Author: Trafficblast

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a massive game, both in terms of file size and its sheer scope. The title features a variety of side activities to steal your attention, from hunting and fishing to old-fashioned robberies. Even if you plan on ignoring these ancillary tasks and just focusing on the story, however, you’re going to need to devote a lot of time to the game.

We’ve been playing through Rockstar’s western for our Red Dead 2 review, and we now know how long its main campaign is. By our estimates, it takes approximately 45-50 hours to clear the story, if you focus primarily on completing story quests and largely ignore its side activities. Of course, individual playtimes will vary, so you can expect to sink considerably more time into the game if you plan on pursuing its many side missions.

Red Dead Redemption 2 casts players in the role of Arthur Morgan, one of the members of the Van der Linde gang, who are traveling across the American frontier to escape the law. During the journey, Arthur will encounter many new and familiar faces, including the protagonist of the first Red Dead Redemption, John Marston. He’ll also be able to wield more than 50 weapons, each of which has a range of customization options that affect their performance and appearance.

On top of that, Arthur will be able to visit many of the same areas featured in the previous game; an image of RDR2’s full map leaked ahead of the game’s release, showing that the world encompasses a fair chunk of the original Red Dead Redemption’s map. As a result, the game will require quite a bit of storage space on your console of choice, as it weighs in at approximately 100 GB.

Red Dead Redemption 2 launches for PS4 and Xbox One on October 26. The game will be available in several different editions, many of which come with various bonus items; you can learn more in our Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-order guide. Those who pick the game up on PS4 will also receive early access to some items 30 days before they arrive on Xbox One. The first batch of timed-exclusive content includes an outfit, horse, and gun.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is due out in mere hours, and those who haven’t put down their pre-order may still be wondering which platform to play it on. To that end, tech specialists have completed their analysis and concluded that, pound for pound, Xbox One X delivers the most picturesque version of the Old West.

According to the Digital Foundry analysis, the Xbox One X runs natively at 4K while the PlayStation 4 Pro uses a reconstruction technique to output in 4K. If you don’t own either of those high-end machines, though, the PlayStation 4 runs at standard 1080p, versus 864p for the Xbox One S. The lower-end Xbox is the worst performing console in the test, with textures that are said to be blurry and grainy.

The frame-rate for Red Dead 2 also stands out on Xbox One, with a locked 30 FPS that outpaces the occasional dropped frames in busy areas like towns. Both of the base consoles are said to hit the low 20s at times when visiting high-density cities. In this respect a base PlayStation 4 performs slightly worse than Xbox One. The two more powerful consoles deliver higher quality textures on characters and clothing, and there doesn’t appear to be a difference in terms of foliage and landscapes. On the whole the analysis concludes that the Xbox One X wins by a “considerable margin.”

PlayStation 4 has been front-and-center for Red Dead Redemption 2 marketing, given the exclusive PS4 Pro console bundle and timed exclusive content. It seems that Xbox One X actually edges it out. You can start pre-loading your copy already, or if you’re going for the physical version, some stores are offering it early at special launch events.

Meanwhile, RDR2 reviews have started to roll into town. GameSpot’s Kallie Plagge praised the prequel as surprising all on its own. “Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it’s also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it’s a world that is hard to leave when it’s done,” she wrote.

The digital PC storefront Fanatical has a big Halloween sale going on between now and November 4. It features over 1,000 games that are available for up to 90% off their normal prices. And if you’re feeling particularly frugal (and perhaps a bit demonic), you can enter promo code SCREAM666 to get an additional 6.66% off the sale price. As usual, the games are delivered in the form of Steam codes. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the sale.

If a horror game is what you’re after, you’ll find some chilling options in the lineup of deals. Alien: Isolation Collection, which is on sale for $11.50, locks you on a space station with a nearly invincible extra-terrestrial that stalks you relentlessly. On sale for $20 is Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition, a zombie brawler that offers parkour action, dirt buggies, and lots of enemies to kill in an expansive rural area.

A few recently-released games are on the list as well. Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle, which ropes together seven classic arcade brawlers, is on sale for $17. The weapons-based fighting game SoulCalibur VI is down to $54. And the survival game Frostpunk, which takes place in an icy apocalypse, is on sale for $22. Naturally, you’ll also find plenty of excellent titles from previous years for cheap, including Bayonetta for $6, Sim City 4 for $5, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II Pack for $3.50.

