Much of the joy to be found in the wonderful Outer Wilds is tied to discovery, and as such, the game should be experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible. So go. Go play it, if you haven’t already, and be prepared to experience one of the most poignant, affecting, and surprising game experiences of 2019. Go. You won’t regret it.
How about this? Outer Wilds is the game 2019 so badly needed. The world we’re all living in now has never felt more overwhelming, and at times it’s hard to see past all the division, bile, negativity, and pessimism that surrounds us. Outer Wilds is pure, a haven in the way it emphasizes connection over conflict. This isn’t a game about mastery, about conquering the odds, about imposing your will over your enemies by shooting bullets or swinging swords or executing the perfect parry. Outer Wilds is about the pursuit of knowledge purely for knowledge’s sake. It’s about the pure bliss that can come from the discoveries you make when you let curiosity get the better of you.
The game is filled with such moments of bliss. Every planet and moon (and every corner of those planets and moons) holds fragments of Outer Wilds’ overall story, and the awe and realisation you feel as you connect what you thought were disparate strands of knowledge together is immensely rewarding. Outer Wilds rewards your every curious whim. What’s behind this waterfall? Why is this planet hollowed out? What’s that strange, solitary light in the distance? Following what intrigues you in Outer Wilds almost always leads to a surprising new insight.
Of course, you have to be open to letting your curiosity get the better of you. I’ll be honest: Outer Wilds didn’t gel with me at first. The game’s controls felt unwieldy, its pace slow, and outside of the Groundhog Day-like conceit of reliving the same 20-minute period over and over again, it didn’t seem to feel special. But then the most curious person I know joined me: my 10-year-old son. He sat next to me, and started asking questions. What’s over there? What happens when you do this? Do you think there’s any way someone can land on that thing? As we played together–me at the controls, my son following his imagination–I got swept up, too. Outer Wilds reminded me that there are few things more amazing than a child’s imagination, while at the same rekindling my own. In Outer Wilds, discovery is both the goal and the reward, and it’s remarkable how that can make you feel.
*You can also purchase Outer Wilds digitally on PSN, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.
In Disco Elysium, you take on the role of an amnesiac detective in a downtrodden world of a barely functioning society. At the start, you don’t have a name, your equipment, or any semblance of who you once were. You wake up hungover in a trashed hotel room within a grim town that doesn’t take a liking to you at first. So, what’s in it for you, the player? One of the most revered RPG experiences in recent memory.
Once you build out your character’s initial psyche and disposition through a diverse skill tree, you’re off to explore a contained but dense world, converse with its fascinating characters, and unravel the intruiging mysteries that sprawl well beyond the initial murder investigation. The body that’s hanging outside of your hotel might be the first priority, but you soon find yourself dealing with politics, racism, heartache, and the unforeseen consequences of your choices along the way. Your partner Kim Kitsuragi is there as a guide most of the way, looking out for you whether or not he appears to care, but also as someone who provides a necessary and defined perspective.
At every step of the way, your in-game conscience informs the decision-making process, providing different perspectives on situations. It’s also how you begin to role-play, essentially building your character through choices as you naturally progress in Disco Elysium. The game isn’t just an achievement from an RPG standpoint, but also as a marvel in impactful writing that can be poignant and comedic at the right times, or at the same time. Admittedly, for a game that revolves around reading and interpretation, stellar writing is a must, but Disco Elysium delivers in spades. — Michael Higham
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.
The Finest Games On Xbox One This Year
As 2019 comes to an end, Microsoft is looking onwards to the 2020 launch of its next-gen console, currently codenamed Project Scarlett. That doesn’t mean that the Xbox One is an obsolete system, however, as Microsoft’s current-gen console continues to see the release of excellent triple-A and indie games.
In the following gallery, we cover the five best games to release on Xbox One in 2019. In terms of first-party releases, 2019 was another rough year for Microsoft’s console–at least, in comparison to PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Though Gears 5 was critically well-received, the only other first-party title to release for Xbox One, Crackdown 3, wasn’t. Both games didn’t make GameSpot’s best games of 2019 list either, which is why neither one is included in this gallery.
That said, Xbox One could see a much stronger 2020. As discussed in GameSpot’s Microsoft 2019 Report Card, this year was one of growth, with Microsoft making moves with game subscription services, studio acquisitions, new hardware, and more–all of which could lead to positive developments in 2020.
If you’re curious about what else we’ve highlighted as the best games in other categories, be sure to check out all our end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2019 hub. You can also check out our top 10 games of 2019. Over the next few days, we will offer further insight into why we picked them as the best of 2019, with a standalone article going live on-site in order of the games’ release dates. Then, on December 17, we will reveal which of them gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot’s Best Game of 2019.
