Among the changes made for the PS4 version is a revamped control scheme that includes a radial menu for inventory, streamlined user interface, and simplified loot system. One of the most notable changes is the removal of the crafting system altogether, which is a core gameplay element of the original PC version. On that platform, clothing and helmets can be broken down and combined with other materials to craft vital equipment like makeshift armor and explosive arrows. Daybreak says the removal of this should help maintain the pace of matches and keep the focus on action.

To further enforce a quicker pace is faster-moving deadly gas zones. As matches progress, a circle closes in to force players into smaller safe areas, and the new gas zone behavior is said to keep players on the move, although it hasn't been detailed as to how it's being changed from the PC version.

In addition, supply drops are changing; these will be the primary method for acquiring high-powered armor and weapons in a match and randomly drop from the air. There will also be a handful of new weapons like the KH43, Marauder, Combat Shotgun, CNQ-09, Scout Rifle, and MK46. Special crates should be a big game changer as these rare drops "contain level 2 and level 3 weapons and gear" and will emit light radio noise when they're in close proximity.

As for technical information, H1Z1 is said to be optimized for the PS4 hardware, but the only concrete detail is that the PS4 Pro can run the game at 60 frames per second.

While the game is free-to-play, you can pre-order a bundle now until the May 22 open beta that includes in-game cosmetics and a dynamic theme for $30. PlayStation Plus members will get 20% off the bundle.

It looks as if H1Z1 is going through significant changes for a console audience, but if you want to get an idea of what the PC version is like, check out our H1Z1 review. For more on battle royale games, be sure to check out our coverage on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, or read/watch our comprehensive comparison between PUBG and Fortnite.

The Switch version will be the "complete, uncensored" game, according to Bethesda, and the company has just released the first official gameplay footage of the game running on Nintendo's hybrid console. Take a look at that above.

The port is being handled by Panic Button, the same studio responsible for bringing another visually intensive first-person shooter, Doom, to Switch. We got our first hands-on opportunity with the Switch version of Wolfenstein II at PAX East 2018 earlier this month; you can see how the game looks running in docked mode here.

We learned recently that the physical Switch version of The New Colossus will require an additional download to run. This is not uncommon for Switch games, but it may mean you'll need a micro SD card to play the cartridge version. The port costs $60 in the US, with international pricing yet to be revealed.

Wolfenstein II originally released in October 2017 and was one of the most acclaimed games of the year. GameSpot's Kallie Plagge awarded it a 9/10 in our Wolfenstein II review and said, "Despite some heavy-handed moments that feel like missteps in its message, satisfying Nazi-killing action bolsters its completely bonkers storyline in a way that only Wolfenstein can achieve."

That means the remaining days of April are your last chance to stream films like Chappie, Casper, The Hurt Locker, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Also departing in May are Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Disney's The Jungle Book, and all five seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

If someone in your house is a Disney Channel fan, they'll also be losing access to the Camp Rock and High School Musical franchises, as well as Phineas and Ferb. Finally, the movie adaptation of the video game Silent Hill, Goodfellas, and Ocean's Eleven will all disappear.

You can take a look at everything leaving Netflix below. Additionally, check out the list of movies and shows premiering on the streamer in May, as well as what it added in April.

Leaving Netflix in May

May 1

• Bridget Jones’s Diary
• Casper
• Chappie
• Charlotte’s Web
• Field of Dreams
• GoodFellas
• Ocean’s Eleven
• Sahara
• Silent Hill
• The Exorcism of Emily Rose
• The Hurt Locker
• To Rome With Love
• To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

May 2

• 12 Dates of Christmas
• Beauty & the Briefcase
• Cadet Kelly
• Camp Rock
• Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
• Cow Belles
• Cyberbully
• Disney’s The Cheetah Girls
• Disney’s The Cheetah Girls 2
• Disney’s The Cheetah Girls: One World
• Frenemies
• Geek Charming
• Good Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas
• Hello Sister, Goodbye Life
• High School Musical
• High School Musical 2
• Jump In!
• Lemonade Mouth
• Little Einsteins: Seasons 1–2
• My Fake Fiancé
• Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
• Phineas and Ferb: Seasons 1–4
• Princess Protection Program
• Princess: A Modern Fairytale
• Read It and Weep
• Revenge of the Bridesmaids
• Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure
• Special Agent Oso: Seasons 1–2
• StarStruck
• Teen Spirit
• The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Seasons 1–5
• Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior
• Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie

May 7

• The Host

May 12

• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

May 30

• Disney’s The Jungle Book

Firstly, Disney/Pixar's Coco will be added on May 29. If you somehow missed one of the studio's best animated films ever, this will be your chance to watch and cry in the privacy of your own home. That's always a better option than publicly weeping in a theater, right?

On the TV side, the latest seasons of some of the CW's biggest shows will be added in April. Riverdale, Arrow, The Flash, Supernatural, and Dynasty will all end their current seasons, with them becoming available to stream a week later. Additionally, a new season of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, along with a slew of other originals, will arrive throughout the month. Of note, the second half of The Toys That Made Us Season 1, the documentary series about famous toy lines, released on May 25.

To get an idea of everything coming on Netflix in May, take a look at the list below, and make sure you see what's leaving the service. Additionally, if you missed what the streamer was up to in April, you can check that out.

Arriving on Netflix in May

May 1

• 27: Gone Too Soon
• A Life of Its Own: The Truth About Medical Marijuana
• Amelie
• Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Season 1
• Beautiful Girls
• Darc
• God’s Own Country
• Hachi: A Dog’s Tale
• Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• High School Musical 3: Senior Year
• John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous Live at Radio City (Netflix Original)
• Mr. Woodcock
• My Perfect Romance
• Pocoyo & Cars
• Pocoyo & The Space Circus
• Queens of Comedy: Season 1
• Reasonable Doubt
• Red Dragon
• Scream 2
• Shrek
• Simon: Season 1
• Sliding Doors
• Sometimes (Netflix Original)
• The Bourne Ultimatum
• The Carter Effect
• The Clapper
• The Reaping
• The Strange Name Movie
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Season 2

May 2

• Jailbreak
• A Little Help with Carol Burnett (Netflix Original)
• Anon (Netflix Original)
• Busted!: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
• Dear White People: Volume 2 (Netflix Original)
• End Game (Netflix Original)
• Forgive Us Our Debts (Netflix Original)
• Kong: King of the Apes: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
• Lo más sencillo es complicarlo todo
• Manhunt (Netflix Original)
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Tina Fey (Netflix Original)
• No Estoy Loca
• The Rain: Season 1 (Netflix Original)

May 5

• Faces Places

May 6

• The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale (Netflix Original)

May 8

• Desolation
• Hari Kondabolu: Warn Your Relatives (Netflix Original)

May 9

• Dirty Girl

May 11

• Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 3 (Netflix Original)
• Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist (Netflix Original)
• Spirit Riding Free: Season 5 (Netflix Original)
• The Kissing Booth (Netflix Original)
• The Who Was? Show: Season 1 (Netflix Original)

May 13

• Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife (Netflix Original)

May 14

• The Phantom of the Opera

May 15

• Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season 4
• Grand Designs: Seasons 13–14
• Only God Forgives
• The Game 365: Seasons 15–16

May 16

• 89
• Mamma Mia!
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin
• The Kingdom
• Wanted

May 18

• Cargo (Netflix Original)
• Catching Feelings (Netflix Original)
• Inspector Gadget: Season 4 (Netflix Original)

May 19

• Bridge to Terabithia
• Disney’s Scandal: Season 7
• Small Town Crime

May 20

• Some Kind of Beautiful

May 21

• Señora Acero: Season 4

May 22

• Mob Psycho 100: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
• Shooter: Season 2
• Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 2 (Netflix Original)
• Tig Notaro: Happy To Be Here (Netflix Original)

