A Great PS4 Game Is Free To Play All Weekend

This past generation was treated to a great Hitman reboot, and if you haven’t had the chance to play it for yourself, then now’s your chance. Developer IO Interactive announced on Twitter that Hitman is available to play for free on PS4 until May 3. Hitman has plenty of content to keep you busy all weekend, and if you like what you played, you can snag select Hitman titles at a discount of up to 85% off. Hitman: Game of the Year Edition is $9, down from $60, and comes with all of its content. You can even pick up Hitman 2 for $18, which also has a regular price of $60.

The latest Hitman games are both excellent. GameSpot’s Hitman review scored it an 8/10, while our Hitman 2 review also came with an 8/10, both praising its massively complex levels and seemingly endless possibilities. Each game was also celebrated in GameSpot’s respective Game of the Year awards–Hitman was in our top 25 games of 2016, while Hitman 2 was chosen as one of 2018’s best games.

In related news, PlayStation Plus’s free games for April 2020 are going away early next week. PS Plus users have until May 4 to claim Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Dirt Rally 2 before they go away forever. After that, the free PlayStation Plus games for May 2020 will become available. Next month’s offerings include the city-building simulator, Cities: Skylines, as well as Farming Simulator 19.

There are also quite a few free games to claim right now if you’re interested in more ways to keep yourself busy. Companies have been giving away their games to help with the current stay-at-home orders that require people to quarantine and self-isolate. It can be a difficult time when you’re away from friends and loved ones, so also be sure to check out our guide on the best TV, movies, and games for social distancing.

Now Playing: Hitman Episode One Video Review

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Evolution of Assassin’s Creed, From The Holy Land To Valhalla

With the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft’s popular history-based franchise dives into The Viking Age, which occurred between the ninth and eleventh centuries. Funnily enough, that’s right before the events of 2007’s Assassin’s Creed, the game that started this massive franchise in the first place–meaning Ubisoft has almost gone full circle.

Or at least it has in terms of its story. When it comes to gameplay, the franchise as a whole has been a steady evolution. What started as a stealth-driven action game has now become a franchise defined by its massive open worlds and action-focused combat. In the video above, Lucy James details this full transformation, describing how the mechanics and features of Assassin’s Creed have changed since 2007.

Full disclosure: the video only covers the mainline entries of Assassin’s Creed. That means we skip over handheld titles (like Assassin’s Creed Pirates and Assassin’s Creed Rebellion) and spin-offs (such as Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation and Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China). It’s not that those games haven’t contributed long-term gameplay traditions or storybeats too, but this video is already over 10 minutes long–it would be a monstrous task to cover all 22 Assassin’s Creed games.

Side note: Can you believe that there have been 22 (soon to be 23) Assassin’s Creed games in 13 years? Which one was your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

Apex Legends Season 5 Adds Quests, A New Game Mode

Apex Legends is getting a new mode, Quests, when Season 5: Fortune’s Favor starts in May and adds Loba as a playable character. Respawn hasn’t provided many details about Quests, but it sounds like it could be a single-player or multiplayer PvE game mode.

“When Apex Legends Season 5: Fortune’s Favor arrives on May 12, players will find a new game mode, Quests, that will have players hunting for treasure and answers each season,” Respawn writes in a press release. “Those who complete the journey will be richly rewarded.”

Though Respawn hasn’t confirmed it, Quests could be the “pleasant surprise” for Titanfall fans that the developer teased would be coming to Apex Legends in Season 5. A recent tweet, embedded below, that hinted at upcoming content for Apex Legends included images of what looks like a BRD-01 Automated Infantry Spectre, a robotic enemy found in the campaigns and multiplayer modes for Titanfall and Titanfall 2. If Quests does happen to be a PvPvE or PvE mode, then Spectres could be one of the enemy types.

