Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Has A Darth Sidious Easter Egg

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There are plenty of nods to the gruesome Order 66 directive in Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order given that the third-person action-adventure title takes place five years after the event. One YouTuber named Garbett uncovered a hilariously tedious Easter egg in reference to the infamous Jedi Purge.

Of course, this story will contain spoilers for the opening section of the Jedi Fallen Order.

Not long after Cal Kestis awakens his Force powers, he slips into a dream while riding a train where he anxiously follows his friend Prauf. There comes a point where a door shuts behind Prauf and Cal is left standing in front, pressing the “Open” button to no avail. To progress the story, you’re to turn around and see Cal in the training room before he sought refuge in Bracca from the Empire.

Instead, if you repeatedly press the “Open” button before turning to continue the story, you’ll hear Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine) issue the horrific Order 66 directive. It’s worth noting, though, that you’ll have to press “Open” 66 times before hearing Emperor Palpatine’s gruff, raspy voice.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order launched on November 15 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. While the game received a fairly positive reception since launch, with our own review giving it an 8/10, developer Respawn Entertainment is working on improving Fallen Order’s stability. A patch is slated to roll out sometime this week that’s supposed to address texture pop-in, stuttering performance, and various other issues.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-has-a-darth-sidious-ea/1100-6471568/

The Game Awards 2019 Nominees Full List

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We’re about a month away from The Game Awards’ December 12 livestream, where Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding is up against Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds–and more–for Game of the Year. This year’s nominees have been officially revealed and the competition looks quite tough.

Show host Geoff Keighley announced the fifth annual Game Awards nominees in a rapid-fire YouTube video, where he confirmed once again that the livestream will feature “surprise new game announcements, world premieres, and special video game-inspired musical performances.” The Game Awards is set to go live at 5:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM CST / 8:30 PM ET on December 12 (and 1:30 AM BST on December 13) and can be streamed here on GameSpot and on Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, and elsewhere.

Game of the Year is the Game Awards’ highest honor, and the nominees this year are stacked. Remedy’s Control takes on Death Stranding, The Outer Worlds, Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Capcom’s Resident Evil 2, and From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice–all of which received high scores in their GameSpot review.

While this year had impressive AAA titles, the flourishing independent scene also shined with some exceptional experiences. The Game Awards is recognizing Baba Is You, Disco Elysium, Katana Zero, Outer Wilds, and Untitled Goose Game for this year’s best independent game.

The Game Awards also highlights the fighting game genre, live-service titles like Apex Legends and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, the best video game performances and esports players, and more. You can check the full list of nominations below.

The Game Awards 2019 Full Nominees List

Game of The Year

  • Control (Remedy/505 Games)
  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai-Namco/Sora/Nintendo)
  • Resident Evil 2 (Capcom/Capcom)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
  • The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)

Best Game Direction

  • Control (Remedy/505 Games)
  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
  • Resident Evil 2 (Capcom/Capcom)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
  • Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital/Annapurna)

Best Narrative

  • A Plague Tale: Innocence (Asobo/Focus Home)
  • Control (Remedy/505)
  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
  • Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
  • The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)

Best Art Direction

  • Control (Remedy/505)
  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
  • Gris (Nomada Studio/Devolver)
  • Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo)

Best Score/Music

  • Cadence of Hyrule (Brace Yourself Games/Nintendo)
  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
  • Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom)
  • Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
  • Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)

Best Audio Design

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
  • Control (Remedy/505)
  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
  • Gears 5 (The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios)
  • Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)

Best Performance

  • Ashly Burch as Parvati Holcomb, The Outer Worlds
  • Courtney Hope as Jesse Faden, Control
  • Laura Bailey as Kait Diaz, Gears 5
  • Mads Mikkelsen as Cliff, Death Stranding
  • Matthew Porretta as Dr. Casper Darling, Control
  • Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, Death Stranding

