Xbox Games with Gold for March 2021 will include Xbox One titles Warface: Breakout and Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse as well as the 2008 XBLA release of Metal Slug 3 and the Xbox 360 title Port Royale 3.
Warface: Breakout will be available all month from March 1 to March 31. Metal Slug 3 will also become available on March 1 but will leave on March 15.
Starting March 16, Port Royale 3 will be available for free until March 31 and Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse will be free until April 15, according to Xbox Wire.
Warface: Breakout was released in 2020. It’s a tactical first-person shooter and a spin-off of the free-to-play game Warface, which recently made its way to Nintendo Switch with cross-play coming in the future.
Metal Slug 3 is the classic run-and-gun shooter first released in arcades in 2000. It was ported to the original Xbox with additional game modes, but that’s not the version available. The port available for free in March was released in 2008 on Xbox Live Arcade.
According to IGN’s review of the XBLA Metal Slug 3 port, visuals were improved over the original Xbox port but the extra game modes did not carry over. Even worse, blood was also censored in this port. The blood can be restored by setting the language on the Xbox 360 to Japanese. It’s not known if that trick works on Xbox One or Series X.
Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse is a twin-stick shooter released in 2018. Gamers take control of mechs to wipe out a llama apocalypse with four-player co-op. IGN Africa’s review of VALA said the game has “a severe lack of variety, poor pacing of the action, and enough mild annoyances that add up to major irritations.”
Finally, Port Royale 3 is a pirate simulator set in 17th Century Caribbean. IGN’s preview of the game said, “The relatively slow pace and simulation-based approach might keep action gamers at arm’s length, but we were impressed by how many different ways there are to leave your mark on Port Royale 3’s many sandy shores.”
Hot off a big weekend sale, Best Buy isn’t slowing down with the deals this week. The retailer just kicked off a 24-hour flash sale, offering markdowns on 4K TVs, home audio equipment, wireless earbuds, smart devices, and more. You have through the end of today to take advantage of any flash deals.
Though video games aren’t directly featured in the flash sale, it’s worth calling out a few of the game deals available at Best Buy right now before we get into the non-gaming deals, as there’s some good stuff on offer. PS4’s The Last of Us Part 2 is sticking to its Black Friday price of $30, while the Switch ports of BioShock: The Collection and XCOM 2 Collection are $20 each (note that you’ll need a microSD card for these due to file size). PS5 owners can snag Mortal Kombat 11’s Ultimate Edition for $10 off, offering the enhanced next-gen version of the game along with MK11: Aftermath and both Kombat Packs. For some hectic couch co-op fun, you can also snag Overcooked: All You Can Eat for $35 on both PS5 and Xbox Series X. This awesome collection gets you both Overcooked games with all of their DLC and some new levels and chefs; plus, online multiplayer has been added to the first Overcooked game.
You can check out some of the highlights from today’s flash sale below, or see the full 24-hour sale at Best Buy.
If you’re looking to improve the audio experience in your TV room, a soundbar is a great way to do so. This Samsung soundbar connects via Bluetooth to your TV to provide a rich surround-sound experience, and the included wireless subwoofer provides deep bass. It’s on sale for $160 today only.
These days, most people are looking to add a 4K TV to their living room, but prices can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. If you’re looking for a solid TV on the budget end of the spectrum, this Westinghouse 58-inch LED 4K TV is equipped with the Roku interface, one of our favorites for streaming Netflix, Disney+, and more. It’s also HDR-compatible and has three HDMI inputs for connecting consoles and more. While this TV doesn’t feature HDMI 2.1 to support a 4K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, it’ll still work just fine for games on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Even when they’re on sale, AirPods Pro tend to stick above the $200 mark, but you can grab a refurbished pair for $180 today at Best Buy. These are Geek Squad certified refurbished, meaning they’ve been thoroughly cleaned and tested to work and will come in Apple’s original box. AirPods Pro feature active noise-canceling, three ear tip sizes to choose from, and are resistant to sweat and water, making them a very handy accessory for Apple device owners.
Interestingly, today’s Best Buy flash sale includes deals on a bunch of game room equipment. One that caught our eye is this 5-in-1 combo table, which can be set up to play billiards, air hockey, foosball, ping pong, and basketball. This is a 48-inch table, so it’s a lot smaller than the tables on which you’d normally play some of these games, but it could work really well in small spaces or for kids.
