Category: Gamespot

Pokemon Shuffle, the free-to-play puzzle game for 3DS and mobile devices, has received new stages. The Pokemon Company announced today that new stages themed around Alola–the region from Pokemon Sun and Moon–are now available in Pokemon Shuffle. Pokemon from Sun and Moon, including Play Litten, Popplio, and Rowlet, are available to catch on these stages.

They are available to capture through special stages, following this schedule:

• Litten — Now until May 9
• Popplio — May 9 through May 23
• Rowlet — May 23 through June 6

Additionally, everyone who logs into Pokemon Shuffle between May 2 and May 30 will receive the Alolan Vulpix creature.

In other Pokemon news, the next Global Mission for Sun and Moon has begun. For this challenge, players must collectively collect 3 million Poke Beans in the Poke Pelago, according to VG247. If they can manage it, players will receive 2,000 FC. You can read more about this mission here.

Are you going to jump into Pokemon Shuffle or Sun/Moon to try out the new content and events? Let us know in the comments below!

Powered by WPeMatico

The Lord of the Rings Online, the MMO based on the epic fantasy series, launched this week in 2007, meaning the game is now 10 years old. Standing Stone Games, which recently took over for Turbine as the developer of the game, is celebrating the milestone with in-game events and items.

The Anniversary Festival, as it’s called, is going on now. Everyone gets a free assortment of in-game fireworks, along with gifts that are associated with their account status (free vs. paid, etc). Players will also find new quests and other events to take part in to mark the occasion.

Depending on when you registered your LOTRO account, you will receive a different reward. For example, people who registered on April 30, 2016 or earlier (1 Year), get a one-year character portrait frame and the fireworks. The most veteran players, those who created accounts on June 30, 2007 or earlier (10 Year) a ten-year character portrait frame and Dragon Fireworks, which are available permanently. Additionally, 10 Year players get a portrait frame and Dragon Fireworks for their Monster Play character, along with a 10-year token that can be turned in for a cosmetic trait.

Even if you have not played LOTRO in years you can still claim your gifts, giving lapsed players a nice reason to come back. You don’t even have to log in to get the gifts, however, as they are automatically applied to your account and will show up the next time you log in, even if that’s after the Anniversary Festival ends on May 8.

All gifts will appear in your inventory, though if it’s full, you will need to make space.

As for the new Anniversary Festival quests, there will be three new ones every week through July 13. These quests will bring players back to the “places we have been, and gets us some cool stuff in the process.” Quests begin at the party tree in Hobbiton, delivered by Mr. Waldo Rumble.

For lots more on the Anniversary Festival, check out this landing page on the LOTRO website.

LOTRO has been continually updated since launch in 2007. Most recently, a patch called Battle of the Black Gate added new content set at steps of Sauron’s holdout.

The game launched as a traditional paid MMO but adopted a free-to-play model in 2010.

Powered by WPeMatico

The original Outlast became somewhat of a cult hit when it was released in 2013. Launching first on PC before later coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Outlast earned a 7/10 in our review, with critic Leif Johnson saying “you’ll be frequently driven to turn the lights on and calm your fears.”

But does the sequel live up to the expectation set by that promising first title? We were already scared by the Outlast 2 demo, and now critic Scott Butterworth has played the full game. He says “the campaign is scary from start to finish,” with “expertly crafted” atmosphere and sound design, although the “gameplay starts to wear thin” towards the end. Read more in our full Outlast 2 review.

For a selection of other critics’ opinions on Outlast 2, meanwhile, check out the roundup below–or for a wider view on critical opinion, you can take a look at GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

GameSpot — 7/10

“In truth, Outlast’s ‘no weapons’ formula worked better as a shorter experience. Stretched over twice the length of the original game, Outlast 2’s gameplay starts to wear thin, especially since too many of its scripted chases funnel you down preset paths. At the same time, however, I admire its purity, and to an extent, I’m willing to accept its shortcomings for the sake of true survival horror. The campaign is scary from start to finish and delivers on its promise of unrelenting terror in part because it never allows you to fight back. The atmosphere and sound design are expertly crafted, and Blake’s hallucinations elevate the game’s story above that of the first. It doesn’t do much to build on the original formula, but it unquestionably provides a more polished version of the same idea.

