Category: Gamespot

God of War is the next major PS4 exclusive, and its release date is coming quite soon–it’s out on April 20, meaning time is running out if you’re eager to pre-order. With this game, developer Sony Santa Monica promises Kratos, the GoW himself, has some depth to him. He’s not just raging at the world, as he’s been known to do in previous entries. This time around he’s joined by his son Atreus as they head into the land of the Norse gods. Most importantly, he has a beard.

But fans of the series shouldn’t worry Sony has created a low-key game about feelings. This is still a God of War game, and although Kratos has traded in his chain-blades for a magic axe, he still slices through enemies, spilling gallons of blood and gore. You can read all about what to expect in our God of War review, which is quite positive. In it, Peter Brown says, “In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It’s a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become.”

If you’re planning to pre-order God of War, you’ll want to know where you can get it, what comes in the special editions, and how much each version costs. Strap in. Here comes a firehose spray of God of War pre-order info.

Pre-Order Bonus

First, the pre-order bonus. If you pre-order God of War from a participating retailer, you’ll get three shield skins. They’re called Buckler of the Forge, Dökkenshieldr, and Shining Elven Soul Shield. Now say that three times fast.

Pre-order God of War from GameStop, and you’ll get the Luck of Ages XP Boost, an in-game item that gives you additional experience points.

God of War – Standard Edition

Suggested retail price: $60

This is the standard version of the game, so all you get are any standard pre-order bonuses depending where you buy it.

Where to buy the Standard Edition:

• Amazon: $60 ($48 with Amazon Prime)
• Best Buy: $60 ($48 with Gamers Club Unlocked)
• GameStop: $60 (comes with Luck of Ages XP boost)
• Newegg: $50
• PlayStation Store: $60 (comes with six avatars)
• Target: $60
• Walmart: $60

God of War Digital Deluxe Edition

Suggested retail price: $70

The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with a digital version of the game, plus the following digital goodies:

• God of War Digital Artbook by Dark Horse Comics
• God of War Digital Comic Issue #0 by Dark Horse Comics
• Death’s Vow Armor Set
• Exile’s Guardian Shield
• Dynamic Theme for PS4

Pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition in the US or Canada, and you’ll get a physical Kratos & Atreus pin.

Where to buy the Digital Deluxe Edition:

• PlayStation Store: $70 (comes with six avatars)

God of War Collector’s Edition

Suggested retail price: $130

The Collector’s Edition comes with all the digital extras in the Digital Deluxe Edition, plus the following physical items:

• 9″ Kratos and Atreus statue
• Steelbook case for the game
• 2″ Huldra Brothers carvings
• Lithograph
• Cloth map

Where to buy the Collector’s Edition:

• Amazon: $130
• Best Buy: $130 ($104 with Gamers Club Unlocked)
• GameStop: $130 (comes with Luck of Ages XP boost)
• Newegg: $120
• Target: $130
• Walmart: $130

Stone Mason Edition

Suggested retail price: $150

The Stone Mason Edition comes with all the digital goodies from the Digital Deluxe Edition, plus all the physical items from the Collector’s Edition. The extra $20 this edition costs goes toward the following small items:

• Stone Mason’s ring
• Mimir’s head talking keychain
• 2″ horse and troll carvings
• Defender of the Chosen Shield (in-game item)

Where to buy the Stone Mason Edition:

• Amazon: Unavailable at the time of this writing
• Best Buy: $150 ($120 with Gamers Club Unlocked)
• GameStop: $150 (comes with Luck of Ages XP boost)
• Newegg: $140
• Target: $150
• Walmart: $150

Sony Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle

Suggested retail price: $400

If you want to think about God of War each time you pick up a controller or glance at your console, buy the Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle. It comes with a 1TB hard drive and some slick God of War ornamentation.

Where to buy the Sony Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle:

• Amazon: Unavailable at the time of this writing
• Best Buy: $400
• GameStop: $400
• Newegg: $400
• Target: $400
• Walmart: $400

Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.

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The next crossover event in Monster Hunter World is now available. With the Spring Blossom Fest event ongoing, a new quest is now available on PS4 and Xbox One that allows you to get your hands on the crafting materials necessary to dress your Palico up like Mega Man.

