If you hurry, you can snag yourself a free game on Steam right now. The game in question is Hacknet, but it won’t be free long. The deal ends July 14 at 10 AM PT (1 PM ET, 6 PM BT), when it goes back up to its regular price of $10 / £7. You can grab it here.
Hacknet is a well-received hacking simulator that kicks off when you receive a message from a recently deceased hacker named Bit who connects you with a hacking group called Entropy. That launches a series of missions in which you use the game’s Linux-inspired interface to crack into secure digital spaces to access top-secret files and communications.
Each job is a essentially a puzzle for you to solve using a set of hacking tools accessed through a command line. Your ultimate goal is to discover the circumstances that led to Bit’s death.
From GameSpot’s 8/10 Hacknet review: “As the stakes get higher and the stories start to intertwine, the feeling that you’re doing things you really shouldn’t be starts to hit home, creating a wonderful sense of tension around your actions that remains a constant throughout… The feeling of playing Hacknet in a dark room with headphones on and being absorbed by its engrossing puzzles and soundtrack–full of heavy beats and filthy synth sounds–feels as close as you can get to the Hollywood hacker experience.”
If you like Hacknet, you can buy the Labyrinths expansion, which connects you with a different hacking group and sets you on a separate mission. Labyrinth comes with additional hacking tools that add more variety to the puzzles. You’ll probably want to play through the original game first, as the puzzles in Labyrinth are significantly more complex.
Octopath Traveler has been stirring nostalgia-hungry RPG fans since it debuted as an early project for the Nintendo Switch. More than a year later, the loving homage to 16-bit RPGs has finally released, giving fans a chance to pick up a game inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy 5 and SaGa Frontier.
While it takes clear inspiration from those classic RPGs, though, it has a few unique tricks up its sleeve. The combat system is reminiscent of the more recent Bravely series, with the ability to stack attacks onto a single turn. Even more significantly, the name refers to the eight distinct protagonists, each with their own stories and special abilities both in combat and NPC interactions. You can choose which order to play through their stories, or even if you want to skip some altogether.
That story structure has led to a divisive critical response. While many reviewers agree the under-the-hood RPG systems are inventive and invite exploration and tinkering, critics are split on whether this divided story structure works. GameSpot’s Octopath Traveler review was one such review that found the systems intriguing but the story lacking. Check out a collection of critical reactions below, and head over to our sister site Metacritic for the wider response.
Game: Octopath Traveler
Developer: Square Enix, Acquire
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release date: July 13
Price: $59.99 / £42.99 / $69 AU
GameSpot — 8/10
“Despite the lackluster stories that pull you through the world, Octopath thrives on its character progression and the temptations of high-level challenges and rewards. The promise of new jobs, exciting boss fights, and powerful gear will inspire you to poke around every corner, and there are no shortage of discoveries to strive for. And all the while, you’re treated to one of the most interesting and effective re-imaginings of a retro aesthetic around. Octopath will likely be a divisive game due to its fractured storytelling, but it’s one worth playing despite its lesser qualities. Its high points are simply too good to ignore.” — Peter Brown [Full review]
IGN — 9.3/10
“Octopath Traveler is a JRPG dream come true. Both its battle system and aesthetic pay loving tribute to the Super NES era while moving the formula forward in exciting and novel ways. This isn’t merely a modern retread of past classics, but a phenomenal homage with genuinely fresh ideas in a fantastically charming wrapper of old-school meets new. While the eight different character stories could’ve used a little more connection between them, I’m looking forward to going back to complete them all, explore the many side areas, battle optional bosses, and unlock the final job classes.” — Seth Macy [Full review]
Nintendo World Report — 9/10
“But Octopath Traveler is much more than its peculiar vignette-heavy story that owes more to Dragon Quest or SaGa Frontier than Final Fantasy. It’s an elegant game packed with serene melodies, a simple yet deep combat system, and a stunning world to explore. The end result might not be the modern classic so many hoped for, but Octopath Traveler is an excellent RPG that’s only major sin is a loose story structure.” — Neal Ronaghan [Full review]
