With everyone stuck at home, it can be hard to tell when the week ends and the weekend begins. Thankfully, Microsoft has been holding a ton of free-play periods for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users to help us figure out when the heck Saturday and Sunday roll around. The latest features four games: Gears 5, Override: Mech City Brawl, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, and Hitman: The Complete First Season. And if you want to keep playing the games after this weekend, you can buy them and keep them forever.
Gear 5’s Free Play Days event started earlier this week and continues through April 12. It features the latest update, Operation 3: Gridiron; a new Capture the Flag-style mode; and new maps and characters, including series favourites Augustus Cole and Clayton Carmine. Once the Free Play Days promotion ends, you can buy Gears 5 for $30 or upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $1 for your first month to keep playing.
Override: Mech City Brawl and Hitman are both free to play from now until April 13 at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET. Override is a brawler where you pilot one of 12 mechs against other players online or in the single-player campaign. If you want to keep playing, you can snag Override: Mech City Brawl for only $4.49.
Hitman, on the other hand, is a third-person action game, where you have to take out your targets as creatively as possible and without getting caught. GameSpot’s Hitman review scored it an 8/10 and called it “a brilliant game.” Unfortunately, it’s not currently discounted. You can, however, pick it up at Amazon for only $17.
The last free-play Xbox One game is The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, which has been available for a week now. Thankfully, you can still jump into the popular MMO and wander familiar lands like Skyrim, Morrowind, and Oblivion for free until April 14 at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET. If you want to keep playing after that, you can pick up The Elder Scrolls Online for $8 or upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
The wasp is a hostile bug in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It can be found all day, all year, for both Northern and Southern Hemisphere players, regardless of weather conditions. It’s hard to avoid wasps altogether on your island–just like previous Animal Crossing games (back then, they were actually bees), the wasp is an aggressive insect that will chase and sting the player if provoked. In the case of New Horizons, that means knocking a wasp nest out of a tree–something you can’t exactly predict you’re going to do. Getting stung by a wasp doesn’t have any serious consequences, but it can be annoying. Luckily, there are more ways to deal with wasps than just getting stung.
Below we’ll go over ways to avoid, catch, and scare away wasps, what price a wasp will sell for, what to do if you get stung by a wasp, and what to do with a wasp nest.
To catch a wasp in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you first have to be unlucky enough (or lucky, if you’re hunting for them) to knock a wasp nest out of a tree while going about your daily chores. This can happen in a number of ways: by shaking a regular tree looking for sticks, shaking a fruit tree to pick its fruit, or hitting a tree with an axe to get wood. There are five wasp spawns per day on your own island, and there are likely to be a couple on deserted islands too, so always come prepared.
All you need to catch a wasp is a net, but you have to be smart about your approach. Unlike other bugs, which you can generally run up to or sneak up on to catch at your own leisure, you only have a second to scoop up the wasps before they sting you.
Right after you shake or strike a tree with a wasp nest, the nest will pop out and a brief animation will play showing the wasps angrily swarming out of the nest. At this point, if you don’t do anything, you’ll get overtaken by the swarm and stung. It’s certainly possible to run from the wasps and quickly turn to catch them in your net, but that can require very precise timing and can go wrong in an instant if you’re not careful. If you do attempt this, we recommend picking a direction to run in, sprinting away by holding down the B button, and then quickly turning to face the direction you came from. This way you get some distance between you and the swarm and can easily catch them as they approach.
There’s also a much quicker and safer way to catch wasps, which we’ll detail below.
The Fastest, Easiest, And Safest Way To Catch Wasps
The fastest, easiest, and safest way to catch a wasp in Animal Crossing is to approach a tree from the front with the net equipped. Make sure your character is facing perfectly away from you and they’re facing the tree straight-on.
Shake the tree, then let the wasp nest pop out. You won’t have control over your character for a second when the wasp nest is provoked, but you’ll notice your character will automatically turn to face the swarm. The second you regain control, hit A to use your net and catch the wasp.
So, a quick step-by-step:
Equip net
Approach tree from front (character facing away from camera)
Press A to shake tree
Press A to use net on wasp swarm as soon as you can
By approaching the tree from the front instead of the back or side, you ensure your character is automatically aligned with the wasp swarm so you’re in the best position to catch one once you regain control. You also have more visibility this way. By having the net equipped, you save time fumbling in your inventory pockets or tool wheel and can catch the wasp instantly–otherwise, they’ll start swarming from all directions and make it extremely difficult to line up a shot.