In addition to the sale, if you import your Steam wishlist over to Fanatical in October or November, you’ll be entered for a chance to win $100. You can find more of our picks below, or head here to see all of the discounts. And don’t forget to use Satan’s promo code (SCREAM666) at checkout.

Fortnite‘s early-access Save the World campaign mode might not get as much attention as its Battle Royale sibling, but you can play it in the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game. However, unlike Battle Royale, it’s not not free-to-play. If you’re itching to drop in and light up some beasties in the co-op campaign mode, now is a good time to buy. Through the end of October, all four paid editions of Save the World are half off. You can find out what comes with each version below.

Epic had been planning to bring Save the World out of early access this year and make it free for everyone, but it has announced that update is now delayed to 2019. So if you want to see what PvE is like in Fortnite now, you have to pony up some cash. But if you do buy one of the Founder Packs and log in during the Fortnitemares Halloween event, you’ll also get Brainiac Jonesy and Skull Ranger Ramirez for free.

Fortnite – Standard Founder’s Pack

The Standard Founder’s Pack comes with the Save the World campaign, as well as seven loot piñata packs and four in-game banner icons.

Fortnite – Deluxe Founder’s Pack

The Deluxe Founder’s Pack comes with the Save the World campaign, a Rare Starter Weapon Pack, an exclusive Revolt pistol, and a Starter Hero pack that comes with eight heroes (two from each class). Also included are 33 Piñata Packs, 50 extra vault inventory slots, 10 in-game banner icons, 10 XP boosts for you, and 10 XP boosts to share with friends.

Fortnite – Super Deluxe Founder’s Pack

The Super Deluxe Founder’s Pack comes with everything in the Deluxe Founder’s Pack, plus two exclusive in-game defenders. It also includes even more of the extras, so you get 52 Piñata Packs, 100 extra vault inventory slots, 15 banner icons, and 20 XP boosts for you as well as 20 for a friend.

Fortnite – Limited Edition Founder’s Pack

As you might expect, the most expensive version of of the game comes with even more in-game goodies. In addition to everything that comes in the Super Deluxe Founder’s Pack, you’ll also get an exclusive Legendary Hero pack that grants you two Legendary Heroes for your class of choice, as well as a Legendary weapon for that class. Once again, you also get a flood of extras, with 109 Piñata Packs, 200 extra vault inventory slots, 10 extra backpack inventory slots, 20 banner icons, and 40 XP boosts for you and 40 to give away.

Thanks to the sheer ubiquity of Red Dead Redemption 2, video game fans are seeing a lot of cowboy imagery these days. But you don’t need to buy Rockstar’s open-world blockbuster to indulge your inner cattleman. Between now and November 17, anyone with an Amazon/Twitch Prime account can pick up some free cowboy-themed loot for the PC version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

To get your PUBG freebies, head over to Twitch and click on the crown-shaped icon at the top. That opens a dropdown menu with all of the free items you have available. Among them is the PUBG Gunslinger’s Crate. This loot set contains five gunslinger outfit items and two weapon skins (Engraved R45 and Engraved S686). As usual, the items don’t affect gameplay, but they sure do make you look stylish.

To make the items appear in your game, you’ll need to open PUBG and sign in, then click the Twitch “Glitch” icon in the upper right corner of the lobby screen. There, you can link your PUBG account to Twitch, after which you’ll find the loot in your inventory.

Other recent Twitch Prime freebies include a monthly set of free PC games, a Golden Loot Box for Overwatch, colorful outfits in Rainbow Six Siege, as well as freebies for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Warframe. All of the free items are available for a limited time, so make sure you collect the ones you want before they vanish forever.

Black Friday 2018 will be here before long, and if you want to save money on holiday gifts (or, ahem, gifts for yourself), you’ll want to be prepared for the year’s biggest shopping event. Because if you’re not prepared, you could miss out on some of the best deals available. To get you ready for Black Friday–and Cyber Monday–we’ve compiled everything you need to know about this year’s day of sales. Let’s get to it.

When Is Black Friday 2018?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which places it on November 23 this year. But assuming this Black Friday plays out like ones in recent years, many of the sales will begin on Thanksgiving or even earlier in the week. You can also expect to see sales continue over the weekend, plus even more discounts on Cyber Monday, which falls on November 26.