Twinfinite — 4.5/5
“Octopath Traveler feels like a much more personal collection of tales that might go against what you’d typically expect from a JRPG. More than anything else, the way the characters fall together feels like coincidence rather than providence, and the game is far more concerned with telling intimate stories about grief, friendship, adventure, and redemption. You might not get to save the world, but there’s joy to be had from just helping out someone in a bind and learning more about the deep history of Orsterra as you go. For what it sets out to do, Octopath Traveler excels.” — Zhiqing Wan [Full review]
God is a Geek — 8.5/10
“Octopath Traveler is not only an essential RPG but it is a fantastic reason to buy a Switch if you’ve been craving a meaty JRPG with one of the best soundtracks in gaming and a superb battle system.” — Mikhail Madnani [Full review]
Destructoid — 7.5/10
“Octopath Traveler is a small triumph in that it mostly delivers on its promise to give us eight stories worth seeing through. None of them push the envelope in any way, and several drag, but that’s not a huge issue when you have so many to choose from. Even if you skip one or several tales altogether you’re still going to get a handful of RPG goodness.” — Chris Carter [Full review]
Fandom — 7/10
“Octopath Traveler is a gem of an RPG with genuinely brilliant battle mechanics and a world worthy of celebration, but it’s hamstrung by an ambitious structure that doesn’t suit its narrative ambition.” — Don Peppiatt [Full review]
RPG Site — 7/10
“I really want to love Octopath Traveler, but the messy nature of its story presentation is ultimately an enormous weakness. That stands out, but this game is also truly one of the most intriguing evolutions of the ‘golden age’ RPG formula out of Japan, managing to both build on and pay homage to the classics. I don’t particularly mind that Octopath Traveler is a collection of eight separate stories, but the lack of any sort of cohesion even among the party members bogs it down and makes the stories that are there ring slightly hollow. Octopath Traveler is an excellent game, but the elasticity of its structure proves to be the one unassailable hurdle between it and becoming a classic in its own right.” — Josh Torres [Full review]
Following a tantalizingly brief teaser trailer back in March, Nintendo formally unveiled its next Super Smash Bros. game at E3 2018. The new installment in the beloved fighting series arrives on Nintendo Switch later this year, and while there are still undoubtedly many details we don’t yet know about it, Nintendo revealed a ton of information about the game during its June presentation, giving us a good idea of what to expect.
To catch you up on everything Nintendo has revealed about the game so far, we’ve compiled everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate below, from the game’s release date and new characters to the many changes being made to its gameplay. We’ll continue to update this list as new details emerge, so be sure to check back for the latest information on Nintendo’s highly anticipated mascot fighter.
Prior to its official reveal at E3, there was much speculation over whether Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be a new installment in the series or an expanded port of the Wii U entry, in the vein of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo cleared up any misconceptions during a Q&A session at this year’s expo, confirming that Ultimate is indeed a brand-new title built for Nintendo Switch.
How Many New Characters Are There?
Nintendo has revealed three new fighters debuting in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Inkling, Ridley, and Daisy. The first two are brand-new additions to the series, and both boast their own unique movesets and play styles that draw from their respective franchises. Inkling can splatter opponents with ink and use a variety of weapons from Splatoon, such as Splat Bombs and the Splat Roller, while Ridley can spew fire and spear other combatants with his tail.
Unlike the other two newcomers, Daisy isn’t an entirely new addition to the roster, but rather an Echo Fighter–a clone of an existing character, in the vein of Lucina and Dark Pit. Her moveset and play style are based on Princess Peach, although she boasts some different characteristics to set her apart. Beyond those three fighters, Nintendo hasn’t revealed if any other new characters will appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, although it seems likely that a few surprises still remain in store for fans.
Which Characters Are Coming Back?