May 23

• Explained (Netflix Original)

May 24

• Fauda: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
• Survivors Guide to Prison

May 25

• Ibiza (Netflix Original)
• Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life (Netflix Original)
• The Toys That Made Us: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
• Trollhunters: Part 3 (Netflix Original)

May 26

• Sara’s Notebook (Netflix Original)

May 27

• The Break with Michelle Wolf (Netflix Original)

May 29

• Coco

May 30

• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4 (Netflix Original)

May 31

• Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Howard Stern (Netflix Original)

Also arriving in April

• Arrow: Season 6
• Dynasty: Season 1
• Riverdale: Season 2
• Supernatural: Season 1
• The Flash: Season 4

Leaving Netflix in May

May 1

• Bridget Jones’s Diary
• Casper
• Chappie
• Charlotte’s Web
• Field of Dreams
• GoodFellas
• Ocean’s Eleven
• Sahara
• Silent Hill
• The Exorcism of Emily Rose
• The Hurt Locker
• To Rome With Love
• To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

May 2

• 12 Dates of Christmas
• Beauty & the Briefcase
• Cadet Kelly
• Camp Rock
• Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
• Cow Belles
• Cyberbully
• Disney’s The Cheetah Girls
• Disney’s The Cheetah Girls 2
• Disney’s The Cheetah Girls: One World
• Frenemies
• Geek Charming
• Good Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas
• Hello Sister, Goodbye Life
• High School Musical
• High School Musical 2
• Jump In!
• Lemonade Mouth
• Little Einsteins: Seasons 1–2
• My Fake Fiancé
• Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
• Phineas and Ferb: Seasons 1–4
• Princess Protection Program
• Princess: A Modern Fairytale
• Read It and Weep
• Revenge of the Bridesmaids
• Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure
• Special Agent Oso: Seasons 1–2
• StarStruck
• Teen Spirit
• The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Seasons 1–5
• Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior
• Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie

May 7

• The Host

May 12

• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

May 30

• Disney’s The Jungle Book

In it, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) tells Tony everything he needs to know about Thanos (Josh Brolin), and none of it is good news. "He's a plague, Tony. He invades planets, takes what he wants, and wipes out half of the population," Banner tells his fellow Avenger. "He sent Loki. The attack on New York, that's him." In true Stark fashion, his only response is to mock the way Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) talks and wonder they can't just stick the Infinity Stones he's after "down the garbage disposal."

The scene also includes an Easter egg that some fans might miss on their first viewing. Strange chastises Tony for leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos. While that already sounds like something he'd have in his Sanctum Sanctorum, it also has a history in Marvel Comics. The item appeared in issues of Man-Thing and Marvel Two-In-One, after first popping up in a 1981 installment of Marvel Team-up. It's played for laughs in the trailer but is still exciting to see.

This situation is no laughing matter, though, and that's something even Tony Stark understands. The threat Thanos poses is enough to draw together the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe of superheroes--which may or may not include Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)--as they fight to keep those stones away from the Mad Titan.

Whether the heroes are going to walk away victorious remains to be seen, but based on GameSpot's Avengers: Infinity War review, this is certainly a movie that meets the hype. Luckily, you won't have to wait long to find out yourself, as this next massive chapter in the MCU arrives in theaters on April 27.

While February's first teaser just set the tone for the movie, this new trailer gives us more plot details and plenty of action. We see Brock investigating a sinister scientist, played by Rogue One's Riz Ahmed, who is performing secret experiments with a strange black alien matter. Brock becomes infected with the goo, which takes over his body and personality and gives him some amazing new powers. Check the trailer out above.

Venom releases on October 5, 2018, and also stars Michelle Williams (The Greatest Showman), Jenny Slate (The Lego Batman Movie), and Woody Harrelson (Solo: A Star Wars Story). Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer is directing.

Athough Spider-Man features in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony still owns the movie rights to the character. There was initially some confusion about whether Venom will be part of the MCU, and whether Spider-Man could appear in any of the spin-offs. Both Marvel boss Kevin Feige and Spidey actor Tom Holland have stated that the two universes are entirely separate. However, last year, former Sony boss and Spider-Man: Homecoming producer Amy Pascal suggested otherwise, before subsequently switching to Feige's position.

Venom will be followed by another Spidey spin-off, Silver & Black, which will focus on Silver Sable and the Black Cat. The film was originally set for release in February 2019, but earlier this year director Gina Prince-Bythewood confirmed that the movie had been delayed because she was "still working on the script."

Circa 2008

Like 2007, we all have fond gaming memories of 2008. It was packed with a wealth of high-profile sequels to some of the biggest franchises, including Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, and Metal Gear Solid. In addition, there were notable debuts from unexpected gems, like the EA-produced big-budget survival game Dead Space and indie darling Braid, which each proved influential in a variety of ways. Many of the games in 2008 continued to push the boundaries of gaming, offering experiences that were substantial and memorable in their own right.

The GameSpot staff is taking a personal look back at some of the more notable games of 2008, and the impact they've had in the ten years since their respective releases. While some of these games became the stepping-stones for something greater--and others have since fallen into obscurity--the impression they left on us is undeniable, and are worth recognition for their tenth anniversary.

Here's a selection of games--in order of their respective releases--that made 2008 a year to remember for us. And if you want to see the biggest games that turned 10 last year, be sure to check out our feature covering the biggest games that turned 10 in 2007.

Burnout Paradise (January 22, 2008)

Vehicular free-roaming games had existed long before 2008, but none had so eloquently blended urban racing with automotive slaughter like Burnout Paradise. In a time when quest-loaded open-world adventures on consoles were about to hit their stride, Burnout Paradise was a rare 40-hour non-RPG that warranted the time and attention of completionists like myself.

Today's racing market--dominated by Need for Speed, Forza, and Codemasters games--skew toward realistic car performance regardless if you prefer arcade or sim controls. Upon firing up Burnout Paradise today, I'm reminded of how its car handling has more in common with Sega arcade games of yore than with more recent racers--titles that are tied to their respective franchise goals of realism and authenticity. Burnout Paradise never had to worry about that, especially when your audience expects quarter-mile-long leaps over cliffs and destructive car chases that can stretch halfway around its 26 square-mile map.

The game's density of goals ensures that the moment you tick off a mission box, you're just blocks away from starting another. The next quest might even come to you, whether a high-value target happens to drive by or someone challenges you to an online match. And the fact that the online servers are still up--rare for a 10-year-old racing game--is a testament to its following and resiliency. Much larger drivable worlds have sprouted up in the last ten years, but none have managed to replicate the happy and balanced marriage of speed and ruination quite like Burnout Paradise, much to the dismay of fans who long for a successor. -- Miguel Concepcion

No More Heroes (JPN December 6 2007; US January 22, 2008)

Killer7 on GameCube was the beginning of a continued fascination with the Goichi Suda (Suda 51) for me, but No More Heroes was the game that sparked that interest and set it aflame. It struck at a high point for Wii software; Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 were still fresh in our minds. But No More Heroes stood out because of how abrasively different and boisterous it was, at least on the surface level.

Protagonist Travis Touchdown had a raucously ambivalent attitude and an unhealthy obsession with anime girls, and he set out on adventures that were entirely self-serving, involving copious amounts of slaughter and blood. Suda and Grasshopper Manufacture seemed like they were purposefully going out of their way to be lewd on a characteristically family-friendly console. You had to take a dump on the toilet to save your game. You needed to shake your controller vigorously, and suggestively, to charge your beam katana. Double entendres and bad words were doled out like free candy.