This is the fastest that Respawn has added a new permanent mode to Apex Legends, as Quests is coming mere weeks after Duos became a permanent mode. The battle royale game launched with only one mode, Play Apex, which became the casual playlist when Ranked released alongside the launch of Season 2: Battle Charge. Duos was the next permanent mode added, implemented during the latter half of Season 4: Assimilation.

Now Playing: Apex Legends – “Legacy Of A Thief” Loba Character Story Trailer

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New Fortnite Nerf Blasters Are The Perfect Way To Annoy Your Roommate While Social Distancing

We’re all in a bizarre situation currently, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing us to stay at home, and have extremely limited contact with the outside world. So, from time to time, we need to introduce a little bit of fun and excitement into our lives at home. And what better way to do so than shooting your roommate with Nerf blasters?

We’re all getting a little bit of cabin fever at this point, and we all have a bit of pent-up energy. There is no better way to get rid of that energy than having a Nerf blaster war. And if you need to take a break from playing Fortnite, you can bring the video game into your home with a new line of Rippley-themed Nerf blasters.

The line of three blasters is coming exclusively to Best Buy in May, and a couple of them are repaints of Fortnite Nerf blasters from last year. But what’s really important is that these upcoming blasters are a lot of fun and a great way to assault your roommate when they eat all the ice cream, which you went to the store and bought for yourself.

Hasbro sent us a few from the new upcoming set to check out and to shoot around the house. Here they are along with a few details about them.

SP-Rippley

SP-Rippley
SP-Rippley
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  • Cost: $20
  • Retail date: May

This is just a repaint of Nerf’s Fortnite SP-L blaster from last year, but it’s still a great one. It comes with six darts and the detachable “silencer.” You can’t really silence a Nerf blaster because it’s already so quiet, but it sure does look cool, right? It’s pretty much the standard Nerf blaster that you cock back to shoot.

AR-Rippley

AR-Rippley
AR-Rippley
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  • Cost: $50
  • Retail date: May

Much like the SP-Rippley, this is a repaint of another Fortnite blaster. It comes with 20 darts, and it is fully automated, as long as you put some AA batteries in it. When the “engine” is ramped up, it sounds pretty awesome, and the darts fire very far. Does it hurt when you get shot with them? It’s a bit of a stinger and will get the person’s attention.

RL-Rippley

RL-Rippley
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  • Cost: $30
  • Retail date: May

Everything about the RL-Rippley is hilarious. It’s a Nerf bazooka that comes with two missiles, and it is a great representation of its in-game counterpart. And yes, if you get shot with it, it stings. It’s a very bulky blaster, but it’s just so absurd that you can let it’s size slide.

All of these blasters are coming to Best Buy in May.

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GDC 2020 Shifts To All-Digital Event

The Game Developers Conference is shifting plans once again in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Though it had been postponed to the summer, organizers now say it will shift to an all-digital event in order to keep participants safe and best serve the community.

“As so many game developers embrace remote working arrangements and online collaboration, we’re inspired to adapt and deliver GDC in a digital format that will be available to everyone with an internet connection, and will work hard to deliver the high-quality content and networking opportunities GDC attendees have come to expect,” organizers said in a statement on the official site.

GDC usually takes place in San Francisco in March. As the global health situation became more pressing, organizers at first announced it would move ahead with extra precautions to stem the spread of the virus. Shortly after, it postponed to an indefinite time in the summer, and then in March it announced new dates: August 4-6. This new announcement references the event still taking place in August.

As opposed to consumer-facing shows like E3 and Gamescom, GDC is built for those who work in the industry to network and share insights. Details on how it will facilitate its usual slate of panels and other events digitally are still forthcoming.

Meanwhile, E3 2020 has been canceled and the ESA will not be hosting a replacement digital event, instead leaving it up to individual publishers to set their own events. Gamescom, which takes place in late August in Cologne, Germany, has announced plans to shift to an all-digital event.

