GOP aides and consultants boasted of cramming “Dem garbage” into gerrymandered districts in 2011.
Raging Southern California Wildfire Forces Thousands To Flee
The Cranson fire forced 3,200 people to evacuate as it destroyed five structures and threatened 2,100 homes.
Teen Titans Go! To The Movies Review
It’s kind of refreshing to watch a superhero movie that’s pure, mindless fun.
How Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Introduces RPG Choices
It’s history. It’s set in stone. What’s done is done. These are all ways we have of saying that you can’t change the past – and while it’s true that the wheels of time grind ever forward, the team at Ubisoft Montreal is working incredibly hard to make sure that rigid line a lot more flexible in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey than it’s been in previous adventures.
Player choice is baked into the core of every aspect of Odyssey’s massive rendition of ancient Greece, furthering the series’ transformation into a full-fledged role-playing game after the initial introduction of RPG progression elements in Assassin’s Creed Origins. “We are really embracing the role-playing aspect of RPGs,” says Odyssey’s Creative Director Jonathan Dumont. “We are continuing that transformation.
Surgeon Simulator CPR Launching on Switch Later this Year
Surgeon Simulator is coming to Nintendo Switch this fall, developer Bossa Studios has announced.
The port, officially titled Surgeon Simulator CPR (Co-op Play Ready), will take advantage of Switch’s Joy-Con controls and other functionalities. Players will be able to swap to motion controls at any time via the Joy-Cons. HD Rumble will also be enabled.
Due to Nintendo’s split Joy-Con support, Surgeon Simulator CPR will also feature local co-op play, allowing you and your friend to perform surgeries together.
The Switch port will also contain all of the content from the A&E Edition, including additional teeth and eye transplants, as well as the Alien Autopsy mode.
Players in the Netherlands Can Now See Loot Box Contents for Dota 2 Before Purchasing
Valve has changed the way players in the Netherlands interact with loot boxes, possibly in a method to appease complaints by the Netherlands Gaming Authority earlier this year that found Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in violation of its Betting and Gaming Act, according to GamaSutra.
A user on Reddit noticed the new system in Dota 2 and that it shows players exactly what in-game gear is held within their loot box purchase. Dutch players are still unable to use the Steam Marketplace, despite this change.
Xbox One’s Free Games With Gold For August 2018 Revealed
August is almost here, which means Xbox Live Gold members will have a new set of free Xbox One and Xbox 360 games to download. We now know what those games will be, thanks to a post on Microsoft’s Xbox Wire. The games going free in August will be Forza Horizon 2 and For Honor on Xbox One and Dead Space 3 and Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two for Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 games are backwards compatible, so they’ll also be playable on Xbox One.
On the Xbox One side of things, you’ll be able to download Forza Horizon 2 between August 1-31. It’s an open-world racing game from 2014 that mixes realistic driving mechanics with some of the more arcade-style ideas of series like Burnout. For Honor is a melee combat game that pits characters from three factions against each other: Samurai, Knights, and Vikings. A fourth faction will be added in a free update this fall, along with a robust new Breach mode. For Honor will be free August 16-September 15.
On Xbox 360, Dead Space 3 sees the horror series’ protagonist Isaac Clarke joined for the first time by a companion, Sgt. John Carver. The entire game, which focuses on alien dismemberment, is playable in online co-op mode. It will be free August 1-15. The final free Xbox 360 game in August is Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, a co-op game that has you save the Wasteland using a magic paintbrush. It’s free August 16-31.
If you’re reading this before August 1, it’s not too late to grab some of July’s free Games With Gold. Right now, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can download Assault Android Cactus and Death Squared for Xbox One, and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
August 2018 Games With Gold
Xbox One
- Forza Horizon 2 (August 1-31)
- For Honor (August 16-September 15)
Xbox 360
- Dead Space 3 (August 1-15)
- Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (August 16-31)
Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom DLC Detailed, Story Expansion Set for Next Year
Bandai Namco has revealed DLC and Season Pass details for Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom and the first addition will be arriving in a couple weeks.
On August 9, The Adventure Pack DLC #1 will be available for free to all Ni no Kuni 2 players and “adds additional floors to the Faraway Forest Cave, two new bosses: Blackhart and Zeta, and new quests that will be unlocked after completing the game’s story.”
It is also noted that “Evan and his friends will find new costumes and additional rewards to acquire in the Adventure Pack.”
DLC #2 will be released this winter for all Season Pass holders, which is currently priced at $20 USD, and will feature a brand-new dungeon that will see your party “facing increasingly stronger enemies while trying to reach its deepest levels.”
Ni No Kuni 2 Season Pass DLC Details Announced
Bandai Namco has shared new details on its DLC plans for Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom. The publisher will release three packs of additional content for the RPG over the next few months, the first of which is scheduled to arrive in August.
