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This week, Rockstar Games launched the beta for Red Dead Online, the hotly anticipated multiplayer mode for Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4 and Xbox One. Much like in the original game, players will be able to take part in missions, themed events, and take out rival players as they explore the massive open world at their leisure. This time, however, Red Dead Online is taking more cues from Grand Theft Auto V‘s online mode, allowing you to create your own character and build up their influence as they rub shoulders with some of Red Dead’s most well-known individuals.

With the beta, players will get an early look at what to expect from the online experience of Red Dead 2. Unlike the main story, the entire map is available to explore early on, allowing you to freely move about once you’ve gotten your feet wet. During our time spent exploring and taking part in a variety of events, we had a number of takeaways of how Red Dead Online functions as a whole, which we’ve detailed here in this feature. In addition to some familiar faces making a return, we’ve also gotten a better look at the new character progression system, which is a big change from the main story. There was certainly a lot to take in with how Red Dead Online works, be sure to share your thoughts below on what stuck out for you with the new mode.

Rockstar plans to gradually roll more players into the beta. So far, it’s just limited those who played the game in the initial days after launch or if you own the ultimate edition. In the coming days, more players players will be able to dive in and experience the online mode. If you want to see when you can play, check out our write-up here.

For more on Red Dead Online, be sure to keep up with our continuing coverage. And if you’re still playing the main story, be sure to check out our guide on the hidden weapons in the game, along with some other strange events and easter eggs that are worth keeping an eye out for.

It’s Set Before The Main Story

Taking place sometime before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2’s story–just prior to the disastrous Blackwater heist that forced the Van der Linde gang on the run–you’ll play as a newly incarcerated prisoner in Sisika Penitentiary. After creating your character, you’ll quickly dive into the lengthy tutorial detailing the new systems–such as the new ability cards, multiplayer, and co-op, you’ll also get to know some of the new characters exclusive to the online mode. Once you’ve set up your own camp, you’re free to take part in a number of activities, which include horse racing, co-op missions, and of course competitive gunfights with rivals. By setting the online mode’s story before the main game’s plot, it will allow newcomers and those that haven’t finished the main story to dive into the different setting spoiler-free.

Familiar Faces Return

While exploring the online world, you’ll come across many new characters in your travels who won’t be seen outside of Red Dead Online. However, some missions will not only have you cross paths with some returning characters from Red Dead 2, but also those from the previous game. In one early mission, your character will meet up with the Davies brothers, who helped Arthur Morgan flip stolen horses during the main story. In RDO, they assist you with purchasing horses and supplies, and will even offer up a free upgrade from your default steed. In another, more surprising appearance, players will meet up with Bonnie MacFarlane, a returning character from the original game who is notably absent from Red Dead 2’s single-player story. Just like in GTA Online, you’ll see different sides of some returning characters, as they task you with helping them out with various missions.

There’s A Battle Royale Mode

Similar to Red Dead 1’s online mode, there are a variety of gameplay modes to dive into. In addition to free-roam, letting you loose in the open world, there’s also a suite multiplayer modes called the Showdown Series. By selecting this option, you can join different multiplayer modes, including team-deathmatch, capture the territory, and free-for-all. However, Red Dead Online is also taking cues from the biggest trend in recent years, allowing you to take part in the open world western’s take on the popular battle royale game-mode. Known as Make It Count, this mode puts 32 players together in a large-scale skirmish to see who’s the top outlaw. Armed with a bow and arrow, and along with a knife, you’ll have to use your wits and quick reflexes to stay one step ahead of the others, all while the field of battle shrinks down. Here’s a list of the multiplayer modes on-hand in RDO.

• Shootout & Team Shootout: Classic gunfight modes with unlimited lives. Compete to rack up the most kills before the timer runs out. Sudden death will trigger in the event of a tie: whoever gets the first kill wins.
• Make it Count: A true test of resourcefulness in two game modes: use nothing but a bow and a handful of arrows or throwing knives to be the last one standing. With a gradually shrinking player area, there’s nowhere to run.
• Most Wanted: A tactical race to the top. Every kill pushes you up the scoreboard, but watch out: the closer to the top you are, the more points everyone else gets for killing you.
• Hostile Territory: Work in teams to control the land. Capture a territory to start racking up points: the team with most points wins – or you can win outright by capturing every territory.
• Name your Weapon: Demonstrate your personal specialty in this free-for-all or team based match: the trickier the weapon you use to land the killing blow, the more points you get.