Everyone! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features the largest roster in the series to date with 66 confirmed fighters (and presumably a couple of surprises still to be revealed). Every playable character who has ever appeared in a Smash Bros. game will return in Ultimate, including all of the DLC fighters released for the Wii U and 3DS installments–such as Bayonetta, Corrin, and Mewtwo–as well as third-party characters like Sonic, Cloud, and Street Fighter’s Ryu.
The roster even encompasses characters who have previously only appeared in a single Super Smash Bros. game, including Pichu and Young Link (whose sole appearances were in 2001’s Melee), and Wolf and Snake from 2008’s Brawl. Longtime Metal Gear Solid voice actor David Hayter revealed he is reprising his role as the latter in Ultimate, and Snake’s signature stage, Shadow Moses Island, has also been confirmed to return.
It’s unclear just how many of these characters will be available from the outset; Nintendo teases that the starting roster could be as small as that of the first Super Smash Bros. for N64–eight characters–but an exact count has not been confirmed. However, the company says the conditions for unlocking characters have been streamlined this time around, and new fighters will be doled out frequently, giving players the feeling that they’re constantly making progress.
How Many Stages Are There?
Nintendo hasn’t revealed the full list of stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate yet, but the company says a “massive list” of them will return in the game. Among the many that have been confirmed thus far are Spirit Train and Tortimer Island from Super Smash Bros. for 3DS; Princess Peach’s Castle and Great Bay from Melee; New Pork City and Frigate Orpheon from Brawl; and Mario Galaxy from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. At least two new stages will be introduced in the game as well: Great Plateau Tower (based on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild), and Splatoon’s Moray Towers. Every stage in the game will also have a Battlefield and Omega form.
What Else Is Different?
Aside from all of the new characters, stages, and items, Nintendo is making a ton of mechanical and balance changes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Game director Masahiro Sakurai says the amount of tweaks in the game could number in the “tens of thousands,” and they range from subtle visual upgrades–like Wii Fit Trainer’s refined face–to reworked movesets and other dramatic overhauls.
One of the most notable changes is the pace of the game. Combat in Ultimate feels speedier than in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, resulting in quicker and more intense matches. Moreover, Nintendo has introduced some new techniques, such as directional air dodges, and simplified other ones, like short hop attacks, improving the game’s accessibility while also allowing for more skillful play. In keeping with this emphasis on speedier matches, players will dish out more damage in one-on-one battles, while those who excessively dodge will now be penalized with slowed dodge movement and a smaller window of invulnerability.
Most Final Smashes have also undergone some dramatic changes in Ultimate. Some existing specials, like Pikachu’s Volt Tackle and Sonic’s Super Sonic transformation, are now uncontrollable, lightning-fast attacks, while other characters have received new Final Smashes entirely. This time, Link fires a devastating Ancient Arrow, while Pit barrels through opponents in the Lightning Chariot. Nintendo says that nearly every Final Smash has been reworked in Ultimate to be more immediate, allowing players to get back into the fray more quickly.
Likewise, many returning characters have received significant overhauls in Ultimate, both in terms of their appearance and their movesets. Ganondorf, for instance, is modeled after his classic look in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and he now uses his sword for his smash attacks. Princess Zelda’s new model is based on her appearance in A Link Between Worlds, and Link dons his Champion’s Tunic from Breath of the Wild. Shulk can now choose Monado Arts directly rather than having to cycle through them, while Palutena’s special attacks have been streamlined.
Can I Use GameCube Controllers?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will support several different controller options, including the Switch Pro controller, a single Joy-Con, and many Smash fans’ preferred gamepad, the GameCube controller. As was the case with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the latter will be compatible with the console via a separate adapter. This peripheral plugs into the Switch dock and works with both standard wired GameCube controllers and the wireless WaveBird.
Those who already own the Wii U GameCube controller adapter will be able to use it with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Switch. Nintendo will also release a new controller adapter later this year, along with a new line of Smash-branded wired GameCube controllers. Both are already available for pre-order from various retailers such as Amazon and GameStop; the adapter retails for $20, while the GameCube controllers run for $30 each.
Will It Work with Amiibo?