Because these sales have been expanding in recent years, it’s worth paying attention to retailers’ ads and social media posts to see when, exactly, the discounts will begin. We’ll have lots of coverage for all of this year’s Black Friday deals on video games, consoles, movies, and electronics, so keep your eyes here as well.

Which Retailers Participate in Black Friday?

If you’re after items related to video games and movies, you’ll want to pay attention to Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Kohl’s, Newegg, Target, and Walmart. You’ll also see big sales on digital video games through the PlayStation Store, Nintendo Eshop, Microsoft Store, Steam, the Humble Store, and Fantastical.

What Games Will Go on Sale?

You can expect to find discounts on just about every video game from the past few years this Black Friday, including recent releases. As usual, older games will generally get the biggest discounts, but doorbuster sales can drop prices surprisingly low even on newly released games.

For instance, games that came out in January and February of last year–like Resident Evil 7 and For Honor–dropped down to as low as $15 during Black Friday. Some games that were only a couple of weeks old, like Call of Duty: WWII and Need for Speed Payback, dipped as low as $30 or $40 at certain retailers.

Assuming this year’s Black Friday deals plays out similarly, you can expect to see huge discounts on games from earlier in 2018, like Monster Hunter World, Sea of Thieves, Far Cry 5, and God of War. For games from recent months, like Octopath Traveler, Madden NFL 19, Spider-Man, and Forza Horizon 4, you might see price drops to the $30 range. Don’t be surprised if you see discounts on games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2 at some retailers, too.

And if you’re not into physical copies of games, don’t worry: there’s a good chance some retailers will sell digital versions of the games at the same sale prices as the physical versions.

Consoles and Accessories Will Get Discounts Too

It’s not just games that get discounted. Big retailers will be dropping prices on consoles and accessories as well. Last year, all the big retailers offered $50-$100 discounts on Xbox One and PS4 models, often throwing in a $25-$50 gift card as an added bonus. The Nintendo Switch was less than a year old during last year’s Black Friday, so it didn’t get discounted, but we may see that change this year. Also, most retailers offered $20 discounts on PS4 and Xbox One controllers last year.

If You See a Great Deal, Jump On It

Deals that seem too good to be true usually don’t last long. Retailers only have a limited amount of stock, and with doorbuster prices, items move fast. So if you manage to find a great game at an incredible price that’s in stock, buy it quickly. Otherwise you’ll likely miss out.

We’ll have lots of Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage to point you toward the best deals on the biggest games and movies, as well as consoles, accessories, and electronics. Stay tuned.

Each Wednesday, GameStop drops prices on a whole new set of games, accessories, and collectibles. This week’s sale is now live, featuring some attractive deals on all kinds of games for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, plus some trade-in bonuses and a collectible sale. Let’s take a look at the deals you can find between now and October 30.

First and foremost, GameStop’s weekly ad would like to remind you that Red Dead Redemption 2 arrives on PS4 and Xbox One on October 26. It’s not on sale, but you can head to your local GameStop at 9 PM the previous day and pick it up then. If you hurry home, you might be able to play it before the digital version becomes available shortly after midnight. And if you buy RDR2 starting October 26, you can save $100 on any Xbox One console–including the GameStop-exclusive white Xbox One X that comes with Fallout 76.

If you can find four pre-owned games you want that are $9.99 or under, you’ll get all four for $20. All statues and figures are 25% off this week. And if you’re looking to upgrade to an Xbox One X, you can get a nice credit bonus by trading in a current-gen console.

A whole heap of games are on sale this week as well, with Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Star Wars Battlefront II, and The Long Dark discounted to $30 each, and Rayman Legends Definitive Edition and Banner Saga Trilogy Bonus Edition down to $20. Also, Sony this week has permanently dropped the suggested retail price on a handful of relatively recent PS4 exclusives. Now you can pick up God of War and Detroit: Become Human for $40 each, or Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Shadow of the Colossus for $20 each.

You can find more of our picks below, or check out GameStop’s ad for more deals.

This week’s US PlayStation Store sale is now live, lowering prices on a selection of PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games. Better yet, the Sale of the Dead continues this week, giving those looking for frights a chance to save some cash. To top it off, a handful of first-party games have gotten permanent price drops. As usual, PS Plus members get an additional discount on some of these deals. Now let’s take a look at the best games on sale between now and October 30.

