Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo Intro Leaked

The intro movie for the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo has leaked, and it will look awfully familiar to long-time fans of the classic RPG. The PS4 version is almost a shot-for-shot remake of the original PlayStation version, with a few notable changes.

Like the original, it opens with Aeris viewing wisps of lifestream energy through a grate in the city of Midgar. She walks away–this time seemingly spooked by approaching footsteps–and steps out into the bustling street. One addition to this version is that she drops some of her flowers, and one gets ignobly stepped on by a passer-by, but otherwise the rest remains very faithful. The camera pans back to show a wide shot of Midgar accompanied by the logo, and then pulls back in to show Cloud and his companions staging their attack from a train.

The leaked movie also shows a demo title screen with options, and the moment when control reverts to the player. It wasn’t released through any official PlayStation or Square Enix channel, so it appears that the demo must have leaked in some way.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake is coming on March 3, 2020, and it’s one of our most anticipated games. Unlike the original, though, this one is being split into individual chapters. The first part will focus on the beginning of the game in Midgar, while other chapters will fill in the rest of the story. Square Enix hasn’t detailed when to expect the other games to come. For more details, check out everything we know about the Final Fantasy VII Remake.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-fantasy-vii-remake-demo-intro-leaked/1100-6472460/

Fortnite Ice Box Locations: Where To Search Ice Boxes (Winterfest Challenge)

We’re in the final stretch of Fortnite‘s Winterfest event, which means you only have a few days left to complete the limited-time Winterfest challenges and unlock some festive rewards. One of the holiday-themed missions asks you to search ice boxes, but unless you’re well acquainted with the game’s map, you may have some trouble tracking them down. If you fall in that camp, don’t worry; we’ve put together this map and guide to help you out.

Where Are The Ice Box Locations?

To complete this challenge, you’ll need to search two different ice boxes. This may seem daunting at first if you don’t already know where to look given the size of the island, but fortunately, there are many more than that scattered around the map, so tracking down two shouldn’t be too difficult. We’ve marked down the ice box locations we’ve encountered on the map below:

Fortnite ice box locations

  • Dirty Docks
  • East of Pleasant Park
  • Sweaty Sands
  • West of Holly Hedges
  • Weeping Woods
  • Northwest of Slurpy Swamp
  • In the mountains southeast of Lazy Lake

How To Complete The Challenge

Now that you know where the ice boxes are located, all you need to do is track them down. A few of the locations, such as Dirty Docks, house more than one box, so you should only need to head to one of areas listed above and you’ll be able to complete the challenge fairly quickly. The ice boxes look like typical freezers, so they shouldn’t be too hard to spot. Once you’ve searched two of them, the mission will be complete and you’ll unlock a special spray for your troubles.

The Fortnite Winterfest challenges will only be around a few more days, so you’ll need to act quickly if you’re hoping to complete them and unlock the special Winterfest rewards. You can see the full list of challenges, along with all of our maps and guides for this season’s trickier missions, in our ongoing Fortnite Chapter 2 challenges roundup.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-ice-box-locations-where-to-search-ice-box/1100-6472458/

Steam Awards 2019 Winners Announced

Steam has announced the winners of its community-voted Steam Awards, including the winners of both Game of the Year and VR Game of the Year. The Steam Awards also make a habit of giving out less traditional awards, including accolades for games that weren’t released this year.

The big winner is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as the 2019 Game of the Year. Beat Saber won VR Game of the Year. Other winners from 2019 include A Plague Tale: Innocence for Outstanding Story-Rich Game, My Friend Pedro for Innovative Gameplay, Mortal Kombat 11 for Best Game You Suck At, and Gris for Outstanding Visual Style.

Steam also includes some esoteric awards for ongoing games. This year that included the Labor of Love award for best long-term nurturing, which went to Grand Theft Auto 5 for the second year in a row. Plus, DayZ earned the Better With Friends award.

Sekiro has been named Game of the Year by multiple awards, including The Game Awards and GameSpot’s Best of 2019. Check below for the full list of winners and nominees to see what each of the winning games beat out.

