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When Dragon’s Dogma first came out, many people treated it as an amalgamation of all kinds of games, ranging from Shadow of the Colossus to Dark Souls, with hints of Monster Hunter and hues of The Elder Scrolls. Despite seeming to be a mish-mash of gameplay ideas and fantasy tropes, Dragon’s Dogma asserted an unwaveringly confident sense of self that people became enamored with. At the same time, some of its most ambitious efforts only proved successful at the expense of more standard details; characters were considered flat and it was plagued with technical issues.

Despite this, back in 2012, Dragon’s Dogma was a game that received a great deal of praise. GameSpot gave it an 8/10 score almost seven years ago. You can read our original review here.

The Switch port for Dragon’s Dogma is derived from the Dark Arisen version of the game, which has since become the standard form, and it performs spectacularly. It’s a magnificent world filled with goblins and griffins, prairies and palaces. Sometimes the road dissipates into forests and over precipices, out of foliage and under edifices. At all times, it’s alive, its beating heart pulsating in every creek and creeper dotted across its boundless landscape.

The controls are clean and intuitive, with combat wheels mapped to the bumpers. The left set of buttons commands ally pawns, whereas the right set triggers abilities. The game wonderfully juxtaposes real-time combat with tactical squad play, and runs smoothly throughout the entire experience. Perhaps the only issues that date the game are how stiff the characters are in certain cutscenes, and how lifeless some of the secondary voice acting is. It’s a world where everything seems awry, largely thanks to its diverse well of influences, so the voice acting does have a curious way of making things seem even more obscure. However, on occasion it uproots your sense of immersion. One second you’ll be traversing the wilds of the Witchwood, utterly encapsulated by the game’s charm; the next, you’ll remember that you’re not really in Gransys, but sitting on your sofa, listening to deadpan voice acting.

Dragon’s Dogma’s iconic and idiosyncratic opening sequence looks better than ever on Switch. The gargantuan dragon that plucks your heart from your chest does so in vivid color, and the sharp visuals make this extraordinary episode even more enchanting. In a way, this asserts the Switch port’s relevance to the contemporary circuit, as if it’s immediately attempting to make a case for why it deserves another look in 2019.

Another common critique of Dragon’s Dogma in the past was to do with its grey, earthy palette. Cassardis–the first town you come across on your adventures across the land of Gransys–was always considered the worst offender, its stone buildings standing amid a wish-wash of brown and green. However, as I walked the winding paths around the town’s outskirts in handheld mode, I became lost in a world of wonder.

On one occasion, I was playing before bed with the lights off. As the moon rose in the game and visibility was swallowed by the encroaching night, I drew my lantern, illuminating both my room in real life and the path ahead in Dragon’s Dogma. This begot a peculiar phenomenon that couldn’t ever be experienced on anything other than a handheld console. There’s a strange solemnity endowed in playing handheld, huddled up with the Switch close to your face, the sound turned down to conjure a quietness seamlessly locking with the surrounding atmosphere. In a way, it almost summons a sense of borrowed nostalgia for the handheld consoles of the 90s, playing with the lights out and sound off, lest you wake up your parents three hours after you feigned sleep to continue playing.

Dragon’s Dogma performs brilliantly in docked mode too. Technically, it’s a vast improvement from the original versions of the game, being closer to the performance of the newer, Dark Arisen re-releases. The aesthetic disparity between this version and older ones was immediately striking when it launched six years ago, and the Switch port follows suit spectacularly.

However, there’s something experiential about making the most of the Switch’s portable capabilities. Maybe it’s because Dragon’s Dogma is a slow-burner that prioritizes exploration over gratification, or maybe it’s due to the intimacy created by its vivid soundscapes and arresting visuals, but it’s easier to get lost in the small screen than a bigger one. When I played handheld, Dragon’s Dogma received my undivided attention–in fact, it demanded it. This is the first time Capcom’s iconic RPG has ever been condensed to a small screen, but it seems as if even the 2012 game was made for this exact purpose.