Games for Impact

  • Concrete Genie (Pixelopus/SIE)
  • Gris (Nomada Studio/Devolver)
  • Kind Words (Popcannibal)
  • Life is Strange 2 (Dontnod/Square Enix)
  • Sea of Solitude (Jo-Mei Games/EA)

Best Ongoing Game

  • Apex Legends (Respawn)
  • Destiny 2 (Bungie)
  • Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
  • Fortnite (Epic Games)
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)

Best Independent Game

  • Baba Is You (Hempuli)
  • Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
  • Katana ZERO (Askiisoft/Devoler Digital)
  • Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital/Annapurna)
  • Untitled Goose Game (House House/Panic)

Best Mobile Game

  • Call of Duty: Mobile (TiMi Studios/Activision)
  • GRINDSTONE (Capybara Games)
  • Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo/Annapurna)
  • Sky: Children of Light (Thatgamecompany)
  • What the Golf? (Tribland)

Best Community Support

  • Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
  • Destiny 2 (Bungie)
  • Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
  • Fortnite (Epic Games)
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)

Best VR/AR Game

  • Asgard’s Wrath (Sanzaru Games/Oculus Studios)
  • Blood & Truth (SIE London Studio/SIE)
  • Beat Saber (Beat Games)
  • No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
  • Trover Saves the Universe (Squanch Games)

Best Action Game

  • Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
  • Astral Chain (Platinum Games/Nintendo)
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
  • Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom/Capcom)
  • Gears 5 (The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios)
  • Metro Exodus (4A Games/Deep Silver)

Best Action/Adventure Game

  • Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K)
  • Control (Remedy/505 Games)
  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/SIE)
  • Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo/Nintendo)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software/Activision)

Best RPG

  • Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
  • Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
  • Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
  • Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Capcom)
  • The Outer Worlds (Obsidian/Private Division)

Best Fighting Game

  • Dead or Alive 6 (Team Ninja/Koei Tecmo)
  • Jump Force (Spike Chunsoft/Bandai Namco)
  • Mortal Kombat 11 (NetherRealm/WBIE)
  • Samurai Showdown (SNK/Athlon)
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco/Sora/Nintendo)

Best Family Game

  • Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games/Nintendo)
  • Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
  • Super Mario Maker 2 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco/Sora/Nintendo)
  • Yoshi’s Crafted World (Good-Feel/Nintendo)

Best Strategy Game

  • Age of Wonders: Planetfall (Triumph Studios/Paradox)
  • Anno 1800 (Blue Byte/Ubisoft)
  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems/Koei Tecmo/Nintendo)
  • Total War: Three Kingdoms (Creative Assembly/Sega)
  • Tropico 6 (Limbic Entertainment/Kalypso Media)
  • Wargroove (Chucklefish)

Best Sports/Racing Game

  • Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Beenox/Activision)
  • DiRT Rally 2.0 (Codemasters)
  • eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 (PES Productions/Konami)
  • F1 2019 (Codemasters)
  • FIFA 20 (EA Sports)

Best Multiplayer Game

  • Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
  • Borderlands 3 (Gearbox/2K)
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
  • Tetris 99 (Arika/Nintendo)
  • Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)

Fresh Indie Game

  • ZA/UM for Disco Elysium
  • Nomada Studio for Gris
  • DeadToast Entertainment for My Friend Pedro
  • Mobius Digital for Outer Wilds
  • Mega Crit for Slay the Spire
  • House House for Untitled Goose Game

Content Creator of the Year

  • Jack “Courage” Dunlop
  • Benjamin “Dr. Lupo” Lupo
  • Soleil “Ewok” Wheeler
  • David “Grefg” Martínez
  • Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek

Best Esports Game

  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)
  • DOTA2 (Valve)
  • Fortnite (Epic Games)
  • League of Legends (Riot Games)
  • Overwatch (Blizzard)

Best Esports Player

  • Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf (Immortals, Fortnite)
  • Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (SK Telecom, League of Legends)
  • Luka “Perkz” Perkovic (G2 Esports, League of Legends)
  • Oleksandr “S1mple” Kostyliev (Natus Vincere, CSGO)
  • Jay “Sinatraa” Won (SF Shock, Overwatch)