Best Buy is giving away a free Ecobee Switch+ smart light switch ($80 value) when you buy a smart thermostat today. The Ecobee smart themostat features voice control and automatically detects whether you’re in the room, adjusting the temperature for comfort when you’re present and reducing the energy use when you’re away, which can help lower your energy bills. You can also control the thermostat from anywhere using the Ecobee app. Meanwhile, the smart light switch is compatible with Amazon Alexa, letting you control the lights, set a timer, play music, and more. It would also work well as a night light or for outdoor lighting.
Those who like to take their camera on the go may be interested in this GoPro bundle from Best Buy, which has slashed $100 off the price today. The bundle gets you everything you need to take clear photos and capture 4K video clips, including a spare rechargeable battery, a SanDisk 32GB microSD card, a head strap, a mini extension pole/tripod, and, of course, the GoPro Hero 8 HD camera.
Sci-fi veteran Ron Moore–who is known for his work on Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Outlander–is now working at Disney and has some ideas for a Star Wars show.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Moore said he “would love” to be able to work on a Star Wars TV show under his new eight-figure deal with Disney. He cautioned that it might be some time before it happens because Disney is quite busy with the 10 Star Wars TV shows that the company announced back in December.
Still, Moore said he hopes to be able to do it someday. As fans may recall, Moore was working on a live-action Star Wars TV show with George Lucas many years ago, but it fell apart.
“I would love to do something in that franchise. It was fun to go work on the abortive live-action show that I did way back when,” he said of this project. “I got a tremendous amount of thrill of writing lines for Darth Vader in one episode and it would be fun to do that again. It’s just not the first piece of development I’m doing over there but hopefully I’ll be allowed to do that at some point.”
Moore said he does not currently have a “fully formed” pitch that he could bring to Disney for a new Star Wars show, but he said he has “a couple of notions in the back of my head.”
“Ideas and arenas that I think would be fun to poke around the corners of the Star Wars universe, yes,” he said.
As for the other Star Wars TV shows in the works, these include live-action programs such as Rangers of the New Republic, Ahsoka, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lando, The Acolyte, The Book of Boba Fett, as well as animated shows like The Bad Batch, Visions, and Droid Story. Check out GameSpot’s extended coverage to find out more about the 10 new Star Wars shows.
Marvel’s WandaVision has lots of fans, and among them is Spider-Man actor Tom Holland. He told Collider that he is “obsessed” with the Disney+ TV show. The show is stuffed with secrets and mysteries, and this puts him in a tricky position because he’s currently filming the next Spider-Man movie and has Marvel boss Kevin Feige nearby to ask about his theories.
“It’s so difficult because obviously I’m on a Marvel set at the moment. So all of the producers are there, and I could just go up to Kevin Feige and be like, ‘So what happens? What’s going on?'” Holland said. “It’s really difficult for me to not ask the questions I want the answers to, but I’m loving it. And I think, honestly, it’s for me, my favorite Marvel thing I’ve seen, because it really makes you think about, ‘What am I watching? What’s going to happen? Where are they going to take this?'”
Holland went on to say that he enjoys how new WandaVision episodes come out every week instead of all at once. “I think it requires the caliber and the quality of the show to be better because you need to keep people engaged for a longer period of time. So I’m loving it. I’m absolutely loving it,” he said.
We’ll see Holland next in the Apple TV+ film Cherry, which was directed by Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo and debuts in March. The movie tells the story of a former soldier with an addiction to pain pills who robs banks and commits crimes to pay for his habit.
Netflix has announced Murder Among the Mormons, an upcoming three-part true-crime documentary series that provides the “the first comprehensive look at one of the most shocking crimes to have ever taken place among the Mormon community and the criminal mastermind behind it all.” The limited series doc hits Netflix on March 3.
Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and Tyler Measom (An Honest Liar), the film examines a run of three bombings in 1985 that killed two people, severely injured another, “and shocked Salt Lake City.” Of the original events, the official synopsis explains that “the murders send further shockwaves through the community when a trove of early Mormon letters and diaries are found destroyed in the vehicle of the third victim… [these documents] threatened to shake the very foundations of Mormonism.”
Murder Among the Mormons is executive produced by Hess and Measom, plus Joe Berlinger (Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich) and Ryan O’Dowd (senior VP of entertainment development at BBC Studios). Of the documentary, O’Dowd recently told The Hollywood Reporter: “For the first time in more than three decades, Murder Among the Mormons illuminates a dark chapter when a series of deadly pipe bombs had a profound impact on an entire community of faith.”
Sony is bringing back its Play At Home initiative, offering select games and entertainment for free from March through June.
First up, Ratchet & Clank (2016) will be free for all PlayStation 4 and 5 owners throughout March, including players who do not subscribe to PlayStation Plus. Sony says once you redeem the game, it is yours to keep with no time limit attached.