It was easy to see all that and dismiss No More Heroes as straight-up crass. And though its combat and the open world had some great ideas, they were admittedly repetitive and bland in the long run, which might not have helped its broader perception. But once you looked just past the facade, there was something extraordinary about No More Heroes. The game's attitude housed unique twists that satirised and denounced conventional storytelling structures, and the whole nature of video games and geek culture in general. At the time, I found it completely fascinating.

Ten years later, there's a laundry list of things that don't fly as well. And though No More Heroes 2 was great, the rest of Grasshopper's output has mostly missed the mark, especially as our culture and video games have developed. But No More Heroes is still a defining moment for games in my eyes, so I'm hoping that the return of No More Heroes for Switch, Travis Strikes Back, will use its intriguing game-within-a-game setting to positively revitalize its satirical spirit. -- Edmond Tran

Rez HD (January 30, 2008)

When Rez debuted on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade as Rez HD, I was vaguely aware of it--the Dreamcast version never launched in the US, but reading about the Trance Vibrator accessory as a young teen ensured I'd never completely forget the game it accompanied. Early 2008 was still a time where any new XBLA release was an obligatory purchase, and so I somewhat blindly picked up what would go on to become one of my all-time favorite games.

My immediate impressions were underwhelming--sure, it had an interesting look and some stellar music, but the basic gameplay conceit of highlighting enemies and launching attacks seemed exceedingly simple. As the minutes went by, I cranked up the volume higher and higher and noticed how the music was morphing based on how I was playing. Stats presented at the end of a stage detailing the percentage of enemies or power-ups I was able to collect tapped into my competitive side. By Area 4--home to one of the greatest songs in any video game--the level of intensity and synesthesia-esque sensation provided one of the truly memorable experiences I've ever had with a game.

The ensuing spiritual successor, Child of Eden, offered this to some extent, but it couldn't totally recreate what made Rez special. I found myself returning to Rez HD even years later, believing it to be too niche to ever receive any remaster treatment. Cut to almost a decade later, and Rez Infinite shows up to leverage not only modern graphical technology, but also add a VR mode (which justified a PSVR for me) and a new stage (Area X) that provided a greater level of freedom. Now, a full decade-plus later, I still routinely take the game for a spin, and although I dispatch many of its enemies through sheer memorization, it remains quite unlike anything else. -- Chris Pereira

Devil May Cry 4 (February 5, 2008)

Capcom's popular Devil May Cry series is in a class of its own when it comes to delivering fast-paced action and thrills. As an admirer of the series since the first, I've always had a soft spot for the devil-hunting mercenary Dante and his crazy antics. As the Street Fighter of the action genre, DMC is a spectacle to behold in the hands of a skilled player. And while I was never one of those players who was able to juggle multiple enemies at once and execute style switches in rapid fashion, I still found enjoyment from watching other players make magic happen. The DMC community found a lot to love in Devil May Cry 4, and watching what the top players posted online was just as fun as playing the game itself.

When Devil May Cry 4 was announced, Capcom showed brief footage of the game's new main character, Nero, a younger and more gung-ho brawler with a demonic arm that could yank enemies from afar. While I wasn't so keen on this new guy at first, I grew to love his style after getting my hands on him, and he ended up complementing Dante's class-based mechanics. While the community, and its connectedness, came into its own with the fourth game, this particular title was also a bit of a letdown compared to the prequel DMC3. The game featured far more backtracking, and less overall content compared to previous games, which made it the most repetitive of the series. Having said that, DMC4's combat mechanics are incredibly responsive and refined, offering the best action of the series.

Not long after, the community went into meltdown when Ninja Theory's DmC: Devil May Cry reboot was announced--and despite the odds, it ended up being one of the strongest games of the series. Still, the fans kept DMC4 alive and well over the last ten years, and even showed the same enthusiasm for the recent Special Edition release. I'd often revisit the game over the years, and while its blemishes are still noticeable, I can't help but smile at all the cheesy bits and pump my fist when I pull off a slick combo. It's been a while since OG Dante's last outing, and with the rumors of DMC5 happening, now seems like a good time for the devil-hunter and his protege Nero to move on and experience something new. -- Alessandro Fillari

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (JPN January 31, 2008/US March 9, 2008)

Since the debut of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64, I've become hooked on the franchise. Smash Bros. Melee was my favorite game in the series--and one took over my college life. My friends and I would play the game for hours on end, even skipping classes, just so we could get another match in. When Smash Bros. Brawl was first announced for Wii, I knew I was going to pick it up. As the roster was being revealed, I became more and more excited to get my hands on it. This was going to be the largest Smash roster to date with 35 characters, and the idea of playing as Snake, Sonic, Wolf, or even the Pokemon Trainer had me giddy with excitement.

Once the game came out, however, my reaction wasn't quite as positive towards the changes made. The characters felt a bit "floatier" and as such didn't feel as fluid as Melee did. The game also introduced a tripping mechanic that I felt took away the competitive feel that Melee had established. As time went on, I did change my tune as I grew to enjoy the game more for what it was. While the new mechanics weren't necessarily to my liking, the game at its core was still undeniably fun, and I've come to appreciate the game for its distinct style and charm. -- Gajan Kulasingham

Valkyria Chronicles (April 24, 2008)

Console tactical strategy games, specifically those with settings grounded in reality, have a special place in my heart. The same could also be said of that part of the mid-'00s Sega that was killing it with new franchises: Yakuza, Bayonetta, and Valkyria.

Valkyria Chronicles, the brainchild of the directors behind the Sakura Wars tactics series and the celebrated RPG Skies of Arcadia, remains a beautiful debut. Its seemingly timeless art style, a superb execution of cel-shaded polygons to evoke pencil-drawings and watercolors, is still gorgeous. The setting, a somber, anime-influenced take on Europe during the early stages of World War II, still feels distinct. It tells a sincere story with relatable characters about citizens forced into war to protect their homeland. And its strategic combat system, which mixes top-down, turn-based strategy with third-person, real-time action, is still unique, robust, and satisfying to use.

Its sequels, while competent, never quite lived up to the original for me. The PSP failed to capture the beauty of the visuals, the strategy system felt like it was getting unnecessarily complex, and the stories they told started to get too ambitious and unrelatable for me. Every time I played a new Valkyria Chronicles game, I would inevitably hit a point where I would go back and start another run of the original.

Valkyria Chronicles was remastered for PS4 and PC recently, and it's very much a game that has held up after ten years. It's the only game worth playing or revisiting in anticipation for Valkyria Chronicles 4, due for release in 2018. The upcoming sequel is set in the same timeframe as the original game, so here's hoping Sega remembers what made the first game so special. -- Edmond Tran

Grand Theft Auto IV (April 29, 2008)

Playing the Grand Theft Auto series felt something like a rite of passage back in my day. When GTA III first came out in 2001, I was a freshman in high school, and this game captured the interest of my fellow students. It was the game that every kid played, even when their parents told them not to. I'd eventually plow through GTA III, savor the '80s bliss of Vice City, and stew in the expansiveness of San Andreas--just enjoying the many ways to explore and cause chaos. When Grand Theft Auto IV came around, it was not only the first game on new hardware--showing off new visuals and more convincing storytelling--it was also the first GTA game I played as an adult.

While the previous three games and PSP spin-offs featured a connected story, IV started from scratch. Set in a newly designed Liberty City, it ended up feeling like a reboot for the series. Taking on the role of an eastern-European immigrant named Niko Bellic, the game told a surprisingly subdued and somewhat understated story about an outsider trying to fit in. One of the great strengths of the series is its strong focus on satire, more specifically its critique of American consumerism, greed, and lust for violence. While I caught some of the references and humor in the previous games when I was younger, I'm not ashamed to admit that many of the other critiques flew over my head. While the satire can sometimes have the subtlety of a sledgehammer, many of its jabs at American culture were successful at hitting its mark.

