Month: December 2020

Fortnite’s Week 2 challenges are just about here. One of Season 5’s weekly challenges (now called “epic quests”) will task you with finding clues in Holly Hedges, Lazy Lake, and Pleasant Park. This guide will show you how to find each clue so you can complete the challenge quickly.

This challenge leaked early–check back on Thursday to try it yourself.

What Are The Clues In Fortnite Season 5?

I’m not sure if these clues point to something bigger this season, but each location contains golden items, like toilets and gnomes, along with a chest. They aren’t worth anything but you’ll need to locate one clue in each location in order to complete the challenge.

Where Are The Clues In Each Location?

Pleasant Park

Pleasant Park’s clue is located on the second story of one of the named locations houses. It’s the one with three windows on the second floor, as shown in the image below. Walk inside and head up the stairs.

Once upstairs you should see two posters immediately to your left. That’s the clue you need at this named location. Walk up to it to complete this segment of the challenge.

Lazy Lake

Lazy Lake’s clue is hidden in the basement of one of the houses at the very tip of the named location. Head into the house with the “1” address and go down the stairs to the right. Keep going and you’ll eventually find the room shown in the image below.

Holly Hedges

Holly Hedges’ clue is located in a small maintenance building between the named location and the new store that’s immediately left of it. It’s located in the bottom left corner on the edge of Holly Hedges, shown in the image below:

Walk inside and then open the door to the left, you’ll find the clue.

What Do I Get For Finding All Three Clues?

You’ll get 20,000 experience points for finding all three clues. Fortnite’s challenge system is somewhat different this season, daily and weekly challenges have been renamed. Weekly challenges are now called epic quests, like this one, and are worth 20,000 experience points per challenge.

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GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Fortnite changed things up with NPCs in Season 5, but there are still weekly challenges that need completing. Season 5 has challenges every Thursday, just like previous seasons, and Week 2’s are here. This guide will show you the best way to tackle specific challenges, like finding car parts, with ease.

These challenges leaked early–check back tomorrow to see them for yourself in Fortnite.

Where Are Car Parts In Fortnite?

We don’t have context for why we’re looking for car parts in Season 5, but you’ll be able to find a few mechanical pieces at Season 5’s new location, Hunter’s Haven. Hunter’s Haven is a named location on the map, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find.

Once there, you’ll want to head to the building on the upper left corner of the location, as shown in the image below. You’ll be able to walk through the floor-to-ceiling window.

There are three car parts located in this building, two in the main room and one through the door in the back left.

I’m not sure what sort of car these parts go to, but Hunter’s Haven is full of weird gadgets and tech. This car could come to the game later this season.

Hunter’s Haven is a central location and players almost always land there. Be prepared for a fight, but be sure to hold your fire if you see someone looking for these car parts. We’re all trying to complete the same challenges.

What Will I Get For Finding Car Parts?

You’ll get 20,000 experience points for finding all three car parts. While Fortnite’s challenge system is somewhat different this season, you’ll still get to take on multiple types of challenges every week. Daily and weekly challenges have been renamed. Weekly challenges are now called epic quests and are worth 20,000 experience points per pop. The quests are sometimes presented in stages, as well.

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The Destiny franchise started out as a console-exclusive series, but since Destiny 2‘s release on PC in 2017, there’s been no question about where the best place to play is. PC might still reign supreme if you have high-end hardware, but with the next-gen update now available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, it’s not such a no-brainer anymore.

To put it simply, the new update is revelatory for console players. Based on the several hours I’ve spent with the new Xbox Series X-enhanced version so far, it’s finally possible to enjoy the benefits formerly reserved for PC, and the results are stark.

