Drop Everything And Watch Upload On Amazon Prime Right Now

In this time of social distancing and spending a lot more of your day at home, chances are you’re watching all kinds of movies and TV shows, including plenty of action and horror titles. It definitely seems like the plethora of streaming services available were made for this moment in time. As you plot out your next binge, though, you’re in luck. The decision has already been made. It’s time to stop everything you’re doing and watch the new TV series Upload on Amazon Prime Video.

Upload is a comedy from The Office creator Greg Daniels and is set in a future that feels a little too possible. When you’re about to die, you have the option of having your consciousness “uploaded” into a digital world that is magnificent–on the surface.

The show follows Nathan (Robbie Amell), who meets an untimely death in a car accident and finds himself uploaded into the most lavish of digital afterlives, thanks to his well-off girlfriend footing the bill. From there, the series explores everything from how dependent humans have become on technology to microtransactions, which have become prevalent in the gaming industry. Yes, while you can buy your way into a better digital heaven, once you’re there you should expect to be financially gouged for practically everything, while also being inundated with ads. It’s like The Good Place if it were run by Google.

No Caption Provided

While that alone would be the basis of a very funny show, that’s not enough for Upload. This series is equal parts comedy, murder mystery, slow-burning romance, and social commentary. These elements shouldn’t necessarily work together as well as they do in Upload, but they fit perfectly like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, thanks in large part to the world that’s built over the course of Season 1’s 10 episodes.

It’s a world where people rely on computers to do almost everything, from driving their cars to printing their food. It’s a vision of the future that feels hauntingly real. However, it’s one that Upload uses to point out just how ridiculous letting technology do everything can be. Yes, there are plenty of funny moments, whether it’s a glitch in the code of the digital afterlife that makes everyone appear as a blocky Minecraft-style character or seeing rideshare company Lyft replaced with Byke, which is essentially a self-driving bicycle company.

Still, while there’s plenty of fun to be had at the expense of this version of the future, it’s coupled with what could easily be considered warnings about going down this potential road. Practically everything in this future is controlled by tech conglomerates, many of which have banded together to create bigger corporations with more power, like Google Samsung. Even the digital afterlife is run by corporations with seemingly very little oversight, which is a scary thought when these companies control practically every aspect of your existence–both before and after you die.

How do romance and a murder mystery find their way into this story? The show has so much to say about technology and electronic devices, that it’s up to Nathan and those around him to ground the story–from his new digital best friend (Kevin Bigley) to the rich girlfriend he left behind (Allegra Edwards).

No Caption Provided

As Nathan adjusts to his new normal and the unexpected limitations that come with it, questions about his former life begin to rise, giving way to a bigger mystery. Then, while the pieces of this that subplot reveal themselves, Nathan begins to bond with Nora (Andy Allo), his living customer service representative. The relationship that grows between them is by no means a traditional romance, especially given one of them is dead and no longer exists on the physical plane. And yet, it’s one of the most genuine relationships you’re going to find on TV.

Upload juggles so many different balls at any given moment that it would have been understandable if it partially lost its way. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened (here’s looking at you, Riverdale). In the end, though, it doesn’t fall into that trap. The various story threads are all given the appropriate room to grow and become more engaging, resulting in a truly special show.

With so many TV series being released practically daily, it’s easy to miss when something truly special arrives. I’m here to tell you that Upload is that something. So what are you waiting for? Open up the Amazon Prime Video app and start watching it now.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For May 2020 – Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Already One Of Switch’s Best-Selling Games

Nintendo shared its financial earnings report for the end of its fiscal year 2020. Alongside the earnings, the company has updated its list of top 10 best-selling Switch games, revealing the latest sales figures for some of the system’s biggest first-party titles.

The sole new addition to the list is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Despite launching just 11 days prior to the end of the fiscal year, the game skyrocketed to seventh place on Nintendo’s top 10 list, moving more than 11 million copies in that time frame. Since then, that number has risen to 13.41 million, eclipsing the lifetime sales of the series’ previous best-selling entry, New Leaf, in just six weeks.

The rest of the list remains unchanged from Nintendo’s last financials report, although all have hit new milestones. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains Switch’s best-selling first-party game at nearly 25 million copies sold, while Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is approaching 19 million. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey are effectively tied at 17.41 million each, and Splatoon 2 has now crossed the 10 million mark.