Starting with the price drops, it’s nice to see some of the year’s biggest PS4 games leaving their original price tags behind. If you missed out on either God of War or Detroit: Become Human they’re now available to buy for $40 each. Meanwhile, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and the PS4 remaster of Shadow of the Colossus are down to $20 apiece. These new prices aren’t going anywhere, so you can pick them up at your leisure.

As for the temporary discounts, Epic is doing a Fortnite sale this week and next. During that time, you can get any Founders Pack on the PlayStation Store for half price. That includes the Standard Founder’s Pack for $20, Deluxe for $30, Super Deluxe for $45, and Limited Edition for $75. Each one comes with the Save the World PvE mode, plus an array of in-game heroes, weapons, llamas, piñatas, and other digital goodies.

As for the Halloween-friendly games on sale this week, you can pick up titles like Bloodborne: Complete Edition for $16, Resident Evil 7 for $22.50, or Until Dawn for just $6. The brand-new retro bundle Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood is also on sale for $16. These are good deals all around, and you can check the PlayStation Store for even more discounts.

With all of the big games launching between now and the end of the year, it can be easy to forget about all the games that came out in the past year or so. Sony hopes you won’t forget many of the recent PS4 exclusives. With that in mind, the company has dropped the suggested retail price of four of its big games: God of War, Detroit: Become Human, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and the PS4 remaster of Shadow of the Colossus.

Two of this year’s biggest PS4 exclusives, God of War and Detroit: Become Human, both got $20 price drops, bringing them down to $40 apiece. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Shadow of the Colossus are available for $20 each going forward.

• Buy Detroit: Become Human — $40
• Buy God of War — $40
• Buy Shadow of the Colossus — $20
• Buy Uncharted: The Lost Legacy — $20

Permanent price cuts are common for older games, though some companies are more forthcoming with them than others. You can count on getting last year’s Call of Duty for about half price by the time the next installment rolls around, but Nintendo tends to keep prices for its first-party games etched in stone for as long as possible. For instance, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which came out well before any of these PS4 games, still sells for $60 on the Nintendo eShop and $55 on Amazon.

This isn’t the first time Sony has given PS4 games permanent price drops, either. Earlier this year, the company released the PlayStation Hits line of games, in which 15 titles–most of them PS4 exclusives–were given a special red case and a $20 price point.

Season 6, Week 5 of Fortnite has officially begun, meaning the next batch of challenges is now live, ready and waiting for you to complete them. This, it turns out, is easier said than done as there’s a couple of tricky challenges among them. The first of these involves finding five flaming hoops and jumping through them using a Shopping Cart or ATK. You might remember this one from previous seasons, as it has been used before. However, the exact locations of the flaming hoops have changed, so you’ll still need to dart around the map looking for them.

Or, alternatively, you could use our handy dandy guide here. We’ve found the flaming hoops and launched ourselves through them. Below you’ll find a list of the exact locations of the hoops, along with a map that offers a visual representation of their locations. All you have to do is head to the points and do your best Evel Knievel impression. Just remember to grab an ATK or Shopping Cart along the way. You can also watch the video above to see us do it. Here’s where to go:

Fortnite Season 6, Week 5 Flaming Hoops Locations

• East of Retail Row on Car Sculpture
• East of Paradise Palms
• Northeast of Lucky Landing
• North side of Dusty Divot
• Between Risky Reels and Wailing Woods

Alongside the weekly challenges, Fortnite developer Epic Games has also kicked off Fortnitemares, a Halloween event with its own unique selection of challenges. The event is quite different from anything Fortnite’s battle royale mode has done before, as it includes an element of PvE.

“During Fortnitemares, you’ll face off against Cube Monsters in a whole new way of playing Battle Royale,” Epic explains. “There are new weapons to fight back against these creepy creatures, like the Six Shooter and Fiend Hunter Crossbow. Take out the Cube Fiends and Fragments to pick up loot, and survive against enemy players.”

The reward for completing the Fortnitemare challenges is cool new cosmetics, including a special skin. The Deadfire Outfit is described as a “new type of reactive outfit” that, as you progress in a match, will change. The shift in visual style is dependent on the damage you deal to your enemies and also how long you’re able to stay alive. The skin also comes with the Shackled Stone Back Bling, and the Dark Shard pickaxe is also available in the store. These are also reactive cosmetics.

All this was rolled out as part of the latest patch. Take a look at the full Fortnite update 6.20 patch notes for more on everything that has been changed, tweaked, added, or removed.