I played Destiny 2 on Xbox One and One X for years, ignoring the PC version until cross-save support finally allowed me to finally bring my progress with me. The benefits were massive in two specific areas: the increase in frame rate (Destiny 2 on consoles has, until now, been locked to 30fps) and the reduction in load times (which were agonizingly long). The contrast in performance between a decent PC and Xbox One was so extreme that, after playing for hours on PC and then jumping back to Xbox, I would be convinced something was actually broken and that my system needed to be restarted or a game update was needed. This happened multiple times, with each instance evoking a no, I know it ultimately wasn’t broken last time, but something is clearly off this time. And those long waits to move from location to location led to more doomscrolling than my brain could handle, something there just isn’t time for when playing on PC.

Now, those issues are a thing of the past on Xbox Series X. Load times had already been improved quite a bit just by playing the backwards-compatible version of Destiny 2, but with this update, jumping around the solar system is no longer a hassle. Head to Europa but realize you forgot to pick up bounties or cash in an engram? No big deal–you’re not signing up for several minutes of load times as you head into the Tower and then back to where you were.

Jumping between planets took around 30 seconds for me, and opening the game and selecting a character is also much faster. Combined with getting to the Tower more quickly, that means picking up the game for the first time each day doesn’t involve wasting 7-8 minutes before you can even begin playing an activity.

But these benefits extend beyond moving from one location to another. Opening your inventory, looking through your gear, previewing shaders (even while loading!)–it’s all much snappier and feels less like you’re wading through molasses to do what you want.

And that stuff you want to play is better than ever thanks to the boost in frame rate. The lack of a 60fps option on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro was frustrating–the 4K and HDR support made for a terrific-looking game on the upgraded consoles, but the action itself never felt as good as it could have been. I would have traded resolution for frame rate in the blink of an eye, but thanks to the next-gen hardware, that trade-off isn’t necessary, as you get 4K and 60fps on Series X and PS5 (or 1080p on Series S).

Destiny 2’s image quality still looks spectacular to my eye on Series X, but with the benefit of far smoother motion. That makes combat–already the best in any first-person shooter for my money–and any moment of navigating the world or looking at anything in motion feel much better and more natural. For those playing on a 120hz display, you also get the benefit of 120fps support in Crucible (make sure to enable it first in the Video area of the Settings menu). This lends an even greater level of fluidity to the action without resulting in a terribly noticeable hit to the graphics; the PvP nature of combat means you’ll be more concerned with getting shot than any decrease in image quality. It’s a welcome option that I plan to keep enabled, though this is one particular benefit that will be of no use for many players until they opt to upgrade their TVs.

The last notable addition is the field-of-view slider, bringing an option to consoles that is typically reserved for PC players. With it, you can effectively extend the amount of peripheral vision you have, allowing you to see more on screen at a time, albeit at the expense of making what’s in front of you appear somewhat smaller. Increasing it from the default of 75 to the maximum of 105 is a strange experience at first, akin to feeling like you’re taking the blinders off or looking through a fishbowl. But it’s a quick adjustment and I appreciated having a greater view of what is around me, making it another option that I’m glad is present. And it is just that–an option, meaning you can stick with the default experience if that’s what you prefer.

But whereas FOV is more of a matter of taste, it’s hard to imagine anyone taking issue with the other enhancements delivered in update 3.0.1. This is a transformative improvement for Destiny 2 on consoles, and one that will make it impossible for me to ever go back.

When Christopher Nolan responded to the sudden announcement that Warner Bros. announced its 2021 film slate would have simultaneous releases in theaters and on HBO Max by saying many in Hollywood “went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service,” it could be read as an exaggeration.

But Nolan is far from an outlier in this sentiment, as revealed by a conversation Variety facilitated between Aaron Sorkin (whose The Trial of the Chicago 7 recently hit Netflix) and Patty Jenkins (whose Wonder Woman 1984, after many delays, will be coming both to theaters and HBO Max). While both of the accomplished filmmakers first and foremost expressed a shared sense of relief and appreciation for film fans having the ability to see new work while staying safe during COVID, they also articulated a skepticism that Warner Bros. announcement signals a major change for the industry.

“We’re all scared that everything’s going to change now,” Sorkin said, imagining a future where movie theaters become glorified art houses. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think that for 4,000 years, nothing has replaced the experience of being part of an audience.”