Beginning March 25, for a limited time, anime streaming services Funimation and Wakanim will offer extended access for new subscribers in supported countries. For Funimation, the offer is available in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The Wakanim offer is available in most of Western and Northern Europe.
In IGN’s Ratchet & Clank PS4 review, we called the game amazing, saying it is, “a culmination of everything Insomniac has done with the series over the past 14 years.”
The Ratchet & Clank PS4 reboot is free just three months ahead of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s June 11 release date. Developer Insomniac Games says the PS5-exclusive sequel is a great place to start if you’ve never played a Ratchet & Clank game, but it will include deeper connections to previous games.
Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN’s weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.
With February comes a month-long commemoration of Black History. It’s an essential time of year for raising awareness of important causes and honoring all the spectacular contributions the Black community has made to our society — from science and tech to music, art, and so much more. In honor of that, IGN invites you to celebrate this occasion with us during our Black History Month charity stream. We’ll be hanging out with talented Black creators, entertainers, and friends while raising money for an important cause. If you don’t want to miss out on the fun, here’s everything you need to know to join in.
What Cause Are We Raising Funds For?
During IGN’s Black History Month charity stream, we’ll be raising funds for an organization called Gameheads which features a tech program aimed at diversifying the video game industry through teaching youth of color and youth from low-income households about game design, development, and DevOps.
February is winding down, so it’s almost time for a new batch of Games with Gold freebies for Xbox Live subscribers. Microsoft has unveiled the four free games joining the Games with Gold program in March: Warface: Breakout, VALA: Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse, Metal Slug 3, and Port Royale 3. Like usual, there are a pair of Xbox One games and two older games that are playable via backwards compatibility.
Warface: Breakout is a tactical first-person shooter that released last year. It’s a spin-off of the MMO Warface based on the Planet the Bomb game mode. The squad-based FPS doesn’t have a ton of content yet, but if you’re a fan of the genre it may be worth checking out. Warface: Breakout is free all throughout March.
The other Xbox One freebie is certainly a silly game, and that’s not all too surprising given its name. VALA: Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse is a top-down mech shooter in which llamas have caused the apocalypse. It features local co-op for up to four players and has a roguelike loop. Each run is different, but yes, llamas stand in your way every time you suit up. Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse will be free from March 16 to April 15.
The pair of backwards-compatible Xbox 360 freebies are arguably stronger than the Xbox One titles this month. You can snag SNK’s classic run-and-gun Metal Slug 3 from March 1 to March 15. In the back half of the month, pirate simulation game Port Royale 3 will be up for grabs.
Activision has formally announced that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch this year.
The PlayStation and Xbox versions arrive on March 26, while the Switch edition doesn’t have a specific release date but is confirmed for 2021.
Activision is promising a “variety of upgrades,” including 120FPS/1080p and 60FPS/4K visuals, along with spatial audio and other enhancements for the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox versions. The Switch edition, meanwhile, won’t have these impressive frame rates and graphics, it seems, but the big appeal is you can play it on the go.
“High-fidelity atmospherics will be added to the next-gen upgrade for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2,” reads a line from its description. “This unique graphical feature will allow players to enjoy the experience of sharper dynamic shadows, reflections and lens flares, as well as enhanced skater textures and more on next-gen consoles.”
People who already bought a digital copy of the game for PS4 or Xbox One–or a disc version on PS4–can upgrade to the same console family with all of your progress at no cost, except in Japan where this will cost 100 Yen. Note that this seemingly only applies to the deluxe edition, and that this offer doesn’t seem to be available for the disc version on Xbox One.
Activision will also sell a “Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle” that costs $10 more. This comes with a new skater, Ripper, along with retro gear for the Create-A-Skater mode, along with retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Rudney Mullen.
Activision also confirmed in its press release that the social media back-and-forth between Tony Hawk himself and the Twitter accounts for Crash and Nintendo was an intentional marketing ploy.
Pro Skater 1 + 2 originally released in September and it became the fastest game in the entire Tony Hawk series to reach 1 million units sold. The game was developed by Vicarious Visions, which is now making the Diablo II remaster for Blizzard. It’s not immediately clear which studio is handling the next-gen console and Switch ports of Pro Skater 1 and 2.
The Dungeons & Dragons team has announced a new horror-themed sourcebook, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (see it at Amazon).