Character Growth Works A Bit Differently

In Red Dead Redemption 2’s campaign, the Cores systems divide Arthur’s attributes across three different areas: Health Stamina, and Dead Eye. To upgrade these areas, you simply have to perform actions associated to each area, which included hunting, fist-fighting, shooting, and sprinting long distances. While the basic concept of Cores carry over to Red Dead Online, actual character growth is very different. During character creation, you’ll be able to form the basis of your character’s stats–letting you put points into whichever attributes you prefer. Your character will gradually rank up after gaining enough experience points and acquire Ability Vouchers to unlock new perks–including the perk A Moment To Recuperate, which allows health regen during Dead Eye. With up to four perks available to you, one focused on Dead Eye, and the others offering passive traits that help you and your teammates, you’ll be able to gradually mold your character into the style of outlaw you wish.

The New Economy

Over the course of your journey moving up the outlaw ladder in New Hanover and New Austin, you’ll slowly acquire more funds to purchase better gear and resources. Many of the systems and the economy from the base game carry over, but with the online mode, there have been some changes to make things a bit more balanced. In addition to access being restricted by your level, many of the items are much more expensive compared to the single-player mode. Along with earning cold, hard cash money from fallen enemies, completing missions, and looting chests, you’ll also acquire gold, which is used to purchase premium items. Unsurprisingly, many of the more elite items in Online will require gold, which can be found on your own, or purchased with real money (though this option is not yet available).

There’s much more to see and find in Red Dead Online, and we’re still learning more about what the mode has to offer. Be sure to check out our roundup of all the details in RDO.

Red Dead Online:

[Update: The price has gone back up to $60. It might be worth checking the link again to see if it dips back down.] Daily Steals is a retailer that sells a range of products both on its own site and through Facebook. As we saw during the lead-up to Black Friday, the Facebook side of the operation occasionally offers ridiculously good deals. The only problem? Stock is limited, so the best deals can sell out in seconds. That said, right now Daily Steals is selling Spider-Man for PS4 for just $30. Our advice? If you want it, grab it quickly.

There are two caveats lurking behind this deal. One is that you need a Facebook account to get it. The other is that the game comes with the Latin American packaging, which the retailer says differs from the US version only in the language of the text on the box. PS4 games are region free, so it will play just fine on US consoles, and it still has English language dialog. But if having Spanish or Portuguese on the box bothers you, you’ll want to wait for a different deal.

As for the game itself, it’s fantastic. Critic Edmond Tran awarded it 9/10 in GameSpot’s Spider-Man review, writing, “The feeling of embodying Spidey and using his abilities is astonishing, and the time spent on exploring its major characters help make its story feel heartfelt, despite superhero bombast. There have been open-world Spider-Man games before, but none so riveting and full of personality, none that explore and do justice to this many facets of the universe. Insomniac has created a superior Spider-Man experience that leaves a lasting impression, one that has you longing for just one more swing around New York City, even after the credits roll.”

Spider-Man’s DLC expansions are still rolling out. Two episodes are available now, with the third and final one due by the end of the year.

With the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse nearly upon us, the reviews are in. The movie is Sony’s first feature-length animated Spidey adventure, and it features no fewer than six different versions of the wall-crawler. It’s produced by The Lego Movie’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with a screenplay by Lord, and the voicecast includes Shameik Moore (The Get Down) as Miles Morales and Jake Johnson (Jurassic World) as Peter Parker, plus Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee), Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), and Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage).

Sony’s last movie to feature characters from Spider-Man comic books was Venom, which was met with very mixed reviews. However, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has so far received an extremely positive reaction–it currently stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 82% on Metacritic. And of course, Venom went on to be a huge box office success, so there’s every expectation that Into the Spider-Verse will also be a big hit, especially as it arrives in theaters just before the Holidays, on December 14. So let’s take a look at the reviews…

GameSpot — no score

“Its heart is pretty simple. Anyone, anywhere, has the power to be as heroic and as special as Spider-Man. It may seem a bit saccharine, typed out in so many words, but it’s a message that superhero comics–that Spider-Man comics specifically–have been touting for ages, and something that’s been long overdue for a big screen debut. It probably wouldn’t work if Into The Spider-Verse weren’t just so funny, self aware, and bleeding-edge modern–but it is, and it does. The end result is an instant animated classic, and, with any luck, the first of many of its kind.” — Michael Rougeau [Full review]