Jenkins agreed, saying, “When every single studio in town starts chasing the exact same thing, you’re like ‘Why doesn’t someone differentiate themselves?” The WW1984 director further elaborated that “there’s a sentiment right now that change is coming and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Sorkin and Jenkins agreed that what comes next is figuring out how to challenge this strategy.

If Jenkins, Sorkin, and Nolan–who held firm on Tenet seeing a theatrical release this past year–are any indicator, if Hollywood woke up not liking this sudden shift in how Warner Bros. will rollout its new pictures, then they will likely figure out a way to respond. Compared to when COVID-19 began, it seems like the year ahead in 2021 may instead offer no shortage of ways to see all sorts of new movies as competition heats up. Who could have predicted that?

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Because vampires are forever, HBO has reportedly been working on a reboot of its hit vampire drama horror series True Blood. Deadline has confirmed that HBO has already been working “for nearly a year” on a new version of the series that wrapped in 2014, and it’s already fairly well along with key personnel already attached to the project.

Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (whose Chilling Adventures of Sabrina ends on December 31 with Season 4) will be co-writing the pilot with Jami O’Brien (creator of the similarly vampire-themed NOS4A2). O’Brien will also executive produce, as will original series creator Alan Ball (whose drama Uncle Frank just hit Amazon Video).

Although it hasn’t really been that long since 2014, it’s been long enough that Aguirre-Sacasa and O’Brien can provide a fresh take on the series–which Ball adapted from Charlaine Harris’ series of novels, The Southern Vampire Mysteries, which spanned 13 entries from 2001 through to 2013.

In similar eyebrow-raising revival news, Showtime recently announced that its drama Dexter would be coming back for more in 2021 after wrapping up in 2013. After seven years away, Dexter showrunner Clyde Phillips–who wasn’t involved in the series finale–promised that this revival won’t undo anything from the original series but will help make things right for the series’ overall arc.

No release date or similar information regarding the intention behind True Blood’s return have yet been announced.

While 2020 was an expectedly chaotic year, it still managed to offer some fantastic games for both the PlayStation 4 and the PS5. This year marks the bittersweet end of the PlayStation 4 as the core Sony platform, bolstered by an impressive lineup of first-party games. Its final year saw an impressive batch of exclusive games like Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us: Part II, which closed out the console’s life in top form. Coupled with the PS4’s swan song, we also saw an impressive debut for the PlayStation 5, which managed to keep the momentum going with its own set of unique games.

Before 2020 reaches its end, GameSpot’s team of editors and producers wanted to take some time to look back at the PlayStation’s greatest hits from this year, which spans both the PS4 and PS5 consoles. In addition to the games above, we also included the PS5’s killer app, Demon’s Souls, which stands as a remarkable return to form for the original souls-like. Below, you’ll find our five picks for the best PlayStation games of 2020, along with our thoughts on what made them so special.

For more on the best games of 2020, which includes other roundups focusing on the Switch and Xbox, be sure to head over to GameSpot’s hub page compiling all the noteworthy titles from this year.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

Ever since the release of the original Final Fantasy VII in 1997, the story of ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary Cloud Strife and his allies saving the world from environmental and cosmic ruin has become an iconic part of the gaming lexicon. The prospect of revisiting these characters and the world they inhabit with new visuals and new gameplay was an enticing one, and five years after its announcement, we finally got the first installment of the remake for the classic JRPG–and it proved to be worth the wait. What truly made Final Fantasy VII: Remake special was that it was not only a game that reinvigorated the original’s atmosphere and sense of optimism in bleak circumstances, but it also reinvented the way we see these classic characters and their storylines. In a surprising twist, the remake of Final Fantasy VII recreates many of the original game’s iconic moments in order to serve a larger story that ventures into exciting new territory. Final Fantasy VII: Remake is not just a remake, but rather a new experience with old friends on an uncertain journey.