However, there’s more to it than that. When you consider Dragon’s Dogma’s vast array of influences, it becomes abundantly clear that several of them haven’t had the Switch treatment either. I named my main pawn Geralt, gave him white hair and yellow eyes, one of which was scarred, and had him specialize in sword fighting. However, it wasn’t until I saw him tangoing around the thrusts of a cyclops that I truly noticed how well-suited this kind of immersive RPG is to a handheld console. Switch porting is a phenomenon that’s still working out its own kinks, but large-scale open worlds previously considered incompatible with handheld consoles have found a welcome home on Switch, unfurling beautifully on the small screen. Games like Breath of the Wild and Skyrim already tested the Switch’s mettle, and now the ability to undertake odysseys across the worlds of Gransys and The Continent whilst sat on a train is another compelling option for those looking to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds. The Switch’s capacity to persuade you into utter immersion goes hand-in-hand with what fantasy is all about.

As for its mechanics, Dragon’s Dogma’s control mapping is refined and intuitive on the Switch. The Joy-Con layout allows for clean combinations and instinctive reactions, to the extent that action can be spontaneously taken instead of being the result of a measured calculation. You’re never pulled out to consider your next move–you just know what to do. Whether you’re a majestic mage or a belligerent brawler, even the most boisterous battles are uncluttered in makeup and meticulous in execution.

Dragon’s Dogma’s iconic pawn system functions in much the same way as it always did, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. Despite their intuitive AI in combat and world traversal, their occasionally endearing chatter is often overbearing. It’s intriguing hearing your main pawn describe a nearby encampment as a “bulwark against the forces of evil” early on, but when they mention it for the tenth time in 10 minutes, Dragon’s Dogma’s age betrays its appearance.

Unfortunately, the weakest aspects of Dragon’s Dogma are the same as they were seven years ago: its dialogue and voice acting. At times the cutscenes are at odds with how fresh the rest of the game looks, as characters make unnatural gestures that rarely match the tone of their words, and the secondary voice cast sounds dull and lifeless. It’s as if someone mapped voice lines to a control pad and simply pressed the relevant buttons in sequence, without respect for intonation, emotion, or expression. Luckily, this is only the case for the minor cutscenes–the major ones look phenomenal, and the writing is at its best in these short, sporadic bursts of tension.

In 2012, Dragon’s Dogma was considered an excellent game that made some questionable decisions. The Dark Arisen re-release rectified the majority of the issues the original game faced, mostly in terms of technical performance, but the Switch port continues to build on the game’s legacy because of how well-suited it is to handheld experience. However, even with its revamped graphics, updated mechanics, and improved functionality, it’s somehow managed to retain that same sense of weirdness that both complements it and stunts it, depending on the occasion. In the Witchwood, for instance, the sparse, disconcerting conversations affect the atmosphere in a wonderful way, playing upon the mysterious enchantments at work in this curious forest. However, in scenes with more urgency, it’s difficult to take characters seriously because of the deadpan delivery of the voice acting, and even with subtitles enabled it’s easy to miss what’s going on. The gameplay is fantastic, but the narrative is lackluster at crucial points in the story. Despite this, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen on Switch is a drastically improved version of a game already recognized as great, mostly thanks to the fact that you can hold the game’s wonderful world right in the palms of your hands.

As reported yesterday, a new update introduces a new difficulty mode to Kingdom Hearts III. The update, a set of two patches, will also implement a host of quality-of-life additions to enhance the game’s playability. They will be available later today.

Patch 1.04 will see Critical Mode–a new, higher difficulty setting–make its way to the game. In a tweet, director Tetsuya Nomura teased adjustments to the mode, saying, “We’ve changed things up from the previous games, so I hope you enjoy.”

The second patch, 1.05, will add 100 more photo slots–upping the total to 200–and introduce item carryover (such as Keyblades) to New Game+. Both patches will implement various fixes, but there are no specific details about what these fixes are.

Additionally, certain enemies have had changes made to their behavior, but again, no specifics were mentioned. Additionally, when at the Moogle Shop, you’ll be able to see which Synthesis items you’ve already synthesized; these will be designated by a checkmark.

The full patch notes were published by Square Enix in Japanese. You can see a translation courtesy of Kingdom Hearts Insider.

According to the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account, at least one of the patches will be released today at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET (3 AM BST on April 24).

BioWare has launched a new update for Anthem–introducing several balancing changes and features. Called Patch 1.1.0, the update adds The Sunken Cell stronghold, which becomes available once you’ve completed Anthem’s main campaign. Many of the new features introduced in the update add long-requested features to the game, such as the ability to change Javelin gear loadout during a mission.