Nintendo confirmed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be compatible with the existing range of Smash Bros. Amiibo, and data saved to those figures will carry over to the new game. The company has also announced it will produce several new Smash Bros. Amiibo. During E3 2018, Nintendo showcased figures of Ridley and Inkling, two of the new fighters making their debut in Ultimate. The third new fighter announced for the game thus far, Daisy, will likewise receive an Amiibo, although it wasn’t on display at E3.
In addition to the new figures, Nintendo announced it will also produce Amiibo for returning characters. The company has specifically confirmed Wolf, Ice Climbers, and Pichu will receive Amiibo, although that will presumably apply to other returning fighters, such as Young Link and Snake, as well. The Ridley, Inkling, and Wolf figures will launch alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this December and retail for $16 each. Reprints of many previous Smash Bros. Amiibo will also be available later this year for $13.
Will I Need to Pay to Play Online?
While online play on Nintendo Switch has been free up until now, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (and other online-enabled games like Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee) will require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription once the premium service rolls out this September. Subscriptions will be available for one month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), three months (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and 12 months (US $20 / £18 / AU $30). Nintendo will also offer a Family Plan, which allows up to eight accounts to share one membership for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 a year.
Will There Be DLC?
Nintendo hasn’t given any indication as to whether or not it will release additional content for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, the most recent installments in the series received an extensive amount of DLC following their release, from new stages and characters to a wide assortment of Mii Fighter costumes, and it seems likely that Ultimate will get a similar level of post-launch support, although nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
When’s the Release Date?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch later this year, on December 7.
BioWare has lost one of its most veteran developers. James Ohlen, who had been with BioWare for 22 of the company’s 23 years of operation, has retired from the RPG studio.
In a post on Twitter, Ohlen said he “loved” his time at BioWare where he most recently worked on the new IP Anthem. As for why he’s leaving, Ohlen said, “I need to take a break from the industry and work on something a little smaller and more personal.”
After 22 years I have retired from BioWare. I’ve loved my time with Anthem, Star Wars, Dragon Age and Dungeons and Dragons. But I need to take a break from the industry and work on something a little smaller and more personal.
In another tweet, Ohlen said the projects he had the most fun with at BioWare were Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, for which he served as lead designer, as well as Neverwinter Nights. “I’ve been a D&D fanatic since I was 10 years old,” Ohlen said. In his post-BioWare life, Ohlen will stay in the fantasy space. He’s collaborating with another former BioWare creative director, Jesse Sky, on the book Odyssey of the Dragonlords. A “mystery” writer is also working on it.
BioWare’s new game, Anthem, is coming early next year for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Unlike many other BioWare games, it’s an always-online, multiplayer-focused shooter with limited dialogue options. We saw it and played it at E3 and we came away impressed–check out the video above to learn more.
In addition to Anthem, BioWare is working on a new Dragon Age game, but it has yet to be formally announced.
Fortnite Season 5 is officially underway, and there’s plenty of new content for players to sink their teeth into. We’ve already extensively covered the changes and additions, but we also wanted to collect all the new tips and tricks you’ll have at your disposal.
First and foremost, you’ll want to know about the changes made to shotguns–especially considering how significant they’ve been to player strategy in the battle royale. Shotguns will now indicate how many pellets actually hit, with visible markers appearing within the reticle. You won’t be able to cycle between two shotguns like you could before though, as there is now a short period of time after firing a shotgun where another shotgun can’t be fired. Measure your shots carefully, or just find another way to kill someone.
For anyone who’s struggled to get a revive in a past 50v50 or Teams of 20 game, worry no longer. Fortnite is implementing XP bonuses for reviving teammates in both limited-time modes. You’ll only get three bonuses a match though, with an extra 30XP the first time and 10XP for the follow-up second and third time. Hopefully, this influences more players to offer a helping hand instead of leaving their teammates to die.
The Storm is also getting an update. Circles seven, eight, and nine will still shrink but they’ll also be able to shift in random directions. You’ll need to be ready to hoof it at a moments notice.