This might sound like the best approach if you’re hunting wasps, but it’s good to do this even if you’re just picking fruit or chopping wood–this way, you won’t get blindsided and can walk away with some easy money.
Wasps are active at all times of the year and at all hours of the day.
Nook’s Cranny price: 2,500 bells each
Flick price: 3,750 bells each
How To Avoid Stings And Scare Wasps Away
If you aren’t interested in trying to catch a wasp, or find yourself unprepared to, there are still ways to get away from them, either by running away or scaring them away.
Running From Wasps
You can escape a swarm of wasps by running into a building, but you only have a few seconds to do this before they catch up to you. This works best when you’re shaking up or chopping away at trees near your town center or a villager’s house, but if you’re on a deserted island, you’ll need to either be prepared to catch them or scare them away.
Scaring Wasps With Party Poppers
The party popper item can be purchased from Nook’s Cranny. It’s a handheld item that explodes or pops off when used. If you use a party popper on a swarm of wasps, they will get scared and disperse. But like anything else, your timing has to be perfect!
How To Cure Wasp Stings
If you get stung by wasps, your character’s eyelids will swell up. This doesn’t have any negative side effects gameplay-wise, but it does change the way your character looks unless you use medicine or quit and come back the next day. It will also frighten your villagers! Perhaps the worst consequence of getting stung is passing out. If you get stung by wasps a second time without treating your stings, your character will faint and wake up in front of their house, or near the dock if you’re on a Mystery Tour. This can be annoying and time-consuming.
To treat a wasp sting, all you need is medicine. You can purchase medicine from Timmy and Tommy or Nook’s Cranny for 400 bells. Or, you can craft it yourself. If you don’t know how to craft medicine, talk to a villager after you’ve been stung–they’ll give you a DIY recipe for medicine so you can craft it at any workbench. Sometimes, they might even take pity on you and give you medicine for free.
How To Craft Medicine
Requires: 1x wasp nest, 3x clump of weeds
To craft medicine to treat your wasp sting, you’ll need a wasp nest and three clumps of weeds.
Crafting medicine using a wasp nest and clumps of weeds.
You can only find wasp nests from trees after you’ve disturbed a swarm–they’ll drop out immediately, just before the swarm descends on you. Weeds can be found all around your island and deserted islands. Just run up to the leafy green brush growing out of the ground and press Y to pick it.
Once you have medicine in your inventory, you can use it to heal your stings right away.
What To Do With A Wasp Nest
The only thing you can do with a wasp nest besides crafting medicine with it is sell it to Timmy and Tommy. They’ll purchase it for 300 bells at Nook’s Cranny.
Fortnite Season 2’s Week 8 challenges are now live on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, and mobile. This week brings the second set of Skye’s Adventure challenges, and one of the more difficult ones asks you to search Skye’s sword in a stone in high places. If you need help tracking those down, this guide will show you where you need to go.
Where Are Skye’s Sword Locations?
There are several swords hidden around the map, and as the challenge teases, they’re typically located in high places like mountaintops. You need to track down five swords to complete the challenge, but we’ve found at least nine of them across the island, giving you plenty of options. We’ve marked down the locations of all the swords we’ve found on below.
Island northwest of Sweaty Sands in grid square A2
West of Sweaty Sands in the upper left corner of grid square A4
Northwest of Pleasant Park in grid square C2
Between Pleasant Park and Frenzy Farm in grid square E3
East of Craggy Cliffs in F2
Just east of Holly Hedges
Slightly northeast of Lazy Lake in grid square F5
West of the Grotto in H5
South of The Agency in E6
How To Complete The Challenge
Once you know where the swords are hidden, this challenge simply becomes a matter of tracking down five of them. After you’ve made your way to a sword, interact with it when prompted for your progress to be counted. Repeat the process until you’ve searched five swords and the challenge will be complete.
When Gearbox issued a patch to buff Moze in Borderlands 3, it noted that it wasn’t done tweaking the character and further changes would be incoming. That didn’t take long, as now the company has issued another set of hotfix patch notes, again focused primarily on making Moze stronger. It also kicks off a few limited-time mini-events for the next week.