Best Esports Team

  • Astralis (CS:GO)
  • G2 Esports (LOL)
  • OG (DOTA2)
  • San Francisco Shock (OWL)
  • Team Liquid (CS:GO)

Best Esports Event

  • 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals
  • EVO 2019
  • Fortnite World Cup
  • IEM Katowice 2019
  • League of Legends World Championship 2019
  • The International 2019

Best Esports Coach

  • Eric ‘adreN’ Hoag (Team Liquid, CS:GO)
  • Nu-ri ‘Cain’ Jang (Team Liquid, LOL)
  • Fabian ‘GrabbZ’ Lohmann (G2 Esports, LOL)
  • Kim ‘Kkoma’ Jeong-gyun (SK Telecom T1, LOL)
  • Titouan ‘Sockshka’ Merloz (OG, DOTA2)
  • Danny ‘Zonic’ Sørensen (Astralis, CSGO)

Best Esports Host

  • Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere
  • Alex “Machine” Richardson
  • Paul “Redeye” Chaloner
  • Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
  • Duan “Candice” Yu-Shuang

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2019-nominees-full-list/1100-6471564/

Nintendo Announces Digital Black Friday Switch Sale For Europe

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Nintendo has announced a big Black Friday promotion in Europe, offering sizable discounts on several digital games through its Eshop. The sale will begin November 22 and last through December 1.

The sale includes discounts on big first-party games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, among others. The biggest discount is to Dragon Ball FighterZ, which is a whopping 70% off. Nintendo Switch Online members can also claim 20% off Nintendo Entertainment System Controllers from the My Nintendo Store.

Nintendo of America has not detailed its own Black Friday deals yet, but we expect a similar sale to come to North America. Check below for some highlights of the coming discounts. For more Nintendo Switch deals, check out our best Nintendo Black Friday first-party deals and top picks for Switch game deals.

  • Super Mario Odyssey – 30% off
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 30% off
  • Cadence of Hyrule – 30% off
  • New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 30% off
  • Dragon Quest Builders 2 – 30% off
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – 30% off
  • FIFA 20 Legacy Edition – 30% off
  • Dark Souls Remastered – 40% off
  • Wolfenstein Youngblood – 50% off
  • Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate – 50% off
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ – 70% off

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-announces-digital-black-friday-switch-sal/1100-6471562/

Google Stadia Game Pricing: See How Much Every Game Costs

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With Stadia Pro, you’ll get a discount on many of the games available on Google Stadia–the company’s new cloud-based game streaming service. Below, we’ve listed all of the games available for Stadia on day one, as well as the price they’re each being sold at.

At launch, Stadia is a bit barebones, with Google saying that the missing features and in-service content will be added piece by piece in 2020. Many of the initial impressions of Stadia have been underwhelming too. Knowing that, you may want to hold off on ordering Stadia if you haven’t already. Several games have been discounted on day one for those who have a Stadia Pro subscription. However, the discount will only last until December 3.

Google Stadia Day One Game Pricing

In GameSpot’s Google Stadia review in progress, Peter Brown writes that he’s “a firm believer in [cloud gamings] future after spending a week with Stadia, but it’s also obvious there’s a long road ahead for Google to take us there.” If you have already ordered Stadia, Google has some suggestions for you prior to playing on the service.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/google-stadia-game-pricing-see-how-much-every-game/1100-6471546/

Pokemon Go Supereffective Week Event Begins Today, Features New Shiny Pokemon

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Pokemon Go‘s November Community Day has come and gone, but Niantic still has a few events lined up for the hit Pokemon mobile game this month. That begins with Supereffective Week, which kicks off today, November 19, and introduces a new Shiny Pokemon to catch.

