If you still haven’t picked up Kingdom Hearts III, today’s a good day to make the purchase, as the game is currently on sale for $37 on PS4 and just under $40 on Xbox One at Amazon. New copies of the game are still selling for $60 elsewhere, so this is a good chance to pick it up for more than $20 off. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you’ll also get free two-day shipping on this one.
It’s been nearly three months since Kingdom Hearts III released back in January, and the game is finally getting a huge update–a series of two patches that include a higher difficulty setting known as Critical Mode. Based on previous games, we can assume the new mode will increase damage dealt and taken by enemies, among other things, but not many details have been shared. The update was announced yesterday via Twitter, and the first patch containing Critical Mode will be released today at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET (2 AM GMT on April 24).
In addition to the higher difficulty mode, the update brings quality-of-life improvements to the game, such as bumping up the number of photo slots from 100 to 200 and introducing item carryover to New Game+, among other fixes. Another improvement: When at the Moogle Shop, you’ll now be able to identify which Synthesis items you’ve already synthesized, as they’ll have a checkmark beside them. Some enemy behaviors have also been changed, but details are slim in that regard.
With the game cheaper than ever, there’s no better time to hop in and see all the changes to Kingdom Hearts III. On Amazon, there’s no knowing how long the game will be marked down, so act fast if you’re interested in this deal.
Update 4/23: in addition to Anthem Update 1.1.0 going live, BioWare has also posted a general progress update on the official Anthem Reddit, revealing that some of what was planned for the Act 1 post-launch content has been delayed.
Though BioWare had delivered much of the planned Act 1 features on time, not every goal will be met. Instead, BioWare has been “prioritizing things like bug fixes, stability and game flow over the new features of Act 1. We set aside time for this work, but the reality is there are more things to fix and improve than we planned for. While this is the best thing to do for the game, it means some items from the calendar will be delayed.”
Bloodborne: The Board Game, which is based on the PlayStation 4 title by FromSoftware, has reached its Kickstarter goal of $200,000 in less than 20 minutes.
As of this writing, the Kickstarter is currently sitting at $588,317 with 21 days to go in its campaign. Considering it is already successfully funded – in 17 minutes to be exact – those who back this project can expect to receive the game around May 2020.
Designed by Michael Shinall and Eric M. Lang, Bloodborne: The Board Game will allow one to four Hunters (players) the chance to explore Yharnam in a whole new way, although still with the same terrors, beasts, monsters, and more of the PS4 title, including the Cleric Beast, Vicar Amelia, Father Gascoigne and the Blood-Starved Beast.
Mortal Kombat 11 has plenty of systems at play whether you’re fighting in close matches, learning all of its intricacies, or navigating its web of menus and customization options. In-game explanations do a good job of showing players most of the elements, but there are a few things beginners will want to keep in mind when jumping into Mortal Kombat 11. We aren’t necessarily here to lay out expert-level combo strings and professional-level strategies to get you rising in the online ranks, but we’re here to help guide you through the game’s plethora of features and acquaint yourself with more advanced concepts.
We have Mortal Kombat 11 covered from almost every angle. If you’re into the gruesome, gory nature of the game’s history, you should be happy (I guess) to know that we compiled every single Fatality and every Fatal Blow from the 25-character roster–we also managed to capture most of the match-ending Brutalities. Klassic Towers feature character-specific endings, and you can see all of them here. If you want all the details on the ridiculous, but deep lore of the franchise, read through our feature on the story so far in Mortal Kombat. And lastly, if you’re thinking about getting into this latest entry, check out our Mortal Kombat 11 review-in-progress.
If there is one thing all Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have in common, it’s that you can enjoy a little something extra after the main story is done. Every movie has a mid-credit or post-credit sequence, and many times, the films feature both of them. That all changes with Avengers: Endgame.
Don’t worry, there are no Endgame spoilers here.
Avengers: Endgame marks the 22nd movie in the MCU and the first time in the shared film universe that will not have a visual sequence tacked on to the end, teasing what’s next for Marvel. However, there may be a reason to stick around as there is an audio stinger at the end, when the Marvel logo appears. The metal hitting metal sound is open to interpretation, but it’s been suggested it sounds like Tony Stark forging his first Iron Man armor. So as soon as the credits begin to roll, the choice is yours. You can leave the theater or stay through the credits to hear a noise.
Endgame is the end of Phase 3 of the MCU, and as we learned last month, those 22 films will be known as The Infinity Saga. As far as recent mid-credits and post-credit sequences go, Infinity War ended with Nick Fury contacting Captain Marvel on a pager, Ant-Man and the Wasp left Scott Lang trapped in the Quantum Realm with his friends snapped to dust, and Captain Marvel showed us Carol Danvers answering the pager’s call in the present, meeting the Avengers. Additionally, there were a couple of comedic post-credit moments as well.