The hotfix adjusts four of Moze’s skills, all buffs to attributes like cooldown rate or damage output, and it also makes several adjustments to her Iron Bear ability. While Moze’s adjustments are universally buffs, the tweaks to Iron Bear have a couple of nerfs as well. On the whole, though, the character is coming out much stronger.
The hotfix also introduces two mini-events: Rare Chest Riches and Loot Monster Mayhem. Rare Chest Riches increases your odds of getting Legendary items from rare chests. Loot Monster Mayhem increases the chances of Loot enemies appearing in-game and also increases their chances to drop Legendary gear. Both events will last through April 16 at 9 AM PT.
Gearbox also just launched Borderlands Science, a puzzle mini-game within Borderlands 3 that actually helps real-world scientists organize data and spot errors in their sequences. You can earn in-game currency by playing, while helping gather data that will help research diseases.
You can check out the new Moze hotfixes below.
Moze the Gunner Adjustments
Explosive Punctuation: Increased the cooldown rate awarded to 8%
Hammerdown Protocol: Increased the damage output to 600% and reduced the reload time
Click, Click…: Increased damage bonus from 12/24/36% to 20/40/60%
Specialist Bear: Increased the damage from +25% to +60%
Iron Bear Weapons Adjustments
Increased the base damage of the Salamander Flame Thrower
Increased Chemical Warfare’s Melt Damage to 125%
Increased the base damage of the Railgun
Reduced Capacitive Armature’s damage reduction from -75% to -30%
Reduced Corrosive Sabot Round’s damage reduction from -50% to -15%
Increased Shockhammer’s Shock Damage to 60% of damage dealt
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Millions of people in the US and across the world are currently under some kind of stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In most places, gyms are closed, and even running outside can feel a bit sketchy if you live in a densely populated area. For those stuck inside, at-home workouts have become a crucial way to maintain both physical and mental health, and fortunately, there are quite a few video games that serve this exact need.
One of the biggest workout games in recent years, Ring Fit Adventure for Nintendo Switch, is currently sold out everywhere as interest around at-home workouts increases and many physical games face production issues. Nintendo’s latest workout game is a fitness-themed RPG where you team up with a sentient pilates ring to track down and defeat an evil body-building dragon called Dragaux. Available only as a physical set, Ring Fit Adventure includes a Ring-Con used to perform its strength exercises as you fight enemies, row through rivers, zip-line through the sky, and more. You also get a nice cardio workout from jogging (in place) through its colorful landscapes.
Ring Fit is a fantastic workout option for gamers stuck inside, working many different muscle groups, and if you can get your hands on a copy for a reasonable price (it normally sells for $80), it’s absolutely worth it. However, if you didn’t buy Ring Fit Adventure before the popular Switch game sold out everywhere, you’re not out of luck. There are other video games that make for good indoor workouts, helping you get off the couch, stretch your legs, and take a break from that Netflix show you’re currently binging. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best games to help you exercise indoors while we’re all social distancing.
Please note we’ve included several VR games on this list, which require you to have a VR headset, as those games tend to be the best at getting you up and moving. Most VR headsets come bundled with motion controllers, but if you have PSVR, you’ll want to pick up a pair of Move Motion Controllers if you can. See our list of the best VR headsets for more details on the headsets we recommend.
From Just Dance to Beat Saber, these fitness-oriented games will get your heart racing and leave you feeling like you’ve just hit the gym. We’ve also indicated where you can buy physical and digital versions of each game where available.
Fitness Boxing
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
After the massive success of Wii Fit, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo debuted an exercise game on the Switch, and before there was Ring Fit Adventure, there was Fitness Boxing. Released back in January 2019 (in time for New Year’s Resolution season), Fitness Boxing is a rhythm game that has you twist and punch along to the beat of modern pop songs. While it may seem to work only your arm muscles, boxing is a full-body workout that also targets your abs, legs, and shoulders; plus, it’s a fantastic cardio workout that’ll get your heart pumping fast. Nintendo’s Fitness Boxing is a great intro to the exercise for those who are stuck inside. The Switch game teaches you how to perform key moves like jabs, hooks, and uppercuts, which each has their own symbol that’ll appear on screen during a song. You’ll have to perform these moves to the correct beat of the song, and there’s no skimping either–if you don’t maintain proper form with your punches, the game will call you out (indicating that your punch missed or was only “OK” rather than “Perfect”). You’ll also have to throw some force into your punches for them to count–no half-hearted movements.