Over the course of the game, GTA IV would grow a bit crazier with its escalating story, but it never quite reached the full-blown absurdity of its predecessors. And you know what? That's OK. If anything, the new approach to storytelling made for far more convincing and impactful sequences, which include the infamous bank heist mission, Three Leaf Clover. While GTA IV didn't have as much to do as its predecessors, it did possess a number of ideas forward looking ideas, such as additional playable characters in the following DLC campaigns, a fairly developed online mode, and a mobile phone that yielded opportunities for side-events. All of which would set the stage for what would be core mechanics in GTA V. Still, I have some fond memories of exploring Liberty City. And I wonder to this day if Niko Bellic is still alive and well in the GTA's world. -- Alessandro Fillari

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots (June 12, 2008)

I never swore at a game as often I as did with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. All the swearing was positive, though; every time there was a callback to a previous Metal Gear game, I couldn't help but react with an ear-to-ear grin, an expletive, a fist pump, or some combination of the three. My eyes grew when I saw the Hind-D wreckage, a callback to the first Metal Gear Solid that was all the more poignant since you never saw the ship crash in the original game.

The worst and best thing about MGS4 is how it cannot be appreciated on its own. Its variety of finely tuned combat mechanics and its dark theme on the proliferation of paramilitary companies are overshadowed by the abundance of exposition to serve and please its long-term fans. To a newcomer who has no context, hearing Big Mama utter, "That's my boy!" to Old Snake sounds like simple encouragement. To a fan, that line is loaded with 50 years' worth of lore, suddenly connecting two characters who never appeared in a game together prior to MGS4. I get a lump in my throat every time I hear it.

MGS4 also exists to tie every major loose end Hideo Kojima unleashed since the original Metal Gear. Resolutions ranged from forced to graceful to inexplicable and many of us fans ate it up, even if we blamed plot issues on nanomachines. In a market where franchises like Halo and Gears of War can potentially outlive its fanfare and leave unresolved narrative threads, it was unreal how many storylines MGS4 resolved. Metal Gear Solid 4 is fan service in its purest form, the likes of which we might never see again. -- Miguel Concepcion

Battlefield: Bad Company (June 23, 2008)

It was a decade ago, but I remember playing the Battlefield: Bad Company beta back in early 2008. I didn't have much experience with previous games in the franchise, as they were focused around PC and I was primarily a console gamer. Right away, from the first match I got into, I remember the multiplayer taking my breath away and showing me something I'd never seen before. Using the power of the Frostbite engine, basically everything in the world could collapse and disintegrate, in turn opening up the battlefield in new and exciting ways. No longer could someone camp in a hideout and live to tell the tale. Just blast them away. Seeing a building collapse and crumble completely changes the way you think in a multiplayer shooter. No area is safe. Danger lurks at every turn. Watching the battlefield change around you as a match progresses afforded a level of dynamism that I hadn't experienced before.

When the game was officially released, however, it was the campaign that really made Battlefield: Bad Company stand out--and it remains one of my favorite Battlefield games to this day. It was the first title in the series to feature a real campaign, and its characters were some of the more memorable and dynamic ones I can remember in a military FPS. The story was praised for its humour, which was a refreshing change of pace from military games that came before it. A sequel was released in 2010, and it was similarly excellent. While I do also enjoy the mainline Battlefield series and logged many hours on Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 1 (sorry, Battlefield Hardline), I think the time is right for the Bad Company sub-brand to return. The newest rumour is that 2018's Battlefield is Bad Company 3, and I could not be more excited. -- Eddie Makuch

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (July 10, 2008)

When Persona 4 first released, it didn't get much recognition. Sure, it had its hardcore fans, but this JRPG released on the outdated PS2 was overlooked. Only in the years following its release was Persona 4 recognized as one of the greatest RPGs on the PS2, if not of all time.

A unique element to Persona is its balance of participating in everyday life while simultaneously dealing with supernatural elements that make up its more traditional RPG gameplay. Participating in every day of a full calendar year lets you experience the daily life of a Japanese high schooler and get an intimate familiarity with the characters. The game focuses heavily on your party member's personal struggles, mirroring what many teenagers go through. Back in 2008, I was the exact same age as the main character, and I was able to see many of my own insecurities represented in the game. In a medium where power fantasies and fantastical heroes are the norm, to see a group of characters go through the same anxiety I had right then created an attachment that no game has ever been able to match.

In the decade since its release, Persona 4 has gotten the recognition it deserved with numerous spin-offs and an enhanced remaster for the PS Vita, which would be my recommended version to play. Its sequel, Persona 5, has made vast improvements to the series formula and a cast of characters that stand on their own. But as great as that game is, it's still no Persona 4 for me. The circumstances in which I played Persona 4 will never be recreated. It was there in a time when I needed it, and that's why it's one of my favorite games of all time. -- Jean-Luc Seipke

Braid (August 6, 2008)

Jonathan Blow busted onto the scene as a prominent independent game developer when Braid released in 2008, and for good reason. It was one of the early hits that thrusted indie games into the mainstream via Xbox Live Arcade, but Braid turned out to be much more than that for those who connected with the game's themes and gameplay. Braid plays like a 2D side-scrolling platformer but mixes in the ability to reverse time that affects objects and enemies in clever ways. In your effort to piece together protagonist Tim's past and search for a mysterious princess, you rack your brain to solve the numerous puzzles and execute perfectly timed jumps onto platforms and atop enemies. If you happen to fall to your death, just reverse time and try again in a matter of seconds.

As you progress through Braid, the layers of lessons learned along the way stack, and you're constantly challenged to use what you know in new ways. Keys tucked away in hard-to-reach ledges unlock doors to make it through levels, but the collectable puzzle pieces paint the picture of a man who lost control of his personal and professional life. The sparse, yet affecting story is arguably one of Braid's strongest aspects.

Storytelling in independent games was still in a sort of infancy in 2008, but Braid set an example for how smaller games can tell bigger stories. The overarching plot is open to interpretations, even with the extensive post-game texts, but in its final moments, Braid subverts expectations to leave a lasting impact. What starts out lighthearted becomes increasingly foreboding as to earn the final twist and completely flip your interpretation of who you thought Tim and the princess were. A beautiful soundtrack that borrows elements of traditional Celtic folk music to drive home the heartfelt journey further supports Braid's tale. -- Michael Higham

Too Human (August 19, 2008)

Too Human isn't necessarily something worth going back to, and it also wasn't exactly praised as a worthwhile game when it released in 2008. It turned out to be a fairly middling third-person action RPG, and in the words of GameSpot reviewer Kevin VanOrd, "It will lift you up only to continually let you down." Too Human tells the story of Norse mythology in a dystopian sci-fi setting, but its threads are wholly incomplete. Regardless, the systems made for fun combat scenarios, and co-op highlighted those moments. So, why is Too Human worth mentioning? Developer Silicon Knights and Epic Games (makers of Unreal Engine) went into one of the more wild legal disputes in modern gaming history.

Silicon Knights first sued Epic for "failure to provide a working game engine" in July 2007. However, Epic struck back with a counter-suit a month later claiming that both parties were fully aware that features of the engine were still in development and that Silicon Knights violated the license agreement by modifying the engine and sharing technology with Sega. It wouldn't be until five years after Too Human's release that the case would be resolved; In 2012, Epic won the suit on grounds that Silicon Knights committed "copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract." As a result, Silicon Knights was ordered to destroy all its tech and code that was derived from Unreal Engine 3 and give Epic access to company devices to make sure this happened. This meant that any unsold copies of Too Human (and other titles using UE3 tech) had to be destroyed as well.