Like the emotionless metal mask she wears, Marvel Comics’ Iron Maiden is something of a blank slate. The character was introduced as far back as 1982 in the pages of Marvel Fanfare as an assassin tracking Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. We know her real name, Melina Vostokoff, and that Rachel Weisz will be playing a character with that name in the 2020 Black Widow solo film. But other than that, most details about the live-action version of the character remain hidden.
We can look to the comics to fill in her story some. Who is this mysterious Marvel assassin? And what role might she play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let’s take a closer look at the masked assassin obsessed with vengeance — Melina Vostokoff, a.k.a. Iron Maiden. These are the topics we’ll be covering here:
Nintendo has posted a tweet reminding fans to watch The Game Awards, which takes place today at 5:30pm PT.
While the tweet contains no information beyond a link to The Game Awards website, it has caused a ripple in the fan base, with many replying to the tweet with speculation about what Nintendo has to show at the ceremony. If the company was intending to tease something, it’s certainly captured people’s attention.
Amazon’s Deal of the Day today is all about gaming PC hardware and accessories. You can save on gaming laptops from Razer, Acer, and ASUS, as well as HP Pavilion desktops. Need a monitor? Need a gaming mouse, racing wheel, or microphone? All that and more is on sale. But like all daily deals, this one goes away at midnight. If you see something you want, scoop it up. You’ll find all the deals listed out here, or you can check out our picks below.
The Diamond Casino Heist is now available in Grand Theft Auto V‘s online mode. Described as “the most sophisticated and daring robbery the city of Los Santos has ever seen,” the latest heist tasks you with breaking into The Diamond Casino & Resorts’s safe and stealing everything inside.
To plan a score this big you’ll need to acquire the new Arcade property and get the operation off the ground by stocking it with playable retro arcade cabinets.
There are 12 new playable games, including:
Badlands Revenge II: The peaceful frontier has been invaded by marauders, road agents, thieves, and revenue men. Use your weapons wisely to rid the prairie of the desperados and outlaws that threaten your very way of life.
The Wizard’s Ruin: An evil wizard has kidnapped Grog and stolen him away to a terrifying fortress. Now Thog must fight through enchanted forests, ghastly swamps, labyrinths of decay and battle terrifying enemies to rescue his brother with only his mighty sword and magical engorging potions found along the way.
Race and Chase – Street Legal: It’s a race across the heartland and through America’s densest metropolises in a flashy sports car. Crank up the tunes and blast past obstacles as you do your best to avoid pedestrians and hairy beasts on the highway.
Race and Chase – Crotch Rockets: Soup up your superbike and rage havoc on the highway in this race against time through city and suburb while you steer clear of obstructions and avoid eating asphalt.
Race and Chase – Get Truckin’: Rev up your truck and race at breakneck speeds across America as you and your canine companion avoid obstacles like slow drivers and the occasional wandering sasquatch to beat the clock and take home glory.
Space Monkey 3: Bananas Gone Bad: The villainous Dr. Dank has hijacked all cargo spaceships from Ecuadorian 5 Quadrant and used his transmogrification ray to turn the bananas evil. What do you do when the only thing you ever loved turns against you? Now Space Monkey must fight the evil bananas and defeat Dr. Dank. The future of evolution hangs in the balance.
Shiny Wasabi Kitty Claw: Princess Robot Bubblegum’s new bestie Shiny Wasabi Kitty brings her anime whimsy to the classic arcade claw machine where luck could grab you a fantastic prize.
Nazar Speaks Fortune Teller: The timeless clairvoyant Madame Nazar masters the spiritual medium to read your future and fortune. Do great riches await? Is love just around the corner? Will the hands of fate send you to an early grave in a freak, easily avoidable accident? Find out now.
The Love Professor: BFF or basically platonic, the Love Professor will diagnose you and a partner to determine if the diagnosis is divorce, getting flirty, friends with benefits or the kind of love you only hear about in hairband power ballads.
Defender of the Faith (Degenatron classic): The classic arcade game that spawned many imitators of its novel and complex gameplay. Secure your immortality and place in the afterlife by saving the green dot with your fantastic flying red square.
Monkey’s Paradise (Degenatron classic): This simian simulator took arcades by storm in the 80s. Swing from green dot to green dot with your red square monkey and show the world who is at the top of the food chain.
Penetrator (Degenatron classic): In the deep dark reaches of space, an evil menace threatens earth. Smash the green dots inside the mysterious red square and save humanity.
Once you’re done purveying each of the 80s-themed arcade cabinets, the basement planning area is where the real work begins. There are three planning boards, a place to store sourced getaway vehicles and heist prep equipment, plus a few staging areas where you can practise cracking vaults and hacking doors with your crew. Much like other GTA Online heists, you’ll need to gather intel and take on preparatory missions before forging ahead to the big show. You’ll have the option to go the extra mile during these missions, too, by documenting various entry points, destroying supply shipments, and gathering intel on security systems from an old associate and former Casino employee. Doing this will reward you with extra choices during the heist, as more routes, approaches, and options like getaway decoys open up.