While its song list leaves something to be desired, Fitness Boxing gets the job done. Its boxing sessions are satisfying and appropriately intense, and you can even customize your workouts, selecting which areas you want the workout to focus on and how long it will last. You don’t need any equipment for Fitness Boxing beyond your standard Joy-Cons, and you can download the game digitally since physical copies are hard to find right now. There’s also a free demo with three days of workouts you can try out before buying. — Jenae Sitzes
Platforms: Wii, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia (Just Dance 2020)
The Just Dance series has been around since 2009 and continues to be a fun way to burn calories, break a sweat, and improve your flexibility. I’m currently playing Just Dance 2018 a few times a week as my main form of cardio exercise while in self-isolation, and I’ve found that playing the game for just 30 minutes burns up to 200 calories. The motion-based dancing game focuses on following choreography to hit songs. While you can play Just Dance alone, the game also allows for multiple players. Using either motion controllers (like the Switch’s Joy-Cons) or your own smartphone with the Just Dance Controller app, players mirror the on-screen dancers’ movements and score points based on accuracy. The latest game in the series, Just Dance 2020, was released in November 2019 and includes 40 tracks to move to from artists like Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Blackpink, and Cardi B.
Each version of the game has its own collection of songs. And while I eventually got tired of the songs that came with Just Dance 2018, I found it worthwhile to upgrade to Just Dance Unlimited to access more music. Available starting with Just Dance 2017, the subscription-based service lets you choose from a library of over 500 songs, including songs from previous games and new exclusives. A new copy of the game comes with 1-month of free Just Dance Unlimited access, so it’s worth taking advantage of the trial if you’re new to the series. — Chastity Vicencio
Just Dance isn’t the only dance workout available on Nintendo Switch. Zumba: Burn It Up released in November 2019, offering Switch players an intro to the hugely popular Latin-inspired dance workout. Zumba incorporates upbeat music and choreographed dances, but you don’t need to be a great dancer or have perfect rhythm; this workout is just about moving your body and having fun. Still, it’s a fantastic cardio workout that also works your core and boosts flexibility.
Zumba: Burn It Up brings the exercise dancy party to your living room with over 30 songs from artists like Cardi B, Ciara, and more. The game features real-life Zumba instructors, who will energetically lead you through the routines, and Switch Joy-Cons track your movement (you’ll want to strap them securely to your wrists). Zumba routines can get quite complex; however, you can choose your intensity level for each session, and some songs are slower than others. Like Fitness Boxing, Zumba: Burn It Up’s song list is a bit lacking, especially compared to the hundreds of songs you can unlock with Just Dance Unlimited. But at the end of the day, Zumba: Burn It Up is a great option if you’re looking for a serious workout, not just a game that involves moving, and if you love Zumba or have wanted to try it out, this is a fantastic way to enjoy the exercise from home. — Jenae Sitzes
One of few first-party Switch games to really utilize motion controls, Arms is a stylish fighting game featuring a large cast of unique characters. At its core, Arms is a 3D 1v1 fighting game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and as the title suggests, arms are key here. Each fighter has different mechanical arms and abilities, from fluttering ribbon arms and spring-loaded arms to arms with guns for hands and more.
Yes, Arms may be easier to play with a Pro controller than with Joy-Con motion controls, but if the aim is to get up and moving, Arms provides just that through its variety of game modes. Arms supports online lobbies of up to 20 people, but you can also play local versus matches and multiple battle mode minigames like basketball and volleyball. You can also get a nice workout playing the solo Grand Prix mode, which pits you against 10 computer-controlled characters to see if you have what it takes to secure the championship belt.
The Switch exclusive earned a 7/10 in GameSpot’s Arms review for its fast-paced combat and quirky personality. We knocked it a bit for its surprisingly steep learning curve, but once you get the controls down, it’s a lot of fun. — Steven Petite
Compatible VR headsets: Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality
If you have a virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift or PlayStation VR, there’s no better workout game than Beat Saber. Colored blocks fly toward you, and you swipe at them with the lightsabers in your hands–simple.