The event quest itself is called A Rush of Blood, and it’s an Arena where you have to hunt two Odagarons. One of these is an adorable, miniaturized version of the monster. That wrinkle aside, it’s an otherwise standard 7-star mission, with limits of 50 minutes and three faints. Completing it will reward you with Mega Man Tickets, which are one of the resources necessary to craft the new gear. You’ll have to repeat the fight several times to get enough tickets for everything.

With those in hand, head to the Smithy and open the Forge Palico Equipment section. Go to Full Armor Sets, and you can craft the Mega Man gear, which consists of two High Rank pieces: the Mega Man Helmet and Mega Man Suit. This costs three Mega Man Tickets.

For the Palico weapon, you’ll go to the Standard Equipment area of the Forge Palico Equipment section. Toward the bottom of the High Rank weapons, you’ll find find the Mega Man set’s weapon, called the Mega Buster. This costs an additional two Mega Man Tickets, meaning you’ll need five total to craft everything.

One unique aspect of this gear was teased during its original announcement. Depending on what weapon your character has equipped, you’ll hear different classic Mega Man music when your Palico has this gear on. However, this is only true in the event quest; you unfortunately won’t be hearing it during your regular adventures.

You have only a limited time to collect the necessary materials for this gear, as the event quest will only be available until April 27. The Spring Blossom Fest, meanwhile, ends on April 19 and provides an opportunity to get a new greatsword and armor.

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In recent years, Microsoft has placed greater emphasis on its lineup of indie games. It has attempted to court independent developers to its ID@Xbox program to bolster Xbox One‘s library of games and appeal to a wider audience. Last year, that meant we got to see games such as Snake Pass, Rime, and The Sexy Brutale at the publisher’s ID@Xbox event. This year, Microsoft hosted another indie gathering, at which we got to check out a bunch more independent titles coming to Xbox One and PC–and, in some cases, other platforms too–soon. Read on for five of the coolest games we saw.

Trailmakers

Trailmakers is an open-world driving game with one big difference: it allows you to build your own vehicles in order to traverse its tricky environments. It starts off by tasking you with making basic cars, but as you add more engines and become more creative, you can achieve more and more ridiculous things. You can build planes, helicopters, hovercraft, and anything else your imagination–and your in-game energy supply–allows.

Separate modes allow you to race against friends or build any environment you like–one demoed to us by the developer, Flashbulb, was a Star Wars-inspired podracing track. Even better, you can share your vehicle designs with friends by simply sending them a .png file. Trailmakers is currently in early access on PC and is coming to Xbox One in 2018.

Robocraft Infinity

Robocraft Infinity is another vehicle construction game, except this time your personal rides will face off against each other in an arena combat scenario. You can build your own transport–which again can include aeroplanes, if you have the requisite engineering skill–before arming it with any number of guns and lasers to take into multiplayer battles.

Robocraft is essentially a vehicular hero shooter, except its open-ended building tools mean there are an infinite number of heroes available for you to play as. The game was already available on PC as a free-to-play title; Infinity is a re-tooled edition exclusive to Xbox One. It’s out now, costing $20 / £15 / $30 or included at no extra cost to Game Pass subscribers.

Descenders

If you long for a return to the days of extreme sports games like SSX Tricky and Skate, you may want to check out Descenders. It’s centered around downhill mountain biking, with procedurally generated worlds helping to keep things fresh.

You can choose whether to focus on pure speed, or to try and pull off stunts over the courses’ obstacles, or to go off-road in search of a bumpier ride–the game’s focus is left up to you. Descenders is currently in early access on PC, so it can feel a little rough around the edges at times, but there’s something satisfying about zooming down a track that no-one has ever been down before and unlocking greater bikes to throw around. Descenders is coming to Xbox Game Preview this summer.

DayZ

While not exactly an unknown, there is a sense DayZ has been a little forgotten since PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite became the battle royale behemoths they are today. However, developer Bohemia has been hard at work designing a new game engine and reworking much of the game’s systems, and DayZ is a somewhat different prospect to what it was in the past and what its rivals now offer.

Its attention to detail is admirable: for example, if you take a hit from one of the game’s zombies, you’ll lose blood, but healing yourself isn’t simply a case of finding a medikit. Instead, you may need a blood transfusion, for which you’ll need to find fluids of the same blood type as your playable character. If you find a vehicle, you’ll need fuel–as will you, since you need to keep topped up with food and water.

DayZ’s simulation is hardcore, and that dedication to realism may well mean it finds a sizeable niche of its own when it launches in full. Look forward to an early version coming to Xbox Game Preview and a final PC release this year before the game eventually makes its way to PS4 at some point in the future.

