Author: Trafficblast

Hello! We’re back again to ask about and discuss the games we’re playing right now. The GameSpot team is usually busy keeping up with the biggest releases, but other times we’re catching up on games we missed, replaying old favorites, experiencing classics for the first time, or just dabbling in odds and ends for a spell. Below you can see a sampling of the games that we’re playing, the reasons we’re playing them, and what we love about them so far.

But don’t just stop at reading our responses; we want to hear from you, too! Tell us all about what you’re playing in the comments section below and what’s got you so juiced about them.

So please, join us and ramble on about all the super cool video games you’re playing! We know you need to talk about it as much as we do. And if you’re playing the same games from previous weeks, that’s fine too! You’re more than welcome to talk about why you still love it!

Corruption 2029 — Edmond Tran, Senior Editor & Producer

Did you play Mutant Year Zero around the end of 2018? No? You should! It had anthropomorphic animals shooting guns for f’s sake. But more than that, it had a great new twist to the turn-based tactics formula XCOM kicked off–a real-time stealth component. In Mutant Year Zero you can freely roam the open maps, observe enemy routines, quietly pick off opposing soldiers when they stray from their friends, and focus on setting up big ambushes with your three-person squad. The odds are always against you, so this tense loop of slowly whittling down a larger force and constructing an advantage for yourself is its number one thing, and it’s a very good thing.

Anyway, Corruption 2029. Developer The Bearded Ladies surprise-announced this follow-up last week and it launched on the Epic Store last Tuesday, so I’ve been enjoying a bit of that. It certainly feels like a much more focused affair–Corruption is structured around drop-in missions, as opposed to Mutant Year Zero’s free-roaming adventure style with a more involved story. Also gone are things like skill trees, currencies, and vendors; new weapons and skills are earned from completing missions and optional objectives.

But the most important thing is that the satisfying ambush tactics loop is there, and Corruption 2029 is great for doling out quick hits of it when I need a break from whatever I’m doing. Nothing beats crashing down through the roof of a building, taking out two baddies with a shotgun blast, and then detonating a well-placed remote explosive to take care of their alerted friends outside. I’m still trying to decide whether I’m a fan of the cold, cyberpunk military apocalypse theme–it certainly looks cool, but I’m really missing the weird personality of MYZ. Regardless, I’m getting my kicks from Corruption, and I’m excited to get all the way through it. | Twitter: @EdmondTran

Bloodborne — Lucy James, Senior Video Producer

I’ve started Bloodborne so many times. I know Central Yharnam like the back of my hand, I have a decent grasp on combos and stamina management, and bosses like Gascoigne give me little to no trouble (humble brag). And yet, I’ve never finished the bloody thing.

I have a range of excuses. A playthrough was disrupted by my house move, and I didn’t trust my muscle memory to pick up where I left off. Another game came out that I needed to play for work. Vicar Amelia.

So I’m taking advantage of the lull in releases to finally see it through to the end. As usual, it has its hooks in me: I’m obsessing over its lore, its gargantuan bosses give me a genuine thrill, and exploration is such a joy.

But this time, I’m playing “pass the controller” with someone else, which is not only a fun way to play by giving you someone to commiserate/celebrate with, but it also means that I’m being held accountable to reach the game’s end.

We just got to Castle Cainhurst (my first time!) and I’m finally in an unfamiliar area, and feeling the challenge. I can’t wait to see what’s around the next corner. It’s probably some kind of gross monster. | Twitter: @lucyjamesgames

Hollow Knight — Dave Klein, Video Producer

This week, I had a couple flights coming up, and decided to buy Fire Emblem: Three Houses for Switch, but… couldn’t get into it on a flight, so I decided to pop in an older game, Hollow Knight. I originally played Hollow Knight around two years ago after its Switch release and thought it would be fun to start up a new game on my flight. It was then that I discovered “Steel Soul Mode,” aka permadeath mode.

Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania-style game with Dark Souls inspirations in its death mechanics, leading to, at times, an extremely challenging 2D side-scrolling game. The gameplay is fantastic, the music is wonderful, and the art is gorgeous, which all lead it to being one of my favorite indie games of the past decade. If you haven’t played it, it’s well worth a shot.

But! Back to the permadeath. It’s led to an all-new experience, invoking the NES days of having limited lives, when you felt every move you made mattered. Obviously if I die, I’ll be losing far more time than I would from a game over in an NES game, but I love how intense the mode makes every encounter. I defeated the Soul Master and have worked my way through most of the Crystal Peaks, and I am terrified. But, it’s a great feeling, and just another reminder of how incredible Hollow Knight is. Plus, it’s the perfect primer for Silk Song, the Hollow Knight sequel coming out later this year. | Twitter: @TheDaveKlein

Coffee Talk — Jenae Sitzes, Commerce Editor

While some games may get your heart racing, others make you want to curl up in a blanket with a cup of warm tea. I’m a sucker for those sorts of cozy games, and Coffee Talk on Nintendo Switch is truly a vibe. The newly released coffee brewing and talking simulator places you in rainy Seattle, where you own a nighttime coffee shop and have heart-to-heart conversations with your customers. This is an alternate-reality Seattle where elves, orcs, mermaids, and other fantasy races live alongside humans, just trying to make an honest living. They all need someone to talk to about their fears and relationship troubles, and you, the local cafe owner, are their confidante.