Sure, it might seem relatively low impact when you’re starting out, and as a rhythm game, it lacks the features that a dedicated workout experience might offer. But it’s worth getting invested; the better you get at Beat Saber, the better a workout it is. You might start on normal difficulty, or even hard, and higher levels of play will seem completely out of reach. But the game’s learning curve is really more of a friendly slope, thanks to readily available options like no-fail mode, song slowing, and practice mode. If you have the discipline to constantly set your sights on the next toughest challenge that initially seems unbeatable, you’ll find yourself constantly improving. Once you start nailing songs on expert difficulty and toying with expert plus–not to mention modifiers that make songs more difficult, like extra speed or disappearing arrows–you’ll find yourself pouring sweat and out of breath in no time.
Beat Saber also just released FitBeat, a new, free fitness track with standard, 90-degree, and 360-degree levels. FitBeat introduces some of Beat Saber’s most challenging workouts yet, so there’s no better time to dive in. — Michael Rougeau
Compatible VR headsets: Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and HTC Vive
Sprint Vector offers a fairly strenuous VR workout thanks to its constant use of motion controls. While your racer is technically strapped into “vector blades,” Sprint Vector’s first-person perspective makes it feel like you’re going on a brisk run. The sci-fi courses are littered with sharp turns and changes in elevation. In addition to the standard tracks, there are obstacle courses that add even more variables to impede your progress. So even though the majority of the experience requires you to pump your arms back and forth, you also have to perform more elaborate maneuvers to turn quickly and fling yourself atop high rise platforms. The courses promote parkour-style movements, forcing you to exercise both your body and mind.
Even after just one race, you’ll feel the effort with Sprint Vector. And after a few, your forehead might get a little sweaty under the headset; your arms may start to feel like jello. Thankfully, Sprint Vector’s fast-paced racing action is engaging enough to stick with the initial difficulties that come with mastering the control scheme. After a while, gliding on these futuristic rollerblades will feel like second nature. You’ll need plenty of space to play Sprint Vector, as it’s a room-scale experience, as well as two motion controllers regardless of your platform of choice. — Steven Petite
Compatible VR headsets: Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality
Though Rec Room won’t give you the same level of workout as some of the other games on this list, it feels like a really great game to recommend while social distancing. Rec Room offers a free-to-play VR space to socialize with friends and play some fun minigames using motion controls. As of now, Rec Room has laser tag, dodgeball, disc golf, 3D charades, paintball, co-op quests where you square off against skeletons and werewolves, and even its own spin on battle royale dubbed Rec Royale.
Rec Room is currently in early access, but as you can tell, it has a bevy of activities to enjoy alongside buddies from the comfort of your own living room. So if you’re looking for a lighthearted game that will get you moving and at least somewhat replicates the feeling of being with friends and loved ones, Rec Room is definitely worth checking out. — Steven Petite
The Kinect may leave a bad taste in the mouth of some gamers, but I was actually quite fond of its motion-tracking capabilities. One of my all-time favorite games, Dance Central, was also an excellent example of its best features put to great use. The Kinect tracked your entire body as you reenacted dance moves from popular songs, making for an intense workout while also having a lot of fun and, honestly, just feeling cool. Unfortunately, the Kinect has fallen to the wayside, but there’s a newer option for playing Dance Central in 2020. If you have an Oculus Rift or Quest, then you can play Harmonix’s latest entry in the Dance Central series.
Dance Central VR is exactly how you remember it on consoles, even if the tracking is a little different. Since the Rift and Quest are only able to track your head and hands, you’ll have to play the honor system with your legs and feet–of course, if you fake it, you won’t get the full workout benefits of dancing. Thankfully, Dance Central VR is as fun as it was on Xbox; it’s hard not to move your feet to songs like Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “September” or Flo Rida and T-Pain’s “Low.” — Mat Paget
Compatible VR headsets: Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality
Playing Pistol Whip is the closest I’ve ever felt to being John Wick. The VR game puts you on a track that keeps you moving forward at all times while enemies come into view from the left, right, and above you. You might be standing still as the track pulls you through the level, but you’ll be crouching, moving from side to side, and dodging virtual bullets as you shoot your way through each song’s scene. It’s an incredibly fun action VR shooter, but it can also be a heart-pounding and sweaty workout if you push yourself with the harder difficulties. — Mat Paget
If you’re looking forward to playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake this weekend, then you’re going to need quite a bit of space on your PS4 to do so. That’s where external hard drives come in handy. You plug them into your PS4 or Xbox One, format them, and then you’ll have a lot more storage for all of your favourite games. Thankfully, you can snag a great external hard drive at a fantastic price.
