11 and ensuing wars in the Middle East. Though, honestly, the film is probably best remembered now for the still-amazing puppet sex scene, which includes several bits of depravity you don't normally get to see in a theatrically released movie.

Preorder Team America: World Police 20th Anniversary Limited Edition $20-$26

Team America is an R-rated puppet action movie made in the style of the old TV show Thunderbirds, but with the same sort of outlandish and irreverent sense of humor that made South Park so popular. It's aged very poorly in some significant ways--for better and worse, this is a 2004 movie through and through. But Team America is also a very specific portrait of the George W. Bush era of American politics, and that's an interesting thing to revisit in a lot of different ways.

As usual for Blu-rays, prices vary at each retailer at the moment. Walmart has the lowest price at $20, while Target is at $24.49, and Amazon is taking preorders for $26. Prices will likely level out in the coming weeks, and Amazon's preorder price guarantee ensures you will pay the lowest price from the time you order and release.

This release of Team America: World Police comes with a 4K Blu-ray, standard 1080p Blu-ray, and digital edition. Since this is an anniversary edition, it naturally comes with a bunch of special features, which we've outlined below.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Target Team America: World Police 20th Anniversary Edition Special Features

• Team America: An Introduction
• Building the World
• Crafting the Puppets
• Pulling the Strings
• Miniature Pyrotechnics
• Capturing the Action
• Up Close with Kim Jong-il
• Puppet Test
• Dressing Room Test
• Animated storyboards
• Deleted/Extended scenes and outtakes
• Theatrical trailers

Team America isn't the only thing from Trey Parker and Matt Stone getting the 4K upgrade this summer--South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is also being released on 4K Blu-ray on June 25. That makes that a pretty big day for Gen Xers and older millennials. You can preorder the South Park movie on 4K for the same prices at the same retailers: Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Next month, PUBG wants to make you feel seven years younger with the return of the classic Erangel map. The original battleground for the game from 2017 will be available May 14-28 on PC and May 23-June 6 on consoles.

Erangel Classic, as it's being called by the development team, will take the place of the modern Erangel in normal matches during this limited timeframe. Confirmed features coming back include: gloomy weather, the prematch island with a downed plane, classic UI, and the tommy gun in care packages. However, modern gameplay tweaks will be a part of this OG experience, with patch notes getting into more of these details on May 13.

This won't be the first time a big battle royale game has decided to go back in time. Late last year, Fortnite had an OG Season that proved to be massively popular. The event revisited the game's original island and led to record concurrent player-counts at the time. The PUBG team is most likely hoping for similar results with Erangel Classic.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo has announced the next set of classic Nintendo 64 games are out now for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. The racing games Extreme G and Iggy's Reckin' Balls are now both playable.

Originally released in 1997, Extreme G is a futuristic racing game made by the now-defunct studio Probe Entertainment. Players can pick up items to attack enemies or defend themselves. As for Iggy's Reckin' Balls, this game originally came out in 1998 and has players controlling a ball-shaped character as they race to the finish line. There is local and online multiplayer.

The N64 game catalog for Switch Online + Expansion Pack members also includes titles like Banjo-Kazoiie, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, GoldenEye 007, Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Mario Golf, and many more. You can see the full list below.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Preorder South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut 25th Anniversary Edition

$20-$26

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Target

Considering that South Park is still going strong as a TV show in 2024, it can be a bit disconcerting to realize that the movie version, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, came out 25 years ago this summer. I don't know about you, but that certainly makes me feel old. But that's okay, because that feeling of oldness will fade quickly when you're enjoying this comedy classic in 4K for the first time. The first South Park movie's 25th Anniversary edition is available to preorder now at Amazon, Walmart, and Target. And compared to many recent 4K releases, it feels like a bargain to be able to snag it for as low as $20.