“Think of it as a ride through a really amazing haunted house: you don’t have a ton of control and sometimes the ride breaks down for a moment or two, but it’s basically guaranteed to leave you scared out of your mind.” — Scott Butterworth [Full review]

IGN — 8.3/10

“Outlast 2 is a terrifying sequel that builds upon the scares of the 2013 original. Even if its ambitious themes don’t always land and navigating through its world can be frustratingly inconsistent, there’s more wicked creativity at play here than I’ve seen in a horror game in a long time. Play it loud, in the dark.” — Lucy O’Brien [Full review]

Game Informer — 7.75/10

“Although Outlast 2’s scares are phenomenal, its narrative struggles to remain cohesive and wraps up hastily. This affected my investment into the story, where my connection to the characters waned frequently. It has clever tricks up its sleeve, and while scary in the moment, their effectiveness suffers in the long run, especially when connecting various story points is difficult. Shock value is relied on constantly, with overt religious themes portrayed in ways some could find carelessly offensive. Even if that doesn’t bother you, these topics are often handled without nuance.

“Outlast 2 asks more questions than it answers, and too much is left to your interpretation. This ambiguity might have worked, but it makes the conclusion unsatisfying. Even with its hiccups, it is nonetheless an intense ride that makes you question your sanity. If gory thrills are something you seek, Outlast 2 provides plenty to keep you on the edge of your seat as long as you can look past the clumsy storytelling.” — Elise Favis [Full review]

PC Gamer — 85/100

“What I like most about Outlast 2 is that it doesn’t just use its themes as set-dressing. The first Outlast had the same intense stealth sequences and chase scenes, but in the spooky asylum every Early Access game goes for. Outlast 2 takes you through dilapidating farms and flooded mines and old townships that all say something about the history of the people who lived there. It rains blood and spews locusts and sends twisted cultists after you through it all, just regular people wearing overalls and carrying bloody steak knives, moaning in apocalyptic overtones. There are monsters, sure, but Outlast 2’s scariest moments come from its most familiar faces.” — James Davenport [Full review]

Powered by WPeMatico

Capcom has announced that Resident Evil 7‘s Not a Hero expansion, which stars a fan favorite character, has been delayed. The DLC was originally meant to launch this “spring,” but will now come at a later, unconfirmed date.

In an official video, game director Koshi Nakanishi explained that the reason for the delay is so the team can improve the free add-on to live up to the positive reception the base game received.

“In light of the incredible reception of Resident Evil 7, we concluded that this DLC was not good enough to meet those high expectations,” he said.

Producer Masachika Kawata added: “Our aim is for this content to match the high quality of the main game, so we need more development time in order to achieve that goal.”

Capcom goes on to reassure fans that Not a Hero will still be released for free, as previously promised, while also teasing a “further piece of DLC” that is currently in the works.

You can take a look at the video–which is in Japanese but contains English subtitles if you click the closed captions icon–below. Note: spoilers for the ending of Resident Evil 7 follow beneath the video.

Not a Hero stars fan favorite character Chris Redfield, who is revealed at the end of Resident Evil 7 to be working for the Umbrella Corporation. Not a Hero isn’t the only piece of Resident Evil 7 DLC, meanwhile: Two add-on packs, called Banned Footage Volumes 1 and 2, were released earlier this year.

The base game launched in January to critical acclaim. We called it “a remarkable success” in our Resident Evil 7: Biohazard review. And if you’re a fan of the franchise, you should definitely check out our two-part Resident Evil documentary series.

Powered by WPeMatico

The first trailer for Kingsman: The Golden Circle is here. The sequel to the 2014 action comedy is released in September, and this first trailer showcases some spectacular action set to the sounds of Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way.’ Check it out here:

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is directed by Matthew Vaughn, and stars Taron Egerton as young spy Gary “Eggsy” Unwin once more. The cast also includes Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, and Julianne Moore.

In a recent interview with Collider, Egerton hinted at what fans could expect from the new movie. “It’s f***ing mental,” he said. “But it’s what people like and it’s what Matthew is good at. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s awesome. It’s bigger and it feels more ambitious, really.

“There are more characters, the world is explored in more detail. This weird version of reality where these spies exist is kind of explored more. We discover a sister organization based in America called the Statesman… they’re richer than us, they’ve got cool s**t.”

The first movie, also directed by Vaughn, was one of 2014’s biggest surprise hits, making $414 million worldwide.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle arrives in theaters on September 29, 2017.

Powered by WPeMatico

After his story in Injustice 2 was set up last week, we’ve now gotten a better look at Brainiac in the upcoming fighting game.