WD (or Western Digital) is my go-to brand for hard drives. They’re reliable, fast, and good quality. Other external drives that are worth looking at include those from Seagate, Samsung, and Toshiba. As long as you take care of your external hard drive and make sure it’s in a nice open space to avoid overheating (don’t leave it behind your console), then any hard drive should last you quite some time.
Every external hard drive included on this list is compatible with your PS4 and Xbox One. There are also two different kinds of external hard drives we’ll include: portable and desktop. Portable is exactly what it sounds like: you can take them anywhere, plug them in, and they’ll work. Desktop hard drives, on the other hand, require you to plug them into an outlet in addition to your console–this is usually the case for higher-capacity drives.
This portable hard drive comes with 2TB of storage space, and thanks to its small size, it’s easy to store next to your PS4 or Xbox One.
WD 2TB Easystore portable external hard drive
$60 ($110)
WD 2TB Easystore hard drive
WD’s 2TB Easystore hard drive is an excellent option that lives up to its name: it’s small and easy to store.
WD 4TB Easystore portable external hard drive
$100 ($150)
WD 4TB Easystore hard drive
If you like the WD Easystore’s small size but want some extra storage, then the 4TB option is also on sale.
Seagate Backup Plus 5TB portable external hard drive
$110 ($130)
Seagate Backup Plus 5TB hard drive
The Seagate Backup Plus is a solid hard drive, and this particular deal packs a whopping 5TB of storage space.
WD 5TB My Passport portable external hard drive
$110 ($150)
WD 5TB My Passport hard drive
WD’s My Passport external hard drive comes in a variety of sizes, but right now, you can get the 5TB model for $110.
Seagate 8TB desktop external hard drive
$132 ($140)
Seagate 8TB desktop hard drive
If you’re looking for a massive amount of space, then Seagate’s desktop external hard drive carries 8TB of storage. It’s important to note that you will need to plug this into a power outlet as well as your PS4 or Xbox One.
WD 8TB Elements desktop external hard drive
$144.97 ($180)
WD 8TB Elements desktop hard drive
WD’s 8TB Elements desktop hard drive gives you a ton of storage space for games, though you will need to plug it into an outlet, in addition to your console, to power it.
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Developer id Software has dropped a brand-new Doom Eternal update for the first-person shooter’s asymmetrical multiplayer experience, Battlemode. We’ve compiled the full patch notes below.
The update only targets PS4 and Xbox One Battlemode players, where id Software saw a disparity between the PC and console experience. According to the studio, the new patch should “bring the challenge for Console-Slayers more within reach and the overall feel of the match will be more consistent now between all platforms.” It’s available now and doesn’t require a download to install.
Id Software made some adjustments to Battlemode by decreasing the demon respawn timer to 20 seconds, tweaking the way team heal and healing zones work, and balancing some of the demons’ abilities. The studio is also aware of an inconsistency between the team heal ability and its description, though it’s unclear when id Software will resolve this.
In other Doom Eternal news, it’s been discovered that the first-person shooter has a secret weapon buried in the game’s code. It was originally cut because it didn’t fit Doom Eternal’s flow, but console commands reveal a way to access the first gun you were originally supposed to start with: the pistol. And if you wanted to know something else that the game may have hidden from you, we’ve put together a quick guide for removing those helpful but pesky tutorials.
Doom Eternal Battlemode April 9 Console Update
Demon Respawn Timer
Demons respawn timer increased from 20 to 22 seconds.
Team Heal
The caster of Team Heal is now healed for 25% of their total health, down from 50% of their total health.
The teammate of the caster continues to be healed for 25% of their total health (which is unchanged).
Healing Zone
Reduced the strength of the healing zones:
Level 1 becomes 600 HP over 8 seconds (75 HP per 1 second), available every 60 seconds.
Down from 800 HP over 8 seconds (100 HP per 1 second), available every 60 seconds.
Level 2 becomes 800 HP over 10 seconds (80 HP per 1 second), available every 50 seconds.
Down from 1200 HP over 12 seconds (100 HP per 1 second), available every 45 seconds.
Noxious Hazard
Reduced damage done per tic on The Slayer when in the hazard volume from 15 to 12 damage.
Mancubus
Reduced flamethrower damage per projectile from 4 to 3 damage per hit.
Pain Elemental
Shield cooldown duration increased from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.
Archvile
Flame Wall cooldown duration increased from 6 to 7 seconds.