The studio went defunct after filing bankruptcy two years later. Luckily, if you really wanted to play this lacking action RPG, used copies are out there for cheap despite the obliteration of copies and its code. It may have been more or less erased from the games market, but the circumstances in which Too Human existed is a story that left a more lasting impression than the game itself. -- Michael Higham

Dead Space (October 20, 2008)

The first Dead Space was a bold and unexpected move from publisher Electronic Arts, which was not typically known to dabble in survival-horror games. When I first watched footage of the game on GameSpot back in 2008, it seemed like an Alien-inspired Resident Evil 4 clone, but as I watched further, I was quickly enthralled by its chilling atmosphere, sleek UI, and inventive combat mechanics. As an avid fan of survival-horror games, I knew I had to play it; but after spending all the money I had on Metal Gear Solid 4 and a DualShock 3 controller that year, I was flat-out broke. Luckily, my brother's friend had a copy I could borrow.

I have fond memories of my first playthrough of Dead Space; its setting and atmosphere affected me in ways I find hard to forget. I often remember how frigid the USG Ishimura seemed, which felt amplified by the chilly weather outside during the time of year I was playing. A cold sweat covered my hands as I tightly gripped my controller, anticipating how I'd strategically dismember the next necromorph waiting to ambush me. I even recall consciously avoiding playing the game at night; the darkness I'd glimpse through my room's shutter blinds seemed like endless black voids, which made my trek through hallways into the unknown feel all the more haunting.

Dead Space was a terrifying survival-horror game like no other in 2008. To this day, the game remains one of my all-time favorites in the genre. While its sequels don't quite live up to its brilliance, don't let that deter you from jumping into this one. It's well worth it for the gruesome frights and action-packed dismemberment. -- Matt Espineli

Far Cry 2 (October 21, 2008)

Today, the Far Cry series revels in allowing its players to explore exotic open worlds in over-the-top fashion--oftentimes with hilarious results. However, there was one game that did something a bit different, telling a story that was tonally unlike the original PC game and its console oriented spin-offs featuring a super-powered Jack Carver. As the first sequel, and also first true open-world game of the series, Far Cry 2 gave off a sense of weight that's still left an impression on me. Focusing on the exploits of a foreign mercenary in the African wilderness, you're quickly caught up in a brutal faction war while on the hunt for an infamous arms dealer named The Jackal--who actively sows the seeds of chaos in the isolated country. Oh yeah, and the main character is slowly dying from malaria.

Instead of the B-movie schlockly tone of its predecessor, Far Cry 2's story focused on the hardships of a country caught in a civil-war, offering some of the most harrowing and even nihilistic moments of the series. FC2 would go on to set standard for open-world action in a the series, such as invading enemy bases and taking on missions with your AI buddy character in tow, and it did it in a way that expressed a level of earnestness that the series hasn't seen since. The sequel also added in a stark difficulty spike due to its focus on realism that made the previous games feel like they were on training wheels. In a lot of cases, I was gunned down after forgetting that weapons often jam, and that enemies are far more cunning than in the average FPS.

To say that Far Cry 2 sticks out from the rest of the series would be an understatement. Its silent main character has to deal with the reality of existing in a space where the political conflict forces civilians into the crossfire, with many of the most important characters--the ones that can actually stop it all--weighing the cost of their lives over a pile of conflict diamonds. I'd often wonder if I was making this place worse by trying to carry out my own mission, like I was the lever for an ever-turning meat-grinder. At the time of playing this game, I was still in college, and one of my classes brought up the subject of the systemic disruption of Central and Northern Africa's society from outside influences. It didn't take long for me to understand where Far Cry 2 was coming from after its bleak conclusion. And that's really something I haven't really felt from another game since. -- Alessandro Fillari

Fallout 3 (October 28, 2008)

Having a video game, movie, or book set in your city is not uncommon, but when you're presented with a post-apocalyptic version of a town you know, the imagery takes on new weight. As a kid growing up in Maryland, I had innumerable school field trips and other excursions into DC, so seeing a bombed-out version of the US capitol immediately grabbed my attention. Museums I had visited, streets I had walked, buildings where my own father had worked--these were shown in a post-war light that rendered them both familiar and unrecognizable.

A setting can only get you so far, and that's where Fallout 3's incredibly engaging story and mechanics come into play. An RPG providing you with guns and improvised weapons is nothing new, but the brutality here makes them feel that much more powerful. Mad Max was clearly an influence on Fallout 3, and it shows in the combat and the amateurly constructed weapons you take into battle. It was definitely one of the goriest games of '08--and your view of the blood splatter got almost too close for comfort thanks to the game's VATS system.

Outside of combat, your actions and dialogue choices could completely change the course of the story. These branching paths weren't new--BioWare had already done it a few times--but choosing a side is a theme that carried forward into both New Vegas and Fallout 4, growing in scope each time. The open-endedness of quests also blew my high-school mind. On a second or third playthrough, I stumbled into Raven Rock hours before the story had intended me to, effectively cutting the main quests in half. You wouldn't know any better if it were to happen on your first experience, but having been through the game before, I was amazed that it allowed for such exploration. To this day, exploring every interesting-looking corner of the map is a habit I happily cannot break. -- Tony Wilson

Call of Duty: World At War (November 11, 2008)

Call of Duty: World at War is my favorite COD game. It's almost certainly not the best--its campaign could not match the thrills of its predecessor, Modern Warfare, and its multiplayer was a little unbalanced--but it's my favorite, because it brought so many of my friends together.

I was still in school in 2008, and a large portion of my friends group had bought PS3s and Xbox 360s, so I frequently had a dozen or so friends online at the same time, all playing the latest Call of Duty. Luckily, World at War was also the first in the series to include Nazi Zombies--the perfect, ridiculous mode for a group of teenage boys to bond.

We bought all the map packs, played every night, and had an amazing time doing so. As Call of Duty got bigger and we got older, people started dropping off, foregoing Black Ops or Modern Warfare 2 in favor of, I don't know, alcohol or something. Despite this, World at War will forever be cemented in my memory as a magical time in my life, where socializing was frequent and easy, and included pack-a-punched weapons and exploding zombie heads. Doesn't it just bring a tear to your eye? -- Oscar Dayus

Mirror's Edge (November 11, 2008)

The original Mirror's Edge was a critical hit when it landed in 2008, but sadly, its striking presentation and unique gameplay didn't translate to commercial success. Nevertheless, soaring stories above city streets from one alabaster rooftop to the next was a thrill no other game could match, and for many of us, our memories of Mirror's Edge feel just as fresh today as the day we made them; neither time nor an open-world sequel could make us forget the first time we took a leap of Faith.

I came to Mirror's Edge during my first year covering games, back when I was an assistant video producer. I had the simple job of capturing gameplay video of EA's experimental parkour game, but what began as a routine capture session grew into a short-term obsession, and a long-term appreciation for Mirror's Edge's unique accomplishments. Far more for my own satisfaction than my manager's, I couldn't rest until I'd perfected the few levels I set out to capture. Run after run, I continued to identify and fix flaws in my approach, and take advantage of new opportunities that revealed themselves to my ever-more trained eye. I was already impressed by the first-person platforming and the clever ways one high-flying maneuver connected to the other, but after coming to grips with how Mirror's Edge worked, I was able to define my own approach to virtual parkour, and appreciate it on an entirely different level.