NetherRealm today released a new gameplay video (above) centered around the villain. It opens up with Superman getting sassy with his nemesis, only for Braniac to pummel the Man of Steel (and other characters).

Like last week’s brief glimpse, a lot of what he can do centers around robotic arms that extend from his back, which are used both to attack and move him around the stage. We also get a look at a cool Super move that devastates Superman near the end.

We’re days away from the next Injustice 2 character reveal, with NetherRealm promising to unveil another member of the roster on April 28.

There’s not much longer to wait for the game itself: It arrives for PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.

Powered by WPeMatico

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters on May 5 (April 28 in the UK; May 23 in Australia), a little under three years since the first movie pleased cinemagoers with its fresh sense of weirdness and irreverent humor.

But what about the sequel? Does Vol. 2 continue the original’s good form or is it a difficult second album for writer/director James Gunn and co.?

In GameSpot’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 review, critic Randolph Ramsay said the film feels too familiar at first, but it soon “becomes thrilling, emotional, and funny.” You can take a look at what a selection of what other reviewers thought in our review roundup below, or check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for a wider view on critical opinion.

Beware: Minor spoilers lie below, so look away now if you want to go in totally fresh.

GameSpot — No score

“For a brief moment, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 felt like the worst thing a movie featuring a sentient baby tree and an anthropomorphic raccoon could be: it felt familiar.”

“But then, just as a certain new character’s Mork & Mindy-like egg-shaped ship takes off to the sound of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 starts bringing it all together. It leaves the references to the first film behind, pushing its characters, setting, and plot to compelling places. It becomes thrilling, emotional, funny, and most of all, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 finally becomes what the first film was: fun and more than a little heartfelt. As Rocket Racoon says near the film’s climax: “Welcome to the freakin’ Guardians of the Galaxy.” It’s about time.” — Randolph Ramsay [Full review]

The Guardian — 3/5

“There are, once again, some funny lines, very often given to Drax, who has a way of oversharing. Pom Clementieff is very entertaining in the role of Mantis, a helpmeet of Ego; she has the gift of being an empath, someone who can intuit how someone else is feeling by laying hands on them, but is in every other fantastically naive and un-insightful about the way human beings behave.

“Ego himself introduces some apparently huge Freudian issues to the film, which on paper would seem to take the film’s emotional impact up a notch or two. But they are dealt with insouciantly, even flippantly–far more so than in something like Star Wars or Superman. That’s in keeping of course, with the distinctive comic flavour of this franchise, but the revelations about Quill’s background just zing and ping around with the same pinball-velocity as everything else in the film. It’s fun, though GOTG2 doesn’t have the same sense of weird urgency and point that the first film had. They’re still guarding, although the galaxy never seems in much danger.” — Peter Bradshaw [Full review]

Empire — 4/5

“Even when the pixels threaten to overwhelm, Gunn finds refuge in his main characters. There’s plenty to enjoy here, whether it’s the perfectly deployed Baby Groot moments, or a general strain of anarchic weirdness that runs all the way through the credits and which still feels unique to this franchise, not just within the MCU, but blockbusters in general. It’s easy to overlook the odd off note when a mix is this awesome.” — Chris Hewitt [Full review]

The Hollywood Reporter — No score

“The heavy, elaborate action is both plentiful and rote; in their geometric design and execution, the special effects feel exceedingly computer-generated. Unlike, say, the best space battles in the Star Wars series, the frantic ballistic parrying here often makes the viewer feel as if trapped inside a pinball machine. The attitude toward all the violence and mayhem is mostly good-humored, casual and tossed-off, which provokes a few good laughs and chuckles, and writer-director Gunn gets away with a lot of lame stuff simply by moving on quickly to the next gag or explosion. As before, his bluffly cynical, good-times attitude supplies a devil-may-care feel to the proceedings that’s quite appealing to audiences. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 plays like a second ride on a roller-coaster that was a real kick the first time around but feels very been-there/done-that now.” — Todd McCarthy [Full review]

Variety — No score

“The gods of sci-fi spectacle must, of course, be served, and the climax of Vol. 2 is exorbitant, rousing, touching, and just obligatory enough to be too much of a good thing. (That isn’t even counting the half-dozen post-credit teaser scenes, which make the film feel like…TV.)”

“The difference between the first Guardians and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is that the new movie is flush with what a big deal it is. Ironically, that makes it a smaller deal.” — Owen Glieberman [Full review]

Powered by WPeMatico