In Coffee Talk, you’ll listen and observe as your customers open up about their lives and interact with each other. There are branching storylines, but these are based on how well you serve your customers rather than chosen dialogue options. The drink-making mechanic is simple but satisfying. You may have a customer ask you for a warm drink that’s a little sweet but low on caffeine, and you’ll have to consider what ingredients are needed when creating their order. Eventually, you’ll build up a recipe list in your phone as you discover new drinks, but I find it most fun to craft new concoctions from scratch.

With ’90s anime-inspired pixel art, a wonderful lo-fi hip-hop soundtrack, and colorful characters who become your regulars over the course of the game, Coffee Talk crafts a rich world from inside the walls of late-night coffee shop. I get the sense that I’m about halfway through the game, and I can’t wait to see who walks though that cafe door next. | Twitter: @jenaesitzes

Beat Saber — Michael Rogeau, Entertainment Managing Editor

There are two things I’ve been wanting to do for ages: Get in better shape, and actually use the PSVR that’s been collecting dust in a corner since I bought it a couple of years ago during a sale. Playing 30-60 minutes of Beat Saber a day for the past couple of weeks satisfies both goals.

I like VR a lot–I was covering the technology when Oculus was still a scrappy startup showing their makeshift headset to journalists in back rooms at CES and E3. I also like rhythm games, particularly those that require more than simply pressing buttons in time. I definitely don’t like working out–unlike gaming, I’ve never been good at hitting the gym, running, or, really, any other type of prolonged physical activity. Beat Saber is turning out to be my perfect solution. I’m enjoying the sense of constant improvement as I gradually ramp up the difficulty of the songs I choose, and I find that I get out as much as I put in–sure, it’s possible to phone it in and keep the movements to a minimum, but if you let yourself get into it and move your whole body to the music as you swing your arms around wildly, it’s easy to work up quite a sweat. This is my first time trying “games as exercise,” and it feels good to finally be on the path to achieving these goals. | Twitter: @RogueCheddar

Vagrant Story — Phil Hornshaw

When the GameSpot team was creating our Remembering 2000 feature, I immediately jumped at the chance to write about Vagrant Story, one of my all-time favorites. As soon as I started thinking about the game, I realized I wouldn’t be able to get it out of my head without another replay.

There’s a lot I can say about Vagrant Story (and, uh, I did, in that 20th anniversary blurb), but for the sake of brevity, let’s just talk about one of its best parts. Vagrant Story has what you could argue is the best opening sequence of any game ever made. It’s a beautifully cinematic introduction that takes you through every feeling the game will eventually offer, establishing Vagrant Story’s adventure story moments as well as its spooky supernatural atmosphere.

The game opens with the strange cult, led by the shadowy figure Sydney Losstarot, attacking the manor of the politically powerful Duke Bardorba. Dispatched to deal with the situation is Ashley Riot, a specially trained “Riskbreaker” knight–basically, a medieval Solid Snake.

It’s Ashley’s ultimate confrontation with Sydney that sets the tone of the game. Ashley catches the cult leader unawares and holds him up with a bow gun, but Sydney makes a play against him anyway, and Ashley fires the bolt straight through Ashley’s chest. A moment later, though, the cult leader is back on his feet, spitting up pixelated blood, and yanking the crossbow bolt out of his chest. Though Vagrant Story has an undercurrent of very human political machinations, the music takes a menacing dip as the game establishes that spooky forces are also afoot. Death is no match for Sydney, and his resurrection is legitimately freaky. And then Sydney summons a freakin’ dragon and leaves it to fight the Riskbreaker while he escapes by jumping through the cathedral’s giant stained-glass window. It definitely sets a mood.

The opening moments of Vagrant Story are gorgeous–a perfectly realized introduction to the characters, the plot points, and the depth of the game awaiting players. It also remains a ridiculous technical achievement: Vagrant Story’s introduction makes use of cinematography skill easily on par with film and television. Even for a 20-year-old original PlayStation game, it’s impossible not to get lost in it.

Look, enough talk: Just watch it. | Twitter: @philhornshaw

The Last Of Us — Jess McDonell, Host & Video Producer

Everybody has a game that causes people to balk at you for saying you haven’t played. Mine is The Last of Us. In my defence, I did try to get into it when it first came out (and cried excessively at the first scene), but it lost me around the point where throwing bricks and shuffling between chest-high walls became the focus. As a result, I’ve spent years nodding politely while people extol the virtues of The Last of Us, which has only become more of a problem now that the sequel is nearing release.