Patch 1.1.0 allows you to select contracts from the start of any expedition, as opposed to needing to pick contracts from their corresponding boards in Fort Tarsis. You can also now immediately launch new missions after completing an expedition instead of having to return to Fort Tarsis and climb back into your Javelin. Patch 1.1.0 allows you to access the Forge during missions, strongholds, and freeplay too, so you can experiment with new gear loadouts without needing to return to Fort Tarsis first.

Several general changes have been made to Anthem as well. A new cortex entry has been added to the game that explains exactly how combo, detonator, and primer abilities work. Three new Masterwork components have been added to the game as well–an extended sniper rifle magazine, rapid hollow point ammo for machine pistols and autocannons, and extended special arms magazines for heavy pistols and grenade launchers.

The remaining changes are bug fixes and minor changes. For example, the bug causing the Arcanist Loyalty 3 trophy to remain locked on PS4 has been resolved, as has the issue causing challenge notifications to not appear correctly. New primer and detonator icons have been added in the cortex next to gear entries as well.

The full patch notes for Anthem’s latest update can be found on the game’s main website. Below, we’ve outlined the major gameplay balance adjustments now live in Anthem. Anthem is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Anthem Patch 1.1.0 Gameplay Balancing Changes

Masterwork Weapons

• Retaliation of Garretus – Trajector Machine Pistol
  • Increased bonus from 200% to 400%
• Rolling Carnage – Vengeance Shotgun
  • Increased bonus from 50% stacking 3 times, to 83.33% stacking 3 times.
• The Last Stand – Mauler Autocannon
  • Increased bonus from 200% to 225%
• Fist of Stral – Cloudburst Autocannon
  • Increased bonus from 10% stacking 10 times, to 16% stacking 10 times.
• Unending Battle – Fulcrum Machine Pistol
  • Increased bonus from 110% to 135%
• Death From Above – Guardian Marksman Rifle
  • Increased bonus from 65% to 235%
• Wyvern Blitz – Deadeye Sniper Rifle
  • Increased bonus from 40% to 185%

Masterwork Gear

• Colossus
  • Final Judgment – HE Mortar
    • Increased bonus from 35% to 55%
  • Fist of the Crucible – Flamethrower
    • Increased bonus from 12% *10 to 24% *10
• Interceptor
  • Serpent’s Veil – Venom Bomb
    • Increased bonus from 100% to 202.5%
  • Ruthless Stalker – Searching Glaive
    • Increased bonus from 60% to 110%
  • Bitter Harvest – Cluster Mine
    • Increased bonus from 60% to 110%
• Ranger
  • Cold Blooded – Frost Grenade
    • Increased bonus from 235% to 270%
  • Avenger’s Boon – Pulse Blast
    • Increased bonus from 210 % to 220%
• Storm
  • Ponder Infinity – Lightning Strike
    • Increased bonus from 60% to 165%
  • Chaotic Rime – Frost Shards
    • Increased bonus from 125% to 250%

Gear

• Friendly player projectiles should now be able to pass through Javelins in your squad.
• Colossus’ Firewall Mortar should now more reliably spawn the Firewall effect when directly hitting enemies, sloped surfaces, or next to walls.

Status Effects / Combos

• Delay between when players and creatures are frozen and when the visual effect is applied has been reduced to improve readability of the status effect.
• If a player applies a status effect that already exists on a target, but the new status effect has a higher damage than the existing one, the damage will now scale to that higher value.
• Players who prime targets for combos will now also see the “Combo” text when detonated by another player.
• Increased the damage of the Electric status effect when applied to creatures.

The games industry has been grappling with crunch as companies rush to complete projects by their release date, but staff at Epic Games have reportedly complained of similar conditions due to the explosive success of Fortnite.

Polygon reports that several current and former staff members spoke under the condition of anonymity about the crunch culture at the studio. While Epic had always needed to pull long hours at some points, developers felt they knew when the periods were coming and could prepare themselves. Fortnite was different because the wild popularity of its battle royale mode was so sudden and unexpected.

The result was reportedly long work weeks, some as much as 70-100 hours, with employees complaining of stress and unhealthy behaviors. While it wasn’t strictly required, they said, some employees were fired for missing deadlines after choosing not to work weekends. That helped create a culture of expectation for the long hours.