Pokemon Sword and Shield, which previously had the fastest launch of any Switch games prior to Animal Crossing, also continue to sell well. The titles have moved a combined 17.37 copies, while the 2018 Pokemon games, Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, have sold nearly a combined 12 million. Rounding out Nintendo’s top 10 is Super Mario Party at 10.10 million and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe at 6.60 million. You can see the full list below.

Elsewhere in the earnings report, Nintendo revealed that the Switch has now surpassed 55 million units. Over 21 million of these sales came in the last fiscal year alone. The console saw a significant boost the week Animal Crossing launched. Despite these strong sales, however, Nintendo is limiting its Switch forecast throughout the next financial year because of the unpredictable effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nintendo Switch Best-Selling First-Party Games (As Of March 31, 2020)

  1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — 24.77 million
  2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — 18.84 million
  3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — 17.41 million
  4. Super Mario Odyssey — 17.41 million
  5. Pokemon Sword / Shield — 17.37 million
  6. Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu / Eevee — 11.97 million
  7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons — 11.77 million (13.41 million as of May 7)
  8. Splatoon 2 — 10.13 million
  9. Super Mario Party — 10.10 million
  10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe — 6.60 million

Now Playing: Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition – Nintendo Direct Mini Trailer

Here’s What Xbox Series X Game Boxes Might (But Probably Won’t) Look Like

Microsoft debuted several Xbox Series X games during its latest Inside Xbox presentation. Now as developers and retailers are starting to follow by openly acknowledging the revealed games, we may have gotten a hint of what the box art for Xbox Series X games will look like.

The box comes from a placeholder for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which was confirmed as a Series X game compatible with Smart Delivery. Not long after, a piece of placeholder box art appeared online with a few notable visual elements.

For the most part, the box looks similar to that of Xbox One games, even including the green stripe across the top of the spine. But that bar simply says Xbox as opposed to Xbox Series X, which fits with Microsoft’s prior suggestion that this generation will simply go by the one-word “Xbox” name and Series X is more of a model name.

Similarly, a visual element just below that notes that the game is for Xbox One and Series X, and that it uses the Smart Delivery feature. That could suggest that releases will come on a single disc, which will just install the correct version onto your hardware. Finally, a conspicuously large visual element on the right side says “Optimized for Series X.”

The rest of the box is obviously a placeholder, simply showing the game’s logo against a black background. And it’s very possible that any or all of these visual elements won’t actually appear on Series X games, or will be altered before games start releasing this fall.

But the artwork gives some insight as to how Microsoft could be attempting to brand its next-gen games as it moves into an era where the lines become much fuzzier. Microsoft has already promised that for the first year or two, all of its first-party games will work across the Xbox family–which has the side-effect of keeping the Series X from actually having any exclusives to call its own.

Now Playing: First Look Xbox Series X – Full Presentation

This New Steam Games Bundle Lets You Choose 3 Great Games For $10

Fanatical has revealed its latest Pick-And-Mix bundle, the Platinum Collection, which lets you choose a number of Steam games from a curated selection and receive them in a nicely discounted package. The latest collection of PC games includes some excellent titles, too. The Surge, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Just Cause 3 XXL Edition are all a part of the special promotion, as are popular PC games Mist Survival, Flashing Lights: Police Fire EMS, and Jalopy.

The first discount tier is three games for $10, the second is four games for $13.29, and the third is five games for $16.59. Any extra games on top of this will go for their regular price until they reach the first discount tier. For example, you can add eight total games, with the first five selling for $16.59 and the other three for $10.

One of the best games in the promotion is The Surge. GameSpot’s The Surge review scored the game a 7/10, praising its brutal combat and dystopian, cyberpunk world as well as the “flow of new and creative ideas [that] keep the game feeling fresh throughout.” It’s a game about learning the patterns of your enemy and mastering your combat abilities to defeat them.

There are also a number of great Square Enix-published games include in the sale. Sleeping Dogs is an open-world game like Grand Theft Auto with a surprisingly deep martial arts combat system, while Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an immersive stealth game that lets you choose how to approach almost every situation, from shooting everyone in a room, sneaking by them, hacking into computers, or finding new paths via air ducts and more.

