The new version of Atlus’ celebrated RPG, Persona 5 Royal, is out now on PlayStation 4. It’s not quite the same game you remember, however, as Royal includes a number of significant differences compared to the original release. This includes updated story and combat mechanics, and lots more.
In a new video, Jess covers over a dozen of the biggest new changes in Persona 5 Royal. Most obvious are the new characters and the additional semester that comes at the conclusion of the original game. The new characters are Kasumi and Marui, and there is a new location, too: Kichijoji. This region includes a lot of new stores, including shops where you can sell sooty clothing for money and points, and a dart and billiards parlor called Penguin Sniper.
Check out the full video above to learn lots more about what’s new in Persona 5 Royal. Bear in mind, however, that this is just the beginning for the differences you can find in the game. Whatever the case, we can say that the time investment (Persona 5 Royal can be a 150-hour game) is absolutely worth it to see and experience all that’s new.
For more on Persona 5 Royal, make sure to check out our Persona 5 Royal review out this week and the rest of our Persona 5 Royal features.
A fake Flipnote for Switch app designed for April Fools’ that started making the rounds online ended up causing more anger than amusement. So much so that the ensuing harassment forced its creators to go into social media lockdown.
James (who asked IGN to withhold his last name for the story) is part of a community that reverse-engineers legacy online services like Flipnote Studio, an app for the DSi released in 2008 that let players create and send custom animations.
“From a technical perspective, we found them to have rather convoluted technical innards (particularly Flipnote Studio 3D,” James told IGN in an email. “So we had a long-running joke where we speculated about what Nintendo could possibly throw at us next.”
The community made the idea of a new Flipnote app for the Switch an in-joke, but the impetus to create fake screenshots for April Fools’ didn’t materialize until five days before April 1.
“Towards the end of March, somebody who apparently wasn’t aware of the joke started to get on our case about [Flipnote Switch] rather aggressively, thinking we were intentionally tricking the community.”
As a response, James created a quick mock-up in Sketch, a design program, and presented it to the community. While the community member in question wasn’t very pleased with the glib response, another developer on the channel was briefly fooled. That spurred the developers to try and flesh out the concept and present fake screenshots of a “leaked” Flipnote Switch app for the community’s annual April Fool’s joke.
Mock-ups for the fake Flipnote app for Switch created for April Fools. Art Credit: Calcium; UI: James; Translation: Liss
James organized the effort and designed fake UI. Other contributors included Calcium who created the artwork, Liss who contributed a fake Japanese translation, and Austin and Rob from Sudomemo, a website dedicated to sharing Flipnote creations long after the service was shuttered officially.
Together, the team created several “leaked” screenshots of a new Flipnote App coming to the Switch, complete with a fake title screen. You can check out some of the assets in the gallery below.
James told IGN he has no idea how the screenshots leaked from their Discord server, but the images were soon being picked up by Nintendo fansites as legitimate leaks.
“It was wild that any outlets picked it up at all to be honest, especially when the first few [sites] cited the source as being ‘some random people on a Discord server.’ Like, that wouldn’t normally strike you as being remotely trustworthy, right?” James said.
“But in the following days the telephone-game effect kicked in and soon enough the source was somehow ‘an insider at Nintendo of Japan.’ Things got a little scary then.”
The team released the “leaks” online three days before April 1 with a plan to reveal themselves on April Fools’. By then the screenshots had already made their way to sites like r/NintendoSwitch on Reddit and 4chan.
Then on April Fools’ James revealed the joke.
“Initially it seemed to go as expected,” James said. “Of course we knew people would be disappointed and that there would be a few harsh responses but it felt relatively light-hearted for the most part.”
While the early comments were more finger-wagging than malicious, that soon changed. “Gradually the responses became more intense[.] People started bringing out the slurs and calling for us to be doxxed and/or murdered. While we’re usually fairly laid back, it was clear that people were taking this worse than we imagined.”
“Honestly, go f*** yourself. Why not spend your time creating something useful instead of misleading a bunch of people into thinking something good is around the corner?” read one comment in response to the joke reveal.
Mock-ups for the fake Flipnote app for Switch created for April Fools. Art Credit: Calcium, UI: James, Translation: Liss
“In hindsight, it was a bad time to pull a stunt like this with everything that’s been going in the world recently,” James told IGN. “Everyone’s already a lot more stressed out than usual and it was extremely uncool of us to give them the false hope of something exciting on the horizon.”