Collider — A

“I had high hopes for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the movie surpassed them. Having seen three different iterations of Spider-Man in the past 16 years, I assumed that Spider-Verse would be backed into a corner with its only cards to play being Miles Morales instead of Peter Parker and animation instead of live-action. Instead, it has surpassed the other Spider-Man movies by breaking down the character without ever losing sight of an entertaining, lovely story. If you feel like you’ve seen all the Spider-Man you can handle, just wait. You haven’t seen anything yet.” — Matt Goldberg [Full review]

AV Club — B+

“In the end it plays more like a celebration of both insane comics continuity and the mutable nature of superhero identification. Characters endlessly derived from a single superhero power-set can be hackneyed, but when the movie bands a bunch of those characters together with a lead Spidey of black and Latino heritage, it’s making a convincing case for how familiar superheroes can refresh themselves when new faces take up the mantle. For that matter, it makes a cleverly self-serving case for an animated spin-off of a much-adapted character. This is the seventh Spider-Man feature film in 16 years, but this universe has rarely felt so fresh.” — Jesse Hassenger [Full review]

The Hollywood Reporter — no score

“It helps to be well-versed in Spider-Man lore to fully appreciate Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a free-wheeling, fast-and-loose, strikingly animated addition to one of the biggest library of films in the Marvel collection. Faced with the challenge of how to further expand the franchise without sating both the character and fans, Marvel and Sony have borrowed from the comics to introduce a fresh origin story that both references the past and swings into a new, thoroughly multicultural and multi-Spidified future.” — Todd McCarthy [Full review]

Den of Geek — 5/5

“That Miles Morales can share the screen with one of the most recognizable icons in all of pop culture and still clearly be the hero of his own story is impressive, and a testament to the obvious love that went into crafting both the character and his world. Delivering that kind of emotion in a movie this big and brash is no small task. It’s the kind of achievement that brings to mind the adjectives usually attached to one of Peter Parker’s comic books. Amazing. Spectacular. Sensational.” — Mike Cecchini [Full review]

Uproxx — A

“I love this movie and I love that it exists. I love that Sony took a risk on a (yes) somewhat complicated premise and turned it into something unique and funny and daring (and weird). I don’t always love the concept of “rooting” for movies to be financially successful, but I do hope Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse succeeds and sets off, not just a few more of these Miles Morales Spider-Man films, but also a whole plethora of studio-backed animated superhero films that can take real chances. This animated movie has more heart and emotion than most live actions films of this genre.” — Mike Ryan [Full review]

Screenrant — 4.5/5

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse offers nearly two-hours of stunning and altogether captivating animation that’s beautifully rendered to bring the superhero origin story of Miles Morales – and the Spider-Verse – to life in a never-before-seen manner. Although the threads left hanging for a potential sequel may be somewhat more fascinating than the fairly by-the-numbers origin story of Miles, the multiverse does provide a unique twist on Miles’ coming-of-age hero tale from awkward teenager to self-confident superhero.” — Molly Freeman [Full review]

The Wrap — no score

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse represents some of the best superhero storytelling on the market. The frenetic animation and freewheeling story offer audiences a sense of boundless dynamism. It’s not the first time a director has attempted to incorporate comic book iconography into a feature-film adaptation, but it’s the most appealing. Watching Into the Spider-Verse evokes feelings of sitting cross-legged on the floor of your bedroom, eating cookies and immersing yourself in outrageous, mostly inviting new worlds.” — William Bibbiani [Full review]

Insider — A

“Despite a wordy tongue twister of a title, Into the Spider-Verse feels like a comic-book come to life. Sony’s vibrant, hilarious holiday movie is gorgeous to look at, is incredibly self-aware, and delivers the big screen debut of a few new Spideys that will become household names.” — Kirsten Acuna [Full review]

It’s hardly a week old, but EA’s latest shooter, Battlefield V, is already on sale for $30 at Target right now. This surprisingly low sale price applies to the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. The deal is only good until Thursday, November 29, so if you’ve been considering picking up this WWII shooter, you’ll want to jump on this deal fast.

That’s not the only Battlefield V deal going on right now, either. Walmart has the console versions of the game on sale for $40 each, while Best Buy has them on sale for $42 apiece on console, as well as on PC. And if you buy the game on any platform from Best Buy, it comes with a free steelbook case.

Best Buy also has the deluxe edition on sale for $72 (normally $80) on PS4 and Xbox One. That isn’t as big of a discount as the standard edition, but the deluxe edition comes with 20 weekly airlift items, special assignment missions, and five sets of paratrooper outfits.

