Author: Trafficblast

Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, was announced for PlayStation 5 recently, but had no mention of a release window. A new deep-dive into the sequel is more detailed, however, while also revealing that Guerrilla’s latest game is set for launch in 2021.

Mathijs De Jong, game director on Forbidden West, explains in the video that the additional performance of the PS5 is allowing the team to create larger and more richly detailed worlds for you to explore, with a landmass that will expand from Utah to the western shores on San Francisco. The speed of the PS5’s SSD will also allow for almost no loading, whether you’re fast-travelling or reviving from an unfortunate death.

Aloy will also now be able to explore underwater, with various biomes to uncover. These areas go hand-in-hand with some new robotic foes you’ll encounter, like the hulking Shell Snapper that guards marshes and swamps. New hostile tribes have also found ways to reprogram wildlife to follow their command, equipping already massive enemies, like the new Mammoth-like one, with additional weapons.

Horizon Forbidden West was just one of many games announced recently during Sony’s PS5 reveal event, which included first looks at Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and Gran Turismo 7. Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which isn’t an expansion as previously suspected, is the only AAA exclusive currently slated for launch with the PS5 sometime during Holiday 2020.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

2K has released the first extended gameplay video for PGA Tour 2K21, showcasing how the game plays and some of its new pro players. The lengthy gameplay video–it runs for nearly eight minutes–shows off a user-created player at TPC Scottsdale, the site of the Waste Management Phoenix Open every year.

This includes the electric 16th hole, which has a stadium setup and is one of the more uniquely outrageous holes in all of golf. Something very special happens on this hole during the video, so be sure to watch through until the end.

The PGA Tour 2K21 video also shows off one of the game’s 12 professional players–Matt Kuchar. His character model looks pretty good, and he has a game to match as you would expect. In PGA Tour 2K21’s career mode, you must defeat all 12 professional players–see the full list here–on the game’s 15 officially licensed PGA Tour courses.

Also in this video, the developers speak about adding more accessibility features to PGA Tour 2K21. That’s a big deal because last year’s game, The Golf Club 2019, was known to be a very difficult game aimed at hardcore players. The developers say they are adding these new accessibility features, which include greater on-screen feedback about shot selection and swing results, to help grow the userbase.

PGA Tour 2K21 also introduces a new replay system, which you can see in the video.

PGA Tour 2K21 launches on August 21 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, and it will enter the market with little to no competition in the officially licensed golf simulation market after EA stopped making golf games.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Season 3 of Fortnite: Chapter 2 is officially live. This season introduces a ton of changes and new features to Epic’s hit battle royale shooter, including an Aquaman skin and a new kind of vehicle: cars. However, despite what you may think after watching the Season 3 trailer, the cars aren’t actually live yet.

Although the vehicles are featured prominently in the aforementioned video, you currently cannot find any cars around Fortnite’s map. That’s just as well; tying into Season 3’s aquatic theme, much of the island has been flooded, so you wouldn’t have much of a chance to make use of the cars anyway, but it appears they’ll become available as the map changes during the season.

According to Epic’s official website, the flood water will gradually recede as Season 3 progresses, opening up new areas and features. Beneath a screenshot of the new car, Epic writes, “As the water recedes, even more locations will be uncovered. And as roadways become more open, you’ll discover new ways to get around…”

In the meantime, Season 3’s first Aquaman challenge is live, and it asks you to use a whirlpool at The Fortilla. A new Aquaman challenge will unlock each week, and only by completing all five will you unlock the aforementioned Aquaman skin.

A lot of other things have changed in Season 3 as well. You’ll need to contend with a new kind of enemy called Marauders as you play, and there are plenty of new locations to discover around the island. The Season 3 Battle Pass is also now live, and it features a ton of new cosmetic rewards to unlock. You can catch up on all the biggest changes in our Fortnite Season 3 roundup.

Pokemon Sword and Shield has gotten its first expansion, the Isle of Armor. The new content opens up a whole new area with new rivals, more Pokemon to catch, and more. And as fans have dug in, they’ve also found a neat little feature that calls back to some of the earliest days of the series.