James also regretted the decision to stagger the timing of the joke by releasing the screenshots early and revealing the joke three days later.
What began as an in-joke quickly spiraled out of control, thanks to a combination of the internet’s ability to obfuscate information and the video game community’s fixation on leaks and rumors.
“Ultimately there was no malicious intent or anything like that, just an in-joke that was handled very poorly,” James concluded. “It should go without saying that we’re definitely not doing anything like this again.”
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.
Check out the gallery below to see new screenshots from TLoU2, as spotted by Nibel on Twitter. (The images are currently unavailable on the Last of Us official website.)
The screenshots offer new looks at Joel and Ellie, as well as the return of Tommy and brand new characters. Some of the scenes in the screenshots were not what we saw when we went hands-on with The Last of Us Part 2 last year, but unfortunately no additional story details accompanied the new images.
The Last of Us Part 2 first received a release date of February 22, 2020 late last year, but soon after Naughty Dog announced a delayed Last of Us Part 2 release date to May 29, and most recently confirmed the sequel is delayed “until such a time where we can solve these logistic issues.” Naughty Dog’s latest announcement noted last of Us Part 2 is “nearly done,” but that concerns over all players getting to play at launch, when the spread of COVID-19 has caused many stores to temporarily close and states and nations to adopt lockdown protocols, has led to the decision to delay.
This one-time event will play exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S. for 10-days. According to the official press release, the films “will be available in front of the Prime Video paywall and free to all audiences around the country, with or without an Amazon Prime membership, all that is needed is a free Amazon account.” Participating filmmakers will receive a screening fee for streaming their film over the 10-day period.
“Ever since SXSW was cancelled by the City of Austin, we’ve been focused on how we could help the incredible films and filmmakers in the SXSW 2020 Film Festival lineup,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film, SXSW, in a statement.
“We were delighted when Amazon Prime Video offered to host an online film festival, and jumped at the opportunity to connect their audiences to our filmmakers. We’re inspired by the adaptability and resilience of the film community as it searches for creative solutions in this unprecedented crisis.”
Making your way through Hell’s vast hordes of demons in Doom Eternal can be a difficult task, especially when you come face-to-face with one of those pesky Marauders. The Marauders are part of the Khan Maykr’s army and are one of the most challenging recurring enemies you’ll face, due to its strong offensive and defensive capabilities.
If find yourself struggling to defeat these deadly foes, we have some tips on how to beat them, below. Be sure to visit our Doom Eternal guide for more strategies and walkthroughs.
In order to beat a Marauder, you first have to understand how it attacks and defends itself. In terms of its offensive capabilities, Marauders wield two primary weapons: a laser axe and a shotgun. While the shotgun is used for close-range combat, the laser ax fires a beam of energy from long distances and causes damage if it happens to hit you.
For defense, the Marauders possesses a shield that can block just about anything unless you shoot it at the perfect time.
The perfect time to attack the Marauder is when the creature’s eyes blink green. This window of opportunity is small, but we know a trick to make it last longer.
The Super Shotgun vs. Marauder
When the Marauder’s eyes blink green, he’s about to land a devastating attack, but just before he does, you can use the super shotgun to stun him if you get a direct hit. While stunned, you’ll have the opportunity to deal some additional damage.
The best weapon to use on a Marauder while it’s stunned is the Ballista. This powerful weapon deals MASSIVE damage to the Marauder. Sure, you can use your super shotgun in this situation, however, we discovered that it takes longer to defeat the Marauder and you waste more ammo if you use that particular method. The bottom line, the Super Shotgun to Ballista combo is the best way to take out the Marauder.
How to Deal with the Fire Wolf
If the Marauder’s speed, laser axe, shotgun, and impenetrable shield weren’t enough of a challenge, it can also summon a Fire Wolf. Thankfully, the Fire Wolf has a low HP and is relatively easy to take down.
The key to getting rid of this nuisance is taking out the Fire Wolf as soon as it spawns. It appears that the wolf is on a timer, so the longer it stays alive, the more likely the Marauder will spawn a new wolf once the one before you is slain. Following these steps will give you a chance to focus on the Marauder instead of his wolf companion.
Now that you have the skills to defeat one of Doom Eternal’s toughest foes, the Marauders won’t seem so tough the next time you’re confronted by one. Remember these crucial steps: Green Eyes, then the Super Shotgun, and finally, the Ballista!