Between matches, hitting the “Play Again” button now allows players to preview pickaxe visual and sound effects in the Item Shop, Battle Pass, and Locker.
You’ll also have access to the same sound visualizer that were created for mobile on all platforms. Flipping it on puts a small visual indicator on your screen that alerts you to nearby gunfire, footsteps, or chests. However, audible sound effects are muted while the visualizer is on. The new option can be found in the Accessibility tab. Don’t worry about it if you play on a mobile platform, you’ll be unaffected by this change.
Nintendo has all but cornered the market on streamlined, cute adventures for all ages. While Captain Toad made his first appearance in Super Mario Galaxy, he’s since been spun off into his own puzzle-platforming series based on a very different type of design philosophy than you may be used to. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker debuted on the Wii U back in 2014, but as Nintendo moves much of its legacy system’s library onto the Switch, Toad has another shot at stardom. And it’s certainly a worthy outing–even four years on–for anyone who appreciates clever puzzles.
The core gameplay conceit is one of level design. You’ll need to rotate a cuboid world around Captain Toad as you look for clues and solutions from multiple angles. Each move helps change the level, affecting how different parts react to one another and to you. As you turn the stage, you can see different pieces and elements. It’s not uncommon to shift things around and notice a “POW” block in a convenient location. Toss a turnip from the other side, and you can dissolve a wall with its power and move through.
Perspective matters, and the obstacles that can affect how you use your perspective are fertile ground for spectacular puzzles. And it allows a breadth of pacing options as well. Some stages feel tense and rushed, but some are set against calming pink clouds. A calm stage can be followed immediately by one filled with foes and traps, though, shifting where and how you focus your attention. The progression is steady enough–both within stages and across them–that you’ll be left, more often than not, feeling clever and encouraged.
This is all true for both the Wii U and Switch versions, but the Switch version adds in a few things, most notably local co-operative multiplayer. Ostensibly a distinctive addition (as there’s also a 3DS port that lacks it), it is poorly executed the majority of the time. Each player gets one of the Switch’s Joy-Cons, splitting the typical play into two roles. One handles Toad’s movement, while the other dispatches enemies and shifts the camera. It’s a bizarre twist that could feel a lot more developed than it is. As it works, neither role gives much for its player to do and having enemies largely handled by one person cuts down on the scope of the platforming and the puzzles, making each stage feel like a cut-down version instead of a solid addition in its own right.
That said, the sharper screen on the Switch and addition of about a dozen new areas and modes make this version a strictly better choice, and the short, relatively simple stages of Captain Toad lend themselves to a portable environment. Of course, it also carries with it the weaknesses of its forebear. Even with the bonus content, Treasure Tracker is a bit short. You’re left with the sense that there could be plenty more and that the idea of rotating through levels doesn’t get its full due.
Despite a smattering of minor complaints, Captain Toad stands as a pint-sized version of Nintendo’s stellar first party pedigree. It’s among the best Mario spin-offs around and a delightful iteration on old ideas.
Every year, San Diego Comic-Con brings memorable moments with the casts and creators of the biggest movies and TV shows on the planet. Whether it’s Marvel Studios trotting out its latest Avengers, Warner Bros. talking about the future of its DC universe, or the cast of Game of Thrones working hard to say absolutely nothing about what’s to come on the HBO series, there’s something for practically any type of fan to be found at SDCC.
Some moments transcend being “just another thing happening at Comic-Con,” though. Sometimes the networks and studios surprise even the most jaded of fans with once-in-a-lifetime experiences that would be hard to recreate ever again. Then again, sometimes, the strangest and most memorable moments come from fans themselves, for better or worse. After all, just about any longtime Comic-Con goer has a story about where they were the time one fan stabbed another with an ink pen in Hall H–including GameSpot’s own Mat Elfring, who happened to be in the next row?.
GameSpot has looked back on years of Comic-Con panels, activations, and appearances to determine which moments are the absolute craziest. How many of these surreal experiences were you actually there for and what’s your personal most insane SDCC moment? Sound off in the comments below after you take a look at our ranked list.