These sequences always give the audience a hint as to what’s coming next. But with Endgame being the end of the 22-film journey, there’s nothing left to tease before Phase 4 begins. Stay tuned to GameSpot later in the day for a review of the film, but for now, enjoy our predictions of who will die in the video above, the latest teaser for the film, and the best ways to avoid spoilers for Endgame, which hits theaters on April 26.
The PlayStation Store adds new PS4 game deals on a weekly basis, but this week, the best discounts are limited to PlayStation Plus members, who can get some game titles for up to 80% off until Tuesday, April 30 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.
Ubisoft has announced a new Hero for For Honor, who is scheduled to release at the start of the game’s Year 3, Season 2. For Honor’s Year 3, Season 2 starts May 2 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Each season for Year 3 brings a new Hero to For Honor. Season 1 added the new Knight Hero, Vortiger. A new Samurai Hero, named Hitokiri, is coming in Season 2, with a Viking Hero scheduled for Season 3 and Wu Lin for Season 4. Hitokiri is a fearsome warrior who possesses both a male and female version. The female version, Sakura, has a new trailer, which can be watched below. She’s very creepy and sounds like she’d fit a lot more as a boss in From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
“The Hitokiri are ghostly warriors who have lost all faith in humanity,” Ubisoft wrote in a press release. “They wander the land clutching their Masakari, the mighty axes they used to sentence criminals, their presence on the battlefield spreading a black cloud that can terrify all enemies.” Both versions of Hitokiri will be automatically unlocked for Year 3 pass owners on May 2. On May 9, Hitokiri will become available for everyone else, but you’ll need to purchase them for 15,000 Steel–For Honor’s in-game currency.
Like Year 3’s first season, Season 2 also adds a special limited-time event to For Honor. A first look at what that event might be, as well as a few more details for Year 3, Season 2, will be announced during a For Honor Twitch livestream on April 25. The new season also contains balancing changes for Lawbringer and Raider, and adds a new map, Canopy.
In our For Honor review, Matt Espineli wrote, “After slaying countless foes, it’s clear the impact For Honor’s combat has had; its fundamental tenets of discipline and restraint are bestowed upon you permanently, forever changing the way you perceive a melee-combat encounter in a game. In its highest moments, For Honor is difficult to put down. Its slow combat pace and narrative shortcomings might turn off those unwilling to take the time to dive deep into what it has to offer. However, make no mistake–those who do will be rewarded with some of the most satisfying multiplayer melee fighting conceived in recent years.”
When Dragon’s Dogma first came out, many people treated it as an amalgamation of all kinds of games, ranging from Shadow of the Colossus to Dark Souls, with hints of Monster Hunter and hues of The Elder Scrolls. Despite seeming to be a mish-mash of gameplay ideas and fantasy tropes, Dragon’s Dogma asserted an unwaveringly confident sense of self that people became enamored with. At the same time, some of its most ambitious efforts only proved successful at the expense of more standard details; characters were considered flat and it was plagued with technical issues.
Despite this, back in 2012, Dragon’s Dogma was a game that received a great deal of praise. GameSpot gave it an 8/10 score almost seven years ago. You can read our original review here.
The Switch port for Dragon’s Dogma is derived from the Dark Arisen version of the game, which has since become the standard form, and it performs spectacularly. It’s a magnificent world filled with goblins and griffins, prairies and palaces. Sometimes the road dissipates into forests and over precipices, out of foliage and under edifices. At all times, it’s alive, its beating heart pulsating in every creek and creeper dotted across its boundless landscape.
The controls are clean and intuitive, with combat wheels mapped to the bumpers. The left set of buttons commands ally pawns, whereas the right set triggers abilities. The game wonderfully juxtaposes real-time combat with tactical squad play, and runs smoothly throughout the entire experience. Perhaps the only issues that date the game are how stiff the characters are in certain cutscenes, and how lifeless some of the secondary voice acting is. It’s a world where everything seems awry, largely thanks to its diverse well of influences, so the voice acting does have a curious way of making things seem even more obscure. However, on occasion it uproots your sense of immersion. One second you’ll be traversing the wilds of the Witchwood, utterly encapsulated by the game’s charm; the next, you’ll remember that you’re not really in Gransys, but sitting on your sofa, listening to deadpan voice acting.
Dragon’s Dogma’s iconic and idiosyncratic opening sequence looks better than ever on Switch. The gargantuan dragon that plucks your heart from your chest does so in vivid color, and the sharp visuals make this extraordinary episode even more enchanting. In a way, this asserts the Switch port’s relevance to the contemporary circuit, as if it’s immediately attempting to make a case for why it deserves another look in 2019.
Another common critique of Dragon’s Dogma in the past was to do with its grey, earthy palette. Cassardis–the first town you come across on your adventures across the land of Gransys–was always considered the worst offender, its stone buildings standing amid a wish-wash of brown and green. However, as I walked the winding paths around the town’s outskirts in handheld mode, I became lost in a world of wonder.