Moonlighter

What would life be like if you ran a shop but also wanted to explore dungeons at night? That’s the question Moonlighter poses to players, thereby combining a management sim with a dungeon crawler. By night, you plunder dungeons for powerful weapons and armor, and by day you sell that stock at the highest price possible.

Moonlighter somehow mixes two very different genres into an inventive coalition, and we’re intrigued to play more when it launches for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on May 29. A Nintendo Switch version is also on the way, “[a] few months after the regular release.”

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A new set of Fortnite challenges means a new batch of optional objectives to complete in Battle Royale, provided you own the Battle Pass. Week 7 challenges include two in particular that will require either some legwork on your part or a guide to specific locations–which is where we come in.

The first of these trickier challenges asks you to follow the treasure map found in Retail Row, something that is labeled as a “Hard” objective (meaning you get 10 Battle Stars for completing it). This works identically to other treasure map challenges: You hunt down a map randomly located in the stated area, and it directs you to another location on the map, where you have to collect an item. However, if you know where to go, you can skip the treasure map altogether and go directly to the treasure location.

For Week 7, that means going to the Wailing Woods. If you look at the map, you’ll see a part of it that is less densely populated with trees, which is home to a hedge maze. Navigate to the southwestern corner, and you’ll find the treasure hidden in a dead end. Walk up and activate it (by holding the same button or key you’d use to open a chest), and the challenge is complete.

More time-consuming is the challenge that wants you to search the Hidden Gnome in different named locations. You’ll have to search a total of seven of these gnomes, though you thankfully don’t have to do all of this in a single match. There are far more than seven gnomes on the map, so you don’t necessarily have to head to specific locations to do this. Anywhere you see a name on the map–Retail Row, Loot Lake, Tilted Towers, et al–you’ll find a gnome hiding inside of a building.

As with the treasure, you’ll have to hold a button or key (again, the same as opening a chest) to “search” a gnome once you find one. In some cases, such as the one in Junk Junction, you may need to destroy some of the surrounding objects in order to easily access it. Others can be searched without physically seeing it, as is the case with one hiding in a bathroom stall in Greasy Grove. We’ve assembled the map below and verified it with locations discovered by Reddit user thesquatingdog to help you identify the locations where you can find a gnome.

Check out our complete guide for the remainder of Week 7’s challenges. They primarily deal with doing things in specific locations or getting access to the right types of weapons (shotguns and suppressed weapons, in the case of this week). It’s also not too late to go back and complete those from previous weeks; Battle Pass owners have the remainder of April to finish all of Season 3’s Fortnite: Battle Royale challenges. Earn the Battle Stars for completing challenges, and you’ll more quickly level up the Battle Pass and earn its various rewards.

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Fortnite updates continue to rapidly roll out, and one of the most recent additions to Battle Royale came in the form of Vending Machines. If you’re able to find one, you can trade in building materials you’ve gathered in exchange for a variety of items, which vary from machine to machine. You’ll often find these in the same spots, but they are not fixtures. With Week 8 challenges tasking you to use one, we’ve detailed the common locations and where to find them, as well as exactly how they function and what prices are like.

You’ll find Vending Machines all around the map–typically indoors, if our experience is any indication, though we’ve also found one that was outdoors. Each one has three items for sale and will gradually rotate through them. You can wait for it to change to the item you want to purchase, or you can hit the machine with your pickaxe to make it jump to the next of the three.

Vending Machines are each randomly assigned a rarity level at the start of a match, as the patch notes explain. They then sell items at that specific rarity–one for each material type (wood, stone, and metal). You’ll need a specific amount of that material to buy the corresponding item, though you’re free to buy as many items as you wish, provided you can afford it. That may put a renewed emphasis on collecting materials with the pickaxe, even for players who don’t care about building. Here’s how much items will cost at each rarity:

• Common (white) items — 100 materials
• Uncommon (green) items — 200 materials
• Rare (blue) — 300 materials
• Epic (purple) — 400 materials
• Legendary (gold) — 500 materials

In terms of finding the Vending Machines, they’re scattered all across the map, but they don’t always appear in the same spots. You can see what it’s like to interact with some in the video above, and we’ve also compiled the map you see above, which combines the discoveries of Reddit user clizzythegod with those we’ve found ourselves. As you’d expect, you’ll most easily find Vending Machines in high-density areas like Pleasant Park, Tilted Towers, Salty Springs, and Retail Row, but there are others in unnamed parts of the map.