From now until November 26, you’ll be able to find Pokemon that are effective against Team Rocket and other trainers more often in the wild, as well as in Raid Battles and through Field Research tasks. On top of that, you’ll receive twice the normal amount of Stardust from trainer battles, and PokeStops will distribute more Potions and Revives than usual. Finally, you’ll have your first chance to encounter Shiny Tentacool in the wild.

Following Supereffective Week, a new Legendary Pokemon, Terrakion, will make its debut in Pokemon Go. The second member of the Swords of Justice trio is set to appear in five-star Raid Battles beginning November 26, replacing the current Legendary, Cobalion. Terrakion will be available in Raids until December 17.

Before November comes to an end, Niantic is also holding Pokemon Go’s first-ever Friend Fest. That event runs from November 27 to December 2, and during that time, “family-themed Pokemon” such as Nidoran and their evolutions will appear more often in the wild. On top of that, trading Pokemon with friends will require half the usual amount of Stardust, and you’ll be able to make two special trades per day. You can read more details about this month’s Pokemon Go events on the game’s official website.

In other Pokemon news, the series’ latest mainline games, Pokemon Sword and Shield, launched on Nintendo Switch last week, and to celebrate their release, Galarian Weezing recently made its debut in Pokemon Go. The Galarian Pokemon appeared for a special Raid Hour immediately following November’s Community Day, and while that event has ended, it can still periodically be found in four-star Raids. Additionally, Niantic has added new avatar items based on the default trainer outfits from Sword and Shield to the Style Shop.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-supereffective-week-event-begins-today-/1100-6471560/

Shenmue 3 Actually Exists, Is Out Now

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Shenmue 3 has finally arrived, putting an end to an almost 20 year Shenmue dry spell. The series debuted on the Dreamcast and the most recent game was released in 2001. It was always planned as a larger narrative, but fans of the series have been waiting a long time to see it return.

The story follows Ryo Hazuki, and a recent launch trailer showed some nostalgic elements as well as continuing story hooks like the antagonist Lan Di. The first two games weren’t commercial successes, but the franchise has remained a cult favorite for its portrayal of daily life in Japan and a grounded story.

Even aside from the long wait for a sequel, Shenmue 3 itself has been a long time coming. The Kickstarter opened on June 15, 2015, and quickly broke Kickstarter records–with an assist from Sony’s E3 press conference. Original director Keiji Okayasu returned to direct the revival project. It’s available on both PS4 and PC, though its Epic Games Store exclusivity on PC has been the cause of some controversy.

Reviews of the game are sparse so far, with only user reviews available on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. Still, the Kickstarter success suggests the fan demand is high, so success here could warrant further sequels and deliver on the series’ goal of being a multi-part epic. If you need to catch up, a remaster of Shenmue 1 & 2 were released last year.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/shenmue-3-actually-exists-is-out-now/1100-6471557/

Uncharted Director Amy Hennig Is Forming A New Game Studio

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Amy Hennig, the director and writer of Uncharted 1, 2, and 3, as well as Jak 3, Battlefield: Hardline, and Visceral’s cancelled Star Wars game, is launching a new games studio. Hennig has joined Skydance Media, the company that produced such films as Mission Impossible Fallout, Gemini Man, Annihilation, and Terminator: Dark Fate. She will oversee the company’s new game development label, working alongside her former Electronic Arts co-worker Julian Beak. This news comes via a report from VentureBeat, and Skydance has since issued a press release welcoming Hennig and Beak on board.

In a statement to VentureBeat, company CEO David Ellison says that the pair have been hired because “the interactive media landscape is continually changing and Amy and Julian are creative and visionary leaders of this evolution.” Hennig, whose first credit is 1989’s ElectroCop, says that her studio will make games aimed at both traditional gamers and “non-gamers,” and will work on “story-focused experiences” for “both traditional and emerging streaming platforms.” Hennig left EA after the closure of Visceral, the studio behind the Dead Space series, and the cancellation of the Star Wars game she was working on. At Skydance Media, she says, she met “kindred spirits” who believed in her work.