So, a few weeks ago, I picked up the remaster on PS4 and I’ve been slowly working my way through the story. PS4 is far from my preferred platform for third-person shooters, but I’m enjoying the characters, the story progression, the stealth, and the environmental design. Not the bits where you push Ellie around flooded levels on a conveniently located piece of wood, though. Those can get in the bin.

It’s also reminding me what I love about linear games. The focus stays on the protagonists’ journey without the distraction of side quests, enemies don’t respawn, and the overall experience doesn’t feel bloated. I’m about halfway through the game right now and I can’t help but think about it whenever I put it down. I wouldn’t say I’m as in love with the main characters as fans who have finished the game seem to be, but I’m enjoying following them through their highs and lows. Given the game has already made me laugh, cry, scream, and breathe countless sighs of relief, I’m fairly confident this is another Naughty Dog home run for me. | Twitter: @JessMcDonell

Halo: The Master Chief Collection — Eddie Makuch, Editor

I’ve played Halo: The Master Chief Collection since its release in November 2014. Yes, I was there through the rocky launch–it was so very bad. But the game is in a much, much better place these days, with active player populations and regularly updated playlists.

Not only that, but Microsoft has added a Call of Duty-style progression system, which creates yet another reason to keep coming back. I have more than 1,000 hours in MCC, and that number goes up every week because I just cannot stop playing the game on Xbox One.

There is one reason, in particular, I will never stop playing MCC–and that’s Halo 3. It’s my favorite of the Halo multiplayer experiences, and it still holds up in 2020, some 13 years after its release back in 2007. Halo 3 is a pure, stripped-back-by-today’s-standards FPS that is challenging and rewarding in equal measure. No sprinting. No loadouts. Great maps.

Not only are the bones of Halo 3 still great, the MCC package on Xbox One increases the frame rate to 60fps, and now I never want to go back. Basically, there has never been a better time to be playing Halo 3. Please come join me. | Twitter: @EddieMakuch

River City Girls — Steve Watts, Associate Editor

River City Girls is one of those games that you could just see slipping through the cracks as soon as it came out. Released in September, it seemed destined to be swallowed up by big-budget releases. We even made a video titled River City Girls Shouldn’t Be Skipped. Having ignored that advice, I skipped it. I’ve had it sitting on my Switch for months, barely played, until this week.

If you missed it like I did, let this be another reminder: Do not sleep on this game. River City Girls is a great beat-em-up with loads of style. As you learn more moves from the Dojo, your chosen character expresses more and more of her individual style and personality through her skull-cracking maneuvers. I’m proudly a Kyoko player, and I’ve been rewarded with bizarre and thoroughly entertaining move sets inspired by Street Fighter 2, pro wrestling, the original River City Ransom, and the Dab. (I know, I know, it’s wonderful and horrible.) Juggling street thugs and recruiting them as summon-like abilities is always satisfying, and boss battles present tricky combat puzzles with their own unique rhythms. And if the theme song doesn’t get you hyped to beat up some street punks, I don’t know what to tell you.

Best of all, the story is delivered with sharp, witty writing. Kyoko and Misako are just self-aware enough to pepper in meta-commentary about the tropes of an old-fashioned action-revenge story, even as they remain hilariously single-minded on the goal of saving their boyfriends. They’re utterly confident in their own butt-kicking abilities, and they often clash with other students on issues like social class. The two even peek down from their lifebar portraits to deliver exposition from time to time for an extra touch of personality. It’s smart, funny, and makes the duo two of the best new characters introduced in games last year.

Don’t make the same mistake I did. Play River City Girls. | Twitter: @SporkyReeve

Fire Emblem: Three Houses — Meg Downey, Associate Entertainment Editor

I’m woefully out of the loop when it comes to Fire Emblem games–so out of the loop that Three Houses is actually the first one I’ve ever picked up. It was mostly a decision made on a whim. A few friends (correctly) pointed out that a handful of the characters were pretty aesthetically and narratively up my alley and I’d been feeling a little guilty about not using my Switch with any regularity. And, well, I guess it was a moment of weakness, or maybe just the right amount of mania. But either way, I can now officially say that I’m working through my second Fire Emblem story route (Blue Lions) with plans to not only complete the third option and DLC, but the intent to loop back around and replay my first attempt (Golden Deer) since I messed it up pretty badly.

I’m so sorry I failed you the first time around, Hilda. Please forgive me.