Fanatical’s latest bundle is a great deal, but if you’re interested in even more excellent offers, there are a lot of digital game sales this week for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Developers and publishers are also giving away free games you can claim right now in the hopes of encouraging people to stay at home during the current pandemic. Additionally, you can check out our guide to the best TV, movies, and games for social distancing if you’re looking for even more suggestions.

The Platinum Collection: Pick-And-Mix bundle

3 games for $10 | 4 games for $13.29 | 5 games for $16.59

Now Playing: Quick Look: The Surge

Lower Your Expectations For Next-Gen Graphics

Today’s Xbox Series X third-party gameplay showcase has come and gone, and the public reaction seems to generally be one of… disappointment. That’s less because the games themselves didn’t seem cool – they did, especially reveals like The Medium or The Ascent for me – and more because this display that was hyped as the world’s first proper glimpse at next-gen gameplay was, well, a little anticlimactic.

But I’ve got some unfortunate news for you if you were hoping to see a graphical leap on par with past console generation jumps today: lower your expectations.

Games running on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will definitely be prettier than games running on this gen, and I’m sure whatever first-party games Microsoft and Sony are cooking up will be tailored toward knocking people’s socks off in that regard. But people should also be prepared for the fact that the majority of the next-gen games revealed over the next few months will likely look like they could be current-gen games – at least on the surface.

[poilib element=”poll” parameters=”id=072cbcae-ea33-4c62-917d-64d11d2d4edd”]

Graphics have currently plateaued somewhat when it comes to immediately obvious improvements – especially when shown off in an E3-style reveal trailer where players are used to seeing the most polished, unrealistically dolled-up version of a game anyway. As our own Bo Moore broke down last month, the Series X’s 12 teraflops of GPU power isn’t just about better graphics, it’s about better simulations. Improved lighting, hair effects, water simulation, and dozens of other little things working in realtime. It’s going to be gorgeous, but in a more subtle way than we’ve come to expect. The extra polygons and higher resolution textures that came with previous generational leaps make for a more noticeable “next-gen” jump – especially when games can already do pretty impressive things with lighting right now.

Additionally, since the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X have enabled the use of 4K mid-generation, the PS5 and Series X don’t have a resolution bar above that to blow you away with at the moment (8K is little more than a marketing buzzword at this point), leaving less room to really flex in terms of fidelity growth. Similarly, the extra power of these new consoles will mean framerates get significantly faster – which is a big deal! – but that’s something that won’t easily be conveyed in a trailer. There are undoubtedly graphical improvements happening, but they are somewhat invisible ones.

[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=This%20generation%20still%20looks%20incredible%2C%20so%20the%20bar%20has%20been%20set%20high.”]

But it’s not just that those upgrades will be harder to notice: it’s also that the current bar is set incredibly high. This generation still looks incredible. PCs with RTX graphics cards have given us a glimpse of what the next-gen could look like for over a year now, but even those aside, this is surely the most graphically impressive final year of a console cycle ever. If last year’s E3 demo is to be believed, Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and even in 2018 Red Dead Redemption 2 was making landscapes with lighting that I genuinely didn’t think was possible on current tech.

With that in mind, it’s going to be a tricky task for next-gen games currently being shown off to top the graphical prowess of the ones we still know are coming in 2020, especially since next-gen launch titles will often have to run on current generation systems as well and third-party studios haven’t had years to work with this new tech. And I’m sure they’ll only get better – if this generation has proved anything, it’s that developers certainly know how to make the most of their hardware over time.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/assassins-creed-valhalla-game-engine-reveal”]

For the first time in potentially the history of video games (excluding Nintendo, who stopped prioritizing raw graphical power years ago), better graphics isn’t the biggest hype-worthy angle of a new console launch. What we should be most excited for instead are internal upgrades like the lightning-fast load times built-in SSDs will provide. It’s harder to hype up something like that in a trailer, but will improve next-gen games far more than better hair physics ever could. (I can’t tell you how excited I am that we’ve probably seen the last of those silly loading screens disguised as shimmying through a small gap or slowly opening a door, even if that door doesn’t look any prettier.)

[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=There%20are%20tons%20of%20reasons%20to%20be%20excited%20about%20next-gen%20that%20aren’t%20raw%20graphics.”]

