Condensed into the first few minutes of one of the biggest games of all time is the entire essence of a genre. Minecraft presents you first with a lush, almost infinitely large world, and then it allows you to instantly set about transforming it.
You chop down trees and dig down through dirt and stone, each tapped block and mined resource disappearing forever. But you also add to the world…
Even the 'Fallout 76' collectibles have issues
September 24, 2019
It feels like the bad news smog around Fallout 76 will never fully dissipate. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall for wearable helmets because of a mold risk. The recall only impacts the red, Nuka Cola-themed T-51b Power Armor Collectible…
The best games for Xbox One
September 24, 2019
A series of missteps put Microsoft in second place before the Xbox One even came out. While it’s likely to remain there until the next generation begins, there are a lot of people out there who have never experienced what the console has to offer. With the Xbox One X…
Classic Star Wars game 'Jedi Outcast' arrives on PS4 and Switch
September 24, 2019
Fans of Star Wars games just got a rare nostalgia trip on modern consoles. As teased during Nintendo’s Direct earlier in the month, Aspyr has released Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast for the Switch and PS4 at a modest $10 price. The revived 2002 title puts you in the shoes of series hero Kyle Katarn after he cut links with the Jedi and the Force, only to realize he needs to return to the fold…
Fortnite season X has changed so much that it’s overwhelming
September 24, 2019
I dropped into a game of Fortnite this weekend and, in the span of about five minutes, I was in a war zone-like Gotham City, atop a floating island held aloft by a purple cube, and in a swampy area where I could disguise myself as a literal barbecue and hide. Each area had…
The best thing I saw on Twitch today was Grand Theft Auto role-playing
September 23, 2019
When I tuned into the Grand Theft Auto V role-playing server earlier today, the first thing I saw was a hostage situation. Kyle Pred, a cadet in the Los Santos Police Department, was talking a gangster out of killing a random hostage in a bank. The gangster, Speedy, was…
'Fortnite' is adding bots to give new players a fighting chance
September 23, 2019
The next time you boot up Fortnite, not all your opponents may turn out to be human. Starting next season, the game will introduce bots to online matchmaking. Developer Epic Games says the game’s AI opponents “will behave similarly to normal players and will help provide a better path for players to grow in skill.” The studio adds that individuals won’t encounter bots when…
Fortnite is adding skill-based matchmaking and bots
September 23, 2019
Epic is making a big change to the way matchmaking works in Fortnite. With the game’s next major update, v10.40, the developer will be introducing skill-based matchmaking to the battle royale. “Since battle royale launched, the matchmaking strategy for our core modes has…
Nintendo seriously needs to fix multi-Switch game sharing
September 23, 2019
Now that the Switch Lite ($200) is out, Nintendo fans are coming to a sad realization: Sharing digital games between multiple systems stinks. You can set one console as your primary, allowing you to play games anywhere without an internet connection. But to play digital…
IKEA's AR furniture app now lets you preview an entire room
September 23, 2019
IKEA’s augmented reality Place app can be helpful for gauging how furniture will look in your abode, but you’ve been limited to trying items one at a time — not much help if you’re trying to furnish a new home. Now, though, it’s much more practical as a home decor tool. An updated iOS app (the Android equivalent is coming in the “near future”) lets you…