Despite being an absolute beginner and insanely late to the party here, I’ve clearly been having a total blast. I’m notoriously horrible at actually finishing RPG-style games, especially with turn-based combat, so the fact that I’ve been hooked so completely is really a testament to the quality of the story. And now that I know (mostly) what I’m doing this time around, making sure I pay attention to things like support levels and gunning for specific epilogues is scratching a very specific gameplay itch that I didn’t even really know I had. It’s all just so satisfying. This one is going to keep me busy for a while–at least, I guess, until Animal Crossing comes out and my Switch becomes a New Horizons machine. | Twitter: @rustypolished

Kunai — Tamoor Hussain, Senior Editor

Kunai plays fast and loose with the Metroidvania formula, in the literal sense. I’m not very far into it so right now I can’t say if the exploration and character advancement hooks that I usually want from a game like this hold up their end of the bargain, but I am enjoying the fast-paced movement.

The game puts you in control of a sentient TV screen that is wearing a cool cloak and is running around with two kunais doing… something. I’m not quite sure if I’m honest. The narrative setup is very light and, thus far, the game hasn’t expanded upon the little laid out in the opening sequence. But the slightly slippery feeling to its movement and, more importantly, the ability to launch your kunai at surfaces and swing around like Spider-Man have proved to be more than satisfying enough to keep me engaged. It has that feeling of playing a Mario game with your thumb jammed on the sprint button: slightly risky but very exhilarating.

My time has been spent sprinting from room to room, climbing up vertical surfaces, and ruthlessly dispatching enemies with a short but very deadly sword, and every part of this has been endearing thanks to the main character, which wears its emotions on its flat-screen face. As you hop, skip, jump, and sword-swing, expressions to match the movement and the moment are displayed: slightly bemused while wandering through strange corridors, gleeful when swinging from ceilings, furious when assaulted by angry machines with guns.

Kunai feels like a simple game that gets a lot of mileage out of the satisfying momentum of movement and the charm of its character. My hope is that the rest of the Metroidvania pieces click into place, but for now I like the little robot swinging around with a smile on its face. | Twitter: @tamoorh

Dragon Quest III: The Seeds Of Salvation — Kevin Knezevic, Associate Editor

It’s taken several weeks, but I’m finally nearing the end of my journey in Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation. While the random encounter rate has remained a persistent thorn–exploring the world can get incredibly frustrating when you’re beset by monsters every few steps, even with the Holy Protection spell active–any grievances I harbor about that have been offset by just how much I’ve enjoyed the rest of the game.

In particular, it’s felt very satisfying to follow the breadcrumb-trail story through to its conclusion. When I first wrote about my time with the game, I complained about the constant need to jot down notes as I played to keep myself from getting hopelessly lost. As it turns out, this has actually made the experience more enjoyable, as it’s helped heighten the feeling that I’m an adventurer trying to figure out my way around this vast, uncharted world.

What’s been truly wonderful are the little vignettes that occur in each town you happen upon along the way. Despite how simple Dragon Quest III’s overarching plot is, the self-contained stories you encounter on your journey add so much color and charm to the world. I particularly loved the sub-plot involving the burgeoning settlement east of Persistence. Without spoiling too much, watching the town grow and develop over the course of the story–and what ultimately happens to your former merchant companion who helped establish the town–has been one of my favorite aspects of the game.

At the moment, I’ve finally acquired all six mythical orbs and made my way to Baramos’s lair, so all that remains is (presumably) the final confrontation with the Archfiend–unless some unexpected plot twist extends my adventure a little longer. Either way, I’m eager to finally put my journey to an end.

As is all too common in the video game industry, franchises can fizzle out before fans have had their fill. Maybe the studio responsible for the series closed its doors or perhaps an unsuccessful entry killed hype for another sequel, but there are dozens of game franchises out there that are in desperate need of a comeback.

In the video above, Richie Bracamonte discusses the seven game series that GameSpot believes needs another entry. From one-offs like Bully to fan-favorite classics like Silent Hill, all of the franchises discussed ended far too soon and deserve another chance in the spotlight.

Which video game series do you want to see make a comeback? Do you hope that Dead Space 3’s cliffhanger of an ending is one day answered with Dead Space, or are you perhaps hoping that EA will see fit to finally release a Skate 4? We’d love to hear your thoughts–leave your answers in the comment section below.

Arcade1Up showed off an array of new arcade cabinets at CES 2020, and the NBA Jam cabinet with online-multiplayer capability was among the top of our list for the best of the big tech show. Now, as Toy Fair 2020 kicks off in New York City, Arcade1Up has opened up pre-orders for its new machines–NBA Jam, Frogger, and Pac-Man 40th Anniversary Edition. All three machines can now be ordered from Arcade1Up’s website. Other retailers are expected to carry pre-orders, and we’ll update this article when those go live. Unfortunately, no specific release date has been announced at this time.