I look back on Mirror's Edge as a game that was far ahead of its time, but one that came at the right time for me. Whether or not the sequel from a couple of years ago proves that the concept was nothing more than a one-hit wonder, I'm okay if EA puts the series to bed indefinitely. I don't need a new Mirror's Edge, I only need the Mirror's Edge that struck a chord with me, the unsuspecting player, ten long years ago. -- Peter Brown

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (November 13, 2008)

It had been four years since I was introduced to the world of Azeroth, and Blizzard's MMO wasn't showing signs of slowing down, especially after the release of its first expansion, The Burning Crusade. Even after defeating Illidan Stormrage, I was definitely not prepared for what was around the corner with the game's next expansion, Wrath of The Lich King, which gave me and everyone else a shot at Arthas still sitting high atop his frozen throne.

Once I managed to wait through the server queue and the crashes, I was finally ready to take my Night Elf Rogue, Philanthropy, and board the boat from Stormwind to the Borean Tundra. I didn't realize it at the time, but more was changing than just the expansion for me. I ended up transferring servers later that week.

This expansion ended up being one of the more interesting times in my Warcrafting career. The biggest changes were leaving my guild of 300+ active members (we had two 40- raids back in vanilla; it was nuts), transferring to a different server, and undergoing a faction change/realizing my full potential and becoming the world's edgiest Undead Rogue. It was a whole new experience that showed me a side of World of Warcraft I didn't know existed. Even with all the changes I still had a great time clearing through dungeon and raid content with the new friends I'd made.

I still look fondly back on late-night runs of Naxxramas, defeating the Old God Yogg-Saron in Ulduar, and eventually getting taken out by the Lich King and watching Tirion Fordring steal our kill. It's these memories and many more that make me realize just how great Wrath of the Lich King really was. It was the height of the game's popularity for a reason. -- Ben Janca

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (November 16, 2008)

Many remember Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe as the game that toned down the series' iconic violence, but when it launched in 2008, it gave the series its groove back. Sure, fatalities and over-the-top gore are an integral part of the Mortal Kombat formula, but this was the first time in years where I felt like I was playing a classic Mortal Kombat. It was still on a 3D plane, but for the most part, it felt like those first three games. As a Scorpion player, I was ecstatic to see the return of back, back, low punch (only '90s kids will remember this). Additionally, seeing some of my favorite superheroes stand in for some of my favorite Mortal Kombat characters was an absolute treat--Batman used his smoke bombs and disappearing act as if he was Smoke, while The Flash tripped up his opponents with his Kabal-like speed.

In addition to the excellent fighting gameplay, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the first to feature NetherRealm's trademark story template. For those who aren't familiar, it's basically a movie in which you take part in a couple dozen fights with gameplay and cutscenes transitioning seamlessly between each other. It kicked off a period in which NetherRealm not only made my favorite fighting games, but also some of my favorite single-player experiences. On top of that, it's used the story template in every one of its games since and has even pushed other fighting game developers to follow suit with cinematic story modes now being featured in games like Street Fighter V, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, and Tekken 7.

The Mortal Kombat series may not have regained all of its footing until 2011's simply titled Mortal Kombat, but it was Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe that planted the seeds for that comeback. And despite NetherRealm putting out four arguably better fighting games since then, I'll still go back from time to time to play a few matches and remind myself of how it all started. -- Mat Paget

Left 4 Dead (November 18, 2008)

While the zombie apocalypse is a bit of a passé setting, even back in 2008, Valve's Left 4 Dead went about it in ways that weren't immediately apparent at a first glance. Like many other Valve games, Left 4 Dead was in development for quite some time, and the early trailers showed off a more somber and serious take on the game. The game we got, however, was a little more of a lighthearted and self-aware romp through the zombie apocalypse. Despite the surprising sense of humor, Left 4 Dead still offered a lot of scares and tense moments. Releasing a demo about two weeks before the release, my friends and I would replay the same levels, and found different encounters and death traps in each run.

Focusing on the trials of four unique protagonists--a biker, a vietnam veteran, a college student, and a retail salesman--the group would travel through several zombie-infested cities that offered randomized encounters thanks to the game's AI director. While players came in expecting a fun co-op zombie-shooter, my friends and I ended up getting an intense online bonding experience. Playing through Left 4 Dead's stages, which switched up set-pieces depending on your performance, resulted in us watching everyone's back closely to ensure we were in good shape. Because if it wasn't the AI zombie horde that got us, it'd be the cunning special monsters controlled by enemy players, such as The Smoker, a hacking and wheezing undead, who'd tangle survivors with its tongue and drag them into a dark alley to be swarmed by other zombies.

By far, the most iconic level of the series is No Mercy. This first stage was the most pure and representative of what people can expect from the game. Starting out on the roof of an apartment building, you'd slowly work your way down through its many rooms to the streets below. Your only hope for survival is a helicopter located on the rooftop of a nearby hospital. Making it there alive would be an exercise in teamwork and patience, while also keeping a quick finger on the trigger. For me, Left 4 Dead wasn't really about the action in a zombie shooter.

Rather, it was a more affecting and tense experience to see if you could work well with others under pressure--something I still admire about the game to this day. -- Alessandro Fillari

However, he's not in any of the trailers, hasn't ended up on a single poster, and for all intents and purposes is absent from the film's promotional tour. Renner isn't even scheduled to attend the Infinity War premiere. The absence has struck a chord with fans, many of whom have taken to championing Hawkeye on social media.

According to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, speaking with io9, the situation is "one of the best things that ever happened to Hawkeye." After all, Hawkeye went from essentially being the butt of jokes about these movies--in a world of superpowers, he has a bow and arrow--to being an in-demand character. "I love that people go from 'Oh, Hawkeye is just lucky to be there' to 'Oh where is he? He's not there? What's going to happen? We need Hawkeye. We want more Hawkeye.' I love it," he tells io9. "It's the best."

And it's going to pay off for the character in the end. "We [at Marvel] love Hawkeye," Feige says. "There are big, big story things coming up for Hawkeye and Jeremy Renner is as strong an actor as anyone in the MCU and awesome as this character."

As co-director Joe Russo explains, Hawkeye's story in the next two Avengers movies is a function of how they were written and filmed together. "As we were working on both films, we were thinking about story real estate," he says. "We had the luxury of cracking both scripts at the same time and we wanted to give each character, especially the original Avengers, their moments. It led us to certain choices, especially considering the events of Civil War where [Hawkeye’s] included in this group of insurgents and has to deal with the ramifications of siding against the U.S. government. So that led us to a very specific story with him that, as I’ve said before is a long play, not a short play. Audiences just need to be patient."

Patience is a virtue for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, it seems. Thankfully, it shouldn't be too long before fans get some kind of idea about what happened with Hawkeye--even if it happens in a post-credits scene. Besides, it's not like he's alone in missing out on the fun. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is nowhere to be seen either. Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters on April 27.

New Exotic weapons and armor are coming in Destiny 2's second expansion

New Destiny 2 Exotic weapons and armor are officially on the way to the game, and we finally have some idea of what to expect. With Bungie at long last revealing the first details about the upcoming Warmind DLC expansion, it's also shared a look at a selection of Exotic gear that will soon be added.

A ton of new content is on the way to Destiny 2 with Warmind. Of course, new gear is the big highlight for Warlock, Titan, and Hunter players, and it's ultimately why many people play the game. A reveal livestream for DLC didn't focus much on Exotics other than some talk about changes to existing ones, but the developer subsequently revealed a bunch of images showcasing the new expansion. That includes a look at 14 new Exotic items that will be available for those who buy Warmind. As with other Destiny 2 Exotics, some of these are returning items from the first game, such as the Apotheosis Veil helmet, Claws of Ahamkara gloves, Suros Regime auto rifle, and Armamentarium chest armor.