Battlefield V is an online shooter that will be changing and expanding in the months to come. It already has a single-player campaign called War Stories and a number of multiplayer modes. Between now and March 2019, Electronic Arts will be releasing a slew of free content, including new modes, maps, a new Grand Operations mission, and a battle royale mode called Firestorm.

In our Battlefield V review, Michael Higham scored the game 8/10, writing, “The Battlefield series has a winning formula that Battlefield V doesn’t deviate far from, at least for now. Conquest and the map roster don’t mesh well together, however, Grand Operations–and the other modes within it–steal the show and foster some of the greatest moments the franchise has offered. You might be surprised by the impact of the slight changes made for this entry, especially when you’re deep into pushing or defending objectives in Frontlines alongside teammates fulfilling their roles. That’s when Battlefield V is at its best.”

PS4

Standard Edition

Deluxe Edition

Xbox One

Standard Edition

Deluxe Edition

PC

Standard Edition

You don’t have to be a fan of any one gaming property to be looking forward to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a big, meaty brawler that’s coming to Nintendo Switch on December 7, 2018. This game boasts a massive roster comprised of every character seen in the series to date–including Snake and Cloud, plus a whole lot more.

Metroid’s Ridley is also being introduced as a new character alongside Castlevania’s Simon Belmont and Animal Crossing’s Isabelle–among many others. Another change of note is support for all Smash Bros. Amiibo figures and the ability to select a stage before choosing characters.

If you’re one of the many people looking to pre-order Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered all the information you need about the pre-order bonuses, special editions, and pricing below.

Early Bonus

If you buy Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from the Nintendo Eshop or register your physical copy before January 31, 2019, you’ll get Piranha Plant as a playable character for free. Piranha Plant will be added to the game in February, and will later be available to purchase as DLC along with a new stage and music tracks. Additionally, some retailers are offering discounts for pre-ordering the game, which you can find below.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Special Edition

Nintendo has announced it will release a special edition of the game in the U.S. This version comes in a black steelbook case and is accompanied by a special Smash Bros.-themed Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. If you just want the Pro Controller, you can buy it here for $75.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Standard Edition

Here’s where you can pre-order Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and how much it costs. Note that My Best Buy and Amazon Prime members currently get the best deal, with a $10 reward certificate offered at purchase. You can sign up for a free My Best Buy account here.

Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition

If you want a Switch that’s decked out in Smash Bros. imagery, this is the item for you. It comes with a special edition Nintendo Switch console, as well as the game.

As November winds down, so does your chance to pick up November’s Games with Gold, provided you’re an Xbox Live Gold subscriber. Once you do, you might wonder what’s next. Microsoft has answered that question by announcing December’s free Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. Here are the titles you’ll be able to download for free during specific windows during the month of December.

Throughout all of December, Xbox One owners can grab QUBE 2, a first-person game that traps you in a series of puzzle rooms. To find the exit in any given area, you must interact with blocks of various colors, each of which grants you a different ability. In our QUBE 2 review, Alessandro Barbosa wrote that it’s “ultimately a wonderful puzzle game that will often have you exclaiming in joy after solving one of its many riddles.”

Free December 16-January 15 is Never Alone, a side-scrolling puzzle platformer that’s steeped in the real-life traditions and folktales of the Iñupiat people of Alaska. Xbox One owners can also grab Race the Sun, an arcade-style endless flying game that’s free between now and December 15.

Over on Xbox 360, between December 1-15, you can get Dragon Age II, an action-RPG that Kevin VanOrd wrote in our review, “makes a strong impression, pulling you through with the promise of another fun quest, another character to meet, and another beast to slay.” December’s final game is a 2005 shooter from the original Xbox called Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction; it will be available December 16-31. Both games are backwards compatible on Xbox One.

And if you haven’t grabbed November’s Games with Gold, there’s still time to get Battlefield 1 and Dante’s Inferno.

December 2018 Games with Gold

Xbox One

• QUBE 2 (December 1-31)
• Never Alone (December 16-January 15)
• Race the Sun (November 16-December 15)

Xbox 360

• Dragon Age II (December 1-15)
• Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction (December 16-31)

A change to one of the bonus items included in the Fallout 76 Collector’s Edition has raised the ire of some fans, and Bethesda is apologizing for an apparent brusque response from its support team. However, it’s still unclear whether Bethesda notified customers of the impending change to its expensive collector’s edition before release.