Hennig says that, while they haven’t settled on exactly what they will work on first, she will take on an “interactive showrunner” role, while Beak will serve as an executive producer on their titles. Her aim is to work as “a storyteller” with her games. She believes that the studio will remain “small and focused” under her supervision, working on smaller titles.

Skydance Media has some involvement in games already, and are working on The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, as well as their previous VR title Archangel. The company courted controversy earlier this year after hiring disgraced former Disney/Pixar animation chief John Lasseter, who left the company after allegations of sexual harassment arose. Lasseter’s hiring eventually led to Emma Thompson exiting a movie produced by the company.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/uncharted-director-amy-hennig-is-forming-a-new-gam/1100-6471554/

PlayStation 5 Controller Patents Show Off Next Gen Design Changes

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The PlayStation 5 is coming, with the next-generation Sony console currently being planned for a Holiday 2020 release. This means that the system is still at least a year away, but we’re starting to get some idea of what the console will be like. Now a new patent for the PlayStation 5 controller has appeared on the website for the Japanese patent office, and it’s giving us a glimpse of the rough shape of the PlayStation 5 controller. At first glance it looks very much like the Dual Shock 4, but there are some big changes that have been made.

No Caption Provided

AS VGC notes, the images in the patent point towards a few changes, such as smaller sticks, larger triggers, a USB-C charging port, and no light bar. While this is by no means the definitive final version of the PlayStation 5 controller (the infamous PlayStation 3 “boomerang” controller was abandoned before the system’s launch), odds are that many of these changes will appear on the final design. The touchpad remains in place, and the general shape appears very similar to the Dual Shock 4.

No Caption Provided

Sony has previously discussed their new controller, revealing that haptics will replace the standard rumble, allowing for a “broader range of feedback” that will allow for a more nuanced approach to how the controller vibrates (much like the Switch’s “HD Rumble”). The L2/R2 triggers on the PS4 controller will be replaced with adaptive triggers, so developers can program for added resistance–the R2 button might be harder to press if a character is pushing something heavy, for instance, or you might feel resistance when pulling back the string on a bow. The controller is reportedly being developed to give players a stronger sense of place within their environments, and to give developers new options in the experiences they can replicate.

We also know that the PlayStation 5 will still require games to be installed from discs, and that Sony is hoping that the system will be adopted by players quickly. We’re also starting to see games announced for it, including numerous Ubisoft titles and Path of Exile 2.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-5-controller-patents-show-off-next-gen/1100-6471551/

Firewatch Dev’s Next Game, In The Valley Of Gods, May Be In Jeopardy

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Though nothing has been officially announced, something seems to be going on with In the Valley of Gods, the sophomore effort of Campo Santo. Several prominent members of the Campo Santo team have changed their Twitter bios to imply they are no longer working on the game, and In the Valley of Gods has been removed from the studio’s official website.

Twitter user Tyler McVicker noticed that In the Valley of Gods environmental artist Jane Ng, art director Claire Hummel, and designer Jake Rodkin all changed their Twitter bios on November 17, 2019. The changes can be seen in the tweet below.

The homepage of the official Campo Santo website has also been altered. Previously, the website listed In the Valley of Gods as Campo Santo’s current project. That has since been removed–Campo Sampo’s debut, Firewatch, is currently the only game listed on the website’s homepage. All that said, the official website for In the Valley of Gods still exists.

Campo Santo first announced In the Valley of Gods during The Game Awards 2017. Like Firewatch, In the Valley of Gods is a single-player, first-person adventure game. Campo Santo’s new game, however, is set in 1920s Egypt, stars an explorer turned filmmaker, and sees you accompanied by an AI-controlled partner. In April 2018, Campo Santo announced it had been acquired by Valve, transitioning In the Valley of Gods from an independent game to a Valve one. Since then, there hasn’t been news about In the Valley of Gods–though that hasn’t stopped us from pining for it.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/firewatch-devs-next-game-in-the-valley-of-gods-may/1100-6471550/