Others are brand-new; these include the Wormgod gauntlets, Wormhusk Crown helmet, Sanguine Alchemy chest, Oculus Xol helmet, and Huckleberry submachine gun. We don't yet know exactly how you'll obtain any of these. The latter, in particular, resembles the Leviathan--it could possibly be a reward added as part of Warmind's new Raid Lair, Spire of Stars, which is set on the Leviathan. That wasn't shown during the stream, but Bungie says it's the Leviathan's final Raid Lair.

It's unclear just how many Exotics will be added in total, but other new gear is also being added. Additionally, those playing on PS4 will have a timed exclusive once again; in addition to The Insight Terminus Strike, there will be an armor set for each class available exclusively on the console until at least Fall 2018.

Warmind launches on May 8 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It also introduces the Escalation Protocol event as an endgame activity, new Crucible maps, and much more. The free Season 3 update, 1.2.0, also launches on that day and brings Exotic weapon changes, private matches, Crucible rankings, and much more.

Warmind is set on Mars but a different area we haven't been to before. The Hellas Basin features the planet's polar ice caps and is the birthplace of the Warmind Rasputin, who has awoken and is creating problems across the solar system--as evidenced by the space junk you'll see falling out of the sky. The Clovis Bray corporation plays a key part in the story, and you'll get to meet Ana Bray, a Guardian who is featured in the prologue cinematic and serves as a vendor and your main point of contact in Mars' new area.

Escalation Protocol

One of the big focuses of the stream was Escalation Protocol, a new sort of Public Event that can only be activated after you finish the campaign (though you're free to join one someone else starts). This event isn't on a schedule and can be started at any time, and it involves facing off against seven waves of Hive enemies, each with various bosses. After the third and fifth waves, reward chests will spawn in, but the real rewards come after finishing Wave 7. That wave consists of a new boss with unique mechanics. There are a total of five bosses that can show up during this phase, and the game will rotate between one each week.

Bungie said Escalation Protocol is meant as an endgame activity (hence the campaign completion requirement) that addresses players' requests for something that is truly challenging and replayable. There are unique weapon rewards up for grabs (which will be different depending on which final boss you face) along with new armor to earn. You'll also be able to use special weapons during the course of the event, including the returning Hive sword from the original Destiny campaign. There's also something called The Valkyrie, a new type of spear that doubles as both a melee and ranged weapon and can only be used for a limited time after it's picked up.

Crucible

On the Crucible side, Bungie detailed the two new types of player rankings. Valor is a progression system that goes up when you complete matches and has no loss penalties. Glory is only available in the competitive playlist and is tied to your wins and losses; you'll gain rank when you win and lose progress when you come up short. There's also a "streaking" aspect that accelerates your gains (or losses) as you win or lose consecutive matches.

Crucible rewards are also handled differently. Once Season 3 begins with the release of update 1.2.0, you can go to Shaxx for a free rewards package, and through him, you can see all of the available rewards and how to earn them. Some will be earned by reaching certain ranks, while others will also require completing certain objectives in Crucible. There's also a prestige-style mechanic where you can reset your Valor rank when you hit the max level in exchange for rewards. There's no limit to the number of times this can be done, and the number of resets will be tracked on a corresponding emblem.

Bungie also previewed private matches, which will work much like you expect, as well as some of the Exotic weapon changes being made. The overall goal is to make these weapons more useful and distinct without altering what is meant to make them unique. Not shown but mentioned is that there is a new Raid Lair--the final one for Leviathan--called Spire of Stars.

Following the release of the first DLC, Curse of Osiris, back in December, Warmind is due out on May 8 (you can see its new Exotics below). That's the same date that Season 3 begins, which will feature a free update that introduces an increase to Vault space, Exotic weapon Masterworks, and more. Season 3 also marks a notable change for Crucible maps, as all of the post-launch levels will be available through matchmaking to all players.

Later in the summer, Season 3 will also bring bounties, a seasonal event, improvements to Faction Rally events, and changes to Exotic armor sandbox. Season 4 is scheduled for launch in September and consists of weapon slot changes, gear collections, and more.

Strange Brigade puts you in the middle of an exotic and mysterious corner of 1930s Egypt. The Strange Brigade team discovers an army of mummies hell-bent on terror, and you have the power to stop them. Rebellion says the game will throw treacherous traps, puzzles, and hordes of monsters your way. The third-person shooter arms each of the four characters with their own weapons, tactics, and supernatural powers. Check out the game's latest story trailer below.

You can now pre-order Strange Brigade for $50, with all pre-orders including a free Secret Service Weapons Pack that comes with the "butter-smooth" Wilkers & White P19 pistol, the "piercingly precise" Stoudenmire 960 submachine gun, and the "punch-packing" Gehrig-Delgane S1 rifle. The Deluxe Edition, for $80, is also available for pre-order and includes the game and the Season Pass for future DLC. Rebellion is promising future content will include new campaign missions, characters, weapons, items, and more.

The Collector's Edition of Strange Brigade also comes with lots of other goodies. We don't have details yet on how to order it or how much it'll cost, but here's everything on offer:

• Strange Brigade boxed edition (PS4 and Xbox One only)
• Steelbook case
• Secret Service Weapons Pack DLC
• Airship model
• 64-page art book
• Exclusive suitcase design and sleeve

This is it--the movie, and the villain, that a decade of laboriously mapped out and meticulously crafted Marvel Cinematic Universe fiction has led to. Marvel made fans a promise when Samuel L. Jackson donned Nick Fury's eyepatch and told Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative at the end of Iron Man: It would all culminate here. They doubled down on that promise over and over across the subsequent decade of MCU movies, raising the stakes every time a new Infinity Stone entered the fray or Thanos made another of his rare on-screen appearances.

Now the gloves are off, and the Infinity Gauntlet is on Thanos's hand. And Avengers: Infinity War is a payoff of galactic proportions.

Thanos has been lurking in the MCU's wings for years now, pulling strings and orchestrating plots like Loki's invasion of Earth in the first Avengers movie and Ronan's assault on Xandar in Guardians of the Galaxy. Having lost his patience for subterfuge and with five of the six Infinity Stones located, the Mad Titan decides to finally get his hands dirty in Infinity War. He sends his minions, the Children of Thanos, to Earth to retrieve two of the Stones, while he goes after the others himself.

Infinity War doesn't introduce a lot of new characters, understandable considering the ridiculously enormous cast it already has to work with. The Children of Thanos make up four of those new faces, and they toe the line between campy fun and cannon fodder--they're cool, but they won't make much of an impression in the grand scheme of the movie.

And how grand a scheme it is. To mention only what we know, and not spoil any of the surprising cameos--of which there are a few--Infinity War is juggling protagonists and sidekicks from the worlds of Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, Spider-Man, and the Avengers universe at large.

Incredibly, Infinity War actually manages to do every single one of these characters justice. Some of them only get a few lines in the movie, or just a couple of awesome shots during a huge battle, but that's understandable. The fact that Infinity War actually feels like a well-balanced movie, with time for small, emotional moments between characters in addition to the multiple budget-breaking battles, is undeniably impressive.

There are two factors that help it there. For one thing, with a few exceptions, these are all characters we're already intimately familiar with. (That said, if you haven't been keeping up with the MCU for the last decade, good luck.) For another, this is really only half a movie, despite being long as heck. That shouldn't come as a surprise, and it certainly doesn't detract from the film. If anything, it probably would have turned out a lot messier if they'd tried to cram the whole story into one film. And Infinity War does end on a note of finality--there's no massive cliffhanger, but instead a coda that may come to feel like a bridge only when Avengers 4 arrives in 2019.

As has been the trend in the MCU lately, Infinity War is also extremely funny, though it occasionally feels like it shoehorns gags into otherwise serious scenes just to break the tension. The action, on the other hand, is as imaginative as you'd hope with all these different heroes with wildly varied powers coming together--and every bit as excellent as we've come to expect from directors Joe and Anthony Russo, the brothers behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War before this.