Steam Awards 2019

Game of the Year

  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
  • Resident Evil 2
  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  • Destiny 2
  • Devil May Cry 5

VR Game of the Year

  • Beat Saber
  • Blade and Sorcery
  • Gorn
  • Borderlands 2 VR
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted

Labor of Love

  • Grand Theft Auto 5
  • Warframe
  • Rainbow Six: Siege
  • CS:Go
  • Grand Theft Auto 5
  • Dota 2

Better with Friends

  • DayZ
  • Risk of Rain 2
  • Dota Underlords
  • Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
  • Ring of Elysium

Most Innovative Gameplay

  • My Friend Pedro
  • Baba is You
  • Slay the Spire
  • Oxygen Not Included
  • Planet Zoo

Outstanding Story-Rich Game

  • A Plague Tale: Innocence
  • Disco Elysium
  • Far Cry: New Dawn
  • Gears 5
  • Greedfall

Best Game You Suck At

  • Mortal Kombat 11
  • Mordhau
  • Code Vein
  • Hunt
  • Remnant From The Ashes

Outstanding Visual Style

  • Gris
  • Total War: Three Kingdoms
  • Astroneer
  • Katana Zero
  • Subnautica: Below Zero

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-awards-2019-winners-announced/1100-6472457/

Today Only: Sega Genesis Mini For $35, Its Lowest Price Yet

Nintendo saw huge success when it released miniature versions of the SNES and NES a few years ago, and Sony soon followed up with its PlayStation Classic in 2018. To get in on the trend, Sega released its own nostalgia console just a few months ago. The Sega Genesis Mini (or Mega Drive Mini, as it’s called in Europe) released September 19 for $80, the same price as the SNES Classic at launch but with twice the number of games. It was a reasonable price to start with, but if you’ve been holding out on the Genesis Mini, you might want to snag it today: The mini system is just $35 at GameStop as a Deal of the Day. That’s a full $15 cheaper than it was during Black Friday.

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The GameStop listing is a bit misleading–at first glance, it looks like a new Genesis Mini is going for $50, while a pre-owned system will cost you $35. However, just add the new system to your cart, and you should see the $35 price during checkout. It also comes with free shipping. This is an online-only offer, so you won’t be able to walk into your local store today to buy it.

The Sega Genesis Mini comes with 42 classic games, two wired controllers, a power cable, USB adapter, and an HDMI cable. Plug it in, and you’ll be able to experience 16-bit gems like Castlevania: Bloodlines, Gunstar Heroes, Shining Force, Shinobi 3, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, Streets of Rage 2, and Vectorman. Be sure to check out our Sega Genesis Mini review before buying.

“While the Mini isn’t without a few quirks, it’s heads and tails above previous software-emulation-based Genesis offerings that have plagued Sega fans for years,” wrote GameSpot’s Peter Brown. “If you want to play Genesis games but can’t afford the real thing and a stack of cartridges, the Genesis Mini should be at the top of your list.”

Full list of Sega Genesis Mini games

  • Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
  • Alisia Dragoon
  • Altered Beast
  • Beyond Oasis
  • Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
  • Castlevania: Bloodlines
  • Columns
  • Comix Zone
  • Contra: Hard Corps
  • Darius
  • Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
  • Dynamite Headdy
  • Earthworm Jim
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Eternal Champions
  • Ghouls ’n Ghosts
  • Golden Axe
  • Gunstar Heroes
  • Kid Chameleon
  • Landstalker
  • Light Crusader
  • Mega Man: The Wily Wars
  • Monster World 4
  • Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium
  • Road Rash 2
  • Shining Force
  • Shinobi 3
  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
  • Space Harrier 2
  • Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition
  • Streets of Rage 2
  • Strider
  • Super Fantasy Zone
  • Tetris
  • Thunder Force 3
  • ToeJam & Earl
  • Vectorman
  • Virtua Fighter 2
  • Wonder Boy in Monster World
  • World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/today-only-sega-genesis-mini-for-35-its-lowest-pri/1100-6472455/

Destiny 2’s Riven: How To Deliver Dawning Cookies To The Raid Boss

Destiny 2‘s holiday event, The Dawning, is still in full swing, asking you to bake treats for various characters throughout the solar system in order to complete bounties and fix up a special holiday sparrow. This year’s Dawning adds more characters to the rotation of people you need to bring cookies to, including a few villainous characters–like Riven of a Thousand Voices, the final boss of the Last Wish raid. If you’re still figuring out how to create all the confections, check out our complete Destiny 2 Dawning recipe guide.

At first, the prospect of delivering something to Riven might sound daunting. In most cases, the only way to reach a raid boss is to actually complete a raid, which requires six players and a whole lot of coordination and skill. With the Last Wish raid, however, things are a bit easier. You don’t need to fight through the other encounters of the raid in order to reach Riven thanks to the Wishing Wall.