On one occasion, I was playing before bed with the lights off. As the moon rose in the game and visibility was swallowed by the encroaching night, I drew my lantern, illuminating both my room in real life and the path ahead in Dragon’s Dogma. This begot a peculiar phenomenon that couldn’t ever be experienced on anything other than a handheld console. There’s a strange solemnity endowed in playing handheld, huddled up with the Switch close to your face, the sound turned down to conjure a quietness seamlessly locking with the surrounding atmosphere. In a way, it almost summons a sense of borrowed nostalgia for the handheld consoles of the 90s, playing with the lights out and sound off, lest you wake up your parents three hours after you feigned sleep to continue playing.
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Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen – Nintendo Switch Announcement Trailer
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Dragon’s Dogma performs brilliantly in docked mode too. Technically, it’s a vast improvement from the original versions of the game, being closer to the performance of the newer, Dark Arisen re-releases. The aesthetic disparity between this version and older ones was immediately striking when it launched six years ago, and the Switch port follows suit spectacularly.
However, there’s something experiential about making the most of the Switch’s portable capabilities. Maybe it’s because Dragon’s Dogma is a slow-burner that prioritizes exploration over gratification, or maybe it’s due to the intimacy created by its vivid soundscapes and arresting visuals, but it’s easier to get lost in the small screen than a bigger one. When I played handheld, Dragon’s Dogma received my undivided attention–in fact, it demanded it. This is the first time Capcom’s iconic RPG has ever been condensed to a small screen, but it seems as if even the 2012 game was made for this exact purpose.
However, there’s more to it than that. When you consider Dragon’s Dogma’s vast array of influences, it becomes abundantly clear that several of them haven’t had the Switch treatment either. I named my main pawn Geralt, gave him white hair and yellow eyes, one of which was scarred, and had him specialize in sword fighting. However, it wasn’t until I saw him tangoing around the thrusts of a cyclops that I truly noticed how well-suited this kind of immersive RPG is to a handheld console. Switch porting is a phenomenon that’s still working out its own kinks, but large-scale open worlds previously considered incompatible with handheld consoles have found a welcome home on Switch, unfurling beautifully on the small screen. Games like Breath of the Wild and Skyrim already tested the Switch’s mettle, and now the ability to undertake odysseys across the worlds of Gransys and The Continent whilst sat on a train is another compelling option for those looking to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds. The Switch’s capacity to persuade you into utter immersion goes hand-in-hand with what fantasy is all about.
As for its mechanics, Dragon’s Dogma’s control mapping is refined and intuitive on the Switch. The Joy-Con layout allows for clean combinations and instinctive reactions, to the extent that action can be spontaneously taken instead of being the result of a measured calculation. You’re never pulled out to consider your next move–you just know what to do. Whether you’re a majestic mage or a belligerent brawler, even the most boisterous battles are uncluttered in makeup and meticulous in execution.
Dragon’s Dogma’s iconic pawn system functions in much the same way as it always did, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. Despite their intuitive AI in combat and world traversal, their occasionally endearing chatter is often overbearing. It’s intriguing hearing your main pawn describe a nearby encampment as a “bulwark against the forces of evil” early on, but when they mention it for the tenth time in 10 minutes, Dragon’s Dogma’s age betrays its appearance.
Unfortunately, the weakest aspects of Dragon’s Dogma are the same as they were seven years ago: its dialogue and voice acting. At times the cutscenes are at odds with how fresh the rest of the game looks, as characters make unnatural gestures that rarely match the tone of their words, and the secondary voice cast sounds dull and lifeless. It’s as if someone mapped voice lines to a control pad and simply pressed the relevant buttons in sequence, without respect for intonation, emotion, or expression. Luckily, this is only the case for the minor cutscenes–the major ones look phenomenal, and the writing is at its best in these short, sporadic bursts of tension.
In 2012, Dragon’s Dogma was considered an excellent game that made some questionable decisions. The Dark Arisen re-release rectified the majority of the issues the original game faced, mostly in terms of technical performance, but the Switch port continues to build on the game’s legacy because of how well-suited it is to handheld experience. However, even with its revamped graphics, updated mechanics, and improved functionality, it’s somehow managed to retain that same sense of weirdness that both complements it and stunts it, depending on the occasion. In the Witchwood, for instance, the sparse, disconcerting conversations affect the atmosphere in a wonderful way, playing upon the mysterious enchantments at work in this curious forest. However, in scenes with more urgency, it’s difficult to take characters seriously because of the deadpan delivery of the voice acting, and even with subtitles enabled it’s easy to miss what’s going on. The gameplay is fantastic, but the narrative is lackluster at crucial points in the story. Despite this, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen on Switch is a drastically improved version of a game already recognized as great, mostly thanks to the fact that you can hold the game’s wonderful world right in the palms of your hands.