According to Pokemon fansite Serebii, once you reach a certain point in the Isle of Armor, the first Pokemon in your party will follow you around. GameSpot hasn’t verified with our own monsters, but Twitter has already started populating with people showing off their favorite pokemon walking around the overworld.

The feature is usually referred to by fans as “walking Pokemon,” and it first appeared in Pokemon Yellow as Pikachu followed you around. This is as opposed to normal, when all of your Pokemon are stored in their PokeBalls. Walking Pokemon have appeared in a few different games, but weren’t in Sword and Shield until now. That means this is your first chance to see the new Galar creatures acting as your personal escort.

Isle of Armor is the first of two planned expansions for Sword and Shield. The second, The Crown Tundra, will follow sometime this fall. You can’t purchase them individually, though–they’re only available as part of a set with the season pass. For more details, check out how to access the DLC.

Alongside the Isle of Armor launch, the Pokemon Company held a special presentation that made several of its own announcements. Those included a new Pokemon Snap, a new Max Raid in Sword and Shield, a puzzle game that’s launching very soon, and more. Another presentation is coming next week and will share news about “another big announcement.”

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Father’s Day is nearly here, and if you still need to buy a gift, Amazon has some deals for you. The online retailer has dropped prices by up to 40% on Kindle ebook readers and Amazon Echo devices. So if the dad in your life enjoys reading or could use a smart speaker, you won’t have to pay anywhere near full price. Read on for the details.

Amazon Echo Deals

App users: Don’t see the deals below? Click here.

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Kindle Ebook Reader Deals

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I have an Echo and two Echo Dots in my house, and I use them all the time. Literally, many times every day. I use them to control my Xbox One, listen to local radio stations, add items to my grocery list, get the weather report, set timers, play whatever song has popped into my head, and about a dozen other uses. These things are great. No exaggeration, they’re probably the most useful pieces of technology I’ve purchased since my first smartphone. And now they’re on sale.

As for the Kindles, now that we have to wash our hands after opening the mail, reading digital books has become a lot more appealing for many people. Both the standard and Paperwhite Kindle models are on sale right now for up to 28% off. They both off you a gateway to nearly instant access to millions and millions of books and magazines. They’re super thin and light, and a single charge will keep them going for weeks on end.

Any of these items would make a great Father’s Day gift. Or, if you’re in the market for them for yourself, that’s cool too. Might as well grab them while they’re on sale.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Splatoon 2 players aren’t used to receiving new updates, and aside from the bonus one-off Splatfest back in May, the game’s online offering is pretty set. On June 15, though, the game received its third patch of 2020, and players might be wondering what has changed.

Turns out, it’s not a whole lot–but if you’ve been hit with issues and glitches, they might have been addressed. Splatoon 2 Update 5.2.1 introduces two bug fixes, according to the patch notes. Here’s what it does:

Changes to Multiplayer

• Fixed an issue where if the player had Dualie-type weapons equipped, they could travel farther in the air than intended when dodge-rolling, as the result of a certain combination of movements.
• Fixed an issue where the player could land in a different location than intended if they activated a Booyah Bomb and then quickly ended the effect.

And that’s it. It’s good to know that the Splatoon development team is still paying attention, even if the game is no longer receiving massive updates with new maps or weapons.

Splatoon 2 had sold over 10 million copies on Switch.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Fortnite Season 3 is finally here. Right when they said they would, Epic Games has launched the much-anticipated third season–and it looks like a swashbuckling delight. The rollout is beginning with some server downtime, but keep checking back with the game and it should boot up Season 3 soon.

Epic originally planned to start Season 3 sooner, but the company delayed the update in light of the ongoing protests in the US related to the murder of George Floyd.

The cinematic launch trailer for Season 3 confirms the water theme and what seems to be the Season’s official tagline, “Splash Down.” It’s a delightfully whimsical trailer, and even Aquaman himself–Jason Momoa–shows up. Check it out below.