Be sure to check out these Doom Eternal guides next:
Fortnite‘s not-so-secret Deadpool skin is scheduled to unlock tomorrow, April 3, and it appears Epic has a Deadpool-themed event planned to coincide with the skin’s release.
The official Deadpool Twitter account teased that the irreverent Marvel character will be “crashing” Fortnite starting April 3. “There’ll be music, tacos, and a whole lotta Deadpool,” the tweet reads. The accompanying image shows the Yacht defaced with Deadpool’s drawings, suggesting the area will be taken over as part of the event.
Starting tomorrow, I’M crashing this party. There’ll be music, tacos, and a whole lotta Deadpool. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this. pic.twitter.com/ubrsOFalvf
As for the aforementioned Deadpool skin, you’ll be able to unlock it if you’ve been keeping up with this season’s Deadpool challenges. There have been a new pair of these challenges every week thus far, but they’re considerably easier than Fortnite’s regular weekly challenges; most can be completed just by clicking around Deadpool’s hideout in the main HQ.
The Deadpool skin arrives on the heels of Fortnite’s Week 7 challenges. This week’s batch revolves around Skye, another new character skin you can unlock through the Season 2 Battle Pass. As usual, most of the challenges are fairly straightforward, but there are a couple that may throw you for a loop. We’ve put together guides to help you track down The Shark, Rapid’s Rest, and Gorgeous Gorge as well as the Box Factory.
There are only a few weeks left in Season 2 of Fortnite Chapter 2, so time is running out to complete any weekly challenges you may not have gotten to yet. If you need help finishing those, you can find all of our maps and guides in our Fortnite Season 2 challenges roundup.
You Should Be Watching… is a weekly podcast where we recommend and discuss TV shows and movies, old and new. This week, Chastity recommends The Circle (Netflix), Ryan recommends Tiger King (Netflix), and Greg recommends Killing Eve (Hulu). We also recommend our top shows with multiple seasons to binge during quarantine, including The Crown, The Sopranos, Hannibal, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Parks and Recreation, and Community (which was just added to Netflix).
We also discuss how 2020 movie releases like F9, Black Widow, and Wonder Woman 1984 are being delayed due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), NBCUniversal is releasing new movies like The Invisible Man and Trolls: World Tour on demand, George RR Martin writing The Winds of Winter during his self-isolation, and things to do while social distancing and sheltered in place.
Tell us what kind of TV and movie recommendations you’re looking for – whether you’re trying to find a good 90s horror movie or a new comedy or anything else.
Submit your questions and recommendations requests to: [email protected]
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Really lean into that sense of existential dread with these must-watch cosmic horror classics.
Cosmic horror may be one of the harder-to-define subgenres out there, but that doesn’t make it any less worthwhile. From Lovecraftian gods run amok to alien entities piercing the veil of space and time, the thing all cosmic horror stories have in common is a deep and pervasive sense of existential dread–the fear that comes from direct encounters with things that cannot be understood by simple mortal minds. That said, there’s always some wiggle room–whether it’s through clever trope subversion or fast-and-loose interpretations of source materials, cosmic horror is as ever-shifting as the madness that inspires it.
And hey, we just happen to think that’s pretty neat, especially in a world experiencing as much real-life existential dread as ours is right now. Sometimes it’s fun to lean into a fantasy that can be stopped and started with the push of a button.
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite streaming cosmic horror movies from every end of the writhing, tentacle-infested spectrum, including but not limited to trips to hell dimensions, alien invaders, and time-loop creating eldritch deities.
Stream these and more on our favorite services:
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Event Horizon (Netflix)
When it comes to cosmic horror, it’s hard to get better than Event Horizon, the 1997 sci-fi extravaganza starring Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne. One part Hellraiser, one part Alien, Event Horizon managed to put its own spin on the genre by asking the important questions–namely, “What would happen if you opened a portal to literal hell on a spaceship?”
The answer, as you can probably imagine, isn’t exactly pretty–but that just makes it better. Packed with intricate details and practical effects from top to bottom, Event Horizon is a cosmic horror staple that’s not to be missed.
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The Void (Shudder)
Hospitals aren’t a fun place to be even on their best day, so it’s not really surprising that they’re even worse when they’re surrounded by a veil-wearing cult intent on murdering anyone who tries to escape. But, wildly enough, that’s not actually the scariest part of The Void–the things happening outside the hospital are bad, but the things inside are even worse. A cosmic horror bottle movie packed-full of skin-crawling gore, The Void is a cult classic in the making.