There are tons of reasons to be excited about the improvements the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will bring, but “OMG this looks unbelievable” probably won’t be the prevailing one at launch. Again, Microsoft and Sony will almost certainly prove me wrong in that regard once first-party games are revealed, but those insanely refined, built-solely-for-this-system examples will be the exception rather than the rule.

So for now, don’t expect “next-gen gameplay” to mean some mind blowing thing you’ve never seen before. Odds are it will be something very similar to what you’ve seen (one game from today’s show was even first shown off three years ago) but with tons of subtle improvements that are hard to truly appreciate until you’re sitting down and experiencing them for yourself. This holiday season will look very familiar, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be extremely exciting.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/the-ascent-reveal-trailer-ign-first”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Tom Marks is IGN’s Deputy Reviews Editor and resident pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter.

A&E Greenlights WWE Memorabilia-Hunting Series And Renews Live PD

WWE is expanding its unscripted TV series catalog for 2020. Currently, the company has Total Divas and Total Bellas on E! and Miz and Mrs. on USA. Now, the sports entertainment giant is launching a new show on A&E, which is being developed under the working title The Ques. Additionally, A&E made two more announcements for upcoming series.

Following in the footsteps of other shows like American Pickers, Pawn Stars, or the new Disney+ series Prop Culture, the official synopsis for The Quest for Lost WWE Treasures reads, “WWE’s Stephanie McMahon and Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, will lead a team of collectors, WWE superstars, and legends as they investigate, negotiate, bid and travel across the country to hunt down and reclaim some of the most elusive WWE collectibles.”

The show will give viewers a unique look at historical items from WWE’s past along with taking them into the WWE Archives, which holds thousands of items from WWE’s history including PPV ring signs and plenty of Undertaker coffins. The first season will consist of 10, one-hour long episodes.

The Quest for Lost WWE Treasures joins the previously announced Biography specials, which will showcase WWE superstars Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Booker T, Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels.

Additionally, A&E renewed it’s unscripted series Live PD which follows law enforcement agencies across the United States, live. The network ordered an additional 160 episodes, as the series celebrates its 300th episode in June.

Finally, the new series What’s It Worth? Live has been ordered for eight, two-hour episodes. The live show is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy as he give viewers the opportunity to purchase rare and interesting items from other people. Foxworthy will be joined by experts that will give viewers more details about the items and their worth. What’s It Worth? Live sounds a lot like Antiques Roadshow meets Pawn Stars.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For May 2020 – Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video

Xbox Series X’s Inside Xbox Event Didn’t Deliver On Its Promise

May 2020’s Inside Xbox event has come and gone, and while it did deliver Xbox Series X news and some gameplay, it didn’t turn out to be what anyone was expecting. Microsoft positioned this as the gameplay reveal for third-party games, with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla spotlighted as the big-ticket item. The stream’s new Valhalla “gameplay” trailer was seemingly devoid of any standard gameplay footage, and the entire event was not the showcase we were hoping for.

The hunger for next-gen news and details remains at a fever pitch, and Microsoft did appropriately caveat this event in one key way, telling us we’d be waiting until July’s event to see Halo Infinite and other first-party games. But we were still expecting some normal gameplay from the third-party games on display, including Valhalla, which didn’t see any in its reveal last week. This was a chance for Microsoft to beat Sony to the punch and showcase what next-gen games will look like. Instead, almost everything shown had the air of cinematic trailers. Even if the footage was “in-engine,” there wasn’t much throughout the broadcast that resembled what you’d see if your hands were actually on the controller.

There are, of course, some challenging obstacles to overcome. Games are being showcased on livestreamed video feeds that are, generally, sub-4K quality, when a 4K source and display would be the optimal way to showcase these games’ improved visuals. And developers around the world are now working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially placing further restrictions on what could be assembled for the purposes of an event like this.

But these showcases did little to sell the next-gen experience. There was a reference to the ability to play Dirt 5 at 4K and 60 FPS or 120 FPS, but those are difficult things to show in a stream. And these cinematic-style trailers don’t allow you to see what a game truly looks like moment-to-moment. That hurdle aside, with how great some existing games look on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro (not to mention a ray tracing-capable PC), glamour shots of these upcoming games didn’t necessarily scream “next-gen,” because they’re going to be compared with current-gen cutscenes. And some of what we saw would not have looked totally out of place on the console you might already have at home.