The upcoming Pokemon RPGs for Nintendo Switch, Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee, are set to launch this November, and The Pokemon Company has shared a few new details about the new games. Along with a new trailer, the company revealed that some monsters will only be available in each version.
As in previous Pokemon RPGs, Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee will each feature a handful of exclusive Pokemon that cannot normally be obtained in the other game. Oddish, Sandshrew, and Growlithe have been confirmed to only appear in Let’s Go, Pikachu, while Bellsprout, Vulpix, and Meowth will only be available in Let’s Go, Eevee.
It remains to be seen if there will be any other version-exclusive monsters in each game beyond the aforementioned Pokemon; the original Red and Blue versions, for instance, each had six exclusive species (excluding evolutions), so it seems likely that there will be a few other Pokemon that can only be captured in each game. However, even if you only pick up one version, you will still be able to obtain the missing Pokemon by trading with a player who has the opposite version–although you’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to trade with others online.
The Pokemon Company also showcased some of the new customization options available in Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee. In addition to being able to dress Pikachu and Eevee up in accessories and outfits, players will be able give their partner different hairstyles, as well as feed and pet them. The new trailer also showed off more of the world and the characters you will encounter on your adventure, including the games’ new rival and the popular Gym leader Misty.
Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee launch for Switch on November 16. The games are based on the classic Pokemon Yellow version and take place in the Kanto region. They also feature integration with Pokemon Go; players can catch wild Pokemon in the Switch games by simulating throwing a Poke Ball, as well as transfer monsters they’ve captured in the mobile game over to the Let’s Go titles. You can read more about the upcoming RPGs in our roundup of everything we know about Pokemon Let’s Go.
Epic Games has kicked off Season 5 of Fortnite, coinciding with the release of the big 5.0 update. This doesn’t include a new map–we still have just the one–but the island has changed pretty significantly across PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and iOS. Here’s what to look forward to next time you boot up the game.
A number of the map tweaks are significant enough that they warrant prominent mentions in the 5.0 patch notes. Having diversified the map previously with new biomes, another of these–desert–has been introduced for Season 5. And it’s done so in a big way, as the southeastern corner of the map has been replaced. Moisty Mire, which was never a terribly interesting region to begin with, is gone.
In its place, we have a large desert, the centerpiece of which is a new named location, Paradise Palms. This looks like a fairly unnatural town in the middle of a desert, like a neighborhood on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Just to the north, the race track remains in place, though it’s now been paved. The desert makes for a much different-looking map as you make your way across in the Battle Bus, and it also dramatically changes the skyline for a good portion of the island.
Epic’s patch notes make note of a “few unnamed POIs [that] have also appeared across the island,” referring to points of interest. That may not sound like much, but some of these are quite exciting. There are simple moai statues to be found, for instance, but to the west, between Snobby Shores and Greasy Grove, a hilltop is now home to what looks like a viking village, complete with a docked ship that’s close to plunging off the side.
Dusty Divot, the most significant map tweak from Season 4, has also been changed up. Although its name remains the same, it’s no longer the same crater it once was, as trees and wildlife have overtaken the area. You’ll even find some pools of water.
Another Season 4 addition was Hop Rocks, consumable items you could find scattered around the map (particularly near Dusty Divot, where the comet landed) that allow you to temporarily jump much higher than usual. Season 5’s take on this seems to be Rifts. Tying in with the tears we saw toward the end of last season, you can now move into one of these to be instantly teleported high up in the air. It’s amusing, but it also offers a potential tactical use as it lets you quickly reposition.
Knowing how Fortnite has operated in the past, there are sure to be secrets that players will uncover in the days and weeks ahead. It’s possible that even more areas could be brought into the map–the cracks in the sky seen at the end of last season are still there. For now, players can look forward to a fresh zone to battle to the death on–and if Epic is short on ideas for what it could do next, we have some ideas for new maps.