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In The Tall Grass (Netflix)
Adapted from the Stephen King novella, In The Tall Grass dares to imagine what it would be like to be trapped inside a giant, uh, sentient field of grass–you know, just like the name implies. The “cosmic” part of the horror comes thanks to a giant, ambiguously alien artifact that just so happens to be granting the fields sentience–and may or may not be a link to a different, much darker dimension outside our own.
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The Endless (Netflix)
A spiritual successor and tie-in to writer/director duo Benson and Moorhead’s first film, Resolution, The Endless is a deliciously mind-bending exploration of a cult that exists in–well, to say any more would be a spoiler. But trust us when we say you’ve never seen a cult movie quite like this before, and what could easily have become your average summer-camp-flavored slasher is, in fact, much more. If you’re a fan of movies that play with the fabric of time itself, The Endless is for you.
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Cabin in the Woods (Hulu)
Initially dressed up as a horror comedy, Cabin In The Wood cleverly circumvents expectations with twists upon twists that eventually culminate in one giant, cosmic revelation that may or may not mean the end of all things–just trust us on this one. Cabin In The Woods is a must-see.
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The Mist (Prime)
Another Stephen King adaptation, The Mist explores the worst case scenario for a sleepy little Maine town suddenly beset upon by a mysterious mist (surprise!) that brings with it even more mysterious monsters. One part bottle movie, one part gorey survival story, The Mist is as bleak as they come, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the mayhem.
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Annihilation (Prime)
From writer/director Alex Garland, Annihilation is the story of a strange, alien artifact corrupting and mutating everything around it behind a metaphysical barrier known as “The Shimmer.” Within The Shimmer, animals and plants are absorbed into one another, cells divide and merge and change at random, and the humans who dare enter are never heard from again. As beautiful as it is gruesome, Annihilation really leans into the “cosmic” side of cosmic horror.
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In The Mouth Of Madness (Shudder)
Sam Neill’s second major entry on this list, In The Mouth Of Madness is a Stephen King-flavored early ’90s extravaganza about a horror author whose work literally drives his readers insane. It’s full of campy practical effects and over-the-top acting, but worthwhile all the same, especially if you’re a fan of video games like Alan Wake or Silent Hill.
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Absentia (Prime)
An early indie movie from writer/director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting Of Hill House), Absentia is essentially a story about missing people and the mysterious entity that may be behind their disappearances. It turns out they may not actually be gone after all, and somehow, that may even be worse. Be careful with this one–there’s also an unrelated TV series by the same name, so make sure you’re clicking the right one when you go to stream.
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Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (Prime)
The nature of reality and the existence of alternate dimensions are cornerstones of cosmic horror and it’s hard to exemplify that in a more literal way that actually, genuinely, sending your characters through a portal to hell. Hellbound is the second entry in the Hellraiser franchise and one of the best the series has to offer–but it is a direct sequel to the first Hellraiser movie, which is slightly less cosmic but definitely still worthwhile, so watch that one first.
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Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company
The Tattler twins are back at the freak show with the help of Jimmy, and Dot makes up a tale that helps Elsa’s control of the freak show while snagging a gig as the starring attraction.
Speaking of Jimmy, He and a band of freaks (including Amazon Eve, Ma Petite) rehearse an awesome cover to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” as Elsa looks on.
Meanwhile, Stanley reveals that he saw Dell at the gay bar: High Noon. This leads to Stanley extorting Dell’s help in getting one of the freaks for sale.
This leads to the horrible demise to one of our favorite Freak Show characters.
This leads to the horrible demise to one of our favorite Freak Show characters.
This weekend kicks off an absolute assault of spring sales, and if you’re looking to save money on some games, then there hasn’t been a better time in quite a while. The Xbox One store just revealed its slate of spring deals, all of which are available to snag now. Hundreds of games are on sale, including this year’s Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot as well as some of the best games of recent years like Red Dead Redemption 2, Resident Evil 2, and Mortal Kombat 11.
Ubisoft also has a number of its titles discounted. The Division 2 just saw the release of its Warlords of New York expansion and can currently be picked up for $10.49. Ghost Recon Breakpoint is also on sale and recently got a huge free update that added a new Immersive mode.
You can see the full sale over at the Xbox One Store, but be sure to check out our selection of the best deals below. If you’re looking to get a huge library of games you can play without any limits, then Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is only $1 for new subscribers’ first month. It grants you access to game libraries for Xbox One and PC as well as all of the benefits from Xbox Live Gold, including the free Games With Gold for April 2020.