Featuring work from authors like Cassandra Khaw, Molly Ostertag, and K. Tempest Bradford, Van Richten’s Guide is set for a May 2021 release. It focuses on the various Domains of Dread – perhaps better known to some D&D veterans as the Demiplane of Dread – featured in past editions of the game, from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Realm of Terror to the hugely popular 2016 Fifth Edition adventure Curse of Strahd.
Cover art for Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, by Anna Podedworna (L) and Scott M. Fischer (R).
The guide won’t simply be Curse of Strahd 1.5, however – you can check out last year’s ReVamped edition for that – VRGtR will provide options for a variety of horrific adventures and settings. “We understand that Curse of Strahd came out many years ago,” says Wes Schneider, senior D&D designer and lead on Van Richten’s Guide. “It’s been very popular, a lot of folks have played it already. So we wanted to make sure that if you played Curse of Strahd or other adventures in Ravenloft, that Van Richten’s Guide isn’t just like, ‘Oh, well, I did that.’”
From classic monsters like werewolves and mummies to adaptations of eastern folk tales or fantastical takes on more modern horror themes, Van Richten’s Guide will cover a wide variety of terror tropes to throw at your adventurers. The “Demiplane of Dread”, as it was known, contains a variety of isolated realms – or “domains” – each one ruled over by a Darklord, a sort of “lead” monster or character based on the particular horror theme that forms the basis of each domain. Consider it like a more terrifying version of the various sections of Disney World – but instead of Tomorrowland or Galaxy’s Edge, you’re trapped in Frankenstein World or on Werewolf Island.
“Just like how the original Ravenloft adventure then spread out into an entire campaign setting back in the ’90s, we’re doing very much the same thing,” Schneider said. “We’re starting with the core of Curse of Strahd and then expanding out from there into other Domains of Dread and beyond just Gothic horror. We’ll also be seeing cosmic horror, ghost stories, dark fantasies, psychological horror – all of these different things, depending on what your favorite flavor of nightmare might be.”
Full alternate cover art by Scott M. Fischer.
These aren’t just reprintings of AD&D worlds with 5e mechanics, of course. While many domains have been refreshed, some have been entirely reimagined to stretch the Ravenloft domains outside the realm of “classical Gothic horror”. The domain of Falkovnia, for example, was another domain featuring a vampire Darklord – a need already fulfilled by Barovia’s Strahd Von Zarovich – so Scheinder and the team pivoted the realm to focus on a more modern horror theme: the zombie apocalypse.
“Ravenloft had never had that before, just because that’s not really a Gothic horror trope,” Schneider says. “Now, we have this entire domain that’s constantly crumbling under the weight of these endless zombie invasions. And the new Darklord, Vladeska Drakov, is this terrible character but is also the domain’s last hope to survive against this even more overwhelming supernatural disaster.”
He says finding the right intersection between both new and old horror themes and the D&D experience has been a big part of the book’s design process. “If you look at the Zombie in the Monster Manual, even a first-level party is gonna be like, ‘Oh, zombie… huh,’” he says with an air of fake boredom. “But what happens when there are more zombies than there are fireballs? And how does that affect an entire society, and then how does that affect the characters?”
“The book deals a lot with the idea that any horror story across any piece of media is – whether it’s a movie, or it’s a book, or it’s a tabletop RPG – in general, at its core, a story about a haunting,” says Amanda Hamon, another Senior Designer at D&D and one of the authors of Van Richten’s Guide. “What scares the character? What has happened to the character? What are the characters’ hangups, and the bad things that have happened to them? And [how] to bring them forward into the narrative?”
Concept art of a ‘Dark Gift,’ by Paul Scott Canavan.
To help players lean into the horror atmosphere, the Guide will also introduce new character options, including a set of new lineages – building off the options introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – as well as two new subclasses. The lineages, which players may recognize from the recently published Unearthed Arcana, include the Dhampir, Hexblood, and Reborn, which feature traits born of vampires, hags, or undead creatures, respectively.
The subclasses included in VRGtR are the College of Spirits Bard, who can contact otherworldly spirits through gaming sets and trinkets like a medium, and the Undead Patron Warlock, granting characters power from beyond the grave. Also included are a collection of new Dark Gifts, similar to those found in Curse of Strahd, which can provide horror-themed bonuses and/or roleplay options to players and their characters.
“One of the things that differentiate a horror game from just a normal tabletop RPG high-fantasy game,” Hamon says, “is the really intense role-playing in the atmospheric environment that you’re playing in. And I’m just really excited that [the Dark Gifts are] able to build in some of these mechanical ways of supporting that so that it’s not just describing a thing or kind of being superficial. It really feels baked into the game, and I feel like that’s an important piece of this book as well.”