To get to Riven, spawn into the Last Wish raid on the Director map for the Dreaming City. After you enter the first room and listen to Riven’s monologue, head through the hole in the left wall until you reach the Kalli encounter. Instead of dropping down to where Kalli waits, jump across the pool to the left to find a path of ledges you can climb up to a hidden room that houses the Wishing Wall. You want to shoot the emblems on the wall to create a specific pattern: the Seventh Wish. Here’s what it looks like.

The Wishing Wall requires you to shoot each of the round emblems in order to change the image that appears on it. Bring slow-firing guns with lots of ammo.

Once you enter the right combination, step onto the circular plate on the ground to get teleported to the encounter with Riven. When you arrive, head over to the circle plate to the right and stand on it to get sent downward to the actual fight with Riven. When you arrive, you’ll see a small blue snowflake-like projection on the floor near Riven’s feet. Activate it and you can deliver the cookie–and you’re free to head back to orbit before things get intense.

Once you get to the room with Riven, look for a snowflake projection that’ll let you pass the boss its gift.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/destiny-2s-riven-how-to-deliver-dawning-cookies-to/1100-6472456/

Pokemon Go Hatchathon Event Returns This Week

Pokemon Go is ringing in the new year with a bunch of events, the first of which kicks off this week. Starting January 2, the egg-centric Hatchathon event returns, giving you a chance to earn extra bonuses and hatch a few special Pokemon for a limited time.

Throughout the Hatchathon, you’ll be able to earn extra Stardust, Rare Candies, and other rewards like the Unova Stone when you walk certain distances. The Unova Stone is a particularly enticing reward as it is typically hard to come by in the game and is necessary to evolve certain Gen 5 Pokemon such as Lampent.

On top of that, Serebii reports that you’ll earn twice the usual amount of Candy and Stardust each time you hatch a Pokemon, and you’ll have a chance to hatch party hat-wearing versions of Pichu and Wurmple from 2 km eggs. Party hat Pikachu will also spawn in the wild, while party hat Raticate and Wobbuffet will appear in two-star Raids.

The Hatchathon runs until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on January 16. You can read more details about the event on the official Pokemon Go website. In the meantime, Niantic has rolled out another Team Rocket Special Research questline, which leads to a chance to battle Giovanni and catch a Shadow version of Moltres.

There’s also still time to catch Pokemon Go’s current Legendary, Virizion, which is scheduled to leave five-star Raid Battles on January 7. Following Virizion’s departure, the Gen 4 Legendary Heatran will return to Raids until February 4, and this time you’ll have a chance to encounter its Shiny form. You can catch up on other Pokemon Go news below.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-hatchathon-event-returns-this-week/1100-6472451/

Nioh 2: Release Date, Gameplay, Combat, Pre-Order Details, And Everything We Know

Nioh proved a fantastic iteration of the massively popular Souls-like genre. At the same time, it marked a return for its developer, Team Ninja, who struggled for years to create an action game experience that rivaled the quality of its work on the original Ninja Gaiden. In 2020, the studio is looking to continue that success by releasing Nioh 2.

The upcoming sequel looks to improve upon the first in a variety of ways, as well as change things up. Below we’ve compiled everything we know about Nioh 2, including its release date, story details, how its combat is changing, and a lot more.

Story And Characters

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Like its predecessor, Nioh 2 is set during the Sengoku period of Japanese history–this time in the year 1555, which is at the height of this era of near-constant military conflict and social upheaval. Thus, Nigh 2 serves as a prequel to the first game, and this time you play as the offspring of a human and a yokai (supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore) who goes on to become a nameless mercenary that battles hostile yokai. But with great power comes great responsibility, so it’s not long before you become embroiled in the more significant conflict sweeping across Japan. Early summaries describing the game’s story indicate that you’ll be encountering several real-life historical figures, including Oda Nobunaga, Maeda Toshiie, Masakatsu Hachisuka, and more.

Though what’s most interesting about Nioh 2’s story is the fact that the protagonist seems to be one half of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a famous historical figure who left an influential and lasting legacy on the country’s history during the Sengoku period–suggesting a fictional explanation that Hideyoshi is actually two different people. Currently, there are more questions than answers, so time will tell what this is all about!

Release Date

Nioh 2 is scheduled to release on March 14, 2020. It’ll be a timed-exclusive for PS4 up until November when it’ll then launch for PC.

Create Your Own Legendary Samurai

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Unlike the original, you create and customize your protagonist, so you’re free to choose your own gender and customize a host of other cosmetic characteristics. Based on the recent beta, it seems you can touch up your character’s appearance at any time after starting the game. It’s also possible to generate a shareable code that other players can use to take on your character’s appearance in their game.