The NBA Jam cabinet’s capable of online multiplayer across all three of its included games: NBA Jam, NBA Jam Tournament Edition, and NBA Hangtime. Up to four players on four different machines are able to play together. We spoke to Arcade1Up at CES 2020, where the company told us it’s worked to license the majority of the players who appeared in the classic game.

Frogger, on the other hand, focuses on Konami’s classic games. The cabinet includes Frogger, Time Pilot, and Time Pilot ’84. We played the Frogger machine at CES 2020 and were impressed with the light-up marquee and panel art of the classic, jaywalking frog.

Lastly, pre-orders have opened for Pac-Man 40th Anniversary Edition. This cabinet features faux wood-grain side panels and artwork that resembles the original Pac-Man cabinet. The included games are Pac-Man, Galaga, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man, Pac & Pal, Pac-Land, and Pac-Mania.

Arcade1Up is at New York Toy Fair until February 25 and will have its complete 2020 line of cabinets and other retro gaming products on show. If you’re interested in seeing what they had at CES, check out GameSpot’s guide to the best retro gaming tech we saw at CES 2020.

More Toy Fair 2020 coverage:

The first game I played in Dreams was a cute Captain Toad-inspired puzzle platformer called Pip Gemwalker. It’s about a Sloth who has to collect hidden gems across seven increasingly-complex levels. The second game I played was Blade Gunner, a Resogun-style twin-stick shooter with upgrades, an in-game store, and online leaderboards. After that I hopped into Art Therapy, a first-person game where your goal, as a disgruntled artist wielding a baseball bat, is to smash your way through a museum without any of the guards catching you in the act. The fourth was Shadows Dance at Olivetop Reach, a fantasy RPG with turn-based combat and an XP-based levelling system.

Each of these games is vastly different from the last, not just in terms of genre and gameplay mechanics, but their use (or disuse) of cutscenes, voice acting, art style, music, narrative, and so on. The one thing they each have in common is that they were all created using the exact same set of tools. That’s Dreams in a nutshell: a platform where you can create pretty much anything you can put your mind to. Developer Media Molecule has continued the mantra of “play, create, share” that it used to define the LittleBigPlanet series and applied it to a much more ambitious concept with a significantly broader scope. Metaphorically speaking, if LittleBigPlanet is a single country, then Dreams is the entire universe. There’s just so much promise and potential for the burgeoning Dreams community to create some innovative and inspired art, all by using an intuitive toolset that’s made accessible via a streamlined creation suite and the use of informative hands-on tutorials. Whether these creations take the form of an hour-long video game, a short film, a simple visual spectacle, or something as simple as a sound effect that another player can use in their own project. The possibilities are endless, which I know is a tired cliché, but in Dreams–more than anywhere else–it actually applies.

There are two parts to Dreams which both branch out like roots from a tree. DreamShaping is where you can begin creating your own projects and find myriad tutorials that will teach you how. DreamSurfing, meanwhile, lets you find other people’s creations and play them for yourself. It’s also where you’ll find Media Molecule’s own creations, including Art’s Dream. If you want to construct a level in LittleBigPlanet, you are always confined to the base template of a side-scrolling 3D platformer. Inevitably, some people found inventive ways to circumnavigate this template, but compared to what you can do in Dreams it’s overly restrictive. To demonstrate the monumental shift between LittleBigPlanet and Dreams, Media Molecule has created a showcase of sorts, placing Art’s Dream front and centre when you jump into DreamSurfing for the first time.

Art’s Dream is, for lack of a better term, Dreams’ story mode or campaign. What makes it so fascinating, however, is that the two-hour-long game was made entirely using the same creation tools available to everyone. Media Molecule didn’t cut any corners or cheat with some hocus pocus development magic–unless you count a team of highly skilled professionals creating a game with tools they’re intimately familiar with as cheating. The fact that Dreams’ toolset allows for the creation of something like Art’s Dream is genuinely incredible, but it’s also a touching and melancholic tale that’s completely different to any story Media Molecule has told before. The narrative centres on a troubled double bass player who quit his band and alienated all of his friends, leading to a life of regrets. It’s not quite as depressing as it sounds, meshing the more dour notes with plenty of hopefulness, charm, and that Media Molecule whimsy, but it is a notably mature tale for the studio.

Art’s Dream is split into three disparate parts. Each one is integral to the story being told, but they’re also used to demonstrate the variety that’s possible in Dreams’ creation suite. There’s a combat-focused platformer section where you play as childhood toys trekking across a surreal countryside; a puzzle platformer starring an Astro Bot-style robot who’s travelling through a techno-forest; and a point-and-click adventure that includes dialogue choices, item-based puzzle solutions, and some fantastic musical interludes. The whole game cycles through these three parts as it briskly moves along, introducing new mechanics and ideas the deeper you go. The shift between genres, art styles, and camera perspectives is consistently impressive without ever feeling disjointed, due primarily to Art’s compelling narration tying it all together. Eventually the adventure reaches a thrilling final crescendo that coalesces each story thread into one and throws in some Bullet Hell and endless runner sections just to up the ante. As a singular creation, Art’s Dream is an enjoyable two-hour adventure with striking abstract visuals, but it’s also a statement and a promise of what’s achievable in Dreams.

