Flash Deal: Get A Free PC Game From Humble Right Now

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There’s no better way to kick off a weekend than with free games, and this week Humble has stepped up with a great giveaway: Age of Wonders III. The turn-based strategy game is free to claim and keep right now–all you have to do is sign up for Humble Bundle’s newsletter. The deal ends tomorrow, May 11, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET or while supplies last, so hurry over to Humble and claim your copy now.

Note that the free download will be provided in the form of a Steam key, so you must have a free Steam account to redeem.

GET AGE OF WONDERS FOR FREE AT HUMBLE »

The game earned a 7/10 in GameSpot’s Age of Wonders III review for its enjoyable tactical combat, streamlined empire management, and balanced randomization.

“Age of Wonders III is a well-crafted strategy game that doesn’t let itself get bogged down in needless busywork. It pushes your focus onto its strongest suit, the battlefield, while keeping everything else in the background,” wrote critic Maxwell McGee. “Some smart elements of randomness help keep you on your toes after multiple sessions, though you will find several go-to strategies still apply regardless of the sort of army you lead. Age of Wonders III is the welcome return of a long-absent strategy series and a tactically rewarding game.”

And while we’re on the subject of free Steam games: Heads-up that Conan Exiles is free to play this weekend through Sunday to celebrate the game’s one-year anniversary. The open-world survival game just received a huge free update that added two brand-new dungeons, a new feat, total revamp of several locations and enemies, new items (both lootable and craftable), various UI fixes, and more. Plus, new DLC, The Riddle of Steel, is now available with a range of items and cosmetics inspired by the 1982 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The base game is 50% off until May 20, so there’s no better time to dive into Conan and check out all the new changes.

PLAY CONAN EXILES FOR FREE AT STEAM »

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/flash-deal-get-a-free-pc-game-from-humble-right-no/1100-6466796/

Rage 2 Walmart E3 Leak Gets Immortalized With Giveaway

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Last year, before its big debut at Bethesda’s E3 press conference, Rage 2 was outed by a large leak from Walmart Canada. Bethesda took those lemons and made lemonade by essentially acknowledging the leak was legit and making jokes about it. Now as it prepares for release, it’s immortalizing the leak with a special giveaway.

A tweet from Rage 2 account announced that for the one-year anniversary of the Walmart Canada leak, it’s giving away some specially stylized Xbox One controllers. The controllers are essentially a printout of the leak itself, showing the game page with Bethesda’s wise-cracking notes, along with the pink anarchy symbol. You can enter to win a controller by following and retweeting the Rage 2 account.

Of course, it’s no coincidence that this promotion is also coming just as the game itself is on the way. It releases next Tuesday, May 14, and Bethesda recently announced PC system specs and other technical details for the two console versions.

A separate giveaway, with a similar entry structure, recently gave away a custom Rage 2 “Dreamcast.” It’s actually a custom-built PC inside a Dreamcast shell, but it does actually play Rage 2. The game is also leaning into nostalgic references with NBA Jam announcer Tim Kitzrow commentary available as a pre-order bonus.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rage-2-walmart-e3-leak-gets-immortalized-with-give/1100-6466799/

A New Pokemon Mobile Game Is In Development

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Pokemon Sword and Shield might have already been announced, but we now know there’s another new Pokemon game on the way from DeNA. The Japanese developer, which has partnered with Nintendo on a number of smartphone games before this, says it plans to launch a new mobile Pokemon game in the coming months.

“[We] plan to launch a new and exciting smartphone game this fiscal year based on the globally popular Pokemon franchise in partnership with The Pokemon Company,” DeNA stated in its latest financial report. “More details, such as information about the game and launch timing, will be announced later.” The current fiscal year ends on March 31, 2020, so we can expect the game to launch before then.

DeNA has previously made a number of games for Nintendo franchises, including Super Mario Run, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Miitomo, Fire Emblem Heroes, and the upcoming Mario Kart Tour. However, the developer has not been involved in any of the existing mobile Pokemon games, such as Pokemon Duel, Pokemon Shuffle, and Pokemon Quest.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are also due to launch in the next few months: no release date has been announced, but they’re scheduled to be released in 2019. We might learn more during Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct presentation, which kicks off on June 11 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST (2 AM AET on June 12).

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-new-pokemon-mobile-game-is-in-development/1100-6466797/

Mortal Kombat 11 Switch Patch Adds Thank You Rewards, Fixes Towers

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Mortal Kombat 11 players recently received a thank you make-good gift of in-game currency across almost all platforms, and now Nintendo Switch has joined them. The latest patch for the Switch version adds the Community Thank You gift alongside a series of other balance fixes and other tweaks.