New Combat Possibilities

Nioh 2’s combat looks to build upon the original in significant ways by expanding the abilities available. Your character’s unique half-yokai bloodline affords you a host of devastating supernatural powers, such as the ability to summon demons and even transform into one yourself for a limited time. All of these abilities are tied to unlocks on an extensive set of skill trees; Nioh 2 doesn’t feature one branching tree, but several–one for each weapon and playstyle in the game. There are tons of abilities you can invest in to tailor your character to your exact combat specifications.

Currently, we know there are four main playstyle categories: Ninja, Samurai, Onmyo Magic, and a new one called Shiftling. As you can imagine, the Shiftling playstyle focuses on increasing the potency and power of yokai abilities.

In terms of weapon types, everything from the first game is back, which includes: Sword, Dual Swords, Axe, Kusarigama, Spear, Tonfa, and the Odachi. Though, there are two new additions this time: the Dual Hatchets and the Switchglaive. The Dual Hatchets allows for quick combat attacks that can quickly close the distance, while the Switchglaive is essentially a Bloodborne-like weapon that can transform into various configurations, each with different attacks.

How Will Multiplayer Work?

Cooperative play is returning in Nioh 2, and this time you can have two friends join you instead of one. All this has us questioning just how tough the enemies and bosses will get in Nioh 2, but for now, we’ll settle for not thinking about it until the time comes, and we’re being killed hundreds of times, which will undoubtedly leave us with no choice but to call on the help of friends.

Other Major Additions

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The original Nioh’s world was a smattering of ravaged shrines and villages, which didn’t offer much in terms of visuals to make your journey through Japan that memorable. The demons you fought also lacked intrigue and were often repetitive in design. Based on early trailers, Team Ninja seems to be addressing these issues in the sequel. There are more intriguing otherworldly locales; your character is capable of traversing the demonic realm this time. And it appears there’s a larger cast of gruesome foes to slay, like a terrifying anthropomorphic horse creature and a fiery cat-lady demon with wagon wheels for legs.

The first game was pretty rough which isn’t bad, but it made for some frustrating moments early on. For less-skilled players, there exists a new feature in Nioh 2 called Benevelot Graves. These are essentially a friendly version of the Bloody Graves from the first game. But instead of summoning a hostile AI version of another player, it brings into your world a friendly one that can tag along with you as a companion.

Will My Nioh 1 Save Date Transfer?

Team Ninja has confirmed that you will get a bonus in the final version of Nioh 2 if you have a save from the first game. However, the specific benefits you’ll get from loading your old data are still unknown. But there is one entertaining bonus you may be able to get already…

Can You Play As William?

Despite being a prequel, you can play as Nioh 1 protagonist William in Nioh 2. During the previous beta, if you had a save from the first game, you could gain access to a cosmetic skin that turns your character into William. Whether or not this fun nod the original makes it into the final game remains unclear.

When’s The Next Beta?

The last Nioh 2 beta took place in November 2019. Team Ninja has not announced plans for another beta in the coming future, but if the studio handles things as it did with the first game, there’s a chance there will be a final demo for Nioh 2 a few weeks before launch.

How Do I Pre-order?

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There are two versions of Nioh 2 available for pre-order: standard and the special edition. Priced at $60 USD at major retailers, the standard edition is just the game. However, pre-ordering it will net you bonus DLC, which includes the Hades armor set, a Sudama Netsuke charm, and an exclusive PS4 theme and avatar set.

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On the other hand, the special edition costs $80 and nets you the game, the DLC mentioned above, a steelbook case, the season pass, and an artbook. Currently, you can only pre-order it on GameStop and Best Buy.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nioh-2-release-date-gameplay-combat-pre-order-deta/1100-6472409/

New Pokemon Sword & Shield Max Raid Event Now Live, Makes Shiny Magikarp More Common

A new event is now underway in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Much like the games’ recent holiday event, which brought an influx of Delibird to Max Raid dens for a brief period of time, this New Year event only runs for a few days and stars another seemingly useless Pokemon: Magikarp.

While this event may not initially sound exciting, what makes it special is that you have a much greater chance of encountering a Shiny Magikarp in Max Raids. Shiny Pokemon are exceedingly rare in Pokemon games, and any Shiny Magikarp you evolve will retains its special coloration, making this a good opportunity to add a few Shiny Gyarados to your collection.

There’s another incentive to take on any Magikarp Raids you come across: You’ll receive a ton of nuggets when you defeat or capture the Pokemon. These items can be sold for high prices at Poke Marts, allowing you to start the year off with some extra in-game pocket change.