Known Issue on Console
The description for the Team Heal ability is inconsistent with amount of healing done by the ability. Team heal will heal both demon players for 25% of total health, but the description states that the user gets a 50% heal instead.
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NBC’s long-running sketch comedy Saturday Night Live went on a production hiatus like much of the entertainment industry during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, meaning that fans have been going without new weekly episodes for some time. That’s about to change, however, as the SNL gang plans for a remote comeback special airing this Saturday, April 11 at 11:30 PM ET, THR reports.
The episode will feature segments the cast have filmed remotely, like the popular “Weekend Update,” but will obviously deviate from the traditional SNL format. There will be no host. Originally, SNL was scheduled to return to the air on March 28 with host John Krasinski and musical guest Dua Lipa.
As of right now, this remote special is considered a one-off, so don’t expect to see work-from-home comedy sketches every Saturday night while social distancing measures are still in place. It is currently unknown when SNL will return to a weekly episode schedule.
Each game is regularly $60 despite being years-old at this point, which shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who owns a Nintendo console. The $40 price is likely the best you’ll see anytime soon, and we can’t recall the last time any of the three were available for less than $40.
Splatoon 2 | $40 ($60)
Splatoon 2
Splatoon 2 is one of the best multiplayer games on Switch. A sequel to the breakout Wii U hit, Splatoon 2 offers more variety and an improved online experience for its paint-splatting gameplay. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to play online, and you’ll definitely want to play online. The game earned an 8/10 in GameSpot’s Splatoon 2 review.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | $40 ($60)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was ported from the Wii U to Switch with minimal additions besides the new playable character, Funky Kong. Playing as Funky Kong is essentially an easy mode, which makes Tropical Freeze easier to recommend for beginners and youngsters. Nevertheless, Tropical Freeze is a truly superb side-scroller with meticulously-crafted levels and challenging platforming sequences. I personally bought Tropical Freeze on both Wii U and Switch because it’s that good. It earned a 9/10 in GameSpot’s Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze review.
Kirby Star Allies | $40 ($60)
Kirby Star Allies
Kirby Star Allies is yet another side-scrolling game starring the pink puffball. But this one really leans into cooperative play, supporting four-player local co-op throughout the entire adventure. Kirby’s bag of tricks has expanded too, which adds even more to a series already known for its quirky power-ups. Kirby Star Allies is a great game to play with the whole family, and there’s even some more challenging content to dip into after completing the rather easy (even by Kirby standards) story mode. The game earned an 8/10 in GameSpot’s Kirby Star Allies review.
It feels like we know so much about Matt Reeves’ upcoming Batman film, while also knowing so little. From looks at both the Bat Suit and the Batmobile to its star-studded cast, details were hitting fast and furious for a while there–but now, thanks to the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the subsequent production shutdowns happening all across the entertainment industry, the news has slowed down considerably. Thankfully, however, that doesn’t mean Reeves doesn’t have more to say. In an interview with Nerdist to support his new Amazon Prime TV show, Tales From The Loop, Reeves broke down a few key details about his portrayal of the Dark Knight.
“I wanted to do not an origin tale, but a tale that would still acknowledge his origins, in that it formed who he is. Like this guy, he’s majorly struggling, and this is how he’s trying to rise above that struggle,” Reeves said. “But that doesn’t mean that he even fully understands, you know. It’s that whole idea of the shadow self and what’s driving you, and how much of that you can incorporate, and how much of it you’re doing that you’re unaware of.”
The “struggle” being referenced here is, of course, the trauma felt by Bruce thanks to his parents’ murders. The struggle against a “shadow self” is a common motif in multiple Batman comics, but Reeves has explained that the film will not be directly adapted from any specific story arc. That said, reports indicate that the story will take place in the second year of Bruce’s tenure as the Caped Crusader. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will adapt parts of the 1987 comic, Batman: Year Two, by Mike Bar, Alan Davis, Todd McFarlane, and Mark Farmer–but we can certainly look there for potential clues.
Reeves went on to explain that “there’s something in there that feels very psychological, very emotional, and it felt like there was a way of exploring that along with the corruption in this place, Gotham. That feels very current. I think it always does. There’s almost no time when you can’t do a story about corruption. But today, it still seems incredibly resonant and maybe, from my perspective, maybe more so than maybe at other time.”
The Batman is scheduled to hit theaters on June 25, 2021.