Now Playing: E3 2020 Canceled – How Sony, Microsoft, & Nintendo Have Responded

John Wick Directors To Assist With Matrix 4 Choreography

Directors and former stuntmen Chad Stahelski and David Leitch announced today that they’re returning to The Matrix series to help coordinate the upcoming fourth instalment’s action scenes. In an interview with Collider, the pair discussed coming aboard not to assume full responsibility for guiding all of the movie’s action, but to assist director Lana Wachowski by lending a hand with “the creative concept” and “the choreography and some of the physical training for the guys.”

“I’m helping out a little bit for a sequence, I think Dave [Leitch is] helping out for a sequence,” Stahelski told Collider. “Lana’s come back with a lot of love to have a pseudo-family reunion, so that’s been a lot of fun. It’s been good to see a lot of the crew members again.”

As for what he thinks of the movie so far, Stahelski praises Wachowski for “directing her own action” and said “I think if you’re a fan of the original [Matrix] trilogy you’re gonna love this.” He adds that “from what I know of it, it’s incredibly fun” and that the series is “coming back with a vengeance.”

Stahelski and Leitch have a long history with The Matrix and star Keanu Reeves: both worked on the films’ stunts, with Stahelski standing in as Reeves’ stunt double. More recently, Leitch directed Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde. He was also an uncredited co-director on the first John Wick film alongside Stahelski, who continued as director for John Wick’s second and third instalments.

The overlaps between The Matrix and John Wick don’t stop there. Though the dates are unlikely to hold among so many other film delays, the fourth Matrix and John Wick were originally planned to share a May 21, 2021 release date. In mid-March, though, the coronavirus pandemic caused The Matrix 4 to halt production just before it was set to shift shooting locations from San Francisco to Berlin.

For more on The Matrix 4, check out a round-up of the details we’ve gathered to date, a set video captured before filming was postponed, and, just to help keep your expectations in check, an argument for why we should maybe be content with the Matrix trilogy as it already is.

If you’re looking for even more on the latest in entertainment, check out GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. New episodes premiere every Wednesday and can either be watched as videos over on GameSpot Universe or listened to in audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.

MagiCat on Steam: Free Keys for IGN Prime Subscribers

IGN Prime has partnered with TOGE Productions to bring you Steam keys for MagiCat, a side-scrolling platformer inspired by retro games from the 16-bit era.

MagiCat takes players on a quest to retrieve a stolen artifact and explore the astounding magical worlds of the MagiCat universe. Using the powers of dashing, high jump, and fireball, along with items that can be unlocked as the story progresses, players must help MagiCat regain the world’s lost relic. Players will indulge in a memorable adventure packed with excitement and addictive gameplay and game features.

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Click here to get your free key to MagiCat on PC. Keys are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Every month, the IGN Prime team provides members an opportunity to grab great games and goodies picked by the Prime team.

Free Yooka-Laylee Update Adds New 64-Bit Graphics Mode

It’s already a few years old but developer Playtonic Games has unveiled a new mode for Yooka-Laylee on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. You can now play the bubbly platformer in super-nostalgic 64-bit graphics for free.

Accessing the free update is easy: Talk to Vendi, the creepy-looking anthropomorphic vending machine, and she will give you the 64-bit tonic. Drink that up and get ready to take a trip back to the ’90s with blocky graphics reminiscent of Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Donkey Kong 64, Super Mario 64, and the like.

In addition to this new character model for the bat-chameleon duo Yooka and Laylee, Playtonic also added in the Yooka 64 model from the 2D side-scrolling spin-off Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.

Yooka-Laylee originally launched in 2017 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The platformer later joined Xbox Game Pass in October 2019, the same month the side-scrolling spin-off dropped. We scored both Yooka-Laylee and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair a 6/10 in our reviews.