But if this is what Microsoft had to show, it should have done a much better job of managing expectations from the get-go. When you say “gameplay,” that conjures the thought of gameplay demonstrations (whether live or pre-recorded), not slickly cut videos that are hard to distinguish from cinematic trailers.

A leap in visual fidelity is not all that Xbox Series X provides. The Quick Resume feature that lets you bounce between multiple games sounds great, but that’s the sort of thing you need to experience to really appreciate. Ditto for the steps being taken to reduce game install sizes.

But there are other advancements coming, namely the reduction or elimination of load times. Microsoft and Sony have both spoken about this again and again, touting what the solid-state drives of the Xbox Series X and PS5 will allow for. The ability to fast-travel from one point in a game world to a faraway spot with minimal or no loading sounds great, and it is a feature you could demonstrate in a video to some extent–yet this is not something the Inside Xbox stream made any attempt to highlight. As a result, arguably the best next-gen demo to date remains the Marvel’s Spider-Man load time comparison.

In an interview with GameSpot last year, Phil Spencer told us that “playability is probably the bigger focus for us this generation. How fast do [games] load? Do I feel like I can get into the game as fast as possible and while it’s playing? How does it feel? Does this game both look and feel like no other game that I’ve seen? That’s our target.” Just prior to Inside Xbox, we spoke with Xbox director of program management Jason Ronald, who said of the move to an SSD, “We were at the upper bounds of what’s possible with the rotational drive. This [SSD] unlocks huge opportunities and it’s going to be an area ripe for innovation.” And yet, from watching Inside Xbox, you got very little sense of what kind of other improvements the CPU–a serious bottleneck for many developers on current-gen consoles–or the other new hardware will allow for.

There’s still plenty of time to effectively communicate all of this, but Microsoft has put itself in an awkward position by not being more upfront about what this event would entail. That’s demonstrated in the severe downvoting that many of these videos are seeing on YouTube, where commenters are specifically lamenting the use of the word “gameplay.” Sony also received flak for Mark Cerny’s extremely technical-minded PS5 presentation earlier this year, but the company had not promised to show games running as part of its event. A sizzle reel is all well and good, but this first look from Microsoft has shown the critical importance of properly setting expectations.

Now Playing: First Look Xbox Series X – Full Presentation

Disney+ Is Developing A National Treasure TV Series – Report

Back in January, National Treasure 3 was announced, and fans of the America-centric Indiana Jones-esque franchise could not have been happier. Now, it looks like a TV series is currently in development.

Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer behind the National Treasure franchise, revealed the news in an interview with Collider. “We’re certainly working on one [National Treasure] for streaming and we’re working on one for the big screen,” Bruckheimer explained. “Hopefully, they’ll both come together and we’ll bring you another National Treasure, but they’re both very active… The one for Disney+ is a much younger cast. It’s the same concept but a young cast. The one for theatrical would be the same cast.”

It’s unknown if by a “young cast,” Bruckheimer means all new characters or just a younger version of Nicolas Cage’s character Benjamin Franklin Gates. The producer went on to say that the pilot episode is written, and there is an outline for future episodes.

As for National Treasure 3, the script is currently being written, and there is no indication to when it will go into production or when it will hit theaters. At the time of this writing, no casting announcements have been made either.

The first two National Treasure films were both directed by Jon Turteltaub and follow Gates as he teams with Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) to unlock secrets within American history. Also, the group finds out the founding fathers hid secret maps on the Declaration of Independence, and there were missing pages to John Wilkes Booth’s diary.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For May 2020 – Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Pre-Order Bonuses, Xbox Series X Version Confirmed, And More

There are plenty of exciting games releasing on PS4 and Xbox One this year, but naturally, we’re all hungry for new information on next-generation games that will launch on Xbox Series X and PS5. While info on PS5’s games is extremely limited right now, Microsoft’s May Inside Xbox stream revealed a slew of upcoming games coming to Xbox Series X–one of them being Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. The dark vampire RPG will release on Xbox Series X as well as Xbox One, PS4, and PC in late 2020. A PS5 version hasn’t been announced yet. No exact release date has been confirmed, but the game is up for pre-order with several special editions and pre-order bonuses.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was originally planned to release in Q1 2020, but publisher Paradox Interactive announced late last year that the game was delayed to later in 2020. While it’s unknown whether Bloodlines 2 will release this holiday season alongside Xbox Series X or will have a separate release date for the next-gen console, Microsoft has confirmed Bloodlines 2 supports Xbox Series X Smart Delivery. That means you can safely pre-order the game for Xbox One and automatically receive the Series X version as well. The game also features cross-gen character saves so that your progress on Xbox One will transfer over to Series X.