That’s not to say you’ll be creating something as complex and grandiose as Art’s Dream within a couple of days, months, or even a year. The DreamShaping creation suite is initially a daunting proposition. With the freedom to create anything you can put your mind to, the toolset has to be exhaustive to compensate, so your first gander into DreamShaping is guaranteed to be overwhelming. Fortunately, the Dreams Workshop is chock-full of informative tutorials that run through each tool and fundamental technique that’s available to you. There are beginner classes that focus on the basics of edit mode, from getting you accustomed with its control scheme to teaching you how to place platforms, resize objects, and clone items.

The control scheme is definitely a sticking point, though. There are three to choose from but none of them are especially intuitive. Navigating around a 3D environment with the left and right sticks while using motion controls to move a cursor initially feels cumbersome, particularly when you’re trying to be precise and hone in on the finer details. The undo button comes in handy during these instances, allowing you to instantly go back and erase your last action, but it’s clear the DualShock has inherent limitations when faced with a creation suite this complex.

When it comes to creating your own project, Dreams gives you the flexibility to ease yourself in.

The PlayStation Move controllers fare slightly better when it comes to sculpting, mainly because it feels much more natural to mold and shape objects with your hands. For instance, the ability to drag items towards and away from you just by performing the same physical action yourself stands out in this regard. The Move control scheme does come with its own unwieldy nuances, however, giving the DualShock an advantage when it comes to navigating menus and controlling the camera–which in turn makes designing levels a slightly more fluid experience with the DualShock in hand. Whichever control scheme you choose, the mixture of imperfect motion controls and imperfect regular controls does present an additional learning curve. The more you get used to them the more comfortable they become, but it does take a while to grasp.

Other tutorials delve into more specific areas of game design, with step-by-step guides to painting and coloring, tutorials on how to animate characters and objects by hand, and “How To” videos that teach you how to quickly assemble a level, among other techniques. Beyond this are advanced, intermediate, and masterclass tutorials that teach you how to create your own original music and sound or run through how to assemble connectors and use physics. There’s a tutorial where you learn how to create hitboxes on enemies that react to projectiles, whether it’s a bullet fired in a first-person shooter or a flying disc in a platformer. In short, there’s a lot.

Learning it all means devoting a significant amount of time, so it’s good that the tutorials are incredibly helpful and enlightening. Each one delves into the inner workings of game design in a way that’s easy to consume without it ever coming across as patronising, as developers–through narration–share their insight and expertise on particular subjects in a hands-on setting that gradually guides you along. The toolset is streamlined compared to Unity or Unreal Engine in order to make the creation suite slightly more accessible for your average Joe, but the tutorials provide a greater appreciation for how challenging game development truly is.

They also maintain Dreams’ focus on creativity, actively encouraging you to express yourself even when learning how the toolset works. This makes working your way through each tutorial an enjoyable experience when tutorials can so often be a drag. Take creating a character from scratch as a prime example. There are precise steps to follow, including a video showing what your character could look like, yet the narration encourages you to add your own flourishes and create a concoction unique to you, so long as you gain an understanding of how the tools work along the way.

When it comes to creating your own project, Dreams gives you the flexibility to ease yourself in because not every piece of it has to be wholly your own. Media Molecule has numerous presets for you to choose from, but other players can also upload their own creations, whether it’s an entire environment, a single character, or a piece of music, which you can then download and use in your own creations. This establishes a tangible sense of community that bleeds into every other aspect of Dreams, from DreamShaping to DreamSurfing.

A lot of the games available to play right now were collaborative efforts, with characters or objects designed by different players. You might have no interest in creating an entire game yourself, instead opting to find a niche creating characters, buildings, or even music that other people can use in their own games. I’ll probably never be great at designing levels, but there’s a certain satisfaction to glean from using the game’s sound and music studio, paint tools, and sculpture moulding to conceive bespoke creations. Maybe I’ll make a tree that someone likes and uses in their own game to populate a forest, or use the comb tool and flow effect to form a raging river. I might even mesh various sound elements together to create a baritone growl that another player applies to an antagonistic monster in their own game. It’s this community-centric approach that inspires me to learn and create more.

Dreams is like YouTube for video games, where a single hour can take you on a journey through so many disparate and imaginative experiences.