Most importantly, if you own the Switch version you’ll want to log on soon to claim the currency bundle. It will award you 500,000 Koins, 500 Hearts, 1,000 Souls, and 1,000 Time Crystals. That last currency is the premium type, equaling about $10, or enough for two of the premium skins. The other rewards are used to unlock chests in the Krypt. The bundle is only available for a limited time, so you’ll need to claim it by May 20, 2019 at 6 AM PST / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST.

Those changes come alongside a huge host of improvements to the Towers of Time, which was commonly cited as a weak point in early reviews and player impressions. It tweaks the modifiers and difficulty curve, increases Koin rewards, and adjusts cooldowns and difficulty options. All of it is aimed at making the Towers less of a grind. You can read more about it in the full patch notes posted on Reddit.

“MK11 isn’t just a sequel for series fans and NetherRealm devotees, it’s a gateway into the realm of fighting games for anyone who has a passing interest in watching ruthless warriors beat each other silly,” Edmond Tran wrote in GameSpot’s review. “Streamlined mechanics keep the act of fighting furiously exciting no matter what your skill level, and comprehensive tutorials encourage you to dig into the nitty-gritty. There’s a diverse roster of interesting characters and playstyles, and the story mode is an entertaining romp. The randomization of Krypt rewards and the odd issue with the game’s always-online nature can occasionally chip away at your patience, but Mortal Kombat 11 absolutely hits where it matters.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-11-switch-patch-adds-thank-you-rewar/1100-6466795/

Mortal Kombat 11 Switch Patch Adds Thank You Rewards, Fixes Towers

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Mortal Kombat 11 players recently received a thank you make-good gift of in-game currency across almost all platforms, and now Nintendo Switch has joined them. The latest patch for the Switch version adds the Community Thank You gift alongside a series of other balance fixes and other tweaks.

Most importantly, if you own the Switch version you’ll want to log on soon to claim the currency bundle. It will award you 500,000 Koins, 500 Hearts, 1,000 Souls, and 1,000 Time Crystals. That last currency is the premium type, equaling about $10, or enough for two of the premium skins. The other rewards are used to unlock chests in the Krypt. The bundle is only available for a limited time, so you’ll need to claim it by May 20, 2019 at 6 AM PST / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST.

Those changes come alongside a huge host of improvements to the Towers of Time, which was commonly cited as a weak point in early reviews and player impressions. It tweaks the modifiers and difficulty curve, increases Koin rewards, and adjusts cooldowns and difficulty options. All of it is aimed at making the Towers less of a grind. You can read more about it in the full patch notes posted on Reddit.

“MK11 isn’t just a sequel for series fans and NetherRealm devotees, it’s a gateway into the realm of fighting games for anyone who has a passing interest in watching ruthless warriors beat each other silly,” Edmond Tran wrote in GameSpot’s review. “Streamlined mechanics keep the act of fighting furiously exciting no matter what your skill level, and comprehensive tutorials encourage you to dig into the nitty-gritty. There’s a diverse roster of interesting characters and playstyles, and the story mode is an entertaining romp. The randomization of Krypt rewards and the odd issue with the game’s always-online nature can occasionally chip away at your patience, but Mortal Kombat 11 absolutely hits where it matters.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-11-switch-patch-adds-thank-you-rewar/1100-6466795/

Ghost Recon Breakpoint Skipping Steam For Epic Store

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Ghost Recon Breakpoint is to skip Steam in favor of an Epic Games Store-exclusive release, publisher Ubisoft says. The game will also come to Ubisoft’s proprietary Uplay store, but will otherwise not be available digitally from alternative sources on PC.

The company confirmed the news to PCGamesN, but did not give a reason why it had decided to withhold Breakpoint from a Steam launch. Ubisoft’s two most recent games, Anno 1800 and The Division 2, have also skipped Steam in favor of the Epic Store. GameSpot has contacted Ubisoft to ask why the company has made this decision.

A possible explanation is that Epic takes a much smaller share of revenue than Valve does on Steam, making the former an attractive proposition for developers and publishers. On the other hand, Steam has a significant install base and has been around for much longer, meaning it possesses features the Epic Store does not, including cloud saves, achievements, and more.

Other big games, such as Metro: Exodus and Detroit: Become Human, have also skipped Steam, as Epic continues its drive to secure exclusives. Epic has stated it will change its policy of chasing exclusives if Valve reduces the cut it takes from game sales on Steam

Ghost Recon Breakpoint was revealed just recently and will launch on October 4 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, check out our hands-on impressions and thoughts on why Ghost Recon Breakpoint is both promising and concerning.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ghost-recon-breakpoint-skipping-steam-for-epic-sto/1100-6466794/

New Limited-Edition Steel Grey PS4 Announced For Days Of Play Event

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Sony has announced a new PlayStation 4 model–and it looks pretty slick. The “Days of Play” edition was announced during Sony’s State of Play video broadcast this week.