Yes, it's fair to ask whether it's truly necessary to watch South Park in 4K. But it's important to keep in mind that the animation in the South Park movie, which cost $30 million to make, was a lot more sophisticated than the show's thanks to the significant use of CGI at various points--this thing is gonna look good with all those extra pixels. But if for some reason you're anti-4K when it comes to South Park, the 25th Anniversary edition includes a 1080p Blu-ray and digital code for good measure.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Since its first tease during the Assassin's-Creed-focused Ubisoft Forward presentation in September 2022, we haven't heard anything about Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe, a new entry in the franchise seemingly centered around witchcraft and the occult. A new report has finally shared new details about the upcoming adventure, including the ability to possess a furry friend for an advantage against enemies.

Per Insider Gaming, Codename Hexe will put players in the role of a female heroine named Elsa, as she attempts to navigate 16th-century Europe during the era of the Holy Roman Empire. The game will lean more heavily into the supernatural than previous AC games, as Elsa has access to multiple witchy abilities.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe

In footage provided to Insider Gaming, Elsa is seen sneaking around a group of soldiers--which the article says look like Landsknecht, or German mercenaries common for the time period. Elsa then casts a spell that allows her to possess a nearby cat, which the player then uses to create a distraction and send the soldiers in the opposite direction.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Valve has announced that it's closing a loophole in its refund process. With a regular game release, players can request a refund within 14 days of their purchase or if they've played the title for less than two hours. This process didn't work for games in Steam's Early Access program, as users could log many hours of playtime before the full launch of a game and apply for a refund after. As of today, that loophole has been closed.

"If you purchase a game that is in Early Access or Advanced Access, any playtime will count against the two-hour refund limit," Valve explained in its updated refund policy. "If you pre-purchase a title which is not playable prior to the release date, you can request a refund at any time prior to release of that title, and the standard 14-day / two-hour refund period will apply starting on the game's release date."

It's worth noting that this policy also affects games offering a few days of early access as a reward for preordering it, as part of the advanced access changes. An example here would be Forza Motorsport, as last year players could get five days of early access to the game by upgrading to the premium edition. Otherwise, the rest of the Steam refund policy stays the same.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

What we let inspire us and what we pay homage to says a lot about the creations we make. Stellar Blade's influences come from the last two generations of character action games and it wields them proudly, channeling not just ideas but themes, designs, and even stylistic flourishes from games like Bayonetta and Nier Automata. It is only through understanding where Stellar Blade comes from that one can begin to discern what it improves upon and where it falls short of the giants that developer Shift Up's title wishes to stand on the shoulders of.

Stellar Blade puts you in control of Eve, a human arriving at a far-flung future Earth riddled with monsters known as Naytibas. EVE possesses superhuman powers, having been raised on a space colony and trained specifically to free what few survivors remain on the planet from the oppression of this omnipresent and existential threat. Along the way, the story takes a few twists and turns but largely stays in the realm of pulp science-fiction that is sometimes undermined by its own need to one-up itself. Characters change motives in service of plot twists at the drop of a hat and then resume their previous mindset without acknowledgement or comment. There are times that I wished the writing showed a bit more self-restraint rather than feel like the first season of a TV show throwing a hail-mary for a second.

The weight of the inconsistent quality of the writing tilts heavier towards Stellar Blade's disadvantage, as occasional head-scratching side quests are followed up by decidedly compelling ones, though not as often as it should. Just when you feel fatigued with following waypoints, the game serves a side quest with unique content and boss fights or a narrative beyond looking for someone who it turned out already died. The main story grazes the surface of subject matter like transhumanism and moral relativity, but it does little with them. Stilted and stiff voice acting also does little to help you take the story seriously and often brings you out of it. Historically, the quality of a character action game's story has scarcely mattered to the overall package, but those expecting something above the genre average should readjust expectations.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The fourth and final season of Netflix's Umbrella Academy adaptation won't air until August--but you don't have to wait that long to delve into the complete story of a misfit band of superheroic siblings. The comics that inspired the Netflix adaptation are currently on sale in The Umbrella Academy Box Set, which Amazon is offering for $32.07--which is 43% lower than the normal list price. And beyond that price cut, Amazon is also offering individual Umbrella Academy books in hardcover format for great prices, alongside the Blu-ray editions of the streaming series.