The simple act of making stuff is also just enjoyable to do. There’s a tactile feeling to using the various paint strokes or object moulding that’s satisfying to play around with, grabbing and pulling at a sculpture to establish a shape before using facial features from the community to devise an unorthodox character. The way you create sound and music is similarly freeform, with the option of loading up a pre-made virtual instrument that you can then play around with using basic button inputs. I may not know the first thing about music composition or sound design, but I’ve listened to enough to know how to create a rudimentary tune–the toolset’s intuitiveness just makes it possible. Obviously, designing an entire game with mechanics that actually work is a challenging process, but the ease with which you can simply jump in and make objects and sounds means ensures that the creation suite is engaging to use even if you’re just messing around.

On the flip side, you can always ignore the creation side completely and fall down a rabbit hole of playing other people’s work. Dreams is like YouTube for video games, where a single hour can take you on a journey through so many disparate and imaginative experiences. There are the usual imitators with myriad recreations of levels from the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog, Metal Gear Solid, and Crash Bandicoot, but there’s also value in seeing these familiar characters, environments, and mechanics recreated because it offers an easy way to gauge what the toolset is capable of. For instance, there’s a Dead Space remake that features a primitive version of the original game’s limb dismemberment, and a 3D Mario clone that authentically recreates the mustachioed plumber’s distinctive animations. Some of these imitators are inspired, too. One imagines what Silent Hills could have been if Konami didn’t pull the plug, adding some LA Noire-esque interrogations to the mix, while another stars Persona 5’s Morgana in a 3D platformer about stealing pizza that’s a natural fit for the anthropomorphic character.

The majority are original creations, however, and it’s their sheer diversity that really stands out. There’s a game called Southpaw Cooking that “simulates” cooking with your left hand because your right is too busy holding a phone to your ear. Others are more elaborate, like Project Ikelos, a Souls-like action game, or the short music video Duet, which features a green ukulele-playing character and a pink dinosaur with a kazoo. One of my personal favorites is Dog’s Run, a game where you get to play as the creator’s own pet dog, Binkie. It’s a classic platforming collect-a-thon like Banjo-Kazooie, but I found it oddly heartwarming because of its furry protagonist. It actually inspired me to try and improve my non-existent skills in the creation suite, just so I can one day immortalise my own dog in Dreams.

Finding each of these games is relatively simple thanks to Media Molecule’s beautiful curation of the DreamSurfing area. The homepage includes trending creations, favorites picked by Media Molecule itself, and recommendations based on your play history. There’s also the Annual IMPY Awards which reward the best creations of the year, with lists of all the winners in categories like best visuals, best narrative, best animation, and best gameplay. Media Molecule also hosts intermittent game jams where the community is tasked with creating something adhering to a particular theme in a short amount of time. You can get involved and create something yourself or simply play other people’s creations and vote for your favorite. If you’re not sure what to play you can hit Autosurf and be transported directly into a random game, or if you want to search for something specific there’s a robust search engine that lets you find what you’re looking for with a few simple keywords. Media Molecule has made it so you can effortlessly hop from one game or singular experience to another and discover something worthwhile.

Dreams was in early access for less than a year, but the small community it’s built since then has already created some stunning projects that exhibit imagination, innovation, and artistry. Now that the full game is out in the wild, it’s going to be fascinating to see how the community continues to grow and what creations arise from that growth. Media Molecule has devised something really special with Dreams, placing a hefty toolset in players’ hands where the only limitations are your skills, imagination, and time. There’s nothing else quite like it, and it feels like a culmination of everything the studio has been working towards since the first LittleBigPlanet. The presentation is too charming, the tutorials too informative, active, and engaging, while playing and finding other people’s creations is a breeze. Dreams is a refined constructor for building a wide variety of games, and a community-centric showcase where others can play them. It’s a stunning achievement that encourages limitless creative expression, a place where people can come together, collaborate, and explore each other’s imaginations. It’s a tool for the fools who dream, and one of the most innovative releases in years.

My Hero Academia is having a rather big year, so it’s no surprise the hit anime series is also getting new Funko Pop releases. This isn’t the first time that My Hero Academia has received the Funko Pop treatment, but this time, the Pop lineup announced ahead of New York Toy Fair 2020 has a few more villains than the last release. (Everybody knows villains are way cooler than the heroes. Sorry, Deku.) Kurogiri, Shigaraki, Himiko, Overhaul, and heroes like All Might, Best Jeanist, and more are part of this new collection.

Deku, of course, is also getting a release. It’s rather unique and features Deku in a school uniform alongside a U.A. High School mini-figure. Other than figures, a whole host of other items like key chains, mystery minis, and character-themed Pez dispensers are also available for pre-order. Some figurines are also exclusive to specific stores. You will only be able to purchase the Mina Ashido figure at GameStop, the invisible Froppy mini at Hot Topic, the Endeavor figure at Amazon, and the Midnight Fantasy Pop at Galactic Toys.

More Toy Fair 2020 coverage:

Himiko Toga | $11 (July 10)

Funko Pop has released Himiko Toga in her civilian outfit before, but this is a first for her villain outfit. It’s super cute and evil, a perfect representation of Himiko.

