Author: Trafficblast

Amazon Prime Day is over, but the deals keep coming. Microsoft has launched a massive Xbox sale called the Xbox Super Sale, and it is truly huge. The sale offers up more than 700 deals on games and add-on content for the Xbox family of consoles, as well as PC.

Games and add-on content are marked down by as much as 70 percent, while more than 100 Xbox One games are on sale for $10 USD or less. If you’re an Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member, you’ll save 10 percent more.

Some of the highlighted game deals include Rage 2 for $45 USD, Forza Horizon 4 for $30 USD, The Division 2 for $39 USD, and Red Dead Redemption 2 for $45 USD. Some of the other deals include FIFA 19 ($24 USD), Mortal Kombat 11 ($50 USD), NBA 2K19 ($15 USD), Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ($35 USD), Fallout 76 ($36 USD), Overwatch Legendary Edition ($24 USD), GTA 5 Premium Online Edition ($18 USD), Battlefield V ($24 USD), Metro Exodus ($33 USD), and Monster Hunter World ($20 USD).

This is just a small sampling of all the deals; go to the Xbox Super Sale website or boot up your console to see a rundown of all the deals.

In addition to game sales, Microsoft is offering three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $15 USD, which is normally the price of just one month. This offer is only for new subscribers.

It’s a good time to get Xbox Game Pass if you like Gears of War, as the Gears 5 technical multiplayer test begins on July 19, and being a subscriber gets you in (as does pre-ordering).

The Xbox Super Sale runs until July 29.

Microsoft is also offering deals on Xbox hardware. Here is a rundown of the offers, as written and compiled by Microsoft:

Video game retailer GameStop has unveiled an ambitious plan for new types of retail stores. The company is partnering with a “global innovation design firm,” R/GA, to create “streamlined” GameStop stores. The two companies are working together on designing and testing out the stores, which GameStop says in a news release will introduce “new ways” for shoppers to try games before they guy them. The stores themselves will have a “unique layout and purpose.”

Some of the store concepts will be focused on competitive gaming and “home-grown e-leagues.” While other concept stores will exclusively sell retro games and hardware. The new stores will be piloted in a “select market,” though GameStop didn’t say exactly where they’ll be tested.

GameStop’s chief customer officer Frank Hamlin said in a statement, “We’re on a journey to use our vast retail footprint to provide an engaging and well-thought-out experience that enhances our consumers’ gaming interests.”

Hamlin said GameStop wants to “re-imagine” what the store experience can be.

GameStop has seen better days. The company’s share price is currently under $5 a share, which is close to the lowest it’s ever been in the company’s history. The company recently hired a new CEO, George Sherman, who said at the time of his hiring that he looks forward to putting GameStop through a large transformation. It appears these new concept stores are part of that.

In other news, Hamlin recently told GameSpot that the retailer is excited about the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett, in part because they will have disc drives.

EA Sports has released the first gameplay video for NHL 20, and it showcases the range of updates and improvements that the developer has made to the annualized ice hockey game.

The focus of the new gameplay trailer is what EA Sports is calling Real Player Motion 2.0, which helps NHL 20 become the most realistic NHL game ever, according to gameplay producer Ben Ross. The first part of this is the new Signature Shots, which are replications of the shot-styles of famous NHL players. For example, P.K. Subban’s powerful slapshot is now in the game, while Alexander Ovechkin’s effortless one-timer is included as well.

Outside of the Signature Shots (of which there are 18 in all), NHL 20 adds more than 45 new “contextual” shot animations so players take more realistic-looking shots depending on the scenario they’re in. In addition, RPM Tech for NHL 20 addresses puck pick-ups and passing. Players can now catch passes and continue in stride more fluidly, while players can also whip passes without slowing down. This all helps the game feel more fluid, EA Sports says.

Changes have also been made to goalie AI. In NHL 19, goalies didn’t always cover or protect rebounds when they probably should have, leading to cheap goals. But in NHL 20, goalies are smarter and more capable; they’re now smarter about positioning and make better choices regarding controlled saves and redirects. In total, EA Sports added more than 450 new animations for goalies.

Check out the video above to see the new NHL 20 gameplay changes in action, while you can also read this in-depth blog post to learn more.

NHL 20 launches in September for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is on the cover. The game also brings back the pond hockey mode from NHL 19, while it also has its own unique spin on battle royale. In addition, NHL 20 makes a major change for the commentary and broadcast package.

After a lengthy hiatus, Sega’s Super Monkey Ball series is making a return later this year with the release of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD, a remastered version of the 2006 Wii game. The title will arrive on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch this October, with a PC release set to follow sometime in winter.

Along with updated visuals and “optimized control schemes for each platform,” Banana Blitz HD will feature 100 single-player levels and 10 different multiplayer mini-games. The game also introduces some new features such as online leaderboards and a new Decathalon mode, which challenges players with completing 10 mini-games in a row.

Banana Blitz HD launches for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch on October 29. The game is available for pre-order now and retails for $40 USD. Banana Blitz HD will also launch on PC via Steam later in Winter 2019, although no specific release date for that version has been announced yet. You can take a look at the first trailer for Banana Blitz HD above.

The original Banana Blitz launched in November 2006 alongside the Nintendo Wii. At the time, GameSpot awarded the title an 8.3/10 in our original Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz review, writing, “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz serves as a great proof of concept, making some great, varied use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The length of the single-player game and the inconsistent quality of the multiplayer minigames are lamentable, but the highs are high enough to make this one of the most highly recommended Wii launch games.”

Pre-order Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD at Amazon

Phoenix Labs has announced the latest update for Dauntless is now live. The free-to-play Monster Hunter-like game’s newest expansion is called Fortune & Glory, and it adds a bunch of new content to Dauntless–including Trials, a brand-new Hunt Pass, and more cosmetic rewards.

“Fortune & Glory provides Slayers with a formidable new challenge in the form of Trials,” Phoenix Labs press contact Andy Burt wrote in a press release. “The Trials experience is a new gameplay offering from Lady Luck, an enigmatic figure who arrives in Ramsgate with a mysterious island in tow. Trials will pit adventurous Slayers against dangerous, modified Behemoths and all-new environmental challenges, like terrain-transforming pests. With the clock ticking through each hunt, it will be up to Trials’ challengers to prove that they can execute under pressure.”

Split into both Normal and Dauntless difficulties, the Trials offer a variety of rewards for completing them. You can earn Steel Marks for finishing Normal Trials, which can then be used to buy weapon mods and alternate special attacks. Completing Dauntless level Trials nets you Gilded Marks, which can be used to purchase exclusive cosmetic rewards. Completing Trials is the only way to earn Steel Marks and Gilded Marks.

With the arrival of Fortune & Glory comes the beginning of Dauntless’ sixth season, High Skies. The new season brings a new Hunt Pass for you to work your way through, with 50 levels of pirate-themed content to unlock. Phoenix Labs reports that High Skies will actually contain two Hunt Passes, but the studio hasn’t revealed a specific date for the release of the second pass (or what theme it will encompass), but it is expected to launch sometime in August.

Dauntless is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. A Switch version is scheduled to release in 2019.

In our Dauntless review, Ginny Woo wrote, “Overall, Dauntless is clearly an experience that has been optimized to deliver the most stress-free multiplayer session possible. From the seamless crossplay to the way that anyone can hop into a game and confidently take up arms against formidable foes, it’s refreshingly accessible and looks great to boot. While it can feel a little empty, and there are bugs that mar the experience here and there, its fresh look and lively spark are more than enticing enough to warrant a spin.”