In GameSpot’s 10/10 review, Tamoor Hussain explained in detail how Square-Enix’s revisit to the world of FFVII is more than just a remake. “Regardless of your history with the original game, Final Fantasy VII Remake is an astounding achievement. The wait for its release was a long one, but in gameplay, story, characters, and music, it delivers–the wait was worth it. For first-time players, it’s an opportunity to understand why Final Fantasy VII is held in such high regard. It’s the chance to experience a multifaceted story that grapples with complex subject matter, be in the company of memorable characters, and be moved by their plight. For returning fans, this isn’t the Final Fantasy VII your mind remembers, it’s the one your heart always knew it to be.”

The Last of Us: Part II

The Last of Us was simultaneously a new beginning for developer Naughty Dog and the end of the PlayStation 3’s era. So it felt appropriate for The Last of Us: Part II to follow a similar path by closing out the era of the PS4, with the developer continuing the story of Ellie’s harrowing struggles in a bleak world that’s gotten worse. As expected for a sequel, it expands on the original’s sense of uneasy exploration with tense survivalist gameplay, giving way to encounters that can quickly veer into gruesome violence. However, the sequel’s biggest achievement is its narrative, which tells parallel stories focusing on Ellie and newcomer Abby.

At its heart, The Last of Us: Part II is a story bolstered by its characters, and seeing the sequel examine Ellie through the lens of another protagonist led to some of the most powerful and uncomfortable narrative moments of 2020. With its story set in a morally ambiguous world where every character carries the scars of trauma, the sequel presents a question: Who among them gets to decide who’s in the right? Ever since its release, The Last of Us: Part II has stood as a controversial game. Its focus on the toxic cycle of violence and its study of Ellie as a character–and not just as a protagonist–made for one of the most talked-about games of the year, leaving fans and critics alike to examine what we talk about when we discuss games criticism.

In Kallie Plagge’s review of The Last of Us: Part II, she explained how the game’s uncomfortable and often inconvenient truths about its characters led to some powerful moments in the game. “By the time I finished The Last of Us Part II, I wasn’t sure if I liked it. It’s a hard game to stomach, in part because so much of who Ellie is and what she does is beyond your control. She is deeply complicated and flawed, and her selfishness hurts a lot of people. At times, the pain you inflict feels so senseless that it can leave you numb. It’s all messy and bleak and made me profoundly sad for myriad reasons, but the more I reflect on it, the more I appreciate the story and characters at its core. I wanted almost none of it to happen the way it did, and that’s what’s both beautiful and devastating about it.”

Demon’s Souls

The original Demon’s Souls on the PS3 was a stoic and uncompromising game that garnered a passionate following and built a reputation for being one of the most difficult games of its time. However, its real lasting impact would be that it would give birth to a new sub-genre of games called souls-likes and push developer From Software into AAA status. In 2020, Bluepoint Games released a remake of the original game as a PS5 launch title, preserving its stoic gameplay while giving it a substantial graphical overhaul that shows off the surprising power and flexibility of the new console. The remake not only proved to be a fantastic way for fans of the souls sub-genre of games to revisit the pioneer that started it all, but it also proved that Demon’s Souls, with its core 2009 gameplay intact, still manages to stand the test of time.

In Tamoor Hussain’s full review of Demon’s Souls on PS5, he explains how it manages to reinvent the original Souls game as a stellar game that shows off what the PS5 is capable of. “Quirks aside, Bluepoint’s remake is an unmitigated success. It is a technical tour de force and a true showpiece for the PS5 and the power of Sony’s next-generation console. But, more importantly, it’s also a creative marvel coming from a studio that is clearly showing the world it has its own voice. Bluepoint has taken From Software’s original game and expressed it in a richer and fuller way, and in doing so given me something I thought was impossible: the opportunity to relive the experience of falling in love with Souls games for the first time.”