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 Splash Down Description

Epic Games has also released the official description for Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 Splash Down. It confirms that the island has become flooded, and there are new places to see and even sharks to ride.

“The Island has flooded, there are new areas to explore, Marauders to take on and… sharks to ride?Survive more than just the Storm. Adapt to the new flooded way of life on the Island. Watch your back!”

New Gameplay System: Marauders

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 also introduces a new gameplay system in the form of Marauders, who crash down onto the island basically f**k stuff up. “Defend yourself from new Marauders as they crash down onto the island and challenge your survival,” Epic says.

New Battle Pass

As usual, a new season means a new Battle Pass. The Chapter 2 Season 3 Battle Pass offering comes with a series of cosmetic extras. Buying the pass outright instantly unlocks the new Fade and Ocean outfits. Aquaman is coming later in the year, Epic said.

The Battle Pass also includes a new feature called “Build-A-Brella,” which allows players to create their own unique umbrella. Check out the full Battle Pass trailer below to see what’s new in the DLC.

Check Back Soon For More

The start of Chapter 2 Season 3 comes after the major Doomsday event (known officially as The Device). Epic no longer publishes Fortnite patch notes, so players will have to discover for themselves what’s new in the update. GameSpot will come back with more details and information about Season 3 as we sink our teeth into the update. Keep checking back for the latest.

Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is coming to Nintendo Switch on June 23, four years after the game’s 20th anniversary. The game will offer up the extra chapter and re-recorded dialog that other platforms also received, as well as an eight-player co-op mode, but it will also come with some Switch-exclusive features.

This version of the game will have optional gyroscopic aiming, as seen in many other Switch ports, such as Borderlands Legendary Collection and The Outer Worlds. It will also feature HD rumble, and will, of course, be playable in portable mode.

The game will retail for $10 on the Eshop, but will carry a 50% discount at launch, according to Nintendo Life. You can check it out in the trailer below.

What makes this particularly interesting is that Gearbox is currently suing 3D Realms in a counter-suit regarding the game’s music. The issue involves an allegation of breach of contract, as Gearbox says that 3D Realms did not achieve the “free and clear” passover of the game promised. This is the second lawsuit relating to Gearbox’s purchase of Duke Nukem 3D; the original issue was that Bobby Prince, the game’s composer, maintained the rights to some of the game’s music.

Gearbox is claiming damages, legal fees, and interest relating to the suit, and is evidently still publishing new Duke Nukem releases. The trailer above promises “new music from the original composer,” but this is in reference to Lee Jackson, another composer who worked on the title.

This is technically Duke Nukem’s second time on the Switch, although his first appearance was as a guest in Bulletstorm.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Madden NFL 21‘s cover is striking and unique. In fact, it’s perhaps the biggest departure from the norm in the history of the franchise. As it turns out, there is a good reason for that.

Under normal circumstances, EA Sports would conduct an in-person photo shoot with the year’s cover athlete–this year’s it’s Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. A physical photo shoot wasn’t possible this year due to COVID-19. So EA Sports contacted the Baltimore Ravens and asked if they could use some of team photographer Shawn Hubbard’s photos. Hubbard said on the Ravens website that it was a “huge honor” to work with EA on this, even if he doesn’t have much familiarity with the game series.

“We were on lockdown with COVID and I know they usually have a shoot for it. It just wasn’t something I expected with all the other bad news happening. … I’m a little embarrassed to say that I’ve never played Madden–ever. Maybe they’ll send me a copy and I’ll get started,” Hubbard said.

In addition to Hubbard’s shots, the Madden 21 cover features some images from the Associated Press. In total, there are five pictures of Jackson on the standard edition cover of Madden 21. The game’s Deluxe and MVP editions feature additional photos of Jackson which are meant to collectively showcase Jackson’s strength, athleticism, and easy-going nature.

The box art also showcases the words “generation rising,” which is meant to reflect how Jackson is a new type of QB who is taking the position to new levels with his play-making and skills.

Madden NFL 21 launches on August 28 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For the first time in franchise history, the game will be available on Steam.