The item in question is a tote bag that came in the $200 Collector’s Edition. It had been advertised as a “Canvas West Tek Duffel Bag,” but Reddit users noticed the canvas bag had been swapped for a nylon one. One Reddit user reached out and received a response from the Bethesda Gear Store support team, stating that the prototype bag was “too expensive to make” and that the company is “not planning on doing anything about it.”

GameSpot reached out to confirm the support email, and received the following statement from Bethesda:

“We’re investigating the response from the Bethesda Gear Store Support team and we apologize to the customer who took the time to reach out,” it read. “The support response was incorrect and not in accordance with our conduct policy. Unfortunately, due to unavailability of materials, we had to switch to a nylon carrying case in the Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition. We hope this doesn’t prevent anyone from enjoying what we feel is one of our best collector’s editions.”

GameSpot followed up with an inquiry regarding when the change was made and whether customers had been notified, but has not received a response as of the time of writing. The official store listing currently shows nylon listed in the text, though the image still says canvas. On a cached version of the same page from November 20, a week after release, the text still read canvas as well.

Fallout 76 has received a middling reception from critics, including in GameSpot’s review. “Bethesda has stated it intends to continue supporting the game for a long time, but at launch, Fallout 76 is a poor experience,” wrote critic Edmond Tran. “There are echoes of the series’ admirable qualities, but look past that facade, past the cute Vault Boy animations, past the familiar radio tracks, and you’ll find no heart–just an inconsequential wasteland doomed to be nuked over and over again.”

Bethesda has acknowledged some “frustrating issues” and promises patches for a long time to come. Some of the ones coming in the immediate future have already been detailed.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have left a crater in your bank account, but look out, because the regular weekly deals on video games are coming back around again. Among these sales is this one on Xbox Live, where you can find discounts on digital Xbox One and Xbox 360 games across a number of genres. To get some of the deals, you’ll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription, while others are available to everyone. In either case, all of these discounts end on December 3. Let’s dive in.

If you got used to last week’s long lists of game deals, this week’s meager offerings might come with a harsh dose of reality. Not many games are on sale this week, but even so, you might find something worth buying. For instance, if you missed (or have nostalgia for) the BioShock series, you can grab BioShock: The Collection for just $15 / £11.25 this week. If you’re in a similar boat with Rockstar’s LA Noire, you can scoop up the Xbox One version for $20 / £17.50.

More recent releases that may be of interest include the gothic action-RPG Vampyr for $30 / £25 or the sci-fi action-RPG Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr for $48 / £42.39. And if you’re looking for lighter fare, you can pick up Coffin Dodgers for $4.80 / £3.84 or Bridge Constructor Portal for $10 / £8.

You can find more games on sale this week below, including some on Xbox 360, or you can check out the full list on Major Nelson’s blog.

Xbox One

Xbox 360

December is almost here, which means PlayStation Plus members will soon get a new batch of PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games they can download for free. Sony has just announced the PS Plus lineup for December, and it’s a good one. Let’s take a look at what games you’ll be able to grab for free between December 4 and January 1.

For one, PS4 owners will be able to pick up Soma, a sci-fi horror game set in a research facility at the bottom of the ocean. But unlike many creepy games that mainly offer jump scares, this one actually has something to say. In our 9/10 Soma review, Richard Wakeling called Soma “an intelligent game that forced me to think and contemplate ideas as only the best sci-fi is capable of doing.”

Also free on PS4 is Onrush, an online team racing game that has a lot more going on than just rushing to the finish line. Using influences ranging from Burnout’s takedown mechanic to Overwatch’s hero abilities, “Onrush is such a bold, refreshing twist on the genre,” according to our 9/10 review.

Meanwhile, PS3 owners will be able to pick up the space shooter Steredenn and the mind-bending visual novel SteinsGate. The free PS Vita games for December are the Metroidvania-inspired Iconoclasts (also playable on PS4), and the indie gem Papers, Please.

If you hurry, you can still grab November’s PS Plus games, which include Yakuza Kiwami and Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition on PS4, Jackbox Party Pack 2 and Arkedo Series on PS3, and Burly Men at Sea and Roundabout on PS Vita.

As always, you’ll have access to the games you add to your account as long as you have a current PS Plus subscription.

Free PS Plus Games For December 2018

PS4

• Soma
• Onrush
• Iconoclasts (also on PS Vita)

PS3

• Steredenn
• SteinsGate

PS Vita

• Papers, Please
• Iconoclasts (also on PS4)