The console features the Triangle, Circle, X, and Square logos on the side of the system, which features a steel-grey look with a matching DualShock 4 controller. It’s a 1 TB system for the newer, slimmed down model. Pricing wasn’t announced, but it’s expected the system will cost in the area of $300 USD if it’s in line with the standard PS4 base model.

Sony also released a limited-edition Days of Play PS4 system last year that had more of an eye-catching design. The new console will presumably go on sale in June alongside the start of the Days of Play event. Days of Play is Sony’s annual PlayStation celebration where the company offers lots of deals on games and hardware.

Today’s State of Play event featured a lot of news, including more details on Monster Hunter: World‘s next expansion and a new look at a game where you play as a cute possum. Check out GameSpot’s State of Play news rundown to find out everything that was shown off.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-limited-edition-steel-grey-ps4-announced-for-d/1100-6466793/

Tetris 99 Adds Paid DLC That Introduces Offline Modes

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The popular free-to-play Nintendo Switch game Tetris 99 is expanding. A new paid DLC, Big Block, is available today, and it adds multiple offline modes and more.

The $10 Big Block DLC adds the following modes:

  • CPU Battle — Lets you play offline against 98 CPU opponents.
  • Marathon — Clear as many lines as you can.

These modes are playable offline, and that’s notable because the main Tetris 99 experience is an online-only game. It also means that you no longer need to have a Nintendo Switch Online membership to play Tetris 99 (if you buy the $10 DLC).

Nintendo also announced more details on the next Maximum Cup online event for Tetris 99. Maximus Cup 3 begins May 17, and just like the previous ones, you get points for the matches you play regardless of how you finish. Those who get 100 points or more will receive a new theme modeled after the original Game Boy. The event runs until May 19 at 11:59 PM PT.

Nintendo teased that it will announce even more new modes for Tetris 99 at a later date.

Tetris 99 has been very successful. Just this week, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa talked about how the game has “helped maintain Nintendo Switch engagement” and also get more people to sign up for Nintendo Switch Online.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-99-adds-paid-dlc-that-introduces-offline-mo/1100-6466790/

You Are A Cute Little Possum In A Dangerous World In This PS4 And PC Game

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Sony’s State of Play event today had a lot of news, including the reveal of a PlayStation 4 edition of the third-person adventure game where you play as a Sugar Glider possum. The game is called Away: The Survival Series, and developer Breaking Walls says it’s inspired by nature documentaries. Previously, the game was only announced for PC.

It’s not easy being a possum close to the bottom of the food chain, but it gets worse: a cataclysmic storm is coming. As that’s happening, you will zip around the world using the possum’s elastic skin to glide around environments like forests, caverns, and swamps. In addition to gliding, the little Sugar Glider can run quickly and dodge, which comes in useful when evading a stinging scorpion. Check out the new trailer below.

The music in Away was composed by Mike Raznick, who worked on the acclaimed nature documentaries Life and Planet Earth II.

Away is in development for PC and Xbox One, but a release date hasn’t been announced at this stage. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

The State of Play broadcast had a lot of news, including new trailer for the Final Fantasy 7 remake, a release date for Monster Hunter World’s Iceborne expansion, and the announcement of a new PS4 model is coming to celebrate the Days of Play event. Check out GameSpot’s news recap to see a rundown of all the big news.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-are-a-cute-little-possum-in-a-dangerous-world-/1100-6466789/

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Will Launch With A New Edition Of The Game

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The massive scale of Monster Hunter World is set to grow even bigger this year with the release of Iceborne. Launching on September 6 for the PS4 and Xbox One, with the PC release coming later this winter, you’ll be able to explore the new region of Hoarfrost Reach, unearthing new challenges and gear to craft. To celebrate the launch of Monster Hunter World’s expansion, players who haven’t had the chance to dive into the game will be able to purchase the Master Edition of the game, which features all existing content along with the Iceborne expansion. At launch, this edition of the game will cost $60.

During Capcom’s Monster Hunter livestream, the developer detailed what to expect from Iceborne, and how much there is to find in the new expansion. For fans who’ve already spent hundreds of hours hunting and crafting new gear, you’ll be able to buy the expansion separately for $40 MSRP. There’s also a special deluxe edition of Iceborne, which includes special items and gear, including a new Yukumo armor set and additional items for your hunter.

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Iceborne features a massive amount of new content to uncover. In addition to new challenges to tackle, there’s also a suite of new upgrades and gadgets to use, including a new grappling hook and modifiers to existing gear. Moreover, there’s also a suite of new monsters to battle, such as the brute wyvern Banbaro and the new elite monster Velkana.

In our review of 2018’s Monster Hunter World, Ginny Woo gave the game a 9/10 and stated:

“Ever since the title was first announced, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It’s not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large.”

Be sure to check out our more detailed breakdown of Iceborne following Capcom’s livestream, along with some of the highlights from Sony’s recent State Of Play.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/monster-hunter-world-iceborne-will-launch-with-a-n/1100-6466788/