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May 2020 Game Releases: Minecraft Dungeons, Maneater, and More

We’re well into the second quarter of 2020, and the game releases show no signs of stopping. While April had a pair of heavy-hitters with Resident Evil 3 and Final Fantasy VII Remake, May is looking a little quieter. But just because there aren’t as many blockbusters heading our way doesn’t mean we’ll have a lack of new releases. Here’s a look at the biggest video games coming out in May 2020.

Minecraft Dungeons

minecraft-dungeonsRelease Date: May 26

What if Minecraft, but dungeon crawling? I have to assume those were the exact words that popped into the mind of whoever came up with this game. But it’s no cheap Diablo knockoff. It has a number of smart ideas of its own. Check out our Minecraft Dungeons preview for more.

Maneater

maneater

Release Date: May 22

You take control of a shark in this open-world game that lets you evolve your predator from a young fish into a vicious, uh, man-eater. Read our Maneater preview to get an idea of how it all works.

Saints Row: The Third Remastered

saints-rowRelease Date: May 22

The Saints Row series has proven that the GTA formula works just fine when you crank up the comic absurdity to 11. This remastered edition features improved graphics and over 30 pieces of DLC. Check out our Saints Row: The Third Remastered preview for more info.

2K Collections on Switch

bioshockRelease Date: May 29

  • BioShock: The Collection: Amazon
  • Borderlands Legendary Collection: Amazon
  • XCOM 2 Collection: Amazon

If you’re a Switch-owning fan of 2K games, mark May 29 on your calendar. The publisher is dropping three collections of its popular games on the hybrid device all at once.

Other May 2020 Game Releases

Forza Street (May 5)

Someday You’ll Return (May 5)

Void Bastards (May 7)

Super Mega Baseball 3 (May 13)

Those Who Remain (May 15)

  • PS4 | Xbox One

The Wonderful 101: Remastered (May 19)

Total Tank Simulator (May 20)

Arcade Spirits (May 22)

Star Wars Episode I: Racer (May 26)

  • Switch

Shantae and the Seven Sirens (May 28)

  • PS4 | Xbox One | Switch | PC

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (May 29)

Ninjala (May 27)

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus (May)

For a broader look at 2020, check out the rest of the games announced for this year.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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3 New Baby Yoda Funko Pops Revealed–Check Them Out

The first Baby Yoda Funko Pop, which finally releases next month, quickly became the best-selling Funko Pop of all time. Unsurprisingly, Funko has already created a few new Baby Yoda Funko Pops that you can pre-order now. While we have to wait until this fall to watch Baby Yoda’s next appearance in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, at least his new Pop figures look back at some of his most adorable moments from Season 1.

Check out the trio of new Baby Yoda Pops below, two of which release in July, while the deluxe Television Moment set (featuring a cameo from Mando) arrives in September.

Baby Yoda with Frog | $11

Baby Yoda enjoying a mid-afternoon snack
Baby Yoda enjoying a mid-afternoon snack

Baby Yoda is a small little Force-wielder, but he doesn’t mess around when it comes to food. This Pop commemorates the moment when we learned that Baby Yoda’s favorite snack is live frogs. You can pre-order Baby Yoda and the poor froggy for $11 now ahead of its July release.

Baby Yoda with Cup | $11

Baby Yoda minding his own business with a hot cup of soup
Baby Yoda minding his own business with a hot cup of soup

Baby Yoda sipping soup is a glorious meme that has spread far and wide across the internet. It makes total sense that you can soon own the meme in vinyl figure form. This Pop releases in July and is available to pre-order for $11.

The Mandalorian and Child Pop Vinyl Television Moment | $30

Mando and Baby Yoda going on an adventure

Funko’s movie and TV “Moments” collection is filled with some of the cooler Pop vinyls, mainly because they typically come with custom stands that distinguish themselves from regular Pops. The Mandalorian and Child Television Moment features a normal-sized Mando next to a tiny Baby Yoda in his bassinet gliding across the dusty barren terrain on an adventure.

Now Playing: Baby Yoda’s Best Moments In The Mandalorian