As promised, Infinity War is Thanos's movie. This is by far the most we've seen of the iconic villain since his proper debut in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and the movie does a decent job fleshing out his backstory and motivations. There are some aspects from the source material that you might find yourself missing if you're well versed on the books, but from the movie's shocking opening moments, Thanos is established as an absurdly powerful and nearly unstoppable force. And Josh Brolin plays the Titan with the exact right amounts of menace, humor, and emotion that the surprisingly complex character demands. In a word, Thanos is phenomenal.

But this is still an Avengers movie, and the payoff really comes from the unions and reunions we've come to expect from that name. When the first Avengers movie brought Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye together in 2012, the goosebumps that came from seeing heroes from disparate franchises fighting on-screen together proved that the Marvel blueprint works on a large scale. And that was after just a few movies and four years; Avengers: Infinity War extrapolates that same sensation over a decade and 18 films, and the results are exponentially more fun, exciting, and awe-inducing.

Avengers: Infinity War does justice both to the promise Marvel has been riding on for the last decade, and the source material that inspired it. Somehow, for all its fire and fury--the raw spectacle of it all--Infinity War is a surprisingly human story, both for the heroes who have to put all their doubts aside and unite, and for Thanos, a genocidal alien who succeeds as a character because he's infused with real emotion. Infinity War reminds us why these characters, one and all, matter, and why they mean so much to fans.

Marvel has accomplished something truly incredible here, although at this point it's no more than the absurdly high quality bar Marvel fans have come to expect. It's been a long road getting here, but it was worth it.

The update weighs in at 1.36 GB on Xbox One, while the PC equivalent clocks in at a slightly smaller 1.25 GB. Among other things, it resolves the last remaining spawning issues that have been cropping up since the game launched. Specifically, the patch fixes an issue that would prevent Skeleton Fort and Bounty Quest Skeletons from spawning correctly.

In addition to that, Rare says players will "no longer be stuck with a single weapon slot" following the update. Your weapon choice will also now persist across sessions, and you'll no longer play the same shanty two times in a row. Beyond that, the Kraken will no longer be able to spawn around rocks, players can no longer get stuck behind the bar in the Pirate Hideout, and your ship will no longer launch through the air spontaneously while sinking.

You can find the full list of changes in update 1.0.3 in the patch notes on the official Sea of Thieves website. Rare also teased that a variety of new clothes, weapons, and items are on the horizon for Sea of Thieves. The developer didn't reveal exactly when the items will be available in the game, but it did hint that they'd be "arriving soon."

Beyond this week's patch, Rare has some big content updates planned for Sea of Thieves. At least six major updates are in the works for the game, the first of which is called The Hungering Deep and launches next month. It adds a new AI threat, gameplay mechanics, and rewards. The big updates will be supplemented with regular weekly events that feature new goals and rewards.

As temperatures plunge well below freezing, it's your job to guide the remaining populace towards establishing a successful, self-sufficient camp. You'll need hunters and hothouses, mines and saw mills. And you have to keep all of these machines running in temperatures that would make even the hardiest penguins shiver.

The essentials are pretty simple, though. People need houses and jobs. Because this is a survival situation, everyone works on a near-constant basis. The day starts at 5:00 AM, and people have a few hours to finish any construction projects before they head to their primary job for 12 hours. Then they head back home, finish a few small tasks, and go to bed.

This cycle is hugely important because you'll need to always make sure you have enough fuel to keep the generator running through the night. A major part of this is planning out when and where people need to be to complete their tasks. If you survive, you'll build outwards in concentric rings, ensuring that, as you expand, your core can keep up with the heating demands and provide enough warmth for your citizens to combat the pervasive chill.

This all works seamlessly, too. There’s a natural pattern to it all, and you’ll be given little challenges throughout the day to help give you a bit more structure. Often, these are emergent consequences of past decisions. If you were able to keep people alive through the night, but not warm enough, then they could get sick--posing a new set of challenges to prioritize for the day after. If any one element of the city is neglected a bit too long, then you’ll start getting more strident demands from your people, which often become more intricate, two-to-three-day goals. The structure for it all is elegant and precise--you always have just enough work, and you’re never left without near and moderate-term goals to help give you direction.

Your mission is also strained by all manner of unavoidable disasters. Everything from sudden cold snaps and necessary amputations to mining disasters and refugee crises crop up, requiring your intervention. This forms what could be called the crux of the game--balancing hope and discontent. Compassionate actions give your people hope. They remind the huddled masses that we (in the general sense) haven’t lost touch with humanity. Dispassionate or draconian acts, however, drain the collective will. Unlike most moral choices in games, neither are unilaterally better.

Compassionate actions are typically better long-term goals for short-term hits. For instance, taking on gravely injured or terminally ill refugees will help hold your people together--reminding them that if they are ever left out or lost, they will be found and cared for. At the same time, medical care in the post-apocalypse is damned near impossible, and if you don't have the facilities to care for the people, you'll soon end up with a pile of bodies spreading disease throughout the colony. Manage to fix up the wounded, though, and you'll have an able-bodied workforce embued with the unbreakable spirit of hope.

These are the kinds of choices Frostpunk lives on, and what separates it from every other comparable game. Frostpunk gets a lot of mileage from it, too. It’s hard to cling to the moral high ground--even if you succeed--when you’re reminded of the sacrifices you’ve made along the way. That gives your decisions weight in a way that SimCity and many of its ilk simply can’t. Here, the effects of disasters are tangible, and the game rightly blames you for your personal failures.

One of your citizens approaches you: "Children should be put to work. We're all in this together, and we need help right now." Then, you're shuffled over to a rough-hewn book of laws for your band. There you can, with a click, start putting the kids to work. Or you could build child shelters to house the kids and keep them healthy and safe from the cold. The citizens didn't present you with that second option--and why would they, they can only see what's immediately in front of them?

Frostpunk itself, in the tutorial, notes that the people you serve are always looking for a solution, but not necessarily the best one. What's ultimately best depends on the emergent challenges you face. Do you have a mysterious illness spreading wildly through the camp? Are you struggling to find coal, forcing you to char firewood and construction materials to keep the generator going? These questions are constant and agonizing throughout. Frostpunk drips cynicism and bleakness. And yet it is that hopelessness, that fundamental need of human beings to persist in spite of everything that Frostpunk seeks to embody most. You become the bulwark against fear--even as you look across the land and internalize just how hard this fight will be.

That's powerful precisely because it hurts. Every time you make a tough call, doubts linger. If you had been better, if you had chosen differently, maybe you'd have been able to save everyone. Adding to the distress, Frostpunk's Hope meter shows you the consequences of your decisions right as they happen. Send children into the mines and you can watch the camp's faith evaporate as a whole chunk of meter gets lopped off.

This system--balancing the will of the people against their own needs--works so well precisely because every mechanism in the game is built to support that core idea. Your job is to manage the emotional fortitude of the people as much as it is about anything else. In time, you'll be able to form scouting parties, outposts, and build a sprawling network of makeshift towns and settlements that stand together. But again, that arc intersects with countless brutal decisions. Should you send a scout to help survivors fight off bears? What about risk turning off an electrical super-weapon that fries everything it touches--but with the potential of a new safe haven from the world outside? The story of your civilization, of your masses hoping, is forged in the choices you make along the way. And they become a part of the narrative you build.

Frostpunk is among the best overall takes on the survival city builder to date. Its theming and consistency create a powerful narrative through line that binds your actions around the struggle to hold onto humanity in uncertain times. Hope is a qualified good, but you may not always be strong enough (or clever enough) to shelter that flame from the cold.