Get box set at Amazon

The Umbrella Academy Box Set includes the three main volumes of the story in paperback format: Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, Umbrella Academy: Dallas, and Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion. It also includes an exclusive double-sided poster. The box set retails for $56, but while it's on sale, Amazon has knocked $23.90 off that price.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The latest PlayStation 5 firmware update has arrived, introducing expanded Game Help features, fixes for Remote Play, stability improvements, and other usability tweaks.

The newest update's big new feature is the previously announced changes for Game Help. Players can now access Community Game Help content, which is the term for game tips submitted by other members of the PlayStation community.

For those who opt-in, the PS5 will capture gameplay and automatically upload it to the cloud so players stuck in a particular part of a game can view this content to help them out. This feature is now available for everyone on a subset of games, and you can read more about Community Game Help in GameSpot's previous coverage of the feature.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

William Gibson essentially created the cyberpunk genre in 1984 with his debut novel, Neuromancer, which has proven to be extremely difficult for Hollywood to adapt. However, Apple TV+'s upcoming Neuromancer series is now one step closer to happening. Via Variety, Callum Turner (Masters of the Air) has signed on to star in Neuromancer as the lead character, Henry Dorsett Case.

In the novel, Case is a former hacker whose nervous system was damaged by his former employers in retaliation for stealing from them. Case's mind and body are locked out of cyberspace until he is hired by a razorgirl assassin, Molly Millions, and her boss, Armitage. They offer Case a cure for his condition in exchange for his services as a hacker, with the full knowledge that he could be crippled again if he fails them.

Turner most recent role, Apple TV+'s World War II miniseries, Masters of the Air, saw him starring alongside alongside Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan. He also played Theseus Scamander, the brother of Newt Scamander, in the final two Fantastic Beasts movies. Turner's other credits include the 2016 adaptation of War & Peace, Glue, Green Room, and The Boys in the Boat.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

FX's historical drama Shogun just wrapped up its first season. It's billed as a miniseries with a beginning, middle, and end contained in one season. But it's been very popular and well-received, and many are wondering if there could be another season or a spin-off. Series co-creator Justin Marks has now said he would be open to the idea if they found the right story.

"I keep saying it's like we want to let everyone be on the same page when it comes to the book. And hopefully now the TV audience and the book audience are on the same page with what the story is and where it resolves. I think if we had a story, if we could find a story, we would be open to it," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "But I don't think that anyone ever wants to be out over their skis without a roadmap and everything. And it's also just about, do people want more of it?"

The answer to that question is probably yes, but Marks said a concern is that a potential Season 2 would take the story beyond what author James Clavell wrote.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

New details have come to light pertaining to Quentin Tarantino's The Movie Critic, which was supposed to be his 10th and final film before the director abandoned those plans and decided to make something else instead. According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the ideas that Tarantino was considering was that it would be a "goodbye metaverse" movie featuring characters from his other movies.

"That way, Tarantino could bring back some of the stars of his earlier work to reprise their iconic characters in 'movie-within-a-movie' moments, or to play fictional versions of themselves as the actors who played those characters," THR said.

The report also said Tarantino considered having The Movie Critic feature a movie theater where characters could interact with an aspiring filmmaker--a 16-year-old Tarantino.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

This week's trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine was pure mutant mayhem, and for longtime fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a major departure from the typical superhero movie formula. Between the liberal use of F-bombs, Deadpool's junk getting an adamantium piercing, and cartoonish levels of violence being inflicted on cannon fodder enemies, the next Deadpool movie isn't shying away from its trademark gore and sassy language. Well, almost.

As noted in the trailer, the only thing off-limits in the threequel is Deadpool and Blind Al's fondness for a bump of booger sugar. Also known as the devil's dandruff, party powder, and by many other names on the street, you probably won't see Deadpool smash an entire bag of positivity particles into his face with reckless abandon. But that doesn't mean you won't see a few fan-made posters for the film riffing on the merc with a mouth's colorful descriptions for racehorse Charlie. Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds highlighted a few of these creations made by Kode "BossLogic" Abdo, after the recent trailer included a scene where Deadpool laments how Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige had told him the drug was off-limits.

"They know all the slang posters," and "Hi all caps OLAF!" Reynolds tweeted in response to the posters.

Continue Reading at GameSpot