Bloodlines 2 is an RPG and the sequel to 2004’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. The game takes place in 21st-century Seattle within the “World of Darkness,” where vampires, werewolves, demons, and other supernatural creatures exist among humans. Your character is a human recently killed and revived as a “thinblood” vampire, one with weaker powers than full-blood vampires. In this world, there are various vampire clans with different strengths and abilities, and there are also five different factions representing different ideals and positions in society.

The RPG features mostly first-person gameplay and lets you create your own vampire character, including selecting their background for who they were as a human and choosing their vampiric power (or “Discipline), which can be upgraded over time. You’ll eventually be able to join one of the vampire clans, which unlocks new abilities, and can ally yourself with one of the factions, which impacts your interactions with other characters.

If the idea of stalking the streets as a vampire intrigues you, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is now up for pre-order with several special editions to choose from. There are also incentives for pre-ordering early in the form of some digital bonus items. Read on for everything you need to know about pre-ordering Bloodlines 2 before it lands on console and PC later this year.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 pre-order bonuses

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 pre-order bonuses
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 pre-order bonuses

Anyone who pre-orders Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will receive the First Blood pre-order pack, which includes a digital copy of the official soundtrack, engraved pistol weapon skin, retro hunter outfit, and civil war saber weapon skin. As of this time, no retailers are offering exclusive bonuses.


Pre-order Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 First Blood Edition | $60

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 official box art
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 official box art

The game’s standard edition is called the First Blood Edition, and it’s selling for $60. You’ll receive the base game and pre-order bonuses. The First Blood Edition is available to pre-order below. Note the slight discount available on PC via Green Man Gaming–this is a code you must redeem on Steam.

PS4

Xbox One

PC


Pre-order Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Unsanctioned Edition | $70

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Unsanctioned Blood Pack

Upgrade to the Unsanctioned Edition for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and you’ll receive 24-hour early access along with the Unsanctioned Blood Pack. The Unsanctioned Edition is just $10 more than the standard edition, listed at $70. Here’s everything it includes:

  • Base game with pre-order pack
  • 24-hour early access
  • Unsanctioned Blood Pack
    • In-game developer commentary (feat. Brian Mitsoda)
    • In-game art book
    • Damsel’s beret
    • Jeanette outfit
    • Smiling Jack outfit
    • Voerman family portrait
    • Sarcophagus table
    • Severed arm weapon skin
    • Stop sign item

You can pre-order the Unsanctioned Edition on PC below. We’re not seeing any console versions available to pre-order yet for this edition, but you can secure your copy early at a discount from Fanatical or Green Man Gaming. Both are offering Steam codes.

PC


Pre-order Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Blood Moon Edition | $90

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Season of the Wolf season pass

The fanciest edition of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is the Blood Moon Edition, which will cost you $90 for the full package. In addition to everything included with the Unsanctioned Edition, you’ll receive the Season of the Wolf season pass, which will add more story content and a new weapon skin. The story packs will “take you deeper into the underbelly of Seattle and introduce some of the more fantastical denizens from the World of Darkness.” The season pass also includes a major expansion for the game “in which the vampires’ greatest enemy enters Seattle.”

  • Base game with pre-order pack
  • 24-hour early access
  • Unsanctioned Blood Pack
    • In-game developer commentary (feat. Brian Mitsoda)
    • In-game art book
    • Damsel’s beret
    • Jeanette outfit
    • Smiling Jack outfit
    • Voerman family portrait
    • Sarcophagus table
    • Severed arm weapon skin
    • Stop sign item
  • Season of the Wolf season pass
    • Bludgeon weapon skin
    • Story pack 1
    • Story pack 2
    • Expansion

You can pre-order the Blood Moon Edition below. Like the Unsanctioned Edition, it’s only available on PC so far, and there are discounts available right now.