Vending Machines were added as part of Fortnite’s 3.4 content update for mobile, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This is part of developer Epic Games’ new plan to roll out new content every other week. These content updates won’t individually require you to download anything, as it seems the additions will be included as part of earlier patches. We’ve since gotten update 3.5, which adds the Port-a-Fort.

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God of War is the next major PS4 exclusive, and its release date is coming quite soon–it’s out on April 20, meaning time is running out if you’re eager to pre-order. With this game, developer Sony Santa Monica promises Kratos, the GoW himself, has some depth to him. He’s not just raging at the world, as he’s been known to do in previous entries. This time around he’s joined by his son Atreus as they head into the land of the Norse gods. Most importantly, he has a beard.

But fans of the series shouldn’t worry Sony has created a low-key game about feelings. This is still a God of War game, and although Kratos has traded in his chain-blades for a magic axe, he still slices through enemies, spilling gallons of blood and gore. You can read all about what to expect in our God of War review, which is quite positive. In it, Peter Brown says, “In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It’s a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become.”

If you’re planning to pre-order God of War, you’ll want to know where you can get it, what comes in the special editions, and how much each version costs. Strap in. Here comes a firehose spray of God of War pre-order info.

Pre-Order Bonus

First, the pre-order bonus. If you pre-order God of War from a participating retailer, you’ll get three shield skins. They’re called Buckler of the Forge, Dökkenshieldr, and Shining Elven Soul Shield. Now say that three times fast.

Pre-order God of War from GameStop, and you’ll get the Luck of Ages XP Boost, an in-game item that gives you additional experience points.

God of War – Standard Edition

Suggested retail price: $60

This is the standard version of the game, so all you get are any standard pre-order bonuses depending where you buy it.

Where to buy the Standard Edition:

• Amazon: $60 ($48 with Amazon Prime)
• Best Buy: $60 ($48 with Gamers Club Unlocked)
• GameStop: $60 (comes with Luck of Ages XP boost)
• Newegg: $50
• PlayStation Store: $60 (comes with six avatars)
• Target: $60
• Walmart: $60

God of War Digital Deluxe Edition

Suggested retail price: $70

The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with a digital version of the game, plus the following digital goodies:

• God of War Digital Artbook by Dark Horse Comics
• God of War Digital Comic Issue #0 by Dark Horse Comics
• Death’s Vow Armor Set
• Exile’s Guardian Shield
• Dynamic Theme for PS4

Pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition in the US or Canada, and you’ll get a physical Kratos & Atreus pin.

Where to buy the Digital Deluxe Edition:

• PlayStation Store: $70 (comes with six avatars)

God of War Collector’s Edition

Suggested retail price: $130

The Collector’s Edition comes with all the digital extras in the Digital Deluxe Edition, plus the following physical items:

• 9″ Kratos and Atreus statue
• Steelbook case for the game
• 2″ Huldra Brothers carvings
• Lithograph
• Cloth map

Where to buy the Collector’s Edition:

• Amazon: $130
• Best Buy: $130 ($104 with Gamers Club Unlocked)
• GameStop: $130 (comes with Luck of Ages XP boost)
• Newegg: $120
• Target: $130
• Walmart: $130

Stone Mason Edition

Suggested retail price: $150

The Stone Mason Edition comes with all the digital goodies from the Digital Deluxe Edition, plus all the physical items from the Collector’s Edition. The extra $20 this edition costs goes toward the following small items:

• Stone Mason’s ring
• Mimir’s head talking keychain
• 2″ horse and troll carvings
• Defender of the Chosen Shield (in-game item)

Where to buy the Stone Mason Edition:

• Amazon: Unavailable at the time of this writing
• Best Buy: $150 ($120 with Gamers Club Unlocked)
• GameStop: $150 (comes with Luck of Ages XP boost)
• Newegg: $140
• Target: $150
• Walmart: $150

Sony Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle

Suggested retail price: $400

If you want to think about God of War each time you pick up a controller or glance at your console, buy the Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle. It comes with a 1TB hard drive and some slick God of War ornamentation.

Where to buy the Sony Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle:

• Amazon: Unavailable at the time of this writing
• Best Buy: $400
• GameStop: $400
• Newegg: $400
• Target: $400
• Walmart: $400

Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.

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