Ghost of Tsushima

Sucker Punch Productions steadily evolved from making 3D platformers, to making open-world superhero games, and most recently, to creating a fully realized samurai action-game with Ghost of Tsushima. Stylistically, it’s drastically different from the developer’s previous works on Sly Cooper and Infamous. But in actuality, it brings together all their efforts to offer up a solid package of samurai-style combat, tense stealth, and large-scale exploration on the lush and vibrant island of Tsushima during an invasion from opposing forces. Coupled with its surprisingly robust online co-op mode Legends, Ghost of Tsushima is a solid open-world adventure that helped close out the PS4’s lifespan with style.

In Edmond Tran’s review of Ghost of Tsushima, he detailed how Ghost of Tsushima’s open-world and stellar combat offered a compelling experience. “Ghost of Tsushima’s story hits hard in the game’s third and final act, and ends in spectacular fashion. It left me with the same kinds of strong emotions I felt at the end of all my favourite samurai film epics, and had me eager to watch them all again. The game hits a lot of fantastic cinematic highs, and those ultimately lift it above the trappings of its familiar open-world quest design and all the innate weaknesses that come with it–but those imperfections and dull edges are definitely still there. Ghost of Tsushima is at its best when you’re riding your horse and taking in the beautiful world on your own terms, armed with a sword and a screenshot button, allowing the environmental cues and your own curiosity to guide you. It’s not quite a Criterion classic, but a lot of the time it sure looks like one.”

Persona 5 Royal

Though the original Persona 5 was released in 2017, Persona 5: Royal is an enhanced re-release that improves the existing game while also adding in a new school semester for the crew of Phantom Thieves to dive into. With its slick and stylish visuals and the bumping soundtrack to lift your crew of Phantom Thieves along the adventure, there’s a remarkable sense of positivity and earnestness within the story. The Royal edition not only reaffirms what made the original great, but it also empowers its cast of characters as they take matters into their own hands to right wrongs and fight demons who look to enslave humanity.

In Michael Higham’s 10/10 review, he explained how Royal’s new innovations not only improves the existing game, but also strengthens the overall message of unity with its cast of characters. “As P5R comes to a close, it tries to ease you into its end with heartfelt scenes, some new and some familiar. But in doing so, it only makes it harder to say goodbye again. Persona 5 Royal is many things: a collection of small inspiring stories, an ambitious harrowing journey with some good friends, a stunning visual and auditory experience, a resounding call to action. By refining what was already great and building on its best qualities with a brilliant new story arc, Persona 5 Royal asserts itself as an unforgettable and empowering RPG that should be recognized as one of the best games of our time.”

Cyberpunk 2077 contains a bevy of Easter eggs and one that can be uncovered relatively early on is for those who enjoy bar-hopping: A cameo by a famed games designer.

This revelation is a spoiler for Cyberpunk 2077, so read on at your own peril.

Before the title card splashes on the screen at the end of Act 1, the mission “The Heist” tasks you with breaking into a gaudy hotel. Once checked-in, you and Jackie encounter a gold-plated waitress, which prompts an option for you to either go to a room or check out the hotel. If you choose to look around a bit you’ll see the Death Stranding creator chatting it up.

Face the bartender and look to the right, where a booth hangs filled with various attendants. One of them is Hideo Kojima, called Oshima in-game, pontificating about games. To be specific, Kojima is criticizing braindances for having “expressive limitations,” saying his Tokyo-based research team is exploring ways to better capture the complexity of human emotion.

“I want my productions to convey real, raw human emotion,” Kojima says. “The feeling when you combine happiness and melancholy, or being calm with an underlying sense of anxiety. These complex, realistic feelings and emotions are what I aspire to recreate… woven into much better stories, of course.”

You can briefly interact with Oshima for one dialogue exchange, at which point nothing more happens after he asks you if you brought a pitch for him to look at.

Cyberpunk 2077 launches at midnight local time on December 10 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. (It’s worth noting that Xbox owners can play the game early if they’re willing to change their console’s region settings.) We scored the game a 7/10 in our Cyberpunk 2077, calling it an “otherwise disappointing experience” that’s largely held up by the strength of its RPG mechanics and the depth of its side characters.

Now Playing: Cyberpunk 2077 Review

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