The Adventure Pack DLC launches on August 9 and will be available for free for everyone who owns the game. It adds an assortment of new challenges aimed at “experienced players.” Along with new floors for the Faraway Forest Cave, the DLC introduces two new bosses to battle–Blackhart and Zeta–and additional quests that will be unlocked after completing the main story. Players will also be able to get new costumes and other rewards.
The remaining two DLC packs will be reserved for those who purchased Ni No Kuni 2’s $20 season pass. The first is slated to arrive this winter and will introduce an “enigmatic” new dungeon that features progressively more challenging enemies as players delve deeper into it. The second expansion is expected to release in early 2019 and will add new story content. Additional details on these DLC packs will be shared later.
The most recent update for Ni No Kuni 2 arrived back in June. Along with an assortment of bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, it introduced two new difficulty options, Hard and Extreme, both of which feature a higher quality equipment and item drops than the standard Normal mode.
Ni No Kuni 2 is available for PS4 and PC. GameSpot awarded it an 8/10 in our Ni No Kuni 2 review. Critic Peter Brown wrote, “It’s chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn’t play the first game, don’t let this one pass you by too.”
Best Gaming Deals This Week: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, And PC (US Only)
One of the great things about being into video games is that you have so many options when it comes to buying games. With so many retailers selling games–both online and in brick-and-mortar stores–there’s a lot of competition. And one of the best ways for a retailer to get a leg up is by putting on a sale. That’s great for consumers, because you almost never have to pay full price for the titles you want, as long as you’re willing to hold out for a deal. The only hard part is making sure you’re getting the best price possible.
That’s where we come in. We keep tabs on discounts on all the games at all the retailers so you don’t have to. Already this week, we’ve covered gaming sales at GameStop, Best Buy, Steam, the Microsoft Store, the PlayStation Store, and more. In fact, the Xbox One Ultimate Game Sale is still going strong this week, and we’ve even highlighted some of the best games in it for under $10.
That’s a lot of deals. So we’ve combed through the sales to find the best games at the best prices, including Grand Theft Auto V, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and more. So whether you play games on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, or even mobile, you can find a game worth playing at a fantastic price.
And that doesn’t even factor in the wealth of free games that are available for members of the various video game services. If you really want to get the best bang for your buck, you can’t beat subscribing to programs that give out free games each month. PlayStation Plus members, for instance, get six games for free in July. Xbox Live Gold subscribers can download four games this month, and Amazon Prime members can grab a number of PC games from Twitch.
The only problem with the freebies is that you can’t pick which games you want. So let’s take a look at the best deals on the best video games we could find this week. We highlight bargains on all major systems, so you’re bound to find something you want to play.
Grand Theft Auto V (PC)
Green Man Gaming has a ridiculously good deal on Grand Theft Auto V, a game that has been appearing on bestselling games lists for five years now. If you still don’t own it on PC, this is the best deal you’re likely to find.
- Grand Theft Auto V — $17
Middle-earth: Shadow of War + Season Pass (PS4)
This is an excellent deal, but you’ll have to leave your house to get it because it’s only available at GameStop’s brick-and-mortar locations. Buy the game on sale for $20, and your receipt will have a code for the game’s season pass printed on it.
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War — $20 (includes season pass if bought in-store)
Batman: Return to Arkham (Xbox One)
Two of the best superhero games ever made on sale for $12 or less? Yes please. This game contains remasters of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.
- Batman: Return to Arkham — $12 ($10 with Xbox Live Gold)
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con
It’s not a great week for Nintendo Switch deals, but Best Buy is selling a pair of Joy-Con for $70 instead of the usual $80. Regularly priced, these things seem overpriced compared to other controllers, so saving $10 is always nice if you need a new pair. Note that not all colors are on sale.
- Nintendo Switch Joy-Con — $70
No Man’s Sky (PS4)
No Man’s Sky just got a huge update that includes multiplayer and the ability to control fleets of ships. It also came to Xbox One, but PS4 is the platform with the best No Man’s Sky deal. You can get the game this week for $20 at Best Buy. If you’d prefer it on PS4 or PC, you can find the best deals here.
- No Man’s Sky — $20
Destiny 2 + Expansion Pass (Xbox One)
People love to complain about Destiny 2 on forums, but recent updates have given players plenty of reasons to keep coming back once they reach the endgame. You can get everything released for this game so far for just $24, or $20 if you have Xbox Live Gold.
- Destiny 2 + Expansion Pass — $24 ($20 with Xbox Live Gold)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PS4)
Band up with friends and go hunting drug cartel members in this frequently-updated shooter.
Hitman: Game of the Year Edition (Xbox One)
Sneak around fabulous locations all across the world, dress up in silly costumes, and kill your targets with ruthless efficiency. That’s the idea, anyway.
- Hitman: Game of the Year Edition — $30 (requires Xbox Live Gold)
Final Fantasy IX (iOS)
Can you call a mobile game that costs $15 a deal? When it’s this excellent port of Final Fantasy IX and it’s down from $21 you can.
- Final Fantasy IX — $15