Funko Mystery Minis | $7 (July 10)

There are 12 Mystery Minis, and you’ll get one random mini for $6. Ochako with no helmet is a particularly attractive option, and there are not one, but two, Tsuyu Asui figurines.

Midnight | $17.95 (May)

This is the first Midnight Pop to be released. Here’s hoping we’ll see other teachers join the lineup in the future.

U.A. High School with Deku in Uniform | $33 (July 1)

And of course, the main character of the series is part of the new release, too. It comes with a mini replica of U.A. High School, which is pretty neat.

Kai Chisaki (Overhaul) | $11 (July 10)

This is Overhaul’s first Pop appearance. As a major villain in the series, Overhaul has a pretty memorable design with his beak-like mask.

All the new My Hero Academia Funko Pops:

While the future of Star Wars is alive and well on Disney+ thanks to The Mandalorian, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, the franchise’s big-screen projects are a bit more uncertain. The former Game of Thrones showrunners are no longer working on their own Star Wars movie, while The Last Jedi director Rian Johson’s long-gestating Star Wars films have still never materialized. There’s also the fact that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige is developing a Star Wars movie of his own.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lucasfilm is also developing a new Star Wars film with Sleight director JD Dillard and Marvel’s Luke Cage writer Matt Owens. While there are no details about the film’s plot, characters, or practically anything else, THR does make one interesting note. At this point, it’s not known whether this movie will be made for theaters or to be streamed exclusively on the Disney+ service.

Thus far, as previously mentioned, the extent of original Star Wars content on the service has consisted of multi-part TV shows, rather than films. However, Disney+ has delved into original films with movies like Noelle and the live-action Lady & the Tramp remake. So an original Star Wars film on the service isn’t necessarily out of the question.

While it’s obvious that the Star Wars franchise isn’t slowing down anytime soon, this continues to be a most interesting time for the series as fans eagerly await news of when they’ll next be able to see it in movie theaters. Until then, new episodes from the final season of Clone Wars are airing Fridays on Disney+, while the second season of The Mandalorian–and, yes, more Baby Yoda–will arrive later this year.

Season 2 of Fortnite Chapter 2 has finally arrived. Following a string of cryptic, spy-themed teases, Epic has released Fortnite’s 12.00 update, introducing a host of new content and other changes to the popular battle royale shooter.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is challenges. Every week throughout the season, Epic will roll out a new set of challenges for Battle Pass holders to complete. Clearing these will help level up your Battle Pass, which in turn will unlock exclusive cosmetic rewards like new skins when you hit certain milestones. You can take a look at some of the ones up that are for grabs in our Fortnite Season 2 Battle Pass skins gallery.

While Season 2 may have only just begun, there are already a handful of challenges waiting to be completed. We’ve rounded up our maps and guides for the trickier tasks below. We’ll continue to update this list with more maps and guides as the season progresses, so be sure to check back often if you need help leveling up your Battle Pass.

Table of Contents [hide]

Brutus’s Briefing (Week 1)

• Search Chests at The Grotto or The Shark (7)
• Deal damage to Henchmen (2,000)
• Open doors locked by an ID Scanner in different matches (3)
• Search Ammo Boxes in a single match (7)
• Disguise yourself inside a Phone Booth in different matches (3)
• Be crouched within 20m of unaware Henchmen for a total of 10 seconds
• Throw different shield items or healing items (3)
• Eliminate players while having a total of 100 health and shield or more (5)
• Land at Lockie’s Lighthouse, Apres Ski, and Mount Kay (3)
• Damage players using 2 different weapons within 10 seconds (1)

Land At Lockie’s Lightouse, Apres Ski, And Mount Kay

The object of this challenge is simply to land at three different landmarks: Lockie’s Lighthouse, Apres Ski, and Mount Kay. While actually landing at the locations is easy, knowing where each one is on the island may prove to be a little trickier. Lockie’s Lighthouse is found on the northernmost part of the map, in grid C1. Apres Ski is on the opposite end; you’ll find it atop a mountain southwest of Misty Meadow, in grid E8. Mount Kay is relatively close by; it’s located in grid G7. You can see where all three landmarks are on the map above.

Disguise Yourself Inside A Phone Booth In Different Matches

Tying into Season 2’s spy theme, this challenge asks you to disguise yourself in a phone booth in three different matches. There are several booths scattered around the island, many in the new areas that were introduced at the start of this season. We’ve marked where three of them are on the map above. Once you track down a phone booth, enter it and press the interact button to change your disguise. Do this in three different matches and the challenge will be complete.

Phone Booth Locations

• The Rig (the small island off the southwest corner of the map)
• Outside of the Agency in the center of the map
• At The Grotto on the easternmost end of the map

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