Hiring the right support team members is also key to a successful heist. Lester’s network of contacts includes drivers, gunmen, and hackers, each with their own skillsets and prices attached.
There are three distinct approaches to choose from when planning the Diamond Casino Heist, with multiple ways to execute each one. You can opt for Silent & Sneaky to enter undetected and try to make off with the spoils before anyone even knows you were there. The Big Con route, meanwhile, lets you masquerade as maintenance staff, pest control, or other contractors. While the Aggressive approach throws all of that out the window to go full-on guns blazing. Whichever approach you pick, you’ll have a series of choices for how you want to complete every step of the heist. If your attempts at stealth or subterfuge fail, that doesn’t mean the heist is over. You’ll still be able to continue the mission by adapting to any changing scenarios.
The Diamond Casino Heist also introduces five new heist vehicles, ranging from luxury sports cars, an SUV, and a maxed-out hatchback. In addition to this, Warstock Cache & Carry is getting a fleet of six vehicles you can buy, including a Fire Truck, Bugstars van, and Gruppe Sechs Stockade.
You can go in guns blazing or approach the heist more covertly.
When you’re cruising around Los Santos in your new ride, you’ll also find some new tunes on the radio. Tune in to iFruit Radio and host Danny Brown, along with UK rapper and producer Skepta, will cherry-pick the hottest music from around the world, featuring previously unreleased songs from Baauer x Channel Tres ft Danny Brown, Denzel Curry & YBN Cordae, Pop Smoke and slowthai, in addition to favorites from DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, J Hus, Skepta, Travis Scott, and more.
On top of all this, there are also signal jammers spread out across Los Santos. Find and destroy each to earn a reward and get an expert hacker on your side who might come in handy during the new heist. There are also new clues related to the mystery of the Los Santos Slasher, and new Twitch Prime benefits. Rockstar Games Social Club members who have linked their accounts with Twitch Prime by Sunday, December 8 will be able to buy the Pixel Pete’s Arcade Property in Paleto Bay for free. Any Twitch Prime members in good standing who buy this specific property at full price will be given a 100% rebate within 72 hours after purchasing it. Visit the official Twitch Prime page to claim the benefits.
The update accompanying the release of the Diamond Casino Heist has implemented a significant number of tweaks and improvements to GTA Online’s Freemode, such as reducing the amount of phone calls and text messages received on your iFruit phone, limits on how often and quickly players can call out the Oppressor MKII or trigger Easy Way Out, and much more.
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Resident Evil 3 Remake Release Date & More From Sony’s State Of Play – GS News Update
PS4 Firmware Update 7.01 Now Available – GS News Update
Watchmen Episode 8 “A God Walks Into Abar” Breakdown
As a remake of a 20-year-old game, you might wonder what cool secrets are hidden in the Resident Evil 3 remake trailer. What is new and what has changed in the upcoming PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions? Quite a lot, actually. So in addition to unearthing the usual secrets in the Rewind Theater (you can find that video above), we’ll also point out cool callbacks to the previous games and try to explain just what the heck went down in Raccoon City — from the perspective of S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine, reprising her role as the protagonist from the first game.
Here’s the trailer in its entirety. We break it down, frame-by-frame above. However, you can also read through the time stamps below to see what we found, and check out screenshots with all the stuff we found, too, in the slideshow below.
We’re rolling out sneak peeks for Netflix’s The Witcher all month long as part of our IGN First exclusive set visit. Keep it locked right here for never-before-seen interviews and behind the scenes footage of the White Wolf, Ciri, and Yennefer. And be sure to check out The Witcher when it premieres on Netflix on Friday, December 20, 2019.
On a chilly afternoon back in April 2019, we were driven to a remote location about 45 minutes outside of downtown Budapest on our second day visiting the set of Netflix’s The Witcher. The site was located on a stretch of lush green land surrounded by rolling hills and old ruins, which served as the backdrop for an action-packed sequence involving the powerful sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerberg.
Netflix has revealed the final trailer for The Witcher TV show on its UK Twitter account, and it provides us with a nice overview of what we can expect from the overarching story.
elves, witchers, gnomes, monsters, battles, good, evil, horses, HENRY CAVILL, life, death, magic – it’s almost time for The Witcher! pic.twitter.com/d4DnlR5P7Q
While filled with clanging swords and marching troops, the voice clips used through the trailer emphasises the threat that the Nilfgaardian Empire poses to the world, with Yennefer suggesting that their army has the might to destroy everything. It’s also hinted that Nilfgaard are looking for Princess Ciri, who seems key to the whole conflict. Henry Cavill’s Geralt vows to find and protect her, indicating he’ll have more of a role than just a simple monster slayer in this story.