The studio was said to be impacted in other ways as well. One was a sudden influx of contract workers, who needed training to catch up with the rest of the work force. One source in customer service said the support requests went from 20-40 per day to 3,000, and so the company added 50 more contractors. The other was turnover, as some employees would quit. This period was punctuated with large bonuses, roughly three times their salary, and so some employees would stay to earn a few bonus checks before leaving.

A representative for Epic conceded many of the major points of the story to Polygon.

“People are working very hard on Fortnite and other Epic efforts,” a spokesperson said. “Extreme situations such as 100-hour work weeks are incredibly rare, and in those instances, we seek to immediately remedy them to avoid recurrence.”

The spokesperson also said that Fortnite “achieved a far higher level of success than we had ever anticipated” and that the team “rapidly expanded the game to grow the audience.”

Epic has taken some steps to remedy the situation, including mandatory break periods twice per year. One source said younger employees are still especially vulnerable to working long weeks, as the competition for promotions is fierce. The spike in long hours was a natural outcome of Epic shifting its infrastructure to support a live global service, but now that it has gotten there the workload is still heavy. The game’s seasonal nature requires Epic to put out substantial updates on a fixed schedule. One source described the current workload as “just endless.”

GameSpot contacted Epic Games, which declined further comment.

Godzilla is one of the most famous movie monsters of all time, but after the critical and commercial failure of the 1998 movie, it took another 16 years for him to return to the big screen in the US. Thankfully Gareth Edward’s 2014 movie Godzilla was a big hit and the follow up–Godzilla: King of the Monsters–hits theaters next month. The final trailer has now been released.

This trailer sets up the movie’s big conflict, between Godzilla and his terrifying nemesis–the three-headed King Ghidorah. Ghidorah is one of several monsters who have emerged from the depths of the Earth to wreak havoc, and only the Big G can stop him. The movie looks set to deliver action on an incredible scale–check the trailer out below.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), Kyle Chandler (Game Night), and Millie Bobbie Brown (Stranger Things), plus Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Ken Watanabe (Inception), and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton). It hits theaters on May 31. For more check out everything we know about Godzilla: King of the Monsters, plus this recent trailer.

In a recent interview with Collider, director Michael Dougherty spoke about how his movie will differ from its predecessor. “I hesitate to say it, but I would call it the Aliens to Gareth’s Alien,” he said. “So it’s a bit more on an ensemble film. The first movie was really about Brody’s character kind of weaving his way through that adventure and Monarch kind of was the backdrop for that. Here Monarch is the focus, because I find that concept really fascinating. The idea that there is a secret agency that tracks giant monsters–that is a dream come true for me too. I think if the government said to me, ‘Tomorrow you have to fake your own death and abandon everyone you know to go hunt the paranormal,’ I would be gone in a heartbeat.”

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the latest entry in Legendary Pictures’ so-called MonsterVerse, following Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. The fourth movie in the series will be Godzilla vs Kong, which is now in production and scheduled for a May 2020 release.

Epic began teasing a Fortnite crossover event with the upcoming blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, releasing an image that showed a character donning Captain America’s iconic shield. Now another piece of famed superhero equipment has been shown off: Thor’s enchanted axe, Stormbreaker.

Like the first teaser, this one quotes the “Whatever it takes” tagline from Endgame and gives a release date of April 25, along with the #FortniteXAvengers hashtag. We see less of the figure this time around, instead just barely seeing the hand clutching the axe. It stands to reason, though, that the event will let players use equipment like Cap’s shield and Stormbreaker, likely in a special limited-time mode.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor’s hammer was broken during the events of Thor: Ragnarok. He needed a new weapon to channel his power against Thanos, so he made a special trip to a star forge and helped to craft Stormbreaker. But when it finally came time to use the powerful new weapon, he struck Thanos in the chest, leaving the villain conscious enough to fulfill his plan to decimate half the population of the universe. Whoops!

This will be the second Fortnite crossover event with the MCU. The first introduced a limited-time mode that allowed you to equip the fabled Infinity Gauntlet (which would crash into the map early in a match) and turn into Thanos. But it was so strong that it got nerfed almost immediately.

Avengers: Endgame is releasing on April 26, though some screenings will take place the evening of April 25. Spoilers have started to leak on the Internet, so be sure to follow our very practical advice on how to avoid spoilers in the meantime. Meanwhile, Fortnite is also teasing its next seasonal changeover in-game, with several runes that have begun to slot into a vault at the bottom of Loot Lake.