As previously mentioned, the New Year Max Raid event only runs for a couple of days, from December 31 to January 3, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to take advantage of it. You can read more details about the event on the official Pokemon website.

In other Pokemon news, Sword and Shield players can claim 20 free Battle Points for a limited time via Mystery Gift. There’s also still time to claim a handful of rare Poke Balls and a free Gigantamax Meowth, both of which will only be available until January 15. You can see all the freebies available in Sword and Shield right now in our roundup.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-pokemon-sword-and-shield-max-raid-event-now-li/1100-6472453/

Untitled Goose Game Honks Its Way To Huge Milestone

The indie hit Untitled Goose Game has crossed a million copies sold, according to Panic. The milestone came just a couple of weeks after the game hit PS4 and Xbox One, having originally debuted on PC (via Epic) and Switch. The publisher marked the announcement with a heartfelt thanks to fans.

“It seems impossible, but last week, three months after launch, Untitled Goose Game passed one million copies sold,” said Cabel Sasser on Twitter. “From the bottom of our hearts: thank you for playing our videogame. The reaction was beyond anything we could have imagined. The fan art, the writing, yes the memes, protest signs, Chrissy Teigen, Muppets?! It feels once-in-a-lifetime. We hope we brought some joy into your life, because you brought so much into ours.”

Untitled Goose Game originally launched in September, and its silly sense of humor and unlikely protagonist–a horrible goose–quickly became a popular meme. As Sasser referenced, it spawned a wide array of fan art, mods, viral tweets from celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, and a brief parody sketch from the Muppets at The Game Awards. It launched on PS4 and Xbox One on December 17, and was included as part of Xbox Game Pass.

“The important thing is that Untitled Goose Game is a hoot,” James O’Connor said in GameSpot’s review. “It’s a comedy game that focuses on making the act of playing it funny, rather than simply being a game that features jokes. Wishing that it was longer speaks to how much fun I had with it. There’s nothing else quite like Untitled Goose Game; it’s charming and cute despite being mean, and both very silly and very clever. It’s also probably the best non-racing game ever to feature a dedicated “honk” button.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/untitled-goose-game-honks-its-way-to-huge-mileston/1100-6472452/

Pokemon Go January 2020 Events Include New Gen 5 Pokemon, A Returning Legendary, And More

2020 is just around the corner, and Pokemon Go is kicking off the new year with a variety of in-game activities. Niantic has outlined some of the events it has lined up for the hit Pokemon mobile game in January, and they include the return of a Legendary, a new Research Breakthrough reward, and the debut of more Gen 5 Pokemon.

First, Niantic will roll out another new Special Research questline revolving around the villainous Team Rocket. Like December’s Team Rocket Special Research, this questline will culminate in a battle with Team Rocket boss Giovanni, and if you can defeat him, you’ll earn a chance to capture another Shadow Legendary Pokemon, Moltres.

A new month also means a new batch of Field Research tasks to complete. Each time you achieve a Research Breakthrough in January, you’ll encounter a special Lapras with either Ice Shard or Ice Beam. The last time you could get a Lapras with either of these attacks was back in 2018, making this another chance to add one to your collection if you missed it the first time around.

On top of that, the Adventure Sync Hatchathon event is coming back from January 2-16. During that time, you’ll be able to earn rewards like extra Stardust, Rare Candies, and a Unova Stone–which is useful for evolving certain Gen 5 Pokemon–by walking certain distances. You’ll also be able to hatch and encounter wild Pokemon that are wearing party hats during the event.

Shortly after the Hatchathon kicks off, the Legendary Pokemon Heatran will make its return to Pokemon Go. You’ll be able to find the Lava Dome Pokemon in five-star Raids from January 7 to February 4, and this time around, you’ll also have a chance to encounter its Shiny form.

Finally, Niantic is teasing that some more new Pokemon will begin appearing in Pokemon Go soon. The developer has hinted that more Pokemon originally discovered in the Unova region are on their way to the mobile game, although it hasn’t shared any more details beyond that, so it remains to be seen which new Gen 5 monsters will debut next month.

You can read more details about Pokemon Go’s January events on the game’s official website. In the meantime, you have until January 7 to catch the game’s current Legendary, Virizion. Pokemon Go’s January Community Day is also set for Sunday, January 19, although Niantic hasn’t revealed what the featured Pokemon will be just yet. You can catch up on more Pokemon Go news below.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-january-2020-events-include-new-gen-5-p/1100-6472448/