PC

Now Playing: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 ‘Come Dance’ Trailer

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

HBO Max Partners With Crunchyroll To Offer A Ton Of Anime At Launch

HBO’s new streaming service, HBO Max, is just around the corner and already boasting an impressive catalog of originals and classic streaming content, from Friends to the second season of cult-classic DC Universe original Doom Patrol. And while some content planned for launch, like the highly-anticipated Friends reunion, has been delayed thanks to the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the streaming service is still finding ways to sweeten the deal for day-one subscribers.

HBO Max will be partnering with Crunchyroll to offer 17 anime titles at launch, including the entirety of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the recently released Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, and the cult classic Kill la Kill. Check out a full list of every anime title HBO Max will offer on May 27th below.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Full Series (64 episodes)

Disregard for alchemy’s laws ripped half of Edward Elric’s limbs from his body and left his brother Alphonse’s soul clinging to a suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers seek the Philosopher’s Stone.

Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World- (Director’s Cut) – Season 1 (13 episodes and 1 OVA)

Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is transported to another world where the only person to reach out to him was a beautiful girl with silver hair. Determined to repay her, Subaru agrees to help the girl find something she’s looking for.

In/Spectre – Season 1 (12 episodes)

In this Crunchyroll Original, an enthralling, fantastical mystery mixes with the supernatural and romance, as a duo sets out to solve a series of dark incidents plaguing their world.

Keep Your Hands off Eizouken – Season 1 (12 episodes)

Three high school students band together to create an animation club to realize the “ultimate world” that exists in their minds.

Rurouni Kenshin – Full Series (94 episodes)

Former government assassin, Kenshin Himura works to keep the peace during the Meiji Era in Japan, a time of troubled renewal after a long and bloody civil war.

KONOSUBA – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! – Seasons 1 and 2 (22 episodes)

Kazuma Sato is transported to a fantasy world filled with adventure after a traffic accident. Now, along with the goddess Aqua, he is on a quest to solve many of this world’s problems.

Bungo Stray Dogs – Seasons 1 – 3 (37 episodes)

Kicked out of his orphanage and on the verge of starving to death, Atsushi Nakajima meets members of the “Armed Detective Agency” said to solve incidents that even the military and police won’t touch.

Berserk – Seasons 1 and 2 (26 episodes)

Spurred by the flame raging in his heart, the Black Swordsman Guts continues his seemingly endless quest for revenge.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – Season 1 (12 episodes)

At a time when the industrial revolution was carrying the world into the modern age, a horde of undead monsters suddenly appeared. The people of Hinomoto have built fortresses to help them survive this threat.

Kill la Kill – Season 1 (24 episodes)

Six years since their collaboration on the ground-breaking anime series, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuki Nakashima are back to shock the world! Ryuko Matoi is a vagrant schoolgirl who enters Honnouji Academy to search for clues to the truth behind her father’s death.

Your Lie in April – Season 1 (22 episodes)

Kousei Arima was a genius pianist until his mother’s sudden death took away his ability to play. Then he meets a violinist named Kaori Miyazono who changes his life forever.

ERASED – Season 1 (12 episodes)

A young manga artist struggles to make a name for himself while living with a strange condition that transports him back in time before something life-threatening occurs. How can he erase the threats to stop this from happening?

Kiznaiver – Season 1 (12 episodes)

A secret high school group is formed with students from different cities who share one another’s pain: a “Kiznaiver.”

Schwarzes Marken – Season 1 (12 episodes)

In 1983, the East German Army 666th TSF Squadron, “Schwarzes Marken,” is a special-response force tasked with assaulting BETA forces.

91 Days – Season 1 (13 episodes)

During prohibition, the law held no power and the mafia ruled the town. This 91-day story follows men guided by revenge as they try to escape their tragic fates.

The Testament of Sister New Devil – Seasons 1 and 2 (22 episodes)

Basara Toujo is a high school student whose father has suddenly just remarried. Hijinks ensue as his father then departs overseas leaving Basara with two new beautiful step-sisters.

Rokka -Braves of the Six Flowers – Season 1 (12 episodes)

Legend says, when the evil god awakens from the deepest of darkness, the god of fate will summon six braves and grant them with the power to save the world. However, it turns out that there are seven braves who gathered at the promised land.

But that’s not all. HBO Max plans on growing their anime catalogue after launch with the addition of two more series: Hunter x Hunter and Death Note, which are scheduled to hit the streaming service “after the initial launch window.”

HBO Max debuts on May 27.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For May 2020 – Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video